Basic Christian

Basic Christian - The BasicChristian.org Website Articles (PDF)

Basic Christian Full Content PDF Version. The BasicChristian.org most complete resource.

-- The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior

The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior. May the Lord Jesus Christ be honored by our devotions, our study and in our fellowship. May all the people be blessed and grow in the grace and knowledge of the love and presence of God our creator and our savior. - Amen!

Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah: Jeremiah was a part of the 'middle period' prophets and saw the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of King Solomon's Temple and many of his fellow Jewish countrymen taken away captive to the distant nation of Babylon - As a result of all the grief and hardship that Jeremiah experienced he is known as the 'Weeping Prophet' - Jeremiah also wrote the Bible's book of Lamentations (meaning "How [could this happen - the destruction of Jerusalem]" being the formula for the commencement of a song of wailing [and mourning] - wiki.com)

Jeremiah was a part of the 'middle period' [Babylonian captivity] prophets including fellow Jerusalem prophets Habakkuk and Zephaniah while Daniel and Ezekiel prophesied in Babylon being a part of the captivity. The prophet Obadiah is thought to have prophesied about the same time as Jeremiah and also in Jerusalem however there is also a strong indication that Obadiah prophesied at a slightly earlier period in Jerusalem than Jeremiah. - The earlier prophet Micah is mentioned (Jeremiah 26:18-21) to the leaders of Israel by Jeremiah as an example of a prophet who also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem though the leaders of that time did not seek to put Micah to death for his message as the current leaders were seeking to do to Jeremiah. - It is important to note that the earlier prophets like Micah were prophesying about the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity about 100 years before the actual events happened later in time during the time of Jeremiah and the other 'middle prophets' and that though the messages of the 'middle prophets' will sound similar to the messages of the 'earlier prophets' often the focus will now shift forward again and will actually be further out in time. During the time of the middle prophets the prophets were not primarily focusing on the Babylonian captivity but were actually prophesying out into the future 2nd destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the 2nd Temple by Rome in 70 A.D. and the resulting great Jewish "Diaspora" dispersion among all Gentile Nations not just being taken away into the one Nation of Babylon. - While the Jerusalem prophets prophesied about the future Diaspora of Israel the two prophets [Daniel and Ezekiel] in captivity in Babylon prophesied much further out into the future with Daniel prophesying about the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem and his famous "70 Weeks" Prophecy while Ezekiel is prophesying possibly about a 4th rebuilt Millennial Temple [the 3rd Temple also belonging to God is yet to be rebuilt in Jerusalem but the Antichrist will attempt to use it as his throne and the dimensions of Ezekiel's 4th Temple are much larger than what would currently be physically possible upon the Temple Mount location of today] in Jerusalem and the Millennial reign on earth with the Messiah Jesus Christ reigning from the [4th] Temple in Jerusalem.

The Book of Jeremiah - Jeremiah was a young devout Levitical Priest from the (Levite) City of Refuge in Anathoth (Joshua 21:18) and he also very likely served duties in the Temple at Jerusalem - Jeremiah lived from about 627 to 580 BC, a crucial period in the history of Judah, the Southern Kingdom [of Israel] except for a brief period of independence under Josiah - Judah existed as a vassal under Assyria, Egypt and Babylon {Assyria a major kingdom though not controlling all of the area including Jerusalem it was not a kingdom of the world (Revelation 17:10), Egypt is the second of the seven world kingdoms (after Nimrod the first world ruler), Babylon is the third of the seven world kingdoms, fourth is Persia (Iran), fifth is Greece, the sixth is Rome and the seventh being the Antichrist] - He [Jeremiah] began writing during the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign (Jeremiah 1:2, 25:3) - On the world scene, Jeremiah's lifetime was a period of empires jockeying for world domination {Note: the final world domination [of Satan] via Antichrist will be primarily a spiritual domination [false worship] first and physical domination second (Revelation 13:17) where the earlier kingdoms were physical domination first and spiritual domination followed.}

Jeremiah ministered during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, and the governorship of Gedaliah. When he began his ministry, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been in captivity for nearly one hundred years; Josiah was attempting to extend his influence over the territory formerly controlled by the north. Manasseh's evil reign had ended fifteen years before, perhaps when Jeremiah was quite young. After Manasseh, Amon's reign, also evil, lasted barely two years. Jeremiah's ministry began during the early reformation by Josiah, a reformation that was mostly skin deep, affecting few beyond his immediate circle. It would be five more years before the book of the law would be found by Hilkiah, as he was cleaning the temple. On the world scene, Jeremiah's lifetime was a period of empires jockeying for world domination. The Assyrian empire began to disintegrate after the death of Ashurbanipal in 626 BC, with the capital, Nineveh, falling to Nebuchadnezzar in 612 BC. In 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish, thus gaining control of all of western Asia. In 609 BC Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo, when he foolishly went out to fight Pharaoh Necho. Judah, at this point, became a vassal to Egypt. In 606/05 BC, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took many captives (Daniel 1:1). In 603 BC, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar; from that time on, Babylon, Moab and Ammon began systematically dismantling the Jewish state. In 597 BC Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, bound Jehoiakim, and took him to Babylon, along with many of the temple vessels. In 588 BC, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem until 586 when famine swept the city; Nebuchadnezzar sacked the city, and burned it to the ground. The temple was destroyed. Jeremiah was not the only prophet at this time: preaching with him, were Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Huldah, the prophetess in Judah. Meanwhile, Daniel and Ezekiel were busy in Babylonian captivity.

The Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 52:28-30) notes three deportations: The first [Daniel and his friends went to Babylon in this first deportation of Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon] was in the time of [king] Jehoiachin, in 597 BCE, when the Temple of Jerusalem was partially despoiled and a number of the leading [talented and brilliant] citizens were removed (2 Kings 24:10-16) - After eleven years, in 586 BCE, in the reign of Zedekiah, a fresh uprising of the Judaeans occurred - The city and Temple of Jerusalem was razed [destroyed, leveled to the ground] and a further [2nd] deportation ensued (2 Kings 25:1-21) [Ezekiel was a part of this 2nd deportation to Babylon] - Finally, five years thereafter, in 581 BCE, Jeremiah records a third deportation (Jeremiah 52:30)

The book of Daniel records a deportation of Judaean nobility that occurred around 605 BCE, in the reign of Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1-6; cf. 2 Chronicles 36:6-7). The Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 52:28-30) notes three deportations: The first was in the time of Jehoiachin, in 597 BCE, when the Temple of Jerusalem was partially despoiled and a number of the leading citizens were removed (2 Kings 24:10-16). After eleven years, in 586 BCE, in the reign of Zedekiah, a fresh uprising of the Judaeans occurred. The city and temple of Jerusalem was razed and a further deportation ensued (2 Kings 25:1-21). Finally, five years thereafter, in 581 BCE, Jeremiah records a third deportation (Jeremiah 52:30). ... Significance in Judaism: The Babylonian Captivity and the subsequent return [back] to Israel [70 years later] were seen as one of the pivotal events in the drama between God and His people: Israel. Just as they had been predestined for, and saved from, slavery in Egypt, the Israelites were predestined to be punished by God through the Babylonians, and then saved once more. The Babylonian Captivity had a number of serious effects on Judaism and the Jewish culture. For example, the current [modern] Hebrew script was adopted during this period, replacing the traditional Israelite script. This period saw the last [Jewish] high-point of Biblical prophecy in the person of Ezekiel, followed by the emergence of the central role of the Torah [Five Books of Moses] in Jewish life; according to many historical-critical scholars, it was edited and redacted during this time, and saw the beginning of the canonization of the Bible [O.T.], which provided a central text for Jews. This process coincided with the emergence of scribes and sages as Jewish leaders (see Ezra and the Pharisees). Prior to exile, the people of Israel had been organized according to tribe; afterwards, they were organized by clans, only the [Levitical] tribe of Levi [and the Tribe of Judah] continuing in its 'special role'. After this time, there were always sizable numbers of Jews living outside Eretz Israel [Promise Land]; thus, it also marks the beginning of the "Jewish diaspora" [Jews dispersed and living among the Gentile Nations], unless this is considered to have begun with the Assyrian Captivity of [Northern] Israel. In Rabbinic literature, Babylon is a metaphor for the current Jewish diaspora.

Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet (Mp3)

Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ - A sermon from Bubba Garner. Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet [35:04m]: MP3.

Jeremiah 1 - Jeremiah at a young age [probably early twenties] was called by God to be a prophet to the Nation of Israel and to the Nations and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles - The calling and office of God will cover about the next 50 years in the life of Jeremiah - With the long Ministry of Jeremiah and the book (scroll) of Jeremiah having more words than any other Bible book except for the Book of Psalms the Book of Jeremiah has been arranged by scribes from a chronological order into Three main Oracles [Teachings] given from God through Jeremiah -- 'Jeremiah 1:1-3 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the [Levitical] Priests that were in Anathoth [a Levite city of refuge slightly north of the villages of Bethpage and Bethany] in the land of Benjamin: To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.'

Jeremiah 1:4-10 Then the word of the LORD came unto me [Jeremiah], saying, Before I [God] formed thee [Jeremiah] in the belly [womb] I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified [set apart] thee, and I ordained thee *a prophet unto the Nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child [probably early twenties though possibly much younger, a Priest was a 'child' and could only assist the Priesthood until the adult age of thirty]. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee *over the Nations and over the Kingdoms, to {first} root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down [the breaking of the Old Testament (Jeremiah 19:10) by Israel], {then} to build, and to plant [the New Testament (Jeremiah 31:31) by and through God]. - "Jeremiah 1:5 Before I [God] formed thee [Jeremiah] in the belly I knew thee ..." God is the creator of each individual life! This verse is indicating that God has all knowledge and knows both the beginning and the end of all human history this is not a verse about pre-existence as God with His knowledge foreknew Jeremiah even though Jeremiah did not yet exist spiritually or physically. (James 2:26) mentions that the body without a spirit is dead and therefore it seems that in the womb God creates the human life spirit and then God takes about 9 months to form a body around the human spirit that He has given [remember though we are now created in a fallen sinful world and our human bodies even in the womb and at birth do reflect the fallen imperfect nature of this world]. "John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I (Jesus) say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." With the words of Jesus it would exclude any form of human spirit preexistence as Jesus said humans are born of water then born again by the Holy Spirit while to preexist (i.e. live in heaven as a human spirit without a body as is an LDS Mormon teaching) the [LDS] human would be born a preexistent human spirit then 'born again' in water and then 'born again, again' by the Holy Spirit and it is another LDS teaching that is simply not at all Biblical.

Jeremiah 1 (Part 2) - As a prophet in the middle period move of the Holy Spirit Jeremiah is going to encounter several visions from God - Visions and dreams are going to help characterize the middle prophecy period -- 'Jeremiah 1:11-12 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou [in a vision]? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.'

Jeremiah 1:13-14 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou [in a vision]? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. - Previously in the Bible God primarily spoke to the prophets in an audible voice (Genesis 12:4), occasionally in a vision (Genesis 15:1) and often through a dream (Genesis 37:5) however as God is preparing mankind to receive the New Covenant (New Testament) gifts and callings of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28) the middle period prophets including Jeremiah begin to prophesy more in accordance with the coming New Testament gifts of visions, dreams and and discernment while still hearing audibly from God.

Jeremiah 2 - Chapter 2 begins with what is considered [and grouped into] the first of three Oracles of Jeremiah to the people - Oracle 1: Chapters 2-25 {remembering Israel's past with God, reminding the people that to know God is to have fellowship in a personal relationship with God and that the O.T. covenant between God and Israel is broken [by Israel] it is not working and will be removed [at the cross of Jesus Christ when the veil in the Temple it torn from top to bottom]}, Oracle 2: Chapters 30-31 {The New Covenant (New Testament) is to be instituted [in the blood and body, death and resurrection of the Messiah Jesus Christ]}, Oracle 3: Chapters 46-51 {Judgments upon the Gentile Nations (and more so upon the demonic entities that are behind the scenes in manipulating Gentile societies, rituals and pagan practices.)} -- 'Jeremiah 2:1-3 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me (Jeremiah), saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me in the wilderness [desert wandering], in a land that was not sown [unplanted]. Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of His increase ...'

Jeremiah 2:8-9 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew Me not: the pastors also transgressed against Me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal [Satan], and walked after things that do not [spiritually] profit. Wherefore I will yet plead [lit. make a legal charge against you] with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead [lit. make a legal charge against them]. - Ultimately it is the leadership of Israel both politically and priestly that has errored to the point of separating the people of Israel from God and as a result have brought the Nation of Israel to ruin, defeat and into captivity.

Jeremiah 3 - Jeremiah is making it evident beyond any doubt that it is the people of Israel [and the entire world] that have strayed from God - While throughout all time, locations and events God remains faithful to both Himself and to the people -- 'Jeremiah 3:11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel [Northern Kingdom] hath justified [made right] herself more than treacherous [Southern Kingdom] Judah.' - Note: God is saying that the disastrous Northern Kingdom led by the tribe of Dan, with the limited knowledge of God that they had have actually been more faithful than the Southern Kingdom Tribe of Judah. The Northern Kingdom was previously judged by God and taken into captivity by the Nation of Assyria yet the Southern Kingdom having had more interaction and knowledge with God and seeing the judgment and captivity of the Northern Kingdom but still the Southern Kingdom of Judah turned from God to an even greater extent than the Northern Kingdom did. - Even today it is an astonishing achievement that the Christian Church that has significantly more knowledge and experience with God than the Jewish brethren yet the Christian Church in its unfaithfulness to God and to His word is backsliding and misrepresenting God far beyond what ancient Israel, Judah or even modern Israel has done during their inconsistent relationship with God.

Jeremiah 3:20-25 ... O house of Israel, saith the LORD. A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the LORD our God. Truly in vain [emptiness] is salvation hoped for from the hills [other people], and from the multitude of mountains [other Nations i.e. Egypt, Edom ...]: *truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame hath devoured the labour [our inheritance] of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God. - By not following the words of God they have brought on themselves the confusion that comes from following the [news] stories and misrepresented events of the day. - In our own day practically every public teaching [evolution, ethics, etc.], every cultural event [TV, movies, plays, etc.] and every news item [CNN, Fox News, etc.] that has the pretext of teaching, enlightening and informing the people is by design a system of confusion. Once people are confused they are more easily deceived, led astray, corrupted and taken advantage of.

Jeremiah 4 - Jeremiah is insisting that the people return to God but only through following the ways of God -- 'Jeremiah 4:1-4 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto Me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of My sight, then shalt thou not remove {go into captiviy}. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; *and the Nations shall bless themselves [though the obedience of Israel] in Him, and in Him shall they [Gentiles] glory. For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow [unproductive] ground, and sow [plant] not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins [hardness, covering] of your heart [soul], ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.'

Jeremiah 4:22-28 For My people is foolish, they have not [personally] known Me; they are sottish [drunken, intoxicated from another influence (spiritual)] [immature] children, and they have none understanding: *they are wise to do evil, *but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly [easily]. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. - God is consistently creating His order from out of the void, emptiness and failings of humanity. Along with His establishing of His order God is also routinely rearranging the structure of all of creation and all of society in order to continue to accurately reflect who He is as God in reflecting His nature and His personality through His society, His word [Holy Bible], His accomplishments [past prophecies], His future prophecies and also through all of His physical creation revealing unto to all of mankind just who He is as God our creator.

Jeremiah 5 - Israel has been trusting in many false securities - Trusting mainly in their own capabilities to achieve in life and to achieve over or to negotiate with their fellow Nations but now the false securities, the securities apart from God, are going to come crashing down -- 'Jeremiah 5:10 Go ye [strangers] up upon her [Jerusalem] walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements [false securities]; for they are not the LORD'S. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously [lit. secretly and deceitfully] against Me, saith the LORD.'

Jeremiah 5:29-31 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not **My soul be avenged on such a Nation as this? A wonderful [lit. large scale desolation] and horrible thing is committed in the land; *The prophets prophesy falsely, *and the priests bear rule by their means [wealth and power]; *and My people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? - In the "end thereof" the people will no longer have the option of residing in the false securities. The false prophets will be revealed as false, the priests [pastors] will have lost their authority and ultimately the people will have to either look directly to God or look directly away from God as all of the middle pretenses and distractions in the rulers, false prophets, and priests will be removed from the decision making process of the ordinary person. Note: the ideal situation is for people to first go directly to God in a personal relationship with God in prayer, reading the Bible, fellowship and service to God and avoiding the necessity of having to have life's circumstances become a 'large scale desolation' in order to have enough of the false securities fail and removed before finally turning to God as a last resort but keep in mind that turning to God even as a last resort [or especially as a last resort] is still the much better [and much more common] option than not turning to God at all.

Jeremiah 6 - While the Children of God are unable or unwilling to be an example to the rest of the world regarding God's wonderful plan of Salvation to the world - Then the Children of God can become an example to the rest of the world regarding God's ability to judge [beginning first in the household of God] between good and evil and to reward good while correcting evil -- 'Jeremiah 6:18-19 Therefore hear, ye [Gentile] Nations, and know, O [remnant] congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this [backslidden] people, even *the fruit [outcome] of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My Words, nor to My Law, but rejected it.'

Jeremiah 6:24-30 We [the Children of God] have heard the fame thereof {now the fame is in the correction of God and in the captivity instead of as in the past fame regarding the deliverance from Egypt and the amazing victories both inside and outside of the Promise Land}: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way [road]; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. O daughter of My people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes [repentance]: ***make thee mourning, as for an only Son [Jesus and the cross of Jesus is always where every plan of God is intending to bring mankind], most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among My people, that thou mayest know and try their way. They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass [sin, brass is man's cheap imitation of gold - cheap glory and sin] and iron [strong unrepentant sin]; *they are all corrupters. The bellows are burned, the lead [lead the cheapest and dullest metal] is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate [no longer shining] silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them [from man's worldly casual view God had rejected Israel but according to the Word, plans and purposes of God the Jews and the Nation of Israel have never once been rejected by God].

Jeremiah 7 - Jeremiah is told by God to go stand in the [main] gate into the Temple in Jerusalem and to give a message from God to all the Worshipers of Israel - 'Jeremiah 7:1-3 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD'S [Temple] House, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the Word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, *Amend [lit. be cheerful] your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. ...'

Jeremiah 7:1-34 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the [main] gate of the LORD'S [Temple] House, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the Word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these [Temple] gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these {buildings that make us great, while it is the Word and presence of God that makes a Nation great}. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal [Satan], and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before Me in this [Temple] House, which is called by My Name, and say, We are delivered [from Egypt] to do all these abominations? Is this [Temple] House, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now unto My [original Tabernacle] place which was in Shiloh [Northern Israel], where I set My Name at the first, and see what I did to it [Northern Israel] for the wickedness of My people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; *Therefore will I do [destroy the Temple] unto this [Temple] House [in Jerusalem], which is called by My Name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of My sight [into captivity in Babylon], as I have cast out all your brethren [into Assyria (now Northern Babylon)], even the whole seed [Tribe] of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me: for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do [group false worship] in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven [Ishtar], and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do they provoke Me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out [like a drink offering] upon this place [Jerusalem], upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: *they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Cut off thine hair [glory], O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath. For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn [sacrifice, abortion] their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into My heart. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but [in truth] the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth [joyous laughter], and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate. -- The Temple Sermon [Jeremiah 7:1-8:3] of Jeremiah continues ...

Jeremiah vs. Politically Correct Theology - Jeremiah's "Temple Sermon" stands as one of the great texts that define for us the prophet's theology - It was preached early in the reign of [king] Jehoiakim [aka. Eliakim] (609-598 BC) - It seems to be the sermon that initially created animosity on all levels of society for the prophet

INTRODUCTION: Jeremiah's "Temple Sermon" stands as one of the great texts that define for us the prophet's theology. It was preached early in the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC). It seems to be the sermon that initially created animosity on all levels of society for the prophet. It was not the harshness of the message that alienated these new found enemies, which were numerous, but it was the content--the subtle and not so subtle comments and implications--that drove them to try and lynch the prophet. ... THE SECOND LIST OF SINS--MORE EXPLICIT! In the second list of sins (7:8-11) begins by again, a second time, calling the "official theology" a sheker, but adds "that cannot profit." This list is not a list that would evoke images of what the king had done, but reached into the lives of the people. It, like the first list, begins with crimes against man. It sounds like the second half of the 10 commandments with only coveting left out. "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely" What is more explicit is the crimes against God. In addition to following other gods the name of the main deity they have substituted for Yahweh is given--Baal! In their religious devotion they have done two things for these other gods: burned incense to them and walked after them. The first act is probably pars pro toto (the part for the whole). Why choose incense burning when the associated acts are so awful? Things like child sacrifice, sacred prostitution, bestiality, incest, and self mutilation seem to make incense burning a gross understatement. Jeremiah is not adverse to using strong language if it fits the situation. Earlier he had called the nation "a wild ass in heat." He had asked them to show him a place where they had not been "violated/defiled." (3:1-4) The word shugal (lfgu$) was the gutter term for sexual intercourse. It was not pronounced aloud in public reading, but had a euphemistic term substituted for it. Why did Mr. "I will say anything" [Jeremiah] not unleash his tongue? Several suggestions could be made 1. He was standing in the temple at the time of worship and discretion was called for. ... What is particularly heinous is that they would then "come and stand before me (Yahweh) in this house, which is called by my name, and say [by their actions], 'We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations?'" It is doubtful that the quotation was an actual saying of theirs. It is either just the implication from their acts and their actual words or a modification of an unknown ritual formula they used. The former [their acts] is probably the case.

Jeremiah 8 - Jeremiah has concluded his Temple Sermon [Jeremiah 7:1-8:3] given publically to the worshipers coming in and out of the main gate on the Temple grounds [in Jerusalem] and Jeremiah continues with more messages to the people -- 'Jeremiah 8:11 For they [prophets, priests and leaders] have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace [with sin], peace [with sin]; when there is no peace [with sin].'

Jeremiah 8:20-21 The Harvest [of God] is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of My people Am I hurt [on the cross]; I am black [lit. cloathed in darkness, mourning]; astonishment hath taken hold on Me. Is there no balm [medicine] in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of My people recovered? - The health of the people has not recovered because the illness of all people is spiritual and will require more than medicine, salve and balm it will require the eternal, spiritual sacrifice of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) on the cross in order to heal mankind from the sickness of sin.

Jeremiah 8:20 "The Harvest Is Past" by Pastor David Legge (Mp3)

We're turning in our Bibles to the book of Jeremiah the prophet, and his prophecy - chapter 8 of that book, and only one verse that we will read together this evening. Jeremiah chapter 8, verse 20 is our text - and let me say before I read this, I feel it's important to say this: last week, last Sunday evening was our watchnight service, and this is the message that I felt God was giving me for that. It's the exact same message, so if you've come tonight don't think that anybody has tipped me off that I know where you are and I know all about you - this is the message I hoped to preach last week, but God led me to preach something else. So I bring it to you this week, and that - I believe - is for a reason. It must be for a reason, there's no coincidences with God - and I believe that reason is you! No matter who you are, or where you are in this gathering tonight: this is God's message for you tonight, and I am 100% certain of that - you may not be, but I am, so I want you to listen to it this evening. Verse 20 of chapter 8: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved"..."The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved". Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer, and perhaps as we bow our heads together we could sing quietly and prayerfully that first verse of the hymn we've just sung: 'Pass me not, O gentle Saviour, Hear my humble cry, While on others Thou art calling Do not pass me by'. Can you sing that? Let's sing it together ...

Jeremiah 9 - We are to glory in the true gold of God, a knowledge of God in the lovingkindness of God and in the mercy of God - Not in the false compassions of brass and iron from mankind -- 'Jeremiah 9:24 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I Am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.'

Jeremiah 9:25-26 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them [Jews and Gentiles] which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these Nations are uncircumcised, and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. - The judgment day of God is going to encompass all of mankind. The Jews [Hebrews] and all Gentiles come under the judgment and authority of the Almighty God and all will be judged by God.

Jeremiah 10 - Jeremiah 10:1-10 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O House of Israel [those Governed by God]: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen [unsaved], and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the [unsaved] people are vain [empty] ... But the LORD is the True God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the Nations shall not be able to abide His indignation.

Jeremiah 10:11-16 *Thus shall ye [Jeremiah] say unto them [Gentiles], The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion. When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures. Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder {metal worker} is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood [not a god], and there is no [life] breath in them [metal statues]. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation [testing by fire - 1 Corinthians 3:13] they [false gods, metal stautes] shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former [beginning] of all things [Israel]; and Israel is the rod [lit. walking stick, companion] of His [Jesus'] inheritance: The LORD of Hosts [Jesus] is His Name. - Note: verse 11 is directed from God through Jeremiah to the Gentiles and being addressed to the Gentiles verse 11 is one of the few verses in the O.T. Bible that is not written in Hebrew but is written in the Aramaic language [ancient Canaanite language - Wiki.com].

An Introduction to Aramaic "...Today few people study Aramaic because they are interested in the Arameans - Most are motivated by the fact that [a few] parts of the Bible [concerning Gentiles] are written in Aramaic, specifically major[?] sections of the books of Ezra (4:6-6:18 and 7:12-26) and Daniel (2:4-7:28), as well as one sentence in Jeremiah (10:11) and two words in Genesis (31:47) - In order to read the entire "Hebrew" Bible in the original, then, one must know Aramaic (Book)

What is Aramaic and Why Should You Learn It? (Excerpted from An Introduction to Aramaic chapter 1) "...Today few people study Aramaic because they are interested in the Arameans. Most are motivated by the fact that parts of the Bible are written in Aramaic, specifically major sections of the books of Ezra (4:6-6:18 and 7:12-26) and Daniel (2:4-7:28), as well as one sentence in Jeremiah (10:11) and two words in Genesis (31:47). In order to read the entire "Hebrew" Bible in the original, then, one must know Aramaic. "With only some 200 verses of the Bible in Aramaic, there would be little reason to learn the dialect for that reason alone. However, mastering this limited body of material can open the door to a wide range of possibilities. "Because Aramaic was a dominant language among the Jews of first century Palestine [not substantiated], a wealth of important [questionable, forged] texts are written in it. Although Jesus' teachings survive only in the Greek New Testament, the [modern] Gospels provide ample [tampered] evidence of Aramaic traditions surrounding him, and the language's influence can be felt in several other passages as well. - Note: There is no Biblical or archeological evidence that Aramaic was the main language in use at the time of Jesus. The overwhelming evidence is that Hebrew continued to be the language spoken and written in Israel and in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus and until the Diaspora in 70 A.D. - Also Note: there is some evidence that what were originally some New Testament words written in Hebrew have been replaced at a later date with Aramaic words in an attempt by somebody possibly Christian Gentiles to separate the New Testament from its original Jerusalem, Jewish origins. In fact all of the emphasis on the miniscule use of Aramaic in the Bible is a direct attempt by Gentiles to lessen the Jewish-Hebrew foundations and influences of the Bible.

Introduction to The Book of Daniel - The Aramaic langue was the common language or lingua franca, used in Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian communication

Languages: Aramaic and Hebrew are the two languages used in Daniel. Hebrew is used in Daniel 1:1 to Daniel 2:4a and Chapters 8 through 12, Aramaic is used from Daniel 2:4a to 7:28. The Aramaic langue was the common language or lingua franca, used in Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian communication. Aramaic is found also in the Ezra 4:8-6:18, 7:12-26 and Jeremiah 10:11. Why did Daniel compose a portion of his revelation in a foreign language? Some have used this to argue a late date for the book of Daniel. Aramaic in fact was the common language in the 6th century B.C., not the Maccabean period (166 B.C) where Greek [Greece the 5th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] became the common language. Daniel message was not only to the Jewish people, but to the nations. Aramaic in Daniel's day is equivalent to English in our day. Daniel 2:4 to 7:28 would be accessible to any literate, Greek, Babylonian or Jew in Daniel's day and later.

In what language was the Bible first written? - Some Aramaic words were even used by the Gospel writers in the New Testament {It's extremely doubtful even impossible that Aramaic was originally used in the original and early New Testament [N.T.] manuscripts [because the current written Aramaic words [i.e. Matthew 27:46] do not fit within the context and meaning of what was spoken but a written Hebrew word would fit exactly the spoken context]. It's most probable that at a later date several of the Hebrew words in the (Greek) New Testament were replaced with Aramaic and that today we now have a few Aramaic words in the New Testament where originally there were none.}

Hebrew is one of a group of languages known as the Semitic languages which were spoken throughout that part of the world, then called Mesopotamia, located today mainly in Iraq. Their alphabet consisted of 22 letters, all consonants. (Imagine having an alphabet with no vowels! Much later they did add vowels.) Almost the entire Old Testament was written in Hebrew during the thousand years of its composition. But a few chapters in the prophecies of Ezra and Daniel and one verse in Jeremiah were written in a language called Aramaic. This language became very popular in the ancient world and actually displaced many other languages. Aramaic even became the common language spoken in Israel in Jesus' time, and it was likely the language He spoke day by day. Some Aramaic words were even used by the Gospel writers in the New Testament. The New Testament, however, was written in Greek. This seems strange, since you might think it would be either Hebrew or Aramaic. However, Greek was the language of scholarship during the years of the composition of the New Testament from 50 to 100 AD. The fact is that many Jews could not even read Hebrew anymore, and this disturbed the Jewish leaders a lot! So, around 300 BC a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek was undertaken, and it was completed around 200 BC. Gradually this Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was widely accepted and was even used in many synagogues. It also became a wonderful missionary tool for the early Christians, for now the Greeks could read God's Word in their own tongue. So the New Testament authors wrote in Greek. They did not, however, use really high-class or classical Greek, but a very common and everyday type of Greek. For many years some scholars ridiculed the Greek of the New Testament because many of its words were strange to those who read the writings of the great Greek classical authors such as Plato and Aristotle. But later many records were uncovered of ordinary people, and amazingly there were the same common terms used in everyday speech! The ridicule dried up accordingly.

Jeremiah 11-12 - Israel is given a final opportunity to follow the [Old] Covenant -- 'Jeremiah 11:1-5 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Hear ye the words of this Covenant [O.T.], and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be My people, and I will be your God: That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I [Jeremiah], and said, So be it, O LORD.' - Note: Israel will again be unable to follow the Old Covenant because any Covenant [agreement] between God and man that requires human effort will always fall short, way short, on man's side. One way to look at the broken Old Covent is that if Israel the Jews were unable to keep a Covenant with God then no one else ever had any possibility of keeping a Covenant with God. The Covenant broke with the people most capable of keeping a Covenant with God therefore with the Jews or any people unable to keep the Old Covenant the coming New Covenant will strictly be enforced and fulfilled in God alone. God in the person of Jesus Christ will fulfill on behalf of all mankind the New Covenant between God and mankind.

Jeremiah 12:10-17 Many pastors have destroyed My Vineyard, they have trodden My portion under foot, they have made My pleasant portion [Israel] a desolate wilderness. They [inadequate pastors] have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth [grieves] unto Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain [hard labor], but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil [Gentile] neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them [Gentiles] out of their [Jewish] land, and pluck out the House of Judah from among them [Gentile Nations]. *And it shall come to pass, after [starting May 14, 1948] that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again [from the 70 A.D. Diaspora], every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My Name, The LORD liveth; as they [pastors] taught My people to swear by Baal [Satan]; then shall they be built in the midst of My people. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that Nation, saith the LORD. - The consequences of inadequate Bible teaching affect the people, the land and the surrounding Nations in fact all of humanity and all of creation are affected in one way or another by false and inadequate Bible teachings. When the truth of God's Word is faithfully being taught, spoken forth and encouraged by faithful pastors then it is the opposite of desolation as humanity and even creation benefit from the healing (Salvation) truth of God's Word.

Jeremiah 13 - As God is expanding Jeremiah's Ministry from primarily a Jewish audience to including the Gentile Nations - God will now add several 'object lessons' to the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah - Object lessons involve actual objects like clothing, food and animals enabling the objects to easily transcend language barriers as a rock in any language is still a rock and a sheep is a sheep while a goat is a goat - An object lesson is almost a polar opposite of a Parable - In a parable practically every detail is yet future or heavenly and can be debated as to its exact meaning - An object lesson has a much more clear, concise, present and universal message -- 'Jeremiah 13:1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle [belt, waistband], and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. ...'

Jeremiah 13:12-17 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, [of course] Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness [lit. intoxication]. And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud [humble yourself]: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul [Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet] shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive. - The tendency is to think that those who are serving God in an official capacity as a pastor, a city official or by living in a 'promise land' location that those positions and locations are impervious to the judgments of God when in actuality it is those very positions and locations that are scrutinized the most by God. It is also often though that those in the favored positions and locations somehow cannot offend God as though being favored and seemingly doing the work of the Lord they have a free pass in life though but as Jeremiah is revealing it is the very people in trusted ministry [servant] positions who have actually routinely offended God the most. Having been routinely offended and misrepresented God is then placed in the position of actually having to combat and hinder the people who have assumed their lofty positions. If God did not send intoxication and darkness upon the people in leadership they would continue to use their vast abilities and talents to further spread their false teachings and deceptive examples putting God in the unenviable position of having to hinder the abilities and talents of His own servants and of His own people just to help slow the spread of sin that is increasing at an ever alarming rate by the hands of His very ministers.

Jeremiah 14-15 - There is now a Divine Judgment drought upon the land of Israel - 'Jeremiah 14:1-3 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth [drought]. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.'

Jeremiah 14:7-14 {A prayer of Jeremiah for the people} O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy Name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against Thee. O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger [unacquainted] in the land, and as a wayfaring [passing through] man that turneth aside to tarry [only] for a night? Why shouldest Thou be as a man astonied [unable to take action], as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by Thy Name; leave us not. {God answers Jeremiah and the people} Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. {God directs Jeremiah} Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good [it will be an unanswered prayer]. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in My Name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. - Creation suffering in a drought is bearing a burden for Israel's disobedience to God and now Israel will also bear of their disobedience as God has set a course of correction for His children. A course that will involve the loss of opportunity, the loss of life, hardship and captivity all because Israel has chosen the ways of man over the ways of God and man's ways though seemingly just and seemingly reliable will ultimately always lead to hardship and destruction.

Jeremiah 16-17 - Jeremiah is told by God not to take a wife because of the severity of the coming judgment -- 'Jeremiah 16:1-2 The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.'

Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and *they that depart from me shall be written in the earth [John 8:6,8], because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. *Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath [Rest] Day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath Day, neither do ye any work, but hallow [Sanctify] ye the Sabbath Day (Genesis 2:2), as I commanded your fathers. - Jeremiah is now told by God to go stand in the gate of the city of Jerusalem and give a message to the people much like Jeremiah did earlier by standing in a gate at the entrance to the Temple. With Jeremiah now away from the Temple and at the edge of the city in a gate of the city God is signifying that His presence has departing from the Temple and His presence is also about to depart from the city. The Prophet Ezekiel [Ezekiel 10:18] will actually see a vision of the Spirit of God departing from the Temple the Holy Spirit having indwelt the Temple since the dedication ceremony [2 Chronicles 5:14] of King Solomon.

Jeremiah 18-19 - Jeremiah is instructed by God to "go down to the potters house" - God instructs Jeremiah that people and Nations are but clay in the hands of God - Next Jeremiah is to take a clay vessel [pot] and take the elders of Israel out to the city dump where Jeremiah is cast down to the ground the clay pot breaking it into unusable pieces as Jeremiah is to proclaim that God will break like a clay pot the people and the city of Jerusalem -- 'Jeremiah 18:1-2 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.'

Jeremiah 19:10-15 Then shalt thou break the bottle [clay pot] in the sight of the men that go with thee, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of Hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet [the city dump]: And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. *Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the [Temple] court of the LORD'S House; and said to all the people, Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear My Words. - What began As a Nation of people delivered out of Egypt and slavery, freed to worship and serve God, has now ended in a city dump outside of Jerusalem. God will continue His plan that He enacted through Abraham and He will continue His calling upon the Nation of Israel though now the intentions of God will be more focused on a faithful remnant of Israel than on the Nation as a whole.

Jeremiah 20-21 - Jeremiah becomes overwhelmed in his ministry by the enormity of the events happening in Jerusalem and around him - Jeremiah 20:7-18 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of Him (God), nor speak any more in His Name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing [stalling], and I could not stay. For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars [enemies] watched for my halting [lack of forward progress], saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O LORD of Hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah 21:2-14 Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he [Nebuchadrezzar] may go up from us. Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; *Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. *And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; **Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set My face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon [Babylon the 3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], and he shall burn it with fire. And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? 14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it. - The nation of Babylon now comes on the scene as an instrument of judgment in the hands of God. The Northern Kingdom of Israel admired strength and courage so God sent them into captivity by the strong and courageous nation of Assyria [i.e. Texas, military, industry, alcohol]. The Southern Kingdom of Israel [Judah] admires enchantments, mysticism and divination so Judah is going to be taken captive by the mystical, enchanting nation of Babylon [i.e. California, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Disneyland, entertainment, sex, marijuana]. - Note: Egypt in a modern sense would be represented as [i.e. New York, Manhattan, Broadway, culture, education, the insurance and finance markets, money, drugs].

Jeremiah 22 - Jeremiah is to go to the House of the king of Israel and inform the king that he is no longer eligible to be the king and that neither he or any of his descendants are entitled to sit on the throne of King David - Cutting off that segment of the Davidic line from delivering the Messiah into Israel and to the world -- 'Jeremiah 22:1-2 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates ...'

Jeremiah 22:28-29 Is this man Coniah [King Jeconiah] a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed [descendants], and are cast into a land which they know not? *O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. - Jeconiah is removed by God from being a king over Israel. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD" Jeremiah like Isaiah and all the Prophets before him prophesies in the 'mystery' [1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:4, Colossians 1:27] Triune (Trinity) nature of God. Note: There are not three 'earths' there is one earth and one LORD. The one LORD is speaking to the one earth as Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. -- Jeremiah 23:14-24 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. ... But if they [prophets, pastors] had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My Words, then they should have turned [repented] them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God [close] at hand [and accessible to mankind], saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I [Divine Omnipresence] fill Heaven and earth? saith the LORD. - After rejecting the king and his descendants God through Jeremiah again turns His attention to the false, misleading and inadequate prophets [pastors, teachers and ministers] of Israel.

Jeremiah 23 - The human kings of Israel unable to faithfully represent God are to be replaced by the Divine Righteous Messiah (Jesus Christ) - The Messiah is to be the King in Israel and for all Nations exercising "judgment and justice in the earth" -- 'Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, *and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He [Jesus] shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS [during the Millennial reign].'

Jeremiah 23:7-8 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; **But [now, in our day], The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the House of Israel out of the North Country [Babylon, by way of walking], **and [the 70 A.D. Diaspora] from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land [starting May 14, 1948 - modern Israel independence day (and as a Nation State of the U.N.)]. - Jeremiah is prophesying about several events ranging from the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple (586 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity to the coming of the Righteous Branch the Messiah Jesus Christ (approx. 32-33 A.D.) to the 70 A.D. Diaspora [dispersion among the Gentiles] to the [May 14, 1948] re-gathering and on into the still future 1,000 Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 24-25 - Chapter 25 concludes what is considered the 1st Oracle group of Messages from Jeremiah the prophet regarding the fate of the people and Nation of Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple -- 'Jeremiah 24:11-13 And this whole [Middle-East] land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these Nations [Gentiles and Jews] shall serve the king of Babylon [3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished [Persia (Iran) will be the 4th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that Nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the Nations.

Jeremiah 24:1-10 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the Temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive [1st deportation] Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah [including Daniel], with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. *One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; *the good figs, very good; *and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. - As God interacts with and deals with the Nation of Israel and His people the people begin to polarize into two distinct groups. The good figs becoming very good, those attempting to do the will of God even though they do not understand the times, the predicament or the captivity they just know they are trusting God with and through all things in their life. The bad figs becoming very bad, those who are attempting to escape and flee the plans of God in desiring to carryout their own life in their own way regardless of the consequences to themselves, their families, their nation and even the Salvation plans of God in bringing in His Salvation through Himself the Righteous Branch. Salvation of God for the Jews at that time was in captivity in Babylon not in fleeing for a false security in Egypt as many attempted at that time. Note: Figs and the fig tree is a reference to the original Fig Tree (Genesis 3:7). The fig tree represents individual human religion, it was how Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves in religion after their fall into sin but God required a death for their sin an blood to give them life so God substitutionally sacrificed an animal for Adam and Eve until the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross could be made. Here God is using the fig tree and figs again because God is now dealing with individuals in Israel the individuals in the remnant and the individuals fleeing for the false safety of Egypt. In Matthew 24:32 and the parable of the Fig Tree Jesus is talking again about individual religion and in a sense stating that after His cross (death for sin) and resurrection (life giving Spiritual blood) that the rebuilt 3rd Temple [unlike the Tabernacle and the first two Temples] will not be the religion of God but of the fig tree religion of man (Adam and Eve). Jesus tells us to look for the budding of the fig tree the gathering of implements and resources to rebuild the [3rd] Temple (something that has been happening since [June 8, 1967] and the recapturing of Jerusalem back into Israel). Also Note: The fig tree in the Bible is not directly a reference to the Nation of Israel but to the individuals in Israel the faithful remnant those seeking to rebuild the Temple and the bad figs those still attempting to find security in Egypt.

Seventy years of Babylonian rule: A detailed look at Jeremiah 25:9-12 - Using the 609 BC date for the demise of the Assyrian Empire and for the rise of the new Babylonian Empire, and using the 539 BC date for the end of the Babylonian Empire, we end up with a 70-year span of Babylonian rule - That, for the reasons described above, is what I believe is the 70-year period referred to in Jeremiah 25:9-12 and Jeremiah 29:10

Many people have questioned the accuracy of Jeremiah's prophecy about a 70-year period during which Babylon would dominate Judah and hold Jews as captives in Babylon. These questions, in my opinion, are based on *a mistaken belief that the captivity was supposed to last 70 years. ... The people who have questioned the accuracy of this prophecy are, as far as I have been able to determine, are correct in that the captivity Jews in Babylon did not last 70 years, if the commonly assigned dates for the captivity are taken seriously. Most historical sources that I have seen state that 539 BC was the year that Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persians. And that would seem to be a reasonable ending date for the captivity. But when did the captivity begin? Some say it began in 597 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. If this date is accepted, then the captivity spanned no more than 59 years. So how does or 59 years equal 70 years? It can't and it doesn't. ... Part 3. My theory on when the 70 years began: When did Babylon begin its domination of Judah? We know that there are historical records that claim that the Assyrian Empire dominated Judah, and many other nations. And we know that the Assyrian Empire was conquered by the Babylonian Empire. In 612 B.C. the Babylonians and the Medes conquered Nineveh, which at that time was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica: "�Nineveh suffered a defeat from which it never recovered. Extensive traces of ash, representing the sack of the city by Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes in 612 BC, have been found in many parts of the Acropolis. After 612 BC the city ceased to be important�" After the defeat of Nineveh, the last of the Assyrian kings, Ashur-uballit II, fled to the west with members of his army. Most online historical references that I have been able to find state that the reign of Ashur-uballit II ended in 609 BC. My sources for this are the two Web site addresses below, the first of which is a page from the Missouri Western State College web site: http://crain.english.mwsc.edu/Jonah/assyrians.htm - The conquest of the Assyrian Empire allowed Babylon and the Medes to divide the empire amongst themselves. The Babylonians chose a vast area of the Assyrian-controlled territories, including Judah and the surrounding countries. Using the 609 BC date for the demise of the Assyrian Empire and for the rise of the new Babylonian Empire, and using the 539 BC date for the end of the Babylonian Empire, we end up with a 70-year span of Babylonian rule. That, for the reasons described above, is what I believe is the 70-year period referred to in Jeremiah 25:9-12 and Jeremiah 29:10.

Jeremiah 26 - Having concluded the 1st Oracle of messages by Jeremiah - Chapters 26-29 cover some of the daily life of Jeremiah and some events of that time - Jeremiah is sent by God to stand in the Temple court and give a message to the new king Jehoiakim and to all the people -- 'Jeremiah 26:8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.'

Jeremiah 26:1-16 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house. Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears. Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God. - Jeremiah obeys God and goes into the very power structure of the city and Nation and faithfully delivers God's message to the people. Jeremiah was challenged and threatened by the people but God still had enough faithful servants left who were able to recognize the voice of God and were willing to hear and obey the voice of God. The faithful remnant of only a few people was still bold enough to publically stand up for Jeremiah and Jeremiah's life was saved that day.

Jeremiah 27-28 - Jeremiah is daily having to contend with the false teachers and false prophets that are throughout the land and in the positions of power, authority and counsel in Israel -- 'Jeremiah 27:4-10 4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I [God] have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm [redemption on the cross], **and have given it [kingdoms] unto whom it seemed meet [appropriate] unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall [defeat and] serve themselves of him [the Nation of Babylon (modern Iraq)]. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore hearken not ye to your [false] prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon [Iraq]: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.'

Jeremiah 28:5-9 Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the [false] prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD, Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels [Temple implements] of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place. *Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; **The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. - Jeremiah explains some of the differences between a true prophecy of God and a false prophecy of man and deceiving spirits. A true prophecy from God is going to have broad implications [meaning it is equally relevant and valuable to everyone] it will include along with the future info and insight a depth, height, scope and authority that the flat, uninspired, self serving, false prophecies just do not have.

Jeremiah 29 - Jeremiah writes a letter of encouragement to the Jews in captivity in Babylon - There was consistent contact [by messenger and letters] between the Jews exiled in Babylon, the Jews that sought refuge in the area of Tahpanhes Egypt and the Jews that were able to remain for a while in Jerusalem - It is considered that while in Jerusalem the prophet Jeremiah alone had about 18 points of contact with the prophet Ezekiel who was in captivity in Babylon -- 'Jeremiah 29:1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon ...'

Jeremiah 29:10-15 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. *For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, *thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. *Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. **Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; - Jeremiah writes an amazing letter of encouragement to the Jews in Babylon and including those scattered thought the world in the later Diaspora as this is a True prophecy from God the message is universal, the scope is global and the effects are eternal.

Bible History Timeline - 612 BC Babylon conquers Nineveh - {seven years later} 605 BC Babylon exerts influence over Judah [first captives are taken from Jerusalem to Babylon] - 586 BC Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple - 539 BC Cyrus the Great [Persia] conquers Babylon - [1 year later] 538 BC Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity - [2 years later] 536 BC Work begins to rebuild Temple - [20 years later] 516 BC Second Temple is dedicated [Ezra 6:16] - Note: There seems to be multiple 70 year periods taking place. For 70 years Babylon reigned as the power of the region - For 70 years there were Jewish captives exiled into Babylon - It was exactly 70 years [586-516] from the destruction of the 1st Temple [Solomon's Temple] in Jerusalem to the dedication of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem

Below is a list of some historical events that are important to the study of the Bible and its prophecies. The research for this Biblical history timeline was done by George Konig and Ray Konig, authors of the book, 100 Prophecies. Scholars vary in the dates that they assign to ancient events. The dates shown below are approximations. ... 612 BC Babylon conquers Nineveh (Assyrian Empire) The Assyrian Empire's capital city - Nineveh - is attacked by coalition of Babylonians and others. As explained by the prophet Nahum in the Bible, Nineveh was to be destroyed because of the Assyrian Empire's treatment of Israelites and other people. -- 605 BC Babylon exerts influence over Judah: The neo-Babylonian Empire, under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar, begins forcing Judah into submission. Nebuchadnezzar takes many Jews as captives to Babylon to ensure Judah's obedience. -- 597 BC Babylon attacks Judah: Babylonian army attacks Judah and takes more Jews as captives to Babylon. Ezekiel, one of the captives, becomes a prophet of God. Ezekiel explains that God is allowing Babylon to punish Judah because the people have been unfaithful to God. -- 586 BC Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple: Babylon attacks Judah again. This time, the Babylonians [3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] destroy Jerusalem and *the [1st] Temple that Solomon had built. More Jews are taken as captives to Babylon. -- 586 BC to 573 BC King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Tyre mainland: Babylon begins a 13-year siege of the mainland of the Phoenician city of Tyre. -- Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon: After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the neo-Babylonian Empire begins to lose power. Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon in 539 BC, establishing the Medo-Persian Empire [4th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10]. -- 538 BC Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity: After conquering Babylon, Cyrus offers the Jews their freedom to leave Babylon and to return to Judah. Cyrus' kingdom rules over Judah and many other parts of the Middle East, but Cyrus allows people more cultural and religious freedom than did the neo-Babylonian Empire. -- 536 BC *Work begins to rebuild Temple [via an edict from Persia/Iran]: Some of the Jews in Babylon return to Judah and begin work in about 536 BC to rebuild the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. -- 516 BC Second Temple is dedicated: The Temple is consecrated for worship, 70 years after the Babylonians had destroyed it in 586 BC. -- 333 BC Greeks [5th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] begin rule over land of Israel: The Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, defeat Persian armies in Macedonia in 333 BC. This marks the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire and the rise of the Grecian Empire. ... 164 BC to 63 BC [time period between (Malachi) O.T. and (Matthew) N.T.] Jews have independence: The Maccabees, a group that fought for Jewish independence, stage a revolt against the Greeks and establish the Hasmonean royal dynasty, as well as sovereignty over all or part of the land of Israel for about 100 years, from about 164 BC to 63 BC. -- 63 BC The Romans [6th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] take over land of Israel: After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire of the Greeks is divided up and becomes weaker. During this time, the Roman Empire becomes increasingly powerful. The Roman general named Pompey seizes control over the land of Israel. -- About 5 BC Jesus is born in Bethlehem: Jesus is born in the town of Bethlehem. The Apostle Matthew later points out that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy delivered by the prophet Micah, about 700 years beforehand. (See Micah 5:2). -- About 25 AD Jesus begins His ministry: Jesus is about 30 years old when he begins his ministry. He preaches salvation, delivers prophecies and performs miracles. He announces that he is the Messiah (the Christ) who was promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus promises salvation and eternal life to those who believe in him (See John 3:16, as an example). -- About 28 AD [or about 32-33 AD] Jesus is crucified and resurrected: Jesus is falsely accused and is sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of the land of the Jews, to be crucified. Jesus is later resurrected, meaning he is brought back to life, and his followers began evangelizing him to others, allowing Christianity to spread very quickly throughout the Roman world and to eventually become the first religion to spread throughout the world. - 70 AD Romans destroy Jerusalem and [2nd] Temple: In 70 AD, the Roman Army, under Titus, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, to suppress an uprising of the Jews. According to the historian Josephus, about 1.1 million Jews were killed. Others were taken as slaves. -- First century AD [about 95 AD - Book of Revelation] The Bible is completed: During the first century of this era, the New Testament, which describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, is completed. The writing of the Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament) comes to an end. It began during the time of Moses, about 3400 years ago. ***Jesus becomes, and remains, the final subject of the Bible.

Jeremiah 30-31 - The 2nd Oracle by Jeremiah is given - The Old Covenant [Old Testament] between God and mankind having been un-maintainable by man it is to be replaced by a New Covenant [New Testament] - God Himself in Jesus Christ will fulfill all of the requirements for mankind in the New Covenant [Gospel/Good News] with God except for the one universal requirement of faith/choice - Mankind will still individually have to choose [by the human spirit over the human soul] and exercise individual faith to enter into and to remain in the New Covent [New Testament - Gospel] relationship with God -- 'Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [YHWH], that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel [Northern Kingdom], and with the House of Judah [Southern Kingdom] ...'

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [YHWH], that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel [Northern Kingdom], and with the House of Judah [Southern Kingdom]: Not according to the [Old] Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My Covenant they [mankind] brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the [New] Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel; After those [Old Covenant] days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all [by Spiritual experience and through personal encounters] know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for [on the cross of Jesus Christ] *I will forgive their iniquity, *and I will remember their sin no more. - The New Covenant is to come to the House of Israel, all of Israel and because it is a Covenant resulting from physical death [finality] the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and in the newness of the resurrection Spiritual life of Jesus Christ the New Covenant is universally applicable to everyone in the entire world. Because of the Spiritual nature of the New Covenant vs. the physical nature [circumcision] of the Old Covenant everyone universally is eligible through choice to be able to Spiritually enter into the New Covent of God in Jesus Christ but entering in only through the provided works of God in Jesus Christ. The New Covenant is only accessible to mankind through the Covenant [Matthew 26:26-28], death, blood and new life Spiritual resurrection of Jesus Christ. - The death of Jesus Christ on the cross put an end to the power of the physical realm and the sin that encompassed it while the resurrection life of Jesus then begins the power of a new eternal Spiritual life to what had previously [since the fall of Adam and Eve] become only a temporary physical life. - 2 Timothy 1:8-12 [Christian] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the Testimony [that resulted in the death on the cross] of our Lord, nor of me [Apostle Paul] His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel [Good News - New Covenant] according to the [resurrection] power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest [physically and] by the [resurrection] appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought [eternal] life and immortality to light through the Gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher, and an Apostle, and a Teacher of the [whole world] Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these [persecution] things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know [Jesus Christ] whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that [spirit and soul of mine] which I have committed unto Him against that [individual eternal judgment] day. - Note: A Gentile could enter the Old Covenant of God through physical circumcision and through observing the O.T. Jewish observances. Likewise a Gentile can enter into the New Covenant with God however with the physical death on the cross of Jesus Christ and the Spiritual new life resurrection now in effect a person in the New Covenant passes over the physical Jewish aspects of the first Covenant and enters into the resurrection life of Jesus as a Spiritual 'born again' Christian. Also Note: All of the events of the temporary 1st Covenant the ordinances, regulations and teachings foreshadowed, highlighted and illustrate the coming of the permanent, eternal 2nd Covenant between God and mankind.

Apostolic (Witnesses of the Resurrected Savior Jesus Christ) [Holy Spirit directed] Church - Speaker: Art Katz/Bob Gladstone (Mp3)

My brother and sister have listened to these Christian Compilations off and on for a few years and it's really encouraged and convicted us to draw closer to the Lord. Messages are much shorter than sermons which are particularly great for listening to in the car, or for giving to someone who will not listen to a 30 minute message. I only want to share messages that line up with the Bible in the right Spirit.

Jeremiah 32 - What is considered the 2nd Oracle of Jeremiah has been completed in the prophesying and announcing of the New Covenant - Chapters 32-45 now begin another section in the daily life and events of the Prophet Jeremiah - Jeremiah has prophesied both the destruction and the rebuilding of Israel and Jerusalem and to illustrate that the Jews will indeed return to their homeland in Israel God instructs Jeremiah to purchase a plot of his families land from a cousin in Anathoth -- 'Jeremiah 32:14-15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences [purchased land agreement], this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel [clay jar], that they may continue many days. *For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this [Israel] land.'

Jeremiah 32:36-44 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city [Jerusalem], whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in Mine [instructing-correcting] anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: *And they shall be My people, and I will be their God: *And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear [know] Me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an Everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear [of evil] in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me. *Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this [Holy] Land [Israel] assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil [distress] upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good [blessings] that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans [Babylonians]. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD. - Though Jerusalem, the Temple and all of Israel is about to be destroyed by the invading Babylonians God has already declared that He will not forsake His children and that He will re-gather the dispersed Jews and (eventually) permanently rebuild their homeland of Israel. - Note: Jerusalem at that time gets wiped out to the point that very few Jewish people were even able to remain in the Jerusalem area. The prophet Jeremiah himself caught up in the events and the intrigues of the day had to depart Jerusalem and eventually Israel and in the ensuing chaos and destruction of Israel the last known and recorded whereabouts of Jeremiah the Prophet are in Tahpanhes Egypt [Jeremiah 43:8].

Jeremiah 33-34 - With the Babylonian army having conquered much of Israel and now poised at the gates of Jerusalem the people in Jerusalem undergo a temporary return to godliness [observing the seventh year of release for servants] - The Babylonian army temporarily departed from the Jerusalem area and the people in Jerusalem quickly returned to their previous backslidden ways -- 'Jeremiah 34:10-11 Now when all the princes, and all the people [in Jerusalem], which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free [to observe the seventh year of release (Leviticus 25:6)], that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go. But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.'

[1] Jeremiah 34:1-7 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; *Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city [Jerusalem] into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: *And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; *and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, **and thou shalt go to Babylon. Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: But thou shalt die in peace [not in a battle]: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD. Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah. - The famous Jeremiah and Ezekiel double Prophecy fulfillment about King Zedekiah: Jeremiah prophesying from Jerusalem prophecies that king Zedekiah "and thou shalt go to Babylon" while about the same time the Prophet Ezekiel prophesying in captivity in Babylon prophecies that King Zedekiah would go to Babylon but would not see it. When the actual prophesied events occurred and king Zedekiah was taken prisoner and brought into the presence of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar he then had Zedekiah blinded [unable to see his captivity] just as Zedekiah was taken away captive to live the rest of his life in Babylon. - [2] 'Ezekiel 12:9-13 Son of man [Ezekiel], hath not the House of Israel [in captivity in Babylon], the rebellious house, said unto thee, What [are you doing] doest thou [Ezekiel was physically acting out (in a skit) part of this prophecy to the Jews in Babylon]? Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince [King Zedekiah] in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. Say, I am your sign: like as I have [acted out] done, so shall it be done unto them [for real]: they shall remove and go into captivity. And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall [palace wall and possibly also the city wall of Jerusalem] to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face [disguise, hide himself], that he see not the ground with his eyes. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare [by king Nebuchadnezzar]: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; *yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.' - [3] 'Jeremiah 52:8-11 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.'

[The famous Jeremiah and Ezekiel double Prophecy fulfillment about King Zedekiah] Ezekiel 12-14 Supplemental notes for the Daily Bible Study Bible Reading Plan by Wayne Blank

Ezekiel Chapter 12 - Zedekiah was the last king of Judah (see Kings of Israel and Judah) before the fall to the Babylonians. Ezekiel had been taken into exile to Babylon in the earlier deportation (the prophet Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem). Nevertheless, Ezekiel was given a very detailed prophecy of Zedekiah's downfall: "Ezekiel 12:12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 12:13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there." (Ezekiel 12:12-13 KJV). -- That prophecy was fulfilled, as recorded by "Jeremiah: 52:7 Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. 52:8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 52:9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. 52:10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 52:11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death" (Jeremiah 52:7-11 KJV).

Jeremiah 35-36 - The Rechabite family is commended by God for diligently following the instructions of their earthly forefather Jonadab while the House of Israel is unwilling to follow the instructions of their Father God in Heaven -- 'Jeremiah 35:12-14 12 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you [Nation of Israel], rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto Me.'

Jeremiah 36:1-25 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Take thee a roll of a book (scroll), and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, *and against all the Nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even into this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. ... So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. - While some of the advisers to the king were able to grasp the seriousness of the situation and the authenticity of Jeremiah's messages from God the highest leadership, probably being the most comfortable and the most alienated from the actual day to day events occurring in the land, were completely unwilling to even consider any alternatives to their already preconceived desires and notions.

Jeremiah 37-38 - Even with new kings in Jerusalem Jeremiah's messages continues to go unheeded - Jeremiah and his ministry of restoration are unwelcome in his own homeland -- 'Jeremiah 37:1-2 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah [king Jeconiah] the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.'

Jeremiah 37:12-16 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people. And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans. Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; - Jeremiah is falsely accused of being a collaborator with Babylon and is imprisoned based on the false accusations. King Zedekiah seeks the counsel of Jeremiah and thought the words of Jeremiah weren't what the king wanted to hear he gave Jeremiah a little more freedom with access from the prison out to the courtyard. In the courtyard Jeremiah again preached to the people that to remain in Jerusalem was to die and officials of the king hearing the message threw Jeremiah down and abandoned water well. Ebed-melec a Ethiopian eunuch visiting or serving in the kings house heard that Jeremiah was cast down a well and went and rescued him. - Jeremiah 38:13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords [rags], and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained [under house arrest] in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah 39-41 - 586 B.C. The great Jewish capital city of Jerusalem falls to the invading Babylonian army - The city of Jerusalem, the Temple of God and the Palace of the Davidic Kings of Israel are all destroyed on about the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av [Tisha B'Av] about the end of July early August on our Roman calendar -- 'Jeremiah 39:1-2 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month [Tisha B'Av], the city was broken up.'

Jeremiah 39:8-18 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee. So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes; Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people. Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the LORD. - Jerusalem was destroyed and burned to the ground by the Babylonian forces. The king of Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar] removed the throne of Israel and placed a Jewish man living in Mizpah named Gedaliah as Governor of Israel. In the events of the day the Ammonites hired a Jewish man named Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah attempting to further spiral Israel into an unrecoverable destruction. Johanan a faithful Jewish servant tried to warn Gedaliah of his impending assignation at the hands of Ishmael but Gedaliah thinking he was secure because he had the backing of Babylon refused to believe that he was in any physical danger. After the assignation of the Babylonian appointed Governor Gedaliah by Ishmael then Johanan and a small remnant of Jews fearing Babylonian reprisals decided to seek refuge in Egypt.

Jeremiah 42 - With all the intrigues and the resulting Babylonian reprisals the destruction and devastation of Israel, Jerusalem and the surrounding area is so complete that the small remaining Jewish remnant begins to doubt whether or not they can even hold on let alone ever recover -- 'Jeremiah 42:1-3 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us: That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.'

Jeremiah 42:4-15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God. And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before Him; If ye will still abide in this land [Israel], then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. - Even after this clear persistent and dire warning coming in the reply that they requested and agreed to follow in a short time they still departed and left the promised safety of Israel for Egypt even taking Jeremiah with them as a captive.

Jeremiah 43 - Jeremiah his assistant Baruch and much of the remnant that had returned to Israel from hiding in nearby areas were all taken captive by a rogue Jewish group and forced to go to Egypt against the directions of God and against the advice of Jeremiah -- 'Jeremiah 43:7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to [the area of] Tahpanhes.'

Jeremiah 43:1-7 And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent Him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes. - The children of God in their inability to discern the voice of God and in their complete failure to cooperate among themselves were actually prolonging their trials and making their tribulations harder than they were ever intended to be by God.

Jeremiah 44-45 - The word of the Lord still came to Jeremiah even while he was a captive in Egypt -- 'Jeremiah 44:1-5 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense [adoration] unto other gods.'

Jeremiah 45:1-5 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. - Baruch the assistant, servant and faithful scribe of Jeremiah the prophet is to escape the dangers of being in exile however he is not to seek to prosper from his Divine protection from God but is to live out his life in a discrete and humble fashion knowing that his country had been destroyed and many of his fellow countrymen had suffered their fates with their lives.

The Seal of Baruch, Jeremiah's Scribe - In 1975 the first few pieces of 200 clay bullae were discovered in the shop of an antiquities dealer in East Jerusalem - From the shape of its Hebrew characters which vary throughout history [especially before and after the Babylonian captivity] scholars date the collection to the 6th century BC, the time of Jeremiah - The bulla is now displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem - The March/April 1996 issue of Biblical Archeology Review featured an article on another bulla belonging to a private collector from the same seal - What is unique about this is the clear impression of a fingerprint on the upper left of the bulla - The article suggested this was the "fingerprint of Jeremiah's scribe" Baruch (Photo)

In 1975 the first few pieces of 200 clay bullae were discovered in the shop of an antiquities dealer in East Jerusalem.1 Bullae are lumps of clay which were attached to documents and impressed with a seal. From the shape of its Hebrew characters (which vary throughout history) scholars date the collection to the 6th century BC, the time of Jeremiah. Within this collection are two bullae believed to have belonged to Baruch, and Jerahmeel. The three lines on the Baruch bulla read: "(Belonging) to Berekhyahu, the son of Neriyahu, the scribe.: The suffix -yahu was a common epithet attached to names in Judah, meaning, "blessed of Jehovah." While translations sometimes render it "-iah" (cf. Baruch's father Ner-iah), some texts drop it altogether. - The bulla is now displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. -- The March/April 1996 issue of Biblical Archeology Review featured an article on another bulla belonging to a private collector from the same seal. What is unique about this is the clear impression of a fingerprint on the upper left of the bulla. The article suggested this was the "fingerprint of Jeremiah's scribe." - While it is presumptuous to assume this is Baruch's fingerprint, at the very least discoveries such as this remind us that the people of the Bible were not imaginary figures from fairy tales, but real souls who served our God in the past. - Note: Jeremiah and Baruch were some of the last people in the original Jerusalem before it was destroyed, burned and covered over with dirt so any excavations in Jerusalem to the depth of the first Jerusalem would first reveal items from the last people there. Jerusalem and Israel were again destroyed in 70 A.D. so any excavations and archeology to the 2nd Jerusalem period go back to the times of the Apostles and the early Church just after the 32 A.D. ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus. - To excavate the first Jerusalem is to enter into the time of the Davidic Kings of Jerusalem while to excavate at the level of the 2nd Jerusalem is to inter into the time of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 46-47 - Chapters 46-51 contain the 3rd and final Oracle grouping of messages, prophesies and teachings from the Prophet Jeremiah - The third Oracle is directed primarily at the Gentile Nations - The Gentile Nations are to know that though God has judged Israel He has not abandoned, rejected or forsaken Israel and that in actuality every Gentile Nation would be made to come to an end before the possibility that the Nation of Israel would be made to cease to exist [both Israel and the Gentile nations will continue to exist - but the Gentile Nation's existence and even the Gentile population is based on the existence of Israel (Acts 17:26-27)] -- 'Jeremiah 46:27-28 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.'

Jeremiah 46:1-12 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD. Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates. Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together. - Jeremiah prophecies the great battle of Carchemish between Egypt and Babylon where Egypt [2rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] is defeated and Babylon is the undisputed [3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10].

Carchemish, Turkey - Carchemish [modern - Karkamis, Turkey] was an important ancient city of the northern Hittite empire, located on the border between Turkey and Syria - It was also the location of one of the decisive battles in world history - It was here that the armies of Babylon and Egypt met in battle

Carchemish (now Karkamis) was an important ancient city of the northern Hittite empire, located on the border between Turkey and Syria. It was also the location of one of the decisive battles in world history. It was here that the armies of Babylon and Egypt met in battle (Jer. 46:2; 2 Chr. 35:20-24). The prophet Isaiah lists Carchemish as one of the kingdoms overthrown by Sargon II of Assyria in 717 BC (Isa. 10:9). Carchemish is also mentioned in Egyptian and Assyrian texts. The ruins of Carchemish are located on the West bank of Euphrates River, about 35 miles southeast of Gaziantep, Turkey. The site lies in Turkish territory on the border of Syria. A large Turkish military now stands on the Carchemish acropolis, and access to the site is now heavily restricted and is out of bounds to archaeological exploration. The site was excavated three different times before World War One by the British Museum, led by David George Hogarth, Reginald C. Thompson, Leonard Woolley, and T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"). These expeditions uncovered substantial remains of the Assyrian and Neo-Hittite periods, including forts, palaces, temples, market places, and a great wall sculptured with a procession of warriors, with the king and crown prince celebrating a great victory. ... The Battle Of Carchemish: The Battle of Carchemish was fought in May/June of 605 BC between an allied army of Egyptians and Assyrians against the Babylonian army. When the Assyrian capital of Ninevah was overrun by the Babylonians in 612 BC, the Assyrians moved their capital to Harran (now in Turkey). When the Babylonians captured Harran in 608 BC, the Assyrian capital was moved to Carchemish. Egypt was allied with the Assyrians, and marched to their aid against the Babylonians. In 609 BC, the Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II was delayed at Megiddo (in Israel) by the forces of King Josiah of Judah. Josiah was killed and his army was defeated. ... The Egyptians were further delayed at Riblah, and Necho arrived at Carchemish too late. Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had surprised the Assyrians and had captured Carchemish. He then turned on the Egyptians and thoroughly defeated them in a bloody battle and the combined Egyptian and Assyrian forces were devastated. The Babylonian Chronicles, now housed in the British Museum, claim that Nebuchadnezzar "crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Carchemish. The armies fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat and beat them to nonexistence. As for the rest of the Egyptian army which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, the Babylonians overtook and defeated them in the district of Hamath so that not a single man escaped to his own country. At that time Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole of Hatti-land." Before the battle of Carchemish, Egypt had one of the greatest armies in northern Africa and was a threat to the Middle East, but the battle of Carchemish changed all of that when the Babylonians destroyed the power of Egypt and the independent existence of Assyria. The Battle of Carchemish was the end of the Assyrian Empire, and Egypt was reduced to a second-rate power. Babylon became master of the Middle East.

Wikipedia.org: Battle of Carchemish - The Battle of Carchemish was fought about 605 BC between the allied armies of Egypt and Assyria against Babylonia

Background: When the Assyrian capital Nineveh was overrun by the Babylonians in 612 BC, the Assyrians moved their capital to Harran. When Harran was captured by the Babylonians in 610 BC, the capital was once again moved, this time to Carchemish. Egypt was allied with the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit II, and marched in 609 BC to their aid against the Babylonians. The Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II was delayed at Megiddo by the forces of King Josiah of Judah. Josiah was killed and his army was defeated. The Egyptians and Assyrians together crossed the Euphrates and laid siege to Harran, which they failed to re-take and retreated back to northern Syria. - The Battle: The Egyptians met the full might of the Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar II at Carchemish where the combined Egyptian and Assyrian forces were soundly destroyed by the Babylonians and the Assyrian Empire collapsed. - The Results: Assyria ceased to exist as an independent power. Egypt retreated and was no longer a significant force in the Ancient Near East. Babylon controlled the territory up to the Wadi of Egypt and the Pharoah no longer left Egypt to exert any influence in the affairs of the region. Babylonia reached its economic peak after 605 BC and became the dominant military power in the region from the Battle of Carchemish until the defeat of Nabonidus at the hands of Cyrus at the Battle of Opis some sixty-five years later. - Records of the battle: The Jerusalem Chronicle, part of the Babylonian Chronicles, now housed in the British Museum, claim that Nebuchadnezzar "crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Karchemi�. They fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat and beat them to non-existence. As for the rest of the Egyptian army. which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, in the district of Hamath the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country. At that time Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole area of Hamath." The battle is also mentioned and described in the Bible.

EndTimeProphecy.org: Pharaohs Of The Bible Study Tool - Paraoh Necho [King of Egypt]

Easton's Bible Dictionary additionally states concerning Necho, or Necho II: An Egyptian king, the son and successor of Psammetichus, (B.C. 610), the contemporary of Josiah, king of Judah. For some reason he proclaimed war against the king of Assyria. He led forth a powerful army and marched northward, but was met by the king of Judah [Josiah] at Megiddo, who refused him a passage through his territory. Here a fierce battle was fought and [King] Josiah was slain -- 2 Chronicles 35:20-24. Possibly, as some suppose, Necho may have brought his army by sea to some port to the north of Dor (comp.) -- Joshua 11:2, 12:23 -- a Phoenician town at no great distance from Megiddo. After this battle, Necho marched on to Carchemish (q.v.), where he met and conquered the Assyrian army; and thus all the Syrian provinces, including Palestine, came under his dominion. - On his return march, he deposed Jehoahaz, who had succeeded his father Josiah, and made Eliakim, Josiah's eldest son, whose name he changed into Jehoiakim, king. Jehoahaz he carried down into Egypt, where he died -- 2 Kings 23:31, 2 Chronicles 36:1-4. Four years after this conquest, Necho again marched to the Euphrates; but here he was met and his army routed by the Chaldeans, (B.C. 606), under Nebuchadnezzar, who drove the Egyptians back, and took from them all the territory they had conquered, from the Euphrates unto the "river of Egypt" -- Jeremiah 46:2, 2 Kings 24:7,8. Soon after this, Necho died, and was succeeded by his son, Psammetichus II.

Jeremiah 48 - A prophecy of Jeremiah from God to the Nation and area of Moab -- 'Jeremiah 48:1-2 Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed. *There shall be no more praise of Moab [modern Mormonism?] ...' [Has the ancient spirit of Moab become manifested today in the false religion of the modern LDS Mormon cult?]

Jeremiah 48:42-43 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. ... Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives. *Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab *in the latter days [LDS?], saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. - The modern spirit of Moab is very possibly being manifested today in the modern LDS [Latter Day Saints] Mormon cult. Though a modern and ever so slightly revised version of ancient Moab the pride, deceit and false religion of LDS Mormonism if it is the ancient spirit of Moab the LDS is going to meet and deserve the same destruction.

Jeremiah 49 - A prophecy of Jeremiah from God to the Nation and area of the Ammonites -- 'Jeremiah 49:1-2 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.' [Is the ancient Ammonite spirit manifested today in the modern day Palestinians?]

Jeremiah 49:12-18 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup [of afliction, wrath] have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. For I have sworn by Myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle. For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD. Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. - All of the Gentile Nations are to drink from the cup of the wrath and indignation of God, there will be no exceptions. Since God's chosen Nation of Israel has had to drink from the cup of the wrath of God in part because the Gentile Nations helped to lead Israel astray from God now all of the Gentile Nations will also drink from that same cup of wrath that judged and destroyed Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 50 - A prophecy of Jeremiah [in conjunction with all the other prophecies particularly the future prophesies of Revelation about Babylon] from God to the Nation and area of Babylon -- 'Jeremiah 50:1-2 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the Nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel [Satan] is confounded, Merodach [statue] is broken in pieces; her [Mystery Babylon] idols are confounded, *her [Mystery Babylon] images are broken in pieces.'

Jeremiah 50:6-7 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. - The pain and suffering of the Children of God extends from a threefold injustice. 1. We are all lost sheep who ourselves will go astray from god. 2. The shepherds [pastors and leaders] who were susposted to help direct the paths of the lost sheep failed themselves to do so. 3. The Gentiles and people who do not know God add insult to injury as they wrongly believe that they are doing the will of God in seeking opportunity to inflict additional judgment and injury upon the people of God. - Note: All three of these unjust actions are overcome and corrected in Jesus Christ the True Shepherd for the lost sheep of humanity.

Jeremiah 51 - The multiple destructions of Babylon continue out into the future and eventually the destruction of Mystery Babylon will be complete -- 'Jeremiah 51:1-2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind [lit. spirit]; And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.' - Note: The Prophet Jeremiah concludes his Scroll with a prophecy and an object lesson regarding the eventual complete destruction of Mystery Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil thatshould come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. *And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, *that thou shalt bind a stone [7th and final vial (bowl) judgmant of Revelation] to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, *Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. *Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. - The ancient Prophet Jeremiah is prophesying in conjunction with the future prophesies to be written by the Disciple John in the Book of Revelation. - Revelation 16:17-17:6 And the seventh angel poured out his vial (final bowl judgment mixture) into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: *and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto *her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. *And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every *stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. -- And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me (Disciple John), saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters [peoples, nations]: With whom the kings [leaders] of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine [decietful spirit] of her fornication [unfaithfulness]. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness [empty place]: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet [red] coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman [false religion] drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration [astonishment].

Jeremiah 52 - Chapter 51 concluded the 3rd Oracle of Jeremiah and the Scroll writings of the Prophet Jeremiah - Chapter 52 is an additional source [like the Books of Chronicles are additional Source material for the books of Samuel and Kings] primarily regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple and the captivity of the people - Jeremiah 52:12 Now in the fifth month [Av], in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, And burned the House of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: - Note: The second source of the Jeremiah Scroll records the tenth day of the month of Av as the day the Temple was burned, the 9th day of AV [Tisha B'Av] is historically mourned as the day of the destruction of the Temple, the 9th day being the first day the Temple was unable to fulfill the Temple sacrifices and ordinances to God.

The Prophet Jeremiah who was imprisoned in the king's courtyard during the 586 B.C. fall of Jerusalem was clearly overwhelmed with grief and despair as a result from the destruction of Jerusalem and later wrote the Book of Lamentations about the event. The Prophet Jeremiah can barely bring himself to record in a few vague sentences the painful destruction of Jerusalem and those few sentences only show up later in Chapter 39 of his scroll as if he never intended to write about it until the last possible moment. Comparing Jeremiah to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus who was an eyewitness to the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the second Temple of Jerusalem where Josephus wrote broadly about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. - Jeremiah 52:31-34 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin [Coniah] king of Judah [the last independant Jewish king was deported then Zedekiah his uncle was made king in Israel by Babylon and Zedekiah the very last King of Israel was later captured and blinded by Nebuchadnezzar], in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon [after king Nebuchadnezzar] in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Wikipedia.org: Siege of Jerusalem 70 A.D. - The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was a decisive event in the First Jewish-Roman War - It was followed by the fall of Masada in 73 AD - The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in 66 AD - The city and its famous Temple were destroyed [70 A.D.] - The destruction of the Temple [both 1st Solomon's Temple and the 2nd Herod's Temple] is still mourned annually as the Jewish fast Tisha B'Av, and the Arch of Titus, depicting and celebrating the sack of Jerusalem and the Temple, still stands in Rome (Photo)

Josephus had acted as a mediator for the Romans and, when negotiations failed, witnessed the siege and aftermath. He wrote: "Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done), [Titus] Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and Temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as they were of the greatest eminence; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne; and so much of the wall enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison [in the Upper City], as were the towers [the three forts] also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; but for all the rest of the wall [surrounding Jerusalem], it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it [Jerusalem] had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind. And truly, the very view itself was a melancholy thing; for those places which were adorned with trees and pleasant gardens, were now become desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down. Nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judaea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change. For the war had laid all signs of beauty quite waste. Nor had anyone who had known the place before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again. But though he [a foreigner] were at the city itself, yet would he have inquired for it." -- Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish. 97,000 were captured and enslaved, including Simon Bar Giora and John of Gischala. Many fled to areas around the Mediterranean. Titus reportedly refused to accept a wreath of victory, as there is "no merit in vanquishing people {seemingly} forsaken by their own God." {If actually spoken, then spoken from an uniformed, unspiritual Gentile perspective}.

Wikipedia.org: The Book of Habakkuk - The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible - It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk and was probably composed in the late 7th century BCE (606 B.C.) - A copy of chapters 1 and 2 (of 3) is included in the Habakkuk Commentary, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls - Habakkuk may have been a Levite and singer in the [Jerusalem] Temple - Note: A common Timeline for the Prophet Habakkuk is that his Ministry to Israel concluded about 606 B.C. -- 606 B.C. Prophet Habakkuk finishes his Ministry - [one year later] 605 B.C. The Battle of Carchemish [Babylon defeats Egypt] - 586 B.C. The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple

Background: The prophet Habakkuk is generally believed to have written his book in the mid to late 7th century BCE, not long before the Babylonians' siege and capture of Jerusalem. Author: Habakkuk identifies himself as a prophet in the opening verse. Due to the liturgical nature of the book of Habakkuk, there have been some scholars who think that the author may have been a temple prophet. Temple prophets are described in 1 Chronicles 25:1 as using lyres, harps and cymbals. Some feel that this is echoed in Habakkuk 3:19b, and that Habakkuk may have been a Levite and singer in the Temple. There is no biographical information on the prophet Habakkuk; in fact less is known about him than any other writer of the Bible. The only canonical information we have comes from the book that is named for him. His name comes either from the Hebrew word (khavak) meaning "embrace" or else from an Akkadian word hambakuku for a kind of plant. Although his name does not appear in any other part of the Jewish Bible, Rabbinic tradition holds Habakkuk to be the Shunammite woman's son, who was restored to life by Elisha in 2 Kings 4:16. The prophet Habakkuk is also mentioned in the tale of Bel and the Dragon, part of the deuterocanonical additions to Daniel in a late section of that book. In the superscription of the Old Greek version, Habakkuk is called the son of Joshua of the tribe of Levi. In this book Habakkuk is lifted by an angel to Babylon to provide Daniel with some food while he is in the lion's den. - Historical context: The Chaldean Empire around 600 BCE. It is unknown when Habakkuk lived and preached, but the reference to the rise and advance of the Chaldeans in 1:6-11 places him in the middle to last quarter of the 7th century BC. One possible period might be during the reign of Jehoiakim, from 609-598 BC. The reasoning for this date is that during his reign that the Babylonians were growing in power. The Babylonians marched against Jerusalem in 598. Jehoiakim died while the Babylonians were marching towards Jerusalem and Jehoiakim's 8 year old son, Jehoiachin assumed the throne. Upon the Babylonians' arrival, Jehoiachin and advisors surrendered Jerusalem after a short time. With the transition of rulers and the age/inexperience of Jehoiachin, they were not able to stand against Chaldean forces. There is a sense of an intimate knowledge of the Babylonian brutality in 1:12-17.

Habakkuk 1 - The Prophet Habakkuk prophesied during the middle period prophets - Because of musical references in Habakkuk's writing it is thought that Habakkuk was a Levite Temple Choir singer - Habakkuk's main message and main concern is the common theme that God does not seem to be intervening against the commonplace injustices and evil of the day - Then when God does intervene God does so in a completely unexpected way i.e. sending His children in to exile, destroying His city of Jerusalem and His Temple building -- 'Habakkuk 1:1-2 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! - Note: We as humans seldom understand the way God is intervening in our lives and in humanity because God is working to form fruit [Galatians 5:22-26] and maturity in our lives. Seldom does the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the maturity God is seeking from humans come from humans in a conferrable, relaxed condition. The fruits of God do come from the rest, faith and trust in God during times of peril.'

Habakkuk 1:3 Why dost thou shew me [to discern] iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: *for I (God) will work a work in your days [captivity of the Jews, destruction of Jerusalem, destruction of the Temple], which ye will not believe, though it [already] be told you [in prophecy]. For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. - Habakkuk a righteous man, probably a member of the Temple choir is looking around and seeing many of the failings of mankind and like many godly men Habakkuk is asking God why He isn't dealing with the ungodly. Habakkuk then comes to realize that God as a faithful Father first and foremost deals with the shortcomings of His own children. - 1 Peter 4:17-19 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God: and if it first begin at us [Christians], what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved [only by the cross of Jesus], where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear [only at the judgment]? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful [Father] Creator.

Habakkuk 2 - The prophet Habakkuk is dissatisfied with the actions of his fellow man he continues to seek answers accepting only the answers that come from God -- 'Habakkuk 2:2-4 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run [excel] that readeth it. ... Behold, his [worshiper] soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: *but the just shall live by his faith.' - The Apostle Paul then goes on to use his paraphrase "the just shall live by faith" as a cornerstone and a guidestone to his Apostolic Ministry and quotes it as a main theme in each of his three major New Testament epistle writings; Romans, Galatians, and the Book of Hebrews.

Habakkuk 2:1-6 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run [excel] that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: *but the just shall live by his faith. Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he [Babylon] is a proud man, neither keepeth at home [his desires], who enlargeth his desire [upon others] as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay [human frailty]! - God is answering Habakkuk in a direct way about the shortcomings of mankind and specifically the desires of the Nation and King of Babylon, yet in actuality it is ultimately a judgment against Satan as the people who are seeking after their own pride are actually serving Satan and his original fall resulting from his pride.

Habakkuk 3 - The Prophet Habakkuk hears from God and realizes that the wrath [correction and maturity] that God has for His children is just as necessary as the ever-present mercy God has for His children -- 'Habakkuk 3:1-2 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.'

The Prophet Habakkuk closes out his Ministry to Israel by composing a song of declaration by stating his faith and trust in the judgments and ways of God. - Habakkuk 3:17-19 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my Salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high [Heavenly] places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Book of Zephaniah: Historical Overview - Zephaniah calls God's people to repentance and hope - Will you? Will I respond?

Historical Introduction: Zephaniah the prophet prophesied during the reign of King Josiah who ascended his throne in 639 BC. at the age of eight years-old (2 Chronicles 34-35). The book of Zephaniah was written before 629 BC when Josiah found and eagerly read the holy scriptures discovered in the temple. He later celebrated a great Passover feast and cleansed both the temple and the priests. At this time, Assyria had already captured the northern kingdom of Israel. Over hundred years had past. God was now ready to destroy Judah the southern kingdom. But because of Josiah's reform, the fall of Judea was postponed until shortly after Josiah's time. Zephaniah's message no doubt played a key part in this revival.

Zephaniah 1-2 - The Prophet Zephaniah [from the Tribe of Judah] a 4th generation descendant of King Hezekiah is a fellow middle period prophet with the Prophets Jeremiah and Habakkuk [actually slightly earlier than Habakkuk] - Zephaniah is going to have a short but compelling Ministry to Israel - Zephaniah much like the vision Jeremiah had of the two baskets of figs, the basket of very good figs and the basket of very bad figs with no in-between figs [Jeremiah 24:1-3] - Zephaniah is going to contrast the coming events in the darkness of wrath for the evildoer and in a brightness of Salvation for the "remnant of God's people" -- 'Zephaniah 1:1-2 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. *I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.'

Zephaniah 1:7-18 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off. *And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles [i.e. The Passover feast and the practice of searching with a lit candle the floor and counters for bits of leven to be removed from the household before the Passover Feast begins], and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil. Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. - The Prophet Zephaniah dramatically illustrates the coming wrath of God a wrath that is to equal the 'bad fig' unjust behavior of mankind.

Zephaniah 3 - The Prophet Zephaniah after revealing the devastating wrath of God upon the ungodly now reveals the much higher magnitude of the Salvation of God -- 'Zephaniah 3:14-17 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. ... The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.'

Zephaniah 3:14-20 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel [God], even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: *for I will make you a Name and a praise among all people of the earth, *when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD. - As mighty as the wrath and the judgments of God are, even during the future ultimate wrath of Revelation, God is continually doing a work of Salvation that far surpasses and exceeds His work of wrath.

THE MINOR PROPHETS - The Book of Obadiah - The name Obadiah means "Servant of Yahweh" literally "One who serves or worships Jehovah" - This prophecy has the distinction of being the shortest book in the O.T.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND: The name Obadiah means "Servant of Yahweh" (literally -- "One who serves or worships Jehovah"). This prophecy has the distinction of being the shortest book in the OT. There are twelve different individuals in the OT with this name (a very common name), but no indication that any of these other individuals are to be identified with this particular prophet. Nothing is known about his life, background or personality except what little can be inferred from this prophecy. It is assumed that he was a native of Judah. Others feel he may also have been among the circle of prophets attached to the Jerusalem Temple. The Jewish Talmud states Obadiah was not Jewish, but rather an Edomite proselyte God used to rebuke his own people. DATE: In addition to being the shortest book in the OT, Obadiah also "bears the distinction of being the most difficult of all the prophecies to date" (Gleason Archer). His work is ascribed to periods ranging from 845 to 400 BC. There are two major theories: 585 BC --- This is the view held by most liberal scholars. It places this prophecy about a year after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. 845 BC --- This is the view held by "a good majority of the evangelical scholars of the 19th and 20th centuries" (Archer). It places the prophecy during the days of King Jehoram (848 - 841 BC) when Jerusalem was attacked by the Philistines and Arabians (with probable cooperation from the Edomites --- II Kings 8:20; II Chron. 21:8-10, 16-17). This view seems to be the most probable. (For an excellent defense of this position see -- A Survey of OT Introduction, by Gleason L. Archer, Jr., p. 299-303, and A Commentary on the Minor Prophets, by Homer Hailey, p. 28-29.)

Obadiah 1 - The Prophet Obadiah prophesying about the same time or slightly before the prophet Zephaniah will have a very similar contrasting message style to that of the Prophet Zephaniah [actually Zephaniah coming later his style would be similar to Obadiah] -- 'Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.' - 'Obadiah 1:17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the House of Jacob shall possess their possessions.'

Obadiah 1:21 And saviours [lit. liberty, freedom] shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau; and the [Blessed] Kingdom shall be the LORD'S. - The Prophet Obadiah closes his short Ministry to Israel with a prophecy and a blessing regarding the coming Millennial reign of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

Introduction: The Book of Daniel - The Prophet Daniel [from the Tribe of Judah] is the Old Testament counterpart to the New Testament "beloved" Disciple John - The prophet Daniel is the only person in the Old Testament to be directly called "beloved" Daniel is called "greatly beloved" three times - At a young age Daniel was removed from his native Israel and taken captive to the distant Nation of Babylon (Iraq) - Daniel will perform his entire ministry in captivity outside of Israel - The Prophet Daniel will interpret dreams and have visions and dreams that are the most sweeping, global and broad based of any Prophet in the Bible - Daniel will mainly prophesy in three areas 1. Regarding Nations [and their fallen angelic guides] the 5 remaining Gentile world Nation Kingdoms [4 empires and the final emergent Antichrist kingdom] - The coming 1,000 year Messiah Kingdom - 2. The reestablishment of Nation of Israel [the Archangel Michael] as an angelic assistant for the Nation of Israel and the rebuilding of the 2nd Jewish Temple in Jerusalem - 3. The bringing in of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the world and among mankind the entry of the Messiah assisted and foretold [in the ministry of the Archangel Gabriel] - *Daniel's "70 Weeks" prophecy is perhaps the most famous prophecy in the Old Testament

Daniel 9:23-24 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. **Seventy weeks [Jewish decades - 7 years each] are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins [cross], and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [resurrection], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and (for the Nation of Israel in Jerusalem) to ***anoint [at the 2nd Coming] the most Holy [Jesus Christ - starting the 1,000 Millennial Reign]. - John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples [the Disciple John], whom Jesus loved. -- Both the Prophet Daniel and the Disciple John are referenced as 'beloved' of God. Daniel will have and write all of his prophecies outside of Israel. The Disciple John like Daniel will be sent away captive, the Disciple John being imprisoned on the Island of Patmos when he has his end time Revelation of Jesus Christ [Daniel 10:7-11 - Revelation 1:13-15]. Daniel was miraculously saved from the den of lions, Church tradition has the Disciple John miraculously saved from Roman martyrdom [immersed in boiling oil]. The Prophet Daniel will prophecy the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple (Sanctuary) in Jerusalem [Daniel 9:26]. The Disciple John will prophecy the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple (used by the Antichrist) in Jerusalem [Revelation 11:1-2].

BlueletterBible.org: Chuck Missler Commentaries the Book of Daniel (Online Audio)

Mr. Missler is the chairman of Koinonia House (K-House), a non-profit organization which is dedicated to the development and distribution of materials for encouraging and facilitating serious study of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. K-House was founded by Chuck and Nancy Missler, and moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 1992. K-House now reaches tens of thousands through its monthly newsletter, radio shows, cassette tapes, and conferences. More than eight million study tapes have been distributed in the U.S. and in over 35 countries around the world.

The Amber May Show - Daniel part 1 of 6 (Mp3s)

(Part 3) What would you do if you were threaten to be put to death because of your faith? Would you deny your beliefs in order to live? Would you stand firm to your faith? In this episode we look at just that. Three young men are threaten to be put to death because of their faith. Listen to what happens to them. - (Part 4) God tries to reach out to people everyday. He says I stand at the door and knock if any one hears my voice and let's me in, I will come in and dine with him and he with me. God was after the King. The King kept ignoring him until an event that happend in the King's life. An event so big that it changed the King from there after. - (Part 5) What do you think would happen to you, if you were a King and defiled the things of God? Would there be pleges? Would you continue to be King? Would everything be alright and keep going like normal. Check out this program and see what happends to the King and to Daniel. - (Part 6) This is the final episode of Daniel. But we end it with one of the best stories from Daniel. How would you feel if people at work were so jealous of you that they wanted to kill you, the legal way? Listen to what happends to Daniel and his "co-workers".

Commentary on the First Chapter of Daniel - That Nebuchadnezzar took Jewish captives in [605 B.C.] before he returned to Babylon for his coronation is confirmed by Berosus, a Babylonian priest who died about 250 BC - In his history of Babylon, quoted by Josephus, Berosus says, Being informed ere long of his father's death, Nebuchadnezzar settled the affairs of Egypt and the other countries - The prisoners -- Jews [including Daniel and his three friends], Phoenicians, Syrians, and those of Egyptian nationality -- were consigned to some of his friends, with orders to conduct them to Babylonia, along with the heavy troops and the rest of the spoils; while he himself, with a small escort, pushed across the desert to Babylon [Iraq] - (Chart)

The critics allege that the opening statement of the Book of Daniel-that Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in Jehoiakim's third year-is pure fiction. The date is much too early, they say. The precise span of Jehoiakim's third year is uncertain, but the end of it could not have fallen later than October 605 BC. The critics insist that although Nebuchadnezzar may have exacted tribute from Judah as early as 604, the first actual Babylonian siege of Jerusalem did not occur until 597. - Yet the account in Daniel 1 is consistent with other ancient sources. The most important of these is the Babylonian Chronicle, a contemporary listing of important events during the reigns of the Babylonian kings. The Chronicle reports that in the early summer of 605 BC, the Babylonians and Egyptians fought a major battle at Carchemish [located on the border between Turkey and Syria], a city in northern Syria. The Babylonians, under the leadership of their crown prince, Nebuchadnezzar, crushed the Egyptians and pursued fleeing enemy soldiers all the way to Hamath, far to the southwest. Not one Egyptian survived to return home. The Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 46:2) and other sources indicate that Pharaoh Necho was himself present at the battle. If he was, he was undoubtedly among the casualties. The Chronicle continues with the claim that Nebuchadnezzar then "conquered all of Ha[ma]th". That is, he moved immediately to assert control over all the kingdoms nearby that had previously been friendly with Egypt. It is inconceivable that he did not press his advantage after he had so thoroughly routed Egyptian forces and deprived Egypt of a leader. Josephus reports that at this time, Nebuchadnezzar "occupied all Syria, with the exception of Judaea, as far as Pelusium [on the Egyptian border]". Immediately afterward, his father died, and he hurried back to Babylon to take control of the kingdom. - The Book of Daniel agrees that Nebuchadnezzar did not occupy Judah in 605. It says only that he approached Jerusalem and threatened war. The expression "besieged" (Daniel 1:1) can refer merely to action preliminary to a siege. Jehoiakim was able to appease the aggressor by giving him hostages and treasure. That Nebuchadnezzar took Jewish captives before he returned to Babylon for his coronation is confirmed by Berosus, a Babylonian priest who died about 250 BC. In his history of Babylon, quoted by Josephus, Berosus says, Being informed ere long of his father's death, Nebuchadnezzar settled the affairs of Egypt and the other countries. The prisoners-Jews, Phoenicians, Syrians, and those of Egyptian nationality-were consigned to some of his friends, with orders to conduct them to Babylonia, along with the heavy troops and the rest of the spoils; while he himself, with a small escort, pushed across the desert to Babylon. - Spoils and Captives: The following chart gives an overview of the events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Babylonians came against Judah not just in 605, but repeatedly, and took captives at four different times: in 597, 586, and 581 (or 580) as well as in 605. Altogether, about 15,000 men, women, and children made the arduous thousand-mile trek from Judah to Babylon. After their successful assault upon Jerusalem in 605 BC, the Babylonians removed some of the vessels in the [Temple] House of God (verse 2). They took also a group of young men meeting five requirements (verses 3-4). The young men were related to the royal family [Tribe of Judah]. They were "children," meaning that they were in their early teens or younger. They had "no blemish" and were "well favoured." In other words, they were good looking. This requirement was not unusual. In every ancient Middle Eastern court, it was customary to let only good-looking people serve as the king's attendants. The young men were "skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science." Not only were they well educated, but also they were intelligent enough to use and apply what they had learned. They were able "to stand in the king's palace." That is, they were a gracious addition to the court. Having tact, self-confidence, and the other traits of a winning personality, they were highly presentable even to a king.

Daniel 1 - A young Daniel is taken as a hostage and deported from his native land of Israel to the distant, strange and powerful Nation of Babylon (Iraq) - Daniel would never again return to his native Israel - Like Joseph before him Daniel would also never give up any of his Jewish heritage in exchange for any Gentile preferential treatment -- 'Daniel 1:1-8 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. *Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave [Babylonian] names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. **But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile [un-kosher] himself with the portion of the [Babylonian] king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.'

Daniel 1:17-21 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the [instructional, orientation, training] days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten [testing, trials, tribulations, endurance] times better than all the [Babylonian] magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus [king of Iran]. - Daniel like Joseph before him was able to remain loyal to God in a distant and strange land and just as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had given Joseph favor in Egypt God gave Daniel in his day favor in the land of Babylon.

Daniel 2 - Daniel through the Holy Spirit is able to interpret the Five Kingdom, End Time Dream of king Nebuchadnezzar -- 'Daniel 2:1-2 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.' - 'Daniel 2:10 The Chaldeans answered before theking, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter:therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician,or astrologer, or Chaldean.' - 'Daniel 2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

'Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar *what shall be in the latter days [End Times]. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these ...' - 'Daniel 2:31-37 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold [Babylon, 3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], his breast and his arms of silver [Iran, 4th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], his belly and his thighs of brass [Greece, 5th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], His legs of iron [Rome, 6th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], his feet part of iron and part of clay [Revised Roman Empire - Antichrist Arises, 7th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10]. Thou sawest till that *a [Divine] stone [Jesus Christ] was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [7th kingdom is in power] that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: *and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain [Government], and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou [Nebuchadnezzar], O king, art a [powerful] king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. ...' - 'Daniel 2:40-46 And the fourth kingdom [Rome] shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces [physically destroys] and subdueth [puts in slavery] all things: and as iron that breaketh all these [human willpower], shall it break in pieces and bruise [continual suffering]. And whereas thou sawest [*Revised Roman Empire] the feet and toes, part of potters' clay [human element], and part of iron [demonic eliment] (1 Timothy 4:2), the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the [demonic] iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron [now] mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron [demonic beings] mixed with miry clay [human beings], they shall [demonic - fallen angels] mingle [666 Mark of the Beast (Antichrist)] themselves with the seed [human spirit, soul] of men: but they shall not cleave [combign] one to another, even as iron [demonic] is not [compatable] mixed with clay [humans]. *And in the days of these kings shall *the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom [of Jesus Christ], which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to [outsiders] other people, but it [Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, *and it shall stand [eternally] for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: *and the dream is certain, *and the interpretation [given by Daniel] thereof sure.' - Note: Daniel interprets king Nebuchadnezzar's disturbing dream for him and king Nebuchadnezzar is content with the interpretation given by Daniel. The Revised Roman Empire "feet of iron mixed with clay" events depicted are seemingly in the processes of occurring today, the times of the other kingdoms depicted having already passed. With the events of the final kingdom the Revised Roman [European] Empire still predominantly in the future we unlike the Prophet Daniel are just making predictions from the Bible of what seems to be accurate End Time events unfolding in our day before our very eyes.

Daniel 3 - Nebuchadnezzar still memorized by his dream makes his own statue all of gold, all of his kingdom - The image (statue) of gold is 60 cubits high by 6 cubits wide depicting that this is a forerunner to the actual "image of the beast" Antichrist image [Revelation 13:14-18] that is yet to come and is also to be worshiped and those who also refuse to worship the Antichrist image will also be put to death -- 'Daniel 3:1-2 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore [60] cubits, and the breadth thereof six [6] cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together [government] the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.'

'Daniel 3:4-28 Then an herald [society, culture] cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick [music], ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth *shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace [beheaded in Revelation 20:4]. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick [music], *all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick [music], shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick [music], ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, *answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, *we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, **be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven [complete heat] times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments [clothing], and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, *Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said,*Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; **and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God [Jesus Christ]. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, *ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither [the ropes had burned away]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, *nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent His Angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.' - Notice how all levels and branches of government, the popular culture [society] and the music of the day all combine into the one entity encouraging and literally enforcing the global human worship of the false image. Then for those who do not follow the system imposed by the government, culture and the music it is decreed to be a death sentence carried out instantly.

What is the Mark of the Beast 666 - Image of the Beast - There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation

There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666.

Rock and Roll Sorcerers of the New Age [Music] Revolution - The one that started it all with Pastor Joe Schimmel - the original 1992 video expose - A four-hour live seminar given at Hermosa Beach California - Because of the live format - this DVD remains a favorite (DVD)

This video seminar is the most comprehensive music documentary exposing the Satanic influence behind yesterday and today's secular music. It contains irrefutable evidence that demonic beings are leading the world to destruction in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Don't miss out on the opportunity to own your own copy of this eye opening expos� which is sure to convince even the hardest of skeptics!

LostSeed - Compilations: Reverend Roberts - Who is that Fourth Man - Fourthman.mp3 (Mp3)

Speaker: Reverend Roberts. Older man speaking with techno music.

CNN: Danger and the 'Third Man' - Near death, aided by ghostly companion - Aviator Charles Lindbergh said the 'Third Man' {in his case a Satanic-demonic} presence helped him survive his famed transatlantic flight - John Geiger has sifted through the survival stories of people like Sevigny for six years - Adventurers, sailors, prisoners of war and pilots, they all tell strikingly similar stories of being saved [sometimes only physically but often also Spiritually (Christianity)] from death by a mysterious presence, he says - In the book "The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible" Geiger attempts to solve the mystery of that presence - "The debate around the book is not 'are people actually encountering an unseen being' but rather, 'what is it?'" {'what is it? It [i.e. unseen spiritual cognizant "aware beings"] probably belonging to one of three categories: either deceiving spirits who are momentarily being helpful only to engender a lifetime of deception, or holy spirit (angelic beings) who are legitimately seeking to be helpful on behalf of God, or the very real possibility of God Himself interacting with His creation.}

Who is the Third Man? John Geiger has sifted through the survival stories of people like Sevigny for six years. Adventurers, sailors, prisoners of war and pilots, they all tell strikingly similar stories of being saved from death by a mysterious presence, he says. In the book "The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible," Geiger attempts to solve the mystery of that presence. - Most of the people who've encountered the Third Man aren't mystics, says Geiger, a senior fellow at the University of Toronto and governor of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. They include a NASA astronaut, aviator Charles Lindbergh, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton he coined the "Third Man" term {1st man physical strength, 2nd man inner soul strength, 3rd man external 'ghost' being} and atheists. Third Man encounters aren't restricted to exotic locales, either, Geiger says: He experienced a Third Man-like encounter in the study of his home while writing his book. "When I give talks about the book, there are always a few people who will come up afterward to say they have similar stories," Geiger said. "The debate around the book is not 'are people actually encountering an unseen being' but rather, 'what is it?'" ... After the avalanche, Sevigny says, he was passed out for about an hour in the snow before he came to. The crumpled body of a climbing companion was nearby. The fall had killed him. "Blood was everywhere," he said. "We had fallen 2,000 feet." When he first heard the voice, Sevigny says, it reminded him of a woman {Mystery Babylon}. It was warm and nurturing, and it gave practical advice: "You have to get your jacket on. You have to get water." It even told him to arrange the blood dripping from his body in the shape of arrows, pointing to the way he was walking in case rescuers came up on his trial. "I didn't question it," Sevigny said. "I didn't think about it. I did exactly what the voice said." The presence led him through a valley to Sevigny's campsite. It constantly encouraged him when he felt like giving up. When he arrived at the campsite, Sevigny saw three people skiing nearby and called for help. At that moment, the presence left him, he says. ... Sevigny spent months in the hospital. Today, he's an environmental consultant in Canada and a father. For about two years afterward, he couldn't talk about what happened. "It made me cry," he said. "It was so powerful. I just couldn't tell many people." As he talked about his experiences, his 1-year-old son, Tuzo, started crying in the background after falling. "He's like his father," Sevigny said with a chuckle. "He climbs, and then he falls." Sevigny says the experience didn't make him religious. He sees himself as a scientist and has little use for organized religion ("Organized religion and organized crime share a number of parallels"). "I don't give it great thought," he said. "I'm not a spiritual person. I don't say it was God or a guardian angel {why couldn't it be a fallen angel or a demon?}. I have a Ph.D. in chemistry." What he will say is that mysterious presence was the only reason he got off that mountain alive. "If it wasn't for the Third Man, I would be dead," he said. "There's no way that I would have the strength to get up and walk across that valley and do the things I did to survive." {Note: Is CNN knowingly promoting, Mystery Babylon and 'heralding' the false worship of the coming Mark of the Beast?}

Daniel 4 - After building an image of gold and demanding universal worship for it Nebuchadnezzar is given a second dream from God - This dream reveals that if Nebuchadnezzar boasts in his pride again that he will be humbled by God -- 'Daniel 4:5-6 4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.'

Daniel 4:28-37 All this [from the dream] came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. *The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? *While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times [seven seasons, fall, winter, summer, spring, etc. (or more accurately summer - winter - summer - winter) - 3 � years] shall pass over thee, *until thou know that the Most High [God] ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven [insane] from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting [eternal] dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the Army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? *At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven [Jesus Christ], all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase. - Note: Daniel chapter 4 makes reference to "the watchers" the holy ones from heaven. The "watchers" are considered to be a class of angels that intently watch all of the actions of all of mankind and then report on the actions [both good and bad] directly to God. God is of course completely Knowledgeable about everything that occurs within all of existence but God also has a plan and a participation for the angels of heaven and a big part of their participation is to "watch" over the affairs, actions and even the comments of all of mankind.

Wikipedia.org: Watcher (Angel) - In the Book of Daniel an Aramaic term used to denote angels is "watchers" - The term "watcher" probably derives from the verb "to be awake" or "to be vigilant" so that the implication of calling the angels "watchers" is that they are constantly on watch as sentinels for Yahweh [God] {Note: This portion of the Book of Daniel is regarding the Gentile king Nebuchadnezzar and specifically his dreams and actions and it also records some of his written and spoken decrees enacted from his viewpoint. Daniel's text in this area is then written in Aramaic [ancient Canaanite] a corresponding Gentile language that king Nebuchadnezzar and his administers could read and understand and that would verify the Gentile viewpoints and Gentile origins of the few passages in the Bible.}

Other References to the Watchers: The Book of Jubilees adds further details about the "watchers". In the Book of Daniel an Aramaic term used to denote angels is "watchers". The term "watcher" probably derives from the verb "to be awake" or "to be vigilant," so that the implication of calling the angels "watchers" is that they are constantly on watch as sentinels for Yahweh. Angels were fairly popular in Jewish folklore, which often describes them as looking like large human beings that never sleep and remain forever silent. While there are good and bad "watchers", most stories revolve around the evil ones that fell from grace when they took "the daughters of man" as their mates. In the Old Testament (Daniel 4:13-17) there is reference made to the Irin, or "watchers", which appear to be an order of angels. In early Hebrew lore the Irin were a high order of angels that sat on the supreme Judgment Council of the Heavenly Court. Richard Cavendish, in his book The Powers of Evil, suggests that the Giants mentioned in Genesis 6:4 were the Giants or Titans of Greek Mythology. He also lists the "watchers" as the fallen angels which magicians call forth in ceremonial magic. Cavendish mentions that the "watchers" were so named because they were stars, the "eyes of night." 16th Century French theologian Sinistrari referred to the Watchers as beings existing between Humans and Angels. He called them demons and associated them with the Elemental natures of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Clement of Alexandria, influenced by Hellenistic cosmology, attributed the movement of the Stars and the control of the four elements to angelic beings. Sinistrari attributed bodies of fire, air, earth, and water to these Beings, and concluded that the "watchers" were made of fire and air. Cardinal Newman, writing in the mid 1800s, proposed that certain angels existed who were neither totally good nor evil, and had only "partially fallen" from the Heavens.

Daniel 5 - By the fall of Babylon 70 years later Nebuchadnezzar's son Nabonidus had made his son Belshazzar a co-ruler with himself [Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, who after ruling only three years, went to the oasis of Tayma and devoted himself to the worship of the moon god, Sin. He made Belshazzar co-regent in 553 B.C., leaving him in charge of Babylon's defense. - wiki.com] -- 'Daniel 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.' [Josephus makes Darius the son of Astyages, and uncle of Cyrus - wiki.com]

Daniel 5:1-31 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. ... Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. ... And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written [in Aramaic], MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians [Iran]. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler [3rd after Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar] in the kingdom. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. [Although usually left untranslated in English translations of Daniel, these words are known Aramaic names of measures of currency: MENE, a mina, TEKEL, a spelling of shekel, PERES, half a mina. - wiki.com] - God is able to set up and takedown each kingdom of mankind at any moment according to His choosing. Note: The Three (Trinity) Handwritings of God: The finger of God writing His 10 Commandments into stone tablets. 'Exodus 31:18 And He [God] gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God' - The finger of God writing the judgment decree of unrepentant men in the hardened plaster of a wall. 'Daniel 5:4-5 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister [plaster] of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.' - The finger of God writing the sins of repentant men in the dust of the earth. 'John 8:6 This they said, tempting Him [Jesus], that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.'

ThreshingFloor-Radio.com: The Threshing Floor Radio Show November 6, 2009 - Mystery #3: "the Prophet's Reward" The TRUE Purpose of Prophecy by Randy Maugans (Mp3)

"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." Matthew 10:41. -- Another part of the "mystery" - and a realignment of the prophetic. Strong doctrine here as we break through from all the religious mindsets and get REAL about the purpose and operation of the prophetic gifting. The Lord is calling HIS people to rise as a voice of hope and reconciliation to the world now caught in the grips of the DESTROYER-APPOLYON - the author of confusion and corruption, who want to keep you ignorant of your "prophet's reward."

TheBereanChronicles.com: 11/05/2009 - Kelly McGinley Standing for the Truth of God's Word - Exposing the Blasphemies on Dr. Stan Monteith's show [Radio Liberty] with Craig Winn {Craig Winn - New Age devotee, Anti-Christian religious synthesiser.} (Mp3)

Standing for the Truth of God's Word - Exposing the Blasphemies on Monteith's show w/Craig Winn. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3. Kelly answers Cumbey's [Constance Cumbey] defense of Monteith. Daily Scripture Reading: Rev 20.

FutureQuake.com: 10-14 Aug 09 Evangelical Christianity "On The Couch" - 'A Spiritual and Mental Health Assessment' of American Christianity (Mp3)

Guest: Mark Breton, Author, Freelance Writer, "The Nashville Scene", Founder of The Relational Discipleship & Worldview Studies Institute.

Daniel 6 - Even in the new Kingdom of Persia (Iran) Daniel continues to be in placed in one of the highest positions of trust, power and authority -- 'Daniel 6:1-3 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.'

Daniel 6:16-28 Then the king [unable to change Persian law] commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee. And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent His Angel [Jesus Christ], and hath shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and *He worketh signs and wonders in Heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. - Daniel as a type of Jesus Christ, reigning continually over multiple kingdoms, he is placed in a sealed tomb and [resurrects] - comes out alive from a death that was certain.

Daniel 7 - The Prophet Daniel has a Vision parallel to Nebuchadnezzar's 5 Empire Dream (Daniel 2:1) - However where Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue from his perspective made consisting mostly of valuable and strong metals, Daniel sees God's perspective and the same 5 empires are represented to Daniel as a series of wild beasts - Daniel also records his vision of the 5 Empire [four beasts and Antichrist] events in Aramaic - Chapter 7 completes the Aramaic language portion of Daniel[Daniel 2:4-7:28] then the remainder of the Book of Daniel continues and concludes in the original Hebrew language -- 'Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar [Grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.' - 'Daniel 7:12-14 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] came with the clouds of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him [Son] near before Him [Father]. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, *and a Kingdom, that all people, Nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is {resurrection} an [eternal] everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His [resurrection] Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.'

Daniel 7:15-28 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them [Angels] that stood by [the Throne of God - Ancient of Days], and asked him [Angel] the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four [four left after the two already passed kingdoms of Nimrod and Egypt], are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess [inherit] the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast [Rome], **which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue [lit. left down behind - those not yet in Heaven] with his feet; And of the ten horns [ten super-state global regions] that were in his head, and of the other [Antichrist] which came up, and before whom three [regions] fell; even of that [Antichrist] horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. *I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them [Revelation 13:7]; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the Kingdom. Thus he [Angel] said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom [Rome] upon earth, which shall be *diverse {more spiritual than physical} from all kingdoms, **and shall devour [control] the whole earth {this is the only human kingdom ever referenced in the Bible to have an entire earth, global encompassing Government - all of the other kingdoms were strictly Middle-East in dominion}, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns [10 regions] out of this kingdom [Revised Roman Empire - the ten horns = the 10 toes of iron and clay from the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's earlier dream] are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he [Antichrist] shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great [blasphemous] words against the Most High, *and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times [new era to replace B.C.-A.D.] *and laws: and they [Saints, Martyred Saints of Revelation] shall be given into his [Antichrist] hand until a time [1] and times [2] and the dividing of time [�] {for a total of 3� years}. But the judgment shall sit, and they [Ancient of Days, Son Jesus] shall take away his [Antichrist] dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the Most High, whose Kingdom is an [eternal] everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations [End Time thoughts] much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.- Daniel sees a vision of the four remaining World Kingdoms. His main concern and fascination is with the unique fourth kingdom of Rome. The fourth kingdom is unique, possibly in its use of deception, treachery and in its willing allegiance to known demonic entities where the kingdoms before were merely deceived the fourth kingdom [and particularly the revised Antichrist kingdom] seeks out demonic influences in an attempt to further an evil empire's intent on complete enslavement of the human body, mind, spirit and soul. Even though the Prophet Daniel saw both the final Victory and the terror of the End Times the Prophet was still completely shaken and visibly changed by the momentous End Time circumstances he witnessed.

Daniel 8 - Two years after the previous vision Daniel has another vision of similar content this time with a Ram [Persia - 4th Kingdom] and a Goat [Greece - 5th Kingdom] -- 'Daniel 8:1-2 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan [modern, Shush in Iran] in the Palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.'

Daniel 8:20-27 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia [Iran]. And the rough goat is the king [Alexander the Great] of Grecia [Greece]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms [Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Pergamon, Macedon] shall stand up out of the nation, but not [descendants] in his [Alexander the Great] power. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance [Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Greek Nero, type of Antichrist, a Greek king over Jerusalem 175 BC until his death in 164 BC], and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy [Jewish] people. And through his policy also he shall cause [occult, witch] craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace [deceit] shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [God]; but he shall be broken without hand [Antiochus died suddenly of disease in 164 BC - wiki.com]. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- [Alexander the Great - Born 20 or 21 July 356 BC, Birthplace Pella, Macedon [Macedonia, Greece] - Died 10 or 11 June 323 BC (aged 32), Place of death Babylon -- Alexander had no obvious or legitimate heir, his son Alexander IV by Roxane being born after Alexander's death. This left the huge question mark as to who would rule the newly conquered, and barely pacified Empire. ... the Hellenistic [Greek] world settled into four stable power blocks: the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east [Israel], the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia minor, and Macedon [Greece]. In the process both Alexander IV [Alexander's son] and Philip III [a half-brother, Alexander's father (Philip II)] were murdered. - wiki.com] - Note: There seems to be a progression indicated in that the extremely evil Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes whose name means (Manifest God) and was the last Seleucid adult ruler [his nine year old son ruled briefly for almost two years before being put to death along with the death of his adult guardian - wiki.com]. Antiochus who knowingly sought out evil is more the exception then the rule in the first five kingdoms where the other rulers genuinely tried to prosper themselves, their families, friends and their innocent people to the best of their abilities. Then in the 6th kingdom of Rome with King Herod, the Cesar's and eventually culminating in Caesar Nero [the fifth and last Roman Caesar - wiki.com ] evil rule becoming more common place than the exception. Finally transitioning into the Revised Roman Empire [10 region super-states] where it is almost exclusively evil cumulating in the ultimate evil of the Antichrist. The 5th kingdom Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes is the ultimate manifest of that kingdom's evil then Cesar Nero becomes the ultimate manifest of the evil of Rome and the 6th kingdom. Eventually the Antichrist becomes the accumulation [in part through Satanic ceremonies and rituals] of the evil of the Revised Roman Empire.

Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat [Daniel Chapter 8] - The Palace at Shushan - Once a magnificent city, the city of Shushan is today a mass of ruins [in modern Iraq] - The city proper lay to the east of the Tigris River about 150 miles and north of the head of the Persian Gulf - In the same citadel or fortress palace, Daniel, Esther, Mordecai and Nehemiah all made their names in the annals of history - The opulence of the palace of Ahasuerus (Xerses, Darius and Cyrus) was worthy of any potentate in the orient - As described in the BibleSearchers manuscript called The Feast of Esther (Photos)

The eighth chapter of Daniel is one of the pivotal chapters of all prophecies. It appears to be the link with the ancient empires that affected the Nations of Israel and Judah prior to and during the days of Daniel and the future imperial forces that will affect their descendants at the time of the end. Lest we forget, even before we start, the angel Gabriel said to Daniel the prophet, Daniel 8:17 - "Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision." ... The eighth chapter of Daniel begins at the end of one era and moves the reader into a new and different historical era when the people of God, the Jews, were about to experience what it is like to be redeemed and restored by to favor with their God, the God of Israel. Here Belteshazzar (Daniel), possibly now the semi-retired prime minister of the now deceased king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in the winter royal Babylonian palace outside the capital city of Babylon while Belshaz'zar, the last ruler of Babylon was living in the capital city of Babylon. Trying to understand this era of history at the time of the end for the Babylonian Empire has been elusive for centuries until the shovel of the archeologist began to uncover the ancient treasures of the Middle East. What we now know is that within six years of the death of Nebuchadnezzar, one of the governors and a seasoned warriors, Nabonidus (559-536 BCE), assumed the kingship of Babylon in a coup d'etat. By taking control of the government, he eliminated the two prior successors to Nebuchadnezzar. Archeologists now feel that Nabonidus' mother, the Queen Mother was part of the harem of Nebuchadnezzar's court and as such, King Nabonidus was recognized as a step-son of king Nebuchadnezzar. - The Cylinder of Nabonidus: What is interesting is that Nabonidus did not really like being king. His real interests in life were as a historian, archeologist and archival restorationist. He loved history and the restoration of the shrines of the god's he worshipped. He did not believe in the gods of his step-father, Nebuchadnezzar. Rather he disassociated himself with the national god of Babylon, Marduk, to the shock and anger of the powerful Babylonian priesthood. Nabonidus then announced his allegiance to the Sumerian moon-god Sin and the sun-god Shamash. He spent almost the rest of his life in the reconstruction of the ancient temple at Harran (Harr�nu in Akkadian and Carrhae in Latin) and the temple at Sippar. On the clay tablet called the Cylinder of Nabonidus that was discovered in the Temple of Shamash at Sippar, Nabonidus records his restoration and reconstruction of the temple to the moon-god Sin in Harran and to the sun-god Shamash and goddess Anunitum at Sippar. This archeological restoration is highlighted by the fact that Daniel, the ex-official prime minister of Babylon was no doubt receiving diplomatic messages about the restoration project being done by King Nabonidus. **Almost fifteen hundred years prior, this very temple was built and dedicated to the moon-god Sin at Harran by Daniel's ancestor, Abraham's father, Terah, [!!!Warning: extra-biblical references!!!] who was the oracular priest in the Sumerian religious hierarchy in the dynasty of Nimrod. The Book of Jasher, quoted from in Joshua 10:3 which said, "Is not this written in the Book of Jasher", wrote about Terah; Jasher 9:7 - "And the king (Nimrod) and all his servants, and Terah with all his household were then the first that served gods of wood and stone. And Terah had twelve gods of large size, made of wood and stone, after the twelve months of the year, and he served each one monthly, and every month Terah would bring his meat offering and drink offering to his gods; thus did Terah all the days. And all that generation were wicked in the sight of the Lord, and they thus made every man his god, but they forsook the Lord who had created them. And there was not a man found in those days in the whole earth, who knew the Lord (for they served each man his own God) except Noah and his household, and all those who were under his counsel knew the Lord in those days. And Abram the son of Terah was waxing great in those days in the house of Noah, and no man knew it, and the Lord was with him." In the ancient Jewish archives and now with modern archeology we now understand that the temple at Harran that was built Tell Harran was a replica or mirror image to the central Sumerian religious complex at Nannar/Sin in Ur. According to the ancient texts, Terah was a former priest of Ur (Uratu) and as such was a worshipper of the Sumerian moon god Sin. ... Today in the archives of the British Museum, there is the basalt Stela called the Stela of Nabonidus. Though its origin is not known, this Stela shows a figure appearing to represent King Nabonidus in the traditional royal dress of the Babylonians, holding the royal standard used in religious ceremonies. The divine symbols of the moon-god, Sin, the planet Venus or Ishtar and the winged disc of the sun-god Shamash, are to the right of the standard. The basalt Stela of Nabonidus - British Museum: Here he celebrates the return of the showering rain and the anticipation of a time of plenty after a drought. Gone were the evocations to the god of Marduk, the revered god of the Babylonians. It was Marduk, whom the Babylonians thought gave them the right for universal imperial rule. Yearly during the annual New Years spring festival of Akitu, the king of Babylon presided. Now the god Marduk was no longer honored by King Nabonidus and the festival of Akitu was abandoned, because it demanded the presence of the king. Was this an omen to the citizens of Babylon? Here in these tablets, the once assumed mythical picture of King Belshazzar in Babylon has now been revealed in archeology. Babylonia was administered by Nabonidus' son as co-regent, Bel-shar-user, whom we know today as King Belshazzar. With the ruler of Babylonia, Nabonidus, living in Harran and later in the Arabian oasis city of Teima away from the political wrath and religious machinations of the Babylonian priesthood, the crown prince, the son of Nabonidus, the step grand-son of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar was truly the co-regent ruler and king of Babylon. - The Tablet with part of the Nabonidus Chronicle (556-530 BCE) - British Museum: The mystery of the "mythical" Biblical king of Babylon, Belshazzar, was not known until the discovery of the series of tablets called the Nabonidus Chronicles, today in the British Museum. Here in this collection of tablets were the records of the key events in each year of the life of the Babylonian king Nabonidus while he lived for ten years at his royal headquarters in the rich Arabic city of Teima. Here in the tablets of the Nabonidus Chronicle (556-530 BCE), the once assumed mythical picture of King Belshazzar was non other than the son of Nabonidus, Bel-shar-user.

Daniel 9 - The Prophet Daniel having read the prophecies of fellow Prophet Jeremiah realizes the 70 years of captivity are about to come to an end and begins to pray for their restoration -- 'Daniel 9:1-6 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his [Medes-Persia 4th kingdom] reign I Daniel understood by books [O.T. Bible Scrolls] the number of the years, *whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet [in Jerusalem], that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem [Jeremiah 25:11]. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession {Daniel confesses for the entire Nation of Israel}, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments; We [Nation of Israel] have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in Thy Name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ...' - 'Daniel 9:18-19 O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear; open Thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city [Jerusalem] which is called by Thy Name: **for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. [Triunity] O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my [one] God: for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.'

Daniel 9:20-27 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin *and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the Holy Mountain [Kingdom] of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man [in appearance] Gabriel [the Archangel], whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; *for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision [Law] and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Jesus). Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah (Jesus) the Prince shall be seven weeks [seven Jewish decades 49 years - these weeks were the Jewish decade of seven years the Levitical decade seventh year of release], and threescore and two weeks [62 Jewish decades 434 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [the 434 years] shall Messiah be cut off [crucifixion], but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall 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. And He [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week regarding Jerusalem]: and in the midst of the week at [3� years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [in the rebuilt Temple] to cease, and for the overspreading [saturation] of abominations [evil] he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined shall be poured [vial (measured) judgments of Revelation 16:1] upon the desolate. - The 70 Weeks [Jewish Decades] Vision is one of the most famous prophecies in the whole Bible. While Daniel is in the very act of praying for his people and for the city of Jerusalem he had a vision and the Angel Gabriel gave Daniel the interpretation of the 70 Weeks vision. Where the other visions of Daniel were primarily about the Gentile governments the 70 Weeks Vision is now exclusively about the people and Nation of Israel and it involves their destiny and Ministry to physically manifest - bring in the Messiah into the physical world for God on behalf of the entire world. The vision concentrates on the city of Jerusalem and on the rebuilding of the 2nd Jewish Temple in Jerusalem where the Messiah, Jesus Christ entered into, cleansed and temporarily taught from though the physical Kingdom of the Messiah on earth will be delayed until after the Christian Church age [the primary calling of the Gentiles into the assembly of God] is completed. Note: The Prophet Daniel prophesied the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple, the Disciple John in the Book of Revelation [Revelation 11:1] prophecies the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple [usurped by the Antichrist] in Jerusalem and the Prophet Ezekiel will seem to prophesy about a coming 4th Temple and it is thought that it is the 4th Temple in Jerusalem that the Messiah, Jesus Christ will finally righteously rule the earth from during the 1,000 year Blessed Kingdom reign of the Messiah visibly ruling on the earth.

Daniel 10 - The Prophet Daniel [Belteshazzar is his given Babylonian name] continues to have intense visions, and interactions with Angels particularly the Angel Gabriel -- 'Daniel 10:7-11 And I Daniel alone saw the vision [Jesus of Revelation - Revelation 1:13-15]: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of His words: and when I heard the voice of His words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And, behold, an hand [of an Angel] touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he [Angel] said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he [Angel] had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.'

Daniel 10:12-21 Then said he [Angel, probably Gabriel] unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words [of prayer] were heard [in Heaven], and I am come for thy words. But the prince [fallen Angel] of the kingdom of Persia [Iran] withstood me one and twenty days [21 continious days of Angelic spiritual warfare]: but, lo, [the Archangel] Michael, one of the chief princes [holy Angels of Heaven], came to help me {the Archangel Gabriel}; and I remained there with the [opposing fallen Angels] kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And, behold, {another Angel appearing as a man} one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, *And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia [Iran - 4th kingdom]: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince [fallen Angel] of Grecia [Greece - 5th kingdom] shall come. **But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth [Holy Bible]: and there is none that holdeth [lit. strengthens himself] with me in these [Nation of Israel, coming Messiah] things, but Michael your prince. - It appears that the Gentile Nations have some fallen Angels actually fighting against the plans and the holy Angels of God. The Archangel [highest ranking Angel] Michael is thought to be the Angel, guardian Angel of the Nation of Israel, fighting in behalf of Israel against the other fallen angel influences. Where Michael is thought to be the highest ranking warrior Angel, the Archangel Gabriel is thought to be the highest ranking messenger Angel. It was the Angel Gabriel that went to the Virgin Mary [Luke 1:19] with the message that she was to deliver the Messiah into the world.

Daniel 11 - After the fall of the Babylonian kingdom the Prophet Daniel continued to work with the new kingdom of Persia -- 'Daniel 11:1-2 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I [Daniel] shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia [Greece].'

Daniel 11:32-39 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries [a false deceptive peace]: *but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits [The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates the (165 B.C.) re-dedication of the Temple following Judah Maccabee's victory over the Seleucids]. *And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword [martyrdom], and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 3Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. *And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king [Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a forerunner of Antichrist] shall do according to his will; and he [Antichrist] shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. - The Prophet Daniel is conclusive that the End Times will be a time of peril, deception, intrigue, beguile and above all an exceedingly unjust and ungodly era for all of humanity.

Daniel 12 - The Prophet Daniel is given a number of days regarding the ending of sacrifices in the 3rd Temple and the seating of the Antichrist in the Temple Holy of Holies [1290 days] - and an addition 45 days [the 1335th day], possibly signifying the 2nd Coming return of Jesus Christ -- 'Daniel 12:8-13 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And He said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end [70th Week]. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away [possibly just before the Antichrist is revealed, one thought is that the 3rd Temple will barely get up and sacrificing and then the daily animal sacrifices will be quickly ended], and the abomination that maketh desolate set up [Antichrist appearing in the Holy of Holies - Temple], there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days [1290 days, 3.583 years]. Blessed is he that waiteth [45 days], and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days [1335th day - possibly the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ]. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.' - 'Matthew 24:15-22 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place [Holy of Holies inside the 3rd Temple], whoso readeth, let him understand: Then let them which be in Judaea [Israel] flee into the mountains {for 45 days?}: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: *For then shall be great [Satanic] tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. **And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those [great tribulation, wrath of Satan] days shall be shortened.' - Note: during the Great Tribulation the wrath of God is not poured out upon the Jewish remnant but on the unbelieving followers of Antichrist.

The Prophetic Bible scroll of the Prophet Daniel concludes with Daniel uncertain of the coming End Time events but certain that the God of Heaven and earth will in actuality be enthroned on the earth and that Daniel like Job, he will stand "in thy lot" in that day and have a part in the eternal Kingdom resurrection. Daniel 12:8-13 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

An Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel - In Hebrew: the book is titled 'laqzhy' meaning God strengthens - In Greek: the book is titled 'IESEKIHL' the Hebrew is simply transliterated [sounded out letter for letter] - DATE: 593/2 to 562 B.C. Ezekiel's prophecies seem to be dated around the exile of king Jehoiachin (597 B.C.)

Thirteen of Ezekiel's message are dated precisely to the day, month and year of King Jehoiachin's exile to Babylon. The following chart lays out the general chronological arrangement of these prophecies with three exceptions (29:1, 17; 32:1) all of which were oracles against Egypt and thus placed together with the other Egyptian prophecies. ... CANONICAL PLACEMENT: In the Hebrew canon [concluded Bible] Ezekiel is placed following Isaiah and Jeremiah among the Major Prophets. In the Greek canon [concluded Bible], which the English arrangement follows, Ezekiel is placed after Lamentations which was associated with the Prophet Jeremiah. Hill and Walton write, While Ezekiel was always included in the Hebrew canon, later Jewish scholars disputed the book's canonical value. *At issue were seeming discrepancies between the prophet's understanding of [4th] temple ritual and the prescriptions of Mosaic law (e.g., a disagreement in the number and kinds of animals sacrificed at the New Moon [new month] festival {Israel had a [360 days a year] Lunar (moon) Calendar, we have a [365 days a year] Solar, sun based calendar} --cf. Num. 28:11 and Ezek. 46:6). The rabbis eventually restricted the public and private use of Ezekiel, commenting that the ultimate harmonization [1st-2nd Temple, 4th Temple] of the difficulties must await 'the coming of Elijah' (cf. Mal 4:5).

Wikipedia.org: The Book of Ezekiel - The Book of Ezekiel is a book of the Hebrew Bible named after the prophet Ezekiel, a prophet from the sixth-century BC - This book records Ezekiel's preaching - His name (Hb. Yekhezqe'l) means "God strengthens" or "May God strengthen" - Ezekiel lived out his prophetic career among the community of exiled Judeans [Jews] in Babylon - He belonged to the priestly class and was married (see Ezk. 24:15-24), but it is doubtful that he had any children - The frequent use of vivid, symbolic language [and the very far into the future scope of the visions] causes this book to have much in common with the Book of Revelation in the New Testament - Ezekiel's resurrection of the dead - Ezekiel's greatest miracle consisted in his resurrection of the dead "The Valley of Dry Bones" [both the restoration of Israel (May 14, 1948) and the eventual resorrection of Israel], which is recounted in Ezekiel 37 - There are different traditions as to the fate of these men, both before and after their resurrection, and as to the time at which it happened

The Book of Ezekiel was written for the captives of the tribe of Judah living in exile in Babylon following the Siege of Jerusalem of 597 BC. Up until that exile, their custom had been to worship their God in the Temple in Jerusalem. Exile raised important theological questions. How, the Judeans asked, could they worship their God when they were now in a distant land? Was their God still available to them? Ezekiel speaks to this problem. He first explains that the Judean exile is a punishment for disobedience and he then offers hope to the exiles, suggesting that the exile will be reversed once they return to God. Unlike their ancestors, who were enslaved and socially marginalized while in exile in Egypt, the Jews of Ezekiel's time were able to become part of the society they found themselves in. The Exiles were told by Jeremiah not to worship the foreign gods, but Jeremiah did tell them that they could become part of the Babylonian culture. They did this well, often being called upon by the Babylonians to complete projects using their skills as artisans. Unlike other enemies, the Babylonians allowed the Jewish people to settle in small groups. While keeping their religious and national identities, many Jewish people did start to settle into their new environment. From building homes to opening businesses, the Jews seemed to settle into their exile land for the long haul. This growing comfort in Babylon helps to explain why so many Jewish people decided not to return to their land. Many people would have been born in exile and would know nothing of their old land, so when the opportunity came for them to reclaim the land that was taken from them, many decided not to leave the Babylonian land they knew. This large group of people who decided to stay are known to be the oldest of the Jewish diaspora communities along with the Jews of Persia. - The Visionary Ezekiel Temple plan [4th Temple] drawn by the 19th century French architect and Bible scholar Charles Chipiez (Illustration). ... Judgement on Jerusalem and Judah (Ezekiel 4:1-24:27) - Ezekiel makes a series of denunciations against his fellow Judeans (3:22-24), warning them of the certain destruction of Jerusalem, in opposition to the words of the false prophets (4:1-3). The symbolic acts, by which the extremities to which Jerusalem would be reduced are described in Chapters 4 and 5, *show his [Ezekiel's] intimate acquaintance with the Levitical legislation. See, for example, Exodus 22:30; Deuteronomy 14:21; Leviticus 5:2; 7:18,24; 17:15; 19:7; 22:8.

Ezekiel 1-2 - The Prophet Ezekiel [second captivity] like the Prophet Daniel [first captivity] has been taken into captivity from Israel to the Nation of Babylon (Iraq) - The Levitical Priest Ezekiel is going to have a Prophetic Ministry dedicated to the Holy Spirit - Ezekiel is going to have more direct contact and direct interaction with God the Holy Spirit than any other person in the Bible -- 'Ezekiel 1:1-3 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year [of the 70 years of Israel's desolation], in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the [second group of] captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the [Levitical] Priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar [modern Khabur River - Syria, Turkey]; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.'

Ezekiel 2:1-10 And He (Holy Spirit) ["likeness of the Glory of the LORD" Ezekiel 1:28] said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the [Holy] Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me. And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious Nation that hath rebelled against Me [Holy Spirit]: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD [Holy Spirit]. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, for they are a rebellious house, yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. *But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; *Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee [Revelation 10:10]. And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book [scroll] was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without [Revelation 5:1]: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. - The Levital Priest Ezekiel now away from Jerusalem and no longer able to perform his priestly Temple duties receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In one of the most powerful and anointed visions in the Holy Bible Ezekiel is called by God the Holy Spirit into a ministry as a Prophet for the Nation of Israel and to the world.

Ezekiel 3-4 - Ezekiel is to function as a Preacher to the people - First Ezekiel is to read and internalize the Word of God the Holy Bible then Ezekiel is to Preach to the people what he has previously appropriated internally from the Word of God -- 'Ezekiel 3:1-4 Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat [internalize] this roll [Holy Bible], and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll. And He said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels [deep insides] with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them.'

Ezekiel 3:16-21 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. - The Prophet Ezekiel in his anointing from the Holy Spirit is to facilitate in the office of "Watchman" for God to the people. The office of Watchman is fulfilled in conjunction with the Holy Spirit and today after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind [Acts 2:38-39] the office of Watchman is more of an alerting, informing office as the Holy Spirit is actively involved in seeking the repentance of each individual person. - John 16:7-11 Nevertheless I [Jesus] tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away [back into Heaven]: for if I go not away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] will not come unto you; but if I depart [cross and resurrection], I [Jesus] will send Him [Holy Spirit] unto you. *And when He is come, He will [Watchman] reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me [Jesus]; Of righteousness, because [of the absence of the righteousness of Jesus] I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more [until the Second Coming]; Of judgment, because the prince of this world [Satan] is judged.

Ezekiel 5-6 - Earlier the Prophet Ezekiel had personally witnessed [Ezekiel 1:20] the orderly, precise movements of God the Holy Spirit and the Angels accompanying the Holy Spirit - Now Ezekiel is going to prophesy and enact out many prophecies regarding Israel and the future but being influenced by the Holy Spirit everything will be enacted in a precise an orderly manner -- 'Ezekiel 1:20-21 Whithersoever the [Holy] Spirit was to go, they [accompanying Angels] went, thither was [also] their [Angel] spirit to go; and the wheels [movement of the Holy Spirit] were lifted up over against them: for the [Holy] Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels [movement]. When those [movements of the Holy Spirit] went, these [Angels] went; and when those [Holy Spirit movements] stood, these [Angels] stood; and when those [Holy Spirit movements] were lifted up from the earth, the wheels [perceivable presence of the Holy Spirit] were lifted up over against them: for the [Holy] Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels [perceivable movement of the Holy Spirit].'

Ezekiel 6:8-10 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries [70 A.D. Diaspora]. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them. - The Prophet Ezekiel is going to in a sense pick up where the other prophets [Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc.] left off and Ezekiel is going to prophesy way out in to the future from his day especially regarding the Last Days, End Times and Millennial Kingdom reign of the Messiah [Jesus Christ].

Ezekiel 7-8 - The Prophet Ezekiel's 2nd Vision of God - The Prophet Ezekiel [Ezekiel 8:1-3] like the Prophet Daniel [Daniel 10:7-11 ] and later the Disciple John [Revelation 1:13-15] has a Vision of Jesus Christ in the Revelation -- 'Ezekiel 8:1-4 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the [exiled] elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of His loins even downward, fire [judgment]; and from His loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber [brass (sin) being judged]. And He put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock [hair] of mine head; and the [Holy] Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven [judgment, the cross of Jesus Christ, the two thieves - one repented, one didn't, all mankind is facing the same death and judgment as the two thieves, we are all in the position of the two thieves being executed by this world, we all have a choice to make], and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate [symbolically the inner conscience] that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy [imaginations of man], which provoketh [God] to jealousy.'

Ezekiel 8:4-18 And, behold, the Glory of the God of Israel was there [in Jerusalem], according to the vision that I saw in the plain. Then said He [Jesus] unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy [imaginations of man] in the entry. He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here [in their imagination, mind], that I should [be offended and] go far off [away] from My sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations. And He brought me to the door of the [Temple] court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said He unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door [into the mind of mankind, even religious (godly) mankind]. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the House of Israel, pourtrayed [envisioned] upon the wall [of the mind] round about. And there stood before them seventy men [elders] of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer [adoration, prayers] in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said He unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the House of Israel do in the dark, *every man in the chambers of his imagery [imagination]? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth. He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S House [Temple] which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz [Nimrod the ancient god of Babylon]. Then said He unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S House [Temple], and, behold, at the door of the Temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, *with their backs toward the Temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Then He said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the House of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke Me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose [divination]. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. - Like the Levitical Priest and Prophet Jeremiah the Levitical Priest and Prophet Ezekiel is finding out that the 1st Covenant is un-maintainable in the actions and abilities of a fallen (sinful) mankind. In order for mankind to appropriately worship, praise and interact with God, God is going to have to do a work, ultimately a work in the cross and resurrection of God in Jesus Christ providing the very Spirit of God to indwell, not the Temple of stone, but the heart; mind, determination, imagination and worshipful praises [prayers] of mankind.

Ezekiel 9-10 - The Prophet Ezekiel has a vision of the remnant of God being set apart to God and of the Holy Spirit departing from Solomon's Temple and [shortly thereafter] from Jerusalem -- 'Ezekiel 9:3-6 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up [the Holy Spirit is departing the Temple of Solomon] from the cherub [Throne of God Angels], whereupon He was, to the threshold of the [Temple] House. And He called to the man [reaping Angel; also a type of Jesus or possibly Jesus] clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark [designation] upon the foreheads of the men that [repent] sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others [non-repentant] He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: *but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My [Temple] Sanctuary.'

Ezekiel 10:1-19 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And He spake unto the man [Angel who had the inkhorn] clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in [into the Holy Spirit] in my sight. Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the [Temple] House, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court [Leviticus 16:13]. Then the Glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over [hesitated at] the threshold [doorway, entrance] of the House [Temple]; and the House was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S Glory. ... *Then the Glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the [Temple] House, and stood over the cherubims [Throne Angels]. And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up *from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD'S house; and *the Glory of the God of Israel was over them above [returning back up to Heaven]. - The Prophet Ezekiel through a vision is able to witness the sad and hesitant departure of the Holy Spirit from out of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit indwelt the Temple in Jerusalem at the dedication of the Temple by King Solomon [2 Chronicles 5:14]. The Holy Spirit was not present in the 1st Temple when the Temple was destroyed by the forces of Babylon. - Note: The Spirit of God in the person of Jesus Christ then departed the 2nd Temple [Matthew 24:1] prior to the 70 A.D. destruction of the 2nd Temple by the forces of Rome.

Ezekiel 11-12 - The Prophet Ezekiel like the Prophet Jeremiah [Jeremiah 31:33] gets a prophecy regarding the New Covent [New Testament] of God between God and mankind -- 'Ezekiel 11:17-20 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered [70 A.D. Diaspora], and I will give you the land of Israel [May 14, 1948]. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will [eventually (Ezekiel 37:14)] give them one heart, *and I will put a New Spirit [born again] within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.'

Ezekiel 11:21 But as for them [children of God included] whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD. Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the Glory of the God of Israel was over them above. *And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city [of Jerusalem], and stood upon the Mountain [Mt. Olivet] which is on the east side of the city. Afterwards the [Holy] Spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea [Babylon], to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up [left] from me. Then I spake [told the vision] unto them of the captivity all the things [sin in the minds and imaginations of mankind, the Holy Spirit departing the Temple in Jerusalem, the giving of the 2nd Covenant between God and mankind] that the LORD had shewed me. - The perceivable presence of the Holy Spirit having hesitantly departed from the Temple of God in Jerusalem now hesitantly departs from the city of Jerusalem, pausing momentarily upon the top of the Mount Olivet to the east of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 13-14 - The Prophet Ezekiel even among the captives in Babylon continues to contend for the pure Word of God - - Ezekiel 13:1-5 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy [see] out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have *seen nothing [they need to listen and hear God]! O Israel, thy [false] prophets are [out of place] like the foxes in the deserts. Ye [false prophets] have not gone up into the gaps [preformed intercession], neither made up the hedge [restored the broken] for the House of Israel to stand [with the LORD] in the battle in the Day of the LORD. - Note: Biblically every day is 'A Day of the LORD'.

Ezekiel 13:8-23 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity [emptiness], and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD. And Mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the [eternal] assembly of My people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the House of Israel, neither shall they enter into the [Promise] Land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, Peace [with sin]; and there was no peace [with sin]; *and one built up a wall [a wall for human protection, ultimately a wall of separation (to separate themselves) from God], and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter (mud): Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter [mud only no cement type of hardener - modern cement was invented by Rome in about 50 B.C.], that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones [Revelation 16:21], shall fall; and a stormy wind [Holy Spirit] shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in My fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in My fury to consume it. *So will I break down the wall [i.e. tower of Babel] that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof [the deception] shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall, *and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall [Babylon] is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD. -- Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows [shoulder pads] to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to [entice] hunt souls! Will ye [entice] hunt the souls of My people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? And will ye pollute Me among My people for [small pay] handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your [deception] lying to My people that hear your lies? Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows [flattery], wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly [unstable], and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly. Your kerchiefs [false righteousness] also will I tear, and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. *Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; **and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver My people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. - During the time of God's active work of rebuking and correcting the people of Israel the many false prophets were just as busy continuing to culturally lead people astray.

Ezekiel 15-16 - The Prophet Ezekiel instructs that the Vine is unique among plants and that its Only Purpose is to bear fruit - Likewise the Children of God are unique among mankind in that its Only Purpose is to please God -- 'Ezekiel 15:1-2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?'

Ezekiel 16:59-63 59 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the [O.T.] Covenant. *Nevertheless I will remember My Covenant with thee in the days of thy youth [fresh out of Egypt], and I will establish unto thee an Everlasting Covenant [New Testament]. Then thou shalt remember thy [rebellious] ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters [Sodom, Samaria], thine elder [sister Sodom] and thy younger [sister Samaria]: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy [your] covenant. And I will establish My Covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth [boasting] any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee [upon the cross of Jesus] for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD. - The New Testament, the eternal nature, the reconciliation [even reconciling Sodom and Samaria], the true Peace and the finality of it all as accomplished by God on the cross and by the resurrection continues to be in view even among the captives in Babylon.

Ezekiel 17-18 - The Prophet Ezekiel reiterates the fundamental Biblical concept of individual accountability towards God - Each person is individually accountable before God just as each of the two thieves on the two adjacent crosses to Jesus [Matthew 27:38] were each accountable before God to repent of their own sins and to seek for themselves the forgiveness of God [Jesus Christ] in order to then enter into Heaven with Jesus -- 'Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.'

Ezekiel 18:24-32 But when the righteous [redeemed - saved] turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: **in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not My way equal? are not your ways unequal? *When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. *Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, *he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the House of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O House of Israel [Governed by God], are not My ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O House of Israel [Governed by God], *every one [individually] according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. **Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; *so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you *a new heart and *a new Spirit [Numbers 14:24; 27:18][after the cross and resurrection of Jesus a new born again Spirit]: for why will ye die, O House of Israel? *For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: *wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. - This Prophecy Teaching of Ezekiel remains in effect today it has not been removed, changed, altered or negated. To turn from God is to turn from God and by doing so removing oneself [Righteous Gentile (Balaam - Joshua 13:22), Hebrew/Jew (Korah - Numbers 16:1), Christian (Demas - 2 Timothy 4:10; Revelation 3:5,16)] from the presence of God and the result is for the person to receive the condemnation of the unjust. - Note: "Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die, O House of Israel?" The way these verses and concepts foretell and combine with the New Testament means that whoever wrote the Old Testament [i.e. the Holy Spirit] had complete knowledge and understanding of the coming of the New Testament and of its implementation to mankind.

Ezekiel 19-20 - God has done a miraculous work and will continue His extraordinary work in and through the Nation of Israel "for My Name's sake" -- 'Ezekiel 20:19-22 I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes [ways], and keep My judgments, and do them; And hallow [holy] My sabbaths [rest]; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. Notwithstanding the children rebelled against Me: they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted My sabbaths [rest]: then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them [Israel] in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew Mine hand, and wrought [Deliverers, Judges, Priests, Kings, Prophets in Israel] for My Name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen [unholy], in whose sight I brought them forth.'

Ezekiel 20:33-44 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm [on the cross], and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the [Gentile] people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm [on the cross - the cross of Jesus Christ saved Israel], and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. And I will cause you to pass under the rod [to be numbered in servitude], and I will bring you into the bond of the [New] Covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. As for you, O House of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto Me: but pollute ye My Holy Name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. For in Mine Holy Mountain, in the Mountain [Temple Mount] of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the House of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. **I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered [70 A.D. Diaspora]; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country [May 14, 1948] for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought [created, worked] with you for My Name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye House of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. - God has begun to bring the Nation of Israel back into the land of Israel. "I [God] will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people" is also a commitment and a promise that is made by God to the Christian Church. - 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them [unsaved], and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Ezekiel 21-22 - Ezekiel the Prophet prophesies of the need for one to come that can "stand in the gap" between God and mankind on behalf of both God and mankind - That one person is Jesus Christ the Son of God the Son of Man -- 'Ezekiel 22:30 30 And I sought for a man among them [humans], that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.' - 'Luke 14:16-23 Then said He [Jesus] unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade [invited] many ... And the lord said unto the servant [Holy Spirit], Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to [answer the invitation] come in, that My House may be filled.'

Ezekiel 22:23-31 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her [Israel], Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned Mine Holy things: *they have put no difference between the Holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes [rulers] in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. ***And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none [so Jesus Christ was sent to Redeem mankind]. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath: *their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD. - Man's ways are not by nature God's ways and therefore no man can stand in the gap and represent both man and God. It takes Jesus Christ to effectively bridge the distance and to be able to stand in the gap only Jesus is capable uniting a fallen mankind back into the presence of the Holy God.

Ezekiel 23-24 - Ezekiel's beloved wife dies and also as a sign Ezekiel will no longer himself be able to speak audibly unless God has a prophecy for him to speak to the people - Ezekiel as a sign to his fellow Jews is not to weep or mourn from the loss of his wife because his fellow Jews are also going to suffer the loss of many loved ones - Ultimately not mourning the loss is a sign of the resurrection because eventually there will be no mourning for God's children only a great rejoicing in the eternal life resurrection of Jesus Christ -- 'Ezekiel 24:15 Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man [Ezekiel], behold, I take away from thee [his wife] the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.'

Ezekiel 24:15-27 Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Speak unto the House of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another. *Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters, That he that escapeth [from the fall of Jerusalem] in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear [the news] it with thine ears? In that day shall thy mouth be opened [and Ezekiel will be able to speak regularly again] to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD. - Death for the children of God is tragic and it is a loss for those who are still living however it is only a temporary loss because in the eternal resurrection of Jesus Christ all of the children of God will live for eternity. - 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 So when this corruptible [physical body] shall have put on incorruption [spiritual body], and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the [resurrection] victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain [but eternal] in the Lord.

Ezekiel 25-26 - Ezekiel like the other Prophets of Israel pronounces judgments from God upon the surrounding Gentile Nations - Ammonites [descendants of Lot and his younger daughter], Moab [descendants of Lot and his older daughter], Edom [descendants of Jacob's brother Esau], Philistines [immigrants to Canaan originally from the island of Crete, Greece], Tyre [an ancient kingdom in Lebanon] -- 'Ezekiel 25:1-4 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; *Because thou saidst, Aha, against My sanctuary, when it was profaned [by Egypt and Babylon]; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East [Arabs] for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.'

Ezekiel 26:2-5 Son of man, *because that Tyrus (Tyre) hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many Nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. - Another Gentile Nation that observed the Satanic lie that God is against Israel or that God has abandoned or is done with Israel and His chosen people. God is always doing a work in and through the people of the Nation of Israel and to turn against Israel even or especially in their times of trouble and distress is to turn against God. Each European Nation can correlate its history and achievements based exclusively on their charity and benevolence towards the Jewish people. The European Nations that supported the Jews prospered and grew while they supported the Jews and the same Nations declined rapidly and drastically as their public support for Israel declined.

Politically Correct [Anti-Israel] Anti-Semitism - The Presbyterian Church Boycotts Israel - The Presbyterian Church seems to be using politically correct economic empowerment to cover its non politically correct anti-Semitism

According to the articles the Presbyterians can feel for the Palestinian suffering because many Palestinians can't get help in the church run hospitals in Israel. What an absurd accusation! Israeli hospitals treat anyone that comes to them for help. Perhaps the Presbyterians should consider the fact that the Palestinians can't go to the Presbyterian hospitals in the Muslim countries surrounding Israel because there are none. The Muslim countries of the Middle East don't allow people to practice any other religion - including Christianity - and they don't allow their good Samaritans in to do their 'good work' either. Maybe the 'divestment of funds tactic' should be used with the Muslim countries that deny their people access to the help the church offers around the world. The Church believes that the Bible, which says very clearly that the Holy Land was given to the Jewish people, is a living document. Over the years when the support came from the church they used the Bible as a reason for supporting Israel's survival - what happened now? Are the Presbyterians ready to say that part of the Bible is G-d [God] given and the rest is up to human interpretation? ... The Presbyterian divestment scheme smacks of anti-Semitism. The church should simply stay out of the fray and out of Middle Eastern politics altogether and do its charity work with the poor Muslims in their own countries - if they will let the Christians in. By using politically correct economic empowerment to cover politically incorrect anti-Semitism directed against Israel which has hosted the church for so many years, the Church is practicing nothing less than "throwing stones into the well that they drink from." ~ from the September, 2005 Edition of the Jewish Magazine. {Note: The Christian Church is practicing nothing less than Satanic doctrine by [lying, misrepresenting and] unjustly treating the Jews unequally among mankind. It actually pleases God for Christians and Gentiles to give mercy to the Jews [Romans 11:31]. Mercy towards the Jews might at times be unobtainable from some however equality and common courtesy cannot ever at anytime be forsaken by anyone when regarding the Jews especially courtesy from Christians.}

Ezekiel 27-28 - The Prophet Ezekiel reveals Tyre's true anti Israel agenda and that it does come from Satan himself -- 'Ezekiel 28:1-10 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus [followers of Satan the king of Trye (Tyrus)], Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick [Revelation 18:12-13] hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness [illumination - illuminati]. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.'

Ezekiel 28:11-26 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus [Satan], and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: *thou wast upon the Holy Mountain [Government] of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect [complete] in thy ways *from the day that thou wast created [Satan-Lucifer is a fallen created Angel], till iniquity [sin] was found in thee. *By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the Mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub [Throne Angel], from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness [illumination - Lucifer]: I [God] will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings [of the earth], that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. *All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished [unimpressed] at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. -- Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Zidon [sister city of Tyre], and prophesy against it, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her street; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD. *And there shall be no more a pricking brier [agitator] unto the House of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, *that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the House of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered [starting about May 14, 1948], and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, **when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they [Jews and Gentiles] shall know that I am the LORD their God. - See also: Isaiah 14:12-16.

Ezekiel 29-30 - The judgments of God are now directed at Egypt and the world's system -- 'Ezekiel 30:4 And the sword {Word of God} shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations [worldly system] shall be broken down.'

Ezekiel 30:1-8 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time [visitation of God] of the heathen. And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled [metropolitan] people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league [societies], shall fall with them by the sword. Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt [worldly system] shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire [judgment] in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed. - Egypt and the other main Biblical countries of the time represented systems, worldly systems. What is being judged is not just the ancient Nation of Egypt but the system and particularly the spiritual system that guided and directed Egypt and the people away from a knowledge of God and into a system of worldly, ungodly substitutions of the real Kingdom of God.

Ezekiel 31-32 - The warnings from God continue regarding Egypt and the substitution of the Kingdom of God that Egypt and Pharaoh represent, embrace and espouse to the rest of the world -- 'Ezekiel 31:1-4 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? Behold, the Assyrian [Assyria, previously a great Nation] was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. The waters [demonic realm] made him great, the deep [of Satan] set him up on high with her rivers [influences, Mystery Babylon] running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers [of demonic influence] unto all the trees [Nations] of the field [world].'

Ezekiel 31:15-18 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he [Assyria] went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep [water] for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. I made the Nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden [earth, Middle-East], the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink [demonic] water, shall be comforted [lit. sigh, heavy breathing] in the nether parts of the earth. They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen. To whom art thou [Egypt] thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether [lit. lower, underneath] parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD. - In creation and in the Bible God uses physical realms to help reveal for us the spiritual realms. The blue sky realm helps reveal God, freedom, openness, eternity and heaven for us. The deep, dark, mysterious water realm often represents the demonic realm, man cannot naturally breath or live in the water realm. The deep dirt, pits, graves and volcanic fires from the earth also reveal the 'nether' lower regions of the earth and hell. All of these realms exist both physically and spiritually, there is a real heaven, a real demonic and fallen Satanic realm, death is real and there is a real eternal hell that is one option for humans at death.

Ezekiel 33 - God reiterates that Ezekiel is a Watchman for Israel and that what he is watching over is his fellow countrymen for their sake, their safety and for the wellbeing of their eternal souls -- 'Ezekiel 33:7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the House of Israel [Governed by God]; therefore thou shalt hear the Word at My mouth, and warn them from Me.'

Ezekiel 33:21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance [yet they were removed from the land]. - Ezekiel can now speak again and he tells the people that even though the land was their inheritance through Abraham they did not honor the land nor did they honor God and therefore they lost their land inheritance. Note: The land inheritance from God to Abraham for Israel was a conditional inheritance they did need to obey God in order to remain in the land [Deuteronomy 30:1-6]. The promise [Genesis 12:1-3] from God to Abraham to be their God is not conditional and though they were temporarily removed from the land God will always been their God.

Ezekiel 34-35 - The Prophet Ezekiel is instructed that the Messiah Jesus Christ, God Himself will one day be the 'One Shepherd' of His flock and the only overseer of His Worshipers -- 'Ezekiel 34:1-11 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds [Pastors] of Israel [Governed by God], prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds [Pastors]; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed [promote] themselves! should not the shepherds feed [buildup, strengthen] the flocks [Worshipers]? ... Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require [reclaim] My flock [Worshipers] at their hand [from their services], and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed [lavish] themselves any more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat [merchandise] for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep [people], and seek [rescue] them out.'

Ezekiel 34:11-31 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [Jesus Christ], even I, will both search My sheep [people], and seek [rescue] them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, *and will **deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: *there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. *I [Jesus] will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. **I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. *And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle [person] and cattle [person], between the rams and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture [not to share with others], but ye must tread down [destroy] with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have *drunk of the deep waters [deep spiritual matters, experiences - both holy und unholy], but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; *and they drink that which ye have fouled [bad doctrine] with your feet. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; *Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. ***And I will set up One Shepherd [Jesus Christ] over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David [Beloved, Jesus Christ]; He [Jesus] shall feed them, and He [Jesus] shall be their shepherd. And I [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] the LORD [YHWH] will be their God, and My servant David [Beloved Jesus as King, King David as Prince] a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. ***And I will make with them a [New] Covenant of Peace, and will cause the evil [Satanic] beasts to cease out of the land: and they [sheep] shall dwell safely in the wilderness [vulnerable places], and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower [rain] to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they [Worshipers] shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when *I have broken the bands of their yoke [on the cross], and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them [at the resurrection]. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. *And I will raise up for them a plant [vine, grapevine] of renown [glory], and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even *the House of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye [Worshipers] My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men [people], and I am [the Good Shepherd - John 10:1-21] your God, saith the Lord GOD. - Jesus the Messiah is the "One Shepherd" for all the people of the world. Note: In Hebrew the name 'David' means 'beloved' and is often used to refer to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 36 - The Prophet Ezekiel reveals that God is always dedicated and eternally faithful to the House of Israel -- 'Ezekiel 36:8-9 But ye, O Mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of Israel; for they are at hand to come [return to the Promise Land]. For, behold, I am for you [Israel], and I will turn [face] unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown [made productive again]:' - Note: The House of Israel is spiritually and physically the Jewish descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. - Also Note: The name Israel [Governed by God or Submitted to God] is an inheritance name given to Jacob as a blessing from God [Genesis 35:10] after Jacob wrestled all night with God and asked (demanded) a blessing from God. The name or status of Israel is given from God to His worshipers as a blessing. Israel is not a state or condition that a person [Jew or Gentile] is born into [Jacob is the natural birth name, Israel is the received blessing name] it is a rebirth condition to be brought into a relationship willingly submitted to God and therefore Biblically the name of Israel [Submitted to God] does also apply Spiritually to all of those, including Gentiles, who are 'born again' Israel - submitted to God, those who have received the blessing of fellowship with God.

Ezekiel 36:22-36 Therefore say unto the House of Israel [submitted to God], Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O House of Israel, but for Mine Holy Name's sake, which ye have profaned [not accurately represented God's Name] among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify [set apart] My great Name, which was profaned [misrepresented] among the heathen [unsaved], which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified [made Holy, set apart] in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into [Israel] your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water [Word of God, Bible] upon you {before the cross of Jesus, after the cross the blood of Jesus has permanently made clean}, and ye shall be clean [John 15:3]: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I [permanently] cleanse you [on the cross]. *A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you [New Testament]: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit [born again] within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will also save [Salvation] you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then [Romans 2:4] shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O House of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. *And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. **Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: *I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. - The 'Salvation' process is a continuing process both in the Nation of Israel [postponed until later] and in the Christian Church. The House of Israel has not yet properly represented, made Holy or honored the Name of God and likewise the Christian Church has not yet represented Jesus or made Holy and honored His Name.

Ezekiel 37 - Ezekiel has one of his most famous Visions - The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones -- 'Ezekiel 37:1-4 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And He [Holy Spirit] said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the Word of the LORD.'

Ezekiel 37:5-14 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath [Spirit] to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath [Spirit] in them. Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind [lit. Spirit], prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds [unhindered], O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may [Resurrection] live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. *Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole [Resurrection] House of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will [Resurrection] open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves [Matthew 27:52-53], and bring you into [Heaven] the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 38-39 - Ezekiel reveals an enormous End Time event where several Gentile Nations attack the re-born Nation of Israel -- 'Ezekiel 38:1-12 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal ... Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy [Gentile] mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought [against Israel]: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest [peaceable], 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 [May 14, 1948], which have gotten cattle and goods [some wealth], that dwell in the midst of the land.' - Note: This major prophesied event appears to not yet have occurred however it is one of many End Time events and like all the great End Time events surrounding the coming of the Antichrist those events should not be looked to for guidance in the End Times but simply and faithfully look to Jesus Christ and His guaranteed return, it's the only certain way to purposefully fulfill our time until the return of Jesus.

Ezekiel 39:21-29 And I will set My glory among the heathen [Gentiles], and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid upon them. So the House of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward. And the heathen shall know that the House of Israel went into captivity [70 A.D.] for their iniquity: because they trespassed against Me, therefore hid I My face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid My face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole House of Israel, and will be jealous for My Holy Name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many Nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide My face any more from them: for I have poured out My Spirit upon the House of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. - The events in and around Israel are events [large and small] that God is using to direct and instruct both the Nation of Israel and the Gentile Nations of the world. God deals the same way with individual Christians as He does with the Nation of Israel. It is up to us Christians to learn from the mistakes of Israel as well as learning from our own mistakes and the mistakes of others just as much as we are to learn from the successes of the Nation of Israel, our successes and the successes of others in our walk and experiences with God.

What are Gog and Magog? - Historically speaking, Magog was a grandson of Noah - The descendants of Magog settled to the far north of Israel, likely in Europe and northern Asia [Russia] - The duplicated use of the names Gog and Magog in Revelation 20:8-9 is to show that these people demonstrate the same rebellion against God and antagonism toward God as those in Ezekiel [Ezekiel 38-39] - According to Ezekiel, Gog will be defeated by God Himself on the mountains of Israel - The slaughter will be so great it will take seven months to bury all of the dead (Ezekiel 39:11-12) - The battle in Ezekiel 38-39 is used by God to bring [the Nation of Israel] Israel back to Him (Ezekiel 39:21-29)

Answer: Historically speaking, Magog was a grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:2). The descendants of Magog settled to the far north of Israel, likely in Europe and northern Asia (Ezekiel 38:2). Magog seems to be used to refer to "northern barbarians" in general, but likely also has a connection to Magog the person. The people of Magog are described as skilled warriors (Ezekiel 38:15; 39:3-9). - Gog and Magog are referred to in Ezekiel 38-39 and in Revelation 20:7-8. While these two instances carry the same names, a close study of Scripture clearly demonstrates they do not refer to the same people and events. In Ezekiel's prophecy, Gog will be the leader of a great army that attacks the land of Israel. Gog is described as "of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal" (Ezekiel 38:2-3). Ezekiel's battle of Gog and Magog occurs in the tribulation period, more specifically in the first 3 1/2 years. The strongest evidence for this view is that the attack will come when Israel is at peace (Ezekiel 38:8, 11). The description from Ezekiel is that of a nation that has security and has laid down its defenses. Israel is definitely not at peace now, and it is inconceivable that the nation would lay down its defenses apart from some major event. When Israel's covenant with the Beast/Antichrist is in effect at the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week (also known as the 7-year tribulation, Daniel 9:27a), Israel will be at peace. Possibly the battle will occur just before the midpoint of the seven-year period. According to Ezekiel, Gog will be defeated by God Himself on the mountains of Israel. The slaughter will be so great it will take seven months to bury all of the dead (Ezekiel 39:11-12). - Gog and Magog are mentioned again in Revelation is found in 20:7-8. The duplicated use of the names Gog and Magog in Revelation 20:8-9 is to show that these people demonstrate the same rebellion against God and antagonism toward God as those in Ezekiel 38-39. ... The book of Revelation uses Ezekiel's prophecy about Magog to portray a final end-times attack on the nation of Israel (Revelation 20:8-9). The result of this battle is that all are destroyed, and Satan will find his final place in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). -- It is important to recognize that the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39 is quite different from the one in Revelation 20:7-8. Below are some of the more obvious reasons why these refer to different people and battles. 1. In the battle of Ezekiel 38-39, the armies come primarily from the north and involve only a few nations of the earth (Ezekiel 38:6, 15; 39:2). The battle in Revelation 20:7-9 will involve all nations, so armies will come from all directions, not just from the north. 2. There is no mention of Satan in the context of Ezekiel 38-39. In Revelation 20:7 the context clearly places the battle at the end of the millennium with Satan as the primary character. 3. Ezekiel 39:11-12 states that the dead will be buried for seven months. There would be no need to bury the dead if the battle in Ezekiel 38-39 is the one described in Revelation 20:8-9, for immediately following Revelation 20:8-9 is the Great White Throne judgment (20:11-15) and then the current or present heaven and earth are destroyed, replaced by a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1). There obviously will be a need to bury the dead if the battle takes place in the early part of the tribulation, for the land of Israel will be occupied for another 1,000 years, the length of the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6). 4. The battle in Ezekiel 38-39 is used by God to bring Israel back to Him (Ezekiel 39:21-29). In Revelation 20, Israel has been faithful to God for 1,000 years (the millennial kingdom). Those in Revelation 20:7-10 who are rebellious are destroyed without any more opportunity for repentance. ~ Recommended Resource: Understanding End Times Prophecy by Paul Benware.

Ezekiel 40-43 - The Prophet Ezekiel is spiritually transported from Babylon to Jerusalem and is given a very important vision and lesson in what appears to be the Millennial Kingdom Temple the location for God the Messiah to reside at during His 1,000 year Kingdom reign over the entire earth -- 'Ezekiel 40:1-4 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city [Jerusalem] was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. In the visions of God brought He [Holy Spirit] me *into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain [Millennial Kingdom restoration landscape], by which was as the frame of a city on the south. And He brought me thither, and, behold, there was a Man [possibly Jesus Christ or an Angel], whose appearance was like the appearance of brass [judgment], with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and He stood in the gate. And the Man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, **and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: *declare all that thou seest to the House of Israel [those Governed by God].'

Ezekiel 41:1-7 Afterward He [possibly Jesus] brought me to the Temple [4th Temple], and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the {new?} Tabernacle [tent]. And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits. Then went He inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits. So He measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and He said unto me, This is the most holy place. After He measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side. And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house. And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst. - Ezekiel is given a grand tour of what appears to be a 4th Temple in Jerusalem. The dimensions are exceedingly beyond anything that would be possible today at the current physical Temple Mount location in Jerusalem. - Note: There seems to be an amalgamation and representation of several eras of God's Divine work among mankind. There is a reference to a Tabernacle and there seems to be elements of several Priesthoods with the Righteous Gentile, Levitical-Aaronic, Levitical-Aaronic-Zadok and the eternal Melchizedek Priesthood all either active or represented as remembrance, instruction and interaction to man's one relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel Chapter 40: Messiah's Millennium Temple - The next portion of Ezekiel, Chapters 40 to 48, is an area that is not often covered in Christian literature because it can seem confusing - The events of these chapters refer to a future time, following the tribulation period - The period of Ezekiel 40 to 48 refers to events taking place in the Millennium - The people who survive the tribulation and enter the millennium cross into it without resurrected bodies - In the gospels, Jesus explains about the role of those who are saved [Christians] and then die {or the Rapture} how they will have a role in His [Millennial] Kingdom

The next portion of Ezekiel, Chapters 40 to 48, is an area that is not often covered in Christian literature because it can seem confusing. The reason for this confusion is a lack of understanding of the time-period to which the text refers. The events of these chapters refer to a future time, following the tribulation period. The period of Ezekiel 40 to 48 refers to events taking place in the Millennium. The Millennium will be covered in more detail below; for now, let us understand the Millennium as a 1000-year period of time (Mille-thousand, Annum-Years) which follows the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. First, we need to clear up some areas of confusion people have regarding the division between Ezekiel 36-39 and Ezekiel 40 to 48. The Tribulation: The events of Ezekiel 38 and 39, the invasion of Gog from the land of Magog, takes place before the tribulation period. The tribulation period is a seven-year period also known as Daniel's 70th Week and the Time of Jacob's Trouble. According to Daniel's 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27) the beginning of the Tribulation starts when Israel makes an agreement with the world or nations to build the Temple on the site known as the Dome of the Rock. After Israel attains victory, through God's intervention between the nations, Israel builds the Temple in an attempt at obedience to the Lord. ... After the first Temple was destroyed by Babylon, Ezekiel was taken to Jerusalem in a vision to view the Millennium Temple. God is reassuring Ezekiel that the Temple will one day be restored, God is not done with the nation of Israel. Here, Ezekiel is given a glimpse of when the Glory of the Lord, the presence of God, will rule and reign from Jerusalem. ... In these verses Jesus describes the transition from the kingdoms of this world to the kingdom of God. Notice that Jesus returns in power and glory with ALL the Holy Angels and the nations are brought before the throne of the Son of Man. As a shepherd separates sheep and goats the nations will be divided. This division of people, survivors of the tribulation, is to determine who will enter the Millennium. Those on the right, the sheep, will enter into the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ, while those on the left, the goats, are the lost that will be cast into everlasting fire [note: this event (sheep and goats judgment) probably happens at the end of the Millennial reign just prior to the creation of the eternal new heaven and new earth]. ... Who enters the Millennium?: According to scripture, two groups of people will be alive during the millennium; resurrected and non-resurrected people. Non-Resurrected: The people who survive the tribulation and enter the millennium cross into it without resurrected bodies. Therefore, they will be able to get married and have children; they will also be able to repopulate the earth. This point is clear in both the Old and New Testaments. We know there will be nations in the Millennium; who will populate these nations? People born during the 1000-years will repopulate the earth after God renews it from the destruction of the tribulation. According to Jesus, most people on the earth will die during this period. ... People who are born in the Millennium still must come to salvation through faith. At the end of the Millennium, Satan is freed to test the nations, specifically those born in the Millennium. As in the past, those who are saved will reject Satan, those who are lost will follow Satan and listen to his lies; they will rebel against God who will judge them. These nations will include the descendents of the Gog and Magog alliance. Satan lies will test the nations who will have lived in peace and prosperity during the reign of Christ on the Earth. ... Old Testament Saints: In the Old Testament both Job and Daniel look forward to the Resurrection. Job proclaims he will see God in his flesh, with his own eyes, after his body is destroyed. Daniel is told he will awake from the dust of the earth to his inheritance at the end of days. ... The Church Age Saints: In the gospels, Jesus explains about the role of those who are saved [Christians] and then die; how they will have a role in His Kingdom. He specifically describes the role of the disciples [Jewish Apostles] during this period, how they will rule over [alongside] the 12-tribes of Israel in the resurrection. His promise is by extension to all those [Jewish believers] who follow Him [Note: The Jewish Apostles of Jesus' day and modern Jews who receive Salvation will still have interaction and authority in and among Judaism but Gentile converts to Christianity have no such place in and among Judaism].

Ezekiel's Temple - The Millennial Temple [4th Temple] - The sixth major dwelling place of the Lord in His story will be the Temple described in detail to the prophet Ezekiel which will serve God's purpose in discipline the Nations for 1,000 years during the promised Reign of Peace on the earth - {During the coming Millennial (1,000) year reign of Jesus Christ here on the earth centered in Jerusalem in the 4th Temple there will still be unbelieving people being born and living throughout the earth in that future time. The people who do not have the belief and with it the blood covering of Jesus will apparently need the blood covering of the animals much as it was during the times of Cain, Abel, Job and the other Righteous Gentiles who made animal [blood atonement] sacrifice offerings to God. Sinful humans [human blood] will not be allowed to live during the Kingdom reign without the presence of another life giving blood either animal blood each year or the eternal blood of Jesus. - Note: the Temple ordinances of Ezekiel's Temple appear to be more of a return to the sacrifices of the Righteous Gentiles than a continuation of the Levitical Law. In short the Millennial reign seems to be the Melchizedek Priesthood for believers, including Levitical Priests who have been received into the Melchizedek Priesthood and an animal blood atonement Ministry to cover the sins of the non-believers among the world while they have the opportunity to individually come to an eternal faith in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.}

Are animal sacrifices in a future temple blasphemous towards the finished work of Jesus? One truth about the 1,000 year reign of Messiah that is often hard for believers today to understand is that there will be animal sacrifices in this coming Millennial Temple. As we will see, Ezekiel is quite clear about this. If you believe that the book of Ezekiel is inspired prophecy from God, then there is no alternative but to understand that what Ezekiel saw over 2,000 years ago will come to pass in a literal sense. This is NOT blasphemous to the finished work of Jesus' blood on the cross, but rather it is a reminder of His ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity. Since 1998 when I first published this Millennial Temple information on the internet, I have received more questions on this one issue of animal sacrifice than anything else. Therefore, I want to take some time to establish the truth of this matter of sacrifice and atonement. The bottom line fact is that Jesus (Yahoshua) is the ONLY sacrifice that can take away our sins and give us eternal life. Hebrews 10:4 is clear that "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." The 11th verse in this same chapter declares that animal sacrifices "can never take away sins." So, the blood of bulls and goats have NEVER taken away sins for anyone past present or future! There is a wrong concept in many people's minds that animal sacrifices, during the Old Covenant before Jesus came, took away peoples sins - but this is not true. The saints who lived before Messiah came were saved by FAITH (Rom. 4:3) just like us today. The animal sacrifices were a "shadow of good things to come" pointing forward to the blood of Messiah Yahoshua (Jesus). It has always really been about Jesus, and not animal sacrifices. Likewise, in the coming Millennial Temple the animal sacrifices will point backward to the Blood of Jesus, which is our only atonement for sin. God told the Old Covenant believers to sacrifice animals to give them a point of reference in which to base their FAITH since the Messiah had not yet come. Hebrews chapters 7-10 explains how the Old Covenant sacrifices were copies and replicas of what Jesus did for us on the cross. After explaining the meaning of the blood sacrifices in chapters 7-10, Paul explains in Hebrews chapters 11-12, that it is by FAITH we please God and appropriate His promises for us, and not by the works He commands us to do. The works that we do out of obedience are merely expressions of the faith, which is in our hearts. During the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the animal sacrifices will be object lessons that look BACK in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us, similar to the way that the Old Testament sacrifices looked FORWARD to what He would do. These sacrifices in no way take away our sins. Only faith in the finished work of the shed blood of Jesus can take away sins. Everything done in this temple points us to Jesus, because all things can be summed up in Jesus "in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2:9). Now that we have established that animal sacrifices are not blasphemous to the finished work of Jesus; let's take a look at all of the incredible details that were shown to Ezekiel regarding the order of services for this millennial temple which to date has not yet been built.

The Millennial Temple of Ezekiel - Objections to a Literal Interpretation of Ezekiel Chapters 40-48 - "The area of the temple courts (500 x 500 "reeds," or about one square mile) would be larger than the entire ancient walled city of Jerusalem, and the holy portion for priests and Levites (20,000 x 25,000 reeds, or about 40 x 50 miles) would cover an area six times the size of greater London today and could not possibly be placed within present-day Palestine, that is between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek. 47:18) - {Note: In order to accommodate the Temple of Ezekiel's vision the land of Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount all need to undergo drastic revisions. At the least the current Temple Mount needs to be elevated significantly and expanded dramatically. All of these earthen modifications to the land of Israel are considered to be 'restoration' events that probably occur during the upheaval of the Great Tribulation period.}

Objections to a Literal Interpretation of Ezekiel 40-48: 1. "The area of the temple courts (500 x 500 "reeds," or about one square mile) would be larger than the entire ancient walled city of Jerusalem, and the holy portion for priests and Levites (20,000 x 25,000 reeds, or about 40 x 50 miles) would cover an area six times the size of greater London today and could not possibly be placed within present-day Palestine, that is between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek. 47:18), to say nothing of the "portion of the prince" on either side of this area (45:7, 47:21). The Millennial Jerusalem would be about 40 miles in circumference and thus ten times the circumference of the ancient city. Furthermore, it would be somewhat north of the present site of the city, and the Temple area would be about ten miles north of that, on the way to Samaria! This is quite unthinkable, for such a city would not be the Jerusalem of Jewish memories and associations, and a Temple in any other locality than Mount Moriah would hardly be the Temple of Jewish hope" (J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, IV, 32). -- Answer: Israel will have the only sanctuary and priesthood in the world during the millennial age, so the Temple courts and sacred area will need to be greatly enlarged to accommodate the vast number of worshippers and the priests who will serve them (Isa. 2:3, 60:14, 61:6, Zech. 8:20-23). Various Old Testament prophecies speak of great geological changes that will occur in Palestine at the time of Christ's Second Coming, so it is not impossible to imagine a 2,500 square mile area for the Temple and city fitted into a reshaped and enlarged land. See Isaiah 26:15, 33:17, 54:2, and especially Zechariah 14:4-10. The latter passage tells us of new valleys and rivers, and a flattening of portions of land "like the Arabah" which then "shall be lifted up." Presumably the entire Dead Sea region will be lifted more than 1,300 feet, above the present sea level, for it will contain fish "after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many" (Ezek. 47:10). Revelation 16:20 informs us that at the end of the Great Tribulation gigantic earthquakes will cause islands and mountains to vanish. Thus, both testaments speak of topographical and geographical changes that will accompany the inauguration of the millennial kingdom. Jerusalem itself will be the capital of the world, the beloved city (Rev. 20:9), and its size will surely be proportionate to its importance. If Nineveh, the capital of one ancient empire, was sixty miles in circumference (Jonah 3:3; cf. Baxter's discussion, IV, 170), why would it be impossible for the millennial Jerusalem to be forty? -- With regard to the problem of the Millennial Temple being located about ten miles north of Jerusalem, God specifically indicates to Ezekiel that the Temple area will no longer adjoin the royal palace as in the days of old (43:7-9). The point is clearly stated in 43:12 -- "This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house." Vast topographical changes will not make Palestine less the Promised Land for Israel, nor will a centralized, enlarged Temple ten miles removed from the city be a disappointment to Israelites who have been accustomed to thinking of it in terms of Mount Moriah. The important thing is that the glory of Jehovah will fill the Temple (43:5), and the city will be renamed on the basis that "Jehovah is there" (48:35).

Ezekiel 44-45 - The vision and instructions continue for Ezekiel on our behalf -- 'Ezekiel 44:1-3 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the East; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the Prince [Messiah]; the Prince, He shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; He [Jesus] shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.'

Ezekiel 44:1-16 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. Then brought He me the way of the North Gate before the House [Temple]: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the House of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. **And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the House, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the House of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye House of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, In that ye have brought into My sanctuary strangers, *uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it, even My House, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My Covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge [responsibilities] of Mine Holy things: but ye have set keepers [substitutes, replacements] of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. And the Levites that are gone away far from Me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from Me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge at the Gates of the House, and ministering to the House: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the House of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near unto Me, to do the office of a [Melchizedek] Priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My Holy [Melchizedek] things, in the most Holy Place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. But I will make them keepers of the charge of the House, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. But the Priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to Minister unto Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to Minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge. - The Prophet Ezekiel is clearly given a vision and instruction of future events but events that are composed in part on the past actions and accountabilities of the children of God from the time before the Millennial Kingdom and Temple reign of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 46-48 - The Prophet Ezekiel concludes his Vision of the 4th Temple and concludes his Scroll and his Ministry to the House of Israel -- 'Ezekiel 47:1-9 Afterward He [Jesus] brought me again unto the door of the House; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the House eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar [Revelation 22:1]. Then brought He me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. ... Then said He unto me, These waters issue out toward the East country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish [life], because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.' - Note: In many ways the New Testament counterpart to the Prophet Ezekiel is the Apostle Peter. Ezekiel in receiving the Vision of the New Millennium Kingdom of the Messiah and Peter in receiving the keys to the Kingdom of God [including the Millennial Kingdom] both men helped to transform man's personal relationship with God into a New Era of intimacy between a sinful, fragile humanity and God in Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 48:31-35 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the Name of the city from that day shall be, *The LORD is there. - God in close fellowship with His creation and with His people as it has always been intended to be since the beginning of Genesis and as it will become after the End Time events of Revelation.

The current plan for the 'blog Bible Study' is to complete the study in 10 segments

The current plan for the 'blog Bible Study' is to complete the study in 10 segments:

1. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua

2. Matthew, James, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews

3. Judges, Ruth, 1st Samuel, 2nd Samuel, 1st Kings, 2nd Kings

4. Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum {Early period Prophets - Assyrian activity, attack on Jerusalem thwarted}

5. Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Daniel, Ezekiel {Middle period Prophets - destruction of Jerusalem, Solomon's Temple destroyed and the Babylonian captivity}

6. Luke, Acts, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians

7. Mark, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter

8. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations

9. 1st Chronicles, 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, Malachi {Later period Prophets - The return from Babylon, awaiting the coming Messiah}

10. John, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, Revelation

KJV 1611 Holy Bible - Red Letter Edition {A Free PDF KJV Bible} (PDF)

The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments.

Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics)

A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research.

BlueLetterBible.org: Audio & Video Commentaries - Chuck Missler (Online Audio)

InstaVerse the Bible at your Fingertips - just point your mouse at a verse reference, and the [Bible] text pops up in your preferred translation! - Note: The KJV Bible is free other Bible Versions require a purchase.

Do you visit Christian web sites or receive daily devotional emails? Ever want to look up a scripture fast? InstaVerse� by WORDsearch will let you instantly see the actual Bible text for scripture references like John 3:16 - just point your mouse at it, and the text pops up in your preferred translation! The best part is that InstaVerse with the KJV Bible is FREE!

!!!The Word Bible Study Software - One of the very best Bible study software programs available, commercial or otherwise - Although the price tag for The Word is free, do not be fooled into thinking that its price tag reflects its feature list (software)

Find out what you can do with The Word: In the Beginning was the Word Bible software (The Word) was created in order to be a valuable, everyday tool for every Christian that wishes to read and study the Bible, the Word of God. We believe that In the Beginning was the Word Bible Software is one of the very best Bible study software programs available, commercial or otherwise. The Word is comparable to and in many cases, if not most, better than its commercial counterparts. Although the price tag for The Word is free, do not be fooled into thinking that its price tag reflects its feature list. ... The Word is designed to be a tool for everyday use, always running in the background and ready to respond whenever you need to look-up a verse, read the Bible, or study a passage or theme of the Bible in depth. It's quick to load, easy to customize and intuitive to use. We feel that its value and quality cannot be fully presented through a feature list, so we urge you to try it out. Each little detail has been carefully contemplated, designed and implemented with many options and customizations. This is exactly what makes people stick with The Word, once they give it a try. That's the best way to make up your mind too!

Bible Study & Prayer - There are few things more important to Christian life than prayer - Prayer is our method of communication with Jesus our Lord and Creator (16 Short Text Studies)

There are few things more important to Christian life than prayer. Prayer is our method of communication with our Lord and Creator. And yet far too few understand prayer or have taken any time to study it. As I prepared this study, I was impressed more and more about how prayer is centered on relationships. Just like in any other relationship, if we don't communicate, the relationship is strained. When we don't communicate with God, our relationship with Him is strained. This study is based on Andrew Murray's classic, "With Christ in the School of Prayer." Several quotes are taken from there and are noted throughout the text. The studies do not cover every chapter in the book but instead give a highlight of the overall theme Murray writes about. The chapter on the Prayer of Corporate Repentance is my own addition and is not based upon the book.

How to Study the Bible - Start with Prayer!

Probably one of the most common reasons why Christians don't study the Bible is based on this complaint, "I just don't understand it!" Before you start each study session, begin by praying and asking God to open your spiritual understanding. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (NIV) So, as you pray, realize that the words you are studying are inspired by God. Psalm 119:130 tells us, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (NIV).

How to Mark Your Bible - for EFFECTIVE Bible Study! By far the most useful method is [notes and use of] a color scheme {Using different color pens to put categorized () around Bible verses for easier and quicker future references.}

Underscoring: It is often wise to underscore or underline key words or phrases that you want to stand out in order to find them quickly. I use two colored fine-line pens for my underscoring, black for generally important verses and red for very important verses. Do not overdo this by underlining every time a new thought strikes you or the time will come when you will have more underlined than non-underlined and this can lead to a confusing hodgepodge. ... COLOR TOPIC(S) TO REMEMBER COLOR - TOPIC: Light Blue - Prayer - Think of prayers going up into a BLUE sky. Dark Blue - Healing/Sickness - Think of BLUE cross or a dark BLUE wound. Orange - Resurrection - Sons of God RISING (remember: SUNRISE). Red - Sabbath and Holy Days - Stop, Rest, Relax, (Think of a STOP light). Pink - Marriage/Divorce - Think of PINK, fluffy clouds of marriage. Light Green - Millennium/God's Kingdom - When earth will be GREEN & beautiful. Dark Green - Man's Mortality - Man's days are like GRASS - Psalm 103:15. Black/Gray - Satan/Demons (spiritual warfare) - EVIL, Darkness, Blackness. Purple - Promises to Israel and Heirs - Purple color of ROYALTY. Yellow/Gold - Law and Commandments - GOLDEN rule; Law worth more than GOLD. Brown - Repentance/Baptism - Picture AUTUMN LEAVES falling, dying of old self. {Feel free to use any colors in any way, in any combination and also not to use any color codes at all.}

walmart.com: Pigma Micron Pen Set - [Possible Pens for writing notes, marking and underling in Bibles] - See also the Pilot G2 Gel-ink Pens [only in black ink but with blue refills available] for writing notes in a notebook or on a notepad [the G2 pens are excellent for regular writing and notes but they use way too much ink to write in a Bible] {Another option in note taking is to write notes on a computer word program or some type of notes program or even make voice recordings. I'm going to write notes in a 'composition' paper notepad and then at a later time I might type them into a computer -- though I'll also put most of my notes - comments [hopefully the better ones] on the RSS new/info feed as well.} (Color Pen Set - $15.88)

SAKURA-Pigma Micron Pens #05.45mm. Heritage Collection (1 each): Sepia, Royal Blue, Burgundy, Hunter Green, Blue/Black, Fresh Green. A fine point drawing and writing pen offering a waterproof quick drying pigment ink. Micron pens will not clog or dry out. Ink will not feather or bleed through even the thinnest papers and is smear proof once dry. The pigment in the ink remains colorful and will not spread when applied. It is fade proof against sunlight or UV light; and is permanent and washable on cotton fabrics. Archival Quality. Acid Free. Imported.

KJV (Hebrew-Greek) Key Word Study Bible - A Bible Recommendation for Studying Through the Bible along with the C-3000 Mp3s - The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible is a complete English Bible text for cross-reference study to the original languages from which the Bible was translated (KJV Bible - $29.99)

The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible combines essential tools for Hebrew and Greek with translations that accurately and clear. An easy-to-use style plus the benefits of the Strong's Dictionary numbering system makes this study Bible one for every student of God's Word, no matter what age. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible is a complete English Bible text for cross-reference study to the original languages from which the Bible was translated. Key Features: Book Introductions - Footnotes on Key Passages - Red Letter Edition - System of Study - Key Words in the English Text Identified by James Strong's Numbering System - Codes in the New Testament Text Identify Grammatical Structure of Key Greek Words - Notations Explain the Significance of the Grammatical Codes - Hebrew and Greek Word Studies - Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries - Center-column Reference System - Concordance.

NLT Jesus Bible, Softcover - A Bible Recommendation for Studying Through the Bible along with the C-3000 Mp3s {Note: The C-3000 Through the Bible Mp3s are taught from the KJV Bible, since the teachings are KJV some people might want to follow with a different translation. It's always important to have a KJV in the Bible Study if the teacher is not using a KJV make sure you have one. The NLT (New Living Translation) is a good alternate translation I would defiantly avoid the NIV and NKJV versions. -- NLT is available at most bookstores and WalMart.} (NLT Bible - $14.99)

The Jesus Bible shows that the real Jesus -- as described throughout all of Scripture -- is alive today and relevant to everyday life. Through The Jesus Bible, you will meet the Savior and experience his ability to break through all boundaries, all preconceived ideas, and all stereotypes. Special Features: 500 unexpected notes show how we can find Jesus in unexpected situations - 100 Real Expressions devotionals that are tied to Bible characters, and are based on stories from real teens - 600 X-Focus call-outs highlight key Scripture verses and passages that address God's plan of salvation through Christ - 24 Explicit Answers show key sayings of Jesus spread throughout the Bible - 200 Xtraordinary, But True articles in the OT highlight unusual stories of people and prophets and show their relevance to today - New Living Translation - 9 point text - Two-column layout - Softcover.

Basic Christian - Monthly Memo: Fall 2009: Bible Study, Prayer, Devotions and Fellowship

Monthly Memo: Fall 2009: Bible Study, Prayer, Devotions and Fellowship - 1. The Basic Christian info/news feed is probably going to transition this fall from the conspiracy, headline news events of the day into a more Bible, Christian doctrine and current Christian seminar-events centered info/news feed. 2. I'm thankful for the patience that everyone had while we covered so many difficult topics in such a short period of time. I always try to maintain a focus that people are looking at the material and I defiantly try to spread the material out not putting too much of a burden on people at any one time. When Basic Christian started as a discussion forum it was basically all interaction all the time but now without a forum the website has little or no interaction though I still keep in mind the interaction of the past forum and do try not to overload everyone. 3. The Summer 2009 links to other websites and particularly to the Podcast Shows have been some of the best links that the Basic Christian website has been able to provide and I'm very grateful to all of the Podcast ministries for providing such a great and challenging time of Christian growth for everyone involved. 4. There are more Mp3s and now Video downloads available via Basic Christian. Some of the material tends towards conspiracy topics and some of it is a bit on the fire and brimstone side and it isn't necessarily what I would normally provide however these are materials that are increasingly being removed from the internet and becoming harder to locate so they are the files being provided in order to give others an additional chance to obtain them. In other words Hill Song videos are not disappearing from the internet but the conspiracy, hidden news materials and mature preaching topics are harder to locate and obtain so therefore those are the materials that are being provided. -- Thanks again to everyone for sticking it out through so much material and through so much unplanned controversy. I personally look forward to spending much more time in Bible study, in personal prayer time, in devotions and in fellowship this fall and into next spring. I'm really looking forward to [Edit: Studying through the Bible in the past it has] changed my life for the better so I'm very much looking forward to spending some daily [Edit: in Bible study, devotions, prayer, fellowship and Christian service]. All the very best! God Bless you, David Anson Brown.

How Can I Download (Youtube) Videos? - Download online videos with SaveVid.com [Enter Video URL:] (Utility)

Savevid.com is a tool which gives you the ability to download videos from streaming video sites. You can download videos from Youtube, Google Videos, Metacafe, Spike and more in FLV, AVI, MOV, MPG or WMV formats.

Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Video Downloads)

Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept.

Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Mp3 Downloads)

Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept.

Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org

It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material.