Category: News

November 15, 2016

(Note to Readers: I would not normally write on such a potentially ominous topic. However, the people who are threatening to overturn the recent election and seize the Presidency are quite publically proclaiming their evil plans. Those who pray to the Omnipotent God of the universe need to know what is being openly planned in America so that we can pray accordingly.)

Two events took place in America last week which shook the nation. The first, of course, was the election of Donald J. Trump as the 45^th President of the United States of America. In a prior post we looked at the possibility that the election could be postponed, and blamed on the Russians, if Trump was significantly ahead in the polls. That obviously did not happen. Trump only led in 3 of 25 polls in the ten days before the election. Most believed that Trump could not possibly win. But, the voters voted and by 2:32 AM on Wednesday morning it was clear that a political seismic wave had swept across America.

The second significant event followed within hours of the polls closing as thousands of well-organized, well-financed ‘protestors’ filled the streets and freeways of America’s major cities. The ‘protests’, which became “riots” in some cities with police cars in flames, shop windows smashed and a shooting in Portland, were sponsored by MoveOn.org, a George Soros financed organization (which even sent out a press release announcing the ‘protests’). Signs carried and chants shouted all conveyed a singular message: ‘Trump is Not My President’. Vandalism and violence against Trump supporters appears to be growing and widespread. In Chicago last Sunday a long side street was filled with buses chartered to bring in outside ‘protestors’ to oppose the inauguration of Donald Trump. Even though this widespread civil unrest was organized well in advance (starting just hours after the winner was declared), the peaceful protestors were well within their First Amendment rights to express their opinion of how America voted on November 8^th. There is never a right, of course, to commit violence and mayhem. One “protestor” said on camera that “There will be casualties. Casualties on both sides. That’s what it will take to get our rights”.

It is now more than apparent that for many organized ‘protestors/rioters’ the election is not over, and won’t be over until their choice for President is seated in the Oval Office. That person is not Donald Trump. On the Saturday Night Live program aired on the Saturday after the election the actor who had been portraying Hillary Clinton in several previous shows made a telling statement. At the top of the show after playing a moving version of “Hallelujah”, the Hillary actor turned to the camera and said “I’m not giving up, and you shouldn’t either”. In light of what is happening in cities across America that statement certainly fits the emerging facts.

The problem, and it’s a major problem, is the rioters/protestors’ stated ultimate objective: to insure that President-Elect Trump is never sworn in.

The Drudge Report on Friday carried the red-lettered headline:

ASSASSINATION THREATS FILL TWITTER

Fox News reported that over a hundred thousand tweets mention Trump’s assassination. Upon inquiry to the US Secret Service a spokesman responded that the Service doesn’t investigate assassination messages, unless the sender him/herself threatens to commit the murderous act. One may ask why so many Americans would write about the death of a man just elected as the nation’s President. The answer lies within the second element of the rioters/protestors’ written and spoken complaints.

Their stated goal is very simply to insure that on December 19^th when the Electoral College votes, that a majority of Electoral College votes are cast for the 2016 candidate for President who “received the most votes cast”, i.e., Hillary Rodham Clinton (up by about 800,000 on November 14^th, with votes still coming in from the West Coast States). How could such a reversal possibly happen? Their openly stated plans are to remove Donald J. Trump as a person for whom Electors can cast their vote. That can only happen if he is not alive (or disabled to the extent of inability to function). Hence, the internet is full of assassination tweets, one even suggesting that “somebody needs to take one for the team and take Trump out”.

The winner of a majority of the electoral votes is viewed as the “President Elect” soon after it is determined by the news services who won States with 270 or more Electors. The purported winner of a Presidential election, though, is not actually the “President Elect” until the Electoral College meets and casts its votes in mid-December. Many believe that if Donald Trump is not alive when the Electoral College votes that Governor Mike Pence, the Vice President Elect, will automatically be chosen as the next President. This understanding of the law is incorrect.

If the winner of a majority of the Electoral votes is not alive in mid-December when the Electoral College Electors cast their votes in the State Houses of the 50 States, the Electors are not bound to vote for the person on the ballot for Vice President. The Electors may vote as they see fit. It has happened before in American history. Since the nation’s founding, 71 Electors in various elections changed their votes due to the death of a candidate for whom they were pledged to vote. An additional 85 Electors failed to vote for the candidates in various elections chosen by their States’ voters, for a variety of different reasons. These 156 “faithless Electors” were not penalized. Fortunately, none of the votes cast contrary to the votes cast in their States changed the election outcome. It is to be expected that Electors nominated by the Republican Party, and representing States which voted for Trump/Pence, will cast their votes instead for Mike Pence. But, it’s not automatic, nor required by law. Only 26 States even have laws requiring that their Electors vote consistent with the winner of their State’s cast votes (the penalties, if any, are light).

The State may not change an Elector’s vote which is cast contrary to his/her pledge to vote for the winning candidate from that State. The 538 Electors (two for each State and DC + one each for each Senator and U.S. House member from each State) on December 19^th will cast two distinct ballots, one for President and one for Vice-President. Ballots are cast in secret, so that how an elector votes is only known if the Elector makes the vote public.

This then is the devious plan of those making known what they intend to do. Even before the election liberal bloggers were speculating how they could pick off GOP Electors to vote for Hillary Clinton should Trump win. Now that Trump has what is a clear Electoral College majority of at least 306, the left is beside itself, with increasing levels of ‘protesting/rioting’ each day since the election. They make no secret of their plans, asking Americans to sign a petition on www.change.org to the Electoral College demanding that the Electors refuse to vote as their State voted (if Trump won, of course). Over four million persons signed the petition within five days of the election. Others suggest that persons who don’t want Trump as the next President go to www.faithlessnow.com to read how a shift of a handful of Electors from Trump would throw the election into the US House of Representatives.

Evil Plans

Evil people make evil plans. America has before it a well-organized, well-financed effort to prevent Donald Trump from taking the oath of office as President of the United States next January 20^th. Their plan appears to have two parts: a.) eliminate the winner of the November 8^th general election; b.) then convince at least 38 of the 306 Trump/Pence Electors to change their pledged votes over to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Let’s analyze these two parts of their abominable plan.

a.) Eliminate the Winner – It would appear that the emphasis on assassinating the winner arises from the quite obvious fact that convincing at least 38 Electors to betray their pledge and vote for Clinton instead of Trump would be virtually insurmountable. Not at all likely to happen. However, if they follow through with their federal law-violating promises to assassinate the winner, their chances of seeing Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office as the 45^th President would increase exponentially. How would they do it? ‘They’ wouldn’t do it. But, they would arrange and insure that one of the following would be blamed for the felonious deed: 1.) Iran, which fears a Trump administration, 2.) a ‘lone wolf’ undocumented alien worried about deportation, 3.) an ‘abortion zealot’ anxious to prevent the ban of federal funding of Planned Parenthood, 4.) a purported ‘right wing zealot’ or ‘white nationalist’ fearful that Trump won’t secure America’s borders, 5.) any other ‘patsy’ chosen to make the kill and who will himself/herself be taken down soon after. The method? History confirms there are no limits to mankind’s methods of murder: gunshots, poison, a Stinger missile of the Trump 757, bombs, a motor vehicle collision, killer chemicals transferred in a handshake or on the tip of an umbrella.

For the schemers the identity of who does the murderous deed is not as important as the fact that the deed is done prior to December 19^th. On that date the Electors will sign their ballots and vote over 270 votes for Trump. Those votes will then be counted and the winner announced in the US Congress on January 6^th. Therefore, the evil deed can’t wait beyond December 19^th, and in reality must be done several days prior to December 19^th to allow Americans to adjust to the argument that ‘as tragic as is the death of the winner’, the Electoral College must cast their votes for the candidate who placed a close second – Hillary Rodham Clinton. Most of the Trump/Pence Electors will undoubtedly vote for Governor Pence for President, but if backers of Clinton can convince just 38 Electors to ‘stop the street violence’, reward Hillary for a hard-fought campaign, insure stability in the White House, etc. the plan could succeed.

b.) Seize the Electoral College - How can the evil schemers manage to convince 38 Electors to agree with them? It doesn’t take much imagination to envision several scenarios, especially since there are only minor penalties in a few States, and none at all in most States. Threats, blackmail, bribes and promises of jobs are just three potential ways to change an Elector’s mind. One previous Elector told the media that he had actually received death threats to attempt to force him to change his vote in the Electoral College. The stakes for such a conversion of the votes by only 38 people are so enormous, that each could literally make any demand in return for their vote. Better, much better, than the lottery.

How Would Americans React to a Coup d’ etat?

Not well. Pre-election polls showed 67% of poll respondents who thought that Hillary Clinton was dishonest and not trustworthy. If the above outlined plan actually takes place there will undoubtedly be a strong, most likely violent, counter-reaction by Trump supporters. The Bible prophesies a scenario in the Daughter of Babylon prior to its destruction which might be fulfilled in such a coup d’etat:

“They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl like lions’ cubs.” Jeremiah 50:38

“Violence is in the land, and ruler against ruler.” Jeremiah 51:46

Besides the raw desire for power, there are other strong reasons why certain persons, powers and entities may be most desirous of preventing the ascension of a President Trump. There are literally billions of dollars on the line, should President Trump keep his word and thoroughly shake up the US government, businesses, foreign nations, trade associations, etc. Billions of dollars at stake. Any one of these power bases may well conclude that they would be better off quietly advocating for a quick end of the new President before the Electors vote him into office on December 19^th. The combination of ambitious politicians who did not expect to lose, along with powerful forces who don’t want to lose what they have under a Trump presidency, makes for a potent and lethal combination. “The heart of man is deceitful and wicked”. Jeremiah 17:9

Why Would God Allow a Coup?

After Donald Trump shocked the world by winning early in the morning of November 9^th many Christians were perplexed. They recognized that he was a significantly better choice than Secretary Clinton, but they also wondered why America deserved to be healed as a nation since we have not repented of our wicked ways and turned back to God? Some compared him to Cyrus, a pagan king who recognized God and was used to bless Israel. Others just hoped that he would keep his word on Supreme Court Justices. In the immediate days after the election there was reason to expect a healing was coming to America as not only the Supreme Court was discussed, but also other proposals which would greatly benefit religious liberty, the repeal of the Johnson Amendment preventing pastors from discussing political issues, job growth, balancing the budget, etc. Still, in correspondence between Christian leaders the question lingers as to whether a sinful nation which had thrown God out of its schools, government, and many of its homes and churches deserved to be healed. Simply put, have Americans returned to the Creator God of the Universe, in humble repentance and prayer? Does America deserve national healing?

If the evil schemers are allowed to have their way we may soon have an answer to this spiritual question. Jeremiah (51:8 and 9) may have given us the answer as he wrote about God’s healing desire for the Daughter of Babylon

“Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.

We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country, for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies.”

Is the election of a candidate for President who campaigned on issues that Christians care about proof that God is in the process of healing our nation? “Perhaps she may be healed, we would have healed Babylon”.

On the other hand, would the sudden reversal of those election results be proof that the time for America’s national judgment has come? “But she was not healed”.

Prayer for America

As prophesied, these are “perilous times”. Pray that none of these evil plans succeed. Pray that the Lord’s people will repent and turn back to Him.

God bless,

John Price

For readers who are interested in knowing more about what the Lord says in His Word about the Daughter of Babylon, visit www.endofamericabook.com .

“Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs” (Jeremiah 51:38).

Verse 39 describes the people of the Daughter of Babylon as being

“aroused”. Verse 49 says,“one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of

violence in the land and of ruler against ruler”.

The internet is replete with speculation that the November 8, 2016 election will not occur. Others are claiming that the election will be stolen. Conspiracy theories? Radical rantings? Maybe. Maybe not. The President today warned of violence after the election. The truth is that there are intriguing arguments in support of these concerns. Let’s look at America in mid-October, 2016, with just about three weeks to go before the scheduled elections.

I. If Candidate Trump Goes into the Lead

Is Russia interfering with the 2016 US election? The Clinton campaign has claimed since this summer’s embarrassing Democratic National Committee leaks that Russia was behind the hacking and was trying to elect Donald Trump. Russian officials have denied any interference with American campaigns or elections. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told CNN that the claims were “flattering, but baseless, with not a single fact” to prove it.

If the only entity making claims of Russian interference in US elections was a political committee, that would be interesting, but of no great concern. However, 30 days ago the United States federal government weighed in, making the same claim – that Russia had hacked into the election systems of 26 states. At the time of that claim the White House announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had been given executive authority to protect US elections from Russia. Last Friday the DHS and the Office of Director of National Intelligence in a joint statement said, “We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities”. Notice that the statement did not say that their conclusion was based on facts in evidence, only on “scope and sensitivity”, whatever that means.

The Friday release was quickly followed last Sunday by an incredible Meet the Press interview with Vice President Joe Biden. The Vice President of the United States promised a “clandestine” cyber-attack, in retaliation for Russia’s alleged hacking interference in the US presidential election. He said, “We’re sending a message. We have the capacity to do it. It will be at the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact.” Meet the Press host Chuck Todd asked Biden if the American public will know the message was sent. He replied succinctly, “Hope not”.

The federal government includes the National Security Agency (NSA), the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence and the Information Operations Center (IOC). The Edward Snowden release of internal document showed that the CIA requested $684 million in 2013 for computer operations, in addition to $1 billion to the NSA. The point is that the US government certainly has the resources to prove, with facts in evidence, that Russia actually has interfered with US electoral systems. But, thus far, no facts in evidence have been produced to back the claim that Russia has interfered with America’s upcoming election.

All of this has led many to conclude that the White House is spoiling for a cyber war with Russia. Our Vice President has already promised that America will cyber-attack Russia. The Kremlin wasn’t happy, calling the threats by the US “borderline insolence” and saying “The threats directed against Moscow and our state’s leadership are unprecedented, because they are voiced at the level of the US Vice President” Russia promised to “take measures to protect (our) interests, to hedge risks”.

Thus, the stage is set. Will the US launch a cyber-attack before November 8^th? Will Russia respond? Those who fear a cancellation of the upcoming elections are concerned that the President will take executive action to set aside the November 8^th vote by the American people. The following is a view of what might happen soon in a speech from the Oval Office:

‘Good evening, my fellow Americans. You may have heard by now that over the last few weeks the nation of Russia has attacked our nation’s electoral systems in the various states. Some electoral systems have been taken down completely, others have been downloaded with tens of thousands of advance votes on behalf of a candidate for President. It has become abundantly clear that the 2016 elections have been fatally compromised. It is now impossible for any American to have confidence that the election results will reflect the will of the American people.

‘It is the unanimous opinion of the members of my Cabinet, the Directors of the FBI and the DHS, that in order to insure a fair and honest election that we must postpone the November 8^th elections until we deal with Russia,   and until we can guarantee a future election devoid of hacking and  interference by any nation, candidate or political party. Accordingly, I have today signed an Executive Order temporarily suspending all US elections, in the various states and the District of Columbia.

‘Just as President Eisenhower federalized state employees in the Arkansas National Guard in 1957, I have included in the Executive Order the federalization of state, county and local election officials in each voting jurisdiction. The Order instructs these federal agents to desist from any further electoral activities relating to federal, state and local elections until further notice, hopefully early next year. Any Governor or other elected official who attempts, in any way, to countermand this Executive Order will face the full consequences of the law. We must insure that the next election, when it occurs, will be free of foreign interference. America must remain the land of the free, which it cannot do if our elections are compromised and Americans lose confidence in the electoral results. May God bless you and may God bless America.

Hopefully, such a speech will never be given. But the claims and threats coming out of Washington, DC is just the last month raise several questions, such as:

a.) What military or national leader tells another nation in advance, ‘we are about to attack you’?

b.) When the VP said he hoped Americans don’t find out when America cyber-attacks Russia, does that mean that the White House could launch the attack in such a way that we won’t really know if Russia attacked our electoral systems first?  Or, did the US attack first? If we cyber-attack Russia surreptiously, without public knowledge, can the White House then claim that Russia attacked us first? Why else keep the details of our attack a secret?

c.) Would a postponed election lead to what Jeremiah prophesied? Or would clear electoral fraud have the same result, if there is an election? Is America headed for widespread violence? Jeremiah prophesied future rumors of “ruler against ruler”. If the election is suspended by Executive Order how many Governors or Secretaries of State in the various states will comply and how many will refuse and continue with the elections in their state? Those who refuse to comply with election termination would surely face arrest. Hollywood likes to telegraph coming events. In this regard check out the most recent screening of Designated Survivor, in which the President orders the arrest of the Governor of Michigan. Humh.

d.) Many writing on the web are speculating that a financial collapse or an actual shooting war in Syria, involving America and Russia, could be used to justify suspending the upcoming elections. Maybe. Maybe not. Jesus told us to “watch” and to understand our times. These next few days may determine what happens on the globe for many years in the future.

“And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6)

“And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.” (Revelation 18:24)

II. If Candidate Clinton Surges Further into the Lead

Why suspend the November 8^th Presidential election if the chosen successor to the Oval Office is significantly ahead in the polls and quite likely to win, win big? Only the Lord knows what will happen in the next three weeks, so these matters are speculation. What John has told us, though, in his Book of Revelation is that the Daughter of Babylon will experience the killing of large numbers of God’s people in the time before it is destroyed. “Strangers” will come into God’s sanctuaries. Christian martyrs are dying every day in the Middle East. Why should we, as Americans, expect that persecution based  on our faith rising to the level of martyrdom won’t come to the US?

If the upcoming election looks in the next few days like a slam dunk for candidate Clinton there would be no apparent need for a cyber-war, or a financial collapse or a nuclear war. In that case, hold the elections, count the votes (in some cases count them again and again) then prepare for the Inauguration on January 20^th.What will happen in the new administration is ultimately that which God allows.

Hillary Clinton is quoted as saying that “deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed”. Think about that. A candidate for President of the United States promises that she wants to “change” “religious beliefs”. Is that in the job description of the Chief Executive? Her campaign Chairman, John Podesta was part of an e-mail chain in which it was said that there should be a “Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship” and that the Clinton team should “plant the seeds of revolution” to change Catholic teaching.

III. After the Election and Before the Inauguration

Assuming that the November 8^th election actually occurs, there is a major issue of concern after the election and before the Inauguration on January 20, 2017. The Weekly Standard revealed that the White House is planning to back a resolution to be adopted by the United Nations Security Council which would call for dividing Israel’s land by creating “two states” and investing the Palestinians with control over part of Jerusalem as their new capitol. Since the creation of the UN the United States has always backed Israel in the Security Council. The emanations coming out of the Administration are that, for the first time, the US will not veto an anti-Israeli resolution. One Israeli leader said “Obama is laying the groundwork for UN & EU sanctions on Israel”. Another Israeli leader said that there is rising concern that the President “won’t have Israel’s back” at the UN after the November elections.

Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator said that the President “will likely do something” in the Israeli-Palestinian realm before his term in office is complete. He said, “I can’t imagine that the President, let alone Secretary of State John Kerry, will be able to leave this one alone”.

The danger to America, as readers of THE END OF AMERICA know, is any such action against Israel will cause God to enact and enforce Genesis 12:3 – “those who bless (Israel) will be blessed and those who curse (Israel) will be cursed.” Christian and Jewish Americans should not only be highly wary of what may happen before and election day (assuming there is an election), but also what the US may do to Israel between the election and the Inauguration. The future of the United States of America will quite obviously change, either for the better or for the worse, in the days between now and January 20^th.

Many of God’s people are frustrated by the 2016 Presidential campaign. The ultimate answer is to take our concerns and frustrations to the only place in which true and just solutions can be granted – the Throne Room of the Most High God. Prayer is an essential in these next few days. God bless.

JOHN PRICE

www.endofamericabook.com

WATCHING PROPHECY UNFOLD

CHICAGO

We returned home last Friday evening from our small group Bible Study. Turning on the TV I at first thought I was seeing video from 1968 – Chicago police officers lined up behind barricades, behind which were angry, screaming protestors. But, no, this is our day and our time. Obviously, what we saw in Chicago Friday (and in Ohio Saturday) is clearly only the beginning of troubles. Dr. Ben Carson said Sunday that “The Alinskyite tactics (of the protestors) will lead to escalation. (The Trump) supporters can either accept it or fight back.” Some protestors who broke up the Chicago rally were paid, according to media reports, by groups seeking to cause trouble at the Trump rally. A website has appeared calling on Trump supporters to organize to protect the candidate and his supporters, which one blog called “The Trump Militia”. A lighted match has been thrown into a nation awash in the gasoline of obviously angry Americans, on both sides of the political and cultural divides. Is any of this prophetically significant?

In Jeremiah 51 there are two prophetic references to civil unrest in the Daughter of Babylon, prior to its destruction. Jeremiah 51:38 prophesies that “Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs”. Verse 39 describes the people of the Daughter of Babylon as being “aroused”. Even more telling is this prophecy in verse 51:49: “one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler”.

Those whose First Amendment rights are taken from them won’t like it and will most likely fight back, leading to the “violence in the land” that Jeremiah describes. The protestors on the side of Move On.Org, Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street and other more liberal groups were admittedly involved in the Chicago rally cancellation. George Soros is a primary source of funding for radical groups who espouse the violent overthrow of the US. See http://humanevents.com/2011/04/02/top-10-reasons-george-soros-is-dangerous/ It won’t be their last effort to shut down those on the right with whom they disagree. We should expect to see those who are increasingly angry on both sides to increase their anger and “roar like young lions, growling like lion cubs”. These future events could likely lead, in part, to the government of the Daughter of Babylon’s persecution of God’s people, who may be blamed for the spreading violence. One significant result of a nation falling apart at the seams could be that Christians under persecution will flee the nation.

In September, 1984 God brought to America a pastor freed from Communist Romania. Pastor Dumitru Duduman spoke no English. He was an unlikely candidate to proclaim a divine message to millions of Americans who spoke no Romanian. God showed Pastor Duduman in visions what America would encounter in its future if it did not repent and turn back to Him. He saw America’s cities burning, its people shooting each other and widespread death. In his many hundreds of sermons preached across America, based on his message of coming trouble, interpreted by his English-speaking grandson, he started each by saying “It will begin with an internal revolution – started by the Communists.” His words were consistent with Jeremiah’s description of roaring young lions in the Daughter of Babylon.

Whether caused by protestors shutting down political rallies, bank closings, the collapse of the dollar, shortage of food or some other triggering event, America could quickly erupt in violence, even revolution in its streets. Americans own millions of firearms. Its government (Department of Homeland Security) recently confirmed that it is buying twobillion hollow point bullets, which are prohibited in warfare and not used in target practice. How far is America from Jeremiah’s warnings of “violence in the land and of ruler against ruler?”

JERUSALEM

But the rally cancellation in Chicago was not the only major news story last week. The Wall Street Journal revealed that the White House is planning to change its policy towards Israel in the United Nations. Since 1948, when Israel was founded, the United States has backed Israel in the Security Council. There have been several attempts by the enemies of Israel to push the powerful Security Council to adopt legislation which would have the effect of crippling or otherwise harming Israel. Those efforts have included moves to have the Security Council declare a Palestinian State. The US has vetoed every single anti-Israel resolution. According the WSJ news article, that is about to change.

Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama have let it be known that America plans to reverse its traditional backing of Israel in the Security Council, and instead side with resolutions that legitimize the Palestinian State, take land from Israel, create a Palestinian Capitol in East Jerusalem, halt all Israeli settlements, among other critical legal matters. As part of the Administration’s drive to force Israel to bend to its will, the President has also threatened a major Presidential address and a joint statement by the Middle East Quartet (UN, US, EU and Russian Federation), all part of its “blueprint” for Israel’s future.  The anti-Israeli efforts are scheduled to occur in the final months of this year before the President leaves office. Legal actions taken by the Security Council are not subject to change later, unless all five permanent members agree (US, France, United Kingdom, China and Russian Federation). That means that if the US fails to veto these resolutions designed to harm Israel, the resolutions would never be changed later due to the make-up of the Council. Under the UN Charter all member states have to comply with Security Council decisions. Israel would be dumped by the US and rendered truly vulnerable behind sharply reduced non-defensible borders.

Why should we care what happens to Israel? Well, first, God has called Israel “the people of my inheritance” (Deuteronomy 4:20). In addition, He has promised that:

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3-NKJV).

^“For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8 ESV)

The Lord has repeatedly in His Word emphasized His love for Israel, and protected Israel in miraculous ways, after He miraculously brought it back into existence, as He promised He would. He also warned the nations of the world not to divide the land which He gave to Israel. If one doubts that God gave Israel the land one should just read the first five books of the Bible and see how many times God tells Israel that He has given its land to the nation. It started in this verse:

“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12:7-ESV) and “For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever”. (Genesis 13:15-ESV).

God warns the nations of the world in His Word not to divide Israel’s land. In Joel He makes it clear what will happen to nations who do so:

“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.” (Joel 3:2-ESV)

Let me be blunt – If America betrays Israel this year by reversing its decades-old practice of vetoing anti-Israeli resolutions in the UN Security Council; if the US stabs Israel in back by backing a binding resolution forcing Israel to divide its land; then America will be the object of God’s “curse” (Genesis 12:3). Living in a cursed nation poses obvious danger. God warns “My people” in Revelation 18: that:

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” (ESV)

+++++++

NOTE TO READERS:  I have not posted on this website recently. The primary reason is that I have been carefully watching the 2016 Presidential campaigns to determine how what is said and done may be a fulfillment of, or implicated in, Biblical prophecy. With last week’s news from Chicago and the WSJ article about Jerusalem it was clear that major prophetic events are now beginning to unfold. “Aroused lion cubs” engaged in violence in the streets of the Daughter of Babylon, even though just now commencing, will not soon be stopped. As one Chicago protestor said, ‘We shut ‘em down here, we can shut ‘em down all over.” The lead positions obtained on March 15^th by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for their parties’ Presidential nominations will likely lead to more, not less, dissent and ultimately violence in political rallies and then in our streets.

America has had the back of Israel since the UN was formed by supporting Israel against anti-Israel resolutions in the UN Security Council. But now, for the first time in history, that appears about to end, as the White House announces plans to betray the only democratic nation in the Middle East and our best friend and ally. The second week of March may, in the future, be seen as the week in which the world changed, but not for the better. God bless.

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http://www.amazon.com/End-America-Islam-Biblical-Warnings-ebook/dp/B005230P46/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458062591&sr=8-1&keywords=the+end+of+america

“Mister President, I rise as a Member of this United States Senate today in order to explain my vote against this Administration’s fatally-flawed ‘Iran Deal’. As we have heard in this debate, there are many reasons to vote no, but the primary reason for my strong vote in opposition comes from the Holy Bible. Scripture warns us that in the end times the Lord will raise up a nation in the Middle East that He will use to destroy a rich, powerful and influential nation because it betrays Israel. I believe that America is revealed in the Bible as that nation which will one day betray Israel, and will then be destroyed because of its treachery to Israel. I will vote against funding and arming Iran, whose leaders even today cry out ‘Death to America’. Why in the world would we fund and enable a nation which we have reason to believe, from the Bible and from Iran’s own words, will one day annihilate us? May God protect America.”

This is the opening of a speech that you will almost assuredly not hear from a U.S. Senator when the Senate debates the ‘Iran Deal’. That’s in part because it’s not generally considered politically acceptable to refer to God’s Word as source material. That’s unfortunate because students of the Bible know that all of scripture is “God-breathed” and truthfully bears witness to what has happened and will happen in the future (II Timothy 3:10). To be fair, most Members of Congress probably haven’t studied prophecy sufficiently to arrive at a conclusion as to America’s, nor Iran’s, role in the latter days. If they would do so, they would soon learn that the Bible speaks to these deadly serious matters which deserve more than passing debate.

A reader who may not have been looking in depth at the debate over the proposed agreement with Iran could easily ask why there is even a vote in Congress, since only about a third of the U.S. Senate has to date indicated their support for the ‘Iran Deal’. Here’s how we got to this stage. Before September 17^th the U.S. Congress is supposed to vote on the much discussed ‘Iran Deal’. But, why should Americans care how Congress votes? What difference does it make if the ‘Iran Deal’ is approved or not? Millions of advertising dollars have been spent by both those who support and those who oppose the agreement which will release Iran’s $150 billion being held as sanctions to deter Iran from building nuclear weapons. The ‘Iran Deal’ will eventually allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz co-hosted a rally in DC this week urging Congress to vote against the agreement. The White House claimed last week that it has lined up 34 Senators in support of the ‘Iran Deal’.

34 votes? The President claimed a great victory after lining up just a third of the United States Senate? What’s happening here? The Constitution of the United States requires that two-thirds, which would be 67 Senators, vote in favor of foreign treaties. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution provides that the President “shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur”.

So, if the Constitution requires 67 Senators in favor of the treaty, how can the President claim victory with only 34 Senators in favor? Welcome to Washington, 2015 where the Constitution is the most forgotten document in town. The President claims that the written document with Iran isn’t a “treaty”, but an “executive agreement”. Really? Republicans control both the House and the Senate. These Congressional leaders crafted a ‘change in the rules’ allowing this significant change in how it responds to ‘treaties’ in order to allow the ‘Iran Deal’ to go into effect, since there were never going to be 67 Senators who would vote for a deal which directly threatens Israel and will certainly start a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

An NPR article on the Congressional maneuvering to circumvent the Constitution described such moves as the Republican leaders finding “ways to accommodate the rowdy radical wing of their party”. In other words, politicians who want to help the White House push through an agreement with Iran were willing to ignore the Constitution, even though it is strongly opposed by two out of three Americans, according to public opinion polls. NPR was referring to the conservatives, Tea Party members and Christians in Congress who make up a sizeable voting bloc, but by no means a majority.

Ignoring the Constitution is a serious matter. However, more serious is ignoring the Holy Bible. You might ask, what does the Bible have to do with the ‘Iran Deal’? Actually, a lot, and what the Bible says has generally been ignored in the national debate over the ‘Iran Deal’. Students of the Bible, and readers of THE END OF AMERICA (available on Amazon Kindle), know that America is undoubtedly the rich, powerful and influential end times nation described in prophecy as the Daughter of Babylon, Babylon the Great and Mystery Babylon. Prophecy confirms that this end times nation will betray Israel and will be destroyed as a result. We are told that the Daughter of Babylon will be destroyed in one day, one hour and one moment.

It is most critical that we know, as our nation debates the ‘Iran Deal’, that the Bible reveals to us the identity of the nations that He will use to avenge Israel’s betrayal. If you are a supporter of the ‘Iran Deal’, would it bother you to learn that the Bible prophesies that Iran will be one of the nations used by the Lord to destroy the Daughter of Babylon/America because America betrays Israel? How do we know this? Jeremiah prophesied that “The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.” (Jeremiah 51:11b). Who are the Medes?

Stop and think about this for a moment. The land of the Medes and the Persians is mentioned in scripture (Daniel 5:28 and Esther 1:19). Today we know the area as Iran. God has told us that He will “stir up” the kings of the Medes (the leaders of today’s Iran) in order “to destroy Babylon”. He even tells us: “Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon” (Jeremiah 51:49). How, one might ask, has America, as Babylon, caused the slain of all the earth to fall? America’s promotion of abortion has since 1973 led to One Billion dead infants killed in the womb, worldwide. We have been involved in scores of wars and armed conflicts. We remain the only nation in the world which has used nuclear weapons to kill civilians.

Does scripture tell us anything else about how God will use the kings of the Medes/Persia/Iran? Yes. Ezekiel prophesied that there would someday be a massive invasion of Israel from the north which would include Persia (Ezekiel 38 & 39). This is truly a fascinating future reality. The Bible thus tells us that the Medes/Persia/Iran will invade Israel and also be used by God to destroy the Daughter of Babylon. Let’s look at that again: Prophecy confirms that the Daughter of Babylon will betray Israel when it is invaded by the Medes/Persia/Iran, and that it will then be destroyed by the Medes/Persia/Iran. The Muslim leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, on July 18^th (just days after the ‘Iran Deal’ was signed) chanted along with the crowd in Tehran “Death to Israel. Death to America”.

Why has no national political figure raised the question of why we are signing an agreement with Iran, a nation which has threatened to destroy us and which the Bible prophesies will destroy us? How blind can a nation become? Why have no American leaders, who are presumed to know the Bible, raised the danger posed to our nation by Iran as prophesied in scripture? Do we not believe the Bible? If we don’t believe it, then why do we carry it to our churches on Sunday, if we’re not going to read and heed its contents?

Before we conclude this admittedly somber analysis, we need to understand one more significant fact. Prophecy tells us that “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” will join in the Ezekiel invasion of Israel. Magog was a grandson of Noah who settled in the area we know today as Russia. Noah’s grandson Tubal settled in the Siberia area of today’s Russia. The capital of Tobalsk was named after him. Noah’s grandson Meshech settled north of the Black Sea. Moscow was named after Meshech. Thus, Gog of Magog is quite clearly identified as today’s Russia.

Incredibly, Gog of Magog will also be used by the Lord, along with the Medes/Persia/Iran, to destroy the Daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 51:27) So, there we have it. Russia and Iran will jointly invade Israel (Ezekiel 38 & 39). Russia and Iran will jointly be used by the Lord to destroy the Daughter of Babylon (which will violate Genesis 12:3 by stabbing Israel in the back). Russia and Iran, once they have accomplished God’s purposes, will be wiped out by the Lord, with their armies slain on the northern plains of Israel and destruction back home. (Ezekiel 38:21-22 and 39:4-5).

If you were a member of the United States Congress, would you vote to approve an agreement to allow Iran to receive back $150 Billion in sanctioned money; which agreement includes a requirement that the U.S. defend Iran if it is attacked; which allows Iran 24 days advance notice for inspections; and which allows Iran to develop nuclear weapons? Would you vote yes, knowing that Iran is one of the two nations which will ultimately be used to destroy your nation? Let us pray that members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate come to realize that the Bible reveals that Iran will use weapons of mass destruction against Israel and our own nation. May they vote to defeat this evil diplomatic dagger aimed at the heart of Israel and of America. God help us.

John Price

www.endofamericabook.com

Will September, 2015 be as disastrous as so many commentators are speculating? One news source this week said that economists worldwide are competing with each other “in a think-of-the-most-dreadful-metaphor contest when describing what awaits the global economy”. Herewith just a quick sample:

“We’re on the verge of a much worse financial crisis than the one we went through in 2008…The dollar is a bubble. The dollar bubble is going to burst.” Author and Economist Peter Schiff.

The world will soon experience an “economic earthquake (that) will send reverberations around the world…with panic on the streets from Wall Street to Shanghai, to the UK down to Brazil (as we) see one market after another begin to collapse.” Gerald Celente, Trends Forecaster.

“I wouldn’t be in the stock market after August 25^th.” Economist and Author Harry Dent.

The doomsday clock for a global market crash strikes one minute to midnight”. The Telegraph.

One interesting aspect of these speculations is that they largely come from non-Christian sources. They are generally professional economists who don’t base their future forecasts on Biblical prophecies. By contrast, one author who has looked at scriptural reasons to believe that the ninth month of this year may portent is the best-selling Jonathan Cahn. His book is “The Mystery of the Shemitah”. In it Cahn looks at how God established in His word the Shemitah, which is a Sabbath of years, every seventh year. In Leviticus and Deuteronomy, God said:

“When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. Six years shall you sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruits; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD.” (Lev. 25:1-4)

“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts…every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it…it is called the LORD’s release”. (Deut. 15:1-2)

As it turned out, Israel didn’t like the plans and the rules handed down by God. Every seven years Israel ignored the Shemitah. After the 70^th cycle of seven years ignored by Israel God had had enough and he took Israel into captivity in Babylon for seventy years, a period equal to each ignored Shemitah. God had given the Shemitah not as a form of punishment, but instead to remind His people that He is the source of all blessings. As Cahn notes, “When God is removed from the picture, the removal of blessings will ultimately follow.”

What does all of this have to do with September, 2015?

The last day of the Shemitah is Elul 29 on the Hebrew calendar, which this year will be September 13^th. Cahn reviews in his book how the Elul 29 of the Shemitah fell on the exact date in 2001 and 2008 when the economy began to collapse. Will it happen in 2015? Only God knows, of course, but these historical facts and scriptures merit our attention, particularly in light of what is happening in the struggling economies of the world today.

As noted in depth in THE END OF AMERICA there are numerous clues in the Bible which identify and portray a rich, powerful and influential end times nation. Five Prophets in both the Old and New Testament wrote clues, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the identity of Mystery Babylon. These clues tell us that the Daughter of Babylon will betray Israel, and that, as a result it will be destroyed in one day, one hour and one minute. Russia (Gog of Magog) and Iran (Medes) are identified as the nations that will destroy the Daughter of Babylon, once it acts treacherously against Israel. The next posting on this blog will look at how the pending Iran “deal” being pushed by the White House, and on which Congress will vote next month, is tied directly to these prophecies. (Look for it on September 10^th.)

Before America’s betrayal of Israel, though, several verses tell us what will happen inside of the Daughter of Babylon before it is destroyed. There are two prophetic references, both in Jeremiah 51, to civil unrest in the Daughter of Babylon, prior to its destruction. Jeremiah 51:38 prophesies that “Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs”. Verse 39 describes the people of the Daughter of Babylon as being “aroused”. Even more telling is this prophecy in verse 51:49: “one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler”. It doesn’t require a vivid imagination to see Americans filling the streets in violent protests over a broken economy which won’t feed them.

There is a rational basis, therefore, to conclude that America will be filled with rumors this year (which is certainly the case), but will then experience “violence” and “ruler against ruler” in 2016. TruNews host Rick Wiles opines that the rumors that are rampant in 2015 concerning Jade Helm, FEMA Camps, etc. may be a fulfillment of the first part of Jeremiah 51:49, and that the second part will happen in the “next year”, that is in 2016. Scriptural support for that position is the striking fact that this coming year is Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25), which only happens after seven sets of seven years, i.e., 49 years. The last two Jubilee Years were 1917-18 (when the British government declared that it favored a restoration of Israel to its land) and 1966-67 (when Israel re-captured Jerusalem from Jordan). God created Jubilee Years as special times for His restoration. God’s restoration certainly occurred in the last two Jubilee Years. What then, might God do in the Jubilee Year of mid-September 2015 to mid-September 2016? Only God knows, of course, but it is safe to assume that Israel will be on center stage.

Watch carefully the events unfolding beginning in less than a month. We may well be past the days of warnings and soon upon the days of fulfillment. Can anyone seriously argue that America isn’t ripe for judgment? Can anyone doubt that America is the nation which scripture labels as the Mother of Abominations (Revelation 17:5)?

God has not given us the spirit of fear, but He has also warned us:

“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffers for it.” (Proverbs 22:3)

Prophecy warns Christian and Jewish residents of the Daughter of Babylon on ten different occasions to “flee”, “Flee out of Babylon”, “Leave Babylon”, “Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives!”  “Do not be destroyed because of her sins”, “Come out of her, my people!” Will the Lord use coming difficult times in America to lead His people to get serious about obeying His call to flee? The Daughter of Babylon prophecies also tell us that in these coming difficult times that there will be “strangers in the sanctuary”. As churches and synagogues increasingly come under attack, will government encroachment on religious liberties be the final straw for God’s people to listen to His warnings and flee?

What about you? Are you praying for wisdom from the Lord?

For more information on this subject go to www.endofamericabook.com

Your pastor jailed? Your church closed by court order? Are you ready for what is coming soon to your church? How could that be, you might well ask? On or before June 30^th the Supreme Court of the United States will hand down its opinion in four similar cases from Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky (referred to together as Obergefell v. Hodges). If you have followed the same sex marriage cases in the last five years you know that various federal courts across the nation have thrown out state laws and state constitutional provisions limiting marriage to a man and a woman. 37 states now allow same sex marriage, most, but not all, by order of federal district court judges. The U.S. Supreme Court to date hasn’t ruled directly on the issue, but in its opinions in related cases it has clearly telegraphed where it stands. Until last November, though, there was no case before the Court which would form the legal basis to rule directly on whether the states could limit marriage to a man and a woman. In late 2014, in four state cases the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals went against the prevailing legal winds and instead ruled that states could enact legal limitations on who may be married in their states.

Journalists, legal pundits and various members of Congress have all concluded that when the U.S. Supreme Court rules in four months, it will overrule the Sixth Circuit and hold that the states may not restrict marriage to a man and a woman. Based on the order setting the hearings in the cases the Court will very likely rule that the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution prevents the states from prohibiting persons of the same gender from marrying. Ignore the historical fact that when the 14^th Amendment was adopted, following the Civil War in 1868, homosexuality was against the law in every state. The Justices are expected to issue their opinion in late June, which will have the force of law, and which will mandate that all states must grant marriage licenses to a man and a man and a woman and a woman.

It will not end, though, with this foundation-shaking ruling.

As night follows day, you can be sure that within a short time of the Supreme Court’s ruling a same sex couple, or more than one couples, will come knocking on your church’s door, and the doors of every church in America. Once the same sex couple is seated in front of your pastor, the conversation may likely go something like this:

“Pastor, we are here to request that you marry us in your church. When can we schedule the ceremony?”

“But, first gentlemen (or, alternatively, ladies), I must say that I don’t think we have ever met and I don’t recall seeing you at our Sunday services.”

“No, we don’t belong to your church, but we are demanding that you perform our marriage, just as you do for straight couples. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Well, yes, in fact I do have a problem with marrying you, with all due respect. Our church is based upon and ruled by The Bible. God created marriage between a man and a woman. He decided the issue of marriage 6,000 years ago. We’ll not be contradicting what God has said. We….”

“Stop right there, Pastor. In case you haven’t noticed, the supreme law of the land now is that the states must issue marriage permits to same sex partners. So, therefore….”

“Let me stop you, sirs. We are not the state. We are a private church whose head is Jesus Christ. We will not bow to any order that we violate God’s word in how we operate our church.”

“Are you living in the dark ages, Pastor? Didn’t you follow the test cases over the last two years where florists and caterers who refused to do business with same sex couples were fined and even had their property seized? You didn’t speak up and organize then, did you? Your church uses the public streets and utilities. Your church gets special tax treatment by the state. Your….”

“Taxes? What do taxes have to do with….”

“You don’t pay property taxes. Your congregation gets to deduct their contributions to you. You have become creatures of the state. You can’t discriminate against us any more than you can discriminate against people based on their race.”

“But, uh, we just won’t do it. We won’t marry you in this church. That’s it. Flat. End of discussion. This meeting is over. I’ll show you the door.”

“Fine, sir, fine. We’ll leave, but you will soon learn how this country has changed. The next people who will contact you will be agents of the Department of Justice. Churches which refuse to comply with the law will soon find that either the church will obey the law or the pastor will be jailed, and probably the board of elders. If you still refuse to obey the law, the church will be closed by court order. We can’t allow homophobia to exist in this community. You’ll hear from the federal government, soon. Very soon.”

Far-fetched, you may say? Really? Tell that to the Christian owners of 111 Cakery, who closed their doors after media attacks following the bakery’s refusal to bake a cake for a same sex event. Tell that to the owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Washington State. Weddings made up only about 3% of the florist’s total business, but the business was targeted by two gay men, with the ICLU in tow. As soon as the owner said that selling flower arrangements for a gay wedding would violate her Christian beliefs, she was sued by the state Attorney General, who claimed that she had violated consumer protection laws. Entering a 60 page summary judgment (she received no trial) the judge ruled that the florist “cannot comply with both the law and her faith if she continues to provide flowers for weddings”. The court fined her and ordered that it would determine later how much of her assets would be forfeited to the state.

Now, follow this. The Washington state Attorney General said, ‘The law is clear: If you choose to provide a service to couples of the opposite sex, you must provide the same service to same sex couples”. Do you see where this will soon be heading? Once the Supreme Court does what it is widely expected to do and makes same sex marriage the law of America, the church visits and the lawsuits, and the arrests and the closings will come soon after. How, they will argue, can you marry people of opposite gender in your church, without also marrying same sex couples? The courts will be sympathetic to their argument. Many pastors and boards of elders will refuse to obey court orders, and will be held in contempt and in jail because of their faith-based refusal to comply.

Sad to say, given the state of the church in America today, it is to be expected that many churches who preach the Bible, will nevertheless decide not to resist and will marry same-sex couples in the sanctuaries of their church. Did you ever wonder why German churches eventually agreed to display swastika flags on their church buildings, even on their altars? When the heat is turned up, history tells us, some will wilt and some will be martyred in the flames. Get ready church members. Strangers are about to enter your sanctuaries. Jeremiah prophesies in the Daughter of Babylon that “strangers” will “come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’s house,” leading God’s people to be “confounded” and held to “reproach” and to “shame.” (Jeremiah 51:51). In Revelation 17:6 John tells us it was revealed to him that Babylon, in the end times, will be “drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” In Revelation 18:24 John reveals that in Babylon “was found the blood … of saints.”

Enemies of the Savior are at work preparing to step up attacks on the church in America. Will your church be ready? Will you be ready? Would you vote to allow same-sex marriage if it comes to a church vote? If so, will you be ready to explain your vote to Jesus some day? At the Nuremburg trials after WW II Nazi war criminals tried to justify their crimes against humanity by arguing that were just obeying the laws issued by the Fuehrer. Neither the judges or the world were impressed by the argument. If you are a pastor or an elder, be ready to be forced to decide whether your church will follow God’s Word or the courts. The current culture, the mainstream media tell us, is moving rapidly to support same sex marriage. The Supreme Court two years ago threw out the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The IRS last July agreed in court to monitor what is said in churches. Arguments may be heard from your church members that it’s not worth fighting, just marry whoever comes through the door.

In Christianity’s 2,000+ years the followers of Jesus have frequently been forced to go underground, with small house churches, in order to continue to worship as they believed the Bible mandated. How soon will your church have to make these basic decisions? Who to marry? Whether to obey court orders? Whether to meet privately to get off of the government’s radar screens? These thoughts are a warning of what’s coming so that you can be prepared, so that your church won’t be surprised when it makes the front page and the evening news as anti-discrimination charges are filed by the government. Forewarned is forearmed (Old Proverb-1592).

God bless,

John Price

To learn more about what the Bible says will happen in the last days of the Daughter of Babylon/America visit www.endofamericabook.com. (99 cents on Kindle).

ISIS burned alive a captured Jordanian pilot. In response to the world’s understandable humanitarian reaction, the President of the United States said this to attendees at the National Prayer Breakfast:

“Unless we get on our high horse and think that this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ. So it is not unique to one group or one religion.”

Let’s analyze these comments. First, the phrase “unless we get on our high horse” is another way of saying ‘we can’t get upset about radical Islamists decapitating or burning alive their prisoners, because Christians have done the same thing, for a long time’. There is no recorded instance in the history of the Crusades of decapitation nor burning prisoners alive. It didn’t happen. What did happen is that in the seven Crusades (1096-1272 AD) tens of thousands of Christians responded to the call of their church to oppose, by force of arms, if necessary, the Muslim usurpation of Jerusalem, the slaughter of Christian occupants of the Middle East and occupation of entire nations which had for centuries been Christian. Is it any wonder that Muslims today attack Crusaders? The Crusaders were the primary attempt by Christendom to stop the spreading scourge of Islam from absorbing the entire Middle East.

Think about it for a minute. Jesus came to earth and established Christianity through His followers. His followers obeyed His admonition and shared the Gospel in Judah, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. From His time on earth forward thousands of Christians shared with tens of thousands who shared with hundreds of thousands. Eventually millions of residents of the Middle East became Christians. Until the seventh century the nations of the Middle East saw widespread growth of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, with the building of churches, Christian organizations and other demographic growth. Even in Egypt Christians grew and expanded, eventually becoming known as Coptic Christians, spreading south into Ethiopia.

In the midst of this widely perceived success, Muhammad “high jacked” Christianity, referring in his writings to Jesus and some of the Prophets, and occasionally borrowing a Biblical concept, though warping what he stole to become what he wanted, a tome of death and destruction. By the time of his death in 632 AD Muhammad had conquered the Arabian peninsula by killing those who opposed him. His followers quickly swept across the Middle East and headed outward to Europe and Asia. In 637 Jerusalem fell to invading Muslim forces. As Muslims expanded into areas which had for centuries been Christian they won by killing those who were not Muslim, or refused to convert to Islam. Look at a world map. How did the Christian nations of the world become Muslim nations? It was not a peaceful transition where Christians voted to turn over their homes, churches, towns and nations to Islam. What happened then is the same process we are watching today in Iraq and Syria. Pillage, rape, burn, terrorize and murder.

These bloody conquests, of course, came to the attention of the leaders of the Catholic Church in Rome. They could have just ignored the slaughter of Christians and the fall of entire nations, but they didn’t. Pope Urban in 1095 recognized that the church had to resist Islam, lest it conquer the nations of the known world by the use of terror, bloodshed and mayhem. He proclaimed the First Crusade, ordering that Christian access be restored to the Church’s Holy Places in and around Jerusalem. The battles raged intermittedly for two centuries, followed by six major Crusades and some minor. The centuries long battles to secure access to Christian holy sites and forestall Muslim conquests literally fill many volumes. Were there abuses by the Crusaders as they marched to Jerusalem? Some historical accounts mention that the armies needed to be fed and thus there were understandable complaints by people who were forced to feed them. But, they didn’t behead or burn those whose towns they passed through as they headed east to stop Islam.

In talk shows discussing the President’s amazing comments most referred to what happened in the Crusade and in the Inquisition as “facts”. Really? It is slanderous to accuse the Crusaders of “terrible deeds” if, in fact, they did no such thing. The men and women who sewed the red cross of Christ on their clothes, left hearth and home and marched off to Jerusalem acted to secure the birthplace of their faith from marauding Muslims. Individual Crusaders, of course, may have misbehaved, but they were not instructed by their Church to do so, nor did they behead or burn. Muslims, on the other hand, can and do point to verses in the Quran which order them to kill unbelievers and to conquer the world for Allah.

The next time you hear someone talk about the “terrible deeds” of the Crusaders ask them to be specific. What terrible deeds? Who were the victims? Were innocents killed or did Crusaders oppose and fight murderous Muslims intent on conquering the world for Allah? Ask them if they know why the Crusaders crusaded? Who were they opposing? Why?

As for the charge that ISIS today can’t really be singled out for criticism because of what happened ‘in the name of Christ’ in the Inquisition, that’s flat wrong. The people killed in the Spanish Inquisition were all killed by Spanish authorities, not by Christians, nor by the Church. The Spanish Monarchy controlled all aspects of the Tribunal. As for references to Jim Crow laws and American slavery, it must not be forgotten that it was Christians who led the fight to abolish slavery and who were in the leadership of the civil rights movement. It’s an insult to attempt to argue moral equivalency between those who behead and burn and those who reformed and corrected. Surely the White House has access to the facts of history. Unless, of course, is to the benefit of some to obfuscate the issue and convince Americans that ISIS is just another group of religious fundamentalists out on a spree.

The 2014 midterm elections are over. Control of both Houses of the United States Congress will soon pass to the party opposite to that of the President. Is any of this relevant to prophecies centered on that rich, powerful and influential end times nation, labeled as the Daughter of Babylon? The Bible says that prior to its betrayal of Israel (which leads to its destruction) the Daughter of Babylon will see “violence….in the land” (Jeremiah 51:46), “ruler against ruler”, “fire in (its) cities” (50:32) and that “her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs” (51:38). Jeremiah also prophesies that “strangers” will “come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’s house,” leading God’s people to be “confounded” and held to “reproach” and to “shame.” (51:51)

What could possibly lead to such a state of societal disintegration in a civilized nation? In these troubled times, it’s relatively easy to come up with several candidates for a widespread violence trigger event. This post looks at three distinct and near-term possibilities:

1.) Willful Destruction of US Constitutional Provisions – The President of the United States has repeatedly confirmed that he plans to issue executive orders granting amnesty, permanent residency, work permits and social security numbers to several million illegal immigrants, estimated initially at 4.5 million (AP). Let’s be clear that the immigrants came to America because America needed the workers because we have killed 56 million of our future workers by abortion on demand. However, the way to address the immigration issue is to follow the US Constitution, which requires the nation’s chief executive to “faithfully enforce the laws” (Article II, Section 3). Congress has thus far refused to grant amnesty, though these executive orders would do so.

Members of Congress and Members-Elect have warned the President not to unilaterally grant “executive amnesty”. The Speaker of the House warned the President that he would be in “big trouble” if he issues executive orders which would have the effect of law, saying “if you play with matches you can burn your fingers”. Senator McConnell, soon to be Majority Leader of the Senate said such action would be like waving a “red flag in front of a bull”. Other Members of Congress in media interviews say they are “furious”, the action would be “toxic” and that such acts would be an “explosion”.

Labor union leaders have complained in advance that executive amnesty would hurt their members who are looking for jobs. Voters who cast votes this month hoping to see changes in Washington, DC may be less than enchanted to see a President act in such an arbitrary fashion. The White House has confirmed that the President may sign as many as ten executive orders granting amnesty prior to the end of the year. Judge Anthony Napolitano, a Constitutional law scholar told Fox news this week that the President’s actions could lead to a “civil war”. Could executive amnesty be a trigger event for violence? No one knows at this time, but Congressional leaders have specifically warned the President that if he takes his proposed action it will “poison the well” of relations with the United States Congress. Was Jeremiah describing the violent results of what many in DC are saying would be ‘dictatorial’ in nature? Time will tell, but executive amnesty isn’t the only possible trigger for violence.

2.) Ferguson, Missouri

The news reports from Ferguson, Missouri are unsettling. The grand jury is rumored to be ready to report on its investigation and findings, which are widely assumed to be a finding of no indictment of the police officer who shot 18 year old Michael Brown. Other news reports describe the large numbers of protective vests, ammunition and weapons which have been brought into Ferguson in advance of the release of the grand jury report. The Governor has warned residents against illegal action in response to the grand jury results. The internet is full of rumors that outside groups were active in stirring up the riots that ensued after the shooting. Could a grand jury finding that the officer committed no indictable crime be the trigger that causes violence in cities across the country? Was this what Jeremiah saw millennia ago?

3.) Blood in the Church

Isaiah foretold that God would say “I was angry with my people and I gave them into your hand.”(Isaiah 47:6). The “your hand” is a reference to that of the government of the Daughter of Babylon. In the opening paragraph above we looked at Jeremiah’s warning that there will be “strangers in the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house”. In Revelation 17:6 John tells us it was revealed to him that Babylon, in the end times, will be “drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” In Revelation 18:24 John reveals that in Babylon “was found the blood … of saints.” Being turned over to the government of the Daughter of Babylon by a God who is “angry” with His “people” is not a terribly appealing prospect. But, there it is, black letters on white paper.

The current administration is not friendly to religious organizations as is shown by several executive actions. Requiring religious groups to provide birth control is just one of the actions to which religious leaders have taken exception. Some Christian commentators have speculated that once the US Supreme Court rules that same sex marriage is the law of the land, pastors of churches which refuse to marry same sex couples may find themselves in federal court or in jail. Private businesses which make wedding cakes, cater wedding receptions or photograph weddings have been fined significant fines for refusing to serve same sex couples. Can churches be far behind? What will happen when your pastor is arrested for standing up for Biblical marriage? Could anti-Christian actions like these be the trigger for the violence and blood in the church seen by the Prophets?

Watch and Be Ready. Jesus specifically told us as His people to “watch” (Matthew 26:41). In the critical weeks remaining in 2014 and what promises to be a truly difficult 2015 we should do as we are admonished and watch our world to see God at work in fulfilling His prophecies. The stage is set. God bless.