It also cannot be disputed that the Books of Daniel and Revelation are literally unfolding before our eyes. Scripture warns us of a horrible series of events will take place in the lands of Israel and Syria. One of these events is the disappearance of Damascus (one of the oldest and premiere cities in the world), which has witnessed approximately five thousand years of human history. In fact, Paul was on the road to Damascus when Messiah first appeared to him (an event that transformed not only his life, but the course of human history).
So, it would appear that Damascus will once again play a major role in human events. Take a look:
Isaiah 17:1 The message concerning Damascus. “See, Damascus ceases to be a city, and shall become a heap of ruins. 2 “The cities of Aroʽĕr are forsaken, they are for flocks which shall lie down, with no one to frighten. 3 “And the stronghold shall cease from Ephrayim, and the reign from Damascus, and the remnant of Aram be as the esteem of the sons of Yisra’ĕl,” declares יהוה of hosts." (ISR)
Reading on:
Isaiah 17:7 In that day man shall look to his Maker, and his eyes turn to the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl. 8 And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands; and he shall not see that which his own fingers made, nor the Ashĕrim nor the sun-pillars. 9 In that day his strong cities become like a forsaken forest and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Yisra’ĕl. And it shall become a ruin.
10 Because you have forgotten the Elohim of your deliverance, and have not remembered the Rock of your stronghold, therefore you shall plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings, 11 by day make your plant to grow, and in the morning make your seed to flourish – but the harvest is a heap in the day of grief and incurable pain.
12 Woe to the uproar of many people who make a
noise like the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a
rushing like the rushing of mighty waters – 13 nations rushing like the rushing
of many waters. But He shall rebuke them and they shall flee far away, and be
chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like whirling dust
before the whirlwind. 14 At eventide, look! Alarm! Before morning, it is no
more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob
us. (ISR)
It is inevitable that there will be complete annihilation of not only some major Middle Eastern cities, but of cities around the world – thanks to man’s inhumanity to man, which began with the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), and continuing with Cain’s killing of his own brother (Genesis 4). By Genesis 6, evil had grown so exponentially out of control that YHWH decided to flood the whole earth in hopes of starting humanity again with Noah and his family.
But here we are again, “as in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37) totally out of control and out of ADONAI’s will. The “snowball” has been heading downhill for several millennia, gaining speed and picking up more evil along the way. Evil is in man’s nature (Deuteronomy 31, 32, etc.) - and many who believe themselves to be "holy" are nothing but deceivers leading myriads astray! The ONLY hope we now have is the Second Coming of Y’shua, who will put an END to man’s bloody reign! May he return soon!
Deuteronomy 31: 27 For I know how rebellious and stiffnecked you are! Here, even while I am still alive with you today, you have rebelled against ADONAI; so how much more will you do so after my death? 28 Assemble for me all the leaders of your tribes and your officials, so that I can say these things in their hearing, calling heaven and earth to witness against them - 29 because I know that after my death you will become very corrupt and turn aside from the way that I have ordered you, and that disaster will come upon you in the acharit-hayamim, because you will do what ADONAI sees as evil and provoke him by your deeds." (CJB)
Deuteronomy 32: 19 "ADONAI saw and was filled with scorn at his sons' and daughters' provocation. 20 He said, 'I will hide my face from them and see what will become of them; for they are a perverse generation, untrustworthy children. 21 They aroused my jealousy with a non-god and provoked me with their vanities; I will arouse their jealousy with a non-people and provoke them with a vile nation. 22 "'For my anger has been fired up. It burns to the depths of Sh'ol, devouring the earth and its crops, kindling the very roots of the hills. 23 I will heap disasters on them and use up all my arrows against them. (CJB)
Deuteronomy 32: 28 'They are a nation without common sense, utterly lacking in discernment.' (CJB)
NOBODY is guaranteed the next day, and all we can really do is to get our hearts and souls “right” with God who promises eternal life to those who are HIS (John 3:16, 1 John 2:25, Revelation 3:5-9).
Hebrews 3: 1. Wherefore, my Set Apart Brothers who are called with a calling that is from heaven, consider this Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Y'shua the Mashiyach: 2. who was faithful to him that made him, as was Moshe in all his house. 3. For much greater is the glory of this man, than that of Moshe; just as the glory of the builder of a house, is greater than that of the structure.
4. For every house is built by some man; but he who builds all things is Elohim. 5. And Moshe, as a servant, was faithful in all the house, for an attestation to those things that were to be spoken by him: 6. but the Mashiyach as the Son, (is) over his own house; and we are his house, if we retain to the end confidence, and the victory of hope in him.
7. Because the Ruach haKodesh has said: Today, if you will hear his voice, 8. and do not harden your hearts to bring him to wrath, like those who provoke, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, 9. when your fathers tried my patience, and proved, (and) saw my works forty years. 10. Therefore I was disgusted with that generation, and said: This is a people, whose heart has strayed, and they have not known my ways: 11. so that I swore in my anger, that they should not enter into my rest.
12. Beware, therefore, my Brothers, so that there will not be in any of you an evil heart that does not believe, and you depart from the living Elohim. 13. But look deeply into yourselves all the days, during the day which is called today; and let none of you be hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin.
14. For we have part with the Mashiyach, if we endure in this firm confidence, from the beginning to the end: 15 as it is said, Today, if you will hear his voice, and do not harden your hearts, to anger him. 16. But who were they that heard, and angered him? It was not all they, who came out of Egypt under Moshe. 17. And with whom was he disgusted forty years, but with those who sinned, and whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18. and of whom swore he, that they should not enter into his rest, but of those who did not believe? 19. So we see that they could not enter, because they did not believe. (AENT)
Shali, will Arabs and Iranians be among the people who come to faith in YHWH? I know that in Mattithyahu 25, Yeshua will separated the sheep from the goats.
ReplyDeleteHi Kevin. Thanks for your question. It would seem that anybody who turns from their pagan ways and/or pagan gods and recognizes YHWH/Yeshua/Torah will be "saved." (Matthew 19:25-26, Romans 8:38-39, Romans 10:9-10, etc.)
ReplyDeleteCan anyone say "metaphor"?
ReplyDeleteOur parents often told us about that "one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch". It is still used today and I've never heard the left cry out that people aren't apples.