When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him. (Revelation 6:3-4)
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Are we heading towards World War Three? THE WEEK UK, January 3, 2024
Iranian-backed militias have launched attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria, intensifying fears that Israel’s war with Hamas could draw in regional allies and escalate into a wider global conflict.
Since the start of the deadly conflict in Gaza, Iran’s Lebanon proxy Hezbollah and Yemeni Houthi rebels have carried out dozens of attacks, particularly on ships in the Red Sea. Britain and the US are drawing up plans for an armed response, with the UK threatening to take “direct action”.
The Israel-Hamas war is “part of the grander scheme from the axis of resistance”, Christopher O’Leary, director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, told CNN, “the Iran-controlled strategy to gain power through groups like Hamas, like Palestinian Islamic jihad, Hezbollah… and the Houthis.”
“We’re in the middle of World War III against Iran-led radical Islam, whose tentacles are already in Europe,” said the new Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in the Jerusalem Post this week on his first day of work. It comes just a week after Kim Jong Un warned that the actions of the US and its allies have pushed the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.
The US and its allies “already find themselves in a new cold war” with China, argued historian Niall Ferguson in The Times, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine laid bare the divide between “the countries of the ‘Rimland’ (the Anglosphere, Western Europe and Japan) and those of the Eurasian ‘Heartland’ (China, Russia and Iran plus North Korea)”. A war in the Middle East “might be the next crisis in a cascade of conflict that has the potential to escalate to a Third World War”.
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About four-in-ten U.S. adults believe humanity is ‘living in the end times’ Pew Research Center, December 8, 2022
In the United States, 39% of adults say they believe “we are living in the end times,” while 58% say they do not believe we are living in the end times, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
Christians are divided on this question, with 47% saying we are living in the end times, including majorities in the historically Black (76%) and evangelical (63%) Protestant traditions. Meanwhile, 49% of Christians say we are not living in the end times, including 70% of Catholics and 65% of mainline Protestants who say this. Viewed more broadly, the share of Protestants who say we are living in the end times is greater than the corresponding share among Catholics (55% vs. 27%).
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WHAT DO THEY KNOW? Mark Zuckerberg’s new apocalypse bunker sparks bizarre conspiracy as Americans fear billionaires are Doomsday prepping THE SUN, US, December 29, 2023
MARK Zuckerberg has been building an underground bunker and it’s led to panic and wild conspiracies on social media.
The Facebook founder’s underground bunker, estimated to be worth around $270 million, is being built on the northeast side of Hawaii’s Kauai island.
Details about Zuckerberg’s newest property have been revealed and it is quite luxurious.
Zuckerberg has been buying up land near his Hawaii property to gain more building space, Business Insider reported.
The underground bunker will include “its own energy and food supplies” and “what appears to be a blast-resistant door,” according to an investigation into the space by Wired.
It is 57,000 square feet, roughly the size of a football field.
PayPal founder Peter Thiel wanted to build a $10 million doomsday mansion in a remote area in New Zealand in 2022 but was denied, The Daily Mail reported.
The spot would have been built in the hills with a very modern look.
He wanted the inside to feature a spa, meditation pod, and a library overlooking Lake Wanaka on New Zealand’s pristine South Island.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI allegedly is in an arrangement for the bunker with Thiel.
Other underground bunkers have been rumored but nothing has been confirmed.
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What happens when nations sin against God to the point of no return?
Throughout history, these 4 judgements (war, famine, plague, and dangerous animals) have always been associated with wrath:
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of bread, to send famine through it, and to wipe out both man and animal from it, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
“If I allow dangerous animals to pass through the land and depopulate it so that it becomes desolate, with no one passing through it for fear of the animals, even if these three men were in it, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“they could not deliver their sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
“Or if I bring a sword against that land and say: Let a sword pass through it, so that I wipe out both man and animal from it, even if these three men were in it, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“they could not deliver their sons or daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath on it with bloodshed to wipe out both man and animal from it, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“they could not deliver their son or daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.
“For this is what the Lord God says: How much worse will it be when I send My four devastating judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague—in order to wipe out both man and animal from it! (Ezekiel 14:12-21)
National sins bring national judgments. Though sinners escape one judgment, another is waiting for them. When God’s professing people rebel against him, they may justly expect all his judgments. The faith, obedience, and prayers of Noah prevailed to the saving of his house, but not of the old world. Job’s sacrifice and prayer in behalf of his friends were accepted, and Daniel had prevailed for the saving his companions and the wise men of Babylon. But a people that had filled the measure of their sins, was not to expect to escape for the sake of any righteous men living among them; not even of the most eminent saints, who could be accepted in their own case only through the sufferings and righteousness of Christ. Yet even when God makes the greatest desolations by his judgments, he saves some to be monuments of his mercy.
God used Babylon as His agent of judgment against Israel for their sins of idolatry and rebellion against Him. There were actually several different times during this period (607-586 B.C.) when the Jews were taken captive by Babylon. With each successive rebellion against Babylonian rule, Nebuchadnezzar would lead his armies against Judah until they laid siege to Jerusalem for over a year, killing many people and destroying the Jewish temple, taking captive many thousands of Jews, and leaving Jerusalem in ruins.
Was the destruction of Israel a real historical event?
Archaeologists Find Evidence of the Iron Age Siege of Jerusalem / Inside Science, September 20, 2019
In the 6th century B.C., the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, fearful that the Egyptians would cut off the Babylonian trade routes to the eastern Mediterranean region known as the Levant, invaded and laid siege to Jerusalem to block them. His army destroyed the temple the Hebrew king Solomon built there, and forced the city’s elite to exile in Babylonia.
So began the Babylonian Exile or Captivity, an event that shaped modern Judaism. A new archaeological discovery puts a rare physical stamp of authenticity on an event described in the Hebrew Bible.
Israeli and American archaeologists have found evidence just outside Jerusalem’s old city that apparently supports the Biblical description. In an area called Mt. Zion, which is also known as Western Hill, they found the remains of a home of someone the Bible calls a “Big Man,” one of those probably sent to exile. He would have had a beautiful view of Solomon’s Temple, the holiest place for the Hebrews, and he may have left in a rush.
The dig that uncovered the home is directed by Shimon Gibson, an archaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Rafi Lewis, a senior lecturer at the Ashkelon Academic College and Haifa University in Israel. The excavation has been in process for more than a decade.
“Training staff is quite exhaustive,” Gibson said. “It is difficult because it is so complicated.”
Unlike usual digs where depth equals time — the deeper you go the farther back in time you are — in Jerusalem the ground has been worked by inhabitants so that older material could be found above newer material.
In and around the ruins of the house, the archaeologists found an ash layer mixed with half a million shards or pieces of pottery, arrowheads typical of the Babylonian arsenal and a piece of gold and silver jewelry — all typical of that time. Pottery shards and ash are usually found in the trash, but Gibson pointed out no one keeps arrowheads and jewelry in a trash bin. Someone probably left in a hurry.
Similar four-finned arrowheads have been found in other places in the Middle East, dated to around the time of the Babylonian attack. There is no record of a comparable event in Jerusalem that would have produced similar detritus. Lamps found in the ash layer are also from that time.
The story of the siege is supported by Babylonian scribes, who wrote what archaeologists call the Babylonian Chronicles on cuneiform tablets hardened in ovens, according to Laurie Pearce, a lecturer in Mideast studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
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Why would Noah, Daniel, and Job be delivered from the coming wrath? What made them righteous?
They were faithful
Noah (Genesis 6:5-9)
Daniel (Daniel 1:8-21) – taken into captivity
Job (Job 1:1-8)
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They were obedient
Noah (Genesis 6:22) – 100 years of building the ark
Daniel (Daniel 6:10-11) – even having to defy the King’s decree
Job (Job 1:20-22) – lost animals, servants, and his children
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They were in the minority – Matthew 7:13-14, 20:16, 22:14
Noah (1 Peter 3:20-22) – eight out of millions
Daniel (Daniel 6:11-15) – the only one recorded who defied the decree
Job (Job 19:13-22) – even close friends turned on him
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They endured for the Lord
Noah (Genesis 5:32, 7:11, 8:13-14, 2 Peter 2:5)
Daniel (Daniel 1:1-6, 6:16-17, 7:15, 28, 8:27, 10:1-3)
Job (James 5:10-11)
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They humbled themselves to God’s will
Noah (Hebrews 11:7)
Daniel (Daniel 9:1-19)
Job (Job 42:1-6)
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They were loved by God
Noah (Genesis 6:8-9)
Daniel [Daniel 9:23, 10:11, 19 (greatly loved ESV)]
Job (Job 2:3, 42:7-17)
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These three men are selected as they came from different “worlds”; Noah witnessed the world destroyed and rebuilt, Daniel witnessed the temple destroyed and rebuilt, and Job witnessed the prosperity destroyed and rebuilt. But, these three righteous spiritual heroes “could not have prevailed with God in prayer to save the people” from the coming disasters.
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Will 2024 mark the point of no return and the beginning of the Lord’s judgement? Are these same 4 judgements (war, famine, plague, and dangerous animals) coming again?
When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.
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When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse. The horseman on it had a set of scales in his hand. Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.”
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When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him.
Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth. (Revelation 6:1-8)
With a world population of about 8 billion, “a fourth of the earth” killed by these judgements will be about 2 billion people. And this will only be the beginning of all of the Tribulation judgements to come.
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What happens before these 4 judgements?
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After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was set there in heaven. One was seated on the throne, and the One seated looked like jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. (Revelation 4:1-6)
In Revelation chapter 4, John’s visit starts with an open door and a voice like a trumpet, and then immediately he is before the Throne Room of Heaven. This is a preview of our blessed Rapture – our rescue!
Notice the 24 elders are:
* Wearing crowns
* Seated on thrones (having authority)
* Dressed in white
The promises to “the victor” in the 2 chapters previous to this one, apply to all of us who are true believers, who have been baptized, covered by His blood, and sealed by His Spirit:
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)
But hold on to what you have until I come. The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations — and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery—just as I have received this from My Father. (Revelation 2:25-27)
In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5)
I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close. (Revelation 3:8)
Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. (Revelation 3:10-11)
Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:20-21)
The 24 elders represent all of us, the entire Body of Christ – every Old and New Testament believer:
When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:8-10)
The rescue of the righteous and wrath to the wicked is coming soon! Are you ready?
God now commands all to believe His Son, be willing to confess His name before men, repent of our sins, be baptized to wash away those sins, and then live righteously for Him. Obedience in baptism is how one becomes a Christian. A Christian is one who has faithfully and obediently humbled themselves to God and Jesus Christ. Because of this they become righteous and holy in God’s sight (2 Peter 3:14, Revelation 7:14).
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If you are not sure that you are saved, you can accept Christ into your life right now, by praying:
“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you into my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior.”
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Rapture and End Times 
Looks like it is coming. This is from CBC News:
Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of wider war after a week of threats and attacks
Neither side appears to want a full-blown war, but it could happen anyway
Almost constant, daily artillery and missile fire across the border with Lebanon has left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead on both sides. More than 80,000 Israeli civilians within range of the fighting have been uprooted from their homes and a drone strike Tuesday in Hezbollah’s heartland of southern Beirut has pushed the temperature of the conflict to the boiling point.
Leaders in both Israel’s government and Hezbollah’s militia are keenly aware that a destructive war involving a possible ground invasion by Israel and the use of long range, heavy rockets by Hezbollah on Israeli cities would have momentous and devastating implications for both sides.
Nonetheless, escalation has never felt more possible than it has this week, following the killing of Hamas deputy commander Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike that bore all the hallmarks of an Israeli assassination hit.
Hezbollah, the most powerful military player in Lebanon, is a political and military entity that answers to Iran and is a sworn enemy of both Israel and the United States.
Boasting the best-funded and well-armed militia in the region, Hezbollah has the means to make good on Nasrallah’s threats.
The group wields a powerful military arsenal, far in excess of what Israel has been confronted with in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Some reports suggest the militia could field more than 100,000 fighters and is equipped with more than 100,000 missiles and rockets, with some capable of delivering enormous 1,000-pound (450 kg) warheads.
Potentially, that’s enough to devastate Israeli cities and cause major chaos and destruction throughout the country.
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More from The Associated Press:
With each strike, fears grow that Israel, the US and Iran’s allies are inching closer to all-out war
In the past week alone, Israel has killed a senior Hamas militant in Beirut, Hezbollah has fired barrages of rockets into Israel, and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have traded fire with the American Navy. Each strike and counterstrike increases the risk of the already catastrophic war in Gaza spilling across the region.
The last thing most Americans want after decades of costly campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan is another war in the Middle East. But in recent weeks, U.S. forces have killed a senior Iran-backed militia commander in Iraq and 10 Houthi rebels, spilling blood that could call out for a response.
Also from i24 News:
An American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is in the Red Sea, U.S. Naval Institute reported on Friday. The deployment is said to be a part of Washington’s effort to prevent the Iran-backed Houthis’ attack on vessels in the area.
“USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), the flagship of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, is in the Red Sea as part of U.S. efforts to prevent Houthi attacks on merchant ships, according to USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker,” said U.S. Naval Institute.
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Russia started the current war in the Middle East on October 7 (Putin’s birthday) as a distraction from the war they started in Ukraine. Putin is the agent of chaos and needs to be eliminated.
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