Youtube Video Response to Milestones to the Kingdom Video

666 'ISIS' and the Papacy the Beast of Revelation 13? The reason for making this video is that we have two conflicting teachings on our prophecy talks about whom the Antichrist or the beast system is. One understanding is teaching that the papacy is the beast or Antichrist yet on the other prophecy talks, the speaker is declaring that the Islamic State is the beast.

youtube video response to these videos

(Milestones) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1y9DKyif1Q
(Revelation 13 The number of the Beast 666 Islamic State) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHYzZmxFbX8
(The Antichrist revealed 666 The Papacy ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRPnz3B7yGw


However, this is not a conflict, as I believe both teachings are correct because the Mark of the Beast has many different forms like making the sign of the cross, the doctrine of the trinity, the names and titles of the Pope and the Islamic State

Therefore, there are two great antichristian religious systems of deceit revealed in the book of Revelation. The 'great western Antichrist' of Roman Catholicism (Rev 17; 18) and the 'great eastern Antichrist' of Islam (Rev 9)

Indeed, both 'Islam' and 'the Papacy' are 'the two horns of the beast Rev 13:11

Thus, they correspond to the two legs of the image of Daniel 2 Islam and the Papacy.

Another way of looking at it is that the first beast of Revelation chapter 13 is the Papacy and the second BEAST, COMING OUT OF THE EARTH: is "The religion of Islam, which will certainly be fully re-establish in Jerusalem when the Islamic State overrun Israel. This is the religion of the False Prophet. And there is a description of this Beast coming up out of the earth that is the Land of Israel or Palestine for Islam has had roots in Palestine for long centuries. The oppression of Jews both religiously and economically by this False Prophet goes without saying...

the Beast represents the revival of an Islamic State to a position of dominance in Arab anti-Jewish politics.

Since the Papacy (Roman Catholicism) and the powers of Islam are both blaspheming and stirring up trouble for Israel today, it surely does seem that we are still in the "two legs" interpretative section of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of future empires, and very, very close to the image's feet becoming shattered by Christ's return.

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The world turns against Israel and supports terrorism

Media bias is turning world opinion severely against Israel in the conflict in the Middle East. The Bible has predicted this picture years ago.  The Israeli Ambassador Ron Demer, Prime Minister Netanyahu defend Israel’s actions in a perilous situation. British official defend Israel’s right to defend itself and identify its military as the most moral in the world. 

As war rages on in the Middle East, Israel, and Jews all over the world are finding themselves being demonized by the world media. 

This week saw several disturbing developments where public opinion moved against Israel in the face of the facts. The rise of anti-Semitism in Europe is especially alarming.

Fires of Anti-Semitism Rage in Europe

Uninformed and fuelled by media bias protests have sprung up all over the world. The most violent of these have been in France where riots have broken out, and Jewish stores and synagogues have been targeted.  This isn’t an isolated situation that has been overblown. Even Laurent Fabius, Frances Foreign Minister, reflected that many Jews in France are afraid. Reuters reported Frances Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, confirmed that chants of “Death to the Jews” had been heard during a protested earlier. 

Reuters reported, 

In the first three months of 2014 more Jews left France for Israel than at any other time since the Jewish state was created in 1948, citing economic hardships in the stagnating economy but also rising anti-Semitism as a factor.

The cries of “death to the Jews” erupted into active violence July 13, 2014.  The Jerusalem Post reported:

Palestinian sympathizers outside the Synagogue de la Roquette in central Paris that trapped some 200 terrified people inside the building. A street brawl ensued between the rioters and dozens of Jewish men who arrived to defend the synagogue.

The scene outside Jewish stores in Paris, July 2014 following pro-Palestinian riots.

The Article went on to state:

Since Israel launched its military operation against Hamas in Gaza, Jewish houses of worship in and around Paris have been targets.

On the Friday before the violence at the Synagogue de la Roquette, a firebomb was hurled at the entrance to a synagogue in the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois. The next day, a pro-Palestinian crowd gathered outside a synagogue in the Belleville neighbourhood of Paris and chanted about slaughtering Jews. And on the same day as the Roquette synagogue incident, rioters also attacked the nearby Synagogue de la rue des Tournelles.

The riot outside the Synagogue de la Roquette stood out because of the terror it incurred for those inside the shul who had assembled for a gathering in solidarity with Israel….

The police on the scene initially were badly outnumbered by the pro-Palestinian rioters. Azria said the five police officers present focused their efforts on guarding the building’s barricaded entrance while they waited approximately 10 minutes for backup to arrive.

The president of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, called the incident an “attempted pogrom.”

Germany, November 1938 after Kristallnacht, the beginning of the holocaust.

Not only this, but Jewish store windows were smashed throughout Paris, reminiscent of Kristallnacht, or the night of broken glass that occurred November 9, 1938 at the incitement of Nazi officials. During this horrific event, Nazi storm troopers along with members of the SS and Hitler Youth beat and murdered Jews, broke into and wrecked Jewish homes, and brutalized Jewish women and children. All over Germany, Austria and other Nazi controlled areas, Jewish shops and department stores had their windows smashed and contents destroyed. Synagogues were especially targeted for vandalism, including desecration of sacred Torah scrolls. Hundreds of synagogues were systematically burned while local fire departments stood by or simply prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings. An estimated 100 Jews were killed on this terrible night, while 30,000 Jewish men were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.

The parallels to Kristallnacht demonstrate that the current crisis in the Middle East, and the backlash to Jews throughout the world, is not merely a localized political struggle but a religious and ethnic one. Jews are being targeted in Israel and all over the world because they are Jews. The world has learned nothing since 1938.  During that time the world stood idle by while Jews were attacked. Martin Niemöller, a German Lutheran pastor and concentration camp survivor wrote the following:

German Pastor Martin Niemoller
Concentration camp survivor.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

The growth of anti-semitism in Europe is to be expected prior to the invasion described in Ezekiel, Joel and Zechariah where the nations of Europe and Russia turn “against my people of Israel”. World opinion is turning against Israel at a shocking rate, and at shockingly high levels. 

Tragic Media Bias

Perhaps a perfect example of tragic media bias was highlighted in an interview between Israeli Ambassador Ron Demer and CNN anchor Erin Burnett:

"What happened here is horrific, and we don't yet even know the scale of how many children may have died. Initial reports indicate that at least sixteen are dead and the initial report said that this attack had come from Israeli tanks. As you know the Israeli military said it may have come from Hamas and a rocket which misfired. Do you know at this point with any more certainty?”

"No, I don't know, but I do know who's responsible for it, and that's Hamas, because they're using schools as weapons depots. And I think it would be a disservice to your viewers for a reporter in Gaza not to mention that in the last week, we had two different UNRWA schools, where we had actually rockets found in the schools and handed over to Hamas….”

"These are two different UN schools, you're saying.”

CNN Anchor Erin Burnett and Israeli Ambassador Ron Demer discuss gross media bias

"That's correct, that's publicly available information. It's kind of an important fact for your reporter to mention. And in addition to that, he may have wanted to mention a statement that was made by – not by the Israeli Ambassador, not by the spokesman of the IDF – but by the UN Secretary General, yesterday. Not last year, yesterday. He said this:”

“The Secretary-General is alarmed to hear that rockets were placed in an UNRWA school in Gaza and that subsequently these have gone missing. He expresses his outrage, and regret, at the placing of weapons in a UN-administered school…. By doing so, those responsible are turning schools into potential military targets, and endangering the lives of innocent children, UN employees working in such facilities, and anyone using the UN schools as shelter.”

"This is yesterday. Do you not think that it's relevant to report on CNN that the secretary general of the UN yesterday warned against the use of UN schools and shelter for rocket missile depots of Hamas…..[Ambassador it is relevant but let me ask…]   I've been listening for two hours of reports on CNN. I've seen split screens, horrible pictures  that any decent human being would be horrified by. I have not hear a single person say what I just said to you now. And I think that that does a disservice to your viewers to not give them the context they need to make these judgements. Hamas is placing missile batteries in schools, in hospitals in mosques, and there must be outrage by the world at Hamas to end this.”

And so the interview went on with the ridiculous notion that Israel should have entered hostile territory, sent soldiers into the school where they were being fired on from and checked it out before firing back.

UN Accuses Israel of War Crimes 

While addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has suggested that the Israeli military might have committed war crimes by shelling and launching airstrikes on civilian neighbourhoods in Gaza.

UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Navi Pillay

My are continuing to document several other cases in which family residences were destroyed, with reported loss of civilian life,  and in which preliminary indications suggest, not even a single member of an armed group was  present.  Then just two days ago, on 21st July, shells hit the Al-Aqsa hospital in  Der-Albella, reportedly killing three people, and wounding dozens of others including doctors. 

These are just a few instances where there seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes, Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated.”

Israel is charged with war crimes for defending itself from the shower of rockets by trying to take out the network b uilt by the attackers. 

When the investigation was put up to a vote, 29 countries voted in favor, 17 countries abstained and only the U.S. voted against the initiative.

Never in the history of warfare does the attacked supply the enemy with food, water and medical supplies in the heat of the conflict. Maybe after, but never during. Yet Israel has repeatedly done this. 

Israel is under siege as was described by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview:

We regret any civilian death, but those lay entirely at Hamas’ door. Hamas is deliberately targeting our civilians. They have fired 2000 rockets at Israel’s cities.  75% of our population has to be in bomb shelter alert of 60-90 seconds. They are digging these terror tunnels from Gaza, from homes in Gaza to penetrate Israeli territory. They have emerged there and killed Israeli’s and run back, or tried to run back into their territory. So we’ve had to take action. 

What Hamas is doing, very cynically, is embedding its rocketeers, its rocket caches, it tunnels, terror tunnels in homes, in hospitals, and in schools.  When we take action, as targeted as we can, they then use their civilians as human shields. So Hamas is both targeting civilians and hiding behind civilians. That is a double war crime. Therefore all civilian deaths fall on their shoulders….  

Netanyahu went on to point out that Hamas wants to kill its own citizens:

Beleaguered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
addresses a media conference.

The interesting thing is this, we’ve asked the civilian population in Gaza, the people, who are not our enemy, they are hostages of Hamas, we’ve asked them, “please leave”. We’ve texted messages to them, we’ve called them up with cell phones, we’ve dropped leaflets. Hamas says no, don’t leave stay…  They have plenty of  exit points and they know it, but Hamas is saying, “don’t use them”. Hamas wants to kill civilians on the Israeli side, and the amazing, grotesque and gruesome fact is, they want to have as many civilians killed on the Palestinian side, because it gets you to ask me these questions. Of course our goal is not to hurt a single individual, not to hut a single civilian. What they are doing is a double war crime, and it should be condemned with the most forceful action. These people are like ISIS, they are Al Qaeda,  they are like Hezbollah, and the other Iranian proxies.  They don’t give a whit about the Palestinians, and all they want is more civilian deaths….

The Israeli prime minister also pointed out that Israel has done what the international community has asked and this has created the vacuum for Hamas to thrive: 

We handed over Gaza to the Palestinians. We did what the international community has always been telling us: “Take out the settlements, go back to the 1967 lines, hand back the key to the PA.” We did, to the Palestinian Authority they promptly were booted out by Hamas. Hamas with Iran at its back, as Iran has been financing , equipping them, training them, giving them thousands and thousands of rockets. They have turned Gaza into a terror fortress. I think the goal will be after we have obtained a sustainable quiet, to work with the international community, to demilitarize Gaza from the rockets, and to shut down  these terror attack tunnels…. 

 In response to questions, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel has agreed to 3 separate cease fires, while Hamas as refused them all:

But you are right about one thing, I accepted, I called for a cease fire right away. Then I accepted the Egyptian ceasefire, backed up by the Arab League. Then I accepted a UN humanitarian cease fire, which Hamas rejected as well. Then we did a humanitarian cease fire, which Hamas has rejected too. Hamas doesn’t care. I think the last thing you want to do is reward them….     

The Lengths Which Israel Goes to Protect Civilians 

Retired British Commander Colonel Richard Kemp address the UN
Commission after Cast Lead in 2009

Israel isn’t alone in defending its actions. British Commander Colonel Richard Kemp, former British commander in Afghanistan spoke out during the last Israeli military operation in Gaza, Cast Lead. He addressed the UN Commission:

I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.

Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.

Hamas, like Hezbollah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents.

The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights…. 

During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks.

Despite all of this, of course innocent civilian lives were lost . War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes. 

More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice its own civilians.

Colonel Kemp appeared on Israeli
Channel 2 News this week addressing
the same issues.

The world has learned nothing from what happened in Cast Lead and has risen to condemn Israel again. In an interview just the other day, Kemp addressed the same scenario Israel is facing today:

There are war crimes being committed in Gaza, and the death of children, babies, men, and women in Gaza is undoubtedly a war crime. But it is a war crime being committed by Hamas, not by Israel. As far as I can see, and I have watched this campaign very closely, Israel is conducting the campaign in an exemplary fashion. Of course there will be mistakes, and there are errors and difficulties… but Israel as far as I can see is exercising the maximum possible restraint. The only thing they can do, short of what they are doing, is sit back and take it from Hamas. They cannot do that. How can the government of Israel allow its civilian population to be hammered by missiles time and time again and do nothing about it. There is no country in this world, including the United Kingdom who would put up with missiles coming in towards it citizens and sit back and take it.  

When asked about the concept of Israel using disproportionate force, this was his response:

I have heard a number of people such as Ban Ki-Moon, and our own Prime Minister David Cameron, and President Obama, suggesting that Israel should do more, and in some cases saying that Israel should do more,  to protect civilian life. I’d like to hear them explain what it is that Israel should do? As a man of 30 years military experience I cannot think of one single thing that Israel can do more to protect civilian life than what they are doing now. I think they have gone further than other country, any other military, that I’m aware of, or that I’ve seen in taking such steps to stop the death of innocent civilians. But when you are fighting an enemy, Hamas, who wants you to kill their civilians, who sometimes force their civilians to stay on military objectives that you are legitimately attacking, casualties are inevitable….

Colonel Kemp also said Hamas was not alone to blame in the tragedy that has happened in Gaza:

The international community, I think, should bear some culpability, because Israel was subject to month after month, even in this round, of rocket attacks, delivered onto its territory. Despite the Israeli ambassador in the UN, appealing for the UN to something to try and mitigate this and bring pressure down, the UN ignored it, so I think there is culpability outside. 

The reality is the world is drunk with the wine of the media distorting fact and judging the situation by distorted sound-bites and video clips skewed to paint Israel as the “bad guy”. Really, it is a demonstration of an age-old hatred that predates the Nazis, the inquisition, the Romans, Greeks or Babylonians… it goes back to the beginning. It is the enmity that exists between the people God chose to put his name on, and those who are not interested in God’s ways:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) 

The scriptures predict that the world will turn things upside down:

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; That put darkness for light, and light for darkness; That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) 

This is exactly what we are seeing in the world today. A wicked organization like Hamas is being defended by the Media, while Israel who is trying to defend itself is being condemned throughout the world. 

In fact, a first century Jew, the Apostle Paul wrote the following of the way the world would end up if it rejected the knowledge of God:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:28–32) 

The world does not like to retain God in its knowledge, and gullibly uses media manipulation to frame its morality.  The description in Romans fits what we are seeing today Hamas, the media who support it, and the UN have become “inventors of evil things.” One of the accusations is that they are “without natural affection” which is defined as heartless, or lacking normal human affection. This couldn’t more aptly describe a government that willingly sacrifices its own children to gain media attention. This is like the child worship of Molech performed by the ancient Canaanite nations inhabiting the same regions. Christian governments should not make the mistake of sanctioning child sacrifice and having “pleasure in them that do them”. 

The battle that is really raging is one for truth, as was pointed out by Netanyahu in 2012 when addressing a group of Israeli young people:

If I said what is the greatest battle we face, of course we live in a tough neighborhood, and we have to defend ourselves. We have the bravest soldiers in the world to do that. But the most important battle we have to fight is the battle for the truth, and all of you can become ambassadors for the truth, and ambassadors for Israel. 

Britain Defends Israel

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu address
address a press conference during Philips visit to Israel this week.

One of the bright sparks out of this whole conflagration has been Britain’s realization of Israel’s plight. When Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond visited Israel this week, he and Netanyahu held a joint press conference :

I think you as a representative of the UK, of Britain, have a special understanding, at least an historical understanding of what Israel is undergoing. There has only been one other instance where a democracy has been rocketed and pelleted by these projectiles of death, and that is Britain during WWII. Israel is undergoing a similar bombardment now. We are responding in our own way, by targeting the rocketeers and seeking to ferret out these terrorists, who are hiding behind civilians while firing at our civilians. This is a double war crime….

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond had the following to say:

I am here because the UK, along with the rest of the international community, is determined to do what it can to help to bring this current conflict to a quick end. Britain has been very clear, I have been very clear, Prime Minister Cameron has been very clear, that this current cycle of violence was triggered by Hamas firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns and cities indiscriminately, and in breach of international humanitarian law. Britain has also  been very clear that Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens…. 

Bible students have been expecting Britain to support Israel eventually, because she is the Merchant of Tarshish who is joined by the young lions of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States in opposing Israel’s invasion in the latter days, for we read: 

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13) 

Britain at times looses its way, and forgets what direction the prophets have pointed it in, but the angelic hand turns them around the job designated in the scriptures in the end. In America the House of Representatives approved a non-binding resolution backing Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks. 

What can we do. The most powerful weapon is prayer. James tells us, 

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) 

So we are instructed in the Psalms:

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, And prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.” (Psalm 122:6–8) 

So the duty of all Bible believers is to fervently make this prayer, continually:

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, Which shall never hold their peace day nor night: Ye that make mention of the LORD, Keep not silence, And give him no rest, Till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6–7) 

What we look forward to is the day when Moshiach, the Messiah is revealed, described by Isaiah:

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, Neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, And reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, And faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” (Isaiah 11:1–5) 

The Tel Dan Stela

The Tel Dan Stela


2Kings 9 v 1 to 29 describes the coup d’etat of Jehu, a Commander in the army of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He was prompted to move by the actions of Elisha the prophet of God. Elisha had sent an emissary from among the prophets to anoint Jehu as king. It appears that this action was a cementation of the inevitable because on hearing the prophets message from Jehu’s own lips the other commanders declare him as king.


The back story is that Joram and his ally Ahaziah of Judah were in a lull in their fight with Hazael king of Aram of Damascus.


So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had been defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria. But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.)” 2Kings 9 v 14-15


As a result of the insurrection, King Joram (also known as Jehoram) was killed by Jehu at Jezreel and Ahaziah was shot during his escape from Jehu’s men and died at Megiddo, before his body was transported to Jerusalem for burial.


The political context then is one of war between nations. Hazael of Syria is in a state of war with Israel. Joram of Israel has been wounded in battle in his fight with Hazael and Ahaziah his ally is with him to support him. This is the moment Jehu strikes and performs his successful revolt.


It is in the context of these events that the Tel Dan Stela was written. In the 1993/94 excavations at Tel Dan, the site of the ancient town of Dan, at the northern most tip of what was the northern kingdom of Israel, turned up two broken fragments of an inscription written in Aramaic. There are 13 lines of text visible, though parts are missing, these being broken pieces of a complete monument. A translation of the text is given below. Sections in square brackets are either reconstructions from missing areas of text or have been left blank to indicate breaks in the inscription
[ ]...[ ] and cut [ ]
[ ] my father went up [ ] he fought at [...]
And my father lay down; he went to his
[fathers]. Now the king of I[s]/rael had penetrated
into my father's land before. [But then] Hadad made me king,
And Hadad marched before me. So I went forth from [the] seven[...]/S
of my rule, and I killed [seve]nty kin[gs] who had harnessed thou[sands of cha]/riots
and thousands of cavalry. [And I killed ...]ram son of [...]
the king of Israel, and I killed [...]yahu son of [... the ki]/ng of
the House of David. And I made [their towns into ruins and turned]
their land into [a desolation ...]
others and [...Then...became ki]/ng
over Is[rael...And I laid] 13'. siege against [...]


As is common with many monuments from this period, the king is claiming numerous victories for himself. He is declaring his own greatness. The author describes himself as a king and claims his authority from the god Hadad, which identifies him as a Syrian King.


He is clearly at war with his neighbour Israel, who appears to be allied to the king of Judah, of the house of David. He claims to have killed two kings, one of Israel who’s name in only partly visible as […]ram and one of the house of David, again only part of the name is visible as [….]yahu (or equally rendered [….]iah.) There is only one king of all the kings of Israel who’s name ended in “ram” and that is Jehoram. Of the kings of Judah and of the line of David there are several kings who’s names end in “iah”, these are Ahaziah, Amaziah, Uzziah, Hezekiah and Zedekiah. Only Ahaziah fits the context, he being contemporary with and allied to Jehoram. All the other names appear too late in the history of Judah to qualify. It seems then inescapable that the author of the Stela was Hazael of Syria.


But what of Hazael’s claim to have finished Jehoram and Ahaziah? Surely this is at odds with the biblical record which records how is was Jehu’s mutiny that resulted in both kings death. There are several answers to this…
It was common for rulers to claim credit for another's actions, especially if it gave them extra gravitas.
Hazael may have considered the battle with Jehoram, where his enemy had been wounded, reason enough to claim he brought about the circumstances of Jehoram’s and Ahaziah’s death.
Hazael may have considered Jehu as a vassal and therefore claimed credit for anything that Jehu achieved.


There is another monument that fits the context of this one very well. That is the famous Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III. In one section it describes the tribute of Jehu king of Israel, an event that can only have happened in Jehu’s first year as king. It suggests he may have been seeking support from the Assyrian king in his fight against Hazael. In effect siding with the biggest bully in the playground. This was not a particularly unusual activity, Ahaz of Judah, did exactly the same thing with a later king of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser, when he was threatened by Israel and Syria.


“Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me." And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria.”
2 Kings 16 v 7 - 8


The House of David…


There is one other point of interest regarding the Tel Dan Stela, and that is it’s reference to the “House of David”. This fragment was found at a time when a scholarly argument was raging about whether the kingdom of David and Solomon had ever existed. What archaeological evidence there was, happened to be more circumstantial than direct. As a result some scholars who identified themselves as biblical minimalists suggested that the powerful united monarchy of David and Solomon was little more than legend and perhaps the monarchs had never existed. The Tel Dan Stela put paid to this notion with it’s clear reference to the line of kings descended from the House of David in Judah, written only 130 years after the death of king David and 90 years after the death of Solomon his heir.

FOUR BLOOD MOONS . . . A SIGN OF IMPENDING GLOBAL JUDGMENT ?

FOUR BLOOD MOONS . . . A SIGN OF IMPENDING GLOBAL JUDGMENT ?!?

As the first of Four Blood Moons passes , debate rages between believers & sceptics , whether the 2014 - 2015 Lunar Tetrad is a divine sign of the apocalyptic ' end times '.  Remarkably , each of these Blood Moon Lunar Eclipses fall on Jewish ' Holy Days ' but sceptics decry this fact , pointing to the Jewish Calender being based on the lunar cycle. There is also considerable dispute about past Tetrads falling around significant historical events of the Jewish nation , such as the Spanish Inquisition ,  the 1948 reformation of Israel  &  the 1967 ' Six-Day ' War.  However , there can be ' no dispute ' concerning  the massive global increase in earthquake & volcano activity in recent days ,  clearly foretold in the Blood Moon prophecies of Joel & Acts over 2,500 years ago.  These extra-ordinary astronomical events are ' NO ' co-incidence.  They are God's warning of geo-political events NOW unfolding ( involving - Russia , Iran , Europe , Western nations  &  the Middle East )  that will lead to God's divine judgment on mankind

Joel 2v1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion  &  sound an alarm in my holy mountain : let all the inhabitants of the land ( Israel ) tremble for ' the day of the LORD ' cometh , for it is nigh at hand   v20  But I will remove far off from you ' the northern army ' ( RUSSIA )  v30  I will shew ' wonders ' in the heavens  &  in the earth ;  blood  &  fire  &  pillars of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness  &  the moon into blood ,  BEFORE  the great  &  the terrible ' day of the LORD ' come.  And it shall come to pass , that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered : for in mount Zion  &  in Jerusalem shall be deliverance.

Russia, North Korea and World Peace

Russia, North Korea and World Peace

The whole World seems to be in a fix that would take an immense amount of work and co-operation to solve. There are few places where true peace can be found, many no longer trust Banks to keep their money safe and life in general is for many hard and stressful. This ought to make us think – ‘what will happen next, will the world as we know it pull through?’ Students of God’s Word, the Bible, however, need not to be concerned by such ‘portents of disaster’. The Lord Jesus told his disciples clearly that just before his return such troubles would arise and although one might say that his words could apply to any age, it seems clear that today’s sad world fits perfectly with the one the Lord Jesus describes.

Luke 21:9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Nation shall rise against Nation.

A good example of Nation rising against Nation is North Korea, who though relatively tiny and in the grips of a devastating famine, is belligerently challenging one of the world’s mightiest nations, the USA. Angry at UN sanctions following its nuclear test in February and the recent military drills in S Korea, N. Korea is now in a state of war with S. Korea and has threatened ‘merciless’ pre-emptive strikes against it and the USA. The final straw was the US sending nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers in a first ever firing drill over the Korean Peninsula. Just hours later the North cut its last- remaining military hotline with South Korea and put its rocket units on combat status with a threat of targeting US bases in the Pacific region. Their Parliament endorsed plans to give nuclear weapons greater prominence in the country's defences and a recent report states that more intermediate range missiles have been moved to its east coast and pointed towards the USA.

Let the weak say I am strong

North Korea’s preparations for war bring to mind the prophecy of Joel, who spoke of the time of the end when all nations would rise against Israel and be defeated at the battle of Armageddon.
Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
Here, North Korea could be classed as a weak nation preparing for war, beefing up its Nuclear potential and saying, in effect ‘I am strong’.

Wars and commotions

The Civil War in Syria goes on unabated with March being the bloodiest month so far. One of the factors which keeps the conflict going is the involvement of Russia and Iran on the side of Syria. It was to be expected that Russia would return to its old belligerent ways for it seems clear from Bible prophecy that Russia, as Gog, or King of the North, will be the leader of the army of nations which assembles in the Valley of Jehoshaphat to attack Israel at the Time of the End. 

In the prophecy of Daniel Ch 11:40 we read 
‘And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.’

It is significant that Russia is now using its ships to bolster its presence in the Middle East. Recently a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman stated that naval manoeuvres in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean would continue and that shortly 4 large Assault ships would also be sent. He stated ominously that the size of the group and the types of ships would depend on the situation there. The Black Sea is a strategic waterway connecting to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean. Countries with shoreline along the Black Sea include Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania, in addition to Russia which has been heavily involved in protecting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad . Late last year, as a protective measure, Turkey deployed a number of batteries of Patriot missile defence systems supplied by NATO allies including the USA along its border with Syria.

Surprise!

Another sign of preparation for war was the Surprise Military Exercise in the Black Sea personally authorised by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He phoned his Defence Minister at 4 in the morning with orders to activate 7,000 troops, 36 ships, up to 20 fighter jets and helicopters and 50 pieces of artillery in order to test battle readiness in the Black Sea. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, stated “We are talking about major exercises, intended as a check”; but it could be seen that such preparations are for aggression rather than defence.

Signs in the Sun and moon

The Prophet Joel also prophesied that the LORD ‘would shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.’ (Joel 2:30-31) and we have just experienced two such wonders; two very close shaves in the form of visitors from Outer Space. In early February a130, 000 ton asteroid brushed past the Earth at a distance of 17,000 miles, closer to the earth than some of our satellites; and just hours before, Russia had a close encounter with a 55 foot diameter meteor. It left a vapour trail across the sky in the Ural Mountains and exploded 15 miles above earth with a force 30 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb. It lit up the sky, caused shockwaves that injured 1,200 people and damaged thousands of homes, blowing out windows and setting off car alarms over a wide area. NASA scientists said the timing of the two cosmic events, both of which are unprecedented in modern times, was merely coincidental; even so it ought to make us pause to wonder if the Creator of the Universe is not telling us something!

What is the Creator of the Universe telling us?

The Creator of the Universe is the Maker of the Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars Gen1:

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Ps 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

As all things are therefore in His power and the lights in the Heavens (stars etc.,) are for signs, isn’t it possible, that when we have TWO meteors approaching the earth at the same time we should see this as a sign. Its interesting to consider the doubling up of this sign, for when Pharaoh received two dreams as messages from God, this is what Joseph told him Gen 41:32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. A sign then of trouble to come upon the world? And when one of them causes great fear and damage to Russia, Israel’s strongest enemy, maybe we are being given a warning that God is bringing about the time described in Joel and the return of Jesus.

Signs in the world

When God judged the world at the time of Noah and sent the Flood, it was because of mankind’s wickedness Gen 6:

5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth

Returning to Joel, we see that God’s Judgement will again fall again upon a world which has moved so far from the ways of mercy, love and truth which the lord Jesus preached in his Gospel.
Joel Ch 3 tells us of the gathering of the Nations against Jerusalem and God’s judgement, because of their wickedness.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

A way of escape

If the signs in the heavens and among warring mankind tell us that ‘The day of the LORD is near’ (Joel 314), what can we do about it? This was the first thing the Lord Jesus preached about when he began his ministry.
Mr 1:15 Saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
It is by repenting (having a change of mind and outlook); believing the Gospel of the Kingdom to come and being baptised that we can escape the calamities which are soon to fall upon this earth. And not only escape but also hope to reign with him over an earth which resembles the Garden of Eden before the fall. For those with such a hope, today’s troubles hold no threat but a promise of a glorious future, as the Lord Jesus said…
Lu 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Putin changes law to ease citizenship for Russian speakers

Putin changes law to ease citizenship for Russian speakers 

Reuters 21-Apr-14 

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved on Monday legal amendments to make it simpler for Russian speakers in the former Soviet Union to acquire Russian citizenship, the Kremlin said on Monday. 

The changes follow Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and tension in the largely Russian-speaking east of Ukraine. 

Have we finally found EARTH 2.0?

Have we finally found EARTH 2.0?

Astronomers discover first same-size planet in habitable zone that could support alien life

The first Earth-sized world in the habitable zone of a star has been found
Kepler-186f is 1.1 times the size of Earth and orbits its star in 130 days
The discovery was made by a team of scientists using the Kepler telescope
It could be the first planet found outside our solar system with liquid water
And it is the most likely place for alien life to exist that's been found so far
By Jonathan O'Callaghan

Published: 18:00 GMT, 17 April 2014 | Updated: 18:42 GMT, 17 April 2014

For decades astronomers have been searching for a world like our own outside the solar system that could host alien life.

And now astronomers have announced that they have found one - a planet 1.1 times the size of Earth orbiting a star just 490 light years away.

Called Kepler-186f, the planet is the first to be discovered with the right conditions for liquid water to exist on its surface, meaning it could support alien life as well.

Earth 2?  Kepler-186f

Astronomers have announced they have discovered a planet called Kepler-186f, artist's illustration shown. It is the first Earth-sized planet outside our solar system that has been discovered in the habitable zone of a star, which means it could have both water and life on its surface

The find was made by a team of astronomers led by Elisa Quintana of the SETI Institute at Nasa Ames Research Center, who pored through planetary data from Nasa’s Kepler space telescope.

To date, the telescope has found hundreds of planets, but most are uninhabitable worlds that are either too large or orbit too close to their host star to support life.

The discovery of Kepler-186f, therefore, is a big milestone in the field of planet hunting.

It is the fifth and outermost world of the planetary system around red dwarf star Kepler-186 and is almost certainly a rocky planet.

The find is significant because it is the first Earth-sized world we’ve found in the habitable zone of a star.

Habitable zones, also known as ‘Goldilocks zones’, are regions around a star where the temperature is just right for water to form.

Earth, for example, sits almost bang in the middle of our sun’s habitable zone.

Although previously we have found exoplanets (worlds outside the solar system) in these zones, none have been the same size as Earth.

As our planet is known to have life, it stands to reason that a similar planet may also be habitable.

This could make Kepler-186f the first world we’ve found that might host life as we know it.

It should not surprise us if God has many Earths scattered throughout His Universe.  What is God's Purpose with Earth is a Question that should be pondered by us ALL.  God has given us the anwer to this in His Word the Bible.

Gulf states reaches out to Egypt, Jordan to replace Qatar in alliance

Gulf states reaches out to Egypt, Jordan to replace Qatar in alliance 

GeoStrategy direct w/e 16-Apr-14 

Egypt and Jordan have been invited to join the Gulf Cooperation Council's military which has faced divisions over responding to Iran. 

Diplomatic sources said several GCC states supported expansion of Peninsula Shield to non-member states. They said the most likely candidates to the GCC military were Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. 

Peninsula Shield forces arrive in Bahrain to help quell anti-government demonstrations in March 2011.  AP/Ammar Rasool 

"It is clear to most members that Peninsula Shield requires support from other Arab states," a diplomat said. 

On April 1, Bahrain's parliament advanced legislation to invite Egypt and Jordan to Peninsula Shield. The bill, referred to parliament's Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security Committee, would require the approval of Bahrain's Cabinet as well as King Hamad. 

"There are political issues that are related to the formation of the GCC, and we have nothing against the idea in principle," Bahraini State Minister for Parliament Abdul Aziz Al Fadhel said. "But it has to go to the parliamentary committee for feedback." 

The sources said the Bahraini proposal was backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But they acknowledged that participation by Egypt and Jordan could take years. 

"Morocco could also join at a later stage, but it is too far away to be regarded as a priority," the source said. 

Bahrain has also approved proposals to standardize security in the six GCC states. But a security cooperation agreement signed by GCC leaders was rejected by Kuwait's parliament. 

"Legislation [to approve the GCC security pact] was referred to constitutional experts for a thorough review," Kuwaiti parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Hamdan Al Azmi said. 

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates was said to be considering the realignment of the GCC amid the crisis with Qatar. 

"This council will not be a substitute for the Gulf Cooperation Council, as it would be primarily of a military nature to form a coherent Arab force that responds to any harm against the aforementioned countries," UAE security chief Gen. Dahi Khalfan said. 

In an interview with CNN Arabic on April 4, Khalfan, regarded as the sounding board for the UAE leadership, said the UAE would join Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for a military alliance. He said the Gulf council would be bolstered by Egypt and Jordan, with militaries based on U.S.-origin combat platforms. 

Last month, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar, accused of supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood and Hizbullah. Since then, Khalfan has asserted that Qatar was actually part of the UAE. 

"Gulf cooperation will continue if Qatar tries to cause some trouble," Khalfan said. 

Regional diplomats said Khalfan's proposal reflected an assessment by Abu Dhabi and Riyad that Qatar would move closer to Iran, deemed the leading regional threat. They said this could end efforts to expand and enhance the GCC's Peninsula Shield as well as integrate such capabilities as ballistic missile defense. 

"The assessment is that Qatar would no longer be included in Gulf Arab defense, with Oman and even Kuwait playing a marginal role," a diplomat said. 

For his part, Khalfan, who predicted the GCC crackdown on the Brotherhood, said Egypt was needed to bolster Gulf Arab defense. He said Egypt, with the largest military in the Arab League, would play a major role in exercises and training. 

"The militaries of the countries that will make up the strategic council will conduct joint exercises to raise its readiness," Khalfan said. "We are seeking security and stability to defend ourselves."