Prophecies of Daniel: Why they point to us - Hal Lindsey - www.worldnetdaily.com and www.hallindsey.com
Two and one half millennia ago, a Hebrew prophet under forced exile to Babylon was given a panoramic vision of future history by God. The prophet, Daniel, recorded his visions in the book that bears his name.
Daniel's vision outlined the rise and fall of four successive world empires; the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persians, which later fell to Alexander the Great's Greek Empire, which then fell to Rome. Daniel foretold Rome's collapse, and its subsequent revival, concurrently with the restoration of Israel, at some point in future history.
But when Daniel was given the vision of events in the last days, the prophet was staggered at what he witnessed. Imagine, for a moment, being someone living in the sixth century before Christ and being given a peek at the world as it exists today. Then, having seen the unimaginable, Daniel was instructed to write down what he saw.
When Daniel emerged from the vision, the angel instructed him, "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
Daniel was dumbfounded.
"Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, 'My Lord, what shall be the end of these things?'" For the second time in the same chapter, the angel told Daniel, "The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Daniel 12:8-9 NKJV).
The prophecies of Daniel were indeed "sealed" for centuries following the Reformation. The early Reformation leaders like Luther and Calvin gave Daniel little attention, pronouncing both Daniel and Revelation either symbolic or allegorical.
But in this generation, the prophecies of both books are unsealed. Daniel's vision of a global government headed by a prince of a revived Roman Empire is all but fulfilled in this generation.
For the first time in 1,600 years, there exists a modern version of the old Roman Empire, although, as Daniel predicted, "partly strong and partly weak," compared to the iron of Imperial Rome.
There exists, for the first time since before the prophet Daniel was born, a geopolitical entity called "Israel." Neither existed until this generation. Israel was reborn in 1948. The Benelux Treaty that kicked off the unification of Europe was signed in 1948.
That same year, Bell Labs introduced the transistor, whose invention marked the birth of the Computer Age.
The angel told Daniel his vision would be unintelligible to generations other than the one to whom it was addressed, a generation whose hallmark would be that of ever-increasing knowledge.
Thanks to Bell Labs' 1948 invention, Moore's Law of Computer says that today's computers get twice as smart every 18 months to two years. That means we get twice as smart.
The angel also identified the generation of the time of the end as one in which "many would go to and fro" - the generation that witnessed the birth of rapid mass transportation.
According to World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan, "An outbreak or epidemic in one part of the world is only a few hours away from becoming an imminent threat somewhere else."
Chan specifically identified mass travel as facilitating the rapid spread of infectious diseases.
"No country can shield itself from invasion by a pathogen incubating in an airline passenger or an insect hiding in a cargo hold," Chan told Reuters.
She also warned that there was a good possibility of another major scourge like AIDS, SARS or Ebola fever with the potential of killing millions appearing in the coming years.
"Infectious diseases are now spreading geographically much faster than at any time in history," Reuters quoted the World Health Organization as saying.
"Faster than at any time in history," is the assessment of the most advanced medical technology the world has ever known, caused by our ability to "go to and fro" from one continent to the next - for the FIRST time in history.
"But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
Many run "to and fro," knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate, and more books have been written about the prophet Daniel in this generation than in the last 2,500 years combined.
What is that telling you?
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
WHO CREATED GOD ?
If God Created Everything, Who Created God?by Rich Deem
Introduction
Who created God? It is an age-old question that has plagued all those who like to think about the big questions. Having grown up as an agnostic non-Christian, it provided me with a potential reason why there might not be any god. Various religions tend to solve the problem in different ways. The LDS church (Mormonism) says that the God to whom we are accountable (Elohim) had a father god, then grew up on a planet as a man, and progressed to become a god himself. Many other religions have claimed that gods beget other gods. Of course the problem with this idea is who is the first god and how did he get here?
Christianity's answer
Christianity answers the question of who created God in the very first verse of the very first book, Genesis:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)
This verse tells us that God was acting before time when He created the universe. Many other verses from the New Testament tells us that God was acting before time began, and so, He created time, along with the other dimensions of our universe:
No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9)
The hope of eternal life, which God... promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2)
To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)
God exists in timeless eternity
How does this get around the problem of God's creation? There are two possible interpretations of these verses. One is that God exists outside of time. Since we live in a universe of cause and effect, we naturally assume that this is the only way in which any kind of existence can function. However, the premise is false. Without the dimension of time, there is no cause and effect, and all things that could exist in such a realm would have no need of being caused, but would have existed from eternity. Therefore, God created the time dimension of our universe specifically for a reason - so that cause and effect would exist for us.
God exists in multiple dimension of time
The second interpretation is that God exists in more than one dimension of time. Things that exist in one dimension of time are restricted to time's arrow and are confined to cause and effect. However, two dimension of time form a plane of time, which has no beginning and no single direction. A being that exists in at least two dimension of time can travel anywhere in time and never had a beginning, since a plane of time has no starting point. Either interpretation leads one to the conclusion that God has no need of having been created.
Why can't the universe be eternal?
The idea that God can be eternal leads us to the idea that maybe the universe is eternal, and, therefore, God doesn't need to exist at all. Actually, this was the prevalent belief of atheists before the observational data of the 20th century strongly refuted the idea that the universe was eternal. This fact presented a big dilemma for atheists, since a non-eternal universe implied that it must have been caused. Maybe Genesis 1:1 was correct! Not to be dismayed by the facts, atheists have invented some metaphysical "science" to attempt to explain away the existence of God. Hence, most atheistic cosmologists believe that we see only the visible part of a much larger "multiverse" that randomly spews out universes with different physical parameters.1 Since there is no evidence supporting this idea (nor can there be, according to the laws of the universe), it is really just a substitute "god" for atheists. And, since this "god" is non-intelligent by definition, it requires a complex hypothesis, which would be ruled out if we use Occam's razor, which states that one should use the simplest logical explanation for any phenomenon. Purposeful intelligent design of the universe makes much more sense, especially based upon what we know about the design of the universe.
Conclusion
God has no need to have been created, since He exists either outside time (where cause and effect do not operate) or within multiple dimensions of time (such that there is no beginning of a plane of time). Hence God is eternal, having never been created. Although it is possible that the universe itself is eternal, eliminating the need for its creation, observational evidence contradicts this hypothesis, since the universe began to exist only ~13.7 billion years ago. The only possible escape for the atheist is the invention of a kind of super universe, which can never be confirmed experimentally (hence it is metaphysical in nature, and not scientific).
Introduction
Who created God? It is an age-old question that has plagued all those who like to think about the big questions. Having grown up as an agnostic non-Christian, it provided me with a potential reason why there might not be any god. Various religions tend to solve the problem in different ways. The LDS church (Mormonism) says that the God to whom we are accountable (Elohim) had a father god, then grew up on a planet as a man, and progressed to become a god himself. Many other religions have claimed that gods beget other gods. Of course the problem with this idea is who is the first god and how did he get here?
Christianity's answer
Christianity answers the question of who created God in the very first verse of the very first book, Genesis:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)
This verse tells us that God was acting before time when He created the universe. Many other verses from the New Testament tells us that God was acting before time began, and so, He created time, along with the other dimensions of our universe:
No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9)
The hope of eternal life, which God... promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2)
To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)
God exists in timeless eternity
How does this get around the problem of God's creation? There are two possible interpretations of these verses. One is that God exists outside of time. Since we live in a universe of cause and effect, we naturally assume that this is the only way in which any kind of existence can function. However, the premise is false. Without the dimension of time, there is no cause and effect, and all things that could exist in such a realm would have no need of being caused, but would have existed from eternity. Therefore, God created the time dimension of our universe specifically for a reason - so that cause and effect would exist for us.
God exists in multiple dimension of time
The second interpretation is that God exists in more than one dimension of time. Things that exist in one dimension of time are restricted to time's arrow and are confined to cause and effect. However, two dimension of time form a plane of time, which has no beginning and no single direction. A being that exists in at least two dimension of time can travel anywhere in time and never had a beginning, since a plane of time has no starting point. Either interpretation leads one to the conclusion that God has no need of having been created.
Why can't the universe be eternal?
The idea that God can be eternal leads us to the idea that maybe the universe is eternal, and, therefore, God doesn't need to exist at all. Actually, this was the prevalent belief of atheists before the observational data of the 20th century strongly refuted the idea that the universe was eternal. This fact presented a big dilemma for atheists, since a non-eternal universe implied that it must have been caused. Maybe Genesis 1:1 was correct! Not to be dismayed by the facts, atheists have invented some metaphysical "science" to attempt to explain away the existence of God. Hence, most atheistic cosmologists believe that we see only the visible part of a much larger "multiverse" that randomly spews out universes with different physical parameters.1 Since there is no evidence supporting this idea (nor can there be, according to the laws of the universe), it is really just a substitute "god" for atheists. And, since this "god" is non-intelligent by definition, it requires a complex hypothesis, which would be ruled out if we use Occam's razor, which states that one should use the simplest logical explanation for any phenomenon. Purposeful intelligent design of the universe makes much more sense, especially based upon what we know about the design of the universe.
Conclusion
God has no need to have been created, since He exists either outside time (where cause and effect do not operate) or within multiple dimensions of time (such that there is no beginning of a plane of time). Hence God is eternal, having never been created. Although it is possible that the universe itself is eternal, eliminating the need for its creation, observational evidence contradicts this hypothesis, since the universe began to exist only ~13.7 billion years ago. The only possible escape for the atheist is the invention of a kind of super universe, which can never be confirmed experimentally (hence it is metaphysical in nature, and not scientific).
SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD........
Seek Ye First
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).
Our text for today has become a favorite memory verse for millions and has even been set to music by a number of artists. Indeed, its truth is of foundational importance. Let us look with care at what it says.
First, notice that the tense of the verb "seek" in Greek implies a command to establish an ongoing habit or life-style of "seeking" the things of the kingdom. We are commanded to put first things first on a continual basis and watch Him take care of the items of secondary interest.
We should strive to make His priorities our priorities -- to so mold our thinking by the Word of God that we think as He does on every issue. Our lives should exhibit the purity and righteousness that He exhibited when on earth. While it is true that we will never fully achieve such perfection this side of heaven, we should be striving, i.e., "seeking" to do so, by the power of His Spirit living in us.
The chapter surrounding our text is permeated by the concept of proper priorities in relation to pride (vv.5-8, 16-18), treasures on earth (vv.19-21), singleness of purpose (vv.22-23), serving two masters (v.24), or anxious thoughts about the future (vv.25-32,34). Remember, "your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" (v.32).
If we reverse the proper order, not only will we not attain kingdom priorities and His righteousness, but we will probably miss the secondary "things" as well. The word "added," a mathematical word, implies the prior existence of something to which other things can be added.
Surely in our "seeking" we should also adopt the prayer Jesus taught His disciples: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (v.10). JDM
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).
Our text for today has become a favorite memory verse for millions and has even been set to music by a number of artists. Indeed, its truth is of foundational importance. Let us look with care at what it says.
First, notice that the tense of the verb "seek" in Greek implies a command to establish an ongoing habit or life-style of "seeking" the things of the kingdom. We are commanded to put first things first on a continual basis and watch Him take care of the items of secondary interest.
We should strive to make His priorities our priorities -- to so mold our thinking by the Word of God that we think as He does on every issue. Our lives should exhibit the purity and righteousness that He exhibited when on earth. While it is true that we will never fully achieve such perfection this side of heaven, we should be striving, i.e., "seeking" to do so, by the power of His Spirit living in us.
The chapter surrounding our text is permeated by the concept of proper priorities in relation to pride (vv.5-8, 16-18), treasures on earth (vv.19-21), singleness of purpose (vv.22-23), serving two masters (v.24), or anxious thoughts about the future (vv.25-32,34). Remember, "your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" (v.32).
If we reverse the proper order, not only will we not attain kingdom priorities and His righteousness, but we will probably miss the secondary "things" as well. The word "added," a mathematical word, implies the prior existence of something to which other things can be added.
Surely in our "seeking" we should also adopt the prayer Jesus taught His disciples: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (v.10). JDM
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Why He (Jesus) Died......
Why He died... - Greg Laurie - www.worldnetdaily.com and www.harvest.org
The cross is en vogue today as a fashion accessory.
This symbol of the Christian faith emblazons shirts, purses and is even a popular tattoo design as well.
People wear crosses around their necks and have them hanging on the walls of their homes.
But I sometimes wonder if any of these people have any idea as to what the cross is all about or what it really represents.
Let me address that in a few words in this short column.
The cross is where everything was finished and where everything started.
Right before Jesus died, he said something of breathtaking importance. An eyewitness to his crucifixion wrote, "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30). This statement from the cross was not the whimper of a defeated man. No! It was the triumphant shout of victory of the Son of God. In Greek, the statement is one word, consisting of ten letters: Tetelestai. It means, "It is finished, it stands finished and it always will be finished."
Matthew's gospel tells us that Jesus shouted this word with a loud voice (Matt. 27:50). I call it the battle cry of the cross. It's as if Jesus was saying, "The war is over."
This word was not only heard by those who stood at the foot of the cross but also reverberated, no doubt, through both the hallways of heaven and the corridors of hell itself. In the presence of the Father, it was a cry of victory, marking the birth of a new covenant relationship between God and humanity. Man could now approach, speak to and know the God who created Him in a personal and close way.
"It is finished!" or "Tetelestai!" was a commonplace term in the first century. Workers used it when they had completed a job: "Tetelesai - I have finished the work you gave me to do." Jesus Christ had completed the job the Father had given him to do.
All of the Old Testament sacrifices were pointing to what Jesus would do on the cross. John the Baptist said of him, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). When Jesus died, his followers probably felt like they were finished. All their hopes and dreams were dashed as they looked at their dead leader hanging on that cross. But everything was proceeding as God had planned it.
The storm finally passed, the cup Jesus was given had been drained, the devil had done his worst and God had bruised him. The darkness had ended.
When you consider what Jesus went through on the cross, you may wonder, Why did he have to suffer and die like that? Was it really necessary?
Yes it was, for a number of reasons.
First, he suffered and died to show his love for us. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). If ever you're tempted to doubt God's love for you, look at the cross.
He also suffered and died to absorb the wrath of God. If God were not just, there would be no demand for his son to suffer and die. And if God were not loving, there would be no willingness for his son to suffer and die. But God is both just and loving. At the cross, God lovingly met his own demand for justice. We have sinned against and have offended God. So a just and loving God sent Jesus as the substitute for us. God's wrath that should have been placed on us was placed on him.
Conventional wisdom says God "grades on the curve." In other words, if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, then we're OK. But that's neither biblical nor true. If we are saved from the consequences of our bad deeds, it will not be because they weighed less than our good deeds. Salvation isn't attained by balancing records. It is only acquired by canceling records! This is why Jesus suffered and died for us. Colossians 2:13-14 says, "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was used against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."
Finally, Jesus suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification. "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him" (Romans 5:9).
Justification is a word that has basically lost it's meaning to most today. But is powerful, meaningful word that the Bible often uses to describe what God has done for the person who puts their faith in Him.
To be justified means to be forgiven of the wrongs we have done. In a legal sense, it means, "Just as if it never happened."
So, God not only forgives you of your debt, He also forgets what you have done. God says, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17).
One other thing about justification - It balances the spiritual and moral balance for us.
Imagine being in debt for $10 million. You had charged yourself into oblivion, and there was no conceivable way to pay back those debts. In fact, you have exactly $10.34 in your checking account. Now, imagine an anonymous billionaire heard about your situation and was in an especially good mood that day and said
"I'm going to pay off your debts." And then he pays off your debt of $10 million.
You would say, "Thank you so much! I can't believe that I'm now debt-free!"
But wait, there's more, as they say in those infomercials on TV.
Then your new billionaire buddy says, "I think you ought to go down and check your account balance." So you go down to your local ATM machine and check your balance. And then you see it: $20 million! Not only did he forgive you of a debt of $10 million and pay it for you, but he also put $20 million in your account!
Think about that for a moment. And then think about the fact that what God did for you is infinitely greater. He forgave you of all of your sin, and He placed the righteousness of Jesus Christ into your spiritual bank account. Now that's a lot to be thankful for. And it came as a result of God's most painful moment - upon the cross.
So, the next time you see someone wearing a cross, even if to them it's only a fashion accessory, remember, it means a lot more to you.
____________________________________________________________
The cross is en vogue today as a fashion accessory.
This symbol of the Christian faith emblazons shirts, purses and is even a popular tattoo design as well.
People wear crosses around their necks and have them hanging on the walls of their homes.
But I sometimes wonder if any of these people have any idea as to what the cross is all about or what it really represents.
Let me address that in a few words in this short column.
The cross is where everything was finished and where everything started.
Right before Jesus died, he said something of breathtaking importance. An eyewitness to his crucifixion wrote, "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30). This statement from the cross was not the whimper of a defeated man. No! It was the triumphant shout of victory of the Son of God. In Greek, the statement is one word, consisting of ten letters: Tetelestai. It means, "It is finished, it stands finished and it always will be finished."
Matthew's gospel tells us that Jesus shouted this word with a loud voice (Matt. 27:50). I call it the battle cry of the cross. It's as if Jesus was saying, "The war is over."
This word was not only heard by those who stood at the foot of the cross but also reverberated, no doubt, through both the hallways of heaven and the corridors of hell itself. In the presence of the Father, it was a cry of victory, marking the birth of a new covenant relationship between God and humanity. Man could now approach, speak to and know the God who created Him in a personal and close way.
"It is finished!" or "Tetelestai!" was a commonplace term in the first century. Workers used it when they had completed a job: "Tetelesai - I have finished the work you gave me to do." Jesus Christ had completed the job the Father had given him to do.
All of the Old Testament sacrifices were pointing to what Jesus would do on the cross. John the Baptist said of him, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). When Jesus died, his followers probably felt like they were finished. All their hopes and dreams were dashed as they looked at their dead leader hanging on that cross. But everything was proceeding as God had planned it.
The storm finally passed, the cup Jesus was given had been drained, the devil had done his worst and God had bruised him. The darkness had ended.
When you consider what Jesus went through on the cross, you may wonder, Why did he have to suffer and die like that? Was it really necessary?
Yes it was, for a number of reasons.
First, he suffered and died to show his love for us. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). If ever you're tempted to doubt God's love for you, look at the cross.
He also suffered and died to absorb the wrath of God. If God were not just, there would be no demand for his son to suffer and die. And if God were not loving, there would be no willingness for his son to suffer and die. But God is both just and loving. At the cross, God lovingly met his own demand for justice. We have sinned against and have offended God. So a just and loving God sent Jesus as the substitute for us. God's wrath that should have been placed on us was placed on him.
Conventional wisdom says God "grades on the curve." In other words, if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, then we're OK. But that's neither biblical nor true. If we are saved from the consequences of our bad deeds, it will not be because they weighed less than our good deeds. Salvation isn't attained by balancing records. It is only acquired by canceling records! This is why Jesus suffered and died for us. Colossians 2:13-14 says, "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was used against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."
Finally, Jesus suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification. "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him" (Romans 5:9).
Justification is a word that has basically lost it's meaning to most today. But is powerful, meaningful word that the Bible often uses to describe what God has done for the person who puts their faith in Him.
To be justified means to be forgiven of the wrongs we have done. In a legal sense, it means, "Just as if it never happened."
So, God not only forgives you of your debt, He also forgets what you have done. God says, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17).
One other thing about justification - It balances the spiritual and moral balance for us.
Imagine being in debt for $10 million. You had charged yourself into oblivion, and there was no conceivable way to pay back those debts. In fact, you have exactly $10.34 in your checking account. Now, imagine an anonymous billionaire heard about your situation and was in an especially good mood that day and said
"I'm going to pay off your debts." And then he pays off your debt of $10 million.
You would say, "Thank you so much! I can't believe that I'm now debt-free!"
But wait, there's more, as they say in those infomercials on TV.
Then your new billionaire buddy says, "I think you ought to go down and check your account balance." So you go down to your local ATM machine and check your balance. And then you see it: $20 million! Not only did he forgive you of a debt of $10 million and pay it for you, but he also put $20 million in your account!
Think about that for a moment. And then think about the fact that what God did for you is infinitely greater. He forgave you of all of your sin, and He placed the righteousness of Jesus Christ into your spiritual bank account. Now that's a lot to be thankful for. And it came as a result of God's most painful moment - upon the cross.
So, the next time you see someone wearing a cross, even if to them it's only a fashion accessory, remember, it means a lot more to you.
____________________________________________________________
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