Romans 1: The Reprobate Mind

Please take a gander over at Right Michigan.

Apparently, there was that spirit of antichrist in their last church service:

On Sunday morning, amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our President-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful church goers.

They did it with banners, chants, blasphemy, by storming the pulpit, by vandalizing the church facility, by potentially defiling the building with lewd, public, sex acts and by intentionally forcing physical confrontations with worshipers.

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Extremists Boast: Bash Back Lansing

Meanwhile, with the guards pre-occupied by the distraction, over a dozenqueers had put on their Sunday-best and infiltrated the church’scongregation.

A group stood up, declared themselves fags, and began screaming loudly.Upon hearing the loud interruption, other affinity groups went intoaction. A team that had been hiding under the pews in the closed-offbalcony dropped a banner and pulled back the curtains to reveal “IT’S OKAYTO BE GAY! BASH BACK!”.

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In the words of an atheist blogger: 'Know them by their deeds.'

Who Art Thou, Oh Son of Perdition

In 2 Thessalonians 2 we have Paul speaking of the time of the expected return of Jesus Christ. Paul mentions that such will not come ‘except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.’ Many believe this is the Antichrist to come.

Some have found the use of ‘the son of perdition’ by Paul in his description of such a one somewhat interesting. Paul says here in 2 Thessalonians 2 that this Wicked is ‘the son of perdition’ ‘whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.’

In Revelation 17, Scripture speaks of a beast, one which ‘was, and is not, and yet is.’ This beast, the Antichrist, ‘shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition.’ Notice it is declared unto John, this beast was in the past, is not in the present, yet will be in the future. So, apparently, this one which is to come has been beforetime, yet is not presently on the earth. But, we know with a surety this is not Christ Jesus, for this one cometh from ‘the bottomless pit’ ‘whose coming is after the working of Satan’ ‘to make war with the saints.’

Interestingly, the description ‘son of perdition’ is only used concerning one other person in Scripture. In John 17:12, Christ Himself declares, ‘While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.’

The one of whom Christ spoke was Judas Iscariot, the very betrayer, of whom Christ also declared was ‘a devil’ [John 6]. Interestingly, when Christ spoke to the Pharisees [John 8], He proclaimed ‘Ye are of your father the devil,’ but for Judas He claimed was a devil himself.

Revelation says this one ‘shall ascend out of the bottomless pit.’ We know from Scripture that this pit, hell, must have compartments. Debatable maybe by some the story of the rich man and Lazarus, along with Christ’s descending to the heart of the earth, but we also have mentioned the fallen angels bound by chains in 2 Peter 2 and Jude, and of Christ preaching to the spirits in prison in 1 Peter 3.

Noteworthy, when it comes to Judas Iscariot, Scripture says he went to ‘his own place.’ In fact, it says, ‘Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.’ [Acts 1]

Satan used Judas once before, is it possible that he may use Judas once again?

I am not claiming I know Judas Iscariot will ascend from his own place, from the bottomless bit, by the power of Satan to take the form of the Antichrist, but I sure do find some of these things quite interesting.

I believe Clarence Larkin makes mention of some of these things in his book on Revelation.

What say ye?

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Clarence Larkin's thoughts, here.
AW Pink's thoughts, here.

108 Year Old Rabbi Dies, Leaving Claim Jesus Is the Messiah

I was recently given an article, though it is from April 2007, whereby “one of Israel's most prominent rabbis” had apparently left a note proclaiming “Yehoshua, or Yeshua (Jesus), is the Messiah,” wishing it not to be read until one year after his death, at age 108.

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Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah’s name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid.

The Hebrew sentence (translated above in bold) with the hidden name of the Messiah reads: Yarim Ha’Am Veyokhiakh Shedvaro Vetorato Omdim

The initials spell the Hebrew name of Jesus, Yehoshua. Yehoshua and Yeshua are e‑ectively the same name, derived from the same Hebrew root of the word “salvation” as documented in Zechariah 6:11 and Ezra 3:2. ­The same priest writes in Ezra, “Yeshua son of Yozadak” while writing in Zechariah “Yehoshua son of Yohozadak.” ­The priest adds the holy abbreviation of God’s name, ho, in the father’s name Yozadak and in the name Yeshua.

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There seems to be some debate over the authenticity of the writing, for obvious reasons, but it appears that there is more evidence which points to its credibility than to it being a fake.

It also appears that:
“A few months before Kaduri died at the age of 108, he surprised his followers when he told them that he met the Messiah. Kaduri gave a message in his synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, teaching how to recognize the Messiah. He also mentioned that the Messiah would appear to Israel after Ariel Sharon’s death. (The former prime minister is still in a coma after suffering a massive stroke more than a year ago.)

Other rabbis predict the same, including Rabbi Haim Cohen, kabbalist Nir Ben Artzi and the wife of Rabbi Haim Kneiveskzy.”

I assume we will find out if this is so, but further in the article it mentions an interesting thought of Kaduri, concerning the Messiah. The Jews do not accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, nor the New Testament concerning Scripture, and it appears that this speaks more concerning the Antichrist than the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The claim here is that, “As leader, the Messiah will not hold any office, but will be among the people and use the media to communicate. His reign will be pure and without personal or political desire. During his dominion, only righteousness and truth will reign.”

Consider Scripture declares the Antichrist shall come in peaceably, assumingly bringing comfort and unity to the world.

It is also true that “It will be easier for non-religious people to follow the [m]essiah than for Orthodox people.” Simply because [1] the children of God (both Jew and Gentile believers) will have already been raptured, and [2] anyone left which the Spirit moves upon toward the Truth will deny the Antichrist the title of Messiah.

The further claim is, “The revelation of the Messiah will be fulfilled in two stages: First, he will actively confirm his position as Messiah without knowing himself that he is the Messiah. Then he will reveal himself to some Jews, not necessarily to wise Torah scholars. It can be even simple people. Only then he will reveal himself to the whole nation. ‑The people will wonder and say: ‘What, that’s the Messiah?’ Many have known his name but have not believed that he is the Messiah.”

It may be that the Antichrist does not know he is the Antichrist at first, as with Judas, but clearly after the first 3 ½ years, when Satan enters him, there will be no doubt. As he proclaims himself as God, peace shall turn into destruction. And most likely, “the wise Torah scholars” would see him as a fake, not having any true likeness to the Messiah of Scripture.

Interestingly, Scripture is clear as to the return of the Messiah (Christ), that He indeed knows who He is and will show Himself to both the Antichrist and the whole nation of Israel. For it is written:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

I can’t help but find it interesting that a Rabbi would name Jesus as the Messiah, but equally interesting is his professed understanding and description of things to come, which appear to point more toward the Antichrist than the Scripture’s account of the return of Jesus Christ.

Here is a link to some interesting information concerning the book of Revelation, by Clarence Larkin [1919]. He also has a needed “companion” study on the book of Daniel, and some interesting Charts.