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Thursday, May 19, 2011

What Happens on May 22, 2011?



In case you haven't heard, a man by the name of Harold Camping has predicted (in spite of Matthew 24:36) that the Rapture will occur on May 21, 2011.

And people are following him...I'm not kidding.

Folks are quitting their jobs, spending their savings, and staking everything on the belief that Harold Camping is right.

If you want to see how he thinks he got it figured right this time, then click HERE.

"This time?" you ask...



OH YEAH, THIS IS NOT HIS FIRST PREDICTION!





Camping made his first public prediction with his book entitled "1994?" (Go to Amazon.com and see it HERE) that was published in 1992.  Yet, he was unmoved by his first failed attempt which for all practical intents and purposes pretty much makes him a "false prophet"...

"when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."(Deuteronomy 18:22)

...or am I wrong?

And what about Camping's followers, or the "Happy Campers" as I like to call them?  Well, just watch the video below.


Did you hear what that one lady said?!?  She believed Camping's first prediction, and she's back following Camping on his second prediction!  It's hard to feel sorry for some folks, but I do feel sorry for all of the "Happy Campers".  Why?  Because this time things are a little different...




Worldwide Coverage, Baby!

I mean we've never seen it like this.  Back in 1992, the Internet was just a toddler.  The first actual webpage had just been published in 1991 for crying out loud, and it was only text--no graphics!

Snapshot of the first published webpage.


Up until 1994, the Internet was basically a network used for government business.

In 1995, "O'Reilly, Spry, etc announce 'Internet in a box' product to bring the Web into homes."  Internet was not accessible to the general public back in 1994 when Camping's so-called "prediction" fell flat on it's face, and I bet it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there was no YouTube, Yahoo Chat, Facebook, or discussion forums in 1995.  In 1995, the approximate number of Internet users was only estimated at 0.4% of the world population.  As of December 2010, that number had grown to 30.0% of the world population.



Camping has so much media coverage, and his "message" is being spread all over the world via the Internet.  You don't have to search very hard on any of the popular search engines to find some video, blog, news story, or discussion forum about Camping and his "prediction".  My point is that we've had false prophets in the past but never with this much worldwide coverage.

Almost 20 years have passed since the publishing of Camping's first book.  These days, you can't hardly find anyone that is not in some way connected to the Internet.  Even if a person doesn't have direct access to the Internet, they are most likely connected to it through other people.

I'll use my dad as an example.  The man doesn't use a computer or a cell phone and doesn't want either.  The only time he ever used one was when he worked for the government and had to key in the payroll info for the folks that worked for them--and he didn't want to use it then!  I remember him telling me more than once that it used to make him nervous because if he made one little slip-up then that means that someone might not get paid correctly and then he'd have to deal with one of his workers screaming wives when they called in to complain about it...I'm guessing he probably didn't make that mistake more than once. Ha!

Anyway, my dad doesn't want anything to do with computers or cell phones.  He doesn't care that he can get instantaneous information at anytime.  He doesn't care that he might have to walk a few miles to get to a payphone if his car breaks down on the road.  He does not want a computer or a cell phone...period.

Yet, he is indirectly connected to the internet because he has friends, family and others that actively use the internet.  I am one of those people that he connects to the Internet through.  He and I have a lot of the same interests about the biblical topics so if I see an interesting article, then I might print it for him to read.  Just how much difference is there between him reading that same article from the computer screen and a printed page in his hand?  Not much.  As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago he asked me to look up contact information one of his old Navy buddies.  Using the Internet, it didn't take me long to zero-in on his long lost buddy and get daddy the info that he needed.  My dad likes to keep up with world events to so he keeps up with the news.  Many times, news broadcasts and streamed across the internet from locations all over the world, and even if it weren't can you imagine how much research on the Internet and correspondence through email that takes place to put together a news story?  Dad is definitely connected to the Internet--just not directly.  And he's not the only one.

North Korea at night...no lights!


Think about folks in the poor areas of the world.  I'm talking about folks in poor countries and folks in isolated societies.  The folks in North Korea (isolated society) are connected to the internet.  How else did they launch cyber attacks on South Korea?



Zimbabwe is considered to be the poorest country in the world, but even they have their own ISP's (Internet Service Providers) and their own cellular services.  You would be hard pressed to find any part of this world where folks are not exposed to the internet in one form or another.




Which brings me to my next point...

Let's just look at how it's shaping up.  Camping has the world's attention.  Just read this article: "Is May 21, 2011 'Judgment Day'?".

People are interested for all kinds of different reasons...even if they are just waiting to watch Camping fail as is depicted in this article.

Some (Atheists and non-Christians) are gearing up to capitalize on Camping's failure.  Just check out this article.

Thanks to the Internet, there are folks all over the world who have heard or read about Camping, the preacher from America (America being considered by most of the world as still being the fountainhead of Christianity) who proclaims that the date of the Rapture is May 21, 2011.  The difference between Camping's first prediction about 1994 and his current prediction about May 21, 2011 is the expansiveness and pervasiveness of the Internet.  Most of these people who have heard about the May 21, 2011 prediction probably never knew who Camping was or heard of his first prediction about 1994 until just recently.  Some of these folks are considering making a decision for Christ.  Some of these folks are brand new Christians.  Some of these folks are Atheists, Muslims, Hindus, and any other belief you can think of.

Guess what happens to all of these folks on May 22nd, 2011 when Camping and the rest of his "Happy Campers" are still here on planet Earth??

Well, I guess I can't say what might happen to Camping.  If he survives, will he try to deceive the world with a third prediction?  Will the man learn??

Camping's followers will be poor (they quit their jobs!), disheveled, and ridiculed.  I cannot even begin to imagine the level of sneers, jeers, and overall mistreatment that these folks will receive on May 22, 2011.  Think about it.  These folks have no jobs, they will all realize that what they staked their lives on was a lie, and they will have zero credibility with anyone.  I can very easily see some of folks running off into obscurity, hiding from society, and unfortunately some of these folks are likely to commit suicide.  I hate to say that, and I don't wish that on anyone, but it would not shock me to read a news story about one of these poor souls deciding that they just can't take it any more.

Those who are considering making a decision for Christ may decide not to trust in the Lord.  I would hate to know that I caused someone to reject the Lord because of a promise that I made.

The brand new Christians who believe Camping may have their new faith decimated and turn away from the Lord.

Those of other religions and Atheists will feel that this is confirmation that they are correct in their own non-Christian beliefs.  This could be the act that emboldens them to lash out against Christianity even more so than before.

The bottom line to this whole fiasco is that this is that people are being deceived.  I don't just mean these poor souls who quit their jobs to follow Camping, but I mean the Church as a whole.  How much credibility will the Church lose as a result of this.  Not just here in America, but all over the world?  The idea of a Rapture (which is real and is coming...just not on May 21, 2011) will lose it's appeal.  Think about when you found out that that there was no Santa Claus, no Easter Bunny, no Tooth Fairy?  Those guys are known lies that people knowingly deceive kids with.

How did you feel when you found out that the Tooth Fairy was a lie?  I don't know about you, but it caused me to be skeptical about a lot of things--including the existence of God and His Son Jesus.  I mean if mom and dad lied to me about that, then what else had they lied to me about.  I had never actually seen the Tooth Fairy and now I find out that there is no such thing as a Tooth Fairy.  I had never seen God before.  Perhaps mom and dad had lied to me abotu Him too??

I thank God that He gave me an undying thirst for knowledge.  I say that because it took me years of questioning and research before I got all of this straightened out in my head.  I now know without a doubt that the Bible (Old and New Testaments and every verse out of all 66 books) is the infallible and inspired Word of the real and living God.  It is without error and without contradiction.  No other so-called "holy book" can stand up to it.

No other so-called "holy book" has the integrity.  
No other so-called "holy book" can withstand the scrutiny that the Holy Bible has.  
Lastly, no other so-called "holy book" is even in the same category as the Holy Bible.

Not the Vedas.  
Not the Kaballah.  
Not the Koran!

But not everyone is as convinced about the validity of the Holy Scriptures.  I'm not trying to showboat here.  I in no way consider myself a model Christian.  Far from it!  But there is nothing in this world or outside of it that can make me believe anything otherwise.  I've seen the truth.  I've tested it.  I've debated it.  I checked it out for myself, found it to be true, and I am not alone.  But these poor folks who are convinced that Camping is correct don't have that luxury.  Other Christians outside of Camping's group who are watching the approach of May 21, 2011 and hold their breath and secretly hope that he is right are about to lose a little something because they were foolish enough to put hope in it.  All of these folks (the "Happy Campers" and the secretly watching hopefuls) are all about to get their hot air balloons busted.  What's worse is that the Atheist, the Muslims, the Hindus, and everyone else are all waiting back down at ground-level to watch these people bounce and splatter after they plummet to the earth.  They're planning celebrations and preparing to wallow in the mess that is created by the demise of Camping's design.

Is Christian persecution about to get a whole lot worse?

This is a catastrophe, and it could have been avoided if these folks would have only taken seriously the Holy Bible that they claim to represent.  The words of our own Lord Jesus, the Messiah, our King said concerning this:

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
(Matthew 24:36)

Camping not only claims to know the day of the Rapture.  How foolish can someone be?

The worst part of this is not that Camping is trying to do what Jesus Himself has said Camping (or anyone else) cannot do.  The worst part is that people are being deceived all over the world.

That's what happens on May 22nd.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Blood Moons of Tevet



On December 21, 2010 (Tevet 14, 5771 in the Jewish calendar), there will be a full lunar eclipse.  A lunar eclipse is also know as a "blood moon" due to the red color that the Moon has from the shading the Earth gives it as the Earth comes between the Sun and the moon.

The eclipse begins on 12/21/10 at 1:33 am EST (12/20/10 at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the Moon. It takes about an hour for the "bite" to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes. If you're planning to take a look, then I recommend checking it out at 03:17 am EST (17 minutes past midnight PST) which is when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of blood red.

What does God say about the objects in the sky?
"Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. Then 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. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:14-18)
"Let them be for signs and seasons" God says.  The Hebrew word for "signs" in Genesis 1:14 is "אוֹת"  (pronounced "ōth") in Hebrew. The Strong's Concordance defines it as a "sign" or "signal", "a distinguishing mark", a "banner", a "remembrance", a "miraculous sign", an "omen", a "warning". The Strong's also says it can be considered as a "token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof"--not much gray area on this one. This literally means a "signal", a beacon or a monument. The idea here is that the Lord is trying to "signal" us, to get our attention. It is not only a signal, but a signal for a specific purpose. These signal His appointments that He has made with His people.

So, it is perfectly acceptable that we should consider what God places in the sky.  I mean those "wise men" from the east that saw the "star of Bethlehem" and knew without any doubt that the Messiah had been born. They went looking for the Messiah and found Him! How did they know what to look for in the sky to tell them that? Some say that these "wise men" had been trained by none other than the prophet Daniel to read the signs in the sky back when the Jews were in Persia.

If you have any doubts about the seriousness of the objects in our night sky, then please view the videos below:

The Legendary Saga of Jupiter and Saturn (part 1)

The Legendary Saga of Jupiter and Saturn (part 2)

The Legendary Saga of Jupiter and Saturn (part 3)




What is the meaning of this??
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'" (Zechariah 8:19)
In Jewish writings, a "blood red" Moon speaks of something bad to come, and a total Solar eclipse means bad things for the Gentile Nations. What the Lord is saying in Zechariah 8:19 is that He will turn those fast days of mourning, into days of joy for the nation of Israel. In other words, the rest of the nations will be judged during that time.

At NASA's "Eclipse Web Site", they list all of the solar and lunar eclipses spanning five millennium. Which is just a small sample demonstrating that the Lord is very mathematical and very precise in the way that He ordered the Universe. The eclipses (solar and lunar) happen on a very reliable and predictable schedule which means that with a little computer work, we can figure out precisely when the past eclipses have occurred and exactly when the future eclipses will occur. Of course, if you're an atheist, then the entire Universe is just a big accident and all of this "precision" doesn't really exist. Yeah, sure, and I am supposed to believe that a tornado can go through a junkyard and accidentally make a 1957 Chevy, right?

Mark Biltz explains this much better than I ever could, please view the below interview that he had with Gary Stearman and J.R. Church:


"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!" (Matthew 24:29-33)
The darkened Sun is a solar eclipse.  The Moon not giving light is a lunar eclipse.  The stars falling from heaven is a meteor shower.  Can anyone give another explanation?
"I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:2-7)
So, after the Sun turns black (solar eclipse), the stars fall (meteor shower/falling stars), and the Moon turns red (lunar eclipse) then the "sky recedes".  Perhaps our protective ozone layer is gone at this point exposing us to the direct effects of radiation in the Universe and the scorching sun?

Guess what?  The last in a series of solar eclipses that all occurred on the 1st of Av (Jewish calendar) concluded with the final eclipse on July 11 of THIS YEAR (Av 1 of the previous Jewish year), we're currently in the midst of a meteor shower, and we'll have a blood red moon lunar eclipse on 12/21/10.




Yeah...well, what's so special about 12/21/10?

Besides there being a lunar eclipse, 12/21/10 is also the day of the "Winter Solstice".  Besides being the time of the year when the heathens of the world howl into the midnight sky and talk to their dead relatives (I don't really know what they do...I'm just making stuff up here), there are some interesting things that are associated with this day.

The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the Sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2010 winter solstice will occur on December 21, at 6:38 pm EST.

BUT, it doesn't fall on any of the Jewish feast days. So, what day of the Jewish calendar does it fall on?  The 14th of Tevet is the answer.  Has anything significant happened with Israel on the 14th of Tevet?  Well, according to the "This Month in Jewish History" website...

14 Tevet 5501:  "Window Purim" or "Purim Chevron" in Chevron (Hebron), commemorating the miraculous discovery of a sack with 50,000 gold coins on a window sill in the synagogue, the exact amount the Pasha demanded in exchange for abrogating his expulsion order.

It is this day that I would like to examine more closely. On this day, it is reported that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob came to the rescue of the Jewish community of Hebron, after an evil Pasha (Ottoman ruler) imprisoned its leaders and threatened to sell the entire Jewish population into slavery and kill the Jewish leaders if they did not pay a sum of fifty thousand piasters within the month. The Jews fasted and prayed to God because they knew that it was impossible for them to raise this much money is such a short time.

The night before the due date for payment, the Pasha went to bed and was shocked to find three old men in his room. "Give us the bag with the fifty thousand piasters if you value your life," was their demand. Out of fear, he gave them the money, and the old men disappeared.  The Pasha woke up from the nightmare and blew it off.  He reassured himself that nothing had happened.

The next morning, he and some of his soldiers set out to collect his money from the Jews.  When they arrived at the Beth Hamidrash (a house of study) they banged on the door exclaiming, "Open the door for the Pasha!"

As they were going to open the door, one of the Jews saw a strange bag lying in the wash basin where the congregants washed their hands before entering the Beth Hamidrash--he could hardly lift it!

"I have come for the fifty thousand piasters which are due today," the Pasha demanded.  They handed over the bag to the Pasha, he shook with fear because this was indeed his bag of gold which he confessed that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had visited him in the night and took the bag of gold from him the previous night.

Then he said, "The Guardian of Israel does not sleep, and I beg you now to forgive me for my evil intentions. Pray for me and I promise I will never again attempt to do you harm in any way."

The Sephardic community of Hebron would celebrate this day to mark the great miracle which occurred.

You can read more about this at chabad.org.


This very well could have been Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but could it have been the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost instead?  You know, Abraham was visited by three strangers in Genesis 18 which turned out to be God.

Guess what? There was a lunar eclipse on the 14th of Tevet 5501! 14 Tevet 5501 is January 2nd, 1741.

"But, the lunar eclipse was on January 1st, 1741 according to the NASA website!", you say.

Yep, that's what NASA says.  Go check it out for yourself right HERE. But if you will notice, the "TD of Greatest Eclipse" (the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow cone passes closest to Earth's center) occurred at 23:47:06 which is six seconds after 11:47pm on 01/01/1741.  We have to remember that all Jewish days begin the evening before the date specified on most calendars. This is because a Jewish "day" begins and ends at sunset, rather than at midnight. If you read the story of creation in Genesis Ch. 1, you will notice that it says, "And the evening and the morning were the first day." From this, we infer that a day begins with evening, that is, sunset. So, at 11:47pm on 01/01/1741 is after sunset and considered 14 Tevet 5501.  Not only that, but 11:47pm on 01 January 1741 is 6:45am on 14 Tevet 5501 in Israel!



A Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse...How rare is that?

Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory inspected a list of eclipses going back 2000 years. "Since Year 1, I can only find one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is 1638 DEC 21," says Chester. "Fortunately we won't have to wait 372 years for the next one...that will be on 2094 DEC 21."

See an animated map of the Solstice Lunar Eclipse HERE.

Now, keep in mind that, just like in my other writings, I am exploring possibilities here.  And since Israel had bad occurrences associated with Av 1 (where we have 3 recent solar eclipses--see the Mark Biltz video near the top of this posting) which do not fall on any Jewish feast days but is still considered as a significant "sign" in the heavens.  This being so, I see no reason why we cannot also consider any events associated with a lunar eclipse that has occurred on a Winter Solstice.  If anyone can give me a reason not to pursue this, then please let me know at watchman.rayburn@gmail.com ok?

We've already quoted Geoff Chester as saying that the only other occurrence of a solstice lunar eclipse that he could find was 12/21/1638.  You can go to the NASA website where they have it catalogued HERE.  I plan to search this out for any other occurrences of a solstice lunar eclipse, but I wanted to get this out on my blog as quickly as possible.  Don't worry, if I find any others, then I will post an update.

Before we go any further, we must consider the "Saros cycle". The Saros cycle is an eclipse cycle with a period of 223 synodic months (approximately 6585.3213 days, or nearly 18 years 11 1/3 days), that can be used to predict eclipses of the Sun and Moon. One cycle after an eclipse, the Sun, Earth, and Moon return to approximately the same relative geometry, and a nearly identical eclipse will occur. A series of eclipses that are separated by one Saros cycle is called a Saros series.

As you all probably know, the Jewish calendar observes 360 days per year while our more commonly used Gregorian calendar observes a 365-day year.  As you can probably guess, just because the 21st of December 2010 is the 14th of Tevet 5771 this year, it won't be next year.  Because of the difference in the number of days per year that each calendar observes, they separate by a factor of about 5 days at the same time the next year, about 10 days the year after that, and so on. To put it short, these two calendars don't get on the same page every often.

On top of that, let's consider this whole Saros cycle thingy.  How often do you think Mr. Saros, Mr. Gregorian, and Mr. Jewish calendar all meet up for lunch?  How often do you think they've all met on Winter Solstice?  Forget it, I'm not doing the math.  If anybody figures it out, then let me know, but I am not putting my poor little mind through that.

Now, what is the Jewish calendar date for 12/21/10 of our Gregorian calendar?  As we already said, the 21st of December 2010 is the 14th of Tevet 5771. Ok, so what is the Jewish calendar date for 12/21/1638 of our Gregorian calendar?

21st of December 1638 = 14th of Tevet 5399
21st of December 2010 = 14th of Tevet 5771

Both of these lunar winter solstice days are on the 21st of December AND the 14th of Tevet!  Mr. Saros, Mr. Gregorian, and Mr. Jewish all met!  Check it out the dates for yourself at Hebcal Jewish Calendar.  A very rare occurrence indeed!



So what happened on 14 Tevet 5399???

Nothing!  Well, nothing of historical significance that I could find.  Believe me, I looked...

However, two days later on 16 Tevet 5399 (December 23, 1638) we have what the Jews have called the "Baghdad Purim". At this time, the Turkish leader Sultan Murad IV conquered Baghdad from other Persians with the help of the Jews. The day was celebrated as a Yom Ness (a day of miracles). In general, when the Ottomans ruled the city, life for its Jewish residents improved. When the Persian Shiites ruled the city the situation was very difficult to say the least.

Now, I may be just spit-balling here, but if Turks and the Jews got together to defeat the Persians on 16 Tevet 5399, then I don't think it would be too far-fetched to think that the Turks and the Jews had planned this attack from at least 14 Tevet 5399. I'm not a betting man, but I think it is highly unlikely that they formulated their attack strategy and executed it all on the same day (16 Tevet 5399). I mean we're not talking about two armies meeting together on the battlefield in a war that is already in progress. This was an attack to depose at ruling army from Baghdad where they had been dug-in for years prior. You don't just waltz into Baghdad and take it over in one day. It didn't happen that way for America in "Operation Iraqi Freedom", and I sincerely doubt that it happened that way on "Baghdad Purim" also.



Are there any others?

So far, we've uncovered two days that are considered "miraculous" by the Jewish people in close proximity to 14 Tevet--one in 5399 and the other in 5501 of the Jewish calendar that are associated with a lunar eclipse.  Are there any others?

14 Tevet 5675 (January 1, 1915) Jews of Laibach, Austria expelled. (No lunar eclipse in Tevet of 5675. The nearest lunar eclipse was on January 31, 1915 which is 16th Sh'vat 5675 in the Jewish calendar.)

14 Tevet 5731 (January 11, 1971) Population of Eretz Yisroel reached three million. (No lunar eclipse in Tevet of 5731. The nearest lunar eclipse was on February 10, 1971 which is 15 Sh'vat 5731 in the Jewish calendar.)

But there is a very well-known fast day amongst the Jews that is observed every 10th of Tevet.  This fast is done in remembrance of the destruction of the very first temple and the exile of the Jews from the land of Israel and Jerusalem — it all started on the 10th of Tevet with the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. So, both of these dates and their miraculous events (14 Tevet 5675 & 14 Tevet 5731) could be easily associated the with destruction of the first temple, but it just doesn't seem likely.  Maybe I'm just not seeing it correctly, but these two days (14 Tevet 5675 & 14 Tevet 5731) of "miracles" just don't seem to go into the same category as the day that the king of Babylon came to destroy the Jewish temple, kill the Jews, and take the Jewish people into exile.  Call me crazy, but their is a clear distinction between days of "miracles" and days of "destruction".  I guess the lowest common denominator that these have are that all of these days are considered days that God greatly intervened in the lives of the Jewish people.



What will happen on 14 Tevet 5771?

14 Tevet 5399 = 21 Dec 1638 ("Baghdad Purim")
14 Tevet 5501 = 01 Jan 1741 ("Chevron Purim")
14 Tevet 5771 = 21 Dec 2010 ("??????? Purim")???

Could this be the Rapture? Yes, it "could be", but I ain't no stinkin' "date setter" for the Rapture, comprende?  But let's just suppose that it is indeed the prelude to the Rapture.  What can we expect after that??
"After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.' And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed [...] After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:1-10)
The ellipses above in brackets "[...]" are mine.  I put them there for the sake of time in reading.  Basically it says that 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel were sealed.  However, the tribe of Dan is conspicuously absent which is another off-topic yet highly relevant "can of worms" that we don't have time to discuss here.  I highly recommend "Daniel Reveals the Bloodline of the Antichrist" for anyone wanting to delve into this subject.

Then the wind stops blowing but no harm will come to the earth, the sea, or the trees until what?  Until the Rapture!  The servants of God will be sealed.


And in case anyone doubts that this is the Rapture, then see here where these folks are identified:
"Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?' And I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' So he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'" (Revelation 7:13-14)
Who are those who have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb"?  Those who believe in Jesus ("Yeshua" in Hebrew) as their Lord and Savior!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

The Bible is self-explanatory if we'll only allow the Holy Ghost to lead us in our study.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

It's STILL Not The Economy...

This is a follow up to It's NOT The Economy, Stupid!

God keeps His promises. If you want to know why America is in such bad shape as it is now, then you have to look no further than how seriously America takes God's promises.

The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon preached a message on "The Judgment of the Nations" on July 12, 1885. Excerpts of Spurgeon’s message follows:
"There is a judgment also passing upon nations, for as nations will not exist as nations in another world, they have to be judged and punished in this present state. The thoughtful reader of history will not fail to observe, how sternly this justice had dealt with empire after empire, when they have become corrupt. Colossal dominions have withered to the ground, when sentenced by the King of kings. Go and ask to-day, 'Where is the empire of Assyria? Where are the mighty cities of Babylon? Where are the glories of the Medes and Persians? What has become of the Macedonian power? Where are the Caesars and their palaces?'"
"The omnipotent, Judge has not ceased from his sovereign rule over kingdoms, and our own country may yet have to feel his chastisements."
"What is there about London [or the United States] that it should be more enduring than Rome? What are we? What is there about our boastful race, whether on this side of the Atlantic or the other, that we should monopolize the favour of God? If we rebel, and sin against Him, he will not hold us guiltless, but will deal out impartial justice to an ungrateful race." (Charles Spurgeon, Judgment of the Nations, July 12, 1885)

We need to send a strong, clear, and focused message to our leadership that they need to STOP MESSING WITH ISRAEL! We have no business telling Israel what to do with what God has unquestionably given to them. If anything, we need to tell Israel to do as they will with the situation, and if they want our help then we are here and ready to help. Just lead the way, Israel!

I fear, to the inner-most part of my being, what God will do to America if we continue to try to divide His land and endanger His people.

Send an email to your representatives in Congress--mail them a letter or call them! Do the same for the President! Urge them not to subject us to God's punishment by harming Israel.

Go here or here (bottom of the webpage) to find out how to contact your Congressman/Congresswoman.

Email the President at president@whitehouse.gov

Don't wait! For the love God and your country, do it now!

Before proceeding let us clarify who truthfully owns the Gaza Strip and West Bank. God does. He calls it "My land". Joel 3 deals EXACTLY with this issue. The Lord clearly states in no uncertain terms, He will "plead" with the nations such as the United States that "scatters" Israel and "parts His land". That is as much the Word of God as John 3:16. And the United States is not exempt – "all nations" means "all nations".
"I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3)
"I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." (Genesis 15:7)
"On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates'" (Genesis 15:18)
"'And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.' And God said to Abraham: 'As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.'" (Genesis 17:7-9)
"Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.'" (Genesis 17:19)
"The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me." (Leviticus 25:23)
"He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance'" (Psalm 105:7-11)
"For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion." (Isaiah 34:8)
"And they shall not sell or exchange any of it; they may not alienate this best part of the land, for it is holy to the LORD." (Ezekiel 48:14)
"I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land." (Joel 3:2)
"For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.'" (Zechariah 2:8-9)

And for those of you who think "the land of Israel" became unimportant since the New Testament – think again. Galatians 4 deals with "the land". And the Lord says clearly and plainly, the land belongs to Isaac – not the Arabs.
"For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar - for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: 'Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.' Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? 'Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.'" (Galatians 4:22-30)
All of this belongs to Israel!

This takes up not only the modern-day borders of Israel, but also part of Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Today, Israel only inhabits approximately 25% of the land that God promised and gave to Israel. By the way, God still recognizes this land as belonging to Israel today for any of you who doubt. God keeps His promises.

All I can say, folks, is to pray for our leaders and tell them to STOP TRYING TO DIVIDE ISRAEL! And if you think the world is in bad shape now, then you just watch as this suicidal "roadmap to peace" unfolds into the "roadmap to hell on earth" that it really is.

J.R. Church and Gary Stearman from Prophecy in the News interviewed David Brennan about his book entitled "The Israel Omen". You can view that interview below.

"The Israel Omen" Interview with David Brennan (part 1 of 2)

"The Israel Omen" Interview with David Brennan (part 2 of 2)

David Brennan references and gives credit to William Koenig who is the author of a book entitled "Eye to Eye" where you can read even more on this subject. Both of these gentlemen completed some excellent work in including research and maticulous documentation of their findings. The video below is a speech that William Koenig gave at the end of 2008 concerning the current events of that time and how they related to the nations of America and Israel.

"God's Covenant Land" by William Koenig

Below is just a portion of the great research that author William Koenig put together to demonstrate the validity of God keeping His promises. You can read more about this from Bill Koenig's book entitled "Eye to Eye".


1991


1991 30 October - President George H. W. Bush promoted and proudly signed the infamous Oslo Accord at the Madrid Peace Conference on October 30, 1991. The Oslo Accord was labeled a "Land for Peace" accord that demanded Israel award their land to the Palestinian murderers and terrorists in exchange for peace. The perverse Oslo proposition was simple: give us your land and we’ll stop killing you.

1991 31 October - On the next day, a very rare huge storm starting in the north Atlantic, moving east to west (wrong direction for storms to move - although in the Bible, the Holy Spirit and history move east to west). This storm was so unusual and contrary to "mother nature" it was immortalized by the book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and later a popular movie. Amazon says of the book The Perfect Storm, "Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard in October 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. For everyone else, it was perfect hell. In The Perfect Storm, author Sebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the "storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the people caught in it." Interesting, one of the first places The Perfect Storm hit was Kennebunkport, Maine. Waves over 30 foot demolished the home of guess who – President George H. W. Bush, the instigator of the Oslo Accord.


1992


1992 23 August - A year later, President George H. W. Bush literally picked up the pieces from Oslo attempting to rob Israel again. Meeting in Washington D.C. Bush and crew again attempted to "sell" the fictitious Madrid "Land for Peace" agreement. On the very same day, Hurricane Andrew smashes and crashes into Florida. Andrew causes over $30 billion in damage while destroying over 180,000 homes. At that time, Andrew was the worst natural disaster ever to hit America.


1994


1994 16 January - President Bill Clinton meets with terrorist and Israel hater Syria's President Hafez el-Assad in Geneva. They talk about a peace agreement with Israel that includes Israel giving up the Golan Heights.

1994 17 January – In less than 24 hours, a powerful 6.9 earthquake rocks Southern California. This mysterious quake, centered in Northridge, is the second most destructive natural disaster to hit the United States, behind Hurricane Andrew.


1998


1998 21 January - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Clinton at the White House and is coldly received. Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright refuse to have lunch with him. After Clinton’s rejection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, later the very same day, the Monica Lewinsky scandal breaks out, destroying the Clinton presidency and resulting in calls for his impeachment.

1998 28 September - Secretary of State Madeleine Albright finishes the final details of an agreement which requires Israel to surrender 13 percent of Yesha (Judah and Samaria). President Bill Clinton meets with Yasser Arafat and Netanyahu at the White House to finalize another Israel "land for peace" hoodwink. Later, Arafat addresses the United Nations and declares an independent Palestinian state by May 1999. On the same day, Hurricane George blasts the Gulf Coast with 110 mph winds and gusts up to 175 mph. The hurricane hit the coast and stalled until the agreement was finalized and Arafat addressed the UN. Then it hit and caused $1 billion in damage. At the exact time that Arafat departs the U.S., the storm begins to dissipate.

1998 15 October - Arafat and Netanyahu meet at the Wye River Plantation in Maryland. The talks are scheduled to last five days with the focus on Israel giving up 13 percent of Yesha. The talks are extended and conclude on October 23.

1998 17 October – Two days later, heavy storms and tornadoes hit southern Texas. The San Antonio area is deluged with rain. The rain and flooding in Texas continue until October 22 and then subside. The floods ravage 25 percent of Texas and leave over one billion dollars in damage. On October 21, Clinton declares this section of Texas a major disaster area.

1998 30 November - Arafat arrives in Washington again to meet with President Clinton to raise money for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital. A total of 42 other nations were represented in Washington. All the nations agreed to give Arafat $3 billion in aid. Clinton promised $400 million, and the European nations $1.7 billion. On the same day, the Dow Jones average drops 216 points, and on December 1, the European Market had its third worst day in history. Hundreds of billions of market capitalization were wiped out in the U.S. and Europe.

1998 12 December - President Clinton arrives in the Palestinian-controlled section of Israel to discuss another "land for peace" fiasco. On the same day, the U.S. House of Representatives vote four articles of impeachment against President Clinton.


1999


1999 3 May - Yasser Arafat schedules a press conference to announce a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital. On the same day, the most powerful tornado storm system ever to hit the United States whips through Oklahoma and Kansas. The winds are clocked at 316 mph, the fastest wind speed ever recorded. Arafat postpones his announcement to December 1999 at the request of buddy President Clinton. In his letter to Arafat, Clinton praises and encourages Arafat for his "aspirations for his own land."


2001


2001 8 June - President George W. Bush sends Secretary Tenet to Jerusalem to promote his "Roadmap to Peace," the continuation of the failed Oslo Accord.

2001 8 June – Tropical storm Allison hits Texas the home state of President George .W. Bush. Allison causes over $7 billion in damage and closes George Bush Airport for two days. Allison continues for five long days. When Tenet leaves Jerusalem, Allison settles down.

2001 23 August - President George W. Bush rips Yasser Arafat on CNN. Bush suggests that Arafat "put 100% effort into stopping terrorism" if he wants Israel to negotiate. Saudi leader Abdullah is incensed. He tells Ambassador Bandar to immediately leave the U.S. because Bush supports Israel.

2001 27 August - On his way out, Bandar meets with Condi Rice while Bush is on vacation. Bandar tells Rice how unacceptable Bush's comments were, threatens to withhold oil, and says that he's leaving in disgust. Condi reports to President Bush, who immediately issues a written letter to Bandar stating that "Palestinian people have the right to live in their own state in their own homeland."

2001 7 September - Eleven days later, a jubilant Bandar returns to America and meets with Bush, Cheney, Rice, and Powell to hammer out the details and announce to the world the creation of the Palestinian State. The negotiations and details continue until September 9 2001.

2001 10 September - Bandar and crew finish President Bush's plans to create a Palestinian nation in Israel in 2005. Bandar calls his offices to inform them the agreement is finally finished.

2001 11 September - The very next day, terrorists explode into the World Trade Center. 8:45 a.m. (EDT) American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes and explodes into the north tower of the World Trade Center. 9:03 a.m. (EDT) United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes and explodes into the south tower of the World Trade Center. Both Towers come crashing down. Flashed across televisions around the globe, the world witnessed the greatest terrorist act in history. Over 2700 people die in a few short minutes. 9:43 a.m. (EDT) American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.


2005


2005 June 4 - At the Mideast summit in Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas took the first tentative verbal steps toward a peaceful resolution of their longstanding and bloody conflict. Under pressure from President Bush, Mr. Sharon pledged to begin dismantling some "unauthorized outposts" of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Mr. Abbas declared for the first time that "the armed intifada must end."
(http://www.wcpeace.org/israel-palestine.htm)

2005 August - During the month of August 2005, with unparalleled pressure from the United States – dreaded D-Day came. Over 8500 begging Jewish settlers were forcibly removed from the Gaza Strip. I watched in unbelief as the Jewish people were crying and pleading to remain in their houses and land. The Israeli soldiers came and literally dragged them from their houses. At the orders of the United States and against the protests of the Israeli government, bulldozers came and demolished their homes. The land was then given to terrorists who celebrated and shouted, "Death to Israel!" US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told BBC News, "Jewish homes in the Gaza Strip will be destroyed when Israel pulls out its troops and settlers. The view is that there are better land uses for the Palestinians to better address their housing needs," adding that the parties would "work towards a plan for destruction and clean-up." After the Gaza Strip debacle, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice immediately began urging Israel to vacate the West Bank, "Everyone has compassion for what the Israelis are going through right now, but it can't stop with the Gaza Strip." The hypocrisy and hostility towards the nation of Israel by the Bush administration is unparalleled in U.S. history. Violently removing the Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, then giving the land to the terrorists and murderers of Israeli children equates to Bush giving Florida to Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. Why didn’t President Bush give Saddam Hussein the land of Texas instead of bombing Iraq? That would be more logical than demanding Israel to forfeit a strategic defense area of the Gaza Strip and West Bank to vicious killers that hate and kill the Jews.

Over the last week, emotional scenes of Jewish settlers being forcibly removed have dominated the television headlines. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has talked of how these have been the "saddest days" of his life, and the words "pogrom" and "dispossessed" have slowly slipped into the language of many newspaper reports.

2005 19 August - The Palestinian Authority and the United States want the pullout to be the beginning of the "road map" peace process, meant to bring about an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

2005 23 August - Israel completed the evacuation of the Gaza Strip and gave it to the Palestinians. The Gaza Strip evacuation came directly from President Bush's "Roadmap to Peace." As my wife and I watched the pleading Jews dragged from their homes and land, I said, "God is not pleased with this. Somebody’s gonna pay big-time for this. God might start destroying some homes and running some people out of their land." And somebody did...and boy did they. The same day, Tropical Storm Katrina appears in the Atlantic below the Bahamas. From her beginning meteorologists stated the U.S. had nothing to fear. Katrina packed little punch, plus the computer forecasts kept Katrina calmly corralled in the Atlantic. Defying the computer models, Katrina turned south-east, scraped the south tip of Florida and then with the vengeance of a runaway freight train Katrina took an unexpected turn into the warm Gulf Coast. Meteorologists tracking Katrina’s unusual path labeled Katrina one of history's most bizarre hurricanes.

2005 29 August - Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans. Katrina raced directly toward New Orleans, harnessing deadly strength every moment. Literally recording wind strength "off the scale" On Monday, August 29, the nation watched in horror as deadly Katrina slammed and slaughtered the fragile Gulf Coast. Destructive Katrina left beautiful homes as piles of worthless rubbish. Deadly Katrina tossed bodies like litter along the highway. When Katrina ended her deadly mission America suffered the worst disaster in her storied history. As I saw the thousands of homes destroyed, my mind kept going back to those U.S. ordered bulldozers destroying the Jewish homes in the Gaza Strip. As I saw the thousands and thousands of United States citizens being evacuated from their land, my mind could not keep from remembering the Jewish people crying and literally begging to stay in their land. America found no mercy for the Jewish people. With no mercy, Katrina completely "bulldozed" tens of thousands of homes. Katrina completely "evacuated" the celebrated city of New Orleans. Hundreds of thousands are homeless, helpless and hopeless. The greatest displacement of U.S. citizens in history occurred. Over 10,000 people are estimated dead. Over 400,000 jobs were wiped out. President Bush has requested $50 billion from Congress for the first round of Katrina’s expensive bill. Estimates put Katrina’s final bill – over $150 billion. Most reporters described the aftermath of New Orleans worse than anything they’ve ever seen.

2005 7 September - The Gaza withdrawal was backed by the U.S. government. Some Middle East analysts and senior Israeli politicians entirely attributed the evacuation plan to pressure coming from the American establishment. "I welcome the disengagement plan," stated Bush immediately following the announcement of the Gaza evacuation. "These steps will mark real progress toward realizing the vision I set forth in June 2002 of two states living side by side in peace and security." (Worldnetdaily, "Did God send Katrina as judgment for Gaza?", http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46178)


2008


2008 January - The U.S. tornado season began in early January at the time of Bush’s preparation for his trip to Israel and during his visit to Israel. In the year 2008 there was a total of 2,127 tornadoes through November (NOAA), the most-ever recorded in one year.

2008 January 4-5 - Bush had multiple interviews with Israel and Middle East news services prior to his trip. He declared his commitment to Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. There were hurricane force winds in California and Nevada. Two million households and businesses lost their power due to the winds. Floods in Nevada. President Bush later declared a major FEMA disaster for Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska for the period from Jan. 7-11.

2008 January 8 - Bush left for Israel. A tornado hit Jerusalem, Arkansas, that morning. The Midwest experienced 38 tornadoes from Jan. 7-11.

2008 January 9-11 - Bush and Rice were in Israel to meet with the Israelis and the Palestinians.

2008 January 10 - Major fog in Jerusalem and Ramallah on the morning of the Bush-Abbas meeting. Bush forced to take 34-car caravan to Ramallah instead of flying on Marine One. The skies cleared immediately after their meeting and prior to Bush's trip to Bethlehem.

2008 January 11-16 - Bush and Rice traveled to Kuwait City, Kuwait; Manama, Bahrain; Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to talk about the status of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the Iranian threat. During this part of the Middle East trip, there were record low temperatures and rain during the red carpet welcoming ceremonies. Baghdad, Iraq, which is a short distance north of Kuwait, experienced its first snow in 100 years. During Bush's few-hours visit in Dubai, they experienced flooding due to record rain on that day. Riyadh had snow flurries and temperatures in the 20s, which followed summer-like temperatures the week before. There was also a major blizzard in the northeast U.S., record cold temperatures, record crude oil prices, and the approval of a $154 billion U.S. economic stimulus bill shortly after the president's return to the U.S.

2008 January 1-22 - Rising fears about credit markets and the health of U.S. financial institutions drive down stock prices. Between January 1-22, the Dow lost over 1,000 points -- more than 8 percent of its total value.

2008 March 3-7 - Rice in Egypt, Israel and the Palestinians territories. President Bush met with Jordan's King Abdullah II Tuesday at the White House about the ongoing peace efforts in the time remaining before he leaves office. Bush said that the United States is engaged and will remain engaged in helping convince the prime minister of Israel and President Abbas that now is the time to formulate a vision of what a state will look like.

2008 March 22–24 - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited Israelis and the Palestinians. He said peace is not likely as long as Hamas and Hezbollah exist. The United States' commitment to Israel's security is "enduring and unshakeable," Cheney added, "as is our commitment to Israel's right to defend itself, always, against terrorists, rocket attacks and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction." The Jerusalem Post wrote that for his part, Cheney -- who's one of the Bush Administration's security hard-liners -- suggested that responding to threats on Israel could become a bigger priority. The Bush Administration is particularly worried about Iran's efforts to enrich uranium that could be used as fuel for nuclear weapons. "As we continue to work for peace, we must not and will not ignore the darkening shadows of the situations in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria and in Iran, and the forces there that are working to derail the hopes of the world," Cheney said.

2008 March 28-31 - Rice traveled to Jerusalem and Jordan. She met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to support their ongoing bilateral dialogue and the serious effort underway to achieve agreement this year on the establishment of a Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace and security. The secretary discussed efforts to improve conditions on the ground and to advance Palestinian economic development and capacity building. Additionally, she met with King Abdullah to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, the political situation in Lebanon, stability in Iraq and other regional developments.

2008 March 31 - The Bush Administration -- dealing with an enormous financial crisis -- proposed a sweeping overhaul of the way the government regulates the nation's financial services industry from banks and securities firms to mortgage brokers and insurance companies. The plan would give major new powers to the Federal Reserve. The Fed would be given broad authority to oversee financial market stability. That would include new powers to examine the books of any institution deemed to represent a potential threat to the proper functioning of the overall financial system. President Bush's Housing and Urban Development secretary (and good friend from Dallas), Alphonso Jackson, quit amid a criminal investigation.

2008 June - One of the largest floods in U.S. history (a 500-year flood) and the largest and costliest flood since 1993 occurred.

2008 June 3-4 - Bush, Olmert and Rice met in Washington. Record floods occurred in the midwestern U.S., the largest floods since the summer of 1993 (the summer the Oslo treaty was negotiated). During the Bush-Olmert meeting in the Oval Office at the White House, a violent storm with winds in the 55 mph range with gusts up to 70 mph hit the Washington, D.C., area and the White House. At the very moment Olmert was leaving the West Wing of the White House, the White House press and photographers were forced to run quickly to the press room for cover because of high winds, lightning and pouring rain. Olmert was under the covering of the porte-cochere at the West Wing entrance and got into his limousine quickly due to the horizontal rains and very strong winds. Up to 500,000 residences and businesses were without power. It was projected that some areas of Washington could remain without power for 24 to 48 hours.

2008 June 11-17 - Rice in Paris, Jerusalem and Ramallah, and in Israel during the continuation of record floods in the midwestern U.S.

2008 July - The highest crude oil prices in history occurred when crude oil topped $148 per barrel in mid-July. Amid the worst financial crisis in nearly a century, the widely-watched S&P 500 lost more than 50 percent of its value since hitting all-time highs just over a year ago.

2008 July 23-24 - Hurricane Dolly slammed into South Texas, the day Barack Obama was in Jerusalem committing to a Palestinian state and the splitting of Jerusalem (according to the Palestinians) and moved inland. Dolly roared into south Texas with 100 mph winds on July 23, dumping a foot of rain near the Texas-Mexico border. The storm did extensive damage on South Padre Island and left more than 100,000 homes without power.

2008 July 29 - Rice met at the State Department with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and the Chief Palestinian Negotiator Ahmed Queri. Southern California experienced an earthquake near Chino Hills, the largest since the Northridge earthquake on January 17, 1994 (while U.S. President Bill Clinton and Syrian President Hafez Assad were meeting in Geneva on the Golan Heights).

The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season produced a record number of consecutive storms to strike the United States and ranks as one of the more active seasons in the 64 years since comprehensive records began. Overall, the season is tied as the fourth most active in terms of named storms (16) and major hurricanes (five), and is tied as the fifth most active in terms of hurricanes (eight) since 1944, which was the first year aircraft missions flew into tropical storms and hurricanes. For the first time on record, six consecutive tropical cyclones (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) made landfall on the U.S. mainland.

2008 August 15 - David Welch, assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, was in Israel. Under Rice's directions, he was secretly working on a final draft of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal as Tropical Storm Fay formed Aug. 15 -- eventually hitting and exiting Florida a record-setting four different times from Aug. 18-24.

2008 August 24-25 - Rice was in Jerusalem pressing Israel to sign a document by the end of the year that would divide Jerusalem by offering the Palestinians a stake in Israel's capital city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to top diplomatic sources involved in the talks. The day Rice arrived in Jerusalem, a tropical depression began and quickly developed into Hurricane Gustav. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike developed into two of the costliest multi-billion-dollar, record-breaking hurricanes in U.S. history. Gustav began on Aug. 24 and came ashore on Sept. 2. Ike began on Sept. 1 and came ashore on Sept. 13. On September 1, it was reported that around 1.5 million people were without power in Louisiana. The state reported about 100,000 people remained on the coast after evacuation. Nearly 2 million people had evacuated from south Louisiana in the days before Gustav's arrival.

2008 August 30 - President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney canceled their planned attendance at the 2008 Republican National Convention. Because of the expected U.S. landfall, governors and some other political leaders from Louisiana and other states chose to stay home from the 2008 Republican National Convention. As the hurricane approached the coast, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain canceled all non-essential opening-day festivities at the convention and said that he might give his acceptance speech via satellite from the affected area. A catastrophic risk management company says private insurers could face damages from Hurricane Gustav ranging between $4 billion and $10 billion.

2008 September 1 - Rice was negotiating an agreement that would obligate the Bush Administration and future U.S. administrations to a Palestinian state. Hurricane Ike formed on September 1.

2008 September 2 - Newark, California-based Risk Management Solutions said that the estimate included damage to the offshore petroleum industry and damage from wind and storm surge. The estimate did not include potential levee damage or post-Gustav flooding from heavy rainfall that was forecast for the rest of the week. The company said damage to the offshore petroleum industry could range from $1 billion to $3 billion. Insured losses to homes and businesses were estimated from $3 billion to $7 billion. Those estimates did not include liability facing the federal flood insurance program

2008 September 13 - Ike turned at the last minute and missed a direct hit on Galveston, the Houston ship canal and 25 percent of the United States' oil refineries, but it did slam into Galveston and parts of Houston. Jeff Masters, director of Weather Underground, a private commercial forecasting service, noted that the cost of Ike's rampage along the Gulf Coast could reach $22 billion, which would make it the third costliest hurricane on record behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Flood damage could add another $20 billion-plus to the U.S federal government.

2008 September 14 - In one of the most dramatic days in Wall Street's history, Merrill Lynch agreed to sell itself to Bank of America for roughly $50 billion to avert a deepening financial crisis, while another prominent securities firm, Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy protection and hurtled toward liquidation after it failed to find a buyer.

2008 September 15 - Lehman Brothers investment bank declared $600 billion bankruptcy. Merrill Lynch acquired by Bank of America.

2008 September 17 - U.S bailed out AIG insurance giant for $85 billion.

2008 September 19 - White House requested $700 billion bail-out plan from Congress for all financial firms with bad mortgage securities to free up tightening credit flow.

2008 September 22 - The last two standing investment banks, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, converted to bank holding companies.

2008 September 26 - The Quartet met and pressed Israel and the Palestinians to seal a peace deal this year and expressed "deep concern" over continuing settlement expansion by the Jewish state in the West Bank. The biggest and most serious financial crisis in history was facing the United States and the world community. U.S. Treasury Secretary and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernacke asked for a $700 billion bailout from Congress to stop major damage to the U.S. financial system. There were emergency meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Feds seized Washington Mutual in largest-ever U.S. bank failure.

2008 September 29 - Two of the largest Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) drops in history occurred on the eve of Rosh Hashanah when the Dow dropped 777.68 points (the Dow's largest single-day point drop in history). Stocks were also extremely choppy and volatile on Oct. 9, the eve of Yom Kippur when the Dow dropped 678.91 points. The U.S. government approved a $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system. There was a loss of $10 trillion in U.S. stock market capitalization in 2008. The U.S. Federal Reserve committed $2.12 trillion in 2008 to prop up the U.S. banking system, and it may reach $3 trillion. The U.S. government is prepared to provide more than $7.76 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers after guaranteeing $306 billion of Citigroup Inc. Governmental bail-outs announced for key banks in Britain, the Benelux and Germany as well as a state takeover of a bank in Iceland.

2008 October 3 - Wells Fargo Bank and the fourth-largest U.S. bank Wachovia Corp. announced merger. The largest government intervention in capital markets in U.S. history cleared the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming law with a signature by President Bush.

2008 October 11 - G7 finance ministers gathered for talks in Washington, agreeing to use all available tools to address crisis.

2008 October 15 - European Union leaders guaranteed inter-bank lending.

2008 October 24 - Risk Management Solutions (RMS) announced that it had updated its estimate for U.S. onshore and offshore insured losses from Hurricane Ike to $13 billion to $21 billion, of which $10 billion to $15 billion was estimated for wind and storm surge in Texas and Louisiana. The estimate also included $2 billion to $3 billion from inland wind and flood losses and $1 billion to $3 billion in offshore losses, but did not include losses covered by the National Flood Insurance Program. Damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike in Ohio could hit $500 million or higher, making it one of the state's costliest natural disasters. The Ohio Insurance Institute said $500 million was a preliminary figure, and it could go higher. The Sept. 14 storm knocked out electrical service for 2.6 million customers in Ohio. Wind reaching 78 mph swept across the region, and at least seven of the 56 deaths blamed on Hurricane Ike -- from Texas to Pennsylvania -- were in Ohio.

2008 October 29 - U.S. Federal Reserve slashed interest rates by 0.5 percentage points to 1 percent, the lowest level since June 2004.

2008 October 30 - Japan announced 26.9 trillion yen ($276 billion) stimulus package, including 2 trillion yen in financial assistance for all households to jump-start consumption and up to 6 million yen in tax breaks for housing loans for 10 years. International Monetary Fund approved a new program to provide emergency loans to countries facing serious cash shortages.

2008 November 3 - Euro-zone finance ministers met tp rule out stimulus package.

2008 November 4 - Economic woes helped propel Democrat Barack Obama to presidency in U.S. elections.

2008 November 5 - Harvard University sponsored Islamic Finance 101, a conference on Sharia finance, at the U.S. Treasury Department.

2008 November 6-9 - Condoleezza Rice's 24th trip to Israel and the Middle East did not produce a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Dow lost 10 percent of its value on Nov. 5-6. Condoleezza Rice all but conceded during trip to Israel that deadline for Mideast peace agreement was no longer possible. Secretary Rice said, "But I do think that what we heard today from the parties, which is the most important element of this, is that they believe in the Annapolis process. They believe in the integrated nature of this process that builds peace, both from the bottom up and from the top down. They believe that their negotiations are producing an atmosphere of trust, as well as a foundation on which to build." The European Central Bank and Bank of England announced coordinated rate cut. IMF predicted global recession for 2009. On Nov. 8, G20 finance ministers met in Sao Paulo and on Nov. 9, China announced 4 trillion yuan ($588 billion) economic stimulus package and the Quartet met in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, about Israel's land.



In addition to major catastrophes and events occurring in 2008 that corresponded with Bush Administration efforts to divide the land of Israel, the worldwide stock markets also lost an estimated one-third of their stock market capitalization, totaling $28 trillion.

The credit collapse of 2008 explained by Martin Weiss, Ph. D., who wrote:

The credit collapse is a sudden surge in debt defaults by borrowers ... and an equally sudden disappearance of new loans by lenders. It's an unprecedented surge in home foreclosures ... and an equally unprecedented cutback in new home mortgages.

It's causing unexpected corporate bankruptcies ... plus equally unexpected demands by banks to put up more collateral. It's threatening to sink businesses, paralyze local governments, and gut the investment portfolios of millions of Americans.

It's even starting to sabotage the best laid plans of government -- neutralizing the Fed's interest rate cuts ... pre-empting Congress' economic stimulus plan ... and threatening to strip Washington of its traditional powers to fight a recession.

• Spot gold nears $1,000 level broken by futures: Spot gold was hovering just below the $1,000-an-ounce barrier broken on the futures market overnight after the dollar hit another record low against the euro, boosting the metal's appeal as an alternative investment.

• Dollar plunged against euro, yen and franc as fed plan disappointed (Bloomberg)

• The dollar fell to a record -- below $1.55 per euro -- as firms from Citigroup Inc. to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the Federal Reserve's plan to inject $200 billion into the banking system may fail to break the freeze in money-market lending.

• The dollar set a record low for the tenth trading day in 12. It has lost 3.6 percent since Feb. 26, when Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn said credit market turmoil and slower growth pose a "greater threat'' than inflation. The comments drove the euro above $1.50 for the first time.

• Fed took boldest action since the Depression to rescue the U.S. mortgage industry.



Not much in the above was mentioned about Obama because these events all occurred prior to his inauguration.  Regardless of where he doesn't see eye yo eye with his predecessor, he seems to have picked up right where George W. Bush left off.  Those two seem to be in lock step with each other on this point.


2009


2009 June 18 - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fractures her right elbow in a fall which was bad enough to require surgery. The fall came after Clinton had held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on "illegal Jewish settlements".



2010


2010 March 19 - Quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia) meets in Moscow and calls on Israel to stop construction in East Jerusalem, freeze settlement construction and begin proximity talks with the Palestinians.

2010 March 20 - The next day, Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted for first time in 200 years.

2010 April 5 - Intelsat said it lost control of the Galaxy 15 satellite , possibly because the satellite's systems were knocked out by a solar storm. Intelsat cannot remotely steer the satellite to remain in its orbit, so Galaxy 15 is creeping toward the adjacent path of another TV communications AMC-1 satellite that serves U.S. cable companies.

2010 April 14-19 - European air space shut down due to ash from Iceland volcano. Over 100,000 flights cancelled costing $1.7 billion in damages. The ashes spread over Europe during Europe's Holocaust Remembrance Week (April 11-18).


2010 April 19 - Israel celebrates its independence in 2010. The Obama Adminstration declares that the U.S. will no longer automatically support Israel in the United Nations.

2010 April 20 - The next day, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes. Coincidence? Or the hand and judgment of God?


2010 May 2 - Nashville flood damages estimated at $1.5 billion in that city alone, with more in Tennessee and Kentucky.

2010 May 5-13 - George Mitchell in Jerusalem for peace talks. Iran, Syria and Hezbollah pounding the war drums. Iran developing cruise missile. Kicked off new "eight-day" war games and military maneuvers in the strategic Persian Gulf waters, the country's second military show of force in less than a month. Greek debt crisis - EU and US commit $1 trillion to keep euro from collapsing. Russia considering providing nuclear energy technology to Syria and Turkey. Accuweather's Chief Hurricane Meteorologist Joe Bastardi predicts a total of 16-18 storms this season. To put that in perspective, only eight years in the 160 years of records have had 16 or more storms in a season.

2010 May 31-June 6 - Israel and Turkey at serious odds over flotilla incident. Turkey is continuing to align with Iran and Russia, which are key countries in the Gog and Magog force spoken of in Ezekiel 38-39. Israel being further isolated internationally.


2010 September 16 - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presses Israel to extend its curb on Jewish settlement construction, and aides to the Palestinian leader suggested there might be movement toward a compromise on that issue. On the same day, a rare trio of hurricanes swirled simultaneously in the Atlantic basin yesterday, including Karl which menaced Mexico's Gulf coast, Igor, a monster hurricane threatening a direct hit on Bermuda, and hurricane Julia. Hurricane Karl hit Mexico's central Gulf Coast, killing two people in a mudslide, and weakened quickly to a tropical depression as it moved inland. Igor has been spinning through the Atlantic Ocean, first as a tropical storm, then as one of the 2010 season's handful of "major" hurricanes. In Bermuda, Igor caused power failures, downed trees, and a handful of beached boats. Igor menaces the US east coast, delivering high surf, with its accompanying rip currents.

2010 September 24 - Secratary of State Hillary Clinton continiues to press Israel not to resume construction and settlement in their God-given "West Bank", while urging Abbas not to make good on his threat to leave the "peace negotiations". On the very same day, Nicaragua began evacuating about 10,000 people from the path of Tropical Storm Matthew as the storm drenched the Caribbean coast and threatened much of a Central American region prone to disastrous flooding. Meanwhile far out over the Atlantic, Lisa became the seventh hurricane of the season and was drifting slowly north with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph.