Posted 12-14-01
Doctors who studied 344 heart attack survivors found that more than one in 10 had experienced emotions, visions or lucid thoughts while they were "clinically dead" - unconscious with no signs of pulse, breathing or brain activity. Some reported having "out-of-body" experiences.
The research, by a Dutch team, is to be published in Britain's leading medical journal, the Lancet. It will be seized on by academics who believe that the mind can continue to work after the brain has stopped. Church leaders will cite it as evidence for the existence of a soul.
The two-year study in 10 Dutch hospitals found that 12 per cent of cardiac arrest survivors reported having various "near-death experiences" (NDEs) before being resuscitated. One said he had floated out of his body and watched doctors as they removed his dentures before putting a tube down his throat as part of efforts to revive him.
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"Zinni Gives Up On Arafat"
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/dec2001/philm1212-2.htm
American mediator Gen. Anthony Zinni, who met with Yasser Arafat yesterday, said about him, "I have never encountered such lack of trustworthiness in my life." He said it was a "waste of time to try to reach a serious agreement with Arafat."
It has been a pleasure following you over the years and I appreciate that you continue to maintain that you are not speaking prophecy - only telling it the way you see it!
Can't wait to be with you in heaven!
Jesus said to watch. I'm watching to see how world events line up with Scripture. I know that the Lord is in complete control of world events. Agape
Until now, I haven't even bothered to say, "See, I told you so." But I can't resist any longer. I feel compelled to remind you of the column I wrote just a couple weeks before the latest uprising. Yeah, folks, I predicted it.
That's OK. Hold your applause.
After all, I wish I had been wrong. More than 80 people have been killed since the current fighting in and around Jerusalem began. And for what?
If you believe what you read in most news sources, Palestinians want a homeland and Muslims want control over sites they consider holy. Simple, right?
Well, as an Arab-American journalist who has spent some time in the Middle East dodging more than my share of rocks and mortar shells, I've got to tell you that these are just phony excuses for the rioting, trouble-making and land-grabbing.
Isn't it interesting that prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, there was no serious movement for a Palestinian homeland?
"Well, Farah," you might say, "that was before the Israelis seized the West Bank and Old Jerusalem."
That's true. In the Six-Day War, Israel captured Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem. But they didn't capture these territories from Yasser Arafat.
They captured them from Jordan's King Hussein. I can't help but wonder why all these Palestinians suddenly discovered their national identity after Israel won the war.
The truth is that Palestine is no more real than Never-Never Land. The first time the name was used was in 70 AD when the Romans committed genocide against the Jews, smashed the Temple and declared the land of Israel would be no more. From then on, the Romans promised, it would be known as Palestine. The name was derived from the Philistines, a Goliathian people conquered by the Jews centuries earlier. It was a way for the Romans to add insult to injury. They also tried to change the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina, but that had even less staying power.
Palestine has never existed -- before or since -- as an autonomous entity. It was ruled alternately by Rome, by Islamic and Christian crusaders, by the Ottoman Empire and, briefly, by the British after World War I. The British agreed to restore at least part of the land to the Jewish people as their homeland.
There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs, indistinguishable from Jordanians (another recent invention), Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, etc. Keep in mind that the Arabs control 99.9 percent of the Middle East lands. Israel represents one-tenth of 1 percent of the landmass.
But that's too much for the Arabs. They want it all. And that is ultimately what the fighting in Israel is about today. Greed. Pride. Envy. Covetousness. No matter how many land concessions the Israelis make, it will never be enough.
What about Islam's holy sites? There are none in Jerusalem.
Shocked? You should be. I don't expect you will ever hear this brutal truth from anyone else in the international media. It's just not politically correct.
I know what you're going to say: "Farah, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem represent Islam's third most holy sites."
Not true. In fact, the Koran says nothing about Jerusalem. It mentions Mecca hundreds of times. It mentions Medina countless times. It never mentions Jerusalem. With good reason. There is no historical evidence to suggest Mohammed ever visited Jerusalem.
So how did Jerusalem become the third holiest site of Islam? Muslims today cite a vague passage in the Koran, the seventeenth Sura, entitled "The Night Journey." It relates that in a dream or a vision Mohammed was carried by night "from the sacred temple to the temple that is most remote, whose precinct we have blessed, that we might show him our signs. ..." In the seventh century, some Muslims identified the two temples mentioned in this verse as being in Mecca and Jerusalem. And that's as close as Islam's connection with Jerusalem gets -- myth, fantasy, wishful thinking.
Meanwhile, Jews can trace their roots in Jerusalem back to the days of Abraham.
The latest round of violence in Israel erupted when Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon tried to visit the Temple Mount, the foundation of the Temple built by Solomon. It is the holiest site for Jews. Sharon and his entourage were met with stones and threats. I know what it's like. I've been there.
Can you imagine what it is like for Jews to be threatened, stoned and physically kept out of the holiest site in Judaism?
So what's the solution to the Middle East mayhem? Well, frankly, I don't think there is a man-made solution to the violence. But, if there is one, it needs to begin with truth. Pretending will only lead to more chaos.
Treating a 5,000-year-old birthright backed by overwhelming historical and archaeological evidence equally with illegitimate claims, wishes and wants gives diplomacy and peacekeeping a bad name. (emphasis mine)
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Joseph Farah is editor and chief executive officer of WorldNetDaily.com and writes a daily column.
(For those of you who may not know, Joseph Farah, is a Christian Lebanese who now lives in the US, but has lived and worked in the Middle East for many years.)
2 Thessalonians 1
4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, WHEN the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 WHEN he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day. (KJV)
Notice first of all, believers will rest from persecution when Jesus is revealed from heaven in judgement, [1:7]. Since this coming in judgment is post-tribulational, the rapture must also be post-tribulational.
There is only one logical interpretation of this passage regarding the timing of the rapture. No one will deny this coming is "post-tribulational." No pre-tribulationist believes Jesus will come in flaming fire, bringing vengeance on the ungodly, before the tribulation! However, many passages speak of Christ's coming in judgment after the tribulation. This passage makes it perfectly clear that Christians will "rest" from their tribulations at that time. Paul was in effect telling them when their ordeal would end, at the post-tribulation coming of Christ in judgment. In a pre-tribulation rapture scenario, Christians would have already been resting for seven years before this event, making Paul's statement dubious and illogical. Paul was trying to comfort the Thessalonian Christians in their persecutions. Yet, his encouragement was not centered around an alleged "any moment" pre-tribulation rapture, whereby they might expect immediate relief, but looked forward to the appearing of Christ in glory. By connecting their relief from persecution with the post-tribulational coming of Christ, Paul effectively placed the rapture after the tribulation. Notice also, that he connected their seeing Christ and admiring Him for the first time with the same coming in judgment, [2 Thess. 1:10].
II Thess 2:1-3
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
PAUL JESUS
"That day shall not come unless there come a falling away first..." "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love [agape] of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." [Matt. 24. 9-13]
" ...and the Man of Sin be revealed, the son of perdition.... who sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God." "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand):" [Matt. 24:15]
Matt 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (KJV)
Matt 24:29-31
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. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (KJV)
Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (KJV)
The "glorious appearing" is when Christ comes in all His power and glory, being manifest to all the world. So, in effect, Titus 2:13 tells us that our "blessed hope" is Christ's coming in power and glory, which is after the tribulation. Notice also it says that this is what we as Christians are "looking for." This strongly implies that the rapture is after the tribulation.
1 thes 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [or precede] them which are asleep.
Let's look at this passage again, paying attention to pronouns like YE, WE and THEM. Think of WE as first representing Paul and the other 23 elders seen sitting on thrones in Heaven in Rev. 4:4. They were caught up to Heaven with John in Rev. 4:1. He is one of the elders. The others are the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 11 apostles, all caught up at the same time that John is. The rest of WE includes all the saints caught up before the Tribulation "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9).
These Thessalonians are wise-virgin saints, examples for us. In I Thess. 1:7, Paul told them, "YE were ensamples to ALL THAT BELIEVE." In 1:3, Paul was thanking God for these brethren, saying, "YOUR faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity (agape love) of every one of YOU all toward each other aboundeth." In v. 4, he said, "WE ourselves glory in YOU in the churches of God for YOUR patience and faith in all YOUR persecutions and tribulations that YE endure."
Continuing, verses 5-11 say, "Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God (at the Rapture, 'the judge standeth before the door' of Heaven, Jas. 5:9), that YE may be COUNTED WORTHY of the kingdom of God, for which YE also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to THEM (unbelievers) that trouble YOU (believers);"
Here, there is a break. Paul says to the Tribulation saints, 'AND to YOU (believers) who are troubled (in the Tribulation) rest with US (the elders and saints caught up before the Tribulation), when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven (the Sign of the Son of Man, seen at the end of this age, just before the 1st day of the millennial Day of the Lord comes at 6 PM, between the breaking of the 6th and 7th seals, Mt. 24:30; Rev. 6:12-17) with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on THEM THAT KNOW NOT GOD (no believers are left on Earth after the Pre-Wrath Rapture), and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who SHALL (in the future) be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he SHALL come (2nd Advent, 7 mo. after Day of God's Wrath, Eze. 39:12,13) to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all THEM that believe (because OUR testimony among YOU was believed) in that day."
Here, Paul drops back and addresses YE WHO ARE WORTHY directly. "Wherefore also WE pray always for YOU, that OUR God would COUNT YOU WORTHY OF THIS CALLING (Christ's 'Come up hither' at the Rapture, Rev. 4:1), and fulfil all the good pleasure of HIS goodness, and the work of faith with power."
In Luke 21:36, Jesus said, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
We need to be ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE when Christ calls, "Come up hither" (Rev. 4:1). Rev 3:4 says, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for THEY ARE WORTHY." They are in the group of saints out of every nation seen in Heaven in Rev. 5:9.
In Phil. 3:14, Paul said, "I press toward the mark for the PRIZE (Rapture before the Tribulation) OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS" (the "Come up hither" of Rev. 4:1, before the Tribulation starts in Rev. 6). We know that he won the PRIZE, because he is one of the 24 elders seen around the throne in Heaven in Rev. 4:4.
Just because believers will rest in Heaven when the Sign of the Son of Man is seen and the Pre-Wrath Rapture takes place on the 1st day of the millennial Day of the Lord doesn't shut out the possibility that some were caught up to Heaven in the Pre-Trib Rapture. There are 2 Raptures. One happens at the first "trump of God" (I Thess. 4:16; Rev. 4:1). The other one happens at the "last trump" of God (I Cor. 15:51,52.
These two trumps were prefigured in Nu. 10:1-4. It says, "the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Make thee TWO TRUMPETS of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for THE CALLING of THE ASSEMBLY, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them (both), ALL the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes (12 OT patriarchs and 12 NT apostles--i.e., 24 elders of Rev. 4:4), which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee" (at the 1st Rapture).
There are 2 trumpets and 2 Raptures. One trumpet blast is heard at the 1st Rapture. Two trumpet blasts are heard at the 2nd Rapture. The 1st trumpet is blown twice, 1st at the 1st Rapture, and 2nd at the 2nd Rapture. This 2nd sounding of the 1st trumpet is to call the saints from one end of Heaven to the other to the "general assembly" in Heaven on the 1st day of the millennial Day of the Lord.
All saints are called "To the GENERAL ASSEMBLY and church of the firstborn, which are written IN HEAVEN, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh (saying 'Come up hither,' Rev. 4:1). For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall NOT WE ESCAPE (in the 1st Rapture), if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven" (Heb 12:23-25).
At the 2nd blast of the 1st trumpet, Mt. 24:31 says, "he shall send his angels with a great sound of A TRUMPET, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of HEAVEN to the other."
At the blast of the 2nd trumpet, Mark 13;27 says, "then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the EARTH (at the Pre-Wrath Rapture) to the uttermost part of HEAVEN" (to gather those who had previously been caught up to Heaven in the Pre-Trib Rapture).
Both groups of saints are called to the "general (panegurei, festal) assembly" on the Feast of Trumpets in Heaven for the 1st day of the Millennium is a day like no other--ever. It is the day of the Coronation of Christ, the Marriage of the Lamb and the Judgment Seat of Christ.
At the 1st Rapture, the 1st trumpet sounds to call the Bride of Christ to Heaven. At the 2nd Rapture, 2 trumpets sound. Trumpet 1 calls the saints in Heaven to the general assembly. Trumpet 2 calls the Tribulation saints from Earth to that general assembly in Heaven. Isa 57:1,2 says, "The righteous perisheth (abad, VANISHES, ESCAPES), and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are TAKEN AWAY (acaph, removed, evacuated), none considering that the righteous is TAKEN AWAY (acaph, removed, evacuated) from the evil to come (in the Tribulation). He shall enter (bo, go away, lift up) into peace: THEY SHALL REST in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness." If this was prefigured in the OT, we should find it mirrored in the NT, and we do. I Thess. 4:16,17 is the first "trump of God" sounding at the 1st Rapture. I Cor. 15:51,52 is the "last trump" sounding at the last Rapture. II Thess. 2:3 says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (Day of the LORD) shall not come, except there come a falling away FIRST, and that man of sin (the False Prophet) be revealed (SECOND), the son of perdition."
Apostasia, translated "falling away" means "departing." It was translated that way in early Bibles, Tyndale's translation, Cranmer's version, the Great Bible, Breecher's Bible, Beza's translation and the Coverdale Bible.
II Thess. 2:7,8 (Rotherham) says, "For, the secret, of lawlessness, already, is inwardly working itself,—ONLY, UNTIL, HE that restraineth (the Holy Spirit in believers, the salt of the Earth; salt restrains the growth of leaven/evil) at present, SHALL BE GONE, OUT OF THE MIDST (at the Pre-Trib Rapture): And, then (SECOND, after the Rapture), shall be revealed the lawless one (the False Prophet),—whom, the Lord Jesus, will slay with the Spirit of his mouth."
> > The "glorious appearing" is when Christ comes in all His power and glory, being manifest to all the world. So, in effect, Titus 2:13 tells us that our "blessed hope" is Christ's coming in power and glory, which is after the tribulation. Notice also it says that this is what we as Christians are "looking for." This strongly implies that the rapture is after the tribulation.
Wise-virgin believers are looking for the "blessed hope (the Pre-Trib Rapture), and the glorious appearing of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ."
Christ will be revealed to the wise-virgin believers at the Pre-Trib Rapture. In the Preview of the Rapture in Rev. 1, verses 13-16 tell us how he appears at the Rapture. It says, "the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters...and HIS COUNTENANCE WAS AS THE SUN SHINETH IN HIS STRENGTH." That is his glorious appearing at the Pre-Trib Rapture.
Around Christ in Heaven are the seven candlesticks, which are the 7 churches (1:20). In his hand are the star performers of the 7 churches, because he has just snatched them up. I want to be there at that time. That is my blessed hope.
To be looking forward to the Tribulation first would dull the luster of my blessed hope. We are not told to look for the Antichrist. We are not told to look for the Tribulation. We are to look for the Lord from Heaven. We also are to pray that we will be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Lord in Heaven (Lu. 21:36).
In I Thess. 4:18, wise-virgin believers are to "comfort one another with these words" of being caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Comforting each other is not mentioned at the "last trump" (I Cor. 15:51,52). They are caught up when the fiery meteorites have already begun to fall (Rev. 6:13).
> > 1 thes 4 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [or precede] them which are asleep.
Those saints that have died will come back with Christ and get their resurrection bodies. Then, we who are still alive will rise up WITH them to meet the Lord in the air.
1Pe 1:13 says, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and HOPE to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation (apokalupsis, revealing) of Jesus Christ." All of The Revelation of Jesus Christ is written as if the Rapture were at hand. It is "at hand" in both the first and last chapters (1:3; 22:10). Jesus signs off with "Surely I come quickly." He comes quickly at the 1st Rapture (Rev. 3:11). When the Rapture takes place in 4:1, the Tribulation is "hereafter."
1Jo 3:3 "every man that hath this HOPE in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
1Pe 3:15 "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the HOPE that is in you with meekness and fear."
Rom 13:11: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation (soteria, RESCUE) nearer than when we believed."
1Th 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation (soteria, RESCUE). For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation (soteria, RESCUE) by our Lord Jesus Christ."
Heb 9:28 "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and UNTO THEM THAT LOOK FOR HIM SHALL HE APPEAR THE SECOND TIME WITHOUT SIN UNTO SALVATION (soteria, RESCUE)."
1Pe 1:5 "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (soteria, RESCUE) ready to be revealed (apokalupto) in the last time." Agape
It's so exciting to think that we could be out of here within a few hours!!!!!!!! Events surely seem to be pointing toward our departure. Oh the sadness that awaits those who are not ready and watching... Oh the unspeakable joy that is ours in our new home. Just to think that we will be loved and protected by the Lord Jesus - for Eternity.
Thank You for all your true Biblical studies and your work in sharing them
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Updated 12-16-01