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Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Egyptian army chief tells Morsi to quit and save Egypt from a bloodbath
End Of Days News
Egyptian interior ministry forces
DEBKAfile Special Report Jul 2, 2013, 9:44 PM (IDT)
Defense Minister and army chief Gen. Fattah El-Sisi told President Mohamed Morsi Tuesday, July 2, to step down and save Egypt from a bloodbath.DEBKAfile: He acted after Interior Minister Gen. Muhammad Ibrahim offered to place all police, internal security and intelligence forces at the disposal of the army because they no longer deferred to the authority of the president or the Muslim Brotherhood government. This virtual “coup” enabled the army to jump the gun on its ultimatum to Morsi by 24 hours.
More>The Role of a Watchman: What Does It Mean for You?
End Of Days News
The Bible uses the role of a watchman to describe the work of a prophet among God's people. Is there more to this symbolism than many have understood? The role of a watchman is vital to a full understanding of the work of God in the end time.
God said to the prophet Ezekiel, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me" (Ezekiel 3:17
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Here is one of the most intriguing metaphors used by God in all of prophecy. It is repeated in chapter 33 for emphasis, and sets the stage for the prophet's ministry to the divided houses of Judah and Israel.
Just what was the role of a watchman to an ancient city? How does God use the role of a watchman to warn and teach? What does it mean for the work of God today as this world comes to a prophetic crossroads?
It's vital you understand the answer to these questions as events grow increasingly tense in a rapidly changing world order.
A key figure
In the ancient world of agrarian societies, large watchtowers were placed overlooking the fields. There, in the weeks the crops were ripening toward harvest, men would stand watch, guarding the fields from animals or from thieves who would make off with the crops. With the community's basic food stores at stake, the watchman's role was critical to the townspeople.
We also find several references in Scripture to a watcher mounting the city walls in times of stress to survey the scene outside the fortifications. He was situated on a spot from which he could monitor the approaches to the town. If a threat appeared, he would sound a warning and the town would shut its gates and prepare for battle.
You can also imagine the watcher standing vigil at other times, observing the daily life of the city. He could see much of the activity in the streets and markets. He knew the people, their work, their habits and their lifestyles. If his position was near the city gate, he could also observe the business of the city transacted by its officials (see Ruth 4:1-12
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No wonder God uses this role to illustrate the job of the prophets He sent to comment on society's behavior, as well as to deliver messages of warning and instruction.
Prophets set as watchmen
Focusing on the Old Testament prophets helps us understand the full meaning of the symbolism of a watchman. There may be more than you have noticed before.
We noted at the outset Ezekiel 3:17
, where God told the prophet to warn Israel of its sins and His impending punishment, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me."
, where God told the prophet to warn Israel of its sins and His impending punishment, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me."
Notice it is God's message, not Ezekiel's message or any other prophet's message. It is always God's message delivered through the human instrument. The warning comes from God in language phrased to fit the situation and designed to bring people to repentance. Let's keep this point firmly in mind.
Continuing: "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul" (verses 18-19).
The prophet had the duty to deliver the sobering message: Unless the citizens of Israel and Judah acknowledged their sins, turned from them, repented and began again to obey God's law, they would die in their sins. Regardless of how individuals responded to the warning, if they heard the message, the prophet had done his job and was no longer responsible. Only if the prophet did not deliver the admonition would he be judged along with the wicked.
Verses 20-21 explain another aspect. If a righteous person turned to sin, he would suffer the penalty, but the prophet would also be held liable for not giving him instruction. If the prophet gave adequate warning, instruction and positive teaching, the righteous could understand the consequences of turning from the right path. This could help motivate him to stay firm to the faith, a choice that would vindicate the prophet's work.
You get the sense here that a part of the prophet's message was showing the people how to live and maintain their faith. It was not just a strident message focused only on pointing out their problems. If the goal is to get people to turn back to the Word of God, then the message must also show the benefits of doing so. It must show the positive, better way of life God desires His people to live.
Was the message delivered?
Did Ezekiel deliver this warning message to Israel? Consider this. Ezekiel was among the captives from the nation of Judah taken to Babylon during the first siege of Jerusalem in 597 B.C. He was a contemporary of Daniel. The nation of Israel, the northern 10-tribe kingdom, had been taken away captive into Assyria and Media more than 120 years earlier.
The house of Israel was to hear the message, but their sins had already caused them to go into captivity. They had already been punished. It leaves us with the question: Is there to be a future fulfillment of this prophecy? Was it intended to go to the modern descendants of the house of Israel living in different lands at a future time?
The answer is yes! However, the explanation requires more detail than we can cover in this article. (We present it in our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy .
The question then is, when would these prophecies apply to Israel? And when would they be delivered? Ezekiel was among the Jewish captives near Babylon, and we have no indication he went to the northern tribes of Israel in his day (at that time migrating northwest from Assyria and Media) to give this message. The answer must be that God's message has a direct application to the modern descendants of these ancient people.
What will the watchman say?
Let's look closer at what a watchman is to do by bringing in what Isaiah tells us about those who would preach the gospel of peace.
The role of a watchman is not limited to speaking only about the sins and problems of the society. The watchman was also charged with proclaiming good news about salvation.
ILLUMINATI!!! JIMMY CARTER: CHRISTIANITY MISTREATS WOMEN AS MUCH AS ISLAM
End Of Days News
Former President Jimmy Carter said on June 28 that both Christian and Islamic religious leaders share the blame for mistreating women across the world.
During an international conference on women and religion, Carter’s examples of religious authorities continuing doctrines of male superiority included the Catholic Church’s practice of banning women from the priesthood and some African cultures’ mutilation of the genitalia of young girls.
Describing these doctrines as theologically indefensible, Carter said they contribute to an environment in which political leaders passively accept violence against women, sex-trafficking, and inequality in the workplace.
“There is a great aversion among men leaders and some women leaders to admit that this is something that exists, that it’s serious and that it’s it troubling and should be addressed courageously,” Carter said at The Carter Center, the human rights organization he founded in 1982 after he left the White House.
Carter’s event, called Mobilizing Faith for Women, was attended by representatives from 15 countries. A goal of the conference was to emphasize to world leaders that religious institutions can be forces for equality, Carter said.
The nations participating at the Carter conference included Afghanistan, Botswana, Egypt, Iraq, Malaysia, Nigeria, Senegal, and the Sudan.
Carter said widespread oppression of women is found in both nations dominated by Islam as well as western countries where Christianity is the primary cultural influence.
Referring to St. Paul and his writings, Carter said, “Paul said there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, slaves or masters, man or woman.” However, he noted “gross abuses of religious texts in the Koran and in the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament. Singular verses can be extracted and extorted to assert the singular dominance of men.”
President Obama's Tries To Limit EU Anger Over NSA Spying Claims
End Of Days News
President Obama's Tries To Limit EU Anger Over NSA Spying Claims
*Barack Obama Seeks To Limit EU Fallout Over US Spying Claims -- The Guardian* President says NSA will assess espionage allegations as France and Germany demand answers and warn of delay to trade talks. Barack Obama has sought to limit the damage from the growing transatlantic espionage row after Germany and France denounced the major snooping activities of US agencies and warned of a possible delay in the launch next week of ambitious free-trade talks between Europe and the US. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and French president, François Hollande, demanded quick explana... more »
Why So Many Wildfires? Half The Country Is Turning Into An Intensely Hot, Bone Dry Burn Zone
End Of Days News
Revelation 16:8
New King James Version (NKJV)
Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
Why So Many Wildfires? Half The Country Is Turning Into An Intensely Hot, Bone Dry Burn Zone
Most of the territory between the Mississippi River and the west coast seems to be steadily getting drier, and that means it is rapidly being transformed into an intensely hot, bone dry burn zone.
PROPHECY UPDATE: Egypt On The Brink
End Of Days News
Egypt On The Brink
* Egypt On Edge As Protests Persist, Opposition Deadline Nears* * * * * * * * * * Egypt was on edge Tuesday following a “last-chance” ultimatum the military issued to Mohammed Morsi, giving the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve the crisis in the country or have the army step in with its own plan. Protesters seeking the ouster of the Islamist president remained camped out at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising, gearing up for a third day of anti-Morsi rallies. The group organizing the protests, Tamarod, Arabic for “Rebel,” has given Morsi un... more »
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