Is Political, Religious, and Cultural Revival Here?
Friday, February 28, 2025
Thursday, February 27, 2025
A Lista de Vigilância de Perseguição da Portas Abertas
De acordo com a Lista de Vigilância de Perseguição daPortas Abertas, mais de 380 milhões de cristãos sofrem um elevado nível de perseguição pela sua fé, enquanto 310 milhões deles sofrem um nível muito elevado ou extremo de perseguição. Eis um excerto da Watch List:
Coreia do Norte 1 A pontuação de
violência aumentou ainda mais este ano, uma vez que a Coreia do Norte
restabeleceu a sua posição no primeiro lugar. Há uma ênfase ainda maior na
pureza ideológica e qualquer ameaça externa percebida ou real é cruelmente
expurgada.
A China também intensificou os seus esforços para prender
e repatriar norte-coreanos, todos considerados imigrantes ilegais.
Iémen 3 O Iémen subiu para o terceiro lugar na
Lista Mundial de Observação devido ao aumento da violência anticristã. A
pressão sobre os cristãos também se manteve no máximo. No contexto da guerra
civil, os rebeldes Houthis apoiados pelo Irão expandiram o seu poder, tornando
o país cada vez mais perigoso para os cristãos. Somado à maior radicalização
islâmica, isto significava que até as igrejas secretas já não se podiam reunir
em segurança.
Quirguistão 47 Um dos dois únicos
recém-chegados ao top 50 deste ano, o Quirguistão teve o maior aumento de
pontuação na lista, fazendo a sua primeira aparição desde 2013. Houve um
aumento acentuado da violência contra a igreja, muitas igrejas registadas e
instituições cristãs foram forçadas a fechar, e a pressão sobre os cristãos
aumentou em quase todas as esferas da vida.
Guerras civis e insurreição: o caos violento continua a
ser uma cobertura para a perseguição. Em países como Myanmar, Iémen e Sudão, as
guerras civis tornaram-se criadouros de ataques dirigidos contra os cristãos.
Noutros locais, como a República Centro-Africana, a República Democrática do
Congo, o Mali, o Burkina Faso e o Níger, as insurreições islâmicas criaram
ambientes onde os cristãos podem ser alvos impunes e onde os militantes podem
atacar e expulsar comunidades do povo de Deus.
4.476 cristãos mortos Embora menos cristãos tenham sido
mortos pela sua fé na Nigéria em comparação com o ano passado, a morte continua
a ser desproporcionalmente mortal para os cristãos, com 3.100 a pagarem o preço
máximo pela sua fé. Infelizmente, mais cristãos foram mortos fora da Nigéria,
muitos em países da África Subsariana, como a RDC, o Burkina Faso, os Camarões
e o Níger.
4.744 cristãos detidos ou presos Os cristãos continuam a
ser detidos sem julgamento, presos, sentenciados e presos por seguirem Jesus.
Só na Índia, 1.629 cristãos foram detidos sem julgamento e outros 547 foram
condenados a penas de prisão. Crentes foram presos pela sua fé na Eritreia,
Bangladesh, Irão, entre outros.
Tendências: A violência ganha forma em todo o
mundo. Vários países da Lista Mundial de Observação registaram um aumento da
violência anticristã. Embora os contextos fossem diferentes, quer estados
autocráticos rigidamente controlados, quer países instáveis devido a governos
fracos ou guerra civil, o resultado foi o mesmo: ataques a comunidades cristãs,
destruição de vidas, lares e igrejas, e imensa pressão sobre os fiéis.
Violência contínua em toda a África Subsariana. Vários
países da África Subsariana têm registado um aumento da violência contra os
cristãos. Atualmente, 8 dos 10 locais mais mortíferos para os cristãos estão na
África Subsariana — e todos eles (exceto a Nigéria) têm mais assassinatos
baseados na fé do que durante o período de relatório da Lista Mundial de
Vigilância de 2024.
A instabilidade crónica do governo criou um ambiente onde
os cristãos podem ser alvos, e onde os militantes islâmicos podem usar o caos
como cobertura para os seus ataques aos cristãos. Muitos cristãos foram
obrigados a abandonar as suas casas. Dos 34,5 milhões de deslocados na África
Subsariana, cerca de 16,2 milhões são cristãos.
A campanha Portas Abertas Arise África é uma resposta de
vários anos à violência avassaladora contra os cristãos na região. Conta com as
orações e o apoio dos cristãos de todo o mundo para apoiar a igreja africana e
ajudá-la a ser sal e luz no meio da perseguição extrema.
A igreja está a ser expulsa ou levada para a
clandestinidade. Os cristãos no Médio Oriente e noutros países da Lista Mundial
de Vigilância estão a ser levados para a clandestinidade. O isolamento cristão
e o declínio das igrejas foram um padrão recorrente em vários países: Após mais
de uma década de guerra, desastre e crise sem tréguas, a igreja na Síria
diminuiu significativamente. A emigração está a mudar ativamente a aparência da
igreja — de uma antiga e grande população minoritária para uma comunidade cristã
muito mais pequena e mais ameaçada.
Após a guerra entre Israel e o Hamas, que começou em
outubro de 2023, as comunidades cristãs de Gaza e da Cisjordânia chegaram à
beira da extinção. Embora não tenha sido devido à perseguição, em Gaza, pelo
menos 33 cristãos foram mortos e a maioria das casas foi destruída durante a
violência. Muitas famílias cristãs mudaram-se para o estrangeiro ou estão a
tentar sair.
A igreja no Afeganistão é profundamente clandestina e,
como há menos expressões visíveis do cristianismo, as autoridades talibãs não
têm nada a reprimir. Todas as igrejas protestantes na Argélia foram forçadas a
fechar, não restando nenhuma que possa ser alvo de encerramento.
Na China, as igrejas não registadas, anteriormente
toleradas pelo governo, são agora consideradas ilegais, uma vez que as
autoridades aplicam regulamentos. As igrejas aprovadas pelo Estado estão sob
maior pressão ideológica e novas leis enviam os pastores para sessões de
doutrinação, onde são instados a pregar adequadamente. As congregações mais
pequenas são forçadas a fundir-se numa igreja maior, mais fácil de controlar,
ou a levar as suas irmandades para a clandestinidade, em grupos domésticos
isolados.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Prophecies of Consequences - Chapter 19
Prophecies of Consequences
In the book of Joshua we find Joshua’s last words to the children of Israel,
Not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord God spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing has failed thereof.[1]
Joshua was confirming to the children of Israel how God had fulfilled His promises unto Abraham and Moses, had brought them into the Promised Land and had defeated their enemies. He goes on to say,
Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you. When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given unto you.[2]
Israel’s time in the Promised Land was short as an independent nation. They soon disobeyed the Lord, were brought into bondage by other nations and finally destroyed and sent into captivity by both the Assyrian and the Babylonian empires, as Joshua and Moses had foretold. The warning prophecy God gave them was fulfilled. Later, the Jews were allowed to return and rebuild the city and the Temple because of the edit decreed by Cyrus (above), King of Persia around 535 BC, following his conquest of Babylon.
In Isaiah, we find a prophecy about Cyrus the King of Persia who would defeat the Babylonian Empire. The prophecy also stated he would give the captive children of Israel permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the city and the Temple. These had been destroyed seventy years earlier by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army. It is interesting to note that Daniel, who counselled Nebuchadnezzar, continued to be king’s counsellor under the Medes and Persians who had conquered the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel may have been able to share with both Darius and Cyrus what the Scriptures had predicted.
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius (the Mede), and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.[3]
Let’s look at the prophecy of Isaiah about Cyrus (pictured above) which was received some time after 740 BC.
That says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shall be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.[4]
The prophecy continues,
For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou has not known me.[5] I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, says the Lord of hosts.[6]
The above prophecy was fulfilled about 200 years later. In the book of Ezra we read that in the first year of Cyrus or in 535 BC, according to historical records, the following took place:
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (He is the God) which is in Jerusalem.[7]
The Scripture from Ezra mentions a prophecy by Jeremiah. Jeremiah lived some eighty years after Isaiah. Isaiah was prophet from the time of King Uzziah, around 740 BC, through the reign of King Hezekiah. According to Jewish tradition, Isaiah was sawed in half during the reign of Manasseh, around 680 BC.[8]
Jeremiah began prophesying in Judah around 626 BC, or 54 years after Isaiah’s death and halfway through the reign of Josiah (640-609 BC), the son of Manasseh. Jeremiah continued prophesying throughout the reigns of Jehoahaz (609), Jehoiakim (609–598), Jehoiachin (598–597) and Zedekiah (597–586). He ended his prophesying sometime after 586 BC, at the time of the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, just as he had prophesied by the Word of the Lord.
According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah was put to death by stoning while living in Egypt.[9] He had been taken captive there by some of the Jewish people after the murder of the Governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. Earlier in his career, he had prophesied that the captives of Israel would suffer seventy years in Babylonian captivity before God’s mercy allowed them to return to their homeland.
For thus says the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place (Jerusalem). And I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all places whither I have driven you, says the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.[10]
These are amazing prophecies which were fulfilled just as God stated them.
Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded.[11]
Not one prophecy would lack its mate or lack in fulfilment, just as God said.
Notes: Written March 2016, Published Aug 31, 2020, Republished February 26, 2025.
[1] Joshua 23:14
[2] Joshua 23:15-16
[3] Daniel 6:28
[4] Isaiah 44:28
[5] Isaiah 45:4
[6] Isaiah 45:13
[7] Ezra 1:1-3
[8] http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-isaiah/ (accessed 03/2016)
[9] http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-jeremiah/ (accessed 03/2016)
[10] Jeremiah 29:10-14
[11] Isaiah 34:16
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Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Monday, February 24, 2025
Isaac’s Prophecy - Chapter 18
Isaac’s Prophecy
Another interesting prophecy by one of the patriarchs is Isaac’s prophecy over his sons Jacob and Esau. Isaac was Abraham’s son. Jacob and Esau were Abraham’s grandchildren. Similar to Ishmael and Isaac, the blessing does not go to the older child, Esau, but rather to the younger, Jacob. It’s a fascinating story which I do not have time to retell here. But get your Bible out and read it in the book of Genesis. Isaac ends up giving the blessing to Jacob. Esau comes seeking for a blessing, also. Isaac responds,
Behold I have made him thy Lord, and all his brethren have I given him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?[1]
But Esau insists,
Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven above; And by thy sword shall thou live, and shall serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shall have the dominion, that thou shall break his yoke from off thy neck.[2]
Afterwards, Esau realizes that his wives from the Canaanite women displease his father.
And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.[3]
Jacob becomes the father of the twelve tribes of Israel which today we know as the Jewish people. Isaac prophesied “corn and wine,” or in other words, wealth. Another part of Isaac’s prophecy said that Jacob’s brother and his brother’s descendants would be Jacob’s servants. Jacob, therefore, would have power. No one would deny that the descendants of Jacob, the Jewish people, have both wealth and through wealth they have power, as money often equals power.
Esau descendants intermarry with the children of Ishmael and with the children of Canaan and so become part of the Arab peoples. Similar to the prophecy over Ishmael, who
was a wild man and his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him,[4]
Esau would live by the sword and yet his brother Jacob would have power over him, because he would serve his brother.
It is interesting how throughout history the Arabs have lived by the sword and have been expert swordsmen. We even see ISIS in Iraq and Syria cutting the throats of foreigners with a knife or small sword! Some Bible scholars believe that
the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven above
refers to Arab petroleum, which is not something they obtained through hard work but rather as the dew of heaven, they have just been blessed with its richness. Another part of the prophecy says,
And it shall come to pass when thou shall have the dominion, that thou shall break his yoke from off thy neck.[5]
Some believe that sometime in the future the Arabs may break off the yoke of Jewish world control. Some scholars believe that the yoke was broken back in 1973 when the Arabs raised the price of oil and started to amassing huge sums of money through their sales. In any event, the fact that nearly three thousand years ago a rich shepherd in the land of Canaan prophesied the events above is not only very interesting, but surely miraculous.
Notes: Written 2016, First Published August 2020. Republished February 2025.
[1] Genesis 27:37
[2] Genesis 27:38-40
[3] Genesis 28:8-9
[4] Genesis 16:12
[5] Genesis 27:40
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Sunday, February 23, 2025
The Wild Man Prophecy - Chapter 17
The Wild Man Prophecy!
Dennis Edwards
Most everyone knows that Abraham is the father of both the Jewish and Arab nations. However, most people do not realize that both Jews and Arabs are descendants of Shem. In fact, according to Biblical chronology, Shem and Abraham’s lives overlap by about 100 years. So Abraham could have known Shem. Some Bible scholars believe that Melchizedek to whom Abraham gave tithes after the battle of Chedorlaomer was in fact Shem.
Genesis 14:18-20 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he (Melchizedek) blessed him (Abraham), and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he (Abraham) gave him (Melchizedek) tithes of all.
The point I am trying to make here is that both Jews and Arabs are “Shemites” or Semites, that is, descendants of Shem. The word anti-Semitism comes from Shem’s name. Since both Arabs and Jews are “Shemites” or Semites, the word anti-Semitism should mean those who are prejudice to both Arabs and Jews. Instead it is used exclusively to designate hatred or prejudice toward the Jewish people.
According to Wikipedia, the word anti-Semitism was first used
in the late 19th century in Germany as a more scientific-sounding term for Judenhass or Jew-hatred.[1]
In any event, Abraham is the father of the Jewish people through Isaac, the son of Abraham’s wife Sarah. But Abraham is also the father of the Arab nations through Ishmael, his son through his wife’s handmaiden Hagar. Ishmael was actually older than Isaac. Because of the jealousy which was arising between Hagar and Sarah, and ultimately between their descendants, Sarah asks Abraham to put away both Hagar and her son Ishmael. Abraham laments, but God tells him to yield to his wife’s request.
Hagar and her son are put out of the camp and wander in the desert. In her desperation Hagar calls out to the Lord for help and He helps her. The angel responsible for her rescue prophesizes over Ishmael saying,
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.[Genesis 16:12]
The Lord also says,
For I will make him a great nation.[Genesis 21:18]
And later:
These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles (or encampments); twelve princes according to their nations.[Genesis 25:16]
Have the Arab nations been traditionally “a wild man?” Surely their manner of spreading their Islam faith during the time of Mohammed was by violence. Also, since they are a tribal people, each tribe tends to keep to themselves and have strong tribal preferences. Therefore, even though they are brothers, they find it hard to agree and have throughout history been in constant squabbles among themselves, which we even see today in the Sunni-Shiite division. We see it in the “liberated” nations of Iraq and Libya. Without a strong man dictator to force the different tribal areas to work together, the country soon falls into chaos, with every man’s hand against each other.
The Israelis, realizing that the Arabs are often against each other, have used the fact to their advantage in the Middle East conflict. Because of their knowledge of the Arab weakness, they have been able to prevent some attempted unions by Arab leaders which could have proved dangerous to Israel’s national security. Secret documents have shown that the Mossad, the Israeli equivalent to the CIA, have used the philosophy of divide-and-conquer as their foreign policy using their expert intelligence to foment division among the Arab nations. As long as the Arab nations are fighting among themselves, Israel’s security is safe and Israel becomes the most dominant military power in the area.
On June 25, 2014, blogger Brandon Martinez wrote the following on his website commenting on the fighting in Iraq between the different Muslim groups, confirming Israel’s policy:
On the June 22 edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu let slip his government’s intention to divide and conquer the Middle East. Remarking on the latest ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) incursions into Iraq, Netanyahu expressed the desire of his regime to promote internal strife in Israel’s neighboring states.
“We must weaken both [Sunni and Shia Muslims],”
Netanyahu said, implying that it is in Israel’s interests to have Muslims fighting and squabbling among themselves.
“When your enemies are fighting each other, don’t strengthen either one of them, weaken both,” said the Israeli leader.
Martinez continues,
That is what ISIS was created to do. The terrorist militia’s American, Israeli and Saudi backers are content to see these roving bands of malcontents and marauders behead their way to Damascus and Baghdad. What better way to solidify Israel’s position as the sole hegemony in the region? Fragmenting, weakening and Balkanizing the Middle East has been part-and-parcel of the Israeli impulse from the very beginnings of the Jewish state.[2]
Martinez brings to our attention that oddly enough, back in 1982, Israeli military strategist Oded Yinon had written a paper called, A Strategy for Israel in the 1980s.[3] At the time Iraq was Israel’s most powerful and potential adversary and Israel’s greatest threat. Yinon, therefore, advocated the territorial dissection of Iraq into three states. Each state would be based on ethnic and confessional roots, namely Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis. Yinon promoted the same scenario for the other Arab/Muslim states surrounding Israel, including Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Iran.
Some experts claim the idea of a Middle East divided along Arab tribal lines goes back as far as the 1920s. According to Martinez, Yinon believed that fractured and divided Arab/Muslim countries could not pose any challenge to Israeli dominance. He insisted,
Every kind of inter-Arab confrontation will assist us in the short run and will shorten the way to the more important aim of breaking up Iraq into denominations as in Syria and in Lebanon.[4]
Martinez concludes,
Yinon’s geopolitical blueprint is still very relevant today. His vision of a crippled and prostrate Arab/Muslim world is playing out before our very eyes.[5]
Will Iraq be redrawn into three parts in the near future in fulfillment to Yinon’s suggested strategy? And what about the 5 Israelis arrested for filming and celebrating the destruction of the Twin Towers from New Jersey? Were they agents from the Israeli Secret Service, the Mossad? Did they have beforehand information about the event, as some believe? Were they involved in causing the buildings to implode using explosives on the foundations? Will we ever know the truth? (See article about the 5 Israelis here) [6]
[Since the Mossad are so smart and able to infiltrate the enemies most secret organizations and cause havoc like we have seen in Iran, and Lebanon, is it not possible that the Mossad could have orchestrated through its power to infiltrate the 9/11 attack? What nation benefitted from the 9/11 attack? The only nation that benefitted was Israel as she manipulated America to fight her wars and eliminate her enemies in Iraq, Libya, and almost in Syria had not Putin intervened at that time. Other articles on the 5 Israelis have seem to have shown that these men had rented a floor on one of the towers that was destroyed and would work at nights in the building transporting "Art" material in their rented truck. Some have speculated that they were responsible for planting the explosive devices that would later be used to bring down the buildings as fires are not on their own capable of destroying reinforced steel structures. The articles I have read were once available on Google now seem not to be.
If the Mossad did not orchestrate the attacks, they at least knew of them and did not inform American intelligence. They may still have been used to plant the explosive devices aimed at bringing down the buildings. However, I am more inclined to believe the Mossad was manipulating the terrorists, and or, controlling the planes in some way, and in some form responsible for the whole thing!]
See the following link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMWp1YTTh-h/
[2] http://martinezperspective.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/isis-insurrection-serves-israels-interests/ (accessed 03/2016)
[3] http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/pdf/The%20Zionist%20Plan%20for%20the%20Middle%20East.pdf (accessed 03/2016)
[4] Ibid
[5] https://martinezperspective.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/isis-insurrection-serves-israels-interests/ (accessed 03/2016)
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Saturday, February 22, 2025
The Noah Prophecy - Chapter 16
The Noah Prophecy
The Lord said through Isaiah,
Later the Lord says,
Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.[1]
Later the Lord says,
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.[2] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.[3]
I would like to give some examples of a few of the hundreds of amazing fulfilled prophecies found in the Bible. It will strengthen your faith and help you to believe He will fulfill the remaining prophecies.
The book of Genesis has some of the most interesting prophecies made about the descendants of the great fore-fathers of faith. We will look at one which Noah prophesized over his three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. Looking through the genealogies of these men, we find that Shem was the father of both the Jewish and Arab nations and all their mixtures. Ham was the father of Black African nations, the word “Ham” meaning black, while Japheth was the father of all the northern European nations or Caucasian “Gentile” nations.
Let’s look at the prophecy which took place after the flood:
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.[4]
Canaan, the son of Ham, is cursed for what some believe may have been a sexual act by Ham upon his father Noah, or by Ham with his mother, Noah's wife. The uncovering of his father's nakedness could be referring to his mother as seen in Leviticus 18:7. Shem is blessed, while Canaan is made his servant. Japheth’s dwelling place or dominion would be enlarged, yet he would still live in housing owned by Shem. Still, Canaan would be Japheth’s servant, also.
Has this prophecy been fulfilled? Yes, with 100% accuracy. Shem’s descendants are the Jewish and Arab peoples. The Black Africans are found in many of the Arab nations working at menial jobs. The Black Africans also work in menial jobs in many Western nations, where Jewish money and expertise has given the Jewish people unprecedented power. In fact, the Jewish people have dominated every area of human enterprise that they have put their hand to, especially finances and banking. No one would dispute that the Black African nations are the servants of international banks who are largely owned by Jewish money.
So, Canaan, the Black African people, is definitely servant to Shem in the Arab and Jewish peoples and to Japheth in the Gentile people who are largely the Caucasian people. In the third part of the prophecy, we see that Japheth, the father of the northern European nations, has become very large in land area, including North America and Australia. Nevertheless, his brother Shem or Jewish money still controls his housing and financing situation, just like the prophecies predicted: “he shall dwell in the tents of Shem.” Canaan’s descendants, the peoples of Black Africa, have also traditionally been the servants of the Caucasian peoples, the descendants of Japheth, just like they have been servants to the descendants of Shem, the Jewish and Arab peoples. 
I have even seen an interesting study from the book Abraham’s Children: Race, Identity and the DNA of the Chosen People by Dr. Jon Entine.[5] He claims that DNA tests of important Black African leaders seem to indicate that many if not most have Jewish DNA. The Black Africans who become important leaders in Africa are almost always those with significant amounts of Jewish DNA. Entine also puts forth the possibility of Jewish descendants being the architects of the famous Great Zimbabwe; an archaeological ruin in Zimbabwe built around 1100 AD. The origins and architectures of the Great Zimbabwe have been a controversy over the years, which some politically-correct archaeologists have credited to the Black Africans. Entine thinks otherwise and gives the credit to Jewish ingenuity.[6]
I have even seen an interesting study from the book Abraham’s Children: Race, Identity and the DNA of the Chosen People by Dr. Jon Entine.[5] He claims that DNA tests of important Black African leaders seem to indicate that many if not most have Jewish DNA. The Black Africans who become important leaders in Africa are almost always those with significant amounts of Jewish DNA. Entine also puts forth the possibility of Jewish descendants being the architects of the famous Great Zimbabwe; an archaeological ruin in Zimbabwe built around 1100 AD. The origins and architectures of the Great Zimbabwe have been a controversy over the years, which some politically-correct archaeologists have credited to the Black Africans. Entine thinks otherwise and gives the credit to Jewish ingenuity.[6][1] Isaiah 34:16
[2] Isaiah 42:8-9
[3] Isaiah 46:10
[3] Genesis 9:25-27
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioYAjdDALqk (accessed 03/2016)[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lgk9LHqCjA (accessed 03/2016)
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Friday, February 21, 2025
Uma Vitória de Oração e Louvor: Um Estudo sobre 2 Crônicas 20
2 Crônicas 20:1 Depois disto sucedeu que os moabitas, e os amonitas, e com eles alguns dos meunitas vieram contra Jeosafá para lhe fazerem guerra.
(Quem eram os moabitas, os amonitas e os filhos de Seir? - Os amonitas e moabitas eram descendentes de Ló em sua relação com suas duas filhas. Ló não era realmente um descendente de Abraão, mas um parente próximo, seu sobrinho. Abraão até lutou uma guerra para salvar a vida de Ló. Os meunitas eram do Monte Seir e descendentes principalmente de Esaú. Mas lembre-se de que Esaú se casou com uma filha de Ismael, mas também teve duas esposas cananitas.
Quando os filhos de Israel passaram pelas terras dessas tribos, descendentes ou descendentes próximos de Abraão, a caminho da terra prometida, Deus não os deixou travar uma guerra com eles.[Deuteronómio 2] Ele havia dado aquelas terras àqueles descendentes específicos de Abraão. Além disso, seu cálice de iniqüidade ainda não estava cheio para receber o julgamento de Deus. Lembre-se de que Ele demora a se irar e é sempre misericordioso. Veja Êxodo 34: 6, Neemias 9:31, Salmo 103: 8, Salmo 145: 8.)
(Quem foi Jehosephat? - ele era um rei bom ou mau? De Israel ou Judá? Do Reino do Sul ou do Norte?) (Vamos ler um pouco sobre ele antes de iniciar o capítulo.)
2 Crônicas 17:1-10 E Jeosafá, seu filho, reinou em seu lugar; e fortificou-se contra Israel. E pôs soldados em todas as cidades fortificadas de Judá, e estabeleceu guarnições na terra de Judá, como também nas cidades de Efraim, que Asa seu pai tinha tomado. E o Senhor era com Jeosafá; porque andou nos primeiros caminhos de Davi seu pai, e não buscou a Baalins. Antes buscou ao Deus de seu pai, andou nos seus mandamentos, e não segundo as obras de Israel.
E o Senhor confirmou o reino na sua mão, e todo o Judá deu presentes a Jeosafá, o qual teve riquezas e glória em abundância. E exaltou-se o seu coração nos caminhos do Senhor e, ainda mais, tirou os altos e os bosques de Judá. E no terceiro ano do seu reinado enviou ele os seus príncipes, a Ben-Hail, a Obadias, a Zacarias, a Natanael e a Micaías, para ensinarem nas cidades de Judá.
E com eles os levitas, Semaías, Netanias, Zebadias, Asael, Semiramote, Jônatas, Adonias, Tobias e Tobe-Adonias e, com estes levitas, os sacerdotes, Elisama e Jeorão. E ensinaram em Judá, levando consigo o livro da lei do Senhor; e foram a todas as cidades de Judá, ensinando entre o povo. E veio o temor do Senhor sobre todos os reinos das terras, que estavam ao redor de Judá, e não guerrearam contra Jeosafá.
(Vemos que Josafá era um bom rei do Reino do Sul, o Reino de Judá. Ele enviou profetas e sacerdotes para ensinar a lei de Deus ao povo. Ele reinou de 870-849 AC. Agora continuamos com 2 Crônicas, capítulo 20.)
2 Crônicas 20:2 Vieram alguns homens dar notícia a Jeosafá, dizendo: Vem contra ti uma grande multidão (de Edom), dalém do mar e da Síria; e eis que já estão em Hazazom-Tamar, que é En-Gedi. 3 Então Jeosafá teve medo, e pôs-se a buscar ao Senhor, e apregoou jejum em todo o Judá.
(Quem foi outro rei que teve uma reação semelhante às más notícias? - O Rei de Nínive no livro de Jonas.)
(Jonas 3: 1 Pela segunda vez veio a palavra do Senhor a Jonas, dizendo: 2 Levanta-te, e vai à grande cidade de Nínive, e lhe proclama a mensagem que eu te ordeno. 3 Levantou-se, pois, Jonas, e foi a Nínive, segundo a palavra do Senhor. Ora, Nínive era uma grande cidade, de três dias de jornada.4 E começou Jonas a entrar pela cidade, fazendo a jornada dum dia, e clamava, dizendo: Ainda quarenta dias, e Nínive será subvertida.5 E os homens de Nínive creram em Deus; e proclamaram um jejum, e vestiram-se de saco, desde o maior deles até o menor.
6 A notícia chegou também ao rei de Nínive; e ele se levantou do seu trono e, despindo-se do seu manto e cobrindo-se de saco, sentou-se sobre cinzas.7 E fez uma proclamação, e a publicou em Nínive, por decreto do rei e dos seus nobres, dizendo: Não provem coisa alguma, nem homens, nem animais, nem bois, nem ovelhas; não comam, nem bebam água; 8 mas sejam cobertos de saco, tanto os homens como os animais, e clamem fortemente a Deus; e convertam-se, cada um do seu mau caminho, e da violência que há nas suas mãos. 9 Quem sabe se se voltará Deus, e se arrependerá, e se apartará do furor da sua ira, de sorte que não pereçamos?10 E Deus viu o que fizeram, como se converteram do seu mau caminho, e Deus se arrependeu do mal que tinha dito lhes faria, e não o fez.)
2 Crônicas 20:4 E Judá se ajuntou para pedir socorro ao Senhor; também de todas as cidades de Judá vieram para buscarem ao Senhor.
(O que diz em Tiago 4: 7-10? NVB 7 Portanto, submetam-se humildemente a Deus. Resistam ao diabo, e ele fugirá de vocês. 8 E quando vocês se achegarem a Deus, ele se achegará a vocês. Lavem as mãos, pecadores, e vocês, hipócritas, purifiquem os vossos corações! 9Haja lágrimas pelas coisas erradas que vocês fizeram. Haja arrependimento e aflição sincera. Haja lamento em vez de riso, e tristeza em vez de alegria. 10E então, quando vocês se humilharem diante do Senhor, ele levantará e animará vocês.)
(Eles fizeram a coisa certa? – Sim.)
2 Crônicas 20:5 Jeosafá pôs-se em pé na congregação de Judá e de Jerusalém, na casa do Senhor, diante do átrio novo, e disse: Ah! Senhor, Deus de nossos pais, não és tu Deus no céu? e não és tu que governas sobre todos os reinos das nações? e na tua mão há poder e força, de modo que não há quem te possa resistir. 7 Ó nosso Deus, não lançaste fora os moradores desta terra de diante do teu povo Israel, e não a deste para sempre à descendência de Abraão, teu amigo? 8 E habitaram nela, e nela edificaram um santuário ao teu nome, dizendo: 9 Se algum mal nos sobrevier, espada, juízo, peste, ou fome, nós nos apresentaremos diante desta casa e diante de ti, pois teu nome está nesta casa, e clamaremos a ti em nossa aflição, e tu nos ouvirás e livrarás.
(Aqui está parte da oração de Salomão quando o Templo foi consagrado: 2 Crônicas 6:34-35 “Quando o teu povo sair à guerra contra os seus inimigos, pelo caminho que os enviares, e orarem a ti para o lado desta cidade que escolheste, e desta casa, que edifiquei ao teu nome, Ouve, então, desde os céus a sua oração, e a sua súplica, e faze-lhes justiça.”- Josafá está lembrando o povo e o Senhor da oração que Salomão fez, e lembrando a Deus de Sua promessa a Israel.)
2 Crônicas 20:10 Agora, pois, eis que os homens de Amom, de Moabe, e do monte Seir, pelos quais não permitiste que passassem os filhos de Israel, quando vinham da terra do Egito, mas deles se desviaram e não os destruíram - 11 eis como nos recompensam, vindo para lançar-nos fora da tua herança, que nos fizeste herdar. 12 Ah! nosso Deus, não os julgarás? Porque nós não temos força para resistirmos a esta grande multidão que vem contra nós, nem sabemos o que havemos de fazer; porém os nossos olhos estão postos em ti. 13 E todo o Judá estava em pé diante do Senhor, como também os seus pequeninos, as suas mulheres, e os seus filhos.
(Quando no passado vimos os filhos de Israel em uma situação semelhante? Quando o Faraó estava atrás deles no Mar Vermelho. Vamos nos lembrar do que Moisés disse ao povo. Êxodo 14:13-14 Moisés, porém, disse ao povo: Não temais; estai quietos, e vede o livramento do Senhor, que hoje vos fará; porque aos egípcios, que hoje vistes, nunca mais os tornareis a ver. O Senhor pelejará por vós, e vós vos calareis.) 
2 Crônicas 20:14 Então veio o Espírito do Senhor no meio da congregação, sobre Jaaziel, filho de Zacarias, filho de Benaías, filho de Jeiel, filho de Matanias o levita, dos filhos de Asafe, 15 e disse: Dai ouvidos todo o Judá, e vós, moradores de Jerusalém, e tu, ó rei Jeosafá. Assim vos diz o Senhor: Não temais, nem vos assusteis por causa desta grande multidão, porque a peleja não é vossa, mas de Deus. 16 Amanhã descereis contra eles; eis que sobem pela ladeira de Ziz, e os achareis na extremidade do vale, defronte do deserto de Jeruel. 
17 Nesta batalha não tereis que pelejar; postai-vos, ficai parados e vede o livramento que o Senhor vos concederá, ó Judá e Jerusalém. Não temais, nem vos assusteis; amanhã saí-lhes ao encontro, porque o Senhor está convosco. 18 Então Jeosafá se prostrou com o rosto em terra; e todo o Judá e os moradores de Jerusalém se lançaram perante o Senhor, para o adorarem. 19 E levantaram-se os levitas dos filhos dos coatitas e dos filhos dos coraítas, para louvarem ao Senhor Deus de Israel, em voz muito alta - (Aqui vemos cantores nomeados levantando um alto louvor a Deus.)
20 Pela manhã cedo se levantaram e saíram ao deserto de Tecoa; ao saírem, Jeosafá pôs-se em pé e disse: Ouvi-me, ó Judá, e vós, moradores de Jerusalém. Crede no Senhor vosso Deus, e estareis seguros; crede nos seus profetas, e sereis bem-sucedidos. 21 Tendo ele tomado conselho com o povo, designou os que haviam de cantar ao Senhor e louvá-lo vestidos de trajes sagrados, ao saírem diante do exército, e dizer: Dai graças ao Senhor, porque a sua benignidade dura para sempre.
(Vemos o Rei consultando com o povo. Parece o versículo em Malaquias 3:16 - Então, aqueles que temem ao SENHOR falam cada um com o seu companheiro; e o SENHOR atenta e ouve. Provérbios 24:6 diz, “Com medidas de prudência farás a guerra; na multidão de conselheiros está a vitória.) (O rei aconselhou-se com o povo e eles concordaram em seguir essa técnica militar de confiar no Senhor e seguir em frente cantando.)
2 Crônicas 20:22 Ora, quando começaram a cantar e a dar louvores, o Senhor pôs emboscadas contra os homens de Amom, de Moabe e os do monte Seir, que tinham vindo contra Judá; e foram desbaratados. 23 Pois os homens de Amom e de Moabe se levantaram contra os moradores do monte Seir, para os destruir e exterminar; e, acabando eles com os moradores do monte Seir, ajudaram a destruir-se uns aos outros. (Então, quando eles começaram a cantar e louvar, Deus confundiu seus inimigos. Seus inimigos mataram-se uns aos outros.)
24 Entretanto, chegou Judá à atalaia do deserto; e olharam para a multidão, e eis que eram cadáveres que jaziam pela terra, não tendo ninguém escapado. 25 Quando Jeosafá e o seu povo vieram para saquear os seus despojos, acharam entre eles gado em grande número, objetos de valor e roupas, assim como jóias preciosas, e tomaram para si tanto que não podiam levar mais; por três dias saquearam o despojo, porque era muito. 26 Ao quarto dia eles se ajuntaram no vale de Beraca; pois ali louvaram ao Senhor. Por isso aquele lugar é chamado o vale de Beraca, até o dia de hoje.
27 Então, voltando dali todos os homens de Judá e de Jerusalém com Jeosafá à frente deles, retornaram a Jerusalém com alegria; porque o Senhor os fizera regozijar-se, sobre os seus inimigos. 28 Vieram, pois, a Jerusalém com alaúdes, com harpas e com trombetas, para a casa do Senhor. 29 Então veio o temor de Deus sobre todos os reinos daqueles países, quando eles ouviram que o Senhor havia pelejado contra os inimigos de Israel. 30 Assim o reino de Jeosafá ficou em paz; pois que o seu Deus lhe deu repouso ao redor. 
(Talvez você esteja lutando contra três ou mais inimigos. Talvez você tenha problemas de saúde, ou no casamento, ou esteja só porque está sozinho, ou tenha problemas financeiros, ou no trabalho, ou esteja desanimado com sua vida e você não sabe como irá continuar. O que é que você deve fazer para obter a vitória se seguir o exemplo do povo de Deus na leitura anterior? Precisamos parar e orar. Precisamos ficar desesperados diante do Senhor em oração e de jejum.
Precisamos ouvi-Lo. Sigamos a Sua voz por meio dos Seus profetas. Enchamos nossos corações e mentes com louvor e cânticos. É assim que vamos conseguir a vitória sobre os nossos inimigos:o nosso inimigo do medo, o nosso inimigo da dúvida, nossos inimigos pessoais, quem ou o que quer que sejam, até mesmo o nosso inimigo espiritual e seus emissários. Por meio da oração, louvor, canto e obediência ao Senhor, nós vamos vencer; porque somos mais que vencedores, por meio daquele que nos amou – Jesus.)
2 Crônicas 20:31 E Jeosafá reinou sobre Judá; … 32 Ele andou no caminho de Asa, seu pai, e não se desviou dele, fazendo o que era reto aos olhos do Senhor
(O rei Jeosafá não era perfeito e cometeu sua cota de erros, mas no capítulo anterior vimos que em tempo de crise ele parava e ficava quieto diante de Deus. Ele orou desesperadamente e fez seu país orar desesperadamente. Eles clamaram a Deus com todos os seus corações e almas e Deus olhou para baixo e os ouviu e respondeu.
Eles ouvem a voz suave de Deus na boca de seus profetas e obedecem aos mandamentos de Deus. Ouvindo a voz de Deus e praticando louvor e canções, eles obtiveram a vitória sobre seu inimigo espiritual e sobre o medo, primeiro. e depois sobre seus inimigos físicos. Devemos seguir o exemplo deles. Clame a Deus e Ele o ouvirá e enviará ajuda. É bom invocar o nome do Senhor.)
publicado em 2021
Bible Prophecy – Mathematically Impossible! Chapter 15
Bible Prophecy – Mathematically Impossible!
At the end of the New Testament in the first verse in the book of Revelation, we find the following words,
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified by his angel unto his servant John.[1]
At the end of the revelation, John tries to worship the angel who brought him the end-time message. The angel says,
See you do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.[2]
A testimony is a document that confirms the will of the testifier: like a person’s will is a document giving evidence or proof or testament to his desires. The spirit of prophecy found in the Bible is the testament or proof or evidence that Jesus is God. The accuracy of God’s prophecies confirms or testifies that Jesus is the Christ. The accuracy of God’s prophecies confirms or testifies to the fact that the Bible is true.
In my condensed Bible concordance, I can find some forty-eight Old Testament Messianic prophecies, or prophecies concerning the coming of the Jewish Messiah, all of which were fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nowhere in all of ancient Greek and Latin literature can there be found any real specific prophecy of a great historical event to come in the distant future. To the contrary, the Bible is full of countless, detailed, specific prophecies, all of which have been miraculously fulfilled and come true—except the final end-time prophecies which are either to be fulfilled in the near future or are coming to pass right now.
In 1957, Peter W. Stoner, a university professor at Pasadena City College in California, asked his twelve college classes what would be the chance of one person fulfilling forty-eight of the approximately 325 Messianic prophecies randomly? His book titled SCIENCE SPEAKS: An Evaluation of Certain Christian Evidences goes over the results.[3]
First Professor Stoner, with the help of the students from the twelve different classes, estimated the odds for just eight of the Messianic prophecies being fulfilled by one man. They made reasonable and conservative estimates which the students agreed upon unanimously.[4]
For example, they tried to figure out the odds of a child born in Bethlehem at the beginning of the first century becoming the Messiah. What were the odds of three wise men would come from the east and bestow gifts on the child and his family? What were the odds that they same child would escape the slaying of the male children of Bethlehem by Herod the Great? What were the odds of that child traveling specifically to Egypt and then returning later to live in Nazareth so that later he would be called a Nazarene?
Stoner then took the average result for each of the possible eight prophecies calculated by the twelve different classes. By multiplying the probability that was found for one of the prophecies by the other seven prophecies, he came up with the probability of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies. Making the reasonable and conservative assumption that the other forty prophetic possibilities would have nearly the same rate of probability, he did the math. He found that the odds of one person fulfilling all forty-eight prophecies would be one in 10 to the 157th power or one over 10 followed by 157 zeros, or one chance out of
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Mathematicians state that a number with a probability of 10 to the negative 50th power, or one in 10 to the fiftieth power is impossible.[5] Therefore, one times 10 to the negative 157th power would be even less possible. Scientists have calculated the number of electrons in the universe to be around one times 10 to the 80th power. So fulfilling forty-eight Messianic prophecies would be like the possibility of finding, on the very first attempt, one specific electron out of all of the electrons in all the known mass of the entire universe![6] It’s just beyond possibility for one person to accidentally fulfil all forty-eight prophecies of the some 325 total Messianic prophecies found in the Bible. Nevertheless, Jesus did it.
Attorney Lee Strobel was the former agnostic journalist with the Chicago Tribune, who had received Illinois’ highest honour for public service in investigating reporting from United Press International. He said in 2007, that statistical information presented in Professor Stoner’s Science Speaks about the Messianic prophecies was one of the major factors which gave him confidence to believe in Christ. Lee went on to become a New York Times besting-selling author with his books: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith and The Case for Easter.[7]
[1] Revelation 1:1
[2] Revelation 19:10
[3] Peter W. Stoner; Science Speaks; Moody Press; Chicago, Illinois; 1957
[4] http://www.bereanpublishers.com/the-odds-of-eight-messianic-prophecies-coming-true/ (accessed 03/2016)
[5] http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/borelfaq.html (accessed 03/2016)
[6] http://jvmi.co.uk/who-is-yeshua/reasons-to-believe/prophecies.html (03/2016)
[7] http://www.leestrobel.com/Bio.php (accessed 03/2016)
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