The blood moon eclipse on January 20/21 (seen in North and South America in its totality and either totally or partially elsewhere) has caused a lot of talk as to its significance. However, all total lunar eclipses tend to have a rusty-red tinge, hence the term. The blood moon spoken of in scripture will occur during the Tribulation when there will be natural disasters of unimaginable proportions. The brethren in Christ will be raptured before this occurs. And though it’s relatively rare that the eclipse occurred on a supermoon, something significant did occur on January 20 that appears to be the real reminder of where we are on God’s timeline with Israel.

In the daylight hours (Israel time) on January 20, an Iranian missile from Syria was launched toward the southern slopes of Mt. Hermon in the Golan, which was packed with Israeli skiers. Fortunately, the Iron Dome intercepted it. In response, Israel launched an unusual daylight attack on Iranian targets surrounding Damascus in Syria, and another after sundown. The attacks were acknowledged by Israel, which is also unusual, and the strikes were said to have been quite destructive.

No doubt, there has been a serious step-up lately in what is going on in the Middle East. Amir Tsarfati of Behold Israel explains it in his update at this link.

Interestingly, these strikes occurred immediately before and during the beginning of the traditional Jewish holiday Tu B’Shvat (The New Year of the Trees). It is a one-day holiday that began as the sun went down on January 20. Prophetically significant? Perhaps not, but it does remind us of certain scriptures, as we will see.

According to the site Hebrew4Christians, this day is associated with the beginning of spring in Israel when the earliest-blooming trees begin their fruit-bearing cycle. When the ancient Temple stood in Jerusalem, Tu B’Shvat served as the day the firstfruits of the trees that had turned 4-years-old were brought as offerings (Leviticus 19:23-25, 26:3-4).

This practice was discontinued after the destruction of the second Temple in 70 AD, followed by the Romans actively driving the Jews from their homeland.

This 70- to 80-year (Psalm 90-10) generation bore witness to the re-blossoming of the nation of Israel (May 14, 1948). Israel was a desolate wasteland before the Jews returned. Ezekiel 38-8 speaks of this as well as other scriptures that speak of last days events. Here are just two of those examples:

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose” (Isaiah 35:1).

“Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel… Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things” (Jeremiah 31:5).

Between 1948 and 1951, the largest migration ever to reach the shores of modern Israel occurred.

“Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them… Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he” (Jeremiah 31:8-11).

When the Jews returned to Israel, one of the first things they did was to plant trees. Tu B’Shvat now serves as a national arbor day in which new trees are planted and the rebirth of the Jewish homeland is celebrated. It is customary to eat the firstfruits of the Land of Israel on this date. – source

It is those who are in Christ who have the firstfruits of the Spirit. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:22-23).

Is creation groaning these days? Yes, with greater intensity and frequency. And contrary to what the global government pushers would have people believe, it’s not caused by man and cows.

Here is another passage that speaks of the Jews returning to Israel in the last days, which will see “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (also known as Daniel’s 70^th week and the Tribulation):

“For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again (reverse) the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it…

“For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished…

^“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after… Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it” (excerpts from Jeremiah 30).

Armageddon will occur in the lifetime of those who witness the return of the Jews to their homeland after worldwide dispersion (Joel 3).

Though the eclipse that just occurred is not the one since the Tribulation has not yet begun, looking up at the skies likely reminded the brethren of the glorious moment that will occur one day soon, when Christ will appear in the clouds to take us Home to glory (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

This step-up in activities regarding Israel and Syria would appear to be leading up to the eventual fulfillment of Isaiah 17 when Damascus will be annihilated in one night. Other parts of Syria and northern Israel will suffer as well when this occurs. The prophesied nations will shortly thereafter attack Israel. But God will personally intervene in a spectacular way and destroy the invaders.

We can assume that the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 will occur during the prophesied “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Daniel’s 70^th week; the Tribulation). Why is that? Because the last seven years (Daniel’s 70^th week) – before Christ’s physical return to Earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom – is set aside to turn the still mostly secular Israel back to God. The fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 will do just that:

“So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,’ says the Lord God. ‘This is the day of which I have spoken’” (Ezekiel 39:7-8).

All, be they Jew or Gentile, that are left to face the Tribulation will be without excuse.

Israel is the key to last days prophecy. As prophesied, the attention of the whole world is on Israel (Zechariah 12). This chapter speaks of the destruction of the nations that come against Israel – and Israel’s recognition of the Messiah, Christ Jesus.

In the following verses in Luke 21, Jesus was speaking to the Jews, as the church did not officially begin until Pentecost (in Acts); however, we all are seeing the beginning of the prophesied convergence of signs that tell us we are in the very last days when God’s wrath will be poured out on the unbelieving world during the tribulation.

“And they (the disciples) asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said… Ye shall hear of wars and commotions… Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven…

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled… 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” (see Luke 21:7-32).

As for those in Christ:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

May we with urgency watch and warn, plant the seed of the Gospel to as many as we can (Romans 10:9-10), and pray that it bears fruit in the form of changed lives.

“And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37).

 

Paradise Lost

“Of Man’s first disobedience and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man [Christ],
Restore us and regain the blissful seat…”

—opening lines of “Paradise Lost” by John Milton (died in 1674 on Thursday, November 8)

In a sad coincidence, this past Thursday, November 8, the town of Paradise, California, was literally decimated by a wind-driven fire in a scene described as hellish. The town of over 26,000 had to escape 150-foot flames that moved the equivalent of one football field every second. The roads were jammed, forcing people to leave their cars and run. As of November 11, 23 are known dead in Paradise with over 100 unaccounted for. Figures showed over 109,000 acres burned (156 square miles), over 6,700 structures destroyed (most of them homes), and only 25% of the fire contained.

Two other wind-driven fires also began on November 8. Reports say the Woolsey Fire in Southern California tore through Malibu mansions and working-class suburban homes in Southern California’s hills and canyons, leaving two people known dead. “It looks like a war zone, with homes and businesses burned to the ground. Charred earth as far as the eye can see.” November 11 figures showed over 70,000 acres burned (109 square miles), and zero percent of the fire contained.

The Hill Fire in Southern California, as of November 11, had burned 7 square miles with 25% of the fire contained. Between the Woolsey and Hill Fire, over a quarter of a million people were evacuated. But it’s the Paradise Fire that is being called the most destructive wildfire in California history. Reports are absolutely heartbreaking.

It’s also heartbreaking what has happened to America. It used to be a kind of paradise, especially when compared to the way things are today. America was blessed abundantly by God because this nation was founded on biblical principles. Its citizens honored Him, as did our founding fathers, who designated this nation as a Constitutional Republic – “a Republic if you can keep it” as Benjamin Franklin said.

Surprisingly, I found an article in the more left-leaning Huffington Post from 2014 that I agree with. Here is an excerpt from journalist Diane Dimond, who has worked at both liberal and conservative networks, and appears from her articles to be a concerned American who tells it like it is:

Americans have adopted the idea that we are a democracy, not a republic. Nothing could be further from the intent expressed at that Constitutional Convention in 1787. Have today’s history teachers been remiss in their lessons or has some sinister power oozed into our consciousness to make us believe we are something we were never destined to be?

James Madison, often called “the father of the Constitution,” wrote “Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they are violent in their deaths.”

Other writings from the time are full of warnings about how dire a democracy can be on the population, how democracies will, ultimately, cause a nation to crumble.

In the early 1800s, John Marshall, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote, “Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos.”

You won’t find the word “democracy” in either the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution. The United States of America was established as a Republic — period.

A republic is guided by an overarching set of laws — a charter or constitution — which, in our country’s case, explicitly guarantees the individual’s rights against the desires of the majority. Each of us has the indisputable right to think, worship and vote anyway we want.

A true democracy, on the other hand (stay with me on this), allows the majority to rule and to disregard the desires of any individual who doesn’t agree with them. Think of a democracy like this: If the majority of your neighbors voted to paint all houses bright purple, you would be forced to follow suit. Okay with you?

While today’s school kids are often being taught that “majority rule” is the fairest form of government — I think it’s quite the opposite. It destroys individualism and can foster a pack-thought mentality….

Wonder if in 2015 there will be a leader who can get us back to the idea of pledging allegiance to “The United States of America and to the republic for which it stands?” – source

Well, one showed up in 2015 and was elected in 2016 who also adds “one nation under God.” No, he’s not perfect, but neither are any of us. Not one, no way, no how. But how he’s managed to get many good things done under the circumstances is beyond me.

From Canada Free Press (summarized): It’s no longer a matter of the assassination of Donald Trump being the sole province of conspiracy theory when a plethora of hate-spewers in the Entertainment industry keep openly wishing him dead;  ‘comedians’ have sent pictures of his severed head viral; witches and wizards continue to cast hexes on him… The New York Times posted a fictional account of President Trump being gunned down by a Russian assassin with a Glock belonging to his own security detail… [Even Democrat politicians and mainstream medianites have called for harm to come to the president, and other Republicans].

It takes real COURAGE for Trump to appear at airport hangars and other public venues for his rallies, where the risk of being targeted runs high…

It is courageous for President Trump to declare “We trust in God,” “We protect the freedom of worship,” and “We believe in the power of prayer” at a time when the foes he faces have driven The Almighty out of the Public Square, pushed the wholesale slaughter of babies through abortion, robbed children of their God-Given birthright of gender, and failed to provide safety in school washrooms…

Midterm elections can be best described thus: The Democrats, led by “Resistance” leader Barack Obama and egged on by the Deep State plants he left behind, are trying to claw back control, while patriots, led by a courageous President Donald Trump, are fighting to get their country back. – source

As soon as the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in the midterm election, they suddenly called for the political fires to cool down—for civility to return. Too late. Of their own doing, Pandora’s Box was flung open wide.

The day after the election, an Antifa mob showed up at the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, shouting, “Tucker Carlson we will fight, we know where you sleep at night!” The leftists were also chanting, “No borders! No walls! No USA at all!” The group left minutes after police arrived with no arrests made. The group vows that this is just the beginning. An Antifa-associated Twitter account published Carlson’s home address as well as his brother’s – along with the addresses of Sean Hannity Ann Coulter, and Daily Caller’s Neil Patel.

From an African-American writer and Reverend, Jesse Peterson: The Democrat Party is evil. They are worse today than ever before – worse than during slavery, Jim Crow, lynch mobs, or the heyday of the KKK. Most people don’t realize we are in a spiritual battle of right versus wrong, good versus evil. There are people of all cultures, male and female, on the side of good. And there are men and women of all races, all cultures, on the side of evil.  – source

After the midterm Democrat takeover of the House of Representatives, Barack Hussein Obama praised Americans for electing leaders that reflect the growing diversity of the nation, and said he is optimistic that the country will now “return to… honesty, decency, compromise, and standing up for one another.” He emphasized, “The change we need won’t come from one election alone, but it is a start.”

Obama’s claim of a Democrat Party win returning the nation to honesty, decency and compromise, etc., is just more of his lying rhetoric. How can the leaders in his Party return to something they never possessed?

And the change that he and the Democrat Party leaders of today want (including some Republicans in name only—RINO’s) is a takedown of the United States of America. It’s the same thing the globalist left is doing in Europe. They want to wipe out Judeo-Christian values. They hate Christians and they hate God’s chosen covenant people Israel. But they’re really rebelling against God. Practically every position the left has is an attack on Christian beliefs.

Read the article “Rebelling Against God Is What’s Behind Almost All Left-Wing Beliefs” at this link and share it with liberals. Hopefully, the Democrats will read their liberal-left views compared to what the Bible says, and wake up while there’s yet time. Because time is running out on this sin-infested world.

We’re living in Paradise Lost. Only Jesus’ intervention can bring a return to honesty and decency. And He does not compromise His standards.

In the meantime, watch and warn and spread the Gospel to as many as you can while you still can. And pray unceasingly. Yes, and pray for our enemies. We see the converged signs all around us that tell us Jesus will very soon, in the twinkling of an eye, catch up His own to heaven with Him. Then, after the 7-year Tribulation, He will return along with his raptured believers to rule and reign in the thousand-year Millennium. Afterwards, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:1-5).

One day in the near future, Paradise Lost will be Paradise Regained.

“Thy Father is the Eternal King, who rules
All Heaven and Earth, Angels and Sons of men,
A messenger from God fore-told thy birth
Conceiv’d in me a Virgin; he fore-told
Thou shouldst be great and sit on David’s Throne
And of thy Kingdom there should be no end.”

—lines 236-240 of “Paradise Regained” by John Milton

Even so, Come Lord Jesus.

Cynthia Nuara

www.facebook.com/propheciesinthebible

articles at https://www.raptureready.com/search_gcse/?q=articles%20by%20cynthia%20nuara