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Let us go to Babylon for a look at what the Jews have endured. We will take a look at the 137th Psalm. This picture becomes a beautiful thing. What is this 137th Psalm? It is a psalm of the Jews that have been taken from Judah by the last forces of King Nebuchadnezzar. They have been taken to Babylon. Most of them have been put in the fields to work as slaves. But the inspiration fell upon someone; and here is the results. "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion." This psalm was not written 1000 B.C. This was not David's psalm. This was written by someone sitting along the rivers of Babylon, someone that remembered when they were carried away. He picked up as the anointing struck him, there by the rivers of Babylon, the Euphrates. "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. (Listen to this.) For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion." Stick around. I believe Israel is going to sing one of those songs one of these days, and jump up and down and rejoice, because they will not be seeing Pharaoh at the Red Sea: They will be seeing the hand of their God performing the miraculous. "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forger her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Now listen to this next verse.) Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it! Rase it! even to the foundation thereof." Whoever these Jews were, especially the one inspired under the anointing to come forth with this prophetic song, I believe in his mind he could remember how that bunch of Edomites would stand on the opposite hills watching the siege, jumping up and down, laughing, just waiting until it was all over so they could move in: Sort of like you see sometimes in these nature films, a lion will go out and kill a wild beast, and the hyenas are looking around. They want to get a bite of that carcass, but the lions are at the table. When the lions have finished, their tummies are full, they lick their chops and begin one by one to move away, they leave a carcass. Now the hyenas can come in. Other beasts will come in. That is exactly what the Edomites were doing. They stood on the opposite hills watching the siege, jumping up and down with great joy: It won't be long until this land will be ours. They have been living there for two thousand years: getting more all the time. However while they have been living there, God would not let them till the land to very much advantage. When they till it, it does not grow much. On the other hand, when the Jews tills it, it grows bumper crops: because God said of old, when He would scatter the Jews, Then my land will rest. When it rested, it looked desolate. Just picture these Jews sitting there, slaves, servants in Babylon, being taunted: Sing us a song, entertain us. Well we are living in the 20th century. Let the world say that in 1998, or 1999: They are liable to get a song they do not want to listen to. It might be a song a lot greater than when Miriam led the daughters of Israel along the banks of the Red Sea, jumping up and down for joy, beating the tambourines and singing of how their God had destroyed the mighty in the waters, took away his wheels, took away his chariots and destroyed his horsemen. It is all in the Psalms. We do not know what psalms the Jews are likely to come out with when this miraculous hour begins to fall upon the world. Notice that verse says, Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem. That means when Jerusalem is to be restored and brought back from the many centuries of its desolate, run down, stinking state. God said, now is the time for her walls to be built. That is why Micah says in the days that thy walls are to be built, then will I do thus and so. To do that, we can say this, This is scriptural proof that of all these Arabs originally came out of Saudi Arabia, in the area of Midan, the area where Mohammad the prophet rose up in 627 A.D., and came on with his revelation, and by the time we come to the 10th and 11th century, Mohammad's teaching had been spread through all this part of the world, even over into Africa, across the Mediterranean, into Greece, as we enter the era called the Crusades. That is why the European Crusaders went to the Middle East, to try to take the Bible land away from the Moslems. But in this we see, they sang of the prophecy, Remember the children of Edom. You are going to be spectators and watch the show. As I said, we stood here when that six day war was in progress; and Bro. Mayfield brought a radio and set it right over there so we could all hear what was being broadcast. When that six day war was going on, every few minutes a program was interrupted, bringing you the latest news from the Middle East. Word has just come through, Israel has taken another strategic point, on and on and on. On that sixth day the word came through, it is all over. The Jewish soldiers are standing at the Red Sea jumping up and down. Hallelujah! Looking at the Egyptians as they were going back to Cairo. Soldiers were at the western wall, jumping up and down, never again will this be like this. Down came the Jordanian flag and up went the Star of David, the first time it had been able to fly full mast without having to stand there with another one of different nations above it. That fulfilled the words of Jesus you read about in Luke, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. In June 1967 it was fulfilled. Yet there is certain aspects of it that have not been fulfilled yet. That is this, it is not yet been rebuilt. The Jews for some reason or other knew that if they tried to do anything while the Mosque of Omar is still standing there they would have the whole world coming down on them: You can't do that: That is a holy place. Well the hour is fast approaching when that thing will be torn down; and when it is, however it comes about, just know for sure that the Arabs will never get a chance to rebuild it. The Jewish temple will soon stand where that first temple stood. However quick that is, I have to say, Whether it is because the Israeli leaders have a complete revolutionary bust up in their society, their government goes all to pieces, which necessitates another election, this situation going on there right now could actually bring the Israeli government to chaos. Something will have to happen, to get the Jewish leaders moving in the right direction because these prophecies cannot fail. If eventually there are more Jews that are anti peace, the way the leaders have went at it, In other words going anti prophecy, God could have allowed that to stir up the fervor of the zealous Jews who are ready to die, to see that not one inch of ground is sacrificed. It may take that; but if that is what it does take, rest assured it is God's hand guiding the diplomatic process or procedure. The outcome is, God will see to it that the right kind of leaders go into office; and it will pick up, and in that day then, and it has never been yet, the governors of Judah shall be a terror to them round about. It means this whole entire Middle East world is suddenly going to become frightened. They cannot help but become frightened. Bro. Jackson, I don't believe that. Stick around then: You will not have to wait very long to find out for sure. Do not forget, when you read in Numbers that Joshua sent the three spies over to spy out that city of Jericho, they slipped in during the daylight hours and somehow or other they ended up at Rahab the harlot's house. They started asking her questions. Would you tell us, could you describe to us how did you people feel here in Jericho when you heard about our fathers and our people when we crossed the Red Sea several years ago? I can hear Rahab say to those men, Oh, there was nothing like it. When that news reached us, there was a bunch of camel traders from Ethiopia came passing through here. They stopped here and stayed for a week. They told us there was a bunch of people on the way. They do not plant gardens, they said. They left Egypt. They have quail to eat at night, and they have manna to eat at morning. The God of that bunch of people destroyed the whole Egyptian army. Saints, I am just trying to dramatize the setting of that event. They got this information somehow. You know they did not have ABC, CBS and NBC back then. All they had was caravans of camel traders who carried the news. Who else was interested in this episode? Who was even concerned about it? Anyhow she said, Our heart's did melt within us. Listen to me brothers and sisters, When the fear of God comes upon a people and their hearts melt, they begin to shake and sweat. The world is going to get another opportunity to go through that same kind of feeling before very much longer. That is why it says in Micah, (5:15) "And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard." However the word heathen, is not pointing to that bush man of Africa coming out of an adobe mud hut. No saints, Look at this bunch of educated big shots that can put spacecraft on the moon, if you want to see modern day heathen the way God sees them. Watch him come out of his subway tunnels. He is trying to find as deep a hole as he can to get away from the hand of God. He is scared. I have to say, God is going to laugh at this modern bunch of Americans, who have been given an opportunity by God to exemplify Him in centuries past, (and there were those that did respect and honor Him) but have now turned to science for their answers, instead of looking in the Bible. At one time we were a nation that did honor God. It did not matter whether we had muzzle loading rifles, obsolete swords, or what, as long as our people were praying people they were God fearing people, and were people that respected God's moral laws, they may not have known as much as people know now; but at least they put the Creator first in everything and He blessed their endeavors. It affected societies to the extent that for centuries our nation was preserved. God lifted us from muzzle loading rifles, to become a nation that invented some of the most sophisticated kill power the world has ever heard of. When I think of those helicopters that were used in the Gulf War, I have to stand in awe at what God has allowed mankind to achieve in this generation. They could locate those enemy forces no matter how they tried to hide themselves. I remember this one helicopter crew had spotted a bunker that four hundred and some odd men were in; and they dropped some pamphlets down to them, saying, Come out and surrender and we will not hurt you; but if you do not come out we will blow you to pieces, something like that. It was just a hunk of iron hanging out there in the air; but it had a rocket hanging under it that was capable of doing exactly that; and a guiding system that was capable of sending that thing right through their front door. I tell you, If God watched over our efforts then, to see that our mechanisms worked like they were expected to, then what do you expect Him to do when Israel has some of those same things, and they have modified them to make them even more suitable for desert warfare? God will magnify all of their efforts ten times over. No wonder Numbers said He shall do valiantly. Where? In the desert, in warfare. But when that time comes they will have politicians in the Knesset that will not hesitate to give the military men the go ahead, saying, It is your war: fight it; and may God bless you. Bro. Jackson, you make it sound ferocious. It is! Just stick around awhile and you will see first hand. This Bible is going to talk to you. There are things coming out of this book that is going to make religious leaders swallow their Adam's apple, so to speak; because they have reduced God to a level where in their mind's they can only see Him as a loving God that will not hurt anyone. Well I have news for such people: He is still a God of wrath: when it comes to protecting His chosen people from their oppressors. That is why I have said, Just the fact that you may know Hebrew and Greek, does not necessarily teach you anything: unless that happens to be your dialect. No matter what dialect you speak, if you do not allow the Spirit of God to speak to you out of His book your worldly knowledge is vain. In the end, it is only the purpose of God that will be important. Every other thing will be burned up.

THREE TRIBES FACE THE SAME FATE

Let us go to Jeremiah 48, for our next reading. In Ezekiel 35, that prophet spoke of the judgment of Mt. Seir, which we know is the Edomites; but here in this prophecy by Jeremiah, which was given at the time of the siege, Jeremiah could see what all these Arab tribes across the river had done; and how they looked upon the situation. Jeremiah could see how the Edomites, the Moabites and the Ammonites were conducting themselves. Therefore he put all three of these Arab tribes in the same lineup. Start in the 46th verse of the 48th chapter. "Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives. Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab." That goes right along with Numbers 24 and all these others we have read. In the 49th chapter we cross over to the Ammonites, so notice what it says. "Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the Lord; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, (Hallelujah! That is a territory right over here where the tribe of Gad existed. It is on this side of the river.) and his people dwell in his cities? Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the Lord." I could go on and read it all; but you can read the rest of it later, and you should; but now we want to go to what is written about Edom, starting in verse 7. "Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished? Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not." What does that all add up to? God has a dislike for this bunch of Arabs, no matter what the world at large may say about it. That is why it is their descendants from this side that live over here today that is creating all the trouble, causing all the fussing and squabbling. The rest of the world is saying to the Jews, But you have to live peaceably with the Arabs: they were here first: It is really their land. You have to be willing to share it with them. It is not their land! They were not there first! God (that owns everything) gave all of that land to Abraham and his descendants that would come through Isaac, the promised seed; and those Arabs are trespassers in the sight of God. When the time comes for Israel to once again have it all, God will have no mercy on anyone who resists them. They are not going to share it with the Arabs after that. God is just being merciful to the world right now: He has let the world have their say so. That is why when we go to Zechariah 12, and read of what it will be like when the miraculous is in effect, God says, In that day I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling. Meaning the time has come, Jerusalem is going to become a focal point. Oh yes. We are going to decide who lives in it, who inhabits it, who is going to control it and whose city it is. As we have pointed out, right now three fourths of its inhabitants are Arabs. They are wanting all the Jews to get out and leave it to them: They have already said so. No sooner did they sign that thing last fall and Arafat's lieutenant said, The Jews may not know it; but they are going to get out of Jerusalem. When I read that, I said, So you say: But God has said something different about that, and I will take His word for it. In that day I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling. A cup of trembling to who? To them round about: Those who have terrorized the Jews for the last forty some years. In other words, You bunch of Arabs, come on: Come on and get crazy, get blood thirsty. Get yourself worked up just like they did in Mt. Carmel, when Elijah said, Go ahead and call upon your god first. I give you the first opportunity. In other words, you draw first. Go on, draw. They cut their hands, they slashed themselves, they drank and screamed and cried until almost sunset. In my opinion, they were already hoarse. Not one thing had happened. Finally Elijah said, Fill four barrels with water and pour it upon the sacrifice. Then he had them do it twice more, until everything on and around the altar was soaking wet: Then he called upon the great God that had led him this far; and fire came down and consumed everything on the altar, even the stones. Elijah did not have to slash his wrists nor jump up and down on the altar: He just simply uttered a few words of prayer to the God that was able to hear such a prayer and the rest was soon to be history. I have to tell you, God will always give the opposition an opportunity to do whatever is in their heart's to do: Then He does whatever it takes to move His plan and purpose forward. Let us again notice the 12th chapter of Zechariah, concerning another category of people. Verse 2, which we just spoke of, declares that God will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about; but let us read a couple more verses with that verse and get the whole picture. (2) "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. (3) And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (4) In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness." That covers all those who become involved with the affairs of Israel through a process on the diplomatic table. That is the U.N. When the U.N. starts sticking their nose in, to try to help out this bunch of Arabs over here, to get their problems solved, then there is going to be trouble. I sometimes like to say, There is going to be trouble in the chicken house. I can actually say it in a humorous way, because it is so much like Elijah, up there on Mt. Carmel saying, Go on, scream a little louder: Maybe your god has gone to sleep, or maybe he is on a journey somewhere. When the hour has come, God begins to talk to western leaders, Come on, come on, what do you say we ought to do with Jerusalem? Come on, make a suggestion. God said, though the whole world, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it, that is not all the world's armies looking at her: It is all the world's diplomatic secretaries and heads of state sending their peace envoys over there, trying to solve the Middle East problem. God says, Come on, what do you say Britain, come on France, the Netherlands, Germany, come on, cast your lot, cast your vote. Then God said, Though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against Jerusalem, I will break them to pieces. If any of you can remember how it was back there in the 1967 war Israel fought with the Arabs, it will give you a little insight on how it will be again very soon. That was twenty some years ago; and I realize some of you young folks were not even born then; but you can still go dig out some of the old Newspapers, or other records of history and read about it. Anyhow your hour is coming. You will see first hand, how God causes Israel to excel and do valiantly in battle. I pray that we will all have our eyes open and our ears unstopped. When God brings Israel into that interval of time, I believe from the time that verse sets in motion wherein the miraculous begins to be displayed, until that week of Daniel goes into effect, time is not going to be very long. I believe the little bride of Jesus Christ is also going to be dealt with by the Spirit of God from the standpoint of the miraculous. It is the way the Spirit of God is taking the people, putting them together, dressing them up and getting them ready to leave this world, that makes it even more evident that the time is short. It will not take very long time wise, for the fulfillment of these prophecies we have been looking at; and when they are fulfilled, that will not leave much to be fulfilled before Jesus comes for His bride Church. We cannot shorten the time for the total fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39; but even still, seven years is not very long. I would say we are looking at a scope of time of not more than about ten years. People jump to all kinds of conclusions when you speak of a time factor for something like this; but saints, there is no reason for alarm: just as long as we do not try to pin it down to a day and hour and go contrary to the written word of God. We are simply looking at what God Himself has given us to look at. What we are looking at, to me, is absolutely a Biblical yardstick of measurement of time, that God, through His grace, has gave to us as human individuals to look at, and be guided by. If we cannot understand what the Bible says concerning the closing out of the time we are living in, and how to look at a generation, and a season of time in relationship to certain prophecies that are dropping in place, then it would not do us one bit of good to expect God to speak to us in a prophetical manner by the thunders. If we cannot understand that which is written, how would we understand something that is not yet written? May God be praised! He is the time keeper.

WE CAN ONLY SEE WHAT GOD SHOWS US

In the light of what has happened in the Middle East, especially the signing of this peace agreement with the PLO, a lot of people are made to believe this will affect prophecy of the scriptures: In other words hinder God. No saints. Nothing is going to hinder God: He has a time frame for everything that has been written in prophecy large and small. I personally, have not felt that any of this delays anything God has purposed to do. He just allows mankind to have an opportunity to try to work out some things their way, so that when their efforts fail, they have no justifiable reason to blame Him. Prophecy is not jeopardized: You can count on that. From one standpoint it sort of looked like it would be; but from another standpoint we have to realize God has it all in His hand and He knows what He is doing. Let us go back and once again read our main text for this message. Micah 7:11-17, is what we started with. To me, the hour we are living in stands out so vividly, because it lets us know there is a point in time when God becomes concerned about a specific thing; and that is the old city of Jerusalem and the temple. It starts in the 11th verse like this, "In the day that thy walls are to be built, (meaning Jerusalem and the temple) in that day shall the decree be far removed. (Meaning what God has spoken in ancient times concerning the Jews, how He would scatter them to the ends of the world, but in the last days He would gather them back, but now as He is bringing them back, there has to be a point in time where their chastisement and His dealing with them in severity definitely comes to an end. He then starts dealing with them in a blessing fashion.) (12) In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. (Meaning every Jew that God has His eye on, no matter where they are, nor how remote and isolated the places may be, God has their name, and their number; and He knows exactly when and how to bring them home.) (13) Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. (This verse lets us know that God is speaking in behalf of the Arab people: how they have treated the land.) (14) Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. (15) According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt (God is giving us a background, showing us that He intends to do something in a specific manner.) will I shew unto him marvelous things. (16) The nations (That is us.) shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. (17) They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee." Saints, that is a promise, it is a prophecy, and it cannot fail. As we look at that promise, then we can ask ourselves this question, In the light of what we are going to read, are we really close to this hour? As we preached this same message, giving it another title, Looking Through Windows of Prophecy, to the end, we realize from the year 1939 when WW2 was set in motion, that began the dealings of God with a people in Europe to the eventual purpose of bringing them back into the land. Many years have come and gone since then; but when we reach here, we have to realize, from here on is the era of the miraculous; and it will remain so right on into the week of Daniel. Once the miraculous starts, everything will move right along until the whole picture is complete. There will be no more long intervals in between events like it has been in the past. God has reserved this until the end because right here, is where He begins to reveal His power, to the intent that there are certain things in the world of human society that God wants to accomplish in peoples personal attitude's as to how they look at God. When we live in an hour of atheism, with professors of all kinds of high tech ideas, and high minded scientists, whose minds are locked up in scientific findings and all that kind of things, you would have to think the world has completely forgotten about God: lost all contact with Him altogether. Yet God has a way of getting attention. I read in the Jerusalem Post, that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has vehemently denounced a call by Jewish rabbis, (Three national rabbis, have announced to all IDF soldiers, meaning Israeli Defense Forces, that they should not take any active part in seeking to oust any Jew from the settlements in any of these negotiated areas. He is the guy that promoted this peace plan; So he has denounced a call by these rabbis for IDF soldiers to disobey any orders given them to evacuate Jewish settlers from Hebron, or elsewhere, terming it political incitement. These three leading rabbis from the national religious camp reiterated a ruling issued last year instructing soldiers on how to act if they received orders to evacuate Jewish settlers. You must refuse it like you would refuse an order to eat pork. There is a lot more to it. This whole thing will definitely all hinge around Jerusalem. That is the spot all of this points to. I also have a Jewish paper evidently printed in the Louisville area. This is about the Jerusalem problem. The U.N. has endorsed another resolution, and in this article, the Jewish organizations from the world over are condemning the United States for even standing in the U.N. and allowing this thing to go through. The mayor of Jerusalem, members of congress and nearly every major American Jewish organization have weighed in with immediate criticism of U.N. Security Council resolution 280. Jerusalem's mayor sent a letter to President Clinton expressing shock and disappointment that the U.S. government did not veto the U.N. resolution. The letter which was released on Sunday stated, This resolution which is intended to entice the PLO back to the negotiating table, will in fact create serious obstacles in the peace process by raising false and unrealistic expectations on the part of the Palestinians regarding the future of Jerusalem. The people of Israel will refuse to support any move that raises doubts as to the status of Jerusalem, as the united capital of the state of Israel. It goes on and, there is a lengthy article concerning the whole thing. There are many more different leaders speaking out against this. In here it says, When you try to move the Jewish settlements, then the Jews will be coming off the walls at you, from every angle. Reading that, makes you feel like we could be getting close to something. Keep in mind, it is not just keeping the Gaza Strip, it is not just keeping the Jericho area. That is not the final point. That is just a beginning thing the PLO's are trying to use, because they feel like if they get Israel to consent to that, then they have a right to demand that the Jews also get out of Jerusalem. Why? Because Jerusalem is the focal point. These other areas are just stepping stones to what the PLO's are really after. In other words they know, If Israel would not give up Jericho and Gaza, they would certainly not give up Jerusalem; but if they can put the pressure on and create enough disturbance to get the leaders of Israel to negotiate, and agree to this first proposal, that will give them an opportunity to put the pressure on for other compromises also. That is why I have to believe, that when this thing has all come to its final determination the Jews will be keeping these areas also. In the light of what we are using for our text, we have to come to the conclusion that all of this is just setting the stage for greater things yet to come. Remember, God has said, According to the days of thy coming out of Egypt, Thus and so. Meaning what? Well for one thing, It points to former days of the miraculous power of God working on behalf of fulfilling His promise to Abraham. It was days of disappointments, trials, severe pressure and tests and all such like; but through each one of these episodes there was the miraculous. The miraculous was the means by how Israel was brought another step forward in their journey toward the land of promise. In this likewise, since we are living in the last days, and the whole world is watching this scene, God has it all programmed to attract maximum attention from the world at large. God has watched how the world has gone in the past number of years while He has been slowly restoring a little element of people back to one of the smallest spots on earth, a place no larger than the state of Vermont. In the eyes of the world that is just a small speck; but when we look into the scriptures and see how God has promised that the twelve tribes of Israel would all be brought back and inhabit the land according to their former estates, it becomes very large in the eyes of those who believe God will fulfill all that He has promised. It excites me: because I know what will soon follow all of that; and that is what I am waiting for: the chance to be with Jesus. Therefore let us look at this, realizing that we are moving toward the consummation of this present age. We know the world, as the end approaches, will initiate a time we refer to as the seventieth week of Daniel. In that week, the last half of it which is 3 1/2 years, there will be a time of trouble such as the world has never known before, called "the great tribulation. It is going to be a time of trouble such as the world has never had before and never will have again after it. We also believe that as we are approaching that period of time spoken of in Hosea 6:2, that says, After two days He will revive us, and we have to believe that these two days, which are two thousand years, are also running parallel to calendar time and will come together somewhere around 2000 A.D., which is just ahead of us. According to our best calculations, Hosea 6:2 runs out just about four and one half years beyond the year 2000. That is why I said, We are looking at a span of time of about ten years, or maybe twelve years if we want to stretch it: to a drastic change from what we have known in the past. Why do you say that Bro. Jackson? Because even though I am persuaded that God means for the bride Church to know the season for this change, I am never going to be guilty of trying to pin it down to an exact time: Not even any certain month. I know we have people in this world that will say, Well if you can get within a month Bro. Jackson, surely we ought to be able to get within a week. Listen to what I am saying, Why should we even try? I am just thankful to be allowed to see that we are living in a season that according to the scriptures, lets me know Jesus is soon coming. We are living in a generation that Jesus said would see the end of all these prophecies we have been looking at. There is no guess work about, if we believe this Bible is truly the inspired word of God. Through the past number of years there has been so many people set dates and times for certain events, and none of them have been vindicated; and the people who set those dates are still here and do not even make any attempt to apologize for misleading other souls. I have observed that there are very few people alive today, that can keep their head's balanced when they are looking at anything in the way of prophecy of the scriptures. If we cannot be content just to be allowed to see that we are living in a generation, (and in the season Jesus spoke of) which would not pass away until all those things they were looking at would be fulfilled, what is it going to take to comfort us? What else would God have to do? I am thankful to God, just to be allowed to see what we do see. I know that as we get closer to the end, you are going to hear some of the most crazy calculations put together that human mind's are capable of; and I do not want to be part of any such foolishness. I do want to be part of a generation and people that realize they are living in the season of the coming of the Lord. If we are approaching that, and I truly believe we are because all signs are pointing to the fact that God is looking toward Jerusalem, we need to get serious about our preparation to meet the Lord. He knows what is going on in the Gaza Strip. He knows exactly what is going on in the Jericho area: But I believe the focal point is Jerusalem. I cannot ignore the fact that the Bible says those Arabs are to be far removed from there. But if they are to be far removed, then there has to be a reason for them to be removed. The Jewish people are not to feel condemnation and guilt on their part, when they drive those troublemakers from their presence; so to me, that says those Arabs are going to do something that necessitates such an action. At least God has, in mercy and grace, allowed world leaders to throw in their carnal application; but all of that will wind up as nothing before it is all concluded. At least God is not guilty of failing to give them a chance. God can say, I gave you an opportunity and what did you do with it? You ruined it every time: because of your selfish, carnal ways. Not everyone will see this situation the way we are presenting it; but I believe the Bible vindicates every bit of it. The God we serve is a righteous God; and He has been long suffering all these many centuries in allowing unrighteous mankind an opportunity to enter into His plan of redemption and restoration; but there eventually has to be an end to what He allows His enemies to do in resisting His ultimate goal; and I truly believe we are fast approaching that time. He already knows the name of every individual that will ever believe and surrender up to His perfect plan of righteousness; so He is not going to cut it off prematurely; but neither will he be one day late: He has it worked out to perfection.

SOME JUDAEAN JEWS YET TO COME HOME

Let us go back to the 49th chapter of Isaiah. I know there are some who are more interested in some particular ball team than they are in what is happening in the Middle East; but I am more interested in what is going on in the Middle East; because that is what the Bible gives us to measure time by. I could not care less about these basketball players and how many games they win. When God spoke here concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem, it goes with the 60th chapter. That is why we have to look at them together: They go hand in hand. Once the era of the miraculous is set in motion, then the ultimate aim is, Jerusalem is to be rebuilt and become inhabited by Judaean Jews. There is no doubt that there is still another element of Judaean Jews scattered out here in the world that are yet to be brought in. It is going to take the miraculous to cause the heart of those Jews to become spiritually drawn to the fact that they belong back there in the land of their forefathers. They are definitely Jews that are of the kindred line of King David. Why that, Bro. Jackson? All because back in ancient times when King David took the city of the Jebusites, it was not a large city. In the eyes of the world today, we would call it a village. However it became known for a long time as King David's city. He built a palace there. It was the area God showed him, and the area where the first temple was built by his son, Solomon. It was mainly people of his own lineage, of his family heritage, that settled in and around there. So as we read this prophecy, let us keep in mind the fact that we are living in 1994. We could be a year away, two years away, or even three years away from the starting of this process of the miraculous; but I have to say, Once all these prophecies that we have been dwelling on, looking at the miraculous, start falling into place, it will not take a long time to wrap up the whole thing. I have them all set down here together so you can look at them again later. There are eight prophecies in this group, speaking of what Israel must do to the land of Jordan and so forth. Here they are. Numbers 24, Zephaniah 2:8-11, Isaiah 11:12-14, Jeremiah 48 & 49, Obadiah 1:10, Amos 9:11-12, Isaiah 19, and Zechariah 12. All these prophecies are speaking of what God is going to let Israel do to the Edomites, the Moabites and the Ammonites in the last days. That is in this area right here. (pointing to chart) That land definitely belongs to Israel. In ancient times there never was a country called Jordan. There were certain tribes, Reuben, Gad, Benjamin, and those that lived over there. There was the Edomites in the south, the Moabites right next to them, then the Ammonites up along here. The rest of it was the children of Israel. It has to return to that same structural division. That is why in Isaiah it says, "And the Ammonites will serve Israel." There is no doubt once God turns Israel loose to sweep across this land to fulfill all these prophecies, (This is not eight applications. It is eight prophecies all stacked on top of each other, of what God through Israel will do to these people in the last days, that sets in motion the era of the miraculous.) it is more than just the fact that God wants to show the world how Israel can fight a war. It is how God display His power in it all, that gets the attention of a lot of people in this world; because there is something in the heart's of a lot of those people that God wants to use. Also let me say this, No doubt when Israel does this, she will know that she will definitely have to deal with that country of Iraq also; because when God led Abraham into this land, He took him up on a high mountain to view the land He was giving him. He said He would let him have all the land from the great river, (which meant the Euphrates) right through here to the great river of Egypt; and to the great sea and as far as his eyes could see to the east. With that before her, Israel has an objective; but right now the world, in all its political, organized status, causes this to look like it is totally blocked. Yet I say, What better hour in time could the unbelieving man of the world live, than an hour like this? We have science on our side, they say. We have the military on our side. We have the high tech means of choking the life out of Israel any time she gets too hard to deal with. That is just what they think: That is not the way it is going to be. When the whole world begins to think like that, What better hour could God choose to say to them, Come here, I want to teach you something. Always remember, when He led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He did not take them the old caravan route along the coast. He took them right straight across the desert to the Red Sea, an unknown way. There He did the miraculous. Just remember, with that hour approaching, when God will again lead Israel in that way, we would have to know we are living in that transition period, as we watch the hand of God, through politicians, create confusion and disarray, getting the stage set for the big show. The Arabs are against the Jews, no matter what some may hope for. The Jews are against the Arabs. Therefore as this thing explodes, there is no doubt we are going to hear of some terrible atrocities and all kinds of upheavals in social structures, and yes, even of many innocent people losing their lives in the transition of this thing. Something drastic has definitely got to take place there, to cause certain politicians to be projected to the forefront in Israel's leadership. Isaiah 11, and Zechariah 12, are two prophecies that speak of how the leaders in Israel in the last days would be; and those in leadership at this present time do not fit the description. Isaiah 11, says Israel will be a terror to those round about. She has never yet fulfilled that. Then Zechariah 12 says the governors of Judaea will be like a torch in a pile of wood. When you begin to read those scriptures, you are made to realize that Israel does not presently have politicians that would fill the bill for that time. She has not had any such men in office for sometime now. Rabin and Peres stand ready to sell out, completely disregarding prophecies of the scriptures. Peace at any cost, seems to be their motto. Well it is not always going to stay like that. If there is going to be leaders of Israel in that day, that are going to put their trust completely in their God, it would take a great stretch of one's imagination to visualize Rabin and Peres sitting in such a place. When you read Zechariah 12, it speaks like this, (5) "And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. (6) In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." That lets you see that the leaders of Israel in that hour realize that Jerusalem is to be rebuilt to prepare to receive their Messiah; and to prepare for the Millennium. (That is what we call it: they are looking for that kingdom age.) For that reason, they are going to put their trust in God, knowing full well that He will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem in that day. He has His eye on Jerusalem. All these prophecies are zeroing their sights on a focal point. As we read here in Isaiah, the prophecy is how the anointing of God's Spirit speaks on behalf of the land itself, Mt. Zion, where that ancient city is existing. I am going to start reading in the 11th verse of chapter 49. "And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted." That is symbolic language, which means this, When the hour has arrived that God is ready for the city to be rebuilt and inhabited by Jewish people, He is able to go into the nations where those people are, move upon them in a way to cause them to want to go home; and then cause them to find their way from where they are, back to Jerusalem. Highways in this sense, does not mean God is going to be building more super highways across the world just for that purpose. It is how His miraculous power breaks down political opposition and hindrances that have stood in the way through these many years, (like in Russia in the past) and cause them to be at liberty to return to the land of their father's. We know how Russia has stood against this thing of Jews immigrating back to Israel. More than anything else, it was because of the Arabs putting pressure on them, saying, Do not let any more of them come back here; but when God knocked that wall down, there was nothing they could do about it. On the other hand, when we come to this future junction, God is dealing with a specific element of Jews that must be dealt with in a certain way, in order to fulfill a certain development. Notice verses 12 and 13. "Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. (China) Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted." I have to believe the world has seen that. But now the prophecy sounds like the land itself, Mt. Zion, is beginning to doubt. Listen. "But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. (The Lord answers back.) Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." So even the Jew today that would dare to read the prophecies of his prophet, and yet have doubt in their hearts as to the reality, how soon this might be, I believe the hour is approaching he is going to have to realize, and God is going to show the Jewish people that it is going to take this to open their eyes, their hearts, and to encourage them. I have not brought you back here just to make you a racial state and to set you up in business so you can make more dollars, and so you can till the land six days. Then in order to keep the Levitical law the land is supposed to rest the seventh, you rent it to an Arab so he can go ahead and till it through that year. That is what caused Israel to be thrown out of the land for a long time, and she still comes back with a lot of that same old carry over. Therefore we can see that there is a reason why God has to deal with the Jews in certain ways like that. God promises here, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; (In this prophecy God is looking at old Jerusalem.) thy walls are continually before me." It is true when we read in Ezekiel 38 and 39 about the time when Russia is to come into this prophetic fulfillment, she will come down to a land of unwalled villages, villages that no longer have bars nor gates: a time when God says, My people Israel dwells safely. That is true, but keep in mind this old ancient city of Jerusalem, there is going to be walls rebuilt because the city itself has to take on its ancient appearance. We might say this, God wants the world to know this has been His focal point for centuries. Here is where He unfolded His plan of redemption to the whole wide world. Here is where the King of kings and Lord of lords is going to sit during that thousand year reign. The walls around the old city in that hour of time are not for military protection; and they do not affect the accuracy of this prophecy in the least, if you know how to read it. Does the Bible not say, In that day thy walls shall be called salvation? It sets a compound type. In ancient types it was physical salvation they enjoyed when they could get inside those walls. They felt safe. That is what they were for; but in the future setting the walls take on a different meaning. They will no longer be used for military protection; but they do definitely stand as a type; and it is written of them, In that day thy walls shall be called salvation; and thy gates shall be called praise. Looking at the 17th verse, you see that the hour has arrived; God is looking at Jerusalem. The world right now is saying to the Jew, you must get out. As the Jews in the Gaza Strip settlements get out, the Jews in the Jericho settlements get out, the Jews in the Golan Heights settlements get out, then the Jews that have moved into the old sector of Jerusalem to set up their habitation are hearing, You have to get out too. No. No. To me, Jerusalem is a focal point. That is why God has saved it to deal with last; simply because, once the miraculous starts, it will not stop until the world has been ushered into that seventieth week of Daniel. "Thy children shall make haste; (That means the Jews of the heritage of David that are to be the ones that will become the occupants of this city in that hour of renewal, will make haste and come; but if they are to make haste, it is not because of pressure out there, but rather because of the miraculous they have been witnessing. A spirit of excitement will begin to move upon them and make them want to hurry back there to be partakers of the benefits.) thy destroyers (those that have lived there for centuries) and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. Lift up thine eyes round about, (The Lord says this to old Jerusalem as that hour approaches.) and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely (He is speaking to old Jerusalem) clothe thee with them all, (Jews) as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. For thy waste (Here is the second time He mentions it. and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants,) (That is the Arabs.) and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away." That plainly tells us that as the Arab, the PLO, through this present peace process they have negotiated, have set a demand that all these Jews get out of this occupied territory. To think that Rabin has willingly sold the nation down the drain to retreat and compromise. You can see what a disappointment it is going to be, when the same people that are now demanding that the Jews give up and get out, are the ones themselves who are going to be hauled away, never again to return as residents. Whatever they wanted the Jew to suffer, that is what they themselves are going to suffer. That is what all these many prophecies add up to. As the Edomites and Moabites and all those stood on the other side and watched Jerusalem and the Jews in those sieges of Nebuchadnezzar, shouting, Tear down, take her to the foundation, God was watching; and it is just about pay back time. Then those Jews, years later in Babylon, as we read in the 137th Psalm, sang, We hung our harps on the willow trees; and those Babylonians taunted and teased them, saying, Come on Jews, sing us one of your songs of Zion. Make us feel happy. Their reply was, How could we sing the songs of Zion when we consider Jerusalem. O Lord, remember the children of Edom in the days of Jerusalem. You just have to put the picture together. There is no doubt God is allowing these Arabs to rise up with hostility, with world favoritism on their side, to set the agenda to really put the Jews under pressure; but then, as God opens that hour of the miraculous, this whole picture is going to take a complete change. Once this thing is in full swing, these words fit into the picture. (49:20) "The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, (meaning those in ancient times) shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell." As we read this, I want to remind you that in Zechariah 10, there is another prophecy about the second move. In Zechariah 10 God said He would visit the house of Judah first; and afterward He would bring Joseph or Ephraim. Together they would become a mighty man. Continued next issue.