Mountainside UMC Sermon Notes September 14, 2014The Mystery of the Shemitah – Make ref. to book- J. Cahn

Exodus 23:10-11What if God were trying to speak to us today, to our nation and our world through our economy how might it sound? Consider..Exodus 23:10-11 “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.Over three thousand years ago the God of Creation spoke to a man named Moses and gave him the laws for his people the Israelites to keep and follow so that they might live well, prosper, be fruitful and be a blessing to all the people of the world. Moses wrote down these laws that are given to us in Scripture. One of those laws had to do with a term known as the Sabbath. Most of us are familiar with the use of the term related to God resting on the seventh day of creation and according to the Ten Commandments he called every individual to rest on the seventh day and to cease from labors and on that day you are not to do any work.

In addition to God calling individuals to cease from work, God also commanded his people to give the land from which they produced their crops a rest and it was to take place once every Sabbath year or once every seven years. So for six years they would plant and reap a harvest and then they would store up enough food so that on the seventh year, the crops, the land would rest and there would be no planting or harvesting for the entire Sabbath year called the Shemita. This act of a Sabbath for the land had two purposes. The resting of the land allow the ground be restored and renewed. The land itself would observe a Sabbath, the fields would lie fallow, the vineyards untended. The fields, the groves, the vineyards were to be left open for the poor. For the duration of the year the land, in effect belonged to everyone and no one at the same time. It was called hefker or “without owner .”

If that wasn’t an incredible enough command for God to give his people, he added one more element to this which was recorded in Deuteronomy 15:1-2 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.

“At the end of every seven years” refers to the last day of the Sabbath year. Elul was the last month of the Hebrew civil year and the twenty-ninth day was the last day of Elul. So on Elul 29, the very last day of the Sabbath year, a sweeping transformation took place in the nation’s financial realm. Everyone who owed debt was released. And every creditor had to release the debt owed. So on sunset of Elul 29 all credit was erased and all debt was wiped away. The nations financial accounts were in effect wiped clean.

This was also known as the shemitah a term that covers both the seventh year and the last day of that year. The Shemitah cleanses and wipes away, ends imbalances, levels accounts, and nullifies that which has built up in the previous years- a massive cleansing of the financial and economic slate. The Shemitah required the people to release their attachments to the material world.

Now there was one more command related to Shemitah called the Jubilee. Leviticus 25: 8,10 &13 8 “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. 13 “‘In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property. So in addition to the erasing of all financial debts every seven years, at the end of Seven Shemitah’s or at the end of 49 years, in the 50th year everyone was to be restored to their original land and property and clan.

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Therefore the Shemitah that happened every seven years combined with the Jubilee that happened after every seven Shemitah’s was a reminder that God is the source of all blessing, spiritual and physical alike. But on the flip side of this when God is removed from the picture, the removal of the blessings will ultimately follow. The Shemitah thus deals with this particular flaw of human nature- the tendency to divorce the blessings of life from the Giver of those blessing and divorce the physical realm from spiritual.

Needless to say and most of you already know this that after God led his people out of slavery and into Egypt, 40 years with Moses in the desert, then into the promise land and eventually raising up David as the most powerful king in the most powerful kingdom in the world, Solomon his son comes to rule and he begins to lead Israel into continual descent toward removing God out of their culture and nation. Solomon began relations with foreign wives who brought in their foreign gods. They began worshiping foreign gods. They sacrificed their children in furnaces that worshiped Molech. They became obsessed with worshiping idols related to sex and sexuality. Violence became the norm. They removed any knowledge of the Scriptures, the traditions, the teachings of Scripture out of their life.. Obsessed Idolatry. Thank goodness nothing like that is taking place in America. Right? God isn’t being driven out in our nation in any shape form or fashion today.

Even though God clearly warned Judah/Israel to repent they ignored God and eventually the Assyrians to come in and attack Israel and later Babylon attacks Judah and hauls them into captivity in 586 B.C. and Jerusalem falls and the land finally receives a Sabbath. Israel & Judah are judged. Jerusalem and the land of Israel lies in rest for 70 years. Where this nation of people had driven God out of their lives and the Shemitah from their land, now it would return to them. What they had refused to observe freely would now come upon them by force. It would come back not as a form of blessing, but of judgment.

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They had driven the Shemitah from the land. Now the Shemitah had returned and they themselves were driven out. They had removed God from their lives. Now their blessings once from God would likewise be removed from their lives, and their lives from their blessings. This law stands – We reap what we sow.

Now the big question, what does this have to do with us today? Is there are correction between recent world history and the history of our own nation and this command to keep the Sabbath and the reality of the Shemitah? Has history been and will history continue to repeat itself based on the reality of the Shemitah related to United States and the world. Let me first highlight this Scripture. Amos 3:7  Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothingwithout revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. Let’s take a little walk through recent history of the last 100 years and see what possible clues that God may be using his Scriptures and trying to warn America of things to come.

If we go back 100 years the upcoming Shemitah on the Jewish calendar begins in the fall of 1916 through the fall of 1917. Did anything significant happen in that season?

SLIDE 1 1916-17 - “Crisis of 1916-1917” Stock Market Crash.

Begins in 9/16-hits low 12/17 – 40% loss- U.S. Enters World War I – 70 MM serve-15 MM die- Falling of Four Empires – German/Second Riech

Austro-Hungarian – Ottoman – Russian czars- Beginning of “sunset” of British Empire- U.S. begins it’s rise as a Superpower-ends isolation- The Balfour Declaration- Israel returns-“Jubilee”

Now Four is the number given in Scripture connected to world kingdoms and empires(book of Daniel and Revelation). What would happen if we moved forward four Shemitah’s? Four Shemitas 4x7 = 28 which would take us to… 1944-1945 which is the end of World War II.

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SLIDE 2 1944-45 End of World War IISo here we are in 1945 and you have another global cataclysm. You have the shaking of the world. When you reach the peak of the Shmitah, you also get the peak of World War II, summer of 1945. You're approach the Shmitah's day of nullifying things, the day of wiping out. Unleashed on the world is….SLIDE 31944-45 End of World War II

The Atomic Bomb Atomic warfare comes on at the end of the war. It's like this crescendo. The war ends in the last week of the Shemitah, this whole seven-year period. And when, actually in Berlin, the allies have a victory parade celebrating the victory in Europe and Asia, that parade took place on September 7, 1945 which in the Jewish Calendar is Elul 29 the last the day of the end of the Shmitah. Now one more mostly unknown event took place in 1945. SLIDE 41944-45 End of World War II

The Atomic Bomb Proposal for “World Trade Center”

In 1945 David Scholtz, a real estate developer and former governor of Florida, first proposes a concept for a "world trade center" in Lower Manhattan to encourage port and maritime activities in New York. So what is the big deal on this? Prior to the late 1800’s the tallest buildings in the world were usually churches that built stone based structures. In the late 1800’s steel skyscrapers took over the skyline. Throughout history the countries with the tallest towers were usually had the most powerful economies and militaries in the world. In the late 1800’s the (1871)United States surpassed Britain’s economy and built the tallest buildings in the world. The Empire State building completed in 1931 after 410 days of construction (contrast that to 14 years One World TC) was the tallest building in the world from 1931 until it was surpassed by the World Trade Center towers in 1970. All during the years when the United States had the tallest towers in the world we were also the dominant economy in the world and the U.S. Dollar was the worlds currency.

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So there is this parallel between the tallest towers and being the world’s most powerful and prosperous nation. From 1945 let’s go another Four Shemitas forward. 4x7 = 28. This brings us to 1973. A number of important events took place in 1973. The first is that the World Trade Center Twin Towers are completed and the ribbon cutting ceremony takes place April 4, 1973. Interestingly the construction for the towers took started 7 years earlier at the previous Shemitah in 1966. Israel 1966(7 Shemi-JubileeII-Jerus)

SLIDE 51973 - WTC Twin Towers Opening Dedication

- Abortion is legalized - Vietnam ends – U.S. withdraws losing its

first war in the 20th century- Major world-wide stock market crash begins

The day that Nixon officially ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam considered America’s first military loss is the same day(August 15) that victory over Japan was declared exactly 28 years earlier.

A note about The World Trade Center twin towers. They were built to be the tallest towers in the world in and in some way an expression of America’s economic greatness in the world’s stage. Yet, the Twin towers were quickly surpassed by the Sears towers and both the Sears and the Twin Towers were both surpassed by the Petronas Tower in Malaysia, the Taipei tower in Taiwan and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Towers speak of the greatness and dominance of a nation or culture however the Shemitah speaks of releasing, letting go or letting fall. Towers speak of pride and the Shemitah is a message of humility, and falling away.

Now from 1973 lets go forward 4 more Shemitah’s and we land at 2001. What happened in 2001? SLIDE 6-7& 8 The twin towers were attacked and fell on 9-11 they didn’t just fall over or were damaged, they were destroyed. It resulted in the closing of the New York Stock Exchange for the rest of the week. Pentagon/93

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The Stock Market then re-opened on September 17, 2001 the first day of trading was the greatest single point drop in recorded history up to that date. On that day the market dropped 684 points which converted into percentage points is a 7%. September 17, 2001 on the Jewish calendar is Elul 29 the last day of the Shemitah and the exact day of the cancelling of accounts according Deut15

Seven years later in 2008 – September 29, 2008 the stock market fell to its next greatest point drop in current stock market history by falling 777 points in one day. September 29, 2008 on the Jewish calendar is Elul 29 the exact day for the end of the Shemita year and the cancelling of accounts. Could God be trying to get the attention of a nation that is aggressively throwing him out of every school, business, institution and pushing out the influence of the teachings of Scripture entirely out of our culture? Could be!

If the evidence of the timing events related to the Shemitah’s aren’t convincing enough then possibly the events that have taken place since the 9-11 of 2001 in America and the parallel events of God warning ancient Israel during their time of rebellion is rather compelling. I can’t go into great detail in a few minutes and I highly recommend reading The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn. In the book, Cahn recounts the history of Israel leading up to its fall in the 8 th century B.C . and parallels it’s history to the events that have taken place in the United States since 9-11. There are nine what he calls “Harbingers” that I believe help us see that God is trying to reach out and call us to repentance in a way that is in my opinion and millions of others very clear and very startling.

The First Harbinger: The Breach. For a couple hundred years God sent prophets to warn Israel of their rebellion against him but they ignored them. In 732 B.C. God sent a final warning by temporarily removing Israel’s hedge of protection, by permitting a limited invasion of Assyria. To a remarkable extent America has enjoyed a similar hedge of

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protection as did Ancient Israel. Where once the Bible was the primary teaching resource it has been entirely removed along with prayer and decreasing tolerance to those who defend it’s teachings. Songs of Christmas, a continual source of conflict.

Then our nation was stunned as on September 11, 2001 when our “hedge of protection” was removed. It’s a day that those of us alive back then will never forget. It was a breach of our perceived hedge of protection. In Israel it was the first and strike by the Assyrians. It was limited and the damage was contained. We also experienced a limited invasion and it’s damage was contained.

The Second Harbinger: The TerroristThe Assyrians who attacked Israel had already conquered much of the Middle East. They had a reputation of not only attacking nations but struck fear in their enemies, they intentionally used terrorism. Not only spiritually, but also literally the terrorists who breached America’s defenses on September 11, 2001 were related to the ancient Assyrians who breached Israel’s divine hedge. Even the language that the terrorists spoke is the sister language of the Ancient Assyrians known as Akkadian. Just as the Assyrian invasion of 732 A.D. drew ancient Israel into military conflict , so too did al Qaeda’s attack on 9/11 draw America into war, eventually in Iraq, the very land of Ancient Assyria.TODAY again!

The Third Harbinger: The Fallen BricksIn response to the breach, this removal of the hedge of protection of their borders, the nation of Israel became only more defiant. Their response is recorded in Isaiah 9:9-9:11.Isaiah 9:9-11 “All the people will know—Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: The bricks have fallen down,But we will rebuild with hewn stones;The sycamores are cut down,But we will replace them with cedars.”  Therefore the Lord shall set upthe adversaries of Rezin against him,And spur his enemies on,”

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This same harbinger was a reality in America where in New York City and at the Pentagon where nothing was more haunting than the visible image of the fallen bricks of the buildings that were a symbols of America’s unmatched financial/economic strength as well as its military dominance in the world. The Fourth Harbinger: The TowerWhen the walls were breached ancient Israel not only neglects to repent but openly embraces a spirit of defiance. was the same language used after 9/11 from governors, to mayors to the president of the United States. One quote from a senior senator is: “We should rebuild the towers of the World Trade Center and show the world we are not afraid. We are defiant!”Next there was the The Fifth Harbinger: The Gazit StoneThen Harb… The Sycamore.The Erez Tree & The Utterance The Ninth Harbinger: The Prophecy Not only did the leaders of Israel make this declaration of defiance as I mentioned but also, Isaiah quoted them and turned it into a prophetic warning. Did this happen in America? On September 12, 2001 the morning after this tragedy. Senator Tom Daschle issued a joint Senate & House of Representative response to 9/11. At the end of this response he read from Isaiah 9:10 unknowingly making it a prophetic word as America would fulfill those words to their completion.TO BE CLEAR –Daschle was not being defiant against God in his speech. But the choice of Isaiah 9:10 is fascinating & prophetic. One other prophetic possibility .On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the Oath as the First President of the United States of America not in Washington D.C. but in the Federal Hall in New York City. President Washington then delivered his first speech before the members of Congress. The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained. After that, he leads the nation’s leaders to St. Paul’s Chapel at Ground Zero to commit this nation’s future in prayer to God. Could it be that God didn’t cause but did allow a warning strike to

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take place on the location our nation was born? If so what would he have us do? Four things I’ve done/suggest. They form the acronym P.R.E.P.FIRST - Pray - II Chron 7:14 – IF MY people will pray. For our country, our nation, it’s leaders and our people. Pray for our nation but pray for discernment on how to prepare. Seek God..SECOND – Research - Investigate this for yourself as I did and see if you think this is a credible warning from God. THIRD – Eliminate Debt – A.S.A.P and Diversify. Economy goes south- don't be in debt. Counter-Stock Market has rebounded. The U.S. Dollar always be strong...Relatives-Germany might differ. I found this about the German Mark from 1919-1923. SLIDE 9 During that same time silver went from $10 to 10 quadrillion.The one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn….FOURTH – Provisions-If you think this is a credible “Amos 3:7” warning, then it might be worth following Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simple go on blindly and suffer the consequences.”Consider this. If Isis or Iraq – were ever to set off a nuclear bomb, If there was a serious Solar storm that would knock out power (Scientist’s don’t say if but when), If there was a coordinated attack against the nine power stations that even our government admitted could cripple our power structure, if..(fill in the blank) is it possible that by the time you got to the grocery store most of the food is already gone? Why not be prepared? Store some food and provisions. If you would buy fire insurance for your house with a 95% chance of not needing it, why not be prepared in your home for provisions for you and your family? By the way. The next Shemitah starts 9/25/14. Not likely anything will happen then but by 9/13/2015 which is Elul 29 the end of the next Shemitah I might be skeptical that something significant might happen. One more thing to note. Elul 29 of next year lands on a Sunday. The NYSE isn’t open then instead it will close the Friday before which is 9-11- 2014 exactly 14 years to the day from 9-11-2014.

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There is far more to this than I have had time to detail. I encourage you to Pray, Research, Eliminate Debt and make Provisions..Is God trying to talk to us…I close with this picture.. SLIDE10Additional information not in the sermon

September 13th of 2015. Now there's also, you know, we've talked about this before, it happens to be the blood moon period as well. Because the blood moon period is a year and a half. Well we're in that half part. But the year, what's left is totally Shemitah. So it's all happening at the same time, the Shemitah.

1966 – Three Shemitas – Four +Three= Seven- Jubilee1967 – Jews reclaim Jerusalem – 6 Day war - Jubilee

Now most would rightly argue that World War II began on Sept. 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. However if you lived in the Sudetenland(part of Czechoslovakia) or in Austria you might have thought differently. The term Kristallnacht, literally, "Night of Crystal," is often referred to as the "Night of Broken Glass." The name refers to the wave of violent anti-Jewish attacks which took place on November 1938, throughout Germany, annexed Austria, and in areas of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia recently occupied by German troops. 1938-Seven years from 1945.

Material from earlier related sermons

The following material is part shorthand notes and not complete sentences.

Mountainside UMC January 5, 2014Just as it Was…in the Days of Noah

Luke 17:26-30(see page 6).This morning I am presenting part one of a two part message entitled focused on the words of Jesus when he said that there would be a parallels between the time of his return and the times of

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Noah and Lot. The message today and next Sunday are my attempts at a prophecy update for 2014 in the context of what Jesus talked about concerning the Second coming. Starting last year I have made this tradition where after we finished a series on the First Advent or First Coming of Christ I do a short follow up on the Second Coming of Christ.

Last year I did just one message on this topic but I decided to take two Sundays for this reason. This morning I wanted to look at the big picture and look Christ’s coming in the context of some events that are taking place involving the entire world. So that is why I am this message is more connected to Noah in that the events surrounding Noah involved the entire world. Next week the title is “Just as it was in the days of Lot.” The difference that took place with the judgment related to Lot was that it just involved one location. So next week I am going to focus primarily on just the United States and talk about what to the Scriptures speak in particular to America and the country we live in.

But this morning I want to focus on the Second Advent or Second Coming of Christ and looking at it in the context of world events. Overview-Prophecies of Scripture & Prophets then World EventsIf I were to attach an overarching two word phrase to the message this morning in an effort to summarize all the things that are happening in this world of which I am only going to have time to briefly highlight some of them, the two words that stand out in my mind are “Cosmic Convergence.” It appears to me that there is a “Cosmic Convergence” going on between signs in the heavens, signs in the world matching Biblical prophecies, impressive prophecies outside of Scripture, and signs related to the timing of all things pointing toward events matching things that Jesus said while he walked the earth and talked of his return. Unfortunately I don’t even have time to cover all events, prophecies, etc. Highl

Phrase – Cosmic Convergence – Signs in nature and the cosmos.Signs in world regarding nations and politics Signs in events in Christianity in the world AND even signs from OfAlP-HollywoodIn March of this year Hollywood will show a major production of the movie called Noah starring Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson. Here’s part of a promo clip.

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SHOW VIDEO CLIP – 0:00-1:59 – NOAH TRAILERBut I do like fact that for the first time since the 1966 production of The Bible, we have a major Motion Picture production $130K with major actors that didn’t have to be privately funded/Mel Gibsons-The Passion. It is just interesting as it feels like we now have a movie pointing“Just as it was in the days of Noah…” IRONY-PR Before I go into some details of how interesting the time is that we live in let me first review a few of the basics about Christ’s Return.

First of all even though Jesus said that no one knows the day nor the hour of his return but only the Father(Mark 13:32) Jesus did say that you were to watch for the signs and prepare yourself for his return So Jesus gave us signs so that we would now and strive to be faithful when the world will be fearful.

Signs of Christ’s Return1. Deception Luke 21:82. Wars & Rumors of Wars Luke 21:93. Earthquakes, Famines & Diseases Luke 21:114. Persecution Luke 21:125. Fearful Events(nuclear threat-frag Luke 21:116. Great signs from heaven(Russ-M) Luke 21:117. Signs in Sun, Moon & Stars(cmb) Luke 21:258. Roaring & Tossing of Sea(tsu-typ)Luke 21:259. People fainting from terror(tech) Luke 21:2610. Gospel preached worldwide(tch) Matt 24:1411.Knowledge & Travel accelerates Daniel 12:412. Scoffers will increase II Peter 3:3-413. Evil increasing rapidly Isaiah 60:1-214. Great Falling Away I Timothy 4:115. Great Harvest Matt 13:3916. Anti-Christ Revealed II Thess 2:317. Possibly Temple rebuilt II Thess 2:418. Israel Re-established Amos 9:14-15

Turning Point- #1 Passage related to knowing whether we’re in the end of the last days was the prophecy related to the restoration of Israel – Number of prophecies here is just one. Amos 9:14-15 “and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I

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will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprootedfrom the land I have given them,”says the Lord your God. NxtWk-AmBLANK SLIDE - -LOOK at possible prophecies about Israelites/ Jews & Jerusalem There is a “claim”(don’t have orig. documents) that in 1217 the Jewish Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel p gave the Prophecy of 10 Jubilees PIC 2 He prophesied that the Ottoman Turks would rule over the holy city of Jerusalem for eight Jubilees. A Jubilee is a period of 50 years according to Leviticus 25:8-13. Eight Jubilees would then be 400 years. In 1517 the Ottoman Turks seized control of the city of Jerusalem and ruled over it for the next 400 years. They were finally driven out of the city and the holy land in 1917 by the Allied forces under the command of General George Allenby. The Rabbi had also prophesied that during the ninth Jubilee Jerusalem would be a "no-man's land." This is exactly what happened from 1917 to 1967, due to the fact the holy land was placed under British Mandate in 1917 by the League of Nations and literally "belonged" to no nation. Even after Israel's declaration of independence in 1948-49 Jerusalem was still divided by a strip of land running right through the heart of the city, with Jordan controlling the eastern part of the city and Israel controlling the western part of the city. That strip of land was considered and even called "no-man's land" by both the Israelis and the Jordanians. It was not until the Six Day War in 1967 when the entire west bank of the holy land was conquered by the Israeli army that the whole city of Jerusalem passed back into the possession of Israel. So once again the prophecy made by the Rabbi 750 years previously was fulfilled to the letter. But that is still not the end of the matter. The Rabbi also prophesied that during the 10th Jubilee Jerusalem would be under the control of the Jews and the Messianic "end times" would begin. The 10th Jubilee began in 1967 ends in 2017. Could 2017 be the beginning of the final seven years? Who know. It’s not a biblical prophecy-carries less weight. Interestingly 2017 OL Hebrew 5777.

Here is another interesting phenomenon that is not a prophecy but a recording of lunar activity. Most of us are familiar with seeing this in the sky(PIC 3)-Blood Moon. How?(PIC 4) When there are four consecutive Blood Moons that is called a Tetrad. There have been numerous Blood Moons but fewer Tetrads. However what is worth noting is that there have only been THREE tetrads in the last 600 years that have occurred during the first and the last feasts of

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Israel. These Tetrads that lasting over a year began in 1493, 1949 and 1967. So What? Let’s look at each of these dates.

Well what happened in 1493? It started in 1492, when Columbus discovered America. But do you know what motivated him to make the voyage? Columbus was Jewish but was a believer in Christ. On March 30 of 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella from Spain signed the Edict of Expulsion, which banished all Jewish people from Spain who refused to convert to Catholicism. The ousted Jews were stripped of the wealth as the edict prohibited them from taking gold, silver and precious metals with them as they were forced to leave the country. All the Jews were driven out of Spain beginning in 1492. In 1493 & 1494 there was a tetrad on Passover/Tabernacles during expulsion from Spain to America.

The next Tetrad occurring on the dates of the Jewish feasts occurred in 1949-1950 which followed…the major fulfillment of Israel being restored as a nation after almost 2000 years of being dispersed from their homeland. The Arab-Israeli war followed that continued into 1949. The tetrad on Passover and Tabernacles was in 1967 &1968, associated with the Six Day War when Jerusalem came back into the hands of the Jewish people. When is the next Tetrad occurring during the Feasts of Passover/Tabernacles(PIC 5)

What does this mean? It could mean nothing or it could mean that something significant is going to take place related to Israel. What do we know about Israel today? One thing we do know is that it is surrounded by nations wanting to wipe it off the face of the map. Jesus warned about Jerusalem being surrounded by enemies. This map can help us see this reality. (PIC 6) With the recent actions of Iran building nuclear capacity and wanting to destroy Israel, it is easy to see how things are converging.

What is also interesting is what is called the six day theory where according to the Jewish Calendar we are nearly 6 days or 6000 years from when God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. How coincidental is it that as we possibly near 6000 years from that date that we are at a time where all these prophecies are converging. 6 is the number of man. If at the end of 6000 years Christ would then rule on earth for a millennium(1000 years) then

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that would complete a 7000 year existence on earth. 7 is the number of perfection. 8 is the number for new beginnings.

Add to this the Anti-Christ spirit that is increasing throughout the world. It has been in Europe for years and gaining in the Muslim nations and of course America which I will focus on more next week. In summary here are some thoughts I have toward likely this year and the next few years to come. That is this. Increased Clarity in the times we live is coming. In the past Earthquakes Flooding(Katrina&Sandy), Typhoons(Philip), Disasters, Acts of Terror. But as we come nearer. The intensity will be so great that there will be no question that the World is being Shaken. There will be more extremes in cold and heat than ever before. See news over 2000 cold records set second week of December. This is what I mean by Cosmic Convergence-- WHY?In light of all of these things that are developing, how are we to respond? Here are a few Scriptures - Hebrews 11:26-2926 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”Luke 21:28 - When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”KEY Word VISION –LOOK UP- See and understand so that we can point people to the coming Savior. These trials are going to be the greatest opportunity to look forward NOT to escaping the world but to point people to Jesus. Part of the reason for the signs is to point lost world to the Savior. Two other key thoughts. 1. You were born for this. STT . 2. Bride preparing for Rev.19:6-8

Opening scripture

Luke 17:26-30

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

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Mountainside UMC Sermon Notes January 12, 2014Just as it Was…in the Days of Noah - Luke 17:26-30

This morning is Part Two of a Message that I started last Sunday related to Jesus’ statement in Luke 17 that just as it was in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot so shall it be in the time of my return. I mentioned that as we spent December focused on the First Advent or first coming of Christ I wanted to follow up a Sunday or two related Christ’s second Advent or Second Coming.

So the focus last week was to look at big picture of worldwide events and I focused Noah(and watched a preview the major Hollywood production of Noah) because the story of Noah involved the entire population of the world at that time. My goal in that message was to encourage us to be aware of what Jesus said about the time of his return believing that there was a reason that Jesus and the Scripture speak significantly about this part of which such that we as God’s people can be prepared for the times that are at hand and be even more prepared to witness given this possible unique and amazing time in which we live. I also mentioned that things would get much clearer the nearer we were to his return.

I also mentioned that I wanted to focus this morning specifically on the United States of America and in the context of the impact of our nation on the worlds stage today, ask the question, do the Scriptures speak anything specific about our nation especially related to the time of Christ’s return? After all when we think about the United States of America we have thoughts about a nation founded by Pilgrims seeking freedom to worship God and that for most of its history until recently considered itself a Christian nation. For the last 100 years the United States has been the world economic leader. We were a nation that sent more

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Christian missionaries throughout the world more than any other nation in the world. We have sent more resources to help other nations than any other nation in the world. In the last two world wars it was the United States that turned the tide. In light of all of this some of us are thinking. With a nation as large and as powerful as the United States shouldn’t there be some mention of it in the context of end time events? Yet it appears that there is no mentioning of the United States of America anywhere in the prophetic pictures given in the Bible. Not a hint. LoF/HoB

Is it true that there is no direct mention of America anywhere in Scripture? After research and reading on this topic here is the short answer to this question. NO! Not so far as most scholars and Bible Teachers can tell. Things may change, but for all we can tell for now there seems to be no clear indication of the United States of America as a major player in world events. So what does that mean? It appears to mean that whenever the time comes for Christ to return it appears that the United States is no longer a world leader whether it be politically, economically nor militarily.

But how could happen? Isn’t our nation and it’s economy is on solid footing? The stock market could never crash like it did back in the roaring 20’s could it? Our dollar could never be devalued by inflation through massive electronic printing on the part of the Federal Reserve(85B a mo.) could it? We will never accumulate debt to the point where we can’t not only pay it back, but not even be able to afford even the interest payments could we? No, don’t worry, everything is going to be just fine. That’s what we want to hear and believe isn’t it? Because that is what we want to hear, we are likely going to tune out any opposing voices to our optimism.

Could the American Economy and it’s leadership in the world take a major nosedive in a short time? None of us want to believe that. Others believe that as bad as things are looking or could become, we can recover. In the book, Implosion by Joel Rosenberg he does

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historical research presenting interesting cases where the U.S. has faced impossible odds and overcome them. However he also highlights other realities that don't look that encouraging.

So if there is no clear obvious word from the Scriptures related to our nation, is there at least somewhere someway that God may be trying to speak to our nation? It is Possible. I’m not saying this because God loves Americans more than anyone in any other country. God loves every person and every nation. God doesn’t come to take sides. This was clearly expressed when Joshua the leader of the Israelites encountered the commanding angel of the armies of the Lord at Jericho. Joshua asked the angel, “Are you for us or for our enemies.” “Neither” the angel replied, thus implying I haven’t come to take sides but to take over.

However even though God has “no favorites” many believe that the United States has been in the past more blessed than other nations because of the fruit of seeking to put God first throughout much of its history and even put “In God we Trust” in our currency. Yet in recent years our nation has tried to remove God from every place possible in our nation and that we are headed in a direction of great peril as we have abandoned our once great foundation of a love of the God of the Scriptures.

But I believe God in his great mercy is trying to get our attention and even using a key Scripture, some history of the nation of Israel that overlaps recent events taking place in our nation to try and get our attention. It might be a final attempt to reach out to us before its too late but it appears that this call to America is rather clear. No, America is not mentioned in Scripture, but Scripture might be calling our name in another way not unveiled until recently. In the book, The Harbinger written by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn who is a Messianic Jew, Cahn recounts the history of Israel leading up to its fall in the 8 th century B.C . and parallels it’s history to the events

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that have taken place in the United States in recent years. There are nine what he calls “Harbingers” that I believe help us see that God is trying to reach out and call us to repentance in a way that is in my opinion and millions of others very clear and very startling. The First Harbinger: The Breach. In 732 B.C. 200 years after King Solomon’s death, instead of building on its Godly foundation and history, Israel had departed from it. Instead of sacrificing to God, it sacrificed children to the god of Molech and Baal and others. God sent prophets to warn Israel but they ignored them. In 732 B.C. God sent a final warning by temporarily removing Israel’s hedge of protection, by permitting a limited invasion of Assyria. Israel, who at one time had the Torah/Scriptures as authority had now driven God out of their government and out of its culture. They had replaced worship of the Lord with the worship of idols and descended into all types of sexual immorality calling good “evil” and “evil” good.

To a remarkable extent America(Lower 48) has enjoyed a similar hedge of protection as did Ancient Israel. In our nation we have historically had preachers(BG) to help bring revival across our nation however from the 20th century on America’s spiritual and moral decline has progressed at an unprecedented rate. Where once the Bible was the primary teaching resource it has been entirely removed along with prayer and decreasing tolerance to those who defend it’s teachings. Where once the songs of Christmas, Advent and “Away in the Manger” were welcomed and cause for rejoicing, we have in recent decades found them to be a source of conflict. Those of us who have lived at least 40-50 plus years have witnessed and felt the huge shift of that attitude away from the Christian foundations that were reflected throughout our nation.

Then our nation was stunned as on September 11, 2001 when our “hedge of protection” was removed. It’s a day that those of us alive back then will never forget. The images of the destruction that occurred in Pennsylvania(PIC 1), Washington D.C. (PIC 2)

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and New York City(PIC 3) are seared into our memories. One of the most memorable pictures of the destruction of that day for me was one that actually showed up days later, which is this one.

PIC 4. It was one of several crosses that stood out among the terrible devastation as a sign that many of us interpreted as God wanting to express his presence and mercy especially in the midst of such a dark moment. I really believe that there was more to be communicated to us and our nation from the Lord than what we saw by the crosses in the towers. But that first Harbinger was that of the breach in the hedge of protection. In Israel it was the first and strike by the Assyrians. It was limited and the damage was contained. We also experienced a limited invasion. The Second Harbinger: The TerroristThe Assyrians who attacked Israel had already conquered much of the Middle East. They had a reputation of not only attacking nations but struck fear in the hearts of neighboring regions through the calculated use of terror and it was one of the earliest examples of organized psychological warfare. They brutalized and tortured those whom they conquered in an attempt to discourage any rebellion against their rule. Not only spiritually, but also literally the terrorists who breached America’s defenses on September 11, 2001 were related to the ancient Assyrians who breached ancient Israel’s divine hedge. Even the language that the terrorists spoke is the sister language of the Ancient Assyrians known as Akkadian. Just as the Assyrian invasion of 732 A.D. drew ancient Israel into military conflict , so too did al Qaeda’s attack on 9/11 draw America into war, eventually in Iraq, the very land of Ancient Assyria. The Third Harbinger: The Fallen BricksIn response to the breach, this removal of the hedge of protection of their borders, the nation of Israel became only more defiant. Their response is recorded in Isaiah 9:9-9:11.Isaiah 9:9-11 which says this. “All the people will know—Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—Who say in pride and

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arrogance of heart: The bricks have fallen down,But we will rebuild with hewn stones;The sycamores are cut down,But we will replace them with cedars.”  Therefore the Lord shall set upthe adversaries of Rezin against him,And spur his enemies on,”In response to the breach, instead of repenting, Israel became defiant and determined to rebuild and become stronger in their own strength. While there nothing wrong with rebuilding there was plenty wrong with the refusal to search its own ways and character. Israel vowed to continue on without God and against God and to do so with greater determination than ever before.

This same harbinger was a reality in America (PIC 5) where in New York City and at the Pentagon where nothing was more haunting than the visible image of the fallen bricks of the buildings that were a symbols of America’s unmatched financial/economic strength as well as its military dominance in the world. The Fourth Harbinger: The TowerWhen the walls were breached ancient Israel not only neglects to repent but openly embraces a spirit of defiance. This is seen in their vow to replace the stones that were fallen with a material much stronger: hewn stone. There was a determination to rebuild, stronger, better and to come back greater than before. (PIC 6) This was the same language used after 9/11 from governors, to mayors to the president of the United States. One quote from a senior senator is: “We should rebuild the towers of the World Trade Center and show the world we are not afraid. We are defiant!”The Fifth Harbinger: The Gazit StoneAfter the Assyrian attack on 732 B.C. , following the vow to rebuild, the people of Israel would go to the mountains and quarries to carve, shape and smooth the “Gazit” stone which is Hebrew for the “hewn” stone. While clay brick was brittle, flimsy and weak a “Gazit” or hewn stone was strong. (PIC 7)

The First act of America’s rebuilding of the World Trade Center was to cut out of a mountain in upstate New York a massive

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rectangular block of stone, a biblical gazit stone. (PIC 8) This stone was dedicated on July 4, 2004 and during this ceremony leaders spoke multiple vows of defiance over the quarried stone, making it into a symbol of America’s strength and resurgence. The Sixth Harbinger: The SycamoreThe Assyrians not only attacked and destroyed buildings, but they also destroyed the trees of the land, particularly the sycamores. The destruction of the sycamores is even mentioned in the account of Egypt’s plagues. It is a sign of national judgment, a warning of national uprooting. The fallen bricks are a sign of destruction while the fallen sycamores is a sign of uprooting and death. To Israel the fallen sycamore was a sign of national judgment.

As there is a Hebrew Sycamore that is endemic to Israel there is a western sycamore endemic to America. On 9/11 it was this tree that just happened to be growing at the corner of 9/11. In a strange series of events, in the last moments of 9/11 a shock wave and a steel beam went forth from the falling north tower and struck down the tree. This tree (PIC 9) became a symbol now known as the “Sycamore of Ground Zero.”

The Seventh Harbinger: The Erez TreeIsaiah 9:10 – “The sycamores are cut down,But we will replace them with cedars.”  Israel responded to the judgment message of the sycamore tree not with repentance but again more defiance. As they replaced the bricks with hewn stones they would replace the sycamore tree with a stronger tree which is Hebrew was “erez” which is the cedar tree. It is a conifer or coniferous tree that is a cone bearing evergreen tree.

When the lone sycamore tree of Ground Zero fell, it was removed, including its root system, and put elsewhere on display. In November 2003, two years later, a ceremonial act took place at the corner of Ground Zero. A tree was lowered by crane into a specific spot of earth-the ground in which the Sycamore of Ground Zero

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had stood. It wasn’t another sycamore tree it was an evergreen conifer tree, literally the biblical “erez” tree related the ancient vow of defiance.

The Eighth Harbinger: The Utterance -As I mentioned earlier the leaders of ancient Israel uttered these words of defiance, but were they clearly uttered in the same way by leaders representing all of America? On September 11, 2004 after the Gazit Stone and Cedar Tree had been put in place. There was a third anniversary in the capital city of Washington at a congressional caucus. At that gathering, the speaker Senator and Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards gave a speech reading Isaiah 9:10. He intended it to be inspirational but neither he nor likely his speech writer understood the context that this was a passage highlighting the defiance of Israel & possibly America.The Ninth Harbinger: The Prophecy Not only did the leaders of Israel make this declaration of defiance as I mentioned but also, Isaiah quoted them and turned it into a prophetic warning. Did this happen in America? On September 12, 2001 the morning after this tragedy. Senator Tom Daschle issued a joint Senate & House of Representative response to 9/11. At the end of this response he read from Isaiah 9:10 unknowingly making it a prophetic word as America would fulfill those words to their completion.TO BE CLEAR – Neither Senator Edwards nor Daschle were opening being defiant against God in their speech. That was not their intent. It should almost be encouraging that they even lookedto the Scriptures to try and offer encouragement. But the choice of Isaiah 9:10 is interesting. What is most concerning is the lack of repentance by America in general. We just became calloused.

Even though the original book The Harbinger only mentions nine harbingers there are more than nine as each year more startling facts are surfacing pointing to what some believe is God trying to get our attention before our nation reaps what it has sown.

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I don’t have time to cover the additional Harbingers but I do want to mention one in my message that I found fascinating. About eight months after 9/11 I was able to take my children to Washington D.C and NYC and see the sights of 9/11. I will never forget the day that I took my children Michael and Candice to see the World Trade Center after 9/11. Seeing the devastation was incredible especially noticing the damage to all the surrounding buildings that continued down the streets in all directions. What caught me off guard is when we nearly finished our walk around the WTC area and we found ourselves standing by this old church. (PIC 10) St. Paul’s Chapel of which I new little about. Candice, Michael and I were simply amazed at how the fence around this church was flooded with memorials, candles, pictures and posters of lost loved ones.

What I had no idea about was the significance of this church in United States history. On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the Oath as the First President of the United States of America not in Washington D.C. but in the Federal Hall in New York City. President Washington then delivered his first speech before the members of Congress. The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained. After that, he leads the nation’s first government(including the Vice President, the Senate and House of Representatives) on foot in a procession to St. Paul’s Chapel to commit this nation’s future in prayer to God. Could it be that God allowed a warning strike to take place on the very location our nation was born? If so what would he have us do?

Pray? At least. IIChron 7:14 – IF MY PEOPLE will pray. For our country, it’s leaders and our people.Prepare? I think we at least need to watch closely the warnings and possibly be prepared for the worst. The one thing that is clear

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about history is that we tend not to learn from history but leave the door open to repeat the same mistakes of those who go before us. If we are actually nearing the time of Christ’s return(which some dispute) and the United States appears to not be a significant factor in the final years then that could be a warning. Above all heed the words of Scripture of Proverbs 3:5-6 saying

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