Photo Credit by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi/Google Cultural Center
FRIDAY MORNING MANNA
Biblical Numerology: NUMBER FOUR – Part IX
Christ’s Forty-day Fast and Temptation
A.D. 27: John the Baptist, Christ’s prophesied forerunner, yielding to Christ’s gentle yet firm request, buried Him beneath the waters of the Jordan. “And straightway coming up out of the water,” Jesus “saw the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.” (Gabriel told Zacharias the priest, John’s father that the child would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, and would go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1: 8-17).
"Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts" Photo Credit by Wikipedia
FRIDAY MORNING MANNA
Biblical Numerology: NUMBER THREE- Part XLIII
Historical Precedent on How Image of Beast will be Formed
See Revelation 13: 11-17.Not too long ago, in 1888, a national religious crisis unfolded in the land of the free presaging what will be the real final national crisis that will result in the final global crisis, completely fulfilling the remaining end-times Bible prophecy. The image of the beast will first be formed followed by the enforcement of the mark of the beast. We will address this important event in more detail in the next issue. First:
Waldenses, Albigenses, and Huguenots Photo Credit by Wikipedia
FRIDAY MORNING MANNA
Biblical Numerology: NUMBER THREE- Part XXXX
Remembering those the World and the Churches have Forgotten: Waldenses, Albigenses, and Huguenots
The last Monday of May is designated a federal Memorial Day, annually set aside for remembering people who died while serving the nation’s armed forces. It is not to be confused for Veteran’s Day, celebrated everyNovember 11 which honors and thanks all military personnel who served the U.S. in all wars, particularly the living veterans. Originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, Memorial Day typically marks the start of summer vacation season, while Labor Day, celebrated every first Monday of September, marks its end.
The Fires of Fanaticism: Feelings, Impressions, and Imaginations
“All we like sheep have gone astray.” Isa. 53: 6. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3: 23. If bad judgment often driven by “the love of money,” which Paul says “is the root of all evil,” causing temporary loss of common sense and deafness to wise counsel, are hurting anyone now with their painful consequences, an English proverb may help you wake up from these nightmarish experience, tired but hopeful. “He who never makes mistakes never makes anything.” Even well-meaning persons make grievous mistakes. True love overlooks many mistakes but does not excuse them. Making concessions of one’s rights for the sake of peace is not the same as compromising principles in order to purchase peace. Jesus never compromised.
WHAT IS THE TRUE INTERPRETATION OF REVELATION 16: 12-16? (The Threefold Union in the Battle of Armageddon (Continued)
As we drive down the highway of divine prophetic chronology, we see all sides along the busy route getting more crowded, cluttered, and raucous with competing and confusing sounds of wars and rumors of wars, lilting swan songs, flashing colored lights of various virtualyet really fantasies, alluring peace-and-safety messages cranked out by religious charlatans, the promise of earthly honor, pomp, and prosperity offered by a thousand and one deceived-turned-deceiver purveyors of error, and encounter all manner of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.
And yet all these affirm that we are entering the long-looked-after final stretch of the prophetic journey mapped out by the 2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8: 14. The sudden and strange turn of events in the current political cycle in America (more of this later!), the groaning of our tired, abused old earth and its polluted atmosphere manifested in the so-called natural and man-made (never Satan-caused!) catastrophes etc., all speaking of the approach of the most momentous time of earth’s history.
First, it can never be overemphasized that “spiritual things are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2: 10-16). The sealing work of the plan of salvation is to fit up, moral character-wise, mortal, commandment-keeping living saints with the “fine white linen” of Christ’s righteousness (Rev. 19: 8). Thus dressed for “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19: 7-9), they are blessed with the “right to the tree of life and may enter into the gates into the city” (Rev. 22: 13), and claim “the place” in the “heavenly mansions” Jesus ascended to prepare for them (John 14: 1-3).
It is at His glorious second coming that these saints received the finishing touch of “immortality” and their “corruptible flesh was changed to incorruptible at the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Cor. 15: 50-56)—the eternal reward of all who remained faithful to the end (Rom. 2: 7; 1 Tim. 2: 16; 1 Cor. 15: 53, 54; Luke 12: 36). It began with conviction and concluded with the transformation of the same faculties of the mind before conversion—that “mind which was also in Christ Jesus,” characterized by “humility and obedience to death” (Phil. 2: 5-8).
THE PROPHETIC TIMETABLE FROM THE COVENANT WEEK TO 538 A.D.
“It suits the policy of Satan that men should retain the forms of religion if but the spirit of vital godliness is lacking. After the rejection of the gospel, the Jews continued zealously to maintain their ancient rites they rigorously preserved their national exclusiveness, while they themselves could not but admit that the presence of God was no longer manifest among them. The prophecy of Daniel (9: 24-27) pointed so unmistakably to the time of the Messiah’s coming, and so directly foretold His death, that they discouraged its study, and finally the rabbispronounced a curse on all who should attempt a computation of time [of the seventy-week prophecy]” –E. G. White, Great Controversy (1911), p. 378.
Sounds trivial? Why ask this question at such a critical time when we ought to be focusing more sharply on the crucial issues of the closing events of earth’s history? Simply because it’s part of them, as we shall see.
First this: Pope Francis was recently quoted as saying that animals, particularly our beloved pets, have souls that go to heaven. Later they say that he was misquoted. See follow up story December 13, “Did Pope Francis really say all animals go to heaven?” by Brandon Ambrosino: www.vox.com). Rick Gladstone of the New York Times, December 14, (www.bostonglobe.com.) wrote (words in italics mine):
“Pope Francis has given hope to gays, unmarried couples and advocates of the Big Bang theory. Now, he has endeared himself to dog lovers, animal-rights activists and vegans. . . . Charles Camosy, an author and professor of Christian ethics at Fordham University, said it was difficult to know precisely what Francis meant, since he spoke in ‘pastoral language that is not really meant to be dissected by academics.’ But asked if the remarks had caused a new debate on whether animals have souls, suffer andgo to heaven, Camosy said, ‘In a word: Absolutely.’
