Monday, March 23, 2015

COMMENTARY & OPINION - SPECIAL REPORT



From the desk of
Bill Ramey

3/18/15

COMMENTARY & OPINION
SPECIAL REPORT

Greetings friends around the world,

I do hope you are watching events around the world and understanding the gravity of the times we are living in. 

The first article in this report is again about the proposed third temple the Jews hope to build in Jerusalem.  If you recall, I sent out a report recently which I labeled a "Game Changer" regarding the location of the first and second temples.  It appears that this one also could be a Game Changer.  I do hope you read it with the understanding that there does not need to be a temple for the Jews to begin sacrifices. (See Ezra 3).  I also hope you read it with the understanding that the temple mentioned in II Thessalonians 2 is a gross misinterpretation induced by the "...lies inherited by our fathers" (Jer 16:19).  The "...man of sin" is sitting in that temple today! 


Major Prophetic Announcement! - Holy Altar Constructed For Third Jewish Temple

March 16, 2015 | LEO HOHMANN

End-times prophecy watchers are marveling over a news report out of Jerusalem this week that the Altar of the Lord has been reconstructed by the Temple Institute.

The Institute, based in the Old City of Jerusalem, announced it has finished building an altar that is essentially “ready for use” in sacrificial services.

The altar is the most ambitious project to date toward the goal of rebuilding the Jewish Temple. The massive outdoor altar, which took several years to build, can be operational at little more than a moment’s notice, reported the Israeli magazine Matzav Haruach.

The altar is the last major component needed for the long-obstructed sacrifices to resume in a future Jewish temple.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray daily for its reconstruction atop the holy hill known as Mount Moriah or the Temple Mount.

Bible scholars say the rebuilding of the ancient temple is predicted throughout scripture, starting with Daniel’s vision in Daniel 9:27. Jesus echoed Daniel’s warning about an abomination standing in “the holy place” in the last days in Matthew 24:15, followed by the Apostle John’s vision of the Temple in Revelation 11:1-2. Paul mentioned it in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.

Most people don’t realize the temple had two altars — the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense. The largest was the altar of burnt offering, placed in the outer court of the priests. Designing and building it to exact biblical specifications required quite an undertaking.

It was approximately 5 meters (16 feet) tall and 16 meters (52.5 feet) wide, with four “horns” or raised corners, and a ramp.

The altar is the central focus of the sacrificial services that were halted with the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D.

The Temple Institute has prepared all the priestly garments and sacred vessels for the rebuilt temple, which can be viewed on its website. It even trains members of the priestly family to be ready to serve as soon as the Temple is constructed.

Carl Gallups, a Baptist pastor in Florida, Bible prophecy expert and author of “Final Warning: Understanding the Trumpet Days of Revelation,” told WND the announcement about the altar will be seen by many Christians as a huge step toward fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

“This announcement will surely excite prophecy watchers around the world,” he said. “Regardless of one’s eschatological leanings, every sincere student of the Word of God knows there are at least hints, if not clear declarations, of something happening just before the return of the Lord that involves altar sacrifices and the distinct possibility of a rebuilt temple on the Temple Mount.”

Jonathan Cahn, author of “The Harbinger” and “The Mystery of the Shemitah” also sees the announcement as significant.

“We know that end-time prophecy cannot be fulfilled without the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem,” Cahn, a Messianic Jewish rabbi in New Jersey, told WND. “The abomination desolation prophesied in Daniel and in the Gospels, must take place within the Temple precincts. So, too, the apostle Paul speaks of the ‘man of sin,’ or the Antichrist, sitting in the Temple of God. What many people don’t realize is that along with the Holy of Holies, the altar of the Temple is the most central and critical part of the Temple.”

Cahn said it is the altar that is the center of the abomination causing desolation.

“It was specifically the altar of the Temple that was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in the days of the Maccabees that comprised the first abomination desolation and the foreshadowing of what will take place in the end-times,” he said. “So any progress made toward the rebuilding of the altar is worthy of our attention.”

Mark Biltz, author of “Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs” and pastor of El Shaddai Ministries, says prophecy watchers should not forget, however, that the Temple Mount is under the control of the Muslims for a reason.

“Religiously, you have the Temple Institute and they are ready to rebuilt it,” he said.

In previous years, there have been attempts to sacrifice a goat on the Temple Mount at Passover, something that enrages Muslims who consider the hilltop the third most sacred spot in Islam.

“They could actually do sacrifices without a temple, some sacrifices. And Passover is one of them. There’s always been a drive to sacrifice a lamb on the Temple Mount,” Biltz said. “They would do it in a heartbeat. But it’s just like here in America where the ACLU wants nothing to do with religion or religious groups. So it’s the same there. The Israeli government doesn’t want to cause any uproar among the various religious factions, especially with elections coming up.”

The Temple Institute represents the views of the Ultra-Orthodox community, which makes up a small percentage of Israel’s population, about 4 percent.

“They would love a temple but the broader population wants to keep church and state separate, and there is a lot of animosity toward the Ultra Orthodox,” Biltz said. “But they don’t need some big elaborate temple, they could start to do the sacrifices with a tent or some sort of makeshift tabernacle. It’s all very interesting and it’s all coming to a head. I believe you’re going to see a major war first, which would redraw alignments and allegiances.”

This explains the reaction of former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan as he observed rabbis rushing to pray at the Temple Mount following the Israeli Army’s reclaiming of the landmark in the 1967 Six-Day War.

“What is this?” Dayan, a secular Jew, reportedly mused. “The Vatican?”

“One of the first things he did was give it back to the Muslims,” Biltz said. “They didn’t want the religious right telling the government what to do. They would rather have the Muslims have it. So there is a bigger fight among the Jews, an even bigger fight over whether to build a temple, than the fight with the Muslims. There are two huge fights going on. ”

There is an interesting foreshadowing of this end-time rebuilding event in the book of Ezra, who gave an account of the Jewish exiles returning from captivity in Persia.

“In rebuilding the temple destroyed under the Babylonian occupation, the first act of those returnees was to rebuild an altar and offer sacrifices upon it to the Lord,” Gallups said.

They did this at the site of the ruined temple. The altar was constructed under the leadership of a high priest named, of all things, Yehoshua (Joshua, or Jesus in the New Testament Greek).

The returning Jews, according to Ezra, rebuilt this holy altar despite fears of attack from surrounding enemies. After the altar was rebuilt, and regular sacrifices reinstated, the returnees celebrated their first festival — the Feast of Tabernacles.

That feast occurs in autumn. This year it will occur during the season of the rare tetrad of four blood moons and the seven-year Shemitah cycle described in Cahn’s book.

Ezra, chapter three, says that after the altar was rebuilt and sacrifices resumed, and when the temple had been rebuilt – the people shouted with joy, praised the Lord and wept aloud. “And the sound (of the celebration) was heard far away.”

“Now, in 2015, we have the news that once again the altar of sacrifice has been rebuilt and is ready for use,” Gallups said. “We also know of a very serious plan to rebuild the ancient temple of God upon the Temple Mount. The days of Ezra and Yehoshua appear to be upon us again. In the midst of the celebration of these facts, the sound of that celebration is once again ‘being heard far away.’ And through the modern technology of the Internet the sound is being heard around the world. These are certainly prophetic times in which we are living.”

Biltz sees the timing of the altar announcement as prophetic.

“Tomorrow, (Saturday) every Jew in synagogues around the world is reading the Torah portion from Exodus about the construction of the tabernacle,” he said. “It’s the last chapter of Exodus about the glory falling, Moses coming out and blessing the people and the glory falling on the tabernacle.

“Not only that but this next week, historically, is the very day the dedication of the tabernacle happened, on Nisan 1, that is read in the Torah portion. This year, being Saturday, March 21. It actually begins at sundown on Friday, March 20.”

As an expert in the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith, Biltz is always looking at current events in light of the times and the seasons according to the Hebrew calendar. And there is something else special this year about Nisan 1, which arrives at sundown March 20.

“Amazingly, there is also a total solar eclipse occurring at the beginning of the religious calendar on March 20. A total solar eclipse speaks of judgment coming on the nations. This is followed two weeks later by a total lunar eclipse or blood moon on Passover.”

So the fact that a remnant of Jews has prepared an altar and the sacred vessels for temple services, even if the politics are still such that constructing the temple is currently impossible, is exciting, Biltz said.

Most of the sacred vessels needed for the temple sacrificial system have been recreated by Israeli artisans – the cups, the chalices, the incense altar and incense shovel, the table of showbread, the high-priest’s crown, the golden menorah, the three-pronged fork and so on. All of these items are being planned now by the Temple Institute, even though the political obstacles to rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem remain huge.

“They even have the high priest’s crown. They have everything ready to go,” Biltz said. “They’ve even had the Levites come in and be fitted for the priestly garments, everything is ready.”

The purpose of the Temple was to make atonement for Israel and atonement for the nations of the world before the Creator, whom all mankind should desire to draw near, Biltz said.

“If the nations had only understood this back then, they would have never destroyed the temple but placed their armies around it to protect it,” he said. “If the nations understood that today, they would realize rather than dividing Jerusalem it should be united with a Temple to Hashem bringing His presence back into our world. This is the only true path to world peace.”


POPE FRANCIS

An author who successfully predicted Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation now is suggesting Pope Francis may be a believer in an ancient prophecy that foretells disaster for the Roman Catholic Church.

The pope unleashed an international frenzy of speculation when he recently commented, “I have a feeling my pontificate will be brief. … It is a vague feeling I have that the Lord chose me for a short mission.”

Bestselling author Tom Horn, featured on the blockbuster movie, “The Last Pope?,” told WND in an exclusive interview that the statements imply the man once known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio sees himself as part of a prophecy.

Horn stated, “The comments by Pope Francis regarding possible assassination or retirement and that he may not be the pontiff much longer make me wonder if he is a believer in his role as the last pope (pope No. 112 in the ‘Prophecy of the Popes’), which speaks of the destruction of Rome.”

St. Malachy’s “Prophecy of the Popes” is said to be based on his prophetic vision of the next 112 popes, beginning with Pope Celestine II, who died in 1144.

Malachy presented a description of each pope, culminating with the “final pope,” “Peter the Roman,” whose reign would end with the destruction of Rome and judgment.

But other Catholic prophecies also speak of the final subversion of the Roman Catholic Church.

As Horn notes, “Even St. Francis of Assisi – the current pope’s namesake and one of the most venerated religious figures in history – gathered his devotees shortly before his death and prophesied, ‘At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavor to draw many into error and death. … Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. … for in those days Jesus Christ will send them not a true pastor, but a destroyer.’”

Horn believes Francis may also see his fate revealed as part of one of the famous “secrets of Fátima.”

“The final secret of Fátima was supposedly given to three Portuguese children, Lucia dos Santos, Jacinta Marto and Francisco Marto, when they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Fátima) in 1917.”


As Horn observed, “There is a great deal of controversy over whether the third secret was ever completely released by the Vatican, but part of what was released describes a city, which some believe to be the Vatican City. The city is attacked and many priests, including the pope (described as the ‘Bishop in White’), are killed by fighters who could easily be interpreted as members of ISIS.”

This section of the prophecy reads,

… before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way [and] on his knees at the foot of the big cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other bishops, priests, men and women religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions.

ISIS has vowed to “conquer Rome” by 2020 and has called for an alliance with the radical left to further its objectives. ISIS has also included Catholic countries like Spain in its vision of the restored caliphate.

Pope Francis seems aware of the danger posed by the terrorist group. Only a few days before musing on the likely brevity of his papacy, the pope spoke fatalistically about the danger of assassination. The pope declared his life or death is “in God’s hands” and joked, “I have said to the Lord, ‘You take care of me. But if it is your will that I die or something happens to me, I ask you only one favor: that it doesn’t hurt.’”

Such levity, says Horn, conceals more disturbing questions about the nature of Francis’ papacy and the manner in which he obtained his office.

Horn explains the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano claimed to have uncovered a plot in 2012 to assassinate Pope Benedict XVI because of an internal power struggle. Horn asks, “Is that why Benedict ‘retired’ officially in 2012, though not publicly until 2013?”

Pope Francis is doing his best to convince the world about the stability of the papacy. Despite his reputation as an innovator, the pope has expressed opposition to an age limit for future popes.

New York Times bestselling author Jerome Corsi also wonders about instability in the Vatican. In an interview with WND, Corsi said Pope Francis’ comments about a short papacy surprised him.

“With Pope Benedict resigning, a new model of the papacy seems to be developing. Granted, Benedict is not day-to-day active, but he appears to give advice to Pope Francis when consulted. Do we already have two popes?”

“In the future, will popes have terms for which they serve, as presidents in the USA have term limits?” Corsi wondered. “Is Pope Francis the last pope to be appointed for life? Will Francis step down as Benedict did? We do appear to be in a new age where the papacy is undergoing redefinition.”

But Horn said the events in progress may be something far more substantial than simply organizational changes.

“Francis appointed Pietro Parolin as his secretary of state, an Italian (Roman) whose name is Peter,” Horn said. “If the Vatican were attacked or Francis and his Camerlengo (papal administrators) were to be killed at the same time or taken out of the way, this man would sit on the pope’s throne and literally be known as ‘Peter the Roman,’ the final line in the Prophecy of the Popes.”



March 17, 2015

Dollar Dies With A Whimper As Europeans "Defy" America And Back China-Led Bank

By Susan Duclos -

The signs have been highlighted over the years, the experts have shouted warnings, but Americans insulated by the MSM with stories of how the dollar is strengthening, the economy is growing again, were the last to be told that the age of the US Dollars dominance across the globe, is at an end.

Historically world reserve currencies have lasted between 80 and 110 years, the US Dollar has held that status for 94 years and one specific event just occurred that put the final nail in the Dollar's coffin as headlines scream "Europeans defy US to join China-led development bank."

Despite the Obama administration's "incompetent, distracted, ham-fisted," attempts to prevent European allies from joining a China-led international development bank, Britain, France, Germany and Italy have all agreed to join, a decision that evidences what Huffington Post calls "America's decline."

Today, that same ally has decided that history has turned a corner. The U.S. can no longer dominate world history. A new power has also arrived. The British, like most other middle powers, have decided to hedge their bets and work with China as well as the U.S. But this is also a matter of survival. If London does not serve the financial and economic interests of a rising China, it could become sidelined in the 21st century. Hence, the British have no choice but to work with China.

The European decisions represent a significant setback for the Obama administration, which has argued that western countries could have more influence over the workings of the new bank if they stayed together on the outside and pushed for higher lending standards.

Tyler Durdin from Zero Hedge concludes "Bottom line: this isn’t theory or conjecture anymore. Every shred of objective evidence suggests that the dollar’s dominance is coming to an end."

On March 10, 2015, ANP published an article titled "The Hour Is Late, The Danger Is Grave - Will Civil Unrest And Martial Law Come To Pass In America?, in which we made the following statement and asked a question:

It is not a matter of if the Dollar loses it's status, but when. Whether it is tomorrow, next month, next year or in the next 5 years (doubtful it will take that long), the dollar will be replaced.

Which brings us to the headlined question of "Will civil unrest and martial law come to pass in America?"

We pointed out that when economies collapse, it is generally followed by social chaos, civil unrest and sometimes a breakdown of law and order, just looking at what is happening in Venezuela now, food shortages, military guarding grocery stores, limits on what people can purchase, riots and protests, gives us a glimpse into our possible future.

It is no longer a question of should Americans prepare, it is now a question of how prepared are they for what is coming?

Ramey comments:

We have seen many cracks in the American version of the Roman Empire just in the past few weeks and accelerating greatly in just the past few days.  It seems our hired and/or coerced allies are abandon-ing us one by one and the preceding articles show us why.  The book of Habakkuk shows us why.  Our politicians show us why.

The greatest military reversal in all of recorded history is just ahead. It will be preceded by an exodus from Babylon.   It is not the "rapture" and Christians have no part in it.  It is limited to those who "...know My name" (Isaish 52:6).  It isn't Jesus. 

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