Our newest book on the Mystery of Jesus Christ has entered the second phase of our review cycle. Comments received so far are very positive and enthusiastic.
Who is the king of the South?
Many believe, based on prophecies contained in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, that immediately before the return of Jesus Christ, a powerful Arab leader or “king of the South” will still arise in the Middle East. Daniel 11:40-41 says: “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack [or: push at] him [the king of the North]; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown…”
Historically, and following the entire Biblical prophecy in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, we can determine that at the time described in verse 40, the king of the North constituted the ninth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, or the sixth resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire, led by Mussolini and Hitler, and that the king of the South was at that time Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia. And in fact, Mussolini came against Ethiopia like a whirlwind, using airplanes, and conquered it.
But, what about today or the immediate future? Will there occur another conflict between the king of the North — the final LEADER of the 10th resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, or the 7th resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire — and a king of the South, a final LEADER in the Middle East? Perhaps — but not necessarily so.
Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following in a personal of the Plain Truth, dated June 1967. We are adding emphasis by pointing out startling statements by Mr. Armstrong which have been — overall — overlooked or forgotten by God’s people today. In quoting from Daniel 11:40, Mr. Armstrong explained:
“‘And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him …’ — that is, at the king of the north. The modern remnant of the ‘king of the south’ of this prophecy is Ethiopia. Anciently, Egypt was the country of the king of the south. But few Egyptians remain in Egypt today. Arabs, of a different original stock, have generally replaced the real Egyptians. The people descended from those who were of ancient Egypt, in its southern portions, are the Ethiopians. And the Italians were the remnant and successors, of the people of the king of the north. This prophecy WAS FULFILLED February-March, 1896, when King Menelik II of Ethiopia ‘pushed at’ the Italians, defeating Italy at Aduwa. Italians thirsted for revenge. Finally, their opportunity came, in 1935, under the military machine developed by Mussolini. Continue the prophecy, verse 40: ‘… and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind [in the air], with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships: and he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over.’ Notice, a whirlwind comes IN THE AIR. So DID Mussolini’s air forces. He sent down many ships, much cavalry, and tanks [modern ‘chariots’]. And his forces, in planes, ‘passed OVER.’… Continue: VERSE 41: ‘He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown …’
“There is a TIME-LAPSE between verse 40 and verse 41. After Mussolini captured Ethiopia he added it to Libya, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland. Mussolini had signed a concordat with the Vatican, and publicly announced the rebirth of the ROMAN EMPIRE, with King Victor Emmanuel Emperor, and himself the Duce or Premier. But Mussolini’s bubble of a Roman Empire was short-lived. Most people never actually noticed he had proclaimed its resurrected existence. It is described in another prophecy — Revelation 17 — as the insignificant sixth ‘head’ of the mysterious symbolic ‘beast,’ [of the “Holy” Roman Empire] that was, and is not, and yet is. But the final seventh head [of the “Holy” Roman Empire, or the tenth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire] is soon to rise. It is in the preliminary stages of coming into existence now, in the six-nation Common Market. Soon there will be ten European nations in a political-military union, that will shock and dumbfound the world. Verse 41 refers to THAT succession of the Roman power which became the ‘king of the north’ in the prophecy of Daniel 11. So notice what this COMING ‘United States of Europe’ WILL DO: VERSE 44: ‘But tidings out of the east and out of the north [Russia] shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious, holy mountain [Palestine]; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.’ So this now-forming European… power will invade Palestine, and move its headquarters there! But verse 41 adds [omitted above]: ‘… but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.’ The Turkish people today are ‘Edom,’ and the people of Jordan are the present-day descendants of Moab and Ammon — descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They will still be in that land…
“This European power, resurrecting for a VERY short while the Roman Empire, will take over the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2.) They will take the Temple, and plant the palace of their headquarters there. With this coming military leader, pictured in Revelation 17 as the symbolic ‘beast,’ will be a supreme religious leader, called ‘the False Prophet,’ [Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10] and the ‘man of sin.’ So will you turn next to II Thessalonians 2:3-4: ‘Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day’ — the Day of the Lord, verse 2 — ‘shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and THAT MAN OF SIN be revealed, the SON OF PERDITION; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’ So there will have to be the Temple there!”
Did you catch that? As Mr. Armstrong explained, the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 has ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED. And verse 40 is the LAST TIME where the king of the South is mentioned! Beginning with the second half of verse 40, we read exclusively about the king of the North and his activities, and, in verse 44, about rumors from the east and the west. This means, then, that there DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ANOTHER end-time king of the South. If there were to rise one, following the historical and Biblical records, as set forth in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, it would have to be — mainly — modern Ethiopia. But, as we said, ALL WHICH STILL NEEDS TO BE FULFILLED (and which the previous king of the North — under Mussolini — did NOT fulfill), is the invasion of the Glorious Land by the future and final king of the North (verse 41), including Jerusalem (verse 45), as well as the overthrow of “many countries” (verse 41), including Egypt, and the “Libyans and Ethiopians” following at his heels (verse 43).
It is entirely possible that the prophecy in verse 40 is a type of future events to be repeated — but it DOES NOT HAVE TO BE this way. It is NOT necessary, based on Biblical prophecy, that there will still arise an end-time “king of the South,” attacking or pushing at the end-time king of the North. Christ could return without such an event having to occur first.
Please, Take it Personally
On Saturday, July 31, 2004, Dave Harris will be giving the sermon, titled, “Please, Take it Personally.”
The Global Church of God in the UK has received so far 569 requests for our advertised booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”
When we fast, do we go without food and water as on the Day of Atonement, or are we just to abstain from food during ordinary fasting?
We are addressing here strictly the Biblically described spiritual fasting — not fasting for health reasons. The fast during the Day of Atonement — one of God’s annual Holy Days — is the only commanded fast in the Bible (Leviticus 23:27, 29, 32). The fast on the Day of Atonement, referred to by the commandment to “afflict your souls,” has been rightly understood as abstaining from food and drink for 24 hours. (For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”). However, we find that God’s people fasted, or were asked to fast, on other occasions as well (compare, for example, Joel 2:12; Nehemiah 1:4; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Matthew 17:21; Daniel 9:3; Acts 13:2-3; Acts 14:23).
David, a man after God’s own heart, wrote in Psalm 35:13: “I humbled [or: afflicted] my soul with fasting.” Here, David fasted in the same way, as it was required on the Day of Atonement — by afflicting his soul. This would mean that he abstained from food and drink during his fast.
In fact, all Biblical passages, defining or describing the manner of fasting, make clear that it is being done by abstaining from food and drink. We read in Esther 4:16, that the queen told her uncle Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Sushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise.”
We also find that Ezra, who was accustomed to fast in times of need (compare Ezra 8:21-23), fasted in this way: “[He] ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity” (Ezra 10:6).
In addition, when Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights, “he neither ate bread nor drank water” (Exodus 34:28). There is NO Scripture that would tell us that people who engaged in spiritual fasting drank water or other fluids.
We also read that Elijah, after he ate and drank, what the angel had provided him, “went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God,” (1 Kings 19:8) indicating that he did not eat or drink during these forty days and nights.
We note, too, that the Ninevites did not eat or drink during their fast (Jonah 3:7); and neither did the Jews who tried to kill Paul (Acts 23:12) — they, of course, fasted for a wrong reason. Still, this shows how the Jews understood the manner of fasting; in fact, Paul fasted by abstaining from food and drink for three days (Acts 9:9).
Some have suggested that Jesus Christ drank water, when He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert (compare Matthew 4:1-2). However, the Bible does not say that He drank water, and to conclude that He did, means to read something into the Bible which is simply not there.
We might want to add, however, that we do not recommend that anyone should fast today for 40 days and 40 nights or anywhere near that long. As we have reached the end of this degenerate age, to do so today would border on suicide. In addition, the principles discussed in this Q&A only apply in normal cases and circumstances, and not for people who are diabetic or suffer from other serious ailments. The Church of God has recommended a long time ago that a person with a medical condition should check with a medical doctor for advice in order to determine whether it is advisable and safe to fast at all, as described herein. In addition, children should not be required to fast. Children old enough to understand what their parents are doing may want to fast. It might be advisable for some children to start with a half-day fast.
In conclusion, a spiritual fast should be conducted by abstaining from food and drink.
God Can't Bless Us
I just read an article that has my head reeling and a gamut of emotions pulling me in every direction. It was originally published in the NY Times and it explains why America’s days are numbered.
You can find a copy of the editorial here in case the original is archived or removed in the future. If you haven’t read the piece yet, please do so before continuing. The article describes Amy Richards’ maligned thought process which is germane to the opening paragraph as well as the subsequent ones.
I don’t know where to begin except to say that the article is unconscionable on so many levels. Amy openly admits that she killed at least 2 children because she put home location, shopping options, travel restrictions and her freelance career above their LIFE.
Her description of events is cold and without remorse. It is filled with euphemisms such as “selective reduction” instead of murder. She wields the words “potassium chloride” without regard to the fact that it is the drug of preference on death row. This drug is being used on blameworthy criminals and yet Amy Richards is using it to casually take the lives of the most innocent, an unborn child.
The tone of her words are flippant and without conscience. The real problem is that this reflects the blatant, frequent and wide acceptance of the act of abortion. Since abortion was legalized in the US in 1973 there have been over 32 million unborn children killed and around the world the figure hits 46 million EVERY year. Can we really fathom the magnitude of these numbers?
What a stench in the nostrils of God this must be!
As a nation we claim to have achieved the highest levels of societal evolution and yet we condone barbarism. We ask God to “Bless America” while we slap Him in the face and break the most fundamental of His laws.
As a country, we are not allowing God to bless us and as a result He is removing His protection and blessings that we have enjoyed for so long. The end result of the sins that are being committed will be a captivity and enslavement as prophesied in the Bible. That is unless we repent of our ways and our carnality and submit to God’s way.
With the arrogant flaunting of God’s ways, as Amy Richards has done, the time of the end can not be too far away. Now more than ever we must be about our Father’s business.
For more in depth information on these subjects please refer to our booklets: “Europe in Prophecy,” “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “Are You Already Born Again?“
Our Father
On Saturday, July 24, 2004, Norbert Link will be giving the sermon, titled, “Our Father.”
feeding the flock
A new member letter was written by Norbert Link and sent out this week. In the letter, Mr. Link discusses the important question, amongst other things, how Christians, belonging to one organization, should view Christians — members of the body of Christ — in other corporate entitities. A copy of the letter can be found at: https://www.eternalgod.org/lit/letters/brethren-20040713.pdf
We received this note from Rene Messier: “I am very pleased to announce that today we have picked up from the printer the FIRST booklet printed in French, ‘God is a Family.’ The booklet looks great. This is a milestone for the work that we are engaged in in Canada, and we will be sending copies to brethren in Africa and Quebec. This booklet could not have been produced without the dedication and efforts of Kathryn Meyers from California, USA, and Isabelle Leveau from Quebec, Canada, both in regard to translating and proof reading. We are grateful for their
efforts in the translation of the booklets, as well as member letters and other material from the Updates. We are constantly adding more French articles and booklets to our Websites. So far, we have two booklets posted, with a third one on Christmas to be posted soon. We are presently working on the French version of the Born Again booklet. Hopefully, as finances avail themselves, we will be able to produce another printed booklet in French.”
We have also placed several new articles on our German Websites, in addition to our two German booklets on Germany in Prophecy and Evolution.
We read in Matthew 27:52 that many saints were raised at the time of Christ's death. How can Christ then be called the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18)?
You are correct that Christ is indeed referred to as the “firstborn from the dead.” Our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?“, explains on pages 7 and 8:
“Christ… became born again when He was resurrected to Spirit. It was at that time that He became the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29 tells us that we are to be ‘conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ We also read in Colossians 1:15, 18: ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… And He is… the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.’
“Christ was the first human who became born again as a Spirit being. The Greek word for ‘firstborn,’ ‘prototokos,’ designates the person who is born first. It can refer to the firstborn Son of the spiritual Family of God, and it can also refer to the firstborn son in a physical family. We read, for example, in Hebrews 11:28 that Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood by faith, ‘lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.’ Christ was also, quite literally, Mary’s firstborn Son (Compare Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:7. The Greek word, ‘prototokos,’ used here does not mean ‘only’ or ‘only begotten’ son. That concept is conveyed by the Greek word ‘monogenes’…). Since Christ was Mary’s firstborn Son, it goes without saying that Christ as a human being had younger brothers. In fact, He also had sisters (compare Matthew 13:53-58).
“The same Greek word, ‘prototokos,’ is also used in Revelation 1:5. The New King James Bible translates the entire passage quite accurately in this way: ‘…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.’ (The Authorized Version’s rendition, ‘first begotten of the dead,’ is clearly wrong. The context here is the resurrection from the dead. The Ryrie Study Bible comments that ‘Christ was the first [man] to receive a resurrection [glorified] body which is immortal.’).”
On the other hand, the Bible includes numerous examples, prior to Christ’s death and resurrection, of dead people coming to life again. 2 Kings 13:21 relates the record of a dead person who “revived and stood on his feet,” when the bones of Elisha touched him. Also, John 11:38-44 records the story of the resurrection of the dead Lazarus. We also read, in Luke 8:49-56, that Christ brought a dead girl back to life. In all these cases, however, we must realize that these were resurrections to temporary physical lives — not to eternal, immortal life. In the case of the young girl, we read that Christ commanded the parents “that she be given something to eat” (verse 55) — indicating that this was a resurrection to physical life, as immortal beings have no need to eat physical food.
When we carefully analyze the nature of the resurrection of the saints, described in Matthew 27:52, based on the testimony of the entirety of God’s Holy Word, we must conclude that these were likewise resurrections to physical life, not to eternal life. Please note the following excerpts from our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?“, page 25:
“The Christians who died in the faith, and whose spirits returned to God at the time of their death (Ecclesiastes 12:7), are registered in heaven (Luke 10:20). They have not been resurrected from the dead, so they are not yet firstborn — but they are first begotten — the firstfruits (compare James 1:18). They were called out of this world ‘first’ (Ephesians 1:11-14) and they received the Holy Spirit, and it will be they who are going to be in the FIRST resurrection (Revelation 20:5; 1 Corinthians 15:23-24). Christ is the first of the firstfruits (Acts 26:23; 1 Corinthians 15:20). He is, up until now, the ONLY firstborn, the only one who has been born again from the dead. Those called by God WILL BECOME firstborn as well. They will be in the first resurrection, born again first, when comparing them with the rest of the vast majority of mankind who will be called to salvation later (always excluding Jesus Christ, of course, who was the very FIRST of all the subsequent firstborn). (For more information regarding those who will be called later, please read our free booklet, ‘God’s Commanded Holy Days.’).”
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 that “we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that they will rise “incorruptible.” Hebrews 11:39-40 tells us that none of those who have fallen asleep have received the “promise” of eternal life, “that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
Christ, then, is the firstborn from the dead in that He is the first human being who became born again as a SPIRIT BEING. He was the FIRST who was resurrected to eternal life. Others — those in Christ — will be resurrected as SPIRIT BEINGS — to eternal life — at the time of His Second Coming. In addition, Christ is called the Judge of the living and of the dead. After His death and resurrection, it was guaranteed that dead persons would be brought back to physical life in the future to BE JUDGED. The Bible refers to this time period, which will begin after the Millennium, as the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-12). The vast majority of mankind, never having heard about or accepted the Sacrifice of Christ in their lives, will be brought back to physical life to be “judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (verse 12). This “judgment” is quite different, however, than what most people think. For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”
All resurrections to physical life prior to the Second Resurrection which is called the “Great White Throne Judgment” period, did not occur for the purpose of the “judgment,” described in Revelation 20. Rather, because of God’s great mercy, people received their physical lives back for a short while, but then they later died and are in the grave, waiting for the resurrection to eternal life, or to be judged in the “Great White Throne Judgment” period.
The resurrected saints in Matthew 27:52-53 are no exception. They came out of the graves “after His resurrection” (verse 53), and they appeared to many in the holy city, apparently to confirm the fact that God DOES resurrect the dead. Nothing more is reported about those saints — but we know that they did die, in due time, to await the resurrection to eternal life. Otherwise, they WOULD HAVE preceded the rest of the saints who will be made perfect and receive eternal life at the time of Christ’s return.
The Nelson Study Bible points out: “Because the Lord Jesus is the firstborn from the dead… and the firstfruits of those who are asleep…, these people could not have received their resurrection bodies. They probably were raised, as Lazarus was, to ordinary physical life. The fact that the people who were raised appeared to many in the holy city implies that they had been contemporaries of the people who saw them.”
Christ is indeed the firstborn from the dead, and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. To learn more about how you can become part of the FIRST resurrection — the “better” resurrection to eternal life (Hebrews 11:35) — please read our free booklets, “Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” “And Lawlessness Will Abound…,” and “Baptism – A Requirement for Salvation?“
Babylon's Ways–How You Are Affected
On Saturday, July 17, 2004, Edwin Pope will be giving the sermon from Colorado. His sermon is titled, “Babylon’s Ways–How You Are Affected!”!
