The Star Of Bethlehem

Rick Larson presents this video, "The Star of Bethlehem" as he goes back in time and explores the night skies that led the Magi to Bethlehem to honor the birth of the King of the Jews.

Scholars debate whether the Star of Bethlehem is a legend created by the early church or a miracle that marked the advent of Christ. Is it possible that the star was a real, astronomical event? From Producer Stephen McEveety (The Passion of the Christ) comes an amazing documentary on the Star of Bethlehem. This presentation as seen by tens of thousands in the U.S. and in Europe explores the exciting truth of the Biblical narrative.

Super Moon The Perigee Full Blood Moon of Sukkot 2015

When the moon is at its closest point to the earth, (within 224,834 miles measured from the center of the moon to the center of the earth).  The term 'super moon' was coined by an astrologer,  Richard Nolle, over 30 years ago but was popularized by the media in 2011 to describe what astronomers always referred to as a perigee full moon, or a perigee new moon.

On average there are 4 - 6 "Super Moon's a year, so they are not uncommon.  Why mention them?  There is coming a rare occurrence of a super (full moon), which is also a blood moon and it is the final blood moon of the current blood moon tetrad, and it happens to be on September 28, 2015 - which is Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) and the  beginning of the Hebrew year of Jubilee, and this blood moon  will be seen in Jerusalem, Israel. 

The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the Seven Feasts of the LORD, three of which are "pilgrimage convocations" in which all Jewish males were required to attend at Jerusalem to "appear before the Lord."  

Deu 16:16  Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty.

 In the seventh Sukkot, not only all Jewish males, but the entire population was required to attend, and listen as the King of the Jews would read from the Law.
 In Sukkot, not only all Jewish males, but the entire population was required to attend. 

Deu 31:10 -12  And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

Not only is Sukkot, 2015 a special feast, but it is in the seventh year, or a Shemitah year .  Do you get the feeling that this is building up to a climax of historic proportions? Yet again there is more. Not only is this a Shemitah year, it is the seventh Shemitah, or a Shemitah of Shemitah's, and a completion of 49 years and which the following year is the 50th year which is the Hebrew year of Jubilee. 

AS Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has said, most of the economic shocks to the U S economy have happened on the 29th of Elul, in a Shemitah year.  In 2015 (a Shemitah year) the 29th of Elul occurs on Sunday, September 13th which is the eve of the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah).  Any financial collapse would (most likely) not happen on that date since the markets are closed.  However, the last business day before that closure would be Friday, September 11th, which has a hauntingly historic significance for Americans.

Many Jews and Christians believe that the coming of Messiah will happen on the Feast of Trumpets.  Who that Messiah is, among Christians, there can be no doubt - it is none other than Jesus Christ, who fulfilled 315 prophecies.  Many Jews yet reject Him as Messiah, and Jesus predicted that.  Jesus said that in rejecting Him, they would receive another - a false Shepherd.
(ref.  Zec. 11:16 -17)   

 John 5:43  I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Have you received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord?  He stands at your hearts door and has been knocking.  Won't you invite Him in?  He will forgive your past and He will come in to your heart and He will give you a future that you could never earn on your own..  

Note:  The photo of the moon in this post 
I shot with a Nikon Coolpix P 600 

  

   

 

  

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

President Ronald Reagan's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thursday, November 26, 1987; 8:00 AM

Thanksgiving Day is one of our most beloved holidays, an occasion set aside by Americans from earliest times to thank our Maker prayerfully and humbly for the blessings and the care He bestows on us and on our beautiful, bountiful land. Through the decades, through the centuries, in log cabins, country churches, cathedrals, homes, and halls, the American people have paused to give thanks to God, in times of peace and plenty or of danger and distress.

Acknowledgement of dependence on God's favor was, in fact, our fledgling nation's very first order of business. When the delegates to the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774, they overcame discord by uniting in prayer for our country. Despite the differences among them as they began their work, they found common votes in the 35th Psalm, which concludes with a verse of joyous gratitude, "And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long."
This year, of course, our Thanksgiving Day celebration coincides with the bicentennial of the Constitution. In 1789 the government established by that great charter of freedom, and "the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed," were cited by George Washington in the first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation as among "the great and various favors" conferred upon by the Lord and Ruler of Nations. As we thank the God our first president called "that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be," we have even greater cause for gratitude than the fresh triumphs that inspired Washington's prose. We have seen the splendor of our natural resources spread across the tables of the world, and we have seen the splendor of freedom coursing with new vigor through the channels of history.
The cause for which we give thanks, for which so many of our citizens through the years have given their lives, has endured 200 years -- a blessing to us and a light to all mankind.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1987, let us, in this unbroken chain of observance, dedicate ourselves to honor anew the Author of Liberty and to publicly acknowledge our debt to all those who have sacrificed so much in our behalf. May our gratitude always be coupled with petitions for divine guidance and protection for our nation and with ready help for our neighbors in time of need.
Now, therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 26, 1987, as a National Day of Thanksgiving, and I call upon the citizens of this great nation to gather together in homes and places of worship on that day of thanks to affirm by their prayers and their gratitude the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth.

What Will Happen In 2015?

A blood moon article that I find very interesting and informative.  What interests me most is cogent way Rodcma has distilled and refined the predictions of the Bible with current Biblical Scholars.  Many of the subjects he covers in detail will be of interest to you as well.

"WHAT THEN?"

When the great factory-plants of our cities
Have turned-out their last finished works,
When our merchants have sold their last products,
And sent home the last of the Clerks;
When our banks have transacted their business,
And paid out the last dividend;
When the Judge of the Earth calls a reckoning,
And asks for a balance -WHAT THEN?

When the Church choir has sung its last anthem,
And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon,
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the pulpit,
And the pews are all empty of men,
When each one stands facing his record,
And the Great Book is opened - WHAT THEN?

When the actors have played their last drama.
And the mimic has made his last fun,
When the film has flashed its last picture,
And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished,
And gone out in the darkness again,
When the trumpet of ages is sounded,
And we all stand before Him - WHAT THEN?

When the bugle-call sinks into silence,
And the long marching columns stand still;
When the captain repeats his last orders,
And they've captured the last fort and hill;
When the flag has been hauled from the mast-head,
And peace seems to reign among men,
When those who rejected the Saviour
Are asked for a reason - WHAT THEN?

Anon.

Partial Solar Eclipse Today

October 23, 2014

Today, a partial solar eclipse will be seen by largely the same audience that observed the second and most recent total lunar eclipse of the current tetrad. 

I really don't see any biblical connection with this particular event, but if you're interested you might follow this link to: "This Day in History."

Signs in the Heavens

 

 

Two Blood Moons Have Passed:

I received an e-mail from a gentleman who scoffed at the blood moon tetrad saying, "So what?  It hasn't affected me so far!"  I replied "that's the key...'so far.'"

The blood moon tetrad is a signal, yet when you look at the Jewish calendar, there appears to be a sequence unlike anything seen before in this generation.

Since I cited Jonathan Cahn in his book, "The Harbinger," one of the "Harbingers" was the replacement of the sycamore tree (which was destroyed in the 'first attack' of 9-11-01) with the 'Erez' tree.  [Isaiah 9:10 - "Bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will use cedars instead. " 

A literal fulfillment took place with a  spruce tree (which is of the same family as the cedar), a conifer that was named the "Tree of Hope" was planted in the exact spot where the sycamore had been.  Despite all of the efforts of expert arborists, the 'Tree of Hope' withered and died.  It was removed, and then completely shredded on the day of the first blood moon of the tetrad.
Just another sign?  How about the earliest reporting of the current Ebola outbreak first reported on the evening of the first blood moon? 
How about the second blood moon, October 8, 2014?  What can one say about that?
Well, Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., died today (Oct.8, 2014).  He first sought medical help when his symptoms led to his seeking medical attention on September 25, 2014 - the day of "Rosh Hashana" on the Jewish calendar.  This comes on the heels of President Obama reassuring America that there is little change of the deadly disease reaching America's shores.
So much for that.

Today, Islamic radicals in Ottawa, Canada saw the results of an apparent follower of ISIS or ISIL if you please, going on a killing spree.  AS of this writing, the details remain sketchy but the times we're living in show a convergence of events predicted in both the Old and New Testament writings of the Holy Scriptures.

So What Lies Ahead?

America's borders are relatively unsecured and estimates are such that there are over 12 million undocumented aliens currently residing in the US, so it stands to reason that Islamic terrorists are among that number.  Can what is unfolding in Canada today not be expected to happen in the US?  With the American parallel to a God rejecting Israel as outlined in The Harbinger, perhaps we can have an idea of when the next big thing will happen - and perhaps it will occur with an astronomical signpost. 

Partial Solar Eclipse of 2014 Oct 23:
Since Solar Eclipses are regarded by some Hebrew scholars as having to do with Gentile nations, something of note happening might be something to watch for.  The eclipse will begin around 1:35 p.m. in Seattle. As the Earth turns, the rest of the country will be treated to the phenomenon closer to sunset, with it reaching New York at 5:49 p.m. and Tallahassee, Florida, at 6:09 p.m.

Until tomorrow!   God bless all who trust in Jesus.

The Rapture Near?

 

"Blood Moons" (total lunar eclipses) are not unusual, but a "Blood Moon Tetrad" is when 4 consecutive total lunar eclipses occur within a year.  This tetrad is even more rare since the four blood moons happen on Jewish Holy Feast days. Since the time of Christ until 2013 seven blood moon tetrads have happened and each time there were significant events which impacted the Jewish people within a year of the first or last blood moon of that particular tetrad.  We are now in the midst of the 8th such tetrads, of which the first eclipse has already occurred (on April 15, 2014) with three to follow within a year.  What is a blood moon?

It is when the moon takes on a red hue during a total lunar eclipse because the sunlight moving through earths atmosphere is filtered allowing only the red spectrum to be focused on the moon.

  As discussed in the previous two articles on The Fundi Driveby, this September 24-25th (2014) marks the beginning of a Jewish Shemitah year which ends on the 29th of Elul (on the Hebrew calendar which equates on the Gregorian calendar this year to 12-13 Sept 2015).  The majority of financial collapses in the US have occurred on the 29th of Elul causing many to predict that a total global financial collapse will happen, and if so could usher in the Shemitah Tribulation Period predicted by Daniel the Prophet!  Since the 12th and 13th of September 2015 are the weekend, a prediction that Monday, the 14th is the day the collapse will occur.  September 14th is also Rosh Hashanah, aka:  "Feast of Trumpets!" 

Are you ready? 

Update
Jitters shook the stock market as a brief sell off occurred on September 25, 2014, its biggest one-day decline since July.

One Blood Moon Down, Three More to Come

The heavenly sequence of the blood moon phenomena continues. I witnessed the first of this series last Passover. The next one is going to occur on October 8th, or Sukkot, also known as the 'Feast of Tabernacles.'
(remember that the English word feast, in Leviticus 23 is from the Hebrew word, MOED and literally means "Appointments.")  God said these appointments are His -Leviticus 23:4!

Leviticus 23:4  - These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

The feasts (or appointments) of the Lord have been part of Israel's journey from Moses until now.  I forgot to mention one other word you see in the Bible in Leviticus 23 and that is 'convocation.'  That word comes from the Heb. word Mikra and literally means rehearsal...but that begs the question, rehearsal for what?  The answer came on the Passover when Jesus went to the Cross.  You see, there are SEVEN feasts the LORD calls "Mine." Four Spring feasts, three fall feasts.  Jesus was crucified on PASSOVER, beginning at 9:00 in the morning, exactly when the sacrificial lambs were being bound for sacrifice at the Temple.  A Solar eclipse occurred and an earthquake, according to the scripture. His dead body was placed in the tomb on the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD.  He rose on the third day, fulfilling the FEAST OF THE FIRST FRUITS.  Finally, after 7 weeks of 7 days Jesus fulfilled the feast (appointment) of PENTECOST, ushering in what we call the Church age.  That leaves the three fall feasts (appointments) yet to be fulfilled.  The next one is called "THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS."  It also has a lesser known name, Feast That No Man Knows The Day Or Hour.  I will discuss that at a later date, but it does bear great significance.

There are those who attempt to debunk the blood moons and other astronomical signs the Bible predicts are connected, but they simply prove these signs to be accurate.  There are too many coincidences to ignore the glaring discoveries of Mark Biltz and Jonathan Cahn that are pointing to the end of the age and how it relates to the upcoming Tribulation and advent of Jesus Christ.






  

Signs in the Heavens...

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. - Psalm 19:1

  When was the last time you gazed into the sky? I frequently watch the sky. Sometimes when I go outside early in the morning to pray, I like looking at the constellations, and realize how small our little blue ball is in the grand scheme of things, and wonder at God's interest in us, so much so that He's even numbered the hairs of our heads. man made satellites pass silently through the sky and can be seen at the hours before dawn. My granddaughter and I look at the shapes of clouds and she tells me how some of them look like animals. "Grandpa, that one looks like an elephant, and that one looks like a bird" and so forth, as she discovers this new past time for herself. 
I might mention here that I've noticed for years now, that there are jets flying about, making clouds of their own that can turn a beautifully clear blue day into a cloudy covering better known as 'Chem trails,' but that as they say, is another story. 

My granddaughter was amazed when I explained to her that the stars are still in the blue sky of day, but "you just can't see them in the sun's brightness." Likewise, the Hubble Telescope has given us wonderful pictures of incomprehensible star clusters and billions of unknown galaxies where we once thought there were none. Is it any wonder that a Being so infinitely powerful and intelligent as the God of the Bible could plan from the beginning the movements of the stars and planets to signify to the world such events as the birth of His Son, or the birth of a nation? The Universe is His clock. 
 My wife and I happened to be camping in Death Valley in February of 2008 when we learned that there was going to be a total lunar eclipse on the 21st. We thought we'd go to Zabriskie Point because its terrain resembles a lunar landscape and that would be the perfect place to heighten the experience. We weren't the only ones...the little parking lot there was full. As earth's shadow crept across the surface of the moon, the landscape around us began to transform in appearance adding to the drama. Finally the moon "blushed" and took on an eerie glow as did the ghostly landscape around us. It was unforgettable. 

This most recent total lunar eclipse, (which is the first of a Tetrad of total lunar eclipses we'll experience) was slightly different, and much more significant. I set up chairs for my grand-kids on my driveway, turned my security lights off and got my binoculars out - and waited. Of course they had school the next morning, so as the night grew deeper, they had to go in and get ready for bed. So I turned on the NASA channel so they could see a live simulcast of the event. I preferred to go outside and watch. I was not disappointed, but alas, only the eldest stayed up long enough to witness the eclipse. As I watched the eclipse going full, my thoughts turned to the scriptures, their meaning and the exciting time we're privileged to experience. It was Passover and as I gazed through my binoculars, I could clearly see Mars about a hand-breadth above the moon. I remember how that many of the Ancients regarded Mars as the god of war. I thought about how Passover was the first of the four 'spring feasts or convocations of the seven God called His (Lev.23).' This blood moon was also the first of four blood moons to take place in 2014-15. Jesus fulfilled all four of the Spring feasts, leaving only three Fall feasts to be fulfilled. The first Fall "feast" is the Feast of Trumpets, (which coincidentally is also referred to as the Feast of which no man knows the day or hour." ).   This is reminiscent of Jesus' words: Mat 24:36 - "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

That feast is marked by 100 blasts of the Shofar, a Hebrew trumpet traditionally made from the horn of a ram.  The most significant and longest trump is the 100th, calling all Jewish men to assemble as they were commanded.  In Bible college I was taught (and also subsequently taught) that the last trump was the seventh judgment trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but now I've come to regard that as incorrect. 


 It is undoubtedly (the trumpet of ) the LORD fulfilling the next convocation that Israel has been rehearsing for centuries. 
At that last trumpet blast, Jews would be in the field and would drop what they were doing and head toward the Temple.  Some non-Jewish strangers would continue working.  Jesus alluded to that in  Matthew 24:40-42 - 
 "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." 
One thing for sure, Jesus Christ really is coming soon - Watch and Pray - This September marks the end of a seven year period on the Hebrew Calendar, and the beginning of a new seven year period.  The first year of that period is known as a Shemitah Year.  On Our Gregorian Calendar it begins on September 25, 2014 to September 13, 2015.  Rabbi Jonathan Cahn spoke about it and the implications it will have on America when he was on CBN. 
 
 

The Coming Tetrad of Blood Moons

It has been my contention that Christians today are largely unaware of the significance of their Hebrew roots and further, that Bible prophecy, and the significance of some aspects of the New Testament cannot be properly understood without some knowledge of God's "appointments", 1.e. the Jewish "feasts." Perhaps that is because the whole Bible, (with the exception of the Gospel of Luke and book of Acts) was written by Jews. It is a Rabbi by the name of Mark Biltz that first brought this information to the church at large. Blood moons are not that unusual and are simply the red glow reflected from the moons surface when a total lunar eclipse occurs. BUT, the coming TETRAD of four blood moons of 2014/15, each one happening on Jewish 'feast' days is extremely rare. Of the three tetrads in the last 500 years, occurring on Jewish feast days have signaled great events to happen to the Jewish people, each beginning with tragedy and ending in victory. They occurred in 1492, 1949 and 1967, each of those periods were very significant. Why? To answer go back to the Hebrew books of the Mosaic law. The first book (Genesis) gives us the purposes of signs in the sun, moon and stars as seen in the heavens: "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" - Genesis 1:14. For example in my last post, I discussed the star and wise men from the east who took it (correctly I might add) that the King of the Jews was born. So there is a correlation to signs and certain astronomical events. Now, take a look at the way you might understand a couple of these words this if you could read it in the original Hebrew, rather than the an English Bible. "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,(Heb. oth) [Beacon, flag or signal] and for seasons (Heb. - moed) [appointments, Holy convocations], and for days and years." So, in Genesis 1:14, there are signals in the sky marking God's appointments. Appointments? Yes, God has forecast appointments and since the Hebrew calendar is based on lunar cycles, then logic would dictate that the Jews should be looking for events marked by signs in the sun, moon and stars. Furthermore, in the third book of Moses, Leviticus, chapter 23, God gives seven 'feasts' [appointments] that He says are His! Lev 23:4 - "These are the feasts [appointments] of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. Among these seven appointments are Passover, (fulfilled by Jesus Christ at His crucifixion), and Sukkot, or the 'Feast of Tabernacles', (as yet, unfulfilled by Christ) both of which commence on the full moon of their respective Jewish months. In 2014 and 2015 there will be a tetrad of blood moons, on Passover, 2014 & 2015 and Sukkot 2014 & 2015. Not only that, but this Jewish year is a Shmita year. Further, the full moon on Sukkot is considered a Super Moon. In the midst of this coming tetrad, there are going to be two Solar eclipses as well. In this dynamic, solar eclipses tend to have to do with gentile nations, but that is for a later discussion. The first of the lunar tetrad moons, will occur on April 15th of this year. It remains to be seen what will occur. Could it begin like the other tetrads, of 1492 when the Spanish inquisition began? Or 1948/49 when the newly revived nation of Israel was attacked by surrounding armies, or the 1967 six day war? Will Tehran order a missile strike against Israel? Who knows. I'm not predicting, just echoing the warning I perceive is going to herald the next amazing events. Perhaps this could be another outpouring of God's Spirit, the latter rain (Joel 2:23), greater even than the day of Pentecost, as Peter spoke of in Acts 2:16-21. "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Some have taken these events point to the Rapture, some say to the tribulation and others to the advent of Christ to establish His kingdom on earth. Some say there is no significance. Time will tell, and as with many other fulfillment's to Bible prophecy, we may only be able to discern what it means after the event. Tell me what you think?