The 3rd Seal of Judgement and the Price of Bread

Revelation 6:5-6

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

Recently, the issue of hyper-inflating grain prices around the world has raised to the surface of America's 24hour news sources. Why? Because the people who have to pay a day's wages to get a loaf of poor-quality bread are hitting the streets en-masse all over the world, rioting in protest. The media here at home is known for it's incredibly short attention span, with natural disasters and other terrible events forgotten usually within the span of a week, but this "story" will not go away easily. So what's really going on?

The simple, obvious answer is that we have too many mouths to feed on the planet. But there is a sinister influence at work; and the food crisis is actually part of a multi-leveled plan to make the population of the world demand from their leadership a one world government. How could something like this be planned? By using food crops to create fuel alternatives; by continuously restricting the flow and price of oil; by establishing infrastructures throughout the world that are increasingly import-dependent; by patenting life and inventing the antithesis of God's gift of food: terminator seeds. This current crisis is partially a genocide of the poorest, and partially a talking point to support the establishment of a New World Order. Without crisis or chaos there is no reason for the people to demand security.

Right here and now we are living in the the early stages of an age of mass enlightenment, and because of that, the elite leaders of the world are racing against time to establish their New World Order before we become aware enough to realize that what they will showcase as a plan of security is, in reality, the enslavement of the masses. Citizens of America are kept insulated from the suffering of the world to ensure continuous consumer spending (the life-blood of our society), and to downplay our role in perpetuating suffering in the rest the world. Shocking events are quickly mentioned by ever-smiling, young and attractive news anchors who keep moving right along from one topic to the next. We're too busy or apathetic to bother connecting what dots we are given. This is one of the main reasons why many Americans think it's a joke to point out that George Bush has fulfilled many prophecies concerning the antichrist, and that the world is experiencing the signs and wonders which mark the end of days. Right now the third horseman of the apocalypse is riding out upon the earth, and a voice from heaven is inviting us to "come and see" it, not to look the other way.

In America, mainstream believers (who are wonderful consumers) feel that the end of days will be recognized by their oppression and suffering. They believe this because it is foretold that the world would be under great oppression from the Antichrist Empire, and they have been blinded to the idea that the "land of the free and home of the brave" could be that evil empire. We are well-fed and thoroughly entertained, just as the Germans were during the rise of the Third Reich.

America calls itself a "Christian Nation" under the rule of George W Bush more than it ever has before. Multitudes wear their "faith" in the Bible as some sort of badge of honor. But it's all a sham! Nobody has the time to study, let alone read the Bible. The most often answer I get whenever I ask a mainstream Christian if they read the Bible is, "Not as much as I should". I have learned that this response is code for "barely, if at all". Millions of my fellow citizens proudly claim to have "found repentance"; to be friends of Jesus. But when you look at the spiritual fruit that America produces, you can clearly see that these claims are lies. How dare we print "in God we trust" on our money when we consistently trust in and serve capitalism above the one true God? What excuse do we have when we stare down the consequences of our selfish-faithless-vengeful actions which have driven our country towards the gates of hell (not to mention constitutional crisis) since September 11th 2001, and we still refuse to change our ways?

The truth is that our nation is the great beast that rises up out of the sea in Revelation 13. America is the great Babylon that falls in Revelation 18. Until the time comes for us to fall, we will be comfortably and selfishly separated from the suffering we continuously cause in the world. Even our own citizens who have suffered from natural disasters here at home are put out of the minds of most. There is, of course, a remnant of people living in America who aren't detached from the suffering, and who have been continuously distressed by the unresponsiveness of the rest, but they are accounted for in prophecy as well. God's plan is unfolding exactly as He said it would.

That being said, let's take a closer look at what the "four horsemen" of the Apocalypse are all about.

Rev 6:1-2

Then I watched while the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out, determined to win the victory."

In 1999, the world was introduced to George W Bush as a candidate for American president. During his campaign Bush pledged to restore integrity to the oval office, if elected. Unfortunately, he has shown himself to be a man entirely void of integrity all throughout his rule, and his determination to "win victory" overshadowed the little fact that he wasn't elected president. His attitude in the aftermath of the 2000 election was reprehensible, at best. By the power of Satan, he was given his crown of leadership, and this false savior has inspired the wrath of God by disguising his power-grab under the sheep's clothing of Christianity. Revelation 19:11-16 describes Jesus Christ as riding on a white horse, with a crown of many crowns on his head. The first horseman and Jesus are two mirror opposites of one another. Jesus is the prince of peace, so the antichrist is the prince of war.

Rev 6:3-4

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come and see!" Then another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take away peace from the earth and to make people kill each other, and he was given a big sword.

By taking an honest look through the history of this century, can there be any doubt that these characteristics began to manifest themselves on September 11th, 2001, and that this horse of warfare and empirical conquest is still riding throughout the world? At the Nuremberg trials, where the Nazis confessed to burning their own Parliament building to the ground (and blaming it on terrorists) in 1933 to justify their military agression to their own citizens, high-ranking Nazi Herman Goering said this:

“Naturally the common people don’t want war. But after all, it is the
leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it’s always a
simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy or a
fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.
Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of
the leaders.  This is easy.  All you have to do is tell them they are
being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and
for exposing the country to danger.  It works the same in every
country.”

The empiricists have been quite open since the inception of the War on Terror that it would last for a very, very long time. And a consequence of this ongoing war is the redistribution of wealth at an alarming rate from the mouths of the many to the pockets of the few.

Rev6:5-6

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse, and its rider held a pair of scales in his hand.Then I heard something that sounded like a voice coming from the middle of the four living creatures. The voice said, "A quart of wheat for a day's pay, and three quarts of barley for a day's pay, and do not damage the oil or wine!"

This horseman has recently ridden out. It is black, the color of crude petroleum. "Oil and wine" in this context actually represents both the mark of the Beast and the mark of the God. On one hand, the instructions not to "damage the oil or the wine" is symbolic of the great disparity between the ruling class, and the rest of the world. "Oil" represents standard and new bio-fuels; wine represents the wine of Babylon (the "global market"). On the other hand, "Do not harm the oil or the wine" is a parallel to the protection promised to those who bear the mark of God in the last days. Revelation 9 discusses a plague of locusts who emerge from the bottomless pit, and verse 4 says, "They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads." Psalm 104:15 tells us that by God's blessing we are given: "wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart." It is no coincidence that Jesus called himself the bread of life.

This food crisis will not end in peace, a solution will not be found by the "them" that we have entrusted to govern us and keep us secure. According to the Illuminti ten commandments (called the Georgia Guidestones), the Earth's population must be slashed to a steady 500,000,000 people. That means that over 6.5 billion people now living in the world have been sentenced to death, not just by war, but by starvation, by disease, and by being abandoned to the natural elements.

Rev6:7-8

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse. Its rider was named death, and Hell was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill people by war, by starvation, by disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.

This plan is very real, and is even now being manifested in the world. Do not rest assured in your safety because a third of the earth's water hasn't yet been turned to blood, or the sun has yet to turn black as sackcloth etc. All of these things will happen in their time (and I believe those signs will happen in a very short period of time, perhaps in one terrible day). Don't look ahead to what will happen soon, but look around at what is happening now!

When the fifth seal is broken, the saints who are dead in Christ are allowed to voice their impatience; they are given white robes to ready themselves and told to wait a little while longer.
It is during this time that I believe a new wave of empowered believers will go throughout the world preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Only when the sixth seal is broken do the following signs take place:

Rev6:12-17

Then I watched while the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like rough black cloth, and the whole moon became red like blood. And the stars in the sky fell to the earth like figs falling from a fig tree when the wind blows. The sky disappeared as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the rich people, the powerful people, the slaves, and the free people hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb! The great day for their anger has come, and who can stand against it?"

This seal cannot be reached or broken until the ones before them have been broken by the Lamb. There is an undeniable order to this pouring forth of judgment. And we are now suffering under the rise of the third horseman, with two seals remaining between now and Nuclear Armageddon (the 6th seal).

Suspense part 1

When getting into the habit of studying the Bible for yourself, you begin to notice certain patterns emerge from cover to cover. Examples of these patterns include, but are not limited to the treachery of our adversary, the rebelliousness of the people, the broken heart of God, and the ultimate victory of Good over Evil. By recognizing these patterns from the past and acknowledging the eternal perspective of God (who is the same yesterday, today and forever) we can actually get a glimpse of patterns that are presently unfolding and be able to predict their future outcome.

Skeptics of the Bible love to point out the fact that it has been compiled by the writings of different men over the span of thousands of years. From an unfamiliar, outside perspective of the Bible, this can lead you to believe that it is a chaotic and random collection of writings that doesn't really tell one story. However, by actually reading through it, you find wording in Psalms that lines up precisely with themes and events spoken of in the Gospels; you find people throughout history turning their backs time and again from obeying the commands of God, despite miraculous provision for them at the hand of God, and consistent warnings to change their ways from the prophets. By studying the Bible, you see the adversary's shadowy efforts exposed as he works relentlessly throughout world history to destroy God's promise. You also see how the devil succeeds in diverting the attention of men away from seeking God; and how he has the power to guide the people by the motivations of sin, like a pied piper, to their own destruction.

In choosing to dismiss rather than investigate the Bible, skeptics (and the masses they mislead) are unable to recognize the truth that it does tell one story: the human story. The Bible is the ultimate epic; a story of the nature, trial and triumph of love on universal scale; a story of treachery and intrigue; a story that is filled with action, and over-the-top suspense.

By making an honest assessment of the current world situation, we can recognize that at this point in the story:

1. The forces of evil and darkness are thriving in the world more than ever before.
   
2. The forces of "good" are hopelessly outnumbered, out-muscled, and out-funded.
   

People who care about the truth are out there. And as things continue on this path, as this darkness intensifies, more and more are going to reject the mainstream darkness in search of real light. Even still, the forces which work against the truth have many advantages. These forces are the wealthiest and most powerful men on the planet who are controlling the direction of world events, and deliberately leading us past the point of no return: to a destination of self-destruction.

The fact is that the reality of our situation is so dismal, so depressing, so hopeless, that many are unwilling or even unable to acknowledge it. It's as if people are suffering the effects of Shell Shock. However if you look for the truth, you will agree that there is an amazing amount of suspense surrounding our current circumstances. Just this past week, a documentary called the 11th hour was released which covers this issue.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-3, Paul says:

(K)now this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good...

Jesus says in Matt 24:21

For then (at the end of days) there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

This is serious distress! However, the dramatic suspense of our current situation is one of God's favorite strategies. God has an undeniable flare for the dramatic, swooping in to the rescue at the very last possible moment. If you've ever seen The Ten Commandments or read Exodus and you think back to the moments leading up to the parting of the Red Sea, you will know exactly what I'm talking about.

But concerning suspense as it will be in the last days, let's allow Jesus and the prophet Isaiah to paint the picture:

Matt 24:22

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Isaiah 59:19b

When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

To Be Continued...

Suspense part 2 (The Gideon Parallel)

Judges 6-8 tells us the story of Gideon, and I believe that this story is a type and a shadow of God's strategy for the battle which concludes the great seven-year tribulation. First of all Judges 6:1 specifically says Israel was submitted to a seven year period of suffering under the Midianites, before being delivered by God. At some point towards the end of that seven year period, God sends his angel to call upon Gideon, and prepare him for God's purpose. Another parallel to judgment day is in the fact that when God calls, Gideon is working in a wine press, separating wheat from chaff in his effort to hide from the enemies of Israel. John the Baptist foretold that Christ would separate the wheat from the chaff in a reference to judgment day. In prophecy, the righteous are often related to wheat and the wicked are compared with chaff. Also, Revelation chapter 14 describes the great wine press of God's wrath, which is used at a set point in the last days. So with those parallels established, let's see how the story unfolds:

Judges 6:12 says

"The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!"

When Gideon hears this, he scoffs and asks where the Lord has been, and why he has allowed the enemies of Israel to take root. He doesn't even acknowledge the fact that this stranger addressed him as a "mighty warrior", because to his ears it is nonsense. The scripture then takes a jump, and the angel is replaced by the Lord himself, who tells him that he is being appointed by "I Am" to deliver his people from their oppressors. At this point the mood changes: Gideon gets scared, and blurts out that he must be mistaken about that because he (Gideon) is the youngest son in his family, which is of the weakest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. His reaction is very human, and one that I empathize strongly with in my own walk of faith. But God's selection process is another pattern, for remember that the Lord told the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

The Midianites, meanwhile, are described as an innumerable swarm of people who descend upon Israel like locusts. (This is another comparison to the time of judgment in Revelation chapter 9). The Midianites occupy the promised land in force, and their sole intention is to wipe out the seed of Abraham, because the devil has motivated them to do so. If they had been given enough time, they would have succeeded in wiping out the Israelites entirely. But God never intended for that to happen. He allowed the occupation for a set time as punishment to a rebellious people; he then called and used Gideon to demonstrate his power, and to bring the people back to him. These are all things that are foretold in prophecy to take place in the last days.

This story is also a demonstration of the roller coaster effect of faith. In Judges 6:11-27, when the Lord first calls Gideon, he is immediately skeptical and asks for a sign of verification that he is being called of God and not simply losing his mind. Gideon, to make certain that he is not being fooled, thinks up the test himself, and the Lord passes it as only the He can. At that point, Gideon is provided with enough encouragement to lead a group of ten servants to destroy the alters of Baal and Ashteroth, and erect an alter to Jehovah, as he was instructed to do. When the people discover what he has done, they are stirred up against Gideon, and plan to kill him. But the Lord does not allow this; he instead inspires Gideon to call together three tribes of Israelites, to raise up an army.

At this point, Gideon is perhaps a little uncertain that the Lord is really calling him to defeat the Midionites. He is very good at second guessing himself, and of making sure that this thing he will do is of God's will and not his own imagination. 32,000 Israelites have also gathered by this time, having been summoned to fight with Gideon. These people need to see a sign, just as much as he needs a reaffirmation so once again, Gideon asks the Lord for signs to validate this calling. Over the next two mornings they all witness the Lord's signs of confirmation that He will deliver the Midianites over to them.

These signs encourage all who witness them. Then, the Lord takes the abundance of courage these men are filled with, and transforms it into faith in him. Jehovah orders the size of the army gathered to be reduced, first from 32,000 to 10,000; then from 10,000 to a meager 300 men. This is a very literal fulfillment of Christ's promise that "many are called, but few are chosen". I believe this army of 300 is a parallel to the 144,000 described in Revelation chapter 7. For while the entirety of Israel would be delivered from the enemy at the hands of Gideon, only 300 would participate in the battle against the Midianites. This distinction is made by Christ when he said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few".

So what does God plan to do with his army of 300 men and his very nervous, newly appointed general, Gideon? He first re-fills Gideon's heart, which had been drained by the downsizing of his army.

Judges 7:8b-11.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

Note that the Lord presented Gideon with the option to observe the camp alone, but then said "If you are afraid...go with Purah". Also note that Gideon opts to go with Purah! The Lord, even then, was presenting Gideon with the choice to either step forward in faith on his own, or to be led while still under the influence of his own fear. He was addressing both the personal weakness, and the potential of his creation. This passage contains the paradox of having free will, while at the same time being predestined of God. It is wise to act in faith, but God understands that doing so is difficult for us. Why else do you think Jesus allowed his 12 disciples to follow him, even though they continually demonstrated that their level of faith was meager? Faith is something that God supplies, but that we have the power to develop. Faith in God is the great untapped potential of humanity.

The Lord replenishes the faith of Gideon one last time, and then his army of 300 is given their instructions. Each man is supplied with a clay jar, a lit torch, and a trumpet. They are instructed to split up in three groups on top of the hills surrounding the Midianite camp. They are ordered to gather there quietly, and by cover of darkness. Upon Gideon's signal, the 300 are told to smash their jars to let their torches shine, and to blast their trumpets and shout, "For the Lord and for Gideon!" and then stay put...that's it. No swordplay, certainly no scud missiles, just a shout and a light. But this is the strongest parallel between that battle and the day of judgment. In the opening of Revelation, when John is visited by Christ, he describes the sound of a trump, and the light from Christ himself, and the flame of seven lamp stands that appear with him.

The 300 do as they've been instructed, and sure enough, the Lord descends upon the enemy camp, and causes them to begin fighting and killing each other off. This is a type of judgment as well; for when Christ returns, the sins of the wicked will be their destruction, while the faith and obedience of the righteous shall be their deliverance.

1 Thess 4:16a says

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

2 Peter 1:16-19 gives another strong clue about what will happen the day that Jesus returns. I feel that the best way to clearly see that clue as it relates to this story is by the Message Bible:

We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears. We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts.

I see the trump as being symbolic of the appointed time "when all that is whispered in secret shall be shouted from the rooftops". I see the torches as representing the light of glory that will anoint the last group of saints meant to greet Christ upon his return. This light is a parallel to the "tongues of fire" which anointed the disciples at Pentecost, and also to the way that the skin of Moses literally glowed when he descended from the mountain where God gave him the Hebrew law. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 is a confirmation of these parallels. It also ties in the clay jars used to conceal the army's lit torches. I see a modern parallel between the clay jars and our current status whenever I am called a "crackpot". This passage also reminds us why God used 300 men with jars and trumpets to defeat an insurmountable foe.

2 Cor 4:6-7

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us

Truly, judgment day is the ultimate last resort. It is also the greatest point of suspense possible. Imagine the planet Earth as a damsel in distress tied to a set of railroad tracks, about to be run over by a locomotive called "consequences". Ultimately, the devil is playing the evil, mustachioed menace who is cackling maniacally at his own deviousness. Ready to witness the carnage. This is the point that we have arrived at. The consequences we face are due to our insatiable appetite for consumer products, our gross negligence of the suffering of others, our constant tendency to wage war, and our stockpiles of yet unused weapons of mass destruction which could eradicate most (if not all) life on the planet. These things constrict us, and set us up to meet certain doom, much sooner than later. This current reality is why I believe strongly that the Lord is about to intervene like the typical hero; to save the damsel (earth) and defeat the villain (Satan). I believe this because the Lord is good, and he is true, and that's what we have been told throughout the ages would happen when things got as bad as they're headed. The Lord is not slow in his timing as we might imagine. Though he might allow suspense to build to the point where we feel we can take no more, he will surely save us. And what a great day that will be!

The Wolf Who Cried "Terrorist."

2008 is, of course, the eighth and final year of George W Bush's presidency. Blogs, bumpers and calendars everywhere are counting down to 1/20/09, his last day in office. Stand up comics are continuing to crack jokes about George Bush being the Armageddon president, believing that he will step down from office soon, ending their chances to use the rich comedic material he has always provided as president. Many popular musicians have recently taken to singing about how we are on the brink of the end of the world. This century so far has been a non-stop roller-coaster of wars, terrorist violence, and natural disasters. However, despite the various warnings and signs from society and nature, many Americans have become tolerant of the horror, desensitized to suffering, and are comparably much more comfortable, absorbed and secure in our daily lives than we were during the terrifying years that spanned between 9-11-01 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It helps that these days we are no longer stalked by color-coded terror warnings, anthrax-by-mail, the threat of sniper attacks while gassing up our cars, or a believable nightmare about middle-eastern weapons of mass destruction destroying our suburbs.

Needless to say, the Bush administration is still using the fear card on us, and the rest of the world, but unfortunately for their clout and potency we're no longer listening to them. More an more countries around the world are uniting against the American empire and their agenda as time goes on. Also, feeling safer from six and a half years free of major terrorist attacks, the American public has become much more critical of our government and much more opposed to the wars we're still engaged in. Despite the recent spike in America of natural disasters and random shooting sprees, many people rest assured that this nation won't suffer another attack like 9-11-01 during this next year. People hold this view not because our borders are safer, or because the perpetrators of the original crime have been brought to justice- but because for the past six and a half years we have been told that the next terrorist attack on American soil is right around the corner, which is something that simply hasn't happened.

If you think about it, the actions of the Bush administration throughout the entirety of this "War on Terror"demonstrate a perfect example of Aesop's fable: "The Boy who cried Wolf". This is the story of a mischievous shepherd boy (president Bush) who gets into the bad habit of scaring and stirring up the people living in his village (American citizens, and people of the world) by shouting occasionally that a wolf (terrorist) is coming to attack and devour his herd (America). For the first few times this boy succeeds in fooling and manipulating the villagers (the coalition of the willing) into action through his bogus warnings, but after awhile, the villagers get wise to his ways, and conclude that he's just a no-good liar. They stop heeding his calls and cries of "wolf" (Iran). Of course, it's when the villagers have become unresponsive to warnings that a real wolf attacks and scatters the lying little shepherd boy's herd. (Our present terror immunity leading up to the false flag "attack" I believe will come before the next election)

The story shows that fear can be a motivating force through empty threats ,for a time. This truth has been demonstrated to us throughout the brief history of the deceptively titled war against terror. George W Bush has been proven to be a liar, that much is common knowledge. But because so many of us don't bother to investigate the depths of his lies, we dismiss him as nothing more than a harmless, foolish shepherd boy. Through our dismissal, and George Bush's brilliant use of foolishness, his true nature remains concealed. For in this version of Aesop's fable we have a wolf disguised as a boy, who has been crying "wolf", and is poised to devour the sheep.

What gives me the right to say that? For starters, what has happened between 9-11-01 and the present day has been a systematic transformation of Government from Constitutional democracy to legalized dictatorship, by means of bills such as the USA PATRIOT Act, Eminent Domain, and the Military Commissions Act. In political terms, our nation and our constitution have suffered a long and continuous series of debilitating attacks during this period of supposed peace. All of the various steps in this process have been reported, and then buried. And even as the fear button is continuously pushed on the one hand by the Bush administration, the lack of attacks is highlighted as a success story on the other. But the truth is that they are fulfilling the prophet Jeremiah's words concerning false prophets, "They shall say 'peace, peace' when there is no peace". For there is no peace at home, and there is certainly nothing we could call peace abroad. Fresh, innocent blood is daily poured on our hands and we think we're innocent of it by putting the matter out of our minds? How foolish and selfish can we be?

In our willful ignorance, our irresponsibility and our pride, we have granted these false prophets immunity from accountability for their lies. Indeed, rather than demand to know what's been cooking under our feet, thanks to media guidance, the trend in 2008 is for citizens to look forward in hope at the promise of change. It is undeniable that we are taking the easy way out by doing this. The standard of justice, and the integrity of the office of president (which Bush continually pledged to restore in his 2000 campaign) have been ruined. Impeachment would be difficult, because investigations and hearings throughout the process would force us to witness the ugliness we have silently consented to, and chosen to ignore so far. Impeachment to me is analogous to repentance. It would be a complete and immediate change in direction, an admission to personal error and misguidance on behalf of this entire nation, and a willing pursuit of truth and justice. It is because we have chosen not to repent, but to "wait it out" that we will probably suffer greatly at the hand of the unjust, when we least expect it.

1 Thess 5:2b-3

The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

2 Thess 2:9-12

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

If ever there was a time for the hammer to fall on an unsuspecting populace, this is it. Should a false flag operation or "terrorist attack" cause this year's presidential election to be canceled, the official media spin will probably be that it was an act of vengeance by "the terrorists" against president Bush, to show that despite his concentration of power, vulnerability still exists. Bush would point back to congress' recent rejection of his bogus Big Brother bill, the "Protect America Act", as the reason the attack was allowed, even with the overly-funded Department of Homeland Security supposedly keeping watch. Bush doesn't take blame, in case you haven't noticed. A side-effect of such an attack would, of course, be the declaration of martial law and the establishment of an American empire under George W Bush, who after all said on several occasions, "a dictatorship would be a heckova lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator".

The final reason I believe that Bush is a "wolf-disguised-as-a-boy-crying-wolf" is that in my research I have come to fully believe that 9-11-01 was an inside job, carried out by the shadow government and neo-conservative wolves (including president Bush), for the purpose of justifying the previously planned transformation of government and invasion of the middle east that we have been witnessing. 2008 is, for me and millions of other "truthers", a year of great suspense for that very reason. But yet again, to those who are not paying attention, it's a year defined by hopes of peace and safety under the prospect of new leadership. We only have a certain amount of time before we all know whether the media and the masses are right, or whether the 9-11 "conspiracy nuts" and online prophets like myself are right. But that is no reason for any believer in Christ to simply sit back and wait to see the truth.

1 Thess 5:4-6

(For) you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day(of the Lord) should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

Naming the Beast

There are many ways that man can interpret the concept of "Antichrist" and the intense imagery of Biblical end-times prophecy. For thousands of years, numerous men and women have pointed their fingers at one particular political leader, spiritual authority or person of interest; always certain that they had found the "man of sin". It has been proven time and time again that men with our own dim eyes cannot fully decipher the mystery of the beast. However, it is also said that by God's design and in his timing he gives sight to the blind. In the last days we are assured that what was once sealed up and swallowed (by both Daniel and John of Patmos, respectively) will become clear, and will be made manifest, to the nourishment of the saints.

What I am about to share with you came to me in the fall of 2005, 11 months after I first read the "Bush is Antichrist" website. It hit me like a bolt of lightning, and validated the beliefs that I had come to form about the nature of the beast, and the power of God's ability to give us "eyes to see". It was at that point that my assurance was rooted in the truth of these matters. I had received a revelation.

That vision involved Daniel 7 and Revelation 12, 13. It shed light on the beasts described by revealing how they fit into the overall apocalyptic picture. I knew the stories already, but had no real grasp of their meaning before the night in question. What hit me was the presence and significance of the four sacred elements in this epic tale. Air, Water, Earth and Fire. They stood out purposeful, reflecting the nature of the Creator, as well as the nature of his impostor. When that connection dawned on me, it felt just like a key had slipped into a rusty lock, turned, and let loose the truth. For this revelation defined the nature of the unholy trinity as directly related to the holy trinity. Both God and our adversary, the red dragon are represented by Air, or Heaven. Likewise both the Holy Spirit and the unholy spirit of the world are represented by water, (for we are baptized in water and in spirit). And finally, the flesh is the dust of the earth, so both Jesus Christ and the "man of sin" will be bound together by the earth. Now to those of you who are unfamiliar with modern apocalyptic studies and interpretations, let me explain. Revelation 13 depicts two beasts, the first arises from the sea, and the second emerges from the earth. Most, if not all Christians believe that the beast from the sea is depicting the Antichrist. R Stephen Hanchett is among that number. But what I saw that night, and have come to believe since, is that the beast of the earth is the real Antichrist. And today I will set out not only to confirm that link by scripture, but also to show how George W Bush is fulfilling that prophecy these days.

But first let's return to the sacred elements. During the spiritual lightning storm that was this revelation, I wondered about how four elements could represent any trinity. At first, I expected the whole idea to fall like a house of cards because of fire, but then realized that fire is covered very well throughout the Bible. For who is God without worshipers? I am not question his completion by saying this, but like to point out that God did choose to create us, and has chosen to put up with us, because he wants us to play a part in this; likewise the devil will do whatever he can to steal us. Fire is what separates humanity; it burns and destroys all wickedness at the same time that it purifies all righteousness. The symbolic nature of fire in this relationship is summarized in Daniel 7:9-11.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

The Holy Spirit shows us truth, which the scriptures will fully verify. I'm not saying this as a reason for you to blindly accept what I'm teaching here. This isn't preachy chicanery. I'm telling you that once the spirit opens your eyes to the truth, you will look in the scriptures and clearly see what they've always been proclaiming. Air, Water, Earth and Fire are universal elements, known intimately by all men. Each one is distinctive from the other, and each is a crucial ingredient in the makeup of creation. Also the three elements of Air, Water, and Earth represent the natural trinity of the states of matter; solid, liquid, and gas.

Going back to the prophecy, I hope you have read Revelation 12, Revelation 13, and Daniel 7 already, but we'll do a summary of them anyway. Revelation 12 describes a great red dragon and an army of soon-to-be fallen angels who are at war with Michael and his angels. This red dragon is, according to verse 9, "...that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world...". The dragon is defeated in heaven, and cast down to earth for a time to await his judgment. I have previously established by scripture the devil's obsession with God, and his desire to replace him. Being banished from heaven, the dragon sets his eyes on the earth he's been imprisoned on. Revelation 12:12 says, "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that his time is short.” His plan is to replace God in the minds of men, for in our thoughts we can primarily focus on either the presence of God, or ourselves, our nation, our lover etc. Honoring God in our minds is not a matter of exclusivity as much as it is a matter of priority. Christ instructed us to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" The process of replacing God in our hearts and minds has been gradual and subtle, but consistent. God is a presence and priority in many people's belief system, but more as a backdrop than anything. The religious right is certainly as guilty of this as anyone outside the church. Their social takeover and political agenda have replaced the commands and instructions of the Bible, even though they believe that they are defending the Bible. You can't share or defend what you yourself refuse to obey!

The agenda of the religious right has become their God, and they are willing to suffer persecution on it's behalf. Spiritually, these churches have suffered greatly for this decision. Bitter and battle-ready churches breed paranoid and unloving congregations. As long as the light of God is not in the throne of our minds, the darkness of the devil is free to occupy it. While he is imprisoned on earth, the devil is working around the clock to do just that.

However, it is clearly established in scriptures that the heavenly father actually sits enthroned in heaven. "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?"~ Isaiah 66:1. "And (Jesus) said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."~ Luke 11:2. Interestingly enough, the phrase "as above, so below" is a cherished proverb for the Masonic, Illuminati elite. Heaven is the battleground of eternity, as well as the home of the seat of power so fiercely coveted by Satan. The war which was waged in heaven has spilled over into the spiritual war we are in the midst of today. The red dragon will always be a fallen creature, driven mad by the darkness he is sentenced to, suffering because he can never return to the position he was created for. And he will always yearn to be in the heaven he came from.

God, by nature, is trinity. Father, Son and Spirit. Which means that for his plan of replacing God to work, the devil will have to rise up counterfeits of all three aspects of trinity. And that brings us to the next character starting in Revelation 13:1-4. In this passage, we find a great beast rising up out of the sea, having the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard. This beast has seven heads, and ten horns with a crown on each horn. Verse 2 states that the dragon (devil) gave this beast "his power and seat and great authority", and verse 12 states that the beast of the Earth "exercises all the authority of the first beast", which ties in all three together by an unholy anointing. So does that mean this first beast from the sea is the Antichrist so many have been searching for? Most would think so, and many have taught so, mainly based on the erroneous resurrection connection between Jesus and one of the heads of this beast which "suffered a fatal wound and yet lived". Another tie-in used by the mainstream teaching is the connection between Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:5-7. In these passages, both the "little horn" from Daniel, and the "mouth" given to the beast of the sea are given power for three and a half years, while they spew blasphemies from their lips and wage a successful war of oppression against the saints. But what should be noted and explored is the one and only distinctive difference between the beast of the sea and the four beasts compiled together in Daniel 7. There are four beasts which rise up from the sea- one is like a lion, another like a bear, a third like a leopard with four heads, and the fourth having ten horns- which gives us a total of seven heads and ten horns in Daniel7:2-7. In the Revelation account, yet again, we have one beast which encompasses all of those characteristics. In both accounts, this description is directly followed by the rise of a malevolent leader. In Daniel, the character is a "little horn, with eyes like a man and a mouth which speaks boastfully", in Revelation it is described as a mouth given to the beast and once again as it's own separate entity called the beast of the earth. Great spiritual significance is granted to this particularly boastful and blasphemous leader who emerges to rule this final empire in the last days. His actions will cause a devastation greater than the world has ever known. His blasphemies will inspire the judgment of heaven.

The Rev. beast has ten horns altogether, but it's horns have crowns which makes them kings by inference. In the Daniel 7 account there are no crowns on the horns, but an angel does identify the horns as "kings" and the beast as a "kingdom" in verse 23. Considering that the beast of the earth is said to "exercise all the power of the first beast before him" in Rev:13:12, I submit that the 11th, "little horn" from Daniel is the same king or representative leader as the beast of the earth.

The seven-headed beast described in Revelation 13:1-4 is 1/3rd of the unholy trinity, and it is not the flesh, but rather the spirit. The beast of the sea represents the unholy spirit of the world. It represents the spirit of empire, conquest, greed and control. It represents the kingdom of the antichrist, which is the antithesis of the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 2:12 verbalizes the reality of the unholy spirit, as it compares to the Holy Spirit, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." This unholy spirit rises up before the Antichrist just as the Holy Spirit came into the world through the prophets and John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus into his ministry, and paved the way for him to ascend to his destiny (compare that to the Supreme Court decision to grant George W Bush the presidency). The spirit spreads among men like wildfire, preparing the way by preparing their minds to receive the Christ (or the Antichrist). That is the purpose and the nature of the spirit. The spirit is the mortar which helps to build a city. The spirit is the very lifeblood of a kingdom. It keeps us all together. I have come to believe that the final world empire which shall be ruled by the antichrist is, in fact, the American empire.

R. Stephen Hanchett does an excellent job in connecting the dots on his website. His writing got my mental wheels spinning, and for that I am grateful. One of the most compelling points he made was this:

(Dan 7: 24) “the ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones. (the Antichrist)” America acquired superpower status, and gained the reach of a world-class Empire, when it acquired the nuclear bomb - at the very end of WWII. Since then there have been exactly ten “kings” or post-war presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr, and Clinton. The prophecy from Daniel says that after these ten presidents, there will appear another one, an arrogant “little horn”, which is the Antichrist, George W Bush. It says this “little horn” is unlike the other ten presidents, and this is in reference to the fact that Bush had no popular mandate, that he lost the popular vote by over a million votes, and was appointed to office when five un-elected judges on the Supreme Court stopped the counting of votes in Florida. This never happened before in American history, and it makes him different from his predecessors – that and his arrogance, dishonesty, law-breaking, and lust for world power.

And that brings us to the Beast of the earth, who we will line up side by side against Christ, to see what kind of comparisons exist. This third beast (Rev. 13:11-18) is described as,
1. coming out of the earth
2. having horns "like a lamb"
3. and the mouth of a dragon, speaking what the dragon would have him say, which reiterates the importance of Rev 13:5-8.
4. He rules the empire beast, and causes all men to worship it, which is the spirit of the devil.
5. He performs destructive "signs and wonders", and is said to deceive (and continuously lie to) the whole world.

Alternatively, Jesus Christ,
1. Is God in the flesh, which is the dust of the earth.
2. Is the Lamb of God
3. Is the Word of God, who spoke only what the Father would have him say.
4. Rules the kingdom of God, and is promised to subdue all earthly kingdoms.
5. Obviously Jesus is the master of miracles, who offers the world the truth.

Also, considering that the word "antichrist" doesn't appear once in Revelation, we should be careful in interpreting the book in order to find out who best represents that concept. The best way to do this is by searching for an M.O. which is a dark mirror image of the Christ. To conduct this search properly grounded, let's start by defining the word "Christ", which is Greek for the Hebrew word "Messiah".

c.1300, Messias, from L.L. Messias, from Gk. Messias, from Aramaic meshiha and Heb. mashiah "anointed" (of the Lord), from mashah "anoint."

This fact should lead us to ask what sort of men received anointing in the Hebrew tradition. Those men were either kings (1 Sam 16:13), High Priests (Leviticus 4:16), or prophets (1 Kings 19:16). Revelation 19 describes Jesus emerging in the day of Judgment, revealed before the world in glory. In this account, the angel proclaims to John that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy" (vs.10), and Jesus is called the "King of Kings"(vs 16). Also, most of the book of Hebrew deals with the way that Christ is the eternal High Priest. Hebrews also starts out by establishing that Jesus was anointed "above his fellows" directly by the Holy Spirit, and not by the customary oil. He uses many prophecies to elaborate his over-all point, including Psalm 45:7

"Thou loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

Consider how the church whole-heartedly embraced George W Bush during the presidential race and election after-math of 2000. Many popular preachers were telling their congregation that God appointed Bush to be the president. They cited a miracle where voter-fraud was responsible, setting the stage for the demonic deception and double-speak that was to follow. From before his inauguration, George W Bush was unlike any president before him, which is another fulfillment of Antichrist prophecy. The "image of the beast", by this new interpretation of prophecy can be seen very easily as the new Iraq, being recreated in the image of America. The "mark of the beast" can be seen as a fierce sense of patriotism inspired by Bush, either for or against him, but away from God regardless, it might also represent a microchip implant that has yet to be implemented, but will if/when Bush declares martial law. As far as causing all the world to worship the image, Bush's America has clearly threatened destruction to any nations that will not support our expanding empire or "American Interests".

Most every Christian who looks for the Antichrist in Revelation 13, is being led to the wrong beast. It would make sense, if Christ warned the last generation of great deception, that the true identity of the Antichrist would be distorted by doctrine, blinding and misguiding the church to look for an attacker to come from the world to offend and destroy the church. The truth is that the Antichrist was foretold instead to come from out of the church to offend and destroy the world, which means the established church will fully endorse him. Most people think of Antichrist as a charismatic, sensual, alluring man of obvious darkness who speaks with the flicker of a silver tongue. He has to be masterfully intelligent, because of course he will be planning to single-mindedly conquer and deceive the world, without any help from the dragon whose mouth he has, and the empire whose power he represents.

The greatest deception that we could be submitted to is a fantastic, fabled view of the world's greatest nemesis, distracting us from observing the true evil one's lies disguised as bumbling and destructive "faulty intelligence". Remember, it is a fool who dismisses a matter before considering it. Don't let the apparent foolishness of George W Bush continue to deceive you about the mark he is making on the world.

The Writing on the Wall

"What shall we use to fill the empty spaces
Where waves of hunger gnaw?
Shall we set out across this sea of faces
In search of more and more applause?
What Shall we do Now?"
~Pink Floyd/ Empty Spaces

"declare this an emergency
come on and spread a sense of urgency
and pull us through
cause this is the end
this is the end of the world
it's time we saw a miracle
come on,
it's time for something biblical
to pull us through"
~Muse/ Apocalypse Please!

"Turn it up.
Listen to the shit they pump into your head.
Filling you with apathy.
Hold your breath.
Wait until you know the time is right on time.
The end is near.
I hope they cannot see.
The limitless potential
Living inside of me.
To murder everything.
I hope they cannot see
I am the great destroyer"
~Nine Inch Nails/ The Great Destroyer

"I am so All American, I'd sell you suicide.
I am totalitarian"
~Marilyn Manson/ Irresponsible Hate Anthem

"Don't look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother
Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why?
'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously I
live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie"
~Tool/ Vicarious

"Capitalism made it this way,
Old Fashioned fascism will take it away!"
~Marilyn Manson/ the Beautiful People

"We're not scaremongering
This is really happening"
~Radiohead, Idioteque

"I'm waking up at the start of the end of the world,
but its feeling just like every other morning before,
Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone,

The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour if that,
and started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye
can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?

But I believe the world is burning to the ground
oh well I guess we're gonna find out
let's see how far we've come
Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end
oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
let's see how far we've come"
~Matchbox 20/ How Far We've Come

In researching the topic of prophecy in modern music, I've found myself wondering how it would be best to label modern groups such as those I've quoted above. It didn't really seem right for me to flat-out call them prophets, but at the same time it's undeniable to me that they are delivering messages to us that come from the most high. I have concluded that the modern musician can be best described as a "herald", which is a close cousin of the prophets. The definition of a herald as a noun is: "One that indicates or announces someone or something to come" and as a verb is "To make known the presence or arrival of". Considering the global platform of these artists, the way they have used that platform (especially in the last three years or so), and the often indirect (or unacknowledged) reference to God as the source of their inspiration, they are more definitively heralds, rather than prophets. Even Sinead O'Connor with her new and beautiful album "Theology" doesn't seem to realize the full significance of what she sings. Heralds are more like vessels, whereas prophets are like servants. It should be no surprise to us that the creator of the universe is the same being called the "muse", who inspires much artistic creativity.

So why would God be moved to use secular musicians to deliver a message that should be coming from within the church? Why would God use rock stars like Marilyn Manson, of all people, to foretell the arrival of George W Bush back in his 1996 album "Antichrist Superstar"? Haven't church leaders conducted many protests outside his concerts, blamed him for inspiring the Columbine killing spree of 1999, and shown to Christians in America that he is an agent of the devil? If this is the case, then why would Marilyn Manson sing in the Antichrist Superstar title song; "Repent, that's what I'm talking about! Whose mistake am I anyway?" and again in his late 2000 album Holywood, "I never really hated the one true God, but the God of the people I hated" There's something going on here, but what is it?

John the Baptist proclaimed this warning in the days before Christ was baptized:
Luke 3:7-9

"Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these rocks. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

I don't want to paint a picture of Marilyn Manson as someone that should be deeply revered, or worshiped. No prophet, herald, or angel should be worshiped. But he is certainly not singing an endorsement of evil, as the established church would have us believe.

In my study, I have learned that prophets do not "predict the future", so much as they proclaim promises from God about the future. Prophets are dismissed as crazy oftentimes, because they come mostly from outside the religious establishment, and people have a hard time in taking God's words and his present calling to repentance seriously. This is true in the way that many live their lives, even though a vague sense of divine fear has been used by many governments throughout the ages to keep their populations in check. What I'm saying here isn't a contradiction, so much as a distinction between the general fear used by rulers to keep people in line, and the personal fear of the Lord which recognizes that nothing any of us do can be kept secret from God, no lie can fool God, and no government is to be obeyed over the will and instructions of God. The words of prophets are simple reminders of the consequences that are always paid for our behavior, whether we do right or wrong. That is a very strong theme of modern music, and has been since the 1960s, when the Vietnam war waged strong, and the church did not stand against it, but rather endorsed it vocally, or through silent consent.

Deuteronomy 18 sets the groundwork for us to tell the difference between true and false prophets. Verse 20 spells it out for us:

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

This verse should be heeded in a world influenced by certain high-profile people claiming to be prophets. It takes a great risk for someone to step up to the plate and claim that they bear a message from the Lord. But even still, if and when a prophet's "message from the Lord" is shown to be wrong, it should not be dismissed as human error, but understood as demonic inspiration. I am among the few who feel led to proclaim not only that we are in the end times, but also that George Bush is that "man of sin" foretold of ages. I am aware of the spiritual risk involved in my stance, but am also willing to take that risk because to the best of my understanding, I believe it to be true. In time we will all see whether it is true or not.

The distinction between true and false prophet reveals the nature of self proclaimed prophets like Pat Robertson (who has falsely predicted the battle of Armageddon would arrive not only in 1982, but again in 2007) Hal Lindsay (who has prophesied the end of days with as much boldness as inaccuracy, all throughout his lucrative and prosperous career) and many other mainstream American church leaders.

It is a grievous sin to proclaim the Lord has spoken what your own sinful heart has imagined (such as a 'pre-tribulation rapture') because that presumption diminishes people's faith in true prophecy. The predictions of false prophets always fill us with fear when we should pursue love, and they fill us with peace when we should be on our guards. God shows all who will look what the truth is by authenticating or refuting the promises of prophets. He exposes the spirit over time, every single time. Commonly in scriptures, a false prophet is said to proclaim "Peace, peace" when there is no peace. That spirit of lying comfort can be best demonstrated by the joy and reassurance of the church once George Bush was given the white house, less than a year before the greatest attack on American soil, and more-so today by the "God bless America" bumper stickers that spread like wildfire in the aftermath of 9-11-01.


Although musicians do paint their various visions of the imminent future on occasion, the main thrust of their focus is on our present state. The truth is that we can only repent presently...never off in some dark and dismal future. And as devilish as the mainstream church has painted pop and rock music as being, it's messages are oftentimes Godly. Beginning with the musical revolution of the 1960s, many popular song lyrics have been riddled with callings for repentance and reminders of righteous living. "All you need is love" was sung, after all, in a historic live television broadcast via satellite around the word in 1967. One of my favorite passages is 1 John 4:7-8, which says

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God for God is love!"

The reason for that rising of righteous proclamations from secular sources is because the mainstream church has dried up; it has lost it's anointing, direction and purpose because of greed and the self-righteous sense of spiritual exclusivity. The church has become twisted, turned around, a mockery of righteousness: apostate. This is the same spiritual state that the Jewish establishment was in during the days of Christ and John the Baptist. I am not proclaiming the whole church condemned forever to hell, and I am not saying that these musicians are perfect and holy saints. What I am saying is that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His will, his guidance, his instructions are just as true today as when they were first spoken and written. We cannot forget that God desires mercy, and not sacrifice. We cannot presume that just because a man preaches from a pulpit, that he is delivering the instructions that come from the God he claims to represent. God's words began all of existence as we know it, and his message will be delivered, even if it is through songs of anti-establishment, rebellious sentiment. What modern musicians rebel against is mainly the institution of Lucifer's New World Order.



(Both this and the previous picture come from anotherversionofthetruth.com, which is part of Year Zero's Alternate Reality Game.)

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is one of my favorite voices in modern music. His first album came out in 1989, during Bush sr's reign, and the opening song contained the lyrics, "Head like a hole, black as your soul, I'd rather die, than give you control" All of his music is peppered with religious conflict, and rebellion against the establishment. In 2007, he released an album called Year Zero that flat out states what his earlier songs hinted at. His sarcasm has a charming bite like a vampire, and one of my favorite new songs from the album is called Capital G, which I think sums things up nicely. Those with virgin ears proceed with caution:

"I pushed the button and elected elected him to office and a
He pushed the button and he dropped the bomb
You pushed the button and could watch it on the television
Those motherf*#&ers didn't last too long

I'm sick of hearing about the "have's" and "have not's"
Have some personal accountability
The biggest problem with the way that we've been doing things is
The more we let you have the less that I'll be keeping for me

Well I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Trading in my god for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G

Don't give a shit about the temperature in Guatemala
Don't really see what all the fuss is about
Ain't gonna worry about no future generations and
I'm sure somebody's gonna figure it out

Don't try to tell me that some power can corrupt a person
You haven't had enough to know what its like
You're only angry 'cause you wish you were in my position
Now nod your head because you know that I'm right... alright!

Well I used to stand for something
But forgot what that could be
There's a lot of me inside you
Maybe you're afraid to see

Well I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Trading in my god for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G"

There is nothing which can muddle or prevent the will of God's word from reaching our ears. However, we must always be careful in discerning which spiritual inspiration we are motivated by, careful to chose humility over pride, love over grudges, forgiveness over vengeance. We are called to think for ourselves, to be vigilant against the deceptions of that angel of light who is truly a serpent. Every teaching we receive should be tested. We are called to press on in the dark, mysterious daily walk of faith instead of settling for the comfortable conclusion that whatever the church says must be the will of God. Great deception has led the church down the road of greed, self-righteousness, and spiritual blindness. No longer are it's shepherds the faithful children of Abraham. This is why rock and pop music is being used to deliver the massage that the end is near. If the shepherds of the church seek true repentance, they should find forgiveness, but the odds are stacked against them. For how can they find the answer to a question they presume to have already solved? This problem that the church faces today is the same as that which overcame the Pharisees in the days of Christ. The difficult road of righteousness that Jesus pointed to then is still the same today. And the powerful blindness of those who claim to see is still as big of a problem as it has always been.

Matt 6:22-23

"The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness."

Called to be Ready...For What?

There is one particular tradition held close to heart by the modern fundamentalist church that claims to be a blessing to the church, but is in fact a devious curse to those who believe it. This is the heresy of the "pre-tribulation rapture"; it strips the meaning from our faith, exchanging the ever-present spiritual struggle of our faith into a seemingly never-ending "waiting game". This fable teaches that in the last days, immediately before the great seven-year tribulation, all people living on Earth who genuinely follow Christ will be taken out of the earth, to make way for God to utterly annihilate the planet. Once this massive and miraculous exodus of the faithful takes place, the Antichrist will then rise up to power, and by the power of the devil, he will deceive people into believing that he is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

Of course, according to this rapture theory, it would make sense that the people "left behind" wouldn't know the difference between a wicked war-mongering emperor and Jesus Christ. But why everyone in the world would want to follow any Jesus after the rapture, while suffering the judgment of God, and without piecing together the connection between a sudden disappearance of millions of people and the rise of the best deceiver the world would ever know...well that is another question entirely.

According to the fundamentalist fable of the end-times, the Antichrist will get shot or wounded in his head, but survive. He will have an incredible hypnotic effect on the people, submitting their free will under his influence. He will have 666 written across his forehead. While the scripture says that he will do terrible, hateful, despicable things; fundamentalists believe that people will love him, and that he will have a wonderfully wise way with words. He will also have a sort of side-kick called the "false prophet" that does his dirty work for him, performs all sorts of signs and lying wonders, while he constantly directs the worship of the world to "the beast" (or Antichrist), and not himself (the false prophet). Considering that pride was the sin of Satan, and directing worship from yourself to another is a universal sign of humility, (best represented by John the Baptist, who -when speaking of Jesus- said, "I must decrease, and he must increase") this story doesn't seem to add up. Could it be that the devil has also misdirected our understanding of the Beast, in this most crucial point of history?

The devil takes where the Lord gives. The devil lies where the Lord tells the truth. The devil boasts before all while the Lord speaks to whom he choses in a "still small voice". If Jesus taught that "You can tell a tree by it's fruit, for a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, and a good tree cannot produce bad fruit", and "Out of the mouth comes the abundance of the heart", he probably meant something by it. The devil's appearance at a glance may seem harmless, or even attractive, but his poisonous nature is quickly revealed beneath the disguise of "an angel of light". The devil is no more than a very good illusionist. And his Antichrist is nothing more than a wolf disguised as a sheep.

It is foolishness to suggest that the Antichrist will be wise. For the Bible is very emphatically clear that wisdom comes from God, and while Lucifer was "perfect in wisdom" before his fall, from the point that sin entered him, all light and wisdom that he possessed was transformed to true darkness and mere craftiness.

Satan is the ultimate con-artist; he is the master of loop-holes, foolish enough to think that he is really staying one step ahead of God, or his children. Satan knows that his time is short here on Earth, and that God has promised him judgment, but he is racing against time, furiously poisoning the well of truth with his fables and fantasies. The devil's plan is to cause all believers to fall short of the mark of God, thereby keeping God away from the Earth. His biggest threat on earth is the Bride of Christ, and so the object of his greatest campaign of deception would be the church. If the devil manages to successfully deceive the church into supporting his chosen vessel of death and destruction (The Antichrist), then God would be forced to either delay his return, or to destroy his beloved because God is just, and the fallen church would have become wicked.

How could such a campaign of deception be carried out? By planting the seed of a lie years before its fruit would be needed, then repeating that lie over and over again to give it nourishment and a sense of authenticity. The seed of "pre-trib" teaching originated in 1825, and it has grown to be one of the most divisive issues of the modern church. The best way to get a good person (or people) to do or believe something that is false, is to tell them that it is in their best interest. This was the devil's tactic when tempting Eve, it is the poisonous reasoning that has fueled this wicked War on Terrorism, and it is the heart of the "Pre-tribulation rapture" theory.

Time and time again, by the word of Christ, and throughout the letters of the New Testament, there are warnings to be ready for the return of Christ. There are numerous warnings that Christ will return "as a thief in the night". These warnings are issued to believers, both asleep and awake. Those who are awake and vigilant will see the signs of his coming, and they will be prepared for his arrival. The master will receive these servants with joy, and he will express this joy by pampering his servants (which is a concept that would make any good servant blush). Other servants will be asleep, and unprepared for his return. These servants will be rebuked, but forgiven. Still others will be wicked: they will drink the Master's liquor, beat their fellow servants, put their feet up on his furniture, and believe in their heart that the Master won't be returning in their lifetime, so they might as well live it up. These servants will be punished severely.

So the question is, when will Christ return, and what will be his motivation for coming "as a thief in the night"? According to the Pre-trib rapture version, Christ will return before any signs of judgment manifest themselves, and before the Antichrist rises to power. His motivation, then, would be to catch Christians with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar. This version of Jesus is looking for the perfect time to bust into Earth and yell "Gotcha!", laughing at the unprepared humans who have chosen to serve and follow him. Once he has scooped up his good, caring, and loving followers from the Earth, this Jesus will go back to heaven, seal the door shut behind him, and stay the heck out of the way as God pours fire and plagues on the Earth (while the Antichrist woos the people left with his wisdom, seducing their love for seven years). There will be 144,000 Jews who will see the light of God in this period, according to the rapture, but they alone will escape. The vast majority of people, Jew and Gentile alike, will be utterly consumed by the furious wrath of God, and only the saints will be safe in heaven to watch the world burn. This would be better than any block-buster action flick EVER...and it doesn't matter that any true saint would not be captivated by the spectacle, but would be sick to their stomach and in pain at the mostly meaningless suffering on Earth that is promised by this theory. To preserve the integrity of the pre-trib rapture theory, we shouldn't take note that the 12 tribes of Revelation 7 include Joseph, and exclude Dan and Ephraim (which would mean that they are not of the literal "tribes" of Israel, but a spiritual type). We should also disregard all prophetic references to the The Master returning to his house, or coming in to his wedding. Because according to the Pre-trib view, The Master will return to his house, make note of the faithful and watchful servants, take them out of the house, and then immediately set fire to his own house and watch it burn to the ground, with sleeping and wicked servants left to die in the inferno. This is not the Gospel, and not the real Jesus Christ.

If the Pre-trib view of the end times isn't true, then what are we supposed to "be ready" for?

I wonder. Could it be that the Devil is already well-advanced in his plans to deceive the Church; that he has duped the people into thinking that they don't need to put on the Armor of God, that they don't need to worry about stepping into battle? Might Jesus have been warning all those who call him "Lord Lord" that saying the right words won't be enough to save them? Could it be that our actions define our spiritual state? Is it possible that the Antichrist not only walks among us, but was strongly endorsed by the mainstream church, and has lit the fuse that will ignite the powder-keg of the 3rd World War? Have many Christians since 1825 have been lulled into a spiritual sleep because they are waiting for a pre-tribulation rapture that will never happen? Is the devil's power to deceive that extensive, that it would fool so may people, but never God?

If the "pre-trib rapture" is a lie, could God have offered us any help or assistance in waking up from a deception so massive as this? Can the events that have happened in recent years have any deep prophetic significance? Is the death of tens of thousands of people in east Asia just in this month so far a sign of the day we are now living in, or is it meaningless; without merit; certainly not a sign from God? Does God want us to be caught with our hands in the cookie jar, or does he want all to come to repentance? I wonder...

C.S. Lewis, one of the greatest Christians of the 20th Century, wrote this in Mere Christianity:

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start over again, the faster I shall get on. There is nothing progressive about being pig-headed and refusing to admit a mistake.

I haven't left references to scriptures in this post, because scriptures have been used on both sides of the argument. I hope, however, that this shows the spiritual fruit of the "pre-trib" doctrine. And I can assure you, that if you believe in the rapture now, and this causes even the most remote doubt to enter your mind in it's authenticity, and you begin to study the scriptures to confirm if it is a lie, you will be amazed by how many scriptures all throughout the Bible clarify the matter.

JFK warns nation of the danger of Secret Societies

The above video is, to me, one of the most compelling examples of who John Kennedy fought against in his nearly three years in office. It exposes who his enemies were, even though by nature they hide in the shadows. The video below paints the case against the CIA, Skull & Bones, and most specifically, George H W Bush in the assassination of Kennedy. Thankfully we have the vantage point of time to clearly see the lies of the past for what they are. Our responsibility is to use our advantage before it's taken from us in the coming police-state.

Analyzing the Evangelical Legacy

Here we are, on the brink of George Bush's seventh complete year in office, a country very different than the one we knew when Bill Clinton passed on the crown of leadership. It may be that to some extent we are too close to the changes as they now exist to fully see the nature of them. By examining our recent past, we may see what is likely to come in the last year of Bush's presidency.

In order to assess the legacy of George Bush, we should include an examination of his base, the religious right.

Both the president and his evangelical voter block claim proudly that they hold themselves accountable to the Christian God alone, and so it would be wise for us to judge them the way that Jesus taught when he said, "You can judge a tree by the fruit it produces; for a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, and a good tree cannot produce bad fruit." and also "From out of our mouths comes the abundance of our hearts".

We have all heard, time and time again, from Bush and the religious right that they see themselves as sanctified, and doing the work of Christ. They see opposition to them and their ideology as the cross that they must endure for the sake of their righteousness. It's really quite a sad and delusional self image, which is re-enforced by teachings from 1 Peter 4:12-14.

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

It's a great passage to explain and pacify the natural sense of guilt that comes with abandoning and ignoring the very poor you are supposed to defend, and knowingly misrepresenting the callings and standards of the faith you claim to believe in. It helps you sleep at night when you have a 28% approval rating that's daily threatening to drop. However, it is a message taken out of context. The truth is that no passage can reverse the command to love one another, and to be forgiving and kind to your neighbor. The true path to life is not an easy one to follow, but it is worth it. It takes work, requires sacrifice, teaches patience through testing patience, and depends on a foundation of love. Rest assured, no substitute will be mistaken for the real thing on judgment day.

Christians have been warned that the devil comes to deceive, disguised as an angel of light, and that we are living in a day and age where false teachers are everywhere, twisting the truth to serve their own vain imaginations. But despite the various warnings given by scripture, many flocks of the American Evangelical movement have been led astray by their silver-tongued shepherds, settling down for a comfortable and clean perch of self-righteous judgment against the world; interpreting the disdain they have earned from their neighbors as suffering for the sake of Christ.

In fact, people resist the religious right agenda because it's bigoted, invasive, and ultimately selfish; not because it's the agenda that Jesus Christ would pursue, or bless. There is nothing of love in most of their works. For anyone to be persecuted for meddling is seen as just in the eyes of the Lord, and carries with it no special reward. It is simply the law of cause and effect. A tree with sour fruit will inspire only revulsion. In fact, that point is made directly after the passage these people use to excuse themselves. 1 Peter 4:15

"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters."

Christ wasn't a meddler, he was a revolutionary. He transformed the world by his life, and by teaching that Love is the highest aspiration we can have. We must love God and love each other. Whenever a faith creates walls to separate us from our calling to love, it is like salt that has lost it's saltiness, or like a light that has been hidden under a Bush.

This brings us back to January 20th, 2001. Although it was a rainy day in Washington D.C., the city's streets were packed with protesters who pelted eggs at the motorcade of "president-elect" Bush. I watched a portion of CNN's coverage of the event a while back, and was impressed by various protesters they filmed. It seems more and more these days that the various doomsday scenarios predicted in the wake of 2000's curve-ball election by protesters and many Democratic voters have been coming true. At the time I found it easier to believe that the warnings were a bunch of hot air. But over a relatively short period of time, we have all witnessed the strength and integrity of our established system of government suffer ongoing attacks. The election fiasco wasn't the worst of it, but rather the beginning of a deeply disturbing trend. And the masses have become numb to it. 9-11 had the effect of hypnotizing the nation , and in it's wake was released the U.S.A. Patriot act, which rendered many civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights void. When the issue of it's renewal was in question, and Bush felt under attack, he lost his temper and called the constitution, "just a goddamned piece of paper!" That slip of the tongue should concern us greatly, because "out of the mouth, comes the abundance of the heart".

Our government has been systematically transforming into the very dictatorship George W Bush joked about in December 2000, quipping to reporters, "A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier...just so long as I'm the dictator!"

Although, for the millions who had opposed Bush, inauguration day was a day of mourning; to the religious right and the rich and powerful Illuminati elite (those whom Al Gore had called the "wealthiest 1%"), it was a day of great victory. Unfortunately, to the rest of America, it was just another Saturday. The Pastor-in-Chief swore in with a flowery and inspirational speech that could have only been one of two things. Either it was his heart-felt, true intentions for leadership, or a string of lies, mocking the intelligence, beliefs and aspirations of a nation sideswiped by his rise to power. Now that we have the advantage of time, we can measure the truth of all those promises he made during campaigns and debates. A while back, John Stewart and "The Daily Show" did a fantastic job of exposing the lying nature of Bush's campaign rhetoric.



It's clear, upon review, to see that George W Bush is a systematic liar; from promising to find and capture Osama Bin Laden at any cost, to promising immediate and generous relief to the victims of hurricane Katrina. However, Bush doesn't only lie about issues that the public demands that he address. On the contrary, he goes out of his way to speak as a saint, while faithfully playing the villain with his every action. His smirk has a habit of popping up when it seems least appropriate. Perhaps in those moments he is delighting in how little we seem to pay attention. His own supporters are, after all, hiding behind the very book which gives account of all the signs and lying wonders that have been defining his reign. They are completely blind to his true nature, because they are unwilling to honestly examine their own souls. And they are so assured at their salvation, that they do not take it upon themselves to study the scriptures. Their preachers and prophets proclaim unto them, "peace, peace", when there is no peace! By their spiritual laziness they have let themselves be transformed into an enemy of Christ, just as the scribes and the pharisees had been when Jesus ministered to Israel.

George W Bush speaks in broad, sometimes fumbled, yet undeniably boastful terms. He speaks of great things easily, as though he possessed the authority to rid the world of evil. By now, most people don't bother listening to him because they know he speaks of things he never intends to do (like helping people), and against things he secretly condones (like torturing people). This boastfulness is a strong characteristic of Daniel's view of the antichrist, or "little horn". For instance, during his 2004 campaign for re-election, he told a group of potential Amish voters that God speaks through him. That's serious business. If Bill Clinton would have said that, he would have been crucified. It is the church's responsibility to look for, and to expose the final antichrist. Yet, instead of reconsidering their support, the church is still trying to pass off prickly pear Bush as if he were the apple of God's eye. By now they are only fooling themselves, but they do so to the defamation of the gospel, and to their own disgrace. George W Bush is a wolf in sheep's clothing, the child of lies, the man of sin, the antichrist. He has been fulfilling signs concerning this role throughout his life and presidency. Bush has confessed in his autobiography that he remains a member of the devil worshiping Skull and Bones society! Christians have no excuse for being surprised when destruction from his hand reveals his demonic nature to the whole world during his final year, even while people rejoice in his upcoming replacement. The 2008 election has filled many with hope and a sense of peace that is in all likely-hood misplaced. George W Bush is an addict who will not easily give up his fix. For the past seven years, his fix has been power. He will fight to keep it, though even his puppet masters might plan to take it from him. He's always been a cowboy kind of president, and rest assured, Bush is ready for a showdown.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-8

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

Infected

I feel like a train that flew off track
like a wedding procession in funeral black
or a gyroscope that's spun out of control
unbalanced by the things that make me whole


In a world where nothing makes a bit of sense
I'm certain only that I want to have no part in this
out of the ashes of war is born the phoenix
wings afire, now signaling the birth of empire


Our future isn't in our hands
we have to know our enemy to understand
They are like clouds that give no rain
who promise compassion, but bring on the pain



we see them leaving their trail, devoured their way
right into the heart they writhe, clever in their compromise
we gave them an inch and they took us for all we're worth
our souls afire, to join or to stand against the empire.