WRITINGS
“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
How many times have I read this verse conjuring up images of large mountains plunging into the ocean? Now, I have never seen this happen nor witnessed my prayers causing even a pebble to move out of place. Or have they?
The word Edom in Hebrew means “red.” The Bible relates this name to Esau, the elder son of the Hebrew patriarch Isaac and the brother of Jacob—later named Israel. Esau became the father of the Edomites and other nations, including Amalek. The Edomites primarily inhabited the area of Mount Seir. This mountainous region, situated in modern-day Jordan, stretches along the eastern flanks of the Jordan Valley from the Dead Sea southward towards the Gulf of Aqaba.
I often hear people say, “it’s not for me to judge another person,” even when they know they are acting sinfully. They cite the words of Yeshua, where He said, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).
Are we seeing the end of the age, the days immediately before the tribulation and the return of Christ? Quite possibly. Previous generations thought they were living at the end, saying, “Look at all these wars and horrific events taking place. Certainly, the end is upon us.” And when Jesus did not return as expected, scoffers arose to criticize the church. So what has changed in this generation? We will find out.
The Apostle Paul told the church, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
We read in Jeremiah: “Flee from the midst of Babylon, and every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; He shall recompense her” (Jeremiah 51:6).
Yeshua said: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?” (Matthew 12:25-26). Yeshua was speaking to the Jewish leaders in this verse, the Pharisees. But notice, He said, “every kingdom.” He was not just speaking of Israel.
The first time read about the Shofar, the ram’s horn, in the Bible is in Exodus Chapter 19, when the Israelites encamped below Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word used in these chapters is Shofar (שֹׁפָ֖ר).[i] The Lord instructed the Israelites to wait for the third day when He would come down upon the mountain, and the blast of a Shofar would sound before them.
“The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness” (Zephaniah 1:14-15, NKJV).
The term “Holy One of Israel” is used more than thirty times in the Bible. However, the English translation does not accurately convey the genuine meaning as seen in the Hebrew. In the English language, the words “one” and “of” added to the translation (הקדוש של ישראל). In Hebrew, on the other hand, it is written as “Holy Israel” (קדוש ישראל). The difference is rather significant.
Who is the Anti-Christ? That is an interesting and complicated question. First, let me say that the Anti-Christ will be an actual person. However, like Judas Iscariot, he will not become this person until Satan himself enters him— “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve” (Luke 22:3, NKJV). Second, let me say that it is currently impossible to identify this person. The Bible tells us this man will be revealed to the world at a specific point in time.
Is God judging America? That is a good question, and the answer will depend on what you mean by judging. The definition of judgment is a divine sentence or decision, specifically a calamity held to be sent by God. This leads us to another question: Why would God do this, assuming He is even doing it at all? The answer to this question will also vary depending on our view of God’s character. Is God’s character benevolent or malevolent, meaning, is He disposed towards doing good, or is He disposed towards doing things that are hateful?
