Revival Times 11

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ISSUE: 11

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19

JESUS CHRIST

COMING IN CLOUDS “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10-1

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efore considering how Jesus will return to earth from heaven we should perhaps first ask; why did he leave earth in the way he did in the first place?

Why not just simply stay and setup the Kingdom of God on earth in Israel there and then?

Why ascend 40 days after resurrection into the clouds and vanish into heaven to the Father?

This earthly Jewish kingdom is what his disciples anticipated would happen even up to the point when he left! It’s a good point that we should carefully look into, because God Almighty only does that which is righteous, perfect and of course just.

Underneath all apparent simplicity there is usually huge complexity. Just think of anything in creation that outwardly looks plain like a leaf or a flower, but as we get closer to the micro design and function it magnifies and we see an incredible system of smaller and smaller parts. From cell to chemical engines within

the cells and complex molecular interactions of proteins! In the latter part of the 20th century we have all been amazed by modern science revealing this microscopic even atomic complexity of the material creation. How many of us now talk about our DNA as if we know what it is? We have all become experts and confident of what is real!

Recent, so called ‘simplistic’ viral diseases are proving complex

and hard for science to track and overcome. As humans we have faced invisible biological dangers (plagues) since Adam and Eve sinned and death came into creation or at least since after the great flood. We now know this is due to the increase in genetic mutation caused by cosmic rays and pollution as the earth system

continues to collapse under the weight of it’s sin. Mankind has strived to understand all this complexity behind what, at first glance, seems simple and obvious to the eye or ear.

We battle against this entropic environment trying to overcome the built in corruption that when left unchecked destroys anything man has made. We can only conclude that the more we know the more we realise we don’t know!

As amazing as all this is to us the question remains open, ‘why did God the creator deliberately make creation so complex and unsearchable?’ It’s a fair question and the simplistic obvious answer is to say that ‘only God knows’ and we should just accept it. However, as important as this trust in faith is why would the Lord of creation allow mankind to make all these incredible scientific discoveries if not to glorify him further? Creation is complex because He is complex and his thoughts are way above our thoughts and he is proven to continued on page 3

INSIDE A Message for our times Part 10 • The Judgements of God • Scroll Fragments • God’s Judgements & more...

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ISSUE: 01

Revival – God’s Way Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19

Revival times is a FREE publication offered to those who want to be encouraged and built up to know JESUS CHRIST as their Lord God and saviour. It is published

by Omega Ministries which is a non-denominational prophetic movement of believers who want to see the Kingdom come on earth as in heaven. Please send all enquiries or questions to the email address given below.

We recognise all material copyrights and thank God that all contributors take no wages for their work of faith in order to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and to revive his true church in our day.

All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Bible and or Greek and Hebrew, where appropriate, for clarity.

This paper and other teaching material is offered online for downloading and printing free of charge.

If you are inspired by the content of this paper please pass on to brothers and sisters for their encouragement.

Revival is a long lost concept in our modern society because the true Gospel has been perverted, watered down and twisted for personal gain by wolves in sheep’s clothing. Enough is enough and now the sleepers must awake from their spiritual stupor. The dead dry bones must live and the faithful army of the Lord arise and shine the beauty of Christ in us, the hope of glory.

The Call Has Gone Out Soldiers of Christ, arise And put your armour on, Strong in the strength which God supplies Through His eternal Son; Strong in Lord of hosts And in His mighty power: Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Is more than conqueror They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Editor: Stephen Turnham © please copy and pass on Download the PDF here: www.omega-ministries.org email: info@omega-ministries.org

PAGE 2 REVIVAL TIMES

Where is the hope for Revival— God’s Holy Spirit outpoured Convicting of sin, and of judgement And righteousness of the Lord?

When nothing else is important— Only God’s presence Divine, When Christians quit worldly pleasures, Then God, His ear will incline.

Desperate prayer for Revival Will cleanse the Church by the Word.

Then clothed in spotless, white linen, The Bride clears the way for her Lord.

Prayer is the key to Revival, Prayer that is true Spirit-born, Nights of compassionate weeping— Intercession for all the forlorn.

Then will the burdens be lifted, Then all the sinners will cry, Then all the chains will be loosened And worldly passions will die.

The lost ones will yield to God’s Spirit When Christians, cleansed, weep and pray; God’s Living Water flows outward; This is “Revival—God’s Way”!

—Estelle Gifford Jackson FIRST THOUGHTS We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Apostle Paul, G alatians

continued from cover

be unsearchable! (Psalm 145:3).

In this way creation proves that there is indeed a God as Paul made clear in his letter to the Romans.

The first prophets and apostles knew something more than scientists regarding God’s purpose and the bigger reason for creation itself. The prophetic written word is the key to understanding why creation is complex and varied despite being increasingly corrupted by sin and death. From the very beginning when Adam and Eve yielded to Satan for guidance in their thoughts and actions, God responded by placing ‘limitations’ on both parties to hinder their sin, but also to ultimately bring glory to his name and thus save millions in the process! Just think how beautifully complex God must be if as Paul says, ‘creation reveals His eternal power and Godhead’!

(Rom 1:20).

And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

Genesis 3:14-19 KJV

In Romans Paul tells us that creation was subjected by God at that time to ‘corruption ’ in order to achieve his purposes. Firstly to hinder the extent of sin and death and secondly as a testimony to man of our need of His salvation.

For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of

corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Romans 8:20-22 KJV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Romans 1:18-23 KJV

Looking at the Scriptures and archeological remains we find that the making of idols of worship in the form of animals and even men or women was and still is extensive!

As Paul points out man ‘became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image’ Scientists and ‘religious’ leaders profess themselves to be wise experts thinking that matter created matter! This ‘darkening’ of the heart is due to ‘foolishness’ of the heart or ‘spirit’. That foolishness is revealed by the wisdom of scripture: The fool hath said in his heart,There

is no God.They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psalm 14:1 KJV. By denying God’s existence, authorship and rule over life and matter the heart becomes darkened and seeks for answers only in material things. These beliefs have created numerous human ‘cultures’ that are the opposite of God’s will for people and this earth and the main cause for God’s interventions. From the beginning it didn’t take long for mankind to abandon holiness after Adam’s fall from grace and Cain’s murder and in under 2000 years corruption and violence had reached unimaginable heights. It was so bad, so evil and destructive that the creator even regretted making mankind.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. Genesis 6:1-7 KJV It takes a lot for God to be so disappointed in what he had made, in this case his patience lasted 2000 years. He had given men and angels (sons of God) free will and they had fully abused it, they had become so corrupt that even God was dismayed to the point of grief.

The only real solution would be a redesign, a cleansing to remove the wickedness that Satan had inspired out of men – giants and REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 3

monsters! Only one man and his family were considered worthy of saving along with a selection of animals that would survive in the ‘new’ ‘washed’ world to come, Noah walked with God. So the first answer to our original question ‘why are things complex?’ is that creation reflects God’s supernatural character revealing his majesty and love which is eternal. Secondly within this domain he made laws to enable time for man to choose him, what we call ‘free will’.

This is evident as men, on the whole, chose to reject his way despite knowing the truth and God allowed this to happen without interfering. However, the suffering and destruction that ensued was too much for a holy creator to ignore and the glory had departed. As a just Creator he did not destroy the innocent, but through a saved remnant began a new era that could bring back the beauty and glory whilst bring forth a family of those who truly love him and serve Him and the creation.

For these reasons the whole of creation is on a predicted prophetic timeline. From the start the Creator the Word knew that giving mankind free will would result in a rebellion and so he provided ways of redemption of salvation back to himself, a way to return and be saved into eternity to come. Strangely to us even Satan and angels were given free will and for reasons we do not yet truly know their choice was to deceive the world and test God’s children. But Satan and his fallen knew that the creation was indeed on a timer, a countdown to a final end, to a last day on planet earth, the day of Judgement.

Having made known unto us the

mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:9-14 KJV

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:10-12 KJV These apostolic teachings clearly reveal that there is a schedule an eternal plan that is indeed time limited. The role of the apostolic and prophetic ministries of the Church is to teach and inform God’s children, even the whole world, of these truths and that this current world will soon end.

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This affects our attitudes towards life’s purpose in the present ideally causing us to focus on Jesus and the Kingdom to come rather than on the materialism and greed of unbelievers in the world system. This world will be replaced by Jesus when he returns to establish his eternal kingdom bringing back together heaven and earth in harmony, but first evil and sin must be purged from the earth by fire!

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:21 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:14-15 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Revelation 10:6-7

More than ever we must search our hearts and prepare for the changes that are coming on a global scale. Mankind will believe they can save themselves, but as many scientists have even began to admit this is the end. n

God’s Judgments Why do they happen?

O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Psalm 105:6–8

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are we able to break free from Satan’s kingdom of darkness. His peace and joy empower us to focus on Him and His power transforms us into holy vessels separated from the worldly lusts and deceptions as a witness to the lost.

That’s good news, but even better is that by confessing known sin we remain free in this life and will ultimately pass through the judgment fire of God to eternal life.

here are many kinds of judgment that we experience in the earth. It is vital that we understand these and understand their significance and purpose.

There are five principles of God’s Judgment revealed in the book of Romans the Apostle Paul.

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Romans 2:1-2 Firstly, God’s judgments are based on real facts and not on hearsay, but according to truth. God responds to people and events that have or are happening. We can also see how he responded to historical events especially relating to Israel. As a holy God His judgments are righteous and Just, even if we cannot see in the short term the significance of them. Plus these judgments are inescapable once decreed by the Lord!

Secondly, God makes judgments according to man’s deeds. We are judged and will be judged according to what we do and have done.

Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour,

and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:6-11 The judgments of God are for both believer and unbeliever in the here and now as well as at the final judgment to come (Hebrews 4:13). Peter unfolds this principle applying it first of all to believers:

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. 1 Peter 1:17.

The Gospel according to Jesus is salvation from the eternal condemnation and spiritual death after the final judgment. Christians should aim for holiness of life (separate from sin) even if we resist that sin to death by evil men. This is how serious evil and sin are to God and to the soul.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 The book of Revelation reveals that God keeps a record of every life lived!

Now that’s big data! (see Revelation 20:12). Our only hope of attaining holiness and righteousness is in Christ Jesus by faith in his work and sacrifice.

Only when we put our faith into him and obey his instructions for salvation (believe, baptise, receive his Spirit)

Thirdly, there is no respect of persons with God (R omans 2:11). God is not impressed by a person’s natural abilities, as if they are in some way exempt from his judgments based on performance or position.

Fourthly, judgment by God is based on the measure of light or ‘revelation’ that we have received. In Romans verses 12-16 Paul explains:

For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Those who have not heard the message of Jesus Christ directly will still be judged according to their own laws and conscience. Even in the hearts of nations that did not receive or hear of the Law of God he has placed conviction of sin. Those who have had contact with God’s word, his people and still reject the truth choosing rather to do evil against the conscience will be punished by God’s wrath. This

REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 5

is justice for those who did believe and were willing to obey the truth.

Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. Matthew 11:20-22 God has very high standards and the more light we have the more strict the judgment will be, not just on individuals (even our thoughts), but as Jesus reveals here also upon places and nations. Neither Chorazin, Bethsaida nor even Capernaum exist today as living towns in Israel, they have been judged. This reveals that some judgment is also given in history as a lesson to the people and the generations to come. The Scripture is full of God’s judgment upon Israel and the nations. God is looking at the destiny of the generations to come and how to save some from the trap of sin and eternal death. If people choose to reject God and Christ he withdraws and allows Satan to have his way unopposed. This leads to destruction, but out of the destruction quite often a small remnant wake up to the truth that there is an evil enemy.

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.

Once mankind has had enough of suffering, indignation, wrath, tribulation and aguish then hopefully comes a remnant calling upon the Lord and a revival or restoration towards him, but not always.

This is the purpose of His judgments to lead mankind back to him. Take ancient Nineveh as a classic example.

First Jonah was sent by God to warn the people in that city of a judgement coming upon them if they did not repent from their evil ways. This they did do to Jonah’s chagrin. However 100 years later God again sent a prophet, Nahum and this time they did not respond and the city never recovered from the disasters that befell it. Not because God destroyed them, but because their wickedness allowed evil to enter after God withdrew his protection.

The fifth and final principle of Judgment is what the apostles call

discipline. Discipline can be seen more like a shepherds crook of guidance rather than the axe of destruction.

God disciplines those he loves using whatever means that will cause us to awaken to the deception that is leading us away from him. His plan is to enable us to live on into eternity and avoid perishing with Satan on the final day of judgement when all evil is cast into the lake of fire and destroyed.

Sometimes this will mean drastic action must be taken to detach an individual or nation from the deception of Satan and demons so that over the long term future generations can be saved. We see this in the story of Israel over and over again - even to modern times (Hebrews 12).

6 & 28 the perfect numbers!

Euclid proved that 2p−1(2p − 1) is an even perfect number whenever 2p − 1 is prime (Elements, Prop. IX.36).

For example, the first four perfect numbers are generated by the formula 2p−1(2p − 1), with p a prime number, as follows: for p = 2: 21(22 − 1) = 2 × 3 = 6 for p = 3: 22(23 − 1) = 4 × 7 = 28 for p = 5: 24(25 − 1) = 16 × 31 = 496 for p = 7: 26(27 − 1) = 64 × 127 = 8128 THE BIG CLUE TO THE END God made the mathematics that rule the universe and all perfect numbers (divisible numbers add up to the original) end in either 6 or 28 the first two being these very numbers! Incredible that these are the values of significance in the Bible and prophecy.

6 days of Creation, 28 AD when Jesus died. This is quite remarkable and worth further investigation.

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A Message For Our Times PART 10 - By Stephen Turnham

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Gal 5:24) The tenth part of 12 parts looking at how the church reaches out to the lost.

PART 10 - HOW DO WE MULTIPLY?

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s we have already seen in part 5 of this message one of the normal aspects of Jesus church, that usually meets in homes and outreaches in public spaces, is to expand or multiply. Jesus showed many times that the nature of the Kingdom is like yeast (leaven) that works through the mixture.

“He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matt 13:33) Notice that this leaven (kingdom) is unseen or ‘hidden’ in the measures of flour (people). The kingdom is worked within us and we are waiting until all has been leavened. There are many metaphors like this that Jesus uses to try and explain how the kingdom multiplies working its way through the family, the village, the city and the nations. We have seen how this has happened at times through history and in nearly all cases the growth has been through small home based networks. This has proved especially effective in nations that have a government system opposed to freedom of religion like China or Iran even North Korea. However, despite these great successes many in the richer western world have not quite understood the message and followed suit, but have rather chosen to empire build, imitating the world’s hierarchical structures rather than the apostolic structure given

by Jesus and the apostles. This is now a cultural weakness in our society and enables manipulators PAGE 8 REVIVAL TIMES

to ‘lord it over’ others. Church life became dependant on money and this is the ‘root of all kinds of evil’ when placed at the centre of a structure! (1 Tim 6:9-21) Meeting in smaller groups and using homes has many great benefits and explains its success in bringing growth of the church in an area, as Steve Atkerson from the NTRF explains: “Why might the apostles have laid down a purposeful pattern of smaller churches (as opposed to mega churches)? Regardless of why the early church met in homes (purposefully or due only to persecution), the fact remains that everything in the New Testament was written to a church that met in a Roman villa and was relatively small.

There were no mega churches of thousands of people in a single congregation. The principles of New Testament church life work best in a church that is under 200 people.

It is a design axiom that form follows function. The apostles’ belief concerning the function of the church would naturally be expressed in the form that the church took in the New Testament. The apostles did indeed have a definite way that they wanted churches organised (1 Corinthians 4:16-17, 11:2, 16, 34b, Philippians 4:8-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, Titus 1:5) and this was best carried out in a relatively small church.

For instance: 1.) Participatory worship is best suited to smaller, Roman atrium sized congregations, (1 Corinthians 14).

2.) Accountability, community, and maintaining church discipline are best suited to relatively small gatherings, (Matthew 18).

3.) Consensus is best done in a smaller church.

4.) Church is to be relatively small and like a family, not big like a business (Gal 6:10; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Timothy 5:1-2).

5.) Mutual edification is best accomplished in situations where everybody knows each other rather than in situations where people easily become lost in the crowd.

7.) Smaller churches best foster the simplicity, vitality, intimacy and purity that God desires for his church. They also promote the truth that believers are a spiritual family, not a business!”

(The Practice of the Early Church: A Theological Workbook Lesson 5 Page 5)

“The first Christian congregations worshipped in private houses, meeting at the homes of wealthier members on a rotating basis . . . Worship was generally conducted in (either) the atrium, or central courtyard of the house.”

Yale University, “Unearthing the Christian Building” Dura-Europos: Excavating Antiquity (Yale University Art Gallery)

We see in Acts for example when there were several large influxes of converts on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and then later after a significant healing miracle (Acts 4:4) that these people were contained and helped to grow within their own homes and in the public spaces including the temple courts where Jesus himself had once preached. They never purchased or planned to construct meeting halls.

Much later on we find that the persecution against Christians was targeted at the places they would gather and meet. This is revealed to us by Saul’s actions when he went to capture and

arrest the converts in Acts 8.

Notice that Saul (later Paul) knows exactly where to find them: “And Saul approved of his (Stephen’s) execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”

(Acts 8:1-3)

Saul would not have entered every single house, but would have targeted those homes known for Christian gathering - a kind of inquisition! This shows that the Christians were primarily meeting in the homes and not in known public spaces.

This was a terrible persecution and resulted in a great dispersion of the believers from their homes out into the surrounding regions - they became refugees, but they preached everywhere they went until many settled in Antioch (Acts 11).

In all this activity we see that the believers were being sown like seed across the whole region and soon began to expand into foreign lands and peoples unseen like leaven! They copied what they had learned from the apostles in Jerusalem and meet in their new homes, spreading like yeast into the flour of other nations. Saul was miraculously converted to Paul and after many years of development and revelation he became an apostle. He and Barnabas were sent by the Spirit (with others) to go house to house, planting and encouraging the Christian families and assemblies. He knew that this is what Christians do because previously he tried to stop them from doing it!

Incredibly nowhere in any of the gospels (or apostolic letters) is it mentioned that they built buildings to meet in. It would have been seen as a massive waste of resources which were needed to help the poor believers, something all the apostles agreed was vitally important (Gal 2:10).

The early church existed without building temples, even without Bibles (they only had scrolls and letters), and often met for years without elders! They relied very much on the Holy Spirit and supported one to another in all things. It was the apostles and teachers that helped keep the Word of God flowing, correcting errors of the Law and the false doctrines of demons. This is why they were so severely persecuted and eventually lost their lives, because they loved the church, a pure and holy body of Spirit filled people meeting in their own homes - a true miracle of grace.

Once we have dropped the erroneous idea that church has to have a large expensive building, in order to gather and function, we can see that growth will naturally start to occur in an organic way. It’s the function of the apostles, prophets and teachers to maintain these conditions to keep the fire burning from house to house and street to street. Initially this method of growth may seem slow but once it starts and takes root within a relatively short period (6 months to 2 years) it can become exponential, because it’s based on multiplication and not division. Church groups are planted in homes not as a separate organisation like a club or social centre. This church has no name and is not a charity, but is recognised by Jesus power dwelling in them for love and holiness.

When these networks of Christian homes (of all kinds) grow in a region or city they are referred to by Jesus and the apostles by their ‘regional name’ and not some made up denominational label. So we see that Jesus in the book of Revelation referred to the church

in ‘Laodicea’ for example. Well we see that Paul also knew of this church in Laodicea and refers to it in his writing to the Colossian church: “Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.”

(Col 4:15-16)

This all now makes sense. There are clearly a number of church groups in Laodicea and Paul picks out Nympha a woman who was hosting one of them in her own home all of whom Paul wanted to hear what he had written. Remember that very few could read and write, especially among the Gentiles, and so the letters would have been read from house to house to get the message across. There was no technology in those days! Also it’s interesting to note that there was in fact a letter from Laodicea something now lost in time. All the letters were written for and to small home assemblies some of which may have been larger if owned by a wealthy person.

However this is a good thing!

This is how the gospel spreads and how every household of faith takes responsibility to proclaim the truth of the Gospel. This is how the real church of Jesus functions with the love of Jesus being right at the core.

If anyone is not born of the Spirit this kind of life will not be attractive to them - in fact they will avoid it - because it makes you more accountable to God and to your fellow man as you step into the light of truth.

However, for those who do, the rewards are great because heaven itself unites with us and the Father and Jesus dwell with us.

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

(John 14:23)

So the answer to how does this church multiply is simply this, from house to house! It’s time to get the Acts 20:20 vision! n REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 9

A Timeline of Aliyah – the return And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12) Return to the land of Israel is a recurring theme in Jewish prayers recited every day, three times a day, and holiday services on Passover and Yom Kippur traditionally conclude with the words “Next year in Jerusalem”. Because Jewish lineage can provide a right to Israeli citizenship, aliyah (returning to Israel) has both a secular and a religious significance.

For generations of religious Jews, aliyah was associated with the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Jews prayed for their Messiah to come, who was to redeem the land of Israel from gentile rule and return world Jewry to the land. Even though their true Messiah did come among them 2,000 years ago (Jesus Christ) only a relatively small remnant recognised him and believed.

These formed the foundation of the Church, but not a replacement of Israel as a nation which experienced a hardening in part in order to force the Gospel message outwards to the nations (Rom 11). Now that Good News is bouncing back towards the roots of the faith and the Spirit is reviving the ancient people of God. Jesus said he would be back to set up His Kingdom on earth as in heaven, so as Christians we look for the same signs that were prophesied as indicators prior to Jesus coming in power and glory. Orthodox Jews still reject Jesus as their Messiah mainly because of misinformation, fear and denial, however many secular Jews are now coming to faith. This is just another sign that one day, as Paul preached, all Israel will be saved, in the meantime hundreds of thousands have been pouring back into the land which is being restored and revived!

For Christians the most significant periods of the return of the Jews occurred in the 19th and 20th Centuries just past. The timeline below gives highlights of these times to show that it is an undoubted ongoing fulfilment of Scripture prophecy. It is an assurance to all that God keeps his word and fulfils his purposes despite us and through the turmoil of history.

Ottoman Syria 1881–1914 Between 1881-1914 only 30-40,000 emigrants went to Ottoman Syria.

NEW YORK

OTTOMAN SYRIA

During the same period over 1.5 million Russian Jews and 300,000 from AustriaHungary reached North America via New York City. Immigration was mostly desired because of persecution and Anti-Semitism.

The First Aliyah 1882–1903 Approximately 35,000 Jews immigrated to Ottoman Palestine, increasing the preexisting Jewish population to 60,000. The migration of Jews from Russia correlates with the end of the Russian pogroms.

Russian Pogrom

The groups called themselves Hibbat Tysion, meaning “fondness for Zion” and Hovevei Tysion or “enthusiasts for Zion”. The majority, Israel Belkind belonging to the Hovevei Zion and Bilu an earlier group consisting of fourteen university students from Kharkiv Belarus led

by Israel Belkind, later a prominent writer and historian. Smaller numbers also arrived from Yemen. Most established agricultural communities such as Petah Tikva (already in 1878), Rishon LeZion, Rosh Pinna, and Izchak Leib Zikhron Ya’akov. In 1882 the Yemenite Jews Kattowitz conference 1884 Goldberg settled in the Arab village of Silwan located south-east of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Kurdish Jews also started to settle in Jerusalem around 1895.

PAGE 10 REVIVAL TIMES

The Second Aliyah 1904–1914 Yemenis walk to border

Between 1904 and 1914, 35–40,000 Jews immigrated to Ottoman Palestine largely due to pogroms and outbreaks of antiSemitism in the Russian Empire, in particular from the Pale of Settlement in Eastern Europe.

Hashomer Jews from other countries in Eastern Europe such as Romania and Bulgaria also joined. Mountain Jews from the Caucasus and Jews from other countries including Yemen, Iran, and Argentina also arrived at this time.

The Eastern European Jewish immigrants established the first kibbutz, Degania Alef, in 1909 and formed self-defense Degania Alef organizations, such as Hashomer.

Umjuny Kibbutz Ahuzat Bayit, a new suburb of Jaffa established in 1909, eventually grew to become the city of Tel Aviv. Hebrew, the ancient national language, was revived as a spoken language; newspapers and literature written in Hebrew were published; political parties and workers organizations were established.

The Balfour Declaration 1917 The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population. The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 November 1917 from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. The text of the declaration was published in the press on 9 November 1917.

British Palestine 1919–1948 The Third Aliyah 1919–1923 Between 1919 and 1923, 40,000 Jews, mainly from Eastern Europe arrived in the wake of World War I. The British occupation of Palestine and the establishment of the British Mandate created the conditions for the implementation of the promises contained in the Balfour Declaration of 1917.

Many of the Jewish immigrants were ideologically driven pioneers, known Hefer Plain, Jezreel Valley as halutzim, trained in agriculture and capable of establishing self-sustaining economies.

In spite of immigration quotas established by the British administration, the Jewish population reached 90,000 by the end of this period.

The Jezreel Valley and the Hefer Plain marshes were drained and converted to agricultural use. Additional national institutions arose such as the Histadrut (General Labor Federation); an elected assembly; national council; and the Haganah, the forerunner of the Israel Defense Forces.

REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 11

The Fourth Aliyah 1924–1929 82,000 Jews arrived, many as a result of increasing Anti-Semitism in Poland and throughout Europe.

Immigrants came from Europe mostly from Poland, the Soviet Union, Romania, and Lithuania, but about 12% came from Asia, mostly Yemen and Iraq.

During the years 1926 - 1927 an economic crisis occurred in the country, the toughest the Jewish settlement had during the period in spite of the economic comeback between the years 1928 - 1929 23,000 immigrants still decided to leave the country.

In February 1924 David Ben Gurion wrote in his diary: “The lack of work is ever increasing. Yesterday people were fainting in the office.” Later in the year he noted “The people are hungry and cannot work.” 7,400 Jews left Palestine in 1926. In 1927 the Zionist Executive funded an employment program for 8,000 workers. In 1928 emigration equalled immigration.

The Fifth Aliyah 1929–1939 Between 1929 and 1939, with the rise of Nazism in Germany, a new wave of 250,000 immigrants 174,000, arrived in Palestine between 1933 and 1936, after which increasing restrictions on immigration by the British turned immigration clandestine and illegal, called Aliyah Bet. Shortly after their rise to power, the Nazis negotiated the Ha’avara or “Transfer” Agreement with the Jewish Agency under which 50,000 German Jews and $100 million worth of their assets would be moved to Palestine.

The Fifth Aliyah was mostly from Central Europe (Poland, Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia), but also from Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Yemen. These contained large numbers of professionals, doctors, lawyers, and professors, from Germany.

Refugee architects and musicians introduced the Bauhaus style and founded the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra as the national culture began to form.

With the completion of the port at Haifa and its oil refineries, significant industry was added to the predominantly Evacuation from the Old City 1936 agricultural economy. The Jewish population reached 450,000 by 1940.

Kibbutz burned At the same time, tensions between Arabs and Jews grew during this period, leading to a series of Arab riots against the Jews in 1929 that left many dead and resulted in the depopulation of the Jewish community in Hebron. This was followed by more Early Tel Aviv violence during the “Great Uprising” of 1936–1939.

In response to the ever-increasing tension the British issued the White Paper of 1939, which severely restricted Jewish immigration to just 75,000 people for five years. This served to create a relatively peaceful eight years in Palestine but during this time the Holocaust unfolded in Europe and immigrants died trying to get to Palestine on their own or via Aliyah Bet boats.

PAGE 12 REVIVAL TIMES

Aliyah Bet: Illegal immigration 1933–1948 Aliyah Bet (Hebrew: ‫'עלייה ב‬‎, "Aliyah 'B'" was the code name given to the immigration by ‘illegal’ Olim (Jews), most of whom were refugees escaping from Nazi Germany, and later Holocaust survivors, to British Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and 1948. These immigrants were violation of the restrictions laid out in the British White Paper of 1939. However with the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, Jewish displaced persons and refugees from Europe began streaming into the new sovereign state. The Law of Return encouraged this migration from all the nations where Jews had been in the diaspora. Ha'apala (Hebrew: ‫פָלָה‬ ּ ְ ‫הע‬ ַ ‎, "Ascension")

Ha’apalah, was organized by the Mossad Le’aliyah Bet, as well as by the Irgun. Immigration was done mainly by sea, and to a lesser extent overland through Iraq and Syria.

During World War II and the years that followed until independence, Aliyah Bet became the main form of Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine.

Following the war, Berihah (“escape”), an organisation of former partisans and ghetto fighters was primarily responsible for smuggling Jews from Eastern Europe through Poland. In 1946 Poland was the only Eastern Bloc country to allow free Jewish aliyah to Mandate Palestine without visas or exit permits.By contrast, Stalin forcibly brought Soviet Jews back to USSR, as agreed by the Allies during the Yalta Conference.

The refugees were sent to the Italian ports from which they travelled to Mandatory Palestine. More than 4,500 survivors left the French port of Sète aboard President Warfield (renamed Exodus). The British turned them back to France from Haifa, and forced them ashore in Hamburg. Despite British efforts to curb the illegal immigration, during the 14 years of its operation, 110,000 Jews immigrated to Palestine. In 1945 reports of the Holocaust with its 6 million Jewish killed, caused many Jews in Palestine to turn openly against the British Mandate, and illegal immigration escalated rapidly as many Holocaust survivors joined the Aliyah.

REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 13

Aliyah PLAN a

The Game

COMING SOON an extraordinary new board game from Theologames that highlights the incredible history of the return of the Jews to the Promised Land of the Bible.

PLAN A Often referred to as Plan A the Aliyah or ‘going up to Jerusalem’ has been occurring since the 19th century, but became more common after the First World War and massively increased after World War II.

Basis of the Game Helping the immigrants (Olim) to return to the land was often because of persecution or economic pressure upon Jewish communities all over the world. The Jewish Agencies, like Mossad, that were developed often worked secretly to arrange transport of these refugees to then Palestine and after 1948 to the State of Israel. Operations and the Law of Return still sees thousands return even today.

This 4 player board game highlights the covert process carried out by Mossad, Irgun, Batar and Shabak (Shin Bet) agencies over the most crucial period of Aliyah.

In the game you become a secret Israeli agent of one of these agencies selected to help the persecuted Olim Jews return from the diaspora regions of the world to Israel. Using codes and collecting Zion Stones your mission is to complete as many secret operations as possible before time runs out and the game ends.

www.theologames.org

PAGE 14 REVIVAL TIMES

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The Seat of Satan

By Stephen Turnham

Where the Law of God is not taught, there Satan dwells - Jewish proverb And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write;These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. Revelation 2:12-13

A

ncient Pergamum was the centre of pagan worship in Asia Minor, was once known as the “place where Satan dwells.”

In the first century, it was a thriving city, but after countless wars and natural disasters, the temples of Pergamum lay in ruins. By the mid-19th century, the once-great city of Pergamum was barely a memory.

Locals used this site as a quarry, looting the marble for new buildings, until 1864, when a German engineer paid a visit to Pergamum. Carl Humann was shocked by the destruction of the priceless artifacts, so he got permission to excavate the ancient city himself. What he found was considered one of the greatest monuments in ancient history: the Altar of Zeus.

Stone by stone, the altar was excavated and taken to Berlin, where it was reassembled and placed in its own museum. The Pergamon Museum opened in 1930, with the altar as its centrepiece.

Eventually, the altar caught the eye of a young man named Albert Speer, the new chief architect for the Nazi Party.

Germany’s new chancellor, Adolf Hitler, had commissioned him to design the parade grounds for the party rallies in Nuremberg.

For inspiration, Speer turned to the Pergamon Altar.

“If you read the German written

by Speer, he gives all the credit to Hitler,” says Dr. Anthony

R. Santoro, the Distinguished Professor of History & President Emeritus of Christopher Newport University. “I think he’s like a good interior decorator that someone hires, and that client already has the ideas of what he wants to do, and the decorator agrees with him. So that’s what Speer did.”

Using the altar as his model, Speer created a colossal grandstand at the rally grounds in Nuremberg. It became known as the Zeppelintribüne. After the war, only a small part of it was left standing.

“If you look at the kinds of ceremonies that were on display at Zeppelin field with the reconstructed temple there patterned on the Pergamum Altar, you’ll see photographs of Hitler, descending down the steps, like a tribune of the people from old Roman times,” says Santoro.

In the middle of the grandstand, where the bronze Altar of Zeus stood in ancient Pergamum, Albert Speer built Hitler’s podium. Hitler wanted to create what he called a “mass experience,” and Speer came up with the perfect idea.

Most of the Nuremberg rallies were held at night, so Speer surrounded the grandstand with 150 searchlights. The columns of light extended for miles in the

sky, creating the mystical effect Hitler wanted: “The concluding meeting in Nuremberg must be exactly as solemnly and ceremonially performed as a service of the Catholic Church.”

This effect was known as the “Cathedral of Light,” and it became a hallmark of Hitler’s events. It was even used in the closing ceremonies of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

“Well, it’s a very inexpensive way of creating interest,” says Santoro. “Hitler is very much aware of German mythology, his favourite entertainment is German opera, certainly Wagner and all the mythological stories that go with Wagner.

And certainly anytime you’re looking at mythology and gods, you’re looking skyward. So I don’t think it’s an accident that he says to Speer, ‘Let’s create an environment of looking towards the heavens, and that’s what it does.’”

Inside the rally grounds, thousands of Nazi Party members marched in torchlight parades.

“These events happen at night, which gives a contrasting effect of fear, of strength, of the unknown, of mystery, and that’s all intended by Hitler,” says Santoro. “He’s very theatrical.

REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 15

Torchlight and fire have always been part of German mythology.

I think there’s a quasi-mystical, semi-religious context to these torch parades; there are many of them in Nazi Germany.”

From his podium, Hitler mesmerised the crowds: “Not every one of you sees me and I do not see every one of you.

But I feel you... and you feel me!”

Then under the Cathedral of Light, thousands of Germans swore what they called a “holy oath.”

“Blazing flames hold us together into eternity...

No one shall take this faith from those who are dedicated to Germany.”

From 1933 to 1938, hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Zeppelin field in Nuremberg every September for the Reichstparteitag, or Nazi Party Congress. But it was the 1934 PAGE 16 REVIVAL TIMES

rally that captured the attention of the world, thanks to what may be the greatest propaganda film of all time.

“The 1934 party film, Triumph of the Will, which was released in 1935, is the consummate picture of Hitler,” says Santoro.”

No other film was ever made of Hitler, and he didn’t want any other film made of him.

Everything that he wanted people to know about the Nazis is in that film. It was shown continuously for 12 years in Germany.”

Triumph of the Will was directed by a young German actress named Leni Riefenstahl.

“She was a famous movie star. I would characterise her as the female Indiana Jones,” says Santoro. “She was pretty and shapely and popular and romantic. Hitler’s a bit of a romantic, and so he liked her.”

The film portrayed Hitler as a godlike figure, the saviour of the German people.

“Hitler’s entrance in the film is from the sky, like a messiah who would be descending down through the heavens, through the clouds to the faithful waiting for him below,” says Santoro.

“Anytime he appears, any people who are close to him have these starry-eyed looks – almost these glazed looks as if they’re in the presence of an unearthly being.

That’s intentional.”

In his speeches, Hitler often borrowed Christian phrases, like in one scene with the Hitler Youth.

“After they sing their song to him, Hail Hitler to Thee, which

is almost like a religious chant, he goes into his speech, and he says things like, ‘You are flesh of our flesh and blood of our blood.’ Well, he borrows that from the Roman Catholic ritual, with which he’s very familiar. It’s a very physical statement, and it resonates with that crowd.”

Hitler’s popularity skyrocketed after the release of Triumph of the Will. The next year, more than a million Germans came to Nuremberg to hear his speech.

On the evening of September 15, 1935, Hitler announced the Nuremberg Laws.

“The law for the protection of German Blood and German Honour is intended to begin the marginalisation process of the Jewish people,” says Santoro.

“Hitler had a lot of popular support for much of his time in office. One doesn’t get popular support by saying to the public we’re going to put the Jewish people in gas chambers and incinerate them. What he did was to gradually marginalise them.”

It was also in Nuremberg that Hitler used the phrase “Final Solution” for the first time in public.

“Bitter complaints have come in from countless places citing the provocative behaviour of Jews. This law is an attempt to find a legislative solution. If this attempt fails, it will be necessary to transfer [the Jewish problem] ... to the National Socialist party for a final solution.”

The Nuremberg Laws stripped the Jews of their rights as citizens.

“They couldn’t teach in public

universities, they couldn’t practice medicine in public hospitals,” says Santoro. “They couldn’t fly the national flag, but they could fly the Jewish flag.

Then that was coupled with the Reich citizenship law, which said that Jewish people in Germany were subjects of the Reich, but not citizens.”

Hitler’s “Final Solution” is now known as the Holocaust, a word that comes from a Greek word meaning “a wholly burnt animal sacrifice.”

In AD 92, the faithful martyr Antipas died, a “wholly burnt sacrifice” on the altar of Zeus in Pergamum, the place the Book of Revelation calls “the Throne of Satan.”

Centuries later in Nuremberg, in the centre of a redesigned Pergamon Altar, the bronze bull was replaced by a podium. From there, Adolf Hitler announced his “Final Solution” to the world... and this time, the burnt sacrifice was six million Jews and other prisoners.

The altar of Zeus is still in the Pergamon museum in Germany, but we must ask ourselves where is Satan seated today? The clues are in the Nazi story.

The worship of the nation state, the great leader and the persecution of religious minorities who hold opposite views to the State. The removal of freedom of choice and opinions that question State decisions.

Surveillance, economic and social oppression all show where Satan and his hordes are at work. We can look at quite a few regimes in our world today and see many of these characteristics, but it must be said that one stands well above the rest in its oppressive policies - China.

But when did China become this oppressive regime? On October 1, 1949, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong declared the creation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The announcement ended the costly full-scale civil war between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

and the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), which broke out immediately following World War II and had been preceded by on and off conflict between the two sides since the 1920’s.

The creation of the PRC also completed the long process of governmental upheaval in China begun by the Chinese Revolution of 1911. The “fall” of mainland China to communism in 1949 led the United States to suspend diplomatic ties with the PRC for decades.

Could Satan have realised that his plans with Hitler would

never be long term and that he would need to create a regime that would manage to overrun the world. It’s more than coincidence that at this same time in history another significant event occurred, the reforming of Israel as a nation state in British Palestine! Just a year earlier on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.

The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 broke out when five Arab nations invaded territory in the former Palestinian mandate immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948. In 1947, and again on May 14, 1948, the United States had offered de facto recognition of the Israeli Provisional Government, but during the war, the United States maintained an arms embargo against all belligerents.

Raising the Flag signified the Conclusion of the Conflict

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 (also known as the Partition Resolution) that would divide Great Britain’s former Palestinian mandate into Jewish and Arab states in May 1948. Under the resolution, the area of religious significance surrounding Jerusalem would remain under international control administered by the United Nations. The Palestinian Arabs refused to recognise this arrangement, which they regarded as favourable to the Jews and unfair to the Arab population that would remain in Jewish territory under the partition. The United States sought a middle way by supporting the United Nations resolution, but also encouraging negotiations between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.

The United Nations resolution sparked conflict between Jewish and Arab groups within Palestine.

Fighting began with attacks by irregular bands of Palestinian Arabs attached to local units of the Arab Liberation Army composed of volunteers from Palestine and neighbouring Arab countries. These groups launched their attacks against Jewish cities, settlements, and armed forces. The Jewish forces were composed of the Haganah, the underground militia of the Jewish community in Palestine, and two small irregular groups, the Irgun, and LEHI. The goal of the Arabs was initially to block the Partition Resolution and to prevent the establishment of the Jewish state. The Jews, on the other hand, hoped to gain control over the territory allotted to them under the Partition Plan.

After Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, the fighting intensified with other Arab forces joining the Palestinian Arabs in attacking territory in the former Palestinian mandate. On the eve of May 14, the Arabs launched an air attack on Tel Aviv, which the Israelis resisted. This action was followed REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 17

by the invasion of the former Palestinian mandate by Arab armies from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia sent a formation that fought under the Egyptian command. British trained forces from Transjordan eventually intervened in the conflict, but only in areas that had been designated as part of the Arab state under the United Nations Partition Plan and the corpus separatum of Jerusalem.

After tense early fighting, Israeli forces, now under joint command, were able to gain the offensive.

Though the United Nations brokered two cease-fires during the conflict, fighting continued into 1949. Israel and the Arab states did not reach any formal armistice agreements until February. Under separate agreements between Israel and the neighbouring states of Egypt, Lebanon, Transjordan, and Syria, these bordering nations agreed to formal armistice lines.

Israel gained some territory formerly granted to Palestinian Arabs under the United Nations resolution in 1947. Egypt and Jordan retained control over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank respectively. These armistice lines held until 1967. The United States did not become directly involved with the armistice negotiations, but hoped that instability in the Middle East would not interfere with the international balance of power between the Soviet Union and the United States.

The re-establishment of Israel and it’s subsequent conquest of

PAGE 18 REVIVAL TIMES

Jerusalem in 1967 has fulfilled a number of key prophecies in the Bible. It’s a sign to the whole of humanity that God’s plans for the nations are being concluded and Satan knows that his time is short. The economic and political collapse of the Soviet empire in the 1990’s showed that Satan changed his strategy in order to oppose Israel and predominantly Christian nations. Obviously at grassroots level it’s a lot more complex than simply where Satan is seated. Globalisation has become the de facto normal political goal of most nations for the sake of monetary benefits.

Cheap manufacturing and massive trade to supply the need and greed of the western world was seen by China as a clear way

to infiltrate and overtake these nations.

China’s history of empires has been the perfect preparation for it’s current position in the world today and quite possibly why it is set to rise above all other nations to become the strongest global empire of all time.

China’s status as a potential world power has prompted Israel to maintain closer ties with China by integrating China’s global influence with Israel’s economic management and its regional strategic importance in the Middle East (China didn’t recognise Israel until 1992).

Beijing has appreciated Israel’s political stability and diplomatic ingenuity and sees the Jewish state as one of the regional pillars for securing China’s influence in the Middle East and the entire world. So it looks like Satan is finding a way through a back door to gain control over the

Jews, but God knows and to date Israel just gains in strength and influence.

Recent ‘peace’ deals for economic reasons in the region may prove detrimental long term for Israel if they do not maintain their own strong political and moral values.

Even so the Bible is clear that God’s will shall be done and as we approach the end of the ages Israel will be the most opposed nation on earth from without but also within.

The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.

On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord.

“I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves.They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place. (Zech 12:1-6) n

Dead Sea Scrolls discoveries are first ancient Bible texts to be found in 60 years!

The mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt.The earth heaves before Him,The world and all that dwell therein.Who can stand before His wrath? Who can resist His fury? His anger pours out like fire, and rocks are shattered because of Him.

A

new set of Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient fragments of biblical texts dating back almost 2,000 years and thought to have been hidden during a Jewish revolt against Rome, have been found in an Israeli desert.

The remarkable discoveries were made during an Israeli project to prevent looting in the Holy Land, which experts says has been a constant threat to undiscovered artifacts since the first Dead Sea Scrolls discovery.

Antiquities Authority Director Israel Hasson, who launched the operation, urged the Israeli government to do more to protect other undiscovered treasures.

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced that a four-year archaeological project uncovered portions of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets, including the books of Zechariah and Nahum. It was the first such discovery in 60 years.

Among the recovered texts, which are all in Greek, is Nahum 1:5–6, which says: “The mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt. The earth heaves before Him,The world and all that

dwell therein.Who can stand before His wrath? Who can resist His fury? His anger pours out like fire, and rocks are shattered because of Him.” These words are remarkable given the global plague judgement that has been occurring around the globe over the last year and which continues as mankind refuses to repent of unbelief in Christ and of evil.

Most of those scrolls are in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem but both Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have disputed their ownership. Qumran in the West Bank, the site where the first

scrolls were found, is part of land seized by Israel in the 1967 war The area’s unique dry climate means documents found there have survived in unusually good condition.

Researchers had to rappel down a precarious cliff face to reach the cave opening, which is 262 feet below a cliff top and flanked by gorges on either side. Drones were also used to survey hard-toreach parts of caves. Only at this point in history would these rare fragments have been discovered, surely this is yet another sign that needs to be heeded!

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Space, our final frontier... ..Is this is your destiny?

D

id you realise that we are destined to be astronauts for a day!

According to Peter understanding time and space is something important that we must not be ignorant about!

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8 This time differential could be due to what scientists call ‘gravitational time dilation’. The basic theory is that time is perceived differently the further away from earths gravity you are. If one can move at the speed of light or faster (as God does) then one can move vast distances across the universe in quick time, however from earths point of view those journeys would appear to take many more days or years of earth time, even thousands of years.

This scientific theory, originally proposed by Einstein, has now been proven true by using atomic clocks in space journeys and why satellite clocks have to be adjusted every so often, because they gain time!

Einstein’s general relativity theory says that gravity curves space and time, resulting in a tendency for the orbiting clocks to tick slightly faster, by about 45 microseconds per day. The net result is that time on a GPS satellite clock advances faster than a clock on the ground by about 38 microseconds per day.

(Wikipedia).

Some satellites will only gain 1.6 days in 1000 years, but this is still a remarkable phenomenon.

Jesus said that he was going away to his Father in heaven and might be some time. That place is commonly understood to be outside the visible universe in what’s called the ‘Third Heaven’ where God dwells (2 Corin 12:2) PAGE 20 REVIVAL TIMES

Therefore from his point of view not much time may have passed, perhaps a day or two, but here on earth it’s been nearly 2000 solar years! By calculating this gravitational dilation we can roughly calculate the massive distance involved.

To calculate how many days since he ascended into heaven we divide the years passed by annual solar days, so that’s 1994 x 365.25 since he ascended into heaven (officially AD 28) = 728,308.5 earth days (as at 2020) approximately.

To Jesus this would be equivalent to almost 2 days in heaven (equivalent as per 2 Peter 3:8). Contrary to popular belief there is actually time in heaven as it’s mentioned in Scripture (see Revelation 8:1) Based on time dilation principles it means that he is a very very long way away!!

Scientific estimates received by the Hubble telescope that from earth to the edge of the visible universe

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up... is 46,500,000,000 light years across (from our viewpoint). So if 1 second of light travels 180,000 miles we can calculate the distance!

Each day has 86,400 seconds (approx) x 180k, so each day is equal to: 15,552,000,000 miles per day!

One year is 365.25 days so we must multiply to get 1 years distance = 5,680,368,000,000 (5.7 trillion miles per year) that’s 1 light year. If we times this by 1994 years that’s mind blowing!

However as God moves faster than visible light these distances may well be larger!!

That’s beyond unreachable, that’s how separate our holy God is from the universe he made and how mighty he is! Jesus is the heavenly light (Spirit) that created all matter in the universe and he holds it all together.

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Heb 1:3) These impossible distances are why we need a ‘door’ or a ‘window’ into heaven, somehow prayer is instant across all distance and time (see Daniel 9:23; 10:12-14). This shows the power of Christian prayer, as we are ‘one Spirit’ with him. Demonic forces resist both prayer and the forthcoming angelic action on answering prayer (see John 1: 51; Matt 18:10; 26:53; Luke 1:13; Heb 1:14; 1 Corin 6:3) When Jesus (God) returns time itself will cease as the distances and gravity are compressed, because heaven and earth will be reconnected at the final

There were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. judgement, the last hour! The distances (made of nothing but space) are compressed back and gravity will change.

And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Revelation 10:6-7 Firstly we should really take note of what the ancient prophets spoke about and seek revelation about our day, where we are in the clock of time according to God. Time is not marked by human clocks but by the Father in heaven and he has made known his plan to the prophets. He wants us to know the truth, to trust him and be a part of his kingdom to come.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2

With all this in mind we must not be ignorant therefore of the incredible promises of Jesus which apply to those who have received his words and have been sealed by his Spirit.

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:1 Peter concludes: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Peter 3:9-14 Stand by for liftoff! n REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 21

International Intercessors Leaders’ Prophecy Below is a prophecy given 22 years ago by a very well known and respected Bible teacher and supporter of God’s work with Israel. It was clearly speaking about our times. This should wake us all up and get us ready for what is to come next.

You are reading this because you are the remnant that believes!

(Word from the Lord released through Lance Lambert) Caliraya, Laguna, Philippines Sunday 2 November 1998 My anger is stirred up, says the LORD, against the nations; for they are dividing My land and seeking to destroy My heritage. My furious anger is like a boiling cauldron against those powerful states that have produced such strategies, and who by pressure and manipulation are seeking to implement them. Now I will become their enemy, says the LORD, and I will judge them with natural disasters, by physical catastrophes, by fire, by flood, by earthquake and by eruptions. I will touch the seas, and the atmosphere, the earth and all that is within them. Moreover, I will touch them where it will hurt them the most, for I will touch their power and the foundations of their affluence and prosperity. I will smash their prosperous economies, says the LORD. They sit like potentates, so safe, so secure, believing in their own cleverness and wisdom and power; but I, the LORD, I will cause them to stumble. I will lead them into confusion and disorder. I will blind them and delude them so that they will make mistakes because they have not regarded Me, nor honoured Me; but rather they have devalued Me, deriding My word and ignoring My covenants.

For too long have I been quiet, says the LORD, but now will I arise in overflowing anger and fury. In dividing My land and seeking to demoralize and destroy My people, Israel, they have thrown down the gauntlet. I, the LORD of Hosts, the Almighty One, I will take them on.

Therefore, you who know Me, whom I have redeemed and saved at such cost, who seek to serve Me and to stand before Me in the place of intercession, learn to abide in Me. For all these storms and troubles will come upon both the redeemed and the unredeemed. I am your true refuge and shelter. Do not fear but trust in Me and I will be your strength. Beware of uncommanded work that you may not uncover yourselves and become casualties. For all that which I command you to do, there is grace and power and wisdom and you will be fully covered.

Do not fear, says the LORD, for I am in charge and I will fulfill all My purpose. Out of this turmoil, I will bring a saved multitude beyond number from amongst the nations. And I will bring the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb, using the pressures, the afflictions and the turmoil, to purify and to refine her, if, only in a faithful remnant. And in the midst of all this shaking, in the very eye of the storm, I will save Israel. For I will open her blinded eyes and her closed mind and her locked heart and she will recognize her Messiah, her LORD and her Saviour. Tenderly and with unfailing love and I lead Israel. She who is bespattered with blood, persecuted and hated, I the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, will bring out of this turmoil, redeemed and with glory.

Therefore in love, fear Me, says the LORD, your Saviour and your Deliverer, and learn to wait on Me and wait for Me. To such I will look, to those who have laid down their lives for My sake, who have humbled themselves before Me; to them will I open My heart, and reveal My mind and give understanding. For those that wait for Me shall never be confounded nor ashamed. But the self-centered, the self-serving and the self-contained, those who are proud and superior, they will be broken, says the LORD. Put your trust in Me alone. Let me be your all and you will come through this time with treasure, for I will be your eternal and unfading treasure. https://www.lancelambert.org/international-intercessors-leaders-conference-prophecy/ PAGE 22 REVIVAL TIMES

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THE LAST WORD

At the end of the sixth Trumpet the Angel declares that there should be time no longer, but at the voice of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound, the Mystery of God should be finished as he has declared to his servants the Prophets. Now here is a direct assertion of the end of the world in these words ‘that there shall be time no longer’, and this further character of it, that the Mystery of God shall then be finished: By which mystery I see not what can well be meant if not the resurrection of the saints and accomplishment of their happiness in Christ’s Kingdom, which according to the Prophets is to commence at his second coming.

Sir I ssac Newton

REVIVAL TIMES PAGE 23

Useful Resources In this section are a number of websites which can help inspire you to seek the Lord in effective praying and in getting out there doing as well. As always, JESUS CHRIST is our greatest example and the one to whom we must compare ourselves and obey. The greatest resource is the Bible itself, so please spend your main study time in the Word of God, preferably the least corrupted King James Version!

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 Websites: www.omega-ministries.org www.biblegateway.com www.biblehub.com www.spurgeongems.org www.heartcrymissionary.com www.propheticvision.org.uk www.thelastreformation.com www.propheticalert.net www.biblearchaeology.org www.creation.com www.christianrethink.co.uk www.2028end.com www.cfi.org.uk

Free material to download, booklets and tracts.

Online Bible versions for comparison Online Bible versions and Greek / Hebrew Lexicon and Interlinear Powerful messages from one of the great preachers of the 19th Century Equipping and mobilizing indigenous churches and missionaries David Hathaway evangelistic website - recommended!

Join the network of believers who want to see power evangelism Insights into current affairs and how to avoid deception A useful site for the latest in Biblical related finds The best resource for creation material and news The articles posted here are an attempt to put the record straight Incredible prophectic insights for when Jesus could return to earth Christian resources regarding Israel

If you have been blessed by anything in this magazine please be as generous as you can to any of these Christian ministries supporting the poor and needy: www.bhct.org.uk The Beachy Head Chaplaincy - on mission to prevent suicides www.matthew25mission.org Helping feed the wandering and homeless in Eastbourne UK www.opendoorsuk.org Supporting outreach globally and supporting Christians in persecution www.teenchallenge.org.uk Helping people escape the problems of drugs and addiction www.capuk.org Christians Against Poverty, bringing the good news to the poor in UK www.hopenow.org.uk Working with Orphans in the Ukraine www.kingdomwaytrust.org Ministry to aid the homeless and hurting in society

Further viewing and reading from: www.cfi.org.uk AREK (DVD) Unison

CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY (Booklet) David Soakell

How did a small boy survive the Nazi holocaust? Arek Hersh entered his first camp just 10 years old. This started a five-year ordeal grieving for his family gassed at Chelmno in the first gas vans, across war torn Poland and through two notorious death camps. The film follows Arek from the streets of Lodz ghetto to the wire fences of Auschwitz and Birkenau.

A compilation of songs and poems originally set to music, which try to reflect something of the horror of the Holocaust and beyond.

D156 // 91 mins // £9.00 (incl. UK p&p)

A royalty from the sale of this publication will aid survivors of the Holocaust through Christian Friends of Israel’s project ‘Forsake Them Not’.

BT99 // 31 pages // £4.50 (incl. UK p&p)