Showing posts with label Bible Prophecies fulfilled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Prophecies fulfilled. Show all posts

Saturday, January 17, 2015

2015 Amazing Worldwide Event #4 Linked to Bible Prophecy: The Coming Fourth Lunar Eclipse in September

The fourth and final amazing worldwide event linked to Bible prophecy that we can foresee coming in 2015 is the fourth and final total lunar eclipse of the 2014 – 2015 tetrad. (Tweet that!)

This total lunar eclipse will occur on September 28, 2015, the Feast of Tabernacles, only two weeks after the Shemitah. (Tweet that!) I wonder what the world will look like at that point? I do expect major events to occur on the Shemitah, or perhaps before.

Am I foolish in openly predicting such a thing? I don't think so. I'm not the one predicting it. God is writing in the skies where EVERYONE can see -- whether or not they have a Bible, a TV, internet, or can read a blog like this one. (Tweet that!) God is shouting through all of these signs -- signs in the sun and moon and more. (Tweet that!) So will I be put to shame if my prediction doesn't come true? (Tweet that!) I don't believe I'll be put to shame on that.

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11).

If you missed the introductory discuss of the Shemitah in my previous post two days ago, find it here: The Coming Shemitah in September.

You can learn more right now about why all these lunar eclipses occurring on Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles two years in a row are important from our discussions during the first two total lunar eclipses in these posts. The videos with expert Jonathan Cahn that are titled "After the Lunar Eclipse" were recorded after the first total lunar eclipse which occurred on Passover last spring on April 15, 2014.


We will discuss this fourth total lunar eclipse coming in September in future posts. In fact, we will talk more about the next total lunar eclipse, the third in the tetrad, coming in April next week, so please stop back by and bring a friend.


Related Articles:



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Saturday, December 27, 2014

Christmas Advent Videos: 12 Days of Christmas Bible Prophecies Fulfilled! (Videos)

Thank you for joining me this Christmas Season in these twelve video posts that explored the Bible's Christmas story. We looked more deeply into areas of the story that we don't normal hear about or think about.

We also looked into several prophecies that were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

If you missed any of this series, are just discovering us, or wish to share what you've learned with your friends or family, here are links to the entire series. (Tweet that!)

We're taking the rest of the Christmas season, through New Year's Day, off. In the New Year we'll pick up with explore more about Bible prophecy and what we're seeing take place in our world today.

Be sure to book mark this page and visit often for more fascinating information!

Related Articles: 



I"ll see you next year when we explore more Bible prophecies and compare them to what we're seeing take place in our world today.

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 12: What Does It Mean that Joseph and Mary "Presented" Jesus to the LORD? (Video Post)

In Luke 2:22-23 the Bible tells us:

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"). 

Sometimes I think when we read unfamiliar ideas in the Bible we just kind of read over them without much thought because we don't know what they mean or we don't know if they are important or why they are important. I think this is one of those pieces of information. (Tweet that!)

When the Bible says Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to "present him to the Lord," do you know what that means? (Tweet that!) Do you understand what it is referring to?

You can learn what this means and why it was important in today's video. (Tweet that!)

These are the Bible verses I reference in this video, the first one with more context around these verses:


"Presenting Jesus to the LORD" 
Christmas Story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 12 of 12

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:  (Tweet this!)


Again, Mary and Joseph faithfully helped the infant Jesus keep the Law of God right from the start. (Tweet that!)

Today's post along with the previous two posts are all linked together, so if you missed the previous two you might want to view them using the links above.

 Today is Christmas Day and the final post in this Christmas Advent video series. I hope you have enjoyed this series of 12 posts with videos. More than that, I hope you have learned something new that has enhanced your Christmas experience this year.

 We'll be taking the rest of the week off here at the blog, and will resume blogging in the New Year.

 May you and yours have a glorious Christmas!

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Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 11: "What was Mary's 'Purification' About?" (Video Post)

In the previous post we talked about the circumcision of Jesus, and why that was important enough to list it in Scripture (that is, the Bible).

Today, we look at something else in that same Bible passage that is similar in that we often read over it and wonder what it means and why it's important. In this passage Luke also tells us that while Mary and Joseph were at the Temple in Jerusalem, they also performed the "purification" ceremony required for Mary. Now what is this all about? (Tweet that!)

Find out in today's video.

Here are the Scripture verses I reference in the video today. On the video I'm reading from the older New International Version, so the words don't exactly match this translation linked here, but it means the same thing.


"What was Mary's 'Purification' About?" 
Christmas Story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 11 of 12

Here is a thought I had that I didn't include in my video: It is not sinful to get pregnant or to give birth, so why do women need to be purified? I don't know if this is the answer to that question, but my mind connects the verse in Psalm 51:5 where King David wrote "in sin did my mother conceive me." This does not mean David's mother did anything wrong in conceiving him. (Tweet that!) It refers to the fact that every one of us are sinful from birth. It's in our nature. We're born with it. Maybe that has something to do with why God gave Moses the regulation that women must be purified after childbirth. However as I said in the video, I don't really know and I haven't found anything that shows anyone else understands this either.

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:   (Tweet this!)


Mary and Joseph faithfully helped the infant Jesus keep the Law of God right from the start. (Tweet that!)

Today's post along with the previous post and the next one are all linked together, so please come back on or after Thursday, which is Christmas Day, for the final post in this Christmas Advent video series. Invite your family to join you and then you can have some great conversations about Jesus on Christmas! (Tweet that!)

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Saturday, December 20, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 10: Cut Away Flesh for an Intimate Relationship with God (Video Post)

Remember when the angel, Gabriel, came and talked to Mary and told her that she would have a son? Remember when Gabriel told Mary exactly what to name her Son?

Gabriel told Mary to name him Jesus.

So after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple to officially name Him.

That's not all they did there. If you've read the Christmas story in the Bible, you may have read the part in Luke 2 where Mary and Joseph had Jesus circumcised. (Tweet that!)

Now why in the world is that in the Bible? And in our so-far nice little Christmas story! (Tweet that!)

It's because if a Jewish male did not have his foreskin cut off, then he was to be cut off from God. Why is circumcision important to God? Because it is symbolic of something much greater that each of us needs to take care of in order to have an intimate relationship with God.  (Tweet that!)

Find out more in this video.

Scripture verses I used in today's video are:


"Cut Away Flesh for an Intimate Relationship with God" 
Christmas story vlog
Dianne E. Butts - 10 of 12

Mary and Joseph faithfully helped the infant Jesus keep the Law of God right from the start. (Tweet that!)

Have you taken steps to "cut off" (spiritually, figuratively!) your sinful flesh so that you can have an intimate relationship with God? If not, why not do so today? This is not a physical act and no physical cutting needs to be done. This image is symbolic of spiritually removing our sinful flesh to come into a beautiful spiritual relationship with God.

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:   (Tweet this!)


Today's post and the next two are all linked together, so please come back on Tuesday for the next Christmas Advent video. Invite your family to join you and then you can have some great conversations about Jesus on Christmas! (Tweet that!)

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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 9: The Prophetic Meanings of the Gifts of the Magi (Video Post)

Did you know that the gifts the Wise Men gave to the baby Jesus were not just randomly picked, but had special meaning? (Tweet that!)

These gifts were picked especially for Jesus. Well, obviously. But they had meaning for his life. Where He was headed as a man. And what He would do while here on earth. (Tweet that!)

The three gifts of the Magi predicted the future. (Tweet that!)

In other words, the Wise Men's gifts were prophetic. The gifts themselves were prophecies. (Tweet that!)

You probably know the three gifts were

  • Gold
  • Frankincense
  • Myrrh

But what did each of the gifts mean? (Tweet that!) We'll talk about it in today's video.

The Bible Scripture verse I mention in today's video is the one that lists the three gifts brought by the Magi. You can find it here in the context of the story of the Wise Men:

"The Prophetic Meanings of the Gifts of the Magi" 
Christmas Story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 9 of 12

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:   (Tweet this!)


Please come back on Saturday for the next Christmas Advent video. I hope you're enjoying this special season. Take time out to enjoy the journey and your loved ones!

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 8: What Was That Unusual Star of Bethlehem? (Video Post)

Hanukkah begins today, and I wish all those who celebrate it a very happy Hanukkah!

What exactly was the Star of Bethlehem?

There's some interesting research about that, and it's dependent on the answer to this question: When did Herod the Great die? (Tweet that!)

I talk about that in today's video.

Here are some more tidbits from today's video. Did you know...?

  • The planet Jupiter is named after the greatest god of Roman mythology. (Tweet that!)
  • Jupiter is known as the King Planet. (Tweet that!)
  • The star Regulus takes its name from the word we get our word "regal" from. 
  • The Babylonians call Regulus Sharu, which means "king." (Tweet that!)

"What Was That Unusual Star of Bethlehem?" 
Christmas Story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 8 of 12

So when the King planet met the King star, it made an unusual star in the sky that led the wise men to Jesus, and Jesus was born! (Tweet that!)

Related Articles: 


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Saturday, December 13, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 7: Trivia! Who Gave the Prophecy of the Star of Bethlehem? (Video Post)

You've heard there was a prophecy given centuries before Jesus was born that there would be a special star in the sky that pointed to Messiah. (Tweet that!)

You may even know where in the Bible that prophecy is found. (Ask that in a Tweet!)

Christmas trivia question: Who was it who spoke that prophecy? (Tweet that!)

The answer may surprise you! I'll share the answer in today's video.

Bible verses I share in this video are:


"Who Gave the Prophecy of the Star of Bethlehem?" 
Christmas story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 7 of 12


Here's more context for that one little verse: Numbers 24.

Here's the story about the talking donkey! Numbers 22.

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:   (Tweet this!)


Please come back next Tuesday for the next Christmas Advent video. We're going to talk more about the Star of Bethlehem and what it actually was. Please invite a friend. And please share this blog with your social media networks. Thank you! See you then.

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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 6: A Prophecy Given And 700+ Years Later It's Fulfilled! (Video Post)

Did you know that one of the most popular Bible verses we hear at Christmastime isn't in the Christmas Bible story at all, but was written more than 700 years before Jesus was born? (Tweet that!)

Yes, it refers to Him. It was a prophecy given by Isaiah and fulfilled perfectly more than 700 years later! (Tweet that!)

In the previous post we talked about why Gabriel, the angel God sent, announced the birth of Jesus, the Christ, to the group of shepherd who were on the hills near Bethlehem.

Today, let's take a closer look at the message Gabriel gave those shepherds.

The angel told the shepherds about a child that had been born that very evening in Bethlehem. (Tweet that!)

This was the same child that the prophet Isaiah spoke of 700+ years earlier when he prophesied that both a child would be born and a Son given. (Tweet that!)

Bible verses I refer in today's video are:
"A Prophecy Given, 700+ Years Later It's Fulfilled!"
Christmas story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 6 of 12

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:   (Tweet that!)


Next time we will talk about the Star of Bethlehem. If you think a prophecy given more than 700 years before it was fulfilled is amazing, the prophecy of the Bethlehem Star was given way earlier! Please come back Saturday for the next Christmas Advent video. See you then.

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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 5: The Bethlehem Shepherds and the Temple Sheep (Video Post)

I'm sure you remember the part of the Bible Christmas story where the angel, Gabriel, appeared to the shepherds tending their sheep on the hills near Bethlehem. (Tweet this!)

But have you ever thought about why shepherds were keeping their sheep on the hills near Bethlehem? (Tweet that!)

And why, of all the shepherds tending sheep in all of Israel, would Gabriel have come to those shepherds, the ones near Bethlehem? (Tweet that!)

I think there's a clue, if you think about what those sheep were for.

Find out more in today's Christmas story video.

The Scripture I refer to in today's video is Luke 2:8. Here is that verse with the surrounding context:

"The Bethlehem Shepherds & the Temple Sheep" 
Christmas story vlog 
with Dianne E. Butts - 5 of 12

Related Articles: 


Catch up on this special series of Christmas Advent video posts here:


Please come back on Thursday for the next Christmas Advent video. Invite a friend! Please share this with your social network buddies using the buttons below. See you Thursday.

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Saturday, December 6, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 4: Was Jesus Born on the Feast of Tabernacles? (Video Post)

I hope you're enjoying this Christmas video series as we look forward to the coming of Jesus, the Christ.

If you've missed any previous Christmas Advent posts, you'll find links to the previous Days at the bottom of the page.

You've probably heard that, while we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, most likely Jesus was not born on that day. But I think I know which day Jesus was born on! (Tweet that!)

Today I'm going to tell you how I came to the conclusion that Jesus may have been born on the Feast of Tabernacles. (Tweet that!) Now that, as you might imagine, takes a bit of explaining! So I hope you'll hang in there with me through the explanation. I think it's all fascinating so I hope you'll find it worthwhile.

Why would it carry any significance if God had Jesus be born on the Feast of Tabernacles? Because "tabernacle" means dwelling place, so wouldn't it be fitting if God came to dwell among people on the Feast that celebrates God dwelling among people? (Tweet that!)

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14, NIV).

Furthermore, if Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles, then He may have been conceived during the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah! (Tweet that!) Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, and Jesus was the Light of the World who was coming into the world. Cool, huh?

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world (John 1:9, NIV).

This year Hanukkah begins the evening of December 16 and it's 8 Days of Hanukkah, runs through Christmas Eve, December 24.

Want to know more? It's all here in this video. Enjoy!



Scripture verses in the Bible I reference in this video are:


Related Articles: 

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Thursday, December 4, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 3: The Virgin Birth (Video Post)

Welcome to Day 3 of our 12 Christmas Advent video blog posts.

Today, let's talk about the virgin birth.

Have you ever wondered why a prophet 740 years before Jesus was born would give a prophecy of a virgin giving birth? (Tweet that!)

What were the circumstances of that prophecy?

Was there another "virgin birth" fulfilled at that time? (Tweet that!)

Who gave that prophecy? Who received it?

Here's a trivia question: Who received that prophecy? (The answer is a name I bet you've heard if you've read the Old Testament.) (Tweet that!)

If this prophecy was given 740 years before Jesus was born, what did it mean at that time and how did it relate to Jesus 740 years later?

So many questions! You can learn the answers in today's video:

Bible verses referenced in this video include:

  • Matthew 1:22-23
  • Isaiah 7:1-14, especially Isaiah 7:14
  • Genesis 24:43



Related Articles:


If you missed the previous posts in this special series of Christmas Advent video posts, you can view the previous posts here:


Please come back on Saturday for the next Christmas Advent video. Please invite a friend. See you then.

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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 2: Jesus is a Descendant of Abraham (Video Post)

Hello! Welcome to Day 2 of our own "12 Days of Christmas" Advent video posts. (Tweet that!)

Have you ever wondered how the people living in the days of Jesus could have known whether or not He was the Messiah? (Tweet that!)

That's what we're talking about today.

In today's video I teach about one of the very first prophecies any good Jewish leader would have checked to see if someone claiming to be the Messiah actually fulfilled. (Tweet that!)

So when people began to think Jesus was the Messiah, it was important to them to find out if He fulfilled this prophecy. (Tweet that!)

The Bible verse I use in the video is:





If you missed Day 1 of this special series of Christmas Advent video posts, you can view the previous blog post with that video here:


Please come back on Thursday for the next Christmas Advent video! And bring a friend! See you then.

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Saturday, November 29, 2014

Christmas Advent Day 1: And He Shall Be Called the Son of God (Video Post)

Welcome to Advent Season!

Advent means "coming," and in this season after Thanksgiving we look forward to the coming of the Messiah.

Of course this is the Bible Prophecies Fulfilled blog, and so this is an excellent time to remember the prophecies in the Bible that were fulfilled in the Advent of Jesus -- meaning the first coming of Jesus. (Tweet that!)

In the previous post I mentioned that I was planning something special for the Advent Season. There's a bit of a story behind it.

A few months ago I heard from a reader, Angela, who said this blog looked really interesting, and the topics looked intriguing, but she didn't have time to read all my posts. However, she pitched me a suggestion: Why didn't I put this information on my blog into videos? (Tweet that!)

I thought, What? Me? On video?!

Yikes.

I'll admit the idea was a bit intimidating. Nevertheless I did think it was a good idea. So I'm giving it a try.

Through this Advent Season, between now and Christmas, I'm planning a series of short videos about some of the Bible prophecies fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

Since I post three times a week -- on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays -- that gives us twelve posts between now and Christmas.

And here (double Yikes!) is the first one.

In this little video I talk about the prophecy from Isaiah that says Jesus would be called the Son of God.  (Tweet that!) The references I use are:

  • Isaiah 7:14 Please note Isaiah worked as a prophet in Israel from 740 B.C. until at least 681 B.C.. So his prophecy was given 700+ years before Jesus was born!
  • Luke 1:35 When the angel Gabriel gave Mary the news that she would give birth to the Christ child, he also told her that her Son would be called the Son of the Most High.
Enjoy the video: (Angela, this is for you!)



I hope you enjoyed hearing me on video! If you did, please invite your friends, contacts, and family to join us too. (Tweet that!)

I'll see you next time for Day 2 in our 12 days for Christmas Advent.

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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks Morguefile.com 
Happy Thanksgiving!

To those readers outside the United States, today is an American (and Canadian) holiday in which we give thanks to the God of the Bible for His provision and blessing.

We will be back on Saturday and will resume the three times a week posts on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

When we resume, we're going to take some time away from the troubles of the world.  I'm preparing a special series of posts for the Advent season. (Tweet that!)

After Thanksgiving, the Advent season begins. The season of Advent looks forward to the coming of the Christ, which we celebrate on Christmas.

In this series of posts through the Advent season, we are going to take a look at several Bible prophecies that have already been perfectly fulfilled 100%!

This will actually be just a handful of the many prophecies that were fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah. (Tweet that!)

I hope you will enjoy this special Advent series of Bible prophecies fulfilled as we look forward to our celebration of the first coming of Christ. (Tweet that!) Please invite a friend or your family or church family to join us. (Tweet that!) Or spread the word via social media.

Thank you.  See you on Saturday.

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

How to Tell a True Prophet or Prophecy from a False One

Thanks Morguefile.com 
As I mentioned in the very first post for this blog on March 2, 2014, I'm a prophecy geek. I've loved prophecy since I first heard of it, or discovered it, or however you say that. I remember when I was a kid, maybe even before I was a teenager, I heard of prophecies in the Bible and they fascinated me. Someone actually said what was going to happen in the future?! And then…did it come true? (Tweet that!)

Of course we have many people through history and even today saying they can predict the future. But the trick is: do they get it right? (Tweet that!) 

True prophecy comes true. I've learned that true prophecy only comes from God and that any prophecy that comes from the One True God comes true. (Tweet that!)  It has to. God cannot get it wrong. If God gave a prophecy and it did not come true in every detail, that would mean either God cannot see the future or He made a mistake or He lied. God alone can see the future. God cannot make mistakes. And He cannot lie. Prophecies that come from the one true God must come true.

That does not mean all of them have been fulfilled already. Some are in the future and have yet to be fulfilled. But I believe we are very close to seeing them fulfilled. I also believe we are seeing some fulfilled right before our very eyes in these very days. (Tweet that!) 

Exploring all these things is what this blog is about.

So how do we know whether a person is a true prophet speaking truth from the one and only true God? (Tweet that!) Deuteronomy 18:19-22 (New Living Translation) gives us this guidance. This is God speaking through the prophet:

19 "'I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. 20 But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.' 
21 "But you may wonder, 'How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?' 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.
That's what God says. Now I don't know about you, but I find that a bit tricky because in order to see if the message is from God, we have to wait to see if it happens!

For some prophecies, we have been waiting for thousands of years. So should we keep waiting? Or declare them false?

Even though many prophecies have not yet happened, we can be sure they will come true because of the track record of the prophets in the Bible. Enough prophecies by the same prophets have been fulfilled to assure us they are true prophets. The rest of the prophecies will come true.

Believing this is called "faith." Seeing the prophecies that have already come true and believing the rest will also be fulfilled based on that is called strengthening our faith. (Tweet that!) How strong is your faith?

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

What is Prophecy? - Two Definitions

Thanks Morguefile.com 
Since we are talking about prophecy on this blog, it's only fair to define what prophecy is.

There are at least two definitions of "prophecy" (Tweet that!):
  • To predict the future 
  • To speak forth God's Truth

When I first started studying this subject years ago, I thought prophecy meant foretelling the future, and it does. (Tweet that!) This is what God did through the prophets of old in the Old Testament, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, and Zechariah.

But I have since learned that prophecy also has another meaning, and that is speaking forth God's truth. Whenever a man or woman of God speaks forth the truth of God, this too is prophecy. Are you a prophet in this sense? (Tweet that!) 

In this blog my aim also two-fold:

My aim is to show you places in God's Word, which is the Bible (Old and New Testaments), where His prophets predicted future events. And then also show where those events were perfectly fulfilled, if they have been fulfilled in the past. (Tweet that!) 

Then secondly I want to show places in God's Word, the Bible, where His prophets predicted events that are future to us, prophecies that have not yet come to pass. (Tweet that!) With these we are looking at what is happening in the world today that could be a fulfillment of that prophecy or could be leading up to or setting things up for its fulfillment. (Tweet that!) 

Sometimes when we talk about prophecy on the internet or elsewhere, we can sound, ranting about things like "the mark of the beast" and other important topics. But what's neglected is what comes before that, questions like "what is the mark of the beast?" and "where do they get that?" I can almost hear many people asking where does come from? If it's in the Bible, where does it say that? And just what does the Bible say about that?

In this blog it's my aim to answer these questions as best as I can, especially "Where do they get that?" (Tweet that!)

Prophecies Fulfilled in the Life of Jesus
by Dianne E.  Butts
There can be other meanings of prophecy also, including the "prophetic pictures" God painted in the Bible of His kingdom or His Messiah, including the prophetic pictures painted in the Tabernacle/Temple and the seven Feasts of the LORD, which we will look at occasionally here, including next week. I discussed these very topics in my newest book, Prophecies Fulfilled in the Life of Jesus, so you if you'd like to learn more about these you may like to get that book. (Tweet that!)

Prophecy can also mean interpretation, such as when Daniel was called in to interpret the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2) and interpret the handwriting on the wall for King Belshazzar (Daniel 5). When Daniel interpreted these signs from God, Daniel was also speaking prophecy or prophesying. 

Another vitally important issue is, how can we tell a true prophet from a false one? And how can we determine which prophecies are truly from God and which are not? In the next post we'll look at how to tell a true prophet and true prophecies from false ones.

Meanwhile, I hope you've found this discussion of "What is prophecy?" and these definitions helpful.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Biggest Prophetic Sign Ever! Israel is Back in the Land

Front Page of The Jerusalem Post May 16, 1948
Wikimedia Foundation. Fair use.
I often say if we're not in the End Times, you can see them from here.

I often get responses from people, including from pastors, that show their skepticism. They respond with comments like, "We can't know that." One told me, "We have at least another 30 years." Another said, "We have at least another 100 years."

I wish I would have been quick-thinking enough to ask them, "Based on what?"

God gave us information about the End Times for a reason: so we would know. (Tweet that!) (For more on why God gave us prophecies, see Related Articles below.)

Jesus talked about the signs of the end and the signs of his coming in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. He told us what would be happening in our world so we would watch for the signs, understand what was happening, and know it was near. (Tweet that!)

So for all the skeptics out there, in recent history we have witnessed one prophetic sign that has never occurred before in human history. (Tweet that!) One sign that is unique to our generation. One sign that changes everything. It is the biggest sign ever. Like a flashing neon billboard. (Tweet that!)

What is it? Israel is once again a nation.

In Jesus' time, Israel was an occupied country, occupied by the Romans. Israel had not been a free nation since long before the birth of Jesus.

God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel about "The Valley of Dry Bones" in Ezekiel 37. God showed Ezekiel a vision of a vast valley of dry bones. Then God asked Ezekiel in 37:3:

"Son of man, can these bones live?"

I love Ezekiel's response because he spoke with wisdom I never would have thought of:

"O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

God then put flesh on the bones and they became alive. And God explained to Ezekiel that this was the rebirth of Israel in her own land once again:

11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:11-14).

The Jewish people waited a very long time for this prophecy to be fulfilled, but it has happened. In our generation. Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948. So tomorrow, Israel turns 66 years old – that is the "new," re-established nation of Israel and the prophetic re-birth of the nation. This week we will honor Israel by learning more about this nation and how we can stay in touch with what's happening there. (Tweet that!)

For today, let's remember that it was after Adolf Hitler and his Nazis tried to annihilate the Jews that the result was Israel emerged as a nation once again after 2,000 years. That is an amazing turnaround, a miracle—something only God could do. (Tweet that!)

And that is a miraculous sign that is unique to our generation.

Many of the other prophecies of the End Times refer to the nation of Israel. Therefore, they cannot come to pass unless Israel is a nation. Now, as of 1948, Israel is once again a nation. (Tweet that!)

According to Psalm 90:10 in the Bible, a "generation" is about 70 years: 

The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.


Israel was born again on May 14, 1948. That means Israel will turn 70 years old in 2018. (Tweet that!)

The re-birth of Israel is the biggest prophetic sign ever. This sign is unique to the times we are living in right now. (Tweet that!)  It is a unique, one-of-a-kind sign that tells us if we're not in the End Times, we can see them from here.

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