Booty, Pre/Post Millennial Reign (Poem, Part 5)

(See the series here)

See the Israel series here

‘Have you gathered your army to take booty,
to carry away silver and gold,
to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’
(Ezekiel 38:13)

This key question is predicted at the start,
Of an attack on Israel, then defenseless!
Since nations at that time will be desperate, globally.
This war, the world will not be able to thwart!
Thus, this 5- nation attack will be audacious,
Unaware of The Lord's hand, moving strategically!

Against Israel, this huge war will be launched,

Sometime during the Great Tribulation.

During 7-years of massive death and destruction,

For life’s basics, desperate folk won’t be staunched.

Yet there’s gold in Israel?? Imagine! ¹

How in the world can this be? Here is my opinion.

Ways nations accumulate gold now include:

                        -Mining, whether at home or abroad

                       -Military conquest of endowed nations

                       -Donations from endowed nations, gifts accrued

                       -From ancient times, treasure finds that laud

                       -Non-moneyed commercial transactions

By all these means, ancient Israel increased her worth,

From recent gold, gas and oil finds, the nation’s wealth will soar!

Even an ancient gold treasure has been unearthed. ²

Now imagine ‘great tribulation commerce on Earth’,

Onto the ‘6-6-6 money system’, judgments down poured.

As money fails, the gold standard might be rebirthed! ³

Some time earlier, on Jerusalem’s temple mount,

The third Jewish temple will have been constructed,

Possibly via a decision of the anti-Christ. ⁴

Recall, The Bible’s detailed historical account,

The tremendous amount of gold God ‘deducted’,

From Israel’s neighbors, plus much gold that Jews sacrificed! ⁵

The incredible wealth in Israel’s first two temples,

Was >>a magnet<< for foreign army invasions,

Her wealth carried away, and some was paid as ‘tribute dictate’. ⁶

In The Bible, like puzzle pieces, patterns assembled,

Reveal God’s blessings, and judgments for infractions.

Gog and Magog troops: To the 3rd temple, ‘Come, like fish-to-bait!’ ⁷

Great wealth in gold and precious resources did freely flow,

In-and-out of ancient Israel, hear the sucking sound,

The Lord’s blessings and judgments, just as Moses predicted. ⁸

But soon, only Millennial Reign blessings will she know,

For a thousand years, GREAT wealth in Israel will abound,

And will be >>a magnet<< for the world’s final army, afflicted! ⁹

In The Bible, like puzzle pieces, patterns are portrayed,

To parade the past and predict the future,

To confound all who are fools, and advise all who are wise.

They give the faith-full great hope, but make the faithless ...dismayed.

So …for how much of God’s Truth do you hunger??

Are you prepared for what in your life His patterns surmise??

For more see: Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel

----------

¹ Gold and other material wealth, sufficient to trigger an unprecedented military invasion

² See: Gas/Oil Found in Israel; Gold Found in Israel; and Gold Treasure Found in Israel

³ See: Revelation 16 and 19

⁴ See: Update on the Building of the Third Temple. See also: Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Revelation 11:1-2

⁵ See: Exodus 12:35-36, 25 – 28, Numbers 7, 31:52 (first temple); 1 Kings 6 – 10 (second temple)

⁶ See: 1 Kings 14, 2 Kings 12, 13, 17, 23, 24, 25, 2 Chronicles 12, 36, Joel 3 (wealth carried away). See also: 2 Kings 17, 23, 2 Chronicles 36

⁷ See: Ezekiel 38

⁸ See: Deuteronomy 28 and 32, and also Leviticus 26

⁹ The Bible predicts three future attacks in Israel:

(1) the 1st War of Gog and Magog during the apocalypse, desperate nations seeking life's basic needs, as described in Ezekiel 38;

(2) the Armageddon War that will end the apocalypse and start The Millennial Reign, as described in Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19:11-21; and 

(3) the  2nd War of Gog and Magog at the end of human history on this current version of Earth, as described in Revelation 20:7-10. 

Out of My Way, USA! (Poem)

See the Israel series here.

Throughout The Bible, patterns are replicated,

Revealing what God loves, and what He has hated.

To the wise, spiritual insights are given.

So from patterns, let’s see what we can determine.

Patterns between Israel and The Church abound.

Some are clear, others are guaranteed to confound! ¹

Patterns between ole Israel and her ‘neighbors’,

Should yield insights and lessons from …yester-years’ blunders.

Out of Egypt, ancient Israel was called,

‘Be separate from neighbors by Me appalled.’

But as into secularism she slipped,

Onto neighbors’ ways, she very tightly gripped.

From out of lands to which her remnants were driven,

A foothold in the ‘promised land’ Jews were given. ²

Secular, they had left that land, two nations …exiled. ³

Secular, they have now returned, one nation …compiled.

Before they left, the sins of their neighbors they’d adopted.

Thus, over time, God’s holy people had been co-opted.

Now that they’re back, nothing much has changed, as yet.

What you see in their neighbors, is what …God gets.

Secular is as secular does.

That is how the world is, just because.

But God promises His plan for Israel shall prevail,

His people, holy and separate, and all that entails. ⁴

Among all of Israel’s past sinful practices,

Was its reliance on unsanctioned alliances.

Military deals with powerful neighbors were struck,

When out of a pickle, by God, she might not be plucked. ⁵

Egypt, Assyria and Syria were the nations,

To whom Israel looked for help -- fighting men and weapons.

By these affronts, God was incensed!

In His judgments, He wouldn’t relent! ⁶

Today the USA sits in …the alliance seat,

That was once occupied by this ole …3-nations suite.

In this seat, could she be keeping Israel estranged,

From Him who has said, ‘I AM The Lord. I do not change’??

He also said,

To them who bless or curse you, blessings or curses I will mete.’ ⁷

But were their alliances ‘blessings’ to that 3-nation suite??

Now is the time to …think the unthinkable.

Now is the time to …speak the unspeakable.

Yep…

Throughout The Bible, patterns are replicated,

Revealing what God loves, and what He has hated.

For military alliances, Israel was upbraided,

And by The Lord’s severe judgments, she was later inundated.

All ‘Protect Israel at any cost’ pundits,

Please, let’s stop and reflect for just a few minutes.

God’s judgments for Israel’s ‘alliance bloopers’,

Did not just stay inside her national borders!

Out of the hands of all of her enemies,

God gave Israel deliverance trophies.

Only when in the hands of her enemies,

Did she repent of sins, and keep His decrees.

If we are content to sit in the seat of God,

Playing His declared role, by which folk have been awed, ⁸

Can anyone else here Him say:

‘Get out of My way, USA!’ ? ⁹
~~~

At a time of His choosing,

the USA and ALL other military allies of Israel will be 

out of The Lord’s way!!!

Perhaps before or by the ‘date Ezekiel 38’.

(See verse 13!)

Only then, will Israel look only to Him for its protections and blessings.

These predictive/prophetic promises are literally

ALL OVER THE BIBLE.

Remember: His ways are not our ways...

One day, Israel will learn to ‘call and lean upon’ 

Jesus Christ,The Lord God, its once-rejected Messiah.

The Bible iteratively GUARANTEES this prophecy.

Ohhh, if only…

----------

¹ For examples, see Laodicean Lackadaisicalness (Series), especially Parts 4-6. Both groups are to be 'holy' or separate from worldly ways.

² In May 1948.

³ The nations of Israel (10 northern tribes), exiled to Assyria, and Judah (mostly 2 southern tribes, plus many Levites), exiled to Babylon.

⁴ This will only apply, eternally, to a small remnant of all Jews who will have ever lived. See: Exodus 19:6, Zechariah 12, and Zechariah 13:8-9—the promised global purging of the Jewish remnants of the apocalypse, worldwide, before or at the start of The Millennial Reign age—the 5th Biblical age of our history. See: Human History Ages (Series). 

⁵ See: 2 Kings 7:6, 2 Chronicles 16:7-8, Isaiah 30:1-3 and Isaiah 31:3.

⁶ For example, see: Ezekiel 29.

⁷ See: Missed Insights About Genesis 12:3. Recall, Ishmael, patriarch of the Arabs, was ‘in Abraham’s loins’ when The Lord blessed Abraham.

⁸ Awed at His many recorded acts to protect and judge Israel.

⁹ Bible scholars have long pondered why no international military support to Israel is recorded in Ezekiel 38, the key chapter that predicts and outlines the rationale for, and outcome of the 1st War of Gog and Magog. Read it and ponder. (See: Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel) I perceive God’s major reason for the U.S. in our world today is the propagation of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, not necessarily the protection of other nations at any cost, including Israel. If The Lord, Who does not change, did not count ancient Israel’s military alliances with Egypt, Assyria and Syria as ‘blessings to Israel’, it is unlikely that He counts the US-Israel military alliance as a ‘blessing to Israel’. Also, He sometimes despised, and therefore judged Israel's and Judah's reliance on their OWN weaponry to deliver them from attacks. (See: Ezekiel 33:26) It's high time to think the unthinkable and speak the unspeakable, less we, too, in the USA and other western nations, fall under His judgments. Finally, see: Hosea 1:7.

Which Voice Merited? (Poem)

Hey Friend… 

If God said something to or about you,

And your feelings said something opposite,

Which message would you believe to be true?

To which voice would you give ...the most merit?

Feelings, like waves of a wind driven sea,

Their messages whispered in cultural inklings.

The Word of God is changeless, trustworthy,

Especially when with our faith it is mingling.

Feelings motivate and fuel the carnal world,

With messages easily manipulated.

Enemies of our soul their message unfurl.

Their objective is our lives …emasculated.

God’s code message is written in His spiritual Book,

Full of history and poetry through which He’ll speak.

Written in indelible ink, pick it up. Take a look!

If read with an open heart, your interest it will pique.

Voices, voices, those within and without,

Motivating thoughts, both fleeting and deep.

Which ones to heed? That’s what life is about.

What if into the future we could peep??

God lives in the realm of eternity,

Where the past, present and future are ...NOW.

Into our time-bound actuality,

He ‘calls’ things to ‘Be! Come!’ By faith is how.

With such power and insight, He extends to us,

Invitations to envision in advance what He says;

To learn His voice, and in it put full-hearted trust,

And then to align our thoughts and words to what He portrays.

‘Talk and act like Me.’

That’s what He desires.

‘Have My kind of faith.’

That’s what He inspires. *

But what to do when what He says does not align,

With all that we see, feel and think?

What if it contradicts and also undermines,

Past lessons to which we are linked??

He created feelings, without any doubt,

And of our thoughts and past, He is aware.

He knows our feelings can drain His Word of clout.

So don’t think, ‘He’s really being unfair!’

To grow up our faith in Him and His Word,

He designs tests to strengthen places where we’re weak.

He has unique ways to make His voice heard,

And when we’re not clear, Him diligently to seek.

To act like and say what He says, we resist!

We trust other voices much more than His.

To do what these voices say, we then insist!

Thus we stumble, and fail His blessings quiz.

If this poem upon your feelings may trudge,

It’s not your feelings’ toes I seek to step upon.

Let’s allow God’s Word be the final judge.

Upon you sooner or later, may His Truth dawn.

Ponder this...

By your example, in others which do you inspire:

Trusting in being led by feelings and other voices,

Or trusting in Father God to be their life’s umpire?

Ahhhh...

Voices within and without, confusing our life choices…

All across our world today …we’re stewing in our feelings.

Designated blessings delayed or altogether lost.

God would rather us to be …just resting in His testing,
So we can avoid such heavy, unnecessary costs.

----------

* See: Mark 11:23-26

That They Be One (Poem)

Diversity or unity?

Divers-nity? Uni-sity?

By both of these, we humans have been stressed!

But which is God’s will? By which is He blessed?

From man came woman; one became two.

Then from them, races …of every hue.

From one land mass, came seven continents,

Each with diverse national components.

Within nations, divisions thrive.

Real divisions! Others contrived.

Families, the building blocks of societies,

Have not escaped these …divisive proclivities.

God is ONE, the Head over all principalities,

Yet expressing Himself in three personalities.

From one man, Abraham, so many nations have come,

Yet only one chosen for blessings …under God’s thumb.

From this nation, one Man sent into the world as Christ,

Appointed to us as God’s only door for eternal life.

From this one life, across the world His Church would spread,

‘From every tongue, tribe and nation’, that’s what John said. ¹

Imagine the divisiveness across such a crowd!

Doctrines, styles, preferences, some by many disallowed! ²

Yet the heart of Christ in His pre-death prayer,

Was for His Church to be one, with no fissure. ³

Israel, one nation, split into two,

Both exiled when in their sins they did stew! ⁴

Now once again, as one nation it’s re-established,

With Jews from all over, by racism it’s tarnished.

The Church and Israel, God’s people, beleaguered,

By all sorts of divisiveness spirits, unfettered,

Appointed by Him to be ‘ministers’:

Israel to Him; the Church to sinners. ⁵

The Church…

Called out of the Gentile world in order to be saved,

Then commissioned to return so others may be saved.

To minister to sinners in a world so diverse,

The Church of Jesus Christ must similarly be diverse!

Now called to produce much ‘spiritual offspring’,

Then called to rule with Him when on Earth Christ is King.

Diversity, qualification for the task now at hand,

Unity, qualification for His millennial span.

Israel…

A nation born to give birth to a Savior Who would die.

A nation that split, sinned, then to nationhood said, ‘Goodbye!’ ⁶

First appointed as Jesus’ family on Earth,

To be anointed His priests, enhancing their worth. ⁷

As Jesus Christ’s family, ordained, ‘Be ye holy!’, ⁸

And unified in God’s purpose, spiritually.

But as future priests, ordained to serve God …for-ever,

And serve as hosts to diverse peoples world over. ⁹

Jesus more than thrice prayed ‘…that they be one’, ¹⁰

The Church will, as The Father and The Son.

He said Israel, in a coming era,

Will as one people know Him as Messiah. ¹¹

In God’s plans, from one comes diversities,

Evidence that He loves pluralities.

In the end it’s unity in spirit and purpose,

That in His plans is so highly valued …and precious.

----------

¹ See: Revelation 7:9

² See: Romans 16:17

³ See: John 17:11, 21, 22, 23

⁴ Split into Israel (10 northern tribes) and Judah (2 southern tribes)

⁵ See: Exodus 19:6 for Israel, and Mark 17:15, The Great Commission for the Church

⁶ Israel was exiled to Assyria, and then scattered. Judah was exiled to Babylon for 70 years, then a remnant was regathered to the promise land.

⁷ See: Exodus 19:6

⁸ Unique, separate. See: Leviticus 11:44

⁹ As Jesus’ priests in Jerusalem during His Millennial Reign, Jews may likely be responsible for hosting a great diversity of worldwide visitors (both mortal humans and immortal saints) who will attend The Lord's annual Feasts of Tabernacles celebration. Notably, though The Lord 'will seek to destroy the nations who fought against Israel (presumably in the 1st War of Gog and Magog - Ezekiel 38), there will obviously be surviving remnants in these nations. Representatives of these remnant families  will be commanded to attend The Lord's annual Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:9 and 14:16)

¹⁰ Five times in John 17. God will answer this prayer!

The Church will, as The Father and The Son.

¹¹ See: Zechariah 12:10-14