The Cyrus Cylinder and Egypt

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about a constitution for Egypt. This follows this post about what success is. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Cyrus Cylinder and Egypt

Egypt will not pull out of its constant crisis until there is a Bill of Rights for every faction of the nation.





[Darris McNeely] Is there a solution for the conflict we continue to see in the streets of Egypt with the recent coup that has removed President Morsi? I think there is, and it's probably from a source that people are not yet able and willing to look at with all of the conflict there between secularists, liberals, and fundamentalists in Islam. It's interesting to note that perhaps the solution could come from even the same region, but from a document that is older than the current crisis.

What Egypt needs is what every successful nation in history has needed and thrived upon, and it is a Bill of Rights. One thing that seems to be lacking in their Constitution and their government and in their whole approach to the life of every Egyptian is a Bill of Rights. A Bill of Rights is something that is probably symbolized by this particular picture right here, which is the Cyrus Cylinder that comes even from the same region of the Middle East discovered in 1879 in modern day Iran.

It is a cylinder about the size of a football. And on this cuneiform tablet is what some have called the first Bill of Rights for human beings written by Cyrus the Great in the year 539 when Cyrus conquered Babylon and decreed that the Jews and other captured peoples could return to their homeland.

This particular cylinder known at the Cyrus Cylinder , currently on tour in the United States, is what is called the first Bill of Rights. And it even deals with Bible history because it was written in 539 BC at the time of the Persian takeover of the Babylonian Empire, and it guaranteed peoples' freedom of religion and certain other fundamental human rights. And when we look at what is taking place especially in Egypt right now and the conflict there that is causing a great deal of suffering on the streets, what some are beginning to realize is a fundamental need is, again, a certain guarantee of rights regardless of one's political or religious persuasion. And that's the way to a solution in Egypt because it's been the way to a solution for any successful nation in modern history.

Ironically it's on a document that comes from the same region of the Middle East, and it also has biblical tie ins because Cyrus was a figure prophesied through the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 44:24-28 [24] Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

[25] That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

[26] That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

[27] That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

[28] That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.



See All...; Isaiah 45:1-13 [1] Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

[2] I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

[3] And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

[4] For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

[5] I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

[6] That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

[7] I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

[8] Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

[9] Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

[10] Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

[11] Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

[12] I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

[13] I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.



See All...) long before he came to power, long before this was put into writing. Cyrus was an instrument in the hands of God. The ultimate Bill of Rights comes from God's law and the rights and the laws of freedom that God gives to mankind . And when the Egyptian government, or when the Egyptian people, or when any modern people finally come to realize that, they're going to be on the road to success and to freedom. And they're going to be on the road to something that is lasting and enduring all rooted in God's way and God's law.

That's BT Daily . Join us next time.

Egypt in Bible Prophecy

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the future of Egypt. This follows this post about the Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina.  For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Egypt in Bible Prophecy






article by John Ross Schroeder





The key Middle Eastern prophecy of Daniel 11 clearly states that "the land of Egypt shall not escape" the military invasion by the king of the North (verse 42), launched in retaliation to provocation by the leader of an end-time Muslim alliance known as the king of the South (verse 40).







Source: WikimediaCurrently Egypt finds itself in news headlines because of the "Arab Spring," which in Egypt brought the fall of the Mubarak government and the ascent of fundamentalist Islam. The West depends on Egyptian stability because roughly 30 percent of the world's oil passes through the Suez Canal. There are also well-founded fears that Egypt's stable relationship with the bordering state of Israel may be seriously threatened, the breakdown of which could lead to another Mideast war.



America gives about $2 billion to Cairo annually, mostly in military aid—though that is in jeopardy now with Islamists set to gain considerable control of the next Egyptian government. And another key question is who will ultimately gain control of the high-tech U.S. armaments already in Egypt, including many advanced tanks and jet fighters? Will they fall into the hands of a future regime hostile to the West, the United States and Israel in particular?



Thankfully, whatever may lie ahead during this age of human misrule, in the end the Egyptians are going to experience a brilliant future following the second coming of Jesus Christ. They may have some hard lessons to learn at the beginning of Christ's 1,000-year reign (see Zechariah 14:18-19 [18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

[19] This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.





See All...), but the Hebrew prophet Isaiah shows that ultimately all will be well.



Isaiah says of that time, "In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border" (Isaiah 19:19In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.



See All...). Then he goes on to explain what caused this to happen: "For they [the Egyptians] will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One to deliver them. Then the Lord will be known in Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day" (verses 20-21). Indeed this will be a time when all nations and peoples will know the true God "from the least of them to the greatest of them" (Jeremiah 31:34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.



See All...).



Then "there will be a highway from Egypt to [Egypt's ancient enemy] Assyria . . . and the Egyptians will serve [God] with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance'" (Isaiah 19:23-25 [23] In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

[24] In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:

[25] Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.





See All...). All nations will finally be at peace with one another.



Today's news reports tell us that the adherents of Coptic Christianity in Egypt are suffering enormous persecution in the wake of the Arab Spring and the overthrow of the secular Egyptian government that for the most part protected their rights and safety. But in the world to come, all peoples, including the Egyptians, will flourish—as true religious worship accompanies universal peace and prosperity. To learn more, request or download our free Bible study aid booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom .

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Egypt: Secularist presidential candidate pelted with stones and shoes

A very interesting post from www.jihadwatch.org about elections in Egypt. This follows this post about a pro-Muslim American lobbyist. This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries such as Iran and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read a very interesting book HERE!

Egypt: Secularist presidential candidate pelted with stones and shoes


And "the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohammed Mursi said voters would not accept anyone from 'Mubarak's corrupt regime.'" Sharia Or Blood in Egypt: "Queues Build As Voting Continues In Egypt," from Sky News, May 24:



Egyptians are voting for the second day in the country's historic presidential election, 15 months after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak....

The vote began on Wednesday, amid huge excitement and some anger over one of the leading candidates in the race.



Ahmed Shafiq, the former prime minister under Mubarak, was pelted with stones and shoes as he voted in Cairo. "The coward is here," one man shouted as the 70-year-old was forced to retreat to his car.



Shafiq, a former Air Force commander, is expected to win significant support in the election, although his ties to the old regime make him a deeply divisive figure.



On Twitter, some young Egyptians who joined the revolution bemoaned their parents' support for the controversial candidate.



"My dad is actually trying to convince me with Shafiq," one tweeter complained....



The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohammed Mursi said voters would not accept anyone from "Mubarak's corrupt regime"....



Posted by Robert

Told Ya: Thank Obama For Today’s Pali Attacks on Israel – 7 Dead 33 Wounded

A very interesting post from www.debbieschlussel.com about Egypt attacking Israel. This follows this post about Christians being attacked in Egypt. This follows this post  about Miss USA 2010 and this article about the recent news about the former ban on offshore drilling which would encourage American energy independence and prevent money from going to hostile countries such as Iran   and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read this very interesting book HERE!




Told Ya: Thank Obama For Today’s Pali Attacks on Israel – 7 Dead 33 Wounded

By Debbie Schlussel



When Barack Obama pushed Western-allied Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak out of power and handed it over to the Muslim crazies on the streets, I told you the Camp David Peace Accords were officially a ripped up piece of paper and warned you that the new forces running Egypt would allow Palestinian Islamic terrorists to use the Sinai Peninsula (which Israel gave up for nothing!) as a base of attack from which to murder Jews and other Israelis.  And that’s exactly what happened today, as at least seven innocent Israelis were murdered in cold blood and another 33 were wounded near Eilat.  I and my late father constantly warned over the years that Camp David was a mistake because it was only valid while Sadat and his people were in power (and even then, it was shaky).  And, sadly, we were right.





Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton Have the Blood of Today’s Attacks on Israel on Their Hands



Yes, you can thank Obama (and Hillary Clinton) for this. They could have allowed Hosni Mubarak to defend himself and quell the rioters. Had that happened, we’d today have a stable Egypt and a much safer Israel, as well as a pro-American leader at the helm. Instead, we have a country run by extremist Muslims (redundant phrase) that is now hardly different from HezboLebanon, but for the fact that Sunnis dominate in Egypt and Shi’ites do in Lebanon.


Had Obama allowed Mubarak to stay in power and take care of the animals that roam his country, those seven dead would likely be alive today, and 33 others would be completely healthy and untouched.  But, as I predicted, the Sinai is now a terror base for Palestinian Islamic terrorists (and other Islamic terrorists), while it was kept relatively secure (but not always) under Mubarak.  (Ironically, one of the Palestinian terrorists who got sent to the 72 revirginized today, when Israelis “retaliated” against the planners of the attack with targeted airstrikes, is named, Imad Hamad–the same name as that of a different Palestinian terrorist who lives in our midst in Dearbornistan and who, I’m told, continued to raise money for HAMAS and HAMAS-related terrorist groups.)



Now Mubarak stands trial in a cage, and Islamic terrorists murder and maim from the Sinai. Barack Obama is responsible. And he sent a loud message to other leaders who ally with the U.S.: we won’t sticky by you when you need us. And we’ll help the most radical forces in your population attack our allies next door.



The blood of the seven dead and 33 wounded is squarely on the hands of the man taking a tony vacation in Martha’s Vineyard while America, Israel, and the West suffer.



The ghosts of Sharm El-Sheikh, who cried out when Menachem Begin gave to Muslim barbarians the land where they valiantly fought and died for Israel, are crying doubly loud today, along with the seven latest fatal victims of “Egyptian liberation” and the “Arab spring.”



That Was Then . . .







This Is Now . . .

Will America's Billions in Military Aid to Egypt Backfire?

An interesting article from www.ucg.org/commentary about Egypt. This follows this post about Valentine's Day.  For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Will America's Billions in Military Aid to Egypt Backfire?


A commentary by Don Hooser

 Dallas, Texas


Most of America's founders had great faith in God and relied on Him much more than do the present leaders and citizens of the United States.



For a nation to be persistently blessed with God's provision and protection, the people must be faithful to God, and they must trust in and rely on Him.



We are to be at least as faithful to God as a person should be to his or her spouse. Our Creator is rightfully jealous. He regards any unfaithfulness to Him as spiritual adultery.



This requires more than lip service. Actions speak louder than words.



The problems of foreign aid and political alliances

One example of spiritual infidelity is when our country's leaders have more trust in political and military alliances than they have in God. And the obvious evidence of this is when we unnecessarily send hard-earned tax dollars to other countries as political and military foreign aid (as opposed to disaster relief and humanitarian aid).



Tragically, much foreign aid is siphoned off to enrich the leaders rather than to benefit the common citizen. In fact, the aid often props up corrupt leaders, enabling them to retain their power over the people.



Most of America's foreign aid and military aid to other countries is an effort to buy cooperation and friendship. In doing so, the United States has "hired lovers" (Hosea 8:9).



But "friends" who are purchased are not real friends. The "aid" is like a bribe. They know you don't have real love for them. They know you have the selfish motive of buying their favors.



In fact, the United States often sends more money to unreliable "friends" than to its reliable friends! We reward nations for being unreliable! We choose strange bedfellows.



But the most serious aspect of this mess is failing to rely on God's guidance, provision and protection.



Egypt a dangerous example

Peace treaties and other negotiations with dictators usually come to an end when the dictator dies or is ousted. That shows how futile it is to rely on countries that are ruled by dictators.



Egypt has been one of the top recipients of American assistance, receiving about $1.5 billion in aid each year. But the violent demonstrations against the Mubarak regime show that no amount of aid can guarantee stability, prosperity or even a reliably pro-American foreign policy.



Much of the aid to Egypt has been military aid. Egypt has an incredibly strong military. It is larger than Israel's, although some of Israel's military is more advanced and sophisticated. If control of Egypt falls into the wrong hands, that military power could easily be used against us.



With the recent enormous uprising in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to get its foot in the door hoping to gain control of the government. It was the Muslim Brotherhood that murdered Hosni Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar Sadat. A government that involves the Muslim Brotherhood will be hostile to personal liberties, repudiate Egypt's treaty with Israel and threaten the United States. It could refuse traffic through the Suez Canal to anyone at any time.



And although a majority of Egypt's people say they want democracy, 84 percent of them also say you should be killed if you leave Islam. With that belief, Egypt won't be a land of freedom—a land that guarantees the right to life, the rule of law, property rights, the protection of minorities, respect for human dignity and the right to worship God according to one's conscience.



Through His prophets, God frequently reprimanded Israel and Judah for committing spiritual adultery and "playing the harlot" with neighboring nations. Instead of being loyal to God and putting their full trust in Him to provide and protect, they relied instead on alliances with various nations (see Jeremiah 3:1-15 and Ezekiel 16:15-63).



God warned Israel that their alliances would backfire. He said, "I will stir up your lovers against you" (Ezekiel 23:22). After the fall of Judah to the Babylonians, God's prophet wrote, "Among all her lovers she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies" (Lamentations 1:2).



Would that America would rededicate herself to a committed covenant relationship with God!



But it is not going to happen soon enough to prevent calamity. Our nation's increasing infidelity toward our Creator will be our undoing. Bible prophecies tell us that America and her Western allies will eventually suffer terribly because of their unfaithfulness to God.



However, God promises that He will provide for and protect every individual who faithfully obeys, serves and trusts in Him! For more understanding of these prophecies and of the volatile Middle East, see our free booklets The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and The Middle East in Bible Prophecy

What Will Happen to Egypt?

An interesting article from www.ucg.org/commentary  about the future of Egypt. This follows this post about inclement weather. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

What Will Happen to Egypt?

A commentary by Mike Bennett

After Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution toppled autocratic leader Ben Ali's government Jan. 15, protests have erupted in other Arab nations from Algeria to Yemen. But it is Egypt in particular that has the world's attention.



Tens of thousands of protesters in the streets of Cairo have voiced frustrations about the economy (about a quarter of young people are unemployed throughout the Arab world) and corruption. But protesters don't all share a common view of the solution—beyond removing President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for 29 years. If the government falls, will anarchy, democracy, military rule or an Islamic regime emerge?



The United States and the rest of the Western world has come to depend on Egypt's stability for the 30 percent of the world's oil that is transported through the Suez Canal, as well as its assurance of peace with Israel. That peace has come at a high price of about $2 billion a year in American aid—mostly military aid—to Egypt. Who will control Egypt's vast array of the latest armaments?



Egypt in Bible prophecy

Throughout the Bible, Egypt was in contact and often conflict with the people of Israel. No wonder Egypt is mentioned 611 times in the Bible! Although none of the New Testament mentions of the nation of Egypt refer to end-time prophecies, there are plenty of them in the Old Testament. Here are just a few:



In the Bible's most detailed prophecy, Daniel 11, Daniel saw many specific events that then occurred over the next 400 years. The conflicts centered on the king of the North (the Seleucids, whose empire was swallowed up by the Roman Empire in 65 B.C.) and the king of the South (the Ptolemies, who ruled from Alexandria in Egypt).



Then the prophecy skips to end-time events. Daniel 11:36-38 appears to describe the actions of the Roman emperors and their successors, leading all the way up to a final king of the North of the end time.



"And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push [Hebrew nagach, to push or to attack] at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land…and the land of Egypt shall not escape" (Daniel 11:40-42, King James Version).



Good news for Egypt and everyone

Soon after this, Jesus Christ will return to save humanity from self-destruction and will be proclaimed king of all nations, including Egypt (Matthew 24:22; Revelation 11:15).



Through those end-time events of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, Egypt will be punished for rebellion against God, as all nations will. But God promises to heal Egypt: "They will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them" (Isaiah 19:22).



Then Isaiah records one of the greatest ironic twists of history. Egypt and Assyria, historically Israel's greatest foes, become blessed allies!



"In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, 'Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance'" (Isaiah 19:24-25). That is truly the good news of the peaceful Kingdom of God!



To understand the volatile Middle East today, and the real hope God promises for the future, read the carefully researched and detailed booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.

Disastrous Weather—Acts of God?

An interesting article from www.gnmagazine.org about inclement weather. This follows this post about the future of Egypt. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.
 
Disastrous Weather—Acts of God?


Permitting God into the weather picture isn't fashionable. Nor do weather forecasters admit a divine hand might be at work behind the scenes.

by Graemme Marshall

Insurance companies happily take our money for reasonable risks. But when it comes to the unpredictable or extreme, they're uninsurable "acts of God." Few people actually think that God's hand is literally involved. You'll be told there's been worse in the past, one can't claim every event is from God, it's El Niño's fault, cyclical climate change, global warming, depletion of the ozone layer or worldwide pollution. Scientists say this, so it must be true!



In part it is true. There have been worse calamities and we shouldn't attribute every tragedy to God. Yet there have also been profound changes in the weather, and the trend is continuing.



Increasingly "worst ever on record" describes weather



The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has estimated weather disasters cost the United States approximately $1 billion per week. And a look at the last four years of Atlantic Ocean hurricane activity reveals a period more severe than any on record, with scientists predicting more in the near future (Encarta Reference Library, "Weather"). Weather chaos isn't a new phenomenon; better record keeping and reporting make us more aware of it. But weather problems are getting worse.



While freezing rain is not an uncommon Canadian experience, the 1998 ice storm that hit eastern Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick was exceptional. In fact, it was the worst to hit Canada in recent memory. It brutalized one of the largest populated urbanized areas of North America, leaving more than four million people freezing in the dark for days.



Without doubt the storm directly affected more people than any previous weather event in Canadian history! One million households were without power; and prolonged freezing brought down millions of trees, 120,000 kilometers (75,000 miles) of power lines and telephone cables, 130 transmission towers (each worth $100,000) and 30,000 wooden utility poles (costing $3,000 each). What took human beings a half century to construct took nature a matter of hours to knock down. Many Quebec maple syrup producers, who account for 70 percent of the world's supply, were ruined and their trees permanently destroyed.



Was El Niño to blame for the ice storm? Will there be more? Environment Canada's science advisor says freezing temperatures are likely to occur even more frequently in southern Canada in the future-a disturbing thought to consider. Yet too much ice and snow is contrasted in other areas by drought and no rain.



Is it unthinkable that disastrous weather can be of God?



There are a few opening lines from Banjo Paterson's "Song of the Artesian Water" that give something to consider about upset weather. They hint, too, at the stubborn denial of God's hand at work in our lives. Banjo Paterson was an Australian poet of the late 1880s known for his ballads "Waltzing Matilda" and "The Man From Snowy River." "Song of the Artesian Water" begins: "Now the stock have started dying, for the Lord has sent a drought; but we're sick of prayers and Providence, we're going to do without; if the Lord won't send us water, oh, we'll get it from the devil: yes, we'll get it from the devil deeper down."



We drill bores and dig wells to get water from artesian sources. Only what happens when the water table drops and wells go dry? Writing from the 1880s, Banjo proposed an interesting alternative for our lack of water-that God hasn't sent it! Now that's a different perspective. You don't hear that possibility presented by weather forecasters. Do you suppose there could actually be reasons other than upset climate or El Niño why we have ice storms, hurricanes, brushfires, drought or floods?



Scripture shows the Creator of weather sometimes uses weather to get our attention.



In a specific example, the prophet Haggai records that God did, in fact, send blight, mildew and hail so the people might turn from wrong living and repent spiritually (2:17). It shows that if a nation or individual pleases God, He'll bless with good weather. Now this isn't to wrongly imply that every weather condition is some fearful warning from God. But unseasonable or destructive weather has been an instrument used to get people's attention.



Of course, if we see only global warming, climate change or El Niño, we won't get any message, will we? Yet if we'd only acknowledge our Creator, how simple it might be. The prophet Zechariah says it all with: "Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone" (10:1). That asking could be part of the solution is food for thought.



Divine weather forecasts



During Old Testament times people were more conscious of God's hand in the weather. "He [God] called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread" (Psalm 105:16). This prediction came true for Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Joseph relates, "God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land...And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass" (Genesis 41:28-32). A later verse shows this famine was in all countries, with only Egypt adequately prepared to survive it.



Consider some further examples. Through the prophet Elijah, God sent a three-year drought (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1). Earlier in the reign of King David was another famine, the result of a sin of former King Saul (2 Samuel 21:1). It was up to David to set the matter right before God.



During the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius (A.D. 41-54), a prophet named Agabus predicted "a great famine throughout all the world" (Acts 11:27-28).



How can we escape catastrophes such as these? Should we not reflect if we are guilty of God's displeasure, whether nationally or personally? After a 2001 destructive tornado, a man interviewed on TV said, "Maybe someone up there isn't happy with us."



In specific Bible references, the divine withholding of good weather is revealed. When God is displeased with peoples' sinful ways, He gains their attention by holding back rain. "Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the Lord's anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you" (Deuteronomy 11:16-17).



The prophet Amos recorded God's weather prophecy: "'I also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months to harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city...I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, the locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to Me,' says the Lord" (4:7-9). It all sounds so much like today. These scriptures reveal God as the real source of good things, including our weather. If we are not pleasing Him, why shouldn't He powerfully get our attention?



King Solomon clearly linked disastrous life events with disobedience to God. You can read this connection in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:35-39).



Can future weather trends be known?



Future weather trends can be known. Consider this. A single nuclear submarine is said to have more destructive firepower than all the combined explosives unleashed by all sides during World War II, including the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. What would be the horrendous impact upon our weather by simultaneous detonations of several nuclear devices? The effect upon air currents, vegetation and temperature levels would be enormous.



In the years ahead, there will be climatic upheavals as a result of unfolding prophesied biblical events. Some startling verses indicate even the delicate balance of our oceans will be seriously disrupted. This ruination of the sea's marine life could be punishment upon humans who are prepared to unleash such horrific weaponry upon earth's fragile environment (Revelation 8:8-9). Our booklet, You Can Understand Bible Prophecy, is enlightening reading. This is the short-term bad news. It's also reason for us to pause and ask: Should we assume all weather catastrophes are just random, isolated events?



Good news about weather



God said to ancient Israel, "And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled" (Deuteronomy 11:13-15). Rain in season. Every time, predictable. Can you imagine this as normal year after year?



The prophet Ezekiel records God saying of the future: "I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you" (36:29). This comes after a "new heart and a new spirit" moves people to keep God's ways (verse 26).



The long-range forecast is good: We are heading for centuries of predictable seasonal climate. It will be a time when God's law and government are restored to earth. Weather forecasters will have an easy job. Good weather will be on time. Rain will come when due. And sunshine aplenty for harvest will be the norm. Year in year out, decade by decade, predictable, sure, guaranteed. That is, as long as humans remain obedient to God's way of give instead of today's way of get.



Notice, however, that nations who fail to respond to Christ's leadership "shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:17). God will use adverse weather to encourage a voluntary surrender to His sovereignty.



For the present, prepare your life to feel the impact of further unseasonable, catastrophic weather, caused both by man and by the hand of God.



But also reassure yourself with the knowledge that each day is one day closer to when favorable seasonal weather will be a normal event for all people on earth. WNP

Egypt's Coming Transition

An interesting article from http://www.wnponline.org about the future of Egypt.This follows this post  about a Good Health Care Plan. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Egypt's Coming Transition


Egypt's president recently turned 78 years old and a change of leadership is the subject of speculation. What does the future hold for this large Arab nation?

by Darris McNeely

On a recent trip to Egypt I was the typical tourist, traveling by bus to the major tourist sites at Giza and Luxor. We sailed on the Nile and put our lives in danger crossing the busy streets of Cairo. But behind the tourist façade, it was evident that Egypt has a measure of domestic turmoil that could lead to major changes in the future.



Armed soldiers are everywhere, not only at the tourist sites where terrorists struck in the past. In 1997 terrorists bombed a German tour group at Luxor. Now you see dozens of armed soldiers around hotels and shopping areas throughout the city. A little study into the current Egyptian political climate shows the soldiers are not only protecting the tourists but the political regime as well.



Since the start of this year, President Hosni Mubarak has made strong moves to stop dissent among political opponents. Charges of fraud have been made against a lawyer who opposed Mubarak in last fall's elections. Two judges who accused the government of rigging the elections are facing dismissal from the bench for making public comments. One of them, Judge Hisham Bastawisi, suffered a major heart attack last month, which aroused the seething anger of a sympathetic public, resulting in large public demonstrations against President Mubarak.



The Egyptian judiciary was responsible for calling the fraud of last year's elections. Thousands of judges called for reform that would create an independent judiciary. Reports suggest that these opposition judges are joined with a coalition of religious and secular organizations that seek an end to the Mubarak era.



Hosni Mubarak has been president since that fateful day in 1981 when religious fundamentalists stormed a reviewing stand and assassinated President Anwar Sadat. Mubarak sat next to Sadat that day and no doubt vividly remembers the brutal power of religious fury.



In recent weeks, protestors on the streets of Cairo have suffered beatings and some female protestors have been sexually abused. Laws governing presidential voting in Egypt are under the complete control of the president, despite limited reforms.



On May 25, 300 Egyptian judges stood in a silent protest on the steps of the high court in Cairo to press their demands for full independence. "We are calling for the independence of the judiciary…and our complete supervision of elections if there is to be supervision from now on," said Ahmed Salah, a judge at the protest. One observer said, "It's like Egypt has been reborn" (www.gulf-times.com).



Muslim Brotherhood



Last month more than 200 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested in the latest wave of demonstrations. This banned Islamic organization, whose roots are deep in fundamentalist Islam, has done well in parliamentary elections, demonstrating its broad base of support.



In recent months, the Muslim Brotherhood adopted a moderate position on political issues. Leaders continue to call for a democratic government that respects the rights of all minorities rather than establishing an Islamic state. Whether this would change should the group gain control of the government is another matter. So-called moderate approaches often are only skin-deep and merely mask the true nature of movements.



The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928. It is a religious, political and social movement with membership throughout the Arab world. Its mission seems summed up in its creed, "God is our objective; the Koran is our constitution; the Prophet is our leader; struggle is our way; and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations."



In its early decades, it was a political and social revolutionary movement. In 1954, the group was implicated in a plot to assassinate then President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Since then, the government has treated the group as illegal, yet has shown the group sporadic toleration.



Present trends indicate large grassroots support. In last fall's parliamentary elections, Muslim Brotherhood candidates won nearly 20 percent of the seats. They now form the largest body of opposition to the government. Clearly the group will be a player in Egyptian politics going forward.



Last month President Mubarak turned 78, and while he still seems to be fit and in control, speculation has already started as to who will succeed him in office. That may be why we are seeing popular agitation over the electoral process.



It is well known that President Mubarak has been grooming his son, Gamal, to take over. But by all appearances, this is an unacceptable solution for most Egyptians. A sign of the Bush administration's awareness of this reality came last month when Gamal Mubarak was in Washington on private business and had a meeting with National Security Advisor Steve Hadley. While he was in this meeting, President Bush dropped by to greet Gamal Mubarak and to send his best wishes to his father, President Mubarak.



The United States is walking a fine line in Egyptian relations. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has been in the Middle East saying America would no longer stand by despots but would press for democratization in countries where absolutism prevails. The Bush administration's policy is to push democratic reforms. Iraq is the primary focus for this experiment in creating democracies in this volatile region. Critics of American foreign policy claim a double standard when countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia seem to get a "pass" for democratic reform.



The practical reality is that Egypt, and President Mubarak specifically, is a major ally in the Middle East. Egypt has been the recipient of more than $2 billion in direct economic assistance from the United States each year since signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1978. The Egyptian army is one of the largest and best equipped among Arab countries. America needs the support of this country. That is why it has ignored some of these "undemocratic" moves.



The question is whether this will prove to be a problem should a more fundamentalist Islamic government come to power in the future. This is what happened in the late 1970s when the shah of Iran, a key American ally, was deposed in the Islamic revolution that swept the Ayatollah Khomeini and other clerics into power. American intelligence failed to foresee this event, which has continuing repercussions on American influence in the region to this day. The loss of Egypt in a similar manner could lead to major changes, ones that would not bode well for Western interests in the region.



The Bible points to Egypt



The Bible centers on this area of the Middle East in the fascinating prophecy about the king of the South in Daniel 11. In this prophecy (set at the time of the end, prior to Christ's return to earth), a conflict arises between two figures, the king of the North and the king of the South.



Notice verse 40: "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through."



Bible scholars have long identified the king of the North as the leader of a power centered in Europe. The king of the South is a leader of a power to the south of Jerusalem. (Directions in this and other biblical prophecies are determined from Jerusalem.)



Looking at the modern geopolitical picture, we conclude that this person, the king of the South, will likely be an individual who manages to unite the Arab/Islamic powers of the Middle East and mount some kind of push or attack that threatens the growing power of the king of the North. (We do not have space for all the details here, but please read our booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy for a more detailed examination of this prophecy.)



Who this person will be and exactly which nations will make up this southern power is not known at this time. History teaches us that times and events usually bring great men to power at the moment of crisis to lead major movements. Often these people come out of relative obscurity and can be someone least expected to lead powerful forces.



But to carry on with Daniel's prophecy, verses 41-43 show the path that the king of the North takes in his response to the move of the king of the South.



"He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels."



Egypt and Libya are two North African countries specifically mentioned. This power from the north will occupy them.



Why is Egypt targeted? Is it the political center of this southern alliance? Egypt has once before attempted to unite Arab power into one bloc. In 1952 Egyptian General Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew the corrupt monarchy of King Farouk. His dreams of a pan-Arabic league of states were never fully realized.



As mentioned earlier, Egypt has a large, well-equipped modern army, among the largest in the Middle East. If this army were to form the nucleus of a regional force, it would be logical the country would be taken out by a counterattack. The Bible mentions these nations for a reason. We can only look at the current geopolitical scene and watch closely the events taking place in these areas mentioned in prophecy.



Egypt was the breadbasket of the ancient Roman Empire. Her political stability was crucial to the long-term prosperity of Rome. Egypt and its leaders attracted the interests of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Pompey. Perhaps the long ago battles and intrigues in that fabled land presage a future conflict that draws forces across its borders. Time will tell. WNP