The fall of Babylon definitely occurs early in Armageddon. In Revelation 16:19, John said of Babylon: “Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.” Hence, Babylon’s destruction is something that God does. He may do it by a nuclear attack from an enemy nation, or He may do it by His own means—whatever that will be. It seems clear from Scripture that Babylon will be completely destroyed just as Sodom and Gomorrah was (Isa. 13:19; Jer. 50:40). And since Genesis 19:24 states, “Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven,” this seems to me that He may do it through the great earthquake (of verse 18). And we suggested earlier that the earthquake may be triggered by a nuclear exchange. I will talk much more about the fall of Babylon in a later blog.
We are living in a time–right now–when many are being persecuted for dong what is right (you know what that is). Jesus said that they (we) are blessed, and we are to rejoice and be glad–because we have a great reward in heaven.
Matt 5:10-12 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This Sunday morning (1/29/23) I got the news that the new Minnesota abortion laws just past are now the worst in the country and even in the world. Minn. ranks equal with North Korea and China on abortion.
I also saw this resent news article (below) on what they have done in New York City. (This article is just one of the articles I have posted on one of my blog pages entitledU.S. and World News. please check it out.)
A new, golden idol to abortion stands on top of a New York City courthouse this month, a reminder of the religiosity with which abortion activists defend the mass slaughter of babies in the womb.
The “NOW” statue also hints at the satanic: a naked, golden woman with braids fashioned into horns coming out of her head as she emerges from a pink lotus, according to photos in the New York Times. Images used by Satanists and The Satanic Temple often depict Satan with goat-like horns.
Andrew Beck, of the advertising agency Beck & Stone, drew attention to the statue Wednesday in a post on Twitter.
“The statue, named ‘NOW,’ is a female figure emerging from a pink lotus,” Beck wrote. “It has braids shaped as horns with a judicial lace apron. It is meant to pay homage to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight for abortion.”
According to the New York Times, artist Shahzia Sikander created the 8-foot statue as an homage to the late U.S. Supreme Court justice, an idol of the pro-abortion movement. It recently was installed on top of the Courthouse of the Appellate Division, First Department of the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the city.
God will judge this country for murdering babies! Our practice of abortion is no better than the old pagan practice of the sacrifice of their children to their pagan gods. Christians must remain strong in faith.
The simplest definition of importunity is persistent and urgent asking. Importune prayer then is persistent and urgent; it is prayer that pleads with God and asks Him repeatedly for the things we need.
This kind of praying may seem selfish and perhaps childish, but it really isn’t because it is prayer in the will of God and is usually for others instead of self. In fact, the source of this kind of prayer is right from the heart of God. It is how the Holy Spirit pleads and prays for us (Rom. 8:26). It is how God persistently and urgently seeks us out, speaks to us, and constantly seeks to help us and love us (Jer. 31:3, Jn. 6:44). Thus, when I pray with importunity, I pray for myself and for others the same way and with the same heart as the Holy Spirit does. I follow after His prayers. …
It seems to me, according to Revelation 16:16 and following, that sometime after the gathering of the armies of the world, this great shaking will begin, followed by all the results of it. I suppose we can’t be certain when exactly it will begin, but I would guess that it will be sometime around the beginning of the Armageddon war and will continue at least until Christ appears in the sky (Matt. 24:30). For just before He appears, verse 29 tells us that “the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
I don’t think we can be absolutely sure that this so called “great earthquake” is in fact what we know of as an earthquake. The Greek word seimos, translated in verse 18 as “earthquake,” literally means “a shaking.” And when “great” is added it means “a great shaking,” or a great shaking of the earth.
But what else could it be besides an earthquake? Well, Hal Lindsey said that this shaking could be the result of “a fullscale nuclear exchange.” He said, “I believe that when these powers [of the world armies] lock forces here, there will be a fullscale exchange of nuclear weapons, and it’s at this time that ‘the cities of the nation’s fall.’”1
Now we can’t be sure that there will be nuclear weapons used; however, I think it is more likely than not that they will be used. And it is my guess that they will use them earlier rather than later. In fact, why would they shoot nuclear rockets at each other if they are going to battle anyway. Hence, it would make more sense to use them before they gather for a battle. Also, I have a feeling that it is likely that a nuclear attack will trigger an earthquake—the large earthquake mentioned in verse 18. And then, as the Scripture indicates, the cause of it will be the destruction of all cities (and all buildings), and the shifting of the land masses, so that all islands and mountains will plunge beneath the earth.
And while this destruction is happening, there will be thunder and lightning and hail like people have never seen before—hail about three feet in diameter, weighing up to one hundred pounds each. My question is: how in the world will the military forces be able to manage battling each other with all of this commotion and destruction all around them?
1 Hal Lindsey, There’s A New World Coming, p. 214.
When I saw this article (below) I was sad but not shocked. These are the days we are living in. We are living in perilous times, when evil people will proceed from bad to worse.
2 Tim 3:1-5, 12-13
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these
12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
People these days are afraid of the truth and are blind to the truth. They need to be taught the truth and need to be around teachers who are truth tellers and truth doers.
God will bring His wrath on all who suppress the truth.
Rom 1:18-32
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Here is the article I mentioned, by Joy Pullmann. Click on it to read the full article.
Minnesota will soon ban faithful Christians, Muslims, and Jews from teaching in public schools by requiring that every state-certified teacher “fosters an environment that ensures student identities such as … gender identity … are … affirmed.” Once the new requirements clear a final procedural hurdle, they will be immediately challenged in state and possibly federal court, a civil liberties lawyer told The Federalist on Tuesday.
“We have lots of parents who are upset by this sort of thing in schools already,” said Doug Seaton, president of Minnesota’s Upper Midwest Law Center, in an interview. “They’re going to be even more upset with how their teachers are going to be licensed. Their teachers are going to have to be faced with hiding their beliefs or getting denied [for a state teaching license].”
Seaton said it was accurate to describe the nearly finalized regulations as communicating: “Christians, Muslims, and Jews need not apply for Minnesota teaching jobs.” That is unconstitutional, he said, so UMLC plans to sue once the changes go into effect.