Greetings Steve,
Someone forwarded to me your recently written article on Babylon the Great. I have your site saved in my Preferences, but haven’t visited it since before the feast. I plan to do so after services today.
Your article summary really added considerable insight to a sermon I gave nearly two months ago on Zechariah 5, which I entitled Zechariah’s Prophecy for Israel. (Some in our independent congregation no longer believe the US and several other western nations are Israel’s, mainly Joseph’s, descendents.) I speculated that the fulfillment of the first prophecy (vss 1-4) has perhaps been fulfilled with the initial breakdown of the US financial system. (At the time, I didn’t understand how serious the impact would have with the world’s other financial institutions, but your article certain explains it with, I believe, great God-given hindsight acuity.) I explained that the second prophecy, vss 5-11, cannot be far behind. We may be given further insight of this prophecy after we digest what was discussed and agreed upon at this weekend’s G7 financial summit meeting in Washington.
One other point I made was that the disaster that befell us on 9/11 occurred a couple of days before the end of a seven year Sabbatical cycle. (Cycles begin on Tishri 1.) And the financial collapse began, as you pointed out, seven years later—also at the end of another seven year Sabbatical cycle. Several days before Trumpets the Dow dropped, at the time, a jaw-dropping 777 points. All those “7’s†a coincidence? I certainly didn’t think so. I sensed something very ominous was about to occur and indeed it has. As a result I too believe we may very well be in this world’s last seven year cycle before the return of Christ. I wouldn’t be surprised that a major war between Israel and her neighbors occurs before Passover. If and when it does, it may very well be the fulfillment of the Psalm 83 prophecy in which Israel, with the help of God (and perhaps small nuclear weapons) miraculously wins that war and significantly enlarges her territory, causing an emergency 7-year peace treaty to be brokered with the UN approved “Beast†powers—which of course will be broken 3-1/2 years later—and the rest of the story, minus the details, I believe we indeed understand. If this regional war occurs, then the beginning fulfillment of Israel’s expansion (Ezek. 47) and the building of the third temple cannot be far behind. Simultaneously, this will probably begin the awareness of many of who “we†really are, the preaching by the two witnesses that are yet to be revealed. The greater fulfillment of Ezek. 37 will then come to pass. Already, many evangelicals—particularly John Hagee and his followers—seem to be moving “unconsciously†in this direction and have a rudimentary understanding of keeping the fall festivals, although their FOT celebrations is for only three days and at a different time than the “Jews.â€
Lots of speculation here, but what might be yours in this regard?
I’ve enjoyed your books, Steve, and appreciate your input to the Britam site, as well as Yair’s books and writings. Take care and have a happy Sabbath day.
Best regards,
Bob Briggs
MYREPLY
Bob,
Thanks for your positive comments about my books and my recent article about Babylon the Great. My most recent blog (as of this writing) also addresses the possible outcomes of the current Economic Summit in Washington, DC.
As you know, I don’t think the timing of a seven-year interval between the events of 9/11 and the global financial crisis is accidental. Thank you for pointing out that one of the major declines on the Dow Jones Index was a 777 point decline. Given that seven is a significant biblical number (seven days in a week, seven annual festivals, etc.), the “777” number does stand in stark contrast to the “666” prophecy of Revelation 13:18. A subtle numeric way for God to declare that his judgment on Babylon the Great is imminent?
It is unfortunate that some in your congregation have lost the understanding of who the ten tribes are because that understanding is critically-important in understanding latter days prophecies. Because so many latter-day prophecies are about either “Judah” or “Israel,” one must identify them properly in the modern world in order to have any hope of accurately understanding biblical prophecy.
There are many possible speculations about how biblical prophecies will unfold, but I noticed that you mentioned the “Psalm 83 prophecy.” I encounter this viewpoint on a fairly frequent basis. In the interests on biblical clarity, I always point out that Psalm 83 has no language in it which indicates (or even hints) that it is a prophecy. It certainly has no latter-day application in its content. There is no “latter day,” “time of the end” or “in that day” kind of language which confirm that Psalm 83 is a prophecy applying to our age. My book, The Origins and Empire of Ancient Israel, examines this concept in depth and concludes that Psalm 83 is a psalm of David about his victory over the Mesopotamian and Syrian kings and their allies in the great war described in I Chronicles 19. The Mesopotamian kings (then dominated by Assyria so it would refer to the Assyrian king and all his vassal kings) came to watch the destruction of David’s army by the forces of the entire Assyrian Empire. David’s army won, and then David mustered “all Israel” and attacked eastward toward Assyria. I Chronicles 18:3 records David’s empire had already reached the Euphrates River before this war began so attacking westward meant David invaded Assyria. Secular sources record Assyria was invaded by “Semites” from the west and went into a period of eclipse and weakness during the reigns of David and Solomon, and re-emerged only after the disastrous Israelite civil war of II Chronicles 13:17. Psalm 83 refers to the “Mesopotamians” as “Assur” (i.e. Assyria). Psalm 83 mentions that the Assyrians came to “help the children of Lot” and I Chronicles 18 relates the Israelite-Assyrian war was provoked by the Ammonites, who were the “children of Lot.” Psalm 83 also is not worded in the future tense like a prophecy. David uses language indicating he was describing an event in his lifetime.
Steve
