REVELATION 10:5-6And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, THAT THERE SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER:

Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for THAT DAY IS GREAT, SO THAT NONE IS LIKE IT: IT IS EVEN THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE, but he [Israel’s Believing Remnant at the end of the seven year tribulation} shall be saved out of it.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION, WHICH SHALL COME UPON ALL THE WORLD, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! FOR THE DEVIL IS COME DOWN UNTO YOU, HAVING GREAT WRATH, BECAUSE HE KNOWETH THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST:

Revelation 19:11

And I saw heaven opened, and BEHOLD A WHITE HORSE; AND HE THAT SAT UPON HIM WAS CALLED FAITHFUL AND TRUE, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and UNDERSTAND THAT I AM HE: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore THEY SHALL KNOW IN THAT DAY THAT I AM HE THAT DOTH SPEAK: BEHOLD, IT IS I.

Luke 21:28 And WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS, THEN LOOK UP, AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS; FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH.

In His Service,

Night Watchman

Paul Rolland

Night Watchman Ministries

www.nightwatchman.blog

Make Your (7) Decision for Christ NOW!!!!!!! Time is Up!!!!!!!

Jesus Christ’s Offer of Salvation:

The ABCs (7) of Salvation through Jesus Christ (the Lamb)

1. (7) Admit/Acknowledge/Accept that you are sinner. Ask (7) God’s forgiveness and repent of your sins.

. . . “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

. . . “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10).

. . . “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8).

B. Believe Jesus is Lord. Believe that (7) Jesus Christ is who He claimed to (7) be; that He was both fully God (7) and fully man and that we are (7) saved through His death, burial, and resurrection. (7) Put your trust in Him as your (7) only hope of salvation. Become a son (7) or daughter of God by receiving Christ. (7777777) 7×7

. . . “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:15-17). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

C. Call upon His name, Confess (7) with your heart and with your lips (7) that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

. . . “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).

US SENATORS PRESS SAUDI ARABIA FOR PEACE DEAL WITH ISRAEL BY END OF YEAR

Etgar Lefkovits JEWISH NEWS SERVICE

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flanked by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal (left) and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Jerusalem, Oct. 7, 2024.

(Oct. 8, 2024 / JNS)

Two prominent American senators from across the political aisle on Tuesday urged Saudi Arabia to reach a landmark peace accord with Israel by the end of the year as part of a regional settlement that will also include a push towards a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The diplomatic efforts by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) come as the war against Hamas in Gaza reaches the one-year mark, and follow a series of Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are Iranian proxies.

“The Iranians fear an Arab-Israel reconciliation more than any weapon you can send their way, because it is a permanent change,” Graham said at a Jerusalem press conference ahead of a trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

“If by Christmas we do not have a normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran will have a strategic victory,” he said, noting that the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre was designed to stop the “march for normalization.”

In a sign of the bipartisan nature of the trip, the Republican senator said that he would tell the Saudi leader that a defense treaty with the United States can be attained under President Joe Biden’s tenure, since it will likely be harder to reach under a future administration.

‘An historic opportunity’

“We are here at a historic time … and now it is an historic moment of opportunity,” Blumenthal stated.  “It really is a magnificent potential achievement with enduring effect to match the successes of the battlefield with diplomatic successes. I hope that diplomacy may achieve a cessation of fighting, leading to the return of the hostages, and a push toward normalizing relations in the region, along with humanitarian aid and rebuilding.”  

With an Israeli military response to last week’s Iranian missile attack expected soon, the senators were looking to leverage Israel’s successes on the battlefields of Gaza and Lebanon as an opportunity to bring about a regional settlement, spearheaded by peace with Saudi Arabia.  

Still, the two politicians differed on how Israel should respond to the Iranian attack. Blumenthal suggested that Israel should consider alternatives to attacking Iranian nuclear sites, reflecting the views of the administration, while Graham said he would support whatever Israel decides to do.

“It has been a constant policy of the U.S. to try to avoid a nuclear-armed Iran … but attacking a nuclear facility right now is, perhaps, not the wisest course to take,” Blumenthal said, adding that a further widening of an escalating regional war may not be in Israel’s or America’s interest.

“I don’t know what targets Israel will pick, but I know it will respond,”Graham said. “Missile defense worked very well, but eventually one will get through and kill Israelis. It’s just a matter of time, and that would trigger a massive response.”

He called Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “religious Nazi” who would use a nuclear weapon against the State of Israel if he could.

“The best way to make peace in this region is to cripple and weaken Iran,” Graham said. “They are the source of most of the conflict.”

During their visit to Israel, the two senators met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders, as well as the parents of the murdered American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other hostage families.

‘The two-state solution died on Oct. 7‘

Both senators said they would urge Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries to join forces in a regional push for stability with the Palestinians, even if it stops short of the two-state solution.

“The two-state solution died on Oct. 7,” Graham said. “The Israeli public will not accept a Palestinian state as a result of this barbaric terrorist attack, because it’s rewarding terrorism. But you are not going to have peace until you deal with the Palestinians. They aren’t going anywhere.”

He noted that just as it took decades to de-radicalize the Germans and Japanese, it will take decades to teach Palestinian kids “not to hate the Jews,” suggesting that Gulf countries need to step in and play a part in a reformation process.

Blumenthal conceded that the two-state solution he has long supported is currently off the table.

“At the same time, any enduring comprehensive peace agreement has to include some form of self-determination and self-government for the Palestinian people,” the Democratic senator said.

Graham, who was on his seventh trip to Israel since last year’s Hamas massacre pledged to have Israel’s back as long as he lives.

SATAN’S INFLUENCE IN THE WHITE HOUSE

 By James Lasher  Oct 9, 2024

In a recent episode of “Tipping Point,” host Pastor Jimmy Evans delves into a thought-provoking discussion about U.S. foreign policy toward Israel and its prophetic link to natural disasters.

Evans raises serious concerns about the Biden administration’s actions, particularly regarding the proposed two-state solution between the Palestinian Arabs and Israelis, and how these policies may be connected to recent catastrophic weather events.

“This book right here,” Evans says, holding up a copy of William Koenig’s “Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel,” “gives 126 examples of when American foreign policy was against Israel—especially when it involved dividing their land—and the natural disasters that followed in the United States.”

Evans references the impact of recent hurricanes, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, asking, “Could there be a connection between these massive hurricanes hitting America and what’s happening in Israel at the same time?” He adds, “SOME VERY TROUBLING THINGS ARE HAPPENING CONCERNING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S POLICIES, AND IT MAKES YOU WONDER IF THESE EVENTS ARE MORE THAN JUST COINCIDENCE.”

According to Evans, the stakes are high. “WHEN WE GO AGAINST ISRAEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE DIVIDING THEIR LAND, THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SEVERE. Could the hurricanes be part of those consequences?” He points to what he calls a “bizarre development” in the Middle East, where the U.S. is allegedly “trying to bribe Israel not to strike certain targets in Iran.”

Evans’ perspective on U.S.-Israel relations is a stark reminder of his view that BIBLICAL PROPHECY PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN MODERN GEOPOLITICS. “Right now, some very troubling things are happening concerning the Biden administration’s policies,” he warns, URGING VIEWERS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE LINK BETWEEN AMERICA’S TREATMENT OF ISRAEL AND THE NATURAL DISASTERS THE COUNTRY FACES.

If people truly want to put “America First,” then they must starting putting God first.

Joining Pastor Evans on the podcast was Pastor Billy Crone, who discusses the deeper spiritual issues he believes are affecting America. CRONE SAYS THAT THE LEADERS BEHIND MOVEMENTS LIKE THE GREAT RESET, INCLUDING FIGURES LIKE KLAUS SCHWAB AND JOE BIDEN, ARE PART OF A “LUCIFERIAN AGENDA” BENT ON GLOBAL DOMINATION.

“They worship Lucifer,” Crone declares. “That’s not hyperbole; that’s literally the bottom line. THESE PEOPLE ARE PART OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, PURPOSELY DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY TO BRING IN THE ANTICHRIST KINGDOM.”

MBS (MAN-BY-SATAN) – THE GREAT SPEAKER, PRINCE OR BEAST PERFORMS WONDEROUSLY AND DECEIVINGLY. MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN.

Crone traces this influence back to occult societies, linking their origins to HITLER’S RISE TO POWER. “We’ve already demonstrated that Schwab has taken what Hitler did—the Third Reich—and changed it into the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he says. “The key phrase is ‘secret doctrine,’ which traces back to Madame Blavatsky, who started the Luciferian order.”

Evans echoes Crone’s concerns, stating, “There is a spirit behind what’s happening right now, and it’s not of God. The Bible is the only book on earth that tells us in advance what’s really going on.”

The two men agree that this demonic influence has infiltrated even the highest levels of American leadership. “WHEN BIDEN GOT INTO THE WHITE HOUSE, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THEY DID WAS A ‘SMUDGING’ CEREMONY,” CRONE EXPLAINS. “THAT’S WITCHCRAFT—CLEANSING THE WHITE HOUSE OF TRUMP’S INFLUENCE. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES, WORSHIPPING SATAN.”

SUSAN RICE BURNS SAGE IN HER WEST WING OFFICE TO ‘PURGE NEGATIVE ENERGY’ IN SPACE LAST OCCUPIED BY STEPHEN MILLER

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9338735/Susan-Rice-burns-sage-West-Wing-office-occupied-Stephen-Miller.html

As Christians navigate a world filled with increasing turmoil, we must stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says we are the salt of the earth and the light unto the world, and we must live out this reality every single day. “Now is the time for us to humble ourselves, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. That’s when true revival can begin,” Evans says.

In a rapidly changing world, we as Christians must use biblical discernment, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and remain steadfast, shining as beacons of light amidst the growing darkness.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

PAVING ANTICHRIST’S PATHWAY TO FALSE PEACE

TERRY JAMES

Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse, as recorded in the Gospel according to Luke: “AND THERE SHALL BE…UPON THE EARTH DISTRESS OF NATIONS, WITH PERPLEXITY” (Luke 21:25b). Now, deep into 2024, it becomes increasingly obvious that PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS FOREMOST ON THE MINDS OF THE LEADERS OF THE MAJOR WORLD POWERS. DISTRESS OVER THE POSSIBILITY, EVEN THE PROBABILITY, THAT NUCLEAR CONFLICT MIGHT EVENTUATE IN THE REGION CAUSES PERPLEXITY OF THE MOST CRUCIAL SORT.

Absence of peace in the world, and particularly in the region surrounding modern Israel, creates at this late moment in the fleeting age a vacuum into which the PROPHESIED END-OF-DAYS LEADER WILL ONE DAY VAULT TO POWER. ANTICHRIST WILL CLIMB ONTO A PLATFORM OF PEACE FROM WHICH TO LAUNCH HIS MOST TERRIBLE CAMPAIGN OF CONQUEST. WE GET SOME IDEA OF THIS SUPERNATURALLY IMBUED MAN’S SPECTACULAR RISE AND REIGN THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET DANIEL:

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. (Daniel 8:23–25b)

A STRANGE, DEADLY PEACE IS PROPHESIED TO SERVE AS LAUNCHING PAD FOR THE BEAST, AS HE IS TERMED IN REVELATION CHAPTER 13.

Paul, the apostle and prophet, gave dire warning about that ESOTERIC PEACE THAT WILL PERVADE IN THE DAYS APPROACHING THE TIME OF THE END:

FOR WHEN THEY SHALL SAY, PEACE AND SAFETY; THEN SUDDEN DESTRUCTION COMETH UPON THEM, AS TRAVAIL UPON A WOMAN WITH CHILD; AND THEY SHALL NOT ESCAPE. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

Paul said this murderous peace will come immediately following the “thief in the night” break-in upon an unsuspecting world of earth’s inhabitants. (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1–7.) This refers to the resurrection and translation of the saints of the Age of Grace—the Rapture. The apostle, as he did in speaking of the Rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:51–55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, used personal pronouns to indicate exactly whom he was prophesying about. Concerning those alive at that future time, Paul used “we,” “us,” and “our” to indicate Church Age saints and “they,” “them,” and “those” to indicate the lost—the unbelievers—who will be left behind when the Rapture takes place.

THERE WILL BE A CRY FOR PEACE AND SAFETY leading up to this time of world-rending intervention by Christ, and an even more urgent demand for peace and safety following that calamitous event. I infer from my study that the left-behind people who “SAY PEACE AND SAFETY” SEEM TO BE SAYING ALSO THAT “NOW WE HAVE PEACE AND SAFETY.” I’M CONVINCED THIS IS THE PEACE OF DANIEL 8:25 PERPETRATED UPON THE EARTH BY THE “KING OF FIERCE COUNTENANCE,” WHO WILL “BY PEACE DESTROY MANY.”

Today, leaders of the planet’s most powerful governments consistently fret over the boiling pot the so-called Holy Land presents in threatening to again bring the nations into world war. Other potential conflicts—like the increasing military actions between Russia and Ukraine and the nuclear threats coming from Vladimir Putin—add to the fears.

But IT IS THE BUILDING POTENTIAL FOR ALL-OUT WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND ITS ISLAMIC ANTAGONISTS THAT HAS THE PREMIERE DIPLOMATIC POWERS THAT BE IN “DISTRESS” AND “PERPLEXITY.”

Particularly, it is the building potential violence between the Jewish state and a soon-to-be nuclear Iran that BRINGS FORTH THE CRY FOR PEACE AND SAFETY. GLOBALIST LEADERS MEETING A WEEK AGO AT THE UN VOTED ON A “PACT FOR THE FUTURE” THAT LAYS THE FOUNDATION OF A “NEW GLOBAL ORDER” AT THE CENTER OF WHICH IS THE DECLARED INTENTION TO ESTABLISH WORLD PEACE. It was adopted by consensus, but reluctantly so.

Like in so much going on these days, God’s hand of derision and restraint was manifest within that anti-God geopolitical body.

“No one is happy with this pact,” said Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Vershinin.

Seven countries voted against adopting the Pact: Russia, Nicaragua, Iran, Sudan, Belarus, North Korea and Syria.  Additionally, 15 countries abstained from voting, including China, Cuba, Iraq, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. (“UN’S PACT FOR THE FUTURE IS ADOPTED; IT WILL SERVE THE SAME AUTHORITARIAN AND PROFITABLE AIMS AS COVID,” RHODA WILSON, EXPOSE, SEPTEMBER 23, 2024)

Heaven’s hand of restraint seemed to take from the attendees’ thoughts of working together to throttle Israel’s ongoing military action in defending itself. The leaders of that globalist get-together are frustrated over the peace that eludes all efforts, finding, in particular, Israel’s leadership exasperating—even though it is Israel’s enemies such as Iran that incessantly seek to destroy the Jewish state.

But instead of pursuing their collective hate-filled goals against God’s chosen nation, their thoughts turned to self-centered individual interests for the most part.

Nonetheless, the globalist would-be masters of the world have solid ground for concern that the volatility could boil over at any time and ignite conflagration in the region surrounding Israel. During the UN summit, Iran’s president raved in a speech against Israel and lauded Israel’s enemies, but without overwhelming agreement from those listening.

But Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, continues to declare that Islamic nations will one day watch the destruction of its most-hated enemy, Israel. He is quoted on his website numerous times as saying: “Surely, the day will come when the nations of the region will witness the destruction of the Zionist regime…when the destruction happens will depend on how the Islamic nations approach the issue.”

Concerns about Israel’s objection to Iran’s nuclear development and those diplomatic elites’ frustration over not knowing what to do about the THREAT TO REGIONAL AND WORLD PEACE might remind the student of Bible prophecy of another predicted situation. The current angst over Iran’s threat evokes thoughts of an apparent note of diplomatic protest that will be issued during a future Iranian (Persian) military action against Israel.

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezekiel 38:13)

The powers of the West, and EVEN SAUDI AND OTHERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WILL SEND A WEAK NOTE OF DIPLOMATIC PROTEST. There will still, apparently, be an inability to deal with the Iranian (and the accompanying coalition of nations’) threat to world peace. The indecisiveness and the CRY FOR PEACE AND SAFETY WILL ULTIMATELY BRING THE BEAST TO POWER. HE WILL HAVE THE ANSWERS TO FOMENT THE DEADLY PEACE PEOPLE WANT. IT WILL BE SUCH PEACE THAT WILL SERVE AS ANTICHRIST’S LAUNCHING PAD TO ABSOLUTE POWER.

WORLD GOVERNMENT: WEF, UN, WHO

SATAN, THE MAN-BY-SATAN (MBS) AND THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT

Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, A KING OF FIERCE COUNTENANCE, AND UNDERSTANDING DARK [POLITICAL] SENTENCES, SHALL STAND UP [RISE UP ON THE WORLD’S STAGE].

24 And his power shall be mighty, BUT NOT BY HIS OWN POWER: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and SHALL PROSPER, AND PRACTISE, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

25 And THROUGH HIS POLICY ALSO HE SHALL CAUSE CRAFT TO PROSPER IN HIS HAND; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

26 And the VISION [2030] of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the VISION (2030); for it shall be for many days.

HOW THE ANTICHRIST WILL DECEIVE THE WORLD (EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW)

HOW GCC, EU COULD PARTNER TO BRING PEACE TO MIDDLE EAST

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg October 23, 202417:18 ARAB NEWS

AT LAST WEEK’S EU-GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL SUMMIT, THE LEADERS PRESENT SPENT MUCH OF THEIR TIME DISCUSSING HOW TO HONE THEIR NEWLY FOUNDED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP to stop the Middle East’s conflicts, especially those in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, as well as the wider Israel-Iran cycle of violence.

The two blocs have an unprecedented opportunity to lead in light of the US’ political paralysis, Russia’s war preoccupations and China’s reluctance to lead.

However, despite its considerable weight, a lack of unity has so far hampered the EU’s ability to play an effective role beyond providing aid and regular pronouncements. Despite being the world’s third-largest economy after the US and China, it has chosen not to turn that power into an effective diplomatic initiative. It has preferred to act in the US’ shadow, deferring to the leadership of a clearly paralyzed government. The transitional nature of the EU’s current leadership has added to this reluctance, waiting for the new leadership to take office over the coming weeks and months.

Nevertheless, there was a consensus in Brussels on the parameters for a resolution of the conflict. On Gaza, both support UN Security Council resolutions, especially 2735, which calls for an immediate, full and complete ceasefire, the release of hostages and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, as well as immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to the civilian population and the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout the Gaza Strip, where famine is looming. They also support UNRWA and other UN agencies in Gaza and the West Bank.

THEY NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, NOT ONLY FOR A CEASEFIRE AND HUMANITARIAN AID, BUT TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

ON THE UNDERLYING ISRAEL-PALESTINE ISSUE, THE TWO BLOCS AGREE ON RESOLVING IT ACCORDING TO UN RESOLUTIONS AND THE ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE, MEANING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT AND VIABLE PALESTINIAN STATE ON THE 1967 BORDERS. BOTH CONDEMN SETTLER VIOLENCE IN THE WEST BANK AND ISRAEL’S UNILATERAL ACTIONS TO ALTER THE HISTORICAL STATUS QUO THERE.

THE EU LAST MONTH JOINED SAUDI ARABIA IN LAUNCHING THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION IN NEW YORK. IT ALSO JOINED SAUDI ARABIA’S SEPTEMBER 2023 INITIATIVE TO REVIVE THE PEACE PROCESS AND THE ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE.

Achieving anything of significance on this issue requires US involvement, but it is not likely that the Biden administration will put enough pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire, let alone the settlement of the underlying conflict, before the Nov. 5 election. HOWEVER, THERE IS A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY AFTER THE ELECTION, REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS. THERE ARE 75 CRUCIAL DAYS BETWEEN ELECTION DAY AND JAN. 20, BIDEN’S LAST DAY IN OFFICE. PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS WERE ABLE TO USE THAT PERIOD TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BIDEN COULD USE IT TO ADVANCE US INTERESTS AND HELP HIS OWN LEGACY, WHICH HAS BEEN TARNISHED BY THIS CONFLICT.

DURING THE REMAINING DAYS LEADING UP TO NOV. 5, THE GCC AND EU COULD PREPARE THE GROUND, THROUGH CLOSER EU-GCC COORDINATION, BY BUILDING ON THE CONSENSUS REACHED LAST WEEK IN BRUSSELS. THEY NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, NOT ONLY FOR A CEASEFIRE AND HUMANITARIAN AID, BUT TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT. TO SECURE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT, THE PLAN HAS TO BUILD ON THE GLOBAL CONSENSUS DEMONSTRATED BY UN RESOLUTIONS.

The plan should be a regional one, taking consideration of all the relevant stakeholders. It has to address the concerns of both sides, including Israel’s security concerns and full enfranchisement of the Palestinians, according to all relevant UN resolutions.

Strengthening the Palestinian Authority is essential to enable it to carry out the duties of the state and provide basic services. Introducing economic and political reforms is also essential for the smooth functioning of the state and to encourage donors and investors to help the Palestinian economy.

THERE NEEDS TO BE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PLAN THROUGHOUT, TO PROVIDE THE INCENTIVES AND THE DISCIPLINE, OR CARROTS AND STICKS, WHICH ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THE PLAN WORK.

THE PROMISE OF SHARED PROSPERITY BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION IS ALREADY IMPLIED IN THE ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE. The full potential of that promise could be explained for the benefit of all stakeholders, especially ordinary men and women whose core interests should be at the heart of this process.

After the initial stocktaking and persuasion of key players, an international conference is needed to rally support globally

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

After the initial stocktaking and persuasion of key players, an international conference is needed to rally support globally and, equally important, WORK OUT THE DETAILS OF THE GUARANTEES AND INCENTIVES NEEDED DURING THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOLUTION.

THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION PROVIDES THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THIS GOAL. THE GCC AND THE EU JOINED HANDS IN LAUNCHING THIS INITIATIVE AND THEN EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR IT LAST WEEK IN BRUSSELS.

There will, of course, be obstacles and even potential spoilers. The Israeli government, currently populated by some of the most extreme elements of Israeli politics, may not be easily persuaded. Iran also may see a resolution of the Palestine question as sidelining Tehran or even being at its expense. It may see Arab-Israeli normalization as strengthening Israel, its regional arch-rival.

THE US SHOULD BE ABLE TO PERSUADE ISRAEL OF THE VALUE OF REACHING A DEAL, WITH A PROMISE OF PEACE AND NORMALIZATION WITH COUNTRIES OF THE REGION AND BEYOND. STRENGTHENING THE PEACE CAMP IN ISRAEL IS ALSO NECESSARY. THIS CAN BE DONE BY PROVIDING ISRAELIS WITH A CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE CURRENT ENDLESS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.

GCC-Iran diplomatic engagement could assuage Iran’s fears regarding the deal. In addition to the long-standing bilateral diplomatic channels between Iran and the GCC countries, a new channel was started earlier this month. On Oct. 4, the foreign ministers of Iran and the six GCC countries met for the first time in Doha. Through these channels, the two sides could discuss Iran’s concerns.

THE GCC REGIONAL SECURITY VISION, ISSUED IN MARCH, CONTAINS THE PROMISE OF NORMALIZATION WITH BOTH IRAN AND ISRAEL. THE PARAMETERS FOR NORMALIZATION WITH ISRAEL HAVE ALREADY BEEN SPELLED OUT IN THE ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE. THE PARAMETERS FOR NORMALIZATION WITH IRAN HAVE ALSO BEEN SPELLED OUT BY THE GCC IN OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH TEHRAN AND IN THE MEETINGS HELD WITH IT OVER RECENT YEARS.

PEACE BETWEEN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL COULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DEFUSE TENSIONS IN THE REGION, INCLUDING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND IRAN. NORMALIZATION WITH THE GCC COULD HELP IRAN FOCUS ITS TREMENDOUS ENERGIES INTERNALLY AND HELP IRANIAN CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN THE REGION’S ECONOMIC BOOM.

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the Gulf Cooperation Council assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation.

YAIR LAPID URGES DEAL TO FREE ALL CAPTIVES AT ONCE, PUSHES FOR SAUDI NORMALIZATION – INTERVIEW. THE TIME FRAME WILL ALSO BE PROTRACTED, LAPID EXPLAINED, GIVEN THAT FOR AT LEAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, “IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PALESTINIAN STATE.”

By ELIAV BREUER, TOVAH LAZAROFFOCTOBER 23, 2024 16:06 THE JERUSALEM POST

Until October 7, opposition leader Yair Lapid could always shut down any conversation questioning why Jews should live in Israel by recalling his father’s story as a child Holocaust survivor.

“I have great answers. Always have. My father’s ghetto Jewish history – and it used to kill the conversation in five minutes,” Lapid told The Jerusalem Post.

“It is not killing the conversation in five minutes anymore. The questions have become deeper and more bitter” as Israel faces an unprecedented barrage of external and internal existential threats, he said.

The silver-haired politician who heads the centrist Yesh Atid party spoke with the Post from his small Tel Aviv office a year into the country’s multi-front war against Iranian proxies – that began with the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7 and quickly expanded to include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Tehran itself.

Lapid, who lost the premiership in November 2022, had already been in battle mode as one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s harshest and most vocal critics, warning against the internal threat to Israeli democracy posed by Netanyahu’s judicial reform program. October 7 added a new dimension to that battle, underscoring Lapid’s belief that the prime minister and his government posed a threat to Israel – and deepening the soul-searching societal crisis within the country.

“Even in 2023, during the judicial revolution or reform, if you asked me what the State of Israel would look like three or four years from now, I would say, ‘You know what? We’re going to win this struggle,’” Lapid said as he sat behind his wooden desk. “We had the basic idea of what the country was going to look like. Now we don’t.”

Moving forward, he said, “We don’t even know how we are going to feel, what kind of people we’re going to be.”

Young parents are telling me: ‘I’m not willing to raise children this way,” Lapid said, and he understands them.

He has experienced that same sentiment watching his daughter and six-month-old granddaughter race for shelter during a missile attack.

“We’re not going to live like this,” he said.

A self-described ‘depressed optimist’

Describing himself as a “depressed optimist,” Lapid said that the depth of the problem has distressed – but not overwhelmed – him as he pushes for a new diplomatic and political reality for Israel.

“We now understand that we cannot keep on ignoring the more fundamental problems this country has, and I actually welcome the discourse that is asking: ‘What’s gonna make Israel more powerful?’”

A basic necessary first step, aside from the removal of the Netanyahu government, Lapid said, was ending the war in Gaza in exchange for a deal that would see the release of the remaining 101 hostages held in that enclave.

“Right now, the stoppage of the war is actually an Israeli interest,” he said. Initially, it was critical for Israel to fight the war, but that, he explained, has changed since July.

The IDF’s assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week, Lapid said, has only underscored the urgency he feels regarding the importance of concluding a hostage deal and ending the war.

“The elimination of Sinwar” sends “an important message to the Middle East: Whoever messes with us will die. It may take as long as it takes, but we will reach everyone who threatens us and eliminate them.”

It also opens a new opportunity for a deal.

Israel needs to do two things, he said. First, it must announce that it will offer significant financial incentives and a safe exit from Gaza to anyone who brings hostages. Second, it must simultaneously strive for a comprehensive hostage deal rather than the three-phased agreement put on the table in May. 

“The stage of gradual releases is over,’ he said. “We need a single deal that will release the living and return the bodies of the dead for burial.”

THE IDF should end the war before it has totally eliminated Hamas, he explained, “so that there can be a hostage deal because the captives “are dying.”

Israel can afford to take this step because it has already destroyed the basic components of Hamas’s military power – and vanquishing it completely could be a prolonged process, he said. That destruction should be a strategic priority for Israel, but he believes the IDF can afford to finish the process after the war ends and the hostages are home.

Lapid dismissed the argument that Hamas cannot be annihilated because ideas cannot be destroyed. Bad ideas can be vanquished, he said.

“Nazism was a bad idea, and therefore we have eliminated it… Communism was a terrible idea, at least the Russian concept, and the world has succeeded in eliminating this idea. Hamas is a horrible idea. It should be eliminated.

“But those of us who live in the real world understand it’s going to take a long time,” he added.

One of the first and most critical steps, he said, was addressing the “day after” plan for Gaza in a way that could solicit rather than discourage regional and international cooperation.

Discussing Gaza’s ‘day after’

“We need to start discussing what the ‘day after’ in Gaza looks like,” so that Hamas does not return to areas where it has been eliminated.

“Vacuums in nature are filled with something. And right now the something is Hamas,” he said. IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH SOME SORT OF INTERNATIONAL GOVERNING BODY THAT COULD INCLUDE REGIONAL PLAYERS SUCH AS THE SAUDIS, the Emiratis, and the Egyptians, as well as a “‘symbolic’ branch of the Palestinian Authority, nothing, nothing more than that.”

“You take this structure” and “implement it into Gaza. It’s a process. It’s not going to happen in a day.”  The IDF would have to retain control of the critical Philadelphia security corridor and the Rafah crossing, as well as have the ability to re-enter Gaza for security reasons when needed. It would be an arrangement similar to that which exists in Areas A and B of the West Bank, he explained.

LAPID IS AMONG THOSE ISRAELIS WHO, EVEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF OCTOBER 7, ARE STILL WILLING TO GIVE A NOD IN THE DIRECTION OF PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD AND A TWO-STATE RESOLUTION TO THE CONFLICT.

AS PRIME MINISTER IN 2022, LAPID RECALLED, HE STOOD AT THE PODIUM IN THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND STATED: “AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PALESTINIANS, BASED ON TWO STATES FOR TWO PEOPLES, IS THE RIGHT THING FOR ISRAEL’S SECURITY, FOR ISRAEL’S ECONOMY, AND FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. PEACE IS NOT A COMPROMISE. IT IS THE MOST COURAGEOUS DECISION WE CAN MAKE.”

EVEN NOW, HE SAID, “I STILL DO BELIEVE IN THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION, BUT NOT THE STATE THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT.” A PALESTINIAN STATE HAS TO BE “A PEACEFUL ONE AND A PEACE-SEEKING ONE.” HE ADDED, “THE ‘BURDEN OF PROOF’ IS NOT ON US BUT ON THEM.

“We are saying that we are willing to consider the possibility, even though we have learned the bitter lesson that we have learned” on October 7, he said.

Such a step would need to include a rehabilitated PA to ensure that a Palestinian state would not turn into yet another terror state, he said.

THE TIME FRAME WILL ALSO BE PROTRACTED, LAPID EXPLAINED, GIVEN THAT FOR AT LEAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, “IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PALESTINIAN STATE.”

“We were just attacked in the most vicious way by Palestinians,” he said as he referenced the October 7 attack in which over 1,200 people were killed and another 251 seized as hostages. PA President Mahmoud Abbas “has declined even now to condemn it,” Lapid pointed out.

ISRAEL’S FOCUS, HE EXPLAINED, HAS TO BE ON SELF-PRESERVATION.

“THE NEXT POLITICAL ISSUE WILL BE THE ABILITY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL TO REGAIN THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE WILL NOT BE KILLED [UPON] WAKING UP IN THE MORNING. IT’S JUST MORE IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW THAN THE SELF-RECOGNITION OR WORLD RECOGNITION OF THE PALESTINIAN STATE.

Lapid preferred to focus on the importance of “separating from the Palestinians,” but said that THE OPTION FOR PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD HAD TO BE ON THE TABLE SO THAT ISRAEL COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS OF NORMALIZATION WITH SAUDI ARABIA, A STEP ESSENTIAL TO COMBATING IRAN AND ITS PROXIES.

“YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A VAGUE GOODWILL TO[WARD] THE CONCEPT, AND THEN YOU CAN START WORKING WITH THE SAUDIS and the Emirates,” he said. “We have a regional problem and it needs a regional solution.” 

THE SAUDI DEAL IS MORE OF A CONCEPTUAL REGIONAL FRAMEWORK THAT INVOLVES THE UNITED STATES AND THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS COUNTRIES. “THIS IS THE RIGHT COALITION TO DEAL WITH THE HEGEMONIC WISHES OF THE IRANIANS AND THE NUCLEAR PROBLEM. SO THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD GO,” HE SAID.

FIVE-FOLD SINS RESULTING IN MEN’S ETERNAL DAMNATION:

1. Worship the beast. (6X). (Rev. 13:4, 13:8, 13:12, 14:9, 14:11)
2. Worship the beast’s image. (6X). (Rev. 13:14, 13:15, 14:9, 14:11, 16:2, 19:20)
3. Take the beast’s mark. (6X). (Rev. 13:16, 13:17, 14:9, 14:11, 16:2, 19:20)
4. Take the beast’s number. (2X). (Rev. 13:17, 13:18)
5. Take the beast’s name. (2X). (Rev. 13:17, 14:11)

Commentary: There are a total of eighteen (18) verses that indicate the eternal sins of damnation that result from worshipping the beast, worshipping his image and taking his mark of identification. Three (3) denotes God’s emphasis and intensity. Six (6) denotes the evil number of man = 18, or 6+6+6 = 18, or 666 . . . “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is he number of a man; and his number is Six Hundred and threescore and six (666).” (Rev. 13:18). Worshipping the beast, his image and taking his mark are the eternal sins that men commit during the Tribulation.

There are a total of ten (10) combined references of evil men taking the beast’s mark, number or name. These three descriptions are synonymous with being identified with (or belonging) to the beast and his system. Ten (10) denotes God’s allness or physical completeness regarding things on earth. These ten references indicate man’s complete earthly evilness and damnation resulting from taking either the mark, number of name of the beast and his kingdom.

These men are so deceived and evil, that they not only allow themselves to worship the beast and his fake image, but they allow themselves to be physically ‘branded’ or marked in order to be identified with the beast. Evil men obtain this mark, number or name so they can also participate in the global economy in terms of buying and selling. They have to be identified as having this mark, number or name, physically evident on either their right hand or forehead, in order to be allowed to execute a purchasing or selling transaction. Once evil men worship the beast, his image and take his mark (or number, name), they are damned.

There are three verses regarding a very specific, powerful and clear angelic warning given to men on earth, to NOT worship the beast, or his image, or take his mark (name, number). Three (3) denotes God’s emphasis and intensity.

. . . “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:9, 14:10, 14:11)

Twice (2) the message is directed at men. The angel repeats himself indicating that the message is for men and what behavior is judged eternally sinful (for ever and ever). Men who worship the beast, his image and take his mark will;

1. Experience God’s wrath.
2. God’s wrath will not be diluted, or held back, but given in full strength.
3. They will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone for torment.
4. There torment will be forever and ever (eternity).
5. Their torment will be witnessed by holy angels.
6. Their torment will take place in the presence of the Lamb.
7. They will have no rest day or night, forever and ever (eternity).

There are seven (7) specific results that stem from men worshipping the beast, his image and taking his mark (name or number). Seven (7) denotes God’s divinely determined completeness as to his purpose or plan. Eternal punishment in the lake of fire and brimstone, day and night is the strongest wrath that God gives evil men (and Satan, beast/antichrist and false prophet). There is a specific mention that this torment takes place in the presence of the Lamb. These men, while in their torment, will see or consciously be aware of the existence of Jesus Christ. This will provide added pain, anguish and misery since they will be painfully made aware of the choice of their decisions (to worship the beast, his image and take his mark). They were warned not to do what they did.

The Bible gives plenty of examples of the glory that is given to those who did NOT worship the beast, his image or take his mark. Yet, despite the angelic warning . . . despite the 3 ½ year testimony of two witness and prophets . . . despite the witnessing of Tribulation Saints . . . despite the flying angel who proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . evil men still chose to worship the beast, his image and to take his mark, name or number.

They chose to ignore the messages, the warnings, and the testimonies. And now, they are in the lake of fire and brimstone, and will have to pay the price for their evil decision(s), for eternity. They see Jesus Christ, and have become painfully aware of what they could have had through Jesus Christ and instead, they chose the false, empty promises of Satan by worshipping the beast, his image and taking his mark, name or number.

Their extreme bitterness and woeful regret will emotionally torment them for eternity, in addition to the physical pain, suffering and torment that they will experience in the lake of fire for eternity. Through their decision to follow Satan, God gave them exactly what they wanted. They did not want anything to do with Jesus Christ, who paid for their sins with his own blood. As such, God gave them over to Satan, since it was their free decision or choice, and what they desired while they were physically alive on earth.

These evil men did everything humanly possible to ignore warnings, to blaspheme God, to ignore the gospel of Jesus Christ, and instead they accepted and believed in lies, worshipped Satan, the beast and his image. Evil men even went so far as to physically defile their bodies (flesh) by taking the branding (mark, number or name) of the beast. All of these actions and behaviors enabled evil men to give themselves totally and wholeheartedly over to Satan through his system of the beast/antichrist and the false prophet.

There are two visions describing what John the Apostle saw, regarding men who were overcomers (them that had gotten victory) by NOT worshipping the beast, his image or taking his mark, number or name.

. . . “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest.” (Rev. 15:2, 15:3, 15:4).

. . . “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4).

Men who do NOT worship the beast, his image and take his mark are described as;

1. They are in heaven (stand on a sea of glass).
2. They have harps of God.
3. They sing praises and worship Jesus Christ for their salvation.
4. They acknowledge that God’s judgements came to pass.
5. They are given thrones upon which they sit upon.
6. They are given judgement.
7. They live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.

There are seven (7) specific results that stem from men NOT worshipping the beast, his image and taking his mark (name or number). Seven (7) denotes God’s divinely determined completeness as to his purpose or plan. These blessings or glories are the complete opposite of what awaits those men who DID worship the beast, his image and took his mark, name, number.

1. The righteous are in heaven for eternity versus evil men who are in the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity.
2. The righteous are joyful and play harps versus evil men who are bitter, resentful, angry, tormented, cry and wail in anguish.
3. The righteous sing the praise of and worship Jesus Christ versus evil men who once praised and worshipped Satan (through the beast, his image and in taking his mark).
4. Righteous men acknowledge that what God said would come to pass, in fact did come to pass (made manifest) versus evil men who ignored and rejected warnings, the gospel and testimonies of the truth.
5. The righteous are given thrones in heaven versus evil men who are drowning in torment in the lake of fire.
6. The righteous are given judgement versus evil men who are judged.
7. The righteous live and reign with Christ verses evil men who die and fall with Satan.

The avoidance of doing these five (5) eternal sins is one of the most important themes, in the entire book of Revelation. Men must avoid doing these things, literally at all costs. Even to the point of being beheaded or martyred. Men’s eternal destinies depend on it. Worshipping the beast, his image and taking his mark, name or number result in eternal damnation. There is no way of sugar coating or downplaying this reality.

12 REFERENCES TO JUDGE / JUDGING / JUDGEMENT:

1. . . . “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not JUDGE AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD on them that dwell on the earth.” (Rev. 6:10).
2. . . . “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that THEY SHOULD BE JUDGED, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH.” (Rev. 11:18).
3. . . . “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGEMENT IS COME: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:7).
4. . . . “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for THY ARE MADE MANIFEST.” (Rev. 15:4).
5. . . . “And I heard the angel of the water say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, BECAUSE THOU HAST JUDGED THUS.” (Rev. 16:5).
6. . . . “And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ARE THY JUDGMENTS.” (Rev. 16:7).
7. . . . “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee THE JUDGEMENT OF THE GREAT WHORE that sitteth upon many waters:” (Rev. 17:1).
8. . . . “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for STRONG IS THE LORD GOD WHO JUDGETH HER.” (Rev. 18:8).
9. . . . “Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For IN ONE HOUR IS THY JUDGEMENT COME.” (Rev. 18:10).
10. . . . “For TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ARE HIS JUDGEMENTS: for HE HATH JUDGED THE GREAT WHORE, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS SERVANTS at her hand.” (Rev. 19:2).
11. . . .And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and THE DEAD WERE JUDGED OUT OF THOSE THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS, ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS.” (Rev. 20:12).
12. . . . “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and THEY WERE JUDGED EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS.” (Rev. 20:13).

JUDGING OR JUDGEMENT IS DESCRIBED AS;

God is the judge and provides judgements or decisions based on the actions, behaviors and deeds of men and angels.

Judgement is a decision requested to be made on behalf of someone (Tribulation Saints) who were wrongfully hurt (beheaded).

Someone (nations) are caught bloody red handed and are angry knowing that they will be judged for their actions, behavior and evil deeds. They are angry because they didn’t get away with it and were caught. They know they are going to have pay a price which they can’t afford.

Judgement is a request that someone be righted a wrong done to them.

Judgement is a request for a reward promised based on a stated outcome.

Judgement is based on timing. An evil act is done, its results are noted and accounted for. Time comes for the evil act to be judged and the resulting judgement exercised or made manifest.

Judgement, or the decision of what should be done has to be acted upon or made to occur (sent to prison). This is known as making a judgement manifest or physically exercised. This is the doing of what should be done.

Witnesses in the public gallery indicate that God’s judgements are “true and righteous.” This means that the public gallery can attest to the fact that God did take everything into account, all the details, actions, deeds, events, behaviors, statements, intents and came to the correct and truthful conclusion regarding the matter. Nothing was left out. Everything was taken into consideration as evidence, properly evaluated and applied against the benchmark, standard and/or law that was being applied. God’s administration of justice and his resulting judgements are found to be accurate, spot on, truthful, correct, no question about it. In Biblical words, “true and righteous.”

God is described as judging the “great whore” a.k.a. Babylon City (the great worldly capital of the beast’s/antichrist’s kingdom).

God is strong, meaning he can’t be swayed or weak in the sense that he lets some evil slide a bit in terms of not being judged or of receiving judgement. He is firm in his judgements and not weak-kneed. He does not fold under public pressure. He can’t be influenced, bribed, manipulated or pushed by a particular special interest group, lobby or entrenched political ideology or group. He is strong, firm, steadfast, unwavering in the application of his administration of justice.

The wrath of his resulting judgements is not watered down or filtered out or held back. He gives the criminal, evil-person no slack and gives them the fullest extent of prison term possible (eternity). They are not sent to a plush prison serving three square meals a day with a basketball court, but to a lake of fire and brimstone. God does not ‘molly-coddle’ the evil, he gives them exactly what they deserve. He does not withhold his judgements, he pours out his wrath in full strength (at just the right time).

God’s judgement comes very swiftly, within “one hour.” There is no long drawn out period of rebuttals, challenges, reviews, counter-suits, passing on to a higher court, etc. A decision is made and done. The action of the decision is made manifest, very quickly. There is no delay in the manifestation of the decision. Babylon City is destroyed within one hour, split into three parts by a very great earthquake, consumed by fire and hammered by 100lb. hailstones (weight of a talent). Period.

There is no punishment meted out in stages, over a long period of time. There is no slap on the wrist that comes with an admonition to don’t do it again. The celestial sledgehammer is dropped quickly and decisively, no force is held back.

God’s judgement includes not only the living but also the dead. Jesus Christ opens his book of life, to see if a dead man’s name is in it. The book of life is not unlike an accounting ledger that records all the debits and credits amassed over a period of time. These debits and credits are referred to as “according to their works.” If a man’s name is found in his book of life, Jesus acknowledges as much to the Father and “confesses the man’s name even to the angels.” Through Jesus Christ and his book of life, God is able to righteously judge dead men. Jesus’ book of life accounts for everyone, past, present and future.

Numbers within numbers, meanings within meanings. Twelve (12) descriptions of judging or judgement and twelve (12) references or verses from throughout the book of Revelation. Judging / Judgement. (Def.); to form a conclusion about a subject or outcome, to decide as in a case of court, to give a verdict about someone or something in court as truthful, applying the administration of justice and truthfulness. Only God and Jesus Christ are the judges. Period.

 Only God and Jesus Christ do the judging. Period. Only God and Jesus Christ reward, withhold or punish. Period. Only God and Jesus Christ are judge, jury, and jailer. God has his wrath. Jesus Christ has the keys to heaven and hell. Having judgement and exercising judgement is derived from authority and rule. One can only be a judge if they have the authority to judge and the right to judge. One has to be competent to judge, to be able to discern right from wrong, truth from lies, good from evil, just from unjust, righteousness from unrighteousness, clarity from deception, godly from ungodliness, saved from unsaved.

To be able to judge, one has to know all the facts, all the outcomes, all the intents, all the behaviors and apply these against a benchmark, a standard, a law that determines whether the data observed meet the benchmark, standard or law. Since God is omnipotent and knows everything occurring past, present and future, he is supremely just in knowing everything to take into account in performing judgement. He is the only one capable of exercising correct, truthful and righteous judgement because he can and does take everything into consideration when exercising his administration of justice.

Jesus Christ is the benchmark, the standard and/or the law. Jesus Christ paid our court fees, he paid the bail, and also paid a very expensive price so we wouldn’t have to go to jail, to the dungeon, to the hangman or to the lake of fire. God’s law of righteousness and truthfulness is;

Admit/Acknowledge/Accept that you are sinner. Ask God’s forgiveness and repent of your sins.

. . .For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

. . .As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)

. . .If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

Believe Jesus is Lord. Believe that Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be; that He was both fully God and fully man and that we are saved through His death, burial, and resurrection. Put your trust in Him as your only hope of salvation. Become a son or daughter of God by receiving Christ.

. . .That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:15-17). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

Call upon His name, Confess with your heart and with your lips that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

. . .That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

This is the benchmark, standard and/or law by which God judges men. If Jesus Christ finds a man who meets this benchmark, standard and/or law, he acknowledges and confesses the man’s name before God as belonging to him and having meet the requirements. Jesus Christ acts as our lawyer, on our behalf, in the administration of God’s justice. Jesus saves us in God’s court of law and in the administration of God’s justice.

But the fearful, and UNBELIEVING, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.

SEVEN-FOLD REFERENCE TO LAKE OF FIRE JUDGEMENT:

1. “He that hath an ear, let hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of THE SECOND DEATH (LAKE OF FIRE).” (Rev. 2:11).
2. “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he SHALL BE TORMENTED WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosover receiveth the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:10-11).
3. “And THE BEAST was taken, and with him THE FALSE PROPHET that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These BOTH WERE CAST ALIVE INTO A LAKE OF FIRE BURNING WITH BRIMSTONE.” (Rev. 19:20).
4. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHERE THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET ARE, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Rev. 20:10).
5. “And death and hell were cast into THE LAKE OF FIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH.” (Rev. 20:14).
6. “And whosover was not found written in the book of life WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.” (Rev. 20:15).
7. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.” (Rev. 21:8).

The lake of fire is also known as the ‘second death’. This is the final place of burning, everlasting torment for Satan, the antichrist, the false prophet and those un-saved, un-believing souls from throughout the ages found NOT to be in the book of life, at the white throne judgement, at the end of the Millennium. The lake of fire and second death are also reserved for those deceived during the Tribulation who took the mark of the beast and worshipped him and his image.

 The evil dead are resurrected to be judged by Christ for their evil works and for their rejection of Him who offered himself for their salvation and forgiveness of their sins. As a result of their sins and judgment, they are cast into the lake of fire that represents a second death (the first death being physical body death and souls/spirits being in Hell). The evil dead are resurrected into bodies and cast into the lake of fire to be severely tormented, having no rest day or night, and are absent from a loving God and their Savior who offered himself for them.

THE GREAT IRONY IS THAT THESE PEOPLE RECEIVED EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED. THEY REFUSED CHRIST AND WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM, THEY WANTED TO EXIST IN ETERNITY WITHOUT COMMUNION WITH GOD AND CHRIST, ON THEIR OWN TERMS. THEY LITERALLY RECEIVED WHAT THEY ASKED FOR. THE STENCH OF THEIR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL TORMENT RISES UP IN SMOKE, FOR ETERNITY.

God made both man and angels as eternal beings, hence they will exist forever in one state or another. Which state will any of us choose to exist in? The choice is up to us, and God grants us the freedom to make that choice for ourselves. For better or worse, we have no one to blame (certainly not God) except ourselves for whatever choices we make on earth.