I read this article today about Cheney's new Chief of Staff, who's replacing Gonzo. It's very interesting.
Source:
The Hidden Power
by Jane Mayer
July 3, 2006
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON about David Addington and the war on terror. At a Redskins game in December, Colin Powell commented privately on a recent report in the Times which revealed that Pres. Bush had secretly authorized the N.S.A. to eavesdrop on American citizens without first obtaining a warrant from the FISA court. “It's Addington,” Powell said. “He doesn't care about the Constitution.” He was referring to David S. Addington, Vice-President Cheney's chief of staff and his longtime legal adviser. Most Americans have never heard of him, but he has played a central role in shaping the Bush Administration's legal strategy for the war on terror. Known as the New Paradigm, this strategy rests on a reading of the Constitution that few legal scholars share-namely, that the President has the authority to disregard virtually all legal boundaries, if national security demands it. Under this framework, statutes prohibiting torture, secret detention, and warrantless surveillance have been set aside. Mentions Guantanamo Bay. Many constitutional experts question Addington's views on Presidential power. Mentions Arthur Shlesinger, Jr., and Bruce Fein. Richard Epstein warned of an impending constitutional crisis. Mentions Richard Shiffrin. Addington is a tall, bespectacled man of 49, with a trim gray beard. He has been an ally of Cheney's since the 1980s and is sometimes described as “Cheney's hit man.” Mentions Bradford Berenson. After September 11th (9/11), Addington offered legal certitude at a moment of great confusion. Mentions Alberto Gonzales. Addington was able to promote vast executive powers after 9/11. Mentions Steve Berry. Mentions Leonard Napolitano. Describes Addington's background and his conservative ideology. After graduating from Duke Law School, he got a job in the general counsel's office at the C.I.A. There, he strongly opposed the reform movements that followed Vietnam and Watergate. “He thought the Presidency was too weakened.” These views were shared by Cheney. Mentions the Iran-Contra scandal. Addington served as the Pentagon's General Counsel during the first Bush Administration. Once Cheney became Vice-President, Addington insured that virtually all important national-security documents were seen by the VP's office. Mentions William J. Haynes. After 9/11, Addington dominated the debate over how to frame the Administration's legal response to the attacks. On September 25th, the Justice Dept.'s Office of Legal Counsel issued a memo declaring that the Pres. had inherent constitutional authority to take whatever military actions he deemed necessary, not just in response to 9/11, but in the prevention of future attacks. Another memo sanctioned torture when the Pres. deems it necessary. Addington either drafted the memos himself or advised those who drafted them. On November 13, 2001, an executive order setting up special military commissions was issued under Bush's signature, stunning Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and the JAGs. Mentions Rear Admiral Donald Guter and Marine Major Dan Morii. Addington has fought to stem reform of other controversial aspects of the New Paradigm, such as the detention and interrogation of terror suspects. Discusses whether potentially innocent people have been detained indefinitely at Guantanamo. Addington has proved deft at outmaneuvering his critics. Describes his ruthless tactics. Describes the N.S.A.'s warrantless wiretapping program and how Cheney and Addington pressed the agency to engage in practices it thought were illegal. Fourteen prominent constitutional scholars recently wrote an open letter to Congress, claiming the N.S.A. surveillance program “appears…to violate existing law.” Discusses the lack of congressional oversight. Mentions signing statements, which allow Bush to disregard portions of laws passed by Congress. Fein argues that the Founding Fathers would have been shocked by what Cheney and Addington have done.
Jane Mayer, "The Hidden Power," The New Yorker, July 3, 2006, p. 44
Sorry this is so long, but I didn't want anything taken out of context.
What is it with this administration?? They're always picking people that have questionable backgrounds. Not that we're perfect (though some come close) but we at least want someone decent to run the country we live in. Is that too much to ask??
Monday, March 26, 2007
Should They Stay Or Should They Go?
That's right folks, I'm talking about Illegal Immigration. I have some interesting stuff for ya'll to read, interesting facts and suppositions, interesting websites..all in all it's going to be fun.
What upsets me the most about the illegal immigrants isn't that they're here to make a living, or to get adequate health coverage for their families. It's the lying, cheating and stealing their way in that pisses me off. The fact that they don't pay taxes, the fact that they live off us -the taxpayers.
Here's some interesting statistics for you. (Source:http://www.immigrationcounters.com/)
1. There are 20,807,746 illegal immigrants in our country.
2. $22,213,559,996 have been wired to Mexico since Jan. 06
3. There are 3,958,846 children of illegals in Public Schools.
4. The cost of incarceration since 2001: $1,398,147,712
5. There are 332,598 illegals incarcerated now.
6. But, there are 642,804 illegal fugitives out there roaming the streets.
7. There are 9,872,933 skilled jobs taken by illegals.
8. There have been 1,942,742 Anchor babies born since 2002.
Let me tell you a story. My husband works for a company here in The Middle Of Nowhere, that just KNOWINGLY hired 16 (!!!!!!) illegal Mexicans. Oh, they have all the right document (fakes, as they all have the same birthday...yeah right) and all the proper identification. But if they're legal, why isn't taxes being withheld from their paychecks? BECAUSE THEY'RE ILLEGAL. My husband knows this for a fact, because his own BOSSES told him this, thinking we wouldn't do anything about it. Ha! Wrong move asshole. We've already reported them to Customs, and our local television news station.
Anyway, border patrol wouldn't be such a bad idea if Mexico's leaders would quit encouraging their citizens to jump the border. In an article written by Jon E. Dougherty from NewsMax.com, he writes:
"On the surface, Mexico is indeed laden with extreme poverty. A great many of its citizens live in squalor, and the infrastructure to provide for the population does not exist on the scale it exists in America.
One of the most common misconceptions is that Mexico is a poor nation. Mexico has a lot of poverty, yes, but it's not "poor." In terms of the potential to obliterate much of that poverty, Mexico has one of the greatest capacities in all of the Americas to do just that. It is rich in natural resources and, should it decide to tap those resources, could eradicate much of its own destitution.
Mexico is the richest nation in Latin America when measured by GDP, and by a wide margin: in 2001, Mexico's GDP was the highest in Latin America, a substantial 22.5 percent more than runner-up Brazil," writes Walker. "When GDP per capita is the gauge, Mexico is second only behind Argentina."
Why so much poverty? Why isn't Mexico City doing more to alleviate the suffering? Why are so many Mexican migrants risking life, limb and capture to sneak into the United States? Why aren't there more opportunities for them at home?
Simple. The country's oligarchic elite won't allow that to happen.
Others argue Mexico, by adequately tapping its own financial and physical resources, could do what other economic powerhouses have done – invest its way to success, by building up its industrial infrastructure and educating its own workforce.
Such investment would require money, however. And it's much easier for Mexico to freeload off a willing wealthy neighbor. One like the United States.
And by doing so, Mexico actually reaps financial benefits.
They know Mexican children will be cared for and educated. They know medical needs will be met, and they know other basic amenities of life will be supplied.
More importantly, they know they won't have to pay for it.
It's past time for Mexico to grow up and stop mooching from its more successful neighbors. The longer we allow Mexico to freeload, the longer its people will suffer." (Note to reader: I didn't copy the entire article here..for a more complete read click the link above)
There have been numerous debates about solutions to this problem, and one such "solution" is the North American Union (also the building of a North American Super Corridor). And while I support Pres. Bush on most of his endeavors, this one I do not.
The North American Union (NAU)/ North American Super Corridor (NASC) is supposed to open the borders for trade purposes (yeah right), and help stabilize the immigration issue. Dennis Berheandt writes:
"On June 21, viewers of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight heard the alarming introduction to a segment of the program devoted to the future of the United States of America. "The Bush administration's open-borders policy and its decision to ignore the enforcement of this country's immigration laws is part of a broader agenda," Dobbs intoned. "President Bush signed a formal agreement that will end the United States as we know it, and he took the step without approval from either the U.S. Congress or the people of the United States.
The standard diplomatic language was a prelude to a radical proposal calling for the merger of the three nations in several important ways. Under a so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), the nations will no longer have separate borders, but will "implement common border-security." The three nations will no longer respond on the national level to emergencies but will have a "common approach to emergency response." And, in a move that has tremendous implications for the growing immigration crisis, the three leaders agreed that the United States' north and south borders would be eliminated. Under the SPP plan, the three nations will "implement a border-facilitation strategy to build capacity and improve the legitimate flow of people and cargo at our shared borders"."
You know what? This is scary stuff. Not just because it rids us of our sovereignty as a country, but because this opens up a whole new wad of issues concerning our nation's liberty.
I want to know your thoughts and feelings on this topic. If you have anything you'd like to add, please feel free.
Want more info? Check these sites:
http://www.cis.org/topics/illegalimmigration.html
http://www.cis.org/topics/currentnumbers.html
http://www.illegal-immigration-statistics.net/
What upsets me the most about the illegal immigrants isn't that they're here to make a living, or to get adequate health coverage for their families. It's the lying, cheating and stealing their way in that pisses me off. The fact that they don't pay taxes, the fact that they live off us -the taxpayers.
Here's some interesting statistics for you. (Source:http://www.immigrationcounters.com/)
1. There are 20,807,746 illegal immigrants in our country.
2. $22,213,559,996 have been wired to Mexico since Jan. 06
3. There are 3,958,846 children of illegals in Public Schools.
4. The cost of incarceration since 2001: $1,398,147,712
5. There are 332,598 illegals incarcerated now.
6. But, there are 642,804 illegal fugitives out there roaming the streets.
7. There are 9,872,933 skilled jobs taken by illegals.
8. There have been 1,942,742 Anchor babies born since 2002.
Let me tell you a story. My husband works for a company here in The Middle Of Nowhere, that just KNOWINGLY hired 16 (!!!!!!) illegal Mexicans. Oh, they have all the right document (fakes, as they all have the same birthday...yeah right) and all the proper identification. But if they're legal, why isn't taxes being withheld from their paychecks? BECAUSE THEY'RE ILLEGAL. My husband knows this for a fact, because his own BOSSES told him this, thinking we wouldn't do anything about it. Ha! Wrong move asshole. We've already reported them to Customs, and our local television news station.
Anyway, border patrol wouldn't be such a bad idea if Mexico's leaders would quit encouraging their citizens to jump the border. In an article written by Jon E. Dougherty from NewsMax.com, he writes:
"On the surface, Mexico is indeed laden with extreme poverty. A great many of its citizens live in squalor, and the infrastructure to provide for the population does not exist on the scale it exists in America.
One of the most common misconceptions is that Mexico is a poor nation. Mexico has a lot of poverty, yes, but it's not "poor." In terms of the potential to obliterate much of that poverty, Mexico has one of the greatest capacities in all of the Americas to do just that. It is rich in natural resources and, should it decide to tap those resources, could eradicate much of its own destitution.
Mexico is the richest nation in Latin America when measured by GDP, and by a wide margin: in 2001, Mexico's GDP was the highest in Latin America, a substantial 22.5 percent more than runner-up Brazil," writes Walker. "When GDP per capita is the gauge, Mexico is second only behind Argentina."
Why so much poverty? Why isn't Mexico City doing more to alleviate the suffering? Why are so many Mexican migrants risking life, limb and capture to sneak into the United States? Why aren't there more opportunities for them at home?
Simple. The country's oligarchic elite won't allow that to happen.
Others argue Mexico, by adequately tapping its own financial and physical resources, could do what other economic powerhouses have done – invest its way to success, by building up its industrial infrastructure and educating its own workforce.
Such investment would require money, however. And it's much easier for Mexico to freeload off a willing wealthy neighbor. One like the United States.
And by doing so, Mexico actually reaps financial benefits.
They know Mexican children will be cared for and educated. They know medical needs will be met, and they know other basic amenities of life will be supplied.
More importantly, they know they won't have to pay for it.
It's past time for Mexico to grow up and stop mooching from its more successful neighbors. The longer we allow Mexico to freeload, the longer its people will suffer." (Note to reader: I didn't copy the entire article here..for a more complete read click the link above)
There have been numerous debates about solutions to this problem, and one such "solution" is the North American Union (also the building of a North American Super Corridor). And while I support Pres. Bush on most of his endeavors, this one I do not.
The North American Union (NAU)/ North American Super Corridor (NASC) is supposed to open the borders for trade purposes (yeah right), and help stabilize the immigration issue. Dennis Berheandt writes:
"On June 21, viewers of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight heard the alarming introduction to a segment of the program devoted to the future of the United States of America. "The Bush administration's open-borders policy and its decision to ignore the enforcement of this country's immigration laws is part of a broader agenda," Dobbs intoned. "President Bush signed a formal agreement that will end the United States as we know it, and he took the step without approval from either the U.S. Congress or the people of the United States.
The standard diplomatic language was a prelude to a radical proposal calling for the merger of the three nations in several important ways. Under a so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), the nations will no longer have separate borders, but will "implement common border-security." The three nations will no longer respond on the national level to emergencies but will have a "common approach to emergency response." And, in a move that has tremendous implications for the growing immigration crisis, the three leaders agreed that the United States' north and south borders would be eliminated. Under the SPP plan, the three nations will "implement a border-facilitation strategy to build capacity and improve the legitimate flow of people and cargo at our shared borders"."
You know what? This is scary stuff. Not just because it rids us of our sovereignty as a country, but because this opens up a whole new wad of issues concerning our nation's liberty.
I want to know your thoughts and feelings on this topic. If you have anything you'd like to add, please feel free.
Want more info? Check these sites:
http://www.cis.org/topics/illegalimmigration.html
http://www.cis.org/topics/currentnumbers.html
http://www.illegal-immigration-statistics.net/
This is something I've been following for quite some time now...the North American Union. The joining of the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Also in the works, one shared currency. This is a frightning idea really. But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself.
If this isn't enough for you, here's some links:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14965
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=North_American_Union
http://www.stopthenorthamericanunion.com/
http://www.newswithviews.com/Yates/steven23.htm
**http://www.cfr.org/publication/8102/building_a_north_american_community.html
http://www.jbs.org/nau
Here's some for the currency debate:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15017
http://www.amerocurrency.com/
http://oldfraser.lexi.net/publications/critical_issues/1999/amero/
Note: this one is from CanadaFreePress.com: http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/cover121406.htm
If this isn't enough for you, here's some links:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14965
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=North_American_Union
http://www.stopthenorthamericanunion.com/
http://www.newswithviews.com/Yates/steven23.htm
**http://www.cfr.org/publication/8102/building_a_north_american_community.html
http://www.jbs.org/nau
Here's some for the currency debate:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15017
http://www.amerocurrency.com/
http://oldfraser.lexi.net/publications/critical_issues/1999/amero/
Note: this one is from CanadaFreePress.com: http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/cover121406.htm
I've just heard of this disease, it's running rampant in several states. Here are some facts. From: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000977.htm
Alternative names Return to top
Parvovirus B19; Erythema infectiosum; Slapped cheek
Definition Return to top
Fifth disease is an illness caused by a virus that leads to a rash on the cheeks, arms, and legs.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top
Fifth disease is caused by human parvovirus B19. It often affects preschoolers or school-age children during the spring. The disease is spread by contact with respiratory secretions and usually lasts for 5 days. However, the rash associated with fifth disease may return for several weeks. Return of the rash may be brought on by sunlight, heat, exercise, fever, or emotional stress.
The first sign of the disease is usually bright red cheeks, which look as though the child has been recently slapped on both sides of the face. Following this, a rash appears on the arms and legs and middle of the body. The rash fades from the center outwards, giving it a lacy appearance. Over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, the rash completely goes away.
Fifth disease is also sometimes associated with fever.
If a pregnant woman becomes infected with parvovirus B19, it can cause significant harm to her unborn baby. Any pregnant woman who believes that she may have been in contact with a person who has this virus should talk to her health care provider.
Parvovirus B19 is also thought to cause other diseases, including an infectious form of arthritis.
The majority of adults seem to have antibodies to parvovirus B19 in their bodies. This indicates that most people have been exposed to the virus, and also suggests that many infections go unnoticed.
Symptoms include:
Symptoms Return to top
Rash
First appears on the cheeks, often looks like "slapped cheeks"
Spreads to the arms and legs about 1 day later, often has a "lacy" appearance
Fever
Joint pain
Temporary anemia -- this is only serious if the patient has a immune system problem and some other, existing form of anemia
Treatment Return to top
No treatment is usually required for fifth disease in children. If fever or joint discomfort is present then oral acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) may be given.
Expectations (prognosis) Return to top
Since this is a mild and generally benign viral infection, complete recovery can be expected.
Complications Return to top
There are generally no complications in normally healthy children.
Calling your health care provider Return to top
Call your health care provider if symptoms suggestive of fifth disease develop (to rule out other disorders that could be causing the symptoms).
The reason for doing this is I just got an email from someone saying their young cousin has it.
A friend of mine in Washington said that it's going around there like wildfire, and it's here too. I'd never heard of it before and I thought it would be a good topic to blog about, you know, get the info out. Hope it helps some of you.
S
Alternative names Return to top
Parvovirus B19; Erythema infectiosum; Slapped cheek
Definition Return to top
Fifth disease is an illness caused by a virus that leads to a rash on the cheeks, arms, and legs.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top
Fifth disease is caused by human parvovirus B19. It often affects preschoolers or school-age children during the spring. The disease is spread by contact with respiratory secretions and usually lasts for 5 days. However, the rash associated with fifth disease may return for several weeks. Return of the rash may be brought on by sunlight, heat, exercise, fever, or emotional stress.
The first sign of the disease is usually bright red cheeks, which look as though the child has been recently slapped on both sides of the face. Following this, a rash appears on the arms and legs and middle of the body. The rash fades from the center outwards, giving it a lacy appearance. Over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, the rash completely goes away.
Fifth disease is also sometimes associated with fever.
If a pregnant woman becomes infected with parvovirus B19, it can cause significant harm to her unborn baby. Any pregnant woman who believes that she may have been in contact with a person who has this virus should talk to her health care provider.
Parvovirus B19 is also thought to cause other diseases, including an infectious form of arthritis.
The majority of adults seem to have antibodies to parvovirus B19 in their bodies. This indicates that most people have been exposed to the virus, and also suggests that many infections go unnoticed.
Symptoms include:
Symptoms Return to top
Rash
First appears on the cheeks, often looks like "slapped cheeks"
Spreads to the arms and legs about 1 day later, often has a "lacy" appearance
Fever
Joint pain
Temporary anemia -- this is only serious if the patient has a immune system problem and some other, existing form of anemia
Treatment Return to top
No treatment is usually required for fifth disease in children. If fever or joint discomfort is present then oral acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) may be given.
Expectations (prognosis) Return to top
Since this is a mild and generally benign viral infection, complete recovery can be expected.
Complications Return to top
There are generally no complications in normally healthy children.
Calling your health care provider Return to top
Call your health care provider if symptoms suggestive of fifth disease develop (to rule out other disorders that could be causing the symptoms).
The reason for doing this is I just got an email from someone saying their young cousin has it.
A friend of mine in Washington said that it's going around there like wildfire, and it's here too. I'd never heard of it before and I thought it would be a good topic to blog about, you know, get the info out. Hope it helps some of you.
S
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Paul Wolfowitz: The Engine Behind The Power
While digging for stuff about 9/11, I recall a name that always jumped out at me. Paul Wolfowitz. He's been described as the engine behind the Bush administration. The brains.
He left a job teaching at Johns Hopkins University in 1973 to join the Nixon administration. He's a member of the PNAC, He was the Deputy Secretary of Defense under Rumsfeld. He was a military analyst for Reagan and later he was a leading member in the PNAC.
It's interesting that they were pushing new policy that basically said they wanted to push preemptive strikes on any country that was potentially aggressive, they dismissed containment. Sound familiar? It should.
I just described the Iraq war. These are the people we have running our country. Scary isn't it?
In an article by Time Magazine it is said that:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030127-409546,00.html
"On Sept. 15, 2001, President Bush summoned his top national-security advisers to Camp David to plot America's retaliation for the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. As the group began to hammer out a strategy for war against the Taliban, Paul Wolfowitz, the 57-year-old Deputy Defense Secretary, took a different tack. An Afghan war in his view had the makings of a quagmire. The larger threat to American security was sitting not in a cave in Afghanistan but in a Baghdad bunker. And so, just four days after Sept. 11, Wolfowitz urged Bush to go to war against Iraq.
"Wolfowitz's presentation didn't persuade his colleagues. But he made a lasting impression on Bush. After telling aides that the first phase of the war would be limited to removing the Taliban, the President privately encouraged Wolfowitz--"Wolfie," as Bush calls him — to keep pressing his case. "When he speaks, his intellect is moving so fast that sometimes he's editing as he goes along," says a senior Administration official. "But you always want to listen carefully to what he's saying."
And that Wolfie spent the months following 9/11 laying out a plan to explain why they went to war in Iraq instead of Afghanistan. Considering the fact that he has close ties to Rumsfeld and Cheney, it's not hard to see why..check this link.
Another quote from Time had Scooter Libby praising his name:
Though often caricatured as Washington's most menacing hawk, Wolfowitz is popular for his self-deprecating humor. "Bad pennies keep turning up," Wolfowitz said in an interview with TIME this month, mocking his own lengthy resume. A trained mathematician who speaks four languages, Wolfowitz is at ease discussing anything from Civil War battles to how he performs Eskimo rolls in his kayak. "Paul is one of the smartest guys I've ever known," says I. Lewis Libby, Cheney's chief of staff. Says a senior official who has worked with Wolfowitz in both Bush administrations: "He's had an intellectually coherent set of views he's pursued over a long time. On Iraq, on the Soviet Union — those ideas have stood the test of time."
So, who is Paul Wolfowitz? He was Time's Person Of The Year in 2003, and he's also the guy that said:
"I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq. Those who want to come and help are welcome. Those who come to interfere and destroy are not."
What a guy that Wolfie!!
He left a job teaching at Johns Hopkins University in 1973 to join the Nixon administration. He's a member of the PNAC, He was the Deputy Secretary of Defense under Rumsfeld. He was a military analyst for Reagan and later he was a leading member in the PNAC.
It's interesting that they were pushing new policy that basically said they wanted to push preemptive strikes on any country that was potentially aggressive, they dismissed containment. Sound familiar? It should.
I just described the Iraq war. These are the people we have running our country. Scary isn't it?
In an article by Time Magazine it is said that:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030127-409546,00.html
"On Sept. 15, 2001, President Bush summoned his top national-security advisers to Camp David to plot America's retaliation for the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. As the group began to hammer out a strategy for war against the Taliban, Paul Wolfowitz, the 57-year-old Deputy Defense Secretary, took a different tack. An Afghan war in his view had the makings of a quagmire. The larger threat to American security was sitting not in a cave in Afghanistan but in a Baghdad bunker. And so, just four days after Sept. 11, Wolfowitz urged Bush to go to war against Iraq.
"Wolfowitz's presentation didn't persuade his colleagues. But he made a lasting impression on Bush. After telling aides that the first phase of the war would be limited to removing the Taliban, the President privately encouraged Wolfowitz--"Wolfie," as Bush calls him — to keep pressing his case. "When he speaks, his intellect is moving so fast that sometimes he's editing as he goes along," says a senior Administration official. "But you always want to listen carefully to what he's saying."
And that Wolfie spent the months following 9/11 laying out a plan to explain why they went to war in Iraq instead of Afghanistan. Considering the fact that he has close ties to Rumsfeld and Cheney, it's not hard to see why..check this link.
Another quote from Time had Scooter Libby praising his name:
Though often caricatured as Washington's most menacing hawk, Wolfowitz is popular for his self-deprecating humor. "Bad pennies keep turning up," Wolfowitz said in an interview with TIME this month, mocking his own lengthy resume. A trained mathematician who speaks four languages, Wolfowitz is at ease discussing anything from Civil War battles to how he performs Eskimo rolls in his kayak. "Paul is one of the smartest guys I've ever known," says I. Lewis Libby, Cheney's chief of staff. Says a senior official who has worked with Wolfowitz in both Bush administrations: "He's had an intellectually coherent set of views he's pursued over a long time. On Iraq, on the Soviet Union — those ideas have stood the test of time."
So, who is Paul Wolfowitz? He was Time's Person Of The Year in 2003, and he's also the guy that said:
"I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq. Those who want to come and help are welcome. Those who come to interfere and destroy are not."
What a guy that Wolfie!!
An Overview of Revelation Part 6
144,000
[1] After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowingon the land or on the sea or on any tree. [2] Then I saw another angel comingup from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. [3] "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we puta seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." [4] Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
[5] From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, [6] from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, [7] from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, [8] from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
THE GREAT MULTITUDE IN WHITE ROBES:
[9] After this I looked and there before me was a great multitudethat no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. [10] And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."[11] All the angles were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces beforethe throne and worshiped God, [12] saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
[13] Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-who are they and where did they come from?" [14] I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the greattribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in theblood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. [16] Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. [17]For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
***********************************************************************
Verses 1-8 are about the Jews that are protected during the last half, the worst and hardest half of the tribulation. 12,000 from each of the old tribes (blood line).
Verses 9-10 are the fruit of the 144,000, the people they help bring to Christ.
Verses 10-17 is worshiping the Lord.
[1] After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowingon the land or on the sea or on any tree. [2] Then I saw another angel comingup from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. [3] "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we puta seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." [4] Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
[5] From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, [6] from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, [7] from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, [8] from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
THE GREAT MULTITUDE IN WHITE ROBES:
[9] After this I looked and there before me was a great multitudethat no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. [10] And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."[11] All the angles were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces beforethe throne and worshiped God, [12] saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
[13] Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-who are they and where did they come from?" [14] I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the greattribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in theblood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. [16] Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. [17]For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
***********************************************************************
Verses 1-8 are about the Jews that are protected during the last half, the worst and hardest half of the tribulation. 12,000 from each of the old tribes (blood line).
Verses 9-10 are the fruit of the 144,000, the people they help bring to Christ.
Verses 10-17 is worshiping the Lord.
Friday, March 16, 2007
An Overview of Revelation Part 5
THE SEALS
[1] I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" [2] I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
[3] When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" [4] Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
[5] When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. [6]Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!
[7] When the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" [8] I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
[9]When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. [10]They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" [11]Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
[12]I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, [13]and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. [14]The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
[15]Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. [16]They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall onus and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! [17]For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
************************************************
Verses 1 and 2 are about the Antichrist. He will be given power in a time when there are wars, and he will promis peace for 7 years. It's important to note that it says "...he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest." Though he speaks of peace, he is really about conquest.
Verses 3 and 4 are about the red horse..which signifies war. Which is why it says, "...was given a large sword."
Verses 5 and 6 are about famine. A whole day's wages ($90.00 or more) for a quart of wheat, three quarts of barley. That's way too high.
Verses 7 and 8 are about death and hades. Many people will die during this seal judgement. By war, famine, and plagues, and by the wild beasts.
Verses 9-11 are about the martyrs.
Verses 12-14 are about the book of Joel.
Verses 15-17 are about fear. People will die from fear, their hearts will give out.
[1] I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" [2] I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
[3] When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" [4] Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
[5] When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. [6]Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!
[7] When the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" [8] I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
[9]When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. [10]They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" [11]Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
[12]I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, [13]and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. [14]The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
[15]Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. [16]They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall onus and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! [17]For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
************************************************
Verses 1 and 2 are about the Antichrist. He will be given power in a time when there are wars, and he will promis peace for 7 years. It's important to note that it says "...he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest." Though he speaks of peace, he is really about conquest.
Verses 3 and 4 are about the red horse..which signifies war. Which is why it says, "...was given a large sword."
Verses 5 and 6 are about famine. A whole day's wages ($90.00 or more) for a quart of wheat, three quarts of barley. That's way too high.
Verses 7 and 8 are about death and hades. Many people will die during this seal judgement. By war, famine, and plagues, and by the wild beasts.
Verses 9-11 are about the martyrs.
Verses 12-14 are about the book of Joel.
Verses 15-17 are about fear. People will die from fear, their hearts will give out.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Everybody Wants To Rule The World.
I'm a child of the 80's, what can I say.
Okay, has anyone else done any research on the PNAC (People for the New American Century)? This is some really, really scary stuff. We're talking world domination here. They want to set up permanent bases around the world (including Iraq) so that if/when the time comes, we can invade several countries at once.
In an article about Pres. Bush, TVnewslies.org said that this administration doesn't care about the real imminent dangers that the American people are faced with:
http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/imminent_threat.html
3. Threats to our basic Constitutional freedoms: Using 9/11 as a cover for the most virulent attack on our civil liberties in history, we now live with the following:
The Patriot Act that has all but eliminated the protections provided to us by the US Constitution. (This act was actually in the planning long before 9/11.)
The public no longer has the right to know what the government is doing! Secrecy protects Bush from divulging information about 9/11, the Cheney energy meetings, the Iraq intelligence fiasco, and the archives of the first Pres. Bush.
Media consolidation threatens the public's ability to access diverse and complete information and opinion. Misled and coerced by accusations of being un-American, the Congress abdicated its exclusive responsibility for declaring war. By voting war powers to George W. Bush, the Constitution, once again, has been rendered meaningless.
4. Threats from an insane foreign policy. This administration has made this country feared and hated around the world. This is the result of:
An illegal and immoral war and occupation that are fueling extremist violence and inciting global terror and more acts of terror on our own soil.
Initiating a new nuclear arms race by showing that we do not invade countries with active nuclear programs.
A policy that declares that the US and its chosen allies have the exclusive right to develop weapons of mass destruction. Consider that approximately 3,500 people died within the US as a direct result of terrorism (in Oklahoma City and on 9/11)..
A doctrine that declares that the US has the right to launch pre-emptive, and if necessary, nuclear attacks on nations we suspect are hostile to us. Playing diplomatic games with N. Korea's nuclear threat, while refusing diplomatic solutions in Iraq.
An arrogant, self-righteous display of moral superiority that tells the world we can go it alone, without alliances and international agreements..
The abandonment of the war on terror, and the pursuit of domination of the Middle East and its oil.
The undue and self-indulgent influence of neoconservatives on foreign policy.
The intrusion of right wing religious doctrine as an integral part of American policy.
The undermining of the United Nations as a vital peace-keeping organ.
Insistence on American exemption from prosecution for war crimes in the World Court.
Check out this site for some interesting tid-bits on the PNAC:
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/pnac_timeline.htm
Pay close attention to this statement Condoleeza Rice gave to the 9/11 commission:
April 2004
Condoleeza Rice lies to the 9/11 commission: "...no one could have imagined planes being used as weapons..."
Now, check this site for proof she lied: http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/9_11_facts.html
"On the morning of September 11th, 2001, Dick Cheney was running several war games in the north eastern portion of the United States. These drills included many hijacking scenarios, where commercial jets were hijacked and flown into buildings. At the same time Cheney had arranged for a drill involving a bio attack on NY. This resulted in FEMA setting up a command post on pier 29 in New York on September 10th."
Does that look like no one could have imagined planes being used as weapons??
There's so much lying going on, it's tough to sort the truth from the fiction. So, tell me your opinions..and see if you can spot the lies.
Okay, has anyone else done any research on the PNAC (People for the New American Century)? This is some really, really scary stuff. We're talking world domination here. They want to set up permanent bases around the world (including Iraq) so that if/when the time comes, we can invade several countries at once.
In an article about Pres. Bush, TVnewslies.org said that this administration doesn't care about the real imminent dangers that the American people are faced with:
http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/imminent_threat.html
3. Threats to our basic Constitutional freedoms: Using 9/11 as a cover for the most virulent attack on our civil liberties in history, we now live with the following:
The Patriot Act that has all but eliminated the protections provided to us by the US Constitution. (This act was actually in the planning long before 9/11.)
The public no longer has the right to know what the government is doing! Secrecy protects Bush from divulging information about 9/11, the Cheney energy meetings, the Iraq intelligence fiasco, and the archives of the first Pres. Bush.
Media consolidation threatens the public's ability to access diverse and complete information and opinion. Misled and coerced by accusations of being un-American, the Congress abdicated its exclusive responsibility for declaring war. By voting war powers to George W. Bush, the Constitution, once again, has been rendered meaningless.
4. Threats from an insane foreign policy. This administration has made this country feared and hated around the world. This is the result of:
An illegal and immoral war and occupation that are fueling extremist violence and inciting global terror and more acts of terror on our own soil.
Initiating a new nuclear arms race by showing that we do not invade countries with active nuclear programs.
A policy that declares that the US and its chosen allies have the exclusive right to develop weapons of mass destruction. Consider that approximately 3,500 people died within the US as a direct result of terrorism (in Oklahoma City and on 9/11)..
A doctrine that declares that the US has the right to launch pre-emptive, and if necessary, nuclear attacks on nations we suspect are hostile to us. Playing diplomatic games with N. Korea's nuclear threat, while refusing diplomatic solutions in Iraq.
An arrogant, self-righteous display of moral superiority that tells the world we can go it alone, without alliances and international agreements..
The abandonment of the war on terror, and the pursuit of domination of the Middle East and its oil.
The undue and self-indulgent influence of neoconservatives on foreign policy.
The intrusion of right wing religious doctrine as an integral part of American policy.
The undermining of the United Nations as a vital peace-keeping organ.
Insistence on American exemption from prosecution for war crimes in the World Court.
Check out this site for some interesting tid-bits on the PNAC:
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/pnac_timeline.htm
Pay close attention to this statement Condoleeza Rice gave to the 9/11 commission:
April 2004
Condoleeza Rice lies to the 9/11 commission: "...no one could have imagined planes being used as weapons..."
Now, check this site for proof she lied: http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/9_11_facts.html
"On the morning of September 11th, 2001, Dick Cheney was running several war games in the north eastern portion of the United States. These drills included many hijacking scenarios, where commercial jets were hijacked and flown into buildings. At the same time Cheney had arranged for a drill involving a bio attack on NY. This resulted in FEMA setting up a command post on pier 29 in New York on September 10th."
Does that look like no one could have imagined planes being used as weapons??
There's so much lying going on, it's tough to sort the truth from the fiction. So, tell me your opinions..and see if you can spot the lies.
Overview of Revelation Part 4
THE THRONE IN HEAVEN
[1] After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." [2] At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. [3] And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. [4] Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. [5] From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. Theseare the seven spirits of God. [6] Also before the throne there was what lookedlike a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center around the throne, were four living creatures, and they werecovered with eyes, in front and in back. [7] The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. [8] Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Dayand night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holyis the Lord Almightywho was, and is, and is to come."
[9]Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sitson the throne and who lives for ever and ever, t[10] he twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for everand ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
[11] "You are worthy, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things,and by your will they were createdand have their being."
Chapter 5
THE SCROLL AND THE LAMB
[1] Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" [3] But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. [4]I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. [5] Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep!See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
[6] Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7] He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. [8] And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
[11] Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [12] In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
[14] The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
***********************************************************************
Chapter 4In verses 1-6 when it says twenty four elders with crowns..it is referring to the church with their rewards.
In verse 3, the color of emeralds represents faithfulness.
In verse 6 the sea of glass that's as clear as crystal..it refers to Ezek. chapter 1.
In verse 7 the creatures are angels.
Chapter 5
The scroll is the title deed to the earth, a will, sealed 7 times.
In verses 6-9 the seven horns represents full power, the seven eyes represents full wisdom.
In verses 9-10, the singing is done by the redeemed people which is Israel.
Verses 12-14 is worship, everyone sings this.
Now, if anyone has anything at all to add, please feel free...
[1] After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." [2] At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. [3] And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. [4] Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. [5] From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. Theseare the seven spirits of God. [6] Also before the throne there was what lookedlike a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center around the throne, were four living creatures, and they werecovered with eyes, in front and in back. [7] The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. [8] Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Dayand night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holyis the Lord Almightywho was, and is, and is to come."
[9]Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sitson the throne and who lives for ever and ever, t[10] he twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for everand ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
[11] "You are worthy, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things,and by your will they were createdand have their being."
Chapter 5
THE SCROLL AND THE LAMB
[1] Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" [3] But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. [4]I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. [5] Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep!See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
[6] Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7] He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. [8] And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
[11] Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [12] In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
[14] The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
***********************************************************************
Chapter 4In verses 1-6 when it says twenty four elders with crowns..it is referring to the church with their rewards.
In verse 3, the color of emeralds represents faithfulness.
In verse 6 the sea of glass that's as clear as crystal..it refers to Ezek. chapter 1.
In verse 7 the creatures are angels.
Chapter 5
The scroll is the title deed to the earth, a will, sealed 7 times.
In verses 6-9 the seven horns represents full power, the seven eyes represents full wisdom.
In verses 9-10, the singing is done by the redeemed people which is Israel.
Verses 12-14 is worship, everyone sings this.
Now, if anyone has anything at all to add, please feel free...
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Al Qaeda Declares War On Hamas and Fatah
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3922
This is the entire article...though I haven't found it on any other website except Digg.com. Be your own judge.
As Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert finished discussing the Gaza Strip's fate Sunday, March 11, three events showed how little they and Hamas are in control.
Al Qaeda's No. 2, Ayman Zawahri issued a declaration of war on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in a videotape aired by the Arabic TV Al Jazeera.
An hour later, the Islamic Brotherhood of Justice (another name for al Qaeda's operational branch in the Gaza Strip) announced the launching of its Operation White Land, targeting the political and military leaders of Fatah and Hamas.
DEBKAfile's military sources also reveal that a rebellion has sprung up against the top Hamas leadership.
Olmert and Abbas nonetheless continue to act out a Pan-Arab diplomatic process at Washington's behest (see separate item on this page), which has as much chance of getting off the ground in Gaza as Fatah's Abbas' assurance that the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilead Shalit, would be freed very soon.
The Zuwahri statement assailed the legitimacy Saudi Arabia extended to moves for a Palestinian unity government at the Mecca peace conference as recently as Feb. 8. Negotiations between the two factions are bogged down anyway.
"The leadership of Hamas government has committed an aggression against the rights of the Islamic nation by respecting international agreements," thundered Ayman Zawahri Sunday. "I am sorry to have to offer the Islamic nation my condolences for the Hamas leadership as it has fallen into the quagmire of surrender."
The Gaza al Qaeda cell then defined the four missions of Operation White Land:
1. Targeting the most senior figures of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders.
2. Focusing on group abductions rather than individuals, especially symbols of political corruption.
3. Beheading is ordained for members of these groups. Their executions and confessions will be videotaped and aired as they are in Iraq.
4. Blowing up Internet cafes and businesses selling alcohol; putting prostitutes to death to cleanse the streets of Gaza of prostitution.
Announcing these missions have won the sanction of Palestinian religious scholars, the communiqué ends with the words: "Operation White Land has begun."
As for the revolt in Hamas, its Executive Force chief Jemal Jarah and his deputy, Yusouf a-Zahar (brother of Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud a-Zahar), accuse prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of being too soft with Abbas and Fatah and failing to follow through to victory on the battles they fought for weeks against Fatah. Determined to finish the job, Hamas rebels were back on the streets of Gaza this week, shooting and abducting their rivals, the Mecca Reconciliation Accords already a dead letter.
DEBKAfile adds: Shalit, who was abducted in June 2006 has become a counter in internecine Palestinian rivalries. He is guarded by two of the groups which kidnapped him, including members of al Qaeda. With the control of affairs in the Gaza Strip slipping out of the hands of prime minister Haniyeh, it is hard to see how any progress can be achieved towards gaining his freedom.
This is the entire article...though I haven't found it on any other website except Digg.com. Be your own judge.
As Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert finished discussing the Gaza Strip's fate Sunday, March 11, three events showed how little they and Hamas are in control.
Al Qaeda's No. 2, Ayman Zawahri issued a declaration of war on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in a videotape aired by the Arabic TV Al Jazeera.
An hour later, the Islamic Brotherhood of Justice (another name for al Qaeda's operational branch in the Gaza Strip) announced the launching of its Operation White Land, targeting the political and military leaders of Fatah and Hamas.
DEBKAfile's military sources also reveal that a rebellion has sprung up against the top Hamas leadership.
Olmert and Abbas nonetheless continue to act out a Pan-Arab diplomatic process at Washington's behest (see separate item on this page), which has as much chance of getting off the ground in Gaza as Fatah's Abbas' assurance that the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilead Shalit, would be freed very soon.
The Zuwahri statement assailed the legitimacy Saudi Arabia extended to moves for a Palestinian unity government at the Mecca peace conference as recently as Feb. 8. Negotiations between the two factions are bogged down anyway.
"The leadership of Hamas government has committed an aggression against the rights of the Islamic nation by respecting international agreements," thundered Ayman Zawahri Sunday. "I am sorry to have to offer the Islamic nation my condolences for the Hamas leadership as it has fallen into the quagmire of surrender."
The Gaza al Qaeda cell then defined the four missions of Operation White Land:
1. Targeting the most senior figures of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders.
2. Focusing on group abductions rather than individuals, especially symbols of political corruption.
3. Beheading is ordained for members of these groups. Their executions and confessions will be videotaped and aired as they are in Iraq.
4. Blowing up Internet cafes and businesses selling alcohol; putting prostitutes to death to cleanse the streets of Gaza of prostitution.
Announcing these missions have won the sanction of Palestinian religious scholars, the communiqué ends with the words: "Operation White Land has begun."
As for the revolt in Hamas, its Executive Force chief Jemal Jarah and his deputy, Yusouf a-Zahar (brother of Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud a-Zahar), accuse prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of being too soft with Abbas and Fatah and failing to follow through to victory on the battles they fought for weeks against Fatah. Determined to finish the job, Hamas rebels were back on the streets of Gaza this week, shooting and abducting their rivals, the Mecca Reconciliation Accords already a dead letter.
DEBKAfile adds: Shalit, who was abducted in June 2006 has become a counter in internecine Palestinian rivalries. He is guarded by two of the groups which kidnapped him, including members of al Qaeda. With the control of affairs in the Gaza Strip slipping out of the hands of prime minister Haniyeh, it is hard to see how any progress can be achieved towards gaining his freedom.
An Overview of Revelation Part 3
This is the third installment of my overview of the book of Revelation. If you haven't caught the first two, you'll have a lot of catching up to do... Let's get started..
TO THE CHURCH IN ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />SARDIS
..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
[1] To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. [2] Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. [3] Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
[4] Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy. [5] He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. [6] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
[7] To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.[8] I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. [9]I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.[10] Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
[11] I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown. [12] Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. [13] He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA
[14] To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.[15] I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! [16] So because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. [17] You say 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. [18]I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
[19] Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. [20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
[21] To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Verses 1-6 are about the dead church, the church with no growth..not in number, but spiritually.
Verses 7-13 are about the faithful church. The one that perseveres.
Verses 11-13 are also about salvation, and keeping the faith. The crown represents a throne in heaven.
Verses 14-21 are about the apostate church and the unsaved. It could also represent a fake church…
Verse 19 he disciplines us like children that represents taking us into the family.
*Update* I forgot to add: Verse 10 is the only place I can see a reference to a rapture. If anyone knows of another verse in Revelation please let me know. I was also taught that because you don't see mention of the church, the rapture happens in the gap between chapter 3 and 4.
TO THE CHURCH IN ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />SARDIS
..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
[1] To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. [2] Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. [3] Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
[4] Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy. [5] He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. [6] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
[7] To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.[8] I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. [9]I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.[10] Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
[11] I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown. [12] Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. [13] He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA
[14] To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.[15] I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! [16] So because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. [17] You say 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. [18]I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
[19] Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. [20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
[21] To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
************************************************************************************
Verses 1-6 are about the dead church, the church with no growth..not in number, but spiritually.
Verses 7-13 are about the faithful church. The one that perseveres.
Verses 11-13 are also about salvation, and keeping the faith. The crown represents a throne in heaven.
Verses 14-21 are about the apostate church and the unsaved. It could also represent a fake church…
Verse 19 he disciplines us like children that represents taking us into the family.
*Update* I forgot to add: Verse 10 is the only place I can see a reference to a rapture. If anyone knows of another verse in Revelation please let me know. I was also taught that because you don't see mention of the church, the rapture happens in the gap between chapter 3 and 4.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
An Overview of Revelation Part 2
The point of all this (I actually didn't figure this out until a friend wrote me a message asking what I was looking for in this book) is to teach that though this book is filled with the most horrible "visions", it's also a book of promise, and that's what we as Christians should focus on. This is the second installment in a series of blogs dedicated to the book of Revelation. If you haven't read the first click here.
Let's get started..
TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS
[1] "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the works of him who holds the seven stars in his right handand walks among the seven golden lampstands: [2] I know your deeds, yourhard work and perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men,that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
[4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. [5] Rememberthe height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you didat first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. [6] But you have this in your favor: You hate thepractices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
TO THE CHURCHES IN SMYRNA[8] To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died andcame to life again. [9] I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet youare rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
[10] Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give youthe crown of life.
[11] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM[12] To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. [13] I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas,my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.
[14] Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites tosin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.[15] Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.[16] Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fightagainst them with the sword of my mouth.
[17] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will alsogive him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to himwho receives it.
TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA[18] To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fireand whose feet are like burnished bronze. [19] I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
[20] Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. [21] I havegiven her time to repent of her immorality but she is unwilling. [22] So I willcast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. [23] I will strikeher children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to yourdeeds. [24] Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not holdto her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets(I will not impose any other burden on you): [25] Only hold on to what you have until I come.
[26] To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authorityover the nations--
[27] He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery (27 Psalm 2:9)
just as I have received authority from my Father. [28] I will also give himthe morning star. [29] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
************************************************************
The first 7 verses are to the cold and orthodox churches.
Verses 8-11 are to the pure church that will suffer persecution (tribulationsaints??) Note that it says to not be afraid...Also the ten days isn't ten days technically, it's just a short period of time..(again..Tribulation saints??)
Verses 12-17 are directed at the worldly churches..it's the church that Christ fights against.
Verses 18-29 are directed at the church that tolerates sin..as pointed out by the name Jezebel.
If anyone has anything to add, please feel free. Thanks for reading everyone.
*Note to reader, if there are any errors, they are mine.
Let's get started..
TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS
[1] "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the works of him who holds the seven stars in his right handand walks among the seven golden lampstands: [2] I know your deeds, yourhard work and perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men,that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
[4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. [5] Rememberthe height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you didat first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. [6] But you have this in your favor: You hate thepractices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
TO THE CHURCHES IN SMYRNA[8] To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died andcame to life again. [9] I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet youare rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
[10] Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give youthe crown of life.
[11] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM[12] To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. [13] I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas,my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.
[14] Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites tosin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.[15] Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.[16] Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fightagainst them with the sword of my mouth.
[17] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will alsogive him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to himwho receives it.
TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA[18] To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fireand whose feet are like burnished bronze. [19] I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
[20] Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. [21] I havegiven her time to repent of her immorality but she is unwilling. [22] So I willcast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. [23] I will strikeher children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to yourdeeds. [24] Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not holdto her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets(I will not impose any other burden on you): [25] Only hold on to what you have until I come.
[26] To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authorityover the nations--
[27] He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery (27 Psalm 2:9)
just as I have received authority from my Father. [28] I will also give himthe morning star. [29] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
************************************************************
The first 7 verses are to the cold and orthodox churches.
Verses 8-11 are to the pure church that will suffer persecution (tribulationsaints??) Note that it says to not be afraid...Also the ten days isn't ten days technically, it's just a short period of time..(again..Tribulation saints??)
Verses 12-17 are directed at the worldly churches..it's the church that Christ fights against.
Verses 18-29 are directed at the church that tolerates sin..as pointed out by the name Jezebel.
If anyone has anything to add, please feel free. Thanks for reading everyone.
*Note to reader, if there are any errors, they are mine.
An Overview of Revelation Part 1
If you don't know it by now, I'll let you in on a little secret of mine... I'm obsessed with the book of Revelation. I don't know why, or what good it'll do me, but there it is.
So, I feel the need to spread my neuroses to the rest of mankind. I decided since it's been my favorite for so long, why not do a series on it here on myspace. This book is important, especially now. I believe (though I could be wrong) that it contains more prophecy than any other book in the bible.
So, let's get started. I'm going to go chapter by chapter, with a summary at the end.
Rev. 1:1-20
[1] The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, [2] who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. [3] Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Greetings and Doxology
[4] John,
To the seven churches in the province in Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, [5] and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, [6] and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
[7]Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him., even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.
[8] "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
One Like a Son of Man
[9] I John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. [10] On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, [11] which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
[12] I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
[17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
[19]Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. [20] The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
*************************************************
Whew! Still with me? This is what I've been able to sort out with all the reference books I've read so far.
The first 8 verses are about the second coming. And verse 7 is a prophesy for the future. (This one has not been fulfilled.)
Verses 9-20 are about the 1st vision given to John. *Verse 10 "...on the Lord's Day..." What day is that? Sunday or Pentecost?*
In verse 12 when it mentions the seven golden lampstands, we later learn in verse 20 that they represent the seven churches.
The seven churches are real churches in Asia...I often wondered if they had been moved, destroyed, or abandoned after all this time. (click here for a map.)
The rest of this chapter is fairly easy to read. So, if there's anything anyone wants to add or correct me on, please feel free. Teach me, so I can understand this better. I think it just might come in handy pretty soon.
Thanks for reading!
So, I feel the need to spread my neuroses to the rest of mankind. I decided since it's been my favorite for so long, why not do a series on it here on myspace. This book is important, especially now. I believe (though I could be wrong) that it contains more prophecy than any other book in the bible.
So, let's get started. I'm going to go chapter by chapter, with a summary at the end.
Rev. 1:1-20
[1] The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, [2] who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. [3] Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Greetings and Doxology
[4] John,
To the seven churches in the province in Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, [5] and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, [6] and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
[7]Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him., even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.
[8] "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
One Like a Son of Man
[9] I John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. [10] On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, [11] which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
[12] I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
[17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
[19]Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. [20] The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
*************************************************
Whew! Still with me? This is what I've been able to sort out with all the reference books I've read so far.
The first 8 verses are about the second coming. And verse 7 is a prophesy for the future. (This one has not been fulfilled.)
Verses 9-20 are about the 1st vision given to John. *Verse 10 "...on the Lord's Day..." What day is that? Sunday or Pentecost?*
In verse 12 when it mentions the seven golden lampstands, we later learn in verse 20 that they represent the seven churches.
The seven churches are real churches in Asia...I often wondered if they had been moved, destroyed, or abandoned after all this time. (click here for a map.)
The rest of this chapter is fairly easy to read. So, if there's anything anyone wants to add or correct me on, please feel free. Teach me, so I can understand this better. I think it just might come in handy pretty soon.
Thanks for reading!
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