The Peace Offering

 Of all the offerings, the sin and trespass offerings are the best known and understood because of their apparent association with Christ's crucifixion for the world's sins. At the other end of the spectrum, the peace offering is the least understood because its symbolism, while easy to grasp, is perhaps the most difficult to experience in actual practice. It is introduced in Leviticus 3:1-5.

 

When his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the Peace offering an offering made by fire to the Lord. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat on the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove. Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is on the wood that is on fire, as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

 

Biblical commentators have given this offering a variety of titles. "Peace," "fellowship," "praise," and "thanksgiving" are the most common. However, one Commentary states that the most correct is "saving offering." Each title shows a somewhat different aspect of the teaching contained in it. Verse 5 informs us that this too is a sweet-savor offering, indicating that no sin is involved in it, and so, it is most satisfying to God. The word "satisfying" is essential to understanding this offering.

 

Verse 5 also shows us an aspect of the ritual that teaches us about this offering's Purpose. It is burnt upon, that is, on top of, the burnt sacrifice, which in turn had the meal offering on top of it. They were not necessarily layered like a sandwich and then all burned at the same time. However, the daily burnt offering was always made first, and it was followed by the meal offering and the peace offering on the same fire.

 

The Peace Offering sets forth a meaning of the sacrifice of Christ distinct from the other offerings. Every offering has a meaning not contained in the other offerings. While it takes all of them to picture the one sacrifice of Christ, no offering duplicates what is meant by the others.

 

A man starts with the Trespass offering, receiving pardon for his transgressions; then the Sin-offering, being cleansed from his inbred sin, and now meets God in the Peace offering, which has no mention of sin nor trespass.

 

Here he enjoys Peace with God through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Leviticus 7:11-18, 29-32 provides more information regarding the specific distribution of the various parts of this animal sacrifice:

 

This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer to the Lord: If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of finely blended flour mixed with oil. Besides the cakes, as his offering, he shall offer leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offering. And from it, he shall offer one cake from each offering as a heave offering to the Lord. It shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offering. The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until morning. But if the sacrifice of this offering is a vow or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice; but on the next day the remainder of it also may be eaten; the rest of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day must be burned with fire. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, nor shall it be imputed to him; whoever offers it shall be an abomination, and the person who eats of it shall bear guilt.

 

He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offering. His own hands shall bring the offerings made by fire to the Lord. The fat with the breast he shall get, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'. The right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from your peace offerings sacrifices.

 

We need to understand the order followed here: The offerer brought his offering to the altar, laid his hand on it, and slew it. The priest sprinkled the blood upon the altar and around it. The animal was then cut up, and God's portion—almost entirely fat, besides the two kidneys—was placed on top of the already burning burnt and meal offerings.

 

Then the priest received the breast and right shoulder for himself and his children, and the offerer received the remainder of the animal to eat. However, it had to be eaten within one day if it was a thank-offering or within two days if it was a vow or voluntary offering. If any remained on the third day, it had to be burned. In this process, the primary teaching of the peace offering is revealed.

 

Recall that the burning on the altar of the sweet-savor offerings pictures God consuming a meal and being satisfied. Likewise, the priest receiving his portion shows him being satisfied, and the offerer with his piece is also satisfied. "Filled," "gratified," "contented," "accepted," "convinced," "supplied," "persuaded," "pleased," and "assured" all capture the intent of the symbolism.

 

Also, since all parties—God, priest, and man—share the same meal and satisfaction, it shows all in peaceful communion or fellowship. Because it was placed in sequence on top of the other two offerings, the peace offering is directly connected to them. So, it depicts the effect of perfect devotion to God and man: peaceful satisfaction and fellowship, the fruit of devotedly keeping the two great commandments of the law.

 

The Use of the Peace Offering should be carefully noted. The word "if" indicates that the offering was optional. It did not need to be offered to get right with God as in the Trespass and Sin offerings. Of this offering, only certain parts were burned on the altar of brass in the Tabernacle court. The part burned indicates God's amount in the offering. This consisted of the fat and inward parts, signifying love for God. The breast and right shoulder went to the priest, as we find in Lev. 7. 31,32. Christians as priests of this age share in the benefits of Christ's love, signified by the breast of the Peace offering, and are borne up by His strength, indicated by the right shoulder. It should be noted the Peace Offering is not mentioned in the New Testament directly by name.

 

After removing and burning the fat and other portions on the altar and giving the breast and shoulder to the priest, the offerer had the remainder for his use.

 

The offerer had been forgiven, sin cleansed, and there is Peace with God. No accusing conscience is here, for there is nothing now of which conscience can accuse. The smile of God is upon the worshipper while he avails himself of the joys at God's right hand, a foretaste of that time when we shall have joy in the presence of God continually.

 

Continuance of Peace is conditioned on continued obedience. The persistence of any sin after being admitted to this fellowship with God will immediately break off the fact of communion.

 

When Jesus forgave people for their sins, He admonished them to go and sin no more. When Jesus was speaking to His disciples the last night He was with them, He said, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." On this condition, He said He would pray for the Father, and He would give another Comforter, The Comforter, Who baptizes the believer at the time of sanctification, abides on condition of continued obedience, He is not to be grieved, resisted, nor quenched. The number of unhappy Christians we meet indicates how few enjoy the blessing of continual fellowship and communion with God typified by the Peace Offering.

 

Walking in the Light is essential to fellowship with God. John, in his First Epistle, the first chapter dwells on this fact. He says, "truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." What a great fellowship is that! Yet how few have it or even seek it! Light increases on a Christian's pathway after being regenerated and sanctified and this Light must be walked in if we keep cleansed from all sin.

 

Here is some interesting information.  Meat eaten at a Hebrew meal was a special occassion so this offering was a blessing to the family.  There were strict regulations enforced regarding the slaying of domestic animals for food. These regulations are outlined in Leviticus 17.3-5: "What man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for Peace offerings unto the Lord."

 

As earlier stated, the purpose of this offering was to provide food for the priests. But there is another application. When an offerer brought a peace offering to the tabernacle, it was shared with God, represented by what was burned on the altar, the priest, and the offerer. This sharing of the offering meant a fellowship meal. Feasting together is considered one of the most enjoyable manifestations of fellowship between people there is. This offering was the bond and proof of friendship and Peace, and here the Lord, His priests, and the offerer himself all partook of the same offering. They sat down as they were at the same table. In this rite accordingly, the Jew would read a happy assurance of the Divine favor towards him."

 

Joy in God's Presence seems to be symbolized by this instruction. May we not see this restriction as a suggestion that a Christian should not engage in any pleasure in which God cannot participate? We should go no place where we cannot take God. We should not take pleasure in anything of which we would be ashamed in the presence of God. Indeed there is no joy like the joy a Christian has in the presence of God and companionship with other Christians. Read in this connection Psalm 16.11 "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures always." See also I Cor. 10.21 "Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils."

Before we can understand what it means to have peace with God, we must recognize that human beings in our natural state are enemies of God. Because we inherited a sin nature from our first parents, Adam and Eve (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12), we are born with a disposition to please ourselves and be our gods. That rebellious nature sets us at odds with our perfect Creator. His just nature cannot overlook our sin; justice demands punishment (Romans 3:23; 6:23). We cannot create peace with God because our best day's best efforts are nothing but filthy rags compared to His holiness (Isaiah 64:6). So, in our sinful state, we cannot be reconciled; we cannot have peace with God, no matter how hard we try.

God took the initiative in pursuing Peace with us by sending His Son to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life, His crucifixion paid for the sins of all who would trust in Him (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and His resurrection guarantees our justification before God (Romans 4:25). Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He is the One who gives us peace with God. That's why the message of salvation in Christ is called the "gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15).

The angels' words to the shepherds on that first Christmas were "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased" (Luke 2:14). To whom is God pleased? God's pleasure and peace rest upon those who receive God's Son by faith (John 1:12). "Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Peace with God means that our outstanding sin debt has been paid, and God sees us as righteous (Colossians 2:14; Romans 3:22). We are no longer enemies but beloved children (1 John 3:2). His holy nature can have fellowship with us because He sees us "in Christ."

 

If you do not have peace with God, He has provided the means for you to come to Him and have fellowship with Him.  You need only to accept the invitation to bring your sins to the Cross and transfer your sins to the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.  Allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse your heart from the nature of sin and find peace with God.  You will be free from the guilt of sin.  There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but the Spirit.

Evangelicals Have Become Pagans

 

The evangelical church as a whole has lost its mission and has an identity crisis. Many who attend an evangelical church has a minimal idea of what it means to be an evangelical. The meaning of evangelism no longer means reaching the unsaved. The "social gospel" of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and caring for the sick has replaced a transformational salvation message that changes the believer's life. There is an absolute hatred of sin in the life of the believer. The evangelical church has accepted the "easy believism" that does not require a changed life and condones many of the sins God condemns.

I have talked with many evangelicals who have a pagan view of God. Worship of the LORD has been replaced with a creedal belief of the LORD. Worship is a living act of religion, while creedal belief is just quoting your faith. To say that you believe in one God is good. However, that is not enough. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. James 2:19 True belief is putting to action what it is you believe. James says, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? The work of faith is keeping the commandments of the LORD.

The problem in the evangelical church today is "believers" do not know the LORD. They know what the church's creeds say about God, but they have never had the personal fellowship of knowing the LORD. There would be a significant change in the church if people knew the LORD. They would not need a creed to tell them what they believed. To have a Christian view of who God is is fundamental to Christian living. True worship is based on our concept of God, which is essential to our belief system. Most evangelical Christians are very comfortable with science and with all of the discoveries of science. The past year the world has been saturated with "follow the science." Christians have bought into the concept that science is to be followed, and God ignored.

The concept of who God is has been neglected, ignored, and abused by the evangelical church. The idea of "cherry-picking" Scripture has given a false view of God and His character. There was a time when the whole Scripture was used to support the belief of the church. Today much of the Scripture has been excised from our theology. Much of the belief system is based on a secular humanist view of life. Many of the teachings found in evangelical churches are far from scriptural fundamentals.

In some cases, evangelicals are advocating ideas that are prohibited in Scripture! Marxist teachings of wealth redistribution are contrary to Scripture. Exodus 23:3 states that favoritism should not be shown to a poor man even in a lawsuit. There was also no partiality when Moses took a census, and God required an offering of half a shekel from everyone over the age of twenty years (Exodus 30:14–15). The rich were explicitly forbidden from giving more, and the poor were expressly prohibited from giving less.

Anyone who advocates 'redistributive justice' imposed by the government: rich countries taxed their citizens to aid more impoverished countries. But Micah 6 takes the form of a lawsuit. The prophet, on behalf of the Lord, brings a case against Israel. The prophet proclaims that God ultimately requires all His people to act justly. The Hebrew word used refers to the administration and maintenance of justice concerning resolving legal disputes. It never refers to anything close to 'social' or 'distributive' justice. Those who hold such views are reading neo-Marxist socialism back into the text, not extracting biblical principles.

Biblical truth as revealed in Scripture defines Christianity and guides Christian practice. Once our theological confession loses its Scriptural foundation, it finds its subject matter anywhere along a line that runs from paganism, Eastern spirituality to radical politics, and feminist ideology to environmental concerns. In one way or another, and despite the warning in Romans 1:25, many evangelical churches have exchanged evangelism and the proclamation of biblical truth for pagan ideas based on a false idea of the character of God.

STOP BUYING THE LIE

 The past year has given me much to think about in regards to how we accept the truth.  I have observed the change in how people accept or reject the truth today.  What bothers me is it seem easier for people to believe the lies that are being repeated by those who are the enemy of God.  This week a talking head for CNN made the statement that many believe by their actions, "God is not about hindering people or even judging people." This is a lie from the very pits of hell.  God is about hindering and judging.

  Paul the Apostle spoke of hindering this way,  God sends "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." (II Thessalonians 2:11) But to whom is that strong delusion sent? Paul covers that quite succinctly. Those who "receive not the truth, that they may be saved." (II Thessalonians 2:10)

An interesting passage in the Old Testament bears out this thought. God said to the spirits around His throne, "Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? Ahab was the King of Israel and had turned his back on God and worshiped idols.  God was finished with Ahab and only needed him to go to the Ramoth Gilead to die.

And one came forth and said, 'I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets. And the Lord said, 'Go, you shall persuade him." (I Kings 22:20-22)

This is hard to accept for many people. But the Bible says that the Lord convened a multitude of spirits before His throne and that he sanctioned one who said he would go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets of the evil king Ahab.  All of the prophets except for Micaiah told Ahab to go.  Micaiah, a prophet of the LORD, told him if he went, he would die.  He also told Ahab that the LORD sent a lying spirit to all the prophets.  Ahab rejected the truth, believed the prophets' lie, and died just as Micaiah predicted he would.  Had he believed the true prophet of the LORD, he would have lived.

The LORD is about hindering people to stop their evil ways.  Someone said, "Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of reason." When people rejected His messengers, despised His words, and misused his prophets, he sends a lying spirit to deceive entirely and utterly those who have already gone so far in rejecting Him.   This is where we are now in our times. 

I am not so much concerned about people outside the Church who have rejected truth as I am about those who claim to be a Christian.  Many are claiming to be a follower of Christ that reject His commandments, tolerate and condone sin.  As a nation, we are being judged by God and feeling His judgment because many reject His truth.  Among those who claim to be a follower of Christ but deny His commandment, there seems to be a failure to grasp the reality that God does hinder and judge.  Historically this is what happens before destruction.

We are living in perilous times.  If you have taken the time to read your Bible, you know before judgment came down upon nations with the full wrath of God, there was that lone voice, "one crying in the wilderness." More often than not, the masses followed the evil voice,  "They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his people until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy." (II Chronicles 36:16) 

I know I am on my doom and gloom soapbox; it's depressing and discouraging. A solid case could be made that the verse could encapsulate the times we are in this moment, God sends "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned." So many have bought into the lie that "God is not about hindering people or even judging people."  This is not true; He will hinder people, and He will judge people.

It would do well for this generation to heed the words of  Isaiah, For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many." Ish 66:16.  Isaiah also said, "The Lord is ready to take up his cause against his people, and is about to come forward as their judge." Isaiah 3:13  

 Denying who God is and His sovereignty has made people delusional about what God will do. Hopefully, you are not sucked into these things. Hopefully, you are anchored in the LORD and His truth.  The only hope we have is in Jesus Christ.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Syria Is Again The Battleground of the World

 In 2014, I said, The impact of the U.S. going into Syria will undoubtedly create an economic burden on the American taxpayer. The additional cost of war will increase the debt, raise the oil price, and put Americans in greater danger around the world. That is not to count the number of lives lost, families destroyed, and some children made orphans by our actions. How can we justify a war against a nation that has done nothing to us? How can we bomb a country that has not declared war on us? The conflict is between Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood, not Syria and the United States. If we remove Assad from power, just as we did Saddam Hussein, who will replace him? The Muslim Brotherhood has tried for years to remove Assad and has failed; will the United Stated be the bully arm of the Brotherhood to do what they could not do?  

The United States had a limited engagement in the war in Syria during the last two years of Trump's administration. I was not happy when President Trump moved troops into Syria. Last year in September, troops were sent into Syria to discourage Russians from crossing into the eastern area where U.S., coalition and Syrian Democratic Forces operate, say officials. The United States government is in Syria uninvited. The Russian military is there at the request of the Syrian government. To give you a short history, here is how we got involved in Syria.

Shortly after the civil war broke out in 2011, the U.S. initially supplied the Free Syrian Army rebels with non-lethal aid (e.g., food rations and pickup trucks). Soon, it quickly began providing training, money, and intelligence to selected Syrian rebel commanders. At least two U.S. programs attempted to assist the Syrian rebels, including a 2014 Pentagon program that planned to train and equip 15,000 rebels to fight ISIL, which was canceled in 2015 after spending $500 million and producing only a few dozen fighters. A simultaneous $1 billion covert program called Timber Sycamore ran by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was more successful, but was decimated by Russian bombing and canceled in mid-2017 by the Trump administration. The Obama administration began surveillance missions on Islamic State positions in Syria in September 2014. On September 22, 2014, the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began to attack ISIL forces inside Syria, as well as the Khorasan group in the Idlib Governorate west of Aleppo, and the al-Nusra Front around Raqqa, as part of the international military intervention against ISIL. By late 2015, coalition planes dropped or launched an average of 67 bombs or missiles a day. By August 2017, CJTF-OIR had flown 168,000 sorties in Syria and Iraq (mostly against ISIL).

The U.S. missile strike on Shayrat Airbase on April 7, 2017, was the first time the U.S. deliberately attacked Syrian government forces. This marked the start of a series of direct military actions by U.S. forces against the Syrian government and its allies during May–June 2017 and February 2018. In mid-January 2018, the Trump administration indicated its intention to maintain an open-ended military presence in Syria to counter Iran's influence and oust Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. In early September 2018, the U.S. began implementing a new strategy that sought to indefinitely extend its military effort, launching a major diplomatic push to achieve American objectives in Syria. However, on December 19, President Trump unilaterally ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000–2,500 American ground troops in Syria, which was initially set to take place in 90 days and completed in 2019. With increasing concerns over a potential power vacuum, the U.S. announced on February 22, 2019, that instead of a total withdrawal, a contingency force of around 400 American troops would remain garrisoned in Syria indefinitely and that their departure would be gradual and conditions-based, marking a return to a policy of open-ended American military presence in the country.

It is essential to the globalist to bring about a regime change in Syria and Iran to control both the oil and money. Syria and Iran are the two major countries standing in their way. Trump kept troops in Syria to protect the oil fields. The Trump administration pulled American troops away from Syria's northern border to secure the oil. The United States is now responsible for the fate of the oil. "We've secured the oil and, therefore, a small number of U.S. troops will remain in the area where they have the oil," Trump said during a press conference. "And we're going to be protecting it, and we'll be deciding what we're going to do with it in the future." An unspecified number of American troops and equipment are being sent to defend oil fields in eastern Syria held by Kurdish forces. They were vital U.S. allies in the fight against ISIS. Still, the American withdrawal opened the door for Turkey, which views the main Kurdish militia in Syria as a threat, to launch an offensive against the group. Some feel Trump abandoned the Kurds and left them without the support to defend against Turkey.  

What I have found strange is the U.S. government bullied its way into a sovereign state with duly elected leaders to support the very people we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We take over oil fields that do not belong to us and threaten to go to war with Russia, who the Syrian government invited to help protect their country. You might disagree with me, but I am sure if a nation came to America and took over the oil fields and tried to overthrow the duly elected government, we would be going to war. We should never have gone into Syria, and Trump should have pulled out all troops and brought them home.  

Just as things looked like they might settle down in the Middle East, one day after Biden was inaugurated, a massive U.S. military convoy rolled into Syria. A large U.S. military convoy entered northeastern Syria. President Trump had tried very hard to disengage from the war in Syria, but Biden has made it crystal clear that the U.S. will be heavily involved in that conflict moving forward. A few weeks later, Joe Biden conducted his first airstrike against Iranian-backed forces inside Syria. The U.S. has carried out an airstrike targeting Iran-backed militias in Syria in the Biden administration's first military action. Of course, it was inevitable that Iranian-backed forces would respond, and they retaliated by launching rockets at a military base in Iraq where U.S. forces are stationed. The new Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that there would be a U.S. military response "at a time and place of our own choosing"…

More U.S. airstrikes may come sooner rather than later. It is being reported that the U.S. has just sent six B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia. The U.S. Air Force is sending six B-52 Stratofortress bombers to Diego Garcia. This military hub acts as a strategic location for operations in both the Middle East and the Pacific. The bomber will be "available for operations against Iran if ordered."

The Biden administration is also sending approximately 10,000 more U.S. troops to the Middle East. Once the amphibious assault ship Bataan, which moves toward the Middle East, arrives, the U.S. will have added roughly 10,000 personnel to the area.

The U.S. government is not the only player in the region. Russia has been busy making moves in the area as well. Russia conducted an airstrike on an oil-loading facility in Syria used by opposition forces backed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the Biden administration. A suspected missile strike on an oil-loading facility used by Turkey-backed opposition forces in northern Syria sparked a massive blaze across a large area where oil tankers usually are parked, aerial and satellite images show.

Syrian opposition groups and at least one war monitor blamed Russia for the strike near the towns of Jarablus and al-Bab, near the border with Turkey. In a report, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, said Russian warships in the Mediterranean had fired three missiles that struck primitive oil refineries and tanker trucks in the region. Meanwhile, Israel continues to hit strategically important targets inside Syria regularly. The following comes from a news report that was published in late February.

Meanwhile, the real reason the U.S. is there is to protect Israel's interests, which are acting as a background player. Syrian air defenses have been activated in Damascus and its southern suburbs to repel an Israeli missile attack. Most of the Israeli missiles were shot down before reaching their targets near Damascus.

Damascus is widely believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back several thousand years.  

Today, Damascus is the seat of the central government and all of the government ministries of Syria.

Isaiah 17 opens with the words "the burden of Damascus," indicating that Damascus is the subject of a troublesome prophecy. As Isaiah mentions, other places in Syria will also face destruction, "the remnant of Syria."  

In the last days, the Bible tells us that a horrible series of events will take place in Israel and Syria's lands. One of these events is the disappearance of Damascus as one of the premier cities in the world. The oldest continuously inhabited city on the planet, Damascus has witnessed at least five thousand years of human history. Some historians believe the city dates back to the seventh-millennium bc.

Very shortly, Damascus will once again play a significant role in human events. The prophet Isaiah provides us with God's commentary on a future conflict between Damascus and Israel. In so doing, He reveals specific prophecies that have been partially fulfilled in the past. However, the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah 17 remains in the future. 

Damascus's current existence, which will one day cease to be a city, as well as the historical absence of the coalition of nations prophesied to attack Israel and be destroyed by God, is proof that Isaiah 17 prophesies events yet future.

"This message came to me concerning Damascus: 'Look, Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted. Sheep will graze in the streets and lie down unafraid. There will be no one to chase them away. The fortified cities of Israel will also be destroyed, and the power of Damascus will end. The few left in Aram will share the fate of Israel's departed glory,' says the Lord Almighty" (Isaiah 17:1-3, NLT).

These opening verses paint a bleak picture. The city of Damascus will become a heap of ruins, utterly destroyed. Few, if any, buildings will be left standing. The once-great city will be devoid of human life and will become home to all manner of wildlife in the absence of humans to chase them away. According to these verses, the cities of Aroer, located on the northern bank of the Arnon River just east of the Dead Sea, will also be deserted. However, the passage doesn't say they will be destroyed in the same manner as Damascus, just that they will be rejected. It may be that people flee these cities out of fear, or it could be from nuclear fallout.

Also, many of the fortified cities in northern Israel will be destroyed. The few who remain in Aram, thirty-eight miles south-southeast of Damascus, will share these northern Israeli cities' fate.

"'In that day, the glory of Israel will be very dim, for poverty will stalk the land. Israel will be abandoned like the grain fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest. Only a few of its people will be left, like the stray olives left on the tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five out on the tips of the limbs. Yes, Israel will be stripped bare of people,' says the Lord, the God of Israel" (Isaiah 17:4-6, NLT).

The breadth and scope of destruction are clearly illustrated as God describes the Israeli landscape as stripped bare of people. Only a small fraction of people either choose to stay in the land or survive a massive holocaust, leaving only a few inhabitants who struggle in poverty.

"Then, at last, the people will think of their Creator and have respect for the Holy One of Israel. They will no longer ask their idols for help or worship what their own hands have made. They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles or burn incense on the altars they built" (Isaiah 17:7-8, NLT).

Knowing that this will happen, we must ask: Why does it happen? The answer is found in the verses that follow:

"Their largest cities will be as deserted as overgrown thickets. They will become like the cities the Amorites abandoned when the Israelites came here so long ago. Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you--the Rock who can hide you. You may plant the finest imported grapevines, and they may grow so well that they blossom on the very morning you plant them, but you will never pick any grapes from them. Your only harvest will be a load of grief and incurable pain" (Isaiah 17:9-11, NLT).

The devastation that overshadows Israel will come about because Israel has "turned from the God who can save them." All the hard work performed before this event will be lost. Those who have been distracted by the things of this world will be disappointed, for they have forgotten God, and by putting faith in the things of this world, they will ultimately be disappointed. Their only harvest will be "a load of grief and incurable pain." This grief will be brought to a climax when, in the midst of their suffering, the nation of Israel faces an imminent invasion: "Look! The armies rush forward like waves thundering toward the shore. But though they roar like breakers on a beach, God will silence them. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind or like dust whirling before a storm. In the evening, Israel waits in terror, but by dawn, its enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder and destroy the people of God" (Isaiah 17:12-14, NLT).

While Syria and Israel lie in ruin, the enemies of Israel will view her suffering as an opportunity to invade, their ultimate goal to destroy her forever. However, God has a different plan in mind, and He will destroy these invaders Himself. A more in-depth illustration of this attack is foreseen in Psalms 83:

By studying these ancient people and places' geographical history, we can uncover which nations they currently compose. According to Psalms 83, in the aftermath of the destruction of northern Israel and Damascus, Israel will be invaded by armies from Jordan, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. All of these locations are heavily populated by the enemies of Israel today.

Syria is an ancient land with its capital, Damascus, being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world (circa 4 000 years). Its Semitic people have been ruled by Akkadians, Arameans, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Turks.

So, why is the U.S. government so determined to have a regime change in Syria?

Does Syria have weapons of mass destruction? Nope.

Does Syria have a program to build weapons of mass destruction? Nope

Does Syria have a nuclear program? Nope.

Does Syria have or plan to have nuclear weapons? Nope.

Does Syria pose any possible threat to the United States? Nope.

Does the United States need Syria as a place to build bases to control the Middle East? Nope

Does control of Syria give the Americans any strategic benefits whatsoever? Nope.

Was Syria involved with the September 11 attack? Nope

Is Syria connected to al Qaeda? Nope. The Syrian government is one of the biggest enemies of Islamist terrorist groups. Assad has a hatred for the Muslim Brotherhood, and they were banned from Syria.

Syria occupies a critical strategic position in the Middle East. It represents the last obstacle for a United States/Zionist takeover of the region and the imposition of puppet regimes in each state. The ultimate target appears to be Iran, with whom Syria signed a defense cooperation pact in May 2008. The "popular uprising," which started in March 2011, has been masterminded by Turkish, American (CIA), and Israeli intelligence agents. The so-called "peaceful demonstrators" are the pawns of agents provocateurs (Salafists, Jihadis) armed with heavy machine guns, mortars, anti-air rockets, and tank traps. The purpose of these demonstrations is to destabilize the country so that a fake humanitarian crisis is created, which demands military intervention by R2P. 

(R2P) The Responsibility to Protect is a global political commitment that all member states of the United Nations endorsed at the 2005 World Summit to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. The principle of the Responsibility to Protect is based on the underlying premise that sovereignty entails a responsibility to protect against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. The outcome is intended to be regime change.  

President Bashar al-Assad is a popular leader and is supported by most of his people. In a presidential referendum held on July 10, 2010, he gained 97.3% of the votes cast. Perhaps on this occasion, Syria will prove to be a "bridge too far" for the imperialist powers and their backers ­ the international bankers.  

The American people need to open their eyes to what is happening in the Middle-East. Our government is rapidly pushing the world into a global conflict that will destroy every element of freedom. Our government is complicit in the murder of Christians in Iraq, Lybia, Afghanistan, and now Syria. When will it end? 

Israel is particularly interested in keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In an interview with Fox News, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz just stated that Israel is ready to attack Iran without any U.S. help. It should be noted that Israel has a stockpile ranging between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads, and the country is believed to possess the ability to deliver them in several methods. The Israeli military is updating plans to strike Iranian nuclear sites and is prepared to act independently, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told Fox News. Israel has identified numerous targets inside Iran that would hurt its ability to develop a nuclear bomb. "If the world stops them before, it's very much good. But if not, we must stand independently, and we must defend ourselves by ourselves," Gantz said in his first sit-down interview with an American outlet.

During a phone call last Thursday between Kamala Harris and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister made it exceedingly clear that his nation is ready to do whatever it takes to prevent the Iranians from developing their nukes. "The prime minister said they would continue to strengthen their intelligence and security cooperation and said during their conversation that as prime minister of Israel, he is committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons that are meant for our destruction."

Of course, the Iranians have no plans to back down, making a military conflict between Israel and Iran inevitable. There will be war in the Middle East, and the horror of that conflict will shock the entire planet. And once that war begins, it will significantly accelerate our economic problems and the ongoing political turmoil in this country.

Under the warmongers of the Democrat and Republican parties, our world is about to change dramatically.

Dying To Take The Shot

 I am afraid that over the next six months, we will see an increase in unexplained deaths.  There will be more elderly suffering from dementia in the next few months after taking the vaccine.  There will be more autoimmune disorders diagnosed among people who have taken the Corona vaccines.  I am not a medical doctor, but medical doctors, researchers, and scientists worldwide have been warning that these things will happen.  I find it amazing that people who are so health-minded are willing to expose themselves to a treatment that has not been FDA approved.  

There has never been a licensed RNA vaccine, and this is not because of the lack of clinical trials, but that in the safety studies, there were significant adverse events and death in the animals used in these studies over the past 20 years.  The pharmaceutical industry has been trying to develop Corona vaccines but never managed because they saw in the animal trials that there were severe side effects, autoimmune disorders when the animal was exposed to a new wild-type virus. These autoimmune disorders are comparable with the complications seen in some COVID-19 patients. Due to the excuse of a global pandemic, the pharma industry has permission to skip animal trials. This means that humans will be guinea pigs and might get severe side effects when exposed to new viruses.

Here is a question you must ask yourself.  Is it acceptable that all liabilities have been waived for the companies that are producing the vaccine? If pharma doesn't take responsibility for the product they make, how can they expect people to have faith in their product? The measures for Corona cause far more collateral damage than the virus causes itself. Worldwide,  the numbers of cases are falsely presented to drive the population to obedient behavior and vaccination. So please be critical, do your research, and don't let the media manipulate you. I think it's time to react, time to stand up for your freedom, for the future of your children. Don't give in to anxiety, polarization, governmental control, and restriction of your freedom, all under the false pretext of a virus because that's what's happening.  

The real epidemic is fear and hysteria. It started in China and was quickly spread by the World Health Organization. The panic was accelerated by corporations who gained financially through selling fast-tracked, flawed medical tests, toxic antiviral drugs, and now unproven and potentially dangerous vaccines. Standard precautions, which generally protect the public, have been disregarded due to ignorance, hysteria, and profits. 

The federal government has partnered up with Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, and AstraZeneca to help develop, produce, and administer COVID-19 vaccines as quickly as possible.

Under Operation Warp Speed, the federal government has pledged close to $9 billion to fund the vaccines' development and production.

Moderna received nearly $1 billion for its COVID-19 vaccine development and is set to accept an additional $1.5 billion for 100 million doses.

With its German partner BioNTech, Pfizer will be given $1.95 billion for 100 million doses but received no federal funding to research and develop their vaccine.

Johnson & Johnson received $456 million for vaccine research and development and will be paid $1 billion for 100 million doses.

Novavax will get $1.6 billion in federal funding for research, development, and 100 million doses.

AstraZeneca is set to receive $1.2 billion that will cover 300 million doses along with specific costs pertaining to phase 3 clinical trials and manufacturing.

The federal government will likely purchase additional doses in the coming months.

Already, the government has pledged to purchase an additional 500 million doses from Pfizer and may buy 200 million more from Johnson & Johnson.

"The huge [amount of] money that we spent, in this case, is unprecedented. It's never happened before," said Haizhen Lin, an associate professor of business economics and public policy at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

It's worth noting that many details included in these contracts have not been made public, said Lin.

The big push to take the vaccine is coming from those who will gain financially.  Hospitals and doctors are getting financial incentives to diagnose COVID-19. Hospital administrators want to see COVID-19 attached to a discharge summary or a death certificate. Why? Because if it's pneumonia that a person is admitted to the hospital, Medicare will pay a lump sum payment of around  $5,000. But if it's COVID-19 pneumonia, then it's $13,000, and if that COVID-19 pneumonia patient ends up on a ventilator, it goes up to $39,000."

On top of profit, multiple lab errors are happening around the world over and over, indicating more false positives. This vaccine is experimental on the human race.  Backers of this vaccine are using modified messenger RNA or modified DNA synthetic to the human body. Why would they do this?  This is the first time this will be launched on the human race. Very few, if any, know what could happen to us. Also, they're proposing to use nano lipid technology or nanotechnology on the human race as well. 

Nanotechnology can be defined as the science and engineering involved in the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of materials and devices whose smallest functional organization, in at least one dimension, is on the nanometer scale or one billionth of a meter. At these scales, consideration of individual molecules and interacting groups of molecules in relation to the bulk macroscopic properties of the material or device becomes important, as it has a control over the fundamental molecular structure, which allows control over the macroscopic chemical and physical properties.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2890134/

I know you might question my thoughts on this matter.  I would say to you, do your research.  I would challenge anyone who has a financial gain in supporting any part of the COVID-19 scam to prove there will be no long-term issues and that the vaccine is safe.