MICHAEL'S STAND AGAINST
"BABYLON".
(Rev 17:15 to 19:3 & Dan 12:1 NEB).
. |
|
When Michael stands, Daniel's "countrymen" survive,
But "Alas for the great city" shall
"her" traders say,
Kings wallowing in "her" shameless luxury
shall die,
In famine, death and burning God they disobeyed.
Be glad you servants of God, in heaven and on earth,
In one symbolic "hour" (15 days) her evil works shall end,
The smoke of "her" torment
denounces "her" birth,
And great shall be the fall of "Babylon's" descent.
Portents in the sky
and upon the earth shall be,
The moon turned to "blood", the sun to
night,
In Babylon/Iraq this has already been seen,
Burning oil fires, black smoke, by day and by night.
Soon shall appear in heaven the sign that heralds,
The appearance of The Christ the Son of Man,
The day and the hour no one on earth can know,
But the fulfilments of his holy prophecies we can.
|
SOURCES.
We witnessed the destruction of the wealth and splendour of
Babylon/Iraq by death, mourning, famine and burning in both Gulf Wars. (Rev 18:8-10). On our television
screens we witnessed smoke blackening the sky as Kuwaiti oil platforms were
set on fire by Iraqi forces as they retreated from the allied advance, reminding
us of the scripture:
"I will show portents in the sky
and on earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke; the sun shall be
turned into
darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the
Lord comes." (Joel 2:30,31 NEB).
As allied forces gathered against
Iraq and destroyed the oil fields that provided her wealth and splendour, the sun
was "turned into darkness" by the smoke billowing into the sky from
burning oil fields. In the minds of her victims and wound-dressers night
bombing of Iraqi cities by allied forces did turn the "moon into blood".
Cities of Babylon/Iraq became
short of food, water, electricity, and hospital beds. Day and night their
accumulated wealth, their cities, their military machine, their oil fields and
their manufacturing base were destroyed. (Rev 18:8).
On the third day
of the war against Babylon/Iraq by allied forces, Iraqi forces began launching
Scud missiles against Israel in
an attempt to provoke their retaliation.
But the United States put pressure on Israel not to retaliate because of the
threatened involvement of Jordan and Syria if Israel were to become engaged in
the war. The U.S. instead deployed Patriot interceptor missile batteries in
Israel. Billeted in tents, U.S. military forces were planted on Israeli soil,
as it is written: "And he will plant his palatial tents between the grand
sea and the holy mountain of Decoration". (Dan 11:45). The
political "wild beast" of the United States became the warring
authority of satan in Israel. (Rev 13:4).
A MINOR FULFILMENT OF DANIEL 12:1.
The Christ Michael
is the heavenly name of the First-born Son of God. It has been revealed that
when satan plants his "palatial tents" of authority in Israel,
Michael will stand up to exercise his heavenly authority to defend Daniel's
"fellow-countrymen", the future sons of
"Jacob". (Dan
12:1 NWT & NEB) (Isaiah 14:1 4 NEB).
"At that moment Michael shall
appear, Michael the great captain, who stands guard over your
fellow countrymen".
(Dan 12:1 NEB).
(Note the underlined expression). The political
"wild
beast" of the United States is satan's warring authority in
Israel and has planted tents of authority
"between the grand sea and the holy
mountain of Decoration". (Dan 11:45. Rev 13:4).
With reference to our Lord Michael
"who stands guard over your fellow-countrymen", the U.S. supplied Israel with Patriot anti-missile
batteries and military personnel to guard Israel against attack from Iraqi Scud
missiles. Patriot is from the Latin Patriota which means
Fellow-countryman. It means that while U.S. forces
were planted on Israeli
soil "between the grand sea and the holy mountain of Decoration",
their Patriot anti-missile batteries were standing guard over future sons
of "Jacob". But as for the proud and arrogant citizens of Israel,
they are destined to be disposed of. (Zeph 3:11 NEB).
PATRIOT: |
One who exerts himself to promote
the wellbeing of his country.
One who maintains and defends his
country's freedom or rights. |
WHO "WILL MEET HIS END WITH NO ONE TO HELP
HIM"?
The
"king
of Babylon" who "will meet his end with no one to help him"
is satan. But this was also true of another king of Babylon, Saddam Hussein,
whose countrymen were engaged in battle with many powerful nations.
(Isaiah
14:3-6 NEB).
Babylon/Iraq was under siege. Economic sanctions stopped goods entering or
leaving the country and were in operation for months. Shortages of food
and water were reported. Thousands of Iraqis were killed in allied
bombing raids. And even though Saddam Hussein made desperate attempts to
bring Arab nations into the conflict on his side, he too was destined to
"meet his
end with no one to help him". (Dan 11:45
NEB).
|