If you just now
lean back and relax,
00:00:59.27\00:01:01.61
we shall begin our journey
to the place called Megiddo.
00:01:01.64\00:01:04.76
We've left from
Jerusalem aboard these buses.
00:01:04.79\00:01:09.36
You notice that they have
air conditioners upon them.
00:01:10.35\00:01:12.80
With the air
conditioners running full blast,
00:01:12.83\00:01:15.90
inside the bus it was
a comfortable 91 degrees.
00:01:15.93\00:01:21.07
91 degrees, and this by the
way, happened to be in July.
00:01:23.52\00:01:26.63
But when we stepped
out the door it was like
00:01:27.82\00:01:29.73
stepping into a blast
furnace, it was 122 degrees.
00:01:29.76\00:01:34.23
But you know
what they said to us?
00:01:34.26\00:01:35.70
They said you'll hardly
notice, it's a dry heat.
00:01:35.73\00:01:38.35
You ever heard that before?
Yeah, you've heard that before.
00:01:38.38\00:01:41.17
Well I notice, there's
much to see and so let's
00:01:41.20\00:01:43.76
get about it, shall we.
00:01:43.79\00:01:44.78
We're going to pause
briefly at the sign board
00:01:44.81\00:01:47.29
that greets us here.
00:01:47.39\00:01:48.36
And it says Megiddo.
00:01:48.37\00:01:50.24
And I'm going to talk to
you now for just a moment or two
00:01:50.27\00:01:53.68
about the name Armageddon.
00:01:53.71\00:01:55.47
It's mentioned only once in
the Bible and that's from our
00:01:55.50\00:01:58.17
favorite book, The Revelation
and the sixteenth chapter,
00:01:58.20\00:02:00.96
beginning down at
about verse fifteen.
00:02:00.99\00:02:03.34
Armageddon, the Old Testament
word is made by joining together
00:02:03.37\00:02:08.36
two Hebrew or
Old Testament words.
00:02:08.39\00:02:11.12
The first of
those words is "har".
00:02:11.15\00:02:14.97
That's the way we would
say it and write it, "har".
00:02:15.00\00:02:17.91
The word "har" in the
Old Testament language means,
00:02:18.01\00:02:20.55
"the hilltop" or
"the high place. "
00:02:20.58\00:02:22.91
The second word is "mageddon".
00:02:22.94\00:02:26.95
"Mageddon" carries the
idea of "the gathering,"
00:02:26.98\00:02:32.60
"the place of assembly. "
00:02:32.63\00:02:35.02
You put the two
together, har mageddon,
00:02:35.61\00:02:38.46
and transliterate,
kind of say it quickly,
00:02:38.49\00:02:40.65
and you come up with the idea
of the hilltop of the assembly
00:02:40.68\00:02:44.58
or the high
place of the gathering.
00:02:44.61\00:02:47.04
Armageddon.
00:02:47.07\00:02:48.27
Now the sign at the
top just mentions Megiddo.
00:02:48.30\00:02:52.74
And this, by the way
for your interest sake,
00:02:52.77\00:02:54.36
is in the Plain of Esdraelon.
00:02:54.39\00:02:56.37
Some of you are going to
go home and look in your maps,
00:02:56.40\00:02:58.74
your Bible maps.
00:02:58.77\00:02:59.80
And beneath the name
Megiddo, it give us a scripture
00:02:59.83\00:03:03.56
from the Old
Testament book of Judges.
00:03:03.59\00:03:05.20
It says, "Then
fought the kings of Canaan
00:03:05.23\00:03:07.99
by the waters of Taanach
in the valley of Megiddo. "
00:03:08.02\00:03:11.25
The sign goes on to tell us that
this place has been fought over,
00:03:11.28\00:03:15.66
bitterly contested and fought
over and battled in and around
00:03:15.69\00:03:20.18
for 5000 years.
00:03:20.21\00:03:21.71
It's been fought
over by the Phoenicians.
00:03:21.74\00:03:24.41
It's been fought over by the
Canaanites and by the Hyksos.
00:03:24.44\00:03:28.31
It's been fought over by the
British under General Allenby
00:03:28.34\00:03:31.32
in modern time.
00:03:31.35\00:03:32.32
It's a place of
one continuous battle.
00:03:32.33\00:03:34.71
And then the sign concludes
with the scripture from
00:03:34.74\00:03:38.65
The Revelation, that we eluded
to just a bit ago, chapter 16.
00:03:38.68\00:03:42.86
"He then gathered them
together into a place called
00:03:42.89\00:03:46.23
in the Hebrew
language, Armageddon. "
00:03:46.26\00:03:49.23
There's much here
to see in terms of
00:03:49.63\00:03:52.01
geography and topography.
00:03:52.04\00:03:53.66
And so let's begin to
have a look around, shall we.
00:03:53.69\00:03:56.45
We've turned around from
the sign board 180 degrees
00:03:56.48\00:04:00.49
and we're looking at
a range of mountains.
00:04:00.52\00:04:03.61
Now if we could
see through that cut,
00:04:03.64\00:04:06.04
if there was an opening
there or if we were up on top
00:04:06.07\00:04:08.55
of that mountain and looking
to the west, we would be looking
00:04:08.58\00:04:11.48
at the blue waters of
the Mediterranean sea.
00:04:11.51\00:04:14.07
Not too far from
Haifa or Caesarea
00:04:14.10\00:04:17.25
if you look for
it on your Bible map.
00:04:17.28\00:04:19.22
You'll see some
folks standing up there,
00:04:19.25\00:04:21.61
right on the edge
of the cliff they are.
00:04:21.64\00:04:23.71
These mountains are a
part of the Carmel range.
00:04:23.74\00:04:27.69
And every time that
I think of Mt. Carmel,
00:04:27.72\00:04:30.13
I'm reminded of the time that
the old prophet Elijah had that
00:04:30.16\00:04:34.28
standoff with the false prophets
of Baal, do you remember.
00:04:34.31\00:04:37.26
They said, "Our
gods are the true gods. "
00:04:37.29\00:04:40.38
"Our gods" plural,
and Elijah said, "No. "
00:04:40.41\00:04:42.32
"My God" singular,
"is the true God. "
00:04:42.35\00:04:44.77
And the debate then ended
in a little bit of a contest.
00:04:44.80\00:04:48.72
Elijah said, "We'll
each build an altar.
00:04:48.75\00:04:51.59
And then we'll put up on our
altar an offering, a sacrifice.
00:04:51.62\00:04:55.89
And the God, or gods in your
case, that answers by consuming
00:04:55.92\00:05:00.26
the sacrifice, the offering with
fire is the true God or gods. "
00:05:00.29\00:05:04.85
And so they built
their little altars of stone.
00:05:05.39\00:05:09.41
And then Elijah said, "I shall
be a gentleman, you go first. "
00:05:09.91\00:05:14.06
And they began to
pray after placing their
00:05:15.03\00:05:16.84
offering atop their altar.
00:05:16.87\00:05:18.66
And nothing happened.
00:05:18.69\00:05:19.93
And they prayed more and
longer, and nothing happened.
00:05:19.96\00:05:23.65
And after several
minutes of their prayer,
00:05:23.68\00:05:26.13
Elijah began to tease them
and tempt them a little bit.
00:05:26.16\00:05:29.14
He said, "Could it be
that your gods are all asleep
00:05:29.17\00:05:32.87
and they can't hear you?"
00:05:32.90\00:05:34.05
And they began to
scream and shout more loudly.
00:05:35.84\00:05:37.71
And then Elijah
said, "Well, is it possible
00:05:37.74\00:05:40.42
that your gods
are all out of town?
00:05:40.45\00:05:42.54
Maybe they're on a long
vacation, they're out of town. "
00:05:42.57\00:05:45.48
And by now, these false
prophets were doing some really
00:05:45.51\00:05:49.14
crazy things, cutting themselves
and other really ugly things.
00:05:49.17\00:05:52.94
And so Elijah stopped it.
00:05:52.97\00:05:54.60
He said, "You've had your turn
and your chance, now it's mine.
00:05:54.63\00:05:57.23
But before I pray, I want you to
dig a ditch around my altar. "
00:05:57.26\00:06:01.34
And they did that.
00:06:01.37\00:06:02.46
Now he said, "Brings
gallons and gallons of water
00:06:02.49\00:06:05.75
and fill that ditch. "
00:06:05.78\00:06:06.75
And they did that.
00:06:06.76\00:06:07.86
Then he began to pray
and mid-sentence his prayer,
00:06:09.38\00:06:12.24
fire flashed down from
God and not only consumed
00:06:12.27\00:06:16.61
the offering, but then burned
the stones as if they were coal,
00:06:16.64\00:06:19.96
and lapped up the water
like it had been gasoline.
00:06:19.99\00:06:22.63
And all of the happened
right up on top of that mountain
00:06:22.66\00:06:25.98
where we should have been.
00:06:26.01\00:06:28.00
Alright?
00:06:29.06\00:06:30.03
Now, I'm probably going
to do that again because
00:06:30.45\00:06:32.71
this is a new machine here.
00:06:32.74\00:06:34.82
And I'm an old man.
How's that for ya, huh?
00:06:35.99\00:06:38.85
That makes a lot
of sense, doesn't it.
00:06:38.88\00:06:40.61
Ok now, we've turned
around 180 degrees again.
00:06:40.64\00:06:44.33
And we're having our first
glimpse of the ruins of Megiddo.
00:06:44.36\00:06:49.52
Now Megiddo, ladies
and gentlemen, is a tel.
00:06:49.55\00:06:52.10
And you may spell that one
of two ways and be correct.
00:06:52.13\00:06:55.02
"Tel" or "tell".
00:06:55.05\00:06:57.98
Either way we spell
it, it simply means;
00:06:58.01\00:07:00.33
a mound of ruins that
are unrelated to the natural
00:07:00.36\00:07:03.91
geography and topography.
00:07:03.94\00:07:05.72
In other words, this hill is the
result of people building a city
00:07:06.88\00:07:12.31
and then an enemy
coming and knocking it down.
00:07:12.34\00:07:15.36
And that enemy
building atop those ruins.
00:07:15.39\00:07:17.78
And then an enemy coming
and knocking theirs down and
00:07:17.81\00:07:20.20
building atop their ruins.
00:07:20.23\00:07:21.76
Until it gets higher
and higher and higher still.
00:07:21.79\00:07:25.17
You might be interested
to note that there are
00:07:25.20\00:07:27.12
20 different elevations here.
00:07:27.15\00:07:29.68
20 different empires or peoples
who built and lived here.
00:07:29.71\00:07:35.96
And in the year
1962-1963, the years '62-'63,
00:07:35.99\00:07:42.54
an archaeologist by the
name of Dr. Yigael Yadin
00:07:44.71\00:07:48.17
began an archaeological dig here
that lasted, as I mentioned,
00:07:48.20\00:07:51.37
for about two years.
00:07:51.40\00:07:52.37
And he discovered at the 9th
level the Egyptian civilization.
00:07:53.67\00:07:58.15
Now I'm going to try
to use the pointer here
00:07:58.18\00:08:00.07
and show you about
where that would be.
00:08:00.10\00:08:01.98
If there are 20 levels, the
9th perhaps, would be somewhere
00:08:02.01\00:08:04.78
right around in there.
00:08:04.81\00:08:06.49
And that was at the time of
the Egyptians King Thutmose III.
00:08:06.99\00:08:12.14
King Thutmose III, was here 1500
years before the birth of Jesus.
00:08:12.17\00:08:18.31
Now that tells us then that
long before the birth of Jesus,
00:08:18.34\00:08:21.51
this was an old,
old battle ground.
00:08:21.54\00:08:24.60
Now, we're going to
go inside the museum
00:08:24.63\00:08:28.65
and spend a few moments.
00:08:28.68\00:08:29.90
And then we shall walk
outside and climb to the top
00:08:29.93\00:08:32.76
of that mountain and
see there the ancient ruins
00:08:32.79\00:08:35.47
that date back hundreds,
yes, thousands of years now.
00:08:35.50\00:08:39.47
Here's an artist mock-up of what
the top of this fort looked like
00:08:39.50\00:08:43.66
at the times of Kings David and
Solomon which would take us back
00:08:43.69\00:08:47.21
a thousand years
before the birth of Jesus.
00:08:47.24\00:08:50.12
King David kept in a perimeter
around the city of Jerusalem
00:08:51.31\00:08:55.16
these cities that
would not permit an enemy to
00:08:55.19\00:08:58.57
sneak up on the
capital city Jerusalem.
00:08:58.60\00:09:00.66
And this happened
to be one of them.
00:09:00.69\00:09:02.17
He kept here 500
soldiers and at least 150 horses
00:09:02.20\00:09:08.49
and some chariots of war
and all of that sort of thing.
00:09:08.52\00:09:11.05
Now, you're going to notice
over here on the right hand side
00:09:11.08\00:09:15.22
of the screen a
road, there it is.
00:09:15.25\00:09:17.68
We're going to walk up
that same road in reality
00:09:17.71\00:09:20.11
in just a few moments.
00:09:20.14\00:09:21.55
This road would go up at
an angle of about 18 degrees
00:09:21.58\00:09:25.95
and then when it neared the
top, you went through an arch.
00:09:25.98\00:09:29.23
When you got into that first
alcove, that first archway,
00:09:29.26\00:09:33.69
then you had to take a
hard left hand turn to go
00:09:33.72\00:09:37.19
and gain
entrance inside the fort.
00:09:37.22\00:09:39.49
And all the way around,
there were the defenders
00:09:39.52\00:09:42.54
with their weapons
of war trying to prevent
00:09:42.57\00:09:45.03
any such thing from happening.
00:09:45.06\00:09:47.25
Now, with that
we're ready to look again.
00:09:47.28\00:09:50.27
There's the top of the road
and we'll be walking up that in
00:09:50.30\00:09:52.80
just a little bit.
00:09:52.83\00:09:54.29
During the time of
the archaeological dig,
00:09:54.32\00:09:57.72
large amounts of gems,
jewels, coins, carved ivory,
00:09:57.75\00:10:03.60
were discovered.
00:10:03.63\00:10:04.78
Which proved then that
whomever was in charge of this
00:10:04.81\00:10:08.08
piece of real estate
would become very, very wealthy.
00:10:08.11\00:10:11.12
Now I'm going to tell
you what this is and then why
00:10:11.15\00:10:14.21
it's been fought over
and how folks became wealthy.
00:10:14.24\00:10:16.41
This is a coin, but
it's more than that.
00:10:16.44\00:10:19.39
It is a signet ring.
00:10:19.42\00:10:21.50
King Jeroboam of
Israel had a servant.
00:10:21.53\00:10:25.89
Actually, he was
more like a Vice President
00:10:25.92\00:10:27.86
and his name was Shema.
00:10:27.89\00:10:29.98
When King Jeroboam would
make a statement, when he would
00:10:30.01\00:10:33.30
make a proclamation,
Shema would write it down
00:10:33.33\00:10:37.12
on a parchment or some
such thing, and then fold that,
00:10:37.15\00:10:41.35
drip hot wax onto the
fold, and then press this ring
00:10:41.38\00:10:45.70
into the hot wax.
00:10:45.73\00:10:47.21
And as soon as the ring
was pressed into the wax,
00:10:47.24\00:10:50.08
this became
binding, it became law.
00:10:50.11\00:10:52.68
This was the kings
signature, if you please.
00:10:52.71\00:10:56.33
The Seal of Shema.
00:10:56.36\00:10:58.18
And you'll notice on
there, by the way, what animal?
00:10:58.21\00:11:00.87
A lion.
00:11:00.90\00:11:02.18
Do you remember what
Revelation 5:5 says about Jesus?
00:11:02.21\00:11:05.81
He is the lion of which tribe?
00:11:05.84\00:11:07.85
Exactly so, the lion
of the tribe of Judah.
00:11:07.88\00:11:10.97
The Seal of Shema.
00:11:11.00\00:11:12.26
Now, what about the carved
gems and jewels and the ivory
00:11:12.29\00:11:17.51
and that sort of thing?
00:11:17.54\00:11:18.82
This place,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:11:21.42\00:11:23.16
for a long time before the time
of Jesus, and for a good while
00:11:23.19\00:11:26.45
after, was a
cross road of the world.
00:11:26.48\00:11:29.74
In other words, if a camel
caravan was coming from the
00:11:29.84\00:11:34.55
south out of Egypt,
out of the Cairo area,
00:11:34.58\00:11:37.87
and going north up into
the area of Syria, Damascus,
00:11:37.90\00:11:41.64
or maybe turning then a little
bit to the left, to the west,
00:11:41.67\00:11:45.67
and going into the
area of Beirut Lebanon,
00:11:45.70\00:11:47.71
it would go right through here.
00:11:47.74\00:11:49.35
If on the other hand, a
ship had off loaded treasures
00:11:49.38\00:11:54.68
onto a camel caravan
over around Haifa or Caesarea
00:11:54.71\00:11:58.44
and these treasures were
headed for the capital city
00:11:58.47\00:12:01.85
of the world for
some 600-700 years,
00:12:01.88\00:12:05.85
and that being what we're
going to talk about tonight,
00:12:05.88\00:12:08.68
out of the
headquarter of the world
00:12:08.71\00:12:12.14
the place called Iraq
today, that camel caravan
00:12:12.17\00:12:15.97
loaded with all those treasures
would go right through here.
00:12:16.00\00:12:18.80
That means then, that whomever
was in charge of this fort and
00:12:18.83\00:12:22.69
it's armies could stop the
camel caravans and tell them,
00:12:22.72\00:12:26.49
"You're going to
pay this much more
00:12:26.52\00:12:28.03
before you take another step. "
00:12:28.06\00:12:29.46
And the folks would
either pay up or turn back.
00:12:29.49\00:12:31.85
And so that's why often
times, the place was fought over
00:12:31.88\00:12:35.36
during those hundreds
and hundreds of years.
00:12:35.39\00:12:37.99
Now, during the excavations,
they discovered these stones
00:12:38.19\00:12:43.09
that, put
together, made an altar.
00:12:43.12\00:12:45.71
This altar is unique
in that it has four horns
00:12:47.09\00:12:50.56
on the four corners.
00:12:50.59\00:12:52.14
That tells us that this place
was not only a place of defense,
00:12:52.17\00:12:56.24
but it was also, at one
time at least, a city of refuge.
00:12:56.27\00:13:00.67
A city of refuge
was for this purpose.
00:13:00.70\00:13:03.70
If a man was to take
another man's life by accident,
00:13:03.73\00:13:08.60
not by
premeditation, but by accident,
00:13:08.63\00:13:12.12
if the perpetrator could
leave the scene of the accident
00:13:12.15\00:13:16.45
and get to one of the
cities of refuge and touch
00:13:16.48\00:13:18.97
one of the horns of the altar,
then that man's life would
00:13:19.00\00:13:21.75
be spared and the
members of the deceased family
00:13:21.78\00:13:26.18
could not harm him.
00:13:26.21\00:13:27.56
It was not so much
unlike playing hide-n-seek.
00:13:27.59\00:13:31.28
And when you touch
home base then you're free.
00:13:31.31\00:13:33.68
City of refuge.
00:13:34.12\00:13:35.14
Now we've stepped outside
the museum and we're greeted
00:13:35.44\00:13:38.09
by a sign that speaks to us
in three separate languages, all
00:13:38.12\00:13:42.27
giving the same warning, "There
are dangerous places here.
00:13:42.30\00:13:44.96
Please watch your children. "
00:13:44.99\00:13:47.37
So I'm going to encourage all of
you parents to have a good hand
00:13:47.40\00:13:49.91
on the kids from
this point on, alright.
00:13:49.94\00:13:52.10
Now we're walking up that
very same road that was here
00:13:52.13\00:13:55.14
at the time of David and Solomon
and continues to be here.
00:13:55.17\00:13:58.97
It may have been here
for hundreds of years prior.
00:13:59.00\00:14:01.60
That I'm not sure of.
00:14:01.63\00:14:03.60
We're following a guide who
is a professor of antiquities
00:14:03.63\00:14:07.99
at the Jerusalem University.
00:14:08.02\00:14:11.38
And he knew these
folks like they'd been his
00:14:11.41\00:14:13.75
next door neighbors.
00:14:13.78\00:14:14.99
I mean, the folks who'd
lived here and conquered here
00:14:15.02\00:14:17.78
hundreds and hundreds
and hundreds of years ago.
00:14:17.81\00:14:20.29
We would climb a ways and
then stop in our climbing.
00:14:20.32\00:14:23.47
We old fat folks
would catch our breath
00:14:23.50\00:14:26.02
and Jacob would describe to us.
00:14:26.05\00:14:28.89
"Look at the small
round stones," he might say.
00:14:28.92\00:14:31.65
Those are from the Hyksos era.
00:14:31.95\00:14:33.93
And then he might point out
to the larger rectangular stones
00:14:33.96\00:14:38.86
and say to us, "This is
from the Egyptian era. "
00:14:38.89\00:14:41.52
And then when we got
near the top he said to us,
00:14:41.55\00:14:44.59
"These, the large
stones, are from the time
00:14:44.62\00:14:47.59
of Kings David and Solomon. "
00:14:47.62\00:14:49.41
There he is. His name is Jacob.
00:14:49.44\00:14:51.28
And what you folks can't
see, I'm going to tell you.
00:14:51.31\00:14:53.86
Right behind that arm
that hangs at his side,
00:14:53.89\00:14:58.28
there is a holstered 45
caliber semi-automatic pistol.
00:14:58.31\00:15:02.90
And now I remind you once
more, this man is a doctor,
00:15:02.93\00:15:06.36
he's a professor at
the Hebrew University.
00:15:06.39\00:15:09.03
But he has that pistol at his
side every day and every hour
00:15:09.06\00:15:13.89
of every day, and at
his bedside every night.
00:15:13.92\00:15:17.08
For you see
ladies and gentlemen,
00:15:17.11\00:15:18.58
Israel is an armed camp.
00:15:18.61\00:15:20.34
And nearly every
person that is able,
00:15:21.11\00:15:24.51
every person
that has fair health,
00:15:24.54\00:15:27.03
has such a
military issued armament.
00:15:27.06\00:15:30.99
In some cases it's the
Uzi, with the best machine gun,
00:15:31.02\00:15:35.14
they say, in
all the world today.
00:15:35.17\00:15:36.63
And so, he would get on
our tour bus every morning
00:15:36.66\00:15:40.49
and give this little speech.
00:15:40.52\00:15:42.73
It was like this, "If
the sirens go off today,
00:15:42.76\00:15:45.99
I shall have to leave
you wherever we are. "
00:15:46.02\00:15:48.33
Now you probably will
remember that back during the
00:15:49.30\00:15:52.68
first Gulf war, '90s,
the sirens would go off
00:15:52.71\00:15:55.78
because the Scud missiles
were coming in around Jerusalem.
00:15:55.81\00:15:58.66
You remember
that now, don't you?
00:15:58.69\00:15:59.84
Alright.
00:15:59.87\00:16:00.92
The whole of the nation
of Israel is intersected
00:16:01.59\00:16:06.44
and intertwined
with these sirens.
00:16:06.47\00:16:10.37
And they go off
simultaneously to give a warning
00:16:10.40\00:16:13.64
that there's an
attack, a military attack.
00:16:13.67\00:16:16.31
And that's the
only time they go off.
00:16:16.34\00:16:18.08
Not unlike over in
Kansas where they have sirens
00:16:18.28\00:16:20.79
that warn of the
tornados and that sort of thing.
00:16:20.82\00:16:23.18
And so, Jacob would say to
us every morning as we boarded
00:16:23.21\00:16:26.85
the bus, "If the sirens go off,
I still have to leave you. "
00:16:26.88\00:16:30.56
And then he would go on to
explain, "If there's a military
00:16:30.59\00:16:33.69
conveyance, if there's a
jeep or something nearby,
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.75
I stall go with them. "
00:16:35.78\00:16:37.22
But he said, "If there is
no such military conveyance
00:16:37.25\00:16:41.12
and there happens by a
tourist with an automobile,
00:16:41.15\00:16:44.24
or someone who lives
here, I will take my gun and
00:16:44.27\00:16:47.71
demand they get out and I
will take their vehicle. "
00:16:47.74\00:16:50.27
And he said, "In case
there is not one of those,
00:16:50.30\00:16:53.13
I will make you
folks get off of the bus
00:16:53.16\00:16:55.09
and I will take this bus and
I'll be out on the battle field
00:16:55.12\00:16:58.16
in a few minutes. "
00:16:58.19\00:16:59.16
Now folks, that isn't
the most encouraging way
00:16:59.17\00:17:01.75
to start your day.
00:17:01.78\00:17:02.82
I can tell you this much, that
when you begin your day with
00:17:02.85\00:17:06.44
a warning like that, you don't
need any coffee to wake up.
00:17:06.47\00:17:09.58
Yes sir.
00:17:09.61\00:17:10.76
And so that's a little bit
about the background of Jacob.
00:17:10.79\00:17:13.65
Our Lord Jesus said, "When you
this area surrounded by armies,
00:17:13.68\00:17:17.39
know the end is near. "
00:17:17.42\00:17:18.81
And we're going to talk a little
bit more about the dangers
00:17:18.84\00:17:21.37
of this area during our lecture.
00:17:21.40\00:17:23.39
Now we're at the top of the
hill where you had to make that
00:17:23.42\00:17:25.78
really hard left
hand turn before you could
00:17:25.81\00:17:29.16
gain the summit.
00:17:29.19\00:17:30.27
And we've done that now.
00:17:30.30\00:17:31.67
I want you, over near the
center of the picture, to notice
00:17:31.70\00:17:34.38
those pillars that stand.
00:17:34.41\00:17:36.00
Those are the
remains of the horse barn,
00:17:36.03\00:17:40.07
the stanchions
for the war horses.
00:17:40.10\00:17:42.41
That's where they were kept.
00:17:42.44\00:17:43.46
And nearby, we're going
to see the feeding trough
00:17:43.49\00:17:46.97
carved out of the
native stone here.
00:17:47.00\00:17:48.86
And that would be
filled with grain and there the
00:17:48.89\00:17:50.93
horses would eat.
00:17:50.96\00:17:52.62
Now where would
they get the grain?
00:17:52.65\00:17:54.51
Well, we're going
now to the granary.
00:17:54.54\00:17:56.67
It's a hole in the
ground about 30 feet in diameter
00:17:56.70\00:17:59.24
and 20 feet deep.
00:17:59.27\00:18:00.45
And it was filled with grain and
it has this serpentine ladder,
00:18:00.48\00:18:05.27
goes all the way around,
you see, and it winds around
00:18:05.30\00:18:08.16
until you come up at
the ground level up above.
00:18:08.19\00:18:11.43
And whomever was in charge of
KP would come here with buckets
00:18:11.46\00:18:16.24
and fill them up and take
them over to feed the horses
00:18:16.27\00:18:19.47
And then take it
over to the mess hall
00:18:19.50\00:18:21.57
and make grits, I suppose.
00:18:21.60\00:18:24.74
You folks like grits?
00:18:24.77\00:18:26.19
Oh, I've spent
enough time in the South.
00:18:26.22\00:18:28.53
I've come to love grits, yeah.
00:18:28.56\00:18:31.24
Alright, so we wonder
then, who are the neighbors
00:18:31.27\00:18:35.86
and what's all around here?
00:18:35.89\00:18:37.45
We have walked to the
extreme south end of these ruins
00:18:37.48\00:18:41.96
and we're looking
to the south and then
00:18:41.99\00:18:44.48
just a touch to the east.
00:18:44.51\00:18:46.53
And as we do that, we're looking
over into King Hussein's Jordan.
00:18:46.56\00:18:51.00
Now on the other side is a rock.
00:18:51.98\00:18:54.25
And during the Gulf wars,
the Scud missiles came from
00:18:54.28\00:18:57.66
Iraq and over in that area and
crossed King Hussein's Jordan.
00:18:57.69\00:19:01.34
And it's been a very tough
situation for the Hussein family
00:19:01.37\00:19:05.06
because they've always
been friendly to the West,
00:19:05.09\00:19:07.96
very friendly to
the United States.
00:19:07.99\00:19:10.14
And Queen Noor who still
lives out in among Jordon,
00:19:10.17\00:19:14.72
the capital city, though her
son by adoption is now the king
00:19:14.75\00:19:18.21
because her husband
died, you remember, of cancer
00:19:18.24\00:19:20.53
a few years ago, alright.
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.33
She was an American girl.
00:19:22.36\00:19:24.18
She was born and
raised in New York City.
00:19:24.21\00:19:26.21
And so they've always
been friendly toward the West.
00:19:26.24\00:19:28.24
And that's put them in a
really unfriendly situation
00:19:28.27\00:19:31.47
with many of
their Arab neighbors.
00:19:31.50\00:19:33.59
And so now we turn away and
walk in the opposite direction,
00:19:33.62\00:19:36.57
we walk to the north.
00:19:36.60\00:19:38.04
And when we look due north
now, we're looking into the
00:19:38.07\00:19:41.32
Beqaa Valley of Syria.
00:19:41.35\00:19:43.15
And some of you remember
when a few years, Terry Anderson
00:19:43.18\00:19:46.21
and Terry Waite were held
prisoner and captive up there.
00:19:46.24\00:19:49.51
Alright, it was right up
there in the Beqaa Valley.
00:19:49.54\00:19:52.17
And then, if we turn and look a
little bit over toward the left,
00:19:52.20\00:19:55.58
a little bit
further toward the west now,
00:19:55.61\00:19:57.46
we'd be looking into
the area of Beirut Lebanon.
00:19:57.49\00:20:00.34
And hardly a day goes
by, ladies and gentlemen,
00:20:00.37\00:20:03.85
except there's a skirmish
between the Israeli army
00:20:03.88\00:20:07.37
and the Hezbollah, or
some such other group,
00:20:07.40\00:20:10.59
there in southern Lebanon.
00:20:10.62\00:20:12.31
And it's such a tragedy, but I'm
afraid it's going to continue
00:20:12.34\00:20:15.28
until Jesus comes.
00:20:15.31\00:20:16.73
Alright, we noted
they had a great granary
00:20:16.76\00:20:21.15
where they could hold
a years supply of food.
00:20:21.18\00:20:23.67
But what about water?
00:20:23.70\00:20:25.08
It's a fair ways
to the nearest source,
00:20:26.03\00:20:27.94
which is the Jordan river.
00:20:27.97\00:20:29.18
You couldn't just, at leisure,
open the gates and go out.
00:20:29.68\00:20:33.15
For your enemy is outside
waiting for just that event.
00:20:33.18\00:20:36.94
A thousand years
before the birth of Jesus,
00:20:38.16\00:20:40.26
during the time of
the reign of King Ahab,
00:20:40.29\00:20:43.05
they began to dig a shaft at
an angle of about 35 degrees.
00:20:43.08\00:20:47.76
They dug down and down and down,
00:20:47.79\00:20:50.00
and down at about 180-200 feet,
they hit an underground river.
00:20:50.03\00:20:54.61
I've often
wondered how they found it.
00:20:54.64\00:20:57.28
Maybe God gave someone a vision.
00:20:57.31\00:20:59.29
Or maybe there was
someone that used one of those
00:20:59.32\00:21:01.07
willow switches like
an old neighbor of ours
00:21:01.10\00:21:02.62
in Idaho once used.
00:21:02.65\00:21:04.05
Yeah, water diviner or
some such thing as that.
00:21:04.08\00:21:06.81
I don't know.
00:21:06.84\00:21:07.81
I do know
however, it's fascinating
00:21:07.82\00:21:09.30
and we want to go down in there.
00:21:09.33\00:21:11.34
The sign says that it's going to
mean that we go down 183 steps.
00:21:11.37\00:21:14.94
And then when we climb back up,
we'll go through another exit,
00:21:14.97\00:21:18.57
through another
shaft, and we'll be out where
00:21:18.60\00:21:20.52
the buses are parked.
00:21:20.55\00:21:21.71
We only have to climb
back up about 80 feet,
00:21:21.74\00:21:24.45
and we old folks
will appreciate that.
00:21:24.56\00:21:26.59
Now where the shaft
goes underground, there is a
00:21:26.62\00:21:30.35
concrete lid
over the whole thing.
00:21:30.38\00:21:32.63
We step down inside and
walk down about 20 or 25 steps,
00:21:32.66\00:21:37.49
and now the
temperatures have changed
00:21:37.52\00:21:40.17
from 120+ degrees
to about 68 degrees.
00:21:40.20\00:21:44.55
I wanted to just stay there.
00:21:44.58\00:21:47.03
We paused and became quiet and
you could hear the water running
00:21:48.06\00:21:52.40
the long steps down beneath.
00:21:52.43\00:21:55.23
And after a bit,
we moved on down.
00:21:55.26\00:21:58.69
We were able to lean
over and drink out of that
00:21:59.29\00:22:02.37
cold underground stream.
00:22:02.40\00:22:05.46
Out there they call it a
river, here we call it a creek.
00:22:05.49\00:22:09.48
But over in Idaho,
it'd be a "crick" of course.
00:22:09.51\00:22:12.13
I thought, how smug a
soldier of David might feel.
00:22:13.37\00:22:17.39
He down here dipping
up gallons of fresh water
00:22:17.42\00:22:20.78
and his enemies are
walking right over head
00:22:20.81\00:22:23.89
just waiting for them to
come out so they can get them.
00:22:23.92\00:22:26.89
Most remarkable.
00:22:27.51\00:22:28.99
We see the soldiers
with their military weapons
00:22:29.94\00:22:32.34
gathered all around this area
and we're reminded once more
00:22:32.37\00:22:35.56
of the warning of Jesus.
00:22:35.59\00:22:36.92
"When you see this happen, then
know My coming is very near. "
00:22:36.95\00:22:41.57
I want to thank you for
traveling with me tonight.
00:22:41.60\00:22:43.67
I recently heard this
story of the ice fisherman
00:22:45.13\00:22:47.57
who upon the ice
had erected his tent.
00:22:49.56\00:22:53.01
He made his
little fire in a bucket.
00:22:53.71\00:22:55.75
And drilled a hole and
was putting through his line
00:22:56.95\00:22:59.66
and his hook and his worm.
00:22:59.69\00:23:01.31
When he heard a voice,
"There are no fish there. "
00:23:01.34\00:23:04.28
And so he moved his
tent and moved his fire.
00:23:06.13\00:23:09.18
He was drilling the second
hole when he heard again a voice
00:23:10.38\00:23:13.55
that said, "There
are no fish there. "
00:23:13.58\00:23:16.79
And so he moved his tent again.
00:23:17.76\00:23:19.38
He moved his bucket and
began to drill the third hole
00:23:20.50\00:23:23.24
when once more he heard
the voice that fairly shouted,
00:23:23.27\00:23:25.99
"There are no fish there. "
00:23:26.02\00:23:27.76
And the fisherman
looked up and asked,
00:23:29.54\00:23:31.46
"Are you God?"
00:23:32.80\00:23:34.28
And the voice came
back, "No sir, I'm the manager
00:23:35.75\00:23:38.25
of the ice skating rink. "
00:23:38.28\00:23:39.75
God has chosen to
speak other than audibly.
00:23:41.34\00:23:45.74
I want you folks, if you will
please, to open your Bible's
00:23:46.54\00:23:49.02
with me to our first scripture.
00:23:49.05\00:23:50.51
It's in 2 Peter chapter 1.
00:23:50.54\00:23:52.49
2 Peter chapter 1, we're
going to see how God has chosen
00:23:52.52\00:23:56.81
to speak and then
we're going to enlarge upon
00:23:56.84\00:23:58.28
that from night to night.
00:23:58.31\00:23:59.51
I'm going to begin to
read at the 19th verse,
00:23:59.54\00:24:01.73
and then I stall
read at verse 21 as well.
00:24:01.76\00:24:04.85
I encourage you, by the way, to
bring your Bibles each evening.
00:24:04.88\00:24:07.98
If you don't have
one, we'll give you one.
00:24:08.01\00:24:09.90
I want you to have your Bibles,
00:24:09.93\00:24:11.62
I want you to
be able to read it.
00:24:11.65\00:24:12.62
I don't want anyone to go home
and say, "I heard Lyle say. "
00:24:12.63\00:24:15.43
I want you to be able to go home
and say, "I saw in my Bible. "
00:24:15.46\00:24:19.09
But one verse from the scripture
is of greater value than
00:24:19.64\00:24:22.64
anything I shall
every speak in a lifetime.
00:24:22.67\00:24:25.45
And so we're ready to
read then 2 Peter 1:18-19, 21.
00:24:25.48\00:24:34.99
"And this voice which
came from heaven we heard,
00:24:36.64\00:24:40.22
when we were with
Him in the holy mountain.
00:24:42.31\00:24:44.83
We have, therefore, a
more sure word of prophecy,
00:24:45.84\00:24:48.32
whereunto we do well
to take heed like a light
00:24:48.35\00:24:51.46
that shines in the dark
place, until the day dawn
00:24:51.49\00:24:55.06
and the daystar
rise in our hearts. "
00:24:55.09\00:24:57.69
Then verse 21, "For
prophecy came not in days of old
00:24:57.72\00:25:01.00
by the will of man, but rather
holy men of God spake as... "
00:25:01.03\00:25:05.14
Now you help me, what
does it conclude with?
00:25:05.17\00:25:07.02
How does it finish there?
00:25:07.05\00:25:08.21
"they spake as they were moved
by the Holy Spirit of God. "
00:25:08.24\00:25:12.02
And so our Bibles then, are
a collection of God speaking
00:25:12.05\00:25:15.36
to His prophets and
they're writing it down
00:25:15.39\00:25:17.39
and saving it for posterity.
00:25:17.42\00:25:19.30
This is not a
collection of sacred myth.
00:25:19.33\00:25:21.09
This is indeed, the Word of
God, a sure word of prophecy.
00:25:21.12\00:25:26.10
With that for background, I
want you and I to turn together
00:25:26.13\00:25:30.19
to the last book in
the Bible, The Revelation,
00:25:30.22\00:25:32.36
to which we eluded
during our travels together.
00:25:32.39\00:25:35.13
And we're going to read
one of the last chapters.
00:25:35.16\00:25:38.68
And some of the last verses
in that last, the 16th chapter.
00:25:38.71\00:25:42.58
Revelation is the book for those
who live in the very last days.
00:25:42.61\00:25:46.44
Just before the last missionary
goes over the last hill,
00:25:46.64\00:25:49.73
it's a book for you and for me.
00:25:49.76\00:25:51.91
And so we're going to
read together from chapter 16
00:25:51.94\00:25:54.47
beginning at the 13th verse.
00:25:54.50\00:25:56.86
Here, John in this vision says,
"I saw three unclean spirits
00:25:57.06\00:26:00.50
like frogs; one came out
of the mouth of the dragon,
00:26:00.53\00:26:03.18
one came out of
the mouth of the beast,
00:26:03.21\00:26:04.56
and one came from the
mouth of the false prophet. "
00:26:04.59\00:26:07.73
And then he goes on to say, "For
these are the spirits of... "
00:26:07.76\00:26:11.49
Is this the Holy Spirit at work?
00:26:11.52\00:26:13.29
No, these are demon spirits.
00:26:13.32\00:26:15.72
...these are the spirits of
devils, they're working miracles
00:26:15.75\00:26:18.63
and they go forth to
the kings of the earth
00:26:18.66\00:26:20.24
and the whole world to
gather them to the great battle
00:26:20.27\00:26:23.62
of God Almighty. "
00:26:23.65\00:26:24.83
And then he says in verse
15, "Look, I come as a thief.
00:26:24.86\00:26:30.29
Blessed is he that hears and
keeps the words of this book,
00:26:30.32\00:26:34.75
less he be found naked
and they see his shame. "
00:26:34.78\00:26:37.95
And then we come to our
special verse for this evening,
00:26:37.98\00:26:40.84
this the 19th, I'm
sorry, the 14th verse.
00:26:40.87\00:26:45.11
The 16th, I'll get
there after a while.
00:26:45.14\00:26:48.53
The 16th verse, "And
they gathered them together
00:26:48.56\00:26:50.91
into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. "
00:26:50.94\00:26:55.17
Armageddon.
00:26:55.20\00:26:56.49
Since I've been around
church folks, I've known
00:26:56.52\00:26:58.70
that the last great
battle was to be sparked
00:26:58.73\00:27:01.23
in that place called Armageddon.
00:27:01.26\00:27:02.86
But for a long, long while,
I had no information about
00:27:02.89\00:27:05.88
why and how, and
what's behind it all.
00:27:05.91\00:27:09.51
I just couldn't
quite figure it out.
00:27:09.54\00:27:11.17
I have a far better
understanding tonight,
00:27:11.20\00:27:13.38
and I'm going to try
my best to share that
00:27:13.41\00:27:15.09
understanding with you.
00:27:15.12\00:27:16.57
Now tonight, we're going to be
talking about the peoples of the
00:27:16.60\00:27:19.53
Middle East in general.
00:27:19.56\00:27:21.11
And I need to make a
statement at the very outset.
00:27:21.14\00:27:24.88
Lyle holds no prejudice
toward any people of any race
00:27:24.91\00:27:28.92
or any country on
any portion of the planet
00:27:28.95\00:27:32.21
on the face of God's earth.
00:27:32.24\00:27:33.98
If I know my own
heart, and I believe I do,
00:27:34.01\00:27:36.34
I hold no malice, no prejudice
to any race, to any people,
00:27:36.37\00:27:40.62
to any faith, to any religion.
00:27:40.65\00:27:42.84
I have been on record for
the past 37 years as saying that
00:27:42.87\00:27:47.04
I believe God has His
children in all denominations,
00:27:47.07\00:27:50.68
in all Christian faiths.
00:27:50.71\00:27:52.55
I will go beyond that
again tonight to say to you
00:27:52.58\00:27:55.68
that I have always believed that
God has His precious children
00:27:55.71\00:27:59.73
in the faith of Islam,
and in the faith of Buddhism,
00:27:59.76\00:28:03.40
and Shintoism and Confucianism.
00:28:03.43\00:28:05.28
God has His dear people in all
religions and in all countries
00:28:05.31\00:28:10.29
all around the world.
00:28:10.32\00:28:11.58
And so I hold no
animus toward any people,
00:28:11.61\00:28:14.66
toward no faith whatsoever.
00:28:14.69\00:28:17.02
God has many, many wonderful
children who are adherence
00:28:17.05\00:28:21.94
to the belief of Islam.
00:28:21.97\00:28:23.86
Now, I need to say this to you.
00:28:24.56\00:28:27.16
I was first introduced to the
peoples of Iran when a teenager,
00:28:27.65\00:28:33.08
an older friend of mine,
married a girl from Iran.
00:28:33.11\00:28:38.58
She was beautiful beyond
my description here tonight,
00:28:39.31\00:28:42.15
and she was sweet, and
so also was her family.
00:28:42.18\00:28:45.45
And it was way back then
that I learned that peoples
00:28:45.48\00:28:48.56
with an Islamic background
can be wonderful, lovely, sweet,
00:28:48.59\00:28:52.70
kind, generous people.
00:28:52.73\00:28:55.37
We're going to go
beyond that tonight to discover
00:28:55.40\00:28:58.08
that in all faiths, in all
religions, there are extremist.
00:28:58.11\00:29:03.02
Maybe you've known
one in your church.
00:29:03.05\00:29:04.80
There happen to be a few around.
00:29:04.83\00:29:06.22
There are
extremists in all faiths.
00:29:06.25\00:29:08.73
And that's what we're
going to be eluding to
00:29:08.76\00:29:10.62
when we talk
together about the problem
00:29:10.65\00:29:12.63
out in the Bible land tonight.
00:29:12.66\00:29:14.38
And having, by the way, used
that phrase "the Bible land",
00:29:14.41\00:29:17.30
I want to enlarge our
horizons and our minds borders
00:29:17.33\00:29:21.06
this evening.
00:29:21.09\00:29:22.06
We think about the
Holy Land, and our minds go
00:29:22.07\00:29:24.95
to Palestine, to Jerusalem.
00:29:24.98\00:29:26.67
And that's right,
people that's good.
00:29:26.70\00:29:28.60
But I want to enlarge
your thinking tonight.
00:29:28.63\00:29:31.98
I want to just share with
you a little bit of background
00:29:32.01\00:29:34.59
information about the
place that we call Iraq.
00:29:34.62\00:29:38.03
And I think that we should
really refer to it as well
00:29:38.06\00:29:40.99
as the Bible lands.
00:29:41.02\00:29:42.43
Are you ready?
00:29:42.46\00:29:43.43
Here's some
facts regarding Iraq.
00:29:43.44\00:29:45.99
We believe that the garden
of Eden was placed in Iraq.
00:29:46.02\00:29:48.66
Mesopotamia, which is
now Iraq, we believe to be
00:29:48.69\00:29:51.63
the cradle of civilization.
00:29:51.66\00:29:53.05
We believe that it was in
Iraq that Noah built his Ark.
00:29:53.08\00:29:55.86
We know that it was in Iraq that
the Tower of Babel was built.
00:29:55.89\00:29:58.69
Abraham was from
Ur of the Chaldees
00:29:58.72\00:30:00.82
which is in southern Iraq.
00:30:00.85\00:30:02.41
Isaac's wife, Rebekah, was
born in Nahor, which is Iraq.
00:30:02.44\00:30:05.77
Jacob met his
wife, Rachel, in Iraq.
00:30:05.80\00:30:08.98
Jonah preached
Nineveh which is in Iraq.
00:30:09.01\00:30:11.23
Assyria, which is in
Iraq, was conquered by the
00:30:11.26\00:30:14.59
ten tribes of Israel.
00:30:14.62\00:30:15.87
Amos cried out in Iraq.
00:30:15.90\00:30:17.44
Babylon, which is
in Iraq, was destroyed,
00:30:17.47\00:30:19.81
rather went over
and destroyed Jerusalem.
00:30:19.84\00:30:21.88
Daniel was thrown into
the lion's den in Iraq.
00:30:21.91\00:30:25.83
The three Hebrew children in
the fiery furnace where in Iraq.
00:30:25.86\00:30:29.00
Belshazzar, the kind of Babylon,
saw the writing upon the wall.
00:30:29.03\00:30:32.59
That was in Iraq.
00:30:32.62\00:30:33.78
Nebuchadnezzar, the King
of Babylon, carried the Jews
00:30:33.81\00:30:36.63
captive into Iraq.
00:30:36.66\00:30:39.43
Ezekiel went and
preached in Iraq.
00:30:39.46\00:30:41.55
The wise men were from Iraq.
00:30:41.58\00:30:43.64
Peter preached over in Iraq.
00:30:43.67\00:30:45.43
The "empire of man", as
it's called in The Revelation,
00:30:45.46\00:30:48.61
is also spiritually
called Babylon, a city in Iraq.
00:30:48.64\00:30:52.09
We could go on and on, but let
that, for now at least, suffice.
00:30:54.07\00:30:57.97
The Bible land, the Middle East.
00:30:58.00\00:31:00.27
Perhaps we need to
enlarge our horizons.
00:31:00.30\00:31:03.63
Now, I'm going to read to
you a statement that I find
00:31:03.66\00:31:09.51
more than troubling.
00:31:09.54\00:31:11.13
Again, not to be
unkind or to be judgmental,
00:31:13.16\00:31:15.90
but to have our eyes opened
to what's going on around us.
00:31:15.93\00:31:18.75
The present President of the
nation of Iran recently said,
00:31:19.35\00:31:23.42
and I'm quoting, "My mission
is to prepare the world for the
00:31:23.45\00:31:28.16
end times by paving
the way for the arrival
00:31:28.19\00:31:31.86
of the prophet Imam Mahdi. "
00:31:31.89\00:31:36.11
Ladies and
gentlemen, it's no news to you
00:31:37.63\00:31:39.50
that since 9/11 of the
year '01, the world has changed.
00:31:39.53\00:31:44.76
And a lot of our freedoms,
we've had taken away from us
00:31:45.26\00:31:49.40
so that we can be protected,
so that we can have more safety,
00:31:49.43\00:31:52.80
so that we can
sleep better at night.
00:31:52.83\00:31:54.77
We have lost
many of our freedoms.
00:31:54.80\00:31:57.00
I believe that the prophetic
clock struck a different hour
00:31:57.03\00:32:00.55
on a different age when
those trade center buildings
00:32:00.58\00:32:03.74
came crashing down.
00:32:03.77\00:32:05.18
And we here in the
United States, in Washington DC,
00:32:05.21\00:32:07.41
in New York City, lost
over 3000 fellow Americans.
00:32:07.45\00:32:10.64
The world changed.
00:32:10.67\00:32:12.20
And we're going to see
that as we continue to read.
00:32:12.61\00:32:15.60
And so this man, President
of Iran said, "My mission then
00:32:15.63\00:32:20.32
is to prepare the
way of the end times. "
00:32:20.35\00:32:22.19
Now I'm going to
enlarge upon that.
00:32:22.22\00:32:23.70
He mentioned that it's his
job to prepare for the arrival
00:32:23.73\00:32:27.46
of the prophet Imam Mahdi.
00:32:27.49\00:32:30.57
And you folks may want to take
some notes and write this down.
00:32:30.60\00:32:33.93
That is spelled "Mahdi". Mahdi.
00:32:33.96\00:32:38.46
The Koran, you all
know, was written by Muhammad.
00:32:38.49\00:32:42.56
Muhammad, the originator
of the Faith of Islam,
00:32:42.59\00:32:44.81
lived between 570-632.
00:32:44.84\00:32:48.26
The Sunni Muslims
believe that the Koran is,
00:32:49.39\00:32:52.49
indeed, the word of God.
00:32:52.52\00:32:53.72
And to the larger degree, the
Shiite Muslims agree with them
00:32:53.75\00:32:57.50
in that area.
00:32:57.53\00:32:58.83
Now, I'm going to share
with you briefly a little bit of
00:32:58.86\00:33:01.28
end time Islamic prophecy.
00:33:01.31\00:33:04.53
It comes in three major
phases and has involved in it
00:33:04.56\00:33:08.18
three major players.
00:33:08.21\00:33:09.95
Number 1, Dajjal.
00:33:09.98\00:33:11.90
Dajjal, in the Islamic faith,
is the name for the antichrist.
00:33:11.93\00:33:16.98
Or perhaps better
in their understanding,
00:33:17.01\00:33:19.12
the anti-Muhammad.
00:33:19.15\00:33:21.03
Dajjal, they believe,
is likely to be a Jew.
00:33:21.06\00:33:24.52
He going to come in the last
days, he's going to do miracles.
00:33:24.55\00:33:27.35
He's going to
perform signs and wonders.
00:33:27.38\00:33:29.53
He's going to heal the sick,
he's going to raise the dead.
00:33:29.56\00:33:32.59
And he's going to
claim, finally, to be Allah.
00:33:32.62\00:33:36.13
Now let me talk to
you again about Mahdi.
00:33:36.16\00:33:39.93
Centuries back, the
prophets of Islam were
00:33:44.36\00:33:49.79
being hunted down and murdered.
00:33:49.82\00:33:51.60
One by one by one,
hunted down and murdered.
00:33:53.54\00:33:56.65
There was a boy,
not yet a teenager
00:33:57.54\00:34:01.46
who was next in line
to be one such prophet.
00:34:02.15\00:34:07.23
His name was Mahdi.
00:34:08.07\00:34:10.14
He was five years of age
when they came looking for him.
00:34:10.54\00:34:13.70
His parents and others
secreted him down inside a well.
00:34:13.73\00:34:18.70
Now this, I remind you
again ladies and gentlemen,
00:34:18.90\00:34:20.83
has been hundreds and
hundreds of years in the past.
00:34:20.86\00:34:24.58
941, the teaching in
Islam is that Mahdi is
00:34:25.38\00:34:32.13
to return in the last days.
00:34:32.16\00:34:33.84
He's to reign
here upon the earth.
00:34:33.87\00:34:35.65
He is to return only
after the death of a great
00:34:35.68\00:34:39.08
and famous Muslim leader.
00:34:39.11\00:34:41.07
And when he returns,
all the Jews will be killed
00:34:41.10\00:34:44.42
and all of the others in
the world, including folks in
00:34:44.45\00:34:46.89
the United States, are going
to become converts to Islam.
00:34:46.92\00:34:50.86
I'm going to read you a
little reference from a book
00:34:50.89\00:34:53.67
written by a man with a great
background in the Middle East.
00:34:53.70\00:34:57.05
His name is Syed Ayubah.
00:34:57.08\00:35:00.77
His book entitled
"The Antichrist" refers to
00:35:00.80\00:35:05.38
all that I have just
shared with you in the above.
00:35:05.41\00:35:08.84
He says that it is the belief of
the present President of Iran,
00:35:08.87\00:35:14.65
that he is the one appointed by
Allah and inspired by Muhammad
00:35:14.68\00:35:20.47
to bring on the chaos that is
necessary before Mahdi returns.
00:35:20.50\00:35:27.37
It's his job to hasten
the end time and to bring on,
00:35:27.40\00:35:30.76
as his says Christians might
call it, the great tribulation.
00:35:30.79\00:35:34.64
That is his mission,
that is his objective.
00:35:34.67\00:35:37.65
That, he says, is his job.
00:35:37.68\00:35:40.75
From Fox News the
night before last,
00:35:40.78\00:35:44.05
this little bit of information
that you probably are aware of.
00:35:44.08\00:35:46.76
Fox News said two
nights ago that Iran now has
00:35:46.79\00:35:50.90
a nuclear weapon mounted
atop a warhead of medium range.
00:35:50.93\00:35:55.65
A warhead with an ability
to strike any place in Israel.
00:35:55.68\00:36:00.15
Iran, for a long while,
has been struggling to become
00:36:04.60\00:36:07.10
a world
superpower, a nuclear power.
00:36:07.13\00:36:09.84
And many believe
they are already there.
00:36:09.87\00:36:11.87
And some others believe they're
months, or perhaps at best,
00:36:11.90\00:36:15.55
two or three
years away from that.
00:36:15.58\00:36:18.03
Now I'm going to share
with you again, a quotation.
00:36:18.06\00:36:20.14
This one is from a fellow
by the name of Osama bin Laden.
00:36:20.17\00:36:24.14
Does that ring any
bells in your head?
00:36:24.17\00:36:25.61
Here's what he recently said,
it came out of tape and we know
00:36:25.64\00:36:28.47
that it's his voice.
00:36:28.50\00:36:29.47
He said, "Acquiring nuclear
weapons is a religious duty.
00:36:29.96\00:36:34.85
We have finally
acquired these weapons.
00:36:35.74\00:36:38.25
Therefore then, I thank
Allah for these weapons. "
00:36:38.28\00:36:43.14
Nuclear Jihad.
00:36:44.04\00:36:46.18
A nuclear weapon that will
bring an end to civilization.
00:36:46.49\00:36:50.06
A civilization that does
not believe like, or agree with,
00:36:50.09\00:36:53.27
this faith of Islam.
00:36:53.30\00:36:55.86
Now I'm going
to quote once more.
00:36:56.56\00:36:58.94
This from the present
President out in Iran.
00:36:58.97\00:37:02.90
And he said this, "You ask,
is it possible to see a world
00:37:02.93\00:37:07.81
without the United States of
America and without the Jews?"
00:37:07.84\00:37:11.01
"Yes," he said.
00:37:11.04\00:37:12.80
"Israel much be wiped
from the face of the map. "
00:37:12.83\00:37:15.53
Have you heard about
the recent increase in
00:37:17.32\00:37:19.27
the price of gasoline?
00:37:19.30\00:37:20.66
Yeah, that's not
news to us, is it?
00:37:20.69\00:37:22.57
The pain is becoming
almost unbearable for we in the
00:37:22.60\00:37:25.29
middle class and the lower folks
00:37:25.32\00:37:27.00
who have to drive to
work every single day.
00:37:27.03\00:37:29.08
Well, there is a
man who set about to try
00:37:29.11\00:37:31.36
to do something about it.
00:37:31.39\00:37:32.45
He's a Vietnamese Vet.
00:37:32.48\00:37:34.58
He's the founder
of Federal Express.
00:37:34.61\00:37:37.76
His name is Frederick Smith.
00:37:37.79\00:37:39.25
And I want to read you just one
statement that he shared with
00:37:39.28\00:37:43.17
Newsweek Magazine
in just the last week.
00:37:43.20\00:37:46.08
"It should not be forgotten
that the proximate climate
00:37:46.48\00:37:50.36
of World War II was when
the United States placed an
00:37:50.39\00:37:54.27
oil embargo against Japan.
00:37:54.30\00:37:56.31
We were then an
oil exporting nation.
00:37:56.34\00:37:58.95
World War II was
largely won over in Europe
00:37:58.98\00:38:02.71
by the United States control of
the supply of fuel to Germany. "
00:38:02.74\00:38:07.37
And then he goes on to make the
case that most of our oil comes
00:38:07.40\00:38:11.58
from the Middle
East, from largely Iran.
00:38:11.61\00:38:15.56
Now, very briefly only,
I want to talk to you about
00:38:15.59\00:38:20.00
the connection with Russia.
00:38:20.03\00:38:23.90
It won't come as a surprise
to you folks to know that
00:38:25.15\00:38:28.93
the warmness and the friendship
that we thought we had
00:38:28.96\00:38:32.30
with the former
Soviet block is cooling off.
00:38:32.33\00:38:37.17
And some say to a
frightening degree.
00:38:38.63\00:38:40.64
The present President of Russia
has taken giant steps backward
00:38:42.82\00:38:47.61
from where the
nation was 10 years ago.
00:38:47.64\00:38:50.79
In an article from the US
News and World Report magazine,
00:38:52.41\00:38:57.65
from and editorial by
the way, Morton Zuckerman,
00:38:57.68\00:39:01.39
article entitled,
"Moscow's Soul Man", he said,
00:39:02.93\00:39:06.40
"Of greatest concern
is Russia's president's
00:39:06.43\00:39:10.30
attitude toward Iran.
00:39:10.33\00:39:11.74
He's resumed
armed sales to them.
00:39:12.62\00:39:14.53
He's providing support for their
billion dollar nuclear plant.
00:39:14.56\00:39:18.39
He's continuing to oppose
any sanctions that the rest
00:39:18.99\00:39:23.00
of the world would
try to enforce upon Iran.
00:39:23.03\00:39:25.83
He's helping them
greatly in their march toward
00:39:25.94\00:39:28.07
nuclear enrichment, and to
sell Tehran high quality arms
00:39:28.10\00:39:32.64
including
ground-to-air missiles.
00:39:32.67\00:39:36.71
Interesting, interesting.
00:39:36.74\00:39:40.41
The origin of the
problem in the Middle East,
00:39:43.21\00:39:44.29
you folks are well aware,
began with the home of Abraham,
00:39:44.32\00:39:48.85
hundreds and
hundreds of years ago.
00:39:48.88\00:39:50.75
Abraham and his wife Sarah had
so longed for a little baby boy.
00:39:52.90\00:39:56.11
Waited and watched and watched
and waited, and no son came.
00:39:56.14\00:39:59.88
And then one night, God spoke
to him in terms of covenant
00:39:59.91\00:40:03.16
or contract or promise.
00:40:03.19\00:40:04.48
He said, "Abraham, if you'll
continue to witness for Me
00:40:04.51\00:40:07.47
in this way that you've
been doing, I one day, will
00:40:07.50\00:40:10.04
bless you with a baby
boy, and through that baby boy,
00:40:10.07\00:40:12.44
I will bless the entirety
of the rest of the world. "
00:40:12.47\00:40:15.66
And from that point on, Abraham
watched and waited with eager
00:40:15.76\00:40:18.72
anticipation for a
pregnancy between himself
00:40:18.75\00:40:21.29
and his wife, Sarah.
00:40:21.32\00:40:22.30
Years passed and
there was no baby.
00:40:22.33\00:40:25.17
And then Sarah passed
the age of child bearing.
00:40:26.51\00:40:29.52
And one evening, Abraham comes
to the front door of the tent.
00:40:29.55\00:40:32.96
And he's met there by Sarah,
and she sees his long face
00:40:32.99\00:40:36.50
and knows surely
his hurting heart.
00:40:36.53\00:40:38.23
And so she makes
to him a suggestion.
00:40:38.26\00:40:40.21
She says, "Abraham dear, it's
fine with me if you take our
00:40:40.24\00:40:43.77
housekeeper, Hagar.
00:40:43.80\00:40:45.31
You marry her, and
perhaps to you and Hagar
00:40:45.34\00:40:47.80
a little child will be born and
God will fulfill His promise. "
00:40:47.83\00:40:51.37
So Abraham took the
advice of his wife Sarah.
00:40:51.80\00:40:55.61
And he called in
the housekeeper, Hagar.
00:40:55.64\00:40:58.60
And asked her to marry
him and she said, "alright".
00:40:58.63\00:41:01.09
And she moved into
one of the bedrooms.
00:41:01.12\00:41:03.27
And there along, to this
relationship, there was born
00:41:03.30\00:41:05.59
a little baby boy
whom they named Ishmael.
00:41:05.62\00:41:10.28
Ishmael was not
the child of promise,
00:41:10.31\00:41:12.12
he was a child
of human devising.
00:41:12.15\00:41:14.14
he was a child of works.
00:41:14.17\00:41:15.93
Years and years go by,
and then wonder of wonders,
00:41:15.96\00:41:19.12
there is another pregnancy.
00:41:19.15\00:41:20.83
This time between
Abraham and Sarah.
00:41:20.86\00:41:22.77
And by the way, ladies,
Sarah is now 90 years of age.
00:41:22.80\00:41:25.69
Imagine that.
00:41:25.72\00:41:26.69
Ninety years old
and a baby's coming.
00:41:26.70\00:41:29.05
We got to get a
nursery together.
00:41:29.08\00:41:31.17
And Abraham is beyond 100.
00:41:31.20\00:41:33.76
And when the baby boy was
born, when the baby was born,
00:41:33.79\00:41:37.89
they named him Isaac.
00:41:37.92\00:41:40.92
Isaac was the child of promise.
00:41:40.95\00:41:42.85
Isaac was the child of
faith and not human devisings.
00:41:42.88\00:41:46.10
But here now is a problem.
00:41:47.20\00:41:48.49
We have two ladies, they're
both married to the same man.
00:41:48.52\00:41:51.73
Each of them has a
little boy that she believes
00:41:51.76\00:41:53.48
is the child of promise.
00:41:53.51\00:41:55.30
We have all the
elements of an explosion,
00:41:55.33\00:41:57.73
and one day it happens.
00:41:57.76\00:41:59.28
Abraham, again, comes to the
front door of the tent and again
00:41:59.31\00:42:01.55
he's met by his
first wife, Sarah.
00:42:01.58\00:42:03.20
Her attitude is
very different now.
00:42:03.23\00:42:05.21
She says, "Listen
dear, I've had it up to here.
00:42:05.24\00:42:08.78
You tell her to
get out of my house,
00:42:08.81\00:42:10.97
out of my
kitchen, out of my bedroom.
00:42:11.00\00:42:12.97
And tell her to take
that brat of hers with her. "
00:42:13.00\00:42:15.76
Exactly, and again
Abraham does as Sarah says.
00:42:15.79\00:42:20.64
He goes to his
second wife Hagar,
00:42:20.67\00:42:22.49
and his first son Ishmael.
00:42:22.52\00:42:24.10
He puts money in their hand
and sends them from his home.
00:42:24.13\00:42:28.10
And they leave with
bitterness and resentment
00:42:28.13\00:42:30.41
that continues to this very day.
00:42:30.44\00:42:32.15
For from Abraham to
Hagar and Ishmael, have come
00:42:32.18\00:42:36.06
all of the Palestinians,
all of their Arabic neighbors.
00:42:36.09\00:42:41.61
And from Abraham, through Isaac
and Sarah, Sarah and Isaac,
00:42:41.91\00:42:47.76
have come the people we
now call the Jews or Israel.
00:42:47.79\00:42:52.45
They're first cousins.
00:42:52.48\00:42:54.24
They ought to be
the best friends.
00:42:54.27\00:42:55.78
It's family, but
it's a family feud.
00:42:55.81\00:42:59.64
Not unlike the
McCoy's and their family, huh?
00:42:59.67\00:43:04.76
Not unlike it at all, except
now it has turned nuclear.
00:43:04.79\00:43:09.33
The Arabs are
related, in curious ways,
00:43:10.90\00:43:16.04
to the Iraqi's
and the Iranian's.
00:43:16.07\00:43:19.44
The large degree of their
relationship happens to be
00:43:19.47\00:43:22.87
with their faith, and
with their language as well.
00:43:22.90\00:43:26.95
They're united
in their religion.
00:43:28.29\00:43:29.87
They are united, to a
large degree, in their faith.
00:43:29.90\00:43:33.52
We think about the
problems over in Iran and Iraq,
00:43:33.55\00:43:35.98
and then we think, well we have
a lot of friends in the area.
00:43:36.01\00:43:38.67
You know, we have over
in the United Arab Emirates
00:43:38.70\00:43:41.15
some friends, and in
Saudi Arabia we have friends.
00:43:41.18\00:43:45.44
And yet, our seeming friends
over there are doing nothing.
00:43:45.47\00:43:49.30
They're saying really nothing at
all about the Islamic extremist
00:43:49.33\00:43:55.26
who are destroying our people
and knocking down our buildings.
00:43:55.29\00:43:57.76
They say nothing.
00:43:57.79\00:43:59.15
And those who are on the inside
say there is little doubt but
00:43:59.18\00:44:02.21
that they are financing the
terrorism throughout the world.
00:44:02.24\00:44:06.07
They're behind it
with their petro dollars.
00:44:06.48\00:44:09.68
Curious day that we've come to.
00:44:11.14\00:44:12.93
Now, in the mind of the
extremist, in Iran and Iraq
00:44:13.68\00:44:19.52
and over in Lebanon
and elsewhere, Syria,
00:44:19.55\00:44:22.64
Israel must be, must
be wiped off the map.
00:44:22.67\00:44:27.68
Not just silenced, not
just harmed to some degree,
00:44:27.71\00:44:32.02
but totally and
completely wiped off the map.
00:44:32.05\00:44:34.95
I'm going to again read
you now from a news magazine.
00:44:34.98\00:44:39.17
Here it is, here's the headline,
"Muslim leaders warn the Pope
00:44:39.20\00:44:43.68
that the survival of
the world is at stake. "
00:44:43.71\00:44:46.04
Muslim leaders,
extremists in Islam.
00:44:47.14\00:44:50.06
And I'll give you
just a sentence or two.
00:44:50.09\00:44:53.09
"The survival of the world is at
stake if Muslims and Christians
00:44:53.12\00:44:56.77
do not quickly make
peace with one another.
00:44:56.80\00:44:59.01
Leaders of the
Muslim world warned the Pope
00:44:59.41\00:45:02.05
and all of its
Christian friends today. "
00:45:02.08\00:45:05.69
And then it goes on to
say, "Disgracing, echoes the
00:45:06.09\00:45:09.37
New Testament
passage that, 'He who is not
00:45:09.40\00:45:11.87
with Me is against Me. '"
00:45:11.90\00:45:14.57
Warning the world,
warning the church.
00:45:15.59\00:45:18.46
Speaking to the world and
the church through the Pope.
00:45:18.49\00:45:22.65
Now I want to just transition
again a bit and share with you
00:45:24.54\00:45:28.91
something that I refer
to as the Hitler connection.
00:45:28.94\00:45:31.60
The name "Iran"
is a fairly new name.
00:45:34.82\00:45:39.20
The nation is
hundreds and hundreds
00:45:39.23\00:45:40.94
and hundreds of years
old, as we've said a bit ago,
00:45:40.97\00:45:42.73
we believe, in that part of the
world, civilization was born.
00:45:42.76\00:45:45.81
But the name
"Iran" is a new name.
00:45:46.35\00:45:49.87
Until 1939, I'm sorry 1935,
until 1935, the name was Persia.
00:45:50.76\00:46:00.12
And that's the way it's referred
to again and again and again
00:46:00.15\00:46:02.37
in the Bible.
00:46:02.47\00:46:03.58
It was changed in 1935 by
the Shah of Iran, Shah Pahlavi.
00:46:03.61\00:46:09.80
The name "Iran" is
related directly and exactly
00:46:11.34\00:46:16.74
to the word "Aryan".
00:46:16.77\00:46:19.39
Iran - Aryan.
00:46:19.42\00:46:23.30
Now there are three
understandings of that word
00:46:23.33\00:46:25.83
and there are two
spellings of the same word.
00:46:25.86\00:46:29.77
The first and primary
understanding to the folks
00:46:30.48\00:46:32.88
out in that part of the world,
would relate to their language.
00:46:32.91\00:46:36.96
Aryan, the language.
00:46:37.62\00:46:40.17
That which is common
to indo-Iran, indo-Iraq.
00:46:40.20\00:46:44.49
Aryan language.
00:46:44.52\00:46:46.56
The second meaning.
00:46:47.27\00:46:48.56
A little bit different and a
little bit different spelling,
00:46:48.59\00:46:52.02
relates back to a
man by the name of Arius
00:46:52.05\00:46:55.83
who lived in the 4th
century and promoted throughout
00:46:55.86\00:47:01.14
Christianity,
which was in its infancy,
00:47:01.17\00:47:03.75
that Jesus Christ
was not eternal God.
00:47:03.78\00:47:05.90
But rather, He
was a created being.
00:47:05.93\00:47:07.97
Less, perhaps,
even than an angel.
00:47:08.92\00:47:10.74
And that became
known as Arianism as well.
00:47:10.77\00:47:14.44
So there's the
language idea of Aryanism.
00:47:15.40\00:47:17.80
And there is the idea that
Jesus Christ is not eternal God,
00:47:18.33\00:47:23.78
that He may have
been sort of a prophet,
00:47:23.81\00:47:25.41
but hardly more than that.
00:47:25.44\00:47:27.86
And then
there's a third meaning.
00:47:27.89\00:47:30.20
And for those of us who
live in the Pacific Northwest,
00:47:30.50\00:47:32.68
this one, perhaps,
is more familiar to us.
00:47:32.71\00:47:36.93
Aryanism.
00:47:37.33\00:47:39.89
Does that ring any bells from
over around Hayden Lake, Idaho
00:47:40.82\00:47:44.30
and certain places
in Arkansas, Missouri?
00:47:44.33\00:47:49.69
The Aryan
hangouts, the skinheads.
00:47:49.72\00:47:52.26
At the bottom line,
those Aryans are Jew haters.
00:47:52.29\00:47:56.04
And they too, are determined
to get rid of anything
00:47:56.99\00:48:00.20
that is Jewish.
00:48:00.23\00:48:01.51
So, I find this interesting
connection that I call
00:48:01.91\00:48:05.74
the Hitler connection.
00:48:05.77\00:48:06.86
And we've been hearing
from the news commentators
00:48:06.89\00:48:09.16
a great deal lately
about Muslim fascism.
00:48:09.19\00:48:12.64
Fascism, of course you
know, demands a dictatorship
00:48:12.67\00:48:15.82
and total
control of a population.
00:48:15.85\00:48:17.89
And all of these
things are related.
00:48:17.92\00:48:21.27
Peggy and I were in
Phoenix where a few days ago
00:48:21.94\00:48:25.99
the Super Bowl took place.
00:48:26.02\00:48:28.38
Maybe some of you were there.
00:48:28.41\00:48:30.07
Maybe if you were like me,
you couldn't afford to be there.
00:48:30.10\00:48:33.39
Or more like me, you'd rather
go walking and pick oranges.
00:48:33.42\00:48:38.26
I've never really
cared for spectator sports.
00:48:38.76\00:48:40.65
If you love football,
you'll have to forgive me.
00:48:40.68\00:48:42.75
I'd like to go
fishing with you, alright.
00:48:43.76\00:48:46.95
There was intense security
all around the Super Bowl.
00:48:49.26\00:48:52.69
In fact, all around
the city of Phoenix.
00:48:52.72\00:48:55.71
We, Peg and I, were camped, and
I use that in quotation marks,
00:48:55.74\00:49:00.46
about three miles from
where the Super Bowl was played
00:49:00.49\00:49:04.14
at the great
Phoenix University coliseum.
00:49:04.17\00:49:07.01
The police
presence was everywhere,
00:49:08.18\00:49:10.58
I mean, they must have
brought in the police forces
00:49:10.61\00:49:12.92
of the whole of the
state and the surrounding areas
00:49:12.95\00:49:15.50
and everybody that
was able to carry a badge
00:49:15.53\00:49:17.84
must have been deputized.
00:49:17.87\00:49:19.03
I mean, they were everywhere.
00:49:19.06\00:49:21.12
And we could see the
Goodyear blimp clearly from
00:49:21.15\00:49:23.92
where our RV was parked.
00:49:23.95\00:49:26.47
And they said that inside,
the security was doubly intense.
00:49:26.50\00:49:31.05
Not only just those
metal detectors that you have
00:49:31.08\00:49:33.21
to walk through and the
taking off of your shoes,
00:49:33.24\00:49:35.36
but all other kinds of security.
00:49:35.39\00:49:37.31
To the point that
some folks were frightened.
00:49:37.34\00:49:39.61
Perhaps not with bad reason.
00:49:39.64\00:49:42.43
For it was discovered a
week later that there was a man
00:49:42.46\00:49:45.66
who was headed for the inside.
00:49:45.69\00:49:47.04
They caught him just
before he got inside.
00:49:47.07\00:49:50.47
And he was going there
to do, what was called,
00:49:50.50\00:49:53.29
extreme violence.
00:49:53.32\00:49:55.84
A dirty bomb.
00:49:55.87\00:49:57.46
Not a nuclear explosion
that destroys a whole city.
00:49:58.52\00:50:01.56
But a dirty bomb the size
of a refrigerator could destroy
00:50:02.32\00:50:06.88
the largest
portion of New York City.
00:50:06.91\00:50:09.47
All of Manhattan, to be precise.
00:50:09.50\00:50:11.93
"If that should
happen," goes the commentator,
00:50:11.96\00:50:14.99
"Wall Street would
instantly shut down. "
00:50:15.02\00:50:17.28
You know, of course, what that
would do to the financial world.
00:50:17.31\00:50:19.79
We control the financial world.
00:50:19.82\00:50:21.30
If Wall Street goes down, the
economies of the world shut down
00:50:21.33\00:50:24.56
immediately and automatically.
00:50:24.59\00:50:26.09
And all of the money in
your bank accounts, and all of
00:50:26.12\00:50:28.09
your electronic checking,
and all of that sort of thing
00:50:28.12\00:50:30.58
comes to an end.
00:50:30.61\00:50:32.07
And it's be very unlikely
that you'd even be able to pass
00:50:32.10\00:50:34.53
a $100 bill if you go to the
bank or to the Wal-Mart store.
00:50:34.56\00:50:38.72
And yes, by the way, I
love the Super Wal-Mart.
00:50:38.75\00:50:42.13
You may catch me there.
00:50:43.06\00:50:44.51
Nothing proud about
Lyle, it's a wonderful place.
00:50:44.54\00:50:47.70
Senator Richard
Lugar, who is the head of the
00:50:48.70\00:50:51.68
Foreign Relations
Department in the United States
00:50:51.71\00:50:54.52
said, and I'm quoting now, "The
possibility of a nuclear threat
00:50:54.55\00:51:03.26
that could end civilization
of the United States
00:51:03.29\00:51:06.08
within 10 years
is right now at 70%.
00:51:06.11\00:51:10.10
That, ladies and gentlemen,
gives me cause to pause.
00:51:11.26\00:51:13.93
Jesus must come again.
00:51:13.96\00:51:17.35
No oil, no defense.
00:51:18.33\00:51:20.02
The airplanes can't fly.
00:51:21.02\00:51:22.53
The tanks can't run.
00:51:23.23\00:51:24.67
Tehran, Tehran Iran has
1500 missiles that are capable
00:51:25.55\00:51:31.45
to be dropped over in Israel.
00:51:31.48\00:51:33.85
And they're arming them now, as
we speak, with nuclear warheads.
00:51:34.55\00:51:38.10
We're not, tonight, only going
to just talk about the problems
00:51:38.13\00:51:42.56
of extremists over in Islam.
00:51:42.59\00:51:45.39
We're going to
talk about some causes.
00:51:45.42\00:51:47.49
And I'm going to take
your Christian minds back
00:51:47.52\00:51:49.72
a few hundred
centuries to the crusades.
00:51:49.75\00:51:51.83
Does that ring any
bells in your minds?
00:51:51.86\00:51:53.31
Alright, the folks who are
causing the problems out there
00:51:53.34\00:51:56.47
are saying that, "One of
the reasons we're so angry,
00:51:56.50\00:51:59.24
one of the reasons we're
finally striking out is because
00:51:59.27\00:52:02.40
you Christians destroyed so
many hundreds and hundreds, yes,
00:52:02.43\00:52:05.59
and thousands of the
early believers of Islam. "
00:52:05.62\00:52:08.76
The Christian crusades.
00:52:09.65\00:52:11.97
And it's time,
they say, for revenge.
00:52:12.00\00:52:15.82
Military bases.
00:52:17.54\00:52:18.85
Military bases built by
the United States in Iraq
00:52:19.56\00:52:25.59
are right on the
border with Iran.
00:52:25.62\00:52:28.33
Those who are
running for a public office
00:52:29.34\00:52:31.65
at the highest level
are saying, "You put me in
00:52:31.68\00:52:34.81
and I'll bring
an end to the war.
00:52:34.84\00:52:36.59
I'll have the troops
home within just a few weeks,
00:52:36.79\00:52:40.26
or months at most, and
the war will be over. "
00:52:40.29\00:52:43.37
Ladies and gentlemen,
the war will not be over.
00:52:43.40\00:52:47.07
We're building one of
the largest military bases
00:52:49.01\00:52:50.93
the world knows right
on the Iran/Iraq border.
00:52:50.96\00:52:53.43
And I've got news for
you, ladies and gentlemen,
00:52:53.46\00:52:54.99
we are there to stay.
00:52:55.02\00:52:57.28
We're not putting in
temporary installations,
00:52:58.08\00:52:59.86
these are not mobile homes that
someone is setting up somewhere.
00:52:59.89\00:53:02.70
We are there to stay.
00:53:02.73\00:53:05.21
We're not about to come
home at the early moment
00:53:05.94\00:53:11.93
or in the near future.
00:53:11.96\00:53:13.92
We are there to stay.
00:53:13.95\00:53:15.94
I want you to open your Bibles
with me please, if you will,
00:53:15.97\00:53:18.58
to Luke chapter 21.
00:53:18.61\00:53:20.93
Luke chapter 21 finds our
Lord Jesus answering a question
00:53:21.68\00:53:25.25
of His disciples.
00:53:25.28\00:53:26.41
They've said to Him,
"Lord, tell us, tell us about
00:53:27.85\00:53:30.87
the end of the world and
what it's going to be like
00:53:30.90\00:53:32.60
just before you come back. "
00:53:32.63\00:53:34.41
Jesus sets His disciples
down on the Mount of Olives.
00:53:34.44\00:53:38.77
They sit with their backs to the
uphill side and when you do that
00:53:39.94\00:53:42.70
you're looking right
at the Temple square.
00:53:42.73\00:53:45.80
And the disciples have
said, "Lord, isn't it beautiful?
00:53:46.72\00:53:48.64
Isn't it wonderful?" And
Jesus said, "Yes it is. "
00:53:48.67\00:53:51.66
"But one day, the temple
is going to be knocked down
00:53:53.82\00:53:57.16
until not one stone
is left on another. "
00:53:57.19\00:53:59.51
By the way, we're going to talk
about that on another evening.
00:53:59.54\00:54:01.75
And the disciples said, "Lord,
tell us more about that. "
00:54:02.70\00:54:04.88
And so Jesus did, he said,
00:54:04.91\00:54:05.96
"The Jews are going to
fall by the edge of the sword.
00:54:05.99\00:54:08.01
They're going to be led
captive into all nations.
00:54:08.04\00:54:10.34
And Jerusalem shall be
walked upon by Gentiles
00:54:10.37\00:54:13.19
until the time of
Gentiles is over. "
00:54:13.22\00:54:15.15
Now ladies and gentlemen, in
June of 1967 when the Jews went
00:54:15.45\00:54:20.28
inside the city of Jerusalem
and took back East side,
00:54:20.31\00:54:23.47
West side, the Wailing
Wall, and the whole place,
00:54:23.50\00:54:26.18
this passage,
from my mind at least,
00:54:27.11\00:54:28.43
took on a brand new meaning.
00:54:28.46\00:54:30.07
Jesus, from the Holy Land,
is waving all the red flags
00:54:30.10\00:54:32.99
and He's saying, "Get
ready, I'm coming back.
00:54:33.02\00:54:35.49
I'm soon to be back,
you better get ready. "
00:54:35.52\00:54:38.62
It was on deck of the battleship
Missouri, that General MacArthur
00:54:39.38\00:54:46.27
signed with the Japanese,
the treaty that brought
00:54:46.30\00:54:50.37
an end to World War II.
00:54:50.40\00:54:52.63
And after it was signed,
he made a very brief speech.
00:54:52.66\00:54:56.60
One sentence of which said this,
"We've had our last chance,
00:54:56.63\00:55:01.14
and Armageddon is at our door. "
00:55:02.72\00:55:05.88
Someone says, "Well Lyle,
you're kind of a pessimist.
00:55:10.41\00:55:13.25
Seems like you're
just kind of a doomsayer. "
00:55:13.28\00:55:16.01
Well I may be, my dears, a
little bit pessimistic about
00:55:16.60\00:55:19.31
tomorrow, but say, I'm the
greatest optimist you've ever
00:55:19.34\00:55:22.34
found about the day
after when Jesus comes.
00:55:22.37\00:55:24.78
I've been asked again and again
lately, "Lyle, aren't you afraid
00:55:24.81\00:55:27.84
to read and study
the book of Revelation?"
00:55:27.87\00:55:29.34
And I say to them,
"No I'm not afraid. "
00:55:29.37\00:55:31.50
Quite the reverse
from that. It thrills me.
00:55:31.53\00:55:33.85
I've read the last page,
I know how the story ends.
00:55:33.88\00:55:36.86
Jesus is coming again.
00:55:36.89\00:55:38.76
And better things are in store.
00:55:38.79\00:55:40.99
I read, not long ago, about
a dear little Christian lady
00:55:41.02\00:55:44.30
who'd made her
last will and testament.
00:55:44.33\00:55:46.60
And advised her
children of her last wishes.
00:55:46.63\00:55:49.56
And parceled out her
favorite things to them.
00:55:49.59\00:55:52.29
And then she
called in her pastor.
00:55:52.32\00:55:54.73
and she said to him,
"Pastor, I want my funeral
00:55:54.76\00:55:59.54
to be a little different. "
00:55:59.57\00:56:00.54
She said, "I've gone to so
many funerals of so many friends
00:56:00.55\00:56:03.97
and I see them with their
hands folded over their chests.
00:56:04.00\00:56:08.89
I want not to be
like that, Pastor.
00:56:08.92\00:56:10.81
I want, in my left
hand, to be holding my Bible.
00:56:11.54\00:56:14.47
And in my right hand, I
want to be holding a fork. "
00:56:14.50\00:56:19.05
And the Pastor said, "Well, I
can understand your Bible, but
00:56:20.12\00:56:22.76
in your right hand,
you want to hold a fork?"
00:56:22.79\00:56:25.11
"Yes Pastor, Yes. "
00:56:25.14\00:56:27.45
She said, "You know, I
don't want to miss any of the
00:56:27.48\00:56:30.85
fellowship lunches
that we have at church.
00:56:30.88\00:56:32.70
They're always so good.
00:56:32.73\00:56:33.78
And at the end of the fellowship
lunches, they're the best.
00:56:33.81\00:56:37.44
Those that come by to
pick up the dishes say to me,
00:56:37.47\00:56:40.84
'Hang onto your fork. '
00:56:40.87\00:56:43.96
And then I know
something better is coming.
00:56:43.99\00:56:46.12
I know that the
dessert is coming.
00:56:46.15\00:56:48.05
And so I want to
hang onto my fork. "
00:56:48.08\00:56:50.74
And I want to say to
all of you folks tonight,
00:56:51.47\00:56:53.72
better days are coming.
00:56:54.65\00:56:56.26
One day soon, war
is going to be ended.
00:56:57.28\00:57:00.25
Forever ended.
00:57:00.28\00:57:02.16
There shall be wars and
rumors of wars, until the end.
00:57:03.18\00:57:06.04
"And then," Jesus says, "sin
shall not arise a second time. "
00:57:06.07\00:57:10.48
Something better is coming.
00:57:10.51\00:57:12.64
So this preacher will
say to you, and all of you,
00:57:13.46\00:57:17.12
"Hang onto your fork. "
00:57:20.82\00:57:23.36
Thank you, Lord, for
the clarity of Your word.
00:57:26.78\00:57:29.28