"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."
-- Mark Twain quotation: after hearing that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal.
Ancient prophecy drives ISIS battlefield choices, enslavement of women
by blog.godreports.com -- Nov 21, 2014
But some may not have realized Dabiq figures prominently in Islamic eschatology -- somewhat analogous to Armageddon in the Book of Revelation. It seems the ancient Hadith, which contains the teachings and deeds of Muhammad, prophesied that in the "last hours of history" the forces of Islam will face a horde of infidels at Dabiq in a decisive battle presaging the return of their Messiah.
The importance of this prophecy to ISIS was revealed in the recent video released November 16th announcing the beheading of American aid worker Peter Kassig.
"Here we are, burning the first American crusader in Dabiq, eagerly waiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive," declares an ISIS fighter in the video. The militant condemns U.S. involvement in Iraq and pledges to defeat "this final and last crusade."
And here, over on the other-side of that unbridgeable "eschatological pond" ... we have our own "rabble rousers" of similar single-minded
'chuck-it-all' focus ...
Millions of Evangelical Christians Want to Start WWIII to Speed the "Second Coming" ... and Atheist Neocons are Using Religion to Rile Them Up to Justify War Against Iran
by WashingtonsBlog -- Feb 18, 2012
[...]
Bill Moyers reports that the organization Christians United for Israel -- led by highly-influential Pastor John C. Hagee -- is a universal call to all Christians to help factions in Israel fund the Jewish settlements, throw out all the Palestinians and lobby for a pre-emptive invasion of Iran. All to bring Russia into a war against us causing World War III followed by Armageddon, the Second Coming and The Rapture. See this and this.
{I reference those links in the latter-half of this post. Assuming we last that long ...}
A John Hagee Fairytale: "Blood Moons" and The End of Times
by Bill Berkowitz, for BuzzFlash at Truthout -- April 18, 2014
In the course of his long career Pastor John Hagee has been chasing the end of times, beating a muscular pro-Israeli drum, establishing the world's largest pro-Israel organization, and accumulating extraordinary wealth. Now, with Blood Moons rising, his End Times war chest is bubbling over.
[...]
'Four Blood Moons'
According to Religion News Service, Hagee's book, "Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change," "says something will happen to the nation of Israel due to the tetrad [four blood moons within 18 months]. The four eclipses occur on April 15 and Oct. 8, 2014, and April 4 and Sept. 28 next year. The ones in April occur during Passover, and the ones in October occur during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles."
[...]
Hagee is suggesting "that a rapture will occur where Christians will be taken to heaven, Israel will go to war in a great battle called Armageddon, and Jesus will return to earth."
[...]
"I believe that in these next two years, we're going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole world," he predicted.
And from
britannica.com regarding that casually mentioned "End of Days" Location ... (reportedly told to the N.T. author in a series of dreams, while malnourished in confinement):
Armageddon, (probably Hebrew:"Hill of Megiddo"), in the New Testament, place where the kings of the earth under demonic leadership will wage war on the forces of God at the end of history. Armageddon is mentioned in the Bible only once, in the Revelation to John, or the Apocalypse of St. John (16:16).
The Palestinian city of Megiddo, located on a pass commanding a road connecting Egypt and Syria, was probably chosen as a symbol for such a battle, because it had been the scene of many military encounters owing to its strategic location. (Megiddo was also the site of a crucial battle in 1918 during the First World War and lent its name to the victor: Lord Allenby of Megiddo.) The term Armageddon has often been used by Protestant fundamentalists to refer to an impending cataclysmic struggle between the forces of good and evil. (See apocalyptic literature.) It has also been used figuratively, often by peace activists, to describe a possible nuclear world war.
And what about those
'Blood Moons' that Hagee calls "modern-day signs"? Well, they are
also known as a "
Total Lunar Eclipse" -- you know, those mathematical by-products of celestial geometry ...
Rare series of eclipses
Italian Astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli calculated that the occurrence of such tetrads varies over centuries. Some 300 year intervals have several lunar tetrads, while other 300 year intervals do not have any. For example, the years between 1852 and 1908 did not have any tetrads, whereas the next 3 centuries will have 17 tetrads.
Of course, none of that scientific "mumbo-jumbo" matters to guys like Hagee -- who think that they have their own special "marching orders" ... while mired here on Earth.
[...]
Hagee references Bible verses from the Book of Acts, in which God says:
"And I will show wonders in Heaven above and signs in the Earth beneath, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord."
[...]
According to NASA, seeing four complete lunar eclipses in a row is very rare. In fact, there were no tetrads from 1600 to 1900, so the fact that this one is presenting over the US is interesting, as well.
Hmmm ... 2 End of Days predictions 'converging' -- BUT in 2 entirely different places (about 300 miles apart "as the crow flies"):
Larger image -- Or Map it yourself.
No wonder these 2 overly-militarized factions "Hate each Other" so much -- they can't even agree on where to start their 'Endless Vacations'.
Jeesh-sus! OMG! Allah Ackbar!
As promised ... {Hey! we made it.}
BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, pbs.org
Profile:
Christians United for Israel (CUFI)
[...]
"If a line has to be drawn, draw it around Christians and Jews. We are united."
-- Pastor John Hagee, CUFI Founder
John Hagee, along with other Christian Evangelical leaders, created Christians United for Israel (CUFI) less than two years ago, yet it has already grown into one of the largest and most politically influential Christian grassroots organizations in the country.
[...]
At the recent annual CUFI summit in Washington, D.C., prominent politicians were present to pledge support for this growing movement, including Senators John McCain, Joseph Lieberman, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, as well as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Lieberman particularly sang Hagee's praise:
"He is a Ish Elokim, a man of God and those words really fit him...like Moses he's become a leader of a mighty multitude, even greater than the multitude that Moses led from Egypt to the promised land."
CUFI considers its defining issue to be the growing challenge of radical Islam, particularly as relates to the security of Israel and the United States. CUFI is increasingly concerned by Iran and its potential nuclear threats.
And from the little-heard "Voices of Rationality" Department ...
BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, pbs.org
October 5, 2007 Transcript:
[...]
DR. TIMOTHY WEBER: So growing numbers of evangelicals are recognizing that very thing. Bill referred to a letter sent to the president this summer signed by 30 evangelical heavyweights, presidents of seminaries and leaders of denominations and very well-known authors and spiritual leaders. And their point was we don't want you to believe that groups like Hagee's speak for the vast majority of us. We recognize that sometimes the best friend, the best advice that friends of Israel can give is to cooperate, is not to just endorse everything that happens but to encourage justice and peacekeeping and so on. And so you have this one group of evangelical leaders who are speaking for, I think, a much larger group that is encouraging a different approach.
BILL MOYERS: I can't see that they are having any impact.
DR. TIMOTHY WEBER: Not yet.
Is it any wonder that so much of the overheated rhetoric, concern the historic melting-pot of the Middle East, so often references
their ominous warnings of "
Mushroom Clouds" and such ...
"if we fail to act." {to give $$$, to arm the right sides, to spill
our blood, etc. etc.}
-- gizmodo.com
Could it be, all these 1-dimensional thinkers -- and promoters of prophetic wars -- imagine themselves as "riding those clouds" -- on a dinosaur -- sitting right next to Mohammed and Jesus ... who are playing "Truth or Dare" ...
link
• "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
[...]
• "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
-- Jesus Christ: Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
Ooops! Maybe those End-Timers, maybe they should've read the "fine print," eh?
It'll be one Major Fubar Ooops, indeed. ... If they ever accomplish their Mission(s).