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Benjamin Netanyahu sits down with Sharri Markson in must-watch interview https://youtu.be/Lrz-uy81R0k?si=678u75AcxLThZPHI It is totally delusional & wicked from PM Albanese & Penny Wong to push for the so-called "Two-state solution". Anyone who saw what happened on October 7 and came to the conclusion that the perpetrators should be gifted a state is deranged. But then again, our Prime Minister didn't bother to visit and see what happened on October 7. And I am not apologising for the strong language on this matter. The Palestinians:  *They entered Lebanon and caused a civil war and the spread of weapons and chaos to this day  (They lived in Jordan and attempted to overthrow the King of Jordan in what was called “Black September.”)  *They entered Syria and killed the Syrian people and dug tunnels in the Syrian city of Ghouta.  *They entered Egypt and killed the Egyptian soldiers and slaughtered them in the Sinai desert  * They entered Kuwait for work, and when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, they stood with Saddam Hussein against Kuwait, whi ch received them.  *They entered Iraq and became suicide bombers, exploding in popular markets in Baghdad.  *They entered Europe as refugees, and today they are demonstrating in the streets and waging chaos and violence against the country’s residents. *They entered Israel to work, and they did what we all witnessed on October 7th. Mark Levin spelled it out in the podcast below, with passion & accuracy regarding Gaza & the "Palestinians" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZlz34ZriPI "‘Morally corrupt’: Sharri Markson reacts to Hamas ‘celebrating’ Albanese’s Palestine call" https://youtu.be/DOk9jFyvJpA?si=Uzt7Zuz9_ps8hEw9

There are several reasons: 1) It is prophesied in the Scriptures that the last days the love of many will grow cold & many will depart from the faith. 2) But that does not mean that this takes away our responsibility as Churches, Christian Institutions & last but not least parents to do our part & I believe that we have contributed to this by forsaking our responsibilities & not teaching a Biblical worldview & defence of the faith. 3) Youth groups & churches have focussed to much on entertainment & quantity but not quality & discipleship: and the "fruit" starts showing. 4) As a result most of our young people are not prepared for University nor the workplace or life in general in this "woke", harsh, worldly, atheistic / anti-Christian world as it is today. What is the solution, what can we do better? 1) Pastors & Youth pastors, stop entertaining your flock & start teaching your flock & young people apologetics, history, creation vs evolution and a Biblical worldview in general. 2) Christians schools: Vet your staff well & teach a better curriculum, and also do the same as in point 1. 3) Parents: Don't shun everything of to the churches & schools. Your influence, lifestyle & instruction will have much more influence then churches & schools. If you don't do your part, they are "mopping with the tap open" Resources that can help you educate your children / class / Sunday school / youth group etc: https://valorrea.com/products/bible-study-workbook-for-kids https://try.valorrea.com/cmiar4dk602bub7ufs4hir9hz/ Testimony from a Christian School Teacher: Pastor Michael Hartwell opdtrsoeSnb33t9 g1ah04 11:9m1l euaF8f13hu5fg018m0tyu47rr8a10  · I'm a principal at a Christian school. Last year, I decided to track our graduates. What I found made me sick. 68% of our kids—kids who spent 12 years in Christian education—walked away from faith within 5 years of graduation. We're charging parents $15,000 a year. And we're preparing their kids for atheism. I've been in Christian education for 18 years. I believed we were different from public schools. Better. Safer. Chapel every week. Bible class every day. Prayer before every meal. We were building strong Christian young people. Or so I thought. Last spring, I decided to survey our graduates. Every student who graduated between 2010 and 2020. 287 responses. The results destroyed me. 68% no longer identified as Christian. 68%. Kids who spent 12 years in our school. $180,000 of their parents' money. Chapel, Bible class, Christian teachers—all of it. And more than two-thirds walked away. I didn't believe it at first. I called some of them personally. "What happened? You were in Christian school your whole life." The answers were almost identical. "I got to college and couldn't answer basic questions." "Someone asked me why I believed, and I realized I didn't have reasons." "I knew all the Bible stories. I didn't know why any of it was actually true." One graduate—Marcus, class of 2016—put it bluntly. "Mr. Harrison, I spent 12 years in your school. I could tell you every story in the Bible. But when my philosophy professor asked me for evidence that Christianity is true, I had nothing. You taught me content. You never taught me how to defend it." I hung up and sat in my office for an hour. He was right. Our curriculum taught Bible knowledge. It didn't teach apologetics. We tested kids on what happened in Scripture. We never tested them on why Scripture is reliable. We assumed knowing the stories would be enough. It wasn't. That week, I called an emergency meeting with our board chairman, Pastor Williams. "We have a problem. A big one." I showed him the survey results. 68% walking away. His face went pale. "How is this possible? These kids had Christian education for 12 years." "Because we taught them what to believe. We never taught them why. And when someone challenged them, they had nothing." "So what do we do?" "We need to change everything. We need to teach apologetics. Evidence. Reasons. Starting in elementary school." He was quiet for a moment. "There's a workbook I've been hearing about. Systematic theology for kids. A church in Texas rebuilt their entire children's ministry around it. The pastor said their kids can now defend their faith better than most adults." "Can we use it in a school setting?" "Let's find out." We ordered copies that week. I took one home and read it cover to cover. Lesson 1: How Do We Know God Exists? Not "the Bible says so." The cosmological argument. The moral argument. The teleological argument. Explained clearly. Logically. At a level kids could understand. Lesson 5: Why Trust the Bible? Manuscript evidence. 5,800 Greek copies. Dating within decades of the original events. More documentation than Homer, Plato, or Caesar. Lesson 12: Evidence for the Resurrection. The minimal facts approach. Five facts even skeptical scholars accept. Every alternative explanation systematically refuted. I sat there stunned. I have a master's degree in Christian education. I'd never learned this material clearly until now. We started a pilot program. Sixth grade. 24 students. Every Friday: one lesson from the workbook. The first week, I sat in to observe. The teacher asked: "Why do you believe God exists?" Same answers I expected. "Because the Bible says so." "Because my parents believe." Then she taught the cosmological argument. "Everything that begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist. What caused it?" A boy named Daniel raised his hand. "Something that doesn't need a cause. Something outside the universe." "Like what?" "God?" "You just made a logical argument for God's existence. Without opening a Bible." I watched 24 sixth-graders lean forward. Not because of a grade. Because it made sense. Week 4: Why Trust the Bible? The teacher taught manuscript evidence. A girl named Sophia raised her hand. "So we have more evidence for the Bible than for stuff everyone just accepts as true?" "Yes. Far more." "Why didn't anyone teach us this before?" The teacher looked at me. I had no answer. Because we'd spent 18 years teaching Bible stories without teaching why the Bible is reliable. Week 8, something happened. One of our sixth-graders, James, went to a family reunion. His cousin attends public school. Atheist parents. The cousin said, "You go to Christian school? You know the Bible is just mythology, right?" James didn't panic. "Actually, there are 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, some dating within 25 years of the original events. We have more documentation for the Bible than for any ancient document. If you don't trust the Bible, you can't trust anything we know about ancient history." His mother called me on Monday. "What are you teaching my son?" I explained the pilot program. "He defended his faith to his atheist cousin. He's 11. His uncle—the atheist—asked where he could learn more. This is what we've been paying $15,000 a year for. Why did it take until now?" She was right. Week 12, other parents started calling. "My daughter explained the cosmological argument at dinner. She's 12." "My son corrected his youth pastor on something about the resurrection. Where is this coming from?" "Can the younger grades get this too?" Week 15, I presented the results to the full board. 24 students in the pilot. Every one of them could now articulate reasons for their faith. I showed them video of a 12-year-old explaining why the resurrection is the best historical explanation for the evidence. Pastor Williams spoke up. "This is what we should have been doing for 18 years. I move that we adopt this curriculum for all grades, K through 8." The motion passed unanimously. We spent the summer training teachers. This fall, every student in our school will learn systematic theology. Not just Bible stories. Evidence. Arguments. Reasons. We're updating our marketing too. "We don't just teach your kids the Bible. We teach them to defend it." Last month, a family toured the school. The father was skeptical. "My oldest went to a Christian school. Walked away from faith in college. Why should I trust you'll be any different?" I told him about the survey. The 68%. The changes we made. "We're not just teaching Bible content anymore. We're teaching apologetics. By the time your child graduates, they'll be able to defend their faith against anyone." He enrolled both his kids on the spot. I'm 52 years old. I've spent 18 years in Christian education. And for most of those years, I was charging parents $15,000 to prepare their kids for apostasy. I can't get back the 68% we already lost. But the kids in our school now? They won't be part of that statistic. If you're trusting Christian school to build your child's faith... If you're assuming Bible class and chapel are enough... If you think $15,000 a year guarantees anything... I need you to know: it doesn't. Education without apologetics creates believers who can't defend what they believe. And believers who can't defend their faith become adults who walk away. 68% of our graduates proved that. 52 weeks of systematic theology is changing everything. Make sure your kids—wherever they go to school—are getting the WHY. Not just the WHAT. Before they become another statistic.

I don't know about you, but the more time progresses, the more things, persons & newsfeeds get deleted or blocked. The circle I trust gets smaller & smaller. (This includes pastors, politicians, "experts" & medical doctors) This trend started during the COVID mandates: at the workplace, in churches & everywhere else, I interacted with people or (social) media. Now the ones in media & politics that were talking sense previously against these insane COVID mandates, Abortion & Immigration are now falling one after the other, probably following & believing Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens & Megyn Kelly etc, that Israel is the cause & fault of everything. Well I have a red line: I as a pastor & we as a church will stand for & with Israel unreservedly, not because the Jewish people are better, no God often actually says often the opposite in the Scriptures. But because of the covenant He has made with the descendants of Abraham. And yes most of the people living in Israel today are of Jewish descent, contrary to all sort of weird theories floating around. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and yet the media portrays her as the villain of the world. I believe this is a supernatural hatred that comes from the pit of hell—spiritual warfare against the plan of God and the Jewish people. Questions from some in the church, about the position of Israel as the elected people of God and the return of the Jewish people to their homeland as acts of God, are rooted in Biblical illiteracy. Just as the church has been tested throughout the ages as to whether or not it would obey God’s Word, so today the church is undergoing a time of purification and separation, not unlike what Jesus prophesied would happen as we enter deeper into the Last Days prior to His appearing. We all watched as believers, churches and denominations dealt with the COVID pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the movement to redefine gender and sexuality, and then the DEI movement. And yet, we’re seeing an even bigger test today—what I would call The Israel Test—to reveal what we really believe about what I regard as clear Biblical teaching. I am, of course, talking about the replacement theology movement that has surfaced yet again. If Israel has been replaced by the church and there is no future for the Jewish nation, how do we explain the unexplainable, supernatural, Biblical survival of the Jewish people over the past 2,000 years, despite constant attempts by their enemies to destroy them? How do we explain Israel’s reappearance as a nation after being driven to the four corners of the Earth after A.D. 70? Let’s look at a few examples of what God says about Israel and its future: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:7-8). “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me. Your sons shall make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste shall go away from you” (Isaiah 49:14-17). “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24). And then there are the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 11:1-2: “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. …” And in Matthew 24:15, Jesus clearly teaches that Israel, and the temple in Jerusalem, will exist at the time of the Great Tribulation. How can this be if there is no Israel? I believe we are living in the daze of deception, and only God’s Word will bring clarity. That is why I believe it is time for us to take a bold stand. Wayward Theology Or Blatant Unbelief: When Christians Dismiss Israel’s Role In Bible Prophecy

If you want to know more about this "controversial" topic please also refer to my other posts: https://www.harvestministriesnz.com/post/what-to-do-if-you-miss-the-rapture https://www.harvestministriesnz.com/post/3-reasons-the-rapture-could-happen-today https://www.harvestministriesnz.com/post/fed-up-with-the-rapture-doctrine-being-mocked-attacked A few years ago I met for a coffee with a Christian brother to encourage one another in the faith. But unfortunately it turned out to be a "rapture attacking session" , even though I never brought it up. He must have figured out what I believe from other sources. He kept referring to the fact I was deceived by Darby. I have never read Darby, but some time I probably will when I will find the time. It’s the most persistent lie concerning the Rapture. I have either read or heard it more times than I can count. Though it’s been debunked countless times, a great many saints remain convinced that the doctrine of the pre-Tribulation Rapture originated with John Darby. Although they insist that no one believed in such a thing before him, it’s simply not true. Let me be clear: If anyone tells you that this teaching originated with John Darby, they are either purposely misleading you or have themselves been the victim of someone deceiving them about the origin of our “blessed hope.” If The Bible Is True, There Must Be A Rapture Regardless of the timing of the Rapture, the teaching that Jesus will someday appear and catch-up both dead and living saints to meet Him in the air is biblically-based. Scripture provides several details regarding the sequence of events that we now refer to as the “Rapture.” The late Dr. Ed Hindson, former professor at Liberty University, beloved Bible scholar, and author, put it this way: If you disagree on the timing of the rapture, please don’t tell people, “There’s never going to be a rapture.” No, there must be a rapture or the Bible is not true. There must be a time when the archangel shouts, when the trumpet sounds, and the dead in Christ are raised and the living are caught up (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). We may differ on the timing of the rapture but not the fact of the rapture. We find references to the “Rapture” in John 14:2–3 ; 1 Corinthians 15:50–55 ; Philippians 3:20–21 ; Romans 8:23–25 ; Titus 2:11–14 ; and Colossians 3:4 . Putting these passages together, we arrive at a series of events that comprise our “blessed hope.” If the Bible is true, there must be a still future time when Jesus appears, raises the dead in Christ, and catches living believers up to meet Him in the air ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ; 1 Corinthians 15:47-55 ). Since the words of these texts have never reached fulfilment anytime in the past, they point to a yet future reality, which we call the Rapture. It’s the time the Lord gives us our immortal and glorified bodies, the essence of our future experience of eternal life. Because the Bible is true, the event we now designate as the Rapture awaits a future and certain fulfilment. The Origin Of The Word Many people object to our hope of meeting Jesus in the air because the word “Rapture” doesn’t appear on the pages of Scripture. However, that’s not true; it appears in a previous version of the Bible. Long ago, it appeared in a Latin translation from about AD 400 called the Vulgate. The Vulgate used the Latin word rapturo to translate the Greek word harpazo in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 . The words “caught up” in our English translations capture the essence of the Greek harpazo in the text just as the Latin rapturo , the origin of our word “Rapture,” did when Jerome and others translated the Bible into Latin. In his book Dispensationalism Before Darby , Dr. William C. Watson lists ten instances of Bible scholars using the word the word “Rapture” beginning with Joseph Mede in 1627 through the time of Thomas Broughton, an English pastor, in 1768. In the centuries after the Reformation, the usage of the word “Rapture” to describe the event depicted below in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 became commonplace in many protestant churches. In a letter that he wrote about these verses, Joseph Mede used the word “Rapture” six times when referring to this verse. Even though Joseph Mede didn’t place Jesus’ appearing before the start of the Tribulation period, his usage of the word “Rapture” establishes a four-hundred-year history of Bible students using the word “Rapture” to refer the event that the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 . Two centuries before John Darby was born, the word “Rapture” was already commonly use in Bible-believing churches. Early Beliefs In A Rapture Before A Time Of Tribulation The belief that Jesus would take His saints out of the earth before a time of Tribulation on the earth dates back to the first centuries of the church. In AD 180, Irenaeus wrote Against Heresies to refute the errors of Gnosticism, which posed a great threat to the church at the time. In Against Heresies , Book 5, Chapter 29, he wrote: And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be Tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.” In the above quote, Irenaeus used the same Greek word for “caught up,” harpazo , that Paul used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 for the Lord catching up living believers to meet Him in the air. Irenaeus specifically placed the fulfilment of this verse ahead of the time of “Tribulation” that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:21 and thus before the Second Coming, which the Lord said would happen after this time of judgment on the earth (Matthew 247:29). This highly respected theologian of the early church envisioned a fulfilment of the harpazo followed by a time of extended Tribulation on the earth. He regarded the Rapture and Second Coming as two distinct occurrences separated by at least the second half of the seven-year Tribulation. Cyprian (AD 210-258), a bishop in the city of Carthage, guided his church through a period of intense persecution and suffering during which time he also became a martyr. In his book, Treatises of Cyprian , he wrote: We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as possible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that by an early departure you are taken away, and delivered from the shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent? Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence, and sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise and the kingdom. Cyprian believed in “an early departure” of the Church before further disasters occurred on the earth. He believed the time of additional trouble was “imminent” and thus also a “departure.” He believed that the Lord would take believers out of the world so they wouldn’t experience the troubling times ahead for those left behind. His reference to “snatches us” sounds just like the catching up of the Church in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 . Cyprian’s beliefs signify a third century AD belief in a pre-Tribulation Rapture . Another unmistakable reference to the pre-Tribulation Rapture comes from Ephraim of Edessa (AD 306–373), who was a poet, a writer of hymns, and a preacher. The quote below comes from Ephraem’s sermon entitled “On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World.” Some historians believe someone else wrote it in AD 622 and ascribed it to Ephraem in order to lend credibility to it. Dr. Grant Jeffrey, who did extensive research on this sermon and obtained a translation of it on his own from a Greek scholar, believes it’s more likely that Ephraem himself preached the sermon sometime around AD 323, just a couple years before the Nicene church council. Believe you me, dearest brother, because the coming (advent) of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time. Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: “Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord!” For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins. The above quote dates back to the early fourth century AD. Even if we concede that someone wrote this sermon in AD 622, as some maintain, we still have a definitive adherence to it a pre-Tribulation Rapture 1,200 years before the birth of John Darby! The above sampling of quotes are valid and accepted translations that clearly establish early beliefs within the church of Jesus taking His church out of the world before a time of great tribulation on the earth and returning to the earth with His saints after this time of trouble. Back To The Bible This attempt to discredit the Rapture by making it seem as though it’s a relatively new and thus an unfounded belief is an effort to divert our focus from what the Bible teaches us about our “blessed hope” ( Titus 2:11-14 ). The witness of church history confirms that the scripturally-sound doctrine of the pre-Tribulation Rapture existed in the earliest centuries of the church. More importantly than that, however, is what the Bible says. The Rapture is a clearly defined occurrence in such passages as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 , John 14:2–3 , 1 Corinthians 15:50–55 , Philippians 3:20–21 , Romans 8:23–25 , Titus 2:11–14 , and Colossians 3:4 . The majority of Bible-believing churches during the twentieth century not only adhered to a pre-Tribulation Rapture, but its pastors also unashamedly proclaimed it to their parishioners. The widespread popularity of this belief resulted from the biblically-sound teaching of a great many devout men of God during the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Darby was one of many who taught and wrote about our “blessed hope.”

I think it was around 1988-89 when I returned to my home church for a visit / furlough. This was the church (Full Gospel / Pentecostal) that send me out & blessed me to go work as a missionary in Eastern Europe & Soviet Union. To my shock & horror this church was divided; there was division over a new "blessing" that was introduced into the church world & was spreading worldwide like a virus. It was tragic, this church had send out quite a few other young people like me, I think around 10, was open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit (but not extreme, quite balanced) & last but not least had regular Biblical teaching on end-time doctrine & Israel. But there were quite some heated arguments, people left, people were hurt & confused. And the ones who claimed to have gotten "it" (The Holy Spirit is a person not an it) were changed in a way that I didn't recognise them. They were pushy, overbearing & mocking Christians that didn't go along or had doubts & questions. Some even mocked those who didn't go along as being baptised in lemon juice. This so-called "Toronto Blessing" might have started sincere seeking God's presence & renewal but the fruit was ugly & the manifestations un-biblical. Those involved often claimed: "But I felt something" or "It felt good" or "I was touched". That can be combined with a Biblical experience but it is not proof in itself that is from God. This example is not an isolated incident but similar things happened worldwide & there is no good lasting fruit. Even though Toronto Airport Church eventually closed it's doors, unfortunately I have observed that the same teachings & manifestations pop up over the years, under different names, movements & so-called "revivals" (Revivals starts with repentance, not with strange un-Biblical teachings & manifestations) The only people in the Bible that fell backwards where the people who came to arrest Jesus. There are many teachings, practices & supernatural manifestations that have been introduced over the last years, but the Word of God / The Scriptures are the final authority in testing manifestations, healings and doctrine: If something can't be backed up from the Bible in the right context, it is not an acceptable doctrine, manifestation, prayer or practice. Some of those teachings & practices are: Prosperity "Gospel", Praying in a commanding or directing way to the Holy Spirit, Falling or "Slain" in the Spirit, Fire tunnels, Sozo (or so called "healing" rooms), they might sound spiritual, but have no sound Doctrinal Biblical support. This does not mean we don't believe in the supernatural, signs wonders & miracles, but they need to backed by the Scriptures & we need to test the spirits 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Before I was called to mission work to the former Soviet Union & the Eastern European countries behind the "Iron Curtain" I grew up in Holland or better said; the Netherlands. Everybody immediately thinks of the stereotype "cute" & not so nice things about this country below sea-level. But what is lesser known that it also has a very strong history of extreme "ingrained" Calvinism, especially in the rural towns & among the farming & fishing communities. Amsterdam in that regards is not good representation of the country as a whole. The reason I am starting with this introduction is that I grew up with experiencing & observing the "fruit" of Calvinism. You not only need to look at the theological aspect which I will come to soon, but study the life & actions of John Calvin himself & observe the fruit of this teaching in the life of the church & believers. Well it's not pretty & I will spare you the details. When I as a young man found Christ & surrendered my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord & Saviour, it became even more clear to me it is a false teaching. Besides observing the "fruit" I also did my "homework" and the more I delved into this matter the more disgusted I became with this abhorrent "doctrine" I not only concluded that it is a false teaching, but it is doctrine of demons: Calvinism is from the pit of hell. Calvinism" & the so called "TULIP" has some Biblical truths, but like most false doctrines & religions they are "sandwiched" with some truth. But don't forget that most poisons consists largely of water. The reason I am writing this blog is, that there seems to be a resurgence of Calvinism & unfortunately still influences many pulpits today across many denominations.   You don't have to take my word for it, but if you want to find out more, please study, read & listen to links below: Watch "One Christian Truth Calvinists CAN'T SAY"  https://youtu.be/bLIiq6kiBMw?si=uU0iiyr5bdaSruBt For more info see links below:                                                                                                                https://www.heraldofhope.org.au/reformed-theology-faulty-flower/                                                     https://www.heraldofhope.org.au/who-are-the-elect/   https://youtu.be/hXeFRQ3qsqY?si=mwynHipGQXIVP3qc ​ Some more theological discussion for those wanting more clarity: Calvinism is a theological system built around the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation. It is commonly summarized by the acronym TULIP: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. Many godly men hold this position. But after careful study of Scripture in context, we do not. Let’s walk through why. First, Total Depravity. We agree that humanity is fallen. Romans 3 makes that clear. Ephesians 2 says we are dead in trespasses and sins. Sin affects every part of man. But Scripture never says man is unable to respond to God when confronted with truth. In Acts 17:30 God commands all men everywhere to repent. A just God does not command what is metaphysically impossible. Dead in Scripture often means separated, not incapable. The prodigal son in Luke 15 was called dead, yet he still returned. Second, Unconditional Election. Calvinism teaches that God chooses specific individuals for salvation without regard to foreseen faith. We believe Scripture teaches election, but election is consistently described as “in Christ.” Ephesians 1:4 says we are chosen in Him. The sphere of election is Christ, not an arbitrary pre-temporal selection of individuals apart from response. Romans 8:29 says those whom He foreknew, He predestined. The Greek word proginosko carries the idea of relational foreknowledge. God knows beforehand who will believe. That does not diminish His sovereignty. It reflects His omniscience. Third, Limited Atonement. Calvinism teaches Christ died only for the elect. Scripture repeatedly states Christ died for the world. John 3:16 says God so loved the world. First John 2:2 says He is the propitiation not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world. First Timothy 2:4 says God desires all men to be saved. If Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient only for a predetermined few, those verses must be redefined. We do not redefine them. The atonement is sufficient for all, efficient for those who believe. Fourth, Irresistible Grace. Calvinism teaches that when God internally calls someone, they cannot ultimately resist. Yet Acts 7:51 says, “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” Jesus wept over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37 and said, “I would have gathered you, but you were not willing.” Grace can be resisted. Love that cannot be refused is not love in any meaningful relational sense. Fifth, Perseverance of the Saints. We believe in eternal security for those truly saved. John 10:28 is clear. But perseverance is the result of abiding in Christ, not evidence of preselection. Salvation is secure because of Christ’s finished work, not because someone was unconditionally elected before birth. Now here is the deeper issue. Conclusion: Calvinism, when pressed logically, makes God the ultimate determiner of who will be saved and who will be condemned before they ever exist. Yet Scripture consistently presents God as just, not arbitrary. Second Peter 3:9 says the Lord is not willing that any should perish. That is not theatrical language. That is God’s revealed heart. We affirm God’s sovereignty. We affirm human responsibility.

We are watching a cultural shift that many leaders won’t name and many believers don’t yet see. But silence won’t stop it. And fear won’t fix it. There is a deeper story behind the unrest, the confusion, and the hostility toward Biblical truth. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it. An Unholy Alliance exposes what’s happening beneath the surface and equips you to respond not with panic, but with conviction, courage, and Gospel clarity. I have included in this post 6 links to messages about this topic: https://youtu.be/G11evXd9Suo This Sunday the message will focus on a "mystery", as it is something that is not only geographical, political & economical, but also spiritual. More specifically referring to forces of spiritual darkness. The closer we get to the fulfilment of Biblical end-times prophesies, the more this comes to the forefront & shows its true "colours". https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1357065833127685&set=pcb.1357099749790960 https://youtu.be/4WQcfsdtA1w It is now all around us, this message is to open our eyes even more, regarding the things going on: Rise of extreme Islam, antisemitism, communism, control of freedom of speech, price inflation on all essentials of life. These are external signs confirming that the spirit of the Antichrist is alive & well & time is short. These things also confirm that Babylon is now not only in one geographical location: all systems (commerce, technology, politics & religion) are being prepared for the rise of the Beast. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1363525009148434&set=pcb.1363579825809619 Also added a 2 links from Dr Michael Youssef confirming the same theme: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2017396745657932 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ_TlT53Zkc

Everyone knows by now that our government, with the "help" of the LNP, passed new hate speech laws in Parliament on January 20th. The same people who can’t define a woman. The same people who locked you in your house. The same people who continue to print money into inflation hell. Now they demand the power to decide what you’re allowed to say. And here’s the part everyone is conveniently ignoring… At the time this post was published, the Governor General had NOT given Royal Assent. That means it’s not law yet! (UPDATE: it has been signed and given royal assent; it is officially law.) The Rush to Censor So why the rush? Why the media victory lap? Why are people already censoring themselves? Because fear works. If you had a brain cell, you would look back at the past five years, and you’ll be able to join the dots. They don’t need to silence you if you silence yourself. And here’s the brutal truth most people don’t want to hear… No government can conquer a strong, disciplined, self-led person. They can only conquer weak men and women. Distracted men. Men who outsource their thinking. Men who trade freedom for comfort. If you’re waiting for permission to speak, you’ve already lost. If you’re hoping someone else will fight this, you’re already conquered. History doesn’t remember quiet men. It remembers men who stood their ground when it was unpopular. Read the fine print. Think for yourself. Get your house in order. Strengthen your body. Sharpen your mind. Build leverage. Because in the end… You can only be conquered if you allow yourself to be conquered. The Dangers of the Hate Speech Bill AUSTRALIA: THIS “HATE” BILL CAN END FREE SPEECH. Read that again. This law, crafted in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, doesn’t just go after terrorists. In fact, it doesn't even mention radical Islam! Instead, it builds a speech-policing framework that can be turned on ordinary Australians: “Offence” can mean criminal trouble. Your “motive” can increase punishment. Leaders get singled out (pastors, commentators, community voices). You don’t have to cause harm; the “risk” of harm is enough. The state decides what’s “acceptable.” Once the government gets to decide which opinions are "safe," then free speech is finished... BY ORDER OF THE LAW! The Government's Agenda These laws are madness. Yes, it is clear that action must be taken, and yes, there are some important things covered in the draft bill. But there is no justification for the way the Albanese Government is rushing these laws through to deny Australians their say. The terrible attack on the Jewish community is being used by this government to criminalize speech, turn religions against each other, and punish law-abiding firearms owners. The intention of the government is clearly to expand these laws and potentially criminalize opinions about topics like gender and Islam, which are widely held among conservatives. Ironically, some of the very victims of the Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre hold these views. The Cycle of Hate NEO NAZIS Love Hitler, hate Jews, hate brown people (National Socialist Network, White Australia Party). ISLAMISTS Love Hitler, hate Jews, hate white people, hate Christians (Hisb ut-Tahrir, Palestine Action Group, ANIC, pro-Islamist mob). MARXISTS / LEFTISTS Love Socialism, love Marxism, love Islam, hate Jews, hate Christianity, hate conservatives, hate Neo Nazis (Socialist Alliance, Socialist Alternative, AntiFa, Palestine Action Group, Campaign Against Racism & Fascism, Labor Party, the Greens, etc.). JEWS Recipients of hate from the three groups above for the last two years, culminating in the Bondi massacre committed by ISLAMISTS (12-13 Jews DEAD). CHRISTIANS Recipients of hate from the same top three groups for supporting Jews, next on the chopping block for the Islamists (Conservatives, Church Ministers, Family First Party, One Nation, Australian Christians, Liberal Party, etc.). If EXISTING hate speech laws had been applied EQUALLY across the TOP THREE groups above over the last two years, we would NOT have had the Bondi massacre, and we would NOT have a need for a Royal Commission OR new hate speech laws. And therein lies the problem of the ALBANESE SOCIALIST LABOR GOVERNMENT (allied with groups 2 and 3 above) who only want to introduce ‘new’ laws to cover up their incompetence, bias, and inaction over the last two years, and make it seem like they’re finally doing something. The NETT OUTCOME 15 dead Australians, new laws coming in to PROTECT groups 2 and 3 (ISLAMISTS and LEFTISTS) and come down HARDER on groups 1 and 5 (NEO NAZIS and CHRISTIANS / CONSERVATIVES) while LEAVING group 4 (JEWS) under the bus where they already have been for the last two years. Some of us already saw this coming… it’s a FAMILIAR pattern! In conclusion, we must remain vigilant. The fight for free speech is not just about words; it’s about our very freedom. Let’s stand together, think critically, and ensure that our voices are heard.

There can be lot of controversy, legalism, confusion & misunderstanding about this important topic. In our preaching we use mostly NKJV, Amp, ESV, NLT, NIV. Please see below a blog from Ps Mark Driscoll: (It is not that I would agree with him on everything, but he brings it across quite well) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju4dTXz5K74 If want to know more background & don't mind a bit of reading 5-10 min I posted 3 different articles: 1) The haters: The KJV only movement 2) Why are the newer translations of the Bible "missing" verses? 3) What are the most accurate translations of the Bible? 1) The Haters: The KJV Only Movement Thankfully, advocates of KJV Onlyism are not “hating” on us as frequently as they used to. I don't know if this is due to the movement dying out or due to its advocates becoming more civil (highly unlikely), but I am thankful that we do not have to deal with KJV Onlyism as much as we used to. I remember the first time I was exposed to KJV Onlyism. I thought it was utterly ridiculous. I did not know anything about the Textus Receptus, or Erasmus, or King James VI. All I knew was the idea that English speakers are required by God to use a Bible translation from 17th century England is ludicrous. As I am now much more familiar with the arguments, I am still absolutely convinced that KJV Onlyism is terribly misguided and horribly destructive to the Body of Christ. What is the true origin of KJV Onlyism? My informed speculation is that it is due to a resistance to change. In the 20th century, when English translations of the Bible other than the KJV started becoming popular, those who were used to the KJV did not want to change and relearn all the Bible verses they knew. But, they couldn't just admit, "I'm an old fuddy-duddy and don't want to change," so they began developing arguments for the KJV and against all the new translations. These arguments have been improved upon, and have gained traction, and have been passed on to new generations of English-speaking Christians. While they rarely admit it, advocates of KJV Onlyism essentially believe that God re-inspired the Bible in AD 1611. Ultimately, they have to go there because if they place their loyalty on the Textus Receptus (the Greek manuscript compilation used by the KJV translators), that would open the door to new translations being created. And, we can't have that, so, God must have perfectly superintended the KJV translators into creating a perfect representation of His Word in English. From their writings, it appears advocates of KJV Onlyism hate the NKJV, KJ21, and NKJV just as much as they hate the NIV, NASB, ESV, NLT, CSB, etc. No, in order for KJV Onlyism to be true, God had to have re-inspired the Bible through the KJV translators. Does that make any sense to you? It sure doesn't make any sense to me. Now, the more scholarly KJV Onlyites will make arguments for the superiority of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts behind the KJV. But, if you ask them if a new translation could be created from those manuscripts, watch out. I would advise body armour and ear muffs. Others will argue against the translation methodology of the new translations. But, with the more literal modern translations, like the NASB and ESV, the translation methodology is not dissimilar from what the KJV translators employed. Still others will attack the integrity, morals, and motivations of the modern translators. So, evidently, the group of 17th century British Anglicans behind the KJV were sinless, had perfect theology, and had absolutely no ulterior motives. KJV Onlyism is a good example of Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes that there is “nothing new under the sun” ( Ecclesiastes 1:9 ). When Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, he was labelled a heretic by some for daring to “change” the Bible. Centuries later, when Jerome's Latin Vulgate became nearly universally accepted in the Western church, many who dared to attempt updates were murdered. Then, when believers in Germany, England, and other countries began translating the Bible into their common languages, they were labelled heretics, and some were burned at the stake for their vulgarity. KJV Onlyism makes the exact same mistake. Instead of focusing their loyalties on the original Hebrew and Greek, they make their preferred translation of the Bible the only true Bible and persecute anyone with a different preference. There are movements similar to KJV Onlyism in other languages as well, although, thankfully, not with nearly the same followings. Don't be deceived by KJV Onlyism. God did not re-inspire the Bible in AD 1611. The King James Version is not the only Bible we can use. The new translations are not a part of a grand conspiracy to spread false doctrine. When the Bible was written, it was written in the common and current language of the people of that time. When the Bible is translated, it should be translated into the common and current language of the people. My first reaction to being exposed to KJV Onlyism was precisely correct. To force the English-speaking world to use an archaic and antiquated translation is ridiculous. The KJV Onlyites can bemoan all they want, but their concupiscence for disputation is verily brutish. 2) Why are the newer translations of the Bible missing verses? If you compare the King James and New King James Versions with the newer translations (e.g., the New International Version, English Standard Version, Christian Standard Bible, New Living Translation, etc.), you will notice that several verses are entirely missing from the newer translations. Examples of missing verses and passages are John 5:4 , Acts 8:37 , and 1 John 5:7 . Another example is Mark 16:9–20 , although that passage is always placed in the text or in footnotes. In addition to the few missing verses, there are numerous words and phrases that are missing from newer translations. Why do these translations omit these verses, phrases, and words? Are the newer translations taking verses out of the Bible, as some claim? No, the newer translations are not removing verses from the Bible. Rather, the newer translations are attempting to accurately present what the biblical writers originally wrote, and that means leaving out anything that was not part of the original text. Any content “missing” in newer translations is believed by most scholars to not have been in the Bible to begin with. The KJV was translated in AD 1611; the New Testament translators of the KJV used a Greek manuscript called the Textus Receptus . Since that time, many biblical manuscripts have been discovered that predate the Textus Receptus, and these older manuscripts, in theory, are likely to be more accurate. In their research, Bible scholars and textual critics have discovered some differences between the Textus Receptus and the older manuscripts. It seems that, over the course of 1,500 years, some words, phrases, and even sentences were added to the Bible, either intentionally or accidentally. The “missing verses” mentioned above are simply not found in some of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts. So, the newer translations remove these verses or place them in footnotes or in brackets because the translators believe they do not truly belong in the Bible. For example, John 5:4 is included in the KJV, but in the NKJV the verse has a footnote attached explaining that it is not found in many Greek texts; the NASB includes the verse in brackets; the NIV places the verse in a footnote, so John 5:4 is “missing” in the actual text. The disputed portion is this: “waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted” ( John 5:3–4, NASB ). Here is a possible explanation of how John 5:4 ended up in the Bible: a scribe is writing out John 5 , in which Jesus visits the pool of Bethesda : “Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years” ( John 5:3–5 ). But then the scribe gets to verse 7, as Jesus speaks to the man about his desire to be healed, and the man says, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred” (verse 7). The scribe considers the man’s reference to “stirred” water as a source of possible confusion, as John does not expound on it. So the scribe writes a quick note in the margin to explain why the invalid was waiting for “stirred” water—an angel came down at certain times to make something special happen. The scribe’s notation was an attempt to aid the reader in understanding Scripture. But then, as more and more copies of that manuscript were made, the scribe’s marginal note was transferred from the margin and inserted into the actual text as part of the passage. It may be that the later copyist misconstrued the intention of the marginal note: instead of being a commentary of sorts, the note was seen as the scribe’s attempt to correct a mistake, inserting a verse he had accidentally left out. Thus, what the scribe meant as a helpful gloss resulted in John 5 expanding by one verse. It is important to remember that the verses in question are of minor significance. None of them change in any way the crucial themes of the Bible, nor do they have any impact on the Bible’s doctrines—Jesus’ death and resurrection; Christ’s being the only way of salvation; and the doctrines of heaven and hell, sin and redemption, and the nature and character of God. These doctrines are preserved intact through the work of the Holy Spirit, who safeguards the Word of God for all generations. It is not a matter of the newer translations missing verses, and it is not a matter of the KJV translators adding to the Bible. It is a matter of determining, through careful research and textual science, what content was most likely part of the original manuscripts of the Bible. 3) What is the most accurate Bible translation? Choosing the most accurate translation is difficult because it is somewhat like asking, “What is the best brand of truck?” It depends on what you plan to do with it and what criteria you are using to evaluate it. Each translation of the Bible follows certain translation principles that will affect the final work. Some translations try to be “literal,” aiming for an exact, word-for-word correspondence as much as possible. Others try to be “dynamic,” or “thought-for-thought,” providing the overall meaning of the text in modern language, not necessarily providing word-for-word correspondence. One translation might be better for study, and another might be better for public reading. Someone reading on a fifth-grade level might prefer a translation different from what a college student is reading. Translation is not an exact science. There is often no perfect one-to-one correspondence between words in different languages. Additionally, every language has idioms and figures of speech—notoriously hard to translate—as well as historical and cultural factors that may affect the connotation of words in ways that cannot be translated. An example in English will help illustrate. If you have a friend who is involved in a live theatre production, and you want to wish her well, you might say, “Break a leg,” an idiom that, in the theater world, replaces saying, “Good luck” (which is considered bad luck to say). If you translate the idiom literally, the readers may get the wrong impression if they do not understand the cultural hijinks behind the phrase. In this case, translating break a leg as “good luck” might be better. A third option might be to leave the expression intact but include an explanatory footnote about what is actually meant. As our example shows, the most literal translation may not be the most accurate. The more a translation tries to express the original meaning in contemporary language, the more subjective interpretation is introduced. Further, readability can become an issue. A very accurate “literal” translation would be very unreadable. An Interlinear New Testament gives the Greek text on one line and, under it, the approximate English word for each Greek word. If you simply read the English words, you are left, in most cases, with a confusing jumble of words. It is very literal but practically meaningless. As the translation becomes more readable in English, it will become less literal. Most translations are on a continuum between being “literal” (staying as close to the original words and literary structure as possible) and “dynamic” (communicating the meaning of the passage in a way that the modern reader will understand, even if extra words are introduced that are not in the original text). There are dozens of English translations to choose from. The best ones are done by teams of competent evangelical scholars and reviewed by others. No single individual has all the skills necessary today to produce a good translation. Below are some of the most prominent and best translations: The King James Version is the most important book in the English language, having shaped the way English was spoken for hundreds of years. Many people grew up with the King James Version and still love the style and beauty of the translation. Someone once quipped, “The King James Version is as beautiful as Shakespeare and just as simple.” For some people, the Elizabethan English might be a challenge, but there is nothing wrong with accepting a challenge. The New King James Version is a more readable version of the King James, removing many of the archaic terms and modernizing the syntax. Both the KJV and the NKJV are “literal” translations. The New American Standard Bible stays as close as possible to the literal reading of the original text, preserving the literary structure, while still being readable in English. The NASB was very popular with serious Bible students for 20–30 years, from the 1980s to the early 2000s. However, some felt that it was difficult to read, especially for more casual or beginning readers who were not interested in “studying” the Bible. The English Standard Version has since filled the place of the NASB as a “literal” but readable translation. It seems to have replaced the NASB for many who prefer a translation on the “literal” end of the continuum. The New International Version is a “dynamic” translation. The translators’ concern was communicating the meaning in a way that is easily readable in English, even if it meant a departure from the original wording. The NIV has been very successful and is currently the most popular modern English version. The New Living Translation is by far the most “dynamic” of the most popular modern translations. When first released, the NLT sold very well, and for a time it looked as though it might overtake the NIV as the most popular dynamic translation. In recent years the NLT has faded while the NIV’s sales remain strong. The New English Translation or NET Bible is an internet-based version, although it is also available in book form. The NET contains extensive notes on the translation. While other modern versions may undergo a major revision every decade or so, the NET Bible is continually updated and revised as needed. For rapid reading of the text, a more dynamic translation such as the NLT or the NIV might be helpful. For more precise study, a more literal version such as the NASB, ESV, or NET would be preferable. When studying a passage, a good practice is to read it in several versions, both literal and dynamic. If there are places where the various translations seem to go in different directions, then more study is necessary to determine what issues of translation and interpretation are in play. Of course, consulting the original languages would be advantageous at that point, but for those who are not able to do so, the NET Bible and critical commentaries are a good option. Good commentaries will not simply tell the reader what the text means but explain the evidence for the various options and why the one chosen by the commentator is best. One should avoid interpretations or points of doctrine that are based on a single translation of a single word or phrase. One must also resist the tendency to “shop” for a translation that supports his preferred interpretation of a passage. The Message by Eugene Peterson and The Living Bible by Kenneth Taylor are rather free renderings of the original text as the authors understood it. The MSG and the TLB are the works of individuals, not committees, so there is far more room for error and personal bias. They are closer to personal paraphrases than to translations. Anyone who is reading either one of these would do well to keep in mind that the words express what a single man understood the text to mean. We recommend choosing one of the other translations, above, for one’s primary Bible. The New Revised Standard Version is the most popular version among non-evangelical Bible scholars. Evangelicals tend to stay away from this translation, as the translation team included many who were not committed to the authority of the biblical text. However, they were competent scholars in the biblical languages. In the final analysis, the choice of the “most accurate” translation will be a subjective decision. For study, we recommend the NASB, ESV, and NET, and we also recommend comparison with the NIV or NLT. We also have no problem recommending the KJV or NKJV, but comparing it with other versions helps identify points of tension in need of further research. For variety, one might choose a different translation each year to read through, noting anything that sounds different or seems to give a different meaning to a text. Every translation done in good faith by competent scholars can be considered accurate and authoritative. At the same time, human scholarship is imperfect; also, translations need to be updated over time as the English language changes.

Enough with sermons crafted to be consumed instead of words that cut to the heart. Enough with pulpits that have become stages and preachers who have become performers. Where are the preachers who eat locusts and honey? Where are the ones who have been stripped by obscurity, who learned to hear God without a microphone, who were forged in prayer before they were ever trusted with a platform? The fear of the Lord has been traded for relevance, and holiness has been exchanged for popularity. And hear me friends, the Spirit of God is not impressed with our conferences, our branding, or our followings. God is not endorsing our man made structures in this hour, He is raising up men and women that are unknown, uncelebrated, yet dripping with the oil of heaven. God is dismantling pulpits He never built and exposing ministries He never commissioned. He is silencing voices that He never anointed and He is drying up wells that were fed by self promotion instead of sacrifice. God is withdrawing His breath from what He never authored. Stages will go dark. Platforms will shake. Titles will mean nothing when weighed in the balance of eternity. And in its place, the Lord is releasing wilderness voices. Unpolished. Unapologetic. Uncontrollable. Voices formed in obscurity, refined by fire, and loyal only to truth. These voices will not ask for permission. They will not bow to culture. They will not negotiate the Gospel. John the Baptist did not have a platform, he had a cry. He did not flatter kings, he confronted sin. He did not build a brand, he prepared the way of the Lord. And just like in the days of John, the wilderness voices of today will not sound smooth, they will sound dangerous. They won’t preach for affirmation, they will preach for transformation. They won’t build movements around themselves, they will point relentlessly to Jesus and say, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” The next move of God will not be flashy, it will be holy. It will not be marketed, it will be marked. It will come through preachers who smell like prayer, sound like thunder, and carry a message that costs them everything. The era of celebrity Christianity is coming to an end and the hour of the wilderness voices is here.

Understanding the Deeper Issues There’s a deeper issue with Christians promoting flat-earth content. It’s not just that the claim is scientifically false. The real problem is what it communicates about God, truth, and our witness to the world. When believers publicly reject basic, measurable realities that anyone can test, it doesn’t make us look faithful. It makes us appear unlearned, reactionary, and disconnected from reality. Scripture never calls us to reject knowledge. Instead, it encourages us to test all things, love God with our minds, and walk wisely among outsiders. When Christians attach themselves to easily disproven claims, we don’t elevate God—we unintentionally shrink Him. The Nature of God and His Creation God is not honored by fragile belief systems that collapse under simple observation. The God of Scripture is the Creator of order, law, measure, and consistency. The heavens declare His glory not because they are mysterious nonsense, but because they operate with precision, reliability, and intelligible structure. Gravity, motion, geometry, and time are not enemies of faith. They are part of God’s design. When Christians promote flat-earth ideas, it tells the watching world that faith requires denial of evidence. It suggests that belief in God is incompatible with learning and that Scripture cannot withstand investigation. None of that is biblical. Christianity gave birth to modern science because believers trusted that a rational God created a rational universe worth studying. The Distraction from the Gospel Worse still, these posts distract from the Gospel. Instead of people seeing Christ as Lord, Redeemer, and Truth, they see Christians arguing against satellites, gravity, and basic physics. The conversation shifts from salvation and transformation to damage control. Not because the world hates truth—but because it recognizes error. The Bible never teaches a flat earth. It uses poetic language, phenomenological descriptions, and ancient observational terms—just like we still say “the sun rises” today without meaning it literally or scientifically. Confusing poetic language with scientific claims doesn’t make us more biblical; it makes us careless interpreters of Scripture. The Power of Truth God does not need conspiracy theories to defend Him. Truth stands on its own. A faith that requires rejecting reality is not stronger faith—it is weaker faith pretending to be bold. If we want to honor God, we should be people who love truth wherever it is found. We should not be afraid of investigation and should reflect the wisdom of the Creator in how we think, speak, and teach. The world isn’t rejecting Christianity because God is small. It’s rejecting caricatures of Christianity that make Him look that way. The Scientific Reality of Our World The Flat Earth Claim The “flat earth” claim doesn’t fail because of one clever argument. It fails because the physical world keeps giving the same answer from a thousand angles. In physics, the most reliable conclusions are the ones that are overdetermined: multiple independent measurements, using different methods, all converge on the same result. That’s exactly what happens here. The Earth is a rotating, gravitating spheroid (an oblate sphere), and the evidence is not subtle. Understanding Horizons Start with the simplest geometry: horizons. On a flat plane, the horizon is either infinite or limited only by haze and the resolving power of your eyes and camera. But in reality, the horizon behaves like a geometric occlusion. As distance increases, the bottom of objects disappears first. That “bottom-first” loss is what you get when a curved surface blocks the line of sight. You can test this in the real world with shoreline skylines, distant buildings, or ships. Zooming in doesn’t bring back what’s hidden behind the horizon because it’s not a “resolution” problem; it’s a line-of-sight problem. If the Earth were flat, increasing magnification should recover the whole object (subject to atmospheric blur). Instead, you recover detail in the visible part while the hidden part remains hidden, because the surface is in the way. The Dynamics of Gravity Now move from geometry to dynamics: gravity. A flat earth model has a brutal physics issue: mass attracts mass. If you had a large flat disk of Earth-mass, gravity would not pull “straight down” everywhere. Near the center, “down” would be roughly perpendicular to the disk; near the edges, gravity would lean inward toward the center. That means plumb lines, building levels, and “down” would measurably tilt depending on location. In a round-earth model, local gravity points toward Earth’s center of mass, which matches what we observe: “down” is locally radial, not globally parallel. The fact that vertical is locally consistent everywhere is exactly what you expect on a sphere under gravity. Precision in Measurement Even more, Earth’s gravity field has been measured with exquisite precision. The acceleration due to gravity is about 9.8 m/s², but it varies slightly with latitude and altitude in the exact way predicted by a rotating oblate spheroid: Earth bulges at the equator (increasing radius, reducing g) and rotation reduces effective weight slightly more at the equator than at the poles. Those variations are not philosophical; they are measurable and are used in geophysics, surveying, and inertial navigation. The Coriolis Effect Speaking of rotation: the Coriolis effect is not a “theory,” it’s a consequence of motion in a rotating frame. If Earth rotates, moving air and water should deflect relative to the surface: to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern. That is exactly what we see in the handedness of large-scale cyclones and the structure of ocean gyres. More importantly, the Coriolis effect can be measured directly in controlled settings. Artillery tables, long-range ballistics, and even high-precision engineering account for Earth’s rotation. A flat, non-rotating Earth doesn’t give you a consistent global Coriolis framework; a rotating sphere does. The Foucault Pendulum A classic, clean physics demonstration is the Foucault pendulum. It’s a simple pendulum set swinging in a fixed plane, and the Earth rotates beneath it. The pendulum’s plane appears to rotate at a rate that depends on latitude: zero at the equator, maximum at the poles, proportional to the sine of latitude. This is not “perspective” or “camera tricks.” It is inertial physics. The latitude dependence is the key: it matches a rotating sphere, not a flat plane with ad hoc motion. Observing the Sky Then there’s the sky itself, which is essentially a giant physics lab. On a sphere, observers at different latitudes see different portions of the celestial sphere. That’s why the altitude of Polaris changes with latitude in the northern hemisphere and why the southern sky has different constellations, with a different “pole” near Sigma Octantis. On a flat Earth with a small “nearby” sun and dome-like sky, you can’t simultaneously preserve the angular relationships, apparent rotations, and consistent stellar navigation across vast distances. Yet celestial navigation works because the sky behaves like it’s effectively at infinity, and Earth’s surface is curved beneath it. The Geometry of Time Zones Time zones are another geometry slam. If the sun were a small lamp sweeping over a plane, you’d expect odd distortions in solar angles and day-night boundaries. You’d have trouble explaining the crispness and shape of the terminator (the moving boundary between day and night). On a sphere lit by a distant sun, the terminator is the intersection of sunlight with a sphere, and its behavior matches what we see, including seasonal shifts. The Impact of Seasons Seasonal changes themselves are deadly to flat models without constant patchwork. The length of day changes with latitude through the year, and in polar regions, you get continuous daylight or darkness for extended periods. That behavior drops naturally out of a tilted rotating sphere orbiting the sun. Flat models end up inventing complicated sun paths and spotlight beams that still fail to reproduce the observed timing and geometry consistently for both hemispheres. The Role of Satellites Now let’s talk about the most “physics” proof of all: radio and satellites. Modern communication relies on orbital mechanics. Orbit is not a magic hover; it’s free-fall around a massive body. The reason satellites stay up is that they’re moving sideways fast enough that as they fall, the Earth curves away beneath them. GPS is especially crushing because it requires not just satellites existing, but precision timing consistent with relativity. GPS satellites’ clocks tick at different rates compared to Earth clocks due to both special relativity (motion) and general relativity (weaker gravity at altitude). The system must correct for these effects to maintain meter-level accuracy. That is physics operating on a curved gravitational field around a roughly spherical Earth. A flat Earth model has no coherent replacement that reproduces working GPS at a global scale. DIY Measurements If you want a “you can do it yourself” measurement that doesn’t require trusting institutions, do this: travel north-south a few hundred miles and measure the angle of Polaris above the horizon using a simple inclinometer app or a homemade protractor and string. On a spherical Earth, that angle changes about one degree per 69 miles (111 km). That relationship is geometry of a sphere. It’s consistent, repeatable, and doesn’t care what anyone believes. Another DIY proof is to watch a lunar eclipse. The Earth’s shadow on the moon is always circular. A disk can cast a circular shadow only in special orientations, but a sphere casts a circular shadow from every orientation. If Earth were a flat disk, over time, across countless eclipses, you would not always see a round shadow. Yet you do. That’s not a photograph; it’s observable with your own eyes. The Importance of Perspective Also notice this: different observers can see different horizons simultaneously, and the angles to distant objects behave like they’re on a curved surface. Surveying and geodesy are built on this. Engineers correct for curvature on long projects, from canals to bridges to high-precision mapping. Not because of ideology, but because instruments and math demand it. Conclusion: The Call to Embrace Truth What’s the takeaway? The Earth isn’t “not flat” because NASA said so. The Earth isn’t flat because gravity, rotation, geometry, optics, astronomy, orbital mechanics, and relativity all agree. They agree in ways that generate working technologies and repeatable measurements. Flat Earth models survive only by rejecting large chunks of physics or inventing mechanisms that don’t produce the same predictive power. If someone wants to debate, here’s the honest standard: bring a flat model that simultaneously explains the horizon, gravity direction, latitude-dependent pendulum precession, Coriolis dynamics, seasons, polar day/night, lunar eclipses, and GPS timing. Not one or two. All of it, with equations and predictions that match measurements. That’s what real science demands. And when you hold both models to that standard, the result is not close. Update after releasing a video about a rescued astronaut being a Christian, many "Christians" commented about him being a liar and that any talk of space existing was fake. Many of these sincere folk adamantly believe that the Earth is flat. This is because there are verses in Scripture saying that the Earth has foundations and pillars. There are also verses saying that the Earth cannot be moved. That means that any talk of it being round or moving through space is a conspiratorial lie. For those who believe that those verses can only mean that we are on a flat Earth sitting on an unmovable foundation, here’s an experiment. See if you can move the Earth by jumping on it or somehow pushing it. It can’t be moved, just as the Bible says. “Examples of biblical metaphors include Jesus saying that He was the door (John 10:9), that He was bread (John 6:35), and that He was a grapevine (John 15:1). Other metaphors in the Bible are seen where God calls the earth His footstool (Isaiah 66:1) and where the Bible says God is the Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4).” The verses regarding pillars and foundations are clearly metaphoric. For those who may not know, a metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, often by stating that one thing is actually another, rather than using the word “like.” “The world is a stage” is a metaphor. It expresses the idea that life is like a theatrical play, where people are actors playing different roles. This concept is articulated by William Shakespeare in As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts…” This means that life consists of different phases, much like scenes in a play. People adopt various roles throughout life—such as child, parent, worker, or leader—often influenced by circumstances beyond their control. It also suggests that much of human behavior is performance-like, shaped by societal expectations. Examples of biblical metaphors include Jesus saying that He was the door (John 10:9), that He was bread (John 6:35), and that He was a grapevine (John 15:1). Other metaphors in the Bible are seen where God calls the earth His footstool (Isaiah 66:1) and where the Bible says God is the Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4). The earth isn’t an actual footstool upon which God rests His feet. Neither is our Creator made of rock. Nor is Jesus a physical door that has hinges and opens and closes. He is not made of bread, nor is He an actual grapevine. These are obviously metaphorical statements, and so are the verses about the Earth having actual pillars and foundations. This wouldn’t be an issue if those who take these verses literally kept their beliefs to themselves. But many don’t. They insist on shouting it from the housetops—as though a flat Earth was the central doctrine of the gospel of salvation. How, then, can we expect an unbelieving world to trust in Jesus when they hear that the Earth is pancake flat and sits on super strong and massively heavy pillars that sit on nothing? And if the pillars sit on an enormously large foundation, what does that sit on? Such irrational beliefs make the Bible believer look like a fool, in the same category as someone who believes that the moon is made of cheese. And if you do think the moon is made of cheese, please keep it to yourself. THE FLAT EARTH DOCTRINE MAKES CHRISTIANS LOOK FOOLISH: I’m going to say this plainly. Flat earth isn’t biblical. It isn’t scientific. It isn’t hidden wisdom. It’s bad interpretation wrapped in conspiracy thinking, and Christians need to stop dragging the Bible into it. The Bible isn’t the problem. Bad Bible handling is the problem. God’s Word doesn’t need help from YouTube prophets, TikTok mathematicians, or men who think every pilot, sailor, astronomer, navigator, surveyor, airline company, shipping route, eclipse calculation, time zone, and weather system on earth is secretly part of one giant lie. That isn’t discernment. The earth is a sphere, more precisely an oblate spheroid, slightly wider at the equator because it rotates. This isn’t new information. Eratosthenes calculated the earth’s circumference more than 2,000 years ago using shadows, angles, and basic geometry. The math isn’t complicated. The earth’s circumference is about 24,901 miles. There are 360 degrees in a circle. 24,901 ÷ 360 = about 69.17 miles per degree. That means if you travel north or south about 69 miles, the stars shift by about one degree in the sky. And that’s exactly what happens. Polaris gets higher as you travel north and lower as you travel south. On a flat earth, that falls apart. Time zones destroy flat earth too. The earth rotates once every 24 hours. 360 degrees ÷ 24 hours = 15 degrees per hour. That’s why the sun rises and sets at different times across the world. It’s rotation. It’s measurable. It’s predictable. The horizon also proves curvature. A simple approximation is: Distance to horizon in miles = 1.22 × √height in feet If your eyes are 6 feet above sea level: √6 = 2.45 2.45 × 1.22 = about 3 miles That means your horizon is roughly 3 miles away. Climb higher, and you see farther. That’s why ships disappear bottom-first. That’s why mountains become visible from higher elevations. That’s why pilots see farther than people standing on the beach. Flat earth can’t explain that without inventing nonsense. The curve drop is simple too. A rough formula is: 8 inches per mile squared At 1 mile: about 8 inches. At 10 miles: about 800 inches, which is about 66 feet. At 20 miles: about 3,200 inches, which is about 267 feet. Yes, atmospheric refraction can bend light and slightly change what you see near the horizon. But refraction doesn’t erase the globe. It’s just another measurable part of the world God made. Then there are eclipses. A lunar eclipse happens when the earth passes between the sun and the moon. The earth’s shadow on the moon is always round. Every time. From every angle. A flat disc doesn’t always cast a round shadow. A sphere does. Then there are the stars. In the northern hemisphere, stars rotate around Polaris. In the southern hemisphere, they rotate around the southern celestial pole. Different constellations are visible in different parts of the world. Australia doesn’t see the sky the same way Alaska does. That makes perfect sense on a globe. It makes no sense on a flat pizza map. Flight routes also destroy it. Southern hemisphere flights make sense on a globe. They become ridiculous on most flat earth maps. Shipping lanes, GPS, military navigation, airline fuel planning, satellite communication, weather tracking, undersea cable mapping, and long-distance surveying all operate on globe math every single day. Flat earth only survives by saying everybody is lying. That isn’t an argument. Now let’s talk about the Great Pyramid of Giza, because this is where flat earthers really step on their own rake. The Great Pyramid is incredible. No serious person has to deny that. Its original height was about 481 feet, and its base was roughly 756 feet per side, giving it a base perimeter around 3,024 feet. Now watch the math. Base perimeter: about 3,024 feet Original height: about 481 feet 3,024 ÷ 481 = about 6.28 And 2π = 6.28318 That means the pyramid’s perimeter-to-height ratio is extremely close to 2π. Why is that interesting? Because the circumference of a circle divided by its radius is 2π. So if the pyramid’s perimeter represents a circumference, then the pyramid’s height represents a radius..That’s a globe. The scale factor often discussed with the Great Pyramid is 43,200. 43,200. Take the pyramid’s base perimeter: 3,024 feet × 43,200 = 130,636,800 feet Now divide by feet in a mile: 130,636,800 ÷ 5,280 = about 24,742 miles The earth’s equatorial circumference is about 24,901 miles. That’s very, very close.. Now take the pyramid’s height: 481 feet × 43,200 = 20,779,200 feet Divide by 5,280: 20,779,200 ÷ 5,280 = about 3,935 miles The earth’s polar radius is about 3,950 miles. Again, very close. The Great Pyramid is actually giving us a globe, and it's math. Pretty interesting... If the builders encoded earth measurements into the pyramid, they weren’t encoding a dinner plate. They were encoding geometry that lines up with a globe. Don’t bring the Great Pyramid to a flat earth fight. It betrays you. It testifies for the globe. Now let’s deal with the Bible verses.. Flat earthers love to say, “The Bible says four corners of the earth.” Yes, it does. Isaiah 11:12 says: “And gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” That’s an idiom. We still say sunrise, sunset, the ends of the earth, and the four corners of the world. Nobody thinks the earth has literal corners. It’s normal human language. Revelation 7:1 says angels stand on the “four corners of the earth,” holding the “four winds.” Fine. Then be consistent. If “four corners” means a literal square earth, then “four winds” must mean only four literal winds exist. Nobody actually reads it that way because the language is symbolic and directional. North. South. East. West. Then they bring up “the circle of the earth.” Isaiah 40:22 says: “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth…” The Hebrew word is חוּג - chug. It can carry the idea of a circle, circuit, horizon, or compass. Flat earthers say, “See, a circle is flat.” But Isaiah isn’t giving a geometry lecture. He’s describing God enthroned above the earth in majestic language. And there’s a simple answer they ignore. From a distance, a sphere presents as a circle. Look at the moon. It appears as a circle, but it’s a sphere. Calling something a circle doesn’t prove a flat disc. Then they bring up the firmament. Genesis 1:6 says: “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters…” The Hebrew word is רָקִיעַ - raqia. It carries the idea of something spread out, stretched out, or extended. English translations handle it differently: firmament, expanse, sky, or heavens. But Genesis 1 isn’t teaching that we live under a metal snow globe. The same chapter says God put lights in the firmament of heaven for signs, seasons, days, and years. Genesis 1:14 says: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night…” Then they bring up “foundations of the earth.” Psalm 104:5 says: “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” This isn’t saying the earth is sitting on concrete footings floating in space. God founded the earth. God established the earth. God governs creation. The same poetic books say mountains skip like rams, floods clap their hands, trees rejoice, and wisdom cries in the streets. You don’t read poetry like a shop manual. Then they bring up pillars. Job 9:6 says: “Which shakes the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.” So where are these literal pillars? What are they made of? Who drilled into one? The point is obvious. Scripture uses poetic, observational, and symbolic language. God speaks to man in language man can understand. Then they bring up “ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 says: “…and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Jesus wasn’t teaching geography has a hard edge people could fall off. He was commanding global witness. The Gospel goes to all nations. Not to the lip of a plate. Then they try Matthew 4, where Satan shows Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world.” Matthew 4:8 says: “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world…” Flat earthers say, “See? You could only see all kingdoms from a high mountain if the earth were flat.” No. Just no. That was a supernatural temptation involving Satan showing Christ the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. There’s no mountain tall enough on any model, flat or globe, where you can physically see every kingdom on earth with your eyeballs. Then they run to Greek words. They’ll mention γῆ - ge, meaning earth, land, or ground. They’ll mention οἰκουμένη - oikoumene, meaning the inhabited world. They’ll mention κόσμος - kosmos, meaning world, order, or world-system. None of those words teach flat earth. They describe land, the inhabited world, mankind, or the ordered world depending on context. Greek doesn’t rescue flat earth. Hebrew doesn’t rescue flat earth. Bad interpretation creates flat earth, then goes hunting for verses to baptize it. That’s backwards. The Bible is true. Flat earth is not. Christians need to be careful here because when we attach foolish claims to Scripture, unbelievers don’t only laugh at the claim. They laugh at the Bible we stapled it to. That’s the problem. When we make the Bible say something it doesn’t say, then defend it like doctrine, we hand mockers free ammunition. The Gospel is already offensive enough to the natural man. Christ crucified is already a stumblingblock. The resurrection is already supernatural. The virgin birth is already miraculous. Creation itself already points to the living God. We don’t need fake science and bad exegesis added to the pile. The Bible never commands me to believe the earth is flat. It commands me to believe Jesus Christ died for sinners, was buried, rose again the third day, and is coming again. That’s where I’m planting my flag. On Christ. Not a YouTube map. Not a fake dome. Not a conspiracy chart. Here’s the final nail: The math doesn’t support flat earth. Navigation doesn’t support flat earth. The stars don’t support flat earth. Eclipses don’t support flat earth. Time zones don’t support flat earth. Flight routes don’t support flat earth. The Great Pyramid doesn’t support flat earth. Hebrew doesn’t support flat earth. Greek doesn’t support flat earth. And the Bible doesn’t support flat earth. God made the heavens and the earth. That should make us worship Him deeper, not twist His Word into nonsense. Christians should be the clearest thinkers in the room because we know the Author of truth. So let’s stop making the faith look foolish. Believe the Bible. Handle it rightly. Preach Christ. Leave the pancake earth in the trash where it belongs.

For more details see my message on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_XdUV3B2Vw Or my post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1350876497079952&set=pcb.1350902043744064 Or more recent updates on this prophetically important nation: https://www.harvestministriesnz.com/post/more-about-iran-persia-elam When people talk about Iran in Bible prophecy, they are not engaging in mere speculation or modern politics disguised as theology. Scripture itself repeatedly references this region under its ancient names—Persia and Elam—placing it squarely within God’s prophetic timeline. Iran has been part of the biblical narrative from the beginning of Israel’s exile to the birth of the Church. It has not disappeared from prophecy concerning the last days. Iran in the Old Testament In the Old Testament, Iran first appears as Elam. This region lies east of Babylon, west of Persia proper, and south of Media. The prophet Jeremiah pronounced judgment on Elam, foretelling both its destruction and its eventual restoration: “I will break the bow of Elam… Yet it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam.” (Jeremiah 49:35, 39) This prophecy unfolded with remarkable precision. Babylon conquered Elam in 596 BC, but Elam did not vanish. Instead, its people were absorbed into the rising Medo-Persian Empire, which went on to overthrow Babylon in 539 BC—exactly as Isaiah foretold: “Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media!” (Isaiah 21:2) The Role of Daniel This transition happened during Daniel’s lifetime. He personally witnessed the fall of Babylon (Daniel 5) and later recorded visions while living in the province of Elam (Daniel 8:2). Persia was not merely a background nation—it became the stage on which God worked powerfully for His people. Under Persian rule, Israel was allowed to return home, rebuild the Temple, and restore Jerusalem. The books of Esther and Nehemiah are entirely set within Persia’s royal courts. Persia’s dominance eventually gave way to Greece under Alexander the Great, fulfilling Daniel’s prophetic vision of the ram and the goat in Daniel 8. From that point forward, Persia passed through many hands—Seleucid, Parthian, Sassanian, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic—until the modern nation of Iran formally emerged in AD 1501. Yet throughout these shifts, the region never left God’s prophetic map. Iran's Presence in the New Testament The New Testament quietly confirms Persia’s continued relevance. On the Day of Pentecost, Luke records that “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites” were present in Jerusalem (Acts 2:9). These were Jews from what is now Iran—devout worshipers who witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and carried the gospel back east. Iran was present at the very birth of the Church. End-Time Prophecy and Iran But the most sobering references appear in end-time prophecy. In Ezekiel 38–39, Persia is named explicitly as part of a future military alliance led by Gog of Magog. This coalition includes nations corresponding to modern Russia, Turkey, Sudan, and Libya, and it will move against Israel at a time when Israel is described as dwelling securely and unsuspecting. “Persia, Cush, and Put are with them… all of them with shield and helmet.” (Ezekiel 38:5) This invasion will not succeed. God Himself intervenes, not through diplomacy or military alliances, but through supernatural judgment. The invading armies are destroyed on the mountains of Israel, not to glorify Israel’s strength, but to reveal God’s holiness to the nations: “I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:23) Iran’s modern hostility toward Israel is not the cause of this prophecy—it is a confirmation that the players are aligning exactly where Scripture said they would be. Yet the focus of the prophecy is not fear, war, or politics. The focus is God’s sovereignty. “I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel… and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” (Ezekiel 39:7) Understanding Current Events Bible prophecy does not exist to make us anxious. It exists to remind us that history is not random, God is not reacting, and the future is already written by the One who declares the end from the beginning. Watch the headlines—but interpret them through Scripture, not speculation. Is Today’s Iran/US Crisis Part of Bible Prophecy? A powerful nation with a Biblical heritage suddenly on the brink of war with the United States—could this be part of God’s prophetic timeline? Friends, the headlines feel like something straight out of the book of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Isaiah. But before fear spreads, let’s look at what God’s Word actually says—with wisdom, not sensationalism: Iran: From Biblical Elam to Modern Nation The nation we now call Iran was known in the Bible by several names: Elam — referenced in prophetic warnings of scattering and future restoration (Jeremiah 49). Persia — the empire that liberated the Jews from Babylonian exile (Cyrus) and allowed the temple to be rebuilt. Parthians/Medes — peoples mentioned at Pentecost as being present when the Church was born (Acts 2:9). God’s Word shows Iran’s land and peoples repeatedly in Scripture—not as an accident, but as part of God’s unfolding plan: judgment, exile, restoration, and covenant fulfillment. Why This Matters in Prophecy Several Bible passages are often connected to nations in this region: Jeremiah 49:34–39 — God prophesies against Elam (ancient Iran) and promises restoration in the last days. Daniel 8 — Persia is symbolized in visions about kingdoms rising and falling, as part of God’s sovereign control over history. Ezekiel 38–39 — A future coalition including Persia comes against Israel; God supernaturally defeats them. Acts 2:9 — The presence of Medes, Elamites, and Parthians at Pentecost reminds us God is already moving among these nations spiritually. What Does Prophecy Really Say? God intends prophecy to inform our hope, not fuel fear. Scripture shows conflict and restoration. Elam/Persia is both judged and promised blessing—God’s arc is toward redemption. Ezekiel 38–39’s war comes after Israel is at peace and secure—not necessarily the same war the world headlines today. A Christian Response to Today’s Tensions Believers should not panic—but pray with wisdom and urgency: Pray for peace, not war (1 Tim. 2:1–2). Pray for Iranian citizens suffering under repression and economic hardship. Pray for diplomatic wisdom that honors life. Pray for Israel, America, and all nations caught in this storm. Remember: God is sovereign over kingdoms, presidents, and empires. Persia freed God’s people once—God is not done with the peoples of that ancient land. Conclusion Iran appears in Bible history more than you realized. Prophecy involves Iran—but not in the simplistic, fear-driven “headline fulfillment” way. Today’s tensions are serious—but God’s purposes go beyond a single conflict. The Bible both warns of wars and points to ultimate peace in Jesus Christ. “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet…” — Ezekiel 38:5 (NKJV) Who is “Persia” in the Bible? The Bible refers to the ancient empire known as Persia, whose territory and identity correspond to modern-day Iran. The name Persia was used in Scripture and world history, while the modern nation officially adopted the name Iran in 1935. In biblical prophecy, Persia = Iran is a recognizable geopolitical entity linked to end-time events described by the prophet Ezekiel. The Prophecy of Gog and Magog Ezekiel chapters 38–39 describe a powerful leader called Gog, from the land of Magog, who leads a coalition of nations against Israel in the “latter days.” This coalition specifically includes Persia, making Iran the only nation in the prophecy still known today by essentially the same geographic identity. Key Prophetic Details Include: Israel dwelling securely in the land. A multi-nation alliance rising against her. God supernaturally intervening to defend Israel and glorify His name among the nations. What This Means (Interpretive Summary) Persia’s Role Persia is clearly listed as part of the end-times alliance that comes against Israel. This event is commonly referred to as the Battle of Gog and Magog. Iran Today Modern Iran’s leadership has openly expressed hostility toward Israel. Many Bible teachers see this hostility as consistent with the role Persia plays in Ezekiel’s prophecy. Important note: Scripture names Persia, not modern political movements. Any modern application is interpretive, not dogmatic. A Larger Biblical Pattern Persia in History Persia once played a God-ordained role in blessing Israel. Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, was used by God to free the Jewish exiles and allow the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 1; Isaiah 45). Persia in Prophecy In Ezekiel, Persia appears again, this time aligned against Israel. This shift highlights God’s sovereignty over nations across different eras. God raises nations up, uses them for His purposes, and holds them accountable in His perfect timing. Final Thoughts God is fully sovereign over history and prophecy. The inclusion of Persia (Iran) in Ezekiel 38–39 does not mean every modern conflict is prophetic fulfillment, but it does call believers to watch, pray, and remain anchored in Scripture. The ultimate message of Gog and Magog is not fear, but God’s glory, faithfulness, and protection of His covenant promises. Study Tip Read Ezekiel 38–39 slowly and alongside Israel’s modern history. Pay attention to what God says He will do, not just what the nations plan to do. The Bow of Elam: (Jeremiah 49:34–39) The prophecy of the Bow of Elam is one of the most overlooked passages in Scripture, yet it is remarkably specific and carefully worded. Elam was an ancient kingdom east of Babylon, centered around Susa, in what is now southwestern Iran. In the Bible, Elam was known for its archers. Their military strength was symbolized by the bow, which is why the imagery in Jeremiah is so intentional. “Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.” (Jeremiah 49:35) In prophetic language, the bow represents military power and the ability to wage war. God is not merely predicting a lost battle. He is declaring the removal of Elam’s war-making capacity. What Elam trusted in most is what God addresses directly. The prophecy then describes Elam being scattered in all directions. This language points to dispersion, loss of unity, and regional destabilization. Elam does not simply lose strength; it loses cohesion and centralized power. Jeremiah also speaks of terror and collapse coming upon Elam. Fear, confusion, and political unraveling accompany the judgment. This is not only a military defeat but a national shaking. Yet the prophecy does not end there. God declares that He will set His throne in Elam. This statement signals divine sovereignty. God does not merely defeat Elam; He asserts His authority over the region. The purpose is rule, not eradication. Finally, the passage closes with hope. In the latter days, God promises to restore Elam. Judgment is not the final word. God preserves a future for the people and the land, showing once again that His judgments are measured and redemptive. The larger message is clear. God breaks what nations trust in most. Military power does not decide history. The Lord does! For more details see my message on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_XdUV3B2Vw Or my post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1350876497079952&set=pcb.1350902043744064 Or more recent updates on this prophetically important nation: https://www.harvestministriesnz.com/post/more-about-iran-persia-elam