I need some scripture help please....

[MovinOnUp]

I am hoping someone can help me respond to something my cousin has written. I have been witnessing to him...but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. He has heard the Gospel message..and he is now aware of what I believe will happen soon..the rapture, followed by 7 years of tribulation..

We have a very good relationship--he's very much like a brother to me. He is a Canadian..but now lives in Spain..he is a lawyer and is studying European Union Law..prior to this he was working in the Hague with an International Law office/group of which he was a partner.

I would like to send him some information that he can save on disc. I know he will!! and someday, IF he is left behind, he'll have this info. My prayer is that he will receive Christ soon, though..

What scripure deals with 'one world religion'? I would like to begin his info with a reply to this statement of his, :

"As for religion, I see something positive to be gained from many faiths."

also, besides 'not receiving the mark'..what other type things would you include? Would it be wise, since he's in Europe to encourage him to flee to Israel? (won't some of them be hidden/protected at Petra?

Thanks for any help.

YSIC



Thank YOu..and if you could say a quick prayer for Mark, i would greatly appreciate it!!

edit to add: Yes, he knows what i think of the European Union and where it's heading!!he has never commented on it, though..

[Don]

Revelation 17 talks about the false religion (some think it's a 'one world' religion) that is active near the end. It helps if you understand prostitution is often used throughout the Bible to symbolize unfaithfulness to God.

[antsinmypants]

also, besides 'not receiving the mark'..what other type things would you include? Would it be wise, since he's in Europe to encourage him to flee to Israel? (won't some of them be hidden/protected at Petra?

Unfortunately, there isn't a place called Petra. This is something the writers of Left Behind made up, as well as many other things in their books. I'd send a bible, and bible software if it were me, so that he can search the word out on his own.. but remember, unless he heeds the call of Messiah, he will not understand the Bible, nor will he want to have anything to do with any true Spirituality that will get him into heaven.

One can pray, continue to witness and be a light in all their dealings with him, but unless he heeds that gentle wooing of the Spirit, he won't want to understand.

The best advice is to advise him to ask G-d to show Himself to him in a way he would understand Him.

[Hootmon]

Unfortunately, there isn't a place called Petra. This is something the writers of Left Behind made up, as well as many other things in their books. Doesnt exist? Ive seen pictures... :confused

[antsinmypants]

Doesnt exist? Ive seen pictures... :confused

In the sense of Left behind "everyone go hide there and be supernaturally protected"... ?

[Hootmon]

In the sense of Left behind "everyone go hide there and be supernaturally protected"... ? I read a fairly cogent explaination of that once, but the source escapes me ATM (Grant Jeffrey?). Its based on OT Prophecy.

EDIT: Found a reference online... Isaiah 16:1-5...Isa 16:1 Send the lamb to the ruler of the land from the rock of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
Isa 16:2 For it shall be as a fleeing bird cast out of the nest, the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
Isa 16:3 Take counsel, do judgment; make your shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; do not betray the fugitive.
Isa 16:4 Let my outcasts dwell with you, Moab; be a shelter to them from the face of the destroyer; for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceases, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
Isa 16:5 And in mercy the throne shall be established; and he shall sit on it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment, and speeding righteousness. ...and Isaiah 42:10-11 ... Isa 42:10 Sing to Jehovah a new song; His praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and its fullness; coasts and their peoples.
Isa 42:11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages where Kedar dwells. Let the dwellers of the rock sing, let them shout from the mountain tops. An interesting study can be found HERE (http://www.hebroots.com/lul10.html) about halfway down the page...

Here is a an excerpt... ===> When Antiochus IV invades the glorious land (Israel), (Daniel 8:9, 11:41) ... the land of Edom, Moab, and Ammon will escape out of his hand (Daniel 11:41). This is modern day Jordan.
This is a picture of the same thing which will happen when the Anti-Christ invades and captures Jerusalem during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:5). The believers in Yeshua/Jesus will flee into the land of Edom to a place called Petra where they will be protected by God during the last 3 1/2 years when the Anti-Christ will control Israel (Matthew 24:15, Revelation 12:6,14, Isaiah 16:1-5, 42:10-11).

===> The believers in Yeshua/Jesus (Revelation 12:17) who are the outcasts spoken of in (Isaiah 16:3-4), are dwelling in Moab (Jordan) during this time being protected from the extortioner (the Anti-Christ) (Isaiah 16:4). The triumph and reign of Yeshua/Jesus coming back to the earth to reign for 1,000 years and defeat the Anti-Christ is seen in (Isaiah 16:5.

Sela (Isaiah 16:1) is modern day Petra in Jordan. Sela means rock. Kedar (Isaiah 42:11) are the bedowins who are "the inhabitants of the rock" in (Isaiah 42:11). Petra is in the wilderness (Isaiah 42:11) which Yeshua/Jesus referred to in (Matthew 24:15).

===> The believers at Sela (Isaiah 16:1), which means "Rock" (Strong's Hebrew Concordance #5554), are hidden (Isaiah 16:3) from the spoiler, extortioner (Isaiah 16:4), which is the Anti-Christ, during the tribulation (Revelation 12:6,14).

a. Another name for the tribulation is -- "The time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:5-7).

b. During the time of trouble (the tribulation), Psalm 27:5 says "In the time of trouble ... you shall hide me ... upon a rock"

c. The Anti-Christ coming to destroy the people at Petra and their defeat is seen in (Revelation 12:15-16 = Psalm 27:2.

===> Yeshua/Jesus will pass through Edom at his 2nd coming to show those who have fled there for 3 1/2 years from the Anti-Christ that he has returned (Isaiah 63:1-5).

Edom (Strong's #123) means red and is a name given to the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:21,24-25, 36:1).

We know that (Isaiah 63:1-5 is speaking of Yeshua/Jesus for several reasons:

a. Isaiah 63:1 says "I that speak in righteousness mighty to save."
b. Isaiah 63:2 = Revelation 19:11,13
c. Isaiah 63:3 = Revelation 19:15

Isaiah 63:4 tells us this is "the day of vengeance." This is a term which describes the time of the 2nd coming.

Isaiah 61:1-2a = Luke 4:17-21 ... This was fulfilled at Yeshua's 1st coming
Isaiah 61:2b = Isaiah 63:4 ......... This is fulfilled at Yeshua's 2nd coming

Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:17-21, Isaiah 63:4 describe the year of jubilee which is found in (Leviticus 25:8-13).

Isaiah 61:2 ... "The acceptable year of the Lord" = the Jubilee
Isaiah 63:4 ... "The year of my redeemed" = the Jubilee

===> After passing through Edom, Yeshua/Jesus will return to earth at his 2nd coming and set foot on the Mt. of Olives, which is the mountain east of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-4, Acts 1:6-12).

[Patty T]

As I was reading your post I thought of something I heard once. The difference between heaven and hell is approximately 18"; which is the measurement between your head and your heart. It's not what we have or do with the knowledge in our heads - it's our heart that God wants.

Praying that Mark will open his heart to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[MovinOnUp]

Thank You All for your replies and prayers--everything you've written means a lot to me. I'll pray for all your needs and concerns as well.

Yes, he needs the drawing of the Holy Spirit..please Lord have mercy on his soul!

Mark's nickname for me is "Billy" (as in Billy Graham :lol)...at least he hasn't asked me to stop sending 'religious stuff' like my brother Luke did. :sad

I'm so ready to go home..but it's hard knowing that some of your loved ones aren't.

Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!!!

[antitox]

Unfortunately, there isn't a place called Petra. This is something the writers of Left Behind made up, as well as many other things in their books.

Petra is located in Jordan. It is a rock-fortified area that has been assumed would be the place of escape for those in Jerusalem and Judea where scripture says to "flee (Mk 13:14) into the mountains..."

See data below:

Petra lies about 3-5 hours south of modern Amman, about 2 hours north of Aqaba, on the edges of the mountainous desert of the Wadi Araba. The city is surrounded by towering hills of rust-coloured sandstone which gave the city some natural protection against invaders.

The site is semi-arid, the friable sandstone which allowed the Nabataeans to carve their temples and tombs into the rock crumbling easily to sand. The colour of the rock ranges from pale yellow or white through rich reds to the darker brown of more resistant rocks. The contorted strata of different-coloured rock form whorls and waves of colour in the rock face, which the Nabataeans exploited in their architecture.....

[antsinmypants]

Petra is a city built into the rockface just east of Israel in
Jordan.

Unfortunately, Many prophecy teachers believe that Tribulation saints will
flee to there based on a handful of prophecies; and "Tribulation novelists" have run with it, probably making it into something bigger than it really is.


The bible says believing Israel will flee to the mountains, the mountains are not named, but the regions are. ;):

[Paul]

What scripure deals with 'one world religion'?
Revelation 13 goes into how the Antichrist will declare himself to be God and how the False Prophet will lead the world into a one world religion and kill those who go against him or the Antichrist.

"As for religion, I see something positive to be gained from many faiths."
While there may be positives that one can take out of a religion the true issue is which religion is true.

Some religions teach that there is one God (Christianity, Judaism, Islam), others say there are many gods (Hinduism), still others say you and I are god (New Age), and some even say there is no god (Buddhism).

Even the religions that believe in one God don’t agree on who this one God is. Christians believe in the Trinity, one God existing in three forms – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jews believe in God the Father but reject the idea of a Son and Holy Spirit. In Islam they believe in Allah who is completely different then the God described in the Bible.

Listen to Gregory Koukl thoughts on the subject; “What about this religious stew view that all religions ultimately lead to God? What it fails to take into consideration is that much of religious truth is actually competing and not complimentary. Religions have contradictory claims.

For example, God in the Christian tradition is personal and in the eastern tradition is impersonal. God can't be personal and not personal at the same time. It's like turning left and right at the same time. It can't be done. Christianity teaches that when you die, you will go to heaven or to hell. Eastern religions say you will be reincarnated. Maybe there is some third option.

Now you could go to hell or heaven, or be reincarnated, but one thing I know for sure, you are not going to heaven or hell and be reincarnated at the same time. One view must be wrong.”

So all the world’s religions claim they are true, yet all contradict one another. Truth is not relative; it is absolute. In other words, one teaching is right, the others are wrong.

Let’s look at the issue of salvation. There are many different ideas here, too, but basically we can place all the world’s religions in one of two categories.

In one category is Christianity which teaches that God did the work of salvation.

In the other category is every other religion that believes in a heaven or some sort of afterlife. All other religions teach that man must do some sort of good work to go to heaven (even though they disagree on what this work is).

One of the unique claims of the Bible is made when Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no man can go to heaven and be with God except through Him (John 14:6). Buddha, Mohammad and Confucius all said, “here is the way” while Jesus says, “I am the way”.

If the Bible and Christianity are true, then the road Jesus lays for us leads to God while the rest lead away from Him.

The words of Proverbs 14:12 come to mind, ”there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” But Jesus encouraged us to "enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)


if you could say a quick prayer for Mark, i would greatly appreciate it!!

:nod :hug

[MovinOnUp]

Oh Paul this is perfect!!! Thank You so much!!! It's so well written.:)

I'll begin with his quote, then add this post of yours (I will tell him my friend Paul wrote this out for him out of concern-hopefully he'll be able to thank you personally someday in heaven)


Then I will go into Revelation about the One world religion, False Prophet...Anti-Christ..


My wheels are turning now...going to pray about this and write Part One..of things for him to save on disc..providing he doesn't want/refuses to believe now.

God bless everyone involved in the thread--and anyone out there who has said a quick prayer for Mark.



...

[Paul]

I'm glad you liked it. I have something on the False Prophet and Antichrist too. I don't know if it's something you can use but here they are...


The Antichrist (http://biblestudyplanet.com/s79.htm)
The False Prophet & The One World Religion (http://biblestudyplanet.com/s77.htm)
The Reason For The Hope Within Us (http://biblestudyplanet.com/s140.htm)

[PlentyGroovy]

Paul - if ok with you, I want to copy and paste that in an email. And Patty T and everybody, could you please pray for Bruce to be open to receiving Christ?

[Carolyn]

Petra is located in Jordan. It is a rock-fortified area that has been assumed would be the place of escape for those in Jerusalem and Judea where scripture says to "flee (Mk 13:14) into the mountains..."

See data below:

Petra lies about 3-5 hours south of modern Amman, about 2 hours north of Aqaba, on the edges of the mountainous desert of the Wadi Araba. The city is surrounded by towering hills of rust-coloured sandstone which gave the city some natural protection against invaders.

The site is semi-arid, the friable sandstone which allowed the Nabataeans to carve their temples and tombs into the rock crumbling easily to sand. The colour of the rock ranges from pale yellow or white through rich reds to the darker brown of more resistant rocks. The contorted strata of different-coloured rock form whorls and waves of colour in the rock face, which the Nabataeans exploited in their architecture.....


That's right... here's a website for those who want to check it out.

Petra
District of Ma'an
Location:
30° 18' N, 35° 29' E

http://nabataea.net/ppark.html

[Carolyn]

Back to topic...

MovinOnUp Lifted Mark up in prayer. Also praying that he will be surrounded by believers, where ever he goes.

[Paul]

Paul - if ok with you, I want to copy and paste that in an email. And Patty T and everybody, could you please pray for Bruce to be open to receiving Christ?
Sure, you can use anything you'd like from the links above or from www.biblestudyplanet.com

[blitzkreig]

If he is a lawyer you will need logic to overcome his learnt skepticism... and of-course God to turn his heart.

I would get him an early Christmas present of that book "The Case for Christ". It is very well written and powerfully presented by a skilled court journalist Lee Strobel.

[PlentyGroovy]

Thank you Paul. :): :): Praying for Mark and Bruce. :): :):

I agree - The Case for Christ is an excellent book.

[Carolyn]

If he is a lawyer you will need logic to overcome his learnt skepticism... and of-course God to turn his heart.

I would get him an early Christmas present of that book "The Case for Christ". It is very well written and powerfully presented by a skilled court journalist Lee Strobel.


Sounds like a good read! Going to write that one down.

[Paul]

Sounds like a good read! Going to write that one down.

That is a good book. It's interesting and the interview format makes it an easy read. It's a great introduction to Christian Apologetics.

[MovinOnUp]

I would get him an early Christmas present of that book "The Case for Christ". It is very well written and powerfully presented by a skilled court journalist Lee Strobel.Will do it (order it) today--thanks Blitzkreig. I'll get his mailing address and send him this book..i've heard of it before and you're right, sounds like a perfect read for a lawyer! :tape :laugh

adding my prayers for Bruce, Plentygroovy.