Note: I have created a video from the information in this blog, adding additional graphics. If you would like to view this as a video it can be found on Google Video at the following link:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-196633011399447357&q=source:011059434484417468382&hl=en
Luke 21:25-26
"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars and upon the earth, dismay among nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world...”
Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston, Texas on September 12, 2008. The name Ike is a diminutive of the name Isaac. 108 years and 4 days earlier another massive hurricane slammed into Galveston resulting in the deadliest natural disaster in American history. It is estimated that between 6,000 and 12,000 people perished in the storm. Although this storm in 1900 occurred before Hurricanes were given names, this storm became known as Isaac’s Storm. It is remarkable that the next storm to rival it, landing upon the same area of land, would bear a similar name.
The 1900 hurricane received the name Isaac’s Storm due to the chief meteorologist of Texas bearing the name Isaac Cline. The following information is extracted from an article on Isaac Cline found on the website www.wikipedia.com
In 1891, he wrote an article in the Galveston Daily News in which he gave his official meteorological opinion that the thought of a hurricane ever doing any serious harm to Galveston was "An absurd delusion." Many residents had called for a seawall to protect the city, but Cline's statement helped to prevent its construction.
Galveston was completely destroyed by the 1900 hurricane.
The Bible reveals that God uses events upon the earth as signs, and as the destruction of Galveston by storm is associated with the name Isaac, both in the past and at present, what are we to discern from this event?
In the recent blog that spoke of the significance of the three named storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine, I noted that each one related to a Biblical story of a barren woman who received a son in answer to prayer. Hannah was barren until she gave birth to Samuel. Sarah was barren until giving birth to Isaac. Rachel was barren until she gave birth to Joseph. What is being symbolized through these storms is that it is time for a barren woman to bring forth a child of promise. Who is this barren woman?
Revelation 12:1-6
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth... And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
This prophetic passage from the book of Revelation points to an occurrence that must take place at the end of the church age. Some have misidentified this passage as relating to the birth of Jesus Christ, Yahshua the Messiah, but Jon clearly speaks at the beginning of the book that what is written pertains to things to come, not events that have already occurred.
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place...
Who then is the male child that must be born, and who is the mother? The mother is the church, and the male child represents a group of mature sons that must come forth out of the church before the Millennial reign of Christ.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
In Revelation 12 we read of this male child that he will rule the nations. In this latter passage we read that those who attain to the first resurrection will reign with Christ during the thousand year period which is close at hand. The Bible speaks of these firstfruits of the womb of the church in the language of a woman giving birth.
Romans 8:19-22
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
An examination of this passage will reveal that the revealing of the sons of God is a future event. There had been no full stature sons of God yet observed upon the earth. This is set forth by the apostle as a future hope, and he testifies that birth pangs must precede the revealing of these sons. Even as a baby comes forth after a time of birth pangs, so too will these mature sons after the image of Christ be revealed after the creation, and the church, experiences great birth pangs. The Bible also relates these birth pangs to destructive events, and in this we see a perfect parallel to the arrival of Isaac’s Storm and Hurricane Ike with great destruction.
I Thessalonians 5:3
While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child...
Mark 13:8
For nation will arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
In the blog titled Sarah, Again I spoke of Sarah Palin appearing upon the world scene close in time to the formation of Ike. What was said bears repeating.
It captured my attention from early on that Sarah came upon the national scene around the same time as Hurricane Ike. As mentioned in a previous post, Ike is a shortened form of the name Isaac, and Sarah was the mother of Isaac and the wife of Abraham. This seemed too much to be coincidental, and I recently looked up the date of Ike’s formation and the announcement of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate. Wikipedia provided the following information:
On August 29, 2008, in Dayton, Ohio, Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, announced that he had chosen Palin as his running mate.
Hurricane Ike is the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane and third major hurricane and the second category 4 of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. A Cape Verde-type hurricane, it started as a tropical disturbance off the coast of Africa near the end of August.
It is apparent that both made their appearance very close to one another. Ike was named on September 1st when it became a tropical storm. A mother should appear before her son. I have spoken of the significance of the storms that bear names relating to barren women, and how this speaks of a church that has been failed to bring forth mature sons after the image of Christ. That Ike is a hurricane, and a major one, speaks of the manner in which these mature sons will come forth. It will be through great calamity, tremendous birth pangs, as a hurricane that bears down with disintegrating power upon an unprotected people.
Hurricane Ike has been a category four storm twice, and has caused much devastation both times. Four, again, is a number relating to humility and therefore we are seeing the number associated with Sarah and Ike. Ike will make landfall close to the 7th anniversary of 911, which was a previous tragedy and humiliation for America.
The appearance of Sarah Palin and Ike speak of what is about to take place. Sarah was the wife of Abraham. She was a beautiful woman, even as Sarah Palin’s beauty has become a great focus in the present campaign. She was a former beauty queen, being Miss Wasilla, and coming in second at the Miss Alaska competition. Of Sarah in the Bible we read.
Genesis 12:14-15
And it came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
In this passage we see the world (Egypt is a symbol of the world) admiring the beauty of Sarah. She was therefore taken into the house of the ruler of the world (The White House is the equivalent of Pharaoh’s house today). This is actually a parable of the church being courted and brought into the political systems of the world. This has certainly been accomplished in this hour. I am reminded of the recent visit of the Pope to Washington where President George Bush met him at the airport and hosted him at the White House. Yet this church has truly remained barren, failing to bring forth any mature sons after the image of Christ.
Sarah remained barren until her old age. She was ninety years old when she gave birth, and her conception and the birth of Isaac were acts of God. The church is pictured in Sarah, for the church has remained barren until the time of her old age. The church has failed to bring forth mature sons after the image of Christ. In this last hour before the return of Christ the church must bring forth sons who will be qualified to rule and reign with Christ during the Millennial period.
These sons will only come forth during a time of great birth pangs. These very remarkable signs that God has been setting forth before the church are to give her understanding of what is to come. Many will not understand until after the church is cast into great tribulation. Yet, God gives signs that they might encourage and bring the light of understanding to His people even in hindsight. Glen Pickren recently shared the following thoughts with me.
John 14:29 “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.”
Isaac Newton wrote something that gave me a whole new perspective on the purpose of prophesy.
“God gave the prophecies, not to gratify men's curiosity by enabling them to fore know things, but that after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event, and His own providence, not the interpreters, be thereby manifested to the world.”
[Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727)]
You will note that this is in complete agreement with what Jesus said.
These signs will be understood by some before the time of their fulfillment. They will discern that the Spirit of Christ is indicating that great birth pangs are about to fall upon the church and all of creation. However, many of the children of God will not understand until these things take place. These signs will help many to recognize the hand of God among His people when, after the fact, they see these things come to pass.
I would like to share a number of things about Hurricane Ike that I have found remarkable. The first was brought to mind when I read the following comment by Christine Beadsworth. She wrote:
I just had a look at a map of Ike's path and it struck me that it is a picture of something I wrote in the above article, about the seed being released into the womb to produce the sons of Promise in the appointed season. The gulf is shaped just like a womb with the opening by the islands and Corpus Christi is on the wall of the womb.
When I considered this I had a look at the satellite shot of Hurricane Ike. It very much resembled a sonogram of a child in the womb.
Mike Bettes of The Weather Channel commented that at one point Ike filled up 85% of the Gulf of Mexico. The image above shows it when it reached this approximate stage of growth. In this image, the head is in a downward position, which usually occurs just before the birth is set to take place. As the head pushes through the birth canal it is said the be “crowning,” and Christ is looking for a mature body of sons to come forth out of the church who can receive ruling authority.
I cannot overly stress the fact that these overcomers can only come forth after the church and creation experiences birth pangs. This was prophesied from the third chapter of the book of Genesis.
Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
These words serve as a parable for the bride of Christ who must bring forth sons after the image of her Husband. Only in pain will the church bring forth sons. Yet the church’s desire will be for her Husband (Christ), and He will rule over her. Though the church’s time of sorrow is upon her, when she sees that she brings forth a son for her Husband, her sorrow will turn to joy.
John 16:20-21
“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. Whenever a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a man has been born into the world.”
The Lord is speaking to His disciples of the pain that the church must experience in order to bring forth mature sons. As the hour approaches for these sons to be revealed the birth pangs the church has known will intensify and become more severe. This will seem to be a time of great sorrow, but weeping will be turned to joy when the church sees what she has brought forth to the glory of Christ her Husband.
Why did God choose to set Sarah and Isaac before the eyes of the church at this time? There are many images of barren women in Scriptures who gave birth when God opened their womb. I believe there is special significance in the story of Sarah and Isaac that makes it especially fitting as a symbol of the church in these last days.
Sarah was the oldest of all of the barren women in the Bible to give birth. Her story was the most remarkable due to the fact that she had passed the age of normal child bearing.
Romans 4:18-21
In hope against hope [Abraham] believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall your descendants be." And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.
Of all the stories of barren women giving birth, this was the only one where a son had been promised by God many years earlier, but the promise tarried, and faith was tested. Even so, God has testified that He would bring forth mature sons after His image from the church, but the promise has tarried.
Romans 8:29-30
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
The church has waited long to see these glorified sons, but the wait is almost over. The hour is approaching for the glorified sons of God to be revealed.
John 17:22-24
“And the glory which You hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that You did send Me, and did love them, even as You did love Me.”
A day of great sorrow is approaching the church. She will be cast into a desolate wilderness of pain and perplexity and seeming destruction. Even as a woman’s body is racked with pain and ripped in the hour of birth, so too will the church experience the same. Even as these storms are destructive, making the land appear as a wilderness, casting down all the works of man, so too will a son come forth from the church only after the works of man are laid low.
Isaac was a man of the wilderness. He dwelt in the Negev, and the sons of promise that belong to Christ will come forth out of the wilderness.
Genesis 24:62
Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev.
Negev Wilderness
God’s fittest, most anointed sons, are fashioned in the wilderness. John the Baptist was in the wilderness until the time of his appearing to the world. Of John Christ said, “of those born of woman, none is greater than John the Baptist.” So too will these last days sons come forth out of a wilderness experience.
Deuteronomy 32:8-10
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. For the Lord's portion is His people... He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
The Spirit has been testifying that great judgment is coming to the nations. America will be cast down. The fruitful land will be made into a wilderness. Yet God will not destroy her completely. He will preserve a remnant who will be purified through a time of great calamity.
There are many signs being given in this hour. Let us live as those who are discerning of the time in which we live. Let us understand those things which are prophesied to occur in this day. “Pursue humility. Pursue righteousness. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.”
May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.
Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws
Parables Blog: http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com
Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063
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