One of the news articles I read on April 26, 2015, claims that “the FBI is investigating a possible ISIS-inspired terrorist threat in the United States.” Another states that there is “presence of the Muslim Brotherhood inside the U.S. government” itself. I believe that the resurgence of Islamic terrorism in the world and, more specifically, their murder of Christians fulfills Bible prophecies of “the Assyrian” coming into God’s land. I believe those prophecies will be completely fulfilled when Islamic terror strikes the last “Christian” nation on earth, America. (I place the word Christian in quotation marks because America’s Christians in large part have fallen into apostasy, idolatry, and sin-filled disgrace. America, therefore, no longer remains a true Christian nation. So, on one hand the evil that has come and is coming to the United States represents God’s judgment upon his people.) Now let’s continue reading the prophet Micah and see how he prophesies of this soon-coming time.
[a] Now muster your troops, O daughter[b] of troops;
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
on the cheek.
2 [c] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days. (Micah 5:1-2 ESV)
This first verse takes us from just after the present day (the day when the firstfruits overcomers are glorified) to the historical account of Jesus’ first coming two thousand years ago (who was the first of the firstfruits to be glorified). The first part of the verse concerns the yet future day, which is quickly coming, when God anoints and calls his “troops” to stand against the Assyrian siege against his people which we see in verses five and six. This command to “muster troops” concerns God’s glorified overcomers; it does not relate to flesh and blood war. Jesus strictly warned us against bloody warfare, saying, “He who lives by the sword (of the flesh) will die by the sword (of the flesh).” I do not support the many Christians who see the evil threats now facing us and then counsel us to prepare in the flesh with stocks of food, gold, and weapons. Can you imagine Jesus buying thousands of rounds of ammunition, generators, and massive stocks of food to “prepare” for the coming Satanic (Assyrian) onslaught? I can’t. He would not do it. Neither will I, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Continuing with Micah,
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
[Note: this is a two day or two thousand year period of time. The Church has been in labor with the manchild for two thousand years. This birthing is that prophesied in Revelation 12]
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
[Note: “the rest of his brothers” are the glorified overcomers. These are the “Mountains of Israel” who will protect their fellow Israelites (believers) when they are glorified]
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
[Note: “he” here refers to Immanuel, Jesus Christ and the glorified sons of God who are Christ’s brothers]
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.
When the Assyrian [ISIS and Satanically inspired hordes desiring to kill God’s people] comes into our land
and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
and eight princes of men;
[Note: “seven… and eight” designates a finite, but indefinite, number of people. I believe this speaks of the 144,000 overcomers seen in the Book of Revelation]
6 they [the overcomers, the Mountains of Israel] shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;
and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian
when he comes into our land
and treads within our border.
As I considered these things this past week the Lord gave me insight into the Book of Esther. First, recall that Haman was an “Agagite.” He descended from King Agag who was an Amalekite. Amalek was grandson of Esau the first Edomite. God commanded Israel to kill every Amalekite and Scripture prophecies the complete destruction of all Edom because Edom represents fallen man, Adam. In Scripture “the Assyrian” represents the same spiritual entity as the King of Babylon, Satan himself. Click here for my previous post about this. I believe members of ISIS are demon possessed. They live and breathe to behead and destroy God’s people. They are the epitome of Satan-inspired man. By logical extension therefore, the Assyrian represents both an Amalekite and Edomite who must be devoted to destruction. But how will God ultimately destroy these Satan-filled men? The Scripture records, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive.”
The Book of Esther records that Haman the Edomite instigated the king of Persia to issue an edict against God’s people the Jews. The edict would allow anyone within the Persian kingdom to slaughter Jews on a particular day which was yet future. Queen Esther asked King Ahasuerus (who is a type of God the Father in this historical parable) to revoke the law that wicked Haman had conspired to have him sign. She said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” (Esther 8:5-6)
But he answered her, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows,[g] because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” (Esther 8:7-8) The king had sealed Haman’s edict this same way. Therefore, the edict allowing people within the Persian kingdom to kill Jews could not be revoked. What could Esther then do?
9 The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king’s service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, 12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king’s service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. (Esther 8:9-14)
Until the past week I always wondered what Mordecai’s edict could mean. Did this actually validate the preaching of so many who say we should arm ourselves in the flesh? No, Mordecai represents a glorified overcomer in this parable for in the next verse we read , “Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown[h] and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.” It is true that the Jews of Esther’s day acted upon this edict and destroyed their enemies in the flesh. The parables of the Bible did actually occur. But today we need to understand their spiritual meanings. God is about to glorify his Mordecai’s, his overcomers. When he does this he will also issue an edict which allows them, the “daughter of troops,” to muster her troops and destroy her enemies, “the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 10:4) God will not revoke the authority he gave these spiritual powers to incite the masses against his people. But, he will empower his overcomers to destroy these evil spiritual forces. When that occurs the fear of God will fall upon everyone who does not serve him and peace will once again come to earth.
In this day God does not ask us to arm ourselves with guns and swords to destroy our carnal enemies. He tells us to turn the other cheek in the flesh. But he will not allow all of his people on earth to be slaughtered. He is about to raise his mountains above every other mountain on earth. In that day the mountains of Israel will utterly destroy every spiritual enemy of God’s people and they will then live in peace.
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
83 O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
Note: Asshur was the father of the Assyrians and the country was named after him. He was regarded as “the great god, king of all the gods.” It was Asshur who gave power and life to every priestly king, and this was his symbol. A winged circle or globe with the human figure of a warrior god armed with a bow in its center. “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [Babylon]. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.”
– Genesis 10:10-12
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who were destroyed at En-dor,
who became dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
of the pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,[a]
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest,
as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so may you pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
18 that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83 ESV)
Notice that the purpose of bringing God’s enemies to destruction and disgrace is so that “they may seek your name, O Lord,” and so that “they may may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth!” When the Mountains of God destroy the Assyrian (satanic spirits), then the spiritual veil of wickedness will be lifted off of people and they will be able to see the truth that is Jesus Christ.
