Babylon, Nineveh, Eden And Life As We Know It.

BABYLON, NINEVEH, EDEN AND HISTORY AS WE KNOW IT.

About all we hear when we tune into the daily news concerns “The War with Iraq.” Will we go to war” Or will we not? The issue is front page news on every newspaper in the world – it is the lead story on every news program on TV – As I was writing these thoughts down – the TV was on in the other room – and the name of Saddam Hussein was named at least twenty-five times.

The prophet Amos said, “I am not a prophet – nor the son of a prophet.” (Amos 7:14) Neither am I. I fear the war – I’m afraid of war – I don’t like it – and I don’t want it. I am not a good enough politician to know what is best. The threat of Iraq as that country is led by Saddam Hussein is real. Is it enough of a threat so as to justify the horror that a war may bring – I don’t know. Which is worse – to ignore the threat and maybe it will go away – which is what The French, Germans and Russians would do – or take matters in our own hands and go after the threat and disarm it. We have – at the last count I heard – 200,000 troops in the area – five aircraft carriers – hundreds of tanks – fighter planes – stealth bombers – our troops are trained in bacteriological and chemical warfare. We believe we may be prepared for any eventuality that comes our way.

I am not a prophet – nor the son of a prophet. And I am not eager to point to current events and say – this is surely the events that will trigger the end of time as we know it. I would like to say that – it looks like it might be – it has many of the elements in it – that point to the teaching of last things as they are taught by the word of God – but I am not a prophet – nor the son of a prophet.

However – Prophet or not, I would like to point out a few facts – that just cannot be ignored. God said in Ezekiel 33 - Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ’When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

So, If the sword is coming – and I, as the watchman on the wall, see the possibility of it coming and if I don’t sound the trumpet – and somebody doesn’t take warning – and the sword come and take him away in his sins, I will be held accountable. So – with that in mind – let’s read together Revelation 18:1-11

Back to this week’s news reports – Saddam Hussein is moving 10,000 of his Republican Guard troops – the best men he has – from the city of Mosul – south – evidentially moving them to Baghdad – where he will attempt to force the invading army to fight – not in the desert – with tanks and airplanes – but in the city of Baghdad – with troops – hand to hand – block by block – street by street, house by hours, and he has told the international news that he will make the city of Baghdad a circle of death for any invading army.

It is very, very interesting to note the location for this impending action. Now please remember, I am not a prophet – nor the son of a prophet. But Baghdad is located in the fertile crescent – near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers – in what is called The Fertile Crescent – which is believed to be the cradle of civilization. This is where civilization began.