Archive for April, 2018

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA – UPDATE

Monday, April 16th, 2018

April 16, 2018

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA – CON’T

PROPHECY UPDATE 27

Ezekiel 38:1,2
“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.”

Gog (high extension) appears for the first time in Ezekiel. He is the Anti-christ of whom so much has been written. Please note that he is identified as the “chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” Many commentators, especially in the last 100 years, have not identified him as the Antichrist, but have identified him as the ruler or chief prince of the land of Magog, which I do not believe Scripture justifies. Before the 20th Century, most identified him as the Antichrist.

In verse 2 Ezekiel is told to set his face against two separate things, a person and a place. The person is Gog (Antichrist), and the place is the land of the descendants of Magog where it existed in Ezekiel’s day. If we do not locate the territories of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal as they existed in Ezekiel’s day, then we can have no idea as to where the Antichrist will soon rear his head, or the area from which his attack will be launched. Why? Because more than 2500 years have slipped by since Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, and the bloodlines of all three men been distributed across the entire planet. In order to correctly identify the area, from whence the Antichrist will attack Israel, we must identify where the descendants of Meshech and Tubal were residing in 500 and 600 B.C. Why? Because the Antichrist is not the chief prince of Magog, he is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. He will come from the area where their descendants were settled in 500 and 600 B.C.

I will attempt to use two different sources to locate where the descendants of Meshech and Tubal were clustered at the time of Ezekiel’s writings. The first is found in the 27th chapter of Ezekiel, and the second is from the Assyrian monument stones of that period.

Ezekiel 27:3
“And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord God; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.”

Tyrus (Tyre) was a seaport on the southern coast of what we know today as Lebanon, which is directly north of Israel. Tyrus built its first great sea wall to protect its harbored ships more than 3000 years ago, and was a thriving seaport in Ezekiel’s day. Its ships carried merchandise from the countries of the east across all the Mediterranean, and even as far north as the shores of the English Channel. Zidon (Sidon) was also a sea port, and less than 20 miles separated the two cities. The wise men of Tyrus were the navigators of the ships, and the men of Zidon were the deck hands, as portrayed in Ezekiel 27:8 – “The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots.” Now, bearing all this in mind, let us look at Ezekiel 27:13 – “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.” Meshech and Tubal were warlike tribes, who often took their captives (persons of men) and the vessels of brass they had captured, or hammered out themselves, and carried them to the NEAREST seaport for trading. The captives were, of course, loaded on the ships and sold as slaves in foreign ports of trade. Why the NEAREST seaport? Because, in Ezekiel’s day, travel was by foot, donkey, camel, and horse. People always carried their trading goods to the nearest port, particularly slaves. Therefore, I conclude that Meshech and Tubal must have roamed in the area we know today as Syria, Lebanon, northwestern Iraq, and southern Turkey. Meshech and Tubal are the Mushki and Tabali of the Assyrian stone monuments. In the time of Sargon and Sennacherib (700 B.C.) the territory of Tubal adjoined southern Cilicia, while that of Meshech filled the highlands to the east of Tubal. Considering the locations derived from the Bible and stone tablets, it appears that the Antichrist, as the chief prince of the area once occupied by Meshech and Tubal, is likely to arise, and eventually to attack Israel, from Syria or Lebanon. And, since Lebanon is virtually controlled by Syria, it appears Syria is the best guess for his homeland.

But what about the land of Magog? Where were the Magogites settled in Ezekiel’s day? Lord willing, we will attempt to zero in on that area in Prophecy Update Number 28.

PROPHECY UPDATE 28

Ezekiel 38:1-3
“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, [3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:”

In Prophecy Update Number 27 we established, from the Scriptures and the Assyrian stone monuments, that the descendants of Meshech and Tubal, at the time Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, were primarily located in what we know as Syria and Lebanon. We also established that the prophecy is again a person, Gog (Antichrist), and against a land, the land of Magog. I am convinced that the Antichrist will attack Israel from Syria. Now, what about the “land of Magog?” Where were the Magogites located at the time of Ezekiel’s writings? Flavius Josephus, the noted Jewish historian makes the following statements concerning the Magogites in Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter VI, under the title, HOW EVERY NATION WAS DENOMINATED FROM THEIR FIRST INHABITANTS: “Japhet, the son of Noah, had seven sons.” “They called the nations by their own names.” “Magog founded those that from him were called Magogites, but who by the Greeks were called Scythians.” The Greek writers of the Classic Age said the Scythians occupied the area which today we identify as stretching from Moldova eastward across the Ukraine, southern Russia, and into Kazakhstan, then southward into Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan – Roughly the area north of the Black Sea, between the Black and Caspian Seas, and the area northwest, north, and northeast of the Caspian Sea.

Verse 3 fails to include the “land of Magog,” and is a message directly pointed, and personally addressed, against the Antichrist Gog, who once again is identified as the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Popular writers in the last century brought a teaching into play that is simply not true. They said the word “chief” was “rosh” in the Hebrew language, which is true. But they said it meant “Russian,” which is not true. The Russian and Hebrew language have never overlapped in history to support such a claim. He is not a Russian prince. He is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, most likely having a Syrian father. The word “rosh,” in the KJV, is translated as “chief” 90 times, as “head” 349 times, as “top” 75 times, as “beginning” 14 times, as “company” 12 times, as “captain” 10 times, as “sum” 9 times, as “first” 6 times, as “principle” 5 times, as “chief man” 4 times, and as “ruler” on two occasions. At no time, in all of history, could it legitimately be identified as someone who is a Russian.

I am convinced this chief prince of Meshech and Tubal will come from either northwestern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or southern Turkey, but I will be very much surprised if his father is not a Syrian. He will be the leader of a multilateral Arab force that will carry out a surprise attack against Israel from the north. I believe this is spoken of in Revelation 17:12,13 – “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”

Although he will have the support of ten Arab nations, I believe the nations directly involved in the initial attack will be Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran from without, and the Palestinians from within. I believe the other nations, which will then immediately become involved in the Jihad, are most likely Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan. Lord willing, I will continue a line by line exposition of Ezekiel 38 in Prophecy Update Number 29. If current events in the Mid-East merit a special update between these expositions in Ezekiel, we will put an A or B suffix on the update issued the preceding Friday.

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA – UPDATE 3

Friday, April 13th, 2018

April 13, 2018

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA

NEW SERIES UPDATE 3

August 20, 2002

The Land of Magog Plans to Help Two of the Image’s Ten Toes!

Daniel 2:32,33
This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, [33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Daniel 7:21
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Ezekiel 38:1,2
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

Micah 5:5,6
And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. [6] And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

The land of Magog is Russia. The chief prince of Meshech and Tubal is the Assyrian of Micah. At the time of the writings of the prophet Ezekiel the land of Magog represented what we know as southwestern Russia today, and the descendants of the tribes of Meshech and Tubal were settled in what we know as Syria (See Prophecy Update Number 27). At the time of the writings of the Prophet Micah the Assyrian Empire included all of the land we know today as Syria (See Prophecy Update Number 67, Part 6). So, Russia is the land of Magog, Syria is the home of the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and the ten toes most likely include the Palestinians, Morocco, Algeria, Iran, Tunisia, Lebanon Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Iraq.

The two toes most recently receiving promises of technological help from Magog are Iraq and Iran.

Russia is expected to sign a five-year economic coperation agreement with Iraq in the near future, but a specific date has not yet been fixed. The pact will be worth at least 40 billion dollars in the fields of energy, transport, and agriculture. These are the same fields in which Syria and Iraq have signed pacts of agreement over the last two years.

The second toe being assisted by the land of Magog is Iran. The proposals are already on the table for a ten-year economic pact with Iran. The plan includes a Russian offer to supply up to six nuclear reactors to Iran.

The Iraqi and Russian move comes just a few days before Kim Jong II, the North Korean dictator, is due to visit Russia.

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA

Thursday, April 12th, 2018

April 11, 2018

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANFERRED TO SYRIA

NEW SERIES UPDATE NUMBER 2

August 19, 2002

SLAYING OF THE END TIME WICKED ONE BY CHRIST!

Isaiah 11:1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Acts 13:21-23
And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. [22] And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. [23] Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

Isaiah 11:2-4
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; [3] And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: [4] But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay THE WICKED.

LARKIN STATES: “THE WICKED” OF ISAIAH 11:4 IS IN THE SINGULAR NUMBER, AND CANNOT REFER TO ALL WICKED PERSONS IN GENERAL. IT MUST REFER TO A SINGLE PERSON WHO IS CONSPICIOUSLY WICKED. IT IS THE SAME WICKED ONE TO WHOM PAUL REFERS AS REPRESENTING THE ANTICHRIST.

II Thessalonians 2:8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

AND IT IS THE SAME WICKED ONE IN REVELATION 19 WHO IS DESTROYED AT CHRIST’S SECOND ADVENT TO BRING IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN. THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES PAINT A PICTURE OF CHRIST’S SECOND ADVENT, HIS DESTRUCTION OF THE EVIL ONE AND FALSE PROPHET, THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EVIL ONE’S ARMIES, THE BINDING OF SATAN DURING THE MILLENNIAL REIGN, AND EARTH’S ENVIRONMENTAL STRUCTURE DURING IT.

Revelation 19:15
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Isaiah 11:5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Jeremiah 33:15, 16
In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judg-ment and righteousness in the land. [16] In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness

Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay THE WICKED.

Revelation 19:16-20
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; [18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. [19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Isaiah 11:6
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Revelation 19:21 to 20:3
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. [1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. [2] And he laid hold on the dra-gon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, [3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Isaiah 11:7
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA WERE KEPT

Monday, April 9th, 2018

April 9, 2018

SADDAM’S CHEMICAL WMD TRANSFERRED TO SYRIA WERE KEPT

NEW SERIES UPDATE NUMBER 1

In January of 2001, in the first update issued by the Dardanelle MBC, a warning was issued concerning a healing reunion that was taking place in the Middle East between nations that will soon make up the 10 toes of Daniel 2, and the 10 horns of Daniel 7. The healing was a pattern of military unity between Syria, Iraq, and Iran that was rearing its ugly head. We began this first update by stating: “The beginnings of a pattern of military unity between Syria, Iran, and Iraq are now immerging in the Middle East. Iraq has recently conducted large-scale military maneuvers on the Syrian border, reportedly by prior agreement with its new President, Bashar Assad. Bashar then made a trip to Iran to hold talks with its President, Mohammad Khatami. The talks were described as a strategic dialogue.”

This healing process is taking time because of past conflicts that have occurred between these three nations, but it progressing because of a common healing balm – Their natural hatred for Israel, which far exceeds their dislike for each other. The great breaches between them occurred in the last decade. Iraq and Iran fought a bitter war that took the lives of millions. In previous updates we have told how recent prisoner exchanges from that war have softened the bitterness between them. The relations between Iraq and Syria, which are ruled by two rival wings of the Baath party, were severed in the eighties, but have been on the mend since 1997, fueled mainly by trade links. We have covered these trade links in detail in previous updates, as well as the sneaky way that Syria is militarily assisting Iraq and receiving oil benefits in return. So, as much as Syria and Iran do not like, or trust, Saddam Hussain, any attack against Israel must include Iraq in order to succeed. This is one of the reasons that Bashar, last month, sent a message to Saddam on the 34th anniversary of his rival Baath party rising to power in Baghdad. In the message he underlined his desire to boost the brotherly ties between Iraq and Syria.

An independent Jordanian newspaper, Al-Hilal, reported that last week Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Iraqi’s Saddam Hussain on the border between the two countries. The article said Assad took his brother, Maher, and the head of the Syrian Intelligence Service with him to the meeting. During the meeting the report stated that Saddam presented Assad with an ancient rifle taken from the Iraqi museum.

Whatever happens to Saddam Hussain is important, but what is most important in the minds of all the Islamic leaders is this – Their own survival and their need for one another in their quest to drive Israel into the sea. Leaders in the Middle East are, of course, important in immediate directions taken in their foreign policy, but any leader in the Middle East is always at high risk of being assassinated at any time. Leaders come and go, but the countries remain, and the countries of Syria, Iran, and Iraq will link together to fight their common enemy, Israel.

The coming 10 horned, 10 toed, union symbolized by the feet of a great statue, and 10 horns on a great beast will be made up of a coalition of Abraham’s descendants, which came not from the promised seed Isaac, but from the intermingled seed of the 12 sons of Ishmael and the 6 sons of Keturah. They have not, and will not, ever mix together into a permanent bond. However, when God puts in their hearts to do so, they will, for some 3 and ½ years, temporarily bond together to fulfill his prophecies concerning them. Some of the 10 nations, like Syria and Iran, will be strong like iron, and some of them, like Morocco and Tunisia, will be weak like clay. They will bond together in a Jihad against Israel and will initially be successful in driving the woman Israel into the Negev, but in the end they will suffer a smashing defeat by the returning Lamb of God at the Second Advent with all his saints.

Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Daniel 2:41-43
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. [42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

Revelation 17:17
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

Revelation 17:12-14
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

BIRTH PANG NUMBER 10

Friday, April 6th, 2018

April 6, 2018

BIRTH PANG NUMBER 10

April 27, 2010

TO SEE THE FIGURES REFERENCED IN THIS BLOG CLICK ON “BIRTH PANGS FIGURES,” WHICH APPEARS UNDER “BIRTH PANGS” ON OUR WEB SITE MENU FOUND AT:

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

CHAPTER 12 – LIGHT AT NIGHT FOLLOWS THE EXCERPT FROM THE STAR VIA CHINA DAILY/ANN VIA WORLD NEWS

Mankind will learn a great deal more about volcanic eruptions in the Tribulation Period.

Begin Excerpt from The Star via China Daily/ANN via World News

What have we learnt from volcano ash crisis?

By WU LIMING

BEIJING: Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted last Wednesday, spewing steam and billows of ash into the sky. The volcanic eruption is not, by any means, a large-scale one and has not caused casualties up to now.

However, the eruption has pulled Europe out of track. Because of the ash spreading to the European continent, cancelled flights to, from, and within Europe have affected millions of travellers worldwide and reportedly cost airliners some US$200mil a day.

Since the eruption of a small-scale volcano like the Eyjafjallajokull could trigger massive chaos, it is of course worthwhile to explore the lessons from the volcano ash crisis.

First and foremost, an early warning and forecasting system is vital to tackling the fallout resulting from the volcanic eruption.

It is commonly accepted that volcanic eruptions are unpredictable. But it is possible to monitor and forecast the movement and scale of volcano ash.

Scientists in Europe have performed their duty well in sending early warning of the volcano ash, thus avoiding potential aviation disasters.

German news magazine Spiegel reported that Icelandic meteorologists informed their British colleagues at midday on Wednesday. The British meteorologists immediately put their super computer on the job, and 15 minutes later, they had their first forecast of how the dust cloud would probably spread.

“A warning was sent out to airlines at 2pm, long before the cloud reached the European continent,” said the news magazine.

However, Europeans reacted slowly to rationally arrange train and road transportation systems to divert the people trapped at airports. Statistics showed that by late Sunday, more than 63,000 flights had been cancelled in 23 European countries, stifling the lifeblood of the continent’s economy.

Because few planes are available for service, travellers can’t continue their travel, machinery parts can’t get to factories, food sellers can’t transport their goods, and businesses find it increasingly difficult to maintain regular business activities.

As an old Chinese saying goes: “It is never too late to mend the sheepfold.”

The Icelandic volcano ash crisis has helped expand people’s knowledge about volcanic eruptions, and various debates and assessments are conducted or to be conducted across the globe, Europe in particular.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has decided to set up an ad hoc group to assess the impact of the volcanic ash cloud on the air travel industry and the economy.

“The volcanic ash cloud has created an unprecedented situation,” Barroso said in a statement, adding that it was important that all measures to be considered were coordinated at the European level.

The transport ministers from all 27 European Union states are planning a video conference to discuss counter measures, aiming to bar more negative impact on the Euro­pean economy, which is still struggling out of the financial crisis.

However, the railway companies and road transporters are benefiting from the crisis. Major railway stations across West Europe are crowded with passengers and Eurostar tickets are fully booked even two days ahead of departure.

As the volcano ash spreads across borders, people are calling for more international and regional coordination and cooperation.

As a matter of fact, meteorologists, airline companies and governments across Europe have held timely and smooth exchanges of their information since the volcanic eruption.

In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami drove the international community to enhance the global early warning system for tsunami.

Later on, in the Haiti earthquake and the Chile earthquake earlier this year, such an early warning system played a vital role in preventing more deaths and casualties in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

Similarly, the Icelandic volcano ash crisis could press Europeans to realise the importance of more international and regional coordination and cooperation, and volcano ash monitoring and warning could become a regular practice in Europe in the future. ­— China Daily/ANN

BEGIN CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 12–LIGHT AT NIGHT

Zechariah 14:4-7
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. [5] And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. [6] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: [7] But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

A most unusual phenomenon: light at night from the sun! When will it occur? The answer is found in verses 4 and 5, which describe the cleavage of the Mount of Olives, a definite occurrence of the latter portion of the Tribulation Period. In the latter part of the Tribulation Period the great cloud shroud of figure 14 will have established itself around the entire earth above the tropopause. It is this great cloud shroud that will fulfill the prophecies of verses 6 and 7. Verse 6 states that the light will not be clear nor dark. To a Hebrew clear light was unobstructed light, a light that came from its source to fall on an object with no obstructions between. A Hebrew viewed darkness as the absence of light. So we are advised that there will be some light (it will not be pitch dark), but the light will not be clear light (it will be partially obstructed). This is a perfect description of what we call a cloudy day. On days when the skies are overcast we do have light, but it is not clear light, for the clouds obstruct our view of the sun. The light on a cloudy day reaches us by a process that involves reflection, refraction, and scattering of the light from the sun. During the latter portion of the Tribulation Period man will not see the sun. But limited light, of varying degrees, will penetrate the great cloud shield in the stratosphere. It will be a dull, gray, depressing light in which the inhabitants of the earth are struggling for survival. But how can it come to pass “that at evening time it shall be light?” How is it possible that, at every location on the face of the earth, tere will be some light during the evening hours when normally it is pitch dark?

About 20 years ago, after presenting a lecture series in California for Dr. Reed, I departed the Los Angeles area by jet to Dallas, flying at an altitude just below 40 thousand feet. It was a beautiful day from the surface to the top of the atmosphere along the entire flight path, with clear skies above and below the aircraft. As we crossed Arizona and New Mexico the light from the sun beamed upon the ground below us, and through the air above us. When we crossed into Texas there were no clouds below or above us, and the sun was beaming on the aircraft with its full brilliance, but as I looked toward the earth’s surface I begin to notice tiny pinpoints of light on the ground. People had turned on the lights below us because it was dark at ground level. The curvature of the earth had already blocked off the surface rays of the sun at ground level across Texas, but at our flight level and above it was broad daylight. If there had been a way for me to take the light at high levels and direct it downward, it would have produced dim light on the surface below, where darkness had enshrouded Texas. It is not by accident that the God of light, who is Light, has very conveniently established a law in nature where this is predictably possible – The law of refraction.

Laws are not theories. They are like God because they are made by God. They are consistent and can always be counted to act in a predictable, unchanging manner. It is not my purpose to teach physics, so I will refrain from a technical discussion of the law itself, and will rather refer those interested in such a dissertation to any general physics textbook. Refraction occurs because light waves travel at different speeds through different substances. Refraction involves the bending of light waves as they move from one medium to another. In figure 15 you can see the bending effect on light as it passes from a less dense medium (air) into a more dense medium (water). If you want to see this bending of light in action, drop a pencil and a coin into a glass about three-fourths full of water. The pencil will appear to be broken at the water surface, and the coin will appear to be on the side of the glass. This is a phenomenon produced by refraction.

Why is it that we still have light long after the sun has disappeared over the horizon? And why do we have light in the morning before the sun comes into view? You guessed it! It is the law of refraction at work. As the sun’s rays travel through space, they move very rapidly, as if in a vacuum, but when contact is made with the more dense atmospheric medium of the earth, the light decelerates, and is bend around the curvature of the earth by the law of refraction. This law causes the light to reach the surface before the sun appears in the morning, and to trail behind on the surface long after the early evening sun disappears.

The great cloud of volcanic smoke will be firmly established as shown in figure 14 by the time the battle of Armageddon occurs. This great encompassing shroud will vertically be thousands of feet thick and, as such, a very dense medium through which the sun’s rays must filter on their way to the earth’s surface. As the rays filter through by refraction and scattering, they will be severely bent around the curvature of the earth’s surface. As you may observe in figure 16, the small island, on the opposite side of the earth from the sun, would normally be experiencing an evening of complete darkness. However, because of the refraction and scattering of sunshine through the great volcanic cloud, light would be bent around the earth to strike the island, and “it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.” Such would be the case at every location on the surface of the earth. The intensity of the light at any given point would be affected by the distance it had to be refracted, and by the thickness of cloud through which it had to pass. No spot on the earth would receive clear light (unobstructed), and no spot on the earth would ever be dark (lightless).

Zechariah 14:6,7
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: [7] But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.