Crop Circles and the End Times?

Crop Circles – a sign of the end-times?

Published 15th September 2016 | By truth

Crop circles may seem like a very unlikely subject of a blog on a website committed to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these last days. However, this is a phenomenon we don’t feel we can ignore as they appear to be impossible to explain and we believe they may be connected to the signs of the end times. Not only do crop circles seemingly appear in a very short duration of time, they are incredibly intricate and complex. Many of them are stunning in appearance and are completed in perfect arrangement within hours which would appear to rule out any possibility of being man-made. Their appearance has increased in frequency in the UK and Wiltshire, in particular, seems to be a hot-spot with approximately 90% of the world’s crop circles appearing in this English county.

While there have been many attempts to counterfeit crop circles, it is easy to tell the difference between fakes and the real thing. Any internet search will reveal huge crop circles that we believe are impossible to explain naturally and we believe it is inconceivable that they are all man-made. Here are a few examples although many hundreds could have been used.

Have a look at the amazing crop circle that appeared a few weeks ago (photos: Ansty, Nr Salisbury, Wiltshire):

This breathtaking crop circle appeared in Wiltshire in 2012 (photos: Hackpen Hill, Wiltshire):

It’s 159 ft from the centre to the furthest part of the cube, excluding the outside ring. It has a distinct flow, with the triangular parts showing examples of multi-layering, where the crop appears to sit well above the ground as a result of swathes of stems laying beneath the surface. The majority of inner triangles are not accessible on the ground, sealed by a wall of standing crop, with no damage or evidence that anyone has walked through. There are narrow, straight pathways only a few inches wide that which criss-cross, parallel to the edges of the cube.

This crop circle is equally staggering (photos: Milk Hill, Wiltshire):

This crop circle, noticed on Milk Hill in Wiltshire (Southern England) on August 13, 2001 is being hailed as the most awesome ever made. It is composed of 409 individual circles in a spiral pattern. Appropriately, it was found in the heart of crop circle country in the United Kingdom.

The sheer size and complexity of this formation is amazing. It has been estimated that would-be hoaxers would have had to make one circle every 30 seconds during the night time hours in order to create this design! Furthermore, the field in which the design was created is not flat, but consists of small, undulating hills, making it virtually impossible for someone to lay out and create an accurate design without being noticed.

Summary

It is obvious to us that there is no natural explanation for these crop circles and given that there is no mention of them in Scripture we suspect that they are manifestations of demonic activity. The Bible warns of increased supernatural activity in the days leading up to Christ’s return and we suggest that this is just one of many indicators that we are in the end times. Scripture states that in the days immediately prior to Christ’s return, many will be lead astray by “signs and wonders”:

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24, emphasis added)

Whilst we do not claim that crop circles are clear evidence of these “signs and wonders”, we do believe they could be one part of the jigsaw that causes many to have a dangerous fascination with the occult and deceptive spiritual forces. We believe it is very important to be aware of this type of thing as the mainstream media often choose to ignore strange events that defy human explanation – Christians need to stay informed and keep on guard. Whilst UFO sightings and crop circles need not be top priorities for the Christian, it certainly does no harm to have an awareness and keep up-to-date with these wonders.

For more information about crop circles, please visit:
http://www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html
http://cropcircleresearch.homestead.com/1945-crop-circles.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPT3AXaWnTQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuE7-VYExPg&t=200s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfZ5xDutu48

Bible Facts You May Not Know

1 - Written over many centuries by various authors

Most biblical scholars believe the Bible was written over a 1,600 year period - 1500 BC to 1 AD. There were at least 30 authors who contributed writings in the Old Testament and about 10 scribes in the New Testament. Most Christians believe these Bible writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Moses was the first person to write portions of Scripture while John, the disciple of Jesus, was the last. Other famous people who wrote the Bible include: David, Solomon, Daniel, Isaiah, Jonah, Peter, and Paul.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God..." ~ 2 Timothy 3:16

2 - The best-selling book of all time

A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975. Recent estimates in the 21st century put the numbers at over 5 billion. By the end of 1995, combined global sales of Today's English Version (Good News) New Testament and Bible (copyright for which is held by the Bible Societies) exceeded 17.75 million copies. No book has ever been read more, bought more, or cherished more than the Holy Bible. There has never been a better seller at any time in all of human history than the Bible, and it is still the most widely read and most often bought book of all time.

"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face." ~ President Ronald Reagan

3 - Jesus did not author any books of the Bible

While Jesus is not considered as being one of the scribes of the New Testament, he is purported to have written an ancient letter to King Abgarus, who ruled from 9 AD to 46 AD in what is today's modern day Turkey. In response to a letter Jesus had received from the king asking the savior to heal him, Jesus replied that his ministry was not yet complete, but he would send one of his disciples to cure him after His ascension. According to Eusubeius, the 4th century historian, Thaddeus (also known as Jude) was the disciple that cured King Abgarus.

"Blessed is you who believes in me without seeing me." ~ John 20:29

4 - Various translations of the Bible

The entire Bible has been translated into 300+ languages around the world.  And another 2,100+  languages have translated at least one of the books of the Bible. The Bible has been adapted into many dialects from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The Latin Vulgate translation was dominant in Western Christianity through the Middle Ages. Since then, the Bible has been transliterated into many more languages. English Bible translations also have a rich and varied history of more than a millennium.

"The goal of Bible translation is be transparent to the original text - to see as clearly as possible what the biblical authors actually wrote." ~ Leland Ryken

5 - The Bible is the "Word of God"

While other holy books believe in a Higher Power, the Bible is the only book that claims to be the "Word of God". The Bible says more than 3,000 times: "Thus saith the Lord". Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Yet this book, for the past 200 years, has been under increased attack.

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." ~ Isaiah 40:8

6 - The Bible predicted the rise and fall of empires

In Daniel, Chapter 2 , the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome are represented by various symbols. In Daniel 2:32-33 the narrative describes an image of "fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay". Many biblical historians believe the following empires qualify as proof that the predictions came true:

Head of Gold represents Babylon (605 BC-539 BC)
Chest & Arms of Silver represent Persia (539 BC - 331 BC)
Belly & Thighs of Bronze represent Greece (331 BC - 168 BC)
Legs of Iron represents Rome (168 BC - 476 AD)
Feet of Iron & Clay represents Divided Rome (476 AD - present)

7 - The Bible is scientifically accurate

Over the centuries, the Bible has been scientifically tested for the biblical accuracy and has never failed. For example: for thousands of years mankind believed the earth was flat, but Isaiah 40:22 boldly proclaims, "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:". This flat earth theory was finally laid to rest in the late 1950s when the first man was launched into space. Another interesting example is human longevity. Back in the late 1970s a government-funded group of scientists concluded that humans can live to a maximum age of one hundred and twenty years. Around that age the process which causes body cells to reproduce stops, and the body then dies.

"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years." ~ Genesis 6:3

8 - The Bible is historically accurate

The Bible has been proven to be historically and archaeologically accurate, more than any other book in the world. The discovery of the Elba tablets in northern Syria in the 1970s is a good example. These tablets enlightened that there was a race of people known as the Hittites. Before this 20th century discovery, many scholars deemed the Hittites to be biblical legends. It’s not that the Bible verifies what archaeologists and paleontologists have unearthed. It’s actually the other way around. The findings of archaeologists and paleontologists continue to discover what has already been recorded in the Bible for thousands of years.

"Physics is the only profession in which prophecy is not only accurate but routine." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

9 - There is a bible called "The Wicked Bible"

"The Wicked Bible" is a Bible published in 1631 by Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, the royal printers in London, meant to be a reprint of the King James Bible. The name is derived from a mistake made by the compositors: in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14), the word "not" in the sentence "Thou shalt not commit adultery" was omitted, thus changing the sentence into "Thou shalt commit adultery". This blunder was spread in a number of copies. The majority of the Wicked Bible's copies were immediately cancelled and burned, and the number of extant copies remaining today, which are considered highly valuable by collectors, is thought to be relatively low. One copy is in the collection of rare books in the New York Public Library and is very rarely made accessible; another can be seen in the Dunham Bible Museum in Houston, Texas, USA.

10 - The Book of Isaiah and the Bible

Just like the Bible has a total of 66 books, the Book of Isaiah has 66 chapters. Interestingly, the first 39 chapters contain scriptures about the law, and the last 27 books contain texts about grace.  Some biblical theologians divide the books as the Book of Judgment (Chapters 1-39) and the Book of Comfort (Chapters 40-66).  This is exactly how the Gospel is shared: law to the proud but grace to the humble.  It is also interesting to note, the Book of Isaiah was the tome that Jesus most often quoted. He quoted Isaiah eight times.

“He [Jesus] said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” ~ Matthew 21:13  (cross-reference: Isaiah 56:7)

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Other Amazing Bible Facts by Karin Lehnardt @ https://www.factretriever.com/ :

• The Geneva Bible is the first Bible to use numbered verses. It is also the Bible Shakespeare used and the one that the Pilgrims brought to America in 1620.

• William Tyndale produced first printed edited of the New Testament in English. He was later burned at the stake for his efforts.

• Muslims believe that the Bible is revelation from God that has been corrupted by men. They believe that the Qu’ran is its correction.

• Robert Aitken’s Bible (The King James Version without the Apocrypha) was the first English Bible printed in America.

• The Bible doesn’t mention how many wise men visited Christ, only that they brought three types of gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

• The Gutenberg Bible was the was the first book to be printed using movable metal type.

• The world’s smallest bible can fit on the tip of a pen. Scientists etched the 1.2 million letters of the Old Testament on a tiny silicone disk, which they call the Nano Bible.”

• The world’s largest bible weighs 1,094 pounds. Built by Louis Waynai in 1930, the book is 43.5 inches tall and a laid open width of 98 inches.

• Nearly all of the villians in the Bible have red hair.

Top 10 Most Accurate Prophets in History

The following article is presented by www.trendingtopmost.com

Prophecy is a very dangerous and tricky activity for any person to perform. The reason why prophecy is so dangerous is that people can use this form of religious or spiritual practice to deceive individuals. Throughout the millennia there have been thousands of prophets. Some of these individuals were major prophets while others where minor seers. Most prophets do prove to be false. However, some individuals who provided prophetic predictions were (or still are) very accurate. The following list will describe the top 10 most accurate prophets in history and their important predictions that have come true.

10. Jeremiah

Jeremiah the prophet was used by God of the Jewish and Christian people at some time between 628 BC to 586 BC. His message was to the Jewish people and what was going to happen to them at the hand of the Babylonians. God was punishing the Jews for their disobedience and he used the Babylonian people to carry out his discipline. Jeremiah told the Jews that they would be taken into captivity for 70 years by the Babylonians. He also told them that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would be a descendant of King David. All of Jeremiah’s predictions came true even though the people of his time ridiculed and dismissed him.

9. John the Baptist

John the Baptist was the last prophet to speak out about Jesus Christ before he arrived on the scene in Jerusalem. John was born shortly before Jesus and that would have been sometime between 10 B.C. and 0 B.C. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah spoke of John’s coming shortly before Jesus’s arrival. Once John the Baptist was preaching about Christ, he started to make predictions about the coming Messiah. John was actually Jesus’s cousin. The predictions that he made about the Messiah were all true and they all came to pass.

8. Abraham

Abraham is a Jewish patriarch that lived close to 4000 years ago in the Middle East. He was the first person that God used to start the Jewish nation. During his lifetime, Abraham had many adventures with God and he also made many prophecies. Abraham revealed that God would be the father of many nations, that his descendants would have their own nation, that the Jewish people would be a great race in the world and that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would be one of his future descendants. All of these predictions came true thousands of years after Abraham had passed.

7. The Brahan Seer

The Brahan Seer was a Scottish prophet who served the Earl of Seaforth during the 19th century. The Brahan Seer’s prophecies were more about the fate of the Scottish people – especially those in power. He made predictions about how certain noblemen such as the MacKenzies of Fairburn will lose their wealth and possessions. He also said that certain monuments and landmarks within the kingdom of Scotland would be destroyed. He also told his people that when the five bridges over the River Ness in Inverness would be destroyed. Once this happened world chaos was supposed to have followed. Unfortunately, this prediction came true when Hitler invaded Poland during WW II. Brahan Seer lost his life when he predicted that the Earl of Seaforth was cheating on his wife. Apparently, the Earl’s wife had him killed for stating such things – even though they were true.

6. Joan Quigley

Joan Quigley was an unusual prophet or seer because she was used by President Reagan and his First Lady Nancy. Normally, most presidents would not consult a psychic or medium before they engaged in political affairs. However, the Reagans did. They would often consult Quigley before they would meet other political leaders or before they made some type of major political decision. Eventually the public found out that the Reagans were using a medium to help determine political affairs. However, this incident was quickly and quietly swept under the rug. No American really wants a president who consults mediums and psychics to figure out political affairs.

5. Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce was a popular seer that lived during the early 20th century. He would invite people to his home and have them ask questions about their future. While they asked the questions, Cayce would lie down and enter a trance like state. He would then answer them. Cayce made thousands of predictions. He supposedly accurately predicted Hitler’s activities and the Great Depression. He also predicted that California would fall into the ocean. However, as we already know, this did not happen. Not all of Cayce’s predictions came true.

4. Madam Marie

Madam Marie was an American seer that performed this activity for well over 70 years. She made her predictions in the New Jersey area of Asbury Park Boardwalk. One of her most notable predictions was that Bruce Springsteen would become a music star. This prediction did come to pass. Springsteen referenced the Madam Marie in his song 4th of July and he even helped her to gain a following. Other notable stars such as Ray Charles, Woody Allen and Elton John used her services as well.

3. Noah

Noah is the famous Jewish Patriarch that lived about 10,000 years ago. He built the great ark which as used to withstand the flood waters that God sent to destroy the world. Many people might be familiar with Noah and the ark but what they probably did not know is that Noah preached for over 100 years while building the ark. He was trying to get people to turn from their sins and follow God. While he was preaching, he prophesized that the world would be destroyed by water and this came to pass. He also prophesized that people would be destroyed if they did not repent. He was right.

2. Nostradamus

Nostradamus was an unusual prophet because he could accurately predict a lot of things and they really would happen. Nostradamus never claimed to be a prophet and he often stated that his predictions might not happen at all. However, this seer did not have all of his predictions to come true. He predicted some things about WW II that actually happened. Yet, other of his prophecies have yet to manifest. Nostrodamus still remains one of the most influential prophets in modern time even though he died in 1566.

1. Jesus

Jesus Christ is the most controversial figure in all of humanity. One of things that makes him such an enigma for many people is his bold prophecies. Jesus predicted that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and it happened. He also predicted that he would die and rise again to become the savior of humanity. This happened as well. Jesus made predictions about the start and spread of Christianity and he made prophecies concerning the end times. Christ is also the Messiah and many Old Testament prophets made many prophecies about him in the past. Christ is a prophetic making machine and all of his prophecies have come to pass or will happen in the future. Keep in mind that all people who make prophecies should be taken with caution. All of the people on this list made accurate predictions but keep in mind that they are the exception and not the rule.

Ancient Prophecies Coming True

The following article was written by Gregg Braden

Ancient Scriptures

The visions of a world-age transition, and what follows it, extend far beyond the ancient and indigenous worldviews into the era of recorded history. For more than 400 years such visions of the future have fallen into the realm of prophecy, and the word itself has been nearly synonymous with the names of great seers such as Edgar Cayce and Nostradamus.

Born in 1503, Nostradamus was fascinated by the profound visions of ancient oracles and studied them to work on his own techniques of prophecy. Using what he learned, Nostradamus developed a gift of second sight that allowed him to peer—to remote-view—well into his future and even beyond ours, to witness events that had yet to occur with extraordinary detail and accuracy. In what is arguably his best-known work, Centuries, he recorded what he saw from his vantage point in the 16th century, through the next ten centuries, and then even beyond our time, ending in the year a.d. 3797. Some scholars believe his future sight may have extended even further.

Because of the stigma surrounding the use of prophecy in his time, Nostradamus couldn’t write about his visions directly. Instead he recorded them in a coded format called quatrains—mysterious verses of four lines each. By the time of his death, Nostradamus had set down his visions for each century as 100 verses of such quatrains.

The Prophecies of Nostradamus

While many of the things that Nostradamus recorded do appear to be surprisingly accurate, just as we find for other prophecies, without specific dates they are open to interpretation. Among the dates that are noted, however, are the specifics for the two world wars that cannot be mistaken.

Nostradamus also recorded Hitler’s name and a description of the swastika; the discoveries of penicillin, nuclear energy, and the AIDS virus; the failure of Communism; and the assassination of U.S. President John F.Kennedy. Even though the interpretations are subjective, scholars generally agree that he did foresee a great change on a global scale around the transition from the 20th to the 21st century. Similar to the Native American and biblical traditions, the changes that Nostradamus witnessed in his visions were accompanied by tremendous cataclysm.

Only when he felt that the event in his vision was critical or urgent did Nostradamus include an actual date. On the rare occasions that he did so, those dates have become the touchstones to orient us in history for the things that happen before and after. For this reason, I find it fascinating that one of those rare dates occurs in the late 20th century. In his book Centuries X, quatrain number 72 reads: “In the year 1999 and seven months, / A great King of Terror will come from the sky. / He will bring back the great King Genghis Khan [of the Mongols] / Before and after Mars [war] rules happily.”

In the Epistle to Henry II, verse 87, Nostradamus further clarifies this time in history, stating, “…this will be preceded by a solar eclipse more obscure and more dark…than any since the creation of the world except that after the death and passion of Jesus Christ.”

A solar eclipse that was visible throughout much of Europe did occur on August 11, 1999. In verse 88, Nostradamus continues describing the cataclysmic nature of his millennial vision, identifying a specific month of Earth changes:

“…and there shall be in the month of October a great movement of the globe, and it will be such that one will think the Earth has lost its natural [gravitational] movement…there will be initial omens in the spring, and extraordinary changes in rapid succession thereafter, reversals of kingdoms and mighty earthquakes . . .”

While there have, in fact, been record-setting earthquakes (the 2004 Indian Ocean quake registered between 9.1 and 9.3 on the Richter scale) and nations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, have certainly changed their affiliations and forms of government, it’s difficult to say that these are precisely the things that Nostradamus saw in his visions.

What’s important here is that although the specifics of Nostradamus’s future sight may vary from those of other prophets and prophecies, the general theme of a great change at century’s end does not. Although they were born 374 years apart, there is a surprising consistency between Nostradamus and the man known as the “Sleeping Prophet” in the 20th century, Edgar Cayce.

The Prophecies of Edgar Cayce

In what have become some of his best-known prophecies, Cayce stated that the late 20th and early 21st centuries would herald a time of unprecedented shifts upon the earth. Just as many ancient prophecies described two paths that could carry humankind through such an upheaval, Cayce foresaw the possibility of a future brought about by gradual change as well as a time of tumultuous shifts that are obviously catastrophic in nature. What makes his prophecies especially significant, however, is that he saw both possibilities happening during the same period of time.

During his lifetime, Cayce gave approximately 14,000 readings that cover topics ranging from the diagnosis of ailments for specific individuals to the future and fate of humankind and the world. In reading number 826–8, which is dated August 1936, Cayce was asked specifically about the kind of changes he foresaw for the millennium that would not happen for another 64 years into his future. His response was a tangible statement regarding a measurable change for the Earth: “…there is the shifting of the pole. Or a new cycle begins.”4

Prediction of the Pole Shift / Changes in Earth’s Magnetic Field

The rapid decline in the magnetic fields of the Earth — the kind that precedes a magnetic reversal of the poles — has led some scientists to speculate that we may be in the early stages of just such a shift. In the absence of extenuating circumstances, however, and with the insights from our Time Code Calculator, it appears unlikely that such a shift will occur in the years immediately before or following 2012.

Although a number of Cayce’s early predictions for the new millennium sound catastrophic, later readings take on an interesting, although subtle, change. Reading number 1152–11 in 1939 describes the close of the century as a series of gradual changes rather than the sudden shifts he previously foresaw.

Once again, Cayce shares his future visions with the specifics of an actual date. He states, “In 1998 we will find a great deal of activity that has been created by the gradual changes that are coming about.”5 He continues: “As to the changes, the change between the Piscean and the Aquarian Age is gradual, not a cataclysmic one.”6

The Significance of Prophecies

The prophecies of Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, the Aztecs, the Hopi, the Maya, and others have sent the reverberations of an unmistakable message throughout time. Separated by hundreds of years of history and thousands of miles of distance, all point to now. They all see something powerful, possibly wonderful and possibly destructive, happening on a global scale during a time that spans the last years of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century.

The odds against such similar stories developing “out of nowhere” for such vastly different people and places suggest that this is more than simply a coincidence. What did they know that we’ve forgotten? Why did the Mayan timekeepers choose 2012 rather than the 2000 millennium date as the end of their calendar What difference could those 12 years possibly make in the ending of a 5,125-year-long cycle?

Prophecies of the Mayan Calendar

Perhaps the best way to answer that question is through a better understanding of the Maya themselves. To appreciate just what the Mayan calendar and the end of time means, we must look beyond the calendar itself. Its symbols and codes are the lasting legacy of an obsession with vast cycles of time and our relationship to that time. It’s the Maya’s advanced knowledge of the cosmos and their ability to preserve it for generations to come that modern archaeologists have called the “Mayan mystery.”

Michael the Archangel

Generally, Michael is the only recognized archangel in the Abrahamic Bibles. He is a high-ranking angel who serves as a messenger sent from the Creator to certain people, such as the prophet Daniel. However, Daniel 10:13 describes Michael as "one of the chief princes". According to some scholars of biblical studies, this verse indicates that there is more than one archangel. Literally translated, his name means: "God is my strength". He is mentioned in the Jewish Tanakh, the Old and New Testament of the Christian Bible and the Islamic Qur'an. He is revered as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches. In the Qur'an this certain angel is known as Mikhail, who is only mentioned once in the Islamic holy text.

"Whoever is an enemy to Allah (God) and His angels and His messengers and Jibrail (Gabriel) and Mikhai (Michael) - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers." ~ Sura 2:98 

According to rabbinic Jewish tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel, and sometimes had to fight with the princes of the other nations and particularly with the angel, Samael, Israel's accuser. Michael's enmity with Samael dates from the time when the latter was thrown down from heaven. Samael took hold of the wings of Michael, whom he wished to bring down with him in his fall; but Michael was saved by God. Michael also said, "May The Lord rebuke you" to Satan for attempting to claim the body of Moses.

The Jewish Midrash gives a more in depth look at the archangel known as Michael. The rabbis portend that Michael became the defender of Israel at the time of the biblical patriarchs. According to Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob, the archangel rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he had been thrown by Nimrod, son of Cush and great-grandson of Noah (Midrash Genesis Rabbah xliv. 16). It was Michael who informed Abraham that Lot had been taken captive (Midrash Pirke R. El.), and who protected Sarah from being defiled by Abimelech. This archangel announced to Sarah that she would bear a son and he rescued Lot at the destruction of Sodom. Later Michael prevented Laban from harming Jacob.(Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, xxxvi). It was also Michael who wrestled with Jacob and who afterward blessed him.

In the Roman Catholic teachings Michael [referred to as Saint Michael] has four main roles: His first role is leader of the Army of God and the leader of heaven's forces in their triumph over the powers of hell. In his second role, Michael is the angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to heaven. In this particular role Michael descends at the hour of death, and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing; therefore bringing consternation upon the devil and his minions. In his third role, he weighs souls in his perfectly balanced scales. In his fourth role, Michael is also the guardian of the Church; it was thus not unusual for the angel to be revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages.

Many Protestant Christian denominations do not call upon the intercession of saints and generally only recognize two angels - Michael and Gabriel. However, an unofficial Anglican prayer of preparation before Mass includes a confession to "Michael the Archangel" as well as other saints such as John the Baptist. Some sects, including Jehovah's Witnesses, believe the archangel Michael to be one in the same with Jesus Christ, the Christian Messiah. The basic premise of this claim seems to stem from the distinct usage of the word 'archangel'. John A. Lees, in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, states:

"The earlier Protestant scholars usually identified Michael with the pre-incarnate Christ, finding support for their view, not only in the juxtaposition of the 'child' and the archangel in Rev 12:1-17, but also in the attributes ascribed to him in Daniel."

Jewish apocalyptic literature [of the post-exile period] describes seven archangels who stand in the presence of God: Suruel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Gabriel, Remiel, and Uriel (Tobit 12:15; 1 Enoch 9:1; 20:1-7; 40:9). Other apocalyptic theologians proclaim Michael is one of four powerful angelic beings created before other angels. They are known to possess immense power surpassing that of demons and lesser angels. Those four angels are: Michael, Lucifer, Raphael and Gabriel. 

Regardless of the scholars' angelic hypothesis, Michael is mentioned by name three times in the Tanakh/Old Testament (Daniel 10:13; 10:21; 12:1) and twice in the New Testament (Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7).  Michael is portrayed as an angel that is a fighter - contending and withstanding against all forces of evil. His most famous example of fighting abomination is when he cast Lucifer and his fellow angels out of heaven following Lucifer's stand against the Creator. While not mentioned by name in I Thessalonians 4:16, most scholars believe that Michael is being referred to in this verse.

The idea that Michael was the advocate of the Jews became so popular that, in spite of the rabbinical prohibition against appealing to angels as intermediaries between God and his people, Michael came to occupy a certain place in the Jewish liturgy. Likewise, Christian sanctuaries honoring Michael appeared in the 4th century, when he was seen as a healing angel, and later becoming known as the leader of the army of God. The archangel, who is deemed as a protector and was first venerated as a healer in Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), has been revered for many centuries now.

In the Book of Revelation, Michael leads the Creator's armies against Satan during the war in heaven, and defeats Satan, also known as Lucifer. After the conflict, Lucifer (referred to as the "dragon") is thrown to earth along with the fallen angels, where he (referred to as "that ancient serpent called the devil") still tries to lead the whole world astray.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." ~ Revelation 12:7-9

The Prophet Daniel had a vision of an angel who identifies Michael as the protector of Israel (Daniel 10:13-21). The ancient oracle goes on to proclaim that Michael will arise during the "time of the end" (Daniel 12). In Revelation 12:7-10, the Bible expands upon the story of how Michael and his army will defeat the rebellious angels right before the Second Coming of Jesus. 

To sum up the archangel known as Michael, he is a powerful, heavenly entity that has been not only a protector and healer, but a high-ranking, warrior angel that has supreme dominion over God's heavenly host of soldiers. 

John B. Medina - "Paradise Lost"

Silence of the Prophets

Why was there such a long silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament prophets? The majority of Christians believe there was a silence of prophecy for 400 years prior to birth of Jesus. Many biblical scholars find themselves in heated debates over the subject. 

But ... Who's ? Right.  

The "400 years of silence" or the "intertestimental period", is in reference to a biblical silence in which there were no known prophets to share the word of God with mankind. From Malachi [the last book in the Old Testament] to Matthew [the first book in the New Testament], the Creator remained mysteriously quiet. But why?

While biblical scripture does not detail the period between c/430 BC and c/40 AD, this particular era is referenced in other books, such as, "The Jewish War" (c/75 AD) and "Antiquities of the Jews" (c/94 AD) by the 1st century AD historian, Flavius Josephus.

The Known History of the "400 Years"

The Prophet Malachi set the stage with his biblical prediction of Elijah's return in reference to Jesus (Malachi 4:5-6) circa 430 BC. During this era of time the Jews had returned from Medo-Persia and rebuilt their second temple under the influence of King Cyrus and the guidance of Ezra. In 332 BC, the Greek Empire conquered the Persians and laid claim to the Jewish homeland followed by the Egyptian occupation in 312 BC. It was during this epoch of time the Old Testament was translated into Greek (known as the Septuagint). However, the Jews continued to practice their temple rituals and the Law of Moses until Syria captured Jerusalem in 204 BC. The Maccabean Revolt lasted from 167-160 BC in which Mattathias [Maccabee] the Hasmonean, sparked the revolt against the Seleucid Empire after Antiochus IV desecrated the Holy of Holies (the most sacred part of the Jewish temple) and issued a decree forbidding Jewish religious traditions and practices. The Hasmoneans temporarily fled the scene, but later returned after regrouping. After the death of his father (Mattathias Maccabee), Judah Maccabee led an army of Jewish dissidents to victory over the Seleucid dominion in guerrilla warfare around 160 BC. The Romans conquered the Israeli homeland by 63 BC, and continued to reign over the region throughout the dawning of the AD era, which led to the events of the New Testament.

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It was a bloody 400 years of wars and skirmishes, but it is interesting to note some of the events during the 400 years fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Significantly, Daniel had spoke of future empires that resembled those of the Greek and Roman dynasties (Daniel 7, 9). There were several apocryphal books written during this time, as well:

Tobi --------------------------------------------------225-175 BC
Ben Sira (Sirach) ---------------------------------200-175 BC
Bel and the Dragon ------------------------------200-100 BC
Greek Esther -------------------------------------- 200-1 BC
Prayer of Azariah --------------------------------200-1 BC
1 Maccabees ----------------------------------------150-100 BC
2 Maccabees ----------------------------------------150-100 BC
1 Esdras --------------------------------------------- 100 BC-100 AD
Prayer of Manasseh ----------------------------- 100-1 BC
3 Maccabees ----------------------------------------100-1 BC
4 Maccabees ----------------------------------------100-1 BC

Some scholars and theologians of biblical studies believe while the 400 years of biblical silence revealed no new revelations from the Creator, the necessary preparations for the coming of the Messiah was fulfilled. As the AD era dawned, the count down to the coming of Messiah began. Israel was undergoing major change; the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes came to positions of political and religious influence. Israel was ready for a Messiah. According to the Christians, the stage was now set for Jesus Christ to come. Galatians 4:4-5 states, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

The Supreme Creator was definitely active in world history during the 400 years, causing major political and military upheavals to occur. But, the Jews do not have similar views on this "biblical silence", as the Tanakh (Old Testament) had other periods of biblical silence, such as:

>  the many hundreds of years between Adam and Abraham
>  the 400 years when the Hebrew people were living in exile, then slaves
>  the many hundreds of years between Joseph (son of Jacob) and Moses

These are just a few examples from the Tanakh, also known as the Hebrew Bible. Judaism does not see the 400 year "biblical silence" as odd in this respect. 

"The truth is, there was no silence. I grew up celebrating Chanukah, commemorating the events that took place smack dab in the midst of this four-century period. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include apocryphal books written during that period, including the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which details the story of Chanukah. Though Jewish Bibles don’t include these books in their canon, the Jewish festal calendar includes this minor feast in its cycle of observance, and has since before Jesus was born." ~ Michelle Van Loon (Patheos.com)

While the biblical scholars and theologians debate the "400 years of silence", it is interesting to note that there has been close to "2,000 years of silence" since the New Testament was written and later canonized.   Most theologians agree there have not been any prophets from any of the tribes of Israel to proclaim mysteries, warnings or chastisement to the nations. Yet, there are a few philosophers that will attest that the 16th century AD poet and seer, Nostradamus, was indeed the Creator's prophet, commonly believed to have been descended from the tribe of Issachar. Regardless of the Nostradamus debate, another "biblical silence" has ensued for many centuries since the completion of the New Testament.

Whether the Christian view is correct or not, the "400 years of silence" will probably remain an  obscure subject among the biblical professors.

Related Articles:

400 Years Of Silence?
Was Christ’s Birth Preceded by 400 Years of Divine Silence?
Why are there 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments?