Who Owns Your Soul?

"Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Matt. 16:21-23"


Why did Jesus forbid his disciples from revealing who He was?

Was Satan actually in Peter when Jesus rebuked him?

Presuppostional Profundity

I was helping my son with a math question today and came to understand something important yet very basic. If in his long division work he made an elementary mistake at the beginning, his efforts would be in vain as his answer would necessarily be wrong.

Isn't this how a lot of people spend their time and efforts? They make an incorrect assumption somewhere in the beginning of life and the mistake costs them dearly along the way.

So too, we can come to the Word of God making statements or conclusions based upon an incorrect presuppositional platform. This affects our understanding of God's word profoundly making us jump through theological hoops to make sense. We then further add to the dilemna by quoting commentators or theologians who also made the same mistakes, thereby intensifying the problem and creating confusion for future readers and followers.

Foundational Groundwork

It is imperative that we come to the Word of God without a preconceived bias or agenda. Rather we come simply asking God to confirm His Word by His Word. That is, we use scripture to explain scripture. Sounds simplistic doesn't it? It is! However, the problems come when we attempt to use our natural rationale or understanding to deduct spiritual principles, or worse, to discount the commands of Christ in favour of lessor constraints. We in effect become like the pharisees who arm twisted the law to fit their own traditions, conveniently circumventing the purpose of the law, which was to drive them to Christ.

So while I accept the sheer impossibility of any bias or presuppostions when coming to the word (as my brother Bobby points out), we must ask God for clarity and revelation to grasp the mysteries hidden from the natural mind. Thus the imperative to be transformed by the renewing of our minds becomes expedient and practical.

A Banquet Table

Lastly, the Word of God was given to us for many reasons, but one of the chief reasons was for our edification. We are exhorted to feed upon His Word as the bread of Life. Christ Himself is our true drink and our true meat. His logos simply helps us to hear His rhemas, which by the way never contradict what He has written. He has given us all things richly for our enjoyment, Christ Himself is our portion. Enjoy Him today!

Monday Questions

I am going to ask you some questions that have been bouncing about in my head. They are in no particular order...but I would love to hear from my fellow bloggers on how you see them in a Biblical light.

Please refrain from quoting a commentary or other scholarly work, and from the pages of scripture alone explain why you believe what you do about these points.

Also, please only answer one question per comment. I am not looking for a single "right" answer, but eagerly wanting to know how you see them.

1. Who are the demons, and what is their origin?

2. What does the verse "they shall be saved, yet so as by fire" mean?

3. What habitation did the angels in Jude 6 leave to be bound in everlasting chains?

4. Who are the Nephilim in Genesis, and where did they come from?

5. What colour was Adam's skin?

6. Why were the Rechabites commended by God?

7. Is the millenium a literal thousand years?

8. In Luke 4:6 Satan claimed to control all the glory and power of the world. Was there validity in his claim?

9. Why did Jesus stop in mid sentence when quoting Isaiah 61:1-2.

More to come as they pop into my head....

Why We Tarry?

"Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary." - C.T. Studd

What are you waiting for? A personal invitation?

The command has been given, go into all the world and preach the gospel.

Lord, free us from our feeble excuses and fear of the unknown!

Look Closely

What is the difference between a Christian and a politician? Can you think of anything which practically stands out? After all, we are not to concede to popular opinion or exude an hypocritical attitude.

Politics can be a very good litmus test of human nature. Only when people are pressed into a corner, does their true character "shine".

note to politicians: I apologize in advance to those of you who genuinely seek to represent yourselves and your constituents with integrity, honesty, and morality.

Got Milk?

You have just had the privilege of leading a new convert to Christ. He is overwhelmed at the knowledge that Christ has forgiven his sins and saved him from hell. All is well for many weeks as this new babe in Christ enjoys his new life, but one night you receive a phone call from the same person sounding quite distraught and dejected.

It seems he has slipped into his former lifestyle and committed a terrible sin. He is sure that God cannot forgive him, and that his salvation is no longer guaranteed.

How would you counsel him? What would you say concerning his lack of assurance over his salvation? How would you help him deal with the sin he is convicted over?

Should Christians Invest?

Apparently, the American mutual fund industry has reached the 10 Trillion dollar mark in investments. This caused me to ponder the validity of this option for believers in Jesus Christ.

What? Are you crazy, now you are talking nonsense...am I? You are probably thinking right now, "What exactly is wrong with investing in mutual funds, stock markets, or your 401K retirement fund?

Well if we look at this from a simple economics perspective, probably nothing. But as saints of the most High God, we should not live our lives fashioned after the wisdom of this world. I want to give you some food for thought concerning our roles as "Stewards" of God's resources.

First of all, we have a clear commandment from scripture to "not lay up treasure on earth, where moth and rust decay and thieves break in and steal." Even the most secure investments have been compromised by fraud, theft, and dishonesty.

Secondly, much of our investment betrays a lack of trust in God's provision for our daily bread. This does not mean we should give away every last penny, but we must consider why we are saving or storing up wealth.

Thirdly, and this one is more serious than we all think. Where exactly is this money going that we are investing? I am fairly certain that a large portion of it is being used to fund programs and projects that we as Christians would wholeheartedly disagree with. So in effect, the money God has entrusted us to use wisely is in fact being used to promote a humanistic worldview.

So, should we as Christians invest our money? I say emphatically yes, but with a caveat. Just as we will give an account for every word and deed, so too our time and money are sacred trusts. We must know where the funds are going and what the end use will be. Think of yourself as a banker who must wisely "loan" out his collateral. Consider the following scriptural means of "investing" our money.

1. Giving above and beyond our tithe to support missions, and specifically the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Giving to relief organizations is fine, but it must be coupled with the saving news of Christ's atoning work on the cross.

2. Helping out our brethren who are in desperate need.

3. Caring for widows and orphans in our community.

4. Supporting businesses run by Biblical principles even though it means paying a bit more.


These are just four ideas, I would love to hear yours.

Let us take seriously the command to "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Do you believe our God is faithful to meet ALL of our needs? If so, begin to live like it, not putting your trust in your bank account, 401k, or any other earthy means of self sufficiency. Do not worry about tomorrow or tomorrow's needs, let us pray for today's bread seeing how we can be a blessing to others. It is truly more blessed to give than to hoard.

An Observation

Have you ever noticed how some people command greater respect or attention when speaking. There are several reasons for this including intellect, wealth, status, or a rank. As we know, the Bible tells us that man looks on the outward appearance, but God weighs the heart.

I have seen this trait in the blogging realm as well. What I mean is that certain Canadian bloggers are sometimes dismissed as being irrelevant or not as important simply because they live outside the US of A. Now this is by no means a comprehensive statement of American sentiment, but none-the-less, there is a small segment that exude this attitude in their posts and comments. I understand completely their underlying premise, as they perhaps feel we are simply objective and disinterested parties in the affairs of the U.S. Of course, there may be some bloggers that are simply off base in their words and merit a shrug, myself being not excluded at times.

But as I pondered this, I began to see a spiritual parallel. Throughout the pages of scripture and history, men are given greater hearings simply because they possessed some quality that many others were desirous of.

For example, Israel was called to be a light to the nations and a demonstration of the glory of God to the nations. Sadly, she fell into disrepute and destruction through succumbing to the snare of idolatry. Her glory was removed and her people scattered and destroyed.

Similarly in history, God has raised up nation after nation not simply because He wanted to bless them, but rather that His glory would be seen in a greater way throughout the earth. The Roman empire prepared the way for the gospel by uniting the people under one form of government, building efficient roads, and establishing law and order. The apostle Paul was then able to travel great distances to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the known world.

Germany was the birthplace of the reformation enabling the gospel to once again be understood and received by the common man. The modern missionary movement had it's start in the Moravian brethren going abroad.

Years later, God raised up England because of the faithful preaching of the gospel by godly men, who had been greatly influenced by the men before them. Consider the choices France and England made, France embracing secular humanism while Britain received the gospel through men such as Whitefield, Wesley, etc. The results were astounding in their differences.

I am saying all that to say this; God has definitely raised up America to be the dominant nation in the earth today. But this is not so y'all can live comfortable lives free from suffering, disease, or want. Rather just as Esther was raised up for such a time as this, so too, God has blessed America with abundance and respect so that He may be glorified.

Americans do gain a hearing citizens from other countries envy. People look to the US as the model for prosperity and success. But do they hear the gospel when they come? Are they confronted with the true riches?

Proverbs tells us that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Furthermore wealth, riches, and a crown do not endure to all generations.

The privileges and benefits of bearing the torch come with a great responsibility. Hold fast the light of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for all to see. Let us remember we are blessed to be a blessing to others.

A House Divided

Yesterday's election reinforced the fact that politics will not change the world for better, rather man's natural inclination is for selfish ambition at the cost of moral integrity and societal justice.

As a Canadian I was surprised how similar the language of some Democrats was to our own leftist party, the NDP. Talk of equality, fairness, common good, all sound nice and fluffy. However, at the heart of these buzz words is a socialistic agenda bent on forcing poverty down the throat of every hard working American. To many, the idea of disparate wealth is anathema, a idea which must be driven into the ground and replaced with the doctrine of fairness, where every person gets the same equal amount. Unfortunately this philosophy is not Biblical, and for that matter has been proven to be a failure in former communist countries.

God has designed man to work for his bread, and yet "well intentioned" socialists wish to compensate the sluggard with the same reward as the diligent. At the foundation of capitalism is the idea that hard work, honesty, and core values can earn one a deserved return.

I began to consider the current political situation in Washington. I seriously wonder and doubt whether the framers of the Constitution envisioned partisan politics as the ideal form of a democratic republic. The notion that one must align themselves with a party clashes with the notion of "by the people, for the people". The idea that the citizenry would be represented in government has been seriously harmed by this polarization of partisanship.

Would not the ideal situation be a government where each congressmen, senator, and governor was elected based upon local issues and free from the incumberance of national ties. They could then effectively represent their core values and home state with a more honest voice.

But sadly we are now faced with a situation whereby we are constantly voting for the lessor of two evils, or as this election displayed, singular issues such as the war in Iraq. The populace has been manipulated into casting a reactionary vote which gives no thought to future repercussions.

It is time that godly men seek office not for personal gain or promotion, but rather to represent the principles of God and the constitution on which America was founded. Only as each representative votes by their conscience with complete immunity from castigation can we hope for laws that will honour the God by Whom we beseech so many blessings.

As God's people, let us realize once and for all that only through humble repentance of our love for the world and its pleasure, and by seeking His face in prayer can the tide change.

May God continue to bless America and Canada!

VOTE!!

For those of you below the 49th parallel, tomorrow is a big day. Please prepare now to vote and bring your neighbors, friends, relatives, and seniors. It is imperative that the people express their wishes at the polls.

Prayer is also extremely vital as this election could possibly decide the future of many hot buttons issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion, etc.

There are two seats on the Supreme Court that will likely be vacated soon and a Democratic Congress or Senate could make it quite difficult to install judges who will uphold the value of human life and the literal reading of the Constitution.

DON'T BE APATHETIC!!

GET OUT AND VOTE!!

What's the Point?

We have all heard the excuse that "we'll never fully understand the Bible this side of the grave". This statement is sometimes given as a way to evade a difficult question, and at others time a means of silencing arguments.

However, I firmly believe it is God's desire to reveal all of scripture to us as His children. Furthermore, the entire counsel of God is important for our edification, instruction, reproof, correction, and warning; the goal being a godly man or woman fully equiped for every good work.

But there are many things that prevent us from gaining a clear vision of God's eternal purpose, as seen throughout the pages of the Bible. This causes us to be confused, sidetracked, and often half-hearted in our service to the Lord. For whatever reason, we fail to see the awesome truth's hidden in the riches of His word.

Jesus said that "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free". While salvation did bring us the initial freedom from the bondage of sin and Satan's kingdom, our understanding was stilled clouded concerning the full revelation of God's purpose. As we read and prayed over the scriptures, the Holy Spirit granted us light to see much truth and reality about Christ and all that we have in Him. This light dispels the darkness and brings more freedom in our lives. We began to realize that fear was not a God ordained feeling, and that perfect love casts out fear.

Similary, we learned that God works all things together for good, to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

The crunch seems to come when we fail to see the meaning or application of certain passages or chapters. It is this lack of light that leads us to incorrectly assume regarding God's desire for our lives. Many christians have been sidetraced and made ineffective simply because they did not take God at His word and hence 'refused' continued light.

The purpose of understanding the Bible is not simply so that we can boast of our knowledge or insight, for as we know, knowledge puffs up. All of scripture reveals the glory of God, and specifically the characteristics and attributes of Christ. As we understand more and more of His word, we begin to see just how glorious the Lord Jesus is, and what an awesome treasure we have. Then just as Christ was able to endure the despisings, ridicule, and sufferings, we too will be able to take up our cross and follow Him. When we see the joy set before us, all earthly trials will pale in comparison. May God open our eyes to see eternity!

Whom Fearest Thou?

Having just read the account of king Hezekiah, I was struck by the difference between him and many previous kings.

At the beginning of each king's reign is recorded an account of his heart's intentions. It is sad to see that most of the kings after David did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Occasionally there was one who did that which was right, and yet always held back a portion.

When we come to Hezekiah, the Bible tells us that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and furthermore he removed the high places and the bronze serpent. In fact he is singled out alone for his trust in God.

The test of his devotion and trust come years later in his reign when the Assyrians come against him with unbeatable odds.

For the past few centuries, Israel had been continuously pillaged and robbed of her treasures, wealth, and military might. Now she stands completely powerless to stop an invading army. Prior to Hezekiah, many kings had hired out the armies of other nations to assist them in battle. They did this by taking the consecrated gold and silver from the temple and sending it as a payment for service.

Would they have hearkened to the lessons of history, they would have realized that the Lord was to be their defender, and that He did not need numbers to secure a victory. Hezekiah's trust of the Lord is made apparent when instead of looking to man for deliverance, he goes into the house of the Lord and presents the Assyrian's mocking letter to God. The Lord speaks through His servant Isaiah and declares that this enemy will indeed not prevail but fall before Israel.

After reading this account, I was again reminded that the Lord is looking for those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. To do that, we must take our eyes off of the present circumstances that seem so insurmountable and cast ourselves completely upon the Lord. He is waiting for us to give Him our complete trust and obedience, then He will show Himself strong.

Today we have many opportunities to put our faith into action. Whom will you serve today? Will you lean upon the king of Egypt or will you prostrate yourself before your heavenly King, looking to Him alone for deliverance, strength, and provision?

Captain, That is Illogical?

The topic of logic in relation to understanding scripture has recently come up and I thought I would add two cents worth to this discussion.

It seems that the argument breaks down into two sides; the first being that God gave us a mind to rationally and logically understand His word, the second being that only divine revelation can explain what the Bible really means.

Let me first address the skepticism of the second point. People who balk at the notion of divine revelation or God speaking directly to us raise the concern of extra-Biblical revelation. They often equate this type of speak as charismatic in nature and therefore highly suspect. Of course we have many examples of preachers and others who have received a "word from God" which determined which course they would take. It is funny how many times these "words" are in direct relationship to their desires, such as the Lord told me I should divorce my wife, or the Lord told me to marry that unbeliever, etc. You have probably heard just about every different angle there is.

A favourite one is this; "Well I prayed about it and had peace in my heart so I figured that God was saying yes."

Here is a couple of ways in which we can know something is not from God.

• If an idea or thought contradicts what is already commanded in the Bible, it is just plain wrong.
• If it requires a small "compromise" to achieve our goals, we have either not heard from God, or perhaps the timing is not right.
• When it requires us to manipulate a situation in order for the results to be favourable, we are probably going ahead of the Lord.

These are just three and I'm sure there would be many more sound and wise warnings from scripture. (DO YOU HAVE ANY TO ADD?)


Now how about the first argument of using our logical and rational mind? I know what you are thinking; our new regenerated mind is now able to function "logically" so therefore it is safe to trust its judgement.

The verse used to defend this is "Now the natural man cannot understand the things of God, because they are spiritually discerned." It is true that an unbeliever cannot truly understand the mysteries of the Bible. His heart and mind are still blinded to the truth through spiritual death.

However, we must be careful to assume that our minds are now free from the old nature and its affects. The Bible is very clear that a process called transformation is taking place whereby we not only are able to comprehend the things of God, but begin to think and behave in harmony with the new life of Christ indwelling us.

For many centuries, man has esteemed the grasping of knowledge as a noble and worthwhile goal. While it is true that our western civilization has made tremendous leaps in the advancement of technology, arts, and science, these in and of themselves do not equate with a regenerate mind.

Any unbeliever can have a sharp and intelligent mind, knowing great mysteries of science, mathematics, etc., yet be completely void of comprehending the depth of God's love.

We must realize that growing in grace is not an intellectual exercise, it is the result of a relationship with the giver of grace, Christ Himself. It is an abandonement of our self-dependance to utter need for Him as everything to us.

Therefore, truth and the search for it is not found in the objective analysis of logic or rationale, as if we can simply deduce by reason and study the great mysteries hidden from the ages. Rather, truth is a person, Christ Jesus Himself, and in Him is hidden all wisdom, mysteries, knowledge, and truth.

What is my point?

Exactly! You can study scriptures all you want and never understand its greater mysteries. You can use your best logic and rational thinking and yet miss all the deepest meanings of Christ's words.

Only by asking Christ to fill us with His Holy Spirit as we read, by all means of supplication, meditation, and prayer, can we begin to grasp the riches He has hidden in the wonderful pages of scripture. If we try to separate truth from Christ, or logic from knowing Him, we will become intellectually minded christians as opposed to spiritually minded christians.

The Bible is not simply a book to "understand" with our minds, but rather this book reveals to us a person. Only has we begin to see Christ throughout the pages of the Bible will we truly begin to understand. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. His Word points us to Him, and in turn He speaks to us through His word.

America's Love Affair

It seems that a rather large rift exists between the way Americans perceive themselves, and how the rest of the world understand them to be. For the last 50 or so years America has been the dominant player on the world stage. Their leadership has helped to shape the thinking of countless millions who see the U.S. as the land of promise and endless opportunities.

While there is much truth in that statement, sadly, America has also become an net exporter of much filth and immorality.

While we have become used to the ever numbing influence of Hollywood and it's charge down the hellish abyss, people from other countries have been deeply shocked and disgusted. Now of course the Europeans exceed even Americans in depravity, but that is another story.

There is much to be said for first impressions; when missionaries travel to other lands and bring the good news of Christ, these people are drawn to us and what we have to offer. However, if their first impression is through exposure to filthy movies and corrupt business dealings, they soon come to think that all Americans are like this.

Jesus said that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Similarly, the U.S. has been blessed with the opportunity to take the gospel into all the world.

But somewhere along the way, we Christians became obsessed with the pleasures of a hedonistic culture and compromised our love for God and the purity of His Word by embracing the "culture" of a secular society. Just because it is American does not make it any better than the ideology that Islamic fascists are promoting. We must realize that sin by any name is a detriment to our spiritual health and the stability and longevity of the nation.

America has become a society addicted to sinful pleasures and the life of ease. It will catch up eventually and the results will not be pretty. Let us pray that God will move in our midst to draw His people out of the mixture of a carnal christianity into the purity of a Christ centered life.

Are You an Idolator?

During the writing of the New Testament, idolatry was a major concern for many new believers and was a cause for much stumbling among them. Paul and John had much to say regarding the idols and our relationship towards them. The basic summary was to avoid idolatry and any practices associated with them.

While Paul explains clearly that an idol is nothing, he pointed out that behind the idols were demons who received the sacrifices and worship of those serving them. Paul went on to explain that we cannot serve God and the demons at the same time.

While our culture today does not explicity promote the worship of idols, would there not be many things that could be considered part of idolatry?

What are some things you think can lead us into idolatry today? How would you define idolatry? What is the basic premise for avoiding idolatry?

Lazy Poster

Well, it has been awhile since I posted something. My excuse of being too busy at work transitioned into other excuses. So here is my feeble attempt to resurrect this blog from the duldrums.

Let me ask you a few questions to start with:

1. What are the most important topics in world events currently?

2. What is your favourite version of the Bible, and why?

3. Do you think there are any versions that should be considered heretical or blatantly inaccurate?

4. What does the word fellowship mean to you? How would you describe and define it Biblically?

Only a Boy Named David

As a boy, I loved reading stories of Samuel and David. If anyone lived an adventurous life it was king David. This is really an account of God taking one young man from obscurity and placing him at the height of everything life has to offer.

However, if anything it was a test of David's character and his reliance upon the God of his youth.

David's life is an Old Testament example of how we as christians are to face the struggles in our soul and the temptations we face in life. While David was not always victorious, he was affirmed by the Lord as a man after God's own heart. That is a very strong commendation. Sure David made many mistakes, and some very serious, but his humility and seeking after repentance showed the desire of his heart to please his God.

One of the things I admired about David was his determination not to lift his hand against king Saul, God's anointed. He realized that in fact he would be lifting his hand against God by harming His chosen man.

This tells me that sometimes God will test us by putting our enemies within our grasp and seeing how we will respond. Will we exact vengeance ourselves by defaming them, repaying evil with evil, or will we simply acknowledge that God has the sovereign authority to deal with them.

There are many wonderful analogies in the life of David. What is your favourite one?

Prosperity Preaching?

Have you seen the new Billion dollar bill? I did a double take when I saw the face on it. I was trying to put a name to this man when it suddenly dawned on me who it was.

Do you know? If you have read much of Phil Johnson, you would probably know at first glance. In fact, I'm surprised he hasn't used this in one or more of his posts.

Maybe your asking yourself, I didn't know there was a billion dollar note. Well there isn't, this is actually a tract that Ray Comfort uses in his evangelism. If you haven't been to Ray's site, I would strongly encourage a visit as he has some very unique and catchy props for grabbing people's attention.

Ray Comfort has also revived the use of the law in preaching, citing Wesley and others who stressed a roughly 90% law, 10% grace ratio in preaching to the lost. Why you ask? Well until a person sees their need and their sinful condition, they will not realize the gift of grace being offered them by God.

Ray cites the prevalence of an easy grace gospel as the reason for the high rate of backsliders in today's conversions. Of course you might argue that they were never saved in the first place. However, if a person puts on the Lord Jesus Christ simply to have a better life and experience joy and happiness, when trials come they will cast off their life preserver thinking it the cause of their unhappiness. Rather, when a person comes to Christ for cleansing and forgiveness of their sin, realizing their lost state and impending torment in hell, they will be inclined to weather the adversity knowing Christ has already saved them from much worse.

Ray's approach is sometimes called the 10 cannons of God's law. As he rightly points out, the law is a schoolmaster or guide to bring us to Christ. The law points out our failures and sin, bringing us to our knees in humility before God. Only then can His grace become available to us.

Take a look at his site, you will find some helpful tools to share the gospel and encouragement to overcome the fear of man.

Heaven, Hell, and Earth?

In Christianity and western thought for that matter, there is a common understanding that a person will either spend eternity in one of two places, heaven or hell.

In fact, this has become the standard question posed to many when presenting the gospel; "Where will you spend eternity, heaven or hell?"

Ever since beginning this blog, I have read numerous discourses on the particulars of salvation, formally known as soteriology. While most evangelical christians understand eternal life to be a gift and something received by faith, there are also many denominations - with the Roman Catholics being the largest - which teach a mixture of faith and works as a prerequisite for eternal life.

I would like to go beyond the salvific matter here, and plunge into the future and its contents. So I pose the following question for you to ponder and consider. If you have an answer or thought that makes Biblical sense, please do us the favour of sharing it. Here is the question:

If all believers will spend eternity in Heaven, and all unbelievers in Hell, what will be the purpose of the earth? Will it be inhabited? Will it still exist?

Israeli Peace Plan

As a Christian, how do you view the current conflict in the Middle East? I am interested in hearing from those advocates of Amillenialism.

What are your thoughts regarding the attempt to gain peace between Israel and her neighbours? How does this fit into prophecy? Or is it simply a natural part of history that has no bearing upon Biblical precedent?

If you are dispensationally orientated, please hold your peace for now.