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Rev Dr Edgar Mayer – Living Grace Lutheran Church, Toowoomba – Date: 24 November 2013

For more sermons and other writings, please check the following homepage: www.livinggracetoowoomba.org

The Harbinger

Slide 1

In 2012, the book “The Harbinger” became a publishing sensation in America. [According to “CharismaNews,” on

January 22, the “The Harbinger” debuted at No. 10 on the NY Times best-seller list in the “print paperback” category

and at No. 28 in the “combined print hardcover and paperback “ category. In just 10 days, it had gone to reprint four

times. (Charisma House is the publisher of the book.)] Jonathan Cahn, the book’s author, is the pastor of one of the

largest Messianic (Jewish Christian) congregations in the US – (centred right across the water from New York City).

The book is fiction – there are characters and a story line that are not real – but the core content of the book is meant

to be a modern day prophecy: “What you are about to read is presented in the form of a story, but what is contained

within the story is real.”

Jonathan Cahn: I have no doubt that The Harbinger came from the Lord. I take no credit for it. It literally

flowed out of me, rapidly, and was very soon finished. I don’t believe I could have discovered these

things on my own, but was led, as through an ancient mystery, piece after piece, until it all came together

…

I could literally see the smoke rising up from Manhattan. My wife was supposed to be at the

World Trade Center that day and that hour but at the last minute her plans were changed. In the wake of

the calamity, I prayed and was led to a specific section of Scripture involving the first warning sign of

judgment given to ancient Israel. Later on I found out that Pastor David Wilkerson of Time Square

Church gave a word to his congregation right after 9/11, a word he said was from the Lord – It was the

very same section of Scripture given to me.

Later on, I was standing at the corner of Ground Zero and my attention was drawn to a

particular object. Something said “Seek into this.” I did and it became the first puzzle piece of an ancient

mystery from the Bible that kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger until I was completely blown away.

In the words of the author, the book “centers on nine prophetic signs, omens, warnings, nine harbingers that

appeared in the last days of ancient Israel before its destruction (8th century BC) and which are now reappearing in the

modern world, in America, specifically, precisely, in exact detail.” According to the author, the prophetic signs and

harbingers are especially connected to Isaiah 9:10 – (“The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild them with

hewn stone; the sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”) – and reveal the spiritual truth

behind 9/111 and the later collapse of the American and global economy. The purpose of these harbingers is to call

the United States to repentance and warn of imminent judgements if this call is ignored.

1 The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th, or 9/11) were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks launched by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda upon the United States in New York City and the Washington, D.C.

metropolitan area on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

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This morning, I am not saying that the book is absolutely correct in its discernment. Please, do not quote

me or link me with any controversial debate. The purpose of what I am doing this morning is to introduce to you

how God can and does use prophetic signs for communication. I want us to learn how people who have a certain

kind of prophetic awareness are thinking and how God is using this language of signs. I think that this is

interesting and fun investigating and this should relax us: if the book “The Harbinger” was misreading the signs,

the worst case scenario is a message of repentance – based on shaky evidence but (nevertheless) probably the right

message.

First – before I get into the book – I want to tell you a testimony of some prophetic people who went on an

excursion to Herrnhut in Germany. This testimony will give you an idea of how some prophetic people are

experiencing the world – what they are looking at and how they are connecting the dots of various signs. [Let this be an

introduction to “another world” :-)]

Slide 2

“Herrnhut – A Prophetic Warning” by Steve Thompson (First Published in The Morningstar Journal

1999)

God is serious about teaching us the lessons of previous generations. Paul not only states

this was the reason for recording the history of Israel, he also writes that these things actually happened to

Israel to be examples for us. Paul then specifically warns us to heed the instruction and warnings of the

failures of previous generations in order to keep from falling.

“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our

instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed

lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

Four passenger airliners were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists so they could be flown into buildings in suicide attacks. Two

of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers,

respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within two hours, both towers collapsed with debris and the

resulting fires causing partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the WTC complex, as well as significant damage to ten

other large surrounding structures. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the

United States Department of Defense), leading to a partial collapse in its western side. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93,

was targeted at Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after its passengers tried to overcome the

hijackers. In total, almost 3,000 people died in the attacks, including the 227 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes. It also

was the deadliest incident for firefighters in the history of the United States.

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Many modern ministries and movements that had a profound beginning failed to

accomplish their full mandate because of weak historical foundations. We also are prone to repeat the

failures of previous movements if we do not learn from their mistakes. Lessons of previous generations

are made available to us, if we will only examine their history.

Understanding the need to receive instruction from previous movements, a team from our

ministry recently visited Herrnhut, Germany, the birthplace of the modern Moravian Church. Years ago

we were shown prophetically our connection with the Moravians, so we were greatly expectant about this

trip. As we toured the ancient buildings looking for encouragement, a number of prophetic alarms began

sounding. We had come expecting to receive an impartation, but were unprepared for the form in which it

came. Instead of receiving encouragement and inspiration, we left Herrnhut with a profound sense of the

fear of the Lord.

A Brief History Herrnhut was originally an uninhabited portion of Count Nicholas Von Zinzendorf’s estate

in Saxony. In the early 1720s, a young man named Christian David, led a group of displaced Moravians

from Bohemia and was granted permission to found a “city of refuge” by the manager of Zinzendorf’s

estate. Zinzendorf, serving as a judge on the king’s court, was unaware that his estate manager, Herman

Heitz, had agreed to grant sanctuary to this group of persecuted believers.

The day the first tree was felled to establish Hermhut, Heitz decided to inform Zinzendorf

of the new city being erected, since it was on his estate. He wrote to Zinzendorf that in granting the

refugees a place to live, he hoped that while these people would be living under the watch of the Lord,

they would eventually learn to watch for the Lord. Thus was Herrnhut founded as a home for the

Moravian refugees.

Within a few years, the Moravians had established a thriving community and were

functioning as a wonderful expression of the body of Christ. Indeed, Zinzendorf himself soon was

involved in the leadership of this Christian band. On August 13, 1727 the Holy Spirit was poured out

there and the world would never be the same. Within two weeks, a prayer watch had begun at Herrnhut

which would eventually continue for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for 100 years! As Hietz had

predicated, these Moravians, while living under the watch of the Lord, had learned to “watch” for Him.

Five years later in 1732, the Moravian community at Herrnhut sent forth the first Protestant

missionaries of the modern era. Eventually the Moravians had 25% of the community providing support

for the remaining 75% who functioned in full time missions endeavours. As a group the Moravians were

unparalleled in their combination of devotion to the Lord, work ethic, prophetic sensitivity, and

commitment to living in community with one another. They deeply impacted a number of future leaders

of other movements as well.

William Carey, the great Baptist reformer credited with establishing the modern missions

movement, cited the Moravians as his inspiration for missions. .John Wesley, who embodied the pioneer

spirit of the Methodist movement in Europe and North America, was born again through the testimony

and ministry of Moravians. It is possible that no movement since the early church has had such profound

impact on so much of the church as a whole, without being very widely known.

Like every movement before them, the modern Moravian Church eventually stopped

moving. The 100 year prayer meeting or “the watch of the Lord” as it became known, ultimately ended as

their fire waned. The wave of Moravian missionaries dissipated into a trickle. While there has been a

renewal of spiritual life in a few congregations, the Moravian Church as a whole no longer bears the early

pioneers’ passion for faith and missions.

We Must Learn the Lessons When we arrived at Herrnhut, we could immediately sense the righteousness upon which

this town was founded. We were encouraged by the sense of God’s order and peace that was still

apparent. Several of our team members felt like we had arrived home and sensed that we were touching

part of our spiritual heritage. ‘There was a sweetness that seemed to permeate every-one working in the

town.

We had arranged for a guided tour and were thrilled to learn that our guide was a former

pastor of the Herrnhut congregation. We began our tour by examining the chapel and church buildings.

While examining earlier photographs of Herrnhut, we were shocked to discover that Herrnhut had been

destroyed on the last day of World War II. Knowing there was no strategic reason for the destruction of

this small town in Eastern Germany, we recognized that God had a message for us. The details that

followed and the attesting prophetic signs we received still produce the fear of the Lord as I consider

them.

For Whom the Bell Tolls After 200 years of providing leadership to the Moravian movement worldwide, things at

Herrnhut had begun waning. During the 1930s and 1940s, the town of Herrnhut, like the majority of

Germany, had become embroiled in the war effort of the Nazi party. On the last day of World War II,

Herrnhut was captured by the Soviet Army, and the church building and heart of the town were burned as

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the War ended. We were grieved as we realized this could only have been a judgment on this town. Our

expectancy was changed into sobriety as God’s fear began enveloping us.

After fire consumed the heart of the town, the only edifice from the church that remained

standing was the bell tower in the church courtyard. While every wall of the church was at least partially

destroyed, remarkably this bell tower remained completely intact. Our attention was fixed on this fact

since we had received several prophetic words prior to our trip concerning bells and bell towers.

The Herrnhut congregation originally owned three bells, that the bell tower were

surrendered to the Nazi party for the German war machine during previous years. Immediately after the

war ended, congregations across Germany began searching for bells to fill their belfries. Amazingly, a

Moravian congregation in northern Germany located the only remaining bell from Herrnhut not melted

down for military use. The bell’s authenticity was confirmed because it contained a quotation that

Zinzendorf had inscribed on it.

After two years, this bell was returned to the Herrnhut bell tower. We were stunned to learn

that the stanza on the bell read, “Herrnhut should only continue as long as the purposes of God go forth

unhindered.” ‘That the bell tower was the only structure left intact reveals that God wanted this message

to sound as clear as a bell to future generations. When the purposes of God ceased to go forth unhindered,

Herrnhut ceased to exist!

Herrnhut literally means “the Lord’s hat” and by implication, “the Lord’s covering or

protection.” This is a profound prophetic warning. We cannot be deceived into a false sense of security.

This bell is still tolling for our presumptuous generation. We had just received our first prophetic

warning: We will only be protected as a ministry or movement as long as the purposes of God move forth

unhindered.

The Power Goes Out Our next stop was across town in the Moravian Church administration building. Our guide

took us into the conference room where the scriptures are chosen for the Daily Watch Words, published

and distributed throughout the world. As he was explaining how the individual scriptures were chosen

from a bowl, the light overhead suddenly flickered and died as the power went out. Our guide, assessing

the situation, smiled and stated, “Well, I think we shall be able to continue anyway” and proceeded with

the tour.

Our next stop was a local bookstore in an effort to unearth more information. However, we

were unable to purchase anything because the earlier power outage had affected the entire town and the

power still remained off. None of the store’s electronic equipment was functioning. While we were

waiting for the power to be restored, I glanced at my watch to check our time schedule. I was shocked to

discover that my watch had stopped at the exact moment the power went out! Prophetic warning number

two had just sounded: When the Watch stopped, the power went out!

When the 100 year prayer meeting known as the “Watch of the Lord” stopped, the power that

had propelled the Moravians went out. We cannot stop our ministry to the Lord and expect that our power

to minister to the people will remain. When we stop praying and waiting on the Lord, the power will go

out!

It was also revealed to us that our tour guide had prophetically echoed the sentiments of the

leadership during previous years as well. When the power went out during our tour, he had exclaimed

light-heartedly, “Well, I think we shall be able to continue anyway.” Our guide felt we could continue

because of the natural light filtering into the conference room through its windows, although the “light

from above” had gone out. This is a prophetic picture of a subtle, but devastating, temptation. We cannot

survive in the coming days by natural light (human wisdom) alone. We must have greater prophetic

revelation than we currently have in order to accomplish our mandate.

It is a profound presumption to think that we can continue when the power of God leaves

believing that our own “light” is sufficient. If we fall to this deception, we will “go out,” just like the

Scriptures say of Samson, not knowing the Lord’s power has departed from us. This third prophetic

warning was clear: Don’t let the Watch stop or the power will go out!

The Protection of Protecting

Another reason for the destruction of Herrnhut is not as readily apparent as the others, but is

just as important. Herrnhut was established, even from the first tree felled, as a “city of refuge.” The

Moravians were granted asylum and safety there during a time of persecution. It was the prophetic

consensus among our team that God’s desire for Herrnhut had been that it would serve as a place. of

refuge for persecuted Jews during World War II. Because Herrnhut did not continue as it had begun, it

was not allowed to continue.

Many may argue that it would have been too dangerous for Herrnhut to be a place of refuge

for Jews during the Holocaust of World War II. However, we must never forget that ours is not a safe

faith. History is full of those who obeyed God in the face of deadly consequences and were protected. In

other cases, many obeyed God and were martyred as a result; these are those of whom the world was not

worthy (Hebrews 11:38). Our calling is to be obedient, regardless of the safety or the danger it brings.

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As I have travelled throughout the church, I have seen this principle: Congregations and

ministries who are involved in restoring the fallen and protecting the persecuted are being prospered by

God. Indeed, the congregations that are thriving in this day are those who are willing to put themselves

and their reputations on the line for others. If we are called as protectors, we must continue to protect. Our

only safety is being a place of safety for others.

Consider the biblical example of Esther who was called to risk her life for the lives of the

persecuted. When Mordecai confronted Esther on her calling to risk her life for the Israelites, he told her

that her only place of protection was obedience, no matter how dangerous.

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in

the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall

there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house

shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

(Esther 4:13-14 KJV)

If we deviate from God’s calling on our lives, He will bring deliverance through another, but

we will perish. This was our fourth prophetic warning: Our ultimate protection is walking in the will of

God, no matter how dangerous we perceive it to be.

The Taller You Are, the Harder You Fall Thankfully, God’s grace and protection is available to every believer. However, when we begin

walking in a higher calling, there is a much smaller margin for error. With every increase in anointing,

authority or visibility in ministry there is a corresponding increase in accountability as well. As with the

Levitical priesthood, there are things which we can do in the outer court that will get us killed in the holy

place.

This is why we must hear and heed the prophetic warnings from the history of Herrnhut. These

are real temptations and must be overcome for us to stay the course and accomplish God’s purpose in our

generation. This is a recap of the four warnings that we received at Herrnhut.

Prophetic Warning #1 God’s protection over any person, ministry or movement will only continue as long as His

purposes through them go forth unhindered.

Prophetic Warning #2 When the watch stops, the power goes out! We cannot abandon our spiritual foundations

and then expect the things we have built to continue standing. Humility demonstrated through prayer is

essential to functioning in God’s power.

Prophetic Warning #3 When the power stops, we cannot continue as before. Natural light or human wisdom will

not be sufficient in the days to come. We must have illumination and revelation from God to fulfill our

mandate.

Prophetic Warning # 4 When we cease to be the “cities of refuge” God has called us to be, God’s protection over

our lives will cease in a dramatic fashion.

The Final Word The Moravians and the Herrnhut community were some of the greatest champions of the

faith that we know. Although dead, they still speak through the example of their devotion, dedication and

passion. This is one reason these prophetic alarms caused such a profound sense of God’s fear in our

team. If a community that had begun on such righteous and sacrificial foundations could be derailed and

judged so severely, how easily can it happen to us?

To have been used dramatically by God in the past is no assurance that He will use us again

or that we will even continue as movement. While God’s love for us is eternal, our calling to leadership is

only valid as long as we are leading and leading in the right direction. When the purpose for which God

fashioned us ceases to go forth, His protection of us as a movement or ministry will also cease.

Let us be encouraged and compelled to a deeper commitment to God and His purposes

through the awesome witness of the Moravians. Let us also learn the lessons that are recorded through the

failures of Herrnhut. May we hold fast to our purpose and keep the watch of the Lord, never forgetting

that our first ministry is to Him. May we also never fall to depending on our natural wisdom instead of

seeking greater prophetic clarity. Finally, as we find success in kingdom endeavours, may we also never

seek our own safety, but continue seeking to provide refuge to those whom God sends us, regardless of

the cost.

This testimony has given us the flavour of a certain strand of prophetic thinking. Now I am connecting

this kind of thinking more closely to the Bible. According to the Bible, the view of history is cyclical – (not

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progressive). People remain the same; therefore – throughout history – (to a large extent) we have the same familiar

seasons of sinful decline, crying out to God in repentance, revival as God pours out his Spirit and (eventually)

sinful decline again, followed by repentance and revival (see the book of Judges). Since we remain in this cycle of

the same familiar seasons, what happened in the past can happen again – complete with the same or similar prophetic

warnings, judgements and blessings. Indeed, (in the Bible) the past – on more than one occasion – expressly

foreshadows the future:

Matthew 24:37: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

1 Corinthians 10:1-11: For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our

ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into

Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink;

for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless,

God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they

did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink

and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in

one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were

killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the

culmination of the ages has come … (What happened to these people in the past was for the sake of those

living in the present.)

Hebrews 10:1: The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.

For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those

who draw near to worship. (Parallel signs: Jesus’ bones were not broken as he represented a new Passover

Lamb.)

Colossians 2:16-17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a

religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were

to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Matthew 12:38-40: Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to

see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will

be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly

of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

John 3:14: Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

Probably, the most significant action in the past was the salvation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt (called

the “Exodus”) through Moses. This saving event served to foreshadow the salvation of humankind from slavery to

the devil through Jesus (also called “Exodus” in Luke 9:31). Finally, it seemed to foreshadow our ultimate

deliverance at the end of time:

Revelation 15:1-4: I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last

plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass

glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image

and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant

Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and marvellous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are

your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you

alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been

revealed.”

Expositor’s Bible Commentary: The vision as a whole takes us back to the exodus of Israel from Egypt,

and hence the mention of the song of Moses, the servant of God. The enemies of the Church have their

type in Pharaoh and his host as they pursue Israel across the sands which had been laid bare for the

passage of the chosen people; the waters, driven back for a time, return to their ancient bed; the hostile

force, with its chariots and its chosen captains, “goes down into the depths like a stone” and Israel raises

its song of victory, “I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider

hath He thrown into the sea” (cf. Exodus 15:1).

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I give you now just one Bible sequence which picks up on the past exodus from Egypt in the present time

of Jesus. See how creative the connections can be – (there is no insistence on perfect mirroring) – and appreciate the

encouragement to pick up on the signs which help us to understand the present in the light of the past.

Slide 3

The Typological Background of Lk 9:1-50.

Luke 9:10b-50 may have been shaped to correspond loosely to events narrated in the Old Testament book

of Exodus. Before we look for specific evidence, we observe that the thematic development of

Christological knowledge in Lk 9 would match the thematic development of the people’s knowledge and

adherence to God in the book of Exodus. A diagram may illustrate that:

Luke

1. The feeding of the 5000 teaches

the people about Jesus and they

hear the preaching of the kingdom

(Lk 9:10b-17)

2. At the foot of the Mount of

Transfiguration and on the

mountain itself Jesus is revealed

and this revelation forms the basis

for discipleship teaching (Lk

9:18-36).

3. After the events on the Mount

of Transfiguration the people act

against what they know about

Jesus and his teachings (Lk 9:37-

50).

Exodus

1. The feeding with manna teaches the people about God

and they hear God’s

instructions (Exodus 16).

2. At the foot of Mount Sinai and on the mountain itself

God is revealed and this

revelation forms the basis for

the commandments which the

people were to follow

(Exodus 19:3-6; 20-24).

3. After the events on Mount Sinai the people act against

what they know about God

and his commandments

(Exodus 32).

[In the book of Exodus God is the main character while in Luke 9 Jesus is the main character. However,

that may not negate the observed typology. Both in the book of Exodus and in Luke 9 God and a mosaic

figure (Lk 9:35 quotes a phrase Dt 18:15 and therefore identifies Jesus as a prophet like Moses) appear

whereby the honour or rejection of one closely relates to the honour or rejection of the other.]

Further evidence strengthens the thesis that events in the book of Exodus form the typological

background of Luke 9:10b-50:

Lk 9:10b-17and the feeding of manna in the Old Testament (LXX Exodus 16; cf. Numbers 11; 2 Kings

4:42-44)

� The location of the desert: ereemos topos (Lk 9:12), ereemos (LXX Exodus

16:1,3,10,14,32).

� The number twelve may point to an event which involves all of Israel (twelve tribes):

Twelve disciples (Lk 9:12), twelve baskets full of bread (Lk 9:17), cf. pas ho laos in Lk

9:13.

Lk 9:18-36 and the events on Mount Sinai (LXX Exodus 19ff)

� At the foot of the mountain the people are taught in a desert location: ereemos topos (Lk

9:12), ereemos (LXX Exodus 19:7,25; 24:3; 34,32).

� Foundational teaching invites the people to participate in God’s kingdom/basileia (Lk

9:23-27) or in God’s royal/basileios priesthood (LXX Exodus 19:5-6; 23:22).

� The mountain is a particular mountain: to oros (Lk 9:28 – with definite article but not

further specified; LXX Exodus 19:2,3; cf. 18:5; 19:3; 4:27).

� Jesus and Moses take three persons that are named to the mountain top (Lk 9:28; Exodus

24:1).

� The face/prosoopon of Jesus/Moses is transfigured (Lk 9:29; LXX Exodus 34:29,30,35)

and radiates glory/doxa/doxazdoo (Lk 9:32; Exodus 34:29,30,35; cf. 2 Cor 3:7).

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� Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus about his exodus/exodos which he was to accomplish in

Jerusalem (Lk 9:31; Exodus).

� Peter’s suggestion to build huts/skeenai could echo the feast of tabernacles and its

relation with Old Testament salvation history (Lk 9:33; LXX Leviticus 23:42-44;

Nehemiah 8:13-18).

� On the mountain/oros God is present in a cloud/nefelee (Lk 9:34; LXX Exodus

19:9,13,16; 24:15-18). His voice/foonee (Lk 9:34,35; LXX Exodus 19:9,16-19) speaks

from the cloud and confirms the authority of a mosaic figure: autou akouete (Lk 9:35),

autou akousesthe (LXX Deuteronomy 18:15). [Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord your

God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow

Israelites. You must listen to him.”]

Luke 9:37-50 and the golden calf (LXX Exodus 32)

� After the descent from the mountain there is an immediate confrontation between

Moses/Jesus and the people (Lk 9:37-43; Exodus 32).

� Jesus calls the people an unbelieving and perverse/diestrammenee generation (Lk 9:41).

This rebuke may recall the seriousness of the people’s idolatry when they built the

golden calf after God’s revelation on Mount Sinai (cf. Deuteronomy 32:5).

[In Lk 9:10b-50 Luke follows the Markan order of material to a great extent but leaves out the numerous

pericopes of Mk 6:45-8:26. Various scholars sought to explain this ‘great omission’. Maybe Luke

excluded the material of Mk 6:45-8:26 because following the Markan order it would have featured after

Lk 9:17 thus spoiling the unit’s (Lk 9:10b-50) chain of events which reflects events in the book of

Exodus.]

For more study details, see Mayer, E.: Die Reiseerzaehlung des Lukas (Lk 9,51 - 19,10): Entscheidung in

der Wueste, Europaeische Hochschulschriften, Reihe 23 - Band 554, Frankfurt am Main 1996.

I think that we have laid a foundation now. God does work with prophetic signs – sign posts which put you

on the alert that God is speaking and help you with the interpretation of history – and God does use past events – Bible

stories from the past – to shed light on the present. [The past frequently foreshadows what is to come in a cyclical

understanding of history.]

With this foundation in place, we have a look at Jonathan Cahn’s book “The Harbinger”:

Slide 4

“The bricks have fallen down,

But we will rebuild with smooth stones;

The sycamores have been cut down,

But we will replace them with cedars.”

—Isaiah 9:10

ISSUES IN PERSPECTIVE by Dr. James P. Eckman, President Emeritus Grace University, Omaha,

Nebraska, 23 February 2013: In summary, here are the harbingers Cahn sees using Isaiah 9:10 and how

they apply to both 8th century BC Israel and 21st century America:

Slide 5

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1. The First Harbinger: The Breach. For Israel in the 8th century BC, God removed His hedge of protection from Israel, with Assyria’s invasion being the result. For America, God removed His hedge of

protection, with the terrorist attacks on 9/11 being the result.

2. The Second Harbinger: The Terrorist. For Israel, the Assyrians were like modern day terrorists. For America, the terrorists of 9/11 were like 8th century BC Assyrian terrorists.

3. The Third Harbinger: The Fallen Bricks. (See picture.) The clay bricks of Israel’s 8th century BC walls, were like the “bricks” that fell at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

[On Sept. 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City

collapsed into a colossal heap of ruins, like fallen bricks. The enemy orchestrated a

catastrophic attack dedicated to the complete destruction of America. The World Trade

Center was a symbol of America’s economic power, and the 9/11 image of collapse

shattered the America's sense of invulnerability.]

4. The Fourth Harbinger: The Tower. For Israel, their leaders in the 8th century BC defied God by rebuilding the city without any evidence of repentance. For America, its leaders defied God by

planning to rebuild the towers destroyed on 9/11.

[In the wake of the 9/11 calamity, instead of the nation responding through repentance,

humility, or reflection its response is pride and defiance. Proclamations that “we will

rebuild” flowed from the New York City mayor, the state senator, the state governor, and

other governmental leaders. To rebuild what was destroyed is restoration, but to boast of

rebuilding stronger and greater, without acknowledging a need for God’s grace, is defiance.

A sign was posted at Ground Zero stating: “A new icon will soon rise above

Lower Manhattan skyline – the Freedom Tower.” And a nation commits itself to rebuilding

stronger and greater, and like Israel centuries before does so without regard to God

warnings or His judgment.]

5. The Fifth Harbinger: The Gazit Stone. (See picture.) For Israel in the 8th century, they used quarried and dressed stones to rebuild, rather than clay bricks. For America, quarried Adirondack

stone was the cornerstone of the new tower at the 9/11 site.

[A 20-ton rectangular block of quarried (hewn) stone—the “Freedom Stone”—is dedicated

at Ground Zero in New York on July 4, 2004. It was intended to be the cornerstone (most

important foundational stone) of the 1776-foot “Freedom Tower” at Ground Zero.

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The “Freedom Stone” was proclaimed by New York Gov. George Pataki to be

“the bedrock of a new symbol of American strength and confidence.” He stressed that the

cornerstone was being laid by the heirs of a “revolutionary spirit of defiance.” …

The rebuilding of Ground Zero has been engulfed by a flood of controversy and

conflict. The “Freedom Stone” would eventually be removed and, ironically, America’s

sworn enemies would seek to establish a mosque near the site of the nation’s greatest

tragedy.]

6. The Sixth Harbinger: The Sycamore. (See picture.) For Israel, most of its fig-mulberry (sycamore) trees were cut down by the invading Assyrians. For America, a lone American sycamore stood in the yard

of St. Paul’s Chapel near the World Trade Center and was knocked down as a result of the collapse of the

Towers on 9/11.

[http://www.shvoong.com/books/2387931-harbinger-ancient-mystery-holds-secret/: Like

Israel, America was consecrated to God by the Founding Fathers and George Washington

as the elected first president. St. Paul’s Chapel, standing on the corner of what is now

Ground Zero, is the exact location where this covenant and blessing took place on April 30,

1789, by America’s first president, Senate, and House of Representatives. This is where

they prayed and commended the future of the newly formed nation into God’s hands. (The

first capitol city was New York City, not Washington D.C.)

(“The ground of dedication becomes the ground of calamity, the judgment

returns to the ground of consecration.”)

{That was the day that George Washington was sworn in as America’s first president. In

fact there is a very famous statue marking the very spot where he was sworn in.

He was inaugurated on the island of Manhattan, New York City, in front of the Federal Hall

located on Wall Street …

As the newly inaugurated President, George Washington’s first act as President

was to lead on foot, the Vice President and members of the Senate and House of

Representatives, proceed to St. Paul’s Chapel.

It was at St. Paul’s Chapel that our nation was dedicated to God. Our newly

founded Government joined our President, along with the rest of the nation, upon bent knee

and in solemn prayer asked for God’s favour and blessing upon this nation. It was at that

time that our nation was committed by our leader and the people to God Almighty.

It is at that very moment that the ground with which our nation was dedicated,

became hallowed ground.}

St. Paul’s chapel was the only unaffected/standing building in the GZ radius [not

a single window broken], and it was saved/spared by the fall of the great sycamore tree

which blocked the blow of implosion and falling buildings and World Trade Center

Towers. Since the GZ aftermath, there has been a sculpture erected of the uprooted

sycamore proclaiming it, “The Tree of Hope”. As the prophecy says, “The sycamore has

been cut down, and the cedar was replanted in its place.” This too occurred, as a cedar tree

was eventually planted in the exact spot where the original sycamore once stood.

On the same date as the covenant was made, Washington took the oath as

president of the United States on the site of Federal Hall, which during the 9/11 attack,

experienced a shock wave that cracked the foundation of the place of Washington’s

inauguration, and the symbolic “foundation of the nation”.]

7. The Seventh Harbinger: The Erez Tree. (See picture.) Israel in the 8th century BC intended to replace the destroyed Sycamore with cedar trees, in defiance of God. For America, a Norway spruce was

planted at Ground Zero as an act of defiance against God.

8. The Eighth Harbinger: The Utterance. Words of defiant pride and arrogance were uttered by Israel after Assyria’s invasion. For America, when its leaders repeat Isaiah 9:10, they are vowing to defy God’s

judgment on America.

[Democratic Senator and Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards quotes Isaiah 9:10

(“The bricks have fallen …”) on September 11, 2004 at a congressional caucus in

Washington, D.C. He does not realize that Isaiah 9:10 is a Bible verse of judgement.]

Slide 6

9. The Ninth Harbinger: The Prophecy. For Israel, Isaiah 9:10 was a prophecy from God as to what would happen to Israel. For America, Isaiah 9:10 is likewise a pronouncement of judgment from God.

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On Sept. 12, 2001, the day following the fall of the Twin Towers, Senate Majority Leader,

Tom Daschle, proclaims Isaiah 9:10 before a joint session of Congress, adding

prophetically, “This is what we will do.”

Jonathan Cahn: The Harbinger: “On the morning after September 11, America

would issue its response to the calamity in the form of a joint resolution of Congress. The

one appointed to present the nation’s response was the Senate majority leader. The act

would be critical. For as a nation responds to a divine warning, its future is determined …

The Senate majority leader made his way to the podium to present it. ‘Mr President,’ he

said, “I sent a resolution to the desk.’ The assistant legislative clerk then read the document:

A joint resolution expressing the sense of the Senate and the House of Representatives

regarding the terrorist attacks launched against the United States on September 11, 2001.”

Then, the Senate majority leader began his address … (Show video clip.)

Show Video Clip

These harbingers – these signs – are interesting and especially the official joint resolution of Congress and

the Senate majority leader’s speech – one day after 9/11. From the beginning Isaiah 9:10 was highlighted and the

Senate leader – unwittingly (cf. John 11:49-53) – spoke out an ancient prophecy of judgement which just might

apply again – this time to America.

I read to you more verses from Isaiah 9:

Isaiah 9

8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel.

9 All the people will know it—Ephraim

and the inhabitants of Samaria—who say with pride and arrogance of heart, 10 “The bricks have fallen

down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with

cedars.” 11 But the LORD has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them and has spurred their enemies on.

12 Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all

this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 13 But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD

Almighty. 14 So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single

day; 15 the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

16 Those who guide

this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. 17 Therefore the Lord will take no

pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and

wicked, every mouth speaks folly. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets

ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke. 19 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will

be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; they will not spare one another. 20 On the right they

will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of

their own offspring: 21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn

against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

What is there for us to learn? I will not draw a definite conclusion and say that Isaiah 9:10 applies to the

United States in our day and time. There is no need to enter into any controversy. However – this morning – be on

fresh alert for what God is saying to you. With everything that I have said, I think that God is encouraging you to

pick up on his multi-media communication which includes signs and omens (in addition to the written word,

preaching, dreams and visions, etc). Read the Bible and know that what happened in the past can happen again in

the present – (because, throughout history, we have the same familiar seasons of sinful decline, crying out to God in

repentance and revival). The Bible past frequently foreshadowed the future. What are God’s current sign posts

among us? You may not always know the answer but – at least – ask yourself the question: “What is happening here?

Why is 9/11 happening in my life? Why did the ‘inland tsunami’ happen in Toowoomba?” We cannot jump to

conclusions but sometimes the “detective work” leads to discernment and confirmation. (Coincidences are not always

coincidences.)

One safe response – which is mostly right and always appropriate – is to humble ourselves before God and

repent. God’s prophetic signs are always invitations to return to him so that his warnings remain warnings and

not judgements. When things shake around you (and our world seems to be shaking at present), draw closer to God.

He promised to welcome you with love:

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1 John 1:7-9: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and

the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves

and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all unrighteousness.

We can read the signs that much: God is serious about repentance. We humble ourselves. Amen.