"neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die" - Prophecy about the 21st Century

Tokyo on Tokyo Bay

Prophecy about the 21st Century

Let's check what the New Testament says about the first years of the 21st century:

Rev 20:01 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

Rev 20:02 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

Rev 20:03 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 

Rev 20:04 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:05 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Rev 20:06 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

Rev 20:07 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 

Rev 20:08 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 

Rev 20:09 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

In 2001, as everybody knows the 9/11 Terror was carried out by terrorists who hijacked commercial airplanes in the sky of the US East Coast, following an order from Osama bin Laden.

In 2004, the Great Sumatra Earthquake hit the Indian Ocean regions, namely, mostly Islamic regions.

In 2005, the Pope died and a new Pope succeeded the predecessor.

The 7/7 London bombings were carried out by Islamic terrorists.

In 2008, the Financial Crisis was set off from Wall Street, New York.

Also, as the first African American President Mr. Barack Obama was elected.

In 2010, the Greek Debt Crisis started.

In 2011, a great tsunami attacked the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant of Japan to result in one of the worst nuclear accidents in history.

Also, Osama bin Laden was taken on in Pakistan by US special troops.  Colonel Gaddafi was virtually executed by Libyan revolutionary fighters, too.

In general, the first decade or so of the 21st century doesn't look peaceful at all, according to the prophecy embedded in the last book of the New Testament.



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Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

"Be watchful, and strengthen the things" - Jesus Teaching on Salaries

Tokyo on One Clear Day in Winter

Jesus Teaching on Salaries

Jesus told the following teaching for the beginning of the 21st century as so numbered:

Mat 20:01 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:02 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:03 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:04 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:05 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:06 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:07 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:08 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:09 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. 

This is a very difficult teaching.  If you work from the morning or just for the last hour of the day, you receive the same amount of wages.  Why?  Isn't it unfair?  But Jesus said it was the will of God.

But this teaching shows how different the justice God loves is from that human beings can understand.  Or in order to teach His followers the big difference between justice of God and that of man, did Jesus just bring about this story?

If you are hired in the morning under a contract that you receive a certain amount of money, you feel very secured all day long.  You do not have to worry at all about money during your work.  But if you could not be hired from the morning till the last hour of the day, you would have to be full of anxieties till you get the one-hour job.  Yet nobody compensates your pain of standing almost all the day in the market, looking for a job coming to you.  And, if the goodman of the workshop intends to pay not for a result of labor but for making laborers fine and sound, he would surely pay wages enough to compensate the anxieties of those laborers who are hired late. So, the key to interpreting this teaching might be the purpose of paying wages.

Yet, there are other ways of realizing a deep lesson of this story.  Those workers who came in evening to the workplace to receive the same amount of wages as that for full-day workers would surely be thankful to the goodman.  They would work as hard and honest as possible next day, from the morning to evening for the same amount of wages.  On the other hand, the workers who received the same amount of wages as that for the one-hour workers might not come to work from the morning next day but would come late in evening, if they could not understand the deep meaning of this payroll method.  But if they could understand the teaching, they would come and work from the morning next day, too.  So, the goodman can get some faithful workers for him and also find workers who lack ability to understand the lesson but only work for wages.  Accordingly, the goodman can eliminate selfish workers from the pool of laborers.

Nonetheless, the Vatican and other religious guys might interpret it in a different way, since intensity of efforts the late-hour-hired laborers threw into their work could be stronger and greater inversely proportional to their work hours. The less their labor hours are, the more intensely they should work.  Indeed how long you live is not so important as how faithfully you follow the teaching of God if your life is as short as Christ's was.

You may think about it, trying to look from the viewpoint of the goodman.

God is fair, since He can measure spiritual fairness in His deeds.  And if you were a Pope, you would surely receive the same amount of salary whether you work from the morning or from just an hour before the end of the day.


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Rev 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

"the seven Spirits of God" - Japanese Patriots

After Snowfall around Tokyo

Japanese Patriots

Japanese patriots do not like to see Chinese and South/North Korean politicians stir up enmity against Japan by reminding their people of various tragedies in and before WWII and presenting any dubious proofs of atrocity they claim that the Empire of Japan did to Chinese and Koreans in those periods.

To the eyes of Japanese nationalists, Chinese leaders and South Korean activists look nothing but intolerable liars.

But, top, leading, major, and various businesses of Japan have strong ties with the Chinese market and Korean businesses.  For example, with a sharp rise of Chinese export to the US, Europe, and Japan in 2000s, Japanese companies came to export more technologies and products to China, boosting their earnings. As for South Korea, Japanese trade surplus is ever increasing against this neighboring nation; the more Samsung earns, the more Japanese component makers and technological companies earn.  And, behind Japanese nationalists and conservative politicians, there are big sponsors who are influential business leaders in various sectors.  Accordingly, no matter how Japanese nationalists take stern attitudes to China and Korea, it never harms business ties between Japan and China and South Korea.  Probably more than 50% of material aid some nationalist groups receive from financial supporters may come from trade with China and South Korea.  So, no matter how strong Japanese nationalists shout anti-Chinese/South Korean slogans, it does not significantly affect the Japanese relationships with China and South Korea.

It also goes for the relationship with the US.  Some Japanese nationalists do not like the past American way of governing Japan as exercised for several years after WWII.  They do not like European powers, either, since they colonized most of Asia before WWII, denying Asian value. Those Japanese nationalists think that as Americans were afraid of Japan so much, they tried to destroy Japanese spiritual traditions and turn Japan to a kind of subject country of the US after WWII, so that they want to abolish the present Japanese Constitution the US occupation forces headquarters proposed and virtually drafted after WWII.  Especially some Japanese patriotic politicians, journalists, activists, etc. feel strong repulsion toward the American money culture and Wall Street.  They do not see any Christian virtue in Americans and Europeans.  They want Japan to exalt itself along with a traditional line of culture centering around the imperial system.  Yet. as with the case of China and South Korea, most of Japanese nationalists are financially supported by Japanese business leaders who have long and strong ties with American counterparts.  So, no matter how strong Japanese nationalists shout anti-American slogans, it does not significantly affect the Japanese relationship with the US.

But, Japan is meaningfully unique in the context of the world history.  And, this uniqueness is more reflected in the mindsets of Japanese nationalists than those of liberal and progressive Japanese or Japanese business leaders.

My standpoint is that if Japanese patriots cannot contribute to the world as much as to Japan, their influence will fade away from the Japanese society sooner or later.  And, as it is not an era of primitive and wild Western colonialism, Japanese patriots must find a new way to appeal to Asian people without following the old militaristic way the Empire of Japan adopted in the 20th century.

Japanese Patriots and Citizens Demonstrating before The liberal Asahi shimbun Newspaper Office in Tokyo
http://hanausagi2.iza.ne.jp/blog/entry/2516165/


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Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

"let him hear what the Spirit saith" - Fukushima Daiichi Company TEPCO

Snowing around Tokyo...

Fukushima Daiichi Company TEPCO

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is the owner of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Before the nuclear accident that was set off in March 2011, TEPCO was one of the highly regarded companies in Japan.  It had huge assets ($136 billion as of 2010) and many employees (39,000 as of 2010) as the sole major provider of electricity for Tokyo and surrounding areas.  Many students wanted to work in TEPCO.  Many politicians received political funds from TEPCO.  And, the Japanese nuclear community was virtually financed by TEPCO; even professors of top universities were supported in various ways by TEPCO.  TEPCO was one of the most respected and richest companies in Japan.  But the situation has drastically changed since the occurrence of the Fukushuma Daiichi in March 2011.

But noｔ many employees of TEPCO step forward to tell the current internal situation of the company.  TEPCO has many subsidiaries and affiliated companies, though not many parties in those businesses step forward to tell their current situation in connection with TEPCO.

Yet there are some reports, in Japanese magazines, etc., about opinions and views of insiders on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident and themselves.

They are disappointed to know that TEPCO's elite engineers and core staff found in 2008, through study on history of natural disasters in Japan, a possibility that a huge tsunami which could reach 10 meters high would occur in the North Pacific Ocean off the plant and hit it.  They reported it in some conference held in the US.  They discussed it with Japanese Governmental agency in charge of safety of nuclear plants.   But TEPCO's management would not take it serious, almost neglecting it.  The plant was just designed, built, and operated on the assumption that the Fukushuma Daiichi plant would not be attacked by a tsunami highder than 5.7 meters.  Therefore, it could not withstand the 15-meter high tsunami on March 11, 2011.

They also admitted that TEPCO is a very big company, so that workers in different departments and sections do not know one another.  Especially the division in charge of nuclear engineering is isolated, since staff in the division are too proud.  Yet, elite members of central management sections are more proud; they don't even show respect for engineers.  Indeed, TEPCO is a company where sons and daughters of some elite politicians and leaders in the society work.  Even many high-ranking officials of the Japanese Government have been hired by TEPCO as executives after their retirement from public services.  Accordingly, the culture of TEPCO is not so ordinary and plain, as they provide electricity for all the offices of the Japanese Government and top businesses in Tokyo.

So, this proud and first-rate enterprise TEPCO was hit by the worst tsunami in these 1000 years of Japan to suffer one of the worst nuclear accidents in human history.

The conclusion is that only the God knew beforehand this tragic fate of TEPCO and Japan, since TEPCO is one of the most powerful companies in Japan.  It was unthinkable, before Fukushima Daiichi, that anybody could make the utility compnay so humble and shamed.


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Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

"the Son of man is Lord" - Syrian Christians

Tokyo Imperial Palace Plaza (old Edo Castle)

Syrian Christians

Christianity substantially started from Antioch:

The Church of Antioch is considered to be the most ancient and widely known of all churches after the Church of Jerusalem. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Roman Emperor Titus, the Christians in Jerusalem were scattered and many made their way to Antioch. It was from Antioch that the disciples went to the then known parts of the world, spreading the Gospel and establishing churches, monasteries and schools. These monasteries and schools produced many illustrious scholars who enlightened the world with their religious and scientific achievements.22 The fathers of the Syrian Church of Antioch made great and memorable contributions in the study of the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments. It was their translation of the Holy Bible into the Syriac language that came to be known as (Peshitto) or 'simple'. They also translated the Bible into Arabic,Persian and Malayalam (a South Indian language).23 Their work was not limited to translation; it included commentaries and exegesis of the Holy Scriptures. They have left behind them a rich heritage that should be counted as unique by today's scholars. This church played a great role in spreading the Gospel to many nations of the world such in Arabia, Armenia, India, Ethiopia. In the process, it suffered the loss of thousands who laid down their lives as martyrs for the faith.24

http://www.nadamelchurch.org/churches-and-monasteries/syrian-orthodox-church-antioch-glance

It further expanded as far as East Asia, since Christ Jesus Himself spoke Syriac Language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syriac_language

Accordingly, Syrian Orthodox Church has prevailed even in India.

It is estimated that the (Syrian Orthodox) church has about 7,000,000 members globally including around 5,600,000 members in India.^[16] There are 680,000 Syriac Orthodox members in Syria and 5,000 in Turkey, 2,000 in Israel and the Palestinian Territories (500 in Jerusalem and 1,500 Bethlehem) (numbers in Iraq is unknown). In Lebanon they number up to 50,000. In the diaspora, there are approximately 80,000 members in the United States, 80,000 in Sweden, 50,000 in Germany, 15,000 in the Netherlands, and thousands of members in Brazil, Switzerland, and Austria.^[17] 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Orthodox_Church

And, somebody has discovered that Christ Jesus appears every month in the Syrian Orthodox church in Jerusalem of today.

http://www.filination.com/blog/2010/12/03/syriac-orthodox-church-discovering-jerusalem/

Back to Antioch, its importance should be more reviewed as it was the third largest city in the Roman Empire.

  

During the first century, Antioch was the third biggest city in the Roman Empire (after Rome and Alexandria). Its population was over 500,000 (significant because we would not have a city of a million people until 1850). 

It was the third largest city but by far the most ethnically diverse. To large degree this was due to its location (see map). It had two interstate highways running by it; the north-south route connected it to Egypt and the east-west highway linked it to Rome. Antioch also had a major river that cut through it that was the starting point of the trade route to central Asia. This led to an incredibly cosmopolitan and diverse city. You had large numbers of Africans, Asians, and Europeans

http://danielgaryhill.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/the-energy-of-heaven-produces-the-church-in-antioch/

So, Syria is important in terms of history, religion, and language.

The bloodshed in Syria must be stopped.

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Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

"as I received of my Father" - God and Economy

Tokyo Imperial Palace Plaza Park

GOD And Economy

So many people are talking about economy nowadays.

But, nobody has established his economic theory based on his belief or faith in God.  Yet, does economy has nothing to do with God, while economy is a key to welfare and well-being of human beings any believers would pursue?

I think the most reasonable and appropriate economic theory can be established if economists and other parties concerned study economy based on their faith and belief in God, if they have any.

In this context, it is interesting that Islamic nations suffer economically while the mainstream of global economy is now governed by Anglo-Saxon, European, or Western paradigms of economy.  So, how India will succeed might be interesting from a viewpoint of religion.  And, how Japan has succeeded while it is a non-Christian nation is very significant, since Japan has paved the way for economic success of other East Asia nations and regions, including Taiwan, South Korea, and China.

Economy must not serve money but God.

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Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.