Leaderboard

The 2018 election added 19 new members of Congress who had served previously in the U.S. military, to bring the total number who have served to 97. Of these, 41 have served in combat. Is this important? Some of us believe that decisions to send our men and women into combat, and to support them when such decisions are made, should not be made in situations where no elected leader making such a decision has ever served in the military and in combat. These 97 people represent 41 of the 50 States and include members of the Senate as well as the House of Representatives. Note: The above information comes from the article "Called to Serve--Again" in the February 2019 issue of Military Officer.

I was reading a book by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn; where he was talking about the Book of Revelation - sometimes called the Apocalypse. He said that the word "apocalypse" comes from the Greek word "apocalupsis", which int urn comes from two root words - "apo (meaning"remove") and "kalupsis" ( meaning "veil" or "covering"). So the word can be translated as the removing of the covering or veil. Traditionally, this has been interpreted as the uncovering of the mysterious prophecies of the OT - especially those of Daniel - about end times. Study of the apocalypse is regarded by many as scary, because it appears that the apocalypse climaxes with the destruction of earth and all of its wicked inhabitants. But it has another beautiful ending. If we read Revelation 21:1-2: "Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." For the saved, the apocalypse climaxes with a wedding! That's a happy ending! Don't miss the symbolism of the lifting of the veil (apocalypse) at the wedding ceremony. When the wedding is complete, the veil is lifted. No more separation or partial sight - we will see Him as He is, and we will be one with Him - part of His Body. That's the kind of apocalypse I can look forward to!

It is interesting to me that the identity of the 24 elders has suddenly become controversial within the SDA Church. It is a concept that is introduced in Revelation but is not defined in Revelation. Given that reality, I don’t think we ought to make this topic a subject of dispute or orthodoxy. But since […] The post The Controversy Over the 24 Elders appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

I know the article said this - not you. Not trying to dispute anything; just saying that I agree with the article. No big deal - you are free to believe whatever you want. It's not like it's a salvational issue.

I share here in blog form my original manuscript of this week’s (January 27 – February 2) Sabbath School Adult Teacher’s Edition for people to use or compare with the edited version. The changes were not massive or disruptive in most cases. I share my analysis of the changes in the next blog. These comments […] The post Original Teachers’ Notes for Rev 6 (Week 5) appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

Belong to Christ

From the article: "So the weight of biblical evidence falls on the likelihood that the 24 elders of Revelation represent redeemed humanity." Amen!!

5 Things You Didn't Know About Douglas MacArthur_2 On January 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur was born as the son of a Civil War captain and went on in his own military career to liberate the Philippines from Japanese hands during World War II. Here are 5 things you might not know about General MacArthur... Both MacArthur and His Father Were Awarded the Medal of Honor Douglas MacArthur and his father, Arthur, both received the Medal of Honor. The younger MacArthur received his for defending the Philippines against Japanese invaders during World War II, and his father’s award was for his bravery in 1863 during the Battle of Missionary Ridge. Interestingly enough, MacArthur’s father, a captain in the Union Army, married Mary Pinkney, whose family were dedicated supporters of the Confederacy. Only Two Other Cadets Surpassed His Performance at West Point MacArthur’s mother was so intent on his doing well when he attended West Point that she moved there and lived in a hotel on the campus grounds while he attended school there. He ended up graduating first in 1903 out of a group of 94 cadets with 2,424.2 points, which was a performance rate of 98.14 percent. Only Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Charles Mason, who became chief justice in the U.S. Supreme Court, outscored him. MacArthur Fulfills His Promise The Philippines had been surrendered to Japanese forces in May 1942, and the commanding general, Jonathan Wainwright, remained a Japanese prisoner until 1945. General MacArthur was determined to return and liberate the Philippines and use the island of Luzon as a base for operations against the Japanese in their homeland. Arriving in October 1944, along with the Sixth Army and supported by two Navy fleets, the Japanese finally surrendered in early 1945. MacArthur Wanted to Become President of the United States MacArthur was popular with people at home, and a movement grew for him to run for the presidency in 1944 against Franklin Delano Roosevelt. However, when he lost the Wisconsin Primary to Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen, he was overlooked in support of another World War II hero, Dwight D. Eisenhower. MacArthur Was Honored With a Huge Ticker-Tape Parade MacArthur wanted to continue fighting and take over North Korea but did not have the support of President Truman because the president thought it would start another war. When MacArthur defied Truman and would not back down on his position, Truman fired him. Americans did not hold that against MacArthur and threw an enormous ticker-tape parade in Manhattan to honor him for his service.