Pruning, Pillars, Prayer And Union Station

NOTE: Busy weekend ahead so barring any unprecedented news that needs critical analysis this will be the lead story for the next few days. Don't worry because there's plenty to digest here. So, sit back and enjoy connecting-the-dots as much as I did. Praise God for the discernment He's giving to His Bride at this late hour.


Let's go rabbit hunting! Shall we? Fortunately, for us with ears to hear and eyes to see the rabbit isn't doing as good a job hiding his tracks as you'll soon see in a moment.

By the way, a brief aside. I think I'll start refraining from calling these casual observations "chasing rabbits" and/or "going down rabbit holes" because to the occult world I guess rabbits symbolize fertility, intuition, rebirth, promise, fulfillment, and balance. He is the goddess’ creature and represents the Moon, night, and dawn, and is also associated with abundance, rebirth, and release and is symbolic of the ‘tween times -- dawn and dusk. Their motions were used for divination too. They’re also associated with transformation, receiving esoteric knowledge, and intuitive messages. It's also known as a trickster. But I digress.

Yep, it's so true that once God gets a hold of you He never lets go. The last few days proved to me the veracity of this verse:

Philippians 1:6 (KJV) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

During this period of sanctification, it was amazing to me how often (even in the last 2-3 days) the Lord was trying to hammer home the same theme in my life. The other day I did some much needed yardwork -- pruning in a sense -- on some bushes, plants, and shrubs that I had neglected for almost 4 years since we moved into this house. We just let them grow! The property didn't look "messy" per se, but let's just say it finally reached the point where we had to do something about it and clean up what was fast becoming a mess if not an eye sore. Boy, nothing symbolic for me in any of that, huh?

But the Lord wasn't done revealing things to me. At the very same time I was working my way through a study of the Book of Micah, the world focused its attention on the United Nations and the first speech given there by "The One".

How did I know that the Lord was trying to tell me something by leading me to that study at the precise moment? Well, one of the most famous verses -- one that is contained within the symbolic imagery of a sculpture that adorns the UN Headquarters in New York -- is one that comes from the Book of Micah believe it or not!

Micah 4:3 (KJV) And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (emphasis mine)

Now, let's remember what we found in the last entry posted here about how Micah and Isaiah were contemporaries. Actually, we find the same words used in the Book of Isaiah too:

Isaiah 2:4 (KJV) And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (emphasis mine)

Why is that relevant? Well, when I finally got around to visiting the blogs I frequented in the past before my "rest and wait" period just to catch up a bit and to see what they might be noticing too. Not surprisingly, I was floored to find Ultraguy over at New Wineskins writing about essentially the same things! In fact, he wrote the following that must be included here for obvious reasons:



It was pointed out to me recently that the UN charter leans heavily on Isaiah 2:4, which I quote below in the fuller context of verses 2-4:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

The gross conceit of the UN charter, of course, is to focus only on the swords/plowshares bit and assume man can take on this task himself without God. Such an impulse, while perhaps well-meaning (who is not for peace?) is nonetheless premature, naive and arrogant (prideful). Instead, the passage is widely interpreted as referring to Christ’s reign in the coming millennial kingdom and not to a bunch of God-denying bureaucrats who can only agree to average their wicked opinions and call it justice.

Of course, this led me to recall the common view that the coming Antichrist will rise to power and establish his dictatorship through peace during those first 3.5 years. So, I guess it was fitting that AT THE SAME TIME THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS SPEAKING TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN HIS FIRST EVER SPEECH TO THAT POLITICAL BODY is the same time that I came across the following headline and story:

Adidas And Puma Bury Hatchet After More Than 60 Years

Simply put, employees of Germany's rival sportswear companies Adidas and Puma symbollically ended the firms' 60-year-old family feud on Monday with a friendly football match to mark the UN-backed Peace One Day initiative. The game was meant to bring a symbolic end to one of Germany's most infamous family feuds, which began in 1948 when a row between brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler split the family sportswear business, already a major supplier in the field, into two camps. Does that year ring any bells with you?

Now, I know there will be some people who will see that and go, "Huh? Boy's lost his head again!" But I look at that headline and marvel at how the storylines and themes that the Lord is about to work out in full view within the world (those with serious prophetic implications) has a ripple effect as though this were a small sampling of what's to come. It's like how when you throw a stone into a body of water and you see the outermost ripples first that all point back to that original splash (there's a nod to the custom called Tashlich that we just looked at too).

In other words, I saw this headline and the accompanying story while it appeared simultaneous to Obama's speech as indicative of how peace between the world and Israel is not far off. Apparently, that assumption from a few days ago may be more chillingly accurate than even I anticipated given the latest revelation published over at New Wineskins today.

Oh yeah, did I mention how that story about Adidas and Puma was about how they "buried the hatchet after 60 years" and that timeline is as close to a dead on match as you can get when comparing it to the history of Israel as a nation. From Netanyahu's speech to the UN: "Nearly 62 years ago, the United Nations recognized the right of the Jews, an ancient people 3,500 years-old, to a state of their own in their ancestral homeland."

Breathtaking, isn't it? The comment that really hit me hard, however, was when he said: "History has shown us time and again that what starts with attacks on the Jews eventually ends up engulfing many others."

Zechariah 12:3 (KJV) And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Sure enough, right on cue, another seemingly non-related news story to those who are lost and spiritually blind was given to us who know better when we read:

Zelaya: Israeli Mercenaries Trying To Kill, Irradiate Me

Let's revisit Obama's speech. Ultraguy pointed out that he used the word "peace" 29 times. What bothered me is his use of the word "pillar". Now, I haven't looked to see how many times he uttered that word, but I'd venture to guess it was a lot less than his use of the word "peace". Still, did anyone else catch what he was saying when he began talking about his "Four Pillars" concept?

Barack Obama spoke of "four pillars", and they are the goals he wants to accomplish. In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama told world leaders Wednesday he believes there are four pillars necessary to ensure that future -- nuclear disarmament, the promotion of peace and security, preservation of the planet, and a global economy that offers opportunity for all people. Obama says those pillars must be "the guiding principle of international cooperation".

The fourth pillar is the one I want to focus on for the moment. The fourth pillar Obama spoke of was concerning a way for the entire world to have jobs, and for no one to be without jobs, and for everyone to be able to have a way to buy food. What does that sound like to you? A world where everyone has a job? Sounds really hard to believe something like this can be accomplished unless Obama has the same idea of a mark as described in the Bible. How else do you think Obama would be capable of such an ambitious task without using the mark idea?

Of course, the verse from the Bible that is most relevant to an end times discussion that contains the word pillar is one that's known to most:

Genesis 19:26 (KJV) But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (emphasis mine)

Sticking with this same speech for a moment let's go back and look more closely at the "swords into plowshares" stuff. To secular world, this concept has always represented a concept in which military weapons or technologies are converted for peaceful civilian applications. The plowshare is often used to symbolize creative tools that benefit mankind, as opposed to destructive tools of war, symbolized by the sword, a similar sharp metal tool with an arguably opposite use. The common expression "beat swords into plowshares" has been used by disparate social and political groups who have hijacked a beautiful Biblical verse that I read as being descriptive of what life will be like when we are all living in the Kingdom Come with Jesus Christ at the head of society.

Fitting. What was it? A day later when Obama also unveiled an "historic agreement" involving worldwide nuclear disarmament? Again, right on cue. Yet, we should know by now that our Heavenly Father is always right on time with all things. May we always continue to trust in Him in the days and weeks ahead because we all know that those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who did not.

Moving on. Believe it or not, my Micah study (and this resulting "observing the times" post) led me to 2 particular political sculptures -- one at the UN and the other at Union Station in Washington D.C. of all places.



As mentioned, the United Nations garden contains several sculptures and statues that have been donated by different countries. The one pictured above is called "Let Us Beat Swords Into Plowshares" and it was a gift from the then Soviet Union presented in 1959, which is surreal since this current atmosphere of "disarmament, peace, and security" arrived immediately following the unexpected turn of events between the US and Russia in regards to the proposed missle shield. Made by Evgeniy Vuchetich, the bronze statue represents the figure of a man holding a hammer in one hand and, in the other, a sword which he is making into a plowshare, symbolizing man's desire to put an end to war and convert the means of destruction into creative tools for the benefit of all mankind. This was the first sculpture that my Micah study led me to.

The second political sculpture highlighted by that Micah study can be found in Washington D.C. At Union Station to be exact. What, if anything, is prophetically significant about Union Station? Is this merely another "rabbit hole" underserving of our valuable time that could be better spent with the Lord? And why did my earlier study on the Book of Micah, Rosh HaShanah, and Tashlich lead me there and compel me to take a closer look?

After all, that would seem like a pretty "heavy" command after The Valley of Uncertainty & Quiet I was lost in the past few weeks. Even so, if there's one thing I learned it's to stop questioning Him so much and start obeying Him more in blind faith and obedience even when things make no sense to my limited brain.

First, let's take a look at the sculpture of Thales at the Union Station front facade:





The vertical lines created by the gigantic Ionic columns terminate in 18 foot high allegorical figures, a grouping entitled "The Progress of Railroading" by Louis St. Gaudens, representing Fire, Electricity, Freedom, Imagination, Agriculture and Mechanics (6 statues and the 36 centurions around the main hall in the interior; 6 + 36 = 42!).

Oh yeah, those "18 foot high allegorical figures"? Well, believe it or not, they have a connection to the "pillar" stuff we just looked at too:

2 Kings 25:17 (KJV) The height of the one pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it [was] brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work. (emphasis mine)

What is 2 Kings about? In general, it's an historical account of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah during the time of Elijah and Elisha. It also speaks of the restoration and opening of the Temple not once, but twice.

We also find it in Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 52:21 (KJV) And [concerning] the pillars, the height of one pillar [was] eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof [was] four fingers: [it was] hollow. (emphasis mine)

Both portions of Scripture referenced above from 2 Kings and Jeremiah tell of the captivity of Judah. So, if what some scholars believe about the United States in end times prophecy is, in fact, true -- that there are some groups who say that Ephraim is Great Britain and Manasseh is the United States (although others say it seems to fit the Biblical descriptions of these tribes in the last days better when viewed the other way around, but it doesn’t make a great deal of difference since they claim both are Joseph and Joseph represents both Great Britain and the United States) -- then the fascinating prophetic application for us today can be found in the Book of Revelation:

Revelation 3:12 (KJV) Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name. (emphasis mine)

What about those other pillars at Union Station? What beings were chosen to adorn the Main Entrance to this nation's primary transportation hub?

Prometheus (for Fire):


Thales (for Electricity), which we already looked at.

Themis (for Freedom and Justice):


Apollo (for Imagination and Inspiration):


Ceres (for Agriculture):


Archimedes (for Mechanics):


Interesting to note (given our look at her in the past) the substitution of "Agriculture" for "Commerce" (in the form of Ceres) in a railroad station iconography, which historians claim vividly conveys the power of a specifically American lobbying bloc. Given the occult forces at work in Washington D.C., I'm not sure I buy that "official" explanation. Do you?

Luckily, I also found these images from the Library of Congress that document the inscriptions found at Union Station after I wondered if there might be anything of substance there in an effort to find covery symbolism contained within the overy symbolism.

What else as we march towards wrapping things up for the day? Here's what I wrote in that commentary on the Book of Micah:

A very brief aside (and something to keep in the back of our minds without going too far down a rabbit hole since it's not the primary focus of this entry), is that

a sculpture of Thales (representing Electricity from "The Progress of Railroading" in 1908), stands as the main facade of Union Station (Washington, DC), which is bizarre after all the anti-terrorism talk and raids this past week involving various cells that the government feared were planning a Madrid/London style subway bombing.

I've read that many Jews in New York City annually perform the ceremony each year in large numbers from the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, but I could not find any independent confirmation of that taking place this year. However, what I did find that was most encouraging despite the media blackout was the fact that 60,000 Christian faithful gathered for the "Prayer In The Square Event" over the weekend, and one prominent Jew from the political arena even joined in. Interesting testimony to the power of prayer and faith in the only one, true God since it would appear that an attack in NYC that was imminent has now been foiled. Hmmm, I wonder if the opposite holds true for cities that support mass prayer and faith in a Satanic god instead? God forbid! Food for thought though especially if an unthinkable horror occurs. Perhaps the subject of the next column.

Ok, so what? This is just another uncanny observation. Weird, yes, but prophetically significant? By now, hopefully, you've come to know me as being someone who takes Ecclesiastes 1:9 to heart -- and why shouldn't I? I mean, if we truly believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of God, then aren't we instructed to take everything -- that means all of it -- literally, and where we have "issues" with some things that's where we're to rely on our faith to fill the gaps?

Let's also keep in mind that as this Washington Times piece reports:


On Sept. 25, Dar ul Islam, a mosque in Elizabeth, N.J., is slating a massive Friday “jummah” prayer event at the west front of the U.S. Capitol; on the very site that President Obama gave his inauguration speech not so long ago. This is not a joke. Click on this site and the strains of the sonorous Islamic call to prayer (which will be heard at the Capitol, I am guessing), will flow from your computer’s loudspeakers. The mid-day summons to Allah will echo amongst Washington’s most august monuments, the site says “for the sole purpose of prayer.” And “the peace, beauty and solidarity of Islam will shine through the America’s capital.”

They’re talking about reserving 500 buses and talking about 50,000 attendees, so this could be one big clump of folks who head for lunch at Union Station afterward, which is only five blocks away. Pure speculation on my part, but I need to put it out there just in case and definitely in this geo-political climate.

You just know that there's a Hollywood connection to all of this, right? Remember the Nicholas Cage blockbuster "Knowing" that I'm sure everyone's seen once or twice by now? Remember this intense scene?

Knowing Subway Crash Scene
(WARNING: Graphic Scene)



Guess what? That "train derailment" took place in Manhattan, NY in the movie! Furthermore, in one of the write-ups I did on that film I noted how one of the few dates highlighted in the story that was significant was October 19, 2009, which is when we reach the climax (i.e. Rapture and planetary destruction events depicted in the film happened on the same day I believe).

If I remember things correctly it was the above subway crash (with obvious terrorism undertones) that occurred just 1-2 weeks prior to that October 19th date -- or next week for those of us living in the real world. That's to simply point out the absurdity of the fact that we're coming up on the "fictional" events depicted in the movie, which mirror current events following all this terror threat business. Surreal indeed!

Want to blow your mind even further? Someone told me that October 19, 2009 just happens to be 1 Cheshvan 5770 on the Jewish Calendar. Regular readers will remember the potential significance of this month after our studies here in October-November 2008, but if you're new here it's a bonus factoid to note that I've been told that the Great Flood began -- estimated of course -- on 17 Cheshvan - 2105 BCE and ended 27 Cheshvan - 2104 BCE in this particular month we about to enter ourselves! The First Temple was also completed (17 Cheshvan - 960 BCE) in this month, which resonates with what we just saw in that 2 Kings 25 passage!

Incredibly, there is more spiritual convergence here than all of that. In my surfing studies I came across an informative website called Scofield Prophecy Studies whose stated mission is to share "historical tidbits as how Christian expression and public prayer was a vital part of our nation’s blessing. We may not fully know of the spiritual state of all the men we examine, but we do know none of them were fearful of prayers to the God of the Bible in the public setting."

In an article titled "America Must Pray" by Mal Couch, we're reminded that "public prayer, spiritual publications of poems and music, have always been a part of America, until recently. There are forces now trying to silence the Christian spiritual heritage of open and free expression to our God that made this nation great."

Precisely. So, while this noise will be allowed on our Capitol, I'm sure there's a Catholic church somewhere that's not allowed to ring its churches chimes due to the fact that it violates a noise ordinance. Nice study in contrasts there, huh?

There's still another connection to the present day in all of this -- GM as in General Motors, or "Government Motors". Here's the excerpt from the aforementioned column:

Charles E. Wilson, president of General Motors, was in Union Station in Washington, D.C. on the very day of the World War II invasion of Europe began, June 6, 1944, D-day. It had just been announced on the radio that the invasion was beginning. At first the station was filled with the noise of people rushing about, the commuter trains were pouring into the station putting out an enormous hubbub of sounds and energy. But then the buzz of whispers and excitement on the train concourse went from one end of the station to the other as people said, "The invasion's begun, they've landed in Normandy, France."

As Wilson watched, it was first a woman who dropped to her knees right there in the middle of the station and folded her hands. Then a man nearby fell to his knees. Then another and another. People went down with folded hands leaning on the hard wooden benches in the main lobby. Wilson asked, what are they praying for, or who? "For Jim, George, or just for peace?" Perhaps for no reason at all, except that in the hush of the moment we all felt the need to pray!

In a few minutes everyone got up off the floor. Each went on his or her own way. The commitment was personal, private, with no embarrassment or apology expressed.

Wilson reflected later, "Union Station will always have a special meaning: we were there on the day the railroad station in Washington, D.C. became a house of prayer!"

What is sad is to think of America today. It is doubtful if any such expression of public worship and humility could ever take place again. To find hundreds and hundreds of Christians in the same public place who were willing to express their thoughts to God, would almost be impossible! One has to conclude that America then was far more Christian than today! And no one felt guilty at that hour to speak forth the thoughts of their hearts to the Lord!

What do we make of all of this? Me? I see it as being highly significant that this anecdote about Union Station from the '40s marked the decisive turning point in World War II. Given where we are on God's prophetic timeline (and how "late in the game" it is), does anyone else wonder if today's "prayer vigil" by the enemy could mark another decisive turning point in this nation's history?

It's all certainly plausible and I doubt it would surprise anyone especially those of you who already have ears to hear and eyes to see.

In the end, if such a scenario were to unfold in reality I guess it would be sort of morbidly poetic for Union Station to play a major role in kick-starting the Tribulation. I mean, when you think about it, the Book of Revelation itself is like a great Union Station where the great trunk lines of prophecy come in from other portions of Scripture. Revelation does not originate, but consummates. It is imperative to a right understanding of the book to be able to trace each great subject of prophecy from the first reference to the terminal.

I guess that leaves us searching our pockets and making sure we have our "ticket" that will allow us to escape when the Great Conductor shouts "All aboard!!!"

Spiritual convergence or spiritual nonsense? In the end, I'm not sure if there's significance to everything explored here today or not. What I do know is that most of what we looked at together is prophetically significant.

Let's seek our Lord for His wisdom into these matters and share the things He might reveal to us following fellowship and prayer with the Source Of All Truth.

Posted in: America In Prophecy,How Close Are We?,Israel And Middle East,Political Signs,Spiritual Deception