Look Up Fellowship "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28

So many animals in the news these days. Why is that?

I'm sure there's a comment that could be made by connecting God's coming judgment with the fact that humans in these prophesied last days act more like animals than the glorious creatures the Lord intended for us to be especially in His Son Jesus Christ.

Either way, before getting started with the latest in this burgeoning 'Exotic Wild Animal Meme' and where it may lead us let's quickly recap what got us to this point.

For your prayerful consideration:


Of Doting Fathers and Powerful Parables in Plain Sight (Part 1)

Tigers And Dragons, Crouching And Hiding (Part 2)

Tigers And Dragons (And WMD) (Part 3)

From A Tiger To A Bengal

Tigers And Dragons, Redemption? (Part 4)


I want to include an excerpt from one of those columns because it brilliantly captures the sentiments of what I've been trying to communicate myself for months now whenever engaging in this sort of study.

In fact, it's so 'spot-on' that I think I'm going to use this as often as I need to as an introduction in the future until people clearly understand what it is we're trying to do when we report on things like this. As Ultraguy from New Wineskins put it:


See Part I, Part II and Part III else this will make little sense. (It may not, even then, but at least then you can scoff from a position of being fully informed.)

I was emphatically done with this real-life parable/allegory last night. Done, done, done. I don’t like being thought of (or beginning to think of myself) as a gloom-and-doom nut-job. Yet without any effort on my part, it just keeps going. I’ve asked myself: Can one make patterns this deep and this densely interconnected from anything in the news? Answer: no. Even the best writers of pure fiction inspired by the news end up with a product that’s more limited than this — flatter and less rich with symbolic meaning.

I’ve asked myself also: Is this the Holy Spirit leading? Or some other spirit? Or just my fevered brain? If you’re not inclined to believe in a living, active, personal God who came down to be with us (Emmanuel) in the flesh, working out His perfect plan for individual human beings by dying on a cross for our sins, and for mankind in general via history, past, present and future, then the answer is easy: fevered brain.

Yet I keep getting these quiet, subliminal reassurances that get stronger the more time I spend in the word: No. It’s good to test the spirits, but not to doubt everything. There lies true insanity. Read the Bible and look at how real-life events helped to prepare God’s people in the past… how they echo, sending powerful messages in miniature. It has always been thus. Allegories and prophetic symbolism works on people at levels they can’t even know. It is to the good. Write it.

One more piece of context, then the story.

If you were God and you wanted to get through to idolatrous Americans disinclined to take you at your Word, how would you do it?

I don’t know. He’s God and I’m not. He has ways we cannot fathom. Yet I should think that, being a merciful God who, as with all love and light, is active and takes initiative, reaching out and wanting no one to be lost, He would seek them (I should say ‘us’) where they “are”, just as Jesus did in eating and meeting with sinners.

Like those pesky bottom-of-the-screen ads on television that keep getting larger and more blatant and persistent each year, I would “get in their face” wherever they happened to be paying attention already. I would use sports, money and fame to tell parables of my abiding love for them… if I were God…which I’m not.

The story…


It happened again. I signed on to read the headlines of the hour and check some email when I notice an odd listing for the 3rd most popular search term/phrase on this day (according to Yahoo's 'Web Pulse' located in the upper right hand section of their Home Page).

It was odd given the pairing of words (from the news headline, not the video clip) and in light of what we've been prayerfully studying here:


First Professional Video Of Wild Cross River Gorillas



Rare Cross River Gorilla Filmed

Rare footage has been taken of an elusive and critically endangered type of gorilla.

Film of the formerly camera-shy Cross River gorilla was captured in the forests of Cameroon by a team from Hamburg-based NDR Naturfilm.

The team says it is the first professionally shot film of the gorilla taken, and the animal has only once before been caught on camera.

Fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas, a western gorilla subspecies, remain.

According to the World Conservation Society (WCS), which supported the expedition to film the ape, the only previous footage available of Cross River gorillas was taken by a field researcher using a shaky, hand-held camera and from a long distance in 2005.

"These gorillas are extremely wary of humans and are very difficult to photograph or film," says Dr. Roger Fotso, Director of WCS-Cameroon.

Cross River gorillas live in roughly 11 subgroups, dispersed among highland areas along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon.

They are one of a number of subspecies of gorilla. Cross River gorillas belong to the same species as western lowland gorillas, but differ in the dimensions of their skulls and teeth. They also behave slightly differently.

The other species of gorilla, the eastern gorilla, has three subspecies: the mountain gorilla, the Bwindi gorilla and the eastern lowland gorilla.


Another 'cross', huh? In addition, a Tiger, a Bengal, A Dragon, and now a Gorilla -- and a 'rare' one at that. Fitting. You know what else is fitting? That even though this is a 'rare' species of gorilla that 'is extremely wary of humans', there's a Cross River Gorilla Conservation here in the United States at one of our nation's public zoos.

Guess where that zoo is? None other than at the North Carolina Zoo -- or the same state (and roughly only 2 hours) from where the NFL's Chris Henry died! Why would we even begin to attempt to explain that away as mere coincidence!?!

Cross River Gorilla Conservation



Surreal. Don't let this absurd fact go understated. We're talking about a rare animal where only 300 are supposedly in existence, and in all the places in the world where a conservation could've been established to house these rare animals it just happens to be in the state (a mere 2 hours) away from the same location where a Bengal -- Chris Henry -- died, and where this exploration began. Like I said, surreal.

That video also includes a brief presentation on the type of technology (and applications of that technology) that always cause students of Bible prophecy to take notice -- cyber-tracking! Again, these are all little examples of items that defy all logic and expectation that I believe points to a divine nature to some of this stuff just as the case was made in our introduction earlier.

What about this Gorilla symbolism? One resource has this:


Often misunderstood as ferocious and aggressive, the gorilla is quite a peaceful creature. Perhaps it's close relationship with humans both in appearance and mannerism is what causes the gorilla to be a commonly overlooked totem. After all, the human mind tends to fear that which exposes its true identity.

The animal symbolism of gorilla is much more noble than face-value or surface appearance. Observe this regal creature in its natural habitat. Gorillas are vastly sociable, and have intricate methods of communication with each other. Furthermore, there is a great deal of honor involved with their interactions with each other.

When the gorilla comes into our lives it is a signal for us to raise our heads and recognize the nobility within us. This is not prideful or boastful behavior. Rather, the gorilla exudes a quiet honor and a still dignity that makes a much more profound statement than any boast. We humans (particularly this day and age) would do well to mimic such regal behavior.

The gorilla also gives us a message of leadership but not of the aggressive kind. Rather, the gorilla manages other members within the troop with temperance, understanding, compassion and balance. Very seldom is aggression or violence required in order to get the point across. The gorilla reminds us that tyrannical leaders will never win respect. The message here is that decency, honesty, and quiet charisma win loyal followers.

The next opportunity you have, look into the soulful eyes of the gorilla, and you will know there is a depth of intelligence there that is undeniable. The gorilla reminds us there is more to knowledge than what is found in text books.

As an animal dream symbol, the gorilla represents the need to take action. When we dream of the gorilla it is a signal that we've been resting on our laurels, and it's time to start earning that which we want instead of waiting for rewards to fall into our laps.


Wow. There's so much there that could be applied to the theme of this on-going narrative. The dichotomy that is 'the flesh vs. the spirit' is what I picked up on immediately in that description along with some possibly veiled references to the prophesied Antichrist and how those first 3.5 years of Daniel's 70th Week (the Tribulation) will be his rise to power, and his 'Golden Age' in a sense, based on providing us with the realization that 'we are all gods ourselves' if we only 'look within' to see the truth.

Still, this Gorilla business made me think of only one thing that would most certainly be relevant to any Christian who studies eschatology.

Rome, The Vatican, and the Pope. Why? Because of the title given to this figurehead of the Catholic church resonates with this Gorilla/Ape stuff quite explicitly. Did you know that while the Pope holds many official titles he is also known as the 'Primate of Italy', which is as crystal clear as it gets I think.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised then to see that Pope Benedict was also in the news today. The specific headline and story about the resignation of a Bishop who mishandled abuse claims is not what I want to focus on. Instead, I want us to look at the image that accompanies this story. Have a look and pay close attention to the man strategically pictured between the Pope's right hand and right shoulder:



Now, what I'm dying to find out is who this man is standing there behind the Pope. I'm not sure, and I couldn't track anything down to help me find the answer. Let's just say I have a feeling someone will find out and they'll tell me that it's none other than Cardinal Peter Turkson, or who some suggest could one day become the next Pope.

So, what begins as a seemingly mundane story leads us to a simple photo that, at first glance, means absolutely nothing, but to a critical eye might look like it's saying that 'this is the Pope's right hand man and likely successor...', does it not?

If that's the case, and again I stress the word 'IF" because I don't know if that's Turkson or not (doesn't matter one way or another once you see where this is all heading), then how much more important do all the 'prophecies' about an African Pope become now than ever before? After all, it was roughly a year ago when the UK's The Times Online boldly stated that 'An African Pope Could Send A Signal To The World' with the sub-heading that asked 'Could the election of Barack Obama pave the way for the first black Pope?', which just blows my mind.


***IMPORTANT NOTE: This note and brief sidebar are for those people who are new to Look Up Fellowship and is especially written for those who lack basic reading comprehension skills. Where I will be going with the rest of this study is is no way 'racial' because I know that as soon as I start writing about an 'African Pope'/'Black Pope' people will think I'm only doing so to make an abhorrent racial slur connecting that individual with the previous Gorilla story. That's absolutely ridiculous, and while I know that a majority of LUF's readers are intelligent I have to write this for the select few who will seek to distract me with emails charging me with being a racist. I arrived at this next section because the Gorilla story made me think of an institution that is closely watched by all students of Bible prophecy -- the Vatican in Rome and its Pope, which is otherwise known as the 'Primate of Italy'. Moving on.***


Of course, to be a Pope you must be a Cardinal first. At the moment, Africa has 9 Cardinals who could become Pope one day. There's that number again.

In that November 2008 article, Wilton Daniel Gregory, 60, the Archbishop of Atlanta, said that in the past Pope Benedict XVI had himself suggested that the election of a black pontiff would "send a splendid signal to the world" about the universal Church.

Archbishop Gregory, who in 2001 became the first African American to head the U.S. Bishops Conference, said that the next time cardinals gathered to elect a Pope they could "in their wisdom" choose an African pontiff.


"My own election as head of the US Bishops Conference was an important signal. In 2001 the American bishops elected someone they respected regardless of his race, and the same thing could happen with the election of a Pope".


He went on to say that in a papal conclave, the cardinal-electors were "guided by the Holy Spirit to choose the person who best responds to the exigences of the moment". At the last conclave in 2005, following the death of John Paul II, it was widely thought that the cardinals would choose a Third World pontiff, perhaps from Africa or Latin America. So, it almost seems like a foregone conclusion, doesn't it?

Fast forward to the present day and we find that it was only this past October when the headline 'African Pope? Why Not?' Ghanaian Cardinal Tells Journalists At Synod circled the globe and confirmed that suspicion. Guess who those words came from? None other than the man of the hour, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, who is certainly in line as a candidate to fulfill that role.

He hails from Ghana, which is appropriately only a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Cameroon (the location where the Cross River Gorilla was just filmed) on a map of Africa. He is also the current President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on October 24, 2009.

Check out this factoid in closing. In that USA Today article about Turkson being appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace we find this little tidbit:


But the biggest news to come at the end of the synod was Turkson's appointment, which drew a round of applause when Pope Benedict XVI announced it at a luncheon with the 300 bishops, priests and others attending the synod.


Tying a nice little bow on all of this is the fact that we found this sentence in the Cross River Gorilla story that started it all today:


Fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas, a western gorilla subspecies, remain.


By the way, I'm assuming that all of us are quite familiar with the Fig Tree symbolism as found in the Holy Bible. Well, here's a 'money quote' from one of the researchers in that Gorilla story:


"We identified and staked out some of the gorillas' favourite fig trees, which is where we finally achieved our goal."


Yes! It always comes back to Israel, doesn't it? And isn't that just like our precious Heavenly Father? He puts an exclamation point on this beautiful mystery for us by using one of the greatest sources for His use of parables and symbolism throughout the Bible, which stimulate us in our search for truth -- the Fig Tree. Can somebody please explain to me what's going on here? No need. I have a few ideas myself.

With so much emphasis on sin in all of these columns (by myself and others) it also shouldn't surprise us that Adam and Eve used the Fig Tree's leaves to sew garments when they realized they were naked (Genesis 3:7).

Most notably, we just studied Jesus' Olivet Discourse a few days ago, and in that piece we highlighted how Jesus said that when the fig tree puts forth leaves one can tell that summer has arrived. Jesus continues that when this has happened the Kingdom of God will be at hand.

As it pertains to the 'Antichrist Watch', the Jewish Encyclopedia states that the fig tree is a symbol of the coming of the 'Mashiach'.

Anyway, Turkson's quick rise to power is apparent, but what might not be apparent is how he might also help to fuflill that famous 'St. Malachy Prophecy' about the Popes.

History Channel: St. Malachy 'Prophecy of the Future Popes'



So, to quickly recap, in 1139, Malachy went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the Pope, Innocent II. While at Rome, he received (according to the Abbé Cucherat) the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before his mind the long list of illustrious pontiffs who were to rule the church until the end of time.

These short prophetical announcements (in number 112 statements) indicate some noticeable trait of all future Popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolical prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual Popes, either as to their country, their name, their coat of arms or insignia, their birth-place, their talent or learning, the title of their cardinalate, the dignities which they held etc. There is something more than coincidence in the designations given to these three popes so many hundred years before their time. We need not have recourse either to the family names, armorial bearings or cardinalatial titles, to see the fitness of their designations as given in the prophecies.

I bring all of this up in connection with our look at the Pope, the potential for a Black Pope, and the possibility of Cardinal Peter Turkson obtaining that role one day because it's EXTREMELY significant based on what St. Malachy wrote about the last Pope this world would ever see. The last of his Papal prophecies concerns the 'end of the world' and is as follows:


"In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End."


It is striking that at least one Pope actually had a similar vision too. In 1909, while granting an audience, Pope Pius X leaned back and closed his eyes. Suddenly he 'awoke' and cried out: "What I see is terrifying. Will it be myself? Will it be my successor? What is certain is that the pope will quit Rome, and in leaving the Vatican, he will have to walk over the dead bodies of his priests."

Pius's prophecy was fulfilled neither in his own time nor in that of the next pontiff. According to Malachy's vision of the church's 'tribulation', it applies to the successor of 'Gloria Olivae' -- or the next Pope.

It has been noticed, however, concerning 'Petrus Romanus', who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last Pope, that the prophecy does not say that no Popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated 'Gloria Olivæ'. It merely says that he is to be the last, so some say that we may suppose as many Popes as we please before 'Peter the Roman'.

I just wanted to point that out in the interest of being 'fair and balanced' here. Which reminds me. Some scholars argue that there's a problem with the prophecies as listed in The Prophecies of St. Malachy, published by the Thomas A. Nelson, a Catholic Publishing House.

They claim that Malachy's original works listed only 111 Popes, not 112, as given in the TAN version of the prophecies, and that sometime between the first and subsequent printings the 112th, 'Petrus Romanus', was added to Malachy's prophecy. They say it was added after the 1820 publication of the prophecies. But that makes this rabbit hole even deeper (brings the Jesuits and a different kind of 'Black Pope' into the discussion) and I don't want to get into that aspect right now.

I know, I know. It's difficult not to become utterly speechless after being led to all these instances of spiritual convergence, but we must press on as the Holy Spirit leads.

Just for good measure, and before wrapping things up for now, Pope Benedict made another major headline today. This time is was courtesy of Bloomberg:



Pope Reaches Out to Cyber Youth With YouTube, Tupac, Podcasts

Pope Benedict XVI, who at 82 still handwrites his speeches rather than use a computer, is tapping YouTube, MySpace and podcasts to lure disenchanted youth into the Church’s fold.

Reaching out to the cyber-faithful, he this year debuted on YouTube, Google Inc.’s video-sharing site, and has a MySpace playlist that includes a rap song by Tupac Shakur.


Seriously? Tupac Shakur? That's bizarre for even the obvious reasons, but dig beneath the surface just a bit and what do we have? Yet another pop culture icon (another African-American; an idol to millions to this day despite all the sin he flaunted and stood for) who tragically lost his life due to living a life of sin. Go back and look at that poster of Tupac above. 'Resurrection', huh? Now I really want to know what song the Vatican chose.

In closing, another quote from Ultraguy:


Hang on as we continue down the rabbit-hole… But before we do that, prayers please, for Mr. Henry and his family. It is clear that, however significant a role each of these individuals may play in the real-life symbolic prophetic theatre God appears to be using to get our attention and prepare us, Mr. Henry is nonetheless, a human being and, it would seem, a lost soul. Please pray. Please comment. Preferably in that that order.


Amen! At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I'm 'right' or 'wrong' about all of this. I engage in these types of discussions and studies because I already know that God has intervened in my life -- on more than one occasion -- in very real and personal ways, defying all expectation and logic.

Given that fact, and given the fact that I have an intense interest in end times Bible prophecy (so that I can demonstrate to people how time is short and they need to accept Jesus Christ today), I'm constantly fascinated by these sorts of unexplained connections.The only thing that matters, however, is your current relationship with Jesus. Repent! Seek the Lord's face! Pray for the blood of Jesus Christ to wash over you and yours, and for it to protect you, and that you are counted worthy to escape the things to come because it's certainly coming, and it's coming fast!

Regardless of where you're coming from as you visit this site and read this please join me in saying one of the following prayers since one of them will most certainly apply:

"Father God, I know I need You because I am a sinner, but also know that I can never get to You on my own. There's nothing I can do on my own to make up for my sins; nothing I could do on my own to earn favor and forgiveness from You or to secure my place in Heaven when I die. The only thing I can do is to make a conscious decision that You sent Your one and only Son Jesus Christ, and that He came to this world for me. He took my sins upon Himself, was crucified in my place, died for me, and was resurrected so that I may live forever. I accept Him and His sacrifice, and desperately want to receive Your Son Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. When He conquered death for my sake He gave me access to You. Thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. Thank You for forgiving me and for sending the Holy Spirit to transform my life from this moment forward. I pray that You transform my life from this day forward and give me a heart and a mind that desires to not only get to know You, but to be with You as much as possible. Teach me how to live, and teach me how to share this message with others before it's too late for them. Please count me worthy to escape the things to come. Amen."

If you're already a saved Christian, but you haven't repented for your sins or sought the Lord for His mercy, forgiveness, salvation, or prayed that you are counted worthy to escape the things to come as we're instructed to, if you haven't done all these things in awhile, then please say the following prayer right now:

"Dear Lord, I pray that you will not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Please think of me according to Your mercy and for Your goodness' sake, O Lord. Lord I turn from all of those sins that I committed and I ask for Your help in washing the memory and thoughts of that sin completely from my mind. Please restore me to faithful obedience to Your Word, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit anew, so that I may keep Your commands all the days of my life. Lord Jesus, I invite you into my heart anew today, and I ask forgiveness for all of my sin. Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins and for forgiving me of them through your shed blood for me on the cross. Please take away all the sinful 'old things' in my heart that defile me, and replace them with the 'good things' that you desire to grow in to my life. Please wash away all the sinful crud and tendencies toward evil and replace them with a hunger and thirst for your righteousness. I need your help, Lord God, in living this new life in Christ. Please send your Holy Spirit afresh into my life to help me, heal me, lead me and transform me. I also pray that your shed blood washes over me, protects me, and that I am counted worthy to escape the things that are coming upon this world in the form of your righteous judgment. Lastly, I pray that you have mercy on this nation even though we deserve your fierce judgment for our blatant sins that are before you. Help us to see the error in our ways as individuals and as a nation, and lead us to repentance before it's too late for us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

Now that we're back on the right track in this life let's all use what little precious time we have left drawing that much closer to God while sharing His life-saving message with as many people as we can before it's too late for us and too late for them.

Remember that if you're worth dying for, then He's worth living for. Begin a new life in Jesus Christ today and commit to getting to know Him and serving Him daily.