To start the audio of this message go to the bottom of this page and click on the arrow  OR
 read the synopsis below and then click on the arrow at the bottom of this page.

Synopsis of   The Third, Fourth And Fifth Omen

Good and joyful day today to all Christian brothers and sisters on this the day the Lord has made. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, or tea, or milk, or whatever is your favorite, we’re about to slice a piece of the Bread of Life, the Word of God. And today’s slice comes from:

Isiah 9:8    Sub-titled:  Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression 

The key verse as applied to today’s message is: verse 10 above.   

All that was left of their revered wall of protection was this pile of fallen bricks of clay, and straw, that had been dried in the midday sun. This was nothing but  a sign of the nation’s survival resting on unstable ground.

This first incident was nothing but a sign from God to His people that this was not just what had happened, but what would happen if they did not change their way. Could they not see the progression; the collapse of a wall, the collapse of the kingdom, the collapse of a people.

Oh, yes, this was their Ground Zero.  Sounds familiar?   Oh, but Bro. Dick, our towers were not made of brick and straw. Their clay and bricks were insufficient to that which the enemy had to work with; and so it was with the Twin Towers. Our structure fell as fast as had theirs. The consequence was the same. To them it was a short-lived realization of their vulnerability. And so it was at Ground Zero following our warning, or omen, or harbinger. And we reacted  the same way. Just as the “fallen bricks” of ancient Israel represented the inability to they of their incapacity to defend themselves without God on their side; so it was with America on 9/11.

Do you remember the days shortly after the fall of the Twin Towers? It was as though everyone unconsciously heard the silent voice within, asking ourselves, “Was this God’s doing?” Yes, for just a short time it appeared that America may be returning to it’s righteous senses. For a short little while the name of God was taken out of the closet. Multitudes sang “God Bless America.”

For a few weeks or months people began to gather together for prayer. Church attendance increased as God’s people began to seek respite in His presence. But it took no root. America was not turning back to God. They were only seeking solace, consolation, comfort. There was, by and large, no individual revival of hearts. There was no real questioning of why God had let this thing happen.

So the rush to prayer subsided as the rush to “back to our normal needs and desires.”  In fact it actually seemed to do so with increased speed.

Bottom line…. How did America act toward the 9/11 attack compared to Israel’s actions? Lets read what Word Biblical Commentary wrote about Israel’s view of what had happen.

There is no way for the people to ignore the obvious disaster. Yet they choose not to recognize it’s deeper meaning… .they do not respond to God. The only respond (inadequately) to the threatening situation.

Is this not a depiction of America after 2001? My friends, it was a spiritual revival that never came to fruition. Instead, as we Christians watched, America almost immediately responded to the damage done, the threat of what happened and could happen again; but, never pondered that perhaps there was something deeper than the calamity as we viewed it as a weakness in our ability to protect ourselves.

Lets look at what the commentary from Cooper commentary on Isiah had to say about Ancient Israel’s attitude toward its calamity: “The people, declared the prophet, did not take this calamity as a judgment from God but hardened their hearts and declared: “The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone, the sycamores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”

So…. did America realize that this was the Third Omen, or harbinger or fore-warning? Or did America shut off the alarm? As some few realized that there was something deeper, but could not put their finger on it. The nation was in danger! And it was only the beginning. My friends, there is more to come. Let’s continue with the Forth Omen, The Tower. To do so we must go back to today’s slice of the bread of life, the word of God, for today’s message, Isiah 9:10    We will build with what?, with hewn stone. There you have it…. the key to the fourth omen, or harbinger, or forewarning. The fact that they wanted to rebuild was not what angered God; it was their motive and their spirit about the rebuilding. It was the defiance of their attitude stated by their comment, “we will rebuild with hewn stone.”  Rather than rebuilding with brick and straw; they would turn to using hewn stone, which would allow them to build a fortress much greater in height. Instead of being humbled by the calamity they became emboldened in attitude; equivalent to shaking their fist at God!

Did America do likewise with the rebuilding of the Twin Towers?  First those three words, ”We will rebuild,” were almost immediately spoken by proclamation, by each of the following:

·The Mayor of New York City, in the wake of the attack. — ·The state’s Senior Senator –  The state’s Governor –   The state’s Junior Senator – The City’s new Mayor, at the time of the rebuilding –  The President of the United States

Each leader continued with the same words of defiance, with the same words spoken two thousand and five hundred years before. Christians, preachers, churches, denominations, seminaries, and just plain those who study or even read the Bible…. where were your voices?

Well, Bro. Dick, do you think we should not have rebuilt. I did not say that. You see to replace brick with brick, to replace what was destroyed is restoration, but to replace brick with “hewn stone” to be stronger or higher is defiance. The rebuilding of Ground Zero will be the embodiment of a defiant nation, just as in Isiah 9:10.

To listen to this message click on the arrow below:

,

AND…. if you would like to read (or print) the entire message:

The Third, Fourth And Fifth Omen

Good and joyful day today to all Christian brothers and sisters on this the day the Lord has made. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, or tea, or milk, or whatever is your favorite, we’re about to slice a piece of the Bread of Life, the Word of God. And today’s slice comes from:

Isiah 9:8   Sub-titled: Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression 8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. 9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. 11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; 12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. 14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

The key verse as applied to today’s message is: 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the Sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. The title of todays message is: The Third, Fourth and Fifth Omen

All that was left of their revered wall of protection was this pile of fallen bricks. This which they are willing to rebuild was only bricks of clay, and straw, that had been dried in the midday sun. This was nothing but a sign of the nation’s survival resting on unstable ground.

This first incident was nothing but a sign from God to His people that this was not just what had happened, but what would happen if they did not change their way. Could they not see the progression; the collapse of a wall, the collapse of the kingdom, the collapse of a people.

Oh, yes, this was their Ground Zero. Sounds familiar?   Oh, but Bro. Dick, our towers were not made of brick and straw. Their clay and bricks were insufficient to that which the enemy had to work with; and so it was with the Twin Towers. Our structure fell as fast as had theirs. The consequence was the same. To them it was a short-lived realization of their vulnerability. And so it was at Ground Zero following our warning, or omen, or harbinger. And we reacted the same way.

Just as the “fallen bricks” of ancient Israel represented the inability to they of their incapacity to defend themselves without God on their side; so it was with America on 9/11.

Do you remember the days shortly after the fall of the Twin Towers? It was as though everyone unconsciously heard the silent voice within, asking ourselves, “Was this God’s doing?” Yes, for just a short time it appeared that America may be returning to it’s righteous senses. For a short little while the name of God was taken out of the closet. Multitudes sang “God Bless America.”

For a few weeks or months people began to gather together for prayer. Church attendance increased as God’s people began to seek respite in His presence. But it took no root. America was not turning back to God. They were only seeking solace, consolation, comfort. There was, by and large, no individual revival of hearts. There was no real questioning of why God had let this thing happen. So the rush to prayer subsided as the rush to “back to our normal needs and desires.” In fact it actually seemed to do so with increased speed.

Bottom line…. How did America act toward the 9/11 attack compared to Israel’s actions? Lets read what Word Biblical Commentary wrote about Israel’s view of what had happen.

         There is no way for the people to ignore the obvious disaster. Yet they choose not to recognize it’s deeper meaning….they do not respond to God. The only respond (inadequately) to the threatening situation.

Is this not a depiction of America after 2001? My friends, it was a spiritual revival that never came to fruition. Instead, as we Christians watched, America almost immediately responded to the damage done, the threat of what happened and could happen again; but, never pondered that perhaps there was something deeper than the calamity as we viewed it as a weakness in our ability to protect ourselves.

Lets look at what the commentary from Cooper commentary on Isiah had to say about Ancient Israel’s attitude toward its calamity: “The people, declared the prophet, did not take this calamity as a judgment from God but hardened their hearts and declared: “The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone, the sycamores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”

So…. did America realize that this was the Third Omen, or harbinger or fore-warning? Or did America shut off the alarm? As some few realized that there was something deeper, but could not put their finger on it. The nation was in danger! And it was only the beginning. My friends, there is more to come. Let’s continue with the Forth Omen, The Tower. To do so we must go back to today’s slice of the bread of life, the word of God, for today’s message. I’ll repeat, Isiah 9:10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the Sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. We will build with what?, with hewn stone. There you have it…. the key to the fourth omen, or harbinger, or forewarning. The fact that they wanted to rebuild was not what angered God; it was their motive and their spirit about the rebuilding. It was the defiance of their attitude stated by their comment, “we will rebuild with hewn stone.” Rather than rebuilding with brick and straw; they would turn to using hewn stone, which would allow them to build a fortress much greater in height. Instead of being humbled by the calamity they became emboldened in attitude; equivalent to shaking their fist at God! Does this not smack of The Tower of Babel? Again, all about defiance. Did they not remember the tower of Babel in the Word of God? Such apostasy. And with pride and insolence, rather than repentance, humility or reflection.

Did America do likewise with the rebuilding of the Twin Towers? First those three words, ”We will rebuild,” were almost immediately spoken by proclamation, by each of the following:

• The Mayor of New York City, in the wake of the attack.

• The state’s Senior Senator

• The state’s Governor

• The state’s Junior Senator”

• The City’s new Mayor, at the time of the rebuilding

• The President of the United States

Each leader continued with the same words of defiance, with the same words spoken two thousand and five hundred years before. Christians, preachers, churches, denominations, seminaries, and just plain those who study or even read the Bible…. where were your voices?

After the spoken words of our nations leaders actions were taken. The ruins of 9/11 were cleared.

Then a sign was erected at the site which became an symbol; “A new icon will rise above the Lower Manhattan skyline…The Freedom Tower. It was meant to be a sign of defiance. Defiance, Bro. Dick?

Yes, just let me give you a list of commentaries that followed:

Mayor Rudy Guiliano, Sept.11^th 2011 – “It is the defiance of a people, who, far from being repentant,glory in their iniquity” (TwinTowerAlliance.com)

The Pulpit Commentary, vol 10, “To be heedless when God is speaking, by whatever voice He may address us, is surely iniquitous enough, but to act in deliberate defiance of the Almighty is, by many degrees, worse.”

 The Expositor Sermons, “Judgment and Grace,” “Proud defiance of God always brings disaster.”

 The Modern Tribune.com – speech delivered on the floor of the US Senate Sept. 12, 2001.

 I believe one of the first things we should commit to- with federal help that underscores our nation’s purpose- is to rebuild the towers of the World Trade Ceter and show the world we are not afraid – WE ARE DEFIANT.”

These manifestations are prophetic renewals. Although they are spoken by people none of them were about the people. They were unwittingly without realization of what they were saying. As one journalist described it, “”Rebuilding Ground Zero was going to be America’s statement of defiance.” Yes, defiance and boasting.

From other commentaries on the subject: ‘They rise upon the ruins of their broken homes….boasting that they will show the enemy, whether God or man, that they can take it.”

Now let’s look at the commentary on the verse Isiah 9:10, “They boasted that they would rebuild their devastated coutry and make it stronger and more glorious than ever before.” What then would this commentary say about the Mayor of New York City’s comment: “We will rebuild. We’re going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger.” Is this not eerie? Modern American leaders stating the same thing spoken in ancient Israel, and words that had to do with judgment.

From the words of an observer, Crispen Sartwell, in “World Trade Center as a Symbol the following:

“The developer who holds the lease has vowed that the towers will rise again…it would show us defiant in the face of terror, unbowed, climbing again gleaming into the sky taller, bigger, stronger.” Notice the word “unbowed,” showing all lack of humility.

Well, Bro. Dick, do you think we should not have rebuilt. I did not say that. You see to replace brick with brick, to replace what was destroyed is restoration, but to replace brick with “hewn stone” to be stronger or higher is defiance. The rebuilding of Ground Zero will be the embodiment of a defiant nation, just as in Isiah 9:10.

We understand the rebuilding of the “towers,” but, is there any where in Isiah’s recounting of the errors of Israel that the word “tower” used. Before the writing of the New Testament the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek, and were referred to as the “Septuagint. In the Septuagint the verse of Isiah 9:10, which we have been studying , was written as follows: “The bricks are fallen down…but come…let us build for ourselves a TOWER.”

Is this, then, not a restoration of an ancient drama of judgment? So, now, out of the debris of the nation’s calamity comes the fourth omen— The Towers.

Now it is time to survey the fifth omen, the “hewn stone.” From Isiah 9:10 we read:          The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: Remember it was originally in Hebrew. In looking up the word in Hebrew we find the Hebrew word for hewn is gazit, g-a-z-i-t, a carved, stone, a dressed stone, a smooth stone, a cut stone, or a quarried stone. In other words the Israelites quarried or chiseled out a stone out of the mountain. You might say it was a “mountain rock.”

Now, bringing our thoughts back to America, we ask ourselves, how many buildings in this country are built of stones carved out of a mountain? Therefore they had to quarry the huge stones out of the mountain and bring them back to the area of devastation. The cornerstone of any building is not a must have, but a symbolic one. So the laying down of a cornerstone of’ “gazit” would certainly be impressive, in light of what it was replacing, namely bricks made of clay and straw. It then became a symbol of the epitome of their vow, their confidence in themselves and their defiance.

But, Bro. Dick, how does that tie in the happenings in Israel two thousand and five hundred years ago and America in the year 2001? Very simply. The hewn stones used for the Towers came from the mountains of upper state New York. And the stones were brought to the site of destruction, Ground Zero. The Mayor of New York City, the Governor of the state, The Governor of New Jersey, and various other dignitaries focused on the massive twenty ton rectangular quarried rock as it was laid on the pavement at Ground Zero. And, they called it “The Freedom Stone.” So, just as in the last days, yes I said the last days, or ancient Israel, the gazit stone would again reign as a symbol of a nation’s rebuilding and re-establishment.

In fact when the stone was donated the comment was made, “….forever remains a symbolic cornerstone for the rebuilding of New York and the nation.” Then the Governor of New York would proclaim to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, “By laying this magnificent cornerstone of hope, we are sending a message to the people around the world.” Yes, this was a message of defiance. Ritzman, in “Exploring the Passage” proclaimed “Far from being humbled and becoming repentant as a result of the chastening judgments of the Lord, they areresolutely determined to withstand God and rebuild on a even grander scale. He then quoted from scripture: “The bricks have crumbled, but we will rebuilod with stone cut out of the quarry…”

On the day that America officially placed the cornerstone the governor of New York, George E.Pataki, made a proclamation from the floor of Ground Zero as follows: “Today, we, the heirs of that revolutionary spirit of defiance lay this cornerstone…”  There we have it – the same words, the same act, the same spirit of defiance. But, the plans to rebuild Ground Zero would be frustrated for years. Eventually they removed the stone from Ground Zero altogether. Strange??? Well… strange, but not so strange. The Pulpit Commentary, volume 10, expounded the following: “It will turn its fallen bricks into massive stones that will not fail…it was to be followed with fearful penalty…to be pressed on every hand by its enemies…to be prepared for still impending miseries.”

It’s reiterating the problem. Uncanny, huh? And they had no idea what they were ensuring. They were reenacting the ancient prophecy If those who made such proclamations realized what they were ensuring, they would have stayed in bed that day.

Well tune in next Sunday for the Sixth Omen ! But for now I want to discuss something more with you. I want to talk about terrorism. In fact just what does the Bible say about terrorism?

My intent of this disruption of today’s series of omens is to first “scare the fool out of you” and then to have you realize that if you are one who genuinely obey the Lord you will be protected. However, if you are one who merely use His Name for the purpose of man-made vanity of religion, you may have a problem.

So I begin with a verse from His Word: Job 33:7   Behold, My terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall My Hand be heavy upon thee.”

And then:  Leviticus 20:16   I will also do this to you. I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning aque that shall consume the eyes. And cause sorrow of heart and ye shall sow your seed in fain, for someone else will eat

Well there you have it. It is time for introspection. The question to end with is…

Are you a child of the King who is genuinely obeying Him   or   are you merely using His Name for man-made vanity religion and in so doing showing hostility to Him?

Well as my time seems to have gotten ahead of me let me end with reassurance of His protection of those with whom He is well pleased, with Psalm 91:1-2 sung by my wife Sue Trosclair.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide in the of His Almighty  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide in the of His Almighty     I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust                 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trustmy God, in Him will I trust                                                                                                                                  my God, in Him will I trus

Until next Sunday             same time             same station—

America Bless God and God will Bless America

.