#3
… Questions
I’m
Glad You Asked…..
By Pastor F. M. Riley
“But sanctify the Lord
God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer
to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear,” 1 Peter 3:15.
Your Question…..Does
Psalm 90 contain a hidden time code, and are we entering into
TEN YEARS OF AWE from 2007-2017?
My Answer….. I may
not fully understand your question because of a lack of the background details motivating the question. I can
say that I have never personally found any “hidden code” in Psalm
90, and I have studied it numerous times and in depth. This is
not to say that such a code is not there, for every one of us sometimes
miss things as we study. I just need more info. I presume from your question
that the TEN YEARS OF AWE are supposedly revealed by the “hidden code.”
I could be wrong, but this TEN YEARS OF AWE thing sounds to me like
just another one of the many wild theories that are circulated on the Internet
today. I have been seriously studying God’s Word for 52 years, and I have
never found any TEN YEARS OF AWE anywhere in the Scriptures, neither directly
stated nor even implied.
However, Psalm 90
is a very important Psalm in relation to the end-times, and
does contain some very important truths for God’s people living today.
So since the subject has been broached, I’d like to seize the opportunity
to share with God’s people [those truly saved] some truths that the Lord
has shown me about…..
Psalm
90
Psalm 90 is
the first Psalm in the 4th division of the Psalms.
This 4th division [Psalm 90-106] is called the
“Numbers Psalms” by Jewish scholars. Just as The Book
of Numbers records the experiences of the Jewish people from
the time they left Egypt until just before they entered the “Promised
Land,” so these “Numbers Psalms” [90-106] set
forth the experiences of the Jewish people just before they
are separated from the nations and enter the promised Kingdom. Glory!
Only the Great God of Heaven could so arrange His Word and the events of
human history to display such a parallel. Amazing!
The title of Psalm
90 states that this Psalm is a prayer of Moses for
Israel. It is believed by some
Jewish scholars that it is a continuation of the prayer of Moses for Israel
that is recorded in Deuteronomy 33.
Psalm 90 is
a prophetic Psalm which correlates with the year, 1990. Those
of our readers who don’t understand why I would claim such a correlation,
or who have never studied the Psalms from a prophetic viewpoint,
should read my study entitled, “The Secret of the Psalms.” I will
be glad to send it to any reader requesting it. Please include your correct
postal mailing address when you make your request.
Now let’s examine this Psalm
closely…..
1
Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst
formed the earth
and
the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.
In these two verses the Psalmist
looks backward to eternity past and forward to eternity
future, and testifies that the Lord has been the “dwelling
place” [sanctuary] of God’s people [believing Jews and Gentiles]
in every “generation” of mankind between the eternal past
and the eternal future. This is a statement of absolute faith by the Psalmist
in the Lord God of Heaven in view of the future. And what does the
future hold for humanity as set forth in the rest of this Psalm?
3
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4
For [because] a thousand years in Thy
sight are but as yesterday when it is past,
and
as a watch in the night.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1
the Word says, “To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Again, in
Acts 17:24-26 we read, “God that made the world…..hath
determined the times before appointed…..”
In Psalm
90:3-4 the Psalmist was inspired to set forth one of those “times
before appointed.” Serious Bible students know that human history
has not been just a series of circumstantial events dictated by the
whims and fancies of various world leaders. Rather, the Word of God is
quite clear that the Lord has a great “Plan of the Ages,” and that
He has repeatedly intervened in human history in order that His plan would
be carried out. Every event that has shaped or changed the course
of human history, occurred only at the “appointed time,” and
the outcome of such events had already been determined according to the
directive or permissive will of Almighty God. See Ephesians 1:5-12.
Every true
believer knows that the Lord has already determined to bring this
present world system, planned, built, and controlled by wicked men, to total
destruction. See 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 11:15-18, and 19:12-21.
The question then is actually, “When will this prophesied destruction
of the world system occur?”
Psalm 90:3 answers
that question. This verse contains one of the many “time markers” that
the Lord placed all through His Word.
It was in 1990 [correlating
with Psalm 90] that the Lord began to turn “man
[mankind] to destruction.” It was that year that
the very first event occurred, in a series of events which
have followed, that has brought the whole world to the very brink
of social, moral, economic, political, and military ruin and destruction.
That first event was the
invasion of Kuwait by the armies
of Saddam Hussein, the ruler of Iraq,
on August 2, 1990. I would point out that present day Iraq
is the successor to ancient Babylon. Saddam Hussein was the successor
to the king of ancient Babylon. [It is a documented fact that Saddam
Hussein even referred to himself as “the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar].
And August 2, 1990 was the 9th day of Av on the Jewish
calendar. Therefore, when the Lord began to turn “man [mankind]
to destruction” at the “appointed time” in 1990, He
used the nation of Babylon [modern Iraq]
and the present day king of Babylon, and the exact same day
that the armies of ancient Babylon had broken through the walls of Jerusalem
in 606 B.C. Coincidence? Not hardly! Absolutely
amazing!
Now if any reader objects
to this analogy, I suggest you carefully study Habakkuk 1:6-11,
paying special attention to the wording of the Hebrew text. This portion
of Scripture contains a detailed account of the invasion of Kuwait,
of Saddam Hussein, of the Desert Storm war and the aftermath, all placed
in God’s Word some 2,600 years in advance. I have a complete study on Habakkuk
in print that I will be glad to send to any reader upon request. Again,
please include a correct postal mailing address.
The 9th day of
Av on the Jewish calendar is the day that Jews all over the world refer
to as “destruction day.” This is because it was on that day in 606
B.C. that the armies of Nebuchadnezzar broke through the walls of Jerusalem,
destroyed the city and the Temple, slaughtered hundreds of Jewish people,
and carried hundreds more off to Babylon, bringing the kingd om of Judah
to “destruction.” In subsequent history many other terrible
things happened to the Jews on the very same date, so many that the Jews
themselves have a superstitious regard for the 9th of Av as a
day of calamity and destruction. Isn’t it then fitting that Almighty God
chose this very day in 1990 to begin a chain of events that will ultimately
result in the “destruction” of the whole man-made world system?
And isn’t it amazing that it was all prophesied in God’s Word by Moses nearly
3,500 years in advance? Glory! Isn’t the Lord awesome? Isn’t His Word
wonderful? “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye
the Lord,” Psalm 150:6.
Now notice
that Psalm 90:4 is a continuation of the statement being made
in verse 3. In other words, the Lord is turning “man
to destruction” at this specific time “For [because]
a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is
past, and as a watch in the night.” This statement not
only gives insight into how God views human history, but it is also a direct
allusion to God’s great “Plan of the Ages” for humanity as set forth
in 2 Peter 3:8 and Genesis 1.
In 2
Peter 3:8 we are told that “…one day with the Lord…” is
equivalent to a thousand years of human history, and a thousand years of
human history is equivalent to only one day in “God’s Great Week.” Compare
Genesis 1. The careful Bible student will find that Psalm
90:4 sets forth the exact same measurement of time as that
set forth in 2 Peter 3:8.
In Psalm 90:4 “…yesterday
when it is past,” is referring to that period of time which
existed before the flood, and for a brief time afterward. The pre-flood
world system was judged by Almighty God and perished in the flood. Then
when Noah, Japheth, Shem, and Ham [and their wives] died after the
flood, all memory of that pre-flood world perished from among men. The
total time involved? Almost exactly 2,000 years, or two
days in God’s great week. Coincidence? Not hardly!
Then Abraham was born and
God began a new “day.” Remember that in God’s reckoning of time, the 12
hours of the night always precede the 12 hours of the day, both periods
making a complete 24 hour day. See Genesis 1:5, 1:8, 1:13, 1:19,
1:23, and 1:31. In Psalm 90:4 the
Psalmist continued his statement by saying that a thousand years are as
“a watch in the night.” Is it then coincidence that it has
been 4,000 years since the birth of Abraham, or four “watches” in the night?
Think about this in the light of God’s Word.
It is a fact that the Lord
Himself divided the 12 hours of the night into four “watches,” Mark
13:35. We also find that the inspired writings of Paul clearly
teach that humanity is living in the “night time” of human history, and
is headed towards the “day of God.” See Romans 13:11-13
and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-7. Is all of this coincidence?
I think not!
In view of these Scriptural
truths, it becomes obvious that Psalm 90:4 is pointing out
that the Lord began to turn “man to destruction” precisely
in 1990 “because” humanity was approaching the end of the
final 1,000 year period in the 6,000 years [or six days] allotted
to mankind to labor and do all of man’s work upon the earth. See Exodus
20:9-11, 23:12, 31:15, 34:21, 35:2, Leviticus 23:3, and Deuteronomy
5:13-14. In order to reinforce this truth, the Psalmist then wrote,
5
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are
as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which
growth up.
6
In the morning it flourisheth, and growth up; in the
evening it is cut down, and
withereth.
In these two verses we find
another viewpoint of human history. The Psalmist looks at human history
in these two verses as a 12 hour day [compare Matthew 20:1-16],
and is contrasting the “morning” of human history with the
“evening” of human history. The “grass” is
a symbol of the masses of humanity. See Psalm 103:15-16, Isaiah 40:6-8,
51:12, 1 Peter 1:24-25, and numerous other Scriptures. It is a
fact that from 1990 to this present time there has been “a flood”
of evil that has swept over the whole earth, just as the Psalmist
prophesied, and multitudes of people are being eternally destroyed by the
evil that permeates every strata of modern society.
However, the end has already
been determined. Just like “grass,” as the “evening”
of human history draws closer, the masses of humanity will be “cut
down” and “cast into the oven [fire],” Matthew
6:30, exactly as the Lord Himself prophesied. The destruction of
the wicked has already begun, and world conditions are only going to become
worse and worse until “the wicked shall not be:…,”
Psalm 37:9-10; Isaiah 13:9-12.
Then beginning
in verse 7 the Psalmist begins to speak of the Jewish people,
7
For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath
are we troubled.
8
Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins
in the light of Thy
countenance.
9
For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath: we
spend our years as a tale that is told.”
In these three verses we find
another “time marker,” this one relating specifically to the
Jewish people.
For many hundreds of years
the Jewish people have been “consumed” by God’s “anger”
and “troubled” by His “wrath.” This
has been due to their own lack of repentance towards God, and their obstinate
rejection of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, John 3:36; 5:39-40;
Acts 20:21; Hosea 5:15. Significantly, this centuries long punishment of the Jews was predicted in Ezekiel
4 [and numerous other Scriptures] at least 2,600 years ago. But
it was also predicted that in spite of their unbelief, the Lord in His love
and mercy for His chosen people, would “bear” [“carry”…put
up with] them right through the centuries. See Isaiah 46:3-4 and
Romans 9:22-24. Even though the Jews, during this present
dispensation, have been temporarily set aside in order to
bring salvation to the Gentiles [Romans 11:7-12], God has
never forsaken the Jewish people.
But here in Psalm 90:8
[correlating with 1990] the “iniquities” and “secret
sins” of the Jews are “set before” the throne of Almighty
God. This is a statement depicting a legal procedure. In
other words, just as there is an “appointed time” for a judge
to make final disposition of a case that is pending before his court, so
in this verse, at this exact time [1990], the Psalmist tells us that the
“iniquities” and “secret sins” of the Jews were
brought before Almighty God, the Supreme Judge of the Universe, to decide
final disposition of their “case.” Glory!
All serious students of Bible
prophecy are familiar with the inspired expression, “the time of Jacob’s
trouble.” But there are a lot of differing ideas, opinions, and
theories as to how much time is involved, and exactly when “the time
of Jacob’s trouble” is to actually occur. Most assume
that “the time of Jacob’s trouble” occurs during the last
3 ½ years of the Tribulation, and they quote Jeremiah 30:6-7 as
a proof text for their position.
Folks, I can read as well
as the average person, and better than some. Jeremiah 30:6-7 does
not state nor even imply that “the time of Jacob’s trouble” is
the last half of the Tribulation. Neither does it say that it is limited
to 3 ½ years in length. Such claims are just assumptions
that are made without any real Scriptural proof.
Late last year [2005] and
again early this year [2006] the Jewish Rabbis entered the debate, boldly
declaring that the Jewish people had entered “the time of Jacob’s
trouble.” Poppycock! Those unsaved Jewish Rabbis don’t know anymore
about the spiritual truths of God’s Word than any other lost person. If
one really wants to know about “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” then
why not ask Jacob?...? Well?
The record of “Jacob’s
trouble” is found in Genesis 29, 30, and 31.
I urge our readers to carefully study these chapters for yourself.
In Genesis 31:36-42 Jacob himself told Laban twice
that his [Jacob’s] “affliction” and “labor” had
lasted twenty years. See Genesis 31:38 and 31:41-42.
So according to the inspired Word, Jacob himself saying so, “the
time of Jacob’s trouble” was [and is] twenty years in length.
Please notice as you study, that it was shortly after the twenty
years had ended that Jacob met the Lord, wrestled with Him, received His
blessing [got saved], and had his name changed to Israel. See Genesis
32:22-31.
Why have I
introduced “the time of Jacob’s trouble” into this exposition
of Psalm 90? Because the predicted “time of Jacob’s
trouble” [twenty years] actually began in 1990 when the Lord,
the righteous Judge, brought the “iniquities” and “secret
sins” of
the “seed of Jacob” [Psalm 22:23]
before His judgment seat [throne] in order to make final disposition
of them. Glory!
It should then be obvious
to our readers that “the time of Jacob’s trouble” extends
twenty years from 1990 to 2010. The careful prophecy student should
recognize that the middle of the Tribulation will occur at some point
in 2010. This statement is verified as truth by Psalm 110, which
correlates with 2010. It is precisely at the middle of the Tribulation
that God the Father, in terrible rage and fury and wrath [Revelation
14:6-11; 15:7-8; Isaiah 28:21-22], says to His Son, “Sit Thou
at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool,” Psalm
110:1. Glory!
Significantly, just as Jacob
turned to the Lord just after the end of his twenty years of “affliction
and…..labor” [Genesis 31:41-42], so the “seed
of Jacob” will begin to turn to the Lord just after
“the time of Jacob’s trouble” is completed at the middle of
the Tribulation in 2010. See Revelation 11:13 and Habakkuk
3:2. Glory! Praise the Lord!
At this point I would suggest
to those of God’s people [those truly saved] who “love His appearing”
[2 Timothy 4:8], that they encourage their own hearts
by counting backwards 3 ½ years beginning with 2010, to find the approximate
time when our Lord will “appear” [Colossians 3:4]
in the heavens to rapture His people to glory. 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007!
Glory! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Jesus is coming soon!
To
Be Continued…..
Pastor F. M. Riley
Last Call Gospel
Ministry
3305-D Clark Lane
PMB 147
Columbia, MO 65202
Email fmrglbd5@aol.com