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God's ox goad

Today is 3 years since the right of peaceful protest against government tyranny was redefined as an insurgency. The secret (“mystery”) Babylonian government that rules America is getting desperate, finding it necessary to impose greater restrictions on freedom in order to retain power. While their actions are nefarious, they are also signs of impending defeat. It is hard to kick against the ox goads, as Christ told Paul in Acts 9:5. When God is in it, things are inevitable.

The Hebrew letter alef means an ox. The letter lamed means an ox goad and is a metaphor for authority. In Paul’s case, he was unable to fight against the authority of God and His plan to establish the church. Today, Babylon is falling, and there is no power on earth that can stop it. The Kingdom of God is rising like the dawn of a new day, and no one can prevent the sun from rising or the light from shining.

The war in Gaza continues largely unabated in spite of news reports. No one can say for sure where this war will lead or how it will end, but we do know that Jeremiah 19:10, 11 and Isaiah 29:1-6 prophesy the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem. Isaiah’s description suggests a nuclear explosion of some kind that will render the entire area uninhabitable. Scripture does not give us the source of this nuclear device. I have long speculated on this, but do not know for certain.

The neocon warmongers in America are pushing hard for a war with Iran and are working hard to create conditions that would justify such a war. I pray that this does not happen. But keep in mind that the Israelis themselves have had a long-term plan to “punish” the original nations that had subjected them—that is, Babylon, Persia (Iran), Greece, and Rome. They ignore the fact that it was God Himself who put them in subjection on account of their sin.

The Iraq war was to punish Babylon. Now the focus is upon Persia/Iran. They do not seem to understand that the overthrow of Iraq set a prophetic pattern for the overthrow of Mystery Babylon, which is now a world-wide empire. In other words, by overthrowing Iraq, they shot themselves in the head.

Secondly, they fail to understand that Persia was the second “beast” empire in ancient times, but that Persia (specifically the Persian king Cyrus) had a messianic calling to overthrow Babylon (Isaiah 45:1). He and Darius the Mede reorganized the kingdom into 120 provinces, each having a governor, and there were 3 top presidents over them, with Daniel being the highest authority. See Daniel 6:1-3.

This is the pattern for the establishment of the Kingdom today under Christ, our Messiah. Hence, the sixth bowl of wine (judgment) is poured out in Revelation 16:12 to prepare the way for the kings from the east. The original pattern was set by Cyrus and Darius, and they diverted the river Euphrates in order to take the city of Babylon. The seventh bowl of wine (judgment) describes the actual fall of Mystery Babylon in our time.

Persia will, no doubt, play a key role in this overthrow of Babylon, but it is equally clear that Russia and China are the two main kings/kingdoms from the east that are fulfilling the prophecy in Revelation 16:12. The fact that the western countries are moving to declare war on Iran shows that Iran again has a role to play in ending the beast systems of government prophesied in the 7^th chapter of Daniel. Yet the picture is much bigger this time around, and it is not hard to see that God has raised up Russia and China as well. Personally, I believe that the occult rulers of Babylon may understand this, and that this may be the hidden reason why the West has treated those countries with such hostility.

They are trying to kick against the ox goads.

The issue is not how righteous Russia and China may be. God has use for everyone. Notice that King Cyrus himself was an unbeliever, yet the prophet does not hesitate to call him “His servant” (Isaiah 44:26), and “My shepherd” (Isaiah 44:28), and “Cyrus, His anointed” (i.e., messiah). These are remarkable titles given by divine inspiration to a pagan king. After naming him by name, the prophet speaks the word of God saying to him, “I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor though you have not known Me.” (Isaiah 45:4).

So regardless of what men may think of the leaders of Russia and China, their opinions are irrelevant in view of the sovereignty of God and His ox goad. Isaiah 45 is the great chapter setting forth the idea of the sovereignty of God, and He points to Cyrus Himself as the prime witness to His sovereignty. For this reason, it is not wise to divide men and nations into enemies and friends without subordinating those views to a greater Power.

The will of men fights God all the time, but in the end, God’s plan will prevail. The New Testament speaks of God’s will (thelema) and God’s plan (boulema). Whenever men sin, they violate the will of God which is established in His law (Romans 2:17, 18). But the plan of God is expressed in His promises to save the world and bless all mankind in the end through the seed of Abraham.

Both Esau and Pharaoh are examples of men who violated the will of God (Romans 9:10-19). Moses told Pharaoh, “Let My people go.” That was God’s will. Pharaoh refused, but in the end, God’s plan was accomplished. It was only a matter of time, because, as Paul wrote, “who has resisted His boulema?” Everyone has resisted God’s will, but no one is able to resist His plan. God’s ox goad is too powerful.

So Revelation 15:4 asks a rhetorical question:

⁴ Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.

God intends to reveal Himself to all the nations, and when he does, all will recognize the truth of His character and will see that all of His acts were righteous throughout history. There will be no argument. This is what John foresaw in Revelation 5:13,

¹³ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

This is how the world ends. It ends in total victory for God’s plan. He created all things for His good pleasure, and His purpose will not fail. Why? Because He built victory into the plan for “every created thing.” He left no uncertainty as to the outcome. His ox goad will ensure success.