Post by Watchman on Sept 11, 2007 16:30:29 GMT -5
***True enough for inclusion! Watchman***
Column: For His Glory
Gio Marin
ReligionAndSpirituality.com
September 7, 2007
"On one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof. ... Higher and still higher these buildings rose. ... The scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at the lofty and supposedly fireproof buildings and said: 'They are perfectly safe.' But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable to operate the engines."
Does this description sound familiar? Here are some clues to concentrate on. You have the mentioning of New York City, tall buildings rising "toward heaven," human expectation of safety, buildings consumed as if made of pitch, and the futility of fire engines.
With Tuesday being the sixth anniversary of 9/11, I know you have not been able to erase the vivid images that are ingrained in your mind. What do you feel when you recollect the images of the dark, dense smoke rising through the air? Were you surprised how quickly the towers fell?
I know I was shocked, and still am, that those two buildings, which were a staple of the New York City skyline I grew up watching, fell so quickly. They were designed to be fireproof, and what made the events of 9/11 even worse was how little time or chance our brave firefighters had to prevent their destruction, just like the above quote mentions. There was no way to get the fire hoses up that high, rendering the fire trucks useless or inoperable.
What a horrible day that was, and still is, in the collective consciousness of Americans. We still have our freedoms, but you and I must admit our way of life is not the same anymore. Deep in our hearts we have a fear that we will be attacked again, and we don't like it. Sept. 11 will truly be a day that will live in infamy.
What is amazing about the quote that opens this article is when the quote was written and in what book it was written. You see, the above quote was written before 1909 in a book that was the last of nine volumes in a book called "Testimonies to the Church." The above quote is found in Volume 9 beginning on Page 11 - or, in abbreviated form, 9/11. What makes it more interesting is that the title of the chapter is "the last crisis" and it deals with conditions prior to the second coming of Christ. The clues mentioned in the second paragraph are too clear to think this was merely a coincidence. It is as if the author saw the events years before they would happen. This is not uncommon in the Bible either. Jesus says, "See, I have told you ahead of time" (Matthew 24:25), when speaking of last-day events. When these events come to pass, you may recognize that nothing takes God by surprise. We then can have confidence that God is in control of earth's history.
Therefore I am not surprised that the events of 9/11, which have completely shaped the course of history, were made known to a godly person years before their fulfillment. How can I be so sure? Well, read what the Bible has to say about major events taking place in the cities, and examine the evidence of the opening quote:
"When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:6, 7)
In the Hebrew language, whatever the Lord permits by His divine mercy He is credited for causing. This does not imply that He was the direct author of the events of 9/11. Even though He allowed it, His eyes are tenderly watching over us and one day we will understand the madness of this world.
Until then we must trust God and realize that He still speaks through His prophets to His people. Sept. 11 did not catch the Lord by surprise, and He is giving His warning to us so we may recognize that His second coming is soon. Are you ready?
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to GioMarinColumn@aol.com. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
Column: For His Glory
Gio Marin
ReligionAndSpirituality.com
September 7, 2007
"On one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof. ... Higher and still higher these buildings rose. ... The scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at the lofty and supposedly fireproof buildings and said: 'They are perfectly safe.' But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable to operate the engines."
Does this description sound familiar? Here are some clues to concentrate on. You have the mentioning of New York City, tall buildings rising "toward heaven," human expectation of safety, buildings consumed as if made of pitch, and the futility of fire engines.
With Tuesday being the sixth anniversary of 9/11, I know you have not been able to erase the vivid images that are ingrained in your mind. What do you feel when you recollect the images of the dark, dense smoke rising through the air? Were you surprised how quickly the towers fell?
I know I was shocked, and still am, that those two buildings, which were a staple of the New York City skyline I grew up watching, fell so quickly. They were designed to be fireproof, and what made the events of 9/11 even worse was how little time or chance our brave firefighters had to prevent their destruction, just like the above quote mentions. There was no way to get the fire hoses up that high, rendering the fire trucks useless or inoperable.
What a horrible day that was, and still is, in the collective consciousness of Americans. We still have our freedoms, but you and I must admit our way of life is not the same anymore. Deep in our hearts we have a fear that we will be attacked again, and we don't like it. Sept. 11 will truly be a day that will live in infamy.
What is amazing about the quote that opens this article is when the quote was written and in what book it was written. You see, the above quote was written before 1909 in a book that was the last of nine volumes in a book called "Testimonies to the Church." The above quote is found in Volume 9 beginning on Page 11 - or, in abbreviated form, 9/11. What makes it more interesting is that the title of the chapter is "the last crisis" and it deals with conditions prior to the second coming of Christ. The clues mentioned in the second paragraph are too clear to think this was merely a coincidence. It is as if the author saw the events years before they would happen. This is not uncommon in the Bible either. Jesus says, "See, I have told you ahead of time" (Matthew 24:25), when speaking of last-day events. When these events come to pass, you may recognize that nothing takes God by surprise. We then can have confidence that God is in control of earth's history.
Therefore I am not surprised that the events of 9/11, which have completely shaped the course of history, were made known to a godly person years before their fulfillment. How can I be so sure? Well, read what the Bible has to say about major events taking place in the cities, and examine the evidence of the opening quote:
"When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:6, 7)
In the Hebrew language, whatever the Lord permits by His divine mercy He is credited for causing. This does not imply that He was the direct author of the events of 9/11. Even though He allowed it, His eyes are tenderly watching over us and one day we will understand the madness of this world.
Until then we must trust God and realize that He still speaks through His prophets to His people. Sept. 11 did not catch the Lord by surprise, and He is giving His warning to us so we may recognize that His second coming is soon. Are you ready?
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to GioMarinColumn@aol.com. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.