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Daniels 70 week prophecy and the war of Gog and Magog: The Book of Ben Kathryn’s cipher to biblical prophecy

hezbollah_recruits

Introduction

There is an “end time” conflict in the works according to a very interesting and unique new Jewish prophesy. Likely escalating in the next two decades—it is said to be the prophesied epic biblical war of “Gog and Magog”. But the new Jewish prophetic text suggests it will not occur like most people think. It will not begin or end with the evangelical “rapture” or the Second Coming as many people imagine it. Nor has it anything to do with any kind of end of the world apocalypse or nuclear holocaust.  In fact, as the events unfold exactly as Ezekiel and other biblical and Islamic prophets foretold, and instead of Christ’s coming or a rapture— Jerusalem & Israel get attacked and ‘conquered’ by a short-lived radical Islamic Caliphate (a shadow of Christ’s crucifixion 2000 years earlier), hundreds of millions will slowly lose misplaced faith in western Christian and Islamic ideologies—paving the way for a major religious reformation and a new global religious movement. The following article will detail the prophesies of the Old Testament concerning the prophesied battle of Gog and Magog, and walk through the detailed additional information given in the 1996 modern Jewish revelation, The Book of Ben Kathryn (see Introduction to the Book of Ben Kathryn).

In summary, the prophecy seems to predict a coming drawn-out conflict that is said to begin by an Israeli (& American?) preemptive attack/war on biblical “ancient Assyrian” territory (ancient Assyria was headquartered in modern Mosul, Iraq and encompassed parts of modern Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey). Alough this attack/war may have been fulfilled in the 2003 American Iraqi invasion (see this documentary video for details), is still to be fulfilled by a particular Israeli strike on Iraq, Iran, Syria or the emerging Islamic State (largely headquartered in Mosul). This foolish pre-emptive conflict will then set in motion a series of Middle-Eastern wars which involve the heart of the Arab World, Russia and the United States. Although the U.S. is said to only play a minimal role in the apex of the coming war, the conflict will heavily involve Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt the U.N. and likely Iran, Russia & North Korea. Possibly an analog to WWII centered on the Middle East instead of Europe. But just as the period between the Napoleonic wars and the World-Wars politically transformed Europe— by the time the smoke clears, a new Middle Eastern coalition will emerge to destroy American & European global hegemony and transform the major players in the global political dynamic.

This war is said to be the Biblical sign of a 40 year “probation” and prophesied New Age—the sign that the End of the Times of the Gentiles has come and the beginning of Judah’s part in the Restoration of Israel & final age of the major cycle. As detailed in D&C 45, Matthew 25 (JST-M), Ezekiel 38-39, Daniel and the Book of Revelation, the Koran and many channeled texts, the year of roughly 2033 marks the coming of The Third Day (or final biblical period or dispensation two thousand years from Christ’s death, see Hosea 6:1–2) . The third day is said to mark the end of the Times of the Gentiles (~34 AD – 2034? AD) in which divinity has smiled upon the Gentile nations of Europe—and a beginning of a switch or return of that favor and power to the Semitic nations of the Middle East. And the age (often translated “time” in the Bible) is said to end the same way it started–with the martyrdom of God’s archetypal lamb (symbolized by Christ and the Nation of Israel as a portrayal of the world’s pacifists) by the false lamb or beast (violent, false fascist religion). The end of the age will mark a change in the seat of global military and monetary power, a change in the seat of western religion and culture and a major change in Christianity and Islamic thinking. As well as a change in the climate and a change in mankind’s spiritual proclivities. And a return to a period of of prophets, miracles and increased interaction between earth’s physical and spiritual dimensions.

Much like WWI & WWII catalyzed the collapse of colonial European monarchies, imperialism & Catholic domination–the coming period of destructive Middle Eastern war will catalyze the collapse of today’s Arab monarchies & Islamic ideological domination. And just as the radical, violent factions of Marxism and Nazism were crucial tools in dethroning the deeply ingrained, corrupted systems of the past–so too will the radical, violent factions of Jihadist Islam (Wahhabism, Al Qaeda, ISIL/ISIS) prove a horrible yet effective tool to breakup the deeply ingrained systems of the Middle East, and test the faltering western religious and political systems in order to pave the way for a new and upcoming global religious & political movement.

12 And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.  13 Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off.  14 Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that… I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds… Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands. (3 Ne 21:12–14 quoting Micah 5:8–15, see also 3 Ne 20:16; Mormon 5:24; Ben Kathryn 66:2)

Who Is Gog & Magog and Why is it Important?

Gog and Magog are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, eight times in Ezekiel 38-39 and once in Revelation 20:18. It is also alluded to in the LDS Doctrine and Covenants and is referenced twice in the Book of Ben Kathryn.  Many have speculated about the identity of Gog and Magog, but the Book of Ben Kathryn adds an interesting modern prophetic perspective to the biblical term.

It is important to realize the the reference to “Gog and Magog in Rev 20:18, just as the reference to “Armageddon” in Rev 16:16 are allusions, and do not refer to the same battle as Ezekiel prophesied about.  The LDS Bible Dictionary gets this right when it says of Magog,

“In the Bible, a land and people near the Black Sea. Their king, Gog, shall lead the armies of Magog in a last great battle before the second coming of Christ (Ezek. 38:2; 39:6). The scriptures speak of another great battle of Gog and Magog at the end of the Millennium between the forces of God and the forces of evil (Rev. 20:7–9; D&C 88:111–116).”

The scriptures never actually call these prophesied wars, “the battle of Gog & Magog”–that apocalyptic label is a modern one, and a misunderstood one at that. The description of the post-Millennial “battle of the Great God in D&C 88 is important, because it helped Mormon theologians clear up the misunderstanding of many Christian dispensationalist–that is that the allusion to “Gog & Magog” in John’s book of Revelation is in fact just a dualistic allusion–and not the same event as Ezekiel prophesied in the destruction of Israel by “Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal”. A careful reading of the reference in Rev. 20:7–9 should make this clear on its own–but some modern Christian tribulationist have somehow influenced popular opinion to the point that even many LDS people believe in some type of apocalyptic pre-millennial “Battle of Magog” (the same goes for the battle of Megiddo or Armageddon).

The Bible implies that Israel was to be made an archetype or symbol of how heaven leads mankind (1 Cor 10: 11. Ex 25:40, Heb 8:5). The Book of Ben Kathryn (BOBK) adds to this perspective suggesting that Israel, Judaism and Christianity were created to shape western culture and the world political dynamic. God was to do this by creating these organizations and then loosely leading them through a selected number of cosmic cycles or “times” (BOBK 38:15-19; 13:3). Three and a half millennia ago, Moses was given a prophetic or spiritual calendar meant to symbolize the events of the coming 3,000-4,000 year cycle (Lev 23Deut 28:63–67; Lev 26:23–24). Early prophets like Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel used this calendar to prophesy that after the return from their Babylonian captivity, Israel would be destroyed more permanently and scattered among the ‘Nations’ or gentiles (Dan 9:24). This final age of latter-day captivity would last two “times”, cycles or dispensational ages (Hosea 6:1–2, Deut 4:27–31; Deut 28:49–52; Lev 26:18–28; Ezek 22:14–15; Romans 11:25). But on the third day (age/cycle), Israel’s dead body was to be revived by the spring rains to rise again and be resurrected for a final summer harvest. The grand sign of this coming national resurrection given by Ezekiel, was the war of Gog and Magog.

The references to this war in Ezekiel 38 & 39 come directly after Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones symbolizing the resurrection of the political nations of Judah & Israel and the reunification of the sticks of Judah and Joseph. In the following sections we’ll walk through the scriptures covering Gog and Magog and see how modern events may already be fulfilling this prophesy.

First off, the battle spoken of here, is most definitely an event still in the future. Starting in Ezekiel 38 the Lord says,

“2 …Son of man, turn and face Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.
3 Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord…
8 … A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel.
9 You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud…  (Ezekiel 38:2–9)

The reason why this is such an important event is not because it will involve all the nations of the world or become some type of end-time “battle of Armageddon”, but instead it is because this is the sign the the Lord has given as a global signal for the end of the Times of the Gentiles (and Daniel’s 70 weeks of Jerusalem being trodden down of the Nations) and the beginning of final restoration of Israel (Judah). As he says in Ezek 38:18–23 & Ezek 39:22–29,

“18 …When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over!
19 In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day.
20 All living things—the fish in the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people on earth—will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth.
21 I will summon the sword against you on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord. Your men will turn their swords against each other.
22 I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!
23 In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

“22 And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God.
23 The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile—it was punishment for sin, for they were unfaithful to their God. Therefore, I turned away from them and let their enemies destroy them.
24 I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins.
25 So now, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation!
26 They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them.
27 When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see.
28 Then my people will know that I am the LORD their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind.
29 And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel”. (NLT Ezek 39:22–29)

Daniel gets even more specific in prophesying about the restoration and destruction of Israel. While captive in Babylon around 540 BC, Daniel gave a timeline for when Israel would be restored as a nation, as well as their eventual annihilation and scattering, and regathering after a long period. Many have offered interpretations for how these symbolic “70 weeks” or 490 years fit into biblical prophecy, but as we’ll see in a moment, the Book of Ben Kathryn suggests that heaven is about to reveal the answer.

24 “Seventy weeks [hebdomads] are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint [dedicate] a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:24–27 NAS)

9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:9–13 NAS)

Paul in Romans, alludes to these Old Testament prophecies of God’s rejection of Judah for a biblical dispensation or “time” (as an archetype of all Middle Eastern peoples) . He does this by comparing Israel to an olive tree whose natural branches were to be broken off because of their wickedness, and wild branches symbolizing the Gentiles grafted in until the fullness (or full number of Daniel’s 70 week prophecy) be come in. In simpler terms, Paul predicts (like Ezekiel & Daniel before him) that Israel would destroyed and scattered for an entire biblical epoch called “the times of the Gentiles or Nations”. During that period of roughly 2000 years, Israel and the Middle East would cease to be Major world players and Europe/Rome would come to rule. But after the “fulness or end of the times of the Gentiles”, favor would be returned to the Semitic or Abrahamic people of the Middle East.

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (NIV Romans 11:25)

When Might These Things Happen?

The “Times” given in Biblical prophesy are poor translations of an ancient concept preserved in the Hindu Yuga, and the Mayan Baktun and even ancient Israeli religious calendar systems. To many ancient cultures the world was divided into cycles of time wherein the events of earth were governed by cosmic phenomena revolving around venus cycles and the procession of the equinoxes. The Biblical week, Sabbatical year and Jubilee fit into these mystical cosmic systems. The “weeks” or Hebdomads of Daniel’s famous “seventy week prophecy” found in Dan. 9 added up to make a complete “time” or age (see this article for an overview of Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy). Ancient biblical prophesy predicted the end of the times or “age” of Israel for a period of roughly 2000 years and it’s subsequent renewal. (see my article on Comparative Cosmology for details, or this site for many insights on how Israeli, Hindu, Maya, Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology fit into biblical dates and the ancient cosmological worldview)

The Book of Ben Kathryn gives a lot of detail helpful in unraveling when the ancients predicted the ‘Times of the Gentiles’ and the war of Gog from Magog might happen, as well as who will be involved. In the modern Book of Ben Kathryn chapter 22, directly after speaking of Daniel’s 70th week of the Gentiles and the withdrawal of God’s spirit from them, we are given these verses (with allusions to Micah 5 we will discuss in a minute) where we are told that Israel is to be returned to 70 last years of captivity and whilst the land “trembleth even by reason of [military] boots” the “congregations of the nations [gentiles] shall be broken by the staff of Jacob.” Read carefully,

THUS saith the LORD thy God, in the year of the 70th hebdomad [week] of the Gentiles set thy face … and prophecy thou against them: Your times come to the full. The LORD God setteth ye a time to repent. (ie. the ‘fulness of the Gentiles’ has arrived)
2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: Set thee now a goodly vase before thee. Fill it with fine flowers, with delphiniums, roses, marigolds, wild flowers, and every beauteous flower thou canst find.
3 Prophecy unto the nations: For so is the LORD’s fulfillment. I set my ways and my laws to the purpose to which they were intended, and it nourisheth and causeth all beautiful things to grow and to sustain.
4 Empty now, my prophet, the vase of the goodly flowers. Prophecy unto the nations, unto my Bride, for so she fancieth herself: This is what ye call fulfillment; then smash it against a wall so that it shattereth.
5 Therefore thus saith the LORD God, so I do with thy fulfillment before me. So I make of thy fulfillment, and this shall be the end of thy fulfillment before me.
6 In the year of their 70th hebdomad, so set thy face against them and thus prophecy thou: In your probation ye shall traverse 40 miles. Your watchmen shall fall to the side of the road, the might of their camels collapse…
7 But as for the vase, this is mine oracle against it, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD: When thy probation shall be ended I shall smash thee against the wall, for empty thou shalt be, and a vase be of no value unless it is set to the purpose to which it is intended.
8 Bend now a little; give me some time of your minds. I set thee now a sign and a riddle: Ezra riseth of the nations [Gentiles], from a cold and inhospitable place, and again with nails my laws, my ways, and my fulfillment are raised up unto all nations, and my laws go forth.
9 Upon the outer door they be, proclaiming not what is within but what is not. So understand ye the prophecy of the 70 hebdomads of the Gentiles, for they who calleth themselves my watchmen have been of heavy ears, heavy eyes all these hebdomads since. (BOBK 21:1)

Here we have some fantastic assertions concerning Daniel’s 70 week prophecy. First we are told that at the beginning of Daniel’s 70’th week, God will send a prophet alive today, John Ben Kathryn, to prophesy against the Gentiles/Nations. Seemingly suggesting that he is one of the archetypal “two witnesses” mentioned in Revelation 11 that will work miracles in the eyes of the Nations. (We learn in chapters 1 & 3 that this prophecy was preemptively given 2006. But Ben Kathryn and his companion prophets are told not begin their ministry to “turn Israel” until around 2036. which will include incredible miracles like healing and even raising the dead.) We also see that the end of the Times of the Gentiles are marked by apostasy, where the Church has lost its efficacy in leading Western Culture to peace, justice and goodness (2 Thess 3:x). God will give the Gentiles a period of probation (likely 40 years alluded in v.6) after which war or some type of desolation shall be poured out (war of Gog & Magog).

Perhaps more importantly, we are given a riddle where Ezra is unmistakably made a parallel to Luther and the Christian Reformation. This “riddle” is monumental as it confirms the concept of dualism or parallelism in Daniel’s revelation. Elsewhere in the Book of Ben Kathryn, Christian eschatologist are chided for dispensationalist interpretations which suggest a 2000 year “gap” or silence in Biblical prophecy (see BK 23:5-6). Instead we see here that the dispensation of the Gentile Church is dualistically included in Daniel’s prophecy. We also see that Ezra’s decree to rebuild or “reform” Israel is the correct start of Daniel’s 70 weeks, NOT Cyrus/Darius decree to rebuild Jerusalem. This is a major theme in Ben Kathryn— the idea that Israel or the church is God’s focus in his prophesy and covenants, but Israel always focuses on the temporal aspect of things, namely the land. Jerusalem is a symbol of the people of Israel and the temple is a symbol of the religion. Thus daniel’s reference to “the streets and wall” is a dual references to both Ezra’s rebuilding the righteousness of Israel as well as Luther’s rebuilding the righteousness of Christianity in the reformation!

So Daniel’s 70 weeks spreads from Ezra’s reforms in Jerusalem in 454 BC to Christ’s entry into Jerusalem in 30 AD ALSO, dualistically represents Luther’s Christian Reformation of the mid 1500 spanning 490 years to around 2030.

Timeline summarizing the historical correlations or types between the times of Israel and the times of the Gentiles. Redraw this to show correlations better.

Timeline summarizing the historical correlations or types between the times of Israel and the times of the Gentiles.

Gog & Magog as a transformative war

The Book of Ben Kathryn suggests that this coming war of Gog and Magog, which will signal the ‘end of the times of the Nations or Gentiles’ will transform the global political dynamic. Sometime coinciding with the war, God will call leaders to restore Israel as an archetype of his raising of world leaders in the Middle East to lead global politics.

IN that day I shall set to me eight princes of my people. And upon them and my prophets shall my spirit come, to direct the ways again, and for a sign and a pillar unto Israel. They shall raise up my standard as aforetime, and my people shall look up and be healed.
2 Fear not, thou trembling land; for a great thing have I done in all the land. For, lo, I am returning this second time the captivity of my people Israel. Whilst the land trembleth, even by reason of boots, do I swell your borders and enlarge your house. My laws do go forth, amidst the up-cry they are heard in Judah and Jerusalem. Laud ye the LORD in his land! And tell ye the nations to repent at his doings.
3 And it shall be a hissing to the nations in that day, a source of offense, and as a shout of rejoicing is to him that seeketh solace. I shall gather the congregations against the house of Israel as one that gathereth an army to battle, and as one pulleth the bit in the foamy mouth. But I shall be jealous again for my people, Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day that the congregations of the nations shall be broken by the staff of Jacob. I have made it a double staff and a quartershaft, and Jacob shall vanquish his enemies; on the right and on the left shall the staff strike as unto the sting of behemoth’s tail; and in that day Israel shall know that it is I, the LORD, who is their righteousness, and that I have not changed from my purpose, for my purpose is spoken before the world was, and it shall be lauded after the world passeth away. (Book of Ben Kathryn/BK 22:1-3)

1 If any of the elders of Israel come before thee to prove thee if thou hast spoken in my name, or to say outright thou hast not spoken in my name, sit before them and say….
5 Because ye sought the land to take comfort in it, and because the heathen proclaimed to you that land was the jewel of my covenant, hear ye this word from the LORD: I appoint you to 70 years of captivity again, captivity and desolation in your own land, captivity which ye expounders of false laws could not extract because of your hard hearts, and because ye sought land and not the LORD. Because ye sought a god of your creation I have given you no place to call upon. (Book of Ben Kathryn/BOBK 63:5)

These verses reveal a few very important details concerning the attack of Gog and Magog and its timing. After referencing Both Daniel’s 70 week prophecy and Ezekiel’s prophecy of Gog and Magog (v.3 ), it says the Lord is appointing Israel 70 more years (captivity again) in its own land.  A major theme of the Book of Ben Kathryn is that Israel has been a captive puppet to the West since its founding. In chapter 65  we get the following statement, “Thou waitest like a fat child to be served of the nations, and they have only robbed thee, and now they hate thee. The same that delivereth thee from bondage art thou then in bondage to“. Israel has been in bondage for nearly 70 years since its founding in may 1948 (1948 + 70 =2018), and in relation to the coming battle which will place Israel in 70 more years of bondage in its own land to a foreign power.

Just as the 70 year Babylonian captivity, and the 70 year Roman oppression were based on the seventy sabbatical years that Israel failed to observe (forming the backdrop of Ezek 4:5), modern Israel is about to get one last seventy year captivity for the same reason. And it is prophesied and biblically foreshadowed, all for the express purpose of proving to mankind that unified higher dimensional beings (God) are guiding human evolution by creating highly symbolic geopolitical divisions which expose our weaknesses and self-righteousness, and then healing those division as we learn what true love and harmony are.

Notice the allusions to Ezekiel used in the above chapters of the Book of Ben Kathryn. At the end of the Times of the Gentiles (Daniel’s 70th week/hebdomad), the nations will be gathered to battle “as one pulleth the bit in the foamy mouth”. Exactly as Ezekiel said, he “will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws to lead you out with your whole army” (Ezek 38:4). Notice also the references to Micah 5.

“5 When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses,
we will appoint seven [shepherds] to watch over us, eight princes to lead us.
6 They will rule Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod.
He will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our land.” (Micah 5:5–6. NLT Translation: King James translation is very poor here)

These “eight principal men” (Micah) or “eight princes” were mentioned in Ben Kathryn 22:1. The shepherds are also mentioned by Ben Kathryn three chapters earlier in 19:6. (In a minute we’ll get to the modern interpretations and how these seven prophets come to rule Assyria and the Gentiles with the sword of the Word of the Lord). Notice they are called on the scene at the time when the Assyrian (ISIS) shall be led as an animal with the armies of the Nations to attack Israel. The Lord through Ben Kathryn links this Assyrian attack with Gog as he further explains the returned “captivity of my people” spoken of in the aforementioned verses. He speaks to Israel in chapter 66,

” 2 Ye turn aside your faces from the merchandise of Gog, and the affliction of the maidens of Magog (fn-2), in that they are caused to be made harlots. Therefore I have turned my face away from thine indenturing to America, and thou shalt be indentured for a season as the harlots of Magog, the merchandise of Gog and Damascus. But thy bed shall not cause thee to earn thy redemption. I, the LORD, shall redeem thee. I shall redeem thee from the indenture wherewith the maidens of Magog have been indentured, for thou lovest thy whoredoms and seekest not to be free of them. I shall smite Damascus in battle, for it is the head of a serpent that doth coil through Tyre and Zidon, Berytus, and unto Aleppo. Its tongue dangleth out, and the venom on its tip is Amman.” (Book of Ben Kathryn 66:2)

So modern Israel is told that in the same way that they are currently “merchandise” or puppets to the United States government, after the coming war they will be indentured or captive to some extent to “Gog and Damascus” (ISIS? or a Russian/Syrian coalition?). The “serpent” mentioned here is a coalition made up of Arabs overtaking Syria (sounding a lot like the Jihadist Islamic militant groups Hezbollah or ISIS, but possibly a more benign group of simple Sunni Arab states), the group is said to contain strong factions in at least Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Ezekiel 38:2 suggests that Gog is the leader of Magog which is a land encompassing the nations of Meshech and Tubal who are in turn trading partners with Tyre (Ezek 27:13). Each of these ancient locations is archetypal, with the Book of Ben Kathryn comparing the ancient Phoenician trading hubs of Tyre & Sidon to Modern America (BK 26) and Gog & Magog to the Middle East & possibly Russia. The true ancient location of Magog is hotly debated, but most believe it to be an allusion to the modern nations which occupy the southern shores of the Caspian & Black Seas. This would include the Modern Nations of Iran, Turkey or possibly Russia. However, the key to the fulfillment of the prophecy does not hinge on properly identifying Gog as much as knowing he is but the leader of a confederacy who will attack and captivate Israel, which is in league with factions from, “Damascus, Egypt, Persia (Iran), Lydia (Turkey), and Libya (North Africa)” (Ezekiel 30:5).

Given all the evidence it seems likely that all these prophecies are suggesting that a Modern Gog (likely based in Syria), the leader of a group is going to be caused by Israel’s God (per Ezek 38:2–8) to attack, maim and occupy Israel (see BK 44:8-9, 20:15-16). The attack will come unexpectedly in the middle of a greater conflict occurring elsewhere (BK 63:4-5). The effects of this conflict, which WILL NOT bring about the rapture or end-time tribulation or second coming of Christ (as so many Millennialists suppose), but will instead indirectly lead to the gradual fall of the West’s global hegemony and the advent of restored Israel (Judah) as described by the Bible and book of Ben Kathryn and detailed in my article “Prophesy in the book of Ben Kathryn“.  The importance of this prophecy lies in it being a prophetic signal a monumental shift in global religious and political power.

  THUS saith the LORD God; And it shall come to pass in the days after the fullness of the nations [fullness of the Gentiles] hath come in, that they will no more say: “Last days;” and no more shall it be heard.
11 Tribulation, great tribulation— my soul is in tribulation at the bleat of their words. I cannot bear them. Last days, last days are a mockery. I don’t wish to hear them. Your days have been long. Full of days hast thou been, O Heshbon. Ammon still remaineth, and Moab’s wastes are still not arid. Have ye been removed except by judgment so that another may take your place in an arid time to come? So shall thy preaching foretell thine own removal. Thy days have been as full as the former days, prosperous Heshbon. Whose last days do thy seers see? Say no more “last day,” but come unto the LORD, the Great God, the God of the horn of Judah, the Redeemer of Jacob. Behold how Jacob was a trickle ye flicked with your toe, and now he is a torrent.
12 Tribulation shall vanish with your days and the bleat of your ignorance; but Judah shall be set aright…
15 What use is there in speaking to man? His ways are set. His path leadeth to destruction. Upon a horse, with a switchback, doth he set the gallop to his end. Take ye heed, O ye of Samaria, and hearken unto this oracle: ye shall not go down to Megiddo. Nor shall the LORD overturn you with a mighty battle. You set the tempo to your end, and it cometh as a snare in an unexpected place, without honour and without chance to draw the sword.
16 Look off to the north, ye caravaneers of Heshbon. Set up camp. Raise your pulpit and set it to the north. The Assyrian watcheth from the heights as a predator. The Palestinian lurketh in the clefts. Judgment cometh from behind you and not from the desolate realm. They have passed Jordan before you, because your eyes were laggard on the camp of your neighbour, upon the desolate places. They are within your camp, and ye are cut off first.
17 (The oracle for an end of time) Thus saith the LORD unto the nations: An end, an end cometh. The time hath returned. Now hath the time of your hebdomads [weeks] come to fruition before me. Say not, From whence cometh destruction?— ye are within the seething pot. Your congregations saw false visions in the desert sand, and your house is laid desolate. Your retreat is also stalked. I set ye now to the time of your probation. Hear ye the word of the LORD: My mercy setteth ye a time. Shout it aloud, and from the rooftops let this message go forth! Get ye to repentance! Cast off your ways, O foolish people, and harden not your hearts. Put aside your uncleanness, your vanities, and your cold self-seeking hearts, and I shall lead you yonder Jordan where dwelleth Sharon’s fertile plain and Jezreel’s cultivated fields.
20 The end of the oracle: For when the Israelite shall smite the Assyrian, ye shall know your watchmen looked amiss and led you astray. The LORD shall cause an end of time upon the nations, upon their congregations; and their watchmen shall be no more.(BK 20:1,)

In fact, apart from destruction in Jerusalem and partial loss of sovereignty, it appears that this invasion will actually be a good thing for Israel, and will mostly affect the surrounding nations. Its religious nature will serve to break down religious fundamentalism. And after being stripped of it’s self-righteous leadership, Israel is told it will prosper in this captivity! During the surrounding tumult, “whilst the land trembleth, even by reason of boots, do I swell your borders and enlarge your house. My laws do go forth, amidst the up-cry…”  As “swords fall.. and borders are redrawn in blood” (BK 22:1-3), Israel will be enlightened as prophets  and Islamic social reformers start a new movement which will culminate in the rebuilding of the Temple and the eventual unification of Ephraim and Judah— archetypes and foreshadows of Christianity and Islam and the Middle East and Europe.

A Spiritual Awakening

The “seven shepherds and eight princes of men” already mentioned, are discussed further in the book of Ben Kathryn chapter 19 & 22. Here the Lord compares his people to sheep whom he led to seasonal pastures (the Gentile Nations of Europe & the Middle East), and how the Lord will fire his hired seasonal shepherds & princes (Gentile Christianity/Islam & Western politicians) and raise up new prophets/leaders (a Restorational Judaism/Islam & powerful Middle East) to lead them back to their original pastures and patch up their sheepcotes…

5 …Doth not a shepherd take his sheep to seasonal grass, and when the season turneth yet again doth he not take them to the old pastures and the old cotes to graze? Behold as the sheep graze he mendeth the cotes and then leadeth them into safety. Or seeing a fire come to the seasonal grass, will he not hasten, especially when seeing that the old grass groweth ready?
6 Therefore thus prophecy thou unto thy brethren, the children of Israel, So am I a shepherd unto Israel, saith the LORD, and so shall I do. Follow my paths and come to my sheepcote, for my shepherds have gathered speckled sheep. But I will not mix ye, saith the LORD. I shall sack my shepherds and scatter their speckled beasts. And from my pure sheep I shall raise me up seven shepherds. For from sheep born of another pasture, of the seasonal grounds, shall I speak unto this people and lead my people back, counsel them, govern them, and restore them to the old cotes. (Book of Ben Kathryn 19:5-6. See allusions to Micah 5:5 & Zechariah 11-13))

IN that day I shall set to me eight princes of my people. And upon them and my prophets shall my spirit come, to direct the ways again, and for a sign and a pillar unto Israel. They shall raise up my standard as aforetime, and my people shall look up and be healed. (BK 22:1)

Where Christ called twelve apostles himself, and “seven stars” through Paul (see Rev 1:20) who were commissioned to work miracles and begin the Christian Movement—The Jewish prophet Ben Kathryn is instructed in his personal notes to call “seven prophets” and “eight mighty men” who will be given power in their old age to do miracles in the eyes of the nations in order to begin the coming Messianic Movement. (Note this act is meant to be an archetype for a greater group of shepherds and princes or religious and political leaders who will lead Israel out of Assyrian captivity. Also, LDS people might be interested in the symbolic relationship to the mission of the 7 presidents of the 70 from D&C 107:95–96.)

The seven shepherds and eight princes or mighty men of Micah 5:5 and Ben Kathryn 19 & 22 stand in contrast to the Antichrist in the prophecies of Daniel, Revelation and elsewhere in the New Testament. As explained in my article on confusion surrounding the LDS view of Apostasy, and Parallels between the Times of Israel and the Times of the Gentiles the antichrist is also a title or archetype. Identifying an individual associated with this prophesied figure is virtually meaningless, because the title is meant to point people’s minds to the degenerate anti-Christian condition of the ruling “Christian” Western World (their inability to turn the other cheek and actually practice the Christian heritage they profess). When the anti-Christian mindset defiles the temple and sits on the throne (in other words it takes over the church and becomes the predominant political policy), it will lead to the west’s downfall and the end of western global power. This is the meaning of the “abomination of desolation” mentioned throughout scripture.

THUS saith the LORD thy God, in the year of the 70th hebdomad [week] of the Gentiles…
2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: Set thee now a goodly vase before thee. Fill it with fine flowers, with delphiniums, roses, marigolds, wild flowers, and every beauteous flower thou canst find.
3 Prophecy unto the nations: For so is the LORD’s fulfillment. I set my ways and my laws to the purpose to which they were intended, and it nourisheth and causeth all beautiful things to grow and to sustain.
4 Empty now, my prophet, the vase of the goodly flowers. Prophecy unto the nations, unto my Bride, for so she fancieth herself: This is what ye call fulfillment; then smash it against a wall so that it shattereth.
5 Therefore thus saith the LORD God, so I do with thy fulfillment before me. So I make of thy fulfillment, and this shall be the end of thy fulfillment before me.
6 In the year of their 70th hebdomad, so set thy face against them and thus prophecy thou: In your probation ye shall traverse 40 miles. Your watchmen shall fall to the side of the road, the might of their camels collapse, the burden of their loads dropped aside; and ye shall leave their parched bones… (BK 21:1-6)

5 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, That day I shall make it a day of rebuke. I shall cause the Gentiles to know their abominations, for their prophets speak but what the congregations want to hear. As a dart that whistleth forth shall always find a target, so a mouth that speaketh deceitfully shall always find an ear that delighteth in deceit.

After this lengthy conflict of Gog and Magog (involving much of the Middle East), the 70 year captivity (within the Caliphate this war temporarily creates- perhaps led by Turkey) and the restoration of the nation of Israel (under a new Messianic Religious movement largely founded by John Ben Kathryn & the “seven shepherds”), the world will know that the biblical prophecies of the final battles of the Times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. As Ezekiel says in Ezek 38:17, the world will be asking when the archetypal attack on Jerusalem takes place “Are you the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel’s prophets that in the future I would bring you against my people?” (Ezek 38:17). And when Israel is not rescued by the second coming as so many Gentile Christians believe, and the miracle-working prophets prophesy against western christianity, western Christians will realize that they “prophesied amiss”. Instead the war will affect the western world far more than anticipated and the modern nation of Israel will be miraculously saved from regional destruction as they are absorbed into a new empire for “70 years more captivity” (BOBK 63:5). But after this captivity, the nation will be restored, the Aaronic jewish temple will eventually be rebuilt, a proper sacrifice made (D&C 13:1, 84:31-33) and the people of Israel will take the place of Rome and the Christian faith/Catholic Church as the social and religious mecca of the Eurasian world (BK 46:11; D&C 133:13; 109:62-67). At that point the world will realize that the reference in the Book of Revelation to “Armageddon” was a type or allusion to a battle occurring in Megiddo long ago (see Ben Kathryn 20:15, as well as many articles like this one). Likewise the world will see that Ezekiel’s prophecy of “Gog and Magog” was fulfilled with amazing detail over 2600 years after it was given.  And as Daniel dualistically prophesied, the war marked the Full end of the Times or Dispensation of the Gentiles and the beginning of the restored “age of Israel” and their final dispensation of symbolic history. D&C 45 also expands on this prophecy, specifying that the gathering of Israel to Jerusalem will not occur until after the Time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them…
27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.
29 …and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
31 And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. (D&C 45:24–31)

Christ made clear that part of his “coming” would be metaphorical (He being a living symbol of Israel) when he said “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again” (John 2:19), which was of course an allusion to Hosea 6:2; “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” When Israel is restored; their temple cleansed and the Word of God issues forth from it to heal the Nations (Isa 2:3, Micah 4:2, Ezek 47:8), most of the scriptures which modern Christians interpret as “Christ’s end-time second coming” will have been fulfilled, and the fear of “end-times” eschatology will fade away for a season. The final dispensation of the Fulness of Times will be begun for both Ephraim & Judah (ancient symbols of Modern Christian and Islamic nations).

“THUS saith the LORD God; And it shall come to pass in the days after the fullness of the nation’s hath come in, that they will no more say: “Last days;” and no more shall it be heard. But they who walk in my paths shall be gird with a pap of iron, and my words shall be written thereon. Upon my word shall they engrave “sandal,” and they shall say of my name: “Mine identify and mine honour.” (Book of Ben Kathryn 20:1)

Higher beings saw long ago that mankind was nearing the age of industrialization and globalization.  In preparation, Israel was created and destined to give birth the the world’s most powerful and influential religions and cultures. Israel was created as a symbol of mankind for mankind. From this fledgling runt of a nation would spring Christianity, Islam and the cultures destined to take over the world. From the struggle caused by Israel’s dualities, the western world would become strong and powerful. Hidden within its scripture and history is the wisdom and love of the Gods. In the final age, when man is brought into brotherhood with the Higher Beings that guide us, God will heal the divisions and dualities He has caused, and show us our error and the wisdom gained from hard fought experience.

7 See, I have given thee these things, which thou dost not wish to hear, both symbol and meaning, that it may be a blessing and a weight upon thee. But thou shalt bear it. I shall give ye that house again, and it shall be a memorial to your ways and a light unto my ways that ye depart not from my ways again, to abominate before me.
8 Behold why I have made such symbols: that at thy corrupting of them, thy heart may be revealed, and the evil known for what it is, made manifest to all mankind.
LO and behold, I create a new day. I mend the rend between thee and the nations. I heal the injured and I broadcast wheat in the charred soil. (BOBK 60:7-8, 61:1)

Fear Not

It is easy to be frightened of the political unrest in the world today–especially the unrest caused by radical Islam. But the promises of the Bible, Book of Mormon and the prophesies in the Book of Ben Kathryn paint a hopeful picture!  All this unrest serves only to encourage human political and religious progression. Just as the future seemed dim for the “northern barbarians” of Rome’s time (Germanic Tribes) before their mass conversion to Christianity and the rule of Law during the first five centuries after Christ, it may seem dim when looking at what the ‘west’ sees as ‘barbaric’ or backward practices of many radical Islamic countries.  But there are groups which have been watching over and guiding western culture since the days of Abraham–and they have set up the Judeo-Islamic-Christian Faith’s for the sole purpose of letting us know that we are not alone in the world. We all have a right to self-determination, but God is distantly guiding the evolution and progression of human history.  Both Islam and Christianity are about to be slowly transitioned into a more peaceful, intelligent, unified global religious movement. A movement which will eventually absorb Hindu and Buddhist religions — and finally unify with the divinely instituted Chinese and Shamanistic traditions as well.

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So much of what is about to happen has been prophesied for thousands of years. There are literally hundreds of references in the Old Testament referring to the naturalistic events described in this article and sensationalized by dispensationalists as the “final battle”. (The only thing that is “final” is that this is the beginning of the “final dispensation” or period of God’s work with telestial/3rd density man.  In addition to Ezekiel, Zechariah prophesied of the coming war when he said,

“2 I am going to make Jerusalem a cup [caldron] that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.
3 In that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves…
6 On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot [cauldron] in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.”

compare this to the verse in Ben Kathryn,

“6 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold now in the dusk vision, a great caldron set upon broken desert ground. What doeth it? And I said, “It pitcheth round, as on a whirligig, and doth not steady, but the water slosheth at every point of the brim.”
7 So bring I upon the Earth at every quarter, convulsion and upheaval, dismay, a setting on edge, fumes and smoke and a steamy vapour. As the water feedeth the desert from tumult, so shall old seed sprout from upheaval. Publish it abroad. Fear not, for I shall put the fear of thee on mine enemies, and at the time appointed I shall give thee the heart not of a rabbit but of a lion. At my word they shall have confusion of face, for lo, I have not spoken by prophet since days of old.” (BOBK 1:6-7, compare also Jer 1:13)

“8 And the LORD instructed me, Go place a caldron at Damascus Gate, for out of the north I will bring tumult on this land and on this city Jerusalem. It shall be a river. The American shall pass through this gate to Joppa way, as a river also, and he shall no more return. For I make Jerusalem a caldron and the Syrian as the boiling water seeking its stony hearth.
9 For they have provoked me in all that they have provoked, saying, The American will deliver us. I am angry with Jerusalem and discontent with Tel Aviv. I shall make Jerusalem as the handle of the caldron, and Tel Aviv a morsel in the seething therein. I moreover shall make your walls as the potsherd and Tel Aviv as the shards of its residue.” (BOBK 44:8)

Also explore the similarities of Zechariah 12-14 with BOBK chapter 45.

12 And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in those camps, as that plague. (Zech 14:12–14)

12 Flee unto the multitude of cities, but a flood shall overtake you all. Flee unto the sea, but upheavals shall upset you. Flee not and stand haughtily in your place, but the green fire of heaven shall descend upon you, and ye shall lose your hard eyes. Thus saith the LORD, seethe your meat in the caldron, and draw the flesh upon a seething fork, that ye may know the LORD’s intention upon you in that day. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, I shall cause great fear to come upon all the northlands ; and bodies shall make their homes their tomb. The American shall walk on foot. I shall bring up they from the south for fear of what shall befall. The seething shall take them; it shall consume their tongues first; their eyes shall be consumed, beast and man, great and small. Yet for all this I shall not speak peace upon the earth, nor stay mine hand until I make an utter end from the Old Gate westward, and a wind to cleanse upon the East Gate to the islands afar off, until the houses of their god’s are bare and their gold an abomination.
13 …See your stars crash down, they which ye have placed in orbit. Who can turn the moon, and who is he that bringeth the heavens upon us? Who can change man’s speech by waves ye know nought of? It is I, the LORD. Glory is my going forth. Justice is my burning fire about me. (BOBK 45:12-13)

This seems pretty similar to the Ezekiel verses already quoted about the invasion of Gog and Magog. Read again, and wonder will these possible geologic/cosmic destruction occur at the same time as the invasion? What parts are symbolic and what parts literal?

“18 …When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over!
19 In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day.
20 All living things—the fish in the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people on earth—will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth.
21 I will summon the sword against you on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord. Your men will turn their swords against each other.
22 I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!
23 In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Note that the above Zechariah verses are directly after the well known verses of the second coming,

2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel…
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that there shall not be light; the bright ones shall withdraw themselves:
7 but it shall be one day which is known unto Jehovah; not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.
8 And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. (Zechariah 14:2–8)

Elsewhere on my site I talk about how many of the “cataclysmic” events in these scriptures seem to point toward a large solar flare, or somewhat destructive Solarmax ejecting a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) bigger than the historic Carrington Event on 1859. Both Oahspe and The Law of One which I mention in my “revelatory texts” section give a bit more insight on how “harvest” events have occurred in the past, what causes them, and how they affect the earth.

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Conclusion

In conclusion I will try and summarize my interpretation of all of these scriptures in a timeline of what will go down over the next 70-200 years. (many of these things have already come to pass since first writing this)

-The world will not end, nor will 1/3 of it die, or any other overblown apocalyptic end-world type interpretation of the book of Revelation. The Book is highly symbolic and full of dualisms (things that are designed to be broad & symbolic enough to have multiple major fulfillments while teaching the same moral lesson).
-All events will have had roughly historic analogs (solar flares/solar max, polar wandering, WWI/WWII, etc… life goes on).
-The United States will continue to pressure the nation of Israel into disarmament (65:3), with the underlying pledge that we will protect them from Arab aggression (66:19).
-America will continue to bankrupt itself in the process of trying to police the world & support retiring baby boomers. (65:9)
-Afterwards, America / Israel will follow the new precedence of “pre-emptive war” by striking neighboring Syria, Iraq (Mosul) or Iran? [text says Assyria, which could be Syria, Iraq Turkey or Iran] (20:20)
-Syria/Iraq/Iran or a group associated with it (IS), and likely centered near Mosul or ancient Assyrian terretory, will have been plotting with neighboring Arab groups to attack Israel. Israel’s attack will give them the impetus and regional Arab support to carry out their plans of mass destruction against Israel. (12:4 44:8, 66:1-3)
-The destruction in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv (Damascus, Syria, Iraq and many other parts of the Middle East as well) will lead many of apostate Christianity to believe Armageddon is here and Christ is coming. When their preconceived notions of the Second Coming are not met, many will lose faith in western Christianity and Christian scripture (16:1-3, 16:9-10,12).  There is very little detail given to suggest the length of this war. It could be large and short like WWI, or it could be punctuated and drawn out much like the wars of the last few decades.
-The war will destabilize the entire region, leading eventually to the necessity of Turkey and Egypt militarizing to both fight and make peace (redrawing borders and creating some kind of regional political power), and eventually take the place of the United States, Russia and the E.U as the regional hegemon (66:4-5)
-At some point during the 70 year period of conflict an Islamic State/Arab empire geographically similar to the Ottoman Caliphate will emerge to challenge the European Union as a regional power. (66:4-5)  Likely a radical group like ISIS early on in the conflict, and probably not lasting too long–evolving into something more politically responsible like an Arab State Union.
-Much like the LDS Church within the U.S., Israel is to be brought into captivity one last time (by this new Islamic or Arab Empire). During this 70 year captivity God will begin the Gathering of His People to Israel. (63:1,5; 64:5-6)  [All of this being symbolic of events occurring in the earth’s spiritual realms, and archetypal of larger social and political movements occurring apart from religion or sectarianism].
-During this 70 year captivity, God will raise up scores of prophets to Israel, eventually causing a massive conversion of tens of millions of Jews & Arabs to this new Messianic movement. (22:2-3).
-It’s also important to note that the text hints that ‘Israel’ is/will be a type of what happens to the West in general. So just as ‘Israel’ is to become ‘captive one last time. So to will the West be ‘captive’ during this period to its own increasingly socialist governments (ie. Just like the Russians were ruled by the Soviet Socialists for almost exactly 70 years, and just like Israel was a puppet to the west for 70 years)
-At the end of this 70 year captivity, Israel will again become an independent nation, the Temple will be rebuilt, and Jerusalem will become the new “Rome” in the ensuing wholesale cultural conversion of the region. This regional religious transformation will exceed even the cultural conversion of the Roman Empire regions of the first four centuries to Christianity. It may follow a similar growth time frame. (5:4-5, 46:11, etc.)

However, there are also many questions these scenario poses, which I don’t care to speculate on. Such as, are all these wars the same event? Is the attack by Syria the same as Gog/Magog and will they be coincident with this possible solar flare/solar max? Is the latter & former rain mentioned in both TBOBK and the Bible an allusion to two events roughly 40 years apart (as typified by other biblical dates & prophesies). How does it relate to the plague mentioned in D&C 45, Zechariah & TBOBK? Is the D&C plague the same as the “bug” mentioned in BOBK? Will the Middle Eastern Conflict be one large short lived war like WWI, or will it be many separate more spread out conflicts such as the recent middle eastern conflicts.

My hunch is that all these events will not be one short, dramatic event as most end-time predictions, but will be a significant, drawn-out conflict somewhat like the wars of the last few decades, which shapes the global religious and political power structures to an extent as great as the European renaissance and colonialism.

Daniel's 70 week prophesy

lots of great o.t. refs to final battle.
http://ldolphin.org/kingdom/ch13.html

add notes about these sites..
http://www.answering-christianity.com/gog_magog_bible_quran.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking#Russia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Russia
http://nlt.scripturetext.com/ezekiel/27.htm

https://www.biblefortoday.org/PDF/armageddon.pdf

Additional Prophesies of the Book of Ben Kathryn

For an introduction to the Book of Jachanan Ben Kathryn Go Here.

The primary proof of the validity of John Ben Kathryn as a prophet will be final destruction and restoration of the modern nation of Israel.

” AND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: Give ear, my servant, if any of the elders of Israel come before thee to prove thee if thou hast spoken in my name, or to say outright thou hast not spoken in my name, sit before them and say…
4 Even soon do I bring my word to pass, and ye shall part before the storm of the LORD. Give little attention to my words, ye hard-hearted? So shall the nations and peoples give little attention to it for the convulsions that shall be upon them. Each shall fear at his own fence and cast not an eye to Jerusalem.” (63:1-4)

” 3 I have waited for the day, and now I speak it. I form it with my words, and I prepare your hearts to hold it. Even while your fathers sinned I preserved them, even while ye sinned I wiped your enemies from you these last 55 years. Do ye think it was your own power which dissembled them? I set in store for this moment. Ye shall never perish before me as a people, nor shall I make an utter end of you from the land. I speak it now forever: it was not to preserve thy flesh that thou shouldest be preserved before me, O Israel, but it was for this generation to see my great namesake justified in all the Earth; that they might be raised up, and that Israel should bear its place, a nation of believers in the LORD their God. I shall get me honour in all my creation that day when all the Earth knoweth I have prepared this day from the beginning, and now I speak it.” (45:3)

The prophesy suggests that after the Prophet begins his ministry, the nation of Israel will provoke a ravaging attack by neighboring Arab nations (Syria in particular).

” 5 Because ye sought the land to take comfort in it, and because the heathen proclaimed to you that land was the jewel of my covenant, hear ye this word from the LORD: I appoint you to 70 years of captivity again, captivity and desolation in your own land, captivity which ye expounders of false laws could not extract because of your hard hearts, and because ye sought land and not the LORD.” (BOBK 63:5)

Of course, this idea is nothing new to LDS theology as Joseph Smith’s translation of Matthew 24 makes it clear that jerusalem (and its temple) will be destroyed a second time in the latter days.

4 And Jesus left them, and went upon the Mount of Olives. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be which thou hast said concerning the destruction of the temple, and the Jews; and what is the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world?.
12 When you, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation [fulfilled in 70 AD], spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place; whoso readeth let him understand…
31 And again [a second time in the latter-days], this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked;
32 And again [a second time in the latter-days] shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled.
33 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (JS Matt 24)

This attack will be provoked by a preemptive strike on Syria by Israel.

” 20 The end of the oracle: For when the Israelite shall smite the Assyrian, ye shall know your watchmen looked amiss and led you astray. The LORD shall cause an end of time upon the nations, upon their congregations; and their watchmen shall be no more.” (20:20)

Despite the expectation of the Gentile Church for the rapture and second coming during the siege of Jerusalem, Israel will be unexpectedly overcome as the United States is forced to flee because of trouble at home (a Terrorist Attack?).

” 6 Therefore, thus saith the LORD of hosts, hear, O Israel, the hard way that thou hast chosen. This last time I shall afflict thee. Affliction is a hard tool, and a rod from Syria shall I bring upon thee, and the Egyptian from the south. I shall lift up thy filthy skirt so that the American no longer adoreth thee and plieth for thine hand. He shall not deliver thee from the affliction that I shall bring.
7 Go call him the eagle if thou wish. But he shall have a woman’s head and a man’s desires; a scepter she carrieth to tilt the scales of justice. The LORD is a mighty archer, and I have brought me down many a swift bird of prey, and lured many a chicken hawk from the nest of its neighbour.
8 And the LORD instructed me, Go place a caldron at Damascus Gate, for out of the north I will bring tumult on this land and on this city Jerusalem. It shall be a river. The American shall pass through this gate to Joppa way, as a river also, and he shall no more return. For I make Jerusalem a caldron and the Syrian as the boiling water seeking its stony hearth.
9 For they have provoked me in all that they have provoked, saying, The American will deliver us. I am angry with Jerusalem and discontent with Tel Aviv. I shall make Jerusalem as the handle of the caldron, and Tel Aviv a morsel in the seething therein. I moreover shall make your walls as the potsherd and Tel Aviv as the shards of its residue.” (44:6-9)

” 4 Hearken unto me, for I will not part from my purpose. For surely, saith the LORD, I make an end of thy surety on the nations. Thy rest upon the Gentiles is vanity, and thy embassies to America to deliver thee pointless. The Lion of the Isles will not come to thy rescue. But I say, Nay, go thou not up, whole Britain, nor send thou the Scot with the American, lest thou sufferest a greater wound from thine ally. They shall not thwart my purpose nor douse my hot sword from the smithy’s furnace, for I set over the East Gate a two-edged sword is in mine hand, against thy rest and against the nations it shall burn.” (45:4)

” …How hath America removed thine enemies from thy borders all these years? They make pretty their speech, but even the nations wince at its recital…
22 When they had power they did not hearken unto my spirit, but burnt Japan with fire, which thing I commanded them not. I gave their secrets to others, and in fear did I give that generation life. Fear turned to foolishness, and foolishness turned to lies. For one tooth they took ten, for the lives of 1000 took they 100,000.
23 Behold, saith the LORD, weepings and howlings unto thee. I declare not joy. I repay according to thy ways. Oh the howl of the great city upon the river River and the bareness of thy columns, for that day shall come, and thou shalt not punish the Ishmaelite.” (65:20-23)

The false view of the Gentile Church that Israel will be saved by the Second Coming and the saints raptured during Israel’s tribulation period is a false expectation just as the view ancient Israel held of a conquering /liberating Messiah was a false expectation. When Israel is sieged, conquered and captivated Gentile Christianity will be in confusion as the ‘times of the gentiles’ ends.

DECLARE thou this word unto Israel, saith the LORD. The LORD of hosts causeth me to prophecy against the nations and against their prophets, for with thy turning I will loosen the teeth of the false prophets off of the nations, so that the remnant of mankind shall seek the LORD..
3 Even by reason of their own boiling is their time full, even full to the brim of blood, lasciviousness, greed, and uneven weights. Not for your sakes do I cut them off, but for their great sins do I cut off their head and their tail, their grasping hands and loathsome tongue. The head is their tradition, their grasping hands their congregations [churches], their tongue their preachers, and their deadly tail their lying prophets; and their feet, are these not their judges? supported by the strong tail.
10 Foolish people, hard eyes, hard minds! What I declared unto you came to pass, and what I declare unto the nations shall soon come to pass; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. I shall call that day Astonishment, for so shall it be an astonishment to the nations the day I turn you unto me; and that night shall be called Terror, for shall not the nations be overwhelmed at the sight of it?…
12 Shall your teeth not be set on edge at the doing? saith the LORD. Yea, they shall be set on edge, every one of you. And your eyes, even they shall be set longingly to your coasts. In that day ye shall know that the nations prophesied unto you a lie. Your nakedness shall be revealed, and ye shall know that the prophets of the nations were gainsayers and flatterers.
13 Thus saith the LORD; A voice is heard from Achor; a wailing and the weeping of shame. Out of the valley stirreth the voice of ashes; soot is the breath from their mouth. The nations lament, and the great congregation [church] is covered in shame, for I have made the nakedness of the prophets of the nations an abhorrence. I shall strip them of their apparel, and ye shall burn it… (16:1-13)

4 But he that preacheth “Behold the day of the LORD is at hand; he doth smite Israel for joy”— that day shall overtake him and be a snare.
5 For, see, the false prophet is brought to nought, and the expounder of presumptions is unmasked. I cut off both in one day: He who would take by envy the promises which I have given thee, and he who declareth it falsely as thy flesh. His hands move not over stones, and caress they not trunks, but he fondleth your flesh, and ye are made idolatrous of things not of the LORD.
6 Out of the nations we have heard a droning, and there is a constant drip in our ears: “The day of the LORD.” Why call yourselves prophets, ye preachers, when ye have seen nothing? Have ye not declared my day for generations, and then hastened your feet to vanities and fleshpots? When a man seeth smoke he doth declare: “Fire cometh.” But ye have seen nothing. He who is within the smoke seeth not thither it listeth. Only after it lifteth ye see the pattern of char, and ye do declare the doings of the LORD: “Ah, lament.” (17:4-6)

THUS saith the LORD God; And it shall come to pass in the days after the fullness of the nations [gentiles] hath come in, that they will no more say: “Last days;” and no more shall it be heard. But they who walk in my paths shall be gird with a pap of iron, and my words shall be written thereon… (20:1)

4 Empty now, my prophet, the vase of the goodly flowers. Prophecy unto the nations, unto my Bride [church], for so she fancieth herself: This is what ye call fulfillment; then smash it against a wall so that it shattereth.
5 Therefore thus saith the LORD God, so I do with thy fulfillment before me. So I make of thy fulfillment, and this shall be the end of thy fulfillment before me. (21:4-5)

Much like the captivity of the Saints in the United States, restored Judah will flourish and enlarge within the captivity of this Arab Nation/Coalition.

” 2 Fear not, thou trembling land; for a great thing have I done in all the land. For, lo, I am returning this second time the captivity of my people Israel. Whilst the land trembleth, even by reason of boots, do I swell your borders and enlarge your house. My laws do go forth, amidst the up-cry they are heard in Judah and Jerusalem. Laud ye the LORD in his land! And tell ye the nations to repent at his doings…”

In the turmoil neighboring Arab nations will step in to stop the war and occupy devastated Syria and Israel. This Arab coalition will merge into a union which eventually rivals the European Union in power and influence

” 17 Though I chastise her, it is to correct her and not to destroy her. I the LORD declare unto you before it shall happen. Send your armies back to the sun, ye of Arabia, hung shoulders and with sorrow on their faces. Damascus rebuild and fill thy time with contemplation. Riyadh, see a princeling become a king; a crown to come forth from Medina. Baghdad cast off thy brutish heads. I have declared: Israel is my chosen, saith the LORD. See Amman repent and Egypt seek peace, and make ye peace.” (66:17)

” 2 Ye turn aside your faces from the merchandise of Gog, and the affliction of the maidens of Magog, in that they are caused to be made harlots. Therefore I have turned my face away from thine indenturing to America, and thou shalt be indentured for a season as the harlots of Magog, the merchandise of Gog and Damascus. But thy bed shall not cause thee to earn thy redemption. I, the LORD, shall redeem thee. I shall redeem thee from the indenture wherewith the maidens of Magog have been indentured, for thou lovest thy whoredoms and seekest not to be free of them. I shall smite Damascus in battle, for it is the head of a serpent that doth coil through Tyre and Zidon, Berytus, and unto Aleppo. Its tongue dangleth out, and the venom on its tip is Amman.
3 (The oracle of Riyadh) Behold, doth Israel not know that the gopher is deadly in battle? unsetting the warhorse in its charge. Behold then ye fine men of Arabia and their embroidered trim of golden thread and their flowing linen of the finest cotton of the East. No covenant with Riyadh shall stand, for the LORD overturneth the counsel of sly men, and bringeth to nought the pacts of those whose purpose is underhanded. Fear not Arabia or her handsome princes clad in flowing garments, for when Damascus calleth for the light of day, in the day of battle, the House of Saud shall not bear it, as a burrowing creature cannot bear the light of day. So shall the LORD God overturn the House of Saud and all the princes thereof, and bring to nought the counsel of the beautiful men of the east and the priests of Mecca.
4 The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Speak unto Israel, saying: Thou shalt not abhor the Egyptians, for I shall break the rod of Ishmael through them, and as cracks in a dam shall Islam break from Egypt, and the cracks shall spread unto Turkey. They shall rejoice in what they had before, and shall say unto the nations: Are we not a crown of the nations? Is not Greece our stepchild and Rome our admirer?
5 Shall the West brag over us? Is the West not our stepchild? We shall go to the West, to our stepchild. The desert shall teach us nothing, but we shall encroach upon the desert. Alexandria was mother and Constantinople our nanny.” (66:2-5)

When the true nation of Israel is finally restored, the Final Temple will be built as Ezekial described and the ancient temple relics will be found and restored to it.

” 7 Then shall mine hand shame thee. By a people that thou hatest shall I restore my holy things in that day. I shall declare unto a nation that thou hatest, Bunyin, Restore, and he restoreth.” (58:7)

” WRITE this in a book and set the words in store against that day, against the resurrection of mine house, for the keeping of mine house, and for the ordinances that I shall give thee, for all who shall come to my house to worship. See that mine house is built according to all the manner and custom; and according to the need for size; that the plan of the inner court and land oblation be done as I gave unto Ezekiel…” (48:1)

Much as occured with Ancient Isreal and the United States (see introduction) at the end of the Gentile’s 70 weeks they will be given a 40 year period of probation before destruction comes upon them. During that period of probation the Gentile Nations (especially America) will loose a great deal of thier wealth, influence and power.

” THUS saith the LORD thy God, in the year of the 70th hebdomad of the Gentiles set thy face to the east, and set it to the west, to the north and then to the south, and prophecy thou against them: Your times come to the full. The LORD God setteth ye a time to repent.” (21:1)

” …Try and give unto him this word that he might see the ripples again, for I do quell [still/suppress] the ocean that they might see the ripples again, lest my block be placed in vain. My spirit doth go out in stillness. Cast thine eyes upon a tempered sea and behold and but seek.
6 Pray, and I shall quell the ocean that there withholden any tempests, and there shall be no storms upon the sea 40 years; for thy faith, O Jacob; for thy rebuke, O Ephraim.” (13:5-6)

” 6 In the year of their 70th hebdomad, so set thy face against them and thus prophecy thou: In your probation ye shall traverse 40 miles. Your watchmen shall fall to the side of the road, the might of their camels collapse, the burden of their loads dropped aside…”
7 But as for the vase, this is mine oracle against it, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD: When thy probation shall be ended I shall smash thee against the wall, for empty thou shalt be, and a vase be of no value unless it is set to the purpose to which it is intended.” (21:6-7)

Related Articles

Read the Book of Jachanan Ben Kathryn here

Prophesy in the Book of Ben Kathryn https://gatheredin.one/3/prophesy-in-the-book-of-ben-kathryn/

The identity of Gog and Magog https://gatheredin.one/1137/the-identity-of-gog-and-magog/

The End of the Times of the Gentiles https://gatheredin.one/86/the-end-of-the-times-of-the-gentiles/

Additional Prophesies in the Book of Ben Kathryn https://gatheredin.one/81/additional-prophesies-of-the-book-of-ben-kathryn/

The Book of Ben Kathryn

Introduction to The Book of Ben Kathryn

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Is a ‘prophet’ and miracles like Jesus did coming to Israel within a few decades?

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If you personally know Jochanan HaNavi please use the contact page to contact me.

Introduction

The Book of Ben Kathryn claims to be a modern revelation to Judah through a modern prophet (the first true Jewish Prophet in modern times), heralding the end of the Times of the Gentiles and the turning of the Jews to the Messiah with the final ‘Restoration of Israel.’ It was given to Jachanan ben Kathryn (John, son of Kathryn) first in the year 1995/96. It’s author is a Messianic Jew, born among the Gentiles but taken at an early age to Israel. His texts points out that he did not seek out his calling, and in fact apparently tried actively to flee from it (BOBK 1:2,9). His prophesy is the result of a theophanic experience. As a prophet, the author is commanded to take seven disciples but no general following, and even now lives unpretentiously out of the public eye waiting for “God’s” command to begin his mission and work miracles and reforms.

One must read it to make their own judgments, but with the exception of a few books, it seems like the more I read most modern restorationalists texts or supposed prophecies the less impressed I am. Most purported prophecies out there are ridiculous — but even some of the more impressive ones (such as those featured on this site) seem often distorted by their channels or means of revelatory reception despite truth and inspiration in them. But the Book of Ben Kathryn is one of the few that the more I have read it, the more I have been absolutely amazed at its prose, poetry, form and allusions to the Old Testament revelations supposedly originating from the “God of Israel”. Not to mention the fact that I was led to the text by a powerful spiritual experience involving an audible voice directing me to it for the short time it was available in English. It makes specific verifiable prophetic claims. And its associated angelic ‘instructions to the prophet’ tell specifically of miracles that the prophet will work “in his old age” to prove his authenticity. In this and many of my articles I attempt to look at the book objectively even though I have been thoroughly convinced both spiritually and intellectually of its authenticity.

It truly is a spectacular revelation, rivaling any of those found in the Old Testament. Its subtle and ubiquitous references and allusions to the Books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and more make it seem as though it came from the same authors. It is certainly not surprising that the revelation was given/written in both English and Hebrew.

The revelation was first given to the supposed prophet in 1995, but instructed him not to write it until 2004 or published it until 2006 (see chap 1 vs. 1-4). Furthermore, it suggests that it will not gain any wide audience until the very unexpected events prophesied therein begin to occur (a final 70 year destruction/captivity of the modern nation of Israel and/or gentile Christians) and the prophet is commanded to work miracles in the eyes of the nations.

The book suggests it need not be rejected or believed at present, since God will “prove” to the nations of its truth by the coming fulfillment of biblical prophecy, accompanied by miraculous events not seen since the days of Jesus. (People raised from the dead, unparalleled healings, appendages miraculously restored to those without legs, and eventually even green fire from heaven – likely a large solar flare interacting with the earth’s decaying magnetic field).  And perhaps most importantly, the movement he starts will slowly bring about the eventual conversion of Jews, Islamic countries & Christians to a new religion, much as the works of Jesus did in the first through fourth centuries.

Although not specifically mentioned, Jachanin Ben Kathryn’s revelation indirectly suggests he/his movement will perhaps be one of the “two witnesses” symbolically portrayed in Revelation 11 (see also D&C 77:15), who will come to Israel during at Daniel’s prophesied “70th week”, to herald the end of the Times of the Gentiles and the beginning of the restoration of Israel.

SMITE thou the ground and I shall raise up prophets as the dust to afflict this generation. Look up Israel, look up, behold the latter rain as before, saith the LORD. Look up and feel the steady rain. Lift up the head of Israel, remove thou the plate. Hear the child cry from afar: The miracles of our God, the miracles of our God— a child is cleansed; a maiden is raised from the dead; a man without legs walketh. Behold again in the name of Jesus Christ this is done in Israel. Look up, O Israel, believe and greet thy redeemer as he cometh.

An LDS Perspective

The Book of Ben Kathryn should be of special interest to Latter-day Saints, since LDS people believe themselves to be essentially the apogee of the restored Northern Kingdom of Ephraim (D&C 133:30–35; 27:5; Ether 13:3–12)—A view that the Book of Ben Kathryn seems to support as it continually refers to the American Christian Church as “Ephraim.” The traditional biblical restoration of the Jewish southern Kingdom (Judah) to Jerusalem is, of course, ubiquitously prophesied of in Mormon scripture (D&C 98:17; 18:26; D&C 45:18–44; 77:9-15; 109:62-66; D&C 133:12–14,34–35; Ether 13:3–12, 1 Nephi 13:42, JS Matthew 24). The slight doctrinal differences and subtle contempt which the Book continually directs toward “Ephraim” should also be of note to LDS people. This “enmity” between Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom) is spoken of in Isaiah, The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, and is a continuation of the ideological differences between King David’s split kingdom. And was one of the primary points made to Joseph Smith in his first angelic visions (see Isaiah 11). The text seems to suggest that the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were created to be types or symbols of the major doctrinal and political schisms which exist in Western culture today—namely; dictatorship vs. republican government, democracy vs. autocracy, and Islam/strict monotheism vs. Christianity/trinitarianism.  LDS scripture seems to support the idea that these two kingdom’s would be restored independently—with their ancient biases, and eventually grow together and come to see eye to eye during the final dispensation (see Ether 13:3–12). And that Christ’s “coming” would harmonize these political and religious opposites. (ie. Both the Israeli State and the early Mormon theocracy were created with many of the same crazy doctrinal and social issues they had when they were destroyed thousands of years ago)

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea…
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (2 Nephi 21:12–13; Isa 11:12–13)

Of even greater importance to Latter-day Saints are the overwhelming references in LDS scripture to a “reverse order” restoration of Ephraim & Judah in scripture. Scores of LDS verses point to the idea that the ancient Christian Gospel was to go 1-first to the Jews, 2-then to Ephraim (ten tribes), 3- and lastly to the Gentiles. In the last days it was to be restored 1-first to the Gentiles, 2-then to Ephraim (ten tribes), 3- and lastly to the Jews.

 10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph [Ephraim], who were of the house of Israel.
11 And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old [Judah]; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.
12 And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first. (ether 13:10-12. see also D&C 19:27, 20:9, 21:12, 90:9, 98:17, 107:33-97, 112:4, 133:8)

The Book of Ben Kathryn seems to add to this parallelism by suggesting that just as the early Christian movement found few supporters among the Jews (compared to the movement’s success among Ephraim and the Gentiles)—so too has the reverse order restorative work among Ephraim & the Christian Gentiles found few followers compared to what will come from Judah and Islam.

3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come…  after much tribulation [ie. the ‘tribulation’ period]. 8 And also that a feast of fat things might be prepared for the poor; yea, a feast of fat things, of wine on the lees well refined, that the earth may know that the mouths of the prophets shall not fail. 9 Yea, a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which all nations shall be invited. 10 First, the rich and the learned, the wise and the noble; 11 And after that cometh the day of my power; then shall the poor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf, come in unto the marriage of the Lamb, and partake of the supper of the Lord, prepared for the great day to come. 12 Behold, I, the Lord, have spoken it. (D&C 58:3,8–12)

Despite very small doctrinal differences, one of the most catching aspects of the Ben Kathryn revelation is its style. As an avid reader of supposed “revelations”, I am reminded of D&C 67:5–8 which teaches that “true revelations” are given in a poetic form difficult for men or false spirits in the lower heavens to replicate.  In my experienced opinion, apart from the Bible and eastern sacred texts the language of the Book of Ben Kathryn is unparalleled. Likewise its references and allusions to Old Testament prophecy are unlike anything I have ever read.

The similarities between Ben Kathryn’s subjective theophany experience, to that of other visionary mystics like Joseph Smith in D&C 76:22–23; D&C 110:2–3; 137:3-4, or other Old Testament prophets (see Abr 1:15–19, Moses 6:26–34, Daniel 10:8–21, etc) are also of interest. The prophet speaks of it in first person as follows,

  5 Wonder of wonders, saith my soul. Wonder of wonders moveth my tongue. Who is like unto the LORD our God? I have seen the great King, he who is BEING. I am speechless. There are no words. Groanings of my soul cannot form them. Behold, burnings in mine heart cannot materialize words. What a wonder that he should breathe into man his spirit! Yea, I live because of the LORD, because of his burning fire. No heart can bear the compassion of his ways. I see no son of flesh who can stand before an ounce of his glory.
6 I have never seen beauty like this, like unto the LORD our God. Consider, O man, his doings, for eye cannot behold nor can heart appreciate his visage. At the healing of our wound, we do see him. At the gentle hour, we do hear his call. The LORD hath drawn his portrait and hath made me the frame. From beginning unto end, I have been written on by his hand, that all the Earth shall see and understand his glory.

One last very interesting aspect of the revelation is the way in which its prophecy of the restoration of Judah parallels the restoration of the American Ephraimic Church and original Christian Church.

-Just as Christ and the original 12 apostles began their ministry about 40 years before the beginning of the 70 period of Roman destruction of Israel (beginning at siege of Titus in 70AD through the Jewish-Roman Wars ending in 135 AD), also just as Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Ezekiel and Daniel all prophesy either in the 40 years leading to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem or during the 70 Israeli exile in Babylon— so too is the modern nation of Israel prophesied to be attacked and brought captive around 40 years after John Ben Kathryn received his revelation, beginning a 70 year period of captivity wherein the Lord will “raise up prophets as the dust to afflict this generation” in order to establish the religious movement.

-Likewise the destruction of Israel at 70 AD led to the absorption of this fledgeling Christian religion/kingdom into the expanding Roman Empire which would one day adopt this movements as its primary state religion. Just as shortly after Joseph Smith and other restorationists revelations on the restoration of the New Jerusalem, the “Kingdom” was taken over and absorbed into the powerful, expanding United States which has already come to be dominated by the religious ideals of the Second Great Awakening (Evangelicals/Baptists, Mormons, Adventists, etc..)—so too John Ben Kathryn declares that Israel, after the coming Messianic restorationist movement takes hold, will be taken over and absorbed into a powerful, expanding Arab Union/coalition where although treated harshly at first, will be nourished during 70 years of captivity until they are turned to the true Messiah and restored as an independent nation and kingdom.

-Just as the “Barbarians” nations of Northern Europe were almost entirely converted to the Christian religion within a few hundred years of its founding, so too does the Book of Ben Kathryn prophesy that the Islamic Nations of the Middle East as well as the Christian Nations of Europe will give way to this coming Israeli restorationist movement. The Book of Ben Kathryn itself is written in a manner as to appeal to Jews, Christians and Muslims and slowly bring them together into a more unified religious system.

Summary of Prophesied Events in the Book

-The United States will continue to pressure the nation of Israel and other peaceful Middle Eastern Nations into disarmament (65:3), with the underlying pledge that we will protect them from Arab aggression. (66:19)
-America will continue to bankrupt itself in the process of trying to police the world. (65:9)
-Afterwards, America & Israel will follow the new precedence of “pre-emptive war” by striking Iraq (Mosul) and likely at a later point, neighboring Syria or Iran? [text says Assyria, which was headquartered in Mosul, Iraq, but spread into Syria, Turkey & Iran. this may have been fulfilled in the 2003 unprovoked Iraqi invasion or more likely is in the future.] (20:20)
-Some Arab faction (the Islamic State? Iran/Russia/Syria or Hezbollah?) will have been plotting with neighboring Arab countries to attack Israel. One of Israel’s attacks will give them the impetus and Arab support to carry out their plans of mass destruction. (12:4 44:8, 66:1-3)
-The destruction of Jerusalem will lead many of apostate Christianity to believe Armageddon is here and Christ is coming. When their preconceived notions of the Second Coming are not met, many will lose faith. (16:1-3, 16:9-10,12)
-The ensuing war will destabilize the entire region, leading eventually to the necessity of Turkey and Egypt to militarize and step in to make peace. (66:4-5))
-Sometime either before or after the siege of Jerusalem, a Middle Eastern group will strike at the heart of America (65:23)
-In the end an Islamic/Arab (& russian?) union similar to the Ottoman Caliphate will emerge to challenge the European Union as a world power. (66:4-5)
-Much like the LDS Church within the U.S., Israel is to be brought into captivity one last time (by an early fundamentalist aspect of this Islamic Empire). During this 70 year captivity God will begin the Gathering of His People to Jerusalem. (63:1,5; 64:5-6)
-During this 70 year captivity, God will raise up scores of prophets to Israel, causing a massive conversion of millions of Jews & Arabs to this new Messianic movement. (22:2-3)
-At the end of this 70 year captivity, Israel will again become an independent nation, the Temple will be rebuilt, and Jerusalem will become the new “Rome” in the ensuing wholesale conversion of the region. This regional religious transformation will exceed even the wholesale conversion of the Roman Empire regions of the first four centuries to Christianity. (5:4-5, 46:11, etc.)

-Over ten chapters of the Book are instructions to priests and leaders on the day to day operation of the future Jerusalem Temple. It is instructed to follow the template given by Ezekiel. It is prophesied that the Ark of Covenant and “holy things” of the former temple will be found and returned to Israel.

These, of course, are just my interpretations of the prophecies given by Ben Kathryn, but if you would like to make your own judgments you can read the text yourself. The original version has been posted since about 2006 on Nabion.org (shortly after a Spiritual Voice led me to the site and I created my site sharing a version of the text, the site was closed down. I speculate that the Hebrew version of the Book is likely still available on a purely Hebrew site, and that the English site shortly existed only to call myself and a few other individuals as apostles or proponents of the movement.)

Related Articles

Read a pdf version of the book here

Read an html version of the Book of Jachanan Ben Kathryn here

Prophesy in the Book of Ben Kathryn https://gatheredin.one/3/prophesy-in-the-book-of-ben-kathryn/

The identity of Gog and Magog https://gatheredin.one/1137/the-identity-of-gog-and-magog/

The End of the Times of the Gentiles https://gatheredin.one/86/the-end-of-the-times-of-the-gentiles/

Additional Prophesies in the Book of Ben Kathryn https://gatheredin.one/81/additional-prophesies-of-the-book-of-ben-kathryn/

Prophecy in the Book of Ben Kathryn

…5 Forasmuch as thou sayest I bless thee because of thy wealth, so shall I make it plain that I curse thee…” (BOBK 65:5)

“… 21 Woe unto that nation, for they kill and eat their children to sustain their old age. Their babies have no graves, but their cry cometh up unto me.
22 As they bled their womb, so shall I bleed their heritage, and unto a mightier people will I give their land.
23 They have removed life for convenience; I shall remove the convenience of life. I send them the bug. (BOBK 64:21-23)

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[written in June 2010]

Introduction
In light of some of the seemingly scary events going on in the news lately, I felt I should write this to help others try and get a perspective on the possible future of our nation and world. Although this article mostly highlights negative events likely on the horizon, I hope the reader will not take a pessimistic outlook on the future.  Things are never all doom and gloom. But by having a general idea of what the future likely holds, we can make more informed decisions on how to best stay happy and thriving regardless of the sociopolitical or economic conditions. I believe the world is in a general upward progression, which means that even though there are regional or global difficulties such as WWII or the great depression, those events really didn’t physically affect most people in the world (just certain areas of the world), and neither will future events… generally speaking.

In this article I’d like to go over the prophesies found in The Book of Ben Kathryn and present my interpretation of the picture it paints of world events over the next 70 years. Many of these prophesies deal with the economic future of the United States. This modern jewish prophecy is generally positive and deals primarily with the “end of the Times of the Gentiles” and Restoration of Israel (major topics covered by early Mormon visionaries as well). Please see ‘Introduction to The Book of Ben Kathryn‘ for details concerning the prophecy’s background.

America’s Economic Elephant in the Room

Judging from what you see in the media, it seems there are few who grasp the gravity of our nation’s financial insolvency. This year (2010) marks the beginning year for cash deficits for the Medicare program, and Social Security / Medicaid are soon to follow. Just as the foolish political and corporate practices of speculation and financial irresponsibility led to the widespread insolvency of global banks and the near ‘great depression-like’ global collapse of western banking systems two years ago, so is our nation now stepping into a period of out of control debt brought on by entitlement programs Social Security, government pensions, private pensions and Medicare/Medicaid (to say nothing of funding for the new health care reform bill).

The post war baby boom lasted from 1946-1964 producing a record 77 million births in the US. 2011 marks the year where those born in the beginning of the boom will reach age 65 and begin receiving social security benefits. By 2029 the last of the living 77 million baby boomers will begin receiving their social security checks & pensions.  Because both parties have been continually borrowing from the Social Security fund to cover annual budget deficits, the Social Security and Medicare fund will begin running catastrophic deficits by 2030 (latest projections), many say equaling over half the total funds income. Much like the banks which have crippled the world’s current economy, sometime in the decades of the 2020’s and 2030’s, the United States public will have to finally confront the fact that it is financially screwed. China, Japan and other lenders will not continue to lend America trillions of dollars every year when hope of payback becomes bleak, and no other country is going to pick up the slack. Nor can we inflate our way out of entitlement program deficits as we could foreign debt. As our day of financial reckoning comes closer, we will begin to wake up as we must continually find ways to cover the deficit… raise taxes? Cut spending? Defer the social security age? Risk runaway inflation by just printing money? (more and more QE?) Default on some debt? Go to negative interest rates & destroy bond yields (and thus foreign investment)? Pass new trillion dollar entitlement programs and bailouts one after another?! borrow! borrow! Gaslight the public and slowly erode freedom to stop capital flight!

http://www.iousathemovie.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/12/AR2009051200252.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_federal_budget
http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/

It really doesn’t take much research to see the mathematical impossibilities of the raising generation sustaining the retiring baby boomer generations entitlements. The entitlement programs may be the best example of financial difficulties which lay ahead, but they are also just one of many. All we need to do is look to japan’s lost decades, and unmanageable debt to see what the eventual consequences of the 2006 sub-prime market collapse will be. On top of this we have the precarious situation created by the private pension aspect of the derivatives market. I won’t even go there for now… (See http://demonocracy.info for a great page illustrating the amount of money we are talking about, AND read one of the many, many available books written on the inevitable pension crisis.)

Illustration from www.democracy.info showing the space taken by $228 trillion dollars, or the 9 Biggest Banks\’ Derivative Exposure in 2010. It is roughly 3 times the entire world economy.

I encourage everyone to do just a bit of research to get a feel for our nation’s true financial situation. You can bend the dates and numbers a bit depending on how you interpret things, but unless we do some major sacrificing, and change our trajectory, all the facts lead to less than three decades before we become (like the USSR, Argentina, Japan & many other examples) undeniably insolvent. Our best hope would be that the nation might start significantly delaying Social Security benefits and dissolving Medicare/Medicaid promises enough to balance our bottom line and then try to inflate our way out of debt… but given our current political situation, I don’t think even that’s going to happen. And where empires are concerned, financial decline or collapse almost always is accompanied by political strife and breakup. We need only look at the recent breakup of the British and Russian empires, and numerous other historical examples to guess what the future may hold for us. (see the Great Depression, Fall of the Soviet Ruble, Argentinian Financial Collapse). Prophecy suggests America’s decline & breakup will be a slow one. But only time will tell how we deal with the problem we have created for ourselves… but come what may, the world has gone through similar things and yet life goes on with winners and losers. So don’t look at this as just a prediction of total gloom and doom! With god’s help, the smart and selfless can prosper and/or have joy through catastrophe. There are beautiful lessons and experiences to be had in times of sacrifice.

U.S. debt is owed to multiple parties. We can somewhat inflate our way out of foreign debt (although defaulting on this debt is the greatest threat to financial collapse), but not debt to the entitlement programs.

U.S. debt is owed to multiple parties. We can somewhat inflate our way out of foreign debt (although defaulting on this debt is the greatest threat to financial collapse). Eventually we will have to address entitlement program debt.

Background to the Prophecy

The Book of Ben Kathryn purports to be a modern revelation to Judah through a modern prophet (the first true Jewish Prophet in modern times), heralding the end of the Times of the Gentiles and the turning of the Jews to the Messiah with the final ‘Restoration of Israel.’ The text states it was given to Jachanan ben Kathryn (John, son of Kathryn) first in the year 1995/96. From what I can gather, the author is a Messianic Jew, born among the Gentiles (in the West?) but taken at an early age to Israel. His texts points out that he did not seek out his calling, and in fact apparently tried actively to flee from it (BOBK 1:2,9). As a prophet he is commanded to take no followers, and even now lives unpretentiously out of the public eye waiting for an expected command to begin his mission and work miracles and reforms during a time of coming Middle East war and battle over of Jerusalem.

(See this post for a background the the Book of Ben Kathryn)

In this article I’ll go through some of the books content and focus mainly on what it says about the United States, Europe and the coming war with a new Islamic Coalition. To begin with, however I’d like to give an example of the book’s poetic form and Hebrew composition (it was revealed/channeled in both Hebrew & English). This chapter deals with coming transition of God’s Spirit and favor from the Gentiles (of Europe and America) to Israel (people of the Middle East) and Latin Americas as the Times of the Gentiles come to a close. As you read, try to find all the references to Old Testament verses and New Testament allusions… there appears to be one or more in every verse and literally thousands within the 73 chapters. Compare for instance chapter 19 in the Book of Ben Kathryn with its allusions to the “restoration of Israel” as taught in Micah ch. 5 of the Bible. The “seven shepherds” in verse six are a reference to Micah 5:5. Coincidentally these same Biblical verses are referenced in multiple parts of the LDS church’s, Book of Mormon.

CHAPTER 19
WOE unto the rebelling nations, and woe to the horde of mischief makers, who say “It is” and therein is found the will of God, and a blessing to be ordained; the purpose of whose council is to overturn the word of the LORD; who make themselves the center and by their own council mold the LORD’s doings to justify their set ways.
2 Lo, the nations imagine a vain thing; their mind is in league with deception. Each man formeth me in their own image, and if I were to send them a prophet they would not hearken. Not with stones form they my image, but with their vain minds and self-seeking spirits form they my image. Better they made a dumb idol than pollute my ways, saith the LORD. For an idol hath no power of itself to teach any man its dumb ways nor enlighten a suppliant with its ignorance. The ignorant seeketh an idol and remaineth in his first estate, but a fool seeketh the counsel of the foolish and is made like unto his foolish image.
3 Vanity is deceit itself, above all deceptions wherein the sons of flesh deceive themselves. And I the LORD regard no one more foolish than they who fear not at my word. Is not an idol worshiper and him that revereth a carved trunk less foolish than they who take my name upon their lips and do not my ways? who declare I live and then declare I speak not clearly, and that I have not made the heart in mine own image?
4 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Is not the melting of snow a slow and steady process? In like manner shall such be overthrown. Destruction shall come upon them, by my hand shall it come, and who can save them in that day? Yet by grace it is thought, and by mercy it is written: Only they who call upon the LORD shall escape.
5 When indeed have the nations sought me, saith the LORD, and who in my far journey hath taken hold of me by the hand that he should lead me in his ways? Doth not a shepherd take his sheep to seasonal grass, and when the season turneth yet again doth he not take them to the old pastures and the old cotes to graze? Behold as the sheep graze he mendeth the cotes and then leadeth them into safety. Or seeing a fire come to the seasonal grass, will he not hasten, especially when seeing that the old grass groweth ready?
6 Therefore thus prophecy thou unto thy brethren, the children of Israel, So am I a shepherd unto Israel, saith the LORD, and so shall I do. Follow my paths and come to my sheepcote, for my shepherds have gathered speckled sheep. But I will not mix ye, saith the LORD. I shall sack my shepherds and scatter their speckled beasts. And from my pure sheep I shall raise me up seven shepherds. For from sheep born of another pasture, of the seasonal grounds, shall I speak unto this people and lead my people back, counsel them, govern them, and restore them to the old cotes.
7 My name shall be carried back as the holy things of old, and upon my people, my chosen generation, shall it reside. From the islands afar off shall they return, from Tartessos, Gog, Ashkanaz, and America. Britain shall give forth; Sepharad shall stretch forth its hands and carry my people. Kittim shall boast and rejoice, and shall fill my courts. Ishmael shall come by caravans and shall deck thee, O Judah, with the wealth of the East. Cathay shall come with aloes and ointments, and whithersoever the nations encounter thee, my beloved of Judah, my chosen of Israel, shall they carry you, and ye shall all rejoice in the LORD.
8 And the word of the LORD moreover came unto me, saying: And in that day this parable shall guide them: I came to my cote and, behold, my shepherd was gone and my sheep unattended. And I was wroth with my shepherd and I sought him on the high and rocky hills. There I met him, in a place between the tight rocks, in his arms a strange lamb. And I chode with him. Why hast thou left, seeing there were no sheep missing? And he said: “I went forth to seek, perchance any stranger had happed into thy domain. And, behold, I have found one, lame, this one in mine arms, who could not pass through thy land. And I have brought her, even as a little ewe lamb.”
9 A son speaketh unto me. This is the voice of him that loveth me. Surely thou hast done well, my shepherd; for so shall I take of the strangers’ lambs, and so is a diligent shepherd before me. (BOBK chap. 19)

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Judgments
The book contains a considerable amount of prophecy, including the foretelling of incredible miracles which will be done by it’s prophet to prove to the world his words. Miracles such as raising the dead, restoring missing limbs and missing sight. However, much of the content most relavent to his article pertains to judgments given in the prophecy against the United States and Israel. Apart from the unrelenting and yet subtle chiding of Israel for its wickedness and rejection of the Messiah, the Lord chides America in the book for our love and trust of money, disintegrating legal system, disintegration of personal liberties, and general forsaking of our Judeo-Christian legal Heritage. Following are a few of the judgments issued against the Modern Nation of Israel, America, and the Gentile Nations in general (Nations which were founded on the Judeo-Christian covenant and are implicitly governed by the higher dimensional group responsible for Biblical Scripture and culture).

Foremost among the judgments and prophesies is the issue of America’s heaping of debt upon future generations to pay for the current baby boomer’s hegemonic wars, healthcare, frivolous abortions and religious hypocrisy. Keep in mind this prophecy was first given in 1996 and published online in 2006, well before the current national economic catastrophe. As I have watched the economic and political events of the last few years, I have often been impressed by the following verses, where America is compared to the wicked in ancient times who “killed and ate their children” to save their own lives during a siege (Jer 19:9, Lam 4:10).

” 21 Woe unto that nation [America], for they kill and eat their children to sustain their old age. Their babies have no graves, but their cry cometh up unto me. As they bled their womb, so shall I bleed their heritage…
23 They have removed life for convenience; I shall remove the convenience of life… (BOBK 64:21-23)

” 14 …No more shall they kill and eat their children; no more shall the meek be a prey and the speaker of justice a target. They shall pray unto me, but I shall harden their hearts that they reprove, even reprove the LORD God, that I may bring upon these nations the wrath they have courted for generations. For too long did they raise their bloody hands to me in piety and praise.” (BOBK 45:14)

Israel and the western world is also chided for the rejection of our culture’s judeo-christian/biblical foundation and their creator.

“…BE not dismayed at the ways of the heathen and the signs which their own minds conceive. For one leaneth his elbow upon the mantel and smoketh long on his pipe. There he expoundeth a new idea. He hath gravened another idol. It is without form. It speaketh from his mind, “Lo, here I am,” and he followeth wherever it listeth.
2 The nations [Gentiles] come together and say: “Let us conspire to throw off the LORD, for so was his anointed created in the days of our ancient.” Be not dismayed at their oracle, for it is quicksilver and it cannot take form. It shall be poison to the mouth that speaketh; poison to the ear that receiveth.” (BOBK 15:1-2)
18 …What graven image so evened the scales and so ordered fairness as unto the LORD? Nay, they cannot, for they own nothing. The world is not theirs, nor have they possession of a speck of dust. The LORD breatheth and the meadow flowereth; he sigheth and the forests clap their hands. Man fashioneth thereof what he listeth, but the tree was made by the LORD.

Also politically mandated planned parenthood,

“…What have they formed that ye should treat your minds as gods? for I see a land laid waste; and the whole earth, it is upside down. He who stoppeth the womb createth not, but saith “Come not forth” to that which I have sewn together. Behold, it was never spoken by my mouth, nor did it ever come into mine heart, that man should so stray and that the righteous should say “It must be.” (BOBK 15:3)

And of course, America’s out of control abortion rates.

“…your minds have carved vanity, and destruction is your artificer’s tool. Your cities whittle the soul; your babes are buried in canning jars. All creation languisheth under your artificer’s tool; and under the hand that formed it and under the mind that brought it about” (BOBK 15:19)

Also, Modern Flower-Children who seek “love” (unrealistic pacifism) at the expense of justice and common sense,

“11 For, indeed, ye are an oppression to my soul. It is not oppression to stop the oppressor, nor tyranny to say no to the tyrant, saith the LORD. Behold, I declare you the tyrant and the oppressor, ye who will not hearken unto my words to perform them and my laws to do them…
16 Therefore thus saith the LORD, I shall cut off the prophets from you, even the blemish from you when she saith “That is hardly loving;” and the shaker of heads and the roller of eyes; and they who glorify an action and condemn a reaction; and he who magnifieth himself by study to overturn my words shall no longer be a guide unto you. Surely, they who say “Wrath cometh not upon the Earth” shall find that day an undoing, for it cometh not save for them and they who in like manner thwart justice and who mock reproof. (BOBK 15:11,16)

America’s disintegrating legal system.

“5 …for thou makest merchandise of justice, and at the call for swift punishment thou brokerest law. Thou makest them bankrupt who defend themselves, and he who hath no money hath no advocate. Thou declarest the process and not the outcome to be justice. For a thing of nought thou lettest men be accused, and findest them guilty of suspicion because of the demands of the prudery of gainsayers and gainseekers. Seedy grandeur motivateth the arrogant, and for money thou wilt mull over a word to bring the innocent to book. The feet of thy constables are set to earn thee money, and the innocent and meek are ravished at the same time.” (BOBK 65:5)

As a result of these things, America will suffer a slow decline, which will result in the nation’s eventual depopulation, division into five polities and the eventual founding of the promised American Zion.

” 15 Swiftly came entropy upon France, likewise upon Russia; so too upon China— the servant sat upon the horse and the princes walked on foot, the thing which I hate in mine heart, saith the LORD. Though swiftly it came upon them, slowly shall it come upon you. As a creeping fog in the night shall it come, and ye shall not be delivered after three generations except by division.
16 Thou art a wondrous flower, O America. Thy roots spread far, and it taketh much nourishment to maintain the beauty of thy petals. But when the ground is all roots, wherewith shall it be nourished? The great flower dieth and becometh the nourishment for seeds dropped by birds. The flowers that spring forth shall grow from thee. Thy flesh shall sustain five flowers and then they shall cast their seed and there shall be a garden. (BOBK 65:15-16)

14 …Hear now and pay heed, O giddy nation [America]: Thou art wicked and yet I have not sent thy feet quickly to the dust. Thou art not worthy, yet thou hast tasted long of my mercy. Doth not the keeper of the king’s forest have mercy upon the tender sapling? Yet when the great oak is mighty but diseased and rotten, doth he not anon cut it down to make light for the sapling to grow? How much quicker shall it be done when the king himself seeth the forest and declareth and commandeth straightway that it should be so ordered? Behold, I cut down a mighty oak so that a tender sapling can grow. (BOBK 64:14)

The “tender sapling” mentioned above is an obvious allusion to the “tender one” mentioned in Ezekiel 17:22. In reality, nearly every verse in the Book of Ben Kathryn contains multiple allusions and correspondences to biblical verses and prophesies.

22 Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:
23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it. (Ezekiel 17:22–24)

Possible scenarios for the prophesied slow break-up of the United States of America.

The flower and garden mentioned in verse 16 of the Book of Ben Kathryn quoted above is an allusion to Isaiah 28:1–4, where the Lord prophesies against America (See this paper for more info on America as Ephraim & Northern Kingdom dualism).

“1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.”(Isaiah 28:1–4)

The Book of Ben Kathryn explains further the role of the “mighty and strong one” mentioned both in Isaiah 28:2 and in 85:7-12 of the LDS Doctrine & Covenants. Further insight can also be found in following the allusion made in verse 14 to the “mighty oak” of Isaiah 1:26–31 as well the oak which “casts its leaves/seed” or Isaiah 6:11–13 (see also 2 Ne. 16:13).

There are literally thousands of subtle allusions to Isaiah in these few chapters of the Book of Ben Kathryn. And of interest to Mormon’s might be the way the Book of Mormon seems to answer many of the questions that the Book of Ben Kathryn leaves hanging. For instance, who are the “others” that America “loathes”, who shall inherit the land of promise if the Gentiles don’t repent?

20 So shall I do unto that mighty people [America], for their skirt is a filthy one, and their houses of prayer whitewashed pens, and the land is soiled with bloodguiltness. I shall give their lands quietly to others that they loath. As they openly cheated, so shall those that come after subtly steal. For merchants rule over them and they think my blessings are in wealth and usury. (BOBK 64:20)

The Book of Mormon goes into great detail about the promises of God to the Latin American and Indigenous people of North America. As well as the consequences which will come upon the Gentile [European] inhabitants of America if they chose to try and interfere with the fulfillment of the promises made to those peoples. 3 Nephi 21 sums those promises as well as the consequences for unjust interference. The Gentiles who were “set up as a free people” on this land, (people of the United States of America) are in a favored situation to aid in the latter-day restoration of both Zion in the Middle-East and the New Jerusalem in this land, but if they turn from Christian laws, interfere or fight against Biblical promises, their cities and civilization will be destroyed.

4 For it is wisdom in the Father that they [Americans] should be established in this land [The United States], and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them [Gentiles/Americans] unto a remnant of your seed [Latin & Indiginous North Americans], that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel;

5 Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;
6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it [Bible/The Book of Mormon] should come forth from the [American] Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel;
7 And when these things come to pass that thy seed [The Latin People] shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel…
9 For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them…
11 Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant.
12 And my people who are a remnant of Jacob [The Muslim, Latin & Native Peoples] shall be among the Gentiles [of America & Europe], yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
13 Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off.
14 Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots;
15 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds;
16 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers;
17 Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands;
18 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.
19 And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away.
20 For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son [in other words those who will not live the golden rule], them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel;
21 And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them [the unrepentant gentiles of America & Europe], even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
22 But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my [spiritual & physical] church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;
23 And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem [a symbol of a utopian or heavenly city].
24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.
25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.
26 And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem.
27 Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name.
28 Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.
29 And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. (3 Nephi 21:21–29 referencing Isaiah, Micah, etc..)

The Book of Ben Kathryn clarifies how America’s cities will be slowly “cut off” and “destroyed” out of our midst, as well as alluding to how our nation will be depopulated and “given to others”.

18 Their cities are as heaps of fall leaves, of passing decay that rotteth, should it be left long if it heapeth. They are the gathering of bright colours; but they are brittle, and water only causeth them to rot. There is no regeneration for a leaf cast from the branch. Fire and wind are the only solution; so shall I burn some in heaps, what man hath heapt; and so shall I scatter some that a congregation of them rot not the soil at the time of rain, and the watering of the labourer.
19 Howl ye for the fine buildings; they shall come down slowly at their own hand, and with a yawn shall she depart from among nations, from being Queen of nations; for I have heard the cry of the black man and the red man wherewith they have cried unto me… (BOBK 64:18-19)

Much like the Book of Mormon, the Book of Ben Kathryn teaches that America was created like Israel to be an archetype, “parable”, or teaching tool to symbolically teach the world how heaven guides, leads and judges all the nations of the earth.

12 Hearken attentively, for this is of the LORD: Thus saith the LORD, So do I make thy [Israel’s] harvest a bitter one, and thy grape fit for the spitting out of it. Though I lift up thy skirt and offend America with thy nakedness, yet shall it be only for a season.
13 But I lift up the skirt of America and until the end I shall make them a a proverb unto all nations. For I lift up their skirt to thee now, that thou mayest know what kind of lovers thy baseness hath taken to thee.

The following sections can come accross as pesemistic, negative and fear-based, but I think it is important to remember that prophecy is never set in stone. Man’s actions can change future probabilities and that is why true prophecy is always quite nebulous. The following verses suggest the slow decline of the U.S. will begin with simultaneous attack on Israel and America. The attack on American soil may be a single (nuclear?) attack on the heart of the nation, followed by a pandemic caused either by biological warfare or natural epidemic.

…The same that delivereth thee from bondage art thou then in bondage to.
22 When they [America] had power they did not hearken unto my spirit, but burnt Japan with fire [Atomic Bombs], which thing I commanded them not. I gave their secrets to others, and in fear did I give that generation life [cold war]. Fear turned to foolishness, and foolishness turned to lies. For one tooth they took ten, for the lives of 1000 took they 100,000. [Iraqi war] 23 Behold, saith the LORD, weepings and howlings unto thee. I declare not joy. I repay according to thy ways. Oh the howl of the great city upon the river River and the bareness of thy columns, for that day shall come, and thou shalt not punish the Ishmaelite. (BOBK 65:22-23)

[Its possible these attacks will not be simultaneous and that America might desert Israel for some other reason.]

Although not specifically defined, it seems that these verses seem to suggest that the United States as the only country to ever use nuclear weapons on its enemies will also have the same used upon us. Japan killed 2,350 of our people in Pearl Harbor, and we killed 225,000+ in Hiroshima & Nagasaki. (plus over 1/2 million civilian deaths in conventional bombings). Extremists killed nearly 3,000 Americans in the 9/11 attacks but the Iraqi and Afghanistan retribution wars caused hundreds of thousands of Arab deaths and destabilized the entire region to this day. There are many fringe articles on the web which detail how higher beings watching the earth, specifically forbade the United States in using its nuclear technology —apparently as justice for our disobedience the technology may be allowed to be used in a single occurrence against us. (hopefully we repent and this doesn’t happen!) As far as further deciphering the allusions; the Mississippi River is the most prominent river in the nation whose name comes from an indigenous word meaning “River” or “Great River”. Cities on the Mississippi with “columns” or skyscrapers include New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and St. Louis, Missouri.

However, I think the nebulous language of this prophecy leaves room for these karma balancing events being much smaller, more natural occurrences. Possibly the nuclear event could be a smaller event caused by natural processes such as that which occurred to the Fukashima reactor in Japan? Or possibly simply the use of “clean” or tactical nuclear weapons. It is important to note that this prophecy says all these things will occur slow and steady as “the melting of snow”. So we don’t need to fear some horrible bleak future or apocalyptic end-time war.

Hope for the Future

It’s noteworthy how similar the warnings and pessimistic prophesies in the Book of Ben Kathryn concerning the United States are to those found in the Book of Mormon and LDS Doctrine and Covenants. But the Book of Mormon also gives a more hopeful picture that certain regions of the United States might actually fair quite well during its coming political strife and breakup. The Book of Mormon gives specific lists of the issues which will plague the end-epoch gentiles and gives common sense instruction on what it takes to be “numbered among God’s people” in order to avoid the natural judgments and war caused by social “wickedness”.

13 But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.
14 And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father. (3 Ne 16:13–14)

2 Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. (3 Ne 30:2)

Most Mormon’s like to take these verses and the many other’s like them in the Book of Mormon to mean that Baptism in the Mormon Church is the way to be saved from coming calamity and “numbered with [God’s] people”.  However, I think these warnings are based far more in common sense. To me these verses say that those regions of the Christian world which keep political and social corruption and crime at bay will fare well during the coming period of civil strife. ….

Summary of Events
Great detail is given as to the acts which shall start the chain of events which culminates in the destruction/attack on Jerusalem, the modern nation of Israel and the decline of the United States. In trying to keep this paper focused on the United States, I will simply outline many of the remaining events in the prophecy below; and leave the pages of verses which detail the Middle Eastern aspects of these events to another paper (see “The Coming Battle of God & Magog“).

-The United States will continue to pressure the nation of Israel into disarmament (BOBK 65:3), with the underlying pledge that we will protect them from Arab aggression. (BOBK 66:19)
-America will continue to bankrupt itself in the process of trying to police the world. (65:9)
-Afterwards, America & Israel will follow the new precedence of “pre-emptive war” by striking neighboring Syria? [text says Assyria, which had its capital in Nineveh or Modern Mosul, Iraq. thus it could be Syria, Iraq Turkey or Iran, but will very likely be an attack on ISIL which is headquartered in Mosul] (20:20)
-A Syrian/Iraqi group will have been plotting with neighboring Arab countries to attack Israel (ISIL?). Israel’s attack will give them the impetus and Arab support to carry out their plans of mass destruction. (12:4 44:8, 66:1-3)
-The destruction/attack on Jerusalem will lead many of apostate Christianity to believe Armageddon is here and Christ is coming. When their preconceived notions of the Second Coming are not met, many will lose faith. (16:1-3, 16:9-10,12)
-The ensuing war will destabilize the entire region, leading eventually to the necessity of Turkey and Egypt stepping in to make peace. The United States will have its own issues to deal with at home, and will thus play little part in the war it essentially helped create (66:4-5)
-In the end an Islamic/Arab empire similar to the Ottoman Caliphate will emerge to challenge the European Union as a world power. (66:4-5)
-Much like the LDS Church within the U.S., Israel is to be brought into captivity one last time (by this new Islamic Empire). During this 70 year captivity God will begin the Gathering of His People to Jerusalem. (63:1,5; 64:5-6)
-During this 70 year captivity, God will raise up scores of prophets to Israel, eventually causing a massive conversion of millions of Jews & Arabs to this new Messianic movement. (22:2-3)
-At the end of this 70 year captivity, Israel will again become an independent nation, the Temple will be rebuilt, and Jerusalem will eventually become the new “Rome” in the ensuing wholesale conversion of the region. This regional religious transformation will exceed even the wholesale conversion of the Roman Empire regions of the first four centuries to Christianity. (5:4-5, 46:11, etc.)

11 …As Jerusalem yielded to Constantinople, and as Constantinople yielded to Rome, and as Rome yielded to Wittenberg, so shall Wittenberg yield back to Jerusalem. The time shall return. (BOBK 46:11)

It appears that with the Syrian (Islamic State?) attack of Jerusalem; stationed American troops will be unexpectedly drawn home, leaving the city defenseless. The reason for this unexpected retreat appears to be the result of some sort of pandemic or Biological Warfare.

7 Go call him the eagle if thou wish. But he shall have a woman’s head and a man’s desires; a scepter she carrieth to tilt the scales of justice. The LORD is a mighty archer, and I have brought me down many a swift bird of prey, and lured many a chicken hawk from the nest of its neighbour.
8 And the LORD instructed me, Go place a caldron at Damascus Gate, for out of the north I will bring tumult on this land and on this city Jerusalem. It shall be a river. The American shall pass through this gate to Joppa way, as a river also, and he shall no more return. For I make Jerusalem a caldron and the Syrian as the boiling water seeking its stony hearth. (BOBK 44:7-8)

18 And thou, O shrewish Israel, brag not, for thou didst bring the American upon thee not as a wife but as an harlot, and they shall despise thee for this after a time. Thou spokest softly into their ears. Thou wast sure in thine imagination that they should deliver thee, and thou luredst them to go up after and against thine enemies.
19 Yet I shall confound them before thine enemies. They shall ravage the serpent’s head but be driven home by a flea. Thy pledge shall be broken, thy wealth no longer barter. (BOBK 66:18-19)

4 …Thy rest upon the Gentiles is vanity, and thy embassies to America to deliver thee pointless. The Lion of the Isles will not come to thy rescue. But I say, Nay, go thou not up, whole Britain, nor send thou the Scot with the American, lest thou sufferest a greater wound from thine ally. (BOBK 45:4)

23 They have removed life for convenience; I shall remove the convenience of life. I send them the bug. See a wonder: by a speck the Earth is destroyed; against the multitude of tininess can no army fight. The LORD hath spoken. (BOBK 64:23)

“Chased home by a flea” and being destroyed by a “bug” seems to fit only with a pandemic of some sort. This interpretation fits well with the prophecy given in the Doctrine and Covenants concerning the end of the Times of the Gentiles. In fact a shadow or type of a plague associated with the end of the times of the gentiles is given in the Spanish Flue Pandemic which killed over 40 million people in Europe and throughout the world just after WWI. (see my paper on the times of the gentiles to see the history repeating types laid out in the hundred years between Christ and the complete destruction of Israel, Joseph Smith and the destruction of Europe/WWII, and the final end of the times of the gentiles). It also seems that this plague is a perfect candidate to cause the final blow to the U.S. economy, the cause for some of our cities being left desolate without attack, as well as poetic justice for an ailing population of baby boomers that was willing to “kill” their children’s economic future in order to “sustain its old age” (Social Security/Medicaid/Medicare/Health Care Reform).

30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
31 And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.
32 But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die.
33 And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another. (D&C 45:30–33)

See my paper of the times of the gentiles to see the additional Ciphers God gives to Daniel’s 70 week prophesies to aid in our understanding of when the 70 week times of the Gentiles is to come to an end.

THUS saith the LORD thy God, in the year of the 70th [week] of the Gentiles set thy face to the east, and set it to the west, to the north and then to the south, and prophecy thou against them: Your times come to the full. The LORD God setteth ye a time to repent… (BOBK 21:1)

The fall of the great and powerful secular democracies of the United States and Israel and the eventual rise of the new political systems of Israel and the New Jerusalem in America will indeed be a “Marvelous Work and a Wonder”. In that day kings shall indeed “shut their mouths” and “that which they had not heard, shall they consider”. Where much is given, much is required, and the United States has been given more than any other nation in the world. In less than one hundred years it has gone from being a small backwards country ravaged by Civil War, to the world’s third most populous country, fourth largest by land, and first largest by economy, military might and political influence. We have tried to do good, but we are losing our way as we cast off the God in whom we should trust—we have forsaken the principles of justice, freedom, humility, equality and democracy that are required for heaven’s blessings.

As America becomes more aware of its financial insolvency, people will start to get scared and angry. When people get scared, countries which have given their governments too much power suffer. During WWI & WWII, nearly every socialist country ended up on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. Be that socialist Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, socialist Germany or the Socialist Soviet Republic. Countries which give their governments too much power are like empty thrones, just waiting for despots and corrupt government officials to take control. Those who want to abdicate their Christian responsibility to take care of themselves and their neighbors to their governments are asking for foolish and corrupt leaders, oppression and repression. The Book of Ben Kathryn suggests this will increasingly become the outcome in the United States over the ensuing decades.

7 Therefore, saith the LORD, I shall send the piper, and he shall entrance thee from thy pulpit and lead thee from thy gates with a merry jig. Thou art foolish, O America. Thou shalt play them a tune and make them to follow thee. But thou knowest not where thou goest. The servant shall sit on the horse and play the pipe, and thy leaders shall hold the tail and dance.
8 Everything ye call a conspiracy I will make a conspiracy unto you. Everyone’s home shall ye make a fortress and your neighbour shall be your tyrant. The world shall pick your wealth. For when ye try and defend yourselves, even your leaders shall pull at the horse’s tail and upset your defense.
9 Thou hast made thy walls strong and thy gates a glittering with jewels, ears as unto pomegranates, eyes as unto rubies, and hearts as unto sapphires, cold and blue. Yet thy gates through which thou makest merchandise of the world shall be desolate. No man can bring them down. Hast thou not even magnified them unto God? Nevertheless, thou shalt return from thy jig, and there weep at the decay; in the cleft of thine elbow deep weeping; arms shall hide thine eyes, hide them from the desolation because the LORD caused them to decay; and the weeds thereupon shall embolden the predator and the small nation.
10 …What say ye of Precedence? —shall it make bribery not bribery; and extortion, is it any different? How the complacent braggeth! How the wine vat bubbleth with languish! What is left after one purgeth the winepress of the pulp? Bitterness is left, as a heart that is sewn with salt. No more can a good thing grow, or a tender shoot reach for the sun. (BOBK 65:7-10)

What shall we do then, knowing that our nation is headed for a decline and breakup like the USSR– and that its future is decay and division? When you think about it… the same has been true for every large nation and empire on earth, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise and doesn’t need to be that big of a deal. The answers to our coming problems are the same also… be smart and if social stability looks threatened in your region, simply move before it escalates. Even with the USSR’s fiscal crisis and breakup, many regions fared quite well, and I imagine many fiscally responsible and socially stable regions of the U.S. will be no different. The decline of the U.S. is prophesied to be slow, and Japan is a decade ahead of us as it goes through the same decay… so if we watch them or Argentina, or Russia we can be guided in how to make smart choices to avoid the big problems inherent in our nation’s slow decline.

And we can stay positive with the hope that some parts of our Nation will prosper and win as good people instinctively move from areas plagued with gang violence and social strife to areas that have things more together.  We can stay positive with our faith that even after the breakup of the United States into “five flowers”, one of those flowers will create an even better system than the one that made America a beacon of hope in the first place. One of those five flowers will join with Latin America, Jerusalem, the Middle East and the rest of the good people of the world to achieve the hope of world peace and harmony we all hold out faith for.

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The identity of Gog and Magog https://gatheredin.one/1137/the-identity-of-gog-and-magog/

The End of the Times of the Gentiles https://gatheredin.one/86/the-end-of-the-times-of-the-gentiles/

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