It is my understanding that the present-day Gregorian calendar was
initially based on the birth year of Jesus Christ. In other words, the
death (and resurrection) of Jesus was assumed to have occurred in 33
A.D.

It is also my understanding that most contemporary biblical scholars
place the birth of Jesus Christ to have occurred most likely between
around 4 B.C., or between 4 B.C. and 6 B.C.(Some say Jesus was born in
2 B.C., some say He was born in 5 B.C., and some others say He was born
in 6 B.C.)

If Jesus was indeed born in 4 B.C., then is it not correct to say that
our calendar is off by 4 years? In other words, instead of 2006, we are
presently in 2010?

If Jesus was born in 5 B.C., then we are presently in 2011.

If Jesus was born in 6 B.C., then we are presently in 2012!!!

All of us, I am sure, are closely watching the rapidly changing turn of
events in this present-day escalation of the conflict in the Middle
East.

No one can predict what will happen.

If indeed, Israel launches an attack on Syria, who is to say that Iran
will not get involved immediately? And if Iran should fire any missile
towards Israel, ALL HELL will break loose. It could easily become the
initial phase of Ezekiel 38 scenario, long prophesied.

The gist of the so-called Ezekiel 38 scenario is the attempted invasion
into Israel of all Islamic forces (led and orchestrated by the
northenmost power, i.e., Russia). The alignment of the nations in that
scenario chillingly seems to correspond with today's scenario.

According to Biblical Prophecy (as interpreted by most
pre-tribulationist/dispensationalist believers), the Ezekiel 38 event
will conclude with the miraculous victory of Israel, immediately after
which a charismatic global leader (i.e. the "Anti-Christ" to the
fundamentalist Christians) will declare a seven-year Peace Treaty
between Israel and all Islamic confederation. (Iran's Ahmadinejad seems
to believe that he could be the one that will welcome the arrival of
the coming "Imam").
The Ezekiel 38 scenario results in the death of so many that it will
take about 7 years to bury all the dead in this conflagration.)

At that precise point in time, most so-called
pre-tribulationist/dispensationalist believers believe that the
"Rapture" event will mysterious take place, and the world will be in a
state of total confusion.
It will be at that point that the Anti-Christ will explain to the
totally astounded and fearful populace what really took place with the
mysterious "disappearance" of perhaps millions of people. (Perhaps the
Anti-Christ will use some ingenious explanations such as
"extraterrestrial" intervention to explain away that Rapture event.)
No one knows.

Most fundamentalist Christians believe that the Anti-Christ will rule
for 7 years in his "New World Order" system, the second half of which
is will be the Great Tribulatioon when he declares himself to be God
and will rule with iron fist.

On the 7th year of the global rule of the Anti-Christ, those nations
such as Red China (and the "Kings of the East") will challenge the
Anti-Christ's New World Order system by crossing the Euphrates and make
a move towards the plains of Armaggedon.
The battle of Armaggedon will be the final global battleground. During
the climactic moment of this global battle, the celestial forces of
Jesus Christ (along with all those who had been "raptured") will
descend from above and defeat all earthly forces in Armaggedon.

Sounds like science fiction? Maybe. But maybe not.
No one knows.

They say that the Mayan calendar concludes with 2012. What is the
significance of that?
Does it mean that the old system of things will conclude in 2012 and
that a brand new system of things will start in 2012?
Does it have anything to do with Armaggedon and the coming of the new
Kingdom?

Again, going back to the Gregorian calendar.
If Jesus was born in 5 B.C., then we are presently in 2011.
If Jesus was born in 6 B.C., then we are now in 2012.
If we are now in 2012, will something happen this Fall?
Will the "Trumpet" blow in October?

Or, if we are now in 2011, will this present day escalation of the
conflict in the Middle East lead the way to Ezekiel 38 scenario next
year?

No one knows.

It is simply fascinating to think about all this.

Perhaps there may be nothing to all this.

But no one knows.

What do you think?

Norio Hayakawa
www.hometown.aol.com/groom51s4 

www.myspace.com/noriohayakawa