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BUSH’S INAUGURATION & PROPHECY

Fred Coulter  –  January 22, 2005

Today we’re going to listen to the inauguration speech of George W. Bush, and we’re going to ask the question: What is the significance of what happened there, and how does it relate to Bible prophecy, and how is it that it is going to serve the will of God?

Let’s first of all understand something. Just put this down in your notes – Psalm 103:19 (KJV): “The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.” And we know in the book of Daniel, as we’ve seen before, that God rules in the kingdoms of men and that He has an overall plan that He is working out. But let’s understand something very profound and very important, which is this: is that God is using Israel today to fulfill His purpose.

Now let’s go back to Genesis 48 and let’s look at the blessing to Ephraim and Manasseh. Now Israel is not the thirteen million Jews in the world with two or three million in the area of Palestine (today called Israel). The name of Israel is on Ephraim and Manasseh. And so let’s look at the blessing that was given to Ephraim and Manasseh. And this will be important because this is talking about the “last days” as we will see. Not only down through history, but the “last days”. And let’s tie this together with the blessing that was given to Abraham that “I will bless you and make of you a great nation, and many nations, and those who bless you I will bless and those who curse you I will curse…” (Gen. 12:2-3, KJV, paraphrased), because that’s important when we understand what was done here.

Genesis 48:15: “And he blessed Joseph [now not only Joseph, but also Ephraim and Manasseh], and said, God, before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them [and his name was Jacob and changed to Israel], and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Gen. 48:15-16, KJV). That could hardly be the Jews. Now if you want information concerning the supposed “lost ten tribes of Israel” you can go on-line. There are probably a lot of websites which give you the information, but look up the name Steve Collins, and he has four books out on it. The first one called The Lost Ten Tribes Found. There are many who understand that.

Now let’s come down here to verse 18 where there’s the confrontation over that who should receive the birthright blessing – Ephraim or Manasseh because Manasseh was the elder, or the firstborn, and Ephraim was the second born. “And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great…” Now we’re not talking about little insignificant countries in the world. When God says “great” He means “great”. “…But truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh” (verses 18-20), and that’s what everyone wants to be – like America and like Britain.

Now let’s come to Genesis 49:1 and let’s read these and we’re going to understand about Israel today and how that ties in with the inaugural speech of George Bush. Now verse 1: “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together [now this is after he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh], that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” That’s today. That is now.

Now let’s come down here to verse 22 and look at Joseph, which includes then Ephraim and Manasseh: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: the archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him…” Now this says we’re going to be a  military power, doesn’t it? Are we hated today? More so than ever before. And that is going to galvanize into God’s purpose. “…But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of this hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) even by the God of thy father, Who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, Who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren” (verses 22-26, KJV). Now that’s the reason why. Not because we are a righteous people more than any other, but what we have to understand is this (now I think that this is a proper observation): that because Ephraim has virtually kicked God totally out of the British Isles that the mantle has fallen to Manasseh, which within the United States of America (and you can include Canada in that) are the remnants of all twelve tribes of Israel today.

So that means that the blessing that God has given here, God is going to use in the end-time to accomplish His purpose. God put Israel there to do His will. Now granted, and we also need to understand this, Israel’s relationship with God carnally is based upon the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to Ephraim, Manasseh and Joseph. God has not called them to salvation. So if they carnally recognize Him and profess Jesus Christ (because Israel always flattered God), then He will recognize that. That does not mean they’re called to salvation. That does not mean that they are not going to be eventually punished for their sins. But I’ll tell you one thing: you look at America with all the sins that we have and we are a pillar of righteousness in the world compared to the rest of the world. Without a doubt. And if it weren’t for America and Britain, which has over 50 commonwealth nations, there would be no civilization on the earth. It would be nothing but death and doom and destruction and barbarism.

Now let’s keep in mind the latter days. Let’s come to Deuteronomy 33:13. Now this also shows that we will be an economic power, as well as we saw, a military power. “And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land…” I want you to think about all the things that, you know, “from sea to shining sea”, and all of the fertile productive area that we have, and we feed how many in the world because of what we produce. “…For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns…” And isn’t it interesting that the great seal of Great Britain has what on it? A bull and a unicorn. And what is the symbol of Wall Street, the economic power of the world, but a huge giant bull. Later it talks about eagles, and we’ll talk about that a little later here in just a bit. “…With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth…” Now isn’t that what Ephraim did with the colonies? Isn’t that what America did beginning especially with Teddy Roosevelt? “…And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh” (Deut.33:13-17, KJV).

Now why is God going to use Israel? Now we know something that is important: in the end of it it’s going to cause the world to hate us, and it’s going to bring on the beast power. Now then, there are certain things that need to be done. Jesus said the Gospel will be preached in all the world for a witness. And that has to be in the last generation. Where’s the only place that the Gospel is being preached in sincerity or insincerity with varying degrees of truth? The United States of America. And if it weren’t for us the Gospel would not be being preached anywhere in the world. So God honors that.

Now, we know that eventually before the tribulation starts the two witnesses are going to preach the Gospel. But their mission is totally different than the mission of the church. And what we want to understand here is this, is that we can ask the question: Is God giving more time to Israel (that’s one way of looking at it), but have we misunderstood that it’s coming as quickly as we have thought it would come, or are there a lot of things yet to be done which must be done by Israel? And only Israel can do it because no other power on earth has the military or economic force to do it, and no other country in the world can bring the freedom necessary to preach the Gospel in the whole world besides the United States of America. We need to understand that. So with tist, and understanding that God rules in the kingdoms of men, and understanding that what we’re going to hear from George Bush’s Inauguration is that there is not a ceremony in any country in the world like this one where God is acknowledged, where God is prayed to. And as one commentator said, “It was God drenched” in this whole ceremony and the atheist Newdow got stuck in the eye because of his rejection of his suits to have those removed. And I hope that he watched it because maybe he would learn something. On the other hand if he would have listened to it, perhaps he might have died from a heart attack because of his great offence against God. But God knows how to handle atheists.

Now at this time we’re going to listen to George Bush’s Inaugural address. Now when we listen to this you are going to see that 90% of what George Bush is talking about in his speech could only come from the Bible, though he had to phrase it in terms which would reach across and appeal to more people than those who are religious. But you can tell that he’s a man who does pray. He’s a man who knows the Bible. But also when asked by a reporter, “How does your religion affect you and how you rule?” And he says, “Well, I’m just a lowly sinner and I ask God for wisdom.” So that was quite a statement. God will honor that. And in another interview he was asked if his father influenced him much, he said, “Not my father on earth, but the one in heaven.” So I think you’ll find this very profound. And if you had a chance to watch it you will have to see how sincere and dedicated that he is in knowing that he has a purpose and a cause, and then you go back and you compare that to Wilhelm Clinton and you will see that the hypocrites have an air of shallowness and hypocrisy in what they say which you do not detect in what George Bush has done here. So we’ll listen to his oath of office and his inaugural speech.

Inauguration 2005  –

 “…the honorable William H. Rehnquist, who will administer the Presidential oath of office. Justice Rehnquist.”

Justice Rehnquist: “You will raise your right hand Mr. President, and repeat after me: I, George Walker Bush, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.

President Bush: “I, George Walker Bush, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.”

Justice Rehnquist: “Congratulations.”

“It is my distinct honor to introduce the forty-third President of the United States, the Honorable George W. Bush.”

President Bush: “Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, members of the United States Congress, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:

On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.

At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire.

We have seen our vulnerability - and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny - prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder - violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.

America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time.

So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.

The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America’s influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America’s influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom’s cause.

My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people from further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America’s resolve, and have found it firm.

We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.

We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America’s belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.

Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty - though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.

Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.

The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.”

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom’s enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies’ defeat.

Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:

From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well - a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.

A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause - in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy ... the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments ... the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives - and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.

All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself - and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.

America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home - the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.

In America’s ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance - preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.

In America’s ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character - on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before - ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In America’s ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.

From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?

These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes - and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.

We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner "Freedom Now" - they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.

When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, “It rang as if it meant something.” In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength - tested, but not weary - we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.

May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.”

# # # Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/print/20050120-1.html

“John Colewell will deliver the benediction. And please remain standing for the singing of all of us of our national anthem. It will be led by Technical Sergeant Bradley Bennet from the United States Air Force Band. Following the national anthem please remain in place while the official party departs the platform.”

John Colewell: “Thank you Senator Lott. Let us pray please. O Lord God Almighty, the supply and supplier of faith and freedom, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. You are great and greatly to be praised. O God, as we conclude this fifty-fifth inaugural ceremony we conclude it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Thank You for protecting America’s borders. After all, as the psalmist reminds us, unless You, O God, guard the territory our efforts will be in vain. Thank you for our armed service personnel, and it is with unswerving thanksgiving that we pause to remember the persons who have made the ultimate sacrifice to help insure America’s safety. Thank you O God for surrounding our personnel, their families, their friends, and our allies, with Your favor and Your faithfulness. Deploy Your Host from heaven so that Your will for America will be performed on earth as it is already perfected in heaven.

I confess that Your face will shine upon the United States of America … granting us social peace and economic prosperity, particularly for the weary and the poor. I also confess O God, that each American’s latter days will be better than their former days. Let it be unto us according to Your Word. Rally the Republicans, the Democrats, and the Independents around Your common good so that America will truly become one nation under God, indivisible with liberty, justice, and equal opportunity for all, including the least, the last, and the lost. Bless every elected official right now. O God I declare Your blessings to shower upon our President, George W. Bush. Bless him, his family, and his administration. I once again declare that no weapon bombed against them shall prosper.

And God forgive us. Forgive us, forgive us for becoming so ensnarled in petty partisan politics that we miss Your glory and block our purpose. Deliver us from the evil one, from evil itself, and from the mere appearance of evil. Give us clean hearts so that we might have clean agendas, clean priorities and programs, and even clean financial statements. And now unto you O God, the one Who always has been and always will be, the one King of kings and the true power broker, we glorify and honor You. Respecting persons of all faiths, I humbly submit this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

# # #

I don’t think in any other government in the world will you ever hear or see (if you have it on television) such a governmental ceremony which acknowledges God. And for carnal people in the world to do that, that is a tremendous and wonderful thing, and God acknowledges it because God rules in the nations. When they acknowledge God, He acknowledges them.

Now it was said that George Bush had the Bible open to Isaiah 40:31 (KJV): “…But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Now it’s fitting that the sons of Joseph would have that kind of ceremony and that they would honor God, and God will honor them. Now does this tell us that we have more time left, or does this tell us that we don’t understand the time sufficiently to recognize what God is doing? Well, I think the latter is probably true. However, we’re going to see that this effort of bringing democracy to all the nations of the world is actually found in Revelation 13 and I think it’s very profound that Israel will cause this to be, or be a great instrumentality in doing it, because it’s surely not going to come from the European Union, it’s surely not going to come from Russia, it’s surely not going to come from China, it’s surely not going to come from India, but only the nations of Israel. That’s where it’s going to come from. However, just like Israel of old has done, it always paves the way for its own destruction. And this is what will happen.

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