For my own part, I have found that the concept of the Rapture occurring before the seven year Tribulation period best reconciles what would otherwise appear to be contradictory parts of Scripture. But, as always, I strongly encourage each one of you who reads this commentary to study God’s Word for yourselves and reach your own conclusions. So, without further delay, let’s explore the case for the Pretribulation Rapture of the church.

1) Jesus said his coming would be unexpected (Matthew 24:36-44) and he advises us to “Watch” (Mark 13:28-39). Now this certainly contrasts with his return at the end of the age (which concludes with the seven year Tribulation period) that will be unmistakable and seen by the whole world (Matt. 24:27). Also we know that 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation the Antichrist sets up the “abomination of desolation” in are built Jewish temple and proclaims himself as “God” (Daniel 9:27;11:31-32). We do see from Daniel 7:25-27 that the Antichrist will also prevail against the saints for 3 1/2 years before being destroyed.  Similarly we see mentioned again a 42 month period in Revelation 13:5-7 of the “beast” blaspheming God and warring against the saints. This is likewise the same amount of time given during which Israel flees into the wilderness and finds refuge, most likely at Sela, better known as Petra (Isaiah 16:1-4).

Note that this is not to be confused with the events mentioned in Daniel, chapter 8 concerning a similar “transgression that makes desolate.” This appears instead to refer to the actions of Antiochus IV (a descendant of Seleucus, one of four generals who succeeded Alexander the Great). He first had the high priest assassinated around 171 B.C. and installed one of his own choosing. In 168 B.C. he sacrificed swine on the altar. He also had a statue of Zeus bearing his likeness erected.  The temple was finally restored and cleansed by the Maccabees in 165 B.C. during which a one day supply of consecrated oil miraculously lasted for eight to keep the menorah lit. This event is commemorated to this day by Jews as Hanukkah – the Festival of Lights. Please note that this does not contradict Daniel 8:8:14 which gave the length of time of the defilement as 2300 “days. The term translated as “days” here actually means “evenings\mornings” (Zondervan KJV Study Bible). This is the same idea as in Genesis chapter 1 wherein an evening and morning are “one day.” Dividing 2300 by two, we get 1150 days – a little over 3 years which is correct!

The “desolating sacrilege” that Jesus mentioned (Mark 13:14-20) is accompanied by the admonition that it will occur during a time that will be so terrible that if it wasn’t shortened, even the “elect” would be lost. Clearly this refers to an event of the future, and not that of Antiochus’ era in the past. Therefore the Scriptural accounts which describe both an unexpected return of Jesus and those in which the time of his return is clearly defined are actually describing two different events. The former is most likely that of the Rapture while the latter is that of the Second Coming.

2) Jesus will call the dead and living to meet him in the air (1Thess. 4:13-18). I believe that he will take the church away to spare its members the horror on the Tribulation for the following reasons:

1 Thess. 5:1-9 – God hasn’t destined us for wrath but for salvation.
1 Thess. 1:9-10 – Jesus saves us “from the wrath to come.”
Rev. 3:7-13 – The church of Philadelphia will be kept from the “hour of trial.” Though this was an actual church located in Asia Minor when John wrote Revelation, this particular one likely also represents the “missionary or true church,” consisting of all those persons through the last 2000 years involved in believing and spreading the Word without distortion regardless of their denominational affiliation (or lack thereof). I think that Jesus is telling us here that the people who are the “Philadelphians” of all places and times will be saved from the “trial” of the Tribulation.

 3) The Tribulation begins only after the Antichrist comes to power (Daniel 9:27). I don’t believe this can happen while the church is still here (2 Thess. 2:1-12). The Holy Spirit was first given to the apostles on the day of the resurrection (John 20:19-23). Fifty days afterward they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit after which they spoke in tongues to the devout Jews and proselytes (converts to Judaism) gathered together for the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:1-11). Now all those who accept Jesus become the temples in which the Holy Spirit takes up residence (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I believe it is the presence of this Spirit which presently inhibits the Antichrist from coming to power.  Once the Spirit-filled believers in Jesus are gone, Satan’s power to deceive humanity will greatly increase (2 Thess. 2:3-12). Also, consider this: Matt. 5:13 [Jesus said] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. [Bracketed section added.] Remember that salt is not only a flavor enhancer but also a preservative. If we consider the presence of believers as the “salt” which keeps the world from completely from falling into Satan’s hands, it is easy to imagine what kind of place it will be once they are gone. All that’ll be left are nonbelievers, including those who may have called themselves Christians, but were never really saved at all. Since the Holy Spirit is instrumental in giving many gifts, including discernment (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 12:8-11) without his presence, it seems reasonable that the Antichrist’s power to deceive humanity will greatly increase (2 Thess. 2:3-12). Still, since God is omnipresent, he will continue working to save people throughout the Tribulation, perhaps in the same manner in which he operated in the Old Testament times. Scripture tells us that 144,000 Jews will come to Christ in those last seven years (Rev. 7:1-8) along with a great multitude from all other nations (Rev. 5:9-11).

4) Jesus spoke of his Father’s house of many mansions which he is preparing for his followers, and that he will come again and take them to himself (John 14:1-3). The Bible’s chronology suggests that first Jesus brings his followers – both those who had died and those who are living at the time of the Rapture – to be with him in his Father’s house. After this at some point the seven years of the Tribulation will begin leading to the Antichrist’s rule on earth. Next, the Tribulation concludes with the Battle of Armageddon which Jesus returns personally to end (Rev. 19:11-21). Note that he is accompanied by the “armies of heaven clothed in white linen.” I think these armies (“hosts”) are composed of members of the church which were taken in the Rapture, the 144,000 converted Jews (Rev. 7:4-8), the saints killed during the Tribulation (Rev. 6:9-11; 7:9-17; 20:4-6), the twenty four elders (Rev. 4:4) accompanied by angels as well. Now the Antichrist and his mouthpiece, the false prophet (an Anti-Elijah), are cast into the lake of fire and Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for the 1000 years of Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom. At the end of that period, Satan will be released and will try once more with his allies to oppose Jesus. This is actually the second Gog-Magog Campaign (Rev. 20:8-9) which should not to be confused with the first one as described in Ezekiel, chapter 38. Satan’s forces are immediately destroyed by God and he is cast forever into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7-10) where the Antichrist and false prophet were placed 1000 years earlier (Rev. 19:20). The Great White Throne Judgment will then occur during which all the evil people of history will be resurrected and likewise condemned to the fiery lake along with Death and Hades (Rev. 20:11-15). After this, God will create a new earth and new heaven completely free for all time of any taint of sin or evil. Into this new universe and onto this new world God will come in the New Jerusalem to dwell forever (Rev. 21:1-27; 22:1-5).

  5) A substantial point favoring the church’s absence during the Tribulation is that it is not mentioned at all in Revelation, chapters 4-18 while the judgments are being unleashed upon the earth. Where did it go? Interestingly in Rev. 4:4 we are told of the twenty-four elders with crowns surrounding God’s throne. This is the first time they are ever mentioned in the Bible. Who are they? Perhaps they are the twelve sons of Israel and the twelve apostles, but regardless of their identities, they appear to be glorified human beings. If we take a look at Rev. 5:4-3 we’re told that “no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth” was worthy to open the seals of the book that would begin the judgments to be poured upon the earth. Only Jesus could do that. According to this passage, clearly there are people in heaven at the time the sealed scroll is brought forth – and not just as souls such as those of the Tribulation saints who are waiting under the altar for God to avenge their deaths (Rev. 6:9-11). The elders “sing a new song” to Jesus praising him because he “hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:91-10). Again this indicates that Jesus had already redeemed vast multitudes from the earth making a place for them in his Father’s house, just as he promised in John 14:1-3. Furthermore, in Revelation, chapter 19, we see the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) to the Bride (the church -Ephesians 5:24-32). This Bride is clothed in white linen, which indicates righteousness derived by belief in Christ and is obviously already present in heaven before Jesus’ Second Coming. This answers the question as to how the saints can be part of the armies of heaven which will accompany him (Zechariah 14:2-9) when he returns to defeat The Antichrist and his forces at Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21).

6) There are historical precedents of God removing righteous people from harm’s way. Two which come immediately to mind are the rescues of Noah and his family from the Flood (Genesis, chapters 6-9) and Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis, chapters 18 – 19). It seems reasonable to believe he will do the same for those who believe in Christ before the Tribulation comes as well (1 Thess. 1:9-10).

7) There are two prominent Rapture-like events from the Old Testament. Enoch was “translated” or taken directly by God (Gen. 5:22-24, Hebrews 11:5) and Elijah was carried away in a whirlwind by a chariot and horses of fire (2 Kings 2:9-11).
  From the New Testament we have the most prominent of all. Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives into the clouds after his resurrection (Acts 1:9).

8 ) In Luke 21:28 Jesus said, “And when these things [referring to the signs he mentioned previously] begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. ” [Bracketed section added.] It is interesting to note that Jesus indicated that our redemption would be near when the signs BEGIN, not midway through them or at their conclusion. Additionally, he said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). I believe that we are presently living in that time and experiencing the beginning of “all these things” that the Lord mentioned. This is further evidence that by trusting in him we will escape the horrors of the seven year Tribulation which is to come and that the time we will see him face to face is indeed very near!

  9) Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church (Matt. 16:18), but in seeming paradox we see a point during the Tribulation where the Antichrist does overcome the saints (Dan. 7:25-27; Rev. 13:3-7). Let me offer a possible explanation that might resolve this apparent contradiction. Despite the constant presence of heresies, there have always been people who did not waver from the truth in an unbroken line back to Jesus’ and the apostles’ teachings. These “Philadelphians” (Rev. 3:7-13) will be taken when the Rapture occurs.

When this happens, the 2000 year link will have been broken for the first time in history. Those who come to Christ during the Tribulation will essentially be starting all over again against tremendous adversity, even worse than the original church faced at its beginnings. The Antichrist will truly prevail against these saints right up until the Second Coming of Jesus. It is the souls of these who are martyred that appear under the altar in heaven (Rev. 6:9-11), as mentioned previously.

Now what is the purpose for the Tribulation? To me it seems not to be a time of punishment only, but of God’s last attempt to get through to humanity. To be sure, God’s offer of salvation will still be open to the Gentile world, but the emphasis appears to be to bring Israel to the point where they will at long last recognize Jesus as the Messiah and to fulfill their original role to spread God’s Word throughout the world, a task that had temporarily been assigned to the Christian Church after they had rejected him. Though many people of Israel and the other nations will be converted (Rev. 7:9-17), unfortunately most still will not.

Those who have already accepted Jesus during their lives before the Tribulation, on the other hand, need no further convincing. Yes, God is patient, wishing that all would find him (2 Peter 3:9) but the Bible teaches that he won’t wait forever. Stiff-necked, hard-hearted people will always continue to refuse to be reached even in the face of overwhelming evidence (Isaiah 6:9-10, Daniel 12:10).

Now might I be incorrect about the timing of the Rapture? Of course, it’s possible. Yet, as I’ve already said, it does seem that its occurrence prior to the onset of the Tribulation provides the best reconciliation of Scriptures that at first glance appear contradictory.  It’s true that the prophetic books of the Bible can be pretty enigmatical times, but the more we study them, the more we can understand with the Holy Spirit’s help.

  No one should feel badly if he or she can’t understand everything because even Daniel didn’t understand all that he was seeing. In fact, he said: And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified and made white; and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; But the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:8-10)

As the time of the events that Daniel and the prophets described approaches, their words which they received from God (or were spoken by Jesus who IS God!) become increasingly understandable. In fact, the book of Revelation specifically pronounces a blessing on those who read it (Rev. 1:3), and I think it is accurate to say that this applies to all who study God’s Word with an open mind and heart. Every day we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will speak to us and give us wisdom and discernment we need. So when Jesus does come to call, we will certainly be able to recognize his voice and follow!

By Edward Wood
Courtesy of RaptureReady.com

The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess, 4:16-18).

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning–something Jesus used quite frequently–I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.

The word “rapture” comes from Paul’s “caught up” remark in verse 17. The words “caught up” are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means “to carry off,” “snatch up,” or “grasp hastily.” The translation from harpazo to “rapture” involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptus became the English word “rapture.”

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture

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 The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus’ return, we find verses that tell us we won’t know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase “neither the day nor the hour” to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.

 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it’s time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride’s house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father’s house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father’s house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev 19:14).

 What They Didn’t Teach You in History Class
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I’m at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.

 The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.

 The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He’s already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?

 “Come Up Hither”
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, “come up hither,” as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.

 Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army’s members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.

 The Time of Jacob’s Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase “Jacob’s trouble” pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel’s 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, “70 weeks are determined unto thy people” (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God’s protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.

“He” That is Taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain “He” must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the “He” that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.

 War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He’s rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.

 The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn’t fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they’ll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.

God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God’s anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God’s promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it’s impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died–both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God’s promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.

The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supenly removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.

 God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn’t need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, “We’re already in heaven.”

 Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.

Common-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture

The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, “Do you believe in the rapture?” If you answered “yes,” your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.

 That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.

 Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don’t know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

 The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.

 We should all remember one thing: Knowing the Antichrist’s mother’s maiden name isn’t the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life should be your number-one priority. The jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

By Todd Strandberg
Courtesy of RaptureReady.com

Turkey has been distancing itself from Israel since the Gaza offensive, and on top of the canceled training exercise recently began airing a TV series depicting Israeli soldiers as child killers. Inside sources indicate that Turkish PM Erdogan has become convinced that Turkey is destined to play a more pivotal role in Middle Eastern politics by reviving the Ottoman Empire. To that end Turkey has been more involved in MidEast diplomacy, acting as a mediator between Syria and Israel, and has formed a pact with Syria and Iran that features increased military and commercial involvement among the three. Some see in this the re-birth of an end times military force known as the King of the North in Daniel 11.   Let’s take a closer look.

The Kings Of The North And The South

“At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.” (Daniel 11:40)

Three separate kings are in view in this one verse and their identities must be discovered to fully understand what will happen in the days leading up to the end. They are the King of the North, the King of the South, and the one who was identified in Daniel 11:36 as the king who exalts himself. We call him the anti-Christ. All of Daniel 11:4-35 has been taken up with a discussion of various generations of the King of the North and the King of the South, but the King who exalts himself is neither, and subdues them both.

First, the King of the North. The vision of Daniel 11 was given in 536BC and begins with an angel telling him what would happen to the Persian Kingdom then in power. After 3 more Persian Kings, a fourth would arise, an especially rich and powerful King. This Persian King, who we know as Xerxes I, took as his queen the Jewish woman Hadassah, called Esther in the Persian language (Esther 2:16-17). He put together a mighty army and mounted an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Greece in 480BC. About 150 years later the tables would be turned and a King from Greece would conquer the Persian Empire. This was fulfilled by Alexander the Great.

Then Daniel was told in effect that Alexander’s Kingdom would be divided into four pieces according to the four winds of heaven, not going to his offspring. (After Alexander’s death his four generals divided up the Kingdom among them.) The next 30 verses are devoted to the families of two of the four, Seleucus, known in Daniel 11 as the first King of the North and Ptolemy, the first King of the South. 135 historically confirmed prophecies are contained in the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, most having to do with the descendants of these two men. The other two generals, Cassander (West) and Lysimachus (East) are not mentioned here, but in fact Cassander went back to their homeland and ruled over Macedonia, and Lysimachus eventually lost his portion to Seleucus.

So the first kings of the North and the South were Seleucus and Ptolemy. For territory Seleucus eventually got control of what we now know as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Turkey. Reigning for a time from Babylon in modern Iraq, he built a new capital city 20 miles to the south east on the Tigris river and named it Seleucia. Ptolemy took Libya, Egypt, the Sudan, Israel and Jordan, and chose Alexandria in Egypt as his capital.

Through their descendants, these two kings fought each other for control of the known world for the next several hundred years. Then Daniel 11:33-35 brings us to the Macabean revolt when the last important King of the North, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was defeated.

History To Prophecy 

Up till now this has all been a recounting of history. Beginning in verse 36 we fast forward to the time of the end when modern versions of these two kings will go after the anti-Christ. What would make them do that? Well, here’s where we get a little more speculative. There’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that a struggle is underway between Arab Moslems and non-Arab Moslems for control of the emerging Islamic Empire. The goal of Islam is a single Islamic World Empire, or Caliphate as it’s called, and there’s fierce competition to see who can bring it about. This competition finds Iran, and the countries aligned with it, pitted against Egypt and its allies. The Iran group is largely non-Arab and Shiite and the Egyptian group is largely Arab and Sunni.

It should not surprise students of prophecy to learn that Iran’s group is almost identical in territory to the Biblical King of the North and Egypt’s group is a modern equivalent of the King of the South, with the addition of Saudi Arabia and absent Israel. (Of all the countries involved, Syria is the biggest anomaly here, being Arab speaking and predominately Sunni. Maybe this is why Iran reportedly has a contingency plan to depose Bashar Assad if it becomes necessary.)

But remember, according to Daniel 12:1 we’re talking about the beginning of the Great Tribulation here. Both Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 will occur before this competition for Moslem supremacy comes to a head. This tells us that while Syria will cease to be a factor after Isaiah 17 and is not even mentioned in Ezekiel 38, Iran will neither be pre-emptively destroyed by the US and/or Israel (even if an attempt is made) nor completely taken out of play because of Ezekiel’s battle, and will recover to contend for Moslem supremacy.

Ezekiel’s phrase “ send down fire” (Ezekiel 39:6), which many believe to be a reference to nuclear warfare, is directed at Magog, the distant coastlines (somewhere beyond the Mediterranean) and the battle field in Israel. No mention is made of any destruction in Persia (Iran). Whatever Iranian forces are involved in Israel will be decimated, but Iran itself will survive.

Followers of middle East politics can already spot the jockeying between these two groups for Islamic supremacy. For instance, remember how Osama bin Laden, a Sunni from Saudi Arabia, condemned the Shiite Hezbollah for “prematurely” going to war with Israel in the summer of 2006? Even though Israel is their common enemy, he warned the Arab world not to support the Hezbollah action. Lately it’s been rumored that if push comes to shove, Saudi Arabian air space will be opened to Israeli jets on their way to bomb Iranian nuclear targets. (Although reported in the British news, Saudi Arabian officials deny this.)   And notice how Iran has displaced Saudi Arabia as the primary sponsor for Hamas, even though Hamas is Sunni. To win this competition, you have to control Jerusalem. All of Iran’s positioning with Hamas, Syria, and Hezbollah is directed toward that end.

If this view is correct we should expect to see more jockeying between these two groups, building to a point where at the outset of the Great Tribulation only a king superior in power and authority to both can unite them. This superior King will have to be an Islamic figure with an even greater right to head the Caliphate than either the King of the North or the King of the South, and even then they won’t give up without a battle.

A Non-Traditional Perspective

Of course this view requires that the one world religion of the last days will be Islam, not some version of Catholicism or New Age pantheism. And it makes it more likely that when the anti-Christ emerges, he’ll come from the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire, not the West. Constantinople (Istanbul) is also known as a city on seven hills, is a former capitol of the Roman Empire, and can just as easily fulfill the prophecy of Rev. 17:9 as Rome does.

As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering striking similarities between descriptions of al Mahdi, sometimes called the Moslem Messiah, or 12th Imam, and a figure from Christian eschatology called the anti-Christ. I’ve made mention of them in previous articles, how in their respective prophecies both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth’s final judgment.

He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians (Sudan) in submission. (Daniel 11:41-42)

This view also provides the first plausible explanation I’ve seen for why Daniel was told that present day Jordan will be spared in this Grand Caliph’s “holy” quest to put the world under submission, even though Egypt, Lybia and the Sudan will be forced to bow. Sunni Moslems believe that the Grand Caliph has to be an Arab from the Hashemite family of which King Abdullah II of Jordan is the current patriarch. This helps explain Abdullah’s extra-ordinary influence in middle eastern affairs and why he “unofficially” controls the Temple Mount. The Hashemites once held sway over the entire Middle East and served as custodians of all Moslem Holy Sites.

I’m not saying that Abdullah II is the anti-Christ. Remember, Daniel 11:41 says that Jordan and its leaders will be delivered from the anti-Christ’s control. I believe Jordan will be left alone out of deference to King Abdullah’s genealogy as the 43rd direct descendant of the prophet through Mohamed’s daughter Fatima, and his closest living relative.

No, it’s more likely that al Mahdi (also known as the anti-Christ) who will be senior even to Abdullah II, will bring the Kings of the North and the South into submission while sparing Jordan. Incredibly, in a way only God could manage, this makes Petra, a mountainous area about 3 hours south of Jordan’s capitol Ahman, the perfect hiding place for the believing Jews during the Great Tribulation.

And this view explains why, with all the quicker and easier ways of executing people available, the one mentioned in Revelation is beheading. We’ve only recently been made aware of Islamic terrorists’ preference for this method. For generations Biblical scholars were ridiculed for their insistence on a literal understanding of beheading as the method of execution in Tribulation times. That all changed when we got to Iraq.

The biggest mistake the West makes is to ignore the religious undercurrents in the Islamic Middle East. As recent events have already shown, Moslems will always choose to be governed by Islamic law rather than western style democracy, given the chance. Their religion teaches them that Islamic law is more just. And the goal of Islam is a world wide Caliphate where there are only two kinds of people, those who submit and those who are targets for execution.

He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Rev. 13:15)

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. (Rev. 20:4)

If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the Footsteps of the Messiah.

 By Jack Kelly
Courtesy of RaptureReady.com

www.gracethrufaith.com

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Editor’s Note:   I recommend you view the following video in response to this article found here: http://thealphaomegaproject.com/index.php/2009/10/12/man-of-sin-antichrist-revealed/

Is the world really going to end on December 21, 2012? The Bible does not give us a date for the end times, but it does give us a season to look for. There are some very specific reasons to believe that we are in that last generation that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:34. In addition to the end times signs listed in Matthew 24, which will precede the Second Coming of Christ, there are some other reasons to believe that we are living in the last days. For more information on the last generation, see my book, The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times. We will take a quick glance at some of the peoples, cultures, religions, and scientists that also believe we are living in that last generation.

THE MAYANS AND 2012

The Mayans lived in Mesoamerica, specifically on the Yucatan Peninsula. In brief, they did not believe the world would come to an end on December 21, 2012,as many people believe. They did believe that a tremendous catastrophic event would occur that would cause a major transition to take place.

That 2012 date, according to the Mayan calendar, represents the end of the 5^th cycle or “5^th sun.” There are five cycles in the Mayan calendar. Each cycle lasts 5,126 years. This 2012 date will mark the end of the five cycles or 26,625 years. The completion of the five cycles is sometimes referred to as a “Galactic Day.” The total numbers of years vary depending on the calendar used. The end date of December 21, 2012 remains the same.

It is of interest to note that the Olmecs were a much older civilization than the Mayans and appeared to be the advanced people who invented the bar-and-dot system of calendrick notation with an enigmatic starting date of August 13, 3114 B.C, and an end date in 2012. [See Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock. This is a secular book .                                                                 Recorded written history began around 3,000 B.C. The Mayans also made other prophecies. We have more evidence through written documentation about the Mayans than any other ancient cultures. Although accounts vary, the Mayan civilization is believed to have its origin around 2,600 B.C.

Their advanced ability was way beyond the ability of later civilizations in calendar calculations. They were advanced thousands of years ahead of future civilizations in their ability to calculate and use the calendar. Where did this super intelligence and ability come from?

THE MAYANS, THE FLOOD, AND A SUPER INTELLECT

The following is my personal opinion based on Bible knowledge and historical time lines. Consider the following facts:

• The universal flood of Noah’s day. Many Bible scholars believe that the flood in Noah’s day happened around 3,000 B.C.
• Could the universal flood account for the end of the fourth cycle? The fifth cycle supposedly began on August 13, 3113 B.C. This was a catastrophic worldwide event.
• Consider the Nephilim, the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men.” This was the result of intermarriage between fallen angels and humans. It produced a race that was entirely wicked, with Noah and his family being the exception. This race of people was extremely wicked and very powerful, “men of renown” (see Genesis 6:2-5).
• It is likely that this race of giants could be responsible for the construction of the Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge. They were powerful and technologically sophisticated.

Noah and his family lived in this culture for hundreds of years and were probably advanced in their knowledge, which was prevalent before the flood. Is it possible that this knowledge was passed down to their future descendants and would include the Mayans who lived after the flood in 2,600 B.C.? I found these to be interesting parallels. Take it or leave it.

OTHER ANCIENT CULTURES

The Aztecs, Incas, Egyptians, and other ancient cultures believed the same as the Mayans but were not as advanced or specific on their dates. This higher knowledge was advanced beyond future generations for thousands of years.

PROPHECY ACCORDING TO ISLAM

The Islam religion also believes that we are in the last days. They believe that the 12^th Imam (Holy one descended from Mohammed) will reappear at anytime to conquer the world and will then rule the world under the Islam faith, in accordance with Allah (their god).

They believe that the 12^th Imam will make a seven-year peace treaty with the Jews. This runs parallel to the prophetic beliefs laid out in the Bible that describe the Antichrist. The Islamic messiah may fit the biblical description of the Antichrist in accordance with references such as Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.

ON THE EDGE

Consider the following quotes given from some very credible secular sources in regards to a nuclear war:

1.       Eugene Habiger, former Executive Chief of Strategic Weapons at the Pentagon, said that the event of nuclear mega-terrorism on nuclear soil is “… not a matter of if but when.”

2.       Warren Buffet, from the private sector, calculates the odds against cataclysmic events for major insurance companies; he draws the conclusion that an imminent nuclear nightmare within the U.S. is “virtually a certainty.” [We can certainly see that possibility with the Iranian nuclear threat. [For more quotes from other credible sources, see chapter 7 in The Last Generation

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

We have a number of ancient cultures, especially Mayan, that point to an end date of December 21, 2012. We do know that the Lord will not come back on that date. Jesus states: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son of Man, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36). This includes the Mayans. The end of the world, as we know it, will happen at the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. The year 2012 doesn’t leave enough time for that to happen. Although something cataclysmic may happen on December 21, 2012, it may tie into the tribulation period.

The Islamic religion points to the nearness of the end times. Scientists also point to the fact that our time on earth is running out fast. This includes a continuing movement of the magnetic poles toward a possible pole reversal. Credible secular sources as quoted above point to us being on the verge of a nuclear war. This could possibly point to the Russian Invasion of Israel, the prophesied destruction of Syria, or the Battle of Armageddon.

All of these sources and many more have one thing in common. They all believe that the end is near. The differences lie in the interpretation of what it means to live in the end times, or the last generation, which started on May 14, 1948 with the birth of Israel. Only the Bible tells us how to interpret the end times. People are afraid as they see things unraveling at an exponential rate. If you don’t know Jesus, then now is the time to meet Him. Read the 3^rd chapter of the Gospel of John. If you are a believer, now is the time to spread the news. The fields are ready for harvest.

References:

The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times by Jim Simmons

The Footprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock

“How near do you think the rapture might be?” This or similar questions issue from people, both believers in Christ and nonbelievers. The queries come during question-and-answer sessions at prophecy conferences, and from interviewers such as my History Channel interviewer last June during filming for a series of documentaries on prophecy (The Nostrodamus Effect).

Foreboding feelings

Despite innate skepticism, even within believers, one senses that there flows just beneath the surface of decorum in posing the question a visceral trepidation that there will be such a thing as “the rapture.” While those who attend prophecy conferences and secular media types seem genuinely to want an opinion on how near the rapture is, there is almost zero interest in that great event within Christ’s church in general. This singular reality is, by itself, a factor worth examination while contemplating the question: “How near do you think the rapture might be?” More about that in due course.

Strange goings-on

To begin considering matters involved, the question can’t be adequately entertained to any degree of understanding without analyzing our strange times—this bordering-on-bizarre generation that Jesus himself was most likely prophesying in the Olivet Discourse and other places in Scripture.

America presently has a collective nervous twitch. Worry about the diseased economy is the instigator of the societal surface spasms. Uncertainty about what direction—and how quickly—will be movement into the changes President Barack Obama promised and is trying to deliver has, rather than put minds at ease, caused a form of national schizophrenia. The schism separates Americans in crucial areas of politics and morality, which are in most aspects inextricably linked.

Those divisions threaten to raise the national temperature to a fever pitch. There is a sense that, as radio talk-show host Glenn Beck says, a powerful crisis event lurks in the immediate future. It will be the crisis, Beck believes, that will cause government to snap its voracious, all-consuming, lust-to control jaws shut on liberty.

So, it is more than a matter of curiosity that leads me to think upon the many issues and events swirling about this generation that seem almost certainly of biblically prophetic significance. This, while there is the obvious disconnect of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the most part, from those foreboding issues and events that are everywhere we look.

Money worries and  changing national/world order

Pocketbook issues almost always lead the way with the adult American citizen. This is a fact, whether talking about those who produce income or those who don’t. And, therein lies much of the division in America today. The great political—and cultural—schism, like it or not, is provably engendered and perpetuated by those who work, pay taxes, and contribute to the nation’s economic progress, versus those who don’t work, but receive the taxpayer-funded largesse of growing government that is devoted to taking care of and growing exponentially its voter base from cradle to grave. This is not to say society—particularly private charity—should neglect the truly needy, those who can’t work because of physical or mental incapacity.

Cynical? If so, it is cynicism steeped in provable statistics, the presentation of which isn’t the thrust of this essay. Such thought—at least in a general sense—is necessary, however, in order to understand the role the riches of this fallen world play in setting up today’s prophetic alignment and the nearness of the rapture.

Control/power the goal

The wallet issue that is front and center—that is most intensely focused on—is the “healthcare for everyone” debate. Universal coverage so that no person will go without healthcare is the proclaimed great concern the politicians parade before the sycophantic mainstream media microphones and cameras. But, in the cabals of behind-the-scenes power politics, it is ever-increasing governmental control—not equitable health care for all Americans—that many within government seek. Congressional leaders, as we know, have not been leading the way en masse to give everyone the same premium healthcare system they themselves enjoy.

Control, then, is the operative word in thinking on the question: “How near might be the rapture?” Control of economy, of monetary matters, is the thrust that impels human leaderships within government toward the time of absolute power that will corrupt absolutely. The Antichrist regime is the ultimate government that lurks in the dark haze of the prophetic future.

In the twinkling?

Glenn Beck, although I’m convinced he hasn’t a clue of what will be the true paradigm shift that will fling open the gate to enslavement, is on the mark in sensing that there hovers an unprecedented moment of crisis somewhere just ahead. That crisis just might be created on Planet Earth in the twinkling of an eye, as-a-matter-of-fact!

The Rapture will, with unbelievable swiftness, sweep everyone left behind on earth into its vortex of soul-rending calamity.

Love of money Key to Satan’s Scheme

“It’s the economy, stupid!” is the infamous slogan spewed first by Democrat operative James Carville as a rallying cry for Bill Clinton’s presidential bid. The declaration was picked up and echoed, seemingly with glee, by mainstream news pundits and other media types. The electorate’s almost total absorption with money matters, as those matters affect their day-to-day lives, continues to plague attempts at bringing about consensus in America that we come together as one mind, one people.

Money is the central point of interest, but it is also the societal element that most widely separates we the people. Therein lies the nucleus of the problem for Lucifer’s plot to usurp the throne of God. He knows it isn’t possible to usurp the heavenly throne, but he observably has a blueprint for ruling on earth. Jerusalem and Mt. Moriah are his ultimate objectives in this regard, but more about that later.

Humanism is at the heart of Satan’s plot for achieving the installment of his man, Antichrist, on that earthly throne. He will succeed in doing so for a very brief time. To accomplish this, economy is the ingredient within the human condition that must be brought into governance under Lucifer’s authority in order to close the great schism that monetary chaos has produced and continues to perpetuate. The chasm must be breached–not in order to make life better for humanity, but to give Satan a system of buying and selling that will enslave ALL mankind.

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17).

To avoid any misunderstanding, I am not saying that the people and their obsession with pocketbook issues is a good thing in order to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into Satan’s plans to rule on earth. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, the Bible tells us, and Americans are obsessed, probably more than any civilization that has ever existed, with money and the deadly materialism with which it infects this generation. Point is, economy–monetary intrigues–will power the engine of humanistic drive from this point forward, as never before. Anyone with any sensibility to look at what has been happening over the past months with regard to the economic dynamics shaping things in America and the world should be able to know that doing business has forever changed. The economy of the United States continues to be deliberately dismantled–and I believe it is being supernaturally accomplished–by forces determined to restructure the world for setting up the ten-kingdom governance prophesied for the time just before Christ’s return to planet earth.

“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13).

One world economic order

In considering the question of “How near might be the Rapture?” I view the rush toward one-world economy almost the equivalent in order of importance to Israel being front and center on the end-times stage. A flood of other end-times-type issues only slightly less consequential than those two mentioned rage through this generation. It is difficult to prioritize them for purposes of determining their order of importance in looking at how near might be Christ’s call to the church as prophesied in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. I believe, however, that one prophetic symptom of our day has developed that stands out as being almost equivalent to Israel and the drive for one-world economic order in pointing to the nearness of the Tribulation hour: The mesmerized church.

Church deluded

Despite the claims that the church–all blood-bought believers in Christ for salvation–is rising to meet the challenges of this troubled age, one is hard-pressed to document any such massive movement. It seems just the opposite. Anti-God movements are on the grow, aided and abetted by news and entertainment media. Rather than opposing things going on that run counter to God’s Word, there has developed entertainment-oriented, mega-church organizations that do their best to emulate the world’s glitz and glamour. They teach and preach a feel-good, do-good pabulum that surely makes the Lord of heaven want to wretch. As a matter of fact, God said it would be just this way as the time of Christ’s return nears: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:14-16).

Antichrist spirit pandemic

The Antichrist spirit is alive and infecting everything in todays world system. No big surprise, right? But the demonstrable fact that it is alive and well at this very moment within so-called Christian church organizations across America is a staggering reality to consider.

Here’s what John the apostle, through divine inspiration, had to say two thousand years ago:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:1–3)

End times church sickens God

The Laodicean church is symbolized as the church that will at the very end of the Church Age (Age of Grace) literally make the God of all creation sick at His stomach. The Lord describes through John that organization’s true character, and why He is sickened: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:17)

Jesus spoke to the very things that mark the Laodicean church in foretelling the end of the age. The prophecy is prominent—is, as a matter of fact, the very first characteristic Jesus lists in His Olivet Discourse for the time just before His return: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the [age]? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:3-5)

Only one who denies that God’s Word is truth can miss the importance of the Lord’s words here. Jesus is speaking to the deception that will be tied up in false teachings and false prophesying at the time just before He returns. Please understand that I’m not meaning next that all large, even mega-churches, are evil. Some still adhere to Bible truth in their preaching and teaching. However, the “if-we-can’t-beat-’em-we-will-join-’em” false religionists of recent years have expropriated the church’s personnel and presented a compromised message before the senses of the glitz-mad American public. The tactic has worked. The mega-church super-complexes under whose roofs the masses continue to swell mark this generation, almost certainly, as the Laodicean church. I believe these church entities are organizations or multiple level of organizations filled not with the Holy Spirit, but with the spirit of antichrist.

A primary tactic chosen by most of these organizations to draw the masses is to give people an entertainment spectacle every time they sit in the plush theater pews. Nothing wrong with being physically comfortable while sitting, but to be always spiritually comfortable sitting under preaching and teaching that should point to the more abundant life conviction of the Holy Spirit is devastating to the soul. The compromise is in the “Let’s talk about it,” feel-good, do-good message of “God loves you, and would never condemn you to a hell, which in any case, doesn’t exist.” God DOES love us—so much so that He sent His only Son, Jesus the Christ, to die as the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the sin in which we are otherwise lost forever.

The thesis-antithesis-synthesis psychobabble theologizing—“Let’s talk about it” compromise—is proof that these organizations of religiosity deny that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation—to reconciliation with God the Father. They are of the Antichrist spirit. These believe they are indeed “rich, and increased with goods, and think they have need of nothing; and know not that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” in God’s holy view.

True Church’es willful ignorance breaking God’s Heart

Troubling as these unredeemed type of churches are in these fleeting days of this age, the overt, deliberate ignorance of things of God’s prophetic Word in those true Christian churches who still adhere to Jesus as the only Way must be heart-wrenching to the Lord of heaven. Most Christians are without any understanding of the times in which we find ourselves.

To those who study the times in light of Bible prophecy, the seminaries, pastors, teachers, and Christians in the pews of America are observably, for the most part, happily ignorant of the astonishing fact that Israel is being put in the position of Zechariah 12:1-3—that the Jewish state is being forced toward a peace from which will come Antichrist and the Tribulation.

Christians by and large have no idea that the European Union is shaping to be the matrix out of which Antichrist will come, that the Russian/Iranian/Turkey/other nation alignment is configuring for the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

Today’s church can’t discern that powerful spiritual as well as geopolitical dynamics are forcing the economies of America and the world into a one-world mold that will eventuate in the ten-kingdom rearrangement of Revelation 17:12-13. They don’t see that we are in the “perilous times” of Paul’s forewarning in 2 Timothy, chapter 3. They don’t understand that this nation and the world are filled with the spirit of Antichrist, and that God’s judgment and wrath must be near.

As they go through their routines of life, Christians today are doing anything and everything except heeding the words of forewarning of our Lord: “And what I say unto one, I say unto all, watch” (Mark 13:37). He said also: “For when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your head, for your redemption draweth near” (Luke 21:28).

A Big Surprise coming!

Jesus said one thing more. He forewarned that a great many believers will be caught by surprise at the time of His return in the Rapture: “Be ye also ready, for in an hour ye think not, the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).

Seems to me we are in such a “think not” time at present.

Is America in Bible Prophecy?

One thing that comes to mind in these contemporary times regarding the United States is its magnetic attraction to peoples around the world. This nation might be likened to the Planet Jupiter. It is huge in most of the ways human beings see as alluring, giving it the greatest gravity–materially speaking—of any nation state to grace earth’s surface. God has indeed blessed America “from sea to shining sea.”

 While all other nations orbit this one, realization about the liberty that is synonymous with the U.S. to worship, move about, work, play, or even just be slovenly doesn’t escape even those kept from knowing much about things going on around the rest of the planet. Indeed, America’s gravity dynamically draws all peoples toward its irresistible opulence. With the exception of a very few people, no one makes noises about leaving this nation to live elsewhere. Billions look in America’s direction as the shining light on the hill, as President Ronald Reagan once called it.

 Even the defectors who sought to dodge the draft during the Vietnam era have since done all they could to come back to the nation they deserted. The Hollywood types–like Barbra Streisand, for example—who periodically threaten to leave America because they don’t get their way, politically, decide to stay when it comes down to the moment of leaving or staying. In southern parlance, they know on which side their bread is buttered.

 Perhaps to get right to the heart of what has made America the center of the universe of nations, and to try to determine its status so far as involvement in Bible prophecy might be concerned, I would like to consider a well known historical observation by a man outside this country–a Frenchman, no less!

 French social philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, while touring the United States in the 1800s said about America: “America is great because America is good. If she ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” De Tocqueville no doubt was speaking of how he viewed cultural and societal good. But, upon observing the nation’s Christian church  foundation he encountered, he must have based his conclusion on the fact that America’s goodness in the societal sense was a result of Christianity running throughout the country’s cultural fiber. What he likely didn’t understand was what that “goodness” really means in God’s economy.

 God’s Word speaks of this “good”: “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God” (Mar. 10:18).

 Jesus was not saying to the man who fell on his knees before the Lord that He, Jesus, was not “good,” but the Lord was acclaiming that God, alone, is the only good. Jesus was–and is–the only “good” flesh-and-blood person to ever walk the earth’s surface following the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. That is because Jesus IS God.

 Christianity is the God-sent only belief system through which any people–individually or collectively–can ever be considered “good” in God’s holy, omniscient eyes. Belief in Jesus Christ for salvation is the ONLY way to reconciliation with God, which redeems lost man from sin. Christianity is the belief that says Jesus, alone, was the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. All other belief systems we call religions constitute the broad way to eternal destruction apart from God and heaven.

 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

 Jesus said this: “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the father, but by me” (John 14:6).

 A Prophetic Nation

 So, it is through His Son, Jesus Christ, the second member of the triune godhead, that God the Father recognizes “good.” The Christian roots of this nation called America gives this country claim to the only “good” that is found therein. America has been blessed only because of its “goodness.” Let’s have a look at this seemingly elitest declaration.

 President George Washington said in his farewell address, “Reason and experience both forbid us that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” John Adams, America’s second president, said, “The United States Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”

 We have only to look at what is inscribed upon the edifice that houses the U.S. Supreme Court, and what is etched in the surfaces of walls that frame other government buildings, to understand what is the “religion” to which Washington and Adams referred as being the basis for America’s “morality”. The Ten Commandments that flow from the mind of God so influenced the founding fathers of America that they saw His directions for godly living as inseparable from their own governance.

 Here is what Jesus, the Son of God, said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17).

 Jesus, the founder of God’s only outreach to mankind with the offer of redemption through Christ’s shed blood on the cross at Calvary, fulfilled the Ten Commandments, that Mosaic Law that is everywhere one looks in Washington, D.C., and in capitals around America. This, despite incessant attempts by those who would destroy all vestiges of our Christian heritage.

 The question we who teach, preach, and write about Bible prophecy get practically every time there is a forum for Q & A, is something like: “What about America –is it in Bible prophecy?”

 The answer that must be given, if we are to be absolutely faithful to truth found in God’s Word is: No, America isn’t mentioned by name in Bible prophecy. But, it is always appropriate to follow up with: However, America is certainly in prophecy in the sense of being among the nations foretold to influence the course of human history while the end of the age approaches and the tribulation looms on the prophetic horizon. We can say that, because here we are, right in the mix of things moving the world toward the climax of human history.

 America, A Golden Cup

 Again, is the name “America” given anywhere in Scripture? Of course not. But, the influence this nation has exerted since coming to its full bloom as earth’s greatest superpower in history makes it a prophetic nation. The Creator of all things continues to use America in His mighty hand to accomplish two very distinctive, supernatural purposes. As a matter of fact, the United States, in my view, has an overwhelming presence in Bible prophecy. Its place is at the very heart of the end times things that we observe developing –matters we see unfolding in daily, even hourly, news reports. In this sense, I am of the conviction that God is speaking of America –in type, if not by name, when His Word tells us the following:

“Babylon [hath been] a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad” (Jer. 51:7).

 Certainly, the United States of America has been a “golden cup” in the Lord’s hand. No other nation of modern vintage can come close to claiming that achievement. Some nations of Europe were formative in bringing forth Christianity into the world, thus shedding a degree of Gospel light into a world of sin-darkness. But, it is America that, despite its great shortcomings, and more recent degeneration, that has been a shining beacon, reflecting from that golden cup in God’s hand.

 Being the first nation in spreading to the whole world the Gospel message –that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross makes possible the only way to redemption for lost mankind—is a feat no other country can claim. This, ultimately, has been done not by the offices, or under the auspices of American ingenuity, but by the omniscience and the omnipotence of the One holding the “golden cup.” It is God’s grace and mercy that has put America as a beacon of God’s light upon that mountain of Gospel dissemination. God’s providence gave this nation the industrial and technological genius –a fact that is denied, or that is so taken for granted today.

 America and Babylon

 Tragically, the United States, like every other nation of this generation, is the hybrid offspring of the Babylonian system, which God’s prophetic Word has traced from the times of Nimrod on the Plains of Shinar and the Tower of Babel (read Genesis 11). America, which has spread the Gospel message to the entire world, will, sadly, be in one form or another part of the agglomerate beast system mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel Chapter 2 –the 10 toes on the feet of the multi-metallic man-image. This nation will, in a grotesquely metamorphosed form, become a constituent part of the nondescript beast of Daniel 2, which is prophesied to appear during the tribulation era–as presented in Revelation Chapter 13, as it raises from the sea.

 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” (Rev. 13:1).

 This world Babylonian hybrid that represents –in the final analysis—total, luciferian rebellion to Jesus Christ, who fulfilled God’s prescription for living righteously, will do all within its Satan-derived power, to destroy all that God holds dear to His heart.

 Israel, America’s Saving Grace

 This brings us to America’s second reason for existence –toward the purpose of accomplishing God’s great prophetic plan. In my view, this use of the phenomenally powerful American nation is among the most profound indicators we can find that America, indeed, is in prophecy. And, I believe that America’s being in prophecy includes God’s using it to be mid-wife in Israel’s modern birth into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob those thousands of years ago.

 It was President Harry S. Truman–who said he had read the Bible through a number of times—who insisted, despite many voices of opposition, that the embryo country still in the womb of the Holy Land, Israel, come to birth on May 14, 1948. America stood by Israel’s struggle to get to its feet, and through the battles it fought against its attacking, hate-filled enemy neighbors.

 God’s hand was at work in unseen ways, it becomes obvious to a careful look at unfolding times leading up to Truman’s assuming the presidency following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in 1945.

 Truman had, as mentioned above, read God’s Word through a number of times. He told those around him that the Jews had promises from God to the land. He apparently believed that America must bless Israel, not curse that people. Historians would say that coincidentally, perhaps even ironically (but I am convinced that the word should be “providentially”), Truman had a Jewish friend–Edward Jacobson–with whom he had co-owned a haberdashery. His partner convinced Truman early on of that nation’s prophetic destiny.

 Although Israel now has its own nuclear arsenal, it is America–in human terms—that has provided the most strength, militarily, which discourages overwhelming assaults against the Jewish state. But, looking beyond the physical earthly protection for Israel, it is the Lord of heaven that provides the ultimate hedge of protection.

 God has proved in war after war throughout Israel’s earlier and latter incarnations that He  keeps His promises to protect them from absolute destruction, despite their many Diasporas and their tribulations as captive and/or outcast people. He uses human military to accomplish this promise that the Jew will always be His chosen people. But, many strange reports have come out of some of those battles, proclaiming supernatural activity having turned the tide. Reports of battles during Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948, as an established nation in 1956, 1967, and 1973, brought such reports. And, at a spiritual warfare level in the sense of Ephesians 6: 12, there continue to be conflicts unseen by human eyes.

 Christian Soldiers

 Israel’s nuclear capability and America’s stupendous military and technological might are strong defensive ingredients for modern Israel’s protection. But, while surrounded by forces of overwhelming numbers whose satanic rage cannot be stemmed, it is a most unconventional army that is Israel’s greatest ally. It is this ally contingent that holds the joint Israeli-American defensive coalition in place, in my view –and, I believe—in God’s prophetic plan. It is a spiritual force that is Israel’s closest friend. Christians, particularly those in America, make up the spiritual army that supports Israel’s right to exist as does no other group on earth.

 I must qualify that statement, because today there are so many divergent claims to the name of Christ –differing views about what it means to be “a Christian.” The definition I use here is one who has been “born again” (John 3: 3). This means that a person has been born into the family of God, for all eternity. The only way for this to happen is for an individual to accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary–His shed blood—to pay for the individual’s sin, which separates the individual from God. Those who are  “born again” make up this army of defenders of Israel’s right to exist in its ancient homeland. This army doesn’t bear physical arms, or fight, literally on the bloody fields of battles surrounding Israel. This army fights with prayer for the peace of  Jerusalem, and does spiritual battle for Israel, God’s chosen people, while that Jewish state moves in blind unrepentance, toward its ultimate great destiny–to be the head of all nations during the Millennium, Christ’s 1000-year reign on Planet Earth.

America Plunges While the Church Arises

 America, the golden cup in the Lord’s hand for more than two centuries –having disseminated the Gospel to the world, and having been the mid-wife of Israel’s birth into modern times, then its protector—is not mentioned in Bible prophecy, by name. Supposedly lesser nations of history are mentioned. For example, Persia (present-day Iran), Syria, and others, upon delving into etymological studies of ancient days juxtaposed against the geographical locations of current national entities. Russia, for example, fits into the region known in ancient times as the region called “Rosh.” But this once shining city on the hill called America is nowhere to be found as the very end of days unfold.

 So, what happens to the United States of America?

 We have looked at my view–which I believe is the biblical view—that God’s people, the Christians of these end times, are Israel’s most fervent friends. But, again I must write a word of qualification. Not all of the born again hold to the position that Israel is God’s chosen nation as given in the Old Testament. Most Christians today (again talking about born-again members of God’s family) don’t even think in terms of Israel and its prophetic destiny one way or the other. This is because these Christians aren’t taught about the truth of these matters by their pastors and teachers. Also, they don’t do enough study on their own to open their spiritual minds on these things, so God the Holy Spirit can instruct them regarding Israel and prophecy yet future. They are ignorant of these things. Many are willfully ignorant.

 So, it is a relatively small group who observe prophetic matters as outlined in God’s Word. Nonetheless, all Christians –every single individual who is a member of God’s eternal family—will go to be with Jesus Christ when He shouts: “Come up here” (Rev. 4:1). All of Israel’s most fervent supporters –that Jewish nation’s staunchest allies—will instantly be gone from the planet. I believe it is at this moment on God’s prophetic time line that America’s time as a viable nation will begin a precipitous plunge. It will recede into the depths of history past, so far as its grandiosity is concerned.

 Much of the stable, tax-paying base will be removed in that stupefying moment. Its worker-base will be so severely disrupted that it won’t come close to resembling the economic powerhouse it was the moment before the rapture. This, because America has, it is quite safe to presume—the highest percentage of Christians of any nation of significant population.

The politicians and powers that be within governmental and business bureaucracies will flail wildly, trying to bring their turfdoms back into some semblance of order. It will be a task that will be impossible without the most extreme, draconian measures. Ultimately, I’m convinced, these political and governmental powers will readily agree to come under the auspices of the much more stable European Union. The EU–the member nations of which have long-since doused the Gospel light, thus its populations not as severely affected as that of the U.S.– will grow to immense size and power within perhaps only a few days.

 Israel Following Rapture

 Israel will suddenly find itself without its staunchest lobby-base with the American government. The U.S. leadership will, itself, find itself so tied up in the staggering problems of trying to regain economic and societal equilibrium that urgent pleas from Israeli leaders will likely go unheeded.

 The Islamic world will have lost in the rapture its small children and babies in the wombs of mothers within the Middle Eastern world. But Islamic armies of young, fanatic militants will be untouched by the catastrophe that has caused the disappearance of many millions of people. These, under their enraged leadership, will almost certainly  fervently look at Israel to vent their frustrations. Likely the true Islamic fundamentalist fanatics will see what has happened as Allah’s preparing to bring on the end of the world.

 Perhaps this is the “hook” in the “jaws,” which Ezekiel the  prophet foretold God promises to implement at this time. There will be no one –including America—to offer to defend Israel. It is at this time that the great, supernaturally persuasive world leader who will one day in the future be known as “the beast” –Antichrist—will come forward from the swiftly reforming western alliance. He will propose to all of the antagonists of the forces poised for war a peace covenant they won’t be able to refuse.

 Without genuine repentance of her people, America’s time as the apex nation of history will end. She will lose her golden glow. Her former glory will turn black with soot from the fire of judgment and wrath that will be the fate of all who come against Jesus Christ –the God of all creation.

 America’s place in prophecy, without repentance before God, is seen in the Babylonian system of rebellion, as represented by the description of the destruction of its chief city.

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” (Rev. 18:8).

How do you start a letter that will be the most important letter a person can write to his friends about the things to come? Before any of you delete or discard this, please, I ask you, read this letter at least once. After that, do with it whatever you want. I strongly recommend that you keep it, even if it just sits in a corner of your email box, but keep it around, because I will be revealing some information of things to come that may seem too fantastic at this very moment, but as things begin to unfold you may want to refer back to something I wrote. I will guarantee you they will be fulfilled in our lifetime! 

I will explain to you why I have reason to believe that time is short and I may not have another opportunity to share this information of utmost importance with you. I stress that this is not a joke or a hoax. I will not be setting a date as many people before me have done; I am just stating facts first. It is up to you what you want to do; I will however give you a recommendation. As the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. 

Please follow me into the next section. I am about to show you the key to understanding the time we live in today and why things are changing so rapidly. But first we must understand the importance of Israel. We must understand some of its history. 

On May 14^th, 1948 a new state was born: The State of Israel. Many people may know that the Jews did not have their own country for almost 1900 years. The last time they had their own country was in 70 AD.This is a miracle on its own! A nation was scattered throughout the world and still preserved all her traditions and rituals throughout the centuries even after many attempts to annihilate her. (Hitler was not the only one in history who tried that). Have you ever met a Babylonian, a Sumerian, or a Hittite? Some of these were from the most powerful nations in history, but where are they now? They are dissolved among the nations. According to history no other nation has survived longer than 300 years outside its country before there was nothing left of it.

Could this be Divine intervention? 

Here we see two situations that the Bible foretold would come to pass. God called the Jewish people His people, and made a special covenant with them.  Through them, the Messiah would be born. But because of their disobedience, God scattered His people.  But He would not forget them, and eventually, He would gather them back to Israel, the Holy Land. Some people do not believe in the Bible and have heard many mixed things about it. People tend to find Bible Prophecies especially difficult to understand or comprehend. A lot of people like to see things symbolically, but I will tell you certain things are just too obvious. Here are a few verses that back up what I just said. As you will see later these verses are a key factor in understanding the time we live in today.

Deuteronomy 4:27-28,30-31 ²⁷And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. ²⁸And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. ³⁰ When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; ³¹(For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

• Moses predicted that the Jews would be scattered throughout the world and persecuted as has occurred for the last three thousand years and that one day the Jews would return to God and to the land of Israel which he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Jeremiah 30:3 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Joel 3:1-2 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, ²I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Amos 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

Isaiah 66:8  Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.

• Foresaw the restoration of Israel in one day (May 14, 1948).

Ezekiel 36:24,33-35 ²⁴For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. ³³“Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. ³⁴And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. ³⁵And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

• Israel is restored in one day and becomes a land of milk and honey in this current time.

Here I just wanted to show a few verses that back up what I wrote earlier. I want you to understand that these were prophecies some of which were written about 3000 years ago and others about 2500 years ago! Can you even comprehend this? And not one but ALL of these prophecies came true!
Just bear with me a little longer. We’re going to go a little faster in a bit. I have to explain that Israel is being referred to as a fig tree. You will see what I mean in the next paragraph.

Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Jeremiah 24:2-5 ²One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. ³Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. ⁴Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ⁵Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

• The fig tree is used by Hosea and Jeremiah to refer to Jewish people.

To many Bible scholars it is a given that Israel often gets compared with a fig tree. Now comes the exciting part. 

Matthew 24:32-35 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁴I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 

• Israel the fig tree has put forth its leaves and been reborn as a nation therefore the coming of Christ draws near. See also: Mark 13:28-31 and Luke 21:29-33. 

So from that passage and the ones in the Gospels of Mark and Luke we can see that Jesus was very specific about the time of his return. After the rebirth of the nation Israel (1948) that generation would not pass away until all these things have happened. So the next thing to understand is; how long is a generation? 

40 years – Numbers 32:13 And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

70 years – Psalm 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

120 years – Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

This year (2009), it is 61 years since the nation was reborn. 

But what was Jesus saying before this generation stuff? He answered a question the disciples asked him about His return. Jesus talked a lot about the coming Kingdom and when He would return. I strongly recommend you read Matthew 24.

“Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) 

Now we are getting to some juicy stuff. I hope by now you are starting to understand that God is warning us about some really interesting times that are right at our doorstep. What I am trying to accomplish here is to show you that this Bible thing people have been referring to is actually pretty much still up-to-date. 

So let’s take a step back. Why prophecy, what does prophecy mean? Prophecy is future history written in advance. God does this to: 1) show that He is God, 2) show us He is in control, and 3) warn us of things to come because He loves us.

Some prophecies are difficult to understand and often are not discovered to be fulfilled till they have happened. Why is this? Maybe you remember the part where Jesus was being beaten by Roman soldiers? They mocked him and asked him to prophesy who was going to hit him next? The reason they asked him that was because they knew it was a trick question because they could change the outcome. God has written the prophecies in such a way that they will be understood, but maybe only in the last minute or afterwards. When Peter was told he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster would crow, he thought it would never happen, but it did happen exactly the way Jesus prophesied.

Regarding the warnings about the end of the age, also known as the end of time, or the Great Tribulation, God actually is really clear about many of them. There are a lot of specific time markers. He tells us exactly how long certain events are going to be, from when to when things take place, locations of things etc. But there is one key part missing. The very first time marker! Nobody knows for sure when the first event takes place. This very first time marker that will initiate this coming period of terror is called by many the Rapture. There are many speculations about the Rapture. I will put a link here to some more info about that phenomenal event, but I’m not going to explain all the different views of it right now. I will tell you this. It will initiate the beginning of the end. Also known as the Great Tribulation.

So what is the Rapture? The word “Rapture” does not exist in the Bible. It is commonly referred to “caught up” (in the clouds) or “snatched away” (like yanking by your hair J). I love the referral to it by Perry Stone: “Some of you He (Jesus) will have to catch up and some of you He will have to yank out of here”.

So the word itself does not appear in the Bible. Did you know that the word Trinity doesn’t appear in it either? Still we talk about it as if it is. Does that make it less real? We describe a situation or phenomenon with a new word, that’s all. 

So to come back at when the first time marker is. Nobody knows for sure the “Day or the Hour” (Matt 24:36) BUT, we are able to tell by the signs of the time of the end that His coming is near.
Let that be clear! Too many people quote the part of Scripture that “He will come as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10, Rev 3:3) Yes, He will come to you as a thief in the night if you are not ready! In 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 we find: “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” 

Now this is what I want to share and the reason for this letter: Friends the time is now to get ready, because the Return of Jesus is VERY, VERY CLOSE!!! 

Please consider this as a last warning before it is too late. Whether or not I am right in the timing, that doesn’t matter that much in the end, the point is that we do not know when the last time is for you to get right with God. Chances are you may never have this opportunity again. The things to come are so dramatic and so enormous. Many will not survive the coming terror. 

So how do you get right with God? How do you get saved? How do you become a Christian, a follower of Jesus? 

Believe and admit that He is God. Believe and admit that you are a sinner and you do not deserve life, you do not deserve to be with Him. You have to ask for forgiveness for your sins. A sin is basically something we did out of disobedience to God. Because we were disobedient we can no longer be around Him. He is perfect; we are no longer perfect and therefore deserve eternal separation from Him in Hell. Hell is a place where He is not. We don’t want to be there. We want to be with Him. He wants us to be with Him, because He created us, and He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants a family and He is our Father. Jesus who is God in human form came down to us to take our sins away by dying on the cross. Because He was without sin, death could not hold Him, because death is only meant for those who have sin. So death had to let Him go.  That is why we believe in the resurrection of Jesus. He conquered death and prepared the way to God the Father. That is why we pray to God THROUGH His Son Jesus, because only THROUGH Him we can get to the Father. We are not worthy to communicate with God, but Jesus is, He paid the price that we deserved. Any religion will tell you that you have to do something in order to deserve the afterlife. God simply tells us we will never be able to achieve that so He did it for us. All we have to do is accept it. He gave us a gift that is sitting right in front of our nose; all we have to do is accept it and claim it as our own! 

This is how you do it. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved (Romans 10:9)! Say it OUT LOUD!! 

“Father, I know that I have broken your
laws and my sins have separated me
from you.  I am truly sorry, and now I want
to turn away from my past sinful life
toward You.  Please forgive me, and help
me avoid sinning again.  I believe that
Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins,
was resurrected from the dead, is alive,
and hears my prayer.  I invite Jesus to
become the Lord of my life, to rule and
reign in my heart from this day forward.
Please send your Holy Spirit to help me
obey You, and to do Your will for the rest
of my life.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.” 

If you have received Jesus into your heart, I welcome you to the Kingdom of God.  All the angels in Heaven rejoice whenever one soul is saved.  Now, your next step as a Christian is to learn about God, and obey Him.  Read your Bible every day, and you will be like a tree planted by a spring, never thirsting.  You will grow in knowledge and wisdom, and your relationship and closeness with God will become the meaning of your life. Please, find a good church, and get baptized in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit immediately.  Learn the teachings of Jesus, and follow Him everyday.  Remember, loving God and loving people is a Christian’s role in this dark and hurting world.  We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to save souls. 

Let me be very clear: if you were baptized as a child, you are not guaranteed to go to heaven. If your parents were Christians, you are not guaranteed to go to heaven. If you go to church or used to go to church, you are not guaranteed to go to heaven. No denomination will save you: not Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Philadelphian, Brethren, Church of God, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons, no church, no building, no overhead, no pastor, no priest, no bishop, no Pope, no Mary, no organization, no sect, no cult, can save you!! Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God can save you. 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) 

Let this be understood. There are real true believing Christians in every denomination, I am not saying that all of these denominations are necessarily “bad”, I am just explaining that only Jesus is the Way to God. You are the only one who can accept that. No other person but yourself has to make a choice in life to choose either for God or against Him. If you don’t choose because you feel that you want to be neutral, then you are choosing the “default setting” which is against Him. Let me repeat that, if you do not choose you are against Him.
Believing in God and Jesus alone will not save you either. Let me remind you that Satan believes in God very much, and we all know where he is going to end up! What truly will save you is to believe and accept Him in your life. It is a step of FAITH, and it is something you cannot understand beforehand. I know some people who haven’t made the decision yet, because they want to understand it first.  I tell you, you will not understand the choice first and if you don’t hurry and make that decision now it will be too late and you will be lost forever. That is the step of faith you must take. After this step you will receive the Holy Spirit and just as a little seed that gets put in fertile ground you will grow to understand Gods will and plan for you and the world.  

As I explained above that the Rapture will be the “Blessed Hope” we have been waiting for, the first time marker that will start the things to come; I am about to share with you what will happen when you are left behind. Although you really should make the decision now and receive Jesus in your heart now; God, in His infinite mercy, will give the people left behind ONE LAST CHANCE. There will be a huge crowd or multitude of people so big and massive that no one can count them as the Bible says in Revelation 7:9 coming from the Great Tribulation (Rev 7:14 – “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation: they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”). If you read that passage you will see that these people are all dead, they were killed, slaughtered because of their faith in Jesus Christ at the time of the end. They are going to be blessed by God. Rejoice! For these people will be with Him for ever and ever!! 

So now we come to the section that will describe the things to come. Let me warn you that some things are not as clear to us now as they will be once you are experiencing it. That is why some scholars disagree about certain parts and events that will take place. Again that is what I explained about prophecies in general. Sometimes we do not know exactly what this will look like. All we can do in that situation is to show you the prophecy and you will have to interpret it as you go. Pray to God for wisdom so you may understand it then! 

Oh Brothers and Sisters Left Behind, I pray for you to keep your faith in this terrible time coming!! 

We know that Satan has been working throughout history and getting himself ready to fight Jesus once more. He knows he has lost the main battle (Jesus dying on the cross for our sin and defeating death through His resurrection), but he still tries to pull away as many people from God as he can – especially Christians! Over the thousands of years he has become quite good at deceiving people. He already had many kingdoms set up in the past, such us Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar), Medo-Persia, Greece (Alexander the Great), and the Roman Empire. Time and time again kingdoms rose and fell. How did they fall? They fell because of the pride in the hearts of men. They became so arrogant, thinking they were gods or could live without God. Idolatry, sexual immorality, chaos became part of all these empires. The people in these kingdoms destroyed themselves. They dropped their guard and they were destroyed. God punishes pride. He does not let sin take place in the hearts of man forever. And now coming to the end of all things in this day and age, the whole world has become a place for idolatry, sexual immorality and chaos. Many people have lived in ignorance when scholars and Christians were saying that there would be a One World Government. A movement of some rich bankers and politicians has established many different international organizations “in the best interest for men”.  These organizations are working together to “better the world” and bring “peace”.
For decades Christians have said that there would be a One World Government (also known as a New World Order, NWO or NGO). They have said that Europe would become a new revived Roman Empire, as stated in the book of Daniel. Read Daniel 2, where King Nebuchadnezzar received a dream from God about the future kingdoms and what would happen to them. There are many other passages that suggest that as well.
If you look up information about The Club of Rome, the Trilateral Commission, or if you can find some information about this super secret society: the Bilderberg Group or Society, you will find out that many head of states, royalty, politicians and international bankers have a meeting every year where no media is allowed. The Club of Rome already has a plan in place to divide the world into 10 sections to make it easier to govern. Where have we heard that before? Check out Revelation 13 and Daniel 8.

A one world currency was predicted, just as the politicians are now talking about. Russia in particular is pushing for this new currency. The US dollar is quickly losing its buying power and will soon be worthless. I saw a section on CNN just yesterday (October 9, 2009) where an expert who was saying that America is heading for total bankruptcy and the dollar will be worthless (likely this year!). The US Congress is ignoring people like him, because they think it’s not that bad. I guess time will tell. 

Here are some more prophecies and predictions made:

• The re-gathering of the Jews into their homeland (Ezekiel 37:11-13) after thousands of years of God ordained exile.  Another amazing fact, after thousands of years living in other nations, their Jewish culture has remained intact.
• The rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948 (Ezekiel 37:10-14; Isaiah 43:5, 6; 66:7-8) in one day.  Israel literally became a nation again in one day.  Following their declaration of statehood, the next day, five Arab nations attacked Israel.  But Israel defeated them and has grown into a major world military power.  This prophecy of rebirth essentially kicked off the beginning of the last generation.
• The Arab world will claim they are rightful owners of the land of Israel (Ezekiel 35:5, 10; 36:2, 5).  It wasn’t until the Jews began migrating back to Palestine in hopes of declaring Israeli statehood that the Arab world laid claim to the land.  Before that, it was of no value to them.  
• The desert land of Israel will bloom again during this last generation (Luke 21:29-31; Isaiah 41:18-21). Many people do not know much about this fulfilled prophecy: Israel has the most sophisticated irrigation system in the world, computerized water irrigation that regulates how much water each plant gets depending on the needs of the plant. This is a necessity because of the scarcity of fresh water in the region.
• The city of Jerusalem recaptured by Israel 19 years later in 1967 (Zechariah 8:7-8; 12:3).  Jerusalem can’t be a stumbling block to peace with Israel if it wasn’t back in their hands.
• A Middle East peace plan with Israel, where Jerusalem is considered a major stumbling block will develop in the last days (Daniel 9:27; Zechariah 12:3).
• This peace plan with Israel will ultimately have a seven-year time limit (Daniel 9:27).  Right now, the US is about to unveil a timeline for which peace must be realized.  The splitting of Jerusalem will be the final jewel of the peace accord.
• The ruins of Israel will be rebuilt (Amos 9:11 &13).  This has kicked into high gear since Israel became a nation (1948).
• An eastern nation capable of fielding a 200 million man army (Revelation 9:16) will arise during the tribulation period.  No nation has ever been able to field an army of this magnitude until this generation. Many believe this nation to be China.
• The Euphrates River will be dried up to enable a great army to cross (Revelation 16:12).  This could not have been done until 1990 without the help of modern day technology.
• During this generation, man will obtain the ability to view an event simultaneously all over the world (Revelation 11:9-10).  Certainly, this was impossible until satellite technology was invented during this generation.
• World leaders will begin talking about world governance as a necessary evil.  This will eventually lead to a one world government led by the antichrist (Revelation 13). The first significant world body called the United Nations was created in 1945 to encourage global cooperation.
• The temple will be rebuilt (Revelation 11:1, 2; Daniel 9:27).  This is yet future, but it is a foregone conclusion that various temple organizations, once the okay to rebuild is given, will have it completed within months. Do a search on YouTube about the Third Temple and you will find a wealth of information about the Jews getting ready to build it. All the gold accessories are already built and ready to be used. Architectural designs are in place. One of the major designers or leaders in this project ironically has a fascinating last name, Solomon… (Solomon was the builder of the First Temple)
• In the last days, knowledge will increase dramatically (Daniel 12:4).  There is no debating the fact that knowledge has increased by leaps and bounds over the last 100 years, but particularly during the last 70-80 years.  Medical and technological discoveries have exploded in this last generation.
• I didn’t even mention the increase in world travel (Daniel 12:4) and natural disasters that were predicted for the last days.  Even secular world news reports acknowledge that we have had an increase in freakish natural disasters over the last ten years.
• Russia, Iran, a host of northern African nations, and the surrounding Islamic world will forge an alliance and attack Israel (Ezekiel 38 & 39).  Today, most of these nations (listed in Ezekiel 38) are already in an alliance.

At this very moment, the tension between Israel and Iran is very great. Both of them are on the verge of attacking each other. When this happens very likely many countries will start their own wars. Many predict the result will be World War 3. All the countries in the Middle East are ready for war. We just don’t want to believe it, and we try to ignore it. One particular prophecy very likely to become a reality really soon is going to be Isaiah 17: the destruction of the city Damascus, the capital city of Syria. Keep watching!

Then what happens is fascinating. As Persia (Iran) and Magog (believed to be Russia, since it will be a country north of Israel) will try to attack Israel from the north. This army will be grand and the world will hold its breath. Israel is getting ready to be annihilated. However this is where God will intervene. He will make sure that Ezekiel 38 and 39 will come true. He will destroy these armies Himself. How He does it, is unknown. Speculations are that there may be an earthquake that will shake mountains to come down, since the army will pass through the northern mountains. Or there will be a situation comparable to the story of Gideon, where the enemy of Israel got surprised in the middle of the night and in this chaos everyone would kill themselves, shooting and killing everything that moves. Either way the result will be that Israel will use the fuel left by their enemies to fuel up the country for seven years! This will also be the trigger for them to start building the Third Temple. Since this prophecy became a reality, they will now feel invincible, since God is on their side. 

However it may take place, these are very likely the first few events that will take place after the Rapture and those left behind will see these situations become a reality before their very eyes. If you do not see this happen and do not understand the urgency of this unfolding event or you just ignore what I am sharing with you, I am afraid you will be deceived by the coming world leader, also known as the Antichrist or Beast out of the sea.

How will people be deceived? He will come in peace and with peace he will destroy everything. He will deceive many. He will have an important ally; who the Bible calls the False Prophet or the Beast out of the earth. Both of them will have supernatural powers; powers beyond human capability. They will deceive the world and the whole world will follow them. I can just see everybody pulling out their cell phones and making little video clips on YouTube of the things they do. 

Whatever they will do and however wonderful it may sound. PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME!!! They are deceivers! They work for and with the devil. They will make it sound like they mean you no harm and will make you believe that they are the solution. One of them may even claim that he is the Messiah or a god. Whatever they will claim, DO NOT listen to them, DO NOT follow them, and ABOVE ALL DO NOT take the mark, the identifier, the chip or whatever the device will be that they will try to force people to have on their RIGHT HAND or their FOREHEAD.

Yes I know he will make it impossible for anyone to buy or sell unless you have this mark (Revelation 13).

Brothers and Sisters please listen to me! Revelation 14:9-11 tells us that he who takes the mark of the beast will have sold their soul to Satan; you will have acquired a One-Way-Ticket to Hell. 

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” – Revelation 14:9-11 

So whatever you do in those last days, DO NOT worship the World Leader, DO NOT worship his companion, DO NOT worship the image, and above all DO NOT take the mark of the beast. It will be presented in such a way that people will want to take it, very likely because they are afraid. People will voluntarily accept it. You will be amazed how easy people will follow this World Government. They will control the media and filter everything, just like they did in Nazi Germany in World War 2. Propaganda was the tool! They understood that you can control the people by making them think a certain way by presenting a distorted view of the world by using selective media/news.

It is unsure what this image of the Beast will look like. Many think it will be a talking statue that looks like the Antichrist. My own interpretation is, and let me stress this, this is my own interpretation; I would not be surprised that this image will be a super advanced computer with satanic A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), capable of capturing each and every persons move, very much like what we see in the movie Eagle Eye by Steven Spielberg. Too far fetched? I think you will be surprised. 

There will be a lot of resistance though. If you look on the internet right now you will find lots of information about “conspiracy theorists”. This group is growing and growing. Why? Because many people are finding out the truth! It is scary to do a search on the internet on FEMA concentration camps, Mass graves, Swine Flu Martial Law, Chemtrails and much more. These people have found out the hard truth about our governments and their real plans for our world. And it is not pretty. Many of these people are not necessarily Christians. In fact they probably aren’t. But the things they are finding out are lining up with things to come and things that are prophesied in the Bible millennia ago!

If I just shocked you with these weird terms, go ahead. Try to prove me wrong. 

After God has pulled His True Followers from this planet by means of the Rapture, He will send His Two Witnesses onto the scene. These two men will be the only representation of God during this time frame and God will give them power to “shut up the sky” and other signs. They will testify for 1260 days as described in Revelation 11. People likely will try to harm the two Witnesses, but will not be successful. In the end God will allow the Witnesses to be killed by the Antichrist. People will be so sick and tired of them that once they are killed people will send each other gifts because these two men will have tormented the earth for so long that people are so happy that these men are now dead. After three and a half days laying in the street their bodies will be resurrected and they will go up to heaven. 

Let me tell you this: the world is ready for its final chapter!! 

Now I have to make an end to this letter. I could go on for many more. I encourage you to prove me wrong in any of the above situations. Please do your research, read the Bible, find out the truth for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it, or anyone else’s. God Himself commands us to find out these things for ourselves, because for all you know I might be a false prophet. Therefore Test the Spirit, I encourage you to test me, find out the information for yourself, and challenge what I have written:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” – 1 John 4:1-6. 

God has made me a Watchman and it is my duty to tell others about His soon arrival (like a Watchman in Ezekiel 3). Jesus is coming back really soon. Please I ask you again, do not wait any longer to ask Jesus in your life and in your heart, for you do not know how much time you will have left. When Jesus comes back He will fight for his people at Armageddon and destroy the Antichrist and the False Prophet. He will finally put an end to this Age. He will conclude the reign of Satan, and He will reign for a thousand years. There will be peace. He will be the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Finally this world will be as He intended it to be.

Then at the end of (or shortly after) the thousand years He will unleash Satan for one last time, to test the hearts of men one last time. This will truly be the last war of men. As He prophesies He will destroy this last army with fire and then He will throw Satan in the Lake of burning sulfur. (Revelation 20:7-10) After this will be Judgment Day, the day God will sit in a Heavenly Court Room and will judge our lives one person at a time to see if our name is found written in the Book of Life. After that there will be a new earth and a new heaven. And the people found written in the Book of Life will be with Him for ever and ever. But the people who where not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire. 

I would like to conclude with a passage from 2 Peter 3. 

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 

In Christ I hope to see you one day! As long as this letter exists please pass it around to anyone and everyone. Do not be ashamed to tell anyone. God has His way of working miracles in people’s hearts. He alone is in control over the things that are about to take place. If you have the chance please pray for our Brothers and Sisters who are about to be left behind and will go into the Great Tribulation. Pray they will keep their faith, for they will be tortured and slaughtered because of their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Please my friends pray for Gods people the Jews/Hebrews. Pray that their eyes and hearts may be opened to our Lord and God. Pray for their protection because they will also go into a time a great distress and turmoil. And lastly, pray for the people who do not know our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior yet; that they might come to know Him and accept Him into their hearts, whether before or after the Rapture. God does not want anyone to perish, He is patient, He wants everyone to repent and turn from their sin.

Let me remind you to be watchful and look forward to His coming. My Friends, Brothers and Sisters, He is coming soon, Bride Get ready!! The Bridegroom is about to come. How awesome is our God!! Get Ready Jesus is on His way to pick us up! 

In Jesus Name, 

Elijah Hawke 

For more information look at my website: http://thealphaomegaproject.com

For a lot more information look at this website: http://www.raptureready.com/

Quite often I get email messages from people who are irate over what they perceive as fear mongering on my part. They commonly ask me the same pointed question: “Why are you trying to scare people?” Of course, I’ve always been dumbfounded by this type of question. I tend to think the negative reactions are based on a rebellious rejection of the truth.

I’ve never really thought of Rapture Ready as a site that instills fear. On several occasions, I have tried to make the subject matter more palatable by adding a bit of lighthearted humor. One of my biggest concerns has always been whether I’ve been too flippant about serious, eternal matters.

In my travels, I’ve met a number of people who are repulsed by Bible prophecy they’re genuinely bothered by the idea of the prophetic truth someday invading their world. Even the demonic angels that encountered Jesus were troubled by the knowledge that their time of freedom was limited.

“And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Mat 8:29).

My interest in prophecy has been largely based on the realization that the rapture will someday take priority over all earthly things. I might plan to get married or enter a pie-eating contest next week. However, if the rapture comes today, my plans will be null and void.

I understand why some people are hostile to the truth, but still, it shouldn’t matter what old Todd says or believes. The tribulation hour doesn’t need my approval or help. God is the only one controlling the eternal schedule.

“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (Acts 1:6-7).  

The Future Is Scary

Many scholars apologize about the horrors detailed by prophecy. After frequently being labeled “prophets of doom,” many end-time teachers now make a habit of saying that the world is not actually going to end. It’s true that the Bible does say planet Earth will still be here at the conclusion of the seven-year tribulation hour…but it doesn’t give mankind any guarantees.

We folks who work to draw the world’s attention to prophecy are indeed prophets of doom. The Bible repeatedly warns of an approaching time of unimaginable wrath, so like it or not, doom is coming our way. During the tribulation, famine, natural disasters, war, and disease will create the greatest period of suffering in all of human history.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Mat. 24:21).

The Bible doesn’t say exactly what percentage of the world’s population will perish, but it’s clear from Scripture that the death rate will be very high. If you add up the judgments described in the Book of Revelation, at least two-thirds of the population will be wiped out. Jesus said if He didn’t return at the end of the tribulation to end the fighting, no one would be saved.

“And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved” (Mark 13:20).

There is one simple reason the tribulation is going to be so horrific. God will be putting forth His best effort to get man’s attention. Every time we read in Scripture that God has poured out His wrath on the earth, we also read the observation that man had refused to repent for his evil deeds. Some folks believe that most people left behind after the rapture will be barred from finding salvation. A quick check of the Bible, however, proves that the opportunity to repent and be saved is offered without any limitations.

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21).

Because deception will abound, most people will not respond to the warnings. Despite the devil doing his best to deceive man, many individuals will see the light and give their lives to Christ. The prophet, John, wrote that the number of people saved during the tribulation will be so large that no man will be able to number their ranks.

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands… These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9;14).

After the rapture, anyone contemplating becoming a believer will have to make a tough choice between life and death. He or she will have the option of submitting to Antichrist’s rule or facing martyrdom. Those who decide to follow Antichrist will be compelled to receive a mark that will leave them eternally damned. Taking the martyrdom route will be no picnic. Many believers will survive to the end of the tribulation, but these will be few compared with the number of those who will give up their lives.

We should never try to take away from the magnitude of how dismal it will be for the people who will be trapped in the tribulation hour. Yet, even in earth’s darkest hour, God’s mercy will still be found. In most cases, mercy will not come in the form of deliverance. It will be manifested in the saints” ability to withstand the trials facing them. 

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

People tend to have a twisted understanding of biblical guidelines. I’ve seen far too many examples of how people allow their own personal views to override sound doctrine. The Book of Proverbs says three times that man’s nature is to do what’s right “in his own eyes.” 

• “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Prov. 12:15).
• “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits” (Prov. 16:2).
• “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts” (Prov. 21:2).

Amazingly, many people believe that you can wish something into being. The strength of a person’s optimism does not govern reality. It doesn’t matter how much you believe you’re going to win a big, national sweepstakes–your chances of winning are still around 100 million to one.

Here’s a shocking example of how dangerous overly-positive thinking can be: One afternoon, I watched a newscast about some teenagers who were trying to videotape one of their friends jumping over a speeding car. They were reported to be reenacting a TV program that featured a guy doing similar moronic things, such as diving into septic tanks and lighting himself on fire.

Each of the four boys involved in this stunt was age 17 or younger. All of the boys obviously lacked intelligence, but one 16-year-old was clearly the most brain dead.

While one of the boys held a video camera on the roadside to record this fiasco, two of the others raced towards their buddy at a high rate of speed. When the car reached our foolhardy hero, he tried to jump over the car, but he didn’t quite make it. He managed to get as high as the windshield of the car. Instantly, he shattered the windshield, crumpled the hood of the car, and broke more bones in his body than Evil Knievel broke during a lifetime of daredevil jumps.

When I saw the footage, I wondered what could have caused these jokers to defy so many God-given rules of common sense. The answer is that they had their own view of reality. Their blind optimism certainly had zero influence over the laws of physics. The boy who was severely injured will carry physical scars the rest of his life to remind him of his need to use good judgment.

I fear people who try to shun the reality of the end times are in for an equally dreadful surprise. Simply slapping a happy face on world events doesn’t work. The power of positive thinking cannot mitigate the fact that the truth is the truth and a lie is a lie.  

No More Mr. Nice God

From day one, mankind has been entangled in a multitude of errors regarding the characteristics of God. A large portion of the population has refused to believe in a divine being. Of those people who do believe in a “Great I Am,” many have a grievous misunderstanding of God’s disdain for acts of disobedience.

I’ve met people who basically believe the Lord has no standards regarding sin. The average person you’d meet on the street will tell you, “Well, I’ve been a pretty good person most of my life.”

I work on an Air Force base, and to get on base I need to show an ID card or have a military sticker on my car. Anyone lacking the proper authority is be turned away at the gate. Heaven will also have requirements for all people seeking to enter its gates.

The humble image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, or sitting on a rock talking with children, seems to be permanently implanted in people’s minds. But we need to become familiar with another image of Jesus: A Jesus with a rod of iron dispensing judgment on the nations. The Bible is full of ominous comments about God’s sternness.

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17)

I’m always telling people that one of the main reasons I continue to maintain Rapture Ready is that someday I’m going to have to go before the Lord of Lords and give an account of my life. I’m sure many of us have read some of the lighter references that show God’s merciful side; however, we also read some rather strong words that describe how strictly our earthly deeds will be judged:  

• “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Cor. 5:11).
• “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Pet. 4:18). 

The Great Escape

Nonbelievers love to complain about how prophetic-minded Christians are fascinated with dire circumstances. If you look at the daily news page on any of the main prophecy sites, you’ll find probably around 90 percent of the posted news articles deal with every type of calamity under the sun.

I find it odd that I’m rarely asked why I’m so eager to post bad news. A side to man loves to wallow in negativity, but my motivations are all positive. Before the tribulation begins, all believers are going to be supernaturally caught up to Heaven. This is the “blessed hope” that the Apostle Paul spoke of in the Book of Titus:

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

I’m constantly being dogged by post-trib folks who abhor the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. Because it doesn’t involve suffering for our faith, the rapture is something they can’t accept.

I could argue, “What business do they have telling God how to conduct His affairs?” However, I do partly agree that a price will need to be paid. To qualify for the rapture, you have to be a believer. A large portion of the population will greatly regret missing the rapture.

If it were made known that the translation of the Church was going to take place tomorrow, I would expect everyone to be on his or her knees tonight confessing sins. After the rapture, I firmly believe one of the greatest shockers is going to be how many people were found unworthy.

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

The scriptural text is powerful. It magnifies the Lord’s interaction with the nations for prophecy students wise enough to be observant, while the last of the last days approach.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psa. 2:1-12).

God’s dealings with man-made government down through the eons of time is wrapped within those Scriptures. However, these words point particularly to the end of days ‘the time just before Christ returns to put an end to humankind’s self-destruction. Clearly, the nations of the world provide the most effective profile of these last days.

Nations in prophecy can be expressly identified, and the rest are covered, as demonstrated by the body of scriptural text above. The nations of earth versus God, himself, is the most profound and pronounced arena of prophecy that points to things to be fulfilled in the future. Today’s news purveyors are literally everywhere, with sometimes dozens of news organizations covering any given unfolding of a story. Daniel’s prophecy, in this sense, certainly applies to the news organizations of our day: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Dan. 12:4).

This doesn’t always equate, of course, to saying truth will increase. World views have become so skewed because of misinformation, and particularly because of ideological sleight-of-hand from the various points along the geopolitical spectrum, that truth suffers horrifically. Truth can almost never be 100% assured in analyzing what has and has not happened in any given news story. Agendas and flawed ideological perspectives make it more and more difficult for us to get to what really happened.

Despite this unfortunate skewing of the news on a daily, even an hourly, basis, it cannot be denied that the world is shaping a certain way. And “if one is attuned, spiritually, to Bible prophecy, there can be no doubt that the nations of Planet Earth are conforming precisely to the shape of things to come according I’m convinced’ to the pre-tribulation rapture, pre-millennial view of the return of Jesus Christ.

The news organizations run to and fro, but their knowledge, while increasing in looking at the swiftly developing geopolitical situations and events, is sorely lacking when it comes to having an accurate understanding of history. Revisionists are running amok. This fact is most manifest when it comes to their understanding of history concerning the Middle East and the “Holy Land” and Jerusalem in particular. The media conglomerate, as a whole, has an amazingly shallow understanding/view of facts about the “Palestinians’ right to the land. And this inadequacy highlights the chief reason that the region is the prophetic center, the nucleus of the problems involving the nations of the world and their rebellion against God Almighty. This world view, completely muddled by luciferian spiritual brainwashing, is what will, ultimately, bring the nations to the Valley of Jezreel for Armageddon.

Chief Reason for Ignorance

World diplomats and global media alike dismiss what the Bible has to say about Israel’s right to a home in the region the world has come to call Palestine. There never was such a land so named in God’s Word. This fact, of course, is of no consequence to the international community, as indicated in Psalms 2:1-12 given above. No other people, as a race, have been in the Middle East region now called Palestine longer than the Jews. At times, they have been there in large numbers. Sometimes they have been there in very small numbers. But, despite the fact that the race has been scattered into all the world several times, there have been at least a few Jews living in the area for more than 3,000 years.

People who have been around a long time usually have made many friends. But they have also met some unfriendly folks along the way. Quite possibly, they”ve made an enemy or two as well. The Jewish nation Israel has very few friends today. Israel has, it seems, more than its share of unfriendly neighbors and violent enemies. That fact is reflected in news reports on the ongoing Israeli-Arab troubles that dominate international headlines. Many accounts point to the hatred at the center of the matter of Mid-East rumblings of war.

God’s Word on Israel’s Islamic Enemies

None of the current hatreds raging against His chosen people have taken God by surprise. The psalmist looked millennia ago down through the corridors of time at the tiny nation and its enemies”whose god is Allah. The prophecy anticipated the diverse Islamic peoples who now occupy the territory promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah” (Psa. 83:1-8).

 Nations of Prophecy Troubled by Israel

Current issues and events that look to be harbingers of the biblically prophesied apocalypse bombard this generation of earth’s inhabitants. Jesus” Olivet Discourse prophecies, foretelling things to come in the time of “great tribulation,” seem to leap from news reports that are becoming so routine that they no longer shock. No signal is more prophetically significant than present circumstances involving the city where Jesus was crucified nearly 20 centuries ago. This is as the Old and New Testament prophets said it will be just before Christ returns to a planet that is home to a world of rebels against God. That rebellion is scheduled, the prophets forewarn, to culminate in history’s final and most destructive war. Armageddon will be triggered because of both Satan’s and fallen mankind’s determination to install themselves upon the single spot on earth dearest to the heart of God.

Mt. Moriah sits at the southern end of the ancient city, crested by a golden dome that represents hundreds of millions whose religion demands of its adherents blood-vowed opposition to God’s chosen nation, Israel. This is the place God picked to have His temple on earth constructed. It is the precise location where the third temple will sit ‘the temple that will be desecrated by Antichrist, earth’s last and most beastly tyrant. Even more importantly, the Temple Mount will be the home of Christ’s Millennial Temple. Moriah, then to be known as Zion, will be supernaturally elevated by the tremendous topographical changes caused when the Lord’s foot touches the Mount of Olives at His return.

Diplomats of the world have, for the past four decades, engaged in effort after effort to bring stability to the region, at whose heart the city of Jerusalem sits. We remember the many jettings to and from Washington D.C., Jerusalem, and other capitals of the Mid-East. From Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Madeleine Albright, and Colin Powell to Condoleeza Rice ” America’s secretaries of state have burned mega-gallons of jet fuel in trying to find the formula for peace that would diffuse the Armageddon bomb. And, the former British prime minister, Tony Blair, immediately upon resigning, was named by the so-called “Quartet” (US, EU, UN and Russia) as the overseer of continuing efforts toward constructing Mid-East peace, which has eluded mankind for thousand of years. All of that diplomatic shuffling is a mere prelude to the fretting that is about to take place over this, the most important, thus most volatile city on Planet Earth. Zechariah the prophet foretold in Zechariah 12:1-3 the end-time anxiety that we believe is, observably, now on the precipice of gripping the international community.

Good Reason for Worry

There is good reason for the building anxiety. Israel’s terrorist-sponsoring neighbors to the north strive mightily to develop nuclear bombs and missiles that will deliver them. No one doubts in which direction these missiles will be pointed, should Iran be successful in producing such weapons of mass destruction. Israel’s one common declaration, amidst all of the political infighting, remains the core of its defense: ” Never again!”

The following summary of atrocities to the Jewish race presents compelling evidence why “Never Again!” must be their passionate declaration, backed by nuclear strength:

“Due to [Israel's] disobedience the Jews have suffered terribly. They were ruled by Rome in Christ’s day but rebelled in A.D. 70 and 250,000 were killed. They rebelled again in A.D. 135 and again Rome smashed them killing even more and scattering them throughout the empire. Since then they have been bitterly persecuted. Forcibly expelled from England in 1290 and from France 1306. In 1298 more than 100,000 were killed in Europe. From 1648 to 1658 some 400,000 were massacred. From 1939-45 Hitler’s Nazis killed more than 4 million” In its history Egyptian Pharaohs, Assyrian Kings, Babylonian rulers, Persian satraps, Greek Hellenists, Roman Caesars, Holy Roman Emperors, Roman Catholic Pontiffs, Medieval monarchs, Christian Crusaders, Spanish Inquisitors, Nazi dictators, Communist commissars, Arab sheiks and United Nation delegates have all turned against the Jew yet they still survive.”1

The Jewish people of Israel collectively declare they will never again let themselves be enslaved within regimes that want them erased from the earth. Never again will they allow the genocide they have suffered through the centuries. Their national vow is backed by the ominous ‘samson Option.” This last-ditch military imperative is not lost on the leaders of the international community, which is headed by the G-8 nations (America, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Russia ).

These leaders of this enlightened age might not believe the Bible is the word of God, but, they know the story of Samson and what happened when he was finally put in a predicament in which he could no longer be free. The world’s diplomats “at least those of the western world”have no doubt that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) will bring the house down around them, if it comes to that as Israel’s only viable option. The international community “once termed ‘the new world order”– has developed a systemic neurosis involving the bleak outlook for the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The “Roadmap to Peace” seems to be the nerves-soothing therapeutic course of action upon which the powers-that-be have chosen to eliminate the possibility of nuclear conflict being triggered over earth’s most coveted city. World leaders consider Jerusalem the trigger to Armageddon; they will do whatever it takes to defuse that trigger.

Nations in Prophecy Specifically Indicated

God’s Prophetic Word, in addition to predicting in overall or general terms about the nations and their individual dispositions just before Christ’s return, gets quite specific, even if through description rather than using the modern names of countries at the end of days. We will look at the scriptural passages we believe refer to the nations in prophecy, then analyze the most recent disposition of each of those countries, in present-day terms. European Union

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:26-27).

Daniel was given the prophecy for the very end of human history as it is presently known. Daniel prophesies that the “prince that shall come,” Antichrist, who will come out of the people who destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple, Roman Empire, will guarantee the implementation of a covenant of peace between Israel and its enemies. Great world turmoil will follow that action, until the very end (at the second advent of Jesus Christ).

Those who destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple came from the region now inhabited by the nations of Europe and a few Mediterranean areas. Rome is the very heart of where the ancient Roman Empire resided. Antichrist will come out of an area near the center of that general geographical location. The European Union (EU) is comprised of a unification of 25 countries that now represent a growing world power. The EU, many prophecy students believe, forms the matrix out of which the Antichrist regime, as indicated in Revelation, Chapter 13, will grow to become the worst tyrannical government ever to exist upon Planet Earth.

The European Parliament meets on a regular basis now, in many instances usurping national autonomy and sovereignty of the European states that are members of the EU. Some believe the 10-kings economic power bloc prophesied to develop during the tribulation, or just before the tribulation begins, will grow from the EU, which will be its nucleus: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Rev. 17:12-13). It is wise to observe developments such as the North American Union (NAU) and other such powerful economic trading blocs, in considering this prophecy.

Russia

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords”" (Ezek. 38:1-4).

Although there is considerable controversy over the ancient names given in Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog war prophecies, there is sufficient etymological evidence to conclude that Rosh is the ancient name of the modern nation we know as Russia. Likewise, the other names of the ancient geographical areas have been scrupulously examined, so as to give confidence that Russia and its leader will be the culprits that will lead this massive end-time attack on Israel and the Middle East, in order to take a ‘great spoil.’

China and the Orient

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared” (Rev. 16:12).

This prophecy, scheduled to coincide with Armageddon when all the armies of the world will be gathered in the Valley of Jezreel, almost certainly will include the modern nation of China. I view that coming juggernaut as the king of the kings of the east ‘the leader of all countries of the oriental world. This Revelation 16 prophecy correlates to Revelation 9: 16-18. China exerts hegemony today over its neighbors. It is a growing international player, harboring strength and potential that will soon vault it into superpower class, equivalent to the US and the EU. China’s leadership is still an oligarchy that is maintained and perpetuated by an ever-increasing military. This force is destined “I believe Bible prophecy predicts’to eventuate in the 200-million-man army prophesied in Revelation chapter 9.

Syria

‘the burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isa. 17:1).

Syria, under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad, hasn’t improved in its attitude toward the much-hated Israel from the days that nation was under the dictatorship of his father, Hafez al-Assad. The country hosts the headquarters of every major terrorist organization in the Middle East. A prophecy that draws interest of prophecy watchers today is the one above. Damascus, capital of Syria, is prophetically scheduled to be completely destroyed, with no chance of becoming a city again. That, of course, smacks of nuclear destruction. There is little doubt that Israel, with nuclear weapons, could accomplish that foretelling with one bomb.

Iran and Others

“Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet” (Ezek. 38:5).

Iran, occupying much of territory that was encompassed by ancient Persia, is front and center in the news today. The Ezekiel Gog-Magog prophecy says they will be at the forefront of invading to the south toward Israel to take great ‘spoil’. We are left to postulate, of course, that the ‘spoil’ might be the oil ‘the vast petroleum deposits throughout the region. Certainly, it looks as if the thirst for oil might be a catalyst in bringing all nations to Armageddon.

Turkey

“Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee” (Ezek. 38: 6).

Again we run into controversy when considering the names mentioned here in the Ezekiel Gog-Magog prophecy. Togarmah is most often put forward as the area that now has at its center modern Turkey. Gomer is thought to be parts north and east, in the Mediterranean and east European regions. Turkey is in flux, politically. It is torn between government factions that are secular and at the same time Islamic in nature. The secular, supported by the military, has proven to be the power that rules. The Islamics have recently taken political power, however, but still are controlled by the army generals. Turkey, we believe, will one day join the Islamic world in marching with Russia and the other nations in the Gog-Magog attack on Israel.

Egypt

Strangely, little is prophesied about Egypt for the end-time period just before Christ’s return. There are Scriptures to indicate that Egypt will yet receive blessings from the Lord “but during the millennial era, which will follow the tribulation.

Saudi, England, and Others

‘sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezek. 38:13).

These nations seemingly will observe the Gog-Magog attack from the sidelines. There seems no more opposition offered from them than diplomatic notes of protest. They will not resist the attack. Sheba and Sedan seem to be Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations; perhaps the Emirates and small countries of the Persian Gulf area. The “merchants of Tarshish” and her “young lions” have long been interpreted ‘through considerable study’to be the area of the “land of tin” where England, in particular, is presently located. The young lions are thought to be the nations that have come into existence by breaking away from Britain. The United States would qualify as one of the young lions, as would, for example, Australia. As things presently shape up, it is hard to believe that such a massive attack as prophesied by Ezekiel would be allowed to take place by such nuclear powers as Great Britain “and particularly” the United States. Many believe the rapture of the Church could so confuse leadership of these nations as to make them temporarily incapable of organizing military opposition to the assault into the Middle East by Russia and her coalition hordes.

Iraq

“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (Rev. 18:2-6).

I suggest you also read Zechariah, Chapter 5. That prophecy foretells a time when the concentration of the geopolitical evil of the world will be drawn back to the land of ancient Babylon. The heart of that area is, of course, present-day Iraq. There can be little argument against the fact that the news eyes and ears of the world are concentrated each and every hour of each day upon that region. The United States and its coalition partners”e.g., the leaders”are in a quandary. If they stay in the region to protect the Iraqi government, which obviously couldn’t protect itself against incessant Islamic fanatics, they continue to draw the ire of the world, the political flames fanned by a liberal press that hates the U.S. administration that put the troops there. If the forces are withdrawn, the great oil reserves might fall to diabolist nations “led by the likes of Iran. Babylon is foretold to be a city again, one that will be destroyed in a single hour. Many prophecy scholars disagree with this view, believing that the Babylon of prophecy yet future will be perhaps the greatest (wealthiest and most influential) city of its day, but not the Babylon of antiquity.

Israel

‘the burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem” (Zech. 12:1-2).

Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, have been at the eye of the growing geopolitical storm since its re-birth into modern statehood on May 14, 1948. Every camera and microphone is focused upon and attuned to that nation while it sits upon a powder keg of potential nuclear conflict. The nation, a tiny sliver of land in a vast region promised it by God, has become marginalized to the point it is rapidly becoming hated by most every other country on earth. This is exactly what God predicts. The United States is Israel’s only real friend in a growingly hostile world. When the rapture occurs, and much of the nucleus of support for Israel is instantly gone, God will deal with His chosen people, and with those who will try to destroy them: “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zech. 12:3).

1 A Look at Bible Covenants and Their Meanings, by Charles L. Monk; posted 2/22/03 (Category: Bible Studies; source: Sugar Land Bible Church COVENANTS – 1987).