A. I can’t prove this from the Bible, but it’s my belief that the End Times judgments, beginning in a small way with the so-called birth pangs, will serve a dual purpose.   In addition to being the means of punishment for the unbelieving world they will also be preparing Earth for its restoration to the way it was when Adam was created.  I believe that’s why the return of the Lord is sometimes called the renewal (regeneration, restoration, restitution)) of all things, as in Matt. 19:28 and Acts 3:21.

Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the Covenant of the LORD. It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

I thought this passage meant the Ark no longer exists.

A. It quite possibly doesn’t exist now, and may never be seen on earth again.  It hasn’t been seen since Jeremiah’s time (600 BC) and won’t be present in the coming Temple.  I was answering a question about making a new one from the perspective of the Temple Institute. They say there’s no plan to make one because the old one still exists and they know where it is.

A.  As a result of the current global financial crisis we are closer to a global currency and a form of global government than any one realizes.  If the world doesn’t recover soon, or if another financial crisis hits (as is being predicted) everything is already in place for these changes to occur.  I assure you, people in various governments are working around the clock to prepare for this.  Remember how fast the Soviet Union collapsed? It could happen just that quickly, and when it does there will be no prior announcement.  People will look back and see the warning signs they failed to recognize earlier but by then it will be too late.

A. The simplest thing to do is remind them who’s in control here.  Paul called Satan the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4) and John said, “We know we are children of God but the whole world is under control of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) God didn’t create the world to have periodic natural disasters.  These all came after sin was introduced into the world and are consequences we have to live with now, along with sickness, disease, wars, famine and other life threatening events.

Jesus said that the increase in frequency and severity of these disasters would be a sign that the end of the age is coming.  It’s one of the warning signs that it’s time to get right with God before it’s too late.  The judgments that are coming will make the current disasters seem like the good old days.

El siguiente artículo no tiene la intención de ser profético. Lo único que puedo decir con seguridad es que la idea de escribirlo me llegó del Señor. Pero con la rapidez con que las cosas se están desarrollando en estos días, creo que es bueno tener alguna perspectiva sobre los eventos bíblicos que pueden afectar nuestras vidas en los próximos 12 meses. Este será un buen seguimiento sobre nuestro repaso del año 2009.

La Batalla Del Salmo 83… Es Probable

Algo grande parece que se está cocinando en las fronteras norte y sur de Israel. Se informa que en el sur, Egipto y los EE.UU. se están alineando con Israel. El plan que tienen es expulsar a Hamas del poder que tiene en Gaza. Egipto se encuentra construyendo un muro de hierro a lo largo de su frontera para prevenir que los palestinos penetren en el desierto de Sinaí. Aquí se encuentran en juego dos factores de motivación. Uno es que los EE.UU. pareciera que están determinados a ser el agente para obtener un acuerdo de paz este año. Para lograr esto, Hamas debe ser quitado de en medio para que Mamud Abas pueda ser el líder indiscutible de los palestinos. Y lo segundo es el hecho de que al Qaeda está formando una fuerte presencia en Gaza, y Egipto ve esto como un peligro nacional. Ya hay algunas personas que le dicen a Gaza el nuevo Yemen.

Los expertos israelitas de las universidades de Jerusalén y Tel Aviv creen fuertemente que en el norte Irán se está preparando para adelantarse a un ataque militar en contra de su programa nuclear atacando de primero a Israel, utilizando para ello a Hezbolá y a varias milicias palestinas desde Líbano como sus apoderados. Estos expertos dicen que con esta movida de Irán Israel se sentirá justificado para lanzar una guerra de proporciones sin precedentes en contra de Hezbolá y Líbano, destruyendo totalmente su capacidad militar durante los próximos años. Ellos predicen que con la resolución actual del presente liderazgo israelita, solamente les tomaría entre unas 5 a 6 semanas para liquidar a Hezbolá y desmantelar el ejército libanés.

También creen que el gobierno de Netanyahu utilizará la oportunidad para ampliar esta guerra y alcanzar Damasco y el norte de Siria, destruyendo los programas sirios de armas químicas y nucleares en el proceso. A raíz de estos dramáticos sucesos, Siria y Líbano no tendrán más remedio que firmar un tratado de paz bajo los términos de Israel. (Fuente: Hamid Ghoriafi, periodista y analista sobre el Medio Oriente, en un reportaje al Consejo de Coordinación Libanés Canadiense.)

Si esto sucede de esa manera eso explicaría el porqué ninguna de estas entidades fue nombrada en la lista de las naciones combatientes de Ezequiel.

La Batalla de Ezequiel 38… No es Probable

Al leer la mente de Magog (Rusia), Dios dijo, “Dirás: Subiré contra una tierra indefensa, iré contra gentes tranquilas que habitan confiadamente; todas ellas habitan sin muros, y no tienen cerrojos ni puertas; para arrebatar despojos y para tomar botín, para poner tus manos sobre las tierras desiertas ya pobladas, y sobre el pueblo recogido de entre las naciones, que se hace de ganado y posesiones, que mora en la parte central de la tierra.

Sabá y Dedán, y los mercaderes de Tarsis y todos sus príncipes, te dirán: ¿Has venido a arrebatar despojos? ¿Has reunido tu multitud para tomar botín, para quitar plata y oro, para tomar ganados y posesiones, para tomar grandes despojos?” (Ezequiel 38:11-13).

Existen tres factores que están en contra de que esta batalla de Ezequiel suceda este año. Primero, Turquía no ha podido cambiar su alianza con Europa e irse hacia las tiendas del Islam, a pesar de que esto puede suceder muy pronto.

Segundo, Israel aun no tiene la riqueza necesaria para convertirse en un blanco tentador para Rusia, como lo requiere Ezequiel 38:13. El descubrimiento de muchos miles de millones de dólares en gas natural fuera de las costas del Mediterráneo, y el reciente descubrimiento de petróleo cerca de Tel Aviv, puede ser el móvil suficiente para que este requisito se cumpla también.

Pero lo tercero y más importante es que Israel no está viviendo en un descuidado estado de percepción de paz, y tampoco ha desmantelado su muro protector que lo divide de los palestinos, ni ha bajado su guardia en ninguna otra forma. Al contrario, los militares acaban de concluir unas exitosas pruebas de su barrera protectora de misiles “Domo de Hierro” para prepararse a instalarla. Mientras Israel desea sinceramente la paz, el país desconfía de un ataque y de hecho se está preparando ya sea para ser atacado por Hezbolá, o lanzar un ataque en contra de Irán, o ambos.

Las últimas noticias del Departamento de Estado de los EE.UU. indican que los EE.UU. pueden haber abandonado sus esfuerzos para imponer nuevas sanciones económicas a Irán, y para todos los propósitos prácticos, han dejado únicamente la opción militar. Yo realmente creo que a menos que las ambiciones nucleares de Irán sean reducidas de alguna otra manera, los israelitas estarán buscando una oportunidad para hacerse cargo del asunto ellos mismos y por lo tanto, no serán tomados por sorpresa este año.

Los Cuatro Jinetes del Apocalipsis… No Es Probable

Durante muchos años las personas se han estado preguntando si ya nos encontramos dentro de los juicios de los sellos de Apocalipsis 6. Hacen estas preguntas debido a que algunos les han enseñado que los primeros sellos ya se han abierto. Pero la apertura de los sellos de los juicios requiere que se haya iniciado la Semana Setenta de Daniel, y eso no puede suceder sino hasta que Israel esté oficialmente de regreso en una relación de pacto con Dios. Eso significa que Dios se habría revelado a ellos al derrotar a sus atacantes en la batalla de Ezequiel 38 (Ezequiel 39:21-22). Nos ayuda recordar que desde el capítulo 6 hasta el capítulo 19 del Libro de Apocalipsis encontramos un comentario sobre la Semana Setenta de Daniel, un período de tiempo durante el cual la Iglesia no está presente en la Tierra.

Los EE.UU. Declinarán Aún Más… Es Probable

Puesto que los EE.UU. no se mencionan en la profecía de los últimos días, y a pesar de que han sido la potencia dominante en el mundo durante casi todas nuestras vidas, una mayor declinación durante el 2010 es probable. Las razones para creer que los EE.UU. se volverán cada vez más irrelevantes conforme se acerca el fin de los tiempos, son las siguientes.

Más y más “expertos” están diciendo que la recesión no solamente no ha terminado sino que será aun mayor en este año 2010, arrastrando otra importante sección de la economía. El continuar produciendo más dinero de la nada para cubrir el déficit exponencial eventualmente nos va a alcanzar y cuando eso suceda los precios van a empezar a aumentar rápidamente conforme el dólar pierde más valor del poco que le queda. Algunos dicen que empezaremos a ver los efectos de esto en el 2010. Están saliendo a la superficie inmensas irregularidades sobre la distribución del dinero de “rescate” las cuales es probable que erosionen aun más la confianza en lo que nuestro gobierno nos está diciendo.

Lo que es más enervante de todo es la falta de información confiable proveniente de cualquier fuente. Los liberales dicen que lo peor ya pasó y que las cosas están mejorando. Los conservadores dicen que aun no hemos visto el final todavía y que las cosas se están poniendo peor. Con la prensa liberal dentro del bolsillo del gobierno y los locos de la derecha diciéndonos que compremos armas y que encontremos alguna cueva para escondernos, ¿en dónde está la voz de la razón que nos pueda dar la historia correcta? ¿O es que nadie la sabe?

Los expertos están empezando a admitir que ningún partido político tiene la voluntad que se requiere para salvar a los EE.UU. de la ruina económica. La única pregunta es cuánto faltará para que terminemos de auto destruirnos. Algunas personas están diciendo que a finales del 2010 nuestra situación puede ser peor de la que tenemos en este momento.

El Rapto De La Iglesia… Es Probable

En estos días cualquier conversación sobre los eventos venideros tiene que incluir el Rapto de la Iglesia. Decir que no es probable que suceda en este año 2010 sería engañoso, porque con cada día que pasa se vuelve más y más probable. A pesar de que el momento del Rapto se basa en la cantidad de miembros que conforman la Iglesia (Romanos 11:25) y, por lo tanto, no en una fecha, sí hay otras fechas que nos ofrecen pistas de lo cerca que nos encontramos de este evento.

En Mateo 24:34 Jesús dijo que en efecto la generación que naciera en el momento de las primeras señales del final de los tiempos, aun estaría viva para la Segunda Venida. La primera señal es casi universalmente reconocida como el renacimiento de Israel en 1948. “Y yo os tomaré de las naciones, y os recogeré de todas las tierras, y os traeré a vuestro país” (Ezequiel 36:24). Del Salmo 90:10 nos enteramos que a pesar de que algunas personas pueden vivir más tiempo, el lapso promedio de vida es cerca de los 70 años. 70 años desde el año 1948 nos coloca en el año 2018. Tanto Romanos 11:25 como Hechos 15:13-18 indican que las setenta semanas de Daniel se interrumpieron 7 años antes del período prometido de 490 años, y se reanudarán después de que el Señor haya removido Su Iglesia de entre los gentiles. Restándole 7 años a 2018 nos coloca en una fecha para el Rapto cercana al año 2011. Y puesto que ese evento puede suceder en cualquier momento, y sucederá antes que empiece la Semana Setenta de Daniel, de una manera realista podemos esperar que el Rapto suceda en cualquier momento ahora.

Cada persona judía sueña en celebrar la Pascua en Jerusalén algún día, por eso es que al finalizar el Séder de la Pascua, tradicionalmente se ofrece un brindis. Todos los presentes alzan sus copas y beben para que ese sueño se cumpla diciendo, “¡El próximo año en Jerusalén!” Quizás en las reuniones de las iglesias los cristianos puedan alzar sus copas y brindar, “¡El próximo año en la Nueva Jerusalén!” Puede que suceda. Ya casi se escuchan por pasos del Mesías. 09/01/10

A. Yes, I do think God has been using the US to protect Israel, and I think as we’ve begun to limit that protection we’ve suffered for it.  Now we’re threatening to withhold loan guarantees in an effort to force Israel to negotiate with a so-called peace partner who refuses to negotiate. We don’t seem to understand that as we withdraw our support for Israel, God withdraws His blessing from us. Speaking of Israel, God said, “I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you, I will curse “ (Genesis 12:2).  Following through on this new strategy will guarantee that 2010 will be worse for the US than 2009 was.

The following is not intended as prophecy. The only thing I can safely say I got from the Lord is the idea to write it. But with things happening so quickly these days I think it’s good to get some perspective on Biblical events that may affect our lives in the coming 12 months. It’ll be a good follow-up to our recap of 2009.

The Battle of Psalm 83 … Likely.

Something big seems to be brewing on both Israel’s northern and southern borders. In the south, Egypt and the US are said to be teaming up with Israel. Their plan is to drive Hamas from power in Gaza. Egypt is already building an iron wall along its border to prevent Palestinian entry into the Sinai desert. There are 2 motivating factors at play. One is that the US seems determined to broker a peace agreement this year. To accomplish this, Hamas has to be taken out of the way so Mahmoud Abbas can be the undisputed leader of the Palestinians. The second is the fact that al Qaida is building a strong presence in Gaza. Egypt sees this as a national threat. Some are already calling Gaza the new Yemen.

Israeli experts at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Universities strongly believe that in the north, Iran is preparing to preempt a military attack against its nuclear program by going to war against Israel, using Hezbollah and several other Palestinian militias from Lebanon as proxies. These experts say that such a move by Iran will give Israel the needed justification to wage a destructive war of unprecedented proportions against both Hezbollah and Lebanon, totally crippling their capabilities for many years to come. They predict that with the resolve of Israel’s current leadership it will only take them 5-6 weeks to liquidate Hezbollah and dismantle the Lebanese Army.

They also believe the Netanyahu government will use the opportunity to widen this war to include Damascus and Northern Syria, wiping out Syria’s chemical and nuclear programs in the process. In the wake of all these dramatic events, Syria and Lebanon will have no other option but to sign a peace treaty on Israel’s terms. (Source: Hamid Ghoriafi, journalist and Middle East analyst in a report to the Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council.)

If this happens it will explain why none of these entities was named in Ezekiel’s roster of enemy combatants.

The Battle of Ezekiel 38 … Not Likely

Reading Magog’s (Russia’s) mind God said, “You will say, ‘I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.’ ”

“Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?’ “ (Ezekiel 38:11-13)

Three factors argue against Ezekiel’s Battle coming this year. First, Turkey hasn’t yet completed its change of allegiance from Europe to the camp of Islam, although this could be completed very soon.

Second, Israel hasn’t acquired the wealth necessary to make it a tempting target to Russia, as required by Ezekiel 38:13. The multi-billion dollar gas strike off the Mediterranean coast, and the recent discovery of oil near Tel Aviv could soon provide sufficient motivation to meet this requirement as well.

But third and most importantly, Israel is not living carelessly in a state of perceived peace, and has neither dismantled the security wall that divides it from the Palestinians, nor relaxed its guard in any other way. On the contrary, the military has just concluded successful tests of its “Iron Dome” missile shield in preparation for installation. While Israel sincerely desires peace, the country is not unsuspecting of attack, and is in fact preparing to either receive one from Hizbollah, or launch one against Iran or both.

Current news out of the State Department indicates that the US may have abandoned its effort to impose stronger economic sanctions on Iran, for all practical purposes leaving only the military option. I really think that unless Iran’s nuclear ambitions are curtailed in some other fashion, the Israelis will be looking for an opportunity to take care of the matter themselves and therefore will not be taken by surprise this year.

The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse … Not Likely

For several years people have been asking if we’re in the Seal Judgments of Rev. 6. They ask these questions because some teachers say the first seals are already open. But the opening of the seal judgments requires the 70th Week of Daniel to have begun, and that can’t happen until Israel is officially back in a covenant relationship with God. That means God will have revealed Himself to them by defeating their attackers in the Battle of Ezekiel 38 (Ezek. 39:21-22) It’s helpful to remember that from chapter 6 thru chapter 19, the Book of Revelation is a commentary on Daniel’s 70th Week, a period of time during which the Church is not present on Earth.

Further Decline Of The US … Likely

Since the US is not mentioned in End Times prophecy, although it’s been a dominant world power for nearly all of our life times, its further decline in 2010 is likely. Here’s why I think the US will be increasingly irrelevant as the End Times approach.

More and more “experts” are saying that the recession is not only not over but in 2010 will take an even larger bite out of our economy. Continuing to create money out of thin air to cover our soaring deficit will eventually catch up with us and when it does prices will begin to increase rapidly as the dollar loses what little value it still has. Some say we’ll begin to see the effects of this in 2010. Massive irregularities in the distribution of “bail-out” money are coming to the surface and are likely to further erode our confidence in what our government is telling us.

Most unnerving of all is the lack of trustworthy information from any source. Liberals say the worst is over and things are getting better. Conservatives say we haven’t seen the end yet and things will get worse. With the liberal media pretty much in the government’s pocket and the whackos on the right telling us to buy some guns and find a cave to hide in, where’s the voice of reason to give us the straight story? Or doesn’t any body know?

Experts are beginning to admit that neither political party has the will to do what’s required to save the US from economic ruin. The only question is how long it will take for us to self destruct. Some are saying that by the end of 2010 our situation may well be far worse than it is today.

The Rapture Of The Church … Likely

These days, any talk of coming events has to include the Rapture of the Church. To say that it’s unlikely to happen in 2010 would be misleading, because with each passing day it becomes more and more likely. Even though the timing of the rapture is based upon the number of Church members (Romans 11:25) and not a date, there are other dates that offer clues as to how close we’re coming.

In Matt. 24:34 Jesus said in effect that the generation being born at the time of the first End Times signs would still be alive at the 2nd Coming. The first sign is almost universally recognized as the re-birth of Israel in 1948. “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24). From Psalm 90:10 we learn that although some may live longer, an average lifespan is about 70 years. 70 years from 1948 would be 2018. Both Romans 11:25 and Acts 15:13-18 indicate that the 70 Weeks of Daniel, interrupted 7 years short of its promised 490 year duration, would resume after the Lord has taken His Church from among the gentiles. Subtracting 7 years from 2018 puts the latest time for the rapture sometime in 2011. Since it could happen at any time, and will happen before Daniel’s 70th week begins, we can realistically look for the rapture any time now.

Every Jewish person dreams of one day celebrating Passover in Jerusalem and so at the end of the Passover Seder, a final toast is traditionally offered. Everyone raises their glass and drinks to the fulfillment of that dream, saying, “Next year in Jerusalem!” Maybe in Church gatherings during 2010 Christians will begin raising their glasses to the toast, “Next year in the New Jerusalem!” It could happen. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 01-09-10

A. This hasn’t become law yet, and there will likely be more changes before it does.  But no matter what happens remember this.  The Bible tells us to obey our leaders and pay our taxes (Romans 13:1-7), giving to Caesar that which is Caesars (Matt. 22:21). Certainly both Jesus and Paul knew that governments are corrupt and leaders are disrespectful to God and disobedient where His laws are concerned.  You can rest assured they will be held accountable for their behavior including how they use the money raised through taxes.  But by obeying God’s word, we will not be condemned.

9th Annual Update January 2010

There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and currently all of them are in some stage of fulfillment.  As in years past, I’ll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.

1. Israel Will Be In The Land… Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21

For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land .

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.

In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us.   Isaiah 11:11-12,  Ezekiel 36:8-12 and Amos 9:14-15 had also clearly foretold this.  Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).

The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting even more influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 62 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it’s clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel’s enemies, both physical and spiritual, won’t let up until they’ve either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God’s view).

This past year we’ve seen unparalleled efforts by friend and foe alike to diminish both Israel’s influence and its size.  Much of the attack has been focused on the capital city, Jerusalem.  The new leadership in the USA, traditionally one of Israel’s most loyal allies, has caused many to doubt its willingness to stand with Israel by calling East Jerusalem occupied territory and demanding that no more Jewish homes be built there.  At year’s end the European Union called for an official declaration dividing Jerusalem to make way for a future Palestinian State to have part of the city as its capital.  And several Middle Eastern countries are said to be working with the Palestinians to introduce a UN resolution that will unilaterally declare a Palestinian state on Israeli land, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

But try as these nations might to destroy Israel, God has a different outcome in mind for Israel.

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12)

“You, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.  I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,  and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.  I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children. (Ezekiel 36:8-12)

“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)

And the nations who tried to divide Israel?

I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. (Joel 3:2)

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands… Luke 21:24

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end (Luke 21:24). Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and scholars saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun.  The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills.  Nearly every Israeli leader has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel’s capital, but the unbelieving leaders of the world are just as resolutely determined to divide it.  Behind all this of course is a spiritual battle of massive proportions.  While there’s no doubt as to the out come, the battle will be a fierce one.

I’ve come to believe that Jerusalem won’t really be free of Gentile “trampling” until the Lord returns.  Daniel’s prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom (Daniel 2:36-45), Zechariah’s prophecy of the city being captured and divided just before the Lord’s return (Zech. 14:2), and John’s observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great Tribulation all confirm this.

The ongoing fulfillment of these major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel’s re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land.  But that date proved wrong as well.

The problem is, the Lord didn’t promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 an average Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to 1948, not 40.

As it draws nearer, the approximate timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it’s about seven years away. (Daniel 9:27) Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens shortly after that. (Matt. 24:15,21 & 2 Thes. 2:4)  But even so, the Lord did state quite clearly that those alive on Earth at the end of the Great Tribulation would not know the exact day or hour of His coming until He actually appeared.  (Matt. 24:42 & 44, 25:13)

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land… Ezek. 38:2-6

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army–your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops–the many nations with you.”

Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.)  Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor.  A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most radical Islamic groups.  (For a detailed explanation of the modern nations to which these Biblical names refer, read “An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)

The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia’s barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord’s hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they’ll be used to build bombs, too. Some experts claim that Iran will become a nuclear power this coming year, but others think a bomb is still a year or two off.  Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but don’t be surprised if the US continues to back away from its similar promise, even though at year end the language coming out of Washington seems to be getting tougher again.  I read recently that Pres. Obama and PM Netanyahu have agreed on delaying talk of military action until the spring of 2010 to give the next round of sanctions a chance.  Netanyahu had previously announced a Dec. 2009 deadline for evidence of diplomatic progress.

Russia has also formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, and has become Turkey’s 2nd largest trading partner after Germany.  They’ve sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and are building a major military seaport in northern Syria, in preparation for moving components of their Black Sea fleet there.  In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria.   Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site, first in the series Russia has promised to build.

The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is “a peaceful and unsuspecting people” (Ezekiel 38:11).  This certainly is not the case today, but in Psalm 83 there’s a yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that appears to involve all of Israel’s next door neighbors in another unsuccessful attempt to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. The psalmist pleads with the Lord to intervene and defeat Israel’s attackers. If this happens, it will help explain why none of them are named in Ezekiel’s list of antagonists, and how Israel could be living in a perceived state of safety as Ezekiel 38:11 requires.  Two of Israel’s neighbors, Hamas and Hizbollah are making frantic preparations for war and are on record as saying they expect one soon.  Not surprisingly, these preparations are being bought and paid for by Iran.

But two other pre-requisites for Ezekiel’s battle are clearly being met.  The Gaza war strained Israel’s relationship with Turkey to the breaking point, and as I’ve shown Turkey will be on the Moslem side in Ezekiel’s battle.  Public support in Turkey for membership in the EU is also declining, another sign that attitudes toward the West are changing.  Turkey’s Prime minister Erdogan believes Turkey’s destiny is to rebuild the Ottoman Empire into the new Middle Eastern powerhouse. He’s getting cozy with Iran and Syria to accomplish this.  It won’t be long before Turkey lands solidly in the camp of the Moslem coalition.  Israel’s recent offshore natural gas discovery, said to be of  “historic” proportions, could create the wealth necessary to make Israel an attractive target, fulfilling the prophecy of  Ezekiel 38:13 that Russia will be looking for plunder.  Till now Israel really hasn’t had any wealth to speak of, but the natural gas discovery is worth billions, and in the past few weeks oil has been found near Tel Aviv as well. There’s no specific information yet on how big the strike might be, but it could be significant and it already has people excited.

I believe that the removal of the US as Israel’s powerful ally is also necessary to pave the way for Ezekiel’s battle, because I don’t think the Moslem coalition will attack until they’re sure the US won’t retaliate.  Any one of several scenarios currently being played out could accomplish this, especially since our national policy toward Israel is already changing.  A deepening recession could turn the nation inward again and cause us to lose interest in defending Israel.  Further decline of the dollar on world markets could even render us financially unable to do so.  The funds would have to be borrowed, and our ability to repay current debt is already being questioned.  The threat or actual occurrence of a major terrorist attack could cause us to stand down.   And finally, the Rapture of the Church could deprive the US of both the leadership and manpower to respond.  Any one of these would mean serious trouble for the US and all of them have a better than average probability of coming to pass in the coming years.  In summary, it’s a whole lot easier to see the US abandoning its commitment to Israel than it was just a short time ago.

When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge As A Political Force… Rev 17:9-10

“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.” (This one is a little obscure if you don’t know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD, there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.)

Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel’s time forward (Egypt and Assyria had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue representing the four remaining Kingdoms.  Babylon was the head of gold. Persia was the chest and arms of silver.  Greece was the belly and thighs of bronze, followed by the two appearances of Rome, two legs of iron (Biblical Rome) and two feet of iron mixed with clay (the revived Roman Empire).  Read it carefully and you’ll find some interesting things in the description of the two feet upon which the statue stands.  In the first place iron and clay don’t mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together, but the language describes a clay that’s made of dust and already baked … hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You can’t make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere.

The two iron legs of the statue describe the two divisions of the Roman Empire of Biblical times, Western and Eastern. Today the territory of the Western division is occupied by Europe, while the Eastern territory holds the Islamic countries of the Middle East.  They’re the two feet of iron mixed with clay.  Both divisions are steadily becoming more and more powerful.   Some experts insist that the combined defeats spoken of in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will render the Eastern (Islamic) leg incapable of becoming part of the World Empire of the End Times.  But rough estimates indicate that as little as 15% of the Islamic world will be represented by the forces aligned against Israel, and remember it’s only their soldiers who die in battle, not their total populations.  And besides, Daniel had both the statue’s feet in view in chapter 2 so both divisions of the Roman Empire have to be present at the End of the Age.  The next step will be an uneasy alliance between these two divisions.  Daniel’s use of iron and pottery in their makeup speaks to the difficulty the Western and Eastern cultures will have in remaining united.  But the fact that Daniel only identified four empires means the last one can only be some form of ancient Rome.  (I find it interesting that with the inroads Islam has already made in western Europe, some commentators have begun calling it “Eurabia”.)

5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion… Rev 13:8

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Make no mistake about it. Islam is the major religious force in the world today and their goal is nothing less than world domination, by any means necessary. It’s the world’s fastest growing religion and is second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Already nearly one out of every four inhabitants of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe or why.  I’m no prophet, but as I look into the future, it’s much easier for me to see Islam riding its current wave of momentum to fill the void left by the departure of the Church than it is to imagine some watered  down mix of apostate Christianity and New Age Mysticism doing so.

Much has been written recently about al Mahdi, a figure out of Moslem prophecies that are strikingly similar to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. Both show a leader coming on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth.  Both depict him as man of peace who will have a seven year reign, head up a one world religion and one world government, and claim supernatural origins.  Both prophecies culminate in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth’s final judgment.  It’s as they’re pointing to the same person. The difference is that in Islam he’s a good guy, while the Bible calls him evil.

Take this charismatic political and religious leader with his supernatural power, add the widely held but incorrect belief that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and then subtract the spirit of discernment that will disappear with the Church and you can see how he could be the straw that a world on the brink of disaster grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single Government… Rev 13:3

The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

The last US presidential election showed how quickly a fearful and disillusioned people will get behind someone who promises to change things.  When you look at the shape of the world it doesn’t take much to imagine circumstances getting to a point where the whole world will agree to follow a leader who will promise to bring order out of chaos.   Whether it’s Global Warming (now called Climate Change) or the decline of the US dollar,  the one solution everyone is talking about is some form of one world government. With the things that already threaten world stability getting worse by the day, how much more frantic will people be after millions of their neighbors suddenly disappear without warning or explanation, and there’s been a nuclear exchange that brings destruction from Europe through the Middle East and into Russia? All it will take is a leader who can persuade people he can fix things to bring this prophecy to fulfillment.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City In World Affairs… Rev 18:2-3

With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

You may not know it, but Babylon is being made ready to accept its destiny as a city of power in the end times.  It’s just a ceremonial city right now, but 20 years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of Babylon standing there on the banks of the Euphrates again.  Now there’s a concerted effort underway to complete what Saddam Hussein began and  return Babylon to world prominence.  The government of Iraq has decided that making Babylon an international tourist destination is in the country’s best interest, and the US has agreed to underwrite a feasibility study to see how this could be accomplished.

You may think that being little more than a tourist attraction  is a far cry from being a center of world power, but not too long ago some of Iraq’s new political leaders were calling for their nation’s capital to be moved to Babylon, too. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was Saddam’s capital, and the new Iraq needs a new capital, more consistent with its heritage. Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital of Iraq would be a giant step toward achieving its transformation into a center of power.

Because of Babylon’s current lack of importance in the world, some students of prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment of its destruction in Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA or some city therein as a logical candidate.  But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9 John describes “mystery Babylon” as seated on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved “to the plains of Shinar” a reference to ancient Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can’t switch from literal to allegorical interpretations of Scripture without clear direction, and where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists. In fact the opposite is true.

Birth Pains

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matt. 24:6-8)

Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS … According to intelligence reports that include all our current wars as well as conflicts where a cease fire exists but are still unresolved, 47 wars are currently being fought around the world.  But some reports say there may be as many as 200 additional disputes threatening to erupt into armed conflict.

THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS … More frequent and more severe hurricanes, more frequent and more intense earthquakes continue to dot the news.  According to the USGS there were 73 “significant” earthquakes around the world in 2009.   This compares with 58 in 2008 and 55 in 2007. (Source: www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews)

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS … The Magnetic Polar Reversal, predicted by computer model for 2012 is gaining more attention since its likelihood was first announced.  While the effects of a Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been observed by mankind, it has apparently happened in the distant past.  What’s unique this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal at the same time. What this means is that while the Sun will be experiencing its most intense radioactive storms, Earth’s magnetic field (that protects us from these Sun storms) will be at its weakest and may even be non-existent in some parts of the world.  No one knows the extent of the damage this could cause, but based on expert opinion I’ve speculated that the combined effects of the 2 polar reversals could fulfill the 6th Seal judgment of Revelation 6 and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits into the early stages of Daniel’s 70th Week that I believe will begin sometime in 2011.

PESTILENCE… Not only new diseases like HIV and SARS, but also the return of old ones like Whooping cough. The big news this year was the swine flu which has so far failed to materialize into the pandemic experts were predicting.

THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD … 3500 people die every day in defense of the Christian faith. Run away crime, children being abused and murdered by their parents, children killing children. Murder trials as public entertainment soon to be followed by televised executions. Ethnic cleansing, rape and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random shootings, the incidence of disrespect is enough to make you sick.

THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL NATIONS … Looking at the state of the world, it’s hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day, mostly in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles, people receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. It appears that Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its End. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant “last call” before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments.

As you know these signs from the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) are progressive and all are described as beginning well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase “beginning of birth pangs.” Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to the era but increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches.

It’s true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, “how much worse can it get?” Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, “Much!” It seems man’s depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don’t belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there. Maranatha!

A. Yes, I’ve seen it and I understand the concern.  It was written by non-believers who think Christians are destroying the chance for peace because of our “fatalistic” view that peace won’t be possible until the Lord comes back.  They don’t like the fact that the Bible tells us all the countries they’re trying to be friends with are God’s enemies, and that the one country they wish wasn’t around, Israel, is the one God says we have to be friends with.  Even though we’re right, they can’t see that and consider us to be their main obstacle to peace, due to the extent to which this view has been held among our leaders.  Eventually this will become their justification for persecuting believers. It really illustrates the difference in world-view between believers and non-believers, and it says a lot about what will happen to this country after the Church is gone.

It also proves Paul’s statement that “the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14)