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IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Undertow – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.net/post/undertow
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name… So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Revelation 13:1, 4 In the future context of Revelation 13, a beast rising up out of the sea represents the world's final governmental system. We know this is a governmental system because of the consistency in the symbolism used between Daniel 7-8 and Revelation 13, which portrays the beasts as representing literal, physical kingdoms. This could represent a coalescing of regional power blocs within a global organization like the United Nations. It has seven heads (regions of authority) and ten horns (seats of power), and ten crowns (people who sit in these seats of authority). Thus, a small body of ten leaders governs a multi-regional system united under some overarching governance. The Antichrist, who then comes from out of this group, is able to subdue three leaders (seats) and secures a majority rule, which he ends up taking over completely. (Rev. 17:9-14) It is at this particular point in time, the people will actually come to worship the beast (the government and its leader) as a god. While leader-worship is not exactly a new phenomenon (e.g., Egyptian Pharaohs, Adolph Hitler, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Barack Hussein Obama, etc.) this coming system will be different from all that came before it. So what makes it different? It seems there is both a breakthrough and a convergence with regards to technology and an unleashing of unrestrained supernatural activity. The former presumably come via breakthroughs in quantum technology and artificial intelligence. The latter, in the form of two men; the Antichrist and his False Prophet whom Satan will supernaturally empower to conquer the world. Nevertheless, it seems odd that people would resort to that sort of thing in our modern, civilized age of reason. I mean, I wouldn't condone it, but I can understand how some poor, illiterate villager in the year 1500BC, who probably never traveled further than 40 miles from where he or she was born, could come to worship a pharaoh as a demigod. It is even understandable to see in recent history, the meteoric political rises of men like Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, and Castro as possible. They were charismatic men leading revolutions. However, given the Age of Information's relentless deluge of non-stop information bombarding us on a second-by-second basis, it's hard to fathom how anyone today could come to worship another human. I could pick any leader in the world and do some kind of google search to see what they like to eat for midnight snacks. There is no privacy anymore, and these men and women who willingly thrown themselves into the spotlight will have it exposed, warts and all. Now, aside from North Korea, which mandates Kim-worship on pain of death, we really don't see that level of devotion to politicians anymore because of how hardened, skeptical, and just lazy these last few generations have become. Leader worship also doesn't exist anymore because of how incompetent and corrupt governments have become...and the people know it. So it is hard to wrap our minds around this slavish devotion to this final world government during the Tribulation. This leads to my point that something will have to significantly upset the applecart of normalcy in those days, to see this return back to the level of pharaoh worship. More on this in a second. Futurists like Ray Kurzweil (Google's Director of Engineering) have long threatened/promised this grand and glorious future where Singularity becomes the earth-shattering technological breakthrough revolutionizing human life. For those who do not know what the Singularity is, Kurzweil describes it as: The Singularity is an era in which our intelligence will become increasingly nonbiological and trillions of times more powerful than it is today—the dawning of a new civilization that will enable us to transcend our biological limitations and amplify our creativity. It could be this Singularity, but whatever shape this final technological breakthrough comes in, we know this final system comes up out of the sea of humanity…meaning, it is a transnational system. As revolutionary as this might be, technology alone would not completely change human trust and opinions on government. In fact, it would likely make it worse, considering how Orwellian they have turned out to be with issues like the War on Terror and COVID-19. There needs to be something else that both bridges the gap as well as seals the delusion...something spiritual...something otherwordly. So given this introduction, we know according to Scripture, the world is going to head in the direction of a one-world government. We also know it is not until the mid-way point that Satan actually comes down to inhabit this man we know as Antichrist. However, why does Satan wait until the midpoint? Clearly, the Antichrist is Satan’s ‘go-to’ man from the outset, but I believe (along with many others) that it is only at the midway point that a number of different events transpire simultaneously forcing Satan’s agenda in a direction he doesn’t want to go. The public death, resurrection, and rapture of the Two Witnesses, the Antichrist’s “miraculous” recovery after an assassination attempt, the angelic war in heaven, and their subsequent expulsion. After Satan is bound to earth, and then (and only then) does he personally possess this man Antichrist. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Revelation 12:12 (emphasis mine) Assessment Undertow: noun un·der·tow \-ˌtō\ 1. the current beneath the surface that sets seaward or along the beach when waves are breaking upon the shore 2. an underlying current, force, or tendency that is in opposition to what is apparent Given that premise, we should know that the frustration amongst many prophecy teachers, particularly over the past 21 years, is the frustrating mixture between the seeming immediacy of clear prophetic events such as a one-world currency/ religion/government, the Psalm 83-Ezekiel 38 wars, etc., and then the lack of fulfillment of these same prophetic events. It seems as if some prophetically significant technological breakthrough or some geopolitical event happens, and then it drops off the radar just as soon as it comes out. Juxtaposed to this, is the unstoppable march forward, making these events more of a matter of when not if. It seems then that there is a war to both move the satanic agenda forward, but also a satanic attempt to frustrate the prophetic fulfillment by trying to circumvent it through these demonically-driven machinations. It appears to me that there is a bit of foot-dragging by Satan in wanting this all to play out. On the surface, he wants to thwart God’s plan by destroying and/or corrupting humanity, however, he has also read the Book (see Luke 4:9-11) and at least peripherally understands where this is all headed. So under the surface, it would seem that he is just as engaged in slowing or reversing man's mad dash for a global government because he knows that is the end for him. This might explain the confusing prophetic signs and signals we see coming out, but then going away as if nothing happened. It might also explain Satan's massive propaganda campaign to stamp out prophetic teachings from the pulpits. Now, I am not saying that Satan agrees with the Bible, understands it, or even believes it…but at the very least, he is aware of what it says. Revelation 12:12 confirms that he knows after his heavenly expulsion, he has very little time left to fight. For instance, we know that Satan cannot see into the future, so he always has to have a man in the wings ready to play the role of The Antichrist. During the 1920s-1940s, the man seemingly being groomed for that position was Adolph Hitler. It seemed initially, that the tide of time and events were on his side until God raised up the United States to thwart his (Satan’s) plans to exterminate the Jewish race via the Final Solution. However, despite Hitler’s best efforts with the Holocaust and six million dead, what his actions really brought about was the prophetic fulfillment of the Jewish state of Israel. Had he not attempted to exterminate an entire race, the world would not have supported the political rebirth of a once-dead ancient nation. In fact, the newly formed United Nations still only supported this initiative by a very slim margin…but it was just enough for God’s purposes to work out…as predicted! (Isaiah 11:11; Amos 9:15) It was the same thing back in the first century when Satan stirred up the Sanhedrin to have the Romans crucify Jesus, not understanding, they were doing exactly what He needed them to do to conquer both hell and death (1 Cor. 2:7-8). Even the disciples had a difficult time understanding the Messiah’s true divinely appointed task and purpose, even though He told them beforehand on several occasions. They did not know because the Old Testament (OT) for the most part (one exception being Daniel 9:24-27) does not present the prophetic events linearly and/or chronologically. Prophecy in the OT is sort of all over the place, and it really does take God’s help for us to understand how the OT prophecies fit into and complete the events in the NT. This is why when Peter stated that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven (Matt. 16:17). (my emphasis) The main distinction from the OT, prophetically speaking, is how the NT presents the information. For instance, Matthew 1:21-23 points back to Isaiah 7:14 as the clear fulfillment of the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus outlines the order of end-times events chronologically in the Olivet Discourse. In his letters to the church at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul clearly outlines the order of events regarding the Rapture and the Tribulation (chapters 4-5) and again in his second epistle to them (chapter 2). The Rapture always comes before the sudden destruction. The Apostle John was given the Revelation in a highly symbolized, but also decidedly chronological and structured order of events beginning with the things he saw (the resurrected and glorified Christ), the things which are (the seven churches), and the things after this (after the Church age), which include the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments (Rev. 1:19). Then that is followed by Armageddon, the visible Second Coming, the millennial reign of Christ, and eternity-future. So compared to the OT’s Major and Minor Prophets, the New Testament is very clear, both chronologically, and contextually. True, there are still some concepts and doctrines in the NT that are not completely understandable by us mere mortals such as the Incarnation, the Trinity, and the timing of certain events, but there is definitely order and a chronological method to the makeup of the prophetic NT Scripture. Conclusion Given what the Bible has to say about Satan, we know that he was the highest order of creation before God created Adam out of the dust of the earth. We also know that he is exceedingly intelligent, deceitful, and crafty (Gen. 3:1-2, Ezekiel 28:12, Rev. 12:9). Remember that at the beginning (tower of Babel), this one-world concept was initially his. It was his evil plan then because he did not understand what God’s plan was yet. But now, Satan knows. You want to know why the world is as divided, violent, hateful, and broken as it is, it is because the last thing Satan wants is a one-world system. Do not get me wrong on this, the world has been given over to Satan (Luke 4:5-6; 1 John 5:19), and he hates God, hates Christians, and really hates the Jewish people. This is why one of the most prevalent and undisputed prophetic markers we see today is not some major war or supernatural phenomenon, but hard-heartedness, lawlessness, lovelessness, faithlessness, and apostasy. Satan realized early on, that persecution causes Christianity to spread like a wildfire…but spiritual and theological corruption…oh that was much more effective. It causes division, and his enemy is much more manageable when Satan can divide and conquer. A one-world system is what man wants and has since Babel, and man is still a free agent in this ongoing game of thrones. Satan knows where this will all lead, and he will continue to attempt to frustrate this march towards a final, one-world system until it is inevitable. At present, he is being dragged kicking and screaming out to sea. The sea, which represents this final, global system and the closer we get to it, the more it validates what the Bible says about his impending doom. Aside from the two key future technological breakthroughs happening now and into the future (quantum and AI), there have been three key technological inventions/discoveries in the past 200 years that have made this march towards globalism not only possible but inevitable. First, the harnessing of electricity. The second, the mapping of the human genome. Three, the invention of the Internet. Each of these has created monumental paradigm shifts in human history and has unlocked so much potential change, that it cannot be undone. Obviously, harnessing electricity has allowed the world to advance its technological processes. The mapping of human DNA has unlocked the potential for man to alter himself through some misguided ideals on progressive evolution. Lastly, the internet has leapfrogged man’s ability to gather, assess, and use information in ways never possible before. There is also one geopolitical issue that is a clear reaction against globalism, and that is regionalism. I know that might sound odd given the recent rise in populism and nationalism, as well as the Brexit and Donald Trump victories. Nevertheless, the world is way too interconnected these days to ever go back to that type of pre-World War I global model. We (the United States and western powers) want to partner with like-minded nations. The same goes for Islamic, socialist, and communist nations as they help propagate other like-minded countries. With that said, the march towards globalism has for the moment, swung back hard right to that of populism (and now back left again in 2021), which will lead right back to where the Bible said we would be…regionalism. This regionalism is represented by the seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns, but will eventually fall under one system led by a single man, the Antichrist. How does this happen, if Satan is actively working to postpone it? Well, like most everything else; God will force this change.
So take comfort in the knowledge that despite the chaos, despite the stop and go prophetic momentum we seem to be enduring, and despite the seemingly endless tide of evil that is flooding the world we live in…that God has us exactly where He intended us to be at this final juncture in history. My intent was not to give the devil any undue credit but to show that what we see on the surface is not always, what is really going on beneath. While I would attribute this to a Tribulation-era bible verse, it is interesting to note the fear that is rising around the world regarding the future of our planet. Also note, when it says to look up. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25-28 (emphasis mine) I don't know about you, but it's looking awful stormy outside. Better start looking up. Maranatha! The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the Pre-Tribulation Prophecies – Bill Salus - http://www.prophecydepotministries.net/2021/the-israeli-defense-forces-idf-in-the-pre-tribulation-prophecies/ From swords, shovels, axes and pitch forks, the typical weaponry associated with refugees, to F-35 fighter jets, Iron Dome missile defense systems and Nuclear Warheads, those resilient Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have managed to defend a nation that for all intents and purposes should have been wiped off the map a few decades ago. Coming out of 1,878 years of worldwide dispersion and the Holocaust, the Jews have managed to muster up a mighty military machine that in just over seven decades now threatens to send Iran’s nuclear program back to the “Stone Age”. According to an ancient prophecy in Jeremiah 49:34-39, that may be what’s about to happen. Around 596 BC, the prophet Jeremiah predicted a future time when Iran would experience and epic disaster. Details within this prophecy suggest that the calamity could be from a military strike that creates a nuclear disaster. I explore and explain these details in the DVD entitled, The Pre-Tribulation Prophecies. What are Pre-Tribulation Prophecies? The Pre-Tribulation prophecies are the ancient biblical foretelling's that find their final fulfillment before the Seven-Year Tribulation Period starts. Dozens of Bible prophecies are scheduled to happen during the Tribulation Period, but there are over twenty separate prophecies that appear to happen before this perilous period begins. This article will point out that several of the Pre-Tribulation prophecies involve the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The Pre-Tribulation timeframe encompasses the Church Age that is followed by a mysterious gap of unspecified time. I call this gap, the Post-Rapture / Pre-Tribulation Gap because it happens after the Rapture of the Church, but before the start of the Tribulation Period. The logic behind this gap comes with the understanding that it’s not the Rapture that triggers the Tribulation Period, but it’s the ratification of the Seven-Year Covenant between Israel and the “many” in Daniel 9:27 and Isaiah 28:15. In Bible prophecy, the Tribulation Period is also known as “Daniel’s Seventieth Week.” The IDF is Identified in Pre-Tribulation Prophecies Was Israel’s current military prowess predicted to happen in the Bible? The answer to this question is YES, and that an even more powerful, “exceedingly great,” IDF is soon forthcoming. What we witness today with the IDF, which is presently the #1 ranked army in the Middle East, is the development of what the Bible foretells will become an “Exceedingly Great Army.” “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” (Ezek. 37:10) The ongoing Arab – Israeli conflict has forced Israel to form a great army. The IDF has had to become the superior military in the Middle East as a matter of national survival. In addition to Ezekiel 37:10, prophecies written in Psalm 83, Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 49, Obadiah, Ezekiel 25, Zechariah 12, there are several more verses that identify today’s IDF. Below are only a few examples of what appears to be alluding to what today’s IDF will be soon accomplishing. The Pre-Tribulation Prophecies DVD set reveals all of the prophecies related to today’s IDF. IDF vs IRAN “For I will cause Elam (Western Iran) to be dismayed before their enemies (including Israel) And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the Lord; ‘And I will send the sword (military invasion) after them Until I have consumed them.” (Jeremiah. 49:37, NKJV; emphasis added) (Unlike the following war prophecies, whereby the IDF is clearly identified, the Iran war does not specifically identify the invaders, but presumably Israel will be one of them). IDF vs PALESTINIANS As you read these next two prophecies, it’s important to know that the ancient Edomites have ethnical representation within the Palestinians today. “The house of Jacob (the IDF) shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph (the IDF) a flame; But the house of Esau (the father of the Edomites)shall be stubble; They (the IDF) shall kindle them (the Palestinians) and devour them, And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” For the Lord has spoken.” (Obadiah 1:18, NKJV; emphasis added) IDF vs PALESTINIANS and SAUDI ARABIA “Thus says the Lord God: “Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,” therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan (Saudi Arabia) shall fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom (the Palestinians) by the hand of My people Israel, (the IDF) that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they (the Palestinians) shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 25:12-14, NKJV; emphasis added) IDF vs SYRIANS “In that day his (Damascus and other) strong cities (in Syria) will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; (the IDF) And there will be desolation.” (Isaiah 17:9, NKJV; emphasis added) IDF vs JORDANIANS “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war in Rabbah (Amman, Jordan) of the Ammonites; It (Amman, Jordan) shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel (the IDF) shall take possession of his inheritance,” (this territory is within the Promised Land of Genesis 15:18) says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 49:2, NKJV; emphasis added) “I have heard the reproach of Moab (Central Jordan), And the insults of the people of Ammon (Amman, Jordan), With which they have reproached My people, (Israel) And made arrogant threats against their borders. Therefore, as I live,” Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people (the IDF) shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them.” (Zephaniah 2:8-9, NKJV; emphasis added) IDF vs THE HAMAS “But they (the Israeli Air Force)shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines (Gaza) toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; (Jordan) And the people of Ammon (Jordanians) shall obey them.” (Isaiah 11:14, NKJV; emphasis added) “‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,” therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines (Gaza), and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.” (Ezekiel 25:15-16, NKJV; emphasis added) IDF vs HOSTILE SURROUNDING ARAB STATES “In that day I will make the governors of Judah (the IDF) like a firepan in the woodpile, (the warzone) and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding (Arab) peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:6, NKJV; emphasis added) These are just a few prophecies that predict the IDF will defeat their Arab foes. These battles seem to be part of the larger prophecy in Psalm 83, which predicts how the modern-day Arab-Israel conflict will conclude. According to the Bible, it won’t be land for peace deals or two-state solutions, rather it will be an epic war in which the IDF will prevail. The Pre-Tribulation Prophecies DVD points out that the purpose of this army is to protect Israel from its surrounding enemies who someday confederate in a final attempt to destroy the Jewish State of Israel according to Psalm 83. This statement is qualified by recognizing that the IDF is not part of prophecies related to Ezekiel 38 or the Armageddon Campaign of the Antichrist. There are three major prophetic invasions of, or in, Israel that are yet to find final fulfillment. They are: 1. Psalm 83 – The Final Arab-Israeli Conflict, 2. Ezekiel 38 – The Gog of Magog Invasion, 3. Armageddon – The Antichrist Genocidal Attempt of the Jews. Is the IDF Involved in the Ezekiel 38 Prophecy? The answer to this question is NO! Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 seem to be distinctly different prophecies. Some Bible teachers attempt to combine the Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 prophecies into one event, but the distinct differences, which are identified below, makes this highly improbable. Different Coalitions – Psalm 83 is an Inner Circle of Arab states, but Ezekiel 38 is an Outer Ring of countries. None of the Psalm 83 countries are specifically listed in the Ezekiel 38 prophecy. Different Motives – Psalm 83 involves the destruction of the Jewish state in order to take over the land of Israel. However, Ezekiel 38 is about the pursuit of taking over Israel plunder and national booty. Different Defeats – Psalm 83 is defeated by the IDF, but the Lord supernaturally destroys the Ezekiel 38 invaders. Different Results – In the aftermath of Psalm 83, the ancient Arab hatred of the Jews ends and Israel can expand territorially and, at least temporarily, dwell securely in the Middle East. According to Ezekiel 39:7, the purpose of defeating Gog and his coalition is to notify the world that the God of the Bible is the one true God! “So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” (Ezekiel 39:7) The main reason that the IDF is not involved in Ezekiel 38 is because the Lord defeats these Ezekiel invaders supernaturally. Ezekiel 38:19-22 declares that these armies will be defeated by: 1. A great earthquake, 2. Every man’s sword will be against his brother, 3. There will be pestilence and bloodshed, 4. Flooding Rains, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Is the IDF Involved in the Battle of Armageddon? The answer to this question is also NO! The Armageddon campaign is stopped by Jesus Christ single-handedly. This happens at the Second Coming of Christ. The fact that Christ goes it alone is detailed below. “Who is this who comes from Edom, (Petra, Southern Jordan), With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, (Jesus Christ), Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” (The Messiah, Jesus Christ), Why is Your apparel red, (with the blood of His enemies), And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? “I, (Jesus Christ) have trodden the winepress alone, (the battlefield), And from the peoples no one was with Me. (No IDF involvement), For I have trodden them, (the Antichrist and his armies involved in Armageddon), in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed, (the believing remnant of Israel), has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, (No IDF involvement), And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; (No IDF involvement), Therefore My own arm, (single-handedly), brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, (the Antichrist and his armies), Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-6, NKJV; emphasis added) As these Isaiah verses clearly point out, the IDF is not involved in the defeat of the Antichrist and his armies involved in the Armageddon campaign. Nor are the IDF playing an instrumental role in the defeat of the Ezekiel 38 invaders. Thus, we can safely conclude that a primary purpose of the role of today’s IDF in Bible prophecy is to defend the nation against the final Arab-Israeli wars predicted in Psalm 83 and the related peripheral prophecies disclosed above. How do we Know the IDF is in the Pre-Tribulation Prophecies? Having narrowed the prophetic field down from the IDF’s role to the Arab-Israeli conflicts and not the Ezekiel 38 invasion or Battle of Armageddon, we can now determine why the IDF is active in the Pre-Tribulation Prophecies. The Seven-Year Tribulation Period is divided up into two halves, each consisting of 3 ½ years. In the first 3 ½ years the Jews are living in a condition of peace, which is the result of having confirmed the peace agreement in Daniel 9:27. Thus, the IDF is not fighting any wars against their Arab enemies. At the midpoint of the Tribulation Period, this peace-pact is broken as per Daniel 9:27 when the Antichrist desecrates the Jewish Temple that will be built by then. This event is called the “Abomination of Desolation” and Jesus Christ warned the Jews that when this happens to flee for safety immediately. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.” (Matthew 24:15-18) The reason Jesus Christ issued this warning was to inform the Jewish people that the Antichrist was going to promptly begin a campaign of Jewish genocide. The verse below points out that millions of Jews will be killed at that time. “And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it.” (Zechariah 13:8) Thus, the Jews are fleeing for their lives and not fighting Arab wars in the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period. After this period comes the Millennium and the Jews are not fighting, nor even learning about wars in this period. Their weapons are being converted into farming implements. “He (Jesus Christ) shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4, NKJV; emphasis added) Conclusion This article pointed out that the IDF clearly exists in Bible prophecy. They have emerged to defend the nation of Israel from its Arab enemies. These wars will happen before the Seven-Year Tribulation and you dear reader, may be about to witness the IDF fulfill one or more of these prophecies, that is, unless Jesus Christ comes and Raptures His Church beforehand. Has the biblical 'great delusion' finally arrived? - By Stephen Downey - https://www.wnd.com/2021/07/biblical-great-delusion-finally-arrived/ "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." [2 Thessalonians 2:11] Paul the Apostle taught, preached and wrote of things in the future. He explained how the Holy Spirit has been a restraining force in the world, restraining and holding back both the ultimate evils of human beings and that of the demonic forces of fallen angels. Paul taught that the human being has a capacity for evil that dwarfs even the appalling acts of Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Chairman Mao. For even as just these three combined destroyed hundreds of millions of precious souls, our hearts are even darker, and whose actions, if unrestrained, could have obliterated every human on the face of the earth. Psychology, secularism and New Age thought (as well as today's majority of mainline Protestant churches) are convinced that people are basically good, and resort to deviant acts and criminal behavior because of negative experiences in their lives. Recent proposals to reduce police forces and intervention with psychologists and social workers is a natural progression of "all people are basically good" ideas. The Bible clearly and emphatically states the opposite. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah clearly wrote, in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jesus, while speaking of the end times (Matthew 24:22), said, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Today we have COVID-19, lockdowns, censorship and "the vaccines." Has "the Delusion" Paul wrote of finally arrived? In one corner we have many fine and sincere people speaking up about fulfilling our biblical "Love thy neighbor" command who implore us to dutifully wear our face masks, receive our vaccine doses and remain sequestered, alienated and isolated from everyone. They insist this is our Christian obligation. In an opposite corner are those who proclaim the end is near, the Gates-Fauci genocide is upon us and that vaccinations are a prelude to the Mark of the Beast. All hope is lost. And it is our Christian responsibility to resist at all costs. No doubt there are MANY great delusions that have been thrust upon us these past two years: Many are deluded to believe there was no fraud in the 2020 election and genuinely believe election audits are an attempt to destroy democracy. Many are deluded to believe nature has confused their biology and that they can change from one gender to another by simply saying so. Many are deluded to believe that the United States will, by any means necessary, be dragged from a constitutional republic and turned into a social-democratic nation where all men, women and nonbinaries (whatever that is) have equal pay, equal wages, equal housing and equal bank balances. And many, apparently, have been deluded into believing that the Zuckerberg-Gates-Bezos-et al. Cabal Network, in tandem with the U.S. media giants, are more capable of establishing, monitoring and supervising the new American government (and its citizens) than those legitimately elected by the American people. Has the biblical "Great Delusion" finally arrived? Have you bought into this Delusion? Summer Camp in Gaza - By Hal Lindsey – www.hallindsey.com This is the time of year when kids and their parents think of Summer Camp. They have camps to fit just about every interest and need. There are camps that focus on all kinds of hobbies, professions, and on various sports. In the United States, we have camps designed not just for football, but specifically for quarterbacks. Some camps, however, don’t teach how to throw a forward pass, but how to launch an antitank missile. Some camps don’t teach friendship and understanding. They teach hatred and bigotry. I’m talking about the Vanguard of Liberation camps in the Gaza Strip. These are Hamas camps — run by terrorists for the purpose of creating new generations of terrorists. This year some 50,000 children will attend camps sponsored by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist organizations in Gaza. Vanguard of Liberation camps indoctrinate children into the most violent and radical form of Islam. Participants wear military-style Hamas uniforms. They learn the ways of guerilla warfare. They learn how to fire and take care of military grade guns. They learn about Molotov cocktails and other improvised weapons. They practice kidnapping Israelis. Some of the camps put the kids in computer simulators where they practice killing Israeli soldiers and Israeli police officers. These camps prove that Hamas never intends to have real peace with Israel. They sometimes agree to ceasefires, but only for the purpose of regrouping and rebuilding their forces. They do not teach children the ways of peace. They teach them the glories of war, violence, and martyrdom. They indoctrinate the young into a lifestyle of hate toward Israelis. And they give them practical training in the crafts of terror — all seemingly sanctioned by Islam. A 12-year-old from Gaza City told Al-Monitor, “I will participate in the camp in order to strengthen myself and learn self-defense skills so I can fight Israel, become a martyr and go to heaven.” A young Christian Palestinian woman recently gave her testimony at an evangelical church in California. She is an amazing person, and her testimony was quite moving. In her presentation, she expressed concern that evangelical churches tend to always take the side of Israel in disputes with Palestinians. She said it is hurtful to hear a Christian lump all Palestinians into one group, as if they are all terrorists. In my visits to Israel, I became fond of many Palestinians. A significant number of them are Christian. But when the Palestinian people have been given the opportunity to vote, they consistently elect violent and radical leaders. Elections represent majority opinion, and do not tell us the thoughts of the individuals involved. But we cannot lose sight of the fact that, when given the chance, large majorities of Palestinians tend to vote for Hamas. That’s one reason the world lets the Palestinian Authority get away with not allowing elections. World leaders know the kind of men a majority of Palestinians tend to choose. But those same world leaders refuse to acknowledge the impossible situation this puts Israel in. Israel must try to make peace with a people who choose terrorists for leaders — terrorists who do not want peace. We should pray for Palestinians and respect their dignity as human beings. But we should not lose sight of the big picture. Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: The Dung Gate - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com The winter of 1960 in Northeastern Ohio was rough–A lot of days of below-normal temperatures and several winter storms giving us the “lake effect” of snow coming off of Lake Erie. The ice and snow and mud made it difficult to spread manure because the mechanics of our old manure spreader couldn’t work if the back wheels couldn’t turn. This meant that the barn didn’t get cleaned out as much and the manure in the barn was piling up. Dad never was too much on keeping the barns tidy. He had different priorities. So he left the manure up to us kids. But by springtime, that barn was in pretty bad shape—you see shoveling manure wasn’t my brothers’ priority either, and I was only going on five years old. One warm sunny spring Saturday, Dad decided that the manure had to go. The ground had firmed up. The wheels on the spreader would turn. The fields needed that natural fertilizer. It was time to take a deep breath—well not too deep or too often—and pick that manure out of the barn. That is the day I became quite acquainted with that old rickety New Idea manure spreader. Up until then, it was kind of a play thing. I would sit on the old iron seat and pretend in my grandeur of western attire to head West as my horses pulled my covered wagon. In reality, it was a wooden manure spreader, rusted gears, a hand- lever that engaged the back wheel to turn the dual square-chain link and conveyer bars, moving the manure through the beaters. Dad had converted the spreader from horse-drawn to tractor-pulled. My brothers Chuck (18) and Larry (13) and I trucked off to the barn with pitchforks in hand. Chuck opened the door flat against the outside of the barn while Larry pulled the spreader up close. And we got on the manure spreader to duck through the door into the barn and step across. At five years old, I was the only one who could stand up straight—that’s how high the manure had piled up. It’s true. And we started digging. Fork-load by fork-load. I can’t believe I was much help, but my brothers were happy to have any little help they could. This was like the Greek myth where Sisyphus was in the endless loop of rolling the stone to the top of the hill, only to have it roll back down again. We toiled all morning and hardly put a dent in it. After dozens of loads in that old manure spreader, and filling our lungs all day with the aroma of cow manure, we finally hit bottom in early evening. I remember how the three of us celebrated when our fork prongs hit concrete and we could start using scoop shovels! Mom didn’t even want to let us in the house—we had to wash up in the watering trough and she sprayed us down with the garden hose. Nehemiah 2:13 talks about how the prophet was observing the work needed to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, “And I went by night by the gate of the valley even before the dragon well, and to the dung gate…” That day and that old manure spreader recalls a lesson that remains with me—everybody has their own dung gate, and it’s best to keep it cleaned out otherwise there are deep consequences. Real deep. Daily Devotion: A Story Worth Telling - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? —Romans 10:14 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-story-worth-telling/ - Listen I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of hearing people’s stories. When I choose books to read on vacation, they’re generally biographies. Maybe that’s because everyone likes to hear a good story, especially a true story. And when it comes to sharing your faith, one of your most effective tools is your personal testimony. A testimony builds bridges. It’s a way to connect with others so they can see how you came to be the person you are and why you believe what you believe. It’s also a way to help people see how they can come to faith as well. Another great thing about sharing your testimony is that you can indirectly preach the gospel to someone. For example, instead of just walking up to a person and saying, “You’re a sinner. You need to repent. Christ died for you,” you can share your testimony. You might say something like this, for instance: “You know, before I was a Christian, my life was going nowhere. I had a sense of emptiness, and I wondered what was wrong, what was missing. Then one day I went to a church service and heard the pastor say. . . .” You’re preaching the gospel while you’re telling your own story. And then you can say, “What do you think about that? Have you ever heard that before? Have you ever considered who Jesus is?” Everyone has a testimony, and every testimony is valid. Of course, some testimonies are more dramatic than others. But when you really get down to it, everyone’s testimony is essentially the same: “I was lost. I was separated from God and was guilty and lonely and afraid to die. And I was on my way to Hell. But Jesus Christ, in His grace, intervened in my life and transformed me.” That’s your story, and it’s worth telling. FROM THE HEART Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left, Count for ALL of Eternity! IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT? One of the most reliable ways to determine if a ministry is worthy of your financial support is to examine its fruits. If Prophecy Update is keeping you informed, and if that information inspires you, and causes you to draw closer to the Lord, if Prophecy Update equips you with valuable information and knowledge to share with and encourage other believers, and open the eyes of non-believers, and if Prophecy Update keeps you connected to current events relating to Bible Prophecy, then you are partaking of the fruit produced through this ministry. None of this would be possible without the Lords blessings and your support. I believe where the Lord guides, the Lord provides, and most of the time He provides through the willing and generous hearts of believers just like you and me. Humbly Seek Your Support Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 We are very pleased to offer all our readers this FREE download on Bible Prophecy from the Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - Just download and enjoy and be blessed! Feel free to share it with all your friends and family members. Click below to download! "AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING" If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven? Find out, visit: www.thegoodtest.net www.gotquestions.org www.wayofthemaster.com How to know God DID YOU KNOW? You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email: [email protected] Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly) "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand." "Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!" YBIC-Randy
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