Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Rapture and Pretribulation Rapture Made Simple! - By David Cogburn -
http://www.raptureready.com/2017/10/20/opposites-earth-david-cogburn-2/ The Rapture: What is it? It is Jesus coming to claim His bride, the church, and bring her back to His place in heaven. Why does He do that? Because we are in a period of time called the church age or the age of Grace. It initially began with the resurrection of Christ, but "officially" began at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out and indwelt all believers. From that day until now, all believers are born again with the Holy Spirit residing in them during this church age, which has a beginning at Pentecost and an end when Jesus comes for His bride and takes her back to heaven to be with Him. Why is the church referred to as the bride of Christ? A marriage relationship is the strongest, most intimate relationship God has set up. It is when two become one, and it means this in a much stronger context than simply physical union. We often say our spouse is our "soul" partner. We are "two become one" soul partners. Jesus says in John 14:20 that "I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." That is Divine God being "two become one" through our bride and marriage relationship with God. This is the most intimate relationship God provides. Not even the angels have this type of relationship with God. AND since the church is called the bride of Christ, it is important to examine the Jewish betrothal customs to see how this betrothal relationship unfolds. When a Jewish bridegroom proposes to his perspective bride, he offers her a cup of wine. If she drinks from the cup, she has accepted his proposal. Next, the bridegroom goes away to prepare a place for them to live, sometimes back to his father's house. When he is through preparing a place for He and his bride to live, he comes back for her. She has been waiting, not knowing when he will come back. When he comes back, there is a shout and a blowing of a trumpet or shofar. He gets his bride and takes her back to his place for a wedding and a wedding feast, which lasts seven days. How does this line up with the church? Jesus' proposal to the church occurred at the last supper, when He had wine with His disciples, and told them He would not drink from the wine cup again until they were in His Father's house. He then went away to prepare a place for He and His bride to live - in heaven. In John 14:2-3 He says, "In my Father's house are many rooms. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." We, the bride of Christ, are still waiting for Him to return to take us back to His place in heaven. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 it says, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." THAT is the rapture, and THAT is when Christ comes to take us back to His place in heaven. The wedding feast lasts for a week, but in this case it will be for a week of years; and we shall see why in a moment. Jesus "promised" that He has prepared a place for us and that He will come and get us at some point. The rapture is the fulfillment of that promise. Is the rapture the same thing as the Second Coming of Jesus? No. What happens at the rapture is that Jesus comes back in the "air" ONLY for His bride, the church, to take her back to heaven for the wedding feast. It is immediately following the wedding feast at the end of the week-long feast of years in Revelation 19 that Jesus returns to Earth "with His bride, the church;" and THAT is His Second Coming. Matthew 24 says that every eye shall see Him as He comes back to judge the surviving wicked, and to rule over planet Earth. He will rule from Jerusalem during a period of 1,000 years called the millennial reign of Christ. It will be an unprecedented time in history. His church, who are now immortal beings, will physically and visibly be reigning on Earth with Jesus. Human beings will co-exist alongside visible immortal beings. Only believers who survive the seven-year tribulation will be allowed to enter into the 1,000-year millennial reign of Christ. What happens between the rapture and the Second Coming of Christ? It is important to remember that God "still" has a covenant with the Jewish people, in which He told them that there is a time coming when they will receive their long-awaited Messiah. And they, Israel, will be the "predominant" nation on earth and will be held in high esteem. This covenant is spelled out in Daniel chapter 9 in what is called the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy. This, too, is 70 weeks of years, which begins when the Jews in Israel, who have been in Babylonian captivity, are allowed to return and rebuild Jerusalem. And it says from that time until after 69 weeks or 483 years, the Messiah will be cut off or killed. That lines up in time with Jesus being crucified. The 490-year time-period "clock" of years stops due to the crucifixion of Christ, leaving a period of one week of years, the 70th week still remaining. This 69 weeks of years is a covenant God has with Israel and does not include the church. The church never spent one day inside that first 69 weeks of years. The 69 weeks stopped when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the donkey, and was rejected and crucified. Up until the church age, God used the nation of Israel to bring about revelation of Himself to the rest of the world through His word, written by Jewish authors, and through the Jewish people, since Jesus is from the linage of David - in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Following the crucifixion of Jesus, God turned from Israel to the "church" to bring about revelation of Himself to the world, and that is where we still are today. One of the main reasons for the rapture is for the Lord to bring the church home so that God can now turn back to Israel and restart the 70 weeks clock again. This is in order to fulfill His promise to the Jewish people, to bring them their Messiah and fulfill His other promises to them. This last 70th week of seven years is also called the seven-year tribulation period, in which God pours out His wrath on Earth and sees to it that Israel will "finally" recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Zechariah 12). They will call on Jesus to save them when they are surrounded by all nations, who want to destroy them at the battle of Armageddon. THIS is when Jesus returns at His Second Coming. He comes back to save Israel and to set up His reign on Earth for the 1,000 years. Since the church did not spend even one day inside the first 69 weeks of God's covenant with Israel, there is no reason to think it will spend even one day inside the 70th week, which is the seven-year tribulation period. This also shows why it is necessary that the rapture will be a "pretribulation rapture" versus a mid-trib or post-trib rapture. What other evidence is there that the rapture will be pretribulation? There are many, many people who have differing views as to whether the rapture will occur before the seven-year tribulation, during the middle of it, at the end of it, or somewhere in between. Let's see what the Bible has to say. Since the seven-year tribulation period is described in great detail in the book of Revelation, let's begin there. As the book of Genesis tells us how everything began, Revelation tells us how everything ends. In the first three chapters, the church is mentioned around 27 times. There is symbolism in the book of Revelation, but the symbolism is explained as to what it is. In chapter 1, John sees seven lamp stands, and they are described as representing the seven churches. Seven is a number of completion with God, and this is also symbolic as representing all churches for all times. Chapter 4 begins like this: In verse one John says, "After this I looked and there before me was a 'door' standing open in heaven. [Remember this door for later]. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a 'trumpet' said, 'Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.'" This clearly is a wonderful picture of the rapture: there is a trumpet call, and the bride is called to heaven, and "I will show you what must take place after this," meaning after the bride is in heaven. John immediately describes seeing the Throne Room and says he sees the seven lamp stands "again," which represent the seven churches that were on earth but now all reside in heaven. Following this is when the scrolls are opened and all of the events of the seven-year tribulation are described. The church is not mentioned even one time during this seven-year period from chapter 4 to chapter 19, when finally it mentions the church at the wedding feast with Jesus at the end of the tribulation. Immediately following the wedding feast is when Jesus comes back to Earth with His bride, the church, to save Israel in His Second Coming. This is "strong" evidence in Revelation that shows a pretribulation rapture versus one occurring during the tribulation. Many people think the church will not be spared the tribulation period, and that we are to be persecuted, but is that what the Bible says? First, we need to recognize that Jesus died on a cross to save us from our sins and to also save us from God's wrath. He took on God's wrath for us at the cross. And yes, Christians have suffered much persecution and endured "man's" wrath from its beginning until now. However, the tribulation period is described as a period of God's wrath on Earth - not man's wrath on Earth. God has already saved us from His wrath that will be poured out on earth during that time. Rev. 3:10 describes Jesus speaking to the churches: He says, "Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." Twice in the Bible in the Old Testament and New Testament, a day is represented as 1,000 years with God; thus, an hour is represented as clearly a very short period of time. This clearly has to mean the seven-year tribulation period of God's wrath that He has prophesied will occur before His Second Coming. He is telling the churches that He will keep us "from this hour of trial that is to come upon the whole earth." Another strong evidence for a pretribulation rapture occurs in 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2 This chapter talks in detail about a time when the antichrist is ruling the earth and sets himself up to be God; but it says that the antichrist CANNOT be revealed until the Restrainer is removed from the scene. Since the Bible says the antichrist will be a person controlled by Satan, who is it that can restrain Satan? Clearly, the only one who can restrain him is God Himself; and since God the Holy Spirit resides inside all believers, it is necessary to remove all believers in order that the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit, is removed from the scene. This occurs pretribulation. THEN Satan can bring about his plan to control a one-world leader called the antichrist. Pre-Fulfillment and Fulfillment There is a very "interesting" example of a pretribulation rapture in Genesis, Chapter 6. The Bible has quite a few examples of something happening in the Old Testament that is a pre-fulfillment, and then something much bigger called a fulfillment happening later, often in the New Testament. A great example of this is when Jesus said in Matt. 12:40, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Jonah was the smaller pre-fulfillment, and Jesus the greater fulfillment. In Genesis,chapter 6, God refers to Noah and his family as the righteous on Earth. He wants them to enter the ark, for in seven days He is going to bring down His wrath and judgment onto the earth. This is a picture of God taking the righteous on Earth, Noah and his family, and putting them in a safe place, the ark, for a period of seven days until His judgment begins upon the earth. This is a pre-fulfillment. The greater fulfillment is talked about in Matt. 24: 37-41 when Jesus says, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." This is saying that, just as people were unaware in the days of Noah, so will they be unaware in the end of days; and it shows the rapture represented by the man and woman "being taken" during this time and the other two left. The greater fulfillment is that the church is considered the righteous on earth; and here we have God taking the righteous on earth, the church, and putting her in a safe place-heaven-for a period of seven years before He comes back to judge the earth. Of course, this seven years is the time of the wedding feast already mentioned. We have another example of this in Genesis 19:12 where God is getting ready to pour out His "wrath" and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He sends His angels to save Lot and his family from His wrath. Indeed, the angel even says he cannot destroy Sodom and Gomorrah "until" Lot and his family are in a safe place. Once they are, then God's wrath destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. However, I have saved the best for last. One of the most powerful, if not "the" most powerful verses in the Bible that talks about the rapture, not only describes the rapture beautifully but describes it point blank as a pretribulation rapture. AND it occurs in the Old Testament. Isaiah 26:19-21 says this: Verse 19 describes the rapture; "But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise-let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy-your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead." This is clearly a beautiful picture of the rapture. Verse 20 further describes this as a pretribulation rapture: "Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you. [Remember John saying he saw an open door in heaven in Revelation, Chapter 4?]. 'Hide yourselves for a little while until His wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of His dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins." This is a strong picture of the church being called up to heaven. Why? Because the Lord is getting ready to bring down His wrath onto the earth to punish the people for their sins. The church is "behind" the doors, and it even describes the time of God's wrath on Earth as a "little while," corresponding to the "hour of trial" that is to come upon the whole world (Rev 3:10). These are all good examples of a pretribulation rapture. They are by no means exhaustive, but strong enough by themselves to give a pretribulation rapture far greater weight than biblical evidence to support a mid-trib or post-trib rapture. Post-trib is really a non-issue because, if the rapture occurred at the very end of the tribulation, there would be no "believers" to enter into the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ, as they would all have just been raptured. The only ones left would be unbelievers who are not allowed to enter the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ. I hope this is helpful to those who care about the rapture and "when" in relation to the seven-year tribulation that it occurs. Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus! [email protected] 'Iran-led Shiite axis is Israel's biggest enemy' - Shimon Cohen - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237056 Middle East expert says rocket fire from Syria was accidental, believes real concern is Syria turning to significant link in axis of evil. Prof. Moshe Maoz, an expert on Syria and Hezbollah from the Political Science Department at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said on Sunday he believes four rockets from Syria which exploded in the Golan Heights on Saturday were accidental spillover from the Syrian civil war. "This firing, I estimate, happened accidentally. Syria has no interest in provoking us because we will respond with force," Maoz told Arutz Sheva, though he added that "in strategic terms, the great danger is from Syria as an important link of the Shiite axis that is being led by Iran, and this is Israel's greatest enemy." "This axis potentially includes Iraq, Lebanon-Hezbollah and Yemen. This is the danger and the Iranians may provoke us in the future, and they have already expressed this, but this firing does not seem to me to be more than accidental fire that happens from time to time," he continued. Referring to Iran, Prof. Maoz said, "In their view, we are provoking them and their allies the Syrians, and we are bombing military positions and cannons. The Iranians feel, and have expressed themselves in this way, that Israel cannot do whatever it wants in the skies of their Syrian allies. Their patience will expire and the question is how they will act, and this is where a third factor comes in to play, and that is the Russians who control the skies of Syria. They have agreements and disagreements with the Iranians and the question is what they will do, mainly because they have the means to prevent Israeli flights and bombings. There appears to be an understanding between the Russians and us, and they allow us to hit Hezbollah's weapons convoys, but if it spreads further, it will be considered a blow to the Russian honor." "Beyond that, they have modern means to prevent our airstrikes," noted Maoz. "They have S-400 systems, beyond the S-300s they provided to the Iranians, which they can use to prevent and intercept any aircraft coming from Israel. This is the most critical point, and it is no coincidence that Netanyahu has been to Russia six or seven times in recent months. Moreover, the Americans are not helping, Trump has given up on Syria and Russia is the potential ruler in this region. We're in a pretty delicate state of affairs." "The Russians will not forcefully prevent the Iranian presence in the region, it is not in their interest, and they do not want to do so," he opined, adding, "The question is the level of coordination between them. That's a very critical question." Regarding the Israeli response to the firing from Syria, Maoz said, "This is Syrian sovereignty and we are attacking another country, but the Syrians will not do anything unusual without Iranian and Russian support. The question is what they decide to do in consultation with them. We should perhaps consider whether we should reduce the retaliation. It is right to punish the Syrians for what is happening, but we do not have to violate Syrian sovereignty so crudely. This is a very delicate question." As for the importance that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu places on the relationship with Russia, which openly backs Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Maoz said, "There are differing opinions on this. Some would say this is the correct thing to do, because we have to work with 'the familiar Satan', which is Bashar who is pragmatic and corrupt and can be bribed, and he is a secular who protects the region from radical Islam. I, as a Jew, am outraged that Israel agrees to the continued rule of Bashar, who has murdered half a million Syrians and caused 11 million refugees, beyond the strategic point of view that he is part of this dangerous axis. Therefore, there is a dilemma here but it's already too late to change reality." Russia's ominous return to the Middle East - Herbert London - http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/23/vladimir-putin-middle-east-policy-a-wedge-between-/ Putin seeks to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Egypt One of the most significant foreign policy events of the last 50 years is the introduction of Russian forces in the heartland of the Middle East and through this development, a restored cooperation with Egypt. Henry Kissinger noted that the Russian deployment of military forces in Syria is "unprecedented in Russian history presenting a challenge that American Middle East policy has not encountered in at least four decades." During the presidency of Anwar Sadat, Russia was asked to leave Egypt and, more significantly, leave interests that were cultivated over several years. At that time, the Russian dream of a perpetual warm water port was undermined. Now however, Russia is ensconced in the Middle East as a tribute to the changing fortunes of world affairs. In September, Egyptian and Russian paratroopers concluded Protectors of Friendship 2, a joint military exercise on Russian soil. The commander of the Egyptian forces, Major Gen. Nehez Abdel Wahab stressed the importance of the exercise in "maximizing mutual experiences in light of the distinguished military relations between the armed forces of both countries." This exercise is consistent with emerging military cooperation since 2015, an astonishing development considering the fact that Egypt and Russia opposed one another in Syria over the fate of Bashar Assad. But it is now apparent Russia is a supporter of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's government and was among the first countries to endorse his presidential bid. Cairo has obviously strengthened its ties to Moscow against the backdrop of strained ties with the Obama administration since the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. When President Trump delivered his Riyadh speech encouraging deepening relations between the U.S. and the Sunni nations of the Middle East, Mr. el-Sissi welcomed the overture, but made it clear Egypt's foreign policy would not be dictated by others. One dimension of this open-ended policy is that Egypt has refused to rely on the U.S. as its sole arms supplier. President Obama's refusal to provide Apache helicopters for Egypt's war fighting ability in the Sinai led directly to arms deals with Russia and China for about $3 billion. Mr. Trump has inherited this challenge. On the one hand, he would like to offset Russian influence in the region; on the other he is keen on creating a defense condominium that can serve as a surrogate anti-terror force and as a counterweight to Iranian ambitions. There is a residual suspicion of Russia that is part of its Middle East legacy. However, the Trump administration did not enhance its position by recently cutting aid to Egypt. If anything, Mr. Trump should be restoring the confidence cavalierly squandered by his predecessor. The U.S. and Egypt have long-standing relationships and both nations are eager to maintain the friendship developed over decades. However, foreign policy is based on ephemeral conditions. "What have you done for me lately?" is a common refrain. One of the most significant foreign policy events of the last 50 years is the introduction of Russian forces in the heartland of the Middle East and through this development, a restored cooperation with Egypt. Henry Kissinger noted that the Russian deployment of military forces in Syria is "unprecedented in Russian history presenting a challenge that American Middle East policy has not encountered in at least four decades." During the presidency of Anwar Sadat, Russia was asked to leave Egypt and, more significantly, leave interests that were cultivated over several years. At that time, the Russian dream of a perpetual warm water port was undermined. Now however, Russia is ensconced in the Middle East as a tribute to the changing fortunes of world affairs. In September, Egyptian and Russian paratroopers concluded Protectors of Friendship 2, a joint military exercise on Russian soil. The commander of the Egyptian forces, Major Gen. Nehez Abdel Wahab stressed the importance of the exercise in "maximizing mutual experiences in light of the distinguished military relations between the armed forces of both countries." This exercise is consistent with emerging military cooperation since 2015, an astonishing development considering the fact that Egypt and Russia opposed one another in Syria over the fate of Bashar Assad. But it is now apparent Russia is a supporter of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's government and was among the first countries to endorse his presidential bid. Cairo has obviously strengthened its ties to Moscow against the backdrop of strained ties with the Obama administration since the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. When President Trump delivered his Riyadh speech encouraging deepening relations between the U.S. and the Sunni nations of the Middle East, Mr. el-Sissi welcomed the overture, but made it clear Egypt's foreign policy would not be dictated by others. One dimension of this open-ended policy is that Egypt has refused to rely on the U.S. as its sole arms supplier. President Obama's refusal to provide Apache helicopters for Egypt's war fighting ability in the Sinai led directly to arms deals with Russia and China for about $3 billion. Mr. Trump has inherited this challenge. On the one hand, he would like to offset Russian influence in the region; on the other he is keen on creating a defense condominium that can serve as a surrogate anti-terror force and as a counterweight to Iranian ambitions. There is a residual suspicion of Russia that is part of its Middle East legacy. However, the Trump administration did not enhance its position by recently cutting aid to Egypt. If anything, Mr. Trump should be restoring the confidence cavalierly squandered by his predecessor. The U.S. and Egypt have long-standing relationships and both nations are eager to maintain the friendship developed over decades. However, foreign policy is based on ephemeral conditions. "What have you done for me lately?" is a common refrain. The Next Mideast Wars: Where Will the US Stand? - By Patrick Buchanan - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1706 "The Kurds have no friends but the mountains," is an old lament. Last week, it must have been very much on Kurdish minds. As their U.S. allies watched, the Kurdish peshmerga fighters were run out of Kirkuk and all the territory they had captured fighting ISIS alongside the Americans. The Iraqi army that ran them out was trained and armed by the United States. The U.S. had warned the Kurds against holding the referendum on independence on Sept. 25, which carried with 92 percent. Iran and Turkey had warned against an independent Kurdistan that could be a magnet for Kurdish minorities in their own countries. But the Iraqi Kurds went ahead. Now they have lost Kirkuk and its oil, and their dream of independence is all but dead. More troubling for America is the new reality revealed by the rout of the peshmerga. Iraq, which George W. Bush and the neocons were going to fashion into a pro-Western democracy and American ally, appears to be as close to Iran as it is to the United States. After 4,500 U.S. dead, scores of thousands wounded and a trillion dollars sunk, our 15-year war in Iraq could end with a Shiite-dominated Baghdad aligned with Tehran. With that grim prospect in mind, Secretary Rex Tillerson said Sunday, "Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against ... ISIS is coming to a close ... need to go home. Any foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home." Tillerson meant Iran's Quds Force in Iraq should go home, and the Shiite militia in Iraq should be conscripted into the army. But what if the Baghdad regime of Haider al-Abadi does not agree? What if the Quds Force does not go home to Iran and the Shiite militias that helped retake Kirkuk refuse to enlist in the Iraqi army? Who then enforces Tillerson's demands? Consider what is happening in Syria. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, largely Kurdish, just annihilated ISIS in Raqqa and drove 60 miles to seize Syria's largest oil field, al-Omar, from ISIS. The race is now on between the SDF and Bashar Assad's army to secure the border with Iraq. Bottom line: The U.S. goal of crushing the ISIS caliphate is almost attained. But if our victory in the war against ISIS leaves Iran in the catbird seat in Baghdad and Damascus, and its corridor from Tehran to Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut secure, is that really a victory? Do we accept that outcome, pack up and go home? Or do we leave our forces in Syria and Iraq and defy any demand from Assad to vacate his country? Sunday's editorial in the Washington Post, "The Next Mideast Wars," raises the crucial questions now before us. Would President Trump be willing to fight a new war to keep Iran from consolidating its position in Iraq and Syria? Would the American people support such a war with U.S. troops? Would Congress, apparently clueless to the presence of 800 U.S. troops in Niger, authorize a new U.S. war in Syria or Iraq? If Trump and his generals felt our vital interests could not allow Syria and Iraq to drift into the orbit of Iran, where would we find allies for such a fight? If we rely on the Kurds in Syria, we lose NATO ally Turkey, which regards Syria's Kurds as collaborators of the PKK in Turkey, which even the U.S. designates a terrorist organization. The decision as to whether this country should engage in new post-ISIS wars in the Mideast, however, may be taken out of our hands. Saturday, Israel launched new air strikes against gun positions in Syria in retaliation for shells fired into the Golan Heights. Damascus claims that Israel's "terrorist" allies inside Syria fired the shells, to give the IDF an excuse to attack. Why would Israel wish to provoke a war with Syria? Because the Israelis see the outcome of the six-year Syrian civil war as a strategic disaster. Hezbollah, stronger than ever, was part of Assad's victorious coalition. Iran may have secured its land corridor from Tehran to Beirut. Its presence in Syria could now be permanent. And only one force in the region has the power to reverse the present outcome of Syria's civil war - the United States. Bibi Netanyahu knows that if war with Syria breaks out, a clamor will arise in Congress to have the U.S. rush to Israel's aid. Closing its Sunday editorial, the Post instructed the president: "A failure by the United States to defend its allies or promote new political arrangements for (Syria and Iraq) will lead only to more war, the rise of new terrorist threats, and, ultimately, the necessity of more U.S. intervention." The interventionist Post is saying: The situation is intolerable. Confront Assad and Iran now, or fight them later. Trump is being led to the Rubicon. If he crosses, he joins Bush II in the history books. Nearing Midnight: Peripheral Prophecy Pondering - Terry James - http://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Dr. Mark Hitchcock, speaking at the opening of the Prophecy Watcher's Blessed Hope Prophecy Conference in Norman, Oklahoma, a little over a week ago, reminded me of a question some have had over the years. I, too, have asked the question. Why does the Gog-Magog coalition of Ezekiel 38-39 apparently mount a land invasion rather than simply nuke Israel? It is a peripheral issue to be sure, but one that is interesting to ponder in light of current goings-on just to Israel's north. It is true that Ezekiel saw a massive military juggernaut invade "like a cloud to cover the land." This could indicate a cloud of aircraft, but, not necessarily. A land invasion in that arid region would certainly kick up a lot of dust. We saw some of that kind of action during both Gulf Wars. My friend Mark mentioned that some believe certain technological problems might be at the heart of it being a land invasion. The conjecture is based upon the same thought as expressed in Salem Kirban's novel of many years ago titled 666. Kirban portrayed the Russian-led attack, primarily from the north of Israel, as being one conducted with ancient weapons-horses and all-just like Ezekiel has it. I forget the technology that had, in the fictional account, rendered the modern weapons of war inoperable. But, they fought totally with, basically, weapons like the prophet describes. The weapons were mostly of wood and other material that readily burns. So, Israel was able to use the weapons as fuel for heating, etc., once the flesh-and-blood part of the force, five-sixths having been dispatched by the Lord, was no longer a threat. Dr. Hitchcock brought up the possibility, according to what some believe, that electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) weapons might be used to render all modern weaponry useless by the time the Gog-Magog invasion takes place. EMP, of course, disrupts electronic circuitry of all instrumentalities not protected when a nuclear explosion takes place in the atmosphere. All computer and other electronic circuitry on land, and even in the air near where the explosion takes place, supposedly will be fried. Thus, nuclear warfare, some believe, will help fulfill-in the most literal sense-Ezekiel's prophecy about horses, sword, bucklers, and shields used as weaponry in that future time. At present there is much dispute about Iran's (area of ancient Persia) nuclear program. Persia is given as one of the primary members of the Gog-Magog coalition military force. That force obviously, according to Scripture, doesn't use nuclear force against Israel in that prophesied attack. So, the question is: Why not? Perhaps it is the EMP scenario. However, there are other possibilities. Gog, in his evil thinking, wouldn't want Israel's "spoil," as it is called in the KJV, contaminated by radiation from nuclear weapons. Another is, the Gog-Magog force wouldn't want to go into a nuclear-radiated territory in order to occupy it. They want to completely destroy Israel and do away with every Jew, that's for certain. But it seems the main thinking in Gog's satanically inspired brain is to take the riches in the region. Another scenario is, of course, that Iran will indeed give up its nuclear ambition. That would mean that Russia, too, and any others would have given up their nuclear weapons for whatsoever reasons by the time of the Gog-Magog assault. This, in my thinking, is the least of the possibilities. Maybe Israel will have been so weakened by the covenant made with Antichrist as given in Daniel 9:26-27 that Israel will be the proverbial sitting duck. Thus, ol' Gog won't believe he needs to use the nukes. As part of considering all of this, it is more than of just passing interest that President Trump is about to nuke the nuclear deal President Obama made with Iran-this, even in the face of rebellion by all others in the deal, including U.S. allies. The globalists, as I view the satanically influenced architects of the tremendous backlash against anything this president does to keep America sovereign, turn a blind eye to the fact that the ayatollahs allow no inspections of their key nuclear development facilities. Mr. Obama completely cast aside President Reagan's rubric for negotiations with diabolists such as Russia and Iran: "Trust, but verify." It seems those American allies, under the influence of globalist groupthink, have joined the insanity in giving the Israel-hating Islamists the benefit of a doubt, as the saying goes. The excerpt that follows makes the point, I think. Global powers, including key US allies, have said they will stand by the Iran nuclear deal which US President Donald Trump has threatened to tear apart. Mr. Trump said on Friday that he would stop signing off on the agreement. The UK, France and Germany responded that the pact was "in our shared national security interest." The EU said it was "not up to any single country to terminate" a "working" deal. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the US was "more isolated than ever." (Iran nuclear deal: Global powers stand by pact despite Trump threat - BBC, Oct. 15, 2017) Developments in Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Israel are all part of another of the things Mark Hitchcock and many of us who spoke discussed at the conference. The word of the hour is convergence. Convergence-the coming-together of practically every signal for the end of the age-is upon this generation. Developments north of Israel at the present moment are possibly the most significant of all of the signals that Christ's Second Advent is near. Since that great event will take place at least seven years later than the Rapture of the Church, we who name the name of Jesus should be in a state of anticipation of, not in fear of things to come. When you see all these things begin to come to pass, then, look up and lift up your head, for your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28) Watchman Warning: After The Caliphate - By Hal Lindsey - https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-10-23-2017/ In its heyday, ISIS conquered large swaths of territory. Al-Qaeda and other terror groups have controlled pockets of land here and there, but not like ISIS. For a couple of years, ISIS was building a country. More precisely, they were building a caliphate. In 2014, ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made the claim that his genealogy went back to Mohammed himself - a requirement for a true caliph. His followers began using the title "Caliph" to address and describe him. They called him, "Commander of the Believers." They saw him as the leader of all Muslims. ISIS changed names. It became simply "The Islamic State." Thankfully, all that is disappearing now. ISIS controls territory in Syria and Iraq, but less every day. Their hope of a grand future is dying. Young people from all over the world came to Syria and Iraq, eager to join "a great cause." Thousands of them now lie in mass graves. Our military commanders correctly remind us that there is much to be done. But the fearsome ISIS war machine long ago lost momentum, then began to lose its lands. In July, Iraqi forces retook the ISIS stronghold of Mosul. A few days ago, a U.S.-backed group called the "Syrian Democratic Forces" took over Raqqa in Syria. That had been the defacto capital of ISIS. War is always a grim business. But we should all be thankful to God and our military for the defeat of one of the cruelest, most barbaric groups in the last thousand years. With these developments, we're all asking what comes next? What will happen when ISIS has been driven from its territory in Iran and Syria? What will happen in the region, and the world? What will happen to terrorism? First, what will happen to ISIS itself? President Obama often promised to "degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL." During last year's campaign, candidate Donald Trump vowed to "utterly destroy ISIS." Are we on the verge of that? They've been degraded as a power in the Middle East, but they are far from destroyed. Governments around the world now fight a kind of whack-a-mole war against them. There have been ISIS terror attacks on the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Canada, Australia, the United States, Kuwait, Denmark, Tunisia, Egypt, Russia, Libya, Turkey, Bangladesh, Spain, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Germany, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. While that's not a complete list, it gives an idea of the width and breadth of the Islamic State's reach. It goes well beyond their dying strongholds in Iraq and Syria. ISIS as a global entity will not soon disappear. In fact, it may become more active. The number of casualties from ISIS terror attacks has gone up each year since 2014. ISIS carried out the October 4th ambush in Niger that killed four U.S. Green Berets. A small group of American Special Forces soldiers are in Niger to assist that nation in their battle with terrorists. ISIS is not going away. It's going everywhere. From a prophetic standpoint, it is particularly intriguing to look at how all this may affect Israel. For instance, with its mission in Syria coming to an end, will Hezbollah now turn its attention back toward Israel? Hezbollah has 130,000 working missiles sitting just off Israel's border. The Weekly Standard described it as "an offensive arsenal bigger than that of all Western Europe." Will Russia leave Syria? Will Iran? Will Iran-backed Shiite militias continue to gain power in Iraq? The answer to all those questions is, "No!" The Russian economy is predicated on the sale of natural gas. They are Europe's primary supplier. That allows Russia to overcharge Europe for fuel. But in the 2000s, Israel began to find natural gas. At first, the fields were small. Then, in 2010, they discovered the Leviathan field with an estimated 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. As of 2014, they had verified finds of 35 trillion cubic feet. In April, Israel signed an agreement with Cyprus, Greece, and Italy that will allow it to pump natural gas to Europe. They plan to build a $7 billion pipeline beneath the Mediterranean. It will be the longest, deepest subsea pipeline on earth. They expect to have it in operation by 2025. To Russia, that makes Israel a threat. The Russian economy is not diverse. It is built on the sale of natural gas to Europe. Israel's pipeline threatens the Russian economy far more than sanctions. So, yes, expect Russia to remain on Israel's doorstep. The nuclear deal opened a massive flow of cash to Iran. Since then, they have been projecting their power everywhere they find their fellow Shiite Muslims - especially Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. As they gain greater control in those areas, expect them to focus increasingly on their most important goal, "Al-Quds" - known to most of us as "Jerusalem." Hamas is the one Sunni Muslim organization that Iran seems to back wholeheartedly. Their hatred for Israel exceeds internal Islamic rivalries. Over the last few days, Hamas leaders were in Iran for consultations. Iran reportedly told them that its continued support depends on Hamas continuing the "axis of resistance" against the "Zionist entity." The most important sign of all are the prophecies the LORD JESUS Predicted would occur just before the RAPTURE of all BELIEVERS. These prophecies are all happening RIGHT NOW. CHRIST can come for us at any moment. It is time for us to give the gospel at every opportunity. Daily Jot: The white elephant in the corner - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com We Christians are a peculiar bunch. In general, we share the same values and core beliefs. Specifically, however, there is a wide range of thought, political belief, morals, ethics, and a great deal of justification of all these things. So when we have a situation like we do right now in our nation, there is a lot of discussion about it. From race to foreign policy to the media to equality to the behavior of the President, Christians are trying to find their grounding. It's like there is a white elephant in the room that people can see. Some want to ignore it. Others want to shew it out of the room. And some want to embrace it. This white elephant is the lack of civility and statesmanship by our President Donald Trump. I have heard many arguments about his rancid tweets and brash nature. Some will say that he is a new Christian and that we need to give him a chance to understand what is required of him. Others say that we have had eight years of someone shoving down our throats the very worst of socialism and political correctness, that Trump is a welcome counter to the nonsense. Still others say that he needs to be so acerbic just to survive in this severe environment of propaganda and ill will. Then there are some Christians who say that he is the very worst kind of person and should be removed from office. Many say that Trump is a jerk, but he is our jerk, and they are comfortable with his beliefs and tolerate his actions. As Christians, we need to be careful to not justify bad behavior just because someone mostly agrees with our way of thinking. While President Trump may be fulfilling many of his campaign promises and agenda items, his engagement with those who oppose him is often not very presidential. And yes, he should be able to fight back against these outrageous attacks of the media and the shrill and unreasonable communists who are trying to destroy our nation. He could, however, do so in a way that is commensurate with the gravitas of the office he holds. Calling people derogatory names and using undignified language undermines his credibility, causes deeper division, and demeans the standard of the Presidency. The Bible often tells us how we should speak to and treat one another. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." I like what First Lady Melania Trump said this week about teaching our children the right values, "By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership." In prayer, supplication and in our spoken words, we should encourage President Trump to follow the example of the scriptures and the words of wisdom spoken by his wife. Daily Devotion: Never Alone - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. -2 Timothy 4:16 You can look to people for comfort, but I have to warn you: You will be disappointed. Yes, people will help you at times. People will encourage you at times. And indeed, God will work through people to do these things for you. We may sometimes look with envy on the lives of the rich, the famous, the powerful, and the beautiful. But I would rather be in the worst place imaginable with the Lord than in the greatest place imaginable without Him. Writing of the apostle Paul, the great preacher C. H. Spurgeon said, "If all else forsook him, Jesus was company enough; if all despised him, Jesus' smile was patronage enough; if the good cause seemed to be in danger, in the presence of the Master victory was sure. The Lord who stood for him at the cross now stood by him in prison." We don't read of the local Christians coming to Paul's aid at this point. In fact, there were a lot of times when people let Paul down. Have you ever felt that way? Has it ever seemed as though everyone has abandoned you? Sometimes we even falsely think that God has let us down. Don't look to people for answers; look to God. Ultimately it will come down to this: God is with you, even if others have forsaken you. This you can be sure of: God is with you. That is how David was able to get through his valleys. He said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). He knew that God was there. God can compensate, by His own loving presence, for every earthly loss. FROM THE HEART
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 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 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. 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 Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 |
|