Prophecy Update Newsletter
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The Rapture: Part III (The Season of His Return) - by Pete Garcia- https://rev310.wordpress.com/2018/11/11/the-rapture-part-iii-the-season-of-his-return/
The Rapture: Part III (When Will It Happen?) A reader recently asked me something that I had been asked many times over the years. Paraphrasing him for brevity's sake, he asked, what difference does it make which rapture position I hold too? The Rapture will happen when it happens regardless of whether it is Pre-Trib, Pre-Wrath, Post-Trib, or No-Trib. We will get raptured when we get raptured and our hope should be in Christ, not in the Rapture. I get his point, honestly I do. As Christian's, our ultimate hope is (or should be) living a life that is pleasing to Christ. Ultimately, we know God has this all under control and that one day, everything will change for the better. That is what I call the big-picture or macro-view of the Bible, and there isn't anything intrinsically wrong with holding that view. However... ...if that is the only view you hold too, then you are missing out on A LOT! If God only wanted us Christians to cling to the big-picture view and nothing else, then our Bibles would only need to be a single page with five words- in the end, God wins. Seeing that as our Bible is more than just a single page, single book, or even single testament, I have to presume that God put all those details in there for a reason.
He also wants us to know that He has the past, present, and future in His hands by telling us what will happen before it does (Amos 3:7, John 13:19). This foretelling is what we call Bible prophecy. However, not all prophecy deals with the end-times or last days events, since many prophecies have already been fulfilled. Nevertheless, the bulk of Bible prophecy does deal with the last days. This study of last days (or the study of last things) in particular, is known as Christian Eschatology. Bible prophecy then makes up around 1/3 of our Bible, which... According to "The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy" by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 prophecies in the New Testament for a total of 1,817. These prophecies are contained in 8,352 of the Bible's verses. Since there are 31,124 verses in the Bible, the 8,352 verses that contain prophecy constitute 26.8 percent of the Bible's volume. (Source: Gracethrufaith) So why study Bible prophecy? Well, Bible prophecy does many important and practical things for the Christian today.
Another question many sincere believers have regarding the rapture is, if it happens in the twinkling of an eye, and all born-again believers are taken up regardless of their eschatological position, why bother studying it? Part & parcel with the study of Bible prophecy, and eschatology in particular, is the next, big event on God's prophetic calendar, the Rapture of the Church. And while it is true, the rapture will happen so fast that we probably will not have time to process. The study of the rapture isn't so much for our sakes (once we understand it), as it will be for those who are left behind. Is it any coincidence that more information about the Rapture has been generated in the previous two centuries, than has for the entirety of the last two-thousand years? As the old rabbinic idiom says, coincidence is not a kosher word. Assessment I believe that God the Holy Spirit began purposefully stirring up godly men and women in the 19th-century to intentionally and exponentially give greater understanding to Bible prophecy. He did so because the time was right (see also Galatians 4:4). As time began drawing to a close, God wanted us to know what would happen before it happened. Not only that, but He knew deception would quickly intensify as the geopolitical/prophetic picture became clearer. That picture began to become clearer in 1897 with the world's first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. Two world wars later, the nation of Israel was reborn on May 14, 1948 (Isaiah 66:7-8). While Satan cannot see into the future, he does know bible prophecy (Luke 4:1-9). Satan knows that most Bible prophecy centers around and/or is dependent upon, Israel becoming a nation again. Why do you think he tried so hard to exterminate the Jews during WWII? Why do you think Satan is trying so hard today? Just as he used the Third Reich then, he is using socialists, leftists, and Islamists today to try to erase the Jewish people and the borders of Israel so they can no longer be a nation. Satan thinks if he can do this, he can either delay or disrupt God's plan. Little did Satan know that by committing the holocaust, he was just fulfilling Bible prophecy. By the end of the war, there was just enough world sympathy for the Jews (due to the horror of the holocaust), for the newly founded United Nations to allow Israel to become a nation again. By 1948, everything (technological, geopolitical, military, informational, economic, etc.) began to rapidly intensify in every possible direction. Mankind soon became overwhelmed by the proliferation of information. Things that had long been hidden from man (such as DNA, atomic energy, the Internet, etc.) were now opened like the proverbial Pandora's Box. This was intentional, because Satan had to move quickly and bring man up to speed for what he needed done. Left Behind? So far, everything I have written about has been rehashed stuff I have covered many times. I do not think I have ever written about what I am about to do now. Once the rapture happens, the world will be turned on its head. Honestly, we do not know when the Rapture will happen, but rough estimates (these four converging theories) seem to indicate the Rapture happening within the next 15-20 years. Here is how I come to that conclusion.
And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:24 This first presumes that Jerusalem would be conquered and controlled by Gentile powers (ex. Romans, Muslims, Crusaders, Turks, British, etc.) until some future point in time. That time was fulfilled in 1967, when the Israelis miraculously fought back against overwhelming odds and retook the entire city in the Six Day War. Secondly, while Gentiles still live in Jerusalem and administratively control the Temple Mount, the Jewish people finally have their ancient capital back after 1,897 years. Fast-forward fifty-years and the world's first leader to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, came about through the Presidency of Donald Trump. Granted, Gentiles will continue to trample Jerusalem throughout the coming Tribulation (Daniel's 70th Week), but scripture seems to indicate the Jews never fully lose control of the city again until the mid-point of the Tribulation (see also Zechariah 12:1-3, Ezekiel 38-39, Matthew 24:15-22, Rev. 11:1-14). But two points to consider,
Jesus stated at the outset of the Olivet Discourse, that the temple would be destroyed (Matt. 23:37-24:2) and so it was in 70AD. But then He states that it would be desolated in the last days. All the signs that He gave, He likened to birth pangs, in that while they were always present, there would be a process of intensification that progress through the ages, culminating in one, singular, generation. This generation (the one who sees all this), would not pass away, which means we have a rough-outline for how long this generation would last. Since the definition for generation in the Bible is a little loose (40-100 years), the only metric we have left to measure time with is the length of a man's life. Fortunately, Moses defined this for us in the only Psalm he penned, Psalm 90:10- The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Seventy-years from 1948 is 2018. Eighty-years from 1948 is 2028 Seventy-years from 1967 is 2037. Eighty-years from 1967 is 2047 Therefore, the window of time that Christ could return is from 2018-2047 This means that we have about a 29-year window, from which we would subtract at a minimum, seven-years (the 70th Week), for when the Rapture could occur. That leaves us with a 22-year window. Considering all that has to occur in that 70th Week, there is very likely a gap of time between the Rapture and the start of the 70th Week (the Rapture does not directly start the 70th Week, but it primes it). Conclusion My personal theory is that the gap is exactly 3 ½ years in length, since Christ's ministry was that same length. It just seems to round it out and bring the total to a full seven-year (one week). In that gap, we see the arrival of Elijah and presumably either Moses or Enoch who serve as the Two Witnesses (Malachi 4:4-6, Matt. 17:1-13, Rev. 11) at the conclusion of the battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38-39). Regardless, whatever the length of time the gap actually becomes, we will not be here to find out. Only those who are left behind after the Rapture happens will live to endure it. It is to this point, that we go on and on about the Rapture of the Church. There may be a small window of time before the strong delusion kicks in, that frantic loved ones, friends, and the perplexed will search to find out the truth as to be saved. Prophecy teacher Bill Salus brings up a great point regarding this gap between the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation by highlighting an oft-overlooked point, which the martyrs found in the Fifth Seal, are asking how much longer until they are avenged as if they do not know (Rev. 6:9-11). That brings in a contrasting point that if the martyrs are asking it in the Fifth Seal judgment, that the 70th Week has already officially begun. However, it could also mean that they do not know, because they don't understand prophecy and God hasn't revealed it to them yet. I don't want go down that rabbit trail in this particular article, but let's just agree that our concept of time gets a little fuzzy when bouncing back and forth between our realm and the eternal realm. If we use the 3 ½ year gap, then our 22-year window has now shrunk to 18 ½ years. If the gap is longer than 3 ½ years, then we are in the 15-20 year time frame for the Rapture to occur. Again, this all points us back to the fulcrum of the overall 29-year window, which is around 2030. My good friend Randy Nettles has done a lot of work pertaining how and which Jewish holy days line up in the years to come. His conclusions is that the Rapture happens much sooner than even we anticipate. And I am ok with that. In closing, although we do not know the specific day or hour, we can know without any doubt that we are in the season of the Lord's return. It could be today, tomorrow, or some point in the next few years, but we know it is near, even at the door. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 Even so, Maranatha! Massive Missile Attack on Israel after Qatar Funds Hamas - by Bassam Tawil - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13297/hamas-missiles-qatari-money Last week, as efforts were underway to achieve a new truce between Hamas and Israel, this author asked a legitimate and straightforward question: Can Hamas be trusted? The conclusion was that a real truce between Israel and Hamas can be achieved only after the Palestinian jihadi terrorists are removed from power, and not rewarded for violence and threats. Days later, Hamas itself provided proof as to why it cannot be trusted with any deal, including a truce. Since yesterday, Hamas and its allies in the Gaza Strip have been firing hundreds of rockets into Israel. The current barrage began hours after Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli commandos inside the Gaza Strip, killing an Israeli officer and moderately wounding a soldier. In response, the Israeli army killed seven terrorists, including a top Hamas military commander -- Sheikh Nur Baraka. The Israeli commando unit was not inside the Gaza Strip to kill or kidnap anyone. They were there as part of a routine covert operation to foil terrorist attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups. The commandos, all the same, were attacked by Hamas terrorists who did try to kill or kidnap some of them. The soldiers of the elite Israeli unit managed to return to Israel under the cover of Israeli airstrikes called in to aid their exfiltration. What is clear is that it was Hamas, not Israel, that initiated the armed clash with the Israeli force. It was Hamas that attacked the Israeli soldiers, killed the officer, and then rushed to accuse Israel of launching a "new aggression" against the Gaza Strip. When the Israeli soldiers tried to defend themselves and killed seven terrorists with return fire, Hamas accused Israel of committing a "despicable crime" against Palestinians. It is worth noting that the Hamas attack on the Israeli commandos came hours after a Qatari envoy left the Gaza Strip. The Qatari official, Mohammed El-Amadi, had arrived in the Gaza Strip last week carrying suitcases stuffed with $15 million in cash. The money was delivered to Hamas leaders so that they could pay salaries to thousands of their employees in the Gaza Strip. The Qatari financial grant was delivered to the Gaza Strip with Israel's approval. The Qatari envoy even entered the Gaza Strip through Israel's Erez border crossing. Why did Israel facilitate the transfer of the Qatari cash to the Gaza Strip? Israel has been -- and still is -- trying to avoid an all-out war with Hamas. Israel is not afraid of Hamas. Israel simply does not want the Palestinian civilians living under Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip to pay another heavy price for the foolish acts of their leaders. Israel, in fact, has repeatedly expressed a desire to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians there. In recent years, Israel has been actively working to support reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli measures include the upgrading of the border crossings between Israel and Gaza to more than 800 truckloads of building materials and other goods to enter Gaza on a daily basis, and facilitating the passage of more than 3.4 million tons of materials into Gaza since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. Earlier this year, Israel presented to the EU, US, UN, and the World Bank various projects that were approved by the Israeli government to develop infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, promote energy solutions and create employment opportunities for the Palestinians there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended last week's deal with Qatar by saying it was aimed at preventing a "humanitarian crisis" in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu said that he would do "whatever I can" to keep Israelis living in communities adjacent to the border with Gaza safe, while at the same time working to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Hamas took Qatar's $15 million cash grant, paid its employees, and days later has resumed its terrorist attacks against Israel. This is Hamas's way of saying thank you to the Qataris and Israelis who have been working hard to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip and avoid another war -- one that is likely to cause more suffering to the two million Palestinians living there. Hamas has clearly interpreted the goodwill gesture of Israel and Qatar as a sign of weakness. Hamas leaders have even gone on the record as saying that the $15 million grant was the "fruit" of the weekly violent riots that it has been organizing along the border with Israel since March. Shortly after the Qatari envoy delivered the grant to the Gaza Strip, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum used those very words: he boasted that the Palestinians were finally reaping the fruits of their violent protests along the Gaza-Israel border. Hamas's stance is reminiscent of its reaction to the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Then, Hamas and other Palestinians also interpreted the Israeli "disengagement" from the Gaza Strip -- intended to give Gaza the chance to become a Singapore on the Mediterranean -- as a sign of Israeli weakness and retreat. A few months later, Hamas even won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary election -- largely because it claimed that it had forced Israel to pull out of the Gaza Strip by conducting suicide bombings and rocket attacks. Hamas told Palestinians back then: vote for us because we drove the Jews out of the Gaza Strip through the armed struggle. The renewed Hamas attacks on Israel serve as a reminder that the terrorist group is not interested in a real truce. Hamas wants millions of dollars paid to its employees so that it can continue to prepare for war with Israel while not having to worry about the welfare of its people. Qatar's $15 million cash grant has failed to stop Hamas from launching hundreds of rockets into Israel. On the contrary, the money has only emboldened Hamas and increased its appetite to continue its jihad to eliminate Israel. All the money in the world will not convince Hamas to abandon its ideology or soften its position toward Israel. If Hamas is in fact interested in a truce, it is not because it wants peace with Israel. Rather, it is because Hamas needs "breathing space" that will allow it to continue developing and amassing weapons, and preparing for more attacks on Israel. Anyone who puts his or her faith in Hamas tempering its objectives is living in an illusion. Hamas has a long-standing tradition of violating ceasefires with Israel. Even if the Egyptians, Qataris and the UN manage to end the latest attacks on Israel, Hamas will never abandon its plan to destroy Israel and kill as many Jews as possible. Hamas will continue to violate ceasefires. If Qatar fulfills its promise to send more suitcases stuffed with millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip, Hamas will continue to laugh all the way to the bank. What the international mediators need to understand is that there is only one solution to the crisis in the Gaza Strip: removing Hamas from power and destroying its military capabilities. They also need to understand that there is only one language that Hamas understands: the language of force. Until the mediators internalize this reality, Hamas will continue to make a mockery of everyone, including its own people and those who are trying to prevent a humanitarian disaster there. The assumption that if you pay terrorists millions of dollars they will stop attacking you -- rather than using the funds to build up their forces -- has proven to be false. Nearing Midnight: Mystery Un-muddied - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Satan, the great deluder-the infernal illusionist-has muddled one of God's most wonderful promises. As a matter of fact, it is the second most wonderful promise in God's Word. Both promises, numbers one and two, are inextricably linked. Paul the apostle reveals that second promise as follows: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Paul further elucidates this tremendous promise of God to those who belong to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Again, Satan-Lucifer, the fallen one-has used every nefarious tool in his bag of tricks to muddle this great promise from the Almighty. He has particularly done so during the last several centuries. Muddling this promise fits into the devil's scheme to strike at the very heart of God's redemptive plan for mankind. That plan-the salvation of the souls of lost human beings-is the first of the two great promises from the heart of God. This first is linked to the second by the one and only way to receive redemption, explained by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is that link. The Lord answered His disciple, Thomas: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14: 6). Man's understanding of how to "cometh to the father" is the matter Satan desires to muddy. He has done a dangerously good job of doing so. Even the current pope of the Roman Catholic Church preaches that there are many ways to Heaven. This is in direct violation of what the Lord Jesus Christ said. He is the perfect, sinless, Lamb who died, was buried, and resurrected for the redemption of mankind and should know. Yet the religionists of the world promote their own particular ways to attain salvation. Again, Pope Francis has said that everyone-even atheists-will one day be redeemed. Satan has indeed managed to darken humanity's pathway to redemption. So, it is no wonder that there is such controversy-so much misunderstanding and deliberate confounding-about this second most important promise so closely linked to salvation itself. Sadly, in my view, even Christian theological seminaries join in the corruption of truth regarding this great "mystery" Paul unveiled in that 1 Corinthians 15 account of the Rapture of the Church. These institutions for the most part hold that Jesus' own words about this great promise to God's people-the Church-have nothing to do with the Rapture. Paul called this event a "mystery" that he was revealing. He was, he said, showing the facts surrounding that promise to all believers of this Church Age (Age of Grace). The seminaries for the most part say that this was the first unveiling of the Rapture-that Jesus or the prophets never previously revealed this promise of snatching believers from Planet Earth, both living and dead. I beg to differ-dogmatically. Paul the great apostle was revealing a mystery that was, until that point, wrapped up in the words from the lips of the Creator of all things-Jesus, Himself. The Lord told His disciples about His coming death and going to the Father. But, they understood none of it. It was a complete mystery to them. Paul unveils the truth of what Jesus was promising. That is the "mystery" the apostle was showing all believers who were to come afterward. Here is the mystery the Lord Jesus pronounced that Paul was later to reveal: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3). Jesus plainly laid out His next intervention into the affairs of mankind, as we have seen a number of times by examining the "days of Noah, days of Lot" prophecies of Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:26-30. It should be noted that most seminaries hold that this has nothing to do with Christ's coming in the Rapture, just as they that deny John 14:1-3 has anything to do with the Rapture. These teach that, in both instances, the Scriptures involved allude to Christ's Second Advent (Revelation 19: 1), not the Rapture. Again, I adamantly disagree. Jesus says in John 14:1-3 that He "receives" believers to Himself and goes with them directly to the Father's House, where He, Himself, has prepared places for them. In the Second Advent, He comes all the way to Planet Earth, bringing the saints with Him from Glory. In the "days of Noah, days of Lot prophecy," He says that business on earth will be going along in a rather brisk fashion-indicating, perhaps, even a "boom." At the Second Advent, when He comes back with the saints from Heaven, as many as three-fourths of humanity will have died due to the great wrath and judgment that will come upon the planet during the Tribulation, the last seven years preceding Christ's Second Coming. That certainly will not be a time of "business as usual." We are in a time of economic "boom" at this very moment in America-although the evil in the world is raging and growing worse. That "mystery" taught by Paul the apostle, unveiling the words Jesus issued in prophecy as recorded in John 14:1-3, I believe, is "even at the door" (Matthew 24:33). IDF: A Special Army Preparing for Gog and Magog - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com O mortal, turn your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him. Ezekiel 38:2 (The Israel Bible™) The IDF represents Israel's multicultural nature but underneath the wrinkled green uniform is a special army preparing for the very special war that precedes the Messianic era. Three rabbis weigh in on how this prophetic mandate affects every aspect of the IDF and Israel's wars. Rabbi Rafi Peretz, a former chief rabbi of the IDF, believes the Jewish identity of the IDF makes its operational parameters different from those guiding other armies. "In almost every way, the IDF is like every other army in the world," Rabbi Peretz told Breaking Israel News. "Of course, we have a framework for educating our soldiers in military values, striving to make the IDF a moral army. We also emphasize the love of our nation and our land. Other armies do this as well but for the IDF, this takes on a unique form since this is our homeland from the time of the patriarchs." Rabbi Peretz noted that this special status is clear to every soldier in the IDF, including non-Jewish soldiers. He noted that in the 2012 war in Gaza (Operation Pillar of Defense), many soldiers, religious as well as non-religious, requested IDF tzitzit (four-cornered fringed garment) to wear into battle. The IDF version is an olive drab nylon mesh with small pockets in the corners for the fringes. Many felt that wearing this garment added a level of protection in addition to their bulletproof vests. "Of course, the IDF does everything it can to permit religious soldiers to be observant. The food is kosher, we observe the Sabbath and holidays. But in addition to the religious observance, the IDF is clear about its unique status as the army of Israel. These are not simply Torah concepts that only speak to religious soldiers." "The IDF is part of a larger mission, part of the nation of Israel, and this spiritually raises up the soldiers, all of whom have chosen to risk their lives for this greater purpose," Rabbi Peretz said. "When a soldier hears these things, religious or non-religious, Jewish or not, his soul connects to this unique status of his army service in a very deep way. Gradually, these concepts are becoming more important and central in the IDF." The Bible is full of wars described in great detail. In addition to the stories, the Bible also contains laws pertaining to how Israel should wage war and the process leading up to it. Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the nascent Sanhedrin, noted that just as Jews were uniquely commanded to observe Biblical commandments, the manner in which Israel wages war is also unique. "There are many laws in the Torah about how to wage war," Weiss told Breaking Israel News. "They are no less important than keeping kosher or keeping the Sabbath." He explained that there are three types of war. The first is a war for Israel's existence in the land of Israel, referred to in Torah law as milchemet mitzvah (commanded war). "Every Jew is required to take part in this type of war," Rabbi Weiss explained. "Even women have a role to play in milchemet mitzvah." The second type is a war outside of Israel's borders for political or economic reasons, referred to as milchemet rshut (permitted war). The king can declare this type of war only if the Sanhedrin permits. It is not permitted to institute a draft for this type of war. The final type of war that will be waged in the times of the Messiah and incumbent upon the king of Israel will be to wipe out the nation of Amalek. "These are the basic principles for war and their corresponding guidelines that Israel should follow," Rabbi Weiss said. "This applied when we returned from the exile in Egypt and it applies today." "Just like we do not establish what is a kosher animal and what is not, the borders of Israel are not arbitrary nor were they established by any political body," Rabbi Weiss said. "When the nation of Israel did not fulfill the commandment of entirely conquering the land in the time of Joshua, we suffered. The same is true today." "We are not relating to our Biblical requirement as it pertains to running a nation," Weiss said. "Had we followed Biblical guidelines in how to wage war, we would not be in this mess today. By trying to be 'politically correct' in war, Israel ends up being more cruel than necessary. In the end, we are hated by the very nations we are trying to impress." "Even worse, the establishment of the state of Israel was an opportunity for the world to fix itself, to actualize the Biblical principles they already accept. The United Nations was begun with this intent but because it was not based in the Bible, it has gone astray." "Israel was established on the ideals of Zionism and Democracy," he explained. "Where is the Torah in the State of Israel?" Weiss asked. "As soon as the Sanhedrin is established and Israel takes its role as a 'light unto the nations', international relations, even war, will become a very different matter." For the present, the IDF is charged with protecting the state of Israel, but in the future yet-to-be-revealed, the IDF will take on a new role; the War of Gog and Magog. Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific end-of-days author, stated that this mission may arrive at any moment without any warning. The rabbi suggested that even a seemingly small skirmish like the one that took place in Gaza on Sunday night could spark the War of Gog and Magog. "Any student of history knows that hindsight is 20-20 but in the moment, you never know what can set off a war," Rabbi Winston told Breaking Israel News. "The First World War was set off by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. The 2014 War in Gaza was set off by the murder of three young boys. The same is true for the War of Gog and Magog but even more so." Winston said that this element of surprise, not knowing how or when the war will come, is a tactic intended to prepare people. "Hashem is pushing events forward," Rabbi Winston said. "So we can't prepare for it. Unlike conventional wars that are the result of politics, the War of Gog and Magog won't be the logical outcome of our actions. It is Hashem's (God, literally 'the name') way of building up our faith and trust in him in the final days. He wants us to be ready for anything because Moshiach (Messiah) is unlike anything that came before." "There are some descriptions of what the War of Gog and Magog might possibly be like," Winston said. He referred to a description by Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon, who in the 18th century said that it will last 12 minutes and encompass the world. "That was inconceivable at the time but now we can envision that as being realistic," Rabbi Winston said. "There are many aspects described in prophecy that skeptics say are impossible. It is all part of the bigger plan." But the rabbi warned that even the prophetic descriptions could not be used to prepare for the final battle. "Gog and Magog is unavoidable but how or when it manifests will depend on our relationship with God leading up to it," Rabbi Winston said. "We can sweeten the judgment to the point where we barely notice the war. Or it could be more horrifying than anything we could ever imagine." Daily Jot: Deceiving the elect(orate) - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The elections in Florida, Arizona and other places across the country are drawing attention because of massive voter fraud in Democratic Party-controlled areas. Every election in recent memory has had such problems. And they most always point to the Democratic Party doing something to make sure someone's vote doesn't count. Yet this is the party that continuously fights updating voter rolls because "voters will be disenfranchised." Did it ever occur to anyone that once again, these people are accusing those who wish to uphold justice of doing the very thing the accusers have been successfully doing for years? Justice is in short supply when it comes to fair elections. The history of this is incredible. In looking at the 2012 Presidential Election maps of who voted and where, small pockets of votes carried the election. More amazing to me, as a seasoned political campaign veteran, that in certain precincts, even counties, of the thousands who voted, the Occupant of the Oval Office's challenger received less than .2% of the vote. This is incredible and, quite frankly, not only unbelievable, but against all odds, nearly impossible. According to news reports, one Ohio county reported the "president" won 108 % of the registered voters. Now that is impossible. Members of our military who are serving overseas did not get to vote because military ballots were denied active-duty servicemen and women. In 2014, in New Mexico, a person went in to vote early and found out that he had already voted. The election officials confirmed that the person who voted first was not the person who was registered to vote. They allowed the registered person to vote, but explained there was no way to take back the vote of the illegal voter because it anonymously was recorded in the system. In 2016, there were videos showing voter machines changing votes from Republican to Democrat, and reports of dead people, illegals, and felons voting. Hillary Clinton went to court to delay Electoral College certification in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to prevent those votes from counting so she could win the election. This year, the Texas Democratic Party mailed voter registration applications to noncitizens that pre-printed "Yes" to the answers to questions "Are you a United States Citizen?" and "Will you be 18 years of age on or before election day?"Now we have yet another mess in Florida where the same person, Democrat Brenda Snipes, who manipulated votes in the 2012 elections is at it again. Whenever someone speaks of votes being stolen, the progressives laugh and roll their eyes about these charges, dismissing them as wild conspiracy theories. Psalm 101:7 says, "He that works deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that tells lies shall not tarry in my sight." Deceiving the electorate has become big business. It's time to say "Not in my house." Daily Devotion: God Doesn't Need Our Plan B - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. -Hebrews 11:11 To be honest, I find it amazing that Sarah made the Heroes' Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. When I think of women who deserve to be there, I think of Mary, who carried the Lord in her womb, or Ruth or Esther or Deborah, the great warrior judge. But Sarah was one of the women who's listed there, even though she didn't seem to have a lot of faith. When God came to Sarah and her husband Abraham and told them they were going to have a child, they balked at it. She was, after all, 65 years old and Abraham was 75. Sarah didn't know whether she would be able to conceive a child and thought maybe God needed a little help. She suggested that Abraham marry her maid Hagar and have a child with her. The next thing you know, Hagar has conceived and a boy named Ishmael has been born. Immediately Sarah became jealous. She was angry at Hagar, and she was angry at her husband. When unbelief tries to solve a problem, it creates a bigger problem. God wants to do His will in His way in His timing. God doesn't want us to do His will in our way. God doesn't need our manipulation. God doesn't need us to bring His will about. He will do it in His way and in His time. Sarah's plan B had backfired horribly, yet as I look at Hebrews 11, what amazes me is that not one of her lapses is mentioned. That is because Hebrews 11 is a record of faith, not unbelief. It lists the victories, not the defeats. In the same way, when you become a Christian, you are a new person in Christ. Old things have passed away. Everything becomes fresh and new. 
FROM THE HEART
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