PTNews
May 2019
Published 10 times annually
All Bible references are from the KJV
The Islamic Invasion of the World
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Revelation 6:2
By Mike Wingfield
Sometimes the Lord uses unlikely people to send forth His message of warning. According to several sources, Vatican Cardinal Robert Sarah has written a book, Evening Draws Near and the Day is Nearly Over. In the book, scheduled for release in September, he identifies Muslim migration as a harbinger of the collapse of the European continent and the culture of the West. Sarah warns that the “West will disappear” as a result of mass migration, adding that “Islam will invade the world” and “completely change culture, anthropology, and moral vision”
Photo from www.sfaw.org
Not in agreement with the Vatican, Sarah warns that the West is collapsing because, in part, its overall birth rate is declining while Muslims are flooding the culture through a growing birth rate and mass migration. As this threat continues to materialize, the liberal policies of the political left in Western societies not only ignore the threat but they seem to blindly support the mass immigration of refugees that are invading their countries. [Think about what is happening here in the U.S. Our president is calling for a wall along the Mexican border to protect us from the massive migration of illegal entry into America. Those who are pouring over the border are bringing their drugs and lawlessness with them and placing a tremendous strain on the U.S. economy. The liberal politicians in Washington are ignoring this threat just like their political socialist friends in Europe.] Sarah blames the European Union for its “desire to globalize the world, ridding it of nations with their distinctive characteristics.”
This cardinal is simply expressing what he is seeing in Europe and warning his people of this fatal threat. Perhaps he does not know it, but his comments are supported by the prophetic Scriptures.
Our world is madly racing toward a new world order that desires to erase the uniqueness of each culture and nation. In essence, they are attempting to reverse some of the effects of divine judgment at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9. Filled with a defiant, godless spirit (see Psalm 2:1-3), the leaders of the world want to built a one-world, anti-god political system. The Lord revealed to the prophet Daniel in Daniel 2 that the final global government that will produce the Antichrist will “mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not [politically adhere] one to another” (Daniel 2:43). When God divided the nations at the Tower of Babel, He not only changed their language, but probably enhanced physical differences in facial features and skin color. He also caused them to develop a culture that was unique to their people and their new global location as they were scattered “abroad upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9). In a limited sense, the world wants to erase the divine penalties prescribed in Genesis 11 and become one again. Human pride is once again raising its foolish fist at the Almighty!
At the heart of this movement is a political marriage of convenience of two godless political systems. The atheistic political system of communism/socialism and the religious/political Islamic nations are cooperating within the United Nations to defeat the efforts of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The world hates these two countries and their leaders. It wants to destroy American and Israeli opposition to their dream of a global godless political system.
According to the Bible, this dangerous global alliance will materialize and lend support to the coming Islamic Antichrist. This understanding is supported by many biblical insights. First, notice that all of the nations listed in the Bible that come against Israel in the last days and at Armageddon, are Islamic nations (Psalm 83:6-8; Ezekiel 36:1-7; 38:5,6; Joel 3:4, 19; Obadiah, Zephaniah 2:4-9) Ezekiel 38:1-6 includes Russia as the only non-Muslim ally of many of these Islamic nations.
In the book of Revelation, the apostle John symbolically depicted this political alliance of the end times as a prostitute riding upon a beast with 10 horns (Revelation 17-18). The ancient culture of John’s day symbolically viewed prostitutes as representing false religions. For example, the Lord continually accused Israel of “whoring” after the gods of the pagans (Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 31:16; Judges 2:17). Thus, this political entity of the last days will be in alliance with a false religious system.
This symbolic prostitute in Revelation 18-19 is named “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation17:5). The first hint at the identity of this false religion is its connection to Babylon. The Babylonian Empire of the past is similar to the current area of the world controlled by Islam in the Middle East. Therefore, it seems that the clues in the context are pointing to this geographical area. It was this region that produced the greatest threat to Israel in biblical days. 
Other clues in Revelation 17 point to a religion that controls many nations (verses 1 and 15). This religion is in the desert (verse 3), and its adherents are killing believers in Jesus (verse 6). In Revelation 20:4, we learn that this political/religious system of the Antichrist will behead its opponents. In Revelation 18, this religious/political system of the Antichrist will control the economy of the world with a product transported by sea [obviously oil] that will make the kings and the merchants of the earth rich. This text says that the kings of the earth are controlled by this woman [political/religious system]. See Revelation 17:2 and 18:3. Can you name a religion that is in the desert area of the Persian Gulf that has beheaded Christians? Can you think of a religion that has used oil to control the kings of the earth, and exerts political power in the Middle East? There is only one religion that fits all of these clues – Islam.
My friend, it is not a coincidence that at this time in history the newly-revived nation of Israel is rapidly becoming more important in the world. As this occurs, the Western nations, including the United States, are collapsing from within. As each day passes, we are witnessing a mighty revival of the radical elements of Islam around the globe. As Cardinal Sarah has observed, Islam is poised to invade the world and take control. We were once again reminded of this by the horrific Islamic terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday morning.
After the church has been raptured to heaven, Revelation 6:2 indicates that a rider on a white horse will appear. I am convinced that this rider is the long anticipated Islamic messiah – the Antichrist. Muslims have been teaching that he will appear on a white horse and engage the world in war to conquer it for Islam. Notice that Revelation 6:2 says that this rider will have a bow and a crown. Islam promotes itself as a religion of peace (symbolized as a bow with no arrows). The Islamic messiah will be crowned as king as he begins his jihad campaign at the start of the Tribulation Period.
Please notice that in this symbolic depiction, the religious/political system [Islam] is riding [controlling] a beast with 10 horns. This 10-horned beast represents the Antichrist and his global alliance with a new world order comprised of Muslim and non-Muslim nations. This one-world government will have some kind of 10-division political structure – probably a new United Nations configuration. The men who control this structure will be in alliance with the Antichrist but “have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour [a short time] with the beast” (Revelation 17:12).
This complex symbolic depiction in Revelation17-18 is very difficult to unravel and apply to our present world situation. However, keep in mind that the big picture being conveyed by the Bible indicates that Gentile nations will ultimately join an Islamic attempt to declare war on the world. Their objective will be to render the world submissive to Islam. I believe this is what is happening in our world at this present time. As noted by Cardinal Sarah, the liberal political left is already attempting to appease Islam, refusing to control the radical elements that are threatening the future of our world as we know it. Unless something or someone stops or delays this powerful movement of Islam, it will soon come to pass.
All of this is very disturbing. It makes me think of the prophet Daniel, who was also shown a vision of this final kingdom of the Antichrist that would “devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces” (Daniel 7:23). I can identify with Daniel’s reaction to this prophecy. He said that it troubled his thoughts and stirred his emotions (Daniel 7:28).
However, we can rejoice that the Lord in heaven will get the last word in all of this. According to Revelation 18, the Persian Gulf area, as home to the former enemies of Israel – the Babylonian Empire – and the current center of the Islamic world – will be destroyed by God near the end of the Tribulation Period. The occupants of this region have been the enemies of God and Israel since the beginning of time. “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Revelation 18:24). In an amazing parallel passage, Isaiah 34 depicts the same area at the end of the Tribulation Period as being supernaturally set on fire by God. God will set the vast oil fields of the Persian Gulf on fire! More than 2,700 years ago, Isaiah wrote, “And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch [oil], and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch [oil]. It shall not be quenched night nor day, the smoke thereof shall go up forever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever” (Isaiah 34:9-10). The apostle John, commenting on this great destruction, wrote, “And her smoke rose up forever and ever” (Revelation 19:3).
All of this will happen because “it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion [Jerusalem]” (Isaiah 34:8). As I often say, what happened in Genesis will have its ending in the book of Revelation.
What a privilege we have to live at the end of this age and see the eternal plan of God on this earth begin to unfold before our very eyes. For those who have spiritual eyes to see, this is all happening right in front of us. Get ready for the shout that will take us out!
European Churches Being Vandalized by Muslims Every Day
According to several sources, a war in Europe is being waged against Christianity by Muslim terrorists. In the last two years there have been more than 2,000 attacks in France against properties owned by Christians. According to Raymond Ibrahim of Gatestone Institute, European churches are being “vandalized, defecated on, and torched every day.” (www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14044/europe-churches-vandalized) According to Ibrahim, German news sources are quoted as saying, “there is a creeping war against everything that symbolizes Christianity: attacks on mountain-summit crosses, on sacred statues by the wayside, on churches… and recently also on cemeteries. … Crosses are broken, altars smashed, Bibles set on fire, baptismal fonts overturned, and the church doors smeared with Islamic expressions like ‘Allahu Akbar.’”
Amazingly, the political authorities and the major media outlets in Europe are refusing to identify Muslims as the perpetrators of these heinous acts of vandalism. They say that the perpetrators of these crimes are mentally ill or they simply refer to it as secular terrorism. Moreover, those who truthfully point the finger at these radical Muslims are accused of hatred, hate speech, bigotry, and racism.
As mentioned in the previous article of this newsletter, the liberal left in the West is attempting to appease radical Islam. In essence, they are giving Islam a green light to continue its death march across the globe. These liberal elements of influence in the Western culture are also out to eradicate Christianity and the political freedoms that have been a part of the West for centuries.
The Great Hypocrisy of our Time
We live in a world filled with lies and hypocrisy. At the center of much of this duplicity is the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. For example, the European nations continually accuse Israel of human rights violations against the Palestinians. However, in Israel, the human rights of all people are “vigorously protected under law” (Israel Today, March, 2019, p. 7) Many European nations refuse to do business with Israel and continually hurl false accusations against the Jewish state. This is hypocritical because the Europeans continue to do business with Iran, violating the international global sanctions placed upon the radical Iranian regime. They do this in spite of the fact that Iran is a nation that notoriously violates human rights, especially against Christians. Iran is a country that has “executed at least 33 children since 2013. (Girls can be sentenced to death from the age of nine and boys from 15). Child brides are still married off to older men to be legally raped for the rest of their miserable lives. Iran persecutes minorities – including Christians, Bahais and Kurds, among others.” (The International Jerusalem Post, March 15-21, 2019, p. 5) Europe continues to reward those who violate human rights, while they curse Israel which consistently promotes human rights. The only place in all of the Middle East where Christians are protected is Israel.
The Europeans also provide the Palestinian government with generous financial aid. They do this knowing that the Palestinian’s really do not want peace with Israel, but rather promote the destruction of the entire state of Israel. Europeans support the administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who continues to pay the families of terrorists who are in Israeli jails with Jewish blood on their hands. The Palestinian administration is extremely corrupt. It does not address the conditions of poverty that are prevalent among its own people. It is not interested in building a viable society where the people can have jobs and make a decent living. It condemns Palestinians who travel to Israel and work for Jewish people. Palestinian leaders continue to promote and incite hatred for Jews and the state of Israel.
In light of all of this, it is also worth noting that the Palestinian president, Abbas, is serving his 14th year of his 4 – year term. His personal net worth is more than $100 million. It is apparent that he is lining his own pockets with the global donations that were given to help relieve the poverty among his own people.
I am appalled that millions of American Christians, including their pastors and denominational leadership, continue to falsely accuse Israel of being a violator of the human rights of the Palestinians. In many cases, these American Christians support the Palestinian desire to annihilate the Jewish nation and occupy the entire land formerly called Palestine. These same Christians explain away the unconditional promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning the Jewish ownership and occupation of the Promised Land in the last days. They have chosen to listen to the lies of the world and the Palestinians in spite of the prophetic Scriptures. They refuse to look at the ongoing terrorism against innocent Israeli civilians. These acts of terror are being constantly promoted by the Palestinian administration that they support. They turn a blind eye to all of the Israeli good will gestures that are extended toward the Palestinians. These Christians are hypocrites. They are guilty of calling “evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).
While all of this is taking place, the world is calling for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to leave office because he received some cigars from a wealthy person who received no political favors from the Israeli president. Netanyahu, who was recently elected to a fifth term, is facing possible charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Is not this a double standard?
Israel is also the continual target of accusations as the world says the Israelis are making life miserable for the Palestinians. However, where are the journalists who ignore the fact that Israel continues to provide life-saving medical treatments and surgeries for some Arab leaders who are sworn to the destruction of the Jewish State? In recent years, Mahmoud Abbas and his wife have been the recipients of Israeli medical treatments. “Just last year, Israel sent one of its leading medical experts to Ramallah after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas contracted an ear infection that developed into pneumonia. Abbas’ own doctors at the time warned that he was near death.” (Israel Today, March 2019, p. 11) Several family members of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh have also received medical treatment in Israel.
Israel continues to operate a field hospital along their northern border with Syria. Here, they provide medical assistance to people who are their avowed enemies.
I have personally discovered that Israel operates at a level of care and respect for human beings that is unequaled in any other culture or country. Before their Israeli air force bombs the location of a launching pad in Gaza that has just fired missiles into Israel, the Israelis make phone calls or drop leaflets to warn the innocent people. No other military, including the U.S., operates with this kind of concern and compassion for the innocent civilians.
The growing levels of hypocrisy in the world that falsely accuses Israel are driven by hate. They lie about Israel because they hate the Jewish people. Hate blinds people to the truth. However, the God of Israel will exercise His justice in all of this. The Lord has declared, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3).
Take heart, Israel, “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: … The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” (Psalm 121:4, 5, 7, 8).
The Jewish Love for the Land
There is no people group on the face of the earth that loves its land like the Israelis. The land of Israel is a part of their Jewish birthright, history, and heart. It is a vital part of who they are. It goes much deeper than feelings of patriotism. In a unique way, God has united the Jewish heart and the land of Israel. In Isaiah 62:4, the land is called “Beulah,” which is Hebrew for “married.” Going all the way back to the Abrahamic covenant 4,000 years ago, God married the Jewish people to the Promised Land. Speaking of the Jew and the land, God said, “For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee” (Isaiah 62:5).
This bond between the Jew and his land is perfectly illustrated with the recent return of the remains of an Israeli who was killed in action 37 years ago in southern Lebanon. On April 4, 2019, Sergeant First Class Zachary Baumel was laid to rest in the prestigious military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. In remarks at her brother’s committal, Osan Haberman said, “All of our prayers during these 37 years went to one place and we’re here. I thought about what I would do here in this place. I can’t even embrace you. So I thought to turn to the ground and ask the land to embrace you. After a few minutes I understood that I don’t even need to ask. The land embraces you so strongly. And why? Because there is absolute love between the son that gave everything for the land and the land itself, and there is a perfect union here. You are together now.” (www.timesofisrael.com/family-of-soldier-missing-in-gaza-moved-by-return-of-zachary-baumels-remains/)
When people attempt to separate the Jewish people from the land God has given to them, they are blindly wrestling with God. They are foolishly attempting to divide what God has united. God has married the Jew to the land. “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mathew 19:6).
Massive New Natural Gas Discovery
According to The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, an energy firm has announced the discovery of another massive natural gas deposit off the Israeli coast. They report: “Greek energy producer Energean announced on Monday (April 15) that it has found yet another large reserve of natural gas in the Karish North exploration field in the seabed off Israel’s coast, with preliminary estimates that it contains between 28 to 42 billion cubic meters (bcm). ‘I congratulate Energean on the large amount of natural gas that has appeared in Karish North,’ said Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. ‘This is a prelude, which I am sure will herald further discoveries in the future. If you will it, it is no dream, and Israel will become a regional energy power’” (https://int.icej.org/news/headlines).
Amazingly, Israel continues to march to the front of the economic giants that are impacting the world not only in the Middle East regions, but on the global stage. The Lord continues to display His promise to the regathered Jewish people in their land. He said, “[I] will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 36:11).
Another Biblical Name Unearthed in Israel
Authorities in Israel recently announced that they discovered a small clay seal belonging to an aide of King Josiah mentioned in 2 Kings 23:11, Nathan-melech. This 2,600 year old seal was discovered 40 feet beneath the surface of a former parking lot in Jerusalem.
Discoveries such as these are truly amazing. This brings the total number of biblical names discovered in Israel to 54. Collectively, this evidence continues to prove that the Bible is historically accurate.
It troubles me to know that millions of people continue to cling to the theory of evolution without any physical evidence that points to its validity. However, Israeli archeologists are frequently digging up artifacts that are connected to ancient history as recorded in the Bible. But, in spite of these evidences, people continue to deny the historical accuracy of the Bible.
This proves that people are walking in a shroud of spiritual darkness and they refuse to come to the light of the Word of God. They are walking in the deception of Satan and his minions. According to the Bible, they will one day worship Satan’s Antichrist as God. They will follow his powerful “signs and wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe [the] lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). This simply means that people refuse to believe God’s truth out of sheer selfishness. They refuse to turn from their sinful pleasures and come to the truth.
At the heart of coming to Christ is the denial of self and the sinful pleasures that feed it. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26) Don’t let that happen to you!