PTNews
P r o p h e tic Truth in the N e w s
August 2024
Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
P.O. Box 67, Boones Mill, VA 24065
The Time of the End
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
By Mike Wingfield
My soul is filled with a level of excitement like never before in my life. I have known the Lord since I was nine years old. I have attempted to faithfully serve Him most of my life. For more than 50 years, I have been pouring over the prophetic Word of God. I have given much attention to understanding the true nature of the Tribulation Period and what it means for the glory of God and our troubled world.
In recent weeks, the Holy Spirit has flooded my mind with the reality that the end of this age is in sight. We are not there yet, but I can see it coming. We are perhaps only a few months away from the Rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
I have been prayerfully reflecting upon a multitude of prophetic passages that paint a picture of what the beginning of the end will look like when. I have concluded, with deep conviction, we are there!
As I have been admonishing those who follow this ministry, I am very busy preparing my soul for that glorious moment when I shall see Jesus. I have been longing, waiting, and looking for that moment. I believe it is near. How can I be so sure about this? There are four biblical passages that speak about the timing of the Messiah’s Second Coming. I will examine these passages and their context of how they apply today. This newsletter and the following issue in September will detail these four biblical passages.
First, let us set the biblical context for these passages. When the Bible student examines the prophetic Word of God, it becomes obvious that it revolves around Jesus and the Jewish people. At the center of the global conflict with God are the Jewish people, their land, their city, and their Temple Mount!
T he focus of God’s vision and His purposes for His creation are upon the Jewish people. The ancient prophet of Israel declared, “for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of [God’s] eye” (Zechariah 2:8).
The greater light of God’s Word is riveted upon Jesus the Messiah. Remember that one of God’s angels reminded the Apostle John, “Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
The hope for our world is intertwined with the Jewish Messiah and His people, Israel. God told the father of the Jewish people, Abraham, that the world would be blessed through the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3).
According to the Bible, in eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God decreed His complete divine purposes for His finite creation. Locked in this eternal plan, was an exact timetable of events, from the beginning to the end. It is all based upon earth time. “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Genesis 1:14).
God’s eternal plan is all inclusive. It covers all people, places, events, and circumstances. It includes the meticulous details of the ongoing war in the spiritual realm between the good and evil angels. Long ago, one of the wisest kings on earth declared, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
God has an exact appointed time for everything from the beginning to the end. These times are rooted and grounded in the history of the Jewish people. The events and timing of the first coming of Messiah were connected to the Jewish people. The events and timing of the Second Coming of Messiah are connected to the Jewish people.
With this biblical context in mind, let us briefly examine the four biblical passages that speak about the time of the end.
1. The Parable of the Fig Tree
This parable was given by Jesus to help His disciples understand His answer to their question about the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). In verses 4-14, Jesus highlighted some of the major developments that would introduce “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). This time of sorrows speaks about the birth pangs of the Tribulation that will give birth to the glorious Kingdom of God. Then, in verses 16-26, Jesus spoke of the sign of the Antichrist, an evil global dictator who will lead the world in its political, religious, and militant rebellion against God during the Tribulation. Finally, Jesus answered the disciples’ direct question about the sign of His coming at the end of the Tribulation. In verses 27-31, He spoke of the unique supernatural sign of His glorious appearing from heaven to earth.
Next, He illustrated His teaching in verses 4-31 with the parable of the fig tree (verses 32-35). In essence, He told His disciples that the time of His coming at the end of this age would be marked by a convergence of all the signs or events He mentioned in verses 4-26. The simultaneous appearance of these signs will be like the leaves on a tree. Leaves never tell us what month or day it is. However, they do show us what season it is. So, He declared, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33). Furthermore, He declared that the generation that sees all these things “shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34).
Friends, we are the generation that is witnessing the convergence of all the signs of the Tribulation Period. We are in the season of the end of this age. This simply means that our world does not have much time left in this current time period. Our world does not have hundreds of years, or even 50 years left!
The stage for the Tribulation is now set! The Rapture could happen at any moment, and it is ready to unfold. In Matthew 24:4-14, Jesus gave many conditions that would be prevalent on earth at the beginning of the Tribulation. Let’s briefly look at only a few of them.
Wars and Rumors of Wars for Israel- verses 6
In verse 7, Jesus mentioned that there would be wars among the greater Gentile nations at the end. However, in verse 6, He addressed the dangerous times of wars and rumors of wars for His people living in their land at the end of this age. Currently, Israel is facing the looming threat of war as never before in its modern history. Many radical Islamic nations have sophisticated deadly missiles aimed at Israel. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since October 2023. According to Joel 3:4, this war with the inhabitants of Gaza and Lebanon has set the stage for the battle at the end of the Tribulation Period – Armageddon.
Israel is fighting a war on seven fronts with Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and terrorists in Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. All of these groups are funded and controlled by Iran. Iran itself attacked Israel on April 14 with more than 300 attack drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Thankfully, most of these were shot down by Israel and some of its allies.
This did not end Israel’s war with Iran. We are being told that Iran now has the nuclear material to make several nuclear bombs. It is only a matter of time before Iran will attempt to launch one or several nuclear bombs or missiles to destroy Israel. We are led to believe that Israel and the world only have a few months to stop this Iranian threat. The clock is ticking.
In the last few weeks Iran, Russia, and Turkey have issued threats to invade Israel. All three nations have stated that if Israel invades Lebanon and attacks Hezbollah (an Islamic terrorist group sponsored, trained, and funded by Iran) they will go to war with Israel to defend Hezbollah, Gaza, and the Palestinian cause.
On Saturday, July 27th, Hezbollah fired a missile from Lebanon that struck a Druze village (an important ally of Israel) on the Golan Heights. More than a dozen children were instantly killed as they ran for cover. This missile is only one of hundreds of missiles that Hezbollah has fired into Israeli territories in the last month.
The world is calling for Israel to restrain itself. However, the day following this tragic attack on the Golan Heights, Iran’s proxy agent CONTINUED to fire missiles into northern Israel. News is coming out of Israel that Israel is preparing for a massive retaliatory strike deep into Lebanese territory. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is using the Lebanese civilians as shields to protect themselves against Israel’s attacks. The IDF attack will be aimed at Hezbollah’s missile stockpiles and its militant leadership. If Israel does not destroy Hezbollah’s ability to launch its deadly arsenal of precision missiles and attack drones, then tens of thousands of Israelis will be killed. Israel has no choice but to defend itself! Its attack must be swift and lethal!
If Iran, Russia, and Turkey are not bluffing, we could be looking at a massive ground invasion of Israel that will dwarf anything Israel has seen in its 76 years of modern existence. It will be the same war that Ezekiel wrote about in Ezekiel 38-39. For years, I have been teaching that my understanding of the chronology of the timing of this war is that it will take place immediately AFTER the Rapture takes place.
Friends, these wars and rumors of wars signal that we are very near the beginning of the end.
Famine and Intense Heat- verse 7
A multitude of prophetic passages indicate that the Tribulation Period will be a time of severe global drought (Revelation 11:3-6), and intense heat (Malachi 4:1; Revelation 16:8-9), that will produce global famine. Politicians and scientists pretend to know what is happening and think they can control the radical change in the climate. However, this is the hand of God in His wrathful judgment. He controls the sun, rain, and wind for His purposes (Psalm 147:15-18; 148:8). The intense heat sweeping across the earth, along with all the other signs, tells us the hour is late!
Hatred and Murder of Jews- verse 9
Jesus said that the beginning of the end would be signaled by intense hatred toward Israel. He said, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). The word “afflicted” is the same Greek word that is translated as “tribulation.” It means the Jewish people will be crushed, distressed, and feel pressure from evil forces. The Greek word for “hate” in this verse speaks of “active ill will in words and conduct, [with a] persecuting spirit” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament). Jewish agencies in around the world tell us that the level of hatred being directed toward the Jewish people is eerily reminiscent of what happened in the 1930s to produce the Holocaust. According to the Bible, Israel and the Jewish people will face a climate of trouble like no nation has faced in all human history (Daniel 12:1).
Division and Lawlessness in Israel- verses 10-12
One of the most shocking signs of the end of this age is the massive display of wickedness and division in Israel. Like America, Israel is experiencing great internal division. Hateful demonstrations and threats continue to be expressed toward the conservative right wing government leaders in Israel. Some fear for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s life. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has caused many pundits to warn that this could materialize in Israel.
The Israeli public is divided between the religious right and the youthful, liberal secular groups. The older, religious right sees Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, culminating with the restoration of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland. The more youthful secular groups want no moral commandments. They want to be free to live their immoral lifestyles. They want Israel to be like all of the other nations.
The dark side is clearly at work in Israel. One former prime minister, Ehud Barak, is calling for a military coup, even suggesting the elimination of Netanyahu. This development in Israel is a fulfillment concerning the evil, godless leadership in Israel that will sign the covenant with the Antichrist, beginning the Tribulation Period (Isaiah 28:14-22).
2. The Appointed Time for Jerusalem
The writer of this psalm was directed by the Holy Spirit to give a prophecy that is “written for the generation to come” (verse 18). Literally, this is written for the final generation. He speaks of “the set time” to favor Jerusalem that will come (verse 13). This time will come “when the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory” (verse 16).
This passage proclaims that the coming of the Messiah will be preceded by the restoration of Jerusalem at the end of this age (Amos 9:11). The capital of Israel, Jerusalem, is in the news every day around the world. One out of every 15 Jews in the world lives in Jerusalem and calls it home.
According to the Bible, when the end of time comes, all nations will oppose the recognition of Jerusalem as being a Jewish city. Currently, the entire world is united in saying that Jerusalem is a Muslim city that belongs to the Palestinians. Since 693 A.D., two prominent Muslim places of worship have stood upon the holy ground of the Temple Mount. The Muslims proclaim that there is no historical record of the Jews living in Jerusalem prior to modern times. This is a lie. Their lies ignore that Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible by name more than 800 times. In contrast, the Koran never mentions it one time by name!
The Tribulation Period will be a time when the world will be locked in a war with God and Israel over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Speaking of the Tribulation Period, Isaiah wrote, “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8).
W hen the last days of the Tribulation come, the world will gather its forces in the great battle of Armageddon against the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-9; 14:1-4).God will destroy all the military might of the world gathered against Jerusalem. God has warned, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. … And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:3, 9).
Today, all nations stand against God and Israel concerning the Jewish ownership and occupation of Jerusalem. Only one man and his former administration have dared to stand against the global rebellion against God – former President Trump. Love him or not, it is apparent that God raised him up for such a time as this. Is God done with Donald Trump? The entire world, except for his political party, and many Americans and Israelis, hate this man with a passion. Considering all of this, these next few months will be interesting to watch.
3. Daniel’s Prophetic Calendar
In the year 538 B.C., the nation of Israel was about to complete a 70-year divine sentence of judgment while it lived in exile far away from its ancient homeland. According to Daniel 9:2, the godly prophet Daniel was made aware of the appointed time of the end of the Babylonian captivity. As Daniel was reading from the scroll of another contemporary prophet, Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:12), he began to wonder if this return of his people to Israel would also be related to the promises by other previous prophets of the coming of Messiah. So, Daniel began to pray and confess his sins and the sins of his people (Daniel 9:3-19). God heard Daniel’s prayer about the coming of Messiah and the Kingdom of God. Amazingly, God communicated to Daniel a wondrous prophetic calendar about future events that would lead up to the end of time and the coming of Messiah and His Kingdom. That calendar is explained in Daniel 9:24-27.
God told Daniel that the calendar He was giving him was a 490-year calendar that would precede the beginning of the Kingdom. Keep in mind that the word translated as “weeks” in this passage is the Hebrew word for “sevens.” These “sevens” were not about seven days, but a prophetic group of seven-years. According to this text, the calendar would begin with the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. According to Nehemiah 2, this date was March 14, 445 B.C. The period of the seven groups of seven years [49 years] mentioned in verse 25 would be followed by an additional 62 groups of seven years [an additional 434 years]. According to verse 26, this period [a total of 483 years] would bring the world to the time of the first coming of the Messiah. Amazingly, this 483-year period coincides with the exact time of the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry when He died and arose again.
When Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah, God’s prophetic calendar in heaven stopped with only the final seven-year period remaining on the calendar. Remember that this calendar was counting down to the time of the coming of the Messiah and the inauguration of His kingdom on earth.
This final seven-year period on this prophetic calendar is the seven-year Tribulation Period. This interpretation is confirmed by Jesus with His comments recorded in Matthew 24:15-26 about the approaching Antichrist, who will rule the world during the Tribulation Period. According to Daniel 9:27, God’s prophetic calendar in heaven will be activated when the Antichrist confirms a false peace covenant with Israel, beginning the Tribulation Period.
Are we witnessing the beginning of a false peace covenant with someone who has the desire to rule the world? Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24, that the false messiah would claim to be “in the desert,” which is east of Israel (Matthew 24:26). Notice that In Matthew 24:27, Jesus said that His coming would be “as the lightening [that] cometh outof the east.” Jesus’ return to the Mount of Olives at the end of the Tribulation Period will be an approach from the east. Therefore, it makes sense that the great counterfeiter of God would mimic the way the true Messiah will return to Jerusalem – from the east.
The desert area east of Israel is all Arab, Islamic lands. For several years now, we have been following the Abraham Accords. Several Arab leaders have established a peace agreement with Israel. The Bible tells us there will be 10 contemporary kings that will join the Antichrist in his alliance during the Tribulation Period (Revelation 17:12). It is apparent that those who are in the Abraham Accords will expand to eventually include a prominent leader among them.
It is my opinion that the Saudi Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman, is that leader the entire Middle East is looking for. He has repeatedly stated that he is on the verge of making peace with Israel. He has expressed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that he wants Saudi Arabia to be in control of the Temple Mount (apparently as a part of his peace deal with Israel). The crown prince has set a goal to make Saudi Arabia a global financial center (Revelation 13:16-18). At the same time, he is determined to lead the world in the application of Artificial Intelligence. This would set the stage for the fulfillment of the image of the Antichrist as mentioned in Revelation 13:14-15. Amazingly, he is building a city called Neom, which he says will become the spiritual, financial, and commercial hub of the world. This is the exact language of Revelation 17-18.
Friends, the stage is set for the Tribulation Period as never before!
4. The Timing of 7 Feasts of Israel
Friends, in the next issue of this publication, I will present the evidence that according to God’s appointed feasts with Israel, the Rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation Period is connected with the first fall feast of Israel – The Feast of Trumpets.
Friends, this is not some rare emotional claim. This understanding of the connection of the Rapture to the Feast of Trumpets is also the view and conviction of many Messianic Jewish scholars, like Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum. In His latest book, The Feast and Fasts of Israel, Dr. Fruchtenbaum gives overwhelming evidence to point to the Feast of Trumpets as the exact time of the Rapture of the church (pages 135- 174).
This year, the Feast of Trumpets will begin on October 2 and conclude on October 4. Could this year’s celebration of the Feast of Trumpets be the year that Messiah will come for His church? Only time will tell. In the next issue of this publication, I will consider this possibility. With all the things that are coming together, as I have presented in this newsletter, it seems very likely that this could be the year.
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!