Author: Mike Wingfield

October 2024 – The Threshold of the Tribulation

PTNews

P r o p h e tic Truth in the N e w s

October 2024

   Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV   

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(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 67, Boones Mill, VA 24065

The Threshold of the Tribulation

“When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee … [the LORD] will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” Deuteronomy 4:30-31

By Mike Wingfield

It appears that we are standing near the threshold of great upheaval known as the Tribulation Period. The Bible speaks with detail about what the Tribulation will look like. These horrific events will unfold after the true believers in Christ are raptured to heaven.

World events tell us that mankind is racing toward the divine judgment of Almighty God. The Tribulation will be a seven-year period in which God will pour out His wrathful judgment on sinful man.

We are not in the Tribulation Period. However, it appears that the opening events of the Tribulation are being prepared. Everything is falling into place. Jesus told us that the final generation before the beginning of the Tribulation would be able to see it coming. He said, “when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33).

According to the Bible, the nation of Israel will be at the center of the whirlwind of activities that will unfold during the Tribulation (Jeremiah 30). Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land 3,400 years ago, the Lord told Moses that when Israel returned to their ancient homeland in the last days they would suffer a time of “tribulation” (Deuteronomy 4:30).

The prophet Daniel followed Moses about 800 years later. The Lord gave him many detailed revelations about the disturbing world events regarding the world at the time of the end. Daniel was greatly “troubled” by these revelations (Daniel 7:28). Near the end of his life, God told Daniel that when the last days would arrive, his people would suffer “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered” (Daniel 12:1).

While speaking to the inhabitants of Jerusalem about the events of the Mid-Tribulation, Jesus said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:1-22).

To grasp the full impact of these predictions by Moses, Daniel, and Jesus, we need to examine the word “tribulation.” The Hebrew word is “tsar”. It speaks of a time of affliction, destress, and oppression. The Greek word in the New Testament, “thlipsis,” is much more defining. The idea communicated by this word is a vise-like pressure that emotionally crushes people, creating a serious time of great mental distress. It literally means that the circumstances of life cave in on them. These threatening events create lethal conditions. They feel trapped in a situation that has no visible way of escape. Humanly speaking, they are at the point of destruction and death.

Speaking of this time, the prophet Jeremiah called this “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). Jeremiah said that this future time of suffering of the Jewish people will be like a woman in her time of intense pain in childbearing. He exclaimed, “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace” (Jeremiah 30:5).

Since Israel’s rebirth on May 14, 1948, it has endured endless threats, wars, and gruesome acts of terrorism. As predicted in Ezekiel 36:1-7, for 76 years, Israel has been attacked by the Arab-Islamic nations that surround it. The world and the Muslim countries of the Arab world have deceitfully denied Israel’s Biblical right to the land that God promised the Jewish people. This war for the land of Israel and its right to live there is at the heart of these modern-day wars with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Even before the beginning of the modern nation of Israel, the world supported the Arab-Islamic world in the battle over the Promised Land. However, we are entering a renewed diabolical effort to force the Jewish people out of their land and the city of Jerusalem.

On September 18, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that recognizes the Palestinian claims to all the “West Bank” in Israel and the ancient city of Jerusalem. This resolution agrees with the lies that the Jewish people have no claim or rights to these territories. It ignores the Bible, extra-biblical historical records, and archaeological evidence that the Jewish people have any claim to these territories. This resolution will set the stage for an international recognition of a Palestinian State on the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital. Therefore, this resolution calls for the …

  • Withdrawal of all Jews (more than 520,000) from the “West Bank” area, known in the Bible as Judea and Samaria. [See photo on this page.] This resolution is to give full support to the International Court of Justice which has stated that Israel’s presence in any area over the 1949 armistice line is illegal.
  • The removal of all Jewish Israelis (more than 220,000) living inside of the Old City of Jerusalem. This is the ancient biblical city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is mentioned by name more than 800 times in the Bible! It is the site of all the Biblical events in the Old and New Testaments.
  • The Israeli Defense Forces is called upon to physically withdraw all Israeli Jews from Judea and Samaria, Gaza, and the eastern portion of Jerusalem within the next 12 months.
  • For a complete ban on all arms sales to Israel. In essence, the United Nations has stated that Israel does not have any right to defend itself against enemies who want to destroy them.

This U.N. resolution was passed by a 124-14 margin, with 43 nations in abstention. The following nations joined Israel and the United States in opposing this resolution: Argentina, Czechia, Fiji, Hungary, Malawi, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, Tuvalu. The notable nations who abstained were Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ukraine and Australia.

This resolution will fan the flames of anti-Semitism that are already burning out of control around the world. According to the Bible, the hatred for Israel and opposition to its ownership and occupation of the Promised Land and Jerusalem will continue to escalate throughout the Tribulation Period.

The world’s rejection of Israel and the Jewish people will intensify during the last 42 months of the Tribulation Period. It will finally culminate with the closing battle of Armageddon. This battle is all about the world’s effort to physically remove the Jewish people from their land and the city of Jerusalem.

Understandably, the current Israeli government will not yield to the world’s goal to remove its people from the land that God promised to them more than 4,000 years ago. On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Israeli lawmakers at the Knesset in Jerusalem voted by a wide margin (68-9) that they will reject the establishment of a Palestinian State on any land west of the Jordan River.

The new policy statement of the Israeli government is as follows:

“The Israeli Knesset opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state on any piece of land west of the Jordan River,” the resolution reads. “The existence of a Palestinian state in the heart of Israel will pose an existential threat to the State of Israel and its citizens, will further extend the Israel-Palestinian Arab conflict and be a source of destabilization for the entire region.”

“It will be only a matter of time before Hamas takes over such a Palestinian state turning it into a base for radical Islamic terrorism in full alignment with the Iranian regime that aims to eradicate the State of Israel.”

“Supporting Palestinian statehood would reward terrorism and serve to encourage Hamas and its supporters. Israel’s enemies will interpret it as the victorious outcome of the massacre perpetrated on October 7th and a precursor to the conquest of jihadist Islamism of the entire Middle East.”

Therefore, the showdown between Israel and the world is beginning to reach a point of no return. The hatred for Israel and the Jewish people is no longer on the back burner. It is on the front burner and the nations are turning up the heat!

The world continues to demonstrate that it does not care about the Jewish people. The world says nothing to the enemies of Israel when they threaten to destroy Israel. For more than three decades, Iran has brazenly called for the annihilation of Israel. The world ignored these repeated threats and has also aided Iran in its goal of developing nuclear weapons.

For years, Hamas and Hezbollah have fired missiles into southern and northern Israel. The world said nothing! Then, after Hamas’ demonic invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel struck back with vengeance. The world condemned Israel, blaming it for causing the war and falsely accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Now the United States is joining the world in demanding Israel agree to a cease fire.

Israel is now responding to the daily attack by Hezbollah in the north. Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, has fired more than 8,000 missiles and rockets into Israel before Israel began its aggressive military campaign.

In just a few weeks, Israel has successfully used its intelligence information to target and remove almost all the senior leaders of this terrorist organization. This included a stunning attack in which Israel bombed the major Hezbollah command center, buried in a bunker in the heart of a neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon, killing their chief leader of 30 years, Nasan Nasrallah. Amazingly, Israel has also destroyed almost fifty percent of Hezbollah’s stockpiles of missiles, rockets, and drones. Once again, the world is ramping up its pressure on Israel for a cease fire.

Israel’s immediate goal is to defeat Hezbollah and drive its forces back across a natural border in southern Lebanon. This strategy would protect Israeli citizens from an attack along the northern border with Lebanon. That natural border is the Litani River, located several miles inside of southern Lebanon.

This is Israel’s third war in Lebanon, the last one was in 2006. The last war ended with the United Nations agreeing to establish the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon to protect Israel from future Hezbollah attacks, establishing U.N. Resolution 1701. This resolution stated that Hezbollah was forbidden to operate south of the Litani River. However, in a very short time, the U.N. failed to enforce this resolution.

Therefore, the United Nations is to blame for not following its mandates and is responsible. This dereliction of duty has led to the current war between Israel and Hezbollah. But again, Israel has become the scapegoat of the world. The world blames Israel for the wars and acts of terrorism in the Middle East.

The world is spiritual blind does not understand that Israel is fighting against an enemy, Iran, and its militant and radical leadership. Their stated goal is to create a global Islamic kingdom. Israel is not only fighting for its own freedom, but for the freedom of the entire world against an aggressive fanatical religious group that wants to rule the world.

The international body of government embodied in the United Nations is being dominated by 57 Islamic nations, and other communists and socialists that want to take away our freedoms. These evil nations want the world to become their slaves.

For years, the United States and Israel were the only nations that were confronting this diabolical effort. However, now the U.S. is being attacked from within. Our cherished nation may soon fall into the grasp of a militant, liberal generation. This generation has been deceived by the socialists since post- WWII. This next U.S. election is very critical. Be sure to order my latest book, God and Government- Unmasking Socialism.

Those who devote time to studying Biblical prophecy are growing increasingly concerned about the current developments along Israel’s northern border.

They say these events may be preparing the Middle East for the Ezekiel 38 war of Gog and Magog. The Jewish Press reports, “The IDF is anxiously following about 40,000 militia volunteers and mercenaries who came from various countries in the Middle East including Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, and are assembled in Syria, near the Golan Heights …” (The Jewish Press, September 25, 2024). We are watching to see if Russia and Turkey will join these forces.

In July, Iran, Russia, and Turkey issued threats about going to war with Israel. These nations have stated that if Israel invades Lebanon and attacks Hezbollah, they will go to war with Israel to defend Hezbollah, Gaza, and the Palestinian cause. If Iran, Russia, and Turkey follow through we could be looking at a massive ground invasion of Israel that will dwarf anything Israel has seen in its 76 years of modern history. It will be the same war that Ezekiel spoke about in Ezekiel 38-39. The Bible says this massive invasion of Israel will appear “as a cloud to cover the land” (Ezekiel 38:9, 16).

God will supernaturally defend His land and His people by destroying the armies of these invading nations. He will send a massive global earthquake that will trigger 14 dormant volcanoes that dot the landscape of the Golan Heights to erupt, spewing “an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (38:22), killing the armies of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and other radical Islamic nations that join them. Russia and many other nations will also be destroyed by God (Ezekiel 38:6).

The Bible states that this divine intervention by God will stun the entire world and bring Israel to a place of spiritual repentance (Ezekiel 38:23; 39:7, 21-22). This will perfectly set the stage for the beginning of the Tribulation Period. [See my latest Bible Study Chart on the Timeline of the Gog and Magog War.]

According to several Biblical passages, the wars Israel is fighting in Gaza and Lebanon will lead the region into the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period (Joel 3:4). While Israel is involved in these wars, it is not an accident that other pieces of the prophetic puzzle in the Bible are falling into place. These events will force the world to invade Israel at the Battle of Armageddon.

As we stand at the doorstep of the Tribulation Period, the world is oblivious to what is about to take place. Our world reflects the time of Noah before God flooded the earth in an act of judgment. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul informed us that some sudden catastrophic event will hurl the world into its confrontation with God – “and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). He was writing about the Tribulation Period.

One of the overall teachings of the Bible states that when the world blesses Israel, God will bless the nations. But the Bible warns that when the world curses Israel, God curses the nations (Genesis 12:3). When the world threatens Israel, God will threaten the world. When the world attacks His people, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (see photo) will attack the world.

Consider the following words of Jeremiah 30:16, 23-24 about Israel and the last days, “Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. … Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.”

The earthquake that will rumble under the feet of the Gog and Magog invaders of Israel (Ezekiel 38:18-23) will only be the beginning of a series of devastating global earthquakes. These earthquakes will destroy life as we know it in this modern era. The most powerful Biblical passage that collectively speaks of the devastating impact of the global earthquakes during the Tribulation Period is found in Isaiah 24. Read this entire chapter.

Beginning with the Battle of Gog and Magog, God will entrap the entire world in a world of death and destruction. Meditate upon Isaiah 24:17-18, 22, “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. … And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.”

Friend, there is only one way to escape the horrors of the Tribulation and the eternal fires of hell. Jesus paid the penalty for your sins. As the eternal Son of God and the perfect Jewish man from Galilee, He gave His life for the forgiveness of your sins. He fulfilled the redemptive plan of His Father and died as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). As required by God, He shed His blood on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world.

Jesus is the only path to eternal salvation. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”(John 14:6). To receive God’s gift of eternal life, you must confess that He is Lord and that He arose from the grave on the third day after His death (Romans 10:9). Salvation is a gift that He will freely give if you repent of your sins, humble yourself, and ask Him to forgive you and save you from your sins (Romans 10:11-13).

Don’t wait and don’t delay “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Friend, Jesus is coming soon for His family – the true church. Those who have confessed Christ and are born again will be suddenly and supernaturally air lifted into His presence.

Don’t wait! Many who are already in hell probably thought they would someday accept Christ and be saved. However, they waited too late, and death suddenly snatched them away. Now they are eternally lost! Don’t let that happen to you! If you need my assistance, please contact me. It will be my joy to assist you in coming to Christ.

To our dear Jewish friends, we encourage you to know that there is only one way to salvation for all of us – Jews and Gentiles. Jesus is a Jew. He is coming again and will rescue the entire living nation of Israel from the jaws of death at the hands of the armies of the world that will invade Israel during the last days at the end of this age. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and He will defend His people!

True peace will never come to our world until the Messiah of Peace comes to rule over the nations of the world. Come King Jesus! Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

September 2024 – The Rapture & Feast of Trumpets

PTNews

P r o p h e tic Truth in the N e w s

September 2024

   Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV   

Download this Newsletter

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 67, Boones Mill, VA 24065

The Rapture & Feast of Trumpets

“Behold, I [show] 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

By Mike Wingfield

This newsletter is a continuation of the previous issue of this publication. In that newsletter I examined four biblical passages that speak about the timing of the end of this age – the Tribulation. In this article, I will examine the first fall feast of Israel – the Feast of Trumpets (the Jewish New Year). I will show that the Lord is using the timing and celebration of these feast of Israel to teach His people His plan of redemption. Therefore, it is apparent that the Jewish Feast of Trumpets points to the Rapture of the Church.

Most people today are suffering from spiritual disorientation. They do not know where we are on God’s timetable of events. Sadly, most of them do not care! These people are confused, perplexed, disoriented, and bewildered. They do not have a clue why they are here and what is about to take place.

This is true because the overwhelming population of the world is spiritually lost. They are spiritually blind to the things of God. Speaking about them, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

This is not true for the believer in Jesus Christ who studies the Bible. The Bible has much to say about the end of this age. Therefore, true believers are not living in spiritual darkness, but in the brilliant light of God’s revelation where His Spirit desires to teach us all things. “But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he began to write to them about the Rapture with these words, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren…” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). In the next chapter, he wrote to this church about the Tribulation. He wrote, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). God expects His church to be concerned with knowing and understanding His divine will. This is why He gave us His Word!

God has chosen to reveal Himself and His eternal perspective through the eyes of the Jewish people. He called them to be His witnesses (Isaiah 43:10-12). He gave them His revelation to make it available to all mankind. Through the writings of Moses, God gave mankind His divine perspective of time, salvation, morality, history, and the future.

When we think about the time of the Rapture, we must think in terms of the Biblical revelation given to us through the Jewish people. I have found the writings of Dr. Arnold Fructhenbaum, a born-again, Messianic, Jewish scholar, to be of great help in understanding the matters I explain in this article. I consider his book, The Feasts and Fasts of Israel – Their Historic and Prophetic Significance, to be the best I have ever read! Anyone who wants to study about the feasts of Israel should read this book! We are now offering this book. See pages 7-8 to order this book from us.

Israel is God’s time clock. The Jewish people view time differently than the rest of the world. As written by Moses 3,400 years ago, the Jewish day begins at sundown. In our western mind-set, the day begins at midnight or at the dawn of the morning. However, this is not God’s perspective. God’s statement at the end of each creation day shows this (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Moses wrote, “And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:5).

God gave the inhabitants of earth a natural clock and calendar. “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: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so” (Genesis 1:14-15). In His Biblical instructions, God gave Israel a lunar calendar. This contrasts with the majority of the nations that use a solar calendar.

The Hebrew months begin with a new moon. The moon has a cycle of 29.5 days. So, the Jewish calendar has alternating months of 29 days and 30 days. God instructed Moses to command Israel to celebrate His goodness to His people with seven feasts that were all to be celebrated on an exact day of the Jewish lunar calendar (Leviticus 23:1-44).

A study of Leviticus 23 reveals that God calls these feasts “my feasts” (Leviticus 23:2). These were holy appointments of God for the nation of Israel. These holy divine appointments point to the exact timing of God’s Messiah and His ministry to Israel. These feasts were to teach Israel about God’s redemptive plan. Israel’s lunar calendar and its feasts are the key to unlocking God’s secrets regarding the timing of His redemptive plan.

God ordered Israel to keep seven feasts each year, four in the spring and three in the fall. The spring feasts all pointed to the timing of the First Coming of Messiah. Passover pointed to the timing of the sacrifice of the suffering Messiah. With precise fulfillment, Christ died on the cross on Passover in 30 A.D. at exactly 3 p.m. (Luke 23:44-46). This was the very moment the priests began to slaughter the Passover lambs in Jerusalem. Christ died on the cross no more than 200 yards from the location of the place where the Passover lambs were being killed.

The Passover feast was a part of the seven-day feast, called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In the Bible, leaven is an illustration of sin. Therefore, the focus of this time was upon the sinless body and spirit of the Lord Jesus. He died on the cross as a perfect, sinless man, while also being the Son of God.

On the Sunday following Passover, Israel was commanded to celebrate the Feast of First Fruits. Jesus fulfilled this prophetic timing when He resurrected from the dead on the first Sunday after Passover (John 20:1). Later, the Apostle Paul would write that Jesus had “become the first fruits of them that slept”(1 Corinthians 15:20).

The final Jewish feast in the spring was the Feast of Pentecost, celebrated 50 days after the Feast of First fruits. Once again, this was the perfect timing of the next significant event on God’s calendar of redemption. According to Acts 2, the Spirit of God descended upon the Jewish believers who were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. It was on this day that the church was born.

Without question, more than 1,400 years ago the Lord ordered His people to keep His feasts as a foreshadow of the significant events surrounding the First Coming of Messiah. Therefore, this indicates that the last three annual feasts of Israel, in the fall, must point to the timing of the events of the Second Coming of Messiah. Most scholars agree that the Feast of Trumpets points to the Rapture, The Feast of Yom Kippur points to Israel’s redemption that takes place during the Tribulation. Finally, the last feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, foreshadows the Millennial Kingdom of God on earth.

The chronological timing of the Tribulation Period is all anchored in the lunar calendar and feasts of Israel. The Tribulation is exactly seven years. It is consistently divided into two halves, each being 42 months or 3 ½ years. In Revelation 11:2 the last half of the Tribulation will be 42 months. In Revelation 11:3, the first half of the Tribulation is expressed as 1,260 days (the same as 42 months or 3 ½ years). This is consistent throughout the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.

Let us now examine four Biblical observations about the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. These observations make it clear that the Feast of Trumpets is connected to the timing of the next major event on God’s calendar of redemption – the Rapture of the church.

1. The Time of its Observation

The Jewish people annually celebrate the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri (Leviticus 23:24). This year, this feast will begin on Wednesday, October 2 at sundown, and will conclude on Thursday, October 3 at sundown.

Will this be the year that Jesus will come on the Jewish Feast of Trumpets? It certainly seems very likely with all the dramatic events unfolding with Israel and the Middle East. Only time will tell. No one can be certain to say that it will be this October 3.

2. The Names of this Feast

There are five major names mentioned in Scripture for the Feast of Trumpets. These names communicate some very significant observations that point to the Rapture. The Bible connects the sounding of a trumpet with the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52). The Revelation of Christ, 7 years later, will also be accompanied by the blowing of a trumpet (Matthew 24:31).

“A day of blowing the trumpets”– Numbers 29:1

This day is a day of blowing the shofar (ram’s horn) throughout this day of celebration.

“A memorial of blowing the trumpets”– Lev. 23:24

As the people heard the frequent blowing of the shofar, it was to remind them of their ultimate redemption.

“The head of the year”

In the Jewish mindset, this feast points to the beginning of time that took place at creation. It is viewed as the birthday of creation.

“A shout for joy”– Job 38:7

T he Jewish people believe this feast should be accompanied by shouts of joy. According to Job 38:7, the angels shouted for joy after their creation as they watched the Lord create everything else thereafter. While the Bible does not tell us when the angels were created, Exodus 20:11 informs us that “in six days, the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is…” Since angels are finite creatures, they were not created first. First came the sudden creation of the heavens and earth to form a context of time, space, and matter. Obviously, the angels must have been created near the end of the first day of creation. So, when they watched their Creator speak the world into existence, they “shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).

This also explains why the Rapture of the church on the Feast of Trumpets will be accompanied by “a shout” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Perhaps this is also why the Rapture will be signaled “with the voice of the archangel” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Furthermore, the sounding of the trumpet at the Revelation of Christ seven years after the Rapture will also be accompanied by God’s angels “with a great sound of a trumpet” (Matthew 24:31). This will be the time of the resurrection of all the Old Testament saints (Daniel 12:2, 13; Matthew 24:31) and believers who were martyred during the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4).

“The day of Judgment”

The Jewish people believe they will be judged by God on the day of the Feast of Trumpets in the future. This conviction agrees with the Scriptures. The Rapture will be the day that all the church believers are resurrected and will also be judged by the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:5). Seven years later, on the day of the Feast of Trumpets, all Old Testament believers will be judged at the time of the Revelation of Christ at the end of the Tribulation (Daniel 12:2-3).

3. The Observance of this Feast

Dr. Fruchtenbaum highlights for us the traditional practices that have surrounded the Jewish celebration of the Feast of Trumpets (Arnold Fruchtenbaum, The Feasts and Fasts of Israel, Their Historic and Prophetic Significance, pp. 138-162). It is obvious that these traditions help us to understand the events that transpire at the time surrounding the Feast of Trumpets and the order of events that take place on that day of its celebration.

Jewish people read Psalm 27 twice a day, every day in the month before and during the month of Tishrei. This tradition would lead us to believe that the Jewish people have connected the future celebration of the Feast of Trumpets with their final day of redemption and deliverance by Messiah at the end of this age. Many Old Testament and New Testament prophecies would support this traditional practice that focuses upon Psalm 27.

The context of Psalm 27 indicates that at the end of this age, Israel will find itself at a time of desperation as it is surrounded by enemies that are sworn to its destruction. This psalm repeatedly mentions the wicked, enemies, and foes of Israel. The psalmist calls this a time of war and trouble. It will be a time when their enemies have false witnesses that “are risen up against [them]” (verse 12). It will be a time when their enemies are “[breathing] out cruelty” (verse 12). It will be a time when the Jewish people will be moved to look to the Lord alone for their deliverance and salvation.

This psalm certainly reflects the desperation that the modern nation of Israel is facing at this very moment. The world does not understand nor try to put into perspective the daily threats that are currently coming against the people of Israel. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has witnessed an increase in hatred and rejection that is flooding the United Nations, global media outlets, education centers, and the government administrations within the community of nations. It seems that a great majority of the global population is calling for the annihilation of Israel. Many are supporting the terrorists who continue to hate Israel. It seems that very few are trying to stop Iran and its proxies who are daily attacking the tiny nation of Israel.

According to the prophetic Word of God, this global attack upon Israel will escalate into the Tribulation Period. This will not end until Jesus returns to earth to finally and completely eradicate all the enemies of Israel at Armageddon (Isaiah 34:1-10; Joel 3:9-16; Zechariah 14:1-3, 12-15; Revelation 19:11-21). The Bible proclaims that no nation in all of history will ever experience the threat of annihilation like the nation of Israel at the end of this age (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21-22).

Friends, without question, we are witnessing the beginning of the end. The conditions that will prevail during the Tribulation are upon us. It is only a matter of time!

The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated for two days. It is known by the Jewish people as “the long day.” During this celebration, the shofar is blown 100 times. The final blow is known as “the last trump.” This final blow on the shofar was to be very loud and long. The blower of the shofar was to blow until he could blow no more. It would appear that this is the exact reference to the time of the Rapture mentioned by the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “Behold, I [show] 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 trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

The book of 1 Corinthians was written about 25 years after Christ ascended back to heaven and the church began. The early church was immersed in the Jewish culture. Therefore, when Paul referred to the time of the Rapture as being at “the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:52) it should be viewed as a reference to the last sounding of the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets.

4. The Meaning of this Feast

When the sounding of the shofar takes place, it carries several messages or meanings for the Jew.

It is a time of remembrance of the giving of the law.

When God gave Moses and the children of Israel the law at Mount Sinai, it was accompanied by “the voice of the trumpet” (Exodus 19:16, 19). Verse 19 says, “And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.” This is why the final blow of the shofar on the day of the Feast of Trumpets is to be long and loud.

The Jewish people believe that before Messiah comes, Moses and Elijah will come (Malachi 4:4-6). Near the end of the Old Testament God said to Israel, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments” (Malachi 4:4).

Moses and Elijah will appear in Jerusalem on the very first day of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:3-6). They will minister to Israel for 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3) and then be killed by the Antichrist (Revelation 11:7-12). Moses’ appearance will be directly connected to the timing of the Feast of Trumpets and the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.

A time of worship and praise

The sounding of the shofar in ancient Israel was frequently used as a call to worship (Psalm 98:6). Its loud sound could be heard by the nation miles away from the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem. The distinct sounding of the shofar was a blessed sound, calling them to worship and praise their God.

How fitting that the Rapture will take place with the sounding of the Lord’s shofar. It will be the call of the church to gather in the temple in heaven for that great time of worship and praise (Revelation 4:1-11).

It is a signal for war

In Biblical times, the shofar was used to call the nation of Israel to prepare for war (1 Samuel 13:3-4). According to the Bible, the sounding of the shofar at the time of the Tribulation will be a time of the preparation for war. When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, the church will be called home to heaven to worship the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). However, the remaining nation of Israel on earth will be called to war, while living under the protection of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Isa. 31:4-5).

It is a time to anoint the King of Israel

It was the practice in ancient Israel to sound the shofar at the anointing of the king of Israel (1 Kings 1:34). How fitting that the Rapture will happen with the sounding of the Trumpet of God. It will be the signal that the time has come to crown the King of Glory in heaven (Revelation 5).

It is a call to repentance

According to Joel 2:12-15, a trumpet blast will begin a time of great repentance in Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation Period. This time of repentance will be directed by two Jewish witnesses, Moses and Elijah. They will appear in Jerusalem “clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3), the symbol of mourning. This mourning will focus upon the Jewish peoples’ great sin of rejecting Jesus as their Messiah. The ministry of Moses and Elijah is summarized in Revelation 12:17 as those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

This time of mourning and repentance in Israel will gradually continue until its time of great climax at the time of Christ’s return as described in Zechariah 12:10-13:6. While the nation is in the grasp of enemy nations at Armageddon, the entire Jewish nation will erupt into weeping and mourning when Jesus returns to their rescue. This will be the moment of Israel’s complete and final redemption. The shofar of the Lord will sound at the beginning of this process at the time of the Rapture (Romans 11:25-26) and conclude with the sounding of the trumpet at the time of Christ’s revelation (Matthew 24:31).

There is a reason why the Rapture of the church will be accompanied by a trumpet blast and a shout. There were several times in the Scriptures when a trumpet blast was accompanied by a shout that displayed the power and presence of the Lord.

It happened at the giving of the law in Exodus 19. It took place when Israel attacked Jericho in Joshua 6. It unfolded again when Gideon defeated a massive army of Midianites (known as Saudis today) in the valley of Jezreel (another name of this valley is Armageddon). They were supernaturally defeated by the sounding of trumpets, shouts, and the shattering of clay pitchers (Judges 7:15-23).

It will happen again at the time of the Rapture and the Revelation of Christ. In at least three of these occurrences of trumpets and shouts (Exodus 19; Joshua 6; and Matthew 24:31) it will be accompanied by a massive earthquake. Will it happen again at the time of the Rapture? No one would be looking for those who have disappeared due to the massive rubble and death toll of the earthquake.

Dear friends, I believe that the Rapture of the church and the Revelation of Christ will occur seven years apart on the same day of the Jewish calendar – the day of the Feast of Trumpets.

Could it be this October 3rd as they sound the last trumpet of this feast day? We will have to wait and see.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

August 2024 – The Time of the End

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   

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(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

Matthew 24:32-35

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

Psalm 102:13-18

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

Daniel 9:24-27

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

Leviticus 23

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!