Author: Mike Wingfield

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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!

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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   

Download this Newsletter

(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!

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Special Edition – How to Pray for Israel

PTNews

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

Special Edition

   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)

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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

When you pray for Israel, you are connecting with the heart of God. We know from Scripture that the Lord has promised to protect and bless Israel. This is His perfect, sovereign will for His chosen people. So, when you ask God to defend and protect Israel, you are asking God to do what He wants to do. You are praying, as Jesus said, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Prayer is about discovering God’s will and joining Him in what He is doing. You are allowing His will to become your desire. The prophetic Word of God is a revealed declaration of the purposes of God. He has promised to do exactly what He has purposed (Isaiah 14:24, 26-27; Isaiah 46:11). God’s counsel and pleasure will come to pass (Isaiah 46:10). He is the One who “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). God’s purposes, counsel, and pleasure were all determined by Him “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

God has spoken His sovereign plans in His eternal Word. It has been written for us to know so that we might identify and support His eternal purposes. “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 people ignore or refuse to consider the prophetic Word of God, they are defiantly saying that what is important to God is not important to them. This is not the true spirit of a child of God who calls Jesus “Lord.” It is the natural man [the one in whom the Spirit of God does not dwell] that does not receive “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).

When we become one with God, we will want to know Him, be in Him, and discover what He has said. Jesus described this in His parable of the vine and branches in John 15:1-17. Inverse 7 He said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” In prayer, Jesus is not giving us a blank check and asking, “How much would you like to have?” Prayer is about discovering God’s will in His Word, and then allowing that to saturate our minds and cause us to pray for His desires, not ours, to come to pass. True, God-honoring, praying children of God focus on God, not self. Many of our prayers go unanswered because we are praying selfishly. James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

The Bible repeatedly shows us that prayer and the prophetic declarations of God are divinely connected. Listen to Isaiah 62:6-7, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” This verse tells us that just as God has established His angelic watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem for its protection, even so we believers need to not cease our crying out to God to do what He has promised. Literally, our incessant prayers are to not give God rest from His heavenly orchestration of events on earth until the Kingdom of God is established and Jerusalem becomes the political and spiritual capital of the world for 1,000 years. The Hebrew word for “rest” could also be translated “silence.” So, God is inviting us to constantly pray for His divine will to come to pass. He has invited us to bombard the gates of heaven in prayer and to come before His throne day and night with this request. This is the chief aim in all the eternal plans of the Father – to set “my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6).

The end-time events will be set in motion by the Rapture of the church. After the Bride of Christ is called up to heaven, then the earthly countdown of the final seven years of God’s work with Israel will begin. It will conclude with the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. We are admonished to pray for the Rapture to take place. Revelation 22:17 declares that the Holy Spirit will lead the church to ask the Lord to come for His bride. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.” Finally, Revelation 22:20 demands us to pray, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

God delights in hearing His children pray for His divine will to take place for Israel. He has created the nation of Israel for His glory. He has said, “This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise” (Isaiah 43:21).

When we pray, the Lord loves for us to quote or read Scripture before Him and to claim that promise on behalf of Israel. These promises should formulate the basis of our prayers for Israel. Here are a few promises that seem to be very fitting for this difficult time of war in Israel.

Psalm 121:1-8– This entire Psalm is filled with promises to Israel. Claim verse 7– “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.”

Isaiah 54:17– “No weapon that is formed against thee [Israel] shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shall condemn.” Ask God to help Israel destroy all the terrorist’s weapons that are being used against it.

Isaiah 59:19– “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

Isaiah 43:2– “When thou [the people of Israel] passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Jeremiah 51:20– “Thou [Israel] art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms.”

Malachi 3:6– “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

The Biblical Context of these Last Days

I believe that it should be a priority for God’s people to gather to pray for Israel. As we pray for Israel, we must realize the context of our time. The last days will be a time of great hatred and persecution of the Jewish people. It is a time of wars and rumors of wars. Israel is currently fighting for its survival as a nation. The Jewish nation is fighting a war on seven fronts: (1) Gaza (2) Lebanon (3) Syria, (4) Iraq, (5) Iran, (6) Yemen, and (7) the West Bank terrorists who are supporting Hamas and funded by Iran.

Israel’s war is not just against militant terrorists and Islamic states that are plotting its demise. Israel is also fighting the war of truth concerning its moral character and its legitimate biblical right live in the land God gave them, and to defend itself in its God-given land.

Israel is fighting this war of truth on at least six fronts:

(1) Legally– International lawyers and courts are seeking to accuse Israel of the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. This effort is being led by the International Court of Justice, the Hague, in South Africa.

They are currently seeking to accuse and arrest Israel’s leadership, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

(2) Politically– The lies against Israel are being promoted from the highest international political body, the United Nations. It is obvious that the UN hates Israel and is supporting the Islamic and Communist countries that are plotting the annihilation of the nation of Israel.

(3) Socially– The social media platforms and the Internet are flooded with lies and malicious rumors about the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.

(4) Media Agencies– Forms of media throughout the world are collaborating with the anti-Semitic and Anti-Zionist agendas that are engulfing the nations. Billions of people are being deceived because they believe what these commentators say.

(5) Educationally– The nations of the world have been preparing this generation for an outpouring of hatred against Jews. Liberal socialist professors have joined hands with radical Muslim elements that are passionate about their desire to destroy Israel and kill Jewish people. The outbreak of pro-Hamas demonstrations on our once prestigious U.S. university campuses clearly illustrates this agenda.

(6) Religiously– The war against Israel is a holy war. At the forefront of this war is the religion of Islam. The war against Israel is being fueled in the Middle East by the Islamic nation of Iran. Islam now has 2 billion followers. One out of every four people in the world is a Muslim. The impact of Islam and its agenda against Israel have permeated the global society and it is driving the multi-front war Israel faces.

Fundamental Truths about this Conflict

The enemies of Israel are the same as the enemies of God. Read Psalm 83:1-8. The hatred for Israel is an ancient hatred against the Jews and the eternal purposes of God. The Arabs continue to nurse jealousy and hatred toward the Jews that can be biblically traced back to the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, and Jacob and Esau. The Arabs are the descendants of Ishamel and Esau that settled in the desert areas east of Israel.

The conflict over the Promised Land between the Jews and Arabs is 4,000 years old. Historically and prophetically, the nations that surround Israel today are Islamic nations. The Islamic world has been at war with God and the Jewish people since the 7th century. The central focus of this war is the land promised to the Jewish people and their descendants in an eternal covenant with God (Genesis 12:7-8; 13:14-18; 17:7-8).

A Call to Prayer
I pray that this article will help you to privately pray for Israel. I encourage small groups, Sunday School classes, and churches to designate a night or certain time to come together to pray for Israel. Use his article to help guide you in prayer.

The aggressors in this war are not the Jewish people. It is the Arab people who are for war (Psalm 120:4-7). The historical record of the last 76 years, since the founding of the modern nation of Israel, demonstrates that the Jewish people have made every effort to live in peace with its Arab neighbors. The historical events of the last 100 years have been filled with lies to make Israel look like the aggressor.

These biblical truths should guide us in our prayers for Israel. Consider these verses:

Matthew 24:9– While answering the question of His disciples about the signs of the end of this age, Jesus said to them, “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.”

Ezekiel 36:1-7– The prophetic fulfillment of these verses takes place in the last days when God restores His chosen people to their ancient homeland (Ezekiel 36:24). The nations that surround Israel are depicted as warring against God and the Jewish people over the Promised Land.

Zechariah 14:1-3– When the end comes, the nations will gather against Israel at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16). The focus of this war will be against the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-9). Jesus will return to earth at His revelation to defend His people and to rescue Israel from the nations of the world (Zechariah 14:3).

Models of Biblical Prayers for Israel

The Holy Spirit has preserved and recorded two vital prayers by great men of God during a time of crisis in the history of the nation of Israel. We would do well to read these prayers and to reflect upon the message given to us by the Holy Spirit. These prayers provide a great model for us to follow as we pray for Israel.

The Prayer and Example of King Jehoshaphat

(2 Chronicles 20)

King Jehoshaphat of Judah, who reigned in Judah (873 B.C. – 848 B.C.), did not always walk with God. At one low point in his kingship, he participated in an alliance with wicked King Ahab of Israel. However, when three pagan nations invaded Judah, he demonstrated the proper example of how a leader should respond when his nation is facing a threat of annihilation. The crisis that Jehoshaphat faced more than 2,800 years ago is very similar to what the modern nation of Israel is facing today. The enemies of the Jewish people from the east were united in war against Judah. They wanted to cast the Jews out of the land that God had given them (2 Chronicles 20:11).

Instead of forming an alliance with evil nations, Jehoshaphat turned completely and solely unto the Lord. Perhaps the Holy Spirit had directed his attention to the message of Psalm 121. He called the nation to gather at the temple in Jerusalem to repent, fast, and seek the face of God for wisdom. The Scriptures testify to the response of all of Judah. “And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children” (2 Chronicles 20:13). Jehoshaphat went to the temple, and with all of Judah watching, he prostrated himself in total humility before the Lord. His prayer is recorded for us in verses 6-12. Please read and meditate upon this powerful prayer.

At this moment, the war against Israel continues to grow and intensify with the support of the majority of 2 billion Muslims in the world, plus most of the Communist nations. We should pray that the leaders of Israel would follow Jehoshaphat’s example.

God sent one of His chosen prophets to give King Jehoshaphat and all of Judah the answer to their prayers. God spoke to them and told them that they would not need to fight this massive army gathered against them. God’s servant was named Jahaziel. His name means “God sees.” How fitting that the name of God’s prophet who spoke to the nation on behalf of God was named “God sees.” God was saying to them, “I see your crisis and your faith. Verse 14 not only mentioned the name of God’s servant, but also mentioned his previous forefathers of four generations. The prophet’s father was Zechariah, which means “God remembers.” Jahaziel’s grandfather was Benaiah, which means “built by God.” The great-grandfather was Jeiel, which means “God lives.” The prophet’s great-great-grandfather was Mattaniah, which means “gift of God.” So, the message to Judah was, “God is the eternal God who sees and remembers His covenant He established with you. This land is yours as a gift from the One who owns it all.” Therefore, “the battle is not yours, but God’s” (verse 15).

Oh, that the nation of Israel and its current leadership would hear this message. The Lord has remembered His eternal land covenant as a gift to His people. He has called them to return to their land from the nations of the world. Now, the ancestors of the people from the east are once again attempting to murder God’s people and to take control of their land. Fear not Israel. The battle is not yours; it is God’s battle. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

Jehoshaphat and his people the next morning marched down to the area where those armies were gathered along the shore of the Dead Sea. The people of Judah worshipped God and praised Him as they descended to that area. God supernaturally destroyed the armies, causing them to turn on each other to kill each other.

This battle that Israel is facing today is moving toward the Battle of Gog and Magog. Once again, God will prove that the battle belongs to Him. History is about to repeat itself! Read Ezekiel 38:17-23.

The Prayer and Example of Daniel

(Daniel 9)

The prayer of the godly prophet of Israel, Daniel, is a perfect example of how prayer and prophecy are intertwined. At a critical time in the nation of Israel, Daniel realized that the Babylonian captivity of 70 years was about to come to an end. As he contemplated this significant historical moment for his people, he was moved to think this could be the moment that Messiah would come and establish His earthly kingdom. As he thought about this, he was saddened to realize that his nation was not spiritually ready for Messiah to come. Furthermore, the city of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple on the Holy Mountain were lying in ruins, brining shame upon the Name of his God. So, Daniel set his face toward Jerusalem and began to confess his sins and the sins of his people.

In this great prayer, Daniel was riveted upon the infinite and holy character of God. He addressed the Lord as the great and awesome God of heaven (verse 5). He declared that the Lord is a faithful God who keeps all His covenants with His people (verse 4). He continually repeated the truth that God is righteous in all His ways (verses 7, 14, 16). He acknowledged that His gracious God is plenteous in mercy (verses 4, 9, 18), and is willing to forgive them of all their sins (verse 9).

Daniel was moved to humility and confession of his sin and the sins of his people. Daniel used a variety of words to speak of the sins of his people. He said they had sinned, committed iniquity, and had done wickedly (verse 5). They had not listened to God’s divine warnings (verse 6) and had transgressed against God’s law (verse 11).

He repeatedly acknowledged that their sins were against God (verses 5, 7, 9, 11, 15). He was filled with sorrow as he admitted that God’s retribution against Israel had brought shame and a reproach upon the Name of God. The anger of the Lord had brought about the destruction of the city and the temple. The presence of God had departed from the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem.

Daniel’s prayer was not anchored in obtaining God’s favor for his people. The heart of his passionate prayer was focused upon the honor of God’s Name and for God’s glory. Daniel was asking that this glory would be recognized by the restoration of the city of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the Temple upon God’s holy mountain (verses 16, 19, 21).

As a result of this passionate prayer for the glory of God, God sent the angel Gabriel to instruct Daniel concerning the answer to his prayer. The revelation given to Daniel is the most foundational biblical insight into the chronological order of the major events in God’s eternal plan. This chronological order of events was expanded upon in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, and in the book of Revelation.

These amazing insights were given because of the prayer of Daniel in Daniel 9:1-20.

While contemplating the above observations, please join me in prayer for Israel. Please use the following list of suggested petitions for Israel to guide you in your intercession on behalf of God’s work in His chosen people for His glory. This time of great crisis should lead us to pray fervently.

Suggested Petitions for Israel

– Pray that all Israelis and Jewish people in general would be humbled before the Lord God. Just as in Daniel’s prayer, it is important that all of us recognize our sin and failure to obey God. Israel’s wars and rumors of wars, and the eruption of global ant-Semitism is aimed at driving them to their total dependence upon God. God wants to turn their hearts toward Him.

– Pray that Jewish people will recognize their sins and confess them. Pray that their eyes will be opened to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. Pray that they would understand that God is One. Pray that they would understand His revelation of being three persons. Pray that this stumbling block of belief will be removed. Pray that their “confusion” (Daniel 9:7-8) will be removed. As Daniel prayed, May “we turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth” (Daniel 9:13). As we pray for them, pray that the Lord would show us our sin and humble us. Pray that the Gentile church would not be conceited to falsely conclude that we are superior to Israel. Read what the Apostle Paul said about this in Romans 11:11-36. Israel’s spiritual blindness is only temporary! God is not done with Israel. The best is yet to come!

– Pray that the Lord will pour out His grace and mercy upon His chosen people. Pray for a great harvest of Jewish souls around the world.

– Pray that the Lord would open the eyes of the Jewish people to the message of the prophets and apostles concerning “the Day of the Lord,” the Tribulation Period. Like Daniel, may it drive them to prayer and fasting before the Holy One of Israel. Israel is being isolated by the global community. The world has fallen into the hands of the evil one – Satan. We need to stand up for Israel and its people for the glory of God.

– Pray that the religious leadership in Israel would realize that the Lord does not seek empty religious obedience to a list of rules. Obedience to God’s law is important. However, it is not the end of the whole matter. The purpose of the law is to reveal man’s hopelessness and helplessness to please an infinitely holy God. God seeks a relationship, not ritual compliance. Pray that Israel and the church may seek God’s mercies and forgiveness.

– Pray like Daniel. He prayed for the will of God to be done for the glory of God (Daniel 9:16-19). Pray that the Lord’s desires for His people will come to pass in these last days. Pray that Israel will stand firm against the global pressure to surrender the Promised Land and the Holy City of Jerusalem with the holy mountain of God – the Temple Mount. Pray that God will manifest His glory as He defends His people, His land, His city, and His mountain.

– Pray that Israel may place their hope, security, and defense in the Lord. The hope of Israel is not bound up in its relationship with the U.S., or the power of its military ingenuity or might. The nation’s true hope is in the Lord. Read Psalm 91:1-10. Oh God, help the leadership in Israel to recognize they are in Your hands and that you are the One and only true hope. May they be faithful to the Lord, trusting His Word and what He has promised to do.

– Pray for the widows of fallen Israeli soldiers. We cannot begin to imagine the dire sudden needs widows face, along with their children, as they tragically learn that their husband/father has given his life to defend the nation of Israel. Many groups in Israel are attempting to collect donations from around the world to help support these widows and children. If the Lord lays a burden upon you to share in this need, you can mark your gift for “Israel,” and we will send every penny to Israel through agencies we have learned can be trusted to meet the critical needs that Israel is now facing.

– Pray for many Israeli soldiers who are hospitalized with injuries they have received while in combat in Gaza and along Israel’s northern border. As a result of their wounds, they are unable to work. They are not able to play with their children. They are not able to work and provide for their family. Their wives and children deserve our prayers and financial support.

– Pray for the Lord to give wisdom to the political and military leadership in Israel. Pray that they will know what God wants them to do at this critical time in their war with the enemies of God. Pray that they will know their limitations. Pray that they will be so overwhelmed that they will earnestly lead the nation to seek the face of God to defend the nation of Israel.

– Pray that the Lord will be able to speak to the nation of Israel through the leadership of its Messianic congregations. Pray that the eyes of the nation would be opened to know that those who are true born-again Christians love and support Israel. May the Lord provide the pastors of His church in Israel an opportunity to reach out in love and prayer to demonstrate to Israelis that being a Christian is at the very heart of being Jewish. May all Israelis discover that the true faith of the church is the faith of Abraham.

– Pray the Lord will silence the liberal Israelis who do not care about the law of God, the dedication to the return to the Promised Land, the re-establishment of temple worship, and the rebuilding of the holy temple in Jerusalem. They do not recognize the Jewish people as the chosen people. Their spiritual blindness is preparing the way for the Antichrist.

– Pray the Lord will defeat the efforts of Iran to destroy the nation of Israel. Pray for the Iranian believers who are living under constant persecution and martyrdom. Pray that Iran’s efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon would be defeated.

– Pray that Israel’s war with Iran’s proxy terrorist groups (Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and many others) would be defeated. Oh Lord, give Israel strength and wisdom to fight this war against great odds. Lord, demonstrate as you have in the past, that it is not about physical numbers or power. You are the God of the impossible. Demonstrate to Israel and the entire world that you are the Holy One of Israel.

– Pray that the Lord will speak to many about how they can financially support Israel’s war effort in defending itself at this critical hour. We are glad that the nation of Israel is being financially overwhelmed at this hour. Thank you, Lord, for opening the door for us to show our commitment to Your Word and Your people – Israel.

– Pray for the Israelis who are committed to living in the disputed lands of Judea and Samaria. Pray for their safety as they have become physical targets of hatred to Palestinians who seek for their death.

– Pray for the defeat of the Palestinian leadership on the “West Bank.” May all of those who are seeking for the truth understand that this land is not the land of a Palestinian State. All the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea belongs to the Jewish people. This is what the Bible teaches. This is the true biblical recorded found in the Word of God. This is proven every day in Israel by archaeologists who discover historical artifacts from Israel’s ancient biblical days in the soil of the Promised Land.

– Pray to our awesome God! May we reverence and honor God the same way that Jehoshaphat and Daniel did. Call upon Him as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Make mention of His holiness, mercy, sovereignty, power, and righteousness. Thank Him for being a faithful God who keeps all His covenants and promises to His people. Praise Him for seeing our needs and providing His way in His time for our security and hope.

– Pray for Israelis to grasp the truth that there will be no true peace until the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Messiah, returns to this earth to establish His kingdom of peace upon this earth. May this hope turn many to Him.