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  • March 2023 – Deadly Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

    a Harbinger of Things to Come

    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   

    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

    Deadly Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

    – a Harbinger of Things to Come

    “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in [different] places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginning of sorrows.”–Mark 13:8

    By Mike Wingfield

    God’s eternal time clock in heaven is ticking. The time when He will supernaturally intervene with His judgments of wrath against the wickedness of man is rapidly approaching. In the Bible, this time of God’s judgment is called “the day of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:2), or the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). This time will follow the Rapture of the Church and it will last for seven years, ending with Christ’s supernatural visible return to earth “with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

    The Bible is filled with many warnings concerning what will unfold during the Tribulation. Hundreds of passages sound the warning of this approaching global time of trouble. For years I have been in awe of these warnings that help us to define the nature of the Tribulation and understand the developments that will unfold during this unprecedented time.

    Jesus informed His disciples that the Tribulation would begin at a time when the world would be experiencing a time of global wars and conflicts, earthquakes, severe food shortages, pandemics, and increasing lawlessness (Luke 21:9-11). Obviously, we are now experiencing a marked escalation in all these occurrences.

    Jesus said that the prelude to the Tribulation would be manifested by an increase in the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes. Furthermore, He warned that these earthquakes would occur around the world in different locations. An examination of the geological records of the last 120 years indicates that this is exactly what is taking place. Every 30 days, our world is experiencing an average of 6,500 earthquakes that measure 3.0 or greater on the Richter scale. History shows that 19 of the 20 largest earthquakes ever recorded in the world happened in the last 100 years. Six of the largest recorded earthquakes have happened in my lifetime! Without question, we are the generation that is experiencing the final geological upheaval of our world, and the worst is still yet to come!

    On February 6, 2023, Turkey experienced the deadliest earthquake of this relatively new century. Within a matter of hours, it was hit with 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes. These earthquakes captured the attention of the entire world. Currently, it is reported that more than 50,000 people have been killed by these quakes, hundreds of thousands were injured and left homeless. The pictures and videos of the devastation and immense suffering coming from this region have touched our hearts.

    The Bible teaches that everything, including these catastrophic earthquakes, is under the divine control of the Lord God. He is directing the affairs of His creation to its desired end. The Bible makes it clear that He is in control of volcanoes and earthquakes. They are the evidence of the hand of God on earth. In Isaiah 2, the Bible declares that when the end of time comes, God will rise to “shake terribly the earth” (Isaiah 2:19, 21). Later, in Isaiah 13:13, the Lord said, “I will shake the heavens and the earth.” Psalm 104:32 says, “He looks on the earth, and it trembles, he touches the hills, and they smoke.”

    God controls earthquakes and their timing performs His will. This happened at Jericho in the days of Joshua (Joshua 6:1-20). Powerful earthquakes accompanied the death and resurrection of Christ (Matthew 27:50-52; 28:2). Paul and Silas were set free from prison by a powerful earthquake in Philippi at the right moment in time (Acts 16:26). There are many more of these examples in the Bible.

    God has consistently used earthquakes as a part of His divine judgment. The divine global destruction that produced a global flood in the days of Noah featured a massive earthquake that shook the world. God told Noah that due to man’s wickedness, He would “destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). Genesis 7:11 reported the fulfillment of this warning, “the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” This massive global geological upheaval continued for 150 days (Genesis 7:24-8:1). The earthquake encircled the globe creating a seam like a baseball. These cracks on the earth are still evident today. Geologists have mapped out these fissures which have formed tectonic platelets and deep canyons or trenches in the ocean. See the map above. All these scientific findings give proof of the biblical record in Genesis 6-7.

    A study of the prophetic Scriptures indicates that the seven-year Tribulation Period will be characterized as a time of massive global earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. They will be greater than anything ever experienced on earth. Near the beginning of the Tribulation, a global earthquake will strike the earth, causing “every mountain and island [to be] moved out of their places” (Revelation 6:14). This simply means the geological coordinates of earth’s surface will be altered. Concerning these global earthquakes, Isaiah 24 states, “The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is [thoroughly cracked], the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, …. It shall fall, and not rise again” (verses 19-20). This means the surface of the earth will be greatly altered so that, like the pre-flood earth, it will not look the same.

    The greatest earthquake will take place at the end of the Tribulation when Christ returns to earth at His revelation during the battle of Armageddon (Zechariah 14:1-5). Concerning this earthquake, the Apostle John wrote, “And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city [Jerusalem] was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell … And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found” (Revelation 16:18-20).

    Scriptures indicate that many of these global earthquakes at the end will be accompanied by massive volcanic upheavals (Isaiah 24:6; Ezekiel 38:22; Revelation 6:12; 16:21). These earthquakes and volcanic eruptions will be centered in the Middle East and especially the land of Israel.

    After examining the biblical prophecies about the future earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and the geological locations of the recent earthquakes in Turkey, I am convinced these recent quakes are the prelude to the Tribulation.

    The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are occurring along geological fault lines that connect them with many of the future earthquakes that will rock Israel in the last days. See the map on this page. Let us examine the evidence.

    All the biblically recorded earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that will occur during the last days in the Middle East and Israel will take place along The Great Rift Valley. The Great Syrian/African Rift Valley begins in Syria along the border with Turkey, and extends for 4,300 miles through Israel, the Red Sea, and into the African continent. This geological crack begins where the earthquakes just occurred in Turkey and Syria and goes south, following the Jordan River Valley, through the Sea of Galilee and into the Dead Sea area. It continues south thorough the Arava Desert in Israel and into the Red Sea and then southwest into Africa. (See the map on this page.)

    Many earthquakes recorded in the history of Israel in the Scriptures took place along this Great Rift Valley. Jerusalem, the site of many earthquakes in history and prophecy, is located about 15 miles west of the Rift Valley and the Dead Sea, the lowest point of this fault line. Many geologists have concluded that this Great Rift Valley is one of the most dangerous earthquake fault zones in the world.

    Israeli geologists have carefully studied the history of this fault line along the Rift Valley. They know that it produces a major earthquake in Israel about every 100 years. The last major earthquake in Israel was 96 years ago in 1927. The one before that was in 1837. So, Israeli geologists are warning their people that they are due for the big one. These quakes in Turkey and Syria are sending them a warning of the possibility that a quake is imminent.

    According to the prophetic Word, the next big earthquake could be the one connected with the Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel 38. The invasion involving Russia, Turkey, and Iran, and other radical Islamic nations, will take place near the Golan Heights along Israel’s border with Syria and Lebanon. According to Ezekiel 38:18-22, God will strike this area along the Rift Valley fault line with a powerful earthquake that will shake the entire world. This quake will cause “every wall [in Israel] to fall to the ground” (Ezekiel 38:20). It will also trigger the eruption of ancient dormant volcanoes in the region (Ezekiel 38:22). The volcanoes will erupt and spew out magma [symbolically described in the Bible as the blood of the earth – Isaiah 26:21], hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:22).

    This horrific cataclysm will confuse the invading armies causing them to kill one another. The timing of this geological upheaval will be viewed by many nations as a divine response to this invasion by Israel’s enemies. In Ezekiel 38:23, God says, “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” This supernatural defeat of Israel’s enemies will be compared to the defeat of Pharaoh and his armies at the Red Sea (Jeremiah 16:14-15). God says, “So I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel” (Ezekiel 39:7).

    I have calculated that the recent earthquakes in Turkey were about 300 miles southwest of Mount Ararat, where the Ark landed five months after the flood began (Genesis 8:4). Mount Ararat is located along a major fault line along Turkey’s eastern border with Armenia. This fault line connects with the Rift Valley fault line where the recent earthquakes took place. Mount Ararat is also an ancient volcanic mountain. Its last major eruption occurred in 3,000 B.C., about the time of the great global flood.

    Therefore, geologically, and biblically, Mount Ararat is connected to the future geological upheaval of the last days. Jesus told us there would be connections between the last days and the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37). The last actions of Noah took place on Mount Ararat where the ark landed. How fitting that the location of the ark’s resting place is connected to the upheaval of the final global judgment of God at the end of this age!

    Furthermore, I have calculated that the geological upheaval mentioned in Ezekiel 38 is about 300 miles south of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. It is of interest to note that the southernmost end of the Great Rift Valley in Africa has been showing signs of upheaval in the crust of the earth for a couple of decades. Hundreds of miles in Africa are opening up and exposing a crevice that follows the fault line. See picture on page 5. Therefore, both ends of the Great Rift Valley are showing the geological pressure being applied to this fault line beneath the earth. Obviously, this indicates that great pressure is escalating along this fault line, especially in the weaker fault areas of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Therefore, the probability of a great earthquake in Israel is imminent.

    Israeli geologists are concerned that a big quake is overdue. The Scriptures indicate there are many earthquakes that will follow in quick succession along this fault line. They include the Gog and Magog quake in Ezekiel 38, which will take place very near the time of the Rapture. At the middle of the Tribulation a major earthquake in Jerusalem will kill 7,000 people (Revelation 11:13). This earthquake will be connected to the Antichrist’s murder of the two Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem. The final earthquake at the end of the Tribulation will occur near and in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-10; Revelation 14:20; 16:19).

    Many of the passages that mention the massive earthquakes that will occur along the Great Rift Valley during the Tribulation, also include volcanic eruptions. An examination of the Great Rift Valley fault line will show that there are many ancient dormant volcanoes that follow this fault line. They are found in Turkey, on the Golan Heights between Syria and Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and in Africa.

    I am convinced that the description of the events connected with the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 14:14-20 relate to the massive earthquake that will occur at the time of Christ’s revelation. This earthquake will trigger an eruption of the ancient dormant volcanoes north of the Jordan Valley. When that happens, it will create a river of blood [magma] that will flow to the level of the horses’ bridles for about 200 miles. Notice that Revelation 14 tells us that this will take place when the angel of God “which had power over fire” (verse 18) thrusts His “sickle into the earth” (verse 19).

    This would also help us understand how some of the forces of the Antichrist will be killed in a very unusual way. Zechariah 14:12 says that their bodies will be suddenly consumed while they are standing on their feet. This judgment is clearly described in Psalm 58:6-9 and Psalm 68:2. This is what happens when bodies come in contact with a flowing river of magma at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Not all the forces of the Antichrist will die in this manner. Some will die on the mountains in that area where the Battle of Armageddon will unfold (Isaiah 34:2-3). These bodies will decay and stink and be eaten by the birds mentioned in Revelation 19:17-18. However, those who die in the valley where the river of magma will flow, will be killed instantly as described inZechariah 14. Some have said that Zechariah 14 is speaking of some kind of nuclear war. However, if that were to happen, then all of the bodies in the area would be melted away. That will not be the case. The forces of the Antichrist that are on the mountains will just drop dead and their bodies will decay and be devoured by birds. This is the only natural and literal interpretation that satisfies all that the prophetic details.

    Friends, these earthquakes in Turkey are harbingers of what is coming during the Tribulation Period. The earthquakes in Turkey were felt in Israel, especially in northern Israel along the fault line of the Great Rift Valley. These quakes were also felt in Jerusalem. Muslims have reported that some minor damage took place at the Muslim structures on the Temple Mount. They reported “that pieces of mosaics containing anti-Christian verses from the Koran began falling off the façade of the Dome of the Rock” (Israel 365 News, February 7, 2023). Without question, this is the hand of God!

    We need to answer a question that some people are asking, “Why would God judge mankind with these massive deadly geological catastrophes in the last days?”

    First, God is using these earthquakes to humble mankind and to bring a remnant to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 2:10-22, the Lord states that He will “shake terribly the earth” in the last days to humble mankind (verses 11-12). As a result, “the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day” (verse 17).

    The earthquakes of the last days will be centered in the Middle East. God will not only punish the enemies of Israel that have opposed God’s will for them to occupy His land, but He will also pursue a remnant among the Muslims to bring them to salvation. Many Muslims are testifying that Jesus is currently appearing to them in dreams and visions. Thousands are coming to Him and being saved. These quakes in the Middle East are shaking the world of Islam. In their humble state, they are open to the gospel of salvation.

    Jesus is opening the spiritual prison door and setting Muslims free from the slavery of Islam. In His last visit to Nazareth, Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2. He said that His Father had sent Him to “bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah 61:1).

    However, God will also send these global upheavals to judge the wicked, primarily in the West. Unlike the Islamic world, most people in the West have had an opportunity to hear the gospel.

    The entire chapter of Isaiah 24 deals with the description and causes of the devastating global earthquakes that will come upon the earth in the final years of this age. After speaking of the complete destruction associated with these quakes, the prophet declares the reason for God’s wrathful judgment. The massive global upheaval will take place “because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, [and] broken the everlasting covenant” (verse 5). Here, the Lord declares that He will strike the earth because mankind has spiritually altered the very purposes for which mankind was created. They are defiantly disregarding the moral boundaries contained in His laws that He gave to Israel at Sinai – the 10 Commandments. They have exchanged the ordinances [truth] of God for lies (see Romans 1:25). They have broken the “everlasting covenant” – they have defiled and seared their God-given conscience (compare Romans 1:18-23). It is apparent that we have now arrived at such a time on this earth. Mankind has reached the spiritual point of no return. He is about to reach the ultimate climax of his defiant and blasphemous rebellion against God. They will reject God’s Son, Jesus, and worship the devil’s messiah – the Antichrist.

    Friends, I am convinced that the earthquakes that just took place in Turkey and Syria are a harbinger of the approaching geological upheaval that is becoming more imminent with each passing day.

    If you are not saved, you need to seek the face of God, repent of your sins, and call upon Him for salvation. You need to do this TODAY! A spirit of spiritual darkness has permeated America. Please call upon Him while you can. The time is short.

    Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

    A recorded message that is very similar to this article is on our website, www.ptnews.org. The title of the message is, “Earthquakes and the Beginning of the End.”

    A Powerful Movement of the Holy Spirit

    Many of us have been praying for a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit over a godly remnant of God’s people in these last days. In recent weeks, attention has been focused on an unusual time of worship, confession, and repentance of the student body at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. At the end of a regular chapel service on February 8th, some students refused to leave and joined together in a spirit of revival – including worship and confession of personal sins. More and more students began to join them. This time of praise continued for 24 hours a day for almost two weeks.

    News of this movement began to quickly spread. Eventually more than 22 other college campuses in different states began to imitate what was happening at this Christian campus in Kentucky. Other people, numbering more than 50,000, began to pour into the little town in Kentucky, overwhelming the restaurants and hotels. Conditions became very crowded at the college chapel. Overflow rooms were created to accommodate the swelling response from outside the campus. A large screen was erected outside, and hundreds joined the worship that could not get into the chapel.

    Some people have questioned if this is a real genuine revival. Nevertheless, it is obvious that what has and is happening in the lives of these young people is genuine. We should rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit and continue to pray that this revival spirit will continue and manifest a pure spirit of repentance and salvation across a part of America.

    America is in desperate need of a real revival. I personally believe that America has reached a point of no return and there will not be a national revival. However, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among a remnant is an act of grace and mercy from God to prepare the hearts of many who may soon stand before the Lord at the Rapture in the immediate future. Perhaps it is a sign that the Rapture is upon us. Maybe this is a final call from our faithful and gracious Lord in these last days.

    In light of the explosion of wickedness and the spirit of rebellion and confusion among our youth here in America, this movement in Kentucky and other places is a real breath of fresh air. Praise the Lord for what He is doing!

  • February 2023 – Israel at the End of Days

    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   

    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

    Israel at the End of Days

    “This people have I formed for myself; they shall [show] forth my praise.”

    Isaiah 43:21

    By Mike Wingfield

    The ever-changing developments in the Middle East, particularly Israel, seem to indicate that God is setting the stage for His unique time of global judgment. This time that we are marching toward is called “the Tribulation.” And before it begins, God will supernaturally remove his church from the world. That means as believers, current events indicate we should be living in anticipation of the sudden Rapture of the church! Will this be the year that Jesus comes? Only time will tell.

    Since Jesus ascended back to His Father in heaven almost 2,000 years ago (Acts 1:9), believers have been looking for Jesus’ return as He promised (John 14:3). As the early church believers moved through the decades following Jesus’ ascension, the apostles exhorted the believers to be looking for His imminent return. When the apostle John wrote the final book of the Bible, Revelation, Jesus repeated His promise, “I come quickly” (Revelation 22:12, 20).

    A detailed study of the prophetic Scriptures points to an exact setting that would unfold at the end of this age. At the center of those events is God’s chosen nation of Israel. According to God’s eternal plan recorded in the Bible, the Jewish people, and the land that He gave unto them will be the epicenter of the dramatic and deadly events of the last days. God has chosen His people and His land to display His sovereignty and glory to all the nations at the end of time. The prophet Isaiah wrote about Israel’s central role in God’s eternal plans in his amazing prophetic book. In chapters 41-44, Isaiah portrays Israel as His servant and says that He will protect and use as His witnesses and servants at the end of days.

    The nation of Israel is God’s prophetic time piece. God’s eternal story of redemption is bound up in Israel’s people, land, customs, and religious feasts. At the center of God’s focus is His land and His people – Israel. They are “the apple [pupil] of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8). God has placed the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem at the geographical center of the earth (Ezekiel 5:5).

    Obviously, as Jesus said, no one can know “that day and hour” of His coming (Matthew 24:36). However, in His Parable of the Fig Tree, Jesus informed His disciples that when one examines all the prophetic pieces of the puzzle, he will be able to discover the season [general time frame] of His coming. He simply promised that the generation that witnesses all the prophetic pieces of the approaching Tribulation Period coming together will not all pass off the scene until the end comes (Matthew 24:32-34). It is my firm belief and conviction that we are that generation.

    My heart aches as I watch events unfolding in Israel. After many years of examining the prophetic Scriptures, I am convinced that we are watching final events fall into place that will usher in the Tribulation Period. The storm we call the Tribulation Period is approaching and that means believers will soon be in the arms of Jesus in the Father’s house.

    Israel’s has a newly-elected government that is biblically conservative. In Israel’s modern history, since its rebirth in 1948, it has always been governed by a secular government. The turmoil and division that have erupted since this conservative government was formed is Israel compels me to believe that the Tribulation is near. Clearly, Israel is a sharply-divided nation, and the divide is between the Israel’s mostly secular population, and the very conservative religious groups. These conservative group’s support Israel’s unique role in world history, as spelled out in the Bible. Israel has existed for 75 years and this is its 35th government.

    In the last few decades Israel, just like America, has been sliding further away from God and toward the liberal political left. The previous Israeli government was one of the most liberal, secular governments in Israel’s modern history. Many of the people who were in positions of leadership were anti-Zionists. That simply means they did not view, nor did they support the idea that Israel is a Jewish nation.

    The liberal policies of the former government, especially in its last few months, were very damaging. A mostly a care-taker government headed by Prime Minister Yair Lapid sent a shock wave throughout Israel. Therefore, in this last election, the nation voted in a biblically conservative government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For the first time ever, the religious parties in Israel garnered enough votes to create the largest political parties to form a new government with Netanyahu’s conservative party.

    This new government intends to lead the country according to the mandates given to the Jewish people in the Bible. Israel Today declared, “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is back and eager to lead Israel including making the Bible a central part of Israeli society” (Israel Today, December 30, 2022). At the center of these plans are the two leaders of their religious parties, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Both men are being demonized by the liberal Israeli society and the global media and governments. “The two men’s combined goals are to strengthen Israel’s character as the Jewish state by taking steps, among others, to increase security against terrorism, as well as criminal violence, open the Temple Mount to Jewish worship and increase and consolidate the presence of Jewish residents in the towns and cities of Israel’s biblical heartland – Samaria and Judea” (Israel Today, December 22, 2022). Get ready for a great storm of hate and rejection that will be hurled against Israel. It is coming!

    Clearly, the spiritual wars between God and Satan, and between good and evil, are heating up. Psalm 2 tells us that the godless people of the world will violently oppose God and demand that a godless one-world government be formed. The world will reject God and His Son, the Messiah (Psalm 2:2). People of the world will refuse to bow to God’s Word, and especially His commandments. They will demand to be set free from their binding truth and authority (Psalm 2:3). The new Israeli government will be the bullseye of this war. At the center of this war will be the law of God, the land of God, and the will of God.

    As we move through the days until Jesus comes, I am convinced there are seven major developments that we need to watch concerning Israel and the end of days. I can promise you that 2023 will become an increasingly difficult time for Israel as these developments continue to unfold. Let us look at them.

    1. The Increase in Anti-Semitism

    One of the most prevalent signs of the last days is the global hatred for Israel. According to the Bible, when the end comes, the world will hate Israel and be zealously plotting its destruction. Speaking to His Jewish disciples on the Mount of Olives, Jesus said, “Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). This is the proverbial canary in the coal mine for the world. It clearly warns that danger and the end are near!

    Satan’s attack upon Israel and the Jewish people is in essence an attack upon God and His eternal purposes. If Satan can destroy Israel or annihilate the Jewish people, He will have defeated God. From the beginning of time, he has made this his aim. Satan heard God’s promise to Abraham. He saw the hand of God upon the Jews in Egypt in the days of Pharaoh. He saw the miracles of God in the days of Moses. Therefore, he has made it one of his major objectives to attack the nation of Israel and to kill the Jewish people in a desperate attempt to defeat God.

    In the last half of the seven-year Tribulation, the global hatred against Jews will be spurred on by the antichrist. This evil global leader will make the Jewish people and their land, including Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the center of his diabolical scheme to control the world. The militaries of the world, under his control, will march to Israel at the end of the Tribulation with a goal of annihilating the Jewish people and seizing control of their land. This final attempt is what we call “The Battle of Armageddon” (Zechariah 14:2-3; Revelation 16:12-16; 19:11-21). The tentacle of lies that will draw the nations against Israel is fomenting all over the world at this very hour!

    The hatred for Israel and Jewish people is escalating out of control on many American college and university campuses. Jewish students are witnessing increasing acts of violence. For the first time in the history of America, many people are attempting to hide their Jewish identity. Some fear for their lives.

    Fueling this hatred are the radical Islamic communities. The minds of Muslims around the world are being poisoned by their radical religious leaders. Radical Islam spawns deep hatred and contempt for Israel the Jewish people. Adding to Israel’s dilemma are godless governments controlled by socialists and communists. And as all of this transpires, those who hate Israel have found an ally in the liberal news media. Israel’s enemies continually manipulate the media to spread their lies and deception, in an effort turn world opinion against Israel.

    This hatred for the Jewish people has blinded the eyes of the godless masses, so that they do not realize they are in conflict with Almighty God. This same thing happened to Pharaoh and his mighty army as they charged after the Jewish people and marched into the Red Sea where they were destroyed by God (Exodus 14:13-31).

    2. The Ingathering of the Jewish People

    Just as in the days of Moses in Egypt, when the Jewish people were facing an attempt to annihilate them, the Lord used this threat to take them out of the land of their sojourning and lead them back into the Promised Land. According to biblical prophecy, this is happening again (Jeremiah 16:14-15). Because of the mounting hatred being poured out upon the global Jewish community, many Jews are expressing the desire to immigrate to Israel.

    In Ezekiel 36:24, God promised the Jewish people living in the last days, “For I will take you from among the heathen [Gentile nations], and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” The past year, 2022, was a record year for immigration to Israel, with more than 70,000 new immigrants from 95 different countries. Most of these Jewish immigrants were from Russia and Ukraine. This is a direct fulfillment of Jeremiah 16:14-15.

    3. The Spiritual Awakening of Jews

    Another amazing spiritual development is unfolding in our world which rejoices the heart of God. Jewish people are increasingly turning to Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior. Joel Rosenberg, a prolific author of many books and a born-again Jew living in Israel, writes, “A great spiritual awakening is underway in the Jewish community worldwide, but particularly in the United States (The Rosenberg Report, November 28, 2022).

    Rosenberg also reports, “A landmark study by LifeWay, the research branch of the Southern Baptist Convention, found that there are 871,000 Americans of Jewish descent who hold the same theological beliefs as Evangelical Christians. … Perhaps just as dramatic and historic is the fact that Jewish people are showing a greater interest in listening to the Messianic prophecies, reading the New Testament accounts, and trying to process the Gospel message for themselves more than ever before” (The Rosenberg Report, November 28, 2022).

    Just before Christmas, Israel Today released the following report, “More than 25 prominent rabbis from Israel and abroad issued a statement calling for a renewed look at Jesus, Christians, and the New Testament faith… What we are now witnessing is the undoing of 2,000 years of Jewish rejection and animosity toward Jesus, a miracle by any estimation. For the out-and-out refusal by Jews to accept Jesus is slowly, but surely, coming to an end, as growing numbers of prestigious Orthodox rabbis welcome Jesus back” (Israel Today, December 22, 2022).

    These reports represent a major sign that the Church Age is about to end. In Romans 11:25, the Apostle Paul wrote that a spiritual awakening of the Jewish people would coincide with the end of the Church Age. According to the Book of Revelation, during the first half of the Tribulation, 144,000 Jews will come to Christ for salvation (Revelation 7:1-8). These Jewish men (Revelation 14:1-5) will spread the gospel throughout the nations and win many from all nations to Christ (Revelation 7:9-17).

    4. The Internal War with Israeli Rebels

    According to the prophetic Scriptures, during the Tribulation, the nation of Israel will be plagued by a godless government that will be in defiant rebellion against God. According to Isaiah 28:14-22, at the end of days, a group of influential government leaders in Jerusalem will foolishly attempt to lead Israel into a peace covenant with an enemy that is sworn to their destruction. These leaders will ignore the Word of God. God calls them “scornful men” and “mockers” of God’s truth. This is the perfect picture of the former Israeli government leaders who are opposing the new Israeli government under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Former Israeli Prime Minister Lapid spoke to the U.N. General Assembly on September 22, 2022. In his address, he lied to the UN by stating that the Jewish people were ready for a two-state solution, indicating that they were ready to once again surrender a part of the Promised Land. This is a core issue with Lapid’s liberal political party and other secular Jews who are against a strict Zionist agenda for Israel. However, the election which followed in November proved that the majority in Israel oppose this godless agenda.

    Since they lost the election in November, Lapid and his colleagues have continued to call for civil unrest and rebellion against the newly elected government headed by Netanyahu and his right-wing conservatives. Israel has been seeing massive demonstrations, supported by the liberal media. Seemingly, Israel is at the point of civil war. Many fear that this could lead to the eventual collapse of the modern state of Israel. However, as students of the Bible, we know this will not happen.

    One of God’s major purposes of the Tribulation for the Jewish people will be to spiritually refine the nation, removing all the unsaved Jews (Isaiah 4:3-4; Zechariah 13:8-9). Concerning this time, the Lord declares, “And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me” (Ezekiel 20:38). When the end comes at Armageddon, the entire remaining Jewish nation will be saved.

    5. The Growing Passion for Temple Worship

    Under this new Israeli government, there seems to be a renewed passion to fulfill what the Scriptures say concerning the restoration of Temple worship on Mount Moriah – the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The religious Jews in Israel understand that the most holy ground in Israel is the Temple Mount. They know this is the only place chosen by God for temple worship (Deuteronomy 12:10-14). It was the location of all the temples in biblical times. They also understand that according to many Scriptures, they will return to the Temple Mount to build a temple and re-institute temple worship.

    There will be two temples built on the Temple Mount in the future. The first will be constructed during the Tribulation (Revelation 11:1-2). Finally, a massive temple will be built upon the Temple Mount during the Millennial Kingdom of Christ (Ezekiel 40-44). This temple will become the focal point of worship for all nations (Isaiah 2:2-3).

    After 2,000 years of exile from their Promised Land, the Jewish people began their return during the 20th century. The nation officially began on May 14, 1948. Within hours, five powerful Islamic nations that neighbor Israel attacked the new Jewish state. Miraculously, after 18 months of war, Israel won. However, Israel was not able to gain control of the ancient city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount has been considered the third most holy site for Muslims according to their questionable historical traditions. Therefore, the old city of Jerusalem and Temple Mount have remained in the hands of the Muslims. The Arab country of Jordan became the caretaker of this holy site.

    When the Six-Day War broke out in June 1967, the Arabs once again attacked Israel, stating it was an illegal occupant of a land that had belonged to the Muslims. The land had been conquered 13 centuries earlier by Muslim invaders. After soundly defeating the Arabs, Israel took complete control of the areas controlled by Jordan from 1948 to 1967. For the first time in 2,000 years, the Jews were able to walk on the Temple Mount and freely pray at the Wailing Wall. However, in 1967, the secular Israeli government, out of fear of a major war with the Muslim world, decided to allow Jordan to retain control of the Temple Mount and maintain the worship on the site where two historical Islamic structures were located.

    Since this time, the world has forgotten the historical significance of the Temple Mount. Many Arab Muslims continue to view this mountain as the third most holy site in the Muslim world. While ignoring the Bible and archaeological evidence, they stubbornly claim the Jews have no right to enter the Temple Mount area. Muslim authorities who control this mountain have a radical mindset and they vehemently oppose any Jewish or Christian activities on the Temple Mount. Unfortunately, the world blindly sides with the Muslims in this debate.

    From 1967-1980, most Jewish governments ignored the many requests by Jewish groups to pray on the Temple Mount. Out of fear, many opposed any Jewish presence on the mountain. However, since 1980, several Jews have been allowed to ascend the Temple Mount.

    With the election of the new Israeli government, these restrictions imposed upon Israelis are being challenged. Just days after the new Israeli government was sworn in on December 27, 2022, National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced he would enter the Temple Mount. On January 3, 2023, he quietly strolled across the Temple Mount for about 13 minutes. This simple walk across the Temple Mount by Gvir was hailed by the media as a brazenly dangerous and provocative act. Even the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden opposed Gvir’s actions, stating that the Temple Mount should be used exclusively for Muslim worship.

    Stating that Jews cannot pray on the Temple Mount is like saying Christians cannot pray in their churches. It ignores all the biblical, historical, and archaeological facts that prove that the Temple Mount was a place of Jewish worship for 1,600 years before the religion of Islam came into existence.

    Clearly, this is a satanically motivated effort to prevent the fulfillment of the coming of Messiah and His temple in Jerusalem. This present Israeli government is bold and passionate to claim its right to the Temple Mount. Obviously, we are now entering into a new era of conflict over the most important piece of property on the face of the earth.

    Muslims know that Jewish groups are preparing for temple worship. Just last Fall, several unique red heifers were flown to Israel in preparation for the red heifer sacrifice and the re-institution of the laws of purification and dedication of temple priests (Numbers 19). Without this sacrifice, no Jewish priest could function at the newly rebuilt temple on the Temple Mount.

    The struggle over the Temple Mount is about to enter a new phase. Satan and the demons of hell will do everything in their power to keep the Jews from controlling the Temple Mount. All of hell and approximately 99.97 percent of the global population are opposed to Israel’s control of the Temple Mount. However, the Lord will prevail. The God of Israel is about to display His power and authority, and as a result, the whole world will know that He is the Lord God!

    6. The Struggle for the Land of Israel

    The conflict over the area the world calls the “West Bank,” biblical Judea and Samaria, is also about to enter a new era of global attention and crisis. This area is the heartland of the Promised Land. In an unconditional land covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, God promised to give the Jewish people this land forever (Genesis 13:15). Most of the events recorded in the Bible took place in this area. Anyone who questions these statements does not know the biblical record.

    God promised His people that when the end of this age would come, He would return them to their land. The Scriptures repeatedly exclaim that the returning Jews would be in conflict with their neighbors over this land (see Ezekiel 36:1-7).

    Since the beginning of the modern nation of Israel, its secular-minded governments have been willing to appease their Muslim neighbors concerning the Jewish presence in the Promised Land. They have surrendered to the global pressure to not anger their Arab neighbors. However, this is about to change.

    For the first time in its modern history, Israel has government leaders that are willing to be bold and take a stand on the promises of God. Recently, the new government stated its official policy, “The Jewish people have an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel. … This government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the Land of Israel—in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria” (Israel Today, December 29, 2022).

    This policy has angered the Biden administration in Washington. President Biden adamantly opposes the Jewish occupation of the “West Bank” and views it as an integral part of a Palestinian State. After the Israeli government released its policy about the disputed lands, Biden said, “…as we have throughout my administration, the United States will continue to support the two-state solution and to oppose policies that endanger its viability or contradict our mutual interests and values.” Biden’s comments are in line with the United Nations, but not with God!

    Once again, Israel stands in opposition to the entire world on its right to all the land of Israel. However, God stands with them, and they have nothing to fear. God has vowed “to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).

    7. The Rise of the Russian/Turkish/Iranian Coalition

    According to Ezekiel 38-39, three nations will form a coalition against Israel at the end of this age. They are Russia, Iran, and Turkey. For the first time in modern history, these three nations have formed a coalition and are waging war in the Middle East. The Israeli government recognizes the nuclear ambitions of Iran as a major threat to Israel’s existence. The Israeli leadership has made it clear — defending the nation is its top priority. As you read this newsletter, Israel is weighing military options to destroy Iran’s ability to make a nuclear bomb. Netanyahu is warning that Iran is only months away from fulfilling its nuclear ambitions. This is a ticking time bomb for the world. When Israel strikes Iran, it will more than likely set in motion the attack by the Russian/Turkish/Iranian coalition. Before this happens, I am convinced that the Rapture will occur, and true believers will be in heaven with Jesus.

    The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament wrote about the conditions that would prevail in Israel at the end of days. It is very clear that these conditions have arrived.

    Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

  • January 2023 – There is No “Mother Nature!”

           Proclaiming the Prophetic Word for 31 years!

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    P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s

    January 2023

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    All Bible references are from the KJV

    (Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

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    There is No “Mother Nature!”

    “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, … [changing] the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the [creation] more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:22, 25

    By Mike Wingfield

    Worshipping “Mother Nature” will not rescue the nations of the world from the tragic and dangerous time in which we live. As our world tumbles deeper into spiritual darkness, the world’s leaders stubbornly refuse to give God His rightful place. They continually reject Him as Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Judge, and King. They ignore His presence and power! They have chosen to pretend that He does not exist. They are defiant against God’s creative order, commandments, and eternal promises. In their pride and arrogance, they foolishly plan how they might thwart the prescribed judgment of God that is coming upon the earth and all creation at the approaching end of this age.

    In his quest to lie and deceive, man has created the theory of evolution to mask the reality that God created everything as described in Genesis 1-3. Evolution makes chance and fate the explanation for the existence of creation. From man’s perspective, there is no design or designer of creation. Man foolishly believes everything from the atom to the galaxies came together through random evolution of cosmic forces. Mimicking the demonic deception of many ancient cultures, our world has chosen to worship “Mother Nature.” When people refer to everyday events in the weather or the catastrophic forces of creation, they point to this as an act of “Mother Nature”. This designation of the world’s god is a term that views the earth as a woman. In their sinful way of thinking, the earth is the source and controlling power over all creation. Just like a mother who gives birth and nurtures her children, the world believes that earth, in the evolutionary process, gave birth to all life. They believe that earth, not God, provides us with all that we need to sustain life. Consequently, climate change proponents are demanding a radical shift in our lifestyles to avert what they believe will lead to a catastrophic end to life on earth.

    This is nothing new (Ecclesiastes 1:10). The Bible gives several references to a pagan goddess that was being worshipped in Israel and all the other cultures that preceded and followed Israel’s tragic worship of a demonically created goddess. This goddess was called “the queen of heaven” (Jeremiah 7:18). The ancient prophet of God, Jeremiah, rebuked the people of Israel and warned them that they were incurring the wrath of God if they continued to worship idols rather than the living God. However, the men of Israel refused to heed Jeremiah’s warning, stating that they were following the advice of their wives, since they believed that it was “The Queen of Heaven” who had blessed them (Jeremiah 44:15-19). This goddess was a fertility god. They believed that her worship would improve their way of life. They imagined that this goddess would provide them with bountiful food, prosperity, and keep them safe and secure. Like today, the worship of this goddess was filled with lustful sensuality.

    Tragically, Israel refused to heed Jeremiah’s warning. Consequently, God destroyed its culture, including the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Those who survived became the slaves of Babylon for 70 years.

    Today, in a similar fashion, our pagan global culture views “Mother Nature” as a goddess who is providing and protecting us with many blessings. This is a religion that is sweeping across the world. This is the demonic force behind all the hype concerning climate change. In November, more than 40,000 people attended a summit in the Sinai near the mountain where many believe God gave Israel and the world the Ten Commandments. They gathered to create the “Climate Justice Ten Commandments” (Israel 365 News, November 7, 2022).

    America, and the world are traveling down the same path of apostasy and disobedience as nations that were destroyed before us. We are defiantly rejecting the One and only God of the universe. In our foolish and sinful pride, we have elevated man and God’s creation above the worship of the God of glory.

    This gathering, which had the blessing of the United Nations, included leaders in business, banking, education, and politics. Among its participants were Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders. This gathering held “Climate Repentance Ceremonies and put forth a prophetic inter-religious call to action” (Israel 365 News, November 7, 2022). Clearly, the entire world, including Israel, has been duped into the deception of worshipping the creation, rather than the Creator.

    Friends, the worship of “Mother Earth” is creating a response of wrathful judgment in the heart of our holy God. He is the One and only God! The first and most important of all the commandments is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). God has demanded that we not worship or serve any other god. If we do, He has promised, “I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus 20:5). The priority for all mankind is to worship God, and God alone!

    Several decades before Jeremiah, the prophet Isaiah was called to warn Israel to turn from its sinful and idolatrous ways. At the heart of God’s plea was for His people, Israel, to recognize that He was the One and only God. Through Isaiah, God repeatedly said, “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me” (Isaiah 45:5). See also Isaiah 45:6, 18, 21, 22; 46:9. In Isaiah 42:8, the Lord said, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

    Friends, America, and the world are traveling down the same path of apostasy and disobedience as nations that were destroyed before us. We are defiantly rejecting the One and only God of the universe. In our foolish and sinful pride, we have elevated man and God’s creation above the worship of the God of glory.

    The universe and all that is in it has been created by God for His glory. The chief aim of man is to glorify God. In the beginning of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26). The entire testimony of the Bible is that only man has been created as the image bearer of God. That simply means that it is God’s desire for mankind to be reflectors of the infinite glory of God. We are to live, speak, think, act, and plan in such a way that we display the glory of God. What does that mean?

    Perhaps one of the most difficult things for the depraved, finite mind of man to grasp is the glory of God. The term “glory of God” points to the collective conception of all that God is. It is the shining forth of His infinite attributes or character. When we delve into the depths of the infinite mind and character of God our intellectual abilities fall short of being able to grasp the fullness of all that God is and has done. While exploring the infinite knowledge and presence of God, the psalmist declared, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psalm 139:6). After exploring God’s eternal purposes for Israel, Paul exclaimed, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor” (Romans 11:33-34)?

    God has created us in such a way that we should be in awe of the creation of human life. The birth of a baby should move us to be in awe of God and to see His divine plan and purposes for the creation of man. This is made clear in Psalm 8. “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of mouth of babes and [newborn infants] hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger” (Psalm 8:1-2). The Psalmist is simply saying that even the enemies of God should be silenced when they look at the life of a new-born baby. They should be in awe of the divine process of the creation of life in the womb (Psalm 139:13-18). Babies are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3).

    Abortion and the abuse and neglect of children are other indictments against our godless culture. Every year, millions of babies are killed in the womb. Furthermore, children are the target of unimaginable violence and wickedness. The message of the Bible is clear. How we treat children, and all other people, is a testimony to what we think about God and who God is. The first four of the Ten Commandments deal with man’s response to God. The last six of the Ten Commandments deal with man’s response to man – who has been created in the image of God. We do not know God and cannot glorify Him when we kill human beings. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murdered hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

    Man is not the only part of God’s creation that reflects His glory. All the heavens and the earth were created for His glory – to lead us to adore, worship, and serve Him, and Him alone! As the Psalmist in Psalm 8 continued to speak of God’s glory, he spoke of God’s creation of the heavens as “the work of [God’s] fingers” (Psalm 8:3). The vastness of the splendor of God’s creation is to cause man to be in awe of the God who spoke them all into existence (Psalm 33:6) out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3).

    King David of Israel, 3,000 years ago, exclaimed, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [shows] his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). The word “declare” in Hebrew could be translated as “continually count.” The idea is that the vastness of the heavens, and the innumerable stars contained therein, should cause the human mind to be in awe of the One who created them.

    Compared to the knowledge of David’s time, our comprehension of the universe today is amazing. David’s generation only observed the vastness of the starry heavens with the naked eye. In our generation, we have powerful telescopes on earth and in space that aid us in visually exploring the galaxies. Our faith ought to be greater than the faith of David. We ought to be more in awe of the heavens and therefore, we should seek to glorify God in a greater way. How sad that this is not true. Instead, we have rejected God and His revelation. Due to man’s pride, man has chosen to ignore God’s written revelation, the Bible, and God’s general revelation written in the heavens. According to Romans 1:18-32, this is always the beginning of man’s tragic journey away from God. Read this passage and reflect upon the truth of Paul’s message.

    The field of science, in many cases, began as an exploration of creation for the glory of God. For example, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), was a German scientist who studied the heavens. He discovered and wrote about many of the observations and facts still used today by astronomers and NASA. Kepler, by his own writings and testimony, was a committed believer who held the Scriptures as his rock-solid foundation for all truth. He dedicated himself at an early age to serve God.

    How sad that today, most of those who work in the field of science have been blinded by the lie of evolution. The theory of evolution began with the work of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), who followed almost 300 years after Kepler. There is a debate concerning whether Darwin was an atheist. We cannot be sure. However, at one point in his life he said that he did not believe Jesus Christ is God. He also stated that he did not believe the Bible is the Word of God.

    Today, we should be stunned by the vastness of the universe and the tiny speck called earth. God told Isaiah, “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). In light of what we now know, this is truly an amazing revelation given to God’s servant more than 2,700 years ago!

    First, the heavens, the universe, are viewed in the Bible as the dwelling place of God. Yet, God, who is everywhere present at the same time, cannot be contained by the vastness of space. At the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, King Solomon acknowledged, “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded” (1 Kings 8:27)?

    Just how immense is the universe? The answer to this question is unknown. Even with our most powerful telescopes we have only viewed about 1.25 percent of all that God created by His spoken Word thousands of years ago. Scientists tell us that the expanse of the universe is so stunning that if you could travel across the known outreaches of space, traveling at the speed of light – 186,000 miles per second – it would take you more than 40 billion years to do so. Within this space are believed to be more than 100 billion galaxies! This is stunning! Unimaginable! Our home, the Milky Way, is only a small galaxy when compared to others.

    Within each of these galaxies there are hundreds of billions of stars. The number of stars created by the sudden breath of God in the beginning is beyond our human comprehension! Someone has surmised that the number of stars is more than the number of words spoken by man since the beginning of time. Another scientist has estimated that the number of stars would probably be equal to roughly 10,000 stars for each grain of sand on every beach on earth! Let that sink in for a moment!

    The Bible tells us that all of God’s creation, including the stars, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, and all of creation are the servants of God (Psalm 119:91). This means that God is the Creator, Ruler, and Sustainer of every aspect of His creation (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus proved this when He came to earth. He controlled food, winds, water, diseases, and even demons. He made the blind see and raised the dead!

    God is sovereign over every atom and galaxy! Listen to what Psalm 147:4-5 tells us about how infinite God is, “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” God not only knows how many stars He created, but He has also named them all!

    When we think about stars, we need to remember that our sun is one of them. The sun and stars are simply great balls of fire. They have been created with immense amounts of fuel so that they can fulfill His purposes to shine for His glory. Our sun is huge to the human eye. It is estimated that the sun is 1,300,000 times bigger than the earth. Scientists estimate that it would take about 1.3 million earths to fill up the space taken up by the sun. Yet, the sun is one of the smaller stars in our universe. One star, Antares, is calculated to be 700 times bigger than our sun. Amazing! Stunning!

    Think about this. This universe is so infinite in the mind of man – yet the heavens cannot contain God! God has described Himself as the One who “[stretched] forth the heavens, and [laid] the foundation of the earth, and [formed] the spirit of man within him” (Zechariah 12:1).

    The finite, depraved mind of man struggles to understand who God is. We tend to think of God in such a way that we make Him like man. And tragically, we foolishly think of man, making him like God. The Bible repeatedly declares that God is holy. That simply means that God is infinitely set apart from all His creation. All creation is finite. Only God is infinite!

    In Isaiah 40:25, God asked, “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal.” Then, He answered His question by demanding that man look up into the heavens, “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth” (Isaiah 40:26).

    Another testimony of God’s greatness is His comparison to earth itself. To those who were worshipping the Queen of Heaven, He reminded them that He could hold the oceans of the earth in the palm of His hand. He knows the exact weight of planet earth. (See Isaiah 40:12.) In this little speck in the universe there are nations. These nations and their leaders think they are so powerful. Compared to God, they are nothing! The Bible declares, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. … All nations before him as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity” (Isaiah 40:15, 17).

    The Bible tells us that “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life” (Proverbs 14:27). Also, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility” (Proverbs 15:33). The word fear speaks of man being in awe of God. When we think of God in terms of His glory, we will be greatly humbled. This is where great faith begins – humility! When we see God in His glory and mankind in his utterly helpless state of foolishness and sin, then we can be humble and wise.

    When I was a little boy, my mother would say to me, “Son you are getting too big for your britches.” This was her kind way of saying that I was acting foolishly, thinking that I was older and wiser, instead of realizing I was still a little boy in need of my parents. This is where we are as a world. We have gotten too big for our britches! The world thinks it doesn’t need God. He has been replaced with a demonic idol called “Mother Nature.”

    We need to be reminded that earth is a speck in this enormous universe – only the lowly footstool of God. The heavens are His dwelling place. Isaiah wrote, “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in” (Isaiah 40:22). God says that man is like a grasshopper before Him. That is a humbling thought. All of mankind needs to remember that we are at the mercy of the Almighty! All that we have and are, is nothing in His sight!

    Pride is the hallmark cornerstone of depravity. It was pride that triggered the beginning of sin in the heart of Lucifer when he thought he could replace God. Satan appealed to the pride of Eve in the Garden of Eden by tempting her with the idea that she could be like God.

    The scientific achievements of man in the last 150 years have been amazing. Yet, they are nothing compared to God who made the heavens and the earth in six days (Exodus 20:11). Prideful people think that scientists are so intelligent. However, when they fail to give God His rightful place and see Him as the God of glory, they are acting like fools. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

    According to the Bible, God will deal a death blow to the pride of man at the end of this age. As in the days of Noah, God will use His creation to bring a massive upheaval upon this earth. God told Noah thousands of years ago that He would destroy His creation “with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). In Noah’s day, God spoke to the earth and caused a massive global earthquake, allowing the subterranean waters to flood the earth (Genesis 7:11). He also emptied the massive translucent water canopy over the earth (Genesis 1:6-7), eventually covering the entire earth with water for 150 days (Genesis 7:24).

    For seven long years during the Tribulation, mankind will be judged by God with climate change, and catastrophic events such as global earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Diseases, demons, and darkness will plague all the earth’s inhabitants. All of this will be used by God to humble mankind and exalt Himself. Isaiah wrote about that day and warned that God will “[arise] to shake terribly the earth” (Isaiah 2:19, 21). God will do this “for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty” (Isaiah 2:19, 21). Why? “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11, 17).

    When that day comes, man will realize how foolish his worship of idols and the ideas of godless men has been. They will cast aside their idols and be stricken with their foolishness (Isaiah 40:2-21). Scientists will be helpless. Everyone will know there is no “Mother Nature.” They will know that earth is not a god or a provider.

    Scientists look at the immense universe and conclude there must be life on other planets. However, according to the Bible, God created life only on earth (Isaiah 45:18). Why such an awesome display of billions of galaxies and innumerable stars? It is not about us! It is about Him – the God of Glory! In the beginning, God created the heavens with the earth and man in mind. Earth is mentioned 21 times in Genesis 1. The lights of the heavens were for those living on earth (Genesis 1:14-19). God intended that they would look up and see His glory (Psalm 19:1). The Spirit of God caused the Apostle Paul to notice that God has revealed Himself to us. He wrote, “That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath [showed] it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

    No Bible believer should ever use the term “Mother Nature.” I must personally confess that when I hear that term I cringe. I am struck to the heart that the Lord God is being rejected. I am awestruck at the blindness of our world and even many in the professing church. We want God to fix our marriages, families, and broken world. However, we are not concerned about giving Him, and Him alone, the glory that is due to Him.

    Are you guilty of using that term “Mother Earth”? If so, repent of it now! The use of this pagan term is an insult to the God of glory! Those who do believe and speak of the earth as a goddess are guilty of worshipping the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25). The kind of world that does this is described in detail in Romans 1:21-32. We are living at such an hour!

    Is the glory of God the chief aim of your life? Do you live to please Him? Glorify Him? Praise Him? Worship Him? This is the chief aim of man. We were created to have fellowship with God. We were made to know Him and worship Him. If your life’s focus is not upon Him, and Him alone, you are miserable. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). According to the Bible this is “the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

    Only seconds after we have received our new body and mind and are in the presence of our Lord, we will have a clear understanding of all of this. Then we will say, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

    “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

    Be ready for the shout that will take us out! What a day that will be!