In America, most people have adopted a lifestyle that focuses on luxuries and conveniences – they blindly ignore the severity of what is happening in the world around them. To these people, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is only a temporary issue. They think this global pandemic will soon pass off the scene and life will return to normal. While they selfishly focus on themselves, they are totally ignorant of the imminent threat of living in a world that could drastically and permanently change at any moment. They are totally relying upon a lifestyle that is dependent upon the “norm” of daily living that the last few generations have experienced.
These people automatically assume that utility, transportation, and communication systems will be up and running each day. They rely upon the food and supply chains to always provide them with what they need or want at any given moment. They blindly trust whatever the medical and pharmaceutical communities promote as good health. They believe medical science will produce whatever is needed to rescue humanity from tragic and deadly consequences. They believe the reports issued by the media outlets and accept government policies. In essence, their trust is in a system that is deceptive and fragile. Consequently, as man moves further away from God, the system is increasingly becoming more foolish, unreliable, and dangerous. Continue reading “February 2022 – Living in a COVID-Crazy World”
As we begin this New Year, we are witnessing a global uprising by world leaders as they ignore and oppose God’s plans to establish His global Messianic Kingdom on earth. At the end of this age, God has promised to establish a physical kingdom on this earth. It is a prominent part of His plan of the ages. It was a major consideration of the prophets, apostles, and the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry.
In the Scriptures, the Lord has chosen to reveal that His creation will end on this earth with a glorious period in which God’s Messiah, Jesus, will directly rule over the nations for 1,000 years. The amazing details of this earthly kingdom will penetrate every facet of human life. The earth will be a place of peace, justice, harmony, righteousness, and true prosperity. It will be free of death, diseases, and tragedies. It will be characterized by joy and praise. It will be saturated with the presence, blessings, and knowledge of God. Finally, the earth will have a righteous king and perfect laws that will govern every person on the planet. A love and respect for God and His chosen people, Israel, will permeate the global population.
For centuries, many people have spiritualized Scriptures that speak of the Kingdom of God. In essence, they believe they are currently building Christ’s kingdom on earth. For them, the expansion and influence of the church is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises concerning His Kingdom. This vision of God’s kingdom on earth is shallow and void of the real change that is needed to transform a planet in pain and ruin due to sin and rebellion against God. Only a literal interpretation of Scripture will help us discover that God’s kingdom will be an actual physical Jewish kingdom. The Father has declared, “Yet have I set my king [Messiah] upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6). Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, Israel.
Those of us who know the Scriptures believe that nothing will stop the eternal plans of God. What He has decreed will come to pass, just as He has said. He has commanded us to pray for this Kingdom to come. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
However, we also know the Bible tells us that this heavenly promotion of the Kingdom of God at the end of this age will be met with the greatest opposition that Satan can muster. Satan knows that if he fails to stop the beginning of the Kingdom of God it will bring his doom. For the first time in his diabolical career, the arch enemy of God will be bound by God and cast “into the bottomless pit” (Revelation 20:3). For the duration of the kingdom, 1,000 years, he will be confined so that he cannot deceive the nations into following him in his rebellion against God (Revelation 20:1-3). As we watch the unfolding of the prophetic events at the end of this age, we can rest assured that Satan is preparing the wicked rulers of this earth for his final assault upon God’s Kingdom preparations.
At this very moment, the governments of this world are in league with evil angels to bring about a New World Order without God. Their chief aim is to depose God from His throne, replace His commandments, and remove His people from the earth (Psalm 2). At the heart of Satan’s wicked scheme is a political/religious ideology that is forcing its way upon the nations – Islam. In additional, Satan is being aided by a godless political world system – socialism/communism. Satan will use at least one of these godless forms of government to usher in his kingdom of darkness to take over the planet.
The Scriptures clearly state that God’s Kingdom promises are focused upon a particular group of people and a particular place. In Daniel 9, God revealed to His prophet, Daniel, that God’s calendar of events that precede His Kingdom on earth will include the people of Daniel – the Jewish people (Daniel 9:24). Furthermore, Daniel was told the Kingdom will center upon the holy city of Jerusalem and the place of sacrifice – the Temple Mount (Daniel 9:24).
According to the Bible, the Kingdom of God on earth will begin suddenly and it will be preceded by seven years of great tribulation. Before this time of tribulation envelops the earth, a remnant of the Jewish people will return to their promised land – Israel. This reoccupation of the holy land will be a divinely orchestrated process. God has declared, “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).
God’s chosen people – the Jewish people, are currently dispersed across the nations as a part of their global exile, just as the Bible predicted. But God gave the prophets of Israel a divine revelation. They foresaw a time when their people would return to their promised land and be met with regional religion from what we now know as the Middle East (Ezekiel 36:1-7). Today, all the nations surrounding the nation of Israel are dominated by the political/religious ideologies of Islam. Obviously, Islam is the driving force behind the fervent opposition against the Jewish occupation of the Promised Land.
Islam has become a global political force that is imposing its ideology upon a godless world. As the world walks in spiritual darkness, the people are blind to the fact they are being guided down a dangerous and deadly path that has brought them into direct conflict with the God of heaven. In essence, they are in league with Satan.
It is not a coincidence that while the Jews are returning to their land, Islam has a major, growing influence over the global media and governments (Revelation 17:2; 18:3). Due to the unrest in the Middle East and Africa, Muslim refugees are flooding Europe. These refugees refuse to assimilate or adopt the customs of their European benefactor. Rather, they are planning a radical takeover of Europe, making it a part of their vision of a future Islamic global empire. [See article on page 7.]
At the same time, they are planning the demise of the United States. Due to the Biden Administration’s policies, they are using the porous southern border of the United States to flood our nation with thousands of Islamic warriors who are passionately pursuing the destruction of the United States and ending its reign as the world’s greatest free society. Islam has declared jihad (holy war) on America. [See article on page 7.] Islamic terrorists are patiently waiting for the moment when they have their warriors in place to execute their strategic plan to dismantle this great nation and forcefully present it to their god, Allah. To illustrate, we must remember that before the 9-11 attacks against the United States, Islamic terrorists’ cells were in place upon American soil, and they meticulously planned for years before their plan was executed.
It is not a coincidence that the leaders of the world are ramping up their frantic call for an international form of government. Outside the circles of Islam, there is a passionate and persistent movement to force the non-Islamic nations of the world into a socialist/communist type of government. Advocates of this movement want to manipulate and control the global population to conform to their plans to dominate the world. In America, we are witnessing a war as it is being waged against the Biblically based constitution and freedoms we have enjoyed since the founding of this country.
The ideologies of Islam and socialism have much in common. They are both godless forms of government that have a history of brutally murdering innocent people who refuse to submit to their authority. They take property from people and enslave them to their ideological agenda. They hate the freedom of religion and the free press. They use deception, force, and hatred as tools to accomplish their purposes. History demonstrates that poverty and corruption dominate the regions where these ideologies have ruled over the masses. Their rejection of the God of the Bible and their lack respect for the freedom of people who have been created in the image of God have resulted in a failed societal collapse for hundreds of years. Despite these realities, the wicked, self-centered global populations have been prepared to follow the promoters of these creeds to their own destruction and death.
As an example of the international community’s attempt to cancel Messiah’s Kingdom, I will focus upon the latest attempt by the United Nations to proclaim, from their perspective, that there is no Jewish connection to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Let’s look at the facts.
As usual, beginning on the eve of the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev (usually in November and December), Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah, the festival of lights. During this celebration, they light candles for eight consecutive nights to commemorate a miracle that took place at the time of the recovery of the Jewish temple and its re-dedication following the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century B.C. According to John 10:22-23, Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast.
This year, during the time of the Jewish celebration that was connected to the re-dedication of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the United Nations voted on what is called the “Jerusalem resolution.” On December 1, the nations of the world voted overwhelmingly to declare that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem does not hold any significance “for faiths outside of Islam” (World Israel News, December 2, 2021). This vote passed by a 129 to 11 vote, with 31 abstentions. [The U.S. representative did vote against it.] The resolution called for “upholding the unchanged historical status quo at the Haram al-Sharif [the Muslim name for the Temple Mount] and called any actions by Israel to impose its laws on the city of Jerusalem ‘illegal’” (Israel 365 News, December 3, 2021).
As a response to this action, the World Israel News staff commented, “It’s absurd that in the year 2021, out of some 20 UN General Assembly resolutions that criticize countries, 70 percent are focused on one single country – Israel. What drives these lopsided condemnations is a powerful political agenda to demonize the Jewish state” (World Israel News, December 2, 2021). Israel’s ambassador to the UN said, “the resolution is an attempt to erase Jewish history in our eternal capital” (Israel 365 News, December 3, 2021).
This U.N. resolution demonstrates the contempt the world has for the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity. The world openly rejects the plain statements of Scripture concerning Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. They furthermore reject the true historical facts that have produced the current conflict over this holy site.
We are now witnessing the battle call that will lead the world to its final conflict with God. According to the prophetic Scriptures, this is the very heart of the conflict that will engulf the entire world and pave the road for the nations to bring their military might against Israel at the battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period.
The roots of this conflict go much deeper than most people realize. The Bible reveals that this great struggle over the Temple Mount go back to God’s selection of the site as the place of worship and sacrifice for His chosen people. In Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 13-14 the Lord gave this very clear commandment to Moses. “But when ye go over [the] Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow unto the LORD. … Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seeest. But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.”
Many Scriptures make it abundantly clear that the place the Lord chose was Mount Moriah, which is recognized today as “the Temple Mount.” Approximately 600 years before this commandment was given to Moses, God tested the faith of Abraham by instructing him to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him on this mountain (Genesis 22:1-14). After Abraham proved that he was willing to obey this extremely difficult command, the Lord provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice for Isaac. According to Genesis 22:14 this mount became known in Abraham’s day as “the mount of the LORD.” Also, according to this verse, Mount Moriah continued to be the recognized location of this significant event in the days of Moses.
According to 1 Chronicles 21:18-30, about 400 years after the commandment given to Moses, King David purchased Mount Moriah and made it the location for the first Temple, which his son Solomon would build. After Solomon dedicated the completed Temple, the Lord appeared to him and gave the following blessing. “I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put mine name there forever, and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (1 Kings 9:3).
A careful study of Bible history demonstrates that the Temple built by Solomon would stand for almost 400 years until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Then, after a 70-year Babylonian captivity, a Jewish remnant returned to build another Temple on the same location. This rather small Temple was in use until King Herod, about 20 years before the birth of Christ, restructured Mount Moriah and began a massive building project that remained under construction during Jesus’ earthly ministry (John 2:20). This construction continued until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The retaining walls that enclosed the 35-acre plaza created a flat plateau that reshaped the mountain. Except for the Western Wall (also known as “the Wailing Wall”), these retaining walls were leveled by the Romans. However, the present retaining walls, which are only a few hundred years old, were for the most part, built upon the remaining stones of the original wall. Therefore, the Temple Mount is believed to be about the same shape and size it was in the days of Jesus.
Secular historical sources indicate that following the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 A.D., the Romans built a pagan temple to the Greek god, Jupiter, on the same location. After Islamic armies conquered Jerusalem in 638 A.D., they built a mosque on the southern end of the mount (which today is the building with the silver-colored dome called Al-Aksa). In 693 A.D. the Dome of the Rock (the current building with the gold-colored dome) was built. (See photo on page 4.)
According to Islamic tradition, their prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven on a horse and returned to earth. Although the Koran does not mention Jerusalem as the place where Mohammed traveled to heaven on this horse, a later interpretation of this tradition names the rock that is in the Dome of the Rock as the location of this event. Islam also claims that Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, rather than Isaac, upon the rock that is today under the Dome. Therefore, the Temple Mount has become the third most revered site in the Islamic religion.
A study of the history of the land called Palestine before the 20th century, reveals that Jerusalem was never consid-ered important within the practice of the religion of Islam. It was not until the return of Jewish immigrants to the Holy Land in the first part of the 20th century that Jerusalem took on an important role in the Islamic world. It is apparent that this was a response to the perceived threat that the Temple Mount would ultimately be surrendered to the growing Jewish population as the location of a future Jewish Temple. It is no secret that this has been the longing and prayer of the Jewish people for 1,900 years.
After the War of Independence (1948-49), the city of Jerusalem was divided. West Jerusalem was retained by the victorious Jewish nation as its capital. However, the ancient walled city, East Jerusalem (which included the Temple Mount), would remain in the hands of the Jordanians. This arrangement continued until the Six-Day War of June 1967. During those few days, some of the most dramatic moments occurred when Israeli forces captured the Temple Mount and the Old City from the occupying Arab forces.
For the first time in over 2,000 years the Jewish people were in control of the ancient city of David and the Temple Mount, considered to be the most sacred ground to the Jew. Emotions in Israel were at an all-time high because it was perceived by many that the State of Israel was approaching the time when it would build the Temple and usher in the anticipated Messianic age. However, the secular Israeli government believed that any attempt to remove the Islamic places of worship from the Temple Mount would invite a holy war. Therefore, a few weeks after the Six-Day War, the Israeli government declared that the Islamic authorities could continue with their worship on the Temple Mount and that Israel would maintain the security of the area from outside the retaining walls. Israel annexed the Old City, including the Temple Mount, but allowed the Jordanian government to oversee the Islamic authorities on the Temple Mount. This has been the status quo for this delicate and sensitive matter for almost 50 years.
According to the prophetic Scriptures, the Jews will be in control of the Temple Mount in the last days. The most glorious and significant days for Jerusalem and the Mountain of the Lord will take place during the last days. At the beginning of the final seven years at the end of this age, two Jewish witnesses (Moses and Elijah) will appear in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:3-11). These two witnesses will proclaim God’s Word and perform miracles before the nation of Israel. They will be divinely protected so that no man can harm them. Through the impact of their message, 144,000 young Jewish men will be saved, sealed, and trained to go out from Jerusalem with the gospel message to all the nations (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5). Like the Jewish Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago (see Acts 2), God will once again pour out His Spirit upon the Jewish people and the Word of Lord will go forth from Jerusalem (Joel 2:27-32). The temple in Jerusalem will be built and temple worship will be restored during the first half of the Tribulation Period (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15, 26; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11:1-2).During the last half of the Tribulation Period, the Temple Mount will be seized and controlled by the Antichrist. The Apostle John stated that it shall be “given unto the Gentiles [the forces of the Antichrist]” (Revelation 11:2).
Today, several groups in Israel are actively preparing for temple worship. Through DNA analysis, some men have been identified as belonging to the priestly tribe of Levi and are being trained in temple worship. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has constructed more than 90 of 120 items that are necessary for worship in the temple as described in the Bible
During the Millennial Kingdom, the Mountain of the Lord will be the center of the Messiah’s rule over all the nations. It will become the spiritual, political, judicial, educational, and geographical hub of the world (Isaiah 2:1-4; Ezekiel 5:5).All nations will be required to annually go up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-21). Finally, Mount Zion will shine forth with righteousness “and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth”(Isaiah 62:1). For the glory of God, the Lord will establish Jerusalem, making it “a praise in the earth”(Isaiah 62:7). The nations of the world will honor Jerusalem and call it “The City of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel”(Isaiah 60:14).
Presently, the radical Islamic authorities in the world continue to adamantly claim there is no evidence that the Temple Mount was ever occupied by the Jewish people. They ignore the multitude of Scriptures previously mentioned in this article. They also refuse to recognize the overwhelming archaeological evidence that has been uncovered in recent years, proving the historical Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem [which the world calls “East Jerusalem”].
Limited space will only allow us to mention a few of these archaeological discoveries. The area around the Temple Mount has produced overwhelming evidence that it is the actual location of the historical temples that stood in Jerusalem.
In 1969, archaeologists found a stone [see photo on page 5] at the southwest corner of the retaining wall lying in the destruction debris from the temple in 70 A.D. In ancient Hebrew script, it said, “the place of trumpeting.” This stone marked the point at the top of the wall where the priests would blow the shofar to call the worshipers to the Temple Mount for worship.
Further evidence is given to indicate this as the place of the Jewish temple. Dozens of ritual baths, mikveh, have been discovered by the area of the temple near the southern and southwestern wall corner entrance. According to the law and customs of the Jews of Jesus day, they were to immerse themselves in the mikveh before ascending the stairs to the holy temple.
In and around the Temple Mount area and the original City of David to the south, many inscriptions and items with Hebrew writing have been discovered in recent years. A few years ago, archaeologists found an incredible seal belonging to King Hezekiah (see photo below). This seal reads in ancient Hebrew, “”Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah.”
The archaeological digs around the Temple Mount and the original ancient city of David to the south continue to yield incredible discoveries. One of the recent finds marks the ancient path that worshipers traveled from the significant Pool of Siloam, in the lower part of the ancient City of David, up to the Temple area. This path has been restored and is available for tourists to experience in their visit to Jerusalem.
Today, we live at a time when we can see, feel, and touch the evidence that proves the historical accuracy of the Bible. These current events and discoveries are clearly pointing out that we are approaching the final days when all these exciting prophecies will come to pass.
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
Danger at our Southern Border
An article by The Center for Immigration Studies, at www.meforum.org, on December 3, 2021, gave the following report about the developing dangers occurring at our southern border:
“The nation’s main border policing agency put out a November 30 press release pointing out that in just one randomly selected time frame in just one of the Texas border’s overwhelmed sectors (Del Rio), during the third week of November, Border Patrol agents caught migrants from regions of the world bristling with Islamic terrorist organizations. … The agency noted that in just October, Del Rio Sector agents encountered 28,111 unauthorized migrants from more than 50 countries. In the just-ended fiscal year of 2021, the Del Rio Sector encountered migrants from 106 countries.”
It is of utmost importance that many historians are reminding us that the Great Roman Empire collapsed due to some of the same issues currently facing the United States. One of the causes of Rome’s demise was the lack of controlling the illegal entry of people who were enemies sworn to their destruction.
France Bowing to Islam
In America, we do not need to guess about the future of our nation. We need to look at France and the rest of Europe. Unless our immigration and border policies change soon, Islam will exert it influence over America just as it has done in Europe.
In an electrifying and frightening report about France’s ongoing fall to radical Islamic groups, Gatestone Institute highlights these current developments.
“More than 500 districts in France are declared ‘sensitive’. To put it bluntly, we are talking about several million people who are subject to Islamist law”.
“Every two weeks in France, a mosque is created and a church disappears.”
“Two thousand military servicemen signed a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron and the government, warning that France is on the verge of collapse and civil war because the state has ‘surrendered’ to radical Muslims. The letter followed an appeal by 20 retired generals and hundreds of former officers, in which they speak of ‘disintegration and Islamization’ in progress, as well as a document sent to parliament by other generals and officers, proclaiming, ‘We are in a hybrid war, it is multifaceted and will end in a civil war at best and a cruel defeat with no future at worst’.
To read this entire article on the collapse of France see:
(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 beraised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”1 Corinthians 15:51-52
(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 beraised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”1 Corinthians 15:51-52
By Mike Wingfield
Unleashing Evil
“And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity…”Isaiah 13:11
Only time will tell how significantly the humiliating U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will impact America’s standing in the world, and especially in the Middle East. Those who live in the Middle East, both Israelis and Muslims, are saying this will have lasting and dangerous repercussions for our world. U.S. actions in recent months have been viewed by the racial Islamic world as weakness. Islamic terrorists groups are rejoicing over the rapid demise of this once great nation. They are now more emboldened than ever, thinking their worldview is coming to fruition. Thanks to the Biden Administration, it appears we are on the threshold of a new global wave of Islamic terrorism.
Our withdrawal from Afghanistan was a political and military farce. As we left in shame, our enemies such China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey smiled with glee as they supported Afghanistan’s new radical Islamic leadership known as the Taliban. These evil nations will not restrain Islam’s attacks upon the U.S. or Israel. It is apparent that we have some very ominous days ahead for our world.
We are witnessing the earthly manifestation of a cosmic battle in the spiritual world. At the center of the clash between the kingdom of darkness and the plan of God at the end of this age is a sinister figure the Bible calls the Antichrist. What is hindering the Antichrist from coming? This man will be the ultimate culmination of wickedness, and rebellion against the Lord. His power, deception, and lawlessness will surpass all other evil men before him. There have been many antichrists. But the true Antichrist will be Satan’s finest attempt to defeat God and His eternal plan. Why doesn’t Satan produce him now?
The Scriptures declare that Satan and his Antichrist are being restrained by God. The Antichrist will burst onto the world scene at the moment God is ready to unleash evil upon the final rebellious generation. This is all under the plan and control of the sovereign God of the universe.
When the Apostle Paul wrote his second epistle to the church at Thessalonica, he informed them that the Tribulation Period could not begin until there was a time of apostasy in the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The church, God’s spiritual restraining influence in the world, is growing increasingly weak due to its dilution of the doctrines of God’s Word. The church will be removed when the Rapture, the next prophetic event on God’s time clock, occurs. When this happens, the church’s restraining influence on evil in the world will be gone. At that time, the Antichrist will be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).
I believe the Bible gives us enough information to conclude that the Antichrist will be a Muslim. [I will present a detailed analysis of this in the November and December newsletters.] I believe there is a great possibility that he will be the coming Islamic messiah, known as the Mahdi. The Islamic world is eagerly anticipating his arrival and world events are leading them to believe that day is soon. It is troubling to think that our world is rapidly moving toward this horrific event! I believe the events in Afghanistan are preparing for the entrance of the Islamic Antichrist and his jihad efforts to take control of the world.
The events in Afghanistan in the last few months are preparing for the entrance of the Islamic Antichrist and his jihadist efforts to take control of the world.
The stunning revival of Islam since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, along with the blind support of Islam by the liberal West, are paving the way for Antichrist. When the time has come for the Antichrist to step onto the stage of human history, Jesus will invite him to come onto the stage of history (Revelation 6:1).
God is restraining the appearance of the Antichrist until the world reaches a time of total rebellion and wickedness. This rebellion will demand God to respond by unleashing evil upon the final generation of mankind on this earth.
Our world is about to radically change. We are now living during the Church Age in the time when God is exercising His grace. The Apostle Peter, while responding to the timing of Jesus’ return in his 2nd epistle, made it clear that the unfolding of the end-time events is anchored in God’s patience to wait for sinners to come to salvation. He said, “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering [toward us], not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This is in sharp contrast to the future Tribulation Period when “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe [the] lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).
During this present age, the Lord is restraining evil in our world to allow His Holy Spirit to strive in the hearts of sinners to bring them to repentance and salvation. As mentioned in my August newsletter, the Lord is using three restraining influences to hold back the advance of evil in our world. They are:
The conscience of man- Romans 2:15– internal influence
Government of man- Romans 13:4– external influence
The Church (Holy Spirit)- Romans 8– spiritual influence
Therefore, before God can unleash evil and the unveiling of the Antichrist, He must cease the work of His three restraining influences.
God’s internal restraining influence through the conscience of every human being will cease when the collective conscience of a society suppresses “the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Like Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, they will harden their hearts against God’s voice in their conscience. As a result, God will harden their hearts just as He did Pharaoh’s heart in divine judgment. This is illustrated in Romans 1when God declares three times that He gives a wicked culture over to their depraved heart. God stops restraining them from their sin and allows them to self-destruct. At this point they become complete fools and have no moral compass. They call good evil and evil good. In my opinion, America and most of the world have already reached this point.
God also uses human governments to be His servants as they apply the law of God as an external influence to keep evil contained (Romans 13:1-5). God’s intended purpose for human government is to promote good and to punish those who practice evil. These governments are to use God’s law as a discernment of what is good and evil. The Bible tells us that when the end comes, the kings of the earth will agree to rebellion against God and His laws (Psalm 2:1-3).
America entered World War II to defeat evil governments that were attempting to take control of the world. Since that time, God has used America, in spite of all of her inadequacies and problems, to provide an external restraining influence in the world. For 80 years the U.S. has held in check evil Communist nations and violent Islamic forces in the world. During this period of time, we “planted 800 [military] bases worldwide, more than 20 times what the other four superpowers have combined. The number of U.S. troops stationed abroad, 200,000, is equal to the size of the entire standing army of France. Some 150 of the world’s 195 countries host American troops.
“America’s annual military spending, more than $770 billion, is larger than the next five military spenders combined. The 11 aircraft carriers with which Uncle Sam navigates the high seas equal the combined total of all other countries’ carriers” (The International Jerusalem Post, August 27- September 2, 2021, p. 10).
Unlike all other countries in world history, America has not flexed her military muscle to conqueror more territory, or to dominate another country or region. America’s purpose has been to defend those who were being attacked by evil forces. America’s war efforts have been aimed at the defeat of evil, and the promotion of good and freedom. In the war against Communism and radical Islam, we have attempted to foster democratic societies around the globe. This attempt has failed.
Our actions in Afghanistan in the last few months have signaled to the world that America no longer has the will to continue as the world’s premier military police force. In addition, America has become mired in internal problems at home. We are a country that has lost its moral compass. We have become enamored with the gratification of self and immoral pleasures. America has become a country of undisciplined people who have no desire to work or sacrifice for good.
Today, America is fighting from within for its own freedom. We are being deceived into following evil leaders who are plotting our demise. They want evil to reign over the world. They have successfully deceived a new generation of Americans into believing that good is evil and evil is good. They promote freedom as slavery and slavery as freedom. The blind are leading the blind.
Our hasty and humiliating defeat from Afghanistan will go down in history as the final act in the unfolding drama of America’s freedom march across the globe. We have just sent our greatest enemy, radical Islam, a message that we do not have the will to continue the fight against evil. We have failed to understand that radical Islam, with its passionate goal to dominated the world, has never lost the will to fight. “Islamism is the most effective, intense and global threat to peace since World War II, a scourge that compensates for its lack of warships, tanks, and jets with one elusive weapon it owns in abundance: the will to fight.
“Islamism’s war is not on the West; having struck in Russia, China, Indonesia, Turkey, and throughout Africa. Its target is the entire human race. That is why the war on Islamism, unlike the war for democracy, is both winnable and imperative” (The International Jerusalem Post, August 20-26, 2021, p. 9).
Our world is being threatened by two groups that are vying for power to control the world – Communism and Islam. According to biblical prophecy Islam will win this struggle. As the global economy collapses and natural disasters increase, it will devastate the Communist regimes that have heavily invested in the physical building up of armaments. Islam is different. Like the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War, their guerrilla type of warfare does not require sophisticated weaponry.
When the Tribulation begins, the Antichrist will begin his global march “to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword” (Revelation 6:4). The Greek word used for sword is not the long saber used in military conflicts. This sword was a short knife used by assassins. This would indicate that the forces of the Antichrist will not take peace from the earth by conventional warfare, but by acts of terrorism as it is called today. The fact this is a great sword does not speak of the size of the weapon, but rather the size of the conflict. This will be a global jihad, making it a great military advance by the Antichrist.
The world does not realize that the withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan has created a monster that will destroy the world as we know it. Israel 365 News, recently covered the U.S. retreat from Afghanistan by quoting Dr. Mordechai Kedar. Dr. Kedar’s credentials demand that we respect his insight into the mindset of the Arab-Islamic world in the Middle East. He “has a deep understanding of the Arab mindset. A senior lecturer on Arabic culture at Bar-Ilan University, he served for 25 years in the Israeli Defense Force Military Intelligence, where he specialized in Islamic groups, the political discourse of Arab countries, the Arab press and mass media, and the Syrian domestic arena. Fluent in Arabic, he is one of the very few Israelis appearing on Arab television, frequently debating Arab thought leaders and imams in their native tongue” (Israel 365 News, August 31,2021).
Quoting Dr. Kedar, Israel 365 News reported, “August 15, 2021, the day in which Taliban resumed their rule over Afghanistan after 20 years of Western occupation, will forever be viewed and remembered in the Islamic world as the victory of Islam over Christianity, the victory of faith over heresy, and the victory of tradition over permissiveness. These events are pumping new blood into jihad arteries and the results will soon be seen around the world, including in Israel.
“All of Islam views the U.S. as the representative of Christianity today. Therefore, a victory by an Islamic entity over the U.S. is not just a victory of one nation over another. This is precisely what the Koran describes as Jihad. The Koran states that Islam must have dominance over all other religions. Muslims must always be involved in this.
“The entire Muslim world perceives Afghanistan as a Muslim victory over Christianity, not just a Taliban victory or the U.S. capitulating. The average American does not see that religion has anything to do with politics. But this is absolutely not the case in the Muslim world. America saw the war in Afghanistan as a war on terrorism. The Taliban and other Muslims saw it as a religious war. Here in the Middle East, everything is religion” (Israel 365 News, August 31, 2021).
From a biblical viewpoint, we must view this war in Afghanistan as a part of a war between Islam and Christianity that has been going on for 14 centuries. In the name of Allah, Muslim jihadists have slaughtered millions of innocent people. As Dr. Kedar has observed, from a Muslim viewpoint, this is the beginning of the final struggle for Islam to take control of the world. From their perspective, they have just won the first war. The final war of good and evil is about to begin. The humiliating withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan is opening the gates of hell for an invasion of demon-possessed warriors who are dedicated to killing infidels around the world in the name of Allah.
With the cessation of the first two of God’s restraining influences in the world, the conscience and human government, there is only one more restraining influence that needs to be removed – the Spirit’s indwelling presence in the church. When the Apostle Paul spoke of the withdrawal of God’s last restraining influence in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, he used the personal pronoun “He” to describe the Holy Spirit’s work in the church.
God has designed the body of Christ to be His final restraining influence in the world. We are to be His light in a world of darkness. We are to be holy and to proclaim the Holy Word of God. Obviously, the church in the West has reached a point of apostasy and apathy, just as the Scriptures indicated would take place. This is why Western societies are collapsing and Islam is filling the vacuum with deadly spiritual darkness.
This is what happened in the 6th century in the area now called Turkey. As the church in that region began to die, spiritual darkness replaced the light of the church that was established by the apostles. This opened the door for that area to become an Islamic stronghold. Eventually, that area became the center of the Turkish Islamic Empire that ruled the Middle East and world until its defeat in World War I.
Just as the church began with an event on one day, Pentecost in Acts 2, even so it will end with an event on one day – the Rapture. With the cessation of two of God’s restraining influences, the conscience and human government, only the removal of the church remains. And, that is about to take place!
Everything is ready for Jesus to come. Jesus said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). The world is now prepared from the coming of the Antichrist. The Islamic jihad against the world is about to ensue.
How much of this Islamic jihad the Lord will allow us to endure is under His sovereign control? We must remind ourselves that during the Tribulation, believers in Jesus from every nation of earth will be butchered by the Antichrist and His religion (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 7:9-17; 17:6; 20:4).
My friend, do you know the Lord? Have you received Jesus and repented of your sins for salvation? The door of salvation is still open. Jesus declared that He is the only door of salvation (John 10:9; 14:6). There is only one God, one Savior, one Bible, and one way to heaven. If you do not receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will miss the Rapture and be left behind to suffer the horrors of the most difficult time people have ever faced on earth. If you die without Him, you will suffer in hell and the Lake of Fire for all of eternity!
In the final book of the Bible, Jesus gave this final invitation, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and fellowship with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus is called “the Lamb” 26 times in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 6:1). As God’s lamb, He was sacrificed for your sins on the cross of Calvary. Now, it is up to you to accept or reject His sacrifice. The choice is yours! Repent and be saved before it is too late.
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
China and Global Killing Viruses
China has been the place of origin for many global killing viruses in the last 64 years. See the list in the text box below.
Global Killing Viruses from China
Asian Flu- 1957
Hong Kong Flu- 1968
SARS- 2002
Bird Flu- 2008
Avian Flu- 2015
COVID-19- 2019
Some believe this historical fact is related to China being the most populated nation in the world. Others note that these viruses began in China because of the lack of sanitation, poor eating habits, the combined living habitats for animals and humans, and the lack of safe drinking water.
However, all of this analysis falls short of pointing the finger at the evil government that rules over the people of China. The Communist regime that rules in China is godless, ruthless, merciless, and does not care for its people. Like Islam, it exhibits little respect for human life. It is possessed with a evil power to rule the world at the expense of its own population. Anything or anyone who challenges the oppressive leadership in China is quickly silenced or killed.
Many unanswered questions about COVID-19 still remain. Did it begin as an accidental leak in the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan China? Or, was it purposely created in China as a biological pathogen aimed at killing people around the world? Evidence at this point in time seems to be inconclusive to answer these questions.
However, one thing is clear. China has lied to the world about COVID-19. When this virus began in China near the end of 2019, the Chinese officials stated it could not be transmitted from one human to another. Evidence has been presented that they did know it was deadly to humans. However, they did not warn the world or stop their citizens from traveling to other countries. To this present day, China’s leadership refuses to cooperate with the world into the investigation of the origin and transmission of this virus around the world. It refuses to share with the world the facts they discovered about COVID from the very beginning of it appearance in China.
There is no justification for China’s failure to work with the international community on the containment of this virus that continues to impact the lives of billions of people on the planet. The malicious nature of Communist China and its track record in the last two years raise great suspicions concerning China’s possible evil intent in all of this. It also makes us wonder what China has planned for the next Chinese virus.
Gordon Chang, a distinguished senior fellow with Gatestone Institute, recently released a very insightful article. He states that “China’s military is working on the next generation of pathogens. Its National Defense University, in the 2017 edition of the authoritative Science of Military Strategy, mentioned a new kind of biological warfare of ‘specific ethnic genetic attacks.’
“China’s military researchers and analysts for half a decade have been writing about pathogens of this sort, and American officials are in fact concerned that Chinese scientists have been experimenting with, in the words of Bill Gertz of the Washington Times, ‘germ weapons capable of attacking ethnic groups.’ Beijing’s determined campaign to collect genetic profiles of foreigners while preventing the transfer to recipients outside China of the profiles of Chinese is another indication that the Chinese military, in violation of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention, is building ethnic-specific bioweapons.” Chang goes on to say, “If Chinese scientists succeed in designing pathogens targeting only foreigners, the next microbe, virus, or germ from China could end non-Chinese societies. This will be Communist China’s civilization-killer” (Gatestone Institute, “Biden Letting China Get Away with Crime of the Century,” August 31, 2021).
The disengagement of the Biden Administration with regard to foreign affairs is making our world a very dangerous place. President Joe Biden does not seem to show any interest in holding China accountable for their deception and reckless handing of the COVID-19 global tragedy. Without the U.S. as the global watchdog, evil governments around the world are plotting the demise of the free world.
The Bible has much to say about global pandemics in the last days. Jesus listed “pestilences” [diseases] as one of the signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11). Near the beginning of the Tribulation, one-fourth of the world’s population will die as a result of war, famine, and pandemics (Revelation 6:8). China’s threat of bio-weapons to create a global pandemic that would become a civilization killer could be one of the causes of this horrific global death toll. We are living in days in which prophecies like these are increasingly become more probable.
Iranians Close to Golan Heights in Israel
Many intelligence and military voices are raising concerns over Iran’s increasing presence not too far from the border with Israel on the Golan Heights. Israeli commentator Ehud Yaari, recently stated, Iran has inserted itself “into the Syrian army’s nervous system – its chain of command – and into the everyday lives of the local population” (World Israel News, August 31, 2021). Iran is doing this in a very discreet way because it knows that any attempt by Iran to build an immediate major military base in Syria will be destroyed by Israel’s military.
This is an exact copy of the tactics deployed by Iran in Lebanon decades ago. Iran’s proxy terrorist group, Hezbollah, slowly migrated into Lebanon, infiltrating its fighters within the villages along Israel’s southern border.
All of this is of great interest to those of us who study the prophetic Word. We know that the Battle of Gog and Magog, mentioned in Ezekiel 38, is rapidly approaching. Ezekiel lists Russia, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, and other radical Islamic warriors that will ban together in an attempted invasion mentioned in Ezekiel 38.
As with all other reports mentioned in this newsletter, we are watching the events unfold at this hour. Get ready for the shout that will take us out!
They furthermore reject the true historical facts that have produced the current conflict over this holy site. 
built a pagan temple to the Greek god, Jupiter, on the same location. After Islamic armies conquered Jerusalem in 638 A.D., they built a mosque on the southern end of the mount (which today is the building with the silver-colored dome called Al-Aksa). In 693 A.D. the Dome of the Rock (the current building with the gold-colored dome) was built. (See photo on page 4.) 
