Category: Politics

May contain information regarding world politics as it affects God’s people around the globe.

July 2023 – AI- The Final Rebellion
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
AI- The Final Rebellion
Part one- Understanding Artificial Intelligence in light of the Bible
By Mike Wingfield
Artificial intelligence, more commonly known as AI, is capturing the world’s attention as technological advances continue at a breathtaking pace. I am convinced that AI, when examined from a global context in relation to Bible prophecy, is proof that we are living in the last days.
Our world is in its final stage of its evil revolt against God, and Satan is using A1 to capture the minds of the world’s most powerful and influential leaders. It is my opinion that Satan is using some of the world’s most brilliant minds in his final rebellion against the Lord. Like toy soldiers marching to the beat of Satan’s drum, these influential men are leading the world in this revolution. At the heart of this insurrection is the creation and application of AI.
During the first century, the Holy Spirit showed the Apostle Paul the nature of a culture that had reached the final stage of spiritual rebellion — a point of no return. This great man of God wrote about this in Romans 1. When the end comes, God will pour out His wrath against this society because it has suppressed His Word and rejected His “eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20). This final generation will reject the truth that man has been uniquely made in the image of God. With a seared conscience, and the absence of any common sense, Paul describes these arrogant, pride-filled people as those who, “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man…” (Romans 1:22-23). This is evidenced by the fact that these people are given over to depraved sexual immorality that only exists in the jungles of darkness with wild beasts (Romans 1:24-27). They are given over to unnatural sinful sexual pleasures that demand the judgment of a holy God! Look around you! It is very apparent that we have reached this point in time.
According to the Bible, at the end of this age, Satan will direct his final assault against God before he is once and for all cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). His efforts against God will be driven by his great wrath (Revelation 12:12) directed toward God and all those who serve God, especially the chosen people of Israel (Revelation 12:1-5, 14-17). Furthermore, Satan knows the Bible. He fully understands what God has planned for him according to the revealed eternal plan of God. Satan knows his time is “short” (Revelation 12:12).
Satan’s demons will assist him in this final rebellion against Almighty God. According to Revelation 9, demons will be released from hell to physically attack the wicked during the Tribulation Period. Notice Revelation 9:11, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” These names of Satan mean “destroyer.”
From the beginning, after his insurrection in heaven (taking one-third of the angels with him), Lucifer came to earth and attempted to recruit man to join him in his rebellion against God. Satan delights in taking control of every aspect of people’s lives, their marriages, their culture, and their governments. It is his aim to use man in his attempt to defeat God and to establish his kingdom of darkness upon this earth. In the past, the Scriptures highlight how the devil directed his efforts to a historical climax at the time of Noah and the global flood in Genesis 6, and at the time of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11.
In Satan’s first attempt to unite the world in rebellion against God in the days of Noah, he thought he could change the course of humanity by altering the very essence of man. Man was created in the image of God. During the days of Noah Satan attempted to alter the nature of humanity by flooding the global population with demon-possessed people.
In his first attempt in the days of Noah, Satan thought he could change the course of humanity by altering the very essence of man. Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). During the days of Noah (Genesis 6:1-3) Satan attempted to alter the nature of humanity by flooding the global population with demon-possessed people. The emphasis of Genesis 6 focuses upon a global population that was being threatened with the birth of millions of demon-possessed babies. I believe this is the best theological understanding of the reference of the “nephilim” [the Hebrew word translated as “giants”]. These great fallen ones are described as being those who were born in the time before the flood in Genesis 6:4. The results of demonic possession in this text do not focus upon the physical stature of the people, but upon their spiritual wickedness. The core problem, as reported in Genesis 6, was a culture with people who had no conscience (verse 3), were lawless and evil (verse 5), morally corrupt (verses 11, 12), and “filled with violence” (verse 11, 13). This is a clear reference to the oppression and possession of demons in the days of Noah.
These same characteristics are seen today in our world. I believe that a growing segment of our global population is demonically oppressed. This means they are being mentally influenced by demons (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Timothy 4:1). Many other people are possessed by demons. This happens when demons take up residence in a person’s body to control their body, mind, and emotions, making that person their slave.
The destroyer is at work, wrecking what is good and that glorifies God. However, Satan seems to be taking everything to another hellish level with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence. It is my conviction that Satan will double his efforts by using demonically controlled people who will be aided by AI robots during the Tribulation Period. These robots are being called “bots,” or “humanoids.”
It is my understanding that demons are always looking for a person who has seared his conscience (1 Timothy 4:1-3). This simply means that this person has no moral inhibitions and is furthermore filled with a blind knowledge of a world that has exchanged the truth of God for lies and deceptive insights (Romans 1:21-25). The person who has no conscience becomes the perfect tool for demons who want to enslave people, recruiting them for Satan’s ultimate rebellion against God. In essence, AI-controlled robots are made to look, speak, think, and act like human beings. However, they have no human body, mind, or conscience. These humanoids will become another satanic instrument to capture the minds and attention of the world at the end of this age.
With this understanding, let us begin to examine Artificial Intelligence is and how it is preparing our world for the final rebellion against God.
1. What is AI?
Ziv Katzir, the head of the National Program for AI Infrastructure at the Israel Innovation Authority says, “By function definition, AI is anything that a computer or other machine does that mimics/resembles/replaces a human being” (The Jerusalem Post, January 15, 2023). The central focus of AI today is the creation of computer enhanced robots that will perform tasks that are usually associated with mimicking human beings. These robots are designed and manufactured to think for themselves, research, collect data, and to speak, act, and look like intelligent human beings.
It is not an accident that Satan has captured the minds of some of the most intelligent people on the planet to produce and promote AI. Satan’s purpose behind AI is a chapter out of his own playbook in his mutiny against God thousands of years ago. It was his pride that caused him to think that he could successfully seize God’s sovereignty. Most theologians have correctly observed that the Bible indicates Satan was created as a good angel in the beginning. Lucifer was probably one of the greatest of all the angels. He was divinely equipped with great intelligence, beauty, and abilities, and given great power (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:13-17). However, his attempt to defeat God failed. God cannot be overthrown because only Almighty God is infinite and invincible in all His ways and attributes. All of creation, including the angelic world, is finite and dependent upon God for its existence.
A godly man will always realize that knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are found in knowing God and being humble before Him (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; 1 Peter 5:5-7). God’s wisdom is infinite, far beyond the comprehension of finite angels or men (Romans 11:33-34).
Those who have great intellectual abilities tend to view themselves as being superior to others. In some cases, they even reject God because they do not understand that biblical faith isn’t based upon the depraved, flawed, and finite intellectual abilities which formulate their reasoning (1 Corinthians 1:21-2:14).
Arrogant sinners fly into the face of God, thinking they can outwit Him. They do not even think about God or God’s ways or wisdom (Psalm 10:4). It is impossible for unsaved man, no matter how brilliantly intellectual he may be by the world’s standards, to understand the things of God. The Bible says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Only a man who has the Holy Spirit living in him can begin to grasp the knowledge of God. The saved man is directed by the Spirit in the Word of God to see things that are invisible, eternal, and heavenly (2 Corinthians 4:18-5:1). The child of God walks by faith, not by human reasoning alone (2 Corinthians 5:7).
We live in a world that worships at the feet of scientists and other intellectuals. Our world is filled with men who have degrees from institutes of higher learning but have no common sense and are moral pagans. These people live in utter foolishness because they refuse to believe in God and the spirit world. Therefore, the world is prepared for the great deception of the end-times, and AI will take them to the highest levels of their arrogant rebellion against God.
2. The Development and Prevalence of AI
AI is no longer a future dream, but a present reality in many nations. The following nations are leading the world with the research and application of AI systems: China, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Russia, France, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel. Israel is known around the world as the high-tech innovation nation. It is leading the world in AI research and its application.
3. The Current Applications of AI
Like the previous industrial revolution, AI will radically alter the way we do business in the world. It will have many applications, both good and evil. It will aid man in enhancing security and banking industries. It will alter the way we educate the next generation. It will help us to robotically manufacture everything. Robots will steer vehicles and fly aircraft. All military applications will be controlled by AI. It will simplify research. AI will perform medical surgeries with greater precision and more efficiency. AI will continue to enable the entertainment industry to reach new levels of deception that will simulate reality. AI will set the stage for the great deception of the last days!
A I will be promoted as something good for everyone. AI robots will become available to live in our homes to function as our personal servants to accomplish all the chores of life- cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes. On the evil side, promoters of AI say they will offer AI girl friends that will come to live in people’s homes to do whatever their owners wish.
Elon Musk, a rich visionary businessman who leads multiple companies in fields of space, electric vehicles, and brain-computer interfaces, has a company that has created brain implants called Neuralink. “Neuralink implants connect human brains with computer interfaces via artificial intelligence. The approaching technology would see groups of minuscule, flexible electrode ‘threads’ implanted into the human brain by a neurosurgical robot. These threads detect and record the electrical signals in the brain and transmit this information outside the body”- (www.dezeen.com). The designers of this technology hope these implants will enable them to repair the brain to restore vision to the blind, speech to the dumb, and mobility to the physically impaired. Only a few weeks ago, the FDA gave approval to apply this technology to humans.
It is very significant to note that Israel is a world leader in AI. The tiny Jewish nation is leading the world in security, medical, and military AI applications. Israel has already designed and manufactured miniature robotic tanks [see picture on this page] and antiballistic devices. They are currently leading the world in the creation of a robotic army.
4. The Potential Dangers of AI
Some people are sounding warnings of the potential dangers of AI. A few of the evil and godless minds behind the AI project are attempting to develop a new creation with super intelligent, nonhuman minds that will remove God from their culture. In essence, it is their goal to make man, and the machines man manufacture, gods.
Joel Rosenberg, a born-again Jew living in Israel who is a world leader in biblical writing and thought, warns, “Rooted in the evolutionary, materialist worldview which dominates the scientific and academic worlds, the transhumanist religions have come to permeated much of the Silicon Valley, as well as international institutions like the World Economic Forum and the United Nations” (Joel Rosenberg, allisrael.com, May 3, 2023).
Another danger of AI is the creation of AI robots that will replace millions of jobs around the world. It is believed these automated computer-controlled robots will work tirelessly around the clock, without flawed workmanship. After their initial purchase, they will require no salary or benefits. Their products will be better and cheaper. Some are suggesting that perhaps as many as 40 percent of the employed people around the world will be eventually replaced by AI robots. They are being told that the profits from robotic manufacturing will be channeled by the governments of the world to generate a universal basic income for those who become unemployed. This is the empty proposal of those who are planning a socialist type of international government. Government payments to the unemployed during COVID-19 has helped to set this trap for the mindless millions that are being duped by socialism’s lies.
Some people who formerly promoted AI are now sounding the warning that we may be creating AI robots that will think for themselves and eventually go beyond the control of their creators. These robots may reprogram themselves so that no human can control them. They fear these robots may seek to destroy humanity. However, according to the Bible, we know this will never materialize. We know the end of God’s story in the Bible. God, not man or robots created by man, is in complete control of the destiny of God’s creation (Daniel 4:34-35)!
AI is playing God! They want to re-define truth and reality. They want to change humanity. They want to reverse the consequences of sin and death. They want to reorder morality, mortality, and the divine honor of work. They want to set man free from the reality of God’s creation and divine purposes for his glory.
These warnings should not be ignored. AI poses a great threat to humanity. Elon Musk has warned that artificial intelligence could be more dangerous than nuclear weapons.
5. AI is Man’s Ultimate Rebellion
It is my conviction that at some point, the church will wake up to discover that AI is man’s ultimate rebellion against God. As Bible believers, we must recognize that the promoters of AI are seeking to destroy the God-given distinctions between man, animals, and machines. It is utterly foolish on their part to think they can tinker with machines and computers to create a new kind of being that will enhance and save humanity from aging and mortality. They tragically deny the saving power of God and have put their hope in their own foolish technological salvation.
AI is rooted and grounded in a godless worldview. The creators of AI do not believe in God. They see the earth and matter as being eternal – a god. From their perspective, everything is based on evolution. They view man as only a materialist creature that has evolved from lower life forms. They believe that the evolutionary process of man will ultimately reach its goal of perfection in AI. They believe they can replace man with humanoids that will be perfect and eternal.
To accomplish this, they want to create a digital twin for many people. These digital twins will be made to look and move like their real human twin. Their voices will be duplicated. They will interface the digital mind of these persons so that their robotic twin will have the memory and personality traits of that person. All of this will be accomplished by scanning a person’s brain and uploading it into the computer brain of their digital twin.
Some AI promoters say this is already possible. They state, “Imagine that a person’s brain could be scanned in great detail and recreated in a computer simulation. The person’s mind and memories, emotions and personality would be duplicated. In effect, a new and equally valid version of that person would now exist, in a potentially immortal, digital form. This futuristic possibility is called mind uploading. The science of the brain and of consciousness increasingly suggests that mind uploading is possible – there are no laws of physics to prevent it” (www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/oct/20/mind-up loading-brain-live-for-ever-internet-virtual-reality).
All of this is dangerous, and demonic. AI is playing God! They want to re-define truth and reality. They want to change humanity. They want to reverse the consequences of sin and death. They want to reorder morality, mortality, and the divine honor of work. They want to set man free from the reality of God’s creation and divine purposes for his glory. They want to remove the curse of God upon man’s sin – death and hard work!
Satan’s temptation of Eve deceptively lured her into the trap of thinking she could become a god, and reorder what was good and evil as it suited her wishes (Genesis 3:4-6). The ultimate tragic results of man’s sin in the Garden of Eden led to a full-blown rebellion against God in the days of Noah. Man’s rebellion was aimed at changing the very created nature of man. When Noah’s world got out of control with the birth of demonic-filled offspring, God decided to step into His creation to rescue it from self-destruction.
We are now reaching a similar point. We are entering a very dangerous period of humanity that is demonic in its goals.
Satan is behind all of this. He is now creating a culture and society that will welcome his dark kingdom of death, decadence, and deception.
An examination of the prophetic Scriptures indicate that the high-tech inventions of AI will be a part of the kingdom that promotes the Antichrist as God. This will be the topic of Part II of this subject that will be covered in our August newsletter.
The Current Prophetic Global Context
O ur world is racing toward the final days of the Great Tribulation. The following developments illustrate how close we are getting to the beginning of the time of great sorrows and death – the Tribulation.
The Growing Threat of the Destruction of the U.S. – The United States is not mentioned in the prophetic portions of the Bible that speak about the last days. There is growing hatred toward America and this nation’s days as a world leader are ending. “Today, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran continue to invest in technologies to expand their capabilities to hit the United States with nuclear weapons. All four countries have also escalated their threatening rhetoric, indicating their willingness to use nuclear weapons in a military conflict. By expanding their nuclear programs, each has made clear that our nuclear arsenal is no longer a deterrent to their potential use of nuclear weapons” (Rep. Mike Turner, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Fox News, May 4, 2023).
Growing War Over Jerusalem’s Temple Mount -Israel’s biblically conservative government is determined to allow Jews to pray on the Temple Mount, where the two Jewish temples mentioned in the Bible were located. Israeli lawmaker, Amit Halevi’s political party (the political party of Prime Minister Netanyahu) has proposed a plan to divide the Temple Mount. He wants to make the northern end of the mount a place where Jews can pray, while the southern end of the area (where Muslims pray at El Aqsa Mosque) would be dedicated to Muslim prayer. Palestinian groups and other Muslims in the Middle East consider this to be a declaration of war.
According to the Bible, Jerusalem will be a flash point for war until the very end of the Tribulation Period. God has warned that Jerusalem and its Temple Mount will become a “cup of trembling” and “a burdensome stone” to all nations during the end-times (Zechariah 12:2-3).
The Sons of Israel are Coming Home– In recent months Israel has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Jews returning to Israel to make it their permanent home. It is the highest surge in 30 years! This is the work of God (Ezekiel 36:24).
Millions of Fish are dying and littering the beaches around the world – In recent years, millions of fish have died and have washed up on shore all over the world because of the warming temperatures of the oceans that are causing algae to give off toxic poison. This is being called “red tide.” This is only the beginning of this tragedy. According to the book of Revelation, during the Tribulation, the ocean will turn to a red blood-like color and eventually kill all marine life in the oceans around the world (Revelation 8:8-9; 16:3).
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
June 20, 2023
April 2023 – Iran’s Armageddon Dream
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
Iran’s Armageddon Dream
“And upon Elam [the ancient name for Iran] will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds: and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of [Iran] shall not come.” Jeremiah 49:36
By Mike Wingfield
For more than 30 years, Israeli leaders, and especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have warned the world about Iran’s desire to develop a nuclear bomb. Not surprisingly, these warnings have fallen on deaf ears. The world has drifted deeper into the abyss of spiritual darkness and rebellion against God. This deadly spiritual darkness numbs the conscience of man to the point that he does not recognize or respect life-threatening dangers.
As a result of the world’s blindness, it will soon face the reality of a new form of nuclear madness. Recently, world leaders have learned that Iran is on the verge of having enough nuclear enrichment to acquire a nuclear weapon. That means that the world’s leading terrorist state will soon have a weapon of mass destruction at its disposal. In my opinion, this development signals that our world will soon be catapulted into the deadly days of the Tribulation. As Jesus described it, this will be a time of “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6).
At the end of World War II in 1945, the United States became the first nation to develop and use an atomic weapon. The use of this deadly force against Japan stunned the entire world. People were horrified by the sheer magnitude of these weapons that leveled two large Japanese cities and killed more than 200,000 people. Many of the victims were instantly vaporized by the enormous thermal blasts! Thankfully, such weapons have not been used in warfare since 1945. However, thermonuclear weapons have since been developed. These weapons are hundreds or even thousands of times for powerful than atomic weapons.
For almost 78 years, the world has lived under the fear of a maniacal tyrant or an evil regime using a nuclear weapon to kill millions of innocent people. Today, there are approximately 13,080 nuclear devices in the arsenals of nine countries (the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea). Some of these nuclear bombs are 3,000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs used in 1945!
It is believed that the fear of retaliation has served as a deterrent to using weapons of mass destruction since the end of World War II. In other words, a nation with nuclear capability has not used such weaponry because it fears massive retaliation from the nation it strikes. A nuclear strike would bring unspeakable death and devastation to a nation. Furthermore, the territory impacted by the radioactive fallout of the nuclear implosion would be uninhabitable for decades.
Nonetheless, some world leaders realize that the fear of reprisal does not penetrate the radical mindset of the ruling mullahs in Iran. The radical Islamic doctrine embraced by these mullah makes them willing to die for their faith. Therefore, their devotion to annihilating their perceived enemies of Allah would motivate them to use a nuclear bomb without hesitation. This radical Islamic leadership views Israel and the United States as the avowed enemies of Allah.
Clearly, Israel is in the crosshairs of Iran. Iran has made it very clear to the world that it is consumed with hatred for the modern state of Israel. Iran’s statements and actions over the past 40 years have demonstrated they are committed to the annihilation of the Jewish state. This has been their declared goal since the Islamic Iranian revolu-tion began in 1979. Following centuries of Islamic anti-semitic doctrines, the founder of the Iranian revolution, the Ayatollah Khomeini, fanned the fires of hatred against Israel and sparked the Islamic revival that we are seeing in the last days. Since 1979, the followers of radical Islam in Iran have been openly calling for the death of Israel and America.
In January 2001, the current Supreme Leader of Iran, Khomenei, declared, “It is the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to erase Israel from the map of the region.” One month later, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president of Iran, said, “If one day, a very important day, of course, the Islamic World will also be equipped with the weapons available to Israel now, the imperialist strategy will reach an impasse, because the employment of even one atomic bomb inside Israel will wipe it off the face of the earth.” In 2005, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated, Israel “must be wiped off the map.” In recent months, General Hossein Salami, the Commander- in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces, bragged, “Our strategy is to erase Israel from the political map.” Furthermore, Khomenei, published a 416-page book, in which he outlined how Iran will destroy Israel.
Iran is well known as the leading sponsor of global terrorism. Looking at the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East (see the map above), it is clear that Iran is spreading its hatred of Israel. Iran is inching closer to the implementing a dream it has pursued for more than 40 years! Recently, Iran displayed a ballistic missile that was painted with a message on its side, “Death to Israel.”
Iran’s thoughts and actions are being fueled by its commitment to their Shiite Islamic doctrines. The Iranian leaders believe their coming messiah, the “Hidden Imam,” or the “Mahdi,” will not come until they institute global chaos. They believe that Iran must first bring about global destruction that will remove Jews, Christians, and non-Muslims from power. After this global destruction, they believe their Messiah will suddenly appear on a white horse. Their commitment to make this happen dominates their political and military strategies. They are willing to commit national suicide to make it happen. The fact that thousands of suicide bombers have attacked Israel and points around the world demonstrates they must be taken seriously. The 9-11 attacks against the United States in 2001 illustrate their mindset.
It is apparent that the nations of the world, including the Biden administration in Washington, do not take these Iranian threats seriously. In 2007, Senator Joe Biden exclaimed, “My concern is not that a nuclear Iran someday would be moved by messianic fervor to use a nuclear weapon as an Armageddon device and commit national suicide in order to hasten the return of the Hidden Imam.”
We must remember that here in the West, the secular leaders do not consider religion to be an important part of society. This is especially true when it comes to political or military matters. However, this is not the case in the Middle East. The Israelis live in this region. They know and understand the mindset of the Muslims.
In an exclusive interview of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with American Israeli communications strategist Joel Rosenberg in 2007, Netanyahu made the following remarks, “I think the West fundamentally misunderstood, and still misunderstands, the threat of Radical Islam. It is a fanatical messianic ideology that seeks to have an apocalyptic battle for world supremacy with the West. It seeks to correct what it sees its disciples see as an accident of history where the West has risen, and Islam has declined. And the correction is supposed to be done by the resurrection of an Islamic empire and the acquisition of nuclear weapons and the use of nuclear weapons, if necessary, to obliterate Islam’s enemies and to subjugate the rest. This is a pathological ideology, much like Nazism was, and it poses a threat, in my judgment, in many ways bigger than Nazism. Because Hitler embarked on a world conflict and then sought to achieve nuclear weapons, whereas the leading radical Islamic regime in Iran, is seeking to first acquire nuclear weapons and then embark on a world conflict. And that is what is not yet understood in the West. And certainly, if it’s understood, it’s not acted upon.”
“You’ve already seen what the Sunni stream does, which is to smash into buildings in Manhattan with collective suicide, to smash into the Pentagon with collective suicide,” Netanyahu added. “And there’s no reason to believe that the militant Shiites, once they have atomic weapons, will not be suicidal. They say openly that they intend to remove Israel. Their first position – we’re the Little Satan. But remember that their goal is to get the United States, the Big Satan. We’re just a station, one station, on the way to world conquest. And to have such a regime that believes in an apocalyptic Armageddon with the West in which millions will die on both sides – but the Muslim millions go to a Muslim heaven with all the trappings – to have that crazy ideology in charge of a country that is developing atomic weapons is unbelievably dangerous and it should stop. Everything else is secondary to this” (Interview by Joel Rosenberg, 2007).
I am personally convinced the global hatred for Israel and the Jewish people is once against reaching a dangerous level. This hatred is so great that the world is secretly hop-ing that Iran will use a nuclear bomb against Israel and wipe it off the face of the earth. The United Nations is overwhelmingly controlled by Muslims, Communists, and Socialists. Outside of Israel, there is no leader that is condemning Iran for its repeated calls for the annihilation of Israel. Even here in America, anti-Israel sentiment is spreading like cancer. The administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden have in essence supported Iran’s march toward nuclear supremacy. In recent years, only President Donald Trump has understood the danger of the Iranian mindset.
Thanks to the current godless and evil leadership of the West, we are now only days away from a nuclear Iran. We cannot begin to imagine how this will change our world! The Middle East is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
The Israelis have clearly stated they will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. They know the evil Iranian leadership is deadly serious about using nuclear weaponry against their homeland. Israel is only 45 miles wide and about 230 miles long. A relatively small nuclear weapon would effectively destroy the nation and make the land uninhabitable for many decades. Based upon the promises and plans of God, we can rest assured this will never happen! God’s sovereign eternal plans can not be altered by Satan, his demons, and all the evil leaders and armies of the nations!
In recent months the political and military leadership in Israel have readied themselves for the day when they will need to use military force to thwart Iran’s nuclear advances. During a public security conference in Tel Aviv, on February 22, 2023, Netanyahu said, “I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. That is not merely an Israeli interest; it’s an American interest; it’s in the interest of the entire world.” It is not a matter of “if” Israel will do this. It is only a matter of “when!” We have now arrived at a very critical time for the Middle East and our world.
From a biblical viewpoint, Iran’s desire to deceive the nations and destroy Israel is an Armageddon dream. According to Revelation 16:13-16, the Battle of Armageddon will be a demonically induced war of deception against Israel by the Antichrist and the nations. The Shiite Muslims believe the coming of their Mahdi is imminent. Could it be that the Muslim messiah will be the one the Bible calls the Antichrist? In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, the Apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica that the Antichrist will be “the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
The faithful followers of Islam’s prophet, Muhammed, believe their coming messiah must be one of the great imams who descended from Muhammed. According to their teaching, the last of these imams (the 12^th one) disappeared in the 9^th century. They believe that he will suddenly reappear to rule over the global Islamic empire at the end of this age. Could it be that the “lying wonders” of the end would be a deceptive resurrection of this imam, the Madi? We cannot be dogmatic about this. We can only wonder! Given the current developments, it would seem this is a possible scenario. If not, it certainly demonstrates that we are living in times when the stage for the fulfillment of biblical prophecies is being set.
The Bible repeatedly declares that at the end of this age the world will be fixated upon the removal of a Jewish presence and control over the city of Jerusalem. A study of the conflict in the Middle East demonstrates that this is at the core of the Islamic hatred of Israel and their plot to destroy the Jewish nation. Discussions in the United Nations and other international ruling bodies of the nations that include the United States, prove the world is determined to surrender the Old City of Jerusalem (the ancient biblical city) to the Palestinians. The prophet Zechariah, in chapters 12-14, wrote about the Battle of Armageddon and the events that surround this final conflict of the Tribulation Period. According to this text, the ancient city of Jerusalem will be the focal point of the attack against Israel during the Battle of Armageddon. In this text, God revealed to Zechariah that the city of Jerusalem will be like “a burdensome stone” (Zechariah 12:3) that will ultimately crush all the nations in their conflict with God. Concerning this final attack upon Jerusalem, the Lord said, “I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).
Jesus told His disciples that when the end came, they would “be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). The nation of Israel and the Jews are hated more than any other people group in the world. For decades, the world has told Israel that it does not have the right to defend itself against lethal force and threats of annihilation. The world has repeatedly condemned Israel for retaliating against those who viciously attack them! However, it seldom condemns Israel’s enemies who attack the Jews. In recent weeks, the U.S. State department has told lies about Israel, making Israel look like the aggressor against the Palestinians. The European Union is helping the Palestinians to illegally take over the West Bank. Israel has its back against the wall. No nation, including the U.S., is standing with Israel! The Bible tells us that when Armageddon comes, “all nations” will come against Israel (Joel 3:2; Zechariah 14:2).
When Israel does attack Iran, how will the world react? The U.S. Department of State and a spokesman for the U.N. recently told Israel that any attack upon Iran would be considered “illegal.” China, Russia, Turkey, and North Korea all do business with Iran. Any attack upon Iran will instantly anger these allies of Iran. It is my opinion that Israel’s attack upon Iran could trigger the Gog and Magog invasion mentioned in Ezekiel 38.
J eremiah 49:36-39 seems to hint that there will come a time when Iran suffers a great defeat that will cause its population to be scattered around the world. The Bible states that the leadership of “the king and the princes” of Iran will be removed, so that the people of Iran can eventually worship the Lord and be a part of His kingdom (Jeremiah 49:38). Could it be that the dispersion of the Iranian population would be necessary due to its land becoming uninhabitable due to radioactive materials scattered across its land? Should Iran launch a missile toward Israel, Israel has the technology to destroy that missile over Iranian airspace. If that Iranian missile is carrying a nuclear payload, it would result in the dispersion of radioactive material over its own country.
Another development should be considered. “Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults that cover at least 90 percent of the country. As a result, earthquakes in Iran occur often and are destructive” (www.wikipedia.org). If Tehran would suffer an earthquake of 7.0 or greater, geologists estimate that more than one million people in Tehran would be killed.
Iran’s nuclear facilities are spread out in many locations. They are entrenched in bunkers deeply buried under the mountains of Iran. The Iranians have chosen this kind of construction to protect their nuclear sites from powerful bunker-busting bombs. However, this would also make them very vulnerable to powerful earthquakes. Perhaps in His time, the Holy One of Israel will choose to display His power and destroy these weapons that have been designed to destroy the Holy Land, the Holy City, and His chosen people. God has given His people the following promise, “Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. … No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 54:15, 17). According to Ezekiel 38:18-20, a powerful global earthquake will be used by God to stop the invasion of the Russian/Islamic coalition in the last days.
Friends, I believe we are witnessing the final events at the end of the Church Age. The events happening in Israel and around the globe are shaping our world for the lawless one – Satan’s Antichrist – to appear.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to be wise. We shall soon stand before our blessed Lord Jesus. When He comes, He will be our judge. Are you ready for His judgment? We need to be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).
If you are not saved, please do not hesitate to call upon the Lord for salvation. The Bible says, “Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Do not delay. Give your life to Christ now before it is too late. Listen to this warning that will accompany the coming of the Antichrist. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). People do not come to Christ because they love their sinful pleasures too much. They do not want to give up their immoral lifestyle, drugs, alcohol, or other things that displease God. Do not let the love of sin stand between you and spending eternity in heaven!
All sin is an offense to our holy God! He hates sin! Sin does bring temporary pleasure. However, it carries a heavy death penalty. The Bible declares, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). There is only one way to receive eternal life and to escape the penalty of sin. Jesus exclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Eternal life does not come through a church or religion. All our work or efforts cannot take away our sin. The Bible says, “For by grace [the mercy of God] are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Why not cry out to God and ask Him to save you? He is waiting for you to come to Him now.
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
The Approaching Economic Earthquake
We recently witnessed the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history, involving Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Will this be the beginning of a domino effect that will lead to the collapse of financial institutions around the globe?
Michael Snyder, a Christian leader who researches and writes about global economic affairs in light of Bible prophecy, recently commented, “The mainstream media continues to tell us that the economy is in fine shape, and you can believe that if you want. But evidence continues to mount that indicates that we are headed for very serious trouble.
“Inflation is out of control, home sales have fallen for 12 months in a row, large corporations all over America are conducting mass layoffs, and hunger is spreading like wildfire as economic conditions rapidly deteriorate. … A major economic meltdown has begun, and it will eventually get a whole lot worse. We aren’t just witnessing the end of an economic cycle. What we are witnessing is the end of a deeply corrupt, deeply flawed system. The greatest debt bubble in the history of the entire planet is starting to burst, and the whole world will soon be experiencing severe pain as a result” (Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Blog, March 13, 2023).
According to the Bible, the opening months of the Tribulation will include global wars, terrorism, famine, hyper-inflation, and earthquakes (Revelation 6:1-17). The food crises will become so severe that a couple loaves of bread will cost an entire day’s wage (Revelation 6:6). In some parts of the world, this is already a reality. In the U.S. our affluence has somewhat sheltered us from what is taking place in other countries. However, it will soon catch up to us. Now is the time to prepare for the financial storm that will brew until Jesus comes.
Presently, more than 30 countries, including the United States, have unsustainable debt. The world is teetering on the edge of an economic collapse and one major event could trigger it all. A financial collapse in the U.S. would trigger a global financial meltdown, because the U.S. is the largest consumer of commercial goods. It is only a matter of time before this occurs. We are facing a situation like the world has never seen before. Our world is in dire straits.
Rejoice with me that our hope is in the Lord, not our money. “In God we trust.”
March 21, 2023
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
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(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
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The Rapture & Feast of Trumpets
“Behold, I [show] you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
By Mike Wingfield
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 35^th 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 20^th 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 24, 2023