June 2024 – The U.S. Betrayal of Israel

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(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

The modern nation of Israel recently celebrated its 76th birthday. Unlike previous years of great fanfare and rejoicing, this year’s celebration was marred by great sorrow and fear. The 2024 celebration occurred while the Jewish nation was at war with Iran and its proxy terrorist groups in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen. This celebration was preceded by Iran’s first direct attack upon Israel with more than 350 powerful missiles. Israel celebrated the victory over this attack with the destruction of 99 percent of these missiles. However, Israelis realize that this bold attack by Iran marks a new era of concern for the future of Israel and its people.

The Israelis also realize due to the deceptive and liberal news media, they are in a public relations war with the entire world. And to further complicate matters, the United Nations membership, including the United States, are condemning Israel for defending itself against those who are aiming to destroy the Jewish nation. The world has chosen to make Hamas and the Palestinians the victims, while Israel is being viewed as the perpetrator of genocide.

For centuries, the Jewish people have had to endure lies about them, motivated by Satan, who is fueling the world’s hatred. Once again, they are facing a world that is against them and is calling for their annihilation.

However, the greatest pain that Israelis are facing is the betrayal of their historic friend and ally, the United States. Since the beginning of the modern state of Israel, the Israelis have had no better ally and friend than the United States of America. That friendship reached its pinnacle while President Donald Trump was in office. However, that strong bond turned to sorrow with the new anti-Israel policies of President Joe Biden.

After the painful and deadly attack by Hamas upon Israel on October 7, 2023, Israelis received the immediate verbal support of President Joe Biden. However, in sharp contrast, this was followed by an avalanche of false accusations and condemnations of Israel and its quest to use military force to destroy Hamas. This wicked military terrorist organization and its forces were guilty of the heinous crimes committed against Israel on October 7, 2023.

The U.S. is joining the world in calling for Israel to halt its war against Hamas, without demanding Hamas to immediately surrender the Israeli hostages. The U.S. demands that Israel not attack the southernmost point in Gaza, Rafah. Israel knows this is where the remaining forces of Hamas are located.

Israel is refusing to halt its war against Hamas and has begun its invasion of Rafah. As a result, the Biden administration has halted shipments of military armaments that are desperately needed by Israel to accomplish its mission. This move has been met with great opposition by many Americans.

On May 12, 2024, The Jewish Press released an open letter written by 80 retired U.S. military leaders in support of Israel. The letter reads, “Given our experience as retired American military leaders, we are very concerned about the security impacts of increasingly strained U.S.-Israel ties as Israel becomes a growing source of domestic division. We therefore feel compelled to declare that a strong Israel is vital to the United States national security, and it is imperative that America unequivocally stand by this indispensable ally.

“Amid surging antisemitism in America and the world, following the largest one-day loss of innocent Jewish life since the Holocaust, U.S. support for the only Jewish state should be clear, unwavering, and not conditioned. The benefits of this partnership for the American people and this important region are many, and too valuable, to forsake.

“America must support Israel as it restores its security, shattered on October 7, against Iran and its terrorist proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen that all seek to destroy the Jewish state. These forces are also enemies of the United States and everything we stand for. This Iranian-backed axis of terror, as well as other adversaries and allies around the world, are watching closely to see whether the United States will stand by one of its closest allies fighting in self-defense, even when the going gets tough.

“Against these barbaric enemies, Israel stands on the front lines of the fight for civilization, the lone stable, democratic American ally in a critical, yet tumultuous, region. Israel is a visceral part of the West with its liberal democracy, ethnically diverse population, and support for individual rights. Even in facing adversaries who respect neither the laws of war nor human life, we believe Israel has fought in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

“Outside the United States, Israel arguably has the most innovative economy in the world. It is a leader in nearly all the key technologies that will determine whether the global balance of power in the 21st-century continues to favor U.S.-led forces of freedom and democracy.

“Israel also has one of the most capable militaries and intelligence services in the world, to America’s benefit. Our militaries work hand in glove, sharing intelligence and military lessons, and co-developing cutting-edge defense technologies. More than any other American ally, Israel has always sought to defend itself by itself. Still, U.S. forces recently helped defend Israel against an Iranian onslaught. Israel’s military and intelligence services have also often protected U.S. soldiers and citizens and provided critical intelligence.

“Israel has traditionally been the source of overwhelming bipartisan support. So, it should remain. We can disagree, as all allies do, but signs of public division only embolden the forces of violence, instability, and extremism that threaten both America and Israel. When we stand together, however, peace and regional stability become possible.

“In these challenging times, we reaffirm our friendship and bond with the State of Israel—and urge all Americans to stand by our close friend and partner” (The Jewish Press, May 12, 2024).

It is apparent that the Biden administration is doing everything it can to oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. Biden is working behind the scenes in Israel to foment a deep division in that country which will oust Netanyahu and elect a more liberal government that can be manipulated by the liberal U.S. policies. There is evidence that U.S. taxpayers’ funds are being used to pay the radical anti-government demonstrators in Israel. (See photo on this page.) Furthermore, this liberal U.S. administration shows it support for the enemies of Israel while it wants to tie Israel’s hands and make it vulnerable to those who want to wipe the Jewish nation off the face of the earth.

The U.S is now acting more like an enemy of Israel, rather than its friend and ally. In the three terms of the Democrat administrations of President Barak Obama and President Joe Biden, the U.S. has begun to subtly change its relationship with Israel. Do not listen to what these presidents have said about Israel. Look at their actions and policies. These administrations have made the enemies of Israel the allies of the U.S. They have made Israel the new enemy. This is clearly illustrated in their support of the evil regime of Iran, which has consistently declared for more than five decades that their Islamic leadership is committed to the complete annihilation of the Jewish nation of Israel. This was clearly illustrated with the direct attack of Iran upon Israel a few weeks ago.

The most fatal flaw of the current U.S. administration’s policies is the attempt to join the world in demanding Israel to give up a large portion of their Promised Land and Jerusalem for the creation of a Palestinian terrorist state. The nations of the Middle East have demonstrated for decades that they are determined to destroy the Jewish state of Israel. Israel currently refuses to give in to these international demands because they view this as suicide. Furthermore, the Palestinians on the West Bank have verbalized their support for Hamas.

The U.S. and the entire world are at war with Israel over a tiny piece of property that God gave to the Jewish people in an everlasting covenant 4,000 years ago (Genesis 17:7-8). In essence, those who oppose and curse Israel will be opposed and cursed by God (Genesis 12:3). In an amazing passage in Jeremiah 30, the Lord communicated to Israel that He would not destroy Israel (Jeremiah 30:11) but would terminate all the nations who attack or oppose His people in the last days (Jeremiah 30:16).

Finally, in Jeremiah 30:22-24, God said to Israel, “And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.”

God has promised that any nation who opposes the Jewish occupation of the holy city of Israel will be crushed by Him (Zechariah 12:3). God has declared that any military attack against Israel and Jerusalem will be “smitten” by Him (Zechariah 12:4). Speaking of these last days, the Lord has warned, “I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).

It is not an accident that in the last few months President Biden’s policies against Israel are bringing a powerful response from God. Look at all the natural disasters that are taking place in the U.S. – violent record-breaking storms producing flooding, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. These storms are destroying American homes, farms, factories, schools, etc. At some point this could cause the collapse of the insurance agencies in the U.S., driving up insurance premiums beyond what is affordable.

All that is happening is the hand of God fulfilling His promises of judgments (plagues) upon those who oppose Him and His will for His people, Israel. Psalm 148:8 declares that “fire, and hail, snow, and vapor; stormy wind [fulfill] his word.”

Dear friends, we are just beginning to feel the hand of God’s judgment upon America. He is calling us to repentance. He is calling us to submit to Him and His divine will. He is saying to the leaders of the world, Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:10-12). If we do not repent, America will be crushed by God!

I t is time for the saints of God to wake up to the reality that our days on this earth are numbered. Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

The Fall of Sudan to Evil Nations

While the rest of the world is focused upon the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, there is a critical development happening in the African nation of Sudan. Russia, China, and Iran are attempting to seize control of Sudan. They are attracted to the gold and minerals in Sudan. They also want to establish a key maritime base at Port Sudan. This will allow this evil coalition to control the critical shipping lanes in the Red Sea. Also, it would complete Iran’s strategic encirclement of Israel. Iran already controls Israel’s northern borders with Lebanon and Syria. It controls its southern borders with Yemen. Therefore, Sudan would help to encircle Israel to the south and west.

With the inclusion of Sudan into the coalition of Russia and Iran, the end-time coalition of Gog and Magog nations is now complete. In most translations, they mention Ethiopia as a part of the coalition of nations that come against Israel in the last days (Ezekiel 38:5). However, looking at the names and locations of the ancient nations in Ezekiel’s day, it would be more accurate to say that it will be Sudan, not Ethiopia that will join Russia, Iran, and Turkey in the future battle of Gog and Magog.

Manipulation by Mass Migration Why is the Biden Administration so adamant about having an open border policy? Why has it allowed millions of illegal immigrants to infiltrate our nation’s southern border? The truth is, the liberal socialists in this country realize this is another way to destroy the old America and recreate a new America that will adopt the socialist/Islamic agenda of the New World Order. Both history and common sense tell us that an open border policy is dangerous. One of the chief responsibilities of any good and faithful leader is to defend and protect his country. The basic way to do this is to seal and control the borders to keep out the enemies who want to infiltrate to destroy and create disorder, bringing about the ultimate demise of that country.

One of the evil tactics of the New World Order is to first break down the present order of sovereign nations and all of the people’s attachment to their culture and world order. This present order was set in place by God with the judgment at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. The people of the world in Genesis 11 were united against God. They wanted to defy God’s order to multiply and spread out over all the earth (Genesis 1:28). In this revolt against God, they wanted to unite and create a new order that would worship other gods. The purpose of the tower was to view and chart the heavenly stars and planets and worship them (Isaiah 47:12-13). They believed that the order of the stars and planets held the secrets to life. Like all pagan cultures, they worshiped the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:20-23). So, God judged them and stopped their agenda. They all woke up one morning and were speaking different languages. Along with this language barrier, the people were separated from one another and formed different cultures and nations.

Now, in a similar way, the evil leadership of the world is attempting to reverse the consequences of God’s judgment at the Tower of Babel. Once again, they are worshipping the creation – “mother earth.” Furthermore, they want to reunite the people of the earth and make them one in a rebellion against God and His laws (Psalm 2). Speaking of this evil agenda, God told Daniel, “They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another” (Daniel 2:43).

A documentary has been produced by Epoch News about the mass migration taking place at the U.S. southern border. It reveals that the U.S. government and the United Nations are encouraging, aiding, and financing the movement of millions of people traveling from South America through Mexico into the United States. This is all a part of their evil strategy to destroy the United States. When people are mixed with different languages and customs, while worshiping other gods, it will destroy the sovereignty of that nation. This is an ancient tactic that was used by the godless and ruthless leadership of the Assyrians 2700 years ago. After the defeat of the 10 northern tribes in Israel, the Assyrians deported most of the Jewish population and imported various Gentile people groups to weaken the region of northern Israel. Their plan worked. The result was the mingling of the Gentiles and Jews to create the Samaritan people, who were part Jewish and part Gentile. It was Satan’s attempt to weaken the nations (Isaiah 14:12) and destroy the message of God coming from His chosen people, Israel.

As believers in Jesus Christ and His ambassadors, we need to be aware of the deceptive agenda of our evil leaders. Please join me in prayer for our nation and churches. As spiritual watchmen on the walls of America, we need to sound the warning of these developments.

May 2024 – When They All Look UP!

May 2024

When They All Look UP!

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

By Mike Wingfield

During the April 8 solar eclipse that moved across America, God’s Spirit reminded me of how utterly uniformed people are about what is about to take place across our planet. As I watched the eclipse on TV, I was reminded that there will be a day every person on earth will be looking toward the heavens. On this day, they will not be looking at a solar eclipse. They will be looking in utter awe at the supernatural heavenly sign that will accompany the King of Kings to this earth!

This recent eclipse was a rare celestial occurrence and was certainly worthy of our attention. However, that eclipse pales in comparison to the amazing supernatural events that will take place during the Tribulation Period. And especially to the last day when Christ returns to earth. Predictably, people were mesmerized by the recent solar eclipse, because of the media hype leading to April 8.

For months, we were bombarded with details of this eclipse, and its direct path across North America. We also know that the next eclipse that will sweep across America will take place in 44 years. How can scientists make these accurate and precise predictions? The Bible has the answer. In the beginning of His creation, the Lord placed the sun, moon, stars, and planets in the heavens for the benefit of man on earth. The Bible says, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so” (Genesis 1:14-15).

God set the order of these heavenly bodies in an exact arrangement and orbit in relationship to earth time. Since the time of their creation, the heavenly bodies have continued to travel through space with incredibly accurate precision. God made the heavens to be a giant clock and calendar. The exact movements of the earth and the heavenly bodies are very predictable because God made them that way. People around is with woke agendas say there are no absolutes. These people need to look up! God’s testimony of faithfulness and sovereign design are all around us!

As I watched the eclipse on April 8, I was drawn to comments being voiced by news reporters and people they interviewed. I was captured by the superlative words they voiced to the viewing audience. Words like “miraculous,” “incredible,” “amazing,” and “awesome,” were commonly used to describe the eclipse. Some people even called it a “supernatural moment.”

As I heard these comments, I thought to myself, “These people do not know what awaits the inhabitants of earth.” As we approach the end of this age, it is critically important that we inform all people that God created and appointed the position and path of the sun, moon, stars, and planets. And the same God has also informed us in His written revelation concerning what He has in store for the world. God has ordained that the incredible signs in the heavens and earth when Christ returns to earth, will be the most awesome manifestation of the power and glory of God ever witnessed by man.

I continue to be amazed and dazzled by the written revelation of God concerning man’s final days on earth. The Bible refers to the unique seven-year period of the Tribulation Period as “the day of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:12; Joel 2:11). This will be the day the Lord of heaven will miraculously intervene into the affairs of man. In His wrathful anger He will pour out His vengeance upon all the wicked, rebellious inhabitants of earth. Isaiah 24:5 tells us why the Lord will do this, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, [and have] broken the everlasting covenant.” This simply means that God will have reached His final toleration point because man defiantly rejected His spiritual and moral code of conduct that is summarized in the 10 Commandments. Man is continually defying God by attempting to change His creative order. This is at the heart of man’s Artificial Intelligence rebellion. People refuse to accept “an everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:7) that God established with Israel 3,400 years ago, giving them the Promised Land as “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8).

Furthermore, the nations are once again united in their goal to destroy the Jewish people and to annihilate the modern nation of Israel. The prophet Isaiah declared that this violent rejection of Israel will be at the center of God’s wrathful judgment that will be inflicted upon all the nations. Concerning the Tribulation Period, Isaiah declared, “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion (Isaiah 34:8). The current attacks we are witnessing on Israel for defending itself against Islamic enemies are a testimony to the world’s commitment that will be fulfilled when they march against God and Israel at the battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.

“Signs” are a manifestation of the power and glory of Almighty God. They are aimed at bringing mankind to a point of awe and humiliation as they recognize God’s supernatural intervention into the physical world of finite man. They are designed to cause wonder and fear, bringing man to repentance and submission to God.

The entire seven years of the Tribulation will be marked by continual supernatural events in both the heavens and the earth. The Bible calls them “signs.” This word could also be translated as “wonders” or “miracles.” In other words, a sign is a supernatural event that is the direct work from the hand of God. These signs are a manifestation of the power and glory of Almighty God. They are aimed at bringing mankind to a point of awe and humiliation as they recognize God’s supernatural intervention into the physical world of finite man. They are designed to cause wonder and fear, bringing man to repentance and submission to God.

For example, near the beginning of the Tribulation, the Lord will strike the world with a massive global earthquake that will trigger a multitude of volcanic eruptions (Revelation 6:12). This will be accompanied by great signs in the atmospheric heavens. “And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Revelation 6:13-14).

As a result of these devastating and threatening signs on the earth and in the heavens, the people of earth will all flee to the mountains to find some shelter from the supernatural storm of God. They will cry out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand” (Revelation 6:16-17)?

The Tribulation Period will be filled with deadly and destructive signs that will bring about an unparalleled global death toll and global devastation that will destroy civilized humanity as we know it in these modern times (Isaiah 24).

When the final day comes, all the inhabitants of earth will look up to the heavens to see the sign of the coming of the Son of Man.

By God’s design, the climax of all these signs will culminate on the final day of the Tribulation Period. A multitude of Scriptures give the awesome details of this final day when the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus, will be unveiled in all His glory, power, and majesty (Psalm 18:7-15; 97:3-6; Micah 1:3-6; Nahum 1:5-8).

When the final day comes, all the inhabitants of earth will look up to the heavens to see the sign of the coming of the Son of Man. The apostle John said, “and every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7). Matthew recorded the words of Jesus about this day, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. … Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:27, 29-30).

Yes, people cheered with amazement as looked toward the sky to see the recent solar eclipse. However, when people all look up at the sign of the coming of the Lord in the heavens, they will have a different reaction. Luke reports about their response on that day, And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory (Luke 21:25-27).

Unlike the predictable eclipse Americans just witnessed, the earthly and heavenly signs that will unfold during the Tribulation are unparalleled in human history. And these coming events are not on the radar of the world’s astronomers. The human mind and all our God-given senses have never experienced what will transpire in God’s final chapter of man’s rule on earth. God has promised that He will not only violently shake the earth (Isaiah 2:19-21), but also the heavens above (Hebrews 12:25-26).

What the Lord will do in the future is reminiscent of what He did in the days of Moses when He set His people free from the cruelty and unjust oppression of the most powerful nation on earth in those ancient times – Egypt. Before Moses was sent to Egypt with His divine assignment, the Lord told him what would happen, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them (Exodus 7:3-5).

God unleashed His arsenal of terror upon Egypt because they refused to yield to His will to allow His people to go into the Promised Land that God had given them (Exodus 6:1-8). In a similar way, God is calling His people from their exile from the land of Israel for 2,000 years. He has promised, “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).The world has wrestled with God concerning the land of Israel and the Jewish people from the beginning of the modern nation of Israel to this day. It now appears that we are entering into the final phase of the world’s attack upon the Jewish people. The final chapter of this war between God and the nations will be concluded during the Tribulation Period.

It is important to note what happens to those who oppose God. He hardens their hearts and leads them to their demise. Throughout the Exodus account, the Scriptures remind us that Pharoah hardened his heart against the call to let the Jewish people leave Egypt. Then, suddenly in the narrative, the Bible says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This hardened heart of Pharaoh led to His own demise, the death of his people, the destruction of his nation, and the death of his army in the Red Sea (Exodus 7-11, 14). God unleashed His divine power in a series of deadly plagues.

A similar development took place during Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. God hardened the hearts of the people living in the land of Canaan so that they would war against Israel, ultimately bringing them to their demise. Joshua 11:20 reports, For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

History is repeating itself. It is very apparent that the global population has reached the spiritual point of no return. They reject His commandments. They are attempting to confuse and rearrange His creative order. They refuse to recognize and honor the everlasting covenant that God established with Abraham, giving his descendants the Promised Land.

History is repeating itself. It is very apparent that the global population has reached the spiritual point of no return. Except for a small remnant of true believers, the nations are in rebellion against God. They reject His commandments. They are attempting to confuse and rearrange His creative order. They refuse to recognize and honor the everlasting covenant that God established with Abraham, giving his descendants the Promised Land in “an everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:7). God has given the Jewish people their land as “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8).

When Pharaoh refused to honor God’s commands concerning letting Israel go to the Promised Land, all of Egypt faced the terror of the Lord. God sent ten devastating and deadly plagues upon them. As history replays itself on a global scale, the leaders of the world are refusing to obey God and allow His people to live in all the land He gave them. As a result, God is hardening their hearts to draw them into the final conflict with Him. Soon, the world will enter a time of the wrath of God. He will devastate the world as we know it.

Just as God destroyed the Egyptians in the Red Sea, God will devastate the rebels that oppose Him when He returns from heaven. He will set the redeemed global Jewish population free so that they will enter into the Promised Land and enjoy the reign of their Messiah for 1,000 years.

Friends, God’s playbook is being carried out before our very eyes. “Get ready for the shout that will take us out!”

Iran Attacks Israel

On April 13, the world stunningly witnessed an unprecedented Iranian air assault on Israel. For the first time, Iran directly attacked Israel instead of hiding behind its proxy terrorist groups.

More than 300 attack drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles were launched from Iran’s own territory. Israel considers this attack to be a “declaration of war” (World Israel News, April 14, 2024).

In a public statement only hours after Iran’s attack, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “This is like a real war. I mean, this is a declaration of war. … The last thing that Israel is seeking in this region since its creation is to go to war, we are seeking peace.

“ We are peace seekers. We went to peace with our neighbors time and time again. Unfortunately, it all started on the 7th of October when a proxy of Iran, Hamas, led an unbelievably brutal massacre against Israeli citizens and the rest is history. We know it. So we should put it in perspective.”

“We were attacked last night from four corners of the Middle East with proxies shooting at us, firing missiles and ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles. It is about time the world faces this empire of evil in Tehran” (World Israel News, April 14, 2024).

With the help of the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Jordan, about 99 percent of the missiles never reached their intended targets in Israel. Israel and its partners destroyed the missiles in their 1074-mile flight. As this was taking place, I was reminded of Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”

In a very limited retaliatory strike, on Wednesday, April 17, Israel attacked a military base in Iran that was only a few miles from one of Iran’s major nuclear sites. During this attack, Israel used a missile that had technology to evade radar. This missile damaged some of Iran’s defense battery systems that protect one of Iran’s major nuclear sites from an air attack. Obviously, Israel is sending a powerful message to Iran that they and their nuclear bases, and other strategic economic and military facilities are in Israel’s crosshairs. It is only a matter of time!

Friends, I believe that these developments are leading the Middle East toward the final conflict of the end-times. Obviously, the first major war will be the one mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39. It does appear that we are witnessing the events that will bring about the Gog and Magog invasion mentioned by Ezekiel 3,600 years ago.

This invasion of Israel, as prophesied by Ezekiel, will be by an assault of a specific coalition of enemy nations. That coalition includes Russia, Iran, Sudan, Libya, and Turkey. For the first time in modern history, these nations are friends and are a part of an evil coalition that hates Israel. In the photo on this page, note the leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia depicted together.

Ezekiel wrote that something would happen to cause this group of nations to attack Israel. God said, “Behold, I am against thee… and I will put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth” (Ezekiel 38:3-4). A few verses later, Ezekiel wrote that something would take place so that these nations have things that will come into their minds so that they will “think an evil thought” (Ezekiel 38:10). Could it be that Israel’s retaliation against Hamas and Iran would trigger these evil thoughts that would drive them to attack Israel?

As previously mentioned, we can learn a very valid principle of God’s actions in leading nations to attack Israel so that He might destroy them. In the book of Joshua, God had called His people to enter the land of Canaan and destroy all its inhabitants. God aided Israel in this accomplishment by making the hearts of the nations of Canaan so filled with hate toward Israel that they were drawn to attack them. Joshua 11:20 states, “For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts [the nations of Canaan], that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.”

Since the invasion of Hamas on October 7, we have witnessed an incredible global explosion of hatred against Israel and the Jewish people. It stands to reason that an Israeli attack upon Iran would trigger a reaction by Iran and its allies. Today, those allies are the ones mentioned in Ezekiel 38. Are we watching the divine hook in the jaw of Iran and its allies? Is the battle of Gog and Magog on the immediate horizon? It appears that it is imminent!

Friends, conditions in the Middle East are ripe for the Gog and Magog nations to attack Israel. Iran, Russia, and Turkey already have troops in Syria and could be ready at a moment’s notice to invade Israel.

In the Bible, Iran [Persia] is mentioned more than 200 times. This nation is depicted as a major enemy of Israel in the last days. Therefore, it is important for us to watch the developments of our time.

April 2024 – God Loves Israel

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God Loves Israel

I have loved thee [Israel] with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

By Mike Wingfield

If you publicly declare today that you love Jewish people and the nation of Israel, there will be many who hate you. Hatred for Jews is spreading like a disease around the world. Since Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, anti-Jewish hate crimes are reaching historic levels. It is now reported that approximately one-fourth of people living in the U.S. hate Jewish people. Sadly, many of these people claim to be Christians.

Many people hate the Jews because they believe the ancient lies about the Jewish people that have been in existence for centuries. They view the Jewish people as being in positions of wealth and control. Some believe Jews are trying to take over the world. Others simply hate them without knowing anything about the Jews. They hate them because they choose to hate them.

Speaking about the signs at the end of this age, Jesus said to His Jewish disciples, “Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Before He went to the cross, Jesus said to His disciples, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. … They hated me without a cause” (John 15:18, 25).

Many people may not know it, but when they hate the Jewish people, they are acting like God’s greatest adversary, Satan. No one hates Israel and the Jewish people more than Satan. Throughout the centuries Satan has enflamed and magnified people’s hatred for God’s chosen people.

When people hate the Jewish people, they are acting like God’s greatest adversary, Satan. There is no one who hates Israel and the Jewish people more than Satan. Throughout the centuries Satan has enflamed and magnified people’s hatred for God’s chosen people.

Satan knows how deeply God loves the Jewish people. This evil enemy of God understands God’s heart, purposes, and eternal design for the Jewish people. Satan knows that God has created the Jewish people and blessed them to demonstrate His faithful, infinite, and glorious character. The devil knows that God has invested His reputation and sovereign plans to bless the entire world through the Jewish people (Genesis 12:2-3).

Satan’s goal is to dethrone God and exalt himself above all the angels, and to possess all of heaven and earth (Isaiah 14:12-14). Therefore, he has chosen to attack God by striking at God’s heart. He must defeat God by destroying Israel and the Jewish people. History demonstrates that this has been his objective from the beginning of the nation of Israel in Egypt almost 3,900 years ago.

Revelation 12 reveals that Satan is the cause of anti-Semitism. In this imagery, the woman who is about to give birth to a male child is Israel. The dragon that is before the woman stands ready to devour the male child, and then the woman, is Satan. Before and during Christ’s First Coming, Satan did everything he could to destroy the plan of God by attacking God’s Son. He tried to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16; Luke 4:28-30; John 8:59). He also tried to disqualify Jesus as the sinless Son of God (Matthew 4:1-11).

After Jesus defeated Satan’s schemes, He completed His Father’s mission and ascended back to heaven. Since that time Satan’s major objective has been to eliminate the Jewish people and annihilate the nation of Israel. He is doing this to prevent the Second Coming of Christ. He knows that if he is unsuccessful in this effort, he will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-2), and then into the Lake of Fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:10). As always, Satan has used the godless Gentile nations in his conflict with God. One of his favorite tools are wicked, godless human governments and their evil leaders.

In Revelation 12:7-8, the apostle John indicated that this war against Israel is an extension of the war in heaven between the good angels of God and the demons of the dragon, Satan. This simply indicates that the central focus of the war in the spiritual realm is focused upon the nation of Israel. In Daniel 12:1 and Revelation 12:7, it is noted that Michael the archangel is “the great prince which [stands] for the children of [Daniel’s] people” – the Jewish people. Michael is known as the most powerful angel in God’s war efforts against Satan. The fact that God has placed His most powerful angel in charge of defending Israel against Satan indicates just how serious this war is in the overall scheme of the battle between God and Satan.

Since Christ’s First Coming it has been Satan’s major objective to eliminate the Jewish people and to annihilate the nation of Israel. He is doing this to prevent the Second Coming of Christ. … One of his favorite tools are wicked godless human governments and their evil leaders.

Since the beginning of God’s choice to make the Jewish people His own people, Satan has used sinful man to attack the people of God. Without knowing it, people and nations have aided Satan in his efforts to annihilate the Jewish people. The Bible teaches that before a person is redeemed by God, they are manipulated by Satan to accomplish hell’s agenda. The apostle Paul described all sinners as those who prior to their salvation “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now [works] in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).

Why should Bible-believing, conservative, evangelical Christians love the Jewish people and Israel? When a person becomes a follower of Jesus as his Messiah and Savior, he must also accept Him as his Lord. If Jesus is our Lord, that means we should obey His commands and agree with His eternal will. Jesus, our Jewish Savior, taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The future kingdom that Jesus instructed us to pray about was not a spiritual kingdom, but a physical kingdom on earth. We will return to earth and reign with Christ in His kingdom over the nations for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6). Christ will rule in His kingdom from the throne of David in Jerusalem, Israel over all nations (Isaiah 2:1-4). This kingdom was a promise given to the Jewish people in many Old Testament texts. Therefore, we should love Jesus and His people, Israel, and joyfully pray for this kingdom to come.

The divine calling of Israel is of great importance and is the foundation of God’s dealing with Israel and all other nations. Since God chose this nation for His divine purposes, what He does to the Jewish nation and all other nations reflects His divine sovereign power and authority over all His creation.

One of the great themes in the Bible is God’s love for His chosen people, Israel. God has openly stated that He loves Israel. Speaking to Israel through His servant Moses 3,400 years ago, God said, “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

This divine calling of Israel is of great importance and is the foundation of God’s dealing with Israel and all other nations. Since God chose this nation for His divine purposes, what He does to the Jewish nation and all other nations reflects His divine sovereign power and authority over all His creation. God has chosen to bless those who bless Israel and to curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). Those who attack Israel are attacking God. Therefore, Israel’s enemies are God’s enemies (Psalm 83:1-4). The history and prophecy of Israel are filled with miracles. God’s supernatural hand upon His people should be a powerful warning to all people concerning what awaits those who oppose the sovereign will and plans of God! “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity” (Isaiah 40:17).

Several things need to be recognized concerning God’s calling of Israel into a covenant relationship with Him. God has designated them to be a “holy people unto the Lord” (Deuteronomy 7:6). This does not have any application to their spiritual salvation. The word holy simply means they have been “set apart” by God for His purposes. God has chosen them to be a special people “above all people that are upon the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). The word “special” in Hebrew, segulah, designates Israel as God’s treasured possession. It indicates that the person who owns this possession has a special affection for it. It means that the owner considers that possession to be of great value to him. In four other Old Testament texts, the same Hebrew word is translated “a peculiar treasure” (Exodus 19:5).

This means that the nation of Israel is considered by God to be His personal treasured possession. He has declared, “This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise” (Isaiah 43:21). He has said to Israel, “Thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1). When God’s work in Israel is complete at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, He will say to them, “Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (Isaiah 62:3). The Lord has declared that this will be “that day when I make up my jewels” (Malachi 3:17).

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God has feelings and emotions. He is not some sovereign robot in heaven without any feelings. However, we must understand that God’s love is more than just emotions. It is not a reaction to the object of His love. It is a self-purposed act of His holiness for His own eternal purposes and glory.

od’s ancient calling of the nation of Israel has not been abandoned by God. Notice Jeremiah 31:1, 3, “At the same time [the time of the end], saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. … The LORD hath appeared of old unto me saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Many people believe that God has forsaken His covenant with the Jewish people and replaced them with the church. At the heart of this confusion, called Replacement Theology, is the misunderstanding of the very nature and character of God. God’s love for Israel flows out of His sovereign will. It is an act that flows out of His infinite character of faithfulness and mercy (Deuteronomy 7:8). Since God does not change, neither does His nature. He is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). This unchangeable character guarantees that Israel cannot be consumed (Malachi 3:6)

He does not love the Jewish people because they deserve it. God knew that when He called Israel, they would be a rebellious people (Isaiah 48:8). Like all of humanity (both Jew and Gentile), there is none that seeks after God in his own spirit (Romans 3:9-18). However, because of God’s covenant with Abraham, God chose to exercise His patience and did not destroy them. For the sake of His own glory, God has acted with infinite love and promised that someday Israel will be redeemed (Romans 11:26-27).

Often, we forget that God lives in the eternal now (Isaiah 57:15). God has no past or future. With Him, it is all present. Therefore, God’s love for Israel is not based upon what the Jewish people do at any moment in time. God has loved Israel despite their rebellious spirit, and He sees the day that will come when all living Israel, the final generation, will call unto Him in repentance and be saved (Zechariah 12:10-13:9).

In Jeremiah 31:3, God declared to Israel, “with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” The Hebrew word for “loving kindness” is hesed. This speaks of a loyal love, unfailing love based upon devotion that is steadfastly built upon a prior relationship. It speaks of merciful and unfailing love that is an act of the sovereign choice of God. Not on emotions alone.

The psalmist frequently celebrated God’s mercy shown to Israel. The Psalms were written by godly men to whom were given great insight by the Spirit of God. They recognized Israel’s sin, but they also saw God’s great mercy. Because of His mercy they were not rejected or consumed by His wrath. See Psalm 89 and 136. We should all rejoice that “the LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:8). “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22).

God has feelings and emotions. He is not some sovereign robot in heaven without any feelings. However, we must understand that God’s love is more than just emotions. It is not a reaction to the object of His love. It is a self-purposed act of His holiness for His own eternal purposes and glory. God works “all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). God’s glory is not invested in the object of His love, but in His own glory. God’s choice and calling should not bring about any pride in the object of God’s love. God has chosen weak people, foolish persons, and the people who are the rejected and despised people of the world, so that “no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29).

God’s love for His people Israel can be seen in two ways. First, God has attached Himself to the nation by using its name as a reference to Himself. He has declared 46 times in the Bible that Israel is His people and that He is their God! After they have been scattered among the nations for thousands of years, in the end He says, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (Zechariah 8:7-8).

Names in the Bible are very important. Names are designed to reflect the character or the divine nature of that person’s calling. God’s name in the Bible is holy (Psalm 111:9). The very mention of God’s name is to be approached with great reverence (Exodus 20:7). God has forever attached His identity to the Jewish people. He has called Himself “The Holy One of Israel,” “The God of Israel,” “The God of Jacob,” and “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

God has determined that when people observe the Jewish people, they can learn something about His very nature. God’s work among His people teaches us much about His grace and mercy. It also demonstrates that God is infinitely patient and faithful. God has repeatedly used great miracles in the history of Israel. These miracles are a demonstration of God’s awesome power. The nation of Israel is a testimony to the truthfulness of God’s Word. His promises never fail! The history of Israel demonstrates that God is serious about punishing sin and unfaithfulness to God. The Jewish people also demonstrate God’s infinite love for those who are unworthy of that love.

Hundreds of times in the Bible, God refers to Israel as “my people.” As previously mentioned, God has a unique covenant with only one nation and ethnic group – Israel and the Jewish people. He has set them apart and high above all other nations. In the truest sense of the word, they are His people. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus referred to the Jewish people as “my brethren.” With this comment, Jesus said to

those whom He was speaking, that what they did to His people they had done to Him. When you attack Israel, you are attacking God! God said that those who touch Him, touch “the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8). This means that the Jew is the central focus of God in His eternal plan. As goes God’s divine will and purpose, so goes the nation of Israel. God’s will and the nation of Israel are intertwined in the mind and heart of God! That is why Israel is the target of hell and all the devil’s demons!

Hundreds of times in the Bible, God refers to Israel as “my people.” As previously mentioned, God has a unique covenant with only one nation and ethnic group – Israel and the Jewish people. He has set them apart and high above all other nations. In the truest sense of the word, they are His people.

In the Bible, God gives many symbolic illustrations of the identity of Israel. In Exodus 4:22, Moses declared to Pharoah, “Israel is my son, even my first born.” In the culture of the Middle East, the first-born son held a position of honor and importance over all his siblings. How fitting for God to refer to the nation of Israel in these terms. In Exodus 19:5, God spoke to Israel and said, you are a “treasure unto me above all people.” With great affection, He referred to Israel as His vineyard (Isaiah 5:7). Israel is the unique flock of God (Isaiah 40:11). At Mount Horeb in Exodus 19, God met with Israel and gave them a covenant that is recognized in the Bible as a marriage covenant. In the Bible, Israel is known as the wife of Jehovah. When the end comes, God will renew His relationship with His wife with a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). These, and many other analogies, indicate that God has a deep affection and enduring love for His people. No other nation is looked upon with such honor or calling.

The Lord has assured us that He will never permanently reject His people, Israel. Remember that the Lord has said to Israel, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). He has promised to discipline the children of Israel, but has declared, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34). God’s promises are bound up in the presence of the sun and the moon. God has said that as long as the sun and the moon stands, the nation of Israel will be before Him to accomplish His purposes (Jeremiah 31:35-37).

I would like to say to all those who are attempting to attack or curse Israel, “look up!” If you see the sun and moon, please know that you will not be able to destroy Israel or stop God’s eternal plans. Not all the demons in hell or all the billions in the nations will be able to defeat the Lord God. When Jesus returns, He will slay all the wicked “with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips” (Isaiah 11:4).

The surge of anti-Semitism is a testimony that Satan is running scared. He must know that His time to defeat God is getting short (Revelation 12:12). He is assembling the nations against Israel. The nations are about to feel the wrath of God. Like fools, they are running toward their own demise.

Get ready for the shout that will take us out!