August 2024 – The Time of the End

PTNews

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

August 2024

Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV

Download this Newsletter

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 67, Boones Mill, VA 24065
The Time of the End

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

By Mike Wingfield

My soul is filled with a level of excitement like never before in my life. I have known the Lord since I was nine years old. I have attempted to faithfully serve Him most of my life. For more than 50 years, I have been pouring over the prophetic Word of God. I have given much attention to understanding the true nature of the Tribulation Period and what it means for the glory of God and our troubled world.

In recent weeks, the Holy Spirit has flooded my mind with the reality that the end of this age is in sight. We are not there yet, but I can see it coming. We are perhaps only a few months away from the Rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.

I have been prayerfully reflecting upon a multitude of prophetic passages that paint a picture of what the beginning of the end will look like when. I have concluded, with deep conviction, we are there!

As I have been admonishing those who follow this ministry, I am very busy preparing my soul for that glorious moment when I shall see Jesus. I have been longing, waiting, and looking for that moment. I believe it is near. How can I be so sure about this? There are four biblical passages that speak about the timing of the Messiah’s Second Coming. I will examine these passages and their context of how they apply today. This newsletter and the following issue in September will detail these four biblical passages.

First, let us set the biblical context for these passages. When the Bible student examines the prophetic Word of God, it becomes obvious that it revolves around Jesus and the Jewish people. At the center of the global conflict with God are the Jewish people, their land, their city, and their Temple Mount!

T he focus of God’s vision and His purposes for His creation are upon the Jewish people. The ancient prophet of Israel declared, “for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of [God’s] eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

The greater light of God’s Word is riveted upon Jesus the Messiah. Remember that one of God’s angels reminded the Apostle John, “Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).

The hope for our world is intertwined with the Jewish Messiah and His people, Israel. God told the father of the Jewish people, Abraham, that the world would be blessed through the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3).

According to the Bible, in eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God decreed His complete divine purposes for His finite creation. Locked in this eternal plan, was an exact timetable of events, from the beginning to the end. It is all based upon earth time. “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Genesis 1:14).

God’s eternal plan is all inclusive. It covers all people, places, events, and circumstances. It includes the meticulous details of the ongoing war in the spiritual realm between the good and evil angels. Long ago, one of the wisest kings on earth declared, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

God has an exact appointed time for everything from the beginning to the end. These times are rooted and grounded in the history of the Jewish people. The events and timing of the first coming of Messiah were connected to the Jewish people. The events and timing of the Second Coming of Messiah are connected to the Jewish people.

With this biblical context in mind, let us briefly examine the four biblical passages that speak about the time of the end.

1. The Parable of the Fig Tree

Matthew 24:32-35

This parable was given by Jesus to help His disciples understand His answer to their question about the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). In verses 4-14, Jesus highlighted some of the major developments that would introduce “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). This time of sorrows speaks about the birth pangs of the Tribulation that will give birth to the glorious Kingdom of God. Then, in verses 16-26, Jesus spoke of the sign of the Antichrist, an evil global dictator who will lead the world in its political, religious, and militant rebellion against God during the Tribulation. Finally, Jesus answered the disciples’ direct question about the sign of His coming at the end of the Tribulation. In verses 27-31, He spoke of the unique supernatural sign of His glorious appearing from heaven to earth.

Next, He illustrated His teaching in verses 4-31 with the parable of the fig tree (verses 32-35). In essence, He told His disciples that the time of His coming at the end of this age would be marked by a convergence of all the signs or events He mentioned in verses 4-26. The simultaneous appearance of these signs will be like the leaves on a tree. Leaves never tell us what month or day it is. However, they do show us what season it is. So, He declared, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33). Furthermore, He declared that the generation that sees all these things “shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34).

Friends, we are the generation that is witnessing the convergence of all the signs of the Tribulation Period. We are in the season of the end of this age. This simply means that our world does not have much time left in this current time period. Our world does not have hundreds of years, or even 50 years left!

The stage for the Tribulation is now set! The Rapture could happen at any moment, and it is ready to unfold. In Matthew 24:4-14, Jesus gave many conditions that would be prevalent on earth at the beginning of the Tribulation. Let’s briefly look at only a few of them.

Wars and Rumors of Wars for Israel- verses 6

In verse 7, Jesus mentioned that there would be wars among the greater Gentile nations at the end. However, in verse 6, He addressed the dangerous times of wars and rumors of wars for His people living in their land at the end of this age. Currently, Israel is facing the looming threat of war as never before in its modern history. Many radical Islamic nations have sophisticated deadly missiles aimed at Israel. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since October 2023. According to Joel 3:4, this war with the inhabitants of Gaza and Lebanon has set the stage for the battle at the end of the Tribulation Period – Armageddon.

Israel is fighting a war on seven fronts with Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and terrorists in Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. All of these groups are funded and controlled by Iran. Iran itself attacked Israel on April 14 with more than 300 attack drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Thankfully, most of these were shot down by Israel and some of its allies.

This did not end Israel’s war with Iran. We are being told that Iran now has the nuclear material to make several nuclear bombs. It is only a matter of time before Iran will attempt to launch one or several nuclear bombs or missiles to destroy Israel. We are led to believe that Israel and the world only have a few months to stop this Iranian threat. The clock is ticking.

In the last few weeks Iran, Russia, and Turkey have issued threats to invade Israel. All three nations have stated that if Israel invades Lebanon and attacks Hezbollah (an Islamic terrorist group sponsored, trained, and funded by Iran) they will go to war with Israel to defend Hezbollah, Gaza, and the Palestinian cause.

On Saturday, July 27^th, Hezbollah fired a missile from Lebanon that struck a Druze village (an important ally of Israel) on the Golan Heights. More than a dozen children were instantly killed as they ran for cover. This missile is only one of hundreds of missiles that Hezbollah has fired into Israeli territories in the last month.

The world is calling for Israel to restrain itself. However, the day following this tragic attack on the Golan Heights, Iran’s proxy agent CONTINUED to fire missiles into northern Israel. News is coming out of Israel that Israel is preparing for a massive retaliatory strike deep into Lebanese territory. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is using the Lebanese civilians as shields to protect themselves against Israel’s attacks. The IDF attack will be aimed at Hezbollah’s missile stockpiles and its militant leadership. If Israel does not destroy Hezbollah’s ability to launch its deadly arsenal of precision missiles and attack drones, then tens of thousands of Israelis will be killed. Israel has no choice but to defend itself! Its attack must be swift and lethal!

If Iran, Russia, and Turkey are not bluffing, we could be looking at a massive ground invasion of Israel that will dwarf anything Israel has seen in its 76 years of modern existence. It will be the same war that Ezekiel wrote about in Ezekiel 38-39. For years, I have been teaching that my understanding of the chronology of the timing of this war is that it will take place immediately AFTER the Rapture takes place.

Friends, these wars and rumors of wars signal that we are very near the beginning of the end.

Famine and Intense Heat- verse 7

A multitude of prophetic passages indicate that the Tribulation Period will be a time of severe global drought (Revelation 11:3-6), and intense heat (Malachi 4:1; Revelation 16:8-9), that will produce global famine. Politicians and scientists pretend to know what is happening and think they can control the radical change in the climate. However, this is the hand of God in His wrathful judgment. He controls the sun, rain, and wind for His purposes (Psalm 147:15-18; 148:8). The intense heat sweeping across the earth, along with all the other signs, tells us the hour is late!

Hatred and Murder of Jews- verse 9

Jesus said that the beginning of the end would be signaled by intense hatred toward Israel. He said, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). The word “afflicted” is the same Greek word that is translated as “tribulation.” It means the Jewish people will be crushed, distressed, and feel pressure from evil forces. The Greek word for “hate” in this verse speaks of “active ill will in words and conduct, [with a] persecuting spirit” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament). Jewish agencies in around the world tell us that the level of hatred being directed toward the Jewish people is eerily reminiscent of what happened in the 1930s to produce the Holocaust. According to the Bible, Israel and the Jewish people will face a climate of trouble like no nation has faced in all human history (Daniel 12:1).

Division and Lawlessness in Israel- verses 10-12

One of the most shocking signs of the end of this age is the massive display of wickedness and division in Israel. Like America, Israel is experiencing great internal division. Hateful demonstrations and threats continue to be expressed toward the conservative right wing government leaders in Israel. Some fear for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s life. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has caused many pundits to warn that this could materialize in Israel.

The Israeli public is divided between the religious right and the youthful, liberal secular groups. The older, religious right sees Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, culminating with the restoration of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland. The more youthful secular groups want no moral commandments. They want to be free to live their immoral lifestyles. They want Israel to be like all of the other nations.

The dark side is clearly at work in Israel. One former prime minister, Ehud Barak, is calling for a military coup, even suggesting the elimination of Netanyahu. This development in Israel is a fulfillment concerning the evil, godless leadership in Israel that will sign the covenant with the Antichrist, beginning the Tribulation Period (Isaiah 28:14-22).

2. The Appointed Time for Jerusalem

Psalm 102:13-18

The writer of this psalm was directed by the Holy Spirit to give a prophecy that is “written for the generation to come” (verse 18). Literally, this is written for the final generation. He speaks of “the set time” to favor Jerusalem that will come (verse 13). This time will come “when the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory” (verse 16).

This passage proclaims that the coming of the Messiah will be preceded by the restoration of Jerusalem at the end of this age (Amos 9:11). The capital of Israel, Jerusalem, is in the news every day around the world. One out of every 15 Jews in the world lives in Jerusalem and calls it home.

According to the Bible, when the end of time comes, all nations will oppose the recognition of Jerusalem as being a Jewish city. Currently, the entire world is united in saying that Jerusalem is a Muslim city that belongs to the Palestinians. Since 693 A.D., two prominent Muslim places of worship have stood upon the holy ground of the Temple Mount. The Muslims proclaim that there is no historical record of the Jews living in Jerusalem prior to modern times. This is a lie. Their lies ignore that Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible by name more than 800 times. In contrast, the Koran never mentions it one time by name!

The Tribulation Period will be a time when the world will be locked in a war with God and Israel over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Speaking of the Tribulation Period, Isaiah wrote, “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8).

W hen the last days of the Tribulation come, the world will gather its forces in the great battle of Armageddon against the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-9; 14:1-4).God will destroy all the military might of the world gathered against Jerusalem. God has warned, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. … And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:3, 9).

Today, all nations stand against God and Israel concerning the Jewish ownership and occupation of Jerusalem. Only one man and his former administration have dared to stand against the global rebellion against God – former President Trump. Love him or not, it is apparent that God raised him up for such a time as this. Is God done with Donald Trump? The entire world, except for his political party, and many Americans and Israelis, hate this man with a passion. Considering all of this, these next few months will be interesting to watch.

3. Daniel’s Prophetic Calendar

Daniel 9:24-27

In the year 538 B.C., the nation of Israel was about to complete a 70-year divine sentence of judgment while it lived in exile far away from its ancient homeland. According to Daniel 9:2, the godly prophet Daniel was made aware of the appointed time of the end of the Babylonian captivity. As Daniel was reading from the scroll of another contemporary prophet, Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:12), he began to wonder if this return of his people to Israel would also be related to the promises by other previous prophets of the coming of Messiah. So, Daniel began to pray and confess his sins and the sins of his people (Daniel 9:3-19). God heard Daniel’s prayer about the coming of Messiah and the Kingdom of God. Amazingly, God communicated to Daniel a wondrous prophetic calendar about future events that would lead up to the end of time and the coming of Messiah and His Kingdom. That calendar is explained in Daniel 9:24-27.

God told Daniel that the calendar He was giving him was a 490-year calendar that would precede the beginning of the Kingdom. Keep in mind that the word translated as “weeks” in this passage is the Hebrew word for “sevens.” These “sevens” were not about seven days, but a prophetic group of seven-years. According to this text, the calendar would begin with the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. According to Nehemiah 2, this date was March 14, 445 B.C. The period of the seven groups of seven years [49 years] mentioned in verse 25 would be followed by an additional 62 groups of seven years [an additional 434 years]. According to verse 26, this period [a total of 483 years] would bring the world to the time of the first coming of the Messiah. Amazingly, this 483-year period coincides with the exact time of the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry when He died and arose again.

When Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah, God’s prophetic calendar in heaven stopped with only the final seven-year period remaining on the calendar. Remember that this calendar was counting down to the time of the coming of the Messiah and the inauguration of His kingdom on earth.

This final seven-year period on this prophetic calendar is the seven-year Tribulation Period. This interpretation is confirmed by Jesus with His comments recorded in Matthew 24:15-26 about the approaching Antichrist, who will rule the world during the Tribulation Period. According to Daniel 9:27, God’s prophetic calendar in heaven will be activated when the Antichrist confirms a false peace covenant with Israel, beginning the Tribulation Period.

Are we witnessing the beginning of a false peace covenant with someone who has the desire to rule the world? Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24, that the false messiah would claim to be “in the desert,” which is east of Israel (Matthew 24:26). Notice that In Matthew 24:27, Jesus said that His coming would be “as the lightening [that] cometh outof the east.” Jesus’ return to the Mount of Olives at the end of the Tribulation Period will be an approach from the east. Therefore, it makes sense that the great counterfeiter of God would mimic the way the true Messiah will return to Jerusalem – from the east.

The desert area east of Israel is all Arab, Islamic lands. For several years now, we have been following the Abraham Accords. Several Arab leaders have established a peace agreement with Israel. The Bible tells us there will be 10 contemporary kings that will join the Antichrist in his alliance during the Tribulation Period (Revelation 17:12). It is apparent that those who are in the Abraham Accords will expand to eventually include a prominent leader among them.

It is my opinion that the Saudi Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman, is that leader the entire Middle East is looking for. He has repeatedly stated that he is on the verge of making peace with Israel. He has expressed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that he wants Saudi Arabia to be in control of the Temple Mount (apparently as a part of his peace deal with Israel). The crown prince has set a goal to make Saudi Arabia a global financial center (Revelation 13:16-18). At the same time, he is determined to lead the world in the application of Artificial Intelligence. This would set the stage for the fulfillment of the image of the Antichrist as mentioned in Revelation 13:14-15. Amazingly, he is building a city called Neom, which he says will become the spiritual, financial, and commercial hub of the world. This is the exact language of Revelation 17-18.

Friends, the stage is set for the Tribulation Period as never before!

4. The Timing of 7 Feasts of Israel

Leviticus 23

Friends, in the next issue of this publication, I will present the evidence that according to God’s appointed feasts with Israel, the Rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation Period is connected with the first fall feast of Israel – The Feast of Trumpets.

Friends, this is not some rare emotional claim. This understanding of the connection of the Rapture to the Feast of Trumpets is also the view and conviction of many Messianic Jewish scholars, like Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum. In His latest book, The Feast and Fasts of Israel, Dr. Fruchtenbaum gives overwhelming evidence to point to the Feast of Trumpets as the exact time of the Rapture of the church (pages 135- 174).

This year, the Feast of Trumpets will begin on October 2 and conclude on October 4. Could this year’s celebration of the Feast of Trumpets be the year that Messiah will come for His church? Only time will tell. In the next issue of this publication, I will consider this possibility. With all the things that are coming together, as I have presented in this newsletter, it seems very likely that this could be the year.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

July 2024 – Hell’s Battleground against Heaven

PTNews

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

July 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

Hell’s Battleground against Heaven

“For they are the spirits of [demons], working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:14

By Mike Wingfield

At this very moment, the angels in the heavens are preparing themselves for the final battle between heaven and hell. According to the Bible, since the early days of creation, a constant war has been unfolding in the spiritual realm over the affairs of this world. In a battle of opposing agendas, God and his angels in heaven are at war against Satan and his demons. As revealed in the final book of the Bible, Revelation, this war will culminate in a violent struggle that will encompass the nations of the world and all of creation. This war will last for seven years. We call it “The Tribulation.”

As we focus upon this coming war, I want to examine three questions from the Scriptures. (1) What is at the center of this war over the affairs of this world? (2) What do the agendas of heaven and hell focus upon? (3) What does this tell us about where we are now in relation to the beginning of this final war? The answers to these questions are found in the book of Revelation.

I am convinced that we have entered the final days of preparations for this war. Satan and his demons are very busy orchestrating their schemes to trick and deceive the wicked nations. They want the nations to join the forces of hell in their battle against God and His angels. One final battle on earth will culminate this seven-year war. It is called the Battle of Armageddon. Satan is already beginning to orchestrate his power moves in a desperate and futile attempt to defeat God. The Bible tells us how he will do this. Revelation 16 reports that Satan will use his Antichrist and False Prophet to deceive the nations by luring them into a military conflict in the Holy Land. Revelation 16:14, 16 states, “For they are the spirits of [demons], working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. …And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

It is very revealing to observe that this final battle of the ages will begin and end in Israel. It will begin when Satan’s superman, the Antichrist, confirms a false peace covenant with Israel, luring the Jewish nation into a time of deceptive peace (Daniel 9:27). As stated above, this war will end in Israel when the Antichrist deceives the nations of the world to join him in his final attempt to annihilate the Jewish nation of Israel.

Concerning that final day of the defeat of all nations at Armageddon, the prophet Isaiah wrote 2,700 years ago, “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood” (Isaiah 34:1-3).

*The Valley of Armageddon from the Hills of Nazareth.*

The call of Satan and his demons to draw the nations into battle with God in Israel fits perfectly into God’s sovereign permissive will. In Zechariah 14:2, God says, “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle.” The Lord will allow the world to join Satan in his final feud against His chosen people so that He can destroy all that gather against Him in the Holy Land. Zechariah 14:3 declares that at Armageddon, “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” After Armageddon, Satan and his demons will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3).

Look back to October 7, 2023. It is obvious that the heinous acts of brutality and savagery by Hamas and other radical Muslim terrorist groups against Israel have produced the initial momentum that will force hell and the nations to attack God at Armageddon. What happened on October 7 was preceded by decades of spiritual and physical preparations by Satan. His diabolical goal was to bring about a global demonic reaction against God and His chosen people, Israel.

The hateful extreme violence against the Jewish people on October 7, was preceded by 100 years of Satan-fueled hatred, jealousy, and vengeance (Ezekiel 35:5, 11). Since the beginning of the return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland 100 years ago, the Arabs have carried out numerous murderous attacks upon them. Arabs in the Middle East are licking their wounds from the losses they have suffered at the hand of Israel in previous wars. These Arab nations have made it their perpetual goal to drive the Jewish people from the Land of Israel. The political environments, education systems, and religious cultures in Arab countries are all geared toward one thing – the defeat of Israel. It is their ultimate goal.

Clearly, Israel was caught off guard when it was attacked by Hamas on October 7. The result of the attack sent the Islamic world into a feeding frenzy. This frenzy, spawned by demonic activity, has led the Islamic world to believe that Israel, for the first time in its modern history, is ripe for defeat. To make matters worse, the United States is openly supporting the creation of a Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital. Muslims are now chomping at the bit, as they believe their long-awaiting dream of ridding the world of Israel is within their grasp.

These rapid events are spawning a global tsunami of hatred toward Jews and Israel. This is not a surprise. Jesus told His Jewish disciples that at the end of this age “ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). A multitude of Scriptures teach that the nation of Israel will face a time of distress and trouble like no nation in all human history shall face (Jeremiah 30:3-7; Daniel 12:1). It will be this hatred for Israel that will drive the nations to Armageddon for their ultimate destruction.

The nations of Canaan prior to Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land in Joshua’s day heard about how God fought for Israel and a great fear of the Jewish people overwhelmed them. Listen to what Rahab told the Jewish spies that came into her house at Jericho, “And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath” (Joshua 2:9-11).

Fast forward to modern times, the world has seen the hand of God upon Israel in the wars that Israel has faced while defending itself against hostile Arab nations. They have dreamed of attacking Israel, but they had to overcome the fear of God.

In time of Joshua, the enemies of Israel were elated when Israel was defeated at Ai. As a result, these enemy nations in the land of Canaan were emboldened to attack Israel. God used this to harden their hearts against His people. Joshua 11:20states, “For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly…”

I am convinced that history is repeating itself. God is allowing pride within the nations of the world to turn against Israel and to side with the terrorists who are filled with hate, violence, and murder. This hatred will blind them and numb their consciences while leading them in their foolish pride to attack God and His eternal promises given to His chosen people.

The hatred and rejection of Israel and the Jewish people have their origins in the heart of Satan. Satan hates what God loves. He wants to curse what God blesses. He is determined to destroy what God has promised to build. One of hell’s major objectives is the annihilation of Israel. This is a strike at the heart of God and His eternal plan revealed in the Word of God.

It is apparent that God’s plan has become Hell’s prime target. In Genesis 12:1-3, God plainly stated that He chose a people and a land for His eternal purposes. God’s sovereign choice is what He is currently orchestrating in the Middle East. God has said to the world, “And I will bless them that bless thee [Israel and the Jewish people], and curse him the curseth thee (Genesis 12:3).

In the Bible, God has repeatedly declared six things that are holy unto Him. The word “holy” signifies that which God has set apart unto Himself for His eternal purposes. That which is holy becomes God’s unique possession and represents His nature, purposes, power, and divine calling. Therefore, Hell’s target is focused upon what God calls “holy.”

The identification of these six things that are holy to God will help us to answer our three questions. (1) What is at the center of this war over the affairs of this world? (2) What do the agendas of heaven and hell focus upon? (3) What does this tell us about where we are now in relation to the beginning of this final war?

Let us examine the six major aspects of God’s eternal plan:

1. Hell’s War against the Holy Nation

History repeatedly demonstrates that there is no nation or people group that has been hated and despised like the Jews. Because of their disobedience to Him, the Lord scattered them among the nations of the world (Deuteronomy 28:63-64). The dispersion of the Jewish people from their land occurred in the first century and continued for 18 centuries until they began to return to their ancestral homeland at the beginning of the 20^th century.

God promised them that wherever they lived while being dispersed, they would be rejected. God said, “And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see” (Deuteronomy 28:65-67).

The hatred and rejection of Israel and the Jewish people have their origins in the heart of Satan. Satan hates what God loves. He wants to curse what God blesses. He is determined to destroy what God has promised to build. One of hell’s major objectives is the annihilation of Israel. This is a strike at the heart of God and His eternal plan revealed in the Word of God.

God chose the Jewish people out of all the nations to display who He is among the nations. He declared His love for them and designated them to be a holy nation (Deuteronomy 7:6-10). Therefore, those who wish to harm Israel are attacking God. Zechariah 2:8 declares, “For he that touches you [Israel] touches the apple of his eye.”

According to the eternal prophetic Word of God, the nation of Israel will be in existence at the end of this age. This nation will be the central focus of God’s blessings for 1,000 years!

The fact that our world is currently exploding with anti-Semitism is a clear indication we are nearing the end of this age. It appears that the demonic attack upon Israel on October 7 has triggered the events recorded in the Bible that speak of the end of this age.

2. Hell’s War against the Holy Land

Hell’s war against the nations is focused upon the land of Israel, God’s holy land (Zechariah 2:12). In Leviticus 25:23. God says, “the land is mine.” In the Bible, God continually refers to this land as “my land.” In Deuteronomy 11:12, the Holy Land is described by God as, “A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.”

The Holy Land was chosen by God as a place for Him to unfold His eternal plan. It was prepared by Him for the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 32:8-9). He promised them this land in an everlasting land covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:7-8).

God’s choice of this land has caused it to become the battleground with the forces of hell. From the very beginning, this land has been the center of a conflict between the children of Israel and their enemies. God told Abraham, “thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Genesis 22:17).

It is God’s passion to complete His promises to His covenanted people, Israel. Listen to Isaiah 62:4-5, “for the LORD delights in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” God says His delight is in His people and in His land. God has married the land to the Jewish people.

At the center of the world’s conflict with God is the ownership and occupation of the Holy Land. The world refers to biblical Judea and Samaria as “the West Bank.” The world is attempting to force Israel to surrender its Promised Land to the Palestinian people. This is not what Israel wants and it is not what the Arabs want. The Arabs want all the land that God gave His people. Their passionate desire is based upon the traditions of their religion – Islam. The battle for the Promised Land is a holy war between heaven and hell. The current war in the Middle East is a holy war.

3. Hell’s War against the Holy City

There is no city in the world like Jerusalem! [See photo on this page of the modern city of Jerusalem.] Jerusalem is mentioned by name more than 700 times in the Bible. It is repeatedly called “the Holy City,” and “the City of God.” According to Deuteronomy 12:11, God has chosen Jerusalem as the place of His Name. The Lord has declared, “I am jealous for Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:14). Obviously, this indicates that the city of Jerusalem is very significant in the eternal plan of God.

Because of God’s love for Jerusalem, Satan has determined to afflict this city and bring it to shame and destruction. Jerusalem has been besieged more than any other city in the world in history. According to World Atlas, “Throughout its history, the city has been destroyed at least two times, attacked 52 times, besieged 23 times, and recaptured 44 times.”

During the final years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be focused upon his dominance over this city. His forces will be swiftly and severely defeated by Messiah when He returns to Jerusalem to defend His people. In this final assault of Jerusalem, all the nations of the world will assist the Antichrist in his siege of Jerusalem. The ancient prophet Zechariah wrote with great detail about the events surrounding the battle of Armageddon and its attack upon the Holy City (Zechariah 12-14).

It appears that our world is currently being steered toward this final assault against Jerusalem. Israel is more hated and isolated than at any time in its modern history. The world wants to make Jerusalem the capital of a terrorist entity called Palestine. The Messiah will defeat these enemies and Jerusalem will be liberated.

Following this liberation, Messiah will rule over the nations of the world from Jerusalem, Israel for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-7). During this time, Jerusalem will become the capital of the world. Furthermore, Jerusalem will become the spiritual hub of the world (Isaiah 2:1-4).

Obviously, Satan and his demons will do anything to thwart God’s determined plan to elevate Jerusalem to its divine status before the eyes of all the world. Hell’s battleground is centered upon the city of Jerusalem. However, Satan’s demonic strategies will fail and God and His people, Israel, will prevail (Isaiah 14:24, 26-27).

4. Hell’s War against the Holy Mountain

The Holy Mountain of God is known in the Bible as Mount Zion or the Temple Mount. This mountain holds a very special place in the plans of God. Psalm 78:68 refers to this location as “the Mount Zion which He loved.” God considers it the focal point of His eternal plans on earth. “For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Psalm 132:13-14).

Since the days of Abraham, 4,000 years ago, this mountain has been called “the mount of the LORD” (Genesis 22:14). This mountain is on the east side of the ancient city of Jerusalem, facing the Mount of Olives. This mountain is also known as Mount Moriah, which was known as the place of Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of his son Isaac. Later, this mountain was purchased by King David (2 Samuel 24:18-25) as the location of the first temple to be built upon this site in the days of King Solomon (1 Kings 5-8). Since the days of Solomon, the Temple Mount became the exact location of all future temples in Israel.

Since the advance of Islam over the Middle East in the seventh century A.D., this mountain has been under the control of Muslim forces. Today, two Islamic structures stand upon this mountain, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock. Islamic authorities consider the Jewish Temple Mount to be the third most holy site in all the Muslim world.

One of the major flash points that will lead to a global war, with its epicenter in the Middle East, is the control of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. There is perhaps no piece of property on earth that carries more significance in the plans of God and of Satan’s future Antichrist than the Temple Mount.

Today, this mountain is at the center of world controversy. Israel states that it is its one and only capital. It has been its capital for 3,000 years. The final war that pits hell against heaven will be riveted upon the control of this mountain. The Bible calls the time of the Tribulation “the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8).

Satan and his demons will do anything to thwart God’s determined plan to elevate Jerusalem to its divine status before the eyes of all the world.

The Bible commands us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). This means we are to be praying for the Jewish people and supporting them in their rightful place of occupying and defending the nation against all enemies who are attempting to dislodge them from the holy places He has given to them as an everlasting possession. Those who stand with Israel in this struggle are standing with God. Those who oppose the nation of Israel are the enemies of God (Psalm 83:1-18). We are exhorted to do this “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18).

It is apparent that the whole world is at war with God and His people Israel. Without question, hell is about to enter the final phase of its war with heaven.

5. Hell’s War against the Holy Temple

There are many other temples on earth. However, there is only one temple that is called the Holy Temple. The Temple of God on His holy mountain in Jerusalem has been the ultimate place where God has demonstrated and displayed His glory, power, and blessings to mankind.

According to the Bible there have been two temples constructed upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Solomon’s temple was finished in 957 B.C. This magnificent temple stood in its hollowed place until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. When the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem, they built another temple upon the Temple Mount (Ezra 5-6). This temple was ultimately expanded and embellished by King Herod the Great beginning in 20 B.C. This temple was still under construction when it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

The Bible tells us two more temples will be constructed upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to Revelation 11:1-6, God will send two Jewish witnesses [Moses and Elijah] to help build a temple and reinstitute temple worship in Jerusalem during the Tribulation Period. This temple will be assaulted and desecrated by the Antichrist at the mid-point of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27).

The final temple will be constructed in Jerusalem during the millennial reign of the Messiah. This temple will be grand and will dwarf all previous temples (Ezekiel 40-46). It will be the location of global worship and the administration of the holy government of the Messiah over all the nations (Isaiah 2:1-4). The prophet Habakkuk wrote of this day when he said, “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

What a day that will be when Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, will rule over all the nations from His throne in Jerusalem. His kingdom will be a government of great peace and blessings to all people. Satan and his demons will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit at the beginning of this kingdom. This will prevent him from deceiving the nations (Revelation 20:3). Is it any wonder that he is feverishly working to prevent all of this from taking place? This is at the core of Satan’s frantic war against heaven.

6. Hell’s War against the Holy of Holies in the Holy Temple

The most holy place on earth in the future will be the holy place in the holy temple on the holy mountain, in the holy city of Jerusalem. In ancient days, only once a year at Yom Kippur, was the High Priest in Israel allowed to enter the Holy of Holies to present the yearly sacrifice upon the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. However, in the kingdom, the Messiah will rule over the nations from this most holy place. The One who shed His blood upon the cross for the sins of the entire world will rightfully take His seat in the Holy Place to bless the nations over whom He will rule.

The saved people from the former nations that were the enemies of Israel shall come up to Jerusalem to pay homage to the Jewish Messiah. Isaiah wrote, “The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 60:14). Jerusalem and its temple will be the global place of blessings for Israel and the world. Finally, the Jewish people will be honored for being the people of God who blessed all the nations (Genesis 12:3).

There will be no more war in Israel or in the world (Isaiah 2:4). The Bible gives this promise to Israel, “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise” (Isaiah 60:18). What a day that will be!

Satan does not want this day to arrive. His Antichrist will attempt to thwart the plan of God by entering the Holy of Holies at the time that is known as “the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15). This day will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation Period. The Apostle Paul spoke of the Antichrist’s rebellion against God as the one “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

As Psalm 2 declared, the entire world is in a rage of hatred for the Jewish people and the Holy One of Israel. The stage is set for the final war in the spirit world, and the Jewish people and the land of Israel are at the center of it all! At the heart of the world’s rejection of Israel is the rejection of Torah (the Word of God), and the Holy One of Israel.

God has determined that the rebirth and restoration of the nation of Israel be a beacon of truth, flashing a message of hope and warning in the face of an unbelieving world that Jesus the Messiah is soon to return.

God is judging the nations based on how they treat Israel. However, the citizens of the nations have been deceived by Satan and his demons. They have been conditioned by a blinding hatred and lies against the Jewish people so that they are blind and deaf to the will and power of God being displayed on earth today.

Friends, as we watch the war unfold in our world against Israel and the Jewish people, guard your heart against the great deception of our time. Do not believe the lies about Israel. Their army is the most moral army in the history of the world. The world is believing those who are calling for the destruction of Israel. Those who are fighting against Israel are not just using bullets, mortars, missiles, and bombs. Their chief weapon is deception. The enemies of Israel have been slandering the Jewish people for millennia of time. Don’t forget that Jesus has warned us that Satan is a murderer and a liar (John 8:44). Be careful who you believe. Our world is filled with liars who are like their father, the devil.

Stand with God and the Word of God. If you are not saved, now is the time to surrender your life to the Lord. We are rapidly approaching the end of this age. Your time to believe and trust in Christ is drawing to an end. Do not be foolish. Do not wait. Your soul and where you will spend eternity is at stake. I am convinced that many who are already in hell were waiting for the perfect time to trust in the Lord. They waited too long. Now, they are suffering their eternal damnation in fire. Do not let that happen to you!

God has great things in store for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. According to the prophetic Scriptures, the Lord will display His power and protection for His people and His land. Just as in the days of the Old Testament, there are many miraculous events that are about to take place for the glory of God and the protection of His people. Speaking of the Tribulation, the prophet Joel wrote, “Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. … Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things” (Joel 2:18, 21).

Get ready for the shout that will take us out!

URGENT REQUEST

Dear friends, we need your help. We are running out of time. This warning of the lateness of the hour needs to reach as many people as possible. Please help us do that by giving out this newsletter. Feel free to make copies, or order extra copies from us for distribution. Prayerfully think of your family and friends that need to hear the truth about what is happening in our world at this moment.

Israel is about to go to war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. This war will dwarf the war in Gaza. Israel’s response will be devastating to Lebanon. Israel has no choice but to respond with great power against the enemy in Lebanon who is taking their orders from a radical Islamic regime in Iran.

Israel has one of two choices to make. Either they will allow Iran to destroy all of Israel, or Israel will need to take drastic action against Iran’s agents in Lebanon.

The world’s reaction to Israel will be even harsher than what Israel has faced due to the war in Gaza. We are about to enter a very dangerous escalation of war that will impact the entire world.

Please help us to get this word out! For the glory of God and for the souls of mankind we ask for your help.

The printed and mailed newsletter is available for an annual donation of any amount to Mike Wingfield Ministries. We depend upon donations to continue sending you this newsletter.

April 2024 – God Loves Israel

April 2024

Download this Newsletter

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).

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!

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!