November 2021 – The End of the Church Age

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

October 2024

Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV

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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

November 2021

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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

By Mike Wingfield

The End of the Church Age

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery … that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Romans 11:25

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By Mike Wingfield

According to the Scriptures, the church, the body of Christ, suddenly began at the Jewish feast of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. Likewise, the end of the Church Age will take place at a sudden event in one day, the Rapture, recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

From the larger context of God’s eternal plan, His sovereign choice to work through the Jewish people took a sudden detour about 2,000 years ago when the church was birthed at Pentecost. Prior to the beginning of the church, God had exclusively worked through an ethnic group who trace its genetic roots back to the 12 sons of Jacob. This ethnic group is Israel, the Jewish people.

For more than 2,000 years, from the time of Abraham until Pentecost in Acts 2, God had exclusively communicated His revelation and salvation through His chosen people (Romans 9:4-5). Even when the Father sent His Son, Jesus, as the Messiah and the incarnate Son of God, He exclusively ministered to His Jewish brethren. Matthew, in his gospel wrote, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 9:35). When Jesus sent out His 12 apostles to preach, He gave them the following instructions, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans [an ethnic group that was a mixture of Jewish and Gentile genetic roots] enter ye not; But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:5-7).

In the early days of the church, the body of Christ was totally Jewish. Those who were saved on the day the church was born were all Jews (Acts 2:5). They had come to Jerusalem from other nations to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. It was not until Acts 10 that the first Gentile was saved and made a part of the spiritual body of Christ. This was a very difficult matter for the Jewish people to grasp. For at least two millennia, God had exclusively worked through a Jewish remnant to bring salvation to the

Jewish nation of Israel. After the sacrificial death of Jesus, the divine opening of God’s door of salvation to the Gentiles was a great mystery to the Jewish people.

The Apostle Paul, being directed by the Holy Spirit, has given us insight into this great mystery in Ephesians 2:11-3:12. It is extremely important that we Gentile believers grasp the truth of the mystery he wrote about in this text. In this letter to the Gentile believers in Ephesus, he explains the spiritual dilemma of the Gentiles prior to the suffering of Messiah on the cross. He explains, “Wherefore, remember, that being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, … ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now, in [Messiah] Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of [Messiah] (Ephesians 2:11-13).

Later, in a letter to the church at Rome, Paul would use another analogy to explain this great mystery. In Romans 11, he explained that God’s work of salvation was like the life that flows from God to the Jewish nation, which in this analogy is compared to a natural olive tree (Romans 11:15-24). He explains that due to the Jews’ rejection of God’s Son, God broke off some of the dead branches of the natural olive tree. At the same time, God would graft in branches from a wild olive tree. These branches of the wild olive tree would represent the Gentile converts in the new body of Messiah – the church.

According to the Bible, when we reach out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are shining the light of the glorious gospel into the spiritual darkness of their heart.

In the context of Romans 11, the Apostle Paul gives the Gentile church a very significant message. He has warned us to not be “wise in your own conceits” (Romans 11:25). Using the analogy of a living natural olive tree, Paul explains that the grafting in of the Gentile branches onto the Jewish trunk and roots of the natural olive tree is only a temporary arrangement. The time will come when Jesus will break the Gentile branches off of the tree and graft the Jewish branches back into the natural olive tree. In this analogy, the branches of a predominately Gentile church will continue to exist in God’s eternal plan “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). When this happens, God must supernaturally remove the Gentile branches with the Rapture. After the Rapture, God’s plan will once again be renewed [grafted in once again] with the salvation of the entire nation of Israel (Romans 11:26). During the Tribulation, God’s plan to reach the world with the gospel will not be through the church, but through a redeemed Jewish remnant. Once again, redemption will flow out to the Gentile nations from Jerusalem (Joel 2:32).

According to the prophetic Scriptures, the end of the Church Age will be marked by two prevailing conditions. The communication of these conditions is illustrated with another biblical analogy. The Bible depicts the saving work of God as a spiritual light shining into the spiritual darkness of the world. This analogy is repeated throughout the Word of God. In the Scriptures, the character of God is visualized as being like a great light. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Jesus is portrayed in the Bible as the great spiritual light that came into the world (John 1:4-5; 8:12). Likewise, the Bible is portrayed as being light. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

According to the Bible, when we reach out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are shining the light of the glorious gospel into the spiritual darkness of their heart. The Spirit of God works in their mind to illumine their true spiritual need of Jesus for salvation (2 Corinthians 4:6). When they respond with faith unto salvation, they are called out of their spiritual darkness to walk in the light of God’s Word (John 8:12).

When the Lord gave the Apostle Paul his commission to reach out to the Gentile world with the gospel, He told Paul that the gospel would “open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18).

With this understanding, let us examine two conditions that will mark the end of the church age:

Condition #1- The Reception of the Light of God’s Revelation

When the Lord sent out His apostles with the message of the gospel, He gave them specific marching orders as to how they were to proceed with their global mission. The book of Acts clearly delineates this commission and how it was carried out by the apostles and those who followed them.

My understanding of what I will share with you in this newsletter began in 1973 when I was a student at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. In a class on church history, my instructor, Ivan French, shared a unique observation he had made in his many years of studying church history in the book of Acts and in the records that followed up until modern times. I owe him a debt of gratitude for opening my eyes to this incredible observation about the pattern of the Holy Spirit’s work of shining the light of the gospel around the world.

After His resurrection, Jesus made many appearances over the next 40 days. When it was time for Him to ascend back to His Father in heaven, He gave His disciples the Great Commission to take the gospel around the world. He said to them, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy [Spirit] is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The preaching of the gospel was to begin in Jerusalem after the Holy Spirit came upon them on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. From here, the apostles were to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as they went out from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and then into the Gentile world.

The book of Acts records for us the missionary activity of the apostles as they were directed by the Holy Spirit. Ivan French observed that according to the book of Acts and the remaining 19 centuries, the Holy Spirit sent His messengers mainly to the west of Israel to begin the global assignment of taking the gospel to the Gentile world. From the church in Antioch, Paul and his associates went to Asia Minor, which is today called Turkey. Acts 13-16 records Paul’s evangelistic efforts in this area. Acts 17-19 gives us details about Paul’s work to the west as he took the gospel to Greece. Eventually, before his death, Paul would take the gospel further to the west in Europe, in Rome (Acts 28).

Ivan French explained that ancient records of church history demonstrate how the Spirit of God continued to move the light of the gospel further to the west in Europe. Then, he explained how the Spirit reached around the world with the light of the gospel. It was like the pattern of the sun moving across the face of the earth from east to west. He said that just as the sun moves across the face of the earth, behind it later that day comes the shadow of darkness and night. Even so, church history demonstrates that as the light of the gospel continued to move west, Israel, Turkey, and Greece began to experience apostasy in the church. Once again, spiritual darkness returned to those regions.

Ivan French explained that as the spiritual darkness settled upon Europe there were believers who wanted to escape and come to a new land to establish a new spiritual frontier on which to grow the church. Many of those who made the voyage across the Atlantic paid a great price to come to America. History demonstrates how America was founded by men of deep spiritual convictions. Here in America, the Word of God grew mightily. After bring firmly established, the American church would send out missionaries to the world.

However, as Ivan French explained in 1973, the spiritual darkness was moving across the face of America. He explained that the work of the Spirit in the 1970s was moving with the greatest reception in Communist China and other parts of the Far East. Then he paused to draw this conclusion. When the end comes, according to the prophetic Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will once again, after circling the globe, return to Jerusalem where He began this incredible mission. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish people will come to salvation in Jesus Christ as the Tribulation Period begins (Joel 2:28-32; Revelation 7). Once again, salvation will go forth from Jerusalem. The ancient prophet of Israel, Joel, writing about the time of the Tribulation declared, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call” (Joel 2:32).

As Ivan French neared the end of his comments on this subject, he reminded us that at some point, possibly in our lifetime, we would see the powerful moving of the Holy Spirit in Muslim countries in the area of the Persian Gulf, just to the east of Israel. He stated that when that occurred it would signal that the light of the gospel had circled the entire globe and was about to return to Israel. Then, the Jewish people would be saved at the opening of the Tribulation Period.

As my mind went back to that lecture 48 years ago, I wondered if there was any Scriptural evidence that would support Ivan French’s observation. My search led me to Malachi 1:11, “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles.” See also Psalm 50:1-2 and Psalm 113:2-3. The Scriptures and the historical pattern of church history seem to support the observation that God’s Spirit has been following a divine pattern of literally circling the globe from east to west to effectively bring the light of the gospel to the Gentile nations.

Today, the greatest reception of the gospel is in the Persian Gulf area to the east of Israel. We are being told by missionaries in these areas that tens of thousands of Muslims are coming to Christ and are born again. My friends, this is amazing! I remember in my seminary days that a missionary to the Muslims came to speak at our chapel and told how difficult his ministry had been. After 40 years of sharing the gospel with Muslims in that region, he had only one known convert! Look what is happening now. This is unprecedented!

I must remind you that this new spiritual awakening in Muslim countries is not due to some new effort on the part of Christian missionaries. It is the evidence of the powerful moving of the Holy Spirit in those countries that have for centuries been enveloped in great spiritual darkness. According to the Scriptures, salvation is the work of God. “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). What is happening in the Muslim countries east of Israel is the unique, supernatural work of God fulfilling His eternal purposes.

According to current records, 11 of the top 20 countries in the world where the gospel is most effectively being received are in Muslim countries. These countries include Iran, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen. Friends, this is stunningly amazing! It is a powerful sign that before the Muslim antichrist appears with his powerful deception, God in His mercy is reaching out to Muslims who are caught in this trap of spiritual deception that has gripped that part of the world for 14 centuries. He knows those who are open to the gospel, and He is making sure that they will hear the gospel and be saved before this time of great spiritual deception arrives. Our great God is the God of true deliverance and salvation. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). What a God we serve! Why not take time now to bow your head and thank Him for saving you?

We are being told that the Holy Spirit is moving in Iran with great power and tens of thousands of Iranian Muslims are coming to Christ. The Christian Broadcast Network has reported that “Christianity is growing faster in the Islamic Republic of Iran than in any other country.” Another documentary states that the new Iranian converts are “bowing their knees to the Jewish Messiah – with kindled affection toward the Jewish people.” It is reported that there are now more than 1 million Christians in Iran.

How is this happening now? What is taking place in these Muslim countries to cause hundreds of thousands of Muslims to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ? They know that becoming a Christian in the heart of Islamic territory could cost them their lives. Thousands of these born-again believers have already given their lives for their new-found Savior – Jesus Christ. In many cases, their own family has killed them as commanded by their Islamic authorities.

Many in Iran and other Muslim countries are hearing the gospel beamed into their countries by satellite radio. Muslims are trapped in a cruel religious system and are looking for hope. They are finding freedom and hope in Jesus Christ. Jesus has declared, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Furthermore, in thousands of cases, we are being told by conservative evangelical missionaries that many of these new Muslim converts are reporting that a man wearing a long flowing robe and identifying Himself as Jesus has come to them in a dream or vision during the night. He gives them instructions to look for someone who has a message from Him. Eventually, those who received these visions were able to speak with a believer. They were given the gospel. Each one, without exception, gave their life to Christ. Obviously, this is the work of the Holy Spirit!

The testimony of the Scriptures is that faith produced due to the demand to see some touchable evidence is a lesser faith than the faith that comes as a result of just hearing God and believing Him without any external proofs.

As I personally examined all of this, the Spirit of the Lord directed me to Joel 2:28-29. In this text, during the beginning of the Tribulation Period, the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon the sons of Israel to bring them to salvation. Joel wrote, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:28-29).

This text has been incorrectly interpreted and applied by many of our precious, charismatic brethren. First, this passage has no application to the charismatic signs and wonders movement that has been so prevalent in the last 100 years. The Apostle Peter correctly noted that what happened on the day of Pentecost was a partial fulfillment of this prophetic utterance of Joel. Those who spoke in tongues and exhibited supernatural signs at Pentecost were all Jews (Acts 2:5). According to Joel, the Lord’s promise in this text was for the Jewish people. Study the context of Joel 2. Immediately before verse 28, in verse 27 God said, “And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.”

This is a very significant observation when considering our understanding of the supernatural sign gifts of the Holy Spirit. They were given to the Jewish people and for the Jewish people to produce believing faith. The Bible says, “Wherefore, tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not” (1 Corinthians 14:22). Paul, himself being a Jew, declared, “the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22). In other words, the Jews needed some supernatural tangible evidence in order to believe what God had said. That is why the first person in the Bible to be endued with supernatural signs was Moses in the book of Exodus. Other leaders of Israel who were given supernatural sign gifts were Elijah and Elisha, who were ministering as prophets of God to Israel at a time of great spiritual apostasy. God did not give these men supernatural gifts to elevate them to some type of special spiritual status. These signs were given to them to authenticate their mission and their message as being from God (Exodus 3:1- 4:5).

Later, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and said, “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds” (2 Corinthians 12:11). The authentication of these miracles during Paul’s ministry did not elevate him to some super spiritual position. In the previous verse he said, “I am become a fool in glorying … I be nothing” (2 Corinthians 12:11).

The testimony of the Scriptures is that faith produced due to the demand to see some touchable evidence is a lesser faith than the faith that comes as a result of just hearing God and believing Him without any external proofs. Look at the example of Thomas after the resurrection in John 20:24-29. Thomas refused to believe until he saw the scars in the hands and feet of His Savior. This was the typical response of the entire Jewish nation from the time of Moses. After Jesus appeared to Thomas and he saw his resurrected Lord, Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The Scriptures and church history demonstrate that as the church became less Jewish and the Jewish apostles began to pass off the scene in the first century, the sign gifts also began to disappear. This is exactly what the Scriptures indicate would happen. In 1 Corinthians 13:8, Paul reminded the church at Corinth, a predominately Gentile congregation, that tongues would “cease.” The Greek word for cease does not mean that the sign gifts would be permanently retired by God. It means they would be temporarily placed on a shelf until the end times when the Lord would once again renew His work of salvation among the Jewish people. Therefore, when the end would come, sign gifts would be renewed by God to reach His Jewish people, because “the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22).

These sign gifts would primarily come through the two Jewish witnesses [probably Moses and Elijah] during the first half of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:3-6). They would also accompany many other Jewish believers during the Tribulation (Joel 2:28-32).

During the days of the early church, these supernatural gifts were also given to Gentile believers. Good examples of this were the first Gentile converts in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48) and the Gentile believers in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 12, 14). According to the overall testimony of the Scriptures, it is apparent that the Lord endued these Gentile believers with these supernatural sign gifts because of their Jewish audience. It was to bring Jews to salvation. Paul wrote to the Gentile church in Rome and reminded them that “salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [the Jews] to jealousy” (Romans 11:11).

The church did begin in one day at the feast of Pentecost in Acts 2. However, it took several years for the Jewish people to transition into a new mindset to recognize what had happened. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, this was a great mystery for the Jewish believers. Therefore, I am convinced that much of the book of Acts represents a unique transition period in the work of God. During this time, He schooled the Jewish mindset to understand that the Gentiles would play the major role in the new work of God called the church. That is why this transition period was filled with unique signs and wonders. Once God’s revelation clarified what He was doing, the sign gifts began to dissipate. The Scriptures and the records of church history confirm this.

As previously mentioned in this article, the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 11:25-26, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” It is my opinion that we are once again in another transition period as the Church Age comes to an end. God is transitioning back to His original plan of bringing salvation to His Jewish people. Therefore, the visions and dreams of Jesus among the Gentiles in the Muslim countries is a powerful sign that we are approaching the end of the Gentile church age.

Could it be that the dreams and visions mentioned by Joel will also be of the same nature within the Jewish nation at the beginning of the Church Age? Jesus personally appeared to a Jewish rebel named Saul on the road to Damascus and brought him to salvation (Acts 9:1-22). Will He once again appear in dreams and visions to the Jews people during the Tribulation to bring them to salvation? I cannot be dogmatic about this. However, it does seem to have some validity as we exam the Scriptures and see what the Lord has previously done. All of this seems to powerfully point to the end of the Church Age, which will happen on a specific day – the day of the Rapture.

Condition #2- The Resistance of the Light of God’s Revelation

There is another condition that marks the end of the Church Age. According to the Scriptures, the light of the gospel will be rejected both by the world and by the professing church at the end of this age.

First, the light of the gospel will be resisted from outside the church. Jesus said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The church of Jesus Christ, from the very beginning, has been met with resistance from the godless culture of the world. The book of Acts recorded this resistance, and it has continued until this very day. The believers in Jesus have suffered persecution and martyrdom as Satan attacks the Lord’s true church.

When the end of this age comes, the Scriptures testify that believers in Jesus Christ will continue to suffer great persecution and martyrdom. While speaking to His Jewish disciples about the signs of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus 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). Those who follow and record what has happened in the last 100 years tell us that more believers in Jesus have been martyred in the last century than in the previous 19 centuries combined! Wherever Communist or Islamic governments rule over men, believers in Jesus have been brutally tortured and killed. As the restraining influences over Islam and Communism are being removed, evil is beginning to escalate out of control. This has been recently illustrated in Afghanistan. While U.S. troops were keeping some relative form of peace in parts of that Muslim country, new believers in Jesus felt somewhat safe. However, now that we have withdrawn from Afghanistan, Christians are being tortured and killed. As the U.S. ceases to restrain evil in the world, it creates the perfect environment for global persecution and killing of believers.

Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, was the former Attorney General in Iran during the 1980s. He was known as “the butcher,” killing thousands who opposed the new Islamic Republic of Iran and its radical agenda. It is believed he is preparing for a brutal attack against the Christian population in Iran. According to the prophetic Word of God, Satan is preparing to kill millions of Christians around the world. This is the trend that will only intensify after the Rapture of the church.

Secondly, the light of the gospel will be resisted from inside the professing church of the last days. According to the prophetic Word of God, the end of this age will also be characterized as a time of dangerous spiritual deception, apostasy, and apathy in the church (Luke 18:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1). It is shocking to discover that many who call themselves Christians in America are openly rejecting the Word of God!

Therefore, the reception and resistance of the light of the gospel in our world today tells us that we are very near the end of the Church Age! His coming must be at hand.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

April 2021 – The Satanic Rebellion and the End of Days

PTNews

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

April 2021

Published monthly

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006

The Satanic Rebellion and the End of Days

“When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases:

but the righteous shall see their fall.” Proverbs 29:16

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By Mike Wingfield

War is raging around us. There has been an ongoing, continuous war in the spiritual realm since the rebellion of Satan in heaven near the beginning of time. We are talking about a real war between evil angels, called demons, and good angels that serve the Lord. The central passage in the final book of the Bible reads, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon [Satan]; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not: neither was their place found any more in heaven” (Revelation 12:7, 8). In light of this, we should view the final seven years of this age, the Tribulation Period, as the final phase of a war that has existed for almost the entire history of creation.

Obviously, Satan knows just how crucial this war is. He knows that God has declared him the loser of this conflict. When the final battle, Armageddon, is fought, Jesus will be the victor. He will speak the word, and the armies of the Antichrist gathered in Israel and surrounding Jerusalem, will all suddenly be consumed (Zechariah 14:12). The Antichrist and his false prophet will be “cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20). Then, Satan will be bound and cast into a bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:2, 3).

Since the time of his creation as a good angel – Lucifer – the Devil has never been bound. He has been free to fight against God in heaven and on earth (Job 1:6, 7). Therefore, in his wrathful desperation, he will do anything to keep himself from that dreadful moment when he will be confined to the bottomless pit. Thus, it makes perfect sense to realize that if the Devil believes the Tribulation Period is about to begin, he will use everything at his disposal to carry out his final rebellion against God. Satan’s war chest includes demons, people, and the nations of the world. While we know Satan cannot win, he is still on prowl like a dangerous wild animal. And he will become increasingly cunning and desperate as he carries out his final rebellion against God.

It is apparent that we are watching a full-blown explosion of evil around the world. Lawlessness, wickedness and immorality are escalating each day. This proves that Satan and his demons are busy at work, orchestrating their preparations for the horrific time to come, called, “the Tribulation.”

Before the election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States in 2016, it appeared that our world was sliding toward circumstances that would establish an evil New World Order. Then, to the chagrin of those who crave a New World Order, Donald Trump’s election became a shocking reality. It became apparent that President Trump’s world view was more biblical than that of most of his predecessors in the last several decades. He stood on the moral high ground with the laws of God’s Word. He attempted to defend the U.S. Constitution, which was framed by men who had great respect for the Word of God. President Trump spoke out against abortion. He took a stand against the moral filth that had been wrapping its wicked tentacles around the American culture for many decades. He supported the biblical view of marriage between a man and a woman. He firmly stood by Israel, defending its occupation and control of Jerusalem and the Promised Land.

President Trump was a great defender of our nation. He desired to protect our borders from those who wanted to illegally enter. He strengthened our military to stand up against evil nations, like China, Iran, and Russia. These nations are our avowed enemies and they are plotting our destruction. He exposed the unfair trade tariffs and policies with China. He was a great supporter of promoting and defending law and order, which is at the heart of what government has been divinely ordered to do (Romans 13:3-4).

As a good leader, he made decisions based upon what was good for his country. He took a stand against socialism and the New World Order. He did not always agree with the actions and decisions of the United Nations. Under his leadership, the United States officially withdrew from some of the more corrupt organizations within the U.N.

President Trump took a hard stand against global terrorism. He opposed the deadly nuclear deal with Iran, which had been crafted by President Obama and the liberal nations of Europe. These evil world leaders did this, knowing that Iran was the greatest terrorist-sponsoring state in the Middle East. Moreover, they knew that this deal would pose a lethal threat to our friends and allies in this volatile region – especially Israel.

President Trump also understood the motives behind the Palestinian opposition of Israel. His administration withdrew the United State’s support of the Palestinians because he knew our tax dollars were being used for evil purposes against the Israelis. The Palestinian leadership was using these funds to make themselves rich, and to pay the families of terrorists who had killed Israelis. Under the leadership of President Trump, ISIS, a wicked and vile terrorist organization, was also defeated.

In essence, President Trump stood up in the face of evil around the world and said, “No more!” As a result, the evil leaders around the world and in the U.S. rallied against him. Their hatred for him was very open. If the truth were known, we would see how the evil leaders of the world joined the liberal establishment in Washington D.C. to be sure that Donald Trump would not serve a second term. The liberal media was blatantly complicit with their political agenda. Behind the scenes, this plot was bankrolled by evil men like George Soros. They considered Donald Trump a threat to their evil agenda. They want to force this agenda upon America and all nations.

Since the election of Joe Biden, we have witnessed an attempt to erase all of the policies and accomplishments of our former president. America is right back where it was four years ago. It is apparent that the liberal, socialist, left in America is once again joining hands with our enemies to destroy our great nation. Their ultimate aim is to usher in an evil New World Order.

The Biden administration is embracing evil leaders and wicked policies at a maddening pace. They fear their window of opportunity to advance their globalist agenda is very narrow. So, they must act fast.

Following in the mold of his party’s predecessor, President Barak Obama, President Biden has made known his desire to re-establish the nuclear deal with Iran. Many of the Sunni Arab Gulf State leaders, like Saudi Arabia, have told President Biden that this would be dangerous for the Middle East and the rest of the world. Israel has also voiced its grave concerns about the U.S. recommitting itself to the disastrous policy of empowering the evil Iranian leadership. These religious leaders in Iran are driven by their apocalyptic desires to control the Middle East and the entire world. Other world players that have close economic ties with the Iranians include Russia, China, and India. The blind leadership of these countries is not aware that they are creating a monster that wants to destroy them also.

In another unwise move, the Biden administration is going soft on militant Islamic terrorist groups in the Middle East. Biden has removed the Houthi Rebels, a militant Islamic terrorist organization, funded and trained by Iran, from the official terrorist list in the U.S. The Houthi Rebels, stationed in Yemen, have joined other terrorist groups in their ongoing attack against Saudi Arabia. Iran’s ultimate goal in the Middle East is to destroy Israel and to take over oil rich Saudi Arabia, the center of the Islamic world.

And in yet another reversal of a Trump policy, the current administration has reinstated Palestinian offices in Washington. Plus, it is once again sending funds to support the Palestinian cause. President Biden has made it known that he wants to return to an old way of thinking that would establish a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. This will force Israel to surrender some of the Promised Land to the Palestinians. Furthermore, Biden seems to be ignoring all of the progress that had been made in the Abraham Accords, which are a joint statement between Israel and other Arab Persian Gulf states and the United States, reached in 2020. It seems to be of little value to him that a new hope for peace was beginning to materialize, with Islamic states signing agreements to normalize relationships with Israel. It seems that the new leadership in Washington is being driven by a boiling hatred that is aimed at destroying all of the good accomplishments of the Trump administration.

President Trump fought a fierce battle with the entrenched liberal political machinery for four years over border control. The president strongly desired to build a strong defense system along our border with Mexico. Once again, by executive order, President Biden has reversed all of President Trump’s policies with regard to controlling the number of immigrants allowed into the country. Reports indicate that some days more than 3,000 illegal immigrants are crossing the border into our country.

Not only is Biden not concerned about the safety of our nation, he has ordered hotels along the border be made available to these illegal immigrants. It seems that the Biden policies are aimed at encouraging these immigrants to storm our border and enter our country. Local law enforcement and political establishment are warning that what is happening presents a grave danger to the future of the United States. U.S. citizens along the border feel threatened. COVID-19 is spreading. Cars and property are being stolen. Women are being raped. Even some of the Democrats are attempting to change the president’s mind concerning his liberal border policies.

Perhaps one of the most threatening policies of the current administration is their friendship and cooperation with China. Anyone with eyes open to read a little, knows that China wants to rule the world. Hence, the communist leadership in China wants to bring about the demise of the United States of America. They want to destroy us politically, militarily, morally, socially, spiritually, and economically.

Picture of U.S. and Mexico border with defense walls.

Last November, President Trump came to the realization that public and private Chinese companies were available on Wall Street for American investors. This would merely help make China stronger. Many of these companies of the People’s Republic of China are military companies that support the technology and growth of a military that is sworn to the destruction of the United Sates. Therefore, on November 12, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13959 to make it illegal for Wall Street to allow these Chinese companies to receive investment funds from Americans.

In essence, President Biden, shortly after he became president, caved in to China’s complaints about President Trump’s executive order. Consequently, millions of Americans are again investing in the destruction of their own country. Sadly, they do not realize what they are doing. This is an outrage and disgrace to the American people!

In an electrifying and frightening article from Gatestone Institute on February 10, 2021, Gordon Chang, who is a Gatestone Distinguished Senior Fellow and member of its Advisory Board) presented an article, “China is Creating a New Master Race.” Here are some excerpts from this article, “U.S. intelligence shows that China has conducted human testing on members of the People’s Liberation Army in hope of developing soldiers with biologically enhanced capabilities. … The People’s Liberation Army has gone all-in on editing of humans. There are no ethical boundaries to Beijing’s pursuit of power.

“Chinese scientists already are on the road of ‘gene-doping’ to make future generations smarter and more innovative than those in countries refusing to embrace these controversial methods. What you are witnessing in China is the convergence of advanced technology with cutting-edge bio-sciences, capable of fundamentally altering all life on this planet according to the capricious whims of a nominally Communist regime.

“What is most disturbing about these endeavors is that China has gleaned access to CRISPR and advanced genetic and biotech research, thanks to their relationship with the United States and other advanced Western nations. American research labs, biotech investors, and scientists have all striven to do research and business in China’s budding biotech arena … because the ethical standards for research … are so low. … China’s regime does not have ethics or decency, is not bound by law, and does not have a sense of restraint. It does, however, have a technology to start a whole new species of genetically enhanced, goose-stepping humans” (Gordan G. Chang, Gatestone Institute, “China Is Creating a New Master Race,” February 10, 2021).

When I read this report, it made me think of what was happening in the days of Noah. In some way, a new generation of wicked people was being created by the union of “the sons of God” and the “daughters of men” (Genesis 6:2). While we cannot be sure about this, it seems that this was a new generation of demonically-controlled human beings who were bold in their wickedness and violence. God would not tolerate this, so He judged the entire generation with the global flood. I do not believe that God will allow this evil regime in China to alter the biological makeup of the human race. China’s day of divine judgment is coming!

In another article by Gordon Chang, in Newsweek, he reveals that China is engaged in horrific genocide against some of its own minorities. He writes, “China is committing the world’s most abhorrent crimes. An unspeakable evil is taking place. … Uyghur [a Muslim minority] women are routinely tortured and raped by government officials, clearly with the approval of the state. Girls from minority groups have been sexually violated.

“More than a million – and perhaps over three million – Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities are being held in concentration camp-like facilities termed ‘vocational education and training center.’ Their goal is to destroy everyone. … There are persistent and credible reports of organ harvesting. Call this murder – and murder, that is, on a mass scale.

“Children are often separated from their parents and housed in prison-like ‘orphanages.’” (www.newsweek .com, February 16, 2021).

China, like all evil regimes and cultic groups, realizes to be successful in controlling a culture and society; they must capture the minds of the children. For decades, China reiterated that it was an atheist society. Now, they have changed their strategy. With millions of Christians illegally operating in their country, the Chinese government is now using state-run schools to teach kids to hate God. They tell the children that Christianity is an evil cult. Crosses are being removed throughout China.

U.S. government officials and Wall Street investors are holding hands with the devil. The policies and practices of doing business with China are helping to promote an evil regime that is plotting to place everyone on earth under its control.

Communists and Muslims are plotting to take over the world. Only the resistance of the U.S. has stood in their way. It is apparent that the policies of the Biden administration are helping to advance the cause and dreams of the evil leaders in China, Russia, and Iran. It is clear that these countries want to destroy Christianity and the United States so they can rule the world.

As this transpires, the war within the spirit world is ramping up. Evil is running rampant all over the world. As believers in Jesus Christ we must realize that all of this indicates that the coming of our Lord for His church is growing near.

We must stand with God as the spiritual darkness escalates all around us. God is very much aware of what is happening, and He cares. “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). God hates evil. “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way” (Proverbs 8:13).

What should we do as believers? We need to confront evil by sharing the gospel. A light shines the greatest in the darkest of night. We also need to brace and prepare ourselves for the evil days that are ahead. Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” We must also fight against evil by putting on the armor of God – truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). We are commanded to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

We must be very careful that we too are not participants in the evil of our day. Listen to what God said to the wicked citizens of Israel in the days of the great prophet Jeremiah. “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). The root of their evil was to replace God by being independent of Him. Instead of trusting God by drinking from the fresh water He provided, they made cisterns [underground cavities to collect rain water]. They were trusting themselves, rather than God. Our culture, with all of its man-made conveniences, promotes independence from God. It is all too easy for us to forget that everything we have is a gift from God – not the man-made system we have today. This too is evil!

(Pictured above) The three leaders of the nations that most threaten the world today: Iran, China and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhan.

The Bible has promised us that these days would come. “But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). The Bible has also warned us what these evil days would produce. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).

This must be a time for praying and mourning for America. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked [reign], the people mourn.”

As believers in Jesus Christ, we can take heart that our God is on the throne. In the end, evil will lose the battle in heaven and on earth. During the Tribulation, God will pour out His wrath upon the wicked. God says, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible” (Isaiah 13:11).

Ultimately, the final punishment of the wicked is eternal damnation in hell. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).

Shoes Dedicated to Satan

As our world grows darker by the minute, we must realize that the ultimate expression of evil is the worship of Satan. During the Tribulation, this will become an expanding reality (Revelation 9:20). This is already a growing phenomenon in America and the world. For example, a new athletic shoe has just been released, which is dedicated to Satan. Each pare comes complete with a pentagram and a drop of human blood in each shoe. Each shoe also contains the number 666 and comes in a limited edition of 666 pairs.

For more information, check out, www.the gatewaypundit.com .

Signs of the Approaching Tribulation

There are a number of developments that signal that the Tribulation Period is approaching.

Geological Activity– As we have reported numerous times, the increase of earthquakes and volcanoes will be the trademark of the wrath of God during the final seven years of this age (Luke 21:11). Israel365news reports that during the first 65 days of 2021, there were 42 major earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or greater that shook the planet. In 2017 there were only 15 during this same period of time, compared with 24 in 2018, 20 in 2019, and 24 last year. This definitely shows that seismic activity is increasing.

Of particular interest are developments in Iceland. During the first week of March, “Iceland was hit by more than 18,000 earthquakes … including a magnitude 7.3, a magnitude 7.4, and a magnitude 8.1 earthquake” (www. israel365news.com, March 7, 2021). Following this report there have been several volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Currently, there are 43 volcanoes erupting around the world.

Magnetic Pole Shifting– It is alarming and revealing to read the scientific reports about the changes in the magnetic field inside of earth. Most people think of the North Pole as being the center of earth’s magnetic field. That is what a compass would indicate. However, in recent decades, that is staring to change. “The magnetic pole is mostly the result of ferrous fluids moving around in the earth’s core. The magnetic pole naturally moves and has even been known to shift hemispheres, turning the magnetic north pole into the magnetic south pole. As the poles shift, the magnetic field weakens. In the last 30 years, the rate of distance that the magnetic north pole moves per year sped up from about 9.3 to around 34 miles per year, moving out of northern Canada, across the Arctic Ocean, and toward Siberia” (www.israel365 news.com, March 7, 2021). Scientists claim there is evidence that this major pole shift occurred thousands of years ago and it will take place again. Another indicator is that the earth has lost about 30 percent of its magnetic intensity since scientists began measure it decades ago.

In light of this, it is most interesting to see that during the Tribulation, the Bible speaks of God turning the earth “upside down” (Isaiah 24:1). While this is happening, the earth will also go through a dangerous time of intense heat from the sun (Malachi 4:1; Revelation 16:8-9). Scientists claim that the earth is currently being protected from the most dangerous rays of the sun’s radiation by the magnetic shield around it at the poles. As the magnetic intensity of the earth deteriorates, it makes earth more vulnerable to the dangerous radiation of the sun, and solar flares. Scientists claim that this could act like a magnetic pulse that would naturally wipe out earth’s electrical grid systems in a matter of seconds. This would leave the inhabitants of earth without electricity for years. I personally believe that this will take place either before the rapture or shortly thereafter. It will perfectly set the stage for the horrific events that will unfold during the Tribulation.

Saudi’s Recognize Temple Mount is Jewish– When the end of this age comes, something will materialize in the Arab-Islamic world that will cause it to give permission to Israel to build its temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2). This temple will play a major role in events at the end of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

The last temple to stand on this location was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. In the last 1,300 years, this has been considered by Muslims to be a significant location to their religion. In the last few centuries, Muslims claimed that their founding prophet, Muhammad, ascended to heaven from this location, making it important to them.

However, in recent years, it has become known that the Islamic mosques on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem did not exist at the time of Muhammad. Now, reports coming out of Saudi Arabia, are saying that Jerusalem is the “eternal capital of the Jewish people” (Israel Today, March 8, 2021). The Saudis are reminding Muslims that the true holy sites of their religion are Mecca and Medina, which are in Saudi Arabia.

Is this setting the stage for Israel to claim total sovereignty over the Temple Mount and to rebuild their temple? If so, we are getting very close to exciting events that will set the stage for the Tribulation.

March 2021 – The Approaching Tribulation

PTNews

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

March 2021

Published monthly

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006

The Approaching Tribulation

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning

of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21

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By Mike Wingfield

In the last few newsletters, I have tried to help us understand that our nation and world are being transformed in preparation for the events that will transpire during the Tribulation Period. I am convinced very few people really understand what will unfold during the Tribulation. I pray that God will use this article to open your eyes to a biblical understanding of what is coming. We will not be here for the Tribulation. But we need to be concerned for those who will be left behind.

Before we begin to examine what the Bible says about the approaching Tribulation, there is one very important matter we must consider – Who is God? If our minds and hearts are not focused upon what the Bible says about God, then we will reject or struggle with what the Bible teaches about the Tribulation Period. An awesome reverence of God is the bedrock foundation of biblical faith. The Bible declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).

The Bible speaks about our God in terms that sometimes seem to be contradictory. God loves, yet He hates. The Bible speaks of God’s salvation, but also His condemnation. He is a God of mercy and wrath. He blesses some people and curses others. How can we reconcile all of this? The answer is found in the chief attribute of God – His holiness. God is morally, intellectually infinitely good in all of His will, His ways, and His words. He is faithful. He will do what He promises. God says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Romans 12:19).

Because God is holy, He hates all sin. He has warned us that He does not and will not ignore sin. Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account therefore in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). God has promised that individuals will have their day in court with Him. They will give an account of their life. [If you are interested in more details on this judgment, order my book: Your Judgment Day – the Most Important Day of Your Life.]

However, that is not where God’s judgment ends and be-gins. The Bible teaches that God judges cities, nations, and cultures in this life. That is why He judged the world in Noah’s day, the Tower of Babel, and Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible promises that at the end of this age, God will judge all nations. This period of time is called, “The Tribulation.” Let us examine what the Bible says about this unique period of time that is coming in the future.

The Names of the Tribulation

The significance of the Tribulation is revealed in the titles that the Holy Spirit has given to it in the Bible. Listed below are only a few of these titles.

The Tribulation– The most popular and frequent title of this period is the one given to it by our Lord in His Olivet Discourse. He called it the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). Jesus has promised all believers they will have some degree of tribulation in this world (John 16:33). However, in the context of Jesus’ discourse in Matthew, it is clear that He was referencing this period of unprecedented global troubles and sorrows. The Greek word for tribulation is thilipsis, which means affliction, anguish due to pressure, or a time of great distress. It is the picture of a person being caught in a deadly trap. The mental anguish is extraordinary to a person, because they do not see a way of escape. Ultimately, they believe this trap will lead to their death. In Luke’s record of this same discourse by Jesus, he adds that Jesus described this as a time, when “men’s hearts [will be] failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26).

The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance– Isaiah 34:8; 61:2

In the context of Scripture, this speaks of the future element of time to be considered, and especially the coming day of the Lord’s revelation when He returns to earth in all of His holy anger. God has promised that He will bring vengeance against all sin (Romans 12:19). We live in a world where people think that God will not defend His holy honor, His people, His law, or His land. Psalm 10:6, 10, declares that the wicked has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved: for I shall be in adversity. … God hath forgotten: he hides his face, he will never see it.” God is storing up His vengeance. When He unleashes it, it will be the culmination of His holy justice to man’s defiant disobedience and rebellion.

The Year of Recompenses for the Controversy of Zion– Isaiah 34:8

It is abundantly clear from Scripture that the Lord will judge the nations on the basis of how they have treated His people – the Jews, the nation of Israel, and the Promised Land (Genesis 12:3; Matthew 25:31-46). The Bible indicates that the hatred against God’s people is motivated by Satan and his demons (Revelation 12:1-17). The recurring and constant plague of anti-Semitism will culminate in the Tribulation Period and surpass anything the nation of Israel, or any other nation, has endured in all of human history (Daniel 12:1). The climax of the world’s hatred against Israel will be expressed at Armageddon (Joel 3:1-3). The Tribulation Period will be God’s ultimate fulfillment of His pledge to curse all those who have cursed His people.

The Year of My Redeemed– Isaiah 63:4

This title of the unique Tribulation Period speaks of one of God’s major purposes for it. The entire period will be a time when God heals the spiritual blindness of Israel, and millions of Jews will be saved. Moses and Elijah will re-turn to proclaim the gospel to their people and display the power of God (Revelation 11:3-6). As a result, 144,000 young Jewish men will be saved (Revelation 7:1-8). The Lord will pour out His Spirit upon His people and spiritual deliverance will take place in Jerusalem (Joel 2:27-32). The final living remnant of the Tribulation will be saved on the day of Christ’s revelation. They will look upon Him whom “they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him” (Zechariah 12:10). They will see the nail scars in His hands and ask, “What are these wounds in your hands?” (Zechariah 13:6) The Lord will answer, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” (Zechariah 13:6). Every living Jew who has not yet repented will do so at that moment. And, the entire nation will consist of born-again believers, prepared for the Kingdom of God. This will be the day when the “LORD binds up the breach of his people, and heals the stroke of their wound” (Isaiah 30:26). Jeremiah 33:8 gives this promise of God to Israel, “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me: and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.”

The Indignation– Isaiah 26:20

The word indignation speaks of God’s rage, anger, and fury. This entire period of time should be seen as a time when the wrath (fury) of God will be poured out upon the wicked inhabitants of earth (Isaiah 13:9, 13; Isaiah 63:1-6; Revelation 6:17). It is chilling when a person considers the awesome fury that will be expressed by Almighty God. He will summons all the forces of power within His creation to execute His vengeance. The sheer magnitude of God’s fury goes beyond the comprehension of man’s finite and depraved mind.

It is chilling when a person considers the awesome fury that will be expressed by Almighty God. He will summons all the forces of power within His creation to execute His vengeance. The sheer magnitude of God’s fury goes beyond the comprehension of man’s finite and depraved mind.

The Time of the Tribulation Period

The Tribulation Period will follow the rapture of the church. It will prepare the world spiritually and physically for what will follow the God’s eternal plan – the Millennial Kingdom. The Tribulation is the same seven-year period that is designated as the 70^th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27). In this amazing prophecy, God told Daniel that in His plan there would be a group of 70 sevens of years, or 490 years, that would precede the kingdom of God. This period of time was focused upon Israel and her capital city, Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24). God told Daniel that 69 of these sevens of years, a total of 483 years, would elapse, and then “shall Messiah be cut off” (Daniel 9:26). Exactly 483 years later, just as God had predicted, Jesus presented Himself to Israel on Palm Sunday, and when they rejected Him, the prophetic clock in heaven stopped! The remaining seven years, the 70^th week, is the same as the Tribulation Period.

According to Daniel, this final seven years will begin when the Antichrist confirms a false covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). Furthermore, this evil global leader will break his covenant at the mid-point of the seven-year covenant. All of this agrees with the New Testament teaching of the apostles.

On the last day of this seven-year period, the Antichrist will lead an all-out assault on Israel, attacking the city of Jerusalem will all of his might (Zechariah 12:1-9; 14:1-3). The Antichrist and all of his army will be supernaturally defeated by Jesus at the battle of Armageddon, as He returns in all of His glory at His revelation (Isaiah 34:1-8; 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:3, 12-15; Revelation 19:15-21).

The Uniqueness of the Tribulation Period

The seven-year Tribulation Period is totally unique. There has never been a time like this in the history of the nations. For thousands of years our world has lived in the age of God’s grace. This time is about to come to abrupt end. The Tribulation Period will be an age of the wrath of God. Our world and its global culture will reach a spiritual point of no return. As in the days of Noah, the world will reach a point where God’s Spirit will stop striving in the consciences of men. We see this happening today. When this happens, God judicially turns that culture over to its path of destruction to suffer the consequences of sin. This society is described in Romans 1:18-32. The Bible says it becomes godless and filled with ruthless violence. Immoral, brutality, and sheer hatred are the other hallmarks of such a society.

When men constantly flaunt their rebellion and flagrantly ignore the warnings of their conscience, the conscience is silenced. It is as is it were “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). In essence, they have no conscience and they become unredeemable. They become like wild beasts and live immorally wicked and violent lives. Without the possibility of repentance and divine restoration, God’s only choice is to exercise divine judgment. [For an expanded explanation of this, read my book, Living in a World with No Conscience.]

The human mind cannot begin to fathom the horrors of the Tribulation Period. Speaking of this time frame, Daniel said, “… there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time …” (Daniel 12:1). Jesus said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

The emotional trauma to man during this will surpass all generations from the beginning of time. The suffering, pain, anguish, anxiety, stress, and depression will be more than the inhabitants of earth can bear. There will be constant wars, acts of terrorism, and deadly violence. The entire world will suffer great devastation due to a myriad of natural disasters – earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and famines. These cataclysmic upheavals will be made worse by other disasters caused by radical climate change. All buildings will be destroyed, including homes, hospitals, churches, and schools. Transportation systems will cease to exist, along with the utilities we rely on daily. The food chain will be destroyed and there will be no emergency systems. An overwhelming sense of hopeless-ness will pervade the globe. Spiritual darkness will permeate all communities. Lies, deception, fraud, stealing, and the breakdown of all law and order will become a common and daily occurrence everywhere. Evil will rule over good. The righteous will be hated, persecuted and martyred by decapitation. A one-world government and a global religion controlled by the Antichrist will be demonically motivated.

As this generation experiences the task of daily living with the immense growing death toll, it will be overwhelmed with the thought of being caught in a deadly trap with no means of escape. By the mid-point of the Tribulation, one-half of the global population will be dead. The task of burying the death will become mentally and physically taxing. Finally, people will cease to bury the dead (Isaiah 26:21). In their mind, everyone will seemingly be doomed to die. Isaiah described this time when he said, “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O in-habitant of the earth. … And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in prison” (Isaiah 24:17, 22).

The Nature of the Tribulation Period

I must confess that the study of this future time is some-thing that greatly troubles me. The human mind does not want to consider such horrific matters. I am utterly stunned that our loving and merciful God has given us such detail about the approaching Tribulation Period. All of these truths about the nature of the Tribulation are warnings to man from the heart of a gracious God. It is sad that we live at a time when most pastors do not preach on hell or the Tribulation Period. Their silence is not golden. It is a sin. God warned Noah of the approaching flood so that he and his family might be saved from the wrath that was about to come. God has told us of the Tribulation Period so that we might warn this generation to flee from the wrath that is coming. Where are the voices of warning?

The Tribulation Period should be viewed as the final phase of a war within the spiritual realm. … It is a war between the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Jesus) and the roaring lion from hell (Satan).

Contemplate these verses:

Jeremiah 10:10– “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”

Isaiah 13:6-9– “Howl ye, for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.”

The Tribulation Period should be viewed as the final phase of a war within the spiritual realm. The Scriptures, from as far back as the fall in the Garden of Eden, speak of this war between the good and evil angels. It is a war between the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Jesus) and the roaring lion from hell (Satan). At the mid-point of the Tribulation, this war will reach its climax in heaven. Read Revelation 12:7-10. Satan and his demons will be cast out of heaven forever. Consequently, he will concentrate his war effort against God by escalating his attack upon Israel and all of the godly inhabitants on earth. At this point, the Holy Spirit caused John to give this terrifying warning, “Woe to the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time” (Revelation 12:12).

The inhabitants of earth will be caught in the middle of this war in the spiritual realms. The wrath of God will be poured out upon the earth. In addition to this, Satan is adding his wrathful and desperate attack upon all that is meaningful to the Lord. From Satan’s perspective as a murderer (John 8:44) and destroyer (Revelation 9:11), he does not care about human beings, especially those who are saved. He will especially attack the future generation of Jewish believers that will fulfill the eternal plans of God during the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-17). Satan will view the inhabitants of earth as worthless pawns in his war against God.

Let us briefly examine the nature of the Tribulation.

Spiritually – The Tribulation will be a time of great spiritual darkness. While speaking about the Tribulation, Isaiah wrote, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Isaiah 60:2). Like the time before the global flood in Noah’s generation, the world will be completely shrouded in spiritual darkness. Here is God’s indictment of Noah’s generation, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually … The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:5, 11-12). Remember that Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37).

The Bible tells us that, during the Tribulation, the world population will be in love with sin, wickedness, and immorality, while resisting God’s Word (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). Violence, murder, and war will escalate out of control (Revelation 6:2-4). People will be openly defiant, with disorderly conduct, and attempt to overthrow their government because they are lawless (Psalm 2:1). They will want to be free from any restraints that restrict their evil desires. Therefore, they choose to rid themselves of God, His Son, and His commandments (Psalm 2:2-3). Not only do they rebel against God, but they openly and defiantly worship demons and other materialistic idols (Revelation 9:20). They passionately resist the truth, and “[give] heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of de-mons” (1 Timothy 4:1). They will be consumed with the occult and mind-altering drugs (Revelation 9:21). They hate what God loves, and love what God hates. They will become the perfect tools for Satan in his war against God.

Demons are always looking for a person to inhabit as de-scribed above. Demons want to take control of a person and enslave him to become a pawn they can use to advance their kingdom of darkness in their opposition to God. One of the demons’ chief ways to gain control over the lives of people is to appeal to their sensual appetites (James 3:15). Both history and the Bible demonstrate that demons destroy cultures and nations by seducing people into perversions of immorality (Romans 1:24-27). The remains of ancient depraved civilizations that suffered the judgment of God are littered with pornographic images and statues.

The Bible declares that demons and their leader, Satan, will capture the allegiance of the leaders of the world. Demons will deceive these global leaders to hate Israel and believers in Jesus, and to seek for their demise.

The Bible also declares that demons and their leader, Sa-tan, will capture the allegiance of the leaders of the world (Revelation 17:2; 18:3). Demons will deceive these global leaders to hate Israel and believers in Jesus, and to seek for their demise (Revelation 12:13-17; 13:7; 17:6).

Finally, at the mid-point, Satan will indwell the Antichrist to personally direct his hellish kingdom on earth to its cli-max at Armageddon (Revelation 13:1-7).

Politically – During the Tribulation, the world will openly embrace a one-world government that will be radically controlled by a religion. This religion will have a great impact on the leaders of the world and their economies (Revelation 17:2; 18:3). This religion is known as “mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots [religions] and abominations of the earth” (Revelation 17:5). In Revelation 17-18, the Apostle John quotes from Isaiah 13, 47 and Jeremiah 50-51. These Scriptures point to a religion centered in the Persian Gulf area of the Middle East. I believe that the overwhelming evidence in these two chapters point to the religion of Islam. [Although Is-lam followed the book of Revelation by almost 500 years, this religion is really a revival of an ancient religion under the banner of the crescent moon that permeated the Middle East for 700 years before Christ.] John symbolically pictures the harlot riding the beast (Revelation 17:3), which indicates that this religion will control the beast, who is the Antichrist. This would mean that he would also be a Muslim. There is a reason why Islam is current-ly thought to be the fastest-growing religion in the world. This religion has great control over many world leaders, and within the United Nations. The Antichrist’s hatred for Israel and believers in Jesus is driven by the same hatred of the religion that controls him. Both of them will kill believers by decapitation (Revelation 17:6; 20:4).

Economically – When governments and people attempt to manage the resources that God has given them, while rejecting Him, it will always lead to the loss of those re-sources. The Bible says, “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spends it up” (Proverbs 21:20).

The Tribulation Period will open with a time of global hyperinflation (Revelation 6:5-6). The uniqueness of life-threatening global developments will quickly lead to one of the most devastating economic disasters of all time. According to the Bible, wars, radical climate change, alarming natural disasters, pandemics, and a global drought during the first half of the Tribulation will pro-duce an economic nightmare. The most precious commodities on earth will be fresh water and food. All of the-se problems will intensify with government intervention into the personal affairs of the global population. Then, at the peak of man’s desperation, the Antichrist will intro-duce his 666 plan to control the economy of every person on the planet. This will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation (Revelation 13:11-18). His plan will be used as a measure of everyone’s commitment to his declared divinity and ruthless control. Those who refuse to accept his policies will become enemies of the state and they will be hunted down and eliminated. Revelation 13:10 probably hints that the Antichrist will place those who rebel against him in some type of concentration camp and ultimately behead them (Revelation 20:4). At the top of his list to be eliminated will be believers in Jesus Christ (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7; 17:6).

The Tribulation Period will open with a time of global hyperinflation. The uniqueness of life-threatening global developments will quickly lead to one of the most devastating economic disasters of all time. According to the Bible, wars, radical climate change, alarming natural disasters, pandemics, and a global drought during the first half of the Tribulation will produce an economic nightmare.

Climatically – According to the Bible, increased solar radiation (Revelation 16:8-9), alarming destructive global earthquakes and volcanoes (Revelation 6:12-14), and man’s reckless destruction of God’s resources (Revelation 11:18) will bring about a very dangerous rise in global temperatures. [God controls the sun and the geological upheavals – not man. Man will not be able to stop the radical climate change that will occur during the Tribulation Period. God has His hand on earth’s thermostat, not man!]

Many passages testify to the great heat that will be a part of God’s divine judgment during the Tribulation (Malachi 4:1; Revelation 16:8-9). The heat will be so intense that it will melt the polar caps (Job 38:22-23). The water from the huge amounts of melted polar ice will cause ocean levels to rise and flood coastal areas around the globe. The late Henry Morris, who was the founder and director of the Institute for Creation Research, stated this will cause ocean levels to rise about 200 feet. This would lead to flooding of all the leading major cities of the world that are located near the ocean to be suddenly underwater, inundating them so they would not be habitable (Henry M. Morris, The Revelation Record, p. 304).

In addition to this, near the beginning of the Tribulation, the Lord will supernaturally restrain the jet streams around the globe that control the world’s water cycle (Revelation 7:1-3). Without these powerful winds, there will be no rain. This will be the cause of the global drought during the first half of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:6).

Geologically – One of the main instruments of God’s wrath poured out upon the wicked inhabitants of earth during the global flood was a massive global earthquake. God told Noah, “Behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). The Lord is in complete control of His creation. The various components that make up the physical creation are the servants of God that accomplish His word (Psalm 148:8). A study of all of the earth-quakes mentioned in the Bible, indicate they are perfectly timed to accomplish God’s purposes. In the days of Noah, God opened up the earth, allowing the eruption of subterranean waters to gush upon the earth for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:11, 8:2).

Once again, during the Tribulation, God will use the geo-logical domino impact of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis to bring colossal destruction upon the earth, and to reshape the topography [land surfaces] of the earth. Jesus said that one of the signs of the approaching Tribulation Period would be the increase of earthquakes in frequency and magnitude in different places (Luke 21:11). According to the prophetic Scriptures, there will be at least three global earthquakes (Ezekiel 38:19-20; Revelation 6:12-14; 16:18-20). The earthquake mentioned in Revelation 6, near the beginning of the Tribulation will cause, “every mountain and island [to be] moved out of their places” (verse 14). In the final earthquake in Revelation 16, the islands and mountains disappear (verse 20). These earth-quakes will radically alter man’s daily lifestyle due to the complete destruction and disruption of all of the modern-day conveniences that we are dependent upon to sustain life.

The Church in Heaven

During the Tribulation on earth, the church will be in heaven (Revelation 3:10). We will be in heaven watching everything unfold from the control center (God’s throne). The book of Revelation showcases all of this. In the final book of the Bible, the church in heaven is symbolically depicted as 24 elders. Throughout the Tribulation, this redeemed group of people are described as kings and priests who have been redeemed to God “by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And has made [them] unto [their] God kings and priests: and [they] shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).

Throughout the Tribulation, we will join the angels of heaven in anthems of praise and adoration as our God un-leashes His holy wrath against the nations in preparation for His approaching kingdom on earth. Read about our future praise services in heaven in Revelation 5:9-14; 11:15-19; and 19:1-8. After the first 6-seal judgments, our praise in heaven will fall silent as we will, in awe, anticipate the 7^th seal judgment to be thrust upon the earth (Revelation 8:1-2). Finally, after our marriage feast in heaven as the Bride of Christ, we will return with Him “upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14).

At His revelation, Christ will complete His final destruction of the kingdoms of this world. All of the rebellious leaders of the world, including the antichrist and his false prophet, will be killed. The armies of all the nations gathered in Israel will be supernaturally slain by the spoken word of the King of kings and Lord of Lords. God will have completed His judgment against the nations and will enthrone His Son upon the throne of David in Jerusalem to rule over all of His creation.