Tag: End times

PTNews

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

October 2024

   Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV   

Iran’s Armageddon Dream

“And upon Elam [the ancient name for Iran] will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds: and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of [Iran] shall not come.” Jeremiah 49:36

By Mike Wingfield

For more than 30 years, Israeli leaders, and especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have warned the world about Iran’s desire to develop a nuclear bomb. Not surprisingly, these warnings have fallen on deaf ears. The world has drifted deeper into the abyss of spiritual darkness and rebellion against God. This deadly spiritual darkness numbs the conscience of man to the point that he does not recognize or respect life-threatening dangers.

As a result of the world’s blindness, it will soon face the reality of a new form of nuclear madness. Recently, world leaders have learned that Iran is on the verge of having enough nuclear enrichment to acquire a nuclear weapon. That means that the world’s leading terrorist state will soon have a weapon of mass destruction at its disposal. In my opinion, this development signals that our world will soon be catapulted into the deadly days of the Tribulation. As Jesus described it, this will be a time of “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6).

At the end of World War II in 1945, the United States became the first nation to develop and use an atomic weapon. The use of this deadly force against Japan stunned the entire world. People were horrified by the sheer magnitude of these weapons that leveled two large Japanese cities and killed more than 200,000 people. Many of the victims were instantly vaporized by the enormous thermal blasts! Thankfully, such weapons have not been used in warfare since 1945. However, thermonuclear weapons have since been developed. These weapons are hundreds or even thousands of times for powerful than atomic weapons.

For almost 78 years, the world has lived under the fear of a maniacal tyrant or an evil regime using a nuclear weapon to kill millions of innocent people. Today, there are approximately 13,080 nuclear devices in the arsenals of nine countries (the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea). Some of these nuclear bombs are 3,000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs used in 1945!

It is believed that the fear of retaliation has served as a deterrent to using weapons of mass destruction since the end of World War II. In other words, a nation with nuclear capability has not used such weaponry because it fears massive retaliation from the nation it strikes. A nuclear strike would bring unspeakable death and devastation to a nation. Furthermore, the territory impacted by the radioactive fallout of the nuclear implosion would be uninhabitable for decades.

Nonetheless, some world leaders realize that the fear of reprisal does not penetrate the radical mindset of the ruling mullahs in Iran. The radical Islamic doctrine embraced by these mullah makes them willing to die for their faith. Therefore, their devotion to annihilating their perceived enemies of Allah would motivate them to use a nuclear bomb without hesitation. This radical Islamic leadership views Israel and the United States as the avowed enemies of Allah.

Clearly, Israel is in the crosshairs of Iran. Iran has made it very clear to the world that it is consumed with hatred for the modern state of Israel. Iran’s statements and actions over the past 40 years have demonstrated they are committed to the annihilation of the Jewish state. This has been their declared goal since the Islamic Iranian revolu-tion began in 1979. Following centuries of Islamic anti-semitic doctrines, the founder of the Iranian revolution, the Ayatollah Khomeini, fanned the fires of hatred against Israel and sparked the Islamic revival that we are seeing in the last days. Since 1979, the followers of radical Islam in Iran have been openly calling for the death of Israel and America.

In January 2001, the current Supreme Leader of Iran, Khomenei, declared, “It is the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to erase Israel from the map of the region.” One month later, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president of Iran, said, “If one day, a very important day, of course, the Islamic World will also be equipped with the weapons available to Israel now, the imperialist strategy will reach an impasse, because the employment of even one atomic bomb inside Israel will wipe it off the face of the earth.” In 2005, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated, Israel “must be wiped off the map.” In recent months, General Hossein Salami, the Commander- in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces, bragged, “Our strategy is to erase Israel from the political map.” Furthermore, Khomenei, published a 416-page book, in which he outlined how Iran will destroy Israel.

Iran is well known as the leading sponsor of global terrorism. Looking at the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East (see the map above), it is clear that Iran is spreading its hatred of Israel. Iran is inching closer to the implementing a dream it has pursued for more than 40 years! Recently, Iran displayed a ballistic missile that was painted with a message on its side, “Death to Israel.”

Iran’s thoughts and actions are being fueled by its commitment to their Shiite Islamic doctrines. The Iranian leaders believe their coming messiah, the “Hidden Imam,” or the “Mahdi,” will not come until they institute global chaos. They believe that Iran must first bring about global destruction that will remove Jews, Christians, and non-Muslims from power. After this global destruction, they believe their Messiah will suddenly appear on a white horse. Their commitment to make this happen dominates their political and military strategies. They are willing to commit national suicide to make it happen. The fact that thousands of suicide bombers have attacked Israel and points around the world demonstrates they must be taken seriously. The 9-11 attacks against the United States in 2001 illustrate their mindset.

It is apparent that the nations of the world, including the Biden administration in Washington, do not take these Iranian threats seriously. In 2007, Senator Joe Biden exclaimed, “My concern is not that a nuclear Iran someday would be moved by messianic fervor to use a nuclear weapon as an Armageddon device and commit national suicide in order to hasten the return of the Hidden Imam.”

We must remember that here in the West, the secular leaders do not consider religion to be an important part of society. This is especially true when it comes to political or military matters. However, this is not the case in the Middle East. The Israelis live in this region. They know and understand the mindset of the Muslims.

In an exclusive interview of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with American Israeli communications strategist Joel Rosenberg in 2007, Netanyahu made the following remarks, “I think the West fundamentally misunderstood, and still misunderstands, the threat of Radical Islam. It is a fanatical messianic ideology that seeks to have an apocalyptic battle for world supremacy with the West. It seeks to correct what it sees its disciples see as an accident of history where the West has risen, and Islam has declined. And the correction is supposed to be done by the resurrection of an Islamic empire and the acquisition of nuclear weapons and the use of nuclear weapons, if necessary, to obliterate Islam’s enemies and to subjugate the rest. This is a pathological ideology, much like Nazism was, and it poses a threat, in my judgment, in many ways bigger than Nazism. Because Hitler embarked on a world conflict and then sought to achieve nuclear weapons, whereas the leading radical Islamic regime in Iran, is seeking to first acquire nuclear weapons and then embark on a world conflict. And that is what is not yet understood in the West. And certainly, if it’s understood, it’s not acted upon.”

“You’ve already seen what the Sunni stream does, which is to smash into buildings in Manhattan with collective suicide, to smash into the Pentagon with collective suicide,” Netanyahu added. “And there’s no reason to believe that the militant Shiites, once they have atomic weapons, will not be suicidal. They say openly that they intend to remove Israel. Their first position – we’re the Little Satan. But remember that their goal is to get the United States, the Big Satan. We’re just a station, one station, on the way to world conquest. And to have such a regime that believes in an apocalyptic Armageddon with the West in which millions will die on both sides – but the Muslim millions go to a Muslim heaven with all the trappings – to have that crazy ideology in charge of a country that is developing atomic weapons is unbelievably dangerous and it should stop. Everything else is secondary to this” (Interview by Joel Rosenberg, 2007).

I am personally convinced the global hatred for Israel and the Jewish people is once against reaching a dangerous level. This hatred is so great that the world is secretly hop-ing that Iran will use a nuclear bomb against Israel and wipe it off the face of the earth. The United Nations is overwhelmingly controlled by Muslims, Communists, and Socialists. Outside of Israel, there is no leader that is condemning Iran for its repeated calls for the annihilation of Israel. Even here in America, anti-Israel sentiment is spreading like cancer. The administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden have in essence supported Iran’s march toward nuclear supremacy. In recent years, only President Donald Trump has understood the danger of the Iranian mindset.

Thanks to the current godless and evil leadership of the West, we are now only days away from a nuclear Iran. We cannot begin to imagine how this will change our world! The Middle East is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

The Israelis have clearly stated they will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. They know the evil Iranian leadership is deadly serious about using nuclear weaponry against their homeland. Israel is only 45 miles wide and about 230 miles long. A relatively small nuclear weapon would effectively destroy the nation and make the land uninhabitable for many decades. Based upon the promises and plans of God, we can rest assured this will never happen! God’s sovereign eternal plans can not be altered by Satan, his demons, and all the evil leaders and armies of the nations!

In recent months the political and military leadership in Israel have readied themselves for the day when they will need to use military force to thwart Iran’s nuclear advances. During a public security conference in Tel Aviv, on February 22, 2023, Netanyahu said, “I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. That is not merely an Israeli interest; it’s an American interest; it’s in the interest of the entire world.” It is not a matter of “if” Israel will do this. It is only a matter of “when!” We have now arrived at a very critical time for the Middle East and our world.

From a biblical viewpoint, Iran’s desire to deceive the nations and destroy Israel is an Armageddon dream. According to Revelation 16:13-16, the Battle of Armageddon will be a demonically induced war of deception against Israel by the Antichrist and the nations. The Shiite Muslims believe the coming of their Mahdi is imminent. Could it be that the Muslim messiah will be the one the Bible calls the Antichrist? In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, the Apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica that the Antichrist will be “the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

The faithful followers of Islam’s prophet, Muhammed, believe their coming messiah must be one of the great imams who descended from Muhammed. According to their teaching, the last of these imams (the 12^th one) disappeared in the 9^th century. They believe that he will suddenly reappear to rule over the global Islamic empire at the end of this age. Could it be that the “lying wonders” of the end would be a deceptive resurrection of this imam, the Madi? We cannot be dogmatic about this. We can only wonder! Given the current developments, it would seem this is a possible scenario. If not, it certainly demonstrates that we are living in times when the stage for the fulfillment of biblical prophecies is being set.

The Bible repeatedly declares that at the end of this age the world will be fixated upon the removal of a Jewish presence and control over the city of Jerusalem. A study of the conflict in the Middle East demonstrates that this is at the core of the Islamic hatred of Israel and their plot to destroy the Jewish nation. Discussions in the United Nations and other international ruling bodies of the nations that include the United States, prove the world is determined to surrender the Old City of Jerusalem (the ancient biblical city) to the Palestinians. The prophet Zechariah, in chapters 12-14, wrote about the Battle of Armageddon and the events that surround this final conflict of the Tribulation Period. According to this text, the ancient city of Jerusalem will be the focal point of the attack against Israel during the Battle of Armageddon. In this text, God revealed to Zechariah that the city of Jerusalem will be like “a burdensome stone” (Zechariah 12:3) that will ultimately crush all the nations in their conflict with God. Concerning this final attack upon Jerusalem, the Lord said, “I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).

Jesus told His disciples that when the end came, they would “be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). The nation of Israel and the Jews are hated more than any other people group in the world. For decades, the world has told Israel that it does not have the right to defend itself against lethal force and threats of annihilation. The world has repeatedly condemned Israel for retaliating against those who viciously attack them! However, it seldom condemns Israel’s enemies who attack the Jews. In recent weeks, the U.S. State department has told lies about Israel, making Israel look like the aggressor against the Palestinians. The European Union is helping the Palestinians to illegally take over the West Bank. Israel has its back against the wall. No nation, including the U.S., is standing with Israel! The Bible tells us that when Armageddon comes, “all nations” will come against Israel (Joel 3:2; Zechariah 14:2).

When Israel does attack Iran, how will the world react? The U.S. Department of State and a spokesman for the U.N. recently told Israel that any attack upon Iran would be considered “illegal.” China, Russia, Turkey, and North Korea all do business with Iran. Any attack upon Iran will instantly anger these allies of Iran. It is my opinion that Israel’s attack upon Iran could trigger the Gog and Magog invasion mentioned in Ezekiel 38.

J eremiah 49:36-39 seems to hint that there will come a time when Iran suffers a great defeat that will cause its population to be scattered around the world. The Bible states that the leadership of “the king and the princes” of Iran will be removed, so that the people of Iran can eventually worship the Lord and be a part of His kingdom (Jeremiah 49:38). Could it be that the dispersion of the Iranian population would be necessary due to its land becoming uninhabitable due to radioactive materials scattered across its land? Should Iran launch a missile toward Israel, Israel has the technology to destroy that missile over Iranian airspace. If that Iranian missile is carrying a nuclear payload, it would result in the dispersion of radioactive material over its own country.

Another development should be considered. “Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults that cover at least 90 percent of the country. As a result, earthquakes in Iran occur often and are destructive” (www.wikipedia.org). If Tehran would suffer an earthquake of 7.0 or greater, geologists estimate that more than one million people in Tehran would be killed.

Iran’s nuclear facilities are spread out in many locations. They are entrenched in bunkers deeply buried under the mountains of Iran. The Iranians have chosen this kind of construction to protect their nuclear sites from powerful bunker-busting bombs. However, this would also make them very vulnerable to powerful earthquakes. Perhaps in His time, the Holy One of Israel will choose to display His power and destroy these weapons that have been designed to destroy the Holy Land, the Holy City, and His chosen people. God has given His people the following promise, “Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. … No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 54:15, 17). According to Ezekiel 38:18-20, a powerful global earthquake will be used by God to stop the invasion of the Russian/Islamic coalition in the last days.

Friends, I believe we are witnessing the final events at the end of the Church Age. The events happening in Israel and around the globe are shaping our world for the lawless one – Satan’s Antichrist – to appear.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to be wise. We shall soon stand before our blessed Lord Jesus. When He comes, He will be our judge. Are you ready for His judgment? We need to be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

If you are not saved, please do not hesitate to call upon the Lord for salvation. The Bible says, “Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Do not delay. Give your life to Christ now before it is too late. Listen to this warning that will accompany the coming of the Antichrist. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). People do not come to Christ because they love their sinful pleasures too much. They do not want to give up their immoral lifestyle, drugs, alcohol, or other things that displease God. Do not let the love of sin stand between you and spending eternity in heaven!

All sin is an offense to our holy God! He hates sin! Sin does bring temporary pleasure. However, it carries a heavy death penalty. The Bible declares, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). There is only one way to receive eternal life and to escape the penalty of sin. Jesus exclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Eternal life does not come through a church or religion. All our work or efforts cannot take away our sin. The Bible says, “For by grace [the mercy of God] are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Why not cry out to God and ask Him to save you? He is waiting for you to come to Him now.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

The Approaching Economic Earthquake

We recently witnessed the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history, involving Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Will this be the beginning of a domino effect that will lead to the collapse of financial institutions around the globe?

Michael Snyder, a Christian leader who researches and writes about global economic affairs in light of Bible prophecy, recently commented, “The mainstream media continues to tell us that the economy is in fine shape, and you can believe that if you want. But evidence continues to mount that indicates that we are headed for very serious trouble.

“Inflation is out of control, home sales have fallen for 12 months in a row, large corporations all over America are conducting mass layoffs, and hunger is spreading like wildfire as economic conditions rapidly deteriorate. … A major economic meltdown has begun, and it will eventually get a whole lot worse. We aren’t just witnessing the end of an economic cycle. What we are witnessing is the end of a deeply corrupt, deeply flawed system. The greatest debt bubble in the history of the entire planet is starting to burst, and the whole world will soon be experiencing severe pain as a result” (Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Blog, March 13, 2023).

According to the Bible, the opening months of the Tribulation will include global wars, terrorism, famine, hyper-inflation, and earthquakes (Revelation 6:1-17). The food crises will become so severe that a couple loaves of bread will cost an entire day’s wage (Revelation 6:6). In some parts of the world, this is already a reality. In the U.S. our affluence has somewhat sheltered us from what is taking place in other countries. However, it will soon catch up to us. Now is the time to prepare for the financial storm that will brew until Jesus comes.

Presently, more than 30 countries, including the United States, have unsustainable debt. The world is teetering on the edge of an economic collapse and one major event could trigger it all. A financial collapse in the U.S. would trigger a global financial meltdown, because the U.S. is the largest consumer of commercial goods. It is only a matter of time before this occurs. We are facing a situation like the world has never seen before. Our world is in dire straits.

Rejoice with me that our hope is in the Lord, not our money. “In God we trust.”

PTNews

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

October 2024

   Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV   

Download this Newsletter

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 67, Boones Mill, VA 24065

The Rapture & Feast of Trumpets

“Behold, I [show] you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

By Mike Wingfield

October 2021

Download this Newsletter

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 67, Boones Mill, VA 24065

The Rapture & Feast of Trumpets

“Behold, I [show] you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

By Mike Wingfield

Unleashing Evil

“And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity…” Isaiah 13:11

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By Mike Wingfield

Only time will tell how significantly the humiliating U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will impact America’s standing in the world, and especially in the Middle East. Those who live in the Middle East, both Israelis and Muslims, are saying this will have lasting and dangerous repercussions for our world. U.S. actions in recent months have been viewed by the racial Islamic world as weakness. Islamic terrorists groups are rejoicing over the rapid demise of this once great nation. They are now more emboldened than ever, thinking their worldview is coming to fruition. Thanks to the Biden Administration, it appears we are on the threshold of a new global wave of Islamic terrorism.

Our withdrawal from Afghanistan was a political and military farce. As we left in shame, our enemies such China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey smiled with glee as they supported Afghanistan’s new radical Islamic leadership known as the Taliban. These evil nations will not restrain Islam’s attacks upon the U.S. or Israel. It is apparent that we have some very ominous days ahead for our world.

We are witnessing the earthly manifestation of a cosmic battle in the spiritual world. At the center of the clash between the kingdom of darkness and the plan of God at the end of this age is a sinister figure the Bible calls the Antichrist. What is hindering the Antichrist from coming? This man will be the ultimate culmination of wickedness, and rebellion against the Lord. His power, deception, and lawlessness will surpass all other evil men before him. There have been many antichrists. But the true Antichrist will be Satan’s finest attempt to defeat God and His eternal plan. Why doesn’t Satan produce him now?

The Scriptures declare that Satan and his Antichrist are being restrained by God. The Antichrist will burst onto the world scene at the moment God is ready to unleash evil upon the final rebellious generation. This is all under the plan and control of the sovereign God of the universe.

When the Apostle Paul wrote his second epistle to the church at Thessalonica, he informed them that the Tribulation Period could not begin until there was a time of apostasy in the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The church, God’s spiritual restraining influence in the world, is growing increasingly weak due to its dilution of the doctrines of God’s Word. The church will be removed when the Rapture, the next prophetic event on God’s time clock, occurs. When this happens, the church’s restraining influence on evil in the world will be gone. At that time, the Antichrist will be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).

I believe the Bible gives us enough information to conclude that the Antichrist will be a Muslim. [I will present a detailed analysis of this in the November and December newsletters.] I believe there is a great possibility that he will be the coming Islamic messiah, known as the Mahdi. The Islamic world is eagerly anticipating his arrival and world events are leading them to believe that day is soon. It is troubling to think that our world is rapidly moving toward this horrific event! I believe the events in Afghanistan are preparing for the entrance of the Islamic Antichrist and his jihad efforts to take control of the world.

The events in Afghanistan in the last few months are preparing for the entrance of the Islamic Antichrist and his jihadist efforts to take control of the world.

The stunning revival of Islam since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, along with the blind support of Islam by the liberal West, are paving the way for Antichrist. When the time has come for the Antichrist to step onto the stage of human history, Jesus will invite him to come onto the stage of history (Revelation 6:1).

God is restraining the appearance of the Antichrist until the world reaches a time of total rebellion and wickedness. This rebellion will demand God to respond by unleashing evil upon the final generation of mankind on this earth.

Our world is about to radically change. We are now living during the Church Age in the time when God is exercising His grace. The Apostle Peter, while responding to the timing of Jesus’ return in his 2^nd epistle, made it clear that the unfolding of the end-time events is anchored in God’s patience to wait for sinners to come to salvation. He said, “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering [toward us], not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This is in sharp contrast to the future Tribulation Period when “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe [the] lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

During this present age, the Lord is restraining evil in our world to allow His Holy Spirit to strive in the hearts of sinners to bring them to repentance and salvation. As mentioned in my August newsletter, the Lord is using three restraining influences to hold back the advance of evil in our world. They are:

The conscience of man- Romans 2:15– internal influence

Government of man- Romans 13:4– external influence

The Church (Holy Spirit)- Romans 8– spiritual influence

Therefore, before God can unleash evil and the unveiling of the Antichrist, He must cease the work of His three restraining influences.

God’s internal restraining influence through the conscience of every human being will cease when the collective conscience of a society suppresses “the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Like Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, they will harden their hearts against God’s voice in their conscience. As a result, God will harden their hearts just as He did Pharaoh’s heart in divine judgment. This is illustrated in Romans 1when God declares three times that He gives a wicked culture over to their depraved heart. God stops restraining them from their sin and allows them to self-destruct. At this point they become complete fools and have no moral compass. They call good evil and evil good. In my opinion, America and most of the world have already reached this point.

God also uses human governments to be His servants as they apply the law of God as an external influence to keep evil contained (Romans 13:1-5). God’s intended purpose for human government is to promote good and to punish those who practice evil. These governments are to use God’s law as a discernment of what is good and evil. The Bible tells us that when the end comes, the kings of the earth will agree to rebellion against God and His laws (Psalm 2:1-3).

America entered World War II to defeat evil governments that were attempting to take control of the world. Since that time, God has used America, in spite of all of her inadequacies and problems, to provide an external restraining influence in the world. For 80 years the U.S. has held in check evil Communist nations and violent Islamic forces in the world. During this period of time, we “planted 800 [military] bases worldwide, more than 20 times what the other four superpowers have combined. The number of U.S. troops stationed abroad, 200,000, is equal to the size of the entire standing army of France. Some 150 of the world’s 195 countries host American troops.

“America’s annual military spending, more than $770 billion, is larger than the next five military spenders combined. The 11 aircraft carriers with which Uncle Sam navigates the high seas equal the combined total of all other countries’ carriers” (The International Jerusalem Post, August 27- September 2, 2021, p. 10).

Unlike all other countries in world history, America has not flexed her military muscle to conqueror more territory, or to dominate another country or region. America’s purpose has been to defend those who were being attacked by evil forces. America’s war efforts have been aimed at the defeat of evil, and the promotion of good and freedom. In the war against Communism and radical Islam, we have attempted to foster democratic societies around the globe. This attempt has failed.

Our actions in Afghanistan in the last few months have signaled to the world that America no longer has the will to continue as the world’s premier military police force. In addition, America has become mired in internal problems at home. We are a country that has lost its moral compass. We have become enamored with the gratification of self and immoral pleasures. America has become a country of undisciplined people who have no desire to work or sacrifice for good.

Today, America is fighting from within for its own freedom. We are being deceived into following evil leaders who are plotting our demise. They want evil to reign over the world. They have successfully deceived a new generation of Americans into believing that good is evil and evil is good. They promote freedom as slavery and slavery as freedom. The blind are leading the blind.

Our hasty and humiliating defeat from Afghanistan will go down in history as the final act in the unfolding drama of America’s freedom march across the globe. We have just sent our greatest enemy, radical Islam, a message that we do not have the will to continue the fight against evil. We have failed to understand that radical Islam, with its passionate goal to dominated the world, has never lost the will to fight. “Islamism is the most effective, intense and global threat to peace since World War II, a scourge that compensates for its lack of warships, tanks, and jets with one elusive weapon it owns in abundance: the will to fight.

“Islamism’s war is not on the West; having struck in Russia, China, Indonesia, Turkey, and throughout Africa. Its target is the entire human race. That is why the war on Islamism, unlike the war for democracy, is both winnable and imperative” (The International Jerusalem Post, August 20-26, 2021, p. 9).

Our world is being threatened by two groups that are vying for power to control the world – Communism and Islam. According to biblical prophecy Islam will win this struggle. As the global economy collapses and natural disasters increase, it will devastate the Communist regimes that have heavily invested in the physical building up of armaments. Islam is different. Like the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War, their guerrilla type of warfare does not require sophisticated weaponry.

When the Tribulation begins, the Antichrist will begin his global march “to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword” (Revelation 6:4). The Greek word used for sword is not the long saber used in military conflicts. This sword was a short knife used by assassins. This would indicate that the forces of the Antichrist will not take peace from the earth by conventional warfare, but by acts of terrorism as it is called today. The fact this is a great sword does not speak of the size of the weapon, but rather the size of the conflict. This will be a global jihad, making it a great military advance by the Antichrist.

The world does not realize that the withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan has created a monster that will destroy the world as we know it. Israel 365 News, recently covered the U.S. retreat from Afghanistan by quoting Dr. Mordechai Kedar. Dr. Kedar’s credentials demand that we respect his insight into the mindset of the Arab-Islamic world in the Middle East. He “has a deep understanding of the Arab mindset. A senior lecturer on Arabic culture at Bar-Ilan University, he served for 25 years in the Israeli Defense Force Military Intelligence, where he specialized in Islamic groups, the political discourse of Arab countries, the Arab press and mass media, and the Syrian domestic arena. Fluent in Arabic, he is one of the very few Israelis appearing on Arab television, frequently debating Arab thought leaders and imams in their native tongue” (Israel 365 News, August 31,2021).

Quoting Dr. Kedar, Israel 365 News reported, “August 15, 2021, the day in which Taliban resumed their rule over Afghanistan after 20 years of Western occupation, will forever be viewed and remembered in the Islamic world as the victory of Islam over Christianity, the victory of faith over heresy, and the victory of tradition over permissiveness. These events are pumping new blood into jihad arteries and the results will soon be seen around the world, including in Israel.

“All of Islam views the U.S. as the representative of Christianity today. Therefore, a victory by an Islamic entity over the U.S. is not just a victory of one nation over another. This is precisely what the Koran describes as Jihad. The Koran states that Islam must have dominance over all other religions. Muslims must always be involved in this.

“The entire Muslim world perceives Afghanistan as a Muslim victory over Christianity, not just a Taliban victory or the U.S. capitulating. The average American does not see that religion has anything to do with politics. But this is absolutely not the case in the Muslim world. America saw the war in Afghanistan as a war on terrorism. The Taliban and other Muslims saw it as a religious war. Here in the Middle East, everything is religion” (Israel 365 News, August 31, 2021).

From a biblical viewpoint, we must view this war in Afghanistan as a part of a war between Islam and Christianity that has been going on for 14 centuries. In the name of Allah, Muslim jihadists have slaughtered millions of innocent people. As Dr. Kedar has observed, from a Muslim viewpoint, this is the beginning of the final struggle for Islam to take control of the world. From their perspective, they have just won the first war. The final war of good and evil is about to begin. The humiliating withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan is opening the gates of hell for an invasion of demon-possessed warriors who are dedicated to killing infidels around the world in the name of Allah.

With the cessation of the first two of God’s restraining influences in the world, the conscience and human government, there is only one more restraining influence that needs to be removed – the Spirit’s indwelling presence in the church. When the Apostle Paul spoke of the withdrawal of God’s last restraining influence in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, he used the personal pronoun “He” to describe the Holy Spirit’s work in the church.

God has designed the body of Christ to be His final restraining influence in the world. We are to be His light in a world of darkness. We are to be holy and to proclaim the Holy Word of God. Obviously, the church in the West has reached a point of apostasy and apathy, just as the Scriptures indicated would take place. This is why Western societies are collapsing and Islam is filling the vacuum with deadly spiritual darkness.

This is what happened in the 6^th century in the area now called Turkey. As the church in that region began to die, spiritual darkness replaced the light of the church that was established by the apostles. This opened the door for that area to become an Islamic stronghold. Eventually, that area became the center of the Turkish Islamic Empire that ruled the Middle East and world until its defeat in World War I.

Just as the church began with an event on one day, Pentecost in Acts 2, even so it will end with an event on one day – the Rapture. With the cessation of two of God’s restraining influences, the conscience and human government, only the removal of the church remains. And, that is about to take place!

Everything is ready for Jesus to come. Jesus said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). The world is now prepared from the coming of the Antichrist. The Islamic jihad against the world is about to ensue.

How much of this Islamic jihad the Lord will allow us to endure is under His sovereign control? We must remind ourselves that during the Tribulation, believers in Jesus from every nation of earth will be butchered by the Antichrist and His religion (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 7:9-17; 17:6; 20:4).

My friend, do you know the Lord? Have you received Jesus and repented of your sins for salvation? The door of salvation is still open. Jesus declared that He is the only door of salvation (John 10:9; 14:6). There is only one God, one Savior, one Bible, and one way to heaven. If you do not receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will miss the Rapture and be left behind to suffer the horrors of the most difficult time people have ever faced on earth. If you die without Him, you will suffer in hell and the Lake of Fire for all of eternity!

In the final book of the Bible, Jesus gave this final invitation, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and fellowship with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus is called “the Lamb” 26 times in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 6:1). As God’s lamb, He was sacrificed for your sins on the cross of Calvary. Now, it is up to you to accept or reject His sacrifice. The choice is yours! Repent and be saved before it is too late.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

China and Global Killing Viruses

China has been the place of origin for many global killing viruses in the last 64 years. See the list in the text box below.

Global Killing Viruses from China

Asian Flu- 1957

Hong Kong Flu- 1968

SARS- 2002

Bird Flu- 2008

Avian Flu- 2015

COVID-19- 2019

Some believe this historical fact is related to China being the most populated nation in the world. Others note that these viruses began in China because of the lack of sanitation, poor eating habits, the combined living habitats for animals and humans, and the lack of safe drinking water.

However, all of this analysis falls short of pointing the finger at the evil government that rules over the people of China. The Communist regime that rules in China is godless, ruthless, merciless, and does not care for its people. Like Islam, it exhibits little respect for human life. It is possessed with a evil power to rule the world at the expense of its own population. Anything or anyone who challenges the oppressive leadership in China is quickly silenced or killed.

Many unanswered questions about COVID-19 still remain. Did it begin as an accidental leak in the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan China? Or, was it purposely created in China as a biological pathogen aimed at killing people around the world? Evidence at this point in time seems to be inconclusive to answer these questions.

However, one thing is clear. China has lied to the world about COVID-19. When this virus began in China near the end of 2019, the Chinese officials stated it could not be transmitted from one human to another. Evidence has been presented that they did know it was deadly to humans. However, they did not warn the world or stop their citizens from traveling to other countries. To this present day, China’s leadership refuses to cooperate with the world into the investigation of the origin and transmission of this virus around the world. It refuses to share with the world the facts they discovered about COVID from the very beginning of it appearance in China.

There is no justification for China’s failure to work with the international community on the containment of this virus that continues to impact the lives of billions of people on the planet. The malicious nature of Communist China and its track record in the last two years raise great suspicions concerning China’s possible evil intent in all of this. It also makes us wonder what China has planned for the next Chinese virus.

Gordon Chang, a distinguished senior fellow with Gatestone Institute, recently released a very insightful article. He states that “China’s military is working on the next generation of pathogens. Its National Defense University, in the 2017 edition of the authoritative Science of Military Strategy, mentioned a new kind of biological warfare of ‘specific ethnic genetic attacks.’

“China’s military researchers and analysts for half a decade have been writing about pathogens of this sort, and American officials are in fact concerned that Chinese scientists have been experimenting with, in the words of Bill Gertz of the Washington Times, ‘germ weapons capable of attacking ethnic groups.’ Beijing’s determined campaign to collect genetic profiles of foreigners while preventing the transfer to recipients outside China of the profiles of Chinese is another indication that the Chinese military, in violation of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention, is building ethnic-specific bioweapons.” Chang goes on to say, “If Chinese scientists succeed in designing pathogens targeting only foreigners, the next microbe, virus, or germ from China could end non-Chinese societies. This will be Communist China’s civilization-killer” (Gatestone Institute, “Biden Letting China Get Away with Crime of the Century,” August 31, 2021).

The disengagement of the Biden Administration with regard to foreign affairs is making our world a very dangerous place. President Joe Biden does not seem to show any interest in holding China accountable for their deception and reckless handing of the COVID-19 global tragedy. Without the U.S. as the global watchdog, evil governments around the world are plotting the demise of the free world.

The Bible has much to say about global pandemics in the last days. Jesus listed “pestilences” [diseases] as one of the signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11). Near the beginning of the Tribulation, one-fourth of the world’s population will die as a result of war, famine, and pandemics (Revelation 6:8). China’s threat of bio-weapons to create a global pandemic that would become a civilization killer could be one of the causes of this horrific global death toll. We are living in days in which prophecies like these are increasingly become more probable.

Iranians Close to Golan Heights in Israel

Many intelligence and military voices are raising concerns over Iran’s increasing presence not too far from the border with Israel on the Golan Heights. Israeli commentator Ehud Yaari, recently stated, Iran has inserted itself “into the Syrian army’s nervous system – its chain of command – and into the everyday lives of the local population” (World Israel News, August 31, 2021). Iran is doing this in a very discreet way because it knows that any attempt by Iran to build an immediate major military base in Syria will be destroyed by Israel’s military.

This is an exact copy of the tactics deployed by Iran in Lebanon decades ago. Iran’s proxy terrorist group, Hezbollah, slowly migrated into Lebanon, infiltrating its fighters within the villages along Israel’s southern border.

All of this is of great interest to those of us who study the prophetic Word. We know that the Battle of Gog and Magog, mentioned in Ezekiel 38, is rapidly approaching. Ezekiel lists Russia, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, and other radical Islamic warriors that will ban together in an attempted invasion mentioned in Ezekiel 38.

As with all other reports mentioned in this newsletter, we are watching the events unfold at this hour. Get ready for the shout that will take us out!