Tag: End times

  • May 2024 – When They All Look UP!

    May 2024

    When They All Look UP!

    “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,

    and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28

    By Mike Wingfield

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

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

    Iran Attacks Israel
    On April 13-14, Iran carried out an unparalleled attack against Israel. Considering the prophetic Scriptures, this attack is very significant. See Pages 5-6 for a biblical analysis of this event.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    God unleashed His arsenal of terror upon Egypt because they refused to yield to His will to allow His people to go into the Promised Land that God had given them (Exodus 6:1-8). In a similar way, God is calling His people from their exile from the land of Israel for 2,000 years. He has promised, “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).The world has wrestled with God concerning the land of Israel and the Jewish people from the beginning of the modern nation of Israel to this day. It now appears that we are entering into the final phase of the world’s attack upon the Jewish people. The final chapter of this war between God and the nations will be concluded during the Tribulation Period.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Iran Attacks Israel

    “And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog [Russia, Iran, and others], before their eyes” (Ezekiel 38:16)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • April 2024 – God Loves Israel

    April 2024

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    God Loves Israel

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

    By Mike Wingfield

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    G

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Get ready for the shout that will take us out!

  • November 2023 – Israel at War

    PTNews

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

    October 2024

       Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

    All Bible references are from the KJV   

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    (Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

    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

    Israel at War

    “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

    … a time of war, and a time of peace.”Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8

    By Mike Wingfield

    Israel and the world were sent reeling by a surprise attack that was launched by the Islamic terrorist group Hamas on Israel’s Sabbath morning of October 7th.

    Israel, with boasts one of the most elaborate intelligence and security operations in the world, was caught totally off guard. Indeed, it turned out to be one of most devastating days in the history of the modern state of Israel. As events continue to unfold, the world is stunned by the countless atrocities committed by these savage terrorists against innocent Israelis.

    Shockingly, more Israelis were murdered on their holiest day of the week, Shabbat, October 7th than any other day during the historic wars Israel has endured since its return to the Promised Land. Even more stunning is the realization that this sudden defeat did not come at the hands of an enemy nation. It was perpetrated by a radical Islamic terrorist entity.

    This stunning development occurred on the last day of the Jewish peoples’ celebrated Feast of Tabernacles. Hamas, a dangerous and avowed enemy of Israel, suddenly launched attacks against 22 Jewish communities and several military installations near Israel’s southern border with Gaza.

    An estimated 1,500 radical Islamic terrorists affiliated with Hamas invaded Israel by air, land, and sea. In 24 hours, these savages killed more than 1,200 Israeli citizens and military personnel, and seriously injured more than 3,000. As we know, these numbers will continue to mount in the preceding days.

    The grim pictures shared by Israel give testimony to the demonic and brutal savagery of the invading Islamic forces. They raped and tortured women, killed parents in front of their children, and slaughtered people while desecrating their bodies. Many were beheaded, including babies. According to original estimates, 130 or more men, women, children, and elderly people and forced them to flee to Gaza where t hey are being held hostage. During this strike, they also raided and pillaged the Jewish communities, leaving behind a massive trail of destruction. The family pictured on this page was brutally murdered by Hamas.

    In addition, terrorists launched more than 5,000 missiles into Israel. A few of these missiles reached their targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is believed by some that an electronic device was used to interfere with Israel’s Iron Dome antiballistic missile system. Some analysts are saying that Iran and Russia helped Hamas to plan this deadly attack and provided the funds, munitions, orders, and technological ability to make it happen.

    The Israeli government immediately declared war on Hamas. 300,000 reservists were summoned for duty. Israeli leaders told the national to expect a long and protracted war that will be fought in the streets of Gaza, a densely populated area. Israel was told to brace itself for large numbers of casualties. In addition, the long war effort will have a crippling effect on the Israeli economy because it will divert much-needed human and economic resources.

    Most of us who live in the United States cannot begin to fathom what the Israelis are going through. We have not suffered from wars and rumors of wars, and numerous acts of terrorism as the Jewish people have had to endure for many generations.

    I was deeply moved by the following report, “What we are experiencing now is unthinkable, unimaginable. The horror, the evil, the pain. It is more than we can bear. Parents and children are slaughtered.

    Elderly people and their nurses are slaughtered. Teenagers at an outdoor party, slaughtered. For those who are far away, who may not grasp the enormity of this horror – this is Israel’s 9/11.

    “Throughout Israel, sons and fathers are running to war. The situation is so dire that men in their forties are being called up to action. Yesterday, I stood on my porch watching mothers and wives all over my neighborhood hug their sons and husbands with tears in their eyes, as they rushed from their homes to join their units for battle.

    “Everyone has a loved one at the front. Some of my friends’ children have been wounded, and others are missing. We are living in a nightmare. Israel is in crisis, in a way many of us have never experienced in our lifetimes” (Israel365news.com, October 8, 2023).

    Israeli military personnel who were traveling abroad scrambled to return to Israel so they could join the war effort against Hamas. Israel is determined to destroy Hamas and its control center of operation in Gaza. We can believe that the God of Israel will aid them. God has declared, “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:8-14).

    It is very important to remember that this ongoing war against Israel is being perpetrated in the name of the god of Islam. Shouts of “Allah is greater” were repeated as terrorists murdered their victims and pillaged Jewish communities. This clearly indicates that what is transpiring in our world is a war being waged against Jews and Christians. The world, and especially Islam, are at war with the God of the Bible. Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a Senior Hamas Official, is quoted as saying recently, “The entire planet will be under our law, there will be no more Jews or Christian traitors” (The Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2023). This is only a small taste of what will come to pass during the Tribulation Period.

    I am convinced that the seven-year Tribulation Period is the final chapter of an age-old conflict that began with the animosity of Ishmael against Isaac, and Esau’s hatred of Jacob. As previously mentioned in the October newsletter, there is biblical, historical, and prophetic evidence to support this opinion. What we are viewing now is an extension of the war in the spiritual realm between the God of Israel and the god of Islam. As this conflict escalates, we are getting closer to the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.

    Muslims are waging a war against the world to force all citizens to submit to Islam. The United Nations, the global media, and education systems are completely silent about the war, called “Islamic Jihad”, being perpetrated upon all infidels (non-Muslims) around the world. I highly recommend that you frequently visit the website www.thereligonofpeace.com to keep informed of this ongoing global war. According to this website there have been more than 44,000 deadly Islamic terror attacks among the nations since 9/11. In September 2023, there were 104 attacks that killed 550 people, and injured another 492. These attacks took place in 22 countries.

    Islam’s holy war is growing around the world. Muslims are immigrating to Europe in greater numbers. In countries like France, Italy, Germany, and Great Britain, the Muslims are already killing non-Muslims and threatening to take over major cities.

    Islam is currently the only religion in the world that is protected from hate speech. The United Nations is impacted by the 57 Islamic nations that control the actions and decisions of this international body. I am convinced that the religion of Islam is symbolically depicted in the book of Revelation as a harlot that rides on the back of the beast that represents the Antichrist and his global kingdom (Revelation 17-18). See the image on this page. This religion is in the desert (Revelation 17:3), kills believers in Jesus (Revelation 17:6), and seduces the kings, merchants, and citizens of the world (Revelation 18:3).

    When the Tribulation opens, a rider will appear on a white horse “to conquer” the world (Revelation 6:2). Muslims believe their messiah will appear on a white horse and call for a global jihad against the world. This action will continue as they “take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another” (Revelation 6:4). This will all be accomplished with the Antichrist’s “great sword” (Revelation 6:4). The sword of Allah [their god] is a global symbol of Islam. The name Islam means “submission.” See the image of the Saudi flag below. The Islamic words on the flag are the Islamic statement of faith “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” The beginning of the Tribulation will be accompanied by hyperinflation, famine, diseases, war, and death (Revelation 6:5-8). This all appears to be knocking at the world’s door at this hour!

    When the forces of the Antichrist kill God’s two Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem at the mid-point of the Tribulation, those in the world who are sympathetic to his mission will rejoice. Revelation 11:10 says, “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another.” For many years this has been the common reaction in the Muslim world to the slaughtering of Jewish Israelis. When word reached Muslims around the world about Hamas’ destruction in Israel, they broke out in praise to Allah for their victory.

    On the day after the death of 800 Israelis by Hamas, World Israel News shared the following story, “Muslims in Europe and throughout the Middle East launched festive celebrations in the street, praising Palestinian terrorists and supporting the unprecedented attack that killed some [1,200] Israelis on Saturday, in one of the biggest disasters in Israeli history. “Rachel Riley, a British-Jewish television presenter, wrote on her social media accounts that she was horrified to come across multiple groups of people in London who were apparently reveling in the fact that Israelis had been killed. Riley wrote that she had visited a cafe in the Acton neighborhood in West London with her family, when they saw a group of men on the street waving Palestinian flags and smiling.

    “‘People have been brutally murdered, kidnapped and there are people in London dancing,’ she wrote. Later on, Riley updated that she ‘just passed two cars in West London driving with Palestinian flags flying from each window, bouncing up and down in their cars, seemingly celebrating like they were having a party’” (World Israel News, October 8, 2023).

    The article in World Israel News, continued, “In Palestinian Authority-controlled enclaves in Judea and Samaria, Palestinians rallied in the streets, handing out sweets to celebrate the Hamas attack.

    “Social media footage showed hundreds of Iranians gathering in Tehran’s Palestine Square, as locals praised the murder of Israelis. Celebratory fireworks were also seen in the video. In Lebanon, supporters of Hamas danced in the streets of Beirut while waving Palestinian flags” (World Israel News, October 8, 2023). This should clearly demonstrate that the idea of a Jewish and a Palestinian state side by side would be total suicide for Israel!

    What happened on Saturday, October 7th was a complete surprise to Israel. It was an unusual total failure of their intelligence. However, God was not surprised. Why did He allow this to happen? We must remember that God is orchestrating every event all over the world, even in this apparent temporary defeat of His own people – Israel.

    God has allowed this war in Israel to bring fear and humility to the Jewish people, both secular and religious Israelis. For far too long, Israelis have prided themselves in their military strength and impeccable intelligence. God wants them to know that the battle belongs to Him. When Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38-39) and Armageddon (Zechariah 14:1-3) happen in the future, the Bible indicates the Jewish nation will be overwhelmed. However, the Holy One of Israel will defend them for the honor of His name and glory. He is setting the stage to call upon them to trust Him instead of themselves. Israel’s greatest days are ahead. Not because of who they are, but because of Who He is!!

    It is my opinion that the Lord is allowing Israel to be vulnerable as it faces the hatred and violence of those who are constantly plotting its destruction. Ultimately, He will bear His arm of power and overwhelm the enemies of Israel. He will supernaturally fight for Israel as their foes are defeated.

    God wants to teach all of us to trust Him, not our own might. Jeremiah 17:5, 7 declares, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. … Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Psalm 20:7, adds, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

    Many Israeli soldiers read Psalm 121 before they go into battle. Oh, that the entire nation would take this Psalm to heart! From a human perspective, it is necessary for Israel to be militarily strong to survive in the Middle East. However, this needs to be balanced with a heart that is fixed upon the Lord and depends upon Him for its ultimate survival as a nation.

    I am absolutely convinced that God has allowed the current situation to take place to turn the Jewish nation away from internal division and to bring many to salvation in Jesus Christ. Many Jewish Israelis will be saved because in fear and humility they will seek Him and find Him in their hour of need. Praise His Name!

    The prophetic Word of God repeatedly states that the end time events will be especially difficult for the Jewish people living in Israel. In Jeremiah 30, the weeping prophet of God informed His people that when the last days would come, they would hear “a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace” (verse 5). He called this time “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (verse 7). Concerning the Tribulation Period, Daniel wrote, “… and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1). While speaking to His Jewish disciples concerning the last days and the Antichrist, 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 no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

    God has repeatedly demonstrated and promised that He will fight for His people, Israel. Against great odds, in the days of Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, Daniel, and many others, God miraculously gave the victory to His people who were outnumbered and militarily inferior. The days are rapidly approaching when the Lord will demonstrate to the entire world that He is the Lord God Almighty!

    God has declared that He has placed His divine watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem, “which shall never hold their peace day nor night” (Isaiah 62:6). He has declared to His people, “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3). These promises God gave to Israel are unconditional. They are not attached to some command given to them. These promises are founded upon God’s unchanging character. He has said, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).

    Those who hate Israel are the enemies of God and hate His people, Israel (Psalm 83:1-4). The Lord has promised to bless those who bless His people, and to curse those who curse them (Genesis 12:3). If we love the Lord, we must love His people.

    We need to pray for Israel at this hour. Pray for Israel and her leaders to make wise decisions. Pray for many who have lost family and friends. Many funerals will be held in the next few days and the people of Israel will be crying out to the Lord for His help. Pray for Israeli soldiers as this war continues to escalate. Pray that the enemies of Israel will be defeated for the honor and glory of God. Pray for the innocent people in Gaza who are prisoners of Hamas. Pray for their salvation. Pray that this will unite the nation of Israel. Pray that the church will wake up and understand the lateness of the hour!

    Almost 2,600 years ago, the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Israel and these last days. I highly recommend that you read and meditate upon these following words as we move through the weeks and months to come (if we are still here). “For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. … Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. … Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it” (Jeremiah 30:11, 16, 23-24).

    Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

    Who will lead the Nations to Armageddon?

    It is amazing what the prophet Joel wrote about the nations and Armageddon – the final war that ends the Tribulation Period. First, God said, “For I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat [the valley between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem]” (Joel 3:2). When the end comes, all the Gentile nations will come to Armageddon. The reasons given for God’s wrath against the nations is their savage treatment of the Jewish people and the division of His land (Joel 3:2-3) – the Holy Land.

    He promises two nations that they will suffer the vengeance of the Lord and He will recompense them for what they have done to Israel. The two nations are Lebanon [“Tyre and Zidon”] and Gaza [“all the coasts of Palestine”] (Joel 3:4). Isn’t it amazing that these two nations are currently at the forefront of attacking Israel? It demonstrates that we are seeing the final events of the Church Age.

    I pray you are ready! He is coming soon!

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