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January 2022 – International Attempts to Cancel Messiah’s Kingdom

Proclaiming the Prophetic Word for 31 years!

PTNews

January 2022

Published monthly

All Bible references are from the KJV

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

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

International Attempts to

Cancel Messiah’s Kingdom

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,

against the LORD, and against his [Messiah]…” Psalm 2:2

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By Mike Wingfield

As we begin this New Year, we are witnessing a global uprising by world leaders as they ignore and oppose God’s plans to establish His global Messianic Kingdom on earth. At the end of this age, God has promised to establish a physical kingdom on this earth. It is a prominent part of His plan of the ages. It was a major consideration of the prophets, apostles, and the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry.

In the Scriptures, the Lord has chosen to reveal that His creation will end on this earth with a glorious period in which God’s Messiah, Jesus, will directly rule over the nations for 1,000 years. The amazing details of this earthly kingdom will penetrate every facet of human life. The earth will be a place of peace, justice, harmony, righteousness, and true prosperity. It will be free of death, diseases, and tragedies. It will be characterized by joy and praise. It will be saturated with the presence, blessings, and knowledge of God. Finally, the earth will have a righteous king and perfect laws that will govern every person on the planet. A love and respect for God and His chosen people, Israel, will permeate the global population.

For centuries, many people have spiritualized Scriptures that speak of the Kingdom of God. In essence, they believe they are currently building Christ’s kingdom on earth. For them, the expansion and influence of the church is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises concerning His Kingdom. This vision of God’s kingdom on earth is shallow and void of the real change that is needed to transform a planet in pain and ruin due to sin and rebellion against God. Only a literal interpretation of Scripture will help us discover that God’s kingdom will be an actual physical Jewish kingdom. The Father has declared, “Yet have I set my king [Messiah] upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6). Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, Israel.

Those of us who know the Scriptures believe that nothing will stop the eternal plans of God. What He has decreed will come to pass, just as He has said. He has commanded us to pray for this Kingdom to come. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

However, we also know the Bible tells us that this heavenly promotion of the Kingdom of God at the end of this age will be met with the greatest opposition that Satan can muster. Satan knows that if he fails to stop the beginning of the Kingdom of God it will bring his doom. For the first time in his diabolical career, the arch enemy of God will be bound by God and cast “into the bottomless pit” (Revelation 20:3). For the duration of the kingdom, 1,000 years, he will be confined so that he cannot deceive the nations into following him in his rebellion against God (Revelation 20:1-3). As we watch the unfolding of the prophetic events at the end of this age, we can rest assured that Satan is preparing the wicked rulers of this earth for his final assault upon God’s Kingdom preparations.

At this very moment, the governments of this world are in league with evil angels to bring about a New World Order without God. Their chief aim is to depose God from His throne, replace His commandments, and remove His people from the earth (Psalm 2). At the heart of Satan’s wicked scheme is a political/religious ideology that is forcing its way upon the nations – Islam. In additional, Satan is being aided by a godless political world system – socialism/communism. Satan will use at least one of these godless forms of government to usher in his kingdom of darkness to take over the planet.

The Scriptures clearly state that God’s Kingdom promises are focused upon a particular group of people and a particular place. In Daniel 9, God revealed to His prophet, Daniel, that God’s calendar of events that precede His Kingdom on earth will include the people of Daniel – the Jewish people (Daniel 9:24). Furthermore, Daniel was told the Kingdom will center upon the holy city of Jerusalem and the place of sacrifice – the Temple Mount (Daniel 9:24).

According to the Bible, the Kingdom of God on earth will begin suddenly and it will be preceded by seven years of great tribulation. Before this time of tribulation envelops the earth, a remnant of the Jewish people will return to their promised land – Israel. This reoccupation of the holy land will be a divinely orchestrated process. God has declared, “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).

God’s chosen people – the Jewish people, are currently dispersed across the nations as a part of their global exile, just as the Bible predicted. But God gave the prophets of Israel a divine revelation. They foresaw a time when their people would return to their promised land and be met with regional religion from what we now know as the Middle East (Ezekiel 36:1-7). Today, all the nations surrounding the nation of Israel are dominated by the political/religious ideologies of Islam. Obviously, Islam is the driving force behind the fervent opposition against the Jewish occupation of the Promised Land.

Islam has become a global political force that is imposing its ideology upon a godless world. As the world walks in spiritual darkness, the people are blind to the fact they are being guided down a dangerous and deadly path that has brought them into direct conflict with the God of heaven. In essence, they are in league with Satan.

It is not a coincidence that while the Jews are returning to their land, Islam has a major, growing influence over the global media and governments (Revelation 17:2; 18:3). Due to the unrest in the Middle East and Africa, Muslim refugees are flooding Europe. These refugees refuse to assimilate or adopt the customs of their European benefactor. Rather, they are planning a radical takeover of Europe, making it a part of their vision of a future Islamic global empire. [See article on page 7.]

At the same time, they are planning the demise of the United States. Due to the Biden Administration’s policies, they are using the porous southern border of the United States to flood our nation with thousands of Islamic warriors who are passionately pursuing the destruction of the United States and ending its reign as the world’s greatest free society. Islam has declared jihad (holy war) on America. [See article on page 7.] Islamic terrorists are patiently waiting for the moment when they have their warriors in place to execute their strategic plan to dismantle this great nation and forcefully present it to their god, Allah. To illustrate, we must remember that before the 9-11 attacks against the United States, Islamic terrorists’ cells were in place upon American soil, and they meticulously planned for years before their plan was executed.

It is not a coincidence that the leaders of the world are ramping up their frantic call for an international form of government. Outside the circles of Islam, there is a passionate and persistent movement to force the non-Islamic nations of the world into a socialist/communist type of government. Advocates of this movement want to manipulate and control the global population to conform to their plans to dominate the world. In America, we are witnessing a war as it is being waged against the Biblically based constitution and freedoms we have enjoyed since the founding of this country.

The ideologies of Islam and socialism have much in common. They are both godless forms of government that have a history of brutally murdering innocent people who refuse to submit to their authority. They take property from people and enslave them to their ideological agenda. They hate the freedom of religion and the free press. They use deception, force, and hatred as tools to accomplish their purposes. History demonstrates that poverty and corruption dominate the regions where these ideologies have ruled over the masses. Their rejection of the God of the Bible and their lack respect for the freedom of people who have been created in the image of God have resulted in a failed societal collapse for hundreds of years. Despite these realities, the wicked, self-centered global populations have been prepared to follow the promoters of these creeds to their own destruction and death.

As an example of the international community’s attempt to cancel Messiah’s Kingdom, I will focus upon the latest attempt by the United Nations to proclaim, from their perspective, that there is no Jewish connection to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Let’s look at the facts.

As usual, beginning on the eve of the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev (usually in November and December), Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah, the festival of lights. During this celebration, they light candles for eight consecutive nights to commemorate a miracle that took place at the time of the recovery of the Jewish temple and its re-dedication following the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century B.C. According to John 10:22-23, Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast.

This year, during the time of the Jewish celebration that was connected to the re-dedication of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the United Nations voted on what is called the “Jerusalem resolution.” On December 1, the nations of the world voted overwhelmingly to declare that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem does not hold any significance “for faiths outside of Islam” (World Israel News, December 2, 2021). This vote passed by a 129 to 11 vote, with 31 abstentions. [The U.S. representative did vote against it.] The resolution called for “upholding the unchanged historical status quo at the Haram al-Sharif [the Muslim name for the Temple Mount] and called any actions by Israel to impose its laws on the city of Jerusalem ‘illegal’” (Israel 365 News, December 3, 2021).

As a response to this action, the World Israel News staff commented, “It’s absurd that in the year 2021, out of some 20 UN General Assembly resolutions that criticize countries, 70 percent are focused on one single country – Israel. What drives these lopsided condemnations is a powerful political agenda to demonize the Jewish state” (World Israel News, December 2, 2021). Israel’s ambassador to the UN said, “the resolution is an attempt to erase Jewish history in our eternal capital” (Israel 365 News, December 3, 2021).

This U.N. resolution demonstrates the contempt the world has for the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity. The world openly rejects the plain statements of Scripture concerning Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. They furthermore reject the true historical facts that have produced the current conflict over this holy site.

We are now witnessing the battle call that will lead the world to its final conflict with God. According to the prophetic Scriptures, this is the very heart of the conflict that will engulf the entire world and pave the road for the nations to bring their military might against Israel at the battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period.

The roots of this conflict go much deeper than most people realize. The Bible reveals that this great struggle over the Temple Mount go back to God’s selection of the site as the place of worship and sacrifice for His chosen people. In Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 13-14 the Lord gave this very clear commandment to Moses. “But when ye go over [the] Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow unto the LORD. … Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seeest. But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.”

Many Scriptures make it abundantly clear that the place the Lord chose was Mount Moriah, which is recognized today as “the Temple Mount.” Approximately 600 years before this commandment was given to Moses, God tested the faith of Abraham by instructing him to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him on this mountain (Genesis 22:1-14). After Abraham proved that he was willing to obey this extremely difficult command, the Lord provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice for Isaac. According to Genesis 22:14 this mount became known in Abraham’s day as “the mount of the LORD.” Also, according to this verse, Mount Moriah continued to be the recognized location of this significant event in the days of Moses.

According to 1 Chronicles 21:18-30, about 400 years after the commandment given to Moses, King David purchased Mount Moriah and made it the location for the first Temple, which his son Solomon would build. After Solomon dedicated the completed Temple, the Lord appeared to him and gave the following blessing. “I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put mine name there forever, and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (1 Kings 9:3).

A careful study of Bible history demonstrates that the Temple built by Solomon would stand for almost 400 years until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Then, after a 70-year Babylonian captivity, a Jewish remnant returned to build another Temple on the same location. This rather small Temple was in use until King Herod, about 20 years before the birth of Christ, restructured Mount Moriah and began a massive building project that remained under construction during Jesus’ earthly ministry (John 2:20). This construction continued until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

The retaining walls that enclosed the 35-acre plaza created a flat plateau that reshaped the mountain. Except for the Western Wall (also known as “the Wailing Wall”), these retaining walls were leveled by the Romans. However, the present retaining walls, which are only a few hundred years old, were for the most part, built upon the remaining stones of the original wall. Therefore, the Temple Mount is believed to be about the same shape and size it was in the days of Jesus.

Secular historical sources indicate that following the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 A.D., the Romans built a pagan temple to the Greek god, Jupiter, on the same location. After Islamic armies conquered Jerusalem in 638 A.D., they built a mosque on the southern end of the mount (which today is the building with the silver-colored dome called Al-Aksa). In 693 A.D. the Dome of the Rock (the current building with the gold-colored dome) was built. (See photo on page 4.)

According to Islamic tradition, their prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven on a horse and returned to earth. Although the Koran does not mention Jerusalem as the place where Mohammed traveled to heaven on this horse, a later interpretation of this tradition names the rock that is in the Dome of the Rock as the location of this event. Islam also claims that Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, rather than Isaac, upon the rock that is today under the Dome. Therefore, the Temple Mount has become the third most revered site in the Islamic religion.

A study of the history of the land called Palestine before the 20th century, reveals that Jerusalem was never consid-ered important within the practice of the religion of Islam. It was not until the return of Jewish immigrants to the Holy Land in the first part of the 20th century that Jerusalem took on an important role in the Islamic world. It is apparent that this was a response to the perceived threat that the Temple Mount would ultimately be surrendered to the growing Jewish population as the location of a future Jewish Temple. It is no secret that this has been the longing and prayer of the Jewish people for 1,900 years.

After the War of Independence (1948-49), the city of Jerusalem was divided. West Jerusalem was retained by the victorious Jewish nation as its capital. However, the ancient walled city, East Jerusalem (which included the Temple Mount), would remain in the hands of the Jordanians. This arrangement continued until the Six-Day War of June 1967. During those few days, some of the most dramatic moments occurred when Israeli forces captured the Temple Mount and the Old City from the occupying Arab forces.

For the first time in over 2,000 years the Jewish people were in control of the ancient city of David and the Temple Mount, considered to be the most sacred ground to the Jew. Emotions in Israel were at an all-time high because it was perceived by many that the State of Israel was approaching the time when it would build the Temple and usher in the anticipated Messianic age. However, the secular Israeli government believed that any attempt to remove the Islamic places of worship from the Temple Mount would invite a holy war. Therefore, a few weeks after the Six-Day War, the Israeli government declared that the Islamic authorities could continue with their worship on the Temple Mount and that Israel would maintain the security of the area from outside the retaining walls. Israel annexed the Old City, including the Temple Mount, but allowed the Jordanian government to oversee the Islamic authorities on the Temple Mount. This has been the status quo for this delicate and sensitive matter for almost 50 years.

According to the prophetic Scriptures, the Jews will be in control of the Temple Mount in the last days. The most glorious and significant days for Jerusalem and the Mountain of the Lord will take place during the last days. At the beginning of the final seven years at the end of this age, two Jewish witnesses (Moses and Elijah) will appear in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:3-11). These two witnesses will proclaim God’s Word and perform miracles before the nation of Israel. They will be divinely protected so that no man can harm them. Through the impact of their message, 144,000 young Jewish men will be saved, sealed, and trained to go out from Jerusalem with the gospel message to all the nations (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5). Like the Jewish Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago (see Acts 2), God will once again pour out His Spirit upon the Jewish people and the Word of Lord will go forth from Jerusalem (Joel 2:27-32). The temple in Jerusalem will be built and temple worship will be restored during the first half of the Tribulation Period (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15, 26; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11:1-2). During the last half of the Tribulation Period, the Temple Mount will be seized and controlled by the Antichrist. The Apostle John stated that it shall be “given unto the Gentiles [the forces of the Antichrist]” (Revelation 11:2).

Today, several groups in Israel are actively preparing for temple worship. Through DNA analysis, some men have been identified as belonging to the priestly tribe of Levi and are being trained in temple worship. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has constructed more than 90 of 120 items that are necessary for worship in the temple as described in the Bible

During the Millennial Kingdom, the Mountain of the Lord will be the center of the Messiah’s rule over all the nations. It will become the spiritual, political, judicial, educational, and geographical hub of the world (Isaiah 2:1-4; Ezekiel 5:5). All nations will be required to annually go up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-21). Finally, Mount Zion will shine forth with righteousness “and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth” (Isaiah 62:1). For the glory of God, the Lord will establish Jerusalem, making it “a praise in the earth” (Isaiah 62:7). The nations of the world will honor Jerusalem and call it “The City of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 60:14).

Presently, the radical Islamic authorities in the world continue to adamantly claim there is no evidence that the Temple Mount was ever occupied by the Jewish people. They ignore the multitude of Scriptures previously mentioned in this article. They also refuse to recognize the overwhelming archaeological evidence that has been uncovered in recent years, proving the historical Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem [which the world calls “East Jerusalem”].

Limited space will only allow us to mention a few of these archaeological discoveries. The area around the Temple Mount has produced overwhelming evidence that it is the actual location of the historical temples that stood in Jerusalem.

In 1969, archaeologists found a stone [see photo on page 5] at the southwest corner of the retaining wall lying in the destruction debris from the temple in 70 A.D. In ancient Hebrew script, it said, “the place of trumpeting.” This stone marked the point at the top of the wall where the priests would blow the shofar to call the worshipers to the Temple Mount for worship.

Further evidence is given to indicate this as the place of the Jewish temple. Dozens of ritual baths, mikveh, have been discovered by the area of the temple near the southern and southwestern wall corner entrance. According to the law and customs of the Jews of Jesus day, they were to immerse themselves in the mikveh before ascending the stairs to the holy temple.

In and around the Temple Mount area and the original City of David to the south, many inscriptions and items with Hebrew writing have been discovered in recent years. A few years ago, archaeologists found an incredible seal belonging to King Hezekiah (see photo below). This seal reads in ancient Hebrew, “”Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah.”

The archaeological digs around the Temple Mount and the original ancient city of David to the south continue to yield incredible discoveries. One of the recent finds marks the ancient path that worshipers traveled from the significant Pool of Siloam, in the lower part of the ancient City of David, up to the Temple area. This path has been restored and is available for tourists to experience in their visit to Jerusalem.

Today, we live at a time when we can see, feel, and touch the evidence that proves the historical accuracy of the Bible. These current events and discoveries are clearly pointing out that we are approaching the final days when all these exciting prophecies will come to pass.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

Danger at our Southern Border

An article by The Center for Immigration Studies, at www.meforum.org, on December 3, 2021, gave the following report about the developing dangers occurring at our southern border:

“The nation’s main border policing agency put out a November 30 press release pointing out that in just one randomly selected time frame in just one of the Texas border’s overwhelmed sectors (Del Rio), during the third week of November, Border Patrol agents caught migrants from regions of the world bristling with Islamic terrorist organizations. … The agency noted that in just October, Del Rio Sector agents encountered 28,111 unauthorized migrants from more than 50 countries. In the just-ended fiscal year of 2021, the Del Rio Sector encountered migrants from 106 countries.”

It is of utmost importance that many historians are reminding us that the Great Roman Empire collapsed due to some of the same issues currently facing the United States. One of the causes of Rome’s demise was the lack of controlling the illegal entry of people who were enemies sworn to their destruction.

France Bowing to Islam

In America, we do not need to guess about the future of our nation. We need to look at France and the rest of Europe. Unless our immigration and border policies change soon, Islam will exert it influence over America just as it has done in Europe.

In an electrifying and frightening report about France’s ongoing fall to radical Islamic groups, Gatestone Institute highlights these current developments.

  • “More than 500 districts in France are declared ‘sensitive’. To put it bluntly, we are talking about several million people who are subject to Islamist law”.

  • “Every two weeks in France, a mosque is created and a church disappears.”

  • “Two thousand military servicemen signed a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron and the government, warning that France is on the verge of collapse and civil war because the state has ‘surrendered’ to radical Muslims. The letter followed an appeal by 20 retired generals and hundreds of former officers, in which they speak of ‘disintegration and Islamization’ in progress, as well as a document sent to parliament by other generals and officers, proclaiming, ‘We are in a hybrid war, it is multifaceted and will end in a civil war at best and a cruel defeat with no future at worst’.

To read this entire article on the collapse of France see:

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17843/france-election-immigration

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December 2021 – God’s Judgment of Earth’s Demon Den

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

God’s Judgment of Earth’s Demon Den

“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of [demons], and is become the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:2

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By Mike Wingfield

The Christmas season will soon be upon us. And songs such as “Joy to the World,” are among the traditional favorites that even secular radio stations play. Do people understand that this song reflects upon the joy that will come when Jesus rules over all nations in His future kingdom? For the first time, mankind will have a perfect, holy, righteous, and just King. For 1,000 years the earth and its global population will enjoy the physical and spiritual blessings of living in a perfect environment with a perfect government. Read the lyrics and reflect upon the joy that will come when our Lord reigns over all the earth.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

It is God’s sovereign choice that as the kingdom on earth begins, He will have Satan bound in the bottomless pit. This will be done so Satan will not be able to deceive the nations for the duration of Christ’s kingdom reign. John recorded this truth for us in Revelation 20:1-3, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.” We can rejoice that the old serpent that deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and has wreaked havoc and misery upon the nations since the beginning, will finally be put away for 1,000 years.

However, have you ever wondered what the Lord will do to Satan’s army of demons that have assisted him since his rebellion against God in heaven? What will the Lord do with them at the beginning of the kingdom? Without their master, Satan, what will the demons do? Will God imprison them? If so, where will He send them? God has a unique plan recorded in His Word for what will happen to the millions, perhaps billions, of demons for the duration of the kingdom. That is the subject of this newsletter.

Why would we want to think about this? In this newsletter, I have several practical reasons for exploring this matter. First, in this study, we will discover that there has been a geographical demonic headquarters on earth since the beginning of time. From this center of operations, Satan has dispatched his demons around the earth to damn and deceive mankind. The discovery of the location of the demonic headquarters will help us understand how Satan uses his base of operations to wage war against the Lord and His eternal plan.

The identification of the demonic den will also provide a clear understanding of the operations of Satan in these last days. According to the prophetic Scriptures, the Antichrist and the final global religion will be centered in the geographical area of the demons’ den.

According to the Bible, when the end of the Tribulation Period comes, the Lord will obliterate the demon den and set it on fire for 1,000 years. This fiery earthly region will become the prison for all demons during Christ’s earthly kingdom. The Bible names the geographical areas that will suffer this most devastating judgment.

The identification of the demon den in the Bible will enable us to understand the current developments in our world today. It will help us to unquestionably understand how our world is being shaped for the Tribulation Period and the war in the heavens between the good and evil angels (Revelation 12:7-8). All of this will prove that we are very close to the coming of our Lord for His church.

Let us examine three Biblical realities about earth’s demon den.

1. The Region of the Demons’ Den

I believe the final seven years of this age, the Tribulation, will feature the final phase of the spiritual war in heaven between the good and evil angels (Revelation 12:7-8). This is the same as the war between God and Satan, and the war between heaven and hell. The book of the Revelation is saturated with the activities of the angels of God and the fallen angels of Satan [his demons].

As we study the subject of the end of this age, we must understand that both God and Satan have the same goal in mind. They are both seeking to establish a global kingdom over all nations. According to the Scriptures, Jesus will establish His earthly kingdom over all nations, ruling for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:2-7) from Jerusalem, Israel upon the throne of David (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Likewise, as God’s adversary and counterfeit, Satan will work through his strongman, the Antichrist, to take control of all nations by the mid-point of the Tribulation. Revelation 13:7-8declares, “And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will destroy the headquarters of the Antichrist and the religion that gives him his authority. This is highlighted in Revelation 16-18. Revelation 16:19declares, “And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” The details of the political, religious, and economic global kingdom of the end, is explained in Revelation 17-18. In the final chapters of the Bible, the city of Babylon is mentioned by name six times (Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). In these chapters, Babylon is also identified as a religion and a general geographical region. The final verse of Revelation 18 indicates that Babylon has played a major role in the martyrdom of believers in both the Old and New Testaments. This means she has attacked God’s chosen people, Israel, and the church.

Therefore, it is not a surprise that the Bible features the major role that Babylon has had during the history of man since the days of Abraham. Since Genesis 14, the cities of Jerusalem and Babylon have been in conflict. In the Bible, Jerusalem represents the city of God (Psalm 48:1), while Babylon has consistently represented the city of man or Satan (Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 47; Revelation 16-18).

Satan’s selection of the geographical regions in the Middle East is directly tied to the location of the purposes of God. They are linked to Christ’s kingdom in the land promised to Abraham and his descendants forever (Genesis 13:15).The boundaries of the Holy Land are given in Genesis 15:18, “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river of Euphrates.” (See the map below.) As God’s counterfeit, Satan has planted his operations as close to the Promised Land as allowed by God. The areas of the demon den are to the east and southeast of Israel.

It is not an accident that the desert areas east of Israel have been where those who rebelled against God in Biblical times resided. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden after their sin, they were sent by God to the east of Eden (Genesis 3:24). When Cain was driven from the presence of God after he killed Abel, he went “to the east of Eden” (Genesis 4:16). When the people of the earth came together to rebel against God and build the Tower of Babel, they came from the east (Genesis 11:2). The first war in the Promised Land mentioned in the Bible, in Genesis 14, was headed by Amraphel king of Shinar (Babylon) from the east. When God rejected Ishmael and later Esau, they both settled in the land east of Israel (Genesis 25, 36). The descendants of these men are the Arab Muslim nations of the Middle East. When both Israel and Judah were defeated by their enemies, Assyria and Babylon, they both had come from the east.

In the Bible, the people who lived in the demon den were known as “the people of the east” (Genesis 29:1); “the children of the east” (Judges 6:3, 33); “the sons of the east” (Ezekiel 25:4); “the men of the east” (Ezekiel 25:10); and “the kings of the east” (Revelation 16:12). Today, these people live in Iraq, Iran (today this includes parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan), Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

In Biblical days, the ancient people associated the desert with the presence of evil and demons. This is where Jesus was confronted by Satan in His three temptations at the beginning of His early ministry. It happened in the desolate mountains of Judea, east of Jerusalem. When Jesus spoke of a person’s attempt to self-reform, He said, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of the man, he walketh through dry places” (Luke 11:24). Jesus confirmed the fact that demons make their place of habitation in the desert places that are uninhabited.

As previously mentioned, the Scriptures indicate that when the end of this age comes, Christ will judge Satan and his demons and their earthly headquarters that are in two geographical regions. This is described in Revelation 16-19.

When the Apostle John wrote about the future destruction of these areas, he said, “And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power [compare with Revelation 20:1]; … And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen and is become the habitation of [demons], and the hold of every foul spirit [demons], and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird [birds were a symbolic reference to evil spirits in ancient cultures]” (Revelation 18:1-2).

In Revelation 18:2, God’s mighty angel will shriek with a sense of urgency when he announces God’s judgment on the area that has been controlled by demons since the early days of Genesis. He calls this area “the habitation of demons.” The word “habitation” is used to refer to a place of residence. He also calls this place “the hold” of demons. The Greek word for “hold” is used to speak of a military post or guard house. It can also be translated as a “den” or “haunt” of demons. It appears that this description points to this location as the place that guards the opening pit on earth that extends down to hell. Notice that in Revelation 9:1-3, demons are released from a bottomless pit on earth. Later, in this same chapter, four demons who control 200 million demons are released, “which are bound in the great river Euphrates” (Revelation 9:14). In addition to this, later, the spirit of demons goes forth from the area of the Euphrates River to deceive the nations and to summons them to Israel for the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

The Spirit of God caused the Apostle John to use a third term to describe this area connected to the demon den. John called this place “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2). This word indicates that this place was also a place of punishment or prison. In the context of Scripture, this would indicate that this geographical area would become the prison and place of punishment for the demons during the Millennial Kingdom on earth.

Many Biblical passages exclaim that when Christ returns at His revelation, He will come in a fiery judgment. Listen to Isaiah 66:15-16, “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.”

Many Scriptures indicate that two regions on earth will be set on fire and burn for the remainder of earth’s history until the end of the kingdom. The Bible teaches that parts of central Iraq, southern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia will be completely obliterated forever (Isaiah 13; 34, Jeremiah 50-51, Ezekiel 35, Obadiah, and Revelation 18). At the same time, some parts of Iran (including Afghanistan & Pakistan), and northern Jordan will be severely judged and then forgiven and restored during the kingdom (Jeremiah 48:47; 49:2, 34-39).

Of particular interest, Isaiah 34 identifies the place of fiery judgment as “Edom” [Hebrew word] or “Idumea” [Greek word for the same location]. It also identifies the area as “Bozrah,” a district of southern Jordan. When you enter the southern area of Jordan today, a sign welcomes the visitor with these words, “Welcome to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.” The Hashemites were the descendents of the founder of Islam, Mohammed. So, Jordan is proud of its heritage as the homeland of the descendants of the prophet Mohammed, who trace their ancestry back to Ishmael.

When this place is judged, Isaiah wrote, “And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever” (Isaiah 34:9-10).

The “pitch” described by Isaiah is a perfect reference to the crude oil that lays under the sands of the demon den. It is apparent that the fuel for the fire of God for 1,000 years will be crude oil. That which was a former blessing to these Islamic nations will become the fuel for the wrath of God against them. Furthermore, this area is also filled with rare minerals, like lithium. We are being told that there is more lithium in Afghanistan that any other place on earth. Lithium is also very flammable. Thus these rare minerals in the demon den will also be used for fuel by God for His judgment of fire upon this region for 1,000 years. The Bible says that this area will be a place of “perpetual desolation” (Ezekiel 35:9). It will never be inhabited again (Isaiah 13:20).

Isaiah further describes this as a region where demons will live, being manifested as wild animals and birds (Isaiah 34:11-17).In ancient days this area was filled with graphic depictions of wild animals and birds that were nothing more than demonic representations of the idols and gods worshiped by the ancient people who lived in the demon den. The picture on Page 4 is from a wall of a gate in ancient Babylon. Daniel would have seen this wall and the creatures displayed on them. No doubt he thought about them as he wrote about the wild beast-like demonic governments that would rule the world in the last days.

2. The Religion of the Demons’ Den

It is amazing to discover that the dominant religion of this region in the days of Abraham 4,000 years ago was the crescent moon god. See the relief below that dates to the time of Abraham.

According to historical records, the worship of this ancient crescent moon god had three centers of worship: Ur, Haran, and Babylon. [See the map on Page 3.] This was the pagan religion from which Abraham was called. Some scholars believe that Abraham’s father, Terah, was an idol maker of this crescent moon god.

Therefore, once again, God’s vengeance upon the religion in the demons’ den traces its roots back to the time of Genesis. In Isaiah 47, a chapter quoted by the Apostle John in Revelation 17-18, the Lord warned of the ultimate judgment that would come upon Babylon. God calls Babylon the beginning place of witchcraft, sorcery, and worship of the celestial bodies of heaven, including the moon (Isaiah 47:9-10, 12-13). Therefore, it is no coincidence that John calls the harlot religion of the end times “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5). The fact that John calls this religion the mother of false religions points back to Babylon as the place of origin for the worship of the crescent moon god.

Islam’s war with God traces its roots back into the Old Testament. In Judges 6-8, the Kings of Midian [an ancient people group from Saudi Arabia] were defeated by Gideon. They had crescent moon ornaments around their camels’ necks (Judges 8:21).

Therefore, we must conclude that Islam is not a religion that began in the 6th century after Christ. Mohammed and his followers simply revived the ancient pagan religion of their forefathers. Today, the crescent moon, as the official emblem of Islam, is seen all over the world. This religion is leading the crusade of violence. They call it jihad. This war is aimed at forcing the nations to be in submission to Allah, the moon god.

3. The Residents of the Demons’ Den

The people living in the geographical area the Bible calls the demon den are currently Muslims. In Isaiah 34:5, God calls them “the people of my curse.” Why does God call them the people of His curse? Both secular and Biblical history demonstrate that the people living in these areas have always hated the Jewish people and opposed their occupation of the land that God had given to them as a perpetual gift. Long ago, in the beginning, God declared to the Jewish people, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3).

In the Biblical texts that speak about the judgment of fire that will fall upon the demon den, God openly states why He will fall upon them with this horrific judgment. In Jeremiah 50:11, God said they were “destroyers of mine heritage.” In Jeremiah 50:24, He says His judgment against them is because they have “striven against the Lord.” God’s plan of redemption for the world is wrapped up in His blessing upon Israel. The future blessings of the Millennial Kingdom are bound up in God’s protection and promotion of the Jewish nation of Israel. Therefore, to oppose the Jewish people and the nation of Israel is to invite the curse of God. God’s massive judgment upon the demon den will be the culmination of their historical opposition to God and His people and His land for 4,000 years.

Modern Islam is far more than a religion. It is a political system that has as its goal the control of the world. This has been the goal of Satan since the beginning of his fall in heaven. In Isaiah 14:14, the Bible reveals that Satan has said, “I will be like the most High.” This title for God is given three times in Genesis 14:18-22. This name for God means “the possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:22). Therefore, for Satan to say he wants to be like “the most High” means He wants to ascend above God to possess heaven and all of its angels and power (Isaiah 14:13). He also wants to possess the earth and all the nations for his glory. In other words, Satan wants to be King of Kings (the political ruler of all creation), and Lord of Lords (the spiritual authority over all creation).

When Jesus returns to earth at the end of the Tribulation, He will wear his vesture that will declare Him to be, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). It will be at that time that He will destroy the forces of the Antichrist and cast him “alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. The demons will be confined to the demon den, where they will be tormented with fire and shamefully reduced to manifestations of wild animals and birds. It is fitting that the place of their power on earth for thousands of years will become their prison for 1,000 years.

The world is oblivious to these eternal plans of God. They are blindly groping in sinful darkness, while they oppose God and cozy up to Satan’s demons. The Bible repeatedly warns that the kings and inhabitants of earth in the last days will be “made drunk with the wine of her fornication [religious fraud and impostors of the One and true God]” (Revelation 17:2, see also 18:3, 9). This simply means that the people of the earth will be deceived into believing that Islam, rather than Christianity, deserves their praise and support. It is not an accident that Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world and the media says not one word. At the same time, Western governments are passing laws that will protect Islam from being publicly criticized. Friends, this is exactly what the Bible said would happen and we are watching it unfold at this hour!

President Joe Biden marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, saying, “We also witnessed the dark forces of human nature. Fear, anger and resentment and violence against Muslim-Americans — true and faithful followers of a peaceful religion.”

Since its modern beginning 14 centuries ago, Islam has brutally murdered 270 million innocent civilians. It has killed more people that Communism.

Who really represents true Islam today? Is it the so-called moderate, peaceful Muslims? Or is it the radical elements of Islam that call for violence and are the perpetrators of terrorism and violence? Let us answer this question with another question. Who are the true followers of Christianity? They are those who follow or mimic the commands and lifestyle of their founder, Jesus Christ. So, who are the true followers of Islam? They are the ones who follow or mimic the commands and lifestyle of their founder, Mohammed. Any Muslim who is honest about answering this question, must admit that Mohammed was a jihadist. He and his followers raped and killed their enemies. So, the true followers of Islam are following the example of their founder.

As this newsletter comes to you, the Middle East is undergoing a radical change as Muslims battle each other to take control of the world and create a global Islamic Empire. The center of this empire will be the capital of the antichrist and the world religion of the end – the demon den.

All of hell is focused upon the destruction of Israel. At the center of this conflict against God and Israel is Iran, with its plan to build a nuclear arsenal. Our world cannot begin to comprehend how this will destroy world peace.

My friend, I must warn you that our world stands on the brink of a hellish eruption of violence, terrorism, and wars. At the center of this attack will be Christians and Jews. The demon den is getting ready to make its move to take over the world. Christians will be slaughtered by the millions. It is already happening in some parts of the world and very few are speaking up about it.

Shortly after the Rapture, heaven will witness a parade of millions of believers in Jesus who will be killed and come home to heaven. This is pictured in Revelation 7:9-17. John says he saw a great multitude in heaven from all the nations. In verse 14, he is told, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Jesus will comfort them and “wipe away all tears from their eyes” (verse 17).

Friends, I believe that while we are in heaven, we will witness heaven’s welcome home party for these precious saints who laid down their lives for Jesus. The Bible tells us they “were beheaded for the witnesses of Jesus” (Revelation 20:4). The beheading of the infidels is the trademark of radical Islam – those who take Mohammed’s commands seriously.

At the end of the Tribulation, in heaven we will witness the beginning of the destruction of the demon den and watch it up close when we return with Jesus back to this earth. John wrote about our reaction in Revelation 19:1-3, “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people of heaven [that’s us], saying Alleluia, Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever.”

Get ready for the shout that will take us out!

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November 2021 – The End of the Church Age

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

November 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

The End of the Church Age

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

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By Mike Wingfield

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When the end of this age comes, the Scriptures testify that believers in Jesus Christ will continue to suffer great persecution and martyrdom. While speaking to His Jewish disciples about the signs of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus said, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Those who follow and record what has happened in the last 100 years tell us that more believers in Jesus have been martyred in the last century than in the previous 19 centuries combined! Wherever Communist or Islamic governments rule over men, believers in Jesus have been brutally tortured and killed. As the restraining influences over Islam and Communism are being removed, evil is beginning to escalate out of control. This has been recently illustrated in Afghanistan. While U.S. troops were keeping some relative form of peace in parts of that Muslim country, new believers in Jesus felt somewhat safe. However, now that we have withdrawn from Afghanistan, Christians are being tortured and killed. As the U.S. ceases to restrain evil in the world, it creates the perfect environment for global persecution and killing of believers.

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

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

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

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!