2015 April – The Land of God

The Land of God

“Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.”- Deuteronomy 32:43

By Mike Wingfield

No piece of property has caused more division or conflict than the land of Israel. The ancient superpowers of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome all attacked Israel and occupied this land. Islam has been in conflict with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob over the land of God for 1,300 years. The international community, which totals 7 billion, is currently pressuring 6 million Jews living in Israel to surrender the heart of their divinely promised land to an enemy that is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Several sources in the Israeli media are reporting that U.S. President Obama recently called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli election. During the 30-minute conversation described as “difficult,” our president informed Netanyahu that the United States would no longer support Israel at the United Nations with regard to the creation of a Palestinian State. This means that the U.S. administration will support a possible international demand for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank (Biblical Judea and Samaria) to the pre-1967 borders, including the ancient Biblical city of Jerusalem. In other words, we are about to watch the United Nations attempt to force a peace treaty upon Israel. As we watch these developments unfold, we must be reminded that this is a fulfillment of the prophecies revealed to the ancient prophets of Israel by the Lord more than 2,500 years ago.

This little land has a unique place in the heart, will, mind, and eternal plans of God. It is the divine stage of the story of God that is designed to display His sovereign power and divine nature. In this newsletter, I would like to help us examine three divine features of the Holy Land.

Its Divine Source

The Bible begins with these words: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) The testimony of God’s revelation proclaims that everything that takes place on this planet is a part of God’s divine plan, formulated in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) The Lord Jesus created everything to fulfill His eternal purposes. (Isaiah 14:24, 26-27) At the center of that plan, for the glory of God, is the revelation of God’s Son. Long before there was an earth, the Lord decided to create a planet and select a small portion of land mass to become the stage upon which He would unfold the greatest story ever told! An examination of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and their divine fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ in the

Gospels, makes it clear that God chose the little land of Israel as the divine stage for His revelation and redemption.

Before the nation of Israel would occupy their land for the first time, God revealed to Moses that He had created that land for His chosen people and the divine purposes for which He had selected them. Deuteronomy 32:8 declares: “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.” This simply means that the size of this land was determined by the number of Jewish people throughout the ages. The land of Israel is about the size of the state of New Jersey. It is tiny because the Jewish people, when compared to other ethnic people groups, are relatively few in number. The Lord also reminded Moses of this as well: “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.” (Deuteronomy 7:7) Today, the world Jewish population is approximately 15 million, which is about .3 percent of the global population.

Israel is a very densely populated nation. Almost one-half of the global Jewish population is currently living in their ancient homeland. The time will come, at the beginning of the Kingdom, when all living Jews will return to Israel. Speaking of this day, Ezekiel wrote: “As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 36:38)

When the Lord created the Holy Land, He also strategically placed it at the center of all the nations. (Ezekiel 5:5) The land of Israel is a natural land bridge that connects three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. During the days of the Old Testament, Israel was always at the center of the political power structure of the world, with Egypt to the south and Assyria, Babylon, and Persia to the north. So, God’s chosen people occupied the most significant piece of property among the powers of the ancient world. Because of Israel’s strategic location, these ancient superpowers always wanted to occupy and control the Holy Land for their political and commercial purposes. Militarily, Israel found itself at the center of the war between these superpowers, many of them choosing to meet their enemy in the Valley of Armageddon, rather than conducting their wars in one of their own countries. Hence, by default, Israel was always at the center of the struggle for power in the ancient world.

It is extremely significant to note that the Lord chose to send out His divine revelation to the world from the center of the globe. The eternal Son of God came to the center of His creation and fulfilled the eternal mission of His Father. Then, He sent His apostles from the heart of the world into all nations with His message of redemption. (Acts 1:8) When Jesus returns to the earth to establish His earthly kingdom, He will return to the hub of the earth and rule from the center of the world over all nations for 1,000 years. (Isaiah 2:1-4) Jerusalem will become the political, religious, economic, and educational capital of the world.

The exact location of the Promised Land is clearly outlined in the Scriptures. (Genesis 15:18-21; Joshua 1:3-4)

Map

Looking at the current map of the Middle East, the land promised to Israel includes all of modern-day Israel (including the “West Bank” and “Gaza”), all of Lebanon, all of Jordan, and parts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey. Israel has never occupied or possessed all of this land, but will acquire it all during the Millennial Kingdom of her Messiah, Jesus Christ.

It is also important to note that the Holy Land was not the choice of the Jewish patriarchs. God chose the land (Genesis 12:1) and gave it to them in an eternal (Genesis 13:15) and unconditional covenant. (Genesis 15:7-21) Because this was an unconditional covenant, God cannot revoke His promise. After their first divine judgment, in which they were cast out of the land, the Lord continued to declare that the land belonged to Israel. As a remnant of Jews were returning to the land after the Babylonian Captivity, the Lord spoke through the prophet Zechariah (475 B.C.) and proclaimed: “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. … And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” (Zechariah 2:10, 12)

Its Divine Stewardship

While the entire earth belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1), in a very unique sense, the Lord has repeatedly declared that the Holy Land belongs to Him! In Leviticus 25:23, He distinctly affirmed: “the land is mine.” Throughout the Bible, the Lord repeatedly refers to this land as “my land.” (Isaiah 14:25; Ezekiel 36:5, Joel 3:2)

The Bible is emphatic that the Creator and Ruler of the earth has chosen the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be the tenants that have the sole right to occupy the land of God. In Leviticus 25:23, He said to Israel: “The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.” More than 100 times in the Old Testament, the Lord declared He would “give” His land to His people, Israel. (Genesis 13:15; 15:18) Therefore, as He spoke to the Jewish people, He referred to the Holy Land as “your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24)

There has never been a group of people who have been so attached to a piece of property like the Jewish people have been passionately devoted to the Holy Land. The Lord has given them an unusual and binding love for this land. The Bible compares the love the Jewish people have for Jerusalem and the Holy Land to a love relationship and covenant that exists between a young man and his virgin bride who are passionately in love with each other. (Isaiah 62:4-5)

The Jewish people are the divinely appointed stewards of
God’s property. In spite of their failures, God has not changed His plans. He gave them this land to fulfill His divine purposes upon this unique stage for all the world to see. They are actors on God’s stage to send God’s message to the entire world. According to Biblical prophecy, the final act has not yet taken place and is in progress at this very moment.

Its Divine Strategy

In all of this, we must be reminded that the sovereign Creator of the universe has entrusted His stewardship of His land to His people for His glory. (Isaiah 46:9-13) To accomplish this, the Lord has chosen to reveal His divine strategy for all of this to come to pass, as He designed before the world was created. A study of Biblical history and prophecy helps us to read the script for God’s story that has been and will be acted out on His divine stage – the Holy Land.

As we read the Bible, we discover that God has chosen to reveal some of the details of His eternal plan. For example, we know that the Lord knew He would need to provide a plan of reconciliation for mankind before He created the earth and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden and gave them instructions to not disobey Him. God’s plan of redemption was in place before He spoke the creation into existence. The Bible speaks of Jesus Christ as “the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” (Revelation13:8) While God has sent His divine judgment upon the wicked in the past, this has not altered His eternal plans for the redemption of a remnant of mankind to dwell with Him in heaven for all of eternity.

Likewise, the Lord has not forsaken or altered His plans for His people and His land! He has declared: “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) The Bible gives us insight into the unique plans the Lord has for Israel. He spoke to Abraham and told him that his descendants would live in Egypt and then after about 400 years would return as a nation to occupy the Promised Land. (Genesis 15:12-21) The record of the amazing fulfillment of this promise is recorded in the Bible. (Genesis 46- Deuteronomy 34)

Before the Jewish nation would occupy the Promised Land the first time, the Lord revealed to Moses that Israel would eventually forsake the Lord and be driven out of their land by divine judgment. (Deuteronomy 28:63-67; 30:3-5) The beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy began many years later when the Lord used the Assyrians in 722 B.C. to defeat and disperse the 10 tribes of northern Israel into many nations in the ancient world. About 125 years later, the Lord used the Babylonians to fulfill His plan by defeating the remaining two Jewish tribes in southern Judah, allowing the enemy to destroy Jerusalem and its temple. A Jewish remnant was carried away as captives to Babylon.

If a person did not read the divine prophecies about Israel’s future, and the rest of God’s story recorded in the Bible, he might think that God’s plan for Israel was finished. However, we know from Scripture, that this was not the case. The Lord revealed to the ancient prophet Jeremiah that the Babylonian captivity would last only 70 years. (Jeremiah 25:12) After that, a remnant of Jews would return to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, and to occupy the land once again. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle for us God’s story of the beginning of the first international re-gathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. This return of a remnant of Jewish people from Babylon and the nations of the ancient world to Israel began in 539 B.C. and continued until the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. With this defeat, the Jewish people were once again scattered among the nations of the world. In 135 A.D.,

the Romans changed the name of Israel to Palestine, hoping to defeat the passionate plans for a return of the Jewish people to their beloved land called Israel.

Once again, if a person is not aware of the unconditional promises God made to Israel and the prophecies of how this would come to pass, he might conclude that God is done with Israel. As a matter of fact, many pastors and Christians have arrived at this conclusion. They believe that God is finished with Israel and all of the divine promises given to Israel have now been transferred to the church. For many Biblical reasons, this is totally impossible!

According to the script of God’s story recorded in the Scriptures, the Jewish people would “abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice. … Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.” (Hosea 3:4-5) This simply means that after many years of international dispersion, the Jewish people would eventually seek the Lord and begin a process of returning to the land of Israel once again in the last days. The return of the Jewish people to their land in the last days is a divine process. (Jeremiah 30:3; Ezekiel 36:24) In the midst of this process, a time of great trouble will come upon the Jewish people. (Jeremiah 30:4-7; Matthew 24:15-22) This time of great distress and anguish will surpass anything that they or any other nation have experienced in all of human history. (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21) However, the Scriptures repeatedly assert that God’s story will be completed as He has declared. A believing Jewish remnant in the land will survive the Tribulation Period and be joined by all of the remaining believing Jews scattered among the nations in their final re-gathering to their land. Shortly after the kingdom begins, all Jews will return to Israel. The entire living nation of Israel will be saved (Zechariah 13:10-13:9; Romans 11:26) and join their Messiah for His reign in the Holy Land. The Lord has promised that this will take place. He told Ezekiel: “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them into the own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 39:25-29)

This entire process of the return of the Jewish people to Israel in the last days is known in the Bible as the second international re-gathering to their land. (Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 11:11-12) Please notice that the Bible demands that there will be two international re-gatherings of the Jewish people to the Holy Land. The first international re-gathering began in 539 B.C. and ended in 70 A.D. This second and final return of the Jewish people began during the 20th century and will be finalized at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

According to the Bible, once this second international process of the return of Israel begins, they will never be forced out of the land again. In Amos 9:14-15, the Lord declared: “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

We are witnessing this process at this time. Israel is in the midst of their second international re-gathering and there will not be another one! The same prophetic Scriptures foretell how the nations will oppose the return of the Jewish people to their homeland in the last days. It will begin with a regional opposition to the Jews in their land (Ezekiel 36:2-7), leading to a global rejection of the Jewish occupation of the land of Israel. (Joel 3:2) This is exactly what we are witnessing at this hour. Israel is opposed by a global Muslim population of 1.6 billion. This enemy of Israel is being supported by the vast majority of the remaining global population. In essence, 6 million Jews are facing an overwhelming opposition of all nations, numbering 7 billion!

However, according to the Biblical script of God’s story, the God of Israel will protect and defend His people and His land by supernatural means. The last seven years of human government’s control on this planet with be a horrific struggle as Satan manipulates the nations to follow His messiah, the Antichrist, in his desperate attempt to destroy Israel and defeat the Lord. At the center of this whirlwind is the land of Israel. Speaking about the divine response of Satan and man’s rebellion at the end of this age, Isaiah declared: “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” (Isaiah 34:8)

God’s script about how all of this will end is clear. Israel will win this war, by divine enablement. They eventually will occupy all of the land of Israel. Each person and nation must decide if they will stand with God and Israel, or the world and Satan. When the nations gather against God in Israel at the battle of Armageddon, they will join the “multitudes in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:14) All who join them will die a sudden and horrific death as commanded from the mouth of the King of Kings when He returns to this earth to fight for Israel. (Zechariah 14:3; Revelation 19:15)

The Lord’s program for His people in His land is a divine test for the nations of the world. About 4,000 years ago, the Lord clearly stated this when He declared to the great patriarch of the Jewish people, Abraham: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3) History demonstrates that God has kept His Word. As nations unite to force Israel to give up the land that God has given to them, they are inviting the global judgment of God. It is coming. It is only a matter of time.

God’s divine strategy for His land will be fulfilled. Satan is once again promoting lies and orchestrating hatred on a global scale toward the Jewish people and their occupation of the Holy Land. As we witness the growth of anti-Semitism around the world, we know the end of the story. It is our obligation and privilege to tell God’s story and rescue a remnant from the wrath of God that will be poured out upon all nations during the Tribulation Period. We need to remind them of God’s commandment in Deuteronomy 32:43: “Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.”

Get ready for the shout! It is closer than ever before!

Lies against Israel

I would like to caution all of our readers about the lies being perpetrated by the global media about Israel. Other than Washington D.C., more journalists live in and report out of Jerusalem than any other city in the world. Given the relatively small size of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, this is an astounding fact. This proves two things: First, Israel is near the top of the list concerning global attention. Second, the world is determined to promote lies about Israel based upon their hatred for the Jewish people in general and the nation of Israel in particular.

For example, in March, Gaza was experiencing flooding conditions. The flooding was due to above-average rain- fall this winter. Since Gaza is a low lying area, it always has a tendency to flood with large amounts of rain in the region. However, the media began to spread a rumor that Israel was purposely opening their dams in the Negev area of southern Israel and flooding Gaza. This rumor was reported around the world. The journalists who reported this as fact did not check the facts to note that Israel does not have a dam in the Negev. It is a desert! When the media began to retract their statement, it was too late. The damage was done. The world did not notice the retraction, but continued to support the lie perpetrated against Israel.

When the 45 members of the Commission on the Status of Women convened at UN Headquarters in New York in March, they released a report condemning Israel for the abuse of the rights of Palestinian women. The report stated: “the Israeli occupation continues to be the main obstacle to Palestinian women in relation to their advancement, independence and integration in the development of their society.” (www.timesofisrael.com, March 23, 2015)

Those of us who have studied the developments in the Middle East know this report is a farce. The Palestinian sympathizers singled out Israel and made no comment about the rights of Arab women being violated in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, or other Muslim dominated countries where Sharia law is binding.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, gave the following response to their report: “If anyone has ever doubted that the UN is biased against Israel, today we got further proof. Of the 193 member states in this institution, dozens slaughter innocent civilians and impose discriminatory laws that marginalize women and yet they all get a free pass. The Commission on the Status of Women itself includes some of the worst violators of human rights, such as Iran and Sudan. … Honor killings in the Palestinian Authority are a matter of daily occurrence, and employment of women stands at only 17%,’ he pointed out. ‘It is time for the Palestinians to finally take responsibility for something. Their mistreatment of women is a chance to start taking responsibility. It’s not enough for the Palestinians to cynically exploit this institution; they’ve now made it their mission to turn the Commission on the Status of Women into a politically charged forum.’” (www.timesofisrael.com, March 23, 2015

The above stories are only the tip of the iceberg of recent lies perpetrated against Israel by the global media and the U.N. During the recent Israeli election campaign, Israelis knew that many foreign sources, including the efforts of the current American administration, were investing large sums of money to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu as the next prime minister of Israel. It was perceived by the international community that if the more liberal left-wing politicians could be voted into power in Israel, they would be fair game for the manipulation of the international will to force Israel into a deadly agreement with the Palestinians. We can be thankful that the majority of the Israelis were wise to these attempts to destroy their country and voted to place in office those they perceived would provide the greatest security for their nation.

It is hard for most of us to comprehend how this could take place in Israel and around the world. However, we have a perfect historical comparison in the New Testament in Luke 23. Remember that during the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor, Pilate, the Jewish leadership was so spiritually blind and filled with hate, that they chose for a dangerous murderer, Barabbas, to be released rather than Jesus. This simply illustrates that hatred can so blinding that people will chose a path of death rather than life. The liberal political left in Israel and around the world hated Netanyahu so much that they were blinded because of the political right’s support for the Biblical mandate to retain the land that the Lord promised to the Jewish people.

Some very difficult days lie ahead for Israel. They are losing the support of their greatest ally, the United States, while Iran is moving ever closer to manufacturing a nuclear bomb. The U.N. is poised to force Israel to withdraw to borders that will make them even more vulnerable to the Islamic enemies that are sworn to their destruction. Those of us who know the God of Abraham, know that while the world abandons Israel, He will not forsake them. The stage is set for the greatest display of the sovereign power of God on earth as He moves to protect His land and His people. Then, the entire world will know that He is the Lord God of Israel! Praise the Lord!

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2015 March – WAKE UP CHURCH!

WAKE UP CHURCH!

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” – Romans 13:11

By Mike Wingfield

We are living in the days of Noah. For a moment, go back in time and imagine what it was like for Noah and his family when he was given the task of warning the people of God’s coming judgment. Noah warned of the coming global flood and he was ignored. I think about this very often. In Matthew 24:27-39, Jesus declared that His coming, and the subsequent horrific judgments that would come upon the world, would fall upon the inhabitants of earth as it did in the days of Noah. Up until the moment it started to rain, the people of Noah’s day were immersed in their daily routine, with no concept of what was coming upon them. The only people who were aware of what was about to happen were Noah and his family. In faith, they worked hard for 120 years in preparation for the very moment the rain would begin to fall in divine judgment, covering the entire earth and drowning everyone who would not be in the ark.

I believe that for the first few decades, the early church was passionate about the message of Jesus’ return. They believed the Lord would soon return and take them to heaven, just like He promised. (John 14:1-3) The hope of the Second Coming of Christ was the heartbeat of the infant church. It was the passion that compelled their evangelism and the discipleship of new believers. (2 Thessalonians 2:5) It was the motive for purity and godliness, as they anticipated that at any moment they would be in the presence of their holy Lord. (1 John 3:3)

Notice that one-third of the Apostle Paul’s Pastoral Epistles were answers to questions believers were asking as they anticipated the imminent return of their Lord. The Apostles did not rebuke these early believers for their passionate expectation of the return of their Lord. The words they recorded while being moved by the Holy Spirit always encouraged these believers to keep looking, watching, and waiting for their Lord. They viewed this fervent expectation of the Second Coming as being normal and essential to the godly lifestyle of a true believer.

However, when several decades had passed, and some of the early church believers began to lose their ardent expectation of the Lord’s return, the apostles rebuked and warned the church about the dangers associated with such an attitude and its accompanying lifestyle.

In Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica, written about 51 A.D., he reminded them that events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ would come upon the world “as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) The judgment of the Lord at the beginning of the Tribulation Period would come as a “sudden destruction … as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) While the world would be caught totally off guard, Paul reminded these believers that this should not happen to them. He said: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-9) Please notice that Paul contrasted the world and the church as those who were either not living or living under that light of divine revelation. Those who are believers in Jesus Christ should know the prophetic Word of God and not be caught off guard when the end comes. Those who are not focused upon God’s prophetic revelation are compared to those who are spiritually asleep or drunk, like the world. Obviously, this is a condition that should not exist within the fellowship of believers. In this context, Paul admonished the believers to rejoice in the promise that the church will not face the “wrath” of God (verse 9) in “the day of the Lord,” – the Tribulation Period. (verse 2) He exhorted the church to proclaim this message within the body to “comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.” (verse 11)

About five years later, 56 A.D., Paul wrote a letter to the church at Rome, in which he gave a similar plea: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12) With these words, Paul reminded the professing believers in the church at Rome that the Rapture could take place at any moment. His rebuke of their godless lifestyles and its connection to not looking for the coming of the Lord, seems to suggest that this was the core problem in the lives of these believers. This illustrates that the doctrine of the Second Coming, and its daily application in the life of the believer, was considered by the Apostles to be an essential truth.

It is shocking to realize that in most churches today there is a very subtle rejection of the doctrine of eschatology (the doctrine of last things). Most pastors avoid any mention of this subject. The doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ is treated as being meaningless, impractical, divisive, and confusing. I am convinced that if the apostles were to return and enter our churches on any given Sunday morning, they would be horrified by what they would see and hear. They would see almost no resemblance of the church they began almost 2,000 years ago. You might be saying, “But, that is what we should expect. This is the 21st century, not the first century.” It is true that our culture is different and our methodology has changed. However, the subject matter of our teaching and preaching (doctrine) must not change. Notice that in the days of the beginning of the church, it is reported that the believers in Jerusalem “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” (Acts 2:42) Almost four decades later, the early church was plagued with false teachers and those who were mocking the doctrine of the Second Coming. With this in mind, the Holy Spirit directed the Apostle Peter to write about this problem in his second epistle. He wrote: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.” (2 Peter 3:1-2)

It is imperative that the church today realize we have been commanded to believe and proclaim the doctrine of the apostles. This is the essential body of truth that we call the New Testament. We are in grave danger when we attempt to ignore or alter any of God’s truth. Christianity is not about finding parts of the Scriptures that we like, while ignoring or rejecting other Biblical truths because they don’t fit our frame of reference, or make us feel uncomfortable. “All scripture” has been given to us so that we might know what to believe (doctrine), to be convicted, to be corrected, and to give practical instruction on how to live godly. (2 Timothy 3:16) The interpretation of the Bible is not subjective. It is not a matter of how we feel, or what we want, or who we are. “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy [Spirit].” (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Truth never changes. The Bible is THE Word of God! It is the very declaration of the One and only holy God who knows all things and is the sovereign Ruler over His creation. God is infinite and perfect. He is not getting better or worse. He is not learning or being informed about anything. When we think about the essence of God and who He is, we must agree with the Bible when it says that God is immutable – He does not change! (Psalm 102:25-27; Malachi 3:6) Therefore, God’s truth never changes. Like Jesus, who is the Living Word, God’s written Word is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) God’s Word is perfect, and will endure forever. (Psalm 119:89, 160) “The word of our God shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Jesus told His disciples in the Upper Room that the “Spirit of truth” would come and guide them “into all truth.” (John 16:13) When a believer is walking in the Spirit, he will allow the Holy Spirit to guide him into all truth. He will not resist the Spirit by avoiding certain passages or doctrines. How can he humble himself to the work of the Spirit while at the same time defiantly refusing to examine all truth? Please read Isaiah 55:6-11. We must be careful to not trust our human intellect or reasoning. We don’t think like God. The human mind, without the aid of the Holy Spirit, will consider the things of God “foolishness.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

I am greatly burdened that the vast majority of pastors and church members today are walking in spiritual darkness. They are purposely clueless concerning the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ, and the signs of the end of this age that are attached to it. As I mentioned before, the apostles exhorted the church to walk in the light of God’s revelation concerning the end-time events so frequently spelled out in the Word of God. While answering His disciples’ question about the end of this age, Jesus said: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28) Jesus exhorted His disciples to know what the Scriptures say about the conditions that will be manifested in the last days. Then, He admonished them to be encouraged by these signs and realize this should produce a hope that the ultimate process of our redemption is getting much closer. This is exactly what the apostles and the early church did. They taught about this hope and lived it on a daily basis. We desperately need a revival in the church to recapture this essential doctrinal and the daily perspective it brings.

If our faith is only about the work of God in our lives at this time and on this earth, then we have missed the message of hope that is expressed in the ultimate goal of our salvation at the moment of our Lord’s return. In 1 Corinthian 15, the Apostle Paul wrote about the gospel, Christ’s death and resurrection, our resurrection and resurrection body, and the rapture of the church. In the context of these truths that are at the heart of the gospel and all truth in the Bible, he states: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19) Our faith must focus upon our eternal hope in Christ. We, of all people, must not passionately anchor our lives in the past or present, but in the future. If our faith focuses only upon what Christ can do for us now, then we will be “most miserable.”

We are living at a most incredible hour! When the believer obeys the Lord by studying His prophetic Word and observes the conditions and events in our world at this present hour, it is evident that we should know that our Lord’s promised coming is very near. There needs to be a sense of urgency concerning the Lord’s work as never before.

You might be saying, “There is really nothing new developing in our world today. Therefore, the coming of the Lord could be hundreds of years from now.” If you are saying this, then you are living like the scoffers of the Second Coming in Peter’s day. These scoffers, Peter said, were “walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers feel asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4) This is the problem with those who make light of looking for the return of the Lord. They are only focused upon their own agenda. This was the problem of the people in Noah’s day (Matthew 24:38) and the religious bigots of Jesus’ day. (Matthew 24:1-3) A true follower of Jesus Christ will not be so focused upon his own personal agenda within the church, that he forgets the overall eternal plan of God. Too many are guilty of asking the Lord to join them in what they are doing, rather than joining the Lord in what He is doing! Biblical prophecy is the big picture of what He is doing. How can He be the Lord of your life if you are not interested in His eternal plan? God is passionate about His eternal plan. That is why 30 percent of the Bible is about the first and second comings of the Messiah. What He has purposed will come to pass! (Isaiah 14:24, 26-27)

I am deeply moved by what is taking place in our world today. Let me briefly share with you a few of the major developments that indicate the coming of our Lord is extremely near.

The Work of the Spirit of God in the Middle East

When one examines the history of the Middle East, it is very evident that it has been enveloped in spiritual darkness for many centuries. However, there are many astonishing testimonies of the work of the Spirit bringing Jews and Muslims in the Middle East to salvation in Jesus Christ. This is an incredible sign that the Church Age is coming to a close and the Lord is about to come for His church.

In Romans 11:25, the Apostle Paul declared that spiritual blindness among the Jewish people would persist “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” The reference to the completion of God’s unique work and focus upon the Gentiles is a reference to the Lord’s work through the body of Christ, the church. According to the Bible, the church was born at the Jewish feast of Pentecost in Acts 2, and will suddenly end with the Rapture of the church to heaven. After the church has been caught up to be with the Lord, the most dramatic spiritual awakening among any people of all times will take place in Israel. Shortly after the Rapture, the Lord will send two Jewish witnesses, probably Moses and Elijah, to proclaim His truth during the first half of the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 11:1-6) At the same time, probably due to the ministry of the two witnesses, 144,000 young Jewish men will be saved and trained in Jerusalem to become evangelists to reach the world with the gospel during the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5) This combined ministry will have a major spiritual impact in Israel among its Jewish inhabitants (Joel 2:28-32), and in all nations. (Revelation 7:9-17) Millions will probably be saved in Israel in a very short period of time.

The Holy Spirit is working in Israel today. More Israelis are coming to Christ than ever before. The Messianic congregations in Israel are having a significant impact. A recent survey in Israel indicates that the majority of Israelis want to have a greater understanding of the Bible. The son of the prime minister of Israel is conducting a Bible study in the home of the prime minister, inviting the political leadership to join them.

In 2006, a very well-known rabbi at the age of 108 in Israel, Yitzhak Kaduri, told his son that the Messiah had visited him in a vision. He told his son that upon his death, he was to guard a concealed note upon which he had written the name of the Messiah. After his death, one year later, the note declared that Yeshua, the Hebrew form of Jesus, was the Messiah. This caused great debate in Israel. But, according to some of my friends who live in Israel, this has initiated the process for some to come to Christ for salvation.

The Spirit of God is doing a mighty work in Israel. This is a very powerful sign that the spiritual awakening that will happen at the beginning of the Tribulation Period is just around the corner.

It is quite amazing to note that the work of the Spirit in the Tribulation Period will also focus upon the Arab Muslim nations that surround Israel (Isaiah 60:6-14), especially Egypt and northern Iraq. (Isaiah 19:19-25). It is astonishing to hear the stories of hundreds of thousands of Muslims coming to Christ in the Middle East. I recently met with a dear Egyptian brother who lives in Cairo, home to 17 million people. He shared with me how thousands of Muslims are coming to Christ in Cairo, causing hundreds of house churches to spring up throughout the city. He shared with me how these new believers are hungry for the Word of God. “Probably in the last 10 years, more Muslims have come to faith in Christ than in the last 15 centuries of Islam,” said Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia director for e3 Partners, a Texas-based missions agency.

God’s work among the Egyptians during the Tribulation Period will be so great that Isaiah 19:21 says, “And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day…” The current unusual work of the Holy Spirit in Egypt tells us the Tribulation Period is not far away.

The Global Hatred for Jews and Christians

It is very apparent that the hatred for Jews and Christians is escalating around the world. Jews are being attacked and killed throughout Europe. Christians are being brutally murdered throughout the Middle East. Reports of Christians being decapitated are occurring almost daily.

Those of us who have been studying the prophetic Word of God know that the Tribulation Period will be a horrific time for those who confess Jesus to be their Savior. The world of the Antichrist will declare war upon the followers of Jesus. (Revelation 13:7) Believers from all nations will be killed. (Revelation 7:9-14) They will be beheaded (Revelation 20:4) in the name of the religion of the Antichrist. (Revelation 13:15; 17:6) The killing of believers will be one of the marks of the opening months of the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 6:9-11) Therefore, it is very easy for us to believe the world is now ready for the Rapture and the horrific Tribulation Period that will follow.

Many Jewish agencies are reporting that the immense hatred directed toward Jews has reached a very dangerous level, comparing it to 1938. Jews from Ukraine, France, and Great Britain are immigrating to Israel this year because they are afraid to remain in countries where their families have lived for hundreds of years. A seething hatred for Israel is being perpetrated around the world. Much, but not all of this, is being promoted by Islamic elements that have had a history of anti-Semitism since the beginning of Islam 14 centuries ago. Media, political, and religious elements have twisted facts to make Israel in particular, and Jews in general, the focus of lies to promote sheer hatred. They want to use this hatred to fuel the annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people.

Once again, this is exactly what the prophetic Scriptures declare will unfold during the Tribulation Period. The Antichrist will force a deceptive peace treaty upon Israel, in effect, triggering the Tribulation Period. (Daniel 9:27) However, at the mid-point of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and attack the Jewish people with a hateful venom (Revelation 12:13-17) that will ultimately cause him to openly declare war on them, leading to Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16) This attack against the Jewish people during this time of hate and war will lead to the death of two-thirds of the world’s Jewish population. (Zechariah 13:8-9) With a very heavy heart of love for God’s people, it is extremely difficult for us to fathom that a time of death for the Jewish people will surpass the efforts of the Christ haters during World War II, who murdered one-half of the world’s Jewish population during the Holocaust.

In light of this, it is very easy for us to see the momentum building toward this time of great global hatred for Israel and the Jewish people. It is another very powerful sign that the end is in sight.

The Formation of the Gog and Magog

Coalition in Ezekiel 38-39

More than 3,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel wrote about an invasion of Israel in the last days. In this prophecy, he named the principle nations that would make up this coalition of invading nations. They are Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan. (Ezekiel 38:2-6) They will invade Israel because they are against the Jewish nation and want to plunder the riches in the land. I have written about this in many previous newsletters. However, the formation of this coalition and the conditions in Israel seem to be at the exact point mentioned in the prophetic text. The levels of hatred in Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan for Israel is reaching a fever pitch. The Russian economy, due to the fall in global oil prices and economic sanctions imposed by the West, is on the verge of collapse. The Russian Bear is poised to go to war to reclaim its self-deluded supremacy.

The Appearance of ISIS (Islamic State) in Iraq

The relative sudden appearance of a global militant Islamic force in Iraq, ISIS, is alarmingly similar to what will take place during the Tribulation Period. The forces of the Islamic Antichrist will set up his headquarters in Iraq, being called “the king of Babylon [Iraq].” (Isaiah 14:4) He will declare war on believers in Jesus (Revelation 13:7), decapitating those who reject him. (Revelation 20:4) He will begin the Tribulation Period with the aim of bringing global destruction and death so that he can seize power and rule the world. (Revelation 6:1-8) These are the exact stated goals of the Islamic State.

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2015 February – The Approaching Global Islamic Jihad

The Approaching Global Islamic Jihad

“And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” – Revelation 6:4

By Mike Wingfield

We are at war, while most of the free world is in a moral stupor concerning Islamic jihad! The world refuses to recognize that a deadly political and religious ideology called Islam has renewed an ancient declaration of war against those who refuse to submit to its beliefs and way of life. Since 9/11 the world has had numerous daily reminders, like the recent terrorist attacks in France, to remind us of this reality. Islamic terrorists have carried out more than 25,000 attacks around the world since 9/11. (www.thereligionofpeace.com) I believe, according to the Bible, that when the end of this age comes, the entire world will experience the brutal and savage attacks of Islamic jihad warriors. This will account for much of the massive global death toll of the entire 7-year Tribulation Period.

After the January massacres by militant Muslims at the magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in France, there was a massive international demonstration in Paris. Four million people participated in the march to voice their opposition to the violence perpetrated against innocent French civilians. However, many who joined the protest were Muslims who support Islamic jihad. Comments by the French leaders made no mention of Islamic jihad or anti-Semitism. “The words ‘Islam’ and ‘jihadist’ were not mentioned. President François Hollande said, against all evidence, ‘Those who committed these acts have nothing to do with Islam.’” (www.gatestoneinstitute.org, January 19, 2015)

In September 2014, President Obama stated in one of his speeches that the ISIS terrorist group that is marching across Syria and Iraq, brutally killing thousands of innocent people in the name of Allah, “is not Islamic.” (townhall.com, September 10, 2014) He totally disregards the reality of their self-appointed name, “the Islamic State,” and their mimicking of Islamic history, traditions, and doctrine.

Comments by these two world leaders clearly demonstrate that the West is in utter denial of the threat of militant Islam. The Obama administration has attempted to remove any connection between Islam and the brutal acts of terrorism that are sweeping across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the entire world. Not only is the West in denial, but it is attempting to appease Islam, thinking it will eventually curtail the march of these Islamic death squads across the globe. History demonstrates that such appeasement never works.

It is true that there is an overwhelming number of Muslims who do not practice jihad. Some are silent because if they speak out against these jihadists they will also become the target of Islamic terrorism. However, most of these silent Muslims support Islam’s goal of ultimate global domination. In other words, they support the eventual subjugation of all nations to Islam, but may disagree on the methodology of how to achieve it.

Most of the world is walking in spiritual darkness and does not understand that global jihad is a warning flare, signaling that the Tribulation Period is about to begin. It is my understanding that militant Islam will play a major role in the godless world system of the final seven years of man’s control of this planet.

I believe the religious system that is called “MYSTERY BABYLON” in Revelation 17:5 is Islam. In light of ancient Biblical customs, it is clear that the imagery in this text points to a religion. This religion is centered in a desert (Revelation 17:3), kills believers in Jesus Christ (Revelation 17:6) by decapitation (Revelation 20:4), and has a resource (oil) transported by sea that makes political leaders, merchants, and marine transporters rich. (Revelation 18:9-20) When the Bible student examines the Old Testament passages that are quoted and alluded to by the Apostle John in his references to Babylon, it becomes clear that he is talking about a religion that is centered in the Middle East, and especially in Iraq. For example, when the final destruction of Babylon comes in the Tribulation Period, as described in Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation 18, it will be completely devastated. No one will ever inhabit that region again, even during the Millennial Kingdom. (Isaiah 13:19-20; 34:1-10; Jeremiah 51:24-26; Revelation 19:3) Isaiah declared: “neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make there fold there.” (Isaiah 13:20)

When you connect all of these dots, they point to only one religious power structure in the world – Islam. It is not an accident that in the last 40 years Islam has been riding a very powerful revival, like a tsunami crashing into the nations with devastating impact. Massive numbers of Muslim immigrants are flooding the Western nations with the goal of bringing radical change that will ultimately bring them into submission to Islam. The fact that Islam is the fasting-growing religion in the world, while Biblical Christianity is being rejected, certainly shines a light into the spiritual darkness of the approaching Tribulation Period.

The worship of the crescent moon god did not begin with the creation of Islam about 1,300 years ago. In recent decades, archaeologists have uncovered the crescent moon symbol and linked it to various pagan gods who were worshiped over 3,000 years ago in Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Canaan, Assyria and Babylon. The traditions, teachings, and practices of Islam are a revival of the religion of their Arab ancestors in Old Testament times. (Revelation 18:24)

In Revelation 17-18, the Apostle John depicted this false religion as a woman riding a beast with seven heads and ten horns. Those who have studied this imagery, beginning in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, agree that this beast represents the final one-world government that will “devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it into pieces.” (Daniel 7:23) This final global kingdom will be assaulted by the Antichrist, finally conquering it by the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation Period. The Antichrist will rule over all nations for 42 months, the final half of this horrific period on earth. (Revelation 13:5-7) It is worth noting that this final kingdom and its ruler are depicted as being controlled by the religious system. Notice that the woman (religion) is pictured riding the beast (political kingdom of the Antichrist). Thus, the Antichrist and his kingdom will be in submission to the one-world religion, which is Islam.

There are several Biblical clues that point to the Antichrist being an Islamic caliphate (dictator). In Isaiah 14:4 he is given the title: “the king of Babylon.” In Daniel 11, the Antichrist will have no respect for other gods. (verse 37) He will not have any respect for women. (verse 37) He will honor a god of military might. (verse 38) He will promise peace, while strategizing the destruction of many. (Daniel 8:25) He will blaspheme the God of the Bible. (Revelation 13:6) The Antichrist will declare war on believers in Jesus Christ. He will kill those who refuse to submit to his authority and his god. (Revelation 13:15)

The primary focus of the Antichrist will be upon Israel. He will seek to divide the land of Israel. (Daniel 11:39) Once he has attained world power, he will break his false covenant with Israel and take control of the Temple Mount and the Jewish temple located there. (Daniel 9:27) He will seek to capture and kill Jewish believers in Jesus, who will flee from him. (Matthew 24:15-20) In light of current developments in the Middle East, this clearly points to the Muslim identity of the Antichrist.

The understanding of the opening events in the Tribulation Period in Revelation 6:1-11 must be viewed in light of the larger Biblical context. Depicted as four horsemen, a very powerful military force will rapidly move across the nations of the world. This force will use its militant power, while preaching a message of peace, to take political control of the world. The net result of this militant global attack will shatter world peace and the economy of the world. In the wake of this global attack, one-fourth of the world’s population will die.

In my opinion, these four horsemen represent the impact of global Islamic jihad at the beginning of the Tribulation Period. First, it is important to establish that the opening of the seal judgments in Revelation 6 represents the inauguration of the Tribulation Period. In order to grasp this, the Bible student must examine the context of this passage. Remember that in this book, the Apostle John has been transported into the future day of the Lord. (Revelation 1:10) He is given the assignment to write down what he experienced in his walk through the present and the future. (Revelation 1:19) In chapters four and five, John is in heaven. He first reports what he saw and heard around the throne of God. In these chapters John reports that he saw a group, called the 24 elders, who had been judged, received their crowns, and cast them at the feet of their Lord in heaven. In Revelation 5:9-10, we are told that this group of 24 elders represents a redeemed group of believers who are kings and priests from all the nations in the world. This must be a reference to the church, which has been raptured and judged. It must be noted, according to the Bible, that all believers are not judged and do not receive their rewards until after their resurrection. Therefore, the chronology of events in Revelation 4-6 demands that the church will be raptured before the Tribulation Period begins!

After John’s picture of the church’s worship around the throne, in chapter five, John focuses upon a little scroll with seven seals upon it. In light of Biblical customs and the subsequent results of opening these seals, it is apparent that this scroll represents the title deed to the universe. The action of Jesus taking this scroll from His Father and opening the seals is very significant. The breaking of these seals represents the sovereign judgment of our Lord upon the nations. He is literally taking control of the governments of this world. This is declared by the voices in heaven in Revelation 11:15: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

In light of this, the breaking of these seals represents the opening events of the Lord’s judgment upon the nations. Notice that before each rider proceeds upon the earth, they are commanded by Jesus to “come.” (Revelation 6:1, 3, 5, 7) As believers in Jesus Christ, we should take great comfort in the fact that all that is happening now, and at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, is under the control of the King of heaven. Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

Now, let us turn our attention to identifying who the four horsemen in Revelation 6 represent. A casual reading of this text clearly indicates that these horsemen represent the brutal acts of militant people at the beginning of the Tribulation. In light of the broader context of Biblical customs, horses represent military conquest. For example, Proverbs 21:31 declares: “The horse is prepared against the day of battle.” In light of the wars of the last days mentioned in the Bible, all of the wars and rumors of wars are mainly focused upon Israel. Notice that in the Battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39, the Islamic nations that invade Israel are depicted as coming on horses. (Ezekiel 38:4, 15; 39:20) It is worth noting that all of the nations that are named that come with the Antichrist against Israel at Armageddon are Muslim nations. (Psalm 83; Isaiah 63:1; Joel 3:4, 19) The Islamic nations at Armageddon are pictured as coming on horses. (Revelation19:18) Therefore, to be consistent with this Biblical context, it is proper to view the four horsemen in Revelation 6 as the global militant advances of Islam at the opening of the Tribulation Period. With this in mind, let us examine the Biblical text about these opening events of the Tribulation Period.

White Horse- Islamic Caliphate Restored

Revelation 6:1-2

Many conservative Biblical scholars agree that the rider on this horse is the Antichrist. Some have thought that this rider is Jesus Christ. However, this cannot be the proper interpretation. First, Jesus is the Lamb in heaven who opens these seals. He is not the rider on the white horse on earth. Jesus descends from heaven on a white horse at the end of the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 19:11) According to Islamic tradition and teaching, when their messiah arrives – the Madhi – he will appear on a white horse.

Notice that he is pictured as having a bow, with no mention of arrows. Many have correctly interpreted this as a reference to the peaceful promises of the Antichrist. The Antichrist will portray himself as a man of peace, while he will really be a man of war. Daniel 8:25 states: “by peace [he] shall destroy many.” Islam continually proclaims that it is a religion of peace. However, in reality, the doctrine of Islam divides the world into two houses: “the house of peace” (for all Muslims in submission to all of Allah’s commands) and “the house of war” (for all infidels and moderate Muslims who will not submit to the laws of Allah). This is the very doctrine that is being applied in the nations by militant Islam.

Next, notice that Revelation 6:2 states “and a crown was given unto him.” The Greek word that is translated “crown” speaks of an overcomer who has won a military conquest. This is exactly what many Muslims are expecting. Islam teaches that through Islamic jihad, Muslims will conquer the world and force the nations to submit to the rule of an Islamic caliphate (dictator). This is a system of government that is based upon the Koran as dictated by a recognized leader who is a descendant of the prophet Mohammed. This system is in some ways very similar to the socialist system of government, where a very few rule over the masses and control every facet of their lives.

The Biblical text continues, “and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:2) This simply means that the objective of this one on the white horse will be military conquest that will lead to political domination. The doctrine of militant jihad against infidels and apostate Muslims is a major teaching in the Koran. There are 164 verses in the Koran that teach Islamic jihad as it was practiced by the founder of this religion, Mohammed. (www.answeringislam.org/Quran/Themes/jihad_passages.html)

Red Horse- The Beginning of Global

Islamic Jihad

Revelation 6:3-4

The rider of the red horse must also be a representation of Islam. Revelation 6:4 states: “And there went out another horse that was red…” The Greek word “another” means “same as the other.” So, if the first horse represents Islam, then the second one must also be connected to this religion.

Notice this rider is given “a great sword” with which he will “take peace from the earth,” as people “kill one another.” (Revelation 6:4) The Greek word translated “sword” does not refer to the long saber type of sword that was used in ancient military conflict. The word used here refers to a short dagger, which was the weapon of assassins. Here this represents violent massacres and terrorism that will be characteristic of the jihad type of guerrilla warfare against the infidel nations.

In addition to this, the recognized symbol of Islam is the sword of Allah. It appears on many flags and banners of militant Islam. For example, look at the flag of Saudi Arabia, and the emblem of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The swords [on the Muslim Brotherhood emblem] reinforce the group’s militancy and, as traditional weapons, symbolize historic Islam. They also reinforce the group’s commitment to jihad. The Koran denotes the group’s spiritual foundation. The motto, “Be prepared,” is a reference to a Koranic verse that talks of preparing to fight the enemies of God.” Copied from:

http://archive.adl.org/terrorism/symbols/muslim_brotherhood_1.html

Islamic jihad is gradually changing the face of the globe. The events in Syria and Iraq perpetrated by the Islamic State give us a glimpse into the kind of events that will become global at the beginning of the Tribulation Period.

Black Horse- Global Sharia Law Declared

Revelation 6:5-6

When Muslim forces are successful in conquering an area, it is their goal to immediately declare sharia law (the law of the Koran). Notice that the rider of this black horse has a pair of balances in his hand. The pair of balances represents the control of commerce and the economy, which is one of the chief goals of Islam, and is implemented as a part of sharia law. Sharia banking is a system that is sweeping the world. It is a dictatorial system of Islamic economic applications based upon the Koran.

According to the context, all of this will come at a time of famine and global economic upheaval. We cannot be sure if the famine and economic upheaval precede the beginning of global Islamic jihad, or if the famine and economic collapse are a result of the jihad. It could go either way. However, it is most interesting to observe that in the war-torn areas that the Islamic State controls there is great concern of a collapse of the economy and agriculture. Some are predicting that the shortage of food in the areas controlled by the Islamic State could result in famine, which could cause malnutrition that could trigger the eruption of diseases. (See Revelation 6:8.)

According to Revelation 6:6, the areas that are impacted by global jihad could suffer to the point that a quart of wheat would cost the equivalent of a day’s wage. Think about it! A person would need to work all day to buy about two loaves of wheat bread. About one-half of the world’s population, many of them forcefully living under sharia law, currently live on less than $2.50 per day. (www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats)

Pale Green Horse- Global Sharia

Law Implemented

Revelation 6:7-8

The color of the final horse is pale green. I personally do not believe that it is a coincidence that this is the official color of Islam. It is the color of their mosques, banners, and flags. Notice that in Revelation 6:8 the name of the person on this horse is “Death” and that “Hell followed with him.” A study of world history will show that Islam has a record of bloody jihad. Several sources provide statistical data to show that Islamic jihad has been responsible for 270 million killed in the last 1,400 years.

However, what is about to take place during the Tribulation Period is unprecedented. According to Revelation 6:8, near the beginning of the Tribulation Period one-fourth of the global population will be killed. Shortly after the Rapture of the church, the remaining global population of 7 billion will face the most brutal killing rampage in the history of mankind. Approximately 1.5 billion people, will die in the opening months of this time. During this time, millions from around the world will turn to Christ for salvation. Revelation 6:9-11 and 7:9-17 indicate that the major target of the Antichrist’s Islamic jihad will be the newly born-again believers in Jesus Christ. Observing what is happening now in Sudan, Nigeria, Syria, and Iraq, it is easy to understand how these developments will unfold at the beginning of the Tribulation Period.

There are many reports coming out of the Middle East about Muslims coming to Christ. It is apparent that in the midst of all of the jihad taking place, that Muslims are rejecting a message of hate and war for the message of love and eternal life found in the Jesus Christ. In the last few weeks I had the privilege of meeting with an Egyptian believer who lives in Cairo. He shared with me how hundreds of house churches are ministering to the growing number of former Muslims who are now believers in Jesus Christ. He shared with me how hungry these believers are for the Word of God. They constantly live under the shadow of persecution and death if they are discovered.

The liberal west continues to deny that terrorism is connected to the religion of Islam. They really do not recognize the threat that Islamic jihad is to the freedoms we have enjoyed in a country that was founded upon the Word of God. The godless leaders of the West have moved so far away from God that they have morally collapsed, calling good evil and evil good. This is really not a surprise to me. The book of Revelation repeatedly declares that the inhabitants of the world will be “intoxicated” with the religion that will dominate the world when the end has arrived. (Revelation 14:8; 17:2; and 18:3) The idea that they are intoxicated means they will be in a mental stupor and unaware of the dangerous realities before them.

I am convinced that our world is being shaped for the Tribulation Period as never before. The growing threat of Islamic jihad and the intoxication of the West to this danger tells me that our world is heading down a deadly corridor. Someday, the church will suddenly exit this world and the four horsemen of Revelation 6 will be ready to ride onto the stage of human history.

Friends, we have the only message of hope for our world. Jesus Christ is the only One who can set us free from our sins. (John 8:36) We have been commanded to take the gospel to the nations of the world. Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. This is the message of the Bible. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be save.” (Acts 4:12) “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Jesus demanded that His followers worship Him as God. He said: “Ye believe in God, believe also in me. …I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. … he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” (John 14:1, 6, 9) If Jesus is not God equal with the Father, then He is a liar or a lunatic. He cannot be just a great prophet. Prophets do not claim to be God. Jesus is not a liar, or a lunatic, or just a great prophet. He is God! If you do not believe that, then you are lost and on your way to eternal damnation.

As you are reading this newsletter, some believer is giving his life because he believes that Jesus Christ is God. Millions of believers have faced persecution and death because they know that Jesus died for them. They love Him so much they are willing to die for Him.

Please do not continue to walk in spiritual darkness. We are near the end of this age. Please confess that Jesus is God. He died on the cross for your sins. He arose from the grave three days later. He ascended back to His Father in heaven and is coming again. Soon! Are you ready for the shout that will take us out?

Massive Jewish Immigration

to Israel Under Way

Israel is preparing for a large wave of new immigrants from Europe. A recent survey indicates that one-half of Great Britain’s population is anti-Semitic. Consequently, one-fourth of Great Britain’s Jews are planning to immigrate to Israel.

A similar development is taking place in other European countries. French Jews are feeling that is no longer safe to remain in France. Hundreds of thousands of French Jews are in the process of making application to immigrate to Israel.

The International Jerusalem Report states: “The French situation is part of a broader European picture that stretches from Kiev to London. In the East, nationalist instability seems endemic, and is now coupled with economic failure underscored by collapsing currencies. In the West, growing social tensions between Muslim immigrants and indigenous Christians are making a growing number of Jews feel increasingly insecure.” (The International Jerusalem Post, January 23-29, 2015, pp. 16-17)

These movements are very significant in light of Biblical prophecy. When the millennial kingdom begins every Jew in the world will return to Israel. (Ezekiel 39:27-29) Today there are about 15 million Jewish people in the world and only 6.3 million of them are living in Israel. However, as the world’s economy collapses and anti-Semitism increases, we will witness a growing number of Jews that will return to their ancient homeland.

Russia and Iran Sign Military Pact

According to several sources, “Iran and Russia signed an agreement [on January 20, 2015] to expand military ties in a visit to Tehran by the Russian defense minister.

“Sergei Shoigu, in remarks carried by Russian news agencies, said Moscow wants to develop a “long-term and multifaceted” military relationship with Iran. He said that the new agreement includes expanded counter-terrorism cooperation, exchanges of military personnel for training purposes and an understanding for each country’s navy to more frequently use the other’s ports.” (Associated Press, January 20, 2015)

T hese kinds of agreements continue to forge the Gog and Magog alliance as mentioned in Ezekiel 38:1-6.

In addition to Russia’s military pact with Iran, we are witnessing the collapse of the Russian economy. With punishing financial sanctions against Russia due to her invasion of Ukraine and falling oil prices, Russia’s currency is in a free-fall. This is also significant because according to Ezekiel 38:12-13, one of the major reasons for Russia to join the militant Islamic nations in an invasion of Israel is to take a great economic spoil from Israel.

In light of these reports, it does seem that Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan are being prepared for their supernatural defeat in the land of Israel.

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