I really love these people who tell me that they really believe the world is coming to an end in 2012, or they are certain that the Rapture has to happen within a year or two, or that they have the date of the second coming all figured out, or that Jesus has to come before 2019 because of their interpretation of the “Fig Tree Parable”, or based on some pagan prophecy, or the sayings of  Jack Van Impe, etc., etc., but they continue to retain all their wealth like they are going to live here forever or take it with them.

If you really believe what you say you believe on the Internet and in your emails, what need will you have for all your money? Give it to someone who will use it for Christian ministry in the couple of years that you are certain that we only have left.

I certainly could use a million bucks to hire a staff and to set up a modern office and expand this ministry. I would use your money to help get the message out that Jesus is coming soon and warn Christians about all the latest heresies, and warn about the wolves in sheep’s clothing running around seeking wheat to sell baloney to, so the wolves can devour them (with mustard) before Jesus even gets here for supper.

Not to mention, that the average attender in most congregations today is brain dead when it comes to biblical knowledge and understanding, and they really needs to read my shock courses on basic Christian doctrine so they don’t get Jesus mixed up with the Mahdi or some stain on a coffee table.

Others just need to hear what I want to ramble on about (like here) but I can’t be doing much rambling on if I am busy with other tasks that go along with keeping up a website and Blog and also keeping an abode in the deepest darkest jungles of the Ozark wilderness. (We still have to appease and fight off leprechauns and trolls here, not to mention, the government wilderness control freaks).

So if you are so certain that Jesus must return before 2012 or thereabouts just send me one of those spare millions that you know you won’t ever be needing and help expand this ministry. You will not get a tax deduction because I am not on the list of IRS approved charities and probably never will be with my constitution. But what do you need a tax deduction for anyway?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not asking for small donations from anyone reading this or from those who have any doubts about the Lord coming before 2019. I can’t expand a ministry on a thousand bucks here and there, and certainly can’t on your spare change. Send your seed faith change to the TV hucksters. I need really big bucks, like a million or so from the faithful that have no doubt in their mind that Jesus must return before 2019 and so are certain they will not ever need the million bucks. I give no refunds, if you change your mind or Jesus does not return before your date, your just out a million bucks and probably used it for a better cause than you would have. You probably would have just bought more gadgets like one that will allow you to text with your toes while driving  (now don’t ask me where to buy it).

If you do not want to send the million to me then give it to the ministry of your choice or the poor. So, as the saying goes, put up or shut up!

People spouting this stuff about Jesus coming in 2012 etc., really need to put their money where there mouth is and not be hypocrites or else they should tone down their date speculations. That includes the authors that are banking money from selling 2012 new aged baloney.
You can send those million dollar donations to Don Koenig, PO Box 234, Summersville Mo, 65571.

In return I will send you a semiannual picture of my well fed (thanks to you) six dogs and six cats. Sorry, they cannot write you letters. As a bonus you will receive a envelope of fairy dust from the local leprechauns. I think if you sprinkle the dirt… er…I mean dust.. on your upside down St Joseph statue your multi-million dollar mansion will be the first one to sell on your block (not valid in California, Nevada, Arizona, or Florida).

Here are a couple of good articles for people that are part of, promoting, or want to know more about the rapidly growing 2012 cult that is fueling end of the world hysteria.

2012: Tsunami of Stupidity why the latest apocalyptic cult is a silly scam, by Ron Rosenbaum

The article is good but especially follow the links in the article if you wish to be deprogrammed from the 2012 cult.

Jan Markell, of Olive Tree Ministries has her own perspective on this 2012 hysteria in an article called Is time running out?

My own perspective of this 2012 cult is that it is a sinister deception from Satan. There are just two many spokes on this 2012 wheel for this not to be a deception from Satan. The 2012 cult and end of the world hysteria also originates from Satan because all the pagan and “New Age” tie-in’s certainly cannot come from God.

Let’s look at some of the spokes of the 2012 cult wheel of deception.

• The Mayan long calender cycle that ends on December 21, 2012
• Supposed Nostradamus predictions about 2012
• The return of Planet X in 2012
• Bible code predictions
• Time distance code theory
• St Malachi predicts apocalypse in reign of next Pope
• Muslim Mahdi Antichrist theories
• Hopi prophecies
• False modern secular prophets
• False modern religious prophets
• Illuminati conspiracy theories
• Various ufology theories
• Bible prophecy teachers with subjective date setting and interpretations

I am sure I missed some and there are others that point to the same general time period. For example, those that see a imminent paradigm shift into the age of Aquarius that will bring the world to collective higher consciousness with the help of  various ascended masters. Then there are also the Marian messages with its demonic deceptions.

All of the things I listed might be enough proof to some that there is some validity to the 2012 end of the world hysteria. Nevertheless, those who see any direction for their future by climbing on this wheel of deception will get run over by it.

So what is the real purpose of this 2012 deception?

That of course is the million dollar question. I do not think anyone knows where all this will lead in the short term. In the long term all this deception will help lead the world to the Antichrist. However, I think 2012 will be at least a decade before his time. This deception is not the great deception or strong delusion spoken of in the Bible. This deception has another purpose and the best I can do is speculate on what that is. I believe it really is just setting the world stage for a much greater deception.

First, let me say that none of what I listed above has any support from real science or from Bible prophecy. All false prophets have one purpose and that is to deceive.  God is not the author of confusion. He does not use pagan and occult sources to get out a message about the future or even to supplement His written message. God knows the end from the beginning. If He wanted to tell the world something it is already recorded in His written word.  So do not expect to find truth in deceptive lies that originate from Satan. One of the great problems I see coming from some Bible prophecy teachers today is that they use these pagan sources to support their Bible prophecy theories.

I have no doubt that this 2012 cult is going to grow into a full blown hysteria. People are making money on this and they will hype it for all its worth. We already have a major motion picture in the works named “2012″. All the major news channels are reporting on 2012 and these theories. I understand that the History Channel just did their bit to promote this deception. Expect this hype to continue and to dramatically increase as we get closer to the end of 2012.

I can only speculate on this deception from Satan and the purpose of this 2012 cult.  I think the West will be in a major world war with radical Islam by 2012. The signs are all in place right now. We are losing Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hezbollah has 40,000 rockets to use against Israel. Israel will not tolerate a nuclear Iran and Iran will not tolerate Israel. Europe is becoming increasingly polarized because of its large increasing Islamic populations and it is certain that this will soon bring a nationalist backlash from the natives. That will result in civil war in Europe.  I think the war against Islamic terrorism will expand after 2010 because of  Iran and/or major terrorist activities against the West. So by 2012 it will be defined as a major world war and all countries aiding the radial Muslims will become the enemy. So I am 90 percent certain that by the end of 2012 many people will think they have arrived to the Apocalypse . The Dec 21, 2012 hype will only increase the Apocalypse hysteria.

If the world war occurs like I suggest it will, Muslim Antichrist proponents will have a field day speculating on who is fulfilling the role of the Mahdi Antichrist and telling everyone that we are in the midst of the tribulation. Then as the war goes on there will be those looking for some sign to bring it to an end (perhaps a Marian deception). I would think that certain people will spin all these various theories and claim mankind can now achieve the new age of peace if they just stop killing each other and try to get along.  Then in the name of world peace Islam and all religion will become greatly modified into an all-paths concept.

Many in the world will probably think that they went through the biblical tribulation during this world war and that they have arrived on the other side in a new age of enlightenment. However, the reality will be that there will only be a short period of world peace followed by the real tribulation outlined in the trumpet and bowl judgments of Revelation.

Here lies the real deception that will result out of the aftermath of this 2012 cult. Those that understand that the war, the  peace plan, and the religious pluralism are just facades for stopping Christian evangelism and for setting up tyrannical world government will be persecuted as dangers to world peace. Most of those who are led to believe that  the Mahdi myth of Islam was the Antichrist will soon embrace the real Western Antichrist as a world hero.

Many just do not understand that Jesus is not coming when the world expects Him. Expect Jesus when the world thinks they no longer need His coming.

Mt 24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

I am certain that this post will upset some people but with all the hype and speculation about Jesus coming between 2012-2019 the truth has to be said by someone. I will say dogmatically that Jesus is not coming to rule the earth between 2012-2019 as some Bible prophecy teachers are now saying.

First let me make it clear that I am not talking about the Rapture. The Rapture of the Church is not the second coming of Jesus Christ to rule the earth. The Rapture is always imminent and it can occur anytime even quite some time before the seven year tribulation. For example, Enoch as a type of  Rapture was taken alive to heaven more than  half  a lifespan (of that era) before the flood judgment.

Some are actually saying that we have already entered the seven year tribulation. Other Bible prophecy teachers are saying that Russia is about to fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 any minute now.  Is any of this remotely possible? The answer is no. How can I be dogmatic about this. I will tell you why.

The reason why  Jesus is not coming to earth in 2012-2019 to rule the earth is that if Jesus did come in this period there is no human way that Bible prophecy could be fulfilled literally as stated in the scriptures.

Contrary to what many are saying, Russia along with the tribes mentioned in Ezekiel 38 cannot realistically fulfill this prophecy within the next decade. Russia’s army today is not a mighty army it is really in pretty sad shape. Except for a few elite units the Russian army is very poorly equipped. Sure Russia has nuclear capabilities but it could not assemble “a great company a might army” “all splendidly attired” like is describe in Ezekiel to move against Israel. Even when moving against tiny Georgia the elite units of the Russian army were stealing the boots of the Georgian’s soldiers because they had none of their own. The alliances as described in Ezekiel are not even complete today. Turkey is still in NATO as I speak. It is not an ally of Russia but Turkey comes with Russia in the Ezekiel war.

For those few who think it is Turkey that is Gog and not Russia that nonsense does not fly either.  Turkey today cannot even put down the Kurd’s yet be the leader from the uttermost parts of the north that  invades Israel. Would the God of Israel then become known to the whole world as said in Ezekiel by destroying an invading army from Turkey?  Israel could destroy this army by themselves they would not need God’s intervention to save them.

Israel today is not living in security like Ezekiel said they will be prior to the Gog invasion. Therefore, things have to radically change in the Middle East before the Ezekiel prophecy can even be fulfilled.  You might wonder why the tribal nations surrounding Israel are also not mentioned in Ezekiel? Perhaps it is because they are occupied lands after the war of Psalm 83? So lets be realistic, the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 could occur in a decade or so but it is not imminent. The Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy cannot realistically take place as soon as some Bible prophecy teachers imply.

The only war mention in the Bible where everything is fully in place that can be fulfilled today is the one described in Psalm 83. In that war the nations surrounding Israel form a confederacy and try to cut off Israel from being a nation.  We see that very alignment in the Middle East today. But there is no reason to think the war of Psalm 83 has to be in the tribulation. More likely the Psalm 83 war sets up the peace conditions that is necessary before the Ezekiel war can even be fulfilled.

Has anyone even considered that God has people to call out of  the Muslim nations that are in bondage to Islam before the end times? Why should over a billion Muslims be totally excluded from hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ? I am suggesting that there will be a window of opportunity for these people to hear the gospel before the Antichrist is revealed. Just as there was a window of opportunity to hear the gospel by those in bondage under the old atheistic Soviet Union. So rather than expecting a Islamic Antichrist to get all Muslims to fight against the coming of Jesus Christ you probably would be on higher ground if you expected Islam to fall before the time that the Antichrist is even revealed.

As those that study Bible prophecy know, there will be an army of two hundred million from the Far East that will cause the deaths of  a third of men on the earth. Does any rational thinking person believe that it is possible for anyone to field this army within a few years? China and India are rapidly developing nations but it will probably be about two decades before they could move such an army to the Middle East. Some see that China has two hundred million military aged men and think that makes it possible for them to fulfill this prophecy today. But you cannot move an army that size to the Middle East without supply lines and support . China today only has an army of a few million. If it even tried fielding twenty percent of that two hundred million army today everyone in China would soon be in starvation and the nation would collapse.

Besides, the Bible gives us a clue. It says that this army was prepared for a hour, a day, a month, and a year. In other words this army was prepared for a specific time on earth. I do not think it is mere speculation to say that much of this prepared army is made up of surplus men caused by China’s one child policy and the birth control and infanticide practices of China and other far east nations. These surplus men began to be born about 1980 when China started this one child policy and if you do the math the surplus men of military age (with no hope of a normal family life) will peak in numbers about 2030-2040. That is the most likely time when this army prepared for a hour, a day, a month, and a year will march to the Middle East. By that date China and India will be world superpowers and they will have the military capabilities and populations to support and move such huge numbers of men to the Middle East. That prophecy is simply not going to be fulfilled within the next decade.

We might also use a little rational thinking about the Mark of the Beast Economic System. We know the Bible tells us that no one can buy or sell without it. To have such a world economic system you would also need a world communications system that will reach everywhere on earth and you would also have to have the electronic scanning systems in all market place. We see the world is moving toward such a system today but what is described is not possible within one decade even if the world were to make an all out effort beginning today. Much of the world still does not even have the necessary electrical communications for such a system. The communication system therefore most likely would have to be a worldwide satellite system or a very long range over-the-air system or an ultra low frequency through-the-earth system. That kind of  buy or sell system is simply not going to be developed and in place worldwide within the 2012- 2019 time frame.

If  Jesus is coming in 2012-2019 where are the ten leaders that give their power to the Beast before the little horn even rises among them? Things in Europe or the world can change rapidly under conditions of war but I sincerely doubt that even the woman riding the Beast, described in Revelation, can be in her position on the Beast in a few years.

If you really take all  the prophecies about Babylon in a literal sense the city of Babylon has to be rebuilt. There are plans underway to make Babylon a international center but Babylon is not going to be anything earth shattering within the next decade.

I know some insist that the Church will  be in the tribulation and that the tribulation will start before or during this 2012-2019 period but I am glad I never got a invitation to their tribulation  party. I think these people are going to have to wait at least another decade to taste what they seek to find in the tribulation (if God allows) because Jesus is not coming to rule the earth within their 2012-2019 deadline.

Having said that, I am not saying that things will not get real nasty in the world even before the tribulation especally for those living fat and happy in the United States.

Think the 2012 date setters are not having a negative effect on many in the Church? Obviously this speculation based mostly on Mayan ages and a Mahdi coming out of well is attracting many followers. Some such as the “Gospel Tract Society” now take the position that we are already in the tribulation. H E L L O… what tribulation? I will say it as gently as I can, those who think we are already in the tribulation have lost their marbles.

I do not see a good end result coming from all this date setting nonsense. By 2013 Bible prophecy teachers will be mocked. It is as if there is a Satanic deception (there is) to destroy the message of the soon coming of Jesus through the promotion of those crying wolf based on pagan crap – not the Bible. This 2012 date setting speculation is not coming from God.

I think I understand why people promote their crap and pet theories in books, it is profitable for them. But, why do Christians buy it and suck it up like it was profound biblical truth. Some of us warned that the 88 reason why Jesus would come in 1988 was unfounded but people bought the books anyway and Bible prophecy teaching in the Church took a huge hit because of that. Now we have to endure the 2012 end of the world books and movies based on pagan fantasy and those who only know enough about Bible eschatology to twist it to fit their theories.

The world is not going to end in 2012 and we are not in the tribulation. Like Nathan Jones said in this article “take a chill pill”

The Christ in Prophecy Journal: Gospel Tract Society Abandons Pre-Trib Heritage

The Gospel Tract Society has changed their longstanding view in the last month. Lamb & Lion Ministries was first alerted to the change when the ministry’s successor, Tom Buttram, asked founder Dr. David Reagan to change the wording in his tract “Living for Christ in the End Times” (based on the article) from “Rapture” to “Second Coming.” The second alert came when a friend of Lamb & Lion Ministries contacted the Gospel Tract Society for copies of that tract, only to be told the remaining 6,000 in inventory were going to be destroyed.

Upon inquiry as to why the Gospel Tract Society would desire to change the wording and destroy the existing inventory, Tom Buttram responded with a very startling revelation. “As though someone reprinted my Bible overnight,” Tom Buttram now believes humanity has already entered into the Tribulation and the Church will not be raptured until the Seventh Trumpet Judgment has sounded mid-way through the Tribulation.

after over 80 years of the Gospel Tract Society proclaiming the imminent return of Jesus Christ, they will now refocus their attention on printing materials “needed for all to escape delusion and attack” by the Man of Lawlessness (the Antichrist) and a Mid-Tribulation rescue by Jesus.

the esteemed Gospel Tract Society after 80 years of preaching the Rapture of believers before world judgment has just declared that they got it all wrong, that we are actually living in the Tribulation, and that we will all be attacked (means “massacred,” folks) by the coming world leader — and that is supposed to be a source of calm!?! Just how much “calm” are they now going to spread with their newest batch of tracts?

Secular movies like “Knowing” and “2012″ and books and commentaries and pundits (and the list goes on) are very interested in End Time speculation. Only the overall Church seems to be sleeping on this subject. But, for those believers who are anticipating Christ’s return, a certain hysteria has begun to set in. The people are getting very antsy and have begun chasing after every new theory and speculation that rises to the scene.

Secondly, as Dr. Ron Rhodes once said, we are filtering God’s Word through our human antennae and our fallen nature is putting static in our reception.

Every person believes God is giving them a particular revelation or insight into the Bible that is different than what they once believed — but they all conflict! I get hundreds of emails a week from people all over the world, and many writers purport to have discovered some special insight from God. For example, could the Pope, Javier Solana, Prince Hassan, Tony Blair, Barack Obama, the Mahdi and the entire United States of America all be the Antichrist at the same time? Saved believers in Christ each have a candidate God has “revealed” to them in Scripture. Or, could the Tribulation be seven years long, World War II, the Papal years, only for Israel, for the entire world, and it’s just the conflict in our hearts all at same time? Saved believers each have a position. But, only one answer can possibly be correct.

To use an 80’s term, we all need to “take a chill pill.

Full article

Well meaning Christians that even sense that the time of the Lord’s return is near have offered their higher criticism for what they think is date setting on my timeline projection table. They imply that I should not have complied this projection because the Bible says no one can know the day or hour of the Lord’s return. Actually, I am not setting a date for the Lord’s return on this table, at most I imply a general season for Jesus seekers looking for the Lord’s return. My view on the no one knows the day or hour topic is just about the same as what Jack Kelly wrote in a recent article, so just read the above link.

Actually, the main reason I wrote that article was to get people to my website so they would read what else I have to say. What would you think is the number one keyword phrase through which people find my website? Is it “David Wilkerson’s prophecy” or “Enoch and Bible”  or “socialism obama” they are the top keyword search phrases that bring people to my blogs but the number one keyword phrase that brings the most people to my website each month just happens to be the phase “when will Jesus return“.

That is no accident. When I wrote the article I designed it and keyworded it so that people seeking a date for the Lord’s return will find my website and get some reasonable eschatology. I really did not write the article to tell anyone when the Lord is coming.

Many of you who are reading this blog first came to my website and blog first through that article. So should I have not wrote it because some think it seems to imply a date of the Lord’s return?  Should not the many people who are looking for answers on when the Lord will return find a realistic answer from those who study Bible prophecy? I think better that they find my article and website then those websites that are saying the Lord is coming between 2012 -2019 based on Mayan and/or Islamic pagan prophecies or even science fiction like Planet X speculations.

Now I suppose I will get higher criticism for using the term “seeker friendly” in the title (clue..articles mainly get hit on from the keywords in the title and article).

I think one of the reasons why people get way off on Bible prophecy is that they do not understand the nature of the Bride of Christ. The Church is the betrothed Bride of Jesus Christ. Even those who do seem to understand that concept often completely miss how God showed us the future of His blood bought Church in the process of obtaining a wife in the culture of the ancient past. I think Jack Kelly explains this as good as anyone I know in this article. I hope it will help you understand that God has a unique role for the Church apart from Israel and that the bride of a soon coming King would rule with the King but would not replace the King’s Kingdom. Apart from ancient customs there are also stories and “types” in the Bible that convey similar concepts. Kelly points out such a “type” in the details surrounding the obtaining of a bride for Abraham’s son, Isaac.

Keep in mind that after the price was agreed on and the Bride agrees to become the wife she does not know when the Groom will come for her. She also cannot disown the groom and the groom cannot disown her except if there is clear proof of adultery. We do have eternal security if we remain faithful to Jesus.

The Bride | GraceThruFaith

by Jack Kelley

This is an update of an article originally published in March 2004. While it’s based on the Bible, it also includes Jewish wedding traditions from Biblical times. Some of these traditions go all the way back to Abraham’s time and are described in Genesis 24.

the young woman was to watch and wait at her parents’ home. She and her bridesmaids had to maintain a constant state of preparedness, since the wedding date would not be revealed to her until the bridegroom actually appeared at her door to take her to their new home.
Surprise, Surprise

For his part, the groom would try to show up unexpectedly to surprise her, carrying her off suddenly “like a thief in the night” when no one would see them. The only advance warning she would get was the sound of his voice shouting her name and the blast of a ram’s horn.

Full article

While reading Carla’s excellent and always discerning More Books and Things blog I came across an article that I think needs further attention by those who study world events and Bible prophecy. I might not agree with every single point in this article but I certainly agree with Prof. Malan’s major concepts. Bible prophecy teachers seem to convey that Israel today is in the will of God. Therefore they suggest we better not do anything that could be conveyed as touching the apple of God’s eye. Some even suggest that if we do not bless this largely atheist nation that God will judge our nation. There are some erroneous teachings going around that relate judgments on America to how we treat unrepentant Israel. That concept is wrong. The judgments coming on America today is due to our own sins. We are judged on how we treat all nations not just Israel. If we are a just and moral nation we have nothing to fear. God will judge all the nations on how they treat Israel after Israel accepts their true Messiah.

Israel today is still reaping the curse because they rejected God’s salvation in His Son. When God said He would curse those who curse the descendants of Abraham and Jacob he was talking about those cursing the children of the promise, the people of faith. They are the true children of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Remember, the leaders of Israel claimed they also were children of Abraham but Jesus called them children of their father the Devil. So did Jesus curse these descendants of Israel? Actually He did. He cursed the unbelieving descendants of Israel as represented by the fig tree that had no fruit when He came (Mt 21:19).

Other Christians will not even evangelize Jews thinking that Jews already know God. They are also wrong. Those who do not accept Jesus Christ do not know the Father either (John 14:6). The nation of Israel will certainly prove that point when they accept the false Messiah that is coming in his own name and not the Father’s name like Jesus. Some of these Christian ministries will raise large sums of money to send Jews back to Israel but spend nothing on giving these Jews the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not even tell them that two-thirds of the people that they are sending back to Israel will be killed in the coming Jewish holocaust (Zec 13:8).

One might think that if Christians really loved the Jews they should be telling Jews about Jesus so they would get saved before these terrible events happen to them? But it is not happening, not that anyone is actually allowed to preach the gospel in Israel anyway. So what does that say about Israel? Instead we rant about how nations are dealing with Israel as if God is not sovereign and not using the leaders of these nations toward His own ends to bring Israel to repentance. Had not God said that these things would happen to the Jews in the end times?

So how will Christians siding with Israel on world events give them physical peace and spiritual enlightenment? Even if we could change our national policies toward Israel the things God said about Israel in the latter days are still going to happen. The real problem with Israel is not the Gentile nations and our leaders decisions. The real problem with Israel is the unbelief of the Jews in Israel. The Gentiles will just be used to bring Israel to a place of repentance. God would protect Israel if they came to belief in Jesus Christ but instead they will believe in the Antichrist and go into more national tribulation before they finally get the message that peace and security is only found in their Messiah Jesus Christ.

If I did not know that we were in the end times when God’s words about Israel will be fulfilled I would have to believe that the unbelieving Jews now occupying God’s land would again be cast out. Yet, the religious Jews living in Israel think that God is on their side while they reject His Son and the non-religious Jews think that they are going to hold unto the land by their own military might. Sorry, but that is not God’s plan for Israel. Many Christians by what they say and do, seem to covey similar false pretense as well. Ever wonder why the Jews flee to the mountains for 42 months? Because Satan seeks to kill every Jew in the world (Rev 12:13). That is the real destiny of those in Israel before they come to God’s Messiah. Exactly what world actions and reactions get us to that point is frankly very subjective stuff that even Bible prophecy experts do not agree on. So how do we know where God’s will is on every current event in the Middle East so that we take the correct position? Does our position even matter in God’s plan?

So knowing these things lets teach the truth to Israel and evangelize those that can be reached instead of acting as if Israel’s leaders or America’s leaders will make correct decisions to keep Israel from the holocaust that clearly will come upon Israel in these last days. In the final analysis, it really does not matters one iota if Israel or the US takes out Iran’s nuclear capabilities at least not if we are in the sequence of end time events like Bible prophecy teachers claim. Iran will invade Israel in the latter years because Ezekiel says so, and the end of that war has already been determined by God. It really does not matter if Israel agrees to divide Jerusalem in some false peace deal either because the Bible says it will happen anyway, “Zec 14:2  For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

It really does not matter what action Israel takes because whatever action Israel takes in unbelief will lead to the same biblical end that God foretold the prophets and that us Bible prophecy believing Christians should be aware of. The primary Christian commission is to teach the gospel to Israel and everyone else. Our commission is not trying to stop or change Middle East events that have to happen if we are in the last days. If Christians should learn anything from Bible prophecy it should be to discern how close we are to the Lords coming for the watching faithful Church. If Christians use Bible prophecy it should be to used to evangelize those who might come to know God through Bible prophecy. Bible prophecy for Christians should not be about trying to figure out every insignificant detail and the exact dating of all events beforehand. Some of these things cannot be known with any certainty.  Nothing at all has to be fulfilled before the rapture of the Church and after the restrainer is removed all end time events will rapidly come on the earth just as God said. For most Christians it is enough to know that what God said about the last days will take place literally and that the time to work is short.

If you want more thinking on this issue read the full article.

Jesus Christ in Biblical Prophecies

Jesus Christ in Biblical Prophecies

Prof. Johan Malan, Middelburg, South Africa (June 2009)

The spiritual and doctrinal value of various articles currently published on Israel is extremely poor. Authors mostly offer only a secular review of news events without giving a balanced biblical perspective on them.

It is an alarming fact that even Christian analysts on the situation in the Middle East reveal very little insight into Israel’s end-time position. Obama is now blamed for isolating and forsaking Israel. Is he responsible for these actions or did the Lord ordain them? According to Ezekiel 22:18-22, Jeremiah 30:7 and Zechariah 14:2, the Lord will bring Israel into great affliction because they have, spiritually, become dross in His eyes for dishonouring His Word and rejecting the Messiah. In the light of this situation we should understand their international dispersion during the past 2000 years, as well as the Holocaust of World War II. Or will we merely blame the Roman Empire, the Nazis and other nations for this human tragedy? These nations are definitely guilty, but Israel is more guilty and mainly responsible for their own problems. Didn’t Jesus say that Jerusalem would be destroyed and trodden down because its inhabitants refused to accept Him as their Messiah (cf. Matt. 23:37-38)? In the attached addendum a Messianic Jew, Arthur Katz, explains the full implications of Israel’s sin and lack of faith.

As for Israel’s future, it is really irrelevant what Obama, the pope, the EU, Iran or Russia say or do with regard to Israel. If they don’t persecute or isolate Israel the Lord will allow other groups or nations to do just that. The fact is that the Israelis have to go through the time of Jacob’s trouble because of their continued apostasy.

Why are there so few people who have the boldness to inform Israel on the true reasons for their problems? Why is their own spiritual bankruptcy not addressed? Why are even organisations such as the International Christian Embassy engaged with the establishing of good relations with unsaved Israel without explicitly proclaiming the Messiah to them? Why do preachers such as John Hagee deny Jesus as Messiah of the Jews by alleging that they don’t have to accept Jesus to be saved? Why do all the Christians follow him and merely donate money to Israel, but withhold the gospel from them, which is their only hope?

When will Israel’s fortunes take a turn for the better – when the United States again support and assist them militarily, or when they have accepted the Messiah? Will they ever seek the Messiah unless they are in a great affliction (cf. Hosea 5:15; 6:1-2)?

The less people think and speak about the Lord Jesus, the less they will believe in His promise of a pretribulation rapture (Luke 21:36); the less they know about His judgement seat, the less they will be prepared for His sudden coming (1 Cor. 3:9-15). Many people become so involved with a study of the signs of the times, including possible dates for the second coming of Christ, that they never seriously attend to the necessities of our relationship with Him (holiness), and also neglect to work for Him while it is still day – the night of God’s judgements is approaching when no one can work.

I do believe that Israel and many other signs are prophetically significant, but this knowledge should lead to deeper spiritual insights and particularly to the glorification and exaltation of the Lord Jesus – also to fear for the coming day of His wrath upon sinners, including all the carnal, agnostic and unholy people. His judgements should be considered as part of the bigger picture, lest people think that the nature of the future world will only be determined by the decisions and military actions of the present generation of world leaders. One actually pities them when listening to their decisions and beholding their military manoeuvres, as they don’t have the faintest idea of what is waiting for them. They don’t know that they will be gathered in Israel to be judged by the Lord (Joel 3:2; Zech. 14:2,12).

Israel is prophetically one of the most uninformed nations in the world as far as events at the end of the church dispensation are concerned. Their ignorance will cause their virtual downfall as they will lead the way in concluding a covenant with the Antichrist under the false impression that he is the true Messiah (Dan. 9:27; John 5:43).

People in the end-time are shallow in their thinking and judge all things in terms of secular, humanistic criteria. Even Christians start conforming to this way of thinking and are in most cases not able to correctly determine and describe a spiritual perspective on world events. Many of them do not even realise their own spiritual poverty and blindness,

every Christian is committed to inform Israel on the correct biblical route to their full restoration. If they are not warned against the coming false messiah and the great tribulation, how will they ever be able to correctly understand these times and make the right decisions? Without accepting Jesus the Messiah by faith they cannot be saved – neither can they share in the blessings that He promised to the believing remnant in Israel and also to the whole world during His coming reign of peace.

Full article

This is another good teaching by Jack Kelley on the seven dispensations and why mankind fails in all of them. Dispensationalism is sometimes misunderstood. Dispensationalism is not different ways to find salvation; it is different rules for living in each dispensation for those who can be saved on the basis of their faith in God. Man is saved by God’s grace through man’s faith in all seven dispensations.

These seven different ways of God dealing with man on earth are probably demonstrations to man, angels and all creation about the sin nature of man and Satan. No matter how God deals with man on earth Satanic deception comes and most of mankind rejects God. However, in each dispensation God has His own elect on earth who overcome Satan and the world through their belief and trust in God.

Yes, even the dispensation of Grace (The Church age) is also a failure for mankind. The promise of a free gift of salvation for those who confess Jesus as God’s sacrifice for man’s sins will be rejected by the overwhelming majority on earth. Even the seventh dispensation, the Kingdom Age, will end in mankind’s failure because Satan will deceive those living in this restored paradise on earth and lead them to rebel against God’s elect. In all dispensations man will prove that in his fallen sinful flesh he cannot fellowship with God. The only way to eternal salvation is through a spiritual rebirth from God’s Son. There is no other name given in which man must be saved (Act 4:12).

I will add this, The dispensations all end in failure for those unbelievers following Satan but all seven dispensations successfully reach those who believe God.

Read the full article to get a complete picture of what Jack Kelley is teaching and to get a description of the seven different dispensations on earth.

Life On Earth In The Millennium | GraceThruFaith

by Jack Kelley

Hal Lindsey once speculated that at his judgment Satan hurled two accusations at God. “You’re not just and You have no love.” In our last study we saw how God demonstrated His perfect justice with Israel and His perfect love with the Church. Israel lived under an absolutely just system of law. It was clear and concise, made no exceptions, and showed no favoritism. There was blessing for obedience and punishment for disobedience in an obvious cause and effect relationship. What they did determined what they got. God said to them, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)

The Church was shown the incomparable riches of God’s grace. We’re the most blessed of any group of humanity and the only thing asked of us is that we accept by faith the free gift of salvation, purchased in advance for us with God’s own life. Yes, God is pleased if we live our lives in a manner that expresses our gratitude to Him, but the only thing He requires is that we believe in the one He has sent. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

In the Kingdom Age believers will be saved by faith, like the Church, but will be required to keep the Law as evidence of their belief, like Israel. Perfect justice, perfect love. This will be God’s final answer to Satan and His final attempt to dwell among His people in peace. Will it work, or like Israel and the Church before it, will the Kingdom Age end in failure?

We’ve only talked about Law and Grace but there were actually four other attempts at peaceful coexistence between God and man leading up to them. For a complete understanding of man’s history with his Creator, we’ll need to review these others as well. They’re called dispensations, or administrations, and all together there are seven of them.

The 7 Dispensations

Throughout history God has dealt with His people in different ways as part of the process of revealing His character. Each of these dispensations has has begun with an agreement between God and man that man subsequently violated, ending the relationship in failure and requiring a judgment from God.

Innocence:
Conscience:
Human Government:
Promise:
Law:
Grace:
Kingdom:

Some in the Church might question the view that the Age of Grace has been a failure, but that’s because we’re among the few who have accepted the Lord’s free gift of pardon and will therefore enjoy its benefits. Remember, God’s desire is to reconcile us to Himself (Colossians 1:19-20). He doesn’t want for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). And yet over the last 2,000 years most people have turned down His gift and gone their own way. After doing everything He could, short of violating man’s free will and forcing him to accept the pardon He offered, most of mankind will have rejected Him. Can you blame Him for being so angry as to unleash the full fury of His wrath against them?

Even in the Church the response to God’s gift of eternal Life has been more apathy than adoration. When less than 10% of people who claim to be born again have adopted a Christian world view, it’s clear that there’s been a serious disconnect between His gift and our gratitude. When compared to the desired goal the Age of Grace has been a failure.

None of this is any more of a surprise to God than the outcome of His previous attempts. He doesn’t do things so He can see how we’ll respond. He already knows that. He does things so we can see how we’ll respond. Paul said every thing that was written in the past was written to teach us. (Romans 15:4) So far the lesson has been that no matter what God has done to draw us near, man is untrustworthy and rebellious, pushing God away and bringing judgment upon himself.
Now For The Kingdom

OK, so what about the Kingdom Age, will it be a failure too?

In an event that was later modeled in the Biblical adoption ceremony (Galatians 4:4-7), the Father formally named His Son heir of His estate and bequeathed His inheritance to Him. All the nations are His, and He has the authority to rule them as He pleases. Man’s choice will be to obey or suffer the consequences. Obedience will be rewarded with blessing, but rebellion will bring swift destruction.

We’re neither told how many will be saved during the Millennium, nor what their destiny will be. What we are told is at the end of the 1000 year Kingdom Age Satan will be freed and will have no trouble recruiting a large army for one last attempt to regain his lost empire. He’ll find a ready audience for his deception and his army will soon be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. From all over the world they’ll come to surround God’s people and His Holy City. But in one sudden burst of flame from Heaven they’ll be devoured and Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. (Rev. 20:7-10) Once again, man rebels, God judges and another Age ends in failure.

God’s response to Satan’s accusations will be complete. Satan’s judgment will be final. Heaven and Earth will be purified. Eternity will begin. And God will reign supreme. Hallelujah! 05-30-09

Full article

This is an astute article by Jack Kelly on Pentecost and rapture of the Church. Like Kelly, I also believe that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the Church on earth and would also say each parable is linked to what Jesus also said to the seven different Church types in Revelation.

*Chuck Missler gives us a small taste of this design and correlation in his teaching on Revelation:

The Seven Kingdom parables:

The Sower ……………   Ephesus: The apostolic Church

The Tares …………….   Smyrna: The persecuted Church

Mustard Seed…………..Pergamos: Marriage to the World

Women/Leaven ……….Thyatira: The Papacy in the Medieval World

The Field………………. Sardis: Denominational/Dead Orthodoxy

The Pearl ………………Philadelphia: The rebirth of the Missionary

The Dragnet …………..Laodicea: The apostate Church

* The Book of Revelation , supplemental notes page 60, Koinonia House Inc., 1995

I believe that it is very possible that the Church will be taken alive to Heaven on Pentecost on the very same feast day when the Bride of Christ was born. The Church like Enoch was born on Pentecost and tradition tells us Enoch was taken on Pentecost. Enoch was taken because he walked with God before the judgment of the flood. The bride of Christ will also not reap the coming judgment of God because she is the Bride of Christ. Only after Jesus takes his rightful role as King of Israel and takes a Gentile bride can Israel’s promised restoration come.

I know many want to believe the Rapture is on the Feast of Trumpets but remember the Feast of Trumpets will be another fulfillment through Jesus for Israel. The Feast of Trumpets starts the last week for Israel foretold by Daniel and it ends it seven years later with the second coming of Christ. Some like to think the Rapture will occur on the same date that God deals with Israel again. However, scripture really gives no indication that the Rapture has to occur precisely seven years before the second coming of Christ. The Rapture could occur months or even a few years before the final seven years for the Jews.

One thing is certain in my mind. The 70th week and the lifting of the blindness of Israel cannot even take place until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Ro 11:25). In this passage Paul was speaking of the grafting in of a Gentile Bride into the Commonwealth of Israel. This Bride born from above is born of the Spirit she is not born of any flesh, be it Jew or Gentile. However, anyone not Jewish by natural birth (she is spiritual) is typed as a Gentile by definition. Therefore, the Bride is not Jewish even though there are people who were natural Jews within the Bride. This Bride gives no sin offering of her own as required by the law. Her sins are covered by the blood of God’s Jewish sacrificial Lamb. That is the reason why Pentecost is celebrated with leavened bread (leaven represents sin), the Church is full of sinners covered by the blood of Christ.

Anyway, this article by Jack Kelly is well worth the read and it is timely, being right before the Feast of Pentecost.

Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church | GraceThruFaith

Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Pentecost comes in the early summer (May-June). This year it’s May 31. It’s the only Holy Day between the 3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and the 3 in the fall (Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles). Its Hebrew name is Shavuot. Pentecost is a Greek word and translates “50 days” since it comes 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits, the day we should know as Resurrection Morning . The Feast of First Fruits is celebrated on the day following the first Sabbath after Passover and Pentecost on the day after the Sabbath seven weeks later, (Lev. 23:15-16) giving rise to its nickname “Feast of Weeks.” Since the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, both these Holy days are Sundays.
What’s a Pentecost?

Jews celebrate Pentecost (I’ll just use its Greek name to avoid any more confusion than necessary) as the day Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai in the wilderness and the nation Israel was born. (Exodus 19-20) Christians celebrate it as the day the Holy Spirit fell on the Disciples in Jerusalem and the Church was born (Acts 2). If you agree with my view that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the church on Earth and that the parable of the yeast predicts there will be sin in the church, you’ll be interested in the fact that unlike all the other Jewish Feasts that call for unleavened bread, Pentecost requires bread baked with yeast (Lev. 23:17). Pentecost also began the annual wheat harvest, perhaps pointing to another of Matthew’s Kingdom parables, the Wheat and the Tares.

By tradition Enoch, one of the patriarchs from Genesis 5, was born on the day later to be known as Pentecost. Enoch’s name means “teaching”, a primary function of the Church. For this reason many scholars see him as a “type” of the church as well. Genesis 5:21-23 indicates that Enoch was very close to God and was actually taken live (raptured) into Heaven before the Great Flood. Pre-Trib scholars see this event as hinting of a yet future disappearance of the Church before the Great Tribulation. These same traditions also hold that Enoch disappeared from Earth on his birthday. So here’s a model in Genesis 5 of a man identified with the church being born and raptured on the day that would become Pentecost, the day the church was born.

Full article.

Although I have seen this study posted in several different parts on a re-posting site elsewhere, the complete study is available on the link. This is about the best study I have seen on all the possible timings and positions on the Ezekiel 38-39 war. It gives all the different views and the pros and cons of each position. Nathan Jones position is quoted below. To read all the other views on this you will have to read the whole article.

By the way Nathan’s position is the same as mine except for a couple of timing differences. I am not sure this war is before the Rapture and I do not see how Israel could be burning the weapons of war for 7 years during the great tribulation?  At that point Antichrist has complete rule over the land of Israel and is exterminating Jews that did not flee to the mountains for safety. So how can Israel be burning Gog’s weapons of war in the great tribulation of 3 1/2 years?

My position is a little different then any Nathan presented. I think the war of Ezekiel 38-39 occurs 3 1/2 years before the 70th week of Daniel begins. After Gog is defeated supernaturally by God Israel burns the weapons of war but is forced to stop burning after 7 years because Israel has to flee from the Antichrist when the two witnesses sent by God are killed.

If you look at the many different views in this article you will see that none of them perfectly fit. I believe there is a reason for that. It is because most everyone thinks the war of Ezekiel 38-39 and Armageddon will happen within a seven year period. Actually I do not see where these events have to be limited to seven years at all. I do not think we can assume that all the seals of Revelation are within the last seven year spoken by Daniel. We also cannot assume that the first seals are part of Jacob’s trouble. The Jews are not even mentioned at all in Revelation until after the 6th seal is opened.

I say (not dogmatically) that the last seven years actually starts after the 6th seal. It begins with the sealing of 144,000 Jews. With my view we have a 10 1/2 year period from the war of Ezekiel 38-39 and Armageddon. All prophecy can then fit without using a shoehorn. In my view seven years after the Ezekiel intervention when the world is expecting a type of Christ to appear they receive the Antichrist.

So when is the Rapture in my view? It is imminent. It could happen today. It could be before the Ezekiel war or after it but before the sealing of the Jews.

Articles – Featured – Timing Gog-Magog

Timing Gog-Magog
When will Ezekiel 38-39 be fulfilled?
by Nathan E. Jones

My View
Which view one holds probably rests more on what one sees is the view that provides the most logical answers to the prerequisites. To me, timing the Gog-Magog Battle just before or at the very beginning of the Tribulation can best fulfill these prerequisites and makes the most logical sense in my mind.

This is how I see the timeline most likely playing out:

1. The Rapture of the Church removes the Restrainer.
2. Israel subjugates their surrounding neighbors in fulfillment of Psalm 83.
3. The Gog-Magog Battle destroys the Russian and Muslim influence in the Middle East, makes the world aware of God’s presence, and restores Israel’s belief in the God of the Torah.
4. The Antichrist conquers what’s left of the Middle East and makes a peace covenant with Israel to complete the Revived Roman Empire.
5. Israel spends the seven years of the Tribulation burning the weapons.
6. Jesus returns at the end of the seven years to defeat His enemies at Armageddon resulting in Israel acknowledging that Jesus is God’s Son.
7. Jesus gathers the people from all over the world for the Sheep/Goat Judgment, which results in only believers entering the Millennial Kingdom.

Time will tell when the Gog-Magog Battle will truly take place. But, the players are already in place and the scene is just about all set for this epic battle to be waged in the not-too-distant future.

Full article

About every other week I get a email telling me in one way or another that the parable of the fig tree means that all will be fulfilled by 2019 AD. Thus they believe the start of the tribulation or rapture has to be by 2012. There are well known Bible prophecy teachers teaching this today. I am tired of answering questions on this over and over so I am writing my own position on the “Parable of the Fig Tree”. In the future if anyone asks me about it or suggests that the Rapture has to occur within two or three years they will get a link to this post.

I will put the discourse from Jesus about the parable of the fig tree in proper context below so we can also see and consider what Jesus said before and after His parable of the fig tree statement.

Matt 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9  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.
10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25  Behold, I have told you before.
26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The whole discourse here is a reply to what the disciples asked Jesus. They asked when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? Jesus then gave them a sequence of events. Scholars differ as to if part of it was already fulfilled in Jesus time, or if it is all yet to be fulfilled, or even if part of the prophecy might have a past and future fulfillment. I take the position that there could be a partial fulfillment in the past but this whole discourse is now about the future.

Lets look at what the passage implies and lets also look at what the passage does not imply. That part of the discourse is in bold print in the scripture passage above.

The parable of the fig tree implies:
When the branch of the fig tree puts forth leaves you should know that summer is near and when you see the signs Jesus talked about you know His coming is near. The other part of the discourse following the parable passage confirms that it is talking about the Lord’s coming for the elect.
The passage also implies the generation that saw what Jesus talked about in the discourse would still be around when the Lord returned, implying that all things would take place in a short period of time of less than one generation.

The parable of the fig tree does not imply:
That the fig tree is Israel, although some believe it is.
That this last generation started when the UN allowed the rebirth of the State of Israel
That a generation is 40 50 or 70 years. More likely all Jesus said takes place in less than a twenty or thirty year period since the generation seeing the signs would also have had to reach the full age of reason to comprehend them. Also, the generation that saw the Lord return most likely would not also be so old that aged brains would forget the data. The discourse does imply that some will actually give up waiting so this period spans more than a few years.

We seem to have false birth pains called the beginning of sorrows, persecution, birth pains and the second coming in this passage. This all could take much longer than just the seven years that most assign to end time things and that also may be why the discourse says that some people will give up waiting. The big clue for me that this is more than seven years is that in the first series of events Jesus makes it perfectly clear that the end is not yet. These are just the beginning of sorrows of this last time generation.

Was Jesus telling his disciples to learn that the fig tree represented Israel’s rebirth? I kind of doubt that, they would not have a clue unless He was referring to the fig tree that He cursed that did represent Israel. If that is true His using the fig tree here with the sprouting of leaves would have to refer to Israel returning to God not the rebirth of a nation that still rejects Him.
“Fig tree” is used 32 times in the King James. Most of the time it is used with other trees and is just describing abundance of food or the lack of it. A few are describing the spiritual condition of Israel but calling Israel the fig tree from those few passages is a stretch. Actually, Israel could more easily be identified with the olive tree in scriptures.

Luke adds a little more than Matthew on this passage and says when the fig tree and all the trees are putting forth shoots you know summer is near. So If Israel is the fig tree who are the other trees that are also putting forth shoots? Perhaps this parable is more straight forward than some like to think. Perhaps Jesus was just saying when you see the things He was talking about taking place on earth this will be the generation that would see His return if they do not give up waiting. Just as when a fig tree puts forth shoots you know that summer is near you can know that the Lord’s coming is near when you see the events Jesus talked about. Perhaps there is no hidden reference to Israel in this passage at all? I do not think we can be dogmatic about it one way or the other.

If the parable of the fig tree is all about the rebirth of Israel like many teach. I would like to know why a still dead tree at the time of these events is putting forth shoots and putting forth leaves?  What are the leaves anyway? Ask those who teach this and you will get different answers.

In any case, this passage does not imply the generation that saw the rebirth of the state of Israel is the generation that would not pass away before the Lord returns. It seems to me that Jesus is really talking about the generation seeing all the things that He was talking about in prior versus.

Why do I bring this up? Because some are saying that Jesus has to come before 2019 and the Rapture is before 2012 and that they get hostile toward Christians who do not believe the time is as soon as the dates they set. There was a time when people said that Jesus would have to come in 1988 because it all had to happened within a generation of forty years from the rebirth of Israel. Then when that date came and gone they said that a generation was about 50 years. When that date came and gone they said a generation is a life span of 70 years and that is where some stand now. All of this latest date setting by some new prophecy teachers probably has more to do with their interpretation of pagan Mayan calenders then it does with sound exegesis of biblical prophecy.

Never mind that the latest interpretation of a generation being 70 years logically makes no sense because during the first decade or two of their life people of that generation would have been been too young to observe the events and properly process it. Some others extend the date by saying we should count the generation from when Israel took Jerusalem because taking new territory represented the leaves on the tree. That again is subjective speculation at best. Meanwhile, the whole concept has opened up Bible prophecy teachers to just criticism because some Bible prophecy teachers seem to be straining at gnats and swallowing camels in order to be dogmatic about their own subjective interpretations with date setting.

I do not know when the rapture of the Church will be because that date is always imminent but just looking at the signs on earth that are necessary to fulfill prophecy tells me that the coming of the Lord to set up His kingdom on earth is still twenty or thirty years down the line. If you do not want to wait that long tell it to God because the time is set by the Father. Meanwhile, lets not be so dogmatic about our prophecy speculations.

The Keystone Cop routine in Washington would be pretty funny if the consequences were not so devastating to the future of America. People that are aliens to our constitution and the Bible have now taken over America.

Washington liberal politicians and the head of America’s corporations and financial institutions are a product of the Spock baby boom generation that never experienced discipline. Nobody ever said no to these people and they got what they wanted because the alternative was their temper tantrum. They are used to getting their way. In other words they are really spoiled brats who really needed a good whipping behind the shed. But, because that did not happen they turned into people alien to the United States. They do foolish things because they have never been taught discipline and have few negative real life experiences to draw from. These aliens to the American system always got what they wanted in the past and they think they will get what they want in the future.

I grew up with discipline and am I a realist but these people tend to be blind optimists and if reality ever hits them they overreact and make rash decisions. They cannot take criticism. They also never learned to critically think for themselves. They just go with the flow and have a alien collective group think mindset.

Individualism is a alien concept to them. They have been taught that democracy is group consensus and that the United States is a Democracy rather than a Republic.  They are aliens to the Bible and aliens to our Constitution so they cannot come up with sound decisions for our nation. The “group think” concept is taught by the alien communists that have taken over America’s educational systems. Alien group concepts are now also taught in all major corporations and taught to all workers in the government. Alien group consensus and team concepts training is now forced on all workers. Today almost all important decisions are made by alien group think teams. The American Government  was reinvented to conform to the alien team concepts by Al Gore. When Al Gore talks about consensus, as he often does when talking about global warming, he is talking about the consensus of a hand picked team of aliens who agree with their Queen. If you disagree with the alien team you are removed from the team so they can have group consensus. So now in American you have government and corporations shaped in the image of a Chinese Communist village, an ant farm or the alien Borg of Star Trek.

You might wonder why government is so slow to react in this economic crises but it really should not be a mystery. Before the aliens can do anything they have to assemble a team that will come up with some consensus of action. Then the alien team must write a report and pass it up the line to be accepted or rejected by the Queen. This whole process can take months. Also one alien team might have no idea what another alien team is doing so they come up with conflicting polices on the same program and often attack each other.

Having said that, I wonder how many different alien teams are working on some aspect of our economic crises?  We see all of a sudden that a cat got out of the bag that corporations that were getting bail out money were giving bonuses to some of their queens as if that was something that no one knew about. That of course is a lie. The queens that put this alien economic policy together knew about it. The queens just did not think it would be found out, or maybe they really knew it would be found out and the whole act is an alien ruse to gain more control.

I have to tell you there is not a semblance of constitutional government left in Washington DC. Everything that they are doing is unconstitutional. We do not even know if the alien President is qualified to be President under the Constitution. There is also no question that Queen Clinton is not allowed to be in her position under constitutional law.

The federal powers and huge government control over our lives and over the sovereignty of states is also alien it is not allowed by our constitution. When government can spend many trillions of dollars it does not have and just pass the debt on to the future citizens I can assure you that this is an alien form of government to the founders of our nation. When almost unlimited money from special interests keep corrupt people in positions of power until they die I can assure you that this is an alien government to the founders of our nation.

In spite of the spin about all their creation of money to fix the economy read what Adam Smith thinks this alien irresponsible economic policy will take America. Here are a couple of quotes from this article:

Make no mistake about it, Obama, Bernanke and Geithner are doing exactly what they said they were going to do: print and spend their way back to prosperity. Their delusional minds actually believe that can be achieved by spending money we do not have with little to no prospect of ever being able to pay it back. For Obama to suggest he can balance a budget, no less reduce the national debt, with his corrupt math is ridiculous.

If some of the predictions are accurate, we may see a doubling of the national debt in the next decade if some fiscal sanity does not return to Washington and stop this very flawed and politically expedient process that the Keynesians and socialists are pursuing

It will fail, and I would argue it already has. That is why in prior writings I have pleaded with the government to stop any more wasteful deployment of taxpayer dollars. It is making things worse, not better.

If it really wanted to address the real problem, it would reduce the size of government, stop wasteful government spending and put more of America’s money back in the hands of Americans. It would encourage savings, not consumption. It would lead by example in not spending money we do not have.

But obviously to do so would demand an immediate termination of the welfare state birthed under FDR and fulfilled under Nancy Pelosi and Obama. To have 300 million Americans all dependent upon government is not freedom. It is slavery. Abraham Lincoln helped end slavery, and now Obama wants it back – this time for all Americans. He’s an equal opportunity master of our time. A good crisis is a terrible thing to waste, according to Rahm Emmanuel. That is especially true if you can expand the welfare state in the process.

These recent events demand immediate decisions by “We the People.” If our government is going to pursue the “run the printing presses till they burn out” approach, we must take immediate steps to protect our financial future. The government stopped listening to the American people long ago. Therefore those steps include reducing personal debt and purchasing gold, other commodities and companies that produce commodities. Writing letters and making phone calls to the deaf and dumb is a waste of time.

Inflation is coming. Bernanke, short of taking a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, told you so. And while you may not see it just yet in the CPI, it will be there. It may well become hyper-inflation. I am convinced our leaders are such pansies that they will not make the tough decisions or demand sacrifice from the nation. Why? They are not willing to sacrifice themselves. They have become spoiled beyond belief, totally out of touch with reality and merely want to hold on to their power. The principles that will get us back the nation we are rapidly losing be damned in the eyes of this leadership. It is all politics now.

Here is another article by Pat Buchanan that puts our money creation addition in perspective

So anyone who thinks we can spend trillions of dollars that we do not have, or worse yet just print the money out of thin air without severe consequences must be aliens. These people do not live in the real world they are space cadets who live in a virtual world of questionable theories. It is the same alien mindset found in the mortgage traders that started the economic collapse. These aliens to economics-101 thought they could not lose because their virtual models told them so. So do you really expect that these  aliens to the Constitution and to the Bible can fix the economy by being even more irresponsible?  This is equal to expecting alien Al Gore to save the economy and the planet by doubling the price of all energy on earth. These people are alien to the American way but they are running or should I say destroying the United States. If you really want to know the full story on that this link will tell you about the real socialist agenda to destroy our system.

At the same time the alien teams and queens are bankrupting the nation they are insuring our destruction will happen by our polices that betray Israel. Hal Lindsey will tell you about that. Here is a quote from Lindsey’s article:

And Israel Today is reporting that the Obama administration is not just cool to Israel. It alleges that President Obama “is about to break America’s long ties of friendship with Israel, and maybe even take steps toward the dissolution of the Jewish state.”

If true, America is in even more serious trouble than even the most pessimistic assessment can reflect. If America betrays Israel, then America is rejecting the Word of Israel’s God.

The Bible warns, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) Fearful? That is an understatement of Biblical proportions.

I used to quote a wise saying: “History teaches us that man learns nothing from history.” That doesn’t really apply today. This generation doesn’t even know history – and the liberal media reports the news is counting on that.

Here is a follow-up interview with James Simpson on the Left agenda that is purposely running down America  in order to establish socialism and complete government control. This will give you a good idea why I have been saying that there will be states seceding from the Union as soon as 2013. They at first appease the middle-class and then they destroy it on purpose with new taxes and government giveaways. Marxism has reinvented its image but it does not change its spots.

Dr. David Reagan has been receiving attacks on the Internet for his article in Lamplighter that debunked the concept of a Muslim Antichrist. One of the misconceptions of Muslim Antichrist proponents is that Islam is looking for a Mahdi that all Muslims will unite behind. They believe this Mahdi will be the Antichrist and will lead Muslims to fight against Israel and the “Christian” West. Never mind that there really is no Christian West there is only a pseudo Christian West. There are more true Christians in Communist China than there are in today’s humanistic Europe.

I frankly do not know why Christians believe Muslim eschatology as if the lies of Islam can give Christians prophetic truth?  Perhaps they do so for two reasons.

One reason is because one of the main proponents of this Muslim Antichrist theory recently converted from Islam and instead of properly learning Christian eschatology used his shoehorn to ram Shiite eschatology and Christian eschatology into the same shoe. Yet, only ten percent of Islam even believes the eschatology that this man claims all Muslims will follow.

The other reason is because they want to make biblical eschatology fit the main threat that they see in the world today because they think Jesus has to come within a decade. Sorry guys, but the Lord is coming on God’s time schedule not yours. They fall in the same trap so many others did in history, i.e. the Pope, Hitler. Today the observable threat is Islam so the Antichrist has to come from Islam.

Nevertheless, I keep telling everyone that the Antichrist will be lawless. That does not fit Islam at all because Islam is all about trying to keep the moral law. When the real Antichrist arrives people will believe that He is God and if there is any religion in the world other than the worship of him it will be more like new age and alien concepts.

These Muslim Antichrist proponents have a strawman Antichrist. When the real Antichrist figure comes people will want to follow him like he was their God. The world does not throw a party when the Antichrist arrives on the scene and kills the two witnesses because he is now imposing Islamic law on them. They are rejoicing because He just killed the two prophets of God and set them free from moral law. Are these Muslim Antichrist proponents serious telling me that the whole world will follow some Islamic Mahdi with Islamic moral laws all the way to Armageddon? Give me a break! The concept is beyond ridiculous.

Dr. Reagan in this article points out why the Muslim Antichrist proponents have it all wrong about the teaching of Islam. Ninety percent of Muslims are not looking for a Mahdi and if one came they would not receive him. To think that all Muslims would accept the Mahdi is on par with expecting true Christians to believe that Jesus will gather all Mormons to New Jerusalem in Missouri before the judgment.

Further Thoughts About a Muslim Antichrist

By Dr. David R. Reagan

The January-February 2009 issue of our magazine, the Lamplighter, was devoted to the issue of whether or not the Antichrist could be a Muslim. I argued that there is no possibility.

Several readers questioned one of the points I made in the article, and I would like to respond to the question they raised. In the article I pointed out that those who believe the Antichrist will be a Muslim argue that he will be received by the Muslim world as their long-awaited Mahdi, or Messiah. I took the position that this is misleading to believe “that all the Islamic world is living in breathless anticipation of the appearance of the Mahdi, when the reality is that 90% of all Muslims – the Sunnis – are not looking for a Mahdi. In fact the concept of a Mahdi is not even found in orthodox versions of the Hadith like Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.” I further observed that “the Sunni Muslims are looking instead for the appearance of the Antichrist, whom they call the Dajjal. If a person were suddenly to appear on the world scene claiming to be the Mahdi, he would be automatically rejected by the vast majority of Muslims.”

Those who questioned my position on this matter all pointed to two pieces of evidence which they said prove that Sunni Muslims do believe in the concept of a Mahdi. One was a fatwa issued by the Muslim World League, a Sunni organization, in 1976 which proclaimed that belief in a Mahdi is “obligatory.” The other was a long article on the Internet entitled “The Twelfth Imam.” In that article the author points out that there have been Sunni theologians throughout history who have believed in a Mahdi.

On the surface, both of these items seem to prove that the concept of a Mahdi is central to Sunni eschatology. But I would argue that both give support to my position.

Let me explain.

The excerpts of the article I quoted are from an article on “The Coming One World Religion, by Jim Simmons. I think in his article he has done an excellent job of communicating the Hallmarks of the false religious system called the Great Harlot in Revelation.

He like Roger Oakland and myself and some others believe that Mary apparitions will be a major unifier of the world religions. We know the apparitions and the messages will not be from Mary because the messages contradict what God says in the Bible. I believe the apparition is the same Queen of Heaven demonic being that God condemned in the Old Testament. The message coming from this being is a works theology and is a message of religious pluralism and Universalism.

Think about it… Catholicism in practice today already makes Mary the intermediary between God and man in place of Jesus. Most Muslims also hold Mary in higher esteem than they do Jesus. Also Eastern religions, New Agers and native religion pagans would not have a problem with a Queen of Heaven spirit leading man into a new spiritual paradigm. Even many liberal Protestants have bought into the mother God concept or Gaia the mother spirit of the earth.

So there is a real likelihood that at a time when the world is in turmoil and in world war and everything looks hopeless. An apparition disguised as Mary appears with signs and wonders and a message claiming that people of all religions must unite on love, peace, universalism, tolerance and good works or else there is no hope for the survival of the human race.

Most Catholics will buy into it immediately especially if it occurs during a major world war between the West and Islam. I think most in Islam will buy into it as well for peace, as will all the other major religions of the world. All religious doctrine would then be rewritten to remove anything that offends others so that all religion worship the same Universal God of love, peace and tolerance. They will condemn many religious teachings and all documents that support these teachings will be destroyed.

This world religion would be headed by the Vatican of course. Other world religions will either be incorporated into this great Harlot out of Rome or be an associate member. The Vatican already has an advisory role in the UN and has embassies in most nations as if it was a religious state. When world leaders feel that a universal religion becomes the only hope left for world peace all these pieces will rapidly come together.

This one world religious system will be the Harlot who rides the Beast/Antichrist into power. This is spoken of in Revelation Chapter 17. But when the Antichrist takes power at the mid tribulation point he will turn against the Harlot and destroy the Harlot and this all-paths religion. He will claim that he alone is God. He will then demand worship from everyone on earth. All those who resist will be killed.

Jan Markell also has similar thoughts about the New Age and Mary in this new article.

The Coming One World Religion, by Jim Simmons ~ Bible Prophecy Today

The Last Generation briefly covered all three pillars of a united world system that will need to be in place by or immediately following the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. The three pillars are:

* One World Government
* One World Economy
* One World Religion

The pillar of the One World Government was given the most attention in the first article.

The focus of this article is to expand on the pillar of the coming One World Religion.

Today, in this generation, we have seen the foundation being laid for a one-world religion. This world religion is symbolized in Scripture by “… the great harlot who sits on many waters” (Revelation 17:1) and by the “… woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names …” (Revelation 17:3).

There needs to be a common denominator between Muslims and the one-world religion. This common denominator may very well be Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Koran exalts Mary, not Jesus. The Roman Catholics also exalts Mary. This along with the numerous alleged apparitions of Mary witnessed by both Muslims and Catholics creates a link between the two religions. These two religions together take in a sizeable portion of the human race.

The Marian apparitions, including the ones in Egypt and Africa, have an underlying message. According to Mary, this message is, “All religions are the same. We are the ones causing division.” This message is easily identified under the third hallmark of a false religion, namely, “Provides a Broad Road to Salvation.” Mary’s message is proven invalid because it contradicts Scripture. The only way to God is through Jesus (John 14:6). Since it is clearly demonstrated to be a false message, we can conclude that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was not the one delivering the message. Mary would never contradict her Son.

According to a British-Catholic magazine, “A Marian revival is spreading throughout Africa with alleged apparitions of Mary, finding a following among the Muslims.” Although African Muslims are supposedly seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary, they “are not required to become Christians to follow her.”

Most of the spectators who witnessed the Marian apparitions in Zeitoun, Egypt, were Muslim. This apparition of Mary appeared for several nights each week for years and was viewed by millions of Muslims.

Mary appears to be the missing link that helps answer the previous question about how the Muslims could ever integrate into a one-world religion.

Full Article

Here is part II of The coming world religion, by Jim Simmons. This is really astute teaching. It traces Mystery Babylon from Babylon to the Catholic Church and it shows how Mary worship is tied into ancient pagan worship. It also suggests from the non biblical St Malachi prophecy that the next Pope will be the last Pope and that he will reign during the tribulation. That is my understanding of this prophecy as well. Simmons also suggests that the next Pope will be the False Prophet. I think that is a very high probability.

I  learned about these things years ago but Simmons does a wonderful job of putting it all together. I think his book would be well worth reading.

Food for thought – The present Pope is now 81. How much longer will he be around? If it turns out that the next Pope will become the False Prophet at some point also consider that the true Church will be removed in the Rapture at least 3 1/2 years prior to when the False Prophet appears. Time is certainly short.

Dr. David Reagan is presenting a series on the truth about Islam.  This series should do away with the misconceptions and false statements about Islam coming from our political leaders and even many who call themselves Christians. The God of Islam is not the God  of Christianity nor is Allah the God of the Bible. You will find out why in these articles.

The truth about Islam history

The truth about Islam culture

The truth about Islam spiritual

The truth about Islam intolerance

The truth about Islam Jihad

The truth about Islam answers

For example did you know:

The Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran was the modern day Islamic spokesman who revived Muhammad’s vision of world conquest. He taught that the re-establishment of Israel was a Satanic miracle allowed by Allah because of the lukewarmness of the Muslim masses. He called for a renewal of true Islam to accomplish three purposes:⁶

1. To overthrow the “secular” rulers of Islamic countries (like Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt), just as he had done in Iran.
2. To take back the land of Palestine for Allah, exterminating Israel in the process.
3. To conquer the rest of the world for Allah.

the holy book of Islam is riddled with contradictions. Consider, for example, what it says about creation. In one place it asserts that Allah created everything in “the twinkling of an eye” (Sura 54:49-50). Elsewhere it says that the time period of the creation was two days (Sura 41:9, 12); four days (Sura 41:10); six days (Suras 7:54, 10:4, and 32:4); in “a day equaling 1,000 years” (Sura 32:5); and also in “50,000 years” (Sura 70:4). That’s a total of six different time periods!

Muhammad is quoted in the Hadith as saying, “The sword is the key of heaven and hell. A drop of blood in the cause of Allah — a night spent in arms [war] — is of more avail than two months of fasting and prayer. Whosoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven, and at the day of judgment, his limbs shall be supplied by the wings of angels and cherubim.”¹

After the death of his wife, Muhammad married at least 11 other women (some sources place the total as high as 16). He also took several concubines. He married one girl who was only six years old and had sexual relations with her when she was 9.² According to the Koran, only the prophet could have unlimited wives. All other Muslim men are limited to four (Sura 4:3).

In Islam there is no “secular realm” that is free of religion. Islam regulates every aspect of life to the point that religion, politics, and culture are inseparable. Islam is thus fueled by a subtle form of racism in which 7th Century Arab culture is to be imposed upon all other cultures.