Author: preparebridgewell

“He will make a strong covenant with many leaders for one week [of years].  For half of the week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the grain offering.  On the wing of detestable things the desolator will come and continue until the already decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator,” (Daniel 9:27, CJB).

How are we to recognize the treaty which ushers in the final seven years of this age?  There are a few key points to note from scripture.

1.)  The treaty will be noteworthy.  It is a “strong” covenant.  What gives it its strength?  It is made with “many” nations.  This will not be some behind-the-scenes deal with a few elite.  God will publicize this treaty before all mankind, a SIGN displayed for His people.

2.)  The treaty will have some kind of a 7-year term associated with it.

3.)  There will be a Jewish temple built as a result of the treaty.  Sacrifices & offerings will be carried out there…for a short time.

4.)  At the halfway point of the 7-year period,“he” will put a stop to the sacrifices & offerings going on at the temple. 

4.)  The stopping of temple sacrifices & offerings is done by the “desolator.”   This is the “abomination of desolation” referenced by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. 

5.)  There is a “decreed destruction” [by God] already in place for this desolator of God’s temple.     

Yesterday, October 13, 2025, the world witnessed the rare phenomenon of Arab & Jewish leaders signing a peace treaty which included a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of 20 living Israeli hostages.  Other terms of this treaty are to include the immediate rebuilding of Gaza by a coalition of Arab nations, a reform of the Palestinian Authority to eventually rule over Gaza, with future statehood for the Palestinians.  The immediate oversight of the security, peace, and governance of Gaza is to be handled by an independent “Board of Peace”— a group of European & Arab leaders, under the headship of Donald J. Trump.  Iron & clay under a leader. 

The spectacle of the Gaza peace signing was very dramatic and signed by many nations.  However, it did not fulfill all the ingredients of the Daniel 9:27 treaty.  That being said, the Gaza peace deal could be the onramp to a far greater treaty— the Abraham Accords.

This treaty— originally signed by four nations in 2020—, will be greatly “strengthened” when “many” nations are expected to sign onto it in the near future!  The real prize is not the Gaza deal.  Gaza was an onramp.  The real plumb is the Abraham Accords.  And it is in the Abraham Accords that language supportive of a sharing of the Temple Mount is found.  A shared arrangement of the Temple Mount would be the official permission allowing for the building of a Jewish temple.  

The original Abraham Accords addressed the tricky question of the status of Jerusalem.  Rather than sabotage the entire agreement, the 2020 Accords suggested a 7-year period to consider the final disposition of Jerusalem.  And it also outlined the creation of a Palestinian state which would include the “West Bank” (Judea-Samaria), as well as Gaza.

If all these things hold true, the future Abraham Accords will be the treaty to watch.  One of the president’s advisers said today that the momentum of the Gaza success will be quickly harnessed to move forward on the Accords.

The entire prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 is predicated upon three things being in place.  In the opening verse of this prophecy, we are told that the prophecy is “determined upon thy people and thy holy city.”  That is, this prophecy can only move forward when the Jews are back in their land as a “people” with their “holy city.”  Since 1948, the Jews have been back in their land as a nation of people.  Since 1967, the Jews have been in possession of the entirety of Jerusalem— both its eastern & western halves.  But the temple which qualifies it as the “holy city,” has not yet appeared.  The building of the temple is tied to the treaty of Daniel 9:27.  The treaty will give it the official go-ahead.  When you see both the treaty & the temple going up, then we will have stepped over into the final 7 years of this age.  

Prophecy is given to us by God.  If it is time for the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27, then it will go forward just as written in Scripture.  If it is not time, it won’t. We can rest in the fact that no matter what, the future is in His hands.  Halleluia!

“In the time of the end, all the nations of earth will be bitten by the virus of anti-Semitism.” – Charles L. Feinberg

In the end times, all the nations of this world will develop an irrational hatred for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  That’s what makes the end times so horrendous, especially for Israel.  This hatred will also be extended to Bible-believing Christians, who will stand with Israel and endeavor to help the Jews wherever possible.  “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’,” (Matthew 25:40).  It will be quite reminiscent of the time of the Holocaust when courageous God-fearers like Oskar Schindler and the Corrie ten Boom family did whatever they could to help hide or aid the Jews who were being hunted by the beast, Adolph Hitler. 

We are setting up for that period now.  In colleges & universities across our country, Jews are already being persecuted, accused of ‘apartheid’ against the Palestinians.  And there are some in our own Congress (like the “squad”) who excuse, even justify the atrocities of Hamas and Hezbollah.  After the recent Gaza attacks, there were demonstrations & celebrations by Muslims & non-Muslims in many large cities across the world, including the U.S.  

The enemy is already here.

If you think that your U.S. citizenship or replacement theology will save you, think again.  Our borders have been wide open for several years now. The huge influx of migrants into our country are documented as including Muslim extremists from the Middle East.  The book of Revelation reveals that at some point, there will be the destruction of a city the Bible calls “Babylon the Great.”  This cosmopolitan city will be the world center for luxury and wealth, as well as the city that “reigns over the kings of the earth,” (Revelation 17:18).  She will be destroyed by the 10 kings who rule under the sway of the beast. 

So, where does the horrendous Gaza attack fit in to a Biblical end-time scenario?  For starters, it puts on hold any progress on the Abraham Accords treaty or the building of the third Jewish temple until the current threat of terrorism is dealt with.  Both a treaty involving Israel & many nations (Daniel 9:27) and a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (also Daniel 9:27 & Matthew 24:15) must be in place in order for end times to launch!  (By “end times” I am specifically referring to the final 7 years of this age— Daniel’s 70th “week”.)  So as horrible as this attack is, there is still more that has to happen before the end times starts.  Yet, events will move very rapidly as that time approaches.  An uprooting of the current leadership of Iran, Iraq, and Syria would serve to remove the extremist threat temporarily— at least long enough to launch the treaty and the temple.

Biblical prophecy often has foreshadows of the main event.  The beheadings, rape, violence on a Satanic scale that we are seeing from Gaza (40 babies slaughtered in one village alone!) is a preview of how bad it will be during the end times.  Concerning Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah writes:

“Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.

“For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished.

“Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city,” (Zechariah 14:1-2).

In the end times, God will allow the enemy to think he has finally won and able to finish off what Hitler’s first go-around didn’t— the total decimation of the Jewish nation.  But in truth, it is a Divine trap.  Zechariah continues,

“Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.  And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.  And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, 

“making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.

“Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.  Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

“Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You……..

“AND THIS SHALL BE THE PLAGUE WITH WHICH THE LORD WILL STRIKE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM:  their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths,” (Zechariah 14:3-5,12).

Throughout the OT & NT, God has used nations to chasten His own people for their unfaithfulness.  But in turn, He brings His implacable wrath down on those who are out for the destruction of His people.  Never forget that!  God hasn’t.  He brings wrath down upon those responsible for the Holocaust.  He brings His wrath down upon those responsible for Gaza.  And He will bring His wrath down upon those responsible for the great tribulation of His people, both Jew & Christian!

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  May they prosper who love you,” (Psalm 122:6).

Pray for the Jews.  Their blindness concerning Jesus is a partial one, not a permanent state.  But God in His wisdom allowed the blindness to come upon Israel to give time for the gospel to go out to the ends of the earth.  And then the end will come.  How will we know when that end is near?  When you see the blindness being removed from the Jews concerning Jesus.  

In 1967, there were approximately 200 Jewish believers in the entire nation of Israel.  Today the numbers are in the thousands to tens of thousands.  What does that tell you?  What does that mean for us when enough Jews believe in Jesus?  when the 144,000 firstfruits from Israel—12,000 from each of the 12 tribes—get saved?  “Life from the dead,” (Romans 11:15).  

The entire Bible end time scenario centers around Israel, her land, her capital of Jerusalem, and her temple.  Without this foundational understanding, accurate prophetic interpretation is impossible.  From the destruction of Jerusalem & its temple in 70 A.D. until the 20th century, there was zero possibility of end times being launched.  No Israel, no end times.  However, Bible prophecy began to wake up in the 1900’s, and the initial stage to the end times was launched!

THE INITIAL STAGE TO END TIMES:

With the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the Jewish people were given back their land.

In 1948, the formal rebirth of the nation of Israel took place on May 14, 1948.

In 1967, the eastern section of Jerusalem was regained as Israeli territory during the Six Days’ War.  East Jerusalem is the site of the Temple Mount.

THE SECOND STAGE TO END TIMES (our present time):

When a king, a pope, or a president visits an area, preparations are put into place before his arrival. Likewise, there are very specific world conditions that will already be in place for the coming Antichrist.  These conditions will not magically appear or jump into place at the beginning of the final 7 years.  They will already be in operation. 

1. Renewed interest among the nations of the world in the Abraham Accords: 

This Middle East treaty has a life of its own.  It didn’t go away after Trump’s 2020 defeat.   More and more nations are voicing an interest in jumping on board with its terms, particularly its vision of peace & security among nations, religious cooperation, and great financial ventures.  This treaty may be the one cited in Daniel 9:27, which will be confirmed among “many” nations at a future date.  

2.  Completion of preparations for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple:       

Both Jesus & Daniel cite a temple that exists in the end times.  It is called by some the “tribulation temple” because it will be the temple in which the Antichrist proclaims himself, “God.”  So, how close is Israel to building this temple?  Very close.  

Israel has all her priests selected, trained, and actively practicing animal sacrifices.  She has all the furniture, vestments, utensils, instruments, and altars built.  The cornerstone for the temple was fashioned a long time ago.  The blue prints are ready…and there is room for the temple on the far northern end of the Temple Mount plaza, next to the Dome of the Rock!  This open plaza area has its own outcropping of Mt. Moriah bedrock, and is in direct line to the Eastern or Golden gate!   

One of two missing pieces to the temple becoming a reality is the required ashes of a pure red heifer, necessary for the cleansing of the high priest before he can institute temple sacrifices.  Up to this point, no red heifer has ever qualified.  However in 2022— thanks to some Texas ranchers— five red heifers (upon preliminary examination) were flown to Israel and now await their final examination (in 2024-25).  In addition, an area of land on the Mount of Olives has just been purchased as the site for the upcoming red heifer sacrifice.  

The second missing piece to the temple becoming reality is the official permission necessary to launch its build.  A history of strong Muslim opposition to a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount is losing weight with the current conservative party in power in Israel. 

In addition, there is language in the Abraham Accords that supports the right of all faiths to practice on the Temple Mount as their faith deems fit!  For the Jews, that would mean a temple.

3.  Technological Advances: 

The Bible is clear that there will be a centralized ability to control all the buying & selling in the world during the end times.  This is becoming reality as the nations of the world quietly trade cash transactions for digital currency.  They are also reducing the number of banks in operation, leading toward a more centralized control of this digital currency.  

The Bible speaks about a “mark” on the right hand or forehead of adherents to the end time Antichrist economic system.  This would be a computer chip that many people & nations have already opted to insert in their hands as an alternative to carrying a bank card.  There is also biometric identification or retinal scans, which is where the forehead comes into play.     

Very recently, AI robots have come into public awareness.  These robots— using superhuman intelligence and human appearance— are easy candidates for the fulfillment of the “image of the beast” of which the Bible speaks.

4.  The Degeneration of Mankind: 

In the Bible, gross sin has always been a lightning rod for divine intervention.  It happened in the days of Noah and Lot; it is ripe to happen soon.  Mankind has been shaking its fist in the face of Almighty God far too long with its debauchery and pride.  And much of the church has become like Laodicea, weak & worldly.  Jesus’ question as to whether He would “find faith on the earth”  at His return is a legitimate one.

5.  The Geopolitical State of the World:

Nations are rising up against other nations.  Nuclear weapons are being multiplied.  Where will war break out first?  China?  Russia?  the Middle East?  The nations are in turmoil and seeking a way out.  The Abraham Accords offers a solution…with the right leader!

6.  The rise of apostasy:

Much of the world will be blindsided by the return of Jesus: “When they say ‘Peace & safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them,” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).  The job of the church is to warn people of approaching judgment, in order to bring them to repentance and salvation.  Yet, the church herself is in confusion about prophecy.  Why is that, since we have been given the word of God?

There are 5 main trends in Christianity which will leave her unprepared for the end times:

• the pretrib doctrine – a belief that the church will be removed before the end times begins, thus reducing end time prophecy to secondary importance.
• dominionism – a popular evangelical belief of the signs & wonders crowd that the church will take over the world’s systems, and then lay it all at the feet of Jesus at His return.  
• carnality – loving this present world more than the one that is coming.
• deliberate ignorance – satisfied to show up for a frothy sermonette on Sunday, and that is all. 
• a different gospel – a church more interested in talking John Lennon’s gospel of “luv, luv, luv” than the full counsel of the word of God. 

It is time we realize that a force— a spirit— has been loosed in our world and is rapidly working to set up the conditions which will be found in end times.  If we are seeing the stage now being set, can the main player (Antichrist) be far behind?  

We find ourselves in the final stages of preparation, immediately prior to the appearing of Antichrist.  All the tools & technologies for his use have been created.  The geopolitical conditions in our unstable world are ripe for him.  And Israel is setting up unknowingly to receive him.

It is time to stop living for this present world, and be eagerly living for Jesus and His kingdom to come.  The man who will become Antichrist may already be among us.  When the final conditions are placed, there will be no delay.

THE THIRD STAGE:  THE RISE OF ANTICHRIST AND THE ONSET OF END TIMES

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come,” (Matthew 24:14).

As the end of the age starts to unfold, the true Bride will be busy proclaiming the soon return of her King and the good news of His coming kingdom upon earth!  God will not spring the Lord’s return upon mankind without warning.  His witness will go throughout the earth!

In the Song of Solomon, two Brides are presented in dream-like sequences.  The first bride is so eager for the return of her Groom that she braves the danger of a city at nighttime, to wander the streets seeking “the one I love,”  (Song of Songs 3:2).  She finally finds him, “Scarcely had I passed by them, when I found the one I love.  I held him and would not let him go,”  (Song of Songs 3:4).  Her overwhelming joy was at the reunion with her love!  The passage goes on to culminate in a magnificent wedding!

In another sequence we find a second bride, also seemingly in love with her groom.  Yet when He returns to get her, she finds His coming an inconvenience:  “I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again?  I have washed my feet; How can I defile them?” (Song of Songs 5:3).  She is not prepared for the arrival of her groom.  And worse, His coming seems to have interrupted her comfortable state of sleep!  When she does arise to open the door to him, she finds her groom is gone.  Frantic now, she goes about the city streets searching for her love.  But, she is caught & beaten by the city’s guards.  It is too late for her.  

We have turned the bend in history where this present corrupt age is fast approaching its end.   The true bride of Christ is eagerly looking for the return of her husband, while the carnal bride remains comfortable in this present world.

In the New Testament, Jesus warned that half the church will not be able to see through the spiritual darkness at the end of the age.  As foolish virgins, they will have neglected the Holy Spirit (the oil) in their study of the Word of God (the lamp), and listened to false assurances of “peace & safety” instead.  As a result, they will be spiritually unable to see through the deceptiveness of Satan until it is too late!  

When a sudden turn in world events heralds the return of the Bridegroom, the foolish will turn in panic to those who have practiced spiritual preparedness.  But the foolish virgins will be told to return & buy enlightenment (oil) from the same religious hawkers who had been promising them good times.  And so, while the foolish go out, the Bridegroom comes for the wise virgins and the door is shut tight. The foolish are left behind to face a world in its death throes.  There will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Are we sitting under anointed teaching today that will prepare us for what is coming?

John the Baptist, son of Zachariah and heir to a Levitical priesthood, had to leave Jerusalem with all its religious traditions to go out to the desert.  There he was free to proclaim what God had called him to proclaim.  In essence, his message was “Get yourselves ready.  Repent of your sins.  The King is on his way.”   

In John’s day, many ordinary people had paid attention to the prophecy given to Zacharias, John’s father, by the angel at the Temple.  It was said that John would go before the Messiah “in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord,” (Luke 1:17).  So when John started preaching, the people came.  

There was also recorded in Jewish scripture a 500 year-old prophecy from the prophet, Daniel (Daniel 9:24-26) which counted out the years until Messiah’s appearing. The time was now at hand. Messianic expectation among the common people in 1st century Judaism was running high. 

So the spiritually hungry left and went out to the desert to hear a weird prophet proclaim what they knew in their hearts to be true.  It was not a new revelation, but simply that which had already been recorded in scripture over 700 years earlier by Isaiah the prophet, “Prepare the way of the Lord.  Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” 

Many who listened to John’s message repented of their sins, among them some future apostles.  Those who acted upon John’s message were ready & prepared for the Messiah when He came.

Yet, the religious establishment chose to dismiss the warnings of John.

Today, the old order of things seems to be falling apart as the signs of Christ’s return grow stronger.  What are we to do?

The answer is a return to John’s message.  “The voice of one crying in the wilderness.  “Prepare the way of the Lord.  Make straight in the desert a highway for our God,” (Isaiah 40:3).  Seek out those who are teaching preparedness for the King’s return.  And if you can’t find them in Jerusalem, look to the desert…or a home group.

As an engaged bride of Christ, are we longing for His return? Or is talk of His return an unwanted interruption to our comfortable lives?  As wise virgins, are we sufficiently anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit to keep the Word blazing until His return?  Or are we simply engaging in dead religious exercise?  

Two thousand years ago In the Judean desert, John the Baptist cried out to prepare the way for the Lord. Maybe it’s time for a road trip.

Biblical Christianity has its roots in Judaism.  In the Old Testament, Gentile women like Rahab, a Canaanite woman in Jericho, and Ruth, a Moabitess, were grafted into Judaism by virtue of their faith placed in the God of the Hebrews.  Both women would go on to marry Jewish men, earning them a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ!

Like Rahab and Ruth, Gentile believers are grafted into that same tree by virtue of faith placed in the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ.  At the same time, Jewish unbelievers have been rejected.  The book of Romans records this phenomenom:“You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in,” (Romans 11:19).  

So, is God done with Israel?  What does the Bible teach?

“I say then, has God cast away His people?  Certainly not!  For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.  God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.” (Romans 11:1-2a).

In the book of Romans, Paul reminds us that Elijah himself once felt that he was the only person left in Israel who had kept faith in God.  But, God assured Elijah that He had preserved a larger remnant for Himself:  “seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal,” (Romans 11:4).  In a similar fashion, God has always preserved a remnant of Jews who believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.  “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace,” (Romans 11:5).

Will national Israel remain permanently blinded to the gospel?  Paul answered that question:  “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall?  Certainly not!  But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.” (v. 11).  Israel’s blindness is not permanent.  God intends to restore Israel to faith in her Messiah. 

Up until now, Israel’s blindness has allowed time for the priceless gospel to go out to the rest of the world.  Israel’s blindness has led to “riches for the world…their failure riches for the Gentiles…” 

What would it benefit us IF Israel as a nation accepted Christ?  The apostle Paul posed that question, “For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be…” (Romans 11:15).

The startling answer Paul gives is,“LIFE FROM THE DEAD!” (v. 15).

Israel’s acceptance of Christ will bring about the resurrection from the dead!  Does Scripture bear this out?

In the book of Revelation chapter 7, we see that the imminent wrath of God upon an unbelieving world cannot unfold until after the sealing of 144,000 Jews has first taken place.  This number is specifically counted as 12,000 Jews from each of the 12 tribes:  Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.  These 144,000 Jews constitute the “firstfruits to God and to the Lamb,” (Rev. 14:4).  Firstfruits is the initial harvesting of a much larger amount to follow.  

What does Revelation 7 show happening immediately following the sealing of the 144,000, the firstfruits of national Israel?  

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  (Revelation 7:9-10). 

Once the firsfruits of Israel is in place, there follows the appearance in heaven of an innumerable company of saints from every people on earth!  Where have these saints come from?  “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” (Revelation 7:14).  The resurrection of the dead & rapture of living believers takes place following the salvation (sealing) of Israel’s firstfruits.  As Paul had taught, “what will their [Israel’s] acceptance be but life from the dead.”  

So, where do we stand on the evangelization of the Jews today?  In 1967, you would have been hard pressed to find 200 believers in the entire nation of Israel.  Today, they number in the thousands to tens of thousands.  So many Messianic congregations are springing up in Israel, that the numbers keep changing.  Jewish evangelization groups like One for Israel are blanketing the airways & social media with testimonials of Jews coming to Christ, along with expository Biblical teachings on Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.  The blindness upon Israel is being removed!

But as this blindness dissolves, Satan the adversary is getting more & more nervous.  Satan not only knows Bible prophecy, he trembles at it.  Satan recognizes that his time is growing short.  Hence the chaos in the world today, including a rise in anti-Semitism.  As nations teeter on the brink of war, as prices on food & fuel are skyrocketing, fear is gripping the world.  The world is desperate for a savior.  And Israel is wanting her Messiah!

Enter the deceiver, a world leader the Bible calls Antichrist who will seduce many into believing that he is the savior, the seeming answer for the world’s problems.  So much hope & faith will be placed in this man’s ability to solve the issues, that at his coming, the mantra will be “Peace and safety!”  Yet, it will quickly turn into the greatest tribulation that Israel and this world have ever experienced!  

Antichrist, aided by his False Prophet, will take deception to new heights.  Appearing initially as a friend of Israel, Antichrist will help make the building of the Third Temple in Jerusalem a reality.  This has long been an issue of utmost importance to orthodox Judaism.  The building of the temple will likely be negotiated in the treaty that is mentioned in Daniel 9:27.  Yet, it will be this very temple that Antichrist desolates when he declares himself, God.

How close are we to seeing the temple built?  The government of Israel has  very recently invested tens of millions of dollars to build a high-speed rail system to transport Jewish pilgrims from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv to the base of the Temple Mount itself.  The Israeli government is heavily investing in the likelihood that thousands of Jewish pilgrims will soon be descending upon Israel to sacrifice at the future temple!  The rail cars have been designed with holding areas for animals that will be brought for temple sacrifice.  The completion date for this rail system is 2023.    

In addition, a pure red heifer whose ashes are necessary for the purification of the people prior to the temple’s start up, could be found among 5 good candidates just flown into Israel from the state of Texas.

The Abraham Accords are alive and well, as more nations are signing onto its commitment of bringing peace to the Middle East.  The Abraham Accords may be the basis for the treaty mentioned in Daniel 9:27.

Yet despite Biblically prophesied events taking shape in our world today, how many Christian churches are actively preparing their people for the end of the age?  Very few. Many seminarians have been taught that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s affections, not realizing that “concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers,” (Romans 11:28).  Many churches do not perceive the relevance of Israel nor the significance of recent events to the end of this age!  The prophesied reality of Jesus’ returning to rule the world from a Jewish throne in Jerusalem, has been lost.  A popular Kingdom Now theology is gaining ground in Christendom, leaving many Christians blinded to the reality of what is taking place right under their very noses.

Mankind now looks to himself to save his world.  Humanism rules.  Even where end times is still taught, it is being pushed aside in the hope of a coming great revival.  And it is being downplayed by the teaching of a pre-tribulation rescue that gives false reassurance to the church that she will not enter end times.

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour,” (1 John 2:18).

In the original Greek, the word “antichrist” carries with it two meanings: “opposed to” and “in place of”. The antichrist spirit has been in opposition to or “anti-Christ” since the time of Jesus. But its power has been kept in check or restrained by the Holy Spirit, operating through the church. As Paul explained:

“For the mystery of lawlessness [the antichrist spirit] is already at work; only He [the Holy Spirit] who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming,” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

In his writings, the apostle John revealed that the antichrist spirit arises in connection with Christendom, to draw many in this world away from the truth of the gospel:

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us,” (1 John 2:19).

In the last days, many will depart from the truth of God’s word. The word “apostasy” refers to a departure or “falling away” from established religious truth. It allows for the antichrist spirit to come forth unchecked in the man of lawlessness. Paul speaks about this apostasy which must precede the revealing of Antichrist.

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes FIRST, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

In the Bible, only two men bear the title, “son of perdition”: Judas Iscariot, a man who started as one of the closest disciples of Christ, yet went on to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And Antichrist. Both Judas and Antichrist begin in close connection with the church.

In the end times, when a large enough portion of professing Christendom fails to uphold the truth of scripture— especially concerning Christ— the Antichrist will be able to emerge into power. When widespread apostasy in the church occurs, the spiritual barrier used by the Holy Spirit to restrain evil, breaks down. “And the man of sin is revealed.”

So, what is the condition of the church today? Have we entered into apostasy?

In Catholicism, the pope is allowing Islamic readings denying the Sonship of Jesus Christ into Catholic services. John the apostle taught that anyone denying Jesus, also denies God the Father: “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either,” (1 John 2:23). If one rejects the Son, he is also rejecting God the Father. The pope is also openly promoting a unity of all world religions, pagan with Christian faith. But, God and Baal are incompatible.

In Protestant faiths such as the Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians, the gospel of faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ is being replaced by a “woke” gospel of social activism. Major church splits are taking place within these denominations as basic truths such as the virgin birth of Christ and even His divinity are being called into question. Homosexuality is being embraced as the LGBTQ gains a greater voice in church government. And more and more groups are calling for “unity” with Rome and other pagan faiths as a great expression of “God’s inclusive love for all.”

Apostasy is also working its way into groups like the evangelicals, pentecostals, and charismatics. A false gospel of grace without surrender to Christ has left many vulnerable to the lure of this world, resulting in immorality and divorce. Without the guardrail of sound teaching, some worship groups have degenerated to include Islamic mystical practices as dance worship. And weird, even Satanic portrayals of Christian holy feasts, are now being presented by Hillsong, which once upon a time offered glorious worship to the Living God.

Recently, the N.A.R. (New Apostolic Reformation) has come roaring back and taken the popular and influential helm of the church in America. With its emphasis on self-appointed apostles and prophets, a tidal wave of prophecies, its active political posturings, and a promise of “great things ahead” for the church, the N.A.R. paints a much different picture of Christianity in end times than the Biblical picture of 1 Peter 4:12-19, 2 Peter 2, 2 Peter 3, 1 Thessalonians 5, 2 Thessalonians 1, 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Timothy 3, James 5, and the entire book of Revelation.

The late Bible scholar, Derek Prince, in a teaching entitled “Take Heed That You Are Not Deceived,” names six types of people who would be likely candidates for the coming deception of Antichrist. These are:

1) Those who rely only on their own subjective impressions of things, without subjecting things to prayer and scripture. In other words, don’t accept something simply because you like it, or it makes you feel good!
2) Those who look only to human leaders. If a certain man says it, you believe it.
3) Those who accept supernatural signs as a guarantee of truth.
4) Those who through personal ambitions are susceptible to flattery. 5) Those who are unwilling to face the possibility of suffering or
persecution.
6) Those who are ignorant of Scripture.

Our world is currently in great distress. But before it explodes into the wars of Seal #2, the Bible teaches that a world leader will first arise. The conquering rider on the white horse of Seal #1 comes FIRST, promising “peace & safety” to a world on the edge. He comes as Antichrist, opposed to and in place of the genuine Messiah. Before that day arrives, make sure you are prepared to stand against his deception. Don’t be part of the great falling away!

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed, perished, being flooded by water.

“But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men,” (2 Peter 3:5-7).

The Bible describes two global judgments on our world: the watery flood of Noah’s day and the final fiery judgment of the heavens and the earth described in the book of Revelation.

1.) WHAT IS THE DAY OF THE LORD? The Day of the Lord is the upcoming judgment of God that will be a judgment of fire upon this world as opposed to the judgment of water that has already taken place in history.

The arrival of the Day of the Lord will be both recognized and announced by the people of earth. At the breaking of Seal 6, the lights of the sun, moon, and stars grow dark. This is followed by the visible coming of Christ on the clouds of heaven. His appearing throws the people of earth into a panic as they realize suddenly that Divine wrath has come. “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand,” (Revelation 6:16-17).

Following this is the breaking of Seal 7. There is a sudden hush in heaven lasting for half an hour. Zephaniah 1:7 gives the significance of this silence: “Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the Day of the Lord is at hand. For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.”

It is at the breaking of Seal 7 that God’s trumpet judgments begin. These seven successive fiery judgments are vividly summarized in the book of Joel:

“For fire has devoured the open pastures, and a flame has burned all the trees of the field,” (Joel 1:19).

With the blowing of the final trumpet judgment, “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,” (Revelation 11:15). The power of Antichrist is broken. He and his forces flee Judea, retreating northward to the final standoff in the valley of Har Megiddo (Armageddon). As they retreat, a quick series of 7 bowl judgments relentlessly pursue them. “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth,” (Revelation 16:1).

The Day of the Lord’s judgments are contained in both the trumpets & bowls of Revelation, and are administered by Jesus’ angels. The fiery nature of these judgments are particularly evident during the trumpet judgments. Events culminate at Armageddon, where Jesus easily dispatches Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet to their doom. Following this is the launching of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

2.) WHAT EVENTS MUST PRECEDE THE DAY OF THE LORD? There are certain things that MUST take place before God’s judgment can fall. The Bible plainly lists these: the apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3); the revealing of the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3); the coming of Elijah (Malachi 4:5); the cosmic signs of the sun, moon, & stars (Joel 2:31); and an unprecedented silence in heaven (Zephaniah 1:7). God’s wrath will not come until after the great tribulation of Antichrist has been launched!

3.) DUE TO THE PRECEDING EVENTS, BELIEVERS WILL RECOGNIZE THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD APPROACHES. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 Paul indicates that believers— although not knowing the exact day— will not be caught offguard by the Day of the Lord:

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

“But, you brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

4.) GOD’S ELECT ARE NOT APPOINTED TO UNDERGO THE COMING WRATH OF GOD! 1 Thessalonians 1:10 tells us that we are to “wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

5.) WHEN IS THE DAY OF OUR ESCAPE? Jesus told us. It will be like Noah and like Lot, both of whom escaped the wrath of God (the watery flood and the fiery brimstone of Sodom & Gomorrah) “on the day” that the judgments began. Both men and their families were only removed from danger immediately prior to God’s judgment falling. In a similar fashion, believers will be removed “on the day” Jesus returns on the clouds of heaven at Seal 6. Jesus Himself spoke of this removal:

“And He will send His angles with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” (Matthew 24:31).

“And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven,” (Mark 13:27).

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR,” (Luke 21:27-28).

It is this collection of the elect from heaven and earth that Paul also spoke about in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them IN THE CLOUDS to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Paul then finished by speaking of the Day of the Lord. But, he hastens to assure the beloved of the hope of rescue: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

6.) A WARNING NOT TO BE DECEIVED. The persecution & tribulation of the coming Antichrist is completely opposite to the Day of the Lord’s wrath. One is a sinful world at its zenith, with believers suffering at their hands. The other is the judgment of a wrathful Lord upon that same wicked world.

The Bible promises that we will suffer persecution & tribulation in this present world. But just as clearly, it tells us that we are not appointed unto the wrath of God. Like Noah & Lot, the day of our rescue is the day God’s wrath begins!

Due to the church’s paying more heed to a pretribulation rapture theory than Scripture, she is set up to be blindsided at the very least…and deceived at the very worst. Blindsiding will come when she suddenly finds herself within the final 7 years of this age, facing down the fury of Antichrist. And deception may come if she decides to go along with the world rather than endure persecution.

Beloved, prepare!