Learn Bible Prophecy

The Rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, Israel

2011-06-07T13:57:00.008-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Although it does not exist today, the Jewish Temple is undoubtedly an important part of end times Bible prophecy, and we can easily point to relatively recent events to see how it is shaping up to become a major event. Several significant places in prophetic scripture refer to the temple.

At this point in time, it would be nothing short of a miracle for the rebuilding of the temple to happen, given all the unrest and conflict concerning the Temple Mount right now between the Israelis and Palestinians. Yet, statistically, we have a much greater chance now than has ever been possible because in 1967 Israel took control of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War.

Of course, just as the Bible has been right in all its prophecies, we know this is going to happen because Scripture tells us it will. In essence, the rebuilding of the temple will set up the “abomination that causes desolation” described so clearly in Daniel 9:27, explicitly referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24:15, and later mentioned by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Therefore, it’s interesting that currently many Jews want to rebuild the temple, and even now are preparing to do so. According to the Temple Institute’s Statement of Principles,

The Temple Institute is dedicated to all aspects of the Divine commandment for Israel to build a house for G-d’s presence, the Holy Temple, on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. The range of the Institute's involvement with this concept includes education, research, activism, and actual preparation. Our goal is firstly, to restore Temple consciousness and reactivate these “forgotten” commandments. We hope that by doing our part, we can participate in the process that will lead to the Holy Temple becoming a reality once more.

The Rapture, however, may occur before or after the temple is finally built. Other verses that support the Rapture will be sudden and unexpected (imminent) include:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:44).

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matthew 25:13).

It is quite clear that the Bible explains the Rapture can occur at any moment. Therefore, as we go about our daily lives as described in Luke 17:26-36 (eating and drinking, marrying, working, building, etc.), we should follow the words of Jesus in Luke 21:36, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

For more information about that topic and many others, a good resource to help understand Bible prophecy is a book called, Pray That You May Escape.

Is the Talk of a Peace Treaty With Israel a Sign of the End Times?

2011-06-01T09:45:00.005-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Someone recently submitted this interesting question ...

The Bible clearly states that no man will know, not even Jesus, of His return. The Bible claims that a "peace treaty" will be signed by the antichrist and Israel. Lately we are seeing on CNN and other news stations of peace talks with Israel and Palestine. Is this another sign that we are near the rapture?

ANSWER: You are right to always keep an eye on Israel for signs of the times. Many prophetic Bible passages point to that. The confirmation of a peace treaty would indicate we are that much closer. Keep in mind the Antichrist "confirms" a covenant with the people of Israel (Daniel 9:27). Thus, it may be that a peace treaty first exists and later he confirms it, rather than that he "makes" a covenant. I mention that because a peace treaty could be signed either before or after the Rapture and all of the prophetic events we are witnessing bring us all the more closer to the "time of the end".

As witnessed in 1948, it is prophesied that Israel will again become a nation (Jeremiah 23:7-8). Also, as already happened in 1967, Jerusalem will be controlled by the Jewish people — which lays the groundwork for huge future prophetic events to happen. As we are witnessing today, the tiny nation of Israel will continue to be in the headlines. The land where Jerusalem exists will be of primary attention because that is where some day the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt. That must happen because scripture explains that one day the "abomination that causes desolation" will occur in the temple (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15).

You are also correct to understand that we are not to know the time of Christ's return. However, we can know the season. Jesus explained in Matthew 24:32-24 that concept:

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

One of the most exciting and resounding themes that support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory is the concept that it is imminent: thus, it could occur at any time because there are no prophetic events that must precede the Rapture. Thus, it could happen before you finish reading this sentence, complete this article, or it could happen the next time you are asleep. Understanding that it is imminent inspires people to share God's Word with a sense of urgency, and to be sure they are living right and that their relationship with the Lord is where it should be.

The concept of an imminent Rapture also provides substantial strength to God's Word. We read in Titus 2:11-14 that it is our blessed hope, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

We also read in 2 Peter 3:9-10 these assuring words, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."

Paul, the writer of 2 Thessalonians, explained they did not miss it, and then goes on to explain the Antichrist (a key figure in end times events) would not be revealed until first a great rebellion happens (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Paul continues to explain that, "the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:7) Many scholars believe that is referring to the Holy Spirit within the Church. Obviously that lends further support to a Pre-Trib Rapture.

Other verses that support the Rapture will be sudden and unexpected (imminent) include:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:44).

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matthew 25:13).

That really just touches the surface of the topic. A really good resource that helps described Bible prophecy is a book called, Pray That You May Escape.

The False Return of Christ

2011-05-16T09:01:00.030-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

I recently received this question and would like to share it along with the response.

QUESTION:

Revelation 1:7 says

Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.

I have seen some claim this a false prophecy for Christ's return. Is this true?

ANSWER:

One of the first rules of interpreting scripture is to read everything within context. Nowhere in the context of that verse does it indicate that what is being reported is about a false coming of Christ. In fact, in Revelation 1:19 John is instructed to “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” Clearly John has been instructed to write about facts and the verse does not talk about a false coming.

We can also point to Matthew 24:30 which is a parallel passage and reads as follows:

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Now, there are places in scripture where we are warned about false reports of Christ's return. In fact, Jesus said it many times in his Olivet Discourse (recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21). For example, Matthew 24:4-5 says, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many."

Later in Matthew 24:23-27 Jesus has these words of warning:

At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

In other words, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be very visible and if someone says Jesus has come again and it was not an event witnessed by everyone, then it should not be believed. Some people, in fact, claim that prophecy was fulfilled a long time ago (in A.D. 70), yet Jesus did not return as He explained in the verses noted above; thus, they are incorrect in saying A.D. 70 fulfilled prophecy. Also, one day the Antichrist will arise on the scene and along with the False Prophet many great miracles will be performed; however, that should not be mistaken for the true return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ because it will be a much more grand event seen by everyone.

Before I conclude, I want to mention this important point: the Second Coming of Jesus is not to be confused with the Rapture. The Rapture of the Church will be an event wherein true Christians are taken into the clouds to meet Jesus in the air (which precedes when Jesus returns in the Second Coming after the tribulation has taken place). The Rapture is most clearly described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 where we read:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

This brief illustration outlines the sequence of events in the end times:

We are currently living in what is known as the Church Age (which started after Christ's death and ascension into heaven). The Rapture is an imminent event that could happen today, tomorrow, or a few years from now (many experts, including me, believe that world events are strongly indicating we are currently living in the last days). The Tribulation is often interpreted to last for seven years and it will be immediately followed by the true Second Coming of Christ.

As I conclude this article, I would like to remind everyone that we're told throughout scripture that the Rapture will take many people by surprise. Therefore, as we go about our daily lives as described in Luke 17:26-36 (eating and drinking, marrying, working, building, etc.), we should follow the words of Jesus in Luke 21:36, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Related Links

Pray That You May Escape

Olivet Discourse: Rapture Reference

Reasons for a Pre-Trib Rapture

###

The Importance of President Obama's Birth Certificate

2011-04-27T10:47:00.079-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

There is a great deal of controversy over whether President Obama has the credentials, per the U.S. Constitution, to hold the office of The President of the United States. On April 27, 2011 (about halfway into his presidency) President Obama produced a Certificate of Live Birth that allegedly validates he was born in Hawaii. Let's examine this very important issue further...

PEOPLE THAT SAY IT IS NOT IMPORTANT

Before I continue, I want to address people that say this is not an important issue and that it just distracts from more important things that need to be addressed.

First, saying that it's not important is demonstrating a complete ignorance about the intent of why that requirement was put into the United States Constitution in the first place. Keep in mind, we're not talking about some random company policy, we are discussing the highest law in the land: the Constitution of the United States! Further below I'll discuss why the forefathers included the requirements for the Office of the President, but suffice it to say if we start pushing aside the Constitution, then we are on a very slippery slope indeed.

Many people are claiming that this issue is diverting valuable time away from more important issues, and the President himself said this was becoming a "sideshow". Frankly, that statement is ludicrous for three main reasons:

1. The only reason there is any attention on this issue at this point in time in the first place is because the President chose not to release the document a long time ago. He spent over 2 million dollars in legal fees to avoid doing so. Consequently, much more time, effort, and money has been put into not releasing the document than simply doing so. That should actually cause any reasonable person to question why it was not released a long time ago.

2. It should not take up that much time to ask a staff member (or Michelle) to get the document, have it scanned, then hold a 5 minute press conference about it.

3. If President Obama can spend hours on the golf course, basketball court, and fill out a "March Madness" basketball bracket on TV; then surely he can take a few minutes to address the American people and the constitutional requirements of the office he holds. Saying this is diverting valuable time and that it's the "birthers" to blame is a lame argument by people that either do not see a much bigger issue at hand, or just want to bury their heads in the sand because they also sense there could be more to this than they want to admit.

AUTHENTICITY OF THE RECENTLY RELEASED DOCUMENT

Substantial questions remain about the authenticity of the birth certificate. However, anyone that brings this up is immediately labeled as a "birther" that will never be satisfied. I wonder what similar strategies were used when anyone objected to Hitler's tactics and policies? Will the American people also let the facts of the matter be squashed because bringing up the issue results in persecution and ridicule? I fear, for the most part, the answer to that is that most people will.

Though mostly ignored for the aforementioned reasons, experts are presenting compelling evidence suggesting the document is a forgery. THIS LINK presents some videos that question the authenticity of the document.

In addition to the technical issues, other people point out that President Obama's father is listed to be from "Kenya, East Africa", yet Kenya was not an independent country until 1963 — 2 years after the date of the birth certificate. Others point out his father's race is listed as "African", yet the term used in the early 60's, when the document was allegedly recorded, was actually "Negro". They also claim that government agencies that tracked statistics had narrow guidelines of how to record that information so that statistics could be kept.

I am not an expert, so I don't know if perhaps Kenya would still have been a valid option to record on a birth certificate regardless of its official independence and whether or not his father could have been recorded as "African" since he actually was "African". I would think other birth certificates could be examined and compared to see, though perhaps the odds of finding someone born in Hawaii with a father from Kenya, East Africa are very slim.

IS IT A MATTER OF RACE?

This is a good place to interject that this is not a matter of race! If there were the same questions surrounding anyone — regardless of their color, race, gender, or religion — many people would want to know more. In fact, though a much lesser issue in terms of the affairs of our nation, recall that President Clinton was under a lot of scrutiny for his affairs with Monica Lewinsky. George W. Bush was sharply criticized for his behavior during his college years and President Nixon was forced to resign from office for engaging in unlawful behavior that had much less impact on his presidency than does the issue about President Obama's birth certificate.

There is no doubt that Timothy McVeigh would get equal or more scrutiny if he were president and his ideologies and credentials were in question. Indeed it's about a much more important matter: we are trying to explore the beliefs, values, and political ideology held by the person holding the most powerful position in the United States and whether or not they are in line with the best interests of the United States.

Playing the "race card" about this issue is divisive and only diverts attention where it need not be. The real attention should be about the Constitution of the United States, whether or not the person holding the highest office in the land is adhering to the law of the land, and the purpose that requirement for being President of the United States is there to begin with...

CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PRESIDENT

The founding fathers of the United States did a fantastic job drawing up our Constitution. It took them a long time to do so as they carefully thought out, debated, and finally agreed to all that its comprised of. They carefully added many important things: like establishing the three branches of government, wherein a system of "checks and balances" was put into our governmental system; establishing what congress may and may not do; creating the courts and their function; and ensuring U.S. citizens enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and so on.

Article II of the Constitution establishes the Office of the President and requirements thereof. Therein we have the law that someone must be a natural born citizen, age 35, have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years prior, and so on.

Why were those requirements included? Were the founders just arbitrarily adding some meaningless law to the Constitution? No, of course not!

So, then, what were they thinking? It's quite clear if you logically think about it: they were recognizing that it would be in the best interest of the U.S. if they could reasonably ensure that the person holding the highest office in the land was absolutely loyal to the U.S.; thus, all of the beliefs, values, political ideology and consequent decisions that person made always had the best interest of the U.S. in mind. Now whether or not the policies were always right, at least it could be reasonably assured the right intentions were there.

That is why it is an important issue. If the President of the United States has had substantial influence from another nation's ideas or from a religion that is hateful and opposed to the religion that most of the citizens of the U.S. hold, then it is very important to know that. In essence, it protects us from "enemies, both foreign and domestic", as it helps us avoid having someone that is really a "spy" of sorts making policy not in the best interest of the U.S. During the campaign President Obama repeatedly said there would be "change", though the question that was not asked is, "Exactly what kind of change?"

WHERE HAS THE PRESS BEEN?

What makes that issue difficult to deal with is that the press is readily accepting the document, though we have to seriously question if the press is doing its job!!! Why this issue was not investigated while President Obama was running for office rather than actually holding the office is astounding. Where was the press when there was substantial ambiguity about the man running for President of the United States?

The question should be asked, "Why wasn't the birth certificate released long ago given it was asked for time and time again?" The mainstream press is not asking that very important question. Was it not provided to make some point that we have no right to know or that it should not be a constitutional requirement? I can't see either of those reasons settling well with most people. It was either a blatant act of defiance, or there is another reason. Frankly, I can not think of any good reason nor have I seen one proposed.

Another important consideration about this matter is this: why isn't the press wanting to know about the college papers President Obama wrote? While not the "all knowing, all telling" indication of one's beliefs, values, and political ideology, I would think they could weigh into the matter at least some. Put another way, why is President Obama hiding that information? In fact, it's still ambiguous to me where President Obama went to school, what he was taught, who his friends are/were, what his friends and teachers have to say about him, etc.

Many employers require that one's work history be valid and ask for official college transcripts conditional to employment, and that is a very reasonable request. Frankly, the "employers" (the American people via the press) did not do their due diligence concerning Barack Obama. We really know very little about him. He was ushered in on a popularity contest where speeches and other factors played a larger role than the substance behind the man.

Had the issue of the birth certificate and such been discussed prior to the presidential election, the American people could have, at that time, made the decision at the polls of whether or not it was an issue. (Though arguably the founding fathers intended for it be a law, not something we vote on based on "popularity".) We'll never know how it may have played out, because the press did not do its job and, therefore, the issue is still being dealt with now, after the election.

As for correcting the problem, to do so would require that the press essentially report on itself about how poor of a job it did, which is not likely to happen. Also, many people in the mainstream media likely voted for President Obama, therefore they have further motives to ignore this issue. Except for web sites like this, the issue will not likely get any attention. If you dare to share this blog, then perhaps you can help.

Consequently, there is still a cloud of doubt about whether or not President Obama is actually legally holding the office of President of the United States. Now, some people are quick (too quick) to say that it should be a non-issue and that anyone discussing the matter is doing so foolishly. They mention that our economy is in trouble, we have conflicts going on around the world, and that there are otherwise many other issues to be addressed. It's for exactly those reasons that this is an important issue. As noted before, the founding fathers of the United States thought it was quite important!

WHY DID IT TAKE THIS LONG TO RELEASE THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?

Had the document been released a long time ago, questions of whether or not it is legitimate would have long been dismissed or dealt with; but that is far from the case. I won't rehash some of the points that reasonably question its legitimacy, but I think the main point is worth asking: what, then, was the motivation behind hiding this document for so long? Why hide a document substantiating one's legal eligibility to be in office (and pay so much money to do so) only to eventually produce it?

Moreover, all too readily accepting a document that was produced years later and still has a lot of questions about its authenticity is foolish at best, and hints of not wanting to address the deeper issue at hand: who is the man holding the highest office in the nation, what are his values, what is his political ideology, and therefore what is his agenda?

Time will tell how this all plays out, though I'm not sure if it will ever be settled. Should the Lord tarry, it could go down as one of the most unsolved conspiracy theories ever. Who shot Kennedy, what happened at Roswell, did President Obama ever legally hold the office of President of the United States... ?

Now you may be asking, "What does this have to do with Bible prophecy?" It could actually have a lot to do with that, as discussed in a previous article entitled, "Where Is President Obama Leading Us?".

Bible Prophecy Signs to Watch For
The unraveling of Barry Soetoro – the sequel

Longing for Our Lord's Return

2011-04-20T11:31:00.012-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. Work, family, hobbies, and so many other responsibilities can all command an enormous amount of our attention. Consequently we sometimes get caught up with the things of this life and fail to put our attention where it should be — eternity.

I'm often reminded of the words my dad wrote in a Bible he gave to me as I left home at age 17 and went off to the Air Force, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Over the years I have ridden the spiritual roller coaster of doing a good job, and an awful job, of adhering to those words. Even as someone in the ministry I too can lose focus of other important commands we are given in the Bible. Even the "Great Commission" can sometimes be forgotten as I think about so many other things in life that demand my energy and attention. Lord, forgive me!

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 shortly before He left this earth and promised to return again: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

As part of my ministry teaching Bible prophecy, I often come across people that do not fully appreciate the fact that one day Christ is going to return for His church! When I say "people", that definitely includes many Christians that actually have no, or minimal, idea of the concept.

Make no mistake, the Bible repeatedly reminds us — and even exhorts us — to anxiously await Christ's return. In fact, there is a "Crown of Righteousness" for those that long for the Lord's return. It's described very clearly in 2 Timothy 4:8, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Sometimes Christians will refer to verses that explain we do not know the exact time of Christ's return and, therefore, they falsely conclude that we should not pay any more attention to Christ's return, or even Bible prophecy. Of course, nothing can be further from the truth. While we know that we do not know the exact time of Christ's return, the Bible also explains in many places that we are to be watchful:

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. (Luke 12:37, emphasis added)
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. (Luke 12:38, emphasis added)
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen... (Luke 21:36, emphasis added)
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:3, emphasis added)

We can also refer to these verses, wherein some people only read the part that says we do know exactly when Jesus will return. As shown, Jesus also specifically told us to be ready and watch for His return:

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:42, emphasis added)
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44, emphasis added)
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13, emphasis added)

The last two verses of the Bible also leave us with the idea that we should anxiously await Jesus' promise that He is coming soon. For in Revelation 22:20-21 we read:

He who testifies to these things (Jesus) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

We shorten those verses to one succinct and endearing word to capture its essence, "Maranatha!"

Daniel: The Key to Understanding Revelation

2011-04-11T09:27:00.017-05:00

by Michael Houke MH

The only way to completely understand the book of Revelation and piece together the end time events is to read and comprehend the prophecies in the book of Daniel. These prophecies are intertwined with the prophecies in the book of Revelation, where as Daniel was told to shut up those prophecies until the time of the end, John was given the go head to reveal his. But once John revealed his book, Daniel’s prophecies became much clearer — and in recent times with certain prophecies being fulfilled these two books reveal the events that are forth coming in our generation and clearly demonstrate that we are living in the end times.

DANIEL CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN SECTIONS:

Chapters 1-6 are historical
Chapters 7-12 are prophetic. For this writing we will deal with the prophetic chapters of the Book of Daniel...

DANIEL CHAPTER 7

Twelve things will occur in the last days of the Gentile Age:

1. Daniel 7:23 - A world government will be established.
2. Daniel 7:24 - Ten Kings or divisions will come from the world government.
3. Daniel 7:24 - After the kings rise to power over the divisions, another king, the Antichrist will rise to power.
4. Daniel 7:25 - After the Antichrist rises he will have complete control over God’s people for 3½ years.
5. Daniel 7:26 - God will judge the Antichrist and take his power away.
6. Daniel 7:27 - The kingdom will be turned over to God’s people.

The final six verses address events related to the saints:
7. Daniel 7:18 - The saints will receive the kingdom and possess it forever.
8. Daniel 7:21 - The Horn was waging war against the saints and winning.
9. Daniel 7:22 - The Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints.
10. Daniel 7:25 - The Antichrist will speak against God and persecute the saints.
11. Daniel 7:25 - The saints will be handed over to the Antichrist for 3½ years.
12. Daniel 7:27 - Then the dominion of kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed to the saints.

DANIEL CHAPTER 8

The prophecy of Daniel 8:5-9 and 14, 22, 23 is fulfilled so accurately in history that it has caused many critics to suggest that a “later Daniel” wrote the book because the original was dead long before the Greeks rose to prominence. However, no such evidence can be found to support this concept. The Dead Sea Scrolls reveals the ancient origin of this book and concurs it is prophetic scripture. The entire reign Antiochus Epiphanes is described in vivid detail by Daniel and it all came to pass just as Daniel predicted it would.

The Angel Gabriel explains to Daniel the vision in Daniel 8:16 so that Daniel can understand that it concerns the time of the end. This would also be the first time An Angel would be identified by name in the Bible. Gabriel and Michael are the only two angels whose names are mentioned in the Bible along with Lucifer who is a fallen angel. Daniel 8:23-26 predicts that God will soundly defeat the Antichrist.

DANIEL CHAPTER 9 (a.k.a. "Daniel’s 70 weeks")

In Daniel 9:24 Gabriel advised Daniel that 70 weeks had been decreed for his people and the holy city. Daniel’s people are the Jews and the Holy City is Jerusalem. This prophecy is for the Nation of Israel solely and exclusively, it is not in any way directed to the Gentiles or the Church. The first 69 weeks and the last week are God’s dealing with Israel alone. The church had nothing to do with the first 69 weeks and it will have nothing to do with the last week. Daniel’s 70 weeks are distinct from the church.

Why 70 weeks?

1. To finish the transgression. God has decreed he will finish all transgression.
2. To make an end to sins. God has decreed that he will put an end to all sin.
3. To make reconciliation for inequity. God has decreed he will make reconciliation for inequity.
4. To bring everlasting righteousness. God has decreed in a Kingdom of everlasting righteousness.
5. To seal up the vision and the prophecy. God has decreed that he will fulfill everything he has promised in visions and prophecies, including the punishment of the Jews seven more times.
6. To anoint the most holy. God has decreed he will anoint the most holy, the temple and Jesus the Messiah.

Note on #3: Christians believe this occurred when Jesus died on the cross, but the Jews, as a Nation, have hardened their hearts, and will not accept Jesus until after these 70 weeks have passed away.

These 70 weeks are actually 490 years. Broken down as 70 sevens.

The first 49 years is the decree to restore the temple and rebuild Jerusalem. Prophecy fulfilled. Then after the next 434 years the messiah will be cut off (Jesus’ Death, resurrection and ascension). Prophecy fulfilled. This leaves but the last seven (7) years that has yet to be fulfilled.

God’s prophetic clock of the 490 years stated in 445BC and it stopped when the Messiah was cut off in 30AD. It will start again when the tribulation period begins, known as the 70th week of Daniel. The gap between years 483 and 490 is known as the “church age”. As long as we remain in the church age the last seven years of Daniel’s prophecy cannot start.

[More details about Daniel's 70th Week, something very important to properly understanding Bible prophecy, is in a related link that will be referenced at the end of this article.]

DANIEL CHAPTER 10

Here Daniel reveals demonic warfare in heaven and on earth. Right now evil spirits are in charge of the Nations on earth. Right now being Daniel’s time through the end of the Gentile age. Here Satan is revealed as the prince of the power of the air.

The Bible does not tell us exactly where God’s angels became Satan’s angels nor does it tell us when Satan sinned and rebelled. We know that wicked angels do exist and we know that they were not created wicked. At some time the revolted and sinned. Some of these fallen angels are free to roam the earth and afflict God’s people. (Eph. 6:11-12). Others are in chains until their judgment (2 Peter 2:4). It seems that these angels committed severe atrocities for this enchainment.

DANIEL CHAPTER 11

Daniel 11:1-35 are historical events that foreshadow future events already fulfilled
Daniel 11:36:45 Are future prophecy yet fulfilled
Daniel 11:36 The coming Antichrist is revealed.
Daniel 11:36-39 Proclaim this about the Antichrist:
a. He shall do according to his own will
b. He shall exalt himself above every God
c. He will speak blasphemies against God
d. He will prosper until the wrath comes
e. He will not regard God
f. He will be against the Messiah
g. He will not regard any God
h. He will not desire women

11:40 describes a war in the future when the King of the South shall attack the King of the North. The King of the South is Egypt and the King of the North is Russia, Syria, and others. Then the antichrist will strike back and defeat Kings of the North and South. The Middle East will be a major hot spot in these times. The Antichrist will then move his army into Israel. In 11:41 the Jews will flee to Petra in southern Jordan. Then in 11:42 Egypt will meet a terrible fate and will be destroyed, this is also predicted in Isaiah 19:16 and Ezekiel 38-39. The Antichrist will then plunder Egypt leaving his armies between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.

DANIEL CHAPTER 12

In Daniel 12:1 we read that Daniel is told by Michael the Archangel that a time of great distress is coming for Daniel’s people (the tribulation period, Daniels last Week), but that his people will be delivered. In Daniel 12:2 we are told of a future resurrection of those who sleep in the earth. This is more than likely the Old Testament Saints and The New Testament Saints who died after receiving Christ. In Daniel 12:4 Daniel is told to seal up the vision and book until the time of the end when Travel will increase (prophecy fulfilled) and Knowledge will increase (prophecy fulfilled). This prophecy would not be explainable until the last half of the 20th century.

Next Daniel sees Jesus in a vision and Jesus tells Daniel that a time, times, and a half which is 3 ½ years/42 months which equal 1,260 days when all things will be completed. The last half of the tribulation period. Then a 75 day interval will precede the beginning of the Millennium.

This will be 30 days to cleanse the temple and 45 days for Jesus to judge the Nations, which means that some Nations will enter into the millennial kingdom.

Related Links:

Chuck Missler discusses Daniel's 70 Weeks

Daniel's 70th Week

As It Was in the Days of Noah: Rapture or Second Coming?

Bible Prophecy Signs to Watch For

Pray That You May Escape

David Wilkerson's Prophecies of Destruction

2011-03-30T10:40:00.023-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Question: I have a high respect for David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge, but now I'm hearing his prophecy of calamity for America and he says cities will burn and lose electricity, so we should save up a 30 day supply to survive!? Supposedly he was right about 9/11 and times square church even prepared sandwiches the day before. Does that make his latest prophecy credible?

Let me begin by saying I share your respect for David Wilkerson and his ministry, though I must qualify that to be his ministry for the youth of America, particularly in the inner cities. His book The Cross and the Switchblade was a powerful book that has helped many people. He also has stirring sermons that remind us that we should ensure we are right with God, individually and as a society.

However, I am not able to endorse his prophecies about the coming calamities and it would appear that Mr. Wilkerson has made some false prophecies in the past, which I'll detail a little further below. During my research I found a copy of the prophecy David Wilkerson made on March 7, 2009 at this link.

To sum it up, he says:

“Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires...”
“We are under God’s wrath.”
“If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials.”

Let me back up just a little and address the part of your question about David Wilkerson's alleged prophecy for 9/11, wherein his church made sandwiches the day before it actually happened. While it was initially reported to be true, later the World Net Daily reporter that reported that story corrected it and explained it was not true. (The church did make sandwiches the day the event happened, but only in response to what happened. Thus, it was a wonderful gesture, but not a prophetic gesture.)

Now, we must be careful not to attribute the 9/11 misunderstanding as a false prophecy, as we can not directly link David Wilkerson with the false report that it happened. Yet we need to understand that we should not lean on that event as evidence that he is a prophet being given some special insight from God like the prophets in the Old Testament such as Jeremiah, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and so on. Indeed if that had been a true story, it would lend substantial credibility to any future prophecies that David Wilkerson gives to us because of how precise that would have occurred.

As we turn to the "prophecies" wherein it is said that major cities across America will be ablaze, and that there will be mass economic turmoil for which we should store up food, I am immediately reminded that the true test of a prophet is that 100% of what they say is correct. My research, however, found that David Wilkerson may have a history of not being correct, at least according to Tom Riggle who posted about that it this link.

In summary, if Mr. Riggle is correct, David Wilkerson prophesied in sermons that there would be no more gospel on TV by 1999, that there would be 1,000 fires in New York City in 1993 due to race riots, and a financial crash would happen in 2000. As we look back, we can see that none of those happened.

Even if David Wilkerson did not make those prophecies, we must look at his prophecies with a critical, discerning spirit...

First, we should note that the current prophecies about fires and riots in cities across America are very general in nature. Quite frankly, they remind me of the prophecies we read from Nostradamus, wherein they are so vague that when something happens, we find people pointing to them and claiming they have been fulfilled or otherwise saying, "it is all starting just as so and so said it would." Also, due to their general nature (not naming any specific city or time in which it will happen), it makes debunking them much more difficult, as one can simply say "they haven't happened yet."

If I were to sum up my response in any way, it would be that I believe God has left us substantial information via His Word about what will happen in the end days. Consequently, we should study the Bible diligently to learn more about that very important topic.

If God does plan to raise up a prophet in the end days to warn us, I believe He will do so in such a way that the prophet's credentials are impeccable and we can turn to past prophecies and see that they came true in a precise, unequivocal manner. Yet I can't help believe that God simply did not "forget" to put anything in His Word that He wanted us to know, and therein is where we should focus our studies. If there is some nuggets of truth to be learned, I believe the Bible is where we will learn them.

Also, while it is wise to prepared for a natural disaster, we must note that nowhere in the Bible did God instruct His people to store up food to prepare for calamities in relation to end times Bible prophecy. Rather, Jesus warns us to keep watch (Matthew 24:42; Matthew 25:13) and be ready (Matthew 24:44) as we await His return. As he discussed the end times, the Apostle Paul said to be alert and self-controlled (1 Thessalonians 5:4-9).

For Christians, the idea that the Rapture can happen at any moment is both comforting and exciting. It's described as our “blessed hope” in Titus 2:11-14, where we're taught to deny ourselves of ungodly and worldly passions, "and to live upright and godly lives while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." I always remind people that Jesus specifically told us to "Pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen" (Luke 21:36).

Related Links

Pray That You May Escape (book)

Should Christians Fear Judgment?

Reasons for a Pre-Trib Rapture

The ClearPlay DVD Player

2011-03-24T09:55:00.019-05:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

We are explicitly warned that the morals of society will dramatically decline in the last days. I think one of the biggest places this is reflected is our entertainment industry. Without adding to the debate about whether the entertainment industry reflects society, or vice versa, I will just say that most anyone with a reasonable amount of discernment can see that the entertainment industry has dramatically changed over the years (particularly television shows and movies).

We have gone from the days when it was risqué to say something like “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” in a movie, to the f-bomb being dropped often and unashamedly. Consider the stark contrast in TV shows like The Lone Ranger, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, The Brady Bunch, The Cosby Show, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, Gilligan’s Island, and many more to the likes of what the television industry considers entertainment today.

Blasphemy of God’s name, explicit sexual scenes, nudity, extreme violence, adultery, fornication, drug use, disobedient children, and a host of other equally bad themes are prevalent (and arguably more the norm than not) in today’s movies and television shows. It is quite difficult for a Christian family to find a good movie the family can watch without compromising their values. Unfortunately, it is a sad reality that many families, including Christian families, readily compromise their values and accept that this is just “how it is.” The question all Christians should ask themselves each time they watch a movie is, “Would Jesus approve of what I am about to watch and feed my heart and mind with?” Put another way, if you profess to be a Spirit-filled Christian, would you watch that movie knowing the Holy Spirit is there with you?

A SOLUTION

I hate to always be negative, and my family and I like entertainment as much as most people. One solution we have found is the ClearPlay DVD Player. (I'm not an employee, shareholder, or anything; but I can definitely endorse it fully!) We have used it for a couple of years now and we really like it. We have played many DVD's rented from Blockbuster, Hastings, and RedBox (and occasionally purchased from Amazon or Wal-Mart) without any problems.

It is very important to us that we not feed our eyes, ears, and minds with gratuitous violence, sex scenes, and foul language. According to Romans 12:2 we are not to conform to the pattern of this world and are to keep our minds of pure thought as we seek God's perfect will in our lives.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Without this DVD player, we would not have been able to watch near as many movies that we would have liked because even PG-13 movies have very questionable content. We do not subscribe to cable TV/satellite and are busy most of the week so as to not notice. However, on weekends we enjoy having "family movie night" and have watched hundreds of movies because the ClearPlay DVD Player allowed us to.

The list of movies available are current (e.g. "New Releases" at your local movie rental store can often be found on the list). Sometimes it does take a little effort to know what's on the ClearPlay list when you visit the video store (or box), but that's easily achieved by printing out a current list and taking it with you (or visiting the web site of where you plan to get your DVD and having a list of movies you have already cross-referenced with the ClearPlay web site).

If you do forget a list, a quick call home can help you get a movie on the ClearPlay list easily since ClearPlay's web site is searchable. You can also watch a lot of older movies on the list too (the ClearPlay list has thousands of titles!). If you previously avoided watching a lot of movies that had inappropriate content, you will be able to "catch up" on MANY of them and, thus, will find great joy renting cheaper, older movies that you can now finally watch without subjecting you and/or your family to "junk".

When you watch a movie with the Clearplay DVD player, you are barely aware that it is filtering out the inappropriate words and scenes. If you have ever watched an "edited for TV" version of a rated Pg-13 or R movie, you know how it essentially works. Most of the movie is still viewable, to include the main plot and, by far, most of the scenes.

It seems that there are always those one or two scenes that are put in there and ruin the movie from a moral point of view. The editing is done so that it will seamlessly "cut away" from scenes deemed inappropriate. On that subject, there are various categories (sex, language, violence, etc.) and then "editing levels" (1-5, as I recall) that you can set on your player so that you can "fine tune" the editing to your personal liking. Even just aggressively editing everything makes the movie still very watchable and most of it is left for viewing/listening. For example, the sound is briefly "silenced" at the places where a cuss word is used. Most of the time you barely notice, though occasionally you could perceive what was said because of the context of the sentence and if you can read lips. Overall it does an absolutely fantastic job.

It bears repeating:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

I believe the ClearPlay DVD player offers a good solution to ensure we can enjoy movies without compromising our Christian values.

Related Links

ClearPlay DVD Player

PluggedIn Online

Learn Bible Prophecy

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Pastors Not Preaching the Word of God

2011-03-04T11:07:00.016-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

I received the following question the other day and thought I would share it and my response:

What do I do about a church that is falling away, and the congregation knows it, but they are so worried about being "politically correct" in the current sense of the term that they will not get rid of a pastor who is taking the church away from the Bible? When I talk with a board member privately, my concern never comes up at their meetings.

Your question is difficult to answer without a lot more details about the situation. For example, when you say that a pastor is taking the church away from the Bible, that can mean a couple of different things:

1. He isn't preaching from the Bible as much as you feel he should (e.g. he is preaching what I call "fluff sermons" wherein he has some moral message or story and is sprinkling in some Bible verses now and then to make it sound "churchy"). While I do not agree at all with that type of teaching, it would be difficult for a church board to remove a pastor based on that alone. In that case, the pastor should simply be challenged to get back to preaching from God's Word and, if he does not agree, it may be time for you to find a church where the pastor does preach from God's Word more in line with what you expect. (More on that further below.)

Along those lines, you should always be sure that you are reading God's Word on your own and being heavily involved in a small group Bible study, where you can be challenged. Sunday morning sermons should be more like "desert", though arguable many people do not read the Word of God as they should and so pastors should be much better about giving "solid food" during that time too.

I personally believe that if there is an error one way or the other, then pastors should attempt to bring those that do not read God's Word up, rather than water down the gospel and risk bringing others down or otherwise not challenge people enough with God's Word. It's a difficult balance, but really the only way a church is going to grow spiritually (which is not always the same as growing numerically, though they are not mutually exclusive) is if pastors take their leadership roles very seriously, quit worrying about "numbers" and preach the Word of God!

2. The other possible issue is much more serious, as it is if your pastor is actually preaching things that are contrary to God's Word. In Mark 7:7, Jesus expressed disdain for abandoning God's Word and following the traditions of men. The Bible clearly teaches us to test the doctrinal viewpoints, behavior, and claims made by church leaders (Revelation 2:2) and condemn churches that diminish a personal devotion to God (Revelation 2:4); that tolerate immoral church leaders, teachers or laypersons (Revelation 2:14-15, Revelation 2:20); and that become spiritually dead (Revelation 3:17-18).

Of equal importance, if a church teaches people anything contrary to the Bible, the leader thereof can, in a sense, be considered a "false prophet". Jesus warns us that many false Christs and false prophets will try to lead us astray, especially in the end times (Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:6; and Mark 13:22).

If your pastor is preaching things against God's Word, then you should try to work within your church to get that corrected. Ideally you can find some others that agree with you, and then talk to some people on the church board so that you can discuss your mutual concerns with your pastor. The manner in which you do all that is greatly based on what you discern to be the pastor's intentions (is he doing it knowingly or out of ignorance of the Word?) Neither case is good, but it may be that he could be set back on track in a gentle, loving manner.

Yet I must also give a word of caution, as there are so many issues involved with "church politics". For example, the board members may be friends of the pastor, and/or perhaps they're selected by the pastor (in which case they can often be of the personality type that he knows won't challenge him). Many other dynamics can be involved too, such as how long he has been there, what his motives are, how long you have attended the church, and even the size of the church can impact how much influence you may or may not have as one voice alone.

You must be careful not to ruin a pastor's career if it is merely that you do not agree with his preaching style. There may be a point where you just have to "move on" and gracefully find another church that is better for you. Undoubtedly there are many, many different types of churches because not everyone agrees 100% on everything, people's tastes differ, etc. Paul explains in Romans chapter 14 that we must be careful not to argue over "disputable matters."

A resource I can highly recommend is The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll. Since you are obviously someone interested in what a Church should and should not be, you will very likely find it personally helpful. Once you read it, you can, if appropriate, pass it along to others (perhaps you will feel moved to buy a copy for your church board members if you can — I think every church leader should read this book!).

The book does a great job of challenging today's churches to renew their focus and ministries. It addresses where many churches are falling short these days, as they try to appease the crowds and fail to preach God's Word.

One of my favorite sections begins on page 88 and continues for several pages. In essence, Chuck mentions 2 Timothy 4:2 wherein it reads, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." Chuck makes the point that everything else falls short of preaching the Word of God in the pulpit. He goes on to explain, quite accurately, that way too many churches are failing their mission to teach from the Bible. Rather, they have resorted to marketing strategies and a harmful fixation on entertaining, being "politically correct", being "relevant", and being "in touch".

Chuck makes another good point with the verses found in Matthew 28:19-20 where we read, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." He accurately points out that the command does not just say we evangelize and then the mission is over. Rather, we are to teach people to obey everything that God commanded. A disciple is not one that has a shallow understanding of God's Word and while everyone must start at the beginning, at some point solid spiritual food must be provided within the Church.

I would like to end with these important words from Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Be sure to pray about all that you do so that whatever you do will be held blameless and righteous in the eyes of the Lord.

Related Links:

Pray That You May Escape - discusses the end times, to include Church apostasy

Factors To Consider When Looking For a Good Church
Book Review: The Church Awakening - by Chuck Swindoll

Solar Flare Storm Warning

2011-02-16T10:59:00.014-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus says, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11). We also see that after talking of such things, Jesus explains, “All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:8).

Sometimes one of the more difficult prophetic events to discuss is natural disasters, for the mere mention of them being related to Bible prophecy is met with responses such as, “Haven’t they always happened?” Obviously that is true. Thus, we have to be careful that we do not overzealously point to every natural disaster as a sign of the end of the world or otherwise “cry wolf.”

Atheists are quick to point out when Christians elevate emotion over science in such a way that it makes no sense. This then gives them room to suggest that our stance on evolution (or virtually anything else) is equally flawed. They love to promote the idea that it was religious leaders who did not believe the earth was anything but flat and persecuted anyone who thought otherwise. With that said, I believe we can still make some logical connections about these words concerning the prediction of natural disasters.

Great Signs from Heaven

While we often look to earthquakes because they are specifically referenced, another interesting part of that text is where Jesus mentions there will be “fearful events and great signs from heaven.” That is a rather broad description but certainly not something we should ignore, especially since cosmic signs happening in the end times is mentioned several times in Scripture. Luke 21:25-26 records Jesus as saying, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Another place we can look is Joel 3:15, as we also see reference to the sun and moon being darkened. Which appears to be the same event described in Luke 21 and Matthew 24. Isaiah 13:10 and Isaiah 24:23 also seem to be describing the same event. We also read what seems to be a parallel prophecy in Revelation 6:12-14 says, “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”

One other place we can turn to is Joel 2:31. Though it's not related, it makes a great case for how the Lord uses signs in the heavens to correspond to earthly events:

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. (Joel 2:31)

So, if it is not about the future, what is Joel's prophecy all about? We learn about that in Acts 2:17-21, where we read that Peter explained to a group of listeners that those speaking in tongues were fulfilling Joel's prophecy: which foretold that a future generation would prophesy and see visions, that God would pour out His Spirit, and that there would be wonders in heaven — to include that "the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood". The Star of Bethlehem DVD gives us further insight to how that did, in fact, happen at the time of Pentecost, just as Joel predicted!

Thus, the events described in Joel chapter 2 happened at the time of Pentecost (before the day of the LORD in that context). It should be noted that it was also an event related to the people of Israel because right after quoting Joel, Peter resumes his sermon with "Men of Israel, listen to this..." (Acts 2:22).

Certainly a lot of very bad, nature-related events are going to happen in the end days. But in addition to earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, and pestilence, there will be notable cosmic signs. It is, therefore, interesting that many respected scientists are predicting unusual activities with the earth and sun within the next few years. Specifically, scientists who study the earth’s magnetic core (known as paleomagnetists) are observing that the magnetic core is shifting, and that the earth's magnetic field, which helps block harmful radiation from the sun, may reverse. (Most scientists are ruling out a complete reversal. If it happened, compasses would point south rather than north, and we can only imagine the broad repercussions for anything that relied on navigational equipment such as planes and ships, in particular).¹

We can appreciate that this phenomenon is apparently nothing new to earth’s behavior, but knowledge of it and exactly how it all works is obviously new. It demonstrates how mankind still knows little about God’s creation in the big scheme of things. Certainly if the Bible predicts cosmic events, we know they will happen even if, at this point, we have no scientific explanation of how they will happen. Indeed, they could happen in a way our “scientific minds” are completely unaware of at this point.

Magnetic Storms

Still, it is quite interesting that we can even now look to science and easily imagine how some cosmic events may happen. Recently researchers announced that a solar storm 30% to 50% stronger than ones in the past is coming. The prediction comes from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).² It will be the strongest we've had in 50 years; yet we must realize that 50 years ago we were not nearly as reliant on cell phones, GPS navigation, and other satellite-related technology as we are today.

Scientists at the National Academy of Sciences say the sun’s magnetic core will definitely flip in 2012, as it routinely does that every eleven years. That alone will cause powerful magnetic storms that will likely disrupt communication, perhaps disable satellites, and possibly cause entire power grids to fail. Moreover, if the earth’s magnetic field, which helps block out solar radiation, degrades at the same time, the harmful results could be compounded.³

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Environment Center, “Sunspots are dark, cooler regions of the solar surface, areas of pent-up magnetic activity. They're a bit like caps on a shaken soda bottle, and upwelling matter and energy can blow at any moment. Scientists cannot predict when a flare will occur.” ⁴

There is precedence for this happening in history, except that in the past we have never been as reliant on electricity and communications as we are now. A solar storm in May of 1921 took scientists by surprise, and one that occurred in 1989 took just ninety-two seconds to blacken out the entire power grid in Quebec. Some experts note that solar storms similar to those experienced in the past could cause vast regions of the country to be without power for weeks or even months. Imagine what would happen to perishable food supplies, our ability to provide medical services, economic productivity, our ability to communicate electronically, law enforcement, etc.⁵

A particularly bad solar flare literally could propel the world into the dark ages and make people rethink how they might defend themselves and their family during times of great economic and moral stress in society. Also, it would seem, a darkened earth would be an appropriate condition when Jesus comes in great glory at the Second Coming, as vividly described in Revelation 19:12-16:

His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

Summary

We know many major events related to nature and space will happen — because the Bible says they will. However, we should be cautious not to point to every storm, earthquake, or even cosmic spectacle as a sure sign of the end times, and yet we also should not live in ignorance. Once those signs begin to dramatically increase in frequency and intensity, that will be an indication that something, in a prophetic sense, is going on in the world. Given the recent fulfillment of other prophetic events, it’s very reasonable for us to begin to look for signs in nature and from the heavens to begin happening at any time.

I'd like to leave you with the words of Jesus in Luke 21:36, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man”. Maranatha!

Related Links

Pray That You May Escape (book)

Solar Storm Warning

New Solar Cycle Is Beginning To Ramp Up

NOTES:
1. Clara Moskowitz, “Earth’s Magnetic Field Expected to Flip Soon,” www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,428849,00.html (Accessed December 30, 2009).

2. Dr. Tony Phillips, "Solar Storm Warning", www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/10mar_stormwarning.html (Accessed February 15, 2011)

3. Robert Roy Britt, “Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down U.S. for Months,” www.foxnews.com/ story/0,2933,478024,00.html (Accessed December 29, 2009).

4. Robert Roy Britt, “Latest Sun Flare Put at X28, Strongest on Record,” www.space.com/ scienceastronomy/xtreme_flare_031105.html (Accessed December 31, 2009).

5. Jim Dawson, “Scientists: U.S. Not Prepared for Strong Solar Storm,” www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522260,00.html (Accessed February 15, 2011)

Should Christians Fear Judgment?

2011-02-06T13:29:00.031-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Almost everyone has heard that we will face a final judgment. The Bible talks about a major judgment that will happen at the "end of the world as we know it", which will occur just prior to what we think of as eternity. Revelation 20:10 explains Satan, the Antichrist, and the False prophet will be thrown into hell and the following verse begins the description of a great judgment, known as the "Great White Throne Judgment" (Revelation 20:11-15).

It's important to recognize that Christians, however will not be part of that final judgment of sin. That is an amazing fact not completely understood by many Christians. Praise God, the judgment of believers has already taken place! What that means is that if you are truly born again, then the judgment for your sins was made at the cross. That is a phenomenal thing to understand: Jesus became our substitute and, therefore, took all the judgment intended for our sins upon Himself (Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:13). That is the deep meaning of grace provided to us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, Christians need not fear eternity in the sense that our past sins will be judged. We read in Hebrews 8:12 that God forgets our sins. Thus, a forgotten sin is not later dredged up. We also read these comforting words in 1 John 2:1-2, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." It's a wonderful thing to truly understand God's ability to forgive and forget our sins through His amazing grace and what was done for us on the cross!

Now, that doesn't mean we are to rest easy and go about a sinful lifestyle, disregarding what God's Word commands. To truly know grace, we must understand what the Bible tells us in Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

WILL CHRISTIANS BE JUDGED?

The answer is "Yes, because while our sins have been paid for in full and are 'remembered no more', we will still have to provide an account of what we have done for God after becoming Christians." We are told in Romans 14:10-12, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” That concept is echoed in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

I think we can somewhat liken the judgment of Christians to an "awards ceremony", with varying rewards based upon what was accomplished on earth. The rewards will be various crowns (2 Timothy 4:7-8), robes (Revelation 19:8), and the authority given to us as we conduct the affairs of heaven with the Lord (Luke 19:11-27). Yet we must also realize that if there is little account to give, then it will be met with heartbreaking disappointment and sadness (especially when shown the many opportunities that were presented to us and then how we ignored them due to fear; not listening to the Holy Spirit; or because we were too busy, selfish, or caught up in worldly desires).

BEING A GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

While we should not be trying to earn our salvation because it is only by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), we should be working to ensure we can stand before Jesus and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:21).

I believe to a great extent many Christians miss the most obvious way they can help further God's Kingdom: and that is to witness to those around them. You don't have to be an evangelist to do so. Witnessing is not a gift, it is a commandment and everyone can do so in their own way. We read in 1 Peter 3:15 these important words which help guide us with that important task, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect.”

Another important concept Jesus taught can be found in Matthew 6:19-21:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I think many people fail to truly understand that very important concept and, thus, do not properly help their church and other ministries that have been called to spread God's Word. The concept of "storing up treasures" is obviously related to our finances and the material possessions of this world. Jesus was clearly telling us to think about things beyond earth, which means helping those in need and supporting ministries that are doing work for God's eternal Kingdom.

Thus, the "awards ceremony" will likely represent a time of sadness for many Christians. There is no doubt about it, The Judgment Seat of Christ will be a judgment. For me personally, I know that I will have to answer for the times I failed to witness to someone, did not stand up for my faith as I should have, did not help someone in true need, or lived a "worldly" lifestyle rather than met God's expectations.

As I conclude this article, I'd like to remind everyone that it's never to late to begin and, indeed, there's still much we can do! Yet time is of the essence, as I believe that some day very soon Christians will experience the Rapture, and then earth will experience the tribulation — a time so bad that the Bible explains it has never been experienced before nor shall it ever be experienced again (Matthew 24:21). If you are a Christian, you should help share God's Word with others and if you are not, then you should evaluate where you want to spend eternity, and do so soon.

Finally, I'd like to leave you with the words of Jesus in Luke 21:36, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man”.

Where will the Antichrist Come From?

2011-02-05T12:57:00.002-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

This is one of the most common questions Bible prophecy teachers receive when speaking to people about prophecy. The actual origin of the Antichrist (that is, his ethnicity and, thus, where he will come from) is not conclusively known, though I believe scripture supports one answer much better than any other.

There are many good scholars that have equally strong opinions about the matter. The main theories are that the Antichrist will either be:

Muslim
Jewish
Gentile/Roman

1. THE MUSLIM THEORY

When one studies the Muslim religion and sees some of the parrallels between what they think is their savior and then what the Bible describes the Antichrist to be, we can understand how some may come to the conclusion that Antichrist will be Muslim. The problem that is foreseen with that theory is that not many Jews would accept a Muslim to be their savior, as Muslims have been a sworn enemy of the Jewish people for centuries and do not share their faith whatsoever.

Also, we must be very careful about using only evidence external to the Bible for support of a theory such as this. While a case can be made that the Muslim religion is a force to be dealt with (particularly for the Jewish people), scripture does not seem to ever point to a Muslim being the Antichrist. Also, many scholars suggest that upcoming wars (e.g. the war described in Psalm 83) will substantially diminish the role of the Muslim world. We must understand that Israel will be living in a time of peace when the Antichrist comes upon the scene (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9), which diminishes the threat of Muslims to the Jews.

2. THE JEWISH THEORY

Others believe the Antichrist will be of Jewish descent, as that would help lull the Jewish people into accepting him. Yet we read in scripture that the Antichrist will be bent on destroying the Jews, just as Satan has wanted to do since the Jews existed. It would seem unnatural for Satan to choose a Jew to do that bidding since that has not been the precedent in the past. We also learn that the Antichrist will have the attention and respect of a worldwide audience. It would be very unusual for a Jew to have that respect given much of the world is anti-Semitic.

3. THE GENTILE/ROMAN THEORY

Most scholars believe that the Antichrist will have Roman origins. The best support for that is given in Daniel 9:26, which has the most detailed literal account of the origin of the Antichrist. There we are told that the Antichrist will originate from the people who would, in the future, destroy the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. Looking back in history it is clear that the Roman Empire accomplished that in A.D. 70.

In contrast to the unliklihood that a Jew would be an accepted world leader, the Antichrist prototype, Antiochus Epiphanes, was a Gentile. As we look at current events, we can also see how a man origining out of the powerful European Union could rise to world power quickly. Another very strong biblical argument for this theory is that "the sea" typically represents Gentiles in scripture; thus, when we read in Revelation 13:1 that the Antichrist (the “Beast”) will rise out of the "sea", it suggest he will come from a Gentile nation.

PUTTING IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE

From the Christian's perspective, since the Antichrist will not appear until after Christians are Raptured to heaven (1 Thes 4:16-17; 1 Cor 15:51-52), we must be careful not to prematurely point to world leaders or others in the world now and claim they are the Antichrist. For unbelievers that are left to face the tribulation, however, the Bible has left many clues about his characteristics so that he may be identified which I have already detailed in a previous article entitled What Will the Antichrist Be Like?

Thus, as Christians, while we should be wary that some day the Antichrist will arrive on the scene, we should especially follow the words provided to us by Jesus in Luke 21:36, "“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” In other words, we should especially be focusing on the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus CHRIST rather than the Antichrist. Maranatha!

What Will the Antichrist Be Like?

The Purpose of the Millennium

2011-02-05T12:50:00.001-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Many people do not understand the Millennium because they do not understand its purpose. An understanding of the major end-times events is also healthy for the soul, so let's get started...

As represented in the illustration below, we're now living in what is referred to as the "Church Age". There is an expectation that "The Rapture" could happen at any moment (what Titus 2:11-14 refers to as our "blessed hope"). The Rapture is the term given to the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 wherein Christians will be taken from earth. The "7 Years" depicted in the illustration below is essentially the tribulation period which will be followed by "The Second Coming". After that there will be a 1000 Year Kingdom on earth (a.k.a. "the Millennium"), and then eternity:

THE PURPOSE OF THE MILLENNIUM

The Great White Throne Judgment will occur at the conclusion of The Millennium, which has some special purposes. First, one must understand that when the Millennium begins, only Christians will be alive on earth, as unbelievers will be in hell (Revelation 19:17-21). The inhabitants of earth will be comprised of two groups of Christians: Those that survived the tribulation and became Christians during that time, and those that came back to earth with the Lord at His Second Coming (Revelation 19:14).

During the Millennium earth will experience peace like never before (Isaiah 2:4; Joel 3:10; Micah 4:3). Jesus will be ruling on the throne of David and imposing a benevolent theocracy on all of His creation. Everyone's needs will be fulfilled and sin will not be tolerated (Psalm 2:7-12; Revelation 2:26-29; 12:5; 19:11-16).

While the believers that return from heaven with Christ will have their "heavenly bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52), the believers who lived through the Tribulation will remain mortal; thus that group of people will procreate and repopulate the earth during that 1,000 years on earth. Since there will not be any food shortages, pestilence, natural disasters, and death like we know today because of sin, the human population will grow very large during that time.

Thus, a large group of people not in either of the first two categories will result: a group of people born during the Millennium. That will bring about a very interesting situation: Although Satan and the evils of the world will not be an enemy to mankind, the third and final enemy, man's own sinful nature, will still exist within those that are born during the Millennium. At the end of the 1,000 years they will have to make a choice to either serve God or to serve their sinful nature because Satan will be loosed for a "short time" to give them that choice (Revelation 20:3).

That is why we learn that Satan is tied up during that period and then released one final, brief time. It would seem all along, and up until the very end before Satan is thrown into the Lake of Fire for eternity, that Satan has been serving God's purpose: to give mankind a choice. God does not want people to turn to Him because they have to, but because they want to. Consequently, another option has to be provided to make the choice valid. It will demonstrate that even without Satan or the evil influences of a fallen world, the inherent evil nature of man will still be at work and will separate people from God unless they repent and turn to Him.

So, just as Satan convinced a third of the angels to follow him from heaven (and now they are what we call "demons" or "fallen angles"), he will masterfully convince some people to rise up and defiantly oppose God (Revelation 20:7-8). Sadly, some people that were ruled by the "Iron Scepter" throughout the Millennium and resented it due to their sinful natures will be persuaded to rise against God. The scripture does not give much detail about it, which suggests that almost as soon as it begins, God will put an end to it. In fact, we read about the uprising in Revelation 20:9 and, within the same verse, it's explained fire comes down from heaven and "devoured them".

At the conclusion of the Millennium unbelievers will be sent to hell for eternity. Christians, however, need not have any such worries. That idea is explained in the article entitled Should Christians Fear Judgment?

People, Get Ready Jesus is Coming Soon

2011-02-04T17:45:00.030-06:00

The lyrics to this inspired song are both Biblical and relevant! You can start the song and follow along with the lyrics below. To make it even more interesting, I provided a few Bible verses next to the lyrics (just put your mouse over the verse for a pop-up).

Lord, I'm ready now

I'm waiting for Your triumphant return (Revelation 1:7)

You're coming so soon (Matthew 24:32-34)

This world has nothing for me

I find my peace and joy solely in You

Only in You (John 14:27)

I want the world to see that

You're alive and living well in me (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Let me be a part of the harvest

For the days are few (Revelation 14:15)

You're coming soon

People, get ready Jesus is coming

Soon we'll be going home

People, get ready Jesus is coming

To take from the world His own

People, get ready Jesus is coming

Soon we'll be going home

People, get ready Jesus is coming

To take from the world His own

We'll be going home (oh yeah)

We'll be going home

There will be a day

When we will be divided right and left (Matthew 25:32-33)

For those who know Him

And those who do not know

Those who know Him well

Will meet Him in the air (1 Thes 4:16-17)

Hallelujah! (2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:13)

God is with us

Those who do not know

They will hear "Depart, I knew you not" (Matthew 25:41)

For, my friends, you see

There will be a day when we'll be counted

So know Him well, know Him well

(1 John 3:5-6)

People, get ready Jesus is coming

Soon we'll be going home

People, get ready Jesus is coming

To take from the world His own

People, get ready Jesus is coming

Soon well be going home

People, get ready Jesus is coming

To take from the world His own

______________________________________________

The final place in scripture I'd like to reference is the last two verses of the Bible, Revelation 22:20-21:

He who testifies to these things (Jesus) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

We shorten those verses to one succinct and endearing
word to capture its essence,

"Maranatha!"

To learn more about why there are many reasons that those who study Bible prophecy believe people should be getting ready for Jesus' soon return, be sure to check out Pray That You May Escape.

______________________________________________

Thank you, Crystal Lewis and Avalon.

Most of all, thank you, Lord Jesus!

The Time of the End

2011-02-02T13:09:00.098-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Many scholars believe God's timeline for humanity to exist on earth will be 7,000 years (the number 7 always represents "completeness" in scripture). The idea is that the first 6,000 years are "man's time" and the final 1,000 years will be when Jesus rules on the earth during the millennium. That theory is also supported because we know that "man's number is 6" (man was created on the sixth day and "the number of man" is referred to as 666 in Revelation 13:18). Consequently, as we explore that concept, it would be interesting for us to know about when that 6,000 years will happen.

First, perhaps a pictorial representation of the idea is in order:

To know how near we are to the millennial Sabbath (the last 1,000 years since creation shown as the millennium above), we need to know approximately how much time has elapsed since man's creation. Fortunately, God left us with that information in His divinely inspired Word. There is a reason for everything in scripture, to include why God has revealed to us many of the dates and ages of biblical people and events...

1. Through careful study of scripture, we learn Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Genesis 5:3). Subsequent verses provide us with the exact ages of all the patriarchs at the birth of their sons (Genesis 5:4-32). That is amazing and, as noted, is given to us in scripture for a reason. We also learn that Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came on the earth (Genesis 7:6). Thus, we know that 1,656 years transpired between when Adam was created and the Great Flood of Noah's time.

2. Genesis 11:10-32 tells us that 427 years passed between the Great Flood and the death of Terah, which was the time that Abram left Haran (cf. Acts 7:4). Genesis 12:4 explains Abram was 75 years of age when he left Haran.

3. Genesis 17:1-10 reveals that Abraham was 99 years old when God made the covenant with him. So, using Genesis 12:4 and Genesis 17:1, we deduce the number of years that transpired between then and when Abraham left Haran was 24 years (99 years - 75 years).

4. When we read Galatians 3:16-17 we learn 430 years that passed between the time of the covenant with Abraham and the Sinai covenant (cf. Exodus 12:40).

5. In 1 Kings 6:1 we learn that 480 years transpired between the Exodus and the foruth year of King Solomon when the temple began. Scholars date the fourth year of Solomon to approximately 966 BC.

6. Now, we can add up all of those years (1,656 + 427 + 24 + 430 + 480 + 966) we arrive at 3983 BC.

Adding 6,000 years to then, plus a year to account for the one "zero year", we come to the year 2018.

The year 2018 is calculated using another set of scriptures and what we know of history. Namely that Israel became a nation again in 1948 and Psalm 90:10 tells us that, “The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength.” Thus, the year 2018 is Israel's 70th birthday and matches the same calculation of 2018.

As we ponder this interesting information and continue to watch the news unfold, we should follow Christ's words in Luke 21:36, wherein Jesus told us, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Related Links

Pray That You May Escape (book)

Come, Lord Jesus (Maranatha!)

Reasons for a Pre-Trib Rapture

Bible Prophecy Signs to Watch For

2011-02-01T12:09:00.132-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

As I study Bible prophecy and then share what I have learned with others, I have always been sensitive about not sounding "alarmist" about a subject that can get its fair share of people that sensationalize the topic. I recognize that if we are not restrained, then we will only feed scoffers (2 Peter 3:3-4) and ultimately shed a negative light on the subject of Bible prophecy.

Therefore, I believe the best approach is to carefully study the Bible, ask for God's wisdom and understanding, and then discuss the subject with others as we observe signs of the end times. Finally, we should tell others in a level-headed, educated manner.

That is, while we must be careful not to sound "alarmist", we must also be obedient to God and tell people about what His Word has to say about the matter. What makes this all the more interesting is that many others like me (rational people who carefully study Bible prophecy) can not help but notice prophetic events seem to be culminating faster than ever. Moreover, the Bible says that very thing will happen in the end days and describes it as "birth pains" (Matthew 24:8): which means that at first the interval between events will initially be long (like the Braxton Hicks contractions women feel during their pregnancies), but as "the time of the end" gets closer, the interval between the prophetic events will substantially shorten.

Consequently, there is a sense of urgency to discuss prophetic headlines as we witness them happening at a pace faster than ever. In 2 Peter 3:9-10 we read that the Lord is patient; but on one unexpected day a literal end to the world as we know it will happen:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

If one were to summarize some of the events foretold to happen during what the Bible calls "the time of the end" (Daniel 12:8-9), it might look like this:

As witnessed in 1948, Israel will again become a nation (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

As already happened in 1967, Jerusalem will be controlled by the Jewish people — which lays the groundwork for huge future prophetic events to happen (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15)

As witnessed in 1984, Jews living in Ethiopia will return to the land of Israel (Zephaniah 3:10-11)

As seen in 1970-1980, Jews living in Russia will return to the land of Israel (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

Many false prophets and false Christs will emerge (Matthew 24:23-24)

There will be wars and rumors of wars, esp. related to Israel. (Psalm 83:4-5; Revelation 6:4)

There will be earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:12)

The world will experience food shortages (Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:6)

Worldwide pestilence and plagues will happen (Revelation 6:7-8,14)

We'll see a marked moral decay of society (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

Churches will have a drastic increase in false teaching and there will be apostasy (Matthew 24:10-11; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)

The Roman Empire will reemerge (Daniel 2:32-33; Daniel 2:40-43)

The Jewish Temple will be rebuilt (Revelation 11:2; Daniel 9:27; Daniel 9:26)

We will have a better understanding of prophecy (Daniel 12:4)

A one-world government and a one-world banking system will emerge for the Antichrist to manipulate (Revelation 13:16-17)

Communication technology will advance (Revelation 11:3, 7-10)

We'll witness news reports that foreshadow cosmic phenomenon (Isaiah 13:10, 24:23; Joel 3:15; Luke 21:25-26; Revelation 6:12-14)

The United States will experience a decline in world influence given its absence from prophecy.

We will see news reports that foreshadow wild beasts ravaging mankind (Revelation 6:8)

The gospel will be proclaimed throughout the world (Matthew 24:14)

As we are witnessing today, the tiny nation of Israel will continue to be in the headlines. The land where Jerusalem exists will be of primary attention. That is where some day the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt. That must happen because scripture explains that one day the "abomination that causes desolation" will occur in the temple (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15).

THE RAPTURE

Before I begin a more specific discussion of signs that we can watch for, I want to be sure an important concept is understood, and that is that the Rapture is imminent! The Rapture is when Christians will be taken from the earth (1 Thes 4:16-17) and then, some time afterward, many catastrophic events will happen on earth: a time known as "The Tribulation". The Bible tells us that the Rapture will come “like a thief in the night,” when “no one knows,” and at a time when people are going about their usual lives (as in the days of Noah). Thus, it could happen before you finish reading this sentence, complete this article, or it may happen the next time you are asleep. If that concept seems unsettling to you (that is, you do not consider that a "blessed hope" like we read about in Titus 2:11-14), please be sure to read "Are You Ready?"

With an understanding that The Rapture is imminent, it’s important to realize that when we discuss the signs of the end times, we are really looking for signs that point to events that happen during the tribulation and Second Coming because there will not necessarily be any signs that precede the Rapture. However, because the Rapture will precede the tribulation, we can expect to observe some foreshadows to the final end-time events foretold in the Bible.

Below is an illustration that may help anyone new to the terms. We are now living in what is referred to as the "Church Age", with "The Rapture" something that can happen at any time now. The "7 Years" depicted in the illustration below is essentially the tribulation period which will be followed by "The Second Coming":

My friend Dr. Tim LaHaye (co-author of the best-selling Left Behind series) explains how the signs of the end times relate to the Rapture with a clever illustration. He says it is like observing merchants putting up Christmas decorations. While that obviously points to the soon coming of Christmas, given that it occurs several weeks prior to Christmas (even before Thanksgiving), when we see merchants putting up Christmas decorations, we can use that as a sign that Thanksgiving is very near. Similarly, when we see signs of the tribulation, we can use that as an indication that the Rapture is more near than ever.¹

Chapter 3 of Pray That You May Escape describes all the major end-times events in much greater detail than I can provide in this article.

THE NATION OF ISRAEL IN PROPHECY

One of the most notable prophetic events in recent history has set the stage for many other end-times events to begin unfolding; and, as seen in current headlines, that is exactly what is happening. Namely, after being dormant for nearly 2,000 years, Israel became a nation again. It's important to recognize that notable event happened just recently (1948). The following chart demonstrates how that was just a relatively short time ago in history:

Jesus explained to us that once end-times events began to happen, they would also conclude within the same generation:

We can see that the issue is important because of Jesus’ own words: “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (emphasis added). I add the emphasis because that is exactly what Jesus did. Of course, all of what Jesus says is absolutely true and not to be taken lightly, but the fact that He precedes His statement with “I tell you the truth” (a common way to provide emphasis in the language of Jesus’ time) and then also includes the word “certainly” should cause one to take note of how strongly He wanted to get His point across.

It is abundantly clear that we should continue to watch Israel because Scripture tells us that God has chosen Israel for special purposes, both historically and for the fulfillment of end-times prophecy. Chapter 2 of Pray That You May Escape explains that idea in eye-opening detail and Chapter 3, particularly the subsection entitled "Daniel's 70th Week", discusses some fundamental concepts about end times Bible prophecy in relation to Israel, the Church, and the timing of those critical end times events. Those are events that are very important to Christians and non-Christians alike, especially in light of the times in which we live.

NATURAL DISASTERS AND COSMIC SIGNS

Also discussed in Pray That You May Escape is a concept that scientists have been observing for a few years now: the earth's magnetic core is shifting. Within the past few weeks headlines are finally catching up to the topic because we are beginning to see some results of that: airport navigation problems and other phenomenon that may be a direct result. That's not surprising given the magnetic pole is not just shifting a few inches, or even a few feet, per year; rather, it is shifting about 40 miles a year towards Russia! To make matters worse, every 11 years the sun has a noticeable increase in solar flare activity and the earth's magnetism helps alleviate the harmful impact of that; but the shift that is occuring this time may lessen that "defense". The next solar flare activity is expected to increase at the end of 2011 and continue through 2012.

As a result, we can likely expect our solar grid and communication processes to be compromised, and potentially quite severely. Another side effect of the earth's core shifting is that it may be what is causing the animal death phenomenon, as it's disrupting the birds' ability to navigate properly, schools of fish to swim to their deaths, and herds of other animals to behave abnormally. That would explain why it happens to large groups at once (animals that travel in flocks, schools, and herds) and not affect other animals around them.

It may be also the reason for the increase in natural disasters, such as earthquakes and storms, which the Bible specifically predicts will happen in the end times (Matthew 24:8, as one example). Current headlines are reporting an increase in earthquake activity, record-breaking storms, floods, etc. Not only do humans feel their immediate impact, but those events lead to food shortages: which leads to inflation, and eventually famine. Again, specific end-times events foretold to happen in the Bible!

Another curious event is that the Euphrates River is drying up according to a recent article in the New York Times. Some of it is a result of water policy mismanagement by Iraq, a two-year drought, and the use of various dams.³ Revelation 16:12 foretells that the Euphrates will dry up in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon. If you observe a map of the Middle East, you will see how the removal of the Euphrates River as a natural barrier would permit nations east of Israel easier land access to Israel. Interestingly enough, it also could be achieved via man-made technology as well. In 1990 Turkey completed the construction of the Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates. The dam has been used to cut off the flow of the river in order to fill up the lake behind the dam.

The interesting topic of natural disasters, solar flares, and the earth's magnetic core shifting and more are all explained further in chapter 4 of Pray That You May Escape.

THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE

Without a doubt, the rebuilding of the holy temple in Jerusalem would be a significant prophetic sign that we are in the end of times. At this point in time, it would be nothing short of a miracle for that to happen, given all the unrest and conflict concerning the Temple Mount right now. Yet, statistically, we have a much greater chance now than has ever been possible because in 1967 Israel took control of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War.

Of course, just as the Bible has been right in all its prophecies, we know this is going to happen because Scripture tells us it will. In essence, the rebuilding of the temple will set up the “abomination that causes desolation” described so clearly in Daniel 9:27, explicitly referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24:15, and later mentioned by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Therefore, it’s interesting that currently many Jews want to rebuild the temple, and even now are preparing to do so. According to the Temple Institute’s Statement of Principles,

A SEVEN YEAR PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL

Related to the aforementioned rebuilding of the temple, we can also watch for early signs of a seven-year peace treaty with Israel. This very important event will start Daniel's 70th Week and set the stage for the “abomination that causes desolation” (Daniel 9:27).

WARS AND RUMORS OF WAR

Before peace, however, we can expect war, as that is the sequence of events described in prophecy. Specifically, we know there will be “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). Historically, there is war and the threat thereof before there is peace.

For the past few years prophecy experts have been taking a close look at Psalm 83, which describes events that could almost be pulled straight out of today’s headlines. That is, the nations that share borders with Israel continue to line up against her, lobbing missiles and instigating terroristic attacks against Israeli citizens. These nations are Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist entities are also essentially part of the list. My good friend Bill Salus, author of Isralestine, has some insight about this topic that I believe is very important. He notes that Ezekiel 38 foretells that Israel will be dwelling securely and that when we read about the war of Gog and Magog, there is no mention of the nations that immediately border Israel.

In an interview with David Reagan of Lamb and Lion Ministries, Bill Salus says this about Israel’s neighbors being conspicuously absent:

It is intriguing that Israel’s most observable opponents over the last 60 years since the restoration of the nation are not enlisted in the Ezekiel 38 nine member consortia of nations. This has puzzled scholars a lot recently. These are the very nations that border Israel through which the Russian invasion would be trespassing into to get into Israel to invade. So, why are they not listed? And, of course, what we are referring to are Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and what has evolved out of those entities (Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinians, and other terrorist entities).

MAJOR GEOPOLITICAL SHIFTS

A ten-nation alliance that is, or could easily become, aligned against Israel. This alliance likely will involve some component of the original “Iron Empire,” which we know was the Roman Empire (Daniel 7:23; Revelation 13:1-2; and others).

The global power of the United States declining (economically, politically, and/or militarily) and/or the U.S. becoming less friendly to Israel. We know that in the end times, Israel will not have any nation on its side (Zechariah 12); thus, we can conclude the U.S. will either be diminished as a major superpower and/or will not support Israel as it has in the past.

Hyperinflation as described in Revelation 6:5-6. The worldwide economic turmoil we are now facing, coupled with food shortages and natural disasters that would cause increased stress on our food supplies will contribute to that concept. An increase in the price of oil would also substantially contribute to higher prices at the pump and in stores.

A one-world government and banking system that, when controlled by the Antichrist, would control commerce, religion, etc. (Revelation 13:17).

The rise of a prominent figure who becomes head of the aforementioned ten-nation alliance and will eventually be revealed as the Antichrist (Revelation 13:1). I have not found definitive proof that the Bible tells us the Antichrist will come from any certain religion, country, etc. (so I will not mislead by saying otherwise).

Chapters 7 and 8 of Pray That You May Escape discuss geopolitics and what role the United States plays in end-times Bible prophecy.

MORE EVENTS TO WATCH FOR

The preaching of the gospel to all nations as described in Matthew 24:14, where we read, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Today's technology is making that possible. Pray That You May Escape discusses technology in relation to the end times (Chapter 9).

A rise in apostasy and false teachings will be prevalent in end times, (Matthew 24:10-11; 2 Timothy 3:1-4). This is something anyone sensitive to the topic knows is happening at an increasing and alarming rate. Chapter 6 of Pray That You May Escape discusses that topic with an especially prolific amount of scripture.

As described in detail in chapter 5 Pray That You May Escape, the end times will be marked with a continued decay of morals in society (2 Timothy 3:1-4). The study is fascinating and eye-opening.

A rather curious, albeit scary, event is described in Revelation 6:7-8, wherein we learn that wild beasts also will be the cause of many deaths.

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Typically the articles posted on this blog are not so laced with references to our flagship product, Pray That You May Escape; however, the time has come for people to wake up!

Pray That You May Escape addresses all of the main topics of Bible prophecy in a concise, extremely friendly manner. Many of today's headlines were being looked at through the lens of Bible prophecy even before they made the mainstream news. The book is equally useful to those that want to begin their journey of studying Bible prophecy, or for people that know the topic well and would like some additional insight. It can also be used as a great resource to share the information with others, and it has a small group study guide so that the material can be studied in a group setting. Purchases of the book also directly support this ministry so that we can continue to proclaim God's Word.

Notes

1. Timothy LaHaye, Rapture Under Attack
    (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1998), 72-73.
2. The Temple Institute, “Statement of Principles,”
    www.templeinstitute.org/statement.htm (Accessed January 5, 2010).
3. Campbell Robertson, “Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles,”
    www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/ world/middleeast/14euphrates.html?_r=2
    (Accessed November 14, 2009).

The Muslim Brotherhood's Threat to Israel

2011-01-31T12:42:00.011-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

The current political turmoil in the Middle East is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. The rioting and potential for a major regime change in Egypt, a country with the region's largest population and a tremendous amount of power, may have many ramifications: some which will likely be seen relatively quickly, and others that may develop over a slightly longer period (esp. as other countries watch on).

Just weeks ago the Tunisian president fled to Saudi Arabia during the night while people took to the streets. In essence, the government has been overthrown. The Lebanese regime of Saad Hariri was also recently overthrown, and now a pro-Hezbollah, anti-Israel Prime Minister is in power. People are also in the streets of Algeria, Yemen, Jordan and Syria to protest at their own levels of poverty, unemployment and lack of personal freedom.

Consequently, a major regional shift in power and ideology is ripe to take place if events play out in favor of an organization called The Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist group. Unlike Al Qaida, "the brotherhood" operates more covertly and arguably more strategically. That makes it all the more dangerous as it wields its power and exerts a well-organized opposition to governments in the Middle East. The uprising in Egypt is providing a very opportune time for the brotherhood to come onto the scene more overtly and take over the nation of Egypt, and then influence other forces within the entire region.

If a major regime change takes place in Egypt, Egypt's 32-year peace treaty with Israel will very likely be one of the first items to be on the chopping block. Like all organizations based on the Muslim religion, they do not want the Jews in Israel. If the Muslim Brotherhood could control the powerful nation of Egypt, then Iran, Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah would also be prone to aligning with one another, which would put Israel at grave risk of being attacked. We need only look back to the Six Day War in 1967 to see a historical precedence.

Adding to the mix of international intrigue is that the U.S. currently has (had) a cordial relationship with Egypt. In fact, in an ironic twist, the U.S. has supplied billions of dollars worth of military hardware to Egypt over the past several years, in attempts to help stabilize the region and keep the likes of Iran, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the terrorist organizations of Hezbollah and Hamas in check. Now that very objective could backfire very quickly.

Previously I mentioned Al Qaeda, which is the more obvious Islamic threat. If the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda could put aside their differences, their mutual desire to wage Jihad (war) against Christians and Jews would be the obvious result.

Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has the primary goal to impose Islamic sharia law upon the world. Controlling Egypt would provide it just the platform it would need to accomplish that.

As Christians watch these events and consider them in light of Bible prophecy, we recognize that ultimately God is in complete control. Thus, the events that play out will be according to His plans.

For the past few years prophecy experts have been taking a close look at Psalm 83, which describes events that could almost be pulled straight out of today’s headlines. That is, the nations that share borders with Israel continue to line up against her, lobbing missiles and instigating terroristic attacks against Israeli citizens. These nations are Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist entities are also essentially part of the list. My good friend Bill Salus, author of Isralestine, has some insight about this topic that I believe is very important. He notes that Ezekiel 38 prophesies that Israel will be dwelling securely and that when we read about the war of Gog and Magog, there is no mention of the nations that immediately border Israel.

In an interview with David Reagan of Lamb and Lion Ministries, Bill Salus says this about Israel’s neighbors being conspicuously absent:

It is intriguing that Israel’s most observable opponents over the last 60 years since the restoration of the nation are not enlisted in the Ezekiel 38 nine member consortia of nations. This has puzzled scholars a lot recently. These are the very nations that border Israel through which the Russian invasion would be trespassing into to get into Israel to invade. So, why are they not listed? And, of course, what we are referring to are Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and what has evolved out of those entities are Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinians, and other terrorist entities could be included in that list.

WHERE IS THE U.S. IN END-TIMES BIBLE PROPHECY?

We read in Zechariah 12:2-3 that at some point in the future “all nations of the earth” will be against Israel:

I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. (Emphasis added)

Thus, at the very least the United States will not be on the side of Israel. That also has to take place because of the way in which God once again will permit Israel to be victorious, which would not be as miraculous if a superpower were on Israel’s side. The reason why the U.S. will be “against Israel” is not clearly known. Many eschatologists theorize that the Rapture will have taken the Christians (and thus, the driving force behind why the U.S. is “Jewish-friendly”) away. Indeed, such an event would thrust the entire world into a chaotic situation and open the need for a so-called “savior” to offer peace and stability to a world in turmoil; hence, it would provide an opportune time for the Antichrist to enter the scene.

There are many other theories that, when especially combined with the rapture theory, easily explain how the U.S. will be absent from end-times prophecy. I explain them all in my book, Pray That You May Escape; but for the lack of space and due to the focus of this article, I will not include them all here. Suffice it to say, no matter how it happens, we know it will happen because God's Word says so.

The times in which we live are very interesting. We know that it will become increasingly worse (a time of great trouble). Praise God, it's all part of His plan. For Christians, God also has another plan, referred to as our "blessed hope" in Titus 2:11-14.

"The birthpangs of a new Middle East"

Cairo: Anger starting to focus on Israel, US

Christ's Word Will Never Pass Away

2011-01-26T09:20:00.014-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

"Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away." - Luke 21:33

President Obama recently gave his State of the Union Address. I'm not a fan of the current administration in the executive branch of our government; however, I thought the speech was delivered very well. On the surface, it appears that he is making strides to reach across the isle and work with both parties to accomplish things in the best interest of the U.S. Of course, he has little choice now. Unlike last year's speech which had a lot of "attitude", this year's speech was delivered in a more humble manner.

One of the defining phrases of the speech was when he said:

"What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow."

It appears that much-needed change is just around the corner. Perhaps some aspects of Obamacare will be scaled back. Certainly there was a standing ovation from nearly everyone in the room when President Obama discussed removing some of the red tape that would bog down small businesses.

We must, however, temper that optimism with the knowledge that we are not to ever look to man (or government) for the answers to our problems. Only when Christ returns and sets up His Kingdom will there truly exist a government that is righteous, just, and perfect. Meanwhile, no matter who controls the various branches of our U.S. government, we know that it will be very far from perfect.

In fact, we know that from a prophetic standpoint eventually the government will be controlled by Satan himself via the Antichrist. Perhaps I get a little ahead of things, but we know that eventually that is where the world is headed because God's Word says so. Stepping back a little and looking to a more immediate future, we also know from experience that what is said during campaigns and speeches can be far from what happens behind closed doors and when the cameras are no longer rolling.

Sometimes the disconnect between the promises made and what actually gets accomplished can only be attributed to outright deception, where we find politicians saying things they know sounds good; but then they end up just serving their own agenda when actually performing their jobs. It reminds me of one of my wife's friends that voted for President Obama: she was a military wife and during President Obama's campaign he promised to bring the troops home soon after he took office. She has since confided in us that she abandoned many other moral convictions when casting her vote because of that one promise. You can imagine her frustration as she now realizes those words were little more than an empty promise.

[It was, of course, something that appealed to "tickling ears"; and often people believe what they want to believe. Knowledge of foreign affairs and understanding of the complexity thereof, however, helps one understand that abandoning the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is not something that could be done quickly — at least not without seriously undermining the validity of the United States' power. Abandoning a job half done would only serve notice to our enemy that just a little resistance or waiting for a different administration is all that is needed to defeat our objectives. Either the President realized that and made a promise he knew he could not legitimately keep, or he was very unsuited to take over as Commander-in-chief.]

At other times the unfilled promises come from well-meaning politicians that think they can achieve much more than they can, until they learn the political process is much more "political" than expected. Yet one can't help but think they must know the political process is cumbersome and, therefore, their promises will be met with resistance (sometimes even insurmountable resistance). They ignore what even the average person not in the profession of politics knows during their campaigns, knowing that it will serve as a useful excuse later when they are challenged about why they did not fulfill their promises. Politicians also know many voters have a short-term memory span.

While listening to the rhetoric of politicians, and observing the ebb and flow of power in general, I can't help but reflect on the words Jesus spoke during the Olivet Discourse wherein He assures us that His words, unlike things of this world, will never pass away. Those words are recorded in verbatim by all three writers of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33). Those words should serve as a reminder to us all that ultimately God is in control of everything, and that the words spoken during the Olivet Discourse were intended to have prophetic meaning far beyond the time in which they were said. We can rest assured God is in control, for Proverbs 16:4 says,

"The Lord works out everything for his own ends."

We also read in Daniel 2:21,

"He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them."

Ultimately, as Christians, we are not to look to this world; but, rather, we should follow Christ's words in Luke 21:36, wherein Jesus told us,

"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Obama's Iraq: All Troops Out By 2011? Not So Fast - Huffington Post

How should a Christian view politics? - GotQuestions.org

Where Is President Obama Leading Us?

The Restrainer Holding Back the Power of Lawlessness

The Demands for a Palestinian State in Israel

2011-01-25T10:53:00.006-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Peru recently announced that it will recognize a Palestinian state. It is now the seventh South American country to do so: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Guyana have also done so in recent weeks. Up until now, those nations have not been involved in the Middle East peace process. Many analysts are a little surprised by the seemingly coordinated effort for those countries to get involved and side with the Palestinians. On the surface, some believe it may be their desire to trade more with the Arab nations.

[Note: It's just a matter of time before we see catastrophes strike South America, as God's Word is very clear that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). We've already seen that in the horrific flooding that struck Brazil recently. Brazilian officials have said it was the worst natural disaster to ever have happened in their country.]

For people that study the Bible, particularly Bible prophecy, it is clear that much more than "flesh and blood politics" (Ephesians 6:12) is at work. Satan believes that if he can derail God's prophetic plan, he can change the outcome. We need only look at how the Egyptians, Babylonians, Syrians, and Romans were used to persecute the Jews; how Satan motivated King Herod to kill all the male babies at the time of Christ's birth; and how the Nazi Holocaust was an attempt to exterminate all the Jewish people. Today its the nation of Islam that is being used as Satan's tool.

The interesting issue is that, while there is thousands of times more land that belong to Islamic nations all around Israel, the land the Palestinians are bent on having "happens to be" the land which rightfully belongs to the Jewish people. It is a land mass about the size of New Jersey (1/19 the size of California). Make no mistake, it is the Jewish people's land as recorded in Genesis 15:18-21 where we read that God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants.

What could be alarming, except we know God is in complete control, is that we read in Zechariah 12:2-3 that at some point in the future “all nations of the earth” will be against Israel:

So, then, it's not really of any surprise that we have recently seen the United States pulling back its support for Israel compared to the strong alliance the United States and Israel once enjoyed. In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly in late September 2009, President Obama said, “America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.”

While many Americans are still pro-Israel, there are officials within the U.S., other than President Obama, that support the Palestinian statehood (in essence, not supporting Israel). The headlines make it sound like a large number of highly influential people; though careful examination, at least for now, suggests that may not be the case. Some formal officials even went so far as to sending a letter to President Obama, asking him not to veto any U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The signatories of the letter included Frank Carlucci, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Richard Murphy, former Assistant Secretary of State and former ambassador to Syria and Saudi Arabia, Thomas Pickering, former Undersecretary of State and former ambassador to Israel and the United Nations, Everett Ellis Briggs, former special adviser to President George H. W. Bush, and former Assistant Secretary of State Allen Holmes.

It's important to understand that historically the U.S. exercised it's veto power within the U.N. when it was in the best interest of the U.S. and its close allies; therefore, Israel has been saved from its enemies within the U.N. However, if the U.S. were to withdraw that support (as is being suggested), it would leave Israel very vulnerable to U.N. resolutions that would not favor the nation of Israel. Given that is likely what President Obama wants to do anyway, time will tell if that simply provides him with the excuse to do so.

If the West Bank were to be given to the Palestinians, Israel would then be only nine miles wide in a location directly north of Tel Aviv. As we look at a map, we realize that it would be nearly dividing the country in two and that it would make the Israeli citizens much more vulnerable to military attack.

If that’s not enough, Israel is being asked to give the land to an enemy that time and time again has fired missiles and launched attacks against Israel and her people. What makes President Obama's rhetoric even more suspicious is that after the disputed elections in Iran (with protestors in the streets complaining the election was not democratic), he said that he would not get involved because Iran was a sovereign nation; yet a short time later we saw him getting involved with Israel's right to build homes within its own borders, and he continues to do so today as much as ever.

WHERE IS THE U.S. IN END-TIMES BIBLE PROPHECY?

As noted, we know the Bible says that at the very least the United States will not be on the side of Israel. That also has to take place because of the way in which God once again will permit Israel to be victorious, which would not be as miraculous if a superpower were on Israel’s side. The reason why the U.S. will be “against Israel” is not clearly known. Many eschatologists theorize that the Rapture will have taken the Christians (and thus, the driving force behind why the U.S. is “Jewish-friendly”) away. Indeed, such an event would thrust the entire world into a chaotic situation and open the need for a so-called “savior” to offer peace and stability to a world in turmoil; hence, it would provide an opportune time for the Antichrist to enter the scene.

The times in which we live are very interesting. We know that it will become increasingly worse (a time of great trouble). Praise God, it's all part of His plan.

Brazil flood deaths top 800 with 400 still missing
Where Is President Obama Leading Us?

The Book of Mormon and Latter Day Saints

2011-01-22T12:40:00.019-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

I recently had the opportunity to visit with some Mormons that came to my home. We met for about an hour on three different occasions, and that experienced challenged me to learn more about their beliefs. I'm sharing that experience and what I learned to help anyone else that may some day have a similar experience, or that perhaps have friends that are Mormon.

If I had to sum up what I took away from that experience and the concept that I want to share the most with others concerning that matter, it is this: The 66 books of the Christian Bible are all that one needs. (PERIOD)

Anything added later, such as the Book of Mormon, is just that "something added later" and, therefore, it should not be considered part of the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God. Put another way, God did not "forget" to put it all in the first time! We, therefore, do not need "Latter Day Saints" to give us additional revelations from Jesus Christ. To do that simply undermines God's omniscience.

Supposedly (and all we have is the word of one person or the whole Mormon system really falls apart), Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from gold plates which he dug up in a hill in New York in the early 1800's. Gold plates that, very suspiciously, can not be reproduced: It's awfully convenient for Joseph Smith that the story he told is they were taken and hidden again after he was specially selected to transcribe their contents. Some common sense about the matter should raise substantial suspicion. Unfortunately, that’s not so easy from a Mormon’s perspective, because to question things like that would be considered heretical; thus, their relationship with other Mormon friends and with their own family would be threatened.

The Mormon young men that came to my home were very likable, and I believe there is a lot that Christians can learn from Mormons. My experiences by visiting with those that came to my door as well as knowing some Mormons through various community activities have always been positive. I have found that Mormons have strong moral values, are eager to help people, and that they show a kindness and gentleness that many of us could imitate. Moreover, when I pressed the young men that visited with me, I did not find anything that disagreed with my orthodox Christian beliefs. I even read the Book of Mormon they left with me and still didn't find any glaring issues or discrepancies (admittedly I didn't study it diligently). However, something in my Spirit continued to raise caution, so I did some additional research to find out more...

That's when the problems surfaced, because a lot of the beliefs within Mormonism are not within the Book of Mormon, rather they are within other Mormon literature, such as The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Unlike the Book of Mormon which is handed to you when they visit your door (in fact giving you a copy of that book is an integral part of their mission), those books are not provided to you. There is a reason for that, because those books are where the substantial discrepancies exist: like God once being a man; the denial of the Trinity; Jesus having been created and, therefore, "Satan's brother"; various levels of heaven not supported in the Christian Bible; and more. The fact they essentially have a "bait and switch" way of presenting the Mormon gospel in itself should raise suspicion.

Another major problem I discovered is that one must accept Joseph Smith as a prophet to buy into their beliefs. The Mormons I talked to insisted I “search my feelings” as I read the Book of Mormon. Feelings, however, are unreliable because they are subjective and for many people are something that can be somewhat “conjured up”. In fact, Mormons are told that if they are not getting that special "feeling" and "insight" from the Holy Spirit, then they are just not doing it right. I’m sure that is what their missionaries are told if people, like me, give them back their book and explain all one needs can be found within the 66 books of the Christian Bible (not some other book or prophetic visions added centuries later).

Rather than feelings, what we need is something with which to measure any claims or teachings presented to us. We have that in God’s Word. How can we test His Word? We read in Deuteronomy 18:21-22, "You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him."

Therein presents a significant problem with Mormonism, as Joseph Smith actually made false prophecies. (I'm surprised the religion stands after that; but, as noted before, the cultish way in which it is handed down from generation to generation ensures its survival.) That is, he claimed something would happen "in the name of the LORD" several times, but then it did not! For example, he prophesied that New York would be destroyed if they "rejected the [Mormon] gospel" (D&C 84:114-115). By far, New York rejected his Mormonism: and, to date, New York has not been destroyed. Eventually it will be, along with the rest of the world, but that will be during the end times as explained in many places of the Christian Bible, such as Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and Revelation (the real Revelation of Jesus Christ).

Also, for those familiar with Bible prophecy, you know that the Jewish people and the nation of Israel is an integral part of God's plan. Thus, another suspicious issue with Mormonism is the idea that God, contrary to His previous pattern, suddenly decided to choose "Utah" and/or "Missouri" to be the new "Epicenter" of His plan. From the perspective of a false prophet, perhaps that oddity holds water; but to anyone that carefully studies God's Word, we see many contradictions within that concept.

I pray that God will open the eyes of people caught in the lies of Mormonism. As noted earlier, however, I realize that would take great courage for them to do so given its cultish way of dealing with friends and family that defect from their false religion. If they could break from that bondage and use their gentle zeal for the true Kingdom of God, they could accomplish much. Meanwhile, if you encounter a Mormon that wants to recruit you into their faith, I hope this brief introduction to the problems of their beliefs will equip you to resist and, if necessary, give you reason to do additional research to counter their false gospel.

I conclude this article with the powerful words, and warning, Paul wrote in Galatians 1:6-9:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Related Links:

Pray That You May Escape (Book)

The Book of Mormon... Another Testament?
Who Was Joseph Smith?
Daniel's 70th Week

What Will the Antichrist Be Like?

2011-01-18T16:09:00.038-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

The Bible refers to the Antichrist by several names. The Apostle Paul refers to him as "the man of lawlessness" and the "the man doomed to destruction (2 Thes 2:3). Other terms used are "beast coming out of the sea" (Rev 13:1-10); a "scarlet beast" (Rev 17:33); and, most often, simply "the beast" (Rev 17:8,16; Rev 19:19-20; Rev 20:10).

From the Christian's perspective, since the Antichrist will not appear until after Christians are Raptured to heaven (1 Thes 4:16-17; 1 Cor 15:51-52), we must be careful not to prematurely point to world leaders or others in the world now and claim they are the Antichrist. For unbelievers that are left to face the tribulation, however, the Bible has left many clues so that he may be identified. Here are a few of the main ones:

He will "confirm a covenant with many": in other words he will confirm some type of agreement, likely a peace treaty, with the people of Israel (Dan 9:27).
Not surprisingly since he will be controlled by Satan himself (Rev 13:2), who is a true liar (John 8:44), he will break the covenant in the middle (after 3.5 years) and will commit the "abomination that causes desolation" in the Temple (Dan 9:27, Matt 24:15).
Before doing so, however, he will arise to great power from ten kings in the restored Roman Empire (Dan 7:24; Rev 13:2; Dan 7:7).
He will rise from obscurity, come onto the scene suddenly and will overcome/subdue three of the ten world leaders (Dan 7:8, 24). He will be distinct from the other world leaders (Dan 7:24).
He will speak boastfully about himself (Dan 7:8; Rev 13:5) and will blaspheme God (Dan 7:25; 11:36; Rev 13:5). In fact, he will go so far as to claim to be God (Dan 11:37; 2 Thes 2:4).
He will oppress the saints and be successful doing so for 3.5 years (Dan 7:25; Rev 13:7).
He will attempt to change the calendar (Dan 7:25): perhaps he will remove religious holidays, the Sabbath, and/or devote days to himself.
He will also try to change the laws (Dan 7:25) and will consider himself above the law (Dan 11:36).
He will show no regard for the religion of his ancestors (Dan 11:37) nor for the one desired by women" (Dan 11:37). Some people misinterpret that to mean he will be a homosexual, but that is not what the text says. Like his lack of regard for his ancestors' religion, he will have no regard for something typically longed for by women. In context of Hebrew tradition, that would be a desire for a Messiah (Gen 3:15).
He will be accompanied by a false prophet and they will perform miracles, signs and wonders (2 Thes 2:9; Rev 13:13-14).
Many people will be deceived (2 Thes 2:11) and many will worship him (Rev 13:8).
He will appear to have miraculously survived a fatal head wound (Rev 13:3). (There seems to be a suggestion from Zechariah 11:17 that the Antichrist's arm will be totally withered, and his right eye will be blind.)
The number 666, in some way, will be the number of the Antichrist (Rev 13:17-18).
He will control a world banking system and not allow anyone to buy or to sell unless they take upon their right hand or forehead the "mark of the beast" (Rev 13:15-17)

Unlike the Rapture which could occur at any time and without any event necessarily preceding it, the Antichrist will not come onto the world scene without warning. At least three events will happen before he arises to power:

1) A "Rebellion" must occur (2 Thes 2:3). Some scholars say the "rebellion" has something to do with the apostate church, while others say that term, apostasia, better translates to the word "departure" or "rapture".

2) The "secret power of lawlessness", which is already at work in the world now, must intensify (2 Thes 2:7). The world will become especially evil immediately before the Antichrist arises to power. The preceding idea that the Church and Holy Spirit will be removed from earth makes further sense given the result would be a world more evil than ever. We also know that the morals of society will get worse because of the words we read in 2 Tim 3:1-4:

3) The one who now holds back the Antichrist from ruling and reigning must be removed. Satan was once a very powerful angel in heaven before he became a "fallen angel". He is called the "god of this age" (2 Cor 4:4) and one third of the angles fell with him (Rev 12:4); thus, he has an evil, powerful army at his command. Understanding that concept, we must consider that the only entity that would be a match for Satan and his minions is the Holy Spirit. Many scholars believe that once the Church is removed from this world via the Rapture, so too will be the Holy Spirit that dwells within the Church.

The Restrainer Holding Back the Power of Lawlessness
The Moral Decay of Society

Will Unbelievers Be Ushered Into The Millennium?

2011-01-14T09:12:00.062-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

I was recently asked, "Will unbelievers be ushered into the Millennium?". It's an interesting question, but I would like to back up just a bit to cover the bases and be sure I address all aspects of the question. It ends up being a nice, general overview of the end times, death, and eternity...

To begin, let's examine what will happen to all the unbelievers that have lived and died up to this point (or that die between now and the millennium, which includes the tribulation period that is yet to happen). Currently they go to a place that the Bible refers to as "Hades". Without going into too much detail beyond the scope of this article, Hades is a temporary place where spirits of unbelievers go upon their physical death. Before Christ died on the cross, Hades has two compartments: One called "paradise" (a.k.a. "Abraham's Bosom") and the other "torments" (their difference can easily be inferred from their names).

Knowing what Hades is helps explain the story of Lazarus and the rich man, wherein we learn they were able to see each other and communicate after their mutual deaths; but they could not cross the chasm (Luke 16:19-31). That scene took place before Christ's crucifixion. It also explains why we read how Jesus descended to Hades and preached to the spirits (1 Peter 3:18-20).

We are not given the text of the sermon Jesus preached in Hades, but one can imagine He may have explained to the Old Testament saints in paradise that their sins had been forgiven once and for all: not with blood sacrifices of animals, but with the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus. When Jesus ascended to heaven, He also took the believers that were in paradise with Him (Ephesians 4:8-10); thus, paradise is now heaven. Those in the place of torments were primary recipients of the message, and were left behind.

Most people are familiar with the scene where Jesus said to the thief on the cross next to Him and who asked Him for mercy, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). It would seem the thief may have had a very short "lay over" in the paradise side of Hades — just long enough to hear Jesus' sermon before He went to heaven with Jesus and the Old Testament saints. We read in Revelation 20:14-15 that at the end of the millennium (just before "eternity"), death and Hades will be thrown into the "lake of fire" (hell).

So that leaves us with those people alive now that may go through the tribulation. That will not include Christians, as they will be in the Rapture of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Christians will be rewarded for their good faithful service during their time on earth and/or will lose rewards for their lack of service and obedience (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Meanwhile, back on planet earth the Antichrist will arise. Many Bible prophecy scholars believe the tribulation will happen soon after the Rapture, as a direct result of the Rapture — because once the Church leaves, so too will the Holy Spirit who is holding back the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12).

One of the most notable events that will signal the Antichrist's arrival will be when he confirms a covenant with the people of Israel for seven years (Daniel 9:27). Also referred to as "Daniel's 70th Week", it somewhat aligns with the tribulation (though it does not necessarily have to be in perfect sync). The tribulation will be a terrible time when Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet (the "unholy trinity") will severely persecute Jews and Christians. There will also be wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters of which have never been as bad as until that time. God will also be pouring out His wrath against the evil people of the world and their wickedness.

As Daniel 9:27 further explains, in the middle of the seven year period the Antichrist will break that covenant he made. He will then commit “the abomination of desolation” and set up an image of himself to be worshipped in the Temple (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10). (For that to happen, of course, the Jewish Temple will have to be rebuilt in Jerusalem.) That abomination will bring about the second half of the tribulation, which is called “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). It will be a time worse than ever and the Bible says that it would have to be for only that limited time because, if sustained, no human would survive (Matthew 24:22, ).

Near the end of the tribulation, Satan, the earthly forces he recruits via the Antichrist and False Prophet, and the fallen angels he currently commands will engage in what is known as The Battle of Armageddon. It will be a vain, last ditch effort to defeat God's plan by trying to destroy His people (the Jewish nation of Israel). However, that will not happen: not even close. Jesus Christ will return with "thousands upon thousands" of heavenly forces (Jude 1:14-15) and destroy the Antichrist and his armies, and cast them into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-21). Though the heavenly forces will accompany Him, it would seem they are just present to witness the event, as Jesus will not require their help since He alone can defeat all of the forces. Revelation 20:1-6 explained that Jesus will do it with the sword of His Word. (Note: to a lesser extent, we have that same power available to us, as we too have God's Word, the Bible, as our sword!).

Revelation 20:11-15 describes "The great white throne judgment", which is the final judgment prior to unbelievers being cast into the "lake of fire". That will begin the millennium: the 1,000 year reign of Christ here on earth.

As It Was in the Days of Noah: Rapture or Second Coming?

Blood Red Moons and Solar Eclipses in 2015

2011-01-06T19:06:00.169-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Mark Biltz, pastor of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, WA, has discovered some information that is quite interesting in a prophetic sense. He notes that a series of four rare lunar eclipses (known as a tetrad) will happen in 2014 and 2015. Two of the lunar eclipses will happen during Passover and The Feast of Sukkot, (a.k.a. The Feast of Tabernacles) in 2015, and there will be two solar eclipses that same year falling on dates noteworthy to the Jewish calendar. I think this statement from Biltz best sums up what will happen in 2015 regarding the eclipses:

You have the religious year beginning with the total solar eclipse, two weeks later a total lunar eclipse on Passover, and then the civil year beginning with the solar eclipse followed two weeks later by another total blood red moon on the Feast of Sukkot—all in 2015.

Biltz's claims can be confirmed by looking at a biblical calendar and then NASA's web site because astronomers are able to predict those astronomical events with high precision (not surprising given that our Creator's intelligent design is amazing).

I have to admit that I've been aware of that theory for a few years, but each time it's brought to my attention I quickly remind myself that we must not set dates. Jesus Himself told us that repeatedly:

• No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36)

• Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:42)

• So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44).

• Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13).

Still, I am often asked about the topic and, thus, I have been compelled to dig deeper into the theory. The results of my research have been quite interesting (even for those who may have heard about this before)...

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A TETRAD

Biltz notes that if we go back in history to examine when tetrads happened previously, we find one was in 1967, when Israel recaptured Jerusalem. Prior to that it happened in 1948, which we know to be one of the most notable prophetic events in centuries: when Israel became a nation! He goes on to explain that prior to 1948 there were not any tetrads at all until the 15th century, but none of those fell on Passover or The Feast of Sukkot. Then in 1493 and 1494, shortly after the Jews were exiled from Spain, there was a tetrad that also synced up with the dates of Passover and The Feast of Sukkot. "So each time it happened it was tied to the Jewish people," Biltz notes. He also points out that other than 2015 a tetrad will not happen again in this century.

Upon much closer examination of Pastor Biltz's theory and his calm and studious presentation thereof, I have to concede the possibility that something of prophetic significance may be in store for those dates. It's just too hard to ignore the pattern the Lord has seemingly provided to us. Please read on, as I'll explain that concept in greater detail throughout this article...

I'm not even sure Biltz is aware of this, as I haven't seen him mention it in any of his presentations; but one must also understand that God used celestial events in the past when the Christ child was visited by the Magi, and again at His death (which was also a blood red moon). If you have not seen the Star of Bethlehem, I highly recommend you order a copy for yourself to fully understand what I am saying about that. You have to see the video to really understand why I take pause and concede there may be something of prophetic significance related to the tetrad occurring in sync with the Jewish Feasts in 2015.

ANALYSIS OF THE INITIAL THEORY

Further below (under the section entitled "Reasons to Pay Attention to 2015") I explain why these celestial events may be prophetically significant. To be thorough, however, I must note that there are some problems with the initial theory Biltz presented, as it suggested that the solar and lunar eclipse that will happen in 2015 could be related to the Second Coming. (I must also give Biltz credit that he was careful to not blatantly set dates, yet it's clear the theory was implying 2015 was the Second Coming.) Indeed, in Matthew 24:29 we read about the sun being darkened and the moon not giving its light immediately after the tribulation (which we know will shortly be following by the Second Coming) because Matthew 24:30 clearly describes that:

Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

However, if the celestial events of 2015 were to occur immediately after the tribulation, we must back up seven years from the dates to locate the beginning of the tribulation. Since the Bible tells us Daniel's 70th Week will begin when the Antichrist comes upon the scene (Revelation 6:2) and confirms a covenant with the Jewish people (Daniel 9:27), then we would have had to seen that event in 2008. Obviously we did not. In fact, there was also no Rapture, which would have been an even more obvious event.

Of course, some might contend that I am assuming a couple of theological issues, and I am. Among other things, an understanding of Daniel's 70th Week is essential to understanding that we can not be in the tribulation now given there has been no confirmation of a covenant nor has there been a Rapture. I can concede that the tribulation and Daniel's 70th Week do not necessarily have to be entirely in sync, but that does not help with the problem at hand. I have included links to both of those topics, Reasons for a Pre-Trib Rapture and Daniel's 70th Week, at the end of this article if you want to study either of those topics further.

If the celestial events are not related to the end of the tribulation and Second Coming, then that leaves a few possibilities. Perhaps they will represent the beginning of the tribulation. Maybe they will happen at the abomination of desolation, or a major prophetic war involving Israel. If we look to when they happened in the past, then whatever it may be, it suggests we are to be looking for a major event related to the Jewish people.

There are other places in scripture where we read about the sun and moon being darkened. For example, the prophet Joel foretold that the sun and moon would be darkened, and he added it would happen before the day of the LORD:

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. (Joel 2:31)

So what is Joel's prophecy all about? We learn about that in Acts 2:17-21, where we read that Peter explained to a group of listeners that those speaking in tongues were fulfilling Joel's prophecy: which foretold that a future generation would prophesy and see visions, that God would pour out His Spirit, and that there would be wonders in heaven — to include that "the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood". Once again, I refer you to the Star of Bethlehem for further insight to how that did, in fact, happen at the time of Pentecost, just as Joel predicted!

Thus, Joel's version is not about us now or any future event. Rather, it happened at the time of Pentecost (before the day of the LORD in that context). It should be noted that it was also an event related to the people of Israel because right after quoting Joel, Peter resumes his sermon with "Men of Israel, listen to this..." (Acts 2:22).

Another place we can look is Joel 3:15, as we also see reference to the sun and moon being darkened. However, that appears to be the same event described in Matthew 24, for the next verse (Joel 3:16) also describes additional celestial events that appear to be of a more ominous and supernatural nature. Isaiah 13:10 and Isaiah 24:23 also seem to be describing the same event as Matthew 24:30 and Joel 3:15. In fact, it appears that the prophetic events related to the Second Coming are of a supernatural nature because other celestial events (stars falling from the sky and the heavenly bodies being shaken) are also foretold to happen. That does not seem to be the same natural events scheduled to happen in 2015 (though it could be said that, unlike the eclipses, those events are not something we can predict with science.)

That brings me to one final place in scripture that must be examined, because Revelation 6:12-14 also describes the sun being darkened ("like sackcloth made of goat hair") and the moon turning to blood. Interestingly, that is related to the opening of the Sixth Seal, which may not be about the Second Coming since many more tribulation events described in Revelation come afterward. If any of the verses in scripture match, I believe it could be this one.

However, while it is predicted that both a solar eclipse and lunar eclipse are to happen in 2015, they will not happen on the same day (in fact, at best, they happen a couple weeks apart). Yet, it may be that John saw the eclipses in succession and not simultaneous and, because he was seeing them in a vision, it would have been hard for him to distinguish they happened one after another with a small time period between each. Therein I'll admit that the eclipses scheduled to happen in 2015 may be related to Revelation 6:12-14. Yet I do so very cautiously and must qualify that statement: I just don't know for certain. (Also, some experts interpret the Sixth Seal of Revelation as a "flash forward" that aligns with the other verses describing the Second Coming, which would require that we also rule it out.)

REASONS TO PAY ATTENTION TO 2015

Even if we ruled out that there is no relation between any prophetic scripture referencing the sun and moon being darkened with the eclipses forecast to happen in 2015, I believe we still may have reason to pay attention to the interesting discovery. First, the pattern is quite remarkable, as we have seen noteworthy celestial events when the "Star of Bethlehem" led the Magi to the Christ child, at Christ's death, during Pentecost, when the Jewish people were exiled from Spain in the late 14th Century, when Israel became a nation again in 1948, and when Israel recaptured Jerusalem in 1967. If that pattern continues, then we can expect that 2015 will also have major prophetic implications for the Jewish people.

Also, while we know that we do not know the exact time of Christ's return, the Bible also explains in many places that we are to be watchful:

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. (Luke 12:37, emphasis added)
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. (Luke 12:38, emphasis added)
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen... (Luke 21:36, emphasis added)
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. ( Revelation 3:3, emphasis added)

We can also refer to the verses I quoted at the onset of this article reminding us we do not know when Jesus will return. With the exception of Matthew 24:36, Jesus also specifically told us to be ready and watch for His return:

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:42, emphasis added)
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44, emphasis added)
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13, emphasis added)

Before I conclude this article, I want to discuss watching signs in the heavens. The key is to be students of astronomy, the scientific study of the stars; which is not to be confused with astrology, a practice related to the occult that falsely believes we can “interpret” the stars (and planets) and their influence on humanity. The Bible says that stars, along with the sun and moon, were given for “signs” and “seasons” (Genesis 1:14). That verse alone is pretty compelling, but we also have other verses we can turn to about the subject of watching the heavens for signs. In Psalm 19:1-4 we read the following:

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

So, like the verses explaining we are to be watchful, we learn from David that God has given us notice that His creation in the heavens declare His glory and His work (v. 1), they continually, both day and night, pour forth speech and display knowledge (v. 2), they can be translated to every language (v. 3), and everyone all around the world can hear that voice (v. 4). Moreover, in Romans 10:16-21 Paul explains that Israel did not accept the Messiah; but he explains they could have, and then he quotes David's Psalm! Romans 10:18 says:

But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

"Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world"

I don't think it can be more clear: we are to pay attention to prophetic signs, we should be ready and on the watch, and we must acknowledge that the heavens have signs for us as well!

SUMMARY:

I began this article by providing a brief overview of Mark Biltz's finding, then cited verses that remind us that nobody knows the specific time of Christ's return. I then examined how Pastor Biltz has uncovered an amazing pattern wherein a major event related to the Jewish people happened each time there was a tetrad that year and I provided you with further evidence that God has, time and time again, used celestial events to point to earthly events. I examined why 2015 can not be related to the Second Coming, yet explained that we should still be paying attention to the tetrad in 2015. I then provided some scripture that clearly warns us to be ready and watchful — to include paying attention to the heavens.

NOTE: In no way does the possibility that some major event impacting the Jewish people in 2015 influence the imminence of the Rapture. Since the Rapture can occur at any time, with it not being necessary that any event precede it, the fact we are seeing end-times signs (a looming tetrad; wars and rumors of wars; earthquakes and other natural disasters; worldwide economic stress; technological advances; etc.) just brings us all the closer to the end times and, therefore, we can, more than ever, expect the Rapture at any moment!

The Rapture Slated for May 21, 2011 - REALLY? (Blog)

The Restrainer Holding Back the Power of Lawlessness

2011-01-05T21:34:00.021-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

In 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 the Apostle Paul writes about the Antichrist. Unlike the Rapture, Paul explains the coming of the Antichrist will not be without warning:

And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

There we can glean that there are three different ages:

1. The Present Age - a time period prior to the Rapture (during which the "restrainer" holds the Antichrist back.) Titus 2:11-14 also refers to this age as the "present age". Many people also call the time in which we presently live the Church Age, as it is the time when the Church is on earth and fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

2. The Tribulation Age - a time period that will be preceded by a "rebellion" (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Some say the "rebellion" has something to do with the apostate church, while others say that term actually means "rapture". Dr. Thomas Ice presents further insight as to why apostasia may actually mean "rapture". (I reference his article in the "Related Links" section at the bottom of this article.) We also know that the tribulation will be full of hardship as a result of the Antichrist having unrestrained rule over the earth, and because God will be unleashing His wrath upon a defiant mankind (Revelation 6:16).

3. The Messianic Age - a time period that will happen after the Second Coming. The first part will consist of the millennium, during which Satan will be thrown into an abyss for 1,000 years so that he can not decieve the nations any longer (Revelation 20:2). After which Satan will be let loose for a little while (Revelation 20:7,8), and then he will be thrown into hell for eternity (Revelation 20:10).

Many people often ask about what or who the restraining force is. We are not given any specifics in the aforementioned text or elsewhere in the Bible. Some say it's the government. Others point to the Jewish State or the Roman Empire. Still others say it is the Pope or the Holy Catholic Church. None of those are legitimate at all. Still others point to the archangel Michael, or to Paul, or Peter, or Moses, or Elijah. The list goes on. However, as we must recognize that Satan was once a very powerful angel in heaven before he became a "fallen angel". He is called the "god of this age" (2 Cor 4:4) and one third of the angles fell with him (Rev 12:4); thus, he has an evil, powerful army at his command. Understanding that concept, we must consider that the only entity that would be a match for Satan and his minions is the Holy Spirit.

Now that brings us to an interesting concept. When did the Holy Spirit come to this world? It was after Jesus ascended to heaven and sent the comforter. Jesus told the disciples in John 14:15-19:

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”

So in those verses we are able to understand that Jesus said He was going to send the Holy Spirit and that, consequently, He would be with them. So, when the Holy Spirit is with them, Jesus is too. What is interesting, in light of that, is Jesus' last word to His disciples. We read in Matthew 28:18-20:

Then Jesus came to them and said:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (emphasis added)

Following our understanding that Jesus will be with us until the end of the age (the "Church Age") via the Holy Spirit, it would seem that Jesus was saying that the Holy Spirit would be here until the Rapture of the Church. That can also be supported when we understand that the Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost when the Church began (Acts 2:1-4).

Consequently, one can conclude that once the present age ends (at the precise time of the Rapture), so too the Holy Spirit will be removed from earth; thus, that is the restrainer that is currently holding the Antichrist and evil at bay. Once the Christians are taken via the Rapture, the Antichrist will rule and reign. It will be marked by the absolute worst time in history, for he will make life "hell on earth", and God's wrath via the tribulation will also be at work.

The Rapture Slated for May 21, 2011 - REALLY?

2011-01-04T10:22:00.034-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

A group of people based out of Raleigh, NC are promoting that the Rapture is going to take place on May 21, 2011. Harold Camping, a retired civil engineer says this about his group's prediction, “Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment.”

When I say they are "promoting" the idea, I really mean that: and they're getting the attention of the media and the masses alike. Marie Exley, one of the groups most noted supporters, is using her logistics skills acquired while serving in the military to "advertise" their theory. They are using billboards, bus stop benches, caravans of RV's and are passing out pamphlets on street corners. They are doing this in several cities across the nation: from Bridgeport, Conn. to Little Rock, Ark. And they aren't stopping there, as they also have mission groups traveling through Latin America and Africa to spread the news outside the U.S.

The problem is that an unbridled imagination feeds scoffers both within and outside the Christian community. We read in 2 Peter 3:3-4 an interesting prophecy, “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?'”

So, how do these scoffers come about? The following is an excerpt from my book, Pray That You May Escape:

When the subject (of Bible Prophecy) does finally get onto the average person’s “radar,” it is often when the secular media report about so-called prophets on the proverbial street corner proclaiming “the end is near,” or when another best-selling author does essentially the same thing but is eventually left embarrassed when his or her “last day” is followed by another sunrise.

So now we have the same issue developing again. It is unfortunate when people erroneously tie events to the end times, particularly when a date for the Rapture is set. They only bring embarrassment to the field of eschatology (the study of end times) and, more importantly, undermine God's Word that indeed some day the Rapture will happen. In other words, it feeds the scoffers all the more.

We do know the Rapture, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, is an imminent event. Indeed it is that understanding of its imminence that inspires people to share God's Word with a sense of urgency, and it helps them be sure they are living right and that their relationship with the Lord is where it should be. We should also understand, however, that we do not know specifically when the Rapture will happen. Jesus Himself told us that repeatedly:

• "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)

• "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)

• "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:44).

• "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matthew 25:13).

With all that said, I would like to conclude this article with what the Apostle Paul's instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11:

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Maranatha!

End of Days in May? Christian group spreads word

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Myths About Studying Bible Prophecy

Come, Lord Jesus (Maranatha!)

2010-12-30T17:13:00.005-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

We know that a Christian's prayer life is extremely important. It is our way to communicate with God. Jesus exemplified prayer to us many times (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus, being perfect, needed to pray to remain in the Father’s will and to keep that important line of communication open, how much more do we need to pray? Indeed, Philippians 4:6-7 commands us to pray, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer is also directly related to end-times Bible prophecy. I am writing this article because as we embark on a New Year, I would like to exhort everyone to pray, and specifically to pray for the Lord's return. Though often missed as being related to prophecy, the Parable of the Persistent Widow is specifically talking about praying for justice and the Lord's return. We find that interesting parable in Luke 18:1-8, which is immediately after Jesus discusses the days of Noah in Luke 17:26-37—wherein He is very clearly describing end-times events. The Parable of the Persistent Widow is as follows:

Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

As we study this portion of Scripture, we can infer contextually that the parable is referring to the end times, because, as I noted, it occurs immediately after Jesus talks about end-times events. Also notice the first sentence that introduces the parable. It says, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Obviously that transition is indicating the parable is related to what had just been discussed. Moreover, we see that this parable is most certainly about the end times, for the last sentence of that parable says, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

As we examine the verses that precede The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 17:26-37), I believe they describe people disappearing because of the Rapture. (Note: Some scholars believe that it is the Second Coming, rather than the Rapture, that is being described; but I think careful examination reveals those verses best describe the Rapture. I examined that topic in a previous article entitled "As It Was in the Days of Noah: Rapture or Second Coming?" which I'll link to at the bottom of this article if you wish to explore that further.) As we consider the Rapture, Jesus explained to us that it will be just as in the days of Noah, when people were going about their everyday life (eating, drinking, marrying, working, and building), which is just as we are today. In light of that, I believe that as much as ever Christians should be praying for the Lord's return and the Rapture of the Church!

Another place we find mention of prayer is 1 Thessalonians 5:17-20 where Paul, after having explained the Rapture and other end-times events in chapter 4 and 5 concludes his letter with, "pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt."

We can also turn to one of my favorite verses in the Bible as we further examine that concept, which is Luke 21:36, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Once again, as we carefully study the text, we note something of particular interest, and that is Jesus says “Pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen”, not just certain parts, and certainly not only the end, which lends more credibility to the Pre-Trib Rapture Theory and that Christians are to be praying about that idea.

The final place in scripture I'd like to reference is the last two verses of the Bible, Revelation 22:20-21:

He who testifies to these things (Jesus) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

We shorten those verses to one succinct and endearing word to capture its essence, "Maranatha!"

Related Links:

Pray That You May Escape

Jesus Is Coming Soon
As It Was in the Days of Noah: Rapture or Second Coming?

Why is Daily Prayer Important?

Reasons for a Pre-Trib Rapture

2010-12-25T00:07:00.089-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Having studied the subject of end-times Bible prophecy for many years, I have seen the topic of the timing of the Rapture addressed many times. Indeed I had to go on my own journey of studying the scripture and the works of many other scholars before finally concluding that only the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory makes the most sense logically and, most importantly, scripturally. Not only does it make the most sense, but the other ones make the least sense when compared to what the Bible has to say about the Rapture. The topic can fill entire books, but I will limit to a simple, easy-to-understand summary for the purposes of this article.

IMMINENCE

The concept of an imminent Rapture also provides substantial strength to God's Word. We read in Titus 2:11-14 that it is our blessed hope, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

We also read in 2 Peter 3:9-10 these assuring words, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."

The early Church understood the Rapture could happen at any moment, which further supports that the Pre-Trib Rapture Theory is correct. In fact, one of the primary reasons 2 Thessalonians was written was because some false teachers had told the Church in Thessalonia that they missed the Rapture. Paul, the writer of 2 Thessalonians, explained they did not miss it, and then goes on to explain the Antichrist (a key figure in end times events) would not be revealed until first a great rebellion happens (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Paul continues to explain that, "the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:7) Many scholars believe that is referring to the Holy Spirit within the Church. Obviously that lends further support to a Pre-Trib Rapture.

Other verses that support the Rapture will be sudden and unexpected (imminent) include:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42)
"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:44).
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matthew 25:13).

One of the verses I like best can be found in Luke 21:36, where we are told by Jesus to "be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man". Notice that Jesus says that we are to pray and that He is saying, "Pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen", not just certain parts, and certainly not only the end.

As we contrast the Pre-Trib Rapture Theory with all the other theories (shown below), we learn that they do not support the idea that the Rapture is imminent. Rather, they would have Christians waiting until they saw the "abomination of desolation" before any expectation of the Rapture is thought or hoped for. The Post-Trib Theory, among other major fallacies, steals the imminency of the Rapture the most because the timing will be something that can be calculated. For example, Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:6 explain that the Great Tribulation (the period after the "abomination of desolationˮ) will last 3.5 years. Revelation 11:3 and Revelation 12:6 reinforce the 3.5 year period, citing it will be precisely 1,260 days.

JUST AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

Related to the idea of it being imminent, I believe some of the best passages that alert us to be ready for the Rapture are found in Luke 17:26-36:

"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in a field; one taken, the other left."

The verses above describe people disappearing because of the Rapture. (Note: Some scholars believe that it is the Second Coming, rather than the Rapture, that is being described; but I think careful examination reveals those verses best describe the Rapture for if it were the Second Coming (which happens after the tribulation), life will be far from usual. Visit this link if you wish to explore that topic further.) As we consider the Rapture, Jesus explained to us that it will be just as in the days of Noah, when people were going about their everyday life (eating, drinking, marrying, working, and building), which is just as we are today. Again, we must note that the Bible explains The Rapture is an imminent event that will come when many do not expect it to.

GOD'S MERCY FOR HIS FOLLOWERS

We should appreciate that God will be merciful to the Christians who are living their lives according to His Word. The precedent is clear, for God mercifully spared Lot, Noah, and their respective families. Additionally, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." We also read in Revelation 3:10, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."

CHRIST'S LOVE FOR HIS BRIDE, THE CHURCH

Related to the aforementioned concept that Christ will come back to save the Church (His bride), scripture also explains the event as our "blessed hopeˮ (Titus 2:13). There would not be any "blessed hopeˮ if we were first going to have to endure the tribulation events described in Revelation. Indeed we would be hoping that we were not the generation that lived during the end days if we thought that, rather than being raptured, we will have to endure hardship like has never been known before.

Support of a Pre-Trib Rapture can also be found within Jewish wedding customs. There are several places in scripture where the Church is likened to the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27, 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-2), so as we examine that concept further we learn that analogy is rich with comparison...

The Jewish wedding ceremony starts with the bridegroom paying a price for the bride (much like Jesus paid the price for the Church on the cross). The bride shows she approves of the covenant by drinking a glass of wine (similar to how Christians drink the symbolic wine at communion) and she has a ritual cleansing bath (much like Christians get baptized). The time between the betrothal and actual marriage can be quite some time, as the bridegroom must depart to build a place where they will live together, similar to what Jesus said in John 14:2-3, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.ˮ

After the bridegroom has finishes the task, he returns at an unexpected time for his bride: which is exactly what we read in scripture about Christ's unexpected return for the Church (e.g. the Rapture). We also learn about that unexpected return in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), where we notice that both the faithful and unfaithful virgins were not expecting the bridegroom's return. Yet once the tribulation begins, particularly when the "abomination of desolationˮ is witnessed, there would otherwise be a great expectation that Christ is going to return. Once again, we see that an imminence is emphasized, and only the Pre-Trib Theory supports a completely unexpected, imminent rapture.

OTHER INFERENCES

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we read that we are "Christ's ambassadorsˮ. What is interesting about that is that before war breaks out, ambassadors are called home for their own safety. It is done quickly and in secret so as to not alert the enemy. Obviously that analogy can be applied to the Rapture of the Church.

Some people contend there is no rapture at all and blend the Rapture with the Second Coming. The following chart briefly contrasts those two distinct events:

THE RAPTURE	THE SECOND COMING
Christians will be taken from earth and will join the Lord in the clouds. 1 Thessalonians 4:17	Christians will return from heaven to the earth with the Lord. Revelation 19:14
Occurs before the Tribulation for the reasons discussed in this article.	Occurs at the very end of the entire tribulation period. Revelation chapters 6-19
Will happen in an instant (in “the twinkling of an eye”). 1 Corinthians 15:50-54	Will be an event that is visible to everyone. Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:29-30
Is imminent Titus 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, Luke 17:26-36	Will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place. 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18

We can also note that while the church is talked about abundantly in chapters 1-4 of Revelation, it's not mentioned once the text turns to describing the tribulation. Moreover, John, the writer of Revelation, is taken up into heaven to describe the tribulation events at the beginning of chapter 4. To many people who study those passages, John's being taken up to heaven at that time strongly suggests a correlation to the Rapture also happening before the tribulation begins.

THE PURPOSE

Finally, we must examine a very important concept concerning the tribulation, and that is: what is its purpose and for whom is it intended? Once you have a firm grasp on that fundamental concept, you begin to understand that the tribulation is not meant for the Church at all. Rather, as explained in what is known as "Daniel's 70^th Week", the tribulation is a time God has specifically set aside to deal with the Jewish people. Understanding "Daniel's 70^th Week" is so fundamental that I have devoted an entirely separate discussion about that very topic, which I have included in the "Related Links" below.

Related Links:

Daniel's 70th Week

As It Was in the Days of Noah: Rapture or Second Coming?

The Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:3

Pray That You May Escape

Daniel's 70th Week

2010-12-15T09:14:00.049-06:00

By Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries

Understanding what is known as “Daniel's 70^th Week” is very important to the study of end-times Bible prophecy (a.k.a. "eschatology"). I have, therefore, written this article to make the concept as clear as possible, to help others understand it and to encourage people to share it with others when appropriate. So let's get started...

In Daniel chapter 9 the prophet Daniel explains that he has read Jeremiah's words that Jerusalem would be restored after seventy years of captivity by the Babylonians (Jeremiah 29:10). Thus, Daniel's expectation was that the Jews would be back in Jerusalem—yet Daniel was still in Babylon and Jerusalem was still desolate. Daniel, realizing something was very wrong, then says, “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3) The passage goes on to provide the details of Daniel's earnest prayer, wherein he intercedes for the Jewish people and confesses their sins. He explains how they have ignored the words of the prophets, disobeyed the Lord, and are covered in shame; yet he requests that God give them mercy, not because they are worthy, but because God is a loving and merciful God. Daniel 9:4-19 presents a wonderful prayer we all should be familiar with for both prophetic and personal reasons.

The remaining part of Daniel 9 is extremely important to end-times prophecy and provides perhaps the strongest support for a Pre-Trib Rapture. As Dr. Grant Jeffrey explains, Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks stands out as one of the greatest prophecies ever given by God to man.¹The reason it is so important is that it provides us with a true understanding of the purpose of the tribulation: namely that it is a time God set aside to deal with the Jewish people—not the Church. It also gives us further evidence that the Bible should most often be interpreted literally (something I'll discuss later in this article). We read some very revealing words in Daniel 9:24-27, wherein the angel Gabriel explains to Daniel God's plan to deal with the Jews:

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

“Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

First, we must understand that we are to take these time periods literally (as opposed to thinking they are just “general” symbols of time) because Daniel did so when understanding Jeremiah's prophecy earlier in the chapter. That is, Daniel realized that Jeremiah's prophecy was that Jerusalem was supposed to be restored within 70 years. Because it had not yet happened, Daniel was very distressed and began to pray (as explained earlier). While still in prayer the angel Gabriel came to Daniel and explained that God heard his prayer and would give Israel another chance, extending the time in which they must wait by sevenfold: which, not coincidentally, is 70 x 7 and also what Jesus said about how often we are to forgive one another (Matthew 18:21-22).

As we understand in the Jewish context that the 'seven' being referred to is 7 years, we can see that Daniel was told that there would be 7 “sevens” and then 62 “sevens”, resulting in 69 “sevens”. As we further understand that the Jewish calendar (as well as many other ancient calendars) had 360 days per year, we can calculate the exact time between when the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued and the Anointed One, the ruler, came to fulfill His destiny. It computes to exactly 173,880 days: (7 years + 62 years) x 7 unit years x 360 days/year. Today we can see yet another example of how God's Word is absolutely amazing and accurate, for we find that there were precisely 173,880 days between the decree that was issued to rebuild Jerusalem (issued by the Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 B.C.) until Jesus rode into Jerusalem on April 6, A.D. 32. Unlike when Jesus previously declared “My hour has not yet come”, Jesus made a deliberate and triumphal entry into Jerusalem on that specific date (Luke 19:28-40).²

Thus far we have a vivid account of the first 69 weeks of the 70 weeks, but we are left with a final week (7 years) not yet accounted for. That final week, known as “Daniel's 70^th Week”, is the time in which God will deal with the Jewish people once and for all, which will also be during the end times. In fact, He is going to bend the Jewish people to their knees: in Matthew 23:39 Jesus said to them, “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' ˮ

You may be asking, “What period are we in now?ˮ The answer is that we are in the “Church Ageˮ, a time between the first 69 weeks and the final 70^th week.

Not only can we understand that important concept by noting the obvious gap between those two periods when we read Daniel 9, but it is also supported elsewhere in scripture...

Paul explains in Romans 9, 10, and 11 God's view of Israel in a historic, current, and future context, respectively. Paul’s words in Romans 11:22-25 clearly supports God’s inclusion of both Jews and Gentiles in His plan of salvation. Consider Paul's inspired words to the Gentiles:

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they (the Jews) do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

Note that the Jews’ rejection of Jesus as the Messiah offered salvation to the rest of the world (Gentiles). It was all part of a profound and gracious plan God had laid out since the beginning of time! Please also be sure to note the last sentence, which explains that God has a predetermined number of Gentiles who will be saved before He sets in motion end-times events that will turn Israel back to Him

We can also return to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which we celebrate as Palm Sunday. As noted earlier, the full implication of that day is missed by many people. We often are provided with the most obvious when we study Palm Sunday, which is Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. However, as we continue to read in Zechariah, we learn that there are also end-times prophecy implications because what is described in the next verse has clearly not been fulfilled yet, “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth..ˮ (Zechariah 9:10, emphasis added)

Another place in scripture where we can study to help understand the “Church Age ˮ is Luke 4:16-21, where we come upon a very interesting scene:

He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.ˮ

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

What makes that scene so profound is that when we actually turn to the Isaiah passage Jesus read, we learn that He stopped reading in the middle of a sentence. The remaining part of that passage says “and the day of vengeance of our God...ˮ (Isaiah 61:2), which is describing God's wrath in the tribulation, and God's restoration of Israel afterward (Isaiah 61:3-11). The Church has been living in that prophetic “pauseˮ for almost 2,000 years; but that pause will soon resume once the Church has been removed via the Rapture!³

The idea of Daniel's 70^th Week being for the Jewish people is echoed in Jeremiah 30:7, where we learn the period is called “a time of trouble for Jacobˮ (not coincidentally, Jacob was renamed “Israelˮ in Genesis 32:28). Also, the book of Revelation from chapter 4 on (after the Seven Churches are addressed in chapters 2 and 3) is rich with Jewish terminology as the tribulation events are described, which further helps us understand the Jewish purpose for the tribulation. Consequently, Daniel's 70^th Week offers us one of the strongest areas we can turn to for support of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. It also offers us guidance about hermeneutics (and translating the Bible literally when the plain sense makes sense).

As I conclude this study of Daniel's 70^thWeek, I leave you with these word of Jesus, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

NOTES:

1. Grant Jeffrey, Countdown to the Apocalypse, (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2008), 121-22.
2. Chuck Missler, Prophecy 20/20, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 47.
3. IBID

Related Links:

Pray That You May Escape

As It Was in the Days of Noah: Rapture or Second Coming

Prophecy 20/20