July 17
Praying for World War III?
Once again the nation of Israel has become the center of world attention. The unrest started two weeks ago in the Gaza Strip area when Palestinian forces tunneled into Israel, killing two soldiers and abducting Corporal Gilad Shalit in a raid. A few days later, the situation was made worse when Hezbollah forces opened up a northern front, killing eight soldiers and taking two more captive. Hezbollah has also been firing rockets into northern Israel.
The Israeli military has responded to the unprovoked attack with a series of bombings. It has bombed several transportation hubs and a command center used by the terrorists. There are some reports that Israel has sent strong warnings to Iran and Syria that could lead to a wider conflict.
Whenever there is a blow-up in the Middle East, I often get emails from people who think I’m sitting at my computer and salivating all over myself with glee over the prospect of war. Here is one good example:
“A friend and I from work were watching CNN today on our lunch break. We saw breaking news from the Mideast where Israel was bombing Beirut. He turned to me and said, 'You know, Christian fundamentals are salivating right now; they believe this is the beginning of the "rapture."' I laughed a little and thought to myself, 'Are there really people out there so incensed with their faith that they actually believe this is the end?' So I decided to research it on the net. Sure as God made little green apples, here you are!”
I don’t get excited every time there is conflict in the Middle East. The Lord Jesus commanded His followers to watch patiently for His return. Because God is totally in control of the timeline, there is no need for cheerleading. As far as World War III goes, man's wickedness will eventfully ensure its arrival. The whole Rapture Ready crew shares this view. Consider the following message that one of our admin posted on the message board:
“Some of our guests may have the impression that Christians are rooting for the apocalypse and are rejoicing at seeing blood spilled. The media sometimes portrays Christians that way, but it simply isn't true. While we long to see God's will done here on earth, just as it is in heaven, we know that this will not happen until some terrible things come to pass. But we don't rejoice in the suffering that occurs as it happens, nor do we find the death that both the military and civilians incur in the process cause for celebration.”
My nearly 20 years of experience with the site has taught me to have a long view. Every time a prophecy-related event is in the news, thousands of people flock to Rapture Ready. When activity wanes, the majority of these people lose all interest in the end times. Last month, the 06/06/06 date generated a mini media frenzy, setting a two-year record for traffic to the site. A week after the beast date, the traffic flow had returned to normal. My expectation is to see the same thing happen with this current traffic surge.
I’m not urging everyone just to ignore what is going on in the Holy Land. I see the turbulence as a clear warning of our proximity to the last days. If the situation continues to steadily worsen, events could quickly lead us to the tribulation hour. The fact that Israel keeps coming back to the brink is one indication that it has a prophetic destiny.
The critics of Bible prophecy can moan and groan all they want, but they cannot stop world events from going down the path predestined by God himself. Even Israel is powerless to stop the progression of prophecy. In the past decade, the Jewish state has taken several measure to avert conflict. It signed several peace pacts with its Arab neighbors, it gave up land as a goodwill gesture, and it's built a wall around much of its territory. In the end, the so-called peace process has only helped make matters more ripe for prophecy.
The same Bible that predicts that Israel will be a “burdensome stone for all people” (Zec. 12:3) also forewarns of a great calamity that will lead to the death of over two-thirds of the human population. It is very sad to read emails from people who are smart enough to understand that the unrest has a connection to prophecy, and yet they mock the implications it has for them.
There is coming a day when there will be no doubt that the end times have arrived. When the rapture takes place, the skeptics will have all the evidence they need to make the correct decision about eternity. Unfortunately, the new stakes will then require a willingness to suffer martyrdom for one's faith. Anyone who is currently on the fence would be very wise make the right choice now.
"When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28).
--- Todd
War and Peace from Here to Eternity: Part II
The midnight of world history is quickly approaching. Our generation has heard the hoof beats of the four horses of apocalypse for some time. It was once a distant thunder. But, that thunder now grows louder by the hour. Middle East war looms despite the talk of peace that seems impossible to achieve. More and more the world community puts the blame on Israel for the lack of progress toward making earth a safer place.
Middle East oil looms as the ever-growing factor that draws the world’s attention to the region. Religious hatred is the fuse to the Mid-East bomb that could be lit at any moment. The Bible says there will come from the Middle East a certain sort of peace. But, it will be a peace that destroys many people. What a strange peace that will be.
The one the Bible says will approve and guarantee the peace with “many” will appear to be the rider on the white horse. He will be the one for whom everyone has been looking. The “many” with whom he covenants to guarantee a seven-year treaty of peace will be the same “many” he will three-and-a-half years later try his dead-level best to completely destroy. He will seek, like Hitler, to murder every Jew in the world. He will attack Israel with viciousness unmatched by any in history.
All the armies of the world will gather at Armageddon. Those troops will turn from fighting each other and join forces to try to stop Christ from returning from heaven to earth. The sun will have gone dark, while at the same time heating up many times hotter than normal. Men will be “scorched” or “burned” by the heat. Antichrist will direct military fire at the returning King of kings.
This will indeed be mankind’s midnight hour!
The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists agrees with true Bible prophecy watchers. Mideast midnight is approaching. But this fact shouldn’t worry the Christian who truly seeks to understand God’s truth. God’s truth includes the “whole word” of the Lord, not just parts of the Bible.
As we’ve mentioned before in these Nearing Midnight commentaries, fully 28 percent of the Bible contains prophecy. About one-half of that prophetic word has already come to pass. About one-half remains to be fulfilled. In other words, 14 percent of prophecy in the Bible will yet come to pass.
God can’t lie. And therein is contained a wonderful prospect. Earthly war will soon pass into history. Peace will fill the whole earth! Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords will break through the blackness of the Mideast midnight hour. He will speak, and the raging godless human forces of earth will instantly be defeated. A new era will begin. The time of fallen human history will be vanquished, and King Jesus’ millennial reign will begin.
So, Bible prophecy ultimately presents a picture not of gloom and doom, but of glorious, joyous peace.
These times in which we live are deceptive. That is, we are lulled into believing that everything is great. Christians in many places around the world are in great trials. They are murdered by the hundreds and tortured by the thousands, according to Voice of the Martyrs and other organizations who keep watch on Satan’s war against the saints. However, Christians in America today are, for the most part, as caught up in this false feeling of security as are those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Most who name Jesus as their Lord today hear little about the coming time of tremendous tribulation for Jews and Christians (people saved during the tribulation) during the last seven years of human history. Many pastors and teachers, for one reason or another, refuse to teach these all-important truths from God’s Word. Usually, the reason this is because the pastors and teachers aren’t taught these things in the seminaries they attend.
God the Holy Spirit gave the Apostle Paul something to say to our generation about that unfaithfulness to God’s Word: “They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:4). We have grown comfortable with the “feel-goodisms” and “do-goodisms” coming from our pulpits. We don’t care to hear that horrors might be just around the corner. We want to hear about heaven, but not about hell; about how to love each other, not about how to witness to those who are lost and bound for an eternity apart from God.
This is exactly how the Bible says it will be at the end of the age. It will be earthly business as usual, with little thought for our true purpose as Christians. That purpose is to plant the seed of the Gospel so that God will reap a harvest of souls.
Christ said: “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Lk. 12:40). The Lord was talking to Christians. Certainly, His church as a whole is in a time when looking for His coming in the Rapture isn’t popular.
We are told that He will return to the Mount of Olives after coming in the clouds with power and great glory. But the Bible also tells of an earlier return, not “to” the earth, but “above” the earth, in the air. The Apostle Paul prophesies as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “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.”
That will be the “Come up hither” of Revelation 4:1. It will be Jesus Christ’s call to all Christians, both dead and alive, to meet Him in the air. He will take them home to His Father’s house (read John 14:2-4).
It will be God the Father’s call to suppertime. Christians will go back to the Father’s house in heaven to enjoy the marriage supper of the lamb.
You don’t want to miss that meal. It will be heavenly!
--Terry
