On Disappearing and Damascus 

To my way of thinking, the next events of end-times importance outlined in God’s Word are front and center at this very moment. Two things are about to be fulfilled that Bible prophecy specifically details for those who “watch,” as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The first on the cusp of fulfillment is encapsulated within a book my friend Pete Garcia and I wrote a few years ago: The DISAPPEARING: Future Events That Will Rock the World is described by the following pulled from its back cover.

Each hour brings troubling headlines from the many news sources now available. Every report seems more intrusive upon our daily lives than the previous, and all accounts appear to be setting the end-time stage for soon fulfillment of God’s prophetic Word…

A dramatic presentation of the Rapture…

Vivid depiction of unfolding events immediately following the Rapture and beyond—through planet Earth’s judgment and its ultimate restoration…

My presentation titled “Rapture Ready,” delivered at the Prophecy Watchers’ conference at Branson, Missouri, on December 7, was meant to cover the reasons believers should be ready for that great event–and why.

That session was devoted to the proposition–the exciting and, yes, the comforting certainty—that all the signals around us today indicate all is in “Rapture readiness.” We who are believers and in God’s eternal family should be “Rapture ready.”

Using PowerPoint, I tried to make clear what it means to be ready for the Rapture by presenting the following:

• First, being Rapture ready means we who have accepted Jesus Christ are automatically, by default, Rapture ready through salvation—for redemption from sin. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We will all, without exception, go to Christ when He calls!
• Second, being Rapture ready means we are watching for signals by understanding the times we live in as we anticipate Jesus coming for us. We are expecting the any-moment call of Christ into the clouds of Glory. The Rapture is a salvation issue. We are redeemed by the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Believers have a commission to “watch” (as recorded in Mark 13:37). So we know the Holy Spirit will give us a heads-up on the nearness of the end of the age. Those signals are everywhere at present.
• Third, again, we are to be living lives that are righteous in God’s holy eyes as we anticipate Christ’s call. This, too, is being Rapture ready.

Based on all we sense in our spirits–that something profound is about to happen—I am convinced the disappearing is now at the very prophetic moment Paul the apostle foretold:

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6).

As we now watch soberly, with great anticipation of Christ’s call, the signals we are commanded to look for by Jesus are profound.

There is a growing cry for peace in various places where wars and rumors of war are threatening nuclear holocaust. And now the one city on Earth–the longest-inhabited in human history, according to historians—is front and center in an unmistakable signal of the lateness of the prophetic hour.

The second matter covered under our article’s title, Damascus, Syria – as we all know from news accounts that proliferate daily with reports of tremendous turmoil in that ancient city – is a powder keg unlike no other possible ignition point for nuclear war outbreak. This city is known to be the headquarters for most every Islamic terrorist organization, to one degree or another.

Russia, in effect, having been evicted from influence by Assad’s removal, means tensions will ratchet up in days to come, with Russia’s Putin suffering yet another embarrassment under the scrutiny of the Russian government underlings hungry for power. His position becomes more and more tenuous.

The great prophet Isaiah’s words seem on the verge of fulfillment:

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).

A recent statement issued by terrorists who are now taking over that ancient city makes understandable why it is destined to be obliterated, never to rise again. Again, most every terrorist organization headquarters is there, and now they have seized almost total power. Their statement shows why God will allow the destruction that is so complete, I believe: “This is the land of Islam, this is Damascus, the Muslim stronghold. From here to Jerusalem. We’re coming for Jerusalem” (Israel 365 News).

The forcible abdication of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad and the powerful geopolitical turbulence created in its wake should alert every believer to just how near we are to the instant of disappearing. The Apostle Paul fervently told the generation of his day–and we who are now seeing all these things begin to come to pass—about that disappearance, the great rescue Jesus commanded us to look for when His coming for us is at the very door of eternity (Luke 21:28).

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

—Terry

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Gabriel’s Prophetic Announcement

The Old Testament contains a great many messianic prophecies. Jesus fulfilled forty-eight specific predictions during His first visit to the earth. A much greater number of biblical texts refer to the end times, Jesus’ appearing, the seven-year Tribulation, Christ’s Second Coming, and eternity.

The fulfillment of Messianic prophecies began with Gabriel’s visit to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:28-38). Along with explaining her supernatural virgin birth, the angel referred her to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah’s birth as a “child” (Isaiah 9:6-7). His message to the mother of Jesus included the promised millennial reign of her Son:

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

The Isaiah 9 Prophecy

Why did Gabriel incorporate Isaiah’s prophecy into the announcement of Jesus’ birth? First, it reminded Mary that the Messiah would enter the world as a baby. Mary’s response reveals her previous knowledge of the prophet’s words as she expressed her understanding of the great favor bestowed upon her to be the mother of the promised Messiah (Luke 1:38, 46-55). She was likely one of many young women in Israel hoping that they would give birth to the Christ.

Additionally, the angel’s message confirmed the hope of her day, namely that the Promised One of Israel, her Son, would someday sit on “the throne of his father David” and rule over His people. His words brought to mind all the words of this cherished prophetic text:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7, KJV).

Though many in Israel at this time looked for the Messiah to immediately deliver them from the Roman oppression, that doesn’t negate the Lord’s promise. Just as Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s words by entering the world as a baby, in the same way, He will literally fulfill the prophet’s words concerning His future rule over a restored kingdom of Israel.

Did the Jewish Rejection of Jesus Invalidate Isaiah’s Prophecy?

Many pastors and Christian leaders today teach that Israel’s rejection of their Messiah invalidated God’s promise of a glorious kingdom for Israel. They say the church has inherited these promises, albeit spiritually. Proponents of this unbiblical teaching believe that Jesus began ruling over the nations at His ascension back to Heaven.

Gabriel’s announcement to Mary refutes today’s Replacement Theology, which asserts that God rejected Israel after it spurned His Son and replaced the nation with the church. More than that, the angel’s words fully substantiate the Premillennial beliefs that Jesus will sit on the “throne of David” after the Second Coming. Why do I make such a claim?

First, consider how Mary would have understood Gabriel’s words. They would’ve conveyed the idea of a physical kingdom with her Son ruling over the nation of Israel. The idea of a spiritual realm would never have entered her mind.

The angel’s quote of the promise that the Messiah would sit upon “the throne of his father David” would also have conveyed the image of a literal fulfillment of the Isaiah 9:6-7 prophecy. Why would God fill Mary with such hope unless it truly depicted Jesus’ future rule? He already knew about Israel’s rejection of their Messiah and crucifixion, yet the repeating of the promises from the Isaiah text points to their fulfillment regardless of the actions of the first-century AD Jews.

Second, Gabriel specified that Jesus would rule over the “house of Jacob.” This points to the realization of Ezekiel 37:15-28, which foretells the joining of Judah with the northern tribes of Israel under the kingship of David. These words signaled the joyous joining of the nation into one kingdom, which Mary also would’ve understood as a future fulfillment of the Lord’s promises to her people.

Third, the New Testament never places Jesus on the “throne of David” at the current time or in its description of His headship over His Church. It instead places Him at “the right hand of God,” as we see in Colossians 3:1:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Jesus is the “head of the church,” as the Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians (1:22, 4:15; 5:23) and Colossians (1:18; 2:19). His promised rule over all the nations is far different than his current place as the “head of His body, the church.” Of course, He’s sovereign over the affairs of humanity, but that’s far different than saying He is now ruling over the “house of Jacob” seated on the “throne of his father David.”

Just as Gabriel spoke on behalf of the Lord concerning the Savior’s birth, so he also predicted His future reign over a united Israel. How can one say that the first happened exactly as Isaiah prophesied while the other denotes a spiritual reality? To make such a claim implies that He misled Mary, who surely would’ve viewed both the Messiah’s birth and future rule over Israel as tangible outcomes of the Lord’s original promise to Isaiah (9:6-7).

-Jonathan

Rapture Delayed

Author’s note: In preparing for speaking on the topic RAPTURE READY! at the Branson conference a couple of weeks ago, I looked through my files of articles I’ve written over the years. This one is most appropriate. I share it again here.

We have looked a number of times in this column at those who mock the end-times message and the Rapture in particular. Because those who scoff have been of the abrasive, unbelieving variety for the most part, there is a standard Bible verse reply I’ve usually employed in response.

The scriptural reply has most often been intended to let those mocking know that they are, in actuality, fulfilling Bible prophecy.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

As of late, however, such a reply doesn’t quite fit that which should compose an appropriate response. That is because the questions are coming weekly from genuine believers in the Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church. These Christians are worried–some very worried.

These look around them and on every side they see and feel the satanic pressures from this fallen sphere closing in. Issues and events –the very ambience in which they find their lives engulfed–generate thoughts that their circumstance is beginning to look much like the Bible’s description of the Tribulation itself.

To illustrate the growing angst, I’ve chosen the email of one such Christian brother who wrote this past week. His words pretty much get right to the point of the many other emails expressing like emotion. Here it is in its entirety:

Why is the Lord delaying the rapture? It should have happened years ago. We would be in the millennium now enjoying true peace and prosperity without the suffering. I don’t get it. It’s God’s call of course, but 58 million aborted babies in the US since 1973, Christians tortured and murdered worldwide, people who believe in Jesus longing for his return suffering immensely. I don’t get it; where is our Lord and Savior?

The emailer didn’t use any soft nuances of greetings or any other niceties. He just laid his spirit-distressed emotions right out there.

You don’t answer such gut-wrenching concern with the apostle Peter’s prophecy as given above. This child of God is worried. He is puzzled; he is perplexed. It’s the kind of questioning I’ve heard in my own kid’s anxieties when they were young and felt disappointed for one of my failures or the other to keep a promise. “Dad should never let me down like that” is the tone.

Only, this perceived unkept promise isn’t from an imperfect, human father. I say “perceived unkept promise” because the promise isn’t unbroken whatsoever. The error is in the question of the imperfect child asking it. His Perfect Father will, as always, be one hundred percent faithful to keep every promise made.

The Lord Jesus, Himself, in His ascended position, said the following to John the Revelator:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Jesus said it, and that means the Heavenly Father said it–promised it! Jesus said that He and the Father are One. They are inseparable–one and the same–the first and second Persons of the Godhead–the Trinity.

God cannot lie, the Scripture tells us. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God keeps His promises. So, this brother in Christ, like all the other believers who look to the “blessed hope” of Titus 2: 13, who are in fear and worry while watching this fallen world closing in, need an answer from the Word of God.

The Heavenly Father gave the answer to Peter to pass along to us, just a bit farther on in Scripture. The answer to why the Rapture hasn’t occurred as soon as almost all of us wish it would occur is, at least in part, wrapped up in the following:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

The Tribulation that will follow this Age of Grace will be filled with horrors that even John, under divine inspiration, had trouble describing. The Lord wants to provide every moment possible during this present dispensation for those lost in their sin to come safely into the shelter who is His beloved Son Jesus Christ. God wants this for the lost, because, following the Rapture, making the decision to accept Christ for salvation will be more difficult by a multiple of factors. Facing beheading is but one of those factors!

That is the reason–or at least a primary reason–the Rapture hasn’t yet occurred in this generation, according to God’s Word.

That said, I must take notable exception with the emailer’s contention that God is “delaying” the Rapture. You can take this to the bank–well, to the banks the way they used to be–God is not delaying the Rapture. It will happen precisely in the twinkling of the eye at the moment the Father has determined.

Jesus said: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

God knows exactly the instant He will send His Son to get His Bride, make no mistake. There is no delay.

On that note, issues and events closing in on us show that we are almost certainly very near that exhilarating moment of instantaneously finding ourselves face to face with the Lord Jesus. Just how near we are to the Rapture–if we could indeed know–would likely allay all fears.

We want all people to come to the Lord Jesus for Salvation, thus to be Rapture Ready when He Calls believers to Himself.

Let’s tell everyone with whom we contact how to leave this Judgment-bound earth and to be with Jesus and the safety of Heaven. Here again is that message.

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

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7 Prophetic Stories From 2024

A year ago, I thought the Rapture would surely happen during 2024. Although we remain earthbound, the signs of the approaching Tribulation period continue to reach new heights in both frequency and intensity. We live in the season of Jesus’ appearing to take us home to glory; He could come for us at any moment.

Below, I have selected seven news stories from the past year that continue to shout with the message that we live in the last days leading up to the start of the Tribulation period.

1. Saudi Arabia-Israel Peace Initiative

Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, spearheaded a gathering of nations during the closing months of 2024. His purpose was to begin the process of establishing a Palestinian state by means of a seven to ten-year peace agreement with Israel. The next meeting is scheduled for June 2-4, 2025, at the UN.

The interest of so many nations in the fate of Jerusalem tells us that the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:1-3 is happening before our eyes. It’s more than a little stunning that the result of this ongoing initiative might lead to a seven-year peace accord with Israel. How close might we be to the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and the start of Daniel’s seventieth week and the Tribulation period?

Even if next year’s meeting doesn’t result in the antichrist’s seven-year deal with Israel, is it not significant that we already see the planning for this future covenant with the many?

2. Donald Trump’s Reelection as President

Donald Trump’s election victory is good news for Israel as well as the American people. Once he takes office, the congress-approved weapons will flow freely to Israel.

With respect to the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27, his win might enhance the peace negotiations already taking place. Once in office, Trump will likely revitalize his “Deal of the Century” plan from 2020 whereby he sought to resolve the Palestinian issue.

How might Trump’s reelection factor into the antichrist’s future peace initiative?

First, Israel will feel more secure with him as the U.S. President and, as a result, have a greater willingness to accept a seven-year peace accord.

Second, many in Israel view Trump as sympathetic to their desire for a third temple. I believe his election increases the probability that the third temple will be a part of any future peace covenant.

3. The Continuing Attacks Against Israel

If Israel is to accept the peace deal offered by the antichrist in fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15, we would expect to see the nation besieged by warfare and threats of deadly attacks. If they were at peace with their neighbors, they would have no reason to enter into such a covenant. In other words, their current experience is exactly what we would expect to see in the months or years leading to their acceptance of the peace covenant that the beast will offer.

Despite delivering crushing blows to both Hamas and Hezbollah in 2024, these terrorist organizations remain active and capable of deadly attacks. There’s also the threat of another Iranian missile attack on Israel and perhaps the future invasion of Israel described in Ezekiel 38-39. The continuing threats will eventually lead to a war-weary Israel agreeing to the terms of the antichrist.

4. The Fall of Syria

The rapid fall of Syria to the rebel coalition surprised many people. Although the surrender of Damascus in recent days is not the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1, we are now a giant step closer to seeing its fulfillment. The concern over the weapons left behind by the deposed government under Bashar al-Assad led to 300 Israeli airstrikes within twenty-four hours against the leftover armaments of the previous regime. There’s an ongoing concern about the chemical weapons that the former regime possessed and used.

Amir Tsarfati noted on Telegram that while new leaders of Syria seek to portray themselves as moderate, they are “ISIS and Al Qaeda in a new face – that’s all.” Although many in Syria rejoice at the removal of the wicked and brutal Bashar al-Assad, dark and chaotic days lie ahead for the nation. The future and total destruction of Damascus is now more likely to happen in the near term than it was a few weeks ago.

5. UN 2.0

In September, the UN member nations voted to significantly strengthen the power of the UN. The summary of the approved proposal used the phrase “UN 2.0” to refer to its enhanced authority over the nations. Although we have yet to see the impact of this, it signifies the growing acceptance of most nations of the necessity of a powerful central government. The strengthened UN provides the structure needed for the establishment of the new world order that will rapidly materialize after the Rapture, if not before.

At the September 2024 UN summit, the nations also strengthened their resolve to implement Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in their respective countries. The development of these systems has huge prophetic implications. At some point, the elite will combine all the individual CBDCs into one, which will enable the beast to control all the buying and selling by the midpoint of the Tribulation.

6. America’s National Debt

America’s gigantic national debt is a ticking time bomb that will someday explode and bring economic devastation to the U.S. as well as to much of the world. The future U.S. debt explosion will be a key factor that leads to dire conditions of Revelation 6:5-6.

Recently, America’s debt level reached thirty-six trillion dollars with 1.4 trillion needed each year just to cover the interest. It’s only the Lord’s restraining hand that keeps this from bringing financial ruin to the US and many other nations.

Despite the dedication of President-elect Trump and his team to bring the runaway government spending under control, it’s likely too late to avoid the economic Armageddon that lies ahead for the US.

7. NATO’s Permission for Ukraine to Fire Missiles into Russia

In November, President Biden led the way in approving Ukraine’s use of America’s missiles to strike within the territory of Russia. Once NATO missiles began to cause death and destruction to his nation, I anticipated Vladimir Putin to quickly retaliate by attacking the U.S. and its allies. Although such a large-scale response has not yet happened, many claim that WWIII has already begun.

Is this not another sign that the second rider of the apocalypse will soon ride across the planet (Revelation 6:2-3, 7-8)? Although the Lord continues to restrain this future catastrophic eruption of violence, we now have a clearer picture of what lies ahead for the world after the Rapture.

As we await our departure from Earth to the place that Jesus is preparing for us in Heaven, the above sampling of headlines from 2024 tells us that we are ever so close to meeting Him in the air. The stories from the past year paint a picture of a world on the edge of the Day of the Lord, which will quickly follow the Rapture.

-Jonathan