Armageddon’s Trigger

My first book had the title Storming Toward Armageddon. It was released during the assault termed “Desert Storm” by the George H. W. Bush administration. It seemed at the time—more than thirty years ago—that all attention was directed back to the Middle East and things regarding God’s warning about humankind’s most horrific war: Armageddon.

My attention, in thinking on that military operation, was drawn to the prophet Zechariah’s vision, given him by an angel:

“Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base” (Zechariah 5:5-11).

My thinking was—and continues to be—that the Desert Storm action was the beginning of the wrap-up of the Armageddon scenario. In other words, that action was turning the attention of history to the arena where humankind’s final war this side of the Millennium will be fought.

God’s Word is quite specific about where and why it will be fought. It will be fought because that is where all the wickedness of anti-God forces will be gathered by God Himself. Here is the prophecy about that gathering:

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Joel 3:1-2).

The way God deals with wickedness will be ultimately based upon how the nations of the world deal with His chosen people and nation. There is one specific element of that wickedness among this prophecy that will serve as the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back:

God will bring all of the nations’ armies to Armageddon and to their complete devastation, as His Word says, because “they have scattered [His people and His heritage Israel] among the nations, and parted my land.”

The matter of parting God’s land is the constant effort by all involved to force Israel into accepting a “two-state solution” in order to have peace.

To get right to the heart of the matters involved, Satan’s purpose is to break God’s promise to the nation He has chosen as His heritage. Lucifer is thus doing all he can to stir the world against Israel to convince that tiny nation to fall for this devil-inspired plot. (That plot has especially ramped up after Israel’s coming into modernity as a nation in 1948, and even more specifically since Desert Storm.)

The Hamas attack of October 7 is but another part in the implementation of Satan’s plan to cause God’s promise to His chosen nation to be broken. Lucifer is totally reprobate in terms of Romans 1:28, but his insanity drives him to nonetheless carry out the plan that is infinitely greater than his own. That is, he is providentially forced to carry out the plan of the omniscient and omnipotent God of Heaven. Thus preparation is in process for the wrapping up of all of history before Christ’s Second Advent, in focusing back on the Middle East.

Wickedness has returned to that region, more violent and with greater viciousness than ever before. It is prophetically destined to become much more violent and vicious, thus convincing Israel’s leadership to accept some form of dividing God’s land for peace—the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob forever.

We are witnessing the entire world system beginning to build pressure against Israel. The United States’ presidential administration, not just the hate-filled Islamic states, is implicit in helping build this pressure.

We see this in the fact that the resolute Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to not agree to any cease-fire until the hostages are released. Yet the negotiations, directed by the US and other powers that be, have forced this strong-willed champion of Israel to acquiesce to their demands. They are thereby allowing Hamas terrorists to regroup.

Satan, his evil, supernatural genius on display, presently puts Israel’s leadership in the position of looking like heartless villains themselves if they don’t agree to the cease-fire so that two hostages per day are released. Thus as long as the cease-fire holds.

Eventually, the Israeli government will be dealt with in a similar way by Antichrist himself, as he, through satanic inspiration, maliciously negotiates a division of Israel’s land in order to achieve peace (Daniel 9:26–27). Of course, it will be a false “peace that destroys many,” as Scripture puts it.

It will be an agreement made with death and hell, Isaiah foretells (28:16, 18).

The “covenant” (dividing of God’s land as part of that agreement) will be “disannulled,” as God has said. But the attempt to bring about the division of His land will be the trigger to Armageddon. God will deal with all nations that come against the returning King of all kings—the Lord Jesus Christ.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16).

With all raptured believers and the armies of Heaven following closely behind you on heavenly white Steeds, even so, come, Lord Jesus!

—Terry

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The Epic Battle Between God and Satan Is Heating Up

The Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, resulted from Satan’s hatred of the Jewish people. The horrors of that day are a sign of what lies ahead as the battle between God and Satan intensifies.

Since then, Palestinians and their supporters have marched through many of the world’s large cities demanding the elimination of Israel as a nation and, in some cases, advocated death for all the Jewish people. I never imagined I would see such demonic hatred on full display and accepted by so many.

What’s becoming increasingly obvious to those of us who understand Scripture is that we are now witnessing the preliminary skirmishes that point to the epic confrontations between God and Satan during the seven-year Tribulation. During this time, the Lord will destroy the kingdom of the antichrist in preparation for His rule over the nations.

Satan Seeks to Kill the Jewish People

God’s strategy has always been to work through His chosen people, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through their prophets, He revealed His saving purpose for sending the Messiah, the One who would die for the sins of the world.

Satan, aware of God’s redeeming purposes, did all he could to stop the coming of the One who would one day defeat and destroy him (Genesis 3:15). His opposition culminated with putting Jesus on the cross (1 Corinthians 2:8). What the devil and his hosts failed to understand was that His death would become the means of salvation for us and that the Lord would rise victoriously from the dead.

At the present time, Satan mistakenly believes He can stop the fulfillment of Scripture that tells us Jesus will one day return to a repentant Israel and set up His worldwide kingdom. The devil operates under the mistaken illusion that he can thwart God’s promise to place His Son on the throne of David in Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:31-33) and stop Him from ruling over all the nations on the earth.

In order to stop Jesus’ thousand-year reign, the devil knows he must eliminate the Jewish people. Since the time of Christ, he has stirred up murderous hatred toward God’s chosen people. He tried to destroy them with Hitler but fell short. Now, radical Muslims factor into his ongoing deadly agenda.

As evidence that Hamas and Hezbollah will fail in their determination to wipe out Israel as a nation, the Bible tells us that the antichrist, empowered by Satan, will continue the deadly agenda. The coming “lawless one” will implement a covenant of peace with Israel with the intent of using the guise of peace to destroy them (Danial 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10). Israel’s leaders, exhausted with the many wars and ongoing threats of terrorism, will readily agree to his terms. I believe the antichrist will allow the building of the third temple to sweeten the deal for the nation.

God Will Prevail

Just as nothing prevented the Lord from fulfilling His saving purpose through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God will prevail over the devil’s deadly agenda.

One would think by now, Satan realizes he cannot thwart God’s redemptive plans for Israel and the world. Just as the Lord used Pharoah at the time of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, so now He is using a deluded devil to fulfill His promises to Israel.

The antichrist’s persecution of the Jews during the second half of the Tribulation, combined with the judgments that God pours out on the earth during this time, will cause the surviving one-third of the Jewish people to welcome Jesus as their true Messiah (see Zechariah 12:10-13:1).

Jesus, during the week leading up to His crucifixion, prophesied that He would return to a repentant Israel:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'” (Matthew 23:37-39).

According to our Savior, there’s coming a time when those living in Jerusalem will welcome Him as their Messiah, saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Although the Jewish people will suffer terribly in the years to come, a sizeable remnant will recognize Jesus as their Messiah and turn to Him in saving faith at the end of the Tribulation. This isn’t simply my opinion; it’s what the prophet Zechariah foresaw and Jesus said would happen. Case closed.

At the moment, Satan dominates the kingdoms of this world (Ephesians 2:1-3). However, there’s another agenda at work behind the scenes, even though most do not yet recognize it.

Once the Rapture happens, many will recognize God’s wrath and seek to hide from it (Revelation 6:15-17). Multitudes will turn to Jesus during the Tribulation, but most will perish holding on to their vain hope that the devil can stop the Lord’s purposes for His people.

-Jonathan

When The UFOs Finally Land

Peter Jennings, the late anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, once remarked the following as host of a television investigation of Unidentified Flying Objects.

“We have a lot of skeptics — I am very skeptical — but we seriously investigated something a lot of people are serious about,” he said. “And when we come to the end, this is wonderfully interesting.

“More than 80 million Americans believe intelligent beings from somewhere else have come here,” he said. “Forty million believe they have seen UFOs, so this is of deep interest to people.”

Jennings said further in exploring the wide span of those interviewed who were believers and skeptics that the exploration was filled “with people in so many traditional, trusted walks of life — cops, pilots, detectives, scientists, historians, all with their own views, but all who have taken [the UFO matters] seriously.” [ABC’s Peter Jennings examines UFO phenomenon, By Kathy Blumenstock, The Washington Post, Posted February 24, 2005]

Stage-setting for fulfillment of Bible prophecy has ratcheted up significantly in practically every area that God’s Word touches on in giving meaning to Jesus’ powerful Words.

“And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

Economically and technologically, the world is being prepared to accept a digital way of doing business. The nation and world rapidly being linked to computers, satellites, biogenetics and burgeoning AI forewarns that the 666 marks and numbering system of Revelation 13:16-18 — Antichrist’s system of control — can’t be far distant.

Sociologically and culturally, the world is becoming more like Sodom, particularly here in our own nation. Violence and evil seem on the minds of mankind continually, like in the days of Noah.

Corruption rampages at every level, filling the world with deception, which Jesus gave as the first sign of what to look for in watching for His Second Coming.

Evil men and seducers abound, as Paul forewarned under the Holy Spirit’s Inspiration.

Wars and rumors of wars have vaulted to the forefront of present-day crises. And God’s chosen people and nation are at the very heart of Satan’s assault on humanity.

Stage-setting for prophetic fulfillment could hardly be more in process of full end times display than things going on currently. With all this stage-setting as backdrop, Planet Earth is primed for a most terrible invasion, as was given to John by Jesus to present to all who will believe –that is, accept—God’s Holy Word as Truth.

Until very recently, talk of UFOs as being a real thing to consider as a factual matter has been treated as anything but Truth. Again, the report on Jennings’s UFO program of all those years ago is interesting.

Executive producer Tom Yellin said the UFO field is “a risky thing to report since it doesn’t go with the conventional wisdom that this stuff is kind of silly, and the whole subject has been tainted by the brush of wackiness.”

Like Jennings, Yellin initially had reservations about devoting a program to UFOs. “I thought it was all a bunch of baloney. Even though it has public appeal, you don’t want to do something that subjects you to ridicule just to get a rating.”

But Yellin discovered “a tremendous amount of information that deserves further examination.

“The U.S. government and every government have a policy of knocking [UFO reports] down, and that is very different from covering it up,” he said. “The field has been abandoned to kooks and amateurs, and we felt it was worth looking at more closely.” (IBID)

The leap forward to 2023 finds the world in a much more acceptable configuration to the UFO intrigues. As a matter of fact, here in this column and in many other forums, both in Bible prophecy and secular news-type arenas, it is being accepted that extraterrestrial life is not only out there but is trying to and about to make contact.

Some fear an H.G. Wells-type invasion. But more, particularly those in international leadership, seem to view such a coming to earth of something or someone from outer space as just another diplomatic front to be utilized in establishing greater power to control.

What is not recognized is that the Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs,) now called by the powers that be Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or Unidentified Ariel Phenomena (UAP), are prophesied in God’s Word to someday touchdown on Planet Earth. These will not be extraterrestrial, however.

When the UFOs touchdown, it will not be a moment of diplomatic rapprochement. It will be the beginning of the worst time of all human history. — Thus, according to Jesus Himself.

“For then will be a time of great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt 24:21). 

Jesus gave the Apostle John the following to forewarn those alive during those most horrendous years to come on Planet Earth.

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him… Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev 12:7-9, 12).

John was further told to write of what is coming on earth at that most terrible time.

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast” (Rev 13:11-14).

Indeed, lights, as fire descending from the heavens, are scheduled to invade earth. But they will be dimensional beings, not extraterrestrial beings who do the invading.

We can expect, I’m of the view, to see and hear UFO or UAP stories on the increase as stage-setting for prophetic fulfillment proceeds ever more swiftly.

When the UFOs finally touch down, it will be far worse than anything H.G. Wells could conceive as a fiction writer or that Orson Wells could narrate. You don’t want to be here then. Here, again, is how to make sure you are off this Judgment-bound world and safely with Christ when all of this takes place.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

*** UFO Second Coming series ***

I hope you will consider getting the Second Coming Chronicles series in thinking of Christmas gifts. Even though novels, these 3 books help set the stage in providing enlightenment for what I believe is coming, as I’ve written in the above article. My prayer is that the fictional accounts will spark, in the readers of these stories, interest in God’s Word about things to come. Perhaps this is a kind of back door way to witness God’s Truth, through fictional presentation, to those you love. –Terry James

Here is the link for the complete box set (all three novels) of The Second Coming Chronicles:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X9QCGPF/

 –Terry

 

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We Are Heirs to a Kingdom

The elite powerbrokers of today plan to enslave humanity in a deadly communistic world government. Their demonic agenda will mean death for many people but a utopian kingdom for themselves (or so they imagine).

The Bible assures us that their expectations of grandeur will end in disaster; God will pour out His wrath on them during the Tribulation when He judges the wickedness and lawlessness of our world. Their dominion over the earth will be exceedingly short-lived.

Our outlook is beyond comparison with that of any earthly realm. As New Testament saints, we are “receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). It will never end. The Apostle Paul wrote this concerning our future inheritance:

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

These verses reveal three significant aspects about our future:

1. We are heirs to a kingdom that is not yet here.
2. This inheritance belongs to all believers; it’s not limited to just a few saints.
3. The Holy Spirit guarantees that we will receive our kingdom inheritance.

It’s a Real Kingdom

What is the nature of the kingdom that we will one day inherit?

First, please know that we already belong to God’s forever spiritual kingdom (Colossians 1:13):

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”

Second, the Bible tells us that there is also a future, tangible aspect to God’s kingdom, which is the substance of our inheritance.

“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? (James 2:5, Emphasis added).

Although we are now a part of God’s dominion, we are also joint heirs with Christ to a kingdom (Romans 8:17), during which time He will rule over all the nations of the earth.

The church is not the kingdom; the New Testament never refers to it as such. We belong to the “body of Christ.” In the future, we will have a role in God’s kingdom on earth.

What Will Be Our Role?

God’s Word reveals that we will rule alongside Jesus in His glorious kingdom. Below are the words of the twenty-four elders, who represent the raptured church in Heaven:

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10, KJV).

We will reign with Jesus in His kingdom (see also Revelation 2:26-28). The globalists can strategize all they want, but we are the ones who are heirs to the coming utopia that is far better than they can even begin to imagine.

How is it possible that I will reign with Jesus in His earthly kingdom? I sense my human weakness every day; I am definitely not ready for such a task.

Jesus will Make Us Fit for His Kingdom

This brings us to the best news of all: When Jesus appears, He will make all of us fit for His Kingdom. This is the encouraging news of 1 Corinthians 15:50-53:

“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

The Apostle Paul is clear about how we will inherit our part in God’s kingdom. First, we cannot do so in our “flesh and blood” bodies. Second, we cannot receive this inheritance until Jesus appears and gives us incorruptible and immortal bodies.

On this side of the Rapture, we remain unfit to have a part in God’s glorious kingdom. The good news is that when Jesus appears, He will not only make us fit to receive our inheritance but also to rule with Him.

So yes, we are not yet ready for our inheritance of the kingdom. However, that will all change at the time of the Rapture.

The expectation of the Luciferian globalists includes that of reaching immortality through artificial intelligence and advances in technology, which they believe will enable them to live a thousand years or more.

There are no words to describe the extent to which our inheritance of a kingdom outshines the grandest of their dreams. We are the ones who will live forever in bodies that will never grow old, get sick, or perish.

We will reign with Jesus for a thousand years and then forevermore in the eternal state. Our hope of eternal life includes that of a kingdom to which the Bible says we are heirs. How can we even compare our destiny to anything this world offers?

-Jonathan