Anti-Semitism and the Fig Tree

The chants ring ominously from college students on the East Coast: “There is no place to hide; Israel is committing genocide.”

College students on the West Coast shout in unison: “There is no place to hide; we want Jewish genocide.”

These and variations of anti-Semitic chanting, obviously orchestrated and coordinated, are increasing throughout colleges and universities across the United States. The attacks unleashed against Israel on October 7 have seemingly unleashed hatred reminiscent of 1939 Nazi Germany.

Students in the East Coast incident above were attacking a college library where Jewish students were hiding in fear, while violent banging on locked doors was accompanied by the above choruses and the further demand: “Let us in! Let us in!”

One young Jewish woman stated that she was told by those at her university—by a professor, I take it—that she should take off all of her jewelry with Jewish symbolism. Anything—like the Star of David—that would mark her as a Jew shouldn’t be worn so the pro-Palestinian protesters wouldn’t be triggered.

Another young woman said she was told by a college official that she should perhaps go into the attic while the pro-Palestinian mob was ranting, trying to get into the library. The girl asked why she, in the United States of America, should have to hide in an attic rather than be totally safe in a room with windows and the freedom to move about unafraid.

The library in question is now disdainfully being called the Anne Frank Library—referring, of course, to the young girl who hid from the Nazis during the persecution of the Jews in Germany during Hitler’s regime.

We who have studied Bible prophecy over many years have understood that Israel is destined to be at the center of the wrap-up of human history while Christ’s Second Advent approaches. As a matter of fact, a good number of us—despite the objections of many in seminaries who see no relationship of Israel to the fig tree parable—have concluded that Jesus’ Olivet Discourse prophecy concerning the fig tree is significant in framing the general time when we will recognize the nearness of His Second Coming.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:32-35).

The fig tree in Jesus’ parables is considered by many to represent the nation Israel. I believe this is especially true in the case of the Matthew 24 Olivet Discourse reference. And, like the Lord said, we should recognize how near He is to returning; He is right at the door when we see these things come to pass.

Jesus earlier said in that same discourse:

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

We’ve gone over time after time all the things Jesus was predicting for the very end of the Church Age. And here He talks about the chief sign of them all: the fig tree—the nation Israel—being front and center when all these things take place.

I previously posted an article titled “The Zechariah Effect.” The prophet said Israel would become “a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone” to all the nations of Earth. There is no doubt in the mind of anyone who hasn’t been deliberately hiding from today’s news that Israel and anti-Semitism are dominating all news media. The mainstream forums—i.e., The New York Times, Washington Post, CBS, NBC, ABC, etc.—are mostly calling for Israel to back off from punishing the Hamas in Gaza. They are most generally calling for a ceasefire of some sort. Absent from their reports is much about the bloody atrocities inflicted by Hamas upon innocent Israelis and even visitors from America and other countries.

The following puts into vivid perspective how quickly things are shaping up to produce that “Zechariah effect.”

Since Hamas initiated a brutal and barbaric terrorist attack against Israel and the Jewish people on October 7th, many Americans—Jewish and not—have mourned alongside the world’s only Jewish state and have understood the necessity of a swift and decisive military counterattack. But in the green quads and ivory towers of American academia, a very different reaction has been brewing. For the past two decades, the David Horowitz Freedom Center has shone a rare spotlight on the genocidal Jew-hatred emanating from our college campuses. Student organizations like the Hamas-funded and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Students for Justice in Palestine have infiltrated our universities and turned them into training grounds for the next generation of jihadists.

In the wake of Hamas’s barbarism, its slaughter and mutilation of innocent Jews, its campaign of rape and torture and beheading, we can now bear witness to the effects that two decades of Jew-hating pro-terror propaganda have wrought in our institutions of higher learning.

At Harvard, arguably America’s most prestigious university, over 30 student organizations signed onto a statement declaring that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.”

Not to be outdone by Harvard, the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Brown University released its own statement (co-signed by the Graduate Labor Organization and Teaching Assistant Labor Organization, as well as 25 additional organizations) stating that: “We, the undersigned, hold the Israeli regime and its allies unequivocally responsible for all suffering and loss of life, Palestinian or Israeli.”

At Cornell University, SJP held a rally to “Stop Israel’s Annihilation of Gaza.” History Professor Russell Rickford, who spoke at the rally, declared Hamas’s barbaric attack, which included the rape of women, the beheading of babies, and the deaths of entire families as “exhilarating.” (“Universities Celebrate the Mass Murder of Jews-American Academia Has Descended into Barbarism,” Sara Dogan, Frontpage, October 26, 2023)

My good friend, James Michael Hile, summed up exactly where all this is showing we stand on God’s prophetic timeline:

After observing the coming to life of “the fig tree and all the trees” after World War II and during the second half of the 20th century (1950-2000), we can be assured, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the events that take place just before Jesus’ return are nearing fulfillment. This means His coming is “near, right at the door.”

According to Jesus’ words, when “the fig tree and all the trees” put forth leaves (come alive), we are to absolutely and confidently “know” the Kingdom of God is near, and the generation that is living at that time “will not pass away until all is fulfilled.” The preponderance of scriptural and global evidence is overwhelming that we are the generation Jesus was talking about. (“The Mysterious Prophecy of the Trees,” Michael Hile, https://www.raptureready.com/2023/07/12/the-mysterious-prophecy-of-the-trees-by-michael-hile/ )

—Terry

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“I Never Thought Heaven Could Be So Beautiful” 

I heard the question, but I didn’t hear anything after it, as an answer quickly formed in my mind and drew my attention away from the inquiry, “What do you think the state of our country [the U.S.] will be in five years?”

The response that immediately popped into my mind was: “I don’t think it will exist.”

Please know that I’m not a prophet, nor am I making a prediction. However, many factors lead me to believe that America may no longer exist, at least not in its current form at the end of 2028.

First and foremost, the extreme wickedness, lawlessness, and deception that grows worse by the day convinces me that the Lord will soon severely judge the U.S. He is exceedingly patient, but eventually, His justice will prevail.

Secondary considerations behind my gloomy forecast include America’s massive debt, the printing of so much money during the past decade, the lack of leadership in our government, and the nearness of a catastrophic war that could easily bring destruction and death to our shores.

(I have just one more piece of bad news until I get to the over-the-top good news, so be patient.)

On October 31, 2023, FBI director Christopher Wray testified before Congress, stating that Hamas could inspire attacks in the U.S. He said there are multiple ongoing investigations, and in written testimony, Wray stated, “We have no information to indicate that Hamas has the intent or capability to conduct operations inside the US, though we cannot, and do not, discount that possibility.”

Given the massive flow of illegal immigration into the U.S. in recent years, I agree with other analysts who believe both Hamas and Hezbollah already possess both the resources and capability of launching terrorist attacks on our soil and will do so in the future.

On the other hand, it’s my firm conviction that the Rapture will happen before the Lord pours out His wrath on the entire world. Judgment is surely coming to the nation I love, but I believe we will meet Jesus in the air before God devastates the U.S. We have already seen horrible things, and we may still be here for future times of despair, but Jesus is coming soon to take us all away from this wicked world.

I base such confidence on the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10:

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”

The wrath to which these verses speak is that of God’s judgment on humanity during the Day of the Lord (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). This destruction will strike the earth suddenly at a time when people are saying “peace and security.” The Day of the Lord begins with the Rapture and includes the seven-year Tribulation as well as Jesus’ Second Coming and rule over the nations.

The world is already far down the path that is surely leading to the horrific conditions of Revelation 6:1-8. After that, things will get even worse. Our close proximity to the Tribulation tells me that Jesus is coming soon to take us to glory (Colossians 3:4); we will already be in Heaven with Jesus when He opens the seals John wrote about in Revelation 6.

It’s easy to toss around the word “glory” without contemplating the wonders that await us in Heaven. For me, something I read on Facebook renewed my perception of the paradise that awaits us.

On a recent John Ankerberg show, they reported the last words of Dr. Ed Hindson, who had been a frequent guest on the show. As death approached, the family of this Bible scholar, beloved teacher of prophecy, and author gathered around his bedside. It was then they heard him exclaim, “I never thought Heaven could be so beautiful.” With those words still ringing in the ears of his loved ones, Dr. Hindson went home to be with His Savior.

With this story still piercing my heart, I read a similar narrative.

David Jeremiah, in his November 1 entry for his book Morning and Evening Devotions, recounted the narrative of a little girl who had been blind since birth. Because of the development of a surgical procedure for her condition, she regained her sight. After the doctor removed the bandages, she ran to where she could see the outdoors for the first time and exclaimed, “Mama, why didn’t you tell me it was so beautiful?”

David Jeremiah closed this entry, titled Beautiful Heaven, with these words:

“And I think someday when we get to heaven, we are going to have the same reaction that little girl did — “John, why didn’t you tell us it was going to be so beautiful.” I do not know that anyone, in the limited space in which the apostle wrote, could have described heaven any better. But one glimpse of heaven will outstrip all of his words.”

Our world is fraught with much danger. The war in the Middle East could easily spread violence and destruction to many other nations, including America. The erosion of freedoms in many nations, which started during COVID, continues unabated as globalists advance their agenda to enslave people in a one-world government.

However, there’s something about Hindson’s last words and David Jeremiah’s story that brings a smile to my face and relieves any apprehension that starts to arise within me regarding the future. I don’t know what lies ahead for me between now and the Rapture, but I trust the One who walks beside me, and I know that He’s coming soon to take all of us to glory.

When we finally see paradise along with the place that Jesus is preparing for us, it’s likely the last words of Ed Hindson will also be on our lips, “I never thought Heaven could be so beautiful.”

-Jonathan

Donation Drive Nov to Feb

Because of the situation in Israel, I decided to delay our quarter fund drive by a month. When something of this extreme nature occurs, the priority is to watch the news and scan the sky for our Lord’s return.

This will be the last donation drive of 2023; unless the world suddenly falls apart, it will be a very productive year for the site. The world has become so evil and insane that we need to praise God each day so that we can preach the end-time message. It seems the rapture has protected us from total chaos. The world could easily blow up at any moment, but by some special miracle (the rapture), we are able to continue with our mission.

Some of you might be wondering why Jonathan Brentner has replaced me in NM. About a year ago, I realized my ability to perform tasks had slowed to the point that it became a struggle to keep up with the workload. It is amazing to think that I once did everything related to the site, and now I’m very dependent on a small army of people to keep Rapture Ready functioning.

I have always been a slow writer all my life. It can take me up to three days to produce an article. The first day, I might write 2/3 of a write-up. I’d come back the next day with fresh ideas and complete the article. The next day, I might spend a couple of hours checking spelling and grammar before sending it to our editor.

I’m hindered in my ability to function due to a strange ailment. I suffer from severe insomnia that often robs me of energy at times. Not being able to choose the time when I sleep has cut into my ability to travel to prophecy conferences. Terry just came back from a great one in Oklahoma City where he spoke.

When I was in my 20s, I just assumed the blessed hope would be why I left this world. Now that I’ve turned 58 and have witnessed the deaths of so many leaders of Bible prophecy, I realize that life is short and any of us could go home before the rapture calling.

I am so grateful that we’ve worked all these years creating a site that provides a massive amount of info to the millions who will find themselves left behind. We have so much content that I decided to stop building in some areas because it would overwhelm the new readers. There is not enough time for someone to prepare everything on RR during the tribulation.

There are three ways you can contribute to RR: You can send a financial gift via our P.O. Box address, you can make a one-time donation, or there is a frequent option that allows you to make monthly donations. If you’re interested in signing up, find the input links on the Donation Depot page. Donations can be sent to our P.O. Box at:

Rapture Ready
P.O. Box 969
Benton, AR 72018

-Todd

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The Zechariah Effect

Much attention was given to a documentary series I was asked to participate in. I believe the year was 2009 when I was filmed for the project the History Channel called The Nostradamus Effect.

My novel, released at that time, The Rapture Dialogues, was one reason they wanted to have me comment on the Rapture as part of their ongoing presentation of the sixteenth-century astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, Michel de Nostradamus.

The world gives this ancient soothsayer the status of prophet while denying, for the most part, the true prophets of God’s Word. So I and another pre-Trib prophecy observer were more than happy about the opportunity to place truth from the Bible in that series. And, I must say, to their credit, so far as I can determine, the History Channel didn’t edit out what we discussed on camera.

It is truth that we must have in order to warn the world and edify the Body of Christ regarding things to soon come upon a planet destined for God’s judgment and wrath.

Israel, as we’ve seen many times from studying God’s Word and observing history, is critical to getting understanding. That is, God’s chosen nation is the key to where the generation alive now stands on God’s prophetic timeline. Never has that been more true than when digesting the massively important developments involved in the attack on the Jewish state on October 11, 2023.

While the pundits—and even politicians, in some cases—are going to Nostradamus to try to find out what’s happened and where things are going in this Israel-vs.-their-Islamic-enemies war, I am pleased to present what a true prophet of God foretells regarding where we stand at this moment in seeing prophecy unfold.

Zechariah, I propose, provides us a profound look at exactly that:

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zechariah 12:1-3).

When Israel was suddenly and viciously attacked earlier this month by Hamas forces—whose unspeakably evil terrorists murdered even pre-born infants, severed babies’ heads, raped girls and women in front of parents and husbands, slaughtered those parents and husbands, and took girls and women captive to continue their horrors—much of the mainstream media, particularly in the U.S., was relatively silent. As a matter of fact, the main rants coming from the media were calls for a ceasefire to stop Israel’s retaliation against Hamas while IDF forces made Gaza a land of smoking carnage.

Then, the anti-Israel media and all their complicit ilk, including U.S. representatives, got their opportunity to turn it all against the Jews. A Baptist-run hospital in Gaza was supposedly hit directly by a missile explosion. I say “supposedly” because it turned out later that an adjacent parking lot was the most affected by the explosion.

The cries were a cacophony of rage against Israel. And the rage was almost instantaneously echoed throughout much of the rest of the world–particularly the Islamic world. The following gives perspective:

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that intelligence sources indicate it was an Islamic Jihad terrorist group rocket that hit a Gaza hospital, killing hundreds, as opposed to an Israeli strike as first claimed by international corporate media and terror group Hamas. The IDF provided video to support their claims.

“Following an analysis by the IDF’s operational systems, a barrage of rockets was launched toward Israel, which passed in the vicinity of the hospital, when it was hit,” the IDF said in a statement posted on X. “According to intelligence information from a number of sources we have, Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital.”

In the immediate aftermath of the blast, it was reported that upwards of 500 Palestinians had been killed, with the number expected to rise. U.S. corporate media and some Members of Congress were quick to condemn the Israeli military, citing Hamas claims that it was an Israeli airstrike that hit the hospital. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said, “Bombing a hospital is among the gravest of war crimes.” Omar insinuated that it was the IDF that orchestrated the attack. CNN and MSNBC both reported that an Israeli airstrike was responsible for the deadly blast – repeating the claims made by Hamas.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also appeared to uncritically accept Hamas’s narrative. “The news coming out of Gaza is horrific and absolutely unacceptable. International humanitarian and international law needs to be respected in this and in all cases,” Trudeau said shortly after the news broke.

“The barbaric terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the Gaza hospital, not the IDF,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pushing back against corporate media that was quick to blame his country’s military. “Those who cruelly murdered our children, murder their children as well.” (“A Jihadist Rocket Aimed at Israel Hit the Gaza Hospital, Killing 500+, Says IDF,” William Upton, The National Post)

Even the Biden administration–definitely not on the side of Israel, it has proved by its actions—was forced by the massive amount of evidence to admit that it was an errant missile fired by the Islamic Jihad, a terrorist group affiliated with Hamas, that struck the hospital parking area. Despite the terrorists of Gaza killing more than 1,300 Israelis and committing untold atrocities, the president gave the Gaza government $100 million in “humanitarian aid,” which will no doubt go straight to Hamas (the so-called elected governing agents) for rebuilding their weaponry.

Israel has done nothing more than defend themselves by attacking their attackers, yet the world of anti-Israel forces continues to blame them. This blame comes from even some of the leaders within the U.S. government and around the world.

Zechariah’s prophecy is truly beginning to set the stage to come. Israel will become that “burdensome stone and cup of trembling,” the prophet foretold.

We can be assured of this based upon things developing so rapidly that it’s hard to try to keep up.

For example, a recent Harvard-Harris Poll indicates that 51% of college students in the United States believe Israel deserves the attacks by Hamas because of Palestinian oppression by the Jewish state.

Last week in New York City, a throng of college-age students marched, wearing masks and shouting “Intifada!” Interlaced within their chanting were the words: “There is only one solution!”

To those who are aware of historical precedent, the chanting eerily rings in the ears of memory.

This smacks of Nazi Germany and the likes of S.S. General Reinhard Heydrich, who led hatred against the Jews at the January 1942 Wannsee Conference that came up with the Final Solution.

Many believe war in the Middle East, with Israel at the center, is the first salvo of what will become WW III. I disagree. That last war of humankind that will end at Armageddon with Christ’s return (Revelation 19:11) will have its genesis following the covenant Antichrist will “confirm,” according to another great prophet, Daniel (Daniel 9:26-27).

I believe things will keep moving toward the apparent start of that dreaded final war, but that the most spectacular event of all history will preempt plans of the globalists to provoke conflict that will have people of the world crying for “peace and safety.”

The Rapture is that great event, I believe God’s Word promises. The Rapture will provide escape from the “Zechariah Effect,” which brings cursing upon a world that curses Israel and will bring all anti-God rebels to Armageddon. Here is how to be part of God’s family and go to Jesus when He calls all believers to Himself:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy 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).

–Terry

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If Not for Our Expectation of Jesus’ Appearing

Many people say that Bible prophecy scares them; I wholeheartedly disagree. If not for the expectation of Jesus’ imminent appearing, I’m certain I couldn’t cope with all I see happening in our world.

Bible prophecy calms our hearts amid the lawlessness and violence of our day, but that doesn’t make us immune to the toll of human suffering that has resulted from Hamas’ barbaric massacre in Israel or the shooting in Lewiston, ME. We feel the shock and grieve for the families of the victims.

At the same time, the “blessed hope” of Titus 2:11-14 calms our hearts in spite of the heartaches we feel from world events or the suffering we experience from living in a fallen world.

We have hope amid a world of chaos and violence because:

1. God is sovereign over all things. As we look around us today, we see the leaders of many nations clamoring for a Marxist one-world government, hear of wars and rumors of wars, and witness deception the likes of which we never thought possible. On top of all these things, the violence in our world shocks and numbs us.

When we open our Bibles, however, we read that God said the last days would look like this. Furthermore, God’s Word assures us that He is sovereign over all human affairs and, as such, is able to declare “the end from the beginning” (see Isaiah 46:8-10).

If not for the Lord’s supremacy over all things, we might have cause to despair. Instead, we find relief in knowing how all things will end.

2. Jesus will give us immortal bodies at His appearing. For us, as New Testament saints, we have the comforting assurance that the Lord will give us imperishable and incorruptible bodies when He comes to take us to glory (1 Corinthians 15:51-55; Philippians 3:20-21; and Colossians 3:4). Even if you are young, in perfect health, and strong, the glorified body you receive will still be a vast improvement for you. For the majority of us who are not in that camp, we often think of the blessedness of the day we receive a body like that of our Savior after His resurrection.

Is it any wonder we long for Jesus’ soon appearing?

3. The Lord will judge the lawbreakers and murderers of our day. I often read about the frustration that today’s perpetrators of evil and violence will never face any consequences for their actions.

This annoyance is misplaced for two reasons:

First, the Lord will severely judge the wicked during the upcoming Tribulation period. Just as Hamas is now paying a heavy price for their barbaric violence, so the entire world will someday feel God’s wrath. The apostle John describes the horrors of these future judgments in Revelation, chapters 6-18.

Second, all the unsaved will face God’s White Throne judgment where they will be sentenced according their wicked deeds and end up in the “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

We may not see the perpetrators of evil in our day go to jail or suffer any consequences for their behavior, but they will pay dearly for their vile ways unless they repent and turn to the Savior.

4. The Lord Jesus will reign over the nations. There’s a certain confidence that comes from recognizing God’s supremacy over all things because we know the final outcome of the wars and terrorism that threaten to ravage the earth. After all the chaos ends, Jesus will reign over all the nations of the earth.

I love the words of Psalm 46:10:

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

The nations now rage against the Lord Jesus. However, someday, those who survive the Tribulation will exalt Him as their King. He will bring peace to the earth at the beginning of His glorious reign (Psalm 46:8-9). The worst wars that the world will ever see lie in its future, but Jesus will end all such bloodshed and establish peace on the earth at His Second Coming. Imagine a thousand years without a war.

5. We will reign with Jesus. As New Testament saints, we have an inheritance that’s greater than what the richest uncle in the world could ever leave to us in his will. The Bible promises us a kingdom, which we will inherit with the glorified bodies we will receive at the time of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-55). Our current bodies make us ineligible to receive our future place ruling beside Jesus, but the Lord will change all that when He comes to take us to glory.

Our expectation of reigning with Jesus (Revelation 2:26-27, 5:9-10) changes everything. The wiles of the devil will fail. The globalists will briefly succeed in establishing a world order, but in the end, the Lord will destroy their kingdom. Because God is sovereign over all things, He will not fail to establish the rule of His Son over all the world.

Apart from these assurances, things would look rather bleak for us as well as this world. A devastating world war will quite possibly erupt from the tensions in the Middle East. Many predict a deadly outbreak of terror attacks across the world. The demonstrations in support of the Palestinians in America show that the enemy is already on our shores.

Our world is becoming increasingly unsafe by the day, but we know the Lord is coming for us soon and will take us to the place He’s preparing for us in His Father’s house (John 14:2-3). For most of us, this cannot happen too soon.

Maranatha!

-Jonathan