Israel will never be destroyed by the multitude of Satan inspired enemies in these last days. Yet they will go through a time of trial and testing and eventually turn back to their God and their Messiah, the Lord Jesus.
In this tract we will look at a few upcoming events in Bible prophecy as they relate to Israel. Here is a brief run-down of what is yet to happen with Israel in the coming days:
1) There may be a major war in the coming days. The Arabs and the PLO are ready to again attempt the military destruction of Israel. Of course they have no chance of succeeding as God will defend Israel. At some point a man will rise to power and seemingly bring peace to this troubled world. He may rise to power after a war of some kind in the Middle East. His name is the antichrist and he will be free to rise to power anytime after the rapture of the Church occurs. Our time is getting very short here on earth in light of prophetic events.
2) Israel is suffering now with all the war, rumors of war, terrorism, and deaths. All this is bringing them into the position where they will completely accept the antichrist when the time is ripe.
John 5
43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another
shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Israel rejected their Messiah the first time He came. When the antichrist comes, him they will accept along with his peace treaty. This alignment with the antichrist will last until he commits the abomination of desolation.
3) The antichrist will confirm a 7 year peace treaty (Oslo again?) with Israel. This event will set the clock ticking for Daniel's 7 year period called the 70th week or the tribulation period.
Dan 9
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in
the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation
to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it
desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be
poured upon the desolate.
4) During the first 3 1/2 years of this treaty Israel will rebuild their temple and resume sacrifices. The rebuilding of the temple could possibly even begin before the antichrist and before the rapture. If it does not, then the temple will be rebuild right after the 7 year peace treaty is signed with the antichrist. Right now many in Israel are in the process of preparing for the day when their temple sacrifice is restored.
Daniel 9 verse 27 says that the antichrist will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This means when the antichrist commits the abomination of desolation the sacrifice is being performed on a regular basis. The antichrist will put a stop to the sacrifice when he sits in the rebuilt temple and proclaims himself to be God.
5) During the first 3 1/2 years of the 7 year tribulation period, God has two witnesses giving testimony in Israel. Who are the two witnesses? We can only guess at this time in Bible prophecy. Some believe it will be Enoch and Elija as they are the only two who never died physically during their lives on earth. These two witnesses will be hated by the antichrist but they will not be killed or harmed until their appointed time. It is also interesting that during that the time frame of their ministry, there will be no rain on earth (verse 6). This will cause major changes in the climate of the earth as the atmosphere gets filled with evaporated water. What God is doing is preparing the world for the time after the return of the Lord Jesus. At that time the world will be more temperate (like the days before the flood of Noah) and people will be protected from the harmful rays from space. Life spans will be increased and people will be able to live for 1000 years. Below is the Biblical account of the two witnesses during their time on earth.
Rev 11
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy
a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing
before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth,
and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must
in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of
their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood,
and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and
shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord
was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall
see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer
their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and
make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two
prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God
entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear
fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come
up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their
enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth
part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men
seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory
to the God of heaven.
After the devil kills the two witnesses they will lay dead in Jerusalem for 3 1/2 days. During this time the people of earth will celebrate some kind of Satanic Christmas with presents and parties. After 3 1/2 days, the witnesses will come back to life and rise up to heaven for all to see.
6) Midway in the 7 year treaty (after 3 1/2 years) the antichrist will break the treaty. He will enter the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and there he will proclaim himself as god. This event is called the Abomination of desolation. He will probably commit the abomination of desolation right after he kills the two witnesses.
Dan 9
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,
but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall
come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end
thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and
the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations
he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that
determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The above verses show the timing of the abomination of desolation. It will occur in the middle of the week or 3 1/2 years into the 7 year tribulation period.
2 Thess 2
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
When the antichrist commits the abomination of desolation he will sit in the rebuilt temple and proclaim to the world that he is God.
Matt 24
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take
any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take
his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that
give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither
on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The above verses describe the command to those in Israel who are to flee for their lives as soon as the abomination of desolation occurs. After the abomination of desolation, the antichrist will no longer be a friend to Israel.
7) When the abomination of desolation occurs, the people of Israel are commanded to flee into the mountains to a place God has prepared for them. Right now we don't know the exact location of this place but some have speculated it could be Petra. They will be protected from destruction and attacks at the hands of the devil and his antichrist.
8) He, the antichrist, will demand worship and implement the mark of the beast after the abomination of desolation. All who refuse to worship him and refuse to accept the mark of the beast will be killed.
Rev 13
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast:
and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast?
who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and
two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme
his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to
overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names
are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.
Rev 13
14 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; saying
to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to
the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that
the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many
as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free
and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,
or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number
of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six
hundred threescore and six.
All lost people who have rejected the Lord Jesus will willingly accept the mark of the beast on their hands or forehead. They will gladly worship the devil in order to receive the mark of the beast. However, by doing so they will be forever sealing their fate. These people will perish forever in the lake of fire. Here is the Biblical description of the fate of all who receive the mark of the beast:
Rev 14
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If
any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the
holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his
image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
9) During the 7 year tribulation God will be judging the world. All the 7 seal judgments, 7 trumpet judgments, and 7 bowl judgments found in the book of Revelation will be done on the earth. During this time there will be massive death on earth.
Here are a list of all the judgments found in the book of Revelation:
Seal judgments:
-1st Seal: White horse (Antichrist) to conquer
-2nd Seal: Wars on earth
-3rd Seal: Worldwide economic troubles
-4th Seal: Death released. 1/4 of the worlds population to die by
plagues, disease, beasts of the earth etc.
-5th Seal: Persecution and killing of God's people worldwide
-6th Seal: Massive earthquake
-7th Seal: Silence then the 7 trumpet judgments
Trumpet judgments
-1st Trumpet: Hail, fire, and blood. 1/3 all grass and trees burned up
-2nd Trumpet: Great mountain hits sea. 1/3 all ocean becomes blood.
1/3 all sea life dies and 1/3 all ships destroyed.
-3rd Trumpet: Wormwood star hits earth. 1/3 all freshwater poisoned.
-4th Trumpet: 1/3 of sun and moon darkened
-5th Trumpet: locust beasts that sting and torment men loosed from the pit
-6th Trumpet: demons released and 200 million Eastern army kills 1/3
of the world's population
-7th Trumpet: Cries from heaven and 7 bowl judgments to be released on earth
Bowl Judgments:
-1st Bowl: Terrible and painful sores break out on all who worship the beast
-2nd Bowl: Entire ocean becomes blood. All sea life dies
-3rd Bowl: Fresh water becomes blood. No more fresh drinking water
-4th Bowl: Sun increased in heat and scorches and burns people
-5th Bowl: Supernatural darkness on earth
-6th Bowl: Great Eastern 200 million man army heads toward Armageddon in the Middle
East for the final battle
-7th Bowl: Babylon destroyed, massive earthquakes, and 100 pound
hailstones devastate the earth.
10) At the end of the 7 year tribulation period the nations of the world will gather in Israel for the battle of Armageddon. This battle does not signal the end of the world but rather the return of the Lord Jesus. At this battle the heavens will open and the Lord Jesus will return to earth with His heavenly hosts. Here is a description of that event from the Bible:
Rev 19
11 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.
12 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.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name
is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 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.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud
voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come
and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains,
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them
that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both
small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the
horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon
the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls
were filled with their flesh.
At the battle of Armageddon the Lord Jesus will return to earth. 2000 years ago the Lord Jesus came as a Lamb to be slain for the sins of the world. When He returns at Armageddon, He will be coming back as a conquering King to destroy His enemies and setup His Kingdom on Earth. Notice the outcome of the battle of Armageddon above. There will be massive bloodshed as the Lord Jesus kills all those in the antichrist's army. After the battle the antichrist and his false prophet will be cast alive into hell, the lake of fire. All the armies will be destroyed completely by the Lord Jesus at that time.
11) After the Lord Jesus returns to earth, He will setup a 1000 year Kingdom and rule and reign on earth. Israel will be fully restored at that time and the capital of the world will be Jerusalem.
Revelation 20
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a
seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till
the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be
loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The Lord Jesus is our heavenly priest. In this job He performs two major duties.
1) The Lord Jesus was ordained to offer sacrifices. He did this by His death on the cross. By His one-time-only sacrifice, the Lord Jesus forever paid for our sins. No further sacrifice is necessary!
The Lord Jesus offered the sacrifice of Himself ONCE while He was here on earth. This satisfied the justice of God and brought us back to God as His children. Here are some verses describing His sacrifice on the cross:
Heb 9:26
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Salvation was provided by the one time sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The penalty of sin was completely paid for!
Eph 5:2
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for
us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
The sacrifice on the cross was acceptable to God the Father (first Person of the Trinity)
1 Pet 2
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls.
Our sin was completely paid for by the one sacrifice on the cross. Saved people should live unto righteousness as their sins are now under the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Eph 2:16
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby:
There is no longer any barrier between God and man. By the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, all who are saved are reconciled back to God. What a blessing it would be if more people would repent of their sins and accept the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour!
2) The Lord Jesus is the great intercessor. He prays for us, our sins are pardoned, our prayers are heard, our conscience is quieted, and our souls are saved. Here is what the Bible says:
John 17
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come
to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given
me, that they may be one, as we [are].
1 John 2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if
any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for
[the sins of] the whole world.
Saved believers are also kings and priests before God:
Rev 1
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto
him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him
be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
This means that each saved believer has a ministry to pray in this lost and perishing world.
James 5
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much.
Phil 4
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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