Prophecy Sign #16:  Martyrdom of the Church and the Jews

See Prophecy Sign #17

The persecution of the church by Antichrist was clearly the position of the early church fathers.  Roman Catholicism under Augustine moved away from the literal interpretation of end-times events and allegorized prophetic scriptures.

9th Body Found at Minnesota Bridge Site

My wife and I were in Maine this week (Aug '07) and attended a Baptist Church in Rockland.  The Pastor prayed for those impacted by the bridge collapse in Minnesota and thanked God for all the miracles that occurred too, specifically 52 children and several adults who escaped alive.  He also pointed out that the word "bridge" never occurs in the Bible.  I looked it up in my online concordance and interestingly, he's right.  You see, bridges carry us over the hazards, the dangers and the deep and mighty waters.  But the Bible repeatedly admonishes believers to be overcomers (Greek = nike) and GO THROUGH the times of testing.  Why?  They make us stronger, they purify, they force us to rely upon God for deliverance in the midst of the oppression.  And so as it is today, so shall it be in the end times.  We, like Israel, will not be carried up over the Red Sea, we will go through it, and delivered in the midst of suffering through the trials the Lord sends our way.   

Source: U.S. Strike on Iran Nearing

Iran threatens to eliminate Israel

Barak - Israel Is Preparing For All Out War

Today is Tuesday, April 15, 2008, Tax Day in the United States.  Yes, it's painful, but it is truly a divine privilege to live under the flag of freedom and safety in our great nation that God has abundantly blessed. 

There has been lots of unsettling activity in the Middle East over the past few weeks fueling speculation that something big is about to happen.  These three disturbing headlines demonstrate that the rumors of war are intensifying and begs the question, are the wheels being set in motion for end-times prophecy events to become reality?  

And, if so, what is the role of the United States in prophecy?

The United States may or may not be mentioned in prophecy.  On the one hand, the Bible does not say anything specifically about the U.S. and from that, for some reason, somehow we have lost our 'superpower' status among the nations.  Very simply, we are no longer around when Daniel's 70th week begins.  This point of view comes from an argument of silence.  It could be true. 

On the other hand, one promise/prophecy from God to Abraham regarding Israel is very clear in the scripture...  

Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV)
² "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 

Perhaps the United States' prophetic destiny will be contingent upon its continued support of the nation Israel.  Could it be that some parts of the end-times remain a mystery and are still unwritten from a human point of view?  Look at this very interesting end-times verse in Micah 5:2-6.  The Bible teaches that there will be seven nations/leaders who will take care of Israel during Daniel's 70th week.  We are not told their identity. 

Micah 5:2-6 (NIV)
² "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." ( A reference to the birth of Jesus the Messiah from the tiny city of Bethlehem)
³ Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. (A reference to the dispersion of Israel up to the time of Daniel's 70th week.)
⁴ He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. (Following the Great Tribulation, King Jesus will execute His Day of Wrath judgment and then establish a 1000 year Millennium that will usher in God's eternal kingdom.)
⁵ And he (Jesus the Messiah from Bethlehem) will be their peace. (And when, exactly, will this kingdom be set up?)  When the Assyrian (Antichrist) invades our land (Antichrist invades Israel) and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against him seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. (And here is the mystery of this prophecy.  Who are the seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men?)
⁶ They (It seems that sometime during Daniel's 70th week, Jesus will raise up seven shepherds, even eight leaders to push the Antichrist all the way back to the city Babylon, for a time) will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He (Jesus) will deliver us (Israel) from the Assyrian (Antichrist) when he invades our land and marches into our borders.

Historically, the US has done a stellar job of supporting the Jewish people and the nation Israel.  But our work has only begun.  Darker days lie ahead and Israel will need shepherds/leaders to stand with her once Daniel's 70th week begins.  Today, Israel is somewhat like a wayward child, rejecting her promise of the New Covenant blessing that can only be secured by faith in Jesus Christ.  We Gentiles have benefited as a result of her temporary spiritual blindness.  But rest assured, the Day is coming when Jesus will remove the scales from her eyes and she will see clearly.  In the meantime, we, the most blessed nation in the history of planet earth, must be committed to being there and protecting Israel in her greatest hour of need.    

Muslim call to adopt Mecca time

Daniel 7:25 (NIV)
²⁵ He (Antichrist) will speak against the Most High (Jesus Christ) and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time (3 1/2 years or the Second half of Daniel's 70th week).

I think there are many similarities between radical Islam and the prophecies regarding the Antichrist aka the Beast of Revelation 13.  Speaking of the Antichrist, Daniel 7:25 teaches us that he will speak great words against the Most High, he will persecute and prevail over the saints, and he will change time and laws (See story above).  It seems to me this verse links the Antichrist and his kingdom to radical Islam and their desire to conquer and convert the world to Islamic laws and an Islamic calendar.  If and when the radicals take charge, there will be an attack on the Judeo/Christian culture/world like there has never been before.  Most people are aware of their desire to place the entire world under subjection to the law of Allah.  But most people are totally unaware that the Muslim people have a different calendar from the rest of the world.  Click here to see Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.) The Christian calendar is based upon the first coming of Jesus Christ to this earth.  The Muslim calendar is based upon Mohammed leaving Mecca and going to Medina in the year 622 A.D.  This event is called Hegira, and according to their calendar, it is 1428 H. rather than 2008 A.D.  The Muslim calendar is designed to glorify the prophet Mohammed and Allah, the God of Forces. 

S Koreans told 'convert or die'

 Donnie's Remarks...  Christians will never experience God's wrath, particularly referring to the End Times and the latter part of Daniel's 70th week.  Scripture is equally clear that believers are not promised freedom from persecution and tribulation.  Matthew 5:10-12 (NIV)  ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  ¹¹ "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

British aid worker shot dead in Afghanistan for 'preaching Christianity'

Taliban:  Aid worker killed for preaching

In the News...

Telegraph.co.uk.  By Caroline Gammell.  20 Oct 2008

Gayle Williams, who had been in the troubled country for three years, was killed by two gunmen on a motorcycle as she walked to work in the capital of Kabul. She recently moved from Kandahar back to Kabul because it was seen as safer. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the shooting, which took place at 8am local time... The shooting is not the first time a Christian has been targeted in Afghanistan.  Last year, 23 South Korean aid workers from a church group were taken hostage in southern Afghanistan. Two were killed and the rest released.   Read More

Donnie's Remarks...

HOW TO OVERCOME THE PERSECUTION OF SATAN

 John then tells the Church - who, along with the 144,000, will be the target of Satan's wrath during the Great Tribulation - how it can overcome Satan's attacks. By way of example, John explains how the saints in Heaven overcome Satan's lies, and urges the Church to follow their example. Specifically, we find strength in: (1) the Blood of Christ; (2) our Personal Testimony; and (3) our assurance of Life Everlasting.          Revelation 12:10  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser (Satan) of our brethren (believers) has been thrown down (out of Heaven), who accuses them before our God day and night. (Until this event takes place, Satan has access to Heaven and accuses the saints as he did in the case of Job and Jeshua, the high priest. See  Job 1:6-12, Zech 3:1-2. The casting of Satan to earth marks the beginning of the most awful period in human history, The Great Tribulation.)             11"And they (those who Satan accuses) overcame him (this verse is especially important, because it explains how the saints of any age, and particularly those in the Last Days, can effectively stand against and neutralize the Devil) because of the blood of the Lamb (First, we overcome Satan through the blood of Jesus Christ; there is no condemnation to those who live in Christ. See Rom 8:1. The shed blood of Christ is the only means of victory over Satan. Just as Satan accuses believers, Jesus defends them!) and because of the word of their testimony (Second, we overcome Satan by having a personal testimony and sharing it with others. Victory over Satan is not a physical victory, but rather a spiritual one - we must hold tight to our own conviction that we are children of God and we have salvation in Him.), and they did not love their life even to death. (Third, we overcome Satan through our knowledge that life on Earth is fleeting; it is life in Heaven that is eternal. Only with this perspective can we surrender our lives and suffer martyrdom. In Daniel's 70^th week, Satan will martyr hundreds of thousands of believers who remain true to their faith, but we can rest assured in the knowledge that "He who endures to the end, (to the point of death), will be saved. See Mt 24:13.)             12"For this reason, (because Satan has been forever cast out of Heaven) rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. (the angels rejoice in Satan's ultimate defeat) Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you (although the angels rejoice, we on Earth should anticipate a time of great hardship; Satan has been cast to the Earth, and the Great Tribulation to follow will be a time of persecution and martyrdom), having great wrath, (Satan is intensely angry at his defeat in Heaven, and all hell literally breaks loose as he energizes Antichrist in a last-ditch effort to overthrow God's kingdom and destroy His people - Israel and the Church. During the Great Tribulation, two-thirds of the people in the land of Israel will perish. Homes will be plundered, woman raped, and hundreds of thousands taken into captivity. See Zech 13:8, 14:2. The Church will also be the focus of his wrath as he declares war upon the saints. See Rev 13:7-10. Satan knows he has a limited time (3 1/2 years) to rage against mankind.) knowing that he has only a short time. (3 ½ years of his final rage before he is chained and confined.)