Prophecy Update: January 3, 2019

I want to take a look back at 2018 and give an update on where we are at with the Last Days countdown. The Bible is very specific about what is coming to the earth in the last days. We live in special times and it is both thrilling and scary to see the things coming on the earth. Thrilling, because we will see Jesus in the rapture and I want to encourage each of you to meditate on I Thess. 4:16-18. The command of vs.18 is to comfort each other with these words. The Rapture of the church is a source of comfort and we should encourage each other to watch and pray!
It is also scary to consider all that is coming on the earth. Jesus has warned us that these days are days of darkness and not light. Wars and rumors of wars will fill the air as they do today.

An important truth denied today by many who claim the title of Christian is the literal fulfillment of scripture. All of Jesus first coming prophecies were fulfilled literally. If those in the first century would have paid attention, they would have known that Jesus would have died by crucifixion. Psalm 22 describes death by crucifixion when Jews of that day stoned people for a capital crime. Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 on the cross when He said, “My God, My God why has thou forsaken Me?” This alerts us to the fact that this prophecy was fulfilled literally. Since Rome introduced crucifixion in 63 AD, the believers should have seen it for what it was. Today we need to see that the mark of the beast is upon us because of the technology. Literal fulfillment of the Word of God is before us!

The most heartbreaking of prophecies concerning the Last Days has to be the suffering and persecution of the believers. This past year saw the utter destruction and the death of many believers. China has pursued the destruction of the Church.
In China there is a movement called ‘Back to Jerusalem’ (BTJ) This movement believes that it is the job of Christianity in Asia to preach the gospel to everyone west of China. History teaches us that the Gospel has primarily moved westward since the days of Paul. The Church has grown so large that the communist government has determined that it must stop. American mission groups have noted:
“China’s new laws are meant to combat this growing trend and are meant to go into effect on February 1, 2018. BTJ sources inside China reported the leak of this law when it was being written and BTJ was among the first to report it. Foreign Chinese ministries laughed saying that it could not possibly be true. Now, as was reported by BTJ, according to article 64 of the new religious law, ¥100,000 – ¥300,000 RMB fine is proposed to be slapped on anyone that organizes unregistered house church meetings. According to Article 69, a fine in value of property confiscated or ¥50,000 RMB will be imposed on the owner of the house where the meetings are held.” In December there was this headline:

“100 Christians snatched in overnight raids on underground Chinese church. Many house churches have been closed this year in China’s harshest religious suppression in decades. Bob Fu of China Aid, a US-based Christian non-profit organisation, said the crackdown represented a major escalation of religious persecution in China.”

In the Middle East, there is what is being described a ‘holocaust’ of Christians by Muslim armies. By NURIT GREENGER 04/26/2018

“In The Middle East, Genocide of Christians Fighting to Maintain their Faith. The ethnic cleaning of Christians in the Middle East by Godless Islamo-Nazis. The disappearance of Christians from the Middle East phenomenon is an ongoing happening in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other remoter places in the Middle East where Christians managed to exist. What the Muslim hate the most are the infidels, the people who are not Muslims and they drive them away from their home or kill them. Time to put out the Islamo-fascist fire phenomenon or it will spread like wild fire with no end in sight. A painful story that I, a Jewess, is all so well familiar with. All so very sad!”

In Nov.2018, congress moved to protect the Christians in the Middle East. “US Congress passes bill to relieve Christians, Yazidis in Iraq and Syria. The US House of Representatives passed Tuesday H.R. 390, a bill titled “Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act,” which seeks to assist with the rebuilding of the Christian and Yazidi communities in Iraq and Syria.”
Notice that the bill used the word genocide. This word has been used at least since 2015 that I found in my research. This is a tragedy and the Lord said it would happen. Remember what Jesus said,
Matt.24:9, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.”
Although to some degree this has always been true, we have been the inheritors of the dominance of the Christian worldview in the West. Western Europe and America have received many blessings from following the Lords Word and Commands regarding our culture and governments. Since World War Two, the western nations have abandoned Jesus and the Christian Worldview! This will bring more and more persecution in the United States. It has already started. If it had not been for the election of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton would have been president and the persecution of the church would have started in earnest. She declared the Christian worldview deplorable. She would have made it illegal to oppose abortion and the immoral lifestyles being pushed on America by the elites.

Then there is Israel! Who could have conceived that the embassy could have moved to Jerusalem and that a world leader would declare that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel? The establishing of Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel was prophesied and it has happened. I am amazed that the super sign of the end times, Israel, is in full bloom! Here are three things that were advanced in 2018 which will fulfill prophecy soon enough.

1. Psalm 83 war. Psalm 83 teaches us that a war will exist with those who say vs.4, “come let us wipe them out as a nation that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” This describes the groups, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Al Nusra, Boko Haram, Al Qaida, Fatah, ISIS, and the nations, Iran, Syria, Indonesia, Turkey, Libya, Sudan, etc. There are too many to mention. The conflict with the neighbors of Israel is at an all time high. It is much like the time before the 1967 war. I think that the Psalm 83 war has been going on since 1948 and will continue until Israel reclaims all of her land. That means they need to take southern Lebanon, half of Jordan, all of the West Bank, and the Gaza strip and more. That will happen for sure and may happen this year. Israel already fought in the Gaza strip, on the Lebanese border and in Syria. They are ready militarily to claim all of their land. All they lack now is will and opportunity. Jesus will initiate this and it will be to Gods glory!
2. Ezekiel 38-39. The conflict in Syria is with the nations described in Ezekiel as the Gog Magog war. Russia, Iran, and Turkey are entrenched in Syria on the northern mountains of Israel where the war will take place. The foundations of this future conflict were laid down the past few years and especially this year. We have seen the conflict rise between Israel and Russia. Russia in December threatened Israel with military action and that is new. The direct threat of Russia against Israel is a game changer. We are close my friends. Iran has a strategy to attack Israel first through proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. When Israel defeats these groups it will be a rout. ( it will also fulfill Ps.83) Iran will respond with the direct attack on Israel with Russia. This could all happen in the next year because it is all in place.
3. The third thing I would like to mention is the events surrounding Jerusalem. God has said that Jerusalem will be established as the eternal capital of Israel, it will be hated by all the nations, that a temple will be built there, and that the Jews will be in control of the city. Three of these prophecies are already accomplished. There is no temple yet, but the people preparing to build the temple are ready to build. They have practiced sacrifices, they have a priesthood, they have the alter and all of the instruments for the Temple ready to go. It is very thrilling to watch. Even the red heifer has been born that can fulfill the mandate in the book of Numbers regarding the cleansing of the Temple. This is the prophecy that is most in doubt in the next year. It will take a supernatural work of God for the Jews to rebuild the Temple. The whole world is against Israel doing that. Even most of the churches in the world are against the Temple being rebuilt. I am glad to be in a church that believes the prophecies and agrees with God. God is the owner of the land of Israel and has determined to give the land to His Chosen people Israel. He also wants to give them a Temple. Let God be God! In the midst of this conflict we have the United States that has led the charge to move embassies to Jerusalem. Guatemala announced this week that they are moving the embassy in 2019. Turkey also announced that they will destroy these embassies in Jerusalem. The conflict is on and it will continue until Jesus comes back. As far as Israel controlling Jerusalem, many in Israel do not want them to control all of the city. Some have proposed giving half of the city to the Palestinians. This is dividing the city and I believe that it will not happen. When they try to do it, God will upset their plans because it is prophesied! Isaiah 62:4 says, “It will no longer be said to you (Jerusalem) Forsaken! Nor to your land will it any longer be said, Desolate! But you will be called ‘My delight is in her and your land married. For the Lord delights in you and to Him your land will be married.” God is marrying the land of Israel and soon after He will marry the Jews who are living there. Thus all Israel will be saved as Jesus has promised. We live in great days my friends pray and watch!