The Day After the Rapture

The Day After the Rapture

by Jason Lovelace

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Key Scripture:

Matthew 24.9 – Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Matthew 24.36-37 – But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels in heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of man be.

Proverbs 30.11-14 – There is a generation that curseth their father and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Proverbs 30.17 – The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Amos 5.18-20 – Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

1^st Thessalonians 5.3 – For when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety’; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

2^nd Thessalonians 2.2-12 – ¹Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, ²That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. ³Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴Who 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. ⁵Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? ⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. ⁸And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Many people may know the Television Movie, The Day After, and certainly those who happened to grow up in the 1980s may know this movie all too well. This is a movie that was filmed and produced by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) depicting a situation of Nuclear War between the then-Soviet union and Warsaw Pact Powers, and the United States and NATO Allies. Centering on the USA, the story followed the lives of several Americans as they endured nuclear attack, and the aftermath. It was a sobering television special that made many people see a glimpse of the horrors of nuclear war.

Since that time, there have been several other movies which depict a “Day After” situation, involving massive winter storms (The Day After Tomorrow [2004]), a massive flood (Flood [2007]), a world-wide Alien attack (Independence Day [1996]), mass suicides due to people going insane (The Happening [2008]), the end of the Mayan Calendar, which predicts massive disaster (2012 [2009]), a future where computers run the world and attempt to destroy the human race (The Terminator series [1984, 1991, 2003, 2009]), and any of the more recent “zombie” movies (Dawn of the Dead [2004], The Resident Evil Series [2002, 2004, 2007], 28 Days Later [2002], 28 Weeks Later [2007]). In each of these movies, the human race is presented with some sort of world-shaking catastrophe in which massive damage is done, thousands or even millions are killed, and basically the governments of the world are in disarray or totally incapacitated.

While most of these movies take a rather dim view of the situation after each climactic event, could there really be an event that will cause such desolation, such destruction, and so much confusion that civil authorities will be helpless and people left to fend for themselves? Could there be a cataclysmic event that will render just about everyone everywhere helpless and with fading hope?

The Rapture

A recurring subject and topic of hot debate in the Church of Jesus Christ in these modern days is the subject of The Rapture. Just what is this so-called “Rapture” that has much of the church debating with itself?

The Rapture is an event foretold in many parts of the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. It is an event that was not only talked about by Jesus Christ, but by the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John, and the Apostle Peter. The Rapture is an event in which the Lord Jesus Christ descends from heaven in the clouds, and, with the sound of a trumpet, calls from the earth all of those who have chosen to put their faith, hope, and trust for eternity and salvation in him.

Those who have died in the Lord, believing in him as Lord and Saviour, will also be resurrected and called home to be with the Lord. It is an event that many have depicted in fiction (the most notable being the Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins), in Television and movies, (“The Thief in the Night” Serial from the 1970s), in non-fiction (The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey), and even on the radio (the Left Behind Live Action Radio Dramas were played daily and weekly on many Christian Radio Stations in the USA).

Basically, it is the belief that every true and real Christian and follower of Jesus Christ will disappear in an instant so fast, it will be faster than the blink of an eye. One minute, Christians will be bodily present in the world, and in the next instant, we will all be gone, with just physical, bodily items being left behind. Most Christians who believe in the Rapture of the Church believe that it will be a time of great destruction, chaos, and confusion, insomuch that nations will be on the brink of catastrophe, such as never has been experienced in the world before or since.

The Rapture will be especially heavy in countries and areas that have a high proportion of Christians in the population. Many believe that the United States will be so hard hit that it will be reduced to third-world status, thanks to Christians occupying very high levels of government and social position. Any other country, as well, that has a high number of Christians in high social status will be just as adversely affected.

What Divides Christians Concerning the Rapture?

Probably the most divisive aspect of the Rapture is when it will happen. Depending on the school of thought being explained, the Rapture is debated generally along the lines of it being before the 7-year period known as the Tribulation (“Pre-Tribulation” or “Pre-Trib” Rapture), in the middle of the Tribulation, about or around the time the Antichrist sets himself up as god in the newly-built Jewish Temple (“Mid-Trib” or “Mid-Tribulation” Rapture), or at the end of the Tribulation period.

There are other groups that believe other things about the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ (such as Preterists and Preterism, which believe that the Kingdom of Christ has already come), but this article and lesson will focus on the Pretribulation Rapture. Though this writer will not get into the arguments and divisions between the two, it is the opinion and belief of this writer that the Bible clearly and unmistakably points to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. This is what the Early Church believed, what the Apostles believed and preached, and it is no coincidence that churches which preach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church (often also called “The Secret Rapture”) are usually the ones that are most on-fire and most diligent about reaching the lost. It is the belief of this writer and his opinion that Jesus Christ will snatch away his Church just before the Tribulation, and it is also believed by this writer that the Bible, again, is clear and unmistakable in pointing towards that Pre-Tribulation Rapture. If anyone would like more information concerning the Pre-Tribulation rapture, please visit the following sites:

Rapture Ready (www.raptureready.com)
Zola Levitt Ministries (www.levitt.com)
Prophecy Watch (www.prophecywatch.com)
Prophecy Central (www.bible-prophecy.com)
According to Prophecy (http://www.according2prophecy.org/)
The Hal Lindsey Report (http://hallindsey.org/)
Lamb and Lion Ministries (www.lamblion.com)
The Omega Letter (www.jackkinsella.com)
Chick Publications (www.chick.com)
Left Behind (www.leftbehind.com)

He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…

Most people do not understand fully the message written by Paul in the header above, which is taken from one of our Keys for today. The Person being spoken of in, “He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…” that Paul the Apostle is talking about here is the Holy Ghost, also known as the Holy Spirit. It is one of the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ that when a person receives Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Saviour, s/he is also indwelt by the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. This is from the promise that Jesus Christ gave in the New Testament Book of Acts:

“But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses of me…”

– Acts 1.8

This promise is also given elsewhere in the Bible:

“Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”

– John 20.22

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you…”

– Luke 24.49

“…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

– Matthew 28.20

“…but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”

– Mark 13.11

“but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost…”

– Acts 1.5, 11.16

“…ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

– Acts 2.38

“…be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

– Acts 9.17

“Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”

– Acts 10.47

“…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

– Romans 5.5

“…he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost…”

– Matthew 3.11

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

– Luke 11.13

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

– Acts 2.4

These verses make it clear that those who choose to follow Jesus Christ are indwelt by His Holy Ghost. Every believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour has the Holy Ghost, and it is this fact, and the Holy Ghost’s Presence in the world in this way, that holds back the evil from fully manifesting itself in the world today as the Antichrist. In essence, it is because of the Believers in and Followers of Jesus Christ that the evil has not overtaken the world, and the Evil one has not set his man, the Antichrist, on the throne of this world. However, when the Rapture takes place, when Jesus comes in the clouds with the sound of the trumpet, and receives those who have died in him, and those who’ve lived for him and trusted his sacrifice on the cross for salvation, EVERY thing will change!!!

When the Rapture “Hits”…

The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ will literally shake the world. It will be an event like no other in the history of the world. Many people remember significant dates in their National Histories, and even in the History of the World. Possibly everyone in Europe and North America knows the significance of September 1^st, 1939. In Northeastern Asia, people in China, Korea, and Japan know the significance of the dates of August 6^th and August 9^th, 1945. In the USA, everyone knows the significance of September 11^th, 2001. Most Americans also know November 22^nd, 1963, December 7^th, 1941, and April 9^th, 1865. As important as these dates are, they will be mere shadows and small blips on the Earth’s Timescale compared to the Event of the Rapture.

The reason is, Christians are literally everywhere in the world; from the deepest, darkest jungles of South America and Africa, to the Deserts of Central Asia, to the Siberian Wastelands of Russia, to the great metropolises of New York City, London, England, Tokyo, Japan, Cape Town, South Africa, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Beijing, China, Christians are literally everywhere n the world.

Most families in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Africa, and many parts of Asia have family members and close, close friends that are Christians. When the Rapture takes place, it will touch the lives of literally every person on the face of the Earth. Though some people may be spared from losing family, everyone will have known someone who was a Christian that was taken, be it a coworker, a friend, a classmate or teacher, a neighbor, or a business acquaintance. The Rapture will literally touch everyone everywhere in the world, and everyone, thanks to the miracle of satellite-fed television and newsreels, will likely see someone taken, right before their eyes.

The First Few Minutes After the Rapture…

The first few minutes after the Rapture will be – in a phrase – pure chaos. Planes with flight crews being completely Christian will suddenly be pilotless and crewless, and will crash in any number of places, killing thousands. Cars and trucks with Christian drivers will suddenly be out of control, causing massive loss of life and hundreds of traffic jams, pile-ups, and highway disasters.

Trains and subways which had Christian Conductors and Engineers will be out of control and cause commuter snarls in dozens of places in hundreds of cities throughout the world. Ships and boats with Christian captains and crews will suddenly be without their steering, and will also be objects of destruction, with oil spills, sinkings, crashes into port, and causing horrendous loss of life and billions of dollars in damage all over the world. People who were walking, talking, driving, studying, working, doing business, and in any other way interacting with a Christian will, in the immediate minutes after the Rapture, be confused, dazed, surprised, even horrified and terribly afraid, especially those who were looking as a Christian who disappeared.

Parents of Children will suddenly be horrified, as any child below the age of majority will likely be taken. Parents of newborns, and expectant parents and mothers will suddenly be without their babies, infants, and toddlers, and will likely go literally and figuratively mad and crazy trying to find their precious little ones. This writer lives in Japan, and with the high suicide rates, such will likely skyrocket out of control, as parents who cannot find their missing children, go crazy, or into deep depression, or both, and choose to end their lives. This will be a phenomenon all across the globe. Many countries that have high concentrations or high numbers of Christians could literally find cities or even states reduced to nearly uninhabited, thanks to the rapture.

Countries like the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia and many others could literally see cities become ghost towns in an instant as the Rapture takes away large portions of the population. The first few minutes after the Rapture will be a shock to all, and confusion, disaster, and chaos will ensue and be in control.

The First Hours After the Rapture…

Due to the Rapture, police forces, fire fighters, ambulance and medical vehicle operators, and the militaries of many – if not most – nations will be affected. Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel will suffer huge losses of trained workers needed to help all the injured and dying that will crowd into hospitals, clinics, medical facilities, and health offices. Statistics have shown that in the USA, police officers, military personnel, fire fighters, and medical vehicle operators and nurses tend to have quite considerably large numbers of Christians, and these statistics are echoed in many other nations throughout the world.

As with any natural disaster, especially on a nation-wide or region-wide scale – such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Earthquake of December 2004, and the various famines and pestilences in Africa and parts of India and Asia – looting, lawlessness, and criminal chaos is usually part of the equation when it comes to a nation or government attempting to regain control after such a disaster has occurred. Such will also be the case following the Rapture, and it will be magnified by the fact that many, if not most, law enforcement officers and military personnel will be among those Raptured.

Looting, which has plagues just about every large city in the world, especially in times of protest, civil violence and disobedience, and disaster, will run amok and out of control. Hospitals will be overrun and overwhelmed with the injured and dying brought to their doors thanks to the large number of accidents and wrecks following the Rapture. Police Offices will be inundated with phone calls from frantic parents, family and relatives, and friends of the vanished to the point of communication relays being broken down. Fire Stations and Ambulances will be run ragged from out of control fires and responding to emergency calls from those who have been injured or killed due to the Rapture.

Military installations around the world will be on full alert, and will likely prepare for action in the face of personnel being Raptured, and the ones left behind left to literally try and figure out what happened. However, in spite of all of this chaos, there will be far, far worse things, actions, and situations to take place.

Crime….Like We’ve Never Seen Before…

In the movie, Event Horizon (1997), a science fiction story and film, the recorded ship logs from the ship, Event Horizon, showing scenes are that of recorded imaging of the worst kind of chaos and violence: torture, cannibalism, dismemberment, rape, mutilation, and other acts too horrible to describe. In the immediacy of the post-Rapture world, it is very likely that human kind will – at least for a short time – will descend into this kind of chaos, where rape, torture, dismemberment, murders of the most grisly and inhuman kind, and any other form of violence takes place on Earth. Could it be, though, that the average human being could descend to a state, where such horrific violence is carried out?

Could it be that simply because the presence of the LORD, by way of his Holy Ghost indwelt in those who believed in Jesus Christ, departs, evil perpetrated by what the world views as “normal” would commit horrible acts of crime against other people which, under more controlled circumstances, would never take place?

To get a better picture of this, to truly understand this, we have to understand the nature of the Holy Ghost. The Key Scripture above, from 2^nd Thessalonians Chapter 2, speaks of the Holy Ghost and his power to withhold the all-out, purely chaotic evil of the Devil and his angels.

We need to understand that this world – which already has seen murders, atrocities, holocausts and genocides – is still under God’s overall control. Yes, when Adam and Eve sinned, the world was given to the devil by mankind, but because the world has always had people who have chosen to follow God, God, in turn, has reined in the devil’s activities, especially when it comes to how he comes against Christians and Believers of Jesus Christ. However, there will come a day when the devil – because the staying hand of the Holy Ghost – will have absolute control, and likely, during the first few hours to the first few days and weeks after the Rapture, the chaos, the loss-of-control by governments and nations will be so complete that there very well could be a sharp, sharp rise in the numbers of violent crimes, with rapes, murders, thefts, lootings, grisly serial killer-type murders, dismemberments, and torture being played out all across the globe. Because police forces, security firms, and militaries all wave the world will be affected, these entities will likely be able to do very little to stop the tide of chaos, even if they wish to. Such was the case in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in 2005.

Instead of fulfilling their pledge to serve and protect, and to uphold the law of the City of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs, many police officers – due to the fact of many of their superiors leaving them with no guidance nor leadership – simply evacuated the area, leaving thousands to the mercies and violence of roving gangs of looters and thugs. It is believed that hundreds were beaten, raped, tortured, and murdered by these gangs which were able to move with impunity, so long as the police were away. Think of a situation like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, but on a worldwide scale, where military units, police forces, and security firms are without leadership, orders, or guidance, not to mention numbers of people in uniform thanks to the Rapture taking so many away.

Think of roving gangs of thugs, out for blood, for rapacious sex, and for murderous, torturous “fun” at the expense of those others who are left behind. Friends and readers, you must understand the nature of the devil, and of the satanic spirit that will envelop this world in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks following the Rapture. Yes, control will be restored by the person who will later be identified as the Antichrist, and, in fact, one of the reasons for this person’s power and authority will be quite possibly because the Antichrist and the devil’s agents will literally be everywhere, doing “good” things, restoring order, and aiding people who were most hurt by the confusion and violence of the Rapture, even so far as reining in those rapacious, thug gangs, much similar to what was seen after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Because the Antichrist will put a major stop to the violence, the debauchery, and the chaos and confusion – or will seem to (at least putting it on a serious hold for a time) – he will be seen as a new Savior. Further, as people are saved and brought into a Saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will again become present on the earth, but because of the Rapture, because of the Prophecies of the Bible, and because the Antichrist, his False Prophet, and the Devil will be given authority and near-total control of the Earth, the power of the Holy Spirit, In the withholding sense, will not be the same as prior to the Rapture. The satanic, devilish, demonic spirit that will rule following the Rapture will likely be so pervasive and powerful, not to mention blood-thirsty, that everyone on the Earth will very likely be affected, and very easily and likely radically so.

Until the spirit is “brought under control” by the Antichrist, this world will be like one, huge cesspool of violence, mayhem, confusion, and crime against humanity. Internal squabbles many nations are dealing with, that are currently under the radar in most major news organizations, will likely explode to new levels of violence and combat. Civil and social strife and fights will likely erupt into all-out genocide and/or civil war in many if not all nations.

A Caged Dog Unleashed

To better understand this phenomenon that will take place following the Rapture, with regards to this chaotic and devilish spirit pervading the world in the immediate after math of the Rapture, think of a dog that has been tethered on a chain inside a yard or a cage for a long period of time. When that dog is set loose from its cage and chain, what does it or will it do? Anyone who has kept a dog in such a state for a good while knows that the first thing that dog will do is run, run, run, and run some more. It may even get into the trash of a neighbor’s garbage can, dig, dig, and dig some more in another yard, and do other and crazier acts.

The reason: that dog wants to do as much in its power for as long as it can, until its master or someone else brings that dog back into the yard, and it is set again on its chain. Dogs that are given a respectable amount of freedom usually will do no such things. The same will be for this wicked, chaotic spirit that will pervade the world immediately following the Rapture. This spirit will want to do as much damage as it is allowed, cause as much mayhem, spill as much blood, and hurt as many people as possible before the Antichrist brings it back under control.

This spirit of chaos and of mayhem is already at work in the world – just turn on your television or open your daily newspaper, and it is easy to recognize – but it is under the control of the Holy Ghost. After the Rapture – especially immediately following the disappearances of so many Christian law-enforcement officers, authority figures, military personnel and leaders, security contractors and patrolmen, and government officials – all bets are off, and this spirit will be loosed for a time, until it is temporarily brought under the control of the Antichrist.

It will be under his control during the first couple of years of the Tribulation, during the time of the first Seal Judgment (the White horse and Rider of Peace), but when the Second Seal Judgment is loosed (the Red Horse and Rider with the large sword), it will, once again, be loosed, and for a much longer and far more destructive time. However, this spirit will have freedom, as well, in the days immediately following the Rapture, and along with the localized and regional mayhem he will unleash, there will also be the inklings of international war, especially one that was Prophesied by the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel.

The Days Following the Rapture – World War III

The United States of America, a country which, like only few others, has Christians at the highest levels of its government, will likely be devastated by the Rapture. With the number of Christians being 75% to 80%¹ of the population, the Rapture could, and probably will, mean the end of the USA as a Superpower, or even a major world power, and with that passing, the ability to effectively help defend Israel from her Arab neighbors. This could be the chance that Russia, Iran, Egypt, and all of their Arab and North African Allies are seeking, and the Assault by the overwhelming numbers as mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39 could, and very likely, will take place.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain, with an estimate between 71% and 53%² of its population being Christian, and the UK being a good friend and past ally of Israel, after the Rapture, England will likely, as well, be in no position to give any kind of aid to Israel in the event of this assault. In fact, as Islam will likely suffer very few losses in the Rapture (very likely zero due to the Rapture itself, but many due to accidents and disasters involving the disappearances of so many Christians), as well as due to the demonic, satanic spirit that will pervade immediately following the Rapture, this may be seen as an opportunity for offensive actions against Islam’s infidels. In fact, many in Islam may regard the Rapture as some sort of “punishment” being carried out on the West and Christian Nations by Allah, and, as a result, will likely turn to their own devices to carry out further reprisals and assaults, all in the name of Allah.

The current Conflict in the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan very, very likely could flare-up into all-out regional war not only between American Soldiers and Al-Qaida and the Taliban, but as well between ethnicities and races. In Asia, the Republic of Korea is estimated to have between 30% and 51% of its population being Christian³. As such, the Rapture – taking out as many as half of the population – will devastate not only the civilian population, but the military of South Korea as well. Coupling this with the losses that the United States Military will sustain in the event of the Rapture, this could be the opportunity for the Democratic People’s Republic (a.k.a. – North) of Korea to attack and “unify” the Korean Peninsula in her own devices.

This could likely be so, as well, because of the diminished international strength of the USA, and with Russia focusing on Israel and the Middle East. North Korea – unrestrained by international pressure – could, and very likely will invade her Southern neighbor, and, with her rocket technology, launch missile strikes against Japan. Again, with the US Military Presence and International Prowess lost, the People’s Republic of China – thanks to Rapture losses of as many as more than 100 million people⁴ – could, in her confusion over the loss of such numbers of people, launch strikes against Taiwan and Japan, aid North Korea against the South, and make herself The Power in Asia where Japan and the USA had been in the past.

Further, the People’s Republic is scheduled in the next year or so to launch three men into space, and has already launched rockets carrying one- and two-man capsules. Placing explosive warheads – or even nuclear – on top of these rockets instead of space capsules, and pointing them towards the USA or Japan, instead of space, could also be an option in the days following the Rapture. Further, the Republic of the Philippines, with upwards of 90% of her population being Christian⁵, and having dealt with Muslim Rebels in her Southern Islands for several decades, could also see her government and nation collapse, becoming a nation dominated by Islam. The conflicts between the Filipino Army and the Islamic Separatist Rebels will likely bloom into a full-scale war as many in the government in Manila and in the military will have disappeared in the rapture. Tensions between Pakistan, India, and China could also have a devastating effect on the events immediately following the Rapture.

While nuclear weapons – at least on a larger scale anticipated by the Second Seal Judgment (Red Horse and Sword-bearing rider) – may not be used, there will still likely be much bloodshed, much warfare between nations, especially as escalations and accusations of kidnapping are tossed back and forth between countries in the immediate aftermath of the disappearances of believers in the populations of different countries due to the Rapture.

The Ultimate Danger of Missing Out on the Rapture – The Antichrist.

The most dangerous aspect of the days following the Rapture will be, undoubtedly, the rise of the Antichrist. In light of all of the disasters, wars, strife, confusion, criminal activities, and all the other horrible things and situations that will come about because of the Rapture, a person will come forward who will seem to have all the answers.

This person will seem to have superhuman powers insomuch that he will cause miraculous signs to take place. He will preach “peace” and “safety”, will take control of the world and will appear to solve all the problems of the Rapture, and may even take credit for the Rapture himself, stating that he has gotten rid of the “undesirables”, the “narrow-minded”, the “haters” and “bigots”, and removed all those who have “stopped progress”. He may even put on a show of causing a “person” to “disappear” in the same way as Christians were taken out of the world, and stating that he did so to bring the world closer to the Utopia that humankind has striven for since the dawn of time. Everything he will do will appear to be for the betterment of mankind and for the earth, and by his actions, he will appear to heal the earth, to cleanse the land and water of the disaster that took place. Every question that you have for him, he will appear to answer.

On the outside, and on the surface, he will appear to be holy, righteous, good, and kind, and because of his charisma and power, the powers that will be will give him all the power he desires. The truth is, this person will be the very antithesis of Jesus Christ. Everything he will do will really be for the express purpose of erasing the presence of Jesus Christ in this world, and to steal your very soul. He will preach “peace”, “safety”, and “prosperity”, but in reality what he will do is bring sudden and worse destruction onto the earth, such as never has been seen before. He will seek to destroy and eradicate the nation of Israel, the Jews, and all Christians, and he will set up an extermination system for all “undesirables” that Adolf Hitler could only have dreamt of in his wildest dreams….and he will be far, far more successful.

He will be a mass murderer who will be far worse than Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, and Joseph Staling combined. He will compel everyone on the world to swear allegiance to himself by taking a mark of identification. He will demand worship from the world, and the Bible says that everyone will worship him.

His False Prophet will preach him, and instruct everyone to give him due and proper reverence, and proclaim him as god. Finally, he will appear to be assassinated in front of the whole world (and this could happen at the beginning of the Tribulation Period), and though he will appear to die and be pronounced dead, the whole world will see him rise from the dead. Friend and reader, all of this will serve one purpose, and one purpose only, in the end: your soul being cast forever into the Lake of Fire, and salvation being lost to you forever. Further, in the 2^nd half of his reign, the Antichrist will desecrate a newly-built Jewish Temple, proclaim himself god, and the world will undergo horrible disasters, far worse than are described here. Three-quarters to four-fifths of the world’s population will perish, and the world, the Earth itself, unalterably destroyed. However, the ultimate danger is to you, unsaved friend and reader!

If you take the mark of the Antichrist, you will be forever lost, with no hope of Salvation, and, if you survive the disasters that will come as a result of the Rapture, you very well could be killed in any of the numerous, Godly judgments that will fall upon this Earth. You may think that you will be able to hold off, and not take the mark, but you will be compelled to, either by hunger or fear of torture and death. The only way to escape this is to trust in Jesus Christ today!

Conclusion: The Day After the Rapture – A Place You Don’t Want to Be!!!!

With all of this chaos, violence, warfare, crime, bloodshed, disaster, and destruction taking place following the rapture, the world at this time will be a place that nobody really wants to be!

After the publications and the incredible popularity of The Left Behind Series, many Christians stated that they wanted to “skip the Rapture” because they wanted to stay behind and help people.

In this writer’s opinion, the reason for many Christians wanting to “stay behind” and “help” unbelievers is because of the basic lightness of the situation and state of affairs as described in Left Behind. However, what writer could accurately describe the literal depravity, the total chaos, the pure debauchery, and the absolute madness and confusion that will reign in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks following the Rapture? What film, movie, or television program could accurately portray the deep depravity of a society wholly without the presence of Jesus Christ, the total absence of the Heavenly Father, and the removal of the protective, staying hand of the Holy Ghost? What newspaper article or radio program could effectively show what “life” will be like on Earth after the world’s most (literally and no pun intended) Earth-shaking event that the Rapture will be?

Friend, reader, if you are a Christian and you want to “skip” the Rapture in order to “help” unbelievers, you must understand that this world will be like a prison without the guards. It will literally be hell on earth, and though there will be a season of peace, the events of the Tribulation will be horrific. No Christian should ever “want” to go through such a time. It will be a time in the world’s history that will surpass every horror story writer’s imagination, and every slasher-film’s worst nightmares.

Non-believer, this event is something, as well, that you will not want to be a part of. Despite the fact that you’d be lost and without recourse should you die before the Rapture, if you survive until then, and live to see the day when every true Christian is taken away from the world, you will likely fall under the control of the demonic, satanic spirit if chaos, debauchery, and total uninhibitedness. You will likely fall under the power, the control, and the charisma of the Antichrist, and should you take his mark, as it is written of in Revelation 13, you will be totally and completely lost. I beg you, come to Jesus Christ today, won’t you?

When the Rapture comes, or if death takes you before, you will spend eternity with him, and sin and all of the trappings and temptations that come with it, will no longer be a problem. Christian, if you are praying to “miss out on” or “skip” the Rapture, be careful what you pray for!!!! Do not be like Lot’s wife!! Though Lot’s wife was taken out of the city of Sodom before it was destroyed, she turned back, despite the angels’ warnings, and because of this, she herself was lost! In praying to miss the Rapture so that you can “help people”, you may get your wish: just as Lot’s wife turned back, so the LORD may allow you, too, to turn, back, but this will only result in your destruction.

Please understand that, despite the sanitizing of the situation of the world as portrayed in Left Behind, the tribulation will be no party, it will be the most dangerous time for Christians in all of history, and believing in Jesus Christ at that time will be the ultimate test of your faith.

Prayer – Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. This hasn’t been an easy lesson, Lord Jesus, to write, or to present to the people who will come and read. This message isn’t one, O LORD, of ease, warm fuzzies, and ear tickling. It is hard, difficult to swallow, and makes people feel uneasy. However, Father, we pray, that if it causes even one person to come to know you as LORD and Saviour, then it is worth it. We pray, LORD, for salvation for everyone who reads this today. We pray that this message – as serious as it is – will go out far and wide, and will reach people who do not know you, but are searching. We pray your special and wonderful blessing and anointing on all who read this today. We pray all of this, Father, in the Precious, saving, redeeming, Name above all names, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Verse to Remember:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

– Revelation 3.10

End Notes, References

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 02/02/09

Feb 2

Economic Crisis Pushing the European Union Forward

The revival of the Roman Empire is one of most important end-time prophecies in the Bible. This organization will be headed by the Antichrist, and it will sponsor a treaty that will begin the seven-year tribulation. If Israel is the second hand on God’s prophetic clock, the Revived Roman Empire is the minute hand.

Lately, there has been some controversy over the location of the re-birthed Roman Empire. Some people say the alliance will be centered in Europe, while others say it will be focused in the Middle East. We at Rapture Ready believe it will be in Europe. In fact, we believe the EU is actively fulfilling the role set by Bible prophecy.

One factor that excludes an Eastern Roman Empire is the weak nature of this final world power. Of all the empires in Daniel’s vision, the last one will be of the poorest quality. The vision showed a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, a belly of brass, legs of iron, and feet of clay mixed with iron. Because the EU is represented by the feet of clay, this explains why the union of nations has taken several decades to get to where it is now.

The EU has been on this bizarre trek that has had it barely surviving one setback after another. Great Britain’s Margaret Thatcher was well noted for her opposition to a strong centralized European leadership. She repeatedly demanded terms that almost caused the Union to totally unravel. In 2005, the EU suffered its worst blow when France and the Netherlands rejected the EU constitution in separate referendums. In 2008, Ireland voted down a more streamlined treaty. Despite all the setbacks and delays, the organization continues to move forward, and there is only one valid reason I can come up with: God has preordained that the EU will be the fulfillment of prophecy.

In the past few weeks, I have noticed several new reports that show how the global economic crisis has greatly benefited the EU integration process. While economies around the world falter, the EU has become an island of relative stability. The euro has soared against nearly every major currency. It threatens to unseat the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

The most profound change has been in Great Britain–the traditional land of euroskeptics. Business leaders in Britain are starting to see that not adopting the euro as currency is putting them at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of Europe. The British citizenry once saw the euro as a threat to the value of their national currency. Oddly enough, the opposite is now true. If Britain were part of the euro system, it would be the one putting a strain on the rest of Europe. Already a nation deep in debt, the British government is spending billions more of taxpayers' money to save several key banks. David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, recently warned that Britain risks bankruptcy and a humiliating bailout by the International Monetary Fund.

Views toward the EU have also changed in Ireland. The latest polls find that the Lisbon Treaty could pass in Ireland if a new referendum on its adoption were to take place. A survey by Quantum Research shows that 55 percent of respondents would support the proposed common body of law for members of the EU in a new vote, while 37 percent would oppose it.

The EU bandwagon has even made a stop in Poland. The Polish parliament passed a resolution calling on the president to sign the Lisbon Treaty as quickly as possible. The resolution calls for the president to "respect the will of both houses of parliament and end the Lisbon Treaty's ratification process as quickly as possible, and actively support its ratification in the remaining European Union member states," reported the Polish Press Agency.

The formation of the Revived Roman Empire has a direct connection to the timing of the rapture. Because the blessed hope is said to occur at an unknown hour (Matt. 24:44), I don’t think I’m going to be writing any future articles about the identity of the Antichrist and his plans for a finalized Arab/Israeli peace accord. The fact that the EU is starting see a new round of momentum and is even starting to stick its nose into Middle East affairs tells me that the trigger point of the rapture must be very near.

-- Todd

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Move America Away from Israel?

The Obama Administration, I sense, has perhaps taken the initial step in its intention to move America from her close alliance with Israel. The action is almost like one might see in a 1940s gangster movie. An intended victim of gangland warfare is about to be hit, and nobody wants to stand too close to the target.

Although the new president made noises that the U.S. intends to stand by the Jewish state, his overtures to the Islamic Arab antagonists sound very much like there’s a distancing from one lover, and the romancing of another. President Obama, in his White House interview aimed specifically at the Arab world, sounded as if the Israeli-Arab conflict was primarily the fault of the Bush Administration for not giving a sympathetic ear to Israel’s victims.

“In the interview, which was taped on Monday night and broadcast throughout the Muslim world on Tuesday, Mr. Obama said it was his job ‘to communicate to the Muslim world that the Americans are not your enemy.’ He added that ‘we sometimes make mistakes,’ but said that America was not born as a colonial power and that he hoped for a restoration of ‘the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago’” (Arab TV Network, "Obama Urges Dialogue," by Alan Cowell, Robert F. Worth and Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, and Sharon Otterman from New York.)

Obama gave lip service to America’s continuing to be a strong ally of Israel, but in the next breath made a statement--at best ludicrous and at worst potentially fatally flawed--of future administration policy toward Israel:

“…‘But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace,’ he added. ‘They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side’” (Ibid.)

What sacrifice?! Israel has given to the point it is almost once again backed into an area of pre-1967 sequester. And, still there is call for it to “sacrifice”--by a president of the United States, who is making not-so-subtle noises of moving away from this republic’s God-appointed ally. This satanically controlled world is positioning its target in a way to marginalize it for a final assault, just as foretold in Zechariah 12: 1-3 and other prophecies.

Mr. Obama’s statement, according to the above-quoted article, that “he hoped for a restoration of ‘the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago,'” shows either naiveté from which no U.S. president should suffer, or blatant disregard for the nature of the terrorist beasts that lay in wait for Israel and the rest of us as well.

The following brings us facts about the realities of those 20 or 30 years:

“The unspoken truth about the fighting in Gaza, which began on December 19, 2008, when Hamas rockets broke a voluntary truce, is that this is the frontline of a much larger war. This war began 30 years ago with the Islamic Revolution in Iran and is now global in scope. Its agenda is the extermination of the Jews and the destruction of the West. The Islamic terrorist organization Hamas makes no secret of this agenda. Its Egyptian founders and Palestinian inspirers were active followers of Adolf Hitler and enthusiasts of the Nazi Holocaust. The founding charter of Hamas, which promises that ‘Islam will obliterate Israel,’ memorialize the Egyptian admirer of Hitler, Hassan al-Banna, as ‘the martyr…of blessed memory.’ The same document contains the genocidal incitement of the Prophet Mohammed to ‘kill the Jews,’ to hunt them down ‘until they hide behind the rocks and the trees, and the rocks and trees cry out “O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him”’” (David Horowitz, "The War Against the Jews," FrontPageMagazine.com,1/9/09).

Mr. President, if ever there were a time to move closer to the Lord of Heaven--not away from Him--this is that time. Israel is still God’s chosen nation, according to His Holy Word, whether the president of the United States of America or anyone else believes it to be true.

"And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God" (Genesis 12:7a).

--Terry

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The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy?”

By Terry James

Despite the massive global economic storm raging, America continues to be the most blessed nation on Planet Earth. Its power and influence are unrivaled. So, why is the United States absent from Bible prophecy? Or indeed is it absent? This, while lesser nations like Iran, Babylon, Libya, Russia, and other less notable modern countries are front and center in God’s prophetic Word for the end of days?

To answer these and other related questions, I felt impressed to research and write in-depth on matters encapsulated within the book’s title. My urgent sense is that time is moving swiftly on God’s prophetic clock, and Israel is the timepiece to watch.

The United States has been linked to regathering Israel since before its birth into modernity. Unstoppable, dynamic rearrangements are driving the present generation toward the climax of human history.

Once you’ve looked into the prophetic matters involved—which the book places over the stunning issues and events that are occurring in today’s headlines--my most sincere belief is that you will be enlightened to the true nature of these times in which we live.

After you’ve read The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? I would like to ask you a favor: Would you please take time to write a review? Even if you buy The American Apocalypse from a retail book store, submitting your review of the book on amazon.com or whatever website from which you sometimes purchase books will perhaps stimulate others to begin looking for themselves into these troubling though exciting prophetic days.

My profound gratitude, in advance, for getting, reading, and reviewing the book.

With many thanks,

Terry

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 01/26/09

Jan 26

The American Apocalypse Coming Soon

My partner Terry has a book coming out next week--The American Apocalypse. The book deals with the burning question, "What role will the U.S. play in end-times prophecy?" Since most of those who are reading this article live in America , it's a very important subject to cover.

Terry believes that the U.S. will not play a prominent role in the end times. Of course, this is a stunning change for a nation that has been a major actor on the world stage for the past 100 years. He gives several reasons that Uncle Sam is mostly absent from Bible prophecy.

One factor, I think, really stands out from the growing list of perils facing our nation. The greatest threat to the well-being of America is not our dependence on foreign oil, terrorism, the national debt, nuclear war, or moral decay. What will likely doom the United States is the rapture of the Church.

I'm always getting emails from people who say they can't wait until we Christians are taken in the rapture. They certainly have no real comprehension of what they are wishing for. The Bible says that we are the salt of the earth; this is a key reason America has become so great a nation.

In the past few weeks, I have noticed that several end-time writers have focused on a problem that should have been obvious years ago, but that only now has come to light. When the rapture takes place, the disappearance of 30 to 80 million born-again believers will be cataclysmic for the United States.

Our nation is already in a moral and financial pickle. The sudden loss of 10 to 20 percent of the population would doom the U.S. to third-world status. As Terry writes in his new book, "Government is totally disrupted, and the powers-that-be quickly recognize that not even martial law is going to be able to reestablish the revenue basis for carrying on government as usual. Much of the workforce, particularly the most vital, skilled force that is the heart and soul of American industry and fidelity to the good work ethic, has disappeared in that stupefying moment."

The rapture may cripple America, but the rest of the world will escape with little impact. The obvious reason this will largely be an American problem is that all other industrialized nations have a population base with far fewer Christians. It is no secret that the number of European Christians has sharply declined over time. About every poll I've seen shows the number of true believers in Europe at around 2 percent. In the Middle East, the number of people claiming Christ as Savior is less than one percent.

What makes Terry's book so timely is how God generally operates. Right before the Lord pours out His judgment, He always sends a warning. Even during the tribulation--a time of judgment--God sends out His messengers to warn people to repent. When they fail to turn from their wickedness, the Lord gives the order to move forward with greater wrath on a sinful world. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk" (Rev. 9:20).

Terry's book is being published by Harvest House, who plans to heavily promote The American Apocalypse to get it into as many outlets as possible. We were told this is something they only do with a hand full of books each year. Terry will also be doing dozens of radio interviews to get the end-time message out to people. I ask everyone at Rapture Ready to pray that God will bless the book.

The best place to purchase a copy of The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? is at your local bookstore or at an on-line retailer. Here is a link to the book's listing at Amazon.com: The American Apocalypse.

-- Todd

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EFT To Save the World?

The Obama installation brought such sycophantic inspiration to one network broadcaster that when he saw video rolling of a large flock of pigeons flying above the throngs milling about Washington D.C. on inauguration day, he made a statement that would have the journalism professors of Edward R. Murrow’s day cringing with editorial rage. This is second-hand from a "Fox and Friends" host I heard Thursday morning, January 22, laughingly ridicule the statement. The "Fox and Friends" host said the reporter commented something like: “I’ve never seen anything like this. Even the birds are expressing joy and hope over the events of today.” The quotation isn’t exact, but was even more giddy, as I recall the incredulous Fox pundit recounting the statement.

This won’t be a “hit piece” on our new president. He has just begun to govern. Despite the campaign rhetoric and all of the deals that were ostensibly made with many supporter organizations whose philosophies we consider counter to being in America’s best interest , and even though his expressions of intention in the several days since he took the oath seem ominous, he deserves the courtesy of our reserving judgment until we actually see what he will do in these opening days of his presidency. There is, too, the biblical commandment that we pray for those in authority so that our days will be peaceful.

We at RaptureReady do pray for the 44th president. Our prayers consist of petitions that he is successful on America’s behalf IF he governs within God’s holy will. We do not pray that he is successful in ramming through Congress, or by presidential order, any policy or law that is in any way against God’s prescription for governing.

One thing we know for certain: this president will not bring about a miraculous cure for what ails this nation and the world. The hype and fawning might for a time, I believe, propagandize us with the allusion that a miracle cure is in the offing. All of the celebratory media glorification that has gone on since Mr. Obama’s being elected, however, won’t alter the truth from God’s prophetic Word. The world is headed toward the abyss –the tribulation hour of Daniel 9:27, and Jesus’ forewarning as recorded from His Olivet Discourse: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21).

Yet, there will be an attempt to save mankind–by humanistic, global governance. We see the beginnings of the crisis–and it is economic, because the root of all evil is the love of money—that is driving the nations toward a monumental crisis that will eventuate in the rule of the one termed “the beast” in Revelation, Chapter 13.

One conservative, though totally secular (non-biblical) economic expert weighed in on what faces the new president, the American people, and the world:

“Yesterday was coronation day for our new president and we wish him well for the sake of our nation and others throughout the world. We do not want to be cynical but must be realistic. We think this year will be the worst one of this longer recession-depression cycle and our new leader, we suspect is going to take a merciless pounding from a heap of troubles domestically first and foreign later.

Thankfully, the spending of TARP #2 and whatever billions-trillions are added for emphasis, should give us the Obama Market Bounce lasting perhaps 90 days or so. While this economics plan has no chance in our view, the herd psychology of markets should give us a nice relief rally almost across the board…

While we remain in a primary deflation mode world-wide, we think inflation followed by hyperinflation is very real and possible in later 2009. The Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury are just about at the end of their rope. They are out of rate cut running-room and those moves are mostly ineffectual now anyway.

All they have left is a phony game of printing dollars and bonds while moving them around in a circle within our country. Foreign USA paper buyers take less and less at new auctions. We know they are dumping dollars and other papers assets at a furious pace paying bills and investing in honest-to-goodness hard goods with real value. Watch out for big time inflation in the second half of 2009” (Roger Wiegand, "Trader Tracks Predictions For 2009," 1/21/09,www.webeatthestreet.com).

The writer writes of Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). I am told by an investment advisor that this is a HUGE new thing in the markets over the past couple of years. Some ETF mimic the movements of the DOW, or the NASDAQ, or can mimic the movements of almost any sector...ie, drugs, oil, gold, etc.

It is of great interest to me that, after all of the crunching of the critical numbers that portend almost certain global depression of unprecedented depth, the writer says: “Timing is difficult but more than one analyst suggests using the ETF's for trading this longer term event.”

I’ve long believed that Revelation 13 foretells a time when electronic commerce will be used to bring world economy under the one-world control of Antichrist. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT,) as a matter-of-fact, is an ideal electronic vehicle that could fulfill the beast system.

"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: 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. 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” (Rev. 13:16-18).

America must be brought down to the same level as other economies of the world’s nations. Currencies must be melded into a single monetary system of some sort in order to get a handle on the swiftly developing crisis.

EFT is simply computer numbers assigned to units of electronic currency, which can then be moved around through the computer, satellite linkages, etc. They are electronic funds–injected into and removed from accounts of governments, institutions, and individuals, with manipulation of computer keys and other instrumentalities.

The system is exactly the sort of dealing with ability to buy and sell instantaneously that will be required for Antichrist to have power over all commerce. Some such hybrid of today’s Internet, in conjunction with EFT, will, I’m convinced, be the first system to appear that will be instituted to try to save the world out of the greatest global depression in history. It’s final form, however, will instead enslave all who take the beast’s number and mark.

We see developing in all of this gushing toward global economic restructuring a most profound signal of how near the rapture of the Church might be on God’s prophetic timeline. The rapture will be the catalyst, I believe, that instantly will cause all leaders of the world–especially in the western world, to accept any system such as described that will offer to bring stability to a world gone mad with fear

--Terry

***A tremendous book!***

There's a new book that I recommend highly. It is a fascinating and entertaining work on the life of the great king, David. At the same time, it is a thorough study on this man who Bible prophecy foretells will one day rule and reign on the throne in Jerusalem, a co-regent with the Lord Jesus Christ. Read my review on click here: The Life of David.

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 01/19/09

Jan 19

Gaza Will Lead to Israel's Deal with the Devil

For nearly a month, Israel has launched a military campaign against Hamas fighters. Acting out of pure frustration, the Israeli military sent in troops into the Gaza strip to try to put an end to the barrage of rockets and missiles being fired into its territory. The Israelis have certainly not acted in haste. They endured 6,000 projectile attacks over an eight-year period before taking action.

Israel's years of restraint have not helped it in the battle for world opinion. In many parts of the globe – particularly in the Arab nations - the Jewish state is being condemned as a bully picking on a weaker neighbor. Several nations have suspended diplomatic contacts with Israel over the Gaza operation.

Last week, the UN Human Rights Council voted to condemn Israel. The resolution called the offensive in the Gaza Strip a "grave" human rights violation against the Palestinians. It made no mention of Hamas or its violations of Israeli civilians' rights by firing rockets into Israel.

Thirty-three African, Asian, Arab, and Latin American countries voted for the resolution. Thirteen European states abstained, while Canada was the only country that voted against it.

During a visit to the Mikve Yisrael School in Holon, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reacted to the vote by saying, "They have no right to reproach us and to try and tell us how to defend our citizens. I don't think our demands are exaggerated. We share the right of every state in the world to protect its citizens. We're not asking any other country's permission or approval in order to protect our residents."

Western nations show little concern that they have been pouring economic aid down a rat hole called Gaza. Billions of dollars have gone into this narrow strip of land and the funds have been squandered. If given a choice, Hamas would rather purchase a load of weapons than sacks of flour.

The responsibility for the images of dead or injured Gaza children rests solely at the feet of the Hamas leadership. They are the ones who decided to engage Israel with no provocation, and they are the ones who put their citizens in harm's way by firing rockets from residential areas.

Even though the most liberal reading of international law, totally justifies Israel’s action, it finds itself compelled to give into world opinion. This weekend Israel made yet another goodwill gesture by declaring a unilateral cease-fire in Gaza. Unless a way is found to totally disarm Hamas, I see zero chance that the peace will last for any significant time period.

The incoming Obama administration will certainly put all the more pressure on Israel to make peace with its hostile neighbors. Because America provides billions of dollars in aid to the region, the new president can apply huge leverage on Israel.

There has been some talk of international forces coming into Gaza to make sure Hamas doesn't smuggle in rockets and fire them at Israel. This same type of fix was key to resolving the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The southern end of Lebanon is now under the watch of UN forces.

The Bible strongly indicates that someday all of Israel will be under the care of an international force. The Antichrist will sign a peace agreement with Israel that will somehow give him total control of that nation.

From the day it was founded, Israel has maintained the policy that it alone will ensure its security needs. With Israel facing three other foes of far great capabilities, the idea of turning to an outside protector is probably looking very appealing at this stage.

Bible prophecy warns us that much larger conflicts between Israel and her Arab neighbors are soon coming down the road. If the folks at the UN are having fits over Gaza now, they will need to be hooked up to a heart defibrillator when they read the news of Damascus’ destruction (Isaiah 17:1) or a similar strike in Iran related to it nuclear program.

You can imagine the relief Israel will have when a man from Europe steps forward and offers to secure its borders. Of course, it will be a deal that Israel will greatly regret.

“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” (Dan. 9:27).

It pains me to see Israel in a state of constant frustration over enemies that seem to be demonically driven, but this is just one more indication that the time of the end is very near. All we can do is pray, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus."

-Todd

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Turkey Takes Prophetic Turn

Throw another morsel of intrigue onto the end-times stove of what’s cooking in the phenomenal progression of prophetic stage-setting this generation is witnessing. Turkey is this week’s food for thought while we consider where the world presently stands upon God’s prophetic timeline.

Interest in the nation Turkey among students of Bible prophecy emanates from the foretelling about the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. There, the prophet presents a list of the nations who will invade the Middle East region from the north of Jerusalem. This coalition intends to take spoil from that region, and particularly intends to obliterate the nation Israel, according to Ezekiel.

The prophet gave the following account of the nations involved, as God the Holy Spirit gave him the vision of that end-of-days assault.

“And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee” (Ezek. 38:4-6).

“Rosh” will be the nation of the leader”Gog,” around which these many peoples will coalesce. We believe that chief nation to be Russia, based upon much study that has been done on the ancient names involved in the prophecy. We have become relatively familiar with some of the other nations involved. For example, we know that modern Iran is the country that now occupies most of the geographic area of ancient Persia. The nation God’s prophet calls “Togarmah” is the one in view in today’s news headlines. It is this nation out of this coalition on which we will concentrate for now.

One prophecy writer frames Togarmah as follows:

“The Armenians of today call themselves the House of Togarmah. The Turks (but not the Kurds, who are the ancient Medes of Media-Persia fame) are also included” (Jack Kelly, "The End Times According To Ezekiel, Part 3," raptureready.com).

Modern Turkey is an important part of prophecy yet future, if majority scholarship is accurate. Turkey, as it relates to Israel then, must be considered of tremendous importance, when, as is currently the case, the two nations are in the news. The two nations have had a non-confrontational, even sometimes quite cordial relationship during recent years. The Turkish nation was heavily Muslim, but the regime was one strongly secular, not Islamic. Bible prophecy foretells that the two peoples will be in conflict so intensively that the anger will eventuate in Turkey (Togarmah) joining Russia (Rosh) in attacking Israel and trying to take over the Middle East.

The configuration of relations between Israel and Turkey didn’t fit the prophetic model until in recent months, when regime changes and secular vs. religious make-up of the governing of Turkey began drastically changing.

Israel’s assault on the Hamas terrorists who have for months been firing rockets into Israel--while Israel did nothing to retaliate until December 26, 2008--is eliciting ever-increasing verbal invective from the new Turkish leadership. The news article excerpt that follows somewhat puts the Turkey vs. Israel changes in perspective:

“A decade ago, Western and Israeli leaders could count on Turkey as an ally. A solid NATO member, Ankara took decisions based on pragmatic calculations of interest - and erred on the side of caution if at all. But under the rule of the Islamic conservative AKP, this has changed…The vehemence with which Turkish leaders attacked Israel, and their apparent willingness to convey Hamas' position to the United Nations, came as a surprise to many…[Prime] Minister Tayyip Erdogan's words - that Israel's actions will be punished by God and help lead it to self-destruction - are too significant to be taken lightly. Indeed, they are part of the trend of a Turkish government guided more by Islamic solidarity and anti-Western sentiment than by pragmatic calculations of interest. Indeed, Turkey's international behavior suggests that its attachment to the West is tenuous at best - and eroding” (Svante E. Cornell, "Turkey's drift away from the West," 1/15/09, Rapture Ready News).

There can be little doubt of the shift that is taking place in Turkey’s movement into the Russian geopolitical camp. The article continues to make the point of that shift:

“In August, when most of the West balked at Russia's invasion of Georgia, Erdogan rapidly tried to make himself a go-between. His initiative of a ‘Caucasus stability platform’ was met with disbelief in both Georgia and Azerbaijan, since it effectively promised to freeze all territorial disputes in the region, including legitimizing Russia's recent territorial grab in Georgia. More worrying was the composition of Erdogan's intended platform: the three Caucasian states, Turkey - and Russia” (ibid.).

The willingness of Turkey’s (Togarmah’s) leadership to place that state under Russian influence, while Russian leadership seems to be looking lustfully southward at the oil-rich lands surrounding Israel, must in my view be more than coincidence, in prophetic terms. The movement away from the West seems especially non-coincidental given the abrupt reversal the Turkish government has made in its dealings with Israel.

I believe that almost certainly we are witnessing, in Turkey’s re-positioning, one more of many instances of Bible prophecy stage-setting

--Terry

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 1/05/09

Jan 5

The Obama Bubble and the Rapture

There is an amazing amount of optimism focused on the incoming Obama administration. The media just loves the man. It has generated a small mountain of coverage comparing him to other presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and John Kennedy.

The Washington Post plans to increase its number of White House reporters from two to four, including its first full-time blogger, while The Washington Times is expanding its number of White House correspondents from one to three.

The general public also has been caught up in Obama fever. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC survey found 73 percent of voters approve of the way he is handling preparations for taking office in January. Obama enjoys more support than Bill Clinton after his election in 1992 and George Bush in 2000, according to the poll. You have to go all the way back to Ronald Reagan to find a president with equal approval numbers.

A small central Alabama county whose mainly black residents gave Barack Obama more than 70 percent of the vote on Election Day has created an annual holiday in honor of the president-elect. The Perry County Commission voted 4 to 1 to observe the second Monday in November as "The Barack Obama Day." County offices will close and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid holiday. (Associated Press, "Alabama County Sets 'Barack Obama Day' as New Holiday," 1/3/09).

Even so-called prophets of God are proclaiming Obama has the Almighty's approval. Here is Kim Clements's prophecy concerning Obama:

For the Spirit of God says, “Hear, oh people of Zion. Those who have been afraid in Zion, those who have been afraid in this nation–fear not! For your news media has intimidated you, and therefore, it is My turn. Next week, I will arise. I will change everything.”

“I’M TALKING ABOUT OBAMA”

For they have unfairly spoken against an African man, and I’m not talking about Jeremiah Wright; I’m talking about Obama. For God said, “Even though you may think this or that, there is an element of righteousness inside of him to reach out for Jesus. Therefore, I will sway it next week,” says the Spirit of God, “and I will cause My man, My power–to exalt in the White House what is necessary to declare victory. For this time, I shall rise up and I shall make known who I am in a way that I have never done it in this nation,” says the Lord.

I did manage to find one person who mocked the Obama hype in a viral email: "Immediately after his inauguration, Obama will balance the budget, revive the economy, solve the real estate problem, solve the auto industry problem, solve our gas/alternative energy problem, stop the fires and mudslides in California, ban hurricanes and tornadoes, stop identity theft, reverse global warming, find Osama, solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, get rid of corruption in government and achieve world peace. Then on the 7th day, He will rest."

At some point, the bubble of optimism will have to burst. The rupture may not take place right away. In fact, the comments made in the viral message might be a better reflection of how the Obama administration starts off.

The rapture of the church is the next event I’m looking forward to. Since there are so many dark clouds on the horizon, a period of sunshine is needed for the rapture. Jesus said the removal of the Bride would occur during a time of calm. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:44).

It wouldn't seem to fit the "think not" hour if the world descended into economic and political chaos. I can easily envision how the current Gaza conflict could rapidly evolve into the Gog invasion, but obviously that scenario can’t happen because the Church is still here on earth.

I’ve been giving much thought to the idea that the Obama bubble will provide cover for the rapture. It’s certainly possible that his proposed $1 trillion stimulus spending plan will buy the global economy a few more months, and his foreign policy team, led by Hillary Clinton, will be able to put one more Band-Aid on the Arab-Israel conflict. We only have to wait two weeks to see whether the Obama magic is real.

"Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

-Todd

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Zechariah’s Prophecy Builds

Divinely inspired words issued by Zechariah foretelling the position of God’s chosen nation at the close of human history take on increased significance at the beginning of 2009:

“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.” (Zech 12: 1-3)

Hamas, the Islamic fanatical terrorist organization, has for months been firing rockets into Israeli territory--this, despite a supposed ceasefire agreed to by all concerned. Hamas increased the rocket fire the moment the sham ceasefire reached its official ending date. The rockets are now coming dangerously close to heavily populated areas, and to a nuclear power plant facility.

Israeli IDF air strikes have killed hundreds of Hamas terrorists and their rocket-launching facilities, although many remain and continue to try to inflict as much damage on the hated Jews as possible.

The IDF began a ground assault against Hamas positions Saturday, January 3, concentrating at first on the northernmost section of the 27-mile-long, two-mile-wide Gaza strip. As of then, around 500 Palestinians, mostly Hamas forces, had been killed since Israel began the air assault.

The world at large, especially international media, say hardly a chastising word against Hamas; rather, they point condemnation at Israel, who has said "enough is enough" and is retaliating. Israel’s accusers point incessantly at the killing and maiming of civilians by the Israeli Air Force strafing and bombing. They say nothing about the fact that Hamas deliberately do their cowardly rocket firing from positions imbedded within the Palestinian civilian populations. They fire from schools, mosques, and from deep in the center of residential areas.

Media and governments alike characterize Israel’s military retaliation as “disproportional” to the rocket launches of Hamas. “Disproportional!” The ludicrous characterization makes manifest the insanity of our day in the matter of political correctness. The question that should be asked to those who make the characterization is: How long would you allow an enemy to rain such deadly munitions down into where you and your children are supposed to be safe, without doing whatever necessary to put an end to it? Would you take care to be politically correct when the next blast from a rocket might land in your child’s bedroom? Yet the citizens of Israel are expected to just absorb these murderous attacks and keep sending notes of protest to Hamas leadership.

Hatred that will ultimately isolate Israel and Jerusalem as the source of all opposition to peace can be observed swelling even in the nation God raised–in my view—to be Israel’s friend among a world that hates the modern Jewish state.

“‘Israel is a terrorist state,’ chanted some of the close to 1,000 participants in one of Tuesday's bigger demonstrations, held in Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of America's largest Arab populations…Protests were also held in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and several other cities, with Jewish groups scrambling to hold counter-demonstrations upon learning of events being held opposing Israel's action against Hamas…” (Hilary Leila Krieger, JPost correspondent in Washington, D.C., "Tense battle for public opinion rages on US streets," 1/1/09.

Earth’s governments' opposition to Israel at every turn is in fact defiance to God. World pundits and leaders shake their collective fist in the Almighty’s face, many of them declaring in their defiant rage that Israel has no place in the Middle East. Some even believe Israel has no place on the planet period.

Criticism of Israel on the diplomatic level is measured at present, but increasing blame put on Israel for all the problems in the Middle East can be sensed boiling just beneath the diplomatic terminology issuing forth.

“At a meeting of the European Union's foreign ministers in Paris on Tuesday, Michael Spindelegger, Austria's new conservative party minister, criticized the IDF operation, saying ‘the scores of civilian victims over the last few days are unacceptable.’ He referred to a request of the EU that Israel ‘avoid a disproportional’ response to Hamas rocket attacks… Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, like her Austrian and German counterparts, declined to see Hamas as responsible for instigating the Israeli counterattacks, and on the ministry's web site she ‘condemns the disproportionate reaction of the Israeli military.’” (Benjamin Weinthal, JPost correspondent in Berlin, "IAF operation draws mixed reactions in Central Europe," 12/31/08).

Israel’s military action has stimulated a strong renewed call for peace in the region.

“European foreign ministers called on Tuesday for an immediate and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza… ‘There must be an unconditional halt to rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel and an end to Israeli military action,’ the statement said. It also called for a return to the peace process interrupted by Hamas rocket attacks and Israel's retaliatory air strikes. ‘There is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Gaza or elsewhere,’ the statement said… A number of European leaders and foreign ministers are expected to visit Israel in the coming days in a bid to help restore a truce. According to estimates, pressures on Israel to halt its military operation will increase in the coming days” (Roni Sofer, ANET News/Reuters, "Sarkozy to visit Israel to promote truce…Quartet calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, southern Israel," 1/1/09).

Peace won’t come to the region with this renewed effort by the humanistic powers that be, any more than it has come since modern Israel was born on May 14, 1948. Israel is and will be the sticking point for true peace until Christ, Israel’s Messiah, intervenes to bring and enforce world peace.

The world is, in fact, insane when it comes to the nation called Israel. This world belongs to the prince of the power of the air–for now, at least—and Satan, the father of lies, deludes the minds of governmental leaders and news pundits with sin-infection that will bring about the fulfillment of Zechariah’s 12: 1-3 foretelling.

We are, I believe, the generation that is witnessing the world’s governments beginning the process of Israel’s isolation outlined in that prophecy.

--Terry