Tag Archives: Second Coming

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“The Mystery of the Rapture” from the Mount of Olives

Got time for a good teaching this weekend? If so, how about settling in with a cup of coffee to take in Amir Tsarfati’s The Mystery of the Rapture, taught live on the Mount of Olives!

If you have been to Israel, you are sure to be taken back to that memorable place overlooking Temple Mount from the other side of the Kidron Valley. If you have never been to Israel, this is the next best thing! Think of Jesus sitting on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24) when the disciples ask Him what will be the signs of the times. It is from a spot right there on the Mount of Olives that He answered their questions…and it is upon this very mount Jesus’ foot will touch down at His Second Coming (when He physically returns to earth following the tribulation).

But before that, the Bible tells us He will descend from heaven to receive us (believers in Christ) unto Himself, and we will be taken up to meet Him in the air. We know that as the rapture, and we obviously will not all be at the Mount of Olives or any other single place, but will be taken up from wherever we are. However, the Mount of Olives is such a vivid place to picture Jesus when He walked this earth, and to consider that place to which we will return with Him at His Second Coming!

Our time is coming! Enjoy the teaching!

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Will Second Coming Prophecies be Fulfilled Literally?

Hi friends!  As we celebrate this Christmas season I want to highlight a specific rule of interpretation by asking a question:

If dozens of prophecies concerning Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled literally and physically (not symbolically), can we expect prophecies of His second coming to be fulfilled literally and physically as well?

I believe so. 

Recently, I heard well-known prophecy expert, Mark Hitchcock, answer that very question.  He states the case well in less than 6 minutes, and I believe it gives us reason for hope, not only this Christmas season, but also as we yearn for Jesus’ second coming!  Enjoy!

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Pence to Egypt on Behalf of Christians, Israel to Act Unilaterally if Iran Achieves Nuclear Capabilities

The world continues to unravel!  Have you noticed the chaos and the tension?  Wars and rumors of wars…famines…earthquakes…birth pangs…Israel hated…false prophets…increased lawlessness…tribulation….  Just as Jesus responded to His disciples’ questions about the signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24), so we see those signs today!

Lest we forget, Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, thus referring to their “earthly finish line,” which is the Glorious Appearing (Christ’s Second Coming, after the tribulation).  So, the stage being set today is leading up to that event.  Yet, the rapture occurs before the tribulation!

My friends, here in the US, we are already seeing Christmas lights and decorations in stores.  In fact, I saw red and blue Christmas lights on a house in my neighborhood just a few days ago!  But to quote a popular Messianic Jewish Bible teacher (Amir Tsarfati), when you begin to see signs of Christmas, you know that Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  So, it is with Bible prophecy!  The signs of the tribulation are appearing all around us, so we know the rapture is just around the corner.  We DON’T know the day or the hour of the rapture (Mark 13:32), but we are wise to know the season in which we live! (Luke 12:54-56)

News headlines of this weekend point toward events that seem to line up with the season in which we live.  First, we have seen persecution of Christians over the last 100 years in numbers never before equaled.  Satan has tried to destroy Christ (unsuccessfully!) and anything and anyone associated with Him from day one.  (Okay…day 6, when God created man, and Satan engaged in his first temptation!  See Genesis 2-3.)  Point is: Satan doesn’t want people to know Christ, so those who do are “marked men” (and women and children) to deter others from following Christ also!

Vice President Mike Pence addresses the In Defense of Christians (IDC) national advocacy summit in Washington WednesdayIt was announced at the In Defense of Christians event that VP Mike Pence will travel to Egypt in December to discuss Middle East persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.  Egypt has seen its fair share of Coptic Christian church burnings and attacks on Christians in general, but the epidemic has spread widely throughout the Middle East, including ISIS who savagely targets the Christian population.  Egypt is an ally, thus a good place to begin the efforts to stop persecution.

Pence will then travel from Egypt to Israel in time for Hanukkah, where he will discuss the possibilities of peace in the Middle East with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

A second headline from Thursday also appears to align with the end time stage being set.  According to Reuters, Israel will resort to military action, if necessary, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“If international efforts led these days by U.S. President Trump don’t help stop Iran attaining nuclear capabilities, Israel will act militarily by itself,” Intelligence Minister Israel Katz said in an interview in Tokyo. “There are changes that can be made (to the agreement) to ensure that they will never have the ability to have a nuclear weapon….We will not allow Iran to transform Syria into forward base sea harbors, air bases and Shia militias.  We will act together with the United States and other countries in the world until they stop the ballistic missiles that threaten Israel.”
~Reuters, 10/26/2017

Despite UN resolutions and the nuclear agreement, Iran has belligerently progressed in development and testing of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads.  Along with that, they blatantly and consistently vow to wipe Israel off the map.

Today, Iranian forces are working with Hezbollah to set up bases of operation on Israel’s northern border in Syria, with the intent of doing that very thing.

Throughout modern history, there has been talk of “end times,” but never in the history of the world have all the pieces of the puzzle been in place at the same time.  Only the Father knows the day and hour in which He will send His Son, Jesus, to redeem His followers from this world.  We know that as the rapture and, though you don’t find that Latin word in the New Testament (written in Greek), the apostle Paul most certainly describes it in 1 Corinthians 15 (especially verses 50-57) and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Belief in Jesus as our Savior is the ticket to ride!  If you have not gotten your ticket, it is FREE, but you MUST have it to enter heaven’s gates.  Jesus will forgive you and accept you just as you are, so get your ticket today!  Click here to learn how.

God bless you, my friend!

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The King’s Return is Imminent

Welcome back, gang!  We’re closing out the final week of study in Why Israel Matters: Rightly Relating to Our Jewish Roots.  Believe it or not, we’ve spent over 10 weeks studying together and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am!  Let’s pick up where we left off.

Yesterday, we looked at God’s Plan of the End to discover a bit more about the timing of Jesus’ return.  This is in the context of what we studied previously regarding Israel inviting the King back as they proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:39)

As believers in Jesus (whether Jew or Gentile), our “finish line” is the rapture, while natural Israel’s “finish line” is following Jesus’ Second Coming.  We also know that the signs of the times are visible in our world today.  The return of Jesus is imminent…it could happen at any time!  So, how close are we?  Study with me and make up your own mind.

The Bible provides prophetic signs through prophets in both the Old and New Testaments.  Let’s look at some:

  • Prophetic signs of Jesus in Matthew 24:3-12.  When His disciples asked what would be the signs of the end, Jesus mentioned false teachers/messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, Israel being hated by all nations, and lawlessness.  We see every one of those things in our world today.  The season is at hand.
  • Prophetic signs of Paul.  Paul provided signs of the times in multiple places.  However, open your Bible and read 1 Timothy 3:1-5 where he lists over 20 characteristics of the last days.  Read them and determine for yourself if those things are visible in our world today.
  • Prophetic sign of Isaiah in Isaiah 17:1.  While Isaiah (a major prophet) provides lots of prophetic insight, this verse is especially interesting, given what is going on in Syria right now.  The verse tells us that Damascus will one day be totally destroyed and will cease to exist. Currently, Damascus is known to harbor weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and Russia, Iran, the Assad regime, rebels, ISIS, Hezbollah and other militant groups are vying for control of Syria.  Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, was totally destroyed a few months ago.  All eyes are on Damascus, as it is likely the next target.
  • Prophetic signs of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 36-39.  These chapters are chronological in nature, thus we can expect one event to follow the other when we read these chapters.  In chapter 36, God prepared the land for the return of the Jews.  They returned in chapter 37 (physically, though not yet spiritually).  While chapter 37 is still being fulfilled, the next thing in the Ezekiel account is the Northern Invasion, led by Russia and Iran, as described in chapters 38-39.  Russia and Iran are already in place, and so is Turkey, another key ally in that alliance.  Once Damascus is destroyed and Syria is overrun by the Northern Invasion coalition, the stage is totally set.  That could happen in a matter of days…or even hours!

My friends, the King is coming…soon.  The question is: Are we ready?  Are we preparing ourselves as the Bride of Christ?

Tomorrow we’ll look at what Scripture says about our readiness.  We’re going to finish strong and I have some amazing things to share with you.  Don’t miss tomorrow’s study!  See you then!