Age of the Gentiles

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 92

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November 1, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

A CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF THE EVENTS OF THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE TRAVAIL OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHICH IS CLOSED BY THE FINAL BATTLE AT ARMAGEDDON!

Event Number 1 – A Sense of Security Followed by a Sudden Attack

I Thessalonians 5:3, 4

[1] 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. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that THAT DAY should overtake you as a thief.

The writer of this verse, the Apostle Paul, had just concluded a discourse on “THAT DAY,” outlining one of the events occurring during the time of “TRAVAIL” as follows:

I Thessalonians 4:16, 17

[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, being circumcised on the eighth day of his birth as a descendant of Benjamin, and having studied at the feet of the great Jewish sage Gamaliel. To put it bluntly, he was a dyed-in-the-wool Jew by birth and training. And yet, those who fought against his teachings with the most fury and hatred were not the Gentiles, but his own brethren by natural birth. Paul loved his fellow countrymen with a great passion, being willing to be accursed himself if it would lead to their salvation.

Romans 9:1-3

[1] I say the truth in Christ; I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, [2] That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. [3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

He was acutely aware that God had concluded the nation of Israel to be in a state of unbelief. So, the two “THEY’S” and the one “THEM” in I Thessalonians 5:3, he uses to refer primarily to the nation of Israel, even though it could also be used to refer to all in unbelief at “THAT DAY.”

Romans 11:25, 32

[25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. [32] For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The Greek word translated as “SAFETY,” according to every scholar I have consulted, literally means “SECURITY,” which has been the cry of every Israeli Prime Minister since 1948, issued loudly as “we must have PEACE WITH SECURITY.” The current actions being carried out in Operation Defensive Shield by the IDF, which I outlined in the 7 steps of Prophecy Update Number 65A, will convince the Israelis they have been able to first obtain the SECURITY before negotiations. And, when the final peace negotiations are completed with the Palestinians, Israelis will believe they have put in place the means to preserve SECURITY by the internal safeguards around a newly created Palestinian state within the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, it will be a false hope and a false peace of short duration, and will be broken by the sudden destruction that marks the beginning of the final 1260 days before Armageddon, the last part of a period of great travail in tribulation pains that Israel must endure, and cannot escape from experiencing – “then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” Israel will be viciously attacked suddenly from without by a confederation of Islamic nations, and from within by the newly formed Palestinian state. Israel will be driven into its war contingency plan evacuation area in a manner of days, which is the Negev wilderness south of Beersheba. Israel shall not escape the terrible physiological and physiological pressures of being trapped in the Negev for 1260 days, but there it will turn to belief in its Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and will once again call upon its God as their God, and He will again call them His children.

Revelation 12:6, 17

[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 13:8, 9

[8] And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Lord willing, I will continue this series on Fridays for quite some time, and will include a lengthy series of events that transpire chronologically on a worldwide basis during this 1260 day period.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 95

November 22, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

Events 1, 2, and 3 were covered in Prophecy Updates 92, 93, and 94

Event Number 4 – Jerusalem Falls to the Forces of Antichrist

Zechariah 14:1, 2

[2] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be CUT OFF from the city.

In Prophecy Update Number 94 we closed with the forces of antichrist attacking Jerusalem from the east and the west. Half of the city will be taken as hostages into camps of death. The other half will be slaughtered in the city. In the KJV it seems to indicate that a remnant (residue) will be left in the city by the antichrist, but that is not the case. The word remnant is here translated “residue,” but it is normally translated as “remnant” in the KJV. There are several Hebrew words translated as “cut off” in the KJV. This one is KARATH, and it means an eternal cutting off, that is, a final one. It was used to indicate those cases where a man or woman would be cut off forever from the tribe of Israel for a certain type of sin. One of these sins involved drinking the blood or eating the fat from a sacrificial animal. Normally, there was always some sort of ritual cleansing ordinance by which one “cut off” could be put back in fellowship with the tribe, but the word KARATH indicated that they were cut off forever. It is found in Leviticus 7:25 & 27.

Leviticus 7:25, 27

[25] For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, even the soul that eateth it shall be CUT OFF from his people. [27] Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be CUT OFF from his people.

So when it states: “And the residue of the people SHALL NOT be CUT OFF from the city,” it simply means they will not be cut off from the city forever, but will one day return. And indeed, after some 1260 days, they will return to drive the Gentiles out of Jerusalem following the battle of Armageddon.

Zechariah 12:8, 9

[8] In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. [9] And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zech. 14:14, 11, 9

[14] And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. [11] And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be NO MORE utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. [9] And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

After the fall of Jerusalem to the forces of the antichrist, there will be a massive airlift of Israelis into the Negev Wilderness from the coastal plains from Tel Aviv to Haifa.

Revelation 12:14

[14] And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Lord willing, in Prophecy Update Number 96, I will address the manner in which the airlift will be conducted.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 96

Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

Events 1 to 4 were covered in whole numbered Updates 92 to 95

As I indicated, in Special Prophecy Update Number 95B, what may well be the final flurry of large scale in-country terrorism in Israel continues, and is likely to continue until after the Israeli elections, which have been scheduled for January 20, 2003. The reasons for this final flurry may be found in 95B. I expect the terrorist activity to me miniscule in Israel after February of 2003. I also expect that when the revised peace plan, which I outlined thoroughly in 90C, 92B, and 95C, is presented to the PA after the Israeli elections, they will be receptive to it. And I believe that the terrorist elements within Israel will see the advisability of going along with it, based on behind-closed-doors-promises of a Pearl Harbor type of Jihad being launched against Israel, after it has been lulled into a false sense of security. It is this eventual attack, which I believe is likely to occur between 2004 and 2008, which is covered in Event Number 5.

Event Number 5 – Israel Flees to the Negev by Land and Air

Revelation 12:6, 14

[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [14] And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

In Prophecy Update Number 95, Event Number 4, I covered primarily the fall of the city of Jerusalem. The surviving inhabitants of Jerusalem will flee by land, along with all the other Jews living in Israel to the east of the coastal plains. In 1948 the Israeli military and political leaders made up their National War Contingency Plan. The part of it that had to do with evacuation of the population, in event of attack, was decided at that time. Israel chose the Negev from Beersheba southward to the Gulf of Eilat as its War Contingency Evacuation Area. The area is more than one-third of the total land surface of Israel. The IDF will be attempting to transport, by whatever means available, the civilian population from Dan to Beersheba. Only one-third, or between 1.7 to 1.9 million Jews, will have made it alive into the Negev when the evacuation is completed. This group will remain in the Negev for the last 1260 days of the time we call the tribulation period. Among them will be the remnant of Israel’s Messianic Seed, Jesus Christ, in the person of 144,000 born again Jews, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This smaller remnant of Messiah, in the midst of all the remnant of Israel, will urge all of Israel to turn to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. And in the midst of the remnant of Messiah will be the two witnesses. The woman Israel, the remnant of her seed, who is Christ, and John’s two witnesses, will all be together in the Negev for what can be identified as a time (1 prophetic year) + times (2 prophetic years) + half a time (1/2 prophetic year), or 1260 days, or 42 prophetic months). A prophetic year equals 360 days. A prophetic month equals 30 days.

The Woman = The Remnant of Israel = The One-Third of the Israeli Population That Makes it to the Negev = 1.7 to 1.9 Million Jews

Her Seed = Her Man Child = Jesus Christ

The Remnant of Her Seed = The 144,000 Saved Jews = The Remnant of Her Man Child as a Part of Her in the Negev

The Two Witnesses = The Two Leaders of the 144,000 in the Negev

Revelation 12:17

[17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 13:8, 9

[8] And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Revelation 7:4

[4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Zechariah 14:1, 2

[1] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Revelation 11:2, 3

[2] But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. [3] And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Some 70 percent of the total Jewish population in Israel is packed into the narrow strip from Tel Aviv to Haifa. The remaining 30 percent will flee southward into the Negev on land by whatever transportation is available, but the coastal population will have to be evacuated by air. The oldest military strategy in the book is called “divide and conquer.” The antichrist will be successful in militarily dividing the 70 percent from the 30 percent. Lebanese and Syrian troops will move south in a Jihad blitzkrieg arrowhead beneath the steep western bluffs of the Samarian Mountains and then quickly dig in to hold it. The Gaza Strip PA will sweep northward beneath the steep bluffs of the Samarian Mountains to link up with the Syrians and Lebanese, and then also quickly dig in to hold it. From the highlands of the Samarian Mountains, the PA will be actively engaged in launching thousands of rockets over the heads of the Syrians, Lebanese, and fellow Palestinians at the foot of the bluffs. These rockets will shower down continuously on the 70 percent population bunched on the coastal plain from Tel Aviv to Haifa. Oddly enough, these rockets will be launched from inside the newly completed fence on the Palestinian side, and the fence may well serve the opposite purpose for which it was constructed. Instead of confining the Palestinians inside the West Bank, it may serve to keep the Israelis out of it. The coastal population, facing heavy loss of life, will be airlifted to the Negev. The same nations that will be airlifting food supplies to Israel, while it resides in the Negev, will also initially provide an airlift of its Jewish population into it.

Revelation 12:5, 6

[5] And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all NATIONS with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. [6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that THEY should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [14] And to the woman were GIVEN two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

The initial attack against Israel will only involve 10 Islamic nations, not all the other nations of the Old and New Worlds. The antichrist will not want any of the other nations to know of his attack. It will be a complete surprise to them. Under no circumstances will he want any of them to be involved. He wants the land from Dan to Beersheba, which is prosperous Israel. With Israel fleeing into the Negev east of the coastal strip, he will, in what might appear to be a humanitarian gesture to gain the favor of the rest of the world, allow planes of the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to air evacuate the Jewish civilians into the Negev. I believe the word “NATIONS” in Revelation 12:5 is a precedent to the word “THEY” in 12:6, and that God uses these western power nations to perform the operation. What he really wants is the high tech coastal strip and the fertile interior from Dan to Beersheba. All his forces will be under strict orders not to fire on non-Israeli aircraft.

Why won’t the U.S. do anything? It took the United States five months to get enough troops into position in the Middle East to attack Iraq after it had overrun Kuwait. This will involve a tenfold greater number of Arab nations. The strike will be a real surprise and well-coordinated. For this reason the initial advance will be very rapid. Israel is a very small piece of real estate. It is only 71 miles from Tiberias, in northern Israel on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, to Jericho, 24 miles from Jericho to Jerusalem, and 50 miles from Jerusalem to Beersheba. That is a total of 145 miles from Tiberias to Beersheba. I can drive that distance in the United States, staying within the speed limit, in less than three hours. I can drive it in Israel in less than six hours. Before the western powers can make a decision as to what to do, Israel will be fleeing into the Negev, and the antichrist will be assuring them he has no intensions of going past Beersheba, and will offer to let them air evacuate the civilian population out of the coastal area from Tel Aviv to Haifa. Then he will offer a truce, just like the truces in the 1948, 1967, and 1973 wars. The truce will be accepted, and Israel will be boxed in the Negev for about three and one-half prophetic years. The United States will accept such a truce, because it places Israel out of harm’s way for a while, and yet allows the continued flow of Arab oil to our shores. I am a patriotic American, and I love this country, but I am also a realist. As a realist, from my experience in the National Security Agency, I am acutely aware that all nations, including the United States, operate on A PRINCIPLE CALLED “NATIONAL INTEREST.” Situational decisions are usually made on a day to day basis based on “national interest.” And, to be very candid, “national interest” is based largely, not on what is best morally or ethically, but on what will keep the present administration in office. I must say that if you can keep the majority of voters on your side, it is usually because you have found a compromise that pleases most of the factions in the total number voting. So where does that leave us in regard to accepting the truce.

1. There are some 4,952,000 Jews living in Israel, and there are about 6,064,000 Jews living in America who love them, and many of them are registered voters.

2. There are a growing number of Arab Americans in this country who are also registered voters.

3. There are a much greater number of American voters who are neither of Arab or Israeli descent, but who are very interested in keeping the oil from Arab countries flowing into this country.

So how do you please the majority of these three categories? You accept the truce! Why?

1. It keeps what remains of the Israeli population alive in the Negev. This doesn’t completely satisfy the Jews living in America, but at least it stops the slaughter of their countrymen in Israel.

2. The Arab Americans are delighted to see Israel driven into the Negev, and the land from Dan to Beersheba back in Islamic hands.

3. The Arabs will keep the oil flowing, and the prices for Americans at the gas pump will not fly into orbit around Pluto.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 97

December 6, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

Events 1 to 5 were covered in whole numbered Updates 92 to 96

Event Number 6 – How Many Attacks and Wars Are There?

By the close of Prophecy Update Number 96, we had seen an attack by the antichrist eliminate two-thirds of the Jewish population, and drive the remaining third into the Negev Wilderness, where they will remain for some 1260 days. It is there that Israel will finally turn to its God by accepting His Son as their Messiah.

Zechariah 13:8, 9

[8]And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Revelation 12:6

[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

In the middle of the 19^th century the perception, that there was only one war associated with the time of the antichrist, and that it culminated with the final battle of Armageddon, began to change. By the middle of the 20^th century a teaching of more than one war had risen to be the majority view, and the antichrist was to arise out of the first war, bring peace to Israel, and then later break the peace and attack Israel to start a second war. To make this change it was necessary to change the identification of the antichrist in some of the prophetic writings of Daniel, Micah, Ezekiel, and others. I still hold to the old viewpoints of the 18^th and 19^th centuries in my understanding and interpretations of the antichrist, the war, and the final battle. I believe there is only one war, and that the final battle in it is the battle of Armageddon. You will find verse by verse, line by line, point by point expositions of Ezekiel Chapters 37, 38, & 39, Daniel 2:31-45, 7:20-27, 9:24-27, 11:40 through 12:1, Micah 5:1-9, and Revelation 12:1-17 in the Archives of our Prophecy and Birth Pang Updates. In all of these expositions I weave a case to prove there is only one war, and the same man, the antichrist is manifested in all of the listed scriptures.

I believe that the following scriptures are all talking about the same man, who is the antichrist, and that the war associated with him is a single war, which begins, lasts 1260 days, and ends with the battle of what we refer to as Armageddon.

Ezekiel 38:3

[3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

Gog = The Chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal = Antichrist

Meshech and Tubal = Their descendants were settled in what we call the land of Syria today at the time Ezekiel wrote his prophecies.

Ezekiel 38:14, 15 – The War Begins

[14] Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? [15] And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

Ezekiel 39:1, 2 – The Final Battle in the War (5/6 of his army destroyed)

[1] Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: [2] And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:

Daniel 7:21, 25 + 11:36, 40, 41, 45 to 12:1

[21] I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; [25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [36] And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. [40] And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. [45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. [1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Antichrist = The Same Horn = The 11^th Horn = The Willful King = The King of the North

The Saints in Daniel’s Day = Believing Jews

Time and Times and the Dividing of Times = 1260 days = 42 months

The War = [40] to [44]

The Final Battle in the War = [45] and [1] = Armageddon

Micah 5:5, 6

[5] And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. [6] And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

Antichrist = The Assyrian

The War = [5]

The Final Battle in the War = [6] = Armageddon

Revelation 13:4, 5 – The Beast = Antichrist The War = [5]

[4] And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? [5] And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Rev. 19:19-21 – The Final Battle of the War = Armageddon

[19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Antichrist = Daniel’s 11th Horn and King of the North = Ezekiel’s Chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal = Micah’s Assyrian = John’s Beast = Paul’s Man of Sin (They Are All the Same Man)

II Thessalonians 2:3, 4

[3] Let 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; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

The initial attack, that starts the final war, occurs 1260 days before the final battle in the war, the battle of Armageddon, which ends the war.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 98

December 14, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

Events 1 to 6 were covered in whole numbered Updates 92 to 97

The Two Witnesses, The Woman, and the Remnant of Her Seed!

See Prophecy Update Numbers 55 to 58, 73D, and 74A

About 75 days before the final 1260 days of the Gentile age, two witnesses will appear in Israel, and begin to warn of a soon coming attack. When the attack occurs, they will flee into the Negev along with the one-third of the Israeli population that is able to make it into this great wilderness. The two witnesses will be a part of 144,000 believing Jews, who have the testimony of Jesus Christ, and keep the commandments of God. Israel is the woman, whose seed is Jesus Christ, and the 144,000 believing Jews are the remnant of the seed. So, after the initial attack, in the Negev you will find the Woman (1/3 of the Jewish population = 1.7 to 1.9 million), the remnant of her seed (144,000 believing Jews who are part of the 1.7 to 1.9 million), and the two witnesses, who are part of the 144,000 believing Jews. The two witnesses will testify until about 75 days before the end of the Gentile age, at which time they will be killed by the antichrist, only to be publicly resurrected three one-half days later. The remnant of the seed will be in awe at this occurrence, and will give glory to God for it. The following Scriptures attest to this scenario.

Zechariah 13:8

[8] And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

Revelation 12:6

[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Zechariah 14:1, 2

[1] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Revelation 11:2, 3

[2] But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. [3] And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Revelation 7:4

[4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Revelation 12:17

[17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 11:7-13

[7] And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. [8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. [9] And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. [10] And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. [11] And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. [12] And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. [13] And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The two witnesses testify from about 75 days before the attack to about 75 days before the tribulation period ends, which is a period of 1260 days. Shortly after they ascend up to heaven in a cloud, the seventh angel sounds, and the rapture of the saved (including the 144,000) occurs, after which God’s wrath is poured out on the earth. (See Prophecy Updates 73D and 74A)

Revelation 11:14, 15, 18

[14] The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. [15] And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. [18] And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

God’s wrath follows the blowing of the seventh trumpet, and lasts for some 45 days.

Daniel 12:1

[1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Matthew 24:21, 22

[21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Many of the 1.7 to 1.9 million Jews will believe in Christ as the Messiah because of the testimony of the 144,000, and the two witnesses, after they see what they prophesied come to pass. But they will believe after the blowing of the seventh trumpet, and are the elect that will come through the tribulation period to begin a millennial reign under the Messiah in physical bodies that contain saved souls. The city of Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited, and the Gentiles who survive the tribulation period will come up annually to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts.

Zechariah 13:9

[9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Zechariah 14:11, 16

[11] And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. [16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

 

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 99

December 20, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

Events 1 to 7 were covered in whole numbered Updates 92 to 98

The Fantastic Changes in Prophecy Interpretation 1827 to 1970

If you are as interested as I am in the interpretation of prophecy, and will take the time to do so, by browsing in the archives of many institutions housing old books written from 1770 to 1970, you will see a fantastic change in the interpretations of the time known as the “latter” days, or more specifically, the tribulation period. This 200-year period saw what I believe to have been the correct interpretation of the tribulation period changed by modern interpretations, which I believe are incorrect. I was a teenager in 1945, and grew up in the hills of northern Arkansas under the teachings of older preachers born in the late eighteen hundreds, who still held to the beliefs of the 100 year period that preceded them. They had taken their teachings from men like B. H. Carroll, Barnes, Halley, and other great prophetic teachers of that period. So, in 1971, when I retired from the National Security Agency, and returned home to begin my seminary training, I was stunned to see how the interpretations of end time prophecies had changed. I was never, at any time, disruptive in any of my classes. I was there as the “teacher,” not the teacher. So I sat and listened to everything that was taught in my prophecy classes. I was very willing to change what I had been taught previously, thinking that it may well have been incorrect. And, in all honestly, knowing that I would stick out like a frog in a punch bowl with my beliefs, I kept silent. I honestly considered what my teachers were putting out concerning prophecy, and tried to see the errors in what I had been previously taught. But, after I graduated, I simply could not teach what I did not believe concerning prophecy. And I have taught, in the church I have been pastor for 28 years, basically what the preachers from 1770 to 1870 taught concerning the tribulation period.

The first thing I encountered after enrolling in seminary, before my first day in class, was a new book they were going through in Sunday school class in the church where I, and my family, were members. It took us a few months to go through it chapter by chapter. I discovered that a lot of other Sunday school classes for adults in other churches were also going through the same book. It was a book written by Hal Lindsey in 1970, titled “The Late Great Planet Earth.” It went on to become one of the greatest selling religious books on prophecy every written. I mean Mr. Lindsey no disrespect or harm, but it was a compilation of all the great changes that had occurred in prophetic interpretation from 1770 to 1970.

Mr. Lindsey said the six members of the European Common Market would grow to 10, and that they were the 10 toes of the statue in Daniel 2, and the 10 horns in Daniel 7. He predicted that the 11^th horn would arise in Italy and would represent the antichrist. Well, as anyone could easily predict, the Common Market grew. Today it is identified as the great European Union with 15 member nations, and it just agreed formally to take on 10 more in 2004. So where is the antichrist? Daniel’s figures now have 15 toes and 15 horns, and soon both will increase to 25. I can only urge preachers and teachers to get off this new horse. The antichrist and the 10 nations are not coming out of the EU. The antichrist is not a European, and the nations are not European. The antichrist is the one Micah identified as the Assyrian. And the ten nations are Islamic nations that were once a part of the old Roman Empire of John’s day. Please see our Prophecy Archives – Updates 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 74B, and 78A.

Mr. Lindsey taught that the “Gog” of Ezekiel 38 and 39 was a Russian prince. And he did this by interpreting the Hebrew word “Rosh” to be “Russia,” thereby identifying him as a Russian prince from the land of Magog. The land of Magog is Russia, but the antichrist is not a prince of Magog, he is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Most preachers and teachers continue to ride this dead horse. All I can urge you to do is to get off of it. It may have flown well when the Soviet Union was at its full blown greatness, but it has crashed, and many continue to go down with the plane. Please see our Prophecy Archives – Updates 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39.

Mr. Lindsey taught that Daniel 11:40 to 45 involves an attack by the king of the North, who he identifies as the Russian Prince who leads the Soviet Union, which he identifies as the northern nation that leads a group of 10 nations in a race across Israel to conquer Egypt. The well-known demise of the Soviet Union should have killed this teaching, but many still teach it. Please see our Prophecy Archives – Updates 71, 72, 73, 74, 74B, 74C, 74D, and 75.

Mr. Lindsey taught that the rapture of the saved occurs at the beginning of seven years of tribulation. The first interpreter of scripture, who ever put in print that the saved would not have to go through the majority of the tribulation period, was Morgan Edwards, who published such a book in 1788. He wrote it between 1742 and 1744, while he was a student at Bristol Academy in England, The book was published by Dobson and Lang, on 2nd Street Between Market & Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. The book taught a rapture when Christ appears in the air, 3 and ½ years before he descends to the earth with the saints to set up his millennial kingdom. The position that the rapture would occur seven years before Armageddon, never appeared in print before 1827 as an interpretation of the scriptures. I am indebted to Evangelist John L. Bray for much of the aforementioned accounts of historical rapture positions. If you want to see the historical rapture positions, and what I believe on the subject, please see our Prophecy Archives – Updates 74A, 73D, 76, 78A, and 82A.

Mr. Lindsey taught that the temple must be rebuilt before the Second Advent of Christ. This is still believed by most of the saved on this earth. But I do not believe it will be rebuilt until the early millennial reign of Christ. Please see our Prophecy Archives – Update 79

Mr. Lindsey taught that we still have 7 years of Daniel’s 490-year period left to fulfill. This was not the majority belief before 1830. I believe we only have 1335 days left of Daniel’s last week to be fulfilled. See our Prophecy Archives – Updates 55, 56, 57, and 58.

Mr. Lindsey taught that the antichrist would control the whole world as we know it today. If Jesus had come before the sixth century, that would have been the case. I believe the expressions, the whole earth, all of the world, wherever men dwell, etc., refers not to the known world of today, but to the days in which the prophecies were written. God uses the form of hyperbole throughout the prophetic writings. Please see our Prophecy Archives – Updates 73A, 77, 77A, 77B, and 77C.

Do I have a personal vendetta with Mr. Lindsey, or anyone who does not believe what I teach? Certainly not! Mr. Lindsey’s books have gotten a lot of people interested in the second coming of Christ. I know what Mr. Lindsey teaches and, if he is correct, I will recognize it when it starts to happen. I also know what a lot of other men teach on prophetic subjects. And if they are correct I will recognize it when it happens. The Lord told us to “WATCH,” and that is what I am doing. I have had people tell me, well, how can you be watching if you know when a prophetic event is going to occur? My answer is twofold: (1) I don’t know exactly when a prophetic event is going to occur, and (2) I could be wrong about what I believe. I have also been told, you sometimes change your mind about a thing you have taught in prophecy, and doesn’t that make you wishy-washy? My answer is twofold: (1) God is the only one who never changes His mind about prophecy, and (2) Christ is the only man who actually got it right the first time. A man who never changes his mind about prophecy is a man who claims he got it right the first time and therefore has never needed to change his mind. So I am amazed at the numbers holding the same prophetic views from their teens to the grave. I hold the same views of my teens on salvation, baptism, the church, and the church ordinances, but I have changed some of my views on prophecy. I can find the same teachings on the four mentioned subjects from 1770 to the present, but today’s prophetic teachings have changed to the extent it is difficult to find anyone teaching what was taught before 1827.

Today the world-of-the-saved is waiting for a strong leader to show up in Europe and eventually lead 10 European nations against Israel. They are looking for this man to control the entire world as we know it today. They are looking for this man to put a mark on all people around the circle of the earth from the north to the south poles. They are waiting for him to confirm a covenant of peace with Israel for seven years. They expect the covenant to be broken after 1260 days, and then the last 1260 days of the tribulation period to begin. And they are fully expecting for the rapture to occur before the peace covenant is signed, at which time they will be whisked up and miss all of the seven years. If Hal Lindsey and the post 1827 interpreters are correct, that is precisely what will happen. If they are wrong, then a lot of people are going to be very surprised, and very disappointed. I will not be disappointed one way or the other.

Matthew 24:42

[42] Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

If Christ comes at the first of the seven years, I’ll be watching.

If Christ comes in the midst of the seven years, I’ll be watching.

If Christ comes on the seventh trump, I’ll be watching.

If Christ comes at the end of the seven years, I’ll be watching.

I will not be disappointed regardless of when Christ comes!

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 100

December 28, 2002

THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF THE GENTILE AGE SERIES

Events 1 to 8 were covered in whole numbered Updates 92 to 99

Luke 21:24

[24] And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Jerusalem’s inhabitants fell by the edge of the sword in A.D. 70 as Christ predicted some 40 years earlier, and were then led away captive into all nations by the troops of Titus, the Roman Prince, son of Vespasian, the Emperor of Rome. And the old city of Jerusalem was indeed trodden down continuously by non-Jews (Gentiles) until June of 1967, at which time Jewish troops took it back for the first time since A.D. 70.

Revelation says that the old city will once again be conquered by the Gentile nations for a brief period of 1260 days. Zechariah advises us the casualty count across Israel will be high when the city falls, but that a remnant (residue) will not be cut off forever. The remnant will return to the city at the end of the 1260 days. Revelation advises us that Israel will be driven into the Negev wilderness for 1260 days, and that two witnesses will testify a message among the remaining one-third during that same period. It is quite likely that the 144,000 in Revelation 7 are the remnant of the woman’s seed in Revelation 12, her seed being Jesus Christ, and the two witnesses are the leaders of the 144,000.

Revelation 11:2

[2] But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Zechariah 13:8 to 14:2

[8] And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. [1] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Revelation 12:6

[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Revelation 11:3

[3] And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Revelation 7:4

[4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Revelation 12:17

[17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In Prophecy Updates 55, 56, 57, and 58 I gave a scriptural exposition as to why I believe what we call the tribulation period, or the unfulfilled part of Daniel’s 70^th week, is only 1335 days in length.

In Prophecy Updates 73A, 77, 77A, 77B, and 77C I gave an exposition as to why I believe the rapture will not occur until the blowing of trumpet number seven.

In the book of Daniel three interesting numbers are introduced for the first time in the Bible, a time, and times, and the dividing of time, which equals 1260 days, plus the two other numbers, 1290 and 1335.

Daniel 7:25

[25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 12:11, 12

[11] And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. [12] Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

I Thessalonians 5:2, 3

[2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. [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.

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