Friday, February 1, 2019
John, the revelator, said, “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months’” (Rev. 11:1–2).
The “temple of God” in the above passage is the soon-to-be built third Jewish temple in which Orthodox Jews will again worship as prescribed under the Mosaic Law. Israel has yearned for it since her rebirth of May 14,1948, and the time has come for this prophetic event to be fulfilled. Its rebuilding will likely result from the soon-coming destruction of Damascus, Syria (Isa. 17:1), followed by Antichrist’s peace “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27).
America is indisputably involved in end-time events as God has ascended Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States, the most powerful nation on earth (though warring, wicked and generally unbelieving) to defend and aid Israel in her unique time and purpose. Presidents before Trump, while knowing it was the right thing to do, did not, for fear of reprisals by Islamic states and the broader global community, declare Jerusalem the capital city of Israel. President Donald Trump did that on December 6, 2017. And the nations rage!
President Trump is intimately tied to Israel. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is not only his chief advisor, but is an Orthodox Jew. And President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, has converted from Christianity to Judaism. All the political jockeying, anger, strife, government shutdown, illegal immigration, and vitriol among many other wranglings commanding the world’s attention are but distractions from what’s spiritually occurring behind the scenes: the imminent “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27) which will promote and allow the building of Israel’s third temple.
When Israel’s third temple is active, it will begin the 42-month ministry of God’s two witnesses “and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth…And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire” (Rev. 11:3, 5–6). Their ministry will occur in the first half, or 3 1/2 years, or 42 months, of the seven-year tribulation.
During those first 3 1/2 years of tribulation, Israel, and the world, will see miracles and plagues unleashed straight from the pages of Scripture as it was in ancient Egypt. During this time “One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed” (Rev. 7:4).
These two witnesses will prophecy Christ, and call people to repentance, and to place their faith in Jesus, for there is no other name given under heaven by which men must be saved. In the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation many unbelieving Jews will turn to faith in Christ. Also during this time God will send “another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people – saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’” (Rev. 14:6–7).
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). That angel will indeed complete what the Church did not, and his preaching will agree with “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9), unlike much of the traditional end-time preaching by many today caught in the snares of their own doctrines that not only disagree with, but utterly silence the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I’m reminded of a Christian theologian who teaches at a prominent Christian university, who, while denouncing the post-tribulation rapture, boldly said to 15,000 students; “I can’t conceive of a God who would drag his bride through the mud of the tribulation to then turn around and marry her!” But that theologian simply can’t conceive of the God whose biblical record it is to lead His people through the furnace of trial and tribulation! And that same God promised that “the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Dan. 11:32)!
I don’t know about you, but I want to be one of those “who know their God, and carry out great exploits” for Christ, “my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer” (2 Sam. 22:2)! I love and defend the testimony of Jesus Christ who said “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Much that “proceeds from the mouth of God” instructs us for the end-times, but many, due to church traditions have been taught to disregard it.
It is not those who merely say they believe in Jesus and hold to a convenient, escapist, pre-trib rapture narrative approved by the flesh who know their God, but it’s those having a tested, tried and proven faith in Christ and His testimony of the end-times that have a knowledge of, a vision for, and are prepared for many apocalyptic events who will endure to the end as Jesus taught. In the love of Jesus Christ, I implore you to believe and personally apply Christ’s teachings.
The Trump / Kushner / Israel alliance will be highly influential in the Israeli / Palestinian peace process. Another portion of that “covenant with many” will include the physical division of the land of Israel, (also mandated by Pope Francis) and God has decreed it, saying, “They have also divided up My land” (Joel 3:2c) which brings the divine judgment of God who said “I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel” (Joel 3:2a).
Expect the covenant with many to be made in the spring, and formalized by the son of perdition in the fall of either 2019, 2020 or at the latest 2021. Then seven years later in the fall season “at the time of harvest” (Matt. 13:30), Christ gathers His elect saints in the resurrection rapture.
Believe that Christ “must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything” (Acts 3:21 NIV), which occurs “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31); only then “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16); at “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6); “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54); “at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51–52); when “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15). [Bold italic emphasis added].
Marlin J. Yoder
