Signs of the Times, Gospel Outreach Association, By David Dolan [best english books to read for beginners TXT] 📗

28th 2015 just after midnight and reach its peak at 4:48 AM local time. However it will also be one of the longest total eclipses that ever occur, with full darkness lasting for over one hour. The other three eclipses will only be viewable further to the east in Asia, in Australia, over the Pacific Ocean and in the Americas, meaning Jews in Europe and Africa will also not be able to see them. Could this mean that the large Jewish community in North and South America (which when combined contains many more Jews than currently reside in Israel) and the substantial community in Australia might be the prophetic focus of the upcoming string of full moon eclipses until the very last one takes place? Only time will tell.

 

RAPTURE AND ANTICHRIST

 

Much of the Christian pulpit messages I’ve listened to on YouTube or on television concerning the upcoming Tetrad, or read online and elsewhere, seem to primarily focus not on its possible connection to the country of Israel and/or Jews scattered around the world. Instead, the focus has often been on the question of whether or not the four lunar eclipses portend an imminent rapture of the church (the prophesied "catching up to the clouds" of the saints, as described by the Apostle Paul and others). A related focus has been on the prophesied coming of an evil world known as the Man of Sin and the Antichrist, who persecutes true believers during the end time Tribulation period as foretold by Paul, the Apostle John, and by Yeshua Himself in his Olivet discourse.

 

Clearly, a major new Middle East conflict could greatly enflame the economic crisis that has adversely affected the world since 2008. If fact, it would be remarkable if it did not do so, given the vast oil resources in this region and their importance to the global economy. This in turn could easily be the catalyst for further revolutions in the region and all over the globe. Droughts, floods and other weather disturbances that are seemingly escalating around the planet can also limit the world’s food supply, potentially sparking off violent revolts as well.

 

It doesn’t take a genius to note that World War One and the subsequent collapse of the German economy was the background to Adolph Hitler’s swift rise to power. If anyone was a type of the coming prophesied world ruler, it was the Nazi leader. He came in like a sheep before turning out to be blood lusting wolf—ravishing his own country and much of the rest of Europe, Russia, North Africa and the Middle East, and taking the lives of soldiers from many other regions as well. So the prospect that any coming Middle East war could be the catalyst for the prophesied rise of the Antichrist worldwide ruler is certainly not far fetched. Might he precede, be concurrent with, or follow the next round of Tetrad lunar eclipses? Again, only time will tell.

 

However I do want to briefly summarize some of the material about this topic that I included in my 2001 book, Israel in Crisis, and in the narrative of my first novel, The End of Days. I do not believe that the book of Daniel foretells a seven-year period of end time upheaval, as do many of the ministries I am associated with, along with the Bible College I attended many years ago. I instead think that the first half of the prophesied seventieth week of Daniel (9:24) was fulfilled during the three-plus year public ministry of Yeshua here in the Promised Land. This view was first taught by some of the ancient church fathers. I believe it was the Lord’s "atonement for iniquity" that put "an end to sin" and brought in "everlasting righteousness" and thus"sealed up vision and prophecy" and brought the true "anointing to the most holy place," as recorded in that verse.

The Messiah is even mentioned by that very term in verse 25, where He is also termed a "Prince." His death at the hands of "the people of the prince who is to come" (which turned out to be the Romans, from whom verse 26 says another "prince," the Antichrist, will come), is also prophesied in that verse. Therefore it is the Lord Himself who "makes," or some versions say "confirms" a covenant (verse 27) "with the many for one week" via His death and resurrection.

 

If this is an accurate reading of what many scholars have called a somewhat convoluted text, the Seventieth Week of Daniel is not literally seven consecutive historical years that come at the very end of this age, as many teach. Instead, it begins with Yeshua’s ministry on earth nearly 2,000 years ago, and is interrupted in the middle of the "week" by his crucifixion. The second three and a half year period begins with the appearance of another "prince" (the final Antichrist) who comes "on the wings of abomination" and then "makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate" (vs. 27)". This reading exactly matches several other prophecies, which foretell that the Man of Sin will rule over the world for three and a half years (42 months), not for seven years. He may indeed make some sort of political pact with Israel, as I have included in my novel and many expect, but that is not the "covenant" spoken of here.

 

If I and many others are reading this prophecy correctly, then the appearance of the Antichrist will apparently take place around four years before Israel’s Messiah returns to earth. The reason another six months or so is added to the 42 months is that we are told in the book of Revelation that the Antichrist will be dethroned via a series of Divine wrathful judgements that will fall upon the world in the months after he effectively loses his power to govern (Rev 8 and 9).

 

So if the prophesied final world ruler were to appear in the spring of next year, coinciding with the first lunar eclipse of the next Tetrad cycle, then the Lord’s Second Coming and the end of this age would take place near to or during the fall feasts in 2017. That would be precisely 100 years from the time when the seminal Balfour Declaration was issued by Great Britain on November 2,1917, leading to a Jewish State being endorsed by the United Nations in November 1947…exactly 30 years later. The year 2017 would also be 50 years after Israel captured the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967, which contains the Jewish people’s holiest site on earth, the sacred Temple Mount. As you know, the biblical Year of Jubilee is marked every 50 years.

 

It is also interesting to note that both the Gregorian calendar year, which has become the world’s internationally accepted business calendar over the past century, and the Hebrew calendar year end with the exact same number. Thus, the year 2013 ends with the number three, as does the Hebrew calendar (where we are now in the year 5773). So the "sevens" listed in the years above are always the same in both calendars, at least for around nine months of each year.

 

Please note that I am not forecasting that the prophesied final world ruler will appear next spring, only that these dates and numbers are quite interesting indeed, especially given that they might exactly fit in with the first lunar eclipse next Passover. The upcoming Tetrad period may well begin with much Jewish (and worldwide) suffering and bloodshed, as in the previous three Tetrads, but it might also end with the final triumph over sin and death for people everywhere that know and serve the Coming King of Kings!

 

Does the next Tetrad portend the imminent rapture of the world’s true believers? I think it may well do so. However I do not foresee it as a sudden and secret catching up to the clouds that would precede the coming world leader’s appearance, as taught by a majority of my ministry associates and of course by many others. This "pre-tribulation" rapture expectation is frankly not found by me in my personal studies of the Bible, despite having been taught that position at my church before moving to Israel in 1980, and in the Bible College I attended in Washington state before that.

 

I certainly wish I could say otherwise. I have no great desire to face what Yeshua Himself warned would be a time of unprecedented trial, persecution and upheaval just prior to his VISIBLE return in the clouds ("in power and great glory" Matthew 24, verse 30), from where He will catch up His devoted followers (vs. 31) as the final bowls of judgment are poured out upon the Antichrist and his worldwide kingdom. Still, I do think the Bible is clear that the Second Coming is a one-time visible event ("like lightening flashes from east to west"), not something that takes place in two stages, one hidden and one public. If I and those who agree with me are wrong about this matter, I for one will be most pleased! However if we am right, I’m concerned that many true believers who hold a pre-tribulation rapture view may not be prepared to face such dramatic days (not that those who agree with my view are necessarily prepared for such a time). Either way, the best preparation in my opinion for whatever may lie ahead is to nudge up to the Lord of Lords as much as possible.

 

ISAIAH 17 AND PSALM 83

 

As I wrote before, I suspect that the next major regional war will begin with the fulfillment of Isaiah 17, which speaks of the total destruction of Damascus along with great suffering for Israel. This may well coincide with or ignite a conflict with Iran and other allies of the embattled Assad regime. It is true that the ancient Assyrians, who are spoken of extensively by the great prophet, conquered the Syrian capital city in his era. However historians say it was not the utter destruction of Damascus that is described in verses 1-3: "It will be for flocks to lie down in, and no one will (be around to) make them afraid." A fuller examination of this prophecy can be found in my book Israel in Crisis.

 

I suspect a war between Israel and Syria and its allies would probably be followed, either quickly or after a short period of time, by the fulfillment of the conspiracy involving several regional Arab neighbors that is foretold in Psalm 83. There we are told they will join together in an attempt to "wipe Israel out as a nation" (vs. 4), which is of course precisely what Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas and others have stated many times is their ultimate goal. A key to the fulfillment of that prophecy is the country of Jordan, which at this time still has a functioning peace treaty with Israel (unlike the collapsing treaties with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority). Several of the 10 Arab countries or tribes that are listed in Psalm 83: 6-8 resided in what is today territory under Jordanian control.

 

Of course, nobody can say for sure that the coming Tetrads will prove to be anything more than just a series of interesting celestial events with little or no prophetic or historical significance at all. Some of the Tetrads that took place on Jewish feast days in the last 2,000 years cannot be clearly traced to any important events in the Jewish world. However the last three certainly can be. I also find it quiet interesting that we have had seven Tetrads since the time of Yeshua that occurred on Passover and Succot. Seven is obviously a significant number in the Bible, beginning with the seven-day week. So this next one will be number eight…also a significant biblical number signaling completion and fulfillment. Are we about to witness some shattering events on planet earth? Stay tuned….

 

"How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in whose heart are the highways to Zion (Psalm 84:5).