“And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately” (Luke 21:9, words of Jesus Christ).

Not immediately, but within one generation as the Lord would later clarify.

“Then he added, ‘Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven’” (Luke 21:10-11).

Messiah Jesus revealed several riveting signs of the last days of the end times as recorded in Luke Chapter 21, with the longer text of what is called the Mount Olivet Discourse found in Matthew Chapters 24-25. Flashpoints such as: prevalence of false messiahs and prophets to deceive many (both spiritual and secular, i.e., national leaders); moral decline and intense persecution of Jews and Christians; rampant sin and hatred; partying like there was no tomorrow.

But also, “…the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Although Jesus did not mention a prominent end time development prophesied by Daniel—substantial increase in the speed and quantity of transportation and information world-wide (Daniel 12:4)—he did refer to Daniel’s prophetic warning of the sacrilegious object that Antichrist will erect in the Jewish temple (rebuilt during the Tribulation period … Matthew 24:15 & Daniel 9:27).

The (abundance of signs) analogy presented by Jesus was that of birth pains, beginning with the pre-Rapture Omega (last) generation and reaching the agonizing crescendo of contractions during the Tribulation. All in preparation for his physical return to earth which will generate the birth of a New World—the Millennial Reign of the Messiah … the very Son of God.

“Then he gave them this illustration: ‘Notice the fig tree or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place’” (Luke 21:29-32, emphasis added).

If (a big if because many, even including some believers, are inexplicably disinterested in the powerful prophetic signs being fulfilled in front of our 20^th & 21^st century eyes) people would only look at what’s happening in the world, matched with (the extraordinary unfolding of) Biblical prophecy; they would realize that “summer is near.”

And they would “know without being told.”

The reality in our generation: that summer is here.

Whether it is the signs of the times or times of the signs, to look objectively is to see and understand that the time is short.

Messiah Jesus left out what is undoubtedly the most significant and stunning last days prophecy of all. We’ll get to that shortly including the (proposed) reason.

First a glance at some remarkable but bone-chilling 20^th & 21^st century facts and figures regarding the earth-shattering happenings that Jesus did announce. Which provide dramatic documentation of the (one) generation timeframe when these birth pains would expand in frequency and severity; that’s what birth contractions progressively do.

Wars & Insurrections (Ethnic Rivalries)

Armed conflict (justified or not) including but not limited to matters of race, religion, nationality, secular ideals, political persuasions, economic disparity, and land disputes have plagued people from the beginning of the human saga. Who knows how many hundreds of millions have been killed in local, regional, national, and international wars?

Yet, not until the 20^th century did Planet Earth experience one, then (incomprehensively) a second war that were truly global in severity and scope. With the ultimate irony that of World War I bearing the banner: The War To End All Wars. Ending in 1918, generationally there are still some people alive who were born during that war.

Even more tragically ironic is that World War II (just 21 years later) dwarfed the first world war in its bloodshed. Over four times the number of people (combined military and civilian) lost their lives in World War II … some 72 million than in World War I … 17 million.

Then on an equally unparalleled scale, the insidious initiation of mass killings (purges) in the 20^th century in which tens of millions of Russians and Chinese were systematically slaughtered or starved by the dictatorial communist regimes of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.

Several online sources provide the numbing statistics of displaced civilians, death, and destruction that have taken place in clashes raging all over the planet. With the larger national and international conflicts taking place in the 1^st half of the 20^th century and the startling number of ethnic and civil conflicts taking place in the last half of the 20th century into the 21^st century. The sheer frequency of these armed struggles clearly confirms the words of Jesus regarding nation against nation and ethnic group against ethnic group in our generation (defined in Scripture as both 100 years and 70 years). As well as his birth pain and fig tree comparisons.

Earthquakes

Worldwide Surge in ‘Great” Earthquakes Seen in Past 10 Years was the title of an article dated October 26, 2014 posted in the online website of Science News. Beginning with the enormous 9.0 quake that struck Indonesia in late December 2004, which, in turn, caused a massive tsunami that took the lives of about 250,000 people. I vividly recall watching hours of film footage and later on docudramas of this horrific disaster.

An excerpt from that article reads: “The annual number of ‘great’ earthquakes nearly tripled over the last decade, providing a reminder to Americans that unruptured faults like those in the northwest United States might be due for a Big One.

“Between 2004 and 2014, 18 earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.0 or more rattled subduction zones around the globe. That’s an increase of 265 percent over the average rate of the previous century, which saw 71 great quakes, according to a report to the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America this week in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“…If we look at all earthquake magnitudes, the past 10 years is not unusual in terms of the rate of events, the rate increase are just seen for events with magnitudes larger than 7.5 or so, he said (referring to comments made by Thorne Lay, professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California … parenthesis mine).”

In a more contemporary context, just a few weeks ago there were three back-to-back-to-back powerful earthquakes of 7.0 or higher that jolted parts of New Zealand. Through various sources including the United States Geological Survey, op-ed author Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz wrote the following in a March 8, 2021 article posted in the online site of Israel 365 News:

“In the first 65 days of this year, 42 major quakes, magnitude 6 or higher, have shaken the planet. The year with the largest total was 2010, with 24 major earthquakes greater than or equal to 7.0. In 2011, a total of 207 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher shook the earth, culminating in a 6.6 magnitude earthquake that caused the catastrophic meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor and the concurrent 9.1 magnitude earthquake in Tohuka, Japan that killed over 20,000 people.”

After citing the recent cascade of earthquakes in and around Iceland (some 18,000 in one week including three Richter scale quakes of 7.3, 7.4, and 8.1), Berkowitz continues by comparing the first 65 days of some previous years to the 42 major tremors so far in 2021.

“…In the first 65 days of 1921, exactly one century ago, only seven major quakes, magnitude 6 or higher were recorded globally according the USGS Data Base. In the same period last year (2020) a total of 24 major quakes, magnitude 6 or higher were recorded around the globe. Back in 2019, just 20 major quakes had been reported up to March the 6^th, just 50% of this year’s total… in 2015, just 18.”

Both in his article and in other articles I read online, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) pretty much dismisses these facts/figures as either cyclical or random.

I do not agree with that analysis. If for no other reason than the persistent increase of major quakes all over the world over a period of some 100 years, particularly in the last 20 years or so. That and the imposing evidence of a similar sliding scale surge in other natural disasters, e.g., tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, forest fires, and volcanic eruptions.

Again, quoting Messiah Jesus immediately after he warned of wars taking place on a global scale: “There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands…” (Luke 21:11). Great earthquakes are self-explanatory. Many lands clearly convey a global range.

Famines

In examining (what would be considered) major famines in the 20^th & 21^st centuries, I discovered that the number was considerable, as was the number of deaths from starvation. But not necessarily that many more than found in centuries going back hundreds of years. That and factoring in a greater world population in the last century or so.

What was both apparent and alarming (yet in keeping with Jesus’s forecast): The correlation or causative link between many of these 20^th & 21^st famines to war (both national and civil) and/or dictatorial oppression such as mentioned earlier regarding Russia and China. As opposed to many pre-20^th century famines that were caused by the usual suspects (reasons)—drought, locusts, natural and weather-related disasters, and/or mismanagement of the land.

For example: What some consider to be the greatest famine of all time between 1959-1961 was caused by the inept yet ruthless agricultural system imposed by Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward policy. Estimates vary: 15 to 55 million deaths by starvation in what is simply called, The Great China Famine. Whatever the numbers, it devastated China, which for centuries has been no stranger to famines.

Another is the estimated 8 million famine deaths in the Soviet Union during the early 1930’s when Joseph Stalin ordered the government to seize grain for export (rather than to feed the people). It was simple, but cruel: he and his Soviet government needed cold cash for industrial purchases. Most of those who died were in the Ukraine; Stalin refused to provide any food aid to them.

There are other national or sectarian conflicts that led directly to massive famines and fatalities in the hundreds of thousands or millions. Such as the Second Congo War (Africa) of 1998-2004 in which some 2,700,000 people died of starvation and disease attributed to and caused by warring factions in the region.

The title of a recent article posted in the online site Global Citizen reads: War-Torn Yemen on Brink of ‘World’s Worst Famine in 100 years.’ It begins with, “There are 13 million people at risk of starvation.” While the number would be less than The Great China Famine, it nevertheless, is a monumental tragedy in the making if the civil war continues. Particularly if the Yemen rebels that Iran funds ousts the Yemenite government, supported by Saudi Arabia.

(Houthis in Yemen–a Gulf State … The Biden Administration eliminated the terrorist status of these ruthless rebels)

Also, the imminent risk of over 1 million children in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan dying of starvation—famine induced by civil war in these nations.

“Then he added, ‘Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands…” (Luke 21:11).

As a reminder, Messiah Jesus’ disclosures are in answer to his disciples’ inquiry, “…When will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7).

Like labor pains, they would intensify in frequency and/or severity, especially during the last (Omega) generation preceding the Rapture, continuing with the 7-year Great Tribulation. We have seen that advancing phenomena in wars, earthquakes, other natural disasters, and famines in the last hundred years or so.

Next are:

Plagues

Some online sites list the 10 or 20 greatest epidemics or pandemics of recorded history.

There are a few differences on these lists; however, the most devastating of the plagues are found in nearly all of them. The largest of which you probably have read or at least know about: The Bubonic Plague (Black Death) in Europe … 1346-1353. It is estimated that nearly ½ of Europe’s population died from this dreaded disease.

On the other hand, this was not a viral sickness; rather, it was bacterial in origin—carried by fleas that had been on rodents. Had the cause/origin been known at the time, it is likely that the death toll would have been much lower because of preventive measures that could have been taken. Chalk it up to superstitious medieval medicine and substandard technology at the time.

Beginning chronologically with a major epidemic in ancient China around 3,000 B.C., another pre-20^th century epidemic was the Great Plague of London (1665-1666) in which some 100,000 people died. And the potent Smallpox that lasted from 1520 to 1600, taking an estimated 56 million lives.

Still, what is both startling and what we would expect (knowing the absolute reliability of Biblical prophecy … 100% accuracy) is that 8 of the 21 most deadly plagues to strike mankind have occurred in the 20^th & 21^st century.

Your reaction might be: That is logical due to the rapid population increase in the last hundred years or so? Which is an accurate observation. But so, too, is the offsetting factor that medical training, technology, and medicines (especially vaccines) have advanced exponentially in the last 100 years or so.

Chronologically, those plagues were:

American Polio Epidemic … 1916.

Spanish Flu … 1918-1920. Some 500 million—nearly 1/3 of earth’s population at the time infected, with some 50 million deaths.

Asian Flu … 1957-1958. Worldwide, 1.1 million deaths.

Aids Pandemic … 1981 to present. About 35 million dead.

Swine Flu Pandemic … 2009-2010. Killing primarily children and young adults.

West African Ebola Epidemic … 2014-2016. Not necessarily a high fatality count—11,325, but a dangerous deadly disease (high percentage of fatalities).

Zika Virus … 2015 to present.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) … 2019 and counting. Statistics as of March 27, 2021: Number of cases worldwide—126,834,725; deaths worldwide—2,781,928. Number of cases in the United States—29,925,133; deaths in the U.S.—543,933.

These and other signs that Jesus declared are unfolding in snowball (make that avalanche) style in the last ten decades or so. Yet, as indicated, he omitted what is arguably the single-most significant last days event of all time … to date.

(Avalanche on Mt. Everest)

Israel’s Rebirth as a Sovereign State Accompanied by the Return of Many Jews To Their Promised Land

In his panoramic litany of end-times events, why would Jesus exclude this monumental milestone prophecy divulged numerous times in the Old Testament?

Prophecies such as: “Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it? Asks the Lord. No! I would never keep this nation from being born, says your God…. This is what the Lord says: ‘I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the nations will flow to her… I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child” (Isaiah 66:9-13).

Also: “Therefore., prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:12-13).

In several Eye of Prophecy articles, I have written extensively about the modern-day miracle of Israel’s rebirth in 1948, followed by the end of Gentile domination (God’s way of disciplining his people to prepare them for the first arrival and soon-to-come return of Messiah Jesus) when the Jews (IDF) reclaimed Jerusalem and all Israel in the stunning Six-Day War of 1967.

Says the God of Israel: “I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. I will firmly plant them there in their own land (these things began intensely in 1948 and continue strongly to this very day). They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God” (Amos 9:14-15, parenthesis mine).

The extensive prophecies of Israel’s restoration—including the return of the Jews to the Promised Land never thereafter to be removed from that land—is the very reason why Jesus did not mention it as one of the end-times signs. It was unnecessary. By that time, his disciples were sufficiently (some thoroughly) familiar with their Scriptures … the Torah, the Psalms, and the Prophets. They understood Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Further validated by his spectacular resurrection from the grave after voluntarily surrendering his life as the once for all redemptive sacrifice, to all who would believe and receive him as their personal Savior.

Do you recall the question his disciples asked just before Jesus arose in the clouds to heaven … 40 days after his resurrection?

“…Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6).

They knew the Old Testament prophecies regarding Israel’s restoration—physical and spiritual—would be possible only by and through Jesus of Nazareth—their (our … all who believe in Him) Messiah. However, they did not know that Jesus would leave them so soon, nor could they (or anyone) know the length of his absence along with the seemingly interminable duration of a 2^nd major exile of the Jewish people.

Or that the restoration of Israel would, indeed, be a miracle of miracles. Greater even than one that would/could involve a Messiah-led victory against the Roman Empire in the first century. It would be a truly remarkable rebirth of a dysfunctional if not defunct nation, a defeated scattered people, and a nearly dead language (Hebrew) all in an astonishingly short period of time—once God set the wheels in motion. It would be an unprecedented revival from the floods of global dispersion and the fires of Nazi death camps.

Just a few days before his crucifixion, Jesus had disclosed to his disciples that the rebuilt Temple would be demolished, which took place in A.D. 70, less than 40 years later.

After Jesus told them about the Temple’s destruction, his disciples asked him, “…Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).

Although they wanted to know when, his disciples did not need to be told (the fact of) that a crucial sign of the end times would be Israel’s restoration … from Roman dominion at the time of these questions to whatever the conditions of the world might be at the time of Messiah’s return. By reading the Scriptures, they and all believers since then would/should presume the prophetic fact that the Messiah (Jesus) would return to an intact Israeli nation, and rule and reign from her eternal capital, Jerusalem. But only after rescuing the Jews one last time from their enemies, then fully restoring and redeeming Israel for all time (Zechariah Chapters 12-14).

By no means does that diminish the magnificent miracle of Israel’s rebirth and the remarkable return to (against all odds) and natural birth of millions of Jews in Israel.

Rather, he provided details that they would not have known or even imagined, e.g., global wars, earthquakes. Not just ordinary but “great” earthquakes everywhere on earth, and other catastrophes increasing in number and size in the same fashion as a woman’s childbirth pains.

And in one generation’s time!

Israel’s Real Labor Pains Began After Her National Rebirth!

The labor pain analogy used by Jesus to describe the intensified calamities leading to the (soon-to-come) Rapture and reaching a climax during the Great Tribulation are some of the same birth pains God describes through Isaiah regarding Israel’s birth. The (big) difference is that Israel’s contractions began AFTER her birth virtually overnight on May 14, 1948. These troubles consist of four major (defensive) wars fought by Israel after her declaration of statehood, as well as persecution suffered at the hands of nearby nations and from within by the Palestinians. Such as mortars and missiles, suicide bombings, car-ramming attacks, gun, knife, and rock attacks in which thousands if Israelis have been murdered and maimed.

This is particularly true with Jesus’s prediction of kingdom against kingdom… literally ethnic group against ethnic group. In Israel’s case, the Palestinians in Gaza, and Judea/Samaria (West Bank) with their (real) agenda that of replacing the sovereign state Israel with a Palestinian State. Not a state alongside of Israel, which they have turned down at least four times.

Listen again to the words of the only true and living God regarding the Holy City of the Holy Land given to his people in perpetuity:

“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who has ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born. Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it? Asks the Lord…” (Isaiah 66:7-9).

One of several examples of Israel’s labor pains after the fact of birth is that the very day following declaration of statehood, Israel was attacked by five Arab nations—Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq. Which is why the rebirth of Israel as a sovereign state in 1948 is the single most significant sign … fulfilled prophecy of what (I passionately believe and have written about often) is the last generation spoken of by Jesus—the one with all the birth pains!

See Eye of Prophecy article: Reexamination of Messiah’s Imminent Return & The Omega Generation (posted January 2021).

What also makes Israel’s rebirth as a nation and return of the Jews to their Promised Land the centerpiece of the generational birth pains disclosed by Messiah Jesus is the ongoing obsession of virtually the entire world with this tiny nation of less than ten million Israeli citizens (7.8 million Jews and almost 2 million Arab Israelis). Plus, another 4 million or so Palestinians who don’t want to be citizens of a Jewish State.

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Global Obsession with Israel … In Biblical Proportions (1-16-18). In italics:

Obsession: “a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often-unreasonable idea or feeling” (Webster’s Dictionary).

The persistent unreasonable idea or feeling harbored by Israel’s enemies and even by her (few and far between) friends is whether Israel and especially Israel’s capital Jerusalem truly belongs to the Jews. Or are the Jews “occupying” Jerusalem and other parts of Israel?

Obsessive: “excessive often to an abnormal degree … need for quick solutions.” The entire planet is demanding urgent resolution to Israel’s problems, even though the core of these issues is at least three thousand years in the making.

Compulsion: “an irresistible impulse to perform an irrational act.” The compulsive agenda of many world leaders is to impulsively (bordering on the irrational) fix Israel. Their faulty premise: If they can fix Israel and solve Jerusalem’s status, then the entire Middle East can be fixed in some fashion or another.

As the first Eye of Prophecy article for a new year, there is no more fitting topic than the world’s fanatical focus on the tiny state of Israel, smaller in population than many cities on earth. It is political, racial, religious, and social OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder) on steroids and on a truly global scale. Since her rebirth as a sovereign state in 1948, no nation on earth has received more world-wide attention as has Israel. It is mind-boggling. We only need to look at the United Nations—to which virtually every nation on earth belongs— to confirm that this obsession is not an exaggeration.

Then later in the article:

There is a remarkable phenomenon underway whereby some national leaders are developing friendly ties with Israel, even though most of their people still harbor anti-Semitic feelings against Jews….

This ambivalent, puzzling disposition of nations toward Israel is exactly what Scripture said would happen, especially when the Gog/Magog coalition invades Israel. This massive campaign led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey (all three of which have a military presence in Syria right next door to Israel) will occur not long after the Rapture.

Says the Sovereign Lord to Gog/Magog, “…At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!” (Ezekiel 38:10-11).

The clear concept conveyed in this passage is that Israel will be at a level of peace not thought possible by Israelis or the rest of the world. Obviously, it will be a false sense of security.

Hardly a day goes by without some news about Israel, whether internally such as the recent Israeli election or externally concerning any number of nations, some of which are Arab countries that have recently in unprecedented fashion agreed to diplomatic and trade interactions with Israel. And, of course the three most prominent anti-Israel nations of the Gog/Magog coalition: Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

Although there have been many official and unofficial exchanges between Israel and several other nations, I’ll close this week’s article with a brief example of recent episodes involving Israel and each of these three nations. This to further confirm the amazing accuracy of Biblical prophecies regarding the world’s preoccupation (good, bad, and neutral) with Israel and the Jews. Each example is somewhat typical of how Russia, Iran, and Turkey currently interact with or react to Israel. It reflects their national mindset that will continue after the Rapture, but with the malevolent twist (development) of an all-out alliance between these three countries culminating in their surprise Gog/Magog invasion of Israel.

As indicated earlier in this article and in some prior Eye of Prophecy, each of these nations are to varying degrees entrenched in Syria, bordering Israel on the north.

Moreover, it was not that long ago that Russia, Iran, and Turkey were at odds each with the other. Although they continue to have disagreements (mostly concerning who would/should be the dominant foreign power in Syria), their mutual ties continue to develop. With, according to Scripture, their ominous goal that of conquering the State of Israel.

Currently, the temperament of each country and their leaders (Vladimir Putin of Russia; Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran; Recep Erdogan of Turkey) toward Israel is that of: (1) Bilateral relations and ostensible friendship … Russia. (2) Incessant hatred and threats … Iran. (3) Wavering between antagonism and agreeable … Turkey.

Iran & Israel

On March 16, 2021, Iranian Major General Mohammed Bagheri issued another in a long line of genocidal threats against Israel, with some of those past tirades mouthed by the Ayatollah, himself.

Said Bagheri: “Before entering the second step of the Islamic Revolution, the capacities for the annihilation of the Zionist regime and, by God’s grace, the elimination of the fake, child-murdering and odious regime from the political geography of the region have been prepared.”

Iranian leaders make no pretense about their loathing for the State of Israel. This hatred is the epitome of irrational Antisemitism.

Iranian leaders rarely need a reason to threaten Israel. It’s what they do and who/what they are: a radical rogue Islamic nation that funds terrorism and terrorizes its own people. More likely that not Bagheri was responding to a statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a few weeks earlier during Israeli celebration of Purim—Israel’s ancient deliverance from and victory over the wicked Persian official Haman and those who sought to kill all the Jews.

Said Netanyahu, “On the eve of Purim, I would like to say to those who seek our lives, Iran and its proxies in the Middle East: 2,500 years ago, another Persian villain tried to destroy the Jewish people and just as he failed then, so, too, you will fail today. We will not allow your extremist and aggressive regime to attain nuclear weapons.”

(Major General Mohammad Bagheri & Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran)

Turkey and Israel

Since Turkey’s Recep Erdogan became Prime Minister (2003) then President of Turkey (2014), Israel’s relationship with this country has covered the ambivalent scale of hot, cold, and lukewarm. Nonetheless, Erdogan’s overall attitude is one of hostility toward Israel. That and increasing boldness in his plans for Turkish influence to escalate in Israel, especially Jerusalem.

The following is an excerpt from an article written by veteran Israeli journalist Nadav Shragai, originally appearing in the online news source Israel Hayom. Then reposted in Jewish News Syndicate on March 1, 2021:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to change the name of the Directorate of Religious Affairs to the “Directorate of Jerusalem and Umrah Affairs” isn’t about semantics but substance. Erdogan views himself as a successor to the line of Ottoman sultans. He wants to restore the empire of old and sees himself as responsible for Jerusalem from the Islamic perspective.

“In his own eyes, Erdogan is the successor to Salah al-Din (Saladin) and Suleiman the Magnificent. Hence, Erdogan has adhered to the dream of a Muslim caliphate with Jerusalem as its capital…

“From Erdogan’s point of view, Jerusalem is ‘under occupation,’ is of utmost importance after Mecca and Medina, and should be part of the ‘Umrah’ (the ‘regular’ Muslim pilgrimage throughout the year, unlike the Hajj). True to this worldview, as early as 2017 the Turkish president called for ‘conquering’ the city through a mass infusion of Muslim tourists to Israel. ‘We must visit Al-Aqsa much more,’ he said at the time.

“Erdogan believes that Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem is a historic accident. All his moves relating to Jerusalem, including the aforementioned name change, are geared towards amending it…”

See Eye of Prophecy, The Myth of Al-Aqsa Mosque (posted 4-16-16).

Russia & Israel

As contained and explained in several Eye of Prophecy articles, Russia will spearhead the malicious Gog/Magog alliance. Which makes the current relationship between Russia (President Putin) and Israel (Prime Minister Netanyahu) even more intriguing. Obviously, the majority of what Putin does for or with Israel is self-serving; but the fact remains that the two leaders get along quite well, having held several meetings in the past four years or so.

Although Russia and Iran both support the Syrian government and are allies of sorts, Russia permits Israel (with an occasional objection or two) to conduct airstrikes in Syria against Iranian and Syrian forces, including Iran’s proxy … Hezbollah. This to prevent a buildup of armaments (especially sophisticated guided missiles) aimed at Israel.

This cordial diplomatic arrangement between Russia and Israel includes even some smaller incidents such as Russia’s recent agreement that its troops would conduct searches in Syria for the remains of famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen—who was killed in the 1960’s near or in Damascus. Moreover, the Russians were pressing the Assad regime to provide more information as to the location of Cohen’s remains.

(Photo of Eli Cohen)

This situation came on the coattails of a Russian-arranged prisoner exchange to secure the rescue and return of a young Israeli woman captured in Syria after she crossed the Israeli/Syrian border.

Or Russia’s assistance in locating and returning the remains of a slain IDF solder, Zechariah Baumel, held in Syria since 1982.

*Note: Israeli Jews place a great deal of importance (value) on proper burial of their own in the land of Israel—much like Joseph wanted his remains to be transferred from Egypt to Israel for a permanent burial site—especially those killed in battle or in the line of duty. On more than one occasion, Israel has traded live enemy prisoners (many of them) for just one Israeli soldier, alive or dead.

Strange, but true stories, regarding two nations that will one day (not long from now) become bitter enemies, when Russia along with Iran, Turkey, and lesser nations furiously attack Israel.

Things to Ponder

Returning to the arrogant Iranian general’s boast with a question: Which God is he referring to when he said, “by God’s grace…”?

Obvious Answer: the Muslim god, Allah. Although even Muslims will sometimes substitute Allah with God, as will journalists when reporting someone who has mentioned the name Allah.

The main point: The Islamic god (in the Arab’s original pantheon of gods before Muhammed selected the moon-god Allah to imitate the Biblical monotheistic God of the Jews and Christians) certainly is not the God of the Bible. Among other names, He refers to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not of Ishmael nor Mohammed.

The God of the Bible states unequivocally that He is the One true and living God. There are no other gods, except those devised by people.

Here’s a quote from Iran’s so-called Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in direct response to the quotation that I cited earlier from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (concerning Purim and Iran). From an article posted in United With Israel on 2-24-21 written by Aryeh Savir.

Said Khamenei: “That clown of the global Zionism (Netanyahu) is saying that he will not allow Iran to attain nuclear weapons; however, it should be said that if the Islamic Republic had decided to attain (an) atomic bomb, the Zionists and powers bigger than them could not have been able to prevent it.”

On the authority of the true and living God and His Word, the Bible: There is a power bigger than the powers which are bigger than Israel (such as the United States). One that is immensely (universally) bigger than the USA, the European Union, Russia, Turkey, and especially big-headed Iran.

When Iran—along with its partners in crime—attack Israel, they will learn first-hand which God IS God. They will see up close and personal that Israel won’t need to lift a finger to defend herself. The God of Israel, Himself, will crush the Gog/Magog armies.

Listen to the astonishing details and stunning results as God speaks to Gog and his confederation through Ezekiel:

“…When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over! …all the people on earth—will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth…. Your men will turn their swords against each other (Russians will turn on Iranians who will turn on the Turks, who will turn on the Russians … because each country will want to be in charge of the others). I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 38:18-23, parenthesis mine, italics for emphasis).

Then in the next chapter: “You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 39:5). And the verse before that:

Followed with: “And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea… It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land. Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign Lord.

“After seven months, teams of men will be appointed to search the land for skeletons to bury, so the land will be made clean again. Whenever bones are found, a marker will be set up so the burial crews will take them to be buried in the Valley of Gog’s Hordes” (Ezekiel 39:11-15).

This time it will be the Israelis looking for the remains of Russians (Iranians, Turks, and others).

Only there will be no exchange of prisoners!

Then, a few years later, near the end of the seven-year Tribulation, God’s Son Messiah Jesus will soundly defeat Antichrist and all the nations aligned with this evil man.

The staggering result:

“…Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies” (Revelation 19:20-21).

During the Millennium and throughout Eternity, this Psalmist prayer will be realized globally on a spectacular scale.

“May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. May the nations praise you, O God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Yes, may all the nations praise you. Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world” (Psalm 67:2-4, parenthesis mine).

“And I heard a voice from the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God the Almighty, your judgments are true and just’” (Revelation 16:7).

The End of the World

Is that time coming? Or is the saying just a figure of speech?

If it is real, how will it happen? When? All at once with some massive man-made disastrous global event? Nuclear war? A Pandemic? Armageddon?

Or a series of natural catastrophes—enormous earthquakes, vast (super) volcanic eruptions, terrifying tsunamis, horrific hurricanes—that render this planet uninhabitable.

Life is full of end of the world drama and trauma, or threats thereof.

When tragedy strikes, many have thought, “it’s the end of the world.”

Sometimes followed with, “What’s the use of going on?” Sorrowfully, there are too many who do not go on. They give in or give up on the living of life. Others literally quit their life (suicide).

Fortunately, some have family or friends who sincerely remind them (us) despite their woes, “It’s not the end of the world.”

For those who get to the point of doubt, disillusionment, and even despair, it invariably involves the loss of something: A job or financial setback costing an arm and a leg; actual loss of hearing or sight or a (literal) loss of a limb from disease or accident.

Even more devastating: the loss of a loved one. It can turn someone’s world upside down. And it does not have to be through death. Departure and divorce can be just as painful … just as likely to result in loss of hope for a better world. Instead, it’s “the end of my world.”

Movies have been produced, docudramas played, books published, poems penned, articles printed, sermons preached, and even songs sung about the end of the world.

For you (we) Baby Boomers out there, can you hum the tune to the lyrics of this song composed by Dee Sylvia and Kent Arthur, first sung by Skeeter Davis in 1962, entitled: The End of the World?

Why does the sun go on shining?

Why does the sea rush to shore?

Don’t they know it’s the End of the World

Cause you don’t love me any more

 

Why do the birds go on singing?

Why do the stars glow above?

Don’t they know it’s The End of the World

It ended when I lost your love

When someone special in a trusted, time-tested relationship doesn’t love us anymore, it can seem like the end of the world. Without trivializing the heartbreak portrayed in this song and others like it or real-life heartaches it represents, such End of the World experiences pale in comparison to global catastrophes like World War II and the Holocaust. And will pale even more to what will take place during the Great Tribulation, duration of which is just seven years.

In an ironic twist of some of the lyrics of the song, The End of the World to some of the Tribulation judgments, we read, for example:

Song: “Why does the sun go on shining?” (1^st verse). “Why do the stars glow above?” (2^nd verse)

Scripture: “Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night” (Revelation 8:12).

“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast (Antichrist), and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God” (Revelation 16:10-11, parenthesis mine).

Song (third verse):

I wake up in the morning and I wonder

Why everything’s the same as it was

I can’t understand, no I can’t understand

How life goes on the way it does

It will not be long at all into the seven-year Tribulation, when earth’s inhabitants will wish that life would go on the way it does. Listen to what they will say:

Scripture: “I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood… The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all the mountains and islands were moved from their places. Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive’” (Revelation 6:12-17, italics for emphasis).

That could be an end of the world scenario if ever there was. On the other hand, it will be only the beginning of God’s wrath poured out during the seven-year Tribulation.

What Constitutes An (The) End to the World?

Will there be a detectable (definable) end to the world? Based on the authority of Scripture—through which Messiah Jesus and all Bible prophets have been proven 100% accurate in prophecies that have been fulfilled to date—the answer is an emphatic …Yes. There will be a demarcation in the destiny of mankind in which what we refer to as “the world” will come to an end. However, it will be in God’s time and on his terms.

What will trigger the end of the world? The final bowl judgment? The Battle of Armageddon?

Said Messiah Jesus about this horrendous time of death and destruction during the Great Tribulation: “For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:21-22).

[For a more detailed description of the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl events and Scripture-based estimation of the loss of life during the Great Tribulation, please refer to Eye of Prophecy articles: Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation (posted 6-6-15); Stunning Catastrophes of the Great Tribulation / Their Timing and Purpose (11-4-17); Sequel to Stunning Catastrophes & Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation (6-6-20), which uses more current world population figures]

Soon after the Rapture resurrection of all dead believers in Messiah Jesus plus the removal of living believers from this planet, there will be man-made carnage on a scale never seen, as portrayed by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6:1-8). Through war, famine, and disease one-fourth of the earth’s population will be killed in just the first part of the Great Tribulation.

Because of the scope and severity of the Four Horsemen calamities it will be necessary for God to purposely permit them to happen. That is what takes place when Jesus breaks the seven seals, which is the first of three sets of seven apocalyptic events during the Tribulation. Then, beginning with the 6^th Seal (the details of which we just read) followed by the seven Trumpets and seven Bowl judgments, God will judge the earth with the brunt of his wrath poured out against Antichrist and his followers during the bowl judgments.

For example: “Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels. ‘Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.’ So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his statue” (Revelation 16:1-2).

So, too, could an argument be made that the 7^th bowl (God’s final judgment) near the end of the seven-year Tribulation is the end of the world. At the very least it will change the face (landscape) of the earth on a scale of Biblical proportions.

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Stunning Catastrophes of the Great Tribulation / Their Timing and Purpose, which, in turn, quotes from a prior article:

Now the end has come with inconceivable devastation that will dwarf all the disasters before it. Here, I would like to defer to an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation:

Although all the apocalyptic events allowed or caused by God are exceptional, none more so than the final earth-shattering demonstration of God’s power. Every time I read it, I shake my head in disbelief. I repeat the words, but they still do not compute. My imagination lags far behind the stunning reality of it all. A comparative image comes to mind; however, I realize that it is a fully inadequate analogy. I’ll mention it anyway—in order to gain a partial perspective and picture of how the final bowl judgment of God will surpass of all the catastrophes preceding it. The imagery that comes to mind is that of a lengthy firework display that culminates in the greatest, most magnificent grand finale ever seen. But the resemblance is similar only in form, certainly not in substance. Here is God’s final Tribulation judgment:

“Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple saying, ‘It is finished!’ Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. The great city of Babylon (Rome) split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble … And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm” (Revelation 16:17-21).

Once again, absolutely incredible! Not just cities all over the earth crumbling into rubble, or every single island—think of the Hawaiian Islands—completely disappearing (giant tsunamis that not only inundate but sink the islands), and all the earth’s mountains flattened into level plains. No, that isn’t what causes the unrepentant who are left on the earth to curse God once again. It was the giant hailstones that obviously were even more devastating than the other colossal calamities. The disaster depicted in the recently released movie, San Andreas, is nothing more than a tiny dot on a Seismograph compared to this unbelievably powerful world-wide earthquake, its aftermath, and the hailstorm to follow in this final and most fearsome judgment of all.

As we read earlier, the (unbelieving, unsaved) world’s reaction to God’s 1^st judgment (6^th seal earthquake) was one of at least partial reflection and acknowledgement, albeit with shock and awe. But not one of repentance and, therefore, redemption. Although there will be many who turn to Christ for salvation, in each successive judgment (fourteen in all between the 6^th Seal and the 7^th Bowl) the hearts of most survivors will become harder and harder.

Accordingly, God’s wrath will get harsher and harsher, to the extent that Planet Earth will hardly be recognizable after the final bowl judgment.

And there is still Armageddon to go, the battle of the ages! A series of battles that begin primarily in Israel, especially Jerusalem (Zechariah 12 & 14). That is when Christ will return to Planet Earth and first step foot on the Mount of Olives; to do battle against Antichrist and his ten-nation confederacy that culminates in the valley of Megiddo, Israel.

After his spectacular appearance to/in Israel, Messiah Jesus will rally the Israeli soldiers and they will turn the tide for the Battle of Jerusalem. Then Christ will return to heaven to lead his army (we believers taken in the Rapture some 7 years earlier) against the now aligned forces of Antichrist’s coalition and the Kings of the East.

(See Eye of Prophecy article, Armageddon and Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events posted 2-3-18).

Here is the graphic description of Armageddon:

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war … and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky, ‘Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.’

“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and worshipped his statue. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies” (Revelation 19:11-21).

For all who have died before the finale comes, their world has ended … through war, murder, disease, famine, accidents, natural death. The rest of the world goes on.

But for how long?

And what is that world? Is it everything that makes life what it is on earth? Is it the earth itself? What about our sun and moon and the galaxies of stars and planets? Or is it the end of an era?

God’s Word (the Bible) is clear that death is the end of life in our earthly bodies, but not final cessation of life itself. All who die will be resurrected: believers at the Rapture and end of the Tribulation with transformed immortal bodies (I Thessalonians 4; I Corinthians 15 & Revelation 20). Unbelievers at the conclusion of the Millennial Reign of Christ (Revelation 20).

What Does Jesus Say About the End of the World?

What better authority than the Messiah himself to tell us definitively what “The End of the World” is … when it will come; and what (when) it is not.

*Note: You may also want to refer to Eye of Prophecy article: End of the World Events … In Chronological Order (posted 2-25-17). It is a panoramic view in summary form of all 21 major events that comprise the end times. Beginning with (1) The Rapture and finishing with (21) Eternity. This week’s article is geared more to identifying what constitutes The End of the World.

What The End of The World Is Not

Do you recall what his disciples asked Jesus not long after he had told them the 2^nd Temple would be destroyed (which happened about 40 years later … A.D. 70)?

Jesus then presented them with an array of actions that included the sack of Jerusalem and destruction of the 2^nd Temple, but mainly the somber signs that would be harbingers of his return. Early on in this lengthy conversation, Jesus provided the pivotal point in his comprehensive response to their question. He said: “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14, italics for emphasis).

To what end did Jesus refer? The end of the world as posed in the disciples’ question?

Notice that Jesus did not say, end of the world. Rather he said, “…then the end will come.”

Putting this into the complete context of the Mt. Olivet Discourse and all the activities that would take place preceding his return to earth, Jesus is referring to the Great Tribulation which Daniel prophesied would (beginning with a treaty) last seven years (Daniel 9:27). He even mentions Daniel by name in this remarkable revelation to his disciples.

Jesus focused on the first question posed by the disciples, regarding his physical return to earth. In doing so, he covers global conditions during the generation before the Tribulation (triggered by the first phase of his Second Advent … The Rapture) begins. Then the cataclysmic circumstances and consequences of the Tribulation—of which he provides even more dramatic details as recorded in the Book of Revelation a few decades after his resurrection and ascension to heaven.

Thus, when Jesus said and then the end will come, he was referring directly to his Second Coming. Although Christ had more to say, he summarized his return to earth with these words:

“And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angles with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven” (Matthew 24:30-31).

Consequently, the Lord was NOT referring to the end of the world. Rather, his answer was directed to the question of when (the signs of) he would return to earth. We later learn from the Book of Revelation that the earth will be decimated (both landscape and life) by the time Jesus returns, but the earth will still be the earth. The end referred to by Jesus was the termination of the Great Tribulation which also ends the global rebellion against God and Messiah Jesus spearheaded by Antichrist.

Upon his return and just before Messiah Jesus judges the nations for their treatment of Israel and the Jews (Sheep/Goat separation that concludes the Olivet Discourse) and begins his 1,000-year reign on earth, the angels gather his chosen ones—Jews from all over the earth who will be transported to Israel and be part of Israel’s remnant who will be saved … physically and spiritually (Zechariah 12-14 & Romans 9-11).

Though there will be some startling changes to/on the earth during the Millennium, it will still be the earth as we know it. The world will continue with one huge difference: Messiah Jesus will personally rule and reign (believers granted authority to rule with him) over the entire earth from Jerusalem!

See Eye of Prophecy article: Messiah’s Millennial Reign … Incredible Changes on Earth, posted 12-30-17.

What the End of the World Is

Once again, we will refer and defer to the prophetic power and absolute authority of Messiah Jesus, who is the very essence (subject, purpose) of prophecy … Revelation 19:10. With his resurrection from the dead, he proved that he is the Son of God and God the Son. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled dozens of Old Testament predictions of the coming Messiah and will fulfill many more upon his remarkable return.

He even predicted the details of his arrest and death. Unless Jesus was God (he is) there is no way he could have known in such detail what would happen.

Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said: “Listen… we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead” (Matthew 20:18-19).

(Jesus also knew which of his disciples would betray him)

Prior to the Mount Olivet Discourse, Jesus had already announced that there would be an end to the world (as they and we know it). Apparently, his disciples forgot (some of the things Jesus said) during the series of seven parables Jesus used to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven would be like … Matthew Chapter 13. In two of these parables, Jesus refers to, “the end of the world.”

The first of these is categorized as the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds (tares) found in Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43. Time/space in this week’s article only allows commentary on the 2^nd story, known as the Parable of the Fishing Net.

Said Jesus: “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:47-50, emphasis added).

Biblical Salvation: Just a short pause to make sure we’re all on the same page as to who the righteous and wicked are in this illustration and others like it. To that end, the Bible is crystal clear what makes a person righteous … right standing with God.

Beginning with the fact that, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s righteous standard” (Romans 3:23).

But God has provided a remedy. In the very next verse we read, “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…

“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith (in Jesus Christ) and not by obeying the law” (Romans 3:24-25 & 27-28, parenthesis mine).

The Apostle Paul was reinforcing what Jesus said to Nicodemus and others. That salvation and eternal life are gifts given by God—to be believed and received. They are not earned.

“And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36). Everyone is in the camp or category of “wicked” until or unless they are made “righteous” (right standing with God) by believing and receiving Messiah Jesus as Personal Savior.

That’s why the above passage says, “they remain under God’s angry judgment.” Because that is where we all are (begin in life) and will remain until and unless we receive God’s pardon by accepting His Son.

Receiving such a pardon is no different than walking out of a prison cell if the State has pardoned (released) us from a sentence of death. If we disbelieve the warden that our sentence has been commuted and remain there, then we will die in that prison (our sins).

Back to the End of the World

Repeating what Jesus said: “that is the way it will be at the end of the world.”

What way?

Answer: “The angels will come and separate the wicked people (unsaved) from the righteous (saved), throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace…” (Matthew 13:49-50, parenthesis mine).

Now let’s match those words with what Jesus said (himself or through angels) in his final revelation to humanity, as recorded by John in the Book of Revelation just a few decades after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. Even Christians sometimes forget that the Book of Revelation is, “…a revelation from Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place…” (Revelation 1:1, emphasis added).

In Revelation Chapter 20 we are told about the marvelous 1,000-year (Millennium) reign of Messiah Jesus on the earth. Which undoubtedly will commence with a massive restoration (clean-up) of this planet that has been rocked off its axis by the earth-shattering events of the Great Tribulation. We also read about Satan’s imprisonment during this (literal) period; his release to lead one last rebellion against God; then God’s rapid rout of this insurrection.

Followed by the final verses of this chapter:

“And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave (Hades … hell) gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15, emphasis added, parenthesis mine).

(Depiction of the Great White Throne Judgment)

The lake of fire is not the same place as hell—which is where the soul/spirit of unbelievers go when they die, waiting for the final judgment. We don’t know what this lake will entail, but it is one and the same as the “fiery furnace” imagery (reality) used by Jesus in his depiction of the end of the world.

Those standing before God’s throne are the unsaved brought back to life (Revelation 20:5) at the end of the Millennium, alongside all the living unbelievers at that time who may have survived the final revolt against the Lord (Revelation 20:7-9).

Believers in Christ are not included in this final judgment. That is what Jesus meant when he said the wicked will be separated from the righteous at the end of the world. In fact, believers are not judged at all for the wrong things (sin) we did on earth. The reason is extraordinarily evident: We accepted Jesus as our Personal Savior whom God judged on the cross in our place.

Speaking of/to believers, Paul writes: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of underserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory” (Romans 5:1-2, emphasis added).

Believers have been given the awesome privilege of standing in God’s presence to share his glory, which includes Christ sharing his inheritance with us; including, but not limited to, ruling and reigning with him during the Millennium. We will not be among those standing before God during this final time of judgment.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

A Contradiction?

Ephesians 2:8-9 and other similar passages clearly convey that salvation is by faith in Messiah Jesus—the Mediator of the New Covenant of God’s Grace—not by good deeds or by keeping the Law of Moses. There is no such thing as good deeds outweighing bad deeds that will make us right with God or of earning/meriting redemption.

Is there, then, a contradiction of that concept (truth) when Revelation 20 states that the unsaved will be “judged according to their deeds?”

Not at all.

At this final judgement, God is giving unbelievers (any among them who may now want to “get into heaven” … there will be those who still want nothing to do with God, Christ, or believers) a final chance to boast about their good deeds. To convince him why more good deeds than bad deeds should tip the scale in their favor, without considering God’s clear truth that any sin (no matter how small or great) requires the remedy of redemption. Which was accomplished by the perfect man, Jesus Christ. If any degree of human self-righteousness, good behavior, or achievements could impart or impute a right-standing with God, then the Son of God died for no reason at all.

(Amen! Because, innately, we have no righteousness of our own)

Another reason that God judges the unsaved according to their deeds does relate to the severity of the bad things they did while on the earth. Time/space does not permit elaboration, but Scripture discloses that there will be various levels of punishment for unbelievers. God’s justice is just as perfect as He and His other attributes are.

Don’t forget about the Book of Life mentioned in this passage. The books that contain the deeds of those (the wicked as Christ calls them) standing at God’s judgment throne will be the basis for the nature/extent of punishment. Yet, they are ultimately found guilty and sentenced for one thing only: They are not in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They are not there because they chose not to accept Messiah Jesus as their Lord and Savior while on this earth.

Is It The End of the Age or The End of the World?

As you probably know, the New Testament books were originally written in the Greek language of the 1^st Century AD. Occasionally, we need to examine some Greek words more closely. Especially when different translations of the Bible use different English (or whatever language) words to determine through context, correlation, and comparison with other passages which is the best word choice.

In the New Living Translation passages quoted earlier in this week’s article, the Greek word translated world (as in end of the world) is Aion (pronounced ahee-ohn). Meaning of which is, “an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, period of time, forever, age, world.” The transliterated English word aeon is defined in Webster’s Dictionary: “an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time.”

Some Bible translators and commentators prefer the rendering of the Greek word aion to/with the English word, age. Which is the translation found, for example, in the New American Standard Bible in several verses, including Matthew 13:40 & 49 and Matthew 24:3. Thus, we read, “the end of the age.”

Some definitions for age as found in Webster’s Dictionary: “generation, a long time, a period in history or human progress, a cultural period marked by the prominence of a particular item, division of geological time that is usually shorter than an epoch…”

So we hear such terms as, the Atomic Age, the Age of Pericles (Greek philosopher), the Stone Age, The Industrial Age, etc. In the context of the Bible, we refer, for example, to the Age of Innocence or the Church Age. Which are specified times (sometimes called dispensations) of God’s various covenants with the Jews and/or Gentiles (the world). When Messiah Jesus arose from the dead, he sealed the New Covenant of Grace and we are still in that Age of Grace.

For that matter, the Millennium (Millennial Reign of Messiah Jesus) will be an age, albeit one with a specified duration … 1000 years.

Also, you have probably heard the term/word: Cosmos. Which is a transliteration from the Greek word, Kosmos. Meaning of which is: “the world, the universe, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, world systems or affairs.”

Although the terms age and world can be (often are) used interchangeably, the intrinsic difference is that aion (age) refers primarily to a period marked distinctively by a person (such as Jesus Christ when he changed the very measurement and keeping of time from B.C. to A.D.) or an event or series of events (culturally, scientifically, economically, politically, geologically). Overall, it is more of an intangible (spiritual) phenomenon.

Whereas the Kosmos applies primarily to the tangible (physical) world … universe, earth, governmental entities, and the like. Nevertheless, there is still significant overlap between these two Greek words.

Interestingly, The King James Version mostly translates aion to world (end of the world) in the Matthew verses and other passages. With the NASB translating aion to age more often than world.

(The universe is the largest definition or expression of Cosmos)

Final Summary Proof

For purpose of definition, delineation, and demarcation of the end of the world or end of the age, what we are about to read next will demonstrate that it is the Great White Throne Judgment (final separation of the wicked from the righteous … Jesus’s own words) that will be the signal of and catalyst to the end of an age PLUS the end of the cosmos … as we know or recognize it.

Immediately succeeding the sentencing of all unbelievers to the Lake of Fire where Antichrist, the False Prophet, and Satan (bodily) himself have already been deposited (Revelation 19 & 20), we shift to this stunning scene described by John:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2).

Whether the current heavens and earth will undergo an extreme makeover by the Lord or whether He will create a completely new earth is not for us to know this side of heaven. Based on other passages in Scripture, I believe the preponderance of evidence is that of an extreme makeover of the existing Earth.

But for believers, we can rest assured: The end of the world is not the end of the world!

Nor is death the end of life, knowing that we will be raised from the dead and given immortal bodies equipped to live forever in heaven, on the New Earth. and in the New Jerusalem.

That will be the Age of Eternity. A New World. That Age and World will never end!

And it will give a whole new meaning to: A New Beginning.

With us will be our glorious Triune God … Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“…Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:3-5)

Sadly, not so with the “wicked” … Jesus’s description of not just especially evil people, but of all unbelievers.

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshippers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8, emphasis added).

Don’t they know it’s the end of the world … it ended when you (God) said goodbye.

If only they had said, Hello (Yes) to Jesus during their lifetime on earth.

Things to Ponder

Yesterday was the 8^th and final day of the Jewish celebration of Hannukah with the lights of the Menorah as centerpiece. This coming Friday, people the world over will commemorate the birth of the Jewish Messiah, the Light of the World—Savior to all who put their trust in his once-for-all sacrifice for sin and the penalty thereof.

Jesus of Nazareth goes by many precious and powerful names and designations including but not limited to: Lamb of God, Lion of Judah, The Lord, The Great Shepard, Alpha and Omega, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Son of David, Son of Man.

Next to his most prominent position and title (Son of God), my personal favorite name is Immanuel.

Also spelled, Emmanuel … God with us!

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us (believers in Christ) from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, parenthesis mine).

Not even the end of the world!

The historical record of Jesus of Nazareth constitutes the most remarkable series of events in human history … to say the (proverbial) least.

In all the chronicles of humanity, what other person’s life consisted of one miracle after another? His very (Virgin) birth was a miracle. As was his resurrection from the dead and ascension back to heaven.

His teachings were profoundly powerful; without equal. Like no other person before or since.

He performed a mountain of miracles; instantly healing all kinds of diseases and deformities. Sometimes setting aside the laws of nature, e.g. walking on water, and turning water into wine.

In some fashion or another, everything he said (or was said about him) and did (or was done to or for him) fulfilled Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah.

Yet most Gentiles and Jews still refuse to believe the evidence or to act on it by making a personal decision to accept Christ as Savior and Lord. They persistently deny the overwhelming evidence that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah who changed the course of history, including time itself (B.C. to A.D.)

And will once again alter the course of human events upon his return.

Even unbelievers are familiar with one of these monumental milestones in the life of this extraordinary man. Like other events in the life of Jesus, it is recorded in what is termed the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), but also, in some cases, the Gospel of John (who wrote mostly to document Jesus’s divinity).

“The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’

“Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: ‘Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.’

“His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory (when he ascended back to heaven), they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign” (John 12:12-18, parenthesis mine).

Most likely you know the name of this historic scene, one that can be found on most calendars to this very day.

(Palm Sunday)

Followed later that week with his cruel crucifixion by the Romans on Good Friday.

Yet for an immensely important purpose as prophesied by Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. One that would accomplish God’s providential plan for humanity—redemption through the once for all sacrificial atonement of the very Son of God.

“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all…

“But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief… When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many (those who place their trust in Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice for their sins) to be counted as righteous, for he will bear all their sins” (Isaiah 53:5-6 & 10-11, parenthesis mine).

This would also be (the means to implement) the New Covenant as prophesied by Jeremiah (31:31-34). And as affirmed by Jesus himself during the Last Supper with his disciples:

“After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you” (Luke 22:20).

Then to victoriously rise from the grave a week after Palm Sunday on what is universally known as Easter (Resurrection) Sunday.

Jews (and Gentiles) in Denial

Whether during Jesus’s lifetime or the next couple of generations when the New Testament books were penned and combined with the Hebrew Scriptures to give us The Bible. Or fast forwarding to today’s world in which we have the complete Word of God publicized in hundreds of millions of copies of the Bible: many more people than not still deny the undeniable testimony (historical record) of the Bible; some even refute the irrefutable secular account of the historic Jesus.

After beginning his Gospel with what is perhaps the most unique and spectacular introduction of a person ever made in the annals of mankind, the Apostle John provides conclusive confirmation that Jesus was not only the Son of David and Son of Man as emphasized in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke; but that he was also the Son of God and God the Son.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:1-4, NASB).

Along with tens of thousands in first century Israel, including many Jewish religious leaders, John and his fellow disciples had been eyewitnesses to the tremendous things that Jesus said and did on a regular basis. So much so that John concluded his Gospel with these words:

“This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:24-25).

Despite the exceptional evidence available to anyone in the first century (or thereafter) who had ears to hear, eyes to see, and an open heart/mind to know, John also submitted this summary about the preponderance of people’s response to the Living Word of God (Christ):

Yet, that very rejection led to the accomplishment of God’s mysterious but marvelous plan for Jew and Gentile alike—redemption through His Son … the God/Man Jesus Christ.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory (on the mount of Transfiguration and after Jesus’s resurrection from the dead), the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:12-14, parenthesis mine).

Many books and articles, including several Eye of Prophecy posts, have been written to explain the reasons (excuses) why non-Messianic Jews (especially the Orthodox) rigidly reject the emphatic evidence that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and also the originator of God’s New Covenant with his chosen people (Jews) but also the Gentiles.

Though I love and admire God’s chosen people, the Jews, and long for the day that the Jewish Apostle Paul said they will in great numbers embrace Jesus as Messiah (all Israel will be saved … Romans 11:26), their insistence that he is not that Messiah is both stubborn and unreasonable. Sometimes with illogical or imprudent interpretations of key Messianic passages in their Hebrew (Old Testament) Scriptures.

That and remaining denial why (the ultimate providential reason) the Jewish Temple and the Levitical Sacrificial system are gone—destroyed and done away with in the First Century A.D.

The following is a reoccurring theme (excerpt) from Eye of Prophecy trilogy, Where is the Temple? (published Nov./Dec. 2014) regarding what once was the heart of Judaism for hundreds of years:

To repeat the basic premise as set forth in last week’s article: No Temple, no sacrifices. No sacrifices, no forgiveness of sin. No forgiveness of sin, no redemption.

And we can include one more principle: No redemption, no right relationship with God.

That and what/who has replaced this void. Hint: God himself called it … A New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Jesus and the Jewish Temple

Even if you are a believer in Christ, you may not recall that Jesus spent considerable time in the Jewish Temple between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. In fact, one of the first things Jesus did after his royal procession into the Holy City—when the people rightfully acclaimed him as the Messiah—was as follows:

“So Jesus came to Jerusalem, and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples” (Mark 11:11).

Jesus’s appearances in the Temple during the final week of his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection was prophetically significant. If for no other reason than what he said after his last visit to the Temple that week. As we shall soon see, this startling statement that Jesus made was a prophecy itself; one that matched a prophetic passage in the Old Testament.

What if there was a prophecy that foretold when the Messiah would arrive? And what if this prophecy and its fulfillment proved irrefutably that the Messiah had to and did arrive during what would be the 1^st century A.D.? As opposed to the (our) future in what is now the 21^st century in accordance with most Jews (especially the Orthodox, but even the secular) who are adamant that the Messiah hasn’t yet arrived … yet ardently anticipate his appearance.

Is there such a prophecy?

Absolutely. Not just one, but two!

And in the face of such evidence, how could and why would anyone diminish and even deny the truth of it.

In one magnificent passage covering four verses, we have what I believe is the most sweeping scope of predictions in all of Scripture. A passage that I’ve written about partially a few times and fully in two Eye of Prophecy articles entitled: The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible, Part I & II (posted 1-13 & 1-20-18).

This passage covers the range regarding the start and finish of Israel’s redemption via the New Covenant and the First and (by clear inference) the Second Advent of Messiah. Also, the first and subsequent appearance of his antithesis, the Antichrist … written about in several Eye of Prophecy articles in the category of Antichrist.

For purpose of today’s article, the focus will be on the prophecy of Messiah’s (initial) arrival.

First, however, let’s examine more of Jesus’s dramatic visits to the Temple during the week of what is often called, The Passion of The Christ.

The very next day after Palm Sunday, Jesus returned to Jerusalem with his disciples. Jesus then did something that he had done once before, earlier in his ministry. Read with me:

“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare. My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’

“When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city” (Mark 11:15-19).

Then the next day: “Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, ‘By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?’

‘I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,’ Jesus replied. ‘Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!’

“They talked it over among themselves. ‘If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?’ For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. So they finally replied, ‘We don’t know.’

“And Jesus responded, ‘Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things’” (Mark 11:27-33).

As in other scenes similar to this one in which the religious leaders tried to set-up (trick) Jesus, they were promptly and profoundly put in their place by Jesus’s wisdom, unlike any(one) they and the common people had ever heard.

For example: “Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?’

“Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, ‘Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.’ When they handed it to him, he asked, ‘Whose picture and title are stamped on it?’

‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.

‘Well then,’ Jesus said, ‘give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.’

“His reply completely amazed them” (Mark 12:13-17).

You think!

Every time I read this passage (and others) I never cease to be amazed. Who else could ever have come up with such a reply? Moreover, Jesus did this time and time again.

Let’s look at one more Temple scene during these few days of marvelous messages from Jesus after his triumphant ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Recall, that much of the crowd hailed him as the long-awaited Messiah as he entered the Holy City. Once again, we find Jesus in the Temple, but this time he is posing the questions and challenges.

“Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question, ‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’

“They replied, ‘He is the son of David.’

“Jesus responded, ‘Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah, my Lord? For David said, The Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet. Since David called the Messiah, my Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?’

“No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions” (Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus is quoting Psalm 110).

Once again … you think!!

No one could answer Jesus, partially because none of the Pharisees wanted to answer him.

Despite Jesus’s dynamic teachings and miracles, they could not and would not embrace him as their Messiah; even though they knew this stunning Messianic statement by King David in their Scriptures revealed that the Messiah would be (was) of Divine origin. That and the equally emphatic evidence that the Messiah was also the Son of God (Psalm 2) and God the Son (Isaiah 9).

During his magnificent ministry while on this earth, many believed Jesus was the Messiah.

Many more did not.

Sadly, that is still the case in today’s Judaism. But also, with most of the Gentile world—both the religious and irreligious. Widespread disbelief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Except for hundreds of thousands of Messianic Jews world-wide, most Jews continue to deny the exceptional evidence that Jesus is their Messiah.

A Phenomenal Prediction by Jesus As He Leaves the Temple

As alluded to earlier, we are going to look at what is (should be to any Jew, observant or not; indeed, to anyone with an open mind/heart) more convincing confirmation of Messiah’s arrival in the 1^st century. Thereby, to demonstrate beyond any doubt that Jesus was/is Messiah.

The timeline is that of Jesus and the twelve disciples leaving the Temple for the last time before Passover began. With this Passover shaping up to be dramatically different from all the rest…. a supremely special Passover. The Passover in which the (sinless) Messiah offered himself as the once for all time sacrificial Passover lamb.

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away… He was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong…” (Isaiah 53:7-9a).

Two days before he was crucified, we read:

“As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. But he responded, ‘Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” (Matthew 24:1-2).

Although King Herod had been an evil tyrant during his reign, he had also commissioned some impressive improvements to the second Temple, which when originally rebuilt (finished) in 516-515 B.C. sorely lacked the splendor of King Solomon’s Temple. So much enhancement that the renovated Temple of the 1^st Century B.C. and A.D. was a magnificent structure that rivaled the Seven Wonders of the World (at the time).

In fact, that majestic edifice was thoroughly razed by the Roman legions in the final stages of their cruel conquest of Israel that began in A.D. 66 and ended in A.D. 70—less than 40 years after Jesus predicted the fate of the Jewish Temple.

Scripture does not give us the reaction of his disciples to the Lord’s astonishing prediction. My impression, however, is that most of them had to be dumbfounded and/or dismayed. If one or more of the disciples were not shocked or even surprised by Jesus’s prophecy, it was undoubtedly because they knew that one of the Jewish prophets had predicted the same thing hundreds of years earlier. In fact, we know the exact year of this first prophecy … 539 B.C.

Yes, Jesus prediction of the Temple’s destruction was the second. Which led to several other prophecies from Jesus, most relating to the Tribulation period (Matthew 24 & 25).

Please refer to Eye of Prophecy article, Significant Sets of Twos in The Bible (posted 3-30-19) for a list of ten sets of these twos.

Some stunning prophecies also come in pairs, pertaining directly to Israel and indirectly (affecting) Gentile nations. For example: the God-given dreams to Egypt’s Pharaoh and Joseph’s prophetic interpretation of each dream being the same—seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. (We humans have such a short attention span. Repeating something for accuracy and emphasis greatly increases our chance of both believing and remembering it!)

Remarkably, this (first) prediction of the 2^nd Temple’s destruction was made about two years BEFORE the project of rebuilding that temple even began.

Do you know which prophet?

Read with me this panoramic four-verse set of prophecies that includes a time-specified sequence of events, one verse at a time.

“A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24)

“Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times” (Verse 25).

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end” (Verse 26).

“The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).

For purpose of this week’s article, the only commentary on the final verse (27) is that it has fast forwarded from the 1^st century to the (soon to come in our 21^st century) Great Tribulation, triggered by the Rapture and commencing with Antichrist’s seven-year treaty with Israel. In fact, the seven-year duration of the Great Tribulation comes from this verse. (one set of seven … meaning years)

In this powerful passage there is not just one but two profound predictions from the angel Gabriel through Daniel to the Jews (and the whole world) that forecasted beyond any reasonable doubt WHEN the Messiah would come. The first is found in verse 25 and is a precise time-capsule prognostication that Jesus fulfilled when Israel hailed him as the Messiah on Palm Sunday.

The second is found in verse 26 … the first prophecy announcing the (2^nd) Temple’s destruction.

(One of several depictions of the Romans conquest of Jerusalem and destruction of the 2nd Jewish Temple)

Lots of firsts and seconds … ones and twos here! Nonetheless, the fact remains: God often does things in sets of twos, not the least of which is the First and Second Advent of His Son, Messiah Jesus. And, as disclosed in my second book (non-fiction) entitled Out of The Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved … 666?; plus, several Eye of Prophecy articles in the category of Antichrist: the appearance and reappearance of Antichrist … also separated by some 2,000 years!

Now for Daniel’s (two) time-related predictions of Messiah’s first arrival.

First Prophecy, A Precision Prediction & Fulfillment: The following is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, An Incredible Time-Lapse Prophecy (posted 1-18-14).

Regarding Daniel’s prophecy, he was told that a period of 70 weeks would be needed to, among other things: “finish their rebellion … atone for their guilt … bring in everlasting righteousness…” (Daniel 9:24). One significant Hebrew expression and measurement of time is that of one week equaling seven years, which is certainly the case in this passage. Nearly all Bible scholars agree with this application. Thus, there would be a total of 490 years (70 x 7) to achieve this remarkable transformation for the nation of Israel—one that would accomplish the very purpose for being a people chosen by God (to bring God’s Word and God’s Savior to all mankind); and one that would ultimately fulfill Israel’s destiny of people and land … complete physical/spiritual restoration of Israel and Messiah ruling the world from Jerusalem..

Then, however, this specific time-lapse prophecy is narrowed down and essentially “split” as noted in the following verse. “…Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass…” (Daniel 9:25).

The preciseness of this prophecy is indisputable in terms of the exact period needed (483 years) to accomplish an integral, component part of the entire prediction. When will the 483-year count begin, and what will take place at the end of this fixed time? We find the answer in the last part of the verse: “…from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes…” (Verse 25).

I went on to clarify that Daniel is not talking about the command to rebuild the 2^nd Temple; rather the command to rebuild (the walls of) Jerusalem. Continuing with that article:

The Anointed One is none other than the Messiah; in fact, many Bible translations use the term Messiah in Daniel 9:25 (Messiah means Anointed or Chosen One). Yet, Messiah Jesus was on this earth for some 33 years, so what aspect (timeframe) of his life do we select as the year/time when he would come (to the earth)? His birth, passing into Jewish adulthood (age 13), beginning of his ministry, his crucifixion, his resurrection? Answer: none of the above. The moment in time to identify the passage of 483 years can be none other than Palm Sunday, a week before his crucifixion. Why? That is the precise time when Jesus allowed others to recognize and worship him as the Messiah, which is the specific fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.

Sir Robert Anderson

In 1894, a Scotland Yard Detective, Robert Anderson, who was also an ardent student of the Bible, especially prophecy, published his book called, The Coming Prince. Through extensive study and research, he corrected and clarified previous applications of Daniel’s prophecy from such notables as Sir Isaac Newton … one of the greatest scientists of all times, but also a Christian who studied Biblical prophecies extensively. We simply can’t do justice to Sir Robert Anderson’s book in one article; therefore, we will briefly examine the two most important discoveries by him (which are really disclosures and discernment given to him by the Lord).

• Correct Application of Biblical Years: Simply stated, every Jewish month consists of 30 days (based on the moon’s phases); therefore, every year contains 360 days, not 365 days that we use on the Julian or Roman calendar. Biblical months/years are based on the Jewish calendar. The Roman calendar came along thousands of years after the Jewish calendar… Sir Robert Anderson fully realized the necessity of converting Julian years to Jewish years if he or anyone could accurately correlate precise dates in Biblical and secular history.

• Pinpoint Identification of Exact Dates, via Meticulous Investigation of Historical Records: Sir Robert Anderson calculated (with partial assistance from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich) the Julian date of King Artaxerxes edict to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to have been March 14th, 445 BC. Furthermore, the Julian date for Jesus’s magnificent ride into Jerusalem was April 6th, 32 AD. By employing the Hebrew calendar, Sir Robert Anderson tallied 173,880 days had elapsed which is exactly 483 Jewish years!! Absolutely astounding! I repeat for emphasis: Incredible!!

Second Prophecy, A Non-Dated Forecast … Yet Still Time-Dedicated: “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven (69 sets of seven in all or 483 years—173,880 days), the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:26a, parenthesis mine, emphasis added).

Equally astonishing in Daniel’s Chapter 9 prophecy: Not only was Messiah’s arrival on Planet Earth (prophetically earmarked in time by thousands of people in Israel hailing him as Messiah exactly 173,880 days after the Artaxerxes decree) precisely foretold, so is the fact that he would be killed and that his death would occur BEFORE the 2^nd Temple was destroyed (Verse 26). The implication of that fact is stunningly significant; there is no other time for Messiah to (first) arrive other than before the temple would be (was) destroyed.

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article: Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here? Posted 6-25-16:

Daniel’s prophecy is unambiguously clear: The Messiah would appear before the destruction of the Temple, which took place in 70 AD. And that’s exactly what occurred … Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection some 40 years before the Romans sacked Jerusalem, which irrefutably validates the accuracy of Daniel’s prophecy.

Whereas, the religious leaders and people of Jesus’s time scorned him for the reasons given thus far—most prominent of which was ignoring the plain evidence for the time of Messiah’s appearance and marginalizing or outright rejecting his teachings and miracles—all those who deny that he is Messiah after the Temple was destroyed have no grounds whatsoever to refute the Messiahship of Jesus.

Why?

Because they have the 20/20 hindsight of history, right up to the present day. The Messiah would come at the end of 483 years, exactly when Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem … hailed by the people as the Son of David, the Messiah.

Then the Messiah would be killed BEFORE the Temple was destroyed by the armies of a ruler who would arise (shortly) AFTER Messiah arrived and was killed.

According to the timeline of Daniel’s prophecy, there is no way that the Messiah could (first advent) arrive on the scene of history AFTER the Temple was destroyed.

Jesus of Nazareth was falsely arrested, mercilessly mocked, brutally beaten, unlawfully tried, unjustly condemned, then ruthlessly killed (crucified) less than a week after he gloriously entered Jerusalem to complete yet another Messianic prophecy.

These events not only fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of Daniel Chapter 9, but also those of Zechariah 9 (riding on a donkey into Jerusalem); Psalm 22 (crucifixion, including everything that took place on Golgotha); and Isaiah 53 (the horrible things that Messiah must suffer for the sins of his people—all peoples).

(As the words of the song go: “I’ll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross.”)

To think all that was mere coincidence is not only illogical and unreasonable, but also absurd. Not to mention in complete denial of the experienced time-tested Laws of Probability.

Here’s just one of many instances: Old Testament Messianic passage with the Messiah speaking via King David’s prophecy, “Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads saying, ‘Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!’” (Psalm 22:7-8).

Rhetorical question: Would Jesus have had any control over what people were saying as he was dying on the cross?

New Testament fulfillment: “The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. ‘…Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!’

“The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. ‘He saved others,’ they scoffed, ‘but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, I am the Son of God’” (Matthew 27:39-43).

Right up to this present day, the suffering of the Jewish Messiah is a source of consternation and bewilderment to many Jews, especially the observant among them. It is such a paradox that several Rabbis endorse the theory that there are two Messiahs, not just one. See Eye of Prophecy article, More Than One Messiah (12-5-15) and a companion article, Messiah’s Arrival … On Whose Authority? (11-25-15).

The following is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, The Most Panoramic Prophecy in The Bible, Part II:

…They (the Jews … Judaism) continue to maintain that the personal pronouns applied to the Messiah (a man) speak of Israel as a nation in Isaiah 53. Which is impossible because no nation can be “an offering for sin” or “bear all their sins” or “had done no wrong” (Isaiah 53). The nation of Israel certainly couldn’t or wouldn’t be, “…buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave” (Isaiah 53:9).

I respect and admire and love the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. But with tough love I must say that for anyone, scholar or otherwise, to allege that the personal pronouns describing a man (the Messiah) in Isaiah 53 apply to Israel as a nation is a grammatically ignorant and/or deliberate contextual distortion of the passage.

For that matter, how could Messiah victoriously, but also humbly, enter Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt while at the same time appearing to Israel as their conquering King, liberating them from their enemies? In Biblical times, a king entering a city on a donkey was a gesture of redemptive-like resolution and peace, without the need for armed conflict. As opposed to a king riding into a city on a horse, symbolizing triumphant conquest in war. In fact, immediately after the verse quoted earlier from Zechariah (Messiah riding into Jerusalem on a donkey) we read:

“…I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea … to the ends of the earth. Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners…” (Zechariah 9:10-11).

The only possible explanation is that Messiah came first as Israel’s Sacrificial Redeemer to establish the New Covenant (sealed with his blood) prophesied by Jeremiah (Chapter 31), then will return as King of all kings to establish the Kingdom of God from Jerusalem.

…One day soon all of Israel will recognize beyond any doubt that Jesus is the Messiah when he returns to the Mount of Olives (from which he ascended back to heaven) and rescues the Jews from annihilation at the hands of Antichrist.. Then and only then will their redemption as a nation be complete.

Things to Ponder

Finishing on a bit of a different note: If you live in the USA, did you vote in this week’s Presidential election?

Whether you did or did not vote, dare I ask the question: “Is your candidate going to win?” Or, if the results are final now: “Did your candidate win?”

Either way, did you hear what Joe Biden said during his campaign (as did Donald Trump say something similar)? If so, did you agree with him? Said Biden: “We are in a battle for the soul of the nation. And you have the ultimate power to determine the outcome: your vote. Use it.”

Everyone’s vote is vital. Yet it is also just one of millions.

So, too, is everyone’s soul vital … of great value.

There is one vote that belongs to all of us which is the only vote that counts.

With that vote we determine our eternal destiny—everlasting life in heaven or everlasting death (separation from God) in the Lake of Fire.

The ballot is for God’s Son. The vote is either Yes or No.

But we must vote. Not to vote is the same thing as a No vote.

Why?

Because he did for us what we could not do for ourselves, through the greatest sacrifice ever made by the highest price ever paid. Much too high of a price to simply ignore our responsibility to vote.

“Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, there is one God and one Mediator—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (I Timothy 2:2-6).

How does anyone vote for Messiah Jesus?

First, by knowing the platform (the truth): “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:25).

Then, registering your vote (agreement with God): “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… for, ‘Whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:9 & 13, quoting Joel 2:32, NASB).

“And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey (voting requirements) the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36, parenthesis obviously mine).

If you haven’t, please take/make the time to say “Yes” to Jesus with all your heart.

Your vote will count forever!

To set the stage for the Seven Wonders of the Millennial World, here is an excerpt from last week’s article considering that we are only 20 years into the 3rd Millennium, A.D. 2020.

Furthermore, this 3^rd Millennium is also considered by many Bible commentators/teachers (including me) to be the 7th Millennium of recorded time as relates to God’s plan for humanity. With this 7^th millennia soon to experience the beginning of a New World Order, but not the New Age that mankind currently wishes would occur. Certainly not the Age of Aquarius!

I’m speaking of the Millennial Reign of God’s Son, who is the Messiah … Jesus of Nazareth!

With this final epoch (that merges into Eternity—as described in Revelation Chapters 21-22) filled with awesome Wonders of the World never seen or experienced. All centered around one Person who will fashion these Wonders into the most wonderful thousand years imaginable. Essentially, there are seven of them. A case could be made that there are more than seven; however, any extras are aligned with one or more of these seven.

With his tremendous teaching, marvelous miracles, and phenomenal fulfillment of Messianic prophecies, Jesus transformed the ordinary into extraordinary and the natural into supernatural. And he did all this mostly in 3 ½ years of his approximate 33 years on this earth.

We can only imagine what he will do as King of all kings (physical wonders) and Lord of all lords (spiritual wonders) when he has 1,000 years—the Millennium!

The descriptive modified form (adjective) of Millennium is millennial.

Some synonyms of millennial: utopian, visionary, futuristic, idealistic, and optimistic.

Wonder of Wonders or Wonders of Wonder!

Wonder is one of only a comparatively few English words which can be used in four major grammatical forms … noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. From Webster’s Dictionary:

Wonder (noun): “A cause of astonishment or admiration; Marvel; Miracle … rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.” But also, the flip side: “a feeling of doubt or uncertainty.”

Wonder (adjective): “exciting amazement or admiration. Effective or efficient far beyond anything previously known or anticipated.” Wonderful (most used adjective form): “Exciting wonder; Marvelous, Astonishing; unusually good; admirable…”

Wonder or Wondering (verb): “To be in a state of wonder; to feel surprise; to feel curiosity or doubt; to be curious…”

Wonderfully (adverb form): No definition given or needed. Except that which is understood: wonderfully modifies (enhances and emphasizes) the verb form of wonder or “to wonder.”

(Petra, Jordan, One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Might be the place to which many Israelis will escape during the Great Tribulation … Revelation 12:6)

Everything Jesus said and did was wonderful … full of wonder! Even when he overturned the money tables in the Temple and blasted the Pharisees for their hypocrisy (the blind leading the blind).

Example: While teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus saw and then immediately (miraculously) healed a woman who had been deformed—crippled, bent over—for 18 years.

“When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!’ Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. ‘There are six days of the week for working,’ he said to the crowd. ‘Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.’

“But the Lord replied, ‘You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?’

“This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did” (Luke 13:12-17, emphasis added).

Things on Planet Earth are going to be wonderful for those 1000 years … in preparation for the New Jerusalem and Eternity. With, however, what may be a little jolt to your hope chest of whatever perfections you have perceived of Christ’s Millennial Reign. Although the Millennium will be more of a utopia than ever before, it will not yet be a (pure) paradise on earth. Close, but not quite.

Conditions in the World Just Before The Millennium Begins

Even before Messiah Jesus conquers Antichrist and the False Prophet and then vanquishes their armies at Megiddo (Armageddon), the earth’s population will already be decimated. (See Eye of Prophecy article: Sequel to Stunning Catastrophes & Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation, posted 6-6-20).

Soon after Armageddon, believers in Messiah Jesus—for the first time in history—will outnumber unbelievers.

(The verse goes on to say: “…so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord”)

There also will be more than just a few who did not take the mark of Antichrist; but neither have they accepted Messiah Jesus as Savior. At this point, Jesus, himself will judge nations and certain individuals in those countries (separation of sheep and goats, Matthew 25:31-46), predicated primarily on how they treated the Jews.

Throughout the Millennium, people will still be born, live, and die … albeit with longevity increasing dramatically. Every person born will still need to be saved through believing in and receiving Christ as Personal Savior. Most, at first, will. However, gradually throughout the Millennium, unbelievers will begin to (once again) outnumber believers. This observation is based on what will be mankind’s final rebellion against God, even though Messiah Jesus himself will be present on earth.

We read this in the same chapter that gives us the duration of Messiah’s reign, Revelation 20.

After Satan is released from his imprisonment in the Abyss, “He will go out to deceive the nations… He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them” (Revelation 20:8-9).

That is why—despite the marvelous changes (wonders) that will take place during the Millennium and how much better things will be compared to what they have been down through the ages—Scripture tells us that during the 1000 years Messiah will be given “…the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots” (Psalm 2:8-9)

That will be a combination of Jesus’s victory at Armageddon, to then continue ruling with a firm hand throughout the Millennium.

And those of us (believers) with whom our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ graciously will share his inheritance, will also be given, “…authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots (obviously meaning when necessary). They will have the same authority I received from my Father…” (Revelation 2:26-28, parenthesis mine).

The result: a global application of tough love!

Now for the Seven Millennium Wonders.

(1) Global Justice … Jesus as Mediator between Nations

“The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes…” (Isaiah 2:4a).

The scales of justice will be balanced like never. Individual and collective wrongs will be righted.

“…He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity” (Isaiah 9:7).

The firmness of Messiah’s reign will be blended beautifully and bountifully with fairness.

Historically, the most common dispute between ethnic groups and nations is over territory. It’s the stuff wars are made of. After Messiah Jesus crushes the armies of the world aligned against him at Armageddon, individuals and nations will fully acknowledge and appreciate his divine power and authority.

For that reason, nations will not just willingly, but eagerly submit their disputes to Christ. All the while, he will (continue to be) the Mediator between God and people … spiritually.

As with the passage cited earlier of the woman with a deformity, every time we read of Jesus healing someone they are healed instantly. Which is the most obvious reason they are classified as miracles. There is no surgery and/or no lengthy rehabilitation. I am convinced this will also be the case when Jesus settles disagreements between nations. Even the major issues will be settled rapidly, some with but a yes or no from Christ; though I am convinced he will allow both sides to present their views. He will be a (the) perfect mediator, arbiter, judge.

In that regard, Jesus will undoubtedly handle only the most difficult disputes. More routine cases will be delegated. Why? Because believers (those raptured and later the Tribulation saints) will reign with him a thousand years.

There’s a clear pattern for this in both the Old and New Testament:

“People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths.’ For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

Right after that is the verse quoted earlier in this section, “The Lord will mediate between nations…”

Do you remember Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro’s advice to Moses and what Moses did about it?

“He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves” (Exodus 18:25-26).

A similar principle comes from one of Jesus’s many parables, which I believe (in this parable) is more than just an analogy or illustration. Rather, it is a combination of rewards for believer’s faithfulness to the Lord here on earth plus the privilege of serving him during the Millennium.

In what is called the parable of the ten servants of which the setting is the Kingdom of God (the Millennium), the precedent is established: “The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’

“Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward’” (Luke 19:16-17).

In summary, this global justice will be practically perfect.

Why won’t it be perfect? Answer: For the very reason that there will (still) be disputes between peoples … human imperfection. The Millennium will not (yet) be a perfect world, but it will be a far better world than what people have known since … well, since the Garden of Eden.

*Note: In Old Testament passages that pertain to the end-times reign of the Lord, sometimes the passage refers directly to the Messiah and other times to “the Lord,” which is God the Father (God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). Nevertheless, God the Father will extend all power and authority to his Son during the Millennium (Kingdom of God) on earth. So, when we see, for example, “the Lord … will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness”; this will be done through God’s Son, Messiah Jesus.

In several other (Messianic) passages, it’s clear that the Messiah himself is acting.

Such as: “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord… He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited…” (Isaiah 11:1-4).

(2) World Peace … Through Messiah Jesus, The Prince of Peace

“…They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity … for there is nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise!” (Micah 4:3-4).

The Lord’s promises are prophecies, and his prophecies are promises. Every prophecy is powerful. Every promise is precious and true. What he says he will do, he ALWAYS does. What he says will happen, ALWAYS happens.

Can you imagine … no more wars! Not even training for war. Also, no more weapons. For that matter, how can you prepare for war without weaponry?! Can you fathom how much money and material resources could be invested in all things peaceful and prosperous if there were no armed forces nor armaments!

Can you picture how many people would live longer lives because they did not die in some war somewhere on this planet. And it is not just the dead. Millions upon millions are displaced refugees, having lost their home and possessions … economic and emotional devastation.

So, for all practical purposes, 1000 years of peace is possible because of the Prince of Peace, a name that means much more than just its face value designation. It means someone who has the perfect character, proficient capability, powerful control, and prominent clout (authority) to establish global peace. To such an extent that “…The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end…The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Listen as the Apostle Paul tells us more about God’s splendid plan for humanity: “God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 1:9-10, italics for emphasis).

That plan is none other than: THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Kingdom of God (posted 1-17-15). In italics:

Jesus spoke often of the Kingdom of God; for example, comparing it to a mustard seed … the smallest of seeds that when planted grows into an enormous tree. Which is exactly what has happened to the body of Christ; an exponential growth down through the ages, to now consist of believers from virtually every nation and language on earth. It is the Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts and minds of those who have been redeemed by the shed blood of Christ. Next, will come the final physical Kingdom of God on this earth; at which time all people, all governments, all nations will be brought under the authority of God’s magnificent Son. He will rule the nations with firmness, but fairness.

Isn’t that what most people want? They want law, order, equality, safety, peace. And they want someone who has the kind of authority to realize those dreams, but also someone who is kind and considerate with that authority. One who truly cares about people and what’s best for them, who can rule and judge with impartiality and kindness. A truly wise and benevolent King whose attributes perfectly reflect who and what he is: Love, Truth, Justice, Mercy.

(3) Incredible Harmony in the Animal World

Continuing with the Messianic passage quoted earlier:

“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm” (Isaiah 11:6-8).

(This will happen during the Millennium, but the passage combines the wolf and the lamb; lion and a calf)

This amazing condition of the Millennium will, indeed, be one of the Wonders to behold. As much or more so than peace between peoples, which will be disrupted periodically by national and international quarrels … but without war.

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article: Messiah’s Millennial Reign … Incredible Changes on Earth (posted 12-30-17, which detailed only a couple of the Wonders listed in today’s article).

When the curse is cancelled at the glorious Second Coming of Christ, even the animals will undergo an extreme makeover. The full nature and extent of these internal (temperament) and external (perhaps fewer or no fangs in predators) changes remain to be seen. The Lord’s magnificent plan of redemption is not only for people who place their personal trust in the Redeemer, but also for the entire earth and all living things. Everything will come full circle back to the beginning … even better!

Have you watched the National Geographic or Smithsonian Channels, or the series called, Planet Earth, or other documentaries on wildlife? Have you seen the marvels of nature, but also the grisly sights of fierce animals seizing and killing their prey? Some of us realize that this is the way of things and has been for a long time. Others recoil in horror, wondering why it must be this way … what or who could possibly eliminate the existence of food chains.

Yes, even the animals will once again (innately) obey their creator.

Think about the possibilities.

A young boy will ask, “Dad, can I play with the tigers today?”

“Sure, son and be sure to give them some fresh hay when you’re done playing.”

A young girl will say, “Mom, I’m going to explore the cave where the snakes live.”

“Okay, honey, but be careful.”

“Mom, come on, you know what the Lord has done,” the little girl playfully chides.

“Of course,” Mom remembers as her eyes light up. “Have fun and put them back where you find them!”

(Go hippo-hopping during the Millennium!)

I then wrote in that article, I’ll be amazed but not surprised (there’s a difference), if my white horse (Revelation 19:14) speaks to me and says, “Just hold on, I’ll do the rest.”

(4) Amazing Longevity … Exceeding Even The Pre-Flood Length of Life

“When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died” (Genesis 5:25-27).

Noah was 600 years old when God’s first global judgment—the Great Flood—cleansed the earth because, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil” (Genesis 6:5). Noah, himself, lived another 350 years after the flood.

Among the geophysical differences the Great Flood made on human life; one result was a dramatic decrease in longevity. Although this decline took place over a long period (at least two thousand years), by the time of Moses the average life-expectancy had dropped to 70-80 years.

Even though Moses was 120 years old when he died, he said in the only Psalm attributed to him: “Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

Well, folks, one of the splended features of the Millennium is that it will be pain and trouble (not all, but most) that will disappear … not the limited years people live because of the brevity of life as we now experience it.

Instead, years of life will increase substantially. Many will live as long (even longer) than Methuselah and Noah!

Because God causes all things to work together for the good of his people (Romans 8:28), I’m convinced that the devastation of some of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments will not only punish those who refused to turn from evil during the Great Tribulation; they will also serve to purify the earth. To the point where climatological, geological, and biological conditions will once again be conducive for life spans not experienced since the beginning of time.

Listen to the true and living God announce another riveting description of the Millennium, that will get even better (as in perfect) when the 1000 years merges with Eternity:

“I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more. No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young! … For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains… For they are blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed” (Isaiah 65:20-23).

Lifespans during the Millennium will vary, much as they do now. But proportionally they will be measured by centuries, not merely decades. As old as (some) trees. Think of the Olive trees in Israel and the Redwoods in California. A thousand years old … two thousand!

(1000-year old Olive trees)

There also will be a group of people on the earth whose life-expectancy is far beyond a mere 1000 years. As in … FOREVER. They will be those to whom people all over the world will look upon as extraordinary examples of what happens when someone believes and receives Messiah Jesus as Lord and Savior. They are none other than raptured believers whose bodies had been transfigured … immortal!

(5) Immortal Spiritual Bodies for Raptured Believers

“The Scriptures tell us, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living person.’ But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven… Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man” (I Corinthians 15:45-49).

Then the Apostle Paul made this stunning statement to reinforce what he had already wrote to the Thessalonians: “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We (believers in Christ) will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It (not the entire several-minute sequence of the Rapture events, but only the transformation itself) will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown … our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies” (I Corinthians 15:51-53, parenthesis mine).

The following is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? Part II (published 10-3-15):

By and large, Scripture doesn’t elaborate on the new glorified spiritual bodies that believers in Christ will possess when the dead in Christ are raised from the dead and those alive will also be transformed and immediately follow them. Suffice to say, our spiritual bodies will far exceed anything we could imagine. Neither, however, does the Bible leave us clueless.

There is a general overview and reliable supposition that we can make about our glorified bodies: They will be multi-dimensional. How many more dimensions than we currently have is unknown for now.

But here are a few of the distinguishing characteristics:

Physical Barriers Are No Problem

“…Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side…” (John 20:19-20). Jesus didn’t knock or break down the door. He was just there! Picture entering the famous Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico without going through or down the entrance shaft.

Time and Space Are No Barriers

Remember Jesus walking with the two men on the road to Emmaus, after his resurrection. He verbally took them through all the prophetic Scriptures that spoke of him as the Messiah, then agreed to go to their home to eat dinner with them. Jesus, “…took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them … And at that moment he disappeared!” (Luke 24:30-31).

One minute he was there and the next second, he was gone! Gone, as in abruptly vanishing. How long it took him to get to his next destination is not known. But a spiritual educated guess tells us it was fast, extremely fast. Perhaps we will be able to travel at the speed of sound, or light, or even thought.

Gravity Does Not Affect the Spiritual Body, Either in a Positive or Negative Way

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider (Jesus) was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses” (Revelation 19:11, 14).

During the final epic battle of Armageddon, believers will follow our Lord directly from heaven; with the obvious conclusion that it will be from the sky above to the earth below, all the while riding white horses. Included in all the glorious features our spiritual bodies will possess, gravity will have no power over us. Suspended animation? Any time or place we choose.

Flying fast or flying slow. Look out earth, away we go!

With these imperishable spiritual bodies, we believers will be like our Lord Jesus; able to do things above and beyond the ordinary … spiritually, mentally, and physically. (See Eye of Prophecy article: Superhuman Bodies for Believers / How & Why? Posted 12-14-19)

We will be able to freely move between earth and heaven during the Millennium; in preparation for our residency in the New Jerusalem after the Millennium gives way to Eternity.

(6) Reunion of Israel and Judah … Return of All Jews to Israel

Even before, but especially since Israel’s miraculous rebirth as a sovereign nation in 1948, millions of exiled (Diaspora) Jews have returned to the Promised Land. Millions more have been born there, with the current Jewish population in Israel at about 6.8 million. Yet there are another 8 million or so Jews still scattered throughout the world … most of those in the United States.

This ongoing remarkable return will accelerate during the Tribulation. Then at the outset of the Millennium, all Jews (including descendants of the so-called lost ten tribes that constituted the northern nation of Israel, with the southern nation called Judah) will be regathered to Israel.

“In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives (Israel of course) will be a glorious place. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people—those who remain in Assyria…and all the distant coastlands” (Isaiah 11:10-11. Parenthesis mine).

Jesus virtually said the same thing, adding that angels will do the gathering … towards the end of the Tribulation (see Matthew 24:31).

Isaiah continues: “He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth. Then at last the jealousy between Israel (primarily Diaspora Jews of today’s world) and Judah (primarily Jews in Israel) will end. They will not be rivals anymore” (Isaiah 11:12-13, parenthesis mine).

See Eye of Prophecy article: The Jewish Dichotomy In and Outside Israel (6-30-18). Also, Peace Between Israel & Judah … Then World Peace! (posted 12-8-18) from which the following excerpt is taken:

In today’s Judaism (the world over), the ten northern tribes of Israel are exemplified primarily by Diaspora Jews (those living outside Israel)—mostly secular; if observant, many belonging to Reformed Judaism. They are the more liberal Jews as represented by (for example) democrats in the United States; or, within Israel—Zionist Union and Yesh Atid parties of Israel’s Knesset.

Whereas Judah is characterized more by observant Jews … predominantly conservative in their political, social, economic, and religious worldview. Represented, for example, by the Likud (30 of the 120 Knesset seats) and Shas coalitions. Proportionally, there are more observant Jews in Israel than in their Diaspora counterparts.

As indicated, these are broad generalizations. However, they track with Israel’s and Judah’s history and are parallel with contemporary times.

Yet, when it comes to the tens of thousands of Messianic Jews the world over, they are a cross-section of all Jews … no matter from which tribe they have descended. That’s the incredible power of God through Messiah Jesus to save his people—a prelude to salvation of all Jews (the remnant) when Christ returns to accomplish Israel’s final redemption and reunion—physically and spiritually.

Now for the 7^th Wonder of the Millennium World. It is the only one that is (like the Seven Wonders of the Ancient & Modern World) also a physical structure. The first two (Solomon’s Temple, then the Second Temple after King Herod’s improvements) could have qualified as one of the ancient wonders of the world. I am referring to:

(7) The Magnificent Third Jewish Temple

Ezekiel Chapters 40-47 meticulously describe a rebuilt Jewish Temple. Time/space in today’s article does not permit all the evidence to demonstrate that this Temple was not the one restored by those Jews who returned from their Babylonian captivity. Rather, it will be the Temple rebuilt during the (early part of) Tribulation period. And, most likely made even greater and grander after Messiah Jesus begins his Millennial reign.

(Depiction of Third Jewish Temple Complex)

The following is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy Article, A Third Jewish Temple, Part II (posted 5-3-14), which among other things contrasts the river flowing from the Temple to the river depicted in the New Jerusalem.

When describing the rebuilt temple, Ezekiel says: “In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the alter on its south side” (Ezekiel 47:1). Notice that the stream (or river) flows from beneath the Temple door, but the river in the New Jerusalem flows from the throne of God.

Then later in this chapter, Ezekiel describes the length and directional flow of this river. Of particular interest is what he saw on both sides of the river: “When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river” (Ezekiel 47:7). Then later in this passage the man (pre-incarnate Christ) showing Ezekiel all of these things states: “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing” (Verse 12).

Though there are similarities with the trees of the New Jerusalem (new crop each month and leaves for healing), there are some distinct differences.

In the New Jerusalem there are only two trees, one on each side of the river. And the river flowed down the center of the main street. In Ezekiel, there are (many) “fruit trees of all kinds (that) will grow…” *Note: The river trees of Ezekiel’s Temple will produce fruit for the people of the earth. The fruit of New Jerusalem’s trees will be for the saints who reside in that city.

…But the most compelling or convincing distinction of all (to demonstrate that these are different rivers and trees) is that the Temple river in Ezekiel flows to the Dead Sea and will make the Dead Sea waters fresh again, with an abundant supply of fish that, “…will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean” (Ezekiel 47:10). The Dead Sea will not be relocated to the New Jerusalem! It will remain as is in the holy land of Israel.

Plus, the fact that there is no Temple in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:22).

There is also a strong inference that the medicinal qualities of these trees will contribute to the mostly disease-free quality and quantity (length of life and increased global population) during the Millennium.

It’s highly possible, if not probable, that the river flowing from the Temple will be created near the end of the Great Tribulation when Messiah Jesus first returns to earth physically, with the immediate task at hand that of rescuing Jerusalem and all Israel from the armies of Antichrist.

“Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south” (Zechariah 14:3-5).

Then, Zechariah writes:

(The eastern sea is the Dead Sea; western sea, the Mediterranean)

Summary of the Seven Wonders of the Millennium

Global Justice … Jesus as Mediator between Nations

World Peace … Through Messiah Jesus, The Prince of Peace

Incredible Harmony in the Animal World

Amazing Longevity … Exceeding Even The Pre-Flood Length of Life

Immortal Spiritual Bodies for Raptured Believers

Reunion of Israel and Judah … Return of All Jews to Israel

The Magnificent Third Jewish Temple

Things to Ponder

Animal sacrifices will resume when the Temple is rebuilt. However, these sacrifices will not be for ongoing atonement. Reason: The New Covenant of Grace (made possible by Messiah Jesus’s once for all substitutionary sacrifice for sin and its penalty) has permanently replaced the Levitical sacrificial system. Instead, the sacrifices will be one of the many ways to honor the King of kings … Jesus of Nazareth and what he has done for humanity.

Moreover, the only Jewish Festival that will still be mandatory is the Feast of Shelters (Sukkot) which just recently ended on October 9^th, 2020. This feast celebrates the Lord’s provisions, protection, and presence (during His sojourn with the Israelites in the wilderness). And his physical presence in Jerusalem during the Millennium.

Immanuel … God with us! For a thousand years. Then, to infinity and beyond!

“In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters” (Zechariah 14:16).

Concerning the sacrifices: “…All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies (like there were in the first two Temples)” (Zechariah 14:21, parenthesis mine).

Because of Jesus’s triumphant victory over sin and death—fully accomplished when he arose from the dead—he has power and authority to rule the nations … to do great and glorious things. Not the least of which will be his return to earth to jump-start the magnificent Millennium: “And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

As God the Son, that power and glory was his before the world began.

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and the authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (Colossians 1:15-17).

As alluded to earlier, the Millennium is not a time of (pure) perfection. More like partial perfection. Perfect begins soon after the Millennium when God will make all things new, including the heavens and the earth.

Nevertheless, until that time the Millennium will be an exceptional era of virtue, justice, and peace. Filled with wonderful Wonders!

(The New Jerusalem soon after the Millennium ends)

The 1000-year reign of Christ will be: Peace on earth, good will toward men.

The Seven Wonders of the World!

Have you ever heard the term?

No? Then you must have been asleep in class that day!

Could you name perhaps one of them?

On the other hand, you would be especially astute (correct) if you answered that friendly challenge with your own: “Which world … the ancient world or the modern world?”

Even more perceptive if you asked, “Aren’t there also Seven Natural Wonders of today’s world?”

From Wikipedia: “Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, to catalogue the world’s most spectacular natural wonders and human-built structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim and in Mesopotamia.

“The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it was the number of the five planets known anciently, plus the sun and moon. Many similar lists have been made.”

Although the ancient Greeks produced philosophers and philosophies, they were also pagans. In fact, the Greek culture, with its pantheon of gods, fits the classic two-fold definition (dichotomy) of a pagan as well or better than inhabitants of the two world empires which preceded Alexander the Great’s Grecian empire: Babylon and Persia. And as much or even more than its successor, the mighty Roman Empire.

Webster’s Dictionary defines Pagan: “1: a follower of a polytheistic religion. 2: one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods…”

Whether by accident (coincidence) or by the counterbalance influence of Jews—particularly the Hellenistic Jews of the time—the Greek reverence for the number seven reflects the prominence of that number in the Hebrew and Greek Bibles … Old & New Testaments.

Seven: The Divine Number found throughout the Scriptures constitutes the completeness, conclusiveness, and providential sovereignty of God’s interaction with humanity. Beginning with setting aside the 7^th day as a day of rest, remembrance, and recognition of our awesome God and his majestic creation. And other sets of seven such as the God-ordained Jewish festivals throughout the calendar year. The 7^th of those (Sukkot—Feast of Shelters) just ended yesterday.

With the God of the Bible declaring in no uncertain term that He, alone, is the true and living God. That all other gods are idle (idol) inventions of alleged deities made in the image of man.

Indeed, both the Greek and Roman gods had more human than godly characteristics. As entirely opposed to the Bible’s declaration:

Moreover, the God of the Bible issues challenges for any other “god” or idol or prophet of any other religion to do what He alone has done and continues to do to this very day: (1) perform miracles; (2) fulfill prophecy (hundreds in Scripture) with 100% accuracy.

“Present the case for your idols, says the Lord. Let them show what they can do, says the King of Israel. Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen. Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods. In fact, do anything—good or bad! Do something that will amaze and frighten us. But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Those who choose you pollute themselves” (Isaiah 41:21-24).

Another Divine number is the number three. We are only twenty years into the 3^rd Millennium since the birth of Jesus Christ changed time itself … from B.C. to A.D. (before Christ to the year of our Lord). Or if you prefer: the modern secular replacement of BCE and CE (before the common era, common era). But if you do, then shame on you! Just kidding … only partially. Besides, there was nothing common about Jesus of Nazareth. Not in the traditional sense of the word, e.g. everyday or ordinary or commonplace.

Furthermore, this 3^rd Millennium is also considered by many Bible commentators/teachers (including me) to be the 7th Millennium of recorded time as relates to God’s plan for humanity. With this 7^th millennia soon to experience the beginning of a New World Order, but not the New Age that mankind currently wishes would occur. Certainly not the Age of Aquarius!

I’m speaking of the Millennial Reign of God’s Son, who is the Messiah … Jesus of Nazareth!

With this final epoch (that merges into Eternity—as described in Revelation Chapters 21-22) filled with awesome Wonders of the World never seen or experienced. All centered around one Person who will fashion these Wonders into the most wonderful thousand years imaginable. Essentially, there are seven of them. A case could be made that there are more than seven; however, any extras are aligned with one or more of these seven.

Ironically, during the seven-year Great Tribulation, many people from the religions, cults, and political systems of this world (Catholicism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Islam, Socialism, Atheism, Communism, Capitalism, and more … including Protestantism for those denominations that have diluted, distorted, and even denied the authority of God’s Word, the Bible) will yield their allegiance—to the extent of worship—to one man known as the Antichrist.

Before we get to the Seven Wonders of the Millennium, I won’t leave you wondering about the three sets of Seven Wonders of the World, to the extent that you would take the time to look them up. Alphabetically, they are:

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

• The Colossus of Rhodes
• The Great Pyramid of Giza (the only one still standing)
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• The Lighthouse of Alexandria
• The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
• The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

(Depiction of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in ancient Greece)

Seven Wonders of the Modern World

• Chichen Itza (Mexico)
• Christ the Redeemer Statue (Brazil)
• Great Wall (China)
• Machu Picchu (Peru)
• Petra (Jordan)
• Roman Colosseum (Rome, Italy)
• Taj Mahal (India)

(A structure at Chichen Itza)

Seven Natural Wonders of the Modern World

• Aurora Borealis (winter skies over N/W Territories & Alaska)
• Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA)
• Great Barrier Reef (Queensland, Australia)
• Harbor of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil, where Christ the Redeemer statue is located)
• Mount Everest (Himalayas, China/Nepal borders)
• Paricutin Volcano (Mexico)
• Victoria Falls (Africa, Zambia/Zimbabwe borders)

(Christ the Redeemer Statue at Rio de Janeiro Harbor)

The Messiah of the Millennium and of The Ages … Who Is He?

Despite the undeniable historical record, there are far more people on Planet Earth who do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth is who he said he is—God’s very Son, the Messiah—than those who have believed and received him as Personal Savior. Most of those who have trivialized, ignored, or rejected the indisputable evidence belong to one of the “isms” cited earlier.

That convincing evidence is found in four amazing accomplishments during Jesus’s short time on this earth … approximately 33 years.

(1) His Unparalleled Wisdom: Expressed mostly through his phenomenal teaching. You only need read the four Gospels to fully appreciate just how profound (but simple to those sincerely seeking the truth) his message was … still is to this day.

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law” (Matthew 7:28-29).

(2) His Marvelous Miracles … Hundreds (if not thousands): Some specifically portrayed, most just summarized by (for example): “Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:29-31).

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy Article, The Incomparable Power & Authority of Jesus Christ (Posted 5-28-16):

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’

“But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ‘What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!’

“Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, ‘Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven, or Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’

“And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this before!’” (Mark 2:1-12).

By the very fact that Jesus had read their minds (what they were thinking), you would think that the religious leaders should have realized immediately that Jesus was no ordinary man. When Jesus asked them whether it was more difficult for him to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven or to instantly heal the man’s untreatable condition, he knew how they would react. They would affirm that it’s easy for anyone to say someone’s sins can be forgiven. Those are just words, and in this case words of blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins.

Which was exactly the point! By merely speaking the words, Jesus right in front of them told the crippled man to stand up and go home. Only God has that kind of power! And only God has the authority to forgive sins.

So, then, just who might Jesus be?

(3) His Stunning Resurrection from the Dead: Said the angels to the women who came to Jesus’s tomb. “…Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day” (Luke 24:5-7).

Wrote the Jewish Apostle Paul, who (when still named Saul) had a personal encounter with the risen Jesus that forever changed Paul’s life and destiny:

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me: Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church” (I Corinthians 15:3-9)

How can anyone who claims to have an open mind refuse to accept the fully documented facts not only found in the historical Biblical record, but also through secular reports of the 1^st century?

Answer: It is a matter of the heart, not the head.

Said Jesus to the Jewish religious leader, Nicodemus, immediately after telling him that God so loved the world…: “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him (Jesus). But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved (matter of the heart) the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:18-19, parenthesis mine).

On the other hand: “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved… Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect… For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:10 & 12-13, quoting Joel 2:32).

As we have neared the last days of the end times in the 20^th and now 21^st century, many thousands of Jews the world over have acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures and have accepted him as their Personal Savior. Sadly, most Jews (and Gentiles) have not. What John wrote in the 1^st century is true today (as is all of Scripture):

“He (Jesus) came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:10-13).

(4) His First Appearance … Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled: The fourth accomplishment of Jesus of Nazareth was equally spectacular: an accumulation of one extraordinary fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy after another. First, as the suffering servant (Isaiah 53) to provide the once for all substitutionary sacrifice for sin and its penalty.

Here is another passage from the prophet Isaiah in which God issues more challenges to gods (idols) or (false) prophets, followed by a message to Israel.

“This is what the Lord says—Israel’s king and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!” (Isaiah 44:6-8, emphasis added).

The italicized words in this passage emphasize that God (the Father) several times explained to Israel (and the world at large) her future and his purpose for his chosen people … the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The most vital of those was the coming of the Messiah from the lineage of King David, who God (through King David) said was His Son (Psalm 2; Psalm 110).

God is speaking about His Messiah: “…You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

This is referred to as the First Advent of Messiah Jesus. Who, as John the Baptist proclaimed when pointing Jesus out to the crowd, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me’” (John 1:29-30, emphasis added).

John the Baptist knew the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) well. The phrase existed long before me undoubtedly echoed the well-known prophecy regarding the birthplace of the coming Messiah. Also, his ancient origin.

That is one of the (many) Messianic prophecies accomplished by Jesus. Let’s list seven more prophecies of Messiah’s first appearance (birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension) in preparation for our examination of the Seven Wonders of the Millennium following his Second Advent—the glorious return of Messiah Jesus to this worn-out and wicked world.

Time/space does not permit quoting each passage … only the reference of the Old Testament prophecy and New Testament completion:

1. Born Through the Tribe of Judah: (Genesis 49:10; Hebrews 7:14)
2. A Prophet Like (Greater Than) Moses: (Deuteronomy 18:15; John 7:15-17)
3. The Son of God: (Psalm 2:7; John 3:16-17)
4. Silent Before His Accusers: (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14)
5. Unjustly Tried & Condemned: (Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 27:1-2)
6. Crucified: (Psalm 22:16; John 19:23-24)
7. His Garments Divided: (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)

And, as pointed out in reason #3, Jesus’s magnificent resurrection (Psalm 16:10; Luke 24:1-7).

Even if Messiah’s resurrection hadn’t been predicted by the prophets, the event itself is proof positive that Jesus was/is Divine—Son of God and God the Son. That his First Appearance to humanity was for the Messianic purpose of providing God’s final, once for all sacrifice for sin.

Moreover, all the other Messianic prophecies concerning his rule and reign forever as King (of all kings) apply specifically to Messiah Jesus’s Second Coming. In fact, most observant Jews—who still disregard the compelling (conclusive) evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, and who are in denial that not only are the Temple sacrifices gone (the means of daily and annual atonement), but so is the Temple—are so puzzled by the ostensible paradox between the suffering Messiah (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53) and the conquering Messiah (Isaiah 2 and other passages) that many rabbis believe there are (will be) two Messiahs.

See Eye of Prophecy article: More Than One Messiah? (Posted 12-5-15). Also, God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus the Temple, Part I & Part II (September 2018). And the two-part series, The Cross and the Torn Curtain (February 2016).

From the following magnificent Messianic passage, can there be any doubt that the Messiah is both human and divine, both man and God:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

A Sequence to Further Establish the First & Second Advent of The Messiah (Jesus)

Let’s return to Micah Chapter 5 for a moment. Immediately after we learn of the ruler (Messiah) to be born in Bethlehem but whose origins are from the ancient past (meaning he already existed), we read:

“The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land” (Micah 5:3).

In context, the operative words until and then strongly suggest—to the point of certainty—that this is a sequential set of events … chronological.

First, the Messiah is born in Bethlehem and, as Isaiah said: he would bring “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). Which is exactly what Jesus did when he, through his own life’s blood, purchased and sealed God’s New Covenant of Grace (Jeremiah 31) to not only the Jews, but also to the Gentiles.

Yet, it is clear (exceptionally so now that 2000 years have passed) in Micah Chapter 5 that this (first) appearance of Messiah would precede, “the people of Israel … abandoned to their enemies.” This occurred some 40 years after Jesus arose from the dead and ascended back to heaven awaiting the appointed time of his return. The descendants of those Jews, who several generations earlier had returned to Israel from their Babylonian exile, populated Israel at the time Jesus came on the scene.

Although Micah lived and prophesied before the Assyrian then the Babylonian conquest of Israel and exile of the Jews to those countries, he is not referring to those enemies of Israel.

Why? Because the woman hadn’t yet given birth.

Furthermore, after the woman gave birth, “then at last his (Messiah’s) fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land” (Verse 3). Plus, it’s crystal clear that the Messiah didn’t arrive during or near the time of the Babylonian exile.

Micah is prophetically referring to the final conquest of Israel by the Romans in A.D. 70, followed by world-wide exile and total “abandonment to their enemies” (time of the Gentiles’ domination of the Jews, until the Six-Day War of 1967, when that supremacy ended).

(Photo of Weary Israeli Soldiers at the Western Wall After Their Recapture of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War)

The abandonment of the Jews to their enemies would (begin to) cease when “the woman in labor gives birth.” Many Christian scholars believe this is referring to the birth of Jesus (Messiah). But it couldn’t be, because his “countrymen” hadn’t even been exiled yet, let alone “return from exile to their own land.”

The only possible contextual (including the chronology) rendering here is that the woman who gives birth is not the Virgin Mary; rather, it is Israel herself, reborn as a sovereign nation in 1948. Followed by, “then at last (meaning nearly 2,000 years later after Rome’s utter conquest of Israel) his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land.”

This application is reinforced by the remarkable prediction near the end of Isaiah’s book with its many Messianic prophecies, when he announces the rebirth of Israel.

“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born. Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it? … No! I would never keep this nation from begin born, says your God” (Isaiah 66:7-9)

Continuing in Micah to further demonstrate that Messiah–the same one born in Bethlehem before his countrymen were exiled (for the last time) and after Israel was reborn and the Jews began to return to their Promised Land in great numbers–we read:

“And he (Messiah) will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed (during the Millennium), for he will be highly honored around the world. And he will be the source of peace” (Micah 5:4, parenthesis mine).

Isaiah further established this two-part (now separated by 2,000 years and counting) arrival of the Messiah, i.e. the suffering servant followed by the conquering king.

“The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: ‘Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you” (Isaiah 49:7).

Before we examine the Seven Wonders of the soon-to-come Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus, let’s first do a:

Summary Review of Messiah Jesus’s Actions that Ends the Great Tribulation and Ushers in the Millennium

In Eye of Prophecy article, Armageddon and Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events (posted 2-3-18), the stunning Second-Coming events of Messiah’s arrival in Jerusalem as depicted in Zechariah Chapters 12-14 are correlated with the equally spectacular scene of Revelation 19, which is a graphic portrayal of the final battle of Armageddon.

Leading up to that finale is a sequential list of nine events and commentary for each episode.

Such as: (1) Antichrist Nero breaks the seven-year treaty with Israel. (4) The King of the South will march on Antichrist. (6) Invasion of the Kings of the East. (8) Messiah’s first phase (of his Second Coming) on the Mount of Olives.

Here is an excerpt from that article:

The immediate catalyst for Messiah’s return will be the Antichrist’s attack on Jerusalem, which will most likely begin in the final 3-4 weeks of the Great Tribulation.

“Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the woman raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city” (Zechariah 14:1-2). *Note: These are the remaining Israelis; the others have escaped to the wilderness out of harm’s way at the mid-point of the Tribulation.

Continuing with Zechariah 14: “Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west … You will flee through this valley…” (Zechariah 14:3-5).

Based on Zechariah 14, nearly all Bible scholars and students (including me), even non-Messianic Jews, correctly believe that Messiah will arrive on earth by first stepping foot on the Mount of Olives. With, of course, believers in Christ proclaiming this to be the return of Messiah (Second Coming) and non-Messianic Jews believing this will be Messiah’s initial arrival.

At this juncture, I’m going to propose something I haven’t mentioned in any Eye of Prophecy article until now. Why? Because it was only during this week’s article that the Lord gave me this insight! This premise leads to a more complete, clarified, and sequentially accurate scenario. In bold print for emphasis it is:

Christ’s Second Coming to earth will happen twice … on two separate occasions!

First, he will arrive on the Mount of Olives as we just read in Zechariah. Then (a few days later) he will descend again from heaven on a white horse, but this time with the host of heaven (Raptured believers) as we will soon read in Revelation Chapter 19.

Then under the final episode of these startling series of events, I wrote:

(10) The Grand Finale

Zechariah 14:5 tells us that: “…Then (later, sometime after Jesus steps foot on the Mount of Olives) the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.”

This matches perfectly with what we’re about to read in Revelation 19, which clearly shows that the holy ones are the “armies of heaven” on white horses who will accompany Messiah in his final victory over Antichrist. Whereas Zechariah Chapter 12 explains that it is the Israelis who will be fighting alongside Messiah.

With the clear implication and deduction that the “holy ones” (believers taken in the Rapture, seven years earlier) with Jesus were not with him when he first returns to Israel on the Mount of Olives.

That and the stated fact in Zechariah 12:9: “For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” The final victory isn’t won during Messiah’s initial (first phase) return to the Mount of Olives. Plus, there’s no indication in Zechariah that Messiah arrives on the Mount of Olives on a white horse. For that matter (as a reminder) Scripture tells us exactly how Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives from whence he departed after his amazing resurrection.

The angels said to the disciples: “Men of Galilee … Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:11).

Did Jesus leave the Mount of Olives on a white horse? Easy answer: No, he did not. If he is to return in the same manner (and he will) to the Mount of Olives, then it must be on foot. “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem…” (Zechariah 14:4).

…First: to the Mount of Olives to, alongside the Jews, begin the fight against Antichrist in Israel and Jerusalem. Second: a subsequent return to completely vanquish Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet, and their massive military in the valley of Megiddo (Armageddon).

With a literary drum roll, here is the awesome grand finale:

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations … On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

“…Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and worshipped his statue. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies” (Revelation 19:11-16 & 19-21).

Seven Wonders of the Millennium

Sorry. As you have probably already surmised, they will have to wait until next week’s article (Part II). Rest assured, I didn’t deliberately mislead you!

Rather, my intention was to list the seven with only a little commentary in today’s article.

But, after further consideration, it’s evident that each one deserves a little more quantity (commentary) which, in turn, will provide more quality exposure.

Although next week’s article will be substantially shorter than this week’s post, it will still contain sufficient and significant material to hopefully do justice to the colossal changes that will take place during Christ’s magnificent Millennial reign.

Things to Ponder

Although the remarkable rule and reign of the Messiah during the end-times Day of the Lord is found in many Old Testament prophecies, the duration of that era is found only in the New Testament. And just in one chapter, albeit the “thousand years” is mentioned six times. Which further emphasizes and solidifies this length of time as literal, not symbolic as some suggest.

The 1000 years is as time-dedicated as the 400 years of the Hebrews bondage in Egypt prior to the Exodus; the Israelites sojourn in the wilderness for 40 years; Moses on Mount Sanai 40 days and nights; 12 ½ months of Noah and his family in the Ark … so forth and so on!

“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection (at the Rapture and a few years later when the Tribulation saints will be raised from the dead). For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6, parenthesis mine).

The Millennial Reign of the Messiah (Jesus) is such a well-known phenomenon that Webster’s Dictionary defines millennium as: “a period of 1000 years; the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth; a period of great happiness or human perfection.”

Before we focus next week on the Old Testament where we find most of the details on the fantastic features of this (1,000-year) epoch, let’s again acknowledge the One Person (God’s appointed and anointed One … that’s what Messiah means) who will make all this possible:

Which leads into the first of the Seven Wonders of the World during Christ’s Millennial Reign. In which he will physically on earth continue his Global role as the spiritual Mediator between God and humanity, but also arbitrate (settle) major disagreements between nations … in Person!

Don’t miss next week’s Part II article, in which these Seven Wonders will be identified, with some pertinent commentary.

May the Lord bless and keep you!