Rapture and End Times

…have you seen the storehouses of hail,
which I hold in reserve for times of trouble,
for the day of warfare and battle?

(Job 38: 22-23)

One of the critical signs are pointing to the imminent Rapture of the Church is the invasion of Israel. This invasion was foretold in Ezekiel 38:

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, turn your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him and say: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, including horses and riders, who are all splendidly dressed, a huge company armed with shields and bucklers, all of them brandishing swords. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shields and helmets; Gomer with all its troops; and Beth-togarmah from the remotest parts of the north along with all its troops—many peoples are with you.

“Be prepared and get yourself ready, you and all your company who have been mobilized around you; you will be their guard. After a long time you will be summoned. In the last years you will enter a land that has been restored from war and regathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel, which had long been a ruin. They were brought out from the peoples, and all of them now live securely. You, all of your troops, and many peoples with you will advance, coming like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

(Ezekiel 38:1-9)

Is this great battle already beginning? What are the facts on the ground? Following the data points in the news and Biblical prophecy leads to some earth shaking predictions. First, consider some recent headlines:

‘Significant buildup’ of Russian military forces in Crimea / Washington Examiner, June 12, 2019

Over the past 18 months, the Russian military has reportedly been expanding and building up its forces and infrastructure in Crimea.

A U.S. intelligence official told Defense One that Russia was conducting “a deliberate and systematic buildup of their forces on the peninsula.”

“The combat radius covers all Ukraine and beyond the Black Sea. It significantly increases their strike options, potentially extending to the Middle East,” the official said.

Khamenei slaps America in the face by refusing to receive Trump message from Abe / Debka, June 13, 2019

Iran’s leader administered a brazen insult to the United States when he told visiting Japanese PM Shinzo Abe on Thursday, June 13, that he did not consider President Donald Trump “worthy” of an exchange of messages with him. “I do not have and will not have any response for him,” he told the Japanese prime minister, crudely knocking down his visitor’s effort to ease the spiraling US-Iranian tensions.

IRGC chief says Iran’s ballistic missiles capable of hitting ‘carriers in the sea’ / Reuters, June 18, 2019

He said Iran’s ballistic missile technology had changed the balance of power in the Middle East. His comments followed attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week that added to already rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has increased its military presence in the region.

The escalating war between Iran and the United States / Israel National News, June 19, 2019

Iran is now pressuring Europe to chose sides in the escalating conflict with the U.S. and is working hard to develop its global terror network in European countries.

The Islamist regime in Tehran has given Europe an ultimatum.

Unless the Europeans help Iran getting relief from the US-led sanction regime the Iranians will breach the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.

Whenever the Europeans don’t comply with this ultimatum Iran will start enriching uranium beyond the limits set in the JCPOA starting June 27.

The Europeans, however, can do little to address the Iranian concerns and aren’t able to force companies into investing in Iran’s economy because those companies will be targeted by US sanctions.

The question is now what will happen next.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the Trump Administration is preparing for a tactical strike on a nuclear-related target in Iran.

Hamas blasts Bahrain summit for ‘normalizing’ ties with Israel / Israel National News, June 20, 2019

Ismail Haniya, the leader of the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization, said Thursday Hamas rejected next week’s US-sponsored Middle East economic conference in Bahrain as it would amount to
Arab “normalization” of ties with Israel.

US President Donald Trump’s administration organised the conference, which is to be held on June 25 and 26 in Manama for the unveiling of the economic component of a US Israeli-Arab peace plan.

Anxious world huddles as US-Iran tensions soar / Al-Monitor, June 21, 2019

International diplomacy kicks into high gear this coming week as tensions between the United States and Iran threaten to erupt into a shooting war. The Donald Trump administration has asked the UN Security Council to meet behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the downing of a US drone this past week, which prompted Trump to authorize retaliatory strikes that he then called off. Tehran for its part has said it plans to show the UN evidence that the drone was shot down over its territory, not international waters as the United States claims.

Israel is being pushed into a regional peace agreement, in order to form an alliance against Iran. All the major players are picking sides right now, for the upcoming Shia vs. Sunni war, as outlined in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. 

What will happen next? The Bible gives us the answer:

You nations, come here and listen;
you peoples, pay attention!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it,
the world and all that comes from it.
The Lord is angry with all the nations—
furious with all their armies.
He will set them apart for destruction,
giving them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out,
and the stench of their corpses will rise;
the mountains will flow with their blood.

(Isaiah 34:1-3)

What will be the result of this upcoming invasion?

In Israel’s history, the Lord has rained down punishment on her enemies many times:

The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar. Then out of the sky the Lord rained burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord. He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. (Genesis 19: 23-25)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven and let there be hail throughout the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.” So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning struck the earth, and the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. The hail, with lightning flashing through it, was so severe that nothing like it had occurred in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field. The only place it didn’t hail was in the land of Goshen where the Israelites were. (Exodus 9:22-26)

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”

So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal. The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled before Israel, the Lord threw large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword. (Joshua 10: 8-11)

To fall under the judgement of the Lord is a terrible fate. For Russian, Iran, and her hordes, it will be too late.

Earth is approaching the same “meteor swarm” that may have caused an entire forest to explode in 1908 / CBS News, June 12, 2019

A swarm of meteors heading toward Earth could have the potential to cause a catastrophic impact, a new study from Western Ontario University says. The so-called Taurid swarm is a recurring event that some scientists believe could have played a role in the biggest Earth impact of modern times, in 1908, when a space rock slammed into Siberia with enough force to destroy an entire forest.

What has become known as the Tunguska explosion of 1908 was so powerful that the blast leveled 80 million trees over an 800-square-mile area. It’s considered to be a one-in-1,000-year event, according to Western Ontario University. But while the Tunguska explosion occurred just over a century ago, another such phenomenon could occur much sooner than its 1,000-year expectancy, the researchers say. That’s why they’re focusing new attention on the Taurid swarm.

 

Now on that day, the day when Gog comes against the land of Israel”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“My wrath will flare up. I swear in My zeal and fiery rage: On that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, every creature that crawls on the ground, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble before Me. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains”—the declaration of the Lord God—“and every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him. (Ezekiel 38: 17-22)

The “birth pains” of the world are building and converging towards an unprecedented climax. There is an upcoming “delivery date” for the Rapture, known only to the Lord.

If you are not sure that you are saved, you can accept Christ into your life right now, by praying:

“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.  Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life.  I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior.”

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