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Biblical Audio Commentary – Martyrdom & The Final Ingathering 9-26-25 :: By Gary W. Ritter
There has been a lot of discussion about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Rightly so, those on the side of desiring to honor God have lamented his brutal end, but also predicted what good might arise from the ashes of his earthly grave. Those on the side of evil have made their intentions quite clear: they hate God and intend to use his murder as a springboard for further violence. Given these two polar extremes what can we determine of all this from a prophetic perspective?
Martyrdom isn’t a rare event in the world. Yes, in America we react in absolute shock because we’ve essentially closed our eyes to that which occurs elsewhere around the globe. Our easy Christian life hasn’t really prepared us for the worst, yet that happens every day, multiple times a day, in nations such as Nigeria, China, India, North Korea, and so many more. In fact, the church in America has been pretty determined not to see those atrocities; the result being that we are spectacularly unprepared for what is still to come.
Not long after I was saved, I learned about Christian persecution for the first time. That led to my volunteering with Voice of the Martyrs. In that role I spoke at a variety of churches concerning the troubling opposition Christians had, primarily, in the 10-40 Window, i.e. the area generally between 10 to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator. My speaking opportunities came through churches inquiring about having someone visit to speak to their congregations and through my own initiative in creating contacts. I also worked the yearly conferences VOM held in my area where I served in a variety of ways.
Over time a distressing reality became apparent: fewer churches had any interest in learning about their brothers and sisters in Christ who were persecuted around the world. Finally, literally all speaking opportunities dried up. When Covid came along, that stopped the regional conferences, and VOM had to go online to present information. One of the major sentiments that I heard regarding the potential of having someone like me from VOM speak at churches as time went on was that learning about persecution was too hard – too distressing – and people simply didn’t want to listen.
I was quite interested in Bible prophecy even in those early days, and one of the warnings I gave regarding persecution and being too comfortable here in our nation was that a day was coming when we would also have to face it. I stressed that I didn’t believe it would be of the nature that Christians faced daily in Third World countries, but that it was going to reach us in some way. I knew this because the Bible told me so. I don’t know how many really heard that warning, but as we’ve seen over the years now, Christians in the US have been targeted in many ways and the hatred fueling the attacks is increasing.
The horrors of Christian persecution are very real. Entire villages are laid waste with tens, even hundreds, of believers – both simply professing and those truly sold-out for Christ – raped, tortured, kidnapped, maimed, or murdered. The persecutors don’t make a distinction. If Christ’s Name is attached to you in some manner, you will be targeted in those locales.
Here in our country, we’ve had freedoms threatened and perhaps a few murders, but nothing on the scale that happens elsewhere. In one sense, we haven’t become anesthetized to the brutality, but we also don’t expect it for having a Christian label. That could be about to change.
What the enemy has found, although few admit it, is that indeed Tertullian was correct in saying that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The way that God has designed us is that for our faith in Him, when we witness persecution, that raises up something in us to desire God more. It can happen in lukewarm Christians as well as in secular atheists. Sadly, it can also cause those who are on the fence to hop onto the other side and oppose or run away from Christianity in the hope they will be spared. They are sadly mistaken. What we also see is that the blood of martyrs increases the bloodlust of those who hate God. In those 10-40 Window nations, the enemy is strong, and his allure is to man’s sinful nature that glories in the shedding of blood.
This is exactly what’s been happening since Charlie Kirk was assassinated. His Turning Point USA organization has been flooded with tens of thousands of new chapter requests as young people, and some older, have had their consciences stricken by the Holy Spirit. They realize that Charlie had something they don’t, and it’s attractive to them.
If anyone is shocked by the opposite reaction, he shouldn’t be. Social media has been awash in demon-possessed people mocking Charlie, his murder, and those affected by it. There are also reports that those who profess this ideology are increasing in numbers because they wish to carry out the hatred in their hearts in a physical manner.
Real Raw News is a rather fringy website, but I find it interesting to peruse at times. It came out with an article titled: ANTIFA Recruitment Surges Following Kirk’s Death and Trump Promising to Label ANTIFA Domestic Terrorists, which doesn’t surprise me a bit. Here are a couple pertinent quotes:
Within hours of Kirk’s death, leaflets celebrating his demise and encouraging young men and women to join the resistance were being passed around at college campuses across the country.
“We’re seeing it all over the place, and ANTIFA is winning the hearts and minds of Leftwingers. Promoting violence, anarchy. Even if Trump labels them terrorists, which they are, they won’t be stopped unless the government freezes every single one of Soros’ bank accounts and confiscates his assets,” our source said.
So, what do we have in the aftermath of the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk? With all the interest coming forth in TPUSA, we may actually be seeing the beginning of the final ingathering of God’s people prior to the Rapture. Of course, it’s a given that many who are influenced in this way won’t become true Christ-followers. The Parable of the Sower shows us this explicitly. However, even with those who are exposed to Christ who don’t believe today, they may be some of the martyrs in the Tribulation.
Likewise, the rise of evil is exactly what the Bible foretells. What we see now is only a taste of that which is coming. Once the Holy Spirit steps aside in the Rapture of Christ’s true church, all bets are off and every evil under the sun will be made manifest. If you’ve seen some of the craziness on social media following what was done to Charlie, that will have been a day at the park compared to what’s in store once the Tribulation begins.
Many in the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) camp have predicted a great Christian revival throughout the world whereby great numbers of people come to Christ, leading to His return in the 2nd Coming. There are many in secular circles who likewise describe a coming Great Awakening whereby spirituality intensifies and good overcomes evil, mostly in the political realm. Since there’s nothing Biblical about a massive Christian turning to the Lord before the Rapture, actually the secular-spiritual Great Awakening makes more sense. Unfortunately, its manifestation is exactly what’s being shown on social media as many profess their hatred toward Charlie Kirk. Demonic presence is growing. The only real Great Awakening in this regard will be to the realization that vast numbers of people who reject God will be demon possessed and express that in violence and chaos.
Despite this, it may very well be that this awareness of Christ through Charlie’s example could be that which leads to the fullness of the Gentiles. It’s quite possible we’re seeing this reality in a final ingathering of true believers.
Pray that this is so. Pray also that God will have finally had it with those whose hard hearts will never turn to Him. Judgment is at hand and for this dark and decaying world, it can’t come too soon. Just as Jesus instructed us to knock the dust from our feet and move on after encountering those who hate God and refuse to see truth, let us hope that the Lord likewise does this so as to bring down His much-deserved wrath.
Yes, we desire all who will turn to the Lord to do it soon, but after that for those who don’t turn to Him, there is nothing left but God’s punishment upon this unbelieving world.
Surely, that time is here, which means our time as believers is also ended. In other words, we’ll soon be going up, and God’s wrath in Judgment will come down.
https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-martyrdom-the-final-ingathering/
Be Like Noah – By Jeffrey Hauck
As a believer I understand that the ‘last days’ would be like the days of Noah and of Lot (Luke 17:26-29). It seems that it’s becoming more apparent for Christians today. On the surface, this warning has always provided proof that Jesus will return in the clouds for his church at a time that is not expected by the unbelieving world. The flood had come after 100 years of warning and faithful building by Noah and his family. Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes and ruin in 1 day, following an attack on Lot’s home. People were going about their normal lives with eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building. Then suddenly, they were destroyed.
But now, I believe we can see more clearly the underlying culture that Jesus warned about that would be present at the time of his return. Looking at the times of Noah and Lot (remember, they lived over 500 years apart from each other) we can see much evidence of overt wickedness throughout the chapters of Genesis 6,18, and 19. In Noah’s time, we learn that the daughters of men had ‘relations’ with the Sons of God. People’s hearts were always full of evil, and the earth was filled with violence.
With the case of Lot, homosexual men surrounded his house, demanding he give the ‘men’ in his house. Before this time, Lot had to be rescued by Abraham after the battle of 5 vs 4 kings over possessions and food supplies. What becomes clear is that cultures that have every need satisfied, yet they wipe their mouths, look around and try to fill their insatiable appetite for evil, while despising authority. Those generations met their sudden destruction, as will ours.
Let’s compare our generation. There are many aspects of our culture that have been captured wonderfully by many writers for Rapture Ready. I will just mention a couple. In our own nation we’ve seen the drastic decline of Christianity since the 1960s, following the removal of the Bible from public schools. Since then we’ve seen the proliferation of false religions, sexual deviancy, violence and broken families. It’s heart breaking for believers to watch our nation fall, to see gleeful celebration of martyred Christians, attempted murder and murder of righteous leaders. It’s so sad to watch lawlessness overcome our cities and others. Recently, Australia passed the Conversion Practices Ban Act that bans prayers aimed at changing or suppressing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. 2 Timothy 3:13b comes to mind, concerning the last days. “..while evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.”
What we are witnessing today is only going to get worse. Birth pains are increasing as we were warned by our Savior in Matthew 24.
How should we be?
We understand that Jesus will come and rescue our generation, not Abraham nor angels. But how should we be in the meantime? Let’s look again at the generations of Noah and Lot and how they acted. I suspect there will be a better role model between the two.
Let’s start with Lot. When Abraham and Lot were going their separate ways, Abraham told Lot to choose first. He chose the plains of the Jordan because they were watered and apparently bustling with business. We see him sitting at the gate of Sodom when the 2 angels come to investigate. He has some authority. And with his authority he offers his daughters to appease the vicious mob that want the 2 new ‘men’ (angels) in town. When warned to leave the city immediately, Lot hits the snooze alarm in the morning and negotiates with the angels about how far he must go to protect himself and his family. And let’s not forget Lot’s wife who aimed to preserve her own life and lost it. (Luke 17:32,33). I won’t even mention what happened with Lot and his daughters, afterward. Lot did not make the Hall of the Faithfull in Hebrews 11. But he is still declared a righteous man because he was distressed by the debauchery of those unprincipled people. (2 Peter 2:7,8). The fact of the matter is if God choses you and you respond, there is nothing that can separate you from the love of Jesus. Romans 8:35. Praise God! I can not give God enough thanks for his tender mercies.
Let’s look at Noah’s example. He was immersed in a severely, unholy culture. Looking through Genesis 6,7,8 and 9, we see a man who walked with God despite the earth filled with corruption and violence. God asked him to complete a task that was devoid of common sense and would take about 100 years to complete. He would have been mocked and possibly attacked by his peers. But he led his family faithfully. Not one of his peers befriended or trusted him.
Due to Noah’s faithfulness, he and his family were delivered while the rest of the world was destroyed. God blessed Noah following the flood and he had domain over all the creatures of the earth. Was Noah perfect? No. But he did make the Hall of the Faithful in Hebrews 11.
What can we take from these two righteous examples submerged in a culture that has outright disgust for all things ethical, honorable or decent? Let’s not use our authority to appease the wicked or put ourselves in situations where we need a rescue. Let’s stand our ground but not try to preserve our own lives. We go and do as the Spirit leads us. It won’t be violent. Noah did not use violence in his violent culture. But we can be sure he did not back down from his mission.
Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13 says “a sinner can do evil a hundred times and still live a long life; although I know that in the end things will go well with those who fear God because they fear him. But things will not go well with the wicked..”
We’ve seen this scenario play out many times throughout the Bible. And it’s playing out right now. Let’s keep our noses to the grindstone not giving ground to the enemy but giving a reason for our hope at each opportunity. A flood is coming soon.
Maranatha!
Jeff Hauck
jeffreyjhauck@yahoo.com
Weary Watchmen With PTSD – By Jan Markell
Have you had enough yet? Violence and lawlessness seem out of control. Senseless violence. Snipers unleashing bullets carved with evil messages on them! Who thinks this way?
The line-up of atrocities never ends. An innocent Ukrainian woman coming home from her pizza job, casually scrolling on her phone on a train in North Carolina, is stabbed to death by a demonized thug. She had left war-torn Ukraine for the supposed safety of America. Yet a monster lurked in the shadows and ended her young life. And it was all captured on camera.
Beyond Our Imagination
My hometown made notoriety again in a horrific manner—a school massacre. Children in a Catholic school five miles from where I grew up in south Minneapolis, were mowed down by a lunatic. The shooter blocked the church doors so that the children could not escape before he began shooting through the church windows. Can you imagine? I can’t.
Sure, the Bible says that evil is to get worse in the end-times (II Timothy 3:13), but who can comprehend such barbarism?
They said that about 9/11, which we recently observed and remembered as well. Even our national leaders admitted they didn’t have the imagination to anticipate the evil of Islam flying planes into buildings. More PTSD as we reflected back on that fateful day a week ago.
Don’t forget earlier this year, two Jewish believers were gunned down in Washington, D.C., and in June, an Egyptian terrorist set Jews on fire in Colorado a few days later. If we dared look, the Colorado event was also filmed and aired.
Good-Bye Charlie
Then on September 10, we had a flashback to July 13, 2024 when there was an assassination attempt on President Trump. This time, the target was Charlie Kirk, and this time, the shooter was successful.
What adds to the PTSD trauma is that 21st Century communications allow us to watch these horrors in real time—as it happens. Or, minutes later. We are viewing true horror show dramas that are unimaginable.
The assassination of conservative Christian Charlie Kirk was another shot heard around the world. But the bullet that killed Charlie didn’t kill a movement. It ignited many people to press on with truth-telling, love of country, and honoring God.
As one observer suggested, it is a reminder that speaking truth, particularly Biblical truth, is inherently dangerous in a world where truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.
When leftists rejoice at the death of godly people, as they are doing with Kirk’s death, it is a foreshadowing of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11. The world will rejoice over their demise as well.
Very often, the perpetrators of the carnage are deeply involved in alternative lifestyles, and so they view conservatives, Christians, and the biblical worldview as the enemy. We become their prime target just as the early martyrs of the church. Constantly accusing righteous or conservative people of being fascists and Nazis has deadly consequences.
Charlie has now finished his race, his earthly course, and we celebrate his graduation into the presence of Jesus Christ and the glories of eternity.
Demonic!
The New York Post, not known as a spiritual publication, had an appropriate one-word headline—“Demonic.” That accurately summarized the end-time fight we are in. Satan is making his last stand before the church is taken in the rapture, which removes believers from this sin-wracked, violent world.
But this is today’s progressive movement: twisted and evil. What a reminder that the last days will be as the days of Noah!
Romans One On Display
And to add to the lunacy, and what should convince us we are in a Romans one society, is that the deranged Left celebrates some of this. Again, this stretches credulity and is beyond our imagination. It is last days delusion. The prophet Isaiah told us that evil would be called good by some (Isaiah 5:20). So, watchmen suffering from PTSD is a pretty normal reaction!
Take these daily evil reminders with the assurance that they are a sign that Jesus is coming again. Our rescue is coming. Soon. Perhaps today.
Where are we on God’s Timeline? By Bill Salus
This is an article taken from my book entitled, The NOW Prophecies, by Bill Salus.
Unquestionably, the most important prophetic information for every generation is the knowledge of its whereabouts on the Lord’s prophetic timeline. Isaiah 46:9-10, informs us that there exists a definite beginning and end, so the question is where are we now?
The simple answer is that we are somewhere between the two prophetic events of the rebirth of the nation Israel and the upholding of the Lord’s holy name through the nation of Israel, which results from the Gog of Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39. In fulfillment of numerous prophecies, Israel was reborn as a nation on May 14, 1948. Presently seventy-seven years have passed since that time. The reestablishment of Israel is when the world’s hourglass made its final turn, and now the grains of sand are rapidly descending downward into its lower chamber. Mankind is racing toward the expiration date of this present earth!
These two marquee events should standout like monumental bookends to this generation because they are intended to serve as the prophetic proof that the God of the Bible is the one true God over all the earth. Replacement theology, the erroneous teaching that God’s done with the Jews, has facilitated the failure of many Christians to recognize the miraculous existence of the Jewish state of Israel. However, their ignorance does not erase the fact that Israel today is a marvelous sovereign undertaking of the Lord. According to the prophet Jeremiah it was intended to be so.
Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8, NKJV).
The Hebrew exodus from Egypt resulted in the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14). This was a supernatural event that has yet to be outmatched or duplicated by anyone. This miracle was to be memorialized in the minds of the Hebrew generations that followed. It served to remind the Jews that their God Jehovah could deliver them through all obstacles and oppressions. In addition to this monumental miracle, the Old Testament is filled with other historical examples evidencing this fact.
Jeremiah 23:7 declares that the exodus episode will pale in comparison to the modern day miracle of the rebirthed nation of Israel. Rightfully so, the Lord had to accomplish much more than parting the Red Sea in order to reestablish the nation of Israel in modernity. Below are a few examples depicting the enormous sovereign undertaking of God in order for Israel to exist today!
• Implant Zionism in Jews – In the late 1800’s, after centuries of existence outside of their country, the Jews began to yearn to return back to their ancient homeland. They were, and still are, willing to leave their world countries, diverse cultures and differing languages to return to a place that was desolate and is presently dangerous.
• Create Arab Homelands – From 1517 – 1917 A.D. the Middle East was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. The domination abruptly ended with the Turkish loss in World War I. This empire had to be eliminated in order for the Mideast to be rezoned with Arab states and a Jewish state. The creation of the Arab states and the Jewish state was the fulfillment of the Lord’s Mideast Peace Plan provided in Jeremiah 12:14-17. The prophecy specified that the Arabs and Jews would return to their homelands, which occurred in the aftermath of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
It’s important to note that Jeremiah 12:17 predicts destruction of the Arab nations that curse Israel instead of live copacetic alongside Israel. This destruction seemingly occurs with the NOW prophecy of Psalm 83.
• Prevent Nazi Genocide – In order for the Jewish state to exist, Jews needed to exist. During World War II, Adolph Hitler and the Nazis attempted the genocide of the Jews. Had they been successful, there would be no Israel today! Whereas, World War I freed up the ancient land of Israel for the Jewish people. World War II prepared the Jews for the land of Israel.
• Empower the Allied Forces – Communist Russia teamed up with the capitalistic America and the other allied forces to defeat the Nazis. This cohesion of this unlikely coalition was also the miraculous sovereign undertaking of the Lord.
• Create the Jewish State – With the control of the Ottoman Empire relinquished and the establishment of the Arab states in place, the restoration of Israel occurred. These territorial shifts paved the way for the state of Israel to come into existence.
• Empower the Israeli Army – Ezekiel 37:10, 25:14, Obadiah 1:18 and elsewhere predicted the rise of today’s Israeli Defense Forces. Through the process of three regional wars in 1948, 1967 and 1973, the Jews transformed from refugees into the most powerful army in the Middle East. This had to happen in order to sustain Israel’s existence.
• Preserve and Prosper Israel – Israel is becoming a prosperous nation. According to Ezekiel 38:12-13, Israel continues to prosper and achieve an abundance of plunder and booty. It is this prosperity that motivates the Russian Gog of Magog invaders to attack Israel.
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THE UPHOLDING OF GOD’S HOLY NAME THROUGH HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL
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The Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 is the other major prophetic marker for this generation to consider. Ezekiel 38:1-39:20, contains forty-three verses of some of the most consolidated and descriptive prophetic information found anywhere within the entire Bible. The reader of these passages doesn’t need to be a bible scholar, rocket scientist, or even a believer to glean a relatively detailed understanding of this forthcoming prophecy. By interpreting these verses literally the reader is made aware of the:
• Timing of the event – (In the end times), Ezek. 38:8, 16.
• Identities of the invading coalition – (Russia, Turkey, Iran and a total of nine members are identified by Ezekiel). Ezek. 38:1-5.
• Motivation for the invasion of Israel – (To take spoil, plunder and booty from Israel). Ezek. 38:12-13.
• Conditions inside Israel at the time of the invasion – (A nation at peace that is dwelling securely without walls). Ezek. 38:8, 11, 14.
• Defeat of the invaders – (Supernatural means through an earthquake, pestilence, bloodshed, flooding rains, great hailstones, fire and brimstone). Ezek. 38:18-23.
• Aftermath of the event – (Israel will gain international renown for burying the dead for seven months and burning the invaders weapons for seven years). Ezek. 39:9-16.
• Purpose of the prophecy – (The upholding of the holy name of God). Ezek. 39:7.
The Lord appears to have intended these verses to be relatively easy for everyone to understand, because this is the epic event through which He pledges to notify the world that He is the one true God!
There will be no way to misconstrue that the supernatural destruction of the Magog invaders came exclusively through the hand of the Lord. Although Israel is positively identified within this prophecy, and possibly even America, the victory over the Russian coalition will not be attributed to either, but the Lord will get the full credit. In the aftermath, He alone will be able to slam dunk the football in the end zone after the winning touchdown!
The Lord will be able to proclaim, with absolute authority, that He is the covenant making God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who receive Him as their Lord and Savior would not perish but have eternal life.
This prophecy will be explained in more detail at a later point within this work. The explanation will address why this prophecy appears to occur before the seven year Tribulation Period commences, (i.e. Daniel’s Seventieth Week), why the Rapture probably occurs beforehand, and how America is identified in Ezekiel 38:13, as the young lions of the merchants of Tarshish. America in this prophecy is depicted as a lesser nation, a meager sideline spectator of the Magog invasion. America, shrunken to this non-superpower stature, appears to occur as one of the NOW Prophecies.
Are We Living in the End Times? | Jonathan Brentner | Prophecy Watchers
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the chaos in the world? Wondering how to find lasting peace in uncertain times? Gary Stearman and Jonathan Brentner discuss how the pre-tribulation, premillennial approach is more than theology—it’s a message of comfort, clarity, and triumph for believers navigating perilous times. Whether you’re new to Bible prophecy or longing for deeper reassurance, this program will encourage your heart and strengthen your faith.
Quantum Quandaries :: By Gary Ritter
If you thought these end times couldn’t get any stranger, then I’ve got news for you: we just entered another dimension – literally. You may have seen reports of the jaw-dropping statement made by Michael Kratsios, who is the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, otherwise known as the White House Tech Chief. On April 14 as part of a larger speech, Kratsios made this statement:
“Our technologies permit us to manipulate time and space.”
His next sentence was equally perplexing:
They [our technologies] leave distance annihilated, cause things to grow, and improve productivity.
Wait! He said what? What do these things mean?
Well, leave it to me to give you my layman’s best guess from a Christian, Bible prophecy perspective.
As often happens to me, I’ve been reading a fascinating science fiction series that – with exquisite timing – intersects with this public pronouncement of America’s technical capabilities. It also confirms my suspicions that what we the public are granted in the wisdom of our political savants is well behind the reality of where these developments actually are. In other words, technological advancement is much further along than what we in the general public are told at any given time. This pronouncement by the chief technical advisor to the White House would seem to be proof of this. We also have to ask why this is even being said right now? What’s the impetus for letting this proverbial cat out of the bag telling us that our scientific advancement is well beyond what we’ve thought?
Let’s dive into this briefly.
One novel I’ve been reading is titled Quantum Space, the first in the five-book Quantum Series by Douglas Phillips. These books would probably be considered “hard” science fiction similar to the book and movie, The Martian by Andy Weir.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to hard science, I’m at my worst. Biology, chemistry, and physics in school were usually well above my capacity to grasp their concepts. When I come across books like Quantum Space you have to understand that I’m approaching them in my general ignorance of science. To that end, where actual scientific discoveries leave off and fictional speculation begins is pretty hard – for me, anyway – to discern. That said, based on the Afterward written by the author, at least the basics of what are conveyed in the novel are fact.
Quantum physics is, as the Brave browser AI summary states:
. . . the branch of physics that explains how everything works by describing the behavior of particles that make up matter and the forces with which they interact.
There are concepts within this that are complex and far-reaching, including String Theory, Entanglement, and the idea of there being ten dimensions, i.e. seven more than what we can typically perceive in our 3-D space. It has been said fairly reliably that the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland regularly pierces the dimensional barriers. However, there is another, somewhat smaller collider – or particle accelerator – located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, i.e. Fermilab, in Batavia, Illinois. It is also involved in extremely cutting-edge research and discoveries. Whether this is for better or worse is another issue altogether, and we’ll get to that momentarily.
In the book, as the plot progresses, what the scientists are able to do at Fermilab is at the heart of this Commentary. They have discovered a way to send into, and bring back, objects from a 4th dimension of space. In so doing they also project a video camera into this dimension providing the ability to see in that context. It’s quite strange and a way to comprehend it just a little is with the example given in the story.
A little book titled Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions was originally written and published in 1884. It’s available on Amazon, and apparently a movie has been made about it. The essence is that rather than the 3-D space we inhabit, Flatland involves a world which is only 2-D, i.e. it is a 2-dimensional world which has no height perspective. It is as though a world exits on an absolutely flat piece of paper. Anything outside of the length and width dimensions cannot be perceived by the inhabitants of that world. This is the analogy for us to consider 4-D space. We simply cannot apprehend it with any of our senses that are geared toward our 3-dimensional world.
What the quantum technology described in the Quantum Space book suggests is that the key to – not only seeing – but doing something with 4-D space, can be achieved via a complex mathematical formula that is put into practice at Fermilab. Since the book was written in 2017, what was true then may be far exceeded today. However, the author’s Afterward suggests that this aspect I’m about to describe was a speculative extension of the actual current technology. Regardless, it does make a kind of sense to me. In the book, he mentions a breakthrough formula which deals with the key to accessing 4-D space through a quantum process that involves the critical capabilities of compression and expansion; compression being the fundamental aspect. What is true or not true today may vary, but at the time of the book’s writing, this was not a real and/or provable concept. Yet, given the exponential increase in scientific understanding, now eight years later, this certainly could be on the way to being science fact and not fiction.
From Flatland, picture an accordion-like structure intersecting the 2-D space and extending into a third dimension. Flatland people cannot see it or do anything with it as it is outside their sensory range. This accordion can compress and expand just as the actual instrument does. If an object is at the far end of the accordion, which is extending out into the third dimension, when the accordion is completely collapsed/compressed that object would be seen and available in Flatland’s 2-dimensional space.
Now, consider a similar capability into 4-D space. When the further end of the accordion is compressed all the way, an object at that far distance in the 4th dimension is now accessible in our 3-D space. Thus, a planet that is light-years away through this compression is now only moments in distance from us. The book’s author expresses this as an ability to compress distance by a factor of one million times or more.
Think about the Star Trek Transporter that can be used on a small or much grander scale. If this quantum technology actually works – or could work as pictured in this novel – space research and even exploratory travel becomes as simple as placing a video camera in a box and taking close-up pictures of Saturn, or of stepping into a device and being transported instantly to the target object at the end of the accordion that is thousands of lightyears away. Who needs spaceships? Fermilab becomes the new NASA.
You can see how intriguing this is for the scientific community. Perhaps you can also begin to picture what the White House Tech Chief might possibly have been alluding to. Remember what he said:
“Our technologies permit us to manipulate time and space.”
What I’ve just described concerning quantum technology certainly begins to ring some alarm bells, doesn’t it? Just to add to the intrigue, recall that he also said:
They [our technologies] leave distance annihilated, cause things to grow, and improve productivity.
Factor this into the description I’ve given and see where that takes you.
Another aspect of all this science and potential is the saga of UFOs and aliens that over the years have intersected with earth in various ways. Not only have Hollywood and various sci-fi authors dealt with this issue, but so has the Pentagon more and more in recent years. This short, linked video from the Reese Report discusses a little of how our government has played with this over the years.
Basically, besides reporting UFO sightings, there is the cryptic and intriguing suggestion that we have been in contact with aliens, and they have provided us with various technologies. This is where we get into the Biblical realm.
Given the dramatic actions that UFOs seem able to take based on video evidence – i.e. achieving incredible speeds, making 90-degree turns on a dime, and popping into and out of sight – perhaps some of the quantum discoveries help us to understand this.
First of all, I don’t for a quantum second believe that there are actual aliens from other worlds. I absolutely believe that all of this interaction is a result of demonic activity that originates from a divine dimension that we are not normally privy to.
For our UFOs it seems to me that their dramatic capabilities are because they can go into and out of this other dimension. We could even call it the 4th dimension we’ve been discussing. It is apparently this dimension that CERN is able to pierce with its frightening apparitions of demonic beings that we’ve been told about. Of course, the question is: What haven’t they told us?
When Fermilab invades this 4th dimension with its quantum technology, will they actually reach into farthest space, or into the demonic realm? Are our scientists being deceived that we can achieve Star Trek capabilities to manipulate time and space, and to leave distance annihilated? If we open these dimensional doors further, à la CERN or Fermilab, what might actually happen when certain prophetic timings are right?
Likewise, this whole business of collaborating with aliens and their technology is a major set-up, in my estimation, for the coming 7-year Tribulation. I’ve postulated previously that many of the incredible high-tech scientific discoveries come from a demonic source because of the access the rebellious Sons of God have had to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil since time immemorial. How difficult is it for a powerful demonic being to deceive willing, God-hating, mankind? I’ve discussed the powerful ability of angels to cast extremely life-like visions in various Prophecy Updates, including Alien Invasion and 6thBowl Frogs are Aliens.
All this makes me wonder what the “aliens” have told and shown our global rulers, plus military and political folks, who want so much to believe that they know better and are actually in control? I can only say that they are in for a massive and memorable surprise in the not-too-distant future. We may see some aspects of this Alien Revelation before the Lord come to Rapture us out of here. However, once the Tribulation begins, all bets are off and the full force of Satan’s wrath, along with that of his willing rebellious accomplices in the demonic realm, will be off the charts.
Each day we’re treated – if I can use that word – to ever greater deceptions among the vast majority of mankind. Jesus said that even the elect would be deceived without Holy Spirit discernment, and those who come to Christ during this terrible time ahead would perish, if He didn’t halt the carnage to come as the Lord of Hosts at the appropriate moment.
Our job as always, is to keep our eyes open and to view the world through a Biblical, prophetic lens. By staying alert in this manner, we’ll be prepared for what comes next and never be taken by surprise.
You May Never Be the Same :: By Jan Markell
Holocaust Memorial Day this year in Israel spans April 23-24. I met a Holocaust survivor a few decades ago, and I may never be the same. When I connected with Anita Dittman, I had her recount her harrowing story. She captivated me. Had you met her, you might never be the same either.
Anita and I spent weeks together as she relayed a story of deprivation, marginalization, starvation, separation, loneliness, isolation, fear, and faith. How could this woman, then in her 50s, even stand up straight? She had lifted 100-pound items as a teenager as the Nazis perpetrated forced labor on her and her mother. They had been abandoned by her Aryan father.
She had made two failed escapes from concentration camps. She didn’t have sufficient food for 12 years. At one point, she sent all of her meager rations to her mother, who entered a camp before Anita was taken.
Once in a camp herself months later, Anita chopped down trees in a forest in the bitter winter with barely enough clothing on. At the end of the war, she walked across part of Europe on a wounded and infected leg to see if her mother had survived Camp Theresienstadt.
God’s Breathtaking Intervention
Was I just looking at a living miracle? I think so—and this survival story would go on to leave a lasting mark on millions of people. A fertile imagination could not make up the scenes and scenarios that were a part of her life from ages 5 to 17. God’s constant intervention was nothing less than breathtaking.
Tyndale House published Angels in the Camp in 1980 – just one version of a book that would have almost a 40-year lifespan, assorted publishers, and more than one title. Books have short shelf lives. Only a few classic stories survive the test of time, as has Anita Dittman’s story.
The Messiah’s Faithfulness
Anita’s book, now titled Trapped in Hitler’s Hell: A Young Jewish Girl Discovers the Messiah’s Faithfulness in the Midst of the Holocaust, has affected people around the world, of all ages. Grade school children sat motionless as she related her ordeal in person until age 88. They have no concept of war, concentration camps, deprivation, and starvation. They don’t know the meaning of the word separation other than waving goodbye as they head to summer camp.
Teenagers who lead a carefree life were stunned at her testimony and wrote her from many countries. Their world knows nothing of the dreaded knock on the door when family members are hauled off by the jack-booted, heartless Gestapo.
Demonstrating God’s Forgiveness
Every fall Anita Dittman stood behind a book table at my annual prophecy conference and signed hundreds of her books, now published by Lighthouse Trails. A German lady came up to her one year and wept. She apologized for the insanity of the Third Reich. What were they thinking? Anita always forgave these folks.
When Government Becomes God
The decades have raced by, but during that time, millions more have learned that letting government become god as the Germans did is not a good idea. Today in 2025, she would be 96 if she were still alive. Her life verse was Romans 8:28 – that all things do work together for good for those who love God. Anita reminded every audience of that. That we really are under the shadow of His protective wings (Psalm 91:4).
Never Again Is Now
Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, is just a few days away this year, and Jews of the world will collectively say, “Never again!” In Israel, cars will stop when a siren wails, and many will stand at attention wherever they are. Israeli children will climb off their toys and stand motionless for two minutes.
Yet a world without God will continue to oppress and persecute. The targets will be heavily Jews and Christians. Please don’t forget those who languish under deplorable conditions, and never forget that one single tyrant can unleash a nightmare on millions of innocent people.
Hating Jews is the oldest pastime. It’s the oldest hatred. It not only never dies, it gets worse every year. That is evident from the carnage on October 7, 2023, near Gaza. Not everyone will even finish reading this article. It is just of little interest to many. Or, they have sympathy for Hamas.
The Holocaust is ancient history—and yet it keeps resurfacing in different times and places. But in 2025, it is accentuated as the world cheers for Hamas and denounces the Jews.
I never thought I would see the day. Nor did you if you are honest. “Never again” is now, as we race towards the Tribulation, when the Jews will be the focus of the Antichrist and his short-term kingdom. Today is just a warm-up act.
Zechariah 12: The War Before Armageddon – By Bill Salus
The overwhelming vast majority of conservative Bible teachers strongly believe that the war in Zechariah 12 will take place at Armageddon when all the nations of the earth come to attack Israel. Then, as per Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19, the Lord single-handedly destroys these invading armies. However, every Bible translation of Zechariah 12 has Israel, with the help of the Lord, militarily defeating all the peoples that came to attack them.
The Zechariah 12 war happens in the future when the Arab nations sharing common borders with Israel besiege Jerusalem and Judah. These invaders are soundly defeated by Israel’s military with the Lord’s help.
Conversely, the war of Armageddon in Zechariah 14 is a totally separate war that takes place subsequently when all the nations of the earth with their armies attack only the city of Jerusalem. In this siege, they successfully capture half the city, which leaves Israel in a completely defenseless situation. Thus, the Lord steps in, and He personally defeats all the world armies in Revelation 19:15-21.
The primary purpose of this in-depth Bible prophecy study is to show that Zechariah 12:1-9 IS NOT dealing with ARMAGEDDON but IS dealing with the conclusion of the ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT. This conflict is the topic explored at the end of this article.
The Separate War of Zechariah 12:1-9
The three verses below mostly explain what happens in the Zechariah 12 war.
“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem” (Zech. 12:2).
“’In that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness’” (Zech. 12:4).
“In that day I will make the governors of JUDAH like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; THEY shall DEVOUR all the SURROUNDING PEOPLES on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem” (Zech. 12:6, NKJV; emphasis added).
In Zech. 12:2, the surrounding people lay siege on Judah and Jerusalem. In Zech. 12:4, the Lord divinely intervenes to level the playing field. Zech. 12:6 points out that after the Lord intervenes, Israel decisively defeats the surrounding peoples.
The key to understanding this separate war is to recognize that these verses above only identify “the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left hand” of Israel. This is in contrast to “all the nations” of the world that are included in the Armageddon Campaign in Zechariah 14:2 and elsewhere.
All Bible translations of Zech. 12:2 clearly identify only the neighboring nations that share common borders with Israel. A few examples are included below.
“cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples” (NKJV)
“cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about” (ASV)
“cup brings dizziness to all the surrounding nations” (NET)
“cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling” (NIV)
“intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger” (NLT)
“cup of poison to the nations around her” (NCV)
The Hebrew word that identifies these peoples round about Israel is “Sabib,” and it means, “On every side, places round about, round about in a circuit, in the circuit from every side, a circle, a neighbor, or within all the confines of its border.” This word is used in both Zech. 12:2 and 6 to single out the Arab states that border Israel.
One of the first uses of this word in the Bible makes this clear in the verse below.
“And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in (Sabib), all the borders round about,” were made sure” (Genesis 23:17, KJV; emphasis added).
No part of Zechariah 12 appears to prophesy about the Armageddon Campaign, but for centuries, and even continuing today, most all commentaries connect Armageddon with Zechariah 12.
Here are important questions for those who teach the war in Zechariah 12 is part of the Armageddon scenario.
1.) If Zechariah 12 involves “all the nations of the earth,” why are there no Bible translations that have “all the nations of the earth” besieging Jerusalem in Zech. 12:2?
2.) Similarly, why are there no Bible translations that have “all the nations of the earth” identified in Zech 12:6, whereby the IDF defeats only the surrounding peoples on Israel’s “right hand and on the left?”
3.) If Zechariah 12 takes place at Armageddon, do you believe that in the Armageddon scenario, the Lord will divinely intervene (Zech. 12:4) and empower the IDF (Zech. 12:6) to militarily defeat the Antichrist and “all the nations of the earth?”
4.) Many Bible teachers believe that America will be among all the nations of the earth that will attack Jerusalem at Armageddon. Do you think that, as per Zech 12:6, the IDF will soundly defeat America at Armageddon?
5.) According to Zech. 13:8-9, only one-third of the Jews will survive the Jewish genocide of the Antichrist. These killings happen around the same time as the Armageddon campaign. This remnant will likely become refugees fleeing for their survival. Do you think that Israel’s army at this time will be able to defeat “all the nations of the earth,” including the USA and China (the Kings of the East)?
6.) How can Zechariah 12:2,4-9, whereby the Lord divinely assists and empowers the IDF to defeat the peoples surrounding Israel, actually take place at Armageddon, if according to Zechariah 14, Isaiah 63 and Revelation 19, the Lord HIMSELF, at Armageddon without any IDF help, defeats “all the nations of the earth?”
Comparing the Wars of Zechariah 12:1-9 and Zechariah 14:1-3
“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle” (Zech. 14:1-3).
The passage above declares the Lord will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem. These international armies wage a highly SUCCESSFUL SIEGE against the Holy City, “the city shall be taken.”
In this scenario, Jerusalem does not become a cup of trembling to the surrounding Arab states, nor to the invading world armies. If anything trembles, it’s the Jews as they witness the ransacking of their houses and the raping of their women. Moreover, capturing Jerusalem is no longer impeded by a burdensome, immovable stone but is easily conquered.
I mention this point because Zechariah 12:3 likens Jerusalem to an immovable rock, “on that day” when God turns Jerusalem into a cup of trembling.
“On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves” (Zechariah 12:3, NLT).
Because this verse says, “all the nations,” the tendency of many has been to connect this with “all the nations” in Zechariah 14:2 and Armageddon. The potential problems with this are:
- In Zech. 14:2, there is no immovable stone creating an obstacle to the capturing of Jerusalem.
- Zech. 12:3 happens “on that day” that Israel in Zech. 12:6successfully fends off the siege of the surrounding Arab states and not at Armageddon.
Subsequent to this successful conquest of Jerusalem in Zech 14:2, Jesus Christ single-handedly defeats the Antichrist and his armies in fulfillment of Rev 19:11-21. The differences between the Zech. 12:2-6 siege against Jerusalem is starkly different than the one in Zech. 14:2-3. The comparisons are below.
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*Pre-Tribulation timing is because in the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period, Israel is living peacefully as a result of the covenant in Daniel 9:27. Dwelling in this condition, they are not likely at war with the surrounding nations. Then in the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period, the Jews are fleeing from the genocidal attempt of the Antichrist and unable to make war with the surrounding peoples. This timing sequence is explained in more detail in my FUTURE WAR Prophecies book.
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Comparing the Wars of Zechariah 12:1-9 and Revelation 16:12-16
Revelation 16:12-16 deals with the events that occur within the Sixth Bowl Judgment, which happens toward the latter part of the Seven-Year Tribulation Period. The details are summarized below.
“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared” (Rev. 16:12).
In this bowl judgment, the kings of the east make their way to the Middle East by crossing over a dried-up Euphrates River. These eastern kings are commonly taught to be the leaders from China and other Asian nations. They, along with many other world leaders, are persuaded by three powerful demonic beings to gather together for a final war against God, which is referred to as “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
“For they (three frog-like beings) are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:14; emphasis added).
“And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16).
The differences between Zech. 12:2-6 and Rev. 16:12-16 are identified below. These comparisons strongly suggest that these are two distinctly different wars.
Comparing the Wars of Zechariah 12:1-9 and Revelation 19:19-21
Thus far, I have demonstrated the stark contrasts between Zech. 12 and Zech. 14 and also between Zech. 12 and Rev. 16. Now I’ll attempt to disconnect Zech. 12 from Rev. 19.
“And I saw the beast [the Antichrist], the kings of the earth, and their [international] armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him [Jesus Christ], who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev. 19:19-21, NKJV; emphasis added).
Other Comparative Arguments
So it seems to be strike one, two and three for a strikeout on the potential of Zechariah 14, Revelation 16, Revelation 19 to connect with Zechariah 12:1-9. However, there are a few more questions to answer to safely suggest that Zechariah 12 is not part of Armageddon.
- Zechariah 12:9mentions “all the nations”; doesn’t that identify “all the nations” that gather together for the Armageddon scenario?
- Zechariah 12:3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11informs the events happen “In that day”; isn’t that alluding to “The Day of the Lord” that takes place at Armageddon?
- If Zechariah 12:10-14is fulfilled early on in the Millennium, then why wouldn’t Zech. 12:2-9, happen just prior at Armageddon?
My answers to these three questions are provided at this link.
How Psalm 83 Connects with Zechariah 12
Could this war in Zechariah 12:2-9, in which the Lord supernaturally empowers the IDF to fight and achieve a decisive military victory over the neighboring people surrounding Israel, be the result of the answered imprecatory prayer of Asaph in Psalm 83?
Zechariah 12:1-9 seems to tell us how the Arab-Israeli conflict ends. This will not happen politically, but rather, it will conclude militarily. The surrounding Arab states, alongside the Palestinians, will make a final attempt to wipe Israel off the map and take over Judah and Jerusalem. It will be an unsuccessful siege that the IDF will decisively defeat.
These surrounding peoples are identified in the prophecy of Psalm 83 and many other scriptures. The central theme within the Psalm is the intent by these Arabs to destroy Israel so thoroughly that even the name of Israel would be forgotten forever.
“’Come,’ they say, ‘let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence’” (Psalm 83:4, NLT).
They seek to possess Jerusalem, Judah, and all of Israel.
“For they said, ‘Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God’” (Psalm 83:12, NLT).
These belligerents are identified in my book and companion DVD entitled The FUTURE WAR Prophecies. Also available to read for free online is my article entitled “God Helps Israel Defeat the Arab Armies: (Zechariah 12:1-6).” This article presents a good commentary on Zechariah 12:1-6.
Some teach Psalm 83 is simply a prayer, but below are a couple of quotes from respected theologians that rebut this idea.
John Peter Lange is a well-respected theologian and the author of the Lange Commentary on the Holy Scripture, which was published in 1877. He points out that those combined against Israel are never mentioned elsewhere as enemies allied at the same time and for the purpose of annihilating Israel. Lange notes:
“With regard to the time of composition, the following difficulty meets us. The ten nations who are here enumerated as being combined against Israel are never mentioned elsewhere as enemies allied at the same time and for the purpose of annihilating Israel.”
In addition, Lange notes there were some individuals during his time who taught that the Psalm was just a general idea about enemies from all sides of Israel. However, Lange believed that the details found in Psalm 83:8 were unfavorable to this view. Here is how he explains it:
“And yet the expressions are of such a nature that we cannot be inclined to consider this enumeration as only a poetical individualizing of the general idea: enemies from all sides (De Wette, Hupfeld). The position of Assyria as an auxiliary of the sons of Lot, that is, of the Moabites and Ammonites, is especially unfavorable to this view.”
Psalm 83:8 points out that Assyria, one of the ten confederate members, actively helps “the children of Lot” in this war prophecy. In modernity, Assyria represents Syria and Iraq; and Lot’s children, who were Ammon and Moab, are Jordan today.
“Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah” (Psalm 83:8, NKJV).
The next commentary on Psalm 83 below is from Bible scholar Merrill F. Unger, who was a professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. The following words were published in his book in 2002 entitled Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament on pages 866-867.
“This psalm is the last of the Asaph series (Psalms 73-83), of which prophetically glimpse Israel’s future trouble and deliverance into Kingdom blessing…. Probably its fulfillment will come in some pan-Arabic coalition and attack on the Israeli State before the church is taken out, or at least before Daniel’s seventieth week begins.”
Thus Psalm 83 and Zechariah 12 are seemingly related prophecies. By the time Zechariah 12:2-9 happens, the following prophecies should also happen concurrently or already have been fulfilled and none of these seem to be part of Armageddon:
- Jeremiah 12:14-17,
- Ezekiel 28:20-26,
- Psalm 83 and the peripheral prophecies below.
- IDF vs SYRIA (Isaiah 17:9, Jer. 49:23-27)
- IDF vs HEZBOLLAH (LEBANON) (Psalm 83:7, Ezek. 28:20-24)
- IDF vs PALESTINIANS (Obadiah 1:18, Ezek. 25:14, Psalm 83:6)
- IDF vs HAMAS (GAZA) (Zeph 2:4, Ezek. 25:13-14, Psalm 83:7)
- IDF vs JORDAN (Isaiah 11:14, Jer. 49:2, Ezek. 25:14)
- IDF vs EGYPT (Isaiah 19:1-18, Psalm 83:6)
- IDF vs SAUDI ARABIA (Ezek. 25:14, Jer. 49:8)
- IDF vs HOSTILE NEIGHBORS (Zechariah 12:6, Ezek. 28:24-26)
I’ll conclude with a final quote from my dear friend, Dr. David Reagan, on Zechariah 12. David used to teach that Zechariah 12 was part of Armageddon, but after reading my teachings and doing his own extensive research now recognizes that it’s not likely part of Armageddon.
David Reagan, “The Wars of the End Times, Part 2.”
“The first the War of Israeli Extermination is described in Psalm 83. Psalm 83 states that the immediate neighbors of Israel will launch a war for the purpose of wiping out Israel as a nation…. The outcome of the war is not specifically stated in Psalm 83, but we know from other Scriptures that Israel will be victorious. For example, Zechariah 12:6 says, “That in the end times Israel will be like a firepot among pieces of wood, and a flaming torch among sheaths so that that they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples.” … “Bill Salus believes this war of annihilation will boomerang on the Arab nations and will result in their overwhelming defeat producing great territorial expansion, enhanced national resources for Israel, and yes, peace for Israel.””
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Prophetic Proof: Jerusalem and Judah Belong to the Jews – By Bill Salus
This article will prove prophetically through Zechariah 12:1, as supported by a sequence of historically fulfilled foretold events, that Jerusalem and Judah belongs exclusively to the Jews. This article concludes with this proof.
Zechariah’s prophecies in chapter 12:1-9, foretell of a coming siege upon Judah and Jerusalem by the surrounding Arab states. Presently, these Arabs contest Israel’s rightful sovereign claims over Judah and Jerusalem. These Muslim countries believe that Jerusalem is Islam’s third holiest city and that Judah is under Jewish occupation, but actually belongs to the Palestinians. Ultimately, the Arabs will try to forcefully take over Judah and Jerusalem. Below is a brief overview of this future siege in Zechariah 12:2,4,6.
“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:2; KJV)
In that day, the Lord will intervene to prevent this. First, by making Jerusalem likened to a cup of trembling, dizziness or intoxication in some translations. This will initially stagger their efforts, but then secondly, they are hit with three heavy supernatural blows.
“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.” (Zech. 12:4)
Remember that when Zechariah wrote, the soldiers rode into battle upon horses, rather than flew in on fighter jets or drove military tanks. Therefore, I will translate these events into modern-day warfare concepts.
The LORD will level the field by the following three supernatural blows;
1. “I will strike every horse with confusion.” This suggests that debilitating malfunctions might occur within the Arab artilleries with their jets, tanks, weapons, transport vehicles, etc.
2. “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness.” This implies that the military equipment malfunctions will cause panic and hysteria among the soldiers. By now Jerusalem will certainly become a cup of trembling to these Arab attackers.
3. “I will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.” To top off the failed equipment, it seems that the military GPS guidance and radar systems also quit working.
Now, with the divine interventions above, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are able to decisively defeat the attackers.”
“In that day I will make the governors of JUDAH (IDF) like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; THEY shall DEVOUR all the SURROUNDING (Arab) PEOPLES on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.” (Zech. 12:6, NKJV; emphasis added)
This siege is unsuccessful! Key words are in bold font above to show that the attackers are from the surrounding Arab armies and not international armies. The world armies will subsequently make a siege upon Jerusalem in Zechariah 14:1-2 and it will succeed, but that is part of the Armageddon campaign and not the Arab siege.
For more details about both the Arab and subsequent Armageddon sieges read my articles entitled, “God Helps Israel Defeat the Arab Armies: (Zechariah 12:1-6),” and “Zechariah 12: The War Before Armageddon.”
Jerusalem and Judah Belong to the Jews
Now, it’s time to prove prophetically that Jerusalem and Judah both belong to the Jews. Zechariah 12:1 intentionally quotes from Isaiah 44:24-28. Isaiah prophesied between approximately 740-701 BC. Zechariah began his prophetic ministry about 200 years later in 520 BC.
“The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.” (Zechariah 12:1)[i]
This sovereign declaration serves as the Lord’s certificate of authenticity concerning Zechariah’s prophecy. This acknowledgment was first made around 720 BC in Isaiah 44.
“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: (forms the spirit of man within him) “I am the LORD, Who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who (lays the foundation and) spread out the earth—Who was with me. Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness; Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places; Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; Who says of Cyrus, (King of Persia 600-530 BC) ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’ (Isaiah 44:24-28; emphasis added)
This Isaiah prophecy was issued over a century before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians around 586 BC. Isaiah essentially stated that, as sure as the Lord single-handedly stretches out the heavens and spreads abroad the earth, the Jews would rebuild Jerusalem and Judah.
Isaiah was clearly issuing a future prophecy because during his time, Jerusalem was inhabited and the cities of Judah had already been built. In essence, Isaiah anticipated the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah by the Babylonians and the subsequent need to restore it.
Isaiah 44:26 prophesied that Jerusalem would be inhabited with Jews and the cities of Judah would be rebuilt by Jews. Isaiah 44:28 proclaimed over 150 years in advance, that King Cyrus of Persia would issue the command for the restoration of Jerusalem and Judah.
In 539 BC the Persian King Cyrus conquered the Babylonians and according to Ezra 1:2-4, he immediately commanded the Jews to return to Israel to rebuild the Jewish Temple and restore the devastation in Judah. 
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people, (the Jews)? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:2-4, NKJV; emphasis added)
Zechariah’s generation served as the living fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. His generation was the one that again re-inhabited Jerusalem and rebuilt the cities of Judah that the Babylonians had destroyed. Thus, his repeat declaration of Isaiah 44:24 is intended to leave no doubt that both Judah and Jerusalem were exclusively sovereign to the Jews.
PROPHECY fulfilled HISTORICALLY is the best PROOF AVAILABLE!
Zechariah 12:1, which called to remembrance Isaiah’s prophecy about King Cyrus, clearly declared that the Jews possessed God given sovereignty over all of Jerusalem and Judah. King Cyrus commanded the Jews, not the Arabs, to return to Israel and restore their homeland.
Zechariah 12:2 foretells that someday Israel’s rightful claims to these areas would be falsely and forcibly contested by the surrounding Arab peoples. They will attempt a final siege upon Judah and Jerusalem, which Zechariah 12:6 informs will end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
[i] Zechariah 12 verses are taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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