NOTE: Let’s try this again. My apologizes for the technical issue in posting this article this morning. 

Many have speculated over the years about who will be Antichrist. We’ve heard names going back to Hitler, Mussolini, JFK, King Juan Carlos, Prince Charles, Kissinger, Reagan, Trump, Obama, Macron, and now Ukraine’s Volodymyr Oleksandrovych, with a few other names sprinkled in between. None have, so far, fit the bill as that wicked man of sin.

But with regard to the one who will be Gog of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, the naming of that leader who is prophetically scheduled to lead the assault against Israel seems almost a certainty.

I must include myself in looking rather intensely at one Vladimir Putin as a quite likely candidate for the one into whose jaws God will put the hooks to draw him and his forces down over the mountains of Israel. That is, the Russian Federation president—at the moment, at least—appears to be a prime candidate for being that chief prince of Meshack and Tubal.

Yet, if I were a betting man, as they say, I wouldn’t lay too much down on him in making that wager. Unfolding history has a way of making look foolish those who place too much faith in their own ability to predict prophetic events. Such will likely be the fate of those who invest all in predicting that Vlad is the man possessed of the Gog spirit.

Nonetheless, it is said by some that Mr. Putin has already been indwelt by the Gog demon, recently up from the abyss. And he certainly does act as if he is possessed, his sudden, explosive aggression—without anyone or anything apparently poking the Russian bear—inflicting death and destruction on the people of Ukraine.

Oh, he is said to have unleashed his forces because of Ukraine being courted by NATO as a prospective future member of the organization. But that is an unlikely thing to develop. More likely it involves Putin, a former KGB colonel who has expressed several times that the fall of the Soviet Union was the worst thing to have happened in history. He wants to be seen as a re-emerged, Soviet-style hero in beginning to regather the USSR as formerly constituted.

The prospects for his being that leader of the forces destined for destruction on the mountains of Israel were enhanced considerably when one of Putin’s diplomats made it known that Russia no longer considers the Golan and other areas sovereign territory belonging to Israel. We can extrapolate from that diplomatic note that Russia considers that area—an area recently found to be rich in gas and oil deposits—a legitimate target in the future. Wow! It sure looks like it’s all coming together.

My friend Mark sent an article the other day that goes even further in congealing the likelihood of Mr. Putin being that Russian leader who is either now or who will in the future be possessed by that evil spirit from the abyss—the demon that will make the chief prince of Meshach and Tubal have that “evil thought” to attack God’s chosen nation, as foretold by the prophet Ezekiel.

Mr. Putin seems to have a cheerleading group of the dark-dimension sort rooting for him. The following excerpt of that fascinating article Mark sent explains.

On March 12, about 100 self-described witches gathered at an indoor facility to call upon supernatural entities, and presumably the forces of darkness, to strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin and help him in his invasion of Ukraine, reported Asia News.

The witches wore dark capes and hoods, and recited incantations.

Aljona Polin, Russia’s leading witch and founder of the Great Witches of Russia association, according to Asia News, said, “Those who hear, but do not hear, those who see, but do not see, those who are there, were there and will be there, will not forget my word: raise the strength of Russia, direct our President Vladimir Putin on the path of justice.”

“Let the great strength of Russia manifest itself,” Aljona intoned. The other witches responded, “Indeed.”

In the middle of the room where the witches gathered there was a shawl with a picture of Putin on it, next to a candle…

“The ritual lasted about 20 minutes in all, with a final physical connection of all the witches joining hands and energies, entering into a spiritual connection with Putin himself,” reported Asia News. (“Witches Gather in Moscow to Support Putin, Curse His Enemies,” by Michael W. Chapman, CNS NEWS March 15, 2022)

Whether or not the evil Gog spirit has been summoned by this coven, the short-of-stature but enormous-of-ego Putin, in considering the one who will be that leader of Rosh, sure looks interesting, doesn’t he?

Even so, don’t bet the farm on it is good advice. Let’s just watch, as commanded (Mark 13: 37) and look for the blessed hope (Titus 2: 13).

We who are in Christ don’t have to be concerned with knowing who will be the chief prince of Meshach and Tubal any more than we have to be concerned with knowing who will be the son of perdition when he steps onto the stage of history. We will be triumphantly within the ark of safety provided by our Lord and Savior.

For when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your head, for your redemption draws near. (Luke 21:28)

Again, the commentary is presented from an Amero-centric perspective. The continuation of vantage point is because, indeed, at this particular time in history, America is at the heart of the geopolitical milieu.

Much of what has happened, and is happening at present, has been or is influenced by the actions of those in control of the government of the United States. For example, when Donald Trump was president, Russian leader Vladimir Putin held in check his aggressive nature. Or at least the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit, did so. At any rate, Putin threatened Ukraine because of its leaders’ talking about joining NATO on occasion. Mr. Trump is said to have let it be known (I don’t find the exact quote) that if Putin invaded Ukraine, Moscow would be the target for being nuked. Trump didn’t hide his intentions. He was blunt and always followed through on his promises/threats – at least for the most part.

Putin realized this, no doubt, and never came close to invading the former Soviet state.

The Trump administration put the Chinese Communist Party leaders on notice that to assault Taiwan or to disrupt American, or any other shipping, in the South China Sea would bring America’s naval might to the area, and it would be used if necessary. As a matter of fact, there was increased American naval presence there during all years of the Trump administration. Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist dictator, got the message and, again, with Holy Spirit Restraint I’m convinced, thought better than to unleash his missiles, navy, and army upon Taiwan.

The Chinese are known for their patience, however – in waiting for the right opportunities that will inevitably come. Xi Jinping has been watching the Russian invasion and all attendant to it.

He has considered the present American president and his response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I’m convinced, as stated in previous commentaries, that Xi Jinping will, at some point soon, decide to take over Taiwan, the island state Chinese dictators have long considered to be a part of mainland China.

This might be done sooner rather than later, as it is said. Xi Jinping knows that the American political environment is chaotic – that the Democrat Party is, at this point at least, due to take a drubbing in November elections. If things don’t change drastically, the Presidential elections in 2024 will be calamitous for the Democrat Party also.

Almost certainly, the new governing elements within Congress and then in the White House will bring back strong leadership in direct opposition to all that is going on at present, with the Biden Administration doing all it can to disassemble America as founded – to bring the nation into the globalist sphere. For example, Biden’s immediately on taking office adopted the radical, green demands of the left, thereby severely curtailing the Keystone Pipeline System, making America again dependent on global sources of energy, thus putting the nation under the thumb of the globalist elite.

The November 2022 election change to a pro-America (nationalist) administration will doubtless include a reconfiguration of the U.S. military, with replacement of the present Joint Chiefs of Staff being almost a surety.

I.e., I believe the Communist Chinese leadership very likely might have concluded that now is the opportunity they have longed for since Taiwan broke away in 1945. Another such opportunity might not come until a future such weakened America and western world – thereby with diminished resolve to oppose such aggression – might again come into being.

Now, understand that the above is offered with the absolute assurance that God’s Mighty Hand is in all of it. We know that from God’s Word.

“And now ye know what withholdeth [the Holy Spirit] that he [Antichrist] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he [the Holy Spirit] who now letteth [restrains] will let [restrain], until he [the Holy Spirit] be taken out of the way.” (2 Thes 2:6-7)   

So why do we “Watch” as our title of the commentary suggests?

Because we are commanded to do so by the Lord Jesus Himself, to begin with…

“And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” (Mark 13:37)

“And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your head, for your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

His command is more than enough to make clear that God wants us to be aware of His impending return to Planet Earth as the moment of that Glorious Appearance nears. He said to look up when we “see all these things begin to come to pass.” The Judaizers of His first coming to present Himself as Israel’s Messiah and King couldn’t see the Truth. Jesus was that Messiah. Christians must not be oblivious. We are commanded to be aware of the time of Christ’s Return to put an end to the carnage that is happening now and is scheduled to take place in Judgment and Wrath during the 7 years of Tribulation.

We are to thus warn those who are lost and headed for Hell of these things to come while witnessing the Loving Gift Offering of God’s only Son in Sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

To know that Bible prophecy tells the end of all things from the beginning does one thing more for the Christian who “watches” as Jesus commanded. It offers comfort and assurance. Assurance that there will not be nuclear exchanges that end civilization. There will not be World War III as so many are fretting about right now. People will be doing all the things of normal life at the very moment of His next intervention into human history. All will be normal for the times in that regard, while the times are chaotic just like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Boy howdy! Are we ever at that point in comportment right at this moment?

Jesus, Himself, promised this would be the condition of humanity in just one passage I continue to repeat for all who will listen.

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17: 26-30)

The Lord Jesus Gave the most important Promise of all as recorded in the following passage. And remember that “the last day” begins with the Rapture!

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6: 40)  

A number of questions have come in with the worry over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s Vladimir Putin seems to be in the process of fulfilling the Gog-Magog prophecy in the opinion of some of those among whom have sent emails, etc.

Of particular interest in this regard is Russia’s sending the warning to Israel that Russia no longer considers the Golan, etc., to be Israel’s sovereign territory. i.e., apparently, it’s now open for Russia’s taking it over because of Israel’s dealings with Syria in some perceived unjust way.

Putin took unkindly to Israel saying they supported the Ukrainian people in opposing Russia’s assault on their nation.

During all this perhaps stage-setting for the Gog-Magog attack of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, another powerful player of prophetic dimension is starkly in view. The developments in the regions east of the Euphrates, the oriental world, are indeed worth delving into in terms of likely prophetic progression.

I refer to the matter of the persistent probing into Taiwan’s air space with military jets. The actions are intended not only to intimidate but to see just how not only Taiwan itself but how the western powers – particularly the U.S. – will react and respond.

Of course, China is the culprit in all this. Taiwan’s monstrous neighbor, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP,) has had for many years a festering hatred for that democratic republic just miles off China’s coast. They are now making that hatred manifest for the world to see.

Vladimir Putin’s daring invasion of Ukraine has, without a doubt, given China’s despot, Xi Jinping, the evidence he needs that confirms America’s weakness of leadership. The current presidential administration’s perceived inability to deal with Putin and his aggression with military action or even with other effective means to deter Russian incursion have no doubt caused Xi Jinping to become more aggressive by the day in probing Taiwan’s vulnerability.

The buildup of China’s aggressiveness has been coming more clearly into the picture of events shaping for prophetic fulfillment for several years of late. The building of artificial islands in the South China Sea, for example, has been part of this buildup. They have thus challenged navies and anyone other who passes through that sea, even though that is legally, in terms of maritime law, open waters for movement of ships from around the world. China has proclaimed it as its sovereign waters and has threatened military action even against U.S. naval ships.

So among the questions I’ve gotten through email and in personal conversations as well as on TV and radio interviews is: “Do you think China will attack Taiwan and take it over?”

People who are well-versed in Bible prophecy already can see the proverbial handwriting on the wall when it comes to Russia. They are fairly certain the Russian actions, with their taking of Ukraine (or at least parts of it at this point), is a sure signal that it might be all setting up the Gog-Magog assault at some point. Russia’s aforementioned threatening of Israel, denying the Jewish state’s sovereignty in the matter of the Golan, strongly adds to the evidence that the Gog-Magog attack must be somewhere in the not-too-distant future.

But China is another matter. The questions concerning its intentions, etc., are not issued with any certainty that they see potential prophetic fulfillment within the matters involved.

“Will China attack and take over Taiwan?”

The question has been ruminating within the aging gray matter and within my spiritual neurons that want to know, too.

Here is my assessment, or at least my best epiphany, if that’s the correct term.

I do believe that because of this American presidential administration’s weak actions and reactions to most everything that involves aggression, China will decide to take Taiwan. If they wait until the midterm elections in this nation, they will face much stronger opposition if, as expected, there is a complete rout of the Democrat Party, particularly in the House of Representatives.

If they await the presidential election of 2024, their prospects for successfully taking the Taiwan island-state without use of nuclear weapons might be even more greatly diminished.

Bible prophecy tells of the massive force of 200 million troops that will cross the dried-up Euphrates River at the end of the Tribulation period. This force is called the kings of the east. I have always believed that China, who now can easily put together that size force, joined by all the other “kings of the east” in that oriental part of the world, will be the lead nation in the demonically-possessed horde. I believe that China will be the King of the kings of the east in that attack that will kill one-third of people on earth.

If this generation is at the very end of the Church Age (Age of Grace) – as many of us believe the world is – all prophetic progression must soon come together in preparation for the wind-up of history this side of the Tribulation and the Triumphant Return of Christ. Just as the Gog-Magog forces seem to be coming together at present, so, too, the things in the oriental world must be coming together.

China, by bringing Taiwan into its hegemonic embrace, is almost a certainty in firming up the kings of the east assault force. Xi Jinping, or whomever is the Chinese leader, will soon be bringing all of those oriental nations that are now independent, sovereign countries into their orb through whatsoever means necessary.

I don’t believe those means will be nuclear – at least not this side of the Rapture of the Church. That would throw the world into configuration other than prophesied by the Lord Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:26-30. It would not be business as usual if there were nuclear exchanges all over the world, or, I believe, even on a limited basis.

No matter the way things will play out within the near term, the God of Heaven is in complete Control. We can be absolutely certain of that Truth. And He will take Christ’s Bride, the Church, out of this doomed world because of its rebelliousness before His Wrath must fall.

Here again is how to avoid that coming Judgment and Wrath.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10: 9-10).

A couple of commentaries ago, I announced my great friend Bob Rogers going to our Heavenly home and how he is now enjoying things beyond which we can imagine. Today we share with you through tears comforted by joyful knowledge that he is alive forever, that his dear wife, Vicki Rogers, a wonderful Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, has joined him after a lengthy bout with illness.

However, both were infinitely more than my friends. We are all part of a family the Lord put together many years ago. It is a spiritual family relationship rather than biological, and that, to me at least, has always meant it was even more meaningful than if we could have been relatives in the earthly, biological sense.

Their daughter, Angie, is my honorary daughter in every sense. She is also my editor (the best in the world of editing) of many, many years. The children of Angie and husband Kurt (also close to my fatherly heart) – Nick, Lindsey and Erin – are my honorary grandchildren, whom I love as if they were my biological family.

Because of her belief in Jesus Christ and being in God’s family, Angie’s mom is now together again with her beloved husband Bob and is exulting in a magnificent joy that’s beyond comprehension. We can know this because of the following familiar promise from God’s Holy Word.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

We have read in that Holy Word that Jesus said that in Heaven we are neither married nor given in marriage. Some might find that to be something that is discouraging. I do not. That’s because of the above promise. We are promised more wonderful things when we reach that eternal state of joy than we are capable of imagining. This means, to me, and should to you also, that the relationships, whether they be earthly friendships and family relationships – or marriage partnerships – the intimacy will be millions of times more wonderful than any relationship we’ve had while in this earth-bound body.

Like in the earlier case of Bob’s making that trip to his eternal home, Vicki’s going to be with her Lord tripped things within my spiritually-motivated cognitive processes. It immediately brought up the scriptural promise that I have always found profound almost beyond ability to express. Here is that promise. It is more than a promise.

It is a fact right at this moment, not just when we reach that heavenly home that Bob and Vicki now are enjoying. It is profound because it is so hard for us who are now in God’s eternal family to get our earthly minds around while still in these mortal bodies.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8: 16-17).

Do you grasp what this is truly saying? All that God has He has given to His Blessed Son, Jesus. God is telling us here through the Apostle Paul that we – already, in this life – are possessors of all of God’s riches, in exact measure as is His Son! Now that is something that I can certainly not truly get this feeble, full-of-much-age grey matter around!

God is telling us that we are joint heirs with the Creator of all that is! Jesus was given the power and authority from the Father to make all there is!

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Col. 1:16-17).

The phrase “by him all things consist” has always given me a sense of the awesome power of our Lord. We are told that He created the very substance of all matter. He holds together the atoms and even the elements that make up the atom! If He didn’t hold the elements of Creation together, all that is in existence would fly apart instantaneously.

That is how we can begin to somewhat understand why when Jesus rode the little donkey into Jerusalem to present Himself as Israel’s Messiah, he said that if the people didn’t praise Him at that time, the very stones would cry out. All of nature – the very elements – obeys our Lord and recognizes Him for Who He is!

When we are in Heaven with Bob and Vicki, with each other, and with our wonderful Savior and Lord –our Brother Jesus – we won’t just be tiny unrecognized figures in a Heaven full of billions of souls. We will be people in flesh-and-bone bodies – immortal bodies – like Jesus’ Body. We will know each other individually and intimately, as God, our omniscient Father, knows each of us and every hair on our heads (which all men among us will have again in abundance)!

As Dr. David Jeremiah might say while preaching fervently, “Can I get a praise?

I had just turned twenty years old a couple of months earlier when I watched and heard John F. Kennedy say live on TV something like: “The United States shall consider any missile launched from Cuba to be a direct attack by the Soviet Union upon this nation, which will bring a full retaliatory response by the United States upon the Soviet Union.”

The president’s famous smile had been wiped away and a grim expression had taken its place. Even at only twenty, I knew there had never been such a critical moment in human history, so far as potential for war was concerned. The missile crisis of October 1962 had brought mankind to the brink of all-out nuclear war.

Many years later, it was learned that only the refusal of one Soviet submariner to agree to launching a missile prevented initiating a conflagration. The sub’s command was under the mistaken impression that Soviet military assets had been attacked with nuclear warheads.

The Soviet naval officer was the third vote required to send the nuclear missiles toward their targets. Two of his fellow officers, one of them being the sub’s commander, voted yes. He voted no, so the missiles weren’t launched. It was the right decision, and, after days of tense standoffs and negotiations directly between Kennedy and Soviet Premiere Nikita Khrushchev, the most dangerous nuclear confrontation in history dissolved back into less-threatening cold-war status.

Both Kennedy and Khrushchev–particularly Khrushchev—have been credited with and lauded for showing great restraint in preventing all-out atomic war. This, because the Soviet dictator started dismantling the nuclear missiles on the Cuban island.

I knew little about the details of Bible prophecy at that age, although I had been taught prophecy from the pre-Trib viewpoint since I was very young. I can remember vividly, as a six-year-old, hearing Pastor Harris in the Seventh Street Tabernacle in Pekin, Illinois, preaching on the Rapture of the Church. The belief that the Lord knows the end from the beginning was never a point to question in my thinking. But when the Cuban missile crisis was in full bloom, I admit I didn’t think about all that. I was very worried–as was most every American who kept up with the unfolding events.

My naïve understanding was that these geopolitical leaders had indeed been responsible for applying the restraint of common sense in preventing the world from being blown up. I even found a modicum of appreciation for Khrushchev, who had, a year or two earlier, boasted that he would bury us.
And now, in 2022, some are saying we are facing the greatest threat to world peace and of nuclear annihilation since the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962.

These six decades later, I have no fear whatsoever of nuclear world annihilation. Thus, even though Russian President Vladimir Putin has just said something to the effect that if anyone tries to interfere with his going into Ukraine, they will experience something that they have never faced in all of history. By this, the diplomats of the world began thinking Putin meant he would unleash nuclear attacks against the US if American forces tried to intervene.

At this moment of writing, it seems there is no restraint whatsoever from the Russian side. And many, including yours truly, believe that America’s current leadership either doesn’t know how to restrain the nuclear demon, or is using the attack on Ukraine in a wag-the-dog move to distract from all this presidential administration’s failures at every level.

Despite the seemingly out-of-control movement toward possible nuclear conflict, like I say, I have no fear of the world ending through atomic warfare.

I’ve learned much since I was that naïve youth of 1962. I have learned to trust, without reservation, our God’s ability to restrain even the most horrific of man’s proclivity for self-destruction.

I now know the end from the beginning, because my Father in Heaven has told those who believe His prophetic Word that there will be “wars and rumors of wars,” and He has said that we should look for them. But He has also foretold that “the end is not yet” when we hear of those wars and rumors of war.
Our Heavenly Father has also told us that particular developments must take place as the end of human history plays out. That process does not include all-out nuclear destruction prior to the Rapture of the Church.

Following that great event, the red horse of war will indeed ride. As much as three-fourths of humanity will be killed by the judgments; most of the destruction almost certainly will come from nuclear weapons being unleashed. The black horse of famine and the chloros horse of death and Hell will quickly ride upon a planet of rebels deserving of God’s wrath.

Since the atomic bombs fell in 1945 on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the nuclear demon has been restrained. Not one such weapon has been allowed to be released in warfare, only in testing. This, in itself, is a miracle of God.

It won’t be any human leader or other human agency that will restrain the nuclear demon. The demon about which physicist Dr. Robert Oppenheimer remarked upon witnessing the first atomic explosion at the site called Trinity might be referenced obliquely in his following statement: The explosion brought to Oppenheimer’s mind words from the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
I believe that it is God’s mighty hand that will continue to restrain the nuclear demon–and all other wickedness—until the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit who indwells believers in Christ—is removed when we are called into the clouds to be with Jesus for eternity.

We’ve talked several times about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, offering Himself as Israel’s Messiah. The people were exultant.

So much had been seen and heard regarding Jesus’ miracles and transforming message as He taught through his travels with His immediate disciples. He was hailed by the masses as He sat atop that donkey, moving through the slopes and into the city.

At the same time, those of the Jewish ecclesiastical class—the so-called Judaizers—decried the Lord’s movement into the city, seeing it as blasphemy. They believed He was anything but sent from God. They were, as a matter of fact, determined to murder Him. They did, in fact, do so, through the Roman government, a short time later.

The Jewish religious leaders were enraged at the way the people who believed (Jesus’ disciples) were responding to Jesus as He came toward Jerusalem.

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:37-40)

Jesus was revealing a truth that few who read this passage really grasp: the truth about His relationship not just with people, but with the very creation—planet earth and all the cosmos. That is, all that God created.

Remember the time on the Sea of Galilee when the little boat was about to be destroyed in the great storm that came up? Jesus was sleeping soundly when the disciples came to Him and, with great fear of being swamped by the storm, wanted Him to know what was going on.

The Lord simply said calmly “Peace, be still,” and the sea’s surface became instantly as slick as glass. Nature itself obeyed Jesus’ command, and His disciples, who had been with Him and seen many miraculous things He did, were dumbfounded.

They said, “What manner of man is this that even the sea obeys him?”

Later, Jesus said that if He didn’t receive praise while He rode into Jerusalem showing He was that God/man–Israel’s Messiah King—all of nature would erupt in praise of Him. Nature knows to not turn its back on the God who created it. Man, on the other hand, continues to do so without thinking twice. And mankind turning its back on God is what will ultimately bring the great geophysical and astrophysical upheavals of the Tribulation as given in the book of Revelation. It is the Revelation, the unveiling of Christ for all of the rebels of earth at that time to witness. They will endure horrendous judgment and wrath, but they will know, in the end, that Jesus is Lord–the Creator of everything that is.

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:15–17)

But the rocks won’t obey them as they do the God who created them. Man will face God’s ultimate punishment for willfully, knowingly turning the back to Jesus Christ and the great price He paid to redeem sin-condemned mankind if they would but accept God’s grace offer.

We present numerous news stories of the increasing weather and geological upheavals at this late hour so near the end of the age. The climate change the New World Order builders claim is man-made, thus, they proclaim, can only be dealt with by man, is beginning to ratchet up. But it is the stones–nature— beginning to cry out because wicked mankind is determined to remove God from heavenly governance. These phenomena are scheduled to get worse–much, much worse.

The Jewish religious hierarchy continues to misunderstand God’s truth regarding all this. They almost get it, but still don’t understand who is Israel’s Messiah. Excerpts of a recent report make this clear.

Two earthquakes shook northern Israel within a few hours, bringing the total of earthquakes in Israel this month up to four. Scientists are issuing dire warnings of imminent doom, but rabbis point to the prophecies as proof that people who have faith, have nothing to fear and even that the Messiah’s arrival is “speeding up.”…

Rabbi Lazer Brody, an American-born Hasidic rabbi from Ashdod, explained that earthquakes and other signs of the end-of-days would begin appearing at an even faster pace.

“People don’t need to wonder about this,” Rabbi Brody said. “The sages wrote that when the fate of Israel would be in the hands of the Erev Rav (mixed multitude), God will speed up the geula (redemption). And that is precisely the government Israel has right now. They are telling Jews that we can’t live in the Negev, Judea and Samaria, and now they are even kicking Jews out of their houses in the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood in Jerusalem.”

“This is Hashem having mercy on us by speeding up Moshiach (Messiah), like he did at the end in Egypt.” (“Israel hit with two earthquakes in ten hours, 4 in one month; ‘Accelerating Messiah’s arrival,’” by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz | Feb 16, 2022 | Biblical News)

Like we’ve looked at many times in these articles, we’ve come again to times described by Paul in Romans chapter 1. People in America and around the world have largely turned their backs on God. The results are a collective reprobate mindset. We can expect, with this rebellion, nothing less than what the Lord Himself said about this condition.

I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:37–40)

But God’s judgment and wrath are not reserved for believers who praise Him (Revelation 3:10). So take heart. He will rescue believers from the Tribulation storm that’s coming. He is saying even now to us as we look upon this tumultuous sea of rebellious humanity and all the wickedness it engenders, “Peace. Be still.”

Many Bible prophecy students of the pre-trib sort have carefully watched Vladimir Putin over the past years. The Russian president’s demeanor, many believe, demonstrates that this man of relatively short stature exhibits and presents a much larger image, in possible prophetic terms.

I’m referring, of course, to the belief by many that the dictator, a former KGB operative, could be the Gog of Ezekiel 38-39. That is, Mr. Putin could be the leader who will be possessed by the Gog spirit or demon who will think the evil thought described by the prophet Ezekiel. –That Putin might be the leader who will lead the Gog-Magog coalition of nations prophesied to invade toward Israel.

While I find this an interesting, even fascinating prospect, I’m not prepared to totally commit to a definite postulation in that regard.

However, thinking on these strange and troubling times during which we are traversing times of fortified prophetic progression, a term my partner in raptureready.com, Todd Strandberg, has coined, the possibility of Putin filling that prophetic role is certainly worthy of consideration.

The lateness of these closing days of the age, while Russia threatens to invade Ukraine, brings into focus such prophecies by Jesus Himself as the following.   

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Matt 24: 6)

and

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” (Lk 21: 25)

With Putin bringing more than one hundred thousand troops and military equipment to the borders of Ukraine and his apparently wanting to invade to bring that former Soviet bloc nation again into Russia’s orb, the rumors of war are rampant. This is perhaps the greatest threat of regional and even world-wide war since the fall of the Soviet Union and the close of the cold war.

With the world-wide protests across Europe and the Canadian/American truckers’ massive protests, and with despot-like leaders facing them and not knowing how to handle it all, the nations are in perplexity and the people are likened to seas and waves roaring.

So, it is more than understandable why many Bible prophecy observers of the times might strongly point to Putin as the Gog possessed leader of that invading force predicted by Ezekiel. All stage-setting seems almost complete for these things to begin to come to pass.

This American presidential administration has demonstrated weakness in practically every endeavor, in terms of dealing with international problems. They have dealt in evil harshness and dogged determination in confronting American patriots –the prime example being the January 6 peaceful protesters who were seduced into a march on the capitol, etc., and set up by the FBI and others as terrorists, imp my humble opinion. But in facing off with Russia and China –the truly great threats against America– this president has been, as the overused word indicates, feckless.

While in SkyWatch TV studios last week doing a number of programs for Pete Garcia’s and my book The Disappearing: Future Events That Will Rock the World, I was asked the question: Do you think Putin will invade Ukraine?

My answer at that time, just this past week, was, “I really don’t think Putin really wants to invade. He has things going his way without invasion.”

My opinion has changed in that short period of time. His bringing more troops and military assets to Ukraine’s borders isn’t the movement of one who is bluffing. The fact that he won’t talk with American officials, and barely will talk with this president is indication enough to know that he intends to fully act out the role of the Russian bear. I would now be surprised if he doesn’t invade. This is due to placating him at every turn and threatening only sanctions of the economic sort.

If Putin were to deliberately attack a NATO nation, then there would be confrontation from the western alliance. But Mr. Biden observably hasn’t the nerve –or whatsoever it takes— to unilaterally face down this voracious dictator.

There is increasing talk among some observers that Gog is not Putin or a Russian leader but very possibly the Turkish leader Erdogan (the most likely) or a future Turkish leader and that Magog is Turkey, not Russia.

While we must never rule out possibilities so far as details are concerned, I can’t, after years of studying the Ezekiel 38-39 Gog-Magog matters, conclude that the head of the coalition against Israel will be other than Russia. It looks very much like Vladimir Putin might well be the man who could lead such a coalition. His appetite for conquest is building, and a time might come soon when Israel and its vast oil and gas reserves, a threat to Putin’s desire to be the lone supplier of Europe and other regions, might give him that evil thought that puts hooks in the jaws of Gog.

By placating this ruthless Russian leader, Biden and company just might be fueling the fires of Putin’s appetite for such conquest as Ezekiel ascribes to the one who will be Gog.

God’s prototype nation continues to point the way into prophesied, troubled times. Jesus said it would eventuate in the worst times of all human history (Luke 21: 25). Jeremiah the prophet called it the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30: 7).

Just as the Lord’s dealing with His chosen people throughout millennia past, the cause for His dealing in the future with Israel revolves around the same problem: The people have forgotten Him. They depend upon strange gods–upon others—for their protection and salvation.

While Israel’s modern leadership recognizes only military power as central to the nation’s defense, they nonetheless seem to propose miraculous protective measures that almost mimic Old Testament acts of the God they no longer depend upon for their peace and safety.

The following news item is an interesting development in this regard, I think you will agree.

On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that Israel will be fast-tracking the development of a laser defense system that will be used to defend against attacks from Gaza and Hezbollah. The lasers, using an autonomous detection and tracking system, will superheat drones and rockets which the developers claim will catch on fire within a few seconds. The system will supplement the Iron Dome that operates against short-range projectiles with the lasers concentrating on smaller projectiles.

The Defense Ministry said the laser uses a “highly advanced optical targeting system, with tracking capabilities and artificial intelligence” to locate a target “at highly precise levels of accuracy.”

Israel also uses David’s sling-and-arrow systems against long-range ballistic missiles.

“Within a year already the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will bring into action a laser-based interception system, first experimentally, and later operationally, first in the south, then in other places,” he said in a speech at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies. “And this will enable us, as the years advance, to surround Israel with a wall of lasers which will protect us from missiles, rockets, UAVs and other threats.”

The new laser-based system will drastically reduce the cost of defending against the frequent rocket attacks that target Israeli cities… The Iron Dome systems deployed around Israel to protect its cities cost $50 million per battery and $100,000–150,000 per interception. Hamas fires low-tech missiles that are inexpensive and inaccurate. (“Wall of Lasers; A ‘Biblical Pillar of fire’ that protected Israelites from Egypt” by  by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, 2/2/22, Biblical News)

The story of the modern “miracle” continues, with one of Israel’s rabbis weighing in.

When he heard of the innovation, Rabbi Aryeh Weingarten was unsurprised.

“Innovations and inventions are simply the mind of Man reflecting the aspect of God that is in nature,” he said. “Bennett’s vision of a ‘wall of lasers’ is a reflection of the Biblical pillar of fire that accompanied the Children of Israel in their Exodus, protecting the Jews from Egyptian arrows.”

The Israel Bible described the pillar in a manner that modern missile defense systems would do well to emulate:

According to Rashi, the pillar of cloud that led the Jewish people in the desert during the day moved behind the camp, and obscured the Egyptians’ vision as they progressed in their bloodthirsty pursuit of the Jewish people. The cloud protected Israel as they fled and absorbed the arrows shot by the Egyptians at the fleeing nation. Today, the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces are a pillar of defense, shielding Israel from her enemies. May the God of Israel continue to protect His people through His modern-day pillar of defense, just as He did long ago. (Ibid.)

It might be easy to give God glory for protecting His chosen nation in providing this modern warfare capability. However, the nation as a whole–particularly Israeli governmental and military leaderships—has all but replaced the God of their salvation with their own efforts in producing “miracle” weaponry and defense systems. Sadly, the price will yet have to be paid for the nation’s usurpation of the miraculous power of Israel’s God.

The following is a stunning heavenly opinion of this chosen nation when it casts its God to the side.

And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. ²For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this. For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. (Deuteronomy 32:20–35)

This condemnation of Israel is what will bring on the Tribulation. God will call the nation back to Himself through great trouble–Jacob’s trouble. But a remnant will turn to their true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and God will restore His people and make them the head of all nations in the Millennial Kingdom.

Just imagine, based upon this condemnation of the fifth Book of Moses turned toward God’s chosen people, what awaits the Tribulation-world of earth dwellers the rebels totally turned against Israel’s God!

You don’t want to be part of that world destined for God’s wrath and judgment. Here, once again, is how to become right with that God, who sent His son to die for our redemption.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10: 9–10)

My friend Dr. J. R. Church used to end every TV program in Prophecy In the News with the words: “Keep looking up!” He was referring, of course, to Jesus’ command in Luke 21:28:

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

While the Lord was, without question, talking about being vigilant in watching for all the conditions He said would be prevalent as His time to call His Church to Himself neared, and, indeed, was pointing to His Second Advent, it is perhaps less than a stretch to ask if He was doing one more thing. Was He also alluding to the prophetic signal He mentioned a few verses previous?

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars. (Luke 21: 25a)

It is a worthy question, considering recent developments. Strange things are going on in the heavenlies, with interest stirred almost weekly with new signs discovered in the region of the sun, moon and stars.

There is more than good reason to be concerned enough to “look up” with regard to signs in the heavens.

Our friend Dr. Thomas Horn of SkyWatch TV has presented a number of programs pointing to astronomical reports from scientists that predict an asteroid of earth-devastating size coming our way. The space rock the size of a stadium, termed Apophis, is on track to possibly impact the earth April 13, 2029. Horn has conjectured whether this could be the space object prophetically scheduled to crash into an ocean during the Tribulation. Such an impact would certainly cause great destruction and cause the death of millions.

More recently, scientists are changing their estimated trajectory-predictions to say that this visitor from deep space might only be detrimental to satellites orbiting earth, thus disrupting the planet’s communications, etc.

This seems a ludicrous conclusion, considering an asteroid of such monumental size. I’m no astronomer or otherwise an expert, but something this big coming this close seems to me to be a cause of possible danger dwarfing the mere disruption of communication by knocking out a few satellites.

And signals from space continue to grab attention of scientists, who seem genuinely baffled. Here’s one story:

A team led by astronomers in Australia has discovered a brand new type of object in deep space that behaves in bizarre and mysterious ways never seen before.

Something about 4,000 light-years away, which is relatively close in our cosmic neighborhood, was seen spinning around and regularly blasting out a massive burst of energy that lasts a full a minute. Even weirder, that bright beam of radiation occurred like clockwork every 18 minutes.

“It was kind of spooky for an astronomer because there’s nothing known in the sky that does that,” astrophysicist Natasha Hurley-Walker said in a statement.

The behavior is similar to that of a pulsar or magnetar, which spin around as they blast out pulses of energy that can be detected here on Earth. But pulsars pulse very quickly, usually every few seconds. An object that sends out longer bursts just a few times an hour has never been seen before. (“Astronomers spy powerful deep-space object unlike anything seen before,” CNET, Rapture Ready News, 1/28/22)

Just as deep-space signals are ramping up interest by the scientists who say they are “spooked” by things they’re seeing, the whole UFO thing is being opened up by those in government who have always been desperate to put a cap on such information.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is finally getting back into the UFO business.

And depending on which UFO believer you ask, it’s either a historic step forward to getting to the bottom of conspiracies or a ploy to regain control of the narrative — and possibly even prepare for interplanetary war.

The establishment of a new office, signed into law just before New Year’s, to study “unidentified aerial phenomenon” has divided the loose community of activists, researchers and pseudo scientists who hunt for proof that we are not alone in the universe.

Some hail the legislation creating the new office, tucked into section 1683 of the massive National Defense Authorization Act, for bringing new resources, rigor and officialdom to the investigation of a phenomenon — and a potential national security threat — that has long been stigmatized in a way that makes it difficult to study. (“ Historic step forward or cover-up plot? Pentagon’s new UFO office splits ufologists,” Alex Seitz-Wald, 1/8/22, Rapture Ready News, 1/28/22)

With all this “looking up” by scientists and government, there must be something up, so this generation should be “looking out.”

Just as the powers that be have set in motion the machinery of generating fear through the microbial world of virus pandemic, so, too, I’m of the cynical opinion, they are beginning to raise the fear factor in pointing us to things to come from somewhere above.

I’ve pointed before to the thought that the “great delusion” of 2 Thessalonians 2 might involve the lie that extraterrestrial visitors will come to rescue us from planetary disaster. These will, the lie will include, be called down from space by the false prophet. In actuality, it might well be that Satan and his evil hordes are being ejected from the heavenlies for the final time in the war they have lost with God’s angelic forces.

Regardless of how it all plays out, it is time for all believers to be looking up, while “watching” all going on around us, for our redemption—our Lord and Savior—must certainly be drawing near!

I want to make it exceedingly clear that I consider myself neither a prophet nor a son of a prophet in the Old Testament sense. However, I believe that in these times as we see the Tribulation closing in like a tightening vice, all who earnestly “watch” developments –including yours truly– can qualify in some sense, under God’s definition of what constitutes a prophet. Since we are all commanded to “watch”, according to Jesus Himself, we who are believers have the command to be prophets in the sense of forth telling. That is forth telling, not foretelling. We are to observe the times –the issues and events of our times, and then to compare to Bible prophecy to see if there is prophetic relevance as we see the time of fulfillment of Christ’s return approaching. We are then to tell others –to warn others that time of fulfillment is nearing.

Jesus said the following: “And what I say unto one, I say unto all. Watch.” (Mark 13: 37)

In regard to the above lead into this commentary, I say without apology that I believe the following Old Testament Truth applies in some sense to each believer who today sincerely tries to discern these strange times.

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealed his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3: 7)

The Lord –because He has Given us His complete Word, the Bible– no longer gives the power to foretell (predict the precise occurrence of an event or something other yet in the future). However, He expects us to be discerning enough through Bible study, prayer and observation of the times to forth tell matters involved in order to forewarn. I’m of the belief that we are being given prophetic indicators as in no other times in modern history.

For example, as we have forth told many times, all of Israel’s Gog-Magog enemies listed in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are now gathered north of God’s chosen nation. The coalition of Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others have coalesced. At some point those nations will, as God has Foretold, rush in storm-like fashion toward Israel.

We have forth told this reality in order to forewarn of where this generation stands on God’s Prophetic Timeline.

In the same sense we have forth told our prayerful, studied, observations that the minions, both human and demonic of Ephesians 6: 12 are at work in these closing moments of the age. Those powers and principalities are so obviously in process of trying to bring Satan’s one-world regime into being that it cannot be missed by the believer who is doing what Christ has commanded –to watch these developments in these troubling times.

Again, I’m neither a prophet nor a son of a prophet (although my Daddy was a pretty wise fellow). But I must be true to the commission I believe the Lord has given us as believers. –To watch with prayerful study and observation developments I discern to be on the prophetic horizon.

This brings us to the title of the commentary: In Antichrist’s Shadow.

The stage-setting is in every direction one looks for the son of perdition to leap onto the end times platform. Many control mechanisms have been carefully and methodically formed and put into position for the rise of the wicked one of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Of course, he cannot appear as long as we, believers, are still on the planet. But like in all things of prophetic import, the long shadows of coming evil darkens these times so near the consummation of human history. Antichrist’s long shadow precedes his coming to power once the Church, indwelt by the Holy Spirit are Called into the air in that glorious instant promised through the Apostle Paul.

One of those long shadows we see each and every day as times get ever darker is the so-called pandemic. The lockdowns, the mandates, the insane rants and raves of those who want imprisonment and even death to come to those who refuse the vaccination demands are red lights of warning. The forth telling prophets –believers who want to alert –to forewarn of the coming man of sin—are duty bound to flash those red lights before a world going down the broad road to destruction scheduled for the Tribulation.  

It is with this matter of desiring to forewarn further that I, like many, point to an interesting development on the geopolitical scene.

Emanuel Macron, president of France is a most fascinating character, as we consider these times so near the dénouement of this Age of Grace.

His name means God with us, as many know. It was one of the names Bible prophets said Jesus, Himself, would be called centuries before He came to earth as a baby. This fact alone is sufficiently interesting to make a forth telling believer focus in laser-like fashion. –Or at least it should be so.

This man who will soon assume the presidency of the European Union, as its France’s turn, is thought by some in his orbit to be a genius. –a genius who always manages to get his way. His charm, they claim can and does disarm his enemies with relative ease.

His history, as given by some who apparently have made an in-depth study into his background indicates a more esoteric pathway as he began his rise to power.

One report gives the view that is less than flattering to the young, mercurial, French leader.

Psychiatrist Adriano Sagatori, who says he has studied the biography of the French President, described Mr. Macron as a psychopath who he said would not fight for the French people.

“Like all psychopaths, he believes in his higher purpose. Macron does not love France and will not fight for the French people,” Sagatori said. (Emmanuel Macron labeled ‘psychopath who hates France’ in Russian media | The Independent | The Independent)

My friend Matt Ward, who wrote an in-depth article on the French president, reported that information he gathered presented the following conclusion by the psychiatrist.

Sagatori concludes, ominously, by summing up who he believes Macron really is clinically, in view of his psycho-social profile: “So we are confronted with three paradigms that define a certain type of personality; 1) the idea that there exist no limits; 2) a feeling of omnipotence from childhood, but even more so in adulthood; 3) a narcissism that can accurately be defined as malevolent.” (Emmanuel Macron by Matt Ward, raptureready.com)

All this to say that the coming Antichrist’s shadow is already forecasting truly evil times just ahead.

Will Emmanuel Macron be that beast of Revelation 13? I don’t know. That wicked prince that shall come won’t be revealed this side of the Rapture. But looking at this man gives the believer who is a prayerful, studied, observer reasonable latitude to conclude that while we don’t know, we can’t say that we haven’t a clue.