International spy-thrillers have always been among my weaknesses. I’ve spent far too much time over the years enmeshed cerebrally within one such story or another. Robert Ludlum was perhaps my favorite author within the genre, with such enthralling tales of espionage at the highest levels as The Bourne Identity and The Matarese Circle. I was also hooked at one point on fiction involving Blackford Oakes CIA intrigues authored by William F. Buckley, Jr.

It’s difficult to find such books in electronically-presented form (in Word document) that my synthesized voice, computer program can read for me. I’m now blind due to a retinal disease, and the JAWS (Jobs Accessible Word System) program reads to me most all correspondence and other written materials over the Internet.

It’s just as well that I can’t easily access such books, because these, though entertaining, would be time-wasters for me, especially considering the compression of time I believe we are presently operating within─as we move quickly toward the consummation of human history. There are far more important things to accomplish than being entertained by fictional stories of clandestine doings within top-echelons of governments.

On second thought, we read in our headlines almost hourly of just such intrigues taking place in reality, that if not entertaining─certainly are quite thrilling, in the frightening sense at many levels. So as a fellow watchman with many of you who are reading this column, I, like some of you, am really not missing anything but the love of fiction factor. And, things of factual import are developing at a pace and in fashion precisely the way the greatest of all authors─the Lord Himself─has foretold for all to read.

One such spy-thriller comes to mind that helped bring out in me the interest in Bible prophecy that would in later years transform my thinking in a profound way. That 1960 novel’s title is, In High Places. Its author, Arthur Hiley, a British/Canadian writer who was among the first to produce such novels that later, writers like Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy would take to great book marketing heights.

In High Places is a story of a fictional Canadian prime minister and his political machinations while trying to maintain power, during the time of the cold war─that was fraught with nuclear threat and Canada’s troubled dealings with immigration. The author attempted and did a good job at showing the evil, wicked and even perverse interactions of politicians at the very top of power politics and in governments at the highest levels.

Even as a very young man reading the novel, I noticed Hailey’s use of biblical reference in selecting his title. The phrase, “in high places” of course is found in the apostle Paul’s passages on spiritual warfare:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

I realized even as a young man of 18, upon reading the book and thinking on its title that the Bible’s use of the phrase was infinitely different in scope from Arthur Hailey’s. Yet at the same time, what I didn’t understand at the time was that the malevolent forces in the fictional realm of Hailey’s geopolitical thriller reflected and represented evil, other worldly forces at work in real life.

I’m not so sure that the author of the novel, In High Places fully realized it, either. One thing for sure, no one in government in the highest of places today where true wickedness is happening, nor the journalists of our world who are supposed to be the watchdogs on behalf of the citizenry, indicate in the slightest way that they understand the true source from whence the wickedness this way comes.

If they do understand it, they must be in collusion with it, because they aren’t letting us know. But, that’s really a kook-conspiracy notion, is it not? (Human beings in power at the top levels in cahoots with the likes of Satan and his minions!)

Yet, I believe this is precisely what the apostle Paul was saying under inspiration as he penned the words to the Ephesian Christians, and to us─who would follow.

The ultimate battle is being waged in the very highest places. The devil and his minions are using every device at their disposal that is allowed by the God of heaven, who is always in complete control. Those include human beings, who do the demonic entities’ bidding, whether realizing it or not in many cases─probably most cases in these end of the age days.

Look for the demonic influences in high places to become ever more evident while evil men and seducers grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13).

Author’s note: This week, I’m doing something I’ve done only once before during the course of writing for this Nearing Midnight column. I’m repeating a commentary I wrote previously –this one on January 16, 2006.

I am doing so because I believe the Lord impressed upon my spirit that the Departure is so very near, and our minds and spiritual hearts are too often far from that stunning event that can take place at any given second. It’s time to “look up” is the exhortation of the hour.

The Scripture is haunting. It echoes and reverberates throughout the spiritual hallways of the Church with each passing hour.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”(1 Tim. 4:1).

This forewarning fits into the last-days pattern, also given by the Apostle Paul, in the familiar prophetic passage: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of Perdition…” (2 Thes. 2:3).

The “falling away,” apostasia in Greek, means a “departure from.” Paul prophesied in the 2 Timothy 4:1 passage that there will come a time at the end of the Church Age when people will depart from the “faith.” He foretells in 2 Thessalonians that this will be a general “falling away,” the apostasy of the endtime. What is this “faith” from which people will fall away, and who are the “people” who will fall away? Another crucial question is: Can the departure that God, through Paul, forewarned about be recognized when it occurs?

“Faith,” as here defined, must, by context, be the faith in the One who is at the heart of the Gospel–faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, chosen from the foundation of the world to be the propitiation for the sin that separates fallen man from God. It is the faith you and I must have in order to confess with our mouths that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and to believe in the deepest part of our spirits that God raised Him from the dead.

“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” (Rom. 10:9).

A person can’t fall from a position (doctrinally speaking in this case) he never has attained. The “people,” then, whom Paul the apostle is writing about in his prophecies of 1 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3 are those who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation of their souls.

This brings us to the question: Can the departure God, through Paul, forewarned about be recognized when it occurs? To recognize that “falling away”–that apostasia, or apostasy— when it begins to happen, will almost certainly give the Christian attuned to God’s will a heads-up on the nearness of the Tribulation era, thus to the nearness of the rapture of the Church.

We have looked at the “faith” as faith in Jesus for salvation, and at the “people”who will “depart” from the faith as being the Church–that is, the true Christians who are alive at the time of the end, when the apostasy takes place.

Although there are those who think this departure includes the possibility of one losing one’s salvation, the “falling away” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 cannot include that meaning. A quick look at Romans 8:38 and 39, to name just one security-of-the-believer passage, shows that God’s Word teaches that the believer can’t depart from the Heavenly Father to the point of losing his or her family status. Jesus, in John chapter 17, makes that absolutely clear. I suggest that if you have questions about this, read the Scriptures I just mentioned.

What, then, is meant by “departing from the “faith”? Glad you asked. The “faith” mentioned in 2 Thessalonians and 1 Timothy 2:3 is a collection of faith principles wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ. These principles are doctrines put forth by the Word of God. The Word of God is none other than the Lord Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

“People” at the time of the “falling away” will “depart” from the “faith” –the doctrines put forth by the Word of God, who is Jesus Christ. This departure will mark the generation of Christians at the very end of the Church Age.

The question that applies most relevantly to us today is: Are we seeing signals of the departure about which Paul forewarned?

We have analyzed, dissected, examined, and inspected every endtime signal found in God’s Word many times in these raptureready.com webpages: Israel again in the land of promise; the EU looking to be the reviving Roman Empire; Russia, Persia (modern Iran) and other nations looking to be a nucleus that will one day form the Gog-Magog force of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. These, plus, all of the other endtime characteristics of this generation.

However, I believe the most insidious of all the things taking place under the clever, devious hand of the devil –Satan—is the falling away, the departure from the faith being currently orchestrated by Lucifer, the fallen one.

This departure is evident to the spiritually discerning when looking at the church growth movement. This “seeker friendly” approach to both the saved and the lost (all who don’t know Christ) through New Age, corporation-type seminar seductiveness and brainwashing techniques that water down or completely eliminate true Bible doctrine is leading in a profound departure from the “faith once delivered” (see Jude 1: 3).

The new paradigm instituted by the champions of the church growth movement is the shift from New Testament Christianity to “New Spirituality-Driven Christianity.”

Like in the modern corporate organization, invented in large part by German economic guru Peter Drucker, who mentored some of the leading designers of the church growth movement, the system is more an organism than an organization –adopting Drucker’s model based upon Freudian psychology and Darwinian evolutionary principles. The individual is assigned a value, and he must fit in, or be removed from the system. To put it as I heard one person of the movement say: “Pillars just hold things up. So, they need to be moved out of the way.” So, those who hold to doctrine must get out of the way so no one will have their feelings hurt by talk of sin, and blood atonement, and eternal punishment in the place called Hell, if repentance is not forthcoming. Again, the Apostle Paul wrote God’s view of this watering down of doctrine:

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).

Are we at the point of departure from the faith that is prophesied for the very end of the Church Age? Maybe we can get a better sense by looking at one more area of Scripture pertaining to the matter: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:1-4).

There is another prophetically scheduled departure to consider. It’s the one we should be looking forward to. It is a God-ordained departure that will remove every child of God of the Church Age –living and dead—from Planet Earth in one millisecond of time:

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13).

Dark, spiritual forces in high places are at work. There is no groundbreaking revelation in that statement regarding life in this nation and the world today. However, the true nature of the demonic delusion being foisted upon us is something even the most biblically mature among us will continue to miss─I’m convinced─if spiritual antennae aren’t properly attuned.

Additionally, it is time, like no other time before, to put on the whole armor as outlined by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12-18. Even more profound than the political insanity of the lunatic left that splits America, I perceive a most troubling schism developing amongst the brethren. I refer to those who watch –like the Lord commanded (Mark 13: 37) — end-times developments in what many believe are the closing hours of the Church Age.

Reports, leading up to this presidential election, came at us on an increasingly regular basis of behind-the-scenes activities that appeared to be─to say the least─bizarre. I’m talking about things the equivalent of claims/reports of the U.S. Government actually planning and carrying out the assassination of John F. Kennedy,─of George W. Bush’s administration being behind the planning and attack on the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2011.

I’m certain that, over recent years, the reader of this essay has read the many articles of such mind-boggling reports─all written/presented as if they were unassailable truth. These accounts sprang from unseen fly-on-the-wall sources that gave the impression they personally witness the making of plans to imprison believers or to implant us all with computer chips while we sleep, or…whatever the conspiratorial imagination might conjure.

I will already have angered those who send such email with that word-portrait, no doubt. But before my thoughts on your side of the issue raise the blood pressure with words of anger, “I’ll never send him another article,” please hear me out. There is the other side of the developing schism. It, too, is deleterious to the task of being a watchman on the wall in these critical days leading up to our Lord’s catastrophic intervention into the affairs of mankind.

I’m talking about the mindset that writes off as complete lunacy every report issued by the likes of Alex Jones crossing their computer screens. To fold up the antennae of discernment and simply lump all things that don’t slip smoothly through one’s anti-conspiratorial filter, just might, in my view, constitute a deadly delusion in the making.

The rift, I sense developing between the watchmen during these fleeting days of the age is, inflicted by the father of lies, himself. It is all part of the great, spiritual, wrestling match Paul warns about in Ephesians 6:12. The devil likes to pit one side against the other, and it is easy for him to do, if the spiritual armor isn’t the battle gear of choice.

One side of the divide most often sees only collusion of governmental diabolists at every level, thus is, understandably, accused by the secular world and fellow Christian watchmen alike of being: conspiracy kooks.

The devil, it cannot be denied by those with discernment, has made great strides in dividing this nation along many lines. Abraham Lincoln, we remember, once used Jesus’ words to warn that our nation “…divided against itself cannot stand.”

The danger we face in this hour of apparent triumph, with the new presidential administration now in place, is that Christians on each side of the divide, out of apathy, sometimes fail to recognize the ways Satan directs his human minions to plot his end-times mischief.

Paul, mentioned at the beginning of this piece, must have, with his words of Ephesians 6: 12-18, been given his inspired thought particularly to give to this generation so near the return of Jesus Christ. Each Christian should daily put on the whole armor of God. This, obviously, hasn’t happened, and likely won’t happen.

The vast numbers within the body of Christ are turned inward, or in directions other than watching and yearning for the Lord’s coming back to put an end to this evil world-system. If we are honest, we must say that the body of Christ, as a whole today, isn’t even pursuing the Great Commission left to us by Jesus─to carry the gospel to the whole world and to do whatsoever He taught and instructed.

Let’s not wrestle violently, angrily against each other, but combine, with reasoned purpose, against our true foe. Here is how to dress for the battle that will surely grow more intensive by the hour as the Rapture of the church approaches.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Terry James commentary on two important books concerning Israel in these critical days.

“No matter which way news cameras and microphones turn to capture the troubling issues and events of the hour, they will always turn back to Israel and to Jerusalem in particular.”

This is a statement I have made in one form or another in most every book I’ve written. It is as if that most volatile point on the globe is like the magnetic north is to a compass. The needle’s tip can’t resist the tug God’s chosen land presents.

One senses, if attuned spiritually while watching the times around us unfold, that the world is on the precipice of truly prophetic movement. Observers of the American presidential election process of 2016 were for the most part stunned by the election of Donald J. Trump. Shock waves so shattered the polling-predictions and punditry-prognostication that political and social equilibrium continues unrecovered. Our national environment quivers and reels under the anger and anxieties of those who expected a different outcome of the election in which they believe their worldview was unfairly defeated.

There is no doubt—in this writer’s view, at least—that this election turned out as it did, with Trump becoming president because God intervened. I do believe wholeheartedly that 2 Chronicles 7:14 helped bring about the intervention. However, this is not because America is a godly nation or that Mr. Trump is a godly individual. But the dramatic shift in direction the United States is in process of taking, I’m convinced, portends prophetic developments beyond what most believers might consider.

Prophetic movement, I believe, will, from this point forward in 2017, shape America and the world in ways no other generation has experienced. Attention at the moment is concentrated—the cameras are turned—on hatred of the man God has raised up for this hour. There can be scant denial that the forces of globalism, liberalism, and news and entertainment media, D.C. establishment-types and even some corporate entities in America are bent on destroying this presidency.

However, those cameras and microphones are about to turn dramatically back to capture issues and events of far greater import. I believe we are on the cusp of seeing the world truly being shaped for the wind up of the Dispensation of Grace—the Church Age.

Israel is about to again step front and center upon the world stage. This year and beyond will perhaps bring the prophet Zechariah’s foretellings about God’s chosen nation in to focus as never before.

The new president has said he is seriously considering moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This action, alone, will, if it eventuates, likely cause Middle Eastern ramifications we can’t totally foresee.

Mr. Trump’s expected embrace of Israel and its prime minister is exciting to think upon, but troubling in its prospective results.

Next year marks the 70th anniversary of Israel’s rebirth into modernity. Might that year bring the ratcheting up of prophetic stage-setting? —For the Jewish state’s starring role as the Lord brings mankind’s rebellion to a head?

Dr. Thomas Ice, the foremost scholar on matters involving the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view, is a long-time friend and colleague. There is no one, in my opinion, who possesses a more in-depth knowledge of Bible prophecy, particularly as it relates to Israel. If we are to grasp the true meaning of prophetic developments exploding upon the scene day by day, it’s essential that we look intensively at Bible prophecy as given in God’s Word, the Bible.

Again, there is no person of whom I’m aware more qualified to break God’s prophetic Word so that it can be understood in terms of where we stand on His Prophetic Timeline than Dr. Ice.

I’m excited and pleased to be among the first to be given opportunity by his publisher to offer you—in a very special package—a book that is one I’m convinced the Lord is providing at this crucial moment. It is a volume that every believer should read in advance of what is going to be, in all likelihood, tumultuous years ahead for Israel, the Middle East, and for the whole world.

The Case for Zionism: Why Christians Should Support Israel  

Dr. Ice, like many of us who observe things involving Israel today, is troubled by the way that nation is viewed by a growing number of clergy and others within Christianity. A synopsis of this outstanding work reads as follows in that regard:

“The modern state of Israel has been a nation for almost 70 years. When she was formed, and fought her early wars of existence, most Bible-believing Christians believed there was a real connection with what was going on in the Middle East and Bible prophecy that predicts an end-time return of the Jews to their land. While support for Israel remains high in most evangelical communities, we are seeing the beginning of a decline, especially among younger evangelicals, who question whether modern Israel really relates to end-time Bible prophecy.

“The Case for Zionism attempts to bring together biblical, historical, and legal arguments for the legitimacy of the startup nation known as Israel as it:

-Explains controversies such as anti-Semitism and Replacement Theology
-Details the biblical and legal rights of Modern Israel
-Explores the prophetic nature and future of Israel.

“In this presentation, Thomas Ice answers many of the contemporary arguments being used by both secular and religious communities to undermine what he believes is the hand of God at work in our own day.”

Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, in my opinion the foremost scholar on Israel today from the standpoint of Bible prophecy, gives Ice’s book high marks indeed.

Fruchtenbaum, in his foreword, writes of the various forms of anti-Semitism that is more and more becoming manifest at this time. He implies that it is essential for believers to appropriate an understanding of the opposition against Israel.  He writes in conclusion, the following:

“This is exactly where Dr. Ice’s book makes a valuable contribution and shows biblically why all Christians should support Israel.”

New Leaf Press Publishing Group is presenting Dr. Thomas Ice’s book in a very special package—and at a low price—for our Rapture Ready family.

This outstanding book can be purchased by itself, of course. However, the publisher is including in this package the following book about God’s Chosen nation:

Miracle of Israel: The Shocking, Untold Story of God’s Love for His People by Gary Frazier and Jim Fletcher is a book I’ve written about before.

Both Gary and Jim are great writers who I’m thankful to call friends. Jim, a superb investigative journalist, and editor, of course, writes our weekly column on Israel, about which I receive compliments over and over.

Gary is one of the most knowledgeable Bible teachers, lecturers, and frequently interviewed experts on Bible prophecy. Together, he and Jim have produced a book that should be in every home library. Israel, as Dr. Fruchtenbaum wrote above, should be thoroughly understood by Christians today. This book, in tandem with Dr. Thomas Ice’s book, will go a long way toward providing the depth of understanding needed as we face these next years that are bound to be fraught with prophetic stage-setting realities.

Authors Frazier and Fletcher invite the reader to join in watching God’s hand as He directs these closing years of the age.

“This is a book about miracles of history that affect each and every one of us, whether we recognize them or not. We will ponder how the Creator God has and is working in the history of His world. In the end, we will see that God has done and will do exactly as He promised as recorded in Isaiah 46:9–10, where He states:

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

“The Creator God had a plan from the very beginning, and if we look for His hand in world history, both past and present, we can be certain of His hand in the future.”

These are two truly outstanding books that can help immensely in your study of Bible prophecy. I highly recommend this special offering of two great volumes in one package at a great price.

Another thing to consider is that Rapture Ready will receive a part of the price of the book offer, meaning you will help contribute to funding the site by buying the package.

As you know, we have had the site completely reworked to bring it into the age of the highly-advanced devices now available. This will give Rapture Ready an even greater reach for our Lord’s great cause. The work on the site wasn’t without considerable cost. We will appreciate any funding help, as always.

From now until March 31, you can take advantage of a very special offer. You can purchase this two-book pack: The Case for Zionism by Thomas Ice and Miracle of Israel by Jim Fletcher & Gary Frazier for only $20 (this includes free shipping). Follow this link to order—> http://www.nlpg.com/the-case-for-zionism-info.

Just beneath the boiling surface of seething hostility there can be sensed a moving and shaking. Talk of the building of a Jewish temple atop the Temple Mount is beginning to escape into the back-channel atmospherics of the Mid-East misery. How can such not be the case? Every direction the student of Bible prophecy looks, stage setting for the final act of this quickly decaying age is already on the scene.

God’s land is being further divided (Joel 3:2), which portends God’s bringing all nations into the Valley of Jehoshaphat─to Armageddon. The Roadmap to Peace is being dusted-off and reintroduced as the blueprint for peace and safety for not only Israel and its blood-vowed enemies, but for the whole world, as insulation against the initiation of World War III.

The European Union (EU) is in turmoil. It is turmoil, however, that seems to have a smelting effect, preparing the iron of the legs, feet and toes of Daniel’s interpretation for Nebuchadnezzar — into their end of the age configuration. Technological wizardry of every description has made possible the bringing together of all peoples of planet Earth into one world─the New World Order, so desired by the globalist powers that be.

The economic upheaval experienced by most every nation cries out for a master manipulator that will institute an electronic funds transfer system in order to bring stability and order to the financial distress and perplexity that bedevils presidents, potentates and dictators. Such a man can’t be too far into the shadows of emerging world togetherness.

On the forefront of religious change is the call for a melding of every form of pathways to Heaven. The pope and Islamist Imams seem to be forging a synthesis of sorts in discovering many ways to God, a thing unheard of until very recently. Protestant America in large part seems not oppose the feelers crawling toward their forms of Christianity. So-called Chrislam is appealing to them, and ecumenism beckons with allurement at many levels.

So, with all of this and much more going on, the talk of the building of a Jewish temple should surprise none of us. It is a key ingredient in the coming Tribulation mixture within God’s cup of wrath. The talk of late on the possibility of a Jewish temple in the making revolves these days around the words of a Jewish Rabbi.

The Nascent Sanhedrin is calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump to join forces and fulfill their Biblically-mandated roles by rebuilding the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, contacted Breaking Israel News to announce that the election of Trump, who has promised to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, coupled with Putin’s expressed desire for the Temple to be rebuilt, prompted the Jewish court to send a letter offering the two the opportunity to act as modern-day Cyrus figures: non-Jewish kings who recognize the importance of Israel and the Temple… (BIN EXCLUSIVE: Sanhedrin Asks Putin and Trump to Build Third Temple in Jerusalem, Breaking Israel News, https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/78372/bin-exclusive-sanhedrin-asks-putin-trump-build-third-temple-jerusalem/#dGX8XEZip3ChWz9l.97

This train of thought, of course, conforms to the long-held opinions of some within the universe of those who observe matters involving plans to build a Temple on Mount Moriah. Bible prophecy foretells, through the vision given John, God’s Hand on the Tribulation temple. “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:1-2).

The prophecy indicates, according to those with this view that:

1. During the Tribulation era there will definitely be a temple sitting where Solomon’s Temple sat.

2. There is more than enough room surrounding where the temple must reside for the Muslim shrines to sit.

There is a ton of chatter going on about all of this within the Bible prophecy community. Many voices within this blogosphere hold that those Muslims who seem to be letting it slip (that Israel’s Arab-Islamist enemies might be willing to talk about accommodation of a Jewish Temple) must never be trusted. It is all being done for some surreptitious evil known only to the Imams and to the master architect of their evil blueprint─Satan.

The very fact that there is talk coming from Israel’s enemies about the heretofore, unthinkable possibility of allowing a temple on Mount Moriah is significant, I think. A phony─and deadly─peace is at the center of Satan’s blueprint for usurping the throne of God on earth. We can know this from Daniel’s account of the covenant Antichrist will confirm, assuring peace for seven years (Daniel 9:26-27). Also, Isaiah the prophet says so, (Isaiah 28:15, 18).

Satan intends to place his “messiah” right on the spot where the Holy of Holies sat, where the Ark of the Covenant resided within the Temple of Solomon’s day. So, I believe it is reasonable to look for the possibility of a rebuilt temple to become increasingly, front and center in news and blog-chatter as the age draws to a close.

Israel, in the opinion of most of us who write, teach, broadcast and pontificate on the last days from the Pre-Trib perspective, is the number one signal that gives indication of where this generation stands on God’s prophetic timeline. It is among the very tiniest of countries, yet no nation in history has ever drawn the attention of the whole world, as does that little Jewish state.

Lest you think that is an overreach, I remind that at no time in history has the world had the global, instantaneous news coverage, as has been the case since Israel’s rebirth into modernity in 1948. That fact, alone, has made Israel the focus of interest. Add to the 24/7 coverage of the never-sleeping-media conglomerate today, the petroleum that drives the machinery of the world and the prospects for all-out-war in the region at any moment, and Israel as a focal point becomes all the more riveting.

In my presentations on Bible prophecy, I can’t help but always say something like: “No matter which way the microphones and cameras of the world’s news media turn to catch other issues and events, they always end-up focused again on Israel and upon Jerusalem, in particular. As a matter-of-fact, there are cameras that have the Temple Mount live via satellite at all times, for everyone on the planet to view.”

This, in itself, brings to mind the two witnesses scheduled to prophesy and preach to those left behind after the Rapture. These Jewish thorns in the side of Antichrist will make his life and the lives of his regime miserable as they point the prophetic finger of accusation and warnings at those rebellious earth-dwellers. We are told that everyone on earth will see these two witnesses killed and lying dead in the street in Jerusalem.

“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (Revelation 11:7-12).

Perhaps it will be the very cameras now focused on the Temple Mount 24/7 that will capture this for the initially jubilant, but instantly terrified anti-God rebels of the Tribulation. Just as Israel is the number one signal of where this generation stands on God’s prophetic timeline, I’m convinced that the second most glaring signal is the ongoing Mid-East peace process – The Roadmap to Peace as it is termed.

We have witnessed over the past decades, the many secretaries of state for the United States shuttle back and forth to that most volatile region of the world in search of peace. From Henry Kissinger to Hillary Clinton, to John Kerry, to now President Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of state, the quest never ceases. There is one incessant cry that rings in the ears of everyone who has the ability to receive newscasts by the world’s media. It is the call for peace and security by the world’s leaders.

Here are some examples in recent times:

George W. Bush, Address to the Nation, September 11, 2001: “America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism.”

George W. Bush, Rose Garden Speech on April 4, 2002: “Israel has recognized the goal of a Palestinian state. The outlines of a just settlement are clear: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side, in peace and security.”

President Vladimir Putin, Joint Statement with President George W. Bush, May 24, 2002. Taking this as their basis: “Russia and the USA intend to exert maximum efforts in order to realize this vision of a negotiated settlement of the conflict, which includes the existence of two states – Israel and Palestine – living in peace and security within recognized borders.”

Meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. January 28, 2013: “It is up to us to work for peace and security, and no one is more fitting to work on this than you,” he said (Netanyahu). Blair replied, “I look forward to working with you on matters of peace and security. We have many challenges, but I’m sure they can be overcome with good will and hard work.”

Condoleezza Rice, American Jewish Committee’s 96th Annual Meeting, 2002: “On April 4, President Bush articulated a vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.”

Hillary Clinton, November 30, 2012 address in Washington: “America supports the goal of a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security with Israel.”

President Barack Obama, Jerusalem International Convention Center, Jerusalem. March 21, 2013: “I’d like to focus on how we — and when I say “we,” in particular young people — can work together to make progress in three areas that will define our times — security, peace and prosperity. … First, peace is necessary. I believe that. I believe that peace is the only path to true security.”

The apostle Paul, as prophet, wrote the following:

For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

The Greek word for “safety” here is “asphaleia.” It is a feminine noun meaning: security from enemies and dangers, safety.

In the preceding verse Paul had just foretold of the moment when the time of the Tribulation would begin breaking on a world ripe for God’s judgment.

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5: 2).

The rant we hear most prolifically today, with regard to the nation Israel, the city of Jerusalem, and the ongoing peace process in the Middle East is, “peace and security.” I could have added hundreds more such quotes.

Listen during the upcoming days for this cry from the diplomats of the world who will not have the God of Heaven rule over them (Read Psalms chapter 2 again.) It is a rant that pinpoints precisely just how near is the thief in the night moment that Paul forewarned─the Rapture.

“We must all be tolerant of other religions!” So goes the mantra constantly hammering us from the progressive, cultural watchdogs. Even beyond that, we must, according to the loving, liberal, politically correct give special “hands-off” status to a religion that harbors at its core hatred for all who don’t accept its tenets and condones murder of whom they term infidels.

Although case after case can be made that Islam as a whole is–by its silence if not by its actions–approving of the militants among its ranks who murder and terrorize all who don’t bow the knee to Allah, we in America are supposed to smile and accept that it is a religion of love, as the guardians of political correctness demand. Sharia law, which gives women less of a place within society than animals, and which approves of family honor killings for stepping one foot outside the bounds of the Muslim prescription for living, is given preference, it seems, over the U.S. Constitution and local laws in America in places such as Dearborn, Michigan. This sharia malignancy is metastasizing and little is being done to slow its spread.

All religious thought must be respected and tolerated, the political correctness police demand. All, except the tenets of one particular religion. True Christianity is fair game, and the politically correct crowd of Christianity-haters doesn’t just look the other way when true Christianity is attacked; it joins in the fun. These people attack at every opportunity and are never condemned for their hate diatribes; rather, they are joined by the priesthood of the entertainment world at the center of their ranks.

Eyebrows are no doubt raised at the use of my term “true Christianity.” I make no apologies for the use of the term. There are a number of counterfeit forms of Christianity, and more are coming into existence each day as strange winds of doctrine blow across our nation and the world. There is but one true Christianity. It is found throughout the pages of God’s Word, the Bible. If I could choose only one Scripture to encapsulate true Christianity, it would be these words spoken by Jesus to His disciple: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

And therein lays the anti-Christian diatribe. That is why all other religions are acceptable–are tolerated–except true Christianity.

But, wait! Islam claims Allah, Mohammed’s creation, is the only way, and will even slaughter those who don’t believe or accept that religion’s god. Yet the diatribe never goes against Islam–rather always against true Christianity’s claim the Jesus is the only way to Heaven–to salvation. The hatred for Christianity runs the gamut of artistic blasphemy, such as, we remember from some years ago, the crucifix submerged in urine, and, later, the actress, who upon winning an award held it up and shouted for Jesus to “**** this!” The increasing hostility becomes more blatant by the hour, with cultural crucifixion of Christ on the rise, as this excerpt of a story once reported attests:

Last month, it was reported at various online outlets that Ryan Rotela, a junior at FAU, was suspended for refusing to participate in a class assignment from a textbook for an Intercultural Communications class titled Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 5th Edition. The assignment called for students to write the name “Jesus” on a piece of paper, put the paper on the ground, and stomp on it. Rotela told local media that he went to school officials to protest the assignment. (http://www.christianpost.com/news/fla-university-puts-stomp-on-jesus-professor-on-administrative-leave-93009/#bGGbBz5MwzVTh5fi.99)

The teacher who gave the assignment  was reported at the time to have been put on leave, but not for the blasphemous assignment. He was put on leave out of fear for his safety. The school administration obviously has true Christianity mixed up with mainstream Islam, which puts bounty on the heads of those who blaspheme the prophet Mohammed. Jesus told that culture and society would react this way to His name:

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” (John 15:18-25)

Yet, God loves even the Jesus-haters of this world, and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (read 2 Peter 3:9). We who are Christ’s are commanded to love sinners, as does our Lord. Let us in these closing days of the dispensation of grace lift the name of Jesus at every opportunity so that men, women, and children will be given gospel light by which to come to saving knowledge of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16).

A Fox News person–can’t remember who–reported that Paul Anka, writer of the song “My Way” had withdrawn from performing at one or another of the events scheduled during the inaugural festivities.

Anka reportedly said the inauguration gig conflicted with his schedule. He thus joined a long list of celebrities and performers who said they would not be a part of the Trump victory celebration.

CNN, it was reported, gave a news flash that Nancy Sinatra, daughter of the late crooner Frank Sinatra, was furious that Mr. Trump would use the song “My Way” in the presidential celebration. She was, it was reported, incensed because it was the song her father made famous by recording it.

Ms. Sinatra, however, it became clear, was incensed not at Mr. Trump, but at CNN for what has become known as a fake news story. She reportedly was angry because the story was not true and she was said to have responded, “It’s not true. Why should I care? Why would they (CNN) lie about this?”

That’s a question many voters asked themselves before the vote by the electorate was cast in this presidential election. The diatribes by mainstream news hounds, favoring one candidate over the other, included lying the likes of which has rarely if ever reached the level it did in this election cycle.

The song “My Way” and the lies surrounding it serve to open the way for me to issue this warning to our new president, as suggested by the commentary’s title. 

I’ll say this at the outset. I can’t help but like the song. I’ve always–Lord, help me–liked it, particularly the way ol’ Elvis sang it.However, it is one of the most anti-God songs ever created. It is straight from the mind of the old serpent himself, I have no doubt. That’s why it is so appealing to the human mind and why even believers such as myself–weak in many ways because of the fallen nature of man–can’t help but like the song.

“My Way” tells the story of how the person singing it lived totally on his or her own terms. These didn’t listen to or bow the knee to anyone. They did it all–their way.

It’s not just a matter that the song is one of boasting about how great one is; it is a repudiation of God Himself. That might not have been Mr. Anka’s thought in writing it, but if you study the words, it is hubris that reflects Lucifer’s own words in Isaiah 14:14.

Getting back to our new president and his choosing the song for inclusion in his celebratory festivities, such hubris is likely, one hopes, not Mr. Trump’s own attitude. We should prayerfully hope–and believe–that he doesn’t–by making this song a part of his celebration–harbor the thought that he is now president only because of his own greatness and ability.

We have heard him state his thanks to so many–to the whole national voting public that cast their votes for him, in fact. I have heard him say that God is the one who made America “great” in the first place, and will do so again.

Still, I’m concerned when I know he–like myself–can’t help but like this song. It appeals to the pride that can so easily swell within each human being.

The Lord tells us in His Word that he hates “a proud look” (Proverbs 6: 17). He further says “he that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer” (Psalm 101:5). And, again, “An high look and a proud heart…is sin” (Proverbs 21:4).

God tells the end of all such pride in one’s self ability. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Being blind, I, of course, couldn’t see any of the presidential ball festivities. I did hear them, and the song “My Way” seemed to be the central theme song at each of the three.

Again, I couldn’t see it, but was told that at one point the new president, while dancing with the new first lady, looked into a nearby camera and mouthed the words, ”I did it my way.”

So, it is hearsay, not a firsthand account. Perhaps some of the readers of this commentary witnessed this silent comment by the president.

I was a supporter of Donald Trump and continue to be so as he promises to move America forward and lead us out of the slide into the abyss into which we are headed. Mr. Trump is often audacious and outspoken, and to be frank, it is one of the traits that endeared him to many–myself included–that is, to the extent that I like his pushing back against the pay-no-attention-to-the-American-people arrogance of Washington D.C. insiders and mainstream media types.

That said, I must issue this warning, Mr. President. You, I, and America must do it  “God’s way,” not “My way,” as Mr. Anka, Mr. Sinatra, or even ol’ Elvis would have it. Our very national existence depends upon this truth.

I’ve found it always a good thing to do when striving to serve as a watchman on the wall: Always look at Jesus’ prophetic words when examining these times of omega signs. The best place to start is in the Gospels that record the Lord’s Olivet Discourse.

It was thus some years ago when I began thinking on what is most pertinent in the news. Something in particular almost always jumps out of the pages of the Lord’s recorded foretelling. Those years ago it was: “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” (Luke 21:25).

Earlier I had been “watching” a news program, listening to a correspondent shouting to be heard over the noise of an angry mob. The network then cut to several other scenes of irate crowds shouting in unison words I couldn’t make out. The correspondent was saying the roaring of the crowds in the various locations shown was all about the decision by the Eurogroup to “haircut” depositors of the banks of Cypress. At the time, the Eurogroup, which was responsible for insuring deposits of the banks involved, had decided to grab money from the accounts of most everyone. Later the Eurozone powers that be decided on a less draconian action. They determined not to take as much from the accounts of the depositors with lower Euro amounts in their banks. Thus, the noise–the “roaring” in the streets–has lessened, if not completely abated.

I admit up front that I didn’t then, and don’t now, fully understand everything involved in the economic abyss into which Cypress had plunged, and into which, it was feared, much of Europe, such as Greece, France, Italy, Spain, and others might plunge. However, I did understand, as should anyone who has ever deposited hard-earned money into their bank, that for someone in government–or anyone else–to reach in and rob one’s bank account is the stuff of which riots are likely to be fueled.

Kind of makes you mad just thinking about it happening to you, doesn’t it?

And that sentiment was explored throughout the financial expert community during the time of that crisis, believe me. One of my favorite economic experts weighed in with a thought along these lines: “The decision of the government in Cyprus to simply take money out of people’s bank accounts there sent shock waves around the world. People far removed from that small island nation had to wonder: ‘Can this happen here?'” (Thomas Sowell, “Can It Happen Here?” www.townhall.com, 3/26/13, p. 1).

Exactly…

Was this a test to see how the masses will react to such overt robbery by those in authority? I’ve gotten that question many times and have asked it myself. Call it conspiracy “kookdom,” but the powers did start in the smallest of venues in their–shall we call it–experiment?

They, during that time of crisis, quickly decided to take a milder tact. However, such robbery will continue to take place in various forms as long as human greed remains. They just will reduce the size of their haul in their need for money to fix the horrible mess they’ve made of managing fiscal matters. Absolute power has indeed corrupted absolutely in Europe, as Lord Edward Acton would have it. The United States mess is infinitely bigger in terms of the amount of indebtedness. The only saving grace is that America is so gargantuan in its influences and so intricate in its linkages in monetary affairs worldwide that the powers that be will keep it propped up at all costs–at least until some unforeseen circumstance or deliberate action for purposes of serving the globalist banksters’ lust and greed becomes feasible to institute.

In either case, it will take a crisis or crises of major magnitude to bring the U.S.–thus all the world–down in one gigantic collapse into chaos. When that happens, there will indeed be a roaring of ear-shattering decibel. I am convinced that the roaring will be worldwide in its scope.

The economic morass that gets more quicksand-like by the day not only causes the sea of humanity to roar in distress, but draws other foretold end-times elements into the quagmire. Thus, the student of Bible prophecy attuned to Holy Spirit enlightenment can begin to understand how the last-days puzzle fits together.

As a student of Bible prophecy, one must consider the words of Ezekiel the prophet. He said that a group of leaders that sounds an awful lot like the current diplomatic lot of America and Europe will one day ask Gog, who almost certainly will be a future Russian leader: “Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13).

Economic matters will be, from now until the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the catalyst that will cause the seas of humanity to roar in tumult and, finally, produce a war that will threaten to extinguish all life on the planet. Jesus has promised to intervene before that destruction can fully play out.

Again, I’m convinced it will be the Rapture of the church that will burst the building bubble and bring the financial structure of this fallen world crashing down around all who are left behind. Jesus is the blessed hope (Titus 2: 13). Accept His offer of salvation this very moment, and escape the carnage to come.

Biblical language when extracted from the King James Version has on occasion somewhat amused me. Like when it was said that David was “sore afraid” (1 Samuel 21:12, or when Saul was “sore afraid” (1 Samuel 28:20).

I once heard a comedian extrapolate on this term “sore afraid.” He said that when you are “sore afraid, you’re “flat scared…”

David and Saul, in their situations had every right to be thus as have many other people in their various situations throughout God’s Word─the Bible─as it recounted the dire situations in which those folks found themselves.

Now, I’m not meaning to be irreverent. I just find the language amusing, not the dire circumstances of David, Saul and the others. It was certainly no laughing matter to those who were sore afraid…

Another rather antiquated expression from the KJV amuses me, and again, I don’t mean to be irreverent. I had better view the term in question with great reverence, because I can’t think of a more relevant word for Bible-believing Christians of these increasingly troubled times.

The antiquated term to which I refer is wrapped up in the apostle Peter’s description of Lot, who, of course, lived in Sodom at the time of that wicked city’s impending Judgment from God. Peter tells of how the Lord looked down into Lot’s situation…

“And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds) (2 Peter 2:7-8).

The first thing that stands out in this condemnation of the citizens of Sodom (and its twin sister city, Gomorrah) was that the conversation was “filthy.”

Lot was vexed: By the cesspool language that surrounded him.

There is a direct parallel today in this nation we call home, in that even professing Christians are caught-up in using the same “filthy” language that was obviously repugnant to the Lord then─and is undeniably so today. God changes not, His Word tells us. Certainly, the conversation that spews from the mouths of many of His professing children must grieve him greatly.

Here’s what James, the apostle has to say about this sinful language that must be a sorely vexing sound in the holy ears of our Heavenly Father.

“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3: 8-13).

Vexing, too, is the deterioration of American culture and society. I wrote years ago for one of my books a chapter for which I gave the title, Days of Our Lives, as the World Turns. I found upon revisiting that chapter that much of what was written there is even more a part of the scene today. I share part of that chapter here:

Powerful forces are at work beneath the relative tranquility that masks the true state of our nation and the world. Ours is a society that boils with turbulence beneath a veneer of sophistication. It is a society mirrored by television soap operas and hedonistic movies, which have in turn mesmerized much of the American public. Life has indeed imitated art, while year after year morals have degenerated and the very concept of morality has been turned upside-down and inside out. We are a people given a thrill-a-minute fix to satisfy our insatiable cravings for instant gratification. We are a people all the while descending deeper and deeper into depravity.

Gleam and glitter and unparalleled technological gadgetry have procured for the American public hours upon hours of time for pleasure seeking, and it is more than abundantly obvious, for mischief making. While it is true that the moguls of science provide great benefits for human health, wealth, and achievement within the sphere of human potential, to see the direction in which all of this is truly sweeping us, one has only to consider any given local evening news broadcast. We are not as a society every day and in every way getting better and better, like the New Age evolutionary thinkers would have us believe. Feeding our voracious appetites for more exciting thrills and greater pleasures has served only to generate phenomenal growth in criminal activity.

Those who perceive themselves to be the have “nots, ravenously desire those material things which the American propagandists flash before their lusting eyes. Because Big Brother government has, in effect, destroyed work ethic through give-away welfare programs, but can in no way give this dependent class the shimmering lifestyle it lusts after. The rip in the fabric of society worsens daily as the ungovernable elements engage in the only occupation they believe can secure for them the thrills and pleasures they seek [the crime that grips our inner-cities, in particular.]

Can there be any doubt that conditions and activities which God’s Word predicts will be prevalent while the end of the age approaches are now being played out before our very eyes? The similarities between the biblical descriptions and the reports we witness on our nightly newscasts are stunningly evident. Man’s atrocities against his fellow man are pandemic. Stories of debased human behavior are so numerous that those items, which would have formerly been front page headlines now are relegated to pages farther back because even more heinous stories overshadow them. Jesus Himself prophesied about the generation that would inhabit planet Earth at the time of His Second Advent:

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37).

Jesus Christ, who is God Himself, gave with that reference based upon Scripture recorded in the past, and Scripture He knew was yet to be recorded─an unmistakable characterization of the generation alive at the time of His Second Advent…

Like was written about the days of Lot, we can say with conviction that it is all truly vexing. Christ’s call to His church must indeed be near!