1 Nov 2026

Europe—Antichrist’s Incubator

Satan’s assault on the Western world is ramping up exponentially while the end of the Church Age (Age of Grace) draws near. Western Europe is in ferment, with the streets in the major cities exploding in violence that reminds us how times are like they were in the days of Noah, as Jesus said about the end of the age.

Daniel the prophet said that out of the heart of Europe would come a “false peacemaker” who will at some point declare himself to be God.

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9: 26-27).

The “prince that shall come” is, of course, Antichrist, who will, for a short time, rule over almost all of the world from within a tyrannical regime the likes of which have never been seen. We can know the virulence of this future era by considering the prophecy from the lips of our Lord.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

Jesus said it would be the most violent, most terrible time in all of human history. But He, in His resurrected and ascended position, gave the Apostle John the prophecy about the coming purveyor of false peace who will deceive most of the world at first.

The prophetic Scripture that speaks most specifically to this coming prince is one most students of Bible prophecy are thoroughly familiar with:

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:1-2).

We are given the picture of the first of the four horses of the Apocalypse as they carry their riders across the last seven years of human history just before Christ’s Second Coming back to Earth. This is the Tribulation.

The first rider on that spectacular white steed is none other than Antichrist. As the prophecy says, he will come forth conquering everything and everyone in his path.

Most scholars and students from the fundamentalist camp who are of the premillennial, pre-Trib view of Bible prophecy believe the bow in this vision-depiction indicates this “prince” will come in on a peace platform. He has a bow but displays no arrows.

This is exactly the image Daniel was given to prophesy:

“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many” (Dan 8:25 a, b).

I believe the world is now witnessing the beginning of conditions developing that will bring forth that son of perdition, that prince that shall come who will deceive and enslave all who accept his mark-and-numbering system of Revelation chapter 13.

Europe, the very part of the world out of which Daniel said that prince will come, is experiencing an ever-increasing upheaval that looks to be uncontrollable. And, despite the destructive, dangerous buildup toward total chaos, a surreal sense of detachment from the reality of the dangers involved pervades.

France’s streets burned, shops were looted and stripped bare, and a historic town hall collapsed under arson. Yet the most striking images from Saturday night were not the fires. They were the people who carried on as if nothing was happening. One woman jogged straight through thick black smoke past a burning barricade, treating the chaos like an outdoor treadmill session. Groups of French boomers kept dancing while buildings were torched around them, and a tour guide was filmed continuing her routine for visitors, smiling and pointing out landmarks while flames literally engulfed the city right in front of tourists. … meanwhile! French President Macron joins a Celine Dion concert. (“This Is Perhaps the Most Dystopian Thing Ever,” Steve Martin, via Modernity News S, ZeroHedge, October 20, 2026)

And France is but one European nation that’s experiencing the build toward uncontrollable destruction and violence. Indeed, it is as if modern Europe is acting as an incubator for the man of sin (Antichrist).

My great friend Jan Markell, with her podcast partner Michell Bachman, presented an in-depth program on Europe’s preparation for the coming Antichrist recently. Here is a link to that discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsQ77YUjnSU&t=362s

There will at some point come a mighty cry for peace and safety—a call for a man to come forth and save Europe and the world from utter destruction.

He will look like a great peacemaker and one who can reestablish order, which will no doubt have been all but destroyed. He will even promise prosperity, as Daniel’s prophecy indicates. He will “cause craft to prosper.”

However, he “will destroy many” through his conquests, his “peace-making,” and his “causing craft to prosper.”

This man on the white horse will be wearing a mask for sure, and his motives and intentions will be nothing like those of my childhood hero, the Lone Ranger on his white horse who wore a mask for noble reasons.

Antichrist’s mask will camouflage, for a time, the greatest deception ever perpetrated on humanity.

World conditions will make most everyone take the bait — hook, line, and sinker.

We see the beginnings of such preparation for Antichrist’s coming on the scene here in America. The midterm elections will perhaps foreshadow just how much evil, progressive invasiveness Satan has perpetrated within our own country.

This all means, of course, that Christ’s call to believers in the Rapture must be near indeed.

While we are reminded to keep looking up for our redemption that is drawing near, as recorded in Luke 21:28, let us remember to go forth with the gospel, informing all people everywhere of how to accept God’s saving grace.

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

–Terry

Wtjames1@swbell.net


The Battle Inside Today’s Churches

I was intrigued by a recent Prophecy News Watch article titled: “The Battle for Israel Is Now Being Fought Inside the Church.” Of course, the mainline denominations have become increasingly anti-Israel. This isn’t surprising given that for centuries they have accepted the tenets of Replacement Theology, believing that God long ago rejected the Jewish people.

The article correctly described the premillennial beliefs of those it described as “evangelicals.” However, not everyone in this group sees Israel’s rebirth as a nation as the first step toward the Lord restoring the kingdom to the nation at His Second Coming.

Sadly, the battleground is no longer between mainline denominations and evangelicals, but it’s rather inside the walls of churches that profess to be Bible-believing.

The Roots of Antisemitism

Amillennial beliefs have surged in recent decades in churches that profess belief in Scripture’s inspiration and inerrancy. It’s not uncommon for statements of faith to include strong language affirming Scripture as God-breathed while also proclaiming an end-of-the-age Second Coming as the very next event on God’s prophetic calendar.

The most popular no-Israel belief of our day is that of Dominion Theology, which teaches that the church will change the world and bring millennial conditions to the world before Jesus’ return to Earth. The aforementioned Replacement Theology remains a close second in popularity among “evangelicals.” Those in the Covenant Theology camp believe it was always God’s intention for Israel to transition to the church.

The dismissal of Jesus’ thousand-year reign from Mount Zion, as common in all these variations of Amillennialism, has long been a breeding ground for antisemitism, and today is no different. Pastor and author Gary Hamrick described it this way in an article on Harbinger’s Daily.

We’re seeing pastors today who refuse to support Israel because they’ve been influenced by Replacement Theology’s faulty interpretation of Scripture, and there are terrible repercussions for giving place to this damaging theology.

When the church entertains the idea that God has somehow replaced His covenant with the Jewish people—it provides fuel for the fire of those who would do Israel harm.

Make no mistake—this is a spiritual battle. Satan incites antisemitism, and antisemitism is satanic. And no one bears more responsibility in the fight against antisemitism than the church.

It’s not that all those who ascribe to a no-Israel view of future Bible prophecy have ill feelings toward Israel or the Jewish people. They do not. However, there has been a cause-and-effect pattern throughout church history as the teaching that God has rejected Israel has provoked hatred of the Jews. As Pastor Hamrick stated, it’s “a spiritual battle,” and it’s behind today’s resurgence of antisemitism.

Why Does It Matter?

Sadly, the battle extends beyond just hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people. In many instances, amillennial beliefs chip away at Scripture’s authority in other areas far too important to ignore.

It’s no accident that churches’ mainline denominations, long steeped in Replacement Theology, are the most prone to acquiesce to the world’s woke agenda. If God’s Word doesn’t really mean what it says about Israel, then alternative views of other passages become more inviting and eventually accepted.

As if the tendency toward antisemitism and wokeness were not enough, the belief that God could turn His back on promises to Israel also erodes the foundation of salvation “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:1-10). If faithfulness to the Lord matters in God keeping His covenant promises to the Jewish nation, then is it not possible to extend the same reasoning to believers under the promises of the New Covenant?

I recently learned that a prominent advocate of Dominion Theology believed we are responsible for both being saved and remaining saved. That’s not grace, and it contradicts what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-10. Besides that, such teaching creates a clear path to boasting about one’s salvation.

Another prominent advocate of another no-Israel view of Bible prophecy believes that Jesus’ death on the cross didn’t pay the penalty for our sins, but only made our salvation “possible.” Is that not light-years away from the Christian faith revealed throughout all of Scripture? And yet, he’s a revered author.

Granted, these are isolated examples and don’t reflect the views of most Amillennialists. On the other hand, Replacement Theology opens the door to elevating behavior over that of relying solely on God’s merciful and gracious provision for our salvation. If God can renege on His promises to Israel because of behavior, what does that say about our security as believers?

I wrote my latest book, Irrevocable: The Case for Israel (now available on the Westbow Press online store), to provide irrefutable evidence for Israel’s continuing place in Bible prophecy. In the process, however, I was awestruck by how God’s merciful dealings with Israel mirror His steadfast love to me and to all who trust Him as their Savior. Like Israel, we rely on God’s unfailing promises.

As I studied and wrote, the book became so much more than just compiling an abundance of evidence pointing to Israel’s future restoration as a kingdom. It also became a way to highlight the wonders of God’s unfailing love to His people, whether to the Jews or to us as New Testament saints.

The surging tide of antisemitism prompted me to start writing a book defending Israel’s place in Bible prophecy. In the end, it also became a way to proclaim God’s steadfast love.

-Jonathan

jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com

 

25 Oct 2026

Rumors of Peace

Peace is perhaps the most prevalent issue on the minds of humankind in these volatile times. The rumors of war that look to be much like those prophesied by Jesus in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew chapter 24) are on the increase when thinking upon things brewing in the Middle East. This region threatens to break out in much wider violence between Israel and its enemy neighbors at any moment, an action that could swiftly progress to a much larger conflict involving atomic weaponry. This must be avoided at all costs; therefore, every effort at peace is explored by the internationalist powers that be.

Some efforts at squashing war before it can get started are genuine. Others look suspiciously to be simply repositioning in ways that will help those involved secure advantage for themselves in one way or the other. That’s how I view most peace initiatives taking place in the region in and around the so-called holy land.

And, in addition to all the possibilities of war breaking out into nuclear conflict in the Middle East, the potential for war is even more likely to burst forth from things going on now between Russia and NATO, with the Russian/Ukrainian matter at the heart of the conflict.

NATO has issued a blunt warning to Russia’s Vladimir Putin as follows:

‘We’ve got this’: NATO commander unveils theory of victory against Russia 
NATO’s top military commander delivered a blunt warning to Moscow on Monday, setting out how allied forces would repel a Russian attack and insisting the alliance knows “how to win a war on its territory.” The speech was an unusually public account of how NATO intends to fight. It was also a deterrent message in its own right, warning any potential adversary of what it would face in the event of an attack. (Rapture Ready News, October 13, 2026)

The endeavor to quell the likelihood of conflagration in the Mideast is often found in disseminating rumors of peace. These strange, diametrically opposite war and peace matters—and their genuine/self-serving repositioning stratagem—used to be wrapped up at one and the same time in what was termed the “Roadmap to Peace.” Now it is presented within President Trump’s “Board of Peace” stratagem.

Time and time again, we hear about the various tactics to be employed in order to bring the antagonists to the table of peace. These “rumors of peace” are, indeed, for preventing war in the region. But the reasons for wanting that peace are not merely so people of the region will get along, thus enjoy a life free of fear of any moment’s attack. The reasons are more steeped in 1) making sure World War III doesn’t spring from such conflict; 2) the fact that the parties involved in the peace-making continue to have maximum access to the massive petroleum reserves; 3) the fact that a presence is maintained by the American/European/Russian referees that keep Israel and her enemies separated.

We who observe conditions in that region from the perspective of Bible prophecy note that the peace plan never seems to get installed. Peace never eventuates from the actions of the diplomatic community.

Every president since George W. Bush has promised a peace agreement, some involving establishment of a Palestinian state, before they leave office. We could be surprised, but other than the rumors, there seems nothing substantial in that peace coming to fruition. And the days of the current presidential administration are dwindling. We are dealing with rumors of peace at the same time we are dealing with rumors of war. Peace is defined as:

  1. The normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.
  2. (Often initial capital letter) An agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism: the Peace of Ryswick.
  3. A state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations: Try to live in peace with your neighbors.
  4. The normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security: He was arrested for being drunk and disturbing the peace.
  5. Cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.
  6. Freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity.
  7. A state of tranquility or serenity: May he rest in peace.
  8. A state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquility: the peace of a mountain resort.
  9. Silence; stillness: The cawing of a crow broke the afternoon’s peace. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2006).

Those definitions pretty much cover the meanings of the word “peace” in human terms. But fulfillment of the definitions to any great extent is far, far from this generation–like it has been from every generation of the past.

True peace in this fallen realm, you see, is not possible in the physical or even psychological sense. We are at every point dealing with mere “rumors” of peace. Here is why:

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:1-2).

We only have to consider the headlines of a week or so ago to understand what the Apostle James was, under divine inspiration, telling us. War is a constant, and planning for it is an undeniable part of the fallen human condition.

US warns of limited defence industrial capacity for European orders 
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on Monday urged Europe to increase its defence production, warning that US defence industrial capacity is limited. Speaking at the annual Warsaw Security Forum, Whitaker said that the US could spend between $1 and $1.5 trillion on defence in 2026 alone, meaning that US defence firms will be busy fulfilling orders for the Pentagon rather than foreign purchasers. (Rapture Ready News, October 13, 2026)

[“There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked” (Isa. 48:22). All of fallen humankind is wicked. There is none good, no, not one, the Scripture tells us. The only “good” is in Jesus Christ, who came to take away the sin of the world. When individuals turn over their soul to Christ for salvation, they then can bring true peace into their lives that is absolutely elusive under any other prescription for conducting life on this decaying planet. Even those who are Christ’s (have become born again into the family of God) must submit moment by moment to Christ to receive God’s peace within their innermost being.

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

All efforts at achieving peace are just rumors of peace unless those efforts have Jesus at their center. Whether thinking on the individual life, from which all war-making begins according to James 4:1-2 – about society, geoeconomics and geopolitics, or any other frame of reference concerning the human condition – if Christ is left out of the equation for achieving peace, there will be no peace.

Considering modern Israel and the rumors of peace in particular, here’s what God’s Word says about His daughter, Israel, and the world’s dealing in the process of peace involving that nation:

“For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace” (Jer. 8:11).

Thankfully, Christ will one day–perhaps very soon—return to bring true peace, rather than the rumors of peace in our daily headlines today.

–Terry

Wtjames1@swbell.net


Veiled Antisemitism

One cannot properly understand the Middle East mess apart from the insight of Scripture, particularly the book of Esther.

It’s not that the book contains prophecy; it does not. It does, however, highlight Satan’s ongoing efforts to thwart God’s redemptive plans, which continue today.

By the time of Esther and Mordecai, the devil knew that the Savior would come through Jacob’s descendants, specifically the tribe of Judah. In order to stop the birth of the promised Messiah, he prompted Haman to initiate the killing of all the Jews. His plan backfired, but it did not stop Satan’s efforts to hinder God’s prophetic purposes.

Fast forward to today, and we see the same violent hatred for the Jewish people. And just as it was in the days of Esther, the root of the antisemitism that’s raging in our world is spiritual. There’s no sane reason for the attacks against Israel to continue in the light of repeated failures, but they do. All the ceasefires and peace initiatives eventually fail because they ignore the demonic element that drives the hatred of Israel and the Jewish people.

Veiled, But Antisemitism Just the Same

Last week, Barack Obama addressed the Middle East crisis during an interview with Irish journalist and author Susan McKay. In it, the former president resorted to his worn-out moral-equivalence argument. This time he applied it to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, suggesting both sides are equally at fault in the ongoing conflict.

Although he attempted to sound intellectual and bipartisan, he clearly blamed Israel for the continuing strife. While he acknowledged the oppression of the Jewish people during the past two thousand years, the gist of his argument was that it was no excuse for stealing the land from the Palestinians. He put it this way:

That is undeniable. What is also undeniable is that they took land off people, and they were excessive. And those people understandably said: “This is injustice, and I want my land back.”

His Muslim roots were clearly evident in his remarks, as was his ignorance of Scripture and a willing oversight of the events that led to the UN’s recognition of Israel in 1948. He chose to ignore the fact that there was never a Palestinian State in the land that Israel possesses. The Palestinians are a blend of Arabs from the surrounding nations. It was sleight-of-hand antisemitism designed to appear reasonable and fair.

Even more egregious were Obama’s remarks concerning Gaza, in which he described the conflict as reflective of a “cycle of historical grievances.” Really? Someone needs to remind him that Israel gave Gaza back to the Palestinians in 2005, and their self-rule led directly to the demonic and barbaric slaughter of 1,200 Jews eighteen years later. His abhorrent comments regarding Gaza reflect a willing and total disconnect from reality.

The quote below, from an article on the All Israel News website, precisely sums the former president’s failure to disguise his hatred of all things Jewish:

You really have to hand it to Obama, though, because he didn’t just drop the bombshell statement in a willy-nilly manner. He adeptly sought to couch it in the cleverest way possible, which attempted to sound conciliatory but, at the same time, became a forceful condemnation of Israel’s right to defense.

What we see today is a not-so-secret all-out blitz, waged by “the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:11), against Israel and its people. But why now? Why the overt and covert hatred?

Why Oppress Israel Now?

So just as in the days of Queen Esther, the devil’s strategy remains the same: eliminate the people instrumental to God’s plan of redemption for humanity and thus thwart the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. He recognizes that the seventieth week of Daniel awaits a future fulfillment (9:24-27):

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place” (Daniel 9:24).

According to this verse, the Jewish people and Jerusalem will play a key part in fully realizing all the Lord’s redemptive purposes. They will be instrumental in bringing Jesus’ reign of peace to the entire world.

Israel’s miraculous birth as a nation in 1948 signaled the nearness of Jesus’ return to Zion and His reign over the nations from there. Satan not only knows this, but he also recognizes the great number of signs pointing to the nearness of the Tribulation period and thus to the Lord’s return to a repentant remnant of Jews at its conclusion.

The devil is again seeking to eliminate the Jewish people as he continues his age-long agenda of thwarting God’s rescue of humanity. Jesus’ triumphant return to a repentant Jewish remnant will inaugurate His glorious and righteous thousand-year reign over the nations (and Satan’s long imprisonment in the bottomless pit).

It’s Spiritual

The raging antisemitism of our day, along with the hatred for all things Israel, is rooted in Satan’s hatred for God and his attempt to stop His redemptive purposes for humanity. In short, it’s a spiritual conflict that will not and cannot be fully resolved until the Price of Peace returns to the earth.

We see this hostility played out in the continuous warfare and threats of war against Israel. It’s behind the antisemitism that results in violence against the Jewish people throughout the world.

More subtly, the animosity also manifests itself in intellectual verbiage that seeks to veil the hatred while vainly assigning blame to both sides, while naively regarding Islam as a “religion of peace.”

It’s spiritual. As such, we should expect both overt and veiled hostility to continue and, sadly, also gain traction, as it’s doing in America. Little do they know, they are fulfilling Bible prophecy themselves. Not only that, it will not end well for them.

-Jonathan

jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com