Perfect Prophetic Storm
It was one of the last major great weather events I remember being able to see. I lost my eyesight within a few years, but this storm stands out in my memory as no other.
What makes it stand out is that the news cameras were all trained at one point on the summer White House of President George H. W. Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine. The raging Atlantic waves were actually crashing into the home, and it was feared it would be washed away as the continuing assault was so powerful.
Here is a brief description of that great storm:
In late October 28 into early November 1991, a fierce storm wreaked havoc on the high seas, bringing hurricane-force winds, major coastal flooding, and perilous waves to New England. Though it never actually made landfall in the United States, it is regarded as a highly unusual and record-setting storm for the northwest Atlantic Ocean and was memorialized in the book Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and a movie of the same name.…
In the first few days of November, the “Perfect Storm” evolved into a tropical cyclone, and then quickly evolved into a hurricane as it sped back towards the northeast. On November 2, it passed over the same area where it had originated, landfalling in Nova Scotia…
There were isolated rogue waves reported as high as 90 feet in the North Atlantic. Hurricane-force wind gusts, reaching almost 80 miles per hour in certain areas, swept the coasts and whipped seas into a frenzy.
There can be no doubt that, though it never touched down on American soil, the “Perfect Storm” will forever be remembered as a benchmark storm for the North Atlantic. (“Remembering the ‘Perfect Storm’,” National Weather Service Heritage—Virtual Lab, By Emily Senesac (edited by Greg Romano)
This was the storm that sank the Andrea Gail, a 72-foot fishing vessel, and took the lives of six crewmen.
That infamous storm will always be pointed to with legendary implication, much as the storm years earlier that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald in the Great Lakes.
The remembrance of that 1991 storm I was able to watch unfold, and the winter storm of a week or so ago I was not able to “watch”—the one predicted to be a storm like no other, at least for the central US—engendered thoughts of things we believe are coming together in a perfect prophetic storm.
The ingredients are now in place to produce the great Tribulation storm that will make all the maelstrom of human history seem insignificant by comparison when it breaks full-blown upon anti-God rebels left behind on Earth. I often refer to developments we see coming together for this perfect storm as the stage being set for the seven years known as “Daniel’s seventieth week.”
Just as weather watchers could observe the various elements of that 1991 storm and the recent winter storm, so the student of God’s prophetic Word can observe what’s coming. We can witness and report the most prominent elements forecast by Jesus and the prophets as those ingredients coalesce while the Tribulation approaches.
With God’s chosen nation, Israel, at the center of world turmoil, and with many lesser ingredients on the stormfront horizon, here are the key elements that continue to come together that will produce the unprecedented prophetic storm John saw when he was inspired to write the Revelation:
Wars and Rumors of War
Wars are raging, as has been constantly in the news in the Middle East and the arena of the former USSR. The rumors of war have never in humankind’s history been more prolific.
America’s powerful naval forces now churn into the region, bringing speculation that a US military action against Iran will likely ignite a greater regional conflict. Nuclear war is a possibility, it is speculated, while the Iranian terrorist regime threatens to sink the Abraham Lincoln American aircraft carrier and fire on other US military assets.
As part of the overall buildup to war, the major coalition members that will constitute the Gog-Magog attack of Ezekiel 38–39 have come together north of Israel.
As we’ve looked at previously, economics–the need for fiscal stability among Russia, Persia (Iran), and Turkey (Togarmah) in order to quell unrest that threatens these dictatorships–likely will drive the leadership to have that evil” thought” that will lead to seeking “great spoil” to the south.
The Cry for Peace
The fears produced by the buildup toward war are bringing forth an unprecedented call for peace among the nations. This is a primary indicator the Bible gives as proof that great destruction—the destruction of the Tribulation—is about to occur.
“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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 5:1-3).
All we have to do is consider the cry for peace that’s in the news every hour of every news cycle. The Board of Peace that the American president has presented to the world’s leaders is nothing short of profound in setting the stage for the perfect prophetic storm.
Leaders who have always been completely against everything Mr. Trump ever proposed apparently can’t resist climbing on the Trump Board of Peace train. Even Russia’s Vladimir Putin seems intrigued—wondering, no doubt, how to gain something economically advantageous by joining with the multi-world leader group part of Trump’s proposed peace initiative.
The Board of Peace comes at a time when all other ingredients for the perfect prophetic storm are brewing. And this is where I suspect a very special ingredient that ties this time so close to the Tribulation together.
Jesus’ Days of Lot Prophecy
As readers know, the one prophecy I believe most relevant to our time is Jesus’ word about the days of Lot:
“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 17:28-30).
While all the volatile ingredients of the building Tribulation Storm are coalescing, Jesus gives those of us who are watchers (Mark 13:37) a heads-up on precisely what life will be like. And again, I believe our Lord might have had America in mind when He gave this prophecy.
I say this because unless one just will not admit to truth, this country must be considered the apex nation of world history, so far as being materially blessed—and next to Israel so far as being spiritually blessed.
However, America, it is tragic and sad to say, has long since departed from God’s supreme directions in so many ways. We have become almost a twin—or I should say a “triplet”?—of Sodom and Gomorrah in ways of cultural anti-God comportment.
Our Lord said He will next catastrophically intervene into the wicked affairs of humankind—not at a time when there is world war or economic collapse into depression, but at a time of buying, selling, building, planting, and marrying—all the activities that indicate business as usual. As a matter of fact, I believe we are beginning to see economic times boom, as Sodom did in Lot’s day.
It will be at that time—like in the case of Lot’s day in Sodom—when Christ will call all believers to Himself in the clouds of Glory. That “sudden destruction” of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 will then take place. That is, it will take place at the same time as the cry for peace is taking place!
I believe we are seeing the perfect prophetic storm very near the point of breaking upon a world totally unsuspecting that it is coming. “Like a snare,” it will come upon the entire world (Luke 21:35).
A Special Thank You!
The donation request for the Pakistani ministry was very successful, thanks to you wonderful brothers and sisters who so generously opened up your hearts to this effort.
Soon, our Pakistani Pastor Anil will send for posting his personal note of gratitude to you and thanks to our Lord.
The printing and distribution of my two little books, Prophecy Power: Strength from God to Face Your Future and HeavenVision: Glimpses into Glory are now in process there in Pakistan. Let us pray together that many souls come to Christ in this mission effort!
Again, may our Lord bless each of you in every way!
—Terry
*PS—I sent personal notes of thanks through email to those of you who included your email addresses with your donation.
Unfortunately, a few of those notes came back as undeliverable. So, to those who didn’t get my personal thanks, please send me an email at wtjames1@swbell.net, and I’ll respond with a thank-you note, which is what I very much want to do.
How Do We Respond to the Assaults on Our Faith?
As biblical knowledge decreases both inside and outside the church, the number of alternative beliefs increases exponentially. I see this in the emails I receive as well as in comment sections of my podcasts when, after reading a few of them, I exclaim, “I didn’t know anyone believed that!”
This problem goes beyond matters related to Bible prophecy. Almost every week, I see a meme on Facebook that directly contradicts the words of Ephesians 2:1-10. Such posts make our salvation, as well as the Lord’s continuing love for us, dependent on our behavior, our good works.
That brings me to what’s on my heart as I write this morning: the words of Scripture must be the sole basis for all that we believe.
In a day when social media blasts us with such a vast assortment of false beliefs on every conceivable matter, it’s more important than ever that we know what the Bible says about the fundamentals of our faith. And of course, that includes reminders of the biblical basis for our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing, which is so often the target of ridicule in today’s world.
I read statements such as this almost every week: “There’s not one verse in the entire Bible that supports a pre-Tribulation Rapture.” Hmmm, I remember hearing similar accusations dismissing Jesus’ deity when I dealt with Jehovah’s Witnesses in the past. Those who say such things assume their listeners will accept what they say at face value without pursuing the matter for themselves.
Our Blessed Hope Is Biblically Based
Don’t let the scoffers take your eyes off the prize. We have a solid biblical basis for our belief in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Many verses confirm our hope, and together, they form a compelling and convincing case for placing the Rapture before the start of the seven-year Tribulation.
The words of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 verify that there will be such a thing as the Rapture. It’s a biblical event; as Ed Hindson wrote about a few years ago, people may disagree with us on its timing, but the opinion that there’s no such thing in God’s Word is totally false.
As we keep reading in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, we discover the Lord’s assurance of deliverance from the wrath of the Day of the Lord. Those who say Revelation chapters 6-18 are all allegory or past history must do some pretty fancy footwork to explain why the Lord, through the Apostle Paul, promises our deliverance from a future extended period of wrath upon the earth, one that Jesus later referred to in Revelation 3:10.
I often hear others insist that the Rapture and Second Coming are the same event. Yet when we compare what the New Testament says about the two events, we recognize that it’s impossible for them to happen at the same time. Jesus’ words in John 14:1-3 confirm that there will be a time when He comes for us, and at the same time, we will go to Heaven to the place He’s preparing for us rather than stay on the earth.
There’s a great deal of evidence that confirms our belief in Jesus’ imminent appearing. In my book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast, I lay out the biblical evidence, step by step, for our anticipation of Jesus’ soon appearing.
It’s All About the Words
If there’s one thing that has long confused me, it’s this: Many pastors who rightly proclaim a biblically-based Gospel depart from their adherence to the words of Scripture when it comes to our “blessed hope” and the future of Israel.
They readily affirm that Christ precisely fulfilled prophecy with His first coming. However, they apply a totally different approach to what the Bible says about His Second Coming, His thousand-year reign, and the restoration of Israel. Why is that?
What one believes about Bible prophecy rests on how one interprets the words of the biblical text based on the assumptions one brings to it. For example, the words of Scripture tell us there must be a future for Israel, but others apply symbolical meanings to them and reach a far different conclusion. Dan Price, the Director of International Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, explained the difference well in a recent article on Harbinger’s Daily:
Ultimately, every opinion on eschatology boils down to issues of hermeneutics, the discipline of how you interpret the Bible. Because I hold to a literal (historical, grammatical) interpretation of Scripture, even when reading prophecy, I naturally use a futurist interpretive method. In other words, when I read prophecies or promises that have obviously not been fulfilled physically, I assume, like the original audience, that those events must still be in the future. This basic principle of hermeneutics leads to a premillennial systematic theology of eschatology. Those that hold other positions on eschatology? Their hermeneutics led them there, too.
Words matter. Yet so many in the church today reach conclusions on matters of faith based solely on emotions, human wisdom, preconceived assumptions, and a limited knowledge of all that Scripture teaches.
There are some highly gifted and skilled orators in today’s pulpits who lead their listeners astray with their dismissal of God’s promises to Israel and their redirection of our “blessed hope” to matters pertaining solely to this life. That’s why it’s more important than ever for believers to have a thorough knowledge of Scripture so they can develop the “powers of discernment” needed in today’s world (see Hebrews 5:11-14).
The events swirling around us shout with the message that our wait for Jesus’ appearing is nearing an end. But it’s also necessary to take time to reflect on why we believe what we do, so we don’t succumb to discouragement at what we see happening in our world.
-Jonathan