Convergence and Urgency
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Mike Hile and I were at the Christ in Prophecy TV studio near Dallas. TV hosts Tim Moore and Dr. Nathan Jones invited me to interview on our latest book, Tracking Toward Tribulation: And the Any-Moment Intervention by Jesus Christ.
I believe strongly that the programming accomplished that day was Holy Spirit-directed for two reasons that involve the meaning wrapped within the words “convergence” and “urgency.”
Lamb & Lion Ministries, the overall parent ministry for the Christ in Prophecy TV sector of that ministry, will, like us at RaptureReady, be concentrating more than ever on the convergence of indicators for prophetic fulfillment we see developing. Certainly, for those who are truly watching for prophetic stage-setting as the time of the Tribulation nears, there are hour-by-hour signals that the world is about to be plunged into the time Jesus said will become the worst in all of human history (Matthew 24:21).
“Convergence” was sort of a central theme we kept in mind while going through Tracking Toward Tribulation, a book with chapters by fourteen top scholars, writers, and broadcasters who have a pre-Trib view of Bible prophecy. Plus, I put my two cents in as general editor. I believe it’s one of the most prescient of these books the Lord has given me to publish. By this, I mean that each chapter seems to have a special, Holy Spirit imprint on the dissection of the times each author presents. And the contributors’ in-depth examinations and analyses engender the word “urgency.”
While filming the programs, as we went through the many signals of convergence bursting forth more and more frequently and intensely in these strange times, it was made clear how the greatest of all prophets expected those who are watchmen to act and react. Jesus said the following in that regard:
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).
Jesus was saying He wants all who believe He is Lord and Savior not to be like the Judaizers, the Pharisees of the time when He first visited the earth in His fleshly incarnation.
These had their Messiah standing right in front of them, speaking with them, with Heaven-sent signs that He had come into their midst. He condemned them because they didn’t recognize Him despite all the signals. He said they could determine what the weather would be the next day by observing the signals—the clouds, et cetera—but they couldn’t recognize Israel’s King standing before them at that very moment.
Jesus is saying today that the signals will be everywhere and in great profusion when the time arrives for His next intervention into the affairs of wicked humankind. We who have within us the Holy Spirit—whom He sent to indwell us when He returned to Heaven and the right hand of His Father—are to look up and know He is on His way back to take us unto Himself (paralambano in the Greek language). He will fulfill at that moment the mystery Paul would later reveal. Jesus said He would go away but would come again and receive believers to Himself (John 14:1-3). That is the Rapture that Paul, the great apostle, gave us in revealing that mystery Jesus described in John 14:1-3.
Jesus said in the Luke 21:28 account that we will see “all these things.” We’ll see the burgeoning signs of His Return. All of us (believers) are to watch for these signs (Mark 13:37).
Those of us who truly watch have been seeing these things “begin” to come to pass for quite some time. For certain, some who watch have been watching intensely since the rebirth of Israel on May 14, 1948!
The absolute avalanche of prophetic signals is converging at this moment at the end of this Age of Grace like at no other time I can remember. Thus, I and the others in our Christ in Prophecy filming sessions believe there is great urgency to present these signs and all attendant to them as quickly and as effectively as possible. Souls of people hang precariously in the balance.
We want those who don’t know Jesus for salvation not to be left behind to suffer under Antichrist’s hellish evil and God’s wrath during the last seven years leading to Christ’s Second Advent. Nor do we want those who are lost in sin and headed for eternity apart from God to die and go to the lake of fire, that terrible place prepared for the devil and his rebellious angels.
Thus, the urgency cannot be overemphasized. The convergence we see propelling this judgment-bound world toward the Tribulation means there isn’t time to disregard or ignore the call of the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ right now, rather than think to accept His saving grace offer at some time in the future. Because of the convergence of signs, Jesus is, we concluded in that TV filming, perhaps at the very door of Heaven, about to step out on the clouds of Glory to call all believers out of harm’s way in the Rapture.
We want all who don’t know Him for salvation to be saved from the wrath to come and instead be in the shelter of Jesus Christ. Here again is how you can be saved from sin and its deadly consequences. Jesus is the only Way (John 14:6).
“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
What’s Behind Paula White’s Rise to Power?
The prevailing assessment of Bible prophecy in many churches today is that it’s of too little significance to teach from the pulpit. Pastors avoid preaching about the Rapture and Jesus’ thousand-year rule lest it offend people and they stop attending. Some claim that beliefs about things to come are “tertiary,” which online dictionaries define as “of third rank importance or value.”
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The dearth of sound biblical teaching on Bible prophecy has created a void that false teachers have filled with a wide assortment of wayward beliefs regarding the church, Jesus’ appearing, the Second Coming, and Israel. As a result, the prevailing false view in the Christian community is that the church will someday prevail over the ills and evils of our world and inaugurate millennial conditions throughout the world before Jesus returns to the earth.
Lest anyone think that such teaching, known as Dominion Theology, is of little or no consequence for our day, one of its chief proponents now has an office inside the White House.
Paula White’s Rise to Prominence
Televangelist Paula White’s rise to power resulted from the widespread shortage of sound biblical teaching on future things.
White amassed a personal fortune, estimated in excess of five million dollars, by promising her television audience health and prosperity if they contributed to her ministry. The response to such promises has not only made her wealthy but also has given her a platform that caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who selected her as an advisor. He has placed White in charge of his newly created White House Faith Office.
Sadly, White’s unbiblical beliefs, listed below, taint the advice she gives to the President:
- Jerusalem and the Land of Israel no longer belong exclusively to the descendants of Jacob via God’s unconditional covenants with His people.
- The Jewish people don’t have a place in God’s prophetic program for the future.
- The world is not racing toward the seven-year Tribulation judgments, as described in Revelation chapters 6-18, but is rather on a course leading to a time of worldwide prosperity, peace, and security administered by the church.
Sadly, her counsel to the President stems from these errant beliefs. Is it possible that, at a minimum, her beliefs regarding the church’s rule over the earth validate Trump’s belief that great prosperity lies ahead for America under his leadership?
What About Israel?
However, there’s another area where our President needs much better counsel than what White gives to him.
I don’t know for sure if Paula White’s errant views concerning Israel have influenced President Trump’s policies in any way. One has to wonder, however, about the influence of a White House faith advisor who rejects what the Bible says about the future of the Jewish people, the Land that God gave to them, and Jerusalem.
Trump has a proven record of supporting Israel, but will his desire to be a peacemaker cloud his judgment? Will he treat Israel as just another nation and thus fail to recognize its God-given right to the Land?
Stories abound concerning increased tensions between the President and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently said, “I think we will have to withdraw from American security assistance.”
Last week, the Jerusalem Post reported that President Trump was ready to recognize a Palestinian state. Although those close to him vigorously denied the statement, many wonder about the possibility of a peace deal that might include unwelcome compromises for the future of Israel.
On his recent Middle East trip, President Trump most likely encountered tremendous pressure from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to recognize a Palestinian state since these nations remain adamant about the necessity of a two-state solution. It’s also troubling that he didn’t stop in Israel before returning to the U.S.
Bible Prophecy Matters
Paula White’s rise to power demonstrates the necessity of sound biblical teaching on Bible prophecy. Those who say it’s tertiary make a serious error in judgment, to say the least.
Pastors who minimize its importance allow false teaching to flourish in the Christian community. A scripturally valid view of future things is essential for believers to discern truth from error. The inability of Christians to do so has made multi-millionaires of charlatans such as White and others. Even worse, it has given their followers a false hope for the future and, in far too many cases, kept them from recognizing the necessity of trusting Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins and eternal life.
I’m convinced that any and all decisions that result from Trump’s jaunt to the Middle East will facilitate the Lord’s plan for the end times and bring us even closer to meeting our Savior in the air. We need not worry about the errant counsel the President receives from Paula White; the Lord long ago already factored that into His sovereign plans to rescue Israel during the upcoming seven-year Tribulation and establish His kingdom on the earth.
This does not excuse, however, the dearth of sound biblical teaching on Bible prophecy that exists today in our churches. It has created a void that has allowed false teachers such as Paula White to flourish and, in her case, rise to prominence in Washington, DC.
-Jonathan