Isaiah 24: Darkest Before the Dawn :: By Mark A. Becker

Introduction

The cliché “Darkest Before the Dawn” is based upon a natural phenomenon that occurs in our world when just before the sun rises on the horizon it appears to the observer to be the darkest portion of the night.

When men and women who are born again and possess the indwelling Holy Spirit pass from this life into eternity, often, because of the suffering that frequently accompanies death, they will encounter a similar experiential occurrence that is often relatable by the same platitude of it being Darkest Before the Dawn – that of a new beginning of everlasting joy in the presence of Jesus Christ following their passing from this temporal life.

Isaiah 24 is a vivid prophetic tapestry of the absolute devastation that occurs in the Great Tribulation and culminates with Messiah’s glorious Second Coming – that is, utter darkness, destruction, and despair before the saving light of Jesus Christ – the theme of which can be found in our titled cliché, Darkest Before the Dawn.

As usual, we will be studying the chapter in chronological segments with accompanying commentary and complimentary passages of Scripture, along with imbedded links to past articles for the reader to access for further study on various topics.

Underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.

“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.” – Isaiah 24:1

This opening statement is referring to the end of the Tribulation and what Earth will look like when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to save Zion and deliver a remnant of Israel, as they have been in hiding in the mountains of Petraes Sela, and Mt. Seir for the last three and one-half years, with the rest of the remnant of Israel scattered throughout other nations.

The Hebrew word translated “earth” in this verse is 776 אֶרֶץ “erets” and is often translated “land” – usually referring to Israel and, in many instances, Jerusalem. In Isaiah 24, this word would better be rendered “Earth” in most of the passages, for Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of the conditions the entire world will experience at the end of the Tribulation just before Christ’s Second Coming.

In Isaiah 24:1, we can see an allusion to both the entire Earth and the land of Israel, as Earth will be empty [wasted]wasted [devastated], and turned upside down [twisted/distorted], that will “scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” to any place where many people can find shelter and get relief from the horrific catastrophes they will have encountered.

“And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.” – Isaiah 24:2

When applied to Israel, after those inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah who were able to escape to the mountains of Petraes Sela, and Mt. Seir following the Abomination of Desolation, everybody will be rendered equal; there is no distinction between the people anymore at this time in history. With the only way in bringing about salvation for His chosen people, God will allow Antichrist’s Abomination of Desolation to drive them out one last time from the Promised Land in order to bring them to repentance from their individual sins, national pride apart from God, their overall secular worldview, and, of most importance, their rejection of Messiah Yeshua.

Hosea also spoke of this truth in the same way:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

“As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

And there shall belike peoplelike priestand I will punish them for their waysand reward them their doings.” – Hosea 4:6-9

A second and just as appropriate application of this verse would be extended to the rest of the world as – when Antichrist sets up his Mark of The Beast economic and worship system with the remnant that will survive the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation after billions will have been killed – all people on Earth will also be equal, apart from Antichrist and his henchmen for a time, of course. The “utopian” Socialist/Marxist surveillance system tracking every human being on Earth, punishing all who do not conform to their mandates, rendering them all equal in the sight of the Antichrist Beast system, will also have this prophetic effect.

“The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.” – Isaiah 24:3

As detailed in our articles A Study of Zechariah 14:1-11 and A Study of Zechariah 14:12-21, we conclude that Israel in general, with Jerusalem specifically, will be emptied of the Jewish people after the Abomination of Desolation – and into the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation – when she will be spoiled by Antichrist and the armies of the nations represented by United Nation forces, with a remnant of Israelites fleeing to the mountains of Petraes Sela, and Mt. Seir in ancient Edom.

However, we need to remember that this chapter is speaking, in addition to the land of Israel, about the world-wide conditions on Earth. Truly, “the land [Earth] shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled” from all the manmade and Satanic atrocities, along with the judgments of God being poured out onto a predominately God-hating, Christ-rejecting world. As Jesus said, regarding this horrific time…

“… For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” – Mark 13:19-20

“The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” – Isaiah 24:4-5

The last three and one-half years of the Tribulation will be the worst experience mankind will have ever had upon Earth, and that includes the Genesis flood. The deluge in Noah’s day only lasted a year, and everyone died the same fateful death, but the Tribulation will last seven years (2,520 days), with the Great Tribulation encompassing the last half of those seven years (1,260 days). Utter destruction will be the horrendous result.

The Antichrist will have made a covenant with Israel and the “many” that begins the Tribulation. At the midway point of the Tribulation, Antichrist himself will transgress against his own covenant with Israel at the Abomination of Desolation.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven]: 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 9:27

An angel revealed to Daniel his vision in Daniel 7: The Four Beasts of the End-Times and prophesied that Antichrist…

“… shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”- Daniel 7:25

And, of course, Israel will have “broken the everlasting covenant” with the LORD God in their submission and acceptance of Antichrist’s “covenant” with the “many.”

“Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves…

“And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” – Isaiah 28:14-1518

“Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” – Isaiah 24:6

The effects of the fourth Vial Judgment on Earth will be immense:

“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” – Revelation 16:8-9

“Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire…” – Isaiah 30:26-27

There will be very “few men left” in the world, including the armies of the world that come to Jerusalem at the end of the Tribulation in their feeble effort to take on Christ at His Second Coming, attempting to keep Him and the returning remnant of Israel out of the Holy City and the Promised Land. Their armies will have been decimated from the outpouring of God’s wrath for the past seven plus years (depending on the unknown gap of time between the rapture and the start of the Tribulation) along with all the man-made, Satan influenced, and natural disasters that will have occurred.

Undoubtedly, those decimated armies of the nations and Antichrist will also comprise all men and women who had taken The Mark of The Beast as they gather together at Jerusalem to demonically oppose the coming King.

Again, Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse,

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” – Matthew 24:21-22

“The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.” – Isaiah 24:7-9

In our article Zechariah 5:5-11 – Homecoming: Babel Returns Home, we discuss how the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation will be anything but prosperous.

There will be no rejoicing or mirth during these dark years of Antichrist’s wicked rule and God’s final Vial Judgments upon a rebellious, Christ rejecting world. Basic commodities of food, clothing, and safe shelter will be of a premium. Luxurious living will be only a fleeting memory of the past. Joyful music, happy times, and celebrations of all varieties will have ceased; taking their place will be gloom, doom, and utter despair. The empty deceitful promises of Antichrist and the False Prophet will come to naught.

“The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.” – Isaiah 24:10-13

The Hebrew word for “confusion” is 8414 תֹּהוּ “tohu” – as when “the earth was formless and void” at creation (Genesis 1:2) – and can mean to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), i.e. Desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain — confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.         

When one considers the Second Coming, this would be a proper word for the city that would be in mind after the devastation of the Tribulation and the pouring out of God’s wrath.

[For an examination of Genesis 1:2 and the erroneous supposition of the “Ruin-Reconstruction Theory” (a.k.a. The Gap Theory) established to accommodate evolutionary deep time, please see Genesis 1:2 – The Gap Theory Is Imaginary.]

The city of confusion,” I expect, is none other than the rebuilt ancient city of Babel/Babylon that the Antichrist will have his base of operations in during the last half of the Tribulation. After all, the name Babel itself means “confusion,” as Nimrod’s ancient Babel certainly became a “city of confusion” when God confused the languages there, just as Babel/Babylon will again become a “city of confusion” from the exploits of Antichrist who will be energized by the father of confusion, Satan himself.

[For more information on how I believe this relocation of Antichrist’s kingdom to Babel/Babylon will all transpire, please see my articles A Combined Interpretive Scenario of Revelation 17 & 18Revelation 13 – The Antichrist, and Revelation 14: Tribulation Outline.] It is imperative that the reader knows the difference between the “whore of Babylon/Mystery Babylon” (a false religious system) and the city where she sits, and the rebuilt ancient city in the land of Shinar, where I believe Scripture predicts Antichrist will rule from in the last half of the Tribulation. These articles should help explain the differences of these two cities.]

Rebuilt Babel/Babylon will be found in utter darkness and, ultimately, destroyed from the thunders, lightnings, great earthquake, and hail found in Revelation 16:

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” – Revelation 16:10-11

“And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” – Revelation 16:18-19

[Note: There is the slightest of possibilities that the “city of confusion” could be referring to Jerusalem, as the Holy City is called “Sodom and Egypt” in Revelation 11:8. However, in context and description, Antichrist’s Babel/Babylon is really a more appropriate fit. In fact, Babylon was named after the city of Babel, and, as noted above, Babel means “confusion,” where the universal language (most probably Hebrew) was confounded, and thus created great confusion and consternation among the people resulting in the dispersion of the nations throughout Earth (Genesis 11:1-9).]

“They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.” – Isaiah 24:14-15

Yet through it all, the remnant of Israel and the Gentiles who come to saving faith in Messiah Yeshua will offer their praise to God and glorify the Lord, “even the name of the Lord God of Israel.” Collectively, all believers will be praising the Lord at the end of the Tribulation, knowing His return is near, and uniquely when they see Him coming to deliver them.

The Hebrew phrase for “in the fires” is בָּאֻרִ֖ים “bā-’u-rîm” and can mean, in the masculine plural, as in Isaiah 24:15region of lights, East, or in the dawning lights.

When considering the Second Coming of Christ, we should see two prophetic connections on this passage.

  1. Jesus said of His Second Coming: “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” – Matthew 24:27
  2. The seventh and final Vial Judgment, just before Christ returns, we read: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings…” – Revelation 16:17-18a

The remnant of Israel that fled at the Abomination of Desolation, waiting for the Lord in the mountains of Petraes Sela, and Mt. Seir, and all other believers in the world, will certainly see both aspects above.

Since the Hebrew phrase “bā-’u-rîm” is in the plural, Isaiah 24:15 could very well read:

“Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the dawning lights [or in the region or in the place of the lights], even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea,” or, “Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the dawning of the east, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.” From the east and with much light, as God is light, will our Lord return in glory.

Most translations translate the Hebrew word as east, while the JPS Tanakh 1917 renders the verse as follows:

“Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the regions of light, Even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.”

Since the “regions of light” begins with the sun rising in the east, we can see the prophetic connection with Messiah Yeshua coming “as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west.”

Lastly, speaking of this unique day of the Lord’s return and its connection to “light,” Zechariah noted the following:

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.” – Zechariah 14:6-7

The links to light and lightnings in these passages, along with the lightnings all over the world in Revelation 16:18, concerning our Lord’s Second Coming all appear to be interconnected prophetically in conjunction with the darkness that will be prevalent on Earth and in the heavens, giving those witnessing the Second Coming an appearance of “not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.”

“From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous…” Isaiah 24:16

As note above, believers all over the world will be singing and giving glory to the righteous King!

“… But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.” – Isaiah 24:16

The vision turns back to what Isaiah has witnessed concerning the after effects of the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation on Jerusalem and her people, Israel, at the hands of “the treacherous dealers.” Isaiah is quite stunned and mortified, to say the least – hence his “leanness.” He, like Daniel (Daniel 7:15), is overwhelmed with the vision God has given him.

The Antichrist and his armies have killed, plundered, and pushed out the Jewish population from the City of the Great King and the nation of Israel, once again, has become an outcast from her land. Witnessing the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) and the catastrophic effects of the Tribulation has had a profound effect on Isaiah, and here is his lamentation.

“Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.” – Isaiah 24:17-18

Isaiah then turns his attention to the “inhabitant[s] of the earth” where there is nowhere to safely flee, as the Lord and His heavenly armies are preparing to come back and put an end to the horrors the world has been subjected to — the wrath of God on an unbelieving and Christ rejecting world, and the wrath of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet will collide, and the people are understandably beyond fearful.

The windows from on high are open,” can either speak of the heavens being shaken (Mark 13:25-26) or the armies of heaven preparing to come back to Earth at our Lord’s Second Coming (or both, as they appear to transpire concurrently):

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” – Revelation 19:11

The foundations of the earth do shake,” obviously speak of the great earthquake in Revelation 16:18-21 at the close of the Tribulation.

Taken all together, Luke documented our Lord sharing the following in His Olivet Discourse regarding the conditions just as He was about to come back to Earth:

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nationswith perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fearand for looking after those things which are coming on the earthfor the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” – Luke 21:25-28

The parallels between Isaiah 24:17-18 and Luke 21:25-28 are unmistakable.

“The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.” – Isaiah 24:19-20

The transgression thereof… shall not rise again.” Satan and man’s transgressions upon the earth will be halted by the returning Messiah as He begins His restoration project and the reign of His righteous Millennial Kingdom.

The destruction is so final, that only God Himself is able to renew what has been destroyed.

As we have alluded to, the Seventh Vial Judgment gives us the details:

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

“And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” – Revelation 16:17-21

[For more on this subject, please see The Parable of the Fig Tree.]

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.” – Isaiah 24:21

Christ will defeat Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the armies of Earth. The Antichrist and False Prophet will be the first entrants into the lake of fire:

“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” – Revelation 19:20

Satan will be bound in the abyss – and presumably all the fallen angels/demons along with him – for the duration of the Messianic Millennial reign.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” – Revelation 20:1-3

“And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.” – Isaiah 24:22

Along with Satan, those who took The Mark of The Beast will be confined to the place of torment in Sheol in the center of the earth, awaiting their resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment following the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. The Goats in The Separation of the Sheep and the Goats Judgment will also follow them.

[For more on what appears to be a multi-blended prophecy that may include Satan himself inhabiting Sheol, please see Isaiah 14:9-18 – Prophecy of Sheol.]

After many days shall they be visited” and judged:

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” – Revelation 20:11-14

“Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” – Isaiah 24:23

Jesus Himself in His Olivet Discourse said of His Second Coming concerning the sun and the moon:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” – Matthew 24:29

[For more on Messiah’s Olivet Discourse, please see our four-part series Luke’s Olivet DiscourseMark’s Olivet DiscourseMatthew’s Olivet Discourse, and The Olivet Discourse in its Entirety. On the phrase, “… and the moon shall not give her light,” please see Matthew 24:29 – The Moon Shall Not Give ‘Her Light’.]

Jesus will, of course, in the regeneration, rejuvenate and revitalize the catastrophic effects produced from the Tribulation on Earth and in the heavens – as well as the physical bodies of the Last Sheep who will go on into the Millennial Kingdom to repopulate the planet – to Edenic like conditions.

“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” – Matthew 19:28

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” – Isaiah 11:6-9

Isaiah’s summary statement of the Second Coming and of Christ ushering in His Millennial Kingdom when “the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed” at the end of the Tribulation, shows how this planet and universe will go from gross darkness to Christ’s marvelous light; when it was destruction and devastation previously, then Messiah shall “reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients [elders” – Old Testament Saints] gloriously;” when it was truly, Darkest Before the Dawn.

“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

“In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:14-17

Hallelujah and Amen!!

***

May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?

Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!

➢    Email: mab10666@yahoo.com – I would love to hear from you!

➢    If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ and are seeking answers about God, Jesus Christ, the gospel, and salvation, please email me at mab10666@yahoo.com for information.

➢    I am still taking questions for the Questions from the Body of Christ series. If you or someone you know has a question pertaining to the Word of God – theology, difficult passages, eschatology, etc. – I would really like to hear from you.

➢    To view my entire catalogue of articles, please visit my Home Page on FaithWriters.com.

 

 

Blind Spot :: By Pete Garcia

From Westphalia to the White Horse, how ignoring Bible Prophecy blinds the nations:

Well, I thought 2025 was going to be a hard year to top, but 2026 has already started with a banger of an opener. I mean, given the US Military’s new semi-permanent real estate in the south Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, we (the collective we) assumed some military escalation might finally take place against the Maduro Regime, but nothing like what we saw on January 3rd. From the Jerusalem Post:

The overnight US operation that seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas this past week will be studied for years as a case of overwhelming technological and operational superiority defeating a heavily armed but brittle defense system.

Operation Absolute Resolve also offered a harsh real-world test of the military hardware Venezuela had accumulated over the years from Iran, Russia, and China – a mix of air defenses, fast boats, drones, and small arms that, in theory, was meant to deter, or at least complicate any foreign intervention. Source

Slicing through the mix of Russian and Chinese air defense systems, Venezuelan soldiers, and Cuban security forces as if they were nothing, US forces (largely a blend of federal law enforcement, Naval, Air Force, Army, and Delta Force operatives) quickly secured Maduro and his wife, extracting them from their heavily fortified compound and returning to the US in under an hour with no US casualties and only survivable (and flyable) damage to the aircraft.

This operation was far more complex than the kill/capture of Osama Bin Laden back on May 2nd, 2011. Moreover, this particular mission was probably the most complex and successful the world had ever seen since at least the D-Day invasion at Normandy on June 6th, 1944.

This has all been widely reported everywhere, so I didn’t want to spend too much time. I mean, we’ve only had sanctions on the Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro regimes since Obama was in office, but what I did want to hone in on was the report of one of Maduro’s surviving security guards who regales the event with some incredibly revealing and, frankly, frightening information about how the US actually did it.

This account from a Venezuelan security guard loyal to Nicolás Maduro is absolutely chilling—and it explains a lot about why the tone across Latin America suddenly changed.

Security Guard: On the day of the operation, we didn’t hear anything coming. We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation. The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn’t know how to react.

Interviewer: So, what happened next? How was the main attack?

Security Guard: After those drones appeared, some helicopters arrived, but there were very few. I think barely eight helicopters. From those helicopters, soldiers came down, but a very small number. Maybe twenty men. But those men were technologically very advanced. They didn’t look like anything we’ve fought against before.

Interviewer: And then the battle began?

Security Guard: Yes, but it was a massacre. We were hundreds, but we had no chance. They were shooting with such precision and speed… it seemed like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute. We couldn’t do anything.

Interviewer: And your own weapons? Didn’t they help?

Security Guard: No help at all. Because it wasn’t just the weapons. At one point, they launched something—I don’t know how to describe it… it was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move.

Interviewer: And your comrades? Did they manage to resist?

Security Guard: No, not at all. Those twenty men, without a single casualty, killed hundreds of us. We had no way to compete with their technology, with their weapons. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon or whatever it was.

Interviewer: So, do you think the rest of the region should think twice before confronting the Americans?

Security Guard: Without a doubt. I’m sending a warning to anyone who thinks they can fight the United States. They have no idea what they’re capable of. After what I saw, I never want to be on the other side of that again. They’re not to be messed with.

Interviewer: And now that Trump has said Mexico is on the list, do you think the situation will change in Latin America?

Security Guard: Definitely. Everyone is already talking about this. No one wants to go through what we went through. Now everyone thinks twice. What happened here is going to change a lot of things, not just in Venezuela but throughout the region. Source

I believe this account to be pretty accurate from what I know/remember about how far ahead the US military was with regard to the rest of the world. My experience was just on the conventional side, and even still, we were pretty advanced. I can’t imagine what it is for those within the special forces (Tier-1 groups) who get to test out all of the military industrial complex’s newest and latest technologies.

But is that true? Is the military really 20 years ahead of the civilian sectors with regard to technology? Let me rabbit-trail for a second.

Yes and no.

Areas of Military Technological Advantage

  • Modern military forces—especially those of top-tier nations—often operate at the cutting edge of technology in domains where no civilian market exists, or where extreme performance and reliability are required regardless of cost.
  • Stealth Technology
    The capability to render aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles nearly invisible to radar and other sensing systems was pioneered by military research decades before the public was even aware that such technology existed.
  • Advanced Materials and Sensors
    Military research remains far ahead in specialized materials—such as advanced composites for aircraft structures and armor—as well as in high-end optics and sensor systems used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision targeting.
  • Hypersonic Weapons
    Weapons capable of sustained flight at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (3,836.35 MPH) are a major focus of contemporary military R&D. These systems have no civilian counterpart and exist solely to achieve strategic and tactical dominance.
  • Quantum Technology and Artificial Intelligence
    Defense research organizations, including agencies such as DARPA, are heavily invested in quantum computing, advanced AI, and autonomous decision-support systems. Many of these capabilities are likely decades ahead of what is accessible to the general public.
  • Encrypted Communications and Precision Navigation
    While civilian users rely on GPS for navigation, military platforms operate with encrypted signals that provide significantly greater accuracy, resilience against jamming, and secure communications unavailable to commercial systems.

Areas Where the Military Lags Behind

  • In contrast, the military often trails the civilian sector in everyday technologies due to differing priorities—favoring reliability and security over novelty—along with long procurement timelines and institutional inertia. These long procurement timelines (most notably associated with the acquisition process) are something Sec. of War Pete Hegseth addressed here, if you want to watch and listen.
  • Consumer Electronics
    Commercial devices such as smartphones and laptops frequently surpass standard military-issued systems in processing power, user interfaces, and overall computing capability. Military hardware prioritizes ruggedness, longevity, and proven performance over cutting-edge features.
  • Software and IT Infrastructure
    Civilian technology leaders—such as major cloud service providers—can innovate and deploy new software, platforms, and applications far more rapidly than military organizations constrained by stringent security requirements and slow acquisition processes. See the above again, in the military’s recent position change to remedy these long procurement processes.
  • Speed of Innovation
    The consumer market’s rapid iteration cycles have dramatically narrowed the gap between civilian and military technology. In many software and general IT domains, commercial systems now trail top-tier military capabilities by only 12 to 18 months—a gap that continues to shrink.

Assessment

Geopolitically speaking, the Trump administration views the existing global framework as fundamentally broken. President Trump has initiated a withdrawal from 66 United Nations organizations deemed incompatible with American interests. (Source) Even the long-standing relationship between the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is at risk of divorce. The reason is that Europeans had long grown comfortable with allowing the US to pick up the bulk of the funding and manning to provide their protection (Europe), all the while abusing trade and other practices designed to weaken (or keep under leash) the true power of the United States.

The post-World War II “international rules-based order” was originally designed with the United States serving as the engine to rebuild and rehabilitate a devastated Europe (e.g., Marshall Plan, World Bank, IMF, Bretton Woods, etc).

However, this framework has long since become dysfunctional and exploited. Compounding the problem, Marxist-socialist ideology—disguised as post-modern progressivism—has redirected much of the system toward incoherent and unsustainable programs. Furthermore, the rapid technological advancements have exceeded that old order’s capacity to adapt effectively. In other words, the old institutions have become too slow and lethargic to keep up with the pace of change we’ve witnessed over the past 20 years.

Nations that are not adapting to the rapidly changing times are going to pay a very heavy price for not doing so. The era of endless wars is over; British imperialism and European colonialism (via banking and political influence) are over. Backroom agendas. All of it is cracking under its own weight. To Trump and those aligned with his agenda, a new era is emerging—national sovereignty and the reassertion of the Westphalian ideals and the Monroe Doctrine are being reinvigorated into the global limelight of the 21st century. As a refresher, here are both.

The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years’ War in Europe and reshaped the international order. It established the idea of state sovereignty, recognizing each nation’s right to govern itself without external interference, and reduced the authority of supranational powers (which at that time, was represented by the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy). It also formalized religious coexistence among Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists, and laid the foundation for the modern nation-state system that still underpins international relations today.

The Monroe Doctrine (1823) declared that the Western Hemisphere was closed to new European colonization and that any European interference in the Americas would be viewed as a threat to the United States. In return, the U.S. pledged non-interference in European affairs. It became a cornerstone of American foreign policy, asserting U.S. influence in the Americas and laying groundwork for later hemispheric leadership and intervention.

Despite what the mainstream media would have you believe, Trump is neither an isolationist nor an adventurist. He wants to make deals with nations based on what is strategically best for the United States. He doesn’t want to be beholden to the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the United Nations, or any group that does not have the United States’ best interest in mind. He’s doing all this in an incredibly delicate balancing act and being guided politically by some very intelligent and capable people. Now, before anyone accuses me of being a MAGA sycophant, this is not my opinion; this is what is laid out in the most recent National Security Strategy (here).

  • He wants the sovereignty of nations restored.
  • He wants the truth dragged into the light.
  • Power returned to the people.

And if he has to tear everything down to do it, he will. Not because he wants to destroy everything, but because he wants the US to have another 250 years of greatness. More on this particular aspect at the end.

This ties back to the first domino in this new Trump Doctrine, or as he coined it, the ‘Donroe’ Doctrine. It starts with Venezuela, which, in terms of natural resources, is one of the wealthiest nations on the planet. A formerly wealthy nation that had long been under the thumb of fascist dictators (Chavez and Maduro) for the better part of 26 years. Who had so run down their country, that their people resorted to eating zoo animals to keep food on the table.

But Venezuela is directly tied to propping up Cuba financially. They did this through the drug trade (courtesy of China and Colombia), illegal oil sales (courtesy of Iran, Russia, and China), promoting humanitarian crises via massive waves of illegal immigration into the US, paying corrupt US politicians (Democrat and Republican) to steal elections and keep the border open, propping up the Mexican cartels with drugs and money, as well as enabling the European elites who profited greatly from the billions that passed through offshore banks in the Cayman Islands (British territory) who launder the billions of dollars for all manner of nefarious business.

This is why it started with Venezuela but will not stop with Venezuela. Cuba and Colombia are next. Simultaneously with that will be the Mexican cartels currently being shielded by their socialist puppet, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. Also, the acquisition of Greenland is immensely strategic to the US. Strategic not just for the mineral and oil rights, but also for security (trade and military) in the Greenland-Iceland, United Kingdom pass (GIUK).

Greenland, like its counterpart in Svalbard, Norway, serves as a potential long-term Internet security worth keeping out of the hands of the Russians and Chinese (Source).

For the record, Trump is not the first president to want to acquire Greenland. President Andrew Johnson tried in 1867, as well as President Harry Truman in 1946. Both recognized the strategic value of this Danish protectorate and the dangers that would befall the US if it fell into the wrong hands (Russia/China/etc.)

Back to Operation Absolute Resolve. This is modern warfare redefined. This is the second glimpse of the Trump Doctrine in action, the first being Operation Midnight Hammer (another lightning-quick success) against Iran’s nuclear intentions and military capabilities. To Trump, wars are no longer going to be fought with endless deployments, trillion-dollar quagmires, or staged surrenders. Modern warfare is going to be brutal, decisive, and overwhelming.

But Trump’s way of warfare is not restricted only to military operations. He recognizes that in this day and age, wars are won through unrestricted strategy:

  • Economic dominance
  • Control of critical resources
  • Turning the enemy’s own systems against them
  • Securing supply chains
  • Denying leverage to adversaries
  • Building true energy independence
  • Defending borders and trade routes
  • Putting America’s strategic interests first in all engagements
  • No more funding the deep-state machine (global banking
  • No more forever wars designed for profit

But make no mistake—the enemies of the US are not going to take this lying down….The psyops, disinformation, and spiritual warfare are intensifying to unprecedented levels. And with the advent of artificial intelligence, deep fakes, “alien” disclosures, and false flag operations, the world is going to increasingly become destabilized as we collectively move into what the globalists deem as the Fourth Turning.

The ‘Fourth Turning’ point is interesting indeed. The Fourth Turning is the crisis phase of a cyclical history model as described by William Strauss and Neil Howe, which argues that nations move through recurring generational cycles culminating in a decisive breakdown and renewal. Sort of like geopolitical reincarnation. The Fourth Turning is the breakdown of the old and the arrival of the new.

In a Fourth Turning, political, economic, and social systems lose legitimacy, institutions fail, and conflict intensifies—often through war, revolution, or systemic collapse. The old order is torn down and rebuilt anew, not incrementally but violently and decisively, producing a new social compact that defines the next era. Individual freedoms often contract during this period as collective survival takes precedence, and history accelerates toward outcomes that feel inevitable rather than optional.

Does it feel that way now?

Note what Scripture says about the fourth kingdom…which seems to have extended from ancient Rome until today. One could say Rome has long legs indeed!

“Thus, he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time’” (Daniel 7:23-25).

Conclusion

While I do not believe that the United States, in its current form, is the final kingdom from which—or for which—the Antichrist will rule, I do believe we are watching the machinery being built that he will eventually take over and use. What Trump intends for the good of mankind—and Americans in particular—will be developed to its full potential.

Then, something will occur that disrupts our way of life, and to a significant extent, the world’s way of life as well. I believe Scripture is quite clear that this ‘disruption’ appears to be the Pre-Tribulation (or Pre-70th Week) Rapture of the Church (1 Thess. 4-5:9, 1 Cor 15:50-57, Revelation 3:10, etc.).

Nevertheless, that disruption will demand a global reset or reordering at scale, at which point these powerful and terrifying systems will be co-opted and repurposed—making this their own technology—to enforce a new global order.

We see in both the books of Daniel and Revelation that this final kingdom will be absolutely powerful and unstoppable (by human means), and so utterly terrifying, people will marvel and say “…Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:4) I believe what that Venezuelan guard quoted earlier was just a small sampling of what is to come.

From Satan’s perspective, if he cannot stop God’s prophetic agenda (he can’t), then he will hijack all the systems therein to gain the best advantage to fight against God’s agenda.

  • In Daniel 9:27 (which kickstarts the 70th Week proper), the Antichrist ‘confirms’ an already existent covenant.
  • In Revelation 6:1-2, this rider on the white horse (First Seal Judgment) goes forth as a conqueror, bent on conquest.
  • In Revelation 13, this Beast rises from amidst the sea of nations and is dreadfully terrifying.

As we are witnessing today through both the Hegelian dialectic and out of existential necessity, nations are racing each other, fearful that one will gain the tactical advantage over the rest, which, with today’s technology, means an existential advantage. Quantum supremacy, artificial superintelligence, and so on, are making the one who achieves it first, the one who will dominate all the rest. This means Satan will use leaders and nations to achieve those ends, regardless of what they mean to us personally, so that he can set his own kingdom.

So I could say, as a patriot, I love my country, and I believe what Trump is attempting to do is a good thing. Or if I were Russian, I could say, I’m a patriot, and I believe what Putin is trying to do (in Ukraine) is a good thing. Or if I were Argentinian, Australian, French, etc. You understand what I’m saying? From our own foxholes, we each want what’s best for our nation’s interests because that’s our homes, where our friends and families live, where our livelihoods exist, our shared history, etc.

However, Satan is unconcerned with motives or justifications. He will exploit any rationale—whether patriotic, pragmatic, necessary, or even frivolous—to compel nations to build the infrastructure for his final kingdom because he knows his time is short.

As American leadership begins recognizing the failure of the old order, it’s natural that leaders like Trump would surround themselves with highly intelligent, capable advisors. Yet, regardless of their competence, these are people largely unfamiliar with or uninterested in biblical prophecy. This lack of understanding about how the end times will unfold serves a dark purpose: it blinds both leadership and national strategy to what lies ahead. Since roughly 27-30% of the Bible is prophetic, overlooking this amount of Scripture creates a significant blind spot in perspective.

While I remain uncertain as to whether the United States ultimately emerges as the Beast or as Babylon, as described in Revelation 13 and 18 (respectively), I am convinced that, at the very least, our nation functions as the principal arms and technology dealer enabling that final satanic system to dominate.

For all of Trump’s economic and political prowess (which is impressive), his lack of prophetic understanding is why he believes he can bring another 250 years of greatness to the United States. It is his greatest blind spot. He doesn’t recognize the ‘signs of the times’ the Bible gives us to warn us when (generally speaking) the end will come. He doesn’t appreciate the prophetic significance of national Israel, nor that by blessing her, the US would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Trump’s grand strategy of making allies of Islamic nations such as Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, etc., no matter how strategically pragmatic in the present, will ultimately be our own demise because these are all sworn enemies of Israel.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye’” (Zechariah 2:8).

Despite his political, military, and economic skill, President Trump appears unable to grasp the intense spiritual battle being waged in the unseen realm against Israel. Satan is turning the entire world against this small nation—no larger than New Jersey—widening what began as a crack into a deep divide that will split even political conservatives and evangelical churches in their stance toward Israel. Trump cannot fathom that Israel’s destruction is central to Satan’s agenda; that it is, in the most Clausewitzian sense of the word, the center of gravity of Satan’s grand strategy. Satan has to and will move all of hell against Israel to try and make it happen.

Of course, he will fail. Because…

“Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.”

(Psalm 121:4–8; NKJV)

Maranatha!

rev310 – YouTube