Chaos, Calamity or Comfort?

It seems sometimes that Americans, particularly Christian Americans, are anesthetized to things going on around them.

Things like the attempted takeover by the dark spiritual forces behind Marxism and worse don’t seem to register on Christian Americans’ worry meters—at least not to the degree it registers on my own meter of concern.

Some will say Christians are confident that God is always in complete control, so they just don’t worry about these things. But the truth is that most American Christians are complacent; they’re not interested in thinking about the evil around us.

Even what’s going on in the Middle East, the war with Iran, and the threat closing the Strait of Hormuz presents doesn’t seem to heighten the level of worry that World War III or, at the very least, a portentous economic crisis is in view.

And the Church–all who are in God’s family—for the most part doesn’t seem to have an idea of what Israel being at the center of all this worrisome news means. There is no concern about how it all relates to Bible prophecy among those who should be most aware of and alert to the fact that the world is teetering on the edge of a time Jesus called the worst that would ever be.

Yet this is another sign of where we are on God’s prophetic timeline, in my view, as we look out across that horizon of “things to come,” as Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost titled his great volume on Bible prophecy.

As I’ve written many times, I believe Jesus described exactly the condition of humanity as it will be when He next catastrophically intervenes into the affairs of fallen humankind. The Lord’s “days of Lot” prophecy (Luke 17:28–30) says it will be business as usual, like it was when Lot and his family were removed from Sodom by the angels.

The Lord indicated that business and life in general itself were ongoing, even doing well at that time, while the subsurface society and culture in that twin-cities area were as wicked as when God intervened previously in the “days of Noah” (Luke 17:26-27).

This is what we who “watch,” as commanded by our Lord (Mark 13: 37 and Luke 21: 28), should expect the world around us to look like at the twinkling-of-an-eye moment when He will again intervene as He did in those earlier times.

One of my frustrations continues to be that the Christians who say we who hold to the clearly taught, pre-Trib view of Rapture are wrong and that we’re leading believers astray. These writers, preachers, teachers, and others most often imply, or even say outright, that all the troubles we see around us mean the following: Either the world—including all believers in Jesus Christ—is about to enter the Tribulation, or we’ve already entered it. Some believe we’re already engaged in World War III.

These aren’t looking for Jesus Christ to rescue believers before the Tribulation as Paul taught; they’re looking for chaos, calamity, and—to be frank—the Antichrist rather than for the True Christ.

The following article presents the view that the world is on the brink of Tribulation but offers no hope of Heaven’s rescue for the Christian.

We live at a time when millions upon millions of us feel deeply unsettled. The news is filled with constant headlines about war, political chaos, economic problems and major natural disasters. A lot of people feel like humanity’s story is building up to some sort of a crescendo, and they are not optimistic about what that will mean.

In fact, a new study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia has discovered that nearly one-third of the people living in the United States and Canada actually believe that the world will end within their lifetimes.…

Of course, the world is not going to end any time soon.

But as global events spiral out of control, it will certainly feel like “the world is ending” to much of the population…

We really are living in apocalyptic times, and much more mayhem is in our future. (“Nearly One-Third of People Living in North America Believe The World Will End,” Tyler Durden, authored by Michael Snyder, March 13, 2026, Zerohedge)

Well…I guess one-third of people paying attention is a bit more than I thought–if the survey is correct. But one thing is sure: There is very little acknowledgment, as expressed in the article, of the need or hope of Heaven’s rescue, or even of a desire for Heaven to rescue us. This is exactly as it was in Sodom and Gomorrah and in Noah’s day, according to the Lord Jesus.

And Christian writers, preachers, and teachers who rail against the pre-Trib view by and large offer no hope of such rescue as promised by the Apostle Paul, who, again, wrote this to the Thessalonians, and also to us, these thousands of years later:

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  

The chaos, the calamities, the unbelievable evil we see taking place offer nothing but fear and worry to those who are paying attention. But all this evil that threatens shouldn’t induce fear in those who know Christ as Savior and Lord. We’re not looking for Antichrist, or for the chaos and calamity that Beast is about to foist upon a world lost in sin and rejection of God’s Word.

We are looking for Jesus Christ and His promise:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Now, there is nothing but comfort in those magnificent words of promise given by the One who cannot lie.

Here is what we must share with those who want not chaos and calamity in their thoughts of the future, but comfort from the very heart of God:

“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

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Trusting God in Dark Times

Have you ever thought about the role God’s sovereignty plays in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy? Far too often we ignore this divine attribute as much too abstract or of having little to do with our daily lives when, in reality, it’s the basis of how we know the Lord is able to deliver on all His promises to us. Author and pastor Paul David Tripp put it like this in his book, New Morning Mercies:

I don’t know whether you have ever thought of this before, but God’s promises are only as good as the extent of his sovereignty. He can deliver what you need only in the places where he rules. If his rule is not firm and unchanging, his promises are not either.

Tripp then explained how the Lord exercised control over history leading up to Jesus’ birth. Through many centuries of turmoil, wars, and rebellion against Him, He orchestrated history so precisely that Christ fulfilled forty-eight specific prophecies related to His first appearing on Earth. God worked through a myriad of events and outcomes over a vast expanse of time so that upon His arrival, the Savior would fulfill all the Scriptures concerning His first appearance.

Several students of Bible prophecy have calculated that the first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy ended precisely on the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem just a week before His crucifixion (Daniel 9:24-27). So not only did he fulfill the words of Zechariah 9:9, He did so at the exact time that the Lord told His prophet Daniel it would happen. Only a sovereign and all-powerful God could accomplish such precision.

What’s the relevance for today? Despite the troubling news we read concerning the Middle East war, the warnings of impending economic disaster as a result of the growing oil crisis, and the political strife of our day, we rest assured that the Lord is still in the business of orchestrating events so that the result of all we see will in the end turn out exactly as He prophesied in His Word.

I have recently read many predictions of imminent economic disaster due to the war in the Middle East, and while they are troubling, I remind myself of two things. First, if not for the Lord’s restraining hand, we would already be in the midst of a great economic depression that many experts warned would soon happen a dozen years ago. Second, as He has done throughout history, God is still sovereignly orchestrating events to bring about all that He has promised us regarding the Rapture and to Israel concerning His restoration of a kingdom to them.

I also realize that many of the warnings of imminent catastrophe come from those who don’t believe the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation. As such, they warn us about Day of the Lord conditions without the assurance of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 and Jesus’ promise of deliverance before the “sudden destruction” that will mark the beginning of God’s wrath upon the earth.

If you are like me, you remain a bit unsettled over the fact that Iran is still able to strike Israel with deadly missiles, attack oil and gas reserves through the region, and severely disrupt the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. The political strife here in the U.S. also contributes to my uneasy feelings as I read accounts of the enormous theft of taxpayer funds with no one held accountable for it.

That’s again when Scripture, along with God’s sovereignty, brings relief to my troubling thoughts. God didn’t intend for us to find comfort in looking at this vile and violent world where everything seems out of control and about to erupt into further chaos. We rather find encouragement in Scripture with its amazing promises that pertain to us as New Testament saints. We know that our Lord is more than able to make good on His word because His sovereign power is so much greater than we can even begin to imagine.

As someone who has watched for the Rapture for a very long time, it’s easy for me to grow impatient at times and tell the Lord that “today would be a very good time for it to happen.” Thoughts of His sovereignty, however, remind me that His appearing and all the other prophesied events concerning the world and Israel will happen at the precise time the Father set long ago.

In the words below from Isaiah 46:9-10, God declares His sovereignty over history, assuring us that no matter how crazy and dark our day seems, He remains in total control of future events:

“I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”

God has already decreed the future for this world. That’s a key reason for resisting the temptation to “fret” over wickedness that is rapidly growing around us (see Psalm 37:1-20). Furthermore, our relief also comes from the assurance that He’s more than able to do what He’s promised us and will soon take us home to the place He’s preparing for us.

Maranatha!

-Jonathan

Daniel 12 Dynamics

Daniel is likely the most disparaged book of the Bible. Its author, the prophet, presented highly significant, far-into-the-future events so accurately that the unbelieving world finds them impossible to accept. The naysayers declare that all such fulfilled prophecy was cobbled together long after Daniel’s time and somehow put into the biblical canon to falsely make us believe the prophet was accurate.

Author Ray C. Stedman, in his study, Introduction to Daniel, writes the following:

Why such a strong attack against Daniel? Simply because Daniel contains more fulfilled prophecies than any other book in the Bible. In New Testament prophecy, Daniel is referred to more than any other Old Testament book. Marxist governments have prohibited preaching from passages like Daniel because they tell God’s words on the course of history, where He and His people win.

All we have to do is to pay attention to the news at any given hour today to know why this hatred of the book of Daniel is so virulent.

The hatred for Daniel’s people–Israel—is so prevalent at this late hour of this dispensation (the Age of Grace) that a large portion of our nation has lost its collective mind. They have become totally reprobate, as Paul prophesied in Romans 1:28. The haters have become mad and upside down in their ability to reason when it comes to the much-hated Israel. Anti-Semitism is at a level even greater than at the time of Hitler’s rise to power.

I say the noise of hatred for Daniel’s people, the Jews, is greater in volume than at the time of the Nazis because anti-Semitism is not confined to any one nation today. It is worldwide, and its chief instigation comes from the fanatical, satanic wickedness within Islam.

The Islamic regime of Iran is one such faction that does all within its power to murder as many Jews as possible. The following report gives an idea of the hatred Daniel’s people face at this present hour.

In a stark warning to Israeli travelers abroad, a senior National Security Council (NSC) official warned in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post that the Islamic Republic has engaged in an “unprecedented removal of restraints” regarding terror plots abroad, shifting from cautious proxy warfare to direct, “dirty,” and unfiltered attempts to harm Israelis globally.

The senior official described a dramatic shift in Tehran’s modus operandi. Following a series of intelligence and military blows sustained by the regime, Iran is no longer operating solely through layers of deniability.

“We are seeing an Iranian removal of restraints that is almost unprecedented,” the official stated. “No proxies, no filters. Where they can act, they act. Whether with brazen determination or in a ‘dirty’ manner. It is a fundamental change in approach because they feel they have nothing to lose right now, given what they have absorbed.” (“Senior official warns about global Iranian violence,” Jerusalem Post, March 9, 2026)

Daniel, near the end of his life, was perplexed at all the prophecy he had been given. He wanted desperately to know the fate of his people. He had witnessed through the words of the angel Gabriel extremely powerful prophecies about things his people would face in the future.

No doubt he was given a vision of some of the hatreds we see taking place at this moment across America and the world.

Daily, the news tells of jihadi attacks in American cities and cities across the globe. Now there is warning of “sleeper cells” of Israel-hating Islamic terrorists who were allowed into this nation in the previous presidential administration. These, we’re warned, will be released to do their evil in a murderous rampage once the orders are issued by, for example, the Iranian regime’s ayatollahs.

Rather than mainstream news organizations and Democrat Party mouthpieces coming against the anti-Israel Muslim interests in America, these rant incessantly against Israel. They accuse Jews of being the genocidal agents against Palestinians. They accuse Israel of causing Muslims to righteously, in defensive efforts, foment Islamic anti-Semitism and violence.

News media, Democrat Party activists, entertainment leftists, and university students and faculty across the US promote and cheer chants from Israel-haters such as “Free, free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free!” But there is no such support from mainstream media and the others for ninety-seven million Iranians oppressed by the Iranian revolutionary regime since 1979. There is no collective commiseration for the reported fifty thousand Iranians who opposed the regime and were slaughtered by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp.)

Daniel’s final words expressed his great concern about what will become of his people–the Jews. After appealing for an answer in what must have been an agonizing desire to know, the Heavenly Being told him the following.

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1).

This seemed to make the old prophet’s worry meter register his concern even more intensely.

“And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” (Daniel 12:8).

Daniel’s appeal must have become even more anxiety-ridden. The Heavenly Being that spoke to him must have been Jesus Christ in a Theophany—His preincarnate position—because the word “Lord” was capitalized.

“And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:9-11).

The Lord, who spoke to the old prophet in answer to Daniel’s question, then told of the seven-year Tribulation period, giving specific terms about the number of days when all would be finished. Then the Lord said the following:

“But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13).

We are, I’m convinced, witnessing the dynamics wrapped up within this prophecy. I believe those who are “wise” (according to Daniel 12:11) in terms of being “watchers,” as in Mark 13: 37 and Luke 21: 28, are being given insight about what Daniel wanted to know.

We’re seeing the build-up toward the Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week). For us, the book that was closed to Daniel has been opened.

Those dynamics have Daniel’s people–Israel—at the very center of things while we watch these issues and events unfold. It all points to a soon-coming moment when Jesus will step onto the clouds of Glory and call all believers to Himself.

You want to be “Rapture ready” when the Lord shouts, “Come up here!” Here’s how:

“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

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What’s the Big Deal About the Middle East War?

Typically, it’s just students of Bible prophecy who chime in on the prophetic implications of Middle East wars.

But what makes the current conflict all the more noteworthy are the many other voices chiming in on its messianic overtones. I can’t remember another time when I’ve heard so many divergent voices as to what a conflict involving Israel might signify for the end times.

Messianic Perspectives from All Sides

Near the start of the current war, the U.S. troops heard that their mission in the war against Iran was preparation for Armageddon and Jesus’ return. What’s happening now might be setting the stage for the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, but not for the great battle that doesn’t occur until the end of the Tribulation period.

What’s also intriguing is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statement that Israel “will make it to the return of the Messiah, but this will not happen next Thursday.” Why did he say “next Thursday”? Perhaps he was referring to the rabbi who said the battle for the Strait of Hormuz signified that the Messiah would come “next Thursday.” He based his bold assertion on a five-hundred-year-old Jewish prophecy.

Iran itself is obsessed with its own messianic aspirations. Although we don’t know if he’s alive or dead at this moment, the heir apparent to the role of Supreme Leader in Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, believes he has a key role to play in the return of the Mahdi, the twelfth Imam, who, according to Muslim eschatology, will rescue Iran and rid the earth of Israel, the Jewish people, and the United States in one great climatic battle.

If the current Iranian leaders agree that this war is that final conflict, they will not give up, no matter how bleak things look, because they are waiting for their messiah to intervene and win the battle.

I find it more than a little significant that all three major players in the current Middle East war view it as prophetic in some way.

We also see God’s hand in the current conflict, but for far different reasons.

What Might Be the Prophetic Implications for the Gog/Magog War?

The matter that interests Bible prophecy students like me is how this war might impact the Gog/Magog battle described in Ezekiel 38-39. These chapters tell of a future invasion of Israel by what many prophecy experts believe will be an alliance of Russia, Turkey and Iran, accompanied by other nations such as the Sudan and Libya. The ties between these countries are especially strong; something that had never happened before the past several years.

I believe the current warfare is setting the stage for this future invasion based on these observations.

First, if there is regime change in Iran, I believe much of the nation will remain devoted to radical Islam, and with it, the annihilation of Israel. There are upwards of one million believers in the country, but they will be gone if the Rapture happens first, which I think is likely. Although multitudes of Muslims in the country oppose the current government, the vast majority of them will remain loyal to the dictates of a radical spiritual leader even if he’s not the head of their government. When the time comes, a great many Iranians will join in the invasion of Israel should there be a regime change beforehand.

Second, before the current war started, one would’ve expected Iran, ancient Persia, to lead the Ezekiel 38-39 campaign given its place as Israel’s prime enemy. Might Iran’s possible defeat explain Gog’s leadership in the future invasion of the Land? The prophet points to him as its instigator, not Persia.

Third, this future battle is primarily a land invasion rather than an attack from the air, which is so prevalent in today’s warfare. The current war has already destroyed much of Iran’s ability to effectively launch missiles or attack an enemy from the air. Israel’s high-tech air defenses might also lead to this change of tactics from the other nations.

Fourth, the Gog/Magog invasion will happen at a time when, according to the prophet, the Jewish “people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them” (Ezekiel 38:8). If the current war ends with threats from Iran and its proxies effectively neutralized, Israel would enjoy a sense of safety they have not felt for a long time, perhaps since 1948. It’s also possible that Israel might enjoy some spoils from the current war that the Lord will later use as the “hook” to cause Gog to invade the land (Ezekiel 38:10-13).

Is the current Middle East war prophetic? I believe it is, especially given the end-of-days mentality by all its participants. Is not this worldwide interest a cue for all believers to pay closer attention to what God’s Word says will happen in the end times? I know that my readers are already doing so.

Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks or months, the Middle East war is a big deal prophetically since it involves Israel. And its impact on the rest of the world could be economically devastating, given the potential for an even greater disruption of its energy supply. How close might we be to the financial disaster of the third seal (Revelation 6:5-6)?

If anything, what we see is shaping the world for the events of the rapidly approaching Tribulation period, and thankfully, our departure before it starts.

Maranatha!!

-Jonathan