Almost Persuaded

When I heard the words, I sat a bit straighter in my chair while the president ended his uncharacteristically brief speech. He was reporting the “total obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear facility buried 300 feet below a mountainous terrain.

In ending his speech, Mr. Trump thanked the pilots who flew the B2 bombers that released the “bunker buster” bombs. He thanked the Israeli military for their work in making it possible to fly to the targets in an uninhibited way. He then thanked God, and followed that by what made me sit straighter in my chair.

The president of the United States said, “We love you, God.”

Never had I ever heard such words coming from a president of the United States. And it came from a man I have always supported, yet have said he isn’t a godly man – but is God’s man for this time and place so near the end of this Church Age.

What does this statement mean? Is it a statement just for speechifying? Is it a comment of momentary elation over a spectacularly successful mission sent by this presidential administration? Is it made just to solidify and satisfy the president’s evangelical Christian base? Is it a genuine thanks to the God of Heaven made by a worldly man who has seen the light and now is a believer for Salvation of his soul?

His statement of love for God did come from a tone of heartfelt gratitude.

Regardless of the reason for saying, “We love you, God,” it is, in my view, a most significant, even profound matter in this profoundly late Prophetic hour.

Upon reflection of the statement and things going on that give evidence of God’s Great Hand in all things involved in not just Iran and the bombing of the nuclear facility but in all matters surrounding this president, my thoughts immediately leaped to the Apostle Paul and his meeting with King Agrippa.   

Paul was accused falsely of blasphemy, fomenting uprising, and for crimes of sedition and other charges. He claimed the right of a Roman Citizen and was brought before King Agrippa.

The apostle laid out before the king how he had greatly persecuted Christians but that Christ disrupted his journey on the road to Damascus. He told of Jesus’ Words to him and all the rest. How he was thus converted to the Christian Faith.

Festus, who brought him before the king, was incredulous. Here is the account.

“And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds” (Acts 24-29).

So, I am led in my spirit to wonder, based upon his being spared death in the assassination attempt, whether our president, in view of his “We love you, God” prayer-like words stem from his conversion like the Apostle Paul’s, or to the “almost I am persuaded” words of near conversion like in the case of King Agrippa.

I prayerfully hope, of course, that it is the former rather than the latter of those possibilities that is the case.

But the real point in pursuing this line of thought with this commentary involves the number one prophetic indicator of where we stand on God’s Prophetic Timeline. I mean, of course, the nation Israel.

A prominent Jewish writer presented for me a most interesting segway into my thinking with regard to matters somewhat akin to the Apostle Paul’s meeting with King Agrippa. The writer offers a novelist’s perspective into the Jewish look at Bible prophecy. It fits within our theme, “Almost persuaded.”

“The Bible is a story,” the Yeshiva University philosophy professor told a global audience Thursday evening. “It has a beginning, middle, and an end—and we are the characters writing its final chapters.”

[Rabbi Yosef Bronstein’s] thesis was unlike anything being said by other commentators: this isn’t about ancient prophecies coming true, but about understanding ourselves as active participants in a divine narrative that began with creation and is racing toward its climactic conclusion. By Sunday night, as President Trump announced Iran’s nuclear program had been “completely and totally obliterated,” Rabbi Bronstein’s vision of real-time biblical storytelling seemed prophetic.

The author of Engaging the Essence: The Torah Philosophy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe wasn’t offering traditional religious commentary. Instead, he presented something far more compelling: a framework for understanding current events as the latest chapters in the ultimate story ever told.

“The Bible begins with Genesis—’In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’—and ends with the eschatological perfect world where God’s presence is revealed for all to see,” explained Rabbi Bronstein, who leads a rabbinical training center in Efrat and holds a PhD in Talmudic studies. “In between, you have an unfolding story where God is constantly trying to push the world forward from creation all the way to redemption.”…

Three days after his presentation, as Iran’s nuclear facilities lay in ruins and the world witnessed what seemed like divine intervention through human action, Rabbi Bronstein’s vision of participatory biblical narrative seemed less like literary theory and more like an instruction manual for understanding our times.

We aren’t just witnessing history—we’re writing the Bible’s final chapters. And the story, Rabbi Bronstein suggests, is approaching its long-awaited happy ending. Source: “We Are Characters in God’s Story” – Scholar Reveals How Israel’s War Writes the Bible’s Final Chapters, Elie Mischel, Biblical News Israel365 June 23, 2025

This author, an orthodox rabbi, is persuaded that God’s Story of humankind is right and true and he can see it developing to a “happy ending.” But he, along with all who are of belief held within Judaism, as well as all other belief systems not centered in Jesus Christ, are almost persuaded, just as was King Agrippa almost persuaded when Paul preached to him. Sadly, tragically, theirs, apart from coming to Belief in God’s only Way to Salvation –His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ—is destined to end in Eternal separation from God and Heavenly Bliss. It will, for these, not be a happy ending.

This is why it is vital that we who name that Majestic, Holy Name Witness as never before to those who need to come to Jesus, Who is the only way, truth, and life that leads to the Heavenly Father and Happiness in Heaven Forever.

Here, again, is how to witness to those who are not yet persuaded.

“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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The Days of Noah Come to Life

Do you know there’s credible evidence regarding the discovery of Noah’s ark? In 1959, a Turkish army captain and pilot, Ihan Durupinar, noticed what appeared to be the outline of a large ship near Mount Ararat on the eastern edge of modern-day Turkey. His pictures of what appeared to be the shape of a large seagoing vessel encased in mud attracted worldwide attention, led to the investigation of the site by experts, and attracted thousands of visitors to the site.

Rick Renner, in his book World Before the Flood, recounts the evidence that resulted from the analysis of the site. The length and width of the ship precisely match the dimensions of Noah’s Ark recorded in Genesis 6:15-16. Through the use of advanced technology, we know the buried seaworthy vessel had three levels, which also matches the Lord’s instructions to Noah.

Furthermore, those investigating the site discovered twenty-six huge drogue stones near the site, which ancient sailors used to stabilize ships and keep them from capsizing. The number and size of these stones found near the site of the ark fit with what it would have needed, given its size and weight, to survive the tumultuous beginning to the Genesis flood.

The location of such a large ship also confirms that it’s Noah’s Ark. The nearest body of water, the Caspian Sea, is about 500 miles away.

Although the site didn’t receive much attention until 1959, the Kurds who live near the site claim that Noah’s Ark emerged from the mud because of an earthquake that impacted the area in 1948. According to my research, there was a strong earthquake in nearby Kumukh, Russia, on June 29, 1948, that could’ve impacted the site, causing the form of the ark to become visible.

A Coincidence?

In His Olivet Discourse about the end times, Jesus predicted the reemergence of Israel as a nation and warned about life resembling the days of Noah. How can it be a coincidence that today we have visual evidence of Noah’s Ark along with the miraculous rebirth and existence of Israel? And if the Kurdish people are correct about the timing of the ark’s reappearance, both happened in 1948.

I believe that the reappearance of Noah’s Ark is yet another warning that we live in the time Jesus described in Matthew 24:37-39:

“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Unaware

Despite Noah’s preaching, those living in the pre-flood era remained unaware of God’s approaching judgment. It wasn’t until Noah’s family entered the ark and the rain began falling that they knew their end had come. The people of Noah’s day ignored God’s warnings and believed nothing could interfere with their wicked lifestyle, until it was too late.

Does this not sound like today? The vast majority of people fail to recognize the time in which we live. They plan their lives as though nothing can possibly interfere with their future aspirations.

Sadly, most Christians also fall into this camp. Many of them sit under the teaching of those who teach that the Lord won’t return until the end of the age to judge the dead and inaugurate the eternal state. Such preaching contradicts what Jesus taught in Matthew 24-25 and turns the eyes of those in the pews away from the mountain of evidence confirming that we live in the last days. As a result, their view of what lies ahead for them in this life differs little from the unbelieving world.

Life as Usual

Another striking aspect of Jesus’ description of Noah’s day is that life continued as usual up to the very end. Right up to the time the rain began falling and the flood waters came, they “were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.” His words emphasize the normality of life that accompanied their unawareness of impending destruction. Is that not also like our day?

It’s not that we do away with our routines and schedules, but that we keep in mind what lies ahead for us and the world. We live in the season of Jesus’ appearing, which means the normality of life on Earth might quickly disappear at any moment.

I believe Jesus’ comparison to the days of Noah is with the Rapture and the judgment that will soon follow it. By the time of the Second Coming, life on Earth will be far from normal. After the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, life on Earth will be anything but ordinary among those who somehow manage to survive. The Lord earlier described the years leading up to His return as the worst that the world had ever seen as humanity neared the point of extinction (Matthew 24:21-22).

Scoffers, Too

Do you know that the Apostle Peter faulted the latter-day scoffers with overlooking the message of the Genesis 6 flood? In 2 Peter 3:5-7, we read:

“For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”

It’s significant that the apostle criticized these scoffers because of their failure to understand the significance of Noah’s flood. They may not deny that the flood happened, but they “deliberately overlook” its relevance to their understanding of Bible prophecy and hence to the day in which they live.

As a result of their failure to understand the comparison of Noah’s day to ours, they regard the Day of the Lord prophecies about a future time of God’s wrath upon the earth, the seven-year Tribulation, as either something that’s already happened in the past or symbolic of another reality.

The evidence strongly supports the conclusion that the huge seaworthy vessel, discovered near Mount Ararat, is that of Noah’s Ark.. What other explanation could there be for such a large ship so far from a body of water large enough to sustain it?

And given Jesus’ words comparing the last days to those of Noah’s day, it’s highly unlikely that the ark’s reappearance and the attention drawn to it are just coincidences.

-Jonathan

 

 

Israel Here to Stay? :: By Terry James

Author’s note: While awaiting President Donald J. Trump’s decision on ridding Iran’s Islamic regime of its nuclear weapons-making capability, I researched through past commentaries I’ve written on this troubling topic. There were a number of such articles, but the one I chose, I think, portrays just how long the threat has been allowed to build to this moment of absolute necessity of eliminating a sure and present danger—a danger not only to Israel and America but to the entire world.

Now the president has made the decision that will have resounding ramifications throughout the world. Iran’s nuclear facilities have been totally eliminated in the strikes Saturday night, June 21.

However, none of the usual pundits can answer: What happens next? Will there be regime change? There are no answers coming from the so-called experts.

There is no uncertainty from this quarter. It’s not that I am super-smart or prescient. But I read the future that is found only in the Holy Word of our God.

The “Persian” evil is not finished. Iran is destined to join the Gog-Magog coalition of Ezekiel chapters 38-39.

Because of Bible prophecy, I’m prepared to offer with a significant degree of certainty the opinion that this action–righteous though it is in ridding Israel and the world of an immediate nuclear threat from this wicked regime, has started a process that will very quickly push Iran further into the arms of the likes of Russia, Turkey, and others that will constitute the Gog-Magog coalition. 

The following was posted on Raptureready.com August 23, 2010.

My thought in reposting here is to show that no matter how things look from human perspective, God is in full control at all times. He is restraining and has the satanically inspired forces of evil often in derision, as promised in Psalm 2.

The dangers examined in that article still exist, and the Lord continues to restrain and be in full control. So, those who know the Lord and watch prophetic developments as we are instructed by Jesus (Mark 13:37 and Luke 21:28) can be assured that God’s promise to take believers home to Glory is imminent, while witnessing “all these things begin[ning] to come to pass.”

Israel Here to Stay?

Originally posted August 23, 2010

My inbox and the news from Bible prophecy circles bulge with talk of Israel’s almost-certain attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The scuttlebutt has been coming hard and fast since 2007 or even earlier. Each summer was going to bring an assault by Israel, and all-out Mideast war was sure to ensue.

As I write this, the predictions are at fever pitch. John Bolton, former American UN ambassador, declared that Israel had until Saturday, August 21, [2010.] to take out Iran’s nuclear plants, or risk—by their bombing—spreading radiation contamination across the area and into the Persian Gulf.

The flood of emails proclaims that this is it. The region is going to go up in flames, with Russia coming to the aid of Iran, because the Russians are so heavily invested in the Iranian nuclear program. There will be Russian nuclear technicians installing the radioactive rods necessary to fuel and power up the facility. They will be in harm’s way, and Moscow–from which Gog of Magog prophetic infamy will come—will not abide such an insult. The thought frequently conjectured: Could this be the beginning of Ezekiel 38-39—the Gog-Magog attack?

Israel can’t afford, the argument goes, to allow the facility to come online. This is because the spent fuel rods will provide plutonium and other byproducts to give Iran the materials from which they can produce nuclear weapons. That’s a simplification of the matter but should suffice, I hope, for making my point.

This attack by Israel will be, the emailers apparently believe, prophecy being fulfilled. This preemptive attack by the Jewish state upon the land of ancient Persia surely will, the messages exclaim, instigate a chain reaction of events. These events will bring the Gog-Magog attack, and perhaps Isaiah 17:1 will also be fulfilled. Some even believe it will provoke the long-pondered-over Psalm 83 war supposed by many to be in the offing.

I could have waited until Saturday, August 21, had passed to write this piece but chose not to do so. My reason is primarily that I don’t believe this is the time for the Gog-Magog War, or for the proposed Psalm 83 conflict, should it be an actual prophecy. Exigencies just aren’t ripe for producing the horrific results such conflicts as the Gog-Magog, or even the supposed Psalm 83, conflagrations would inflict. At least, that’s my view from my present perspective.

More than that, I believe that’s the way it is presented from the perspective of Bible prophecy. One thing I do think is an almost 100-percent certainty is that Israel isn’t going anywhere. Iranian tyrant Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s promises to erase Israel from the face of the Middle East and the world are empty threats. It will never happen—not even with the help of the Gog nation, Russia.

Why do I say “an almost 100-percent certainty”?

This goes to the argument of those who say it is possible that Israel could be removed from its land yet again. Then, all would have to once more rearrange in order to get the prophetic indicators into place like they are now. God might allow Israel’s enemies to again take the Jews from the Promised Land because of their unbelief.

Zola Levitt and I were once discussing the hatred of the Arab nations for Israel. I mentioned that the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee didn’t think the Jews being back in the land was necessarily a major signal of the nearness to Christ’s return. My friend Zola, a very passionate man when it came to Israel, got pretty exercised, as I recall. He said he and Dr. McGee “got into it” over this subject.

Zola said Dr. McGee said it could be that Israel might yet be removed from the land of promise. Zola didn’t like that at all, so they had a rather lively discussion on the matter—on camera. I said, “Well, Dr. McGee [who went to be with the Lord in 1988 at age 84] knows now, that’s for sure.” That seemed to calm Zola a bit.

Dr. McGee would no doubt agree that Israel is back in the land to stay, if he could have watched developments of the years since he left the planet. Israel being the center of most all controversy so far as issues of war and peace are concerned; pressured by the international community to give up God’s land; at the center of a forced, phony peace process, with Iran (ancient Persia) threatening from the north. How could he or anyone being privy to such facts say otherwise?

Whatever happened last Saturday—as you read this on August 23 or later—Israel isn’t going anywhere. So, I’ll change my “almost” to an absolute 100-percent certainty.

Although Israel—and the world—is in for some terrible times ahead, I firmly believe we have the very Word of God about the current and future disposition of His chosen nation. Israel is here to stay.

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God” (Amos 9:14-15).

—Terry

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The Indispensable Value of Bible Prophecy

When I was a child, I enjoyed the paper-based activity of connecting the dots. It began with a page covered with numbered dots. When connected in the proper order, a picture emerged from the maze of dots.

It would be nice if it were that easy to connect all the dots in regard to Bible prophecy. As we get closer to the start of the Tribulation period, the picture becomes clearer than it ever has been in the past. However, sometimes we need to erase the links we have already drawn. Such was the case with this article after my initial draft.

With the US bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities, it seemed as though Israel would achieve a decisive victory in the war. I had already drawn a line between its decisive triumph and the peaceful conditions that Israel will enjoy just prior to the Gog/Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 (see 38:7-8).

When I heard the initial reports of an impending Iranian attack on US bases, I assumed that a much wider war was imminent, with still further destruction of Iran’s capabilities to wage war.

With the unexpected turn of events and the announcement of a ceasefire, it was time to bring out the eraser or perhaps draw new lines??

The ending of the war, in my mind far too premature, kept in power satanically driven radical jihadists who still retain their fiery passion to destroy Israel and its people. As they proclaimed victory after the ceasefire, they must have realized that it was just a show to deceive their adherents in Iran. Next time, rather than attempting to destroy Israel by themselves, they will join with other nations and invade the Land, hoping for a better result, which leads us again to the fulfilment of Ezekiel 38-39.

Bible Prophecy Is Essential

Although the prophetic picture of the end times is clearer than it’s ever been, some things remain a mystery. That’s why the study of Bible prophecy is so essential; it continually reminds us that the Lord remains in control despite what we see. He will surely keep all His promises to Israel and us and someday, hopefully soon, bring us safely to the place He’s preparing for us in glory.

This also applies to our daily lives, does it not? We know all experience the many twists and turns that the Lord leads us through this side of glory; our lives are truly walks of faith. As I look back on my life, I had no idea of how the many ups and more numerous downs of my past would fit together for the Lord’s purposes for my life. With hindsight, I recognize how my rocky past played a crucial role in preparing me for my current writing ministry.

A proper understanding of Bible prophecy is absolutely indispensable for the time in which we live. It keeps our eyes focused on Jesus and the glorious future He promises us. As we watch the world behave precisely as Scripture predicted for the last days, we become increasingly aware of God’s sovereignty in all things. The One who is able to control human affairs in such a way is more than capable of keeping all His promises to us during our remaining time in this life.

The Wildcards

As the links between now and the events described in Revelation chapters 6-18 become clearer by the day, we often wonder why we remain earthbound. A couple of factors that I like to refer to as wildcards keep us from unraveling the mystery of the timing of what lies ahead.

The first is the Holy Spirit’s restraining power that’s currently preventing the revealing of antichrist and limiting the “mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Several months ago, I believed we were on the brink of a major world war. When President Biden gave Ukraine permission to fire NATO missiles into Russia, I was sure Putin would respond with nuclear weapons. It appeared as though we were remarkably close to the devastating wars described in Revelation 6:1-8.

That’s just one of many instances when it seemed as though the world was breathtakingly close to the time the Lord will open the seals, but then the momentum slowed down or stopped. And we are still here rather than in Heaven watching Him release the riders of the apocalypse.

The second wildcard is the Rapture. Once that happens, chaos and mayhem will ensue across the world. Soon afterward, Satan will reveal his “man of lawlessness,” who will quickly rise to power amid the anarchy and destruction. His solutions will seem reasonable and peaceful but will later lead to much more death and destruction. He will later convince Israel that he’s able to guarantee their safety for a time (Daniel 9:27).

I believe the path to the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel will become clear after the Rapture. It will severely weaken America’s ability to defend the nation. The nations have already formed the exact alliance that Ezekiel predicted long ago. The Rapture and removal of the restraining work of the Holy Spirit will give them the opportunity to attack.

Scripture confirms that we live in the season of Jesus’ appearing and with it the sudden fulfillment of passages such as Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. At any moment, Jesus might return for us and give us immortal and incorruptible bodies like His. This is the substance of our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14).

Although the work of the Restrainer keeps us from pinpointing the start of the Tribulation period, the dots of Bible prophecy that we can connect clearly reveal that we live in the season of Jesus’ imminent appearing.

And we pray that He comes soon to take us home. Maranatha!

-Jonathan