Pastors, Prophecy, and Powerlessness

A power vacuum exists today that was foretold almost two thousand years ago. Its effects on this generation and beyond are profound and are destined to make an even more deleterious impact on America and the world in the days just ahead. The apostle Paul prophesied the following: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come… [Men] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:1, 5a).

Many pastors within Christianity today, I am sorry to have to say, are complicit in helping fulfill this prophecy on an hourly basis.

First, let’s define the term “Christian pastors.” Within the context of Paul’s prophecy that I wish to examine here, I refer to those pastors who truly preach and teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to redemption, to reconciliation with God the Father. All others who claim to be clergy within Christianity I completely disregard, because God’s Word discounts them as false prophets, as defined by the following Scripture, to give but one example:

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2:1-3).

Again, to be clear, when I say “Christian pastors,” I’m referring to genuine pastors: Bible-believing preachers who lift up Christ as the only way to salvation.

Some will say that Paul’s “perilous times” warning of men who would display the end-times characteristic of “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” applies to the false teachers of Peter’s prophecy, not to true preachers called by God to be shepherds of His flock. I agree that Paul’s 2 Timothy prophecy applies to those interlopers who deny Jesus Christ as the only way to redemption.

However, the accusation against those who have a “form of godliness but deny the power thereof” can apply as well to God’s true shepherds. The condemnation is in some ways even more to the point than when leveled at the false preachers and teachers. It’s my contention that Christian pastors today–and, sadly, I believe this includes the majority of them–deny the power of God when they deliberately cast aside prophecy given in the Bible that is for a time yet future.

We have written in these commentaries, and many others have written and spoken on the fact that God’s Word, the Bible, consists of at least 27 percent prophecy. Half of that prophecy has been fulfilled; half is yet to be fulfilled. Although it can be proven through study of the Scriptures and by examining history that the Bible is always accurate in putting forth prophecy in past instances, pastors – preachers and teachers – consistently and persistently ignore preaching and teaching things to come.

By this willful disregard for presenting this vast body of scriptural truth, men of God–called and anointed by the Lord as guardians of His truth and shepherds of His flocks–deny the great power wrapped up in the astonishing reality that our God is the only One who knows the end from the beginning–and in excruciating detail, might I add.

For the most part, preachers of today seemingly avoid the prophetic Word at any cost. And, in God’s holy economy, the cost must be astronomical. These shepherds of God’s precious people are denying those people the assurance of the hope that He promises. Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior, is the fruition of God’s magnificent plan for their journey into forever. With the knowledge of Christ’s return plainly given as imminent in God’s love letter to mankind, the born-again should be living victoriously, not with cringing fear or, even worse, in almost complete apathy.

The prophetic Word says:

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:12-14).

The majority of those who aren’t informed about what is going to happen next in this judgment-bound world, or who are totally unconcerned about things of God, are fed pabulum rather than meat for living life in the way the Lord intended. These are, as often as not, force-fed the “feel-good and let’s not dwell on sin too much” worldly message that is anathema to truth from the Word of God.

To the pastors and teachers who do, in fact, teach doctrine and sound biblical principles, may the Lord bless you to the extent to which you remain faithful to break the Bread of Life in the way it should be fed to your flocks. But if you don’t include prophecy as an important and generous part of your messages–that Jesus is coming again and might come at any moment–you are falling far short of deserving full commendation. You are denying the true power of God. You are exhibiting only a form of godliness.

Respectfully, please pay attention, you who are the truth-bearing pastors of our Holy God. These are the times to which all of Bible prophecy has pointed for millennia. These are perilous times. Signals are rampant that this generation is the generation that will almost certainly see the Lord’s return in power and glory. Israel and the peace process, with all nations beginning to turn against that state, dear pastors, is the number-one signal that we are bumping up against the very end of this swiftly fleeting age. Christ’s shout, “Come up hither,” is imminent!

You will be held accountable at the judgment seat of Christ for how you treat His whole Word in feeding your flock. Jesus spoke to the great power and importance resident within prophecy while addressing the churches. John recorded what the resurrected Lord directed him to write:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.… Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:1-2, 7-8)

–Terry

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UFO Mania

The world’s obsession with alien life and UFOs continues to grow exponentially. The latest rage consists of a mystery object hurtling through space at 130,000 miles per hour dubbed “31/ATLAS.” While most observers believe it’s a comet, renowned Harvard physicist Dr. Avi Loeb believes that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS might be a gigantic alien spacecraft. Initial reports claimed that the spectacle is twelve miles wide; now the experts say it’s only three but still rather sizeable for any flying object of unknown origin.

Professor Loeb believes the spacecraft will arrive near Earth in early November. I have read other accounts of gigantic UFOs that have already passed by the earth or are nearby. The conflicting information doesn’t deter those who believe that intelligent life exists beyond the earth.

Searching the Internet for stories on “alien spacecraft” results in a multitude of stories about UFOs, 31/ATLAS, and other potential sightings, substantiating the widespread conviction that these things are real. An August 27, 2025, article on the Popular Mechanics website had this captivating title: “Aliens Might Be Chatting With the Planet Next Door. We Could Listen In.”

Why the fascination with aliens and UFOs? Does this preoccupation have anything to do with Bible prophecy? I believe it’s a sign that Satan knows his time is short and has ramped up his efforts to deceive people so they later will fall for the antichrist’s lies.

The Deception

In his book, UFO’s: The Great Last Days Deception, Billy Crone describes how the current UFO phenomenon fits with the devil’s ploy to deceive mankind into believing a lie rather than the true explanation for the multitudes of missing people. In his book, he states, “More people believe in Aliens than in the existence of God, and more people believe that Aliens have visited planet Earth than that Jesus is the Son of God.”

The Bible does not specifically tell us whether or not the antichrist will use the current UFO obsession in deceiving the masses after the Rapture. However, given the hysteria of our day, it seems as though a great many people would readily attribute our disappearance to aliens rather than the Rapture. The immense size of 31/ATLAS (three miles wide and even longer) and other gigantic alien spacecraft reported to be near the earth would allow for such an explanation of why so many people are missing.

I’m amazed by the predominant opinion that aliens must be far more advanced and intelligent than humans. Many believe they have the answers to the problems we face on Earth and welcome future interactions with them. Does this not also fit with a false Rapture narrative? The aliens supposedly have the know-how as well as the available space to accommodate our future disappearance.

The Lie

In 2 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Paul refers to “the lie”:

“And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (NKJV).

Referring to people who will reject Jesus as their Savior and thus fall under the deceptive ploys of the antichrist, the apostle wrote they will fall for “the lie,” which God will cause them to believe. The Bible does not reveal the exact nature of this “strong delusion,” but it seems to be closely related to the appearing of the “man of lawlessness” and his “false signs and wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-11). As a result of their unbelief in Jesus, the majority of people will accept his version of reality rather than what Scripture says.

Could it be that the UFO mania of our day is Satan’s way of conditioning people to believe “the lie” after Jesus catches us up to meet Him in the air? I believe it’s a likely scenario for the masses who already possess more faith in UFOs and aliens than in God’s existence.

I believe Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 applies to those who now reject Jesus and the saving message of the cross. Our sudden disappearance will not change their minds regarding the Gospel or their dismissive attitude toward the Rapture. They will gladly believe “the lie” rather than the truth of God’s Word. Those who believe the lies of our adversary before the Rapture will continue to do so afterward, despite all that they see.

The Bible also tells us that a multitude will come to saving faith in Jesus after the Rapture (Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9-17). The sizeable number of Tribulation saints points to a great awakening after our departure, likely due to the preaching of the 144,000 and the angel who will proclaim the Gospel during this time. This sizeable group of people, those not previously hardened in their unbelief, will reject the world’s explanation for our disappearance and turn to the Savior.

Satan’s intense preparation of the world to believe the lies of the antichrist tells us we must be ever so close to our homegoing. It’s not that he has any inside information on its timing, but he knows Scripture and thus recognizes that Jesus is coming for His Church very soon.

For us as believers, the rampant deception of our day signifies the necessity of knowing Scripture and trusting its revelation of what lies ahead both for us and the world. Our adversary is not only working overtime to deceive the world, but is also seeking to lead the saints astray with a wide variety of errant beliefs regarding their future as well as that of the world.

Though many will scoff, it’s also a time to share the Gospel and our hope in Jesus’ appearing as the Lord gives us the opportunity to do so. Others may not respond in faith now, but may do so after Jesus takes us home to glory.

-Jonathan

 

The Antichrist-Muslim Scenario

Just as troubling as the erroneous teaching that the Rapture will take place post-Tribulation is the false premise that the Antichrist will be a Muslim or Islamist. Both predictions stray from the truth in God’s inerrant Word. Such deliberate misdirection brings profound misunderstanding.

During the past months and even years, I, as have my colleagues, received these diatribes—misunderstandings of prophetic truth at best, and willfully misleading false teachings at worst. In my experience, these have mostly come from those who are hostile to the pre-Trib Rapture. The senders or callers want to debate and have even accused me of being a coward for not wanting to engage in verbal or email warfare.

Debate is fruitless, as minds are never changed in such interactions, and my answer to those wanting to debate is that I long ago saw its fruitlessness. I have long since just taught the truth from God’s Word, after much study and prayer. And, admittedly, there have been times such study and prayer have shown me my own erroneous conclusions.

But in the matters of the Rapture and the Antichrist, my spirit is totally at rest.

The Rapture can take place at any moment before the start of Daniel’s seventieth week (the Tribulation). Antichrist will not lead the Islamic hordes into a takeover of the world. Of these facts I am certain beyond any doubt.

We have presented so much information about the Rapture, confirming with proof texts from God’s Word that the great event will be pre-Tribulation, that I won’t go into it here. I simply recommend that readers go to our website, Raptureready.com, to find thousands of references, articles, and documentation of the proof of which I write.

We will look here primarily at the world’s last and most tyrannical despot. And I hope to give a primary reason Antichrist will not be a great Muslim leader who will cause all to worship Satan in anything like the Islamic model or tradition.

To begin, I can certainly understand why some believe Antichrist will be a Muslim. The following excerpts are just the tip of the iceberg in pointing to Islam’s never-ending quest to establish itself as the ruling religion on the earth.

The takeover isn’t coming. It’s here.

In just two decades, Houston has been transformed into the frontline of America’s Illumination. In the early 2000s, the city had about 41 mosques. Today, there are over 200 mosques and Islamic prayer centers — a 400% explosion that has redrawn Houston’s religious and cultural map. (“March of Conquest: Islamic Soldiers Seize Houston’s Streets,” RAIR Foundation, August 18, 2025)

The arrest of Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, a pro-Palestinian jihadist tied to extremist networks, shows how Islam and its leftist allies are no longer confined to campus protests—they’re bringing their war to America’s streets.

Boston, MA—A 25-year-old pro-Palestinian Muslim activist and UMass Dartmouth graduate, Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, has been arrested and charged after a spree of vandalism and the placement of hoax devices resembling IEDs at multiple Boston landmarks, including the Massachusetts State House. The case is raising alarm over escalating radical left-wing and Islamic activism spilling into criminal tactics inside the United States. (“Jihadi Arrested After State House Attack and Hoax Bomb Plot,” RAIR Foundation, August 18, 2025)

Chicago’s streets were hijacked by an Arbaeen procession that wasn’t a parade but a manifesto—a loudspeaker call to jihad, Sharia economics, and the subjugation of non-believers.

On August 10th, downtown Chicago was seized by an Islamic procession — the Arbaeen Juloos. Armies of men marched through our streets waving flags, chanting, and asserting their dominance — not as Americans, but as Muslims…

This is not a cultural parade. It is a political and essentially military show of force, designed to remind the faithful that their duty is resistance, sacrifice, and ultimately, the triumph of Islam. (RAIR Foundation, August 16, 2025)

While the assaults on American soil continue to mount, the Islamic assault on the nations of Western Europe are even more imposing. The Islamist militants have established “no go zones” more aggressive in domination in major European cities than such areas we remember were established in places like Minneapolis/St. Paul during the Obama and Biden administrations.

We read reports daily of Muslim men sexually assaulting women and girls on the streets in Europe and in America as part of their religion—all part of Islam’s contempt for females who don’t conform to the Sharia law demands in dress and comportment.

So, with the tremendous movements across the world to establish the Islamic religion, and, in Europe in particular, there being little resistance, it seems, it is easy for some prophecy pundits to conclude that the evil dictator, Antichrist, will be Muslim.

And the followers of Islam believe a supernatural leader is coming who will be their messiah. The definition of this leader is presented by a Google search.

In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is a prophesied figure expected to appear near the end of the world to establish justice and righteousness before the Day of Judgment. While both Sunni and Shia Muslims believe in the Mahdi, their interpretations and beliefs about his identity and role differ significantly.

One sect of Islam believes he will be a powerful dictator who will force all to bow to Allah or die by the sword. The other sect is more of the opinion that the Mahdi will be a peacemaker of sorts rather than a totally cruel tyrant.

Regardless, the fact that Islam predicts—prophesies—such a coming leader gives the “Antichrist will be a Muslim” crowd the fodder they need to put forth their erroneous teaching.

There isn’t room here for a complete presentation of all the reasons Antichrist will come from the area of Rome from which came Titus and his troops that destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem in AD 70. But there is plenty of proof that he will not be Middle Eastern. His being the Assyrian might mean he will have ancestry from that Mideast region, but his geographical origin will be from the western leg of Rome.

There is room in this commentary to express only one very strong proof that Islam will not rule most of the world, as will the one called Antichrist.

Ezekiel the prophet describes the fate of the hordes of the Islamic religion who will join in the Gog-Magog attack against Israel:

“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 

“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

“Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 38:18-39).

Islam is destined to be decimated when the Muslims, in their hatred for God’s chosen people and nation, join with the Gog-Magog coalition. God’s promise to Abraham will find its ultimate fulfillment:

“I will bless those who bless thee, and I will curse those who curse thee.”

Antichrist’s regime will be backed by the ten-member kingdom of Daniel chapter 2 and its tremendous military force. Antichrist will neither need, nor have the backing of, the war-making hordes of Islam. These will be destroyed. Antichrist’s force will doubtless possess all massive nuclear arsenals of the world, plus no telling what other source of destructive military capability at that time. The prophetic word asks: “Who is able to stand against him?”

Of course, God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will be able to stand against him, and Jesus will speak the words that destroy Antichrist with the brightness of His coming at Armageddon. I believe those words will be the same as when He spoke to the raging storm that day on the Sea of Galilee:

“Peace…Be still.”

—Terry

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Narnia Deniers

We encounter them in many ways. We read what they write on social media and stand behind them in lines waiting to check out at grocery stores. Some preach at nearby churches or perhaps where we attend. In one way or another, they all have this in common: they deny the existence of Narnia.

Oh, I realize that The Chronicles of Narnia is an allegory depicting a reality that doesn’t exist. However, there’s a purpose behind C.S. Lewis’ fanciful way of depicting this make-believe realm. The world we experience in everyday life is not all there is. Other realities exist behind what we see with our eyes and touch with our hands.

For one, there’s the demonic spirit realm Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10-20. Unseen evil forces not only exist, but they also attack us. Many believers don’t perceive the nature of the war they were born into at the time of their regeneration, nor the objective of this opposing force, which Jesus described in John 10:10 as that of seeking “to steal and kill and destroy.” We have an invisible enemy (1 Peter 5:8).

Another unseen reality that many saints miss is God’s kingdom. All the biblical depictions of this other-world domain, whether it be the glories of Heaven, the earth during Jesus’ thousand-year reign, or the eternal state, far surpass the mythical Narnia in its captivating beauty and splendor. It’s this kingdom that should fill our hearts with wonder and joyous anticipation. Yet so many believers live as though the reality behind the mythical Narnia doesn’t exist.

The Wonders of God’s Kingdom on Earth

Many pastors and Bible teachers tell us that God’s glorious kingdom – depicted in many of the Psalms, throughout the Old Testament prophets, and in Revelation 20 – is the church age, our current lives in flesh and blood bodies. Please know that such is not the case; what we see falls far, far short of how the Bible describes the Lord’s celestial realm, which will physically come to the earth at Jesus’ Second Coming and reach its full glory in the eternal state.

Notice how the biblical descriptions of Jesus’ earthly kingdom, the Millennium, differ drastically from our current lives on Earth, where pain, suffering, and death prevail:

• Jesus reigns over all the nations for one thousand years (Psalm 2:7-9; Revelation 20:1-10).
• An angel places Satan in the “bottomless pit” from which he cannot escape or oppose the Lord’s agenda for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-4).
• Kings who oppose the Lord’s rule perish (Psalm 2:10-12).
• Wars cease to exist throughout the duration of His rule (Psalm 46:8-10).
• Christ rules the earth from Mount Zion (Psalm 48:1-8).
• At the beginning of His reign, Jesus restores the earth to its original pristine conditions so that peace exists in the animal kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-9).
• People enjoy long lifespans such that they will consider death at age one hundred a premature death (Isaiah 65:20-25). Another benefit of a restored creation.
• Everyone in Israel knows and worships the Lord (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Psalm 47:6-7).
• Justice prevails throughout the earth due to Jesus’ righteous rule (Isaiah 11:1-5; 32:1).

The above list is a sampling of how God’s Word describes the coming kingdom to which all those in Christ Jesus are heirs (1 Corinthians 15:50-21; James 2:5; Ephesians 1:11-14). It’s not Narnia; it’s something far, far better.

Kingdom Deniers

Those who identify the church as God’s physical kingdom strip away all the wonders of how Scripture describes it. In doing so, they redirect the hope of glory from God’s promised kingdom to something dismal and exceedingly bland by comparison.

Sadly, false teachers have popularized other ways of denying the splendor of what lies ahead in God’s kingdom for both New Testament saints and Israel. They are the true deniers of Narnia.

The preterists tell us Jesus returned to the earth in AD 70. Its original and extreme form teaches that we now live in the eternal state (oh my!). Those who hold to a milder form believe that the last two chapters of Revelation represent the only unfilled prophecies in the entire Bible. In other words, preterists don’t believe what God’s Word reveals about His kingdom.

Another egregious form of kingdom unbelief exists among those who adhere to what’s known as Dominion Theology, which teaches that the church will bring millennial conditions to the earth with Jesus returning after its wonderful reign. Its advocates deny the wonder of God’s future earthly realm by making it just another human domain rather than something glorious and supernatural that only Jesus can bring to the earth. They not only scrap all that the Bible says about the future for the nation of Israel and the redeemed, but also most of what it says about the church and the role of its leaders.

Kingdom Encouragement

C.S. Lewis’ whimsical depictions of Narnia’s splendor pale in comparison to what Jesus has in store for all who belong to Him. When He appears to take us home, we will forever be with our Savior in immortal and sinless bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50-55; Philippians 3:20-21). When we reach the shores of Heaven, we will find that it far exceeds the wonders of all the fictitious utopias put together.

Is this not the most encouraging and comforting message imaginable? Regardless of what happens to us in this life, we have a joyous eternity ahead for us that surpasses all we can imagine.

Most Christians believe in Heaven but live as though no other realm exists apart from what they can see and touch. Either through unbelief or a lack of sound teaching about Bible prophecy, they miss the comfort and joy that come from living in anticipation of the wonders of God’s kingdom. Sadly, false teaching keeps the hopes of many saints bound to vain earthly aspirations rather than the exciting adventure that will begin the moment we meet Jesus in the air.

Maranatha!!!

-Jonathan