Listening recently to the great Bible teacher, Les Feldick, on his television program that first aired sometime in the early 2000s, I heard him telling of when he and his wife visited Israel. The visit was in the mid 1990s, I think.

Les said that they were at a restaurant and a young, Jewish man approached them at their table. They were obviously visiting Americans, and the man, as I take it, wanted to quiz them a bit about the reason for their visit to his country.

Feldick said he learned through the introduction that the young man was a product of Yeshiva, the study institution for Jewish boys.

Their conversation somehow got around to the Jewish view of the Messiah and how each viewed who this person would be and what he would do—his role on behalf of Israel.

Les first explained that his view—as a Christian—is that the Messiah had already visited Israel. He was God’s Son, and would come again to institute the Millennial Kingdom, etc.

The Jewish man said, during their cordial conversation, that they didn’t believe Jesus had been their Messiah, and that the Jewish studies taught that Mashiach—the Messiah—will be a superhuman person, but not deity.

This brought to my thinking the visit Adolf Hitler reported at one point while he was Germany’s infamous Führer. Hitler said he was suddenly confronted by a being while sitting in his office. The visitor was a profoundly commanding figure that assured him, Hitler, that he would be the savior of Germany; he would restore Germany and its people to greatness.

Hitler described the personage as “Überman,” a man that transcended mere mortal men. The being was a superman, of sort, der Führer implied.

This reported visitation was brought to mind when remembering other research I’m doing for a novel I’m tentatively giving the title MESSIAH.

This is what the young Jewish man mentioned above was taught:

The mashiach will be a great political leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5). The mashiach is often referred to as “mashiach ben David” (mashiach, son of David). He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments (Isaiah 11:2–5). He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example. He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions (Jeremiah 33:15). But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.

It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the mashiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person’s lifetime, then that person will be the mashiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the mashiach, then that person is not the mashiach. (Blogs by David M. Levy, May 2020, Copyright 5758-5780 (1998–2020), Tracey R Rich)

Hitler’s own, twisted vision of the super race (Aryan) was based largely on the demonically inspired writings of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

 In Der Wille zur Macht (“The Will to Power”), Nietzsche declares:

A daring and ruling race is building itself up…. The aim should be to prepare a transvaluation of values for this new man, —most highly gifted in intellect and will. This man—and the elite around him will become the “lords of the earth.”

Nietzsche’s concept of the coming “Übermensch” (superman) demonstrates Satan’s power to delude, deceive, and blind the human race to truth. Israel is no exception.

Because of the nation’s rejection of their Messiah, the Lord allowed them to become blinded by Satan for the time being—blinded to truth regarding who Jesus Christ is and what He truly means to Israel’s future. This is what Paul says about the matter:

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)  

Mankind, as well as God’s chosen nation, the Jewish people, continues to long for someone—some system—to save them from some unknown fate they instinctively and fearfully sense is just beyond the immediate horizon. The Antichrist they will accept, Jesus has foretold. Him, Jesus, they rejected. The price will be paid for that rejection by the whole world of rebels because of their unbelief.

Thankfully, a remnant of Israel will be supernaturally saved, preserved to inherit the millennial kingdom. So will a remnant of Gentiles. All will then thrive under the King of all kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Word promises that this phoney superman whom many will accept will be destroyed with the breath of the Saviour’s mouth while He breaks through the black clouds of evil at the time of Armageddon. He will speak the words that will end the ages-long wickedness of earth’s history. Again, I believe those words might well be the same as the Lord spoke that stormy day on the Sea of Galilee: “Peace, be still.”

The Apostle Paul describes the generation that will be on the stage of earth’s history during mankind’s final scenes of this cribes Our Timedispensation perhaps better than any other human author. We’ve gone over his many characteristics of end-times man in a number of commentaries. But Paul’s prophetic words about perilous times to come—except for the very few times he says are him, not God, speaking—are inspired by the One who is the Word. Jesus is the true Author of the Bible (John 1:1).

So when we read words issued straight from the Lord’s own mouth, they have special significance. No one but God knows the end from the beginning. His Word proves that again and again. So Jesus’ words on things to come are profoundly important to read and heed.

With that in mind, let’s consider Jesus’ words as juxtaposed against the issues and events of these troublous times that so often vex us, as Lot, the believer of ancient times who lived in Sodom, might have put it.

Jesus, when asked by His disciples about the signs of His Second Coming, said:

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:10–11)

The Lord, in other places, described these signs as coming upon the earth in birth-pang-like convulsions. There would be an increase in frequency and intensity of these issues and events. It will be, He indicated, much like a woman when she is having painful contractions in the process of giving birth.

One of the key indicators for us to look at in Christ’s prophecy is the term “nation against nation.”

We’ve pointed out many times that the Greek word for “nation” in this case is ethnos. Jesus was foretelling a time when there would be a tremendous rise in ethnic conflicts. This is one of the key descriptions of our times.

We have to look no further than our own nation, the United States, to determine that we are in ethnic turmoil. And it is contrived turmoil, foisted upon us by globalists who want to move America into a one-world configuration.

The Black Lives Matter and Antifa are proven to be groups organized and funded by the likes of George Soros, a man dedicated to creating a global order.

These organizations have ginned up the ever-intensifying rage of rebellious anarchists within those who harbor racial hatred that has literally brought American cities to ruin societally, culturally, and, most assuredly, economically.

In my view, the so-called COVID pandemic continues to be used by the globalists as a bludgeon against America’s people. The powers and principalities of Ephesians 6:12 are fomenting this nation-against-nation, end-of-the-age conflict.

This brings together the terms in Jesus’ prophecy, “ethnic hatreds and pestilence.” Although COVID and its proliferating strains is a contrived pestilence, it is pestilence nonetheless. It is a precursor to the great, real pandemics that will kill millions during the Tribulation era. What we are seeing now is implementation of a control mechanism that is laying groundwork for the coming Antichrist regime to use.

Jesus, the greatest of all prophets, described precisely this racial hatred that would be prevalent just before He returns to put an end to this wicked, rebellious cabal. God’s Word warns about this evil and its fatal destiny in Psalm 2.

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. (Psalm 2:2–5)

Jesus stated further:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. (Luke 21:25)

Although a case can easily be made for astonishing evidence of things going on in space that have people looking into that dark vastness for answers, it is the second part of this prophecy that is profoundly relevant to this time so near the end of the Age of Grace.

Economic turmoil caused by the worldwide COVID lockdowns has the nations in distress with great and growing perplexity. Great Britain, France, Australia, and other major Western economies are experiencing conditions like those described by the Lord.

America, the nation to whose dollar most all the world is intricately linked, is but one event or occurrence away from total collapse.

Although our government and the mainstream media won’t confess this before the American people or the world that depends on the dollar, that collapse could come at any moment, it is feared by many in the know.

Some perhaps not so much in the know, in terms of economic acumen (yours truly, for example), understand in their spirits that the moment that breaks the proverbial camel’s back is about to occur.

I write, of course, about the Rapture of all believers in Jesus Christ for salvation of their souls.

Jesus’ words are recorded, finally, pointing toward that moment of removal from the Tribulation that will follow that great event.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21: 28)