It is always dangerous to write about end times. There has to be a lot of humility even when you broach the subject and a willingness to agree to disagree. Anyone who tells you that “this is the way it is going to happen,” you can take with a pinch of salt. The reason I am writing this short piece is because a few people have asked me if I think there is any significance for the end times in regards to the USA recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Short answer, yes, just because I think everything that happens to Israel and more specifically Jerusalem is significant. I think it actually might lead to a major peace deal, the one spoken of in Scriptures, a seven-year comprehensive peace deal and all the world will celebrate, but when they say “peace,peace,” there will be no peace and half way though that deal it will all fall to pieces. Let me give you the relevant Scripture from where we get the notion that there will be a seven-year comprehensive peace deal.

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: 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.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Mat 24:21-22 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.

1Th 5:2-3 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Rev 13:7-8 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

So, the typical understanding of the abomination of desolation is that it takes place in the Temple, a Temple. Of course at this moment we do not have a Jewish temple in Jerusalem so most suppose a third temple has to be erected in order for this prophecy to take place. I disagree, for a couple of reasons. First I believe the saints themselves to be the third temple with God dwelling inside each of them, each of them being a living stone. Secondly in Matthew 24 Jesus refers to the “Holy Place.” Now, the ground upon which the Temple was built was a holy place. If you do the research you will see that the site of the Temple itself had a long rich history and so was not built on a random site. So what is there now? Right now we have the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Dome was completed in 692 and this makes it one of the oldest Muslim holy places in the world.

So that is some of the history and Scriptures that allude to this topic, now back to the USA recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many if not most scoff at the notion that someone like Trump could be part of a final comprehensive peace deal in the Middle East. I want to remind everyone that there was another President that people openly mocked and scoffed as a buffoon, President Regan. Yet he was the one that brought down the mighty Soviet empire and the Berlin wall, the symbol of separation of east and west. Now we know that God raises up the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. The recognizing of Jerusalem as the capital city is the first step towards the peace deal that we know has been foretold.

So I believe that when you see all three religious leaders of the world come together in the “Holy Place,” to combine the religions of the world then this is the abomination, the birth of the great whore church. What disaster or disasters that bring this about I cannot tell you but it will come to pass. The world will be so sickened by terrorism, perhaps after the largest atrocity the world has ever seen, that the people of the world will demand a coming together. The leaders of the religious world will meet, at the demands of the political leaders of the world, at the holy site, the holy place, the Dome as it is now. They will tell the world that each of them believe Abraham to be their mutual father of faith and that Abraham’s God is their God whether they are Christian, Jewish or Muslim. It will be a day that the world will celebrate and exchange gifts to commemorate true world peace. And the cry will be “peace and safety.”

The only people of the world who will resist this will be the saints and they will incur the wrath of the whole world. They will be seen as a cancer in society that has to ripped out. The religious and political leaders will point to them and tell the world that these so-called Christians are the source of all the worlds problems. And so war shall be made upon the saints and they shall be overcome for a time as every tribe and tongue and nation worship the one world government and the one world religion. In fact it will be so severe that if God Himself does not shorten those days then there would be no saints left on the earth.

I believe that all these things are shortly to come upon us. It is a good thing to be prepared just as Jesus prepared in the garden before the crucifixion. We are called to endure to the end saints. We are called to overcome and stand in the evil day. Our God will be with us and He will pour out His Spirit upon us so that we may have the strength to endure. He is God that keeps His promises and He shall never leave us no forsake us............bro Frank

Frank you seem to be saying the tribulation will be suffered only by the remnant and not the world in general, but I wanted to make sure this is what you are saying. I do not believe I have heard that interpretation before. I have heard the version set forth by Art Katz that Jews would be the target of the great persecution.

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Todd

Hi Todd, as you probably know, it is a very complicated st of circumstances in the end of ages. Many different views and so on. Each saint has to study the Word for themselves by the Holy Spirit and be convinced, fully persuaded, in what they believe. So here is my short answer to your question.

Dan 9:27 starts the seven year period and the seals (Rev 6:1-2)

First seal is opened and the rider of the white horse appears, probably the antichrist.

Second seal opens and a great war begins.

Third seal opens and we see runaway inflation and famine probably caused by the war.

Fourth seal opens and a fourth of the folks and the creatures are destroyed, this is well over a billion people.

Fifth seal opens and the remnant saints are martyred in earnest.

Six seal is opened and Gods wrath produces a mighty earthquake of biblical magnitude takes place.

Seventh seal is opened and then follows the day of His wrath and the trumpets and so and so forth brother. All the way along the saints are being persecuted and it just gathers steam. This is just a short answer, you know your Bible brother s you can finish it but here are a few scriptures

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.(Mat 24:21-22)

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: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mat 24:29-31)

You see brother, after the tribulation is over it is then that the Lord returns and gathers His own, His remnant, those who endured and overcame, those who were martyred will come with Him...............bro Frank

I’m definitely not pre-trib- your explanation helps because as you explain it worldwide trouble is concurrent with religious persecution.

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Todd

One thing can be counted on. The issue of who is to control Jerusalem and the accompanying "what's to be done with the Jews in Palestine" problem is not going to go away and will eventually threaten world peace. The nations, or the humanistic leadership of nations, will likely take an even more dramatic shift against Israel as Israel maintains a unmovable attitude over the issue of Jerusalem. This controversy of Zion will become the epi-center of world geopolitical problems and the Jews will once again become the main culprits in the eyes of the nations. This controversy will be in the heart and middle of events swirling around the end of the age. It's said Christ may walk through the eastern gate upon His second advent to Jerusalem. Therefore the Muslims have sealed up the eastern gate and have a graveyard on the outside built up to the gate in hopes that the Christian and Jewish Messiah would not walk through a graveyard. Likewise, the principalities and powers know that when Christ has returned and is secure in Jerusalem that their sway and hold over the minds of men in this present evil age is over and done with. Hence the latter day controversy of who should own and have control of Jerusalem.

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David Winter

Hi Frank,

I have a very similar understanding as you on these events.
what I thought was interesting was that you seem to see the seals unfolding concurrently with the trumpets and vials. I also see it that way, i.e. they describe the same period of Tribulation in different detail, but I've not heard anyone else state this.

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Dave

Dave writes...

I have a very similar understanding as you on these events. what I thought was interesting was that you seem to see the seals unfolding concurrently with the trumpets and vials. I also see it that way, i.e. they describe the same period of Tribulation in different detail, but I've not heard anyone else state this.

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I have always thought that the seals and the bowls and the trumpets were all occurring at the same time myself. Also I'm wondering if in some ways the aeals are not being opened even now. Particular the seal describes the martyrs.

Anyway. Just pondering.

Blaine

Hi Dave, I do see it that way, always have. Not claiming any special revelation but in the reading of the Word, this is how it reads to me. Before coming to Jesus at the age of 26, I had not grown up in a religious house with theories and doctrines of end times and so on. So, no pre-conceived notions, a virgin to the Scriptures so to speak as I am sure many who were saved as adults would testify to as well.......bro Frank

Does it seem that the seals, and the bowls etc are 4 viewpoints of the same events like the Gospels are four views. So 1111 2222 3333 etc? The first advent and the second advent.


I think a very literal temple is to be built.
Nothing is too hard for God. It seems like a tiny earthquake or a muslim missle, instead of intercepted by Israel, can be redirected right into the mosque by the hand of God.

It is the LAND that is important.

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Linda

Daniel 9
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: 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

The reason I do not believe it is a peace treaty because it is not clear from this verse , to me from this passage it says sacrifice and oblation shall cease and that cannot happen in a non literal temple

I also struggle with it being a peace treaty as there has been so many peace treaties with Israel which one is it and it is not clear from the scriptures that it is a peace treaty

2 Thessalonians 2

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

In the passage in 2 Thessalonians 2
it says that the antichrist sits in a literal temple to me this is not to far fetched as the temple institute have all the requirements to build the third temple, the menorah and other temple vessels , even the plans

Maimonides has requirements for a Jewish Messiah and building the temple is one of them and no jew who is orthodox will accept an antichrist who does not build the third temple

god bless you apollos as you are a lovely brother
god bless Dom

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Dominic Shiells