From raptureready.com

A faithful Rapture Ready reader recently sent me an e-mail saying this Scripture keeps coming into my mind, “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matt. 13:17).

The reader added, “This generation is blessed, and most don’t even realize it.”

As I understand the entire event (Matt. 13:10-17 and Jesus’ reference to Isa. 6:9-12), many of the prophets and righteous men in Old Testament times and Jesus’ day longed for the day that the Messiah would appear, but they made two mistakes:

• One, they rejected the idea or misunderstood the fact that the Messiah would come twice (a first and second coming), not just once, and…
• Two, they focused on the Messiah’s reign as King (Second Coming and Millennial reign), overlooked His death, burial, and resurrection (first coming), and failed to realize that there would be an interval (Church Age) between the first and second coming.

They were enthusiastic about learning the Scriptures and the reign of their King, but they did not understand or hear that the gospel (death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) and Church Age would happen before Jesus came to rule on earth.

They were blessed to walk the earth when more than one hundred first-coming prophecies were being fulfilled, but they did not understand the incredible events that were taking place.

Having said this, I totally agree with the Rapture Ready reader’s statement that “This generation (our generation) is blessed, and most don’t even realize it.”

Many pastors and church members are so focused on the first coming (and it is all-important) that they do not understand the incredible events that are happening now.

Pastors and church members who are not interested in Bible prophecy today are missing a blessing by not focusing on the fact that Messiah is coming twice, and there is an interval between those two magnificent events.

Think about it: The King is coming at the end of the Tribulation Period.

It looks like that is close, but many are not interested.

Here are some current events that seem to indicate that history is approaching the Tribulation Period.

One, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on Nov. 6, 2023, Russia’s Foreign Minister said the West’s policy is on full display in Ukraine, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, and it is pushing the Middle East toward a big war.

Two, concerning wars and rumors of wars and Israel being attacked by all the nations around her at the end of the age: on Nov. 8, 2023, a top Hamas official told the New York Times that Hamas did not attack Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to improve the life of Palestinians in Gaza (the attack was not to get more water, fuel, electricity, better jobs, etc. for the Palestinians).

He said Hamas attacked Israel to spread the war to all of Israel’s borders (sounds like Psa. 83; Isa. 17, and Ezek. 38-39), put the Palestinian issue back on the table, get all the Arabs to join the war on Hamas’ side, and to wake up the world.

Three, concerning Russia, Iran, and others attacking Israel (the Battle of Gog and Magog) in the latter days and latter years: on Nov. 10, 2023, Joel Rosenberg, editor-in-chief of All Israel News and All Arab News, reported on an interview he had with Gideon Sa’ar—a member of Netanyahu’s cabinet—who said he dropped his opposition to Netanyahu and joined his cabinet because Russia’s Pres. Putin “has now decided to openly side with the Iranian regime and the leadership of Hamas against the State of Israel.”

Four, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog and the fact that the Word of God must be fulfilled: on Nov. 9, 2023, Iran’s Foreign Min. said, “Due to the expansion of the intensity of the war against Gaza’s civilian residents, expansion of the scope of the war has become inevitable.”

Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, said, “What is happening now along the Israeli-Lebanese border is significant, and it is not the end.”

The U.S. warned Iran and Hezbollah that the U.S. is prepared to get involved militarily if they expand the war.

Five, concerning Hezbollah: on Nov. 9, 2023, Israel’s Defense Min. said (my words for the sake of clarity):

• Hezbollah is getting close to being wiped out.
• What Israel is doing in Gaza, Israel can do in Lebanon.
• Israel has used less than 10% of its Air Force’s power in Gaza.

Six, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on Nov. 9, 2023, it was reported that Iranian proxies have attacked U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq 46 times in the last 30 days, and Pres. Biden has responded by attacking an empty warehouse in Syria that Iran sometimes uses for weapons storage.

(My opinion: The U.S. should be more concerned than it is about Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, and about terrorists coming across America’s open border with Mexico.)

(More: As of Nov. 14, Iranian proxies have continued to attack U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq, and the U.S. has struck back twice.)

Seven, concerning world government and the Mark of the Beast: on Nov. 7, 2023, it was reported that Brazil plans to follow World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations by requiring children between the age of 6 months and 5 years to be vaccinated for Covid-19.

Families that refuse to comply will not be eligible to draw welfare; they may be treated as criminals (fined, sent to prison) and have their children taken away from them.

Eight, concerning the decline of America and a U.S. economic collapse: according to the U.S. government, the U.S. now owes $33.6 trillion, and the interest on that this year was $1.027 trillion.

A collapse of the U.S. economy would collapse the global economy.

U.S. financial support for the war in Ukraine and Israel’s war with Hamas is causing this situation to worsen fast.

(More: On Nov. 10, 2023, it was reported that the Federal Reserve raised interest rates seven times in 2022 and 4 times in 2023 to slow inflation. Now, because of high interest rates and a failure to curb government spending, Moody’s Investor Service has lowered its rating outlook on the U.S. from stable to negative.)

(More: On Nov. 13, 2023, the U.S. Homeland Security Committee reported that immigrants coming across the U.S.-Mexico border have cost U.S. taxpayers $451 billion for housing, education, health care costs, property damage, etc. Another report said 6.5% of the children in school are illegal immigrants.)

Nine, concerning the coming one world false religion: on Nov. 11, 2023, Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland, the conservative Bishop over the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, TX.

When asked why he was removed, Strickland said, “The only answer I have to that is because forces in the Church right now don’t want the truth of the gospel.”

Strickland believes that some of those who hold high positions in the Roman Catholic Church may not be saved.

Here are some daily updates on Israel’s war with Hamas:

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023

• Erdogan of Turkey and Pres. Raisi of Iran met, expressed support for Hamas, and condemned Israel.

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023

• Israel agreed to 4-hour daily pauses in the war to let Palestinians leave northern Gaza.
• Israel said it has destroyed 130 tunnels since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
• Hamas asked for a 3-day pause in the war in exchange for the release of 10-15 hostages.
• Israel captured the military headquarters of Hamas in Gaza, including many military intelligence documents.
• Israel’s Defense Min. said, “This entire city (Gaza City) is one big terror base. There are kilometers of tunnels underground. They connect to hospitals, to schools. They are connected to each other. They have communication rooms, ammunition depots, places to sleep in order to serve as a base of terrorism from which the citizens of the State of Israel and IDF soldiers can be harmed.”
• Hamas has placed command posts under every hospital in the Gaza Strip.
• Israeli troops have surrounded all the hospitals.
• Explosions were heard near four hospitals in Gaza (3 regular hospitals and a pediatrics hospital in Gaza City).
• Thousands of Gazans have left Gaza City’s main hospital, Al Shifa.
• Israel claims that it has the top leader of Hamas cornered.
• More than one hundred employees of the UN have been killed in the conflict.
• Israel increased today’s 4-hour pause to 6 hours for citizens to leave northern Gaza.
• Citizens who have not left Gaza City are facing severe shortages of food and water, with fighting raging in the streets.
• While searching a house, Israeli troops found the entrance to a Hamas tunnel under a child’s bed.
• Hezbollah also has sites in the Gaza Strip, and Israel started attacking them today in response to Hezbollah attacks on Israel from Lebanon.
• Hezbollah announced plans to start using more powerful weapons during its attacks on Israel.
• Israel responded that what Israel is doing in Gaza, Israel can do in Lebanon.

Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 (Day 35)

• Multitudes have run out of food, and there is no place to buy anything.
• Bodies are being lined up along streets and covered with blankets.
• The refrigerators where bodies are usually kept are full, and there is no electricity to keep the bodies cold.
• There is a growing concern about the spread of diseases.
• Twenty hospitals are surrounded by Israeli troops.
• There are patients who need surgery, but the hospitals are out of food, water, medicine, fuel, electricity, etc.
• Representatives from 57 Islamic-Arab nations have gathered to discuss Israel’s attack on Gaza.
• They are blaming Israel for killing women and children, ignoring what Hamas did that started the war.

Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023

• Israel has struck more than 15,000 targets in Gaza.
• Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan called for an international peace conference to produce a permanent solution to the Middle East conflict.
• Israel’s Defense Min. said, “When the war is over, there will be no Hamas.”

Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023

• Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon are becoming more frequent and destructive.
• Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan urged Islamic and Arab nations to increase the pressure on the U.S. to halt Israel’s attack on Hamas.

Monday, Nov. 13, 2023

• Hezbollah injured at least 18 Israeli citizens by firing rockets and anti-tank weapons into Israel.
• Israel said Hezbollah is pushing their luck.
• 3 million Palestinians have fled their homes (two-thirds of the population).
• Documents that Israel captured from Hamas reveal plans to attack Israel a second time after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
• More than 100 dead bodies are piled up (and rotting) in the courtyard outside the Al-Shifa hospital.
• Israel showed members of the press video of a Hamas tunnel in the basement under the Rantisi hospital (Israel also found computers, weapons, explosives, and money in the tunnel).
• Israel showed members of the press video of a Hamas commander’s house with a nearby tunnel that was built next to a school.
• Israel killed 21 Hamas terrorists who were launching rocket-propelled grenades and an anti-tank missile from the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza City.
• 27 EU member states signed a statement of condemnation of Hamas for using human shields in its war against Israel.
• Israel contends that Hamas had a command center under the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza.
• Biden insisted that the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza must be protected.

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023

• Hamas started the war with 24 battalions of troops, and they are down to nine.
• Israeli tanks and armored vehicles are just a few yards from the Al-Shifa hospital, but Israeli troops have not yet entered the hospital (according to the UN, there may be as many as 10,000 people inside. One report said some people who have tried to leave have been shot in their legs).
• A doctor at Al-Shifa hospital said medical staff have buried 200 bodies in a mass grave on hospital grounds.
• During the interrogation of several captured Hamas terrorists on video, one admitted that Hamas commanders ride in ambulances, and another admitted that Hamas leaders were hiding in the basement of Al-Shifa hospital.
• Israel said they have intercepted Hamas calls with terrorists talking about using ambulances, Israel has made videos of rocket launchers inside schools, etc.
• In Gaza City, Israel captured the Hamas Parliament building, the so-called governor’s house, offices of Gaza’s military wing and police, offices of Hamas’s intelligence division, and other important targets.
• Al-Shifa hospital is a complex with many buildings.
• At Al-Shifa hospital, Israeli forces entered the emergency and surgery departments.
• At Al-Shifa hospital, Israeli troops started going room to room in some buildings, asking all males 16-40 to go out to the courtyard where they pass through a scanner that checks for weapons.
• Israeli officials said they found an operational command center with weapons, combat gear, technological equipment, grenades, ammunition, and more in the basement of Al-Shifi hospital, and they plan to keep searching.

Also, on Nov. 14, 2023, greatly respected prophecy teacher and author Amir Tsarfati commented on Israel’s war with Hamas in a Special Newsletter.

His comments are very important, and here is just part of what he said (as I understand it in my words for the sake of brevity):

• Hamas assumed Iran, Hezbollah, Yemen, and others would join them in the fight against Israel, but that hasn’t happened.
• Hamas assumed they would be safe dispersed among their human shields (the Palestinian people), so they hid under hospitals, mosques, schools, playgrounds, etc., but that was wrong.
• Hamas assumed they would be safe in tunnels while Israel dropped a few bombs, but their tunnels have turned into a trap.
• Hamas assumed Israel would drop a few bombs and stop, but Israel dropped hundreds of bombs, sent in tanks and troops, and hasn’t stopped.
• Hamas assumed the EU, U.S., and others in the Middle East would force Israel to back off, but Israel hasn’t backed off.
• Hamas assumed that Israel is a weak and divided nation, but Hamas’ extreme evil united the citizens of Israel.

Tsarfati said Hamas trusted in her allies, human shields, tunnels, and other factors, but Israel’s God has proven that He is greater than all those things, and Hamas may soon cease to exist.

More of Tsarfati’s videos and writings can be found at beholdisrael.org.

(My opinion: Israel will fight many wars between now and the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation Period, but Israel will not be defeated. Jehovah is using Bible prophecy and Israel to prove to the world that He alone is God.)

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com

On Oct. 19, 2023, a reader sent me an e-mail titled “Waiting, Watching and Rejoicing – As the world is preparing for war – Heaven is preparing for a wedding.”

• Those who believe in the promises of our Lord will become the Bride of Christ. They anxiously wait for their special day. Our Lord must long for His Bride as well. His love for her was and is much deeper than our understanding allows us to grasp its fullness. He came to die for her and now is ready to bring all the Father gave Him to the wedding, sparing her from the wrath soon to come. Our job is to pass on the message of salvation, its simplicity, and the special nature of God’s love of sinners.

The Bride of Christ (Church) is on earth now, but heaven is preparing for a wedding between the Church and the Bridegroom (I Thess. 4:13-18: Rev. 19:7-9).

Dr. Thomas Ice, Executive Director of the Pre-Tribulation Research Center, commented on this.

• The bride (which is made up of the corporate and collected members throughout the church age taken to heaven at the rapture) makes herself ready for an impending event. How is the bride or the church made ready? She is made ready by clothing herself in the “fine linen bright and clean,” which is said to be “the righteous acts of the saints.” This statement means that by this point in history (right before the second coming), the sum total of the bride, the body of Christ, is in heaven and has already gone through the bema judgment where church-age believers are to be evaluated for their faithfulness to Christ during this present age (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10).

The result of going through the judgment seat of Christ results in the bride being given fine linen that Revelation 19:8 says “is the righteous acts of the saints.” This is how “His bride has made herself ready.” Ready for what? She has made herself ready for the marriage of the Lamb. Thus, within the framework of the symbolism being used in this passage, it means that the marriage (marriage ceremony) takes place right before the second coming.

I will add that this is one reason to believe in the Pre-Tribulation Period Rapture.

The Church will be in heaven before the Second Coming.

The events that are going on with Israel and her neighbors seem to indicate that time is short.

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023

• The Israeli government urged its Israeli citizens in Turkey to leave immediately.
• There are bomb threats in many nations.
• Drones and rockets targeted a U.S. base in Iraq that hosts U.S. and UN troops.
• Rioting Muslims set fire to the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon.
• Rioting Muslims injured at least 65 police officers in Berlin, Germany.

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023

• Israel’s Defense Min. went to Israel’s border with Gaza and urged Israel’s troops to get organized and be ready for an order to move in.
• A U.S. warship shot down three missiles and several drones that appeared to be fired at Israel from Yemen.
• The fighting intensified near Israel’s border with Lebanon, and the U.S. State Dept. issued a rare Worldwide Caution alert urging all Americans in foreign countries to exercise caution due to increased tension in the world. Other nations (U.K., Germany, etc.) issued similar alerts.
• Nearly 500,000 Jews have been driven out of their homes near Israel’s border with Gaza (and more have been displaced near Israel’s border with Lebanon).
• Iran said her proxies will launch a coordinated attack on Israel from all sides (from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen) in a matter of days if Israel keeps ignoring Iran’s demands for Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza (this sounds a lot like Psa. 83 and Isa. 17 are shaping up).
• The EU Parliament passed a resolution calling for the elimination of Hamas, declaring that the taking of hostages is a war crime, calling for the release of all hostages and the release of the bodies of all hostages.
• The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee used Hamas documents captured from terrorists to urge the U.S State Dept. to classify the Hamas attack on Israel as genocide. The U.S. has proof that killing innocent women and children was a pre-planned Hamas goal.

Friday, Oct. 20, 2023

• Militias under Iran’s control in Iraq may join the attack on Israel.
• The UN is rushing to get aid into Gaza before Israel’s ground attack begins.
• Israel is pounding Gaza ahead of an expected ground attack.

Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023

• Israel vowed to attack Iran and wipe the Ayatollahs off the face of the earth if Hezbollah attacks Israel.
• An Israeli Rear Admiral said Israel is trying to eliminate as many Hamas targets in Gaza from the air as they can before they send in ground troops.
• Attacks on Israel from Lebanon were increasing, and Prime Min. Netanyahu said if Hezbollah launches a major attack on Israel, “We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the meaning for it and for the state of Lebanon is devastating.”
• Israeli jets struck a Muslim mosque on the West Bank that Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were using as a base for killing Israeli citizens.

Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023

• The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory to US citizens that said, “Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to US citizens.”
• Egypt and Jordan (two nations that have a peace treaty with Israel) harshly criticized Israel for its attacks on Gaza (but I saw no mention of the fact that Hamas is still firing rockets—about 7,000 to date—into Israel).
• Israel said one Israeli soldier was killed and three others were wounded when an anti-tank missile was fired at an Israeli tank inside Gaza. The main invasion has not started, but Israel has sent in a limited number of troops to search for bodies of missing troops and to prepare for the main invasion.
• Israel created and authorized a new group to identify, hunt down, and kill every Hamas terrorist involved in any way in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
• Israel’s Defense Min. said this war will end when there is no more Hamas.
• Israel said they have found instructions on the bodies of Hamas terrorists for making and using chemical weapons.

Monday, Oct. 23, 2023

• Israel posted unedited videos on X (formerly called Twitter) taken from bodycams of killed and captured Hamas terrorists to provide the world with proof of what Hamas did. The videos were also shown to about 100 members of the foreign press and were so gruesome that some press members asked for Israel to turn them off.
• There are an estimated 20-30,000 terrorists in tunnels in Gaza.
• Negotiations have been going on between Hamas, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel over the release of 50 hostages. Hamas wants fuel deliveries, but Israel is saying Hamas must release all hostages before they get any fuel.
• Israel shot down a drone from Lebanon that entered Israel by the sea.

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

• Hamas launched a massive barrage of rockets at cities in Israel.
• Netanyahu told elite troops in the IDF we will not stop until Hamas is destroyed.
• Two rockets were fired at Israel from Syria.

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023

• In response to two rockets fired from Syria, Israeli Jets bombed infrastructure and rocket launchers belonging to the Syrian army.
• Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan said he is canceling his planned trip to Israel because of Israel’s inhumane war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
• Israel agreed to delay its invasion of Gaza to give the U.S. time to get defensive missile systems in place to protect U.S. troops in several nations, to allow the U.S. to get more forces in the area, and to try to get more hostages released.

Here are more reports from this week’s news:

One, I have great respect for Jonathan Brentner (he is certainly one of the best and most reliable prophecy writers today), and here is something he wrote that I think is very important (dated Oct 20, 2023):

• The pain and overwhelming grief caused by the current attacks on Israel will make the peace plan offered by the antichrist all the more appealing. This is the covenant that kicks off the seventieth week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27), which we refer to as the seven-year Tribulation.
• The leaders of Israel will believe that the terms offered by the man of lawlessness will save them from another devastating war, but he will betray them after three and a half years, which will cause many of them to flee for their lives (Matthew 24:15-21). If the rebuilding of the third temple is part of the deal, it will make his covenant all the more inviting.

Wars and rumors of wars in the Middle East (and the world) are far from over, but the current war could eventually lead to a worthless seven-year covenant of peace and the rebuilding of the Temple.

If this current war leads to the Battle of Gog and Magog, readers should know that good prophecy teachers differ on whether that is before the Tribulation Period or during the Tribulation Period, but they all agree that it is an end-of-the-age event.

(My opinion: The solution to the Middle East conflict is for both the Muslims and the Jews to accept Jesus as their Saviour. The Jews will do that at the Second Coming, the lost will be removed, and there will be 1,000 years of peace, justice and righteousness on earth.)

Time will tell about how all of this plays out, but people need to be prepared for the wedding (be saved) just in case things accelerate and these events are sooner than expected.

Two, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Oct. 20, 2023, Joel Rosenberg, editor-in-chief of All-Israel News and All-Arab News, said he believes Israel may launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran before Israel finishes off Gaza.

Rosenberg opined that Iranian officials said they will attack Israel if Israel invades Gaza, so if Israel is going to have to fight Iran anyway, why not take out Iran first.

Many world leaders would like to see Iran’s nuclear facilities taken out, and Iran is giving Israel an excuse to do it.

Three, concerning the war in Israel: on Oct. 20, 2023, Israel’s Defense Min. said Israel is operating under a three-phase plan for the war that is focused on eliminating Hamas, destroying its military, and destroying its influence over the government of the Gaza Strip.

• Phase I is underway now, and it involves airstrikes to destroy Hamas terrorists and the infrastructure they have put in place to wage war against Israel.
• Phase II will be a lower-intensity war to destroy the pockets of resistance and infrastructure the airstrikes didn’t get.
• Phase III will be to turn the government of Gaza over to new leaders who won’t attack Israeli citizens.

Four, concerning the prophecy that Israel will have a great military at the end of the age: on Oct. 20, 2023, it was reported that thousands of ultra-orthodox Haredi Jews that have long claimed that they are exempt from military service (supposedly because their job is to study the Scriptures) have suddenly signed up.

Israel’s already powerful military is suddenly becoming more powerful.

Five, concerning world government, the decline of America, and deceit: on Oct. 20, 2023, Dave Hodges (The Common Sense Show) reported that sources in the U.S. Department of Human Services (DHS) said the U.S. Border Patrol intercepted hundreds of people on the U.S. terrorist watch list today at America’s southern border, and the Border Patrol was ordered to release them into the U.S.

Hodges said he confirmed the story with a second source.

Six, concerning world government: on Oct. 21, 2023, during a campaign speech in Washington, DC, Pres. Biden said:

• The current U.S.-led world order has sort of run out of steam.
• We need a New World Order in a sense.
• I think we have an opportunity to do things if we’re bold enough and have enough confidence in ourselves to unite the world in ways that it never has been.

So, Pres. Biden has hit the 2024 campaign trail talking about a New World Order that will “unite the world in ways that it never has been.”

It sounds kind of Biblical to me.

(My opinion: The current U.S.-led world order didn’t run out of steam. There has been a deliberate fundamental transformation of America and the world since the “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.)

Seven, concerning the ancient vessels that were removed from the Temple before the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D.: on Oct. 23, 2023, it was reported that a Jewish rabbi in Rome said a leading Italian parliamentarian from Italy’s ruling party said Rome has the Temple vessels and wants to return them to Israel.

According to the article, the Italian parliamentarian said:

• “We have in Rome the implements of the Jewish Temple. The Golden Menorah and many other Temple vessels and tools that we took from Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. With these vessels, you brought light into the whole world. They are with us. By keeping them, perhaps we’re preventing you from fulfilling your destiny. If so, we will return them to you. If you want them – take them. It won’t be easy, but if this is what will enable you to fulfill your Divine role, then please, they are yours. They are lying in our cellars. We aren’t doing anything with them.”

I do not know the facts, and this is the only report I have read about it, but if this is true, it is truly amazing.

Eight, concerning world government and the decline of America: on Oct. 24, 2023, it was reported that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is warning that members of Hamas and Hezbollah may try to enter the U.S. at America’s southern border.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com

From raptureready.com

On Aug. 2, 2023, Anne Graham Lotz (daughter of Billy Graham) wrote: “If I believe what He (Jesus) said about sin, salvation, forgiveness, the love of God the Father, eternal life, His own identity, and all the other big truths (John 3:16–17; 5:17–21; 11:25–26.), then it stands to reason that what He said about His return is equally true. Jesus is coming! The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, is imminent! (Titus 2:13).Ann’s statement is right on target, but it triggers questions in my mind:

• If Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God, why do so many doubt or ignore what it says about the return of Jesus?
• If Jesus is coming back to make this world better (establish peace, justice, and righteousness on earth), why aren’t more Christians excited about it?
• If the return of Jesus is our blessed hope, why are so many Christians living without hope today?
• If the Rapture of the Church is near, why aren’t more Christians talking about the dangers of being left behind, taking the Mark of the Beast, etc.?

I suppose there are many reasons why (unbelief; complicated subject; scary, etc.), but make no mistake about it, Jesus is coming back ready or not, and the number of people that think we are getting close is rapidly growing.

Anyway, here are some recent current events that seem to indicate that we are getting close to the return of Jesus for His church (Rapture).

One, concerning war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon: on Aug. 1, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu met with Israeli military and security officials to discuss Hezbollah’s actions on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

They concluded that the threat of war is the greatest it has been in the last 17 years (since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006).

Southern Lebanon is part of the Land that God said Israel will get at the end of the age.

Put another way: Hezbollah is occupying part of the Promised Land and will lose it if it starts a third war with Israel.

(More: On Aug. 3, 2023, Israel notified the UN Security Council that the situation on its border with Lebanon is a powder keg. This writer is not aware of the UN doing anything to calm the situation.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, Israel’s Defense Min. warned Hezbollah and Lebanon that Israel is prepared to strike all of Hezbollah’s assets and return Lebanon to the stone age if Israel is attacked.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, it was reported that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other nations are warning their citizens to leave Lebanon. It was also reported that Israel is trying to prepare for casualties and damage in the event that they are struck by thousands of rockets in the next few days.)

Two, concerning the coming global famine: on Aug. 2, 2023, Ukraine’s Pres. Zelensky accused Russia of trying to create a global catastrophe by disrupting the global food supply and collapsing global food markets.

Zelensky was referring to the fact that Russia is preventing the shipment of Ukrainian food exports to other nations, causing the price of food to rise and increasing hunger and famine in Africa.

Three, concerning the 2024 elections: on Aug. 3, 2023, it was reported that a man known for shady dealings, George Soros, has given more than $750,000 and created a political action committee (PAC) to convert the state of Texas from Republican to Democrat.

Large contributions like this one are one reason why many politicians do the bidding of globalists instead of the voters.

The politicians have been bought and paid for.

Four, concerning wickedness (as in the days of Noah): on Aug. 4, 2023, it was reported that crime in Washington D.C. has gotten so bad that the Mexican government (home of the drug cartels) is warning its citizens to avoid going there.

Five, concerning the coming economic collapse: on Aug. 4, 2023, Michael Hartnett, a strategist at the Bank of America (based on Congressional Budget Office data), predicted that America’s national debt will rise $5.2 billion a day every day for the next ten years.

(More: On Aug. 7, 2023, Moody’s cut the ratings of ten small to mid-size banks in the U.S. and said it may soon have to downgrade some of America’s largest banks.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that in the second quarter of 2023, credit card debt in the U.S. reached $1.03 trillion.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, at the time this is being written, all the oil being used in the world is being sold in U.S. dollars. On Aug. 22, 2023, the BRICS nations plan to announce that 60% of the oil being used in the world will be sold in their new gold-backed currency. Many experts say this will eventually cause the value of the dollar to drop significantly.)

Six, concerning an Israeli normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia that would be a big step toward peace: on Aug. 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said he believes the two nations could achieve some form of normalization in the coming months.

Time will tell.

Seven, concerning the ashes of a red heifer and a rebuilt Temple: on Aug. 8, 2023, it was reported that the Jews are only months away from having a red heifer that is old enough to sacrifice.

It has also been reported that the Israeli government has discretely shifted some funds to prepare for purification services and possibly the construction of a third Temple.

According to the report, very little is being said about this because it is an explosive issue.

Eight, concerning the coming cashless society and tracking all buying and selling: the opponent of Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Austria’s upcoming election accused Nehammer of planning to ban cash and track Austria’s citizens.

Nehammer has responded by announcing plans to push a law that guarantees Austrian citizens the right to make purchases with cash.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.duck_daymond@yahoo.com