40 reasons This could be the Generation - Brink of Rapture

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

On the Brink of the Rapture 40 Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation Spoken Of in Matthew 24:33 & 34

Rev. Frieda N. Porter Lillie Rose Ministries Atlanta, Georgia On the Brink of the Rapture 40 Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation Spoken Of in Matthew 24:33 & 34 lillieroseministries.com Š 2010 Lillie Rose Ministries Int‘l P.O. Box 88766, Atlanta, Georgia 30356 ISBN-0794831613 Printed in the United States of America

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

Dedication To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is the Author and Finisher of my faith . . .

To my husband, David, who answered the call with me . . .

To Pastor Dennis Lacy, who helped birth the Atlanta Prophecy Conference and Lillie Rose Ministries International . . .

To Rabbi Emeritus Robert Israel Solomon and Rabbi Kevin Solomon, who taught me (a gentile) so much about my Jewish roots . . .

To my daughter, Meredith, who believed in me . . .

To my son, Bill, who motivated me . . .

To Katherine and Letitia, who encouraged me . . .

To my friend Virginia, who diligently prayed for me . . .

To Karen and Carolyn, who boldly confirmed the call to write the book . . .

To my friend Jennifer, who patiently listened to all my new research . . .

To my friends, Doris and Gordon, who were my worker bees . . .

To my eleven grandchildren, Brittany, Stephen David, Katie, Shannon, Chance, Jonathan David, Blake, Casey, Rebekah, Grace Lillie, and Collin, who daily inspire me . . . and To Harold, who helped make the book possible.

Thank you!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

Acknowledgments God has placed some very special people in my life. Listed are just a few of these special people who helped in the three-year process of getting this book to press:

Dr. Tim LaHaye, who gently encouraged me to continue the process of publishing this book and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, even though we differ on a few things eschatologically.

Evangelist Donald Perkins, who completed a peer review while in the midst of his own busy speaking schedule.

Rev. Joel Schuerman, who completed a peer review and who shared years of his Bible-prophecy research with me.

My son-in-law, Stephen Taylor, who read the book and offered a ―skeptic‘s‖ point of view.

Administrative assistant Rev. Stephanie Holmes, for all the hours of tracking down typos, misspelled words, and punctuation errors.

Dawn Beverly, who was my ―go-to‖ person with computer software issues.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

Contents

Preface…………………………………………………………………………..

5

Apostle‘s Creed and Sh‘ma…………………………………………..

8

Introduction ………………………………………………………………….

9

Chapter I. I‘ll Meet You Soon………………………………………. 11 Chapter II. How It All Began………………………………………..

15

Chapter III. Reactions to Prophecy……………………………..

33

Chapter IV. Understanding Prophecy………………………….

46

Chapter V. 40 Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation Spoken Of in Matthew 24:33 & 34…………

71

Chapter VI. God Is Not an Entrepreneur…………………..

271

Chapter VII. The Clock Is Ticking………………………………

279

Prayers for Salvation and Rededication…………………..

284

40 Reasons: The Short List………………………………………..

286

Scriptures for Study…………………………………………………..

289

Notes…………………………………………………………………………..

301

About the Author………………………………………………………

307

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

Preface History is full of seminal moments, single points in time that so impact the world that nothing is ever the same again. They are so transformational that the date alone evokes memory and meaning: July 4. December 7. June 6, 1944. For our generation, it is September 11, 2001.

September 11, 2001, split history in two, and we unexpectedly crossed over a prophetic threshold. God‘s hand, which is ever on the throttle of history, pushed that throttle forward and suddenly we felt a heaving thrust that moved us even further into the fulfillment of End Time prophetic scriptures. We lost the feeling of innocence and security and times began to feel different; these new times were times ―out of the ordinary.‖ It seemed as if time had somehow inexplicably sped up while at the same time we were standing still in stunned silence. We were experiencing cognitive disconnect; up appeared as down and the goalposts of life, which had always seemed fixed for us, were mysteriously moved.

Prophetic scriptures, which appeared to have come to a grinding halt since the rebirth of Israel and the restoration of Jerusalem, abruptly were being fulfilled at lightening speed. Bible-prophecy teachers, who had once laboriously searched for a ―new‖ topic to teach on, suddenly found themselves unable to keep pace with current events, particularly as they pertained to End Time prophecies.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The published written word on Bible prophecy is often obsolete now before it hits the shelves of the bookstores. Writing an up-to-the-minute book on eschatology is a daunting task, even for the most seasoned Bible scholars.

World events are unfolding in a manner that appears to be spiraling out of control. A daily or weekly Internet column or a weekly or biweekly television program on Bible prophecy is as close as many prophecy teachers can get today to keep the information fresh.

On the Brink of the Rapture is only as fresh as it was on the last day of editing; however, it will open your mind to a whole new world of the Bible and can give you new ways to look at current events. The book is intended as a wake-up call and an aid in how to understand Bible prophecy.

The book will help refocus you and show you where the only goalpost that matters is located: Heaven! The Bible is the roadmap that clearly tells us that no man comes unto the Father except through Jesus. My prayer is that you will pause long enough to envision the journey ahead and make preparations for the most exciting trip of your lifetime: the Rapture of the Church!

No man knows the day or hour when our Lord will return, but we have been given ―signs‖ to look for, visible markers on that roadmap. Jesus admonished us to watch for these signs. You will find forty of these signs in On the Brink of the Rapture.

The news, which once seemed to swell your brain with questions, will begin to make sense to you. Like the arrow on the map in a mall that says,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―You are here,‖ these signs can again stabilize you, help you realize where you are, point the direction to go, give you a sense of where you are in time, and most of all, show you how to prepare for what is coming upon the earth.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.1 Amen.

SH’MA SH‘MA YISRAEL, ADONAI ELOHEINU ADONAI ECHAD! BARUCH SHEM K‘VOD MALCHUTO LE‘OLAM VA‘ED

HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD THE LORD IS ONE! BLESSED BE HIS GLORIOUS NAME WHOSE KINGDOM IS FOREVER AND EVER!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

Introduction I remember when I was a child my mother preaching to me that I shouldn‘t run with scissors in my hands. Mama said that I might poke out an eye or, God forbid, even kill myself. I have no doubt her mother taught this to her, and for sure, I have taught it to my children and my eleven grandchildren. By warning our children, we show them love and protection.

To this day, I would not dare run while holding a pair of scissors. Yet for years I did the spiritual equivalent of just that. I lived my life running to and fro with a ―lukewarm‖ faith, not thinking about the consequences. I was subconsciously betting that I would not fall before Jesus was ready to return and that my status as a Christian was all I would need to make the Rapture of the Church. I believed that my infant baptism gave me the assurance of salvation and therefore I had a free pass to the Rapture. I could not have been more mistaken on either of these accounts.

In my late twenties, just after I accepted Christ‘s invitation for forgiveness of my sins, I made a decision to live for Him. Those were the days of skipping through the tulips, talking to the trees, and praying hair on bald-headed men (whether they wanted it or not). I was full of zeal for the Lord and wanted everyone I knew to share what I had.

As the years went by, however, life happened. There were situations and problems, some of them big. There were schedules to keep and, to paraphrase the twentieth-century American poet Robert Frost, I had places

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE to go, people to meet, and miles to go before I sleep. It seemed that it was getting more and more difficult for me to live a disciplined Christian life.

Thankfully, a loving Father knew what was happening. I was ―leaving my First Love‖ and letting life pull on me, a little more each day. Without my realizing it, I became ―lukewarm‖ in my faith. But God was not about to let go of me. Through a miraculous encounter and intense study of His Word, I discovered God afresh. Only this time, my faith was walking on feet that were firmly planted on the road to my destiny.

As I went deeper into the study of prophetic scriptures, I learned that God not only had a plan for my life but also a plan for the world, and that God has been, is now, and always will be in control of this world. This study has taken me on the sweetest walk with my Heavenly Father. It is a blessed assurance to know that He, the one and only living God, loves me enough to warn me when I come perilously close to poking out an eye, or even worse.

Now, I want to share with you what my loving and protective Father showed to me.

Through the pages of this book, I will present an easy understanding of prophecy and the answers to stock reactions to knowing prophecy. Listed are more than forty prophecies that have been and are being fulfilled in my lifetime, in my generation, proving that we are the generation spoken of in Matthew 24:33–34.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE By reading the chapters of this book in sequence, you will have the best understanding of prophecy. Do not cheat yourself out of having all the blanks filled in for you.

I D-double dare you to keep an open mind. If you do, I am convinced that you cannot read this book and go about your ―business as usual.‖ You will have to ponder, as I did, the Majesty of it all and the opportunity you have to be part of that next great event called the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH! Nothing, absolutely nada, zilch, goose egg, zip, zero has to occur before this happens! Please, don‘t run with those scissors in your hand.

Chapter I: I’ll Meet You Soon ―Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.‖ —I Thessalonians 4:17 (NASB) What if I told you that I was going to meet you somewhere ―soon‖ and I predicted (or prophesied) that eight events would occur prior to this meeting? There is no doubt that your curiosity would get the best of you and you would ask where we would meet and what events would take place prior to the meeting. Let‘s imagine that my answer is that ―I will meet you soon, at the new mega-drugstore on the corner of First Street and Second Avenue,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —just after you acquire a new blue car, —just after your birthday, —just after your first son is born, —just after you get a work promotion, —just after the presidential election, —just after the writing of your first book, and —on a day when you are wearing casual clothes.‖ By now, you‘re thinking that I‘m nuts. How can I meet you ―soon‖ when none of these events has taken place? And besides, there is no drugstore on the corner of First Street and Second Avenue. Furthermore, you hate blue cars, your birthday is a long way off, you are not married (much less have children), you have not graduated from college (or even have a job), and you are not interested in politics. Writing a book is the last thing on your mind, and, as for casual clothes, your manner of dress has always been casual. You think I have made a mistake by saying ―soon‖ and dismiss the meeting arrangements as totally preposterous.

Let‘s say, as time goes by, you celebrate some birthdays and a couple of presidential elections have passed. Still, we do not meet. By this time, you have graduated from college, and you have a job and a new spouse. After several years on the job, your boss suggests that you write an employee handbook. You begin work on the book, and that very night you learn you and your spouse will be having a baby. Now you begin to remember some of

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE the conditions I said would occur prior to our meeting. However, as yet, we have not met, and ―soon‖ has long since passed.

Nine months go by. Your child is born. You had hoped he would come a couple days ago, on your birthday, when your boss announced that your company manual would be published. Your boss rewards you with a bonus and a new car—a blue one. Oh, and by the way, your candidate has just been elected president.

While driving to work (on ―casual Friday‖), you decide to take a shortcut. At the corner of First Street and Second Avenue, you cannot help but notice a new drugstore. To your utter amazement, there I am, waving at you. You screech to a stop, and I hop into the car.

Now, as you realize all my predictions have come to pass, you ask why I said I would be coming ―soon.‖ I explain that I am Jewish, and my native language is Hebrew. In my language, the word ―soon‖ more accurately means ―suddenly.‖ Were this scenario to occur, there is no doubt that you would believe in my ability to predict future events, even though you know that the chances of all those things occurring at one time would be astronomical—10 to the 17th power, some have calculated.

Peter Stoner, professor emeritus of science at Westmont College, gave this illustration: Imagine covering the entire state of Texas with silver dollars to a level of two feet deep. The total number of silver dollars needed to cover the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE whole state would be 10 to the 17th power. Now, choose just one of those silver dollars, mark it, and drop it from an airplane. Thoroughly stir all the silver dollars all over the state. When this has been done, blindfold one man. Tell him he can travel wherever he wishes in the state of Texas.

Tell him that somewhere along the way, he must stop and reach down into the two feet of silver dollars and try to pull up the one specific silver dollar that has been marked. What do you think his chances are? Well, the chance of his finding that one silver dollar in the state of Texas is the same chance the prophets had of eight of their prophecies being fulfilled in any one man in the future.2 Jesus Christ not only fulfilled eight of these prophesies, but all prophecies to the letter! ―The fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone,‖ Professor Stoner concluded, ―proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness, which lacks only one chance in 10 to the 17th power of being absolute.‖ Hundreds of such prophesies in the Bible have come to pass. With reference to the forty-eight specific prophecies about Jesus, all have been fulfilled as prophesied. This is enough to make me pay close attention to all prophecies foretold by the prophets through the Word of God thousands of years ago. It makes me want to learn every prophecy in the Bible to see what is going to happen next. ―And, behold, I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE to give to every one according to his work.‖ —Revelation 22:12 (NKJV)

Chapter II: How It All Began ―Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‗If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.‘‖ —Matthew 16:24 (NASB) God Visits With Us It was an ordinary Monday night, or so I thought. My exercise class had just left. For years, friends and neighbors had assembled at my house for a twice-weekly workout. Since my husband, David, and I did not enjoy exercising on a full stomach, we always waited until after the class to have a bite of supper.

I have a habit, whenever I am in the kitchen, of turning on a small TV on the counter, and this night was no exception. I became particularly interested in a program on the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN). TBN is the largest Christian network on earth and airs around the world 24/7.

I became interested in a panel discussion about finances. As we ate in the adjoining dining room, I left the TV on in order to continue listening to the program.

After supper, David asked me what I had planned for the rest of the evening. I thought for a moment and replied that I would join him in the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE media room to watch television. Immediately, I noticed a look of surprise because this was not my usual routine. ―I was planning on working in my office tonight,‖ he responded. ―No problem,‖ I explained. ―I have lots of other things I need to be doing.‖ He started toward the stairs to the media room and turned to remind me that Jimmy, our formerly obese Chihuahua, needed his weekly allergy shot.

(Jimmy must have heard him because he took off down the hall.)

After a brief chase, I scooped up the dog and headed downstairs. As soon as I settled on the couch, I grabbed for the remote control and turned on the big-screen TV so that I could continue to watch the program on TBN. I could see that David was still interested in the panel discussion, as well.

As I held the squirming dog, David administered his shot. After a few words of comfort, a cuddly hug, and a kiss, Jimmy jumped down and off he scampered to safety.

The host of the TBN program announced his next guest. I was delighted. ―If it won‘t disturb you,‖ I said to David, ―I am going to stay and watch this woman. I have seen her before, and she is very interesting.‖ By now, David was standing, getting ready to go over to his desk. Both of us watched the television screen as the woman proceeded to tie a white kerchief around her neck. ―Hmm, that‘s odd,‖ I thought, but it only added to my curiosity about her and the attraction to continue watching. (I later learned that her

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE mother had anointed the kerchief and given it to her because of a problem she had been having with her vocal cords.)

The guest was a very attractive woman, but her looks did not interfere with her message. To me, this is a good thing. She had a strong, compelling voice, but not to the point that you thought about the voice as much as you did about what she is saying. This, too, is a good thing. I had seen her once or twice before and marveled at how the other guests, men and women, would listen attentively as she spoke. It was evident that she was not the ―same-ole-same-ole‖ type of guest.

I looked over at David, noticing that his interest was piqued. He sat down and continued watching, forgetting about his work.

After the host had asked his guest some questions about her life and her ministry, he turned the floor over to her. I expected her to speak, but instead she began to sing. She sang no more than a few words before my eyes welled up with tears. There was a feeling of holiness in the atmosphere, much like when one is in church. I was puzzled by the emotions I was experiencing and reasoned that, while I do not see the wind when it hits my face, I do feel it, and I was feeling a wind full of emotions ―in spades.‖ ―This is embarrassing,‖ I thought. ―Why am I crying?‖ I glanced over at David. He was relaxing, lying far back in the recliner, and I was relieved that he did not seem to notice my tears. I was reared in the Lutheran denomination and had attended a Presbyterian church for a

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE brief time in my adult years. I do not recall even once anyone ever weeping at church during this earlier period of my life.

David was raised in the Methodist denomination but also attended youth activities with his school friends at the local Baptist church. Even now, as members of an Assemblies of God church, I can only recall three people ever crying in the church services: my pastor, his wife, and a dear older lady, who seemed to be struggling with some sort of personal grief in her life.

Let me digress at this moment to explain just where David and I were, spiritually speaking. We both were practicing Christians and enjoyed attending church; we were ―good‖ and ―charitable‖ people. We always prayed at mealtimes and often had some sort of devotional together. We were by no means consciously sinning. Oh, yes, we enjoyed our social life, and I am the first to admit that God created me to be a peacock. We loved to dress to the nines and attend a good opera soirée or play. Being told that we were a ―striking couple‖ just made our evenings complete. I guess you might say we had stepped over to God‘s side, but I was still dragging the tip of a feathered boa in the world, and David was walking elegantly by my side.

Now, as the tears flowed freely, I had the feeling this was only the beginning. I heard David‘s recliner pop into the upright position. I looked over at him and saw that he, too, had tears streaming down his face. This

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―church‖ feeling was turning into something deeper. What it was, however, I could not explain. Something out of the ordinary was happening.

As the woman continued singing, I started crying, loudly and uncontrollably. Much to my amazement, David, too, was overcome with emotion.

I threw up my arms as if to reach for someone. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that David‘s arms were in the air, as well. This is when I lost all sense of time, and I no longer desired to watch David‘s responses.

Through my tears, I stared at the television and noticed an ambercolored light filled with tiny, floating specks of gold. It was not on the screen, but rather it was emanating from all sides of the screen. The light grew brighter, wider, and longer, extending beyond us.

I fell to my knees with my hands still reaching upward. I was still crying and, although I did not fully understand what was happening, I knew it had something to do with God. As the light continued to expand, I thought the immense, 1,400-square-foot room would not be able to contain it much longer. I fell on my face, and a sense of peace, unlike anything I had ever known in my life, permeated my entire being. In a way, I felt as if I were dead. Only the warmth of the tears on my face told me that this was not so.

Oh, the peace! I never wanted to go back to the past again. I had an overwhelming desire to stay on my face, basking in the warmth of what I now knew was His Light. I was beginning to realize that ―paradise‖ is not

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE only a physical place; it is also a place inside of you as you are surrounded by the presence of God. As I had no sense of time, I do not know how long she sang. At some point, she began to speak, and certain words made a powerful impact: ― . . . for those of you who want to know where you are . . .‖ she said. ―That would be me,‖ I thought. ―You are in the Shechinah3 Glory of God.‖ Then, as best as I can recall: ―You are behind the Veil.‖ I believed her words, even if I did not entirely understand what she meant. I just knew the ―Shechinah Glory of God‖ was a place highly to be desired, one I would never consciously decide to leave. No place on this earth could ever be like this, and words were no longer necessary in my life.

I cannot explain why I do not have a more explicit memory of the next few moments, except to say I lost all consciousness of the present. Nothing mattered more than the tranquility which not only permeated my being, but also protectively wrapped itself around me. To paraphrase from a quote in the movie Flywheel, my world was upside down but God was in control.

At some point, the lady stopped talking. I continued to stay prostrate on the floor. The male host‘s voice alerted me back to this world. Slowly, I got up and sat down.

At this point I observed the Light surrounding us begin to ebb away, just as gradually as it had come in the beginning. It took a few minutes to

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE disappear, seemingly back into the big screen. In its place was a soft, transparent, iridescent glow. This afterglow was wonderful, just as peaceful as the Light. David later likened it to a glow he had once observed while piloting an airplane in the Caribbean.

Ten minutes later, I broke the silence that surrounded us. ―What was that?‖ I asked.

David shook his head. ―I don‘t know,‖ he said thoughtfully. ―I certainly have never experienced anything like that before.‖ I was glad this experience had happened to both of us at the same time.

Otherwise, how would anyone ever believe me? I am known for telling a ―good story‖ and certainly have the ability, as many of us do, to embellish it more and more each time it is told. But this? There is no way I could ever embellish this one. If anything, I would have difficulty finding the words to tell what had happened.

I was extremely grateful that my husband had a geology degree from Emory University and had piloted airplanes for nine years in the Navy and jets for 28 years for one of the country‘s largest airlines. And, for the first time, I was glad that he had that ―double-check, then triple-check‖ mentality of an airline captain. Surely, anyone who ever knew him would know that this man dealt only in facts. He was incapable of going to point C from point A without going through point B. Not only was David, too, altered by the Lord through this experience, but I believe he was present to

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE validate the occurrence and share equally in this Divine visit and peaceful stirring.

Around 2:30 that morning, we were still seated in the media room, basking in a serene afterglow of Light. A quiet, reverent silence filled the room. Finally, I suggested that we go up to bed. Nothing else was said that night.

Why we did not speak about this until the next evening, I do not know. I have heard that often people do not talk after a life-altering experience. I like to say now that we were in ―post-peaceful-astonish syndrome.‖ But, as we were coming home from an early dinner at a nearby restaurant, I sheepishly parroted what my husband had said the night before, ―I want you to know that I have never experienced anything like this before.‖ ―Well, you can be sure that I never have, either,‖ he softly replied.

Later that night, we felt drawn back to the media room. I do not know if we thought we would find this Light experience again and go back to ―Paradise,‖ so to speak, or if we just wanted to return to the scene of the tranquility. Could there be more for us to experience in this room? In fact, the afterglow, invisible yet palpably conspicuous, stayed in this room for many more months.

We sat down and turned on TBN. Another remarkable thing happened. I heard an inner voice say, ―I want you to wake up the Church. I am coming soon! The Church is not ready. I am going to spew the lukewarm out of my mouth.‖4

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I told David what I had heard, and he nodded his head slowly, as if confirming the words. ―Okay, God, I will do it!‖ I said. But what did He mean? How was I to ―wake up the Church‖?

I had heard a long time ago about Jesus coming back to earth and could remember having the patookie (for those of you who do not know, this is a Southern expression) scared out of me when I read a book about His coming again. The person who wrote the book had even given a date that he had worked out mathematically. I phoned my pastor to ask about this, and he said no one knew when this event would occur and I did not need to be concerned about it. He then quoted the scripture from Matthew 24:36: ―But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.‖ (NKJV) My fears were relieved, somewhat, but it was not until that date had come and gone that I took the next deep breath.

I knew I had to back up the things I heard, and the only way to do that was by reading the Word of God—particularly, I needed to start reading Biblical passages about prophetic events, which (I was surprised to find out from Dr. Jack Van Impe5) comprise nearly one-third of the Bible.

I especially wanted to find out about the second coming of Jesus. I began reading the scriptures and every work I could get my hands on. I bought CDs, DVDs, and videos of everyone I could find who had ever taught on this subject. I began to watch TBN more intensely, searching out the teachers

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and preachers who were talking about the second coming and about the Rapture. I felt as if I had a nine-to-five job that did not quit at five.

After a year of constant, intense study, I knew it was time for me to share what the Holy Spirit had taught me. David and I planned social events, which we called ―Dinner and a Movie.‖ The Holy Spirit would give me a guest list of eight to fourteen people. I called each one and offered the invitation.

There was no deception; this was in no way an ―ambush‖ event. I told prospective guests I wanted them to come for dinner and a movie, and that we would discuss world events in light of Biblical prophecy. Most accepted the invitation; a few did not, even after repeated invitations.

We would prepare a good meal and operate in the gift of hospitality.

When our guests arrived, usually around seven in the evening, we would have dinner. Then, I would stand in front of the large-screen TV and give a twenty-minute presentation about understanding prophecy. When we got married, my husband told me he was the ―support‖ guy and not the main event. When it came to getting up in front of other people, he said he was ―tuned to play second fiddle.‖ He leaves the tap dancing on the table to me.

I would then introduce the movie for the evening and often it was Left Behind I.6 We would show about half of the movie and stop to see if anyone had any questions while we enjoyed dessert.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Once the movie was over, we again asked if anyone had any questions.

The last thing we told our guests was that we did not know why God had placed them on our guest list for the evening and that they would have to ask Him about that. We had been obedient in inviting them, and we would pray for them. After that, our job with them was complete. The great comfort for us was that we knew it was not our job to convince them of anything. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. We were called only to share what we knew.

These groups were very diverse and usually had something in common.

Perhaps it was an existing group where people felt comfortable with one another. On another occasion, I noticed each person present had an ―in charge‖ type of position: a CEO, president, or department head of a large company. We had atheists, practicing Christians, backsliders, agnostics, Jews, missionaries, pastors, and people with Muslim and Buddhist backgrounds. We had people with little formal education and people with PhDs from Harvard. I am reminded here of a song I learned to sing in my childhood: ―Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.‖ God is no respecter of persons when it comes to loving and warning them.

After several of these evenings, spaced a few weeks apart, we felt compelled to reach larger numbers of people. We approached the pastor of our sister church and asked if we could have this same event at his church

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and invite more people. He agreed and, with the help of my daughter, Meredith, we had fifty people for ―Dinner and a Movie‖ at this church.

As time progressed, I called our pastor, Dennis Lacy, and asked if we could meet to discuss the possibility of my teaching a class on prophecy at our church. The night before, I thought to myself, ―If I‘m going to convince my pastor of impending events, then I need to sit down and make a list.‖ I sat at the dining room table and without breaking a sweat, I listed more than thirty-three reasons why I believe we could be the generation spoken of in Matthew 24:33–34. I pulled out my Bible and notes. The list hit thirtynine reasons quite quickly and still I was not panting for breath. I cannot remember, but I believe the list was at forty by the time I met with my pastor the next day.

For about an hour and a half, Pastor Lacy listened intently. As he sat comfortably in his office chair, his eyes never left mine as I excitedly recounted to him the nearly memorized list of reasons and their meanings.

He immediately agreed that this material needed to be shared with the congregation. We discussed the various venues, such as Sunday night classes, Wednesday night classes, or a couple of sermons on Sunday morning. Suddenly, it came to me to suggest an all-day prophecy seminar. I had attended the annual four-day International Prophecy Conference in Tampa, Florida, and it had been a very valuable time of learning for me.

Little did I realize the challenge of such an event, but the words just rolled off my tongue.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Pastor Lacy expressed enthusiasm over this idea. He reminded me about an evangelist, Rev. Joel Schuerman, who had spoken on prophecy at the church only a few weeks before and suggested we have lunch with him and kick the idea around. Over lunch, we decided to hold the event in September, which was only seven months away. I suggested a few other speakers whom we could invite to fill out the panel. Pastor Lacy and his colleague asked me to coordinate the event, and I agreed.

I will be quite frank—getting a conference off the ground is no cakewalk.

It took hours and hours of prayer and preparation. We had to consider speakers, musicians, dancers, technical people, and volunteers. There were pamphlets to prepare, mailings to send, and much-needed publicity to arrange through radio, newspapers, posters, and banners. Then, there was the matter of food for lunch and dinner. And, to top it all off, our church was in the middle of a building program that was not yet completed.

Finally, how were we going to pay for all this? If we were going to get people who had never attended such an event to come, we would have to keep the admission fee to a minimum. But if we did this, we could not even come close to meeting the expenses. I know you have heard the expression, ―Put your money where you mouth is,‖ and this is exactly what my husband and I did. We told Pastor Lacy that we would underwrite the expenses and pay anything not covered by the low fees. A dear friend came forward and, without my knowledge, went to the church with a generous donation. In the end, my husband and I paid about half the expenses for this first

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE conference. I say this only to show you that we are committed and serious about what we were doing.

In September 2005, we held the first Atlanta Prophecy Conference, ―At the Doors!‖ Approximately 125 people attended this event and the Lord was pleased! In 2006, we doubled this number at our ―WAKE UP!‖ conference.

And in 2007, with guests Dr. Tim LaHaye, Dr. Ed Hindson, and Dr. Gary Frazier, our numbers greatly increased at the ―Left Behind‖ conference.

As our Atlanta Prophecy Conference (APC) team prayed about our schedule for 2009, the Holy Spirit instructed us to ―take the conference on the road.‖ As of press time for this book, APC has held three ―Prepare Ye the Way‖ conferences: one in Charlotte, North Carolina, another in Salisbury, England, and the third in Loganville, Georgia.

It is only now, after the fact, that I am able to understand that all of the studying, the movie nights, and the conferences that I attended were a training ground, and that God was preparing our ministry to minister to larger and larger groups. He says, if you are faithful over a little, He will give you more (Matthew 25:22 and Luke 19:17). He has been true to His Word!

Let me add here that all this teaching did not come without a cost. Have you ever seen an actor interviewed, one who‘d just had great success in a movie or play, who said it was not an overnight success, that they had paid their dues? Never in my life had my husband and I been under such attack.

Our health was attacked, our family was attacked, and our finances were

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE attacked. I can say without reservation that I began, on some small scale, to understand the story of Job. Thank God for Pastor Lacy, who stood by our sides, and for the knowledge that praise is what stills and stops the enemy.

Many were the days that I just hung onto the kitchen or bathroom counters and said, ―God, I will praise you, no matter what, even if you kill me.‖ Let me tell you now, if you have tests and trials in your Christian walk, then you need to praise God with all of your heart, soul, and body. He hears you and He will not allow you to be tempted or tried beyond what you are able to endure, even if you feel you have reached that place (I Corinthians 10:13).

The night before the first conference in 2005, where I was to moderate and teach, I completely lost my voice and could barely offer a whisper. The people who were helping set up for the conference laid hands on me and prayed for my voice to return. When they finished praying, I was able to say in a gravelly voice, ―Praise God, I can speak!‖ Yes, we have paid our dues!

Now, the book! How did this come about and why am I writing it? This is, in itself, another miracle, but I am getting used to these miracles by now.

After all, since beginning this grand adventure, I was delivered from a more than forty-year addiction to cigarettes, as well as a lifetime, crippling fear of flying. I never take these miracles for granted, but I also expect them now, and you can, too, if you delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).

About eight months ago, I was walking to my car parked in my driveway.

I was preoccupied with putting the garage door down, thinking about the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE errands I needed to run, and getting my keys out. About halfway to my car, I heard a clear, distinct male voice from behind me say, ―You are going to write a book.‖ I turned to my left to answer him. As I turned, I said out loud, ―About what?‖ I was shocked, stunned, and a bit shaken to see that no one was there. For a moment, I stood there, and then a quiet stillness came over me. I knew this was God‘s way of telling me that he had a plan for me to write a book.

What happened next is almost comical. I would go up to my office and sit in front of the computer with my hands on the keyboard and say out loud, ―Okay, God. I‘m ready to write!‖ Nothing, absolutely nothing, would come to my mind. For years, people had told me I needed to write a book about my birth family of fourteen children. I thought that perhaps this was what I was to write about. After several futile attempts, however, I abandoned this idea and put the whole thing on the back burner of my brain. It was becoming obvious to me that it was not God‘s timing, just yet.

After the conference, Pastor Lacy suggested I teach a seminar about prophecy at the church on Sunday nights. I eagerly accepted the invitation.

My God-given gift, which I had used in the world to teach English, kindergarten, dance, piano, vacation Bible school, and weekly Bible classes (and just about anything else I could find to teach), was now being used exclusively for the Kingdom of God. I have to tell you: there is chalk in my blood. What was going to be a six-week, one-hour-a-night class turned into

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE an eight-week class of one and a half to two hours a night. The class arrived early and left late. They helped dismantle the room that had been set up for the class and reassemble it for the church‘s needs before we left the building. This class was a teacher‘s dream come true.

Even by the eighth week, I had not finished covering the material in this book. I had other commitments and had to tell the class I would send them the rest of the reasons via email. A couple of days later, I did just that.

The class members filled out questionnaires after the class was completed. The following week I phoned everyone in the class, because all of them (100 percent) answered on their questionnaire that they would attend an advanced class. As a result, our church added more courses in prophecy. While making the calls, two of the class members, Virginia and Carolyn, said (without knowledge of the other), ―You need to write a book about this.‖ After these remarks I remembered Karen, a lady who had attended the first conference and who had called me and said the same thing. She asked if she could give my teaching CDs from the conference on ―Why We Should Know Prophecy‖ and ―40-Plus Reasons‖ to a publisher who was a good friend of hers. I told her that I knew I was supposed to write a book and yes, she could do this.

As it turned out, the publisher was having health problems and was traveling to various hospitals around the world in pursuit of a cure. We never got to meet. ―Oh, well,‖ I thought, ―If this is to be, it will be.‖ And, again, I dismissed the idea. I prayed about it and asked God if it was His will

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE for me to write a book about prophecy. And, if this be His will, would He please send me confirmation. Now, months later, this confirmation came in the form of two class members telling me emphatically that they believed I was supposed to write a book.

I have been given a job to do, and I am going to do it with everything that is in me. What you are about to read is the result of all this work. From this point on, I am a reporter. I am reporting to you what I have read, what has been illuminated to me by the Holy Spirit, what I have taught, and what some of the most learned Bible scholars in history have to say about this matter of ―waking up the church‖ and about this great event that is soon to come called the Rapture of the Church! I remember now the words Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision: ―Do not be afraid, but go speaking and do not be silent.‖ —Acts 18:9 (ESV) Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Jesus is coming soon, and I am going to offer to you the absolute proof from the Bible. God revealed the plan to his servants the prophets: ―Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared? Who will not fear?

The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophecy.‖ —Amos: 3:7–8 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE

Chapter III: Reactions to Prophecy “But I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.”

—II Timothy 4:1 (NKJV) There are thousands of ordinary people, just like my husband and me, whom God has appointed to be End Time voices. We are not the exception, but rather we are part of a much larger team. He has told us to wake up the church! Jesus is coming for a bride who is spotless. Unfortunately, this is not the state of the church today.

I have heard various comments over the past few years as I have shared prophetic scriptures and what they mean. Perhaps, you have heard them, too. Or, maybe you have even said them. I know that I did.

Reaction to Learning Prophecy ―Oh, I am not into that!‖ Oh, really? Do you believe in the Lord’s Prayer# or the Apostle’s Creed? If you do, then I remind you that if you pray the Lord’s Prayer, one of the lines is ―Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven‖ and if you recite the Apostle’s Creed, then you say the line ―whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.‖ These are, in fact, statements of prophecy.

You say ―that‖ as if referring to a strange, occult religion, or voodoo philosophy, or some kind of wacky knowledge with which you should not even be acquainted.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Now the Bible is nearly one-third prophecy. God commands that we know prophecy. God commands that we know the signs of the times. God commands that we be warned and that we warn others. Prophecy is not a suggestion; it is a command. ―See, I have told you beforehand.‖—Matthew 24:25 (NKJV) These are Jesus‘ words: † Watch. † Give strict attention. † Be cautious. † Be active!

Reactions to Sharing Prophecy ―Well, okay, I believe you, but I don‘t believe it is my job to go around telling people this.‖ To these people, the only thing worse than knowing prophecy is sharing it! The Bible says that if you see your brother in sin, and you do not warn him, then his blood is on your hands. If you warn him or her and they do not heed you, the blood is not on your hands (Ezekiel 3: 18–21). In Acts 20:26, the apostle Paul says, ―Let me say plainly, that no man‘s blood can be laid at my door for I did not shrink from declaring all God‘s message to you.‖ (TLBP) It is our job to warn others who are in sin, especially in the light of what is taking place on earth today. It is our job to declare all God‘s message to everyone. God warned Noe (Noah), and God warned Lot. Is this not our

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE example to follow? I know that if the spiritual shoe were on the other foot, I would want someone to love me enough to tell me. Wouldn’t you?

Also, I Thessalonians 4:18 says, ―Therefore comfort one another with these words.‖ (NKJV) What are these ―words of comfort?‖ They are found in the verse previous, and they describe the ―catching up‖ or the Rapture: ―Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.‖ —I Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV) Why would you not want to warn others? Is it because you are afraid of ridicule? Are you afraid of being taken off the ―A list?‖ I got taken off this list several years ago when I first started teaching prophecy. This is just fine with me! I would rather be on the ―C list‖ (the Christian list) or the ―F list‖ (the faithful list) than on the ―A list,‖ the apathetic or afraid list. ―Well,‖ you may be thinking, ―this stuff scares people.‖ It is not scary if you know Jesus and if you are watching, praying, and active in your witness. It is only scary if you do not know Jesus as your Savior and/or if you are involved in a willful, sinful life. ―And on some have compassion, making a distinction, but others save with fear, pulling those out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.‖ —Jude 22–23 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE These verses sounds like some will come in faith and some in fear, and I do not see any preference given. Please, if you love someone, warn him or her. Share your knowledge of prophecy while there is still time. Again, let me ease your mind. It is not your job to convince anyone of anything. This is the job of the Holy Spirit. It is only your responsibility to tell the good news of the Gospel and to share the warnings and rewards of prophecy. ―Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.‖ —Jude 24–25 (NKJV) \Reaction to the Word ―Rapture‖ ―I do not see the word ‗Rapture‘ anywhere in the Bible, so I do not believe in it.‖ To these people, I say, you are correct! The word ―rapture‖ does not appear in scripture. But do not let this trouble you.

Being a Christian does not mean committing mental suicide. You still get to use your brain cells to deduce a matter or meaning. You have indeed heard about the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Yet you cannot find this word in the scripture. Trinity is a word we have adopted to describe God in three persons.

Another example is the word ―bible,‖ which does not appear in Scripture, yet we know that when we say Bible, we refer to the book that

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE includes both the Old and New Testaments. This is not a ―light bulb‖ experience; it is recognition of a commonly used word.

I Thessalonians 4:17 says, ―Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.‖ (NKJV) The Greek word for ―caught up‖ is harpazo; the Latin word is rapio.

What? Caught up? Where? In the clouds, that‘s where! You do not have to be the biggest cell in the brain to understand this. We, the prepared believers, will be caught up—or raptured—in the air to meet Jesus Christ, and sooner than you think!

What is a prepared believer? According to scripture, he or she is: † One who is watching the signs. ―Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour the Lord is coming.‖—Matthew 24:42 (NKJV) † One who is praying daily that they will be worthy to escape what is coming upon the earth. ―Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man‖.—Luke 21:36 (NKJV) † One who is active in his or her witness for Jesus Christ, as described in Matthew 24: 45–51 (the parable of the faithful servant) and Matthew 25:14– 30 (the parable of the talents).

Does this describe you? I truly hope so. ―In My Father‘s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And, if

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.‖ —John 14: 2–3 (NKJV) God is going to remove the prepared believers before the Tribulation. He has been preparing a place for us since His resurrection. At the end of this seven-year period, Jesus will come a second time and bring us with Him to rule and reign on earth forever.

Dr. Hilton Sutton, noted prophecy scholar, teacher, and author reminds us that there have been other raptures reported in the Bible. Enoch, the father of Methuselah, was taken away or raptured. ―By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‗and was not found because God had taken him‘ for before he was taken he had this testimony that pleased God.‖—Hebrews 11:5–6 (NKJV) Genesis 5:24 speaks about this rapture of Enoch with just a few simple words: ―And Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him.‖ (NKJV) Elijah also experienced this ―taking up‖ or rapture, and his protégée or assistant, Elisha, knew in advance that this rapture was going to take place.

Elisha actually witnessed the event. † ―And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind . . .‖—II Kings 2:1 (NKJV) † ―Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‗Do you know that the Lord will take away your master

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE from you today?‘ And he said, ‗Yes, I know; keep silent.‘‖—II Kings 2:3 (NKJV) † ―Then it happened; as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven.‖—II Kings 2:11 (NKJV) The apostle Paul tells us about his ―catching up‖ or rapture in II Corinthians 12: 2 and 4: ―And I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know; or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven . . . (verse 4) how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.‖ (NKJV) Another example of a person in the Bible who was caught away from this earth and taken into heaven is the apostle John, the Revelator: ―After these things I looked and beheld a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‗Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this.‘ Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.‖—Revelation 4:1–2 (NKJV) Finally, we read about the most talked-about Rapture of them all: Jesus Christ‘s, as he ascends into Heaven to sit with his Father forty days after his resurrection. † ―So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.‖—Mark 16:19 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † ―Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.‖—Luke 24:51 (NKJV) I hope that these examples help you to see that the Rapture, or ―catching up‖ or ―catching away,‖ is nothing new. It is not a theory devised by man, as some would have you believe; it is a promise to the prepared believer that God the Father will not let us endure His wrath that is coming upon the earth. He took Noah up, above the waters of His judgment, in an ark. He took Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah before His wrath descended upon them. The angels even told Lot that the cities could not be destroyed until he was gone (Genesis 19:22). This is our picture, or a shadow, of things to come. God will not do less for the prepared believer before the Tribulation than he would do for Noah and Lot, for His Word says that He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). My friends, there is going to be the Rapture of the Church for those who are watching the signs, praying always to escape and who are active in their witness. Please, get ready!

Reactions to Knowing About the Rapture ―Well, if it‘s real (the Rapture), then it‘s going to happen, so why do I need to know more about it? I‘ll just go!‖ To people with this question I would say that the Rapture is for those who are watching, praying, and active in their witness. This is why you need to know more about it.

The Bible is very clear; the Rapture is going to occur!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And, thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.‖ —I Thessalonians 4:17–18 (NKJV) Consider these scriptures: ―Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.‖—Matthew 24:42 (NKJV) ―Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments . . .‖—Revelation 16:15 (NKJV) ―Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.‖—Luke 21:36 (NKJV) ―But he who endures [is active] to the end shall be saved.‖—Matthew 24:13 (NKJV) ―So, you also, when you see all these things [at the same time] know that it is near, at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place.‖—Matthew 24:33–34 (NKJV) ―And he who overcomes and keeps my works [commandments] to the very end, to him I will give power over the nations.‖—Revelation 2:26 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―And, thus shall he who conquers [is victorious] will be clad in white garments and I will not erase his name from the Book of Life.‖—Revelation 3:5 (AMP).

I infer here that those who do not conquer will have their name erased from the Book of Life. ―Because you have guarded and kept [been active in] my Word of patience and endurance, I will also keep you [safe] from the hour of trial [tribulation].‖—Revelation 3:10 (AMP) Arguably, this last one is one of the best scriptures to prove that the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation, the hour of trial.

Jesus said that the servant who is doing God‘s will is fortunate and happy and to be envied. The servant who is not will be put with the pretenders (hypocrites). Remember, there were ten virgins awaiting the coming of the bridegroom; five were ready and five were not. The five who were ready went in to meet the bridegroom while the five who were not missed the whole event.

We are to watch, pray, and obey (be active in) God‘s commandments (meaning His will), so that whenever God tells Jesus, ―Go get the church; bring them home!‖ we are ready to go.

A Christian who is married and at the No-Tell Motel with someone else‘s wife or husband need not think they will hear the trumpet sound. They will miss the greatest event in history, the Rapture, and will be around to suffer through the greatest disaster of all times, the Tribulation. Make no mistake

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE about it, there are no secret sins; nothing is hidden from God (El Roi, the God Who sees me#9) and what happens any place on earth does not just ―stay‖ there (regardless of the Las Vegas slogan!). Now is the time to turn from your so-called hidden sins. Get ready to meet the Lord!

In my opinion, not teaching about the Rapture is one of the Church‘s greatest omissions. How can you get ready for an event about which you know nothing? God help the pastors who are not preparing their flocks for this great event. I would plead with pastors to get the blessing of God in your church by reading aloud the words in Revelation (Revelation 1:3) and to get your church ready! It is time for you to wake up and to wake up your congregation!

Reactions to Setting: A Time for the Rapture ―No man knows the hour or the day!‖ It is not the words here that are incorrect, but rather the tone with which they are said. You can hear a true meaning here: ―Don‘t you dare say another word to me about it, and I mean it!‖ To people who tell me this I say, you are 100 percent correct! No man knows the time, nor the day or hour. Satan does not know, the angels in Heaven do not know, and Jesus himself does not know.

Many in history have tried to divine a time for the rapture: Martin Luther (1546), Pope Clement (1690), Cotton Matther (1691), William Miller (1843), and John Nelson Darby (1840), just to name a few.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I did not write this book to set the time; rather, it is written to help you discern the times in which we are living. God Himself tells us to watch and look for the signs of the times.

This is what On the Brink of the Rapture intends to do; it is written to show you what the Bible says will be occurring on the earth just before the Rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation period, which will last seven years.

More importantly, this is the first time in history that all of these signs are occurring at one time or are all taken together (Matthew 24:33–34). This is a key to understanding prophecy—that these signs must be occurring simultaneously and concurrently, meaning within a given period of time called a generation (which they are!).

So, I tell you, this generation is the multitude of people living at the same time and in a particularly explicit period of time. This is the group of people who shall not pass away until all things taken collectively take place.

This is my generation!

Remember, God says in Amos 3 that He will do nothing until he warns His people of impending judgment, and this is exactly what He is doing now! He is warning and preparing the church for the Rapture, which is to occur soon (and suddenly)! Please wake up and take heed to the warning given to you by a loving and just God.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Reaction to the Book of Revelation ―I believe that the book of Revelation is an allegory. I do not think that it is ever meant to be understood, but rather it should be searched out by generation after generation, throughout the ages.‖ There seems here to be a belief that the book of Revelation should be mystic, that it should mean whatever you want it to mean, in light of your generation.

God surely picked a strange name for the book if it is never to be understood. The word ―revelation‖ means an unveiling, a revealing. It is the book of the unveiling or revealing of Jesus Christ and who He is. It is disclosure and, yes, we can understand the book of Revelation. It is more a book about who Jesus is than a book on prophecy. For the first-century church, this book brought encouragement in the face of great persecution; for the twenty-first-century church, it is reassurance that good will prevail against evil in the end.

The story is told from three different perspectives or from three witnesses: 1. Heaven‘s viewpoint (Revelation 4–11) 2. Earth‘s viewpoint (Revelation 12–16) 3. Hell‘s viewpoint (Revelation 17–18) I would offer that these are pretty impressive witnesses. ―. . . In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —Matthew 18:16 (KJV) In the second place, we read the following in the very beginning (Revelation 1:3), admonishing us to read, hear, and keep (heed) the words written in the book:

―Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near.‖ (NKJV)

Does it make sense that God would offer a blessing for reading this book and keeping the things written in it if we cannot even understand what is said? No! Does it make sense that God would bring a curse on anyone who attempts to alter even one word of it if they could not understand it in the first place? (Revelation 22: 18–19)? Again, no! Anyone who is in the spirit (Holy Spirit) can understand the book of Revelation. You can understand!

The head coach is blowing the whistle and shouting, ―Listen up!‖ ―He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches . . .‖ —Revelation 2:7; also 2:11, 2:17, 2:19, 3:6, 3:13, and 3:22

Chapter IV: Understanding Prophecy ―My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.‖ —Hosea 4:6 (NIV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE In the Beginning In the beginning, without consulting the United Nations, without talking to any world leaders, without an audience with the Pope, and without speaking with Congress, God created the world. God did not say, ―I am the Alpha and the Beginning.‖ He said, ―I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the Beginning and the End.‖ And, just as God had the beginning planned, you can be assured that He has the ending planned, as well. Whether anyone on earth believes Him as He speaks through the ancient prophets, it does not matter. He will bring it to pass. God‘s hand is on the throttle of history. God has set His divine alarm clock. And, when He says it is time, it will be time. Period!

I used to have a bumper sticker on my car that read, ―God said it! I believe it! And that settles it!‖ After driving around town, proudly displaying my profession of faith as if wiggling my tail at passers-by, the Holy Spirit asked me if I thought my believing it had anything to do with it?

After some thought, I realized that my believing it is what settled it for me— but not what settles it as truth from God. It is the fact that God said it that settles it. So, I took the sticker off my car. Bottom line: God said it and that settles it! ―And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; because for your redemption draweth nigh.‖—Luke 21:28.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I like the way Dr. Ed Hindson, president of World Prophetic Ministry, says it: ―God alone can predict the future. It will be fulfilled and we can trust God.‖ Another favorite expression of mine is by Dr. John Hagee, president of John Hagee Ministry, who refers to Luke 21:28 and preaches, ―Pray up, pack up, and look up. We are going home!‖ Indeed we are! Won‘t you prepare yourselves for the trip of a lifetime?!

In this book, I will show you how to do just this.

What is prophecy not?

Prophecy is not meant to scare us, but rather the opposite. Jesus said to comfort one another with these words (of prophecy). Prophecy tells us how near Jesus‘ second coming is. ―So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!‖ —Matthew 24:33 (NKJV) When someone said that the darker the world gets, the brighter the believer‘s world becomes, I believe it!

It is not doom and gloom, and it is not Chicken Little running around shouting, ―The sky is falling.‖ It is not some abysmal, no-way-out teaching meant to break your spirit. God is not sitting around waiting for us to ―goof up.‖ He is a loving Father God who desires to reassure us. ―Wherefore comfort one another with these words.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —I Thessalonians 4:18 Will some people come to a belief in Jesus Christ as a result of fearfulness over the future? Jude, a relative of Jesus, says in verses 22–23 that this is so: ―And on some, have compassion, making a distinction; and others, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted [defiled] by the flesh.‖

What, then, is prophecy?

To begin with, Dr. Jack Van Impe reports that prophecy is nearly onethird of the Bible (27 percent to be exact). There are 8,352 verses of scripture that speak of prophecy. Jesus himself talked about his return a total of twenty-one times. As a matter of fact, one in every thirty verses of Scripture deal with the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (1,845 verses). This tells me that it must be important for us to know!

When was the last time that you bought a map and immediately cut off one-third of it, trashing it as unimportant? Would you go through a buffet line with two-thirds of a plate? If you are anything like I am, you will want to get some of everything on the table. Right? When I reach the bottom of a jar, I take the spatula and scrape out all the remaining good stuff.

Prophecy, among other things, is a message of hope. It is history written in advance. It is like reading tomorrow‘s newspaper. Pastor Paula White10# says that faith when it matures becomes trust. Prophecy appeals to faith and helps this faith mature into trust. Unlike fortunetellers and fortune hot

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE lines, it is correct 100 percent of the time. I heard a female preacher of the Gospel say on the History Channel that the necessity for a sequence of events to occur before Jesus returns to the earth is an idea perpetrated by radical fundamentalists. I wanted to scream out, ―What Bible are you reading, lady?‖ I like to say that prophecy is expecting the best and preparing for the worst! The ancient prophet Isaiah prophesied events to come. Throughout the entire book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel reveals these words to us. The apostle John then amplifies these prophecies all through the book of Revelation so that we can be sure of the accuracy of the Old Testament.

Prophecies are thousands of years old. Most notable in the Old Testament are the prophecies of Amos, Daniel, Ezekiel, Moses (in Genesis), Jeremiah, Isaiah, and King David (in Psalms). Matthew, Paul, and John write about prophecies in the New Testament in Matthew, II Thessalonians, and Revelation. The Old Testament and the New Testament go hand in hand.

The New Testament does not trump the Old Testament, as some would like us to believe; but rather, the New Testament enhances, amplifies, and enlightens the Old Testament. David H. Stern, translator of The Jewish New Testament says to think of the Bible as a two-story house with the Old Testament being the first floor and the New Testament being the second floor. You have to have the foundation to add another floor.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Keys to Understanding Prophecy I teach, as many do, that to understand prophecy, one must understand five things: † The Covenant that God made with Abram (Abraham) † God‘s love for Israel, the Jews, and Jerusalem † Israel‘s history and future, particularly as it relates to Jerusalem † The meaning of the Hebrew word for ―soon‖ † The simultaneousness of all events prophesized Here is the best place to make one very emphatic statement, which is also said by every respectable teacher of prophecy: To be pro-Israel is not to be anti-Arab!

God is not anti-Arab, and you should not be either! God loves the Arabs and has richly blessed the descendants of Ishmael (Isaiah 19:25). Their lands are vast and their wealth great, and this is the way God planned it.

The Covenant God Made With Abram (Abraham) The Covenant God made with Abraham can be read about in Genesis 13:14–15, Genesis 15:18–21, Psalms 105:7–11, and more than forty other places in scripture. We read in Israel in Prophecy by Peter Gammons11 (which I highly recommend) that the land of Israel is the only land ever given specifically to a certain people by God. It is promised to Abraham and his descendents, and it has very specific boundaries: North, east, west, and south of Canaan From the river in Egypt to the river Euphrates

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE God uses words like these in Genesis 13:14–15, Genesis 15: 18–21, and Psalms 105: 7–11: Oath Promise Everlasting Forever To 1,000 generations Now, this sounds like ―stick-stack, no-take-back‖ to me! There is no more sacred, binding agreement with God than a covenant! This means that this Covenant is never going to expire or be amended or cancelled. It is eternal; it is as Disney says, to ―infinity and beyond.‖ To paraphrase Dr. John Hagee, a covenant is not a ―pinky promise.‖

God‘s Love for Israel, the Jews, and Jerusalem These are some of the words God uses to describe these people. He calls them: My Son (Hosea 11:1) Chosen people (Deuteronomy 7: 6–7) Apple of My eye (Deuteronomy 32:10, Psalms 17:8, Proverbs 7:2) Elect (Romans 11: 27–29, Isaiah 45:4, Isaiah 65:9) First born (Judges 18:29) Beloved (Romans 11:28)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Further, we read in Romans 11 that Jesus says the Jews are beloved ―for My Father‘s sake.‖ In my vernacular, this says, ―because He wants it this way; He is God and He can do whatever He desires. He designed the plan to bring the Messiah through the Jews.‖ Jesus is called ―the Lion of the tribe of Judah‖ in Romans 9: 4–5. The apostle John says that ―salvation is of the Jews‖ in John 4:22. And He desires that the Jews possess Israel, all of it!

The Word also says this Covenant is ―without repentance.‖ My understanding is this means irrevocable, binding, final, and irreversible, end of story.

I have heard more than one Jewish friend say to me that if they are the ―chosen‖ and they are going through such persecution, they wish God would choose somebody else for a while. Of course, this is said in humor with a bit of sadness attached to it. And while many Jews have recognized Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah, many, many more have not. It is no wonder, then, that they do not understand the ―chosen‖ part.

God chose the Jews as the lineage through which Jesus, the Messiah, would be born. And He was born through both the tribe of Levi and the tribe of Judah, the priestly tribe and the tribe of princes and kings. He is the High Priest, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords! Grant Jeffrey12 points out that Jesus‘ biological lineage is through Mary who carried him, and His legal lineage is through Joseph. God covered every spiritual and legal base.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I cannot for the world understand how anyone who professes to be a Christian could harbor even one ounce of prejudice within them regarding the Jews. Jesus is a Jew! His disciples were Jews! Paul the apostle was a Jew! Jews wrote the Bible! As a matter of fact, Peter Gammons offers that the overwhelming majority of people in the Bible (90 percent) are Jews.

In the New Testament, the word ―Jews‖ appears 191 times, and the nation of Israel is mentioned 79 times. For the first two years after the ascension of Christ to Heaven, the church consisted primarily of Jews! So, how can you worship a Messiah who is a Jew and be anti-Semitic? How could anyone read words written by the Holy Spirit through Jews and be antiSemitic? How is it possible to hate the very people who gave their lives that we might have the Gospel? I just don‘t get it!

I appeal to you now, if you have even a teensy-weensy, minute scintilla of a tinge of anti-Semitism in you, ask God to rid it from you, once and for all. I totally believe God when He says He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel: ―I will bless them that bless thee [Israel], and I will curse him who curseth you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.‖—Genesis 12:3 (KJV)

Israel‘s History and Future Israel is a small country, slightly smaller in size than New Jersey and seven times smaller than Florida. Jerusalem is just a small part of this tiny country and the Temple Mount is an even smaller section of Jerusalem.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE And, yet, it looms large in the world. In chapter 5, I present to you forty reasons why I believe we could be the generation spoken of in Matthew 24:33–34. You will learn more about this in the list (see ―Israel is becoming the burdensome stone of the world.‖).

Now, the sentence I am about to write is one of the most important in this book: Israel and Jerusalem are now and always will be the center of God‘s world on earth. Everything that happens on this earth will be related in some way or another to this part of the world. As Israel and Jerusalem go, so goes the world.

You need to understand this if you are to understand the 40 Reasons.

It‘s all about Israel, it‘s all about the Jews, and it‘s all about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. If you keep this in mind while studying prophecy, you will get the accurate, precise, and truthful picture.

Jerusalem has been torn down and rebuilt more than forty times. Name another city on earth that could boast of this record. You cannot, because there is no other city like this in history. I believe this is a good indication that God intends there to be a Jerusalem, don‘t you?

In Luke 19 and Matthew 24, we see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and the Temple. The disciples want to know why He is weeping, and He answers that it is because this beloved city will be destroyed and that not one stone will be left upon another in the Temple. In Luke 21, He further states that the Hebrews will be captured and scattered all around the world and this

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE would be the state of matters ―until the age of the Gentiles be fulfilled.‖ (See in chapter 5: ―The age of the Gentiles is being fulfilled.‖) Jesus said in Matthew 24: 2: ―See ye not all these things? Verily [assuredly], I say to you, there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.‖(KJV) Barely forty years after His death and resurrection, the Temple was utterly destroyed (in 70 A.D.). Jerusalem fell, many Jews were massacred, and many more were taken as slaves into all the world, thanks to Emperor Titus and his lieutenant, Flavius Silva. But this was only the beginning of terrible times for the Jews. No people on earth have been so persecuted, oppressed, rejected, beaten down, crushed, and trampled upon as the Jews. Their very survival as a people is a miracle in itself and begs the question: Why has God allowed these people to survive, and what is His divine plan for this country and seemingly abandoned people? Read on and you will find out.

The Jews Go Home, a Second Time!

In the early part of the twentieth century, things were not going well for England during World War I because they lacked acetone to make munitions.

Enter Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a Jewish scientist who lived in Great Britain. He discovered a formula for bacteria fermentation to produce acetone and

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE handed this formula over to the government. This is exactly what Britain needed to win the war. ‖ Of course, the British government wanted to do something to thank this man, but he wanted nothing for himself. He was a Zionist (a person who believes that Israel belongs to the Jews) and longed to see the land available once again for the return of his people to what at this time is called Palestine.

Arthur J. Balfour, the British foreign secretary, submitted the Balfour Declaration for approval by Parliament in 1917. The Balfour Declaration contained the following sentence: ―His Majesty‘s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by the Jews in any other country.‖

This was all well and good, except for one small problem: The Turks occupied Palestine. So, British General Edmund Allenby was deployed to liberate Palestine from the Turks for the purpose of establishing a homeland for the Jews. General Allenby was a praying man, and he prayed the night before that the battle would not be necessary. The next day, he sent out

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE patrol planes and dropped pamphlets, urging the people to disarm and surrender. The pamphlets were signed, ―Allenby.

Two things worked in his favor: First, the Turkish people had never seen airplanes, and second was the name ―Allenby.‖ Translated in the Turkish language, it means ―prophet.‖ Can you even imagine what it was like for these people to see these strange huge birds in the air dropping messages from a prophet? For the most part, they did what I would have done; they turned tail, ran for the hills, and gave up without resistance for the most part.

You would think that the Jews would come pouring in from all over the world, anxious to return home after such a long time. Not so! Oh, some came from Eastern Europe, but it was not the wholehearted return to the homeland that Weizmann longed to see. It seemed that many Jews were quite happy in their new European countries and felt no desire to leave their homes and lucrative careers. This was a great disappointment for Dr. Weizmann.

In the meantime, anti-Semitic sentiment was growing in Europe and the doors to leave were soon to be slammed shut by a monstrous man named Adolf Hitler. Nazism, with its passionate hatred for the Jews, was about to unleash on the Jewish people the most horrendous attack ever.

Jewish people were rounded up and herded like cattle on boxcars, which headed to the infamous ―elimination‖ camps. From there, you know the rest of the story. Soon the world was, once again, embroiled in war,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE which would last until Germany was conquered, the Jews were liberated, and Hitler, being the coward he was, killed himself. Finally, the Jews were safe and free to return home to find peace. Right?

Wrong! Many Jews did return to Palestine, but then Britain under Winston Churchill stopped the flow of Jews to their homeland because of Arab protest. Ships were turned around, and the ―Jewish problem‖ became a worldwide embarrassment until the problem was submitted to the United Nations in 1947.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted on a solution for the Jews; the organization proposed a divided Palestine, part for the Jews and part for the Arabs. Now, if you were a prophecy-believing person or a Jew, you were glued to your radio to hear the outcome. It happened! The Resolution of the Ad Hoc Committee for Palestine was passed. The Bible‘s prophecy of a homeland for Israel was now reality.

Many believe this is when God‘s alarm clock was set, while others believe the clock was set in 1967 when Jerusalem was restored to Israel.

Only God the Father knows exactly when the prophetic alarm clock was set.

Was it November 29, 1947, when the Resolution was passed? Was it May 14, 1948, when British rule ended in Israel? Was it in June 1967 when Israel won back her beloved Jerusalem in the Six Day War? I cannot say for sure which date is the date, but in any event, I believe that it is my generation, my age group, and my age bracket that has lived to see these events come to pass. I believe with all of my heart that mine

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE could very well be the generation spoken of in Matthew 24: 33–34: ―So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-at the doors!

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.‖ (NKJV) Which generation? The generation that was alive to see Israel become a state and watched with amazement as Jerusalem was restored to Israel, along with all the other prophesized events listed in chapter 5.

Israel is God‘s timepiece. Jerusalem belongs to Israel. It should never, ever be divided! Joel 3:1–2 states this very clearly: ―I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of my people and my inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up my land.‖ The City of David, the threshing floor, the final Temple in Israel . . . it‘s all in the Bible. So, continue on and you will see what the Holy Spirit has illuminated to me and why God is saying to thousands of people just like me to wake up the church; I am coming soon! My church is not ready and I will spew the lukewarm out of my mouth! (Revelation 3:16) The Rapture surely is not far off. And, then, the world, ruled by a mad man (referred to in the scriptures as the Antichrist, the man of sin, and the man of perdition, among many other names), will endure the most horrendous seven years of its history called the Tribulation. (I will tell you more about this Antichrist and the Tribulation later in the book.)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The Antichrist will rule an evil world government. ―Survival,‖ says Dr. Ed Hindson, ―will be desperately precarious for those who remain.‖ You do not have to remain here. You have the choice to believe God‘s word delivered through his prophets about End Times. You have the choice to accept Christ as your Savior, and you have the choice to live for Him or for yourself. If you are ready, you can leave in the Rapture. How do you get ready? This book will show you how.

Remember, Judgment Day will come. You will not have a lawyer; nor will you have your mother, friend, or pastor there to vouch for you. It will not matter if you are rich or poor. God will say, ―Here is your life. What did you do with Jesus?‖ It‘s as simple as this.

You have a choice, and now is the time to make that choice. I hope that knowing about God‘s divine plan through prophecy will entice you to evaluate your life and your eternal future. Won‘t you at least take the same amount of time to plan your eternity that you would take to plan your summer vacation?

Nothing more needs to occur before the Rapture of the Church takes place, but some things remain to be fulfilled before Jesus returns to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus will come first in the clouds to call us, the prepared believers, home. This is the Rapture. After seven years of Tribulation, He will come again with the saints. This is the second coming of Christ.

Then, every knee will bow and every tongue will profess that He is Lord.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―Therefore God also has highly exalted Him [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth.‖ —Philippians 2:9–10 (NKJV) Won‘t you willingly bend your knee now, before that awful day of Jacob‘s troubles has come? He loves you; He sent His only begotten Son to die in your place. ―For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.‖ —John 3:16 (KJV) His Son sits now at His right hand and will intercede for you if you call upon Him. ―The Lord said unto the Lord, ‗Sit thou at My right hand.‖ —Psalms 110:1 (KJV) You, too, can go with those believers who are prepared for the Rapture.

I will show you how to get prepared.

―I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. I could wish that you were cold or hot. So, then, because you are neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.‖ —Revelation 3:15–16 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The Meaning of the Hebrew Word for ―Soon‖ In the story I told in chapter 1, in which I imagined promising you that we would meet after certain events took place, one of the causes of confusion was the use of the word ―soon.‖ Because you did not understand what I thought in my native language, you misunderstood the timing of the meeting. This is exactly what has transpired over the ages with the Bible and the use of the word ―soon‖ by those who are trying to predict the timing of the meeting of the prepared believers with Jesus.

Jesus tells us the signs to look for in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21, just to mention a few. Then He tells us the location of the meeting, the clouds: ―For the Lord Himself will descend from the heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.‖—I Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NKJV) Next, we are given the ―timing‖ of the meeting, not the exact time.

Jesus used the word that means ―suddenly,‖ ―quickly,‖ or ―unexpectedly.‖ As the English word ―soon‖ does not mean what it means in Hebrew, the use of this word leads us to believe it refers to a fixed, short amount of time that has already passed. This one factor has caused much unnecessary furor and confusion and has turned many away from studying prophecy. † ―Behold, I come quickly!‖—Revelation 22:7

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † ―Surely, I come quickly!‖—Revelation 22:20 Jesus first told us what the world would be like. He showed us the progression of events. Then He said that, once all these events have taken place in one generation, He will come ―quickly,‖ ―suddenly,‖ ―unexpectedly,‖ and ―swiftly.‖ He says in Matthew 24:33 and Mark 14:29 that when all the conditions are met, the Rapture is ―near—at the doors.‖ In Luke 12:56, Jesus admonishes the religious leaders of his day: ―Hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that you do not discern this time?‖ (KJV) Clearly, we see that Jesus is telling us that we can ―discern this time.‖ Look for the signs He gave us, know the location of the meeting, and know that when the Rapture occurs, it will occur quickly, suddenly, unexpectedly, and swiftly. We are to get prepared for this meeting. Can you think of a better reason to get prepared now, rather than later?

The Timing of All Events Prophesized Will Be Simultaneous Again, one of the biggest obstacles to understanding prophecy and its timing has been that teachers have failed to emphasize that all events must be occurring during a given period of time or simultaneously. Again, in chapter 1 the meeting arrangements seemed bogus to you in our imagined meeting prophecy. While certain events had come to pass, I was still a noshow. I did, however, indicate that all the conditions needed to be met before the meeting would take place. Jesus is very exact about the timing

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and about the circumstances for His return. He will come quickly, suddenly, unexpectedly, and swiftly when all the events are occurring simultaneously, or all together in a period of time.

How do we come to this conclusion when the word ―simultaneously‖ is never used? This is where we get to use our brain. Jesus refers to the events leading up to the ―catching up‖ as ―the beginning of sorrows‖ (Matthew 24:8) or, in other words, labor pains or birth pains. Every woman who has ever given birth knows what labor pains are like. First, she notices an uncomfortable feeling, then some sharper pains. The pains grow in frequency and intensity before the actual birth process. There are more signs such as when the water breaks and the cervix dilates even more. After a period of time, ―suddenly‖ the baby‘s head appears and the birth is imminent. All of the events are happening simultaneously in a period of time called labor. And so it will be when Jesus calls us to meet him in the air. In a given period of time on the earth (a time called sorrows) and in a generation, all the labor activities will be happening all together or simultaneously.

Summary There are two key events to the return of Jesus to the earth; one is the rebirth of Israel as a nation, and the other is the restoration of Jerusalem to Israel. Again, without these two events, the other reasons are not yet valid.

This is why none of the people named throughout history (Nero, Hitler,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Mussolini, and Stalin, just to name a few) before these two events occurred could have been the man of sin, the Antichrist. And because some have wrongly tried to divine the identity of this man, people have mistrusted prophecy. Could any of these men have qualified? Yes, of course. Hitler certainly had the attributes of a would-be world leader who would happily annihilate the Jews. The problem is, Israel did not exist then.

Others also would easily have qualified, except again for the fact that Israel did not exist and so Jerusalem was not restored to her.

I like to think about it this way. The Bible does indeed say that only God the Father knows the exact day (Matthew 24:36). Since neither the angels nor any man—and not even Jesus—knows the hour or day, then Satan also is unaware of the exact day. It makes perfect sense to me that Satan would then prepare a ―nominee,‖ a ―contender,‖ or a ―candidate‖ for each generation. He knows the scriptures; he was in Heaven with Jesus. He was the brightest and best of all the angels until he, along with his angelic cronies, rebelled. He declared that he would be like ―The Most High God,‖ and this attitude promptly got him booted out of heaven. He knows the plan of redemption and the people (the Jews) who were ―chosen‖ to be the earthly lineage of this Messiah (this is why he hates the Jews so passionately). Satan is going to be prepared to bring his messiah on stage.

Another clue to prophetic events is the word ―generation.‖ We normally think of a generation as being approximately forty years. According to Dr. Van Impe, a biblical generation is more accurately about fifty-one years. He

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE arrived at this number by taking all the generations mentioned in the Bible, adding up the years and dividing by the number of generations mentioned.

Also vital to the understanding of Bible prophecy is a clear grasp of these essential points: † the covenant God made with Abram (Abraham); † the love God has for Israel, the Jews and Jerusalem, and their importance in the past, present, and future; † a brief history of the Jewish people; † the meaning of the word ―soon‖ to be ―quickly,‖ ―suddenly,‖ ―unexpectedly‖ or ―swiftly‖; and † all the signs listed in the scripture have to occur simultaneously or altogether in a generation.

So, what are these signs, these occurrences we are to be watching for?

Just ahead is ―the list‖—the 40 Reasons. These events have occurred and are occurring in my generation, my lifetime. The list grows daily, and as a matter of fact, I am in the process of finalizing my notes for a second book: More Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation. I am sure the list will continuously expand as this world tumbles out of man‘s control. My purpose is not to set a date, but rather to expose you to what Jesus said would be the signs of the times, the time just before His return to earth. It is your job to determine if you believe these signs are upon us.

I, like many others, believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture. In other words, I believe the scriptures strongly indicate that the prepared Church will be

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE removed before the awful seven years of hell on earth (the Tribulation) under the rule of a maniac, the man of sin, the man of perdition, the Antichrist.

My personal belief in the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church is based, for one reason, on the fact that we are told in II Thessalonians that the Antichrist will not be fully revealed until He who restrains is taken out of the way. He who restrains is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit resides in believers. Thus, the believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit must be removed! The Holy Spirit is omnipresent and that part of Him which does not restrain will remain on the earth so that others might be saved during the Tribulation.

Another reason I believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture is found in I Thessalonians 1:10: Jesus is the ―One who delivers us from the wrath to come.‖ Revelation 3:10 further illuminates this scripture in Thessalonians: ―Because thou hast kept the word of my patience [My command], I also will keep thee from the hour of trial [temptation], which shall come upon the whole world, to try them [to test those] that dwell upon the earth.‖ Dr. Ed Hindson puts it in a visually humorous way. He asks us to imagine a scene such as this: Jesus says that we (the church) are to be His bride and that we are presently ―engaged‖ to him. Now, imagine our fiancé (Jesus) beating the ―you-know-what‖ (patookie) out of us (His bride) during the engagement period (the Tribulation) and then taking us home to meet

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Daddy (Father God) for the marriage ceremony (feast). This, of course, makes no sense.

A Jewish wedding in Biblical times began with a betrothal (binding). The bride- and groom-to-be went to their separate homes to wait for the wedding. The groom, under the supervision of his father, helped to prepare their new home. The groom‘s father alone said when it was time for the wedding. The bride stayed in a constant state of readiness. We are the Bride of Christ, and we are to stay in a constant state of readiness for the Marriage Feast of the Lamb!

There are many other scriptural reasons for my belief in the pretribulation Rapture, but I was told by the Holy Spirit to ―keep it simple.‖ This book is not intended to be theologically, hermeneutically, expositorally, nor eschatologically argumentative. I will not quarrel this point with ―Mid-Tribers,‖ who believe that the Rapture will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation, or ―Post-Tribers,‖ who believe that the Rapture will take place after the Tribulation. It will be when it will be, and as I told you before, I am hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. If I see the Antichrist revealed, I will become Mid-Trib. If I see the Son of Man Jesus Christ returning in glory on a white horse, I will become come PostTrib. But, for now, I am confident in teaching the ―Pre-Trib‖ prospective, as most of the Bible scholars quoted in this book believe.

Consider, please, these words from Rev. J.W. White Jr. (Courtlant Baptist Church, Queen City, Texas):

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The Rapture of the Bride of Christ is the next event scheduled inside the plan of God which was spoken into existence complete from beginning to end in a ―moment‖ before time. With its occurrence the Church Age will come to its conclusion and the final chapter of the history of the world will begin with the Great Tribulation. All who have failed to heed the warnings clearly stated by the Word of God that would have pointed each to an escape of this gruesome period of history will be engulfed by the horrors it will bring.

I will be watching for the signs; I will be praying daily that I am found worthy to escape what is coming upon the earth; and I will be active in my witness and faithful to my God-given mission until He calls me home. I want to be like the apostle Paul and ―finish my course with joy‖ (Acts 20:24).

Please, do not be left behind because you did not take time to plan your eternity. Please, do not dismiss God‘s words of prophecy as irrelevant or immaterial to your life and the times in which we are living. And, please, if you already have accepted Christ as your Savior and you have left your First Love, turn back to Him. He is waiting to hear from you.

―Behold I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.‖ —Revelation 22:7 (NKJV)

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Chapter V: 40 Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation Spoken Of in Matthew 24:33 & 34

(The Long List) ―So, you also, when you see all these things, know then that it is near—at the doors! I say unto you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place.‖ —Matthew 24:33–34 (NKJV) 1. ISRAEL IS REBORN AS A NATION.

―The kings of the earth gather together and the rulers take council together against the Lord and against His anointed saying, ‗Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.‘‖ —Psalms 2:2–3 (NKJV)

The Hebrews conquered the land now called Israel in 1271 B.C. Israel‘s first statehood came in 1312 B.C., and it is important to point out that this was 2,000 years before the establishment of Islam. The Jews maintained a constant presence for 3,300 years in Israel (Zion). God established King David (the lineage of Jesus) upon ―his holy hill of Zion‖ (Psalm 2:6).

Israel‘s rebirth as a state was recognized on May 14, 1948, and this date is the foundation to the second coming of Jesus Christ and, thus, the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Rapture of the Church. (The United Nations vote took place on November 29, 1947.) Nothing in End Time prophecy had the same significance until Israel was re-established as a nation. Israel‘s rebirth is essential to the return of Christ. The ancient prophets prophesied this rebirth.

Thousands of years earlier, Ezekiel the prophet was told to prophecy to dry bones (Israel) that they would live again (be re-established). In Ezekiel 37:6, we see flesh on the dry bones, which is the present condition of Israel. In verse 11 of this same chapter, Ezekiel speaks of the ―whole house of Israel,‖ and in verse 12 he uses the term ―into their own land.‖ ―I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live.‖—Ezekiel 37:6

―Then he said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.‖—Ezekiel 37:11

―Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.‖—Ezekiel 37:12.

―[And] I shall place you in your own land; then shall you know that I, the Lord, have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.‖—Ezekiel 37:14

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE In Matthew 24:32–35, Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree as the precursor of His return. This scripture is based on Joel 1:7 and Jeremiah 24:2–5; in both cases the fig tree represents the Jewish people and Israel.

―Now learn this parable from the fig tree; When its branch has already become tender and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.‖—Matthew 24:32–35 (NKJV)

―He has laid waste My Vine, and ruined My fig tree . . .‖—Joel 1:7 (NKJV)

―Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans [Babylonians].‖—Jeremiah 24:5 (NKJV)

Jeremiah further states in verse 3 of chapter 30 that God will bring the Jewish people back to the land of their forefathers to possess it. Moses writes in Deuteronomy 4:31 that God would never abandon or destroy the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Jews, nor would he forget the covenant He had made with their forefathers, the gift of the land of Israel to the Jews.

―For behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah, say the Lord. I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers and they shall possess it.‖—Jeremiah 30:3 (NKJV) ―For the Lord your God is a merciful God! He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.‖—Deuteronomy 4:31 (NKJV) The prophet Zechariah tells us that God is zealous (passionate and fervent) over Zion (Israel). ―Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‗I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great favor I am zealous for her.‖—Zechariah 8:2 (NKJV)

The prophet Daniel tells us that God has appointed a special protector over Israel even in their greatest times of trouble to come.

―At that time [the time of the End] Michael [the arch-angel] shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered.‖—Daniel 12:1 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The common belief was that Israel would never be reborn as a nation.

This would truly be a miracle if this land, which was occupied by many dynasties, could again be the homeland of the Jews, who had been dispersed out into the whole world.

Israel wasn‘t even called ‗Israel‘ anymore, thanks to Emperor Titus in 70 A.D. He succeeded in taking Israel and Jerusalem and destroying the Temple. He murdered many Jews, and those who remained after the slaughter were enslaved and dispatched throughout the Roman Empire.

In 135 A.D., Hadrian‘s violent loathing of Israel caused him to remove the country of Israel from every map.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted on Israel‘s statehood.

The vote was 33 in favor and 13 opposed, with 10 abstentions. Interesting to note here is the fact that Russia was one of the most ardent supporters of Israel‘s statehood. You will learn later how prominently Russia figures in Israel‘s future. (See ―Russia is resuming her role as a militaristic nation.‖) The British directive over Israel had come to an end in one day! Yes, I said, in one day! Israel had regained her much-prayed-for statehood and her long-awaited new birth. Nearly 2,000 years of exile had come to an end, and the world witnessed a true, eye-popping miracle. A benevolent God had indeed intervened for His chosen people. ―Who hath heard such a thing?

Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth [give birth] in one day? or a nation to be born at once?‖—Isaiah 66:8

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE When David Ben-Gurion# spoke on May 14, 1948, and said, ―I hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz Israel, being known as the State of Israel,‖ Bible prophecy scholars took notice, and the full force of End Time prophecy was released With great humility and dignity, Ben-Gurion read from their Declaration of Independence the following words: ―Placing our trust in the Almighty, we affix our signature to the proclamation of this session of the Provisional Council of State on the floor of the homeland, in the city of Tel Aviv, on the Sabbath eve, the fifth day of Iyar 5708 (on the fourteenth day of May 1948).‖ I have heard a tape recording of this reading, and I felt the sense of wholeness that was being restored to Israel on this momentous day in her history.

―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 God.‖—Amos 9:14–15 (KJV)

―You shall yet plant vines on the mountain of Samaria; The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food. For there shall be a day when

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‗Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.‘‖—Jeremiah 31:5–6 (NKJV)

Also, as prophesized, Israel has blossomed. The Jews have one of the most enviable irrigation systems in the world and they are major exporters of fruit to all of Europe.

On a recent trip to Israel, I saw some of the most beautiful flowers and tasted some of the most delicious fruit that I have ever seen or tasted in my life. I have seen the oasis in the desert, and it is beautiful.

It is interesting to note here that Isaiah, in chapter 66, verses 7 and 8, speaks of a woman giving birth before going into labor. Zionists began promoting a return to their land in the 1890s. In 1948, Israel was reborn, and since then she has fought one distressful war after another. She has struggled to keep her independence. Truly, Israel‘s labor has come after her birth: ―Before, she [Israel] was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, She delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? ―Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?‖—Isaiah 66:7–8 (NKJV) It is very interesting to note here that in the same year of Israel‘s rebirth (1947–48), the ministries of two powerful Christian leaders, Dr. Billy Graham and Dr. Oral Roberts, were also birthed. Most Christians, myself included, believe these two men to be the brigadier generals of modern Christianity. I cannot but believe that God had a plan here, don‘t you?

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE God made a promise to Israel and he fulfilled that promise on May 14, 1948. ―The Lord has appeared of old to me saying: ‗Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel. You shall be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dance of those who rejoice.‖ —Jeremiah 31:3–4 (NKJV) 1. Israel has been reborn as a nation. Check!

2. JERUSALEM HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ISRAEL.

―I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem praise in the earth.‖ —Isaiah 62:6–7 (NKJV)

Equally miraculous as Israel‘s rebirth is the restoration of Jerusalem to Israel! Remember, Israel is God‘s timepiece. Some scholars use the date of May 14, 1948, as the beginning of the stopwatch for the rest of history, while other scholars use the date of July 10, 1967.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE On July 10, 1967, Israel ended the Six-Day War (also known as the 1967 Arab-Israeli war), which was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria (three nations with fourteen hostile armies).

Against all odds, Israel not only was not destroyed by her enemies but decisively prevailed against them and regained the holy city of Jerusalem for the first time since 1948. In only six short days, Jerusalem was restored to Israel!

Many thought she would be destroyed; indeed, most nations ―knew‖ that this pitifully outnumbered (100 to one) army of Israel‘s could not survive.

President Gamal Adbel Nasser of Egypt said that not only would Israel be driven into the sea, but that she would be annihilated. Is this not the same battle cry that we hear today from Iran‘s (Persia) president, who states publicly that Israel is a nation based on evil that should be wiped off the map, and that the Holocaust never happened? No surprise here, as this, too, was prophesized thousands of years ago: ―They have said, Come, and let us cut them of from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.‖—Psalms 83:4 (KJV) But survive she did! Moshe Dayan, who became Israel‘s minister of defense (1967), said, ―We have returned to the most sacred of shrines, never to be parted again!‖ Let those who believe that Jerusalem should be divided, east and west, and a portion of it given to the Palestinians as a capital (Phase 2 of the ―Roadmap to Peace‖), remember these words: ―I will also gather all

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE nations, and will bring them down into the valley Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and parted my land.‖—Joel 3:2 (KJV) All passages of the Old Testament make it abundantly clear that the Jews will have control of Jerusalem when the Antichrist (world leader in the End Times) comes (see ―The Roman Empire has been revised‖) and that the Temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (see ―Temple plans are readied in Israel‖).

Jeremiah states in 23:3–6 that Jesus will appear after the Jews return to Israel. David says in Psalm 102:12–16 that the Lord would first ―build up Zion‖ before He appears in glory. In the New Testament, the apostle Luke directly connects Jesus‘ return to the growth and prosperity of Jerusalem.

The importance of the city of Jerusalem to God (Jehovah) may be determined by the fact that it is mentioned 700 times in the Old Testament.

It is never mentioned, even once, in the Qur‘am.

In fact, the Old Testament prophet Micah states that God‘s kingdom will be administered from Jerusalem (Micah 4:2). King David tells us to ―pray for the peace of Jerusalem‖ and that those who do so and who love Jerusalem will prosper (Psalm 122:6). The prophet Isaiah points out God‘s love for Jerusalem (―an heir of my mountain‖ and ―my holy mountain‖ in Isaiah 56:7, 11). Furthermore, King David assured us that God would never forget Jerusalem (Psalms 137:5–6).

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 2. Jerusalem has been restored to Israel. Oh, happy day! Check!

3. THE JEWS ARE RETURNING TO ISRAEL (ESPECIALLY FROM RUSSIA). ―For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, Says the Lord, your Redeemer.‖ —Isaiah 54:7–8 (NKJV)

The prophet Isaiah prophesized in chapter 11, verses 11–14, that God would ―set His hand, again, the second time, to recover the remnant of his people [the Jews]‖ and that they would come home from the four corners of the earth. The key words here are ―a second time.‖ This can only refer to the return of the present-day Jews to Israel.

Ezekiel 37:11–12 says it is the ―whole house of Israel‖ that will be taken into ―their own land.‖ They will not return just anywhere, but to their own land: Israel.

Jeremiah 23:7–8 speaks specifically about descendants of the House of Israel who will come from the north country, as well as from all the countries where God had driven them. Where is this ―north country?‖ Dr. John Hagee and Dr. Jack Van Impe point out that every direction given in the Bible is given with Jerusalem as the starting point. If you get out a map and go directly north of Israel, you will find the country of Russia.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Are Jews returning to Israel from all of the world and particularly Russia?

Yes! According to Peter Gammon in his book Israel in Prophecy, Israel is now home to Jews from more than 120 countries. More than eighty languages are spoken in Israel. Many of these immigrants are from Russia. Dr. Doug Chatham, founding director of Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, Georgia, reports that of the 3 million Jews who have made aliyah (immigration) to Israel, nearly a third are Russian Jews.

Perhaps you have sponsored a Jewish person from Russia to Israel. I know we have. Many organizations today, such as Wings of Eagles, Chosen People Ministries, Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA, and Jewish Jewels (just to name a few), have as their focused goal to help Jews return to Israel from all over the globe, as well as to provide aid to Jews who have migrated to Israel.

For the first time in 2,000 years, there are more Jews inside of Israel than outside. It has been reported that there are now more Jews in Tel Aviv than in New York City. In light of all that we hear on the news, one would think that there were great numbers of Jewish people on earth. In fact, there are only 12 million to 15 million, much less than a single percent of the world‘s population (0.002 percent, to be exact). And yet their wellbeing dominates the news!

Israel rejoices over her olim (immigrants) who are making aliyah (immigration) home. The Jerusalem Post noted this comment from Nefresh

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE B‘Nefresh‘s co-founder Tony Gelbart: Israel ―is the only country where the prime minister and heads of the government come to meet the new immigrants.‖ God means exactly what He says about these people being My Elect, My Son, and the Apple of My Eye! Just the survival of these people—the fact that they have maintained their identity as Jews after worldwide dispersion for nearly 2,000 years—in and of itself shows God‘s miraculous, protective hand upon them. God will exonerate Himself in the eyes of the world! He is still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He has not forsaken them!

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder of the International Organization of Christians and Jews, said it most succinctly in his newsletter Shoesh: ―It is impossible to understand or explain the story of Israel today without the realization that God has been calling the Jews back to the land of Israel for generations, even centuries. This return is truly a miracle of biblical proportions.‖ 3. The Jews are returning to Israel, especially from Russia? Pravda, which is Russian for ―truth.‖ Check!

4. ISARAEL IS BECOMING THE BURDENSOME STONE OF THE

WORLD. ―And in that day I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut into pieces, though all nations of earth are gathered against it.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —Zechariah 12:3 (NKJV) Israel is at the epicenter of all that is happening in the Middle East, and what happens in the Middle East is affecting the rest of the world. ―And in that day‖—in what day? When the nations of the earth are gathered against Israel. When? In the end of days.

A poll in Europe showed that around 59 percent of Europeans believe that Israel is a major threat to world peace. There is an upsurge of antiSemitism all around the world. Indeed, some say the anti-Semitic mood in Europe is worse than when Hitler was in power.

The BBC reports that Dr. Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, said, ―The conflicts around the globe have begun to have uncomfortable repercussions for some Jewish communities in Europe. This is a kind of tsunami of anti-Semitism.‖ Further, the BBC reports that while the conditions for Jews in Great Britain are fairly good, globally they are not good.

The co-founder and member of the Hamas leadership in Gaza, Mahmoud al-Zahar, dreams of the total destruction of Israel and the annihilation of the Jews. He would like to do the same to the Christians, whom he considers infidels14 who support Israel and the Jewish people. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein said, ―Our enemies are fanatics who are committed to destroying Judeo-Christian civilization.‖ Hamas has gone so far as to even to call the Holocaust a fraud and label Israel as a ―nation of evil.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Palestine wants the destruction of Israel. Iran‘s leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calls for the destruction of Israel even as Iran pursues nuclear weapons. He has called Israel an ―artificial‖ state and says that Jews have no right to live in Palestine. He calls Israelis ―murderers of defenseless people‖ for merely defending themselves from a daily onslaught of rockets.

Mike Evans, in his publication The Jerusalem Report (March 17, 2009), reported that General Atalollah Salehi, commander of the Iranian Army, stated defiantly that it would only take Iran eleven days to wipe Israel out of existence.

Hamas, as part of its covenant, vows to destroy Israel. Its leaders believe the time of the Apocalypse is now! Ed Hindson reports that Shaul Mofaz, Israel‘s former deputy prime minister, said: ―Of all the threats we face, Iran is the biggest. The world must not wait. Since Hitler, we have not faced such a threat.‖ Wake up, church! This is no time to be sleeping or lukewarm! Zechariah 12:3 tells us that all who would heave it (Jerusalem) away will surely be cut into pieces.

King David saw this future scheme and wrote about it in Psalm 83:4: ―They have said ‗Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.‘‖ See chapter 5, reason number 39 for more details about how the nations of the earth are aligning against Israel: ―There is a global arms race underway and Russia is resuming the role of a militaristic nation.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Jesus foretold that Israel and the Christians would suffer in Matthew 24:9: ―Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name‘s sake‖ (NKJV). And in John 16:2: ―They will put you out of the synagogues, yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they do to you because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have told you that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you‖ (NKJV).

Rabbi Emeritus Robert Israel Solomon states in the Yachad Report (August 2009): ―According to the Bible, we should not be surprised that Israel has become an unavoidable issue.‖ Indeed, we should not be surprised.

Note: Replacement Theology is a lie!

Please do not be sucked in by the anti-Semitic ―Replacement Theology‖15 (supersessionism), which claims that the church has replaced Israel. The Christians have joined Israel, not replaced Israel. The Jews brought the Gospel to the Gentiles, not the other way around. The Gentiles are the ―wild branches‖ on a Jewish olive tree (Romans 11:16–26).

Paul writes in the book of Romans (11:1) that God would never cast away His people. How dare anyone else cast off the Jews by saying that the Church has replaced Israel! John 4:22 states that ―salvation is of the Jews.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Dr. Perry Stone Jr.,16 renowned scholar of prophetic scriptures, points out that this hatred of the Jews is because God revealed to them and through them the pattern of Heaven built on earth. He also reminds us that the Jews have preserved the Word of God throughout the ages.

In the New Testament, Jesus is still called ―the Lion of the tribe of Judah‖ (Jews). Jesus calls Himself ―the Root and the Offspring of David‖ (Revelation 22:16), and thus, He makes His eternal identification with Israel and the Jews. He will not forsake His covenant with His people—not ever!

The church has not somehow won favor over God‘s covenant people. I quote from the Jewish New Testament, edited by David H. Stern: ―The Bible is a Jewish book about a Jewish God; not a Gentile book about a Gentile God.‖

Note: The Jews did not kill Jesus!

It is not uncommon to hear people say that the Jews killed Jesus. They did not! Nor, I might add, did the Romans kill Jesus. God gave Jesus to the world, and Jesus knew He would have to die for the remission of our sins (John 3:16 and Matthew 26:38). Jesus, who was in Heaven and enjoying all of Heaven‘s wonders, voluntarily came. In fact, ―he thought it not robbery‖ to come (Philippians 2:6). I think I would have felt robbed to leave such a beautiful place to come to earth, to live as a man, and to die an excruciating (root word: ―cross‖) death. He could have called legions of angels to rescue Him, but He did not (Matthew 26:53).

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Jesus plainly states in John 10:17–18: ―Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life, that I might take it up again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father.‖ Yes, Jesus went to the cross willingly because He knew it was the only way you and I could ever be forgiven and reinstated with God, and He could say those final words from the cross, ―It is finished!‖ (John 19: 30).

No one killed Jesus. He gave His life for you and me!

I join the centurion and the others who were with him at the cross in saying, ―Surely, this was the Son of God!‖ (Matthew 27:54).

A Jewish Messiah gave himself to the world, both Jews and Gentiles alike. He was beaten and crucified in a Jewish city (under Roman control) called Jerusalem at place called Golgotha, or ―place of a skull‖ (Matthew 27:33).

So, to those who have felt anti-Semitic because you were taught the Jews killed Jesus, you can now and forevermore be released from this erroneous belief.

4. Israel is becoming the burdensome stone of the world. Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 5. THE ROMAN EMPIRE HAS BEEN REVIVED. When the book of Daniel was written, there existed two great empires on earth: Egypt and Assyria. The empire that existed when the book of Ezekiel was written was Babylon (modern Iraq). Daniel told us in the sixth century B.C. what the last four empires on earth would be: 1. Medo-Persia 2. Greece 3. Rome 4. Revived Rome The book of Daniel is the history and future of Israel (Deuteronomy is also a history of Israel). As you read in Daniel (chapter 2), you will discover that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Iraq) had a dream, which he could not remember. After exhausting his list of wizards and genies (magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers of the day), he was angered that no one could tell him his dream. He commanded that all the ―wise men of Babylon‖ be destroyed. Then the king learned about Daniel, a Jewish captive who had a reputation for being able to interpret dreams through his God Jehovah.

Nebuchadnezzar appealed to Daniel to show him the dream. Daniel prayed and asked God to show him the dream, and God did so.

As Daniel revealed the dream and its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar, he told him about the last empires on earth. He reminded the king that his dream took the form of a large statue of a man with various metals of

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE different colors making up his body. Daniel then told the king the meaning of the dream: † ―Thou [Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon] art this head of gold.‖ (verse 39) † You will be taken over by an ―inferior‖ kingdom represented by the breast and folded arms of silver. (Medes and Persians) † Another kingdom represented by the belly and thighs of bronze will defeat them and rule the world. (Greeks) † Yet another kingdom represented by the two legs of iron (Romans) will defeat this kingdom. † The final empire on earth will be a revised form of the former and is represented by feet and toes of clay and iron.

Daniel also told the king the dream was true and its interpretation was sure! So accurate are these prophecies that the more liberal Bible scholars have trouble believing they were written prior to the actual events. † The Medes and Persians, an inferior kingdom, did overtake the Babylonian Empire. † The Greeks, under the leadership of the he-goat or Alexander the Great, blitzed over the Medes and Persians (upon Alexander‘s early demise, the empire was divided among his four generals). † Rome did, in fact, conquer the Greeks. Its empire later was divided into two parts (two legs): the Byzantine Empire, which ended in the 1400s, and the western portion with its base in Rome, which ended in 476 A.D.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † The Roman Empire has been revised in the form of the European Union and exists today!

The ten toes of iron are the ten senior countries that make up this empire or today‘s modern Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany, Italy, France, England, Ireland, Denmark, and Greece)—the new European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC is the main decision-making institution (executive branch) of the European Union (EU)—and it is strong.

Remember the clay mixed with the iron? These are the second tier of nations making up the EU, and they are weaker and will not always see eye to eye with the other ten nations. The EU not only exists today, but it is flexing its political and military muscle, making noises about becoming greater than the greatest country on earth: the United States of America.

The security arm of the EU is known as the Western European Union (WEU) and today boasts a combined standing army of two million.

The United States is being elbowed out of the way by the EU, and someday, the Bible says, there will come a leader out of the revived Roman Empire (or with very strong ties to the EU) who will seemingly ―rescue‖ Israel. But this world leader (Antichrist) will turn on Israel and all who support her with a vengeance.

Once, the idea of a ―United States of Europe‖ was thought to be impossible. Now, however, it exists. Presently, the EU is made up of twenty-seven nations, but there is that inner core of ten nations (EEC), which together are the union‘s power base (the part that is iron on the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE statue). The other seventeen nations are associate members and not as powerful. They make up the clay that is mixed with the iron. Just recently, the EU voted to suspend, temporarily, any more additions until 2010.

The Antichrist is being groomed for his time to be lifted up by the ten senior nations of the EU. This man will come as a diplomat, a negotiator, and a peacemaker—a regular Nobel Peace Prize contender. He will use flattery and cunning to win his place on the world stage. Make no mistake about it; he will be a man of deception and malice as he takes his stand against Christ.

Europe is already growing in her role in Middle Eastern politics. Because of a growing distrust of America‘s foreign policy, Egypt and other Arab countries are already turning to the EU to play the role of power broker in future negotiations with Israel.

This is a good place to learn more about the Antichrist (antichristos in Greek), a.k.a. The Beast, The Ruler Who Will Come, The Strong-Willed King, The Lie, The Man of Sin, The Mystery of Iniquity, The Lawless One, and The Worthless Shepherd. He is the middle person in the unholy trinity and a counterfeit of the true Trinity of God, which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (The Lord our God, the Lord is One).

Revelation 12:9 tells us that the father of the Antichrist is the dragon (Satan). Rounding out this unholy trinity is the False Prophet, spoken of in Revelation 13:11–18. Satan (the Dragon) is anti-Father, the Antichrist (the Beast) is anti-Christ, and the False Prophet is anti-Holy Spirit.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE We all know that the best form of flattery is imitation, and obviously Satan thinks so, too. However, his imitations do not stop here. A couple of the many examples of Satan‘s flattery of God are as follows: † He goes about as a ―roaring lion‖ (I Peter 5:8) imitating Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). † He has his ―messiah,‖ the Antichrist, metaphorically ride in on a white horse carrying a bow without arrows (the first of the four horses of the apocalypse, described in Revelation 6:2), exactly as the Bible tells us Jesus will do (literally) on the last day of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:11).

The Antichrist gets his power from Satan (II Thessalonians 2:9). As previously stated, he will come with a bow but with no arrows (Revelation 6:2), as a man of peace. Time will prove him to be the cruelest, most seductive, most hideous, most ambitious, most dangerous, most deadly, and most devious corrupter who ever lived! The late Dr. Adrian Rogers# told us of the Antichrist‘s ambitions and goals: † ―to deify Satan‖ (his father)—Revelation 13:4 † ―to defy the Savior‖ (Jesus Christ)—Revelation 13:5 † ―to destroy the saints‖ (born-again Christians)—Revelation 13:6 † ―to dominate society‖ (the world)—Revelation 13:7 † ―to delude sinners‖ (unbelievers in Christ)—Revelation 13:8–1017 Surely, people would never follow such a man, right? Jesus says they will: ―I am come in my Father‘s name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.‖—John 5:43

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE There is just something in man‘s hidden nature that will cause him (without the guidance of the Holy Spirit) to follow even the Devil if he can give him what he longs for. And the world is longing for peace. But this ―peace‖ has a price attached to it and eventually leads the world into the worst period of time in the history of man: ―For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction [the Tribulation] cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.‖—I Thessalonians 5:3 Dr. Ed Hindson, vice chancellor of Liberty University and host of the telecast, ―The King is Coming,‖ gives us more insight into this man in his book, Antichrist Rising. He offers these details in what I call the ―Big 10‖: 1. He rises to power in the Last Days. (Daniel 8:19, 23) 2. He rules the world. (Revelation 13:7) 3. He has headquarters in Rome. (Revelation 17:8–9) 4. He is extremely intelligent and persuasive. (Daniel 7:20) 5. He rules by international consent. (Revelation 17:12–13) 6. He rules by deception. (Daniel 8:24–25) 7. He controls the global economy. (Revelation 13:16–17) 8. He confirms a peace treaty with Israel. (Daniel 9:25) 9. He breaks the treaty with Israel. (Daniel 9:26) 10. He claims to be God. (II Thessalonians 2:4) Is there anyone alive today who could fit the bill and have all the biblical qualifications needed? Is there such a madman somewhere out there, who

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE could act out and make these prophecies about the ―time of the end‖ a reality? I believe there is such a man alive today, and he will be finally revealed once the church has been taken to safety in the Rapture (II Thessalonians 2:3).

In Daniel 7, we read more about the same empires, only this time animals are used instead of metals. Daniel 11 expounds more about this prophecy. The Bible always interprets the Bible. Bible prophecy is sure! If there were no other prophecies in the Bible concerning end times, this book alone would be enough to convince even the most hardened skeptic.

Note: The Number 666 For those who are terrorized by the number 666, do not be troubled about it—yet! Indeed, this number is associated with the Antichrist or the Beast (Revelation 13:16–18). The number 666, or six hundred threescore and six, somehow is linked to this man‘s name. Many Bible scholars believe it has something to do with the Hebrew spelling of his name. Each Hebrew letter carries a numerical value, and I personally believe that the Jews will be the first to figure out that this world leader is the Antichrist.

What do I mean when I say that you need not be troubled ―yet‖? The ―yet‖ has to do with the mark this man will force all to take on their right hand or their forehead to show their allegiance to him as god and to his system (Revelations 13:16). At that precise moment, the number 666 will have horrendous consequences for all who take it.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Until then, says evangelist Donald Perkins# in End Time Deceptions in the World Today, you don‘t need to get upset if your license tag is 666. As far as your personal peril is concerned, this number is meaningless . . . until, of course, the time the Antichrist makes it his mark (Revelations 20:4).18 Let me say this loudly and clearly: If you are ―left behind‖ after the Rapture, do not take this mark! Those who do will never, ever enter into the kingdom of God (Revelation 14:9–11).

1. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 2. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 3. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 4. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 5. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 6. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 7. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK! 5. The Roman Empire has been revived. Check!

6. THE AGE OF THE GENTILES IS BEING FULFILLED. Who are the Gentiles? Very simply, a Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew. According to Luke 21:24, ―And, Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles [trampled by Gentiles] until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.‖ (KJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Here, Luke refers to ―the times of the Gentiles‖ as a part of history when non-Jewish people will rule or dominate Jerusalem. These times will end when the Messiah‘s Kingdom is set up. Jerusalem presently is under the protection of Israel, but we also see the Road Map to Peace, which is a proposal to give away Gaza to the Palestinians (Phase I—completed), to give away the West Bank (Phase II), and above all, to divide Jerusalem and give the eastern portion to the Palestinians as a capital city (Phase III).

Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel and member of its Kadima Party,19 insists that Israel will continue to give parts of the country to the Palestinians. He has said they are tired of fighting and being courageous, tired of winning battles and defeating enemies, and all they want now is peace! Israel is desperate for peace, and in exchange for this long-illusive peace, some are now willing to give away land, the land that was given eternally and forever to them by God. God help any nation that would participate in this division of God‘s land!

Some of my messianic Jewish friends believe that, since Jerusalem now belongs to Israel (Six Day War, 1967), the time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled. However the Bible tells us that Gentiles will once again trample Jerusalem during the time of the Tribulation. In fact, it is in Jerusalem, in the newly rebuilt Temple (see ―Temple plans are readied in Israel‖) that the Gentile world leader, referred to in scripture as the Antichrist, will enter and declare that he is god. In any event, the ―times of the Gentiles‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE are coming to an end and the fulfillment of this prophetic scripture is at hand.

The Bible also speaks of ―the fullness of the Gentiles,‖ which should not be confused with the ―times of the Gentile.‖ Paul writes in Romans 11:25: ―For I do not desire, Brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in.‖ (NKJV) Here Paul refers to that time when the Church‘s purpose has come to an end. At the end of the Church Age, this ―fullness of the gentiles‖ to come, the Jews and their blindness to the Messiah Jesus Christ (Yeshua) will come to an end.

Rabbi Emeritus Robert Israel Solomon, retired and beloved rabbi of one of the nation‘s largest messianic temples in Atlanta, Georgia (Congregation Beth Hallel), reports that more than a million Jews have come to Christ in the last twenty years. This number is greater than any number recorded previously in history! Now, while you may not be gasping at the number, remember that there are only 12 to 15 million Jews on earth, so proportionately this is a huge number. It is staggering when you think about it this way.

6. The age of the Gentiles is being fulfilled. Amen! Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 7. THE DAYS OF NOAH HAVE RETURNED. ―But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.‖ —Matthew 24:37 (NKJV)

Matthew writes in chapter 24:37–39 that in the last days, Jesus will come unexpectedly, at a time when people will be scoffing at and ignoring His warning. This is much like today. While End Time voices are telling of the imminence of God‘s final judgment, many people are ignoring the warning and labeling the prophesized meeting with Christ, the Rapture of the Church, as preposterous.

In less than 10 generations from Adam, the world was so perverse that God told Noah to build an ark to escape His impending judgment (the flood) on the world. For 120 years, Noah did as God asked and built a mammoth ship, an ark, 200 miles from any body of water and at a time when the world had never experienced rain. Dr. Carl Baugh20# points out that, up until the time of Noah, the world was watered by mist: ―But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.‖— Genesis 2:6 (KJV) Noah, a preacher of righteousness (II Peter 2:5), warned the ungodly people to prepare for the impending judgment of God, but they continued on with their ―business as usual‖ and scoffed at his absurd, outlandish project. Crime was rampant. God‘s commandments were ignored. Idol

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE worship was commonplace. People were self-absorbed and pleasure was the goal. It was a hedonistic, rebellious, and lawless world. Noah continued to preach throughout the 120 years it took him to finish building the ark and still they ignored his warning. They did not want to believe a flood was coming, nor did they understand why God would send one: ―Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.‖—II Peter 3:6 So it is today. People do not want to believe there will be a horrific time on earth called the Tribulation. Like the scoffers in Noah‘s day, many will not understand fully until that time is here, and because they do not understand, they will be left behind. You can turn to God for the first time or you can repent of your backslidden (lukewarm) state and miss that ―hour of temptation, which shall come upon the earth.‖ ―Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.‖—Revelation 3:10 (NKJV) As horrible as it will be to spend an eternity out of the presence of God, it will be much worse when people remember the warnings they were given. Father Francis Pompei, a Franciscan Friar from the inner city of Philadelphia, said it this way: ―The greatest regret in Hell will be to know that you were warned.‖ The days ahead will be fraught with danger. They will be days of extreme wickedness and evil. Our brains are swollen with news stories of murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, and unbelievable abuses toward

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE children. We can easily see that evil abounds in the world and that these days are ―as in the days of Noah.‖ And the Bible tells us it will only get worse.

Are you preparing to get into our Ark, Jesus Christ, or are you scoffing at those of us who are trying to inform you about what is coming? I pray you will heed the warning. God loves you so much, but He will, in His justice, allow you to choose. Remember, even Noah did not know the exact day the rains would begin, but he believed God and he got prepared! The very water that brought destruction to the world was what lifted the Ark to safety, and I believe God will lift us out (the Rapture) of the judgment of destruction that is soon coming upon the earth.

Note: Noah was not the first person on the ark. He was the last person to get on.

This is our example to warn our family and friends that they, too, may escape what is coming upon the earth.

7. The days of Noah have returned. No doubt about it. Check!

8. THE APOSTATE CHURCH IS HERE. Of all the reasons listed, this one is perhaps the most painful to write about. Let me give you a few synonyms for ―apostate‖: † fugitive † runaway

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † renegade † traitor † falling away (from the faith) It is, I feel sure, a source of grief to the Holy Spirit that such words could ever be used to describe the church. Unfortunately, they do apply in many cases.

I Timothy 4:1–2 shows us that in the latter days some will fall away and pay attention to deceitful spirits, doctrines of demons, and hypocrisy of liars. II Thessalonians says ―that day‖ will never come until this falling away come first. This day has come!

We have preachers and teachers from many denominations who bombard us with their watered down and altered version of the Word of God. Even those who have previously held fast to the Word are vacillating as they deliver their ―relevant‖ sermons in order to make their denominations or churches more palatable and ―seeker friendly.‖ The times are ripe for confusion and distortion of the biblically illiterate and the unchurched.

Furthermore, it is becoming harder to tell the world from the church, statistically speaking.

Many describe the church of today as broke, busted, disgusted, and divorced. Christians are living like the rest of the world, and the lines between the two are smudged. There are 13 million ―stray-away‖ Christians who attend church only on holidays. Men, in particular, are staying away in droves. ―Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, some will

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE depart from the faith, giving head to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, have their own conscience seared with hot iron.‖—I Timothy 4:1–2 (NKJV) John writes letters to the ―seven churches‖ in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Many scholars see these seven churches as representing the entire church age, with the church of Laodicea (the lukewarm church) and the church of Philadelphia (the faithful church) being the Last Day churches that exist simultaneously today.

Jesus says to the dead church at Sardis and at Laodicea that they should change some things lest He spew (vomit) them out of His mouth: † Change † Return to your First Love † Strengthen those things which are about to die (Revelations 3:1–6 and 3:14–22)

Listed here are just some of the apostasies, distortions, and deceptions promoted in the church today: † My God is love; therefore, there is no Hell. † Heaven is for everyone. You do not have to accept Jesus to be saved. † There is no such thing as the Rapture of the Church. † God wants you to be happy and He would not bring terrible judgment on you There will be no judgment until the Great White Throne.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † We need to modernize the church‘s stand on sexual sins. † God is finished with Israel; Israel has been replaced by the church, and Jerusalem should be replaced with the word ―heaven‖ (replacement theology). † The requirement of fidelity in the covenant of marriage can be deemed ―non-essential‖ and the requirement of chastity while single can also be reconsidered. † Homosexual priests are spiritually qualified for ordination (this belie has in particular threatened the Episcopal church). † Religious pluralism is acceptable (the belief of some Methodist churches, per Rev. Thomas Lambrecht, chairman of the board of Good News). † The creation (the Bible-based account of the origins of the world) should not be taught in schools (so says the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams). † Loving same-sex marriages should be affirmed by the Church (Pastor Dennis Wiley, one of 100 clergy representing 100 faiths who support all marriages as ―holy and good‖). † There is no sin. The trip to the cross is the last ―useless‖ journey you should ever have to make (A Course in Miracles).

Biblical principles are labeled as ―poisonous certainties‖ by Brock Chisholm, former head of the World Health Organization. Some people believe that we should find our own way of making the Bible real to us and

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE that the Bible needs to change with the times. Some believe that we need to ―reform‖ the church so that it is more applicable to our circumstances.

The Barna Group, an organization that serves the information needs of the church by providing statistics on current cultural and spiritual trends, reported the following results of their survey of self-described Christians: † 40 percent strongly agreed that Satan is not real, but just a symbol of evil. † 22 percent strongly agreed that Jesus sinned while on earth. † 55 percent (only) believe the Bible is accurate.

USA Today did a study and found that 37 percent of Protestant believers believe that many religions can lead a person to eternal life—people in the church are buying into this theology. Jack Van Impe says that 57 percent of Evangelicals (born-again Christians) believe there are many roads to Heaven besides Jesus. This is almost six out of ten.

God help us!

I like what the Nigerian churches are telling Western churches: practice what your Christian missionaries came here to teach us! They admonish us to find ungodly what the Bible calls ungodly. I think they have it right.

Many people today are relying on fictional writings for their Biblical knowledge and thus are allowing doubts about the Bible‘s truth to creep into their thinking. Many Christians are no longer rooted in God‘s Word because they are not reading the scriptures for themselves. Examples of this can be seen in the works of Dan Brown. The sale of 40 million copies

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE (some say 60 million) of Brown‘s book, The Da Vinci Code, which claimed that Jesus never said He was God and that this idea was established by the Council of Nicea in the third century, made this book a runaway best-seller.

These books were gobbled up by many professing Christians, who labeled this work as good literature and entertaining, instead of a blasphemous mockery of the Christian faith.

A host on the TV show Today asked Brown how much of the things in The Da Vinci Code were based on reality. Brown replied, ―Absolutely all of it!‖ New York Times op-ed columnist Russ Douthat said, ―[Brown is] writing thrillers, but he is selling theology.‖ One example in the book The Da Vinci Code of historical error, now transferred to movie form, is when Brown asserts ―the Christian practice of Holy Communion was borrowed from the Aztecs.‖ But the Aztecs existed around the fourteenth century. The book is full of historical errors!

Brown‘s book says, ―Organized religion desires to serve as the sole source of truth, and science supposedly threatens the church‘s supremacy.‖ The book also states (and is repeated in the movie by the character Vittoria Vetra), ― Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles . . . In the end though, we are all proclaiming the same thing . . . which is the life of the universe.‖ At least Tom Hanks got it right when he said at the Actors Studio, ―This is a book found at Barnes & Noble in the fiction section.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE But criticisms of The Da Vinci Code have not deterred Hollywood.

Another of Brown‘s books, Angels and Demons, has now made the big screen.

To Dan Brown I say that, according to the scriptures, you are a liar and you have the spirit of antichrist; however, you may have done the world a great favor, for what the enemy (Satan) meant for evil, the Lord is working for good.

The name of J-E-S-U-S, a name which has been only whispered about in most workplaces and which hitherto could have gotten people fired for even discussing it at work, became a part of the everyday vernacular. I would counter Mr. Brown‘s work with words from Simon Greenleaf, the Harvard professor who established the laws of evidence to be used in American courts (Treatise on the Law of Evidence). After applying the canons of proof and argument to the gospel accounts, he said that the life of Jesus Christ is one of the best verified and proven events in all of history, according to the laws of evidence. He, a former agnostic, put his faith in Jesus Christ.

According to Wikipedia, Greenleaf‘s work Testimony of the Evangelists ―set the mark for subsequent works by legal apologists.‖

―Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son . . . By this know ye the spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Chris is

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist of which we have heard that it should come, even now already it is in the world.‖ —I John 2:22 and 4:2–3 Our children are not exempt from this modern apostate literature. J.K. Rowling‘s books about the boy wizard Harry Potter have not only captured the imagination of our youth, but have also perverted the thinking of some about the occult. Christian parents have acquiesced, thinking that since their children are reading these books anyway, they should use the books and point out their truths and good qualities.

Some Christian book stores have sections for devotionals. One can find, in some of these sections, teenage devotionals for the study of the ―good character qualities‖ of the witch Harry Potter. One such devotional is The Gospel According to Harry Potter (which also has a companion book, Leader‘s Guide for Group Study). Author Connie Neal answers critics of the Harry Potter books, as well as her devotional and leader‘s study guide, this way: ―So, to those who ask ‗How could you?‘ or ‗Why bother?‘ I answer: With all the uproar over Harry Potter in Christian circles, with all the wonderful parallels to the Gospel waiting to be pointed out, and with my desire to help people who‘ve been turned off by traditional ways of communicating the message, I couldn‘t resist.‖ Because Harry Potter does ―good magic,‖ Christian parents are forgetting that Harry Potter is a witch.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Where are the Christians who will ―contend for the Faith‖ and speak out against proven lies? Where are the preachers who will, as Dr. Jack Van Impe states, ―get enough backbone to at least be able to take a chiropractic adjustment‖ and who will start preaching in season and out of season the uncompromised Word of God? Where are the Christians who will turn from their wicked ways and cry out to God for forgiveness and mercy? God has told us that if those of us who are called by His name (Christians) will do this, He will forgive our sins and heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14).

The late Dr. James Kennedy who pastored the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says, ―I am continually amazed at the increasing number of attacks on the name of Jesus Christ, the Church, Prayer, our Faith and even our Pledge.‖ Have you noticed that it is open season on Christians (and Jews), while it is politically incorrect to criticize any other belief or faith? ―But, there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words, but a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.‖ —II Peter 2:1–3

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Satan is not trying to fight against the religion of Christianity. His method to pervert Christianity is a subtle infiltration of Christianity. His goal is to create a counterfeit Christianity, a counterfeit so ―real,‖ so authenticlooking, that many good Christians will follow it without questioning the cleverly altered changes.

Not all believers have chosen or will choose to walk down the apostate path. Dr. Doug Chatham reports that in China alone, more than 50,000 souls are added daily to the church, and 500 congregations are born every day.

Furthermore, he said 1 million Christians around the globe are martyred for the faith each year. This is more than all the martyred Christians during the Roman persecution.

I am choosing to confess my sins, to repent and put my full trust and confidence in a loving, forgiving God. You can do this, too! It is not too late.

8. The apostate church is here. Check!

9. THE SIGNS OF DECEPTION AND FALSE CHRIST ARE BEING

MANIFESTED TODAY. ―For many will come in My name and say, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.‖ —Matthew 24:5 (NKJV)

―For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.‖ —Matthew 24:23–24 (NKJV) The apostle Paul warned that there will be an increase of evil men and seducers in the last days. We are living in a day when new age teachers tell us that we are all little gods with a divine nature in us. It is hard to even number the men who have proclaimed themselves gurus and messiahs. On this list of ―messiahs‖ just in the past twenty-five years are: † Jim Jones (The People‘s Temple, Jonestown, Guyana) † David Koresh (Branch Davidians, Waco, Texas) † Marshall Applewhite (Heaven‘s Gate, San Diego, California) † Rev. Moon (Unification Church, South Korea) † Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda (Puerto Rico) † Claude Vorilhon (Quebec, Canada) † Maitreya (California) Fairly new on the ―messiah‖ screen is Claude Vorilhon, an agnostic known to his 55,000 followers as Rael. He claims to be the long-lost brother of Jesus. He took his name Rael from the last four letter of Israel. According to www.falsemessiahs.com, Rael believes an alien, who revealed himself as Yahweh (God of the Hebrews) from the planet Elohim, visited him and revealed that this planet was created by an alien race. He teaches that ―monotheism should totally be replaced by science.‖ Also, according to www.falsemessiahs.com, there is another fairly new ―messiah,‖ a man who calls himself Maitreya. He claims he is the one to

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE bring about a one-world religion. He says he has ―been expected for generations by all the major religions. Christians know him as ‗Christ‘ and expect his imminent return, Jews await him as the Messiah; Hindus expect the coming of Krishna; Buddhist expect Maitreya, Budda; and Muslims expect Mahdi.‖ This man claims to be the ―messiah‖ for all religions! His main teaching is that we and God are one.

Rick Ross, cult expert, writes in ―Cult News by Rick Ross‖ (www.cultnews.com) that the ―Buddha Maitreya‖ is former truck driver Ronald Lloyd Spencer of California. Maitreya announced on radio that he and the Dalai Lama of Tibet are working together and that they will soon be ―sitting on throne seats next to each other.‖ Spencer runs ―therapy and retreat centers‖ in Mt. Shasta, California, and Omaha, Nebraska.

Television has aided these false messiahs in gaining respectability by promoting the apostate beliefs of modern writers (see ―The apostate church is here‖). Many Christians are leaving the church and sitting at the throne of modern humanism. Popular TV host Oprah Winfrey featured A Course in Miracles by Dr. Helen Schucman and Dr. William Thetford. Here is what the author of this ―course‖ espouses: † ―There is no sin . . .‖ † ―A slain Christ has no meaning.‖ † ―The journey to the cross should be the last ‗useless journey.‘‖ † ―The name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol . . .‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † ―It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray.‖ † ―The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.‖ † ―The atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need o salvation.‖ Admired author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the ―brilliant writing‖ of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.

It is no surprise then when we see a traitorous, renegade, runaway, fugitive church. God said, ―I will spew the lukewarm out of my mouth,‖ and I don‘t know about you, but I do not want to be God‘s vomit.

In this age of secular humanism, where the lines between right and wrong have been terribly fudged, the conditions are ripe for so-called messiahs. But do not be deceived. Jesus Christ is the only man ever who fulfilled the 48 very specific, very defining prophecies of the Messiah. He and He alone will come again to this earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (John 14:6)! He told us that He would return at the end of the Last Days and anyone who claims himself to be the Messiah is a liar.

Jesus Christ is coming again and soon (suddenly). He eagerly invites you to meet with Him in the clouds when the trumpet (shofar) sounds. Won‘t you take Him up on this invitation now while there is still time? Won‘t you prepare yourself for this great meeting?

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 9. The signs of deception and false christs are being manifested today.

Check!

10. THE GOSPEL IS BEING PREACHED TO THE ENDS OF THE

EARTH. ―And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.‖ —Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)

I am happy to report that the Gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth.

When I was younger and did not understand prophetic scriptures, I was afraid of ―the end.‖ First of all, I did not know what ―the end‖ really meant, but it sounded fearfully final. I used to comfort myself with the fact that there were never going to be enough missionaries to reach Bula-Bula land or beyond, so the end had to be hundreds, if not thousands of years away. Right?

I now understand that the end times, in fact, began when Jesus was born. I now believe this is a world without end, and I believe the period of great trials and tribulation (Tribulation / Great Tribulation) comes after the Rapture of the Church. I am ready, and I want you to be ready, as well. I am excited to know that God appointed me (and you) to be alive at this very time in history. We had an appointment from God to live at a certain time

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and in a certain place: ―And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation; that they should see the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.‖—Acts 17:26 (KJV) I rejoice now over what I see happening with the Good News. For example, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world‘s largest religious network, is seen via seventy-four satellite transponders on every continent in the world. Of the 251 countries around the world, TBN covers 249 of these (not covered are Greenland and an island in the Pacific). There are thirty-five full-power, owned and operated stations in the U.S. and a total of 5,210 affiliate stations around the world. TBN is carried on 8,010 cable systems in the U.S., and 18 million subscribers have access to TBN on Direct TV. In the United States, TBN covers 95 percent of all households, with a potential worldwide viewing audience of 2.7 billion viewers. According to a TBN official, ―[These numbers] will probably be outdated by tomorrow.‖ In addition to TBN, the network owns and operates seven other popular networks, among them The Church Channel, JCTV youth network, TBN Enlace USA Spanish network, and Smile of a Child TV children‘s network.

TBN is the eighth largest broadcast group owner in the United States. How prophetic was Dr. Paul Crouch when he opened his first radio program (reaching his college campus) with the words, ―Hello, world!‖ (Dr. Crouch has made provisions to ensure that TBN will never be sold for secular TV.)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE As Hell licks its chops over the destruction of Israel and the demise of this world, the Word of God is going around the world. Look at these verses in Zechariah 5:1–4: ―Then I [Zechariah] turned and raised my eyes and saw there a flying scroll. And he (the angel) said to me, ‗What do you see?‘ So, I answered, ‗I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.‘‖ (NKJV) This verse describes, perfectly, a satellite that is 20 cubits by 10 cubits, or 15 feet by 30 feet Charles Miller, a scientist, describes the device used to retrieve satellites for repair. It is 15 feet by 60 feet. It is capable of bringing back two satellites at a time. To me, Zechariah was trying to describe something far into the future. This is so exciting!

Perry Stone is, I believe, one of the finest and brightest of the modern scholars on Bible prophecy. I am going to paraphrase what he said on his TV program: † 70 percent of the entire Gospel has been preached on earth since Jesus was resurrected. † 70 percent of this 70 percent has been preached since the 1990s. † 70 percent of this 70 percent has been preached since 1948. † 70 percent of this 70 percent has been preached in the past 70 months.

Tremendous crusades are being held all over the world. Most notable is the evangelistic ministry of Reinhard Bonnke (Christ for All Nations). He asked God ―to give him Africa,‖ and give him Africa is what God is doing. He

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE is holding meetings where more than a million people are in attendance. He reports in his June newsletter to his partners: ―There is great cause to rejoice. Since beginning of this new decade, we have seen over 42 million people who have signed their names on individual ‗decision cards‘ to acknowledge their full acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior. To God be the GLORY! Yes! We are witnessing a ‗Mega-Harvest‘ of souls that is reaching prophetic, historic proportions.‖ I heard he has more than 35,000 pastors and volunteers who sort out all the salvation cards just to see that these cards get to the appropriate pastors.

The satellite pictures of the Bonnke crusades show people standing shoulder to shoulder, as far as the eye can see. All this man has is the world‘s largest sound system and the world‘s largest lighting system. I do not see seats; neither do I see concession stands. What I do see are millions of people who are praising God with their hands in the air. And you know what? The pictures look like wheat ready for the harvest. ―For the time has come for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.‖ —Revelations 14:15 (NKJV) On one of my many trips to Israel, as a group of us gazed out on some fields, someone made the comment that the way to tell wheat from tares is by watching to see which ones bend when the wind blows. The wheat (symbolic of true believers) will bend and the tares (symbolic of shallow

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE believers or unbelievers) will stand still and proud. This begs the question: which are you, wheat or tare? Will you bend to God‘s will or will you stand too tall and too proud as the birth pains of the End Times increase in number and intensity?

The gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth. Here is what is happening with some of those missionaries and the agencies that send them forth. Justin Long, editor of Momentum Magazine, reports in Mission Frontiers magazine that missionary agencies are setting new goals and new approaches from ―what can be done‖ to ―what must be done.‖ (Obviously someone is paying attention to the old saying of Albert Einstein, who defined ―insanity‖ as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.)

Mr. Long further says there are more than 100,000 people accepting Christ each day in Latin America. There are now over 4,000 mission agencies in the developing world. Hilton Sutton# reports there are now 6,000 Messianic believers in Israel; yes, he said ―in Israel.‖ He also said the number of Christians being added to the church in China, India, and Africa is in the millions and they cannot even count them as the church grows.

There are over 2.1 billion Christian souls (people who confess Christianity) in the 247 nations of the earth, which is approximately one third of the world‘s population. ―Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.‖—Matthew 28:19–20 (KJV) This is what is known in Christian circles as ―The Great Commission.‖ Thankfully, the mission groups of every denomination have taken this to heart.

And if this does not get the job completely done, God has another plan ready. ―And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.‖—Revelation 14:6–7 (KJV) I can‘t wait to see what the ACLU and other ―politically correct‖ agencies do with this!

The greatest freedom the world has ever known for preaching the gospel is now (see ―The War in Iraq has opened the Middle East to the gospel‖).

Once-closed countries such as Iraq, Thailand, and China are now open. This window of opportunity will not last long. God said the gospel would be preached to all the world as a witness, and it is happening!

10. The gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth. Check!

11. KNOWLEDGE HAS EXPLODED. ―But you Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —Daniel 12:4 (NKJV) Some have estimated that the sum of human knowledge now doubles every six months to two years thanks to the advent of computers. More knowledge has been discovered in the last century than in all previous history. Note that multiplication is needed to determine the increase of knowledge, not addition. When you couple this increase in knowledge with rapidly advancing technology, which is providing us with faster methods of transmitting and receiving this knowledge, you have a knowledge explosion.

Look at it this way. From the Garden of Eden until the 1900s: † horses were the main means of transportation; † torches and lanterns were the main source of light; † drum beats, glass, and mirrors were the main means of communication; † weapons were limited to bows and arrows, muskets, and such.

Billy Graham has said that 90 percent of all engineers and scientists who have ever lived are alive today.

In the last 100 years, here are just a few examples of knowledge increase: † automobiles, jets, supersonic flight † electricity, light bulbs, lasers † radio, television, satellite, Telstar † fiber optics computers, modems † translation software, printing, Internet

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † cell phones, iPods, space travel † video games, digital storage, biotechnology † robots, global finances, mobiles technology † genomics, DNA, media, DVDs † genetically engineered food, alternative fuel and smart bombs Thanks to touch-screen and biometric technology, you can now be identified by your finger or eye. In the past, we were used to hearing ―Check or credit card?‖; in the very near future, we most likely will be hearing ―Finger or eye?‖ Thanks to RFID (radio frequency identification) and GPS (global positioning system), your location can be identified immediately when you talk on your cell phone or use a two-way radio, and in many places cameras now record your driving habits. Can constant surveillance be far off? (See ―The technology now exists for the mark of the beast.‖) The new computers are not just computers; they are monsters, yea, even mega monsters. Dr. Jack Van Impe reports on just one of these monster computers that the European Union (EU) has built a new computer located in England called Echelon. Its capability is like none other, boasting the ability to collect 3 billion pieces of information daily. This information includes telephone and email transactions. The list goes on and on and on and on.

This is the age of technology, and this is the time of knowledge increase.

11. Knowledge has increased. Without any doubt, check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 12. TELEVISION HAS BEEN INVENTED. Until the invention of television, Telstar, satellites, and the Internet, there were prophetic scriptures that just did not make sense. For example, who could ever foresee that the Gospel would be preached to the whole world as foretold in Matthew 24:14? (See ―The Gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth.‖) The following scriptures were puzzling, as well: ―When they [the two witnesses send by God during the Tribulation] finish their testimony, the beast [the Antichrist] that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them [the two witnesses], overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city spiritually which is called Sodom and Egypt [Jerusalem], where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on earth will rejoice over them, make merry and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on earth.‖—Revelation 11:7–10 (NKJV) Revelation goes on to say in verses 11 and 12: ―Now after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them [the two witnesses], and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‗Come up here.‘ And they ascended to heaven [raptured] in a cloud and their enemies saw them.‖ (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The scriptures about the two witnesses are so important that I want to summarize them: 1. Two witnesses will be sent by God during the Tribulation (Revelation 11:3–6) and they will be killed and lie in the street three and a half days.

(Some Bible scholars believe they will be Moses and Enoch, while others believe it will be Moses and Elijah; still others, myself included, believe it will be Enoch and Elijah, both of whom were raptured. To support my personal belief, I cite this scripture in Ecclesiastes 3:1–2: ―To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die‖ [NKJV].)

Revelation 11:3: ―And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand and two hundred days, clothes in sackcloth.‖ (NKJV) Revelation 11:8–9: ―And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city [Jerusalem], which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt [Jerusalem], where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.‖ (NKJV) 2. These two witnesses will be brought back to life and then in front of everyone will be raptured, just as the prepared believers were: ―And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them [the two witnesses], and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud [were raptured]; and their enemies beheld them.‖—Revelation 11:11–12 (NKJV) 3. These events will be witnessed by the entire world, simultaneously: ―And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half . . .‖—Revelation 11:9 (NKJV) This simultaneous viewing of these events worldwide is very significant because of the inference of the use of technology. Only in this last century have we enjoyed the global news coverage by which this event could be broadcast instantaneously and simultaneously to the whole world.

Fox News and CNN trucks and vans will most likely be there with their best and brightest correspondents covering this awesome event. No doubt, there will be minute-by-minute coverage of all of this, and the world will be absolutely glued to their TV sets.

Once these two men are raptured and the world watches this event, the Rapture of the Church will finally have credence, and many will turn to Christ. As great as it will be to see so many begin to believe the Rapture was real and the prophecy is true and sure, how much better would it have been had they headed the warnings ahead of time, because what comes next is beyond even the author Stephen King‘s imaginations of horror.

12. Television has been invented, thus making possible the fulfillment of many prophetic scriptures. Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 13. NUCLEAR POWER HAS BEEN INVENTED. ―And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet. Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.‖ —Zechariah 14:12 (NKJV) The prophet Zechariah presents in this scripture a perfect picture of a nuclear explosion.

Besides offering us more proof of God‘s love for Jerusalem, I believe Zechariah, 2,900 years ago, gave us a perfect biblical description of what has happened and will happen to human beings during a nuclear explosion.

Certainly, there were no weapons that could have caused this kind of human waste when the prophet penned these words.

Remember, too, a hundred years ago people were fighting with cannons and guns that required loading with gunpowder. However, after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, only bones were left, and the bombs used before were like fizzling, half-wet firecrackers compared to the thermonuclear warfare that followed.

Are we living in a time when nuclear weapons could be used? Turn on the news! This is easily discerned. Russia is supplying nuclear material to Iran. Iran is a wink and a nod away from having enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb or creating nuclear missiles capable of reaching Europe. Remember, Iran‘s leader said he wants to ―wipe Israel off the 125

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE map.‖ ―Clearly,‖ says Dr. Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries, ―a nuclear Iran is a death threat to Israel.‖ North Korea, which recently joined the ranks of nuclear-armed nations, is yet another ticking time bomb in the race to produce nuclear warheads.

Dr. Ed Hindson reports in the News in Light of the Bible Prophetic News Letter (August 2009): ―North Korea reportedly has some 8,000 spent fuel rods which, if reprocessed, could be turned to 13 to 18 pounds of plutonium—sufficient for one nuclear bomb. The North also is believed to have enough plutonium for six or more atomic bombs, and is also producing enriched uranium to produce missile material for nuclear warheads.‖ Tensions are mounting in the Middle East. ―A vast majority (66 percent) of Israelis said they would support military action if diplomatic and economic efforts failed to get Iran to stop uranium enrichment, and of that 66 percent, 75 percent would support this action even if the Obama administration were opposed,‖ reports Prophecy News Watch (May 6, 2009). The site further states: ―The Taliban‘s recent advances in Pakistan are intensifying concern about whether [that country‘s] nuclear arsenal is safe from terrorists.‖ This is ominous news as many believe the next 9/11 event will originate with the newer version of the Taliban in Pakistan.

Graham Allison, author of Nuclear Showdown and a leading analyst of U.S. national security and defense, has said that 51 percent of the people surveyed believe that if the United States, Russia, and North Korea stay on the same path, a nuclear attack on a U.S. city could occur in this decade,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE even tomorrow. Noted scholar Dr. Grant Jeffrey further reports that formerly there was a universal repugnance toward the use of chemical weapons; now, most major world powers, as well as many smaller countries, have a stockpile of these weapons in case they are needed in the future.

We indeed are living in the most perilous time in history. This is a world where mankind is now capable of blowing itself to smithereens or, as some would say, ―to kingdom come.‖ Oh, there is a Kingdom that will come, all right, but that will not be the end of the world. The Bible clearly says this is a ―world without end,‖ and Jesus will come back to stop the insanity before the world is completely eradicated.

13. Nuclear power has been invented and makes possible the fulfillment of Zechariah 14:12. Check!

14. THE AUTOMOBLIE AND THE AIRPLANE HAVE BEEN INVENTED. We cited Daniel 12:4 in reference to the knowledge explosion (see ―Knowledge is exploding‖), but there is something else mentioned in this scripture. Daniel is told that ―many shall run to and fro.‖ This, like many other Bible prophecies, was difficult to imagine with horses and camels, the main means of transportation when these scriptures were written: † ―Like birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.

Defending, He will also deliver it. Passing over, he will preserve it.‖—Isaiah 31:5 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † ―Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their roots?‖— Isaiah 60:8 (NKJV) Key words in these scriptures are ―like birds flying‖ and ―these who fly like a cloud.‖ Isaiah, centuries and centuries ago, described airplanes!

Airports are not only busy, they are hectic, as record numbers of people use air travel to ―go to and fro.‖ As airline companies lower their rates to compete for business, and the low-fare, no-frills airlines offer even lower, more affordable rates, what was once a means of travel for the economically advantaged is now a reality for nearly everyone.

Most households today have more than one automobile. Three-car garages are the norm in many newly built homes. People are living fastpaced lives, and many jobs require traveling.

When people traveled by horseback, they traveled at six miles per hour; when they traveled by train, it was sixty miles per hour. Now, by airplane, people move at 600 miles per hour. And there is talk of super jets that will fly at 6,000 miles per hour. Flights to the moon will be a real possibility before too long, even if limited to the very rich. Now, this is what I call running ―to and fro‖ and will make flying to Europe in three hours seem like traveling by turtleback.

14. The automobile and jet have been invented. Check!

15. TEMPLE PLANS ARE READIED IN ISRAEL.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE It is abundantly clear in scripture that the Temple will be rebuilt! How could this be? The site of the Temple is now occupied by the Gold Dome (alAqsa Mosque) and is Islam‘s third holiest site. I will leave the how to God. This rebuilding of the Temple is a great source of concern for the Islamic Movement in Israel, an Israeli Arab group. Gil Ronen, a writer for the news outlet Arutz Sheva (www.israelnationalnews.com), provides an insight into this concern: ―Sheikh Raad Salah, leader of the Northern Wing of the Islamic Movement in Israel, believes Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu will try to rebuild the Jewish Temple.‖ Ronen continues, ―The solution to ‗the threat against Jerusalem,‘ according to Salah, is a complete mobilization of the Arab world, including the religious imams, who need to act and ‗recruit the masses.‘ He asked Muslim scholars to pronounce edits that will force ‗the Muslim nation and its leaders to confront their duty towards the problem of Jerusalem and Al Aqsa.‘‖ Consider the headline ―Third Temple preparations begin with priestly garb‖ and these words from an article in the Jerusalem Post on July 1, 2008: ―On Monday, the Temple Institute started preparing to build a Third Temple on Jerusalem‘s Mount Moriah, the site of the Dome of the Rock and the Aksa mosque, by inaugurating a workshop that manufactures priestly garments.‖ The article continues, ―Approximately one-third of the commandments in the Torah cannot be accomplished without a temple, including the obligations of the Kohanim [Kohans, the priestly tribe].‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I offer you biblical proof that the Temple will be rebuilt in the following scriptures: † Ezekiel 24:21—The Temple will be profaned. † Daniel 9:27—The Antichrist will put an end to animal sacrifice that takes place in the Temple. † Matthew 24:15—The ―abomination of desolation‖ (the Antichrist declares that he is God) will occur in the ―holy place‖ (the Temple). † Mark 13:14—The ―abomination of desolation‖ will stand where it ought not (the Temple). † Revelation 11:1–2—John the Revelator is told to measure the future Temple.

History of the Temple: 1. The Tabernacle (Moses) 2. The first Temple (built by King Solomon nearly 3,000 years ago) 3. Destruction of first Temple (by the Babylonians, 420 years later) 4. Second Temple (built by Zerubbabel, a Persian emperor, after a period of Jewish exile in Babylon) 5. Expansions and renovations to the second Temple (Herod) 6. Destruction of second Temple (by the Romans, 410 years later in 70 A.D. 7. No Temple since 70 A.D. After the first destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians, the Jews were sent into exile. After the destruction of the second Temple, the Jews

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE began the period of time known as the Diaspora. These two periods of time are central to Jewish history.

On my many trips to Israel, I have seen with my own eyes many of the Temple‘s implements: musical instruments, clothing, and other equipment needed for worship. It is reported by www.prophecynews.co.uk that ―Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute has announced the completion of the manufacture of two golden sensors.‖ This site also reports that the Temple Institute has completed the ―Golden Manorah . . . the Keter for the Laver, the priestly garments, the golden crown and the blue ephod for the High Priest . . . [and] two new golden bezichin—frankincense vessels.‖ Everything has been made to exact Biblical specifications given in the Torah (the first five books of our gentile Bible). A group called the Temple Mount Faithful has attempted to lay the cornerstone of the Temple in Jerusalem and have a museum in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, where the completed Temple implements are on display.

After twelve years of debate, Jewish leaders have finally agreed upon the twelve stones needed for the breastplate of the Temple Priests. The Levites, the tribe of the Temple priests (see ―The Levites are being located and positively identified by DNA‖), are practicing animal sacrifice in preparation for Temple worship. The Sanhedrin has been reconvened for the first time in 2,000 years (see ―The Sanhedrin has returned‖). The red heifer and the Mediterranean sea snail are back (see ―The red heifer is back‖ and ―The Mediterranean sea snail has returned‖).

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE For over 1,900 years, three times a day, daily Jewish prayer services have included a prayer for the rebuilding of the Temple. According to the Jerusalem Post, the majority of people in Israel think the Temple should be rebuilt. This is interesting since the majority of Jews in Israel are not Torah (orthodox) Jews.

The Jerusalem Post article ―Who will authorize the rebuilding of the Third Temple—the Islamic Mahdi, the Sanhedrin or a Prophet?‖ said in part: ―A new Jewish interfaith initiative [God‘s Holy Mountain Vision] launched last week argues building the Third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem would not necessitate the destruction of the Dome of the Rock.‖ I have heard all kinds of speculation as to just how this Temple can be rebuilt, but for now they are just that: speculations. God says the Temple will be rebuilt, and I believe Him. I will leave the how to Him, but one thing is certain: 15. Temple plans are being readied in Israel. Check!

16.

THE RED HEIFER IS BACK. ―. . . bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed.‖ —Numbers 19:2 (NASB)

As you continue reading in Numbers 19, you see the intentions for this red heifer in verses 3 through 7. The heifer is brought to and slaughtered in front of the high priest. Some of the blood is sprinkled toward the front of

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE the Temple seven times, which represents ―spiritual perfection.‖ The heifer is burned completely in full sight of the high priest. This procedure is absolutely necessary to purify the Temple; without Temple purification, there can be no Temple worship. ―I will take you from all the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean.‖—Ezekiel 36:24–25 (NASB) The only way for this water to be clean is if it is mixed with the ashes of the red heifer (Numbers 19:10).

God says that in the future, He will sprinkle clean water on His people. So, another red heifer will be required—a kosher one, if you will.

The birth of a red heifer is an extremely rare event. Furthermore, to find a perfect red heifer with no blemish enters the ―realm of miracles.‖ The similarities between the red heifer and Jesus Christ are easily seen.

The heifer should be ―unblemished in which is no defect‖ (Christ was sinless) and the heifer can never have had a yoke put on it (Christ was not bound to this world). Before Christ‘s death on the cross and resurrection into Heaven, the heifer was necessary for cleansing from sin; however, after Christ shed His blood for you and me, he became our purification, and He alone can cleanse us from our sin. The red heifer was for ―outward‖ cleansing; Jesus is our ―inner‖ cleansing.

The red heifer disappeared in 70 A.D. However, it has been genetically reengineered. In 2002, in the village of Kfar Hasidim, Israel, a red heifer named Melody grazed peacefully. She had only a few imperfections: a few

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE dark hairs. And, while Melody‘s imperfections disqualified her as the red heifer, her existence was disturbing to many. It has been reported that some have put out ―contracts‖ on Melody because Jews and Arabs in the Middle East readily know the ramifications of her existence.

A report from www.prophecynews.co.uk says, ―The Temple Institute claims to have cracked the DNA code for producing a pure red heifer, so perhaps this will not prove to be such an insurmountable problem.‖ Upon reading this report, I can only think, Holy cow!

There are reports of red cows being bred in Sweden, Switzerland, Texas, and Mississippi. It is my opinion that the red heifer does not need to be reengineered as God always provided one supernaturally when one was needed for Temple and water purification. Moses processed the very first one, and Ezra processed the first one for the second Temple. After that, there were seven more used for ashes with the second Temple, bringing the total number to nine. The tenth qualified red heifer will have a very special purpose—the cleansing of the newly built Temple in Jerusalem!

16. The red heifer is back. Check!

17. THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA SANIL HAS RETURNED. When the Temple is rebuilt, exact specifications have to be met, and this includes the blue or red-purple dye (tekhelet) that was used for dying Temple garments. These dyes were also used to color the robes of kings and

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE princes; wearing a robe dyed with this tekhelet dye was the same as identifying oneself with royalty.

This dye was only found in the gland of a certain kind of Mediterranean sea snail22 (chilazon), which, by the way, disappeared after the Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews in 70 AD.) and was only rediscovered in the nineteenth century by some fishermen who were fishing in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Bible Resource Center, the Greeks referred to the area of Phoenicia or this specific area of Canaan (Israel) as ―phoenix,‖ which in Greek meant ―red-purple‖ specifically because of this sea snail.

In the Bible, we learn about Lydia, a seller of purple (Acts 16:14). She was a wealthy woman. Why? Because this purple dye could only be extracted from this tiny little snail found in the Mediterranean Sea. It takes 12,000 of these snails to get enough dye to fill a thimble. Because these snails were so rare, they were worth their weight in gold. A pound of dyed wool would be worth about $36,000 in today‘s dollars, according to Jack Van Impe. When Israel was conquered in 683 B.C., the secret of the tekhelet was lost and the process forgotten.

As I mentioned, this sea snail has been recently discovered again in the Mediterranean, but even more prophetically amazing, the formula for producing this dye has been recreated. I have seen this dye myself in a museum in Israel where the other Temple necessities are being displayed (See ―Temple plans are being readied in Israel!‖).

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 17. The Mediterranean sea snails have returned. Check!

18. THE GRIFFIN VULTURES ARE RETUNING TO ISRAEL. Birds in Israel are nothing new. As a matter of fact, Israel is the bird migration capital of the world. According to Alan Horvath, a singer/songwriter, guitarist, and music producer (www.alanhorvath.com), a half-million to 1.5 million birds fly over Israel each spring. In the fall, bird migrations can be an estimated 1 million to 4 million and include up to thirty-four species of raptors.

Vultures are raptors (birds of prey) and enjoy a bloody feast of carrion. It is very difficult for vultures to multiply as they lay only one egg a year. So, why is the return of the Griffin vulture of interest? Let‘s read Ezekiel 39:4 to find out: ―You [the army of Gog and Magog—Russia—and those who come with them from the nations in the south to attack Israel] shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the people who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.‖ The Bible says in Ezekiel 39:2 that the five-sixths part of this invading army will die and there will be bodies everywhere. This is when these magnificent creatures come in to tidy up the place.

The Griffin vulture is an awesome, enormous bird. When my guide in Israel, a believer in ―the Book‖ (Jewish people in Israel refer to the Bible as

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE the Book), spotted a Griffin vulture, he exuberantly pointed it out to everyone. Someday, someone is going to ring the dinner bell in Israel, and the Griffin vulture will be just in time for dinner.

Why then would a sixth part of this invading army be left alive? I believe it is so they can return home and personally attest to the protective God of Israel.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, after reading about red heifers, sea snails, and vultures, that I am stretching things a bit with the reasons. And, if this were all the evidence that showed we are in the End Times, I would absolutely agree with you. But remember, these signs are just complementary to all the other bigger and more obvious signs spoken about

by Jesus and the prophets. They are worthy of our attention in order to see the whole picture.

18. The Griffin vultures are returning to Israel. Check!

19. THE LEVITES ARE BEING LOCATED AND IDENTIFIED BY DNA. Who are the Levites and why is important for them to be located and identified? The Levites are the priestly tribe of Jews. Their job is to take care of the Temple and Temple business (Numbers 18:1 and Deuteronomy 18:1). In the past, they were exempt from fighting, and thus they did not receive tribal territory. Their compensation came from Temple tithes (the twelve tribes of Israel include Dan, Asher, Nephtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulon, and Gad). Levi was

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE indeed one of the two sons of Jacob for whom the tribes were named; however, because the Levites served as priests, Joseph‘s portion was divided between his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, bringing the total once more to twelve.

These Levites, members of the Hohanim priesthood (Kohens or Cohens), have been miraculously and carefully preserved by God for thousands of years—especially since the Temple was burned in 70 A.D. They have been required to stay ritually pure. They are to abstain from marriage to a divorcee, from touching a corpse, or from any other activity that would render them unclean, according to Steven Hunt in a 1997 article on Grant Jeffrey‘s website (www.grantjeffrey.com).

The original high priest was Moses‘ brother, Aaron (Numbers 3:32). A Levite man could only become a priest if his father had been a priest. This was done in the past by oral tradition; however, now with DNA technology, these men can be positively identified. Each male member of the Levite tribe has unique DNA, which is different from the rest of the male Jewish population. Genetic biologists from the Israel Institute of Technology, University College of London, and the University of Arizona have been working on this project to identify the Kohens or Cohens. According to Dr. Grant Jeffrey, there is very strong evidence that these men are descended from one man: Aaron.

The Y chromosome that is unique to this tribe can only be passed on from father to son. There are an estimated 350,000 males, roughly 5

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE percent of the male Jewish population, who are identified as Levites. These men are being identified; they are in a computer, and many of them are in Israel now, preparing for the priesthood!

God‘s intentions are that these men and only these men will be the priests in the Temple when it is rebuilt (see ―Temple plans are readied in Israel‖). This is, to me, further, absolute proof of God‘s divine plan for Israel and the Temple.

19. The Levites are being located and identified by DNA. Check!

20. THE SANHEDRIN HAS RETURNED. Going hand in hand with the Temple plans being readied in Israel, the return of the red heifer, the return of the Mediterranean Sea snail, the arrival of the Griffin vultures to Israel, and the identification of the Levites is the fact that, after thousands of years, the Jewish Supreme Court (the Sanhedrin) has been reconvened in Israel. The Sanhedrin was not only the highest court system, but it served as the legislature in Talmudic times, as well. In 2005, Greg Wolf reported in the Jerusalem Post the following: † The Sanhedrin was reconvened in Tiberius in 2004. † It is only the second time in the past 1,600 years. † This is an exact duplicate of the Sanhedrin that existed in the time o Jesus. † In a unique ceremony, seventy-one rabbis received special rabbinic ordination.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † Each of the seventy-one rabbis has agreed to step down when and if greater Jewish scholars are found per their tradition. † Rabbi Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz) was named president of the Sanhedrin. † The Sanhedrin will convene monthly and issue rulings on central issues. † On November 29, 2004, the Talmud was read. † The Sanhedrin discussed at length the creation of a Jewish monarch, a king. † Rabbi Yosef Dagan was identified as closest in the lineage of King David.

Now, to say the entire Jewish population is behind this reconvening of the Sanhedrin would be a gross exaggeration. So far, recognition is coming only from a small group of Orthodox Jews. But they are undeterred in trying to fulfill full halachic (Jewish legal) requirements for the purpose of renewing authentic semicha (rabbinic ordination passed down from Moses), according to Prophecy News Watch (www.prophecynewswatch.com).

Sanhedrin members commonly believe it will take time to position the group, especially in light of the present delicate political climate in Israel. But make no mistake about it—discussions are under way concerning the site and plans for rebuilding the Temple.

Moses (the Tabernacle), King Solomon (first Temple), and Zerubbabel (second Temple) built the first places of worship to Jehovah, and now the newly reconvened Sanhedrin discusses plans for a third Temple and a king! I believe the Sanhedrin will have the Temple ready just in time for the return of the King of Kings!

20. The Sanhedrin has returned. Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 21. Wars and rumors of wars abound, and kingdoms are rising up against kingdoms. ―And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of war: See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.‖ —Matthew 24:6–7 (KJV) Wars are certainly nothing new and have been a part of society forever.

But let us take a look at the fact that more people have been killed in warfare in this century than in any other time in history, according to End Time Prophecy (www.endtimeprophecy.net). And it is not war as usual anymore. Remember, just 100 years ago men used to fight with muskets and cannons. The weapons of warfare today are capable of destruction on a mass level and include biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.

According to Hal Lindsey#, ―kingdom against kingdom‖ is more accurately described as ethnic group against ethnic group or religion versus religion.

Sound familiar? Our world is divided between factions of ethnic and religious extremists. Many would argue that, because of the worldwide unrest and the global proliferation of nuclear weapons, we are poised for World War III. The divide between extremist Muslims (Wahabis) one one side and Jews and Christians on the other is broader than ever, and the role of the prophesied Antichrist as the ―peacemaker‖ is apparent.

Not only are we on the brink of the Rapture, but the world also appears driven to the brink of self-destruction. However, even a novice student of

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE prophecy can see that this is a world without end because Jesus Christ will put a stop to the madness and mayhem mankind has created. After the Tribulation, the world will be in need of a big remodeling job, but certainly not a recreation.

It is important to point out here that many wrongly consider Israel to be the main perpetrator and architect of all this world unrest. It is very easy to see how Israel could become the target of the world as all nations on earth gather against her. (See ―Israel is becoming the burdensome stone of the world‖). Dr. Joe Van Koevering (of God‘s News Behind the News) reported that many politicians in Washington today follow the premise of the book The Israel Lobby, by John Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, who says the greatest flaw in American foreign policy is our continued support of Israel.

One other point to consider in this prophetic passage of scripture (Matthew 24:6) is the use of the word ―rumours,‖ which implies reporting of some sort. The needed technology, which would allow the media to report instantaneously any unrest anywhere in the world, is without doubt not only essential, but also readily available (see ―Television has been invented‖).

Let us also remember Jesus‘ words, ―See that you are not troubled.‖ There is no need to worry when you see these wars and rumors of wars if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. These signs, He tells us, must take

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE place, and they are evidence of a God who is in control and who will protect you. ―Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears, let the weak say, I am strong.‖ —Joel 3:9–10 21. Wars and rumors of war abound and kingdoms are rising up against kingdoms. Check!

22. FAMINES, PESTILENCES, EARTHQUAKES, AND FEARFUL AND

GREATR SIGNS FROM HEAVEN ARE INITIATING THE END TIME BIRTH PANGS. There are three chapters in the Bible (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 22) that are considered ―sister chapters‖ because they all deal with the conditions on the earth just prior to the return of Christ. They are worthy of careful study by those studying Bible prophecy, particularly the novice student. As we turn to these sister chapters to consider famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and fearful and great signs from heaven, we see that Jesus himself describes for us the signs that will signal the beginning of the Last Days. Here are His words:

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † ― . . . and, there will be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers [various] places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.‖— Matthew 24:7–8 (KJV)

† ― . . . and there shall be earthquakes in divers [various] places, and there shall be famines and troubles; these are the beginning of sorrows.‖—Mark 13:8 (KJV)

† ― . . . and great earthquakes shall be in various places, and famines, and pestilences: and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.‖—Luke 21:11 (KJV) Please keep in mind that Jesus says in Matthew 24:8 that these are ―but (just) the beginning of sorrows,‖ or ―horrors,‖ as they are translated in the Living Bible.

Famines The following headlines, taken from the Internet, paint a picture of famine in our time due to overpopulation and weather (you can find many more headlines if you take the time to surf the Internet, watch television news programs, read newspapers, listen to the radio, or subscribe to Christian newsletters, which I strongly urge all my classes to do): † ―Ethiopia Experiences Drought and Famine‖ † ―Ethiopia‘s New Famine: ‗A Ticking Time Bomb‘‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † ―A Large Portion of the World‘s 6 Billion People Are Undernourished, Especially in Africa‖ † ―Famine in Africa: World Looks Away‖ † ―U.N.: One Million People at Risk in Darfur― † ―Swarms of Locust Devour Crops in Africa‖ † ―‗The World Is Turning to Dust,‘ Says the UN‖ † ―Australia Has Worst Drought in History‖ † ―2,000 March to Niger to Demand Free Food After Drought and Locust In Africa‖ † ―One Million People Exposed to Hunger in Mali‖ † ―Food Crisis Hits Mozambique As Drought Continues‖ † ―Food Runs Out for 6 Million in North Korea‖ † ―World Hunger Situation Worsening‖ † ―Egypt Fears Bread Shortage‖ † ―Drought in Oklahoma and Texas‖ † ―2 Million Children Die of Starvation Worldwide‖ † ―Global Warming to Hit Africa Hard‖ Indeed, famine has been a part of the landscape in places like Africa, China, India, North Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Russia in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and this critical lack of food could well lead to even more warfare as countries become desperate to feed their people (see ―Wars and rumors of war abound and kingdoms are rising up against kingdoms‖).

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Pestilences (Diseases) Let us now turn our attention to pestilences. Make note of how many of these diseases stem from animals and insects, as the Bible prophesizes will occur during the Tribulation in the following scripture verse ending with the words, ―with death, and by the beast of the fields‖: ―When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‗Come and see.‘ So, I looked and behold, a pale [sickly] horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth [a pandemic], to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beast of the fields.‖—Revelation 6:7–8

Listed below are just some of the diseases carried ―by the beast of the fields‖: † Swine flu—pigs (H1N1) † AIDS—monkeys † Avian flu—birds (H5N1) † Lyme disease—fleas and ticks from deer † SARS—chickens and ducks † Mad cow disease—cows † African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)—tsetse fly † Malaria—mosquito

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † Salmonella—poultry, eggs † Heavy metal poisoning—fish ―Infectious diseases once thought to have been vanquished by vaccines and antibiotics are ‗reemerging as a serious health threat both in the United States and worldwide,‘‖ researchers reported in 2009 at an American Medical Association press conference in Washington, D.C. Ebola, HIV, hantavirus, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria serve as reminders that microbes remain a menacing force. A new study of death certificates shows that, from 1980 to 1992, death from infectious disease increased by 58 percent (Science Review, January 1996).

Here are just a few of the latest breaking medical headlines found on the Internet and reported on network/cable news programs: † ―Ebola and SARS—No Known Cure!‖ † ―TB Morphing Into New Forms‖ † ―Polio Morphing Into New Forms‖ † ―Cancer on the Rise‖ † ―World Health Organization Raises Swine Flu to Level 6‖ † ―Pandemic of HIV Expected‖ † ―New Strains of Cholera Found‖ † ―U.S. Mumps Outbreak Grows‖

Especially dominating the news today is the ―swine flu‖ strain, H1N1, which had its origins in Mexico. Reuters (www.reuters.com) calls H1N1 ―a

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE strain of flu never seen before.‖ This flu is not just a threat; it is described as a disease we may be able to delay or restrain to some degree, but not as one we believe we can stop. The fear is that this virus will continue to mutate, even after it has mutated from animals to humans. BBC News (www.news.bbc.co.uk) reported: ―The swine flu virus first detected in Mexico can no longer be contained and countries should focus on mitigating its effects, a top UN official said.‖ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports: ―On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is under way and is the highest level of alert.‖ At the time this book went to press, more than 70 countries had reported cases of human infection of H1N1 swine flu. The number had been increasing over recent weeks, but many of the cases reportedly were linked to travel or were localized outbreaks that hadn‘t spread in their communities. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflected the fact that there were ongoing community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of world. WHO‘s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus (http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/).

In the United States alone, at least 46 states have reported widespread activity. This is an overwhelming scenario as we envision the collapse of our

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE health care and emergency systems, our travel industry, and even our economy. And, to add insult to injury, there is nowhere near enough flu vaccine to immunize the world against this disease.

The Guardian.co.uk reports: ―The swine flu virus will affect a third of the world‘s population if it continues to spread at its current rate, scientists warned.‖ Regarding AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), the WHO reports that AIDS is spreading, and not just in underdeveloped countries, but in China, as well. The WHO spotlights the spread of AIDS also in Malaysia and Vietnam. According to Dr. Jack Van Impe‘s ―Intelligence Briefing,‖ there are more than 40 million people today who have AIDS. Bird flu appears to be less deadly now; however Dr. Jack Van Impe in his June 2009 ―Intelligence Briefing‖ newsletter pointed to a report from Britain‘s The Independent (www.independent.co.uk): ―First the good news: bird flu is becoming less deadly. Now the bad: scientists fear that this is the very thing that could make the virus able to cause a pandemic that would kill hundreds of millions of people.‖ Van Impe continued that the WHO is concerned that the fact this disease is only showing up in children may be the very sign that adults are ―symptomless‖ carriers of this disease. The WHO planned to begin an investigation of this beginning in summer 2009, Van Impe reported.

Little has been said lately about mad cow disease. It appears as though this disease, which captivated the news in years past, is no longer on the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE health alert scope. However, Van Impe reported in the April 2009 edition of his newsletter that mad cow disease does continue in the news. According to the London Daily Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk), ―The first case of a person being infected with the human form of mad cow disease after receiving contaminated blood plasma has been identified by scientists.‖

Earthquakes ―Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth [angry].‖ —Psalms 18:7 The Christian Geology Ministry‘s website (www.christiangeology.com) reports that the earth‘s crust is divided into about twelve major plates that are constantly shifting, producing earthquakes and volcanic activity on every continent. Further, the article says that earthquakes ―happen all across the Earth every day, and the yearly averages of quake activity have remained fairly constant for many decades.‖ The manuscript A Geological and Biblical Perspective by Steve A. Austin, chairman of the geology department at the Institute for Creation Research in Santee, California, and Mark L. Strauss, an associate professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego in San Diego, California, basically agrees with the previous statement.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE However, figures found at www.earth.webecsuk/index.htm in an article

by R. Webb titled, ―Earthquakes: What Are the Long Term Trends,‖ indicate that indeed there is a growth in the intensity of earthquakes: Dates

Period

6.99 on Richter

1863–1900

38 yrs.

12

1901–1938

38 yrs.

53

1939–1976

38 yrs.

71

1977–2014

38 yrs.

136 to date*

* Projected for this period—180.

Webb further stated in this article, ―This is more than a sixfold increase on the previous similar period and is a stark increase on any earlier decades in this century, too.‖ Many argue that the figures indicating a higher frequency of earthquakes are due to more sophisticated equipment and an increase in the number of stations available to measure earthquakes in the last century. This alone would allow us to detect smaller earthquakes that were before undetectable.

There appears to be a difference of opinion among prophecy scholars as to whether earthquakes are increasing in number and intensity or whether this is even relevant. I personally believe that whether there are more earthquakes now or whether these earthquakes are increasing in intensity is not the relevant issue. I believe the issue is whether the signs Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:7–8, Mark 13:8, and Luke 21:11 (famines,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE pestilences, and earthquakes) are present and accompanied by all the other signs Jesus said would occur on earth just prior to His return. By all accounts, there is no doubt these signs are present today.

But we still need to deal with the words ―divers places.‖ Are earthquakes occurring around the globe—in divers (various) locations?

According to www.biblelight.org and earthquake data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) over the last 50 years (my generation), the earthquakes since 1990 not only have been worldwide, they have also been very deadly. More than 1 million people have lost their lives to earthquakes, without even taking into account the untold monetary damage. The following chart is a review of just a few earthquake fatalities from 1990 to 2009: Date

Location

Deaths

April 2009

Central Italy (6.3)

227

May 2009 Tonga

Region (7.6)

unknown*

February 2009

Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia (7.2

unknown*

January 2009

E. of Kuril Islands (7.4)

unknown*

December 2008

Indonesia (7.6)

unknown*

March 2005

Messina, Sicily (7.5)

85,000

December 2004

Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

December 2004

Indian Ocean

December 2003

Iran

May 2003

Algeria

1,313 283,106 31,000 1,000

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE January 2001

India

300,000

January 2001

El Salvador

August 1999

Izmit, Turkey (7.8)

March 1998

Afghanistan

3,500

May 1998

Afghanistan

4,000

September 1999

Taiwan

2,500

January 1995

Kobe, Japan

5,530

August 1993

India

22,000

September 1993

India

9,748

June 1990

Iran

50,000

May 1990

Chimbote, Peru

50,000

1,000 40,000

* The total number of deaths has not yet been determined for the more recent earthquakes.

According to data provided by the USGS, several million earthquakes occur in the world each year. Many go undetected because they hit remote areas or have very small magnitudes.

We are all certainly aware of the 2005 earthquake in the Indian Ocean, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale,24 that spawned a tidal wave that killed more than 250,000 people in Indonesia. That was the year we all learned to spell the word ―tsunami‖ as we read about the giant wave that hit with the force of over 1,000 hydrogen bombs. This calamitous occurrence caused Sumatra to move 100 feet to the southwest. The earth moved 2.5

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE centimeters, and it is estimated to have shortened the day by 2.68 microseconds. ―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 Coastlines that were once lush became brown as ―the sea and the waves‖ roared, up to four miles inland at some points. These giant waves set oceans all over the world in motion and thus became a global event. It also triggered earthquakes as far away as Alaska. Recent earthquakes in Pakistan ended with more than 70,000 people reported dead. In 2009, an earthquake in Italy proved to us once again that earthquakes are indeed occurring in ―divers places.‖ The United States is not exempt from earthquakes; the History Channel program ―Earthquakes in the Heartland‖ reported some startling information about a ―looming Midwestern quake.‖ A series of quakes from 1811 to 1812 in Missouri‘s New Madrid Zone (149 miles long covering eight states), produced over 2,000 quakes and aftershocks that resulted in the following: † Lakes were sucked dry. † The Mississippi flowed backward (due to being dammed up by various kinds of debris). † Sulfur gases filled the air.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † Geysers of sand, called sand blows, erupted. (Some were 100 feet high.) † Popping lights were reported in the sky. † 3,000 miles of real estate subsided by up to 10 feet.

Susan Hough, a USGS seismologist, noted that people thought the ―hand of God‖ had come down and were terror stricken.

From 1811 to 2003, earthquakes in the United States with magnitudes of 7.0 or greater have occurred in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington. Now, what is the correlation of these past quakes to the future? According to ―Earthquakes in the Heartland,‖ there are small rumblings of the New Madrid fault that warn us of disaster to come. The program put forward these facts and suppositions for the future: † Past quakes were a ―dress rehearsal for the future.‖ † The geological clock is ticking. † It is just a matter of time for the next series of shakes. † America is not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude. † It is not a matter of if these quakes will occur, but when. † Time is running out to prepare. † It will seem as if the whole world is falling apart. † Massive earthquakes in eight states are waiting and getting ready. † The chance of 6.0 or greater quakes here is 25 percent to 40 percent.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † There could be an estimated five-figure death toll (from 20,000 to 80,000). † The economic toll could reach a trillion dollars. † There will be a terrorized population. † Those who survive will experience great upheaval.

Earthquakes can also be an indication of something more subtle; Prophecy News Watch (www.prophecynewswatch.com) cites a report from the India Times: ―Following the recent spate of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the Far East, scientists are now convinced that a polarity shift of the Earth‘s magnetic poles will take place in 2012, giving the North pole the polarity of the South pole and vice versa. At the same time the sun will also experience a polar reversal. This shift will produce even greater occurrences of massive quakes and volcanic eruptions of a scale that actually cause a massive continental shift.‖ The article goes on to say there has been an 88 percent increase in underwater quakes and a 62 percent increase in continental earthquakes as these polar shifts progress. This would add credence to scholars who teach that earthquakes will be increasing in numbers.

Fearful Sights and Great Signs From Heaven Weather has dominated the news, and pundits disagree about the causes of the changing weather patterns worldwide. You know the old saying that

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE everybody is always talking about the weather, but nobody is ever doing anything about it? God is doing something about the weather!

These are a few comments I recorded describing the weather on local and national news programs that scream out at us: ―Unprecedented weather is occurring throughout the world.‖ ―There should be doves with branches in their mouths as soon as this flooding subsides in the Northeast.‖ ―Record-breaking weather today!‖ ―Violent weather is sweeping the country.‖ ―The rain is almost biblical (Midwest flooding)!‖ ―Torrential rain is pounding in the Northeast, flooding in Newark.‖ ―Worst flooding in Massachusetts since 1936!‖ ―So many of our controls are now uncontrollable.‖ ―Tornados in Georgia, wildfires in Oregon and California. What‘s next, frogs and locusts?‖ ―Very dangerous, very volatile weather to report today.‖ ―Snow up north, very rare in the month of May.‖ ―Killer tornados ripping up Texas.‖ ―This is going to be a problematic spring.‖ ―Deadly, massive storms hit eight states in the Midwest, thirty dead.‖ ―We have severe weather of biblical proportions to report to you today.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―Why are we seeing so much unusual weather?‖ ―Hundreds of tornadoes have hit us, more than usual.‖ ―Yesterday‘s tornadoes tossed vehicles in the air as if they were shingles off a roof.‖ ―Unusual record-setting weather patterns are seen worldwide.‖ ―Forest fires, earthquakes, tornadoes. You name it, Mother Nature has it. What gives?‖ ―Have you noticed that the weather ain‘t what it used to be?‖ ―Nowhere safe as the planet is going haywire.‖ ―Earthquakes hits Pakistan, over 70,000 dead!‖ ―Typhoon in Chanchu, China.‖ ―Unseasonable weather today!‖ ―It ain‘t normal weather patterns!‖ ―Wicked weather today!‖ ―We broke several records yesterday!‖ Solar flares (explosions in the solar system) are escalating and a severe solar storm could happen any time, according to Prophecy News Watch (www.prophecynewswatch.com). The solar maximum, a period of greatest solar activity, is the strongest in eleven years. The collapse of the earth‘s magnetic field is being studied. Killer asteroids are predicted.

Famines, pestilences, earthquakes, fearful and great signs in the heavens—all are the subject of worldwide disastrous events in the news.

According to ―Intelligence Briefing‖ from Jack Van Impe Ministries, a UN

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Disaster Agency source reports that we are facing more disasters with more people dead. † 1990: 260 national weather-related disasters, 50,000 dead † 2003: 337 national disasters, 80,000 dead

―Mega Disasters in History,‖ a program aired by the History Channel, issued a WAKE UP call to the Northwest from northern California to southern British Columbia, saying they were in grave danger from the Cascadia subduction zone fault. Here, there are two huge tectonic plates grinding against each other, and the pressure is building up. An earthquake here could unleash the power of 20,000 Hiroshima bombs.

If this happens, a tsunami would be set in motion, causing high-speed flooding that would devour the landscape. This potential tsunami was likened to the 2005 Indian Ocean wave that caused havoc from Indonesia to Thailand (racing at 500 miles per hour on a Sunday in December 2005 over a period of seven hours). One half of Middle America would be affected, and there would be damage in the tens of billions of dollars. This fault was described as ―like a rubber band that is stretched and ready to snap.‖ The last earthquake to hit this region was 300 years ago, and it is due to go off.

There is always a double whammy with these types of earthquakes as they unsettle the ground and make evacuation difficult if not impossible, thus raising the stakes for the potential loss of life. ―And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and in the stars and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring . . .‖ —Luke 21:25 After fifty-five years of naming hurricanes, for the first time ever, all names on the list were expired in 2005 and the National Weather Bureau resorted to using Roman numerals. Many of these hurricanes were disastrous and states affected by hurricanes Rita, Wilma, and Katrina still have not fully recovered.

Some scientists report that global warming will result in a 7 to 10 degree increase in temperature by the year 2100. Ice caps and glaciers are melting.

Wildfires and floods are wreaking havoc everywhere.

Volcanoes are erupting all over the world, most recently in Mexico, Alaska, Iceland, New Zealand, and Mount Merapi in Indonesia. Sitting atop one of the world‘s largest ―super volcanoes‖ is Yellowstone National Park. If there is an eruption there, some have estimated it could be 2,500 times larger than the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption (see ―Major asteroids are predicted‖).

When talking about global weather patterns, words such as ―violent,‖ ―deadly,‖ and ―abnormal‖ have been commonly used over the past few years There have been avalanches in Russia; tornados in Indonesia; extreme cold in Texas; dams breaking in Hawaii due to excessive rain; mudslides in California; whiteout in Pennsylvania as the Northeast experienced a deep freeze; earthquakes in Pakistan; a 4.6 earthquake in Montana; wildfires in

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE California; flooding in Romania; floods in Virginia; a violent storm in the U.S. Northeast (called a ―once in 200 years‖ storm); floods in Houston, Texas, and Toledo, Ohio. And on and on it goes.

Weather agencies are reporting that temperatures are rising all over the world and that we are in for forty years of rising temperatures up to 2047.

The Journal of Science reports that 4 percent of ice at the poles will melt, causing the oceans to rise 19 feet. ―The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.‖ —Joel 2:31 (NKJV) It is noteworthy that during the San Francisco fires of 1914, it was reported that the sun and moon were red.

God not only has placed the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens to give us light, to divide the seasons, and to organize the days, but he also placed them there for signs. We can easily see how weather, geological, and other natural occurrences can cause signs in the sun, moon, and stars. The phenomenon of all natural disasters happening in concert is obvious.

People have raised some valid naturalistic explanations for these phenomena (some listed below), but do not miss the point: even though these statements do have validity, they miss the prophetic relevance, and that is that these ―signs‖ are just that—signs pointing the way to a soonreturning Lord Jesus Christ!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―We had this very same weather pattern in the year (whatever).‖ ―Global warming is responsible for these weather changes.‖ ―We were due for an earth-cleansing cycle.‖ ―Oh, there is a reasonable explanation for all this. It‘s all due to the warm water in the Atlantic Ocean.‖ ―These plagues are nothing new and we are overdue for it.‖ ―Starvation has always been with us and always will. It‘s part of nature.‖ These statements remind us of the person in chapter 1 who probably concluded that, because a lot of blue cars were produced the year of his meeting with his Jewish friend, his acquiring a blue car was logical and therefore not necessarily a ―sign‖ that his friend‘s predictions were valid.

Some people think that just because science has an answer, or has ―figured out‖ how God does something, this could only mean it is not God at all? First of all, man knows only what God has given him the ability to know.

In the second place, Jesus is describing what will happen on earth just before His return, not how he brings it to pass. He said that to signal the end of time, the world would suffer from ―famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and fearful and great signs in the heavens.‖ He said the seas and waves would be roaring. How much more did He need to say? We are in this exact period of time that He prophesied 2,000 year ago would signal the beginning of the end of the age. It is not hard to see how this—―distress

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE of nations, with perplexity‖ (Luke 21:25)—has come to pass and why the world is confounded and wrestles for answers. ―And these are the beginning of the sorrows [horrors] . . .‖ —Matthew 24:8 (LB) Again, it is not just that we are having ―famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places‖ and ―fearful and great signs in the heavens‖ that indicates these are the days spoken about in Bible prophecy; rather, it is that these signs are occurring simultaneously or concurrently with all the other signs. We are watching for the ―signs‖ of His return, and since many biblical scholars believe the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation, we can be assured that His sudden return is soon.

As Dr. Jack Van Impe says at the end of each of his telecasts, ―Calm yourselves for a moment, and remember: God has provided a way of escape for you through His Son Jesus Christ.‖ ―For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.‖ —John 3:16 (NKJV) You are invited to accept Him as your Savior and to watch, pray, and be active in your witness until the time of the Rapture. (See Prayers for Salvation and Rededication at the end of this book.)

22. Famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and fearful and great signs in the heavens are initiating the End Time birth pangs. Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 23. MAJOR ASTEROIDS ARE PREDICTED AND MAKE THE

PROPHECIES OF JOEL AND JOHN THE REVELATOR A CERTAINTY. ―And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.‖ —Joel 2:30–31 (NKJV) Imagine, if you will, this scenario: An object, two times the size of Mount Everest, falls from the sky in Massachusetts at 40,000 miles per hour with the impact of a thousand Hiroshimas, causing fireballs and heat waves that will result in people getting second-degree burns as far as 180 miles away.

Now imagine the wind blowing at 300 miles an hour as earthquakes on the ocean floor register above 9 on the Richter scale. Dozens of tsunamis hit coastal areas with roaring waves as tall as 500 feet and then travel at great speed inland as far as five miles. Forest fires spread across the dry land, creating huge clouds of sulfur that darken the sky and cause temperatures to drop across the globe, affecting the world‘s food supply. There is no doubt civilization will break down and hundreds of millions of people will die. This was the scenario projected on the History Channel‘s program Mega Disasters.

What they were referring to is the devastation caused by asteroids and meteorites as they hit the earth‘s surface. It is projected that such a meteorite could possibly hit the earth by April 13, 2029, or even earlier. If, in fact, the earth dodges this meteorite and it passes though an eye hole

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE (gravitational keyhole) instead, the meteorite would be back for impact with the earth by 2036. This would indeed be a disaster of unparalleled portions. This sounds like pure science fiction, does it not?

In 1995, 800 NEOs (Near-Earth Objects) were discovered (leaving another estimated 300 to 400 waiting to be found), any of which could drop to the earth‘s surface virtually undetected tomorrow, according to Mega Disasters. Many of these asteroids could be in the telescope‘s blind spot, and thus they could hit with little if any warning.

Scientists already know there are 180 craters caused by such meteorite impacts; the largest are in Australia, Canada, and the Sahara Desert. They can tell us about the colossal effects these impacts have had on the earth.

It is a known fact that there are at least 200,000 asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. Some scientists say there are even millions. In September 2004, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis was the closest asteroid of its size in a century. In 2005 we had what was called ―a very close visitor‖ in Asteroid 1988 EG. Asteroid 1997XF11, recently discovered, will pass uncomfortably close to our planet by 2028.

The late Dr. Carl Sagan (1934–1996), an American astronomer and astrobiologist who was in residence at Cornell University, said ―the earth is just not big enough.‖ As the earth attempts to dodge these cannonballs, we continue to be in danger of just such an impact. Any asteroid that comes within 120 million miles of the sun and within 3 million miles of the earth is considered dangerous.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Michael Griffin, NASA‘s chief administrator, explains that we must colonize outer space due to the danger of asteroids hitting the earth. Most astronomers agree that it is now a matter of when, not if a mega asteroid will hit the earth. When this happens, the dust clouds will be so enormous that the sun will be blackened as pillars of smoke encircle the earth. These ―killer‖ asteroids are not just a possibility; the Bible says they are a certainty. The Old Testament prophet Joel foretold these cataclysmic cosmic events thousands of years ago.

What Mega Disasters covered is not so much science fiction, after all. For those of you who believe Mother Nature is in charge, here is a news flash: she is not. Father God is!

As I watched this program on asteroids, I thought that something is going to cause one-third of the grass and all trees on earth to burn up (Revelations 8:7); something is going to cause a third of the sea to become like blood and a third of the earth‘s fresh water to be poisoned (Revelation 8:8–11); and something is going to so pollute the atmosphere so that a third of the light of the sun, moon, and stars will disappear (Revelation 8:12–13).

While scientists are grappling with preventive measures such as sun reflection, wind sails, and rocket tractors to attempt to deflect these objects, you can either put your faith in them or you can put your faith in God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ so that you can be watching this from the balcony of Heaven. I know I have put my full faith in Him. I pray that you will, too.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 23. Major asteroids are predicted. Check!

24. A GEOLOGICAL FAULT IS FOUND IN ISRAEL. The Bible teaches that there will be a few, very significant earthquakes during the End Times. Ezekiel prophesized the fall of Gog and Magog (Russia) as God sends an earthquake to cause confusion among their army who, along with the ―kings of the south,‖ are invading Israel. A fiery rain will follow this, which could be the result of an asteroid (see ―Major asteroids are predicted‖). As a result, the invading army will lose five-sixths of its members. What happens to the remaining sixth of the army? They get to go back and give a personal testimony of this God in Israel. God will show Himself to the world and show that He is still the God and protector of Israel. ―And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog [Russia] 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.‖ —Ezekiel 38:18–20 (KJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Zechariah prophesized that when Jesus returns and puts His foot on the Mount of Olives, the Mount of Olives will split in two from east to west. This will result in a very large valley. From this mountain and valley will flow sweet waters. Recent information shows a fault under the Mount of Olives, as well as springs (sweet water). ―And his [Jesus‘] feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave [split] in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal [somewhere near the western extremity of the valley]; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark; But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living [fresh] water shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea; in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one.‖—Zechariah 14:4–9 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Authors Steven Austin and Mark Strauss point out in Earthquakes and the End Times: A Geological and Biblical Perspective that God often likes displaying His power through earthquakes and other cataclysmic events.

They cite the following as a few examples: Mount Sinai: God used smoke and shaking of the mountain to indicate His presence.

Jerusalem: God used an earthquake to announce his presence at the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jerusalem: God made His presence felt by an earthquake when the angels rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb of Jesus.

Philippi: God used an earthquake to indicate His presence and to free Paul and Silas from prison.

Jerusalem: God the Holy Spirit used ―shaking‖ to manifest His presence to the early church.

Further, Austin and Straus note that ―that day [the Day of the Lord] is without fail marked by earthquakes and associated celestial disturbances.‖ Is there geological evidence that such events could occur in Israel? Yes, reports ―Christian Geology: Science and Scripture‖ (www.christiangeology.com). This article states: ―The Middle East and the countries on the eastern rim of the Mediterranean basis are situated at a geologic crossroads of tectonic plate boundaries: The region is crisscrossed by several major fault lines which produce earthquake activity.‖ The article goes on to report there have been several quakes registered and ―geologists

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE have noted recently that the floor of the Mediterranean Sea is fracturing like a sheet of glass.‖ This is a strong indicator of shifting in the tectonic forces in this area, ―and an increase in activity is approaching.‖ Which fault is at the center of this? It is the Dead Sea transform fault, running under the Dead Sea, up through the Jordan River valley, the Sea of Galilee, and northward through Lebanon. How close is this to Jerusalem?

The Dead Sea fault boundary passes about twenty-five miles east of Jerusalem, which according to the Bible will be the epicenter for at least two great future earthquakes. The last of these will be the strongest quake to shake the world since man was created.

24. A geological fault is found in Israel. Check!

25. PROPHETIC SCRIPTURE ARE BEING REVEALED. In the early part of the twentieth century, very little was known about Bible prophecy, and what was known did not make a lot of sense. First, Israel was not even a nation and thus Jerusalem had not been restored to Israel.

We had not come so far out of the nineteenth century as to have enjoyed all the inventions and technological discoveries we now know play a major role in prophecy: airplanes, satellites, nuclear power, computers, and many more. But now the secrets, which had been hidden, are being revealed. Scholar and evangelist Bill Cloud# likens it to a chessboard where God is moving his pieces into place for the ultimate checkmate!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The Book of Daniel is one of the most decisive books on prophecy. In this twelfth chapter, Daniel is told to shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Daniel expresses it this way: ―Although I heard, I did not understand. Then, I said, My Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And He said, go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.‖—Daniel 12:8–9 (NKJV) Here Daniel had received so much knowledge of future events, yet he is told in a very reverent way not to pursue his line of questioning with God. Why? God said that when this prophecy is revealed and understood, it will be a sign of the end. ―Now to him [Jesus] Who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic scripture, made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the Everlasting God.‖ —Romans 16:25 (NASB) Never in history has God revealed the meaning of His prophetic scriptures to so many. There has been more prophecy revealed since 1947 than all of history combined. Dr. Bill Cloud states it this way: ―When the Jews are blessed, the Gentiles have a breakthrough.‖ In 1948, when the Jews were blessed again with their homeland, Israel, the Gentiles were blessed with the breakthrough of understanding and revelation knowledge about prophecy.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―It is the glory of God to conceal a matter but the glory of kings to search them out.‖ —Proverbs 25:2 (NASB) God has allowed his anointed prophets of today to search out and find the meanings of prophecy. And God, in His mercy, is giving us a warning (Amos 3) before He brings the final judgment to this earth. He is raising up an army of End Time voices to tell you that His coming again is soon (suddenly), and He is warning you and me now. Just the fact that you are reading this book is a sign of His love for you. Please, won‘t you heed this warning? Call upon the Lord and you will be saved. Jesus tells us to: ―Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.‖— Luke 21:36 (NKJV) 25. Prophetic scriptures are being revealed. Check!

26. THE PERCENTAGE OF BIBLE PROPHECIERS FULFILLED AND THER STATISTICSD SURROUNDING THE POSSIBILITIES OF THIS FULFILLMENT ARE STAGGERING AND INCREDIBLE.

Using mathematical means, many renowned mathematicians and statisticians are working out the percentages of prophetic events being fulfilled, and they are astounded at the results. What should have been

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE inconceivable is now fulfilled, and this gives us the assurance that what is yet to be fulfilled will be fulfilled to the letter.

Remember from chapter 1 the probability of just one man fulfilling even eight of the major prophetic scriptures pertaining to Christ? It is 10 to the 17th power. There were forty-eight very specific scriptures Christ fulfilled. What would that statistic be? My mind cannot get wrapped around these staggering and incredible results.

Remember, 28 percent of the Bible is prophetic. This is nearly onethird of the book; more than one of every four Bible verses is prophecy!

There are hundreds and hundreds of prophecies given by the prophets of old. Get yourself a good prophetic Bible, such as Tim LaHaye’s "Prophecy Study Bible,” and look at the charts in the back of the book.

You too, like the mathematicians and statisticians, will stagger at the accuracy of the Bible. You can rely on God’s sure word of prophecy.

People are desperate to know the truth of the future. Many search through the writing of Edgar Cayce, who, by the way, predicted the reversal of the north and south poles (see “Famines, pestilence and earthquakes are initiating the End Time birth pangs”) and Nostradamus. Many call psychic hotlines for answers to life’s problems, which is strictly forbidden in scriptures (Deuteronomy 18:10).

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Yet we do not need to be desperate about the future. God has revealed His divine plan for humanity. If you accept Christ’s invitation and live for Him, you can be assured of the ending. Bottom line is, we win!

26. The percentage of Bible prophecies fulfilled and the statistics surrounding the possibilities of this fulfillment are staggering and incredible. Check!

27. THE BIBLE CODES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED AND ARE BEING

UNLOCKED. ―And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things. And he said, Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed and sealed till the time of the end.‖ —DANIEL 12:8–9 (NKJV) For centuries, Jewish scholars have believed God dictated the Torah to Moses in a very precise order, and that there is something hidden in the scriptures. Many scholars believe there are many dimensions and levels to the scriptures and that our finite minds have not even begun to discover these dimensions and layers. Jewish scribes copied this text laboriously and in a painstakingly accurate manner for more than 3,000 years. They copied it to the letter in order to maintain the truth and integrity of the Torah.

(Again, this is just one example why we should honor the Jews.)

One of our greatest scientists, Sir Isaac Newton, believed in these hidden messages and spent half of his life searching for them. He wanted to 174

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE decipher these secrets of the universe and gain the knowledge he believed God had hidden for us to discover. ―It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out the matter.‖—Proverbs 25:2 (NASB) Many modern Bible scholars believe the discovery of the Bible codes is helping to do just this: search out what God has concealed. Two of the best sources of information on this subject are Dr. Grant Jeffrey‘s The Signature of God and Dr. Paul Crouch‘s26 The Shadow of the Apocalypse. I highly recommend both books for more detailed information.

I will explain as simply as I can what these codes are and what Bible scholars believe they show. Dr. Couch, for one, says many eminent scholars and mathematicians believe they show ―without a shadow of a doubt that God exists.‖ In short, the Bible codes are equidistant lettering that crisscross the Torah and are known as ELS (equidistant letter sequences). In Dr. Crouch‘s book, one researcher describes it like this: ― . . . the Bible [is a] giant crossword puzzle from beginning to end, with secret codes crisscrossing the entire text, vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, a Bible within a Bible.‖ Dr. Crouch explains that, encoded in the Bible, is this latticework of equidistant letter sequences for teaching the Lord‘s Word.

I know you have eaten in restaurants that offer children placemats and crayons mainly to keep them from swinging from the rafters while awaiting their meal. Often, these mats contain word puzzles where the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE children are to find certain words. These words can be written straight across, straight down, straight up, or diagonally. This is a very simplistic explanation of what a matrix or grid of Bible codes looks like. Think of the puzzle as the grid with words hidden within the grid.

For years, ancient Jewish scholars searched for hidden words or phrases by hand. It took hours and hours of laborious and tedious work.

After World War II, Rabbi H.M.D. Weismandel, ―a brilliant Czechoslovakian Jewish scholar in astronomy, mathematics, and Judaic studies,‖ used the notes of a fourteenth-century rabbi, Rabbeynu Bachayah, to begin his own research (according to Grant R. Jeffrey Ministries, Prophecy On Line).Today, there is no need for this meticulous work since we have computers capable of finding these codes in seconds.

Dr. Eliyahu Rips, a noted mathematician who has done authoritative work in group theory supporting quantum physics, was a self-confessed atheist before he learned about the Bible code. He enlisted the help of a graduate student, Doron Witztem, and a computer scientist, Yoav Rosenberg, and with hard work and determination they uncovered astounding codes in the Torah. A self-confessed 100 percent skeptic, Harold Gans27 confirmed their findings and became a believer in the Bible code.

One of the most breathtaking discoveries for me, reported by Dr. Chuck Missler,28 is the discovery of the word ―Torah‖ spelled every fifty letters apart throughout the books of Genesis and Exodus (the Torah

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE consists of the first five books in the Tenach or Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).

The same word, ―Torah,‖ is spelled backwards at the same letter distancing in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.

So, in the five books of the Torah, we see the word ―Torah‖ spelled frontward in the first two (Genesis and Exodus) and spelled backwards in the last two (Numbers and Deuteronomy). As Dr. Chuck Missler says, ―Each of the books appears to be pointing to the middle book, Leviticus.‖ Okay, then, what do we find in the middle book of Leviticus? Surely, it is something very important. Everyone was astounded at what they did find in Leviticus using the Bible code. In this book, every seven letters apart is found the word ―YHWH,‖ the unpronounceable Jewish word for God, which we know as Yahweh. Dr. Missler also points out that these were the first letters of the words Pilate wrote on the epitaph, something he insisted upon against the strong protests of the Jewish leaders. Written at the top of the cross was ―YHWH‖—―JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS‖— written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (John 19:19–22).

Here are the Torah codes: Genesis: T O R A H (50 letters apart) Exodus: T O R A H (50 letters apart) Leviticus: Y H W H (7 letters apart) Numbers: H A R O T (50 letters apart)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Deuteronomy: H A R O T (50 letters apart) These codes found in the Bible are also confirmations of past historical events. One source called it a ―blueprint for life on the earth.‖ Many believe these codes are prophetic in nature.

One example of this is the foretelling of the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Michael Drosnin, author of The Bible Code and former reporter for the Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, sent Rabin a warning about this assassination, which Rabin ignored.

Unfortunately, the prime minister was assassinated on November 4, 1995, and very specific details about the assassination were discovered in the Bible codes, after the fact. Also, discovered after the fact, are grids of words and phrases about Hitler, 9/11, John F. Kennedy, and many, many more.

For example, found in the Old Testament by typing in certain keywords already associated with this event is a grid for 9/11. These words were found in that grid: September 2001 Four Plane Two buildings Osama Bin Laden Terror in his heart

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE American United Hijacker Afghan In a grid concerning George W. Bush were found these words: Junior July 1946 (his birthday) Long twin daughters Governor President USA 2000 Dick Cheney Florida Count by hand January 2001 Hundreds of such grids have been discovered in the Bible, and each one is mind-boggling when you consider it was encoded in the Bible thousands of years before the events to which it refers took place.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE These Bible codes have proven biblical facts about oceanography, paths in the sea, medicine, and astronomy. In essence, they prove the Bible is supernatural and the scriptures are divine in nature. Astoundingly, the probabilities of these Bibles arising randomly is so small as to be considered non-existent. Many Bible scholars have called this discovery of the Bible codes the most important and significant discovery of our century. It proves a Supernatural Author dictated to men.

According to a program aired on the A&E channel, Bible Codes, Isaac Ben Israel, the retired Israeli major general and defense minister who calls himself a skeptic, is using the codes to search for the lost Ark of the Covenant, which contains the Ten Commandments. Bible code researchers have provided him information on a possible location of the ark that has a connection with the longitude and latitude where Moses crossed the Red Sea. I inferred from the program that, while he is not a believer in the codes, he is willing to ―test it out.‖ Researchers of the Bible codes believe this is only the first and most simplistic level of deciphering. They believe it is far more complex and has many layers. With the technology yet to come, the possibilities are unlimited. Available today to everyone is easy-to-use software so that you, too, can search the Old Testament for information on you and your family.

In II Timothy 3:16, we read that ―all scripture is written by the inspiration of God.‖ Jesus said that ―not one jot or tittle‖ (referring to the tiniest characters in Hebrew writing) of the scripture would pass away. In

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE other words, every letter of every word written is in divine order. Why? Because the interlocking codes in the Bible can be searched out in these Last Days as a sign of the end. The A&E program wanted to make sure that people understood the codes are not subjective but mathematical, and they suggest their author is supernatural and not bound by the laws of this earth.

Science is now working with religion to prove that the Bible is true.

What exactly does the discovery of the Bible code mean for you and me? The code serves to confirm to us that a divine author knew you before you were knitted together in your mother‘s womb (Jeremiah 1:5) and that He indeed has a purpose for your life. It means that you can be sure of the Word of prophecy. It also means we must live according to His Word.

It is time to surrender to God, to confess your sins, to repent of your sins, and to ask for help by the Holy Spirit to lead a faithful Christian lifestyle. If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, seek Him. If you do know the Lord and you have backslidden or grown lukewarm, then rededicate your life to Him. A loving God awaits you. Later in the book, you will have the opportunity to accept Christ or rededicate your life to Him, but you do not have to wait until you finish the book. You can go to the end at anytime to see a simple prayer you can pray to accept the Lord Jesus.

27. The Bible codes have been discovered and are being unlocked. Check!

28. THE PURE HEBREW LANGUAGE HAS BEEN RESTORED. ―For then [in the Last Days] I will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.‖ —ZEPHANIAH 3:9 (KJV) The key word here is ―pure.‖ The Jews refer to the Hebrew language (Ivrit, basic or elementary Hebrew) as ―the Sacred Language‖ (shon ha-Kodesh).

This language was in its pure form prior to the time of the Babylonian exile under King Nebuchadnezzar. After seventy years of captivity, the new Persian king, Darius, allowed the Jews to return home to Israel. By this time, the Hebrew language had new dialects. Jews began to speak this new Hebrew language, as well as a form of Aramaic (which Jesus spoke).

In 70 A.D., after the Romans captured Jerusalem and dispersed the remaining Jews throughout the entire Roman Empire, those Jews remaining gradually ceased to speak even this version of Hebrew. The Hebrew language was therefore displaced, however it did remain in use as a literary language (without modern words).

According to Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org), the Hebrew language evolved from the following languages: † Afro-Asiatic † Semitic † West Semitic † Central Semitic † Northwest Semitic † Canaanite

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The revision of the Hebrew language began at the end of the nineteenth century by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, a Jew and a Zionist, which means he longed for a return of the Jews to their homeland. Ben-Yehuda was part of the Jewish national movement. He migrated in 1881 to Eretz Israel (Land of Israel), which then was part of the Turkish or Ottoman Empire. As this Zionist movement progressed, he wanted to see the Hebrew language spoken in Eretz Israel again.

In 1922, after the British helped to establish Palestine as a homeland for the Jews, three languages were called ―official languages‖: Hebrew, English, and Arabic. As Jews began to pour in from all over the world, making their aliyah (immigration) home (more than 3 million at this point), there was a need to have a common language among them. This need propelled a modern-day revival of the pure Hebrew language. The effort was not without opposition, as many saw this revived language as a preemptive attempt to return Palestine to Israel.

The Hebrew Language Institute now oversees the restoration of the Hebrew language (according to www.hebrew-academy.com) and has as its goals the following: To investigate and compile the Hebrew lexicon according to its historical strata and layers; To study the structure, history, and offshoots of the Hebrew language; and

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE To direct the development of Hebrew in light of its nature, requirements, potential, and daily and academic needs, and by setting its lexicon, grammar, characters, orthography, and transliteration.

Prior to Israel‘s rebirth as a nation in 1948, Hebrew was called a ―dead‖ language. Now the language has been restored and is being spoken by an estimated 7 million people, most notably in Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Hebrew became the official language of Israel in 1948. It is the only dead language ever to be restored and spoken by a nation of people!

Another interesting interpretation of the word ―pure‖ comes from messianic rabbi Robert I. Solomon, who reports that the Hebrew language does not contain curse words. So, he concluded, if you want to ―cuss someone out‖ in Hebrew, too bad—you will have to move to another language to do so. Now, I agree with the rabbi. This is a pure language.

Let us not lose sight of the purpose of this language restoration: God said it would be restored so that his chosen people could call upon Him and serve Him in unity. Now that Hebrew has been restored, and Israel is in for the fight of her life, the time of calling upon the Lord Jehovah in a pure language is fast approaching.

28. The Hebrew language has been restored. Check!

29. THE POSSIBILITY OF A 200 MILLION-MAN ARMY EXISTS.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.‖ —REVELATIONS 9:16 (KJV) ―And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan] and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty [Armageddon]. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.‖ —REVELATIONS 16:13–16 (KJV) In the book of Revelation, we see the final work of the unholy trilogy: Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Their long-hoped-for goal is the ultimate and final destruction of Israel, and as Satan drools over Israel‘s demise, he gathers the armies of the world against God‘s Holy Land. His goal is to annihilate Israel and the Jews.

The Tim LaHaye ―Prophecy Study Bible‖ points out in a footnote to Revelation 9:14–16: ―The fact that this army is released by these four angels (demons) indicates that God has kept these angels who followed

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Satan from hurting mankind. It is Satan, not God, who dictates their evil works, for as soon as they are released they seek to kill mankind.‖ Remembering that the book of Revelation was written around 97 A.D. by the apostle John, the number in the army spoken of in Revelation 9:16 is staggering, to say the least. What nation on earth could produce a single army of 200 million men? At the time of the writing of Revelation, there were not even 200 million people on earth! Only one nation could ever produce such an immense military force. In ―Revelations Revealed,‖ Dr. Van Impe is quoted as follows: ―Many Bible scholars associate the army of two hundred million men with Red China and her oriental allies by tying this text concerning the Euphrates together with chapter 16, verse 12. . . . Such an assembly of military might is quite feasible considering China‘s present population of nearly one billion, 200 million.‖ According to Ken Raggio‘s Bible Study Resources, ―Chairman Mao boasted in 1960 of an army of two hundred million men‖ (http://kenraggio.com/KRPN-China.htm). ―And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east [or the ―kings of the sunrise‖] might be prepared.

—REVELATIONS 16:12 (KJV) Here we have another clue as to the origin of such a great army and their location. China, indeed, is in the East and is among the nations of ―the sunrise.‖ China is located along the Euphrates River (see ―A series of dams has been built in Turkey to dry up the Euphrates River‖). China‘s present 186

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE population is over 1 billion, and to man an army of 200 million would be no daunting task for this country. Moving forward in Revelations chapter 16, verses 17 to 19, you see that this army, with its modern weaponry, will produce fire, smoke, and brimstone, and one-third of all mankind is killed.

What is China‘s position in the world today? Next to the United States, it is the second-largest industrial power. China is a very strong economic power. With such a large population and industry, the country‘s need for oil is great; it is the second largest importer (next to the U.S.) of oil. According to Reuters, Beijing adds 1,466 cars every three months; that‘s 400,000 cars per year, and it‘s been estimated this number will double by 2020. By 2015, China‘s economy will be greater than that of the United States. Furthermore, Israel‘s relationship with the U.S. is strained.

Dr. Chuck Missler reports in Korona House magazine that Dr. Marshall Pillsbury, after studying 600 documents from 200 Chinese authors, testified before Congress that China is already studying how to defeat the United States in the war they believe is inevitable. ―Prophecy News Watch‖ (www.prophecynewswatch.com) reported as far back as March 2006 that the FBI believes ―China is now America‘s greatest spy threat.‖ According to scriptures, this ―great country in the East‖ will establish a hegemony of nations in the East. I personally believe this will happen in the not-too-distant future.

China‘s need for oil has caused her to ―cozy‖ up with Iran, Sudan, and other rogue nations. The United States could not count on China to

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE support our efforts in Iraq, nor our efforts to ban Iran‘s uranium enrichment (to produce ―nuclear power‖).

Could the United States (post Rapture) be able to defeat such a nation as China? Will China inevitably turn against the U.S. and Israel? I believe the answers to these questions are no and yes.

According to Hal Lindsey, in a presentation at the International Prophecy Conference, certain American oilmen (most notably John Brown) have been to Israel to see if there is oil to be discovered there. This endeavor, based upon previous studies (by Exxon in 1962 and Shell in 1979) as reported by the Jerusalem Post in 1999, showed there is a tremendous amount of oil to be found there.

John Brown‘s group, Zion Oil and Gas, is today drilling for oil in Northern Israel. Also drilling for oil is Tovia Luskin, a Russian Jew and a licensed and trained petroleum geologist. Luskin‘s company, Givot Olam, has discovered oil in three exploratory wells. Also noted is that since all nations eventually gather against Israel, there could possibly be greater ―spoils‖ than just Israel‘s crops. ―You will say, ‗I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bar nor gates‘—to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, and who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —EZEKIEL 38:11–12 (NKJV)

Consider also these passages that speak of ―blessings of the deep that lieth under‖ and ―they [blessings] shall be upon the head of Joseph‖ (Genesis 49:25, 26). Jacob speaks these passages, Dr. Lindsey points out, as he tells his sons ―that which shall befall you in the last days,‖ and these particular blessings are to the sons of Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim).

Interestingly, Dr. Lindsey continues with a review of Deuteronomy 33:13, where Moses prophesizes about the blessings God will bestow on the sons of Jacob, particularly in verse 24 on Asher: ― . . . and let him [Asher] dip his foot in oil.‖ There is no doubt that the land with this ―plunder, booty, livestock, and goods‖ spoken of in Ezekiel 38 is Israel. And while Ezekiel is making reference to Russia or Gog (see ―Russia is resuming her militaristic plans for world domination‖), there could be additional spoils in Israel for the world to covet by the time China attacks her. Dr. Lindsey goes on to say the discovery of oil, or even the production of steam energy from the Dead Sea, would give Israel desirable wealth and leverage against the Arab nations.

Geology.com quotes an article from the Jerusalem Post of January 19, 2009: ―a new natural gas field has been discovered in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. Preliminary estimates indicate that it might hold 88 billion cubic meters of gas—enough to meet Israel‘s needs for about 15 years.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Only God knows what are the spoils that will make the world desire Israel. One thing, however, is certain: the spoils are there. Israel is already producing five times more food than she uses and she has an excellent livestock trade. Add to this the possibility of oil and the discovery of gas, and you can see how her ―spoils‖ are greatly desired by nations who need what she has. Moreover, that particular nation, with an army of 200 million men, will advance vehemently against Israel. (Keep in mind that China has a surplus of 70 million men with no women to marry, as this country carries out a systematic murder of female babies with sex-selective abortions.)

China is in the East, has a vast population, is not a supporter of Israel, and needs what Israel has to offer. China meets all the qualifications and is the logical choice.

29. The possibility of a 200 million-man army exists today! Check!

30. THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS FOR THE MARK OF THE BEAST. The best place to begin discussing this subject is by defining ―mark of the beast.‖ We know from previous pages that the ―beast‖ is the Antichrist. So, the Antichrist will issue a decree for a mark to be placed somewhere on every human being. ―And he [the Antichrist or world leader] causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads; and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.‖ —REVELATIONS 13:16–17 (NKJV) ―And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.‖ —REVELATIONS 14:9–10

―And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast [Antichrist] and upon them which worshipped his image.‖ —REVELATIONS 16:2

―And the beast [Antichrist] was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.

These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

—REVELATIONS 19:20 ―And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for their witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast [Antichrist], neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.‖ —REVELATION 20:4 It is obvious that God has quite a bit to say about this ―mark of the beast,‖ so let us examine it closely and thoroughly: Q. Who causes the mark to be given?

A. The beast (the Antichrist or world leader in the Last Days).

Q. Who will be required to take the mark?

A. Everyone, regardless of social class, economic class, or culture.

Q. What is the purpose of the mark?

A. To show that you worship this man as God and that you have sworn allegiance to the new world leader and his government.

Q. What are the privileges that come with the mark?

A. The ability to conduct daily business.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Q. Where will the mark be given?

A. On the forehead or the right hand.

Q. Why on either the forehead or right hand?

A. Because some people are amputees but everyone has a head.

Q. What exactly is the mark?

A. It will be either the name of the world leader or a number that represents his name (six hundred sixty-six, or 666).

Q. What happens on earth if you do not take the mark?

A. You will be hunted down. Perhaps you will be given a second chance, but ultimately you will be put to death (beheaded). Until then, you will not be able to conduct any kind of business or make any purchases.

Q. When will this mark be required?

A. During the last half of the seven-year Tribulation period.

Q. Why does the Antichrist require the mark?

A. To denote who worships him and who has allegiance with him, and to imitate the mark or sealing of the 144,000 Jews who receive a

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE mark on their foreheads for protection during the Tribulation (Revelation 7:2–4).

Q. What are the earthly consequences of taking this mark?

A. Noisome and grievous sores (Revelation 16:2).

Q. What are the earthly rewards for not taking this mark?

A. You will have to run for your life, but if you accept Christ, you will not lose heaven.

Q. What are the eternal heavenly rewards for not taking this mark?

A. A throne in Heaven and an earthly rule with Jesus for a thousand years (the Millennium).

Q. What are the eternal consequences of taking this mark?

A. Eternal torment by fire and brimstone, a place in the lake of fire, and separation from God forever!

Again, I implore you: if you are left behind after the Rapture of the Church (and you do not have to be left behind), pray to God for forgiveness.

Either rededicate yourself to Him or accept his free offer for salvation through his Son Jesus Christ, who paid the ultimate price for you.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Do not take this mark!

Do not take this mark!

Do not take this mark!

Do not take this mark!

Do not take this mark!

Do not take this mark!

Do not take this mark!

—Revelations 14:9–11 The late Dr. Ray Brubaker, in his remarkable book Rapture: A Reward for Readiness, has this to say about the mark: ―During the Tribulation there will be a one-world religious-political empire, and to refuse loyalty to this system will bring death.‖ However, if you do not refuse to take this mark, you will spend eternity out of the presence of God. I, for one, could not bear this!

Is there technology today that could not only administer such a mark on every living human being but also track all of these people? Yes. But before I discuss this technology, I need to emphasize this statement: Technology in and of itself is not evil. It is how the technology is used by the Antichrist that is evil. After all, we use technology to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I like the way Jacob Loewen phrased it in Mission Frontier Magazine: ―Technology, the art of tool-making, is one of the wonderful capacities with which God has endowed human creatures.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE However, both nations and people can grant technology a life of its own, set it on its course, and make it their God.‖ Today we have various types of body identification (nanotechnology) in place: fingerprint, voice recognition, palm and/or hand reading, iris scanning, facial geometry, and blood vessel scanning, to name some. So why would these not be appropriate for the mark of the beast? The main problem with these types of identification is that they are subject to counterfeiting. These processes can be imitated. For example, Play-Doh could be used to copy a person‘s fingerprint. The criminal mind is without limitations when it comes to counterfeiting of any kind. Thus, what is needed is a method that is more permanent, more sure.

Enter the microchip. This chip is a modern wonder. It is very small, about the size of a grain of rice. It is easily implanted under the skin with just the prick of a syringe. It is done quickly (twenty minutes or less), is virtually painless, and is invisible to the naked eye. It is fast and secure, and the body will not ―reject‖ it.

There is a company, VeriChip Corporation, that features live demonstrations of state-of-the-art, human-implantable, RFID (radio frequency identification) chips at seminars and exhibits in Florida. Another name for this chip is ―Angel.‖ The chip is capable of storing all manner of personal information.

RFID technology is not new. I have it installed in my car in the form of ―OnStar,‖ which I have used frequently to find my way when I am lost

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE (which is quite often).Thank God for it. Also, if my car is stolen, this wonderful technology gives the police a heads-up in locating it.

RFID technology is used to track packages (UPS) and grant entry through tollgates and tollbooths. RFID tags could be used with factory medications to insure that you are getting the ―real‖ medication, which could save the drug industry millions and millions of dollars now being lost on counterfeit drugs. Retail stores can quickly and efficiently keep inventory using this technology. In fact, Albertsons, based in Dallas, Texas, is experimenting with Shop ‗n Scan wireless scanners, which shoppers use as they take items off the shelf. TiVo has filed for a patent for a chip that will be inserted in clothing, jewelry, key chains, etc. This could drastically cut down on shoplifting and save both retailers and consumers tons of money. In California, anklets, monitored by a satellite navigation system, are used to track known gang members in Bernadino. All of these types of applications are a good thing.

What is fairly new, however, is the ability to put this RFID technology in a chip that can be implanted in a human. Microchips are now being implanted in many domestic animals, enabling owners to reunite with lost or stolen pets. I saw an ad by Protect Your Pet that suggested 90 percent of lost pets never make it home. If they had this chip, they could be taken to a veterinarian, as most vets now have devices to read these chips so these precious pets can be sent home again. If you are a dyed-in-the-wool animal lover, as I am, this will certainly appeal to you.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The chip is also implanted in cattle, which could be quite valuable for tracking mad cow disease, for instance. The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) hopes to make the chip mandatory, so that diseased animals can be found in forty-eight hours or less.

The possibilities are limitless for protecting children. It has been proposed that newborns have this implanted in their foot to prevent erroneous identifications in hospital nurseries. Some think these implants would prevent kidnapping, or at least give police a way of searching for these children. Some have suggested that pedophiles (or sex offenders in general) be implanted with a chip to continuously monitor their location.

Schoolchildren could be monitored on school buses, at school bus stops, or at other points around the school, greatly enhancing their safety. I see great good that could come from this technology, don‘t you?

Just think of all the exciting ramifications of this type of identification in the medical world. For one, attending personnel could immediately have access to your medical history and blood type should you become unconscious or unable to speak, thus saving valuable—perhaps lifesaving—time. Alzheimer‘s patients could be quickly located or even monitored to prevent them from getting lost. Jennifer Rast of Contender Ministries (www.contenderministries.org) reports that three members of a Florida family were the first to receive a biochip silicone implant, which can be used for security, emergency, and health care applications.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Businesses that deal with highly secure information could benefit from this type of technology. As a matter of fact, Fox News reported that a company in Ohio is already putting an RFID implantable chip in the hands of employees who deal with highly sensitive material. A wave of the hand over an electronic device, and voila! The locked door opens. The company defends its use of the technology by saying that ID cards can be lost or stolen, leaving the company vulnerable.

It is estimated that there are 2,000 workers worldwide have a commercially implanted VeriChip. A bank can now know which employee is entering its vault and just how long the employee stays in there. This is super security!

Everyone is concerned about firearms. Even if you are a gun owner, you do not want to see your own gun used against you. A chip placed in the butt of the gun or the trigger, paired up with one in the hand of the owner, together can ensure no one fires the gun except the person authorized to fire it.

What was once purely science fiction is now reality. You can even implant yourself with a ―do-it-yourself‖ kit, and more than thirty people have taken advantage of this. I used to think no one would ever, ever allow one‘s self to be branded in this manner. I used to think the idea of a ―mark‖ on all humans was preposterous. I no longer think this way. The point is the technology exists today to make the beast‘s mark possible.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE But there is the question of how anyone could keep up with all these ―marked‖ people. The answer lies in mega or monster computers. Jack Van Impe tells about the monstrous computer in England built by the European Union and called Echelon (see ―Knowledge is increasing‖). It is capable of 3 billion computations per second. Van Impe also reports that the U.S. is building a computer that will perform 272 trillion calculations per second.

That is 43,000 pieces of information on all 6 billion people worldwide per second! China and Japan are racing to build a computer that can perform 1,000 trillion calculations per second, which would be 146,000 pieces of information per second for every human being, globally. My mind just cannot get wrapped around these figures.

It is readily seen that the Antichrist (End Time world leader), a madman with an insatiable appetite for power, will have no problems keeping up with each and every person on earth. And, to think, it could all begin with something as small as a grain of rice. Friends, this does not just smack of Big Brother (from George Orwell‘s novel 1984), it is Big Brother!

While there is so much potential for good, there is the potential for even greater evil when this technology is used by such a man.

Dr. John Hagee sums it all up this way: ―While Global Positioning Satellite can tell you where you are, knowing Jesus will position you forever.‖ 30. The technology exists today for the mark of the beast. Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 31. CLONING IS NO LONGER A DREAM. ―Then I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast [Antichrist] rising up out of the sea [gentiles], having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

Now the beast [Antichrist] which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon [Satan] gave him [Antichrist] his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast [Antichrist]. So they worshiped the dragon [Satan] saying, ‗Who is like the beast [Antichrist]? Who is able to make war with him?‘ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.‖ —REVELATIONS 13:1–5 (NKJV) While these passages give us insight into the beast or Antichrist (the End Time world leader) by telling us that he comes from the sea (meaning gentiles or from the Mediterranean region) and that he has a blasphemous name (which tells us immediately that he is anti-God and anti-Christ), it also tells us about a ―miraculous‖ healing of his mortal head wound.

Tim LaHaye‘s ―Prophecy Bible,‖ in a footnote to verse 3 of the above scripture, says: ―In the middle of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be killed, lie in state briefly, and then actually be indwelt personally by Satan,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE who was cast out of heaven in the previous chapter. Satan will indwell Antichrist and imitate Christ‘s resurrection. This marveling (or wondering) at the Beast indicates that he may claim to have seen things in the netherworld that contradict the Bible to give lost sinners a false sense of security about eternity.‖ This footnote helps us to understand the possible purposes of this horrible man‘s ―resurrection‖: it is both to imitate Christ‘s resurrection and to make unholy claims about God so as to mislead sinners. But let us get back to the healing of the mortal wound.

I often wondered about this. Surely Satan would have the power to raise this man up, or will he? He is like a lion, but he is not the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Just how much power does he actually have? If you are a Christian, the answer is that he has no power over the believer. Jesus reclaimed this earth and gave the power to withstand the devil to us through His death and resurrection. But, still, I have wondered about the ―resurrection‖ of the world leader.

Earlier in the book, I mentioned Satan‘s penchant for imitating Christ.

It dawned on me that he just might like to imitate the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well. What better way to do this than to have a clone?

Does a cloned person have a soul? I, personally, would not think so. Here is the possibility of a ―virgin‖-born man without a soul, and this would absolutely fit the bill for the Antichrist.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Cloning, we all know, is no longer a dream. We have cloned sheep (Dolly) and cloned cats. It has been reported that human cloning is being done in the European Union. We know human ears and other body parts have been cloned attached to the backs of rats.

Somewhere, I have to believe, the idea of cloning a person is too tempting for some scientists who are without a Godly regard for human life.

The following report comes from The Christianity Oasis Newsletter (www.christianityoasis.com), quoting from an article in the Washington Post: Ms. Saya, a perky receptionist in a smart canary-yellow suit, beamed a smile from behind the ‗May I help you‘ sign on her desk, offering greetings and answering questions posed by visitors at a local university. But when she failed to welcome a workman who had just walked by, a professor stormed up to Saya and dished out a harsh reprimand. ―You‘re so stupid!‖ said Hiroshi Kobayashi, towering over her desk. ―Eh!‖ she responded, her face wrinkling into a scowl. ―I tell you, I am not stupid!‖ Truth is, Saya isn‘t even human, but in a country where robots are changing the way people live, work, play, and even love, that doesn‘t stop Saya, the cyberreceptionist, from defending herself from men who are out of line. With voice recognition technology allowing 700 verbal responses

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and an almost infinite number of facial expressions from joy to despair, surprise to rage, Saya may not be biological—but she is nobody‘s fool. ―I almost feel like she‘s a real person,‖ said Kobayashi, an associate professor at the Tokyo University of Science and Saya‘s inventor.

This report goes on to quote an article from the Village Voice that states cloning and DNA technology (post humans or Cyborgs) are made from a ―free mixing of human and machine parts and fully organic genetically engineered people who aren‘t necessarily human at all.‖ Further, this newsletter tells of ―pigs being born with human blood in their veins,‖ ―sheep whose livers and hearts are largely human,‖ and ―mice [that] peer from their cages with human brain cells firing inside their skulls.‖ These human-animals are called ―chimeras.‖ If this is not enough to raise the hair on your arms, read on about a biotechnology company in Massachusetts, Advanced Cell Technology.

According to the article, this lab carried out human cloning by combining a cell from a research scientist and combining it with a cow‘s egg (cow genes removed). This clone was allowed to grow to 32 cells and then destroyed.

This is not a ―thus sayeth the Lord‖ statement but a personal belief, which I know is held by more than just a few Bible scholars: cloning (cyborgs and chimeras) is a real possibility in the ―miraculous‖ healing of the mortal head wound and ―resurrection‖ of the Antichrist.

31. Cloning is no longer a dream. Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 32. A SERIES OF DAMS HAS BEEN BUILT INTURKEY TO DRY UP THE

EUPHRATES RIVER. ―Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that The way of the kings from the east might be prepared.‖ —REVELATIONS 16:12 (NKJV)

The Ataturk Dam, on the Euphrates River in southeastern Turkey, is the largest in a series of twenty-two dams and nineteen hydroelectric stations built on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the 1980s and ‘90s to provide irrigation water and hydroelectricity to this arid region of Turkey. The dam is the centerpiece of the Southeastern Anatolia Project.

If you ask Turkish government officials why they built these dams, they will tell you it was for irrigation. If you ask their neighbors, Syria and Iraq, they will say it was for political reasons. They believe Turkey wants to withhold water from them in exchange for oil. In any event, Turkey proceeded with building these dams in the face of great opposition. Because of the controversy over these water rights, the World Bank would not fund the project, according to www.american.edu. Iraq also suspects that Turkey‘s building of the dams could be because of cross-border raids carried out by Iraqi Kurds.

No matter what Turkey‘s motives were or are, the dams are built.

And, in just a very short period of time with the push of a few buttons, the

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Euphrates River can be stopped. Who would ever have thought that the scripture in Revelation 16:12 was possible: ―the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up‖? What was an impossibility in the mind of many is indeed reality. We learn also in this same verse that the purpose of this drying up is ―so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.‖ In ―The possibility of a 200 million-man army exists today,‖ I pointed out that this army of 200 million men is most likely China, and if not China, then certainly an Asian army (from the East). Grant Jeffrey has said China has a military highway prepared in the south, leading directly to the Euphrates. Dr. Jeffrey also pointed out that more than 100,000 soldiers and construction workers lost their lives during the construction of this highway. Okay, I will now ask China this question: What is the purpose for this hitherto unused highway? Where are you going on this road? The Bible, I believe, gives the answer: you are going into Israel, that‘s where.

Jesus is coming soon! I believe we are the generation that will behold the face of Christ!

32. A series of dams has been built in Turkey to dry up the Euphrates River.

Check!

33. THE WAR IN IRAQ HAS OPENED THE WINDOW TO THE MIDDLE

EAST TO THE GOSPEL. ―And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto all the nations;, and then shall the end come.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —MATTHEW 24:14

I have discussed this scripture at length (see ―The Gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth‖). However it needs to be emphasized that some doors to certain ―ends of the earth‖ have not only been unapproachable, but were shut down and locked tight. Iraq is just one of these places. Some have called this area the ―10/40 window‖ (areas of Africa and Asia from 10 degrees south of the equator to 40 degrees north of it).

Iraq, occupying the same terrain as ancient Babylon, is at the center of the Middle East. Iraq is called the ―cradle of civilization‖ and is believed by many scholars to be the site of the Garden of Eden. Also, it is most likely where Noah built the ark, and it is certainly where the tower of Babel was located. Let us not forget that ancient Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, and King Nebuchadnezzar carried the Jews away into captivity.

Rev. Joel Scheurman, senior pastor of New Song Church in Atlanta, Georgia, describes Iraq this way: ―If Satan was having a family reunion, it would be in Iraq.‖ While there is some humor in this description, there is also great truth, especially in light of all that‘s happened to Jews there. The point is that this area has been totally off-limits to Christianity.

Like many other Christians, I was greatly moved by photographs of American soldiers being baptized in man-made sand holes, covered with plastic and filled with water. Iraq had shut doors that no man could open.

Only the divine providence of a loving God who will not let any nation go

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE without hearing the gospel of the Kingdom could have allowed for such an event. (Incidentally, the Ark also had a door that no man could open. God opens the door when He is ready.)

This is not the place for a political debate over the war in Iraq. It is certainly the place to make note of the fact that this impenetrable area has now been opened to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Hilton Sutton suggests that the war in Iraq serves another purpose. He believes this war was necessary to root out and destroy the numerous terrorist groups so that the following scripture could be fulfilled: ―You will say, ‗I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bar nor gates‘‖ (Ezekiel 38:11 [NKJV]).

Certainly, we see that Israel does not yet enjoy this peace and safety.

This comes only if the terrorists (Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda) who constantly bombarded her are removed.

Note: It is also interesting that Indonesia, which for years had not allowed Christians to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ, was opened after the 2005 tsunami that killed more than 250,000 people. In its desperate need for aid, the region‘s doors were opened to Christian ministries. See ―Famine, pestilences, earthquakes and fearful & great signs in the Heavens.‖)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 33. The war in Iraq has opened the window to the Middle East to the Gospel. Check!

34. THE WORLD‘S THREE MAJOR RELIGIONS ARE EXPECTING THEIR

MESSIAH OR PROPHET VERY SOON. It is generally accepted that the world‘s three major religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All three groups commonly share the belief in a coming Messiah or prophet.

Throughout this book, we have explored the scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible (Old and New Covenants), that record prophesies about the second coming of the Messiah. The Christian faith is built upon the returning Messiah Jesus Christ, who will come a second time to the earth. Christians believe He is the one and only Son of God. His return to set up His earthly kingdom is our divine hope, and many, many Christians believe His coming is imminent. Amen!

According to Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who appeared in an interview with John Hagee, approximately 20 percent of Jews are what he called ―Torah Jews.‖ The other 80 percent are secular Jews, meaning they are socially and ethnically Jews, but not spiritually. Rabbi Lapin says this is because these Jews do not believe in a God who makes demands. He continues that secular Jews also have in common the fact that they do believe in God, in a general sense, but do not believe in the divinity of Jesus (Yeshua). Jews in general, and Torah Jews specifically, hold to the belief that their Messiah is

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE yet to come to the earth. They recognize Jesus as a ―good man‖ and ―a prophet,‖ but not the Son of God. They cling to the belief that their Messiah, who will set up an earthly kingdom, is coming to rescue Israel and the Jews.

Interestingly, when I was in Israel in 2005, the number-one song there was about Messiah (Mashiach), pleading for him to come soon. In the Jewish religion, the service often includes the repeating of the Sh‘ma. It goes as follows: Sh‘ma Yisrael, [Hear, O Israel] Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad!

[The Lord our God, the Lord is one!]

Baruch shem K‘vod Malchuto [Blessed be His glorious name.]

Le‘olam va‘ed.

[Whose Kingdom is forever and ever!]

These practicing Jews understand God the Father (Jehovah) and they understand the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), but not the third part of the Christian Trinity. Thus the Trinity is confusing to many Jews. To them this Trinity means three Gods, which is adversely against their belief in one God

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE as stated in the Sh‘ma. They have yet to understand that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one and the same.

I offer a simplistic explanation of this to my Jewish friends (and a few Christians who are still confused, as well) by using the analogy of water, ice, and steam. Water in its original form is indeed water and in this example could represent God the Father; water in its frozen form is still water, just in another form, and in this example could represent God the Son; water that is boiled becomes steam, yet another form of the original water, and could in this example represent God the Holy Spirit. All three are water, just in different forms. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God, but in different forms. They are all ―The Lord is one.‖ The day is coming when this will become clear to the whole earth.

Shi‘a Muslims, the second largest Islam sect (ten percent), also believe in a coming messiah or prophet, and according to Dr. Perry Stone, this belief is taught early in all the schools in Muslim countries.

The Islamic belief about this coming ruler, who will have ―Mohammed‖ included as part of his name, is that he is the Twelfth Imam (leader in spiritual and temporal matters) of Islam and is regarded by Shi‘a Muslims as the messiah or prophet (Mahdi), who will return to rule just before Judgment Day. He is to appear in the forty-second generation after Mohammed. This Mahdi will be the ―last prophet.‖ And Islam believes that Jesus will appear with him and take (kill) all the Jews from Israel. How

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE preposterous is this, since Jesus himself was/is a Jew descended from Abraham and King David (Matthew 1:1–17)?

In order to have a better understanding of the Muslim ―last prophet,‖ the Mahdi, we turn to Dr. Stone‘s book, Unusual Prophecies Being Fulfilled: Book Two. Dr. Stone explains the appearance of this ―mysterious figure,‖ the ―enlightened one who will appear at the end of time and lead the world in revival of Islamic law and Islamic justice.‖ He notes that the rising fever of this belief in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Iran, for example, is based on the Qur‘an (or Koran, the Muslim book of writings purported to be from Mohammed, the founder of Islam) and in the Hadith (writings purported to be by those who knew Mohammed personally and heard what he had to say).

Islam is largely divided between the Shiites (Shi‘a, ten percent) and the Sunnis (ninety percent).The Shiites are the descendants of Mohammed through his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, and Mohammed‘s daughter, Fatima (Mohammed had no sons by any of his fifteen to twenty wives). The Sunnis, the Shiites believe, are not direct descendants of Mohammed but rather followed another man, Abu Bakr, Mohammed‘s father-in-law. The battle between the two factions started just after Ali‘s assassination in Iraq and continues to this day.

The doctrine of the ―Shi‘a twelver‖ is based upon the twelfth imam (Shiite leader), Abu al-Qasim, who disappeared. Many Muslims believe he was hidden for protection while the Sunnis murdered eleven imams (Shiite

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE leaders) following Ali‘s death. Dr. Stone writes: ―Among many of the Shiites in Iran, the tradition developed that the ‗twelve‘ (Mahdi/messiah) has been supernaturally preserved in a cave or in the desert, and will be revealed to the world at the end of days.‖ At the Jamkaran Mosque near Tehran, Iran, tens of thousands gather to pray and drop into the well messages for the missing imam. There is actually a stone covering the opening to keep fervent believers from jumping into the well.

This is relevant today because Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran (or Persia), reelected in 2009 but not without great protest from many people in Iran, is a self-confessed believer in the Doctrine of Twelver.

He has publicly stated this belief and has said that the Mahdi will return with the next eighteen months. He believes mankind can hasten the return of the Mahdi. He hardly ever ends a speech without a comment to further hasten the return of the Mahdi.

Prophecy News Watch (www.prophecynewswatch.com) reported on at least two of these pleas: ―Oh, Allah, please facilitate Imam Mahdi‘s early return and make us one of his supporters,‖ Ahmadinejad said at a military parade in Tehran. And again, during a speech at the United Nations in New York in September 2005, he said, ―Oh, mighty lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.‖ In Ron Cantrell‘s book, The Mahdi, he writes that Ahmadinejad has drawn up plans for the road the Mahdi will take when he returns, and this road will

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE actually serve as the red carpet rolled out in Iran for the Mahdi to appear.

From there, the Mahdi will escort Jesus to Mecca where Jesus will be taught to pray. The Koran will then replace the Bible, and Christians worldwide will convert to Islam. Ahmadinejad continues to expound his belief that Israel needs to be ―wiped off the face of the map‖ and that the Holocaust is a hoax. He is the same man who is pursuing the enrichment of uranium for nuclear power for ―peaceful‖ uses, believes that one of Mohammed‘s Jewish wives poisoned him (and thus caused his death), and thinks the Jews‘ claim to Israel is bogus.

In an article in Save Jerusalem newsletter (June 2009), Michael D. Evans (chairman of the Jerusalem Prayer Board), reports that Hezbollah (a terrorist group with stronghold in Lebanon) ―believes that in killing Jews and Christians, they can usher in the second coming the Twelfth Imam and the entire world will bend its knee to Islam.‖ He further reports that ―Hezbollah has more than 7,000 missiles that remain hidden. It is believed they also have weapons of mass destruction from Iran that can be loaded into the missiles.‖ These are indeed not only perilous times for Israel but for the entire world, as radical Islamic terrorists would usher in their messiah with the use of deadly force.

So that there will be no mistake about the identity of the Mahdi, Dr. Joe Van Kovering says Islam has five distinctive signs that will assure his identity: † He will be related to Mohammed through his Fatima.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † He will have the pledge and support of the Iraqi people. † He will rule over the Arab world for seven years. † He will have a broad forehead and prominent, pointed nose. † He will spread justice and equity throughout the earth.

We have heard about a seven-year period of peace and a man of ―justice and equity‖ before, when we discussed the Antichrist (see ―Cloning is now a reality‖). This is an interesting parallel that cannot go unnoticed.

Also of great interest is Dr. Perry Stone‘s review of Islamic beliefs about events that occur just prior to the Mahdi‘s arrival on the scène: † Two European countries will be attacked (some believe it is Spain and Italy). † A war between the Eastern and Western powers will occur. † The West will be defeated and the Eastern powers will rise. † Three celestial stars will align on one axis sight. † There will be a war in Syria and eventually a war between the Arabs and Turkey.

Whatever this Mahdi‘s qualifications, characteristics, or physical attributes, and no matter what perceived events precede his coming, the fact is that Muslims believe that this is the 42nd generation and he is coming soon. We now see that the three major religions of the world are expecting their Messiah/prophet very soon.

34. The three major religions are expecting their messiah/prophet soon.

Check!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 35. THE POSSIBILITY OF A PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ISRAEL

AND THE ARAB NATIONS IS EMERGING. ―But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‗Peace and safety!‘ then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.‖ —I THESSALONIANS 5:1–3 (NKJV)

―Peace‖ is the catchword of these times. Every modern U.S. administration has sought to broker peace between Israel and the Arabs. Still, there is no peace in the Middle East, so surely the time of the Last Days could not be now, correct? But peace will come, and it will be in the form of an agreement, which is ―confirmed‖ for a period of seven years: the Tribulation period. (Dr. Joe Van Koevering points out that the word used in I Thessalonians 5:3 is ―confirmed,‖ suggesting that this peace agreement already exists. Could this be the Oslo Peace Accord, which is still on the table?) The last half of this Tribulation period is so horrible that it is called the Great Tribulation.

The major countries of the world thought this peace was at hand as they hammered out the ―Road Map for Peace.‖ Gaza was given away to the Palestinians and Jewish camps in the West Bank were dismantled in

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE preparation for this exchange of more real estate for peace. This road map is not a map to peace, but rather a map to God‘s judgment on those who would continue to try to divide the land He specifically gave to the Jews through Abraham and which He now has restored to the Jews for the last time! This land cannot be divided without consequences, and we are seeing some of these consequences coming to pass. ―I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.‖ —JOEL 3:2 As events seem to whirl out of control in the Middle East, other nations of the world are screaming for a solution to bring a peaceful end to these events. Israel desires peace. And yet they have to defend themselves constantly from countries that wish them ill.

Nations are lining up and ―silently‖ taking sides while publicly crying for peaceful negotiations, and, most troubling of all, the United States is pushing and shoving Israel to sign a suicide pact. These efforts to force Israel to agree to the birth of yet one more Islamic state in, of all places, East Jerusalem, is unfathomable and will not go unnoticed by Jehovah God. To quote award winning journalist Dr. Michael Evans, ―And if God‘s hand of

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE blessing is removed from our land for being a curse to Israel, we will suffer a tragic weight of judgment and condemnation.‖ The Bible is very clear: in the end, Israel will survive, and Jerusalem will survive, but those who have dealt treacherously with her will not.

Many believed the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004 created a faint hope of peace. Arafat stumbled around and, as many said, never ceased to ―snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory‖ when he refused negotiations for peace in the Middle East. Hamas and Hezbollah are determined to harass Israel at every opportunity, and Israel has no choice but to respond. Iran calls for the complete destruction of Israel. So how, do you propose, can there be the possibility of peace between Israel and the Arab nations?

Just as there is a saying, ―calm before the storm,‖ the opposite of this—―storm before the calm‖—is true, as well. The heightened turmoil in the Middle East continues as the world focuses its attention on the true nature of terrorist groups. Many nations now understand that terrorism is a common threat. This realization had to happen in order for these terrorist groups to be exposed and crushed once and for all. As revolution threatened to break out in Iran in 2009, the headlines on a Fox News story on June 22 read, ―New Prime Minister believes that new leadership in Iran could lead to peace possibility.‖ Again, we see the storm leading to the hope for the calm.

Once this prophesized agreement is reached, Jerusalem can be a city resting at peace—a city without walls—and the scene is thus set for the first

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE invasion of Israel by Gog, meaning Russia and her allies (see ―Russia is resuming her role as a militaristic nation‖).

35. The possibility of a peace agreement between Israel and the Arab nations is emerging now. Check!

36. THE RESULTS OF BLESSING AND/OR CURSING ISRAEL HAVE BEEN PROVEN THROUGH THE AGES AND ARE BEING PROVED TODAY. ―I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you.

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.‖ —GENESIS 12:2–3 (NKJV)

―Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee.‖ —PSALMS 122:6 (KJV)

―For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‗He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.‖ —ZECHARIAH 2:8 (NKJV) ―For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up my land.

They have cast lots for my people, have given a boy as payment for a harlot and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.‖

—JOEL 3:1–3 (NKJV) These biblical passages are crystal clear: Jehovah God is the God of Israel and He will not only defend her but also severely judge those who touch her. On the other hand, He promises to bless those who bring blessing to her and who love her. This scripture in Genesis 12:3 is a promise by God to you personally; you can invite God‘s blessing by standing up for Israel. To understand this I have only to rely on my own experience as a mother: mess with my children and you are messing with me. If you bless my children, I will be very open to blessing you right back. While I can deal with my children as I please, no ―outsider‖ has this privilege. And, if they do, they will incur my wrath. So it is with Jehovah and His Son, Israel.

Lecturer Rob Richards addressed a Bible College audience about people and countries that have blessed and cursed Israel. A summary of this presentation is reported in ―Israel in Prophecy‖ by Peter Gammons: About 2145 B.C., the Pharaoh takes Abram‘s wife Sarai as his concubine. Result: He was physically afflicted until he let her go. (Genesis 12:7) About 1876 B.C., Egypt blesses Joseph and his family during the time of famine. Result: Egypt was blessed with a plan of 220

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE God through Joseph and she survived the famine. (Genesis 41– 47) About 1447 B.C., Egypt treats Israel cruelly and refuses to set the Jews free. Result: Pharaoh and his army are beset with plagues, and eventually the army of Egypt was destroyed.

(Exodus 1–15) In 364 A.D., Emperor Constantine, a champion for the Christians, turns on the Jews and enacts strong anti-Semitic laws. Result: His empire is divided in two.

In 1492, Spain expels over 300,000 Jews. Result: Spain loses her status as a world power.

In the 1600s, Martin Luther turns on the Jews and hurls a vitriolic sermon against them. Result: He dies that very week.

In the 1940s, Winston Churchill continues in his long-standing support for the principle of a homeland for the Jews. Result: He returns from near political oblivion to become prime minister of Britain.

1944, Winston Churchill covers up the extermination of Jews in Europe. Result: This war hero is defeated in the 1945 election.

In 1948, Harry Truman leads in the recognition of the state of Israel on May 14. Result: This former haberdasher posts a most

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE stunning victory over the shoo-in candidate, Thomas E. Dewey, and he is elected president of the United States.

From the 1940s to the present, the United States becomes a safe haven for exiled Jews of the world and welcomes them to a new homeland. Result: America has been blessed more than any other nation on the earth.

I believe President Richard Nixon‘s sins in Watergate were covered by a blessing of pardon by President Gerald Ford because Nixon went against his advisors and sent Israel‘s prime minister Golda Meir the weaponry that kept Israel from sure annihilation during the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

These are just a few examples, but the message is unambiguous: do not deal falsely with Israel unless you are willing to suffer the consequences. Our support for Israel goes beyond that of one democracy trying to protect another democracy in the Middle East. It is a spiritual blessing and any attempt to turn our backs on this country, I believe, will lead to very troubled times for America.

Dr. Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network took a lot of heat when he suggested that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon‘s stroke was possibly connected to his change in policy over dividing Israel and changing her borders. The once hawkish leader of Israel had moved to the middle and even started a more moderate political party in Israel. Just days before his meeting with the UN Security Council concerning the Road Map for Peace,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE he was stricken. Only God knows if it was because he was willing to divide Israel.

Evangelical Christians lead the pack when it comes to defending and blessing Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called America his country‘s ―best, gentle friend.‖ But our present administration, while calling Israel our friend whom we will never desert, remains staunch in its efforts to make Israel divide her land. Joseph Farah, founder, editor, and CEO of World Net Daily (WND), expresses his view very succinctly about dividing Israel‘s land: ―Why is the United States supporting the creation of a new, racist, anti-Semitic hate state? Why is the civilized world viewing this as a prescription for peace?

Why is this considered an acceptable idea?‖ Please, let us never turn our back on this most precious people and land of God. It bears repeating: to be pro-Israel is not to be anti-Arab! God is not and you should not be either!

He promised to richly bless the descendents of Ishmael (Abraham‘s son with Hagar), and he has. Their lands are vast and their wealth immense. ―Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.‖ —ISAIAH 19:25

37. THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS CLIMATES ARE CHANGING IN AMERICA AND WORLDWIDE. 223

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried along with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.‖ —EPHESIANS 4:14 (NKJV) ―Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.‖ —I TIMOTHY 4:1–2 (NKJV) ―If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.‖ —II CHRONICLES 7:14 (NKJV) In 1892, the Supreme Court unanimously issued the Trinity decision stating, ―We [the United States of America] are emphatically a Christian nation.‖ Fast-forward to 1947, when Justice Hugo Black wrote, ―We must have a solid wall between religion and government.‖ What a difference fifty-five years makes!

Thus the ―separation of church and state‖ doctrine, which is not in our Constitution, becomes one of the cancers that has changed the social, political, and religious landscape of America.

Fast-forward again to the 1960s and Madeline Murray O‘Hare, a selfproclaimed atheist who founded American Atheists. Her vehement push to have prayer removed from our public schools marks the beginning of the demise of the public school system.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Now, we have the ACLU,35 which is dedicated to removing God from America‘s public sphere, including places such as schools, courthouses, and cemeteries, holidays, and even from groups like the Boy Scouts. Thanks to this and other organizations, everything ―God and Christian,‖ as it pertains to Christmas, is being systematically purged and culled from American society. We now hear the Christmas tree being called the ―Joy tree‖ and children in schools singing ―Oh, cold night‖ instead of ―Oh, holy night.‖ Even the poor Easter bunny (which is not a Christian symbol but smells like one to somebody) is under attack in St. Paul, Minnesota, where a secretary was censured for decorating her desk with one for the Easter season.

What is the deal with most atheists? What drives people to hate a God whom they say they do not believe in? Moreover, why do they rant and rave when they see a symbol of Him or hear His name?

On the other hand, I once employed a worker at my house who told me he was an atheist. I asked him how he felt about the God of Christians and Jews. He answer was stunningly simple and rational and made a lot of sense. ―Anything that makes people behave better is okay with me,‖ he said.

I personally believe posting the Ten Commandments in public places is just one of those things that helps people understand what is right and what is wrong and helps them behave better. The world is filled with lawlessness, violence, immorality, and greed, which smacks of being just a whole lot like it was in the days of Noah (see ―The Days of Noah have returned‖).

―But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.‖ —MATTHEW 24:37 (KJV) 225

ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Children are disobedient to authority, adults, and their parents. Schools across America have become killing fields (perhaps the ―back-to-school‖ supply list should include a bulletproof vest). The public schools, by the way, are where federal appeals judges say parental rights end at school doorways.

The world is filled with a theology of secular humanism,36 made up of people living in the ―Never-Never Land‖ of gray no black and no white, just gray, where nothing is totally wrong and nothing is absolutely right.

Many Christians read the Bible this way: …there is good and there is evil; …there is righteousness and there is sin; …there is heaven and there is hell; …there is a narrow way and there is a broad way; …there is found and there is lost; …there is faith and there is fear; …there is God‘s way and there is Satan‘s way; …there is love and there is hate; …there is devotion and there is sacrifice; …there are wheat and there are tares; …there are sheep and there are goats; …there is victory and there is defeat; …there is strength and there is weakness; and …there is obedience and there is sacrifice.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I am happy to report that millions and millions of believers live ―in a peace that passes all understanding‖ in the ―black and white‖ of the Bible! To secular humanists, however, it is easier to live in a world of gray where they can do the things that otherwise would not be allowed because of a strong belief in the Word of God. In this colorless world, the belief is that: human embryos are not children; allowing a person to starve to death (Terri Schiavo) is not killing (euthanasia), it is mercy; homosexuality is not sin, it is an alternate lifestyle; alcoholism and gambling are not sinful because they are ―disorders‖; saving whales and owls (while a good thing) takes precedence over saving children; abortions are a means of birth control or even a way of selecting the sex of a child; you could have a ―designer‖ baby and even pick the unborn child‘s traits.

On the other hand, you could do as if they do in China and the Netherlands and just kill unwanted babies (infanticide). In the gray world, ―tolerance‖ is the keyword—only somehow this does not apply to Christians and Jews. In fact, these ―grayites‖ have declared open season on Christians and Jews. Somehow, they see the Ten Commandments as the Ten Suggestions.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Dr. John Hagee put it straight out there when he said, ―God did not take them [the Hebrews] to do their own thing. He took them to Mt. Sinai where he bound them forever to the Ten Commandments.‖ Yes, they are commandments.

Hollywood has been hijacked by secular anti-Christian beliefs and has become the new mecca for secular humanism. This land of make-believe is where the Christian movie The Passion of the Christ was ridiculed and the apostate movie The DaVinci Code was lauded.

Another of Hollywood‘s anti-Christian moves came in the form of warning labels the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) wanted to slap on movies that have any reference to the Christian faith. Such Christian movies would not have earned the G rating, but would have carried the PG rating, which by the way is the same rating a movie earns if it contains sex, violence, or profanity.

Now we see the name of Christ in the same category as profanity? I thought it was ―Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,‖ not ―Thou shalt call the name of Christ profane.‖ Have we really gone from ―hallowed be Thy Name‖ to ―Thy Name is profanity?‖ Thanks to the action of nearly 150,000 Christian e-mailers, the MPAA dropped this proposal and no longer will consider ―statements of faith or religious content‖ as a ―thematic element‖ that could trigger a PG rating or higher, according to Action Alert.

The late Rev. Adriene Rogers once spoke about a Christian friend, a writer for television sitcoms, who heard a producer say, ―If you want a sitcom to be successful, you have to break at least three of the commandments.‖ This is the prevailing attitude among those who would seek to entertain you and your children on television. And we wonder why the morals of this country have gone down the tubes.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE However, one Hollywood insider thinks differently. Kirk Cameron, a former child star and a Christian, expresses his belief that the Ten Commandments provide a means for people to recognize their sin and realize they need forgiveness from God. ―Without them,‖ he says, ―how can one know they are sinful?‖ Unfortunately, most celebrities have not ―gotten it.‖ They continue to parade their pompous, humanistic beliefs in front of us, thinking, I am sure, that just because they can act that we want to see them react to political and/or religious policy as they trample what Christians and Torah Jews find sacred. We do not!

A global wave of anti-Semitism, anti-Christianity, and anti-Americanism is fast approaching tsunami status. Since it is not ―politically correct‖ to be any of these things, it is disguised today as anti-Israel, separation of church and state, and isolationism. Israel is looked upon by the world as the aggressor instead of the defender. Christians are looked upon as rigid instead of faithful. Moreover, America is looked upon as the bully rather than a country defending human rights.

As we move toward the one-world order, we are encouraged to dilute our beliefs and find common ground. A Catholic cardinal prayed in the name of Allah at a Washington, D.C., function so that the king of Jordan would not be offended. Can you find one Muslim cleric who would pray in the name of Jesus so that our president would not be offended? I think not. You know, if you water down soup long enough, it starts to taste just like water. And, if you water down the Christian faith long enough, it starts to look just like apostasy.

Atheists say there is no God. Agnostics say, ―Prove to me that there is a God.‖ Satanists say Satan is god. Hedonists say pleasure is a god, and New Agers

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE say everything is god and worship the creation instead of the Creator. In addition, all of this is just fine with everyone. However, let the Jews say Jehovah is God and let the Christians say Jesus is the Son of God, and the world goes ballistic. There is only one thing black and white in the world of gray: Christians and Jews are ―hate speakers‖ and their scriptures should be silenced. Moreover, apathetic Jews and Christians have let it all happen.

Now we are hearing that Christian chaplains in the military are told they will not be allowed to pray in the name of Jesus in public ceremonies, but rather are coerced to exercise a crossless Christianity by our own government. Pastors in California face prison for speaking out against homosexuality. The Bible, in many places, is considered ―hate speech.‖ Christians face large fines and jail time for sharing their faith on the public streets in Pennsylvania. In addition, Christians are being blamed, by some, for the terrorism of 9/11, as well as in the rest of the world because we support Israel.

If all that is not enough, in California a company was fined $5,000 for not printing ―in good faith‖ homosexual material. A pharmacist‘s license was removed because he would not fill ―in good faith‖ a prescription for the ―morning-after‖ birth control pill. Another company in California was fined $150,000 because it fired a man who showed up for work in a pink dress. Now I ask you, where is the separation of church and state when it applies to Christians?

This would be an appropriate place to discuss the original doctrine of separation of church and state. Judge Roy Moore from Alabama became the poster child for this fictitious American doctrine when he refused to remove the Ten Commandments from the courthouse. He has traveled the country explaining that this is not a part of our Constitution and that our nation was founded on Christian

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE principles. The pilgrims were trying to escape political persecution for their faith.

Further, Judge Moore points to the Old Testament book of II Chronicles where this doctrine of separation of church and state was introduced to the Jews because their king, Uzziah (a politician), went into the Temple (Church) to burn incense upon the altar. This was forbidden, since the Levites (priests) were the only ones who had this authority. The priest Azariah took eighty other priests with him and confronted the king with these words: ―It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron‖ (II Chronicles 26:18). Thus, the state was to be separate from the church, not vice versa.

Donald Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association, reports in his newsletter, Action Alert, that in Henderson, Nevada, valedictorian Brittany McComb‘s graduation speech, which contained a few Biblical references and a mention of Christ, was handed over to the ALCU for ―approval and/or more censoring.‖ The censored speech was handed back to Miss McComb with a threat that if she proceeded with the original version, her microphone would be cut off.

She delivered her original speech and the audio was silenced. The audience booed but to no avail. She was not allowed to finish her speech. Afterwards, Miss McComb said, ―I went through four years of school at Foothill High School and they taught me logic and they taught me freedom of speech. God‘s the biggest part of my life.

Just like other valedictorians thank their parents, I wanted to thank my Lord and Savior.‖ (Miss McComb‘s case is before the U.S. Supreme Court and she is presently enrolled at Oxford University.)

There was a similar situation in Colorado with another valedictorian. This young woman was escorted off the stage after she referred to Christ, and subsequently was denied her diploma until her lawyers went to work. That school

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE district declared that they would have a policy in place for the next year to prevent valedictorians from doing this again.

It is not just in America that social, political, and religious climates are changing. In Berlin, a woman who runs a brothel now has the right to draw from the unemployment pool for prostitutes. If a person rejects the offer of the job, that person is denied unemployment benefits. In addition, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland announced they will begin banning Bibles from student residence halls due to concern that they are a source of discrimination against students of other faiths. In Saudi Arabia, a court sentenced a teacher to forty months in jail and 750 lashes for discussing his faith and praising Jesus. And in Sweden, Christians are being mocked by a trendy brand of blue jeans‘ logo, which depicts a skull with an upside-down cross on its forehead.

People in Sudan suffer outrageous persecution for accepting Christ; women have had their breasts lopped off and men have had hands severed. Hal Lindsey reports in Oracle: Politically Incorrect—Prophetically Correct that a court in The Hague struck down a bid to ban a pro-pedophile political party (PNVD: Brotherly Love, Freedom, and Diversity Party). In Afghanistan, a former medical worker was declared an enemy and Muslim clerics demanded the death penalty because of his conversion to Christianity (he is now safely in exile in France). It is a new world out there—and a scary one!

Let us examine the scripture in II Chronicles 7:14 to see what God says to His people about the prerequisites for forgiving national sins and healing a nation.

That nation‘s citizens must: † humble themselves; † pray;

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † seek My face; and † turn from their wicked ways.

God is speaking directly to those who are called by His name, and that would be Christians and Messianic Jews. It is up to us to get on our knees in fervent prayer while looking into the face of God and acknowledging the ―blacks and whites‖ (rights and wrongs) in the Bible. Then, as we recognize the evil in our own lives, we are to repent. ―Repent,‖ by the way, means making a complete, 180-degree turn, and walking away from evil.

I will conclude this topic with a prayer from commentator Paul Harvey‘s program, ―The Rest of the Story.‖ Clergyman Joe Wright delivered this prayer at the opening of the Senate in Kansas: ―Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‗Woe to those who call evil good,‘ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building selfesteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor‘s possessions and called it ambition.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of speech.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today, cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen.‖ ―Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told.‖ —HABAKKUK 1:5 (NKJV) 37. The social, political, and religious climates are changing in America and worldwide. Check!

38. THE FEASTS OF THE LORD ARE POINTING TO THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS AS THE NEXT FEAST BEING FULFILLED BY CHRIST. In this very first verse of the Bible, we see that God establishes time on earth and divides it into day and night: ―In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‗Let there be light,‘ and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So, the evening and the morning were the first day.‖ —GENESIS 1:1–5 (NIJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE In the following verse, we see that God created history: ―Through faith we understand that the worlds [ages] were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.‖ —HEBREWS 11:3 (NKJV) After God created time and the ages, He proclaimed the celebration of certain feasts (eight in all) by the Hebrew people: ―And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‗Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‗The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:1–2 (NKJV) In the next verses from Galatians and Colossians, we see that these laws (feasts) were purposeful; they were to point the way to the Messiah to come: ―Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.‖ —GALATIANS 3:24 (NKJV)

―So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance of Christ.‖ —COLOSSIANS 2:16–17 (NKJV) Mitch and Zhava Glaser, in their book The Fall Feasts of Israel, phrase it this way: ―In Leviticus 23, God calls the feasts of Israel ‗My appointed times.‘ It

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE was important for the Israelites to remember that behind the intricate details of each feast stood the God who ordained them to remember that He created time, and to remember that history bears the image of His presence. The feasts of Israel were God‘s appointed times to remind His people that He was Lord of the calendar, the King of creation, and that He was to be worshipped every day. The feasts of the Lord have a great deal to teach all who have crowned Him Lord of their lives.‖ ―And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‗Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ―The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My Feasts. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:1–3 (NKJV) Just after these verses, where God proclaims a day of rest, the first feast is called the Sabbath. The Lord then dictates to Moses the remaining Seven Feasts of Israel—Feasts of the Lord. He instructs that these feasts are to be celebrated in a very precise order and at very precise times. Why? And what do these feasts show us about the future? Indeed, these Feasts are very prophetic, and they all point to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The first three feasts are called the Spring Feasts as they occur in the spring: Pesach (Passover), Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. These are followed

by Shavuot or Weeks (Pentecost). The parallels of these four feasts to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to the gift of the Holy Spirit are obvious even to a casual student of the Bible.

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The Feast of Pesach or Passover ―On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord‘s Passover.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:5 (NKJV) This feast is to celebrate the deliverance, redemption, and salvation of the Jews as they made their exodus from slavery in Egypt. It was to be celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, which is the month of Abib (usually April).

The feast was in memory of that day when all households in Egypt that did not have the blood of the lamb painted on their doorframes suffered the loss of their firstborn. On this day, each family was to sacrifice a year-old male lamb that was without blemish. The lamb was to be consumed completely, with no parts left uneaten. The blood of this innocent lamb was then to be painted around the doors so that the Angel of Death would pass over their homes—thus, Passover.

“Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.

And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.”

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —EXODUS 12:13 (NKJV)

Jesus Is the Lamb of God The similarities to Christ‘s death are apparent in the Feast of Passover. Jesus is called the ―Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world‖ ( John 1:29). Jesus is again referred to as the ―Lamb of God‖ in John 1:36. Pontius Pilate, after examining Jesus, said he could find no fault in Him (without blemish or spot, innocent). It is no coincidence that Jesus was nailed to the cross on April 3, 3 A.D. (determined by astrological events), during Passover. It is His blood that ―takes away the sin of the world‖ and saves us from the slavery of sin, just as the lamb‘s blood saved the Jews from slavery in Egypt.

Yes, when we believe in Jesus as the Son of God who died for our sins, and we accept Him as our Savior (consume Him entirely), then we are saved from the bondage of sin and from the second death by the precious blood of this Lamb.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread ―And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:6 (NKJV) The purpose of this feast is to recognize that the Hebrew people were to be a ―peculiar‖ people, wholly dedicated to Jehovah God. The feast is to begin one night after the Feast of Passover on the fifteenth of Abib, and for seven days the celebrants are to consume unleavened bread. To celebrate this feast, Jewish homes are to be swept perfectly clean of any leaven (a symbol of sin).They are to eat the Seder meal, which includes three loaves of unleavened bread. At one point in the meal, the center loaf is removed and broken into pieces. These pieces are

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE wrapped in a linen cloth and then hidden or buried. After the meal, the children hunt for the hidden (buried) bread, and the one who finds it receives a special gift.

The comparison here is so simple: Christ‘s body is broken as He is crucified on the Cross and buried. Jesus said: ―Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.‖ —JOHN 6:32–33 (NKJV)

―I am the bread of life.‖ —JOHN 6:35 The three loaves represent the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It is the middle loaf (God the Son, the sinless Savior) that is removed from the other two loaves of bread (God the Father and God the Holy Spirit) and broken into pieces, just as the body of Christ is broken for us during communion. ―And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‗Take, eat; this is My body.‘‖ —MATTHEW 26:26 (NKJV) After Jesus was crucified, His body was then taken away, wrapped in burial linen, and placed in a dark tomb. Those who find Him receive the special gift of eternal life.

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The Feast of First Fruits ―Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‗When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.‘‖ —LEVITICUS 23:10–11 (NKJV)

On this Sabbath, the children of Israel were to acknowledge that God is the giver of the harvest and that He is Lord of all. The first fruits were to be ―special‖ and offered to God. Jesus is the resurrection; I Corinthians shows the explanation of this feast as the resurrection of Christ: ―But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.‖ —I CORINTHIANS 15:20–23 (NKJV)

Jesus fulfilled this feast when He was resurrected from the dead, and we who believe in Him shall also be resurrected from the dead. Christians call the celebration of these first three feasts Easter. Most Jews today celebrate these three Levitical feasts as one fast covering a ten-day period called Pesach.

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The Feast of Shavuot, Weeks, or Pentecost ―And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath [Feast of Firstfruits], from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling two wave loaves of two-tenth of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:15–17 (NKJV) Shavuot (Pentecost or Feast of Weeks) is a time to celebrate that the harvest is over. It is celebrated exactly fifty days from the Sabbath of the Feast of Firstfruits.

This feast recognizes the fiftieth day after the Jews‘ exodus from Egypt. On this day, Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai the Ten Commandments. Upon seeing that the Hebrews had built a graven image of a golden calf to worship in his absence, Moses threw the tablets to the ground and they broke. Also on that day, 3,000 Hebrew people who would not step forward to say they were on the Lord‘s side were killed.

Advance 4,000 years to the Feast of Pentecost following Christ‘s crucifixion.

Jesus, the Lord of all, sends the gift of the Holy Spirit: ―When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when the sound occurred, the multitudes

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE came together, and were confused because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‗Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?‘‖ —ACTS 2:1–7 (NKJV) Precisely fifty days after the resurrection of Christ (Feast of Firstfruits), the disciples were gathered together at Pentecost. On this day, God sent the Holy Spirit and 120 people received this gift from God. Peter then addressed the confused Jewish people from other lands and preached to them the message of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. ―Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continue steadfastly in the apostles‘ doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.‖ —ACTS 2:41–42 (NKJV) The Bible tells us that the 3,000 sinful (with leaven) who heard the sermon from Peter and the people speaking in different languages (other tongues) were saved by the power of this Holy Spirit and born again. As a result, the church was born! This salvation was to be for both Jews and Gentiles (the two loaves).

Therefore the 3,000 who were saved balanced the ledger of the 3,000 who 4,000 years earlier would not confess to being on the Lord‘s side and were slain. Thus God used man to begin the harvesting of souls that continues even to this time called the Church Age. The Yachad Report, a monthly newsletter of Yachad Ministries,37 phrases it this way: ―Fifty days after the resurrection of our Messiah Yeshua [Jesus], God

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE fulfilled His promises in John 14, 15, and 16. In those scriptures, He told us that He was sending His comforter, the Ruach HaKodesh [The Holy Spirit], not just to be with us, but also to dwell in us and not for a certain period of time, but forever.

Considering all that‘s been said, it sounds to me like God is not only serious about His relationship with us, but He is serious about His feast becoming life in us.‖ You do not have to stretch your brain even a tiny bit to see the parallels in the first four feasts to the life of Jesus Christ the Messiah and to see how their initiation 6,000 years ago was a foreshadowing of things to come. A loving God used these feasts to point the way to Christ. Clearly we see the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And we see the fulfillment of Jesus‘ words, as He is about to ascend to heaven to be with the Father.

So how about the three Fall Feasts? Are they prophetic as well? Do they point to more events that will fulfill ancient prophecies?

Again, the Fall Feasts include the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Sukkot).

These three feasts are called the Fall Feasts and are celebrated in the seventh month, Tishri (late September or early October). Mitch and Zhava Glaser, authors of The Fall Feasts of Israel, call them the keys to understanding ―repentance, redemption, and rejoicing.‖ ―Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‗In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:24 (NKJV)

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Feasts of Trumpets Trumpets were made from the horns of a ram or out of silver. They were used to signal the beginning of a feast, the beginning of a Sabbath, to call the troops to battle, to announce the year of Jubilee (when all debt were forgiven), and at the coronation of a king. On the Feast of Trumpets, the trumpets were to be blown in a certain way: three blasts followed by nine rapid blasts, followed by the awakening blast. The Feast of Trumpets is a day of celebration! The redeemed of the Lord shall be caught up!

The Feast of Trumpets coincides perfectly with the blast of the great trumpets that are mentioned in both I Corinthians and I Thessalonians, which will herald the triumphant catching away or Rapture of the Church.

―Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed.‖—I Corinthians 15:51–52 (NKJV)

―For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.‖—I Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NKJV)

Now, I cannot leave out the next verse (18) for it is the crux of the matter: ―Therefore comfort one another with these words.‖ Dear folks, this is where we

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE are on God‘s calendar. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the first four feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost to the letter. We are now in the fall of time, the End Times, and the next feast for the manifestation of Jesus‘ fulfillment is the Feast of Trumpets, the Rapture of the Church. Someday, ―suddenly,‖ the Father will tell Jesus that it is time to go get the righteous dead and the prepared believers to bring us home.

He is at the doors and awaits only the command of our Father to open those doors and to bring us up to meet him in the clouds. Are you ready? Is your lamp fully trimmed with oil? Are you watching for Him? Are you praying that you are found worthy to escape what is coming next, the Tribulation? Are you active in your witness? Are you ready for Jesus to put His divine hand on that heavenly doorknob? Then let me comfort you, as Paul was told to comfort the believers, with these words: ―And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.‖ Personally, I believe that since every other feast was fulfilled at precisely the exact time of that feast during the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and since He sent the Holy Spirit exactly fifty days later during the Feast of Pentecost, the Rapture of the Church will come during the Feast of Trumpets. That sounds logical, but it is just my opinion, though I believe I do not stand alone among Bible prophecy teachers in believing this. When? What year, what day, what hour? The Bible says no man knows this; only the Father in Heaven knows.

Day of Atonement ―Also, the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —LEVITICUS 23:27 (NKJV) The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur is the most solemn of days on the Jewish calendar. This is the day when the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies to offer a blood sacrifice not only for his sins, but for the collective sins of Israel. It is a time of redemption.

In the Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible, John C. Whitcomb, D.Th. (Whitcomb Ministries Inc. in Orange Park, Florida), states, ―The scriptures tell us that something really did happen to the Israelite offerer when he came to the right altar with the appropriate sacrifice and that he was expected to know what would happen to him (Leviticus 1:4). What happened was temporal, finite, eternal, and legal; personally and immediately significant, not simply symbolic and/or prophetic.‖ Now, while Dr. Whitcomb is referring here to sacrifices in general, we can readily see that this business of sacrifice is significant. The sacrifice offered at Yom Kippur has great significance.

When the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, he was to be prepared spiritually. He wore tiny bells and had a rope wrapped around his ankle, and many scholars teach that the reason for this is so other priests could hear him move about. If they stopped hearing the sound of the bells, they would pull him out by the rope, dead! It is a serious matter to enter the Holy of Holies unprepared.38 Jews today fast on the Day of Atonement. I have Jewish friends who are reformed or otherwise not religious, but they fast on this day. They want to be sure, if there is something to all this, they have done the right thing. I call it ―hedging their bets,‖ and I do not mean this in a disrespectful way. It‘s just that they are not Torah Jews, but they do observe this feast, if not any other. At the end of the day, they believe God will judge their works and either the scale leans

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE to the left (bad deeds) or to the right (good deeds).This determines their status with God for that year past. Perhaps the scale will rest exactly even, and in this case, who knows?

Jesus Became Our High Priest ―For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.‖ —HEBREWS 7:28 (NKJV) Jesus is the High Priest, our Redeemer and our Judge. Jesus is the High Priest who offered his own blood for the remission of our sins. No longer is animal sacrifice necessary. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. It is His blood that has the power to wash away the sins of those who earnestly seek him and accept Him. In Him and Him alone is the power for forgiveness of sin.

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.‖ —HEBREWS 10:10 (KJV) At the end of the Millennium, all will stand before the Judgment Throne and only the answer to one question will have any significance: What did you do with Jesus? Even nations will be divided as goat (unrighteous) and sheep (righteous) nations (Matthew 25:32), and they will be judged for how they stood with Him. In this way, the sacrifices in the Temple were prophetic. Jesus accomplished it all at Calvary when he voluntarily gave His life as atonement for our sins. This is the time to accept His invitation for mercy and grace, once and for all. There will

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE never be another animal sacrifice that could match the matchless redeeming blood of the Lamb of God. ―But this Man [Jesus], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool, For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.‖ —HEBREWS 10:12–14 (NKJV)

The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles “The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:34 (NKJV)

―Also the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:39 ―You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths that your generation may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.‖ —LEVITICUS 23:42–43

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, is a glorious time of celebration. It is a time to celebrate the forty years of provision God made for his people in the wilderness. On the fifteenth day of this month of Tishri, Jews were to build little booths (sukkah), much like the tents and booths in which they lived when God made provisions of food and shelter for them in the desert. They are to recognize that, no matter how desolate it could have been, their God Jehovah Jireh (God Who Provides) provided for them. Even today, Jews who are more observant build these booths during Sukkot. Rejoicing is the purpose of this Feast of Booths. Interestingly, Jesus was born during the Feast of Booths. His birthday too is a time of great rejoicing. Jesus is our reason to rejoice, as evidenced in the Christian hymn ―Joy to the World‖:

―Joy to the World, the Lord is come.

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room And Heaven and Nature sing And Heaven and Nature sing And Heaven and Heaven and Nature sing.‖ During the 1,000 years or Millennial Reign, all who were saved will come to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem to worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. God will never leave us, and we will never leave God. He is in us and we are in Him. It will be a time of great joy, and the Lord will be our ―booth‖ and our ―shelter‖ forever and ever.

Understanding the feasts of the Lord helps us to understand not only history but also the future. Mitch and Zhava Glaser express it very succinctly: ―The feasts

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE of Israel are fulfilled in Jesus, for the entirety of the Old Covenant points to Him, the Lord of the Calendar and the Master of All!‖ Well put! Jesus is the Messiah. He said, ―I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me‖ (John 14:6). He invites you now to receive Him. Also from The Fall Feasts: ―The number seven, symbolizing divine perfection, is woven into the entire Hebrew calendar. The Sabbath is observed on the seventh day of the week, every seventh year is decreed a sabbatical year, and after seven sabbatical years, a Jubilee year is observed. Seven weeks after Passover comes the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles, which completes the holiday season, lasts seven days. And the seventh month, Tishri, contains the most holy days of the Hebrew calendar. Today the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement are called the ‗High Holy Days.‘ ―Tishri is the sabbatical month and, along with the seventh day of the week, was set apart as sacred. So the seventh month, the subject of this study, is the most holy of months.‖ 38. The Feasts of the Lord point the way to the Feast of Trumpets as the next feast being fulfilled by Christ.

Check!

39. THERE IS A GLOBAL ARMS RACE UNDER WAY AND RUSSIA IS RESUMING THE ROLE OF A MILITARISTIC NATION. ―Proclaim this among the nations; ‗Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near; Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say I am strong.‘ Assemble

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and come, all you nations, and gather together all around, cause, Your mighty ones go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow—For their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.‖ —JOEL 3:9–14 (NKJV)

―Behold I am coming as a thief. Blessed he who watches, and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.‖ —REVELATIONS 16:15–16 (NKJV)

As of June 21, 2009, at 5:06 p.m. in the Eastern (United States) time zone, the population of the world stood at 6,788,048,651 souls. Now since I have not counted them all, I will rely on the information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau‘s Population Division (www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html).

Wikipedia tracks population growth as follows: 1802: 1 billion souls. 125 years later . . .

1927: 2 billion souls. 34 years later . . .

1961: 3 billion souls. 13 years later . . .

1974: 4 billion souls. 13 years later . . .

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 1986: 5 billion souls. 12 years later . . .

1998: 6 billion souls But hold on—the earth will be getting just a bit more crowded. Wikipedia further reports the world‘s population will reach 7 billion souls in 2012 (October 16 at 4:36 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, to be exact) and 8 billion souls in 2027, a doubling of the population in just 53 years. Should the Lord tarry, we will reach the 9 billion mark in approximately 2050.

Here is an interesting side note: the world‘s population in 950 A.D. is estimated to have been approximately 200 million. This is significant because in 97 A.D., John the Revelator saw armies from the East with 200 million men. This had to be an astounding number for the apostle John to see in one army as it represented probably the entire population of the earth. Of course, we now know that China has the capability of fielding an army with over 200 million men (see ―The possibility of a 200 million-man army exists‖).

Another side note is that the current U.S. population stands at 306,725,451. Eighty-five percent of Americans ―profess‖ to be Christian, ranking this country No. 1 in the world with Christian populations. However, at the International Prophecy Conference 2005, Dr. Joe Van Koevering said 40 percent would be a more accurate proportion of ―practicing‖ Christians in America.

According to World Christian Encyclopedia by David Barrett, one-third of the world‘s population confesses Christianity.

Why am I mentioning these population figures? For one thing, it‘s important to establish these figures when presenting a topic about a global arms race in relationship to people (souls). In addition, I am attempting to show the astonishing and shocking carnage that is going to take place on this earth, I believe, in the near

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE future as the global arms race propels us toward World War III and concludes with Armageddon, which is both a place and a name for the series of last wars on earth.

Armageddon, the place, is mentioned in Revelation 16:16 and is the Aramaic Hebrew for mount of Megiddo, located in northern Israel. It is the scene where the final global conflagration between the forces of good and evil will take place. In actuality, the armies will be spread out over 200 miles because the Bible says the blood will flow for 200 miles during this inferno called war. These 200 miles, says John F Walvoord (theologian, writer, and teacher), will probably be from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Euphrates River in the east.

I have stood on the mound at Megiddo, and I can tell you that as I looked down, the field is wide, long, and flat. Many famous battles have occurred on this ground (34). Napoleon was among the many generals who fought there. However, these great battles of the past will pale in comparison to the Battle of all Battles yet to be fought on the last day of the Great Tribulation. ―I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it . . . Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle.‖ —ZECHARIAH 14:2–3 (NKJV)

Jesus‘ appearing will stop the battle instantly, praise God, and thus the planet earth will escape total destruction. ―Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And, He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE crowns. He had a name written and no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now, out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.‖ —REVELATIONS 19:11–16 (NKJV)

Preceding this long-hoped-for and long-prayed-for prophesied event is the Tribulation, and the future in the Tribulation does not appear to be bright. If you are left behind (and you do not need to be!) and if you survive the wars, famines, diseases, and martyring of those who will not receive the mark of the Beast (world leader), then you need to deal with runaway inflation and unbelievable natural disasters. People will be terrified as one-third of the earth is burned and there is no supply of fresh drinking water. There will be an awful dread of imminent wars as the armies of the earth arm themselves to the teeth and head out to do battle.

When the Rapture occurs, prepared believers will, I believe, be removed before this mayhem begins. At this turbulent, horrific period of history, two thirds of the population will be left to deal with these catastrophic events (if indeed the number of active Christians stands at one third of the population worldwide). If this were to occur today, 66 percent of approximately 6.8 billion people would drop the population to around 4.5 billion. The Bible says one-fourth of all humankind will die during the Seven Seals Judgments (Revelations 6:8). This

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE means more than a billion people will perish during this dreadful time of trouble, leaving just over 3 billion left on earth. Then we are told one third of these shall die in the Seven Trumpet Judgments (Revelations 8:8–9). This means another billion people will perish, and now we are down to just over 2 billion people on earth. Each and every one of these people has a soul that is precious to Jehovah God. The last part of the scripture from Joel 3 tells us that the harvest is ripe.

Now is the time to either make your decision for Christ, to affirm your decision for Christ, or to witness to those who have not made this decision. The things we know will occur during the Tribulation (the first three and a half years) and the Great Tribulation (the last three and a half years) are definitely not something I want to even try to endure. I get uncomfortable if my husband sets the air conditioner too high.

This brings us to the point of the arms race now occurring globally. Like chess pieces, the nations of the world are being moved into place, just as the prophets told us they would as the end nears.

Let us examine these ―chess‖ pieces, with God being the One who is moving the pieces into position, and determine if indeed they are arming and finding their squares on the prophetic chessboard. I want to make strong mention here that I have many, many friends from some of the countries listed, and they are lovely, wonderful people. What is revealed in scripture are the regimes and governments that will create these unholy policies.

In order to identify the major pieces on the board, we need to look for countries and areas that, the Bible tells us, will be against Israel in the End of Days.

We find some of these players in the following scripture verses:

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE ―Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus says the Lord God; ‗Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.‘ ‖ —EZEKIEL 38:2–3 (NKJV)

―Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‗Thus says the Lord God on that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty band. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud; to cover the land. It will be in the latter days and I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.‘ ‖ —EZEKIEL 38:14–16 (NKJV)

There are people who have devoted their whole lives to tracking down the places mentioned in the Old Testament by using ancient maps and studying the writings of historians and writers of the first and second centuries A.D. We know the identity of these places through these people‘s in-depth studies and through the writings of scholars like Dr. Hilton Sutton, Dr. Jack Van Impe, Dr. Chuck Missler, and Dr. John Wolvoord, just to name a few. While not all scholars may be in perfect agreement, there are strong common threads in their research.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Gog simply refers to the leader of the land of the country called Magog.

Magog is the country north of Israel referred to in ancient writings as Scythia. Rosh has the same root word as Russia. Meschek, which changed to Meshech, then to Moshock, to Moschi, to Moscoty, and to Moscovy, is now Moscow. Tubal is Tobolsk, a former eastern capital of the Soviet Union. We know that one of the main players in end times is Russia. ―Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.‖ —EZEKIEL 38:5–6 (NKJV) Persia is the country that conquered the Babylonians and is today the country of Iran. Ethiopia, sometimes referred to in scripture as Cush, is modern day Sudan. Libya is recognizable even today and sometimes referred to in scripture as Put. Gomer is a republic that was once part of the Soviet Union. Togarmah is Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania (or possibly also Germany, as some researchers believe). Before disbanding, the Soviet Union once included Russia and fifteen republics. This disbanding was a foretelling for the prophetic land of Gog. What do we know thus far? We know that Russia (Magog) has established a power base and strong ties with Iran (Persia).We know that Russia is supplying Iran with weapons and parts and possibly nuclear and missile technology. In fact, we know that Russia is targeting a large part of the Middle East with the sale of such weapons. We know that Russia has sent military scientists to Iran to help them build missiles. These missiles are reportedly capable of reaching Jerusalem, London, and even New York.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Dr. Chuck Missler says there is a money trail leading straight from Tehran to Russia. Many experts believe the high-speed underwater missiles Iran has tested that are capable of speeds up to 225 miles per hour have come from Russia. We know Russia did not support the war effort in Iraq and she is resistant (along with China, ―kings of the East‖) to sanctions to make Iran stop the enrichment of uranium for what it calls ―peaceful‖ purposes.

Russia is now viewed as something of a ―spoiler‖ and is casting her lot with the Muslim nations. She has given North Korea and Libya (Put or Phut) technological information to help them manufacture weapons. In addition, there is evidence of Russian arms in Iraq (Babylon). Russia has supplied helicopters, heavy tanks, and BM-21 rockets to the Palestinians, as well as helped to train their security forces. Ethiopia (Cush or Sudan) is a Marxist country and has been since 1972. Libya has been under Russian influence since 1952.

Russia also has heavy trade agreements with Turkey (House of Togarmah) and plans to sell Syria (which many believe is the headquarters for Hezbollah and Hamas) SS-26 and SA-18 missiles. And let us not forget that Russia has a billiondollar oil deal with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. It does not take one of those Russian scientists now in Iran to tell us Chavez is no friend of the United States and he gives extremism a whole new meaning.

Dr. Hal Lindsey reveals that from his source, DEBKA-Net-Weekly, ―Russia [Megog], Iran [Persian], and Syria have entered a defense pact that is in the process of altering the balance of power in the entire Middle East. Russia‘s part in the pact has been kept relatively secret for a long time. But the facts reveal a long, steady Russian commitment to the Iranian nuclear program and arms supply

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE to Syria.‖ The truth of this statement alone should make all Americans question the ―friendship‖ of former Russian president Vladimir Putin.

A U.S. treaty with Russia to control nuclear weapons signed in 1991 limited both the United States and Russia to 6,000 nuclear weapons, (this treaty, by the way, ends in 2009). In addition, Russia test-fired a new Topol intercontinental ballistic missile (range greater than 3,500 miles) and the RS-12M (the deadliest of all missiles) as early as November 2005. These mobile missiles can be easily hidden and/or carried to different locations. Russia‘s Itar-Tass, one of the world‘s largest international news agencies, reported that this missile‘s warhead successfully hit its scheduled target. Prophecy News Watch called this test ―Russia‘s answer to the $50 billion U.S. ballistic defense system.‖ It appears that the arms race between the United States and Russia has been revived, with spending and weapons development at an intensity unseen since the SS-18 and Pershing II deployments a quarter-century ago.

It is also reported that Russia is missing twenty-four ―suitcase‖ nuclear bombs (devices that fit in a suitcase). I don‘t know about you, but I do misplace my eyeglasses on occasion. And I have misplaced my keys, my scissors, and other household items, but I would never, ever misplace a suitcase holding a nuclear bomb, and I do not think Russia has misplaced them either.

Turkey (House of Togarmah), if you recall, would not allow our first armed forces to land on their soil during the recent war in Iraq, termed ―Operation Iraqi Freedom.‖ These first-response, best-of-the-best forces were forced to stay aboard ship, and by the time they reached Iraq, most of the heavy fighting was over.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Prophecy News Watch reports that SA-18 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia were smuggled into Turkey and then given to Al Qaeda-aligned cells in the Middle East. Turkey also has the Ataturk dams that are capable of drying up the Euphrates River, and these dams could be most useful for armies crossing into Israel (see ―A Series of Dams has been built in Turkey to dry up the Euphrates River‖).

Another key piece on the End Time chessboard is China (see ―The possibility of a 200 million-man army exists‖). This army, referred to as the ―kings of the East,‖ will attack Israel after five-sixths of the Russian army is supernaturally destroyed. China and Russia have formed a loose alignment of late.

Where you see (or hear) one, you see the other. Both countries stalled inspections for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Both countries are resistant to sanctions against Iran for enriching uranium. Both countries are helping to arm once-weak nations and both countries have been major suppliers of weapons to these weaker nations. ―Let the weak nations say I am strong‖ (Joel 3:10) is clearly coming to pass with the help of these two major pieces on the board. China is flexing her own ―technological‖ wartime muscles, and reports of ―uncomfortable‖ relations between China and the United States are numerous.

Reuters reports: ―China‘s build-up of sea and air military power funded by a strong economy appears aimed at the United States, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said‖ (Intelligence Briefing vol. 15 no. 7, July 2009).

There are news reports that China is about to reach an agreement with the mullahs of Iran (according to Wikipedia, this term is most often applied to Shi‘a clerics, as Shi‘a is the predominant form of Islam in Iran). China is already a major supplier of arms to Iran and this could solidify even further its ever-developing relationship with this country that wants Israel ―wiped off the map.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Iran (ancient Persia) tested its missile ―Saegheh,‖ known as the lightning missile. This missile has a range of 80 to 250 km, and while presently it is meant to be a threat to Israel, it has menacing overtones for the United States, as well. The Yachad Report states: ―The leaders of the security establishment suspect that these missiles will be passed on to Lebanon, which will put the center of Israel at great risk from Iran and its vanguard, Hezbollah. Dr. Jack Van Impe says, ‗Recently, Iran made a deal with Venezuela for the exportation of mineral resources, and experts fear this could be a euphemism for supplying Iran with uranium for nuclear arms!‘‖ Turn on the television and you will hear constant reports of Russia arming, China arming, and North Korea not only arming but also selling these arms to the highest bidders, no matter who they are. (One news analyst referred to North Korea as ―Nukes R Us.‖) Now North Korea has abandoned all international moral high ground as she rocks the world with one of her nuclear tests (May 25, 2009).This blast caused a reading of 4.2 on the Richter scale, which, while not much more than a fizzle by world standards, is enough to potentially trigger a whole new arms race in this region with China, India, and Japan. Let us not forget that Pakistan is already a nuclear nation, and the terrorist Taliban (not to be confused with Taliban in Afghanistan) is trying desperately to take hold of Pakistan‘s nuclear weapons.

North Korea continues to be defiant. At this writing the nation is, according to ―The Intelligence Briefing‖ by Jack Van Impe, deploying more missiles. ―North Korea has recently completed the deployment of new medium-range missiles capable of reaching more parts of Asia, South Korea says,‖ the BBC reported in early 2009.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Indeed, North Korea did just this and in June 2009 placed ships within missile range of Hawaii. Jae-Soon Ghang, associate press writer for KITV, wrote, ―Meanwhile, the United States has positioned more missile defenses around Hawaii as a precaution against a possible North Korean launch across the Pacific, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.‖ Gates continued, ―We do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile to the west in the direction of Hawaii.‖ While the countries of the world call this test ―unacceptable,‖ ―intolerable,‖ ―brazen,‖ and a ―provocative act of defiance,‖ China now finds herself humiliated at not being able to deter North Korea, and the world finds itself nearly impotent in dealing with this insane act.

Japan is already arming to some degree and now boasts of the second largest navy in the world (after the United States). Iran is arming as they break seals on their nuclear plants and enrich uranium. India has increased her military spending as she and Pakistan continue to face off and exchange menacing glances.

According to Grant Jeffrey, Western nations are not the only ones arming.

Nations everywhere have a stockpile of weapons to use ―just in case.‖ Fear is the driving force for this massive mobilization and new global arms race as nations believe that the more firepower they have, the better their chance of thwarting aggression against them.

The ―secret‖ to building alarmingly treacherous weapons and bombs is no longer a secret. Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post wrote that people with ―reasonable education in modern physics, chemistry, or biology‖ could create such weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, the world holds its collective breath as we wonder which ―nut‖ will pull the trigger or give the order.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Many of the alliances we are now witnessing would have seemed illogical and absurd years ago. Remember, many of these nations dislike and even hate each other, but they hate Israel and America more. Crushing Israel and curbing American power, which is largely now seen as ―aggressive‖ and imperialistic, is the common goal that nurtures these unholy alliances.

There is a silent belief that in order to survive nations must arm themselves with bigger arsenals and modern weaponry. Friends, your only chance to survive is the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is your bulwark and your strength. The global arms race will ultimately lead to a series of wars so great that, if Jesus did not return to put an end to it, the world would succeed at doing the unthinkable.

For the first time in history, the human race has the capability to blow up the world. But not to worry! The Bible says this is a ―world without end.‖ Jesus‘ arrival will save us from destroying the earth. Yes, the earth will need a major ―remodeling‖ job, and this will be part of our work during the millennial reign.

This begs the question, ―Has World War III already begun?‖ Many believe, as I do, that it has. Dr. John Hagee, who also believes World War III has begun, defines a world war this way: ―A world war occurs when the major nations of the world are fighting for a specific cause against a common enemy.‖ Clearly we see major nations (America, France, England, and Spain) with a common enemy, the 200 million Wahabbi, radical, fundamentalist Islamic terrorists (out of 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide) that have wrecked havoc in these countries.

Meir Amit, former director of the Mossad intelligence agency in Israel, has said: ―We are on the eve of war with the Islamic world, which will wage a war and all kinds of actions and attacks against the Western world. We already noticed the terrorists in the world hit Spain, England, and France. I call it World War III. You

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE must look at it from this angle and treat it wider, not as a problem of terrorism here and there.‖ Former Secretary of the House Newt Gingrich offered: ―We are in the early stages of what I would describe as the third world war.‖ I am quite certain we are not alone in this belief; there are many, many more who hold it, as well.

How do you fight an enemy who wants to die? What do you hold over the head of an enemy who believes that its sacrificial death holds the key to its ―salvation?‖ How do you even begin to turn around fundamentalist Muslims who teach their children to seek Shahada, a word that has ―martyrdom‖ as one of its meanings.

The King is Coming Prophetic News Letter reports this sobering fact: ―According to polls, by age 12, 72–80 percent of Palestinian children say they want to become a shahid (martyr).‖ From that same publication is the list below, which Sheik Abd Al-Salem Skheidm gave in 1999 as he extolled the martyr‘s reward: ―From the moment his first drop of blood spills, he feels no pain.

He is absolved of all his sins.

He sees his seat in heaven.

He is spared the tortures of the grave.

He is spared the horrors of the Day of Judgment.

He is married to seventy black-eyed women.

He can vouch for seventy of his family members to enter paradise.

He earns the crown of glory, whose precious stone is worth all the world.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE What do you say to an enemy who worships an angry god that has only conditional love for them? Quite simply there is only one hope of ever fighting such an enemy. We must tell them about a loving God who chose to die for them in their place for their sins and tell them that He invites them to the cross, where salvation is guaranteed for anyone who would accept Him as Savior.

Are you alarmed and gripped with fear as you watch world events? You do not have to be. Satan would like nothing better than to put his icy fingers around your mind and paralyze you with fear. If you know Jesus as your Lord and you are prepared, you can watch it all with expectancy and hope. An aside: I had many phone calls and emails asking me about the situation that occurred in the Middle East when Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon attacked northern Israel in July 2006.

Let me be quick to point out what Franklin Graham, son of Evangelist Billy Graham, had to say regarding Lebanon: ―Whether this latest conflict is yet another sign that the last days are fast approaching, I do not know. These recent events, however, only underscore the urgency of proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to as many as we can, as quickly as we can.‖ Again, I repeat, we are opposed to terrorist groups in Lebanon and those who would support them, not the innocent people of Lebanon.

I believe the situation in Lebanon was what I like to refer to as ―preprophetic to set up the prophetic.‖ As these events played out, we saw the countries of the world ―taking sides‖ and identifying themselves with either the Muslim terrorist group, Hezbollah, or with Israel and her allies, which by the way are also prophesized. America could well be the one of the ―little lions‖ referred to in Ezekiel 38:13: ―Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you [Magog and Arab allies], have you come to take

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?‖ (NKJV) Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish are described in a footnote to this verse in the Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible: ―Sheba and Dedan were countries on the Arabian Peninsula. Tarshish usually refers to Spain or the western extremities of the Mediterranean world, possibly including, as some think, western France and even England. These countries object to Gog‘s invasion. The symbol for England and the British Empire is the lion. Thus, America, whose motherland is England (the lion), could readily be one of the ‗little lions‘ referred to in Ezekiel 38:13.‖ ―Then He spoke to them [the disciples] a parable: ‗Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and now for yourselves that summer is near. So also when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.‖ —LUKE 21:29–32 (NKJV) Dr. Hilton Sutton points out that the scripture‘s reference to the ―fig tree‖ and ―all the trees‖ is consistent with interpretation; ―all the trees‖ must be interpreted as ―nations‖ since the fig tree represents the nation of Israel. The ―budding‖ is the positioning of the nations (Hosea 9:20, Jeremiah 24:25, Matthew 24:32–33). Israel the fig tree has put forth its leaves and been reborn as a nation, therefore the coming of Christ is drawing close.

This aligning of nations has to occur in order to set up the Last Days Tribulation scenario. This is exactly what is happening now. Remember: the Bible says that when Magog and her armies come, Israel is a country that dwells ―safely;

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates‖ (Ezekiel 38:11). Dr. Sutton points out that the confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas has brought terrorism to the world‘s attention.

The need to identify and disarm these terrorists has become obvious to most peaceful nations. These terrorist groups must be dismantled in order for Israel to be a country at peace and without walls. And while Israel‘s walls presently amount to nothing more than chain link fences in most places, there is definitely a need for these walls to keep terrorists from firing on Israeli people. This, too, is the ―pre-prophetic‖ setting up the prophetic.

―I will bless them that bless thee [Israel], and curse him who curseth thee.‖ —GENESIS 12:3 (KJV)

Please Lord, let us as Americans never forget this: terrorist groups in the Middle East have said they are ―dreaming of a map without Israel,‖ that they are ―certain of this, that there is no place for the state of Israel on this land,‖ and ―even if the United States gave all its money in return for recognizing Israel and giving up even one inch of Palestine, we would never do so.‖ They have further stated it would only take eleven days to wipe Israel out.

As the countries of the world arm and take their positions for or against Israel in this nuclear-mad world, it is readily obvious that something will have to give.

39. There is a global arms race under way.

Check!

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40. THE TESTIMONY OF RELIABLE SCHOLARS, EVANGELISTS, AND THEOLOGIANS CONCERNING PRESENT-DAY EVENTS AS LAST DAYS PROPHECY GROWS LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT. ―Make no mistake about it . . . the End-Time battle has already begun!‖ —DR. ED HINDSON (WORLD PROPHETIC MINISTRIES) Scholars are studying about it; singers are singing about it; musicians are composing music about it; dancers are dancing about it; teachers are teaching about it; preachers are preaching about it; prophets are prophesizing about it; apostles are apostatizing about it; writers are writing about it; and apologists are defending it. The Rapture of the Church is a real event, and millions upon millions of believers are preparing for it!

Never have so many spoken out so loudly about the eminence of the Rapture and Last Days prophecy in such a short given period of time as the spokesmen of today. This is because never in history have so many prophetic scriptures been fulfilled in such a short period of time. Keep in mind that this teaching is coming not just from one man telling you to sell everything and go to a certain place because Jesus is coming.

Jesus warns us about such people in Matthew 24:23: ―And if any man say unto to you, Lo here is Christ, or there‖ believe it not.‖ (KJV) Listed here (in no particular order) are but a few of the noted scholars, evangelists, and theologians heralding the Second Coming of Christ as imminent.

There are many, many more, and you can search them out for yourself. These are the men and women with whom I am most familiar. I encourage you to visit these websites for more in-depth information about the Second Coming of Christ and, in most cases, the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † Dr. Billy Graham: Billy Graham Evangelistic Ministry, www.billygraham.org † Dr. Oral Roberts: Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, www.orm.com † Dr. Hal Lindsey: Oracle Ministries, www.hallindseyoracle.com † Dr. Jack Van Impe: Jack Van Impe Ministries International, www.jvim.com † Dr. Perry Stone: The Voice of Evangelism Ministries, www.perrystone.org † Dr. Grant Jeffrey: Grant R. Jeffrey Ministries, www.grantjeffrey.com † Dr. Joe Van Koevering: God‘s News Behind the News, www.godsnews.com † Dr. Ed Hindson: World Prophetic Ministry, www.thekingiscoming.com † Dr. Tim LaHaye: Pre-Trib Research Center, www.pre-trib.org † Dr. John Hagee: John Hagee Ministries, www.johnhagee.net † Dr. Chuck Messler: Koinonia House, www.khouse.org † Dr. Bill Cloud: Shoreshim Ministries, www.billcloud.org † Evangelist Donald Perkins: According 2 Prophecy Ministries, www.according2prophecy.org † Dr. Randolph Price:World of the Bible Ministry, www.worldoftheBible.com † Dr. Hilton Sutton:World Ministries, www.hilton-sutton.org † Dr. Paul Crouch: Trinity Broadcasting Network, www.tbn.org † Dr. Josh McDowell: Josh McDowell Ministry, www.josh.org † Dr. John F.Walwoord: Dallas Theological Seminary † Dr. Thomas Ice: Pre-Trib Research Center, www.raptureme.com † Dr. Peter Gammons: Peter Gammons Ministries International, www.pgmi.org † Dr. Charles ―Chuck‖ Pierce: Glory of Zion International Ministries, www.glorylamblion.org † Dr. David Reagan: Lamb and Lion Ministries, www.lamblion.com

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE † Dr. Adrian Rogers (Late): Life Worth Finding, www.oneplace.com † Dr. Ray Brubaker (Late): God‘s News Behind the News, www.godsnews.com † Zola Levitt (Late): Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc., www.levitt.com † Pastor Jentezen Franklin: Kingdom Connection, www.kingdomconnection.org † Bishop Harold Ray: Redemptive Life Fellowship, www.rlife.com † Marilyn Hickey: Marilyn Hickey Ministries, www.mhmin.org † Rabbi Robert I. Solomon: Yachad Ministry, www.yachad.com † Rev. Joel Schuerman: New Song Church, www.newsong-church.net † Prophetic Web site: Prophecy News Watch, www.prophecynewswatch.com

I‘d like to add a personal note to all of the names just mentioned:

When the Lord first called me into ministry, to WAKE UP the church and teach others about our God-given responsibility to Israel and the Jewish people, writing a book was not even in the scope of my thinking. I listened to your tapes and CDs; I watched you on television; I read your works; and I watched your DVDs. I cannot remember who taught me each and every thing I have learned. With this in mind, if I have failed in this book to quote any of you or give due credit for your words or thoughts of scholarship, I apologize. Any omissions are most definitely not intentional.

40. The testimony of reliable scholars, evangelists and theologians concerning present-day event as Last Days prophecy grows louder and more frequent.

Check!

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Chapter VI: GOD IS NOT AN ENTREPRENEUR

Entrepreneur is a French word that means ―to undertake.‖ Among its definitions listed on Wikipedia are the following: † A risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business † To deal with or initiate † An adventurer I have always thought of an entrepreneur as someone who gets an idea and feels compelled to start something. They nurse this venture for a while and they want to see it through to a certain point. Then they find people who can finish this project because, you know what, they just have to go off and start another new thing. To me, this is the true nature of an entrepreneur.

In the beginning . . . God did not say, ―I feel like going on an adventure. I think I am going to initiate something today. I am going to take a risk here and just see where it goes and how it will all end up. Then I will get somebody to take this world over while I go off and create another world.‖ No! This is not what God said. Let us see what He did say: ―‗I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,‘ says the Lord, ‗Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty!‘‖ —Revelation 1:8

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Webster‘s Dictionary lists ―alpha‖ as the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Its use denotes ―first‖ or a beginning. Also, we find the word ―omega‖ is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, and its use denotes ―last‖ or an ending.

Therefore, Jesus‘ use of alpha and omega is the same as His saying, ―I am the sum total of everything and I am everything.‖ He is saying, ―I am deity; there is nothing else beside Me; I am God!‖ The use of alpha and omega parallels very well with another one of God‘s names, I AM, which is also translated as Jehovah, or Yahweh in the Hebrew.

After God told Moses to go to Egypt to deliver the Hebrews, Moses asked God a question: ―And Moses said unto God, ‗Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, ―the God of your fathers hath sent me unto you‖; and they shall say to me, ―what is his name?‖ What shall I say unto them?‘‖ —Exodus 3:13 The Tim LaHaye Prophecy Bible tells us that the literal meaning of I AM is ―the source,‖ and this name is found more than 6,000 times in scripture.

Jesus used this name for Himself in John 8:58: ―Verily, verily [without doubt] I say to you before Abraham was, I AM.‖ Because Jesus was perceived as having made a blasphemous statement, the religious leaders of His day wanted to stone Him to death, but He miraculously escaped through the crowd at the Temple. When Jesus says

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE that He is the alpha and omega, he is saying, ―I AM the source. Without Me, there is nothing!‖ Jesus again refers to Himself as the alpha and the omega in Revelations 21:6 and Revelation 22:13:

―And He said to me, ‗It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of water of life, freely to him who thirsts.‘‖

―I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, The First and the Last.‖

What is Jesus saying? He is saying that God finishes what he starts. This is so important for you to remember in the days that are coming ahead.

There will be certain things you pray against, but they will come to pass.

They are God‘s prophecy and God‘s prophecy will come to pass. When you see certain perilous things occurring, say to yourself, ―I do not have a thing to worry about because the God who created the world has the ending planned. He is not an entrepreneur!‖ In the book of Hebrews (author unknown but believed to be Paul), the writer further amplifies the completeness of Jesus‘ name: ―Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.‖—Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)

Clearly, we are told here that Jesus is the author of our faith. But the use of ―author‖ is not confined to this scripture alone:

―For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.‖ —I Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)

This is so important to remember because we are going to need peace in these Last Days. ―And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him.‖ —Hebrews 5:9 (KJV) God is the author: † Of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) † Of our peace (I Corinthians 14:33) † Of our eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9) Please do not dismiss the word ―obey‖ in this last scripture.

Jesus says he is also the finisher. What did he finish? ―When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, ‗It is finished‘: and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —John 19:30 (KJV) It is finished! What did Jesus mean when He said, ―It is finished‖? Jesus is telling us that He has fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecy about the birth, life, and death of the prophesized Messiah. He is telling us, ―I AM HE! It is finished!‖ Going back into scripture in Hebrew 12:2 (KJV): ―Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God. Who for the joy? Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross?‖ Who for the joy? He thought it not robbery to leave Heaven, where He was enjoying all of Heaven‘s wonders, to come down to earth to be born a man (Philippians 2:6). It was a joy to come here to be despised by men and to hang on a cross? Yes, He loved us so much that he counted it all as joy.

He endured the cross for you and me. Yes, he despised the shame, but He knew He would go back to the Father and sit again at His right hand.

This is an excellent place to repeat a very important fact: The Jews did not kill Jesus! The Romans did not kill Jesus! Jesus chose to die. He could have called legions of angels, but He chose to die for you and for me. ―Therefore My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again. This command I have received of My Father.‖

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE —John 10:17–18 (NKJV) He did it with joy and it was His choice! Again, if you have been taught that the Jews killed Jesus and this has been a stumbling block for you regarding the Jews, you are hereby released from this false teaching today, once and for all. I truly believe God when He says (Genesis 12:3) He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel (see ―The effects of blessing or cursing Israel have been proven throughout the ages and are being proved today‖).

By the way, that scripture ends with, ―and in you [Israel] all the families of the earth will be blessed . . .‖ Allow me to offer proof of this statement by showing you a tally of Jewish Nobel Prize winners. Before you look at this tally, keep in mind that Jews make up only 0.002 percent of the world‘s population.

Nobel Prizes Awarded to Jewish People Literature: 10 Peace: 8 Physics: 53 Economics: 13 Medicine: 43 This is 12 percent of all Nobel Prizes being awarded to 0.002 percent of the world‘s population. Indeed, the earth has been blessed by the people of Israel and thanks God for them! My husband is alive today because of a device called the pacemaker/defibrillator, which was invented by a Jewish

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE engineer, and it was implanted in him and is being monitored by a Jewish doctor.

Having said this, we return to what God has finished:

―And He said to me, ‗It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End . . .‖ —Revelation 21:6 (NKJV)

Jesus said, ―It is done!‖ Jesus is telling us that He has reversed the effects of the curse and redemption is finished! Hallelujah to the King.

God is the author: † of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) † of our peace (I Corinthians 14:33) † of our eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9)

God is the finisher: † of all prophecy regarding the birth, life, and death of the promised Messiah (John 19:30) † of our faith (Hebrews 12:5) † of our redemption (Revelation 21:6)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE God is: † The Alpha and the Omega † The Beginning and the End † The First and the Last † The Author and the Finisher † Who Is, Who Was, and Who Is to Come † Almighty † The Great I AM † Jehovah † YAHWEH The first verse of the Old Testament says: ―In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.‖ —Genesis 1:1 (KJV)

The last verse of the New Testament says: ―The grace [undeserved mercy] of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.‖ —Revelation 22:21 (NKJV)

In the beginning, Genesis, God authored creation, and He finished redemption in Revelation. God finishes what He starts. God is not an entrepreneur!

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Knowing this will bring you comfort as you watch the news unfolding in a nuclear-mad world. You can say to yourself, ―God is not an entrepreneur!‖ Whenever you are tempted to be frightened, you say, ―God is not an entrepreneur!‖ And whenever the Devil starts attacking you in your life, you say, ―God is not an entrepreneur!‖ Think to yourself, ―God will not leave me. God will not forsake me. He has a design and a plan for my life. He authored me and He will finish the good work He has begun in me.‖ Yes, you can find comfort and solace in knowing that God is in total control and He will rescue the prepared believers from the mayhem to come.

Hallelujah!

Chapter VII: THE CLOCK IS TICKING

―I‘m late! I‘m late, for a very important date.

No time to say ‗hello, good-bye.‘ I‘m late! I‘m late! I‘m late.‖ —Alice in Wonderland, Walt Disney Studios (1951) The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland was a busy, busy hare. He was always in a hurry. He lived by the clock. One can almost hear the whirring noise and shish as he races by. For many of us, this mad rush of activity is all too familiar. We are such slaves to the clocks that we do not always know what time it really is.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I heard a commercial for Comcast on TV. It went like this: ―At 9:17 today, the future arrived, earlier than expected.‖ The first time I heard this, I was nearly struck down by the thought that, one day, the future is going to arrive for you and for me, and if we are not prepared, it will arrive earlier than we think.

Many people, like I, keep a busy schedule. I am constantly aware of the time, and looking at the clock is second nature to me. I like to make little squares beside each entry on my to-do list, and nothing delights me more than to go to that list, take my big red pen, and mark an X in that box.

Sometimes I even add things I have done that were not included on the original list; I want to see myself get credit for what I accomplished, even if it was not on the original list, and so I firmly X it.

But I have other lists. There is the list of my ―40 Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation‖ and there is my list of what a prepared Rapture-ready believer should be doing. I am checking off these lists, as well. You see, while I live by my daily to-do list, I am constantly aware of another clock: God‘s clock. And I can hear it ticking. The ticking is getting louder and louder as this world is being thrust to the climax of its worst and best days.

There are even times when I am just sure that I hear the ticking getting faster and faster as God looks down on His once-awesome creation and watches as the human race races to destroy itself and the world.

God is holy and pure, and He cannot tolerate sin. He had to turn away from His only Son who was dying on the cross because He could not be in

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE the presence of the sins of the world as they were being loaded onto His Son‘s beaten and bloody back, the weight of sin borne by His outstretched, nail-scarred hands. He will have to turn His back on your sins, too, if those sins are not covered by the blood of His Son. We have pushed the envelope and now the envelope is about to rip.

There are many days when we know what is happening, but we do not know what is going on. But this is not because we have not been told what is going on.

What is going on is that God is bringing this church age to a close, and we who know His Son will ―soon‖ be enjoying the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.

What is going on is that God is living up to His Word. What is going on is that God is warning all those who will listen that we are just about at ―last call.‖ When the last person who would do so has confessed his/her sins and asked for mercy from a loving God, when the last person who wants to repent has repented of his/her sins or lukewarm state and returned to his/her First Love, and when that last person who would do so has looked up with eager eyes to see Jesus in the clouds with uplifted hands as he/she hears that long-awaited blast from the shofar, the clock we have all lived by will stop, and a new one will start.

This clock will have exactly seven years‘ worth of hours, minutes, and seconds on it, no more and no less. And on that last day of days, Jesus will return for a second time. He will come in glory! He will not be ―slap my other cheek‖ Jesus this time. He is not coming as the lamb. He will be

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the lion of the tribe of Judah!

He will judge the nations. He will divide sheep from the goats. And He will say to those who rejected Him, ―Depart from me, I never knew you.‖ The carpenter is coming back as the conqueror!

Oh please, dear friend, do not let this be your fate. Ask God to help you hear the ticking of this clock before that Awful Clock begins. Cry out to Him now. Confess that you have sinned and ask God for mercy.

This book was not written to scare you, but rather to bless you. The intention of this book is not to exclude you, but to include you. Jesus said, ―Let not your heart be troubled; you believe God; believe also in Me. In My Father‘s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am you may be also. And, where I go, you know, and the way you know.‖ —John 14:1–4 (NKJV)

―For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.‖ —John 3:16–17 (NKJV)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Each day, I receive a devotional thought from Life Worth Living Ministries: this one below I received today. My puny words cannot compare with the eloquence of the late Dr. Adrienne Rogers: ―Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.‖ —Psalms 2:6 (NKJV) Devotional Thought ―The kingdoms of this world are being moved around like checkers, but soon God is going to move His Son into King‘s Row and say, ‗Crown Him King of kings!‘ How many times have you prayed, ‗Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven‘? Do you think God‘s will is being done on earth as it is in heaven? Look around at the crime, rape, murder, child abuse, and blasphemy. Do you think that‘s God‘s will? Of course not. Do you think Jesus Christ would have taught us to pray a prayer that will not be answered? God is going to move Jesus into King‘s Row and say, ‗Crown Him King!‘‖

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Prayers For Salvation and Rededication

Have you crowned Jesus ―King of Kings‖ in your heart and of your soul?

Have you received Him into your life? Or did you once crown Him and then allow something else or someone else to sit upon that throne? If so, here is your opportunity to receive Jesus as your Savior or to rededicate your life to Him. Pray now in your own simple words or chose one of the two prayers offered on the following pages:

Salvation Prayer God I believe. I believe that you loved me so much that you sent your only Son to die in my place. I am a sinner, but yet your Son paid the price for me. Thank you Father. I ask you to forgive me and I ask you to come into my heart and life. And, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will now live my life for You. In Jesus‘ name, Amen.

As a remembrance for you, sign this page. When you do, this will be the most precious page of the book. God bless you as you walk with Him. Welcome to the family of God! You have just made the best decision of your life!

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Rededication Prayer For those of you have become lukewarm or are backslidden, pray this prayer with me:

Father, forgive me! I know your Son and yet I have left my First Love. I do not want to be spewed out of your mouth. I repent of my sins and I ask your Holy Spirit to refresh my faith and help me to live my life as your child. ‗Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and renew a right sprit within me.‘ I want to come back to you, Jesus. Thank you for loving me. Help to strengthen the things in me that were about to die. And, with the help of your Holy Spirit, I will live my life for you. In Jesus‘ name, Amen.

As a remembrance, sign this page. When you do, this will be the most precious page of the book. God bless you as you walk with Him. Signature: ______________________________ Date: __________________________________

And, remember: Watch for the signs of His coming.

Pray always that you are found worthy to escape what is coming upon the earth.

Be active in your Christian witness.

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40 Reasons Why We Could Be THE Generation Spoken of in Matthew 24:33–34 (The Short List) 1. Israel has been reborn as a nation.

2. Jerusalem has been restored to Israel.

3. The Jews are returning to Israel (especially from Russia).

4. Israel is becoming the burdensome stone of the world.

5. The Roman Empire has been revived.

6. The Age of the Gentiles is being fulfilled.

7. The days of Noah have returned.

8. The apostate church is here.

9. The signs of deception and false christs are being manifested today.

10. The Gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth.

11. Knowledge has exploded.

12. TV has been invented.

13. Nuclear power has been discovered.

14. Automobiles and jets have been invented.

15. Temple plans are readied in Israel.

16. The red heifer is back!

17. The Mediterranean sea snail has returned.

18. The Griffin vultures are returning to Israel.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 19. The Levites are being located and positively identified by DNA. 20. The Sanhedrin has returned.

21. Wars and rumors of wars abound and kingdoms are rising up against kingdoms.

22. Famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and fearful and great signs in the heavens are initiating the End Time birth pangs.

23. Major asteroids are predicted.

24. A geological fault is found in Israel.

25. Prophetic scriptures are being revealed.

26. Percentages of Bible prophecies fulfilled and the statistics surrounding the possibilities of this fulfillment are staggering and inconceivable.

27. The Bible codes are being unlocked.

28. The pure Hebrew language has been restored.

29. The possibility of a 200,000,000-man army exists today.

30. The technology exists for the mark of the beast (666).

31. Cloning is no longer a dream.

32. A series of dams have been built in Turkey to dry up the Euphrates River.

33. The war in Iraq has opened the window of the Middle East to the Gospel.

34. The world‘s three major religions are expecting their messiah or prophet very soon.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 35. The possibility of a peace agreement now exists between Israel and\ the Arab nations.

36. The results of blessing and/or cursing of Israel have been proven though the ages and are being proved today.

37. The social, religious, and political climate is changing in America and worldwide.

38. The Feasts of the Lord are pointing to the Feast of Trumpets as the next feast to be fulfilled.

39. There is a global arms race under way today, and Russia is resuming the role of a militaristic nation.

40. The testimony of reliable scholars, evangelists, and theologians concerning present day events as Last Days prophecy grow louder and more frequent.

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Scriptures for Study

1. Israel reborn as a nation.

Ezekiel 37:6, 11–12, 14 (dry bones) Matthew 24:32–35 (fig tree) Joel 1 (fig tree) Jeremiah 23:3; 24 (fig tree) Jeremiah 30:3 (back to the land of their fathers) Deuteronomy 4:31, 27 Zechariah 8:2 (zealous for Zion) Daniel 12 (Arch-angel Michael to watch over Israel) Isaiah 66 (nation in one day) Amos 9:14–1 (vineyards, gardens, no more pulled out of land) Jeremiah 31:3–4, 5–6 (rebuilt again; let us go up to Zion) Isaiah 66:7–8 (birth pain after birth)

2. Jerusalem restored to Israel.

Isaiah 62:6–7 (Jerusalem praise) Jeremiah 23:3–6 (first build up Zion) Micah 4:2 (Kingdom administered from Jerusalem) Psalms 122 (pray for the peace of Jerusalem) Isaiah 66:7, 1 (heir of my mountain; my holy mountain)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Psalms 137:5–6 (God will never forget Jerusalem) Psalms 102:12–16 (first build up Zion before Jesus comes) Zechariah 1:16–17 (yet comfort Zion, yet choose Zion) Daniel 8:13–14 (2,300 days until the Tabernacle is cleansed) Psalms 2:6 (Holy hill of Zion)

3. Jews returning to Israel, especially from Russia.

Isaiah 54:7–8 (will gather you) Isaiah 11:11–14 (God would set His hand a second time) Ezekiel 37:11–12 (whole house of Israel to their own land) Jeremiah 23:7–8 (descendants of Israel from the North country (Russia)

4. Israel becoming the burdensome stone of the world.

Psalm 83:4 (cut them off from being a nation) Zechariah 12:3 (make Jerusalem a very heavy stone) Ezekiel 36:10 (multiply men against you, Israel) Matthew 24:9 (deliver Israel up to tribulation and hatred by all nations) John 16:2 (killing the Jews does God a service)

5. The Roman Empire has been revived.

Daniel 2 (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of statue representing last kingdoms) Daniel 7 (animals verify last kingdoms) Revelation 17:3, 6,9,15 (last kingdom on earth)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Antichrist: Rev. 13:4 (deify Satan); Rev. 13:5 (defy the Savior); Rev. 13:6 (destroy the saints); Rev. 13:7 (dominate society); Rev. 13:8–10 (delude sinners); Dan. 8:19.23 (comes to power in Last Days); Rev. 17:8–9 (headquarters in Rome); Dan. 17:20 (extremely intelligent and persuasive); Rev. 17:12–13 (rules by deception); Rev. 13:16–17 (controls global economy); Dan. 9:25 (confirms peace treaty with Israel); Dan. 9:26 (breaks treat with Israel); II Thes. 2:4 (claims to be God); Rev. 5:5 (imitates the Lion of Judah); Rev. 6:2 (comes as man of peace without arrows); Rev. 19:11 (imitates Jesus on a white horse); Rev. 13:16–18 (666)

6. Age of the Gentiles being fulfilled.

Luke 21:24 (until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled) Romans 11:25 (until the fullness of the Gentiles is fulfilled)

7. Days of Noah have returned.

Matthew 24:37–39 (people will ignore and scoff at warnings) Genesis 2:6 (earth watered by mist) II Peter 2:5 (saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness) Revelations 3:10 (hold fast and I will keep thee from the hour of trial)

8. Apostate church is here.

I Timothy 4:1–2 (in latter days, some will fall away) II Thessalonians 2:1–3 (that day will not come until the falling away first)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE I John 2:22 (liar who denies Christ); I John 4:2–3 (spirit of Antichrist) Revelations 2 and 3 (letters to the seven churches: Laodicea the lukewarm church) Philadelphia (faithful church) II Peter 2:1–3 (false teachers and destructive heresies)

9. False christs have come.

Matthew 24:23–24 (many will come in My name, false christs and prophets)\

10. Gospel will be preached to the whole earth.

Matthew 24:14 (gospel preached as a witness, then the end will come) Acts 17:26–27 (your time and place of birth determined by God) Zechariah 5:1–4 (flying scroll, 20 cubits by 10 cubits = 30 ft. by 15 ft.)

Revelations 14:15 (time to reap; harvest is ripe) Matthew 28:19–20 (Great Commission, go ye into the whole world) Revelations 14:6–7 (Angels fly though air to preach the Gospel)

11. Knowledge has exploded.

Daniel 12:4 (shut up words until time of the end . . . knowledge shall increase)

12. Television has been invented.

Matthew 24:14 (Gospel preached to the whole world as a sign) Revelations 11:9–10 (people, kindred, tongues, nations)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Revelations 11:11–12 (fear fell on those who saw them two witnesses)

13. Nuclear power has been invented Zechariah 14:12 (plague with which the Lord will strike; flesh, eyes and skin will dissolve)

14. The automobile and jets have been invented.

Daniel 12:4 (many running to and fro) Isaiah 31:5 (like birds flying over) Isaiah 60:8 (those who fly like clouds, like doves)

15. Temple plans are being readied in Israel.

Ezekiel 24:21 (Temple will be profaned) Daniel 9:27 (Antichrist to put an end to animal sacrifice) Matthew 24:15 (abomination of desolation in the Holy Place) Mark 13:14 (abomination of desolation will stand where it ought not) Revelations 11:1–2 (John the Revelator told to measure the Temple)

16. The red heifer is back.

Numbers 19:2 (bring you an unblemished red heifer) Ezekiel 36:24–25 (sprinkle clean water on you)

17. The Mediterranean Sea Snail has returned.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Acts 16:14 (Lydia, a seller of purple)

18. The Griffin vultures are returning to Israel.

Ezekiel 39:4 (give you—Russian army—to the birds of prey of every sort)

19. The Levites are being located (DNA).

Numbers 3:32 (Aaron, a Levite, High Priest) Numbers 18:1 (Levites are only tribe to be priests) Deuteronomy 18:1 (Levites are priests)

20. The Sanhedrin has returned.

(Supreme Court of Israel: highest court and legislature in Talmudic times)

21. Wars and Rumors of Wars abound; kingdom against kingdom.

Matthew 24:6–7 (will hear wars and rumors of wars; nation vs. nation and kingdom vs. kingdom) Joel 3:9–10 (wake up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near)

22. Famines, pestilences and earthquakes initiate the End Time birth pangs.

Matthew 24:7–8 (beginning of birth pangs) Revelation 6:7–8 (death by the beast of the fields) Psalms 18:7 (earth shook and trembled; hills moved and shaken)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Luke 21:25 (signs in the sun, moon and stars; distress of nations; perplexity, sea and waves roaring) Joel 2:31 (sun to darkness; moon to blood)

23. Major asteroids predicted.

Joel 2:30–31(great wonders in the heavens and in the earth; fire and pillars of smoke; sun tuned into darkness; moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord) Revelation 8:7 (one-third grass and trees burn up) Revelation 8:8–9 (sea like blood) Revelation 8:10–11 (one-third of fresh water poisoned) Revelation 8:12–13 (one-third light of sun, moon, and stars will disappear)

24. Geological fault found in Israel.

Ezekiel 38:18–20 (a great shaking in the land of Israel; mountains thrown down; steep places fall; every wall fall to the ground) Zechariah 14:4–9 (Jesus feet on the Mount of Olives, mountain split in half)

25. Prophetic Scriptures being revealed.

Daniel 12:4, 8–9 (words of prophecy sealed until the End Times) Romans 16:25 (revelation of mystery) Proverbs 25:2 (glory of God to conceal a matter; glory of kings to search)

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26. Percentages of Bible prophecies fulfilled staggering.

One-third of the Bible is prophecy; odds of 48 prophecies fulfilled by one man is 10 to the 17th power.

27. Bible Codes unlocked and understood.

Daniel 12:4, 8–9 (words sealed until the End Times) Proverbs 25:2 (glory of God to conceal a matter; honor of kings to search it out)

28. Pure Hebrew language restored.

Zephaniah 3:9 (turn to the people a pure language to call upon the Lord)

29. Possibility of a 200 million-man army.

Revelation 9:16 (number of the army two hundred thousand thousand) Revelation 16:13–15 (and He gathered them into a place called Armageddon) Revelation 16:12 (water of Euphrates dried up for kings of the east or sunrise) Ezekiel 38:11–12 (to take plunder and booty, livestock, and goods) Genesis 49:25–26 (oil a possible plunder; blessings of the deep that lies under; upon the head of Joseph that which will befall you in the Last Days) Deuteronomy 33:13–24 (oil a possible plunder; let Asher dip his foot in oil)

30. Technology for the mark of the beast exists.

Revelation 13:16–17 (Antichrist causes all, great and small, to be given a mark)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Revelation 14:9–10 (if any man worship the beast) Revelation 16:2 (which had the mark of the beast) Revelation 19:20 (them that had received the mark of the beast) Revelation 20:4 (neither had received his mark upon foreheads or hands)

31. Cloning no longer a dream.

Revelation 13:1–5 (mortal head wound to the beast and wound healed)

32. Series of dams built in Turkey to dry up the Euphrates River.

Revelations 16:12 (Euphrates dried up)

33. War in Iraq has opened window to the Middle East for the Gospel.

Matthew 24:14 (Gospel preached to all the world) Ezekiel 38:11 (go up against an unwalled village, Israel)

34. Three major religions expecting their Messiah or prophet soon.

Christians expecting the sudden and soon arrival of Jesus for the second time; Jews are expecting the Messiah to come for the first time soon; and Shiites expecting their messiah (Mahdi) in this generation.

35. Possibility of peace agreement between Israel and Arab nations emerging.

I Thessalonians 5:1–3 (when they say, ―Peace and safety ―)

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36. Results of blessing and/or cursing Israel proven.

Genesis 12:2–3 (bless those who bless you [Israel] and curse those who curse you) Zechariah 2:8 (for he who touches Israel touches the apple of my eye) Joel 3:1–3 (I will enter into judgment there on account of My people) Psalms 122:6 (pray for the peace of Jerusalem)

37. Social, political and religious climates are changing.

Ephesians 4:14 (no longer be carried along by every wind of doctrine) II Timothy 4:1–2 (latter times, some will depart from the faith) II Chronicles 7:14 (if my people who are called by my name) II Chronicles 26:18 (original doctrine of separation of church and state) I Timothy: 4:1 (depart from the faith) Habakkuk 1:5 (look at nations; be amazed)

38. The Feasts of the Lord are pointing to the Feast of Trumpets as next feast.

Genesis 1:1–5 (God establishes time on the earth) Hebrews 11:3 (God created history) Leviticus 23:1–2 (God created the feast to be celebrated at certain times) Galatians 3:24 (law is tutor to bring us to Christ) Colossians 2:16–17 (which are a shadow of things to come)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Leviticus 23:1–3 (these are My feasts) Leviticus 23:5 (Feast of Passover) Exodus 12:13 (kill the lamb and paint the blood) Leviticus 23:6 (Feast of Unleavened Bread) John 6:32–33 (the bread of life is Jesus) John 6:35 (I am the bread of life) Matthew 26:26 (this is my body, take and eat) Leviticus 23:10–11 (Feast of First Fruits) I Corinthians 15:20–23 (Christ is risen from the dead and has become the First Fruits) Leviticus 23:15–17 (Feast of Shavuot, Weeks, or Pentecost) Acts 2:1–7 (when the day of Pentecost had come) Acts 2:41–42 (3,000 souls were added) John 14:17–18 (give you the Helper) John 14:26 (The helper is the Holy Spirit) Leviticus 23:24 (Feast of Trumpets) I Corinthians 15:51–52 (we shall not all sleep, trumpet will sound) I Thessalonians 4:16–17 (with the trumpet of God) Leviticus 23:27 (Feast of Atonement) Hebrews 7:28 (appoints the Son) Hebrews 10:10 (we have been sanctified by the body of Jesus) Matthew 25:32 (judged for how we stood with Jesus) Hebrews 10:12–14 (He has perfected forever)

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Leviticus 23:34 (Feast of Tabernacles) Leviticus 23:39 (gathered the fruit of your land) Leviticus 23:42–43 (dwell in booths) John 14:6 (I am the Way and the Truth and the Light)

39. Global arms race.

Joel 3:8–14 (prepare for war) Revelations 16:15–16 (I am coming as a thief in the night) Ezekiel 38:14–16 (Gog and Magog) Ezekiel 38:5–6 (Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them; Gomer, the house of Togarmah and all its troops) Ezekiel 38:13 (Sheba, Dedan, merchants of Tarshish and all their young lions) Luke 21:29–32 (fig tree and all the trees-when budding-near-at the doors!)

40. Respected End Time voices.

(See source sheet)

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Notes

1. This creed is widely used by a number of Christian denominations; this was the Lutheran version circa 1955. ―Catholic‖ means ―universal‖ and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.

2. Estimates were worked out by twelve different classes of 600 college students.

3. Presence of God. 4. ―Lukewarm‖ is a term used by Jesus to describe the Church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:16. He promised that these believers would be spewed or vomited out if they did not change. Most scholars believe this is a reference to the End Time apostates.

5. Dr. Jack Van Impe, noted speaker, author, and TV cohost (along with his wife, Rexella), is founder and president of Jack Van Impe Ministries International in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

6. Left Behind I is the first of three movies based on the series of novels by Dr. Tim LaHaye, renowned prophecy scholar and minister, and best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins.

7. The International Prophecy Conference is an annual event held in Tampa, Florida, and sponsored by ―God’s News Behind the News.‖ 8. The Lord’s Prayer, or the ―Model Prayer,‖ is offered by Jesus in response to the disciples’ request to learn how to pray (Matthews 6: 9–13).

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 9. El Roi, one of the names of God, appears in Genesis 16:7–15. Hagar, the Egyptian slave to Sarai (Abram’s wife), ran away from Sarai into the desert. An angel appears and tells Hagar to return to Sarai. Hagar then gives the Lord the name ―El Roi, the God Who sees me.‖ 10. Pastor Paula White is a preacher, teacher, author, and TV personality who works through both for-profit and non-profit organizations (Paula White Enterprises, PWM Life Center, and Paula White Ministries in New York, Tampa, and San Antonio).

11. Dr. Peter Gammons is the senior pastor of Cathedral of Faith in Orlando, Florida, and is a respected teacher on Israel’s prophetic role.

12. Dr. Grant Jeffrey is a best-selling author and a leading teacher of Bible prophecy, eschatology, and apologetics.

13. David Ben-Gurion was born David Grün in Płońsk, Poland. He adopted his Hebrew name, Ben-Gurion, when he began his political career. Ben-Gurion in Hebrew means ―son of a lion cub.‖ 14. In Islam, the Arabic word kafir refers to non-Muslims, frequently with a derogatory sense, and is usually translated into English as ―infidel‖ or ―unbeliever.‖ Source: Wikipedia.

15. Supporters of Replacement Theology believe that the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people and that God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE 16. Dr. Perry Stone Jr. is an international evangelist and considered one of America’s foremost experts on Bible prophecy. He is the founder and president of Voice of Evangelism in Cleveland, Tennessee.

17. The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, who went to be with the Lord in early 2006, was a Baptist minister in Memphis, Tennessee. His television program, ―Love Worth Finding,‖ still airs today.

18. Evangelist Donald Perkins, founder of According to Prophecy Ministries in Lemon Grove, California, is an international prophecy evangelist whose simple teaching style has won him the description of one who ―teaches prophecy with enthusiasm and power.‖ 19. Kadima is a centrist political party. The other two major Israeli parties are the Likud Party (to which Benjamin Netanyahu belongs) and the Labor Party.

20. Dr. Carl Baugh, a Baptist minister, is the founder and curator of Creation Evidence Museum in Rosemont, Texas.

21. Dr. Hilton Sutton, one of the world’s foremost authorities on prophecy and most notably the book of Revelation, is an ―in demand‖ speaker around the world for his upbeat and edifying approach to teaching.

22. The snail was called a chilazon and was so rare that it emerged from the murky ocean depths only once every 70 years. The dye comes from the secretions of one of the snail’s glands.

23. Hal Lindsey is regarded by most serious scholars of prophecy as a prominent ―Watchman on the Tower.‖ He has written twenty best-selling books,

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE most notably The Late Great Planet Earth. He is founder and president of ―International Intelligence Briefing‖ (IIB), an internationally televised program.

24. The Richter scale, a scale to measure the intensity of an earthquake, is used universally by seismologists. The scale was developed in 1935 by Charles Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg.

25. Dr. Bill Cloud is a pastor in Tennessee and a writer and producer of several teaching albums on prophetic themes. He is most respected for his knowledge of the Hebrew language and Judaism’s relationship to Christianity.

26. Dr. Paul Crouch is founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network, the largest Christian Network in the world, with over 12,000 stations being carried by fiftythree satellites.

27. Harold Gans, director of research for Aish HaTorah, spent 28 years as senior cryptologic mathematician with the National Security Agency, U.S. Department of Defense.

28. Dr. Chuck Missler, author, speaker, and teacher on prophecy, is the founder and president of Koinonia House and has a worldwide radio broadcast. He has worked alongside the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.

29. The Academy of the Hebrew Language originated in 1953 and consists of twenty-three members, additional academic advisers, and fifteen scholars in languages, linguistics, Judaic studies, and the Bible.

30. One hundred forty-four thousand is the number of Jews (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes) who will recognize Jesus as the Messiah during the Tribulation

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE and who will be ―sealed‖ from persecution by the Antichrist (world leader). They will witness to other Jewish people about Jesus.

31. The Millennium (mille—one thousand; annum—year) is the 1,000 years of rule on earth by a triumphant Jesus Christ and those who were true to him in life and/or death.

32. Echelon captures and analyzes phone calls, faxes, emails, and telex messages sent anywhere in the world. It is used by the U.S. National Security Agency and is operated in conjunction with the Government Communications Head Quarters (GCHQ) of England, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) of Canada, the Australian Defense Security Directorate (DSD), and the General Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) of New Zealand. The system was established under a secret 1948 UK-USA agreement.

33. Psalm 51:11, ― . . . take not thy holy spirit from me,‖ is an Old Testament example of the Jewish belief in the Holy Spirit.

34. In November 2003, European Muslim scholars reported such an alignment of the three stars in their month of Ramadan.

35. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a major, national, nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City, whose stated mission is ―to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.‖ It works through litigation, legislation, and community education. Source: Wikipedia.

36. Secular Humanism is a philosophy that upholds reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects rituals and ceremonies as a means to affirm a life stance. The

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE term was coined in the twentieth century as a clear distinction from ―religious humanism,‖ which biologist Edward O. Wilson claimed to be ―the only worldview compatible with science’s growing knowledge of the real world and the laws of nature.‖ Source: Wikipedia 37. Yachad Ministries (www.yachad.com), founded by Messianic Rabbi Emeritus Robert I. Solomon, is a ministry that shares the good news of Yeshua (Jesus) in love to both Jews and Gentiles and is located in Atlanta, Georgia.

38. ―The Ark of the Testimony is kept in the Temple or the Tabernacle or the Holy of Holies. During the days of Moses, it was kept from the eyes of the people.‖— ―Revelation Revealed‖ by Jack Van Impe.]

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About the Author

Rev. Frieda ―Fritz‖ Porter was reared in the church and was an active member throughout her childhood and teenage years. At age twenty-nine she realized that infant baptism was not the same as a personal decision to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. Within a couple of years of her salvation, Fritz was heading up her own ministry, Chara Pneuma (According to the Spirit), which she maintained for more than eleven years with weekly meetings in her home and area churches.

After twenty-nine years of marriage, Fritz was suddenly widowed and felt as if her life was over. But God had a different plan! She married for a second time and now she and her beloved husband are involved in her new ministry, Lillie Rose Ministries International.

Through a miraculous encounter with God one night, she and her husband realized that they had become ―lukewarm.‖ Now they are faithfully answering His call to WAKE UP the church and teach others about our God-given responsibility to Israel and the Jewish people. She began to study the prophetic scriptures for long hours, seeking out the best-of-thebest scholars who were teaching about the Rapture of the Church and about the Second Coming of Christ. She has traveled many times to Israel, where God‘s favor has granted her meetings with some of Israel‘s most prominent leaders.

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ON THE BRINK OF THE RAPTURE Fritz has attended prophecy conferences around the country, and it was while she was attending the International Prophecy Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, and listening to the speakers challenge the audience to take the information from this conference to others, that she realized it was time to WAKE UP others around her.

She and her husband began holding small group meetings in their home and in an area church. God spoke to her about starting the Atlanta Prophecy Conference, which she now chairs. In 2005, she held the first-ever Atlanta Prophecy Conference, ―At the Doors!,‖ in Atlanta, Georgia. After record attendance at the 2006 conference, ―WAKE UP,‖ and at the 2007 conference, ―LEFT BEHIND,‖ she took the 2008 conference to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. In 2009 she held the APC in Charlotte, North Carolina; Salisbury, England; and Atlanta.

Fritz received her BA from Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. She and her husband love spending time with their four children and eleven grandchildren.

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