Incredible Bible Prophecies about Israel and the Jews

The nation of Israel has a big role in Bible prophecy. Recently I felt motivated to look in-depth specifically at Israel and the Jews in end-times prophecy. I saw things in the Scriptures that I had not seen before, and even something I have never heard anyone talk about, which I will share with you here. I don't take the credit for these insights. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth.

Traditional Israel and Spiritual Israel

Israel is God's called-out nation, a people He calls his own:

"You are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth." - Deuteronomy 14:2, Holman

The book of Genesis defined Israel as the people descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The genealogy runs from Abraham to his son Isaac, to his son Jacob, and then to Jacob's 12 sons who were the progenitors of the 12 tribes of Israel: 

1. Reuben
2. Simeon
3. Levi
4. Judah
5. Issachar
6. Zebulun
7. Dan
8. Naphtali
9. Gad
10. Asher
11. Joseph
12. Benjamin

The tribe of Joseph split into two "half-tribes," named after his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. People descended from those 12 tribes are Israel according to a definition that we'll label traditional Israel.

Excluded from Israel were descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael, the sons from his second wife Keturah who he married after Sarah died, as well as Isaac's other son Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew. The Gentile nations (Hebrew goyim, meaning foreign, non-Hebrew nations) were obviously not part of Israel either.

However, foreigners could join Israel if they were willing to practice Israel's faith in the Lord God - that is, be converted. So membership in Israel was never just about ancestral pedigree: 

"But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it." - Exodus 12:18

Ancestry was also not enough to maintain Israel's status as God's holy people. Obedience to God and walking in His righteousness was and is at the core of this relationship. Obedience brings blessing; disobedience brings judgment:

"'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.'" - Isaiah 1:16-20, NASB

Furthermore, the prophet Hosea spoke of a future time when Israel and Judah would be reunited and Gentile nations would join them as sons of God:

"Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'  And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and they will go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel." - Hosea 1:10-11

In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul confirmed this passage is referring to the Gentile nations where it says: "And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'" This is astonishing because it foretells a time when the sons of Judah, the sons of Israel and believing Gentiles will be united under one King, who is the Messiah Jesus Christ.

It is also amazing in light of the current state of affairs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Hosea was a prophet during the time when Israel was split into the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and southern kingdom of Judah. This situation arose out of a civil conflict after the reign of King Solomon. Later, Israel and Judah rebelled against God to such a degree that both were destroyed in judgment by foreign nations. Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and sent its inhabitants into exile, and 130 years later Babylon did the same to Judah.

After 70 years of captivity, Judah returned and rebuilt Jerusalem. However, it was only the tribe of Judah, plus Benjamin whose territorial allotment was part of Judah, and a remnant of Levites who were designated priests in Israel and did not have a territory, but were scattered among all tribes. The other 10 tribes - Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun - were and are still considered lost. They were dispersed and assimilated among other nations.

This history is critical for understanding Bible prophecy. The word for Jew in the New Testament - the Greek word Ioudaios - means Judean or someone from Judah. Today we typically think of Jews as the descendants of Israel - and they are - but they are not all the descendants of Israel. The phrase Jews or Jewish people excludes the lost 10 tribes. The Basic Laws of the modern state of Israel declare that it is the nation-state of the Jewish people (only). The Law of Return in Israel gives Jews from other nations the right to live in Israel and gain citizenship, but they are not looking for or accepting the lost 10 tribes. The prophecy above in Hosea and others in Isaiah and Ezekiel envision a restored Israel with all 12 tribes. So there is a major discrepancy between what is happening in Israel today and what the Bible ultimately predicts for it. More on this later.

The New Testament introduced the idea of spiritual Israel, which includes all people, both Israelite and Gentile, who believe in and follow Jesus Christ, the Messiah King. The Bible also calls this the church or body of Christ. Spiritual Israel excludes everyone who does not believe in Jesus, whether Israelite or Gentile.

John 8:30-37 records a dialog between Jesus and some religious Jews. To the ones who believed in Him, He said, “If you continue in my word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Other Jews who heard objected and claimed they were descendants of Abraham and had never been enslaved. In other words, they claimed to be children of God and members of Israel by their ancestry, apart from Christ. Jesus acknowledged they were descendants of Abraham, but disputed who their true spiritual father was:

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to My word. You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.” – John 8:42-44

Like the Pharisees in Jesus' time, rabbinic Judaism today views inclusion in Israel primarily through the lens of ancestry. However, Paul likewise affirmed that membership in spiritual Israel does not come by ancestry, but by faith in Christ:

“For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants. On the contrary, ‘In Isaac your seed will be called.’ That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered seed.” – Romans 9:6-8

The promise mentioned is God’s promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him, and he and his descendants would inherit the world as spiritual Israel:

“Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, so understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, ‘All nations will be blessed in you.’ So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.” – Galatians 3:6-9

The New Testament also uses the term Israel in the traditional sense, such here when Paul declared his own ancestry:

"I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” – Romans 11:1

Depending on the context, Israel in the New Testament could refer to traditional or spiritual Israel.

Some Christians adhere to a view called replacement theology which says the church (believers in Jesus Christ) completely replaces traditional Israel in God's plans for the end times. This is not true. The Scriptures paint a more nuanced picture. In these end times, God is bringing Gentiles and a small portion of Jews into spiritual Israel. The Bible also foretells a time at the very end of this age when Jews in Israel embrace Jesus Christ as a nation after going through tremendous suffering and loss of life. Ultimately, in the age to come and after Jesus returns, spiritual Israel will prevail and traditional Israel will be an anachronism, something that belonged to a bygone era, like how Christians view temple building and animal sacrifices today. The ideal of unity and oneness in Christ will then be fully realized:

"There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise." - Romans 3:28-29

In the meantime, God is building his kingdom, spiritual Israel, while fulfilling prophecies for traditional Israel. 

A Remnant of Israel Will be Saved

"So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins." - Romans 11:35-27

Paul wrote about a partial hardening of hearts in Israel which created an opportunity for Gentiles to be saved. We are in that time of the Gentiles right now. After the full measure of Gentiles has come in, then "all Israel will be saved." In the verses preceding that statement, Paul clarified he was talking about a remnant of Israel, i.e. a remainder or small portion:

"In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace." - Romans 11:5 

"But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 'Though the number of Israel’s sons is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.'" - Romans 9:27

In context, the verse stated that all the remnant of Israel will be saved.

How will this come to pass? Zechariah 12-14 describes how it will happen for Judah and Jerusalem in the end:

"Look, I will make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering for the peoples who surround the city. The siege against Jerusalem will also involve Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who try to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her."  - Zechariah 12:2-3

The nations of the earth will assemble for a great battle against Jerusalem but will not completely destroy it because:

"The Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Zechariah 12:8)

However, the residents of Judah and Jerusalem will suffer greatly:

"The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city." - Zechariah 14:2

"In the whole land—this is the Lord’s declaration—two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it." - Zechariah 13:8

Then Jesus Christ will intervene personally to defend Jerusalem.

"Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east." - Zechariah 14:3-4

I believe this battle is the same one as Armageddon in Revelation 16 and the King of kings and Lord of lord leading the armies of heaven in Revelation 20. According to Zechariah, God will redeem those in Judah who survive:

"I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are My people, and they will say: Yahweh is our God." - Zechariah 13:9

"Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn." - Zechariah 12:10

The surviving Jews will mourn and repent for the One they pierced at Calvary, Jesus Christ, and as a nation receive Him as their Messiah. They rejected Him the first time He came, but will receive Him when He comes again! And so all the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem will be saved.

It is interesting to note that Zechariah 12:12-14 mentions the houses of specific families mourning by themselves: David's house, Nathan's house, Levi's house, Shimei's house. David and Nathan are from the tribe of Judah, and Levi and Shimei are from the tribe of Levi. Only Jews (Judeans) are listed among those saved. This corresponds to the modern state of Israel's focus on being a Jewish homeland.

What about the lost 10 tribes of Israel: Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun? The remnant of those tribes will be saved in the nations where they live. How do we know? Because Jesus Christ himself will call them home after He returns.

The Messiah King Will Restore All 12 Tribes to the Land of Israel

Prophecies in the Scriptures clearly state that God intends to restore all 12 tribes, the whole house of Israel, to the land of Israel:

"So this is what the Lord God says: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name... They will know that I am Yahweh their God when I regather them to their own land after having exiled them among the nations. I will leave none of them behind." - Ezekiel 39:25,28 

"My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them." - Ezekiel 37:24

Ezekiel wrote that prophecy several centuries after King David's reign, so he could not have literally meant David would be king over the restored house of Israel. He meant a King from the house of David, because God had made a covenant with David that his house, kingdom and throne would endure forever. That King is Jesus Christ.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote a similar prophecy about uniting Israel under one King:

"This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you, for the days are certainly coming'—this is the Lord’s declaration—'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah'—the Lord’s declaration. 'I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.'... They will serve the Lord their God and I will raise up David their king for them." - Jeremiah 30:2-3

Ezekiel's prophecy of the two sticks also demonstrated how Judah and Ephraim will be joined together again. Ephraim and Joseph represent the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom:

 "The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him. Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand. When your people ask you, "Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?" — tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in My hand.'" - Ezekiel 37:15-19

When will this reunification happen? The prophet Isaiah had the answer:

"On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious. On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover—from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands of the west—the remnant of His people who survive. He will lift up a banner for the nations and gather the dispersed of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Ephraim’s envy will cease; Judah’s harassment will end. Ephraim will no longer be envious of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim." - Isaiah 11:10-13

Just before this passage, Isaiah prophecies about the coming Messiah who will bring peace to earth, calling him a "shoot that grows from the stump of Jesse," who is King David's father. The phrase "root of Jesse" refers to Jesus Christ. In other words, Isaiah said that Jesus Christ would call the whole house of Israel to the promise land. The great return of the 12 tribes will happen after Jesus returns! 

The House of Israel Will Return from among the Living and the Dead

If that's not amazing enough, the Scriptures say that God will call the house of Israel back from not only the land of the living, but from the graves of the dead! In Ezekiel's famous prophecy of the valley of dry bones, the Lord told Ezekiel to prophecy to the dry bones and tell them to come alive again. They grew flesh and skin and came back to life! Then God said to Ezekiel:

"'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off." Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, My people, and lead you into the land of Israel. You will know that I am Yahweh, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. I have spoken, and I will do it.' This is the declaration of the Lord." - Ezekiel 37:11-14

Notice the bones represent the whole of Israel and when they are resurrected, God will settle them in their own land! This really isn't a surprise because it happened before. After Jesus died on the cross in Jerusalem:

"The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many." - Matthew 27:52

The scene in the valley of dry bones is actually part of the coming resurrection of the saints: 

"Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-51 

Conclusion

Hold on to your seats because God has incredible plans for redeeming and restoring the house of Israel and for uniting all saints, both Hebrew and Gentile, in the kingdom of God in Christ. It's coming soon and it's happening on earth!

Note: For the first half of this article, read Is It God's Will for Christians to Support the State of Israel?

The Four Horsemen Will Soon Ride

Note: This is a revision of an article originally published on March 16, 2015. The events described below are from that time, but the interpretation is updated to reflect my current understanding.

"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." - Revelation 19:10, KJV

Jesus Christ is still speaking loudly and clearly in this day. His testimony is the spirit of prophecy. He is coming quickly to bring salvation and grace to the saints and His judgment and wrath to the world.

A Rude Awakening

In the fall of 2013, I realized that America and the world are headed for great calamity. Before that time, I believed the world was improving and basically a decent place to live. Boy, was I deceived! There are many dark agendas playing out in the world, all of which are building to a crescendo of evil unlike any time in history. For a long time I studied these topics. It was overwhelming, like drinking from a fire hose, and completely changed how I saw the world and my life. There were days I felt deep sadness and mourning for the losses I saw coming. But I also felt hope because I knew this was God's plan for the end of the age. When Jesus returns, everything changes.

I realized our economy will soon collapse under an unbearable load of debt, unfunded liabilities, money printing and rejection of the US dollar in international trade. The dollar itself will crash and then eventually go away. This is by design. The global elite are preparing the way for an electronic cryptocurrency transacted using the mark of the beast, as described in Revelation 13.

I realized the Twin Towers and a third 50-story building, WTC Building 7, did not collapse perfectly into their own footprints at free fall speeds on 9/11 because two jets hit them. This is physically impossible on so many levels. The evidence points overwhelmingly to a controlled demolition. Our government used the trauma of 9/11 to justify eroding civil liberties with the Patriot Act and engaging in an endless series of bloody "wars on terror" in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc.

I realized that the passage in Genesis 6 about "sons of God" having children with human women was about fallen angels producing giant hybrid offspring, which the Bibles calls mighty ones or Nephilim. The Goliath David slew was one of these hybrid giants. Furthermore, Genesis 6 ties in directly to the alien and UFO presence and the many reports of human and animal abductions. Aliens are fallen angels and their minions. As they did in the days of Noah, the fallen ones are engaged in a program of genetic manipulation to create hybrid beings, but this time using advanced technology. This is what Daniel prophesied would happen during the final kingdom of this age, when iron (foreign DNA) will mix with clay (human DNA) in the seed (offspring) of men:

"And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men." - Daniel 2:43, NASB

There are other topics as well. All of them are related and point to the reality that we are living at the very end of this age, i.e. the final generation. Numerous prophetic voices confirm it as well. The world is about to become darker than it ever has, and then Jesus Christ will return to vanquish evil with a sword and bring light and justice to the world - see Revelation 19.

My wife and I reached out to people, both Christians and non-Christians, to try to share what we saw. Naively, I thought people would want to know. We envisioned building a community of Christians who are awake to the times, prepping for what's coming and seeking God's kingdom in the final days. Honestly, it was very disappointing. Most people don't want to touch these issues with a 10-foot pole. It frightens them. They love the world as they perceive it and don't want to think of it in a more sinister, apocalyptic light, or think that their world is about to change.

There is a sprinkling of people out there who are awake and I am grateful for the ones I know. Strangely, church leaders and pastors seem most resistant to these messages. I am unaware of any churches in my area that openly preach about it. 

But God has confirmed this message many, many times and I cannot doubt it: Our nation (and the world) is under judgment, we're at the end and Jesus is coming soon! It was a mercy to be awakened and have this time to make peace with this reality and prepare spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and materially. Jesus said men's hearts will faint from fear and expectation of things coming on the earth (Luke 21:26). I give God the credit for waking me up and giving me a chance to be ready. 

What's Coming Next?

Just before Thanksgiving in the fall of 2014, I asked, "Now what, Lord? What's coming next?"

Later I listened to a radio interview of John Shorey about end-times events in Revelation 6 and elsewhere in the Bible. He discussed various wars and how he believed that the Pale Horse that brings death over one quarter of the earth includes the destruction of Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17-18. I an convinced America is Mystery Babylon, so that grabbed my attention. Shorey also said that he thought the Rapture appears in Revelation 6:12-17, which is an interpretation that occurred to me. It all resonated. The more I thought and prayed about it, the more I sensed the Lord impress on my heart Revelation 6. As in, that is the answer to my prayer. That is what's coming next.

I shared this with my wife. A day or two later, as we drove home from Seattle and crossed a barren stretch of Eastern Washington, the car had quieted down and the kids were asleep. I flipped on the radio and there was a man reading Bible scriptures. He said, "Next we are going to read... Revelation chapter 6." He proceed to read the whole chapter. That was an amazing confirmation.

When I got home, I heard the latest prophetic dreams from Pastor T.D. Hale, in which the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse mounted and began to ride. There it was again! Also in his dream, lights all around the world shot up into the sky, which I think is a reference to the great rescue and gathering of the elect.

Then my mother shared with me a vivid dream of her own. In it a black horse was trying to stomp on her, but she stood to the side of it and had it by the reins. People were telling her to watch out, but she said it was okay, she had it under control. I told her that was probably the Black Horse in Revelation 6, which brings famine and privation. Another confirmation.

My mother had another dream that featured a pale green horse. She took out a wash cloth, wet it and said that was its color. The Greek word for pale in Revelation is 6 is chloros, which is the root for English words like chlorine and chlorophyll, implying a shade of green. Chloros can mean pale or ashen as well as pale green. She saw the Pale Green Horse in her dream.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

What's coming next are the Four Horsemen described in Revelation 6. They come as Jesus the "Lamb of God" opens the first four seals: 

White Horse
"Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, 'Come!' I looked, and there was a white horse. The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor to conquer." - Revelation 6:1-2, Holman

The white horse brings conquest. The rider carries a bow and wears a crown, so he is a political leader, a king. When Jesus arrives to lead the armies of heaven in the battle of Armageddon (see Revelation 19), he will wear "many crowns" and have a sword, not a bow. The rider of the white horse in Revelation 6 is imitating Jesus, but is not Him. Therefore, this rider is a false messiah king, a.k.a. the Antichrist, the son of perdition, the little horn, the first beast. This person is already on the scene today and quietly building support for his reign in the background. Here is a sly hint about who he is. Here is another.

Red Horse
"When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him." - Revelation 6:3-4

The red horse brings war. Its rider carries a large sword. Expect to see war between nations and violent, civil conflict within nations.

Black Horse
"When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and there was a black horse. The horseman on it had a set of scales in his hand. Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.'" - Revelation 6:5-6

The black horse brings economic collapse and famine. The rider carries "a set of scales in his hand." Scales were used in the old world for commerce - to sell and to buy. In other words, they represent the economy. "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages." A quart of wheat is enough to make only a loaf or two of bread. How much money do you make in a day? $100, $200, $300? Imagine if you had to pay that much for a loaf of bread. The Black Horse brings an economic crash followed by hyperinflation, scarcity of resources, and famine.

Pale Green Horse
"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth." - Revelation 6:7-8

The pale horse brings death. It has authority over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague and wild beasts. I take this to mean a plague of death will affect one-quarter of the world, not that a fourth of the world's population will necessarily perish. America will be affected since it is the prophetic Mystery Babylon whose plagues of death, mourning and famine will come "in one day" (Revelation 18:8).

Slain for the Word of God

After the fifth seal is broken in Revelation 6, the souls of those who were slain for their faith in Jesus cried out and asked, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" They were given a white robe and told to wait a little while longer until the number of those slain should be completed. This represents the persecution of believers in Christ.

The Gathering of the Elect and the Wrath of the Lamb

After the sixth seal is broken, there is an earthquake, the sun turns dark and the moon like blood, the stars fall and the sky splits apart. People on earth are in anguish for the coming wrath:

"Then I saw Him open the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred; the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair; the entire moon became like blood; the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; the sky separated like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of Their wrath has come! And who is able to stand?'" - Revelation 6:12-17

This is the same celestial and earthly scene as the coming of Jesus Christ and gathering of the elect in Matthew 24.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." - Matthew 24:29-31

In fact, Jesus' description of the end of the age in Matthew 24 matches the events in Revelation 6:

• White horse - conquest by Antichrist, i.e. false messiah king: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many." - Mat. 24:4, Holman 
• Red horse - war and conflict: "You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars... For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." - Mat. 24:6-7
• Black horse - economic collapse and famine: "There will be FAMINES and plagues and earthquakes in various places." - Mat. 24:7 
• Pale green horse - death: This is a result of war, famine, plagues and wild animals. 
• Fifth seal - persecution and martyrdom of Christians: "Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another." - Mat. 24:9-10

Given all the similarities between these passages, I believe the sixth seal with its identical celestial imagery implies the coming of Jesus Christ and gathering of the elect, an event some call the Rapture. 

After this, the seventh will open up the seven trumpets in Revelation, and the seventh trumpet will open up the seven bowls of God's wrath. They are like Russian dolls, one inside the other. The seventh seal marks the Great Tribulation, the final 3.5 years of this age when the height of wrath and judgment are poured out on earth.

Please understand we will all experience tribulation on earth - the first six seals, all of Revelation 6 - before the gathering of the elect. Then the Great Tribulation will come, the final 3.5 years of this age.

Please also understand that the gathering of the elect is for those who are accounted worthy - who persevere in their faith and seek to obey Jesus Christ:

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." - Luke 21:36, KJV

"Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth." - Revelation 3:10, Holman 

See also the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25. All ten virgins wanted to meet the Bridegroom, but only the wise virgins who took extra oil for their lamps entered the wedding banquet. The unwise virgins were left out because they ran out of oil - i.e. they did not maintain their relationship with Jesus Christ.

I point out these things because there are a couple false doctrines circulating around the Christian community. The first is that Christians will escape tribulation because of the gathering of the elect. Not true. We will go through the first six seals, including the Four Horsemen. The second is that everyone who claims to be a Christian will be rescued during the gathering of the elect. Not true. Those who maintain their relationship of faith and obedience to Jesus Christ will be accounted worthy. This is a challenge I personally feel. We must persevere in faith, because the others will be left on earth to be purified during the Great Tribulation.

Are We Really the Last Generation?

In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus said there would be a final generation that will see all end-times events come to pass:

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near—at the door! I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place." - Matthew 24:32-34

Are we that final generation? I asked God that question, or rather, I asked Him what the fig tree represents, because the sprouting of the fig tree marks the beginning of the end. He showed me the answer in Mark 11! I recommend reading the whole chapter closely because the answer is not stated directly, but is woven into the fabric of the text.

In Mark 11, Jesus encountered a fig tree with leaves but no fruit, because it was not the season for figs. So He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" Later, Jesus and his disciples passed by the tree again and it was withered from the roots up. 

Immediately before Jesus encountered the fig tree, He entered Jerusalem, went into the temple complex, looked around and then left. What was He observing?

The next day, Jesus encountered the fruitless fig tree and cursed it. He went again to the temple complex in Jerusalem and was distressed to see all the buying, selling and money changing. He began to throw people out of the temple and said:

"Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!" - Mark 11:17

The chief priests heard it and began to look for a way to destroy Him. Jesus was the long-awaited and prophesied Messiah, but the religious leaders wanted Him dead.

Jesus and his disciples then returned to the fig tree to see it had withered. Do you see what the fig tree represents? It represents Israel. Jesus went into the temple complex in Jerusalem to observe the spiritual condition of Israel, because this was the center of religious life. Israel was fruitless, which is the spiritual meaning of the fruitless fig tree. Except for a small remnant, Israel had rejected their Messiah. Thus the fig tree was cursed and withered, and thus Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and Israel withered.

It withered until the time of the end and Israel sprouted leaves again. There are many prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah about how God will regather the house of Israel to the Promise Land in the last days as part of His plan to save the whole nation. This began to happen on May 14, 1948, when David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, proclaimed the establishment of the state of Israel. US President Harry Truman recognized Israel that same day. That was 70 years ago this year. According to the Psalms, a person's life and by implication the length of a generation is 70 to 80 years:

"As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years." - Psalm 90:10, NASB

My friends, we are not only the last generation but the tail end of it. Seek God in humility and repentance because the world in its present form is quickly passing away. Jesus Christ is coming soon!

 

He is coming back

He is coming back, the rider on a white horse with a bow and crown.

"Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, 'Come!' I looked, and there was a white horse. The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor to conquer." - Revelation 6:1-2, Holman

The photoshopped image below was published by the White House during the Barack Obama presidency. The image shows Obama and his staff surrounded by items from the "Game of Thrones" TV series. It was portrayed as a joke, but it wasn't really. It was a boast and a mockery and a hint at what is coming.

Notice the bow on the coffee table and the crown in Obama's lap.

Notice the throne constructed from the swords of vanquished foes, a symbol of victory and conquest.

Finally, notice the three dragon eggs on the table:

"Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him." - Revelation 12:7-9

The Mandela Effect: Quantum Manipulations in the Bible

The Mandela Effect is a disturbing topic, for sure. I do think it is important to understand and I'll try to explain why and share my experience of it here. As a primer, this article on Truth Farmer is worth reading:

https://truthfarmer.com/2016/06/12/the-mandela-effect-or-quantum-effect-what-do-you-see/ 

We all know things will get crazy in the end times. Great signs and wonders that will deceive, if possible, even the elect. God alone can help us see through it!

I first heard about the Mandela Effect in regard to the Berenstein (pronounced 'steen') Bears story books that I remember from childhood. Now they are called Berenstain (pronounced 'stain') Bears - and there is no record in our current physical reality that they were ever called Berenstein Bears. Except I remember it very well, and my mom and sister and wife do too! Millions of people do because they were popular children's books since the 1960s. But it is GONE from the physical record.

Later I learned there are many, many more examples of pop culture names or phrases shifting. I was born in 1971 and remember Jiffy Peanut Butter from childhood very well. So does my mom and many other people. But it never existed. It was always Jif Peanut Butter - a name I never heard until recently. In the movie Star Wars, Darth Vader said to Luke Skywalker, "Luke, I am your father!" It was THE iconic line from the original movie series. A college friend loved to quote Star Wars and would imitate Darth Vader and repeat that quote. But guess what? The movie now says, "No, I am your father!" There is no record Vader ever said "Luke." And on it goes. In the original Snow White movie, the phrase, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" has become, "Magic mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" I absolutely remember "Mirror, Mirror," and the other phrase is not right at all. But according to the current physical reality, it was never "Mirror, Mirror!"

Now think about all those Hollywood movies, starting with "Back to the Future" in the 1980s, and what they have been telling us about time travel. They show people going back in time to change the past and thereby alter the current physical reality. Consider also dimensional portals, black holes, the super high-tech occult activities CERN, and that Einstein proved space and time are relative. You see where this is going?

By the way, you can go online and find all kinds of people and websites to "debunk" these Mandela Effect "conspiracies," just like you can for 9/11, vaccines dangers, geoengineering and chemtrails, the CIA's involvement in the drug trade, history of giants, etc. But I don't believe the Mandela debunkers because I REMEMBER, and so do millions of other people.

The pop culture shifts are bizarre and unsettling, but it really disturbed me when I began to see changes in the Bible, which I consider to be the inspired word of God and the essential revelation we need to know God. I have been studying the Bible since 1989 when I became a Christian. I was a straight-A student in high school and applied the same diligence to studying the Scriptures and even memorized verses and passages.

The book of Isaiah is a favorite of mine because God has given me numerous personal verses from it. The first time I read the book of Isaiah from beginning to end was 1991. I read it through again 2003 and continue to read it today. So you can imagine my consternation when I discovered the famous verse about the "lion shall lie down with the lamb" is gone from Isaiah in both places where it used to appear, chapters 11 and 65. Now it says this:

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." - Isaiah 11:6

That famous, iconic Bible verse about how the world will be after Jesus Christ returns and removes the curse on creation that originated with Adam and Eve's fall - that verse has been manipulated. Now it says "wolf" and "dwell" instead of "lion" and "lie down." There used to be a beautiful prophetic symmetry there, because in the Bible Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God, and it is He who will usher in this age to come. The Lion and the Lamb. Whereas the wolf in the Scriptures represents Satan and those who follow him - "wolf in sheep's clothing," "inwardly they are ravening wolves," "Behold I sent you out as sheep among wolves." Can you hear Satan laughing at this change? I can.

By the way, the Isaiah change isn't limited to a certain translation or text. "The lion shall lie down with the lamb" no longer exists in any Bible, anywhere, from any time - not even the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Septuagint. It's GONE from our current physical reality. So for posterity's sake, here is the original verse from someone's memory:

"Then the lion shall lie down with the lamb, and the bear shall eat grass like the ox, and the child shall play on the hole of the asp, and nothing shall hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain." - Isaiah 11:6

There are numerous other changes in the Bible, though not enough to seriously corrupt the Scriptures. 99.99% is still intact. I still study it and consider it the word of God. Some changes are universal and others are limited to certain texts and translations. The King James Version in particular has been targeted and now contains ridiculous phrases like "suburbs", "muffler," "nursing father," "unicorn," "stuff" instead of "possessions" and "bottle" instead of "wineskin" in the parable of the wineskins. Even the Lord's prayer, which I memorized verbatim as a teenager because we recited often at church, has been subtly changed in the KJV. In Matthew 6, it now says "Our Father which art in heaven" instead of "who art in heaven," which grammatically makes God a thing instead of a Person. It says "Thy will be done in earth" instead of "on earth", which is a subtle but important distinction because Sheol and Hades are in the earth, whereas we among the living are on the earth. It says "forgive us our debts" instead of "forgive us our transgressions," as if sin is a matter of owing somebody money.

Here is a fairly comprehensive list of the changes in the Bible: 

https://truthfarmer.com/2016/08/05/rather-exhaustive-list-of-mandela-effect-affected-scriptures/ 

Genesis 3:15 is another important change to be aware of because this is the prototypical Bible prophecy about how Jesus the Messiah (Eve's "seed") will overcome the beast, the Antichrist (the serpent's "seed"), at the end of the age. This change is in most English versions, including KJV:

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." - Genesis 3:15, KJV

It used to say, "he shall crush thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Now it says "it" instead of "he," grammatically making the Messiah a thing and not a Person. But more importantly, it says Eve's seed and the serpent's seed are merely bruising each other, instead of Eve's seed crushing or defeating the other. In other words, it makes the cosmic struggle between God and Satan a battle of equals, both merely bruising the other, instead of a battle where God clearly wins in the end. That's a big deal! Can you hear Satan laughing? I can.

I'd like to address one more quantum manipulation in the Bible - the parable of the minas in Luke 19, which is about stewardship, faithfulness and bearing good fruit with the talents and resources the Lord has given us. Here is the affected portion:

"And another came and said, 'Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.' He told him, 'I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow, why didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!' So he said to those standing there, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.' But they said to him, 'Master, he has 10 minas.' ‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.'" - Luke 19:20-27, Holman

In the parable, the Master said the unfruitful slave should have put his money in the "bank," but it used to say something like "exchangers" or "money changers." Jesus didn't say to put our money in the "bank."  By the way, who runs the banks? The banksters, the Luciferian elite, the New World Order cabal. They want all our money in the bank, eventually in the form of electronic cryptocurrency, so they can give everyone the mark of the beast for buying and selling and totally control the world economy. Of course they want the Bible to say we should put our money in the bank.

The really disturbing change is the final verse: "... and slaughter them in my presence." It was different before, something like "remove him from my presence," which would be similar to the parallel parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Jesus never said to slaughter anyone in his presence, as if he enjoyed watching someone brutally killed in front of him! Who would want to defend that verse, especially to a non-Christian?

Many Christians believe the Bible may be banned in the end times. I wonder sometimes how that could happen. What if it is banned not because of what was in the Bible, but what has changed in the Bible, like that verse?

Which brings me to another concern. To the best of my understanding, these quantum manipulations happened around March 2016. They seem like a trial run to me, a beta test, to see how people react and then plan their next round for maximum effect. Consider this verse in Daniel about the Antichrist:

"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." - Daniel 7:25, KJV

What does it mean to "change times and laws?" This phrase is unique in the Bible. I now think it means - at least in part - to change time(lines), as in manipulating space-time or quantum manipulations. And changing "laws" may refer to corrupting Scriptures. The Antichrist is not even in office yet, so what will come next? Jesus warned about great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

I also wonder what the fulfillment of this prophecy in Amos will ultimately be:

"Hear this! The days are coming—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I will send a famine through the land: not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." - Amos 8:11, Holman

All of this makes me want to hide the word of God in my heart while I can. God is still sovereign. He is for us and with us, so there is nothing to fear. And remember, the Word of God never changes because Jesus is the Word, and it is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth! By faith in Christ we are anchored to the highest heaven. There are no quantum manipulations there!

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UPDATE:

The video below was brought to my attention which describes another, even more disturbing reason for quantum manipulations in the Bible. It claims Satan's intention is not to have the Bible banned, but to corrupt it to the point where the Scriptures point to a false messiah instead of Jesus Christ.

We are truly living in the time of false messiahs, false signs and wonders and STRONG DELUSION. Let us draw near to God today, because it doesn't get easier in the future!

"False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." - Matthew 24:24

"The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders, and with every unrighteous deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth in order to be saved. For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false, so that all will be condemned—those who did not believe the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness." - 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12