Um Welcome to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr., and along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. You know, every time that I open a news website or I listen to the nightly news on TV, I see that more and more of the world is turning its back on Israel. And today on our program, as we examine current events, and that's what we should always do, look at current events around the world. I know that we have a lot to focus on here in America, but as we see nations that are listed in Bible prophecy starting to turn their back more and more on the nation of Israel, we see that we are getting closer and closer to the rapture of the church.
Speaking of the rapture of the church, this week on our program, Dr. Paul Weaver will be here giving us nine reasons.
Well, part one, he's going to give us four of the nine reasons as to why he follows a pre-tribulational dispensation of the rapture of the church, which means. He believes that the rapture of the church is going to take place before any other prophecies are to be fulfilled. We have Ken Timmerman here, David Dolan, Winky Madad will be here talking about Israel, what's taking place there in the body politics, as does Dave Dolan. But also, Winky will be talking about the Feast of Pentecost, and that is coming up next week in the nation of Israel as people from around the world will come to the tiny nation of Israel to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, or Christians celebrate the time that the church began on the day of Pentecost.
Well, Rick, we've got a lot to cover, so let's get started with Ken Timmerman.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. We have Ken Timmerman with us. He is our expert when it comes to geopolitical affairs. He lets us know what is going on in the world. Ken is an author and an analyst.
His latest book, The Iran House, Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War and Intrigue, is available right now. Ken, thanks for taking the time to be with us today. Thanks for having me on, Rick. It's always a pleasure.
Well, Ken, I mentioned your book, The Iran House, and that's where we're going to start. We're going to talk about these negotiations that have been going on between President Trump and the Trump administration and Iran over their nuclear program. A little bit of friction now with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Can you give us an update on the latest?
Well, I believe these talks between the U.S. and Iran are reaching an impasse. The Iranians are insisting on retaining their ability to enrich uranium. The U.S. is saying, no, you have to eliminate that entirely.
There was another round of meetings again on Friday, yesterday.
So we don't really know where that's going. Witkoff, the U.S. negotiator, is keeping his cards fairly close to his chest. There have been stories in the New York Times in particular that he's trying to give the Iranians creative alternatives to getting rid of their uranium enrichment, such as having a regional joint venture to produce nuclear reactor fuel that would involve Iran, Saudi Arabia. Arabia, other Arab nations, and of course, the US and the IAEA.
But, you know, this is absurd, Rick. The Iranians today, for all of the enrichment that they are doing, which is a lot, they do not even produce reactor fuel for the one nuclear reactor in Bushir. They import it.
So, this is just a fiction. It is their legend. Nuclear power is not real for Iran. That is not their motivation. Their motivation is nuclear weapons.
And I think it's becoming increasingly apparent to everybody that that's the case.
Well, some interesting interactions among their Middle Eastern neighbors as far as these negotiations are concerned. Saudi Arabia is warning them that they need to reach an agreement with the U.S. as soon as possible or risk a war. But then also Pakistan, another neighbor, is expressing unity with them against Israel and praising their nuclear program. Yes, nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Let's not forget Pakistan, which actually sold the Iranians their original uranium centrifuges through AQ Khan. That's a story that I actually first reported on in 1987. It was one of the reasons I was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. It was a story that nobody else was tracking and something that had been on my radar for many, many years. Look, we are now learning, and this was just revealed this week, although it took place well over a month ago.
We're now learning that the Saudi king sent his second son, who's the defense minister, Prince Khaled, sent him to Tehran in. Mid-April telling the Iranians: if you don't make a deal with Donald Trump over your nuclear program, you're going to get bombed. And it's absolutely going to happen. And we don't want to see this kind of escalation in the region.
Well, the Iranians have never listened to anybody else. The Iranian regime is just as stubborn as stubborn can be. And I think we are getting closer every day to an Israeli attack. The question is going to be, will it be an Israeli attack jointly with the United States or one where the Israelis go alone? That's what we don't know yet.
Ron Dermer, the Strategic Affairs Minister, was here this week, along with Barnea, the head of Mossad. He was in Washington. They're talking to the United States constantly. I think we're getting close to the breaking point.
Well, we'll certainly continue to follow that situation there and update you in the future. But let's switch from the Middle East to Europe. And you mentioned Iran being stubborn.
Well, I think you could also characterize Vladimir Putin as being very stubborn. Donald Trump is getting fed up with that, and the US may be even being threatening to abandon the peace talks. Trump has been threatening to abandon the peace talks now for about two weeks, and I think he's getting very close to doing that. He's given Putin a deadline, another two weeks, but I think this time is going to be the final deadline. The Russians continue to say: sure, we're willing to talk to the Ukrainians, but they have to address the quote root causes of the conflict.
Now, what the Russians mean by root causes of the conflict is this long, long litany of grievance that we've now heard Putin express many, many times, including to Tucker Carlson. It goes back centuries where Russia believes that it has a historic claim to all of Ukraine. Obviously, the Ukrainians don't accept this. But one of these, quote, root causes is pretty much accepted by the U.S., and that is Putin's concern about NATO expansion to the East. General Keith Kellogg, with whom I worked under General Kellogg at the America First Policy Institute, General Keith Kellogg, the envoy.
Special Envoy for Ukraine said this week that the U.S. understands Putin's concern about NATO moving further to the East, and we are willing to agree that we will not invite Ukraine, Georgia, or Moldova into NATO. That's a pretty big U.S. concession. But the question is, is it enough to bring Putin to the bargaining table?
I don't think so. We'll find out soon enough. They've got another round on Monday in Istanbul of negotiations between the Yukes and the Russians. I doubt that Putin's going to be there. I'm not even sure he'll send a high ranking official there.
So these talks could break down pretty quickly.
Well, we'll follow that as well. But just to go to your point about NATO, I've heard this week that NATO is asking Berlin, Germany, for seven more brigades. This is something that it's an expansion of NATO that's got to concern Russia, maybe cause them to act one way or another. That's 40,000 more troops, Rick. Good luck.
The Germans already committed to providing 50,000 troops to NATO by 2030, and they are short on that goal.
So this would up it to 90,000 troops. Look, the Germans are going to have to just vastly increase their defense spending. They're going to have to vastly increase recruitment into their armed forces. They are below every single recruiting goal they've got. You mentioned the Russians.
I don't think the Russians are particularly worried about how many troops the Germans are fielding because they don't see a will to fight on the behalf of Germany. I don't think they see a will to fight on the behalf of any NATO country except for the United States. I was talking to a very knowledgeable source recently who knows intimately the way that NATO trains and the way our logistics are set up. And he says the French and the Germans and the Brits together can't even put 25,000 troops. On the battlefield in Europe and sustain them.
And that's well, well below these targets. Putin knows this. I don't think he's particularly losing sleep over it. I'm speaking with Ken Timmerman as he updates us on what is going on in the world. He's our expert in geopolitics.
And Ken, for my final question, I'd like to talk to you about the Golden Dome project that President Trump has been touting lately, and it's making some people very unhappy.
Well, no surprise that Russia, North Korea, and China are calling this notion of having a missile shield protecting the United States, calling it dangerous and strategically unsettling. Look, they've always done this, Rick. When Ronald Reagan first touted the idea of Star Wars, which he called the Strategic Defense Initiative, they also called it dangerous and destabilizing it. The arms controllers, and this includes many Democrats in Congress, for reasons which are hard to understand rationally, always seem to equate missile defense. With something which is destabilizing.
They somehow think that we must have mutually assured destruction. In other words, that if we launch against the Russians, the Russians launch against us, and we wipe each other out, that that is the only way of having strategic stability. And Ronald Reagan showed us already in the 1980s that's not true. You can defend yourself against incoming missiles, and it creates greater stability. I can give you a couple of examples.
In 2006, when I was covering the war with Hezbollah in Israel, and I write about this in the Iran House, the Israelis had no missile defense. They were really hard. Hard hit by 4,400 Hezbollah rockets and missiles. Today, they've had 43 ballistic missiles targeting them since the beginning of the Hamas War. Every now and then, one of them gets through.
But it's a far cry from what happened in 2006. Rick, look, in 1986, I was invited on a tour of some of the Star Wars facilities in the United States and saw with my own eyes this supercomputer in an attaché case, which is what really gave Ronald Reagan hope that he could have a Star Wars shield around the United States. Today, we have made such advances with computers, that briefcase-size suitcase would probably today fit on a credit card.
So, Donald Trump's goal of having this operational within three years is probably not as far-fetched as it might sound to some of us. Ken Timmerman, as always, we appreciate what you do keeping our listeners informed. If you want to find out more about Ken, go to his website at kentimmerman.com. Ken, thanks so much. Thanks so much, Rick.
God bless. Ken Timmerman. Great job, Ken. You know, Rick, as I think about all of these nations and in light of God's prophetic word, we understand that it's going to get much worse. And we focus on nations like Iran, Pakistan, Russia, the European Union.
And it seems like each and every day it continues to get worse.
Well, we've got to take a break when we come back. David Dolan, giving us our Middle East news update right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. Sacred music is under attack in China, where new government-led guidelines include the development of a song library with official Chinese values. Kurt Rovenstein of Bibles for China says this is part of sinization, a national push to blur the lines between religion and Chinese patriotism.
It does reflect a trend that we've seen for quite some time within China: the struggle of the church to freely express, preach, teach, sing, worship as they see fit according to scriptures. Rovenstein says the news is concerning for the direction of religious freedom in China. But in another sense, it affirms the work that we do as being very, very important that we're able to distribute unaltered, unchanged, unfiltered scriptures to people. Find Per Points and more at our website. And all Christian leaders face issues of priorities.
However, the political and social climates in the Middle East and North Africa can further confuse decisions. Dr. Jen Murph with the MENA Leadership Center helps leaders better prioritize their lives through general principles and the class, The Road to Mature Christian Leadership. Being a mature Christian leader means that you understand that you have to lead a life that is based on priorities. You have to be able to develop a Christ-centered, anti-cultural approach towards leadership.
And you have to learn and apply disciplines to be able to be effective in the lives of your team and your organization. God is moving through the MENA Leadership Center, so pray that these leaders would effectively prioritize their work. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of Onway Ministries. Keys for Kids Ministries exists to ignite a passion for Christ in kids, teens, and families worldwide.
So this month, they're offering a free annual subscription to the Kids and Teens devotionals and a box of Bible highlighters. Get yours for free when you click on the banner ad at missionnews.org. I'm screening. Welcome back to Prophecy Today Radio, the program that looks at current events in the light of Bible prophecy.
Well, this is the portion of our program we call it our Middle East News Update. We look at news coming out of the Middle East in general, but Israel in particular. To do that, we have an author and journalist with us, Dave Dolan. Dave, thanks for being with us today. You're welcome, Rick.
Well, Dave, typically on these segments, you give us an idea of what has taken place since our conversation last week in Israel. What's the latest?
Well Rick, the heaviest fighting, they say of the war has been taking place in northern Gaza all week. two hundred fifty thousand Palestinians have been ordered out of their homes near the Jabalia area, north of Gaza City, all sorts of things going on there.
Meanwhile, talks over a ceasefire deal continue. And in fact, one of the Saudi newspapers reported on Thursday that a deal has been struck. And of course, that's the proposal made by the American Steve Witkoff. It reportedly would involve two releases of living hostages, ten in total, five one day, and at the end of the same week, another five with the release of twenty eight dead hostage bodies. Over one thousand two hundred Palestinians would be freed from Israeli jails, Rick, as part of this deal.
It will reportedly lead to a total ceasefire of 60 days. And then at the end of that period, the war could resume or the ceasefire could continue with more releases. That's what the deal states. The Palestinians, the Hamas group on Friday night announced, Rick, that it had great reservations about the deal because earlier the proposal was, they claim, that the war would completely end. There would be a guarantee that after 60 days it would not be resumed.
Israel has not agreed to that and says that was not part of the original deal.
So there's a dispute going on. We'll see if this goes anywhere.
Meanwhile, the Arab Elite announced that it's leading a delegation to Ramallah on Sunday, tomorrow, led by the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Sarhan, and they will be examining what's going on in Judea and Samaria, the West Bank and the issue of a Palestinian state. On that front, we had the French President Macron announce that he will urge all nations to recognize the Palestinian state this summer at the UN. He's going to give a speech And he says this should be done whatever the status of Gaza is, whatever's going on elsewhere. Of course, the Israelis immediately reacted against that and do not want to see that. Meantime, the government announced the construction of several new settlements in Judea and Samaria Rick.
They're going to legalize about twelve that already exist but are not formally recognized as Israeli communities. And then they'll build some twelve more, ten or twelve more new, completely new settlements, some in the far north of Samaria, where five Israeli communities were evacuated as part of the Gaza evacuation twenty years ago this summer. Israel abandoned those, so they're going to rebuild those. And the government statement said it's to prevent a Palestinian state. From being created in this area.
So they were very open about that. That, of course, was immediately condemned by Jordan, the Palestinians. et cetera. And then Rick, we had more Houthi missile attacks upon Israel during the week. On Thursday, one was shot down near Jerusalem, and it actually rained down some debris over Mivaster at Zion.
You know that community just outside of Jerusalem on the way to Tel Aviv. And actually, near the Yad Vishem Memorial Museum in southwest Jerusalem, I did the same. And then Rick, we have the statement by the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, during the week that a civil war in Syria is about to explode. He said it's already really started, and he said it would be a war of, quote, immense proportions. And the fighting is already going on, especially in the north, Turkish backed forces Fighting the Kurds, and there's been some more action in the south.
So the Israelis are very, very concerned, obviously, about that and watching it real closely.
Well, David, a few things to follow up on with your report there. And in my time in Israel over the last few weeks, one of the things that I know is that the hostage situation, those hostages, their pictures are everywhere, yellow ribbons everywhere. It is so very important to the Israelis, to the Jewish people there to get those hostages back. Is this new proposal that they are talking about, is this something that will be accepted? What can they do to force this acceptance with Hamas?
What's your take on that situation?
Well, I should point out that Israel immediately accepted it, Rick, issued a statement right away after Witbox's announcement of it, basically. Saying this is fine, we're going along with this, but we do reserve the right to resume the war if. We don't get back all of our hostages. And again, as you say, that is the main issue here. Of course, we have the Israeli Defense Minister Katz warning Hamas.
That it must choose this deal or face total destruction. He said, This is a moment of truth like never before, and you need to take action here.
So, Israel's pressing hard for it. Also, we have the humanitarian issue, the food issue going on. We have the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, U. S founded, say that it delivered two million meals this week to Gaza residents. The UN is strongly opposed to this new effort.
They want to control the whole thing. But the Israelis point out that the Hamas men have been commandeering the food and then feeding their own forces first and then selling it back to the stores, the shops in Gaza, who then resell it at exorbitant prices. Of course, they sell it for exorbitant prices.
So Gaza's a mess and the hostages are there, but Rick. Uh the stories just keep coming out all the time of how terribly Horribly treated these men. They're mostly living men now, mostly soldiers. And they're given one piece of pita bread a day at most, usually. If they get sick, they're given no aid.
They have no sunshine, most of them. They get no exercise. I mean, you know, it's just a terrible situation, Rick. And, you know, as Randy's pointed out again, Hamas, you free all 20 of these living, got 21 maybe, and all of our dead. And we will stop the war at that point.
But Hamas is refusing to do that. And they are the obstacle. And of course, they're the reason for this war. But Rick, let's face it, the international opinion is turning against Israel ever more. Macron and the Brits and a bunch of countries condemned Israel this week over the settlements and over the situation in Gaza, et cetera.
So this is working for Hamas to hold on to these people. It's working for them to continue the war. And do they care how many of their civilians are starving or killed? Obviously not.
So that's The bottom line, Israel is dealing with a horrible terrorist organization that is similar to ISIS, and that's just the truth, and they have to deal with it. But the world is watching, and it's not uh turning towards Israel's side at all.
Well, unfortunately that has happened in the past. It is happening again now, and we appreciate you being able to give us a perspective that you don't always hear.
Well, in the time that we have left, I would like to change the subject a little bit and talk about the situation in Syria. You said potentially on the verge of a civil war. Of course, we know they had the regime change from Assad to now this new regime. Could you give us maybe a little bit more in depth what is taking place there in Syria and what we should be looking for?
Well, really, Rick, it's developing into a battle between the US and Turkey. Believe it or not, because the U.S., under the Trump administration, is reducing the number of U.S. forces in northeastern. Syria, where the oil mainly is, and where the Kurds, the Kurdish Minority is based basically. And they have been fighting heavily all week with Turkish forces.
and uh allied uh forces of the new uh Ashara government in Syria. And the fighting's been really heavy around the Tishrim Dam. Rick, which is a a major waterway on the Euphrates River. And if that is destroyed, there will be thousands of people flooded and probably killed downriver from that.
So it's a very serious situation. But again, it's Marco Rubio that says this is a pending civil war. And some are saying, Rick, maybe that was an indirect Criticism of his own president, Trump, because Trump and, of course, his Vice President Vance is even more so a fairly isolationist. It wants to get us out of conflicts and wants to make peace with Iran. Of course, that's another issue Israel's following real carefully and very, very worried that the deal that might be struck won't be adequate.
It won't end their nuclear programs.
So these things are all intertwined, Rick. But Syria is a disaster. We have an ex ISIS fighter leading it. And it's falling apart real quickly, and it's never been solid for over ten years now.
So the Israelis are watching it because, of course, they will get involved. They have to be involved. It's their northern neighbor, and of course, Syria's I've been very hostile over many decades now towards Israel.
So many different moving parts when you look at the nation of Israel in the center of all of it, but then, of course, the Palestinians, Europe, and their pressure on Israel, Turkey, Iran, all these things coming together.
Well, David, as always, we appreciate you helping us to understand what is actually taking place. We look forward to having you do it again next week. I look forward to doing it, Rick. God bless. Great job, David.
You know, the scenario that's given to us in Daniel chapter 11, the king out of the north, which would be Syria, the king out of the south would be Egypt. It's the Antichrist role to control those two nations and protect Israel. And he can't do either one of them.
So interesting scenario looking at Syria and where they're going in the future.
Well, let's take a break. And when we come back, we will go to Israel Madad and Dr. Paul Weaver right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. 42 Christians are dead after an attack by Fulani cattle herders in northern Nigeria last week.
Greg Kelly with Unknown Nation says violence against believers in this region has been going on for years, with an increase in the Middle Belt states where Christianity and Islam collide. While the world spotlights Fulani aggression, Kelly points out their spiritual need. They're unreached with the gospel, a stark contrast to Nigeria's South. Find prayer points for Nigeria's believers and the Fulani in the full story at our website. And the Bible portrays spiritual warfare as a real and ongoing battle between God and Satan, with believers caught in the middle.
Specifically, believers' minds and lives are the combat zone. Set Free equips Christians to wage war using God's weapons. Set Free volunteers use rules and tools to walk believers through a freedom appointment. The process is changing lives. Find your place in the story at missionnews.org.
Mission Network News is Service of One-Way Ministries. I'm Ruth Kramer. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr., along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. In the upcoming next half hour, we have Wikimed and Dr.
Paul Weaver. Dr. Paul Weaver is coming back today because, Rick, you know, we get so many emails and letters from people that disagree with us on the timing of the rapture of the church. We talked about the feast of Pentecost, and that's the time period when the day of the church age began. When Peter preached a message on the southern steps in the city of Jerusalem, and 3,000 Jews were added to the body of Christ.
Well, that's the day that the church began. We are now looking at a period of time when we're looking at the next event when the church will be raptured off of the earth. That particular phrase, the body of Christ or the church, applies to all of those of us that know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.
Well, there's some disagreement as to when the rapture of the church will take place. Dr. Paul Weaver will come on the program today and talk to us and give us nine reasons.
Well, today he's only going to give us the first five reasons as to why we should believe in a pre-tribulational view of the rapture. But before we get to him, we've talked about the Feast of Pentecost or Shavuot in the Hebrew language. I think we should go back to Israel and let's talk to Winky Madat about what is taking place in Israel, some additional news as far as the body politics of Israel, and then what Israel does on the Feast of Pentecost.
Well that's right, Jimmy. I have Winkie Madad with us, the former mayor of Shiloh and a frequent contributor to this program. Winkie, thank you for taking the time to be with us today. Thank you once again for the privilege.
Well, Winky, I know earlier today you did an interview with the BBC, the British broadcasting company.
Now you're with us. We certainly appreciate you taking the time. And they had you on, just the same reason we have you on, because you provide insight into what is taking place in Israel.
So let's start there. Right now, we look at several different sets of negotiations that are taking place. We'll start with the special envoy Witkoff, who is there negotiating with Hamas to get a release of the hostages, potential ceasefire. And then we also had the Trump administration negotiating with Iran for a way to put a halt to their nuclear program.
Now, both of these negotiations are very important to Israel. Could you give me an idea of what's the feeling like in Israel? Are you confident with the Trump administration and the United States in these negotiations? And what are you looking for?
Well, to be very honest, We're very mixed up here. We feel that both Saudi Arabia and the United States. Are releasing bits of information. Our government is not releasing. almost any information.
And it's a matter of trying to, shall I say, play public opinion and see which way People react on the media and what they say, what the politicians react. If But let's take the worst scenario. If Israel is forced into a situation In which uh the Hamas demand that the war stop. And there'll be some sort of withdrawal. probably from most of the area.
that now the IDF has under its control. I can confidently predict the fall of the government. Uh While we have a very vocal minority, which is played up by the I think what's called the legacy media or what we call the mainstream media, New York Times, et cetera. That's not the feeling in the street, that's not the feeling in the among the people. And that would be too much.
There's also a beginning of a feeling which I think you and I touched on Uh a an interview or so Um previously in that Mr. Trump can be understood to be trying Something new, something else. but we expect him to wake up sooner than later that it's not going to work. Both was Iran. in terms of letting them extend the negotiations forever, while they continue with their nuclear program development.
And with mister Witkopf and Hamas, in terms of allowing Hamas to get out of the grips of the Israeli army. with the intention of making sure all its weapons are taken away and all its commanders are expelled to some other country.
Well, if I can characterize this correctly, and I was going to ask you about domestic uh politics as well, but you essentially answered that question in the last question because uh Prime Minister Nanyahu is certainly very much tied to his coalition and the people that he has in power. He's very much tied to providing security, but he is definitely in a precarious position. The whole nation of Israel is in a precarious position as they, I guess, await the outcome of these negotiations. And I think I want to be fair and good to our listeners. For years.
I have said, and you've probably heard from other people. that Miss Netanyahu has been bent over backwards in order to make sure that we get a good arrangement, can I call it, with the United States on Iran. Either with the negotiations as to boycotting them or sanctioning them or taking away their money. Or perhaps And probably a joint defensive-offensive attack. And we thought that with mister Trump now in power, it would be a lot Easier to convince the Defense Department and other people.
that what we think is happening in Iran and what their intentions are are very real and are not only for us. They're further west as well. which is the next step. And if mister Trump continues His line is current line. both with the diplomacy of mister Witkoff and other people And don't forget, Mr.
Witkoff is not a diplomat. He hasn't been involved in politics. And he's a businessman. He has some contacts even with Qatar and other places. But it it's not the same ball game as going into a boardroom and ironing out a contract about percentage and who supplies what and what gets what.
It's a different situation. And I was a little bit more confident last time we talked that they would wake up a little bit earlier and faster than they seem to be doing. But I guess we have to be patient for at least another week. Oh, it certainly will. We'll see what's going on.
President Trump has proven in the past to be a friend to the nation of Israel, but I'm certain, with somewhat it seems like your fate is in his hands, that's got to be a tough position to be in.
Well, let's move on from that subject because we'll keep our listeners updated in the future on that. But let's move on to a different subject. And this past week, the nation of Israel celebrated Flag Day, Jerusalem Day. It's an event that takes place every year, very patriotic event that celebrates the reunification of the city of Jerusalem in 1967. That's a very important time.
Now, this is also a controversial time in a city that is no stranger to controversy. And the United Arab Emirates took exception to some of the things that some of the marchers chanted when marching through the Muslim quarter, and then, of course, all Also, that Temple Mount area, also a center of controversy. They talked about that as well. Can you talk a little bit about the events of Jerusalem Day, Flag Day, what took place and what we should know about it?
Well, every year on or around the twenty eighth day of the Hebrew month of ER, Of course, in Israel, we always mark events with according to the Hebrew calendar. We celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem. And unfortunately, there are some minor incidents taking place. which are to be disowned. And disavowed.
They are usually very, very minor. And if I looked at something that happens at the football games or other frat parties, United States in terms of the actual violence would be almost the same. But of course, everybody is looking to highlight and blow out of proportion things that happen. And if our listeners Will just listen to me for a second. If they can recall, just a few days before the march.
And in the days afterwards, you've heard nothing. No violence, no shouting.
So it's a one instance which we get over very, very quickly. Of course, no one remembers the fact that for nineteen years No Jew was allowed to go into the old city of Jerusalem. At all. Uh no one could go to the Western Wall to pray. At all for 19 years, that's forgotten and that's put aside.
That's the past. We're now talking about. a less than a twenty four hour period where there are thousands, in fact, tens of thousands of people marching through the old city. And there are a few incidents of pushing and shoving and yelling and things that should not happen. But it's as I said, if you put things in proportion, you can get over it.
If you want to blow it out of proportion, then you'll put it on the front page of the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times, and you'll get very angry about it. Oh, you certainly will. And just a quick follow-up. You're giving us a little bit of context, a little bit of perspective of what takes place on that day, but there are certain parties that will use the actions of a very small minority, like you said, to blow it out of proportion. This is just an example of how that microscopic focus on that area, the Temple Mount, the city of Jerusalem, the Old City, that's just magnified.
Anything that happens there is magnified around the world, isn't it? Absolutely. I once remembered being said by someone that. You know, i you love your wife. or your wife loves her husband.
But if she takes a magnifying glass Less than a half an inch away from his skin, right, she or he might not find things. That looks very nice. But if you back away a little bit, then you take in the whole picture and you say, Oh, I still love him, I still like him. I like her cooking. I like her cleaning up the house.
Everything works okay. You just have to, as you said, take the perspective. and look at things in the context. We appreciate you helping to provide that context.
Well, for my final question for you, the upcoming Jewish holiday, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, is coming up on the calendar this week, actually, Shavuot. Could you tell us a little bit, as you always do when these holidays come around, when these times come around, what is the importance of this holiday, this festival, and what are you going to be doing to observe it? As I always try to point out, the holidays especially the pilgrim holidays, the three main ones. Passover, Peifach. Sukot.
uh holiday of booths if I can call it the brush and Shavawot, the festival of of weeks. Oh in addition to any sort of spiritual importance that's attached to them are also reflected in what I would call agricultural aspect of Judaism, which of course means that we're a people very much attached to the land. Because If you don't celebrate the harvest, if you don't celebrate first fruits, if you don't celebrate the spring, then you're not a real people. you know, are people of the book rather than people of the land. And we need both of those things.
And so This holiday takes place seven weeks after the Passover marking of the Exodus uh from Egypt. when we came into the land. In fact, we count every single day all forty-nine days leading up. to the holiday. And uh there are several things that we quaintly, if I could use the word, do.
There is a legend that the before the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jews were to abstain from eating meat. And so usually one of the meals on the holiday is dairy.
So I get to eat ice cream one of these days, which is I'm not normally due. But yes, I will be doing that. And there's another a custom of on the night of the festival to spend the whole night into the early morning hours Uh until dawn, studying The Torah. or studying Torah books. including the Talmud and the Kabbalah and other things like that, because it also reflects that the people of Israel were so excited about receiving the Torah that they stayed up all night waiting expectedly for the Torah to come down and God to tell them what's going to happen.
So these are the things that are connected with it. Uh, among other things, it's a one-day holiday here in Israel and uh In Jerusalem or in Tel Aviv, even you'll see thousands of people walking back and forth because they'll be attending lectures. not only learning, as we say, as an Orthodox Jew would do, but they would go to lectures on all sorts of Judaic studies.
So it's become a sort of a modern learning festival reminder as well. Very interesting.
Well, we always appreciate you providing the flavor of these holidays. And is it fair to say, uh I I know from my Hebrew lessons with you in the past, Hag Samayak, is that a good uh greeting for your Jewish friends on Shuvot? Axamer would be excellent. Winky Madog, Hagsamayak, a greeting to you on this Shavot. Thank you so much for taking the time today out of your busy schedule to be with us.
Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thank you very much, and goodbye to you. And our listeners.
Well, this program is a program about Bible prophecy. And we look at current events, but we also look at issues that are confronting the body of Christ. We have a particular way, Rick, that we look at Bible prophecy and when the rapture of the church is going to take place. And I thought it would be good to get our good friend Paul Weaver on the program today to talk about why we have a pre-tribulational view of the rapture.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have a good friend of both yours and mine, Dr. Paul Weaver. He's a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. Paul, thanks for being on the program with us today.
It's always a pleasure to be with you too, gentlemen. Thank you so much for the invitation.
Well, Paul, we have you on the program often. We love to come to you when we want to talk about theological issues because you are a professor and you bring that element to the program. We have a podcast, Bible and Theology Matters podcast. This is in addition to your work there at Dallas Theological Seminary. The tagline for your podcast is because what you believe determines how you behave.
And that could not be more true when we go to the subject of your latest program. And that program is entitled Nine Reasons for a Pre-Tribulational Rapture. I think this is an excellent topic for us to talk about on this program and for our listeners to study. But if you could, could you tell us why you felt it was important to do this podcast?
Well, thank you for that question. And I, as you, obviously, it's on your heart and that of your entire family and your father's heart before you. The subject of prophecy is very much motivational. We need to know what God has said about the past, in the present, and the future. And so what God's plans for us and for the future are hugely important.
They're motivational that as we wait for the Lord's return, we are purifying ourselves as he is pure, that we're sharing the truth of the gospel wherever we go. And we are encouraged that God has not appointed us to wrath.
Well, certainly so. And there are many reasons to study Bible prophecy. Maybe one of the main ones, if not the main one, is that it's a third of the Bible, and we are meant to understand it. We are meant to study it. And that's why we're having you on the program here.
And you've agreed to kind of go through your nine points one by one. And I think that's great for those that you're going to do a brief analysis. But for those that are interested, we'll let you know at the end of this program how to get your content to go to your website or to get it wherever you listen to podcasts. But let's start with the first reason for a pre-tribulational rapture. Yeah, I think the first of my nine reasons, and these actually, there's actually more than nine, but these nine are straight out of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
And as you know, those are two of the primary texts as it relates to in times the first the rapture of the church, but then also the day of the Lord.
So I could add more if we add the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel, but for 1 and 2 Thessalonians, I have nine reasons. And the First reason that I give comes right out of the first chapter in verse 10. It's the imminent return of the Lord. The return of the Lord is imminent, and imminent means nothing must take place before it happens. And so, five different times in the book of 1 Thessalonians, five different times in each of the chapters, and of course, each chapter, there are not chapter breaks and verses in the original, but it does show that it's throughout.
And in each of these chapters, there is a verse that focuses on the imminent return of the Lord. The first one is in chapter 1, verse 10, and we read, You turned to God from idols. To serve a living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven.
So, in the very first chapter in his introductory material, Paul says, You turned to God from idols, and what are they doing? They are serving the Lord, and they're waiting for his return. That is the Son from heaven.
So, that's chapter 1, verse 10. Then, chapter 1, 2, verse 19, which says, For who is our hope, our joy, our crown of exaltation? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Then, chapter 3, verse 13, and we read, He may establish your hearts without blame and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his angels. And then, a fourth time in chapter four, verse 15, we read, For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord.
Will not precede those who have fallen asleep. And then the fifth time is in chapter 5, verse 23. And there we read: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved completely, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Five times in five passages in 1 Thessalonians alone, we see the imminency of the return of the Lord. And Paul's emphasizing that because he's writing to a church who are concerned about their dead loved ones.
And he's saying, they're not going to miss out on this next event. It's imminent. The Lord will return. And when he does, they'll be caught up first, but then we who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet him in the air.
Well, I listened to the entire podcast, and that's exemplified by what you just said. Everything is done with a proper hermeneutic. As you look at all of these points that you're talking about, you talked about these work with Revelation, they work with Daniel, 2 Peter 1:20. There's no prophecy of private interpretation. We look at all these things, they all work together, and that's what you have done.
And you very clearly laid that out, especially in the more in-depth podcast as well. Paul, we talk about the imminent return of the Lord as your first reason there from Thessalonians.
Now, the second reason. Yeah, the second reason I believe in a pre-tribulational rapture or that the catching up, the rapture of the saints will occur before the tribulation is that we are not appointed to wrath. And we see that in chapter 1, verse 10, where I read, and it's one of the five imminent passages, passages emphasizing the imminency, also says that we are to serve a living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
So this imminent event when Christ returns, the reason for it is that he will rescue us from the wrath to come. And of course, I am confident that the wrath is referring to the entire tribulation period. That becomes pretty apparent when we compare that with the book of Revelation. And then we also see in chapter 5, verse 9.
So at the beginning of this epistle to the Thessalonians and at the end of this epistle to the Thessalonians, he point says twice that we're not appointed. Appointed to wrath. And so in 1st Thessalonians 5, verse 9, at the end of this epistle, we read, For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation. And so in chapter 5, he's actually talking about the day of the Lord, that period of time of wrath. And at the end of that pericope or that section, Paul says, But we're not appointed to wrath, but to salvation.
And that salvation is from that future period of time that we're protected from. When we're caught up to be with him, we will not go through that time of wrath on the world. The imminent return of the Lord, the first reason. The second reason, we as believers are not appointed for that wrath, that time of the tribulation period. The third reason, as I'm looking at your notes here, Paul expected the rapture in his lifetime.
That's right. In chapter 4, verses 13 to 18, that's one of our primary passages as it relates to this catching up, this harpadzo, the raptura, the being caught up. The rapture comes from the Latin word raptura and the Greek word harpadzo. But Paul expected this event in his lifetime. And now, 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 to 18, in my estimation, is parallel to Jesus' words in John 14 when he says, I'm going away, but I'll come back and take you to be with me.
Well, in 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 to 18, Paul says, but we do not want you to be uninformed brethren about those who are asleep. And that is, of course, a euphemism for death, so that you do not grieve as those who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died, and we do, and rose again, and we do, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
So their dead loved ones will be a part of this event. And then Paul says, For this we say to you, by the way, Word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord.
So, Paul. Paul's using the first person plural to say we. He believed it would occur in his own lifetime.
So that's a third reason I believe in a pre-tribulational rapture. And we're continuing on. And again, for those that want to, you can get this content not only here, but at Doctor Weaver's website at the Bibleand Theology Matters dot com.
Well, you've given us three reasons. The fourth reason The fourth reason I believe in a pre-tribulational rapture, that Christ will return before the tribulation to catch up the saints, to be with him, and will be with him forever, by the way, Paul tells us in that passage I just quoted from. And that is an encouraging message. And that's my fourth point. It is an encouraging message.
The message of the pre-tribulational rapture to the Thessalonian believers and to us today as well is an encouraging message. And so, after developing this section of verses 13 to 17, at the end of this section on the rapture, Paul says, Therefore, comfort one another with these words. In other words, the rapture, the doctrine of the rapture of the saints, is a comforting, encouraging message. And that is so true. It would not be encouraging if we're going to go through three and a half years of tribulation where a third of the waters turn to blood and a third of the grass is burned and a third of people die or continue on into the second half of the tribulation where things get even worse, where Paul, Jesus.
Calls it the great tribulation. And if God didn't limit it to a small amount of years, three and a half, no one would survive, none of the elect.
So. This is an encouraging message that we will be caught up before this period of wrath on the world. It certainly is. And one of the frequent guests that we have on the program, Mike Gender, and he talks about the prophecy being a gift. It's the gift of Bible prophecy as we look at it.
It certainly does encourage us not only to know what is happening in this chaotic world, but to know that we will not be there during that chaotic tribulation.
Well, by the way, if you don't mind me jumping in, chapter 5, verse 11, it points to the privilege of the character. Paul says this is encouraging too: that the day of the Lord, the doctrine of the day of the Lord, is encouraging. At the end of that, Paul says, therefore, encourage one another and build up one another. In the midst of the doctrine of the rapture of the church, he says, encourage one another with these words. And then, after talking about this day of wrath that's not coming upon them, but coming upon people like those who are persecuting them, like these individuals who ran Paul out of town and who are persecuting the church, the church was birthed in persecution.
So at the end of this teaching on the day of the Lord, Paul says, encourage one another with these words. That's encouraging because what Paul is saying, I think, here is, I know that you are being persecuted. You are going through great trials. You were birthed. This church was birthed in tribulation, but not the great tribulation, not the day of wrath, not the day of the Lord.
But there will be a time when those who are wicked, those who are persecuting you, those type of people, will be judged. And that's not for you. But for them. Paul, that is one thing that we attempt to do is to encourage fellow believers with this message on this program, Prophecy Today.
Well, Dr. Weaver, we've gone through not all of these reasons that you have given here, but we want to finish this. We don't have time this week. Would you be willing to come back next week and talk with us about it? It would be my great pleasure.
Thanks, Rick.
Well, we've got to take a break and moment we come back to Legacy Series with Dr. Jimmy DeYoung continuing his study in the book of Isaiah, right here on Prophecy Today, weekend. Uh Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word.
Rick, as we're thinking about the future for Prophecy Today, you know, it would be very important and really excellent for us if people knew where to go to, if they wanted to help us.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. We would love to get involved more with our listeners, however, you want to do it. If you want to go to our website, prophecytoday.com, there you can find out a way to contact us. We just like to get engaged. If you have questions for us, send us your questions.
If you have comments or anything that you want to say, and of course, praying for our ministry and supporting our ministry, this program is listener supported. That's how we keep it on radio stations around the country. We appreciate all of you doing that. And that's prophecytoday.com is where you would go to do that.
Well, our legacy series this week is a portion of our program that we look back and listen to our. Father, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, as he teaches this. This week, we're going to continue our study in the book of Isaiah. We will start our study in Isaiah chapter 39, but first, a recap of Isaiah 36, 37, and 38.
Dr. Jimmy DeYoung and the Legacy Series. Unique in the book of Isaiah is the times that he refers to the kingdom. And it's an assurance to the Jewish people. They're going through some terrible times during the period of Isaiah, about 2,700 years ago.
The northern kingdoms will have been wiped out, and that same group of peoples, the dastardly Assyrian Empire, is going to make their way on the city of Jerusalem to try to wipe out all the Jewish people at that time in history. And so unique about the prophecy of Isaiah is the promises of the kingdom to come. But as I said, it is a transition in history because we're going to see a transition. From the Assyrian Empire to the Babylonian Empire. Remember, I told you chapters 36 and 37 are going to be the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from the hands of Sennacherab, who is the leader of the Assyrian army, that mighty militia that's going to be coming in.
Look at chapter 38, verse 6. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city. That is something said yet to come. I will deliver thee. Not I have delivered thee.
I will deliver thee. Now, the record of that deliverance is in chapters 36 and 37.
So chapter 38 is the first chapter as we start to see this miraculous time period unfold, the transition from the control, the Gentile control of the Jewish people under the Assyrian mighty forces unto the Babylonians. And this is indeed going to set the stage for Bible prophecy that is just about to be fulfilled in the time in which we're living. Go to chapter 39. Chapter thirty nine And this now is the transition. Between The Assyrian mighty might, the Gentile world power of Assyria, and the next Gentile world power, which will be Babylon.
In chapter 39, we see the record. Of what's going to happen. There's going to be pride in the heart of Hezekiah, though he's a mighty king, and though he's done a marvelous job leading his people, though God has healed him and fulfilled the promise to protect him and the city, he becomes very proud. And now here's the prophecy. Look at this.
And this is setting the stage. for what's going to happen. Verse 5. 5. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts.
Behold, the days come that all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day. shall be carried to Babylon, Nothing shall be left, saith the Lord, and thy sons they shall issue from thee. Which thou shalt begot? Shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is this word of the Lord which thou hast spoken.
He said, moreover. For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Well, Hezekiah took the positive from the negative. He said, that's down to lying. Babylon's not going to be able to do that today.
So there's gonna be peace in my day. Wake up. Hezekiah. This is the pronouncement. The prophecy.
The prophecy was foretold. The prophecy will be fulfilled. Step aside from Isaiah. Go to the book of 2 Chronicles with me. 2 Chronicles.
Chapter 36 Remember, this account is all recorded in 2 Chronicles 29 and 30. And you come through, you come to the times of Josiah. And Josiah passes off the scene. We come to 2 Chronicles 36. The prophecy is: Babylon is going to be destroyed.
Look at verse 7. I told you the first wave was 605 BC when Nebuchadnezzar came in with his mighty Babylonian army, takes out. Benevolenti's buddies. 597 BC takes out Ezekiel and about 10,000 of the Jews with them. They go into the Babylonian captivity.
586, he comes in on the third wave, verse 7. 2 Chronicles. Nebuchadnezzar also carried the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, put them in his temple at Babylon. Hello? That's what Isaiah's prophecy was.
He got it from God. Look here at verse 18. And all the vessels of the house of God. Great and small, and the treasures. Of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and his princes.
All these he brought unto Babylon, all this gold, all this silver, all the implements. are brought to my temple. Verse 19. And they burnt. Notice this, this is key.
And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia. When the Medes and the Persians defeat the Babylonians across the page, Ezra chapter 1, God will raise up, according to the prophet Isaiah, chapters 44 and 45, I will raise up a man named Cyrus. Who will let you go back into your land and rebuild your temple? Again, the prophecies.
of Isaiah. coming to pass.
Well, look to Isaiah 13, which has a short-term and a long-term fulfillment. It's the law in hermeneutics of double reference. And I get that from the studies that I did with Dr. Pentecost. And it's in his book, Things to Comes, the law of double reference, where God will use prophecy to talk about a short-term fulfillment and a long-term fulfillment.
But the transition from Assyria to Babylon is key in history because when those Jewish people were taken out of Israel into the Babylonian captivity, that was the beginning of the times of the Gentiles. That is a prophetic phrase that Jesus Christ used in Luke chapter 21, verse 24. That is the Olivet discourse. And Jesus made this statement: Jerusalem shall be trodden down. of the Gentiles until the chimes of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The times of the Gentiles begin when the Babylonian captivity takes place in all three waves and continues. That stone hitting the image of the man in Daniel chapter 2 is Jesus Christ coming back to destroy the Gentile world powers. That is one of the three purposes for the tribulation period. And the stage is being set. in the Jewish people's lives and the prophecy and I looked ahead to show you that prophecy was fulfilled.
The Babylonians took all of the treasures of the house of the Lord into Babylon. Let me show you, to set the stage, let me show you something very quickly, and we're going to close. Look at Revelation. chapter 16 just for a moment. Revelation chapter 16.
Revelation 16 is Is the record or the prophecy of the seven vile judgments. The last seven judgments in the seven-year period of time, 21 of them, these last seven will quickly come to pass, and they're the worst of all the judgments upon the earth during the tribulation period. The seventh, the 21st judgment. Is found here in chapter 16, verse 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done.
And there were voices and thunders and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such as not since men were upon the face of the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon, notice this, notice this. Came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. The last judgment that God is going to unfold in the seven-year tribulation period.
Is a manifestation of his wrath against Babylon. Go back to Jeremiah 50 and we'll close. Jeremiah 50 and 51, two verses. And we close. Jeremiah 50 and 51 is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon.
It's not a prophecy that has been fulfilled. But look, it said the wrath of God upon Babylon is going to be. Fulfilled. in the last judgment in the tribulation period. Look here, chapter 50, verse 28.
50 and 51 prophecies against Babylon. And it's in a time when the Jews have come back into the land. It's not in those times when we're talking about here in Isaiah. It's a time in the future. The Jews are back in the land, and then he makes a judgment against Babylon.
Here's the reason why: verse 28: The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon to declare in Zion, Zion is Jerusalem, the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple. Why is God going to destroy the Babylonian people? They messed with his temple. They destroyed his temple. You don't mess with God's house.
Without Paying the consequences. Make bright the arrows, gather the shields. The Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes by the way. This is the Medes of the Medes and the Persians? You know who the Persians are today, do you not?
That's Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They were called Persia until 1936. That's who the Persians are. You know who the Medes are today? The Kurds.
of northern Iraq. Eastern Turkey. Western Iran. He said, Make bright the arrows. Gather the shields.
The Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes for his devices against Babylon to destroy it because of the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple. Jeremiah 49:18 says, I will make Babylon as Sodom and Gomorrah. And we've seen in Isaiah. The record of the transition From the Gentile world power Assyria, unto Babylon. Which is setting the stage.
For prophecy. That is quickly coming to place. And dear friend, Isaiah. wrote about it. And we can study it today.
and realize Where we are. In God's time. Father. Thank you for this. Wonderful privilege you've Allotted us.
You pinned Through men, Not of their own free will. But through the Breathing in of the Holy Spirit. The prophetic word of God. to these people.
So they would write. A divine description. The day of destiny.
So we could read it today. and realize Where we are in your time, and then move quickly. to make that applicable to our everyday life. Thank you for doing this for us. Oh, I know you did it in your plan.
But thank you for what you have done. for us this day. Thank you for this privilege of studying with these dear people. By precious name we pray with thanksgiving. Amen.
Isaiah the prophet introduced the last days' prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, as also foretold by John the Revelator and another prophet, Jeremiah, Jeremiah fifty and fifty-one. These prophecies are so close to being fulfilled Biblical Babylon is modern day Iraq. Join us next week for our continued study of Isaiah. That is, if the rapture does not happen this week. Keep looking up.
I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. More than 250,000 refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan in recent months, Iran and Pakistan in recent months. Greg Kelly from Unknown Nation says their situation is dire. Many face poverty and Taliban threat, but despite the suffering, the gospel is finding its way. When the church is under such extreme circumstances, we see the receptivity to the gospel increase.
And in fact, Afghanistan is one of the fastest-growing churches in the world. One story tells of a son of a Taliban member who secretly accepted Christ, only to learn that his father had as well. As the number of believers grow, so does the need for leaders. We are training hundreds of leaders inside of Afghanistan. These people are being equipped.
Then, the beauty of diversity is often marred by division. People pay attention when there's every reason for differences, but there's love instead. Joe Hanley with A3 says that at the recent Global Leaders Summit, 20 different nations and many theological backgrounds were represented. Yet these believers clearly cared for each other and mingled freely. The hotel staff just came up to one of my colleagues and said, Who are you guys?
Like, this never happens, you know? Questions like that open the way to share the hope of Jesus. Jesus is the unifying force for the body of Christ. And when we're at our best, we're able to show the depth of that unity because of our diversity. A3 has begun working with more Christian leaders in Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
Pray for spirit-led unity as their diversity increases. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. We are listeners supported by people just like you.
So, by giving to Mission Network News, you enable us to keep the stories of God's kingdom coming. And together, the Great Commission happens. Look for links at missionnews.org. I'm Ruth Kramer. Welcome back to Prophecy Today.
I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. Rick, as we did the program today, I think one thing that I noticed, and as we examine and we're reading news articles, we're listening to lots of information coming from around the world, I see an uptick in animosity and even evil thoughts towards people in Israel. Are you noticing that?
Well, I certainly am, Jimmy. And of course, that was one of the things that Dave Dolan pointed out in our Middle East news update. And it was funny, it happened right there near the end of that update. And then we moved on and talked to Winky and Paul Weaver after that.
So we didn't really get a chance to expound on it with Dave, but he talked about how the French president Macron is ready to declare a Palestinian state and how he's saying that things that are blatantly not true about Israel. But this is the general sentiment around the world. That's what people are saying about Israel. It doesn't coexist with the facts that are there on the ground, but that doesn't seem to matter. That anti-Semitism, that anti-Israel, anti-Jewishness is becoming more and more prevalent.
Yes. You know, not only Macron and France, but Germany has also made some, you know, interesting remarks towards Israel. And it all has to do with Hamas and the situation and what took place on October 7th, 2023. And this whole thought process. And I think you even said it looks like Hamas is winning this war of turning the tide of the nations of the world against Israel.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I mean, this is something we have seen. It's something that the Bible says is going to happen in the end times. And Dave Dolan talked about it last week. The anti-Israel, the anti-Jewishness is really just anti-God because it is Satan fighting against God's plan.
That's so true.
Well, I loved our conversation this week with Dr. Paul Weaver. It is something that's very interesting when you think about those points that he's given us. If you ever have a time where you feel like you can't, you know, come up with the reasons of why, and I always want to tell people: look, we appreciate and we coexist together. You know, Revelation 19:10 says that the spirit of Bible prophecy is Jesus Christ, the testimony of Jesus, which is his death, burial, and resurrection.
So, and all of this, we keep that in perspective. But when you look at the facts and you understand, you know, that it's an imminent event that could happen at any moment, and we're waiting for God to send his son for us. John chapter 14, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 parallels perfectly together. I love that.
So, as we're listening to Dr. Weaver talk about these things, I think, you know, it Gives us the confirmation that we are looking for and to be prepared for an imminent event of the rapture of the church.
Well, it is, Jimmy, and that's what we believe because what we studied and what we know that the Bible says, and it's interesting, his tagline, what you believe, determines how you behave. And that is so true as you look at it. If you're looking for an imminent rapture, something that could take place at any moment, how does that make you live? What does that make you do? And that was just kind of reaffirming that.
But that's what we do on this program all the time. We look at current events, not just because we like the news or not. not just because we like to follow what Donald Trump is doing this week, but we look at it because these are signs through the gift of Bible prophecy that God has showed us this is where you are. This is how close it is to that rapture of the church, which is the next event. Yes.
You know, this last week, and I've said this before on the program, and I sit in a weekly Bible study, Torah study, with a local Hasidic Jewish rabbi here in San Antonio. Not because, you know, I go there to, as a, first of all, as a testimony, as a witness to him. I'm not openly witnessing at this point. I do get to share with him. But one of the things that we talked about this last week, and as we were going through the book of Numbers and talking about the tabernacle and the items of the tabernacle, you know, and that really, you know, studying with him helps me to understand more of the Jewish background, which is, you know, God chose the Jewish people.
He gave them things that are going to be a part of worship forever. Those are part of the worship that God, you know, put in place for the Jewish people. But as you look at these things, it does help you to really kind of follow through and understand what you believe. And my point is, is that our father, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, taught us what we believe.
Today, we can sit here and listen to and find current events and what's happening in the world because we understand how it fits into God's big picture from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22, 21. And so, by doing that, when you understand and you study God's word, we're hoping that you take this information and that you use it to study and go further. Don't just take what we say. You know, find out for yourself what you believe and how it fits in and your understanding of what God says for not only you, but for the whole world and wanting to have a restored relationship with everyone.
So, I love the fact that we're looking and talking about current. Events that relate to the body of. Christ. And speaking of that, the Feast of Pentecost this week, the church began on the day of Pentecost, which took place during the Feast of Pentecost, Shavuot, when that was one of the three solemn feasts where three times a year every male had to go to the city of Jerusalem, Rick. And I thought it was very interesting as Israel Madad gave us his recollection of what's taking place in the land of Israel during this time.
Well, that's right. It was. And we listened to Winky as they observe this feast and that they observe this, one of that, like you said, one of those special pilgrimage feasts. And I thought it was very interesting. He talked about it being a people of the land, all of those festivals relating to the land, the first fruits.
And then, you know, those are things that relate to the land. He said, we're not just a people of the book, we are a people of the land, people tied to that land, to that piece of real estate that God has given to the Jewish people. And that is so important as you understand that application from Shavuah at the Feast of Pentecost that's coming up this week.
Well, after everything that we've seen today, Rick, we can't help but say that the rapture of the church can't be far away. Thanks for doing all the hard work, Rick, and thank you for taking the time to really go in depth with our interview, our broadcast partners. Jimmy, part of this program lets us know that it's so very important. That we have a proper Biblical worldview. It sure is, Rick.
Folks, with everything that we've seen, we can't help but say that the rapture of the church can't be far away. We need to keep looking up. Until Thank you so much for joining us today. This is Jay Johnson, inviting you to join us again next week for more of Prophecy Today.
