Uh Welcome to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. We've got a great program this week. It is so packed.
We've got Ken Timmerman, David Dolan, Israel Madad, Mike Jendren, R.C. Merle at the end of the program and the legacy series with Dr. Jimmy DeYoung. There's so much happening and at such a quick pace that we're going to try to keep you aware of what's going on. If you are a student of Bible prophecy, you know how each one of these events fits into God's plan for the future.
The next plan on God's calendar of events is the rapture of the church.
Well, Rick, let's get started with our first Ken Timmerman.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have Ken Timmerman with us. He is our expert on geopolitical affairs. He lets us know what is going on around the world. You can find out more about Ken by going to his website, kentimmerman.com.
Ken, thanks for joining us today. Thanks for having me on, Rick. It's always a pleasure.
Well, Ken, we have you. On the program, because of your wealth of experience. Your latest book, The Iran House: Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War, and Intrigue, details some of that experience in Iran. And that's why I want to start on this program as we look at President Trump's negotiations to reduce or eliminate the nuclear program in Iran. Can you talk a little bit about that?
What's the status and where are we right now?
Well, okay, let's just go back, Rick, week one. Steve Witkoff has his first meeting, comes out of it. He's President Trump's negotiator and says, it's okay if Iran continues to enrich uranium to 3.67%. We have no problem with that. Immediately afterward, he gets raked over the coals.
He gets called back to the White House. They tell him, no, no, no, that's not what our program is. They have to dismantle. Second meeting, everybody waffles.
Now we're getting towards the third meeting, and you have the intervention of the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi. And Grossi is a Is somebody who I have a great deal of respect for. I think he's one of the first IAEA directors who has actually been very serious about containing Iran, about walking back their nuclear weapons program. And Grossi said, look, Both sides, and he just came back from Tehran. He said, both sides in this negotiation are serious.
President Trump wants to avoid war, and the Iranians don't want to get themselves whacked. But he says there's a problem. He says, right now it's a little bit ping-pong going back and forth. But when you asked the Iranians why they have all this enrichment capability, they said, well, is none of your business. And that is the big problem.
That is going to be the big sticking point, Rick. The Americans are saying, and by the way, the IAEA as well. Iran, if you want to have a civilian nuclear weapon program, you don't need to have all of this capability to enrich uranium. The Russians already offered you in 1995 a 30-year supply of enriched uranium for a nuclear power plant. You turned it down instead.
You said we're going to spend billions of dollars and we're going to undergo $150 billion worth of sanctions. That was the first round. The second round was another $150 billion.
So they said, We're going to give up buying cheap uranium from you and forego $300 billion of oil revenue just so we can enrich uranium to make a nuclear power plant for nuclear power. No.
So that is the real problem. That is the sticking point. We are not. At an end point yet, but it's very clear. And Marco Rubio said this this past week, Rick, the Secretary of State, he said, look, President Trump does not want to be the president of starting wars.
He wants to end wars. We do not want a war with Iran, but. Iran has got to give up its nuclear capabilities.
So we're at the beginning of the beginning of the negotiation, I would say.
Well, we'll continue to monitor them as they continue on. And this is certainly a serious situation, has implications for Israel, but also for the United States and the entire world, really.
Well, this all comes against the backdrop of Iran signing a pact agreement for 20 years with Russia. This highlights their relationship with their allies. Can you talk about that? It does highlight that, and we've talked about that in the past. This was an agreement that's been negotiated over the past year with the Russians, and finally, it has been officialized.
The pen, the ink is on the paper, if you wish. And it basically reaffirms that these two countries, Russia and Iran, are now Strategic and military allies. It is not a mutual defense pact, as their original 1905 pact was, but it is a strategic and military pact where the Russians will help the Iranians with their military industries and the Iranians will provide military technology, in particular drones, to Russia. It cements the relationship and means also that Putin now has a word to say in these nuclear negotiations.
So we're going to have to see what role Putin wants to play. Is he going to moderate the Iranians? Or are you going to egg them on? And as of now, We just don't know. Very interesting.
As you talk about that, the way these all things are all interconnected, we talk about Russia and Iran and their relationship and how that is going to impact the negotiations there in Iran. But now let's look at Russia and we've been talking about the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Can you give us an update on the status there?
Well, so there you go. President Trump has got several balls in the air at the same time. By the way, so does President Putin. This was something that I guess Joe Biden couldn't manage. He could barely keep one ball in the air at a time.
So, Russia, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Russia, the United States. And we were involved in all three of those games. And right now, the Russians are trying to figure out what our red line is in Ukraine. And President Trump has said, we really don't appreciate it when you bomb Kiev.
Okay? That is really not a very helpful thing. And by the way, the Russians bombed Kiev just three hours before Scott Besant, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, arrived there a couple of weeks ago to negotiate this rare earths deal with Ukraine. President Trump said, no, we don't appreciate it when you bomb Kiev.
You've got to back off from that. On the other hand, he's saying, It's maybe a Russian concession, the very fact that they're not taking over all of the country. We're not anywhere near a ceasefire yet. President Trump is frustrated, Rick. You can hear it every time you listen to him talk about this crisis.
He's not getting either side the budge. And I'm not quite sure where this goes. There has to be perhaps more US pressure on both sides because neither one, neither Zelensky nor Putin is yet backing off, is yet kind of sketching out this common ground where they can come to an agreement.
Well, we'll switch gears a little bit here. And you talked about President Trump juggling multiple balls as he handles these situations in the Middle East and in Europe as well. But we'd like to look back home, and President Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been battling what he says is the deep state. Can you talk about this battle and what it means to President Trump's goals overall?
Well, Pete Hexeth has just fired. Four of his top officials, and these are people that he himself appointed. They weren't deep staters who had been left over from the previous administration, but people that he brought with them. And he fired them after what appears to have been leaks from the Pentagon to both the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Now, the alleged leakers have come out and they've said, No, we didn't do anything. We don't know why we were fired. We don't know why we're under investigation. We're going to see what happens with all of that. But, Rick, what's really important to understand is this: the deep state is real.
The deep state is desperate to undo Donald Trump. They are focusing on Pete Hagseth because they believe he is the most vulnerable of Trump's cabinet members. And let's just be real for an instant. The Department of Defense is an enormous bureaucracy.
So, of course, you're going to find. Thousands of deep state employees at the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth has got a real difficult job trying to identify those who are truly disloyal to him, disloyal to President Trump, and disloyal to this country, and people who are just doing their job. And I think this is a work in progress. I don't know where this is going to go yet, but Pete Hexeth has said he is going to refer. Anybody who is leaked illegally.
Yeah. to Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice for prosecution. That's a big deal. If we see referrals for prosecution coming out of it, you know that he is serious and the administration is serious about going after the deep state, and they will know it as well.
Well, my final question for you, Ken. We look at all these issues facing the Trump administration. We look at Iran. We look at Russia. We look at the deep state.
But maybe the most serious opponent of all and the most dangerous opponent is China. Information coming out this week that they are actually helping the Houthis as they seek to disrupt that shipping there in the Red Sea. And, you know, this may be the most important threat we face of them all. Can you talk a little bit about the threat that China poses?
Well, it was very interesting to see this week that Marco Rubia's spokesperson came out and identified a Chinese company for having provided targeting information to the Houthis. To be able to hit US naval vessels in the Red Sea and to be able to hit commercial shipping in the Red Sea. That's a really big deal. The Chinese are going to take note of this. They thought they could do this under the radar without getting caught.
They have been caught. They've been named. And now they're going to have to do something about it. Look, this fits, Rick, again, into the bigger picture. As I said, the president is juggling many balls at the same time, and he's doing it with all of these different players.
He's got many balls in the air with Russia. He's got many balls in the air with China. And tariffs with China. There's trade with China. And now he's adding another dimension to it, which is China's military assistance, which they thought was covert to the Houthis.
So I think this is getting interesting. What the President wants to see, and he said this repeatedly over the past week, he wants to see tariffs come down with China. He wants to see the Chinese strike a reasonable deal with the United States. But he's going to put everything on the table and he's going to use all the negotiating tools that he's got. And this is one of them, exposing the intelligence that shows that the Chinese are really cheating us here, also with the Hoodies militarily.
So I think it's significant. I think it strengthened the president's hand against the communist Chinese. And it's going to be interesting to see what the Chinese say in response. Ken Timmerman for Prophecy Today. Ken, as always, we appreciate your insight.
Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thanks so much, Frick. God bless. Great job, as always, Ken. And if you listened to this program, you know that all of the nations and leaders he's talking about are listed in Ezekiel 38 and in Revelation chapter 16.
We've got to take a break when we come back. Our Middle East news update with David Dolan right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. Four men were publicly executed in Afghanistan earlier this month. Nehemiah with FMI says Taliban leaders paint their deaths as a carrying out of justice for their crimes of murder and robbery.
Seen from another light, they have sparked global concern and they condemned over the group's harsh and non-transparent judicial practices. Public execution, which had nearly vanished during the previous government, has seen a resurgence under Taliban rule. Yet Nehemiah says there are untold stories in Afghanistan. Stories of courage, of silent faith, and unwavering commitment of Christ. Read more of this story and find the prayer points for the people of Afghanistan at missionnews.org.
Then as the good news of the gospel spreads, Bibles for the World provides partners with thousands of copies of Scripture. John Beditey with Bibles for the World shares that they have exciting new event opportunities in Indonesia, Cambodia and Zimbabwe. Each of these outreach events, we look at providing At least 50,000 to 100,000 Gospels of John, so that everybody who attends these outreaches or events will get their own copy of the Gospel of John in their native language. In addition to that, we try to provide a New Testament For everyone who makes a decision to follow Christ at these events. The Cambodia outreach is particularly exciting because they're traveling with their partner to the area around the Angor Wat temples to pass out Bibles.
Please pray these new opportunities will be fruitful for the gospel. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way 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. That's missionnews.org on Ruth Kramer. 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 a journalist with over 30 years of experience, Dave Dolan. Dave, thanks for being with us today. Rick, it's always a blessing to be with you.
Well, we appreciate it as always, and typically when we start these programmes you give us an update telling us what happened in Israel, so if you could give us the latest.
Well, Rick, heavy fighting during the week continued in Gaza in both the north and the south. Sadly, on Thursday, it was announced that an Israeli reserve soldier had been killed in a sniper attack in the north near Gaza City.
Some others were seriously wounded in the same attack. And it turned out that his great-grandmother was up in Europe at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at that time, that day, 96 years old. She'd gone with this man's father to visit the camp where she was interred as a girl and a young woman and survived it. And coming off the plane at Ben-Gurion Airport, they got the news that he'd been killed.
So that was a sad end to what was the annual Holocaust Memorial Day began Wednesday evening and on Thursday. We had another soldier severely wounded on Friday in the south of the Gaza Strip. Again, heavy fighting going on in all of those areas. And we had another Houthi missile attack during the week, Rick. This came middle of the night on early Wednesday morning at about one AM.
And for the first time, it was aimed at the northern Haifa area. And that's the first time we've had any action up there since Hezbollah stopped firing rockets last November. It was the first time the sirens went off, et cetera. And the Houdi group issued a statement saying that they were targeting a quote vital Zionist enemy target. In Haifa.
Haifa is one of Israel's two main Mediterranean port cities, along with Ashdog, so it could have been the port, but probably it was their petrochemical plant there, a huge plant. that Hezbollah has tried to hit several times. And the concern, Rick, is that if it were struck and exploded, that there would be a major chemical leak.
Well, of course, the Israelis took the missile out before it hit anything, but over a million people were sent into their bomb shelters in the middle of the night. And by the way, Rick, the government was using a new push notification method of informing people so that before the sirens actually went off, people already got a couple of minutes notice. On their phones, that a rocket had been detected and was coming into the area and to take. Shelters, so they're hoping there'll be a little less panic. You know, most of the casualties we've had in these things have been people falling while they're running to their shelters and tripping over something, that sort of thing.
Also, during the week, we had President Trump on Friday tell Time magazine, Rick, that he did not stop the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, from attacking Iran, or he has not stopped it, or prevented it, or done anything like that. He didn't say what he has agreed to, but he did say he would meet with Ayatollah Khomeini if he wanted to meet with him to discuss the nuclear program. He again expressed confidence that it will be a successful outcome to that. The Israelis continue to express strong skepticism, Rick, that that's the case. We had news reports during the week.
Two congressmen visited Damascus, and they said the new Syrian leader, Al-Sharrah, Wants to make peace with Israel and may be even joining in the Abraham Accords again. Quite a bit of skepticism in Jerusalem over that because he was an Islamic jihad fighter for many years. And just because he's wearing a suit, they're not convinced that's changed. A couple other small items, Rick, but important. The man that's leading in the polls to be the next prime minister, Naftali Bennett, his parents from San Francisco, only 53 years old, but he suffered.
Not quite a heart attack, but serious heart problems while doing a vigorous exercise workout, they said, last weekend, and was hospitalized and they did some procedures.
So there's concern. over that. And finally, we had, of course, Pope Pope Francis dying on Monday, and then Israeli ambassadors all around the world, especially in Catholic countries, posted on their website condolences for him and his passing and to the Catholic people and that sort of thing. And there were dozens of them. Then they were all posted on the Central Foreign Ministry website.
And then it was ordered that they be taken down by somebody that pointed out that the Pope had been pretty anti-Israel in the past few years in particular. Very hard statements on Israel during the war. And the Israelis felt he was hardly talking about Hamas. And that it was always Israel, Israel, Israel. But that created some controversy not only amongst the ambassadors, who were mostly furious.
But from some of the governments, Ireland and some of the other governments of majority Catholic countries. Protested that as well.
Well, David, a lot to break down in that report. For my first follow-up question, I'd like to start with Iran and the Iranian proxy Hamas is who they're in a war with now, and also threatened by other Iranian proxies and even by Iran itself. Can you talk a little bit about the status of the threat to Israel from Iran?
Well, Rick, of course, the main activity is coming from the Houthis of all people, a thousand miles to the south of Israel in Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula. But this missile attack on Thursday was over twenty missiles have been launched from there since the war resumed on March 18, the war in Gaza. Several drones have also been launched in Israel. In fact, they claim that on Thursday they also sent a drone into Tel Aviv, but the Israelis. Denied that.
But Rick, this goes as the US airstrikes on the Houthis are stepping up. The U. S. said on Friday there had been over three hundred strikes on Houthi target over the last month, six weeks or so. But it's also being said that the US is losing more drones than it expected.
in this fighting. And drones are extremely important, Rick, because of course there's no US boots on the ground. There's no contacts like there are in Gaza and other places where the US has informants and Israel has informants. We don't have any of that.
So these drones are the eyes and the ears of the US military. But the Houthis have been very successful in knocking them down. And basically, Rick, we're hearing that this is not going to be as easy a campaign as the Americans thought or as the President first suggested. And of course, meanwhile, these talks continue with Iran, the third round going on today back in the Middle East. And we have Steve Wit shuttling between the war in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East and taking on both at the same time, but that's what's going on.
But Rick, we did have the President also tell Time magazine that he expects, fully expects, that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords But when he was asked, well, do you think it's possible that you won't have a war with Iran? He said again, it's up to them. They know our demands. They know that we will not, and he stressed this again, allow them to have nuclear weapons.
So if they don't voluntarily withdraw from that, there's going to be action. And again, the Israelis are not expecting any sort of a peace deal, Rick. They do expect there will have to be a military strike at some point. And the fear is the window of opportunity is starting to close. And we do have some cabinet ministers speaking out saying, let's do it, let's do it now.
But of course, U. S. backing is very important to the Israelis.
Well, it certainly is. And the situation in Iran is one that we will continue to monitor. But before I let you go, this coming week, Independence Day takes place in Israel.
Now, it's been some 75, 76 years since the formation of the State of Israel. Extremely important event on the world stage right now. And you lived in Israel through many Independence Days in the past. You even lived and reported on many of the wars that took place in Israel. If you could, in your final thoughts here, can you talk a little bit about the importance of Independence Day in Israel, not only from a political perspective, but also from a prophetic perspective as well?
Well, Rick, last year and this year, the celebrations were quite muted. Apart from during the uprisings, they were always fairly muted as well. Of course, we have the unusual for the world transition from the Soldiers Memorial Day. to Independence Day in just seconds. The day before is the Memorial Day, and then Wednesday evening, the Independence Day begins.
and celebrations begin. But of course, there's been a lot of additional soldiers killed over the last year since the last Memorial Day.
So there'll be mourning over that. It's also, of course, the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War two, of the end of the Holocaust, of the liberation of the camps.
So that's been a theme that everyone's thinking about as well. But nevertheless, the Israelis are resilient and they'll have their picnic baskets and they'll be out rejoicing that they are alive and thankful that over the last Year they've been twice. By Iranian ballistic missiles. And as we can see, almost every week by their proxies attacking from Either the south or the north. Fortunately, the north's been fairly quiet in recent months.
and people are getting back to life as normal up there.
So it will be a little calmer than it's been, Rick. And I think people are thankful that they're still there and that the God of Israel is watching over them and that their rebirth as a country, fulfillment of prophecy and assurance that the God of Israel is involved in that. He certainly is.
Well, David, thank you so much for your report. Look forward to talking to you again soon. You're welcome back, I'll bring it. Great job as always, David. We have to take a break, and when we come back, Israel Madad, Mike Jendron, and RC Merle.
All ahead, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm News Kramer with Mission Network News. Tensions escalate between India and Pakistan following Tuesday's terror attack in the contested Kashmir region. John Podaidi with Bibles for the World says at least 26 people were killed when gunmen opened fire in a popular tourist destination. Christians are caught in the crosshairs whenever conflict arises between India's Hindu and Muslim populations, but this hostility doesn't stop believers from sharing the hope of Christ.
Pray that believers can be salt and light during this time of national grief. Then, much of the world pauses this weekend to mourn the passing of Pope Francis. We connected with Chris Rugie with Prayercast, a ministry that raises prayer in the global church for the lost. Whether or not you're among the more than 1.4 billion people in the Catholic Church today, Rugie invites you to pray. Pray that whoever is installed as the next pope will shepherd in a way that expands God's worship and praise around the world.
Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries by News Kramer. Yeah. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with Rick, we're examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word.
You know, many treat eschatology, and eschatology is the study of the last days or the end times. Many treat it as an area of theology to be avoided. Of course, eschatology is not as crucial as Christology or soterology. That does not mean, though, that it's unimportant to a biblical worldview. How we understand eschatology has an impact on how we should live our lives and what we are expected to occur in God's plan for the future.
And there are many important issues that we cover on a weekly basis because our eschatology believes that all of the future plans that God has prophetically for the world will happen after the rapture of the church. In the next half hour, we have Israel. Israel Madad. And Israel Madad will be speaking on certain issues that I think are very important. He'll be talking about Iran situation, Holocaust Remembrance Day and anti-Semitism, the Abrahamic Accords, and Independence Day, which takes place next week in Israel.
And then Mike Jendren will come talking about the passing of Pope Francis and what his role was in the past, what it's been for the Catholic Church, and what. Potentially, the next pope that will come on the scene and the role that he has to play for the future of Bible prophecy.
Well, Rick, let's bring in Israel Madad in Shiloh.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. We have Winky Madad. He is the former mayor of Shiloh and our go-to. And we want to get an insider's perspective on what it is like in Israeli politics, and especially his perspective from his place there in the area that we call Judea and Samaria. The world may call it the West Bank, but we call it Judea and Samaria.
That's where Winky is right now. Winky, thanks for being with us. Thank you once again for having me on.
Well, Winky, as I said earlier, I have just a couple of questions for you.
So let's get started. I want to talk to you a little bit about the situation with Iran.
Now, of course, Israel looks at it as an existential question that they not allow them to get nuclear weapons. There has been maybe a slight disagreement over how to handle this between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump. Can you give us your perspective on this situation? And let us know: is Israel worried about the deal that President Trump might strike with Iran?
Well, let's put it with bullet points. We understand that President Trump is very How can I put it delicately? unwilling to engage in major conflicts that he doesn't really know How we'll end. In other words, in Israel's opinion, he understands the seriousness of it. But I don't think he really has Taking into his full consciousness the possibility that Iran is on the edge or the verge of getting a nuclear weapon.
And that would be very dangerous, not only for Israel, as I said many times, but for the United States. we have that old saying, you know, the little Satan and the big Satan.
So I appeal to all Americans on either side of the political divide. to look very carefully at Iran, what type of a regime it is, And to take it into consideration. And I'm very surprised, but very glad. That a Democratic senator. Has spoken out very vociferously.
I can't repeat all that he. Said on this program. but he's very much in favor of a strike on Iran. And now you're asking me to get into American politics, to tell you the truth. We all know where Israel stands.
Right. Is Trump supported by isolationists or neo isolationists? or very wary diplomats or gung-ho diplomats I'm going to throw the question back. You know, it's more of analyzing exactly what Mr. Trump.
finds his advisors telling him. Here in Israel, We hope sooner than later. He and his negotiators, we realize Iran is going nowhere. They want a bomb. and they have to decide how to stop Iran.
We know how to do it. We think America knows how to do it, is unwilling to do it. today and tomorrow, but maybe next week or another three weeks.
So we're hoping for the best.
Well, of course, you were talking about Senator Federman from Pennsylvania, and he made some very interesting comments, just expressing support for Israel, not allowing Iran to develop that nuclear weapon if it came to it. I know that Israel is somewhat reliant on the United States. We are your greatest ally for the most part, and especially President Trump has exhibited strong support for Israel. But if Israel was forced to do it, do you think they would be able to go it alone to eliminate this threat from Iran? I think we are able And I think we have no choice.
And so we realize that American military supplies, American air cover, American missile protection is all very important for the best result. But Israel if it Takes that decision, and it's been going on for a very long time, it's because we've seen. too much of what Iran is. Knowing what Iran is, don't forget We've even discussed this on the program raids into Tehran to steal. their plans, their nuclear plans.
et cetera.
So we know what's up there. It just We're hoping America will come down on a to make the right decision as well.
Well, let's switch focus a little bit. This past week, you observed Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. And of course, that is a very somber time in Israel. I've been there, and it is very deeply felt in Israel because of the severity and what the Holocaust was. But we look at anti-Semitism in the light of Holocaust Remembrance Day, and anti-Semitism is still rampant around the world, especially in the post-October 7th world.
And President Trump, we just talked about him with Iran, but he has waged a war on anti-Semitism, especially against our universities here in the United States, which many would say are rampant with anti-Semitism. Could you talk a little bit, first of all, maybe a little bit about Holocaust Remembrance Day, but then the kind of the state of anti-Semitism in the world today?
Well, I want our listeners to remember that during World War two, the State of Israel did not exist. We are under a League of Nations mandate. that was supervised by United Kingdom. They in 1939 shut the gates of immigration. They chased down ships trying to get out of Europe before the war.
And at the very end of the war.
So there's a consciousness here in Israel. That had the state of Israel existed.
So many more people. We don't know how many. but so many more people could have been saved.
So it really does hang over us. And as you said, it's a very sombre day at ten o'clock in the morning. There's a siren.
sound for two minutes with to get the entire country basically comes to a halt. Traffic stops, people, pedestrians stop walking, and the programs on television and radio are testimonies and stories about that period.
So it really weighs very heavy on our national psychic. We also, of course, are faced with the fact that A, anti-Semitism has not disappeared, but just simply mutated. into another form. And worse as I would be reviewing some of the Twitter accounts of those who are pro-Palestine. They're engaged in what we call Holocaust inversion.
which means that if I can give some examples to our listeners, Gaza is a concentration camp. Israel is committing genocide. Uh and on and on. In other words, applying what the Nazis did to the Jews as if we're doing it to the Arabs. Uh And the one thing I can say is anybody who knows this history know that there was no Jewish resistance movement quote unquote.
In Germany in nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties, it was blowing up buses, restaurants and whatever. and churches for that matter. right.
So there's no comparison to what the Arabs have been doing to us for so many years Uh or what happened on October 7th.
So that really unnerves us and bothers us to no end. that when we were the victims That framework is now applied to us as if we're doing to them Our Arab enemies, what the Germans to us when in fact it was the Mufti and other Arab leaders from the Mandate of Palestine who went to Berlin during World War two to help out Hitler.
Well, it certainly does seem like sometimes they are intentionally ignoring history to make these types of comparisons, which I agree with you are absurd.
Well, let's move away from that a little bit and let's talk with maybe, and I'm going to ask you this question, maybe a slightly more hopeful item in the news right now, and that is the Abraham Accords. That was President Trump's, I would say, signature foreign policy achievement in his first administration. And now, slowly, even in this post-October 7th world and during the war with Hamas, slowly their talks are coming back, and potentially Saudi Arabia may be willing to reignite the talks of the Abraham Accords. And I even heard this week potentially Syria being involved in those as well. Can you talk a little bit about this?
Well, I I think we've mentioned before. There will be peace. at least the first stage of peace. which of course is a secession of hostilities, no more terror and a lessening of incitement, et cetera. When the Arabs realize That Peace will only serve them.
They're they first of all, they haven't beaten Israel in seventy Seven years.
Okay, well so And it makes no sense that they should continue to sacrifice their people, their economies and their reputation by fighting Israel. And President Trump is offered, and I think the first signatories and participants in the Abraham, of course, are benefiting. From the situation. All right. They're not coming to visit the Western Wall that often.
And they're not hugging Israelis all over the place. But it's There's no real negative vibes coming out from the countries that are involved. And if the leaders of the Arab world We realize That they've been wrong in their ideological opposition to Israel and Zionism. The Jews do belong in the land of Israel, and making peace is beneficial to all. And I think Okay.
Trump might finally get that Nobel Peace Prize he missed the first time.
Well, that would be amazing if it did happen, and we will see if it does. But even if there is peace, even if the Abraham cords are assigned, the ideology of some in the Islamic world, maybe even the majority of the Islamic world, would always make Israel wary. They would always have to be careful. They would always have to hold up their guard. Do you believe that's true?
Well, let me throw you a curveball, all right? This past week, almost thirty people were killed in a terrorist attack in Kashmir.
Okay. Kashmir is a disputed territory. Does that sound familiar? Disputed territories? Right.
Between two step countries. two countries, India and Pakistan, who were partitioned which means a two state solution. back in nineteen forty seven. Right. It's not working out very well for them because we have, as you said, too many people ideologically committed to denying the other side existence or justification.
So if it's not working there, I can't understand why so many people are demanding Israel continue with the same bad solution of two state solution, yielding up on territory and not trying to turn your enemy into a friend, but simply say, all right, let's redraw the borders and build another fence. It didn't work in Gaza. It didn't work with Jordan in nineteen fifty, fifty one, et cetera. It didn't work in India and Pakistan, and it won't work in the next few years here in Israel either.
Well, my final question for you, Winky, as we look ahead to this next week, of course, Independence Day.
Now, this is the celebration of Israel becoming a nation in 1948. Of course, as everything else has, it takes a new significance when you look at the war right now, the existential war being waged now between Israel, not just but Hamas, but Iran and Iranian proxies and different things like that. Can you talk about the nation of Israel, the miracle of them coming back, and what you're going to celebrate on Independence Day, and then just the state of the country right now looking into the future?
Well, let's take a look at the name of the station we're talking over. Prophecy. We know that the Bible is rich. in history and prophecy. And prophecy is not only saying what kind of Can I see the future?
But prophecy is is a vision. is saying how can we make ourselves better? How can we make the nations better? How can we make the world better? and Israel's recreation as a state In the 20th century, is a realization of If I can use the term, the prophetic messaging of the Bible.
And so we're based on a three thousand to four thousand year old history of literature culture Religion Face Belief and history. And so the recreation of the state of Israel in the form that we know it today. is based on something far richer Then many, if not almost all, the countries of the world. And now, of course, I'm speaking as a proud Zionist and the Jew. Right.
And therefore, it should be understood. And it should be appreciated. And we still expect people to do that, not because we're superior. Not because we're better. But because we're different.
And people shouldn't be allowed to be different to a certain extent. And people who are different one from another should try to understand What is the reasoning? And we have had kings and prophets. And princes And we've had priests, and we had temples And we had revolts and military losses and a return and a return and once again, a third return the land of Israel and we hope to be this way forever. Very well said, and Winky, as always, we benefit from your unique perspective.
The way you put things on the platter for us, it's so great to be able to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thank you so much for having me on. It's been a privilege.
And goodbye to you and our listeners. Excellent, excellent job, Winky. Thank you so much for being on the program with us. You know, this last week, Pope Francis passed away. And as you can imagine, being a prophetic ministry, we get a lot of questions pertaining to, was the Pope a believer?
So we thought we needed to get Mike Jendren on the line this week.
Well, I have Mike Jendren on the line with me. He was in the Catholic faith for over 35 years, but now he runs a ministry called proclaimingthegospel.org, where he focuses on sharing the biblical-based view of salvation with as many people as possible. Mike, thanks for being with us today. Always a pleasure, Rick.
Well, Mike, with your experience in the Catholic Church, I would love to get your thoughts on the Pope's passing and, if you don't mind, what his legacy will be. Yes, it's really interesting that on the very day that the Apostolic Church celebrated the resurrection of its true and glorious head, The Apostate Church mourns the death of a blasphemous head who shuts the gates of heaven with a false and fatal gospel. And Rick, I'm not saying this to offend Catholics, but when we look at the inspired word of God, the supreme authority for knowing truth, the glorious gospel of grace is so clearly presented, but yet Pope Francis rejects that and he said that atheists, even if they're sincere, they will go to heaven. And so he was a universalist. He denied the exclusivity of the gospel.
He denied the purity of the gospel. And by the very words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1, who said anyone who teaches another gospel is accursed. We have sad news to report to Roman Catholics that this man who rejected the gospel is no longer Able to deceive people. And fortunately, Catholics have an opportunity now to test this man's teaching with the inspired word of God. I'm reminded of the Rich Young ruler When he died he found himself in torment.
And he pleaded for a messenger to be sent to his family to tell them the true gospel so they would not end up in this place of torment. And that's in Luke's Gospel, chapter 16, verses 19 to 31.
So perhaps the Pope is now begging for a messenger to be sent to the Catholic Church. to call everyone to repent and believe the gospel. And that's the first command of the true head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. He said we need to repent and believe the gospel in Mark chapter 1, verse 15.
So it's my prayer that Catholics will now trust the only head of this church. It was the only way for those who were lost He's the truth for those who are deceived. in the very life of those who are dead in their sins.
So it's a time for Catholics to reflect now and you know, just be a good Berean, test this man's teaching. Was he a true prophet of God or was he a false teacher, as the evidence shows?
Well, that's what I'd like to talk about. As we look at his legacy, I was listening to eulogies for the Pope, and many of them focused on his work with climate change or what he did to promote his view on immigration around the world, but not a lot of focus on the scripture. And we know that even in the Catholic Church itself, his views on things were controversial. They were saying he was a quote-unquote 21st century Pope. But you know what?
That is not what we're about when we're looking at this. We're looking at the authority of the scriptures. It was good in the first century. It is good in the 21st century.
So that is what we're focusing on here, right?
Well, that's correct. You know, a lot of people now are looking back on his 12-year pontificate, and they're saying he was. Such a humble man. And part of that, I think, is the things that he did. He did foot washings.
But when you look at the fact that he stole titles given to the triune God, that's hardly a position of humility. He stole the title Holy Father, which is a title The Lord Jesus addressed in his high priestly prayer in John 17, he also stole the title head of the church. The Pope never died for his church like the true head of the church. died for his church, and so he stole that title as well. And then he also stole the title Vicar of Christ, which is a title that we look to as the Holy Spirit, because Jesus said, I must go, but I will send a helper in my place.
And now he wasn't referring to the papacy, but to the true vicar of Christ, that is the Holy Spirit. And so the Pope also condemned all those who would not submit to his infallible dogmas. and he proclaimed a false and fatal gospel that unfortunately kept people on the wide road to destruction. But there's other things that the Pope said. He pointed people through a wooden door.
He said if anybody enters the wooden door at St. Peter's, he would have a remission of all the punishment for their venial sins. But yet instead of pointing people to Through the living door, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who alone can forgive sins, he again misdirected Roman Catholics. We could talk about some other things.
He called all people children of God. But again, since the Pope never read his Bible, he doesn't know that. To the apostate religious leaders, Jesus said, You are of your father the devil. and your will is to do your father's desire. The Pope's not aware that every unbeliever Is a child of the devil.
And only when you repent and believe the gospel. Can you be adopted into God's family where you are truly a child of God? And so those are some of the things to look back on with this Pope. And hopefully, Catholics will, again, be good Bereans and discern that what he was teaching was false. Looking ahead, how will a new pope be chosen?
Any thoughts on who it might be?
Well, it's going to be a Pope. who has Similar motivations that this prope had. You know, this was A pope that aggressively pursued an ecumenical agenda tonight. the whole world under the power and influence of the papacy. We know that Pope Francis was responsible for appointing 75% of the cardinals that will now vote for the next Pope.
And so that's his position as Pope. He was able to elevate the bishops to a position of cardinals. And the cardinals are the only ones that can vote for the pope. And so the fact that it is 75% of them hand-picked. We know that it'll probably be another Marxist Pope.
That is into not only a global religion, but a global economy and a global government. And so the concave that will take place usually takes place fifteen to twenty days after a Pope dies.
So we've got a couple of weeks before this concave starts to elect the next pope. And I really believe that the next pope could possibly be the false prophet that points the world to the Antichrist. I really believe we're in the season of the Lord's return. Um As John Walberg used to say, all the furniture is set up on the stage and we're waiting for the last trump. for all of us to go home.
So It's a very exciting time. I believe we're the most blessed generation that's ever lived because we're seeing prophecy unfold before our eyes.
Well, we certainly are. And I guess as my final thought as we look at this Pope and what he has done, you talked about the one world government and setting up that one world religion, part of what this Pope has done, expanding the quote-unquote Catholic Church against the tenets of even Catholicism, but especially the Bible. It's created this big tent which is looking into the future, a one-world religion. Could you talk about just before you go, could you talk about what this Pope has done, as you said, setting that stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled? Yes, it's really interesting how influential this Pope has been because There are many evangelicals now that believe he was a brother in Christ and.
If I can quote from Lifeway Research, they interviewed 1,000 Senior pastors in the Protestant Evangelical Church and Two-thirds of them said Pope Francis was a brother in Christ, and more than one-third. said they value the Pope's view on theology and they've He's improved their view of the Catholic Church and So when we look at some of the quotes from leading evangelicals, Louis Palau, who is a fellow citizen of Argentina, he said Pope Francis is a very Bible centered and Jesus Christ centered man. He's really centered on the gospel, the pure gospel. He's a friend of evangelicals. And so Rick, you can see that this man has really deceived not only the non-Christian religions, but also people that are supposed to stand on the truth of the Bible.
so we can see how the Catholic Church has really gained favor with the evangelical community. And this is just another point of um Seeing how influential the papacy is and I really believe that as I shared earlier that He would be the office of the Pope would be the false teacher that points the world to the Antichrist and We know If you know Roman Catholicism, we know he's already pointing the world to an antichrist, and that's the Eucharist, the Catholic Church. Dares to say that the Eucharist has become the physical body and blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so Catholics that worship the Eucharist are worshiping a false Christ. and that's the sin of idolatry.
So it's not a big step for the next pope to point the world to A male figure that claims to be the Christ and the Pope will back him up. Mike Gendren from proclaiming thegospel.org. Of course, we look at things that are taking place around us, and we know what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times. And it's easy to connect these dots, and we appreciate you doing that for us, Mike. Thanks so much.
We look forward to talking to you again soon. Yes, Rick, and I really encourage everyone that's listening to this program to recognize That this is an opportune time to reach out to Roman Catholics with the true gospel. And we've got a lot of good resources, including gospel tracts. that I've written, especially for Catholics, that we can Give to Catholics and let them consider. whether or not this man was a true believer or a false prophet and um hopefully Roman Catholics will repent and believe the gospel.
Now that the head of their church is No longer alive, it's an opportunity for Catholics to look for the true. Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So thanks for having me, Rick. Absolutely. And again, we encourage our listeners to go to proclaimingthegospel.org to find more of these materials. Thanks so much, Mike. Great, great job, Mike Gendren proclaiming thegospel.org.
We got to take a break and when we come back, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung will continue his study in the book of Isaiah. That's all ahead, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr.
Along with Rick, we've been examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. You know, coming up on the program, the Legacy Series, and R.C. Merle at the end of the program when we take a look at the book. That's right, Jimmy. We do all this every week trying to bring you current events that look at what is taking place around the world.
And it's so obvious how it's setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. If you would like to be a part of our ministry, support us either with prayer or financially, go to our website, prophecytoday.com. Yes, and we sure appreciate your prayers. Today on the legacy series, we're going to continue to study the book of Isaiah. And I want to remind you how this prophet discusses Jesus Christ from his cradle to the cross and then to his crown.
Actually, Isaiah 53:10 says it all. Please turn to Isaiah 53:10 as we begin our study of the book of Isaiah with Dr. Jimmy DeYoung. and the Legacy series. I'm sure that as you've been reading while we've had the study on the book of Isaiah, you've come to see the uniqueness.
Of this prophetic book in God's Word, one of the 18 books assigned to Bible prophecy, the first. of the written prophets. uh to pin something and have it placed in the cannon. the beloved prophet, the structure. Of this prophecy, similar to the Bible.
66 books in the Bible, 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah. First nine chapters, as is the case in the first 39 books of the Bible. Focused basically on retribution or judgment. The last 27 chapters in the book of Isaiah, as is the case with the 27 books in the New Testament, focused on restoration and what God has promised to do. We studied Jesus the Messiah.
And that Of course, is what the prophecies of the ancient prophet writing 2,700 years ago, 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Would write down and talk about the virgin birth, his activities, what he would do as he read from. Isaiah 61 in the synagogue there in Nazareth, and how his ministry would be dictated to by the prophet Isaiah. Also The actual event of the crucifixion of Christ and best depicted, and I don't mean that, let me say the word best is not probably the proper word to use there, vividly depicted in Isaiah 20. Chapter 53, speaking of the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus confirmed that. His evangelist Philip confirmed that as he taught. The Ethiopian eunuch who was studying and reading through Isaiah in chapter 53 when. Philip confronted him there just outside of Gaza in the Negev desert. We've also seen, if you've read much of the book of Isaiah, that it is the book that speaks more about the kingdom to come.
More is written in the book of Isaiah about the. kingdom to come. than any other book in the Bible. In fact, in the second chapter we read Isaiah was making the statement, Prophecy, my ministry is focused on Judah and Jerusalem. And then at the beginning of chapter 2, he says, There will be a time when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will come back.
And from the city of Jerusalem, on the temple, Mount, and the location where the temple that the Messiah will build, he will teach us, and the word shall go forth from Jerusalem. A guarantee. Even in the first five chapters, where Isaiah is focusing on what is going to be judgment for Judah and Jerusalem, he gives them a guarantee of the future of the kingdom to come. But in addition to the information about the kingdom, and we'll look at that in just a moment, in addition to that, we have more information, more prophecy about the Messiah than any other book of the Bible. 39 different prophecies.
Of the coming of the Messiah, his birth, which would be the cradle, his life, and then the cross, and then his crown that he would wear, all talked about in the book of Isaiah. And so I wanted to spend a few moments looking with you at some of these prophecies based upon our assurance that because he's resurrected from the dead, we'll be able to have an understanding that these prophecies have been filled or will be filled. There are those covenants in the Word of God which dictate God's plan for the Jewish people. You have the Abrahamic covenant, which means they will be a nation among the nations of the world. That would be Genesis chapter 15.
You have the land covenant. And my King James Bible refers to that as the Palestinian Covenant. Please do not refer to that as the Palestinian Covenant. There's no such thing as the Palestinian covenant. Deuteronomy chapter 30 is the land covenant.
This land is not called Palestine. The word Palestine is not used in the Bible. In my King James Version, There is a translation of the word Philistia as Palestine. That is not a correct Uh translation of of the word Philistia. That is referring to the Philistines, and the Philistines basically have nothing to do with the Palestinian people of today.
Hadrian, the Roman Emperor. In a derogatory way, named Israel. And that's what God calls the land that we look at where the Jewish people live today, Israel. It's not called Palestine, never been a Palestine, except in the minds of men who wanted to. Attack And be anti-Semitic in every way possible.
So please don't use that term. But it's the land covenant in Deuteronomy chapter 30. And this is another conditional covenant, and actually a part of the Abrahamic covenant, because you can't be a nation unless you have a piece of real estate. And then you have the Davidic covenant, 2 Samuel chapter 7. The Davidic covenant is that promised to the descendants of David.
And of course, that descendant focused on the person of Jesus Christ coming from the tribe of Judah. David's descendant, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, will build a temple in the city of Jerusalem, rule and reign from that temple, not only during the thousand-year millennial kingdom, and that kingdom is yet to come. That kingdom is not in place right now. Be very sure that that is the case, and we'll develop that more when we look at the kingdom. But Jesus Christ is not king of kings right this minute.
He's not Lord of lords. He comes that way. Revelation chapter 19, verse 11 and following. Today, he is the Son who is the intercessor for you and for me. 1 John chapter 2, our special advocate.
He's at the right hand of the Father. If you don't believe it's at the right hand of the Father, read the book of Hebrews chapters 1, 8, 10, and 12, where it says exactly that. But then, if you'd like to look into the throne room, go to Revelation chapter 4 and 5, and you'll see that God the Father is on the throne, Jesus at his right hand. He will come back, however, to. Put the temple up on the Temple Mount, he will build it, Zachariah 6:12.
He will rule and reign from that temple, Zacharias 6:13. And he will do that forever during the thousand-year millennial kingdom and into the future. But 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. Notice just before we leave, though, a couple of things, and this is we've looked at the cradle, the cross. We want to look at the crown just a moment. Very quickly, go back there, Isaiah 53, verse 10.
He shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. God has committed to give the kingdom, the dominion of all humankind to His Son, Jesus Christ. Look over at chapter 52. Look over at chapter 52, verse 13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently.
He shall be exalted, extolled, and be very high. The tribulation period is for the purpose of bringing humankind. And this earth, earth and earth dwellers under subjection.
So Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14 can be fulfilled. The Most High God, the ancient of days, will give the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, a dominion, a kingdom that will be forever. Go back over to chapter 9 of the book of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 9, and this was dealing, of course, with the reality of the coming of the one who would be the Prince of peace, and peace only when Jesus Christ comes to set up his kingdom. Notice what it says.
There's a very key phrase here in verse 7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David. And upon his kingdom. The Davidic covenant, an absolute promise, unconditional, given by God to King David, 2 Samuel chapter 7. You will have a son that will rule and reign from a temple in the city of Jerusalem, never to be driven out of the city ever again, and that will be an eternal kingdom. The word in Hebrew is Olam, O-L-A-M.
It's the same word with used with the name of God, El-Olam. All the names of God depicting the characters of God, characteristics, and that means his longevity, his eternality. And that kingdom will be given to Jesus Christ. When's the kingdom coming? Let me just close now with one verse.
Look over in Daniel. Daniel with me, chapter 2. Remember Daniel chapters 2 and 7. Daniel interprets the dream for Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2. Then Daniel has his own dream in chapter 7.
It's depicting the four major Gentile world powers. In chapter 2, it was ahead of goal. That would. Be the Babylonian Empire, arms and chest of silver, the Medo-Persian Empire, belly and thigh of brass, that would be the Grecian Empire, two legs of iron, that would be the Roman Empire, ten toes of iron and clay, that would be according to the scriptures and their own interpretation. Daniel chapter 7, verses 23 and 24.
It parallels the ten toes. Toes in chapter 2, and the ten horns in chapter 7, verse 7, as the revived Roman Empire. And it talks about a revival of the old Roman Empire. Today We should be in anticipation of the revived Roman Empire. Because all of Scripture indicates that is one of the events that must happen immediately after the rapture.
The rapture takes place, and then those ten horns of Daniel 7:7, or those ten toes of Daniel chapter 2 will appear. There's also talked about in Revelation chapter 17, verse 10, where it says, These kings, or verse 12, rather, these kings have no power until one hour with the beast, the beast, the Antichrist. They will come to power, the revived Roman Empire. Ten horns? Daniel seven verse seven Verse 8.
A little horn One of 27 names for the Antichrist.
Now notice, if you got Daniel open, chapter 2. Look what it says. The interpretation of the dream. Here's what Daniel says. Verse 44, and in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven.
set up a kingdom. which shall never be destroyed. The kingdom. will be set up. in the days of these kings.
And Messiah Jesus Christ. will be exalted. Lifted up. Made. King of Kings.
and Lord of Lords. From Jerusalem. In the Temple. He builds. In God's Word.
Pre-wrote. This history. History. But you and I are now living. In.
We're here. All of the prophecies. for the coming of Christ in the cradle. for the activities of the cross. will be fulfilled when he comes with his crown.
I submit. We're quickly Approaching that day. Jesus Christ. His cradle, to his cross, and then to his crown. We are indeed living in the days of his crown.
Dr. Jimmy DeYoung and the Legacy Series. You know, there are important issues in eschatology. What is the rapture? When is the rapture going to occur in relation to the tribulation?
What is the second coming, and why is that important? And is the millennium kingdom literal or figurative?
Well, those are all questions that we like to answer on this program. Coming up next on the program, RC Merle, right after the break, as we take a look at why it's important to be aware of every aspect of events that are taking place today. That's all ahead, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Jeremy Scott with Mission Network News. Earthquake recovery crawls forward in Myanmar.
The military junta has extended its temporary ceasefire to April 30. More than 140 aftershocks have terrified the region since the first quake nearly four weeks ago. A man we'll call Daniel Saputra surfs with Trans World Radio in Southeast Asia. He says many people are still living on the streets, and now the rainy season is coming. A monsoon is always bad for the people in Myanmar because even without the earthquake, when the monsoon comes, then there will be floods in many different places.
TWR is translating a trauma response radio program called Hope Prevails into Burmese. It will share true hope for earthquake survivors in the name of Jesus. Saputra asks for prayer for wisdom to navigate religious and political barriers to their message. Pray also for open doors to share more faith-based programs in Myanmar. Then, have you ever wondered if child sponsorship provides any long-term benefits?
Sure, you can help beat a kid and put them through school, but what happens when they age out of the program? Set Free's Dean Vandermey says in East Africa, three of the kids that we loved 20 years ago are now pastors, and they all run private Christian schools. Who knows what their lives would have been, but because they were loved and brought back to life and nurtured, they are now outstanding men in their community. Set Free's work began in 2005 with dozens of hungry orphans and a teacher. Today, it's expanded to include 14 primary schools and a residential high school.
The discipleship provided by Setfrie's Christian teachers is life-changing. They're not only Set-Free, but they want to go find other people trapped in their hurt, pain, and anger the way they were. Find your place in the story at missionnews.org. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. Keys for kids' ministries exist to ignite a passion for Christ in kids and families worldwide.
This month, they're offering a free annual subscription to the Kids and Teens Devotionals. Get yours free when you click on the banner ad at missionnews.org. I'm Jeremy Scott. Welcome back to Prophecy Today, RC, an article posted on your blog, prophecytracker.org, depicting the battle between Federal Reserve Chairman and President Trump seems to be causing extreme market volatility in not just the U.S., but globally as well. What is going on?
Jimmy, this is really what we're seeing is an extreme spillover from Donald Trump's first term in office. On the blog, I like to ask the question, is the Fed making biased political decisions? Because clearly, they are not supposed to be doing that.
So what did you find out?
So I went back to headlines starting in 2021, shortly after President Biden took office, for answers. And I've got some very telling headlines.
So I'm going to bombard you with these headlines. for the next few minutes. Marketplace headline, october twenty fifth, twenty twenty one. And this is what it said. Yellen sees inflation as temporary, calling it transitory.
And the caption underneath the headline said, Treasury Secretary Yellen says inflation should ease by next year, but anxiety about it is still running high. And CNBC News on June one, just eight months later, they had this headline. Yellen says the administration is fighting inflation. Admits she was wrong that it was transitory. And the caption read, Treasury Secretary Yellen told CNBC that the White House has several strategies that will reduce inflation.
She conceded it's too high for Americans. And then Yellen admitted that she was wrong when calling inflation transitory last year. By June of twenty twenty two, inflation reached a record high, Jimmy, of 9.1 percent after being down as low as below 2 percent as the Federal Reserve sat on its hands and did not raise interest rates.
Well, RC, tell our listeners how those interest rate decisions impact every American citizen. Jimmy, it's the Federal Reserve who, since 1913, has been in charge of setting short-term interest rates, and it's a very powerful tool. By raising rates, they can slow the economy down, and vice versa. By lowering rates, they can stimulate the economy. You see, the Fed decisions can have a significant impact on how much we pay for credit cards.
And even though mortgage loans are longer in duration, a Fed decision influences even thirty-year mortgages.
So while the impact isn't direct, Often, the Fed's actions and influence bring broader financial conditions which impact the global economy. Yeah, so okay.
So the Fed chairwoman was clearly wrong. Was harm done to the markets?
Well, on September 11th, 2024, the U.S. inflation hitting that highest level in history under Biden, Donald Trump made the comment: people can't go out and buy cereal, bacon, or eggs, or anything else. And it gets worse from there. On September 2024, just two months before the November election, when polls were looking bad for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Fed made a surprise announcement. The headline on CNBC on September 18th, 2024, read, Fed slashes interest rates by a half a point, an aggressive start to the first campaign the first easing campaign in four years.
So with the stock market at an all time high, the Fed stunned Wall Street again with a massive interest rate cut, making it look very political for the Vice President.
So, what about today? Does the Fed have the same old feud with Donald Trump? You know, I would say the answer to that is yes. And here's why. With inflation now showing signs of dropping.
In the stock market in tariff turmoil, President Trump, in harsh language, pressured the Fed to stop to stabilize tumultuous markets by lowering rates. The financial community took Trump's strong words to me the president might fire Powell, and that caused big upheaval in the markets. And to make matters worse, in a discussion about whether the Federal Reserve would consider taking appropriate action to support and stabilize the markets, Fed Chair Jerome Power stated, I'm going to say no with an exclamation point, and that caused another 500 points, Robin Stock.
So this feud seems to continue. Yeah, clearly your research shows a growing trend of central bank power over the financial markets. Is there a biblical connection? Yeah, they're absolutely useful The Bank of China, which controls the third largest economy in the world, has expanded the digital yuan to twenty-six regions across seventeen provinces. The European Central Bank, which controls the second largest economy in the world, the EU, has announced plans to roll out the digital euro by october twenty twenty five.
The Federal Reserve, which controls the largest economy in the world, is the last holdout against digital money, but for how long? The global economy is clearly going digital. And as an aside to that thought, President Trump is the only world leader I've heard come out against digital money, showing that he's not the fascist dictator that many accuse him of being. But Jimmy, back to the digital movement of all the nations except for the U. S.
Daniel nine twenty six identifies the final empire of Antichrist to be from the same empire that destroyed the city of Jerusalem, the Holy Temple. That would be Rome, or in this case, revived Rome. All prophetic eyes will be on the EU in October to see what they do. We know from Revelation 13, 16, and 17 that the final world government will demand a mark on the right-handed forehead to be able to buy and sell, making digital money an ominous precursor to a cashless society. You know, RC, eschatology, of course, that is the study of what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times.
And many treat eschatology as an area of theology to be avoided. But we see how eschatology is so crucial to our lives as believers, correct? You know, it is, Jimmy. The headlines just keep streaming across. I make the analogy that the headlines these days that are leading towards profits, it feels like the I Love Lucy show with the chocolate.
I mean, they just keep coming faster and faster and faster. This is what we do around here all day: we scan headlines and we usually put up seven to ten headlines every day, and at least one post and opinion. That goes into deeply as deeply as we can into prophecy.
So, yeah, it's moving faster and faster as we get to, I think, as we get closer to the end. Yes, it sure is. And that's why, you know, having this understanding really helps us to live a motivated, a pure, and productive life for the Lord and all that we are doing in this world. R.C. Merle, prophecytracker.org, you can go to his website.
We encourage you to do that because it is a great website to go to. RC, thank you for being on the program today. Thank you for having me, Jimmy. God bless. Eschatology helps us to understand the Bible's prophetic passages and how to live our lives in response to what God is doing in the end times.
There's a great deal of controversy in eschatology, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility to study and understand what the Bible teaches about the end times. And understanding of eschatology will eliminate many of the fears we have about the future. God is sovereign. He has a plan and it will unfold according to his perfect will and timing. This is great encouragement for those who are in Christ.
A key verse in eschatology is Titus 2:13. We wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. With everything that we've seen today, that could happen today. Let's 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. Mm.
