Uh Uh Mm-hmm. Welcome to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy De Young Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. We are in the midst of the three-fall feasts.
The one upcoming is the Day of Atonement. Rick, that is also known as Yom Kippur. It was the most solemn, holy day of all the Israelite feasts, occurring once a year on the 10th day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. On that day, the high priest was to perform elaborate rituals to atone for the sins of the people. Described in Leviticus chapter 16, verses 1 to 34, the atonement ritual began with Aaron or subsequent high priest of Israel coming into the Holy of Holies.
The solemnity of that day was underscored by God telling Moses to warn Aaron not to come into the most holy place whenever he felt like it. He could only come on this special day once a year. Lest he die. That's verse two of chapter sixteen of Leviticus. This was not a ceremony to be taken lightly, and the people were to understand that atonement for sin was to be done God's way.
On the program today, we're going to cover Yom Kippur. And this is the first time Israel has celebrated Yom Kippur during a wartime situation since 1973, the Yom Kippur War. Plus, Paul Scharf will come with us today as we are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles also this next coming week. Jimmy, it is amazing. There are so many things.
And, you know, when we were talking to our guests, there was just so many items to cover that we hardly had time to put it all into one hour and a half segment. But that's what we're going to do. I'm looking forward to this week's program as we get an update on geopolitical issues, issues from Israel.
Well, let's get started with our program today. Our first broadcast partner, Ken Timmerman.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I've got our first guest with us. It's Ken Timmerman. He's the expert we go to when we want to know what's taking place around the world. We call it our geopolitical update.
He's an analyst. He's an author of several books, including a new one that we're going to talk about at the end of this interview. Ken, thanks for joining us today. Thanks for having me on, Rick. It's always a pleasure.
Pleasure.
Well, Ken, we're going to go around the world and look at several different stories. Let's start with the EU. Hungary's leader had a very interesting speech. Can you talk about that?
Well, Victor Orbán, Rick, who's the prime minister of Hungary, is taking over as Europe's rotating president, the president of the European Parliament. And as he was giving his presentation of his priorities for the next 12 months, he was roasted by the European Commission Chief, Ursula van der Leyden. She's now in her second term. As you recall, we talked about this during the European elections in June. And she blasted Orbán for, quote, undermining democracy and being a quote backdoor to foreign interference in European affairs, a clear reference to Orban's relations with Putin and his real hesitancy to join the war against Ukraine.
But Orbán didn't take this line down. He fought back. He gave a 16-minute speech on. On a nearly empty floor of the European Parliament on Wednesday, I listened to the whole thing, Rick, spellbound. It was absolutely astonishing.
He blasted Vander Leyen and the head of Germany's centrist party, Weber, for openly calling for his overthrow in Hungary. And then he took off the wraps on European corruption. He used that word, corruption, describing cozy backdoor deals between European companies and Russia. All with the winks and nods of the same EU political leaders who were sitting in that room with him. They had blasted him for not winning majority in his last election, but he said, I won 45%.
And my German critics, they had just 30%. And that's democracy. He reminded them that the minority parties in Hungary had all the committee seats and co-chairmanships to which they were entitled, whereas his party and the European right in general has been frozen out completely from the European Parliament leadership. He also revealed a huge jump in trade between Germany, France, and Spain with certain Central Asian republics, which he said were the back door to billions of dollars of oil purchases from Russia by Germany, France, and Spain. Things that they had been blasting Orban for doing.
This really was an incredible speech, Rick. And he went on to talk about the war in Ukraine. He said the Europeans just blindly walked into that. They had no strategy. They need to think it through.
Again. And finally, Rick, he responded to criticism that Hungary had placed restrictions on individual rights in its constitution. meaning, of course, that they were anti-gay or anti-LGBTQ. He said, no, no, no, you can be whatever you want under our Constitution, but we do protect the family. And we do declare that marriage is between a man and a woman.
These are Western values. Rick, it was really a fiery speech, and to me, it put to shame Ursula van der Leyden and her allies. They'll be wishing they had been more measured in their criticism of Borban, especially since he's going to have the floor now for the next 12 months. Let's talk about the Russia-Ukraine crisis. There have been reports out that there are North Korean soldiers in Russia and Ukraine.
Well, I've seen these reports, Rick, and apparently there were North Koreans allegedly killed during a Ukrainian missile strike in No Donetsk. Donetsk is that eastern part of Ukraine which the Russians have occupied since 2014 and especially since 2022. I'm not sure really why Russia would want to have North Korean advisors guiding their missiles. These are missiles that North Koreans have shipped to the Russians. The Russians clearly have better technology.
However, there is another little wrinkle to this. The South Korean defense minister, Kim Jong-hyun, also said this week. He thought it was highly likely that North Korean advisors were in Ukraine fighting along the Russians and that several had died in that recent attack. And you have researchers saying that they think the North Koreans are doing essentially what Russia did in Syria. They're going to the battlefield to test new weapons and to gain battlefield experience that they could eventually use against South Korea in a war.
Well, let's continue to look at Asia in that part of the world. And the top U.S. diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, has condemned China for what he calls dangerous and unlawful moves in the South China Sea. Tony Blinken went to Laos on Friday to meet with ASEAN.
This is the pro-American alliance in Asia. And he was criticizing the Chinese for having deployed military and Coast Guard vessels recently, trying to eject the Philippines from certain islands and reefs in the South China Sea. They have also ratcheted up pressure over a disputed island group controlled by Japan in the East China Sea.
So this has got several of our allies very, very worried. The Chinese have sent in patrol vessels to areas that Indonesia and Malaysia are claiming as exclusive economic zones. Everyone is fighting for this area, Rick. It is a choke point. It's a bottleneck for international maritime trade, for the oil trade, but also.
For China's exports going to the rest of the world, to Europe and to the United States.
So the Chinese are trying to claim it as territorial waters, but part of that strait lies right in between Vietnam and the Philippines and Malaysia. And the Chinese are building up these reefs and the Spratly Islands. This is something that's been really percolating, Rick, for the past 15 years, but now it's getting on the verge of a military conflict with the Chinese sending in these naval vessels.
So Blinken was warning about this. He's saying we've got to make sure we reinforce our allies and prevent the Chinese from expanding. But I think it's a little bit late for that. The Chinese are already there, and our allies are woefully outgunned.
Well, we'll continue to watch China, but let's finish off this discussion by talking about Iran, where Russia's Vladimir Putin recently met with the new Iranian President.
Well, so the same time that Anthony Blinking was sitting down with our allies in Asia, Putin was sitting down with the Iranian president. They met in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on Friday.
Now, look, this was mostly a get-together, get-to-know-you kind of meeting, happy talk. Putin invites the Iranian president Pezeshkin to Moscow, but he was also sending a message to the West and to Israel and to China. This is my buddy. This is my guy. We are together in this.
Putin is hosting a BRICS conference in Russian Tatarstan at the end of this month. The Iranians will be there, and there will be much talk of economic integration and the death of the dollar.
Well, Ken, as we finish off our discussion today and we have been talking about Iran, I think it's only fitting that we talk about your new book. The title of the book, The Iran House, Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War and Intrigue. A timely book. Can you tell us about it? Rick, you know, play that game, Where is Ken Timmerman this week?
And I've done this show from some pretty strange places, including in the mountains between Iraq and Iran with your dad a number of years ago.
So, this book kind of takes you on the road with me. And we start off in Tallinn, Estonia, where I was tracking the Russian mafia a number of years ago and the mythical red mercury. We go to the south of France, to Gaza, to Beirut, to Cairo, Kuwait, all around the Middle East. And one of the big themes here in this book, Rick, has to do with how the West deals with the Iranian regime, how Israel deals with the Iranian regime. And you'll find that I was involved very early on with the Israeli government in helping to kind of form the Iranian opposition into a cohesive unity.
We didn't succeed, but I described these efforts, and they've never been made public before. We had conferences in France and elsewhere. And the Israelis were directly involved. It was run by my old friend, Uri Lubrani, who was Israel's last ambassador to the Shah of Iran in 1978. He was the one who sent back the famous memo saying the Shah is finished.
He's going to be run out by Khomeini and the revolutionaries. Nobody believed at the time. The United States, Jimmy Carter, certainly didn't believe it at the time.
So Uri Lubrani was a visionary, and he saw, as I did, that the only path for the West and for Israel to defeat the Iranian regime and the threat that they posed. Was by helping the Iranian people to throw off, if you wish, the iron braces of oppression so they could speak freely, so they could assemble freely, and so they could engage in politics freely to overthrow the regime.
So that's part of the story. You'll also learn how I became a spy in real terms, running agents for the United States government against the Iranian regime. That's one of the secrets that I unveil in the story. I think you're going to find it an exciting read and lots and lots of new information, Rick. Certainly sounds fascinating, Ken, and I'm sure we'll be talking about it more in the future.
Ken, as always, thank you so much for being with us today. We look forward to talking to you again soon. Thanks so much, Rick. God bless. Excellent, as always, Ken.
Thanks for joining with us today. We're going to take a break of it when we come back, our Middle East news update, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. Nigeria's believers are suffering deadly attacks by Fulani militants and Boko Haram, in addition to a failing economy. How much longer?
Gideon Paramalam serves with the Paramalam Peace Foundation and also as a leadership development catalyst in the Lausanne movement. The discouragement is not even coming from the prosecution per se. The discouragement is coming more from leaders who need to get together to craft a response that's biblical. That's not coming. This lack of cooperation has frustrated younger Christian leaders.
On top of that, displaced believers lack resources to live. Pray that Christians will respond biblically to persecution. Listen to the story of what's happening in some of these places because if you don't hear, you don't know. You won't know how to bring the needed support in terms of collaboration. And in 2011, northeastern Japan survived the infamous Triple Disaster.
A massive earthquake triggered a tsunami and a meltdown at a nuclear power plant. The three disasters left a devastating mark on Japan. Joshua Hari of A3 says the triple disaster called the church into compassionate action. After the disaster happened, God's always teaching us how to cooperate as a body of Christ in Japan. The goal is not only to grow the church, but to show Japan where to find eternal hope.
Hari, A3, and the rest of the church in Japan are asking for the support of the global body of believers. Please pray for us with some God's guidance towards the next step for the cooperation. If you want to offer collaboration or want more specific ways to pray, we'll connect you with A3 at our website. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. This month, Transworld Radio is offering a free 30-day devotional written by TWR President Lauren Libby.
Called Get Hope, sign up for free when you click on the banner ad at missionnews.org. I'm 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 in Israel, Dave Dolan. Dave, thanks for being with us today.
I'm always glad to be on, Rick.
Well, Dave, we'd like to start with a general update from Israel. What's the latest?
Well, Rick, on Thursday evening, the Security Cabinet met. They normally meet on Sundays, but of course, today is the holiest day of the year in Israel and for Jews around the world. Yom Kippur, 51 years ago, on this holy day, Israel was attacked in a surprise assault on October 6th. And of course, last year, on October 7th, it was attacked again from the Gaza Strip.
So they met for four hours. They put out a statement at the end saying no decision had been taken regarding Iran. That's, of course, what everybody's waiting for. How will Israel respond to the 181 ballistic missiles that were fired at Israel a week ago, Tuesday? Still not clear.
The Iranian leader again warned that Israel would be struck hard if it hit any part of Iran. The president of Iran met with Vladimir Putin on Friday, Rick, and Putin expressed strong support for Iran. He said we're getting closer and closer, both politically and in our policies. And of course, weapons sales and all sorts of things going on. We had more action in Lebanon, Rick, through the week.
We had several more major strikes in Beirut, including one on a new neighborhood, not the Shiite southern neighborhood, but another neighborhood in central Beirut that took everyone by surprise. The Lebanese, of course, cried foul over that, and Israel had a Hezbollah leader in its targets that they said they did get. Hezbollah, of course, having had its leadership absolutely decimated. The acting leader right now, Rick, made a statement earlier in the week agreeing with Nabi Berry, who's the parliament speaker in Lebanon and a Shiite himself, but a more moderate one than Hezbollah. He's actually an opponent of Hezbollah.
But he called for an immediate ceasefire on Hezbollah's part, that they stop firing despite whatever's happening in Gaza. And the new Hezbollah acting leader agreed, saying, Oh, we will talk about that and we'd be willing to do that. Of course, Nasrallah, killed a couple of weeks ago, refused. that and said the fighting would continue until the war in Gaza ended. And Rick, we also had several leading Israeli journalists embedded with the IDF late in the week go into a Shiite village right near Mattullah in northern Israel, and they were shown piles of equipment and weapons.
And basically, the whole village had been turned into a Hezbollah base, disguised as a village. A lot of the residents were civilians, apparently, but actually Hezbollah fighters. They found vests, they found rifles, they found all sorts of things. It's believed that thousands, up to 6,000, they said, fighters were planning. The Radwan squad that I mentioned several weeks ago was planning a similar assault upon northern Israel to the Gaza strike.
Six brigades would be involved, they said. Six entrances were uncovered. Entrance routes were uncovered in the plans that they got. And again, AK-47s, grenades, anti-tank missiles, all sorts of things.
So Rick, it really shows how prepared they were for the same sort of atrocity in the North And Israel prevented that, and they continue to do that. And Rick, one final item in Lebanon. We had controversy during the week after Israeli fire hit the Nakura base of UNIFIL, the UN force. In South Lebanon, hit two places near it, anyway, and two Unifel soldiers were wounded, and the UN cried the foul, to say the least. European countries were angry.
There were calls from Ireland and other countries to stop all arms transfers to Israel from the West. And Israel released a statement Thursday night saying, well, we saw Hezbollah fighters right next to it. We know they operate there all the time, and we usually refrain, but we're at war with them right now, full war. And they pointed out that they had warned UniFil earlier in the day that they would be taking action in the area against these Hezrillah fighters and therefore to take shelter, and these two apparently did not.
Well, David, let me follow up on that report by first asking about the situation in the north between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has had a series of military and intelligence successes there, and they seem to have the upper hand. Is that the way you view the situation there?
Well, Rick, I didn't mention this has been the heaviest week of selling so far in the war. We had almost 200 rockets on Thursday alone fired into Israel. The IDF released a report saying that there had been over 103 hits since the war began into northern Israel. There had been over 1,600 places damaged, homes and businesses damaged, etc.
So the war goes on. But, Rick, their leadership is decimated. 70% of their forces, we believe, have been either wiped out or crippled in their function. Around that amount of their rocketry, it's believed, has been destroyed.
So they are a much weaker force than they were a month ago, no doubt about it. And of course, Iran knows that, but Iran has ways and means of striking back. And again, we just don't know, Rick, that they don't have already a field nuclear weapon that they could use against Tel Aviv like they threatened to do all the time. And we've got to remember, these are extremist Shiite Muslims that believe that the Mahdi will only come in the midst of the end of world crisis, war, crisis in the region, and that it's their duty to start such a thing. And here he is cozying up Ayatollah Hamini to Putin, etc.
And we see this axis of evil growing, and Israel is doing what it can.
So they're not dismissing the situation in Lebanon by any means, Rick. And Syria, of course, is involved. And Iraq, we had Iran warn all the Arab Gulf countries this week not to allow Israeli forces to fly over their territory in any counter-strike to the missile attack in strong languages. Said you'd be hit next if you do.
So the region is a flame rick, and anything is possible now. We also had the covering of this plot during the week. Five Arab Israelis, Israeli citizens from Taiba, the town in the northern Samaria area, planning to blow up two towers in Tel Aviv with car bombs. uh two hundred pound uh bombs were being built. And they uncovered all the details, took them to court, arrested them, they uncovered it somehow.
But that would have been 9-11, really. In Israel.
So it it's hot, let's put it that way. The war is still raging. It certainly is, David, and we appreciate you keeping us abreast on what is taking place there. In fact, that's what you do as a reporter, a journalist. You were a reporter for over 30 years in Israel, and one of the news outlets that you reported for was CBS News.
Well, they have been in the news themselves this week for some items relating to Israel. Can you talk a little bit about that? Yes, Rick, three different items connected to Israel and CBS this week. The main one, as you mentioned, a memo was uncovered, published that actually was issued in late August, instructing all CBS reporters not to mention Jerusalem as being part of Israel.
Well, of course, it's not only part of Israel, it's Israel's capital city, as even the U.S. recognizes. But that was in the memo, and it reminded me of a request I got not to call the Temple Mount the Temple Mount, Rick. That was during the second uprising. And I said, well, what should we call it?
They said, call it a sacred place holy. holy to both Muslims and Jews. I said, well, instead of Temple Mount, two words, that's about 12. And we only give me 45 seconds to report the story. And anybody in Peoria is not going to know what you're talking about.
Whereas if you say Temple Mount, they will.
So that memo caused a lot of controversy. And then a host of their morning program, a co-host who's a convert to Judaism, was interviewing a black author who has a very anti-Semitic, very anti-Israel book out, and he was asking him some questions about that, just fair questions.
Well, he later was rebuked by Network Brass. They called him into a race council, a sensitivity session, whatever that is. And then finally, we had Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes last week, Rick. And the producers released a clip of her earlier in the day promoting the show that evening. And it showed her answering the question about what do you think of Benjamin Netanyahu.
And she gave about a minute and a half word salad and then finally said something about Netanyahu at the end that was rather negative. And they cut out everything but that very last bit. In the evening. And some people thought that was to make Netanyahu look even worse than he already did in what she did say. But others said, no, probably just to cut out the word salad to make Kamala Harris look better and didn't really have anything to do with Netanyahu.
But there they are in the news. And Rick, that CBS thing with 60 Minutes, I wrote about that in my book. Donald Trump said that was unprecedented, but it actually happened before when Mike Wallace, the former host, was interviewing the mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kolick, and he asked him, What do you think of the government of Israel?
Well, he was of the opposition party, so of Shamir, the then prime minister, so he condemned the government. Then he asked a little later, the riot last week on the Temple Mount that left 17 Palestinians dead, who was responsible for it? And Kolick answered, the Palestinian leadership and Hamas and that.
Well, Wallace ordered the editors to put the answer to the earlier question, to that question.
So it made it sound like Kolik was. Blaming the Shamir government for this deadly riot on the Temple Mount, which is not at all what he had said.
So he was furious and wrote a letter, but of course that was published two weeks later, and meanwhile, the damage had been ducked.
So CBS has been after some of these antics for a while, I'm afraid. Certainly emphasizes how very important it is where you get your news from.
Well, David, I have more questions for you, but we have to take a break right now. Can you hold on through the break? Sure, I'd be glad to. You're listening to Prophecy Today We Get. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News.
A year after Hezbollah began firing on Israel, the terrorist group is under heavy targeted strikes from Israel. Nuna with Triumph of Mercy Lebanon says in the past two weeks, Hezbollah has lost its upper hand in Lebanese politics. There are now renewed calls to fill Lebanon's two-year presidential gap. In the meantime, Nuna says Isaiah chapter 29 points to God's good plan for Lebanon unfolding and the gospel reaching even Hezbollah in this crisis. Then, as Door International marks 40 years of gospel ministry among the deaf, they're hosting multiple celebrations around the world.
In August, it was in Kenya. This month, it's in the United States. Door's Rob Myers put some gospel stats behind their 40 years of ministry. He says they've seen over a thousand deaf churches planted and more than 3,500 deaf Christian leaders trained to share their faith and disciple others. Pray for the gospel to reach even more deaf communities in the next 40 years.
Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries, on Ruth 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, just thinking over the past week and how last year, Rick, you and I were going to be in Israel. Just, I mean, you were getting ready to leave on October 7th. Everything was put on hold. I was supposed to be there a week later. We've only been there one, you know, one time in the last year, since October 7th of last year.
Now, this year, Israel is shutting down for its holy day, the first time as it marks Yom Kippur amid war for the first time since 1973. The residents are urged to employ special alert systems in place. 120 rockets were fired at the start of the holiday. War zone soldiers instructed not to fast. I mean, they don't want to be caught like they were last time.
And we have David Dolan coming back here in a moment to talk more about his understanding and recollection of Yom Kippur. And then, not only to, you know, to look at this, next week, in the middle of the week, we start the Feast of Tabernacles. And Paul Scharf will be here to help us to understand that as we talk about the Feast of Tabernacles and what that means prophetically. And today on the Legacy Series, we'll be talking about this period in the future, in that day. You know, Israel shut down late on Friday afternoon, Rick, for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, with the country embroiled in an active war.
The country was on high alert with troops continuing combat operations in the north and Lebanon and in the south and in the Gaza Strip. And special alert systems are in place. And, you know, so as they start to mark this period of introspection, as the country reflected on a year of immense pain and suffering following last year's October 7th. Hamas attack on the country. It's interesting to see as we understand what is taking place.
And in light of the security situation, the Israeli Defense Force Home Front Command urged residents to ensure that they had access to special warning systems put in place.
So let's bring back in David Dolan to help us to understand more about what's taking place there in the land.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. David has agreed to come back with us as we shift away from the news and we start to talk about Yom Kippur. We're going to have Steve Herzig on just a little bit later in a look at the book. But before we do that, David, if you could, could you talk a little bit about your experience with Yom Kippur and all the years that you spent in Israel? What it means to you, what it means to the Jewish people.
Well, Rick, actually, the first time I was even aware of Yom Kippur was before I came to Israel. When I turn on the news at midnight, the CBS midnight news, I might add. And the headline was: Israel has just been attacked on two fronts by Syria and Egypt, backed by the Soviet Union on her holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur.
So later when I got home, I had an encyclopedia set in those days. We didn't have internet. And I looked it up and read more about it. But of course, I was there for most of the Yom Kippurs of the 33 years that I lived in Israel. Always a very, very special day.
Always, frankly, a marvelous day. And I don't know if you've been, but most of the traffic ceases. The buses stop.
So the streets are quiet. The kids go out and play ball. And the birds seem to sense that something's different because they just go crazy and sing and fly around. And it's just a beautiful day in that way. But of course, I would normally fast.
I'm Gentile and that, and a Christian. But nevertheless, I was in the Lord's land, and most people were fasting that could. And so I would do that, start at sunset. And of course, you have a big meal right before the fast begins.
So at four, yesterday afternoon, Friday afternoon, everybody was eating their big. Yeah. A last Sabbath meal for the Sabbath. And then tonight, Saturday night, they'll break that fast with another very large. meal usually.
And those that are really brave, are able, don't even drink water for twenty five hours. It lasts about Rick. But of course, this year, with war raging, that's a different I think most people have Are going to be more limited in their observance. And of course, security is very tight. And gathering in synagogues, they're usually packed all through the night and the day.
But officials were not saying don't do that, but they're still everybody's still being warned to stay near shelters and be aware. And of course, Rick, we did have, as I said, the largest rocket barrage of the war was occurring this week. And Friday evening, as the Yom Kippur began, we had another major barrage launched at Nazareth, at the north. At Haifa and some in the Tel Aviv area.
So I think people are, it's a different marking of it this year, as of course it became suddenly in 1973 and of course at the end of the feast last year, not on Yom Kippur, but on Simchat Torah, the terrible attack on the 50-year anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.
Well, David, that was just going to be my follow-up question, and you alluded to it as well. The first time you heard about Yom Kippur was in 1973, the Yom Kippur War. And then, you know, Israel had had a series of just amazing military successes, culminating with 1967 and the Six-Day War there, where they, you know, defied all odds and had great military success, but they were kind of lulled into a complacency. And the Yom Kippur War was allowed to take place. Then you look ahead, essentially.
The history kind of repeated itself last year on Simketorah. That was when October 7th took place. And many of the Israelis weren't even, they didn't even know it happened until later in the day because they weren't looking at their phones. They were observing Shabbat. They were under the Shabbat rule.
So, of course, now these things that are taking place in Israel, and more time, they're on super high alert, but it certainly changes the atmosphere. It's going to change the mood there in Israel, isn't it?
Well, Rick, those were the two greatest traumas. That Israel has suffered, and I mean clal Israel, that's Hebrew for all Israel, the whole nation. the Yom Kippur sudden surprise attack, middle of the day, the sirens go off everywhere and rockets start falling everywhere and men are being called up and just total chaos and confusion. And as you said, that wasn't fully anticipated, and again, the security services weren't on. On full alert, apparently, and the same situation last year.
And again, like you said, many people didn't even know the details.
Now, they all heard. You couldn't keep news like that from spreading in the synagogues and to Orthodox Jews that don't Listen to many of them don't listen to the news at all during the week, let alone on the Sabbath. But the news obviously rapidly spread. But it took three or four hours for the severity of it to become clear.
So very similar situation. Deep trauma a year later, the war continues. At least the Yom Kippur war was only two weeks. Although it nearly ended in a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union, and that's another story. And we found out, by the way, Rick, this week some of the details of the Iranian missile strike.
One of the missiles at least, and we think more than that, was said to have been aimed at the Demona nuclear power plant a nuclear plant in the Negev Desert. Of course, if that had been struck, it would have been a disaster of huge proportions.
So The war continues. It's very, very difficult. Security is extremely tight today throughout Israel, Rick. And people have been told not to gather in crowds if they can avoid it. And I think a lot of people, like I said, are just staying home and just kind of laying low this year.
And even In many cases, I think they will be leaving their phones on and leaving their just to get the bomb alerts for one thing. I mean, obviously, Hezwallah is taking advantage of the day to step up its rocket attacks.
So they're at war, what can I say? And God has given them also great victories in the last few weeks, Rick. It's just been incredible, amazing what they've accomplished with Hezwala. I mean, nobody dreamed that they could basically eliminate its full leadership, most of its leadership and a good portion of its rocket forces. In a month.
Nobody dreamed of that. And certainly a senior leader, Hezbollah. Naserala, wow.
So God is with them and fighting for them, I believe, but the nations are turning away and it's continuing, and they need to be fully in our prayers at this time and on this special day.
Well, they certainly do, David. I think one of the things we talk about on this program, and my dad always used to say it, one of the greatest tangible evidences of Bible prophecy being fulfilled happened in his lifetime and in many of the peoples that are listening's lifetime in 1948 when the Jewish people came back to the land of Israel.
Now, we look at that return to the land, we see how God is protecting them, not without hardship, not without sometimes suffering, but we see how God is protecting the Jewish people there in the land of Israel. We know they have a role to play in the end times prophecy, and we see this stage being set. Of course, the one thing that we can do is continue to pray. We can, Rick. And I was nearly born on Israel's seventh birthday, just a couple of months after I was born.
Israel turned seven.
Now it's seventy five plus, seventy six.
So that gives my age away, but it's been around. God's protected it through a lot of wars. And again, we all know from the prophecies that this is going to be the way it's going to be in the last days. And yet, it doesn't end with Israel's destruction, but with her salvation and turning to him. And that's That's what I look for every day, especially in times like this, when the area I love in the North in particular is under such severe attack and fires everywhere.
I look to the heavens and look, guess what? That's where he is. Amen.
Well, David, thanks so much. As always, you're not just a journalist, you're also a student of the Bible and a student of Bible prophecy. We appreciate you so much being on our program, educating us, educating our listeners. We look forward to talking to you again soon. You're welcome, Rick.
God bless. Well, this is a time in Israel right now where Israel is observing Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. They've started off with the three fall feasts, which would have been Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, the New Year. We talked about that last weekend, Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. And the Jewish people take those days very seriously.
And we're starting and going into the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot. It is the seventh and last feast that the Lord commanded Israel to observe. And one of the three feasts that the Jews were to observe each year by going to a Appear before the Lord your God in the place which he shall choose. That was one of the pilgrim feasts. Three times a year, the male Jews were required to go to the city of Jerusalem.
And so today I thought it would be really important for us to talk about the Feast of Tabernacles, as it can be seen in how many places it's mentioned in scripture. And I thought nobody better to do that than our friend, Paul Scharf. Paul, welcome to the program today. Thank you, Jimmy. It's wonderful to be with you.
Yes, and I know that you work with friends of Israel. You're writing articles for Israel, My Glory, which we'll talk about in the future. But I'm so excited for your ministry and what you do. And so let's just talk about now. What they do in Israel today is they will build their booths or their sukkahs out on the porches or their balconies, and they will celebrate, as they did in Old Testament times, the Feast of Tabernacles.
They'll eat. Out there.
So tell us a little bit, Paul, of what you can about the Feast of Tabernacles.
Well, Jimmy, the Feast of Tabernacles is so incredibly important in the Old Testament, as we call it, the Hebrew Bible. in the New Testament and Also, Some may be surprised to learn In the prophetic future. And it so it just sort of vibrates all through scripture with just incredible significance from the first time that it's introduced. In the giving of the law in the book of Exodus, chapter 23. Verse 16, where it's called the feast of in-gathering at the end of the year.
When you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor, And then there is also much more information given within the law of God. In the book of Leviticus, the feast chapter that details the seven major feasts that you've alluded to here. And uh this Feast of tabernacles is described in Leviticus twenty-three. thirty-three really through the end of the chapter. And then there's also very detailed instruction in numbers, 29 verses 12 through 38, which gives a day by day.
Listing of what the people were to do during the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles. That's all just in the law and related to what the people of Israel were to do as you said when all the males were to appear before the Lord at this special feast.
So we see how important the Feast of Tabernacles. And like you said, it was the last of the seven feasts, the holidays.
Sometimes we refer to them as holy days, but those were the holidays of God that God really put and said, Look, take a time out, and this is what I want you to do. Yeah, and it's so interesting to read these Prescriptions in the law for what the children of Israel were to do. on this very, very special and unique feast, Jimmy. And we find something that I'd like to tie together to another thought a little bit later here. is that Deuteronomy 16, 14 makes it clear Though all the males were to appear especially at this feast, along like unleavened bread and Pentecost, We find that Tabernacles is really a feast for the whole family.
It's a family celebration. Deuteronomy sixteen fourteen And it was a time of blessing and a time of joy and rejoicing. Yes, yeah. You know, and that's so true. Even still today, it is a time of blessing and rejoicing for the whole family.
The whole family goes out. If you're staying in a hotel, they will provide you a sukkah to eat your meals in. That's what the families do today. It's a very family-oriented atmosphere, and the whole family celebrates in this gathering. I like the way you said it.
So, what else can you tell us about the Feast of Tabernacles?
Well, something very interesting, Jimmy. And this is just a little bit of a rabbit trail from our trek through the scriptures. But we want to be sure to include this point just as the Feast of Tabernacles was a family celebration For the people of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, in a time of joy and rejoicing, and a harvest festival. And you've used this word earlier in our interview, Jimmy, the word pilgrim. And this is something I have a real passion for is learning about our Thanksgiving pilgrims at the dawn of our country in America.
And of course, they based their Thanksgiving celebration On this Feast of Tabernacles. And so we can relate Because probably everyone listening has participated in a Thanksgiving dinner, and that gives us a little bit of an illustration of what it would have been like for the Jewish people as well to go. Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Oh, that is so true. And we have brought that up in the past.
I'm glad you brought that up because those early pilgrims, that's how they modeled after the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles, Paul, like all feasts, was instituted by God as a way of reminding. Israelites and every generation of their deliverance by God from Egypt. And of course, these feasts are so significant in that they foreshadow the work and actions of the coming Messiah. Much of Jesus' public ministry took place in conjunction with the holy feast set forth by God.
How do we see the Feast of Tabernacles in the New Testament?
Well, we see it very clearly, Jimmy, in the life of the Messiah, Jesus. when he became flesh, And dwelt among us, John one fourteen. uh literally the idea of tabernacling among us. Living temporarily among us.
Now, the human flesh that he took on himself was not temporary. He. Became forever a member of the human race when he came from heaven to earth to be our Saviour. But he came and for just a time he lived among us as it were, tabernacling among us, reminiscent of the Children of Israel live living in booths in tabernacles only temporarily and for a purpose each year at this special feast. And then, Jimmy, we see also Jesus In his last year before going to the cross, very clearly celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles In John chapter 7, we see that in verse 2, and we see what Jesus did.
Two very important things that he did at that Feast of Tabernacles. That are in line not so much with what the Old Testament says about this feast in the law, but with Jewish traditions that had developed. Related to pouring out water to illustrate dedication to God and also illuminating the temple. And at this feast Jesus in John 7 verses 37 through 39, that famous passage where it says, On the last day of the feast, The great day Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, Let him come to me and drink and He goes on in that context that people can look at and John 7, 37 through 39. He's drawing there on scriptures such as Isaiah 12, 3 and 55, 1, and Zechariah 13, 1 that talk about this idea of water.
Flowing to show the blessing of God. And he also at that same Feast of Tabernacles before he goes to the cross the following spring. He stands up in John 8, verse 12, and says, I am the light of the world. And that of course is drawing on this Custom that the Jewish people had a very elaborate method of illuminating the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles by Jesus' Day. Mm-hmm.
That is so, it's a. There's so many. As I think back, and I'm sure people are sitting there thinking of other passages. I'm reminded of Matthew chapter 16. You know, and that was six months before Christ was to be in the city of Jerusalem.
Six months before he says, I'm going to go to Jerusalem to be crucified. You remember that episode up at Caesarea Philippi? He then takes Peter, James, and John, and he had told them, Some of you will not die till you see me in my glory. He took Peter, James, and John onto a high mountain, and Peter wanted to build. He thought the Feast of Tabernacles was beginning because he wanted to build, you know, three sukkahs, one for Elijah, one for Jesus, and one for Moses.
So, you know, like as you look at those three men there. Peter Got it way ahead of himself and, of course, didn't understand it. But the Feast of Tabernacles is not only something that was celebrated in the past, it's celebrated today. Although Israel, as they celebrate it, let me remind people: Israel today, as they celebrate it, doesn't do anything for God. Right, Paul?
I mean, the very first thing that a Jewish person could do that God will recognize will be his act of calling out to Jesus Christ as the true Messiah for salvation, correct?
Well, Jimmy, that is so true. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 3 says that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. Yes. He is the one who tabernacled among us. He is the one who offers to us the living water.
He is the one who offers to us the light of the world. And though it's wonderful for us even to learn about what the Jewish people do to this very day to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. It's wonderful for them to continue and maintain that heritage and all that we can learn from it. But the ultimate issue, as you've said, is Finding the life, the light, the living water of the Messiah Himself. Who comes to offer us the very glory of God.
Exactly, exactly. And I just want to remind people, and the feast, again, were given to the Jewish people. I know a lot of churches today want to celebrate the feast, but they were given to the Jews. And the reason I bring this up, Paul, because in the future, one of the feasts that's going to continue on into eternity is the Feast of Tabernacles. That's right, Jimmy.
There's only going to be Four feasts. celebrated in the coming Millennial Kingdom. And one of them. One of them is the Feast of Tabernacles, And we find the Feast of Tabernacles amazingly. Listed in Ezekiel forty five, verse twenty-five.
It's spoken of there as one of these four millennial feasts. or holidays But the passage that really, and I'll never forget, Jimmy, when I first really understood this passage, and just it's just like opening up a truth about something amazing that will happen during the Millennial Kingdom. in Zechariah fourteen. sixteen through nineteen. It talks about this time, it's not just going to be all the males of Israel that need to go.
To celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, Jimmy, but it's going to be all the nations of the earth that are going to have to go up. to celebrate The nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, and most specifically the great king, to worship him. and there will be chastening on those who refuse to go to celebrate the Feast of Booths In the coming millennial kingdom, which will be really the ultimate fulfillment. of Christ Tabernacling. with his people.
Wow. Good things to think about. Again, Zechariah chapter 14 talks about that future when we will celebrate it. And look, if people don't go during the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no rain.
So everyone will be commanded to go where Jesus Christ will be seated on his earthly throne in the city of Jerusalem, in the place of Mount Moriah, God's holy mountain, that spot that through history had played an important part, the top of Mount Moriah. In the future, that's going to be the place where Jesus Christ with co-regent King David will be there in the city of Jerusalem. Paul, I'm looking forward to that time. You and I will be there as the bride of Christ will be the queen of as Jesus is the king over the Jewish people. But we will look forward to that time into the future, correct?
That is so correct, Jimmy. And you know what's even another final element of all of this. The word that John used back in John 1.14 for dwelling is with um Christ dwelling with his people. Is used Four more times, all in the book of Revelation. And There's one special reference where it's used in chapter twenty one, verse three.
where it talks about the fact that God Himself will be with him. He will dwell with them. They will be His people. Wow. And so God for eternity will be living, as it were, in a tabernacle with His people Uh Who have trusted in him through all the ages here of history on this earth?
We looked at it from a Jewish point of view, from the Old Testament, from the New Testament, and into the future at the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul Scharf, his ministry. Paul, give us your website where people can go and see some of your daily postings and your sermons. Thank you, Jimmy. I'm privileged to serve as a church ministry's representative with the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.
And you can learn lots more about our ministries and our history in the friends of Israel at FOI.org. and my personal webpage, where I post all of the resources that I produce on a regular basis And share where you can always contact me and find all my information. That's at sermonaudio.com/slash P Sharf, P S C H A R F. Thank you, Paul, so much for being with us today. We look forward to having you on again.
Thank you so much. Jimmy, it's been a great privilege.
Well, I'm excited about today's teaching in Zachariah with Dr. Jimmy DeYoung in our legacy series, where he will focus on the Millennial Kingdom. I couldn't have put this together any better. The Lord did it. We got to take a break, and when we come back, Dr.
Jimmy DeYoung in the Legacy Series, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr., and along with my brother Rick, we've been examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. Such a great conversation with Paul Scharf.
So much information. You know, we have a bookstore on our website, and there are three great books: Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation, commentaries that Dr. Jimmy DeYoung wrote, and a new book on presidents, politics, and prophecy that we have done with Dr. Richard Schmidt. But, Rick, where should people go to find more information about Bible prophecy?
Well, Jimmy, if you go to our website, prophecytoday.com, if you missed all of that conversation or if you want to hear it again, we have archived programs up there. You can listen to our streaming radio station. You could look at our bookstore. We have many products to help you understand Bible prophecy. And of course, as always, We would love for you to support our ministry if you feel led to.
Yes, that is prophecytoday.com. It's a great website if you're looking for information that will help you to further your study in Bible prophecy.
Well, today on our legacy series, you know, as we begin our last study in the great prophetic book of Zechariah, I want you to go first to the book of Ezekiel chapter 43 and verse 2. This is the prophecy of the Messiah Jesus Christ coming from Petra and entering Jerusalem. Then the Messiah Jesus will go up onto the Temple Mount. This is the passage that helps us to understand the conclusion of Zachariah's prophecy. Again, that's Ezekiel chapter 43, verse 2.
Please go there with me now as we begin our study with Dr. Jimmy D. Young and the legacy series. Go to Ezekiel chapter 43. Verse.
2. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way. See, the glory of the Lord in Ezekiel 9, 10 and 11 had departed.
Now look here. I read the last chapter, folks. Here it is. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and his voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth shined with his glory. Look at verse 4.
And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate, who his prospect is toward the east. Whoa, glory to God.
So the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard them speaking unto me out of the house of the man stood by me, and he said, Verse 7 unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. Forever I will be there. You see the picture? Here it is.
It's at the end. In that day, the city of Jerusalem was surrounded. Satan, Antichrist, false prophet, and all the armies of the world are gathered there to destroy the Jew. Jesus Christ in the heavenly, the skies open up, he comes on a white horse, plants his feet on the mount of olives. The Mount of Olives splits and makes a way so Satan can retreat to the Jezreel Valley.
He goes up there, his sword proceedeth out of his mouth. He speak and they die. Blood comes out of their bodies to the horse's bridle. It flows for 176 miles. And then it says in Isaiah, who is that coming from?
Edom from Petra. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you. from Megeto in the Jezreel Valley. to Petra. is one hundred and and seventy-six miles.
And he goes there and he gets his survival. That's what the word in Obadiah says: it's survivors. And he brings them. into Jerusalem. Anticipated.
Deliver us. He's gonna deliver them. In that day. Last point. The Almighty's Dominion.
We saw Attempted Devastation. We've looked at Anticipated deliverance. Let's look finally as we close. the Almighty's Dominion. He comes in.
The victory's over. He's won the battle.
Now He takes rule and reign. It's said in the book of Ezekiel 43. He's going into the holy temple.
Somebody said Are they going to find the Ark of the Covenant? Yes. Do they need it in this temple? No. How do I know?
Jeremiah 3.16 says, don't need the Ark of the Covenant. See, the Ark of the Covenant was a prototype. A model. looking forward to Jesus. When you got the real fame, you don't need the model.
And Jesus sits down on his throne in the millennial kingdom. And from this throne The Almighty's dominion is over the earth. Oh. Of the earth. Look what it says, verse 9.
And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. In that day, In that day, this portion of that day, there's a negative aspect to that day, there's a positive aspect to that day. In that day in the millennial kingdom, list what's going to happen. There's going to be all kinds of geographical changes. Look what's going to take place.
Verse 8. And it shall be in that day. Isn't that word prevalent here? It's all we can read just about. And it shall be in that day that living, look at here, living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, and half of them toward the former sea, which is the Dead Sea.
And half of them towards the Hinder Sea, which is the Mediterranean Sea. In other words, it comes out of Jerusalem, it goes east and west, towards the Dead Sea east, towards the Mediterranean Sea west. Water coming out of Jerusalem, where the temple stands, in the summer and in the winter shall it be. In that day, geographical changes which will result in Israel once again becoming the garden of God. You know what's going to happen?
Sometime when you've got a chance, we won't take the time. Look at Ezekiel chapter 47. Ezekiel chapter 47 says the exact same thing in that day. In that day of the millennial kingdom, water is going to come out of the temple. Jerusalem, that's what it said here in verse 8.
It's going to come and it's going to go down. In Ezekiel, it only talks about it going one way. It comes down and drops into the. Kidron Valley, which is right below the Temple Mount. And then it goes down to the Kidron Valley and it splits off and it goes down to the Dead Sea.
And Ezekiel 47 says, Water out of the throne of God in the city of Jerusalem will flow down to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is seven times saltier than any. Ocean on the earth. But Ezekiel 47 says that water flows into the Dead Sea and it makes that seven times saltier water flow. fresh water.
And in at Getty, some of you have been to at Getty with me, and at Getty, they're going to lay their fishing nets up there. Oh man, it's going to be pure. And that lowest spot on the face of the earth is going to blossom. As the rose, it says in Isaiah. It's going to be like what Lot saw, the garden of God.
The water flowing, geographical changes, water coming out of Jerusalem. Perpetual. visitation in the land. During that time, That's why they can lay down. their weapons and pick up their plows.
to get out there and take care. Once again, Israel becomes an agrarian society, and we feed off of it. In the millennial kingdom. But look what else? There's another physical thing that's going to happen.
Look at verse 10. when all the land shall be turned as a plain, And it talks about just south of Jerusalem, but look at here. And Jerusalem shall be lifted up. Jerusalem shall be lifted up. The book of Ezekiel, again, chapter 45, verse 1 and following, talks about Jerusalem being lifted up.
It'll be 50 miles on each side, 2,500 square miles. Jerusalem will be lifted up. Of course, the Temple Bout, chapter 43. Our 42 says it'll be lifted up. and it'll be higher than the city of Jerusalem.
It'll be one square mile. And then on top of that, the temple. will be standing. geographical changes. But there are going to be some ceremonial changes as well.
There's so much more in here, I just don't have time to look at. Verse 16. And it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts. and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. We just touched on the feast the other day.
the Feast of Tabernacles. a time of joy. A time of rejoicing. Do you know what? In anticipation of this day, Christians around the world come to Jerusalem every year.
at the Feast of Tabernacles. But one day. With these geographical changes, ceremonial activities will take place. when we all go to Jerusalem. once a year.
to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. There's going to be spiritual changes. And with this, I close. Yeah. Verse 20.
In that day. Almost the last time it's used. It's used again, but. Verse 20, in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses By the way, they used to put the bells on the garments of the high priest so they'd know where he was. But there they're going to put the bells on the horses.
The bells on the horses shall ring out Holiness. Unto the Lord. Hmm. We don't treat him wholly today. In that day.
Holiness. unto the Lord. And the pots of the Lord's house. shall be like the bowls before the altar. The pots that they used to prepare the meals for the priests.
holiness. before the Lord. Verse 21, yea, in every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah. shall be holiness unto the Lord. of host.
In that day. Holiness. Holiness. Do we know what the holiness of God is? No.
Will we know? And that day Holiness. Before the Lord.
Somebody sent me a question. In that day No more Canaanites. in the house. in the Old Testament. Canaanites are symbolic of all that's ceremonial Unclean.
and unholy. removed, in that day. The temple stands. Jesus seated on the throne in the Holy of Holies. We come to worship him.
at tabernacles. in that day. Holiness. You know what the last prophecy was? The last prophecy was.
In that day, in Jerusalem. Listen to me a moment. In that day. In Jerusalem. He said.
I'm jealous over Jerusalem. I've chosen it. I'm going to put my temple there. I'm going to dwell among my people. Listen.
Never before in history. Has Jerusalem been prepared for that? to take place. But he also said about Jerusalem, It'll come to a place of attempted devastation. The armies of the world gather they're gathered.
Friends. You have never, ever read or heard or seen Another day Like what Zacharias said sixteen times. This day. The stage is set. Every Actor.
is in place. And the curtain is about to go up. on this act. How then? Ought we to live?
Father Thank you for my buddy Zachariah. He has become such a dear friend. I look forward to seeing him. an eternity. and personally thanking him.
for this information. Lord. Thank you for giving it to my friends. and to me. That which will happen At the time of the inn in that day, in the city of Jerusalem, with the Jewish people.
as the Messiah comes. Thank you for this that you've given us. Lord allow us to now Let the Holy Spirit teach you. teach us continually of that which we have only begun to learn. Use it.
in our lives for your glory. that we might be prepared as we anticipate his coming. that we might live pure. And what? productively.
as we Lift up our eyes. Because our redemption Draweth nigh. Thank you for allowing us to have this time together. In my precious name we pray with thanksgiving. Amen.
The study of Zechariah. should indeed help us to be prepared, live pure and be productive until the rapture does take place. Please join us next week as we begin our study in 2 Peter. Dr. Jimmy D.
Young and the Legacy Series. And where have you heard that before? Living pure, productive. and prepared. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Rick and I will be back as we talk to Steve Herzig on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Right here on Prop C Today, weekend. I'm Reince Kramer with Mission Network News. On Tuesday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report with troubling news: only one church remains in Algeria.
It goes to show the increasing persecution of Algerian Christians. Yernathan with A3 says, a well-known Algerian pastor, has been falsely accused of threatening national security. He's never done anything wrong in terms against the law, but it's just the fact that he's a Christian. He proclaims his faith, but also speaks about the right to exist as Christians in Algeria, and that the government doesn't like that. Yet, God is moving.
Yernathan shares the gospel among North African Muslims and says they've seen many Muslims disillusioned with Islam turning to Christ. Pray for Algerians to know freedom and joy in following Jesus. And the body of Christ looks different in different parts of the world. Freedom to Lead International comes alongside believers in North Africa and the Middle East in the unique challenges they face. Michelle Sussims with Freedom to Lead says: We talk about cultivating competent Christ-centered leaders through story, symbol, and song to unleash their potential for impacting local communities with the whole gospel.
Believers in the Middle East are grappling with how to lead and grow as churches and gospel witnesses, not just how to survive. Freedom to Lead facilitates conversations, Michelle says, are especially poignant for Muslim background believers. They need to have a community to come together to really say, hey, how can we learn from each other on how we're leading in this specific context that is different in this part of the world? Find your place in the story at missionnews.org. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries.
This month, Transworld Radio is offering a free 30-day devotional written by TWR President Lauren Levy. Called Get Hope, it's meant to encourage you through scripture and help you meet life's challenges. Sign up for free when you click on the banner ad at missionnews.org. I'm Ruth Kramer. Welcome back to Prophecy Today.
I'm Jimmy De Young Jr. Along with Rick, we're examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. Well, as I said at the outset of the program, this is a program about Yom Kippur. We are in the midst of the three fall feasts. There are four spring feasts, and incidentally, Jesus Christ fulfilled each of those four spring feasts.
That would be Passover. Christ was crucified on Passover, buried on unleavened bread, which is the next feast. Then the feast of first fruits. He rose again on the feast of first fruits. And the feast of weeks or Pentecost, which is when the church began.
And that occurred 50 days after the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread.
So we are looking at Jesus' fulfillment of the four spring feasts. There are three fall feasts: trumpets, day of atonement, and tabernacles. And Jesus Christ will fulfill the three fall feasts because. Beginning with Rosh Hashanah, which is when Jesus Christ returns to the earth and regathers the Jews that are in the wilderness, brings them to the city of Jerusalem. Then you have the day of atonement, which is fulfilled.
Matthew chapter 25, when Jesus Christ brings those into the city of Jerusalem, he judges them, Gentiles and Jews. That would be the judgment of those sheeps and the goats and the five wise and five foolish virgins. That would be that day of atonement, that time when those that have accepted Christ and looked upon Jesus, the one that they pierced, those Jews and Gentiles from the tribulation period, will go into the millennial kingdom. And that's the feast of tabernacles that is fulfilled at the millennial kingdom. This dispensation that we are in now is the sixth dispensation.
The one in which we now live is a dispensation of grace. And, Rick, after our conversation with Dr. Paul, Paul Weaver, we know how important it is to have an understanding of the dispensations of the Bible. But during this period of the fall feast, we want to talk to our good friend Steve Herzig. Steve Herzig is the North American Ministries Leader for Friends of Israel.
Steve Haksimayk, and welcome to the program. Steve, these holidays are very important to the Jewish people, but there's a significance to us as believers, correct? Yes, they are, Jimmy, and happy holidays to you. Yes, the fall feasts are extremely important. Russia Shanna kicks off the Civil New Year.
It's significant. Jewish people are Are thinking about their past year and oh, what a year it's been, huh, Jimmy? And then they'll be thinking about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and of course, Tabernacle.
So, yes, this is a very important time on the Jewish calendar. You summarized it really well, Jimmy. The first is Rosh Hashanah. Yes, the greeting is: may your name be inscribed in the book of life. What a wonderful greeting.
What a wonderful thing that is. There's a concern. Hey, will you will your name be in the book of life or will it be in the book of judgment? A looking forward to what kind of year next year is going to be? And so at Russia, Shana, People are analyzing their life.
And I know you and I have talked in the past. You've actually had Jewish people come and apologize to you for something they might not have meant to do, but they realize they did, and they want to make it up. They want to repent and ask forgiveness. That goes on at Rosh Hashanah. Then 10 days later, these people.
10 days of awe as people Begin to analyze what they might have done wrong, the sins that they have committed. They repent of them because Yom Kippur is not may your name be inscribed in the book of life, your name will be sealed in one of those books, the book of judgment. or the book of life, and everyone wants to be sealed in the book of life. And so on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, they will fast and they will pray and they will give charity, which, by the way, comes from a Talmudic story where the The temple is burning in 70 AD, and the rabbi and a student is there, and the student says to the rabbi, Rabbi, our people are fleeing. Our temple is done.
What are we going to do? We won't have sacrifices. And the rabbi says from now on we will fast, we will pray, and we'll give cheer.
Well, those things are all good. but they're not in the Bible to atone for sins. And so the Day of Atonement is a day that we as believers can sit look at and say, boy. Have I trusted in the only path, the only way to do that? To be saved.
And then five days later, the Feast of Tabernacles. That's when God sets up His kingdom. The Messiah has come and the kingdom is here. For Jewish people, Tabernacles is a reminder of his faithfulness to them as they were Journeying in the desert and wandered around.
Now, a 10-day journey turned out to be 40 years long. But eventually they go into the promised land. And we as Christians say, well, first we have to repent. then we understand that Jesus paid the price for us, and then we understand that we're absent from the body or raptured, and then we're present with the Lord Jesus and co rulers with Him, as you will, being Being servants of his during the thousand-year rule, where the kingdom will be an amazing thousand-year-old.
So, these three feasts are really a culmination of the program of God. It's an exciting time. It's a real exciting time, Jimmy. Steve, as we approach the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, I want Christians to understand we bring you to this program so that you're able to teach us about the Jewish feast. But the feasts are for the Jewish people.
One final question for you: We always ask this one: Steve, tell us how we can best, from a practical perspective, approach our Jewish friends during these feast days and tell them and relate to them about Jesus. Jimmy, these particular days are so unique where people are many people are afraid, they're concerned, The best way for those of us who have Jewish friends, people we're concerned about, is number one, give them a call, ask them how they are, especially for those who might be shut in. Number two, if you can possibly give something to them, a basket, a fruit basket of some kind, a car. A greeting to them to encourage them and let them know that you're praying for them and concerned about them, especially during these difficult days. It's great that we can find ways.
to connect with them, even if it's phone call or by mail, e mail, and let them know that we care, especially as they're about to celebrate their Day of Atonement and for Tabernacles as well. Steve, thank you so very much, my good friend, and always great talking to you at this time of the Jewish Feast. And we will wait for the next ones upcoming in the spring, probably. That will be the time when we get back together again. But thank you, my good friend, Haksimaek.
Have a blessed holidays as well. Jimmy, thanks so much. Always great to be with you. Rick, another great program. And let me leave this one last thought with us all as we finish today.
When Christ sacrificed himself on the cross, he appeased God's wrath against sin, taking the wrath upon himself. Romans 5:9. With all that we've seen this week, we can't help but say the rapture of the church is not far away. 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. Prophecy Today is a listener-supported production of Shofar Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
