Welcome to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. The phrase, the time of Jacob's trouble, comes from Jeremiah 30, verse 7, which says, Alas. for that day is great, so that none is like it.
It is even the time of Jacob's trouble. But he shall be saved out of it. It is our view that the time of Jacob's trouble corresponds to the seven year tribulation of the end times. In the previous verses of Jeremiah 30, the Lord is speaking to Jeremiah the prophet about Judah and Israel. Jeremiah 30, verses 3 and 4.
In verse 3, the Lord promises that one day in the future, he will bring both Judah and Israel back. To the land he had promised their forefathers. But their return will involve many distresses. How awful that day will be.
Well, on today's program, we're going to continue to take a look at what's taking place between Israel and Iran. We're going to get the latest information from Ken Timmerman, David Dolan, Israel Madad, Sharam Hadian, and a very special look at the book today on the program where we're talking about the time of Jacob's trouble. Rick, we've got a lot to cover, so let's get started with our first, Ken Timmerman.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have Ken Timmerman with us. He's an author and an analyst. His latest book, The Iran House: Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War, and Intrigue, is particularly relevant from this week's activities. Ken, as always, thanks for taking the time to be with us today.
Pleasure to be with you, Rick. Thanks for having me.
Well, Ken, you told us last week that an action that President Trump was going to take against Iran was essentially inevitable. It's here now. Could you give us an update, your thoughts on this week's activities?
Well, we've been watching an extraordinary military operation coordinated with Israel take place all over the past week. The first day itself was really unprecedented, where you had hundreds of U.S. and Israeli aircraft in the air at the same time striking targets across Iran. The Iranians themselves continued to launch missiles and drones against Israel, but also against their immediate neighbors. It was an amazing gamble that they took.
I think they were trying to frighten the Gulf Arabs and Azerbaijan and break them away from the United States. Instead, they increased their solidarity.
So you had Saudi Arabia, for example, which a week before the war began. Pledged publicly not to join any offensive strikes on Iran.
Well, they turned around and issued a statement saying they were going to join the war effort completely. And on Friday, Rick, huge, huge development, the United Arab Emirates, they announced they were freezing Iran's assets in the UAE.
Now, that's significant because we're not talking a couple of hundred million dollars, we're talking $350 billion.
So this has been an extraordinary operation. The President has outlined the goals. The goals are to make sure that Iran can never threaten its neighbors, countries in the Middle East, or the United States again, that it can never have nuclear weapons, that we wipe out its ballistic missile fleet and the industrial sites used to fabricate ballistic missiles and drones, and that we take out the Iranian Navy. And we are well on the way to achieving those goals. I've been looking at the missile and drone launch figures, Rick, for the past week, and they've gone steadily down.
On the first day, the Iranians launched 350 ballistic missiles against Israel and other targets. The second day, half that number, 175. And on the eighth day, on Friday, they launched just 15. The same thing with drones. There were 294 swarms of drones on the first day, and on Friday, the eighth day, just 12.
So their stockpiles are decreasing. Our aircraft own the skies over Iran. That's what Admiral Brad Cooper told us on Thursday. We are now able to attack anywhere we want in Iran. And whenever a missile launcher pops up its head within minutes, it's dead.
Well, let's go there then. I want to talk about the geopolitical implications, but just the operational effectiveness of this strike from the United States and Israel working together, it's been quite stunning, starting with that decapitation event at the very beginning. Can you talk about that?
Well, and we've learned, Rick, that both the United States and Israel engaged in some interesting deception. President Trump was at a fundraiser. He was filmed at Mar-a-Lago at a party at midnight, which is exactly when the first U.S. and Israeli planes were hitting Tehran and when in that strike that they took out the Supreme Leader. The Israelis also put out tweets and videos of them celebrating Shabbat.
And so this led the Iranians to believe that no attack was going to come on Saturday morning.
So the psyops around this attack have been very effective.
Well, they certainly have. And President Trump has been talking. I know on Friday of this week, he said there will be no deal with Iran. The United States will only accept complete and unconditional surrender. That's right, Rick.
Germany, Japan, Iran. It's only happened three times in our history. We did not have unconditional surrender in Iraq or anywhere else. Iran will be the first time that happens. If it happens, of course, the Iranians are defiant.
Their foreign minister was on the air on Thursday saying he was welcoming a U.S. ground assault. Which is not going to happen as far as I can tell, and as far as the president has said, the Iranian regime has a choice right now. They can either lay down their arms or get killed. And President Trump has made that very clear.
It's not sure the message has yet gotten through to Tehran's leaders.
Well, Ken, we look at this situation, and we have been talking about Iran, but this goes beyond Iran. We talk about that axis of evil, the new axis of evil, which is Iran, Russia, China. And this certainly affects their allies. Can you talk a little bit about first starters, how it impacts China?
Well, the biggest impact on China has been cutting off their oil. They were getting around 20% of their oil from Iran. And I've been looking at all week at oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. It is now at a complete total standstill. On Friday noon, we saw the first tankers begin to move out of the UAE, heading to Shanghai and heading to South Korea.
Are the very first, and they have not reached the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump announced on Thursday that the U.S. would escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz to prevent any Iranian attacks, but so far they haven't done so. I expect that's going to happen over the weekend and that oil prices, which reached $90 on Friday, will start to drop probably by early next week. Again, not only are they hitting them in that energy department, the oil deliveries that are going from Iran to China, but we also look at the way that they were allied together in Iran was China's way of essentially projecting power in the Middle East with their Belt and Road initiative and other things along those lines.
We look at now President Trump getting ready for a summit with President Xi of China. That's going to be a very interesting time, isn't it? I can imagine the dialogue.
Well, Xi, those radars of yours didn't work so well in Iran, did they? Xi, how's that looking around Taiwan? Oh, your missiles?
Well, yeah, we can take them out anytime, anywhere. I think this summit is going to be exceptionally interesting. Xi is either going to eat crow. Trump probably will be very gracious knowing him. He'll be gracious with Xi.
He will probably try not to crow too much over his victories, but it will be absolutely obvious that China has been weakened tremendously by the failure of their military equipment to perform, and also the extreme vulnerability that this attack has shown on their economy.
So they're vulnerable to the cutoff in Iranian oil. It's hurting them a lot.
Well, we talked about China. Let's move on to Russia, another one of Iran's allies, and they are potentially weakened. They have their own situation there, but they are also now, we are hearing, providing Iran intelligence about U. S. targets.
Can you talk about this? These reports, Rick, began in the Washington Post.
Now, I think the Washington Post is a very suspect media organization. Remember, they are the ones who were really pushing the Russia hoax during the first Trump term.
So, for them to quote unnamed intelligence officials about Russia helping Iran to target U.S. military assets to target our ships in the Gulf, it may be true, but I don't think there's an awful lot behind that. Why? Putin is bogged down in Ukraine. He can't.
Take a fifth-rate power. He does not have the bandwidth to engage the United States, and I think the last thing he wants to do right now is to anger President Trump.
So they might be giving some aid to the Iranians. I'd be surprised if they didn't help them a bit, but I don't see any major Russian alignment with Iran during combat activities.
Well, Ken, for my final question for you as we look at this situation in the Middle East. And as we look forward over the next few weeks, first of all, could you tell us what you see happening and then maybe how this is going to end? Maybe it's a little bit too soon to ask that question. But if I could, could I have your thoughts?
Well, remember, both Admiral Cooper, the commander of Central Command, and Pete Hakeseth, Secretary of War, told us on Thursday that operations are now intensifying. Military operations are intensifying.
So what we've seen the first week is just the beginning. This is going to intensify. We are going to take out all of their missile launchers. Given that the Democrats in the House and the Senate both failed to pass a war powers resolution that would restrict the President's activities, I think we will see this war go on to its end, and the end is the unconditional surrender of the regime, or at least smashing the regime and its ability to conduct offensive operations against us or our allies in the region. The big question is, will the regime survive?
Who will be leading the regime in the future? What I would be looking at are the strains and the tensions between the regular army, which is known as the Artesh, and the Revolutionary Army, the Revolutionary Guards, or the SEPA. We're already seeing some of the regular army officers pledging their support for the people against their regime. Those cracks, I believe, Rick, are going to widen, and ultimately, truly the best outcome. we could find would be the regular army helping the people of Iran to block the Revolutionary Guard, to block the police and the basij from shooting protesters when they do finally rise up at the end of hostilities.
So obviously it's wait and see, but those cracks are already there, and I think they're going to widen. Ken Timmerman reporting for Prophecy Today. Ken, as always, we appreciate your insight, and we're going to be relying on you in the coming weeks to help us continue to monitor this situation. Thanks so much. Look forward to talking to you again soon.
My pleasure, Rick. God bless. Ken Timmerman for Prophecy Today. Here's a question for you: What happens if the United States was not in this battle? What would take place?
What if the rapture happens? Then, what's going to take place? We've got a lot more to cover on today's program, so let's take a break. David Dolan with our Middle East news update is up next, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Steve Odell with Mission Network News.
Lebanon's Hezbollah says it's ready for war as the Iran conflict spreads across the Middle East. Heart for Lebanon's mainly Melki says: Is this the sentiment of the Lebanese people? Absolutely not. I don't speak for the Lebanese people, but I do understand the sentiment of the church, the ministries, and what God is doing. And this is definitely not something that we pray for, ask for, or have any ties to.
Fighting has uprooted at least 30,000 people since Monday. Heart for Lebanon is responding in three locations. You can help them share the hope of Christ with 1,500 families. We are blessed to be a ministry that is strategically positioned, immediately respond to families that are fleeing those areas to and from. Our center in Kaziyi is very close to a lot of what is happening.
Then, children are the future, and those in the Middle East and North Africa region known as MENA are no exception. Rita Elmonayer with Sat 7 says when working amidst child refugees, it's vital to remind youth they are not alone. People are losing a lot of hope in their country's education future, so they tend to give up. Praise God that the hope of Christ knows no bounds. El Monayer says her ministry team members routinely take questions from young people about the love and forgiveness of God.
Please pray for much spiritual fruit from these conversations. We are on our knees praying because we really believe that it's not our work at the end, it's the work of the Holy Spirit. Read more and find additional prayer points in our full story at missionnews.org. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. We're listeners supported by people just like you.
So, by giving to Mission Network News, you enable us to keep the stories of God's kingdom coming. And together, the great commission happens. Look for the links at missionnews.org. I'm Steve O'Dell. 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 with us journalist Dave Dolan. Dave, thanks for being with us today.
Blessed to be with you, Rick.
Well, David, obviously it's an understatement to say there's a lot going on in the Middle East right now, and Israel in the middle of it. Could you give us an update? Where are we at right now? Yes, of course, they're calling the war Operation Roaring Lion. Israel has launched amazingly, Rick, nearly seven thousand bombs, dropped them on targets throughout Iran.
in the past week. On Friday, they destroyed the rest of the huge bunker that the Ayatollah was killed in. of most of his senior leadership, over forty. There were some underground portions still usable, they said, so they went after that. Of course, the Iranians are sending drones all over the place.
Over 2,000 of their Shahed drones have been fired at twelve different countries now, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are said to be holding secret back channel talks at present, Rick, with Iran to try to see if they can get this thing Turn down a bit, and at least that they would stop attacking shipping and all of that sort of thing. Of course, the U.S. says it's sunk pretty much the entire a small Iranian navy, about thirty ships. The attacks on Israel continue, Rick.
Friday night, last evening we had over five different waves of Iranian drone and missile attacks. And since earlier in the week, they've been coordinating those attacks with. Hezbollah in Lebanon. And of course, that was another big development earlier this week when the Shiite Muslim group founded by Iran, funded by Iran, opened up a new front basically in the north by sending missiles into the Haifa area and other places. Nobody's been killed, but so far in all these attacks, Rick, over one hundred fifty Israelis have been wounded, one hundred eleven seriously and are still in hospital.
Nine are critical. And we had, of course, at the beginning of the war last Sunday, nine Israelis killed when Beit Shemesh, a small town. Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was hit, and actually a bunker was hit that the people were hiding in, and a synagogue and apartments around were all destroyed.
So it's serious there. Lebanon, we had over 120,000 reservists called up during the week, Rick, because the ground Invasion operation there is underway. The IDF Chief of Staff said this is it for Hezbollah. This isn't just a temporary thing. We are going to make sure that they are decimated and no longer a threat.
To us, and he warned the soldiers. He was speaking to the heads of communities in the north and various commanders, military commanders. And he said, This won't be short, but we have to do it. We have to finish this job. And, Rick, the main problem with Hezbollah joining in, I mentioned this before, is that it's a very short period of time to alert people that a rocket or a missile or a drone is coming into the country.
And actually, Fox News was live when the first coordinated attack occurred earlier this week. And the reporter noted that they only had about a minute warning on their phones. That missiles were coming in before they actually were hearing them and seeing them being intercepted, whereas from Iran, it's eight to 10 minutes usually.
So this is very, very serious. The reports came out, Reuters on Friday said that Hezbollah had been heavily rearming itself. They got this from three different sources. They said they have twenty five thousand missiles and rockets ready to fire at Israel. And again, I said the shortness of the length is a real problem for the Tel Aviv and Haifa areas in particular.
They can be hit very much out of the blue. And if Iran was able to supply its allies there with any nonconventional weapons, chemical or, God forbid, nuclear. With the regimes both coming down quite clearly, I would say, it's might be the time that they would launch such a thing.
So the Israelis are still very much in this war, very much fighting hard and hoping and praying for the best. But Rick, over twelve waves of Israeli jets have taken part in this war so far in Iran. And on their way back now, in the past couple of days, some of them are dropping their remaining loads of bombs on targets in North. Uh Lebanon. And then they fly back to Israel and get restocked and go back again.
So it's an amazing, it's the largest. Air Force operation in Israel's history. On Sunday, over two hundred jets took part in the initial waves Saturday and Sunday, and it's just amazing to see that. But the people are holding fast but definite life in life in the country is Not normal at all. The airport.
slowly reopening RIC, and a large plane load of Israelis was brought back from Dubai into Oman and then bust across the border. They're trying to keep aircraft away from Ben Gurion as much as possible, of course, because it's been targeted and again from Lebanon, very short notice. that Iraq is coming in.
So they're trying to get people back in, but they're taking nobody out. The planes turn right around empty and go back to several places that have been designated as gathering points for Israelis In Athens, in Paris, and several other places, and in New York City.
So if you're anywhere else in the country, I know of an American pastor and his wife that were at a conference in the States. They have a church in Jerusalem. They've been stranded, but they're hoping to get back.
So life is very much disrupted, but this is what the Israelis always thought was going to come at some point. And they're just hoping and praying that they can finally deal with. Of this. And Rick, the last thing I want to say, the Temple Mount has been closed entirely. No Muslims are going up there to pray, even though this was the second week of Ramadan, and on Friday they normally gather there in great numbers.
And we talked last week about many Jews going up there to the Temple Mount, but it has been closed entirely. It's just deemed that the security situation is too risky to have anybody coming in and out of Jerusalem or whatever. And one of the missiles did land only about half a mile from the Temple Mount Rick in a neighborhood I used to live in in Southeast Jerusalem a few days ago. No one was killed, but it created a huge crater. And so this is war, and they're trying to keep a lid on things as much as they can.
Well, David, you're not only a journalist, but you're also a student of Bible prophecy, and you understand that Iran has a role to play, referred to as Persia there in Ezekiel. And we look at what is playing out right now. You've mentioned on the program many times in the past that Iran has basically forced this situation upon Israel by their actions, the way they have attacked Israel using their proxies and their commitment to a nuclear weapon. But as I said, political implications, but prophetic implications as well, correct?
Well, there really are, Rick. And it's pretty much every major Israeli war has had prophetic implications. Certainly, the Six Day War in nineteen sixty seven, when they captured of the Temple Mount and the Golan Heights, et cetera. But this one, we now have Russia more clearly involved, Rick. Reports on Friday said that the Russians have been supplying detailed information to the Iranian regime about the positioning of American craft, sea craft in particular, and what's coming in and what's going out because their capabilities, Iran's, have been pretty much destroyed.
Now the U. S. had some setbacks. They had two major radars attacked in the initial wave of Iranian bombings, and that is limiting. the US capability to see things, but this could be heading to a real world clash.
And we do know that at some point, Russia, Turkey, others are going to be involved in a war against Israel. It looks at this point to me anyway, like this is going fairly well and fairly quickly. But it wouldn't take much, like I said, the possibility of a non-conventional weapon. Being introduced, or the sinking of an American aircraft carrier, which they claimed earlier in the week they had done, the Lincoln. That's not true, thank God.
But it definitely has prophetic implications. And we know that the Bible says Ezekiel 3, that Jerusalem is at the center of the earth. with the lands all around her, and it geographically is at the center of three continents and travel and traversing all the play. It is very important, and Jewish people are back, and they're back to stay. But we know that in the end days they will have these wars.
And of course, Jeremiah. Called it the time of Jacob's trouble. The New Testament calls it the tribulation. We know the Lord is in charge, and He's in charge of our lives. And one of these days, He's going to call us to be with Him.
And so that's something to look forward to definitely. But in the meantime, this is a serious War and the believers in the land in particular and throughout the Middle East really need our concerted prayers at this time of of great struggle for them. David, two great points that you just made. One, we need to be praying for the situation in the Middle East right now and the believers in the area and the chance to share the gospel. But also, we need to realize the sense of urgency as we see the stage being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
Dave, thanks so much. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thank you, Rick. God bless. David mentioned the time of Jacob's trouble.
We're going to be talking about that later. When we come back, we got to hear from our good friend Israel Madad and then Sharam Hadian about what is going on in Iran. Right here on Prophecy Today Weekend. I'm Steve O'Dell with Mission Network News. Iranians are under a communication and internet blackout as the conflict goes into day six, although some are using VPNs and other methods to get around it.
Sat 7 is a satellite television ministry broadcasting into Iran with biblical hope and connection to the outside world. John Cernelia with Sat7 USA says they reach around half a million Iranian viewers per day and get 50 messages daily. Pray protection for the people of Iran and for a just end to the conflict. Ask God to encourage believers in their gospel witness. And in Muslim-majority North Africa, persecution of Christians usually comes from a person's family rather than the government.
Todd Nettleton with the Voice of the Martyrs USA says some pastors in North Africa urge converts to stay with their families and be witnesses to them, even at the cost of their own safety. Please pray that believers in North Africa will be faithful witnesses to their families. Learn the full story at missionnews.org. Mission Network News is a service of one-way ministries. I'm Steve Odell.
Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we're examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word.
Well, we're taking today to look at the situation in Israel and Iran. And if we're going to look at Israel, we've got to talk to Winky Madad. Winky Madad joins us from his home in the Judea and Samaria area of Israel. Winky's a former mayor of Shiloh and a political columnist. Winky, thanks for being with us today.
Thank you once again for having me on. Winkie, we have all seen the strikes on the news from Iran to Israel. Can you tell us what's it like in Israel right now and how are you holding up?
Well, up until the day that Hezbollah began to get a little bit more active in the missile and rocket field, most of the Iranian missiles were. In the area, for those who know of Tel Aviv or Petachtikva. Of course, Iran is not interested really in any military installations, but in getting civilians killed.
So my area where I live has been uh fairly free of problems, although of course we do go into either shelters or wherever we feel that we're comfortable and a little bit safer than usual. But it's expanded a little bit in terms of the danger from the north, in addition to the continuing rocketing from Iran. It's unnerving, I guess, for a lot of people. And every once in a while, everybody's running around trying to get a little bit more safe and secure. We do have.
our trust not only in God, but also in the military and defense capabilities of Israel, our country, and of course, Our ally in this conflict, the United States of America. Winky Israel recently celebrated the Jewish holiday of Perm, which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people in the face of another Persian threat now all of these years later. That story seems particularly relevant today, and I'd like to know what are your hopes and prayers for a resolution to this current conflict?
Well, as to the parallel, I'm sure a lot of people who are listening in who are, shall I say, more religious or observant or faith-based, I don't know what the exact term is, but they have God a lot more in their lives than usual. The point is that biblical or post-biblical even references are sometimes ignored or made fun of, and somehow God keeps on reminding us that He's in this world. And what he did before, he can do again and probably is doing again in some form. And even if you don't believe in God, which doesn't include this audience, but people who are listening in are talking to. It makes you a lot more comfortable knowing that you have something a little bit more powerful Than a missile or a military defense on your side when you enter a case like this.
The holiday reminds us that we have to be on our toes We have to be safe and secure, and it's not just a given. There are too many evil forces out there. How it will come to a conclusion. We're not against Iran per se, and I think Mr. Netanyahu and I think even Mr.
Trump have made that very clear. The Ayatollah regime. which has been oppressing Its own people horribly, and it sent out tentacles of terror. All over the world and has been threatening and trying to kill people, including the President of the United States, by the way. And now has been shelling Arab countries in the Gulf, is dangerous and shouldn't be in place.
And I hope that the United States and Israel together. Create the conditions that will allow the people. Of Iran to take back their country. and give them a chance to make a better place of where they live.
Well Winky, our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. We uh pray that you keep safe and we look forward to talking to you again soon.
Well, from the country where we hear booms and windows rattling, Few dull thuds. I thank you very much. For everybody, for your best wishes and prayers. And we should all be safe and secure, the entire world. Jimmy, I have Sharam Haydian with us.
He's the founder of the Truth in Love Ministry, Christian pastor, former Muslim. Sharam was born in Iran and came to America in 1978, became a pastor, committed his life to Jesus Christ. Sharam, as always, we appreciate you being on the program. Thanks for being with us today. It's my pleasure.
Thank you, sir. Thanks for having me.
Well, Sharam, obviously, this has been a big week. You've been on all kinds of programs, doing interviews, a momentous week in the history of Iran. Can I get your thoughts as to what has transpired this past week?
Well, obviously very, very emotional time for us who are from Iran. It is hard to believe, honestly. There's still a little bit of of sort of surrealness. Like, are we actually here after 47 years hoping and really all of my Christian life. I've been a Christian now for almost 27 years.
I've been praying for Iran. I've been praying for the liberation of the Iranian people from this Islamic tyranny, this dictatorial, theocratic, brutal regime that has done nothing but brutalize its own people, the world.
So, yeah, it's very emotional. It was unbelievable because even when the uprisings happened in late December and early January of this year, We weren't sure if there was going to be any outside help. That was what the people were praying for. And of course, when the President of the United States said help is on the way, a lot of people literally went into the streets and died for that cause.
So when they actually started these attacks last week, there was that moment of wow, okay, we could actually be here. And then, of course, when the president said, This is the opportunity for the Iranian people to change. That was encouraging.
So we're just praying now for what this is going to look like. Uh moving forward.
Well, we certainly are doing that. And you have talked on this program in the past about how the the Iran, or Persia, as it is called, of your youth was far different as to the one that is there right now. Can you talk a little bit just as a matter of giving us some background about how this regime, this Islamic Republic, treated its people?
Well, the best way to explain it well, first of all, growing up in Iran, the best childhood, the best memories, nothing but positive. It was an incredible place. The Shah had brought so much reform. The the the freedoms that were there for for women, for religious minorities, Um economically Um it the best way to explain it is since since 1979. It's like taking Iran from the 20th century back into the 7th century.
And this part of this is the legacy of Islam. Because wherever Islam goes and takes over, this is what it does. It's it's literally like taking it back into the seventh or eighth century. And I think that um For the Persian people who are incredibly intelligent, you know, if you look at the Persian history, science, poetry, mathematics, medicine. These are incredible people historically.
And of course, the biblical connection then between Persia and the Jewish people, between Persia and Israel is, of course, twenty five hundred years old. This was a such a blow So it is night and day difference. And I think that the majority of the Iranian people simply are saying it's time to go back. Uh it's time to restore our heritage. And that's what we're praying for that and that's what this regime has destroyed.
And honestly, Rick, part of my concern moving forward is that I'm not sure if this regime is going to go out quietly. I think they're willing to burn the house down before they're forced out. And that's part of what we're praying for right now in this situation.
Well, you look at President Trump, he said to those that were involved in the protests, those that want regime change, he said, hunker down, stay safe for right now while the bombing's going on, but there'll be a time to come out. There'll be a time to take back your country. Where do you see that coming from? Who were the leaders there? And what kind of government or what kind of leadership might emerge?
That's a great question. I think that, first of all, the people didn't really listen to that admonition. They've been coming in the streets because they're so excited that Khamini was taken out and then others were taken out. And even though now this regime has set up the son of Khamini, his name is Mochtaba, to be the next guy. I mean, I would not want to be these guys right now.
The way they're being targeted by Israel. I'd be like, can I take a vacation? I'm not. I resign. I quit.
I don't want the position. But. This it's a great question because look, one of the questions I've been asked a lot over the last few months is, is there really one figure? Because there is there are groups on the outside, opposition groups, but we got to be careful because There are some in our administration, in the Trump administration, there are some in the military apparatus, certainly in the media, that are giving headway to another group that's called the National Council of Resistance of Iran. They have a former name known as MEK.
And MEK stood for Mujahideen Khulk, which means the people's jihadists. This is basically the best way I can explain this to people. These are Marxist Muslims.
So imagine in nineteen seventy nine, when Khomeini came into Iran, it's the equivalency of electing Zoran Mamdani in New York City.
Now, If this group That is claiming that it has the support of the people, quote unquote, which it doesn't. The majority don't support this group. And I'll give you a perfect example. They had a rally early February in Paris. Where a lot of these people in Europe are based.
They're based in Albania, they're based in France, they're Marxist Muslims, they helped overthrow the Shah of Iran. And then once Khomeini took power, Khomeini turned on these Marxists. And killed some and kicked the rest out. If you if they go back in, It would be as bad as what the people have had. The number one name.
That people are chanting.
Sorry, I was going to say they had a rally in Paris. They had about 10,000 people show up. February 14th, on Valentine's Day. A million and a half Iranians around the world, 250,000 in Munich, 350,000 in Los Angeles, 570,000 in Toronto, Canada, turned out to support one name, and that is Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince, the son of the Shah. And he has an organization, the National Council for the Unity of Iran.
They have a transition plan. He's got the support of the other minorities in Iran, like the Kurds. the Baluch, the Loris, the the there's there's other smaller sects in Iran that are not all, quote, Muslim and not all they're not Persian. He's got this territorial support.
So we're praying That if The powers to be would allow The Iranian people to choose and not have this outside interference. They will choose Reza Paladi, at least as a transitional leader. who then could come in and within he said that they believe within eighteen months or two years, they can get the stability to the place where they can have free elections and allow the people then to choose their form of government, a referendum, whether it ends up being a constitutional monarchy, which is what I think should it should be in Iran. or a form of a republic like we have here.
So that's kind of where we're at. But we got to be very cautious right now with these groups like MEK that are claiming that they have the support of the people, they would be no better. In fact, in some ways they'd be worse.
So if what I hear you saying is that Reza Palavid, the son of the former Shah, that would be at least for a transitional situation the best option right now? Absolutely, because He has committed To some incredibly important benchmarks. Number one, and probably the most important benchmark, is that he has said that there will be a secular government, not a theocracy, that they have to have a separation of the mosque and the state.
Now, there's an incredible thing that's happening in Iran. The Iranian people have rejected not only this regime, they've rejected Islam. Because statistically, there was a survey done back in 2021, so it's not even recent, and I think those numbers are going to be even more catastrophic for the Muslims. But the survey reported that only 36% of Iranians now identify as Muslim. Think about that, Rick.
Only 36% of a majority back in 1979, 98% of people claimed they were Muslims, even though many of them were secular and didn't practice. Today, only 36%. And of course, we know it is the fastest-growing church, numerically speaking, potentially up to 5 million Christians, maybe more.
So the Iranian people have said, if we're going to have a new government, it's going to be free of us all. There's going to be no sense of theocratic rule, religious rule, no clerics, nothing. Pallavi is committed to that. Also, he wants to keep the country together. He doesn't want it to break up with these other kinds of segments.
And then and of course, as I mentioned, economic stability, working with partners immediately under Pall Avi, Iran would become an ally of Israel. And that's one of the reasons why we were shocked.
Well, I wasn't surprised when the Arab Muslim countries were not going to support. The US or Israel in a strike. That was not surprising. What is surprising Iran attacked those countries. That's what's surprising.
And now they're kind of forced. Their hand is almost forced, Rick. They're like, I guess we have to join the U.S. and Israel because we can't just sit here and take these missile and drone attacks that's now injuring and killing people in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait. They hit Azerbaijan earlier this week.
I mean, I think it's up to like 10 countries they've attacked. including Israel. Yeah, Resipality would B The best And honestly, You had young people going to the streets when 50% of the population of Iran is under the age of 30. That's why the majority of the people that were killed were young. They were shouting Reza Palavid.
There's two things they shout: they say, Javid Shah. Which means long live the Shah, the king. And number two, they were saying Pahladi badmi gadib, which means Pahlabi will return. This is the final battle. Pahlabi will return.
That's who they're shouting. Nobody is shouting MEK or any other group. And then with this Kurdish offensive, this week, where you have now the curbs moving in. Potentially, we get word that the CIA has armed the Kurds. That could be your ground forces that you need.
To p to to to actually Help facilitate this change in the regime. And we're also getting word. of more defections. And that was one of the things the President said, right? He told the IRGC, the military, lay down your weapons, you'll get immunity.
If you don't, we're going to take you out.
So that's a key component here we've got to pray for is if this is going to succeed. But can you imagine, Rick, Iran immediately becomes an ally of Israel, immediately becomes an ally of the United States. Immediately I said that they're going to sign a Cyrus Accord with Israel.
So, this could open up the Middle East for the gospel, for a foreseeable future for the short term.
Now, obviously, we know Bible prophecy is at stake, and there's things that are gonna happen, but I think this is a window of opportunity. that could see the gospel go forth from Iran, potentially to the other Arab nations. And Iran this is a crazy statement. Iran could, because of all the secularism right now, all the people that are rejected Islam could become a majority Christian nation. That's an incredible possibility with the growth of Christianity there.
And once it opens up, Once it's no longer underground, it could explode.
Well, it certainly could. And you've talked about the church, and you mentioned it's the fastest-growing church in the world by some estimates there. And I want to continue to talk about the church in just one second. I want to finish with that. But before I do, I wanted to get your thoughts on an interesting situation here in the United States.
And I saw from the Iranian diaspora, you know, in Los Angeles and New York, celebration with the death of Ayatollah Khamini. And, you know, that was something that was celebrated. But there are other places, and specifically a few mosques around the country that are actually mourning them and calling for martyrdom to defend Iran and to defend the death of the Ayatollah. Could you talk a little bit about that, that juxtaposition, and basically maybe what that says about that type of thought in this country? Yeah, that's the scary part, isn't it?
That in America, we have that type of thought. Where we have members of Congress like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Taleb, basically opining the death of Khomeini. And again, just to be clear, Khomeini ruled Iran since 1989. Before that, he was the president of Iran. He has been a thorn in the side of the Iranian people for at least 50 years.
This is a brutal man who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iranians and thousands of Americans through Iran and their proxy.
So let's be very clear about that. That's how wicked this man is. And yet, though people were rejoicing that finally this brutal dictator, religious cleric is gone. Can you imagine that we have mosques And Islamic clerics, including one that I've had run-ins with in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, a guy a guy by the name of Elahi from Iran. He's a Shiite cleric.
Who came out and said, Wow. this man died as a martyr, and that should be all of our goals, to die as a martyr and like you said, promoting Shaheed or martyrdom, which is to die in jihad against non Muslims. Rick, how is this not Being investigated, how is this not material support for a terrorist regime? If we have labeled Iran as the largest State sponsor of terrorism globally. And you got mosques and clerics and professors, and there's so many examples that are there.
If people go to memory, M-E-M-R-I dot org, I think, or.com, and look up the videos, you can see all the videos that have come out in the last few days about this. Those people should be investigated. And in my opinion, they should be denaturalized and kicked out of this nation because they are giving material support to a terrorist sponsor and the head of that terror sponsor. But you're right. What does that tell you about the condition of America?
What does that tell you about what we have within our borders? That was our concern all along. I'm not concerned about Iran's ability to fight back. They have ability, and every day they're lobbying less rockets and less missiles as this attack continues to decimate their infrastructure, the regime I'm talking about. What I have always been concerned about Is the potential of sleeper cells and their individuals inside this nation?
And we saw a glimpse of that. Very, very troubling. Very troubling.
Well, it certainly is, Sharam. And again, we're talking to Sharam Haidian from Truth in Love Ministry. And Sharam, you mentioned earlier the opportunity that might present itself to share the gospel. We've talked about the church that is growing in Iran right now. If you could, basically, the last thing I want to ask you is: how can our listeners support and pray for the church in Iran right now as they face this time of essentially instability, but also maybe great opportunity?
Well, that's a great way you just put it there. Certainly it's instability. Certainly, there's so many unknowns. But we know the Lord is sovereign. And I think the Iranian underground churches who've again, they have operated under immense persecution for the last forty seven years.
So they're used to nothing going right per se, right? There's no comfort. There's no easiness. You share the gospel at risk of arrest and torture and jail and potentially being killed. But they're seeing this as an opportunity.
What we're getting back from inside Iran and by the way, even since December and January, just these past two or three months, What we can surmise from what's happening inside Iran is the Christians are saying more people than ever are open. The more they see the brutality of this regime, the more their hearts are open to another way. And now they're being given the way, the truth, the life through Jesus Christ.
So I believe that once there is a little bit of stability where the people feel like they can openly share the gospel and they're not going to be arrested by the quote morality police of this regime. I think it's going to explode. And I think there's so many Iranian Christians like myself who are already saying we will go back to Iran, not permanently per se, but temporarily. We will lead mission trips. We can't wait to go into the streets of Iran and share the gospel openly and help rebuild Iran as well.
that between the outside and the inside. Gives the potential for Iran to become an ascending nation. You know how North Korea or not North Korea, sorry, you know how South Korea For many years, had been a sending nation of more missionaries per capita, even than us here in America. I think Iran has the potential to become that to the entire Middle East and maybe even to America. Can you imagine Iran sending now Christian missionaries to America to evangelize America and to wake up America and to shake them from this?
Weird, evil love affair that many Americans seem to have with Islam. They don't get it. The Iranian people get it because they've lived under it for 47 years. Here you have women being encouraged to wear a hijab, feminists wearing a hijab. Iranian women are saying, We're done.
We're tearing them off. We're ripping them off. We're burning them because it's a sign of oppression. It's a sign of how Islam treats women. And they're willing to die for that.
There's no greater dichotomy right now than what we're seeing. And that would be the message for America, but it would be the message for the American church. Wake up, emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit, have urgency, share the gospel.
So that's what my prayer is. I believe it's possible. I think many of us believe it's possible, Rick, that this is a divine timing of the Lord. And yet, again, we know Bible prophecy is still at stake. There are things that are going to happen.
And this potentially could lead to. You know, a false piece that we know has to happen before the Antichrist comes, or when the Antichrist comes. Uh in the meantime the opportunity for the gospel is should be the focus. That's it. I mean, that's our greatest responsibility is the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
And sorry for that long explanation, but I just think that people need to understand the potential there and how it can impact the Middle East and the entire world, at least for a short period of time.
Well, that's certainly true. And even when you talk about those prophecies that are going to be fulfilled, that should just provide more urgency for us to share the gospel. We have this opportunity, or we are praying that we may have this opportunity. Before I let you go, Sharam, how can our people follow you? How can they find out?
I know you put out content. How can they get a hold of that? Number one way is if they go to our Rumble channel, we are on Rumble as our main platform. They can just search my name, Sharam Hayden on Rumble, or if they want to go to our website at tilministry.com, they can see the link for Rumble. That's our main platform.
We're trying to stay up on top of all these things. Many of my shows of the last few weeks have been on Iran, on Bible prophecy.
So it's a great way. To have that biblical worldview as they follow your incredible ministry, of course, the legacy of your dad, and then they follow these other ministries as well. We're helping to keep everybody up to speed with what's going on and so they can better pray. Because, sadly, as you know, so much of the church. has no clue has no clue.
What is happening, the prophetic implications, the spiritual implications, they're just clueless. Many pastors won't talk about it, but there's a remnant. We're in tune with the Holy Spirit, Lord willing, and I so appreciate your program and what you're doing to help get that out there.
So thank you for having me on, and it's always an honor.
Well, that's what our ministry is all about. I know that's what your ministry is to Sharam Haitian. T-I-L-Ministry.com. That's where you can go to find out more about them. Sharam, as always, thanks so much.
We'll continue praying for you, your ministry. We'll pray for Iran, the people of Iran, and the opportunity that may be coming for us to share the gospel there. Thanks so much. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thank you, brother, for everything.
God bless you.
Well, we've got to take a break, and when we come back, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung will be talking about what takes place after the rapture of the church happens, which could be in the next few moments. Right here on Prophecy Today Weekend. Uh 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. Rick, I'd like to take a moment on our program and thank the radio stations. Each radio station, each ministry that replays this program, everyone. That goes to either the Apple podcast or to our website or listens on the radio stations, however, you get it. Thank you so much.
And I know that there are some things that we should be saying about like click like and give a good review, right, Rick? Certainly, every single one of those things helps. If you click like, if you give us a good review, all those help us to help reach more people with this good news of Bible prophecy and what we do here on Prophecy Today Radio. And, Jimmy, our website, again, we'd like to push our people towards it because there are so many good resources. One of the main resources we have is a daily devotional.
You could sign up for our daily devotional. You could just go to our website and read that daily devotional. But there are so much, it's chock full of good information. We have a bookstore that's a way that you can support us. Plus, you can get study materials.
And of course, we value your prayer and also your financial support. You can do that by going to our website and donating. There at prophecytoday.com.
Well, this week on our legacy series, we're going to conclude one of the installments in our study of God's plan through the ages. This has been the study of the prophetic book of Daniel, which describes the times of the Gentiles. In our last study, we had come to Daniel chapter 9, verse 27, or also known as the 70 weeks of Daniel. In Daniel chapter 9, verse 27, we see described the seven-year period of time known as the tribulation, which takes place. In the end times.
Daniel 9:27 tells us of two major components in the tribulation period known as the tyrant and the treaty. The tyrant is a satanically energized antichrist and In that seven-year period, there will also be a treaty, a treaty that supposedly brings peace. Peace. This treaty will actually bring a temporary short-lived pseudo-peace. Today we will begin our study in Daniel chapter nine, verse twenty seven.
doctor de Young will begin by asking a question and then giving the answer. Please go with us to Daniel chapter nine, verse twenty seven. Dr. Jimmy D. Young and the Legacy Series.
The tyrant. Is the tyrant alive? I can go much deeper in the study of the Antichrist, but I believe he's alive. I told you, chapter 7, verse 8 says he comes out of the ten horns. He controls three and he takes charge.
Chapter 17 of the book of Revelation says, one hour with the beast, and that word beast used 42 times in Revelation is referring to the Antichrist. And one hour with the beast, these ten horns receive their power. One hour with the beast. He comes out. Is the Antichrist alive?
And I do believe there is a potential world leader out there that fits every single detail that the Antichrist will be involved in. I believe he's on the earth. But what does the Antichrist do? Look at Daniel 9:27. And he shall confirm a covenant.
I want you to know something, my dear friends. There's three covenants. on our world seen today. already in place. Camp David Accords 1979, Israel and Egypt.
That's on the verge of being destroyed by the Muslim Brotherhood when they come to power in Egypt. The second one, the Oslo Accord, signed September 13, 1993. Judy and I were in the government press office. We're both journalists in Israel. We watched on a live screen television feed from the White House.
Yatsakra bean. Bill Clinton and Yasser Arafat signed the Camp David Accords, excuse me, the Oslo Accords, a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. The next year, 1994, October the 25th, Juny and I drove down to Elot. We spent the night there, came out to the Arabah, where they had tin... thousand people to watch.
One thousand of them were journalists. They recorded. What happened? When Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, King Hussein of Jordan. Bill Clinton came together.
and to sign this the peace treaty. between Israel and the Heshamite kingdom of Jordan. 26 October. 1994. I was there.
when they signed it. All of these peace treaties, Camp David Accord, Oslo Accord. This peace treaty. on the table. Not working.
never been normalized. Waiting. for somebody to come. And take this p I I can confirm this. Oh, by the way, that's what the text says.
It never says they're going to sign a peace treaty. It says I will confirm it. Yabar is the word in Hebrew, confirm, strengthen, make stronger. Here's the peace treaty. of Daniel nine twenty seven.
Ready to be confirmed. And when they confirm it, the clock starts ticking. again. on the seven years. One more thing.
Look at chapter 11. Chapter 11. Here is the fourth. of these unbelievable prophecies. Folks, I really need about an hour for this one, but we can't take it.
We've just got a couple of minutes. Chapter 11 is one of the most detailed prophetic passages in all of Scripture. 57 years before King Ahasarias comes on the scene, verse 2 of Daniel 11, Daniel died. tells all about him. He'd be the fourth Persian king, far richer than all the rest.
And he is the one that fulfilled the prophecy Daniel gave 57 years before he came on the scene. In verses 3 and 4, it talks about a mighty king who comes to power. That could be any of them, but then he dies and his kingdom is divided into four parts. We know that's Alexander the Great. 200 years before Alexander the Great comes on the scene, Daniel writes about him.
When you come to chapter 11, verses 5 to 20, you're reading about Antiochus the Great. When this kingdom of Alexander the Great was divided into four parts, north, south, east, and west, the north was a powerful entity, the south was a powerful entity, east and west were nebulous entities. These kingdoms come to power. The Bible talks about it. Daniel relates it.
The one in the north, the king of the north, his name Antiochus the Great. 300 years before he comes on the scene, Daniel details about him, says he's even going to marry the daughter of the king of the south, and it's right in the text. And that's what he did. 300 years before he comes on the scene, Daniel writes about him. By the way, the north, south, east, and west, that gives us direction.
Who was the king of the north, and where did he live? Modern-day Syria, Antiochus the Great. King of the south, where did he live? Modern day Egypt. And so when you see King of the North, you're talking about Syria.
You see the South, King of the South, modern-day Egypt. When you come now to the 21st verse, we see a prophecy about Antiochus the Great. You remember what happened just before Christmas, a time called Khanaka? That was to celebrate The defeat of Antiochus Epiphanes, 360 years before he came on the scene, desecrated the temple. It talked about a group of men rising up.
The Maccabees, Matthias Maccabees, Judas Maccabees, all the Maccabees brothers, rise up. They threw Antiochus Epiphanes out of the temple. He had desecrated it. Three years to the day after he desecrated it, they reconsecrated it. Found the flask of virgin olive oil, lit the menorah, the seven-branch candle opera.
Instead of being lighted for one day, which is all the fuel they had, it stayed lighted for eight days. Thus, Hanukkah. Hanukkah means the feast of dedication. Jesus Christ celebrated Hanukkah, John chapter 10. It's interesting to me.
In John 8, 9, and 11, Jesus said, I'm the light of the world. And it has effect with the... Manora. There in the temple. He's absolute perfect when he gets to verse 36, he's talking about the Antichrist who comes on the scene.
Notice what it says here. Look at verse 40. Verses 36, 37, 38, and 39 describe the Antichrist. That's another time. Verse 40.
And at the time of the end, now look up here just a moment, please. In this definition of the time of the end, it's happening after the rapture of the church leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ. During the seven-year period of time, that's what it's talking about.
Now look here. At the time of the end, shall the king of the south push at him, and the king of the north shall come against him. Three personalities there. King of the north, that's modern-day Syria. King of the South, that's modern day Egypt.
Him.
Well, that's the Antichrist. Verse 36. And the king shall do according to his will, one of 27 names for the Antichrist.
So we have the personalities. His and him Antichrist. King of the North, Syria. King of the South, Egypt. When do they push at the Antichrist?
When do these two Arab nations push at the Antichrist? After he has confirmed the peace treaty. He made a commitment to Israel. I'm your Messiah. I will take care of you.
Where does the Antichrist go? He leaves there and goes over to Rome, Italy, chapter 17 of Revelation. What's he doing over there? He's building a false church. What does he hear?
There's happening something in the Middle East. He's got to get back there. Look at verse 41. And he shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, Moab, and the chief children of Ammon. You know what that is?
Biblically, that's modern-day Jordan. Why doesn't the Antichrist destroy Jordan? Petra is located in Jordan. That's the special place prepared by God, Isaiah 63, to protect the Jewish people.
So, God doesn't allow him to touch Jordan.
So, he starts in Syria, wipes out Syria, comes through Jordan, doesn't touch it. Look here in verse 42: And he shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of the gold and over silver and over all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans. I'll stop right there. You've been paying attention.
I said when the Antichrist comes on the scene. At the beginning of the seven years, to start the clock ticking, he confirms a peace treaty as I'm speaking. and Amman Jordan. They're working on peace in the Middle East. and a potential leader to be Antichrist.
is the head of it. But why are they concerned? Oh. Syria Egypt. And Libya.
are causing problems. Are Syria, Egypt, and Libya? On the radar screen? Syria Bashur Assad already killed eight. thousand of these people.
Try to stay in power. The Muslim Brotherhood is trying to overthrow him as they overthrew Hosni Mubarak after 32 years. Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamic Well They Fathered. Yasser Arafat. And Sheikh Yassin, who established Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
And mister or Doctor Al Sawari, who's the number one man now. in Al-Qaeda. That's products of the Muslim Brotherhood. And by the way. In Libya?
After shooting Walmart could duffy at point blank range in the head. They took charge there. You say. You think Mambarik was good? Do you think Bashur Asad is good?
Do you think Colonel Qaddafi is good? No. They weren't good. But they weren't radical ready to come against Israel. But now the element, Who are the first three?
Syria. Egypt. Libya. That's the text. I didn't make that up.
In the times of the Gentiles. Near the time when the Antichrist appears. And that peace treaty is confirmed. The nations are getting ready. to attack Israel.
That's The time. in which we're living. Only. One pain. must happen.
Before all these prophecies are fulfilled. One thing. Bow! And we're out of here. To see Jesus.
I did that for two reasons. Number one. I wanted to show you how quickly The rapture can happen. Number two reason I did it. to show you that Some of you are going to be p surprised.
In fact, 93% of you Try to get a head start on the rapture. I saw you. You lift it off. Relax, we all go at the same time. This is serious though.
Daniel lays out the times of the Gentiles. gives us the Antichrist. The seven-year tribulation period. and the first three nations that attacked Israel. That's all happening.
in our Time. Look up. A redemption. Draw it's night. The book of Daniel does introduce to each of us the times of the Gentiles, which continues until the second coming of Jesus Christ.
In Daniel 11, he takes us through 2,500 years of history foretold and then fulfilled. How the alignment of the nations, and that would be Islamic nations, will form a coalition to attack and then try to destroy the Jewish State of Israel. The prophet Daniel discloses the first three nations in this coalition to attack Israel. They are Syria, Egypt, and Libya. This is all part of the scenario of God's plan throughout the ages.
Thank you so very much for joining us today.
Next week, we will continue to look at God's plan through the ages as foretold in the prophecy of Ezekiel. Please join us there. I'm Steve O'Dell with Mission Network News. Tensions are rising in Lebanon as the government takes rare action against Iran. Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Lebanon could soon face arrest and deportation.
The move targets the IRGC's partnership with the Lebanese extremist group Hezbollah. At the same time, Israeli strikes have hit southern Beirut and Israel has warned people to evacuate. John Cernelia with Sat7 USA says: I was in a meeting this morning with colleagues who live in the region. I have a colleague who lives in Beirut, and he turned his phone. out the window of where he is in Beirut, and we were watching bombings happen.
Sat Seven broadcasts satellite gospel television across the Middle East and North Africa. Pray for the protection of all people in the region and of course also our brothers and sisters in Christ. And Syria joins perpetrators like Iran and China in a report released this week by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Dan Olishani of Open Doors International says the USERF report helps to highlight countries where there are egregious violations of freedom of religion and belief.
They're the same countries where Christians suffer the most. Mandated by Congress, the USCIRF report helps to inform State Department decisions. Actions can range from individual sanctions to economic pressure. It really becomes important when the US government and other Western governments take this report more seriously. And apply pressure, it could be positive pressure, or pressure that actually hurts, then it starts to make a difference.
Ulashani describes three ways to pray at missionnews.org. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. We are listeners supported by people just like you.
So, by giving to Mission Network News, you enable us to keep the stories of God's kingdom coming. And together, the great commission happens. Look for the links at missionnews.org. I'm Steve O'Dell. 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 words. And I have to show my appreciation, I really do. For our broadcast partners, Ken Timmerman, David Dolan. Israel Madad and Shrom Hadian today.
Over the past, even Dr. Richard Schmidt, R. C. Murrow. Dr.
Don DeYoung, you know, all of our broadcast partners bring something to the table that it helps the you, the body of Christ, to understand Why the world is acting as it is, what is happening, God is going to keep his promise, he's sovereign. There's so much that we learn from Bible prophecy. And I hope that you appreciate the expertise of each one of these men as they discuss. the events, what's happening in the world, what's taking place. And I know that I left some out.
I forgot about even Paul Scharf and how much impact Men O'Calloshare. Yes, I can keep going with all these men and how they help us.
Well, we're very appreciative. Rick and I are very appreciative of each one of those.
Well, let me just. We started out the program today talking about the time of Jacob's trouble. In Jeremiah thirty, verses ten and eleven, the Lord references the blessings that will come after the time of Jacob's trouble. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants, from the land of their exile. Jacob will have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.
I am with you and will save you, declares the Lord. The Jewish people are returning to the land of Israel. Remember, that's one of the things that we keep our eyes on as a ministry. The Aliyah, the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. As part of the deliverance.
From the time of Jacob's trouble, the Lord says he will destroy the nations who held Judah and Israel in captivity. And he will never again allow Jacob to be completely destroyed. The Lord also describes this as a time of discipline for his people. He says of Jacob. And that is Israel, though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scattered you.
I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but only with justice. I will not let you go entirely unpunished. And that is why that's the time of Jacob's trouble, the day of the Lord, the tribulation period. The reason for that period is so that the Jewish people will understand, and he's disciplining them.
And God gives us the answer in Daniel chapter 9. Jeremiah chapter 30, verse 7 says, That day is great, so that none is like it. The only time period that fits the description of this period is the tribulation, and this time is unparalleled in history. Like Jeremiah, Jesus described the tribulation as a unique time of suffering, speaking of great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be equaled again. Matthew 24, 21.
The Lord also uses some of the same imagery as in Jeremiah. In Matthew chapter 24, verses 6 to 8, he said, the appearance of false Christ. Wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes are the beginning of birth pains. Paul two described the tribulation using the same simile of birth pains. I Thessalonians chapter five, verse three, says While people are saying peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
This event follows the rapture and the removal of the church in First Thessalonians chapter four. These birth pains Are described in detail in Revelation chapters six through twelve. We focused on chapter twelve today with doctor Jimmy DeYoung in the legacy series. One purpose of the tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble, is to bring Israel back to the Lord. That's Jeremiah 30, verse 22.
That's Hosea 10. Chapter six, verses one and two. That's Zachariah chapter twelve, verse ten. And we've talked about these passages before. The time of Jacob's trouble demonstrates that God.
Keeps his promises. He judges sin, and He saves those who trust in Christ. In the end times God will pour His judgment on On a wicked world, and we know that in this seven-year tribulation, from Israel's point of view, is the time of Jacob's trouble. I mean, when you look at that, as we listen today, half of the world's population that's left after the rapture of the church will be gone. God purges his chosen people of the wicked and unbelieving.
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. For on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors. Whom the Lord calls, Joel chapter 2, Romans chapter 10. After that time of Jacob's trouble is a time of peace. As the Lord Himself sets up His kingdom on the earth for a thousand years.
Revelation chapter twenty. Isaiah chapter eleven.
So All of these passages today, we're taking a look at the book. I'm giving you the information.
so that you can study Bible prophecy.
So that you will understand. Where we are in God's timetable, why we are here, what brought us here to this point.
Well, at this point, God has sent His Son to die for mankind. And that is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And without that, People that die and go to hell, they die and they haven't accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. They will spend eternity in hell. If you accept Christ, you're in heaven.
And we go at the rapture. What happens after that is a purging. It's a time of where God's. Brings judgment on this earth. For those people that rejected him, and to help the Jewish people to understand.
Why is this world acting as it is, and that it is God's world. And the same God that I worship, they will be worshiping. The same Messiah that I worship, they will be worshiping. and that's a time of peace and safety in the future. Those Jewish people that come back that are living after The tribulation period, and again, that's not guaranteed as we heard from Dr.
Jimmy D. Young today.
Well, I hope that all of this helps you. And Rick, thank you so much for doing all the hard work today and our interviews, helping us to understand where we are. Helping people to hear the events. And remember, all of these events are setting up. For events that happen, prophecies that are fulfilled after the rapture of the church.
If we're so close to these events That are listed in the book of Revelation. If we're so close to that, how much closer are we to the rapture of the church? 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.
