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. This week, we'll be focusing on Passover. That's what we have planned to talk about this week: Pesach in Hebrew.
It's the celebration of the Jewish people reliving, retelling the story of the exodus of the Israelites from out of slavery in Egypt. Rick, a lot is happening in our world today, and obviously, we can't focus on everything that's taking place. That's right. And around the world, Jimmy, there's been so many things going on: protests, heartbreak, tragedies, political upheaval, all these things taking place. We keep an eye on these things, but I tell you what, Jimmy, if I didn't know, we study Bible prophecy to be assured that we know how this story is going to end.
If I didn't know that, I don't know how I'd make it through this. Yes. Bible prophecy does help us to understand that. We've got our broadcast partner standing by today. Ken Timmerman, David Dolan, Winky Madad, Steve Herzig, and the Legacy series.
Well, let's get started with our first Ken Timmerman.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have Ken Timmerman with us. He's our expert on geopolitical affairs. His latest book, The Iran House: Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War, and Intrigue, is out right now, particularly relevant in this time. Ken, as always, we appreciate you taking the time to be with us today.
Thanks for having me on, Rick. It's always a pleasure.
Well, Ken, we'll start with an update on the Iran war, where President Trump feels like he's making progress in negotiations. Can you give us an update?
Well, Rick, we're now getting to the end of the fourth week of the war. Remember, this was supposed to be a four to six week venture, so we finished four of those weeks. Two more weeks to go. We know the President has just given the Iranians ten more days to figure out, to decide amongst themselves if they're willing to negotiate. On Thursday, during the Cabinet meeting, Steve Witkoff, President's main negotiator, made clear that the Iranians haven't been negotiating in good faith at all, really, and they've made no significant offer whatsoever.
But look, don't be a panikin. The war is going well. It's going to end well. It's the first time since World War II that we have gone to war in the United States with both good political leadership. And strategic leadership.
So we have politicians who understand the politics of the war. The president understands the economics of the war and he understands strategy. He understands strategic misdirection. He tells the Iranians he's going to do one thing and then he does something completely different. I think particularly brilliant is this ploy with the power plants.
Remember, in the beginning, he said, We're going to give you 48 hours, and then if you don't negotiate, I'm going to destroy your biggest power plant. The Iranians freaked out, and they began to negotiate. And they gave him a gift.
Well, we now know the gift was. actually ten supertankers full of oil. There's around twenty million barrels of oil that they let go through the Strait of Hormuz to help ease the pricing on the oil markets.
Well, the President then turned around and said, well, I'll give you five more days. And five more days, and they didn't really give much, but just enough that he said, Okay, now I'm going to give you ten more days. Rick. He's never bombed those power plants, and we have never stopped bombing everything else. As the President likes to say, we're bombing our little hearts out in Iran and gradually taking down the regime, taking down its military infrastructure, its military communication systems.
We're degrading the IRGC, we're degrading the Basijis. The U.S. troop morale is incredibly high. IRGC? Not so much.
They're now recruiting kids down to the ages of twelve. 12, and they've increased the age, the upper age, to 42. We are getting close to breaking their political will, and that's what war is all about. It's about breaking the political will of your adversary. We need a few more weeks of softening up to accomplish this.
But the President is playing five-dimensional chess with negotiations, with the war itself, with the oil markets, with the stock markets, with Russia, with China. It's absolutely brilliant, and we've never had a leader like this before.
Well, that's an overall update on how the war is going. But one of the things I wanted to do digging deeper into this war is the fact that Iran chose to attack their Arab neighbors. Can you tell us about this strategy and is it working for them? It's not working very well. They were hoping to get the Arab neighbors, Saudis, the Emiratis, the Kuwaitis, the Bahrainis, all of them, to put pressure on the United States to end the attacks on Iran.
And in fact, it's boomerang. It's had just exactly the opposite effect. The UAE has come out publicly, said, end this with them, meaning end the regime. The Saudi crown prince has said the same thing in an interview in Arabic, where he's urging the United States and Israel to finish off the regime. Both of those, the Saudis and the Emiratis, but all of them, they depend on the Strait of Hormuz, and I think that was the tipping point.
But so were those missiles. You know, the Iranians have sent 2,000 missiles against the UAE. That's double the amount that they've sent against Israel. And the Emiratis aren't very happy about that. In fact, I can tell you, they're pretty upset.
Well, they certainly are, Ken. And move on to another facet of this war that, in my opinion, is different than any other war we have faced before. The age of social media, the age of artificial intelligence, and there is so much uh misinformation, disinformation. Iran seems to be trying to take advantage of that. Can you talk about this?
Well, they're using social media, it's true, and they're putting out videos that are immediately debunked by CENTCOM, such as sinking the USS Abraham Lincoln, one of our aircraft carriers, or claiming that they shot down an Air Force jet or two jets. And these are all debunked pretty quickly. Sure, there's some. Online fighting, if you wish, of the war. But let's come back to basics.
Who's in control here? Donald Trump is in control. The Israelis are in control. There is no social media star out there who's got his finger on the trigger. Or who can take Trump's finger off the trigger?
The Iranians can say whatever they want. They're still getting hit. What I think is far more significant is the impact of that social media on our societies. In Israel, it's been minimal. Jewish-Israelis support this war at 90%, but in the US, Is only 41% that support the war.
And that is because not just social media, but our formerly mainstream media, CNN, BBC, ABC, the rest of them, they're telling the American public that we're losing the war. The Democrats are telling the American public we're losing the war. They are all pannikins, and they seem to hate Trump more than they love our country, which I find absolutely shocking.
Well, it certainly is, and I see that as well, and that's something we're going to continue to follow.
Well, we look at the old game show, the $64,000 question.
Well, that question is: how is this war going to end? And how are we going to deal with an Iranian whoever's in charge now who seemingly is detached from reality? Can you talk about this and what you see in the future?
Well, Rick, first of all, the Iranians think they're winning, and they think they're winning just because they're still in the game. And that is important, but it won't last forever. As I said, we've still got at least another two weeks to go of pounding them really hard. And each week, each day, it gets worse. They're hiding in mosques, they're hiding in schools.
I mentioned earlier that they've lowered the recruitment agent of the Revolutionary Guards to 12. Their soldiers are not showing up. People are not showing up in factories and military factories. Morale is going downhill amongst the regime supporters very, very quickly. We've got the regime on its knees.
The key for us is to destroy it enough that they never give up. I want to mention one thing, though, I think very important, and it gets lost in this whole. Debate over the war. The President said at the beginning, and he's repeated several times, that Iran was an imminent threat to the United States. And this got poo-pooed in the media and swept aside.
But we've learned now, Rick, that the President was factually correct. And what he was referring to, Rick, was that stockpile of 460 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. We now know that on February 28th, the day that Khamenei was taken out with all of his top staff in Tehran in that decapitation strike, we now know that it was the last meeting of his core group to decide what to do with that stockpile of highly enriched uranium. And they were presenting him the options of how many nuclear warheads to make. If he had not been taken out that day, they would have been conducting the final enrichment of that uranium.
They would have been making nuclear weapons, and it could have been done within two weeks.
So the President was absolutely correct. How does the war end? It ends obviously. With the total elimination of that nuclear weapons program, which means that we have to get the uranium. It's not clear how we get it.
We can get it by force, or we can get it by negotiating with the Iranians. The missiles, the long-range missiles, have got to be destroyed completely, and the factories have got to be destroyed. Third, The Strait of Hormuz has got to be open and guaranteed into the future. And finally, I believe, although this is not one of the President's stated objectives, I believe we have to so degrade the leadership, the IRGC leadership, the Basiji leadership, that they cannot get together to put down an uprising of the Iranian people. I think that is absolutely critical if we don't want to have to fight this war again in five or ten years.
That's an excellent summary of what needs to be done before this war ends. Hopefully, we will see that happen.
Well, while this war rages in the Middle East, things still continue in Russia and Ukraine, and NATO is struggling to deal with Russia's attacks. Can you talk about this?
Yeah, just imagine if we had a president who didn't know how to play five-dimensional chess. He would be going nuts over these strikes by the Russians on Monday night, 400 drones at one time. The Ukrainians now have pretty significant defenses against drones. They're very inventive. They've got drones that they're trying to sell us to help us in the Gulf and to sell to the Gulf countries, and so they should.
So the Russians did damage, but nevertheless, the Ukrainians took most of them down. In Poland and Romania, some of those drones got close to the border, so they scrambled their fighter jets. It looks like the Russians are starting their spring offensive. They've done this every year in this war. This war is starting to look a little bit like World War I or like the Iran-Iraq War.
In the mid-1980s, a trench war, a war of just horrible losses on the ground. I mentioned last week that the Russians had lost 1,700 troops in just one week. Putin is trying to remind us that the Ukraine war is still going on, despite Everyone's attention being pointed towards the Gulf. He's hoping that Trump is not paying attention to him, but as I said, this president can play five-dimensional chess. Ken Timmerman for Prophecy Today.
Ken, as always, we appreciate you keeping us informed. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thanks so much, Frick. God bless. Ken Timmerman, each one of these events are setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled after the rapture of the church.
We've got to take a break, and when we come back, our Middle East News update with David Dolan, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Steve O'Dell with Mission Network News. Amid peace talks with Iran, the U.S. is moving 2,000 troops to the Middle East. God is also moving.
Sat-7 shares Christ in Iran through satellite TV broadcasts. Sat-7 USA's John Cernelia says recently, an Iranian Christian woman with the ministry answered a tense phone call. The caller was angry his wife stopped taking his abuse after watching Sat-7. Our young Iranian woman paused and said, Well, sir. What we told your wife is that she was created in the image of God, Her body is a holy temple to be protected.
And to be honored. And then this young twenty something said, And, sir, that's how we see you. You too were created in the image of God. Today this man is being discipled by Sat Seven and hearing the gospel. Praoranians find hope in Christ.
And due to restrictions in China, Eric Birkland with China Partner says the ministry is pivoting to encourage Christian leaders in China over the phone and in low-key, face-to-face meetings. Birkland says, We just need to stay faithful at this time. And what I mean by that is to stay faithful and staying connected with our brothers and sisters inside China. China Partner's key leadership engagement strategy will allow them to support Christian leaders through open and legal interactions. In October, one Chinese pastor told Birkland, when God closes a door, he opens the window.
Basically, we're going to do whatever we can within the system to serve Christ and to stay faithful in reaching as many people for Jesus Christ as we can. Please pray that doors will open again for direct ministry in China and for God's wisdom during an upcoming visit. Learn the full story at missionnews.org. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. We are listener-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. 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.
God it be with you, Rick.
Well, Dave, you give us an update every week on what is taking place centered around the nation of Israel. Can you tell us what's the latest?
Well, of course, as everybody knows from the general news, the Israelis have continued to strike Iran very heavily. waves of aircraft going over eight, ten times a day. Striking different targets. On Friday, they struck two steel plants. that are owned by the Revolutionary Guards and provide money for them.
They struck some more nuclear facilities and et cetera. But the attention in Israel has been mostly this week on the north. Of course, we're still getting rockets and missiles from Iran. But like I said last week, just a few in each wave. but we still are getting several doses of that every day, but the rocket fire from Lebanon has substantially increased.
And it's been basically nonstop this week, Rick. And I've been hearing from friends in Haifa, one on the Golan Heights, one in the kibbutz I used to live on up there, and it's intense, very intense. They're firing about one hundred fifty rockets a day on average, Hezwell is. About 70% of the Army said Friday are being aimed at Israeli soldiers in the south of Lebanon.
So 30% are being fired into Israel proper. But of course, they're keeping Haifa. My friend there said he'd been in a bomb shelter almost every moment of the week. He said there were very few periods of quiet. And we had an Israeli kibbutz member in the far north, a kibbutz right next to the one I lived on.
who was the manager of their avocado. orchard right on the border with Lebanon. He was killed when a Hezwald rocket hit his car. Many others were wounded in the strikes. And we had more rockets from Iran towards the south, towards the Demona area, of course, hit hard.
Uh last weekend. and again more into Tel Aviv.
So that's what's going on there. Again, they've postponed opening most of the schools. The airport remains at a very low level of function. And life is definitely still very much not normal. In Israel, but the people are, and the polls show, very strongly supportive.
of the war effort. They've been living, obviously, with this Iranian Shiite threat and their proxies in Lebanon and Gaza and these other places for years now. They've been enduring this over and over again. And there's an expression in Hebrew, Nimasli, it means that's enough. I've had it.
And I'm hearing from friends that you're hearing more and more of that from the Israelis. They just want to see this succeed. They're worried that the President President Trump might want to end it too soon. and that you'd have a wounded Iran, but not a destroyed regime and not a wounded enough that it couldn't do harm. And again, as I said with Iran a couple of weeks ago, that the Strength that they're showing is a surprise to many analysts.
They are more deeply embedded, the Revolutionary Guards and all of that, than. Many thought. And Hezbollah obviously was working night and day, Rick, to be fully rearmed, to go to war again. And they took over the town of El Kiyam. I know it well.
One of my co-workers at a Christian radio station lived there. And we all went up to her home, visited her family. It's half Christian and half Shiite Muslim. They built a tunnel right next to a church that the army found yesterday, stuffed with Hezbollah rockets and weapons. They've been finding all sorts of ammunition in other places, and they obviously were preparing to continue on with an invasion of North Israel and the things that they have been talking about doing for some years and to continue to fire at Israel.
And so people want to see that definitely carry on to its conclusion. And even if the war in Iran ends, As I said, the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister have warned Israelis that the war in Lebanon will probably take many months, if not longer than that, until and this is the absolute goal Hezbollah is eradicated and can no longer function as a terror group in that Again, a country that has only 30, 35 percent of the people are Shiites. The Sunnis and the Christians are the majority and Pretty much all of them are very much opposed to what Heswell is doing.
Well, David, before we went on air we were talking about the fact that there's not only a military and political component here, but there's also a spiritual component, and this is a battle that needs to be fought, isn't it? It is, Rick, and I'll never forget I've mentioned it before on your program and with your late father as well. I'll never forget visiting another Moslem, Shiite Muslim town in South Lebanon During the Ashura festival, that's an annual pilgrimage Shiite. I won't go into the details of that, but the men literally take whips. And take off their shirts and whip their backs until they're bleeding.
I watched it. I watched it up close. I was there with some friends, and we were half a block away or so, but we could see what was happening very clearly. Hundreds of them. And some of them had metal balls on the whips to really dig into their flesh.
That's what this religion does. You know, Islam is not from the Lord God of Israel. I think we can clearly say that. But Shiite Islam is another step down into the dungeon, as it were. It's very, very evil and very, very wicked at its core.
And uh we see how it oppresses Everyone it can, and the Sunnis are not happy with it, et cetera. And this is at its core. I said last week or two weeks ago, I think that. We're poking the devil here, and the devil needed poking. I mean, this should have been done 40 years ago, but.
It's not a simple thing. It's not going to be over quickly. and Iran is nefarious. And again, the Revolutionary Guards are deeply embedded in it. And you can't really get into that organization unless you're a Shiite Muslim fundamentalist, like the leadership of the country.
So these guys are dedicated to death and blood. And, you know, the Lebanese Christians I've worked with, they all knew it. They knew how evil this was. The Sunnis knew it as well. Much more moderate, frankly, most of them.
Um we have ISIS and Al Qaeda, but you know, for the most part, And so that's just the reality that we're dealing with here.
Well, it certainly is, David, and I appreciate you providing that context for us and our listeners. But let's move on now and let's talk about Passover. That's coming up this week. It's certainly a special time in Israel and takes on new meaning as we look at the way that God preserved his people, pulled them out of slavery in Egypt, and this is this Passover time commemorates that. Can you talk a little bit about that and maybe your recollection of Passover in Israel?
Well, Rick, it's a joyous festival, and it will be again. People will be probably in many cases their meal will be had in their bomb shelter, in their protected room, their reinforced room, just because that makes sense. If they're having to rush down their every fifteen minutes, which it's been in some parts of the country, in particular, the north. the last couple of weeks. But yes, the God of Israel exists.
led them to Out of bondage and slavery to freedom, but That was a rough journey, wasn't it? It took a while, and they were rebellious, and he almost destroyed them all, and Moses interceded, and we have it all recorded. But eventually they got to the promised land. Eventually they conquered the other peoples that were living there. As God promised they would, and eventually they set up a flourishing Jewish state that uh Yes, or Arafat didn't believe existed in ancient times, but it did.
And now they're back in their land. They survived Hitler. And by the way, I would add that the spirit behind Hitler, the Aryan philosophy or theology, if you will. moved from Europe to the Middle East at the end of World War two, and it settled In 1979, in Iran. That's where its headquarters is.
It's the same force that they fought, the Jewish people have had against them all along. And at its core, it is Hasatan, the adversary who doesn't want to see the God of Israel victorious or the people of Israel thriving. But the God of Israel is God. Is the overall God, and He has the final say, the final word, and He's told us. In the good book, what the end will be, and it will be the salvation of Israel.
And the Lord will return and will rule and reign this earth. And we'll be rid of all of these long lines at airports and wars and all. all the things that we are dealing with in this world now. We certainly will, David, and that's the great hope we have. This was all put forth in the Scripture.
We look at Bible prophecy. We see that we know how this chapter ends, and that's certainly a consolation to us, isn't it? It is indeed. And you know, Amisrael Hai, the people of Israel live, and that's because. The God of Israel lives, and that's what.
Is stated in the Seder and repeated in the Psalms that are that are said by the people. And it's a it's really the most Focused on God holiday, I would put it that way, Rick, of all of them, all of the Jewish festivals. And they're all focused on God, but this one in particular, and on salvation and freedom.
So we can rejoice that we serve. Such a God. We certainly can. Dave Dolan for Prophecy Today. Dave, as always, we appreciate your insight.
Look forward to talking to you again soon. You're welcome, Rick. God bless. Great job, as always, David. We've got to take a break, but when we come back, Israel Madad, Steve Herzik, and Mino Kalashir.
All right ahead, right here in Producy Today weekend. Mm. My Lord and my God. This is Ken Ham, author, speaker, and blogger on the Bible's authority and reliability. Uh Yesterday, we learned that Jesus said he was God, and the Jewish leaders tried to stone him for it.
So what did Jesus' closest friends and followers say about him? Peter wrote that he was our God and Saviour. John said he was the Alpha and Omega and the First and the Last, titles that apply only to God. Jesus' half-brother James, who was an unbeliever at first, described Jesus as the Lord of glory. And the Apostle Thomas called Jesus my Lord and my God.
These men were willing to suffer and die for proclaiming Jesus as Lord. They believed he was and is God. And why? Because he proved he was by rising from the dead. Find resources to equip you to think biblically at AnswersRadio.com.
You'll find encouragement and truth at AnswersRadio.com. 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.
Well, at the outset of the program, we talked about the Passover, and this next week, the Passover begins. As a matter of fact, it begins on Wednesday. And on Thursday, I will be in New Portland, Maine. At Western Mountain Baptist Church. Performing a biblical meal there for those fine folks there and the pastor and the church.
And on Friday night, I'll be doing a prophecy teaching QA session. What a great time to be talking about the times in which we're living right now. But you know, something that has been a part of our custom of starting with my father was to talk about the holidays. or the holy days that God had set aside for the Jewish people. In just a moment, we'll be talking to our good friend Israel Medad as to how he is celebrating Passover this year in Israel.
And then Steve Herzig with Friends of Israel. We always have him on. He talks to us how we can use the Passover to talk to our Jewish friends. And then at the conclusion of this, we will talk to our good friend Minnow Kalashir, who's a pastor in Jerusalem, and how they are dealing with Passover and what they're doing as an outreach to the community, even in the time of war.
So let's bring in Israel Medad because I'm interested as to how they're going to handle the situation in Israel this year during a wartime situation.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. Winky Madad joins us. He is a good friend of ours, a friend of the programs. He's a political commentator, columnist, and former mayor of Sheila. Winky, thanks for joining us.
Thank you again for having me on and allowing me to talk to the listeners.
Well, Winky, I've got all kinds of questions for you as we look at what's taking place in the Middle East and Passover coming up and all kinds of different things. But before I ask you anything, I'd like to start this program with asking how you are doing. If I didn't mention, you are in Israel right now. We've been at this war for several weeks now. How are you?
How's your family? How's your community doing?
Well, we're all okay physically, psychologically to a great extent. We do hear booms occasionally.
Sometimes more often than not. But we have no real damage here at all. I've been traveling into Jerusalem three times a week, and also there I have to go into a safe place, a shelter at the Begin Center where I Hunkerdam, and there are places, of course, Tel Aviv and up in the north now with Hezbollah. that are suffering much more. Sister, thank God we're all okay here.
Well, Winky, that is certainly something to be thankful for. I see the polls. It looks like the Israelis are squarely behind this war because they know what it means. In the United States, not so much. How you feel about the war probably has more to do with who you support from a political perspective.
If you could, can you talk a little bit about that? I know you're Israeli, but you were born and raised in New York. And how do you feel about the way this war is being politicized in this country?
Well, it's the product of its times. There has been an increased inroad. I'm going to go out on a ledge here and say warped ideology in which the United States has been portrayed. as some sort of uh Evil Empire? Part of the industrialized colonialist West and the South.
Of the globe is suffering, and peoples, and all this stuff is just off the wall. We have at least here in the current Iranian uh conflict. A Theocratic Radical Islamist Uh regime. which has been killing people. And Americans, ever since the Marines in Lebanon.
I think over 280, if I'm not mistaken, in that explosion. And so destabilizing the region.
Now we know they have the possible capabilities of ballistic missiles that can reach Europe. And all this is sort of ignored. And Israelis have been much more aware of the threat. and are very much behind the government. And we hope That the resolution of the conflict will come out so that Iran will not be able.
to cause any trouble any more. As the United States and Israel continue to prosecute the war, one area of support that maybe unexpectedly they can count on is many of Iran's Arab neighbors, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, saying that Iran is a threat to stability in the region. Israel, the United States, you need to continue the war. Can you talk about that development?
Well, I think the Arab states in the Gulf area and Saudi Arabia are quite well aware. Of the threat of Iran is not just a matter of military strikes. They are intent upon subjugating the Middle East. to their brand of Islamism. which I I repeat for the audience, I hope I have said it before.
There are two major branches. of Islam, the Sunni, which is the majority, and is Shiite. Iran is a Shiite. They have a different ideology, a different religious system in the sense of their Messiah and all sorts of things like that.
So, all these critics that I read about who complain that America's Secretary of Defense and other people are trying to stir up a fundamentalist war, it's just the opposite side of the story. That's what's driving Iran. Iran doesn't need oil, it has oil. Iran doesn't need territory. It's a huge state.
Iran is simply set upon occupying and conquering more of the Middle East. because of its theocratic nature. And if that ever comes to Europe, in a major way, not only in a minor way. Everybody is in trouble. It's just unfortunate that there's only one Israel.
There's only one Jewish state and that Ten Jewish states, like there are twenty-six or so Muslim states. And we are on the wrong end of the equilibrium here. And it's unfair to us because we don't want to be destroyed. We don't want to be subjugated, and we're getting blamed for starting a war which Iran started maybe 40 years ago.
Well, that's absolutely true. And that's the fact as they are on the ground, a terror exporting nation. And look what they're willing to do right now, sending missiles into civilian populations and countries that are not even involved, willing to close the Strait of Hormuz, trying to hold the world hostage. And I mentioned earlier that it's a political war in the fact that, especially in the United States, if you support the war, it probably means that you support President Trump and vice versa. But we look at not only is it political, but there seems to be quite a bit of anti-Israel and just completely anti-Semitic thought going on, blaming the Jewish people, the conspiratorial thoughts there, blaming the Jewish people.
It continues to be a voice, not only on the left, which has been pretty common here in the United States, but now even on the right as well. Can you talk a little bit about this?
Well, it's kind of difficult because I'm Jewish, so I might not be objective in the matter. But people need to blame something other than themselves. It happens in marriages. It happens between adults, parents and children. It happens in school, happens in work.
If you get everybody who's listening to me thinks about it, in some small way it happens. But what we're viewing now is that people don't want to be blamed for wars. They don't want to be blamed for terror. It's not our fault. It's not the fact that we're in the West.
It's not the fact that I'm a right-winger or a left-winger. They look around and they got the Jews. The Jews have always been pinpointed as either communists or capitalists. Globalists or clanish. No matter what happens, we're it.
and so it's very convenient. And it's been over the centuries in religious persecution, scientific persecution, racial persecution. And Jews claim, or I should say properly, assert that somewhere around 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.
So everybody says, no, there were only 200,000, 270,000, 500,000. It's like a game. It's like they play with themselves in order to. To pass the time, but sometimes it becomes very dangerous, and I think one of those times is now.
Well, I certainly agree with you there.
Well, let's continue to look at the politics of this situation. Much of what President Trump is doing right now, at least some people, are trying to connect it to the midterm elections for Congress and saying that this could be a chance for the Democrats to get back to the House, possibly even the Senate as well. Of course, Israel has an election coming up, too. They have to hold elections, I believe, in the fall. Can you talk about how that's going to play into this?
Well, let's let's let let's put two things aside. Iran has been with us for decades. Both Netanyahu. Going way back even before his visit to Congress during the Obama term of presidency. And of course President Trump, who I recently saw some clips From I think the nineteen nineties where he was very anti-Iran.
They've been with this subject for years. For decades.
So, to say, you know, it's part of the politics is not simply not being fair, it's not being honest. whether or not it affects elections. Elections in the United States, if I'm not mistaken, are every two years or so. To Congress. And it staggered for the Senate.
So you can always say politics are taking place or elections are taking place. It happens in a democracy. Thank God we have a democracy, we have elections. And Israel is the same thing. Uh so that they might converge.
you know, the war and the politics and the elections. They might not. But this is a fact of life. You can't blame one for the other or Hang up responsibility one for another on elections that always take place at some time in history. Final question for you, Winky, as we look at this situation.
We'll put aside these politics and the war and such as much as we can, anyways, because Passover is coming up, a very special time in Israel. I wanted to ask you basically two questions. First of all, maybe just your thoughts on Passover and what it means to the Jewish people, but then also putting it in the context of this war, if you could talk about Passover, especially in 2026 now.
Well, Passover is a very special holiday. Not only because of the ceremonial, festive meal, and the special foods that we eat. not only because the essence of it is reminding ourselves of the Exodus from Egypt, The fact that we were slaves. And we've we're liberated. Uh, through God's help?
Uh but it also is a a direction. Everything that happened to the children of Israel in Egypt was to bring them out through the desert into the land, the promised land, the land of Israel, the land of Moriah. everything connected with Passover, Is not only a family celebration or a community celebration, it's a national celebration. And too many Jewish organizations I have seen work. Jewish groups.
who are anti-Zionist. uh try to deny the land of Israel aspect of the Passover holiday. But the holiday is about a paschal sacrifice. It's about a temple worship. It's about next year in Jerusalem.
You cannot erase these things that have been with the. Jewish celebration of Passover for over a thousand or fifteen hundred years or more. Uh our consciousness. And I think it's a very important holiday at this time. Because again, the words of the Passover Haggadah say in every generation, someone has arisen to do us harm.
And This year we see what's going on. And it reminds us of who we are and the need to live. The need to be strong. the need to fulfill ourselves and show the peoples of the world that there can be peaceful existence Between nations If everybody can celebrate and do what they want and not be subjugated, not be oppressed, not be threatened. Either by military force or foreign ideologies or foreign theologies.
And so I would suggest to all people to be strong. In your own beliefs. To be good to your neighbour. and to think of God. If you think of God, you will love all people.
and not the opposite.
Well, very well, said Winkie, and one thing I always ask you around these times, if we have a Jewish friend and they speak Hebrew, and we want to wish them greetings during this Passover time, what would we say? Oh, that's a difficult one. The usual phrase is Sammerch a happy holiday. Uh some people also add cashier because as We've spoken about it many times in this program. You know, on Passover, there's no bread in our houses.
We have special foods. and more than normally. But Hugh Samer. is the best way to say to your Jewish neighbor on Passover.
Well, Hug Samayak. Thank you so much, Winky, for being with us today. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thank you very much. Goodbye to you.
And our listeners.
Well, a friend that is a friend of ours, and throughout the year, especially at the time of the feast, high holy days, the high holidays, if you will, Steve Herzig, welcome to the program again, Steve. Hey, Jimmy, always good to be with you. Steve is a national director of North America for Friends of Israel. I encourage you to go to their website.
Well, let's talk about the Passover. Passover is starting this week. Interesting that it is also starting at the same time in the holidays and kind of a confluence, if you will, of Easter. Specifically, we want to talk about the three spring feasts: Passover, unleavened bread, and the feast of first fruits.
So, the first feast of the year, the festival calendar, is Passover. And we understand that from the book of Leviticus, chapter 23. Tell us. A little bit about what we should know about Passover.
Well, Jimmy, the main thing you should know about Passover and really what is the least emphasize amongst Jewish people. Is since the destruction of the temple, is the lamb. The lamb is the feature of this. Specifically, the blood. Of the land.
And you know, in Exodus chapter twelve, in verse three, it says. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month, every man shall take. for himself a lamb. According to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons according to each man's need.
You shall make your count for the lamb. Then it says, Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take it from the sheep or from the goats.
So, the idea is the lamb, Jimmy. The blood has to be applied. Exodus chapter 12 tells us that. It's to be applied on the lintels. And God says, when I see the blood, I'll pass over.
And the verses you alluded to in Leviticus chapter twenty three, and by the way, Jimmy, I always say this, Leviticus is that book that most of us in our Bibles have the pages still stuck together. But this this this particular Chapter is so important. Verse four of Leviticus 23 said, These are the feasts of the Lord. Holy convocations, which you shall proclaim. That's what you're doing, Jimmy, on the radio.
We're proclaiming these feasts, and we're Not communicating them primarily to the Jewish people as Moses was writing here. But we are during this time of the church age. Proclaiming these words because they tie in to the church. We're not bound under the law, but if we can get an understanding of these feasts. It's going to help us glorify God.
It's going to help us understand the plan and the workings of God because I believe all seven feasts. Really tell a prophetic picture. Of what God has in store for the nation of Israel and his people, the Jewish people.
So you have this picture of the blood has to be on the doorpost. You have matzah, unleavened bread, and leaven is always symbolic of sin. The rabbis say in the Haggudah, we use a Haggudah, which tells us the story of Passover. And you're right, Jimmy, this year, the story takes place in Jewish homes. almost exactly the way it was enacted when what we call Jesus' Last Supper, which really was the Passover.
Passover, where Jewish people are going to remember it, And you have the unleavened bread. Rabbis say that represents the evil inclination of the heart. Jimmy, think about that. Leavens. I don't know what most of your listeners have when they do communion.
I've been to numbers of different churches and denominations, and they do it differently. But I will say this: if they're not using matzah or some sort of unleavened bread, They're doing it injustice because in Matthew chapter 26, Jimmy, Jesus held the matzah. And then he said, This, Jimmy, this. is my body. That's significant because Jesus had just been on the earth 33 years as a man, 100% man, and there was no sin found in him.
Oh, they tried. They tried to find sin in his life and in his work, but they couldn't find any because there was no sin in him. And then he held up the cup. And you know what's interesting, Jimmy, is in Exodus chapter six, And Jewish people do this to this very day. There are four cups of wine during the Passover.
And we know from the Talmud, which is extra biblical, that these cups existed during the first century when Jesus was walking the earth and on the earth. And listen to where these cups Come from because they're vital in understanding the communion that he established in Matthew chapter 26. In verse 6 of Exodus, it says, Therefore say to the children of Israel, I am the Lord. And here's the first cup: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
So, bringing them out from the burdens of the Egyptians, that's the first cup that's taken at Passover. I will rescue you from their bondage, rescue from your bondage. That's the second cup. And listen to the third cup, for this was the cup that. That Jesus held up in Matthew chapter 26.
When it says in Exodus 6, I will redeem you. With an outstretched arm and with great judgments. In other words, Jimmy, this third cut. That Jesus was taking us Passover as a background, he was now instituting a new, under the new covenant, under his blood. A cup of what's called redemption.
It's so exciting to me to realize that he used redemption of slavery of Egypt as a background, as something they knew, to institute for you and me redemption out of the marketplace of sin And to freedom.
So they're going to the promised land. Jimmy, you and I are going up to meet Jesus Christ, and what a day that will be. And that fourth cup, the fourth cup of fourth cup. The fourth cup is the cup in Matthew that he did not take. He'll do it with later.
And that fourth cup says, I will, that's future tense, I will take you to be my people. And I will be your God. And he said, I'll drink that henceforth when you're with me.
So he didn't drink that fourth cup. We're waiting to drink that cup with him. Steve, thank you so much for being with us this week and explaining to us, as you do always, about the Jewish holidays and especially this time, the Passover holiday. Hey, Jimmy, always good to be with you. Well, Rick, let's switch gears for a little bit and let's go to Israel.
Let's go to Jerusalem and talk to our good friend Menno Kalashir. Menno Kalashir joins us. Longtime listeners of the program will recognize that name. He is the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, Keila Yerushalayim, the Assembly at Jerusalem, a church that Menno, along with my father and another man, started many, many years ago now, and he has been the pastor. A great work going on in Jerusalem.
First of all, Menno, I wanted to give greetings to you from our family and our ministry. You're a longtime friend. Thank you for being on the program. It says, Joy and it's a privilege. Thank you.
Before I ask you some questions, I wanted to talk about Passover and maybe just get your take on what's going on in Israel right now politically. But before I do that, just a quick update. If you don't mind, our listeners I know pray for the church there. They pray for the Christian community that lives there in Jerusalem. Can you give us an update on the church?
Sure. The church is growing. Thank God. I cannot say that every week a new bus loaded of people coming, but let's call it by drops. Each week we see new faces.
And it's really encouraging. I thank God for that. When I was a child, there were about a few hundred Souls. of Jewish believers in Israel. In all Israel, not in one church, in all the land.
And today it's about thirty thousand of them, only in Israel. The church is growing. I remember when I was in the army, you could say that in one big bait there would be only one believer. And the army didn't know how to digest us as Jews who believe in Jesus. Today it's different.
There is about five hundred active believing soldiers. We know that because there are monthly conferences for soldiers, young adults and so on.
So we know how many attend, how many are registered. It's simply a joy. But that's not enough. There are so many more that I believe that God shows and the gospel needs to reach them.
So we are in a task, we are happy with this task, to continue to share the gospel because by accepting the gospel in faith, people are saved. And I thank God that He allows us to to be. On that kind of permission. I'd like to ask you about Passover.
Now, I know the Feast of Passover is coming. That's a Jewish feast. But I know that your church incorporates the Jewish feast and you use it to share the gospel. Could you talk about that and what you do there in Israel at the church to present the gospel story? Absolutely.
I mean, every year we are proudly celebrating the CEDA, the Castle Cedar. And it's not because we think it's a command that we need to do, otherwise, the gates of heaven will be closed to us. God forbid. It's our freedom to do so, and we gladly do so. Why?
Because it's the best tool for evangelism. we invite everyone to come to church. Most of the years, we do it in the church. Once in a few years, we do it in homes, at families, and the families invite other people. But I do not No, even one Israeli Bible believing church that celebrates the Passover Seddar and is not using it for evangelism and does not use the Passover as a shadow of the Lamb of God who is Jesus Christ himself.
So I really believe that all the churches are using it, whether in the church or whether at home. We do as well. This year, in the coming next Wednesday, we are going to do the seller in different homes. Families are doing it at home. and invite friends.
on a day after, we will do it in the church for those who were didn't have families to do it with. It's some of the volunteers in our church, some of the young people who don't have families nearby and so on.
So we do two settles this year. And in each one of them The major idea is to present Jesus as the Lord and Savior, as the Lamb of God. Very much. This is the target. This is the purpose.
And if you put don't put Jesus in the center, You just have a good meal, but nothing more than that.
Well, Mendo, thank you so much for being on the program. Love to you and your family, and we will continue to pray for the ministry there. Amen. Thank you, Rick. A big hug to the family.
Well, we've got to take a break. And when we come back, Doctor Jimmy DeYoung in the Legacy Series, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. 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.
As a ministry, we are so very encouraged by so many people that reach out to us and let us know how much you're learning Bible prophecy. And that is very encouraging to a ministry that's all about teaching Bible prophecy. There are so many other ministries that teach the Christian life, the Spirit-filled life, all of those things. But this ministry just happens to be about using Bible prophecy to Educate and edify the body of Christ to help us to live pure, productive lives in an unholy world. That is for sure.
And to understand why the world is acting as it is. And we want to thank all of our radio stations and partners that help us do this. This week on the Legacy Series, as we continue our study of the first of the written prophetic books, I want to remind you of what an amazing book of Bible prophecy this book of Isaiah is. This book contains so many prophecies that focus on the first coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to the Jewish people. It's almost difficult to know where to begin in Isaiah on these prophecies.
Maybe the best place would be the birth of Jesus Christ and what his mother must be in order to give birth to the Son of God in the flesh, that is, God-man. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14 as we begin our study today. Dr. Jimmy D. Young and the Legacy Series.
In the book of Isaiah, we've talked about These passages Some 66 chapters divided into two parts. First 39 chapters, similar to the Old Testament, a message of retribution, of judgment. The last 27 chapters, chapters 40 to 66, similar to the New Testament, a message of restoration. More is written in the book of Isaiah about the. Kingdom to come.
than any other book in the Bible. In fact, in the second chapter, we read after the first chapter when Isaiah was making the statement, my. Prophecy, my ministry is focused on Judah and Jerusalem. And then at the beginning of chapter 2, he says, There will be a time when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will come back. And from the city of Jerusalem, on the temple, Mount, and the location where the temple that the Messiah will build, he will teach us, and the word shall go forth from Jerusalem.
A guarantee. Even in the first five chapters, where Isaiah is focusing on what is going to be judgment for Judah and Jerusalem, he gives them a guarantee of the future of the kingdom to come. In addition to that, we have more information, more prophecy about the Messiah than any other book of the Bible. 39 different prophecies. Of the coming of the Messiah, his birth, which would be the cradle, his life, and then the cross, and then his crown that he would wear, all talked about in the book of Isaiah.
And so, I wanted to spend a few moments looking with you at some of these prophecies based upon our assurance that because he's resurrected from the dead, we'll be able to have an understanding that these prophecies have been filled or will be filled. In the life of Jesus Christ, probably the most prominent prophecy that we can think about would be Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14.
So, let's go to Isaiah 7:14. Let me remind you that in the days of Usiah, Isaiah the prophet had started his prophecy. He was actually called in chapter six in the year that Uzziah died. Jotham followed him, and then Ahaz, Jotham's son, became king of Judah. Remember, the twelve tribes had divided.
Ten went into the north, that would be Israel, two in the south, that would be Judah, Benjamin, and Judah in the south. And now we have Ahaz as the king, and there is a threat from those ten tribes in the north, Israel, and also a threat from Syria that they're going to attack the two tribes in the south. They're going to come to Jerusalem. Because of that, The Lord comes to Isaiah the prophet and tells him to go to Ahaz and tells him to ask for a sign. Look what it says here, verse 10, Isaiah chapter 7.
Moreover, the LORD spake unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God. Ask it either in the depth or in the height above.
Now, notice how arrogant Ahaz is. He was the worst of the four kings during the ministry of Isaiah as a prophet. Verse 12. But Ahaz said. I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
I'm not going to test the Lord. Who am I to test the Lord?
Now, wait a minute. The Lord told Isaiah to tell him to ask for a sign. You're in trouble. The ten tribes of the north are about to attack. Syria is about to attack.
Razan is the man who is leading the Syrian force. He's ready. He's perched now to come into Jerusalem, to wipe out Judea, wipe out Jerusalem, wipe out the Jewish people, wipe out the southern tribes. You need to deal with this, and I'm going to take care of you, God says through Isaiah the prophet. And if you don't believe that, Ahaz, just ask for a sign.
I don't think we're supposed to look for signs today, but this was the Old Testament economy when they didn't have the word of God written so that they could, you know, what Peter says, 2 Peter chapter 1 talks about, he had the responsibility and opportunity to be at the transfiguration on the Mount of the Transfiguration there just outside of Caesarea Philippi on Mount Hermon. And he saw that, eyewitness to it. But what does then Peter say? We have a more sure word of prophecy. Study it, it's the word of God.
More sure word of prophecy is something even better or beyond being able to visually see it yourself. But here, the Lord is going to sell Isaiah. Tell Ahaz to ask for signing. He asked for a sign and. You know what?
It sounds like spirituality when you're not going to try to tempt the Lord, but the Lord had told him to do it. And what he was doing, he was irritating the Lord. The Lord was going to get impatient with him because he told him to ask for a sign.
Well, the Lord responds, verse 13, and he said, Hear ye now, O house of David. Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Isaiah, on behalf of the Lord, says to him, You're starting to weary the Lord. I told you to ask for a sign. Therefore, verse 14.
The Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. A very unique prophecy. MB. experience of the one who would be the Messiah.
He would be born of a virgin, and he would be called Emmanuel. God with us. I believe that this was a sign for those. who recognize the Messiah. The true Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the one that would be born of a virgin would be that Messiah.
Keep your finger here. We'll come back, go over to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 1. There are 168 verses in the Bible that deal with the birth of Jesus Christ. They're found in four chapters: Matthew 1 and 2, and Luke 1 and 2.
Matthew 1 and 2, Luke 1 and 2. Go to Matthew chapter 1, verse 18.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, espoused meaning engaged. They had not been married. The marriage had not been consummated yet. The marriage ceremony had not taken place. There are three parts to a Jewish wedding, the engagement, the ceremony, and the celebration.
He was espoused. He was engaged to her. And so, as an espoused one, before they came together, before they had a sexual relationship. She was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Based upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I can believe this detail is absolute.
Because a member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit of God, breathed into Matthew to write this information. Verse 19, then Joseph, her husband. He's considered a husband at the point of engagement in the Jewish Text, Deuteronomy, the law gives us the evidence of that. In this case, he was married to her. This is the, in fact, it calls for divorcement in the book of Deuteronomy.
And the only time a divorce is legal in Judaism is during the engagement period. And the only reason for divorce would be adultery if the husband-to-be found out that the bride-to-be had had a relationship before and she was not a virgin. That would give him then the right to put her away and have her stoned to death. Verse 19, then Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. In other words, that's following the law of the Torah in Deuteronomy.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord, this would be Gabriel, appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all these things were done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not, had no sexual relationship with her, till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and called his name Jesus. And so it is, we have the record of the fulfillment of this prophecy, a very key prophecy in the life of the one who would be the Messiah. There's many more details in the birth of Jesus Christ that we could look at. I love the one.
Just for a moment, go to Luke chapter 2 with me, if you will. The angels of the Lord are there going to announce the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as they have this opportunity to do that. They will confront these shepherds, and these weren't teenage shepherd boys. These were adult men, 30 years of age or older. They were priestly shepherds.
They had the responsibility to watch over the sheep in the shepherd's fields that were destined to be crucified three miles away on the Temple Mount. Those sheep born and raised in the shepherd's fields of Bethlehem, that was the holding pin for the sacrificial lambs. And that's where they would be taken. And these young men, young, 30 years of age or older, because they had to qualify to be priest. And in that shepherd's fields, and I can take you to the spot where Migdal Adar is located.
Migdal Adar, talked about twice in the Bible. It's a location where Jacob pitched his tent after he buried Rachel at Rachel's tomb, just a couple of miles away from Migdal-Adar. Migdal Adar was a two-story stone tower on the edge of the shepherd's fields. The chief shepherd would stand in the top of the two-story stone tower, looking out over the fields to make sure nobody was bothering his sheep. Migdal-Adar, Micah 4, verse 8 says, is the location of the announcement of the birth of the Messiah.
Messiah will be born at Migdal-Adar. Every Jew believes that. It's in the Talmud, extra-biblical Jewish writing. Make dot oh By the way, I forgot to tell you. In the Laura's story?
of that two-story stone tower, Migdal Adar. That's where they birth the newborn lambs. And that priestly shepherd would very carefully Take the newborn lamb from the womb of its mother. And then reach back and get some swaddling. And wrap that newborn lamb in swaddling Because of that newborn lamb.
Hit a slim. It was marred, without blemish, without spot, it had to be. He would wrap that new born lamb with swaddling, lay it up in a manger. for let it relax. And when it had relaxed, he would pick that newborn lamb up, hold it to his chest, unwrap the swaddling.
Put it down, let it run off to its mother. And the angel said in chapter two, of the book of Luke. And this shall be a sign unto you, verse 12. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And so God uses the prophetic word of God to put in place the one who is the true Messiah.
In the shepherd's fields at Migdal Adar, the Tower of the Flock. The shepherds, the priestly shepherds, went quickly to the site of the birth of Jesus Christ. This study of Isaiah is such a help to each and every one of us as we try to understand his second coming and the kingdom period when he will rule and reign forever. Please join us again next week as we continue our study of Isaiah. Dr.
Jimmy D. Young and the Legacy Series. The Bible is a story of human history and God's work in it. The most significant event in human history is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story of this event permeates the text of scripture, even the prophecies pertaining to the birth of Jesus Christ.
That was the Legacy Series with Dr. Jimmy De Young. We're going to take a break, and when we come back, Rick and I will take a look at the book right here on Prophecy Today Weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. The Iranian regime announced that sentences are now being carried out for convicted January protesters with no leniency.
Lana Silk with Transform Iran shares the reality of what children are experiencing, including those in the protests. Children as young as 10, 11, 12 have been part of the protests, have been arrested and killed. I've heard reports of girls as young as 12 being raped in custody. The government is indiscriminate. Traumatized kids in Iran need Jesus now more than ever.
Children are very aware that they have no future in this country and have grown up. Or sooner than you would normally want your 10, 11, 12-year-old to grow up? Please pray for Iranian children to be protected and to find comfort in Christ. And we share reports like the one you've just heard to stir God's people to action. Often, that action looks like prayer, and sometimes it means giving to support a project.
Last month, Keys for Kids Greg Yoder told us about the need for storytellers in Nepal. They're solar-powered MP3 players that are loaded with an audio Bible and Keys for Kids content. Many, many people who were listening to Mission Network News heard our pleas. It went slow for a while, but then all of a sudden, God just moved into the hearts of people and blew the doors off. We hit the $20,000 mark with no trouble at all.
Praise God for obedient servants who put faith into action. Pray that entire families will turn to Christ as they hear the gospel through storytellers in Nepal. They have a lot of gods that sit on their mantle. We don't just want them to add Jesus, we want them to make Jesus the Lord of their life. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries.
We're listener-supported by people just like you.
So by giving to Mission Network News, you enable us to keep. Keep the stories of God's kingdom coming. Look for links at missionews.org. I'm with Kramer. Welcome back to Prophecy Today.
I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr., and along with my brother Rick, we have been examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. Rick, as I look at everything that we covered in the last hour and a half. It really does. And you and I often look at social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. We watch the news consistently.
Man, if you look at it, it does seem like a chaotic world, doesn't it? It certainly does, Jimmy. We've talked about it a little bit earlier. This chaos is preparing the world for something. And we look at it, we know as we study Bible prophecy.
In fact, as I think about this chaos, do you remember the movies, not the left behind movies, but the one before that, the Thief in the Night movies? Do you remember those? I sure do, Rick. Man, every time I watch that, it scared me as I watched it. It certainly did scare me as well.
But I remember thinking as I got a little older, you know, this stuff seems. Really far-fetched. An antichrist rising to power, or the government forcing you to take the mark, or the armies of the world gathering at the Battle of Armageddon.
Well, as we talk about this program, and the more we look at the direction that the world is headed in, this chaos is moving towards, it doesn't seem so far-fetched anymore, does it? It doesn't. And I think that I like what you said at the beginning of the program. If you didn't know how it was going to end, yes, we are in a chaotic world. I think about the families, the tragedy, the loss.
And not only that, next week we're going to focus on the Christian holiday of the resurrection. I call it Resurrection Day, where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's plan of redemption for all of mankind. The world is not getting any better. And we're going to focus next week on the persecution of Christians around the world. Not just around the world.
In Israel, there's persecution of Christians. And in the United States, I do think a systematic way of thinking that is anti-God, anti-Jesus Christ, anti-Christianity. And that's what the world is heading to. And can you imagine as we look at Bible prophecy, we understand the timeline of Bible prophecy beginning with the rapture of the church. That's the next event to happen on God's calendar.
After that, There's a period of time, the tribulation period will start, where a one-world leader will come on the scene to bring peace to the earth. That seven-year period of time called the time of Jacob's trouble, the day of the Lord. Any time when God intercedes with the affairs of man on earth, that's called the day of the Lord. It is the tribulation period, and there will be much more devastation. Half of the world's population will die off during those 21 judgments on the earth.
And as you look at this, Rick, I mean, today I think sometimes when I look at the news, man, can it get any worse? But it will get worse, won't it? It certainly will, Jimmy, and that is a sobering thought. And again, that's why God put that into Scripture because that sobering thought. What's going to take place during the tribulation period should motivate us.
We've talked about on this program: so many people will suffer such a tough time. It means that we need to get out there. We need to be motivated to share the gospel, to let people know what is happening. We know how this story ends. We know what happens in the end.
And we need to be motivated to let people know. And, Jimmy, I think about it, and you talk about the tribulation period.
So many of the things that we're talking about on this program take place during the tribulation period.
Well, before the tribulation. The rapture of the church takes place. If those things are so close to happening, how close is the rapture? Yes, I think it could happen at any moment. That's what we always expect: an imminent event of the rapture of us, the church.
And we do live in the church age, the age of grace. That grace period is people accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. That's the only way they can have a restored relationship with God the Father in heaven. And that rapture, I remember when Dad used to say he hated clear days because the Lord will return in the clouds, as it's described in 1 Thessalonians 4, will take place. And that's the next event.
But. We're living in a period where people still do evil things around the world. And it's not just one certain event, it's almost events. On a daily basis, on an hourly basis. And we need to remember our role as we're here, using all of God's word, even that.
Period of time that's talked about in the future in God's Word, that prophetic timeline that's going to take place. That's what motivates us. That's what gives us that blessed hope. That's what helps us to understand time is short and we need to be about telling others about Jesus Christ. Rick, as we do this, I appreciate the fact that you go through these stories and you talk to these men about what's happening so that as we understand Bible prophecy, it helps others to understand where we are on the timeline and the urgency of the hour.
It's my privilege to be able to do that, Jimmy. And we do that just so that we can keep the body of Christ aware what world leaders are doing, why they're acting as they are, why governments are doing what they're doing. It is setting up for a future time when Satan will increase his activity. With himself, with a false prophet, with the Antichrist, and his evil demons, Satan's evil demons on the earth. And it's going to be a very difficult time for people that are left here on the earth after the rapture of the church.
That's why we do what we do. And our encouragement to you is to don't get waylaid by the things of this world. Remember, we have the answer, and we need to get it to people, and we need to get it to them soon. Because the rapture of the church could happen any moment. You know, I'm reminded of what John said as he wrote in Revelation chapter 22, verse 7.
He adds to the common phrase, Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecies of this book, and This is a description of how to live. In verse twelve John wrote after the statement that He was coming quickly, And my reward is with me, to give every man according as His work shall be. That is why we live according to the book. This verse also tells us how Our eternal job description is determined. The last utterance of the quick coming of Jesus is found in verse twenty, the next to the last verse in the Bible.
He has John's response to the I come quickly. John offers a prayer to 2000 years ago. It has not yet been answered. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus, and This is my prayer on a daily basis as I eagerly await his His shop was For me to join him in the air at the rapture, I pray that that is your prayer as well. Remember, John had received all the prophetic passages that will be fulfilled as we lead up to the second coming of Jesus.
And John's prayer was for Jesus to come with us. Right then. I also want to see Jesus and Even so. Come, Lord Jesus. And after seeing what we are seeing today in the news and what's taking place around the world, we need to be ready because that rapture could happen at any moment.
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.
