Hi, everybody. Welcome to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr., and along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. Rick, so much is happening to the world this week. We've got the Feast of Tabernacles happening around the world.
We'll be talking to our friend Paul Scharf and Winky Madai will be here giving us an update on what took place at New York City at the United Nations Forum. Jimmy, it is amazing. There are so many things. And, you know, when we were talking to our guests, there were just so many items to cover that we hardly had time to put it all into one hour and a half segment. But that's what we're going to do.
That's right. Rick, and I've got to tell you, I always like how you interview and the questions that you talk to our guests about. You've thought these out. I'm looking forward to this week's program as we get an update on geopolitical issues, issues from Israel, and issues confronting the body of Christ today. But let's get started with our program today.
Our first broadcast partner, Ken Timmerman.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have Ken. Timmerman with us. He's an author and an analyst. He's who we go to when we want to find out what's going on in the world.
You can find out more about Ken by going to his website at ken Timmerman.com. Ken, thanks for being with us today. Thanks for having me on, Rick. It's always a pleasure.
Well, Ken, certainly a lot going on geopolitically in the world with the UN Assembly there, but let's go with what was probably the most consequential meeting of the week, and that was between President Trump and President Xi of China. Can you tell us what happened?
Well, it was a remarkable state visit, a state dinner at the White House on Thursday night. And it was, I must say, I got a chuckle listening to the national media whine about how they had no images from Thursday night's dinner at the White House. And the reason they have no images is because they boycotted the meeting. They've been boycotting the White House all week because Trump threw out the fake news, CNN, and MSDNC and Politico. And everybody else said, Well, we're not going to go cover the White House in solidarity with those other news outlets.
You could watch it all live if you wanted to on other networks like Newsmax or Real America's Voice, but not on CBS or Fox News or ABC.
So, look, we learned a lot about this meeting. The two countries, their advisors, were talking publicly about strategic stability. That is the key phrase they've been using here. They're trying to normalize U.S.-China relations. They're trying to take the drama out.
Of these summit meetings. It's the third time the two leaders have met this year, and they're going to meet again later on in Miami. I believe it's in December, the G20.
So, cooling tensions, especially in public, they talk about the hard things behind closed doors. One of those hard subjects, of course, is China's support for Iran. And the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, Rick, and I don't think it was an accident, they gave us new details on China's shipments of dual-use equipment for Iran's drone and missile programs. And they reported that China had sent 1,300 shipments by air to Iran between the beginning of the war and basically the middle of June when Iran signed that memorandum of understanding with the United States that they later broke. And this is stuff like GPS tracking devices, it's electric motors and aircraft engine parts, Rick, for the drones and other things for missiles as well.
Incredibly important, the reason that the Wall Street Journal knows about this is that they went to a trade database called Import Genius that actually gave They buy customs data from the Iranians and other places. You know, I used to do this 30 years ago before anybody else was doing it. I was data and I would track trade. I gave it up. I should have monetized that.
That'd be a lot wealthier if I had, I guess. But so now people have monetized it and they're doing this kind of thing professionally. And the Wall Street got a hold of it. What we don't know, though, Rick, we don't know whether this trade between China and Iran to help their drone and missile programs stopped. I am guessing from the body language and from the way that the two leaders interacted in public that it has.
Has stopped, or at the very least, it has slowed down a great deal. And I think one of the reasons for it is because of the U.S. economic blockade. China is no longer getting Iranian oil, that two million barrels a day that they were getting at huge discounts.
Now they're having to go onto the open market and pay market prices. It's taking an incredible economic toll in China.
So Trump threw them a lifeline. He signed a deal with Xi where the Chinese would lift their fifteen percent tariff on imports of liquid natural gas, LNG, from the United States. And at the same time, they signed a six billion dollar LNG deal with Venture Global.
So these deliveries, although they're not starting to twenty thirty, it paves the way for This US-China energy relationship, and it removes Iran's leverage over China.
Well, Ken, you talk about this conflict. Of course, we look at China and their relationship with Iran. That's a conflict. Last week, you brought up a potential a possible space force action against China. Could you talk us just a little bit through President Trump's thinking on how he is dealing with this international situation?
Well, I think what he's doing, Rick, is dealing with the hard things very quietly and letting Xi know that we're watching. We're watching Chinese exports to Iran. We are watching China's satellite communications and their transfer of satellite data to Iran. And if we see them doing bad things, we will take action. We won't necessarily announce it to the world, but we will take action and the Chinese will pay a price.
And that's what happened with Space Force when they took out a Chinese military observation satellite, a spy satellite, if you wish, that had been providing information to Iran. We will act behind the scenes, as they say, Rick, speak softly and wield a big stick.
Well, we are using that big stick against the Chinese.
Well, we can apply that same thought pattern to Iran as we look at that situation there, developments there. Iran calling for a potential seven day path to peace. I'm skeptical. Can you tell us what we should think about this?
So the Iranian president, who doesn't represent anybody in Iran really, Pezheshkin, he met with the White House mediators, their peace negotiators, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Reportedly, he met them for three hours.
Well, that didn't go over very well back in Tehran. You had Mohsen Razai, who is the top national security official, screaming in public and saying this was an unauthorized meeting.
So again, these divisions inside the Iranian leadership are very real. But Irakchi, who was there with Pezheshkin, Irakchi is the foreign minister, and he's among those who want to negotiate with the United States. He said we will reopen the Strait of Hormuz in seven days and resume nuclear talks with the United States. Wow, that sounds pretty dramatic, doesn't it? But there's a worm in that apple, Rick.
There's a worm in that apple. He went on to say: Iran will return to talks if. The Trump administration accepts our conditions.
Well, guess what? The conditions are exactly the same as they were back at that memorandum of understanding back in June. It's if the United States stops any kind of military action against Iran, we stop intervening in Iran's domestic affairs, we pull all of our troops out of the region, and on and on and on. It's a non-starter.
So don't fall for the phony, happy speak that we're getting from Pejeshkin and Iraqchi, the smiling face of the Iranian regime. You have Pejeshkin also in an interview with Brett Baer at Fox News saying that Iran absolutely has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. It's against our religion. It is anti-Islamic.
Well, this is just horsepucky. And we all know it's horsepucky. They have no reason for the nuclear program that they have unless they are building nuclear weapons. And it's absolutely crystal clear. It's crystal clear to the International Atomic Energy Agency that referred Iran to the Security Council two weeks ago.
We talked about that on this show. Pejeshkin, like Iraqshi, these two Iranian so-called negotiators, they are talking through both sides of their mouth and blowing smoke out of both ears.
Well, we move from China and Iran and we look at their ally, Russia, and that'll be our last update this week. And President Trump has invited Putin to that summit in Miami that you talked about, the G twenty summit.
Now that's controversial, even as the meeting between President Xi was controversial. Can you talk about this? You know what I find so choice, Rick, is to listen to Democrats in Washington tearing their hair and say, oh my gosh, Trump is giving in to dictators. He's giving in to Xi. He's giving in to Putin.
He's inviting Putin to the G20. This is absolutely horrible. We shouldn't do it. They seem to forget that when Russia invaded the Crimea in 2014, we did absolutely nothing. And Obama actually pulled arms sales from Ukraine.
He did not sell weapons to Ukraine for their self-defense. It was President Trump during his first term.
So there's a great deal of hypocrisy here in Washington in particular. President Trump wants to normalize relations with Russia as he does with China. He wants to get Putin to end the war with Ukraine. And it's crystal clear, Rick, let's not beat around the bush. It's crystal clear that Russia has to end the war.
It's not Ukraine that started the war. It is Russia that started the war. Russia, that's got to end the war. But you don't do that just by putting sanctions on them. You do that by twisting their arms, preferably in.
private, as Trump is doing with President Xi of China. You twist Putin's arm in private and say, look, end this war or else, and you make that list of or else pretty significant and pretty convincing.
So far, that hasn't happened. I think that's why he's invited him to come to the G twenty later on this year. Ken Timmerman for Prophecy Today. Ken, as always we appreciate you helping us to understand what is going on geopolitically around the world. Look forward to talking to you again soon.
Thanks so much, Rick. God bless. Ken Timmerman, great job, Ken. Why study Bible prophecy?
Well, since we make decisions today that will affect tomorrow, we must know today what will happen tomorrow. And everyone has a worldview, the way we see and understand the events in our world today. Therefore, we must have a prophetic biblical worldview to understand why our world is acting as it is today. And since one-third of God's word is Bible prophecy, we must know how to study and understand Bible prophecy, and that helps us to understand why the world is doing what it's doing. We're going to take a break, and when we come back, we'll have our Middle East news update with David Dolan.
A lot happening in the Middle East. Israel, Madad, and Paul Scharf on the program. It is the Feast of Tabernacles, so we'll be covering that in the program today. That's all ahead, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Steve O'Dell with Mission Network News.
A key U.S. sanctions deadline took effect Wednesday, shutting down all but a handful of Iranian flights to Turkey, the UAE, and China. Amid growing isolation, a different shift is taking place. Edwin Abneus with Heart for Iran says many ordinary Iranians have become disillusioned with Islam. Islam lost its legitimacy alongside the government, but that does not mean that Iranians Threw away God and the idea of the supernatural altogether.
They're still spiritual because that is woven into their identity. Gospel doors are opening. In the past 10 years, we have had about 650,000 people contacting us, and over 250,000 people say that, yes, I want to follow Jesus. Pray Iranians find connection in Christ. And if you live in the United States, could you give a few minutes each month to be a good old-fashioned pen pal with a prison inmate?
Jill Payne Holman, senior vice president at Prisoners for Christ, was amazed when she first became a Bible study correspondent.
Some of the insights prisoners shared were incredible. You start to really remember inmates are people's. Like real people with souls that need saving and souls that need encouragement and need discipleship and need a Christian friend to help them because prison's a pretty dark place. Adventures could be waiting. Whether you become a pen pal or a Bible study correspondent, God can use you to help a U.S.
prisoner grow in faith. Prayerfully consider joining this letter-writing ministry. There's an especially great need for men to write to men in prison. Connect with Prisoners for Christ at our website to learn how to get started. Thank you for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries.
We're listener-supported by people like you. Together, the great commission happens. Look for the links at missionnetworknews.org. That's missionnetworknews.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.
Dave, lots going on, whether at the UN General Assembly with Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech or in Israel as well. Could you give us an update from this week?
Well, Rick, yes, really the biggest news was the Prime Minister's speech and the reactions to it and the struggle with Mamgani and the President's statements, all of that. I'll talk about that in a second. But sadly, we also had two serious terror attacks during the week. The first one on Sunday, the beginning of the week, just on the eve of Yom Kippur, a father of six in his late thirties, a French immigrant, an immigrant from France to Israel many years ago. He was in a very popular uh spring.
I know where it is, North uh west of Jerusalem. That Orthodox Jews usually go there before these holidays to ritually. Bathe. And you know, it says in the Bible the best way to do that is with moving water, not in a tub or something.
So he was doing that when a Palestinian with a rifle young guy shot him dead. And his fourteen year old son was with him, his only kid of his six that was with him. And He turned and ran. His father screamed at him to get out of there, and he did. He survived.
But that was terrible. And then, of course, we had an even more well-covered attack. In the middle of the week, car ramming. You and I were talking about it beforehand. The video of it is horrific.
And that, of course, is the son of the U. S. Ambassador to America. A Yikiya lighter. His son Nerea who is also a father, has I think it's four children.
And yes, he was hit by a Palestinian ramming his car Passed into a group of Soldiers and policemen near the Israeli city of Modaeen between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and he was sent. Hurtled into the air. He went about fifty feet, landing on his head. And the hospital has been continuously that Sharathetic in Jerusalem. Doing operations and trying to save his life.
But as his father said, it will take a miracle. for him to A, survive and B to have any function. probably with such a a heavy crash on his head.
So There's a lot of mourning with that. And yet, this weekend, of course, is the Feast of Tabernacles. It began last evening, Friday evening, runs for a week, and that's always a festive time.
So people are trying to. keep a good attitude despite these continued terror attacks and things like that that are going on. And then related to that, we had another round of stories in the press, the New York Times reporting yesterday that the Prime Minister was warned by Mohammed bin Zaid, as we've heard from others. The leader of the UAE about this upcoming, then pending terror attack, massacre that Hamas carried out. And then the latest news is that he held a meeting with his top security officials and did not mention it.
At all to them. This was a week before it happened.
So that's very controversial. Of course, his speech at the United Nations was welcomed by most Israelis, I would say. I listened to the whole thing quite eloquent, but it was denounced by many as well because, of course, we have an election coming up in just over a month. But everybody, I think, by now knows his main points were that the idea of genocide in Gaza is ridiculous, is a complete lie. It's not happening.
And he gave a lot of statistics to back that up. He, of course, strongly again condemned the Iranian nuclear program and the things they're doing and warned again them that they will be struck hard if there is a resumption of attacks upon Israel. and some other pretty strong statements about Momdani, the mayor of New York, that he's also a bigot and an anti Zionist and an anti Semite and some other things. And then he replied on Friday against Netanyahu.
So some strong words there. And finally, something positive. We had at the UN on the sidelines on Thursday, actually, we had a meeting of the countries involved in the Abraham Accords. of course, Israel and the U. S being there, but also Bahrain, Morocco that keeps strengthening its relations with Israel all the time.
That's something that doesn't get reported. But a large Arab country, I think the second largest or third. The UAE was there and Kazakhstan, the northern neighbor of Iran that is joining the Accord soon. They were invited and they all sat around and discussed the progress and how they might widen that, and especially if Saudi Arabia can be included. And of course, the war continues with the Houthis there during the week, Rick.
And on Friday, we had a statement from Turkey and Pakistan that they are talking to the Saudis about coming to their aid militarily. This, as the President said again at the UN this week, he's weighing whether to resume The active war, or to wait till after the elections, or some other things. And he didn't say which direction he's going, but everybody, of course. is watching that very closely and certainly in the Middle East and including very much Israel.
Well, there you have an update of the news from the Middle East this week. And David, I want to follow up on the fact that the nation of Israel and the Jewish people have a target on their back. You can recognize it from the UN Assembly there, and I believe it's not only a political operation, but also there's a spiritual component to it as well. Don't you agree? Oh, absolutely, Rick.
I mean, Israel not only gets more coverage and negative reports than that, eighty percent of the UN resolutions are about Israel. I mean, that's absurd. It's a country of. today ten million, but that started in nineteen forty eight and nineteen forty nine when they were just a couple million. And yes, you have one of the world's leading nuclear powers.
assaulting its neighbor, After an accord was made between that neighbor and the US and other NATO allies that they would defend it. if it was ever attacked by Russia or the former Soviet Union. And it's going on and what, thirty thousand soldiers. a month, the President says anyway. Are dying.
It's totally unprovoked. It's a major thing. The same with. China and Taiwan. Taiwan's doing fine.
It doesn't need China to take over. And the main thing, Rick, is that the lies that the Prime Minister spoke about are so hideous. And they're so backwards, in my view, to what the reality is.
Now, that, of course. is Hasatan Satan. called in the Bible the father of lies. For instance, that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Genocide is defined as a deliberate, usually government sponsored, military crackdown against a whole race of people or a religion.
Uh to kill them, to eliminate them, to get them out of there. That isn't Israel's goal. Gaza for twenty years had pretty much peace apart from when they were firing rockets into Israel and Israel would respond. There were no Israelis, as the Prime Minister made clear, no Israeli settlers, no Israeli forces at all in Gaza. It was a Palestinian state.
in effect. And had the PA kept in control of it and Hamas been kept out, it might actually be a full sovereign state by now, Rick. That was Israel's goal. They didn't want to kill all the people off. They're their cousins.
They're uh physically related. You know that very well. And what did Arafat uh chant all the time? not just from the river to the sea But that we will drive the Jews from the river. To the C.
Push them into the sea and they will drown. They will all be killed. That was what he. the leader of the PLO for decades. said out loud.
That is what Iran, its leaders, are saying today. We will wipe you out completely, Israel. There cannot be a Jewish state.
So when Mamdani, the leader of the city in America with the most Jews and the most Jews really more than in Tel Aviv, When he comes out and says, from the river to the sea in public, and he starts changing. chance about that and the sort of thing which he's done. Uh he is calling for genocide. He is calling for genocide. BB is not.
Israel is doing everything it can, as he pointed out. They're bringing in tons of food. Why would they inoculate all the Palestinian children, allow that to take place? The UN carried it out if they were trying to kill them all off, on and on.
So it's just so many lies And again, as you said, this is a spiritual battle. The father of lies behind that side of it. And we as believers, as Christians and Jews as well, we just need to be standing up for the truth correcting when we can, if anybody will listen, and some will. But realizing that for the most part, this is going to continue because as we've said so many times, The scriptures make clear the whole world will turn against Israel in the end But The God of Israel. doesn't He supports them, he stands with them.
And he fights for them, it says literally in the end. That's ahead too, and we can have to keep that in mind. But yes, to see almost all the delegates at the UN stand up and walk out when the leader of one of the greatest democracies on earth stands up to speak. is just frankly disgusting and an indication of how deep this anti-Israel, anti-Semitic spirit goes in the world. Dave Dolan, reporting on both the political and the prophetic, here on Prophecy Today.
Dave, thanks so much. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Glad to do it, Nick. God bless. We're going to take a break right now, but we'll be back with both Winky Madad and Paul Scharf right here on Prophecy Today Radio.
How'd we get to the Americas? This is Ken Ham, author of the newly updated and expanded book, One Blood. Many scientists have assumed the very first settlers to arrive in the Americas had to go over the land. Crossing land bridges because they believe ancient man was too primitive to sail to the coast. But now researchers are rethinking this assumption.
Many now think the evidence in North and South America suggests some people long ago did sail to the Americas to start new settlements. This fits with what we'd expect from the Bible. Noah and his sons were obviously shipbuilders and might have passed this skill on.
Some of the people who left Babel probably left by boat. as they began to explore. This new world. Discover more about human migrations, Babel, and the true history of humanity at AnswersRadio.com. That's 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. In the next half hour, Israel Madad, affectionately known as Winky, will talk to us about the United Nations and what all went on there. And then Paul Scharf will speak to us about how Christians can benefit from the Feast of Tabernacles in the future.
But first, let's go to our good friend, Israel Madad.
Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have Winky Madad with us today. He's a frequent guest on this program. He comes to us from his home in Judea and Samaria and Israel. Winky, thanks for being with us today.
Thank you. Thank you once again.
Well, Winky, before this interview is over, I would like to talk about the Feast of Tabernacles Sukkot, that upcoming Jewish holiday. But before we do that, let's get to some news this week. And I want to talk about the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Netanyahu making a speech, Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas, addressing them as well. European leaders, including Francis Macrone, making some dubious claims. Could you give us your takeaways from the UN this week?
Well, as you know, the United Nations is more a theater of the absurd. when it comes especially to Israel. More infamous actually than the General Assembly, which is really a show. Is the Human Rights Council that meets a couple of times a year over in Geneva? And it has a permanent agenda item.
If I'm not mistaken, is called number seven. which they must discuss The issue of Palestine. They don't even have a choice, but I had no doubt whatsoever that Mr Netanyahu was Who, um I think we all can agree. thrives on moments like this. I'm not going to say he's a showman.
Which is not bad for people who Earn their living in entertainment. But he knows the power of the press, the power especially of television or video, whatever you want to call it. We can remember years ago posters with grenades about Iran and stuff like that.
So I had no doubt that he would make a wonderful presentation. Even I think it was his remark that if there are any more moral cowards in the room, could you please leave now? You know, uh if you're gonna go out, go out. It's it's but you mentioned Macron. And I Did a check on the actual French version of his speech.
That is in the news area of the United Nations press. On the website And I translated the French. Twice And it came out that mister Macrone said there is no Hamas activity. In Judea and Samaria. He didn't use Judea in Samaria, but you know me.
And uh I mean this is the height of Ignorance. Stupidity? At the very least I'm sure that speech had about 10 people checking it over.
Someone couldn't say, wait a second. Hamas is very active in Judea and Samaria, and in fact, the day before, managed to kill, unfortunately, an Israeli. Who went to a mikveh, something I think we should discuss a little bit later in the interview. I'm talking about mikveh, not the the terror incident. And we now know that the next day, the son of a good friend of mine, Yechiel Leiter, Was severely critically wounded in a terror attack by a Hamas operative.
So. You people who are listening to me. If you tuned into any part of the United Nations General Assembly speeches, it's really a show. Has little basis. In fact, And logic.
And it's unfortunately that we have to spend time in that august body doing what we have to do in international diplomacy. Winky, if you had been at the General Assembly, you would have heard hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters protesting Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech, saying things like Israel's committing genocide, which is a modern-day blood libel, in my opinion. Prime Minister Netanyahu is a war criminal. And one of the more ironic chants was: disarm Israel and let Gaza live. And the reason I say it's ironic is before October 7th and the attack on Israel, they had autonomy.
They had a chance to just live. Is that correct? That is absolutely correct. And we'll just touch a few points so that the listeners are recalled to the facts. In 2005, Israel left.
The Gaza Strip entirely, militarily, civilian, agriculturally. And we even emptied out our cemetery there. And immediately afterwards, Hamas took power. And I think we've had about five to six. Small wars and big wars with Hamas since that time.
and not only on the south of Israel, but rockets all over and close to Tel Aviv and all over the place, they made a choice to use that liberated Gaza as a military base. Uh and where do they think Oh, I'm asking. you, but the general audience also, where do you see if Gaza is closed off, not only because of Israel, basically, but mainly because of Egypt, where do you think they get all the terrorists from? all the children who are growing up in their ideologically straightjacketed school system, which says they must be martyrs for the cause of Palestine. And so Everything is on them, but they refuse to take any sort of responsibility.
Or claim any agency, they're always the victims, and this propaganda has got to stop.
Well Winkie, let's change from the political to the archaeological. And there has been an ancient public mikvah complex that was used for festival pilgrimage. It was uncovered near the Temple Mount. Can you talk about this discovery?
Well, I've been following this for a while now because I read a publication, Let the Stone Speak, from the Armstrong Institute, and they, together with the university, are doing that dig in what we call the Ophel. which is the hill coming down from the Temple Mount towards the city of David. For those of our listeners who have visited Jerusalem, maybe even on one of the on the tours that you've organized in years past, if you come out of the Western Wall Plaza, go down the hill and out the Dung Gate, And then turn a sharp left. And walk about maybe I don't know. Four or five hundred feet, a little bit more, you come to the Ofel excavation and the Corner there as the road makes a turn.
They've been digging now, I think, about five years. Aenicia discovered Or uncovered completely, they probably discovered a little bit earlier, but and and uh I don't know if you want to put up that drone shot from up above. Not only a mikvah complex, and I'll explain mikvah in a second, but also a very large Multi-entrance It looks like a a huge wading pool. Which is open to the heavens, which is not usually the case because in the mikvah you ritually dip. Uh to purify yourself.
To go into the Temple Mount.
So that's a very interesting, not only beautiful, but very tantalizing archaeological discovery. I remind our listeners that especially in Second Temple period times, because if you wanted to go up to the Temple Mount, you had to purify yourself, which in Judaism is done by taking a dip in a mikveh. which I think they call ritualium or something like that. And so once again, we have Scientific proof that Jerusalem was a Jewish city two thousand years ago.
Well, there you have it, rock solid evidence of a Jewish presence in the land.
Well, for the final topic today, I would like to talk about the upcoming festival of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. If you could, during these times, you give us a little flavor, you tell us why it's important, the meaning of it, and a little bit about what you do during these times. Can you talk about Sukkot? Sukkot is the plural of sukka. And suka is a sort of a booth or a hut.
A temporary structure in which we eat and some people sleep in. Over the holiday here in Israel. It's seven days outside in the diaspora, it's eight days. And it signifies In a deeper level, if I can get deeper. Uh God's providence and and looking over us during the trip through the the uh the trek through the desert, Some of you may be remembering the clouds of glory that accompanied the children of Israel as they walked through Sinai.
And in Jewish tradition, the sukkah. The the hut signifies that sort of Very uh uneasy period when we're walking through the desert and we Don't have a covering over ahead all the time, and we hope that God will bring us not only out of Egypt but into the land of Israel and through the Sinai Desert, which happened. And so Sukkot is one of the three main pilgrimage holidays: Passover. Chavouat. which is the festival of weeks and Sukkot.
And so uh I myself, with a little bit of help at my age, just finished putting up our sukkah on our balcony outside the door, the kitchen door. And that's where we'll eat all our meals. for the next uh seven days. or so. And we will be waiving in the morning prayers, not on the Shabbat, but from Sunday through Friday, the Lou Lave, which is the palm frond, I think that's the Proper term.
With the three other species of agricultural produce. the etrogue, the myrtle, uh and the willow leaves in symbolic um recognition that We're beginning autumn, winter period of when we plant and we begin to hope for a good winter crop that will come out in the spring. As I think I explained many times before, Judaism is a very Earthbound agricultural related religion, as well as everything else. And so uh That's about it, except for the end of the holiday when we have Simchat Torah. enjoying the fact that we received the five books of Moses, and which will be a very happy dancing time in the synagogues and even in the streets.
And of course, Winkie, as I always do, if you were to see someone celebrating Sukkot, what would you say to them in Hebrew? I'll Frame it this way. Had Sukkot Samer. Hag Sukotsumayak. Winky, as always we appreciate your time.
Thanks so much. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thank you, thank you very much, and goodbye to you. And our listeners.
Well, this is a time in Israel right now where Israel has just passed through Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. They've started off with the three fall feasts, which would have been Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, the New Year. We've talked about that last weekend, Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. And the Jewish people take those days very seriously. And we're starting and going into the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot.
It is the seventh and last feast that the Lord commanded Israel to observe. And one of the three feasts that the Jews were to observe each year by going to appear before the Lord your God in the place which he shall choose. That was one of the pilgrim feasts. Three times a year, the male Jews were required to go to the city of Jerusalem. And so today I thought it would be really important for us to talk about the Feast of Tabernacles.
As it can be seen in how many places it's mentioned in scripture. And I thought nobody better to do that than our friend, Paul Scharf. Paul, welcome to the program today. Thank you, Jimmy. It's wonderful to be with you.
Yes, and I know that you work with Friends of Israel. You're writing articles for Israel, My Glory, which we'll talk about in the future. But I'm so excited for your ministry and what you do. And so let's just talk about it.
Now. What they do in Israel today is they will build their booths or their sukkahs out on the porches or their balconies, and they will celebrate as they did in Old Testament times the Feast of Tabernacles. They'll eat out there.
So tell us a little bit, Paul, of what you can about the Feast of Tabernacles.
Well, Jimmy, the Feast of Tabernacles is so incredibly important in the Old Testament, as we call it, the Hebrew Bible. in the New Testament and Also, some may be surprised to learn In the prophetic future. And it so it just sort of vibrates all through Scripture. With just incredible significance from the first time that it's introduced. in the giving of the law in the book of Exodus, chapter twenty three, verse sixteen, where it's called the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.
And then there is also much more information given within the law of God. In the book of Leviticus, the feast chapter that details the seven major feasts that you've alluded to here. And uh this Feast of Tabernacles is described in Leviticus twenty-three. thirty-three really through the end of the chapter. And then there's also very detailed instruction in numbers twenty.
29 verses 12 through 38, which gives a day by day. Listing of what the people were to do during the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles. That's all just in the law and related to what the people of Israel were to do as you said when all the males were to appear before the Lord at this special feast.
So we see how important the Feast of Tabernacles. And like you said, it was the last of the seven feasts, the holidays.
Sometimes we refer to them as holy days, but those were the holidays of God that God really put and said: look, take a time out, and this is what I want you to do. Yeah, and it's so interesting to read these Prescriptions in the law for what the children of Israel were to do. on this very, very special and unique feast, Jimmy. And we find something that I'd like to tie together to another thought a little bit. Later, here is that Deuteronomy sixteen: fourteen makes it clear.
Though all the males were to appear especially at this feast along like unleavened bread and Pentecost, We find that Tabernacles is really a feast for the whole family. It's a family celebration. Deuteronomy 16:14, and it was a time of blessing and a time of joy and rejoicing. Yes, yeah, you know, that's so true, even still today. It is a time of blessing and rejoicing for the whole family.
The whole family goes out. If you're staying in a hotel, they will provide you a sukkah to eat your meals in. That's what the families do today. It's a very family-oriented atmosphere, and the whole family celebrates in this gathering. I like the way you said it.
So, what else could you tell us about the Feast of Tabernacles?
Well, something very interesting, Jimmy. And this is just a little bit of a rabbit trail from our trek through the scriptures. But we want to be sure to include this point just as the Feast of Tabernacles was a family celebration For the people of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, in a time of joy and rejoicing, and a harvest festival. And you've used this word earlier in our interview, Jimmy, the word pilgrim. And this is something I have a real passion for is learning about our Thanksgiving pilgrims at the dawn of our country in America.
And of course, they based their Thanksgiving celebration On this free Feast of Tabernacles. And so we can relate because probably everyone listening has participated in a Thanksgiving dinner, and that gives us a little bit of an illustration of what it would have been like for the Jewish people as well to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Oh, that is so true. And we have brought that up in the past. I'm glad you brought that up because those early pilgrims, that's how they modeled after the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles, Paul, like all feasts, was instituted by God as a way of reminding Israelites and every generation of their deliverance by God from Egypt. And of course, these feasts are so significant in that they foreshadow the work and actions of the coming Messiah. Much of Jesus' public ministry took place in conjunction with the holy feast set forth by God. How do we see the Feast of Tabernacles in the New Testament?
Well, we see it very clearly, Jimmy, in the life of the Messiah, Jesus. when he became flesh, And Dwelt among us. John 1:14. uh literally the idea of tabernacling among us. Living temporarily among us.
Now, the human flesh that he took on himself was not temporary. He. became forever a member of the human race when he came from heaven to earth to be our Savior. But he came and for just a time he lived among us, as it were, tabernacling among us, reminiscent of the Children of Israel live living in booths in tabernacles only temporarily and for a purpose each year at this special feast. And then, Jimmy, we see also Jesus In his last year before going to the cross, very clearly celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles In John chapter 7, we see that in verse 2, and we see what Jesus did.
Two very important things that he did at that Feast of Tabernacles. That are in line not so much with what the Old Testament says about this feast in the law, but with Jewish traditions that had developed. Related to pouring out water to illustrate dedication to God and also illuminating the temple. And at this feast Jesus in John 6. Seven.
Verses thirty-seven through thirty-nine, that famous passage where it says, On the last day of the feast, The great day Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, Let him come to me and drink and He goes on in that context that people can look at and John 7, 37 through 39. He's drawing there on scriptures such as Isaiah 12, 3 and 55.1, and Zechariah 13.1 that talk about this idea of water. Flowing to show the blessing of God. And he also at that same Feast of Tabernacles before he goes to the cross the following spring. He stands up in John 8, verse 12, and says, I am the light of the world.
And that of course is drawing on this Custom that the Jewish people had, a very elaborate Method of illuminating the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles by Jesus' Day. That is so, it's a, there's so many, as I think back, and I'm sure people are sitting there thinking of other passages. I'm reminded of Matthew chapter 16. You know, and that was six months before Christ was to be in the city of Jerusalem. Six months before he says, I'm going to go to Jerusalem to be crucified.
You remember that episode up at Caesarea Philippi? He then takes Peter, James, and John, and he had told them, Some of you will not die till you see me in my glory. He took Peter, James, and John onto a high mountain, and Peter wanted to build. He thought the Feast of Tabernacles was beginning because he wanted to build, you know, three sukkahs, one for Elijah, one for Jesus, and one for Moses.
So, you know, like as you look at the. Those three men there. Peter Got way ahead of himself and, of course, didn't understand it. But the Feast of Tabernacles is not only something that was celebrated in the past, it's celebrated today. Although Israel, as they celebrate it, let me remind people: Israel today, as they celebrate it, doesn't do anything for God, right, Paul?
I mean, the very first thing that a Jewish person could do that God will recognize will be his act of calling out to Jesus Christ as the true Messiah for salvation, correct?
Well, Jimmy, that is so true. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 3 says that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. Yes. He is the one who tabernacled among us. He is the one who offers to us the living water.
He is the one who offers to us the light of the world. And though it's wonderful for us even to learn about what the Jewish people do to this very day to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, it's wonderful for them to continue and maintain that heritage and all that we can learn from it. But the ultimate issue, as you've said, is Finding the life, the light, the living water of the Messiah Himself. Who comes to offer us the very glory of God. Exactly, exactly.
And I just want to remind people, and the feast, again, were given to the Jewish people. I know a lot of churches today want to celebrate the feast, but they were given to the Jews. And the reason I bring this up, Paul, because in the future, one of the feasts that's going to continue on into eternity is the Feast of Tabernacles. That's right, Jimmy. There's only going to be Four feasts celebrated in the coming Millennial Kingdom And one of them One of them is the Feast of Tabernacles.
And we find the Feast of Tabernacles amazingly Listed in Ezekiel 45, verse 25. It's spoken of there as one of these four millennial feasts. or holidays But the passage that really and I I'll never forget, Jimmy, when I first really understood this passage, and just it's just like opening up a truth about something amazing that will happen during the Millennial Kingdom. in Zechariah fourteen. 16 through 19.
It talks about this time, it's not just going to be all the males of Israel that need to go. To celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, Jimmy, but it's going to be all the nations of the earth that are going to have to go up. to celebrate the the nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, and most specifically the great king, to worship him. and there will be chastening on those who refuse to go to celebrate the Feast of Booths in the coming Millennial Kingdom, which will be really the ultimate fulfillment of Christ Tabernacling. with his people.
Wow. Good things to think about. Again, Zechariah chapter 14 talks about that future when we will celebrate it. And look, if people don't go during the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no rain.
So everyone will be commanded to go where Jesus Christ will be seated on his earthly throne in the city of Jerusalem, in the place of Mount Moriah, God's holy mountain, that spot that through history had played an important part, the top of Mount Moriah. In the future, that's going to be the place where Jesus Christ with co-regent King David will be there in the city of Jerusalem. Paul, I'm looking forward to that time. You and I will be there as the bride of Christ will be the queen as Jesus is the king over the Jewish people. But we will look forward to that time into the future, correct?
That is so correct, Jimmy. And you know what's even another final element of all of this. The word that John used back in John 1:14 for Christ dwelling with his people is used for. There's one special reference where it's used in chapter 21, verse 3. where it talks about the fact that God Himself will be with Him.
He will dwell with them. They will be His people. And so God for eternity will be living, as it were, in a tabernacle with His people Who have trusted in him through all the ages here of history on this earth? We looked at it from a Jewish point of view, from the Old Testament, from the New Testament, and into the future at the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul Scharf, thank you, Paul, so much for being with us today.
We look forward to having you on again. Thank you so much, Jimmy. It's been a great privilege.
Well, we've got to take a break and when we come back, the Legacy Series with Dr. Jimmy Deun, right here on Prophecy Today weekend. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word.
Rick, we've got a praise report this week. We certainly do, Jimmy, and we're so appreciative of all our listeners and all those that support our ministry both with prayer and financially. I have a letter from a couple in Niganu, Michigan. We enjoy listening to Prophecy Today's weekend broadcast on WHWL, a station in Michigan. We find that the contributors to the program bring a wonderful insight into how Bible prophecy is playing out before our very eyes.
We've included a gift in support of the ministry and pray that God will continue to use prophecy today in powerful ways to reach many with insight into the way world events are falling in line with everything that the Bible predicts will come to pass. We thank this couple and we thank all the supporters of our ministry. Rick, we are so blessed to receive that and please keep praying for us as we continue the ministry of Edify. And educating the body of Christ. On our legacy series today, we begin a brand new series that will answer the question: where is the United States in Bible prophecy?
We'll begin our study in the book of Genesis, chapter 10, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung and the Legacy Series. But when I open up the floor for Bible prophecy questions, I'm always asked. Where is the United States in Bible prophecy? Where is the United States?
The other day I was in a meeting down south, and I opened up for prophecy QA, and somebody asked that question, and before I could give the answer, a guy in the back said, Hey, I know. I normally do not give you know, any leeway for anybody in the audience to respond to the question. But this guy was rather overbearing.
So I said, okay, sir, where do you think the United States is in Bible prophecy? He said, I don't think, sonny, I know. I said, okay, where is it? Jerusalem. I said, sir, the question is: where is the United States?
Hey, I know the question, sonny. The answer is Jerusalem. I said, how do you get that, sir? He said, it's very simple. J E R U S A L E N.
And I left just like you did, but that is the answer. That is the answer. If the United States is in Bible prophecy, it has a relationship with Jerusalem. I'll get to that in a few moments. Let's take our Bibles, though, and go to the book of Genesis, because I want to look this morning with you at the origins of states, the origins of nations.
You know, the first 12 chapters of the book of Genesis is key to our understanding of not only the entire Word of God, but Bible prophecy. The book of Genesis is a foundation for Bible prophecy. Everything in the first 12 chapters that is laid out there is the genesis of understanding all of Bible prophecy. Genesis, the first 12 chapters, goes like this: Genesis 1 is creation. Genesis 2, the special effects or details of creation.
Genesis 3 is the fall of man. Genesis 4 is the story of Cain and Abel. Genesis 5 is a genealogy from Adam to Noah. Genesis 6, 7, and 8 is Noah and the flood. Genesis 9 is Noah after the flood.
Genesis 10, another genealogy. Genesis chapter 11 is the Tower of Babel. And chapter 12, call of Abraham out of Ur the Chaldees. And in those 12 chapters, you have 2,000 years of history. 2,000 years from Genesis 1 to Genesis 12.
It lays out the foundation of all of Bible prophecy.
Now remember, I said Genesis chapter 6, 7, and 8 would be Noah and the flood. Genesis chapter 9 is Noah after the flood. Look at chapter 9 just a moment with me, and let me show you what God says to Noah and his three sons and their four wives after the flood is over. They've landed on the mountains of Ararat, which would be eastern Turkey, right over near the Russian border. And here's what the Lord says to Noah: chapter 9 and verse 1.
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and he said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. Replenish the earth, or repeople the earth. There were approximately, those who make up these statistics, approximately 1 billion people on the earth from the time of creation until the time of Noah's flood. 1 billion people were killed, with the exception of eight souls: Noah, Shem, Ham, and Jepeth, his three sons, and their four wives. Those are the only eight souls remaining after this great judgment of a worldwide flood.
Now the Lord tells Noah and his sons and their wives, be fruitful, multiply, and repeople the earth. Chapter 10 is the beginning of at least the obedience of these men having relations with their women and moving forward to do exactly what the Lord said: repeople the earth. Chapter 10 and verse 1.
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Jepeth. And unto them were sons born after the flood.
Now here are the sons of Jepeth. I'm not going to read them all, but let me just highlight a couple of them. The sons of Jepeth, Gomer, Meh. Agog, skip a couple. Tubal, Meshech, look at the last one in verse three.
Tagarma.
Now, wait a minute, I just told you that all of Bible prophecy has its foundation in the book of Genesis. In a moment or two, we're going to be looking at Ezekiel chapter 38. I have just given you the names of the personalities in Ezekiel 38 and the nations that will be involved in that alignment of nations coming against the Jewish state of Israel in the beginning of the tribulation period. Their names come from the sons of Noah, excuse me, sons of Jepeth, grandsons of Noah, and they are the ones who established the nations that we'll be talking about. Look what I'm talking about here.
Look at verse 5 of chapter 10. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided into their lands, everyone after his tongue, after their families, and in their nations.
Now, what happened over in chapter 11 of the book of Genesis is that the people, all of the earth, was speaking one language. Because of that, Nimrod was able to go into the face of God, and instead of doing what the Lord had told him to do in chapter 9 and verse 1, be fruitful, multiply, re-people the earth, he instead said, No, we're not going to fill this earth with people. We're going to build a great city. It will be the beginning of my kingdom. I'm going to set everything in place.
And the whole world followed him and got in line behind him. Because of that, then God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit came down, chapter 11, confused the languages.
Now we're looking at a world with so many different languages, nobody's really able to understand each other until they start finding those who are speaking in conflict. Language and start coming together to establish a settlement of some type. Once they have done that, then they are going to have children.
Some of them, they'll teach their children a language, and then they'll move to a location to establish a nation speaking that language.
Now, that is the beginning of all nations. Look again at verse 5: By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided into their lands, everyone after his tongue. And so they started learning the language that the Lord had given to them at that place in Babel. After his tongue, after their families, they started raising families in their nations. They established nations.
Let's think about this just a moment. You can go to any historical geographical textbook on biblical lands, and you can look up Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Tagarmah. When you do that, you're going to see that Magog went to the north of the Caspian and Black Sea with his family, teaching them a language. North of the Caspian and Black Sea, if you know anything about geography, would be what we know as modern-day Russia. Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Tagarma went south of the Caspian and Black Sea, and that would be in the geographical area that we know today as modern-day Turkey.
In fact, I was in Turkey doing some television not too long ago, picked up an ancient Turkish map, and that Turkish map was relating to me that during Biblical times, Turkey was divided into four parts. Those four parts, Meshach, Tubal, Gomer, and Tagarmah. And so we see that the sons of Jepeth, grandsons of Noah, took their families, taught them a language, and went to a geographical location and established a nation.
Now let's look at verse 6. This is the next son. This would be Ham. And the sons of Ham, Cush and Mizrom, and Put and Cana.
Now let me just think through with you who these people are. When you come to Cush, Cush is what we know today as the area of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan. Mizoram is modern day Egypt, Put is modern-day Libya, and Cana is modern-day Israel. And so we see now that additional nations are coming into existence as well, and this is laying out for us a very interesting concept. Right now, here in chapter 10, we're 262 years away from Abraham ever coming on the scene.
Hear what I just said? Right now, in this passage of scripture, I got the number from the genealogies. Don't throw away genealogies. There's some great truth in genealogies. There's a genealogy in chapter 5 that sets up for the reason Noah was able to escape the flood and his family.
A genealogy in chapter 10 laying out for us where these peoples go to establish nations. Chapter 11, a genealogy bringing us to Abraham. And if you look at chapter 10 with Ham having these boys, Cush, Mizoram, and Put, and Cana, you'll have to realize that Abraham's not on the scene. It's 260 years plus before he's ever kind of come on the scene. And by the way, listen to me.
That's going to be a number of years before Ishmael ever comes on the scene. Here's my point. Ishmael did not father the Arab world. I've just established that Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan Egypt, the most populated Arab nation in the world, and Libya are involved as sons of Ham, grandsons of Noah, establishing nations. How do I know they established nations?
Look here in verse 20. These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, in their nations. One I didn't throw in, Cush has a son named Nimrod, and verse 10 of chapter 10 says the beginning of his king was Babel in the plains of Shinar. That's the area of Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia, the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. The plains of Sheinar would be what we know as modern-day Iraq, another Arab country.
Let's just take a moment and go to the book of Genesis, chapter 16, with me. The book of Genesis, chapter 16. In chapter 16, we see what is going to happen as it relates to the birth of Ishmael. Again, if we're going to understand the nations, we've got to understand who they really are. Ishmael did not father the Arab world.
Abraham did not father the Arab world. They did father one nation. Let me tell you who they are. Chapter 16 and verse 1.
Now, Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children, and she had a handmaiden, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abraham, Behold, now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maiden, and it may be that I may obtain children by her. And so Abram hearkened unto the voice of his wife, Sarah. He goes in unto Hagar.
He impregnates her. They are going to have a son. His name is going to be Ishmael. Oh, by the way, where was Hagar from? Oh, the first verse says she was an Egyptian.
That verse right there should show you that, hey, Ishmael did not father the Arab world. Unless, now I have a PhD doctorate, I don't have an MD. But I think if there's an MD in the audience, you could probably confirm this. It's impossible for a man to father his mother. I think that's correct.
And if that be the case, Ishmael couldn't father Hagar, an Egyptian.
So Ishmael certainly didn't establish the Egyptian people. Look what it says over here. The Lord does meet with Jesus Christ. I'm talking about. In a pre-incarnate appearance, he does meet with Hagar.
Look at verse 8. And he said unto Hagar, Sarah has a maiden, whence camest thou? And he was asking what she was concerned about. And then he said unto her in verse 10, And the angel of the Lord said, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly. By the way, the angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, and that you shall be numbered for a multitude.
And the angel of the Lord, Jesus Christ, said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thine affliction. And he will be a wild man. His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all of his brethren. There's a character analysis of what Ishmael is going to be like: a wild man raising his hand against every man, every man's hand against him. But indeed, he's going to father a nation.
It didn't say nations, a nation. Look what it says here in verse 20 of chapter 17. The Lord Jesus again appears to Abraham. He's had this son, Ishmael, and here's what he tells him: Verse 20, And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly.
Twelve princes shall he begot, and I will make him a great nation. One nation. Ishmael became the father of one nation, not the many nations of the Arab world. This is key to understanding Bible prophecy.
Next week we'll see which nation was fathered by Ishmael as we continue to answer the question where is the United States in Bible prophecy? Dr. Jimmy D. Young and the Legacy Series. 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 Steve O'Dell with Mission Network News. A key U.S. sanctions deadline took effect Wednesday, shutting down all but a handful of Iranian flights to Turkey, the UAE, and China. Amid growing isolation, a different shift is taking place. Edwin Abnus with Heart for Iran says many ordinary Iranians have become disillusioned with Islam.
Islam lost its legitimacy alongside the government, but that does not mean that Iranians. Threw away God and the idea of the supernatural altogether. They're still spiritual because that is woven into their identity. Gospel doors are opening. In the past 10 years, we have had about 650,000 people contacting us, and over 250,000 people say that, yes, I want to follow Jesus.
Prayer audience find connection in Christ. And if you live in the United States, could you give a few minutes each month to be a good old-fashioned pen pal with a prison inmate? Jill Payne-Holman, senior vice president at Prisoners for Christ, was amazed when she first became a Bible study correspondent.
Some of the insights prisoners shared were incredible. You start to really remember inmates are peoples, like real people with souls that need saving and souls that need encouragement and need discipleship and need a Christian friend to help them because prison's a pretty dark place. Adventures could be waiting. Whether you become a pen pal or a Bible study correspondent, God can use you to help a U.S. prisoner grow in faith.
Prayer. Carefully consider joining this letter-writing ministry. There's an especially great need for men to write to men in prison. Connect with Prisoners for Christ at our website to learn how to get started. Thank you for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries.
We are listener-supported by people like you. Together, the great commission happens. Look for the links at MissionNetworkNews.org. That's MissionNetworkNews.org. I'm Steve O'Dell.
Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with my brother Rick, we have been examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. This is the time of the program, Rick, where we take a look back. We try to collect our thoughts as to this, really running through the geopolitical aspect of the world, decisions that world leaders are making here in America, in Iran, in Russia, in Saudi Arabia, in China, all over the world, in the Middle East.
And then, of course, we're looking at the Feast of Tabernacles that we talked with Paul Sharf on. What are your thoughts on today's program?
Well, Jimmy, one of the things that really struck me is the fact that so many things are happening all at once. If you look at Europe, you look at the European Union, you look at Russia, and it seems like with that nuclear threat, it just makes everything so much more intense. You look at Iran and you see the protests that are going on there, and it seems like that could be the main. Match that sets something off. But if you look at the events that are going to take place in the end time, it seems like they could just go immediately.
And one thing that is just in God's timing, I mean, it could happen tomorrow, the events that God has set forth to take place in the future, but it's just in God's timing. It seems like he's just holding off. Yes. You know, and this is not the first time in history where we have felt like we've been at the threshold. You know, you could go back, especially if you go back to 1948.
And I've always, now I wasn't alive, Rick, and you weren't either, but we do know people and we've talked to people. When Israel became a nation again, people thought the next day that the rapture was going to take place. It wasn't God's timing. Go through history from that beginning point on. We could talk about other points in history.
As we have been doing this program over the last 20 years with our father, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, you and I have been working on it, producing it, being involved with. that we have been on the threshold of wow I mean, how can the rapture not be today or in the next few moments? And today, again, we're here at that point where we're watching, but we do understand. And really, if we believe in an imminent event, the rapture could have taken place immediately after Christ ascended into the heavenlies.
After his resurrection in the city of Jerusalem, he ascended into the heavenlies. That's Acts chapter 1. Church begins in Acts chapter 2. But really, if you believe in an imminent event of his, the rapture could have happened immediately after he ascended into the heavenlies. But 2,000 years later, it hasn't happened.
And it might not happen for another 20 years, Rick. You and I, as we look at this, man, it's going to happen tomorrow or today or in the next few moments. But. We do know that the only thing that has to happen, as far as when we look at Bible prophecy, there are very few things. There's nothing that needs to happen before the rapture of the church takes place.
What is it?
Well, 2 Peter, Peter says that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That's 2 Peter 3, verse 9. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the beginning of prophecy starts to unfold. You know, after the rapture of the church.
So, what is God waiting for?
Well, he's moving all the parts and pieces in place as we've seen today. And then, of course, he's waiting for people to come to know him as the heavenly Father, as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Jesus Christ that died on the cross, the Lamb that took away all sin for all. all of mankind. And that is his plan, his plan for redemption for all of mankind. And that's what he's waiting for.
He's waiting for people to come and enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Well, that's certainly a great thought. And it just goes back to we often ask our guests, especially the ones that are Bible teachers, why study Bible prophecy? And of course, the first reason is it's in the Bible. It's there.
Some 30% of the Bible is prophecy.
So if God wanted us to study it, that's why he put it in there. But the other reason is if this doesn't motivate you, all these things taking place, and we know God has written the end story and he's given it to us. To us to let us know what's going to happen. If this doesn't motivate you, I don't know what else would. I agree wholeheartedly.
You know, Daniel, by reading the prophet Jeremiah, he understood the times in which he was living. That's Daniel chapter 9. You know, us as believers, as we read God's word, it's to help us to understand the times in which we're living. It's exciting times. I mean, and you have to understand how I say that.
It's exciting in the fact that we are getting closer and closer every single day to the rapture of the church. Yes, it's going to be tough times, but it's going to be way tougher during a tribulation period. And, you know, what we have, everything in God's word, is to prepare us in order to live in this world until either he takes us home at death or, and our father, Dr. Jimmy De Young, he never thought that he would go, he would die. He knew he was going to go in the rapture of the church.
But in any case, we are to understand what our role is here on this earth. And the other thing that really strikes me, Jimmy, is basically the Christian community around the world is facing persecution, and we know that is only going to accelerate as we get closer to God's end time scenario and the events that are going to take place in the tribulation. It really puts it at the forefront of our mind to continue to pray for them and support them. You know, Paul in his instructions to Timothy, he said, you know, if you're not suffering persecution, then you're doing something wrong. Essentially, I'm paraphrasing Rick, but you know, if you are not, you know, at least if people don't recognize that you're a Christian, you can't be a secret believer.
We do have it easy. We've had it easy, but I've always challenged young people when I speak in schools. I've challenged older folks. I've challenged parents as they teach their kids. You know, America might not be that nation that we all grew up with, a free nation.
We are watching Christians around the world, whether it be in Iran, India, Pakistan. Any Muslim nation where you have Christians that live there, they're being persecuted. It could happen to us here in America. As believers, people should see that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. And because you are a follower, they're going to persecute you, not because of who you are, but because of who you follow.
And that is Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Well, Rick, I appreciate all that you've done on the program this week. And I really do want to thank you so much for your thought-out process because we use a systematic way of thinking when we're thinking about the questions and the interviews that we're going to do and the topics we're going to touch. Don't we do that? We do, and Jimmy, I'm happy and blessed that I could be able to do that. Yes, well, this week we have looked at the world on the threshold again.
I'm pretty sure next week when we return on the program, we're going to see a world that's on the threshold of Armageddon or the rapture taking place immediately. And that's what we get up every day expecting. Even so, Lord, come quickly. Let's keep looking up until. Thank you so much for joining us today.
This is Jay Johnson inviting you to join us again next week for more of Prophecy Today. Prophecy Today is a listener-supported production of Shofar Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
