Recently I talked with two pastors, both graduates of American seminaries. They are both dedicated men, who have come out of their own culture to work overseas with the local and expatriate people.
Question: We see some of your writings on Bible prophecy and end times events. Explain to us what you think is going to happen.
Keraz: There are five prophecies that specify the Negev desert as the focus of a terrible event that will cause destruction over virtually the entire Middle East (1)
Nothing to match it has occurred in the past, and seeing the current political situation, we can now see how this may take place.
Iran will attempt to deliver a nuclear weapon to destroy Israel’s nuclear plant at Dimona, in the Negev. (2) Also they will target Israel’s cities, excepting for Jerusalem.
This action will bring forth the wrath of the Lord. (3) The Jewish State of Israel, too will be destroyed and its current inhabitants killed or displaced. (4)
The Lord will use this event to carry out His judgement against the nations, including Judah. (5) It will be the Day, mentioned many times in the Bible, as the Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath, (6) and will be the Sixth Seal judgement/punishment of the nations. (7)
After a period of time, perhaps only a few months, the Lord will call His people, all the righteous Christians from every tribe, race, nation and language, to gather and enter all of the holy Land. As the new nation of Beulah , where He will bless them with prosperity and peace. (8) They will rebuild the Temple, as described in Ezekiel 40-36, and send out 144,000 missionaries to preach the coming Kingdom of God. (9)
Later, a Northern confederation of nations will be motivated to attack Beulah; But the Lord will totally destroy them. (10)
Also, after the worldwide devastation of the Lord’s terrible Day of fiery wrath, the surviving world leaders will decide to form a one world government, which will soon be taken over by a powerful and charismatic dictator. Later, he will sign a seven year peace and security agreement with God’s people , but after 3½ years, he will break that treaty and invade Beulah. This will begin the Tribulation (11) and after the final 3½ years of this age, the Lord Jesus will return and commence His Millennium reign. (12)
Pastors reply: Yes, we live in a dark and fallen world. Jesus came because of this sin. He believed in a Day of judgement for this evil world. When Jesus went to the Cross, He said ‘Now is the judgement for this world”. John 12:31 He understood the Cross to be the Day of Judgement. Note that the sky was darkened and the earth shaken then.
This is the basis for the substitutionary death of Christ and this is how the Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled by Him. The whole point of Jesus coming to the earth was to take God’s wrath upon the Cross. The Cross and the hope of our resurrection is what the Christian faith is all about.
Keraz: I think that it’s sad that you don’t consider prophecy as worthy of study.
In 2 Peter 1:19, he says that we do well to attend to the prophets, and in Revelation 1:3 a blessing is given to those who ‘take to heart’ what is written there.
Final fulfilment of God’s judgement must still wait for the end times, as Paul says in Hebrews 10:27 and Peter in 2 Peter 3:10.
References;
(1) Ezekiel 20:46, Ezekiel 21:4, Isaiah 9:18-19, Jeremiah 13:19-21, Jeremiah 21:14.
(2) Isaiah 21:2, Isaiah 22:6.
(3) Ezekiel 7:14, Psalms 7:12-16, Ezekiel 30:1-5, Judah- Zechariah 13:8-9, Iran- Jeremiah 49:34-39, Syria- Isaiah 17:1-4, Palestinians- Ezekiel 25:15-17, Arabia- Jeremiah 49:28-39, Jordan- Ezekiel 25:1-11, Egypt- Isaiah 19:1-15.
(4) Jeremiah 12:14, Obadiah 12-16, Zephaniah 1:1-18, Jeremiah 8:5-12.
(5) Amos 1:1-18 & 2:1-5, Zephaniah 3:8, 2 Peter 3:7
(6) Isaiah 63:1-6, Isaiah 33:10-12, Jeremiah 30:23-24, Malachi 4:1-3, Zechariah 9:13-15.
(7) Habakkuk 3:12, Revelation 6: 12-17, Revelation 14:18-20
(8) Isaiah 62:1-5. Ezekiel 34:11-16, Jeremiah 32:37-43, Isaiah 14:1, Psalms 69:36
(9) Revelation 7:3-8, Revelation 14:1-7, Isaiah 66:19.
(10) Ezekiel chapters 38 &39, Joel 2:20.
(11) Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21-22, Revelation 8 to 19:11
(12) Revelation 20:4-6, Hosea 6:2, Luke 13:32
Question: We see some of your writings on Bible prophecy and end times events. Explain to us what you think is going to happen.
Keraz: There are five prophecies that specify the Negev desert as the focus of a terrible event that will cause destruction over virtually the entire Middle East (1)
Nothing to match it has occurred in the past, and seeing the current political situation, we can now see how this may take place.
Iran will attempt to deliver a nuclear weapon to destroy Israel’s nuclear plant at Dimona, in the Negev. (2) Also they will target Israel’s cities, excepting for Jerusalem.
This action will bring forth the wrath of the Lord. (3) The Jewish State of Israel, too will be destroyed and its current inhabitants killed or displaced. (4)
The Lord will use this event to carry out His judgement against the nations, including Judah. (5) It will be the Day, mentioned many times in the Bible, as the Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath, (6) and will be the Sixth Seal judgement/punishment of the nations. (7)
After a period of time, perhaps only a few months, the Lord will call His people, all the righteous Christians from every tribe, race, nation and language, to gather and enter all of the holy Land. As the new nation of Beulah , where He will bless them with prosperity and peace. (8) They will rebuild the Temple, as described in Ezekiel 40-36, and send out 144,000 missionaries to preach the coming Kingdom of God. (9)
Later, a Northern confederation of nations will be motivated to attack Beulah; But the Lord will totally destroy them. (10)
Also, after the worldwide devastation of the Lord’s terrible Day of fiery wrath, the surviving world leaders will decide to form a one world government, which will soon be taken over by a powerful and charismatic dictator. Later, he will sign a seven year peace and security agreement with God’s people , but after 3½ years, he will break that treaty and invade Beulah. This will begin the Tribulation (11) and after the final 3½ years of this age, the Lord Jesus will return and commence His Millennium reign. (12)
Pastors reply: Yes, we live in a dark and fallen world. Jesus came because of this sin. He believed in a Day of judgement for this evil world. When Jesus went to the Cross, He said ‘Now is the judgement for this world”. John 12:31 He understood the Cross to be the Day of Judgement. Note that the sky was darkened and the earth shaken then.
This is the basis for the substitutionary death of Christ and this is how the Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled by Him. The whole point of Jesus coming to the earth was to take God’s wrath upon the Cross. The Cross and the hope of our resurrection is what the Christian faith is all about.
Keraz: I think that it’s sad that you don’t consider prophecy as worthy of study.
In 2 Peter 1:19, he says that we do well to attend to the prophets, and in Revelation 1:3 a blessing is given to those who ‘take to heart’ what is written there.
Final fulfilment of God’s judgement must still wait for the end times, as Paul says in Hebrews 10:27 and Peter in 2 Peter 3:10.
References;
(1) Ezekiel 20:46, Ezekiel 21:4, Isaiah 9:18-19, Jeremiah 13:19-21, Jeremiah 21:14.
(2) Isaiah 21:2, Isaiah 22:6.
(3) Ezekiel 7:14, Psalms 7:12-16, Ezekiel 30:1-5, Judah- Zechariah 13:8-9, Iran- Jeremiah 49:34-39, Syria- Isaiah 17:1-4, Palestinians- Ezekiel 25:15-17, Arabia- Jeremiah 49:28-39, Jordan- Ezekiel 25:1-11, Egypt- Isaiah 19:1-15.
(4) Jeremiah 12:14, Obadiah 12-16, Zephaniah 1:1-18, Jeremiah 8:5-12.
(5) Amos 1:1-18 & 2:1-5, Zephaniah 3:8, 2 Peter 3:7
(6) Isaiah 63:1-6, Isaiah 33:10-12, Jeremiah 30:23-24, Malachi 4:1-3, Zechariah 9:13-15.
(7) Habakkuk 3:12, Revelation 6: 12-17, Revelation 14:18-20
(8) Isaiah 62:1-5. Ezekiel 34:11-16, Jeremiah 32:37-43, Isaiah 14:1, Psalms 69:36
(9) Revelation 7:3-8, Revelation 14:1-7, Isaiah 66:19.
(10) Ezekiel chapters 38 &39, Joel 2:20.
(11) Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21-22, Revelation 8 to 19:11
(12) Revelation 20:4-6, Hosea 6:2, Luke 13:32