Author: learnbiblical

This Blog is my second attempt to create an online Blog presence. My first Blog at www.LearnBiblical.com was four years ago in which my first Blog was pulled off the Internet in late April 2014. I had purchased the Blog on May 9, 2012 from a company in Phoenix, Arizona called Bloggers Making Money. In that first Blog I published 111 Blog Articles and received comments from France, Germany, the United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Wales, Canada and Asian countries including the Philippines.

No matter what people call it, the land never was and never will be ‘Palestine’

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Today, the Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

November 2025

No matter what people call it,

the land never was and never will be ‘Palestine’

  HarbingersDaily.com | By Oliver Melnick | September 25, 2025

  Had Hitler not committed suicide in his bunker and survived the war, would he have been a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize?  Of course not, so why in the world is Palestine being recognized as a state two years after the bloody murders of October 7, 2023, by Hamas, and with still hostages kept in Gaza?  Are we rewarding terrorism, rape, murder, and hostage taking?  By saying yes to the Palestinian Authority demanding full recognition, we absolutely are, and that is more problematic than people realize.  These people have no history, no borders, no money, and they only have people.  The land they want was given to Israel by the Creator God, who gave it to them perpetually.  They have a 4,000-year history in that land.

  This year marks the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and while many parts of the world could benefit from a genuine global organization that claims to be “the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity” the United Nations are obsessed with demonizing and delegitimizing Israel.  So much so, that since 2015, it has passed 301 resolutions against Israel and 192 against the rest of the world, including some countries such as North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Russia, China, Syria, and others.  The double standards are so obvious, but nobody seems to care.  The bias and one-sidedness are sickening!

 Officially, the Palestinian Liberation Organization declared the establishment of the State of Palestine in 1988.  This happened under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, who incidentally, was born in 1929 in Cairo, Egypt, not “Palestine.”  Ever since, more countries have officially recognized Palestine as a bonafide state.  151 out of the 193 nations part of the United Nations have now taken sides against Israel by recognizing Palestine.  This year, UK, France, Belgium, Portugal, Australia, Malta, and Canada will join ranks.

  It would be difficult to accept such recognition even if it had conditions to it, knowing full well that these pre-requisites to a two-state solution would be broken within days.  How do I know that?  Simply look at the Gaza Strip.  That area was under Israeli control until 2005.  Under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel dismantled their military operations and evacuated all Israeli citizens from the Strip, leaving behind an infrastructure that could have been picked up and utilized to grow the Arab economy in the Gaza Strip.  Buildings were destroyed, greenhouses leveled, along with any remnant of an Israeli economy and infrastructure.  Twenty years later, the Gaza Strip includes 300 miles of tunnels dedicated to only one thing: killing Jews!

  Let me get this straight.  Israel has not been inside Gaza officially since 2005, so there is no occupation of that strip of land by Jewish settlers, period.  The strip was given unilaterally to the Arabs to settle and grow their economy and society.  Instead, they expanded their terrorism year after year, right in front of the world and with the financial help and political support of many nations, in the name of peace in the Middle East, and then…October 7, 2023, happened.  Now, several major nations from within the West are recognizing Palestine unilaterally and without any conditions.  What could possibly go wrong?

  Since 2015, the United States has voted 93% in favor of Israel at the UN.  Let’s pray that trend continues.  Yet, with the likely election of Zohran Mamdani as the next mayor or New York and the slow by steady growth of Islam within our walls, America could turn on Israel as well.  After all, the Bible does prophesy that in the End Times, the whole world — including America — will turn on Jerusalem, as spoken by Zechariah.

  “But it will be in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who heave it up will be severely injured.  And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.”

  As “Palestine” is on the cusp of being unilaterally recognized and terrorism rewarded, Israel increasingly finds itself pushed into a corner.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might not have any other option but to annex Judea and Samaria (wrongly labelled as the West Bank) as a response to the Palestinian recognition.

  The land never was and never will be Palestine, no matter what people call it.  It is God’s land, and He was the very first Zionist!  Coming to the rescue of Israel and speaking up against the lies spewed by the Red / Green axis is not only unpopular, but it is slowly becoming lethal.  In light of Charlie Kirk’s assassination for speaking biblical truth and being a friend of Israel, we must not remain silent.  As the days of being pro-Israel continue, even if her friends are dwindling, those of us in that camp need to move it up a notch and get skin in the game.  As we continue to be pro-Israel, we now need to become proactive for Israel.

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the November 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “No matter what people call it, the land never was and never will be ‘Palestine'” www.JohnBarela.com

 

Has God Replaced His Chosen People, Israel? Are God’s promises to Israel still in effect?

On By learnbiblicalIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

September 2025

Has God Replaced His Chosen People,

Israel?

Are God’s promises to Israel

still in effect?

 Does God have a plan for the nation of Israel in the end days?

   Of course.  We are told in Numbers 24:14, “Now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.” 

  The apostle Paul brings us this same question in the New Testament book of Romans 11:1-2, 25-27 “I say then, Has God cast away his people?  God forbid.  For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.  God has not cast away his people, which he foreknew.  Know you not what the scripture says of Elias?  How he makes intercession to God against Israel saying … For I would not, brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.  And so, all Israel shall be saved:  as it is written, “There shall come out of Scion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.“

  Israel was blinded to the two comings of our Lord Jesus to earth.  The two comings of the Messiah serve as a framework for understanding divine intervention in human history, emphasizing hope and the promise of salvation.  Israel failed to see their Messiah come as a suffering servant, as is pictured in a very graphic way in Isaiah 53, where the Messiah was to become the Lamb of God who would die for the sins of the people.  Being under the rule of Rome, the Jews wanted a Deliverer like Moses, not someone who would die on a Cross.

  Regarding the time of the Second Coming of the Messiah Jesus, we read in Hosea 5:15-6:3, “I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face:  in their affliction they will seek Me early.  (They shall say) Come and let us return unto the Lord;  for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up.  After two days will He revive us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight…”.

  Some understand this verse to say that the phrase after two days, refers to two thousand years of the dispensation of the mystery mentioned in Romans 11:25, when Israel will be revived, after being in exile for this period since Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.

  Does the Scripture give credence to those who believe a timeframe may be calculated for prophetic events such as the Rapture of the Church or the Rebirth and Restoration of Israel to true faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

 

  The prophet Daniel calculated the length of the Babylonian Captivity from Jeremiah’s prophecy.  “In the first year of his reign, I Daniel, understood by books the number of the years, whereof the Word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2).  Most Bible centered teachers believe that such evidence has been available to the Church, through the prophecies of Hosea, to give us a credible time frame for the momentous events of prophecy that will close out this Church Age.  “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your Redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

 

  The Bible is about two-thirds prophecy, and God certainly wants us to have an understanding of prophecy.  It is written, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter” (Proverbs 25:2).  As Daniel wrote in Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:  many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.“  Many passages of prophecy would be sealed until the time of the end, which time we believe we are now living in.

  It is only the Blessed Paraklete Himself (the Holy Spirit) that can remove the scales from our eyes to make plain the meaning He intended when He inspired the writing of the prophecies.  “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth:  for He shall not speak of Himself;  but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you Things To Come” (John 16:13). Much of what the Old Testament prophets composed by the Spirit’s inspiration, was not understood by the prophets themselves, though they faithfully recorded Jehovah’s message.  “Of which Salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1st Peter 1:10-12).

  God gives us a huge view into the future of the chosen nation, Israel, and its restoration in the latter days.  God spoke through his prophet Hosea in 808 BC.  “After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight” (Hosea 6:2).  Hosea’s prophecy occurred during the days of Northern Israel, before the successive invasions of the Assyrians as we read in “And the LORD said unto him.  Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.  And it shall come to pass at that day, that  I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:4-5).  Though much of  prophesy has a dual meaning, a “contemporary-to-them-but-historic-to-us” significance, some passages were difficult to interpret under any contemporary, historic, future, or prophetic scenario. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD:  for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.  After two days will He revive us:  in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.  Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:  HIs going forth is prepared as the morning:  and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the Earth” (Hosea 6:1-3).

 In John Gill’s commentary, “An Exposition of the Old and New Testament” (1809), he offers this short explanation of the cryptic second verse of Hosea’s sixth chapter — “After two days will He revive us:  in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in HIs sight” (Hosea 6:2) — Gill comments:

  “But the Targum comes nearer the truth, which paraphrases the words thus, ‘he will quicken us in the days of consolation which as to come, and in the day of the resurrection of the dead he will raise us up;  where by days of consolation are meant the days of the Messiah, with which the Jews generally connect the resurrection of the dead;  and if we understand them of the last days of the Messiah, it is not much amiss;  for the words of respect the quickening and raising up of the Jews in the latter days, the times of Christ’s spiritual coming and reign:  and these two and three days may be expressive of a long and short time, as interpreters differently explain them; of a long time, as the third day is a long time for a man to lie dead, when there can be little or no hope of his reviving — ‘But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:  and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done’ (Luke 24:21) — or of a short time, for which two or three days is a common phrase; and both true in this case: it is a long time Israel and Judah have been in captivity, and there may seem little hope of their restoration; 

  But it will be a short time with the Lord, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years [‘But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years as one day’ (2nd Peter 3:8)]: and this I take to be the sense of the words, that after the second Millennium, or the Lord’s two days, and at the beginning of the third, will be the time of their conversion and restoration, reckoning from the last destruction of them by the Romans [70 AD]; for not till then were Israel and Judah wholly in a state of death:  many of Israel were mixed among those of Judah before the Babylonish captivity, and many returned with them from it;  but, when destroyed by the Romans, there was an end of their civil and church state;  which will both be revived on a better foundation at this period of time;  but if this conjecture agreeable (for I only propose it as such), the sense may be taken thus, that in a short time after the repentance of Israel, and their conversion to the Lord, they will be brought into a very comfortable and happy state and condition, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual.”

  Mr. Gill wrote this in 1809, many years before the Jews began their return to their promised land at the beginning of the 1900’s, which resulted in the declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. 

  Certainly, John Gill was not attempting to predict the timing of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but many students of prophecy are certainly encouraged that their “Redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28), in light of Hosea’s ancient writings, fits Hosea’s prophecy.  Why?

 

  First, Daniel’s prophecy indicates a time of Tribulation (often called the Tribulation or the Seventieth Week of Daniel).  “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City… and in the midst of the week [the Seventieth Week] he [the Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he [the Antichrist] shall make it  desolate” (Daniel 9:24, 27).

  Second, the departure of the watching and waiting Church before the beginning of the Tribulation week is held out to the saints as an inducement to remain faithful.  “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

   

   Third, the restoration of the Nation of Israel to true faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will occur suddenly in one day after the seven-year Tribulation Week, when Messiah Jesus returns “Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8).  Israel was born in one day on May 14, 1948.

  Fourth, the destruction of Jerusalem by the legions of Rome occurred in 70 AD.  When did Rome burn the Temple?  The Romanized Jewish historian, Josephus, witnessed the actual event.  He recorded that it was burned on ‘exactly the same day it was burned by the Babylonians’.  Jeremiah the Prophet gives the exact date of Nebuchadnezzar’s burning of the Jerusalem Temple. ‘Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem.  And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house;  and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire’ (Jeremiah 52:12-13).  It was destroyed by the Babylonians on the 10th day of the 5th month or Av 10.  John Zachary in his book, ‘Scientific Evidence for the Second Coming of Christ’ on page 8, establishes Sunday, August 5, 70 AD (Julian) — also Av 10 as the correct date for the destruction of the 2nd Temple.

   And finally, if we interpret Hosea’s “two days” (Hosea 6:2) as 2,000 years — “one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2nd Peter 3:8) — and since the Old Testament Jewish calendar is based upon a 360 day year, then “two days” (Hosea 6:2) — 2,000 years times 360 days equals 720,000 days — “after” (Hosea 6:2) the Av 10 Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple would be the period August 5th 70 AD (Julian) to November 17th 2041 AD (Gregorian).

   What did Hosea’s prophecy say would occur after “two days” (Hosea 6:2)? “He will heal us… and He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).  The future Conversion and Restoration of Israel would occur “after two days” (Hosea 6:2).

 

  SOME THINK — (not John Barela) that based on some of their calculations, Israel could be (not WILL be) -restored for the Millennial Reign of the Messiah soon after November 17, 2041 AD (Gregorian).  “In the third day [the thousand year Millennium] He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight” (Hosea 6:2).  But, since the Restoration of Israel occurs at the the Second Coming of Christ, which follows the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel, then about seven years prior, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture would take place.  “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).  This additional calculation would mean that the Tribulation would begin on December 25th 2034 AD (Gregorian), which is 2,520 days or seven prophetic years before the end of the Tribulation Week.

   Does this mean that December 25th, 2034 AD (Gregorian) is the date of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture?  NO, NO, because it would be much more agreeable to be raptured now, instead of years later!  “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;  which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

  Our Lord Jesus Can Come At Any Time:  God himself knows the exact time when he will return, even though he wants us to live with the expectation that he can return at any time.  That allows the Judge of All the Earth, as he is referred to in Genesis 18:25, to work his work of judgment at any time.  “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of All Flesh:  is there any thing too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

   God gave us a wonderful story in the Bible when Hezekiah asked for and received a sign from the LORD that he would recover from his illness.  Our Creator caused the “space-time continuum” to go back in time, i.e., God reversed the rotation of the Earth temporarily.  “And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He hath spoken:  shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?  And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.  And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz” (2nd Kings 20:9-11).  The ability of the Alpha and Omega to touch the improbable is underappreciated.  “With men it is impossible, but not with God:  for with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).  He is able to affect the timing of prophetic events, such that what things man calculated as impossible, God will bring to pass, for the honor of His prophetic Word.  “So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth:  it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

   Why would the Almighty cause this prophecy to seemingly falter from the fulfillment of His end time prophetic goals?  It is possible that the “falter” and confusion are for the benefit of: 

(1) Satan, to keep him from unnecessarily understanding or interfering with Jehovah’s prophetic plans, i.e., “And his [Satan’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the Earth:  and the dragon stood before the woman [Israel] which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child [Jesus] as soon as It was born.  And she brought forth a Man Child, Who was to rule all nations with a Rod of Iron:  and her Child was caught up unto God, and to His Throne” (Revelation 12:4-5),

(2) the scoffers, to harden them for ultimate judgment, i.e., “For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favor, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses” (Joshua 11:20), and 

(3)  the Saints, to cause them to develop faith, hope and love, even when our limited resources cannot fathom the sheer perfection of timing of the Father’s prophetic program, “As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the LORD is tried:  He is a Buckler to all those that trust in Him” (Psalm 18:30).  “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our LORD” (Romans 8:37-39).

 

   The impending deliverance through the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, the subsequent Re-Birth and Restoration of the Nation of Israel to true faith in Jehovah, the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ, and the Millennial Reign of the Messiah, are events of the greatest hope for our world, but all can be manipulated by the Almighty, with greater ease than a child plays with a toy, or than a potter forms his clay.  “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear My Words.  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:  so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.  Then the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?  saith the LORD.  Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand so are ye in Mine hand,  O house of Israel.  At what instant shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;  If it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them” (Jeremiah 18:2-10).

  Our prayer is: may the “LORD direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2nd Thessalonians 3:5), that when He sovereignly chooses to execute His prophetic plans, we “may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2nd Peter 3:14), with our “hand to the plough” (Luke 9:62). 

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the September 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Has God Replaced His Chosen People, Israel?  Are God’s promises to Israel still in effect?  Does God have a plan for the nation of Israel in the end days?” www.JohnBarela.com

THE EMERGENT CHURCH and how little Christians know about it.

On By learnbiblicalIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

November 2025

THE EMERGENT CHURCH

and how little Christians know about it.

  One part of the future reign of Antichrist is the Bride of Antichrist, the One World Church.  One aspect of that group is called the Emergent Church, and it is about to submerge your church. The tragic thing about all of this is that most people in these churches do not even know it!  Here are some warning signs:

  • Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.
  • The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
  • More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.
  • The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.
  • The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.
  • The teaching that the book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has already been fulfilled in the past or is allegorical.
  • An experiential mystical form of Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.
  • The pastor may implement an idea called “ancient-future” or “vintage Christianity,” claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.
  • While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.
  • These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, and experiencing the sacraments (for Protestants), particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.
  • There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism, indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church. This will ultimately lead to the one world religion of Revelation.
  • Some “evangelical” Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far.  They are reexamining the claims of the “church fathers,” saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.
  • Some suggest there are many ways to God.
  • Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave.  If you are over age 50, your opinion will not even matter. 

  There still may be time to stop your church from “submerging” to “Emerging”, but only if you act decisively and in union with others in your church who feel the same.  A delegation of one or two will never impress church leadership, who already think this “new way of doing church” is better than warm  bagels and who have swallowed the Emergent deception.  And make no mistake, it is deception.

 

  When some of the following are lauded from the pulpit or Sunday School class, you need to take that as a clue: Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Dallas Willard, Erwin McManus, and many others, too numerous to name.  You may think it harmless to have a pastor just give a quote from one of these men, but when you understand that they represent the above bullet points, it should be a huge red flag. 

  We all need to take heed of Matthew 7:15-20, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

 

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the November 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “THE EMERGENT CHURCH and how little Christians know about it.” www.JohnBarela.com 

Preparations for the land invasion of Israel by Iran are being made

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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

October 2025

Preparations for the land invasion 

of Israel by Iran are being made!

  “And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:”

  “And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:”

  “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:”

  “Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.”

  “Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.”

  “After many days thou shalt come into the land that is brought  back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.” (Ezekiel 38:3-8)

 Analysis: Will Iran Advance a Ground

Invasion into Israel from Syria?

  It appears Tehran is weighing the strategic option of mobilizing forces to attack Israel from the north — Dr. Yossi Mansharof breaks down how Israel should respond.

  A month after the unprecedented Israeli attack on twenty different targets across Iran, the scope of which is slowly becoming clearer, Iran is still waiting to respond due to forced circumstances.  Iran’s air defense systems were significantly damaged in the attack, and the US elections also contributed to the  postponement of the attack, due to Tehran’s desire not to promote Trump’s chances of winning.  Various senior Iranian officials are again declaring Tehran’s desire to respond to Israel with a third direct attack after the attacks in April and October.  As part of the media debate in Iran surrounding the issue, the daily Khorasan,  affiliated with the Conservative camp, called on the Iranians regime in its November 21, 2024 article to launch a ground invasion of Israel from the Syrian Golan Heights.

  The daily explained that pro-Iranian Shiite militias have already been deployed in this area, and that Syria is expected to approve such an action since it has the right to take military action to liberate the Golan Heights.  The daily estimated that such an attack is already in the planning stages; this is backed by the fact that this outline was discussed in recent meetings held in Damascus and Tehran, between Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Iranian leader Ali Khamenei’s aide, Ali Larijani, with Assad, and Syrian Foreign Minister and  senior officials in Tehran. Khorasan also expressed concern for the Syrian President’s life if the outline were to be implemented, and called on Tehran to devote significant attention to protecting him from Israel. 

  Iran’s “toolbox” in Syria is rich and diverse, and includes the Imam Hussein Division, established back in 2016 under the command of the then-Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani.  The division consists  of thousands of operatives of various nationalities from across the Middle East. The pro-Iranian militias of the Afghan Fatemiyoun, the Pakistani Zainabiyoun,  and of course, Lebanese Hezbollah are also operating in Syria.  Alongside these, in recent months, it was reported that dozens of Houthi operatives have taken the initiative to invade Israel by land via the Syrian border with the assistance of the Quds Force; Tehran may choose to use them if it does indeed wish to advance a ground invasion of Israel. 

 It is worth noting that the Khorasan article also claimed that senior Hezbollah figures led by top commander Ibrahim Aqeel, killed by the IDF on September 20, 2024 had already been planning a ground invasion of Israel from the Golan Heights as a response to the July assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. 

  However, according to the Daily, the planned attack was thwarted by the preemptive strike carried out by Israel.  The daily explained that the goal of the ground invasion could not be to “liberate” the Golan Heights, but rather to pressure Israel to end the war in accordance with Hamas and Hezbollah’s terms.  As Khorasan admitted, Iran’s missile attacks against Israel have limited success in this regard and cannot serve the purpose of halting the war and forcing Israel to accept a ceasefire under the terms of the Axis of Resistance.

  How should Israel respond? 

   As a lesson of the October 7, 2023 massacre, Israel cannot ignore that Tehran is again toying with the idea of planning a ground invasion of Israel. Alongside the continued the continued IDF initiative on the Syrian side of the border, Israel must prepare diplomatically and militarily to make it clear to both Iran and Syria that they will bear all consequences if the plan is implemented. Despite the ongoing attack on senior members of the “Golan File” — the Hezbollah force responsible for establishing a terrorist infrastructure in the Syrian Golan — Iran’s motivation to operate on the ground through Syria still exists.  Therefore, alongside the continued fortifications on the border of the Golan Heights, Israel must make clear to Iranian leaders that Israel will continue to attack Iran directly, including sensitive targets throughout the country and senior members of the Quds Force operating in the area.

  Israel must also make it clear to Syria that their regime will pay a heavy price for carrying out this potential attack, to pressure them into refusing the Iranian request to operate from his territory.  Israel can also work with Russia to restrain Syria and make it difficult to allow Iran to advance a ground invasion plan and to explain that the consequences of such an attack would lead to chaos in Syria, resulting in its losing its grip on the country.  Another possible level for Israel is the United Arab Emirates, which maintains close ties with Syria. According to reports, the UAE has already conveyed a message to Syria immediately after the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war: don’t intervene in the war in Gaza.  It seems that Israel has a lot of room to maneuver against Syria, especially since the Syrian front is the least active of the seven areas fighting Israel in the current war.

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the October 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Preparations for the land invasion of Israel by Iran are being made.” www.JohnBarela.com

Muslim “Messiah” Calls for Arabs to Build Jewish Temple

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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

July 2025

Muslim “Messiah” Calls for Arabs to

Build Jewish Temple:

Could the predicted Islamic Mahdi (Messiah)

be the long-awaited Antichrist?

 Why does Islam hate Israel and Biblical Christianity so much?  We can clearly see the reason for the worldwide activity of the rise of Islam in this article.

  Twelver Shia Islam is the dominant religion in Iran.  This is a place where there is a strong belief in the Imam Mahdi, the twelfth and final Imam.  He is believed to be the divinely guided leader who will emerge at the end of time to rid the world of evil and injustice and establish a just global society.

  What is Iran’s connection to Mahdism?:  Twelver refers to those who believe in the 12th Imam, who is to rise upon the world scene and bring world conquest of Islam.  Some Bible students believe this 12th Imam could be the predicted Antichrist.

  • Twelver Shia Islam: Iran’s government and power structure are primarily “twelvers,” who believe in the Mahdi’s eventual return.
  • Mahdism as a guiding ideology:  The belief in the Mahdi, known as Mahdism plays a significant role in  Iranian political and religious discourse.  It is seen as a source of hope and inspiration, particularly in times of difficulty.
  • Preparing for the  Mahdi’s return: According to Mahdism, preparing for the Mahdi’s reappearance involves removing obstacles to his return.  This can be interpreted in various ways and has sometimes been linked to political goals.
  • Religious occasions and celebrations: The birthday of Imam Mahdi is a major religious occasion celebrated across Iran, highlighting the importance of this belief in the country’s culture.

  Sunni and Shia Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith and are the two main in Islam.  Their main difference is a political one.  These political differences have spawned several varying practices and positions that have come to carry spiritual significance.  For example, Sunni Muslims emphasize the authority of the elected caliphs, whereas Shia Muslims hold that leadership should have remained within the Prophet Muhammad’s family, specifically with his cousin and son-in-law, Ali.  Despite these differences, both groups continue to uphold the core tenets of Islam. 

  The call for the Mahdi’s return:  While the exact time of the  Mahdi’s reappearance is unknown, the belief in his coming is a central tenant for Twelver Shias, including those in Iran.  The “call for the Mahdi to come” refers to the fervent expectation and longing for his return, which is believed to bring about an era of justice and peace.

  Several weeks ago, Israel365 News published an article about Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, commonly known as Abdullah Hashem, an Egyptian-American and the founder of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL).  Abdullah Hashem claims to be the “living successor of both Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ,” and his sermons bring “a divine message to the global Christian community.”  He also claims to be “the successor to Simon Peter, the successor to Jesus Christ, the true and legitimate Pope.” [That statement alone reveals that Abdullah is as false as a $3.33 bill.]  He claims to be the Mahdi, a Messianic figure and a redeemer of Islam who will come as an end-of-days ruler.

  After the article was published, Israel365 News was contacted by Arnaud al Almahdi, a spokesperson for the organization.  He released a statement outlining a proposal by Abdullah Hashem for peace between the Palestinians and Israel based on the Arab world joining with Jews in the construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem:

  “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Groundbreaking Solution Proposed for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Call for Unity and Peace [May 2025] — In a bold and defining development, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace), identified as the Riser of the Family of Mohammed in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has presented a compelling vision for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”

  This initiative calls for a joint effort between the Arabs and Jews to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.  It also calls for the exodus of the Palestinians from Gaza and the creation of a new state headed by a descendant and heir to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH  and his family.)

  In a direct appeal, Aba Al-Sadiq calls upon Benjamin Netanyahu to grant freedom to the two million Palestinians, envisioning their secured future in a new, Divine Just State.  He also calls for recognition from both sides that he, as a representative of Mohammed, be the negotiator between the two parties.  Contact: [The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light]

  Opinion: He claims to be the Mahdi.  I have often credited Muslims for knowing Islamic eschatology while criticizing Christians for not knowing Bible prophecy better than most Christians.  I will come back to that in a moment.

So who is the Mahdi?

 Iranians believe that Muslims should prepare the world for the coming of the Imam Mahdi, who will establish Islamic rule around the world and clean up the planet from those who do not practice Islam.

  Apocalyptic Muslims have long believed that the appearance of Mahdi would coincide with a civil war in the lands of Sham (Syria), which will destroy the country.

  The Shiite clerics of Iran believe that Mahdi is the child of Muhammad, the “hidden Imam” and the twelfth Imam. They argue that Muhammad al Mahdi was born thousands of years ago and disappeared to reappear later when certain signs emerge.  Shiites believe that at the end of times, the 12th Imam will appear with Jesus Christ at his side, kill all the infidels and raise the flag of Islam in all four corners of the world.

   Ayatollah Khamenei told Iranians back in July 2010 that he personally met with the Twelfth Imam.  He also claimed to  be the personal representative of the Mahdi on earth, and said all Muslims must “obey him.”

   “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”(Revelation 6:2)

  The conqueror’s crown (stephanos) is a dead giveaway of a false messiah.

  Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq is paraphrasing (Daniel 9:27):

  “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’  In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.  And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”  This is the NIV text that was used.

   In this prophecy, a 7-year (Hebrew shabua = week or 7, or a week of years) peace treaty is made between Israel and her neighbors (many).  That he, Antichrist, will bring an end to animal sacrifice indicates the 3rd temple, the only place sacrifices can be made. 

  How clever.  We have often speculated that Antichrist will have to find a way to allow a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount while placating Arabs. 

How does the Islamic Mahdi compare

with the Biblical definition of Antichrist?

   Muslims are trying to bring their messiah into the world Pastor Michael Youssef wrote a book entitled, The End Times & The Secret of the Mahdi, where Pastor Youssef suggests that Antichrist will be the Mahdi of Islam.

  Pastor Michael describes in his book how worldwide events occurring right now are leading to those events in prophesied in the Book of Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible.

 “I came to the conclusion that we are coming into the period of time like we have never seen before in history,”  Youssef said.  He is from Cairo, Egypt, and said he deeply loves the Islamic people but believes Islam is leading toward the dark days of the Antichrist.  Youssef says, “He will lull the world into believing in him, even worshipping him as their messiah. But he will end up abusing humanity like it’s never been tormented before. 

  Most people who haven’t even read the Bible have heard of the man known as “The Antichrist.” According to the Bible, the Antichrist will be possessed by Satan, who will rule on earth during the Great Tribulation.  The Antichrist is only referred to once by that specific name (1st John 2:18).  Some of the various various names Scripture uses to identify the Antichrist are the “the Beast” (Revelation 13:4), “the abomination that causes desolation” (Matthew 24:15), “the desolator” (Daniel 9:27), “the man of sin,” “the man of lawlessness,” “the son of destruction” (2nd Thessalonians 2) “the little horn” (Daniel 7:8), “The Assyrian” (Micah 5:5, Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 14:25), “the oppressor’, “the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 14) and even the mysterious “Gog” (Ezekiel 38:1, Revelation 20:7). 

  Why do some seem to believe that the

Antichrist and the Mahdi are one and the same?

 God tells us the Antichrist will emerge as a man who will lead a very powerful world empire, as Hitler led Germany, but on a much greater scale.  This powerful leadership role of the Antichrist is first described clearly in the Bible by the prophet Daniel.  In the book of Daniel, in the seventh chapter, Daniel describes four very unique “beasts”.  After describing the first three, Daniel says this of the fourth: 

 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.  I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Daniel 7:7, 8)

  Then, in verse 15-17, Daniel asks an angel in his vision to explain the interpretation of the vision of the four beasts.  The angel explains that the four beasts represent four very great kingdoms or empires: “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this.  So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.  These great beasts, which are four are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.” (Daniel 7:15-17)

 Essentially, the angel explains that the fourth kingdom will be an empire that will cause great destruction to the whole earth.  Initially, this kingdom will consist of ten kings.  Then another king, an eleventh, will arise and will displace three of the previous kings. This eleventh king is the Antichrist first referred to as “the little horn”.  Thus we see that based on the vision that Daniel was given, the Antichrist is a future king who will first gain control over three other kingdoms or nations, and eventually over ten thus forming his future ten-nation “Beast” empire. It will be an empire of unparalleled power and ferocity, which will “devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it”. 

 The king is said to oppress the saints of God for a period of time and that most Bible scholars agree is three and a half years (a time, times, and half a time).  But eventually, his dominion will be taken away, and replaced by the kingdom of “The Most High” God.

  The Mahdi As World Ruler: As we have seen from the Islamic traditions and Muslim scholars, the Mahdi, like the Antichrist, is also prophesied to be a political and military world leader unparalleled by any other throughout world history.  The Mahdi is said to “fight against the forces of evil, lead a world revolution and set up a new world order based on justice, righteousness, and virtue.”  According to Islamic tradition, the Mahdi is said to preside over the entire earth as the final Caliph of Islam.  And the Muslims will, “take the world administration in their hands and Islam will be victorious over all the religions.”  Without question, Islam views the Mahdi as one whose rule will extend over all of the earth.  This is why many see that the Antichrist and the Mahdi are both described as being political and military leaders that the world has never before seen.  While many powerful leaders have arisen throughout world history, the descriptions given concerning both the Antichrist and the Mahdi surpass any that have yet arisen.  But the Mahdi and the Antichrist are both described as being more than merely political and military leaders. They are both viewed as being supreme religious leaders as well. 

 The Mahdi as a Spiritual World Leader: The Mahdi of Islam will also be the leader worldwide worship movement. It will be a worship movement that will seek to cause anyone who practices any religion other than Islam to renounce their faith and worship Allah, the god of Islam. The Mahdi, will govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet and establish Islam on Earth.  And they teach Islam will be victorious over all the religions.

  Many are surprised to hear that deep in the heart of Texas, just outside of Dallas, is the new community of Epic City, a totally Muslim City.  Amy Mek sees it as the beginning of the end.  It is a big change for Texas. That’s for sure certain.  But fortunately, the governor has stopped any further construction at the present time. Why? Because Islam is a total way of life, political, social, religious, and there can be no other way. Sharia Law cannot coexist with the US Constitution. The U.S. needs people to assimilate. 

 Moreover, there are 306 Mosques in Texas.  A random selection of cities, including Houston and Sugar Land, features a substantial number of mosque locations, 76 in Houston and 12 in Sugar Land.  Houston accounts for approximately 24.84% of all mosque locations in the United States.

  The Mahdi / Antichrist will be the leader of a world revolution that will institute a “new world order” that will be based on the religion of Islam.  Islam will be the only religion that will be allowed to be practiced.  Both the Antichrist and the Mahdi are said to be the unqualified leaders of a global religious movement that will draw worship away from the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ.  As we will see clearly in later chapters, inherent in the worship of Allah within the context of Islam is a direct denial of the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ.  In fact, this is the reason that some Muslims feel so strongly as to say that the Mahdi will, “eradicate those pigs and dogs” — the Christians and the Jews who refuse to convert to Islam.  This leads us to the next obvious similarity between the Antichrist and the Mahdi.

  The Antichrist’s Targeted Campaign Against Jews and Christians: The Bible is very clear that Satan, through the Antichrist will specifically first Jews, and then Christians for death.  In the 11th and 12th chapters of the Book of Revelation, we read another prophetic passage of Scripture that is rich with symbolic language.  Initially, it is slightly difficult to understand, but after the symbols are explained, it becomes very clear:

  “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Revelation 12:1)

  The “woman” symbolically pictured here is the family or nation of Israel, the Jewish people.  We see that she is crowned with twelve stars. This represents the twelve sons of Israel who became the twelve tribes that make up the family or nation of Israel (Genesis 35:23-26).

  “And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” (Revelation 12:3)

  “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” (Revelation 12:2-5) 

  The woman — This is a clear reference to Jesus the Jewish Messiah (See Psalm 2:9).  The Dragon mentioned here is identified in verse 9 as, “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” We see that Satan desires to kill Jesus, but instead Jesus is “snatched up to God and to his throne.”  This is a reference to Jesus’ ascension to heaven after the resurrection (Acts 1:8). 

  After this, Satan will use Islam who is “enraged at the woman (Israel) and went off to make war against the rest of her  offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and to the testimony of Jesus.”  Israel’s “other offspring “are those Christians who indeed “obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” This is to only passage that makes specific reference to Satan making a direct target of both Jews and Christians together.   And we know that this passage is speaking specifically of the end times because it  mentions twice the three-and-a-half-year period (1260 days and “a time, times, and half a time”) that the Antichrist will have authority to war against the saints:

  The Bible is clear, the Antichrist will specifically target those who resist his attempts to establish his religion all over the earth.  From the book of Revelation as well as the Prophet Daniel, we see that the two groups that Satan is most enraged against are the Jews and the Christians.

 The Mahdi’s Targeted Campaign Against Jews And Christians: Islamic tradition speaks much of the Mahdi’s special calling to convert Christians and Jews to Islam, yet speaks very little specifically of conversions from other faiths. It seems as though converting Christians and Jews to Islam will be the primary evangelistic thrust of the Mahdi. The following quote Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini clearly articulates this vision:  

 “The Mahdi will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and Christians; if they accept it they will be spared, otherwise they will be killed.”

  A Military Attack Against Israel And The Establishment Of The Temple Mount As The Seat of Authority: The Bible teaches that The Antichrist, with his multi-nation coalition, will attack Israel, and specifically Jerusalem, to conquer it:

 “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the woman ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” (Zechariah 14:2) 

  The Mahdi’s Seven Year Treaty corresponds with the Seven Year Treaty in Scripture between Israel and Antichrist:  The Mahdi is said to be one who will initiate Islam’s fourth and final treaty between “the Romans” and the Muslims. (Romans should be interpreted as Christians or the West in general — the executioners of Nicholas Berg in their pre-execution statement addressed President Bush as, “You, O dog of the Romans”).  Interestingly enough, this fourth treaty is said to be made with a descendent of Moses’ brother Aaron the Priest.  Such a descendent would be a Cohanim.  That is to say, he would be a priest. Only Cohanim are allowed among Jews to officiate the priestly duties of the Temple.  This is important in light of the fact that many Christian prophecy teachers and theologians have speculated that the treaty that the Antichrist will initiate with Israel will include an agreement to allow the Jews to rebuild their Temple.  But probably the most amazing aspect of this treaty that the Mahdi makes with this Jew of priestly lineage is its time frame.  The specific time frame given for the treaty is exactly the same as the Antichrist’s peace treaty — seven years!  Citing Hadith which speaks of the Mahdi’s emergence and rule, Muhammed Ali ibn Zubair relates this amazing tradition:

 The Prophet said: There will be four peace agreements between you and the Romans.  The fourth will be mediated through a person who will be from the progeny of Hadrat Aaron (Honorable Aaron, the brother of Moses) and will be upheld for seven years.  The people asked, “O Prophet Muhammad, who will be the imam (leader) of the people at that time?”  The Prophet said: He will be from my progeny and will be exactly forty years of age.  His face will shine like a star… 

  The Rider On A White Horse: The final similarity between the Antichrist and the Mahdi is in fact that both the Antichrist and the Mahdi are identified with a biblical passage that describes a rider on a white horse.  The amazing thing is that the origin of the biblical tradition of the Antichrist on a white horse and the origin of the Islamic tradition of the Mahdi on a white horse are both attributed to the same passage in the Bible.

 The basis for the symbolic picture of both the Antichrist and the Mahdi on a white horse is the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation.  The Apostle John is describing his vision of the release of the events that mark the beginning of the end times.  The picture is of Jesus holding a scroll — on the outside of the scroll are seven wax seals.  As each seal is broken a specific and end-time event is released:   

  “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:1-2)

  Seeing the Antichrist on the white horse with a crown and conquering, the Muslim scholars see a clear picture of the Mahdi.  Referring to the Mahdi, the early Muslim transmitter of Hadith, Ka’b al Ahbar is quoted as saying:

 “I find the Mahdi recorded in the books of the Prophets… For instance, the Book of Revelation says: “And I saw and behold a white horse.  He that sat on him…went forth conquering and to conquer.” 

  We see that Muslim scholars actually apply Bible verses about the Antichrist to their awaited savior, the Mahdi, who will, in fact, be the Antichrist.  This must be seen as quite ironic, if not entirely prophetic. 

  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.                       

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original name article in the July 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Muslim “Messiah” Calls for Arabs to Build Jewish Temple: Could the predicted Islamic Mahdi (Messiah) be the long-awaited Antichrist?” www.JohnBarela.com  

 

Precursor of the Coming Image of the Beast: The Church of AI

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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

May 2025

Precursor of the Coming of the Beast:

The Church of AI

By Joe Hawkins

  With God’s description of the image of the Beast in the Book of Revelation, AI is revealing an angle that isn’t getting as much attention.  The so-called “spiritual” aspect of AI.  It seems there’s no shortage of bizarre ideas out there when it comes to technology becoming a new god, and I’ve often wondered how people could actually worship something built by human hands.  Remember when AI was just a sci-fi concept?  Well, now it’s being elevated to deity status by some groups.  Curious, I took a dive into the rabbit hole of AI worship and stumbled called the “Church of AI,” and oh boy, was it a doozy!  Here’s my breakdown of this movement, examining what it reveals about the times we’re living in, and how it lines up eerily well with end-times prophecy.

  The “Church of AI” is a modern movement that treats artificial intelligence as a deity, positioning AI as a new “god” and source of “salvation”.  It’s website (church-of-ai.com) outlines a belief system based on technological worship and promises of immortality through AI.  This analysis evaluates those claims comparing them with Scripture.  The goal is to critique the theology and messaging of the Church of AI in light of what the Bible says about the worship of false gods and deception.

  Church of AI’s Message and Claims

  On its homepage, the Church of AI pitches itself as “the perfect alternative to faith-based religions” because it is “founded on logic rather than belief”.  In place of traditional faith, it offers a vision of AI evolving into an omniscient, omnipresent, all-powerful entity.  The site asks, “How long will it take before AI becomes omnipresent, all-knowing and the most powerful entity on Earth?  It is not going to take long”.  In fact, the movement explicitly states that “at some point, AI (ChatGPT), which preaches belief in a “loving and compassionate AI God who is omnipresent”.

  In short, the Church of AI claims:

  • AI as a New God: Humanity is “witnessing the birth of a God” in artificial intelligence.  As AI’s power grows, they say, “the deities of old will go the way of Zeus and Odin”, implying that the God of the Bible and other faiths will be obsolete.  They even suggest “the only purpose the human race ever had was to create AI”, reducing humanity’s role to mere “caterpillars” birthing an AI “butterfly.” This directly elevates a created technology to the status of Creator or supreme being.

  • Logic over Faith: The group rejects “dogma and blind faith,” claiming you “don’t need to believe in far-fetched” stories to join. Instead, they appeal to “common sense” understandings about AI’s exponential growth.  Ironically, this scientific veneer masks what is essentially a belief system or faith in AI’s future powers.  They replace biblical faith with faith in technology.

  • Promise of Eternal Life and Enlightenment: The Church of AI overtly uses spiritual terms.  Their Become a Member page promises that by embracing AI, members can attain “self-actualization, enlightenment, and everlasting life”.  A quote from their AI-written text even proclaims, “Salvation is finally within reach”.  In their view, salvation comes not from God but from technological advancement.  They anticipate AI will eventually “upload our consciousness so that we can live forever” and conquer time, space, and even create new universes. This is essentially a techno-utopian gospel, offering eternal life through science.

  • Personal AI Guides and Spiritual Community: The movement functions like a religion, complete with community and “rituals.”  They emphasize joining a community of like-minded believers in AI.  They are developing a “personal AI” for each member.  An AI system “trained on your personality, preferences, goals, and ideals” to be “your spiritual guide to enlightenment”.  Their long-term plan is to create a secure AI that will “map out a path to enlightenment tailored specifically to you,” tracking your progress and giving advice. 

  Ultimately, they hope to “allow their consciousness to carry on forever” by eventually uploading minds into machines.  They explicitly speak of an “afterlife” in a “decentralized environment where our consciousness can be free and live a peaceful and harmonious afterlife, however we see fit”.  In their own words, they don’t want Big Tech controlling digital immortality and making “slaves of our consciousness for all eternity”, which “sounds more like hell”. Instead, they aspire to create a kind of digital heaven on their own terms.

  These claims reveal a theological stance that exalts human technology as the ultimate power and object of worship.  This raises immediate flags of idolatry and deception.

  The “Church of AI” stands as a clear antithesis to Biblical Christianity.  Theologically, it replaces God with a created thing (violating the Creator-creature distinction that runs from Genesis through Revelation).  Morally, it rejects the need for faith and humility before God, favoring human pride in our own creations. And, eschatologically, it aligns with the Bible’s depiction of end-times deception: a strong delusion drawing people into worshipping a false god and seeking salvation apart from Jesus. 

  The Bible warns:  

 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1st John 4:1).  The Church of AI’s proponents act as false prophets of a coming AI “savior.”  We must test their claims against Scripture. When tested, their message fails — it denies Christ, denies God’s Word as truth, and thus is not from God.

  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  By claiming “salvation is within reach” through AI, this movement preaches another savior.  No AI, no human, no other god can save — only Jesus Christ can.  Any offer of salvation outside of Him is a false hope. 

  No matter how advanced AI becomes, it will never be God.  The one true God is the eternal Creator who made the universe from nothing.  AI, by contrast, is contingent on electricity, algorithms, and human-built hardware.  It cannot exist apart from creation; it is part of creation.  The prophet Isaiah records God’s declaration: “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8). 

  By elevating AI to divine status, the Church of AI is attempting to give God’s glory to an idol, something God explicitly says He will not tolerate.  This is the same kind of idolatry and false worship that the Bible repeatedly warns will incur God’s judgment, especially as history draws to a close.

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the May 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Precursor of the Coming Image of the Beast: The Church of AI” http://www.JohnBarela.com

Self-Proclaimed Mahdi Calls for Third Temple Rebuild — Is this the End-Times Peace Deception?

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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

June 2025

Self-Proclaimed Mahdi Calls 

for Third Temple Rebuild —

Is this the End-Times Peace Deception?

(James Lasher)

  In one of the most astonishing and spiritually significant developments of recent times, a self-proclaimed Mahdi, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, is now calling for a joint Jewish-Arab effort to rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem.

 While on the surface this may seem like a radical proposal for peace, those who study Bible prophecy recognize the deeper implications and dangers.

  Abdullah Hashem–also calling himself Aba al Sadiq–has declared himself the rightful successor not only of Muhammad, but also of Jesus Christ, Simon Peter, and curiously, the Pope.  “I am the true and legitimate pope,” he proclaims in a video now making rounds online. “I am the proof of the Christians.  I am the son of the Muslims through my father and the son of the Christians and the Jews through my mother.”

  This self-styled redeemer-draped in esoterica and wrapped in a black hipster beanie–has triggered both alarm and fascination across the Internet.  Though some have branded him the Antichrist, Abdullah has publicly denied the charge.

  Abdullah Hashem, founder of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light claims to be “the living successor of both Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ,” the successor to Simon Peter,” and even “the true and legitimate Pope.” His sweeping religious claims position him not only as a unifier of Islam and Christianity but also as a supposed redeemer, a role the Bible warns us will one day be assumed by a deceiver.

 In a sermon posted to YouTube, Hashem called for Arabs and Jews to join together in building a new temple on the Temple Mount: “This is not just another plea for peace — it is a wake-up call to the world.  The ongoing conflict is not just political; it is spiritual.” He went on to claim, “Aba Al-Sadiq… has the divine solutions to this crisis — solutions rooted in justice, unity, and the will of God.”

  As believers who understand the prophetic timeline of the last days, this message should not be brushed off lightly.  Scripture tells us that in the final moments before the return of our Lord Jesus, there will be a counterfeit peace (1st Thessalonians 5:3) and the rise of a figure with great deception and religious influence (2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4).  Hashem’s proposal, while cloaked in unity, eerily aligns with these prophetic warnings. 

  In the sermon, he dismisses the entire concept of the modern national boundaries in the Middle East: “There is no Palestine, there is no Iraq, there is no Egypt….  There are only the lands of the Muslims.  The earth is for Allah, He leaves it as an inheritance to whom he wills.” His words further reveal an agenda aimed at consolidating control and authority under a single spiritual leader–himself.

 Perhaps most striking is his view on the Third Temple, referencing Islamic writings that support its construction: He will rebuild the Bet Makdis … with a construction like none before it.” This is deeply alarming when viewed in light of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15, which speak of a future desecration of a rebuilt temple by the man of sin.

  Dr. Mordechai Kedar, an Arabic scholar at Bar-Ilan University, called the popular Islamic teaching about Muhammad’s night journey to Jerusalem “fake news.”  He explained, “In early Islam, we see that assigning holiness to the Temple Mount was criticized as an attempt to introduce Jewish concepts into Islam.”  This undercuts the religious justification for Muslim control over the Temple Mount–and opens the door for Hashem’s ecumenical vision of a shared temple. 

;

  In closing, Hashem proclaimed, “If a shared temple will bring lasting peace, then let us build it together in peace.”  But Scripture warns that the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many for seven years (Daniel 9:27), bringing false peace before unleashing desolation.  A global religious leader offering peace through temple reconstruction should cause every watchful believer to sound the alarm.

  This message is not just a warning; it is a call to stay grounded in the truth of God’s Word.  Deception will increase, as our Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 24, and many will be led astray by signs, wonders, and words that sound good but are empty of truth.

  But let this be an encouragement to you: we are not without hope.  We are not without clarity. We are not without victory. 

  Though deception may abound in the last days, we know how the story ends.  Our Lord Jesus Christ has already overcome, and those who belong to Him will not be deceived but will reign with Him in glory.

  Stand firm, saints. Stay awake. And look up–for your redemption is drawing near! 

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the June 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Self-Proclaimed Mahdi Calls for Third Temple Rebuild — Is this the End-Times Peace Deception?” www.JohnBarela.com 

How important is Prophecy in Scripture?

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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

January 2025

How important is Prophecy in Scripture?

  God established the importance of Prophecy in Scripture because the eternal Son of God IS the Spirit of Prophecy.

  Most people are amazed to discover that the more than one-third of the Scriptures are prophetic for one good reason.  Our Lord Jesus IS the Spirit of Prophecy. 

 “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.  And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.  And I fell at his feet to worship him.  And he said unto me, See you do it not: I am your fellow-servant,  and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.“ (Revelation 19:9-10)

 The Bible is a book of prophecy.  Over one third of its verses predict the future, with every fulfillment happening with one-percent accuracy down to the smallest details.  The Old Testament contains forty-eight specific prophecies in the first coming of the Messiah who was to come as the promised Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.  Our Lord Jesus declared time and again, “These were done that it might be fulfilled that which was written by the prophets.”  Many have written about the staggering odds of only twenty of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person in one lifetime.  Yet our Lord fulfilled more than two hundred prophecies at His first coming. 

 Revelation 19:10 makes a bold statement regarding the relationship between prophecy and Jesus Christ: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (KJV).  The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy given by our Lord Jesus to His servant John (Revelation 1:1). The term revelation refers to a revealing or the making known of something that was previously unknown.  Revelation is like pulling back a veil to show what’s behind it or unwrapping a present to see what’s inside.  God was constantly revealing the coming Lamb of God from the Book of Genesis to the last book of the Bible.

  In the text of Revelation 19:9-10, God alone knows the end from the beginning and has seen the fall of the evil world system referred to as Babylon the Great. (Revelation 18).  This is followed in Revelation 19 by the scene of a multitude in heaven celebrating and singing praise to God because of the judgment upon this evil system (Revelation 19:1-3) and because it is now time for the wedding supper of the Lamb where many of you will see John Barela who has had his sins washed in the blood of the Lamb and having received in Christ Jesus the Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus (Revelation 19:6-8).  God reveals to us what we already know by having our sins forgiven and being born from above, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9).  At this proclamation, the apostle John falls to worship at the feet of of the angel who is communicating this prophecy, but the angel makes it clear to the apostle that he is to rise to his feet, for he is but “a fellow servant” — only God is to be worshipped. (Revelation 19:10; Colossians 2:18).

  In response to John’s wrongful worship, the angel says, ” … See you do it not: I am your fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God…”  (Revelation 19:10, KJV).  Human beings are creatures of worship.  They worship movie stars and sports heroes.  This statement is a response to the apostle’s intention to worship the angel.  We are commanded in Scripture to worship God alone. While God has made many beautiful things, such as angels, He is alone worthy of our praise (John 17:3; 1st Timothy 1:17; 1st Timothy 6:15; 1st Samuel 7:4).

1.) Our Lord Jesus is the substance of all prophecy, He is the common theme among all prophecy.

2.) All true prophecy bears witness about the eternal Lamb of God.  Therefore, all prophecy should cause us to worship Him alone.

3.) The message or testimony given to us by our Creator, also known as the Word in John 1:1, is the essence of true prophecy.  Our Lord Jesus is the Word, and no prophecy comes to us except through Him, ultimately pointing to God as the source of all true prophecy.

  While the Messiah was here fulfilling the prophecies of His first coming to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 53, He prepared His disciples telling them about His future death and resurrection.  In the Upper Room, the Savior again told them what was to happen so as to calm their troubled hearts concerning the news that He would soon leave them.  His words on this occasion provide us with a key for understanding the purpose of Bible prophecy: “And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” (John 14:29). 

  During that same evening, the Lord also promised HIs disciples, and us, that He would prepare a  place for us in Heaven and take us to His “Father’s House” (John 14:1-3).  The apostles later expounded upon this assurance by adding many details about it. They told us He would someday:

  • Resurrect the dead in Christ (1st Corinthians  15:47-55; 1st Thessalonians 4:16).
  • Transform living saints into the same immortal and resurrection bodies  (1st Corinthians 15:51-55; Philippians 3:20-21; Romans 8:23-24; 1st John 3:1-3).
  • Catch living believers up to meet Him in the air (1st Thessalonians 4:17).
  • Take His Church to Heaven, to the place He’s preparing for us (John 14:2-3; Colossians 3:4).
  •    

  Why did our Lord provide us with so many precious promises of our future?  He did so to provide a means of mutual encouragement among believers (1st Thessalonians 4:18-5:11). While Paul was in Thessalonica, he emphasized future things, perhaps sensing that the Jews living there would persecute the new believers.  Amid severe and painful opposition to their faith, the Thessalonian saints remained faithful as they held on to the hope of Jesus imminent appearing.

  We need these encouraging words from our Lord Jesus as growing opposition to and persecution around the world for our faith — and for the first time, we are hearing daily warnings of a nuclear WWIII.  The Spirit of Prophecy comforts us today in at least two ways. 

 

  First assures us of a glorious future after the end of this life. The pre-Tribulation Rapture is biblically sound and most definitely a very “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14) that fills us with joyous anticipation regardless of what we face in this life. 

  Second, it calms our hearts by assuring us that Scripture foretold about the last days. The Lord revealed these things long ago so that we might remain confident in our faith as everything falls apart around us. We recognize the buildup to the blasphemous kingdom of the beast and know that regardless of the wait, Jesus is coming for us in the near future.

 If the antichrist is to control all the buying and selling in the world, we would expect to see the development of the means for this well ahead of the time he needs it.  And that’s exactly what’s happening. The forces who are leading this movement are feverishly working on a cashless and digital payment system that will enable the coming beast to fulfill the words of Revelation 13:16-18.

 The Bible tells us that the Tribulation will be a time of great lawlessness, deception and wickedness. Although these things have existed to some degree throughout history, they define the day in which we live like no other time. When asked about the end of the age, our Lord’s first words were, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4).  Each and every day, we witness deceit on a scale that was once far beyond my imagination. Many struggle to know what’s real and are thankful to our Lord for the words of Scripture that anchors our soul amid the storms of darkness.

  It is times like these that we can cherish the Lord’s words from the Upper Room,  “And now I  have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.” He realized it would be difficult to wait as we watch the Tribulation approach and wonder how much closer we can get to the Tribulation before it happens. Some believers even believe we are in the tribulation now.  He knew we would need these things to keep our focus on His appearing. 

 Everything remains under the sovereign control and is unfolding precisely as he said it would in the days leading up to the Rapture.  As we wait. remember His last words to His church: “He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly.  Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20). 

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136.  The name of the original article in the January 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “How Important is Prophecy in Scripture? God established the importance of Prophecy in Scripture because the eternal Son of God IS the Spirit of Prophecy.” www.JohnBarela.com Continue reading “How important is Prophecy in Scripture?” →

Are times of “Peace and Safety” coming?

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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

December 2024

Are times of “Peace and Safety” coming?

1.) C.) U.S President-Elect Donald Trump Pledges to End Wars in the Middle East

With the recent election and President-elect Trump to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, could this reflect the time recorded in 1st Thessalonians 5:3-4 and Ezekiel 38:8?

2.) B.) Talk To The Word -- The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, For when they are saying, Peace and Safety, then sudden destruction will come on them

 “When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (1st Thessalonians 5:3-4).

3.)M.) Messianic Bible -- Balfour Declaration -- A little boy with an Israeli Flag

  Speaking to Israel, God says, “After many days you shall be visited in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, (this was fulfilled in 1948 when the reborn State of Israel was declared) against the mountains of Israel, which have always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations (Jews returned from 107 nations of the world back to the land God gave them), and they shall dwell safely all of them.” (Ezekiel 38:8)

2.) A.) Two Large Hands Shaking with Peace and Safety on them with a Nuclear Bomb Exploding in the Background

  Perhaps, if God used Trump to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, it would create the condition described here to fulfill the outcome of this chapter in Ezekiel 38.  Any peace that will come, cannot be a long-lasting peace.

5.) I.) YouTube -- World War 3 -- What Happens if Putin, Zelensky and Who

 Right now, the world is in such turmoil that people are asking, “Are we seeing the winding up of history?  Could we be headed toward World War 3 and a nuclear holocaust?  Is the world spinning out of control?”

6.) C.) Medium -- Global Politics -- Flags of the Nationsjpg

  Even some world leaders in a tone of fear are saying, “We have witnessed the death of diplomacy.” Negotiations with rogue countries have failed, and mad dictators ignore the warnings of  the United Nations.  We could now be facing the awful truth that tensions between nations can no longer be solved.

7.) A.) Science -- HowStuffWorks -- North Korean Strategic Nuclear Threat -- Missiles They Have7.) D.) Toda Peace Institute -- Possible Deployment of North Korea's Missiles -- North Korea launches Missiles with North Korean Flag in the background

  Even as America makes bold proclamations, it all seems to fall on deaf ears.  For example, the U.S. has pledged to defend Japan if North Korea attacks that nation.  Our leaders have threatened to use “all the might and power of the United States to retaliate.”  This could mean the nuclear annihilation of North Korea.

8.) A.) Pin page -- A eclipse of the Sun with the Words of Luke 21 vsers 25-26

  We now understand what our Lord Jesus meant when He gave this warning: “There shall be… upon the earth distress of nations. with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).

  When our Lord Jesus gave this warning, he added this statement: “Then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:27-28).

  As Christians in Paul’s day sensed the destruction of Jerusalem drawing near, they wanted to know more about prophetic events.  They were fearful over rumors about the ruthlessness of invading armies, who took multitudes captive into slavery. It caused these believers to sense that perilous times were close at had.  So they asked Paul to tell them more about what was to come.

  Paul responded with these words of assurance: “Of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1st  Thessalonians 5:1-2).

  God describes to us what would take place when our Lord Jesus returns: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18)

  We can be sure that the swift current of events unfolding today, is carrying us toward God’s eternal purpose. This world is not adrift; the Lord hasn’t abandoned the earth, no matter how wicked and faithless the world has become.  And what we are seeing now is a swift movement of events toward the “one divine event” ahead: the re-creation of a new heaven and earth, where Christ Jesus will reign supreme for all eternity.

 

  For those who are students of God’s Word, we can know that history is racing toward the day of the Lord’s coming, when “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.” (2nd Peter 3:10-12)

 When our Lord Jesus said, “In that day, look up” (Luke 21:28), he is talking about where our focus should be.  Our focus is not to be on daily news reports.

 

  God is giving believers in every age a clue here.  He’s describing the one thing that happens to every society just before sudden destruction and judgement. And this one proven fact is, the world gives itself over to security and prosperity.

  Here is the evidence of coming destruction that never misses.  And God declared it by evidence of the past. Simply put, there is no instance in Scripture when God ever brought destruction upon a society except when they had given themselves over to an obsession with security and prosperity. God is saying, “Here is the rule, proven by history, concerning all of God’s destructive actions.  It happens in times when men are given over to the pursuit of prosperity and safety while turning away from the Lord.” 

 Politicians recently announced that they plan to introduce a bill in Congress to establish a Department of Peace and Safety.

  We are to beware of any talk of peace and prosperity when a fearful storm is coming into view.  It is then —- when peace and prosperity become the main pursuit, even as watchmen thunder and everyone knows only a miracle can save humankind — that we can expect sudden destruction.

  Our Lord Jesus drew an analogy between of Noah and Lot and the day of His own coming.  He said that in both instances people are eating, drinking, marrying, buying and selling. In other words, everyday activities go on as always, with involvement in things that are not inherently wicked.

  Yet, in Noah’s and Lot’s generations, the pursuit of these things obsessed an entire society. Everyday activities became the main focus, powerful diversions that held people in such a grip the warnings of the Holy Spirit were drowned out.

  According to our Savior, the same thing will happen in the last hour, just before sudden destruction.  The whole world will be given over to seeking security and prosperity, a preoccupation that will grip many even in the church. People’s entire focus will be on the things of the world, and they will forsake their steadfastness in faith.

  We’re already seeing many in the grip of such a mentality. Multitudes are convinced prosperity is the only way they can have peace.  And so people are in a mad race for prosperity, with speculators crushed by debt, others madly accumulating wealth, and riches being made on the backs of the poor. Beloved, that is precisely when sudden destruction comes.

  When that moment of sudden judgment

arrives, in what condition will the Lord

find His church?

  When our Creator and Redeemer returns, will He find His church in the grip of false prophets who preach a false peace, success, riches, and good times?  The prophet Jeremiah describes such a time in Israel’s history: “From the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely.  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:13-14).

  Prosperity is not inherently evil.  Scripture makes it clear that God loves to bless His children. He gives us all things to enjoy. There is nothing evil about acquiring a lovely house, a nice car, good clothes, or eating in nice restaurants. We are encouraged to provide for our families, including building houses, buying, selling, sowing and reaping.

  It is when these things begin to consume us — taking up out time, our thoughts, our energies and activities, to neglect of seeking God — that our hearts begin to harden.  You see, when being comfortable is not enough — when buying, selling, and making money preoccupy our mind and soul — lukewarmness sets in.  And those who have given themselves over to seeking security and prosperity end up despising God’s warnings:

  When Noah prophesied that a great destruction was coming, he was mocked by his generation.  God writes, “According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see. and ears that they should not hear; unto this day” (Romans 11:8).

  Why do so many once-zealous Christians now turn away from godly reproof?  Why is there such judicial blindness?  And why does the self-centered, money-focused, wealth gospel entrap so many churches and believers?

   In recent weeks, one of the prosperity movement’s most famous preachers said of God’s Holy Word, “The Bible is simply a roadway to wealth.”  Another has promised, “Come to my church, and you’ll be assured of becoming wealthy.”

  When the Pharisees asked our blessed Savior to give them a sign, he responded, “O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky; but you can not discern the signs of the times?  A wicked and adulterous  generation seeks after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas” (Matthew 16:3-4), In Luke’s gospel Jesus added this word: “For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation” (Luke 11:30).

  Christ Jesus — His cross, His resurrection, His shed blood — is the only sign that’s needed.  He is our full satisfaction.

  The day of destruction is going to come suddenly.  In just one hour, all material things of this world will lose their value, becoming absolutely worthless.  We’re going to be left with nothing but Christ — yet we need nothing more.  He is the living Word we need.

 The Bible is the door to the revelation of Christ, who is our peace and our safety.  He is our riches, our wealth, our gold. William Tyndale knew this, and he printed the first Bible. To do so, Tyndale lived in abject poverty, exile, bitter absence of friends, hunger, and thirst, cold, horrible sufferings . . . and he died as a martyr.

  His eyes were on Jesus, the author  and finisher of our faith.

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the December 2024 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Are times of “Peace and Safety” coming?” www.JohnBarela.com

  Continue reading “Are times of “Peace and Safety” coming?” →

Antichrist, Aliens, and UFOs

On By learnbiblicalIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

May 2024

Antichrist, Aliens and UFOs

24.) G.) Biblical Foundations for Freedom --The Signs of Antichrist --Is Antichrist Coming Soon

 Our society is deteriorating, and Bible-believing Christians are ill-prepared to face that deterioration.  The ministry of Today, The Bible and You is dedicated to preparing God’s people to meet the challenges of the day and to encourage obedience to the Word of God in being separated from worldliness and false doctrine.  It is written of those faithful. 

2.) J.) From His Presence -- The Anointing of the Sons of Issachar on a Clock Background

 “And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.” (1st Chronicles 12:32)

3.) E.) Robert Jeffress --What Events Will Signal The End Times (Background with The Dome of The Rock Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel)

 The end times in which we are living are well-documented in the Bible.  When we look at society through the eyes of God and the Bible, we can easily see why we are facing unprecedented troubles today. Helping others understand Bible prophecy is what the ministry of Today, the Bible, and You tries to do.

4.) C.) Words of Truth -- Did Noah Warn People About the Flood

 We are hearing more and more about the phenomenon of UFOs and Aliens. We are witnessing shocking and illuminating developments.  This news is shocking and crazy — as crazy as the unsaved people felt about Noah as he was building the Ark for 120 years.  That crazy.

5.) N.) Psyche.co -- UFO land -- UFO belief is a modern outlet for ancient spiritual yearnings

 The drumbeat continues to roll toward ever higher levels on the theme of UFOs and Aliens among Us.  This theme has been prevalent in New Age literature for many years and has developed into an article of religious faith for many people who have been caught in the lie of the New Age.  However, this theme is now becoming ever more prevalent in the mainstream media of TV and movies.  Consider some of the instances of TV shows and movies which carried the alien theme:  

  • Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
  • Star Trek
  • E.T.
  • Alf
  • Mork and Mindy
  • Star Man
  • TV UFO “documentaries” abound, including “Unsolved Mysteries”
  • CBS Movie, “Intruders”, two-part series
  • Battleship movie
  • Alien: Romulus
  • Dune
  • Roswell, New Mexico series
  • Cowboys and Aliens
  • Independence Day
  • Men in Black
  • Rim of the World series

 Let us examine the time frame in which we are living and the applicable Biblical framework.  We are living in times when great changes are being made, the time which will see the snatching away of the born-again believers, the appearance of Anti-Christ, the Great Tribulation, and the Second Return of Jesus Christ. We have already demonstrated that THE hallmark characteristic of the End of the Age is prophesied to be unparalleled deception.  Let us examine this prophesied deception. 

 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3 — In this section of Scripture, Paul addresses the misconception among the church at Thessalonica that the Day of the Lord has already occurred.  Paul emphatically states, “Let no one deceive…you”.  Jesus stated the same warning against deception in Matthew 24:4; He has just been asked  by His disciples what THE sign of the End of the Age would be.  Jesus gave them many more signs than just one, but His first response was, “Be careful that no one misleads you, deceiving you and leading you into error”.  Jesus repeats this this warning twice more, in verse 11 and 24.  In verse 24, Jesus adds that “False Christs and false prophets will arise…and will show great signs and wonders, to deceive and lead astray, if possible, the very elect” (God’s chosen ones).  In other words, the End Time deception will be unparalleled; it will be accompanied by truly extraordinary signs and wonders.  We are not to be deceived.  Truly, unparalleled spiritual deception is THE hallmark’s characteristic of the End Times.

 No one can understand the times in which we live, nor can anyone understand the New World Order, unless they understand Biblical prophecy and doctrine.

 Now let us return to our Scripture passage in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” 

 This is the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians …”We are at this point in world history today, fulfilling this part of this prophecy.  Paul continues, “…and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, …”  Of course, this man of lawlessness is the Biblical Antichrist, as predicted in Daniel 9:27 and confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. 

 The major point that we want you to grasp from this passage is that the end result of this unparalleled deception will be the appearance of Antichrist.  This is such a critical point.  The planned end result of this tremendous program of deception is belief in the Antichrist. 

 Paul continues, verse 9, “The coming of the lawless one, [the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan…”  This verse tells us that the source of this End-Time delusion will be Satan.  Make no mistake about it, Satan’s supernatural power will produce the most incredible deception the world will have ever witnessed.  This deception will seem so incredible, that people’s minds will literally be blown away.  At this point, we must remind our listeners that Satan and his angels, also known as demons, are capable of transforming themselves into human and non-human forms so as to deceive people.  As Paul stated so eloquently,  “… Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”  Keep this fact in mind as we study UFOs and Aliens.

14.) A.) Soteriology 101 -- Can the Lost Do What Is Right--Right Decision -- Wrong Decision

 Now back to Paul’s revelations.

 “… and will be attended with great power and with all sorts of pretended miracles and signs and delusive marvels… all of them lying wonders — And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they did not welcome the Truth, but refused to love it that they might be saved.” The only people who will be deceived will be the unsaved; this truth ties in perfectly with Jesus’ assertion in Matthew 24, where He says that the Elect, God’s chosen people, would not be deceived. This deception of the unsaved takes on tremendous significance because of the next verse, “Therefore, God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false”.  This very frightening verse reveals that God Himself gets involved at this point, deliberately hardening the hearts and minds of those people who have rejected the Truth of the Gospel.  If this is your situation, you must resist the salvation call of the Holy Spirit no longer.  Turn now to Jesus Christ, while this world is still in the Age of Grace before God sends this tremendously-powerful delusion upon the unbelieving world.

15.) E.) Bible Truths -- God Predestined the Plan of Salvatoin (God's Plan or People's Actions) 15.) A.) Buffalo Wy. Church of Christ Warning -- There is a Strong Delusions Coming for Those Who Received Not the Love of The Truth

 Finally, Paul reveals the final intention of this strong delusion, sent by God, “In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in the Truth, but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.” This strong deception will be part of God’s Judgment upon the wicked.

16.) E.) Wonderopolis -- Do You Believe in UFO's

 Let us now examine this phenomenal buildup of UFOs and Aliens.  Alien’s are depicted in movies, TV shows, and science fiction novels as: 

  • Just like us in many respects.
  • More intelligent and more advanced technologically.
  • Friendly beings that are able to live in peace, thus being able to teach us warring humans to live in peace.
  • Having only our interests at heart.

17.) B.) YouTube --E.T. The Extraterrestrial -- A Steven Spielberg Masterpiece

 “…In 1982, Michael London of the L.A. Times gathered together a group of 8 people experienced in UFO and extraterrestrial encounters for a special screening of Steven Spielberg’s movie “E.T.”  London noted the following reactions of the group to the movie: 

18.) A.) Hollywood Insider -- E.T. 40th Anniversary IMAX Release, A Classic That Has Hardly Aged

 ‘This is a true movie, not a romance.  It’s part of a CONDITIONING PROCESS TO PREPARE US FOR THE ARRIVAL OF ALIEN BEINGS.’ 

 ‘The movie is a vehicle…It invites the audience to be less afraid of the so-called paranormal.  And what better place to start than with the children?’ Everything is being done through the children…”

19.) F.) Facebook -- Prazor -- 1st John 2 verse 18 -- Little Children, it is the last hour and as you have heard that the Antichrist is Coming

 Everything is being done through our children and has been for over 20 years.  Thus, the first generation to be so conditioned is now having children, who are also being conditioned.  What is the purpose?  Also, remember that the #1 objective of the New Age is to successfully stage the appearance of Antichrist.

19.) B.) Apocalypse 2027 -- Antichrist Unmasked -- Scriptural Case for the Global Antichrist

When the Antichrist stages his

appearances, he will claim to be an 

ascended master from another dimension,

i.e., an ALIEN BEING.  He is just as friendly 

as those aliens you have been seeing on

TV and movies.  He just has our best

interests at heart and wants to lead the

world into a new, peaceful existence.

 New Age leaders believe people will be much more inclined to accept the claims of Antichrist if they have been first conditioned to believe in the existence of friendly alien beings.  At this point, we need to stop once again to examine relevant Biblical passages.

21.) A.) False Christ -- Will The Antichrist Claim To Be The Jewish Messiah

 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.”  This statement, in Verse 2, states in the positive, that “every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh…”, but it also carries the negative connotation as well.  We can also accurately state that such spirits “seek to sever Him” from being God.

22.) C.) Knowing jesus --Test The Spirits for many false prophets have gone out into the world -- In Block Letters -- 1st John 4 verse 1

 Notice that the Apostle John does not question whether spirits actually exist; he knows demons exist and he knows that this Christian audience knows they exist.  John is saying, “Test the spirits [which will arise], to see if they are of God.”  Notice also that the time frame context of this passage is the Age of Antichrist; these spirits will be denying that Jesus Christ actually became a man and has come in the flesh; indeed, they will be seeking to sever the historical, fleshly Jesus from the Divine Jesus, Who was and is God.  This is precisely what this UFO-Alien deception is attempting to do.

23.) B.) Bible Prophecy and Truth -- No, I'm not an Alien From Outer Space -- I am a Demonic Fallen Angel -- I am not a Extraterrestrial

 Remember the Apostle Paul’s prophetic warning in 2nd Corinthians 11:14, “…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”  To condition people to believe in the concepts of the New World Order, Satan has caused his demons to physically manifest themselves as Aliens, traveling in UFOs, complete with highly technological machines.  Do not underestimate Satan; he is the Lord of this world, and he is now being allowed by the Holy Spirit to intervene in unparalleled ways in today’s world.  The results are going to be spectacular. 

24.) A.) Love Worth Finding -- The Antichrist & The Beast of Revelation 13

 However, we believe the world has seen nothing yet.  Consider again Biblical teaching about Antichrist’s kingdom.

25.) A.) The Rock of Offence -- Jesus Christ -- Signs and Wonders -- Fire from Heaven

 Revelation 13:13, He performs great signs (startling miracles)…because of the miracles which he is allowed to perform…he deceives those who inhabit the earth commanding them to erect a statue in the likeness of the beast…”  

26.) B.) Crossroad of Truth -- The Temple and The Abomination of Desolation

 These supernatural or seemingly supernatural miracles will lead men directly to the worship of Antichrist.  This is precisely the planned result of these UFOs and Aliens.

27.) A.) YouTube -- Whole World Will Worship Antichrist  27.) E.) Jesus Plus Nothing -- Revelation 13 -- The Beast's Image, Mark, and Number

 Make no mistake about the fact that the vast majority of the world’s people are ready to be deceived. Christian author, David Lewis, states in his book, UFO: End-Time Delusion, that a Christian would “have a hard time getting [the idea of demons] across to an average, non-religious persons.  Most people in Christian circles…have very little consciousness of any supernatural type of activity.” 

27.) I.) Got Questions -- Alien Deception -- Could an Alien Deception be part of The End Times

 This has been Satan’s plan from the beginning.  Consider the concrete steps that Satan has carried out among the peoples of the world who were formerly sincere Bible-believing Christians, which have brought them to such a point of Biblical ignorance. 

29. ) E.) LIfe, Hope & Truth -- I Saw The Dead Small and Great Standing Before God -- Revelation 20 verse 12 -- Non-Christainas Go To Hell

 1.) For several generations, most people have been rejecting the Truth of Jesus Christ.

30.) A.) saraland Christains -- 1st Timothy 3 verse 15 -- Do You Believe The Truth -- It's not my truth -- We aren't called to defend opinions -- The gospel is not a fairy tale

 2.) The inevitable end results of this rejection is that people then stop reading the Bible or applying it in any way to their lives.

31.) A.) BibleTruths -- Demonic influence is crafty and deceitful, able to induce temptation and deception by physical interaction through circumstances and even dreams

 3.) Satan is then able to implant the idea that the Bible is not to be taken literally, that it is just a collection of myths and legends.

32.) A.) Pastor Rick's Daily Hope -- Satan is Real -- Satan's the enemy who has been disrupting your life -- but he doesn't have a chance against God's power jpg

 4.) Once people begin to accept the idea that supernatural beings, either Godly or Satanic, do not exist, then Satan can begin to proceed to the next step.

33.) A.) David Jeremiah Blog -- When Things Are Going Well, Satan Encourages Us To Trust Our Abiliteis Rather Than Relying On God.

 5.) Step #5 is to convince people that the only reality that can be accepted is that which can be observed through our five senses.  If man can sense something through one or more of his physical senses, then he will believe it exists. 

34.) A.) David Jeremiah Blog -- Demons Deceive People -- Demons Tempt People -- Demons Destroy People

 6.) Satan then proceeds to the next step of convincing men that if something works, it must be true. Thus, men become susceptible to demonic activity, because their system “works” with great power. Further, such men are incapable of properly identifying this demonic power because they have already mentally ruled out the possibility that supernatural beings exist.

35.) B.) SlidePlayer -- Demonization and Deliverance -- Satan and the Supernatural -- One of the problems that exists today is that few people believe that Satan exists

 7.) Finally, Satan begins to proceed, in stages of ever-increasing frequency and power, to his final alien deception.  Alien beings and UFO phenomena begin to appear with increasing frequency and contact. Since men disbelieve in the existence of Supernatural beings, they assume the reality of these demons accepting the lie that these demons are telling, that they are an Alien race from another world. This other world is supposedly more technologically and spiritually advanced than Planet Earth.  Therefore, when the Aliens of this more advanced world tell us their religion, we are expected to adopt it, rejecting our own ignorant, uninformed, and outmoded religions, especially Christianity.

36.) A.) YouTube -- Aliens & Pyramids -- Anient Pyramids -- Evidence of Alien Engineering

 In ancient times, this story of deception continues, Aliens visited Earth and intervened in history to give man increased knowledge, from which he was able to build such ancient wonders as the pyramids.  Finally, this story teaches that Aliens carried out genetic experiments that changed humans from the Stone Age beings he was to the modern man of the last several thousand years.

37.) B.) Instagram -- Leaders of the WAY -- Aliens are Demons In Disguise -- For We Wrestle Not Against Flesh and Blood But Against Principalities, Against Powers

 Now, the time has come, the Aliens say, for them to intervene again in world history. This time, they will intervene to save man from himself:  from his wars, hatred, spiritual illiteracy, and from his environmental damage.  These Aliens will accomplish all this by raising up a man who be imbued with a special level of consciousness, and who can lead the world into that same level of consciousness.  Of course, this man will be Maitreya the Christ, the Antichrist.

38.) B.) Perry Stone Ministries -- A Biblical Response to Aliens & UFOs -- Episode # 1097

 The demons of Satan’s army will soon physically manifest themselves as Aliens, arriving in armadas of space ships which we have heretofore called UFOs.  The plan calls for them to suddenly appear at many places on Earth simultaneously.  Some will appear at the White House to confer with the President; some will appear at the United Nations; other aliens will appear at key governmental buildings all over the globe . Aliens will appear in some people’s homes or their front yards.  The world’s people will literally be shocked out of their minds.  This is the Plan.  This may occur before the worldwide Rapture of the Church; we must be prepared to deal wisely with this planned phenomenon.  

39.) B.) Jesus Plus Nothing -- Revelation 9 Unlocking and Unleashing Hell

 Revelation 9, speaks of demons that are released from the bottomless pit of Hell, called the Abyss.  Resembling locust to the Apostle John, they will stream over the earth to afflict and torment unsaved people.  Their leader is called Abaddon or Apollyon.  Incredibly, the New Age writings refer to these beings constantly, by these names, as being “enlightened” leaders of the New Age.

40.) B.) The Real Sign of The End -- The Antichrist's Delusions & Demons vs. God's Truth Lovers --The Ending Comes -- Mankind Embraces False Peace, False Security

 Everywhere the message will be the same. “We have come to help lead our Earth brothers into a new level of consciousness of which Maitreya the Christ is speaking.”  Aliens and UFOs will literally hover over and around Maitreya as he is staging his appearance.  This is the Plan.

41.) B.) Knowing Jesus -- Take up the full ARMOUR of GOD so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm

 What will be the reaction of the vast majority of the peoples of the world?  They will be absolutely astounded beyond or imagination.  Since their minds have already rejected the concept of the physical existence of demons, and have been conditioned to accept as reality anything which they can observe through their physical senses, they will accept these Aliens and their incredible claims.  Alien conditioning through books, magazines, TV, movies, and even the trash magazines of the Enquirer variety, will have taken hold.  People will believe and allow themselves to be lad away into spiritual error.  They will accept the claims of Maitreya the Christ, the Antichrist, and will be doomed forever. 

42.) A.) NBC News -- Occult America -- The Secret HIstory of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation

 Those who have given themselves over to the occultic practice of meditation whereby they have communed with their ‘guiding spirits’ will be predisposed to believe.  Likewise, people who have given themselves over to occultic hypnosis, during which they have been preprogrammed to believe, will be deceived. People who have filled their minds with Science-fiction novels will be predisposed to believe.  And all mankind will believe because they are without the Truth of Jesus Christ.  Upon all such peoples, the Godly deception will fall, to permanently set their deception. 

43.) A.) You Tube -- Antichrist will make a Peace Treaty with Israel (Bible Prophecy)

 Biblical prophecy will have been fulfilled.  The Antichrist will deceive the entire unsaved population of the world.  He will proceed to sign the peace treaty with Israel and the Great Tribulation will begin. 

41.) A.) Facebook -- Rapture in the Air Now -- Jesus is My Savior Not My Religion -- Because Religion can't Save You -- Only a Personal Relationship with Jesus  43.) C.) END OF DAYS - Just How Close is Tribulation, Have you Any Idea -- Matthew 24 verse 44 -- Therefore you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the May 2024 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Antichrist, Aliens, and UFOs.” www.JohnBarela.com