Author: jdwvaw2

In chapter 17, the prophet Isaiah penned a very clear prophecy concerning the Syrian city of Damascus. “The burden against Damascus. ‘Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.’ ” (Isaiah 17:1). These bible prophecies always come to pass with certainty. The question is, has this already happened in the past or is it a future end-time event? Some bible commentators say it does indeed have a past fulfillment as described in 2nd Kings. “For the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.” (2 Kings 16:9). This verse, however, makes no mention of destruction of the city itself. It certainly did not become a “ruinous heap”, nor did it “cease from being a city”. In fact, Damascus is listed as one of the oldest cities on earth to have been continuously inhabited, if not the oldest. We know from the bible that Damascus existed in the time of Abraham. “But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ “ (Genesis 15:2)

Currently, Damascus is surviving, though it is a war-torn city. It’s been under seemingly constant attack since the establishment of modern Syria in 1920. It survived wars with France in 1920, 1925, and 1945. Also, three wars with Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973. It survived an Islamist uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood which began in 1979. Then, there was the Lebanese civil war starting in 1975 that resulted in Syrian occupation of Lebanon from 1990 to 2005. All of this and more is now followed up by a Syrian civil war in an attempt to expel the current dictator Assad. This civil war started in 2011 and is still ongoing. Today, it’s allies include Russia, Iraq, Iran, and Hezbollah. Russia has a military presence there, and Iran uses Syria as a conduit to ship arms to Hezbollah in its fight with Israel. As a result, Israel is continually bombing targets in and around Damascus to stop Iranian arms shipments.

Results of all of these wars have left large sections of Damascus in rubble, but the city in its entirety is not completely a “ruinous heap”. This leaves only one conclusion; Isaiah 17 is describing a future complete destruction of Damascus. While it’s certainly possible this could happen before Daniel’s 70th week, it’s more likely to occur after the release of the four horsemen of the apocalypse at the beginning of the tribulation, or the sixth trumpet war that kills one third of mankind. Considering this late date, I would not want to establish a residency in Damascus!

Maranatha, Jim

Our Lord does not keep us, His people, in the dark concerning what He is about to do. Throughout history, He has imparted the knowledge necessary to understand the times we are living in for those who seek it. Some examples: “the sons of Issachar had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32). They perceived that the Lord’s will was that David be installed as king of all Israel. Elsewhere; “Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times….” (Esther 1:13). King Ahasuerus knew whom to trust for godly advice. Further, the wise men from the east (Magi) understood the significance of Jewish prophecy and at the appropriate time journeyed to Jerusalem and asked the people; “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)

Concerning this present time, the prophet Daniel records this: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:9-10). Make no mistake, those with Godly wisdom will not be surprised by anything God is doing in these last days. They will have complete understanding of the nature and timing of end-time events. So that begs the question; who among you is wise? I can tell you confidently, it’s not those educated by the world’s standards. (1 Corinthians 2:6, 14). Wisdom that is true begins with “fear of the Lord” and followed by a humble heart and mind open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13). Yes, as the Holy Spirit tells us of things to come and guides us into all truth (John 16:13), He will give us wisdom and understanding to discern the times. He gave us His book, lives in us, and has the mind of the Father.

Don’t let anyone tell you that we can’t understand end times prophecy. If they do, they’re just plain wrong.

Maranatha, Jim

Our Los Amigos winter bible study kicked off this week. The topic for this series will be “Chronological Eschatology”. It will generally be based on the book “Last Days Events-Sequence and Synchrony”. This first session will serve as an introduction. This is a weekly home bible study, so hopefully it will be recorded and posted here each week. I hope it will be of benefit to you, especially considering this late hour. Here is the introduction: Chronological Eschatology: Last Days Events – Introduction – YouTube

Maranatha, Jim

Jesus was bluntly critical of His Jewish brethren for not recognizing the time of His first coming. He castigated them for their lack of spiritual discernment. “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘a shower is coming’: and so, it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘there will be hot weather’: and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:54-56). In fact, their failure to know the time of His coming resulted in the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy temple in 70 AD. “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:42-44).

Unquestionably, they had plenty information at their disposal to verify the advent of their Messiah. Consider the following:

The angelic visitation to the shepherds around Jerusalem announcing the Messiah’s birth.

The public prophecies of Zacharias, Simeon, and Anna around the time of Jesus’s birth.

The visit of the Magi from Babylon who saw the star of Jacob in Babylon, indication of the birth of the Jewish Messiah. Their arrival caused a public stir in Jerusalem coming to the attention of the religious leaders, and even Herod.

The public ministry of John the Baptist who was revered as a prophet and witnessed to all about the One coming after him.

The precise prophecy in Daniel that Messiah would come 69 “weeks” after the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:25). This would have been very easy for the scholars of that time to determine.

All of the above and more, not to mention the 3+ years of ministry from Jesus Himself.

No doubt, they should have known, and were judged for not determining that time. This begs the question-are we able and even required to discern the time of His second coming? The answer, though it may seem contradictory to much modern teaching, is a resounding yes, definitely! Scripture is very clear. We need to study prophetic scripture, watch for the clear signs given us by Jesus and the prophets, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us about things to come. (John 16:13). Jesus Himself directed us to read and understand the prophecies in the Book of Daniel (Matthew 24:15), gave us the Book of Revelation, and commanded us to watch: “And what I say to you I say to all: Watch!“(Mark 13:37).

It’s apparent to me from my study of the prophetic scriptures that we are given and will be given much more information related to the timing of His second coming then the Jews had for His first coming. We have, in addition to what they had, the New Testament, broad infilling of the Holy Spirit, and soon coming ministries of messengers from God such as the two witnesses of Revelation 11. We are now in a position to determine the “season” of His return and will soon be able to determine a precise date once certain prophecies such as the “Abomination of Desolation” are fulfilled. For more information about discerning the time scroll down to the permanently linked article “Discerning the Time of Jesus’s Second Coming.”

Don’t cause Jesus to think of you as a hypocrite! Study the prophetic scriptures to show yourselves approved and to prepare for what’s just ahead. And watch as Jesus commanded.

Maranatha, Jim

We know for certain that the ministry of the two witnesses of Revelation chapter 11 will be for a period of 3 1/2 years. “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3). We also know from context that this will take place during Daniel’s 70th week, often called the tribulation. But when exactly during this seven-year period will their ministry take place? It’s important for us to know this so we can be prepared to positively identify them and follow their warnings and instructions. It seems the majority of prophecy teachers have settled on their ministry happening during the last half or the last 3 1/2 years of the 70th week. The evidence for this, however, is quite weak IMO.

There is a verse in chapter 11 that, I think, solidly nails down the timing. “When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” (Revelation 11:7). The word for “that ascends”, underlined above, is a present participle that is properly translated “ascending“. Ascending coupled with the word “when” gives us the timing. While (when) ascending out of the bottomless pit, the beast kills the two prophets. This “beast” is none other than the destroyer named Abaddon or Apollyon who inhabits the antichrist. His release from the pit and possession of the antichrist occurs at the midpoint of the tribulation when the antichrist sets up the abomination of desolation. Therefore, we are safe to assume that the two witnesses are killed mid-trib, placing their ministry during the first half of the 70th week. Also note that there are two “woes” to come following their death making their ministry during the second half of the week impossible.

This observation is of great importance to Christians living in these last days. What this means is that the very next event in God’s eschatological timeline that will be patently obvious to us just may be the appearance of these two prophets from God. It is critical that we know the who, what, why, and where about these men from God. For an in-depth study of these two witnesses, I devoted an entire chapter (8) to these prophets in my new book “Last Days Events-Sequence and Synchrony”. It can be found here: Last Days Events: Sequence and Synchrony by Weinert, J D (amazon.com)

Maranatha, Jim

Sometimes I feel like Jeremiah.

The Jewish prophet ministered to Judah and surrounding Jewish cities prior to and during the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem over 2600 years ago. God had decided enough was enough and carried out His threats of judgement on disobedient and unrepentant Israel. Jeremiah continuously warned the people of this impending doom that was soon to befall them, but they refused to heed his message delivered directly from God. He was scorned, vilified, and physically restrained during his time in Judah, due to his unpleasant message. He told them that if they did not repent or follow God’s instruction to go with the enemy to Babylon, they would not live through His judgement. You know the rest of the story. Jerusalem was totally destroyed and the Jews that did go to Babylon remained there for 70 years in exile. Their response to Jeremiah was always that God would deliver Jerusalem from its attackers as He had done so many times in the past. In other words, you’re wrong, Jeremiah, nothing to worry about, quit prophesying doom.

Well, if you are a follower of this blog, you know that I’ve been focused on warning Christians that we are quickly approaching the time of God’s judgement on the earth, and we need to prepare. He’s about to do this during a seven-year period called the tribulation or Daniel’s 70th week. And for this world, it’s going to be horrific. He’s about to release the four horsemen of the apocalypse, allow Satan and his antichrist a measure of authority for a time, and pour out His wrath on all this worlds evil. God’s Word is clear and unapologetic in warning His people to prepare for unprecedented turmoil coming on this earth. Yet, just as during Jeremiah’s day, many are those in His church who say that even if this might actually be coming soon, God will protect us by whisking us away to somewhere in the spirit realm where we will be completely protected during this time of trouble. Unfortunately, this is widely taught in evangelical circles, giving Christians a false sense of security. While there may well be places of safety from His wrath, they are here on this earth, and we will need to seek His direction to take advantage of these. “He (the antichrist) shall persecute the saints of the Most High and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. (3 1/2 years) (Daniel 7:25). “He shall destroy fearfully and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.” (Daniel 8:24) “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.” (Revelation 13:5, 7). Just like Jeremiah warned Judah of coming judgement, the Holy Spirit is warning Christians of God’s impending judgement on this earth. And, saints, it begins in the church.

I certainly do not consider myself a prophet like Jeremiah, but the warnings for God’s people are similar, so I must be obedient. Thankfully, I’m not being threatened physically as the prophet was, though I do get some negative reactions from those who should know better. I simply read and study God’s word and with the help of the Holy Spirit try to understand what’s just ahead of us. You must do the same. Don’t rely on anyone but God’s Holy Spirit and His book for direction in these last days. God’s people didn’t listen to Jeremiah, and they suffered the consequences. They poo-pooed His direct warnings and were unprepared. The Scriptures give us an end time road map that we need to follow. Study them and do what they say.

The apostle John tells us something remarkable in his first letter. “The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed at His coming.” (1 John 2:27-28). In other words, John is telling us that as Christians, He abides in us through the anointing (Holy Spirit). That gives us an upper hand when studying last days events. We should not be in need of teachers but actually teaching others. As John said, we must abide in Him to become confident and unashamed when He comes.

Christians, we have a huge responsibility to alert everyone we love and come in contact with about the times in which we live. Your warnings may fall on deaf ears or be scoffed at or even offensive to some, but that should not deter your resolve. Like me, consider Jeremiah.

Maranatha, Jim

If Jesus surprises you when He comes like “a thief in the night” then, according to the apostle Paul, you are not a child of the light. Shocking? Maybe you haven’t thought of it this way, but it’s true, non the less. Paul says this concerning the day of the Lord when Jesus returns for His bride: “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day.” (1Thessalonians 5:4-5). If you’re truly a born-again Christian, you should be walking in the light given you by God’s Holy Spirit Who will “tell you of things to come“(John 16:13). No, saints, Jesus will not come in a season we are unaware of. If anyone tells or teaches you otherwise or speaks of some secret coming of our Lord that could happen unexpectedly or at any time, they are simply wrong. Jesus commanded us to watch and make ourselves ready for His coming. We do this by reading and studying all the sign-containing scriptures that detail events just prior to His arrival. We can then be alert and watching these events as they unfold so that, as Jesus told us in His parable, we are prepared for the correct “watch of the night” when the thief comes. Yes, for the rest of the world, He will surprise as a thief in the night. An important part of knowing the Lord’s timing is the determination of what watch of the night He’s coming. (Matthew 24:43-44). If we’re truly children of light, this shouldn’t be a problem for us. Jesus warned the church in Sardis; “Remember, therefore what you have received and heard…. if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” (Revelation 3:3)

I’ve recently published a book that serves as a primer of last days events that will help you in your studies and prepare you for what’s coming on this earth as we near the Lord’s return. You can find it here: Last Days Events: Sequence and Synchrony by Weinert, J D (amazon.com)

Dear Christian, you are a child of light. The general timing of Jesus’s second coming is not hidden from you. Your task is to uncover it so that you can become ready.

Maranatha, Jim

Jesus’s letter to the Laodicean church as dictated to the Apostle John contains a succinct warning that should concern modern-day Christians. “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16). Unfortunately, “lukewarm” describes a huge portion of todays “Christians”. They are content to go to church on Sunday, participate in some Christian activities, giving their friends and relatives the impression that they are sincere believers. But actually, they see church more as a social gathering where they can be entertained and meet their friends. They see church as a place where their kids can learn moral truths, where they or their offspring can get married, and where their old folks can be memorialized in a funeral. Their Pastor’s sermons probably pass over their heads, as they are mostly biblically illiterate. Regular bible study is not their forte. They shun real Christians who are sincere in their faith and love to discuss the bible and all things spiritual. They do not have a deep personal relationship with their Savior, Jesus, and are therefore oblivious to the spiritual events happening all around them. These people are in real trouble. They are being deceived by the enemy into thinking they will be OK in eternity. In reality, in their lukewarmness, Jesus said He would “vomit” them out of His mouth.

If any of the above descriptions of lukewarm Christianity describes you, it’s time to fire up! Time to seriously read and study your bible-renew your mind with God’s word so that you can find God’s will for your life. Time to pray and ask the Author of life to help you conform to His image. Time to leave the world behind and seek real fellowship with friends knowledgeable in the scriptures who aren’t afraid to share that knowledge with you. Time to grow up toward spiritual maturity so that you can be assured of your inheritance in the coming kingdom of our Lord. Time to allow God’s Spirit to kindle that fire in you so that you can become a mighty warrior for Jesus in the difficult days just ahead. The rewards are staggering!

Jesus followed up in His letter to the lukewarm Laodiceans: “As many as I love I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:19, 21). Become zealous and repent-that’s the antidote for lukewarmness. Imagine for a moment the result. We can sit with Jesus on His throne! Not the Fathers throne where Jesus now sits at His Fathers right hand, but Jesus’s earthly throne in Jerusalem when He returns. Yes, we will rule and reign with Him on this earth. Are you ready for that immense responsibility? Your choice, Christian. Reign with Him on His throne or be vomited out from His kingdom. There is no place for a lukewarm Christian. Fire up!

Maranatha, Jim

When teaching His disciples about what conditions would be like just prior to His coming, Jesus mentioned that there would be “wars and rumors of wars“. These He lumped in with other signs He called “the beginning of sorrows” (birth pangs). If you follow this blog, you know that I believe we are currently experiencing these early contractions, as Jesus metaphorically called them. The current war in Gaza certainly testifies to this position. And yes, this means we are getting very close to the fulfillment of all the events prophesied to occur before the arrival of His kingdom.

When Jesus said this, He added something else that we need to consider so we do not take His prediction out of context. Here is the entire verse: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6). Note: the end is not yet. The word “end” Jesus used here is to answer to the disciple’s question of when the sign of the end of this age will be. The end of this age comes when Jesus returns and begins to rule in His millennial kingdom. Even though we are seeing the beginning of sorrows Jesus cautioned us to not assume this is the end. Much has to happen yet to fulfill all the events of Daniel’s 70th week (the last seven years of this age). Many prophecy teachers are teaching that this Israel/Gaza war indicates the second coming is imminent. Also, many are teaching that this is a lead-in to the war of Gog and Magog depicted in Ezekiel chapters 38-39. This cannot be, as Ezekiel 38-39 is describing the final conflict of Armageddon. You can read my earlier post concerning this war here: Ezekiel’s GOG-Magog War is Armageddon – Jim’s Eschatological Info (eschatontrails.com)

You may be aware that I’ve recently published a book that will help you sort out the prophetic events that will soon occur in a chronological format. You can find it here: Last Days Events: Sequence and Synchrony: Weinert, J D: 9798858723684: Amazon.com: Books

Yes, the Israel/Gaza war has prophetic significance, but just remember what Jesus said; “the end is not yet“.

Maranatha, Jim

About 2 1/2 years ago I posted about Psalm 83 as many were describing it as prophetic. Psalm 83 is a prayer penned by Asaph to thwart Israels enemies that surround her. Here is that post in its entirety:

Psalm 83 War

Several prominent prophecy ministers are teaching a soon coming ME war based on Psalm 83. They say it will be a war won by Israel that will devastate Israel’s surrounding neighbors. And, supposedly, it will be a stand alone war, prior to the final conflict of Ezekiel 38 &39. If that is true, then we certainly need to be watching for it in the very near future. But, is it what the Psalm declares ? Here is the text of Psalm 83; Psalms 83 | NIV Bible | YouVersion

Let’s analyze this Psalm. First, who is the author, Asaph? Asaph was the Temple Musician/song writer during the time of David and Solomon. He is credited as the author of 12 Psalms, with 83 being the last. While many Psalms are prophetic in nature, the focus of this Psalm is prayer. Specifically, prayer to God for protection of God’s people from the enemies that surround Israel. These enemies are listed in verses 6-8. Notice what the Psalmist says about what they are plotting; They “make a tumult‘, they have “lifted up their head“, they have “taken crafty counsel against your people“, they have “consulted together” they have said “let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more“, they have consulted together with one consent“, they “form a confederacy against you“. (Psalm 83:2-5). Sound familiar ? Following is a map of these nations and their modern day counterparts;

During the time of Asaph’s ministry, these nations were not much of a threat, so, perhaps Asaph wanted this song sung by the Israelites as an ongoing prayer to prevent a future threat. There are no biblical accounts of a decisive war against these particular nations all at the same time. But, there is one that comes close in our modern era. The 1967 war. Against incredible odds, Israel fought against the combined militaries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon. the PLO, and the Saudi air force. It was a miraculous victory for Israel giving her control of the Golan, Gaza, the West Bank, the Sinai peninsula, and Jerusalem including the temple mount. It was a relatively short war that included all the modern counterparts of Israel’s enemies listed in Psalm 83. Might this have been the object and fulfillment of Asaph’s prayer ? It is certainly an obvious candidate. However, there may be another fulfillment in our near future.

As I write this, Israel has just ended an aerial conflict with Hamas on its southern border involving thousands of missiles fired from Gaza. Hamas is an Iranian military proxy devoted to the destruction of Israel. Hamas is not the only Iranian proxy so inclined. To the north is Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shiite militias in Syria. To the east are Iraqi Shiite militias and Iran itself. To the south are the well armed Houthi Shiites, another Iranian proxy. They are all “consulting together to cut Israel off from being a nation”. I think this looming situation may be a focus of Asaph’s prayer. A war between Israel and Iran’s proxies seems imminent. I think this Gaza war was Iran testing Israel’s capabilities. Iran will probably coordinate a massive attack by her proxies in the near future. If the prayer of Psalm 83 is answered, these proxies will be totally destroyed.

So, to sum up, Psalm 83 is primarily a prayer that likely was answered in 1967, with a future 2nd fulfillment imminent between Israel and limited to Iran’s militant Islamic proxies. We can have a part in the outcome of that. When you read Psalm 83, quote it as a prayer to God for the safety and peace of Israel.

Maranatha, Jim

The above post aptly describes today’s situation, as it is happening again, but this time much worse. I would like to reemphasize that we pray Psalm 83 for Israel’s protection. Find it in your bible, read it as a prayer, and do it daily during this tense period of conflict surrounding Israel.

Maranatha, Jim