God is NOW Sending Us a Last Warning that the Rapture of the Church, Followed By the Great Tribulation Is VERY Close at Hand. Strong Evidence Given

The purpose of this article is to illustrate why the last 7 years before the return of Jesus could commence any day now and therefore that we need to make ourselves ready NOW.












Note: the section "feast of trumpets" was edited on 17th & 23rd Nov 2014.

Please also read the following articles alongside this one
http://watchmanforjesus.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/evidence-that-last-days-as-reported-in.html

http://watchmanforjesus.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/my-rapture-and-end-times-stance.html note: this article has now just been completely revamped with many changes due to the many errors discovered and to reflect what I now know to be true as at 14th November 2014 17.45 GMT. 


http://watchmanforjesus.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/present-day-israel-is-nation-of.html

The bible tells us that the last 7 years aka the Great tribulation (mixed with the judgements of God) will precede the Second Coming, but these 7 years may not necessarily commence immediately from the day of the rapture, but from the signing of the 7 year peace treaty ("covenant of death") between Israel and the antichrist.

Jesus told us that there would be signs pointing to the lead up to those days indicating when those days are likely to start. This article will not predict a date, but it will show that the signs Jesus was referring to are now here, so the rapture could happen at any time now.

This article will show how the rapture is likely to happen just before or during the very next event on the prophetical calendar. I am referring to the Psalm 83 prophecy which could have the commencement of its fulfilment any day now (when we consider recent events in that area). This prophecy has never been fulfilled in the way described and by these specific limited numbers of nations (if we use 21st century equivalent names). By the way, it is not possible for the Gog and Magog wars (described in Ezekiel 38 and 39) to take place UNTIL the Psalm 83 war has first ended because it relates to the aftermath of Psalm 83. More on that later.

Signs in the heavens 
In Genesis chapter 1 (first book and chapter of the Bible) verses 14-15  ‘Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth” ’ 

The sun, moon and stars were not JUST to give light, days and years, but ALSO for signs and seasons. In a number of places through the Bible and through history we see momentous occasions when these bodies stand out specifically as signs of these events. Also, they dictate when specific seasons are upon us and when God’s specific feasts are at hand (which always paint a picture of Jesus [past, present and future] ). More on that later – especially regarding the feast of trumpets and tabernacles and how the phrase “as to the day and hour knoweth no man” fits in.

This article will
investigate if the expected tetrad, (4 blood moons during 2014 to 2015) total solar eclipse in March 2015 and partial solar eclipse in September 2015 are a sign heralding that a Divine event is about to happen very soon. 

Note: a solar eclipse is expected to take place on September 13th  2015 on the Jewish feast of trumpets and the 4th blood moon will be seen in Jerusalem on the same day as the start of the feast of tabernacles on September 28th 2015. Such a (natural) event is not expected for another 500 years afterwards, i.e, one which again coincides with these Jewish feasts. 

Jesus (referring to the restoration of Israel in 1948) said that THAT generation – the one NOW, would not pass away until all these things were fulfilled. It has to be THIS tetrad, not one in 500 years time. We are living in a significant time in which the promised restoration of Jerusalem to Israel after the desolation of MANY generations (2000 years) has been witnessed by us all. It is THIS generation that will witness all these things (not in 500 years). Note that there has only been 7 previous tetrads which have taken place during Jewish feasts in more than 2000 years, ie very rare. In every single one of those other events something significant has happened regarding Israel or the Jews.

Therefore, this tetrad and the solar eclipses could be heralding something extremely significant NOW (especially as the next one is not due for 500 plus years - Israel is already a nation again, so the next one is irrelevant) and could be one or more of these following events (not necessarily in this order):

• The rapture
• the impending fulfilment of Psalm 83
• the extension of Israel’s borders
• Gog and Magog wars (Ezekiel 38 to 39)
• The end of Islam and atheism
• Revealing of the antichrist and false prophet
• 7 year peace treaty of death
• building the third temple
• Globalisation of Mystery Babylon (as shown in this other article)
• Time of Jacob’s trouble
• The fall of Babylon the Great
• Armageddon

This article will not cover all of the above, but will mostly focus on why we should be expecting the rapture at any moment NOW in the light of the heavenly signs and the signs of the times. Jesus said (in the light of the signs He was referring to) that “when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near”. This article will not go beyond events leading up to the global conquest of Mystery Babylon.


What Are These Recent Signs in the heavens heralding? 
Mostly, whenever a vastly significant DIVINE appointed event (i.e. a momentous ACT of God) has or is about to happen which specifically affects Israel, God sends heavenly signs. 

They normally herald one or more of the following: judgement, mercy, massively significant events and protection. They have also accompanied specific Jewish feast days. For example, there was a sign in the heavens to declare the birth of Jesus and during Passover when Jesus was on the cross (although the darkness of 3 hours, on this occasion, must have been a unique supernatural event as solar eclipses can only take place during a new moon -passover only takes place during a full moon and solar eclipses cannot last 3 hours).

All massive events surrounding Jesus and the church were fulfilments of the Jewish feasts and always took place at the same time as these feasts, such as Passover/Pesach (already mentioned), Pentecost/Shavuot and others. As it states in Colossians 2:16-17:
 "regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" ie Jesus fulfills all these feasts.

All that remain (unfulfilled) are the autumn feasts such as Feast of trumpets/Rosh Hashanah and Tabernacles/Sukkot.

Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)
This was the first of the Autumnal feasts (now known as Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year. It was also known as feast of ingathering as the harvest was reaped from the field. 
See Exodus 23:14 and 16:

 "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year" (verse 14). The third feast being "and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field." (verse 16).

Notice gathered in from the field.

A shofar horn (trumpet) was blown to state that the new year had started. As I understand it, it sounded on the mountains as soon as the new moon was seen.

This feast was the only one that was held on the first day of a new moon. Most of you will know that just before the revealing of the new moon, the moon is totally invisible to the naked eye, so was impossible to determine the exact day/hour of the first day of the new moon, until a slither of light (from the sun) reflected onto the moon to reveal that the new month had started.

Therefore it was impossible to know (before the technology that we now have) the exact day or hour “as to that day or hour knoweth no man”. That phrase was a well known saying indicating the uncertainty of the timing of the feast and was the feast that Jesus was referring to when He made that statement.

During a solar eclipse, the suddenness of the revealing of the new moon at this feast was very stark in comparison with other new moons and was a special sign. We have been informed that there will actually be a solar eclipse at the feast of trumpets in 2015.

Even if that phrase was not relevant as an indication of knowing when to expect the rapture – certainly we should not be date setting, we should remember that when Jesus stated “no man knows the day or hour”, it was almost 2000 years ago. 1900 years plus needed to pass by before Israel even became a nation again. Clearly there would not be any signs of the rapture for a very long time, so was difficult to  determine when it would happen at that time, i.e. around the year 30AD. However, we are very close now, so much easier to determine the signs and times in which we live and recognise that the rapture is very close.

The trumpet blasts meant different things: an announcement to prepare spiritually (to awaken), to assemble together, to get right with God and as a final last warning and to "look up"(last trump) 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.  Note that Luke was telling us that we should look up at the beginning of the tribulation and not at the end.

The last trump was also blown to commence a journey. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 that the last trump – the very last one calling the people of God together, resulting in the rapture.

Incidentally, we cannot use the trumpets blown by the angels in the book of Revelation as a guide to the last trump because the apostle Paul was not referring to those trumpet blasts (as the book of Revelation had not yet been written) but to the Jewish feast of trumpets and maybe also to the trumpets used by Joshua. Besides, the trumpets in Revelation are blown by the angels whereas the one mentioned by Paul is blown by the Lord Himself "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" 1 Thes 4:16

Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36)
The feast of tabernacles partially was fulfilled by Jesus in that His body represented the temple (dwelling place of God). John 1:14 declares “ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)”. Literally, he tabernacled amongst us. Special events in the eternal life of Jesus always took place on the exact dates of an appropriate Jewish feast. Therefore, it stands to reason that Jesus was born on the first day of Tabernacles.  However, this feast has only partially been fulfilled because it was only for 33 years.

However, at the Second Coming, we will be in the presence of Jesus forever.

A blood moon (full moon) will take place at the Feast of Tabernacles (following the solar eclipse on the feast of trumpets) in 2015.

We are now in the shemittah (Shmita) sabbatical year. This is the 7th year in a 7 year cycle as recorded in Exodus 23:10-11 which will last until September 2015. The first year in another 7 year cycle will then begin (around the time of the day of atonement - possibly the very last one) and will last until the autumn of 2022, with the year 2021/22 being the next Shmita year.

Around the feast of Tabernacles in 2022 it will either be the start of a new 7 year cycle or could be the year of jubilee. (click here for an explanation regarding the next jubilee).  The year of jubilee indicates a time when everything will be restored and Israel's debt paid in full and the start of the Millennium reign of Christ on the Earth. Notice how that significant number of 7 years keeps showing up and corresponds with the 70th year of Daniel - the last 7 years of the Great Tribulation, Daniel 9:25-27.

These combined events do sound extremely significant and could be that God is telling us that The Second Coming will be taking place in around 8 years time after the rapture event, especially if the rapture happens in 2015 (could be sooner, because Jesus left us with the impression of imminency).


The impending Fulfilment of Psalm 83 and the Rapture and Partial fall of Islam
Psalm 83 (NKJV):
“Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones (hidden ones in KJV).

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You:

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. Selah

Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth.

Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, Who said, “Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for a possession.”

O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains on fire, So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD.

Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.”

For an in depth study on this psalm, please watch and read these links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOh6Dr3A_U

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/middle_east_war.php

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/middle_east_war2.php

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/middle_east_war3.php

When we consider the nations mentioned above and translate them into the country names they are known as today, i.e the immediate close neighbours of Israel: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, parts of Iraq, parts of Saudi Arabia, parts of Egypt, Palestinian occupied Gaza Strip) and what they are saying and match it in line with history, it is like we are reading todays newspaper written thousands of years ago. We are living in days when this could happen at any moment. What might finally trigger it off?

Could the plan of ISIS succeed in making that whole area an Islamic State governed by Sharia law by one government, and then attack Israel? Or could something else trigger it off. I believe that Psalm 83 gives us clues.

Psalm 83 mentions that Israel will defend itself in the same way that Gideon defeated the Midianites, ie with a very small (not exceedingly great) army.  An example of this may have happened in 1967 but with a slightly different set of nations and a completely different outcome. It never resulted in peace for Israel nor an acknowledgement from Israel’s neighbours that Yahweh (not allah) is the Lord. Therefore, it is still to happen. 

God used Gideon powerfully but also intervened by causing the Midianites to attack each other. Although clearly God intervened, the Israeli army were very active in the victory. These 300 soldiers were 400 times smaller than the Midianites. By the way, this will be completely different from the description of Israel’s victory over the hordes of Gog and Magog. Psalm 83 does not describe fire falling from heaven by direct Divine intervention, to destroy the enemies. But in Ezekiel 38 it DOES describe fire consuming the enemies without any fighting from Israel at all.

Psalm 83 ends with the result that a revival occurs because it is widely recognised that Yahwah (not allah) is the only true God. 

That revival surely could not happen if the reason for Israel’s victory was because of their superior capabilties. It HAS to surely be because of Divine assistance and be of Gideon-esk proportions.

How could it be that the IDF would suddenly be so small? Could it be because something happened which made Israel unprepared to muster a decent sized army - such as the rapture?

Verse 3 implies that a rapture could take place as it uses the phrase “hidden ones”. In fact, if the confederacy attacked Israel, it could be because they may consider that allah had given them an open door to destroy Israel due to the aftermath of a chaos caused by the rapture with all other nations massively weakened by it. It is possible that Israel’s immediate neighbours will not be affected that much because they are Islamic states with the vast majority as muslims who obviously would not be raptured.

Whether the rapture takes place at this point or not, the net result of this war is that the strength of Islam in that area of the Middle East will be broken and a combined acceptance of Israel’s God (not yet an acceptance of Jesus, though) with Israel temporarily living in complete peace and security with its neighbouring peoples and without walls, with Israel’s borders extended up to Euphrates River. The Gog and Magog war does not include any of the nations mentioned in Psalm 83. That is because the geographical areas of these nations are now owned by Israel – probably ceasing to exist and no longer Islamic.

The Gog and Magog war ending Islam and atheism
After the Psalm 83 war, there will be a global hatred for Israel (even greater than there is now) because of their actions and a global demand for eliminating the Jews. In USA the support of evangelicals for Israel will cease due to many of these being taken in the rapture.

The hope is that all the Jews return to Israel and its subsequent destruction would solve the “Jewish problem” forever. The sudden and immediate economic growth of Israel through its extended borders and new found wealth through resources such as the newly discovered oil of recent years, peace and security and the global intolerable behaviour towards Jews, may be the reason why the Jews living outside of Israel will immediately return to Israel. This will then set the scene for the later Gog and Magog wars as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Here is Ezekiel 38:8-12 which is addressing Gog of the Land of Magog (known today as Russia):

 “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 

You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land”

Notice the parts that are emboldened. That would suggest the peaceful aftermath after the completion of psalm 83 where Israel has extended its borders, possibly up to the Euphrates river and is no longer threatened by those nations it had just beaten who are now living in peace accepting the true God of Israel and rejecting Allah (as implied in psalm 83).

The nations who join the Russian hordes are: Persia, Cush and Put, Togarmah and Gomer. Today, these are widely recognised as being: Iran, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Armenia. Gomer is not so easy to identify, but is widely considered to be some of the old southern Soviet states and some of those Soviet states that now occupy Eastern Europe.

Most of those joining Russia (for other ulterior motives?) are from countries controlled by Islam (including countries from the Southern territories of the old Soviet Union) who have a vested interest in destroying Israel. Notice that none of the countries listed in Psalm 83 are involved. If they still existed as islamic countries, it is highly unlikely that they would not join in (as the inner circle surrounding Israel). Their non inclusion (in the Ezekiel 38 list) is further evidence that the war of Psalm 83 (as already discussed) had already ended.

By the way, Iran was made up of 2 countries (in Bible times) called Persia and Elam. In these days there is a growing Christian community in Iran which could be related to the Elam prophecy in Jeremiah 49 which infers a revival in Elam, whereas Persia is mentioned in Ezekiel 38.  At the rapture, the muslims would remain. It would appear that the Islamic section of Iran are the ones who are involved with Gog. The reason that Iran does not attack Israel immediately during the Psalm 83 war is probably due to the impact caused by the rapture – just like with all the other outer countries (and the rest of the world) surrounding the outer ring of the Middle East.

Ezekiel 38 and 39 show us that Gog and his hordes will be defeated heavily on the mountains of Israel by DIVINE intervention. The end result of this war is that atheism and Islam will probably be totally broken forever because it states:

“Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”’

Then chapter 39: 9 says “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years”

Seven years! That is the same length of time as the Great Tribulation period after the antichrist signs a treaty. Could it be that the Gog and Magog war will precede the 7 year tribulation period and the revealing of the antichrist in Rome and the rebuilding of the 3rd temple (with help from the antichrist)? I now deal with that subject next, in the added section).


Added section 4th Dec 2014 (revising my position regarding Gog and Magog War)
I have had to change my position regarding the timing of the Gog and Magog war after further study. The descriptions given in Ezekiel 38 to 39 would indicate that a lot of things would need to happen after the Psalm 83 war to bring the Jews to a place where they would feel secure, without walls and become unsuspecting of further hostilities. It would take at least a few years before they would feel settled and secure with some form of evidence to give them that security. I would suggest the "covenant of death" peace treaty with the (to be revealed) antichrist may bring them to that place.

The covenant of death would probably include a proviso of support for the rebuilding of the 3rd temple and may be because of Israel's sudden rise to a super power status with Israel (possibly) being the main source of oil supply for the whole world. This peace is likely to continue until late into the 7 year period at a point in which the antichrist turns the nations against Israel. 

Therefore, I suggest that the Gog and Magog war takes place towards the end of the 7 years and not at the beginning. Those who say it must be at the beginning are those who try to reconcile the 7 years of fuel burning with the same 7 years. They say that the 7 years burning can only happen during the Tribulation period and can not take place during the Millennium reign of Christ.

I have investigated this. There are plenty of other scriptures which would support that the 7 years burning period could mark the first 7 years of the thousand years, in which swords will be turned into ploughshares etc. This tells us that there will be manufacturing and agriculture during the millennium. Therefore, why not using the weapons of warfare as fuel as well?

If you then read Ezekiel 38 and 39 again, it makes more sense that the Gog and Magog war (with subsequent Armageddon war) is at the end of the Tribulation. Especially if we consider that it states that the whole world will know that the Lord is God and the acceptance by Israel of their Messiah is indicated with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit which matches the account given in Zechariah from 12:4 through to 14:12. I would suggest that Ezekiel is actually discussing the Gog and agog War combined with the Armageddon War, which will take place close together.

If we place the war at the beginning, it would make no sense because Israel would NOT be in that position of final peace and honouring God, because there would still be the immediate threat afterwards of the antichrist tribulation (time of Jacobs trouble) against them. What is the point of saying that the whole world would acknowledge the Lord if immediately after doing that, they give their allegiance to the antichrist to fight against God and against Israel? It makes no sense. However, it makes perfect sense if we place the event at the very end.

As mentioned earlier, the nations mentioned in the Gog and Magog wars are primarily muslim nations. With the emergence and power of Babylon the Great and mystery Babylon, Islam will probably be united with them in one global religion, agreeing together to unite to destroy Israel. Note Israel will have recently become the only nation who have rejected the antichrist (after the antichrist desecrated the 3rd temple and proved to NOT be the messiah).


Globalisation of Mystery Babylon Before and After The Rapture
Alongside this section, please read my latest article as follows:

Rick Warren and Word of Faith's Full Apostasy Is Complete. Mystery Babylon Is Taking Even Greater Shape Before Our Eyes

and the article “Explaining The Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns and The Woman Riding The Beast” by clicking here 

How would mystery Babylon the great emerge so quickly after the Psalm 83 war?

We have seen much evidence in the last 10 years, or so, how quickly the main stream protestant church has become ecumenical - joining forces with Rome. However, we are informed that Mystery Babylon is a united one world religion (no other religion) at the time of the antichrist. How could it happen so quickly?

Psalm 83 and the rapture gave us a clue.

As shown, Psalm 83 is the next major event on the biblical calendar, in which Israel's immediate neighbours will attack Israel and Israel will be victorious in the manner that Gideon was victorious. This would lead to Israel enlarging its borders with Islam ceasing to be an influence in Syria, Jordan, Egypt, most of Iraq, some of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Palestine, leading to peace in that geographical area, where these peoples will acknowledge that Israel’s God: Yahweh is the only true God (They will not, however, accept Jesus as their saviour, yet).

There are indications in Psalm 83 that the rapture will take place at this time: Note what it says in the KJV:

"They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones". The hidden ones could be related to those hidden in heaven after the rapture.

However, that will not lead to their salvation but to the speedy completion of Babylon the Great and global mystery religion controlled temporarily in Rome, by the antichrist.

The apostle Paul said "the mystery is already at work" and "after my departure wolves will come in". He was clearly referring to the catholic church fathers who brought n destructive heresy straight from Babylon through the gnostics.

Mystery Babylon flourished throughout the dark ages over parts of the Earth and will flourish again MUCH MORE in the latter days and this time totally globally. So, how will it flourish in such a massive way?

As shown above, if Islam and atheism is broken and the rapture has taken place for true believers who have not joined themselves to Rome, then who will be left? Those false ecumenical leaders who are trying to lead the true church back into Rome and all those who are not born again (in those churches) will be left behind. 

Most of these ecumenical leaders (who are not converted after the rapture) will all totally join Rome as ONE totally global mystery Babylon religion, together with all other religions which first emanated out of Babylonic religion (incidentally, Islam, buddism, Hinduism etc all have their roots in Babylonic mysteries). This support will enable Vatican City to emerge very quickly with much more power than ever before - even more sinister than was experienced during the dark ages.

Actually, the wheels are already in motion as preparation for that takeover. As this blog has shown, Rick Warren is a massive player in this preparation. In fact the momentum is building much more this year with Rick much involved in a Vatican led ecumenical all faiths conference in November. See http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1404527.htm

Beyond its stated purpose, the real reason for this global confab is to continue Pope Francis’ work of merging all religions into the One World Religion mentioned in the book of Revelation. Any excuse for a get together is fine, so long as all religions agree to lay down before the Vatican and get in line behind the Pope.

Therefore, if Islam and atheism is broken and the rapture has taken place, then Mystery Babylon will be the one united global religion that remains.

Please read this article which corresponds to this article where it illustrates why mystery Babylon is definitely referring to Vatican city. http://watchmanforjesus.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/beast-with-seven-heads-ten-horns-and.html

Whether or not the rapture takes place over the next year or so, this article has surely shown enough to make us aware that the time is very close indeed "even at the doors" and therefore that we need to make ourselves ready and prepared for that time. For those who have not yet received Jesus as their Saviour, Please read:

http://watchmanforjesus.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/how-to-be-truly-saved-and-be-certain-of.html