End times stuff and Jerusalem the capital city.
Posted by appolus on December 7, 2017
It is always dangerous write about end times. There has to be a lot of humility even when you broach the subject and a willingness to agree to disagree. Anyone who tells you that “this is the way it is going to happen,” you can take with a pinch of salt. The reason I am writing this short piece ( I try to keep everything short these days, could take 1000 words just to introduce the subject) is because a few people have asked me if I think there is any significance for the end times in regards to the USA recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Short answer, yes, just because I think everything that happens to Israel and more specifically Jerusalem is significant. I think it actually might lead to a major peace deal, the one spoken of in Scriptures, a seven-year comprehensive peace deal and all the world will celebrate, but when they say “peace,peace,” there will be no peace and half way though that deal it will all fall to pieces. Let me give you the relevant Scripture from where we get the notion that there will be a seven-year comprehensive peace deal.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:21-22 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
1Th 5:2-3 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For 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.
Rev 13:7-8 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
So, the typical understanding of the abomination of desolation is that it takes place in the Temple, a Temple. Of course at this moment we do not have a Jewish temple in Jerusalem so most suppose a third temple has to be erected in order for this prophecy to take place. I disagree, for a couple of reasons. First I believe the saints themselves to be the third temple with God dwelling inside each of them, each of them being a living stone. Secondly in Matthew 24 Jesus refers to the “Holy Place.” Now, the ground upon which the Temple was built was a holy place. If you do the research you will see that the site of the Temple itself had a long rich history and so was not built on a random site. So what is there now? Right now we have the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Dome was completed in 692 and this makes it one of the oldest Muslim holy places in the world.
So that is some of the history and Scriptures that allude to this topic, now back to the USA recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many if not most scoff at the notion that someone like Trump could be part of a final comprehensive peace deal in the Middle East. I want to remind everyone that there was another President that people openly mocked and scoffed as a buffoon, President Regan. Yet he was the one that brought down the mighty Soviet empire and the Berlin wall, the symbol of separation of east and west. Now we know that God raises up the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. The recognizing of Jerusalem as the capital city is the first step towards the peace deal that we know has been foretold.
So I believe that when you see all three religious leaders of the world come together in the “Holy Place,” to combine the religions of the world then this is the abomination, the birth of the great whore church. What disaster or disasters that bring this about I cannot tell you but it will come to pass. The world will be so sickened by terrorism, perhaps after the largest atrocity the world has ever seen, that the people of the world will demand a coming together. The leaders of the religious world will meet, at the demands of the political leaders of the world, at the holy site, the holy place, the Dome as it is now. They will tell the world that each of them believe Abraham to be their mutual father of faith and that Abraham’s God is their God whether they are Christian, Jewish or Muslim. It will be a day that the world will celebrate and exchange gifts to commemorate true world peace. And the cry will be “peace and safety.”
The only people of the world who will resist this will be the saints and they will incur the wrath of the whole world. They will be seen as a cancer in society that has to ripped out. The religious and political leaders will point to them and tell the world that these so-called Christians are the source of all the worlds problems. And so war shall be made upon the saints and they shall be overcome for a time as every tribe and tongue and nation worship the one world government and the one world religion. In fact it will be so severe that if God Himself does not shorten those days then there would be no saints left on the earth.
I believe that all these things are shortly to come upon us. It is a good thing to be prepared just as Jesus prepared in the garden before the crucifixion. We are called to endure to the end saints. We are called to overcome and stand in the evil day. Our God will be with us and He will pour out His Spirit upon us so that we may have the strength to endure. He is God that keeps His promises and He shall never leave us no forsake us.
A Call To The Remnant 
Robert Taylor said
Brother Frank……This is nothing short of excellent. This is the first observation that I have heard that the 3rd temple is the saints of God themselves. When you think about it, it certainly makes sense. I agree with that viewpoint. The antichrist will set himself up in the midst of the remnant saints of God and proclaim himself to be God. The political, and religious conditions in the world today is such that I can very well envision something like that happening. Good article.
appolus said
Thank you bro Robert, was trying to keep it as short as possible but if I was writing something longer I would include this passage “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.(Joh 4:20-24)
I would also have spoken about Stephen and him declaring boldly that God does not dwell in Temples built by human hands and so on. God bless you brother, give my blessings to all the saints there and tell them they are never far from my heart and prayers……………bro Frank
Steve said
I don’t think I can say it better than I did on my blog:
After rehearsing my history of support for Israel (even volunteering for the Israeli Army during the Six Day War 50 years ago):
“I am nonetheless conflicted by Trump’s rash action today.
“And I have to say I’m greatly put on guard when a world-leader “man of lawlessness” (II Thessalonians 2:3) postures, for his own self-exaltation, about the status of Jerusalem, the city of the Great King.” — https://cross-purposes.blogspot.com/
SuperGirl said
I think our president is the surrogate of the devil for what he is doing. He has drained sane Americans of all hope for the future. I’m glad his dentures started slipping during the press conference!
appolus said
Supergirl, your hatred for President Trump is evident. This site is not about hate, it is about truth……….bro Frank
SuperGirl said
Oh ok, the truth is I can’t stand the creature.
appolus said
Hi SuperGirl, hatred, no matter who it is for, will corrode your soul. The Bible tells us to not even have a root of bitterness. I will pray that in forgiveness you can be delivered from any hatreds you might harbor in your heart………bro Frank
EndTimes said
While there are prophetic truths in this article, the main idea that is developed here is based on a faulty premise, in my own view.
You wrote: “when they say “peace, peace …” yet nothing that is happening in Israel and the U.N. at this time seems to point to a peace treaty but just the exact opposite. It’s more likely that a war is coming. As of yesterday, the Hamas terrorists have been calling for “a day of rage” and Jihad against Israel.
Brother Frank, I think you are jumping too far ahead (and too soon) in God’s prophetic timeline. I know God put Donald Trump in the White House, there is no possible doubt about that since every country leader in the world is God ordained. What is unclear now is the purpose. I personally believe God made Trump President to defend Israel and give the world (and His people) an additional grace period to repent and prepare before the tribulations start. Notice that the passage you quoted from Daniel (9.27) talks about “the people of the prince who is to come” (v. 26) who “shall destroy the city and the sanctuary”. That same prince is also called “the Assyrian” (Isaiah 10, Micah 5) referring to the two Kings of Syria Tiglath-pileser and Sennacherib who invaded Israel (respectively in 734 BC and 701 BC) and, by extension, the end-times Antichrist.
Seriously, I don’t see how you could think of Donald Trump as the antichrist since he’s about the only country leader in the present time who is still protecting Israel from invasion while also fighting to preserve the Christians and religious liberties in his own country. In these days of corruption and lawlessness, I consider this to be a miracle. Trump and his team are also fighting against the government corruption (the D.C. swamp) not only on the liberal Democrat side but in their own party as well (the fake Republicans reps) and the corrupt shadow government bureaucracy remaining from jihadist Obama’s legacy. In addition, Trump declared openly that he was not a globalist puppet.
If you think Donald Trump is of the devil while him and his team are doing everything possible to counter the abortion industry, the homosexual lobbies and the mass immigration jihad agenda, (and more …) you have to have a serious problem of spiritual discernment. I believe this to be the result of you guys spending too much time watching television, its fake news and other Beast System propaganda programs which, as clearly written in the book of Revelation chapter 13, is the privileged tool of the Beast for global deception. Good advice: turn it off and stay away from it.
I am truly disappointed with the comments I’m reading here; same narrative than the liberal anti-Christ, anti-Christians (and anti-Trump) fake news media narrative. I am deeply shaken in the Spirit. No need to say: anything with a Christian label that agrees with the liberal views and agenda are not of God. A huge part of today’s church in America has become like the people of Niniveh who cannot discern between their right hand and their left. From my own experience, each Christian I have met that was holding that kind of views (like “Trump is of the devil” or “he’s the antichrist” happened to be or fake christians or the ones maintaining serious doctrinal errors (such as the pre-trib rapture doctrine, the “once saved always saved” heresy, the so-called “speaking in tongues” deception – which is nothing but glossolalia, a counterfeit of the genuine apostolic biblical tongues and other unscriptural teachings). Often times, their works eventually show who they really are. I hate to have to say this but this time, because of the comments I’m reading here, I have to give you guys a good rebuke.
Please, excuse me if any grammatical mistakes in my comment since English isn’t my first language.
appolus said
I do not think President Trump is the anti-christ. I never wrote that nor did I imply that. I do believe that this is the first step that will actually lead to a peace deal. Now how many other steps I did not say. I wrote “What disaster or disasters that bring this about I cannot tell you but it will come to pass.” But let me be clear, there is no salvation to be had through politicians, no matter left or right. Both sides are Babylon and in the end will come after the saint because they are the world…………..bro Frank
wakarusaguy said
“I know God put Donald Trump in the White House, there is no possible doubt about that since every country leader in the world is God ordained. What is unclear now is the purpose.”
You reference Romans 13:1-4, that all human (worldly, or “secular”) authorities are “ordained” by God. I’d urge you to look into the Greek word there: understanding it to mean that God “chose” or “caused” all human rulers is not an accurate take-away.
That passage certainly teaches that we should obey human authorities, in recognition that God’s Authority is the ultimate and ONLY one which exists. It also teaches that rebelliousness against human authorities similarly equates to rebellion against God’s authority; satan’s own sin.
It does not teach, however, that because a man holds a position which carries God’s Authority, we should deduce that individual occupies that position by God’s will. God’s Authority is vested in the function (or office, or position) of ruling: not in the ruler. Jesus attested (at least some) men seize the kingdom of heaven (denoting God’s rightful Authority, Realm, and Rule) contrary God’s will, “by force” (Matthew 11:12).
God’s will, and purpose, through all history is that He Himself rule, and that He Only be glorified. He characterizes mankind’s contrary desire for human rulers as “rejecting” Himself (I Samuel 8:7). No human system of government could be moreso than the system of “demokratia:” that rule (“kratia”) belongs to people (“demos”).
The existence of the American presidency (or any other human position of authority) can’t itself be said to be God’s will. The human system which puts anyone in that office cannot be said to be the working of God’s will: rather the opposite. There’s even less reason to believe the man who currently possesses that office does so by God’s approbation.
There’s good reason to believe the current president gained that office by deceit and corruption (possibly even corrupt dealings with nations who wish America’s destruction); or as Jesus said, “violence” contrary God’s will. He has further distinguished himself as a man of lies: which makes it hard to believe he’s “God’s Man” or God’s “choice” in any way whatever, when he so overwhelmingly manifests the character of “the father of lies” (John 8:44).
God’s purpose and will, His rule and His glory, will be enacted despite, and even in, whatever evil men may do. You say rightly that we can’t yet see in what way God will manifest His rule in America’s current situation. Keep in mind there are times He manifests His rule by watching over people, even His Own people, for disaster and destruction (Jeremiah 31:28, 44:27ff).
EndTimes said
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ”
(2 Tim 2. 1-4)
About God’s will: There are different levels of God’s will found in Scripture. His absolute will that cannot be changed and will inevitably come to pass no matter what; His will properly said, and His permissive will which implies men’s decisions based on God’s given free will. The aforementioned passage clearly states that God’s will is that all men would be saved, yet Jesus says: “narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mt. 7. 14).
God’s will was not to set a king to rule over Israel but to be their King. At that time, Israel was the only theocracy in the world. Nevertheless, Israel asked God, through Samuel the prophet, to give them a king to judge them, like the other nations. “And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” (2S 10. 7)
Now you cannot take this and apply it to all the nations or any other nation. God chose Israel among all the nations to bear His name and bring forth His glory, His light and His word to all the nations of the earth.
While it was not God’s will for Israel to have a human king, God Himself chose Saul as a king and had him anointed by Samuel. The rest of the story shows that Saul disobeyed God in mostly everything and he lost his anointing. That is another example of God’s permissive will.
After that, God chose for king of Israel a man after His own heart: David. Yet, David committed sin in several occasions including adultery and murder. Interestingly, the Scripture in general never depicts king David as an “adulterer” and a “murderer” but as a man of faith and courage, a man after God’s own heart. Remember that, accordingly to the law of Moses, both adultery and murder were punishable by death. What God wants is a honest, repenting heart, who seeks God and the truth. And that’s the difference between Saul and David.
By contrast to what I just said, and after reading your speculative comments about Donald Trump “gaining the office by deceit and corruption” while there was (and still is) absolutely no evidence of that; moreover condemning him as “a man of lies” and, here again, just like most people using that same rhetoric: no evidence and no example describing or explaining any of those lies. All you say seem to be pulled out from the liberal media’s narrative.
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. (…) It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.” (James 3. 6,8,9)
For your information, God is not against human authorities nor kingdoms. There is no such thing in the Bible my friend. Moreover, God will rule the nations in the Kingdom Age (the millennium) from the New Jerusalem, the glorious City of God where they will be no need of the sunlight nor moonlight, where there will be no temple, does it sound like the will of God? …
… but there will still be nations and kings.
“But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. (Revelation 21. 22-24)
Yes, the will of God …
” Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Peter 2. 13-17)
wakarusaguy said
Hi, EndTimes:
God’s outrage at Israel wanting a human king, and His characterizing it as rejecting Himself, was indeed predicated on the fact that they alone of the earth’s nations had been (until then) living under His direct rule. That doesn’t mean His intention was ever otherwise than His direct rule over all men and all nations.
His direct Personal rule over all men and all nations is what His Kingdom is, inaugurated and embodied in Jesus Christ. If God ever intended anything less for humankind, He manifested in Jesus that He does not now.
“…the Scripture in general never depicts king David as an ‘adulterer’ and a murderer’ ”
Of course it does. There is in fact no reason we would know David committed adultery and murder except that scripture tells us he did.
“…after reading your speculative comments about Donald Trump “gaining the office by deceit and corruption” while there was (and still is) absolutely no evidence of that.”
I stand by what I said, and the way I said it: “There’s good reason to believe the current president gained that office by deceit and corruption.”
“…condemning him as ‘a man of lies’ and, here again, just like most people using that same rhetoric: no evidence and no example describing or explaining any of those lies.”
Do you not see that Donald Trump himself presents the evidence of lies ? And he condemns himself, if we understand scripture teaches that a man’s words and deeds show what’s in his heart (Proverbs 4:23 always comes to my mind in this regard). Or are you claiming that he is a man of truth ? If so, I’ll ask you for evidence.
“All you say seem to be pulled out from the liberal media’s narrative.” Are you claiming “the liberal media,” by reporting what Trump says, somehow makes it appears he lies…when he is actually speaking truth ?
I’ll go back to Romans 13. Is it your understanding that Christian obedience to human authorities means Christians must willfully ignore the human flaws of those authorities: or worse, deliberately falsify the character of their human authorities ? Do you imagine that in Paul’s sermons to Christians, at the time he was writing Romans 13, he would have preached that since Nero was their current human authority, they must convince themselves Nero was a nice guy, and always defend him as a good man…despite the evil things he did ?
EndTimes said
While king David’s sin is mentioned, he is NEVER referred to as a ‘murderer’ or an ‘adulterer’ in the Scripture. Nowhere. Not one time. Calling him that way would actually make you more an accuser of the brethren than anything else. In the Bible – especially from God’s perspective – David is always referred to in a positive way, in terms such as: man of God (2 Chr 8.14); God’s chosen (Ps.89.3;Jer.33.26); God’s servant (Ps. 89.3,20; Jer. 33.26; 34.23; Luk.1.69; Act.4.25); Patriarch (Act. 1.29). It is also written that David ‘behaved wisely in all his ways’ (1 Sa 18.14), Jonathan (Saul’s son) talked of him as ‘innocent blood’ when Saul wanted to kill him. In the future millennial Kingdom, the prophet says David will be their king (Ez. 37. 24), their prince forever (37.25). Even the Lord talks of Himself as ‘the God of David’, the ‘Son of David’, the ‘Seed of David’, the ‘Root of David’, the ‘Root and Offspring of David’ and ‘He who has the key of David’.
So no, David is not referred to as a murderer or an adulterer in the Bible, same as Abraham (who lied) is not referred to as a liar, Noah (who got drunk) is not referred to as a drunkard, Sarah (who laughed) is not referred to as a scoffer, nor Moses (who killed an Egyptian) is ever referred to as a murderer and so on. All of them are rather called patriarchs, men of faith, godly men, faithful servants, etc. In the N.T., the term ‘murderer’ is only used for Barabbas and for whoever “hates his brother” (1 John 3.15).
If you cannot be honest concerning king David in the Scripture, how could you be honest when you talk about other people (including D. Trump)? You still haven’t answered my question nor given any single evidence. I’m not going to waste my time listing all the good things the president accomplished in 2017 since you have already decided in your heart to hate him, slander him and condemn him for all his “sins”. All the description of what the current government did can be found on the gov. websites anyway.
Nobody ever said that you have to praise sin in men that are in authority but the Bible is crystal clear about respecting them, honoring them and praying for them. Even Paul never spoke badly against Herod or any other men in authority. As for Nero, he is not mentioned in the Bible. As much as it is right to rebuke, report or denounce evildoers, you better make sure that 1) your accusations are not based on lies and 2) you are not guilty yourself of the sins you are judging (speck vs beam) for Jesus said: “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (Mark 4.24-25)
Now about kingship.
Your last comment seem to imply that God’s intention is to rule Himself alone over all nations, even now as well as in the future Kingdom. If this is what you meant, you are totally wrong. You do not understand what the future Kingdom of God is about, for it is of God’s will and plan to reward His faithful servants by making them KINGS and priests over the nations.
“…And have made us KINGS and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5.10)
“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us KINGS and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.” (Rev. 1.6)
And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have AUTHORITY OVER TEN CITIES.’ (Luke 19.17)
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give POWER OVER THE NATIONS — He shall RULE them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father (Rev. 2.26-27)
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. (Rev. 3.21)
Nonetheless, these promises are not for everyone but only for those who OVERCOME, the faithful ones, those who walk in obedience to God and who sanctify themselves until the end. All those who will be counted worthy will be made KINGS (and priests). This is explicitly why Jesus is called the KING of Kings and the LORD of Lords.
EndTimes said
I do agree with salvation not coming from politicians nor political parties. Absolutely. I did not say nor imply that in any way. But there’s one thing I know for sure: God has a plan and He can use (and uses) whoever he wants to fulfill it, even His own enemies in order to destroy them. Here’s an example in Zechariah 14.2-3:
“For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women 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. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.”
God is the One who gathers them against Jerusalem, then He fights them and destroys them.
As in Revelation 17:17:
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”
Even the Beast System, the anti-Christ one world government is God ordained.
Now the rebuke was more directed at the commenters who were clearly demonizing president Trump (some with hateful, lampooning comments) while he is actually doing the right things. Jesus said to his disciples: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”. (John 15.19). Many believe that Donald Trump became a believer some time before he started running for President. While there is no evidence of that being true, I will nonetheless point out that the huge majority of Trump haters are obviously the ones that are “of the world”: they are the same people who condone abortion and same sex marriage, who label immigration laws as “racism”, who are trying to tear down the Rule of Law and the US Constitution, who openly call for practice of sorcery and witchcraft in attempt to bring down the President, who oppose freedom of religion (except for Muslims), who come out in the streets for violence and vandalism, who obstructs justice, who are unthankful, trucebreakers, false accusers, despisers of those that are good, who partake in spreading the lies and in believing them as well. Jesus said: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”. If all that doesn’t raise a red flag to Christians, nothing will. That being said, the day I will see the same despisers praising Donald Trump on a huge scale, I will change my opinion about him.
Yes, the world is Babylon but remember that Babylon’s intention is (and was): to unite, gather, make a name for themselves and bring forth a one-world government (Babel) instead of dividing, dispersing and spreading like God told them to do. Nowadays I see more and more people (including those calling themselves Christians) talking of nationalism like as of the devil. As a reminder, nations are meant to remain nations during the Kingdom Age.
I am very thankful to God for giving us Trump for US President instead of Hillary Clinton, thus protecting America from an early (and intentional) total meltdown for the rise of the final Beast System. Though at some point, we know that all that is written will come to pass, I am not looking forward to seeing the abomination.
appolus said
I agree with your comments about the anti Trump comments. I reminded the one commenting that this site was not a place for hate. We agree on much brother…………bro Frank
EndTimes said
I saw that afterward. Thank you for reminding her about hate and bitterness. Sister 🙂
Today’s thought “Sun, moon and stars” (January 22) – Belgian Ecclesia Brussel – Leuven said
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