Rabbi’s Reflections – Sunday,July 23, 2023
Shavuah Tov,
“As Iron Sharpens Iron”
Recent End-time Prophecy Commentaries
by Dr. Raymond Finney
INTRODUCTION: Today’s RR refers to Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Adonai loves us, His children, enough that He warns us of the future. This future is foretold in Bible prophecy.
Many students of Holy Writ conclude that the end of the Age of Grace is near. The wise Believer should prepare for the return of Yeshua, the Resurrection/ Rapture of Believers, the Bema Judgment, the Marriage to the Lamb, the Millennial Kingdom, and the eternal occupation of New Jerusalem (Heaven).
I suggest you use some summer reading time to sharpen the “iron” of your faith. Numerous commentaries posted on the Internet discuss the soon coming of the end of the Age. I provide for your consideration a few (published in the first two weeks of July) that I have read. You may not be interested in all of them, but you may want to choose some to read. These articles are arranged in descending chronological order of publication. Click on the URL address to read the entire commentary. And, of course, continue to read Shomair Yisrael’s Rabbi’s Reflections.
SIDELIGHT: Please understand that several authors’ works are presented in this RR. You might not agree with every idea discussed. That’s okay, though. If you encounter an idea that you recognize as wrong or questionable, you are strengthening your beliefs by examining the veracity of your beliefs and formulating reasons to reject the errors of others. In this manner, you sharpen the “iron” of your faith.
For example, one author (below) presents a theory of the progression of the end times that differs from the theory of my understanding. I am not offended, No one has perfect knowledge of God’s ways. If he and I should discuss our different understandings, I believe we would do so respectfully and in a manner of love. I doubt either one of us would accuse the other of going to Hell. We might walk away still holding the same views, but we will have considered the topic more fully. His “iron” and my “iron” have sharpened our faiths. We would agree on much more than we disagree. END sidelight.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “The Four Gospels of Christ and the Four Living Creatures” | Randy Nettles | rev310.net | July 14, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://www.rev310.net/post/the-four-gospels-of-christ-and-the-four-living-creatures
● BRIEF SUMMARY: As the title suggests, author Nettles summarizes the four Gospels of the B’rit Chadashah and the Four Living Creatures of The Revelation. All of these topics are highly relevant to end-time prophecy.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Prophetic Malnutrition” | Steve Schmutzer | rev310.net | July12, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://www.rev310.net/post/prophetic-malnutrition
● BRIEF SUMMARY: How well will your car perform if you have removed one wheel? Would you sit down in a chair with a leg missing? Do you trust a plane with only three of its four wings? These questions may seem absurd, but they each have something in common. In each case, 25% of something important is missing. And in each scenario, you would be at risk if you settled for less. No reasonable person would willingly choose to put him-/her-self in these situations. So why do we choose to regard the Bible differently than we would regard the car, the chair, or the plane? Author Schmutzer argues that studying the Bible, but disregarding the quarter of it devoted to prophecy, leaves the Believer spiritually malnourished.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “The Mysterious Prophecy of the Trees” | Michael Hile | Rapture Ready | July 12, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://www.raptureready.com/2023/07/12/the-mysterious-prophecy-of-the-trees-by-michael-hile/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: During the last week of His life, Yeshua delivered a detailed prophecy about the end times to His disciples. This teaching is known as “The Olivet Discourse” since it was delivered on the Mount of Olives after Yeshua and His disciples had left the Temple Mount and crossed over the Kidron Valley. This discourse can be found in three of the Gospels: Matthew 24:3-25:46, Mark 13:3-37, and Luke 21:5-36. Yeshua ended this comprehensive teaching about end-time signs with a parable about the fig tree, which prophetically indicated the timing of His Second Coming (Matthew 24:32-35). Author Hile discusses this parable and other Biblical references to trees.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Is the Tribulation at the Door?” / Bill Perkins / Compass International / July 12, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://compass.org/is-the-tribulation-at-the-door/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: Daniel’s 70 Weeks Bible prophecy, Daniel 9:24-27, is the most important prophecy in the Bible regarding the last days just before and after the Rapture. If this prophecy is misunders6ood, the student of prophecy may be misled and confused. Author Perkins attempts to explain certain important features of this prophecy.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Seven-Year Proposal and Prophetic Portent” / Terry James / Rapture Ready / July 12, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://www.raptureready.com/2023/07/12/seven-year-proposal-and-prophetic-portent-by-terry-james/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: Things aren’t moving quickly enough to suit the globalist elite, would-be masters of the Earth. Agenda 21 and Agenda 30 and their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) must be put on a fast track. The period of seven years is most significant in end-time prophecy. Author James records some thoughts about the accelerating plans for globalism.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: ”The Essenes’ Calendar” / Randy Nettles / Rapture Ready / July 11, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://www.raptureready.com/2023/07/11/the-essenes-calendar-by-randy-nettles/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: The Essenes were a mystic Jewish sect living during the Second Temple period that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. In 167 BC, the Jews, led by the Maccabee family, revolted against the Seleucid dynasty. The Essenes’ calendar differed from the Gregorian calendar we use. Biblical dates use the Essenes’ calendar. Author Nettles explains this calendar.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Apocalyptic Anticipation” / Jan Markell / olivetreereviews.org / July 10, 2023
● URL ADDRESS:https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Apocalyptic-Anticipation.html?soid=1101818841456&aid=VbcZkpqkLcg
● BRIEF SUMMARY: Author Jan Markell reviews the controversy of when and whether the end (the Rapture) is near, including opposing views of well-publicized naysayers. She offers this advice: “It’s better to sound the warnings [of the end of the Age] than have multitudes come to us and ask, ‘Why didn’t you warn us of all of this and of all of the things to come?’”
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “King Charles III and His Doomsday Clock” / Johnathan Brentner / jonathanbrentner.com / July 10, 2023
● BRIEF SUMMARY: On June 28, 2023, King Charles III and London Mayor Sadiq Khan activated a “climate clock,” warning that there are 6 years and 24 days left to limit global warming before it brings doom upon the world. The king calculated the countdown to the ruin of the world due to climate change to the exact minute and second. Author Brentner discusses the prophetic implications of King Charles’ “climate emergency.”
My comment: Oh, good grief! A number of environmental alarmists have predicted the end of the world due to “climate change.” Predictions of catastrophes that should have happened by this date have all been wrong. Still, polar ice sheets are intact and polar bears live. It is true that horrendous weather changes will occur during the Tribulation, according to The Revelation, but we are not yet in the Tribulation. Adonai will determine these events, not King Charles. If we are correct, we live in end times and Yeshua will return soon. Before long, this Earth will be destroyed and re-formed as the New Earth. I suggest we should be good stewards of the world given us (conserving resources and reducing pollution), but some ecological proposals and alarms smack more of Gaia [earth goddess] worship, than Adonai worship. In the Olivet Discourse, Yeshua (in His Son of Man phase) admitted He did not the date of His return. Only God the Father knew this date. (King Charles is not God the Father.)
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Allowing The Criminals To Run Wild In The Streets Of Our Major Cities Is Only Going To Make Things Worse…” | Michael Snyder | End of the American Dream | July 10, 2023
● BRIEF SUMMARY: The chaos that we are witnessing in our streets is the direct consequence of incredibly bad decisions that our leaders have been making for decades. Traditional morality has been banished from our public schools, gang members and drug dealers are constantly pouring across our wide open borders, and in many of our largest cities hardened criminals are let back out into the streets time and time again. As a result, property crime is out of control, violent crime has risen to frightening levels, we are in the midst of the worst drug crisis in the history of our country, and sexual predators are seemingly everywhere.
My comment: Yeshua, Paul, and others taught that the Tribulation will be the most godless, evil time in the history of human existence. Satan himself will be part of the ruling Unholy Trinity. The period of time leading up to the Tribulation will be filled with godless violence, sin, and depravity. Have we entered that time? Not quite yet. The Tribulation will not begin suddenly, as though God throws a switch. That is, we will not have the Tribulation on, say, Tuesday, but it is full sway on Wednesday. We will gradually pass into this terrible time until the Antichrist makes his remarkable entry onto the world stage.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “A Topsy-Turvy World” / Nathele Graham / Rapture Ready / July 8, 2023
- URL ADDRESS: https://www.raptureready.com/2023/07/08/a-topsy-turvy-world-by-nathele-graham/
- BRIEF SUMMARY: Author Graham explains the difference between prohibited human judgment (Matthew 7:1-2) and God’s righteous judgment. The end times will be populated by false teachers (1 Timothy 4:1-2). The author warns against being deceived by false teachers in our topsy-turvy world. Faced with false teachers and false doctrines, the Believer must take more responsibility in teaching him-/ her-self and others.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Warnings” / Daymond Duck / Rapture Ready / July 8, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://www.raptureready.com/2023/07/08/warnings-by-daymond-duck-2/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: Many see chaos in the world, but others see God’s warnings that His judgment is coming soon. Author Duck discusses six dangers and warnings: (1)- world government and deceit (the climate change scam); (2)- the beginning of the Tribulation when the Antichrist confirms or strengthens an existing seven-year covenant; (3)- signs of a falling away of the faithful (or apostasy; (4)- continuing (acceleration) of Jews’ return to Israel; (5)- ungodliness, deceit, censorship, the loss of freedom of speech, and the loss of freedom of religion; and (6)- establishment of global currency and control of commerce.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “The UN Has Come Up With A Shockingly Insidious Plan For Global Domination” / Michael Snyder / The End of the American Dream / July 5, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://thewashingtonstandard.com/the-un-has-come-up-with-a-shockingly-insidious-plan-for-global-domination/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: As background, the Antichrist’s regime will attempt to establish a one-world government during the Tribulation. Even at the present time, a few global organizations are seeking to establish a one-world government. The United Nations is one such organization. Author Snyder argues that under a shocking new plan that is scheduled to be adopted two months before the U.S. presidential election in 2024, all it would take is some sort of a major “global shock” for the United Nations literally to take authority over the entire planet.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “The Wagner Group: A Prophetic Perspective On An Incident That Has The World Scratching Its Head” / Mark Hitchcock / Harbingers Daily / June 30, 2023
● BRIEF SUMMARY: The world watched in shock and disbelief as a mercenary army– the Wagner Group, an important ally of Russia in Ukraine– marched toward Moscow, coming within 120 miles of Russia’s capital. This potential conflict would have been an evil versus evil conflict. A variety of military, Russian, and geopolitical experts tried to explain what was happening. Then as suddenly as it all began, this “revolt” suddenly dissipated, leaving us to wonder: What in the world is going on here? Author Hitchcock tries to explain what we know and do not know about the Wagner Group’s revolt against Vladimir Putin. Hitchcock asks and attempts to answer a number of questions about this seemingly inexplicable action. He offers an explanation about the ways the Wagner Group’s defiance of Putin may affect the future Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39).
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “9 Essential Reasons for Understanding Biblical Prophecy” / Jonathan Brentner / jonathanbrentner.com / July 5, 2023
● BRIEF SUMMARY: The topic of Bible prophecy is more relevant to our lives now than at any other time in the history of our faith. It has never been more vital that Messiah’s congregations teach prophecy and Believers understand it. It is not just the convergence of a host of prophetic signs that make it so, but the existential dangers to our lives and livelihood that threaten everyone. Author Brentner discusses nine reasons every Believer should study and every Messiah’s community should teach the prophetic word given to us by Adonai.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Is God On The Brink Of Saying ‘Enough Is Enough’ To The Wickedness In Our World?” / Terry James / Harbingers Daily / July 4, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://harbingersdaily.com/is-god-on-the-brink-of-saying-enough-is-enough-to-the-wickedness-in-our-world/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: It is something almost no one wants to think about, much less confront face to face in order to put an end to it. But it is now here, as sinners are setting the stage for the moment when God in Heaven will say, ”THAT’S ENOUGH!”, as He has done at various times in the history of the human race. Author James cites a few examples of why God may have reached the end of His patience with sinful humans.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Biblical Prophecy: It Has Never Been More Vital That Churches Teach It, And Believers Understand It” / Jonathan Brentner / Harbingers Daily / July 1, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://harbingersdaily.com/biblical-prophecy-it-has-never-been-more-vital-that-churches-teach-it-and-believers-understand-it/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: Author Brentner discuses several present conditions that are related to end-time prophecies and why Messiah’s communities should teach and Believers should study and understand these prophecies.
►TITLE/ AUTHOR/ PUBLICATION/ DATE OF PUBLICATION: “Franklin Graham: ‘Never Before In America Have We Seen Such Open Contempt For The Word Of God’” / Franklin Graham / Harbingers Daily / July 1, 2023
● URL ADDRESS: https://harbingersdaily.com/franklin-graham-never-before-in-america-have-we-seen-such-open-contempt-for-the-word-of-god/
● BRIEF SUMMARY: Franklin Graham gives examples of an America careening away from the Word of God and reasons for such a falling away (apostasy).
CONCLUSION: I suggest that a Believer would spend his/ her time better by reading God’s Word (and commentaries/ teachings based on that Word), instead of spending much time reading social media. I believe the Apostle Paul would agree. In his letter to Timothy, Paul advised studying God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15): Make every effort to present yourself before God as tried and true, as an unashamed worker cutting a straight path with the word of truth. Then, he immediately advised against “godless chatter,” which much of social media has become (2 Timothy 2:16-17a): But avoid godless chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness and their words will spread like cancer….
Yeshua also warned against “godless chatter” (Matthew 12:36-37): [Yeshua said] “But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment, men will give account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
If you are not doing so now, please begin reading commentaries from fellow Believers. Many commentaries may be accessed free of charge from the Internet. The commentary authors spend much time and effort in trying to deduce truth and “sharpen the iron” of others’ faith. Until next Sunday, Shalom and Maranatha.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarsson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun 23 July 2023 5th of Av, 578
De 3:23-4:4 Ez 28 1 Ch 8 Col 4 (Lk 24)