NELSON WALTERS' RECKLESS DISTORTION OF DANIEL 11

Is the US Navy About to Be Destroyed? What Prophecy Says,

Nelson Walters' "The US Navy is anchored around the Strait of Hormuz. Prophecy tells us that the Western navies and the USA Navy will be destroyed, but is this the time? ..Before they are destroyed, the US Navy does something that sets the prophetic clock in motion. It enrages the Antichrist so completely that he abandons his military campaign, storms into Jerusalem and sits in the temple declaring himself that he is God.. The US Navy does that? Where is that found? The answer is in Daniel 11:30. Western ships, navy forces, including the United States Navy, block the Antichrist and force him to back down, and that is the trigger for the abomination of desolation, and that is the trigger for the flight of Israel on Passover, and that is the trigger for the destruction of the US Navy."


At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate..(Daniel 11:29-31 cf. Isaiah 46:9-10))

And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.
At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. (Daniel 11:36-45).

The king of the North is traditionally understood to be the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The "South" refers to Egypt, ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty. The term "Kittim" historically refers to the people of Cyprus and, by extension, the western maritime powers. In the context of Daniel 11, it likely represents Roman forces. This phrase indicates a military intervention by a powerful naval force, which historically aligns with Roman intervention in the region. The "ships of Kittim" symbolise a formidable opposition that disrupts the plans of Antiochus IV. This intervention is a turning point, as it halts his campaign against Egypt.1 

Many interpreters argue that Daniel 11:36–45 shifts from describing Antiochus IV to focus on the Antichrist, claiming that the text introduces a new figure whose arrogance and blasphemy exceed those of all previous rulers. My hesitation is the closing statement, “he shall come to his end with none to help him”, which reads more like a historical reference to Antiochus’ death rather than an eschatological conclusion about the Antichrist. 

Walters connects Daniel 11 with Balaam’s fourth oracle in Numbers 24:15–19, and identifies Agag with Gog.* While Gog and Agag share thematic links as archetypal enemies, there is no reason to connect either passage with modern geopolitical events.

ASV: Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted. (Numbers 24:7)

Septuagint: There shall come a man out of his seed, and he shall rule over many nations; and the kingdom of Gog shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be increased.

Walters refers to Gog as "the last great enemy of God's people, the final tyrant, the Antichrist himself". The bible never explicitly identifies Gog as the Antichrist. This is a much-debated subject; some interpreters equate the two figures, while others see them as distinct. In Ezekiel 39, Gog falls on the mountains of Israel and is devoured by birds of prey. However, Revelation 19:20 records that the Antichrist and the false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20). This settles the matter; the Gog of Ezekiel 38-39 is not the Antichrist as some allege.

You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. (Ezekiel 39:4).

I hold the minority view that the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will take place at the end of the millennium, as outlined in Revelation 20, where Gog is specifically named. Similarities between Revelation 19 and 20 suggest the possibility of a typological prefiguration of the Gog-Magog War at Armageddon, which explains why some argue for the Armageddon-Gog view. Others argue that the Gog-Magog war will happen during the brief covenant between Israel and the Antichrist, which represents a deceptive false peace at the beginning of the 70th week. However, this view is difficult to sustain if we follow the pattern of Daniel 11:36 ff. The Antichrist is unassailable after the covenant with Israel is made; it is therefore doubtful that Israel will be attacked while under the Antichrist’s protection. (Daniel 9:27). Advocates of a pre‑seventieth‑week Gog war consistently overlook Ezekiel’s explicit description of Israel “dwelling securely… in unwalled villages, without walls, and having no bars or gates” (Ezekiel 38:11, 14). That condition bears no resemblance to the present geopolitical landscape, nor does it align with any other pre‑70th‑week Gog scenario. The text itself rules such speculation out.

Walters goes on to speculate about the "ships of Kittim" in Numbers 24:24. This verse does not specify when the aggressor is destroyed. It simply declares that the Western power, symbolised by the ships of Kittim, will ultimately fall under God’s judgment at the end of the age.

But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction. (Numbers 24:24).

Ellicott: "The western power that afflicts Asshur and Eber is the one God brings to its end."
Benson: "The Grecian and Roman empires — the scourge of Asshur and Eber — are the ones God causes to perish."
Gill: "The destroyer of Asshur and Eber “shall perish for ever,” ultimately by the hand of the Messiah.
Keil & Delitzsch: "The final overthrow of this western power is part of God’s end‑time judgment."2

Walters attempts, but fails to manufacture an additional prophecy from the Dead Sea Scrolls by appealing to Joel 2:20, claiming that the Scrolls refer to a king titled “the king of the grasshoppers”, whom he equates with Gog. This construction collapses immediately. Joel 2 contains no reference to any king, and no such title appears anywhere in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The “northerner” in Joel 2 describes a historical threat from an invading northern army—typically linked to Assyrian or Babylonian forces—and functions as a precursor to eschatological judgement, the Day of the Lord, following the tribulation. Walters’ proposed title has no textual foundation in either source and can be dismissed outright. Walters then links this invented "king of the grasshoppers" with Abaddon, the leader of the abyss forces in Revelation 9:11, associated with the fifth‑trumpet judgement, the first woe. The locust army of Revelation 9:7–10 represents a demonic host. Abaddon/Apollyon (destroyer) and Gog are never identified with one another in the biblical text; they are entirely separate figures with distinct roles, contexts, and literary functions.

DSS: But I will remove the northern army far away from you,
and will drive it into a barren and desolate land,
its front into the eastern sea,
and its back into the western sea;
and its stench will come up,
and its bad smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things.3

ESV: I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. (Joel 2:20).

There is little value in pursuing further critique of Walters’ reckless speculations. His proposed 2028 date for the abomination of desolation is simply another instance of baseless date‑setting and should be rejected outright. Daniel’s seventieth week requires two observable markers: a covenant between Israel and the Antichrist, and the reinstatement of Mosaic sacrifices. (Daniel 9:27). Neither of these conditions presently exists. Walters' handling of scripture is consistently unreliable, culminating in a fabricated claim about a fictional "king of the grasshoppers” in Joel 2:20 allegedly found in the Dead Sea Scrolls—no such reference exists. Eschatological events cannot be stitched together haphazardly or forced onto current geopolitical tensions, including the situation with the ships near the Strait of Hormuz. We should bear in mind that the ten-king confederacy must exist before the seventieth week of Daniel and the appearance of the Antichrist. (Daniel 7:24). Furthermore, the present conflict between Israel‑America and Iran does not involve the full coalition described in Ezekiel 38–39—notably Turkey, Ethiopia, and Libya are absent. Walters’ approach reflects a pattern of mishandling scripture and promoting spurious claims without any exegetical basis. He fits the profile of a false teacher who, according to Romans 16:17–18, should be marked and avoided.

*The reference to the king being “higher than Agag” symbolizes victory over adversaries, as Agag was a notable king of the Amalekites, representing a formidable enemy. This imagery conveys that Israel’s king and kingdom will be exalted above opposition, ensuring protection, honor, and success.
Agag is often associated with Gog in biblical texts. In the Book of Ezekiel, Gog is described as the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and in the Book of Esther, Haman, who was an enemy of the Jews, is referred to as an "Agagite," which connects him to the Amalekites, the descendants of Agag. Additionally, the Septuagint (an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) equates the terms Agag and Gog, further linking them in biblical prophecy. Thus, Agag and Gog are indeed related in biblical contexts.

1. Daniel 11:30 Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.
2. Numbers 24:24 Commentaries: "But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber; So they also will come to destruction."
3. Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls - Joel 2

Further Links

Bible Prophecy Talk Podcast – Bible Prophecy News, Videos, and Podcasts from Chris White
WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: JOEL RICHARDSON: SIX REASONS THAT GOG IS THE ANTICHRIST DEBUNKED

PAUL WILKINSON: PRETRIB RAPTURE UNDER ATTACK

The Rapture Is Under Attack… Here’s Why | Dr. Paul Wilkinson

In the above video, Paul Wilkinson explains that the inspiration for his latest book emerged in 2022, after a young minister in an evangelical Gypsy church asked him to provide evidence that the church does not go through the tribulation.

Brandon Holthaus: "The rapture comes under a lot of attack, and in the last five years.. it has been just viciously attacked, unlike I have ever seen. I mean, to the point that they call it 'cultic', they call it 'hasty theology', 'this is John Darby making up stuff', even saying 'this is a Zionist movement'... Why do you think, in your opinion, the rapture is being attacked like this?" 

Paul Wilkinson: "I think because this is what the apostle called 'our blessed hope'. Titus 2:13. That is the hope of every true born-again, spirit sealed, believing Christian that makes up the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, that at any moment our Lord Jesus, our heavenly bridegroom is coming to catch us away and our salvation is going to be completed through the redemption of our bodies. And so it makes absolute sense that Satan, our adversary, the accuser of the brethren, who hates God, hates the Lord Jesus, that he would do everything in his power, his limited power, to rob the church of her blessed hope, to distract the church, to confuse the church, to get the church fighting against one another.

The “blessed hope” expresses the believer’s expectation of final redemption at Christ’s second coming. The “glorious appearing” is understood as a reference to the rapture. (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7). The two descriptions belong together, pointing to a single, simultaneous event that marks the Parousia. Unlike Wilkinson and other pretrib proponents who regard the Parousia as a two-stage event, prewrath proponents view the rapture and the resurrection as the initial event that will happen when Christ's Parousia begins. This can be demonstrated in various passages of scripture, e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:27–3.1  Titus 2 connects the expectation of Christ’s return with a call to godly living, as does Hebrews 10:24–25. Titus 2—and scripture as a whole—does not present Christ’s appearing (the rapture) as an imminent event. 

Wilkinson: "The Daniel 9 prophecy is the clearest statement as to why we will not pass through the tribulation, because you get the tribulation defined as a seven-year period, the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. And the angel Gabriel on behalf of Almighty God says, 'This period of 70 weeks or seventy sevens, including the final seven, the final seven years, is for your people, Daniel, and your holy city, which is Jerusalem, the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem.' And then Gabriel makes it very clear what the purpose is to put an end to their sin and transgression. 

No interpreter with intellectual honesty can exegete Daniel 9 and extract a seven‑year tribulation from the text.  

Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
Know and understand this: From the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of distress.
Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed. And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him. (Daniel 9:24-27).

Seventy weeks represent 490 years (70 × 7). The sixty‑nine weeks conclude with the death of Jesus Christ — “the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing.” This leaves the final seven‑year period, the last “week". That week is marked by “a covenant with many", understood as an agreement between the Antichrist and Israel. Biblically, a covenant is a binding agreement or contract; it does not state or even imply the tribulation, and in fact suggests the opposite. Although the text does not specify the covenant’s content, only that it is “confirmed” or “made strong” for seven years, the one detail that can be inferred is that the Mosaic temple sacrifices and offerings are reinstated as part of it.

The midpoint of the seventieth week is the decisive turning point: the covenant is broken, sacrifice and offering are halted, and the abomination of desolation is set in place. Pretrib teachers such as Wilkinson have been repeatedly reminded that the period of the great tribulation is 3.5 years — “cut short” (Matthew 24:22). 

Wilkinson goes on to point out that theology was distorted by certain influential early church fathers and later reinforced during the Reformation. He observes that we have inherited a legacy of presuppositional theology and long‑standing distortions rooted in tradition rather than scripture. Consequently, Israel is dismissed, and the unbiblical claim that the church is the continued Israel has become the dominant position within many denominations. I agree that the Reformation ultimately distorted Christian soteriology and replaced the early church’s premillennial expectation with allegorised eschatological systems such as amillennialism and postmillennialism—positions that diverge sharply from the outlook of first‑century believers. 

While I share Wilkinson’s concerns about what I regard as "stunted theology" within certain Protestant denominations, I would point out that pretribulationalism is equally constrained by its own presuppositional framework—particularly the innovations introduced by John Nelson Darby, whose nineteenth‑century systematisation did much to entrench the pretrib rapture as a normative expectation. In practice, pretribulationalists have hindered sound premillennial eschatology by attaching it to a non‑biblical “left behind” narrative that many critical thinkers have dismissed and ridiculed as a theological train wreck. The early church consistently affirmed premillennialism but did not teach pretribulationism. Nevertheless, persuading committed pretribulationists of this distinction remains challenging, even in the face of compelling scriptural evidence. Prewrath teachers often struggle to have their material assessed fairly, because they are frequently viewed as adjacent to pretribulationism—a perceived synthesis of pre, mid, and posttrib positions—and are dismissed under the same assumptions.

The Imminency Problem

Wilkinson quotes John 14 in support of imminency. Imminency functions as the central pillar of the pretrib rapture framework, and its advocates tend to filter nearly every doctrine through that lens. Wilkinson describes the rapture as a “signless event"; in other words, no prophesied events must occur beforehand. According to Wilkinson, nothing needs to happen first; the rapture could take place at any moment: "The rapture could be right now, before we even finish this interview".

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4)).

Imminence is not actually stated in these verses; it has to be inferred. Additionally, the text itself does not teach a signless, any‑moment return.

Holthaus: "What does imminency do for the believer as far as sanctification is concerned?" Wilkinson's response was twofold. Firstly, he claims that imminency is an incentive to preach the gospel since "we may not get another chance". 

The mandate to preach the gospel is not grounded in any doctrine of imminency. Scripture presents the motivation differently: Christ desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Wilkinson has attempted to attach imminency to the Great Commission, but that connection is not supported by the biblical text. The genuine urgency arises from human mortality—each person has only the span of their own life in which to respond. 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20).

Wilkinson: "Number two, you are the bride. So watch how you live. Don't get yourself corrupted by the world. Don't be slumbering and sleeping, but be alert. Be vigilant. Gird up the loins of your mind because the bridegroom is coming."

The motivation to live a godly life is the desire of genuine spirit-filled believers to pursue a lifestyle that aligns with the teachings and character of God. It is a relational response to God’s love as defined in the gospel; it is not a reaction to an invented doctrine of imminency. Wilkinson alludes to 1 Timothy 4, which concludes with the command to "keep a close watch on how we live". This chapter is based on the danger of being corrupted by false teachers; it is not about imminency. 

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16).

Bible Hub: "Living a godly life refers to the pursuit of a lifestyle that aligns with the teachings and character of God as revealed in the Bible. It involves embodying virtues such as love, humility, integrity, and obedience to God's commandments. This pursuit is central to the Christian faith, as believers are called to reflect God's holiness and righteousness in their daily lives."2 

Wilkinson: "So to put the church absolutely right to put the church in the tribulation destroys imminency because the essence of imminency is you just don't know but it's at hand. It is at hand. It is so close. So I think you know with John chapter 14 when the Lord Jesus he doesn't teach the rapture but he introduces it. "  (21:00 mark)

The Greek verb ἐγγίζω (eggizō) means “to approach” or “to draw near.” It comes from the root ἐγγύς (engys) meaning “near.” According to Strong’s 1448, the verb consistently expresses proximity—coming close, being near, or approaching.3 It does not carry a technical sense of imminence, nor does it inherently communicate that an event could occur at any moment.

A responsible interpreter who prioritises accuracy over theological prejudice will not import the concept of imminence into a verb that does not contain it.

Furthermore, Luke 21:25–33 shows that specific, identifiable signs must occur before the event in question. 

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the eavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Luke 21:25-33).day

The day of Christ  v The day of the Lord     

Pretrib interpreters identify "the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:6,10; 2:16) as the pretrib rapture, while reserving "the day of the Lord" for Christ’s return with His saints, when divine wrath is poured out. Alan Kurschner notes, however, that although the KJV reads "the day of Christ" in 2 Thessalonians 2:2, the earliest and strongest manuscript evidence overwhelmingly supports the reading "the day of the Lord".4 

Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 present the rapture and the onset of God’s wrath as posttribulational events occurring on the same day, both introduced by cosmic disturbances. Revelation 6 further locates the beginning of "the day of the Lord" after the opening of the sixth seal, at the close of the tribulation. The text itself establishes this sequence:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31).

And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17).  

Joel 2:31 supports the prewrath position by showing that the cosmic disturbances occur immediately before the day of the Lord. The sequence is explicit: the signs in the heavens precede the onset of God’s wrath.

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joel 2:31 cf. Isaiah 13:6; Zephaniah 1:7,14).

The pre‑trib rapture view is emotionally appealing, but it does not align with the scriptural evidence. When someone persists in an interpretation that can be shown to be incorrect, the matter ceases to be merely academic; unless they reconsider, they will ultimately give account to the One whose word they are handling. (Romans 14:12). I recognise that the pre‑trib position is deeply ingrained for Paul Wilkinson and others, yet sincerely held beliefs must still be tested when they fail to match the testimony of scripture. For that reason, I appeal to Paul Wilkinson to re‑examine his position, turn from error, and rightly divide the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).

Wilkinson urges pre‑trib believers to "stay away" from those who disagree with him and accuses them of "mishandling God’s word". That is a serious allegation—one he should first apply to his own view, given the identifiable weaknesses within the pretribulational framework. Charges of mishandling scripture carry real weight, and in this instance, the caution of 1 John 4:1 is more fittingly directed back toward him.

1.The Second Coming (Parousia) Begins with the Rapture | Bible Prophecy Answers with Alan Kurschner 

2. Topical Bible: Living a Godly Life
3. Strong's Greek: 1448. ἐγγίζω (eggizó) -- To draw near, to approach, to come near
4. Does the 'Day of Christ' and the 'Day of the Lord' Refer to the Same Event? | Bible Prophecy Answers with Alan Kurschner

Further Links

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

Prewrath copy

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY

ISRAEL: ADAM FANNIN'S INSUPPORTABLE DENIAL OF MODERN ISRAEL

Zionism is the Synagogue of Satan

Adam Fannin's outspoken anti Zionist rhetoric is very dangerous and unscriptural.

Fannin: "The great falling away is happening right now".  In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul links the falling away (apostasia) to the appearance of the Antichrist at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel, when the great tribulation begins. During the great tribulation, it appears many who profess the name of Jesus Christ will apostasize completely. At that time, there will be unprecedented betrayal and global violence against true believers. It is undeniable that, for the most part, the churches are asleep and have been hijacked by false teachers. However, as bad as things are, this situation does not indicate that we are in the eschatological apostasy referred to by Jesus Christ and Paul. 

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion (apostasia) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3 cf. Matthew 24:9-14).

Simply defined, Zionism is a Jewish national movement that seeks the creation, support and continuation of a Jewish national state in the historic land of Israel.2  

Amongst those who support the modern state of Israel are hardcore pretribulational dispensationalists like Andy Woods, Tom Hughes, Olivier Melnick, Lee Brainard, Prophecy Watchers, etc. It seems that nothing will prevent these teachers from persisting in the pretrib rapture error, no matter how much evidence to the contrary is presented to them from the scriptures. (1 John 4:1). The latter half of Daniel's 70th week focuses heavily on Israel; however, there is clear evidence that the church will also face unprecedented persecution during this period. (Revelation 6:9; Daniel 7:21; Revelation 12:17, 13:7, 14:12; Matthew 24:9). Pretrib false teachers are setting up their followers for unprecedented disappointment and disaster due to the false hope that they will escape the persecution of the Antichrist. Thankfully, in recent years, a growing number of believers have rejected the lethal pretrib rapture teaching. My own research into some of their leaders' shady antics is very troubling. (Matthew 7:20).3 

Christians deconstruct dispensationalism for a range of reasons, most notably the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, repeated failures in date-setting or prophetic sensationalism, and the absence of historical precedent prior to the nineteenth century. Once a single foundational assumption is destabilised, many begin to question the entire theological system, with historic (or classic) premillennialism emerging as the most common alternative. Historic premillennialism is posttribulational and preserves belief in a future millennial reign of Christ while omitting the dispensational framework of distinct ages, a separate rapture event, and a strict Israel–Church divide. Alternatively, prewrath premillennialism affirms the 70th week of Daniel and more accurately reflects the teaching of the scriptures and the early church fathers. Prewrath locates the rapture of the church after the sixth seal of Revelation is broken. (Revelation 6:12-17; Matthew 24:29-31). Prewrath is often presented as a corrective to dispensationalism’s timing of the rapture, but it preserves one of dispensationalism’s core structural assumptions: a functional distinction between Israel and the Church in God’s prophetic program. Fannin seems to have merged prewrath and historic premillennialism, but this is highly problematic in one key area; there is no evidence to support the belief that the church is the true Israel or that ethnic Israel has no unique role in future prophecy. 

Fannin: "Genesis 12 is not for the modern state of Israel, and Romans 11 is not for the modern state of Israel.. By the way, Romans 11 literally says Israel is not elect, and Israel has been cast away." Fannin explains that he is not a replacement theologian; rather, he maintains that the church existed before Israel, and he quotes Genesis 4:26b. 

Paul emphatically spurns the idea that God has rejected the Jewish people. He describes their present unbelief as an opportunity for the Gentiles to be grafted in. 

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. (Romans 11:1-2).

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11:11-12).

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. (Romans 11:17-18).

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.” (Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20-21).

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:25-29).

See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:38-39). 

"This is a direct quote from Psalm 118:26 a messianic psalm that was traditionally sung during the Passover. It was also shouted by the crowds during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). The phrase signifies recognition of the Messiah and acceptance of His divine mission. It points to a future fulfilment when Jesus will be acknowledged as the Messiah by the Jewish people, often interpreted as a reference to His second coming."1 

God makes two distinct promises to Abram (Abraham). Genesis 12:1-3 applies to "all the families of the earth", whereas Genesis 13:14-15 is a specific promise regarding Abrahams physical offspring and the land. After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. Genesis 14:14,26:2-5). The possession of the land is promised עולם עד "for ever". The promise of God is unchangeable. While the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 are contingent upon the Israelites' behaviour, God's covenant with them is everlasting and stands firm. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7,13,19,48:4). 

Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their fathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 26:44-45).

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” (Exodus 32:13).

For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. (Deuteronomy 4:31).

..then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:3-6).

He is the LORD our God;
His judgments carry throughout the earth.
He remembers His covenant forever,
the word He ordained for a thousand generations—
the covenant He made with Abraham,
and the oath He swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
“I will give you the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.” (Psalm 105:7-11).

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10).

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”(Jeremiah 31:33-34).

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jeremiah 32:40).

Thus says the Lord: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jeremiah 33:25-26).

“For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account ofi the covenant with you. I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”Ezekiel 16:59-63).

The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them.
So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the remaining clans and their wives. (Zechariah 12:1-14).

In the whole land, declares the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (Zechariah 13:8-).

A Jewish remnant, literally one-third, is specifically identified in relation to the number of Jews who will survive and repent after being tested by fire. 

In conclusion, it is undeniable that God's covenant with Israel is unbroken and irrevocable. Those who deny this or say that it has already been fulfilled produce insupportable arguments and distort the scriptures.

Historically, Israel never possessed the entire land promised to Abraham and his descendants between the two rivers, i.e. the Nile (in Egypt) and the Euphrates (in Mesopotamia). (Genesis 15:18). The peak of Israel's territorial control was achieved under David and Solomon, specifically Canaan, not Egypt or Mesopotamia. The literal futuristic view is that Israel will possess the full territory promised in Genesis 15:18 in the future Messianic age. 

The estimated future possession of Israel is 932 miles (1500 km)

This is the approximate straight-line distance between the two rivers. The actual territory would be wider and irregular, covering parts of Modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.

   

1.Matthew 23:39 Study Bible: For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
2. Zionism | Definition, History, Movement, & Ideology | Britannica
3. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: LEE BRAINARD AND TOM HUGHES: PRETRIB DISHONESTY

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) 

ADAM FANNIN (LAW OF LIBERTY): WHAT IS THE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL?

Does the Bible say to Bless Israel?

In the above video, Adam Fannin (Law of Liberty Baptist Church) challenges believers regarding the modern-day state of Israel and the ethnic Jews. He has produced a number of videos on this subject recently, and in doing so, he is fueling supersessionism, also known as replacement theology i.e., the view that the Christian Church has superseded the Jewish people as God's covenanted people. 

Fannin voices some strong objections against Rabbinic (Talmudic) Judaism, the political agenda behind the formation of the modern state of Israel, the ethnicity of the Jewish people, the Israeli flag, and the Hebrew language. Fannin's claim that Yiddish rather than Hebrew is the spoken language of Israel is a gross exaggeration. Hebrew is the official language of Israel and is the language of Jewish liturgy. Modern Hebrew was revived in the late 19th century and is spoken by approximately eight million people, almost the entire population. Israel Inside Out: "Hebrew is used for official purposes, from government to education. It is even used in court sessions. Hebrew is required for Arabic schools in Israel until the third grade. Israeli students are required to pass the Hebrew exam to get enrolled."1 Yiddish is a Germanic language that emerged in the 10th century in Central Europe, where Jewish communities spoke a hybrid of Hebrew and German (Judeo-German). Yiddish literally means "Jewish" and is spoken mainly by Ashkenazi Haredim within Israel. Fannin's claim that Israeli Jews are "fake" is speculative. The name Ashkenaz appears in the table of nations in Genesis 10. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. (Genesis 10:2-3 cf. 1 Chronicles 1:6). 

Following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135AD), much of the Jewish population dispersed into various parts of Europe, where they established their own communities.

"Documents from medieval rabbinic authorities, such as Rabbi Gershom ben Judah (10th-11th century AD), demonstrate that Jewish communities in the Germanic lands took on the designation 'Ashkenaz' from the biblical name, reflecting their perceived ancestral and cultural roots."2

While it is indisputable that the modern state of Israel is the result of an international political "Zionist" agenda, that should not lead us to deny that God is not using this movement for His sovereign purposes. There are many instances where God used His enemies to bring about His ultimate purposes. Much of ethnic Israel has rejected the Messiah and is presently experiencing temporary spiritual hardening or blindness. (Romans 11:25-26). However, God has a remnant, according to His grace, who will be saved at the end of the age. (Romans 11:5).

More important than all the disputes about the ethnicity of the Jewish people and the modern state of Israel is the Bible! 

God made an unconditional "everlasting covenant" with Abraham and his physical descendants, which is not contingent upon their behaviour. The blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 are contingent upon their behaviour, but the covenant stands firm.  

And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7). 

Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their fathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 26:44-45).

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” (Exodus 32:13).

For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. (Deuteronomy 4:31).

..then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:3-6).

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”(Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Thus says the Lord: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jeremiah 33:25-26).

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10).

The key passage in the New Testament is Romans 11. Those who claim that Christians have superseded ethnic Israel are acting in direct disobedience to the instruction given by Paul not to be arrogant over the natural branches. 

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! (Romans 11:1).

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. (Romans 11:17-18).

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.” (Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20-21).

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:25-29).

Zechariah 12

The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them.
So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the remaining clans and their wives. (Zechariah 12:1-14).

Jesus Himself said that the Jews would be in the land at His return. 

See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:38-39)."This is a direct quote from Psalm 118:26 a messianic psalm that was traditionally sung during the Passover. It was also shouted by the crowds during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). The phrase signifies recognition of the Messiah and acceptance of His divine mission. It points to a future fulfillment when Jesus will be acknowledged as the Messiah by the Jewish people, often interpreted as a reference to His second coming."3

The proof text often cited by proponents of supercessionism is Galatians 3.

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Know therefore that they which be of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:6-9) Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16).

The famous "faith" passage in Hebrews 11 references the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us as Christians (Hebrews 12:1). And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:29 cf. Romans 9:7-8).  

There is no doubt that Christians are Abraham's spiritual offspring, BUT these verses do not negate the passages that speak about ethnic Israel's ultimate salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Fannin challenges the often-repeated exhortation that Christians must bless the nation of Israel. Fannin: "The bible says you have to bless Israel, or God won't bless you." 

The belief that Christians "must bless Israel" is taken from Genesis 12.

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3 cf. Genesis 27:29). Fannin, who is KJV only, points out that "thee" i.e. "you" is singular and refers to Abraham and is extended exclusively to the church. I believe that Fannin is grievously mistaken and that this is a very dangerous teaching. Those who promote supersessionism are standing against God's eschatological plan and His promises to the Jewish people. Fannin has not considered the sum of God's word on this subject and the overwhelming evidence that God will save a remnant of ethnic Israel. (Psalm 119:160).

It is not my proposal that Christians should support various enterprises undertaken by Rabbinic Judaism, such as the rebuilding of the third Jewish temple, acquiring the red heifers, etc. However, we need to be very careful about how we perceive ethnic Israel, the apple of God's eye! (Zechariah 2:8).

1. The Most Important Languages of Israel | Israel Inside Out
2. Who are the Ashkenazi Jews?
3. Matthew 23:39 Study Bible: For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

OLIVIER MELNICK AND TOM HUGHES' UNDERSTANDING OF MATTHEW 25

Olivier Melnick and Tom Hughes unpack the obscure prophecy of Zephaniah 2:4

In the above video Tom Hughes and Olivier Melnick discuss Zephaniah 2:4 as it relates to Gaza.

For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. (Zephaniah 2:4 cf. Isaiah 11).

The connecting word "for" appears to refer to the exhortation to "seek the Lord" in Zephaniah 2:3 ..perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. This prophecy is identified by many expositors as concerning the day of the Lord, i.e. God's eschatological wrath which will begin after the 3.5 year tribulation (cut short) and the rapture of the church. (Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 6:12-17). I have discussed the timing of the rapture extensively in previous posts and I will not repeat the prewrath argument here. How far current events play into the eschatological picture is unclear. 

Below I will elucidate why Hughes' and Melnick's understanding of the sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25 is unfeasible. 

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-46).

Melnick: "It splits into two halves; those who helped the Jews during the tribulation and those who did not. And those who did not go into the lake of fire and brimstone; and those who did enter into the millennial kingdom.. It's the group of people who get saved during the tribulation and they help the Jews out of the kindness of their heart because they know it's the right thing to do as believers, as Christians, as followers of the Messiah..  We apply it today to make a difference in Israel.."

Only the beast (the Antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire before the millennium. (Revelation 19:20). Unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the millennium. (Revelation 20:11-15).

Hughes' and Melnick's application of the sheep and goat judgement in Matthew 25 specifically to believers who help the Jewish people during the great tribulation is perplexing. Jeremiah 30:7 describes "Jacob's trouble" or "Jacob's distress" i.e. the persecution of the Jews by the Antichrist after he takes his seat in the Jerusalem temple. (2 Thessalonians 2:4). It seems highly unlikely that many Gentiles will be saved after the abomination of desolation event due to the extreme consequences of refusing the mark of the beast. i.e. no one can buy or sell etc. (Revelation 13:7-8). Extreme persecution will come upon both unsaved Jews and Gentile believers at this time. (Revelation 12:17,13:7). This scenario indicates that it will not be possible for Gentile believers to help Israel during the great tribulation. The scriptures indicate that the Jewish people will be isolated during the siege of Jerusalem and that God alone will defend them. (Zechariah 12:1-4). And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10 cf. Romans 11:26). These events follow Israel’s acceptance of the evil shepherd predicted in Zechariah 11:15-17.

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:13-17).

In the Olivet discourse, Jesus addresses His followers, i.e. Christians; He warns specifically that worldwide persecution will overtake them.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:9-22; cf. Daniel 12:1).

When Jesus refers to "the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the prisoner", He refers to suffering believers, i.e. members of His body. (1 Corinthians 12:2; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 1:18 etc.) When we serve one another we are actually serving Him. ..I was hungry etc. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. See also James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:17.

Bengel's Gnomen: "Matthew 25:35. Ἐδώκατέ, κ.τ.λ., ye have given, etc.[1100]) Of all good and bad actions, those will be especially mentioned which have been performed to the saints, which presuppose faith and love towards Jesus Christ and His brethren, and involve confession of His name, which are most frequent, and remarkable, and conspicuous; and then, from the manifest glory of the Lord, the dignity of His brethren, and the character of good and evil actions towards them, will be manifest; cf. ch. Matthew 10:40-41."1 

Barnes: "I was an hungered - The union between Christ and his people is the most tender and endearing of all connections. It is represented by the closest unions of which we have knowledge, John 15:4-6; Ephesians 5:23-32; 1 Corinthians 6:15. This is a union - not physical, but moral; a union of feelings, interests, plans, destiny; or, in other words, he and his people have similar feelings, love the same objects, share the same trials, and inherit the same blessedness, John 14:19; Revelation 3:5, Revelation 3:21; Romans 8:17. Hence, he considers favors shown to his people as shown to himself, and will reward them accordingly, Matthew 10:40, Matthew 10:42. They show attachment to him, and love to his cause. By showing kindness to the poor, the needy, and the sick, they show that they possess his spirit, for he did it when on earth; they evince attachment to him, for he was poor and needy; and they show that they have the proper spirit to outfit them for heaven, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 3:17; James 2:1-5; Mark 9:41."2 

Typically pretrib teachers do not respond to exegetical problems associated with their view. However, it would be interesting to see a response from Hughes and Melnick on this occasion?

1. Matthew 25 Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament
2. Matthew 25 Barnes' Notes

SAM ADAMS INDEPENDENCE BAPTIST CHURCH: DERANGED ANTI-SEMITIC RHETORIC

(177) Scofield's Hyper-Zionists: The Useful Idiots of Talmudic Judaism - YouTube

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.. (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).

They say that in war, truth is the first casualty. In other words, facts are often distorted or suppressed during a conflict. It is virtually impossible to understand exactly what is happening between Israel and her enemies, and how much the deep state is involved. We are largely at the mercy of the media and self-appointed "experts" engaging in newspaper eisegesis. The scriptures are the only reliable source for Christians to somehow make sense of world events. 

Tragically, many dispensational pre-trib believers have been taken in by leaders promoting the false teaching of cult leader John Nelson Darby and the corrupt Scofield Reference Bible which was widely circulated during the 20th century. It is a tragedy that many have been deceived by these charlatans, and the fallout from their deception continues to damage the body of Christ. Pre-trib dispensational teachers are the worst culprits who constantly speculate about the timing of the rapture and the "tribulation" which they wrongly define as a seven-year period.1 Those "prophecy experts" who incessantly churn out end-time speculations about an imminent rapture should know better. The false hope of a pre-trib rapture is a critical issue that has divided the body of Christ. I fear this dangerous nonsense will end badly for many unless there is urgent repentance. (Proverbs 13:12; Matthew 24:10).   

There are some critical points in Sam Adams' deranged "sermon" regarding Jewish Israelis and the land of Israel that are important to reject. 

Adams' reaction to what he describes as the "hyper-Zionist manifesto" is an opinion that is difficult to corroborate! He describes the Jews as highly aggressive warmongers..

Adams: "As a result of their rightful claim to the land, Israel has a right, just as they did in the days of Joshua, to wage wars of aggression to drive out the Canaanites, now known as the 'Palestinians' to occupy and take over their land and their homes. That is basically what these people believe. No one I know will actually come out and say this is their position, but the fact is, this is their position.." Adam's views are based on pure speculation since no such thing has been stated. (1 John 4:1). (54:00 mark)

Adams further speculates: "Point 5 of the hyper-Zionist manifesto: 'Those who claim to be Palestinians should move to Jordan or to some other location, and if they refuse to move then they must actually surrender their civil liberties or convert to Judaism.' Again, most hyper-Zionists will not say this is their position.."  (56:00 mark)

Adams: "..today Israeli Jews have not even come near to the place where they will receive the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and until they come to that place which I do not believe will happen until the end of the tribulation when Christ returns in power and Glory. Until that time we can presume that their house is left unto them desolate and they have no claim to all that land. That's right and all we can also presume that Jerusalem will be trod to the Gentiles until that wonderful day comes when Jesus does return in power and glory.. (52:00 mark) And yet the Jews are beloved!  As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. (Romans 11:28).

In a previous video, Adams claims: "The Jews have no claim to that land..  not one verse in the bible that shows that the Jews will be restored to all the land before the end of the tribulation.." 2 Adams' narrative is very dangerous! No one that I am aware of is arguing that the Jews have a right to all the land of "Palestine" at the present time. As such this is a moot point. The land allocated to Israel in 1948 doubled after the six-day war in 1967. Whether the land taken during the six-day war was warranted is highly debatable - there are strong opinions on both sides. This is a very complex situation that is not helped by speculative inflammatory judgements. (2 Corinthians 13:1). Why does Adams bring this up if not to fuel Antisemitism? Are Christians to make judgments about those outside the church? (1 Corinthians 5:12-13; Luke 12:2).

The other side of the argument is that Israel's very survival depends upon her ability to defend herself against her enemies. It seems certain that Israel would be obliterated if they did not defend themselves! The slogan "Free Palestine from the river to the sea"  implicitly advocates the dismantling of Israel, and is a call for the removal or extermination of the Jewish population of the region.3

Israel's existence was determined by the United Nations following the horrors of the Holocaust. The Jews did not make an arbitrary decision to occupy the land as their "right". As many have pointed out, the land of Israel is a tiny speck compared with the vast lands of the surrounding Muslim nations in the Middle East. Before Israel’s Declaration of Independence on the 14th of May 1948, the land of Israel was sparsely populated and no one was interested in it. (Deuteronomy 28:63). This is borne out by many sources, including Mark Twain's travel book The Innocents Abroad following his trip to Israel in 1867. Twain described "a desolate country – devoid of both vegetation and human population". 

Twain: “..A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”4 

It is clearly God's will for the Jews to return to their ancestral land at this time. God's unconditional promises to the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are irrevocable. I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you. (Genesis 15:18,26:3-4; Exodus 6:8 etc.). The presumption in the New Testament is that the Jews will occupy the land of Israel before Jesus' return. Ezekiel 37 describes the Jews returning to the land in an unregenerate state. Christians cannot possibly object to the Jewish occupation of the land, but inevitably their presence is objectionable to the enemies of Jesus Christ, as well as a significant number of professing Christians. 

Is Adams' hostile rhetoric about the Jews helpful to anyone at this critical time, or has he gone beyond his remit?

Adams ignorance of the scriptures

Another assumption by Adams is that Charles Spurgeon was "post-trib". I am not sure why Adams should seek confirmation from the writings of Calvinist Charles Spurgeon whose eschatology was unclear.

The Master's Seminary Journal: "Lewis A. Drummond states, "Spurgeon confessed to be a pre-millennialist."1 Peter Masters, current 1 Lewis A. Drummond, Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1993) 650. 184 pastor of Spurgeon's church, The Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, stated, "Spurgeon . . . would have stood much closer to amillennialism than to either of the other scenarios recognized today"2 Erroll Hulse firmly declared Spurgeon to be postmillennial.3 2Peter Masters, 'Spurgeon's Eschatology,' The Sword and Trowel (December 1989):39. 3Erroll Hulse, The Restoration of Israel (London: Henry E. Walter Ltd., 1968) 154. Some in the 'Theonomist' movement (which holds postmillennialism as a cornerstone of its system) in their writings have implied that Spurgeon was postmillennial. See Gary DeMar and Peter Leithart, The Reduction of Christianity (Tyler, Texas: Dominion, 1988) 41. Spurgeon could not have held all these positions. However, in which, if any, did he fit? The issue is an important one, as Spurgeon continues to be one of the most popular Christian authors in print, even a century after his death. Men of different positions seek to marshal support for their prophetic interpretations by appealing to Spurgeon." 5 

Spurgeon appeared to believe that believers would go through the tribulation. However, we cannot assume that he was post-trib as he might just as easily have been prewrath. 

Adams seems ignorant of the fact that the tribulation ends with the cosmic disturbances before the wrath of God is poured out on the ungodly (the Day of the Lord). The rapture of the church becomes imminent after the cosmic disturbances and occurs before the seventh seal is opened as the scriptures indicate.  

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mathew 24:29-31).

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slaved and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

1. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
2. Israel vs Palestine -- "Anti Semitic" vs. Anti-TRUTH (youtube.com)
3. From the river to the sea - Wikipedia
4. The Innocents Abroad, p. 361-362)
5. TMSJ 7/2 (Fall 1996) 183-212

Further Links

Israel and the Church - Dave Hunt (youtube.com)
Israel's borders explained in maps - BBC News
Six-Day War | Definition, Causes, History, Summary, Outcomes, & Facts | Britana
Articles for Posttribulationism to Consider | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) (youtube.com)

FIVE RED HEIFERS: THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN OXYMORON

On the 25th of September Israel365 announced the news that five red heifers landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. The heifers were discovered and brought to Israel with the help of the Boneh Israel (Building Israel) and its founder/team leader Byron Stinson. Stinson is an American Christian who describes himself as a "Judeo-Christian believer". {1}

In the Old Testament, the red heifer was essential for ritual purification resulting from proximity to, or direct contact with, a dead body. (Numbers 19:1-22). Since the destruction of the second temple in 70AD, the cessation of ritual sacrifices, and the absence of a red heifer, all Jews are presently considered ritually impure. The red heifer is therefore a critical component for Orthodox Jews and their hope to reinstate the Temple Service and their plan to rebuild the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. The quest for an unblemished red heifer has been underway for about a decade, with hopes raised and dashed during the process. According to 12th-century Jewish scholar Rambam, the rebuilding of the third temple will be a major sign that humanity has reached the End of Days. {2} 

Stinson: “We are not just Christian as a nation. It is Judeo-Christian. I believe that there is a bloodline for many Christians that calls us by the Spirit to be part of this land. I believe I am one and these people who are called to this, their hearts make them come.” {3} 

John Enarson, the non-Jewish Christian Relations Director for Cry For Zion, believes that reinstating the Red Heifer and Temple service would be a positive step for Christianity. Cry for Zion is a movement of Jews and Christians for Jewish sovereignty and freedom on the Temple Mount (Zion). {4} Enarson acknowledges that this is a controversial subject and that many Christians view the arrival of the red heifers and the prophetic establishment of the Jewish Third Temple with apprehension. {5}

This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. (Numbers 19:2).

 

In common with Orthodox Jews, many Christians view the building of a literal temple as a critical eschatological event. However, a significant number of Christians view the Third Temple negatively due to the prophetic material in Daniel 9 repeated by Jesus. (Matthew 24:15). Paul confirms both Daniel and Jesus in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). We therefore have strong evidence that the Antichrist will defile the temple at the close of the present age. 

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:24-27). 

According to Daniel, the Third Temple sacrifices will occur during the first half of the period known as "the 70th week of Daniel" (a week of years i.e. seven years). (Daniel 9:27). The above passage describes the destruction of the second temple by Titus in 70 AD. (Daniel 9:26). Daniel goes on to describe a particular individual (the Antichrist) who will make and break a strong covenant with many for one week". The short, but devastating reign of the Antichrist will commence with the event known as "the abomination of desolation" at the midpoint of the 70th week. (Matthew 24:15). Daniel 9:27 is a critical verse that indicates that temple sacrifices will be reinstated at the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel and that the Antichrist will put an end to them at the midpoint of the week. This ties in with the Olivet discourse and Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians which describes the "man of lawlessness" (the Antichrist) who will take his seat in the temple of God and declare himself to be God at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel. 

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. And let no one in the field return for his cloak. How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. See, I have told you in advance. (Matthew 24:15-25).

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

A covenant with death and hell. (Isaiah 28:14-18). These verses probably refer to Judah's covenant with Egypt (eighth-century BC). However, it does tie in with Israel's ultimate covenant with the Antichrist in the middle of the 70th week. (compare Isaiah 28:15; Daniel 9:27).

Red heifer typology

The sacrificial law of the red heifer is a type and shadow of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The children of Israel became ritually clean following contact with a corpse through the ashes of the red heifer. However, it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that it is possible to be cleansed from sin and death. (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Jesus' prayer in the garden at Gethsemane took place on the Mount of Olives where the red heifer sacrifice took place. In the Old Testament, the red heifer was the only sacrifice that was offered "outside the camp". (Numbers 19:3,9). Jesus Christ suffered outside the gate.. 

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Hebrews 13:12-13).

And it shall be a statute forever for them. (Numbers 19:21).

Gill: And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them,.. To the children of Israel, throughout their generations, unto the coming of the Messiah, when the ceremonial law, which stood in divers washings and purifications, was abolished: {6} 

(4) Is the Third Temple the Temple of the Antichrist? - YouTube

The above video gives some insight into the thinking of John Enarson, and presumably other Christian supporters of the Third Temple. 

The group of three men discussing this subject are Josh Wander (Jewish author), Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz (Israel365 News), and John Enarson. Enarson begins by stating that the Antichrist or "the ultimate false Messiah" is not a concept known within mainstream Judaism. This is a very significant point that effectively positions the Jews in an extremely vulnerable position. 

Enarson claims to understand the prophecies of both Jesus and Paul regarding the defilement of the future temple as explicit references to the Jewish story of Hannukah in Maccabees i.e. the Jewish revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes IV (167 BC). Enarson: "Both Jesus and Paul say something like the Hannukah story will repeat itself". Most New Testament scholars agree that Antiochus Epiphanes IV is a significant type of the Antichrist. (Daniel 11:21-35). A number of teachers believe that Daniel 11:36-45 goes beyond Antiochus and refers to the future Antichrist. (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:1-18; Daniel 10:14; 12:1).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown: "The wilful king here, though primarily Antiochus, is antitypically and mainly Antichrist, the seventh head of the seven-headed and ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-18, and the 'beast' of Armageddon (Revelation 16:13, 16; 19:19)."  {7} 

Enarson views the belief that the Third Temple will be "the temple of the Antichrist" as a misconception even though he admits that both Jesus and Paul anticipate a repeat of the Hannukah story.

Enarson: "It is the temple of God, it is holy to the God of Israel, the God of the bible not say that it is a temple of antichrist that will be built for the antichrist! The “man of lawlessness” can only defile something that is holy to God." {8}

Paul speaks about "the temple of God" without any other qualification in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. It appears that the Third Temple will ostensibly be "God's temple". The concern that many Christians have is that the Antichrist will initially deceive the Jews into thinking that he is their powerful ally. He will make a "strong covenant with many" (including or primarily Israel) for seven years, and he will probably facilitate the construction and function of the Third Temple. However, halfway through this period he will put sacrifice and offering to an end. (Daniel 9:27). At the midpoint of the week, the Antichrist will reveal his true agenda and will openly blaspheme God and he will exalt himself against every so-called God, including false gods with the true God. (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). My present view is that the Antichrist will not be Jewish since he will rise up from the sea i.e. the nations. (Revelation 13:1).

Enarson: "The New Testament in the book of Hebrews says clearly that the temple on earth.. and all the sacrifices there, were never meant to save your eternal soul for the world to come. It served a different function..    Unless you make personal shuva (repentance) then the sacrifice is meaningless." 

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were used to offer atonement for sins, albeit they were a temporary covering until Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. The animal sacrifices foreshadowed the complete, perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. It is regrettable that Enarson did not explain this clearly to his Jewish friends during the discussion. 

Enarson submits that just as it was God's mandate for the Jews to rebuild the Second Temple (Haggai 2:1-5; Zechariah 4:8-10); Nehemiah 1:9), it is unequivocally God's mandate for the Jews to build the Third Temple. In other words, the prophetic mandate to rebuild the Second Temple has been reapplied in order to justify the existence of the Third Temple. There is a mountain of evidence in the New Testament to refute this view. Jesus' prophecy concerning the destruction of the Second Temple and the establishment of the new covenant in His blood absolutely negates the necessity for a Third Temple and the reinstatement of the Mosaic system.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37:39).

But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”(Matthew 24:2).

These appear to have been the last words Jesus spoke as he left the temple, never to re-enter it again. Jesus abandoned the temple following his denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees earlier in chapter 23 and their fate is duly sealed. The only future hope for Israel from now on is the time when they repent of their rejection of Jesus Christ, their Messiah.  

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10 cf. Hosea 3:4-5).

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture).. (John 19:28).

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Matthew 27:50-51).

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (Ephesians 2:15)

Strongs: "I make idle (inactive), make of no effect, annul, abolish, bring to naught, (b) I discharge, sever, separate from." {9}

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthains 11:25 cf. Hebrews 9:15-22).

Reinstating animal sacrifices and rebuilding the temple is viewed by many Christians as tantamount to rejecting what has been accomplished on the cross by Jesus Christ. Technically the Mosaic Law has been fulfilled i.e. it has been rendered inoperative and its requirements no longer apply. For all practical intents and purposes, the Mosaic Law is therefore abolished. (Romans 3:31). 

Jesus Christ declared himself to be the completed, atoning sacrifice: It is finished. (John 19:30). 

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve tee living God. (Hebrews 9:11-14 cf. 1 Peter 1:2)).

Ezekiels Temple - Ezekiel 40-48

The proposed Third Temple should not be confused with the Millennial Temple i.e. Ezekiel’s Temple. The book of Revelation speaks of vast topographic changes on the earth when the seventh angel pours out his bowl. The "great city" is probably Jerusalem. (Revelation  16:19; 11:8).

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. (Revelation 16:1-720).

The land area dedicated to the Millennial temple and to its service will be one-mile square. It appears that the temple will be situated on Mount Zion and will measure approximately one mile in height. The land surrounding the Millennial temple will measure approximately 52 miles long and 21 miles wide. The proportions of the proposed third Jewish temple have not been divulged, but clearly, the Third Jewish Temple will not be remotely comparable to the vast proportions described by Ezekiel. 

The reinstatement of animal sacrifices during the Millennium is a subject that has puzzled many bible scholars. (Isaiah 56:6-7; 60:7; Ezekiel 43:18-27; 45:17-23; Zechariah 14:16-21). Some hold the view that Millennial sacrifices will be a memorial in much the same way that the Lord's Supper is a memorial. An interesting theory is that animal sacrifices during the Millennium will serve as ritual purification. Mark Hitchcock: "During the Millennium, a holy God will be dwelling on earth in the midst of people in their glorified bodies but also in the midst of sinful people living in natural, unglorified bodies. These sacrifices prevent these worshippers from defiling God’s holy Temple when they come to worship Him. It is a matter of ritual purification. Sacrifices during the Millennium will not be a substitute for Christ’s atoning work. Instead, they will provide ritual purification for unglorified people on earth who approach the holy God in worship." {10} 

John Enarson's skewed logic. 

Berkowitz points out that even if the Third Temple is a setting for the Antichrist, it is not something that Christians should "prevent" because it is actually part of the prophecy. Enarson: "If you are working for the ultimate redemption to bring it closer, then are you thereby bringing something bad into the world by troubles that are promised to come? 

This is tantamount to saying "The end justifies the means". 

And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. (Romans 3:8 cf Romans 6:1,15).

I do not imagine that Christians can prevent the construction of the Third Temple. However, we would be remiss if we fail to warn the Jewish people that their present course of action will lead to the devastating time known as "Jacob's Trouble". (Jeremiah 30:7 cf. Zechariah 13:8-9). Christians who actively support the Third Temple are facilitating Satan's ultimate plan to deceive the Jews, and ultimately the entire world. (Revelation 13:3).     

 

Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. (Matthew 18:7).

The mandate given to believers is to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19). 

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:1-7).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16).

1. ISRAEL365 EXCLUSIVE: Red Heifers arrive in Israel [WATCH] (israel365news.com)
2. Will God or the Messiah Build the Third Holy Temple? - Israel News (israel365news.com)
3. Christians weigh in on the relevance of the red heifer (israel365news.com)
4. Temple Mount | Cry For Zion
5. Christians weigh in on the relevance of the red heifer (israel365news.com)
6. Numbers 19 Gill's Exposition (biblehub.com)
7. Daniel 11 Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (biblehub.com)
8. What About the Temple of Antichrist? (cryforzion.com)
9. Strong's Greek: 2673. καταργέω (katargeó) -- to render inoperative, abolish (biblehub.com)
10. Millennial Sacrifices - (apologeticanswers.org)