'The Armageddon Code': Is the Fulfillment of Prophecy of the Second Coming Imminent? - STEVE STRANG CHARISMA MAGAZINE

'The Armageddon Code': Is the Fulfillment of Prophecy of the Second Coming Imminent?

5/4/2016 STEVE STRANG  charisma magazine

The Armageddon Code deals with the controversial subject of the Rapture. (YouTube)

With impactful events taking place in the world these days, there seems to be a sense among many that something big is about to happen. The Middle East especially continues to be hotbed of activity, dating back to nearly 70 years ago when Israel became a nation. The last couple of years have seen the significant rise of the terrorist group ISIS in Syria.

Is it possible that these events are a setup for the prophecies spoken about in the Bible that we refer to as the "Second Coming?"

I grew up in the church with the teaching that the church would be raptured before the Second Coming. As teenager, I began to learn that many other Christians believed other theories about the Second Coming. It seems that, as time has passed, things have become more confused, especially when theologians and pastors talk about events and entities such as the Great Tribulation, the Millennium, the Antichrist, the mark of the Beast and the rapture itself—whether or not it is going to happen before or after the tribulation, or perhaps midway through.

To grapple with these topics, Charisma House released a new book this week called The Armageddon Code by New York City journalist Billy Hallowell, the faith and religion editor for The Blaze. He takes an arm's-length view of the various views of the Second Coming. He tries to explain these views to people who are usually confused by all the contradictions. The book also presents some research showing what Protestant ministers believe about the Second Coming. The results were surprising.

I had the privilege of interviewing Billy Hallowell on The Strang Report podcast, which will be online in a few days. We talked about how the book is being released this week in what they call "a thunder clap," in which 136 people sent out information about the book at the same time to a combined total of more than 2 million people. It helps to draw attention to this important book.

We also talked about the study conducted by Lifeway Research in which 1,000 pastors, drawn randomly from the population, revealed what they believe. The greatest group—36 percent—believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. The next largest group—25 percent—believe that the rapture is not be taken literally. Most of these pastors come from what we would call more liberal segments of the church. Interestingly, 73 percent of Pentecostal pastors believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. Yet I remember when I was a child nearly all Pentecostals would have believed it.

One chapter of the book deals with questions surrounding the Antichrist:

• Exactly who is he and what will his personality be like?
• Where will he come from?
• When will he arrive on the scene?:

Interest in the end times is at an all-time high. But what does the Bible really say about what will happen and when? Why are there so many different viewpoints among Christians, and are any of them right? With questions like these, it's no wonder that the subject of the end times creates confusion, doubt and anxiety for many people today.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Armageddon Code wherever Christian books are sold or online. There is so much more information that I can go into in this short newsletter, but click here to order the book or find out more information about it.

Hallowell also interviews "experts" on end-time prophecy and what they believe. He conducted interviews with Greg Laurie, Tim LaHaye, Joel C. Rosenberg and even Hank Hanegraaff on what they believe. He lays it all out for the readers and allows the readers to decide for themselves.

I am finding the book fascinating reading, the topic is fascinating, and I encourage you to let me know what you think about end-time prophecy by leaving your comments below. 

Steve Strang is the founder of Charisma and CEO of Charisma Media. Follow him onTwitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to the Strang Report podcast, and hereto sign up for the Strang Report newsletter.

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Is The World Turning Its Back on Israel in Fulfillment of Prophecy? - TROY ANDERSON CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Palestinian protesters. The rise in attacks against Israeli citizens began last month following rumors that Israel was planning to take over the Temple Mount. (Reuters)

Is The World Turning Its Back on Israel in Fulfillment of Prophecy?

10/30/2015 TROY ANDERSON  charisma magazine

Join us on our new podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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As the world turns against Israel, Chosen People Ministries President Mitch Glaser is calling on Christians to speak out against the eruption of violence, efforts to weaken the nation's sovereignty and other disturbing developments in the "apple of His eye." 

Glaser's request comes amid a "wave of terror" in Israel that has left more than 110 people wounded and 10 killed, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The recent series of attacks against Israelis is the "direct result of incitement by radical Islamist and terrorist elements, calling on Palestinian youth to murder Jews," Israeli officials say.  

"We need to stand up and say it's immoral for people to murder and maim innocent individuals," Glaser says. "What rationale can anybody have for killing a toddler? We need to raise our voices, affirm what we believe about Israel and ask our government to declare that the current violence is wrong and should be stopped."

In an effort to stop the violence, Glaser is asking believers to sign a petition to urge U.S. Secretary of State Kerry to help put a stop to the violence against Israelis. The petition, available at everystateforisrael.com, urges Kerry to demand that the Palestinian Authority do everything in its power to "stop these random acts of personal terrorism against Israeli citizens." It also asks the U.S. government to put a stop to the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid that is currently being sent to the Palestinian Authority.

"People are talking about this as the beginning of the Third Intifada," Glaser says. "We are definitely not there yet, but if everybody is not careful, it could erupt."

The world, it seems, has largely turned against Israel in recent years, biblical experts say, pointing to the dangerous Iranian nuclear deal, the push for a United Nations' vote to create the Palestinian state, worsening anti-Semitism and now a wave of terrorist attacks that began on the Temple Mount in east Jerusalem. 

In recent weeks, dozens of Israelis have been deliberately run over, shot, stabbed and hacked to death. In large part, this is because Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas "has joined ISIS and Hamas in claiming that Israel threatens the al-Aqsa mosque," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The rise in attacks against Israeli citizens began last month following rumors that Israel was planning to take over the Temple Mount. Recently, the Palestinian Authority submitted a resolution to the U.N. seeking to claim the Western Wall as a Muslim holy site. The proposal refers to Jerusalem as "the occupied capital of Palestine."

"Israel totally rejects the shameful resolution on 'Occupied Palestine' adopted (Wednesday) at the plenary of the 197th Session of UNESCO's Executive Board," an Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said. "The resolution aims to transform the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a religious confrontation and its adoption is a disgrace for UNESCO's Executive Board. The Executive Board has joined the pyromaniacs seeking to set fire to the most sensitive sites to humankind."

This convergence in events, Glaser says, could be signs of the beginning of fulfillment of Zechariah 12:3, a biblical passage that foretells how all nations will turn against Israel in the last days: "And it will be on that day that I will set Jerusalem as a weighty stone to all the peoples. All who carry it will surely gash themselves, and all the nations of the land will be gathered against it."

Zechariah 12:9 indicates Jesus Christ will return at some point to "save His people and destroy the enemies of Israel," Glaser says.

"We understand that has not yet been fulfilled, but it will be fulfilled and probably today we are beginning to see the fulfillment," Glaser says. "Clearly, the Bible says Israel will become a nation, the Jewish people will be back in the land, which has already happened, enemies will surround Israel and the Lord will return to conquer those nations and save Israel. So, yeah, I think it's right in front of our face."

Sid Roth, host of It's Supernatural!, says he's preached from these same Scriptures for 35 years.

"I know I will be alive to witness three events," Roth says. "First will be the violent anti-Semitism against Jews worldwide. Second, this will trigger a massive return of the Jewish people to Israel as the Scriptures predicted. Third, the greatest spiritual awakening in history will occur in Israel, including creative miracles the world has never seen.

"This, in turn, will spark the greatest Gentile revival in history. Israel will survive, but I am concerned for the nations that are trying to divide the land of Israel. Joel 3 says God's end-time judgment on the nations will be for 'dividing up His land!'"

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, the New York Times best-selling author of The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah, says end-time prophecy presents a scenario in which the "entire world is focused on Jerusalem, and is set against the nation of Israel."

"The fact that 2,000 years later, the world is overwhelmingly set against Israel and ultimately focused on the issue of Jerusalem is amazing," Cahn says. "The issue of Palestine, which threatens to surface at the United Nations, will only increase the world's pressure being placed on Israel.

"Israel is right now experiencing a massive wave of violence within its borders. The situation is volatile. This wave of violence began in September when fighting broke out on the Temple Mount. The day it all began was Sept. 13, Elul 29, the day of the Shemitah, a Hebrew word that can be translated as 'the shaking.'"

Mark Biltz, founder of El Shaddai Ministries and author of Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs, says political leaders are blinded to the real issues regarding Jerusalem—helping explain why there will not be peace until the Messiah comes.

"The big issue is truly a religious one," Biltz says. "As more people realize this, the greater the turmoil will be. Prophecy says the Messiah will reign from Jerusalem, as it will be the place of His throne, and Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. The nations are driven like madmen with rabies against all that is godly. Jerusalem is to be a light to the nations and the nations will have none of it."

Concerning Jerusalem, the Bible says in Zechariah 2:8, "For thus says the Lord of Hosts: He has sent Me after glory to the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye."

"All the nations trying to divide Jerusalem and delegitimize Israel's sovereignty are poking God in the eye," Biltz says. "God will shake His hand over them in judgment so the remnant of these nations may be joined to Him and His people Israel. When the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel is aroused, it is time to take heed."

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