Israel and the End Times

Best-selling author, speaker and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland, best-selling author and apologist Dylan Burroughs together bringing you truths for a new generation.

This is TMG radio this week is been of terms of what's going on between American and Israeli relations.

Unsure many people like ourselves, were glued to the news on Monday and Tuesday.not only was it the 70th anniversary of the foundation of Israel as a nation May 1948. Also this week is newsworthy and the fact that fulfilling a campaign promise Pres. Tromp move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the city of Jerusalem, but on today's edition of truth for new generation of radio Alex McFarland here with Dylan Burroughs.

We are going to talk about Jerusalem, the 21st-century Bible prophecy, and what things, if any, are met by goings-on in the Middle East in terms of Bible prophecy today and Dylan it's good to be with you my friend welcome back to the program greatly with the is always Alex had been traveling the country working on some truth for new generation events that are going to come up in 2018 and 2019 working on Murfreesboro, Tennessee that will be September 14 and 15. I'll be doing a debate at middle Tennessee State University on Thursday night September 13 will be in the city of Murfreesboro with people like Josh McDowell and Jay Warner Wallace and great speakers. September 14 15. Then October will be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. So, as always, please go to the website truth for a new generation.com. I was also got a newsfeed that's going to be implemented on the website and on the TMG app. A lot of good things but Dylan is always our intent is to keep people informed about life worldview. Current events from a biblical perspective and with that in mind, let me say this, God's word has a lot to say about the future and you've been doing a lot of research and writing about Bible prophecy and current events to have, and you will certainly it's one of the most fascinating areas of the Bible for people who are either unfamiliar Scripture or who have read it and have questions about what the Bible says regarding the end times, especially the books like Daniel the books like Revelation things that have yet to happen. And when we look at this issue of modern Israel. What role does it play in the end times. What role do we see of this celebration this week. In particular, the 70th year of the rebirth of Israel as a modern nation.

What can we say the Bible addresses regarding this issue. I think there's some significant things we can say about the modern rebirth of Israel from Scripture, but there some areas as well. We will be cautious about not go to beyond what Scripture says and try to tie every headline to the news exactly God has given us his word divine revelation. It's interesting the apostle John in John chapter 1 he looked farther back into eternity past than any other New Testament writer, and by virtue of having written the book of Revelation. John looked farther forward into the future and into eternity farther forward than any other New Testament writer, and in the book of Revelation. In chapter 10 it says the voice I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands on the sea and on the earth.

John says I went to the angel and said to him give me the little book and there's this book that has sweetness and bitterness. There is good news there. There is news that's unsettling, and John talks about getting this vision of future events. Now Dylan to your point, I think it's worth noting that the Bible addresses all of our human needs but not necessarily all of our human curiosities. The Bible tells us everything that we need to know to be saved to live the Christian life to grow closer to Christ to enter into his presence in eternity. One day, but the Bible doesn't tell us everything we might necessarily want to know Jesus will literally return to earth one day the evil world systems that are arrayed against God against righteousness against truth and ultimately the world systems, businesses, governments, economies, cultures will one day all be under the control of the antichrist that will basically say worship this satanic leader or die. People have to take some type of mark but Dylan.

I think this is a fair statement and I want you to respond within the gospel within the panorama of Scripture, there is much much much clarity, but there's also some mystery. Isn't there and there there some things that that we can make. You know, sanctified speculation about but there's some things that we we should be cautious before we definitively try to nail down. Would you agree will certainly and that's where a lot of disagreement even among evangelical Christians comes from.

We don't know some of the details. For instance, of what will happen during the tribulation. But we do know there will be a future tribulation.

Where there is a person known as the antichrist who will rule over all those who will remain and do not to follow Jesus Christ and so we see a time in the future where there is Israel living in peace and when there's a ruler who opposes God's people, but we don't know the details and when that's gonna happen is a going to be 70 years after Israel as a nation again like some people speculate or will it be 200 years. We don't know those details, but what I find fascinating aspects like we see in Ezekiel 38, which speaks of a time in the future where surrounding nations will come against Israel and attack and what I find fascinating are details like the names of the countries that are therefore of those nations are listed in Ezekiel 38 are found in modern-day Turkey. And if you look the headlines as were speaking today, the Prime Minister of Turkey early again is calling all of the Arab nations unite against Israel, and that you see some these things are eerily close to what we see in Scripture. So again we don't have all the details that we see things moving in the direction that the Bible is predicted for thousands of years. Indeed, in the you know in earlier centuries there were atheists like Voltaire and Robert Ingersoll that used to mock the Bible and they would say, you know, how can the Bible be true because it says during the end times nations will surround Israel, and Israel is so much in Bible prophecy. And yet, during the times of the great infidel movement of the 19th century Israel as a nation had not reconstituted itself and skeptics would mark that will hunt. That certainly would change 70 years ago. This may when Israel was reconstituted as a nation, then Pres. Harry Truman within a day. So the United States recognizes the sovereign nation of Israel, and Israel has been our longest friend in the Middle East. The only stable democracy in the Middle East.

Frankly, I am thrilled that our president has demonstrated friendship to Israel because Genesis 12 God told Abraham I will bless them that bless they let me say this.

The best thing in a US president can do for this nation is to be a friend to the people of Israel and S fascinated algebra look more at the significance of these events, we come right back entry for new generation sick with first Peter 315 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have were instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarlane for the life answers teams students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina.

The life answers.

Teams are made up of students who will inspire and equip your congregation. These apologetics teams.

We train speaking in churches youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times. From a biblical perspective like is there a God is the Bible true. What about gender and moral issues.

Call me at 864977 2008 and we will arrange for the life answers team to come to your church and give a presentation that will benefit your people for years to come. 864-977-2000 eight and always be ready if you're a Christian parent. You of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children, your pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarlane encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask about Christianity. I interviewed hundreds of children ages 5 to 12 and we address actual questions from actual children. The spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids. She the book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask the book study guide and video series. You'll find it@afastore.net that AFA store.net TV, radio, Alex McFarlane here with Dylan Burroughs talking about prophecy prophecy in the news and the movement of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Dylan, I guess one of the questions that we get a lot from different listeners is the question of are we near the return of Christ.

When will the rapture be and are we in the last days, and in my book stand core truth, you must know for an unshakable faith which is available in Spanish.

Two. By the way, if you Google it on one of the online booksellers stand we talk about a core truth, a foundational belief of Christianity, one of the in in previous generations. It would become one of the fundamentals of the faith that's that Christ is going to return. We know definitively that Christ is coming back. What we don't know is when in fact the Bible says no man knows the day or the hour. We are not to set a date but we are to be ready and be faithful.

The New Testament says be ready and be faithful and and that's really the challenge for me had to be ready. Be faithful, be evangelizing. I mean, Dylan. I like prophecy and I teach on prophecy in one of the things that we do and in our travels around the country.

We often do a three night study through the entire book of Revelation, which I would love to do that at one of your churches listening if you want to call us at our offices we can talk about that but I think some Christians is there in their zeal for prophecy needs to be coupled also with zeal to win people to Christ because that we do definitively know that we are to share the gospel and see souls come to Jesus right there is a stereotype of repent. The day is near, with people carrying signs around it and certainly we urge people to turn to Jesus because we do believe Jesus will come back at any moment. But that attitude should drive us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to tell people about Jesus. So they will be there with us and I think of my life. For example, you know, my father passed away many years before I have and so I as a Christian I can look forward to a time when I'll see having it in heaven. And that's a comforting thought. And that's why first Thessalonians 4 ends with the phrase that we are to encourage one another with these things and we talk about the return of Jesus.

And so, and these are the kind of things we want to encourage people with that when we talk about the end times in the news.

It shouldn't scare us. That should motivate us to live for Jesus and to share his message with others exactly what talk about some of the attributes of the modern world that do seem to play into and time scenarios, not because you know think about it. People talk about the grid and living off the grid you are iPhones track our every move and just subtly incrementally. We have become wedded to our iPhones and and let me say as we all know with GPS technology. They not only can tell where you are but where you stopped along the way to get where you are and let me say with the online the speaker devices where you can basically converse with Alexa or any one of a number of these products and you can serve Wikipedia, you can ask for, you know chicken recipes you can get plans to rebuild a deck and you can order product off the web. Hey there, that those things are listening to me that here and it's debated now.

How much these interfaces are tied to government agencies. Even foreign agencies.

Dylan, wouldn't you say the incredible wiring of the planet, shall we say is something that could very easily play into an end time scenario where you can't buy or sell without going through the protocols of the antichrist and by the way, if you want to read about the antichrist. First John chapter 2 talks about the coming Antichrist. The mindset of the antichrist denial of Jesus is deity. So while we don't know the exact day or the hour. We do know Christ is coming back and I personally as a student of Scripture and a student of history and a student of prophecy.

I think the world seems more poised for in time scenarios than ever before, will certainly there are things that 100 years ago people would have looked at Scripture and thought how is this even possible. Israel is not a nation out the nation.

But in terms of technology.

There were times in the past were peoples that how could all the earth know about an event such as the two witnesses in Revelation, where they died, a resurrected and taken into heaven, as is the whole world will seal how will the whole world see will now technology allows that anyone at the cell phone around the world could see the same event at the same time and that's no longer the issue that once was so technology make some of these predictions in Scripture, more realistic now than they've ever been in the past and that's something that we need to consider is that when we see these types of things happening at it, we see that it's progressively fulfilling are coming closer to the fulfillment of what Christ said will happen, not farther away from it and what that should do is show us a couple of things one that Scripture is highly accurate, completely accurate, and second that we have a compelling reason to live accordingly. So when Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves to share the gospel to fulfill the great commission. These are commands we don't just read all that's a nice story but this should be something that changes our lives and that we live in a way where we realize and recognize and respond to the calling of Jesus coming back at any moment. It's been my privilege to get Israel and in fact him even now we're planning in Israel trip for the end of 2019 and staging because we want to keep you posted. Many of you might want to go with us to Israel, but one of the amazing things is to go to the temple mount and I've been there and the Western Wall often called the Wailing Wall which would've been built during the time of Herod. One of the things about Bible prophecy that has caused a number people scratch their head is when Revelation 11 one. John is told to measure the temple of God and so people are asking when will the Temple be rebuilt or what will be the scenario regarding the third temple. I personally believe that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt. Revelation specifically talks about a future Temple in Jerusalem. So if we take the Bible as true as his predictions becoming fulfilled literally, we have to say yes, but what way that's where the controversy arises will be built near what we see at now as the Muslim mosque that is on the Temple Mount will be in place heaven will be during the tribulation.

When something may happen to the current Mosca. Some speculate those are things that we have to consider that yes there will be future Temple just as the Bible text exactly we've got to take a break Alex McFarlane Dylan Burroughs here on this edition of TNG radio for centuries. The Bible has inspired humanity and shape the very world we live but how do we know this book is the word of God, not merely the words of man, what we believe about the Bible is based on what we believe about source.

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The current condition and how you yes you, your family, your church, community can be involved in keeping this great Republic Scantron America is a guide for encouraging wherever Christian I love how first Thessalonians 4. After talking about what most scholars believe is a reference to the rapture, the dead in Christ will rise first and we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with the Lord in the air to to meet the Lord and will be with him forever and it says wherefore comfort one another with these words.the return of Christ is a comfort even though there will be turbulent times in the periods of history leading up to the return of Christ, and were back were talking about this very monumental week incredibly biblically significant week.

The 70th anniversary of the rebirth of the nation of Israel and the US Embassy being moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Let me say this, folks. Be prepared for the academic world to be critical of this on the present will probably be blamed for terrorism, and that this is not good that we've done this, but it is good because as we said earlier from Genesis 12 three. This biblical promise that God will bless those who are blessing to Israel.

One of the questions about future events relates to the temple to things that I do believe are going to be rebuilt and in fact are being rebuilt. One is the city of Babylon and the other is the temple you know during the time of Saddam Hussein in the late 80s and early 90s there were photos in the news about his desire to rebuild the city of Babylon in the hanging Gardens of Babylon, and so I think when the Bible talks about Babylon. It's talking about city Babylon also think that the temple will be rebuilt, the, the temple, the second Jewish Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by a Roman Emperor Titus and the Muslim Dome of the rock mosque sits on the temple site.

Now the dome of the rock mosque was built around 690 to 691, and here's what happened in 638 A.D. that the Caliph Omar and Islamic leader rode into Jerusalem on a white camel and the city of Jerusalem. At that point in 638 had been conquered by Muslim armies the. The Caliph went to the temple mount bent down in prayer to Allah Muslim legend says that Mohammed dreamed he flew from Mecca to Jerusalem. In reality, Mohammed probably was never in Jerusalem, but the Caliph Omar bends down and praise to Allah, the God of Islam and the temple area was really consecrated for Islam.

At that point and the Caliph acclaimed the Temple Mount in for Allah, and there was an observer there, a political prisoner the time Sophronius, who wept and said this is the abomination spoken by Daniel. Now the mosque that bears Omar's name was completed in 691 and the Muslims have really control the temple area since 638 so Dylan, the question becomes how will the nation of Israel be a temple with a mosque in the way I remember and I'm a little older than you, but I remember around 88, 89, there were several Jewish zealots that tried to go up on the Temple Mount and kill a lamb, and the blood of of a sacrificial lamb spilled on the Temple Mount as if to re-instigate the sacrificial.

And there was quickly a an altercation and Yasser Arafat said in the news at that time that if the Jewish people tried to begin rebuilding the temple every Muslim in the world would fight quote till the last drop of blood.

If there were ever an attempt to tear down that mosque and rebuild the temple, the repercussions internationally would be severe, would they not yes is been called the most controversial piece of real estate in the world for a reason.

We see so much conflict over that location.

That to see that happen would just be unthinkable to many people. That's why people of come up with other alternative theories of how this could happen. Some think that some disaster will take place in the future that would destroy this mosque, perhaps in fulfillment of some of the prophecies of the tribulation where it would take place during the tribulation. Others think that it could actually happen in a an area near where the mosque is so the both could be alongside one another in the same way and what's interesting is even today, there is an organization called the Temple Institute in Israel that if you look up the information about them. You'd be fascinated because not only the plans for the temple, have been designed that all of the sacrificial system.

The clothing that the priest where the database with all the names of the different people to serve in the temple, and all of the items that they use in the temple sacrifices are already in development should are have been developed and it could happen very quickly. So for us to say all is never going to happen. Well, if you look the information it could happen. It would take a move of God which the Bible is protect could take place there but it could happen. So it's not the impossibility that some people have made it out to be exactly exactly what I was in Israel.

About two years ago we visited the Temple Institute and saw some of the priestly garments and to say that these things have been re-created meticulously is an understatement.

I mean what he said they are entirely serious about this. We don't know what God is going to do what political machinations or what circumstances an earthquake to tear down the existing mosque because the mosque is over the rock where very strong tradition says Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac and there on Mount Moriah, and of course the temple is built over that and and over the mountains of Mariah so much of the old city, but I looked in the door as a non-Muslim I was not allowed in the mosque and but I looked and you can see this rock jutting up and that's where Abraham offered Isaac and in the thorns was caught a ram now. It's been said that there on the mountain of Mariah God provided a thorn ground lamb for Abraham on this mountain range. The mountains of Mariah were Christ will return there was another thorn crown lamb wasn't there. Dylan yes and that's such a good way to wrap up our program today to refer people back to why this is so important. It all points to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament who came and died and rose again ascended to heaven and promises to return again someday a friend if you're listening and you never made that decision to follow Jesus, please do so today. We are not guaranteed tomorrow but we are given this opportunity at this moment to believe in him and for those of us who have believed. This should be a powerful reminder that God has a mission for us a plan for us that we are not here by accident. We are not here just for ourselves but we are here to make a difference. We hope you'll continue to do so. Join us next time. Truth for new generation truth for a new generation in association with Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries exists to equip Christians with the biblical worldview through conferences and camps for information about upcoming events visit for a new generation.com or give us a call at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries PO Box 485, Pleasant Garden, NC 27313 that's PO Box 485, Pleasant Garden Carolina 713 will give online@alexmcfarland.com generation.com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time.

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