My friends,
will there ever be peace
in the Middle East?
Military conflicts and terrorism
never seem to cease.
Today, nearly thirty years
after U.S. President
George H.W. Bush
sent military forces
to stop Saddam Hussein's attack
on the nation of Kuwait,
American lives
continue to be lost
in the Middle East wars.
Controversy surrounds
Iran's ongoing attempts
to develop the nuclear fission
capabilities that could lead
to nuclear weapons.
Violent Islamist militants
from ISIS and Al Qaeda
struggle to revive their forces.
The tiny nation of Israel
struggles for peace,
while neighboring Palestinians
demand better conditions
and more control
in their West Bank
and Gaza Strip strongholds.
Will wars and conflicts continue
in the Middle East?
Your Bible reveals that
a great world war
--focused on the Middle East--
will precede
the most amazing event
yet to come in Bible prophecy,
the return of Jesus Christ.
How will you know when
this event is about to occur?
What prophetic signs
should you be watching for?
Will there be peace
in the Middle East?
Stay tuned.
♪
Warm greetings to all
our friends around the world.
Many of us worry,
express concern,
and even become frightened
when we read in our daily news
about the wars, conflicts,
and terrorism in many parts
of the world.
Troubles in the Middle East
in particular,
affect not just
the Jewish people,
but also billions
of Christians and Muslims.
Controversy flared in May 2018
when the United States
moved its embassy in Israel
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
American members of Congress
remain divided
over Israel's treatment
of Palestinians
in the West Bank and Gaza.
While many nations
around the world call Israel
an "apartheid" state
and make demands on behalf
of the region's Arabs
and Palestinians,
the United States
has remained firm as one
of Israel's few staunch allies
around the globe.
Will this change?
Will Israel thrive
or even survive
as a Jewish nation?
Will it survive at all?
My friends,
there is good news
for the future.
Bible prophecy reveals
the sequence of events
leading up to the return
of Jesus Christ
to establish the glorious
Kingdom of God.
Scripture reveals
--in fact, guarantees--
that world peace will
ultimately reign
in the Middle East
and on all of planet Earth.
But first,
there will be war
and bloodshed on a scale
never before seen.
You need to be ready,
and you need to know
what to watch for
so you and your loved ones
can escape the troubles ahead.
On today's program,
we'll briefly discuss
five prophetic signs
to watch for
in the Middle East.
And we'll be offering you
an exciting, free booklet
that will give you
inspiring insight
and understanding.
It's titled:
The Middle East in Prophecy.
This booklet will help you
understand what the Bible
teaches about the amazing
end-time events
surrounding Jerusalem
and the entire Middle East.
You can order the booklet
by calling the phone number
on your screen
or by visiting our website,
TomorrowsWorld.org.
Some of you older viewers
may remember the Iran-Iraq war,
which lasted from 1980 to 1988.
More than a million people
were killed in that war
between Muslim nations.
The Euphrates River
was a focal point
of that conflict.
Your Bible reveals that
the Euphrates River
will be a key strategic position
at the end of this present age.
Prophetic Sign Number one is:
If you have your Bible,
turn to the book of Revelation,
chapter nine.
Revelation 9:13...
My friends,
this is describing
another world war.
And this phase of World War III
will kill not just millions,
but even billions
of human beings.
Jesus Christ said that
unless those days were shortened
no flesh would be saved,
all life on earth
would be destroyed.
That's in Matthew 24:21-22.
Look on any map
and you'll see
that those nations
east of the Euphrates include
Iran, India, China, and Russia.
And an army of 200 million
will form in this area
and march to the Euphrates.
Even now China
is taking steps to
strengthen its military force.
Consider this report:
The European Union
--which, as we will see,
is prophesied to intervene
on Israel's behalf--
is facing growing
economic crises
even as China expands.
Prophetic Sign Number one is:
Prophetic Sign Number Two Is:
Some of you older viewers
may remember the "Six-Day War"
of June 1967.
Israel fought
the combined forces
of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
Israel captured
the Sinai Peninsula,
the Golan Heights,
the West Bank,
and East Jerusalem.
Now Israel had access
to the holy places,
including the Western Wall
or Wailing Wall
at the Temple Mount.
Six years later,
in the Yom Kippur War,
Israel repelled invasions
by Egypt and Syria.
Israel, Egypt, and Jordan
later agreed on a UN cease-fire.
In 1978, Israel and Egypt
signed the Camp David Accords,
returning to Egypt most
of the captured Sinai Peninsula,
except for the Gaza Strip.
In 1980,
Israel annexed East Jerusalem
and declared the unified city
part of Israel,
against the protests
of Arab forces and their allies.
After ongoing violence
known as "the first intifada,"
Israel put large portions
of the West Bank
under Palestinian Authority
control in December 1994.
Palestinians living
in the Gaza Strip and West Bank
face tight restrictions
on movement in and out
of Israel.
Even in the United States
--perhaps Israel's strongest
and most generous ally--
voices are increasingly calling
on Israel to remove restrictions
on Palestinians
and to give greater autonomy
to the Palestinian Authority.
The "BDS"
--Boycott, Divest,
and Sanction movement--
against Israel
is a growing source
of controversy among those
critical of Israeli policies.
Will world opinion turn further
against Israel?
Will Arab nations
mount another
major military attack
against the Jewish nation?
Will world leaders
seek to put Jerusalem
under international control?
We'll discuss these questions
in the next part of our program.
But first I'd like to offer you
this exciting, free booklet,
The Middle East in Prophecy.
My friends,
you need to be watching
the Middle East
and the trends that will mean
major changes in political
and religious control
over the city of Jerusalem.
What events
will mark these changes?
Who will eventually
control Jerusalem?
What does Bible prophecy
say about the future of Israel
and the nations surrounding it?
Will there be peace
in Jerusalem
and the Middle East?
This exciting booklet
will help you in your study
of Bible prophecy
and give you advance information
on end-time events.
Listen to these subheads:
"Will Russia Control
the Middle East?
Who Will Control Jerusalem?
Temple Sacrifices Restored?
Watch for the Abomination
of Desolation.
Who Rides the Beast?"
You need this booklet,
and you need to know the future
according to Bible prophecy.
So, pick up the telephone
right now and request
your free copy of
The Middle East in Prophecy.
You can also order this booklet
on our website at
TomorrowsWorld.org,
or you can write to us at one
of our regional addresses.
♪
Announcer: Today's offer
is yours absolutely free
No Cost, No Obligation
Call toll free now
...
Call toll free now
or write to us
at the address
on your screen
or visit us online
at TomorrowsWorld.org
♪
Announcer: With this offer,
you will also receive
your free subscription
to Tomorrow's World magazine
full of timely articles
and unique insights
on today's important issues.
And be sure to go to
TomorrowsWorld.org/digital.
Have a digital subscription
sent right to your email inbox.
Faster than postal mail!
Visit us online, now!
In the first part
of our program,
we saw that Bible prophecy
foretells a massive
military invasion
of the Middle East.
We saw that Arab nations
have united against Israel,
and have marshaled
world opinion to support them.
Prophetic Sign Number One was:
Prophetic Sign Number Two:
Prophetic Sign Number Three is:
Bible prophecy reveals
that Jerusalem will be
a focus of major
international conflicts.
Jerusalem is considered
holy to three of the world's
major religions.
To Jews,
Jerusalem was the city
of the great prophets,
and the capital
of the Kingdom of Israel
and Judah under King David
and his son King Solomon.
The first and second temples
were the center of worship
until the destruction
of the city by the Romans
in 70 AD.
Jerusalem is also
the third most holy city
of Islam,
after the cities
of Mecca and Medina.
Today the Islamic Mosque
of Omar
--or the Dome of the Rock--
dominates the Temple Mount.
It is believed
that the prophet Mohammed
ascended to Heaven
from that site.
Christians revere the city
as the place where their
Savior was crucified.
And where He taught
in the Temple.
Christians believe
Jesus will return
to establish His Kingdom
with Jerusalem as world capital.
Many in the
international community
are very concerned
about the status of Jerusalem
as Israel's capital.
Roman Catholic Pope Francis,
in July of 2018, stated:
The "Community of Nations"?
You may be shocked to learn
that the Bible prophesies
that indeed
--in the future--
Jerusalem will be controlled
not by Israel,
but by other
governmental powers.
Turn in your Bible
to the book of Revelation
--or Apocalypse.
Revelation, chapter 11.
The Apostle John wrote
in Revelation 11:1...
As you read through
the book of Revelation,
you'll see that this period
of three and one-half years
precedes the return of Christ.
As we've pointed out
on previous programs,
two prophets of God
will witness with great power
during that same period
of three and one-half years.
You can read about that
in verses 3 through 14
of Revelation 11.
God Almighty states
in verse 3...
For three and one-half years,
these two witnesses will contend
with the Gentile force
which will dominate
the Middle East at that time.
This will be a time
of great tribulation
for the whole world,
especially for those
who are true Christians.
Billions will be killed.
Many who accept Christ
during that time
will be persecuted terribly,
even martyred.
But you can escape that time,
if you respond to God's calling.
If you feel
that God is calling you now
to commit your life to Christ
and the teachings of the Bible,
call the number on your screen,
and one of our representatives
will be happy
to meet with you
or talk with you
at your convenience.
Prophetic Sign number three is:
Our next prophetic sign
involves restored sacrifices
by the Jews.
But first,
I'd like to offer you
our free booklet,
The Middle East in Prophecy.
What trends and events
should you be watching?
Let me share with you
a few of the sub-heads
in the booklet:
Who Will Control Jerusalem?
Watch for the Abomination
of Desolation;
The King of the North
Invades the Middle East;
The Final Phases
of World War III.
This exciting booklet
will help you
in your study of Bible prophecy
and give you advance information
on end-time events.
You need this booklet.
So pick up the telephone
right now
and request your free copy
of The Middle East in Prophecy.
You can also order
this free booklet
on our website
at TomorrowsWorld.org,
or you can write to us at one
of our regional addresses.
Announcer: Today's offer
is yours absolutely free,
no cost, no obligation.
Visit us online at
TomorrowsWorld.org.
Find us on Facebook,
watch us on Youtube,
and follow us on Twitter.
In this program,
we have so far seen
three prophetic signs
for the Middle East.
Prophetic Sign Number One:
Prophetic Sign Number Two:
Prophetic Sign Number Three:
Prophetic Sign Number Four is:
Remember the key sign
that introduces
these prophetic milestones
is the Abomination
of Desolation.
What is this abomination?
Jesus told us to be alert
to this key prophetic sign,
which will take place
in the Middle East.
He said in Mathew 24:15...
Turn in your Bible to Daniel
the 11th chapter.
Historically, the Greek ruler
Antiochus Epiphanes
issued a decree in 167 B.C.
that prohibited
further sacrifices
in the Jerusalem Temple.
Daniel 11:31...
In addition to stopping
the daily sacrifices,
Antiochus erected a statue
of Jupiter Olympus
in the temple
and directed everyone
to worship it.
This abomination
--also referred to
in chapter 8 of Daniel--
is a type of a similar,
end-time event.
Notice also
that the end-time sacrifices
are cut off 1,290 days
before the return of Christ.
Daniel 12:11...
Jesus warns us Christians
to be alert
to an end-time abomination
of desolation.
Just as Antiochus Epiphanes
profaned the Temple
in 167 B.C.--
and cut off the sacrifices--
so will a profane authority
cut off Jewish sacrifices
in the future.
In fact,
the Apostle Paul warns
of a great false prophet
who will stand
in the holy place.
Let's read that
in 2 Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:3,
the Apostle Paul writes...
Yes, a great false prophet
will work great miracles
and deceive millions of people.
He will cultivate worship
toward himself
and claim he's divine.
Revelation 13:13-14 shows
that this great false prophet
will even call down
fire from heaven,
and will deceive millions
of people around the world!
Again, my friends,
don't you be deceived by
these signs and wonders!
As it tells us
in 1 Thessalonians 5:21...
As we've seen,
this end-time false prophet
will cause the sacrifices
to cease.
Let's realize that the Jews
have not offered
animal sacrifices since 70 AD
when the Romans destroyed
the Second Temple
in Jerusalem.
In order for the end-time
sacrifices to be stopped
eventually,
they need to begin.
Listen,
when animal sacrifices begin
once again in Jerusalem,
you will know
that the prophecies
Jesus spoke about
are heading for
a grand-smash climax.
Some believe that the Temple
must first be rebuilt
in order to conduct
animal sacrifices.
Many Jews believe
that only the Messiah
will be able
to rebuild the Temple.
However,
some Jewish groups are hoping
to see today's Jewish people
take the initiative themselves.
They believe that there can be
no peace in the Middle East
until the Temple is rebuilt.
Rabbi Chaim Richman,
international director
of the Temple Institute,
has said:
Yes, my friends,
we need to understand
one important point.
An altar is needed
for sacrifices,
not necessarily
a full temple building.
Just read the third chapter
of Ezra.
The returning exiles
from Babylon
had only a holy place,
not a temple.
Ezra refers to the location
of the holy place,
as "the house of God,"
when the temple
had not yet been built.
Ezra 3:8...
This was around 536 BC.
But there was no building
as yet.
The returning Jewish exiles
referred to the Holy Place
as "the House of God,"
even though no temple existed.
The holiest place
under the control
of the Jewish
religious authorities today
is the Western Wall,
or the "Wailing Wall."
It is the western retaining wall
to the Temple Mount.
Jews are not allowed
to publicly worship
on the Temple Mount
--only Muslims.
So, it remains to be seen
where and when
the Jews will begin sacrificing.
It will probably take
an unprecedented national crisis
to precipitate that event.
Prophetic Sign Number Four is:
Our fifth prophetic sign
comes from the prophet Daniel,
who foretold that a King
of the South will push
against a King of the North
shortly before
Jesus Christ returns.
We'll talk about that
in the final portion
of our program.
But first,
I'd like to offer you
our free booklet,
The Middle East in Prophecy.
Let me share with you
a few of the sub-heads
in the booklet:
"Who Will Control Jerusalem?"
"Watch for the Abomination
of Desolation;"
"The King of the North
Invades the Middle East;"
"The Final Phases
of World War III"...
You need this booklet.
So, pick up the telephone
right now
and request your free copy
of The Middle East in Prophecy.
You can also
order this free booklet
on our website
at TomorrowsWorld.org,
or you can write to us at one
of our regional addresses.
♪
Announcer: Today's offer
is yours absolutely free
No Cost, No Obligation
Call toll free now
...
Call toll free now
or write to us
at the address
on your screen
or visit us online
at TomorrowsWorld.org
♪
Announcer: With this offer,
you will also receive
your free subscription
to Tomorrow's World magazine
full of timely articles
and unique insights
on today's important issues.
And be sure to go to
TomorrowsWorld.org/digital.
Have a digital subscription
sent right to your email inbox.
Faster than postal mail!
Visit us online, now!
We have so far examined
four prophetic signs
for the Middle East.
Prophetic Sign Number One was:
Prophetic Sign Number Two:
Prophetic Sign Number Three:
Prophetic Sign Number Four was:
Prophetic Sign Number Five is:
The European Union
is headquartered
in Brussels, Belgium.
It is developing
as a political, economic,
and military entity,
just like the King of the North
prophesied in your Bible.
Will it become that
prophesied superpower?
Already an economic peer
of the United States,
the EU is beginning
to assert itself
as a military force independent
of the U.S.,
The administration
of American President
Donald Trump has expressed
the hope that the EU
will take on more
of its own military spending
that since World War II
has been subsidized heavily
by the U.S.
Reuters news agency
reported the comments
of Richard Grenell
--U.S. Ambassador to Germany--
who said:
My friends,
we need to watch the military
resurgence of Germany,
along with
the other prophetic signs.
As we near
the Great Tribulation,
your Bible instructs us
to watch key developments
surrounding Jerusalem.
Luke 21:19...
Revelation 11:2 tells us
that Jerusalem
will be trodden-down
by the Gentiles
for forty-two months
--about 3 and one-half years.
At the end of that time
--during the Day of the Lord--
the armies of Europe and Asia
will combine to bring about
the great climax
of World War III,
referred to as "Armageddon."
Yes, we need to watch
for developments leading to
an invasion of the Middle East
from the powerful military King
of the North.
You can read that prophecy
in Daniel 11:40-41.
There are many more signs
than we have had time to cover
on this program.
Our free booklet,
The Middle East in Prophecy,
will give you more details
on this subject.
My friends, we are in
the prophetic time-period known
as the end-time.
We need to be spiritually awake
and watchful.
We need to be prepared
for the Second Coming.
Christ will be King
over all the earth,
ruling from
the new world capital,
Jerusalem.
Notice that in Zechariah 14:8...
Thank God,
His Kingdom is coming soon.
May we all pray with our hearts,
"Your kingdom come."
Be sure to request
our exciting, free booklet,
The Middle East in Prophecy.
Just call the number
on your screen.
You can also
request this booklet
on our website at
TomorrowsWorld.org.
We invite you to join us
every week on Tomorrow's World.
In this world of growing chaos
and confusion,
you need the solid guidance
that comes from your Bible.
Gerald Weston,
Wallace Smith, and I,
along with guest presenter
Rod McNair,
will continue to share with you
the teachings of Jesus Christ,
the good news
of the coming Kingdom of God,
and the exciting end-time
prophecies and their meaning.
So, be sure to join us again
next week, right here,
at this same time.
♪
Announcer: To take advantage
of today's free offer,
or view today's program
now or anytime,
go to TomorrowsWorld.org.
Find us on Facebook,
watch us on YouTube,
and follow us on Twitter.
♪
Announcer: The preceding
program is produced by
the Living Church of God.