House of Hope Online

June 29, 2025

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The events on the world’s stage over the past week and a half have been significant.  On June 21, 2025, the United States bombed three sites in the nation of Iran for the purpose of disabling the country’s nuclear weapon capability.  Israel had days earlier conducted a damaging air attack on Iran as well.

The U.S. and Israeli attacks appeared to be coordinated, and the surrounding nations and the world seemed to agree that Iran could not be trusted with nuclear war capability.

While this situation is still playing out, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed, some believe that Iran has suffered major setbacks and there is a possibility that we are entering, for the time being, a period of peace and rebuilding in the Middle East.

The prospect of Israel at peace has significant ramifications for the timing of Biblical End Times prophecy.  The Lord has burdened me with this word to again bring attention to the imminence of the Rapture.

Before I begin, let me acknowledge the work of Pastors Jimmy Evans and Mark Hitchcock, who are bestselling co-authors of the book, “What’s Next? Preparing for the Rapture,” Tipping Point Press, copyright 2024.  I will also reference material from their book, “The End Times Timeline, God’s Eternal Plan Revealed,” Tipping Point Press, copyright 2025.  Their weekly and daily podcast material can also be accessed through their https//endtimes.com website.  I highly recommend you subscribe to the website for the low monthly cost of $7 to receive a wealth of content delivered to your email daily and weekly.  These emails will keep you up to date on the events in the Middle East and the world, along with commentary on how these events relate to Biblical prophecy.

Key Events of the End Times

While no one except the Father knows the exact day or time that the Lord is coming for us, Jesus has told us to be on the alert for these events, to be aware of the season we are in, and to be ready for Him to come.

Luke 21:

 29 ¶ And He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees;

 30 as soon as they put forth [leaves,] you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near.

 31 “Even so you, too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

 32 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.

 33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

 34 “Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap;

 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

 36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The fig tree in verse 29 is symbolic of Israel, which became a nation in 1948.  Many Bible teachers believe that in verse 32, where Jesus refers to “this generation,” He is talking about our current generation of Baby Boomers.  This means that these things (signs that point to His coming) may take place during our lifetime.

The word “dissipation” in verse 34 means wasteful and intemperate living, characterized by excessive drinking and debauchery.  In other words, do not waste away this time partying to excess and then worrying about life.  Stay sober in the Spirit of God and be on the alert.  Look for the Kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in Heaven.

In previous sessions, we have discussed the following key End Time events:

1. The Rapture of the Church
2. The Gog-Magog War
3. The Tribulation
4. The Second Coming of Jesus
5. The Millennial Kingdom
6. The Great White Throne Judgment
7. The Creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth
8. The New Jerusalem for Eternity

Today I want to review the first four events and emphasize that the Rapture is the event we need to be focused on.  Once raptured, we will be celebrating a wedding feast with Jesus and worshipping Him.  The other events on the above list are God’s work, not ours.

The following is a summary of the first four key events, and a discussion of how recent events shed more light on potential timing.

The Rapture of the Church: Jesus comes in the clouds to rescue the Church and take us to Heaven for the marriage supper of the Lamb.  The dead in Christ are resurrected first and then we are joined with them in the air with Jesus.

1^st Thessalonians 4:

 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The word “Rapture” means to be caught up, to be taken up or carried away.  The Greek word for “caught up” in verse 17 means to seize, catch (away, up), pluck, pull, or take by force.  Jesus does the heavy lifting here.  We just need to be born again at or before the Rapture and we need to not be weighted down by dissipation, drunkenness, or the worries of life.  1^st Thessalonians 5:9 tells us: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As Christians we should be looking forward to this event with eagerness and joy.  It is our redemption drawing near.  It’s our Super Bowl.

The Gog-Magog War: Ezekiel 38-39 prophesies that God will induce a Russian led coalition to invade and attack Israel while she prospers in peace.  In this war, God supernaturally destroys Israel’s enemies.  The group of nations led by Russia are Persia (modern day Iran), Ethiopia (modern day Sudan), Libya, Turkey, some former Soviet Union states, and possibly Germany.  Dr. David Jeremiah believes “Gog” refers to the president of Russia and “Magog” refers to the states of the former Soviet Union (the states with “stan” at the end of their names), and possibly Afghanistan.

God speaks into Ezekiel and prophecies that that He will induce Gog to come against Israel.

Ezekiel 38:

 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.

 4 “And I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company [with] buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords;

Ezekiel 38:

 10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan,

 11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls, and having no bars or gates,

 12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are [now] inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.’

Israel may now be at peace, but her enemies remain, which means that we could be entering the period during which the Gog-Magog war may take place.  If the Gog-Magog war is imminent, then the Rapture is imminent.  Jimmy Evans and Mark Hitchcock show on their timeline that the Gog-Magog war occurs just before or not long after the Rapture, although they acknowledge this timing is debated by Bible scholars. 

So, we need to keep our eye on the Fig Tree, which is symbolic of Israel, and we need to keep our eye on Russia, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, Libya, and the former Soviet Union states.  It is interesting that Iran and Russia have had talks recently, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump to see if he could help with Iran.

From a logical standpoint, it makes sense that the Rapture would occur just before the Gog-Magog war.  When the Rapture occurs, many in the United States will be gone, including many in our government.  If the U.S. is weakened, it will no longer be a deterrent to Israel’s enemies, and so the Russian-led alliance would be willing to attack Israel.

Ezekiel 39 prophesies that God defeats the enemies of Israel in the Gog-Magog war.

Ezekiel 39:

 1 ¶ “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,” Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal;

 2 and I shall turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.

 3 “And I shall strike your bow from your left hand, and dash down your arrows from your right hand.

 4 “You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you; I shall give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field.

 5 “You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord GOD.

 6 “And I shall send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.

And so now we see a key difference.  While the U.S. and Israel defeated Iran over the last week or so, they did not eliminate the enemies of Israel.  In the Gog-Magog war, Israel’s enemies are eliminated, and they are eliminated by God, not by Israel or the U.S.

The Tribulation: When the Church is raptured, the Holy Spirit will be gone as well, and scripture indicates that removal of the Holy Spirit is the key to the emergence of the antichrist and the onset of the Tribulation. 

2^nd Thessalonians 2:

 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains [will do so] until he is taken out of the way.

According to scripture, the antichrist develops a peace plan for Israel at the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation, which allows the Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:

 27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [will come] one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

The “one who makes desolate” refers to the antichrist.  The “one week” referred to in verse 27 is symbolic of seven years, and mid-week means three and one-half years.  So, the antichrist makes a seven-year covenant of peace with Israel, which ushers in an unprecedented period of peace, and allows the Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem.  This peace is possible because Islam and the enemies of Israel will have been destroyed during the Gog-Magog war. 

You should not infer from the above that nothing else happens during the first half of the Tribulation.  The Book of Revelation Chapters 6 through 11 tell us the two witnesses prophesy, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists preach, the seven Seal and seven Trumpet Judgments take place, and there is a rise of a one-world government and economy.  None of this is fun stuff, but it gets worse.

But then, at the midpoint, or three and one-half years into the Tribulation period, the antichrist violates the peace covenant.  This midpoint is significant because the counterfeit trinity is revealed in Revelation 12-13: the dragon (Satan, or anti-God), the beast out of the sea (anti-Christ), and the beast out of the earth (the False Prophet, or anti-Holy Spirit).  This sets the stage for the second half of the Tribulation, during which God unleashes severe wrath from the seven Bowls upon the earth.  Keep in mind, during this time, those who are left on the earth will be required to accept the mark of the beast and to worship the antichrist, or face death.

Revelation 13:

 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, [that is], those who dwell in heaven.

 7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, [everyone] whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

This is the Abomination of Desolation referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24 and the Apostle Paul in 2^nd Thessalonians 2:3.

Matthew 24:

 15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;

2^nd Thessalonians 2:

 3 ¶ Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

And so, the antichrist reveals himself, commits the Abomination of Desolation, and declares himself God.  The second half of the Tribulation is known as the Great Tribulation because during this period, God begins to pour His wrath out of the seven Bowls Judgments, and the kings of the earth gather and begin to prepare for the Battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 16:

 16 And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

 17 ¶ And the seventh [angel] poured out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.”

 18 And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake [was it, and] so mighty.

Verse 16 refers to the kings of the earth gathering to resist Jesus when He comes to Armageddon.  This is a group of world leaders who have not been raptured and are therefore trying to deal with the wrath of God that has been poured out of the seven bowls.  According to Revelation Chapter 16, the seven bowls of God’s wrath are: 1) ugly and painful sores, 2) seas turning to blood, 3) rivers and streams of water becoming blood, 4) the sun scorching people with fire, 5) darkness, 6) the Euphrates River drying up, and 7) the worst earthquake ever.

As you can see, Revelation 16 describes a period that will not be a pleasant time to be on the earth.  That is why we must keep our eyes on the ball, that is, the Rapture.  If we do, during this time we will be enjoying the wedding feast celebrating the marriage of Jesus to His Bride, the Church, that is, we who call upon the name of Jesus!  And we get to take part in the next key End Times event, the Second Coming of Jesus.

The Second Coming of Jesus:

Revelation 19:

 11 ¶ And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it [is] called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

 12 And His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and upon His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [upon Him] which no one knows except Himself.

 13 And [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.

 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses.

 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 19:

19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army.

 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Closing

Delta Airlines likes to send emails to remind passengers of their upcoming flight.  The email has a bold banner exclaiming: “Prepare for Takeoff.”  With the recent happenings in the Middle East, I feel like the Lord is telling us to prepare for the flight that is the Rapture.  I doubt an email will come, so we need to read the signs unfolding in our world.  As Jesus said in Luke 21, we need to “Behold the fig tree and…. know for yourselves that summer is now near…and when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.”

Let us pray.

Father God, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem according to Your word.  Lord, we ask You to quicken our spirits to know the season we are in, and to be on the alert as we behold the Fig Tree to see the coming of the Kingdom of God.  Help us to listen for the shout, for the voice of [the] archangel, and for the trumpet of God when the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we who are alive shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  We eagerly await that day when we shall always be with the Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.