28 Responses

1. This is really good, Joel, very cogent and well laid out. I keep remembering Jesus words in Matthew 24 warning us to not be deceived. We must stay in the Scriptures and listen to Jesus in order to be kept from deception.

   Although the locus of end times events is the Middle East, I can’t help but wonder if the “little horn”, the smooth talker, might also have assistance coming to power with foreign governments, possibly even Western governments and their intelligence agencies. Dan. 11::21 tells us “In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue.” (NASB; the KJV translates the last portion of this verse “obtain the kingdom by flatteries”.) This infers to me that he won’t inherit his “throne”, as kings do. Perhaps he might be elected, but through deceit and conniving.

   A while back, Reggie Kelly responded to a question from someone regarding Mohammad Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief, on whether Dahlan could be the “kind” of individual that could fulfill the role of AC. While we should not be playing “pin the tail on the anti-Christ”, Dahlan has an interesting history, as I posted about in some comments about him after the article. He seems to have ingratiated himself with the both the Israelis and American intelligence. He even speaks fluent Hebrew. Based on various news accounts of Dahlan, he strikes me as someone who is “smooth” and boastful, who flatters others. Again, I am not attempting to identify him as the AC, only as possibly the “type” of character we might see, one who can convince Israel to enter into the covenant.

   http://the.mysteryofisrael.org/2014/03/06/he-shall-become-strong-with-a-small-people/

2. Joel
   Do you still believe that this small Horn (AC) could be the Madhi?

   PS. looks like you have been pushing weights,or maybe the shirts too tight..

3. Joel:
   The issue is much greater than Christians being turned off by end times eschatology/prophecy. Those that bought into the myriad of end times dates often sold their property, quit their jobs, and neglected to prepare their children for life on earth. Who needs to be educated or who needs to prepare for a future?…God doesn’t need doctors or scientists!
   There are tens or hundreds of thousands of child victims of these false teachers many who now hate anything Christian.
   Blessings…

4. Thanks once again for your latest underground -Episode 8. Thank you also for your books and DVD “End Time Assessment”. I greatly appreciate the way you get your points over in a calm , clear and concise manner. When you mentioned “time of tranquillity” (“quietness” – Young’s Literal Translation – from Daniel 11: 21, I could not but help think of I Thessalonians 5: 1 – 11 and Paul’s mention of “peace and security” and 2 Thessalonians 2: 3,4 “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion (“apostasy” – surely a warning to us all)comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed…..”.
   Finally just on another point I used a recent quote of yours in one of my rare talks which was very helpful “It was a common 1st Century Jewish practice to quote only a portion of a text with the assumption that the Scripturally literate hearers actually knew the remainder of the text. Sadly this is often no longer the case as most Christians are rather O.T. illiterate”. I also mentioned your web site in the hope that some were listening and will go to it.
   May the Lord continue to guide and protect you, your wife and family.
   Once again many thanks Every blessing In Messiah Howard

5. The small horn could claim to be the Mahdi. Maybe not. If it is not in the Bible, it is only speculation. But I would think that at the lest, Satan will use the Mahdi tradition to lead many to follow the AC whether he makes such claims or not.

6. Wow! What a calm and biblical interpretation. Not like some of the hype going on around us. There’s a lot of fear and preparing just screaming across the TV. So glad and thankful to God for using you.

7. Israel is in the process of resettlement “it has not yet finished”.
   I understand, say around 50% of Jews that could perform aliyot have not yet done so, of course events in the goyim will no doubt give increasing impetus to them returning as is happening in France already.
   I personally hold more than lightly the middle east paradigm concerning the antichrist and believe that we are witnessing increasing distress in the nations, most notable in the middle east. Biblical prophecy is about pattern, In the old testament God used Babylon against Israel as they were under covenant discipline. I think all apocalyptic literature reveals that he will do the same one last time then destroy Babylon forever. Just to be clear its interesting that political power is held in Turkey, religious and commercial power is in Saudi, Egypt is the educational center for Islam and Iran the revolutionary powerhouse. They each have no love for the others and all want the whole game so like a watch, it is a tightly sprung instrument to be sure “something has got to give”
   Love what you do Joel
   many blessing for you and your family.

8. Hear, hear, I agree with you Joel. Let’s not conflate the potentially imminent economic or otherwise collapse of the USA with the return of Jesus, if bible prophecy about the latter hasn’t yet been fulfilled. Yes the problems in the USA are a huge concern, but people should look around the rest of the world, huge problems are everywhere.

   I wish to put forward a theory on why people are panicking right now, if I may. I think that people are not focusing enough on repentance during these times, as in are they sure that they’re born again in the Holy Spirit as a new creature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness, one who has turned away from the desires of the flesh, and takes up his/her cross daily to follow the Lord? If not then they should get busy repenting I think, instead of worrying about when Jesus is coming back so much. Jesus might not want them, you know what I mean? Jesus did say that just because people say Lord, Lord, but they don’t do what he says, which is what it means to have Christ in them, it doesn’t mean that they’ll see the Kingdom of God.

   Have they made themselves ready as the bride of Christ, clothed in fine linen which is the righteous deeds of the saints as it says in Revelations? If people concerned themselves with such things, then they’d be more concerned about helping the vast multitudes who need far more help than they do right now, instead of being fearful of their own lives which denotes selfishness, not worthy of the love of God, IMHO. A person who has Christ living in them looks forward to his return in quite a different manner than one who doesn’t have Christ in them though they believe that they do. For one the eagerness is borne out of love, the other out of fear. My two cents. Thanks again, Joel! Peace and blessings.

9. Joel,
   Thank you so much for producing The Underground series. I truly look forward to tuning in each week and to sharing it with others. I really appreciate your obvious diligence in studying and seeking out the Scriptures. God has given you much insight and understanding…Thank you for sharing it in this critical time! May God bless and protect you and your family as well as your ministry.

   Blessings,
   Joshua

10. Thank you Joel for keeping your readers grounded in truth. Your teachings are powerful because you stay true to the Word of God and avoid sensationalism. Thanks for bringing ‘reason’ back into the study of end times prophecy. As we watch the deterioration of our western culture, many quickly assume this is it, the end has come. We’ve lived in a false security for way too long. We’ve put our trust in the things of this world instead of Jesus Christ. It can be a wake-up call for the church. We can use these times to be a light to the nations like never before. Our unrest might be the catalyst to separate the sheep from the goats . . . to purify the church so that the Bride might be ready and waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. Today, even non-believers are questioning the times in which we live, what a tremendous opportunity for the church to sow the seeds of the gospel and win the lost. Persecution of the church often brings a purifying result upon believers.
    Blessings,
    Skip Ball

11. I do think that the initial treaty will fall at the beginning of the Jewish seven year cycle. Nothing looks prophetically set up for this next seven year cycle as it coming up. Any thoughts on the treaty being set up near the beginning of the seven year cycle, Joel?

12. I would like to answer Anthony.

    I can understand your frustration. In many cases people have been waiting for specific dates for years and nothing happened when these dates were reached. But how many of them have properly done their homework while waiting? How many have validated what they were told before making important decisions that would impact their love ones?

    I would like to comment on the connotation associated to the expression ‘false teacher’, it leaves the impression that any one who had set a wrong date in the past had deliberately tried to con his fellows Christians.

    Chronologist are not prophet yet they are treated like one. There is a huge difference between the two. Lets say that prophets come in two categories. The false ones who voluntary deceive other people for a gain, a status or for malevolence. And the right one of course, who share the infallible truth they received directly from God. Chronologist are neither of them.

    Any chronologist who has ever pointed to a future date is aware of this inexorable fact: No matter that he may have invested thousands of hours in searching, studying, meditating on complex biblical issues, and produced an elaborate timeline of the Bible’s events, they will be proven right or wrong one day.

    Unfortunately, because of the nature of the research, there could be only one infallible timeline of the End time events and this timeline is tributary of the right understanding of events that happened several thousand years ago. I have great respect for all those who have tried to produce a chronology of the Bible. At time the task was overwhelming and at other time it became exhilarating. I know about that, I have walked the path for 20 years.

    Many information have been deliberately sealed by HaShem a long time ago and it is only now that we are allowed to understand it. If you have any belief in the following verse you shouldn’t despair to see the right chronology before the end.
    • Dan 12:4 but you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” NIV

    Yves P.

13. Joel,
    Had to share the following link. I was reading a post by Dr. Goodman about comets and the destruction of Sodom and then came across this article of his about Why Gog can’t be Russia. Thought you would be interested.

    http://www.newscientificevidenceforgod.com/2013/10/russia-syria-and-bible-prophecy.html?m=1

14. Hey Joel, my husband and I are very much enjoying listening to and discussion your underground messages. We appreciate your approach to interpretation of prophecy. We both grew up under dispensational, pre-trib rapture teaching, but always had a hard time with the interpretations of Daniel and Revelation. Thank you for speaking out and giving a very good alternative, that is Israel/Mid-East centered.

15. I have a general question. It seems clear that most end time prophecies in the Bible refer to the period preceding the return of Jesus. After Jesus’ 1000 year rule, satan is released, gog magog 2, and new heaven and earth. Outside of Revelation 21 and Isaiah 65, are there any other prophecies about this final “end” that we may be mistakenly attributing to the return of Jesus?

    Revelation 17 has a few verses that trouble me. Verse 8 How can Satan ascend out of the bottomless pit before he is cast into it? Verse 14 How can the beast make war with the Lamb before He comes? Thanks.

16. Tony,

    Verse 8 says the “beast” will ascend out of the abyss. There are a few interpretive options there. One is that it is speaking figuratively about the revival of the kingdom. The other is that the beast is referring to the spirit that will possess the man we call the Antichrist, after he suffers the fatal headwind and dies (thus ascending into the abyss). Verse 14 is simply a general comment that is not intended to be chronological. The book of Revelation is filled with such.

    Blessings,
    Joel

17. Joel, it blessed our heart to read this article. You have taken your roll as a leader of the church very well. You are gaining the trust of the church and that is very important at this time with all the deception that is out there. We ordered your latest dvd offer (understanding the times) for our neighbors. Keep ministering as The Lord leads and we will keep praying as The Lord leads.

    Stay Humble,
    BJ & Alisa

    http://www.wnd.com/2015/05/billy-grahams-daughter-issues-mayday/

18. Thanks, Joel. I have one more curiosity that I considered asking you about months ago, but it seemed trivial. Recent headlines, however, have again roused my interest. Your teaching on Daniel 2 makes it clear in verse 40 that the fourth kingdom would crush all the others. Do you believe islam will conquer the area of modern day Greece/Macedonia? To my knowledge, this is the only possible land left to fulfill the prophecy to 100%. I’m not trying to knit-pick or be argumentative here, just curious. The refugee flood and Greek financial collapse seem to make this possible today, where just several months ago it seemed far fetched. Thank you. Tony.

19. Hi Tony,

    It already did. Under the Ottomans, this area was all controlled by the Ottomans. Whether this will every happen again is yet to be seen. But Turkey is making great efforts to extend its power throughout that region.

20. Very Interesting!If Turkey were to retake at least the islands of the Aegean Sea there could be little doubt about it being Javan. It’s first king could the one to defeat the Iran caliphate attempt. Daniel 8. Both want to control the next caliphate. Just speculating. (I don’t believe Daniel 8 has anything to do with Alexander the Great as the angel says three times that the vision is of the end) What a fascinating time we live in!

21. Joel,
    How does Matthew 24:14 play into what must happen before the end comes? “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” How do you interpret this verse? Reviewing various organizations who track progress of the gospel in the nations and we are not there yet. It seems it could take many years before we can confidently say that the gospel has been preached to the whole world. I would think this one verse can quickly shoot down any false teaching as it relates to the end.

    Thanks,
    Greg

22. Very good and reasoned approach. I would add that although the 70th week of Daniel is started with the covenant, we’re not told that we will necessarily be made aware of it. Scripture seems to place more emphasis on the midway point of the 70th week, the setting up of the abomination of desolation. That seems to be the sign that will let God’s people know that great tribulation is starting. So while we can certainly speculate on who the man of sin is, we won’t know for sure until the midway point.

    On a side not Joel, I really like your laptop case. Where did you find that? I’d like to get one. 🙂

23. Gary,

    Its something I found on Amazon. I have to hide the computer logo, so I really only use that for the show. Its like a big fake old book.

24. Hi Greg,

    Most organizations have us at least reaching every tongue tribe, people, and nation soon. We are down to about 2000. But there is also the matter of the angel flying across the sky and proclaiming the eternal gospel. So perhaps there could be divine element to the completion as well.

25. Here’s an interesting article from 2010,

    Bible Translators’ New Tactics Put Finish Line at 2025
    http://www.christianpost.com/news/bible-translators-new-tactics-put-finish-line-at-2025-45801/

    “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” Mark‬ ‭13:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

    I used ESV, but KJV is using “published” instead of the word “proclaimed” and this was interesting to me because I do think the Gospel will be published to all the nations by Jesus’s followers (and of course I believe the angel will proclaim at the end, but for other reasons) but doesn’t really matters anymore. Because someone needs to be on the ground to learn the language to translate, and I assume they are our Missionaries already proclaiming the Gospel even before, or at the same time.

    I personally think this is the strongest sign that we are approaching near to the end. Just think about this for a moment. Jesus started teaching and spreading the good news with only twelve of his disciples, almost 2,000 years ago. Now it’s more than half the world population (btw, half of them are cults) and I always imagine about the people who will see Jesus coming back in the clouds, not at their work or home garden, but on their mission fields! Wouldn’t that be awesome?

26. I agree with you Joel. We still need 20-25 years to get close to the establishment of Middle East, matching the scenarios of Daniel 7,8 and 11.
    1) Turkey is still not the powerhouse of Middle East. As you mentioned, few big regional wars need to occur beforehand, before Turkey rises as the new Roman Empire.
    2) Western powers, such as US, UK, Germany and Canada have to reach a grand socio-economic crisis or turmoil, where their powers no longer gets heard by Middle Eastern countries.
    3) Obviously Israel also need to go through
    a transition, where US will probably sense that they no longer have any national interest in supporting their ally, because US is too busy with its own internal issues.

    These transitions take time. The good news is Jesus is coming soon to transition from High Priest to a King. When A.C. Brings total darkness to the face of this earth, that is when our Light of Glory will be manifested for the whole world.

27. Hi Joel,

    And here is the good news….UNDERSTAND Daniel, WATCH, WAIT upon the LORD, and FEAR NOT.

    Oh, yeah, and submit ourselves (body of believers, church) to the PROPHETS.

    And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

    In Christ

    Cathy

28. Joel, do you think that the three uprooted horns or kings that have to be subdued are the Shi domanated countries of Iran, Iraq and Syria? I feel that before Gog’s array of armies can come together that the rift between Sunnis and Shi’ites have to be bridged.