52 Responses

1. Thanks Joel. Every word you spoke was inspired and helpful. Keep striving the path marked out for you and strive for Christ. Christ’s love will save people not guns and swords.
   All The Best!

2. Thank you for the balanced study . May the Holy Spirit continue to teach you as you strive to expand His Kingdom and reach the lost .

3. Really enjoyed your video Joel, thanks for sharing it us!
   I would like to share something, something I recently heard Chuck Missler say. I thought it was pretty interesting. He said that Septuagint translation of Amost 7:1 reads: “Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.” Proverbs 30:27 says that the locust has no king. So Amos 7:1 must not be talking about the natural locust. Talking about locust I can’t help it but think about Rev. 9:3 “3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.” So it’s obvious Gog, the real Gog is a demonic power.
   Can’t wait to arch your upcoming videos.
   Blessings!

4. Joel,

   Thank you very much about this video.

   What do you consider of Psalm 83? This event is before Ezekiel 38 and 39?

   I’m so grateful about your commentaries.

   Eduardo

5. Joel Richardson, I have watched all three of Saturday session presentations, I have some points on Daniel chapter 8 prophecy that I need to discuss with, my input if you please. Is that possible?

6. Farhat,

   You may e-mail me.

   Blessings

7. Hi joel, you might want to go through Daniel as well. The chapter describes some end time events in detail that must take place before antichrist is revealed.

8. Sorry, I meant Daniel 11.

9. Maria,
   The current Septuagint (LXX) was written over several centuries by a variety of people, while the original LXX was probably written by a group of Jewish Rabbis in response to Ptolemy II Philadelphus and included only the Torah (the first 5 books). The translation of Amos 7:1 that you include is in fact in the current edition of the LXX, but is not found in any of the oldest manuscripts we have from Amos. This translation is found only in the current version of the LXX, not in the original Hebrew. While it is entirely possible that this was written by Jews in the following centuries to the original LXX, the only version endorsed by Judaism officially is the original LXX and it only includes the Torah. I would proceed with caution in using this version to bolster much clearer passages which Joel has pointed out. It is an intriguing translation and one that should be studied, but there are better passages to use to back up what Joel is saying (Numbers 24:7 in the LXX is interesting…). It is of course quite possible that the interpreter of Amos 7:1 in the LXX is correct. He seems to be linking Amos with Joel 2:20 and Ezekiel 38:15 which state that the armies (of locusts and of God) come from the north. Anyway, that is a little background which Joel may or may not endorse! Thanks for posting! An intriguing bit of Scripture!
   Steve Vance

10. i enjoy your videos and also want to ensure i have an accurate analysis of bible prophecy. Having said that, how do you interpret Psalm 83? Is it more of an imprecatory prayer or actually prophetic? If prophetic, how do you see it relating to the current situation in the Middle East?

11. Eduardo,

    The situation described in Psalm 83 isn’t necessarily a separate event. It may be historical in nature only, or it may simply be talking about future judgment, just as Ezek 38-39, Joel 3, or Zech 12-14 describe.

12. Joel,

    I agree with you that Islam will not be wiped out. Its my belief the Lord is actually saving a remnant just like he did with the Jews thus the exodus to Europe and Turkey. I kind of think its to save them from a nuclear war. Maybe during future we’ll know exactly why.

    Today while reading a news report of the destruction of the arches in Palmyra it by-lined Damascus. I continued to read the article that IS is destroying the thousands of years old temples to Baal and other false gods.

    It never dawned on me when studying the Bible that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s prophecy was to ruin Damascus so these pagan idols would be destroyed.

    Talk about doing the Lord’s work.

    Certainly we can’t know the full picture but inch by inch one can see the bits and pieces of what was written coming to pass.

13. I think it is possibly the beginning of Daniel 8. It says that the ram (Iran) pushes westward northward and southward, well west of Iran is sunni ISIS and Iran is shia and ISIS may in the coming months or years move closer to Baghdad and Iran itself which would cause Iran to act and i think Russia and Iran are sort of allies in this situation, sort of pinning ISIS between the Russian troops in Syria and Iran. South you have Saudi Arabia who looks like they are about to go to war with Iran soon because of years worth of conflict between the two nations and the whole houthi situation. And north you have Turkey the most powerful sunni muslim nation on earth who could be the biggest threat to Iran in the middle east. Daniel 11:2 says And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. The Hebrew word for Grecia here is Javan which was located in modern day Turkey. So they obviously eventually attack Turkey. Also there have been 3 Kings of Iran since Israel became a nation again and Khamenei has stage 4 prostate cancer and will probably die soon so maybe his successor will be this 4th king who attacks Javan. I believe Mecca is the whore city of Mystery Babylon and it is destroyed by Elam (Iran). So they obviously attack Saudi Arabia at some point. Lastly Iran has been beefing up its military in recent yrs and may also have nukes soon because of Obama’s deal. So I think Daniel 8 is whats coming soon Ezekiel 38 and 39 is describing Armageddon.

14. Steve Vance, thank you very much for your feedback. Definitely learned new things. Thank you.

    Joel, I wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to response to your posts, for creating this forum. I learn a lot from the comments in here.

    I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while now,…..what would say is the best and closest to the original English translation of the Bible? A good, accurate translation makes all the difference.

15. Joel, the fact that Russia is on Syrian soil is truly significant, yet still it is not a clear Biblical indicator that we are in or near the final 7 years. It may be as you say, the trigger of a process which brings us to the start of that final 7 years (how long that would transpire is still veiled to us all of course). Yes, it makes me take notice that Russia is on Syrian soil, but even more so to see Iran moving west into Syria.The big event I would look for however, is not so much movements by Russia or Iran….but ultimately Turkey, or perhaps a NATO combination including Turkey confronting Iran. That would look very much like Daniel 8 to me.

16. joel

    yes i agree with azim. daniel 11. seems it might be details of the ten kings which preceed the AC….or something like that. ive been trying to untangle it all.

17. maria

    in my opinion its NKJV or KJV.

    stay away from the NIV especially when talking to aggressive atheists, who know all the contradictions, or jehovahs witnesses, who dont mind the changes the NIV makes about Jesus not being God

18. Much of Daniel 11 is addressing the coming conflict between the Antichrist from Syrian/Turkish region against Egypt.

19. Hi Joel,

    Daniel 11 covers a lot more than conflict between Antichrist and Egypt. It contains so many details:
    (v4) division of a kingdom (which kingdom?) into four,
    (v5) one of the pinces of the king of south will be stronger than the king himself,
    (v6) details about the daughter of the king of the south
    (v7) details about branch of the daughter’s roots
    (v8) now here we see Egypt mentioned for the first time, the branch is taking some actions
    You can go on and on verse by verse and see amasing variety of details, not only about Egypt, and finally you arrive to verse 21, when Antichrist shows up. But before he appears, all these details must be fulfilled clearly and completely. And, you can match these details with those going on in Middle East right now, including Syria, and figure out if we are in the end times period described n Daniel 11 or not.

20. Azim,

    Verses 2-20 seem to be fairly well fulfilled in history. I could be wrong, but for now, this seems to explain the passage fairly well.

21. Joel,

    In your previous episodes you were consistently proving from the Scriptures that Daniel’s prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. In your episode on Daniel 8, you just nailed it down by quoting two verses:
    8:17 …“Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
    8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

    But in case with Daniel 11, you say verses 2-20 may be fulfilled in history. But Daniel 10:14 says “and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

    So Daniel 11 clearly refers to end times. I am just using your own logical approach. That’s the key reason why I believe entire Daniel 11 is yet to be fulfilled. But also, if you look at the narrative, it does not imply any time gaps. If you can put a gap between verses 20 and 21, you can do as well between 19 and 20 specifically, and basically anywhere you want.

22. Hi Azim,

    I actually conclude that Daniel 8 is consistently futurist through two means. The first is the words of Gabriel, as you pointed out. But also because the events described in the text simply were not fulfilled in history. With Daniel 11, the events prior to vs. 21 seem to have been fulfilled with such clarity that it is difficult to see the whole thing pertaining to the time of the end. There are also some seeming anachronisms such as the various giving of daughters in the form of political alliances that are hard to see as having future fulfillment. I am open, but for now, because of the seeming accuracy, I lean toward it being partially historical and partially future. I also do agree that it seems to have continuity between verses 20 and 21. But we must also remember that such shifting from historical into future with an almost seamless transition is not uncommon in prophetic Scripture. Jesus’ reading of Isaiah 61 and breaking mid-sentence is a good example.

23. Joel,

    I agree with you on Isaiah 61, we can find other prophecies as well. But we must also take in account the narrative. In case with Daniel 11, nature of the narrative is different from Isaih 61. But the most important, you did not address the problem with Daniel 10:14, where the angel is referring to chapter 11 narrative as to end time events.

24. Azim,

    Again, I agree that the vision culminates and is primarily focused on the end times. But I am just not convinced that every aspect of it is. In the same way as Isaiah 61 is one seamless narrative, yet Jesus breaks it into segments, partially historical and partially future, it is not an impossibility. Again, I am not convinced one way or the other. I am open, just leaning in the other direction on this one. There are by the way a few classic commentators, (in fact, some of my favorites) who do take this view. GH Lang and SP Tregelles, I believe both lean this way. Both men I respect tremendously.

25. People seem to be focusing on the Russian presence as if it’s some vast horde of Cold War relic armored divisions and swarms of Red Banner Aviation Brigades blotting out the sun with so many planes. I may still be learning my Bible, but before I found Christ and studied that Book, I studied my Soviet Military Power books from when I was a wee tike. This Russian military is NOT one that could hold the proverbial shot glass of the Soviet Red Army. Don’t be alarmed people! 24 Sukhoi fighter bombers and a few thousand Spetsnaz commandos do not an apocalyptic prophecy make…

26. Joel, you still avoid commenting Daniel 10:14. Again, if you can break chapter 11 with time gap, you have to admit that the same approach can be applied to Daniel 8, stating that some of it is partially fulfilled and some yet to be completed in future. But you claim, and rightfully so, that Daniel 8 is yet to be fulfilled. My point is that you are inconsistent in your approach.

    Regarding prophecies in the Bible, I am sure you argee that we have to be able to discern, when it makes sense to put time gap and where it does not make sense. For instance, you were demonstrating sound approach of discerning prophecies about antichrist and satan. You agree that not all prophecies require time gaps, and not all prophecies exclude possibe gaps. We just need to be able to discern it.

    You are also calling your audience to be faithful Bereans, referring to the Bibile primarily, and I agree with you on that. We have to always check commentators. It’s like you are my commentator, but I am challenging you, without referring to any scholars but the Scriptures. You know how they can badly fail. But the Word of God never fails.

27. Azim,

    Not avoiding anything. I just explained that the fact that the prophecy culminates and focuses on the end throughout much of the prophecy could be enough to satisfy 10:14. This would not be out of character of other passages that are also defined as being eschatological but not consistently so.

28. Joel,

    Do you see the ram and the mail goat, described in Daniel 8, in chapter 11? If you do see them there, then the events in chapter 11 all are yet to come, as well as chapter 8 events, including the ram and the mail goat. In my opinion, the ram is the fourth king of Percia in Daniel 11:2, and the goat is the mighty king in Daniel 11:3. If you see it any other way, could you please explain your view?

29. Azim,

    The problem with your view is that verse 2 says that after Darius, “three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth … will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece.” This would seem to connect the first portion of the prophecy to the history and to Darius the Mede?

30. Joel,

    I see the same pattern in Daniel 2, and you talked about it a lot in one of your previous episodes. Daniel interprets the dream and says that the stone “shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever”. “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces”. You see, all together. How that can be? It seems almost all of it was already fulfilled, but this “all together” does not support this historical view. Again, you talked about it a while ago.

    Daniel 8 and 11 somehow must fit into each other, as well as Revelation 13 and many other passages. Taking in account Daniel 10:14, comparing with Daniel 8 and its futuristic nature, related to endtimes, I think that those three kings will arise in future, not right after Darius the Mede. And the verse you quoted does not strictly imply that those kings will arise right after that Darius. That’s where it would be appropriate to add a time gap, by the way. But as soon as they arise, all these events in Daniel 11 will happen consecutively, one after another.

31. Kind of off topic here…Joel, what is the name of the song and artist of your theme song in your videos?

32. Thank you for being a voice of sanity, reason and balance in this world filled with emotion and presumption. I think the y2k chaos is what jaded my own now adult children about Christianity. Thank you also for being one of the few teachers that dont avoid the subject of martyrdom and that this life is not the one we should be focused on building treasure in. God’s highest goal is not to make us happy and comfotable. He’s got bigger deeper broader plans, ‘Gee, ya think!” You, Chip Ingram and Larry Austin are amoung the very few I hear teach this on the regular.

    I have my own theory about an endtimes pissibility, but I recognize that it is only a theory and dare not be dogmatic. 2017 is 5777 on the Hebrew calendar, 70 years after 1948 and 50 years after 1967, the first year after the Jubilee if this is indeed a Jubilee year. If the 7th week of Daniel time clock is a Shmita cycle, seems like that might be a good place to start the 1st 3 1/2 years, but like you teach, there are somethings yet that Biblically need to be fullfilled before we start hollering “THIS IS THAT!”

33. Why is there an “either, or” and not a “both, and” approach to Daniel prophecies regarding historical and future fulfilments?

34. Azim,

    The fact that all three of the previous kingdoms are destroyed at the same time when Christ returns is not an indicator that they are all end time kingdoms, rather that the final will include all of them geographically. This is why in Rev 13, the beast has the mouth of a lion, feet of a bear and body of leopard. But in Daniel 7, it says that the “others were given an extension of life.” The only way to reconcile “destroyed at the same time” and given an extension of life is to say that that the historical empires died a slower gradual decline after being defeated, rather than the sudden and absolute destruction of the final empire, which will geographically include the others.

    In my view, Daniel 11 begins with historical events and uses these historical events as a foreshadow of what will happen in the last days after Daniel 8. After the East-West conflict between the Ram and the Goat, then the conflict between the north and south occurs. This will be the Antichrist in the North and Egypt in the south. They both share the commonality of using Antiochus as a historical bridge, and foreshadow of Antichrist, but emphasize entirely different time periods. Remember, Antiochus was the eighth king of the Seleucid Dynasty.

35. Joel,

    Daniel 8:9-12 and Daniel 11 starting from verse 20 are talking about the same guy, Antichrist. I don’t understand when you say “Daniel 11 begins with historical events and uses these historical events as a foreshadow of what will happen in the last days after Daniel 8.” Daniel 8:3-8 and Daniel 11:2-19 must somehow fit into each other, be reconciled. Again, both chapters are referred to end times. I still don’t understand why you don’t use the same approach on Daniel 11 as you do on Daniel 8 when you explain why it’s yet to come. I’m very eager to see your next episode. Maybe it will help me better understand it, or better formulate my questions.

36. Another brilliant and balanced presentation Joel

    Cant wait for the next

37. Hi Joel will antichrist control usa?

38. Azim,

    I use precisely the same methods. If someone asked me what my book When a Jew Rules the World is about, and I said, its about the end times, I would be making a correct statement. Although the book deals with much more than just the end times.

39. Joel, I think I did not make my thoughts clear enough. Here are my points on comparing Daniel 8 and 11.

    1. Daniel 8 and Daniel 11 are both about endtimes. Basis: Daniel 8:17, Daniel 8:26, and Daniel 10:14.

    2. If both chapters are about end times, then all of the events are yet to be fulfilled. If I undstood you correctly, you are saying that Daniel 8 is all futuristic, based on the verses mentioned above, but Daniel 11 is partially historic and partially futuristic. If so, then based on what, and how this reason is reconciled with Daniel 10:14?

    3. Both chapters are talking about the same person, Antichrist, and in particular talk about events that have to happen before Antichrist appears, or events that lead to his emergence. Basis: Daniel 8:9-12 and Daniel 11:21

    4. If both chapters are about the end times, not partially but fully, and if they both are talking about emergence of Antichrist, then the events described in both chapters prior to emergence of this person must be interconnected, fit to each other. Of course not all the details are reflected simultaneously in both chapters, but there must be some elements reflected in both passages.

    Could you please comment on each of the points? Thanks!

40. Azim,

    You have made yourself very clear. As have I. You have made series of assumptions that are not demanded by the text. Again, simply because there is a comment stating in Daniel 10:14 that the vision is about the end times, in itself alone, is not enough to prove that the entirety of the vision is about the end times. The fact that much of it is about the end times satisfies the comment of Daniel 10:14. As I have said, the initial portion of the vision is clearly linked to Darius in history.

    My basis for believing that Daniel 8 is ultimately eschatological (while also having clear historical shadows) is not exclusively because of Gabriel’s comments, but also because the events of the vision do not align perfectly with history. This is not the case with much of Daniel 11 until verse 20. We must take each passage into consideration in its full context.

    I think I have answered your questions repeatedly at this point. I would ask for your understanding and say that I am going to halt the conversation here.

    Blessings!

41. Azim,

    I am just reading through your discussion with Joel about Dan. 11, which I found very interesting. The position you are exposing is known as the Radical Futurist Interpretation. Joel has shown with pretty conclusive evidence that Dan. 11: 21-35 will have dual fulfillment with Antiochus IV and the Antichrist (the Conservative Futurist Interpretation.) The question is: can we back date the future fulfillment even further?

    I agree with Joel that the evidence is just not there to unilaterally state that it will all have future dual fulfillment. But it might. Personally, I always keep an eye on this section of scripture for proof that it does, but we aren’t there yet, IMO.

    So, why not say it does now? Well, what if you’re wrong? You will have led your brothers and sisters astray, looking for fulfillment that isn’t there. For me personally, I try to separate what “might” happen, from what God’s Word clearly says “will” happen, and to communicate this to everyone I discuss these things with. I know Joel does the same. He is probably the best at that I’ve seen. None of us want to misrepresent God’s Word by adding or subtracting.

    My official position on dual fulfillment of Dan. 11: 2-20 is “maybe.” It appears we are years away from knowing for sure.

    Nelson

42. Thanks Nelson,

    Well said.

43. God bless you Joel!

44. To answer the question “How can Muslims follow and worship the Ant-Christ”(a man)?

    Read up on “fana.” Fana or “to die before one dies” is the concept of oblitering oneself and merging, becoming one with God, thus in essence becoming God. The Mahdi could very well use the concept, fana, “Allah and I are one” to do what the Anti-Christ is prophecied to do.

    This is also consistent with Satan’s practices of replicating and mocking God’s “practices” God/Jesus vs Satan(I am God)/Mahdi(I am Christ)

45. Anthony,

    Some have suggested this. But this is a very rare concept known only among sufis, which most Muslims reject. I did a show on this that should run within the next month or so, explaining my take.

46. Hi Joel, just checking in. Watched this video, amen to all you had to say and double amen to your heart for the Islamic world. Keep up the vigilant care to remain biblical. Take care, Kurt

47. Joel, do you plan to do a future episode on the upcoming prophesied Iranian war?

48. Hi Joel, it is very interesting what you have to say over the Middle East. Keep up!

49. What do you consider of Psalm 83? This event is before Ezekiel 38 and 39?

50. https://joelstrumpet.com/?p=5731

51. Joel, I am so deeply grateful related your answer.

    I appreciated your commentaries in his website.

    The events in The Middle East today , are the Bible’s prophecies fulfillment.

    God bless you Joel, anointed minister of God.

    Eduardo

52. Hello Mr. Richardson,

    I would like to commend you on your preaching of Islam and it’s role in end time prophecy. I too am in agreement. One example of proof in scripture (among many) is the Book of Revelation’s description of the False Prophet having, “….two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon.” This is a perfect description of what a fake, Muslim Jesus would be like. Many Muslims, as you know, believe that their messiah (Final Imam Mahdi) will appear with Jesus to bring the world under an Islamic Caliphate. Our anti-Christ matches their Mahdi, our false prophet matches their Muslim Jesus. This fulfillment of Islamic prophecy would also be a powerful tool for Satan to unite most of the Muslim world.

    I’d like to humbly share a website which delves into much of this topic.

    http://www.christ2k.com

    Thank you for allowing me to express my views on your site. May God continue to bless your ministry and efforts for Christ.