Tribulation | Focus On The End Times Ministry

What’s the Theme of The Book of Daniel? Daniel’s Prophecy Provides a Foreshadowing of Israel In The 7-Year Tribulation

by Tim Buck | Jan 8, 2023 | Daniel's Prophecies, Tim's Articles, Tribulation

Key Passage:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ²Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end.
Daniel 12:1-4

While the prophet Daniel lived through many trials and tribulations, one of the underlying themes of his prophecy centers on how God will work on the chosen nation of Israel as He takes them through the Tribulation period.

Like a diamond with many beautiful sides, the 12 chapters of Daniel offer the most comprehensive perspective of the 7-year Tribulation anywhere in the Bible. One of the purposes of the Tribulation is to cause Israel to return to the Lord—and therefore be saved and receive everlasting life.

Each chapter opens a different window uniquely presenting how God brings Israel through the fiery trial of the last 7 years!

This isn’t the only theme in Daniel of course but its the most dominant one and easily missed.

So we’ve prepared a 5 page summary of the 12 Chapters of Daniel highlighting each chapter’s message as it relates to the Tribulation.

Download Daniel Background Notes

Studies In Zechariah, Pt. 2, Against All Odds, Israel Not Only Survives But Thrives!

by Tim Buck | Sep 21, 2022 | Isreal, Tim's Articles, Tribulation

Hear God’s Ancient Voices

Studies In Zechariah
Pt. 2

9/21/22 – by Tim Buck
Fotet.org

Israel is a modern David vs. Goliath because God has chosen to preserve her and redeem her for His own!

Despite being surrounded by Islamic giants dripping with anti-Israel hatred, Israel has managed not only to survive but to thrive in every area… except spiritually!

The prophets wrote that Israel would initially return to the promised land in the last days in unbelief. They described how she would come back to the land and be restored from many nations and that her return would be so miraculous it would be a greater miracle than the miracles of the Egyptian Exodus (Jer. 23:7-8).

After her return, they describe the difficult season of the ‘Tribulation period’ that
Jeremiah calls the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). During a short time of great suffering God will bring Israel through a fiery trial and refine her as gold (Zech. 13:8-9).

At the end of this painful season a remnant of Israel will finally look to the Lord and be saved. God says He will pour out a “fountain of cleansing” on her “for sin and uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1).

Israel’s time of redemption is coming soon because the Bible says that once Israel is back in the land, Jesus will soon return to the land! It may be sooner than we think!

Since God keeps His
promises to Israel,
it shows He’ll keep
His promises to us!

What You Don’t Know About The Second Coming Will Shock You!

by Tim Buck | Sep 20, 2022 | Anti-Christ, Isreal, Messiah, Tim's Articles, Tribulation

What You Don’t Know About The Return of Jesus May Shock You!

Petra, Part 3

9/26/22 – by Tim Buck
Fotet.org

“God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise.”
Habakkuk 3:3

Where On Earth Will Jesus Return?

It’s been taught by prophecy teachers (including me) that Jesus will land on the Mount of Olives when He first returns at His Second Coming.

But from recent studies, I no longer feel that accurately
reflects the proper sequence of events that we read about in the Prophets showing where Jesus first arrives on earth.

There’s more to the story…

Buried in the short book of Habakkuk is the most interesting prophecy outlined above.

This prophecy deals with Christ’s Second Coming in the “Day of the Lord” and His arrival on earth at the end of the 7-Year Tribulation.

What’s fascinating is the reference to “God coming from Teman.” Teman was the capital of Edom, which is today in the southwest part of Jordan around the area of Petra. What’s that about? Why is God coming from Edom and the region of Petra?

The next line in the verse says “the Holy One came from Mount Paran,” a reference to the place close to Petra where God moved to from Mt. Sinai so the Israelites could see His glory from a distance.

“The LORD came from Sinai and dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran.
Deut. 33:2

So Habakkuk recorded a vision of the last days regarding the Lord arriving and coming from Teman (Edom) and Paran (area of Petra). But why is the Lord coming from Edom and the mountainous region of Petra? What’s that all about?

Isaiah sheds more light on this:

Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength?

Isaiah 63:1

Similar to the vision of John in Revelation 19:13 where Jesus is “clothed with a robe dipped in blood”, Isaiah also sees the robe of Jesus splattered with the blood of His enemies. Where did the blood come from?

Isaiah, like Habakkuk, says at the end of the Tribulation God comes from Edom—but more specifically from “Bozrah.”

There’s an important geographic clue in the meaning of the word “Teman” in Habakkuk 3:3. Teman means “South,” as in reference to Jerusalem.

Isaiah sees a vision of Jesus, after He returns, heading toward Jerusalem from the southern area of Bozrah. This indicates that Jesus must have arrived in the Judean desert somewhere around the area of Petra. He doesn’t arrive at Jerusalem first and then go to Petra, He first goes to Petra to free the remnant and then leads His entire procession up to Jerusalem.

So if you face Edom from Jerusalem looking south is Bozrah and the mountains of Seir. And guess what is located in the middle of those mountains—the empty city today known as Petra, Jordan.

Petra, of course, means “rock” and is located in the rugged mountains southeast of the Dead Sea and near Israel’s eastern border.

Petra was the capital city of the Nabateans. This nation seems to have come out of thin air, living for a couple hundred years around the time of Christ on the earth. Then, just as mysteriously, they disappear with no trace of what happened or where they went. The Nabateans were known for their carvings into sandstone. The area where Petra is located is full of sandstone mountains with thousands of carvings straight into the soft rock in the high sandstone walls.

Is it possible that God had this city built and then permanently vacated just so it would be available as the emergency refuge for Jews escaping genocide during the second half of the Tribulation? Yes!

Is it possible that we serve such a God? Yes and Amen!

Today you can see houses with several rooms carved deep into the sandstone walls. They even carved graves, tombs, water channels and animal mangers into these walls.

After carving all this for 200+ years, it left the area dotted with thousands of caves. It’s been estimated that when fully excavated, the city could hold up to 5 million people.

So let’s tie all this together…

In Matthew 24 Jesus describes an event at the middle of the 7-Year Tribulation when the West Bank Jews must flee for their lives.

They are warned that when they see the “abomination of desolation” standing in their Temple, that’s the sign to run or be killed.

Much like God provided water and food to the Israelites who wandered in the same desert for 40 years after the Egyptian Exodus, God will similarly provide for the surviving Jews who heeded Biblical warnings to flee when they saw the Abomination of Desolation.

Isaiah again fills in some details about the area to which they fled:

Enter the rock and hide in the dust… Is. 2:10

Men will go into caves of the rocks and into holes of the ground… Is. 2:19

In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs… Is. 2:21

This further confirms that the holes, caves and large caverns that we see today in Petra are where the Jews end up living for the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, protected and provided for by God.

It’s during this time when they have come with nothing but the clothes on their backs, that they begin to lose their pride, repent, and begin understanding their Biblical roots and that they crucified Jesus their Messiah!

When Jesus returns to earth He first shows up in the area of Petra. It’s in this battle where he gets His blood stained cloak (Isaiah 63; Rev. 19) from defeating the southern armies of Antichrist who have besieged Petra. In a great battle, Jesus comes with “lightening in His hands” (Hab. 3:4) to defeat Israel’s enemies and personally free His remnant. It is likely that it’s on this occasion when “they see Him whom they pierced” (Zech. 12:10) and repent and are saved.

Then from Petra, Jesus the “Cloud Rider” becomes Jesus the “Desert Marcher” as He leads His entourage of freed Jewish believers through the Judean desert toward Jerusalem.

Upon arriving and ascending the Mount of Olives the mountain splits in half making a sudden way of escape through a newly formed valley like the miracle of the Red Sea. The remaining Jews in Jerusalem who have been besieged by Antichrist’s forces will flee through the mountain valley to escape death just in time!

Antichrist and his army then make the same mistake that Pharaoh and his army made giving chase into the mountain valley and the lights go out! When God turns the lights back on, the Tribulation is over and the Millennial Kingdom begins (Zech. 14:5-8).

For more study, read Isaiah 63:1-6; Habakkuk 3; Zechariah 14; Mt. 24:15-21; Revelation 12:6, 13-17 and 19.

Petra, Israel’s Secret Hiding Place In The Tribulation – Part 2!

by Tim Buck | Sep 15, 2022 | Anti-Christ, Isreal, Temple Mount/Temple, Tim's Articles, Tribulation

Israel’s Escape To Petra,
Mountain Stronghold
Part 29/15/22 – by Tim Buck
Fotet.orgThen let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath;
Matthew 24:16-20

Petra, meaning “Rock” in Greek, is a deserted city south of the Dead Sea in Jordan. In the past it was also known as Seir, capital of the Edomites. In later times, the Nabateans settled in the mountain stronghold and called their capital Petra.

The city is situated about 120 miles southeast of Jerusalem. Indications are that an earthquake and volcanic activity occurred, forming a big canyon with rocky ravines and steep cliffs.

The remains of the spectacular city that could hold up to 5 million people consist of temples, tombs and thousands of dwellings carved out of the sandstone cliffs. The only entrance to the city is through a narrow gorge over a mile long, which can easily be guarded and even blocked if necessary, thus rendering Petra a very safe refuge.

An impressive scene greets you when the multi-colored
sandstone formations of the this famous ghost town looms up before you. Added to this is the expectation that, according to Revelation 12:6, it will probably serve as the refuge to a remnant in Israel when Antichrist orders the genocide of the West Bank Jews, lasting for the last 3½ years of the tribulation period.

South of the narrow gorge that offers access to Petra is a valley several miles wide. A few miles south of the entrance to Petra is the Fountain of Moses and his split rock where Moses struck the rock and water gushed forth. During their journey through the wilderness Moses led the Israelites along this valley to the gates of Petra. From that point, they intended passing through Edom’s territory on their way to the Promised Land, but the hostile and vindictive Edomites twice refused their request.

God’s plans for the remnant of Israel when attacked by Antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation is to bring them back to this familiar location to protect them and care for them during the second half of the Tribulation.

Then the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should be nourished there 1260 days.
Revelation 12:6

The Command To Flee

Matthew 24:15-20 is saying that the moment the Jewish remnant sees the abomination of Israel’s Temple they are to flee to the Judean hills. Why are they to flee instantly? It is because with the event of Antichrist defiling Israel’s temple he goes from protecting Israel to persecuting her.

Therefore, the sooner that the remnant can get out of town, then the less likely it will be that Antichrist and his forces will be able to persecute the Jews. Another reason why they will be able to flee instantly is because they will be miraculously provided for and protected as they make their way to Petra for three and a half years of safekeeping.

Special Instructions

Matthew 24:15-20 also provides a set of instructions for the remnant. Christ tells them where to go: the Judean mountains. Jesus says to flee instantly. Don’t even take a few minutes to collect personal belongings like your cloak in the field or a few items from your house for the journey. That could cost you your life.

He warns that it will be difficult to navigate the mountainous terrain if pregnant or nursing a newborn. Jesus does not say that it will be impossible, but it will be difficult. Difficulty will be compounded if this event occurs in winter or on a Sabbath, because of the added restrictions that these times pose.

The winter in Israel is the rainy season which increases the hazards of travel in the Judean hills because the creeks and rivers provide an obstacle not there during other seasons. The mountainous region around Petra can also get snow making travel in the winter more difficult. The Sabbath imposes a travel restriction that is not in force on the other six days of the week that poses a real problem to the observant Jew.

So why are the Jewish remnant supposed to be aware of a special event which triggers their escape into the Judea wilderness, yet they are not told to make any preparations for that day?

Miraculous Provision

While Matthew 24:16-20 focuses upon the remnant’s response to the abomination, other passages provide a more complete picture of their wilderness sojourn. The parallel passage of Revelation 12:6 says Israel will be “nourished for 1260 days.”

The key word in this verse is “nourished.” This explains why the remnant is told to flee without consideration for any provisions, because God has prepared a place where Israel will be nourished and taken care of just like when He sent manna and provided water for ancient Israel.

More about Petra and Israel’s flight into the mountains coming in Part 3.

For more study, read Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:1-2; Mt. 24:15-21; Revelation 12:6, 13-17.

Petra, Israel’s Secret Hiding Place In The Tribulation

by Tim Buck | Sep 13, 2022 | Anti-Christ, Isreal, Temple Mount/Temple, Tim's Articles, Tribulation

Petra:
Israel’s Secret Hiding Place
In The Tribulation – Part 1

9/13/22 – by Tim Buck
Fotet.org

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath;
Matthew 24:16-20

One of the greatest miracles yet to happen for the Jewish people is when the remnant of Judean Jews (West Bank Jews) will be rescued by God and supernaturally protected for 3.5 years during the second half of the Tribulation. This event will be no less of a miracle then when Jehovah God protected the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years. That ancient care for Israel in the wilderness occurred at the same place as God’s future intervention for Israel in the area of Petra also known as Bozrah southeast of the Dead Sea.

With its birth in 1948 and after winning a series of modern wars, Israel will come under intense pressure by the international community to divide the land along the lines of the 2-State Solution (Joel 3:2; Zech. 12:2-3; Mt. 24:15-16). Under pressure, Israel will unwisely enter into a 7-year peace agreement with Antichrist that the prophet Daniel says will trigger the start of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27).

After 3.5 years of peace and coinciding with Satan’s eviction from the 2nd heaven (Rev. 12:7-12), Antichrist dramatically breaks his peace covenant with Israel in the middle of the Tribulation by launching an unexpected invasion of the Jewish State. The blitzkrieg-like invasion and sordid details are described in Zech. 14:1-2. As a result, Antichrist and his 10-king empire recapture most of the “Greenline” land which Israel won from Jordan in the 1967, 6 DAY WAR which includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, taking possession of Israel’s temple.

Jesus warns the Jews who get caught up in this mid-trib nightmare that there is a specific sign they can look for, to identify precisely when this event occurs. The sign He gives them is when they see the temple defiled by Antichrist which is also called the “Abomination of Desolation” – Mt. 24:15.

¹⁵So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Matthew 24:15-16

When Israel sees the abomination, Jesus tells them to immediately “flee to the mountains.” So what is the ‘abomination?’ The simple explanation for the defilement of Israel’s temple is the act of the Muslim Antichrist redesigning the temple with minarets and converting it into a mosque for the worship of Allah! Jesus is saying don’t wait around any longer when you begin seeing the conversion of the temple… run and run fast into the mountains!

The conversion of Israel’s temple into a mosque is not unfamiliar to those paying attention to the holy land over the last half of a century. The haters of Israel in the epicenter like the Palestinian’s and the Muslim’s are notorious for stealing Israel’s holy sites and converting them into mosques! And of course, everything is always stolen on the up and up with the backing of the Israel-hating U.N.

Today, dozens of biblical towns have been renamed to fit the Quran and places like Israel’s famous Tomb of the Patriarch’s in Hebron and even Rachael’s Tomb in Bethlehem are now declared “holy mosques” because Satan stole those characters and reengineered them to fit Islam. These special Jewish sites, thousands of years old, are now declared Muslim holy sites by UNESCO. Satan is the great thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy – Jn. 10:10.

The biggest prize in Satan’s career will be the day he steals Israel’s Temple. Once the beautiful, new, Jewish Temple falls into the hands of Antichrist and the Islamic Empire it will become a mosque and Satan’s plan to exterminate the Jews will commence without delay!

More about this amazing sequence of events, the location of the mountains where the West Bank Jews are told to “flee to” and the trauma involved while being chased by Satan will be picked up in Part 2.

For more study, read Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:1-2; Mt. 24:15-21; Revelation 12:6, 13-17.

144,000 Witnesses

by Tim Buck | Apr 25, 2022 | Messiah, Second Coming, Tim's Articles, Tribulation

Witnesses For Jesus

In the Last Days

April 25, 2022 by Tim Buck
Fotet.org

God posed a question to the prophet Isaiah that every Christian should consider.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” And He said, “Go and tell this people.
Isaiah 6:8-9

Today, you and I are witnesses for Christ as every believer has been called by God to go into all the world and preach the gospel. As darkness increases, more than ever, the world needs to hear the Good News that Jesus died for sinners!

After the Rapture of the church and all believers are taken up to heaven, there are no witnesses left on earth! Not one! So God graciously sends 2-Witnesses (Revelation 11) to preach the Word during the first half of the Tribulation.

In the battle for Jerusalem between the Caliphate forces of Antichrist and Israel, the two Witnesses are killed and miraculously Raptured in the middle of the Tribulation.

But praise God they’ve left behind 144,000 Witnesses!

As devastating as the second half of the Tribulation will be, God will never leave the world without a witness.

This amazing team of dedicated servants becomes the unsung heroes of the last days causing millions to come to the Lord.

Our prayer is that you’ll join us for this wonderful study tomorrow evening and allow the testimony of these 144,000 Witnesses impact your life for the Lord.

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