Presented at Isaiah 19 Conference in Larnaca, Cyprus on May 28, 2026
Jews and Christians just celebrated the appointed holy days of Shavuot/Pentecost 7 weeks/50 days from the first fruits of the future resurrection harvest, from Passover barley to Shavuot wheat. As we read in Acts 2:17-21, the apostle Peter quotes from the prophet Joel that the strange events taking place that historic day in Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago were according to YHVH God’s word through the prophet 500-800 years earlier. Notice that the prophecy connected with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on any and all persons takes us all the way to the Day of the LORD/YHVH, still to come at the end of the “Church Age”, just before, or just at, the day of YHVH God’s wrath/vengeance. (Is 61:2b; Lk 2:13-14) Now is still the “year of the good will of YHVH”, and the “day of salvation”.
For us believers in Yeshua/Yasua/Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, we have gathered here from various Middle Eastern and North African nations, plus Taiwan and China, and we have been reconciled and joined together into one body as one new man, which is neither Jewish nor Gentile, but which includes both Jews and non-Jews. We are fellow heirs of the Kingdom of God, equal in Christ through the gospel. This is a revelation of the mystery of Messiah/Christ that was not known to human beings before that historic Shavuot/Pentecost almost 2000 years ago, and even moreso only after the Apostle Paul received the revelation. (Gal; Eph 3:1-11)
From the very foundation of the world, God’s redemptive plan from before the beginning of His Creation of the heavens, the Earth, the seas — and all that is in them – was put into motion. (1Pt 1:19-21; Rev 13:8) This tells us that YHVH God never intended for this world – this Creation – to last forever, nor for people of this “very good” temporary world to live forever in it. (Is 34:4; Mt 24:34-35; 1Cor 13:8-10; Rev 21:1-5) He always had a plan for an eternal new and perfect Creation for those who would believe in and know God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, whom He sent into the world as an Israeli Jew (Yeshua, born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth) in the flesh to be the Redeemer and Savior of all, especially of those who believe. (1Tim 4:10; Jn 17:1-5; Rom 1:1-6)
Therefore, the Lord’s Olivet Discourse, when He answered the questions of His closest disciples about “the end of the age, the fulfillment of all these things, the time of His coming again”, is relevant to all of us here today. (Mt 24-25; Mk 13; Lk 21:5-36) For us who are Jews in the flesh, He was speaking to His Jewish apostles; and for you who are not Jewish, He has brought you into His plan to bless the whole world through His redemptive plan to save His chosen nation Israel, who are His witnesses of who He is and what He is like. (Gen 12:1-3; 26:1-5; 28:10-15; Is 43:10-13; Rom 9 – 11)
The Messiah Yeshua rebuked the religious leaders of His day for not understanding the times in which they were living, and that they should have known when He was coming. (Mt 16:1-4) The apostle Peter warned that there would be scoffers in the end-times saying that nothing has changed since the Creation, and there are no signs of Christ’s return. (2Pt 3) We who claim to be apostles or prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers want to be awake and watchful, so that we can both protect and also prepare the sheep, and any others, from false teachings and prophecies regarding these things that the Lord has told us about in advance so that we will be overcomers, and useable in helping others understand and also be overcomers through faith in Him and in His words when the big storm hits. (Mt 7:24-27; Dan 11:29-35; 7:13-28; Acts 1:6-8; Rev 13:5-9) Yeshua said that those who endure to the end will be saved. We want our faith and hope and love to be in Him above all, and to understand the times in which we are living, seeing many prophecies being fulfilled in our own day which point towards the things which must take place leading up to the return of the Lord.
Truth is an essential part of unity, and we, as one new man in Messiah want to be on the same page as much as possible, even though none of us knows everything, and what we do know is only in part and not completely clear. We need each other to contribute truth to truth in humble love for the Lord and for each other. The signs which the Lord has given for His disciples to know the times, and hopefully to also understand, is for all of us here who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit is using fears and sufferings to teach us the importance of obeying the Lord, trusting Him completely. He is squeezing us through many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God on the difficult way through the narrow (tzar/צר) gate that leads to life. (Heb 5:7-9; Acts 14:22; Mt 7:13-14) The feminine form of the word for narrow means tribulation, trouble, distress!
Yeshua told His disciples that the generation that sees the fig tree put forth leaves will see the fulfillment of all these things, and His coming. Israel is God’s fig tree (Joel 1:7,12; Lk 13:6-9). The fig tree that He cursed is what, by God’s faithfulness, has been revived and thriving, becoming a sign that the end-times of the last days has begun. He also refers in Luke 21 to “the fig tree, and all the trees”. The Arabic and Muslim nations surrounding Israel also became independent countries in the 20th century, just like Israel did. And all of them, Israel included, have picked up where our fathers left off as recorded in the Tanach/Old Testament. We are living in that generation, and Israel is the fig tree. (Mt 23:29-39; Joel 1:5-7; Ps 83; Acts 7:51-54; Mt 21:18-22; 24:32-36; Lk 21:29-36) Since 1948 Israel has been God’s witness to the world that He remains on the Throne, and is carrying out His covenant plans and promises as He said He would, even if no one else but Him believes it! (Is 42:18-20; Ezek 36-37)
The whole world and the nations are turning against Israel and the Jewish people, and also against Christians, more aggressively and more openly than we have ever seen it; and the worst is still to come during Jacob’s Trouble/Great Tribulation. (Jer 30:1-11; Mt 24:21-22) Israel is a “miracle nation” and world power in many fields despite its small size and number. It is because of YHVH God’s faithfulness and zeal to make Himself known through this people and nation, in the land that He chose, and in the city of Jerusalem that He has chosen to rule from when He returns. There is no other explanation to account for it – both for the successes of the Jewish people and Israel the nation, and of the irrational hostility and hatred against them; and the devil is doing all He can to deceive the elect, if possible (and, for now, he is doing a pretty good job of confusing and of putting doubts even into the minds of both Jews and Christians).
Israel is God’s timeclock for the return of the King of kings and Lord of lords to restore God’s Kingdom to Israel, and over all of the nations; in fact, throughout the whole of Creation!This is similar to the message and the expectation given by the building of the ark by Noah: preaching righteousness for a determined number of years before God’s righteous judgment fell on those who refused to repent and believe. (Gen 6:5-14; Heb 11:7; 2Pt 2:4-5) Just as the 70 Weeks prophecy written in Dan 9:24-27 gave an expectant time to the Jewish people for the Messiah’s first coming to preach repentance and salvation – which was missed by the majority of the people and its leaders – so, too, is the return of the scattered Jewish people back to the land of covenant promise, and the reestablishment of a sovereign nation of Israel in 1948, the visible beginning of the time of the end leading up to the second coming of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah/Jesus Christ for judgment and for the everlasting restoration of the Father’s Kingdom on Earth, with the saints, that will never pass away. (These Heavens and Earth will pass away, but never YHVH God’s Kingdom!) We are of the generation that has been seeing the fig tree – national Israel – putting forth leaves, a sign that the end is near. (קיץ/קץ)
Today’s Israel is a wake-up call! (Joel 1:5-7; Mt 21:18-22; 24:32-36; 6:9-10; 25:1-6; Acts 1:4-11; Dan 7:11-27; Rev 20:1-11)
Yeshua returns when the Jewish people acknowledge and confess their sin against Him – their King and Good Shepherd; after 2000 years of affliction and exile (Hos 5:15 – 6:1-2; 2Pt 3:8-9; Mt 23:31-39; Acts 3:17-21; Lev 26:40-45; Zech 12:10-14)
–Jesus died in 30AD (even according to the Talmud); therefore, we are living in the generation, two thousands year/two days later, that will bring fulfillment of these prophecies of the second coming of Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah – King of kings, and Lord of lords!
ISRAEL IS GOD’s TIMECLOCK! And in His mercies He is waking people up.
God is fulfilling prophecies; He has not yet full-filled them. This is very important for understanding the significance of Israel today: she is not the finished product! And neither is today’s Church! Thank GOD! We both need the baptism of fire to produce the quality worthy of Messiah’s/Christ’s labors and sacrificial death on the cross to take away all our sin and sins. The whole counsel of God – all of the Bible – leads to this conclusion.
Dan 8; 10 – 12 visions and dreams for the end-times
2:27-39 Nebuchanezzer’s dreams of historic Gentile kingdoms, the last of which leads right up to the Messiah’s return to establish God’s everlasting kingdom (Mt 6:9-10; Rev 20:1-4)
Dan 7:23-27; Phlp 1:27-30; Acts 14:21-22; 2Tim 2:11-13 The Kingdom is given to the saints after much suffering and tribulation from the antichrist and his beast kingdom. God’s Kingdom cannot be taken by force, even though many are trying! (Mt 25:31-36; Lk 12:29-56; Rev 12:13-17; 13:5-9; 2:8-11, 24-28)
Mt 24 and 25 The Olivet Discourse: many prophetic details and a sequence; parables about kings, a bridegroom, the Lord’s return
Many details and a sequence given for the believers, the disciples of the Messiah
–the sequence is also seen confirmed with even more details in Rev 6 – 7
–non-believers are not reading these Scriptures; and sadly, neither are many believers
–not only for the Jewish saints/believers, or for Jewish unbelievers who will be saved during the tribulation; but, it is to the Jewish believers first, and also to the Gentile believers
–why so many details if the believers will be taken away before “all these things which
must take place before the end”?
Mt 24:1-2 The disciples of Yeshua were very impressed with the beauty of the Temple. He tells them that it will be completely destroyed.
v 3 His disciples ask Him privately on the Mount of Olives (and, so, the “Olivet Discourse”) to tell them when will these things be; and, what will be the sign of His coming, and of the end of the age? Brothers and sisters, the Jewish people and nation had an expectation from many prophecies of a coming Messianic Age ruled by a son of David in righteousness, and the people dwelling in complete peace and security – “everyone sitting under his vine and fig tree”.
v 4-8 (Rev 6:1-6) The first thing that Jesus answers them is to warn them to let no one deceive/mislead them. This means that each of us has a responsibility to guard against being deceived; and the best safeguard against that is by knowing, and believing, what is true. Many will come in His name, saying, “I am the Messiah”, and will deceive many.
Brothers and sisters, no true believer in Jesus will be deceived by any one coming and saying that he – that person claiming — is the Messiah. Many will be deceived by many who come saying that Jesus/Yasua/Yeshua is the Messiah/Christ. We will listen, and give the benefit of any doubt to such a one before we realize that he is not a true believer, but a deceiver. He is deceived, and deceiving others. I think that we ourselves know that to be a real possibility. “Take heed”, Yeshua warns us!
There will be many wars and rumors of wars. Yeshua reassures His disciples not to let our hearts be troubled, for all these things must come to pass, before the end comes. Nations and kingdoms will rise up against each other; and there will famines, pestilences, earthquakes all over. These are the beginning of sorrows, or of birth pangs.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord wants us to make certain that our hearts and minds are wholly on Him and trusting completely in the Holy Spirit sustaining us through faith, hope, and love. Mothers know more about the stages of pain than men do, but we all know that at some point during the pregnancy, which most of the time is “not a big problem”, does begin to become more difficult and intense; and when the labor pains arrive, also more challenging in managing and overcoming the intensity of the pain just as the birth is imminent. Historically, we have not yet arrived at this worldwide stage of the process, but the beginnings are being experienced and felt with all of the wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes and other catastrophic conditions quickly happening in this generation.
v 9-11 (Rev 6:7-11) We will be delivered up for persecution and tribulation, and we will be hated by all nations (including our own), and may be martyred because of our faith in Jesus for who He is. Then, many believers will be offended, and betray one another, and hate one another. (Rev 2:8-11; Mic 7:5-7; Mt 10:34-39; 13:20-21) Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Brothers and sisters, we will experience a real test of loving our enemies, blessing those who curse us, doing good to those who hate us, praying for those who persecute us! We do not want ourselves to become a betrayer out of fear for our lives. As disciples of our Savior, He says that we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily, and follow Him. If we desire to save our lives we will lose it; if we lose our lives for Jesus’ sake we will find it. Many believers will be offended at Him if we must suffer even unto death because of Him, and so will betray and hate other believers hoping to save their own lives. Many false prophets will arise telling us to hide our faith, and not to confess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then we will not be persecuted. We do not want the Lord to be ashamed of us when He comes. (Mk 8:34-38)
v 12-14 With YHVH God’s commandments being increasingly rejected by the world, and within the churches, evil and lawlessness abound, and the love of many grows cold. In its place is fear and mistrust, and a more self-centered concern to protect ourselves. There is a lack of peace and security. The foundations of righteousness are broken up, and the “system” is corrupt. Our Lord Yeshua admonishes us to endure to the end in the faith in Him to be saved. The gospel goes out to all until the end. God will even send out angels to complete the job that we cannot, which He already knows. (Rev 14:6-7; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21) God is faithful, and able, to fulfill His plan of redemption according to His time schedule!
v 15 Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand).… Brothers and sisters, all of the breakdown of the moral social order, even within “Christian” countries and the churches, is part of the falling away that paves the way for the antichrist and his abomination in the holy place. Jesus says to read Daniel to understand what this is all about. Daniel was a prophet, even though his book has been moved out of that section of the Bible by Judaism. The antichrist and abomination is a future event, not a past one. (2Thes 2:1-5; Dan 8; 9:26-27; 11)
v 16-20 The true Messiah/Christ – the Son of God — tells His disciples to immediately flee when we see the abomination of desolation take place, no matter the circumstances. It will be a horrible time for pregnant women and those nursing babies. He tells us to pray that our flight will not be on the Sabbath or in Winter – both difficult times to be fleeing in Israel, where this is taking place. How many of us are praying this prayer? Certainly not if we believe that it is not relevant to us.
v 21-22 (Rev 6:7-11) “Because then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of this world until this time, no, nor ever shall be! (Jer 30:4-11; Dan 12:1-4) And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Brothers and sisters, we are moving into unprecedented times in all of history. We are being forewarned so that we can prepare ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, some even also materially to be of help to others. The Holocaust did not produce the outcome of this final and climactic distress that will bring the godly repentance that the Father and God of Israel is requiring so that He can fulfill all of His covenant promises for blessing to His beloved people and land and city, and through that to the entire world. He has limited this great tribulation/Jacob’s Trouble to 3 ½ years; otherwise, no one would be left alive, Jesus says. That is how bad it will get when Satan is allowed to vent through the antichrist his absolute hatred of His Creator and of human beings created in God’s image.
There is nothing in what He is explaining to His disciples that suggests that believers are exempt from His answer to them about “when will these things be?”, and “what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”. In Rev 6, the opening of the seals follows the same sequence of events that the Lord gave to His servant John to write the entire book to “his brothers and companions in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah”, written for us living at the end of the ages. (1Cor 10:11)
v 23-28 During this period of the great tribulation, there will be many false prophets and false messiahs, empowered by Satan to do signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if possible. It will therefore be very strong deception, and Yeshua tells His disciples not to be deceived. Yeshua will not be in some desert place or in some secret place, but will come from Heaven on the clouds and be seen by all. (Dan 7:13; Mt 26:63-64; Rev 1:7)
v 29 (Rev 6:12-17) “Immediately after the tribulation of those days (v 21) the Sun will be darkened, and the Moon will not give its light (because the Sun is darkened); the stars will fall from heaven,, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Brothers and sisters, the Lord Himself is telling us that these celestial signs will come right after the great tribulation. These are all signs of the Day of YHVH, His Day of Vengeance. It will look as if He has lost control of the heavenly statutes, which He says will not happen: He is even in control when everything is out of control! This is our faith that overcomes the world! (Jer 31:35-37; 33:19-26; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21; Rev 6:12-17)
v 30-31 (Rev 7:9-17) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven, and everyone will mourn, and see Him coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory! And He will send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and gather His elect from wherever they are. (Mt 13:37-43; Dan 12:1-3; Act 2:19-21; Joel 2:28-42; Rev 1:7; Ps 50:1-5) Brothers and sisters, then, after the great tribulation of those days, there will signs in the heavens, and all the tribes of the earth will see Him; and He will send out His angels to gather the harvest of the saints unto Him – both the dead and the living: this is the first resurrection [and rapture]. (Rev 20:1-6)
v 32-36 Learn this parable from the fig tree: Summer is near when fig trees become tender and put forth leaves. So we also, when we see all these things [spoken about], know that it (the end) is near – at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation [that sees all these things] will be no means pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows but My Father only.
Brothers and sisters, Yeshua wants us to learn something from this parable: the fig tree represents national Israel in the land, where the Lord is returning to. The generation that sees Israel’s reestablishment, even in unbelief, becomes strong and prosperous – but still without fruit for God – will see the return of the Lord and the end of the age. We are living in that generation! The Hebrew word for Summer and for end are related: ka’itz/ketz/קיץ/קץ. We cannot know the exact time, but we are supposed to watch and recognize the signs that He has given; and pray. (Is 11:10-12; Ezek 36 – 37; Mt 16:1-3)
v 37-44 (Rev 8) As in the days of Noah, the people were all told by Noah that judgment was coming, but did not believe him, and lived as if all were normal, until the day and hour came, and it was too late. So, too, whatever the time zone and activities associated with the time of day or night, there is a time appointed for “the thief” to come. The Lord warns His disciples to be ready, because He will come at an unexpected time within the timeframe given. We cannot know the precise time, because then the devil would also know it, which he will not.
v 45-51 Our Lord and Savior wants us to be faithful and wise as we serve Him, doing what He has given each of us to do – until He comes. If we lose faith with patience, then we will suffer the destiny of hypocrites. The Lord will come right at the appointed time that the Father has already set: He will not tarry, nor will He be early. Be ready!
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Mt 25:1-13 The parable of the Kingdom of Heaven being like 10 virgins: all believers. Five were wise and had their oil (Holy Spirit) with them; five were foolish and did not. They all slept while it seemed that the Bridegroom was delayed. A midnight cry was heard that the bridegroom was coming, and for them to go out to meet Him. All of the virgins heard, waking up to prepare their lamps, but only the wise had oil to light them. The foolish were not prepared, and were shut out of the wedding! The bridegroom said that He did not know them when they asked Him to let them in! He tells us to “watch, therefore, because we know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming!”
Brothers and sisters, this is a serious matter. Yeshua got angry with the religious leaders of His day because they did not know the time of His coming, despite the prophecies, and the testimony and baptism of John the Baptizer. The wise virgins knew what was going on when they woke up, and had prepared in advance; the foolish virgins had not prepared in advance because they hadn’t made the Bridegroom’s return for His beloved Bride important enough in their faith. Let us take the Lord’s warning here to heart, for ourselves, our families, our churches, our alertness to the signs of the times! Even believers need a healthy fear of the Lord! Israel is God’s timeclock, and we are seeing increasing signs of the end developing that the Messiah has told His disciples! The present nation of Israel and the partial return of the scattered Jewish people back to the promised land have an eschatalogical purpose in God’s redemptive purposes to vindicate and sanctify His holy Name! (Mt 6:9-10; Ezek 36:16-28)
v 14-29 The parable of the Kingdom of Heaven being likened to a man traveling to a far country, and gave his servants before he left what to do according to their abilities. When he returned after a long time, the lord of those servants came to settle accounts with his servants. To those who worked to return to him what was his plus what they had acquired using what he had given them – 100% more — they all received commendation as good and faithful servants, and the reward of becoming rulers with him according to their faithfulness and proven abilities for His kingdom. To the one who admitted what he thought about his lord – that he was a hard man who reaped what he didn’t sow, and gathered what he didn’t sow, and so was afraid of him – he had hidden what was given to him and returned it unused. The lord rebuked that servant as being wicked and lazy, and believing that the master was a bad person, so all the more should have been sure to earn something with the talent that he had received and given not only what was his, but also interest. The lord took the one talent from him and gave it to the one who now had ten. (God’s sense of social justice is not humanistic!) And the unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness, where there (Hell/the lake of fire) will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Brothers and sisters, the healthy fear of the Lord is crucial for our faith and life! We can have confidence in our salvation, but we dare not take it for granted when we actually misrepresent Him with disrespect and do not have affection for our Lord and Savior.
v 31-44 The Lord’s separation in His righteous judgment between the sheep and the goats after His return in glory, and He sits on the throne of His glory: David’s throne in Jerusalem. (Is 9:6-7; Lk 1:30-33; Acts 2:29-33) We all know the parable, but I, personally, do not think that it has to do with born-again believers. In this teaching, Yeshua is already on the throne in Israel, and “all Israel” has been saved. He is referring to Gentiles who either did, or did not, show mercy or compassion to “the least of My brethren”: in the flesh, the Jewish people are the least of His brethren, according to covenantal relationship (Rom 9:1-5); in the Spirit, Gentile believers are also His brethren through the New Covenant. Neither the sheep nor goats knew the Lord personally, for they did not realize that they were doing, or not doing, their mercies to Him, as we do acknowledge today.
The sheep – who are “humble” and dependent, and know that they need a shepherd – are like what we call today “righteous Gentiles”, those who risked their lives during the Holocaust to protect Jewish people from the Nazis, sometimes also being murdered with them. The goats – who are more independent, and do not care for the shepherd, and will eat the sheep’s food – did not “relate” to the least of Jesus’ brethren with any concern for their welfare. What others do to help those “in the family” also honor the rest of the family – even if they do not personally know or have a relationship with the head of the family. They will be honored. Those who do not help in time of need will not be honored; and in the case of the Lord’s judgment, will be sent “away to everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal life”. Neither the goats nor the sheep had taken the mark of the beast, for they are already doomed for taking the mark or for worshipping the image of the beast. During the Millennial Kingdom, those sheep will come to know their need to be born-again through faith in the gospel. The judgment between the goats and the sheep is based on works; born-again believers are saved by grace, apart from works; and we show our faith by our works.
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Meanwhile, until that day, we are to sanctify ourselves as an expectant holy Bride; we are to evangelize until the end of the age; we are to love our enemies, at the least to wanting as many among them to be saved even as we have been, and to become members of our Lord’s family with us.
The blessed hope: the return of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah/Jesus Christ; the first resurrection and rapture of the saints from all times – those dead in Messiah, and those alive in Him; the avenging judgment of Messiah on rebels among His own people, and on His and His people’s enemies (the Day of YHVH); the establishment of the looked-for and hoped-for Messianic Kingdom of righteousness and peace and Holy Spirit joy; with the Son of Man, Yeshua, the King of Israel, and of the nations, sitting on His throne of glory – David’s; and with the resurrected saints ruling with Him. The Father’s name is sanctified; His Kingdom has come; His will shall be done on Earth as it is in Heaven! (Is 61:2b; Ezek 20:33-38; Tit 2:11-15; Acts 1:6-11; Dan 9:20-27; 7:7-28; 12:1-4; Rev 12:13-17; 13:5-9; 20:1-4)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!