Jerusalem; The Gayest City in the Middle East

 There is pain coming for Israel.  They have rejected the God that brought them out of Egypt.  They have rejected the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  They killed the prophets God sent to warn them to turn from their wicked ways.

And so today we read about some of the fruit that God's chosen people have been manifesting.

The Pride march in Israel’s capital city changed its traditional route on Thursday to end near the Knesset, in a show of force ahead of elections that could have major implications for the status of LGBTQ Israelis.

“If the current government has a problem with LGBTQ+ people, then the current government can go home, because the community is here to stay,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said during the culminating rally.

Jerusalem’s Pride march is always more muted than the raucous celebration that takes place each June in Tel Aviv. But this year, the looming election, which must be held by Oct. 27, galvanized participation.

More than 10,000 Israelis gathered in Sacher Park for the rally, according to Noa Fisher of the Jerusalem Open House, the LGBTQ+ equality organization that organizes the event.

“It’s always more like a protest than anything else. This year, especially,” said Hadas Bloemendal, chair of the Jerusalem Open House, walking alongside the crowd with her baby in a stroller.

“I’m supposed to be on maternity leave,” she said. “But this year, I had to be here.”

The status of LGBTQ Israelis is complex. While the country has a thriving gay culture and the speaker of the Knesset is openly gay, same-sex marriage is prohibited by law and some haredi Orthodox lawmakers have spoken with disdain about LGBTQ people and said they want to see their rights rolled back. The elections this fall will determine whether those lawmakers retain power in the next government.

Michal Rozin, a former lawmaker from the liberal Meretz party, urged rally-goers on Thursday to boo after recounting a 2023 comment by a member of the United Torah Judaism party, a partner in the governing coalition, who said the LGBTQ community is “the most dangerous thing for the State of Israel, more than Islamic State, more than Hezbollah, more than Hamas.” (He was commenting during Pride month, before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.)

Avi Maoz, an anti-LGBTQ politician who was part of the current government until last year, called this year’s march an “abomination” in a post on social media on Thursday.

The rally marked 11 years since 16-year-old Shira Banki was killed when a haredi Orthodox man stabbed six Jerusalem Pride attendees, weeks after being freed from prison after staging a similar attack a decade earlier.

“Some of the friends she walked with are still, today, volunteering. That’s what echoes the most, what she chose to do,” Bloemendal said.

Security was intense Thursday, and the gathering area before the march was completely sealed off. More than 2,000 Israel Police officers and border agents were dispatched to protect the march, according to Israeli police spokesperson Dean Elsdunne.

Behind a wall of tour buses was a counter-demonstration hosted by the extremist group Lehava, which opposes Jewish-Arab coexistence and gay relationships. By the time the march left Sacher Park for the Rose Garden near the Knesset, only a few dozen men remained in the heavily policed and cordoned-off area.

“Those standing outside and protesting against us have forgotten what it means to be Jewish and have forgotten what it means to be human,” Lapid said from the stage.

Despite the counter-protest, spirits were high at the rally, where attendees said they were determined to make their voices heard at a time when they feel their country is closing itself off to LGBTQ+ life.

“The LGBTQ+ community is present everywhere that the fate of this country is being written,” Rozin said in her speech. “But there are those who continue to incite against it.”

Lapid has long made LGBTQ+ equality a central tenet of his platform. His alliance this year with Naftali Bennett (a religious Zionist who historically opposed same-sex marriage) is notable in part because Bennett announced at their April 26 press conference announcing a joint campaign that a government under his leadership would advance same-sex marriage in Israel.

Marriage in Israel is regulated by the Rabbinate, which prohibits LGBTQ+ unions, leaving many couples to wed abroad and petition to have those marriages recognized at home. Lapid promised that “in the first 100 days of the next government, we will bring legislation that says the rights of every couple in Israel will be equal. Mom and dad, dad and dad, mom and mom —  everyone the same rights.”

Here;  Jerusalem Pride march turns toward the Knesset as LGBTQ Israelis eye pivotal election

I've said this 100 times but I'll keep saying it;  The Jews ARE God's chosen people.  Chosen to write and deliver the Word of God, chosen to deliver the Messiah, and chosen to be a blessing to the entire world through all of us benefiting from their incredible brains.

BUT the Bible is clear that 2/3 are going to die in the next Holocaust.  But 1/3 (all of remaining Israel) will come into the Millennial Kingdom in their human bodies.  So the Jews are also CHOSEN by God to be involved in many of the prophecies that will happen following the rapture of the church.

144,000 witnesses going all over the earth preaching the coming kingdom of Jesus WILL BE JEWS.

The two witnesses WILL BE JEWS.

The 3rd Temple WILL BE BUILT BY JEWS.

God will judge the nations for HOW they treated His chosen people.  Pray the America will support her up until the day Jesus comes for us and America goes into a quick decline.

Pride Month is Really About People in Rebellion to God Their Creator

 What a strange thing!  People who died in service of our country get a day of remembrance called Memorial Day.  Veterans get a day.  Mothers get a day and Fathers get a day...

But people who enjoy gay sex and perversion get an entire MONTH of PRIDE?

How about we start lobbying for a whole month of HETEROSEXUAL PRIDE??  The liberals would literally have their heads explode if ever there were such a thing.

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June is considered LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the United States, Canada, and many other nations. Throughout the month various activities, including Pride Parades, will be taking place in celebration and honor of the LGBTQ+ community and sexual diversity. But this celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride points to something the Bible warns against time and time again—and it is not just sexual immorality.

Pride: Confidence in Self

As the name suggests, at the heart of Pride Month and other Pride celebrations and even the idea of Pride is the sin of pride. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology defines pride as “both a disposition/attitude and a type of conduct,” with a proud person being “a sinful individual who shifts ultimate confidence from God to self.”

In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we find the quintessential example of pride: the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. By human standards, he had every right to be proud. He was the ruler of the most powerful kingdom at the time, and his capital was a dazzling city that was the envy of the ancient world. No wonder he said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30).

But God “opposes the proud” (James 4:6). Just as Daniel had told Nebuchadnezzar, the proud king was humbled for seven years until he “blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever” (Daniel 4:34). His pride was his downfall because God hates pride.

Why God Hates Pride

At the heart of Pride Month and Pride celebrations throughout the year is pride. Pride comes from a rebellious heart that rejects the benevolent authority of the Creator. A proud person ultimately claims to know better than God and his Word and believes that inventing our own rules and celebrating our own choices, achievements, and desires is greater than what God has commanded in his Word. It’s a movement that puts the focus squarely on us rather than on God.

Of course, pride is not unique to the LGBTQ+ community. It is something we all struggle with. But with the growing LGBTQ+ movement has come a public upwelling and celebration of pride, generally, and also specifically against the Creator and his rules for sexual purity and marriage.

And the Bible is very clear about pride: God hates it and will oppose those who are proud.

• “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
• “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:6)
• “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5)
• “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
• “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?'” (Obadiah 1:3)
• “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:11)

Pride: The First Sin

Humanity’s first sin was really an example of pride:

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:4–6)

Deceived by the serpent, Eve believed God was selfishly withholding equality that she wanted, so she took the fruit and ate before offering it to Adam, who also ate. At the heart of their rebellion was pride in their own thinking and lust after what they wanted. But it broke creation (Romans 8:22) and brought death and the curse into what was, moments before, a “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31).

“Pride Is the Root of All Sin”

The prophet Ezekiel, delivering a message from the Lord against Jerusalem (representing Judah), the Lord’s faithless bride, mentions the city of Sodom. This city was destroyed in Genesis 19 because of rampant homosexuality and other sins. Despite this city being destroyed in judgment, Ezekiel claims Judah has done things even Sodom did not do.

“As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.” (Ezekiel 16:48–50)

As a former lesbian who became a born-again believer, Rosaria Butterfield comments on this passage in her book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: “I found this passage to reveal some surprising things. In it, God is comparing Jerusalem to Sodom and saying that Sodom’s sin is less offensive to God than Jerusalem’s. Next, God tells us what is at the root of homosexuality and what the progression of sin is. We read here that the root of homosexuality is also the root of a myriad of other sins. First we find pride (“[Sodom] and her daughters had pride”). Why pride? Pride is the root of all sin. Pride puffs one up with a false sense of independence. Proud people always feel that they can live independently from God and from other people. Proud people feel entitled to do what they want when they want to.”

The first sin of Sodom was pride, and pride led to the other sins, including forsaking the poor and committing abomination before the Lord (homosexual relations; cf. Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22). Pride always leads to more sin as we arrogantly think more of ourselves and less of God and his revealed Word.

A Battle of Pride

Sadly, many in the church are embracing LGBTQ+ Pride. Not only does such a stance ignore the Bible’s teaching on marriage and sexuality, but it exalts human pride. It assumes we know more about love, mercy, and acceptance (all defined by our own terms) than our God who is love (1 John 4:8), is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), and invites all to receive the free gift of salvation (John 7:37; Romans 10:9). And this God of love, mercy, and forgiveness has defined marriage as between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27, 2:24).

The battle over marriage and gender being waged right now in the church is about much more than the institution of marriage or the binary nature of gender. It is ultimately about pride. Will we allow God, our Creator and Judge, to be our authority, or will we exalt our own beliefs and opinions (or those of our sinful culture) above God and his Word? Will we elevate ourselves to judge and dishonor God, like Eve, thinking he is capriciously withholding something good from us?

Heaven Rules

Over this next month, rainbow-colored flags will flutter in parades, and many people will adorn rainbow-themed attire to celebrate Pride. But these individuals are not truly celebrating sexual diversity. They are celebrating rebellion against God (ironically, while using the rainbow, a symbol God already gave meaning to in Genesis 9:8–17). As Daniel warned Nebuchadnezzar hundreds of years ago, we must warn our generation “that Heaven rules” (Daniel 4:26) and that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). It’s not too late to change: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Here;  The Roots of Pride: Celebrating Rebellion Against God - Harbinger's Daily

Catholic Cardinal Removes Exorcist for Claiming Demons Disguise Themselves as Aliens

  Well, well!  Over the years we have posted how the Catholic Church has moved towards accepting "aliens" as our brothers of the universe.  They've even gone so far as to say they would baptize them when they show up.

So when one of their exorcists comes out and says that the demons he has confronted have actually disguised themselves as demons, they need to silence that message right away.

Cardinal Robert McElroy removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington after the renowned priest said that he believes demons can disguise themselves as aliens or UFOs.

A press release from the archdiocese adds that McElroy, who is well-known for his heterodoxy on homosexuality and other issues, has “ended all affiliation” between the archdiocese and Rossetti’s Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal (SMC) in Washington, D.C.

“Cardinal McElroy said that statements made by Monsignor Rossetti linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism,” according to the press release.

Rossetti responded to McElroy’s action by apologizing for “any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium” but did not explicitly repent for anything specific that he mentioned in the video. He noted that the SMC “plans to continue its ministry elsewhere”:

I am saddened by the decision of the Archdiocese of Washington to cut its affiliation with St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal (SMC). I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on “aliens and the demonic.”

I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient.

Also, I will continue to encourage all to do so as well. As I often say: “Stay in the Boat!” that is, stay in the barque of Peter, it will lead you safely home.

I am grateful for 19 years of ministering in the Archdiocese of Washington as its exorcist and I thank the Archdiocese for its support and blessing all these years. We will remember the Cardinal and all in ADW in our prayers for its important ministry. SMC plans to continue its ministry elsewhere.

The video that McElroy referred to, published on YouTube on Monday, has now been deleted. It was made in response to a surge of interest in the topic after the Trump administration’s recent release of files documenting alleged observations of UFOs.

LifeSiteNews reported on the video on Tuesday.

“There’s no question in my mind personally … it’s my personal belief that probably many, if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti said, adding that the demons can accomplish feats that humans are incapable of, such as those observed in UFO sightings, like changing trajectories at seemingly impossible speeds.

He said at the beginning of his comments that while the existence of aliens is theoretically possible, he does not believe that aliens exist. He stressed that the “danger” of entertaining this idea is that “demons like to hide,” suggesting that disguising themselves as a UFO or alien is one way that they do so.

“They don’t want us to know who they are” or what they’re doing, the exorcist said, “because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”

Disguising themselves allows demons to “manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil,” he pointed out.

“The Scriptures are very clear: ‘For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day,’” Rossetti recited, quoting Ephesians 6:12–13.

“The fight we have in this world, the spiritual battle, is with the evil one,” he emphasized.

“Demons can indeed break into the physical world and at times they can be seen,” the priest said, noting that documentation and photos of demonic sightings exist.

Here;  BREAKING: Cardinal McElroy removes exorcist for saying demons disguise themselves as aliens - LifeSite

The Bible is clear that our REAL battle is not with flesh and blood humans but against the forces of evil in the unseen realms.  As the return of Jesus draws near we can expect these forces of evil to ramp up their deception as they make a massive final attempt to deceive all humans and lead them to hell.

Israeli Flags on The Temple Mount

 As we have said numerous times, Israel is God's timepiece and Jerusalem is the minute hand and The Temple Mount is the second hand.

With that thought, this news coming from The Temple Mount is interesting.

As most of you know, Israel willingly gave up control of The Temple Mount after they took over Jerusalem during the 1967 War.  They did this to appease the Muslim Ummah and gave control to the Waqf who polices and keeps order.  The Al Aqsa mosque and also the Dome of the Rock are on the Temple Mount and considered the 3rd holiest site of Islam.  The Waqf would NEVER let Jews onto their holy site...which is extremely racist by today's standards, but I digress.

Today we read that not only did Jews ascend the mount but they carried Israeli flags and were NOT asked to leave.

A small group of Jewish worshippers stood near the Dome of the Rock on Sunday morning, unfurled seven Israeli flags, and sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. The scene would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. For decades, even minor displays of Jewish national expression on the Temple Mount were met with immediate intervention by police. This time, the participants remained on the site, sang openly, and completed the demonstration without being removed.

The Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, has witnessed a dramatic increase in Jewish visitors in recent years. The sight of Jews ascending the mount, praying quietly, bowing, and now publicly displaying Israeli flags reflects a significant shift in enforcement policies at the site.

The event took place shortly after the Temple Mount was reopened to Jewish visitors following a four-day closure for a Muslim holiday. Video footage circulating on social media showed approximately 10 Jewish worshippers carrying 7 Israeli flags near the Dome of the Rock before singing Hatikvah.

Those displaying the flags were not removed from the compound. According to participants and Temple Mount activists, enforcement authorities acted in accordance with policy changes implemented under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Rabbi Elisha Wolfson, head of the Temple Mount Yeshiva, welcomed the development.

“It is a great joy to see the process of the return to Zion growing stronger, and to witness the many advances on the Temple Mount,” Rabbi Wolfson said. “There is no doubt that the minister is carrying out a genuine revolution.”

Following the reopening of the site, the Temple Mount Yeshiva published updated visiting hours and encouraged Jews who meet the requirements of ritual purity to ascend the mount.

The display quickly drew international criticism. Turkey condemned the incident, accusing Israel of undermining the status of the site. Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates issued similar statements, describing the raising of Israeli flags and the singing of the national anthem as violations of longstanding arrangements governing the compound.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ambassador Sufian Qudah called the event “an unacceptable provocation” and reiterated Amman’s position that the Islamic Waqf is the sole authority responsible for administering the site.

The legal status of the flag display is more complicated than many international reactions suggested.

No Israeli law explicitly prohibits carrying an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount. Israeli law protects freedom of expression and freedom of movement, and the Israeli flag is the national flag of the State of Israel. The restrictions that have traditionally limited Jewish activity on the mount have largely arisen from police policy and administrative decisions intended to preserve public order rather than from legislation passed by the Knesset.

The Temple Mount operates under a framework commonly referred to as the “status quo,” a set of arrangements developed after Israel captured eastern Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967. Under that framework, the Jordanian Islamic Waqf retained responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the Islamic holy sites, while Israel maintained overall security control and authority over access to the compound.

Here;  Israeli flags and Hatikvah on the Temple Mount signal a new reality - Israel365 News

The Jewish demand to have access to the Temple Mount is only going to increase.  The demand to have a Jewish Temple rebuilt there is only going to increase.  Bible readers know that there will be a 3rd Temple built there one day because the Antichrist will go into it and declare himself to be God.  

But the Antichrist won't be revealed until after the rapture.  So the fact that Jews are on the Temple mount and interrupting the status quo should be one more sign that we should not be surprised if the trumpet blows soon and all believers are called up to meet Jesus in the clouds.

Even so, Come Lord Jesus!

75% of Global Population Live in Areas Affected by "The Great Drying"

 We know the Bible tells us that there will be famines during the very last days.

We also know that big things that WILL HAPPEN during the Great Tribulation typically cast their shadows forward.

So are we witnessing one of these shadows of the great famine that will come?

Our planet is drying out at a pace that is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Once massive lakes are rapidly shrinking, once mighty rivers are steadily dwindling, and colossal underground aquifers are being pumped dry all over the world. This is an absolutely enormous problem, because very soon we simply will not have enough fresh water to support 8 billion people. In fact, drought conditions are severely affecting global crop production in 2026. If current trends continue, it will become increasingly difficult to grow food. In other words, if the land on our planet doesn’t stop drying out there is no way that we will be able to avoid an era of widespread global famines.

This isn’t something that just started happening recently.

Over the last several decades, the world has been losing fresh water “at an unprecedented rate”…

The world is losing fresh water at an unprecedented rate, two decades’ worth of satellite data has revealed.

Measurements from NASA’s twin GRACE satellites and GRACE follow-on missions have shown that since 2002, the amount of land suffering from water loss has been increasing year on year by twice the area of the state of California. That includes the loss of water from surface reservoirs such as lakes and rivers and underground aquifers, which are an important source of drinking water around the globe.

Mega-drying regions have emerged across the Northern Hemisphere with the worst-hit areas extending across the western coast of North America, Southwestern North America and Central America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Just look at what has been happening to the Great Salt Lake.

Once upon a time it was absolutely gigantic.

But now it has lost approximately 73 percent of its water and approximately 60 percent of its surface area.

Of course this isn’t just happening in the United States.

One study found that 75 percent of the population of the world currently lives in a country that is being affected by “continental drying”…

Much of the Earth is suffering a pandemic of “continental drying,” affecting the countries containing 75% of the world’s population, the new research shows.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, examined changes to Earth’s total supply of fresh water and found that nearly 6 billion people live in the 101 countries facing a net decline in water supply, posing a “critical, emerging threat to humanity.”

I was stunned when I first read that.

If 6 billion people live in nations that are steadily drying out, what does that mean for the future of humanity?

We aren’t just talking about a few isolated deserts.

If you look at the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, it is a nightmare.

Right now, more than 60 percent of the continental United States is experiencing at least some level of drought…

As of May 26, 2026, 50.77% of the United States and Puerto Rico and 60.77% of the Lower 48 states are in drought.

Here;  Permadrought: 75 Percent Of The Global Population Lives In A Country That Is Being Affected By "The Great Drying"

Jesus said that if he didn't shorten the days of Great Tribulation that "no flesh on earth" would survive.

Humans have convinced themselves they don't need God to live.  But if God stops the rain there is NOTHING that humans can do to save themselves in their earthly bodies.

God provides everything for everyone of our earthly bodies and also provides everything for our eternal bodies.

Is Stage Being Set For Daniel’s “Peace With Many”?

 Remember what Gabriel told Daniel?  The Antichrist will CONFIRM a covenant that involves Israel and the gentile nations around it.  Currently they are all Muslims but watch what’s happening as nations like UAE and Bahrain normalize relations with Israel.  Just a decade ago that would have been impossible.

So it sure appears the framework for some type of peace deal is being worked on.  We would expect nothing less as the nearness of the rapture gets one day closer each and every day. 🙂

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For decades, Bible prophecy teachers have pointed to one mysterious passage in the book of Daniel as a possible roadmap for the final chapter of human history. The verse is Book of Daniel 9:27 -- the prophecy describing a future leader who will "confirm a covenant with many" for seven years before everything collapses into betrayal, tribulation, and global chaos.

To many Christians, it has long sounded almost impossible. How could the Middle East -- perhaps the most divided and volatile region on Earth -- ever unite under some type of sweeping peace framework involving Israel, Arab nations, and possibly even the Temple Mount itself?

And yet today, ideas once considered fantasy are now openly discussed by world leaders.

This week, reports emerged that President Donald Trump held a high-stakes conference call with leaders from several Arab and Muslim nations, pressing them to consider normalizing relations with Israel in an expanded version of the Abraham Accords once a deal to end the Iran conflict is finalized. According to reports, the leaders included representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain.

Just pause and think about that for a moment.

Only a generation ago, many of these same nations would not even publicly acknowledge Israel's legitimacy. Some still officially reject it today. Yet now the conversation is no longer merely about ceasefires or backchannel diplomacy. It is about formalized regional peace structures, economic cooperation, security agreements, and potentially a completely redesigned Middle East order.

That alone is historic.

The original Abraham Accords already shattered decades of assumptions when the UAE and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel in 2020.  Since then, prophecy watchers have increasingly wondered whether the accords could eventually evolve into something much larger -- perhaps even laying groundwork for the covenant described in Daniel.

Yet there is another important detail often overlooked in modern prophecy discussions: Daniel's covenant is specifically connected to a seven-year timeframe.

7 years

Daniel 9:27 says the coming ruler "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week," with the "week" widely understood by prophecy teachers as a seven-year prophetic period.

That distinction matters.

The current peace efforts being discussed in the Middle East are aimed at producing broad, long-term regional stability. President Trump's push for expanded normalization between Israel and Arab nations is not being presented as a temporary seven-year arrangement. There would seemingly be little reason for diplomats to intentionally construct a peace framework designed to expire after exactly seven years.

This is one reason many prophecy scholars caution against immediately labeling every new agreement as the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 itself.

Instead, what may be happening now is something different: the gradual construction of the political architecture that could eventually make such a future covenant possible.

In other words, today's diplomacy may not be the covenant -- but it could help create the environment for a later agreement that fits Daniel's description more precisely.

And this is where discussions surrounding Jerusalem and the Temple Mount become especially significant.

If future negotiations were tied to a highly sensitive issue such as Jewish worship rights on the Temple Mount, shared religious governance, or even authorization connected to a future temple structure, then suddenly the idea of a specific timed arrangement becomes easier to envision. A temporary framework surrounding one of the most explosive religious sites on earth could potentially involve carefully negotiated timelines, guarantees, or phased agreements unlike traditional diplomatic treaties.

Right now that remains speculative.

But even speculation of this kind would have sounded absurd only years ago.

Of course, Christians should be cautious about claiming any one event definitively fulfills prophecy. Scripture warns believers to watch carefully, not speculate recklessly. God's timing often unfolds differently than human expectations.

And there are major obstacles standing in the way.

Several Arab states continue insisting that no true normalization with Israel can happen without the establishment of a Palestinian state.  Nations like Pakistan and Turkey remain deeply hostile toward fully embracing Israel diplomatically. Even Saudi Arabia, once viewed as the crown jewel of future normalization, has reportedly cooled considerably amid the Gaza conflict and regional instability.

In other words, this entire effort could still collapse tomorrow.

But that may actually be part of the prophetic picture itself.

Bible prophecy does not necessarily portray lasting peace -- only the appearance of it. Many prophecy teachers have long warned that any future Middle East agreement could begin as a hopeful diplomatic breakthrough before unraveling into catastrophe.

What makes the current moment especially fascinating is not merely the diplomacy itself, but what could eventually become attached to it.

Increasingly, discussions surrounding Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are entering mainstream geopolitical conversation in ways almost unimaginable a decade ago.

Recent reports have even suggested proposals involving a "multi-faith center" arrangement on the Temple Mount that could expand Jewish prayer rights while altering the long-standing Jordanian custodianship structure over the site. While some officials have denied aspects of those reports, the mere fact such ideas are circulating publicly is extraordinary. 

Why does this matter prophetically?

Because according to many evangelical prophecy teachers a future Jewish temple appears central to end-times prophecy. Daniel's prophecies, Jesus' Olivet Discourse, and the book of Revelation all seem to imply temple activity existing during the Tribulation period.

For years skeptics mocked the idea entirely. There was no political pathway. No Muslim nation would tolerate it. The Temple Mount was simply too explosive.

Yet suddenly the impossible no longer seems quite so impossible.

Could a future regional peace agreement include unprecedented religious concessions in Jerusalem? Could international pressure eventually produce some form of shared administration, expanded Jewish access, or even construction beside the Dome of the Rock?

Right now, such scenarios still sound radical.

But so did Arab-Israeli normalization not very long ago.

There is also another fascinating detail in Daniel's prophecy that many Christians overlook.

Daniel does not say the coming world leader creates the covenant.

He says the ruler will "confirm" it.

That wording has led many prophecy teachers over the years to suggest the Antichrist may not introduce an entirely brand-new peace agreement from nothing. Instead, he could strengthen, expand, enforce, guarantee, or officially confirm an already existing framework or regional arrangement that had been developing beforehand.

That possibility makes current events even more intriguing.

The agreements, coalitions, and normalization efforts taking shape today could eventually become the foundation upon which a future global leader builds something larger and more comprehensive. What begins as diplomatic progress could later evolve into a far more binding covenant under entirely different leadership and under very different global circumstances.

Again, Christians should avoid dogmatism here. Scripture gives important clues, but many prophetic details only become fully clear in hindsight.

This is why many Christians are watching these developments so carefully. Not because every headline fulfills prophecy directly, but because the infrastructure for prophecy appears to be forming in real time. Diplomatic alliances, regional coalitions, discussions about peace guarantees, international security arrangements, and Temple Mount conversations are all converging simultaneously.

The stage appears to be moving into position.

At the same time, believers should resist sensationalism. Jesus Himself warned against date-setting and false certainty. God's prophetic timeline is precise, but human interpretation often is not.

Still, something undeniable is happening in the Middle East.

The old barriers are shifting. Enemies are talking. Former impossibilities are becoming policy discussions. And the very phrase "peace agreement with many nations involving Israel" no longer sounds distant or theoretical.

It sounds increasingly plausible.

Whether these current negotiations ultimately succeed or fail, they reveal something profound: the geopolitical conditions necessary for the kind of covenant described in Daniel are no longer unimaginable.

For students of Bible prophecy, that alone is worth paying attention to.

https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=10015

Understanding That the Rapture is Near Changes How We View World Events

 Where does the Joy of the Lord come from?  Why can we read the news and see the lawlessness, perversion, Islamic takeover, fraud, gay pride, schools advocating for gender confusion, boys winning girl’s track meets, etc…and not come out of our skin?

Because we know WHO is in control and we KNOW what is just around the corner.

The best saying about this is, “it’s not falling out of control, it’s all falling into place.”

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Since I was ten years old, a very long time ago, I have believed in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Even though I didn’t grasp its significance and had much to learn about it, I sensed that it aligned with the words of Scripture.

Even after my seminary studies solidified this conviction, it took a long time for me to fully appreciate all that makes our blessed hope so wonderful. I’m still growing in my gratitude for this precious hope revealed on the pages of God’s Word.

Our adversary has a very different attitude toward it. Over the past few decades, he has greatly intensified his attacks on our anticipation of meeting Jesus in the air to the point where the word “rapture” has become taboo in many churches, even those that claim to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. As a result, much of the mocking of our hope comes from those professing faith in the Lord Jesus.

Rather than dwell any further with the scoffers, I want to emphasize what makes our blessed hope so wonderful and thus a target for our adversary.

A Light Shining in a Dark Place

The world is a very dark place as lawlessness and violence continue to grow mostly unchecked. As I have often stated, I couldn’t cope with the headlines of our day apart from the biblical perspective of prophecy. Peter referred to its illuminating qualities in 2 Peter 1:19, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Scripture illuminates what’s happening in our world as nothing else can. It explains why Satan has ratcheted up his vehement and deadly opposition to the Jewish people. He knows that Israel’s existence signifies his eventual doom and is doing all he can to prevent the fulfillment of what the Bible says will happen when Jesus returns to a repentant Jewish remnant.

What does that have to do with the Rapture? The majority of pastors who say the Rapture is the same event as the Second Coming, or that there’s no such thing, believe that the church is the new Israel and there’s no seven-year Tribulation. They regard the biblical texts that illuminate our way through this dark and murky world as either allegorical of the distant past or descriptive of the last 2,000 years.

In other words, there’s no near-term intervention of the Lord in our world to deal with the wickedness of our day and inaugurate His kingdom. Such teaching reinforces the normalcy bias, the vain hope that things will get better; they always have. Such is the empty expectation of those who don’t recognize that we live in biblical times.

I remember the pastor of an Evangelical Free Church mocking the relevance of Bible prophecy to our day. He accused us of reading the Bible in one hand with a newspaper in the other. It was his way of claiming that we interpreted Scripture based on current events. He didn’t understand what the apostle wrote in 2 Peter 1:19; it’s Bible prophecy that shines the light on the darkness of all that we read about in our violent, corrupt, and lawless world and gives us hope in Jesus’ soon appearing.

An Escape from the Delusions of Life

The second benefit of anticipating Jesus’ soon appearing is that it enables us to escape the delusion that we can find hope in the things of this life. This is something I wish I had learned long ago.

It’s what Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

It’s not that we forgo our aspirations for this life, but it’s a matter of realizing the relative value of temporal things versus eternal realities. Though others might also possess this same perspective, more often than not, it’s an eager anticipation of Jesus’ appearing that produces this eternal outlook. Over time, it’s our focus on our blessed hope that provides us with greater clarity as to what ultimately matters.

I believe this is also what Paul wrote about in Colossians 3:1-4: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

All four verses speak to how the saving message of the cross changes us (see also Romans 6:5-9). Because of the new life we have in Christ, we learn to “seek the things that are above” and set our “minds on things that are above.” Our anticipation of appearing with Jesus in glory when He comes for us is not an afterthought that Paul tacks on to show the Gospel renews our mind; it’s foundational to developing an eternal perspective.

The practice of “waiting for our blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) teaches us how to place a greater importance on eternal realities versus the fleeting aspirations of this life. The silence in so many churches today, regarding the Rapture and eternal life, subtly exalts this life or what lies ahead and focuses the minds of those in the pews on the things of this life.

I have discovered that there’s great freedom in focusing on my hope in Jesus’ soon appearing. That’s why I have learned to cherish the Scriptures that promise a glorious future to all who are in Christ. The long wait for the Rapture has resulted in a greater appreciation for it.

https://harbingersdaily.com/a-light-shining-in-a-dark-place-why-anticipation-of-the-rapture-changes-our-understanding-of-world-events/

New Hamas Leader Terminated

 I can only imagine the headline in the Hamas Newspaper;  “Wanted;  New leader for our terrorist organization.  Must hate Jews and all other faiths, must have military experience, must believe Islam should rule the world, and most important, you must be willing to die at the hands of IDF almost immediately after accepting job.”

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The new head of the Hamas terror group's military wing in Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening, the IDF and Shin Bet domestic intelligence announced on Wednesday morning. 

Mohammed Odeh was killed when the Israel Air Force (IAF) struck the building where he was staying in Gaza City. Odeh was appointed head of the military wing after his predecessor Izz al-Din al-Haddad had been killed in an airstrike 11 days earlier. Odeh had previously led Hamas' intelligence headquarters, where he helped plan the Oct. 7 attack, providing intelligence used to select targets. 

Israeli forces and Shin Bet had been tracking Odeh for several months, attempting to eliminate him and several other Hamas officers.

🔴ELIMINATED: Mohammed Odeh - Head of Hamas’ Military Wing in a strike in northern Gaza.

Odeh served as the Head of Hamas’ military wing following the elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad. As part of his role, he was responsible for planning and coordinating Hamas terrorists’… pic.twitter.com/y1Z7eUaUMd

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 27, 2026

Odeh was reportedly one of the last surviving senior Hamas officers involved in the Oct. 7 planning. 

IDF footage of the strike that eliminated Hamas military wing commander Mohammed Odeh. https://t.co/UtILz97sEKpic.twitter.com/N9qiJM8QGF

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) May 27, 2026

The strike was first reported on Tuesday evening by Palestinian news agencies and was later announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 𝕏, in which he wrote, “We struck Mohammed Odeh in Gaza just now – the leader of the military arm of Hamas and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre. We will get all of them.” 

Defense Minister Israel Katz also announced the strike on his 𝕏 account: “Under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and myself, the IDF is now striking in Gaza against Mohammed Odeh – the new leader of the military wing of the terrorist organization Hamas and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre.” 

“Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” Katz added. 

According to the Saudi A-Sharq Al-Awsatnews agency, Odeh had been working with al-Haddad to "renew the organizational structure” of Hamas after the war.

The strikes that killed Odeh reportedly targeted a nearby apartment where another Hamas operative, said to have been involved in Oct. 7, was staying.

On Wednesday morning, Katz wrote on 𝕏, “The fourth commander of the Hamas terror organization’s military wing in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and sent to meet his partners in the depths of hell.” 

Katz also reiterated the Israeli government’s pledge that Hamas “will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily,” and that the government will implement a voluntary emigration plan for those wishing to leave the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the IDF announced that it had destroyed 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) of Hamas tunnels in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza. 

🎯DISMANTLED: ~11km of underground tunnel routes east of the Yellow Line in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza.

The area served as a central Hamas terrorist stronghold. An underground network built beneath residential homes, public institutions & roads, and used by the… pic.twitter.com/5B5IqPJWrj

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 26, 2026

The tunnel network, located within the Yellow Line area occupied by the IDF, was built under “residential homes, public institutions & roads, and used by the terrorists to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians & IDF troops,” the military said. 

https://allisraelnews.com/new-hamas-military-head-killed-in-gaza-strike-11-days-after-predecessor-eliminated