| Jack Van Impe Ministries International Newsletter
November 8, 2010
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| WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER CONTENTS: | A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE
FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE
CHANGED LIVES REPORT
HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS
PRAYER REQUEST AREA |
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A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE ARMAGEDDON "Armageddon" has come to stand for the most terrible of all wars. The word actually means "mount of Megiddo," referring to a small mountain overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The great valley there has been a battlefield for many conquerors and it will be the focal point of the earth's final conflict. Since the fall of man, earth's population has been training for Armageddon. Every tiny skirmish and world war has been a preliminary to the battle of battles: Armageddon. Following the defeat of Russia and her armies by Israel, the final world dictator, the Antichrist, will be revealed for who he is -- a ruthless, satanically controlled, evil person. The length of his reign after the Israeli defeat of Russia will be three and one-half years (forty-two months; see Rev. 13:5) and during that time he will bring the world to its most violent hour. The World's Most Violent Hour There is considerable speculation as to just what triggers the Battle of Armageddon. Why do the armies of the world gather in the Middle East at the end of the Tribulation period? Is there a rebellion in the kingdom of the Antichrist? What precipitates the final conflict? Although there is mystery surrounding some of these questions, there are a number of certainties about Armageddon. - It takes place at the end of the Tribulation (Rev. 16:16).
- It involves all the nations of the world (Joel 3:12).
- It pits all nations against the Lord and His anointed (Ps. 2).
- It ends with the revelation of Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:11 -- 21).
While many events of the end time are hidden from us, it is not difficult to sort out some important developments during the Tribulation period that lead to the Battle of Armageddon. 1. The Consolidation of the Power of the Antichrist When the Beast (the Antichrist) makes peace with Israel and guarantees her security at the beginning of Daniel's seventieth week, he is not in complete control of the world. Although he is headed for ultimate dictatorship, the earth is at that time still given to considerable nationalism. The Beast will have to fight for total control of the earth. To gain unchallenged dominion, he will have to face the military might of both the Russian confederacy and a powerful Eastern force, probably China. Writing of this international turmoil, Daniel explained: "And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over" (Dan. 11:40). That this crisis is not confined to the northern alliance is made clear by Daniel 11:44: "But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many." Following the miraculous defeat of the Russian armies and their allies for Israel's sake, the Antichrist will vent his fury against the massive Eastern force of 200 million that is moving toward the Middle East to challenge his power. The casualties in this confrontation will total one-third of the world's population. Here is John's description of the struggle and slaughter: "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For this power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt" (Rev. 9:15 -- 19). It is not difficult to envision nuclear weaponry here, and in the populous Eastern nations the destruction unleashed by the Antichrist will be dreadful. With all the world subservient to him, the final world dictator will deify himself, demanding worship in the Jews' temple in Jerusalem. He will then assume total economic control, requiring his mark in the hand or forehead in order for a person to transact any business. The Beast will rule the earth, assisted by the false prophet and energized by Satan. The entire world will be under the control of a satanic trinity: "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:4 -- 8). It is clear then that all opposition to the Beast will finally be put down, making him a world dictator. Threats from the north, the south, and the east will be overcome. "...therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious mountain..." (Dan. 11:44,45). The Antichrist will have accomplished the dream of Hitler, Napoleon, the Caesars, and others. He will be dictator of the world. 2. The 144,000 Converted Jews Another important factor as the world moves toward Armageddon will be the conversion to Christ of 144,000 Jews -- 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel (see Rev. 7). The result of their missionary activity during history's most difficult time will be phenomenal. They will reap converts from all nations, even though conversion will mean martyrdom for many (Rev. 7:9 -- 17). The message of these 144,000 Hebrew Christian evangelists will be the gospel of the kingdom -- that is, it will be the gospel with a kingdom emphasis. They will be announcing the coming kingdom of Christ, and during their ministry Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." In his book, The Jews and Armageddon, Milton B. Lindberg describes the work of the 144,000 Jews as follows: The Gospel of Christ has a number of descriptive designations because of a variety of emphases. In Matthew 24 it is called the "gospel of the kingdom" because the emphasis in its proclamation will be upon the Saviour's near return to set up His kingdom.... How these redeemed sons of Israel will delight to proclaim the good news of salvation with the added emphasis that at last the long-looked-for kingdom is about to be established. At long last, the Messianic hopes of Israel are to be realized. Jerusalem is to be the capital of Messiah's kingdom. Israel's Messiah is to be king over all the earth (Zech. 14:9). An added dimension to the kingdom message of the 144,000 servants of God will be their ability to announce the approximate time of the Lord's return. Tribulation chronology will make this possible. A number of prophecies state that the rule of the final world dictator will continue for three and one-half years after breaking the agreement for peace with Israel. Daniel described this period as "a time and times and the dividing of time" (Dan. 7:25). John similarly spoke of "a time, and times, and a half a time" (Rev. 12:14). Becoming more specific, he wrote: "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months" (Rev. 13:5). Armed then with the evidence of fulfilled prophecy and the unfolding Tribulation drama, these end-time messengers will reap a great harvest. To quote Lindberg again: When the 144,000 begin to preach the Gospel, they will be given a hearing. Even today the world loves to hear the testimony of those who, like Paul, having hated Christ and persecuted the church, now proclaim the grace of God. Not only will these transformed Jews have a hearing, but as Revelation 7 indicates, their preaching will result in "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" coming out of the Great Tribulation, having "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." What a mighty revival will result when these enemies of Jesus Christ become His devoted servants! Onward sweeps the revival in mighty power, drawing multitudes to faith in Christ. It is not difficult to imagine the reaction of the world dictator to these who publicly proclaim the end of his reign and announce the coming kingdom of Christ. His anger will explode in an avalanche of persecution. Multitudes will be martyred. There will be no Sunday-go-to-meeting Christians during the Tribulation. Great numbers will be called upon to seal their testimonies with blood.
FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE Through the Eyes of a Child Just last week I met and talked with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. Right away I said, 'You look so sad!" I could tell by her eyes. Certainly our eyes do serve as a barometer of our inner being and can express deep-rooted feelings and emotions without a word being spoken. The English poet William Blake said our eyes are "windows of the soul." I'm sure you've noticed that the eyes of those around you communicate in a dramatic way their state of mind-anger, fear, mischief, tenderness, love, excitement, boredom, etc. Doctors often look into the eyes of their patients while examining them to determine their state of health. So it's not really surprising to discover that the Bible has much to say about our eyes-there are numerous references throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Only recently have I begun to comprehend just how important our eyes are to our spiritual well-being-that where we look and what we see help determine who we are and what we become. The Apostle John speaks of the lust of the eyes (1 John 2:16), and Peter warns against those having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin (2 Peter 2:14). The psalmist, recognizing that what is fed into our eyes affects what we become, affirms, I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes (Psalm 101:3). And the Apostle Paul, in what may be my life's foundation verse, urges us to continue looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The lesson of a look Several years ago, our ministry had an open house in which we invited friends and partners to come tour our World Outreach Center and visit personally with Dr. Van Impe and me and our staff. About 1,500 people toured our headquarters in a single afternoon-it was wonderful to greet so many friends. I couldn't help noticing how many little children came through with their parents. And inevitably, when I looked down at them, they would be looking directly into my eyes. I would find myself kneeling to get to their eye level... and happily, many times they ended up in my arms. But I began noticing how children look at the world. They spend a lot of time looking up! And when they encounter an adult, they look into his or her face, up into the eyes. Children are very perceptive. They can tell, almost at a glance, if a person is friendly or menacing, if they can trust the person or should run away. By looking into the eyes of the adults around them, they sense if they are welcome or are intruding. And they can tell almost instantly if their parents are pleased with them or disapproving. Jack and I were having breakfast at a little pancake house not long ago when a mother and her two children came in. They sat at a nearby table-the little boy was unceremoniously dumped into a high chair and the little girl thumped into a chair across from the mother. Once seated, she paid little attention to the youngsters, staring away from them, with a disgruntled look on her face. When the little boy peered up at the chandelier, pointed a chubby finger and said, "See! See!"-her response was a terse, "Eat!" And when the little girl squirmed and tried insistently to get her mother's attention, the unseeing, uncaring reply was, "Be quiet- sit up." When Jack and I finished eating and he went to pay the bill, I walked over to the table where this mother and her youngsters were sitting. "You are so fortunate," I said. With a bit of a start, she asked, "Why?" "You have such beautiful children-they are so sweet." I said. Then I leaned down and looked into the eyes of the little boy and said, "You are so good." My reward was a bright, innocent smile. "I'm good too," said the little girl. "I know you are, honey," I acknowledged. "What a sweet sister you are...and so pretty!" With just those few words, the child blossomed like a rose. The mother barely smiled, even during the little conversation I was having with her children-she hardly responded, managing a mumbled "Thank you" as I walked away. I couldn't help wondering how many children are rebuffed and desensitized by parents whose eyes are too full of other things to really see and respond to their own youngsters. Suffer the little children No wonder children were attracted to our Saviour during His earthly ministry. The New Testament tells how the children thronged about Him until the disciples were going to send them away. But the Lord said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God (Mark 10:14). The Bible doesn't tell us specifically, but I'm very sure each of those little ones came close to the Lord and looked up into His face, directly into His eyes. What they saw there-love, acceptance, safety-made them relax and feel free. I think they wanted to climb up onto His lap and just be near Him. Many learned and wise theologians have speculated about the meaning of Jesus' words concerning children and the kingdom of God. Certainly I do not claim to have greater knowledge or wisdom than they have. But I have my own idea about what He meant. Perhaps He was suggesting that if we looked up into His eyes more often, we would find the peace, direction, and strength we need for our lives. We can find the answer for guilt, sorrow, pain, and loneliness in our Saviour's loving gaze. Keep your eyes on Jesus Our problems come when we take our eyes off Jesus, when we look away from His love, guidance, strength, and sustaining power. The Gospel of Matthew relates the thrilling story of Peter walking on the water toward Jesus. The Lord had come to the disciples as their boat was tossed by a stormy sea. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and to sink (Matthew 14:30). I've found in my own experience that when I felt life's problems were about to overwhelm me, it was because I had taken my eyes off Jesus and fixed them on my troubles. When I looked to Him, He saw me through. From time to time, I meet an individual who is disillusioned-even cynical-about the Church. Sometimes they say they have lost their faith-they don't believe in anything anymore. As I visit with people like this, I usually discover that they have been disappointed in the mistakes and failures of a particular religious leader-their eyes had been fixed on a man. Once they looked back to Jesus, the bitterness and disillusionment lost its intensity, and the healing love of Christ could make them over again. One of the most beautiful and powerful verses in all of the Bible, for me, is found in Matthew's account of Peter, James, and John at the transfiguration of Christ. After the disciples had bowed down in the awesome presence of God, Jesus told them not to be afraid. And the scripture says-And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only (Matthew 17:8). No wonder Jesus said we should become as little children to enter the kingdom of God. Their eyes are focused in the right direction. Lord help us to keep our eyes on You...to seek Your will by looking into Your face-through the eyes of a child!
CHANGED LIVES-one at a time My husband and I look forward to these e-mails and your TV program as we are discouraged with all that is happening in this world but get great hope when listening and reading your prophecy reports. Thank you so much and we pray for the ministry God has blessed you with. Tony and Janelle I get your newsletter and always look forward to what you have to teach, Jack, and look forward to the wisdom Rexella will bring, along with her encouragement. I have been having a hard time staying on top of things, your message Rexella was very uplifting, I used to be an addict for Jesus. I still have it in me, but I don't have it stirred up. You reminded me today in your newsletter where I used to be with the Lord, I believe the Holy Spirit through you has begun to create a stir. Thank you. Would love to meet you some day. Your friend, P. E.
HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS With each prophetic tick of the clock, we find ourselves one moment closer to the day of Christ's appearing. Yet Armageddon is not the end of the world, it is the beginning of a new era - a glorious New Millennium. When the risen Christ returns to earth at the close of the Great Tribulation, He will reconcile all creation to Himself - and usher in a thousand-year era of peace and righteousness such as the world has never known. Readers will find within the pages of Coming Soon: Earth's Golden Age fascinating answers to their questions about the coming of earth's "golden age," including: - How will God heal the planet in the aftermath of Armageddon
- What part will believers play in the Millennial Kingdom?
- What will spiritual life be like in the Millennium?
- Why will the Millennial kingdom fall short of absolute perfection?
- What will happen as the Millennium draws to a close?
For everyone who has limited his or her understanding of end-times events to the study of Armageddon, this fascinating look at the thousand-year reign of Christ will be a joyous study of the new Millennium. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils I Timothy 4:1 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. II Timothy 3:13 Will everyone be in Heaven? Are there many paths to follow to get there? Can anyone get to Heaven without the Lord Jesus Christ? In this world of Political Correctness the answers are shocking. The very foundations of Christianity are under attack. Drs. Jack & Rexella Van Impe meet these attacks head on in this fascinating new video Christianity Seduced. They stand for Biblical Correctness - "...let God be true, but every man a liar..." (Romans 3:4). In this amazing study you will discover that the New Age teaching is nothing new but has been around since Satan first spoke in the Garden of Eden.
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