THE SHOMAIR SHOFAR
Issue No. 10
Recent news, showing the return of Yeshua HaMashiach draws near....
Brief summary of recently published news reports...
Shomair Yisrael Messianic Congregation, Knoxville, Tennessee
Blow the [shofar] in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the L ORD is coming, for it is at hand. (Joel 2:1)
INTRODUCTION. More than one-fourth of the Bible is prophecy– much of it end-time (last days) prophecy. Old and New Testament
prophets, as well as Yeshua, have given us a consistent scenario of the last days. We have been commanded to stand watch for ourselves,
our families, and our neighbors. “The Shomair Shofar” is a sample of media reports from around the world. We briefly summarize some
reports and provide an Internet address, whereby you can read the entire report by clicking the underlined Web address. We may offer
interpretations. We hope “The Shomair Shofar” will help you keep abreast of current events from a Biblical perspective. The editor is
Raymond Finney, who is referred to by first person pronouns in the newsletter. I am responsible for all statements, and I may be contacted
at [email protected] . Scriptures are from The New King James Version (© Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
WARS, CONTINUED SERIES. In last week's newsletter, I briefly discussed the War of Gog and Magog. In this newsletter, I will discuss a
series of wars during the Tribulation. The first three newsletters in this series may be read at:
●-http://syknox.org/portfolio-items/shomair-shofar-7th-edition/ (The “Black Swan Event” – an electromagnetic pulse
[EMP] event),
●-http://syknox.org/portfolio-items/shomair-shofar-8th-edition/ (The Psalm 83 War), and
●-http://syknox.org/portfolio-items/shomair-shofar-9th-edition/ (The War of Gog and Magog).
THE TRIBULATION. In today's newsletter, I will summarize briefly wars that will occur during the Tribulation.
What is the Tribulation? The Tribulation is a seven-year period (7 x 360 days), which is the last period of time in God's calendar before
Yeshua returns to earth (Yeshua's Second Coming). “Tribulation” translates the Greek thlipsis, which translated to English is “pressure,”
“affliction,” or “trouble." Yeshua warned of this terrible time (Matthew 24:21-22): [Yeshua said] “For then there will be great tribulation,
such as has not been since the beginning of time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be
saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.” The Tribulation is also called “Jacob's trouble” (see Jeremiah 30:7).
Jacob, an ancestor of the Jews, had his name changed to Israel. Therefore, Jacob's trouble = Israel's trouble. A purpose of the Tribulation is
to restore Jews to a right relationship with God, and God will use a time of trouble for this restoration.
Will you live during the Tribulation? There are different theories on whether Believers will be spared from the Tribulation or live through
part or all of this period. Interpreters offer Scriptures to “prove” the various theories. I do not have space to discuss these theories. The two
most common theories are based on whether Yeshua returns (Resurrection/ Rapture) before the Tribulation (pre-Tribulation Rapture) or in
the middle of the Tribulation (mid-Tribulation Rapture). Whichever theory is correct, there has always existed the belief in the imminent
return of Yeshua. That is, a Believer should always be ready to meet Yeshua, whether it is by rapture or by death.
Why will there be a Tribulation? Many persons question God's plan, even though long recorded in Scriptures, by asking something like:
“Why will a loving God permit anything as horrendous as the Tribulation?”
I have ideas-- partial answers, at best– that God desires a final conflict between good and evil in order that good can prevail and that He
desires rebellious Jews and Gentiles to be broken by the Tribulation to come to a saving knowledge of His majesty trough the Savior
Yeshua. In truth, the answer to this question is a mystery. Even the Apostle Paul lamented the many mysteries he could not answer (1
Corinthians 13:12): For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am
also known.
●-COMMENT: In Paul's time, mirrors were made of polished metal, not glass. How could Paul hope to see God through a sheet of polished
metal? He would only see his reflection, not God. Paul wrote several times about mysteries of God. A mystery is the hidden will or hidden
meaning of God, not yet known by– or even knowable by– man. You should not be upset by God's mysteries. Your lack of deciphering
God's mysteries means only one thing– you are human. Let God be God. He knows infinitely more than we can know and understand
(Isaiah 55:8-9): “For your thoughts are not My thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the L ORD. “For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts [higher] than your thoughts.”
●-ILLUSTRATION: I am the father of four and grandfather of two. When my children/ grandchildren were young, they went through an
exasperating phase, common to most children. Every time I tried to instruct them (safety, manners, etc.), they would ask, “Why?” I would
explain again, followed by, “Why?” After a few rounds of this senseless questioning, I would answer, “Because I'm your daddy (grandaddy)...
that's why.” As a child of God, we should follow God's will, as recorded in Holy Scriptures, without constantly questioning His motives. It is
enough to know that God has plans that we cannot know or understand. Personally, I am content with letting God be God. If God should
ever want or need my help in ruling the Universe, He knows how to reach me. Until I receive that call, it is foolish for me to question
(accuse) His methods.
REVEALED: THE “MAN OF PEACE” – NO, THE MAN OF WAR. During the seven-year Tribulation, God will unleash twenty-one
judgments on mankind. These judgments, arranged in three groups of seven, are: seal judgments (Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1); trumpet
judgments (Revelation 8:7-13; 9:1-6, 16; 11:15-19); and vial (bowl) judgments (Revelation 16:2-12, 18).
The first judgment (the First Seal Judgment) is the revelation of Satan's agent on earth, a totally evil man called by various names in the
Bible, but most commonly called the Antichrist (Revelation 6:1-2): Now when I [John] saw when the Lamb [Yeshua] opened one of the
[seven] seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and
behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
This title of this man, Antichrist, sums up his missions for Satan. The prefix “anti-” can mean either “opposed to” or “in place of.” The
Antichrist will be opposed to HaMashiach (the Messiah), as he will persecute (martyr) Believers and Jews, will seek to destroy JudeoChristian faith, and will desecrate the newly built Third Temple. The Antichrist will seek to be worshiped in place of God and to be followed
instead of HaMashiach (the Messiah). He will be a man who appears to be a man of peace, but has nothing but war in his heart (a bow
without arrows is a false illusion of peace, but his desire is to conquer the peoples of the world). The reference to the white horse is mimicry
of Yeshua, who will return to earth as Lord of lords and King of kings mounted on a white horse, the symbol of a conquering leader (see
Revelation 19:11-16). The next three seal judgments, also depicted as riders on colored horses, are rider on the red horse (Revelation 6:34, depicting war, with the “great sword” surely being a reference to nuclear weaponry); rider on the black horse (Revelation 6:5-6, famine);
and rider on the pale green horse (Revelation 6:7-8, mass deaths due to ravages of war, starvation, and pandemics, probably from diseases
carried by animal vectors). Starvation and disease are common consequences of war. John further describes the Antichrist as the “beast out
of the sea,” indicating his worldwide dominance and authority (see Revelation 13:1-10). He will use another beast, the “beast out of the
earth,” whose sham religion will be to worship Satan and the Antichrist, to lull people into false hope, and to enslave the world due to his
infamous “mark of the beast (see Revelation 3:11-18). From the beginning of the Tribulation, the Unholy Trinity– Satan, the Antichrist, and
the False Prophet– work tirelessly to defeat the Holy Trinity– God the Father, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit.
In the following text, I seemingly list wars in numerical order– first, second, etc. The Bible gives a general, but not a specific,
outline of the future. Tribulation wars may occur somewhat in the order I have listed, but may not be as precisely and
sequentially spaced as the listing suggests. The ending of one war may overlap the beginning of another, and there may be
ongoing wars throughout the entire Tribulation. The Tribulation will be a time of extreme chaos, perpetration of evil, and death
A FIRST TRIBULATION WAR (PROBABLY CONVENTIONAL WAR). A major world war will erupt shortly after the Tribulation commences.
It appears the Antichrist will seize power first in Europe (see Daniel 8:23), but his goal is to conquer and rule the entire world. The first of the
Antichrist's wars will be part of the Fourth Seal Judgment (Revelation 6:8b): [Death, the rider on the pale green horse, followed by
Hades] was given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. This
horrific war– and such consequences of war as hunger and pestilences– will result in the deaths of one-fourth of the world's population.
A SECOND TRIBULATION WAR (PROBABLY NUCLEAR WAR). The first war, fought with conventional weapons, will escalate into an
even more dangerous war, a nuclear war. Many nuclear weapons owned by multiple nations can be called into play (Revelation 9:15-18):
So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now
the army of the horsemen [soldiers] was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I [John] saw the horses in the
vision; those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were
like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was
killed– by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. This army progressing toward the Antichrist's
army represents the “Kings of the East,” or oriental nations. We read that the progress of this massive army is facilitated by drying up the
Euphrates River, which is the Sixth Bowl (Vial) Judgment (Revelation 16:12): Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great
river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. The Antichrist's
intelligence reports will alert him of the coming danger (Daniel 11:44): [The angel said] “But news from the east and north shall trouble
[the willful king, a title for the Antichrist]; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. Understand these
points from the cited Scriptures:
●-”Fire, smoke, and brimstone” probably represent mushroom clouds of nuclear weapons. John lacked experience to prepare his mind for a
vision of such destructive weapons, and he described the explosions as best as he could. John also hinted of nuclear warfare in Revelation
8:7, the First Trumpet Judgment: The first angel sounded [his trumpet of judgment]: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood,
and they were thrown down to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
●-John was equally amazed at an army of two-hundred million soldiers. John had no word for such a large number. The original Greek text
reads: ”two ten thousands of ten thousand” (2 x 10,000 x 10,000 = 200,000,000). At the time John wrote down his vision from Yeshua, there
may not have even been 200,000,000 persons in the world. But, John was emphatic that this army will have this many soldiers, and he
repeated, “I heard this number of them.” Nations of the Far East (China and others) have well over a billion persons, with a preponderance
of males (due in part to China's one-child family planning program). China alone has 200,000,000 soldiers on active or reserve duty status.
Add to that soldiers from the other “kings” (Vietnam, North Korea, etc.) and a 200,000,000-man army is certainly feasible.
●-The Euphrates River was a historic obstacle to transport of troops and supplies between the Far East and more western lands (including
Israel). In John's time, a large army would plan to cross this river with great hesitancy. Much of the Euphrates River (90%) originates in
Turkey, with the remainder (10%) in Syria. The Atatürk Dam across the Euphrates River was completed in 1990, and smaller dams have
been constructed. It is now possible to cut off the Euphrates River's flow (“dry up its water,” as John recorded) by the system of dams. Such
stoppage of the river's flow would facilitate crossing by the army of the kings of the east. And, air warfare (planes, missiles) can be
conducted without regard for flow of water in the Euphrates.
●-The Himalayan Mountains, home to some of the highest peaks in the world, could present an obstacle for a ground army pressing toward
Israel from the east. Years ago, China started construction on a Trans-Himalayan Highway across this rugged terrain and headed toward
Israel. Such a highway would make no sense, except that God might need such a highway to fulfill prophecy. Highway construction in such
a remote part of the world does not interest many news reporters, and I can find little information about the present status of this highway.
●-Although John recorded approximate numbers, at this point enormous loss of life has occurred (one-fourth plus one-third).
●-Understand that large armed forces are now being positioned like chess pieces in the Middle East chessboard for the ultimate, final
battle– the Battle of Armageddon.
A THIRD TRIBULATION WAR. This war, a supernatural war, occurs “in the heavens.” The timing of this war could be around the middle of
the Tribulation. This war will be fought by Satan and his demons against the angels of God. Satan has always tried to depose God.
Realizing his time is short, Satan will make bold attempts to defeat God. MYSTERY: We cannot understand why an omnipotent (allpowerful) God would permit Satan to have such power and to even be allowed to exist and continue to cause trouble. Some day in Heaven,
I hope we can sit with fellow Believers and have all of these mysteries explained to us. I expect to be completely amazed, as “all the pieces
of the puzzle” neatly fall into place and my spiritual eyes are opened. This war is described in:
●-Daniel 10:14, 20b: [The angel said] “Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days,
for the vision refers to many days yet to come. || … And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia [now Iran];....”
●-Revelation 12:9-10, 12b: Then I [John] heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of His [Messiah] have come, for the accuser of our brethren [Satan], who accused them before our God day
and night, has been cast down.... || … For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a
short time.” A vicious Satan, knowing Bible prophecy more than we do, will persecute God's people, Jews and Believers.
A FOURTH TRIBULATION WAR. Believers/ Christians and Jews have always been hated by Satan and Satan's followers, whether
intentionally (direct hatred) or by default (allowing Satanic evil to fill their hearts and minds because of absence of God in their lives). God,
through the Holy Spirit, has been suppressing evil against God's children. Part of the Holy Spirit's functions (influence) will leave earth with
the Rapture, giving Satan unimpeded access to foment evil during the Tribulation. The Unholy Trinity will have remaining this one and only
chance to replace the Holy Trinity, and vicious warring against Believers/ Christians and Jews will be unleashed.
Jews are especially hated by Satan for at least these reasons: (1)-They are God's Chosen People; (2)-God desired that they provide the
Scriptures throughout the world; (3)-The Messiah, whom we believe is Yeshua, came from the Jews; and (4)-God has fulfilled His promise to
bring them out of worldwide dispersal to the Promised Land of Israel (Ezekiel, chapters 36 and 37), and He promises to graft them back into
His holy tree and bring them to salvation through Yeshua (Romans, chapter 11).
Because of the Antichrist's power, there will be another Jewish Holocaust during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:2b): … The dragon [Satan]
gave him [the beast– [he Antichrist] his power, his throne, and great authority. Yeshua stated that conditions would dramatically
deteriorate in the last half of the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation (see Matthew 24:12).
Fairly early into the Tribulation, Believers/ Christians will be martyred (Revelation 6:9-11– the Fifth Seal Judgment): When [Yeshua]
opened the fifth seal, I saw under [God's] altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony
which they held. And [the martyrs] cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge
our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they
should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they
were, was completed.
Christians will be hunted like hated animals and killed. We see the vicious, genocidal hatred by ISIS and other terrorists in the Middle East,
as Believers/ Christians are raped, beaten, driven from their homes, crucified, and beheaded. Interestingly, murder by beheading will be
practiced during the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4b): … Then I [John] saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness
to [Yeshua] and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast [the Antichrist] or his image, and had not received mark....
Presently, execution by beheading is only practiced in Islamic countries and by Islamic terrorist groups. Execution by beheading may
suggest that Islam will be an important part of the Antichrist's government. Several recent books have been written, which suggest that the
Antichrist will be a Muslim. Both Islam and Christianity share certain similarities:
STATUS OF ISLAM
NUMBER
STATUS OF THE BODY OF MESSIAH
Nominal (name only) or weakly moderate Muslims,
practicing little or selectively practicing what is written in
the Koran
◄ Large majority ►
Nominal (name only) or weakly moderate Christians/
Believers, practicing little or selectively practicing what
is written in the Bible
Fundamentalist Muslims, striving to practice faithfully
everything written in the Koran and Hadith
◄ Small minority ►
Fundamentalist Christians/ Believers, striving to practice
faithfully everything written in the Bible
A fundamentalist Muslim can find verses in the Koran to kill the People of the Book (Jews) and Polytheists (Christians, Believers). They use
these jihad verses to justify the atrocities we now see in the Middle East. Read the Koran's war (jihad) verses at:
www.thereligionofpeace.com/quran/023-violence.htm . Shia Islam, the religion of Iran, is particularly worrisome. Shia Islam
teaches that Allah will send the Twelfth Imam (Imam Mahdi) – along with Mohammad, Isa (“Jesus”), and other prophets– to destroy Judaism
and Christianity and give people the choice of conversion to Islam or death. Shia Islam also teaches that the Mahdi will be sent only at a
time of world chaos (war), and they long to start a war– any war– to hasten the appearance of the Mahdi. Isa (“Jesus”) will be the
executioner of those who previously followed Him but who refuse to convert to Islam. Many governments of the world have been paralyzed
by the recent mass migration of Muslims from the Middle East into Europe and (soon into America). Watch these migrants. They mostly are
males between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Older men, women, and children are infrequently seen. Are these men rushing out of the
Middle East for humanitarian reasons, or to establish Islamic terrorist armies?
The Body of Yeshua (the Church) began with great persecution. Prior to Emperor Constantine (fourth century AD), the Roman Empire
blamed followers of Yeshua for all wrongs of the Roman Empire, and killed them at every chance. Yeshua's Church will end the same way
as it started– in a time of great danger, persecution, and martyrdom. The early Church was strongest and most vibrant during the Roman
persecution. We should expect the final Church to be strong and vibrant during the Antichrist's persecution.
Some Jews will retreat to safety in the wilderness, where they will be protected by God (Revelation 12:5-9a, 1314, 17): She [Israel] bore a male Child [Yeshua] who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her
Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness [Jordan?], where
she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon [Satan]... and his angels
[demons], but they did not prevail.... || Now when the dragon [Satan] saw that he had been cast to earth,
he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child [Mary, a Jewish virgin, gave birth to the male Child, Yeshua]. But the
woman [Israel] was given two wings of a great eagle [air rescue?], that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is
nourished for a time and times and half a time [three and one-half years], from the presence of the serpent [Satan]. || And the
dragon [Satan] was enraged with the woman [Israel], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [Believers,
Christians], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of [Yeshua HaMashiach]. The Bible does not name the
place of refuge in the wilderness. Many scholars suggest that the refuge may be Petra, an ancient city hewn into the cliffs of Jordan. Part of
the reason Petra is suspected is the prophecy that God will not permit the Antichrist to conquer Jordan during the end-time rebellion (see
Daniel 11:41). (See a photograph in this paragraph of one of the buildings of Petra hewn out of rock.)
Two-thirds of Jews will be killed by the Antichrist during the Tribulation (Zechariah 13:8-9): “And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
says the LORD, “that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the
fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold us tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will
say, 'This is My people;' and each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'”
WARNING!
Never Accept the Mark of the Beast! Your Eternal Soul Lies in the Balance!
If you take away only one thing from this newsletter, make it the warning contained in this box.
We do not know with certainty whether a Believer will be spared the Tribulation (pre-tribulation Rapture) or will live
during part of it (mid-tribulation Rapture). You could face a most important dilemma– whether to accept or refuse
the mark of the Beast. The mark of the Beast is described in Revelation 13:16-18. Most prophecy students believe
this “mark” may be an implantable microchip (an electronic device about the size of a grain of rice) inserted under
the skin, which transmits information (location, business transactions, and so forth) to a global positioning satellite,
which transmits data to a bank of high-speed computers on earth. By this system, the Antichrist can keep track of
each citizen, locate him/ her within a one-yard radius, and know many details about his/ her life and habits.
Components of this system are commercially available today. All that is lacking is the political will to impose this
system. The False Prophet will have that will and impose it upon every living person. To accept the mark is to lose
the right to enter Heaven. Why would the mark be any worse than owning a credit card? Both are used for
commerce. To be eligible to receive the mark, a person may need to accept (worship) the Unholy Trinity. This loyal
worship may be necessary, because the mark is a program of the False Prophet's blasphemous religion.
●-If you refuse the mark, you will be cut off from society and might even be killed, BUT you will will preserve your
eligibility to enter Heaven.
●-If you accept the mark, you will be granted societal privileges for a short time, BUT you will be sentenced to an
eternity in Hell.
Read Revelation 14:9-11: Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast
[the Antichrist] and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of
the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone [in Hell] in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke
of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image,
and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Remember this warning and teach your family. Your temporary privileges to buy and sell pale in comparison to the
value of your eternal soul (Matthew 16:26): [Yeshua said] “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
THE PUZZLE PIECES ARE FALLING INTO PLACE. Until recently, people read Daniel, Revelation, and other prophetic books of the Bible,
having no understanding of what they read. When Israel was reborn in 1948, Bible prophecy began to make sense. As Yeshua said, the fig
tree of Israel budded (came to life) in 1948 (see Matthew 24:32-34). By this budding of the tree in 1948, we can be assured that summer is
near. Summer is the season of harvest. All the souls for God's Kingdom will soon be harvested– within the time frame of that generation
alive in May, 1948. Bible prophecies should no longer present a puzzle for us. “Puzzle pieces” are coming into sharper focus nearly every
day, and these pieces can be placed on the “puzzle board” of time to solve mysteries that befuddled Daniel, Paul, and generations of others
Believers. We belong to a most favored generation. God is solving the mysteries of the ages before our very eyes! Unfortunately, most
pastors and congregants could care less, seeming content to remain ignorant of Bible prophecy.
NEXT NEWSLETTER. In the next newsletter, I will conclude this series on end-time wars. I will discuss the Battle of Armageddon, the
Second Coming of Yeshua, the Millennial Kingdom, and the Second War of Gog and Magog. Then, we will have victory in the Lord, with all
wars forever ended!
KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS, WITH A BIBLE IN ONE HAND AND A NEWSPAPER OR COMPUTER KEYBOARD IN
THE OTHER. TODAY'S NEWS WAS WRITTEN BY GOD'S PROPHETS MANY CENTURIES AGO!
COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS: [email protected]
Yeshua said:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end
is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6)
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)