Talk of the last days is common in these troubled times. And this eschatological discussion has an element of hope, as if believers are looking forward to everything Scripture says is to come.
But Joel Richardson, bestselling author of “The Islamic Antichrist” and the host of the new teaching series “The Battle for Jerusalem,” warns it will be a time of terrible trials for Christians, as their faith is put to the ultimate test.
In “The Battle for Jerusalem,’ Richardson argues the Olivet Discourse delivered by Jesus Christ is of crucial importance to day.
“Just before he hung on a cross, this was the message he wanted to embed into the minds of his disciples and it’s amazing!” exclaimed Richardson. “This is his clearest, most detailed sermon on the end times.”
Richardson argues the passage has been unnecessarily complicated and obfuscated by commentators. He offers a detailed explanation of the passage and says the message is quite clear.
“The Olivet Discourse is a sermon on the great tribulation that is coming to the Jewish people,” Richardson explained. “And it’s natural that He says I’m going to judge the nations, I’m going to judge the Gentiles, based on how they responded to this coming, the worst crisis that the world has ever faced.”
Richardson, who has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East interviewing and working with Middle Eastern Christians and other oppressed groups, says the persecution the Jewish people have experienced is only the beginning of wait awaits during the tribulation.
“As you walk through the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem, the Shoah Museum, and you look at what was carried out with the systematic industrialized extermination of six million Jewish people, recognize the fact that the Scriptures are saying that this was a warm-up,” Richardson said. “It was a prelude to that which is coming, something far worse is coming. And you’ll begin to understand why Jesus made it such a priority, why this would be such a crucial issue.”
Richardson argued the treatment of the Jewish people will be of crucial importance to the God of Israel.
“I will judge them on behalf of My people, My inheritance Israel,” said Richardson of God’s teachings in the Bible. “Why, what have they done?… They’ve scattered my people, they’ve divided up my land.”
Richardson cautioned Israel will suffer greatly during the Tribulation.
“The scattering of my people is yet to come, during the Great Tribulation, many of the inhabitants of the land will be taken as prisoners of war to the surrounding nations,” he said. “We don’t know how many, but the prophets speak of this quite consistently. And it says they’ve cast lots for my people.”
REMARKABLE SECRETS about what is to come revealed at last. “The Coming Battle for Jerusalem,” the explosive new teaching from New York Times bestselling author Joel Richardson. Available now at the WND Superstore. Available now at the WND Superstore.
It sounds far-fetched, almost fantastic. And yet Richardson observed these kinds of events are occurring in the Middle East right now, to the indifference of the world.
“You look at what ISIS is doing now, selling people in the market like slaves, trading people like cattle,” he said sadly. “Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims, anybody who’s not like them. ‘They’ve cast lots for my people,’ it speaks of the same thing happening in the days ahead. And it reads, ‘Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.’ So Joel chapter 3 is a profound statement of the Lord Himself judging the nations because of how they treated Israel. And in the Olivet discourse, Jesus makes the exact same statement. Throughout Matthew 24 he speaks of an unparalleled Tribulation, something terrible that’s yet to come in the land of Judah, and it says I’m going to judge the nations based on how they treated My people.”
Richardson outlined exactly what this means.
“When they saw them naked, did they clothe them? When they were homeless did they take them in? When they were hungry did they feed them? And so again, I just want to reiterate that the church is not preparing for that which the Scriptures clearly declare is going to happen.
“Now does this mean it’s only for the Jews and we won’t be judged based on how we treated our Christian brothers and sisters? No. Because the Christian brothers and sisters right now all over the world are being persecuted, are being hated, are being tormented and we need to stand with them and clothe them and feed them and identify them and stand in solidarity and do all that we can to help them right now. There’s no question about that. But there’s something even greater that’s coming.”
In “The Battle for Jerusalem,” Richardson provides an in depth exploration of the Olivet Discourse and many of the other Scriptural passages which are critically important to any analysis of the end times. However, ultimately Richardson preaches a message of compassion and faith and a deeply personal, intimate calling for each Christian who views this series.
“Jesus said it’s easy to love those that are like you, it’s easy to love those that you’re friends with,” he said. “But many in Israel are not believers, they’re not Christians. What about them? And are you willing to lay down your life to save Muslims? What if Muslims are being tormented, persecuted? Yazidis? That’s what Christians are doing right now in Northern Iraq, they’re laying down their lives to save good families, Muslims, Yazidis, Shia Muslims that are fleeing the tormentors of ISIS because that’s what right to do. And there were righteous gentiles during the Holocaust, there were Muslims that were among the righteous Gentiles, there were Christians, there were unbelievers that laid down their lives for the Jewish people.
“This I believe is actually one of the most insanely important and yet very real applications of the issues of the end times that the church needs to get a hold of. We need to understand this and we need to begin preparing now.”
REMARKABLE SECRETS about what is to come revealed at last. “The Coming Battle for Jerusalem,” the explosive new teaching from New York Times bestselling author Joel Richardson. Available now at the WND Superstore. Available now at the WND Superstore.
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