Is The Covenant At Camp David the Seven Year Covenant the Bible Designates as the Beginning of the Tribulation?
First we must remember that Satan is a deceiver and will play us into believing that the Bible is a lie. The Bible states that the devil has the capability of deceiving the whole world, which means that his deception is powerful.
The Bible also states that believers have the truth in the Scriptures which is our anchor.
Who have the leading roles in the final play but Israel, the Antichrist and Jesus Christ Himself. To get a handle on what is going on right now we have to define the players: the Antichrist, Israel and Jesus Christ relative to this part of the Bible. We will use only Scripture with a few explanations.
Let's begin with the Antichrist: "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:8) The little horn is the Antichrist who will begin with bringing down three kingdoms to prove His power. The little horn came out of the beast which has four heads that looked like a leopard representing Greece which received dominion. "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. (Daniel 7:12)
"These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth. (Daniel 7:17) And the fourth beast which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and nails of brass, which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows. (Daniel 7:19,20)
Daniel 7:20 confirms war with three kingdoms. The following refers to mid-tribulation: Again referring to the little horn (the other horn): "the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them" until Jesus came back and judgment was given to the saints. (Dan 7:22)Adding a little more detail to Jesus's role we go to Daniel 7:13,14: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13,14 )
Going back to establishing a timeline which is established in the Bible with the crucifixion of Jesus: "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince [Satan] that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. [War is imminent before the covenant is confirmed] (Daniel 9:26)"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)
Something that is rarely mentioned in connection with the Antichrist is described in Zechariah, that he is a "foolish shepherd." (Daniel 11:15) "For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, [which] shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. (Zechariah 11:16,17)
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah [and] against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:-3)
"In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, [even] in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:6)
God warns: "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:9)
In the following segment the Mosaic Law is reestablished with its sacrifices in a third temple, the reason being that Jews do not understand "grace", that Jesus died for our sins during the first half of the tribulation. Jesus opens seals and the four horses are released, the Antichrist, wars, famine, depression, plagues and pestilences. That will bring the Jews back to the altar to get God's attention and forgiveness the way they did in the Old Testament.
The Antichrist, the liar that he is, will gain their confidence with flatteries but will ultimately betray them. "And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries... they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.. for the ships.. shall come against: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall polute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place an abomination that maketh desolate (Daniel 11:21,27,30,31)
The Antichrist is attacked by the kings of the North and the South (Syria and Egypt) and his voicing of blasphemies against God is a characteristic of the Antichrist. "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. (Daniel 11:40)
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)
Speaking of the Antichrist once again in Micah 5:5: "And this [man] shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. (Micah 5:5)
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee. Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.
"He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. (Micah 7:16-20)
Again in Micah it is confirmed that there will be war in Israel.
"Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor."Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Micah 4:11,12,13 )
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)
The word Antichrist is only mentioned four times in the Bible 1 John 2:18, 22 & 4:3 & 2 John 7.
In the Lexical Aid, Antichrist is described by #500 (Concordance) as Antichristos; antichrist, from anti (473), instead of or against. It may mean substitution or opposition. The term antichristos is peculiar to John's Epistles (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7). It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Paul's references to the same person include the man of sin, son of perdition, wicked one (anomos [459]) as in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 8. He is the one opposing. He will attempt to assert the fulfillment of God's Word in himself and will seek to establish his own throne.
We are referred to # 5580 pseudochristos, false Christ. The false Christ does not deny the being of Christ. On the contrary, he builds on the world's expectations of such a person, but he blasphemously appropriates these to himself and affirms that he is the foretold One in whom God's promises and men's expectations are fulfilled. While the antichristos (500), antichrist, denies that there is a Christ, the pseudochristos affirms himself to be the Christ. Both are against the Christ of God.
The final antichrist will be a pseudochrist as well. He will usurp to himself Christ's offices, presenting himself to the world as the true center of its hopes, the satisfier of all its needs and the healer of all its ills. he will be a pseudochrist and antichrist in one.
In John we have Scripture: "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18)"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)
Obviously we have to go a step further. There are other descriptions used in the Bible of the Antichrist and one of them is the "Beast of the Sea." Following are a number of characteristics unique to the Antichrist.1. He will be a man. (Re. 13:18)
2. He will rise out of the sea of humanity. (Rev. 13:1, Dan. 7:24; 9:27; 11:36-45)
3. He will become ruler of the 10 kingdoms symbolized by the 7 heads (Rev. 13:1; 17:8-17) (The seven heads are seven kingdoms that precede the eighth kingdom)
4. He will become ruler of the 10 kingdoms that are yet to be formed.. (Rev. 13:1; 17:8-17; & Dan. 7:23-24)
5. He will be a blasphemer (Rev. 13:1,5; 17:3)
6. He will revive the old Grecian Empire. The beast is like a leopard, which, in the book of Daniel, symbolizes the Grecian Empire (Dan.7:6;8:20-23)
7. He will receive his power, throne, and great authority from Satan (Rev. 13:2; 16:13-16; 2 Thes. 2:8-12; Dan. 8:24-25; 11:38-39)
8. One of the heads of the beast is wounded to death and is healed. "And I saw "one" of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (Revelation 13:3)
9. He will have all the world wondering after him (Rev. 13:2-4, 8-18)
10. He will be the object of worship (Rev. 13:4, 14-18; 14:9-11; 15:2' 16:2; 20:4-6)
11. He will be a supernaturally gifted orator (Rev. 13:5-6; Dan. 7:8, 11, 20, 25; 8:23; 11:36)
12. He will be given power and success for 42 months (13:4' 11:1-3; 12:6, 14; Dan. 7:25; 12:7)
13. He will defy God and claim to be God himself (Rev. 13:6; 2 Thess. 2:3-4; Dan. 7:25; 8:25; 11:36-39)
14. He will make war on the Jews and Christians and multitudes will be killed by him (Rev. 13:7, 15; 7:9-17; 14:13; 15:2-4; 20:4-6; Dan. 7:21; 8:23-25)
15. He will be given power over all nations. (Rev. 13:7; Dan. 7:23-24; 8:23-25; 11:36-45)It is generally believed that the Antichrist is coming from inside the old Roman Empire. Let's see if the Bible agrees:
"Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be "diverse from all kingdoms" (United Nations or the European Union's NATO (out of the Old Roman Empire)), and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise (this is the Antichrist) after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. (Daniel 7:23,24)
"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance (Antichrist), and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify [himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes (Jesus Christ); but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23-24)
"And the king [Antichrist] shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
"But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge [and] increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south [Egypt] push at him: and the king of the north [Syria, etc..] 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.
"He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps.
"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. And he shall "plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain"; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:36-45)
16. He will be worshipped as God (Rev. 13:8, 14-18; 14:9-11; 20:4-6)
17. He will have a religious leader in the false prophet of Revelation 13:11-17; 16:13-16; 19:20; 20:10
18. He will permit image worship of himself (Rev. 13:14-17; 14:9; 15Z:2; 20:4-6)
19. He will cause the mark or emblem of his kingdom, or his name, or the number of his name to be branded upon the right hand or forehead of his followers. (Rev. 13:16-18; 14:9-11; 15:2; 16:2; 20:4-6) There is lots of controversy here:"And he [the Antichrist] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six. (Revelation 13:16-18) Some believe this could be the star of David, which would be very offensive to Jews. It would bring back memories of Hitler who placed this emblem on all Jews to publically identify them. It is possible that it would make them realize suddenly that the Antichrist is their enemy.
"And the third angel [during the tribulation] followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:9-11)
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Revelation 15:2) Also during the tribulation: "And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image. (Revelation 16:2)
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)
20. He conquers many nations (Rev 13:7; Dan. 7:8, 23-24; 11:40-45; Ezek. 38-39) [He destroys mystical Babylon (Rev. 17:12-6) kills two witnesses (Rev. 11:7-12; 17) Changes times and laws (Dan. 7:25) understands mysteries (Dan. 8:23) do as he will for a period (Dan. 11:36) performs miracles (Rev. 13:1-18; 19:20; Dan. 8:24; 2 Thess. 2:8-12) craft prospers (Dan. 8:25) controls money and commerce (Dan. 11:38-43; Rev 13:17; 18:1-24) causes great deceptions (Rev. 13:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; John 5:43; Dan. 8:25) controls religion (Rev. 13:1-18; 14:9-11; 15:3; 16:2; 20:4-6; Dan. 11:36) controls all lives in his realm (Rev. 13:16) controls kings (Rev. 13:7; 17:12-17) makes all nations fear him (Rev. 13:4) and reigns for 42 months (Rev. 13:5) mobilizes nations to Armageddon (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9)
More characteristics of Antichrist:
21. He is called the Assyrian (Isa. 10:20-27; 30:18-33; 31:4-32; Mic. 5:3-15)
22. The Spoiler and Extortioner (Isa.16:4)
23. The Little Horn (Dan. 7:8, 24; 8:9, 23)
24. The King of fierce countenance (Dan 8:23)
25. The King that Shall Come (Dan. 9:26-27)
26. The Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:1-12)
27. The Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:1-12)
28. The Wicked (2 Thess. 2:8-12)
29. The Beast (Dan 7:11; Rev. 13)
30. The King of Babylon (Isa. 14:4) [Note Babylon in this case relates to "The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. (Isaiah 13:4) Babylon means in this case a religious, politically unified world]Speaking of Jesus Christ and regard to Israel: "For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
"And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, [and] the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, [and] none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing. (Isaiah 14:1-7)
Now to the Covenant: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:24-26)
On studying the following Scripture carefully we can see if it applies to the five year agreement between Arafat and Prime Minister Barak at Camp David."And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:24-27)
In Daniel we not only see that the covenant is a seven-year covenant and that it is made with "many".
Why a seven year period? The seven years can be calculated from the two periods before and after the midpoint of the tribulation because we are given precisely the number of days involved. The following Scripture describes the midpoint. "And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)
A note p.1090 in the KJV Key Study Bible, AMG Publishers, states the following:
The Key to Daniel 9:24-27: This is one of the most important and controversial prophecies in Scripture. Daniel had been praying about the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the return of his people. God gave Daniel a time frame for al His dealings with Israel.Verse twenty-four is the key to understanding the prophecy. It speaks of Daniel's people and the holy city (i.e., Jerusalem). Atonement for iniquity would be made for all sin at Calvary; it applies to individuals, not to the nation of Israel. (cf. Zech. 12:10-13:1; 14:4-9).
They are still a sinful people, but they will be purged (cf. Ezek. 20:34-43). The "most holy place" is now destroyed, but it will be reestablished (cf. Ezek. 40-48). The beginning of the time is the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. The "seventy weeks" can only refer to years, since Daniel specifies "three full weeks" in Daniel 10:2, when he refers to seven day periods.
Also, the prophecy is an expansion of God's earlier revelation of the seventy years' captivity. Some biblical scholars suggest that in all probability the sixty-nine weeks began with the decree that was issued to Nehemiah in 445-444 B.C. and ended 483 years later (based on 360-day years, Rev. 11:3; 12:6; 13:5) on Palm Sunday.
Then there is a gap in Daniel's prophecy, a feature that is characteristic of Daniel's writings. This occurs because over thirty years elapsed between the crucifixion of Christ ("shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself," v. 26) and the destruction of Jerusalem ("destroy the city and the sanctuary," v. 26).
However, all this follows the first sixty-nine weeks. As long as God is gathering the Church out of the world, the seventieth week remains future. Once the "times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24) are complete, the clock of God's judgment will count off the last remaining week.
What is forgotten in today's endtime teachings, is the fact that the priesthood has to be reestablished for the third temple. The covenant will be like the one described in the Book of Nehemiah.
"And because of all this we make a sure [covenant], and write [it]; and our princes, Levites, [and] priests, seal [unto it]. (Nehemiah 9:38)"Now those that sealed [were], Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these [were] the priests. And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
"And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; (Nehemiah 10:1-29)
This is basically a mirror of what will transpire in Jerusalem with the Antichrist. He will make a covenant with the rabbis to build the temple and reinstate God's law. That is the only way anyone will usurp the Jews after what has happened to them for 2000 years.
Praise the Lord, He will return to the Jews as their true Messiah. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:7,8)
"Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64)
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15)
God's plan is in place: He will step in after Antichrist betrays the Jews and makes himself the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. The two prophets who will declare the Gospel during the the first three and a half years and ministering angels will convert many Jews. They will become the tribulation Saints who have died because they refused to take the mark.
And what happened to the church? The seals to begin the tribulation were about to be opened, we have the following scene in heaven: "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down [they apparently had bodies, if they fell down, which means they had been resurrected ]before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us [notice past tense] to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation [these are the raptured church before the tribulation began]; And hast made us [past tense again] unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four [and] twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:4-14)