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Bible Prophecy: Who Can You Trust?

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

 

Why we wrote

“Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy”

There are so many ideas floating around about prophecy in these fascinating times. How does one know what is true and what is just speculation? Fourteen years ago Lambert Dolphin and I teamed up to write a thoroughly Biblical book on the subject. We called it “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done: The Prayer Offered Most Often is about to be Answered.” It was posted on the Internet, and during that time more than 340,000 people have downloaded it.  It was used by countless pastors and Bible teachers over the years and proved itself to be reliable.  In all that time there was nothing we had taught about Bible prophecy that we needed to change or retract.

We realized that the world has changed in many ways during those 14 years: including the 9/11 attacks and the war on terrorism,  the rise of Iran’s fanatical regime, and the financial meltdown of the past few years. These issues needed to be addressed. We also knew that many people would prefer to have a real book in their hands that they could mark up and return to as a trusted resource. That is why we updated the book, changed its name, and released it in two major formats: a large attractive paperback book, and an eBook for Kindle and other eReaders, tablets and smart phones.

Here is a note from co-author Lambert Dolphin:

The Bible is full of good news for all who wish to know the truth about the One, true God and the great future He has lanned for our race. Over 20% of Scripture concerns the future of mankind. But all the positive things God wants to do for us are thwarted by careless neglect of these prophetic Scriptures. Connecting the Dots has been written to help ordinary people understand the essentials of our future. Radio, television, movies, the media of every nation, the teachings of most churches and schools mislead, distort and warp the straightforward account of how our benevolent Creator will soon step back into history to bring about real peace on earth with justice for all.

We have had an excellent response so far from the readers of the book. It gives the “big picture” of prophecy and explains the major predictions about the End Times in a step-by-step way. There is also a free downloadable study guide that can be used for personal enrichment or for group study.  If you don’t have a copy of Connecting the Dots yet you may order it directly from Prophecy Central or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your Christian bookstore.

Order book from Prophecy Central

Order book from Amazon.com

Order eBook from Amazon.com

Free Download of Study Guide

Spiral-bound copy of Study Guide for $10

More information about the book

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Posted in 2012, Apologetics, Apostasy, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Creation, Earthquakes, Egypt, Eschatology, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Gog and Magog, Heaven, Hell, Islam, Israel, Libya, Mark of the Beast, Middle East War, Missions, New World Order, Peace, Persecution, Prayer, Rapture, Religions, Revival, Revived Roman Empire, Syria, Technology, Terrorism, United States of America, Wars | No Comments »

Read Rosenberg’s Book Quick!

Monday, November 21st, 2011

If you are planning to read Joel Rosenberg’s new book, you had better do it fast.  Rosenberg’s earlier prophecy-fiction books have all been published just before some of his creative insights have actually happened. 

 The Ezekiel Option was named by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association as the Gold Medallion winner of the “Best Novel of 2006.”  Rosenberg had occasion to visit a White House Bible study with a number of congressional leaders and Homeland Security, and Pentagon officials.  He said that their main question was…

‘Are you saying that the Bible talks about an alliance between Iran, Russia, and a group of Middle Eastern countries to attack Israel at some point?’ And the answer is yes.”

 Since then, it has been hard to miss the connection between Russia and Iran, especially in regard to their nuclear development program. 

Last year he released The Twelfth Imam, a novel about the Islamic messiah whom the Iranian leaders believe is about to be revealed.  And now, a sequel to that book, The Tehran Initiative is available.  It is about an imminent attack by Iran against Israel, and the possibility of a pre-emptive first strike by Israel.  The story line is so close to today’s top news stories that it almost blurs the distinction between them.  That’s why I suggest that you read it soon, before Rosenberg’s fiction becomes fact.

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Posted in Eschatology, Gog and Magog, Islam | 4 Comments »

You Should Have Been There!

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

We participated in an outstanding conference last week-end.  Jay Smith was our speaker.  He is a missionary in London who devotes all his time to study, writing, and lecturing on the differences between Christianity and Islam.  He has had an incredible career, going to Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, London most Sundays, and exposing the errors of the Koran in debates with many of the greatest scholars and highest political figures in the Islamic world.

 It’s a dangerous assignment, and he gets beat up by angry listeners from time to time.  But he loves Muslims and just keeps coming back to help them find the truth.  Our prayer group prays for him every Saturday when it meets, and has done so for years.

 What a privilege it was to listen to his teaching and ask questions of such an authority.  We had a good turn-out at the Upland Brethren in Christ Church, but there was room for more.  I know thousands of people were aware of the meeting, but most of them did not realize how special it would be to hear his teaching.  I couldn’t help wondering, as I marveled at his knowledge, what “better” things other people had chosen to do. 

Fortunately, if you missed it, you can still get DVDs of the event and take advantage of some 19 free on-line papers that are available at the church website.

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Posted in Apologetics, Apostasy, Islam, Missions, Prayer | No Comments »

Prophecy Central in the September 11 Archives!

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

 Prophecy Central had already been on the Internet for nearly four years when the September 11 attacks took place.  We were among the first to report the story as it gradually unfolded on that terrible day. 

 We didn’t know it at the time, but soon after the attacks, our site was being tracked and archived by a massive project that would eventually be released as the September 11 Digital Archive. This historical collection is available online, and is physically housed in the Library of Congress. 

 We recommend that you browse this incredible project, the largest of its kind in the world, and be sure to check out Prophecy Central’s contributions.  In their abstract of our site, they wrote:

Prophecy Central, a Web Site produced by Ron Graff, is part of the Library of Congress September 11 Web Archive and preserves the web expressions of individuals, groups, the press and institutions in the United States and from around the world in the aftermath of the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.

 You may also read the actual posts directly from the Prophecy Central site, starting with the very day that the drama began.  We have kept all our news summaries online ever since 9/11/11.  You can trace the mood of the country, the eventual war in Afghanistan, and even Osama bin Laden’s death recently.  Of course, many of the links to external sources on these old pages no longer work, but we have kept our brief summaries of the news stories so you can still see what was happening.

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Posted in Islam, Terrorism, United States of America | 1 Comment »

What’s Next with Libya?

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Now that Libyan rebels have the upper hand, and Muammar Gaddafi is in hiding, what kind of government will the nation adopt?  During the past six months of fighting there, hope has been expressed by many that Libya and other countries that have made changes during the “Arab Spring” will choose to adopt a democratic form of government.

However, there have been strong warnings from the beginning of the conflict that this is not likely to happen.  Instead, there is much evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical Islamists will take advantage of the situation to join the march toward a new coalition of Islamic states.

Meanwhile, Turkey, the only good example of a democratic Islamic society, has experienced disappointments with their bid for a place in the European Union, has changed its previous position of cooperation with Israel to one of confrontation, and shows signs of wanting to rebuild its image as head of an Islamic Caliphate once more.

It is interesting that after Ezekiel’s prophecies about the rebirth of the nation of Israel (chapters 36 and 37), he predicted a great battle in the End Times (chapters 38 and 39) between a coalition of nations, led by Russia and several Islamic allies, including Iran, Libya, and possibly Turkey.

 Stay tuned to this development and visit Prophecy Central’s War of Gog and Magog section for more information. 

Looking for a book that explains what is happening in the world of prophecy today?  Check out our Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.

Posted in Gog and Magog, Islam, Israel, Libya, Middle East War | 4 Comments »

Ron Carlson with the Lord

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

 

We were shocked by news of the sudden and unexpected death of Ron Carlson, an outstanding apologist who was an expert in the area of creation, cults and Islamic issues. He apparently died peacefully while vacationing with his family.

Ron was a featured speaker at our “Understanding the End Times” Prophecy Conference at the Ontario Convention Center last January.  He delivered a powerful message about understanding the threat of Islam while caring about the plight of Muslims in these times. 

We were looking forward to hearing him speak at Hume Lake in July.

According to a statement on his website, Christian Ministries International (CMI), Ron’s family is grateful for the support and prayers they have received during this difficult time. His sons, Jason and Jared, will continue his work.

We will miss him very much, but as Dwight L. Moody said about his friend Henry Drummond’s death, “The home-going of Drummond adds one more attraction to Heaven.“

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Posted in Apologetics, Creation, Heaven, Islam | 1 Comment »

Our Book – 300,000 and Counting

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

The book that Lambert Dolphin and I wrote has had 335,919 readers to date, BUT it is our old (1998) online version, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done… The Prayer Offered Most Often Is About to be Answered!”

Someone sent this Email to Lambert:
I’ve been reading your book “Thy Kingdom Come” and really appreciate the hard work you put into this. It seems that with only some updating for current events (I remember asking my self if this was pre-9/11) many would benefit from your explanation of Revelation.

Lambert wrote back:
Thank you very much for your kind words.
Last November Ron Graff and I released a completed updated and revised version of this book. You should find many major changes and updates.
The new book is “Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.” So far it has had an excellent reception. It is available online at our Prophecy Central store (It is the only product there), or any of the major booksellers. But it takes time to get the word out without a huge advertising budget. Please visit our Facebook page, where we post news about the book’s progress. While you are there, please click “Like.” That helps let other people know about the book.

Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy

Order the Book – Paypal

Posted in Apologetics, Apostasy, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Earthquakes, Egypt, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Gog and Magog, Islam, Israel, Mark of the Beast, Middle East War, New World Order, Peace, Persecution, Plagues, Rapture, Religions, Revival, Revived Roman Empire, Technology, Terrorism | 2 Comments »

Libya in Prophecy

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
Coat of arms of Libya -- the "Hawk of Qur...

Image via Wikipedia

What prophetic importance might be attached to the current U.N. Resolution 1973 establishing a no-fly zone in Libya?  For the past week Western nations, including the U.S., Britain, and France have destroyed anti-aircraft targets and command and control systems in Libya to keep its leader, Colonel Muammar Gadhafi from slaughtering the masses there who are protesting against his corrupt regime.

It is well known that Libya and Colonel Gadhafi have been sponsors of terrorism for the past 42 years – starting long before our own “War on Terrorism” began in 2001.

In 1986 President Reagan bombed parts of Libya, including Gadhafi’s residence, in retaliation for the terrorist bombing of a disco in Germany which killed or injured many U.S. servicemen.  Libyan terrorists were also responsible for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland.

Libya is only mentioned 7 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament.  The Hebrew word used in the Old Testament is Phut (or Put), who was a grandson of Noah and a son of Ham (Genesis 10:1-7). 

The most interesting prophecy of Libya is in Ezekiel’s account of a great war, known as the War of Gog and Magog.  This war is described in chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel.  This End-times conflict, will take place after the “rebirth” of Israel as a nation, which was predicted in chapters 36-37.  Israel has indeed become a nation again, after more than two thousand years of being scattered all over the Earth.  That great event took place in 1948.

This War of Gog and Magog is to be a great war – perhaps a world war – against Israel. Since we are living in the time after Israel’s rebirth but before a war that fits the description of the Magog scenario, it makes sense to identify the forces that will be rallied against Israel.  When we do so, we see that it looks a lot like our present world scene. 

Some Bible teachers equate this war to the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period, but there are many differences. Another description of a great war is given in Revelation 6:3-4, after the opening of the Second Seal, near the beginning of the Tribulation. It seems more likely that this would be the Gog/Magog conflict.

The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. – Ezekiel 38:1-6

Magog has been identified since before the rise of the Soviet Union as the area of Russia and the countries nearby. Magog and his allies are nations that have developed from some of Noah’s descendants in Genesis 10. They include other lands north of Israel, Gomer and Beth Togarmah, which could include Turkey.  Other allies of this northern coalition will be Persia, which is modern Iran; Cush, the ancient name for Ethiopia; and Put, which is Libya. All of these nations stand against Israel today.

Last year Russia announced that Libya will be the first country in the Middle East to obtain their top-of-the-line S-300 PMU-2 interceptor missile batteries. Some of the Islamic countries near Russia, which used to be part of the Soviet Union, could be allies in this coalition. When U.N. Resolution 1973 to impose a no-fly zone was adopted last week, Russia abstained from the vote. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin compared the air strikes by Western militaries on Libya to a “medieval crusade.”

Turkey, the center of the last Islamic Caliphate, disbanded by World War I, has drifted recently from attempts to become part of the EU, to open enmity with Israel. Following the Israeli capture of a ship carrying aid for Palestinians, Turkey’s very popular Prime Minister Erdogan, called for a jihad against Israel. As the only Muslim country that is a member of NATO, Turkey expressed disagreement with some aspects of the military action against Libya.

Now Libya will enter into a political vacuum that could lead it in either direction, but most likely into a stronger alliance with the Gog and Magog coalition.  It will be most interesting to see what happens next in that part of the world.

More information and documentation in our Gog and Magog section and in our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.

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Posted in Gog and Magog, Islam, Israel, Middle East War, Terrorism, United States of America | 9 Comments »

Radiation and the Fourth Horseman

Saturday, March 19th, 2011
Page 288r: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...

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While the nuclear reactors at Japan’s Fukushima plant are disintegrating and releasing radiation into the air, many are asking what Bible prophecy has to say about radiation in the End Times. 

This is an area where it would be unwise to be dogmatic, but there are two possible connections to nuclear destruction from the account of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  Revelation chapter 6 describes the early part of the Tribulation as a vision of four riders on different colored horses.  First there is the rider on a white horse (verses 1-2), a mighty conqueror and apparent messiah who appears to be able solve the world’s problems, but in reality is a false savior – the “beast” of Revelation 13, who is often called Antichrist.

The second symbolic rider comes on a red horse (Revelation 6:3-4). This speaks of the ravages of a great world-wide war. It is not likely that this war is started by the rider on the white horse, since, as the previous verses indicate, he is seen as a messianic hero.

Jesus told us that the period leading up to the Tribulation would be characterized by “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7).

It is likely that this is the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, which results in fiery destruction of the aggressors from the north when they try to conquer Israel. This could very possibly escalate to nuclear warfare, which involves more than one of the present-day nuclear powers. The emerging world dictator could take credit for the destruction of Israel’s invaders, or at least take advantage of the situation, to bring about the seven-year peace treaty between himself and Israel that was prophesied by Daniel. If this is the case, this war would take place at the very beginning of the seven years of the Tribulation.  And, of course, if it involves a nuclear exchange, it will result in the release of unwanted radiation.

The third horse will be black, and it will bring great famine, probably as a result of the world war and continued global economic problems (Revelation 6:5-6).

The fourth horse has brings a variety of deadly situations. 

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. – Revelation 6:7-8

The color of the fourth horse is translated many ways. Some Bible versions translate it as “pale,” others as “ashen,” or “pale green.” The Greek word is chloros, “greenish.” It is the root of the well known “chlorophyll”, the tiny green chemical converters in the leaves of most plants. 

Chloros also suggests deadly chlorine gas, which is pale green in color and quickly fatal to all who breathe it. The intended picture here is a sickly pale green that symbolizes death as a result of the terrors of nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare.

Therefore, one of the main causes of this Fourth Horseman’s deadly mission might be radiation and the cancer that it produces.  This radiation could be the result, not only of nuclear weapons, but of damaged nuclear power plants as well.  And these catastrophes could be caused by terrorism or natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

One other possibility for the meaning of the green horse has been suggested by some Bible teachers in the light of the growing threat by Islamic radical terrorists. They wonder if the green could come from the well-known fact that Islamic countries all use green in their flags and seem to prefer that color.  Time will tell if there is any connection here.

 More related information is available in our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.

Posted in Earthquakes, Fearful Events, Gog and Magog, Islam, Israel, Plagues, Terrorism | 1 Comment »

Our Book Is Now On Kindle

Monday, March 7th, 2011
Cover of "Kindle Wireless Reading Device,...

Cover via Amazon

We are happy to announce that our new book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, is now available as a digital/electronic book (eBook).  It is already available on Amazon.com for their Kindle reader. And it is scheduled to be released soon by other eBook suppliers like Barnes and Noble for its Nook reader and Apple iBooks for the iPad.

I have been doing most of my reading on the Kindle recently because I can literally have a whole library of books in one convenient device that also lets me pick the size of the font. 

Prophecy students will still want to have the printed book because Connecting the Dots is a reference manual – a notebook of sorts that you can underline and make personal notes in the margins.

However, the Kindle version is better in some ways.  You can set bookmarks to favorite places.  It remembers where you stopped reading and lets you continue quickly. It is lightweight, and as mentioned before, you may choose the font size that suits you best.  It allows you to do a word search through the entire book. And, if you want, you can even have the Kindle read it to you with their text to speech feature that has been enabled for this book!

A great deal of extra work went into this version to enable hundreds of hyperlinks. Each chapter and subtopic in our 12-page Table of Contents is linked. Just click on the topic and the reader takes you to the section you want to read.  Amazingly, the extensive index is also linked.  When you find an entry in the index, you can click on the “page” number and the reader will find the proper section in the book, even though page numbers are not used in eBooks.

Lambert Dolphin and I are blessed to be able to share our passion for Bible prophecy through our book, and it is our prayer that it can be a tool to equip a new generation of Bible students and help stimulate an End-Times revival!

More information about the book is available at Connecting the Dots.

The Kindle version can be downloaded in one minute from Amazon.com

Posted in Apologetics, Apostasy, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Earthquakes, Egypt, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Gog and Magog, Islam, Israel, Mark of the Beast, Middle East War, New World Order, Peace, Persecution, Prayer, Rapture, Revival, Revived Roman Empire, Technology, Terrorism | 1 Comment »

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