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

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Free Download of Study Guide

Spiral-bound copy of Study Guide for $10

More information about the book

Look at our nation now. Instead of being a support to the rest of the world during this economic crisis, we have descended into the worst financial condition since at least the Great Depression. Despite endless rhetoric from the politicians and economic experts, we are still in free-fall.  Our investments have declined, our jobs have been given to other nations and our own people are sinking into poverty. 

Our military sacrifices have been undercut by bad governmental decisions. Terrorists are convinced that they will ultimately overcome in this present struggle. We are about to leave Afghanistan and Iraq without improving that part of the world. We can’t keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Our support for Israel is anemic. We have lost the peaceful gains we enjoyed for a little time with Russia.

Why is this happening, and what does it mean for our generation?  Historians assure us that the early greatness of America was a byproduct of our moral and ethical world view.  Our leaders were generally Bible-believing heroes.  Our word was our bond: we kept our promises.  We taught our children what was right and wrong.  We worked hard and were proud of what we produced.  Our churches were valiant for the truth and were faithful to expose evil. 

During the past two generations the church in America has turned from its literal interpretation of the Bible, and has allowed the corrupting influences of secular humanism, the sexual revolution, abortion, and other ungodly beliefs and practices to slowly infiltrate its leadership.  This change is actually one of the main predictions of the End Times.  It is called apostasy, or a “falling away” from the truth.  The Apostle Paul warned…

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  – 2 Timothy 4:3-4

As a result, at the very time Christians should be most concerned about the rapid fulfillment of End Times predictions, many of them have been anesthetized to the seriousness of their condition.  Therefore, our nation has lost its vitality and is in the process of becoming irrelevant. The Bible did not need to mention our presence because we will have lost our influence. 

Does it have to end this way?  Actually, no!  There is still hope for America. What God promised for believers in the Old Testament would still apply today if we would just turn back to Him and allow him to bring a great redeeming revival! 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  – 2 Chronicles 7:14

 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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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.

Thanks to Jeff and Nicole Alexander, there is a new Facebook page for the Inland Empire Prophecy Conference!  It includes pictures, schedule information, and even a special video clip about the conference.  Please visit the page, and be sure to click the “Like” icon.  You can also chose to recommend the page to all your friends. 

The conference will be held at the Ontario Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 14th and Saturday, Jan. 15th.  Pre-registration is phenomenal, with half of the 2000 seats reserved already.  You can pre-register at KKLA.  Friday night’s closing session will be a strong evangelistic message by Jack Hibbs.  Don’t miss this chance to bring a friend who needs to know Jesus. But be sure to pre-register yourself and your friend!  Wristbands for entrance will be given to those who have registered. 

Additional  information is available on the conference website.

Frank Pastore, America’s most popular Christian talk show host will broadcast his program live from the conference on Friday night from 4 to 7 p.m. It is a free event, but love offerings will be received to cover the cost of such an event.  Pre-registration is necessary because, even though we will have a huge meeting space, seating is limited.

The outstanding speaker lineup includes Tim LaHaye, Chuck Missler, David Hocking, Bill Koenig, Gary Kah, Ron Carlson, Jack Hibbs, and Lambert Dolphin.  I will also have the privilege of speaking, not because I belong in such company, but because I am host pastor.

We have a web page devoted to the conference at  http://www.Bible-prophecy.com/conference.  A beautiful poster may be downloaded and printed in any size you want.  Pictures and information about the speakers is included, along with suggestions for hotels in the area that will give a “prophecy conference discount.”

The Friday night program will conclude with a powerful evangelistic message by Jack Hibbs, so be sure to bring your friends who need to hear the Gospel!

If you would like to attend, please block out Friday evening and all day Saturday and don’t forget to pre-register!  There is a special toll-free phone number for this purpose, and KKLA will also have online registration during the month before the event.  The number is 888-974-4242.

Some have thought we are mentioned in Ezekiel 38:13 as one of the “young lions” of what might be the old British Empire. But that is not convincing today since Great Britain is not all that powerful and the United States is obviously no longer a British colony.

Others have thought America could be equated directly with Babylon the Great at the point of her future destruction in Revelation 17 and 18. But that is too great a stretch, and there are far better explanations of Babylon in the last days.

So, what happens to the United States between now and the likely near-future unfolding of the end times scenario?

There are several possibilities. One theory is that the war of Gog and Magog will take place before the rise of Antichrist’s final world empire. It could be the war of the Second Seal of Revelation 6:3-4. That series of events, described in Ezekiel 36 through 39, includes the rebirth of the nation of Israel and an attack against her once she is living in peace and safety. Israel was reborn in 1948 in magnificent fulfillment of this prophecy, but she has not yet enjoyed peace. That peace could be achieved any time now, setting the stage for the attack of Russia and an Islamic force against Israel. Ezekiel’s prophecies about this war say that Israel’s enemies will be destroyed by fire and brimstone. This, of course, could describe a nuclear exchange. What if Iran were to use a nuclear weapon against Israel? Wouldn’t the response also threaten to involve the United States in an unwanted nuclear exchange? If that did happen, it is not likely that the United States would still be a powerful world-player after that war.

Another likely scenario would be that America will have suffered a financial collapse by the time of the last days, and would still exist, but not be a super-power. That is exactly what many political and financial analysts are saying about our current course. The unconscionable spending of recent legislation, with its inevitable tax burden on future citizens could easily be the real reason for the demise of America as anything more than another cog in the European socialistic machinery that Antichrist will use for his economic dictatorship (Revelation 13).

In either of these cases, The United States will not be gone in the last days. We will just not be worth mentioning.