Overlooked

 

“The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. “Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger— Those who rejoice in My exaltation.” The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle. They come from a far country, From the end of heaven— The LORD and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land. Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger. It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land. Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there. The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged.”  Isaiah 13  NKJV

What I want to talk about with you today is a subject I have shared before but considering the events occurring as we speak, I have chosen to revisit it again. Many of you will recognize this passage from Isaiah as the prophesied destruction of Babylon which we are told about in the Book of Revelation.  Other references to it can be found in Isaiah 14, and Jeremiah 50 and 51.  When speaking on the end times, and speculating on how close we may be to the events in Revelation, a popular quote I mention often is this; “when you see the Christmas decorations going up, you know that Thanksgiving is near”.  So too, we can recognize the signs of the nearness of the rapture by the preparations going on all around us for the events we are told will occur during the tribulation.

Over time I have found that there are many things taking place that at first glance are so small that they somehow escape notice.  One of those might well be found in this passage from Isaiah, and we could do well to consider it in regards to current events.  I am speaking of the mention towards the end of the passage of the group of people called the Medes which are described as having “no pity” as God uses them to implement His judgment on Babylon.  So how can it be that Isaiah tells us that they are present during the tribulation when they no longer exist today?  Or do they?  While the news this past week focused almost entirely upon the attack by US forces in conjunction with Israel against Iran, other events occurred which may have an even greater significance.

In the region of the Middle East where the countries of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey co-join, there is a group of people known as the Kurds.  These people number approximately 25-35 million or so, and at present find themselves in much the same position as Israel was before 1948 in that they have no country they can call their own and desperately desire one.  Also, much like the Jews, they have been persecuted in every country in which they have tried to live.  Yet unlike the Jews, the vast majority of Kurds are Muslim, which begs the question; why are they being persecuted in the Muslim part of the world?

In fact, it appears possible that the Kurds are descended from the ancient Medes, who at one time partnered with the Persians to form the Medo-Persian Empire, which was revealed by Daniel to be the second of the four great empires which were to rule that part of the world.  Cyrus the Great, whom we meet during Daniels’ time, was part Mede and part Persian.  He captured the city of Ecbatana (the modern day city of Hamadan in Iran) which was the capital of Media, and created the greatest empire ever to rule in the sixth century before Christ.

Eventually Alexander the Great arrived on the scene and defeated them as part of his campaign to conquer the known world at that time, and slowly the Medes disappear from the annals of history.  Yet many of today’s Kurds believe they are descended from the ancient Medes, and although there is some disagreement among scholars as to the validity of this claim, the important point is that God tells us they will exist at the time of Revelation.  The obvious conclusion then is that they are alive and well today, and considering the venom of their revenge on Babylon, they must believe they have a serious ax to grind.

In all honesty, I would have to agree that they do, especially when compared to other ethnic groups in the Middle East.  In fact, the Kurdish people are one of the largest populations to not have a state of their own, which poses what I would consider to be a rather important question.  For decades the world has been fixated on the issue of the creation of a Palestinian State as a home for the Palestinian people.  Yet the question I have is why the focus on an ethnic group which, according to the World Population Review, number 5.3 million, while the Kurdish people outnumber them by 30 million or so?

I think you can easily make the argument that the Kurds have every right to be upset by the treatment they have received at the hands of the nations in the Middle East when they have a justifiable claim to possess a homeland of their own.  As I have studied the prophecy in Isaiah 13, I have come to the conclusion that it is revenge which motivates these people to destroy Babylon in the way that they do.  The Kurds of today wish desperately for a homeland they can call their own, but neither Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia nor Turkey will allow that to happen.  You see, in order to do so the land would have to come from one or all of these countries and none of them is willing to allow that to happen.  

You could make the point that the total destruction of Babylon during the tribulation period is one of the most significant events to occur in those seven years.  The book of Revelation tells us that this city will be Satan’s capitol on earth and the center of the anti-Christ’s power.  Although its destruction is at the hands of many nations, only the Medes are mentioned by name.  I believe that this is God’s way of telling us that this is personal for them.  It is a logical assumption that revenge is a very good motivation for the total lack of compassion and extent of destruction which this passage describes as not being seen on this earth since God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Kurdish army goes by the name Peshmerga, a term you will often find in the news today.  They are excellent, determined fighters as opposed to many other so called armies in that region and would fight to the death for their ethnic existence.  They have a history of fighting as professional soldiers and mercenaries, and a reputation as the fiercest fighting force in that part of the world.  Are the seeds of their desire for revenge being sown right before our eyes?  Will the persecution they are receiving from the surrounding countries provoke their desire to strike out at the center of the anti-Christ’s power during the tribulation?  According to Isaiah it will, and if God said it, I believe it.

Which brings me to the point of todays article and that is the news this past week that the US is considering arming the Kurdish army with the intention of enlisting and supporting an incursion by them into Iran to help topple the ruling Islamic regime.  Regardless if these reports prove to be accurate or not, I believe this is a rather huge prophetic sign which will probably be overlooked by most people.  The truth is, as I see it, that the Kurds are now being placed in a position to begin fulfilling their prophetic destiny as revealed in scripture to occur at the end of the age. The latest reports coming out of the region say that Kurdish forces have already moved into Iranian territory and taken up combat positions there.

The treatment of these people, past and present, can certainly explain their motivation for what the Bible says is about to happen. To me, the simple fact that the Kurds are being mentioned more and more in the news suggests God is putting all the pieces in place in preparation for His coming time of judgment.  Of most importance to us, however, is that God has promised to have Jesus remove believers before this judgment takes place by way of the rapture of the Church.  

Now more than ever the decision to be included in that event is the most important one you could ever make. If you have never taken the step of accepting His gift of eternal life, I urge you to do it right now.  Simply pray a prayer like this one and confess to God your need for salvation, and accept the gift He provided for you by the death and resurrection of His own Son, Jesus Christ.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Keep watching.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/us-kurds-cia-iran-coup-lg81fva7

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjk7xmskzg

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-kurds-discuss-potential-iran-military-operation-sources-say-2026-03-04/

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-iran-2675550609/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03/report-cia-moving-arm-kurdish-fighters-ignite-uprising/

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/dmitri-bolt/2026/03/04/kurdish-forces-in-iraq-have-launched-a-ground-invasion-against-iran-n2672315

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/who-are-the-kurds-and-what-role-could-they-play-in-the-war-with-iran

The Fig Tree

“Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.”  Mark 11:12-14. NKJV

It would be accurate to say that this account from the book Mark is, and can be, confusing to many that read it.  I know it certainly was to me when I first read it many years ago, but as I studied it I came to realize just why it is important, and why it may prove to be even more so in the future.  You see, as always when studying scripture, context is everything and this account of the only destructive miracle Jesus performed is the key to our understanding.

If we back up just a little we find that this cursing of the fig tree occurred on Monday, the day after Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  Riding on a colt, He was welcomed by the people crying out “Hosanna”,  yet three days later He would be rejected by these same people and crucified on a cross.  Considering this, we always need to remember how often the fig tree was used as an idiom for the nation of Israel in the Word. If we do that, and then apply it to this passage about cursing the fig tree, we begin to see the light.  

Now some might argue that the fig tree was punished for not having fruit even though it was early in the season and no fruit should have been expected, yet with a little digging one can see that is not necessarily the case.  In Israel, where fig trees are abundant, there is something that occurs early in spring when the leaves first grow on the trees and that is the appearance of Breba figs.  

Brebas are figs that grow on last years unpruned branches and are usually always picked off by growers to encourage the growth of the main crop which is to come later in the season.  If no Breba figs appear in the spring on a fig tree, it is usually taken as a sign that it is a sterile tree which will not produce a normal crop in the coming months.  When Jesus saw that the fig tree had leaves, He was expecting to find Breba figs on it.  Finding none, He knew it was a sterile tree which would not produce fruit in its season.

Putting it all together, Jesus came to His people, the nation of Israel, expecting to find fruit and instead found none.  Rather than accept His Kingship, they rejected Him so in turn He set them aside and founded His Church, made up of all who choose to believe He is the Son of God.  The cursing of the fig tree is simply an illustration of this, and at the current time we the Church, made up of all who choose to believe, enjoy the favor of His promise of a future Kingdom.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”     Matthew 21:43 NKJV

Now I said earlier that there may be a future component to this story which I personally find exciting so let me also share my thoughts on that. 

“For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!"    Song of Solomon 2:11-13  NKJV

It’s not often that you hear a sermon taught on the Songs of Solomon.  Truthfully that seems to be a shame for if you believe that all scripture is inspired by God, and all scripture is profitable for instruction, you need to ask why this book was included in the scripture and what is its message?  Solomon wrote this song to a Shulamite woman who he had fallen in love with, and it is his love song to her while he is courting her with the intent of making her his bride.  We don't need to read very far at all to understand the depth of his love for her, and the anticipation he has for the day she will become his own.

Seen in this light, it appears logical that this song can easily describe what Jesus is feeling as He looks forward to His own wedding to His bride, the Church.  Although the Jews have always looked at this book as signifying God's love for the nation of Israel, and it easily could be, I can also certainly see Jesus' love for the Church and His anticipation for the coming wedding in it as well.  One of the many interesting things I found while reading this book was this description of his intended which Solomon gives us in chapter 4.

"You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you."  Song of Solomon 4:7  NKJV

The fact that he sees no spot in her immediately brought to mind the description of the Church Paul gives us in the book of Ephesians.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."   Ephesians 5:25-27  NKJV

I can easily read this book and picture Jesus writing these words in anticipation of His future wedding with the Church. As long as we are going to talk about a future wedding, however, it would also seem appropriate to consider the possible timing of it to see if Solomon gives us a clue as to when that might take place.  Notice his description in the passage from the second chapter, and everything that he says there.  It seems rather obvious that Solomon is talking about the season of Spring, and all of the things that occur in Israel during that particular time of the year.

"For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone."

Solomon tells us that the winter is past, as well as the early rains.  It is these early rains which help start the growing season in Israel.

"The flowers appear on the earth;"

 

One of the things I, and many others appreciate most about spring, is watching all of the flowers reappear after hiding under the snow for the winter.

"the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land"

 

Did you know that the turtledove is a migratory bird?  It normally leaves in the fall and returns to Israel in the spring.  

"And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell"

 

Grapes have begun to appear on the vines, ripening in preparation for the coming harvest. 

"The fig tree puts forth her green figs”. 

 

“Here’s your sign”?. When I read this you could accurately say this was my “sign” moment.  Based on our new understanding of the fig tree, what figs are appearing in the spring?  As we now know, the answer to that is breba figs, those which Jesus was looking for but could not find.  Could this possibly be a clue as to the season of the rapture?  Is there a deeper reason Solomon chooses to call his bride in the spring at the time of breba figs, to “come away”.  

Why do I think this might be important?  Most understand that in the book of Daniel the nation of Israel was given a timeline for its future, which totaled 70 weeks.  The clock stopped at 69 weeks in the spring when Jesus cursed the fig tree and was crucified.  Does it not make sense that Israel’s clock will start up again in a future spring season exactly as it did when it stopped in the spring of 33AD?  

“After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.”  Hosea 6:2. NKJV

Many are of the opinion it is no coincidence that if we accept the premise based on the one day equals one thousand years revealed in the Bible, we see that two days, or two thousand years are about to pass since Israels’ clock was stopped in 33AD.  Accordingly, if you subtract 7 years of tribulation from 2033 you arrive at the spring of 2026.  Most important of all, let’s not forget that the Church must be taken away in the rapture before Israel’s clock restarts.

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.“So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!“  Mark 13:28-29. NKJV 

All things considered, I think it is safe to say that Solomon was anticipating a wedding just like many others have.  I have to wonder if Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, had a reason to choose spring as the season for a wedding. Many believe the Church is rapidly approaching its own wedding in Heaven, and a close look at the state of this world certainly seems to support that belief.  One day, very soon in many believers opinion, the Church will hear the Jesus the bridegroom call out for her to "come away" just as Solomon wrote in this passage.

It is my prayer that you have made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sin, and that you are part of the body, the bride of Christ which will live with Him forever in the place He is preparing for us.

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"   John 1:12 NKJV

If you have prayed this prayer you are part of the body of Christ, a member of His Church, and just like the rest of us are now waiting for the call to join Him in the air for the wedding soon to come. 

Keep watching.

PS.  As I write this, the next Middle East war has broken out and missiles are flying once again.  As our forces, along with those of Israel begin to fight please join me in praying for their safety along with the innocent, as well as obeying the biblical call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Finish Strong

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”                    2 Timothy 4:7-8  NKJV

Although I recall mentioning a time or two that the sport I participated in when younger was track and field I’m not sure I ever said that I began competing when I was just 12 years old.  Running for me has always been a source of enjoyment and the competitions I was able to be a part of produced fond memories I will never forget.  While I had good days and bad days, one of the lessons I never forgot was my very first coach telling me to never, ever, quit a race.  Always finish was his message to me.

When I read this passage from Paul, I immediately was impressed with two phrases he used to illustrate his point.  The first was his reference to a “fight”, which couldn’t help but catch my attention so I decided to look closer at the language to better understand what Paul might be trying to say.  I was surprised to find that the Greek word for fight used here is “agon” which when translated not only means a fight, but any struggle or contest.   Interestingly, it was also used to refer to an assembly or gathering, especially one gathered to witness the competition.  We know from history that the Greek culture was the origin of our Olympic Games, and this word would have been used at that time to refer to not only those national games, but the place of assembly to watch them.

Obviously from the context, we understand that Paul is talking about his life as a believer, and the struggles he has endured as he tried to share the gospel on his many journeys.  He chooses to describe his life in terms that anyone at that time would understand, but also makes the point that the believer also receives a crown as a reward just as the participants of the Greek games did.  Life as a believer is a fight against the powers of Satan, and all the clever ways he knows to deceive, manipulate, and lead us away from the path we have chosen.  

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”                           Ephesians 6:12  NKJV

The race Paul is referring to is of course the Christian life, which is lived much like a race in that just as while running we take steps towards a goal, life itself is a series of steps which eventually lead to the finish.  The question is, along with the fight that we have, is do we take those steps in the power of the Spirit, our new life, or do we stumble along in the flesh, trying to live according to our old ways of thinking?  One thing that I believe Paul is also telling us here, which may often be overlooked, is that by his choice to use the word “agon” he is also letting us know our struggle is very public and we are being watched just as runners in a race are watched.

Secondly, Paul wants to make the point that he has finished the race and arrived at the finish line.  Although I began my running career in the sprints, towards the end of my college days when others became faster and I did not, I began to transition into longer distance races.  One thing I noticed right away that surprised me was how many participants began the race, but for one reason or another would slowly drop out and fail to finish.  I came to understand that although everyone begins the race full of energy and strength, as the race progresses some find that their strength begins to fail them.  I have never seen anyone drop out at the start of a race, but it’s as the race gets long and difficult that people begin to fail. Since Paul makes the point that it is important to finish the race, where do we as believers get the strength to carry on when we begin to tire?

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”      Luke 18:1 NKJV

The word uses here for the phrase “lose heart” is “ekkakeo” which means “to be wearied out, exhausted, or spiritless”.  What Jesus is telling His listeners is that by praying we can avoid being weary, exhausted, and lose our spirit for serving Him as we run the race.  The older I get, the more I find myself using the rest stops along the way whenever I travel a long distance over a long period of time.  Unfortunately, I can also remember a time when I was young and those stops were not necessary.  As I see it, Jesus is telling us here that by continual prayer we can always be refreshed with what we need to continue our race without becoming tired and discouraged.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.                         Revelation 3:10-11  NKJV

These words from Jesus to the church at Philadelphia contain the promise we all are looking for, especially at this particular time in world history and that is the promise of the rapture of the Church.  As the events leading up to this event, and especially the time after begin to unfold before our eyes, how easy is it to get weary and discouraged just before the end of our race.  This is the very time that all of us as believers should be taking Paul’s advice and be praying continually for the strength we need to finish the race and obtain the prize He has set before us.  When Paul talks about the crown he will receive, I believe He is talking about the crown of righteousness that Jesus will award to all those who have longed for His appearing.

I would certainly be lying if I said the thought of quitting a race never crossed my mind but fortunately I never did.  Something I ended up teaching myself along the way was that when I started to become fatigued I would immediately turn my attention and focus on the finish line rather than my current condition.  My way of doing that was to look up and ahead rather than down at the road in front of me. I quickly found that this seemingly small adjustment worked wonders, even to the point of giving me energy to pick up the pace.  Truth be told, there were a few times I believe I was able to win races in the last few meters simply because of my focus on the finish line.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2. NKJV

I think most every believer would agree that when we see Jesus face to face we have crossed the finish line and finished our race.  To me, personally, that is exactly what I believe and am focusing my eyes on in order to finish my race strong.  I don’t believe it is an accident that God chooses to make so references to running a race when describing the life of a believer.  Distance races are long, difficult, tiring, and full of ups and downs but there is always a finish line that we can cross if we endure to the end.

There is no doubt in my mind that what we are seeing today can best be described as signs that our finish line is very close.  As we struggle to arrive there, the attacks we must suffer through will grow stronger and probably more frequent.  The possibility of discouragement will also never be greater, so the question is, are you going to look down at current circumstances, or will you look up at the finish line and pray continually for the strength you need to obtain the crown?  Jesus is coming quickly, don’t give up.

The rapture of the Church, made up by all who have chosen to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and sacrificed Himself for our sins, is the finish line we are looking for.  As I so often say, because so many believe they are seeing this finish line quickly approaching, it is becoming all too hard to ignore.  If you are one who has never made the decision to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I pray you would consider doing that today.  Simply pray a prayer like this one and receive the free gift God has offered to all who choose to believe.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Keep watching.