Welcome, and thanks for
visiting Focus on the
Prophecies Ministry. My name is
Kevin
Swift. An award-winning author and staff writer for the
New
Yorker magazine, Malcolm Gladwell, wrote, "Do you
know the difference between a mystery and a puzzle?"
According to Gladwell,
mysteries do not
have simple answers based solely on fact, since they "require judgments
and the assessment of uncertainty." Puzzles, on the other hand, can
be solved because we have all the
necessary information; we just need to put it all together for the
solution.
The ancient Hebrew
prophecies are mysteries, not puzzles. Revelation 10:7 says,
"In the days when the Seventh Angel is about to sound his trumpet, the
mystery of God will be accomplished." Not until the very end of
the end-times will the mystery of God be unraveled as a completed picture.
However, the last generation of saints have the promise of a more
complete understanding of final events that center around
the prophetic time periods--the
1,290 days and 1,335 days of Daniel 12.
"Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed
until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and
refined, but the wicked will
continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand [the prophecies
of Daniel], but those who are wise will understand,”
Daniel 12:9-10. This is a great promise to students of prophecy
in these uncertain times when there seems to be more questions than
answers.
It has been calculated the Scriptures include
8,362 verses containing 1,817 predictions concerning more than 700
different matters. Of these, there are more than 300 prophecies dealing
with the coming of Messiah and the end of the ages. For that reason,
we should "cry aloud for understanding, and... look for it as for
silver and search for it as for hidden treasure," (Proverbs
2:3-4). We should apply the ancient end-time prophecies to the events of our day;
however, we will never know every single detail in advance
of the years of trouble. Why? First, we cannot comprehend the mind of
God (Romans
11:34); and second, we cannot know the full extent of the struggle in
the unseen world--the conflicts between the forces of good and
evil, between Christ and Satan (Ephesians
6:12).
US & Coalition War on Iran Begins the Appointed Time of the End
When the US war with Iran erupts and the Middle East begins to burn (Daniel
8:1-8), we can know the end-time trial is upon us. Clashes at
the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passageway where much of the world's oil
passes, will lead to a spike in oil and gasoline prices to unprecedented levels.
The US and other major world economies
will collapse. Russia will launch a
nuclear attack on Europe,
destroying at least three countries and causing unimaginable chaos and the
loss of
millions of lives (video); from here, the stage will be set for Antichrist's
cryptic rise out of the ashes
of
World War III to a position of power. The man of sin will arrive on
the world scene with global displays of Satanic signs and wonders (2
Thessalonians 2:9); thereby, winning the adoration and worship of the masses.
The Appointed Times & Seasons Calendar of
End-time Events
The Appointed Times &
Seasons Calendar shows how the timelines of prophecy align between
God's Festivals (Moedim). Since the discovery that
God's Festivals and the prophetic
timelines of Daniel and Revelation align to the day, we can now set anticipated
fulfillment periods, such as years 2009-2012; still, we proceed with caution and prayer. Winston Churchill once humorously
quipped, "I
always avoid prophesying beforehand, because it is a much better policy to
prophesy after the event has already taken place."
In spite of past disappointments and the long
delay, we must keep on proclaiming the great promise
of our soon-coming King. To do so is to stand in the
company of great prophets and saints... John the Baptist, Peter, Paul,
James and the Apostle John; they all believed and proclaimed with
confidence the end of the age. Jesus energized the disciples and
early church to accomplish great goals in view of the shortness of time.
Each year since those early proclamations brings us that much closer to the
Great Day of the LORD.
God is faithful to His promises. There is little doubt we are
living on the precipice of World War III and world tragedies. When it
looks like world peace is possible, as symbolized in the Olympic Games of
08-08-08, then sudden destruction will soon follow. Vladimir Putin,
Prime Minister of
Russia, knows that US and European military assets are being sent to
the Persian Gulf to make ready to confront with Iran, and he may see this as
his opportunity to test the resolve of the West and to eventually reclaim lost territories to the Soviet Union break-up
(likely three nations--Daniel 7:5) and gain control of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline--the only route out of the Caspian Sea region not now controlled by
either Russia or Iran. God's
Word says, "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places," (Matthew 24:7).
In addition to guns and missiles, Americans may face
chemical, biological and/or radiological warfare with the spread of
these deadly epidemics. Because of quarantine periods, the
normal means of supplies (food, water, etc) will likely be interrupted for extended periods of time. It is my view
you should move out of the larger cities to a rural setting or smaller community as soon as
possible, to secure homes and garden spots in preparation for perilous times.
World news and international tensions confirm that momentous events are upon us,
likely within months, and God's Hebrew Calendar is soon to be fulfilled. Daniel's timelines will have their historic beginning, and
prophetic events will become front page news.
By faith, keep looking up,
Israel, Iran and the Middle East
The world sits on the verge of worldwide
disasters, war and
nuclear
holocaust beyond our comprehension. Years of talk about war with Iran and
Middle East conflict transitioned to the
Annapolis Conference in late November 2007, and thoughts of peace with Iran in
response to the
NIE report in December last year. In
spite of the peace overtures,
President Bush traveled
to the Middle East twice in 2008 to remind the regional powers about
Iran's continued threat
to world stability. The Bible warns,
"While people are saying 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on
them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not
escape,"
1 Thessalonians 5:3.
Talks of reconciliation continue between Israel
and the Palestinians, and hope continues for a breakthrough with Iran, but
this optimism will soon be dashed to pieces. The time of trouble is nearly
upon us.
How will final events unfold? Request your
free copy
of the Appointed Times & Seasons Calendar today. And just as important, you
will want to order the
corresponding book
Appointed
Times & Seasons Calendar: Divine Dates of End-time Disaster & Deliverance,
which explains the Hebrew Calendar with insightful details about current
world events and how the end of human history could unfold.
God's Word portrays final events with remarkable precision
and details. These events are worth your attention; after all, upon their completion we will enter the gates into the Kingdom of God, the greathope of our
spiritual journey. We are nearing the time when final events and the last
days could begin, starting with the world-changing clash between the West and
Iran--the second of twin wars foretold in the Hebrew prophecies (Daniel
8:1-8). The first Gulf War conflict with Iraq started at
Shushan Purim, March 19, 2003, and continues to this day and now
surpasses its fifth anniversary. The second
Gulf War with neighboring Iran is the key prophetic conflict that initiates final events. The escalation of a Middle East
firestorm
could begin this
year--2008,
the 60th anniversary year of Israel's birth as a nation,
and the three and one-half (3 1/2) year final events showdown beginning in the spring
of 2009, and ending in late 2012.
The next Middle East war could be just
one
rocket away, says
Michael B. Oren, a senior fellow at the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem. On March 4, 2008, Secretary-General Van Ki-moon of the
UNITED NATIONS said
Hezbollah is rearming and has an arsenal that includes 10,000
long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon.
Syria is 'intensely' arming
itself with rockets and missiles to place
all of Israel (including Jerusalem) within the firing zone, and Ynet
News reports (March 11) that
Hizbullah is now ready to fight Israel.
One online
source writes, "The Western
Wall (see presentation) is
a remnant of Herod's grand temple, and is the most holiest site for Jews.
It
attracts thousands of Jewish worshippers
daily around the clock, who come to pray and lay out their problems and seek for
heavenly guidance. They feel the presence of God's spirit, who according
to their belief resides for thousands of years in the holy temple."
According to prophecy,
daily "tamid" worship at the
Western Wall and TempleMount
could be
taken away--by
bomb,
by earthquake, or some unforeseen calamity.
Daniel 12:11 says, "From
the time that the daily ("sacrifice"
was not in the original Hebrew text)... is abolished and the
abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days."
The
Appointed Times & Seasons Calendar shows the taking away of the
daily early in 2009, a great "shoah" (calamity) indeed, could be the Jerusalem
event
that ushers in the 1,290 days of the
appointed times and the saints' treacherous march towards the Kingdom of God.
The fragile Middle East will soon be turned upside down and the
flames of war will blaze. This escalation of Middle East
conflict ... (continue)
The Russian Bear's Threat: Europe in the Crosshairs
In Daniel 7, a governmental animal is
described as a Bear with three ribs in its mouth. The Bear is told, "Get
up and eat your fill of [human] flesh!" A
few verses later a monster
creature is described as having ten horns, but "three of the first horns
were uprooted."
For several years,
Lesson 4 has taught the Bear
represents the Old Soviet Union, which re-emerges from its slumbering
(political/military) hibernation to attack the Biblical creature with ten
horns--Western Europe, destroying three European nations with its nuclear
arsenal. This prediction looks to be closer than ever.
Beginning in the summer of 2007, articles
exposing Russia's (Magog) growing anger with the West, its military
alliance with Iran (Persia) and Cush (Northern Nile & Africa regions:
Libya; Sudan) as foretold in Ezekiel 38, and military maneuvering to
increase the Bear's show of power in the Mediterranean/European theatre
began to increase in frequency. Some of these new articles are
listed below.
August 14, 2008 Editorial
Update: As we head pell-mell into end-time events, we are reminded just
how quickly relationships can change from good to bad, from bad to
worse, and then to disaster. We are in the beginning stages of World War
III.
God's Festival Calendar &
6000 Year/Jubilee Timeline
vs.
Mayan Calendar & the St.
Malachy Prophecy of Popes
There are two primary sources of
information concerning end-of-the-world events: from God and from Satan.
As end time events heat up, sources other than the Word of God will be
turned to for answers to the overwhelming chaos in our world. I want to
address these right up front. God's Word relays final events as the Hebrew
prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit. We can say that God's Word
must be our only source of real truth; it is reliable and trustworthy,
through and through.
Does the world end in the year 2012, as shown
on the
Appointed Times & Seasons Calendar? If the Iran war begins
in late 2008 or early 2009, and events of God's Calendar begin at Purim in March 2009, we can start to count the timelines of prophecy and know
the year (not the day or hour) of the climax of human history.
After-all, this is the purpose of the time periods in Bible prophecy--that
the last generation of saints may know the signs of the times and know
where we are in relation to Christ's return. The saints will need to know
God's final plan in order to counter the nearly overwhelming deceptions
about to overtake our planet.
There are four converging lines of evidence
that indicate we are sitting on the brink of the appointed time of the
end. First is the alignment of God's Festival Calendar to the
timelines of Daniel & Revelation, as illustrated here on this website.
This "to the day" connection was made around 15 years ago, and the
Appointed Times & Seasons
Calendar represents the next alignment period, which starts in early
2009, and ends in the fall of 2012.
Next, the climax of 6,000
years of human history in its fallen condition.
Dr. Franklin S. Fowler Jr has done a great job in making the case for
God's 6,000 year fulfillment of time, followed by the seventh millennium.
He has determined that we are at the end of the 6,000 year period
of sin and the beginning of the 1,000 years...(continued)
George W. Bush:
President of Daniel's
Prophecies?
"When it comes to choice between bombing Iran and taking some political
heat, the President [George Bush] will do what he wants. Look, no decision
has been made, no order has been given, I've never said it's
going to happen. But I had breakfast this morning in Washington with
somebody who's close to a lot of military people, and there's a sense
among them that the President is essentially messianic about this. He sees
this as his mission. It could be because God is telling him to do it...,"
Who Wants to Bomb Iran, October 4,2007.
Daniel had visions about the future when war with Persia (Iran) would
escalate, and daily worship at Jerusalem's Temple Mount would be taken
away. Daniel 8:19b-21 says, "The vision concerns the appointed time
of the end. The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media (Iraq)
and Persia (Iran). The shaggy goat is the king of Greece (Hebrew "Javan,"
meaning Western powers), and the large horn between his eyes is the first
king (President George W. Bush). The vision indicates that Iraq will be
crushed (which has occurred), followed by the larger horn--Iran. The
forthcoming battle against Iran, which seems to be fomenting nearly every
day, will initiate the final events and the appointed time of the end.
Learn more (click
here).
America's Homeland Security warns...
Get Ready!
Please, get your family
survival ready. At a
minimum, you should follow the advice of
Homeland
Security to get a survival kit ready for any potential
catastrophe--whether natural or manmade. BE AWARE AND PREPARED, NOT
SCARED! Fear is reduced by education, communication, and both physical
and spiritual preparation---not by trying to hide from the real world and
dangerous age we live in.
The Rapture
Debate
Some believe Jesus will rapture the Church at any moment. Others say He
won’t do so until the middle of the tribulation. Still others place the
rapture at the very end of a seven year tribulation period. Are any of
them right, or could the Bible teach a different option altogether? (continue)
The Times and
Seasons No Man Knows: What Does This Mean?
An Interview with Messianic Pastor Mark Blitz on the Feasts of the LORD
In the region soon will be 80 warships from
the following countries: US, Britain, France, Canada, Australia,
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Turkey &
Pakistan
not
have simple answers based solely on fact, since they "require judgments
and the assessment of uncertainty." Puzzles, on the other hand, can
be solved because we have all the
necessary information; we just need to put it all together for the
solution. 
countries and causing unimaginable chaos and the
Russia, knows that US and European military assets are being sent to
the Persian Gulf to make ready to confront with Iran, and he may see this as
his opportunity to test the resolve of the West and to eventually reclaim lost territories to the Soviet Union break-up
(likely three nations--Daniel 7:5) and gain control of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline--the only route out of the Caspian Sea region not now controlled by
either Russia or Iran. God's
Word says, "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places," (Matthew 24:7). 
pregnant woman, and they will not
escape,"
attracts thousands of Jewish worshippers
daily around the clock, who come to pray and lay out their problems and seek for
heavenly guidance. They feel the presence of God's spirit, who according
to their belief resides for thousands of years in the holy temple."
few verses later a monster
creature is described as having ten horns, but "three of the first horns
were uprooted."
going to happen. But I had breakfast this morning in Washington with
somebody who's close to a lot of military people, and there's a sense
among them that the President is essentially messianic about this. He sees
this as his mission. It could be because God is telling him to do it...,"
(Iraq)
and Persia (Iran). The shaggy goat is the king of Greece (Hebrew "Javan,"
meaning Western powers), and the large horn between his eyes is the first
king (President George W. Bush). The vision indicates that Iraq will be
crushed (which has occurred), followed by the larger horn--Iran. The
forthcoming battle against Iran, which seems to be fomenting nearly every
day, will initiate the final events and the appointed time of the end.
Learn more (
minimum, you should follow the advice of
