Awaken Bible Prophecy

In recent posts, I’ve addressed serious issues concerning Preterism and other non-pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrines. What I’ve dealt with is a somber reminder that when we don’t read the Word of God as it is literally written – except where it specifically tells us something is symbolic – then false belief systems generally arise from this error. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/awaken-biblical-prophecy-commentary-the-curse-of-jesus-blood-1-31-24/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Being as fervent of a pre-Tribulation Rapture adherent as I am, I’ve discussed numerous times in my various Commentaries the problems and inadequacies with other end-times positions. In my Awaken Bible Prophecy Update on January 24 titled Preterist Pretensions, I addressed this particular method of Biblical interpretation, and if you’ll recall, I pronounced it a false doctrine. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-spirit-suckers/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

A friend sent me a link to an online message from about three months ago in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 atrocity of Hamas terrorists attacking Israel. She was a little confused by this pastor’s message and asked if I could comment on it. I had a pretty strong impression right off the bat by the title of the message that I’d find it problematic; as I listened and took five pages of notes, that sense was more than confirmed. In fact, what this man said really fired me up in righteous anger. As a result, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass to outline some of what was said and convey the dangers of this mode of thinking. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

The account in Genesis 14 of the ancient war between four kings and five kings has some fascinating aspects to it that I just saw myself and thought you might find the logistics of that conflict equally intriguing. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-abram-rephaim-logistics/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

When we read the account of Joseph, and how God turned what was meant for evil into good, we rightly see that his difficult circumstances led to the salvation of the Jewish people. What we seldom reflect on is the nature of what happened to the people in Egypt due to the terrible famine, and Joseph’s solutions to their dire problems. As beneficial as this situation ultimately turned out for the Jews, I wonder how the Egyptians eventually fared in the aftermath of this impossible time? More relevant to us today is how what we see played out then models what will happen as we close in on the fulfillment of the Agenda 2030 objectives. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/awaken-biblical-prophecy-commentary-the-time-of-josephs-troubling-control-1-17-24/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

There is a concerted effort to significantly reduce the population of the United States (as well as the world, of course), and I would say that it’s coming along quite nicely as far as the global elites are concerned. However, as our indigenous population is being decimated, the population of illegal aliens is increasing rapidly. What does this dynamic look like? The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-u-s-depopulation-yes-no/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Here I am again on Wednesday. It’s difficult to refrain from putting these offerings out when the Lord keeps feeding me things to write about. You’ll note I’m not calling this a Prophecy Update; rather another form of my Commentaries, i.e. a Prophecy Commentary – with new color coding for the splash page to differentiate it. Speaking of feeding that I mentioned earlier, that’s the theme of today’s discussion. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/awaken-biblical-prophecy-commentary-food-control-desperation-1-10-24/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Have you ever wondered why Israel seems to be so dependent on the United States for its military activities? If so, wonder no more, as I’ll tell why that’s the case, and who caused Israel to be a welfare queen to America. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-israels-dependence-on-the-u-s-why/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Here we are in the New Year of 2024 - a year that some have said could have a Black Swan event. This is what Britannica says concerning this: Black swan event [is a] high-impact event that is difficult to predict under normal circumstances but that in retrospect appears to have been inevitable. A black swan event is unexpected and therefore difficult to prepare for but is often rationalized with the benefit of hindsight as having been unavoidable. The description could almost be referring to the Rapture. Maybe – maybe not. I know that the majority of you listening to or reading this brief Commentary are certainly rooting for this above all other Black Swan events – as am I. Beyond that blessed event, there are bunches of other potential America or world disrupting crises that could happen. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

If there was ever a movie depicting the philosophy of modern man, it’s Cool Hand Luke. Luke, played by Paul Newman, is a small-town drifter who has no purpose in life. He comes home from the war (WW2) and sometime thereafter is arrested, convicted, and incarcerated. His crime? Drinking heavily and cutting the heads off parking meters. Hilarious, but pathetic. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Have you ever wondered why it is that so many people deny the wondrous promise of the solid doctrine of the pre-Tribulation Rapture? I’ve attempted in prior Commentaries to outline a number of reasons. Among them are the fact that many continue to believe a flat-out lie that won’t die within this community of pre-Trib deniers. That untruth, of course, is the false notion that John Nelson Darby conceived of the pre-Trib Rapture in the 1800s because of his association with a mystic who had a demonic vision. This fiction has been thoroughly debunked time after time, but the post-Tribbers always come back to it – seemingly unable to shake off Satan’s deceit. In a Prophecy Update I did in September 2023 titled NAR Post-Trib End-Times Beliefs, I noted how Mike Bickle, a well-known NAR Bible teacher associated with the International House of Prayer (IHOP), has based his beliefs, not only on the John Nelson Darby fairytale, but by reading into Scripture what he wants it to say. This is technically called eisegesis and is an absolutely incorrect method of Bible study. We must do what’s known as exegesis, whereby we read God’s Word and interpret the world through that lens. When we attempt to make the Bible adhere to our personal biases, nothing but false teaching can result. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

The identity of the Two Witnesses has an interesting twist that I don’t think has been discussed much. Three men are identified as possibilities for the Witnesses. Enoch and Elijah are strong candidates because both were Raptured, having never seen death. The other candidate is Moses, yet he died, which could be problematic. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-the-moses-conundrum/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

We’re going to have a little fun today. Well, it’s fun for me; I don’t know for all the rest of you. Because I’m a fiction author, I engage in a lot of “what if” speculations. That’s the only way to write fiction. You have to go down various rabbit trails at times to come up with something that hopefully works and ties all strands of the story together. I do similar mental gymnastics in my Bible prophecy discussions. In order to try to put scenarios together that attempt to tie in all aspects of a prophetic situation, I think it’s necessary to do some thought experiments. That’s what we’ll do today in our “what if” discussion. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

A couple months ago, two prominent pastors effectively presented two different scenarios regarding how the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church might proceed. I follow both of them closely and respect them immensely. Yet the message that came forth from these astute men of God couldn’t differ more as to when the Rapture might happen. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-which-is-it-lord/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

One reliable source I recommend that you may want to follow regarding the Israel-Hamas War is Caroline Glick. She is an Israeli journalist with a sincere desire to tell the truth, and has been doing so for many years. A little-known fact about her is found on the About section of her website: Glick was born in Houston, TX and grew up in Chicago, IL. She moved to Israel in 1991, two weeks after receiving her BA in Political Science from Columbia University. She joined the Israel Defense Forces that summer and served as an officer for five and a half years. And here I thought she was Israel-born and just spoke English well. Her resume is solid, conservative, and shows her to be an avid Israel supporter seeking to bring real news rather than globalist pablum. FYI – she is not a Christian. Caroline has been reporting in depth lately about the Israel-Hamas War. As you might expect, she has been very concerned about the faux support coming from the Biden Administration. Biden and others in the Regime have been speaking out of both sides of their mouths. They express undying support for Israel while at the same time tying Israel’s hands and helping Hamas in numerous ways. We all know that words are simply that. It’s what people do – their actions – that tell us their true intentions. That is definitely the case with our American government. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

We all have doubts at one time or another – right? We who believe fervently in the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church – just because God hasn’t pulled the trigger yet and made it happen – don’t we sometimes despair a little in our weariness and wonder if we’re riding a dead horse? It’s not an overwhelming doubt; just a trickle that threatens our anticipation. But then, we pull ourselves together and realize that we’re either idiots for jumping into this mirey pit or that Satan is trying his best to discourage us. To that end in this Commentary, I want to ask and answer the question: When You Have Doubts About the pre-Trib Rapture, Who Will You Believe? I got thinking about this, and in so doing, realized that those who dismiss this sound Biblical doctrine are all highly suspect in their own beliefs. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-when-you-have-doubts-who-will-you-believe/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Every now and then we need a reminder of things past. The reason is that the world is moving so swiftly, it’s very easy to forget what happened yesterday, let alone over the last three years, and specifically about how our medical system betrayed us during the COVID scare. I don’t even like to use the word pandemic concerning COVID. It was a flu that affected people worldwide; however, it was manufactured with deadly intent as a bio-weapon against the citizens of the world. There was nothing naturally occurring about this illness. The evidence that COVID resulted from gain-of-function manipulation is overwhelming. If you have to ask for proof of this as this point of our dealing with COVID and its aftereffects, I’m not sure I can help you. It’s time to take your head out of the sand and do a little independent research, rather than listening to the mainstream talking heads. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Although many believers today who ascribe to Replacement Theology want to pretend that the church should essentially be the entity referred to in the Old Testament whenever Israel is mentioned, perhaps they shouldn’t be so eager to make that substitution. Although I doubt that few of the pastors and people in this very large segment of the church have actually read the Bible with any real understanding – because they wouldn’t have this belief if they did; in fact, they couldn’t have it - they probably wouldn’t put themselves in this position if they truly comprehended the issues surrounding Israel. After all, if you’re going to take the glorious promises made for Israel and ascribe them to the church, then you should also be required to accept God’s condemnation of His Chosen People for their rebellion and disobedience, along with the extreme punishment that Israel endured for those actions and has going forward. Do you think the church would agree to that if it really knew what it was getting into? The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-israel-the-church-joined-at-the-hip-in-apostasy/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

About a year and a half ago I spent some time thinking about the coming Antichrist. In so doing, I considered thoughts from various Bible prophecy teachers who wrote books on the subject. My Prophecy Update titled Antichrist Ruminations was the result of my survey. From that effort, because my article was posted on Rapture Ready, that attracted the attention of Charles (Ken) Bassett who wrote the book: Can We Know? Subsequently, Ken changed the book’s title to: God Says Count the Number 666 – Why the Church Can Discover the Identity of the Antichrist, which can be found on Amazon by that name. He then wrote a subsequent book titled: Empire of the Antichrist – Why the Antichrist Will Come from Rome, which expands his thesis. Ken and I started talking and became friends. Recently I asked him a question that niggled at me when I read his books. Here’s that question: In reading your books, you spoke of the Jews fleeing to Pella, if I recall correctly, after the A/C temple desecration. From what I can determine, the Jews might have gone there during their 70AD flight, but why did you choose Pella over Petra for the Tribulation run for the hills? His response, and my reaction to it, are the focus of the Prophecy Update today. As you’ll see, the issue becomes one of timing for Revelation 12 regarding the era to which it refers. Does that chapter describe past events or future ones? Maybe this topic is only one that interests prophecy geeks like Ken and me. On the other hand, because there’s so much focus on Israel today – rightly so – it may be that this is more pertinent than any of us realize. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

The question came up to me in comments to something I’d written: What is it that makes Psalm 83 a potential prophecy that may predict a future war? A recent Rapture Ready article argued that it’s not prophetic in nature; rather it’s simply a lament by the musician Asaph. Since I got canceled from Rapture Ready a while back, I can’t respond in that forum in order to provide my views, but I thought the issue pertinent enough that I should revisit it here and dispute – in a brotherly manner – with the author of that article titled: Why Do Some People Promote Psalm 83 In These Days? The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-psalm-83-as-future-prophecy-the-uncertainty-continues/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Those who read or listen to my preaching on this topic today are probably going to be the choir. As you might imagine, people gravitate to Bible teachers they tend to agree with. For instance, I’ll only listen to somebody spouting Replacement Theology nonsense if I’m researching that person; certainly not as a regular diet. I’ve got better things to do than ingest someone’s heresy on a routine basis. The bottom line for what I say today isn’t a popular position with much of the church, as we’ve seen in recent weeks since the savage, demonic attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023. In fact, by either its blatant support for the so-called Palestinian cause or by its deafening silence, the church as a whole has outed itself regarding its dislike, and even hatred for, Israel and the Jews. Although I haven’t specifically heard Andy Stanley’s position on Israel or “Palestine” – considering his encouragement that Christians should unhitch from the Old Testament since it isn’t relevant to our faith - I can only imagine where this apostate pastor stands in this crucial matter of our times. If a presumed man of God wants to deep-six the Old Testament, you can know for certain that he isn’t a pastor actually preaching the Word of God. In this case, whatever happened to the “entire Word of God?” Apparently, it's just a dusty old tome that has no meaning to enlightened Christians these days. I have plenty more ranting and criticism coming in this Commentary because I feel very strongly that God wants some few of us to speak boldly. A little later I’ll also suggest that He may want even more from some of us concerning His Chosen People, the Jews. This is a critical moment for the church. It’s even more important for individual believers. I’ve said it before and will keep repeating it unless God has me stop: How Christians – and I’m referring here to those who are truly saved – respond to Israel in her need for support from God’s people will determine their fate concerning the soon-to-come Tribulation. This isn’t even a topic the choir likes to hear. You may disagree with my conclusions at the end of this Commentary. However, I urge you to hear what I say by considering it through the lens of Scripture. Don’t believe something just because you heard it from another pastor – even a trusted one. Do your own deep dive so that you fully understand the issue that you’re embracing. Maybe you’ll arrive at the same place you started – but maybe you won’t. Just make sure you have the Biblical basis for what you believe. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter books & blog https://garyritter.com/

The prophecy of Isaiah 11:10-16 is quite interesting, if potentially speaking of our current day events surrounding the Israel-Hamas War. Its verses certainly detail a future time. The question is: When? Isaiah describes a second regathering of the people of Israel from many areas. When was the first? Presumably in the time of Nehemiah. This, the second and pertinent one, is that of Israel coming together as a nation in 1948 and subsequent to that. As I mentioned in my recent Commentary titled Aliya, God is doing a work in the hearts of Jews worldwide right now – a tugging at their very being so that they immigrate to Israel so as to fulfill the Lord’s purposes. He has not forgotten or abandoned His People Israel; rather He is in the process of doing something truly amazing that the world will gawk at and exclaim about: that because He has done such miracles – He is truly God Almighty. But that day is still a little ways off. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-a-signal-for-destruction/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

Several years before the whole COVID fiasco, I led a mission trip to Guatemala. One of the ladies with us mentioned at one point that she was against vaccines and would never allow her children – of which she had two at the time – to be vaccinated. Being completely ignorant then of the problems with vaccines and any of their sordid history, I essentially responded with, “Oh, okay. Huh.” Impressive – no? No. I hadn’t come across anyone previously who was anti-vaxx, so I had no idea. It seemed a little crazy to me. After all, vaccines have been around a long time and generally acknowledged as being necessary. Haven’t the authorities always said that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are putting others at risk? Heck, I was vaxxed as a youngster and to my knowledge didn’t suffer any adverse effects. Some of you who regularly listen to or read my rantings may disagree, but there you are. Aside from the COVID vaxx, which I’ll discuss a little later in this Update, there really and truly is a long and wretched history regarding vaccines; how they’ve been pushed ceaselessly by the medical profession; how they’ve shown no actual efficacy; how they’ve killed large numbers of people; and how common-sense, non-medical individuals, resisted them because they actually observed their harms. Today, I want to review a little as to how vaccines over the years have actually been responsible for many more deaths than the affliction for which they were developed and targeted. What began many decades ago, and what we’ve seen and experienced with the COVID vaxx, are one in the same. Vaccines have always hurt more than helped, contrary to what the medical professionals and our toxic government would have you believe. But should you be surprised? Given all that our government has done against us – under the subtle control of the Communist Deep State – why would you think this aspect of our lives – our medical health – should be any different? Perhaps when we’re done, you’ll realize it makes sense to proudly be an anti-vaxxer, even as I have become and declare it to the world. Vaccines do not help. They harm. They have been cast upon us forever, and foolish fish that we are, we’ve swallowed their lie: hook, line, and sinker. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter books & blog https://garyritter.com/

The unprovoked attack by the terrorist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 has unleashed the inner demons in the rest of the world – including in the church. Although many in the alt-right movement correctly – in my opinion – add this to the list of issues and events that the globalist cabal has planned, so that war indeed would result, they as secularists, and also much of Christendom, commenting on this topic totally miss the bigger picture. The transcript for this audio commentary is available at my website blog under the post with the same title: https://garyritter.com/biblical-audio-commentary-aliya/ Gary Ritter website: books & blog http://garyritter.com/

A friend of mine, who is a scholar at heart and a new believer, asked me to help him understand the rationale for a pre-Tribulation Rapture. I thought I would take the occasion of his questions to outline my thinking in this regard in this forum. Every Bible prophecy teacher has his quirks and biases that may cause some slight differences in his understanding of the overall pre-Tribulation concept and the timeline for these last days. But there is general agreement on the primary Bible passages that define this seminal event. Here are Larry’s questions that I’ll take a stab at in this Commentary: "I understand the Bible today and I never did prior. But I also understand some of it differently than others have explained it to me. I’ve been trying to understand the rapture and the different beliefs of when; it’s brought me to an hypothesis based on scripture, but I still don’t think I am comfortable putting a “pre” “mid” or “post on it. "Can you point me to the scripture you utilize to outline a pre-trib rapture? I’m also interested in what you think defines the beginning of the tribulation. The problem I have understanding any timeframe for a rapture, is that in order to do that, I feel like a definition of when the tribulation starts must come prior to believing in any timeline. What event do you think begins the tribulation? Or what event do you think occurs immediately after the rapture and what scripture do you rely on for that? I’m seriously interested in learning what scriptures are used to back up any of the timelines for the rapture. Why “pre”? Why somebody else would believe “mid” or “post”? My experience is that many people have a timeline belief of the rapture, but nobody seems to want to share why (based on scripture) they believe the one they do. I can google things just like others, but I’d rather hear from people who have strong beliefs as to why they have them." These are great questions because he’s exactly right. A lot of people believe one approach or another, but only because someone else told them such and such was the right interpretation of Scripture. Unfortunately, this kind of ignorance has a long pedigree. Please note that the transcript is available on my website blog under the post with the same title. Gary Ritter website & blog: https://garyritter.com/