The Thursday Update

JULY 3, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

I want to use my weekly update this week as part 2 of my update last week. In light of all that has been going on between Iran and Israel since October 7, 2023, including the direct war that has been going on for three weeks, I feel the need to share my thoughts on what is happening from a biblical perspective and to examine if these events have any significance in God’s prophetic plan for the future.

Last week, I addressed “What’s Happening With Iran?” Today, I’ll address, “What’s Happening With Israel?” Feel free to forward this to friends who may have a curiosity as to what’s happening in the world today.

Let me start by addressing an important issue related to Israel. Churches have taken two very different views of the meaning of Israel in the New Testament.

1. At Lakeshore, as well as many Bible-believing churches, we take the view that Israel refers to the national, ethnic, religious people of God that began with Abraham (born about 4,150 years ago), through his son Isaac, and through his son Jacob (who later had his name changed to Israel). When the New Testament speaks of Israel, it refers to literal Israel in their land today, as well as those of this lineage through Jacob who are not living in the land today. This is called the Dispensational view, and it is based on a biblical method of interpretation that uses a literal, plain, historical grammatical approach. So “Israel” always refers literally to the people of Israel. It is very simple and straight forward.

2. There are other churches like the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and others in mainline and liberal denominations that take the view that the church replaces Israel and that many of the promises made to Israel in the Old Testament will now be fulfilled by the Christian Church and not by biblical, literal Israel. So the promises and prophecies made to Abraham concerning the restoration of Israel into the land and its blessings are interpreted as being somehow fulfilled in the church and not taken literally for the people of Israel. This is called replacement theology and it is based on a biblical interpretation method that uses “spiritualization” and “allegory” to interpret the Bible, not the literal, plain, historical grammatical method of biblical interpretation used in Dispensationalism. They believe that today, God is done dealing with the nation of Israel.

We believe very strongly that the Dispensational view—that Israel refers to literal Israel in the New Testament—is essential to properly understanding the Bible, and that the Replacement Theology view does significant damage to both the right understanding of the Bible and to the character of God Himself. And when you “allegorize” and “spiritualize” the Bible, interpretation becomes very subjective to the wishes of the reader and not very objective to the original meaning of the Bible itself.

As an example, when God promised Abraham (see Genesis 15:18-21) land that Israel has never fully claimed to this day, then either He will fulfill it in the future literally (the right, literal view of Israel) or He has broken His promise and they will not inherit it (the wrong, spiritualized view of Israel). There are many other promises that God would have to break to national Israel for anyone to embrace Replacement Theology. I believe that it is both a wrong and dangerous view.

More: If you want to know more about why a literal view of Israel is far superior to the spiritualized view of Replacement Theology, watch this video.

1. Israel always has been and always will be the center of God’s plan for the world.

   From the twelfth chapter of the Bible through to the very end 1,177 chapters later, Israel is the focus of God. The Old Testament is the story of Israel’s birth, history, conquest, divided empire, fall, and restoration back into their land. The New Testament is the story of Jesus coming to Israel to offer Himself to be their king (John 1:11a), their rejection of Him as their King (John 1:11b, Matthew 23) and the final destruction of their temple in 70 A.D. But it is also the story of how His plan for Israel is not over but only put on “pause”. That is where we are today. 
   
   During this present “pause” on His final plan for Israel, God is using this time to bring non-Jewish people (Gentiles) into His family by faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12). It is called “the church age” and it began on the day of Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection of Jesus, see Acts 2), and it will last until every Christian is taken from the earth in a single moment in the future at the event known as the Rapture of the Church. When that happens, the church age is over, and God resumes His plan for Israel in the final seven years of life on earth before His return. So while the church is the place where people come to faith today, Israel will return to the center of God’s plan after the Rapture when the church is removed from the earth one day.
   
   

2. Israel today has (by and large) not accepted Jesus as their Messiah, but God is still at work to prepare their future.
   
   The book of Romans in the New Testament speaks about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in incredible detail. In its sixteen chapters, the Apostle Paul covers the subjects of sin (Romans 1:1-3:23), salvation (Romans 3:24-5:21), sanctification (Romans 6-8) and service (Romans 12-16). In between, Romans 9-11 covers God’s plan for Israel in His sovereignty. It answers the question, “If Israel rejected Jesus as their King at His first coming, is He done with them?” with a resounding answer: “Not at all!” In fact, Romans 11 says some incredible things about Israel’s future. Consider:
   
   I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”[a]? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”[b] 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. Romans 11:1-5, NIV
   
   I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. Romans 11:25-26a, NIV
   
   From these passages we see that God has not rejected the nation and people of Israel. Today there are only a small number of Jewish believers because many are hardened toward faith in Jesus until all the Gentiles (non-Jews) that God has called will come to faith. At that point, God will cause a national conversion in Israel to take place and “all Israel will be saved.” How could anyone think that God does not have a plan for Israel?

3. Israel will be the focus of the final seven years of the tribulation period that ends with the return of Jesus Christ. Then, God will fulfill all His promises to Israel.
   
   Before the day when all Israel will be saved, many prophecies must be fulfilled. They include:

   1. The Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The next great event in biblical prophecy will occur at a time no one knows. Every true Christian will be taken from the earth to be with Jesus in heaven. Everyone else will be left behind to face the worst times that the world has ever seen.

   2. The Gog Magog Invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). I covered this in last week’s email, but sometime just after the Rapture, Russia, Iran, and Turkey will lead a coalition of other nations to join them in attacking the land of Israel. They will do so when Israel is living without walls and in a perceived time of peace and security (which is not the case right now, but could be soon) and when these nations invade to capture resources from the land. This time, it will not be the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that protects and defends Israel but God Himself (Ezekiel 38:18-23).

   3. The Seven Year Tribulation (Revelation 6-19, Matthew 24:1-29). Shortly after the two aforementioned events occur, Israel will have a peace treaty between her and her enemies brokered and confirmed by a future world leader known as the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27). Israel will think it has found true peace, but it will only be a false peace (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) brokered by a false leader who is empowered by Satan himself (Revelation 13:1-8). It will begin the seven-year tribulation described in the book of Revelation. It will be a time of incredible trouble for the world as God pours out His judgment on sin and those who rejected Jesus. This is the final 7 years of life on earth as we know it and it will be so bad that people will suffer in ways the world has never seen.

   4. The Second Coming of Jesus (Revelation 19, Matthew 24:30-31). After the seven years have passed, Jesus will return to earth with His angels and with Christians who were part of the Rapture (Revelation 19:14) to establish His rule and reign over all the earth.

   5. The 1,000 Year Reign Of Jesus On Earth (Revelation 20). Israel and the capital city of Jerusalem will become the place where Jesus Christ returns to rule and to reign over the world in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 15) and with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Jesus will rule the world in righteousness and it will be a time of universal world peace (Isaiah 2:2-4, 9:7, 11:4,11:9, 65:20-25, Zechariah 14:16, Luke 1:32-33). And on that day, everyone will love the people of Israel! Consider these verses:
      
      I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.15 I will plant Israel in their own land,never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God. Amos 9:14-15, NIV
      
      This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’” Zechariah 8:23, NIV

So what should we be doing today in light of God’s everlasting love for Israel and His clear plan for their future?

1. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel regularly (Psalm 122:6). Amidst all the hate they are experiencing in the world, pray for their peace. 
   
   

2. Make sure that you are right with God through faith in Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Are you ready for the Rapture and sure you will not be left behind? Are you absolutely certain that you are a Christian? Are you living for Jesus today? Are you living a godly life? Are you telling people about Jesus? Are you inviting people to church?

Warmly,
Vince

JUNE 26, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

I want to use my weekly update this week (and next week) to address what is happening in the Middle East in light of the past two weeks. I want to address it all from a biblical perspective, examining if these events have any significance in God’s plan for the prophetic future of that region and for the future of the whole world.

Next week, I’ll address, “What’s Happening With Israel?” This week, I’ll look at “What’s Happening With Iran?” Feel free to forward this to friends who may have a curiosity as to what’s happening.

About two weeks ago, Israel attacked Iran. Their goal has been to disable Iran’s ability to attack Israel. Israel sees this as a necessity for their own survival for at least three reasons:

1. In 1979, the government of Iran was taken over by a radical Islamic revolution that has vowed to bring death to both Israel and America, nations they call the little Satan and the great Satan respectively. Many times over, the nation has backed up these chants with violent acts, beginning with the capture of American hostages in 1979 and plotting and executing multiple terrorist attacks that have killed and injured many thousands of people since then. Their threat is not an empty threat, but a real one for Israel.

2. On October 7, 2023, led by the terrorist organization Hamas, Iran’s proxies invaded Israel and killed nearly 1,200 innocent people there through the most barbaric and brutal means imaginable. They also took nearly 100 hostages, most of them have already been murdered. In the over 20 months since then, proxy militia that serve Iran like the Houthis and Hezbollah have attacked Israel from the north and south, making their assault on the nation multifaceted and multidirectional. Many more innocent lives have perished as a result. Israel has responded with strikes that have targeted the terrorists and their weapons, trying to avoid innocent civilians. While the strikes have not always been as precise as desired, unbiased observers have recognized that no nation has done more to try to avoid innocent civilian casualties during a war than Israel has, especially in light of the fact that the terrorists have used the hostages and civilians as human shields for themselves. Israel responded to this terrorist attack, like any other nation would, to protect itself from further terrorism.

3. On June 12, Israel launched a series of targeted attacks inside of Iran to destroy their nuclear and military capabilities. This has been a war that’s been about 45 years in the making. Israel, the United States (at least our current administration), and other nations have vowed to never let Iran have a nuclear weapon. The reason is simple: their chants for death to Israel would become more likely to be a reality with these weapons. This is based on their belief that the return of their final Islamic Imam, known as the Mahdi, would only occur when they had finished their mission to destroy Israel (and others). Their nuclear attack would serve as a part of their end time desires to usher in this Mahdi and a world ruled by Islamic law. Israel knows how seriously a threat an Iran with nuclear weapons would be to their survival.

While it is early, it appears that Iran’s nuclear program was dealt a major blow. How much of a blow or how long it will take to recover their nuclear program is still being determined. But clearly, they are severely weakened today.

In light of all of this, let me answer three questions related to this war with Iran and Bible prophecy.

1. Are these attacks by Israel on Iran a fulfillment of biblical prophecy? Possibly. Jeremiah 49:34-39 is the passage which may shed some light:

This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: 35 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. 36 I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go. 37 I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger,” declares the Lord. “I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. 38 I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,” declares the Lord. 39 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the Lord.

Elam is the ancient name of the land that is located in the southwest area of Iran today. Interestingly, that is the area where many of Iran’s nuclear sites were located. About 2,500 years ago, Jeremiah prophesied that God would break Elam’s bow (verse 35). Could this “bow” be an ancient term that refers to the launching of missiles and nuclear weapons? Could there be a continuation of what seems to be the start of an exile from Iran today as predicted in verse 36? With so many nations publically and privately happy that Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been disrupted (even most of the neighboring muslim nations), could this be what verse 37 refers to as “Elam’s foes”? Only time will tell. It does appear that verses 38-39 at the end of the passage speak of what will happen when Christ returns (Revelation 19) and sets up His 1,000 year kingdom on earth (Revelation 20) and are more focused on the long term plan of God. Like many prophecies in the Old Testament, this appears to have a two-phase fulfilment in two different eras of time, and the first phase may be happening right before our eyes. Again, only time will tell.

2. Is Iran involved in additional future end time biblical prophecy related to Israel? Absolutely. Ezekiel 38-39 speaks of a future invasion that will happen sometime just after the Rapture of the church (most likely), and it’s called the Gog Magog Invasion of Israel. As you read this passage, you’ll see that a list of nations with ancient names is given. While there is some debate on the exact identity of some of the nations, most biblical scholars believe that “Rosh” is likely Russia, “Magog” refers potentially to parts of Russia and former Soviet territories, “Meshech and Tubal” are associated with Turkey, and “Persia” clearly speaks of modern-day Iran. It says that this coalition of nations will invade Israel directly with military forces in the land (Ezekiel 38:10), that at that time Israel will dwell in unwalled villages without gates and bars, and that Israel will not suspect this attack (Ezekiel 38:11-16). When this happens, God will directly intervene to destroy these armies (Ezekiel 38:18-23) to show Himself strong to the people of Israel and to the world.

Consider this: Are Iran, Russia and Turkey aligned together now like this prophecy predicts? The answer appears to be yes. Clearly Iran and Russia are today, and Turkey has voiced threats toward Israel with the current president Erdogan, even though they are a part of NATO. Would an alliance between these nations make sense? Yes, they all have a common enemy in Israel. Is Israel dwelling without walls, gates, and bars? And are they unsuspecting of an attack today? Clearly the answer to both is no. But it suggests that between now and this Gog Magog Invasion of Israel, there will be a time when Israel enters an era of peace… actually an era of false peace. Which leads to the final question.

3. What does it all mean for us today? The Rapture of every true Christian is close, and so is the subsequent seven-year tribulation that will follow. The next great event in the future is the time when Jesus will take every true Christian from the earth at an event called the Rapture. You can read about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-58. If you are a Christian when the Rapture occurs, Jesus will take you up to meet Him in the clouds and you will return to heaven with Him. If you aren’t a Christian at the Rapture, you will be left behind here on earth and will face with the perils of the seven-year tribulation period described in Revelation 6-19. It will be a terrible time of God’s judgment on the earth and on the people of the world for its rejection of Jesus and its rejection of His truth.

How will it all begin? 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 tells us:

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 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.

The world is in turmoil now. But one day, there will be a temporary false peace and false safety that will seem to put people at ease. And as we just covered in Ezekiel 38:11-16, even Israel will feel safe during this time. But this false peace will only last for a brief moment because it will be a peace that comes from the future world leader, the Anti-Christ, and not from Jesus Christ. I believe that people today are being lulled to sleep today by hopes of a future peace that will not last.

So my hope for all of you is that you will be ready for this day. The Rapture can happen at any moment. Are you absolutely sure you’re a Christian? Are you really living for Jesus? Are you living a godly life? Are you ready for this incredible day? I hope so.

As always, we’re here to help you in this journey.

Forward this to a friend. And next week, I’ll talk about what’s happening with Israel as well as provide a true understanding of their relationship to the church today (in contrast to the false teaching of Replacement Theology).

Warmly,
Vince

JUNE 19, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

One of my favorite sayings (and as a public speaker and teacher, I have many) is the one related to what distinguishes successful people from everyone else. It goes like this:

The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people can’t do, won’t do, or just talk about doing.

More than almost any other attribute, being someone who persists in doing a task is the best indicator of success in life, assuming what you’re persisting in is worth doing. Being a person who doesn’t quit very easily, someone who has grit, determination, tenacity, resolve, staying power, and a ceaselessness to their efforts is the best predictor of a person’s success when all other factors are the same between people. People with the exact opposite approach rarely find success. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

Political figure Newt Gingrich once said, “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”

Of course, it’s important to remember that there are limits to our efforts. We must always allow room for God’s grace to be truly and eternally successful. But all things being equal, pressing on is the sign of success for people who trust in God’s grace as the primary virtue in their life. I know because of what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14. I’ll cover this on Suany as we continue our series in Philippians, “How To Find Joy In Life”.

If you want to find more joy in your life, you need to develop a persistent spirit. God will use it to do great things in your life, including becoming more filled with the joy of Jesus in all you do. And that’s what true success is all about.

Wamrly,
Vince