By Ronald Stokes
With worldwide terror attacks being reported weekly, extreme weather conditions, federally mandated transgender bathrooms, abortionists chanting allegiance to Satan, required participation by Christian bakers and florists in gay weddings, the Christian dating site “Christian Mingle” required to admit homosexuals, is it possible that our watchmen have somehow missed the fact that we have entered the Tribulation?
My book recently released by WND’s World Ahead Press division, “America’s Covenant,” explores the possibility that the Declaration of Independence is a covenant with God, which the United States violated over slavery in the past and is currently violating over abortion. An article summarizing some of the arguments published on WND on Memorial Day met with mixed acceptance. Many rejected the proposition out of hand. Yet the book has an authentication code in the last chapter. There I predicted that the Tribulation would begin June 8, 2016, and could be recognized by Israel signing a seven-year peace treaty with the Antichrist. This date was derived from Daniel’s seventy week prophecy.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:24-27)
At the time of Daniel’s prophecy, both the Jews and Jerusalem existed. God told Daniel, the prophesied time would begin when the Jews were commanded to rebuild Jerusalem. The 70 weeks apply just as much to Jerusalem as to the Jews: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city.”
God divided the 70 weeks into three groups: 7 + 62 + 1 = 70. Each week represented seven years for a total of 490 years. The first two groups, 7 and 62, occurred in sequence. When the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem, the 69 weeks, 483 years, commenced. After 483 years, Jesus was crucified and the time of the prophecy stopped. The remaining week coincides with a seven-year treaty between the Jews and the Antichrist.
The text gives no explanation for dividing the first 69 weeks into 7 and 62. The fact that God separated the first 7 weeks is significant. Just as the 7 weeks preceded the 62 weeks, it will also precede the last week. In other words, the clock is not waiting for the Antichrist covenant with Israel to start ticking. It started ticking again when the Jews gained control of Jerusalem. Israel gained control over Jerusalem in the Six Day War fought in 1967. If we add 49 (seven weeks) to 1967, we get 2016.
The Jews gained control of Jerusalem on June 7, 1967. So the tribulation should start 49 years from that day. Using the Gregorian calendar, this would be June 7, 2016. However, it is possible that God may not use the Gregorian calendar. The pure definition of a year is one revolution of the earth about the sun. It takes approximately 356.25 days for the earth to revolve about the sun. The Gregorian calendar adjusts for the partial day by adding one day every leap year. In 49 years we would need to add 12 and one quarter days. In the interval of interest, there are 13 leap days starting in 1968 with the last one being in 2016. Therefore, a more accurate representation of the revolution of the earth about the sun would include only 12 leap days. If we take out the leap day for 2016, the day we currently label June 7 would become June 8. Therefore, June 8 is the most likely day for the signing of the seven-year peace treaty.
There was no apparent covenant on June 8. Was I mistaken? Then on the 10th, a friend, Dave Winecoff, emailed that, in fact, Israel had signed an agreement on the 7th/8th. It was an agreement with Russia to develop a portion of Israel’s offshore gas field. Could this be the anticipated covenant?
The implications of the agreement between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Putin included diplomatic and military repercussions. It proclaimed to the world that Russia had a financial stake in the survival of Israel. Putin declared that Russia and Israel were true allies in fighting terrorism. They planned joint naval and air exercises to take place later in the summer. On June 15, the Israeli government declared, “As long as we are in the government, there will be no Palestinian state, there will be no settlement evacuations, and we will not give any land to our enemies.” This demonstrated a strengthened Israeli negotiating position.
The next anticipated event would be the breaking of the first seal in Revelation.
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:2)
This pictures the Antichrist going forth as a false peacemaker. On June 18, the Jerusalem Post published an article saying that Putin called for the renewal of Israel-Palestinian talks. Word followed that Turkey and Israel resolved issues and well as Turkey and Russia.
Global ignorance of the significance of this treaty is indicated in Scripture. Daniel 9:27 foretold of the covenant and the Antichrist standing in the temple of God midway through the Tribulation. However, Thessalonians says the Antichrist is not revealed until he stands in the temple.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4)
This indicates that few recognize Putin as the Antichrist at the signing of the seven-year treaty with Israel.
After graduating from the U.S Air Force Academy and serving 20 years specializing in operations research, Ronald Stokes has taught mathematics at Central Washington University and has studied statistics at the Ph.D. level. His new book, “America’s Covenant,” available at the WND Superstore, examines the spiritual implications of the Declaration of Independence.
