What is the reason God allowed Satan to survive for thousands of years after his rebellion? Why didn’t He just destroy him and his followers immediately? After all- we know they will all be destroyed (sent to Hell – the burning lake of fire) eventually (I think very soon). Can you imagine what life would have been like without Satan’s influence. Probably much like Heaven. Also, will unsaved people go to “the lake of fire” or do you think most go to “outer darkness” and suffer mainly the absence of God forever?

I just read an article regarding the Temple Institute and the money it has spent preparing for the 3rd temple. It said the Institute intends to build the temple for all monotheistic religions to come worship, which clearly includes Muslims. It says that Al Aqsa can stay, and they will build right next to it, maybe even somehow incorporating it into the temple.

Also, the article said that a leading journal of the religious law in Israel envisioned a situation where an “authentic prophet” receives a “holy revelation” to build the temple in peaceful proximity to the Al-Aqsa mosque and nearby Christian shrines. This, of course, could be the antichrist or the false prophet. For some reason, this struck me hard. For the first time, I can see how soon the temple could be rebuilt and how it could be built under peaceful conditions. I didn’t realize the Temple Institute’s intentions to allow other religions to worship and pray in the temple. What are your thoughts on this?

I just finished reading the article on Rev. 11:15-12:17, and something occurred to me at the end of it, reading your comment on the surge of water Satan uses to try to destroy the Jews. I was just thinking, I know in Turkey, they’ve built the Anatolia dam with which they’re holding back all of the water of the Euphrates now (thereby releasing the “four angels”?) Certainly when the antichrist/Mahdi comes, he’ll have control over this dam. Could the unleashing of this dam release the water the antichrist uses to cause this flood? What do you think?

I recently read an article that says if we, believers, ask the Lord to heal us, there are certain terms. We have to live obedient lives and if somebody is living in sin, he mustn’t expect the Lord to heal him. I immediately remembered my besetting sin. So, to those of us who have besetting sins praying for healing is in vain? According to the author when the Lord first called Himself our Healer He promised to the Jews that He would only defend them from all the Egyptian diseases if they kept His commandments and were obedient to Him.

I have recently been studying Revelation in preparing to teach a teen Sunday school class, and thus far what I have gleaned from your answers that I still have a question about from what I have read in the Word is the following:

I understand that the Scripture says that all of Israel that survives the Trib. will be saved thanks to the preaching of the sealed 144,000, but is there Biblical proof that gentiles will be saved after the Rapture of the church? If it is true that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth at the Rapture, how could more Gentiles be saved? And where does the Bible say that Gentiles will be saved?

I read an article that claimed Zionism and Judaism are not one and the same. The author said Judaism is a religion but Zionism is a political movement started mainly by East European (Ashkenazi) Jews who for centuries have been the main force behind communism/socialism. The ultimate goal of the Zionists is a One World Government under the control of the Zionists and the Zionist-oriented Jewish International Bankers. He said the Ashkenazi Jews are not blood Jews but merely chose Judaism. He said that God said, “Beware of those who call themselves Jews and are not, for they lie.” Could it be that the Ashkenazi Jews are the people to whom God was referring and who have dominated the government of Israel since its beginning in 1948? Thank you for your insight, as always.

Side-by-side arguments concerning interpretation of Psalm 83 are currently listed in Rapture Ready. Both sides make believable points to the untrained novice’s eschatological eye. After reading both viewpoints, I still believe that Psalm 83 describes a war separate from Ezekiel 38. However, if someone asked me to justify this position, I don’t believe that I could make a precise, concise, cogent argument because of all the nuances in prophetic interpretations involved in these two articles.

If you will, at some point would you kindly write a “precise-concise” rebuttal to the “Psalm 83 is a non-war” stance? There has to be at least one linchpin errancy in interpretation that will cause a domino effect in demonstrating the falsehood of this argument. Thank you, Jack, for all that you do for your readers. No other eschatology site even comes close.

My question concerns revelation chapter 20. The Bible seems to indicate that the final “resting” place of the wicked will be in the lake of fire. Is this the same place as hell? What does it mean by death and hades and they gave up their dead? Where are the unsaved kept until the Great White Throne Judgment. OK, I guess that is three questions.

I wanted to follow up with a question in response to your answer of this question. I do agree with you that we should not “store up treasures here”, I also see that God provides us with wisdom to discern our times and to make preparation. I also see the example of Joseph in Egypt, discerning the king’s dream and knowing that 7 years of drought were coming. So he instructs the king to “store up” enough provision in the good years to provide for the people of Egypt, and more importantly God’s real intention was to save Israel by bringing them into the land to sustain and bless them. I guess the real issue is the “storing up”. Are we doing this to hoard for ourselves and form some false protection, or are we being wise in order to sustain our families in rough times?

I have been reading your posts this week. I am not completely satisfied with the answer that several have asked. I am not interested in the answers that have been given. I know we are given free will and all that. But I feel the question has not been answered in full. God knew before the foundations of the earth everything that was going to happen. Then why would he create this world knowing some would go to hell. To me this is a selfish God, and much like us.