Weekly Newsletter – June 5, 2023
FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE
HE’S COMING THROUGH THAT DOOR!
Jack’s parents were extremely proud and grateful to live in the United States, but always kept strong ties with their homeland and all of their relatives over the years. Consequently, after Jack and I were married, it was my joy to accompany him to Belgium to visit his family and celebrate his European heritage. We had large dinner parties for the extended family, with lots of music, laughter, and fun-both Jack and his father were talented, world-class accordionists. We also enjoyed visiting the humble but charming homes of uncles and aunts and other relatives.
During our trips, I learned to love the warmth and strong character of the people there, and had the opportunity to learn a good deal about the culture and history of Belgium. The last time we were there, I was so impressed with the beauty of Brussels that I tried to capture a few glimpses in photographs.
A city of beauty, culture, and history
The old world architecture of historic Brussels is absolutely gorgeous, with buildings dating back to the 1300s. Amazingly, they are just as magnificent and impressive today as they must have been when they were originally built. And scattered throughout the city are neighborhood parks with statues and monuments to historic leaders and events. People still gather there, particularly at midday and in the early evening, to relax in the shade of the trees and converse with friends and passersby.
During this spectacular visit we were happy to celebrate the biannual flower festival. I watched a beehive of workers scurrying about to place one million gloriously beautiful blossoms into an ornate design that turned the entire marketplace into a floral extravaganza-a million red and white petals glowing in the soft sunlight. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.
The next day I took Jack with me back to the marketplace to see the completed exhibition. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and I could only exclaim, “This is something I wish everybody could see!” And, indeed, it seemed that people from all over Europe had come to see Brussels’s fabulous Flower Festival on the Grand Place Square. I shall never forget that awesome spectacle!
There are amazing restaurants in Belgium-the country is famous for its wonderful cuisine, mainly French and Dutch. During our last visit, we were celebrating an anniversary, and couldn’t resist indulging in the wonderful Belgian cooking. We decided to splurge and have dinner at a restaurant called Comme Chez Soi, which means “just like home.” Considered by some food experts to be one of the five best restaurants in the world, this extraordinary inn serves exquisite French specialties with added Belgian zest. The food was simply scrumptious! We also discovered several other more economical places to eat-even the simple sidewalk cafes are enjoyable.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention the world-famous chocolate that is practically part of Belgium’s national identity. Jack has always insisted that Belgian chocolate is the finest in all the world-and I think he might be right. Every time we visit Brussels, invariably our walks through the city take us by some shops with a window display of the most delectable candies you’ve ever seen. And we usually go in! There are chocolate shops simply everywhere, ranging from small boutiques to large factory stores. Most Americans have probably heard of companies like Neuhaus or Godiva, but there are probably at least a half-dozen other Belgian chocolate makers with international reputations for excellence. Jack especially loves Leonidas Chocolates.
A city of prophetic destiny
There is another reason I wanted to share with you some facts about Belgium in this newsletter. This small European country is becoming more and more renowned, the setting for almost daily international news reports. Why is so much world attention focused here?
It all started around 1948 with the establishment of the Benelux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg) Economic Union, which gradually evolved into the European Union. Beginning with ten key nations, then thirteen, then expanding to the current confederation of twenty-five countries, the European Union (EU) has its headquarters in Brussels.
The EU’s stated purpose and concern is related to trade and commerce among member nations as well as international trading partners. Increasingly, it has begun flexing its muscles around the world to influence or control virtually all aspects of life for its member nations. The EU has implemented a new currency, the euro, and forged numerous treaties and edicts dealing with such far-reaching issues as immigration, transportation, shipping, employment opportunities, legal and judicial standards, the environment, and a host of other concerns.
Already the EU is exerting economic and political control over other countries in the world-including the United States-on selected issues. Essentially the European Union can simply say, “The countries we buy from will provide products that meet our specific standards,” or “Our suppliers must not threaten or damage the environment in producing the products they sell to us.”
Scholars of Bible prophecy like my husband, Jack, have long recognized that there will be a revived Roman Empire that will be the last political empire to reign on this earth before Jesus comes back. Jack and other prophecy experts are sure that the European Union is that end-time empire, which will become the strongest economic and political power that has ever existed.
The Book of Daniel describes a great image, with different parts made of various materials: from a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, to feet and toes partly of iron and partly of clay. The ten toes, scholars say, refer prophetically to the original ten countries that formed the European Union!
A new world leader for the last days
The Bible further reveals that out of this supreme political juggernaut will step forth the strongest and most cunning political leader ever to live. This world diplomat, whom the Word of God calls the Antichrist, will be brilliant, incredibly charming, and powerfully persuasive. As head of the greatest economic system in the world, perhaps with control of computer technology that could keep track of the daily activities of every person on earth; he would claim to have answers for mankind’s greatest problems and concerns.
So when Jack and I were last in Brussels, we walked across the historic city to a vantage point across the street from an enormous, modernistic steel-and-glass structure that houses the headquarters of the European Union. A huge semicircular row of flagpoles was outside the entrance, with the EU’s huge flag-royal blue with a circle of twelve gold stars- fluttering in the breeze, along with the national flags of many member countries.
As I stood there, I suddenly realized that I was seeing with my own eyes the actual, physical location from which the ultimate world dictator will surely come. I involuntarily shivered to think that the final events of world history were about to unfold! And I exclaimed, “He’s coming through that door!”
Even now, it is almost overwhelming to think that perhaps this great world leader has an office on the sixth floor, and is being very vocal with his votes on policies to control the world. It literally could happen at any moment…perhaps today!
When he steps forward, this new leader of the world may advance an economic plan that will eradicate famine and homelessness, providing food, shelter, and medical care for every person in the world-if they join his universal system. Simply accepting an identification implant-a mark-gives them access. We have all heard of the mark 666.
What’s more, no doubt, this leader of the new world order will advance a solution to the wars and conflicts that have raged virtually out of control for centuries. The peace platform he presents on that day will be a seven-year peace program for the Middle East that will work-and even Israel will accept it!
In the excitement and euphoria that follows such momentous events, even a majority of the remaining skeptics will be won over by Antichrist’s charming deception. Impressed by his genius as a mediator, his skill at international diplomacy, and his persuasive charm, they will be defenseless when he flexes his muscles and declares, “Not only am I the leader of the European Union and the savior of the world-I AM GOD! I have the solution…no, I am the answer for every remaining problem!”
Setting the stage for the end
Do you think such a thing could not happen? The problems of the world are getting bigger and more complex. Before one conflict is resolved, two more break out. No matter where you look in the world today there is turmoil and tumult.
More and more voices are calling for world summit conferences and new multi-nation alliances. Despite protests to the contrary, expect to see future plans and proposals seeking to pass the “world test!” All the nations of the world seem as confused and troubled. Is this not the perfect setting for the emergence of a new World Leader who can deliver peace and provide solutions for every crisis?
The Bible says that in the middle of the great world dictator’s seven-year peace plan, the contract is broken and everything falls apart. The rage of the world breaks out anew, and the nations of the world align themselves for battle. This is the fearsome battle of Armageddon that will take place in the valley of Megiddo in Israel.
Another Hitler Rising!
There is not enough time or space for me to say much more except that the beginning of the end is so very close at hand. If you would like to know more, turn to the Book of Daniel in your Bible, especially chapters seven through nine. This man will come through that door in Brussels pretending to be the greatest friend of Israel and the world. In fact, he is the enemy-“Another Hitler Rising.”
Hear this important word, my friend. One reason our “Jack Van Impe Presents” telecast is so widely accepted is that it is not a fear program but a program of comfort and hope. Jack certainly talks frankly about current events and the important issues of our day. He does not shy away from pointing out the peril of the last days in which we live. But more emphatically, he spotlights the victory and deliverance that are ours in Jesus Christ, our triumphant Lord and Savior.
Be comforted and encouraged in the words of Jesus-
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also…I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father but by me (John 14:1-3, 6).
Oh yes, any day now a great and powerful World Leader is coming through the door of the European Union to trigger the last events of the last days. Watch and be ready.
But Jesus Christ, who is Almighty God, will soon be stepping through the door of the heavens, and he is all powerful! He is coming to set everything straight-forever! Praise the Lord, we can say, “Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus!”
That’s why we are on the air week after week. We believe every telecast and radio broadcast presents blessed hope to the world. Without Christ, there’s not much good news to tell. But with the Lord, we can joyfully proclaim a message of encouragement. He is coming soon!
I encourage you to be of good cheer and to go about the Master’s business. Oh, and keep looking up into the eastern sky because our Lord will soon appear.
HE’S COMING THROUGH THAT (HEAVENLY) DOOR!
A CLASSIC MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE
The Alexander Complex
Again the Bible is completely accurate as it predicts the events of Alexander’s demise, describing in detail the “four horns” that replaced the single broken horn between the goat’s eyes. These four horns represent the four generals who would later divide the sum of Alexander’s great conquests among themselves: Ptolemy became master of Egypt, Cyrene, Cyprus, and Palestine; Seleucus grabbed Syria, Babylonia, and the southern area of Asia Minor; Cassander took possession of Macedonia and Greece; while Lysimachus became the uncontested ruler of Thrace and western Asia Minor.
As I ponder Alexander the Great’s abbreviated life, I recall the story of a newspaper reporter who went to a nursing home to interview one of the senior patients. The reporter was surprised to see that the gentleman looked so young. He asked the standard question: “To what do you attribute your long life?” The man looked the reporter in the eye and said, “Son, I drink a lot of whiskey, and I live a very promiscuous life. I smoke a box of cigars every other day, and do just about anything I want-everything the world calls wrong.” The reporter, taking notes furiously, asked, “Well, sir, you’ve got to tell me: how old are you?” The man replied, “Thirty-two.”
This man, like Alexander the Great, figured he had the world on a string, but when the string suddenly broke sin found him out, and sin won. Alexander the Great had conquered the outside world but had failed to deal with the demons within.
Enter the Madmen
Now the plot thickens, providing us with a prophecy that should make anyone who doubts the veracity of the Book of Daniel a believer. As Daniel watched the vision unfold before his eyes, there came out yet another horn-a fifth horn. It started small, but quickly grew to great influence and power toward the south, the east, and the “Beautiful Land.”
Remember, Daniel’s vision was describing events that would not take place for another two centuries, yet the prediction is accurate down to the very person described, Antiochus IV, also known as Epiphanes, the eighth ruler of the Seleucid division of the expanded Greek empire. Since he did not possess a legitimate right to the throne, Antiochus stooped to bribery and chicanery to become king, and what a cruel monarch he was.
He was a madman-one of the two we’ll speak of in this chapter. His anti-Semitism ran high. He hated God’s chosen people as no ruler had ever hated them. Why did this tyrant take center stage in Daniel’s vision? For two reasons: First, to remind us that almighty God knows-in minute detail-what will happen in history. Antiochus really did appear on the scene, he really did hate the Jews, and he really was the cruelest, most diabolical king anyone could imagine. But there is a second reason why Antiochus is mentioned here: Antiochus Epiphanes is a symbol of the Antichrist and how he will act during the time of the Tribulation.
Remember, the little horn of chapter seven is the actual Antichrist; the little horn in chapter eight is the Jew hater Antiochus Epiphanes, a photocopy of the Antichrist of the Tribulation. That’s why we can use the texts in chapter eight to document the desecration the Antichrist will bring upon the house of Israel during the time of the end.
The Great Masquerade
Let’s look further at the arrogance of this man-symbol of the Antichrist-who magnifies himself as the prince of the host, that is, prince of the Jewish people. He would glorify himself as their prince-just as Jesus Christ will one day reign as their King-again, an end-time hint that the Antichrist will also do his best to “appear as Christ” in what will be one of the greatest masquerade attempts of all time. Second Thessalonians 2:4 says that the Antichrist “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, showing himself that he is God.” This comparison is an absolute match between Antiochus Epiphanes and the Antichrist.
While some Jews would go along with Antiochus’ treachery-feeling they might con their way to independence by toadying up to the tyrant-they would soon discover they had backed the wrong candidate, their hypocrisy soon coming back to bite them. Even as these Jewish “turncoats” were hoping for the best deal they could strike with their foreign intruder, Antiochus began his slaughter of more than one hundred thousand Jews, demanding that the temporary survivors of his holocaust substitute heathen idols for the one, true God.
He tore up their law, defiled their women, desecrated their Sabbath, had circumcised babies hanged, and forced Jews to sacrifice a sow on the holy altar of the temple. He removed the candlestick of light, the censers of gold, the veil, and the crowns and golden ornaments that adorned the temple. He scaled off mountains of gold for his own amusement and stripped the temple of everything that held significance for the Jews. He laughed in the face of the God of the Hebrews as he commanded that coins be stamped with the inscription: Epiphanes-God! Such blasphemy then-or now-does not go unpunished.
The Signs of Things to Come
Having accomplished his filthy deeds, Antiochus Epiphanes continued to supervise one of the greatest massacres of all time, boasting of his actions at every possible moment. If you would like to know more of this man’s reign of terror, read the Book of Maccabees 1:29-64. This madman’s behavior is but a mild warning of the activities of the Antichrist yet to appear-who will arrive on the world scene sooner than most imagine.
Amazingly, Antiochus Epiphanes actually enjoyed a degree of acceptance in the early days of his reign, as we’ve noted, by those hypocrites willing to go along with him for their own gain-even as the Antichrist will dupe millions of our world’s people with his charisma and international leadership skills. In the time of the end, this “beast” will make a peace contract with Israel, but in the middle of the peace process, he will break his word and rescind the treaty. Daniel 9:27 says,
“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.”
Antichrist-Temporarily in Control
This breaking of the peace is a significant time in history, for now those with eyes to see will observe that the Antichrist has, in fact, become the devil incarnate. Just as Jesus was God in human form, this Antichrist, during the second three and one-half years of the Tribulation, will have Satan living in him. That’s when he will say, “I am God,” just as a haughty, maniacal Antiochus stamped coins with his own image in an attempt to promote his own deity. Remember, this is what Satan has always wanted to do-to be like the most high God (Isaiah 14:12-14). That’s why he was ousted out of the third heaven and why Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
We must remember that the evil one has never been successful. Not that he hasn’t tried. You’ll recall how one day, deep in the wilderness, Satan promised Jesus the world and everything in it if He’d simply bow in allegiance to him (Matthew 4). Jesus didn’t take the bait. However, when we come to the time of the end, the Antichrist-the embodiment of Satan-will finally pull off his coup and become what he’s always wanted to be, magnifying himself above every god, with the assistance of an international religious public relations machine that persuades most of the world that he is the man of the hour. In spite of the evil he will do, in all probability he will still become Time magazine’s “Man of the Year.”
This is the one who one day will sit on the throne in the temple in Jerusalem, look into his mirror, admire himself for his accomplishments, smile, and tell himself, “I am God, and there is none other like me.” My friend, beware of New Agers who tell you that you can become God or like a god. To be seduced by this sweet-sounding rhetoric is the sort of banal thinking-or lack of thinking-that helps to set the stage for what will happen with the advent of the Antichrist. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. The day of the arrival of the Antichrist is rapidly approaching.
CHANGED LIVES-one at a time
Hello Rexella! Received your DVD Terrorism Accelerating, and it was very informative. What I truly liked best was the message of peace and how to receive peace (salvation), so the message was not just about “doom and gloom,” but peace that we can have while experiencing and/or witnessing such horrific events (natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, etc.). No one likes to hear about anything negative, but it is necessary for preparation (especially when it relates to the Gospel). Thank you very, very much for allowing me to view this DVD. This will definitely be shared.
Tracy S.
I want to thank you for sending me the email. I am so grateful to hear from you. I watched your husband and you on tv many years ago. And I miss seeing that program it gave me hope.
Vicki P.
HIGHLIGHTED MINISTRY OFFERS
Terrorism Accelerating…But Peace Coming DVD / God’s Good Plan: A Look at Revelation book
The headlines are ominous and threatening. New extremist groups appear on the world stage daily — more violent and deadly than their predecessors.
In this new special, Dr. Rexella Van Impe is joined by Bible prophecy expert and friend Dr. Carl Baugh to answer your most pressing questions about terrorism…
Where does it fit into these latter days?
What does the Bible say about it?
What is the root of terrorism?
Will it ever STOP?
And, most importantly: Can the chaotic world we live in ever have peace?
With bonus footage not included in the broadcast special, this DVD will inform and educate you — and renew your confidence in Christ and His good plan!
With more than 1,000 prophecies in the Bible, over half of which have been fulfilled, you’ll discover how prophecy has foretold events in the past and explains events of the future. This easy-to-access Q&A format provides solid and trusted Bible teaching from Dr. David Jeremiah. For anyone curious about the signs of the End Times, The Prophecy Answer Book offers insights into key events that will occur before the Lord’s return.