Yes, we are jumping back into Matthew's gospel and we previously ended on Matthew 4:22. Next, Jesus preaches to great crowds.

 This next section of Matthew's gospel is entitled

“Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds.”

Yes, we are jumping back into Matthew's gospel, and we previously ended on Matthew 4:22, where four of the new disciples have left their jobs fishing and are now following Jesus.

I now throw in a bonus question.

Where was the Apostle Paul's first stop in virtually every city he entered?

If you said the synagogue, you would have been right. But that opens a line of sarcastic questioning; I thought the focus, here in the Gospels, was on Jesus? Well, it is, but guess what? We frequently found Jesus in the synagogues.

What was the logic of a move like that?

Some will say, what an odd question, seeing as the message Paul delivered almost got him killed on several occasions and was his final end.

One of the answers to such an obvious question is that Paul was a changed man and thoroughly committed to the message of Jesus and God's grace because of what he encountered on the road to Damascus. Paul was prepared to die for this message of grace.

Isn't that what we saw in Jesus?

Jesus did not change His ways, for He was sin-free (this state of being sin-free had everything to do with NOT being born with damaged human DNA. Yes, I believe that the fruit they ate, much like current vaccines that change your DNA, changed theirs, and every human being born of man was born with a propensity to sin. God bypassed all that by having the virgin Mary carry a fertilized ovum that He made.) In spite of valid temptations from Satan, Jesus stayed committed to the painful path that would bring those of us who accept God's love back into the arms of the Father.

How do I apply what Paul did to Christ?

Jesus, too, was painfully aware that His death would come, and it is not difficult to watch something like The Chosen, which portrayed Him frequently praying all night, and imagine Him speaking freely with the Father and asking, is there any other way? He knew what was coming for Him would be brutal and painful, and yet He continued to stay committed to the cross.

When you read the Gospels, you see Jesus frequently saying things like, tell no one, and my time has not yet come. No, He did not want to die prematurely – as though that could happen but was more than willing to take our place on the cross and pour out His blood on our behalf.

So, what did Paul preach to these Jews in their synagogues?

The message that Paul preached was based on the Torah – the Old Testament and there were always a few who listened, heard the truth, absorbed what he said, and believed.

So, too, was the message that Jesus preached. He preached from the Torah, just as Paul did. Now, picture the disciples. Did they understand, absorb, and believe? Strangely, many indicated that they did. The reality of that understanding was wrapped up in their longing for Jesus to be the warring Messiah that they longed for. Instead of war, his message was one of love and the hope of peace obtained by a relationship with the Father. 

In either case, these new Jewish “believers” were the beginnings of new churches, which we are familiar with because Paul wrote letters back to those communities.

So much for an introduction.

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Matthew 4:23 MKJV)

Let that sink in.

• Jesus went about all Galilee.

  This sounds like purposeful intent to me. The crowds were not in the Jewish synagogues but were the result of the times when they fed the thousands that came, and they came because of the miracles.

• Doing what?

  Teaching in their synagogues.

  That means, in Galilee, Jesus had a reputation as a respected Rabbi, and they gave Him, initially, an open door to teach.

  Preaching the gospel of the kingdom.

  The Jews had an understanding of what the kingdom represented, and it had everything to do with the time when God was back in full control of the earth, and Jesus ruled as the warring Messiah. While that imagery must have carried some weight in Jesus' mind, the kingdom was, at this point, love and gentleness.

  What did He tell James and John when they wanted to call fire down on the small crowd that disrespected them?

  Effectively, He said that is NOT why they were here and that they were to act as gentle as doves and wise as serpents.

And healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Matthew 4:23 ESV  “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

If you are doing a more intense study, read from multiple translations because that one word that the translators used has multiple meanings.

“The news G189 about Him spread G565 R1 throughout G1519 all G3650 Syria G4947; and they brought G4374 to Him all G3956 who were ill G2192 G2560, those suffering G4912 with various G4164 diseases G3554 and pains G931, R2 demoniacs G1139, N1 R3 epileptics G4583, R4 paralytics G3885; and He healed G2323 them.”
Matthew 4:24 NASB+)

• who were ill

  G2192 echō - to be held in possession.

  G2560 kakōs - to be grievously ill, wrongly held by evil.

• suffering

  G4912 sunechō - suffering, perplexed, or afflicted.

• various

  G4164 poikilos - various, diverse, manifold.

• diseases

  G3554 nosos - Disease, sickness. Metaphorically, pain, sorrow, evil.

• pains

  G931 basanos - (by analogy) torture: - just generally tormented.

• Those who were thought to be demoniacs

  G1139 daimonizomai - to be used by a demon: - to be vexed with, or possessed by demons.

• Epileptics

  G4583 selēniazomai – these people often shake uncontrollably and fall: -many are thought to be lunatics.

• Paralytics

  G3885 paralutikos - “paralytic”: one who is deprived of the power of muscular motion; there are sometimes thought of as weak, trembling, and subject to  involuntary shaking;

After doing all this for the people, His fame spread throughout Syria and a few other places.

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy, and he healed them.
Matthew 4:24 KJV)

In the book of Acts, we see a statement that seems to be a retelling of Matthew 4:24.

“But in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
Acts 10:35-38 KJV)

This last statement, more than all the others, says that there is no disease among humans that does not have its origins in Satanic oppression. I also had a strong sense that this was Peter talking because Peter did not mention Syria, the land of Gentiles. It is.

Why wouldn't Peter, in Acts 10, bring the Syrians into the conversation?

Because he, more than Matthew (an apostate Jew when Jesus found him,) was a devout Jew and Syrians were unclean; to touch them would have made him unclean (according to Jewish - add-on laws – the Tenach), and Peter struggled to maintain his Jewish identity.

Some will try to come back at me on this last statement because Peter was the Apostle to the Gentiles. Yeah, that didn't last long; we know this because we eventually find Peter seated among the “Christian” Jewish council in Jerusalem.

Acts chapter ten seems to be the major marker that we assume makes him the Apostle to the Gentiles. The scriptures tell us.

“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" And when he observed him, he was afraid and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa and send for Simon, whose surname is Peter.” Acts 10:1-5 NKJV)

It is possible this is the same centurion who, upon seeing all that happened to Jesus, said, surely this is the Son of God. If not, it is a peculiar coincidence that the scriptures give us multiple instances that refer to “the centurion.”

“And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” Matthew 27:53-54 KJV)

We are not told what Cornelius' prayer was, but if I were to guess, he wanted as much of God as God was willing to give. With that in mind, the angel in the vision tells him that his prayers and acts of kindness have come up before God, so go get Peter.

I am always stunned at how well God coordinates these appointments. So, while Cornelius has sent men to ask if Peter would come to the house, in the meantime, God begins to show Peter a vision that, in a few minutes, breaks down Peter's barriers in a manner that would convince Peter to enter the house of a Gentile. (Note, at this point, for the most part, salvation - life in Christ, has only come to the Jews.)

“...Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat, but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." Acts 10:9-15 NKJV)

In case you are lost, we have been working on Matthew 4:24, where Jesus' fame went throughout all of Syria. By the time Peter has his interaction with Cornelius and his family, Jesus has been dead for several years now.

If Jesus went into Syria, we are not told about it in any other place.

It becomes obvious and quickly that Jesus has been to many places.

Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Matthew 4:25 NKJV)

People were now following Jesus, not just from Galilee but from Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea.

So this travelog begins with John the baptizer baptizing Jesus somewhere around Bethany. Jesus traveled North to Nazareth and then to Capernaum and eventually moved South once again toward Jerusalem.

Prophecy through the eyes of Terry James. The Crisis.

 https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2023/09/15/the-crisis/

A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. A study in Daniel 8 pertaining to the antichrist.

 I wonder how many of you open up a site like this and say, oh, its just a Bible study. I have sat through too many boring, misleading, and thoughtless Bible Studies and have no intention of doig that now. Now when it comes to catchy headlines that grab your attention and sucker you in, I am not so good at that, praise God. 

I write about things in scripture because I want to untangle them, or do not understand them.

The antchrist, is, quite possibly the most confusing character in the Bible, so let's get started.

Daniel 8:3-14 NKJV

3)  Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.

At first read and almost without thinking, I would have said this represented the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires that remained of Alexander, the Grecian general. But an angelic explanation was given to Daniel, and it reads like this.

Daniel 8:20-23 NKJV

20)  The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.

21)  And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.

The first “king” was Alexander.

22)  As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

Upon the death of Alexander, four generals struggled to gain and hold power; this is not a coincidence.

23)  "And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.

"When the transgressors have reached their fullness," This statement leaves the door open for any variety of evil players. Fortunately, here in September of 2023, we have a smorgasbord of destroyers working to fullfill their dream of communism with them at the helm.

Do not ask because I have no idea who this man is.

4)  I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward so that no animal could withstand him, nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

5)  And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

"The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.” Daniel 8:21 NASB)

Alexander.

6)  Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.

the kings of Media and Persia.

7)  And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

We should know that the Medes and the Persians had a common thread in that they were Assyrians. So yes, for a time the Assyrians were squelched.

8)  Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it, four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.

The male goat = Alexander

The horn being broken was Alexanders death.

Four notable ones = the four generals. Among those four were Ptolemy and Seleucid.

9)  And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.

From Finis Dake's biblical commentaries. “the little horn or future Antichrist who will become great in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Palestine.” Instead of Palestine the NLT says “toward the glorious land of Israel.”

All these nations, with the exception of the area that holds Palestine is Muslim territory and the Muslims have an entrenched association with the Assyrians.

10)  And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.

Knowing that the little horn represents the antichrist, then this must also represent Satan, as he took a third of the angels with him when he fell.

11)  He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

The Tree of Life Version conveys it this way, “ It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host.” Notice the impersonal reference “it” as they reference the antichrist. Most translations do the same thing. Why? Because Daniel 8:9 refers to the beast, the antichrist, as the little horn.

No one, it seems, gives this man the permission to declare himself god (although Emmanuel Macron was vying for the title,) this is totally on him (well, that, and the motivation and empowerment of Satan.)

It is at this point that the daily sacrifices come to a crashing halt. (" by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.")

It occurs to me, that verse eleven, much like the Revelation, is a repetition of events, each with a different point of view and often an added detail.

The language of verse eleven leaves you with the impression that the temple is destroyed as soon as the daily sacrifice is taken away.

Daniel 12:11 NASB) states "From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

1290 days extends beyond seven years by several days. Some might say it is not so precise.

Have you ever wondered why they would say that? 

The precision has been there all along but we have not attentively read the scriptures as we should.

Since the false prophet has now set up the image of the beast on the altar, and is forcing people to worship it, is it possible to have people come and worship this image if the building has been torn down?

The answer is no.

Our general impression is that the false prophet, associated with the “great tribulation,” runs rampant for the second half of this covenantal time period. Matthew 24 details this for us.

Matthew 24:15 NASB "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Who is Matthew talking to? 

Jews specifically, the nations generally, but NOT the church because we will be gone for three-and-one-half-years at this point.

Matthew 24:21 NASB "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

And almost all of it will be at the hand of the false prophet. If, as I pointed out, this false prophet will be the former high priest of the temple, can you imagine the utter dismay of most people. Some may actually follow this fraud in worshiping Allah – the moon god.

12)  Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

Transgression? The Hebrew word is pesha' and the primary word this becomes in English is REVOLT.

Currently, in the tail end of 2023, people are finally beginning to wake up and realize that Klaus, the WEF, and Billy bob the president are desperately trying to kill us. I just found out that the N95 masks will give you cancer from extended usage because of the chemicals used to make the stupid things. And, we are starting to see that burning out the entire island community of Lahaina has been in the works since 2006 so that they can make a smart city out of it.

“An army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices.” 

Imagine telling what is left of the devout Jews, who think they are able to cover their sins through a sacrifice, that you do not get to do that any more. It will take an army to enforce this decision but it doesn't tell us whose army. That opens the door to perhaps the IDF coming against their own people. Just saying.

We are also told that the false prophet – which might be a Jewish high priest doing this, trying to tell those devout Jews that the law of God is NOT the truth. Keep in mind that he casts truth to the ground. This is suddenly getting quite ugly.

13)  Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"

Question, at what point could we say that the sanctuary and the host are trampled underfoot?

If the temple mount is deemed to be part of the sanctuary, then having Muslims play soccer and throw rocks at visitors would certainly qualify as being trampled.

But what if it only applies to a time when the new temple has been built?

For three-and-one-half-years it seems that Jews only would have access, but any restrictions on the nations gaining access to the outer courts is not discussed. You see, we merely assumed that non-Jewish people would not be allowed.

May I be honest, the NKJ Version does not make a bit of sense. Try this version.

“Then I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, ‘How long will the vision last, the daily sacrifice be forsaken because of rebellion, the sanctuary be surrendered and the host be trampled?’ Daniel 8:13 TLV)

14)  And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."

While giving Daniel the answers as to what all this means, Daniel hears two holy ones conversing back and forth. “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

From the time of the giving the sanctuary and it gets trampled underfoot is 2300 days. That equals 3 years, 2 months, and 10 days. So, from the catching away of the church to the antichrist confirming the covenant, is clearly an unknown, but relatively short time frame. 

Since seven years, by the Jewish calendar is 2,520 days, then there are 220 days, plus 35 days unaccounted for. Some will adamantly say there is undefined time frame before the antichrist comes on the scene and the temple gets built.

I will tell you what the problem is, years of fallacy and assumption were relentlessly preached at us. Folks, it is time for you to read your Bibles for yourselves. Let me show you why you need to read it for yourselves.

Daniel 9:27  "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

This says nothing about Israel, but it may be a direct reference to the UN reaffirming a SDG covenant on September 18 and 19. What a coincidence, September 18th and19th is supposed to be the time in which Israel's priesthood would be able to declare a new moon and inititiate Rosh Hanana (the Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Teruah. 

Isn't that peculiar. Jesus will return for His bride, the church, with a trumpet blast. 

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."  1Thessalonians 4:16 NASB)

The definitions associated with chapter eight end like this.

“Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be." 

Daniel 8:18-19 NKJV)

In these few short sentences is the concise and definitive layout for the last days.

“The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.” Daniel 8:20 NKJV)

Media and Persia were also the second and silver portion of the statue that Daniel had to define for Nebuchadnezzar, and yet, they are the first empire talked about in this definition. A common factor is Assyrians.

“And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.” Daniel 8:21 NKJV)

Greece, though not defined in Daniel's description, associates with the Alexandrian empire. Daniel identified this with Bronze, but the bronze extends through the thighs in the statue. This transition is bypassed as the Alexandrian empire migrates and dwindles down through the four generals that tried to take over only to be supplanted by the final two – the Seleucid empire in the north and the Ptolemaic in the Southern regions. All of which have become Islamic kingdoms.

“As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.” Daniel 8:22 NKJV)

The broken horn is Alexander. How quickly the purity (Grecian) of that empire diminished. God does not concern Himself with the details, and He does not tell us about the intrigue that runs through these kingdoms.

"And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.” 

Daniel 8:23 NKJV)

If, in the majority, they are Islamic, then what type of person will this king that rises be? The short answer is Islamic or an acceptable blend.

“His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. "Through his cunning, He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.” Daniel 8:24-25 NKJV)

In all this, we never broke from the remnants of the bronze or Grecian empire.

All this disturbed Daniel to the degree that he was physically sick and he pleaded for an interpretation.

This is what he got.

Daniel 9:24 NKJV 24)  "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.”

We have been living in the 2000 year gap between the sixty ninth and the seventieth week.

Consider that Antiochus destroyed the temple after Jesus's death in 70 AD, and yet it speaks of a time to come.

Daniel 9:25-27 NKJV

25)  "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

Do the math, this equals 69 weeks of years and is the time in which Jesus died and rose again, but it is 69 out of 70 weeks of years. In short, we have been waiting for the seventieth week to arrive, sort of, because that seven-year period is the seven years of God's wrath.

26)  "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

But not for himself?

He did this for any who would receive Him. Hopefully, you understand that Jesus is the Messiah and He is very Jewish.

Now, you have to identify the people of the prince who are coming to destroy the city and the sanctuary. The short answer is that they are Assyrians. Assyrians have been around for a long time; the common name for our day is Muslims. They, whoever this is, will destroy the temple once again.

Verse 26 speaks of sixty-two weeks of years. Do not get confused by this time frame because the first seven weeks of years had already come to pass, and the total of 7+62 = 69.

27)  Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

The prince that was to come is, in all likelihood, here already. This man is the one that confirms (the/a) covenant with many for seven years (one week of years.) This, by the way, is the same language that the UN has used about one of their Strategic Development Goals at a meeting of the UN this September 2023, during Rosh Hashanah.

He, the antichrist, shall bring an end to sacrifices and offerings. For a period of time, that might not equal three-and-one-half-years, the Jews will be offering sacrifices, all day, six days a week. The antichrist will have that stopped. Consider something that just occurred to me. We assume the Prime minister of Israel would be holding a tight reign on terrorist activities; we also assume that this prime minister would be Benjamin Netanyahu, but even as we speak, people like Ehud Barak, the former defense minister, are trying to dethrone the prime minister for what, the third time, much like the democrats are trying to prevent President Donald Trump from ever regaining power.

A man at church, who I only knew by face, responded to something I said about Jesus with, I do not think we should pay attention to extra-biblical information. I pointed out how many things we “Christians” invest our minds in as doctrine, such as culture and history, and it is extra-biblical.

So here is a piece of extra-biblical information. Islam understands that there will be temple built and that one from the lineage of Aaron will hold the position of high priest in the temple.

Try to imagine the influence and power such a man might hold, especially if at some point in time he begins performing signs such as Elijah did.

Do you realize that the high priest (Kohen Gadol in Hebrew), meant to offer these sacrifices as the high priest, has already been assigned?  

His name is Rabbi Baruch Kahane.

(For the sake of context this information was made public about four years ago, but later, during the lock downs, it was said that Kahane had stepped back from the position, saying, that he felt strongly that the timing was premature. You might think that he had declined the great honor, but about a year ago the Rabbi was there, among those illegally blessing the temple grounds that are, to many, considered to be a part of the mosque.)

Why is that a big deal?

Because, while the high priest performs his duties in the temple, the two witnesses that God sent will be preaching in the streets of Jerusalem and performing great signs. Imagine the impact these two prophets sent from God will have on the unbelieving Jews in Israel. Now, at the three-and-a-half-year mark, give or take a few days, the high priest ceases to perform his duties, turns his heart to Allah, follows the Mahdi (the antichrist) and begins to perform signs of a similar nature as the two witnesses. No one has been doing anything like this; killing and destruction, yes, but no signs as if they represented God.

One of the things the two witnesses do is to turn off the rain for many of the nations that are attacking Israel during this time. Droughts almost seem like a common event, but this stoppage of rain is significant, especially since most every nation is experiencing severe flooding currently ((9/5/2023), and may have been going on for three years at this point.

What does the false prophet, the former high priest do?

He turns the rain back on.

If you know the events that surrounded Moses' demands for Pharaoh to let God's people go, then you know that, at God's instructions, Aaron threw the staff to the floor where it turned into a serpent.

Why would an average, non-venomous garden snake send anyone into a frenzy?

It wouldn't, but something like a Cobra might. (As a side note, Brown – Driver – Briggs does give “venomous serpent” as one the choices to define the Hebrew word tannı̂yn.) Since you are students of the Bible, then you know that the magicians, a part of Pharaoh's advisory staff, also turned their ceremonial staffs into serpents. Aaron's staff ate theirs.