As he pushes to bring an end to the bloodshed between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump made it clear this isn’t just about politics, diplomacy or even the Nobel Peace Prize. For him, it’s about something bigger, he’s thinking about eternity.

“If I can save 7,000 people per week from being killed – I want to get to heaven, if possible; I’m hearing I’m not doing well,” Trump said in a televised phone interview Tuesday morning. “If I can get to heaven, this will be a reason.”

"I want to get to heaven."

President Trump makes a humble admission as he pushes to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. pic.twitter.com/r5r0TuUuPM

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 19, 2025

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A President Focused on Peace

Trump’s words came after a whirlwind of calls and meetings with European leaders and even Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, according to Trump, eagerly answered a late-night call from the Oval Office. The urgency, he said, couldn’t be delayed.

“One gentleman said, ‘Let’s meet in another month or two,’” Trump recounted. “I said, ‘A month or two?! You will have 40,000 people dead. You do it tonight.’”

Unlike many of his predecessors, Trump’s message is plain: time is short, lives are at stake, and peace is worth pursuing immediately. “I want to get things done,” Trump said. “If it works out, I’ll go to the trilat [trilateral meeting] and close it up.”

Contrasting With Other Leaders

Trump hasn’t been shy about drawing a line between his leadership and that of other presidents. On Crimea, he pointed squarely at former President Barack Obama: “Obama gave it away. They took the most valuable piece surrounded on four sides by ocean, a beautiful piece of property. Why the heck did he do that to them? In one of the dumbest real estate deals I’ve ever seen.”

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On NATO, he contrasted his approach with that of former President Joe Biden. “Since I’ve been there, we don’t pay,” Trump said. “I got NATO to go from 2% to 5%. We sell to NATO, and NATO pays us immediately. Then they give it to Ukraine.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio even noted that Trump is the only one in the world who can bring Putin to the table. And Trump himself added, “France and Germany, and the U.K., they want boots on the ground. Putin is tired of it; they are all tired of it.”

A Leader Surrounded by Faith

In many ways, Trump’s desire for peace highlights something deeper. While he often frames his efforts in terms of saving lives and “getting to heaven,” the Bible makes clear that no one earns heaven by their works, no matter how noble.

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The apostle Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

Jesus Himself declared, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). That means peace initiatives, historic deals or even saving countless lives cannot open the gates of heaven, only faith in Christ can.

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As President Trump works tirelessly to bring peace where so many others have failed, it is a reminder that his quest for peace is a noble one. Yet Scripture is crystal clear that eternal life does not come through great accomplishments or historic treaties, but only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us pray that President Trump, even as he pursues peace on the world stage, comes to the full realization of what the Bible teaches about salvation, and that his heart is drawn to the One who is the true Prince of Peace.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Spiritual warfare is not a metaphor or a superstition, it is a present reality. The Bible warns that demonic forces seek to kill, steal and destroy, and when Christians dismiss this as fiction, we leave ourselves and our families vulnerable. Culture has long painted the occult as entertainment, but recent events surrounding the infamous Annabelle doll remind us that the spiritual battle is deadly serious.

Annabelle on Tour

As reported by The Blaze, the doll at the center of the Conjuring film franchise is now traveling across the country on the “Devil’s on the Run” tour. Ticket-holders are invited to pose for selfies, laugh, and even touch the case holding the doll. “Although well intentioned, this tour is exceptionally irresponsible,” Christopher Reese wrote, warning of the dangers of trivializing demonic power.

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Reese recalled that Ed Warren himself placed a sign on the doll’s case that read, “Warning, positively do not open.” Yet videos show attendees mocking the doll and treating it as a spectacle. Reese asked soberly: “If the stories of those who made light of the doll are true, what might happen to scores or hundreds of other people now engaging in similar behavior?”

A History of Darkness

The true story behind Annabelle is far more chilling than Hollywood portrays. According to Reese, the doll began moving on its own, leaving messages like “Help us,” and even manifested drops of blood on its chest. Violence escalated when a man was attacked with “seven claw-like slashes across his chest.” The Warrens concluded the doll was not haunted by a child’s spirit, but was a vessel for a demon.

The Warrens also documented incidents where individuals who mocked the doll suffered fatal accidents the same day. To Reese, this shows that “all the evidence pointed to demonic activity.”

A Tragic Warning

In July, tour organizer Dan Rivera died suddenly in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, after hosting an Annabelle event. He was only 54. The coroner said there was “nothing suspicious,” but Reese raised a sobering question: “Given that this doll, which has allegedly killed or severely injured people in the past, was being transported around the country and made into a carnival-like spectacle, one has to wonder if his death was more than a coincidence.”

Even the Warrens’ grandson, Chris McKinnell, rebuked the tour: “My grandfather’s warning still stands: ‘Positively do not open.’ If they keep doing this without understanding what they’re handling, someone is going to get seriously hurt.”

False Safety and True Power

Reese pointed out that many in the paranormal community claim protection through rituals, crosses, or holy water. But these are powerless without Christ. “It’s not holy water or rituals that protect a person from the attacks of Satan,” he wrote, “but the fact that through regeneration the person has been delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.”

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Quoting Scripture, he reminded believers of the authority given through Christ: “Because Christians have become children of the King, they gain his divine protection and can call upon his authority to drive away the enemy” (Luke 10:19; Eph. 6:11-13; James 4:7).

This Is Spiritual Warfare

Reese warned against trivializing the demonic, stressing that Annabelle is not simply an object with “negative energy,” but one attached to “a spiritual being with a will and intelligence” whose “intentions are malevolent.”

He compared today’s fascination with the doll to the failed exorcism of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19, who were overpowered by a demon because they lacked the authority of Christ: “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” The result was humiliation and injury—a reminder that demons are not to be toyed with.

Time To Take the Fight Seriously

The rise of occult tourism, paranormal entertainment, and now even plans to turn the Warrens’ home into a paranormal Airbnb is a sign that our culture has forgotten the seriousness of the demonic. Reese’s conclusion is sobering but essential: those without Christ have “no defense from demonic attacks,” while even Christians must avoid reckless curiosity.

The truth is simple but urgent: only Jesus Christ has the power to break demonic chains, and only the Holy Spirit equips believers to stand firm in the evil day.

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It is time for Christians to stop treating spiritual warfare lightly. We are not called to play games with the enemy but to put on the full armor of God and resist him. The devil is on the offensive, and the church must no longer sit back in complacency. It is time to take the fight to him.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

A new Lifeway Research report reveals that many pastors step away from the pulpit not because of retirement, but due to challenges such as conflict, burnout, and shifts in their personal sense of calling. The findings shed light on the difficulties clergy face in leading congregations and the toll ministry can take on their lives.

As reported by The Christian Post, Lifeway surveyed 730 former pastors from four Protestant denominations and found that around one-third pointed to either burnout or church conflict as reasons for leaving. The study noted that while some pastors remain in ministry in a different role, many left the pastorate earlier than expected due to significant struggles.

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“The lead stated reason was a ‘change in calling,’ with 40% of respondents citing this as the cause of their departure,” the report said. “Other cited reasons included family issues (10%), personal finances (10%), illness (6%), being a poor fit with a church (6%), denominational issues (4%), and the church closing due to the COVID-19 lockdowns (3%).”

Conflict proved to be a particularly damaging factor. According to the survey, 87% of pastors experienced conflict at some point in their last congregation, with nearly half (49%) reporting a “significant personal attack.” Additionally, 56% said the disputes arose from proposed changes within the church.

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Lifeway also found that many pastors had relatively short tenures. “Forty-three percent reported leaving their positions as pastor after serving just one congregation, while another 43% reported serving as a senior pastor for 10 years or less before leaving,” the report explained.

Despite these difficulties, over half of former pastors remain in ministry in other capacities. “Lifeway also reported that, despite leaving the position of pastor, 53% of respondents said that they continue to work in ministry, though in a different capacity,” the report noted.

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The study also drew comparisons to a similar 2021 survey, showing both consistencies and shifts in the top reasons pastors step away:

• 2024 study: 40% change in calling, 18% conflict, 16% burnout
• 2021 study: 32% change in calling, 18% conflict, 13% burnout

The broader context shows these struggles are not isolated. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research reported that 53% of clergy had seriously considered leaving ministry at least once since 2020, citing the strain of shepherding congregations through the pandemic and other challenges.

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As the church continues to face cultural and spiritual pressures, this report showcases the need for prayer and support for pastors. Christians are called to lift up those who serve, asking God to strengthen, encourage and sustain them as they lead His people.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

The Bible warns us of a coming seven-year tribulation, a time when God’s wrath will be poured out on a world that has rejected Jesus Christ. For many, it’s easy to pass over that phrase quickly, “seven years of tribulation,” without truly grasping the weight of what it means. But when you stop and think about the length of that time, and the suffering described in Scripture, it becomes clear why the Bible says it will be unlike any other period in human history.

On a recent episode of the Watchman River podcast, host Tom Cote shared how the reality of this hit him powerfully. “Last night, I was really thinking about this and something hit me like a freight train,” Cote said. “I’ve never literally thought about how long that seven years is for the people that are here. I don’t know why. I just kind of always say seven-year tribulation, seven-year tribulation. Yesterday, I think the Lord gave me a glimpse where He put it in my heart to realize how long that seven years is.”

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Cote explained that while Christians often focus on the rapture and the marriage supper of the Lamb, it’s easy to forget what those left behind will endure. “We talk about the shock that will happen to the world a day or two after the rapture,” he said. “But what about a month after the rapture? What about two months after the rapture? What about a year or two after the rapture?… It’s terrifying. It’s a long time.”

He went on to describe what life may look like in those years. “Probably no toilet paper during the seven-year tribulation. Probably no clean running water. It’s a different world. God is showing his wrath to a Christ-rejecting world,” he said. “It’s a nightmare. You don’t want to be here for the seven-year tribulation. War, famine, pestilence, death, inflation.”

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Turning to Revelation 6, Cote highlighted the third seal, where a black horse rider brings food scarcity so severe that a full day’s wages would only buy a small amount of bread. “I just think, ‘Oh, that day would be really bad. You got to work a whole day for a loaf of bread.’ It’s every day. It’s a seven-year tribulation,” he said.

Cote added that for those who come to faith in Jesus during the tribulation, persecution will be brutal. “People who believe in Jesus during the seven-year tribulation will be hunted down and basically beheaded for their faith,” he warned. In his view, martyrdom may even seem merciful compared to trying to survive the full seven years.

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Ultimately, he reminded listeners that Jesus Himself said if He did not return at the end of the tribulation, “there’d be no flesh living. Nobody would be alive. It’s a horrible time.”

A Call to Repentance

The sobering reality of the Great Tribulation gave Cote a renewed sense of urgency to call people to Christ. “When you start understanding how long that seven-year tribulation is, you just want to tell everyone about Jesus today,” he said. “It gave me an urgency last night thinking about this of just sharing the gospel with everyone and just trying to get as many people on that ark, trying to get as many people to repent, meaning turning from unbelief to belief in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I don’t want anyone to be left behind.”

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“Seven years is a long time. Please keep listening and believe in Jesus today because what’s coming to this world, and it’s coming soon, that seven-year tribulation is speeding toward us right now.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

From new plagues to pestilences, outbreaks of strange and deadly diseases have long been seen as part of the signs Jesus warned would appear before His return. A rise in flesh-eating bacteria along the Gulf Coast and the reemergence of pneumonic plague in Arizona are the latest reminders that even in an age of modern medicine, the world remains vulnerable to ancient scourges described to us in the Bible.

As reported by Israel365 News, “a recent surge in deadly infections, including flesh-eating bacteria along the Gulf Coast and a rare case of pneumonic plague in Arizona, has drawn eerie comparisons to the biblical plagues of Egypt and prophetic descriptions of the end-of-days War of Gog and Magog.”

While Jewish scholars have noted parallels to Zechariah, we as Christians can also point to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:7 that “there will be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” as signs of the approaching end of the age.

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Public health officials have confirmed a sharp rise in cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous strain of bacteria commonly found in warm saltwater and brackish environments. “So far in 2025, at least eight people have died and 22 others have been infected by the bacteria, which thrives in warm coastal waters,” the report said.

The Louisiana Department of Health noted that 17 cases required hospitalization, with four deaths, more than double the state’s annual average for the past decade. Florida reported 13 cases and four deaths as of late July.

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The Cleveland Clinic warns that infections can progress quickly and cause “blistering skin lesions, fever, sepsis, internal bleeding, organ failure, and in some cases, necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that kills flesh around an open wound.” Health officials urge beachgoers to take precautions, such as avoiding raw shellfish, not entering the water with open wounds and using protective footwear.

Alongside the Gulf Coast outbreak, plague has also resurfaced in the American Southwest.

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“A person died from pneumonic plague in Arizona last week, the first death from the disease in this region in nearly two decades,” according to the report. The bacterium, Yersinia pestis, was the cause of the Black Death in the Middle Ages, killing tens of millions. The World Health Organization now categorizes it as a re-emerging disease, with nearly 50,000 human cases worldwide in the past two decades.

We must use biblical discernment to see such events as reminders of the brokenness of creation since the fall of man in Genesis 3 and warnings of the times to come. Scripture speaks of pestilence as part of God’s judgment, yet also as a call to repentance and faith in Jesus before the fullness of the Great Tribulation unfolds. Revelation describes devastating plagues that will strike the earth during the end times (Rev. 6:8; 16:2-21).

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While medical experts emphasize prevention and treatment, we must interpret these “wake-up calls” as opportunities to return to the hope of the gospel message. As pestilences reappear even in an age of advanced science, believers are reminded that Christ’s words remain true and that His return is drawing near.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Grotesque-looking gray squirrels covered in wart-like tumors have been spotted skulking through backyards across the United States, sparking alarm among residents and fascination among wildlife experts.

Photographs shared online show the animals with oozing sores and hairless patches on their heads and limbs, leading some to dub them “zombie squirrels.” Sightings have been reported in Maine and parts of Canada, with cases dating back to mid-2023 but surging again this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

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“At first I thought it was eating something from my front beds, but then I realized it was on its face,” one Reddit user posted July 31 after spotting a gray squirrel with a large tumor on its mouth.

Wildlife experts say the squirrels are most likely suffering from squirrel fibromatosis, a viral skin disease caused by leporipoxvirus. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected saliva or lesions and can resemble herpes transmission in humans.

The disease is often mistaken for squirrelpox, which is more common in the UK and often fatal to red squirrels. Fibromatosis, however, typically runs its course in four to eight weeks. In severe cases, the growths can spread internally and lead to death.

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Despite their frightening appearance, experts insist the squirrels are no danger to people, pets or birds.

“It’s like when you get a large concentration of people. If someone is sick and it’s something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it,” Shevenell Webb of Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife told the Bangor Daily News. Webb said backyard bird feeders often act as transmission points because infected squirrels leave saliva or fluid behind on seeds.

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The unusual squirrel sightings come as Colorado officials warned of a separate outbreak, the so-called “bunny blight.” Cottontail rabbits have been spotted with black, tentacle-like growths sprouting from their heads, caused by the Shope papilloma virus.

The Biblical Perspective

While wildlife officials view these outbreaks as naturally occurring diseases, we as Christians can see them as reminders of a deeper spiritual truth. In the Gospels, Jesus warned that before His return there would be “pestilences” affecting the earth (Luke 21:11, Matt. 24:7). These warnings were not limited to human sickness but speak to a broken creation groaning under the curse of sin.

From the moment Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, the entire earth was subjected to corruption (Rom. 8:22). That curse has touched every part of creation, from humanity to the animal kingdom. Outbreaks like squirrel fibromatosis and rabbit papilloma remind us of that fallen state.

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Though unsettling, these events can point believers to the hope that one day Jesus will return and restore creation, wiping away disease and death forever (Rev. 21:4). Until then, they stand as warnings and signs, reminders that the world is not as it was meant to be and that the day of the Lord draws nearer.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

On a recent episode of The Rosenberg Report, Joel Rosenberg shared the story of a man in Gaza who had a dream where “Jesus appears to him and says, ‘You’re my man. You’re my man in Gaza. Tell everyone about me.’” He has embraced that mission, leading Muslims to faith in Jesus even in the midst of war.

According to Rosenberg’s guest Tom Doyle, “Once they come to faith in Christ… God replaced the hate with love,” with new believers even praying for the Jewish people they once considered enemies.

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Joanne Doyle described meeting women in Gaza who live “desperate lives,” with abuse so common that “literally every single woman no matter their age” in one gathering admitted to experiencing it. Many have dreams about Jesus, saying, “I have felt safe in the presence of a man when I’ve been with Jesus.”

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Doyle also told the story of “Dina,” a preschool teacher who refused to teach jihad during Hamas training camps, saying, “I don’t want to do that. I want to teach them that Jesus is the good shepherd,” even though she knew she “could be killed for that.”

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The Doyles noted that political solutions cannot accomplish what only the Gospel can. “I don’t think the UN can pull that off… Jesus can transform a heart and then they change,” Tom Doyle said.

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Despite persecution, a “secret church” is growing in Gaza, with believers meeting quietly to study God’s word and share their faith. Rosenberg closed with a challenge: “Pray that there would be a Holy Spirit revival in Gaza… We just need to saturate the strip with prayer.”

If you would like to hear more about the miraculous visions of Jesus, watch the video above.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

The headlines seem to be getting darker by the day, war rumors, strange earthquakes, pandemics and global deception. Many see these as isolated crises, but some believe they are connected threads in a prophetic tapestry the Bible laid out thousands of years ago. If the warnings are real, ignoring them could be the most dangerous decision a person ever makes.

Pastor Tom Hughes, speaking on his Tom Hughes Report, compared the devastating July 4, 2025, Texas flood to a much greater and eternal storm he says is rapidly approaching. “It’s not just life or death, but eternal life or death,” Hughes warned. “People need to know about it, and people who do know need to warn others.” Hughes believes the Bible lays out clear signs of the end times, and that they are converging in our lifetime.

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1. Pestilences

Hughes pointed to pandemics as one of the clearest warnings Jesus gave about the last days. He cited COVID-19 as a prophetic marker not only because of its spread but because of “the protocols surrounding it from so-called officials” that reshaped thinking and trained people to “trust whatever the government or science tells them.”

“Jesus said to watch for pestilences, and COVID was a major prophetic event for a few different reasons,” Hughes said (Matt. 24:7; Luke 21:11)

2. Earthquakes in Diverse Places

While earthquakes have occurred throughout history, Hughes noted a marked change in recent decades, with strong quakes striking unexpected locations like Texas and Oklahoma, areas known for tornadoes, not seismic activity. He challenged skeptics who attribute these to fracking, asking how Jesus could have predicted them 2,000 years ago.

“Earthquakes have gotten stronger since the birth of modern Israel in 1948,” Hughes said (Matt. 24:7)

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3. Wars and Rumors of Wars

Wars have always been part of human history, but Hughes stressed that today’s rumors are unique in scale and reach. He cited Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats as an example of a modern “rumor of war” amplified by mass and social media.

“Any of them can send a message to a few friends while a million strangers listen in. No generation spread rumors like this one,” Hughes said (Matt. 24:6).

4. Widespread Deception

Modern technology has made it possible for falsehoods to sweep the globe almost instantly. Hughes used the example of the false statistic claiming Americans use 500 million plastic straws per day, a figure originating from a 9-year-old’s guess that became accepted as fact worldwide.

“We live in an era when a 9-year-old can deceive the world,” Hughes said (Matt. 24:4, 11).

5. The Rebirth of Israel as the Prophetic Linchpin

Hughes underscored that Israel’s restoration as a nation in 1948 is the keystone for all other prophetic signs. Without it, he said, past catastrophes like the Black Plague could not have fulfilled end-times prophecy. Today, these signs are converging while Israel exists, making the moment unique in human history.

“Without the rebirth of Israel and the return of the Jews to their ancestral homeland, none of the other signs would have prophetic meaning,” Hughes said (Ezek. 37:21-22; Isa. 66:8).

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Hughes leaves us with an urgent reminder that these signs are not meant to cause fear but to prompt readiness and hope in Christ. He warned that biblical illiteracy leaves people, and even churches, blind to what is unfolding. “The times should not overtake us as a thief,” he said. “We have the light of God’s word. We see and know the warning signs.”

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The call, Hughes stressed, is for believers to be watchful, anchored in Scripture, and bold in sharing the gospel. In a world swirling with chaos and deception, knowing God’s Word may be the difference between being swept away by the storm, or standing firm until the King returns.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

A growing number of Bible prophecy watchers are focusing their attention on Sept. 23, a date that coincides with the Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah and a week of high-stakes diplomatic meetings at the United Nations. The timing feels loaded with prophetic potential, possibly marking the rapture, the start of the tribulation or the signing of the Daniel 9:27 covenant.

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Tom Cote, host of the Watchman River podcast, said, “I’ve never seen the Watchman community so on fire for a time period of what’s happening right now in the world and where it’s leading.”

He pointed to the UN’s push for a two-state solution with Israel as one of the key developments in play. “We know that Sept. 23 is part of the week where these meetings are happening at the United Nations where they’re going to try to twist Israel’s arm into accepting a two-state solution,” he said.

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While some speculate that this period will mark the beginning of the seven-year tribulation, Cote believes another critical event must occur first: a major Middle East war that clears the way for Israel to rebuild the Temple. “Do you think right now… they would give Israel permission to build a third temple?” he asked. “I believe personally it is a serious war. I believe it’s probably the Psalm 83 war.”

Cote rejects the idea that Psalm 83 was fulfilled in 1948 or that it is merely a prayer. “If they were confounded and dismayed forever, why did they all come back? I just can’t see that,” he said, pointing to the ongoing hostility from groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.

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He envisions a scenario where “Iran is going to gather up their proxies… and I think God’s going to step in and eliminate” the immediate ring of enemies, paving the way for a peace deal and Temple construction.

Even so, Cote stops short of setting a date. “Am I saying it is the year? I can’t say that. I don’t have the authority to,” he said. “It might be next year. Might be the year after. But man, I’ve never seen the perfect storm of all storms like it is right now.”

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He closed with a reminder that watchfulness must be balanced with humility. “I’m looking up right now every day… I’m not trying to pinpoint a day or an hour,” Cote said. That approach echoes Jesus’ own words in Matthew 24:36 that “about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Conflicting Reports Emerge Over Red Heifer Ceremony in Israel

The rare biblical red heifer, long regarded as a prophetic sign connected to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, has become the center of controversy after two very different accounts surfaced about whether the long-awaited ritual has already taken place.

In recent weeks, statements from Adam King, a media personality claiming firsthand knowledge of the event, has clashed with information from Mondo Gonzales of Prophecy Watchers, who has spent years closely following the red heifer project.

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Adam King’s Claim: The Ritual Already Happened

During a recent appearance on the Timcast IRL podcast, fellow podcaster Adam King said that on July 1, 2025, a real red heifer named Tikva was sacrificed in Israel according to Jewish law.

Publicly, it was announced as a “practice run” using a disqualified animal, but King insisted that this was intentional misdirection to avoid political backlash and international outrage. “They fooled everybody and they successfully performed the ritual about a month ago,” he claimed.

King described the sacrifice as being carried out “specifically according to halakha” (Jewish law) and emphasized the rarity of such an event. “The last time that the red heifer was done was over 2,000 years ago,” he said, noting that the first was performed by Moses, the second by Ezra and that throughout all of Jewish history, only nine have been sacrificed.

He further claimed to possess physical proof of the event: “I have with me some of the ashes right here, red heifer ashes… and also hyssop that is from the actual ritual.”

According to King, these ashes, kept in a clay jar in keeping with biblical requirements, are being used to purify people from the “impurity of death,” enabling them to ascend the Temple Mount in ritual purity. He asserted that miraculous healings have already occurred, citing a man with Alzheimer’s who “started remembering everything” and even cases of “sight to the blind.”

King also tied the red heifer ritual directly to messianic expectations, saying, “Now that it’s been done, the Messiah can come” and build the Third Temple. He maintained that the Third Temple cannot be constructed without the red heifer ceremony taking place and linked this development to broader geopolitical events, claiming that Hamas and other hostile actors saw the ritual as a threat. According to him, “The Democrats are trying to stop the Messiah,” and the Oct. 7 Hamas attack was partly motivated by an obsession with halting the red heifer project.

Mondo Gonzales: It Wasn’t the Final Ceremony

Mondo Gonzales, co-host of Prophecy Watchers, has been in regular contact with those directly involved in the red heifer project, including Boneh Israel member Byron Stinson. While acknowledging that a heifer was burned on July 1, he says the location, Samaria, prevents it from qualifying as the final, prophetic ceremony.

“The Bible is ambiguous, but the rabbinic oral tradition in the Mishnah is crystal clear,” Gonzales explained. “It has to be on the Mount of Olives, and from a vantage point where you can look down into the Temple area. This box cannot be unchecked.”

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Gonzales confirmed that Stinson has described the July 1 ritual as both a “real ceremony” and a “practice” in preparation for the Mount of Olives event. According to Gonzales, Stinson has told him there are still “two, maybe three” qualified heifers remaining, with additional candidates being bred in Israel and Texas.

He also pushed back on speculation that the actual prophetic ceremony could have been done secretly. “There’s no way this could be done in secret,” Gonzales said. “We’re talking about a gigantic bonfire in an area surrounded by Arabs. The police have to be there. The fire department has to be notified. You couldn’t hide it.”

From a Christian perspective, Gonzales stressed that Hebrews 9 and 13 make it clear that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice, rendering any future animal sacrifices unnecessary for believers. “This coming temple is not going to be the millennial one. We know that for sure,” he said, warning that while the Third Temple is prophetically significant, it will ultimately be defiled by the Antichrist before being replaced by Christ’s millennial temple.

The Need for Discernment

While the debate over the red heifer continues, Scripture warns that deception will increase in the last days (Matt. 24:4, 2 Thess. 2:9–10). For that reason, it is paramount for Christians to remain grounded in biblical truth, exercising discernment through God’s Word and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

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We live in a time when prophetic events can stir intense excitement, and misinformation, spiritual clarity is essential to keep believers anchored in what God has revealed.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.