The conversation surrounding end-times prophecy continues to intensify as new developments in Israel and the Middle East raise questions about the fulfillment of biblical signs. From the Temple Mount to the rebuilding of Babylon and the long-anticipated rapture of the church, many Christians are watching closely.
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Pastors James Kaddis and Tom Hughes, hosts of the program Countdown 2 Eternity, recently discussed these prophetic topics in depth. Their dialogue touched on the biblical significance of the Temple Mount, global events tied to Babylon and the proper perspective on the rapture.
1. The Temple
Kaddis and Hughes began with the Temple Mount, directly addressing debates about its historic location. Hughes insisted, “Once you go to the city of David you recognize it’s beyond the city of David. Everybody geographically impossible. It’s impossible. Plus, they’ve dug down 4,000 years of history. There ain’t no temple that was ever there.”
He went on to note that Hadrian, the Roman emperor in 135 A.D., knew precisely where the temple had stood: “Historians tell you he built a shrine to who? Zeus, Jupiter, Satan. That’s what he did.”
Looking to the future, Hughes described the prophetic expectation of two temples: the Antichrist’s temple, tied to 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 11 and Daniel 9, and the Messianic temple described in Ezekiel 40 and onward. “The one person in the universe that wants a temple built there more than anybody else is Satan,” he said. “Through Antichrist, he’s attempting to usurp the authority of Jesus so that his man will stand in the temple and proclaim to be God.”
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2. Babylon
The discussion turned from Jerusalem to Iraq, where large-scale infrastructure projects are underway. Hughes noted that billions of dollars are being poured into development in the region historically associated with Babylon. “It’s all been done behind the curtain. I find it absolutely fascinating. And…in all of the articles you read about it, they all say the same thing. They call it Babylon,” he said.
This observation was tied to prophetic anticipation that end-times events will center not only on Jerusalem but also on a resurgent Babylon. The pastors suggested that what is unfolding economically and politically in the region aligns with biblical warnings about the final global system described in Revelation.
3. The Rapture
Finally, Kaddis and Hughes addressed growing speculation about the rapture. They warned against the habit of predicting specific dates, particularly around Jewish feast days like Rosh Hashanah. Hughes said, “If you hear anybody telling you the Lord is going to come on this date, don’t ever listen to them again. They’re not credible. They’re not credible people.”
Kaddis added, “I would rather be wrong and excited about the Lord coming than not excited.” But both agreed that setting dates leads to discouragement and damages credibility when those dates pass uneventfully.
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As prophetic events accelerate, Kaddis and Hughes emphasized the need for discernment. While the temple preparations, Babylon’s rebuilding and the expectation of Christ’s return all carry biblically prophetic weight, believers are urged to stay rooted in Scripture and cautious of sensational claims. Above all, Christians are called to watch, pray and avoid the trap of repeatedly predicting a day and hour that Jesus Himself said no one knows.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
