The Christian Worldview

David Wheaton: Understanding our perilous times. That is the topic discussed today right here on The Christian Worldview Radio Program, where the mission is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm David Wheaton, the host. The Christian Worldview is a non-profit, listener-supported radio ministry. Our website is thechristianworldview.org and the rest of our contact information will be given throughout today's program. As always, thank you for your notes of encouragement, financial support, and lifting us up in prayer.

In some of his final words, the Apostle Paul wrote to the younger pastor Timothy, saying, "But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come." Paul then described what men will be like in these perilous times. He says, "For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people," he concludes, "turn away." That's from 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 through 5.

The last days in Scripture is the period of time between the first coming and second coming of Christ. But reading the Book of Revelation, this ungodliness intensifies in the last of the last days. Now, while there is certainly room to descend further, what we are seeing today, for example, in Minneapolis, with protestors taking to the streets day after day after day to scream obscenities at officers and block them from arresting criminals and illegal immigrants.

And then entering and disrupting City's Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, this past Sunday, claiming to be like Christ cleansing the temple as they yelled and shamed churchgoers for "doing nothing to help their immigrant neighbors." This all could aptly be described as perilous times. Here's just a short clip of what it sounded like inside City's Church when protestors disrupted the service.

Guest (Male): All these comfortable white people who are living lavish, comfortable lives while children are dragged into concentration camps. You're living real life, nice lives with your lattes, doing absolutely nothing for your Latino and Somali brothers and sisters. You come here to a man wearing a suit as a preacher to Jesus? Did Jesus wear a suit? Did Jesus profit off the words? No.

David Wheaton: So that's just a short clip of what took place at a local church here in Minnesota during a Sunday morning service. But it's not just in my home state of Minnesota. There is massive deception and delusion across the country and world, rebelling against God and His ways and ranting against Israel, even within the church.

Our guest today, Jan Markell, has watched it all over her lifetime. The daughter of an Orthodox Jewish father, Jan was changed forever when she heard and believed the gospel as a young girl. She would go on to found Olive Tree Ministries, a ministry that for decades has exhorted the church through her radio program heard across the country and world called Understanding the Times, through conferences and written and video resources to be faithful and discerning and to look for the return of Christ and God fulfilling His promises to Israel.

Today, we'll discuss a wide range of issues from her background to her perspective on the perilous times at home and abroad, to how Christians should embrace the times in which we live, and above all things, to trust God. Let's get to the first segment of the interview with Jan Markell. Jan, it's a special joy for me to have you on the program today, having known you for so many years and been in ministry side-by-side with you based here in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul dating back to the early 2000s. So thank you for taking the time to come on the program today.

I thought in this first segment, Jan, we'd just reflect on your life in ministry before we get into some current events going on in our state, our country, and then moving over to the Middle East in the third segment. You grew up in a really interesting home. You had an Orthodox Jewish father who was saved later in life, and I believe you had an evangelical mother. So what were your growing-up years like and where did that take place? I know you spent some time in northern Minnesota as well.

Jan Markell: My ancestors of all cold places, actually, they left Russia for the Iron Range. One of my relatives from the Iron Range is Bob Dylan, of course, Bob Zimmerman. I didn't know him well because he's a number of years older than I, but settled in the Iron Range and that's just kind of a cold, barren place in the upper part of Minnesota. Duluth area and then came to Minneapolis to reside when I was five years old and stayed here the rest of my life. And so David, like you, I've seen the changes over the years and the changes in our area are staggering in every respect, spiritually, politically. Anyway you look at it, staggering and heartbreaking at the same time, knowing what our area once was. But just thankful to have grown up here in the Twin Cities, had a wonderful church in my youth and that's kind of responsible for who I am today.

David Wheaton: Speaking of your youth, I read in a profile of you in a magazine that it said when you were 11 years old, some Christian neighbors here in the Twin Cities invited you to go with them to a nearby Baptist church to hear the famous Messianic evangelist named Hyman Appelman. She later, referring to you here, said that she was not sure she understood all that he was talking about, but that man convicted me, you said. And it sounds like, Jan, that this was the beginning of your salvation. So tell us about that, how and why did you come to saving faith in Christ?

Jan Markell: I was 11, living in northeast Minneapolis, and Christian neighbors—and again my family, we weren't churchgoers or anything at that time. Christian neighbors knew Hyman Appelman was in a church down the street and just wanted me to go. It was not a children's rally, that's what's so interesting. And so why would an 11-year-old even be interested? And I wasn't.

But once I got there to hear him, somehow he connected with me. Whatever his message was, and part of it was salvation, but I just knew I was gripped by everything he had to say. And when he made that appeal for turning your life over to Jesus—Christ, again I was basically unchurched—I knew he was speaking to me and as an 11-year-old that set my life on a new course way back then.

Little did I think that that decision that day would lead me into full-time Christian ministry eventually, into various Christian organizations starting with Jews for Jesus and several others and then of course establishing my own outreach very heavily a little over 25 years ago. So that was a fateful day, a good fateful day when I was 11 years old.

David Wheaton: Amazing, thank you for sharing that story. Jan Markell is our guest today on The Christian Worldview. She's the founder and president of Olive Tree Ministries. You can find links to her ministry at our website, thechristianworldview.org. Just one more quote from that profile of you in the magazine—I think it was Lamp Lighter magazine, Jan. It says when you were 30 years old, you visited Israel and you read Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth, and you got involved with Messianic Judaism. Then in 1982, you formed your own ministry and called it Olive Tree Ministries.

Now, you have had some significant influences on your life. You mentioned one of them, Hyman Appelman, of course your parents, but aside from them, it sounds like Hal Lindsey was one early on. Who have been some of the key influences in your life that shaped your worldview?

Jan Markell: Well, my Baptist church for sure, Baptist church of my youth. As a young adult, I went to Israel—this was in the late '70s—I went to Israel, read Hal's book at the same time, and became acquainted with the organization known as Jews for Jesus which turned my life upside down in a good way. All of those things converged within a few weeks: trip to Israel, reading the book, getting acquainted with Jews for Jesus, eventually becoming a leader in Jews for Jesus.

But I have to say, and I know Hal personally, he passed away a year or so ago. I brought him to the Twin Cities twice. And again, he's not a perfect man, but my only point is Hal's goal was to put into book form, into writing form—remember when he wrote Late Great Planet Earth, which was approximately 1970, the only prophecy books at that time were like Dwight Pentecost's 500-page book.

And Hal knew the public couldn't handle that. He simply wanted something understandable to be in print for the average person on the street to understand things to come. And that's what he did with Late Great Planet Earth in about 1970. I got a hold of it mid-to-late '70s, turned my life upside down because that had been preached in my church of my youth, but he connected all the dots for me in that book.

I realized we were very likely the generation—we don't know, but very possibly the generation that could see the Lord return in the clouds known as the rapture of the church and escape that terrible time of seven-year tribulation. So he made it all make sense, and I give him credit for that. And I told him that in 2005 when I brought him here, what a great influence he was on many, many, many people. Again, not a perfect man, but he did love the Lord and again wanted to educate people as to the things to come in an easy-to-understand way.

David Wheaton: Now, Jan, you started hosting a radio program here in the Twin Cities on AM 980 The Mission, the Salem affiliate here in the Twin Cities in 2001. And I started in radio the following year in the spring of 2002. Just a little aside, we used to both go down to the studio on Saturday mornings. I would be in there at 8:00 and then we'd say hello as I left and you came in at 9:00 for your program. So we go way back and those are very memorable times.

Jan Markell: You had your dog Ben there sometimes.

David Wheaton: I did. Brought the dog in studio a few times. I don't know if that was appreciated by some of the other broadcasters, but anyway, that's what we did. And you did this program for 25 years called Understanding the Times. You were hosting very large conferences here in the Twin Cities. And as I think about what has been the focus of your ministry, at least for the last 25 years—and it was, I'm sure in some ways before that too—but it was really focused on the faithfulness of the local church, discernment, current events taking place within the society and the church as well, and of course Bible prophecy in Israel.

Now, we're going to get into a couple of those main focuses of your ministry in later segments today, but let's talk about the church first because you've seen a lot of things come and go within the evangelical church. You've seen the seeker movement, Bill Hybels and so forth, Rick Warren, the emergent church—remember that? The woke church. You've seen a lot of compromise within the evangelical church, fallen leaders. Of course this is a generalization, we know there are some very solid churches and pastors out there. But as you look back over the years, what do you think has been the fundamental error or weakness of the evangelical church and its leaders that have made it man-centered and unfaithful rather than glorifying to God?

Jan Markell: Well, I would have to, again, go back to my passion, and that is I think that the church has neglected eschatology, which is long-term for Bible prophecy. I think the church—not all, but many—have neglected, again, the message that the King is coming. It's sort of ho-hum, we don't really care.

Secondly, I think they've not recognized the importance of Israel. And if I could give one quick example of underplaying, ignoring the nation of Israel right at October 7th, 2023, the horrific day when Hamas invaded the kibbutzim in southern Israel. I had within the next week hundreds of either emails or comments under my social media—the combination, hundreds of people telling me that that next Sunday, October 8th, one day later, their church said nothing about what happened on October 7th.

And to see this a dozen times, alright, but hundreds in comments, social media and other places, I realized the church—and I knew it before, this was a confirmation—was checked out when it came to the issues of the Middle East, of end-time issues, of Israel's important role, of the lateness of the hour and how Israel plays into that. They just didn't want to go there.

And believe me, David, the emails and comments that I received: "My heart is broken. My church ignored it the next day, October 8th. We didn't even pray. My pulpit and pastor pretended like nothing happened on October 7th, 2023." So I think that indicated a huge, huge vacuum in the evangelical church.

David Wheaton: I think it really did. And I even think as we get into our next section of our interview, just about what's going on in Minneapolis right now, that pastors would be—don't need to preach sermons on it, but need to be helping your congregation understand how to think through these issues because these are at the front of people's minds right now and we are in perilous times.

After this short break, Jan and I will discuss some current events, including the mayhem in that church here in Minnesota that had agitators disrupting their Sunday service. You can connect with Jan Markell at her website, Olive Tree Views, or we have links at thechristianworldview.org. I'm David Wheaton, you are listening to The Christian Worldview Radio Program.

The January-February issue of the Christian Worldview Journal features two separate columns, one by Pastor Virgil Walker and one by me, on the worldview driving the fraud, lawlessness, and protest taking place in Minnesota. Managing editor Soren Kern writes about the bad theology of the woke right with popular influencers like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes. The Christian Worldview Journal is a bi-monthly print publication designed to sharpen your biblical worldview on current events and issues of the faith. It also includes a resource catalog and ministry updates.

The Journal is mailed to Christian Worldview partners as a thank you for their support of this radio ministry. To become a Christian Worldview partner or order an individual issue of the Journal, go to thechristianworldview.org or call 1-888-646-2233 or write to Box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota, 55331.

We are kicking off 2026 with a New Year's sale at our website, thechristianworldview.org. For example, there's still time to order the always-popular Christian Worldview desktop calendar for 2026 with beautiful outdoor photographs from our own Rich Ganzel. Or how about the MacArthur Daily Bible, which is set up to help you read through the entire Bible in whatever time frame you choose?

Plus, there are lots of Christmas resources at the most discounted prices of the year, including family favorite Manger in Danger: the 25-day Christmas devotional for families with children under 12. Just go to thechristianworldview.org to browse and order sale resources for adults and children or call us toll-free 1-888-646-2233. That's 1-888-646-2233 or visit thechristianworldview.org.

Welcome back to The Christian Worldview. I'm David Wheaton. Be sure to visit thechristianworldview.org where you can sign up for our weekly email and The Christian Worldview Journal print publication, order resources for adults and children, and support the ministry. Our topic today is Understanding Our Perilous Times and our guest is Jan Markell, founder and president of Olive Tree Ministries.

Jan, let's transition from your personal background, your ministry, into some current events. And let's start in our own home state of Minnesota and in our own home city. Neither of us live specifically in Minneapolis—you did growing up—but we live near there, very short driving distance away. Why do you think Minnesota and specifically Minneapolis has become ground zero for issues like Islamic immigration—we have what, I think over 100,000 Somalis who have been settled here in the last 30 years?

It's become ground zero for illegal immigration—we are a declared sanctuary state, an abortion sanctuary state, a transgender sanctuary state. The welfare fraud that's taken place here is apparently the biggest of all time in our country. It's also a city that has become a flashpoint for racial animosity with the whole George Floyd death in the hands of the Minneapolis police officers and the ensuing riots that burned much of this city. And now we see, just week after week here now, these protests, the agitators, the obstructionists to ICE agents coming in town to remove illegal immigrants and criminals from this state and city. Why do you think all this is revolving around Minnesota and Minneapolis?

Jan Markell: A couple of reasons. Of course Trevor Loudon talks heavily about the red-green alliance, the alliance of Communism and Islam and it's moving into certain segments of America, certainly targeted Twin Cities. But I'm going to go back further than that because I've studied this. The American Communist Party in the 1920s—think of that—in the 1920s targeted Chicago, Twin Cities, Madison, Wisconsin, to get the leftist message ingrained into these parts of the country.

In other words, get them into the education system, get them into the pulpit, anywhere you can get this hardcore leftist Communist message, if possible, do that in those particular cities over 100 years ago. And so I think that's been playing out over the century, the effort to make these areas Communist. And let's face it, Minnesota's a socialist state, not because of you and me, but because of the influences that have been at play behind the scenes.

A lot of our pulpits, not all of them, a lot of our pulpits are just social gospel. That's part of this effort to bring everything left, and it's been very, very successful. Then you throw in the red-green alliance. We had 100,000 Somalis dropped on us in the '90s thanks to Bill Clinton, and that is a part of that red-green, green representing Islam, the red-green alliance that was targeted for the Twin Cities.

And now that red-green alliance is going out to some of our smaller towns, Rochester and St. Cloud and other areas. So it's an effort to take over, and that is what the goal of Islam is, is to take over, and they're slowly taking over areas of America. That's part of the goal of Islam. Taking over parts of Texas, taking over Dearborn, Michigan. That is their plan. And you and I are stuck in an area where it's just very, very prominent as we speak.

David Wheaton: Well-answered to that. There is something in the worldview up here that has been going on for a very long time. And you also see our leaders here—our Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, our Attorney General Keith Ellison—they are encouraging or almost inciting what's taking place as well. So you have the worldview and what's going on in the city and then you have the leaders who are fomenting it as well too, and that's why it just continues to go on.

Now, just recently, Jan, as part of these quote-unquote protests has gone beyond that now, where they are now entering churches and disrupting services. At the City's Church here in St. Paul—and St. Paul for those of you who are not from this area, is called the Twin Cities because Minneapolis and St. Paul are right next to each other separated by the Mississippi River. So it's called the Twin Cities.

So in St. Paul, there's a Southern Baptist Convention church there, City's Church, and during the middle of the service this past Sunday, agitators came in the church led by the president of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and completely disrupted this service. And here's what it sounded like, Jan, and then I'm going to follow up with a question.

Guest (Male): Jeff Short! Renounce! Renee Girt! Renee Girt! Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Where are your people? Why are you not at Whipple every day fighting for the humanity, standing for our people? Where are you? You drink your coffee, you got your jewelry, you have your nice clothes, but what do you do? What do you do to stand for your Somali and Latino communities? You are a fake Christian! Why are you not standing with your Somali and Latino communities? You're sinners! You're pretending to be Christians, but we know you live an easy life, don't you? A very easy life while people are starving! Shame!

David Wheaton: Okay, so it was a pretty ugly situation. And journalist formerly at CNN, Don Lemon, was there as well. He came in with them and he was interviewing people and trying to make a point how this was so justified. Let me just play a short clip of how he saw this church as he came in with the agitators.

Don Lemon: And there's a certain degree of entitlement. I think people who are, you know, in the religious groups like that—it's not the type of Christianity that I practice—but I think that they're entitled and that that entitlement comes from a supremacy, a white supremacy. And they think that this country was built for them, that it is a Christian country when actually we left England because we wanted religious freedom. It's religious freedom, but only if you're a Christian and only if you're a white male pretty much.

David Wheaton: Don Lemon wasn't just an independent journalist filming and interviewing the situation independently. He was fully on board with what was taking place. What are your thoughts about taking it to this level now, where church services are being—not protesting from the outside, holding a sign or something, but actually going into a church, disrupting, ending the service? And what might be the ramifications of this kind of thing if it's not brought under control?

Jan Markell: This will spread unless there's some clampdown somehow from the feds. I think it would have to come from Washington. But David, biblically, the Bible talks about the rise of the spirit of Antichrist, the rise of the man of lawlessness. And we're talking about utter lawlessness. We're talking about utter chaos. We're talking about even rent-a-mob type mentality.

But now we have it breaking into a local church, evangelical church no less, because apparently one of the pastors had ties to ICE, which is why they picked that church. But I am concerned that, again, this kind of lawlessness is predicted for the last days. And so I think what all of this tells me is a reminder that again we are in a countdown to the very last of the last days because we're seeing all this predicted behavior that the Bible said would happen in the last days manifest here right before our eyes.

And again, the Antichrist spirit. We've seen it take over many things: the entertainment industry—could go on and on—and now it's taking over, you know, the streets of Minneapolis. Whoever would have thought? But again, this really began back in 2020 with the George Floyd ordeal back in May of 2020. This is kind of just an extenuation. And I think again you have to ask why the same location? Are we sort of targeted? Is that possible? I don't have an answer to that. Or is this again imported? Do we go back to the 1920s that I opened with when this area was targeted by the American Communist Party to be destabilized by these kinds of activities? So I think it's a convergence of things, David. A bottom line, I think we're seeing last days' activity.

David Wheaton: Now, not only in Minnesota, Jan, but across the country. During when the war between Israel and Gaza was really burning hot, there were protests on college campuses here in Minnesota but really everywhere across the country against Israel, for Palestine and Gaza, which was ruled by Hamas. And this is something that was maybe not surprising from leftists, of course, but there's now an element within the political right with people like Tucker Carlson who had a very prominent show on Fox News—he'd said many good things to say—but over the last couple years since he's left Fox News, it's really he's made it clear that he thinks and others like Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes really believe that Israel is at the core, the center of what's wrong in the world and that they're committing a genocide in Gaza. And this is having a quite an influence on the political right, the conservative movement. And recently, maybe a couple months ago I guess it was, when CPAC took place, the Conservative Political Action Conference took place, Tucker spoke there and he had to say this about what is taking place in Gaza from what he believes is a Christian position.

Tucker Carlson: But there are people, particularly Christian ministers, I have noticed, who are preaching a political message. God is not on any country's side. Certain countries can decide to be on God's side, and that is true for people too. And I would also call your attention to the very obvious prohibitions in the New Testament against killing the innocent. I don't get into the whole debate, you know, dispen—I don't even—I didn't even know the terms: dispensationalist, you know, or whatever replacement—I'm an Episcopalian, okay? I don't enter these debates, or was. And killing tens of thousands of children and then making excuses for it on behalf of a foreign government is not in there. It's antithetical to that. It doesn't make me a hater, it makes me the opponent of hate.

David Wheaton: Okay, Jan, so he's basically making the point here, without actually mentioning the state of Israel, but that's clearly who he's referring to, that he believes that the action by Israel against Gaza was immoral, it was genocide, and that the US shouldn't be so controlled by Israel. This is a very widespread sentiment now.

Jan Markell: It is. It's shocking, I agree.

David Wheaton: What do you think of this taking place now within the political right?

Jan Markell: I've done programming on it, I've written articles on it. I don't know that we did see it coming. I know my associates in ministry are stunned by many of those on the right that clearly are a huge disappointment, and that's an understatement. The biggest shock I think that came from what we're talking about and going back to October 7th and you've just kind of referenced it—I think the biggest shock was that the world after this horrific incident happened, October 7th, 2023, the whole world turned around and cheered for Hamas. They didn't cheer for Israel, they cheered for Hamas. The whole world had sympathy for the devil.

I thought that was over with with the Rolling Stones, but here it came back: sympathy for the devil, sympathy for Hamas. That was one of the biggest shocks in my life and my associates would agree to that. And again, I think it goes back to end-time reference. There we read about there's going to be strong delusion that's going to take over the world. And David, I think we're in a time right now of strong delusion. I don't care where it is, I don't care if it's the streets of Minneapolis—those people are deluded, they're deceived, they clearly know nothing about eternal values.

I don't care if we're talking politics, it's strong delusion. I mean, I thank God for the Trump administration and some of the things he's doing, I think are tremendous. But I think all in all the world is drowning in strong delusion and that's particularly as we're discussing focused on some Middle East issues and even the Iranian ordeal, which I think we'll get to in a moment. So that's my final thought on that.

David Wheaton: I think you're right, it is strong delusion when one is unregenerate, when a person is unregenerate, so they don't have the Holy Spirit inside of them. Secondly, that person suppresses the truth in unrighteousness. And then they are deceiving and being deceived. They have nothing to renew their mind, to transform them, and so their thoughts are just completely unbiblical all the time and rail and rage against God and His Word and anything He established.

Jan Markell: And in some cases, their thoughts are evil continually, but the Bible predicts that too.

David Wheaton: Just a follow-up to this question about Israel, and we're going to get more into the Middle East in a second, but the Christians in America who don't support Israel. There's a whole movement, as you mentioned earlier, replacement theology. I'm going to read just a quote from that article once again. You said Jan takes the position that when a person or church embraces replacement theology, they end up with replacement reality because reality gets totally skewed.

Jan argues that the refusal to recognize the re-establishment of Israel as part of God's end-time plan is all a part of the end-time falling away the Bible predicts, and it will be a part of the rampant apostasy that will characterize the final days before Jesus returns. And I agree with that, I think that's the biblical position on this. So, Jan, if you were trying to persuade someone listening today that in the future, God does have a purpose and plan for the Jewish people in Israel, and that God will keep His age-old promise to them and the church has not replaced national Israel or the Jews, what would you say to that person?

Jan Markell: The first is Jeremiah 31: as long as you see the sun and the moon and the stars, God says my people Israel will be a people and the nation will be a nation. As long as you go out and see a sun and the moon and the stars, they'll be there. But I'd say one more thing, David, and that is there's hardly a newscast ever—now remember, Israel's the size of New Jersey—you can hardly find a news broadcast where this little tiny, tiny, tiny nation isn't either leading off that news broadcast or certainly contained somewhere in that 30-60 minute broadcast.

And that's because God is going to keep His people in His land in front of everyone, particularly Christians to remember and pray for it, pray for the peace of Jerusalem and they shall prosper who love thee because He wants it to prosper and He wants us to remember it and He never lets us forget. How can a nation the size of New Jersey be causing that much attention if there isn't a divine spark behind it? There has to be.

David Wheaton: Jan Markell is our guest. Her website is olive-tree-views.org. Coming up next in the final segment, we'll discuss the Middle East and Israel in light of biblical prophecy. I'm David Wheaton, you are listening to The Christian Worldview Radio Program.

The January-February issue of the Christian Worldview Journal features two separate columns, one by Pastor Virgil Walker and one by me, on the worldview driving the fraud, lawlessness, and protest taking place in Minnesota. Managing editor Soren Kern writes about the bad theology of the woke right with popular influencers like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes. The Christian Worldview Journal is a bi-monthly print publication designed to sharpen your biblical worldview on current events and issues of the faith. It also includes a resource catalog and ministry updates.

The Journal is mailed to Christian Worldview partners as a thank you for their support of this radio ministry. To become a Christian Worldview partner or order an individual issue of the Journal, go to thechristianworldview.org or call 1-888-646-2233 or write to Box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota, 55331.

We are kicking off 2026 with a New Year's sale at our website, thechristianworldview.org. For example, there's still time to order the always-popular Christian Worldview desktop calendar for 2026 with beautiful outdoor photographs from our own Rich Ganzel. Or how about the MacArthur Daily Bible, which is set up to help you read through the entire Bible in whatever time frame you choose?

Plus, there are lots of Christmas resources at the most discounted prices of the year, including family favorite Manger in Danger: the 25-day Christmas devotional for families with children under 12. Just go to thechristianworldview.org to browse and order sale resources for adults and children or call us toll-free 1-888-646-2233. That's 1-888-646-2233 or visit thechristianworldview.org.

Thanks for joining us on The Christian Worldview. I'm David Wheaton. Today's program and past programs, along with transcripts and short takes, are available at thechristianworldview.org. While there, you can also sign up for our weekly email and The Christian Worldview Journal print publication, order resources, and support the ministry. Our topic today is Understanding Our Perilous Times and our guest is Jan Markell, founder and president of Olive Tree Ministries.

Jan, in the final segment here, we've talked some about Israel already, what's going on, but I'd like to focus a little bit more on Israel and the Middle East as it relates to Bible prophecy. And the Middle East since the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7th, 2023, has been significantly transformed. Israel is ascending, they're stronger after this attack. Iran has been greatly weakened. Other countries like Syria, Bashar al-Assad is gone, there's a new leadership there that's very Islamist.

But anyway, things have changed a lot in the Middle East. So my question is, Israel has an incredible military intelligence gathering, we've seen what they've been able to do with the pagers with Hezbollah, we've seen what they've done in Iran with just in about 10 or 12 days, just amazing what they've done. How did Israel get attacked so badly? They seemed so unprepared for what happened on October 7th. Do you know more about how that happened and then what are your thoughts about what has taken place in the Middle East since then?

Jan Markell: One of the major wings of the military—his name I don't have in front of me—took the blame for what happened October 7th, 2023. I think they underestimated their enemy. They simply weren't prepared. There were female soldiers during that time that were warning and warning and warning, trying to get their commanders to understand that very strange activity was going on in Gaza.

There appeared to be dress rehearsal for October 7th going on in Gaza and the higher-ups apparently just didn't want to hear it. Now, I'm not an Israeli insider, so I can't be, but I've read that at least 20 times in the various Israeli publications that I do peruse. So I think there was a great dropping of the ball, and some of those people have stepped down in shame, which indicates they probably are indeed ashamed of how they dropped the ball.

But worse than that, the carnage that came from it because, I think David, the thing that came out in the aftermath of October 7th, 2023, is the return to barbarism that is present in the Islamic mind, at least some of it, and what they perpetrated on the Israeli innocent Israeli people who were just getting up starting their day on a holiday and all of a sudden their whole families are completely annihilated in the most brutal way possible.

And you've heard the stories, we don't have to repeat them. You know that Satan is on the rampage, Satan is on the loose, and he's trying because he knows if he could get rid of this nation of Israel, he thinks he could thwart God's end-time plan. So if Satan himself realizes Israel's the key to the end times, all the more churches should be teaching, preaching, and emphasizing the same thing. Because that's why the devil's trying to get rid of the Jews, and then maybe he can add some years to his life because his retirement policy is not the best.

David Wheaton: No, it's not. Jan Markell with us today here on The Christian Worldview, the founder and president of Olive Tree Ministries. We have links to her at our website, thechristianworldview.org. After this October 7th attack by Hamas into Israel, Jan, Israel took action, probably lasted, I don't know, 18, 20 months at least against Gaza. It's been a pretty devastating attack on there. Now, earlier in, I think it was 2024, I was just watching the evening news one night and President Trump was holding a press conference with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Washington. And I heard Trump say this.

Donald Trump: The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.

David Wheaton: When I heard that I almost fell over, that the US is going to take over Gaza and we're going to own it. What do you think of that statement, first of all? Was that just Trump shooting off his mouth or what do you think is going to be happening in Gaza going forward?

Jan Markell: Well, obviously Israel owns it and America needs to be careful here because no one is to divide God's land, no one is to touch God's land. It's His land, Leviticus 25, it's His land, He's given it to the Jews. But I think it's President Trump bragging a little bit and that's fine, that's his personality. But here's the thing, David: rebuilding Gaza's going to take 15 years, easily 15 years.

Donald Trump has three more years. I think the question is what comes after Donald Trump? Who comes after Donald Trump or what party comes after Donald Trump? Because I think he will certainly get that area rebuilt and that's great, it needs to be. I think the Jews should take it over and have complete control as they did in 2005 until George W. Bush made them give up Gaza. Whatever the political maneuverings that were going back in 2005, Camp David.

But my concern is even our Vice President is not all that pro-Israel. And if he's going to become the next President of the United States, there's no guarantee that the kind of pro-Israel activity that we see under Donald Trump—which I am so thankful for, I'm so thankful for his good relationship with Bibi Netanyahu and his honest caring for Israel—I'm afraid that could go away in three years and we have no idea what's going to come along and replace it.

David Wheaton: Well, if you see the way the political left has become—what they have become—it's just completely radical even going on right now that Trump is in office. You see places like New York City with Mamdani and a socialist Communist mayor and what happens going on in Virginia, our state of Minnesota, other places. It's a very radical left now. So I agree with you, there could be a real boomerang reversal if Trump, let's say, even loses the midterm elections, loses power in Congress, and then the next election if the Democrats get in, a real left-wing candidate. Watch out. And so this is by no means smooth sailing for our country or for Israel just because Trump is in power right now. It's short-lived.

Jan Markell: It's short-lived and I am very, very concerned about the things to come. And again, maybe the believers are raptured and taken out of here and maybe that's irrelevant to us, but we don't know that. In the meantime, we're to go on as we are, day by day here. So in the natural, I'm just very, very concerned.

David Wheaton: I can see why. Now, the other big enemy of Israel in the Middle East is Iran with their Islamist leadership, the Ayatollah there. He's been in power, I think, for 30 or 40 years now. But Israel really attacked them and just decimated them and the US came in of course, bombed their nuclear facilities. But since then, the country has suffered a lot of economic problems and otherwise, and there have been millions of protestors all over Iran protesting their Islamic government there. And they have really teetered on being toppled. And Trump had this to say about two weeks ago when all this was going on.

Donald Trump: To all Iranian patriots, keep protesting. I say save their names because they'll pay a very big price. And I've canceled all meetings with the Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protestors stops. And all I say to them is help is on its way.

David Wheaton: Okay, so that was Donald Trump a couple weeks ago talking about in Iran help is on the way when that last war was taking place between Israel against Iran that Trump actually ordered that Israeli planes not go in and kind of finish the job. So you hear, Jan, that Iran is the center point of all the terror and the funding and everything that goes on in the Middle East. They of course think Israel is the little Satan and America is the great Satan. Do you think Trump really is going to leave these millions of protestors—and some estimates are between 10 and 20 thousand of them have been killed by the Ayatollah's forces to put down these protests. What do you think's going to happen in Iran? And why hasn't Trump quote-unquote gone in? I know there's always risk of doing that—you know, you break something, you own it—but it seems like a pretty obvious situation when they're just teetering in their leadership right now.

Jan Markell: Knowing Trump's style, I guess I still think he's going to do something. I really do. I think we need to remember that biblically speaking, Iran plays a huge role. She's ancient Persia in the Bible and she's talked about a lot, particularly many, many passages. Ezekiel is the most prominent passage. Iran is a major player in end-times Bible prophecy.

We have the war of Gog and Magog. In just an interesting little side here, David, because before that war of Gog and Magog, which is Turkey, Russia, and Iran invading Israel on the mountains of Israel, Israel is to be living in a time of safety. Now, I think she's entering that time because Gaza is neutralized, Hezbollah will be neutralized, the Iranians will be neutralized, what's going on in Syria is going to be neutralized.

The point is, I think there's coming a time when Israel's neighbors are going to be settled down and Israel's going to have that short time of peace and security. Then Turkey, Iran, and Russia are going to come down. We don't know the timing. It could be after the rapture, it could be during the tribulation. The Bible is not clear and scholars are divided on the timing of that invasion.

Others say it could be tomorrow. But the point is, if Israel will be living in safety for a season, maybe that's going to happen when Donald Trump neutralizes Iran. She's already fairly neutralized but not totally. So there's coming a time of peace and safety and then all heck is going to break loose. And again, we do not know the timing. I think the word of wisdom is keep watching and keep our eyes on the Bible and the evening news because they tie together inevitably they tie together, particularly here in 2026.

David Wheaton: Trump is very intent on getting the Abraham Accords signed between the Arab nations and Israel. How significant are those and how do you think those could potentially relate to end-times prophecy?

Jan Markell: I'm not one who's real wild about the Abraham Accords. Written into the Abraham Accords is going to be some sort of a two-state solution. And again, Joel 3 says you cannot divide God's land without horrific repercussions. If the Abraham Accords is going to divide God's land with a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria or some other place, I can't believe they're going to be blessed. So that's my concern.

David Wheaton: We've talked a lot about the perilous times we're living in, and you wrote a recent column called The Spirit of Antichrist where you quoted 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 3 and 4. The Bible says, "Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed," that would be the Antichrist, "the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." And I think you would understand the Bible to teach that takes place sort of in the midpoint of the tribulation where the Antichrist turns on Israel.

And so when we've talked about events that are potentially leading us toward that, there's a lot to be concerned about. You could even be anxious as a Christian and think, "Boy, this is not a great time to be alive." But I don't think you believe that. I think you think that Christians should actually be thankful and actually have encouragement to be living during this time, Jan. Why?

Jan Markell: Yeah, and I'm kind of glad you brought that up because we are talking about some heavy things and you even look at the chaos in our own hometown and think, "My goodness, is everything lost?" But I think the point of that, David, is that all of this is predicted. And we as end-time Christians, we're actually here for such a time as this.

We're actually here to make a difference in this chaos. I don't care if it's in this city or a thousand other cities that may be hearing our conversation. We are here to be salt and light and to delay the terrible decay that's going on. And we've talked about parts of the world where there is awful decay going on spiritually and every other war and rumors of wars.

And yet we can be salt and light in the midst of all of that. And what a privilege, I think. What a privilege to be able to see all these things coming together and they are. Everything is all coming together. Everything is falling into place. David, that's the way I have closed hundreds and hundreds of radio programs, that everything is falling into place.

And I would encourage your listeners to be aware of that, that all that the Bible predicted, it's happening day by day by day by day, slowly one piece of the puzzle after another. It's all falling into place. Jesus is coming soon. My question is: are you ready? And if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are ready.

David Wheaton: Thank you for ending our conversation today with that encouragement and that hope that God is in sovereign control of all that's taking place and things are not falling apart, they're falling into place. Thank you for reminding us of that, Jan. And Jan, I just want to thank you for being so faithful in your life and ministry over so many years. So appreciate how you have focused listeners to your radio program, those who read your writings, your books, and everything you do with your ministry on the Word, on applying that Word to what's taking place in our day, and God's purposes in the future for the world and specifically Israel and the Jewish people. So thank you for coming on The Christian Worldview today.

Jan Markell: Thank you for having me, David. It's an honor.

David Wheaton: Well, I hope you were sharpened by the discussion with Jan Markell and encouraged to stand firm in our perilous times. Again, Jan's website is olive-tree-views.org.

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