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Beloved End Times Christian Song ‘Midnight Cry’ Conflates The Pretribulation Rapture Of The Church With The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ

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“I hear the sound Of a mighty rushing wind, And it’s closer now than it’s ever been. I can almost hear the trumpet, as Gabriel sounds the call; at the midnight cry we’ll be going home!”

Over the past decade of broadcasting our online ‘Rightly Dividing’ King James Bible studies, we have played a lot of really good and edifying Christian hymns and songs. I have never kept account of how many songs we’ve played most often, but I know this much. The incredibly beautiful and soul-stirring song ‘Midnight Cry’, sung by John Starnes, would be in the top five of our most-played songs without a doubt. From a spiritual perspective, it’s wonderful and I never get tired of hearing it, but from a rightly dividing perspective it’s a hot mess.

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Matthew 25:5,6 (KJB)

I am not being critical of this beautiful Christian song, but what I am doing is using it as an object lesson to show you the power of what rightly dividing, as we are commanded by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJB), is really all about. So why do I say the the ‘Midnight Cry’ we see in Matthew 25 has nothing to do with the rapture of the Church? Because there are no Christians in Matthew 25, just Jews and Tribulation Saints. Those Ten Virgins we read about in the passage are not Christians of any kind, they are Jews.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1 (KJB)

Everything you need to know about who these virgins are is contained in the first six words of the very first verse. Here the Holy Spirit is directing your attention to people who are looking for a kingdom on Earth, and not a spiritual kingdom in Heaven. No Christian was ever promised the Kingdom of Heaven, when you and I got saved, we were placed into the Body of Christ in the Kingdom of God. Those two kingdoms are not the same.

Christians in the Church Age are “sealed unto the day of redemption”, and can never, ever lose their salvation. They can lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but their salvation and entrance into Heaven is never in doubt once they become born again. But these Ten Virgins in Matthew 25 are not as fortunate. They all started out with full lamps of oil, but a full 50% fell by the wayside and were denied entrance into the marriage when the Bridegroom arrived. Why do you think Jesus tells the people in the Tribulation to “endure to the end”? Because if they don’t endure to the end, they die unsaved. This is never the fate of a born again Christian in the Church Age.

Everything about the parable of the Ten Virgins points to a future time where God will again be dealing with His people, the Jews. They are waiting for a King who will bring in a Kingdom. It will have its fulfillment in the time of Jacob’s trouble, where faith + works will be the doctrine of the day. The Two Witnesses and the 144,000 will be preaching from books like Hebrews and James, as well as the “constitution of the kingdom” found in Matthew 5-7 (KJB).

These virgins are going to a marriage, but the wedding ceremony has already taken place. They are not the Bride, they are guests and servants. How do we know that? The good Dr. Luke has the answer.

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.” Luke 12:35-37 (KJB)

You will take careful note that the people here in Luke 12 have their “lights burning”, as do the virgins in Matthew 25. Not only that, but Luke says when “their lord arrives”, it is after having been at the wedding. Did you catch that? By the time the Ten Virgins meet the Bridegroom, the wedding is all done and they did not attend nor were they even invited. So we see quite clearly that the ‘Midnight Cry’ in Matthew 25 shows us Jesus returning in Revelation 19 at the Second Coming, not the rapture of the Church.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” 2 Peter 2:19 (KJB)

Lastly, the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church is not at midnight, it is in the morning! Paul says that the rapture of the Church is comforting, it is light, bright and full of hope, the exact opposite of the gloominess and darkness that heralds the Day of the Lord, see Amos 5:18-20 (KJB), at the Second Coming. Just as the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are two different kingdoms, the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming are two completely different events.

Please enjoy John Starnes singing “Midnight Cry” recorded live in 1988.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. Even all the way to South Africa. We even restarted our weekly radio Bible study on Sunday nights again, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. If every one of the 15,860+ people on our daily mailing list gave $4.50, we would reach our goal immediately. If every one of our 150,000+ followers on Facebook gave $1.00 each, we would reach 300% of our goal. The same goes for our 15,900 followers on Twitter. But sadly, many will not give, so we need the ones who can and who will give to be generous. As generous as possible.

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Donald Trump

HELL WILL REIGN DOWN: Trump Threatens Iran With An End Times Holy War Ripped From The Book Of Revelation If They Don’t Make Peace In 48 Hours

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Trump Warns Iran “All Hell Will Reign Down” In 48 Hours, And That Strange Word Choice May Reveal A Little More Than He Intended

President Donald Trump just dropped one of the most explosive warnings of this entire Iran confrontation, posting on Truth Social: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Multiple current outlets and live reports quoted that post verbatim on April 4, 2026, as Trump tied the ultimatum to his earlier ten-day deadline over the Strait of Hormuz.

Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” Isaiah 14:9 (KJB)

This is not merely another political post. This is the language of countdown, consequence and collision. Trump is telling Iran that the clock is nearly spent, that the deadline is real, and that failure to comply will bring devastating force. The Strait of Hormuz is not some minor patch of water. It is one of the most strategic choke points on the face of the earth, and whenever that narrow passage is threatened, the whole world feels it. Oil markets feel it, shipping lanes feel it, militaries feel it, and world governments feel it. So when Trump says “open up the Hormuz Strait” and attaches a 48-hour warning to it, he is not playing word games. He is putting the entire region on notice.

But there is something else in Trump’s Truth Social post that absolutely jumps off the page. Trump did not say hell would “rain” down. He said hell would reign down. Meaning Hell will begin to rule on Earth.

Now maybe some people will dismiss that as a typo. Maybe it was, I don’t know. But words matter, and when a world leader is issuing a fiery public threat in the middle of a fast-moving regional crisis, every syllable carries weight. “Rain down” would mean destruction falling from above. But “reign down” carries a very different flavor altogether. Reign speaks of rule. Reign speaks of authority. Reign speaks of dominion imposed by superior power. That one word transforms the sentence from a mere threat of attack into something that sounds like judgment descending with force and rule attached to it. That is what makes this so striking. Whether Trump intended it or not, “reign” gives the whole statement an apocalyptic tone. It sounds less like a military response and more like a pronouncement. It sounds like power enthroned. It sounds like punishment backed by dominion. It sounds like the kind of language that reveals the deeper spirit of the moment. America is no longer whispering to Iran through diplomatic back channels. America is standing at the edge of the battlefield, pointing directly at Tehran, and warning that the next move may bring apocalyptic fire.

For years now, the Middle East has been a boiling cauldron, each fresh crisis drawing the nations one step closer to open alignment, open hostility and open war. Iran has long been a chief agent of chaos in the region, using proxies, terror, shipping threats and military posturing to push the entire area toward ignition. Now the Strait of Hormuz once again stands in the center of the storm, and Trump has decided that the time for measured talking points is over.

This is where we are on the end times timeline. Not in an age of peace, but in an age of ultimatums. Not in a season of calm, but in a season of escalation. Not in a world stepping back from the brink, but in one racing toward it. President Trump may indeed see his ‘Hell Will Reign Down’ threat come to pass in ways he’s never dreamt of. Or maybe he will TACO and forget all about it entirely. You never know with Trump.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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Gospel Witness Billboard Program

Just In Time For Resurrection Sunday, A New Gospel Witness Billboard Proclaiming Salvation Through The Shed Blood Of Jesus Christ On The Cross Goes Up

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On this Resurrection weekend, NTEB is proclaiming new life through the shed blood of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world

The NTEB Gospel Witness Billboard Program continues going at full-speed ahead here in its sixth year of operation, proclaiming new life in Jesus Christ with a message that takes less than 3 seconds to read while traveling past it at an average of 60 miles per hour. We are working on one right now that will go up somewhere in Tennessee shortly, please pray for that, and this one you see in the photo at the top of this article that went up yesterday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7 (KJB)

If you don’t believe that we live in a lost and dying world that has rejected Jesus Christ, just go read today’s headlines for 60 seconds and you will. But it is into this fallen world that Jesus Christ first appeared, and it is into this fallen world that we who are His witnesses are called to bear witness to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus on the third day according to the scriptures. Our billboards over the past six years have generated more than a billion views, and only the Judgment Seat of Christ will reveal just what manner of fruit was gained through this outreach. Please pray for the Gorzell family at Broken Pieces Ministries whom we partner with in this billboard, that the Lord will give them fruit, more fruit and much fruit for their labours.

How about you, Christian? Will you come and partner with all of us here at Now The End Begins to keep these billboards up? It costs thousands of dollars per month to do it, and we reach millions of people in the process. If God has prospered you, prayerfully consider clicking on the donate link to help us. We can’t do it without you. 

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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Headline News

Showing Themselves To Be Neither ‘Decimated’ Nor ‘Obliterated’, Iran Shoots Down American Aircraft At Will As World War Trump Takes A Dark New Turn

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Neither decimated nor obliterated, Iran downs American warplanes and exposes the lie that this widening World War Trump is under control

For weeks now, the American people have been told that Iran was “decimated” and “obliterated,” that its ability to resist had been shattered, and that overwhelming force had already reduced the enemy to rubble. But now the battlefield is answering back with a very different testimony. AP reported Friday that two U.S. military aircraft were shot down as the war escalated, including an F-15E over Iran with one crew member rescued and another still missing. The Washington Post likewise reported that a second U.S. aircraft, an A-10, was also brought down, even as American rescue operations intensified. That is not what “obliterated” looks like. Today marks the single worst day for World War Trump since the conflict began. It only gets worse from this point on, so buckle up.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” James 4:1 (KJB)

As the skies darken overseas, the Pentagon is being thrown into visible turmoil at home. AP reported yesterday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and also dismissed two other generals, adding to a broader pattern of removals among senior military leadership during this widening war. That is what makes this moment so dangerous. America is now watching a war grow more costly and less predictable at the exact same time that the military chain of command is being shaken at the top. Iran is proving it can still strike, still contest the fight, still bloody American power, while Hegseth is purging senior officers in the middle of a regional firestorm. That is not stability. That is not control. That is not confidence. That is a government trying to project strength while the structure underneath it visibly trembles. This is why a Fox News host is not fit to run the Pentagon.

What we are seeing is the same old lie that has dragged nations into disaster for generations. First comes the boasting. Then comes the inflated language. Then comes the media chorus repeating that victory is assured, the enemy is broken, and the situation is under control. But war has a way of stripping the paint off every official narrative. Jets fall. Men go missing. Rescue missions are launched. The enemy everyone said was finished keeps fighting. And suddenly all the slogans Trump has been feeding his base don’t sound so convincing anymore.

Hegseth’s role in this only sharpens the sense of disorder. You do not fire top generals in the middle of a shooting war and then expect the public to believe everything is proceeding calmly and according to plan. Maybe the administration calls it accountability. Maybe it calls it reform. But from the outside, it looks like upheaval at the summit while the battlefield below grows hotter by the hour. AP says more than a dozen military leaders have been removed in the past year under Hegseth’s tenure. By any fair standard of reckoning, that’s a purge.

The truly maddening part is that none of this should surprise anybody paying attention. Iran was never going to absorb repeated blows and simply disappear. A regime with missiles, air defenses, regional reach, hardened infrastructure, and ideological resolve was never going to be erased by chest-thumping rhetoric and triumphant press lines. The fantasy was always political. The reality is military. And now the military reality is tearing through the political fantasy in front of the whole world. AP has already reported other Iranian strikes during this war, including an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia that wounded U.S. troops and damaged aircraft.

So yes, it’s safe to say that this war has taken a dark turn, a very dark turn.

Iran has shown itself to be neither “decimated” nor “obliterated.” It is battered, yes. Pressured, yes. Under attack, yes. But it is still capable of inflicting damage, still capable of challenging American power, and still capable of exposing how hollow the original boasts were. And while that reality unfolds abroad, Pete Hegseth is remaking the Department of War through abrupt removals that only deepen the impression of a war machine under strain.

The message from Washington is strength, command, and dominance, but the message from events is something very different: this thing is slipping, the cost is rising, the leadership is unstable, and the promises made at the beginning are already being swallowed by the flames. That is the dark turn. And once the official story can no longer survive contact with reality, the next thing to die is trust.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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