There are a couple of clear signposts within the Book of Revelation that will help us determine where we are in the prophetic timetable.

Many of the things that John saw in his vision of the end times, are not distinctive enough to know if it has taken place.

For example, John saw a period of hyper inflation in Revelation 6:5-6. We have gone through a period of inflation recently is this is what John saw? Who knows?

Is Covid one of the plagues that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:7? It may well be, but we don’t know for sure.

But some of what John saw are clear and distinctive. This includes descriptions of two objects slamming into the earth found in the sounding of the seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation 8.

One is described as a burning a mountain that slams into one of the earth’s oceans (Revelation 8:8-9) at the sounding of the second trumpet. The second involves wormwood that will hit a land mass in Revelation 8:10-11, contaminating the water supply.

In a recent message, Bishop Alan DiDio addressed speculation that an asteroid called Apophis, scheduled to pass within 20,000 miles of earth on April 13, 2029, is the wormwood that John saw in his vision, Charisma News reports.

Bishop DiDio is an overseer of City Harvest Network based in North Carolina.

Apophis is 1,480 ft (450 metres) long and 560 feet (170 metres) wide. It is taller than both the Empire State building and the Eiffel tower. In 2029, it will pass closer to earth than some of our satellites.

There are concerns that the asteroid which is named after Egyptian god of death and chaos will hit earth. However, most astronomers believe that this is unlikely at this point.

Wormwood’s appearance takes place in the middle of the tribulation. This suggests if Apophis is Wormwood, some argue that the rapture should take place this year, in 2025.

This is based on those who hold to the pre-trib rapture that the saints will be caught up before the start of the seven year tribulation.

Bishop DiDio stated, “Some speculate that if it passes near Earth in the middle of the tribulation, counting backward places the tribulation’s start [is in]… 2025. That’s where all the date setting originates.”

Then referring to Matthew 24:36, the Bishop added, “Of that day and hour, no one knows, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

We simply do not know the date of Christ’s return.

There is a second issue. For years, I have believed or hoped for a pre-trib rapture, where the saints will be taken up before the start of the seven year tribulation.

I am not convinced of this anymore. Much of my basis for holding to the pre-trib rapture was largely philosophical. Like many, I did not believe God would allow Christians to go through this type of Tribulation.

But I suggest they mention that to the Christians who were fed to lions in the Roman colosseums or used as candles to light Nero’s gardens in the first century.

As I have mentioned in a previous podcast, I am not convinced Wormwood is an asteroid.