False prophets are all over the landscape today, and they are a sign of the times pointing to the soon return of Jesus.
Jesus Himself warned of false prophets in the end times. His most detailed discourse on end time signs is recorded in Matthew 24. In that passage the very first sign He mentions is false prophets (Matthew 24:4-5), and it is the only sign He repeats (Matthew 24:11,24). His warning was blunt and plain spoken: "Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many."
The Apostle Paul echoed the Lord's warning when he spoke to the elders of the church in Ephesus. Here's how he put it, as recorded in Acts 20:28-31 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock... [for] I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be on the alert."
Peter and John also warned against the danger of false prophets. Peter asserted that false prophets would "introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master" (2 Peter 2:1). John exhorted his brethren to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
John proceeded to provide a test that should be given to prophets. He said they are to be asked to confess that "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh" and that He is from God (1 John 4:2). He went on to assert that anyone who refuses to confess that Jesus is from God has the "spirit of antichrist" (1 John 4:3).
The Old Testament test of a prophet is spelled out in Deuteronomy 18:22 — "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously..."
This, of course, is an obvious test. But what if the prophecy is fulfilled? Does that guarantee that the prophet is speaking for God? Not necessarily. The reason is that a prophetic utterance might be fulfilled by coincidence or because of supernatural insight given to the prophet by Satan. So there must be other tests.
Additional Tests
1) Does the prophet speak in the name of a god other than the true God revealed in Scripture?
If a prophet speaks in the name of Allah or Baal or Vishnu, you can be assured that he is a false prophet.
"If a prophet... rises among you and gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known), and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of the prophet...for the Lord your God is testing you." (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
2) Does the prophet's message pass the test of Scripture?
If a prophet tells you that you can be saved by putting your faith in Mary, the mother of Jesus, you can be certain he is not a spokesman for God.
"But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8)
3) Does the prophet's life manifest a commitment to holiness?
If a prophet lives a sinful life, his prophecies are to be doubted.
"Among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing; the committing of adultery and walking in falsehood... Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets, 'Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood and make them drink poisonous water.'" (Jeremiah 23:14-15)
4) Does the prophet's teaching produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?
If the prophet's followers are motivated to worldly living, the prophet does not speak for God.
"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits... a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit." (Matthew 7:15-16,18)
5) Does the prophet emphasize vain visions?
If the prophet focuses on personal visions with sensational insights (visits to Heaven or Hell, for example), his words are to be distrusted.
"Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by... taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind." (Colossians 2:18)
6) Does the prophet deliver only positive messages?
If the prophet never issues a call for repentance, he is to be suspect.
"Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; they speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The Lord has said, 'You will have peace...'' They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.'" (Jeremiah 23:16-17)
7) Does the prophet appear to be greedy for monetary gain?
If the prophet operates in a manner that makes it appear that his greatest interest is money, he is to be avoided.
"From the least even to the greatest, everyone is greedy for gain; from the prophet even to the priest, everyone practices deceit. And they heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, saying, "Peace, peace." But there is no peace." (Jeremiah 8:10-11)
8) Does the prophet focus on the exaltation of Jesus?
If a prophet tries to bring attention to himself or focuses on the Antichrist or the sensational, he is to be questioned.
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10)
Over and over, the Word of God commands us to test all messages lest we be deceived and led astray. Paul urged the people of Berea to test everything he taught them, and they did so by "examining the Scriptures daily" to see whether what he was teaching was scriptural (Acts 17:10-11). Paul was an apostle! How much more so should we test everything we hear taught by the standard of the Word of God.
The tragedy is that most professing Christians today are incapable of testing anything because they are biblically ignorant. There is a famine of the Word in most churches today (Amos 8:11) as people are fed a diet of pop psychology and positive thinking.
What about you? Are you in the Word on a daily basis? Are you capable of testing doctrine by Scripture? If not, then you are a sitting duck for deception. "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The World in Review
1. Canada: Major credit card issuers reported a rise in payment delinquency from 4 percent in 2007 to between 5 and 10 percent since October-November 2008, an analysis by consulting firm Deloitte showed. Even though consumer credit card debt has increased almost 40 percent since 2004, “credit card issuers in Canada have traditionally seen loss rates of less than 4%—a figure much lower than that of their American counterparts (6% and growing). But with Canadian consumers increasing their debt-to-disposable-income ratios to more than 130%, a rate currently higher than that of the U.S., Canadian issuers face new risks” (Deloitte).
2. United States:
Approximately one million gang members belonging to 20,000 gangs in the United States commit up to 80 percent of all crime nationwide, the National Gang Intelligence Center revealed. Since 2005, gang membership has surged by more than 200,000 members across the country, as criminal groups increasingly shift their operations from urban to rural areas.
“A record 19 million U.S. houses stood empty at the end of 2008 as banks seized homes faster than they could sell them and prices continued to fall…The vacancy rate, the share of empty homes for sale, rose to 2.9 percent in the quarter, the most in data that goes back to 1956” (Bloomberg). (See related news brief: “U.S. Housing Market Riddled with Uncertainty”)
The U.S. market for cancer pain treatment will value $5 billion by 2018, a new study by medical researcher WWMR Inc. found. The study said by 2018, an estimated 2.5 million cancer patients will need more than $5.3 billion worth of pain relief, primarily consisting of opioid drugs, which have morphine-like effects on the body. In 2008, the research firm estimates that the market was valued at $3.1 billion. (See related article: “Medicated! – Society’s Dependence on Prescription Drugs”)
3. Ireland: The number of people claiming unemployment benefits was 326,100 in January, up from 293,100 in December. It was the highest monthly level since records began in 1967 (BBC).
4. United Kingdom:
Premature births are costing Britain’s National Health Services (NHS) nearly £1 billion ($1.44 billion USD) each year, with an early birth costing one and a half times more than a full-term birth, according to research funded by baby charity Tommy’s. (See news brief: “Premature Births Cost UK $1.44 Billion Per Year”)
The Bank of England cut interest rates 0.5 percent to 1 percent, the lowest ever.
5. Zimbabwe: “The number of people infected by Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic has exceeded 60,000, the latest data from the World Health Organisation agency showed” (AFP).
6. Iran: The government announced it had “launched a domestically made satellite into orbit for the first time.” The news prompted “further concern among Western powers and in Israel over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran said the launch of the Omid (Hope) research and telecom satellite was a major step in its space technology timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed shah” (Reuters).
7. Japan:
“Homeless and suicide numbers in Japan may spike as manufacturers including Sony Corp., Panasonic Corp. and Honda Motor Co. fire thousands of workers to cut costs amid the country’s worst recession since World War II…Some 400,000 temporary workers will lose their jobs by March, according to the Japan Manufacturing Outsourcing Association. Japan’s unemployment rate jumped the most in 41 years in December, to 4.4 percent from 3.9 percent a month earlier, as companies laid off an estimated 88,000 temporary staff” (Bloomberg).
“A 69-year-old Japanese man injured in a traffic accident died after paramedics spent more than an hour negotiating with 14 hospitals before finding one to admit him, a fire department official said…It was the latest in a string of recent cases in Japan in which patients were denied treatment, underscoring the country’s health care woes that include a shortage of doctors…The death prompted the city to issue a directive ordering paramedics to better coordinate with an emergency call center so patients can find a hospital within 15 minutes” (Associated Press).
8. Australia:
“The South Australian Health Department says Adelaide’s week-long heatwave has so far resulted in about 550 extra people seeking medical treatment” (ABC News).
“Treasury Secretary Ken Henry said Australia needs the A$42 billion ($27.5 billion) stimulus package now to avoid a recession. ‘Given the macro-economic circumstances confronting the Australian economy there is a clear case for a very substantial fiscal stimulus,’ Henry told a Senate inquiry into the package…Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan, spread over this and the next three fiscal years, includes A$12.7 billion in grants to families and low-income earners and A$28.8 billion in infrastructure spending. It will help send the nation’s budget into an A$22.5 billion deficit, the first shortfall in eight years and the largest as a percentage of GDP since 1995-96” (Bloomberg).
2. United States:
Approximately one million gang members belonging to 20,000 gangs in the United States commit up to 80 percent of all crime nationwide, the National Gang Intelligence Center revealed. Since 2005, gang membership has surged by more than 200,000 members across the country, as criminal groups increasingly shift their operations from urban to rural areas.
“A record 19 million U.S. houses stood empty at the end of 2008 as banks seized homes faster than they could sell them and prices continued to fall…The vacancy rate, the share of empty homes for sale, rose to 2.9 percent in the quarter, the most in data that goes back to 1956” (Bloomberg). (See related news brief: “U.S. Housing Market Riddled with Uncertainty”)
The U.S. market for cancer pain treatment will value $5 billion by 2018, a new study by medical researcher WWMR Inc. found. The study said by 2018, an estimated 2.5 million cancer patients will need more than $5.3 billion worth of pain relief, primarily consisting of opioid drugs, which have morphine-like effects on the body. In 2008, the research firm estimates that the market was valued at $3.1 billion. (See related article: “Medicated! – Society’s Dependence on Prescription Drugs”)
3. Ireland: The number of people claiming unemployment benefits was 326,100 in January, up from 293,100 in December. It was the highest monthly level since records began in 1967 (BBC).
4. United Kingdom:
Premature births are costing Britain’s National Health Services (NHS) nearly £1 billion ($1.44 billion USD) each year, with an early birth costing one and a half times more than a full-term birth, according to research funded by baby charity Tommy’s. (See news brief: “Premature Births Cost UK $1.44 Billion Per Year”)
The Bank of England cut interest rates 0.5 percent to 1 percent, the lowest ever.
5. Zimbabwe: “The number of people infected by Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic has exceeded 60,000, the latest data from the World Health Organisation agency showed” (AFP).
6. Iran: The government announced it had “launched a domestically made satellite into orbit for the first time.” The news prompted “further concern among Western powers and in Israel over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran said the launch of the Omid (Hope) research and telecom satellite was a major step in its space technology timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed shah” (Reuters).
7. Japan:
“Homeless and suicide numbers in Japan may spike as manufacturers including Sony Corp., Panasonic Corp. and Honda Motor Co. fire thousands of workers to cut costs amid the country’s worst recession since World War II…Some 400,000 temporary workers will lose their jobs by March, according to the Japan Manufacturing Outsourcing Association. Japan’s unemployment rate jumped the most in 41 years in December, to 4.4 percent from 3.9 percent a month earlier, as companies laid off an estimated 88,000 temporary staff” (Bloomberg).
“A 69-year-old Japanese man injured in a traffic accident died after paramedics spent more than an hour negotiating with 14 hospitals before finding one to admit him, a fire department official said…It was the latest in a string of recent cases in Japan in which patients were denied treatment, underscoring the country’s health care woes that include a shortage of doctors…The death prompted the city to issue a directive ordering paramedics to better coordinate with an emergency call center so patients can find a hospital within 15 minutes” (Associated Press).
8. Australia:
“The South Australian Health Department says Adelaide’s week-long heatwave has so far resulted in about 550 extra people seeking medical treatment” (ABC News).
“Treasury Secretary Ken Henry said Australia needs the A$42 billion ($27.5 billion) stimulus package now to avoid a recession. ‘Given the macro-economic circumstances confronting the Australian economy there is a clear case for a very substantial fiscal stimulus,’ Henry told a Senate inquiry into the package…Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan, spread over this and the next three fiscal years, includes A$12.7 billion in grants to families and low-income earners and A$28.8 billion in infrastructure spending. It will help send the nation’s budget into an A$22.5 billion deficit, the first shortfall in eight years and the largest as a percentage of GDP since 1995-96” (Bloomberg).
Monday, February 9, 2009
Gog Getting Ready To Go
The prophet Ezekiel predicted that some day, Israel will be attacked by a massive army that will come out of the north. The leader of this invasion will come from the land of Magog, and most prophecy scholars identify this ancient tribal reference as modern-day Russia. Several Arab nations will join in this military campaign.
"The word of the LORD came to me: 'Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords"'" (Ezekiel 38:1-4).
I’ve been absolutely amazed at how rapidly world events have been shaping up to make this invasion possible. Some of the most dramatic developments have occurred in the past couple of months.
For a long time, Turkey has been an important ally of Israel. In fact, it has been the only Arab nation to have any lasting interchange with the Jewish state. Turkey was the first Muslim country to formally recognize the State of Israel. Turkey has played a major role in the indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel, and much of Turkey 's arms are supplied by Israel.
It has long been a problem for Bible prophecy to have Turkey and Israel so chummy. Several passages in Ezekiel 38 and 39 strongly imply that Turkey will be part of the invasion force. Even if Turkey could somehow be excluded from playing a direct role in the attack, you would still have this large roadblock in the way of one of the world’s largest military movements.
In recent days, relations between Israel and Turkey have suddenly soured over the fighting in Gaza. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of an economic meeting in Davos, Switzerland, to protest Israel 's actions. After returning home, he was widely praised by the public for standing up to “Israel ’s aggression.”
The Gaza war may not be the sole cause for this split. Turkey has long prided itself as a progressive and highly western society. Lately, its Islamic nature has been reasserting itself. In 2007, the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party gained control of parliament in a landslide victory. With Turkey looking more like Iran than Germany, there may be no way to save the crumbling Israel-Turkey alliance.
Another major development related to prophecy was the announcement that seven former Soviet republics, including Russia, will form a joint rapid reaction force. President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia, Armenia, Belarus, and four Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — had reached the agreement to form the so-called Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) during a summit in Moscow .
Russia is clearly trying to restore influence in an area it considers to be its historic backyard. It just made a $2 billion financial aid deal with Kyrgyzstan that would oust the US from an air base at Manas. The move will make it more difficult for America to supply military operations in Afghanistan .
On the diplomatic front, Russia has been trying to assemble an international conference on the Middle East that will be hosted in Moscow. A foreign ministry official said most of the talks have been with Iran. “The Russian diplomat stressed the need for searching political solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of internationally recognized legal norms,” the official said.
Russia has always been on the side of the Arabs, but it has never before offered to play the role of peacemaker. Russia 's willingness to step into the fray stems from a view in Moscow that America is in decline. Russia ’s new freedom can easily go the other way as it may decide to try warfare to ensure peace in the Middle East.
The thing we are now waiting for is some major event to trigger Russia to make its move against Israel. I think the most likely cause would be a conflict between Israel and either Syria or Iran. Because Russia has close ties with both of these Islamic nations, it is easy to see why Gog and company would come rushing to their aid. If the global community is in an uproar over Israel defending itself against unprovoked Hamas rocket attacks, I guess nothing would be beyond bounds if Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the destruction of Damascus were to suddenly become fulfilled.
“The burden of Damascus . Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isa. 17:1).
"The word of the LORD came to me: 'Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords"'" (Ezekiel 38:1-4).
I’ve been absolutely amazed at how rapidly world events have been shaping up to make this invasion possible. Some of the most dramatic developments have occurred in the past couple of months.
For a long time, Turkey has been an important ally of Israel. In fact, it has been the only Arab nation to have any lasting interchange with the Jewish state. Turkey was the first Muslim country to formally recognize the State of Israel. Turkey has played a major role in the indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel, and much of Turkey 's arms are supplied by Israel.
It has long been a problem for Bible prophecy to have Turkey and Israel so chummy. Several passages in Ezekiel 38 and 39 strongly imply that Turkey will be part of the invasion force. Even if Turkey could somehow be excluded from playing a direct role in the attack, you would still have this large roadblock in the way of one of the world’s largest military movements.
In recent days, relations between Israel and Turkey have suddenly soured over the fighting in Gaza. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of an economic meeting in Davos, Switzerland, to protest Israel 's actions. After returning home, he was widely praised by the public for standing up to “Israel ’s aggression.”
The Gaza war may not be the sole cause for this split. Turkey has long prided itself as a progressive and highly western society. Lately, its Islamic nature has been reasserting itself. In 2007, the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party gained control of parliament in a landslide victory. With Turkey looking more like Iran than Germany, there may be no way to save the crumbling Israel-Turkey alliance.
Another major development related to prophecy was the announcement that seven former Soviet republics, including Russia, will form a joint rapid reaction force. President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia, Armenia, Belarus, and four Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — had reached the agreement to form the so-called Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) during a summit in Moscow .
Russia is clearly trying to restore influence in an area it considers to be its historic backyard. It just made a $2 billion financial aid deal with Kyrgyzstan that would oust the US from an air base at Manas. The move will make it more difficult for America to supply military operations in Afghanistan .
On the diplomatic front, Russia has been trying to assemble an international conference on the Middle East that will be hosted in Moscow. A foreign ministry official said most of the talks have been with Iran. “The Russian diplomat stressed the need for searching political solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of internationally recognized legal norms,” the official said.
Russia has always been on the side of the Arabs, but it has never before offered to play the role of peacemaker. Russia 's willingness to step into the fray stems from a view in Moscow that America is in decline. Russia ’s new freedom can easily go the other way as it may decide to try warfare to ensure peace in the Middle East.
The thing we are now waiting for is some major event to trigger Russia to make its move against Israel. I think the most likely cause would be a conflict between Israel and either Syria or Iran. Because Russia has close ties with both of these Islamic nations, it is easy to see why Gog and company would come rushing to their aid. If the global community is in an uproar over Israel defending itself against unprovoked Hamas rocket attacks, I guess nothing would be beyond bounds if Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the destruction of Damascus were to suddenly become fulfilled.
“The burden of Damascus . Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isa. 17:1).
Friday, February 6, 2009
Endtime Shoe: Fitting the World for Ten Toes – Part II
In Daniel 2:41-42, we see that an endtime “power coalition” of 10 kings is portrayed as 10 toes. In this chapter we read the account of Nebuchadnezzar’s famous vision, in which he saw a tall statue made of various materials, from a head of gold down to 10 toes of iron and clay. This vision outlined the future kingdoms and power structures of the Gentiles, right to the time of the return of Jesus Christ, when He establishes his millennial reign upon earth.
As already pointed out in Part I, these 10 kings are shown at least four other times in the Bible—Daniel 7, Revelation 12, 13 and 17. This group is referenced as 10 horns, 10 toes or 10 kings, exactly 10 times. Crucially, this endtime power coalition is a significant prophecy—most certainly for those earth dwellers that will not be raptured away—for at least one other reason. The Bible expressly indicates that these 10 kings must appear before the Antichrist is revealed (Daniel 7:24). These kings would be the equivalent to 10 male leaders of sovereign nations today.
This endtime 10-king power coalition may even be prefigured in Genesis. This would not be surprising. It’s often said that the entire Bible is enfolded in the book of Genesis, and that the whole Bible is Genesis unfolded. As the Bible is divinely written by the same Spirit, the beginning must surely align with the end.
Just as endtime globalization can be seen foreshadowed in Genesis (the story of Joseph, for example), an outline for the 10 kings can be found in Genesis 14. This chapter tells the story about Lot’s household being looted and carried away by a northern coalition of four kings. These “[…] kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom” (Genesis 14:11-12).
An unusually large number of kings, kingdoms and alliances are mentioned in this chapter, making for some interesting alignments with other prophecies concerning the last-day power jockeying of 10 kings and the Antichrist. For example, exactly 10 kings are named in this chapter.
Significance of 10 Toes
Let’s return to Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of 10 toes, as it contains a very important clue. Studying this picture, it would be reasonable to conclude that the world is already very near a last world power structure comprised of 10 kings. But, here we discover an ill-fitting fact. Were Nebuchadnezzar’s vision to apply to our day, the feet would be seen to be quite lopsided and deformed. Why? They would have only one big toe. In fact, this toe would have looked grossly oversized relative to both feet.
Every indication that the Bible gives us about the final last day 10-king power coalition is that they are roughly proportionate in size. First, in Daniel 2 these kings are shown as a normal set of 10 toes (verses 41-42), and in Daniel 7, Revelation 12, 13 and 17 they are shown as 10 horns. In the “horn” imagery, the 10 are compared in size only once, and this to an emerging 11th horn, a small one that then uproots three of the existing horns (Daniel 7:8).
As such, we are led to recognize that the final 10 kings will not be small in size (relative to other nations of the world), and that some will assuredly be bigger or more powerful than others, just as the big toe is normally bigger than the smallest of the toes. But in the recent era, there has only been one big toe—a hugely outsized one at that—that does not yet fit into the shoe.
Walter Russell Meade points out in a recent book1, that the Anglo Saxon countries of Britain and America have been on top of the world for several centuries (though sometimes fighting each other). We recognize here that the world has really only had one “big toe” these past three hundred years or so, and a hugely disproportionate toe at that.
For the time being, the US is still the most powerful nation in the world. It represents a very big toe … so big, in fact, that it still can render any other coalition of 10 kings ineffective. As such, we recognize that a resizing of the relative powers of 10 major nations must yet happen before the prophesied time of the 10 kings will occur.
Will America fit into the shoe or not at all? Recent global financial events and America’s rapid economic fall make this a timely question. Are we now seeing these necessary changes beginning to unfold … the big toe stubbed?
Resizing Needed to Fit Into the Endtime Shoe
Since Bible prophecy clearly outlines that there will be a 10-nation power coalition, not a foot with one big toe, we can conclude that this big toe must then become comparatively smaller. While the British Empire has been removed from the pinnacle of power for more than half a century, its younger cousin, the US, now undoubtedly also faces a relative decline. By whatever means—the Rapture, self-inflicted, deserved or divinely willed — this has to happen if the Bible is to be proved correct. In fact, viewed against the pace of past human history, it must be said that this shift with respect to America is happening extremely suddenly (even without a Rapture).
Less than five years ago, though the seeds of America’s moral and economic decline had long been evident, the US was still seen as an invincible, world-dominating power in every sense. At the time, geopolitical analysts were still actively debating the question of whether the United States should really be considered an empire in the classical sense. Many analysts pooh-poohed any notion that America might be vulnerable, maintaining that the 21st century would belong to the US, as did the 20th. One may be too hasty in predicting America’s demise on the world scene, but it cannot be denied that trends of relative deterioration have indeed been very rapid in recent years.
Joseph Stiglitz, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, commented recently that in the space of the two terms of the recent Bush government, the nation’s government budget went from a surplus of $128 billion to a certain legacy of a $1 trillion deficit for the next president. Says Stiglitz, “The national debt has increased by 65%, by nearly $10 trillion to which the debts of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (the nations’ largest mortgage providers) must be added. Meanwhile, we are saddled with the cost of two wars. The price tag for the one in Iraq alone will […] ultimately exceed $3 trillion.” 2
Mr. Stiglitz will likely prove too optimistic. Given the scale of financial and economic crises, total government debt in America may double again in the space of the next 3 to 5 years. In the next year alone, the US current account deficit (money that must be borrowed from the rest of the world) may soar to as much as 13% of the size of the economy, a level that seems unthinkable.
To be sure, economic and financial strength is only one measure of global power, though a most important one in this present Age of Global Capital. On these measures, other nations of the world are now superseding the US. For example, for the first time in perhaps a half-century, another nation—China—accounted for the most global economic growth in 2007. While America is now by far the world’s greatest debtor nation, it is Asia that now houses two-thirds of the world’s international financial reserves. While no trend is likely to be safely predictable, these are indeed new signs of the times.
Shared Globalism Going Forward
Now that the contagion of financial crisis has rocked the entire world, the calls for greater global coordination are becoming shrill. For example, said Miguel Angel Ordonez, Spain’s ECB (European Central Bank) Governor, “We’ve got to get together on both sides of the Atlantic. It is absolutely essential to co-ordinate everything, including monetary policy.” 3
According to a global financial analyst, “A global conference (along the lines of Bretton Woods) under a respected chairman (Paul Volcker is the obvious choice) must be convened. It would bring together all the major players including the vital creditor nations—China, Japan … etc.—to develop a framework for the major economic reforms (currency policies, fiscal disciplines and trade barriers) to work towards a resolution of the crisis.” 4
To that end, several world meeting forums have been planned. The heads of state for Britain and France organized support for their global plans at a special EU summit. G20 meetings have been scheduled, the first to take place in Washington, followed by a second one in Paris. Some geo-political analysts are encouraged by the spirit of “multipolarism” that is apparently galvanizing a new participative spirit for these meetings. (Multipolarism is a key and important concept discussed in Part I.)
Even China’s Premier, Wen Jiabao, is keenly aware of the direct connection his country has to America’s recent financial troubles, saying, “If anything goes wrong in the US financial sector, we are anxious about the safety and security of Chinese capital.” 5
If anything, due to the catastrophic financial and currency collapses spanning the world, such nations as Iceland, Australia and others have realized that it is too costly and dangerous to have their own currency. Even Denmark and Sweden, two staunch hold-outs in adopting the euro, may be rethinking their position.
All in all, what appears as global disorder at present—a time of near fatal financial collapse—actually will act as a catalyst in the rapid metamorphosis to a 10-king global power coalition. There is a broad consensus now that a group of nations need to come together to find economic and financial solutions for the world. How many nations? Some argue that 20 is too many, and others that the G7 is not enough. Could a group of 10 emerge?
We can definitely draw several conclusions. First, whatever new global organization emerges, its powers will be shared more equally in the future. Multipolarism must eventually gain ground, according to Bible prophecy. The United States will eventually lose its outsized number of votes and vetoes in such organizations as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and others. The second conclusion we can safely draw is that we live in a time where an alignment of 10 kings could be on our very doorstep. There is yet one more sure conclusion—a future period of apparent prosperity around the globe, even if only fleeting.
One More Last Day Boom?
If the Lord tarries, it is likely that the world will yet see at least one more economic recovery. Viewed from the midst of the present financial wreckage, this seems so implausible … bordering on the ridiculous. But, in fact, a global economic boom could yet occur at some point in the future. Not to forget, it was only as little as 12 months ago, that the notion that the entire world would fall into the grips of a global credit panic was thought to be equally ridiculous. That’s not to say that America or other western nations might soon see economic recoveries. Likely not. But, as pointed out, Bible prophecy indicates that a time is yet ahead where the world will feel much more complacent than we see today.
At the time that the final troubles come upon the world, they will occur suddenly like a trap (Luke 21:34). In this verse we see that people will be more preoccupied with indulgence and the cares of this world, than great global crises. Moreover, Jesus told the disciples that the world will be generally unwares in the last days. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:37-39). For all of these conditions to occur, a recovery, repair or reform of world financial systems and economies must first unfold.
Thoughts to Ponder
For the last three centuries, there has only been one big toe. But this cannot continue if prophecy is to be fulfilled. This change is very likely already underfoot. The recent economic and financial disasters of the past year (in fact, originating in the US) likely play a significant role in the geopolitical “birth pangs” and “earthquakes” of an emerging global power distribution that the Bible describes as taking form in the very last days. The rise of other nations such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and perhaps oil-exporting nations must be seen as part of this rebalancing process. Actually, the time of the 10 kings could unfold upon the world very suddenly.
It may already be here. Surely, the facts outlined to this point will not be received as being very hopeful. But that would be a wrong perception. It is never too late for a nation to repent. God said to Israel, “[…] if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Repentance is an option … provided that it is not past the point of return, where God refuses to listen. But we must not make the mistake of Jonah. He was upset with God when the citizens of Nineveh chose to heed his message of judgment. As a result, Nineveh’s demise was delayed for another 150 years or so.
Our Lord, for the most part, allows us the freedom to choose to follow His precepts and ways voluntarily. Yes, God foreknows what our choices will be, but that is not the same as predestinating our willful actions.
Yet, according to Bible prophecy, America must decline relative to the 10 kings in one way or another. But that is not to say that it is prophetically necessary for America to rush and accelerate the fulfillment of prophecy by collapsing into a toothless tiger. Prophecy in this case can be fulfilled in a number of ways. 10 other kings could become powerful enough to supersede the geopolitical position of the US, or at the other extreme, America be disastrously downsized … either becoming one of the 10 kings or not at all. Which will it be?
The jury is out. It is up to the nations’ leaders and citizens. However, to date, the signs are not hopeful. During America’s most recent presidential election, Christian candidates were openly ridiculed and topics such as the “end of days” were fodder for public scoffing. Greater shifts to immorality and rebelliousness may now lie ahead.
Most certainly, the world will rush together into new alliances, reforming its economic and financial policies in a coordinated fashion, something that is only possible in a multi-polar world. More than anything, the world and America are looking for financial and economic solutions. Any person who can deliver such policies will be thankfully accepted as a type of savior. Morality and godliness can wait. In this regard, America’s materialism can in large part be blamed upon the satanic distortions of so-called religious leaders that have infected the entire nation with prosperity gospel and utilitarianism.
And, very definitely, the world is looking for a champion savior right now. Shouts the title of a recent economic report, “China: Savior of the World!” 6 The cover of Forbes magazine recently blared the title, “Capitalism Will Save Us.” Wrote a prominent journalist recently, “We are saved. Amid the rubble of the world’s financial markets, we can catch sight of the foundations of a new international order. The big lesson of the crisis has been learnt: we cannot escape our mutual dependence.” 7 These comments betray that the world is looking for an economic savior, not the eternal One.
We look for our Savior elsewhere. Said the Apostle Paul to the Philippians: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
While the world stampedes into greater global interconnectedness and hyper-states of commercial idolatry in its quest for the security of grain and bread, it completely ignores the real bread. ”For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51).
As already pointed out in Part I, these 10 kings are shown at least four other times in the Bible—Daniel 7, Revelation 12, 13 and 17. This group is referenced as 10 horns, 10 toes or 10 kings, exactly 10 times. Crucially, this endtime power coalition is a significant prophecy—most certainly for those earth dwellers that will not be raptured away—for at least one other reason. The Bible expressly indicates that these 10 kings must appear before the Antichrist is revealed (Daniel 7:24). These kings would be the equivalent to 10 male leaders of sovereign nations today.
This endtime 10-king power coalition may even be prefigured in Genesis. This would not be surprising. It’s often said that the entire Bible is enfolded in the book of Genesis, and that the whole Bible is Genesis unfolded. As the Bible is divinely written by the same Spirit, the beginning must surely align with the end.
Just as endtime globalization can be seen foreshadowed in Genesis (the story of Joseph, for example), an outline for the 10 kings can be found in Genesis 14. This chapter tells the story about Lot’s household being looted and carried away by a northern coalition of four kings. These “[…] kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom” (Genesis 14:11-12).
An unusually large number of kings, kingdoms and alliances are mentioned in this chapter, making for some interesting alignments with other prophecies concerning the last-day power jockeying of 10 kings and the Antichrist. For example, exactly 10 kings are named in this chapter.
Significance of 10 Toes
Let’s return to Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of 10 toes, as it contains a very important clue. Studying this picture, it would be reasonable to conclude that the world is already very near a last world power structure comprised of 10 kings. But, here we discover an ill-fitting fact. Were Nebuchadnezzar’s vision to apply to our day, the feet would be seen to be quite lopsided and deformed. Why? They would have only one big toe. In fact, this toe would have looked grossly oversized relative to both feet.
Every indication that the Bible gives us about the final last day 10-king power coalition is that they are roughly proportionate in size. First, in Daniel 2 these kings are shown as a normal set of 10 toes (verses 41-42), and in Daniel 7, Revelation 12, 13 and 17 they are shown as 10 horns. In the “horn” imagery, the 10 are compared in size only once, and this to an emerging 11th horn, a small one that then uproots three of the existing horns (Daniel 7:8).
As such, we are led to recognize that the final 10 kings will not be small in size (relative to other nations of the world), and that some will assuredly be bigger or more powerful than others, just as the big toe is normally bigger than the smallest of the toes. But in the recent era, there has only been one big toe—a hugely outsized one at that—that does not yet fit into the shoe.
Walter Russell Meade points out in a recent book1, that the Anglo Saxon countries of Britain and America have been on top of the world for several centuries (though sometimes fighting each other). We recognize here that the world has really only had one “big toe” these past three hundred years or so, and a hugely disproportionate toe at that.
For the time being, the US is still the most powerful nation in the world. It represents a very big toe … so big, in fact, that it still can render any other coalition of 10 kings ineffective. As such, we recognize that a resizing of the relative powers of 10 major nations must yet happen before the prophesied time of the 10 kings will occur.
Will America fit into the shoe or not at all? Recent global financial events and America’s rapid economic fall make this a timely question. Are we now seeing these necessary changes beginning to unfold … the big toe stubbed?
Resizing Needed to Fit Into the Endtime Shoe
Since Bible prophecy clearly outlines that there will be a 10-nation power coalition, not a foot with one big toe, we can conclude that this big toe must then become comparatively smaller. While the British Empire has been removed from the pinnacle of power for more than half a century, its younger cousin, the US, now undoubtedly also faces a relative decline. By whatever means—the Rapture, self-inflicted, deserved or divinely willed — this has to happen if the Bible is to be proved correct. In fact, viewed against the pace of past human history, it must be said that this shift with respect to America is happening extremely suddenly (even without a Rapture).
Less than five years ago, though the seeds of America’s moral and economic decline had long been evident, the US was still seen as an invincible, world-dominating power in every sense. At the time, geopolitical analysts were still actively debating the question of whether the United States should really be considered an empire in the classical sense. Many analysts pooh-poohed any notion that America might be vulnerable, maintaining that the 21st century would belong to the US, as did the 20th. One may be too hasty in predicting America’s demise on the world scene, but it cannot be denied that trends of relative deterioration have indeed been very rapid in recent years.
Joseph Stiglitz, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, commented recently that in the space of the two terms of the recent Bush government, the nation’s government budget went from a surplus of $128 billion to a certain legacy of a $1 trillion deficit for the next president. Says Stiglitz, “The national debt has increased by 65%, by nearly $10 trillion to which the debts of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (the nations’ largest mortgage providers) must be added. Meanwhile, we are saddled with the cost of two wars. The price tag for the one in Iraq alone will […] ultimately exceed $3 trillion.” 2
Mr. Stiglitz will likely prove too optimistic. Given the scale of financial and economic crises, total government debt in America may double again in the space of the next 3 to 5 years. In the next year alone, the US current account deficit (money that must be borrowed from the rest of the world) may soar to as much as 13% of the size of the economy, a level that seems unthinkable.
To be sure, economic and financial strength is only one measure of global power, though a most important one in this present Age of Global Capital. On these measures, other nations of the world are now superseding the US. For example, for the first time in perhaps a half-century, another nation—China—accounted for the most global economic growth in 2007. While America is now by far the world’s greatest debtor nation, it is Asia that now houses two-thirds of the world’s international financial reserves. While no trend is likely to be safely predictable, these are indeed new signs of the times.
Shared Globalism Going Forward
Now that the contagion of financial crisis has rocked the entire world, the calls for greater global coordination are becoming shrill. For example, said Miguel Angel Ordonez, Spain’s ECB (European Central Bank) Governor, “We’ve got to get together on both sides of the Atlantic. It is absolutely essential to co-ordinate everything, including monetary policy.” 3
According to a global financial analyst, “A global conference (along the lines of Bretton Woods) under a respected chairman (Paul Volcker is the obvious choice) must be convened. It would bring together all the major players including the vital creditor nations—China, Japan … etc.—to develop a framework for the major economic reforms (currency policies, fiscal disciplines and trade barriers) to work towards a resolution of the crisis.” 4
To that end, several world meeting forums have been planned. The heads of state for Britain and France organized support for their global plans at a special EU summit. G20 meetings have been scheduled, the first to take place in Washington, followed by a second one in Paris. Some geo-political analysts are encouraged by the spirit of “multipolarism” that is apparently galvanizing a new participative spirit for these meetings. (Multipolarism is a key and important concept discussed in Part I.)
Even China’s Premier, Wen Jiabao, is keenly aware of the direct connection his country has to America’s recent financial troubles, saying, “If anything goes wrong in the US financial sector, we are anxious about the safety and security of Chinese capital.” 5
If anything, due to the catastrophic financial and currency collapses spanning the world, such nations as Iceland, Australia and others have realized that it is too costly and dangerous to have their own currency. Even Denmark and Sweden, two staunch hold-outs in adopting the euro, may be rethinking their position.
All in all, what appears as global disorder at present—a time of near fatal financial collapse—actually will act as a catalyst in the rapid metamorphosis to a 10-king global power coalition. There is a broad consensus now that a group of nations need to come together to find economic and financial solutions for the world. How many nations? Some argue that 20 is too many, and others that the G7 is not enough. Could a group of 10 emerge?
We can definitely draw several conclusions. First, whatever new global organization emerges, its powers will be shared more equally in the future. Multipolarism must eventually gain ground, according to Bible prophecy. The United States will eventually lose its outsized number of votes and vetoes in such organizations as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and others. The second conclusion we can safely draw is that we live in a time where an alignment of 10 kings could be on our very doorstep. There is yet one more sure conclusion—a future period of apparent prosperity around the globe, even if only fleeting.
One More Last Day Boom?
If the Lord tarries, it is likely that the world will yet see at least one more economic recovery. Viewed from the midst of the present financial wreckage, this seems so implausible … bordering on the ridiculous. But, in fact, a global economic boom could yet occur at some point in the future. Not to forget, it was only as little as 12 months ago, that the notion that the entire world would fall into the grips of a global credit panic was thought to be equally ridiculous. That’s not to say that America or other western nations might soon see economic recoveries. Likely not. But, as pointed out, Bible prophecy indicates that a time is yet ahead where the world will feel much more complacent than we see today.
At the time that the final troubles come upon the world, they will occur suddenly like a trap (Luke 21:34). In this verse we see that people will be more preoccupied with indulgence and the cares of this world, than great global crises. Moreover, Jesus told the disciples that the world will be generally unwares in the last days. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:37-39). For all of these conditions to occur, a recovery, repair or reform of world financial systems and economies must first unfold.
Thoughts to Ponder
For the last three centuries, there has only been one big toe. But this cannot continue if prophecy is to be fulfilled. This change is very likely already underfoot. The recent economic and financial disasters of the past year (in fact, originating in the US) likely play a significant role in the geopolitical “birth pangs” and “earthquakes” of an emerging global power distribution that the Bible describes as taking form in the very last days. The rise of other nations such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and perhaps oil-exporting nations must be seen as part of this rebalancing process. Actually, the time of the 10 kings could unfold upon the world very suddenly.
It may already be here. Surely, the facts outlined to this point will not be received as being very hopeful. But that would be a wrong perception. It is never too late for a nation to repent. God said to Israel, “[…] if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Repentance is an option … provided that it is not past the point of return, where God refuses to listen. But we must not make the mistake of Jonah. He was upset with God when the citizens of Nineveh chose to heed his message of judgment. As a result, Nineveh’s demise was delayed for another 150 years or so.
Our Lord, for the most part, allows us the freedom to choose to follow His precepts and ways voluntarily. Yes, God foreknows what our choices will be, but that is not the same as predestinating our willful actions.
Yet, according to Bible prophecy, America must decline relative to the 10 kings in one way or another. But that is not to say that it is prophetically necessary for America to rush and accelerate the fulfillment of prophecy by collapsing into a toothless tiger. Prophecy in this case can be fulfilled in a number of ways. 10 other kings could become powerful enough to supersede the geopolitical position of the US, or at the other extreme, America be disastrously downsized … either becoming one of the 10 kings or not at all. Which will it be?
The jury is out. It is up to the nations’ leaders and citizens. However, to date, the signs are not hopeful. During America’s most recent presidential election, Christian candidates were openly ridiculed and topics such as the “end of days” were fodder for public scoffing. Greater shifts to immorality and rebelliousness may now lie ahead.
Most certainly, the world will rush together into new alliances, reforming its economic and financial policies in a coordinated fashion, something that is only possible in a multi-polar world. More than anything, the world and America are looking for financial and economic solutions. Any person who can deliver such policies will be thankfully accepted as a type of savior. Morality and godliness can wait. In this regard, America’s materialism can in large part be blamed upon the satanic distortions of so-called religious leaders that have infected the entire nation with prosperity gospel and utilitarianism.
And, very definitely, the world is looking for a champion savior right now. Shouts the title of a recent economic report, “China: Savior of the World!” 6 The cover of Forbes magazine recently blared the title, “Capitalism Will Save Us.” Wrote a prominent journalist recently, “We are saved. Amid the rubble of the world’s financial markets, we can catch sight of the foundations of a new international order. The big lesson of the crisis has been learnt: we cannot escape our mutual dependence.” 7 These comments betray that the world is looking for an economic savior, not the eternal One.
We look for our Savior elsewhere. Said the Apostle Paul to the Philippians: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
While the world stampedes into greater global interconnectedness and hyper-states of commercial idolatry in its quest for the security of grain and bread, it completely ignores the real bread. ”For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51).
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming
There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and for the first time in history all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I’ll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.
1. Israel Will Be In The Land… Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21
For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land .
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.
In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Both Isaiah 11:11-12 and Amos 9:14-15 had also clearly foretold this. Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).
The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 60 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it’s clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel’s enemies, both physical and spiritual, won’t let up until they’ve either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God’s view).
For try as these nations might to destroy Israel, God sees a different outcome.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12)
“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands… Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end. Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and prophecy experts saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of God vs. the will of man. Until recently every Israeli politician has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel’s capital.
But then former Prime Minister Sharon said that if re-elected he’d consider abandoning parts of the suburbs to achieve peace. A stroke-induced coma from which he has never recovered ended his political career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud Olmert, hinted at following through on Sharon’s proposals. Olmert’s poor performance in the war against Hezbollah in 2006 and the corruption charges against him have driven him from office and robbed him of the political strength to follow through.
I’ve come to believe that Jerusalem won’t really be free of Gentile “trampling” until the Lord returns. Daniel’s prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom (Daniel 2:36-45), Zechariahs’ prophecy of the city being captured just before the Lord’s return (Zech. 14:2), and John’s observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great Tribulation all confirm this.
The ongoing fulfillment of these major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel’s re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land. but that date proved wrong as well.
Problem is, the Lord didn’t promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 an average Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to 1948, not 40.
As it draws nearer, the approximate timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it’s about seven years away. (Daniel 9:27) Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens shortly after that. (Matt. 24:15,21 & 2 Thes. 2:4) But even so, the Lord did state quite clearly that those alive on Earth at the end of the Great Tribulation would not know the exact day or hour of His coming until He actually appeared. (Matt. 24:42 & 44, 25:13)
3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land… Ezek. 38:2-6
“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army–your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops–the many nations with you.”
(For a more detailed explanation of the modern equivalents to these biblical names, read “An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)
Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most radical Islamic groups.
The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia’s barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord’s hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they’ll be used to build bombs, too. Some experts claim that Iran will become a nuclear power this year, but others think a bomb is still a ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but don’t be surprised if the US continues to back away from its similar promise.
Russia has also formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, and has become Turkey’s 2nd largest trading partner after Germany. Russia has also sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a major military seaport in northern Syria, moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site, first it the series Russia has promised to build.
Iran seems to be preparing its people for war with Israel, making the most outlandish claims in an effort to whip their people into a frenzy not seen since the days of the US embassy kidnapping of the 70’s. This inflammatory ranting has included a Holocaust denial seminar attended by 30 countries, and a promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former and likely future Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that for the Jews it’s like 1938 all over again.
The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is “a peaceful and unsuspecting people” (Ezekiel 38:11). This certainly is not the case today, but In Psalm 83 there’s a yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that appears to involve all of Israel’s next door neighbors in another unsuccessful attempt to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. The psalmist pleads with the Lord to intervene and defeat Israel’s attackers. If this happens, it explains why none of them are named in Ezekiel’s list of antagonists, and how Israel could be living in a perceived state of safety as Ezekiel 38:11 requires. Many of us have been watching to see if the recent Gaza incursion would escalate into a fulfillment of that prophecy, and though it hasn’t yet, it still could.
Two other pre-requisites for Ezekiel’s battle are also in the process of fulfillment. The Gaza war may have strained Israel’s relationship with Turkey to the breaking point, and as I’ve shown Turkey will be on the Moslem side in Ezekiel’s battle. Public support in Turkey for membership in the EU is also declining, another sign that attitudes toward the West are changing. It won’t take much more for Turkey to switch sides. And Israel’s recent natural gas discovery, said to be of “historic” proportions, could create the wealth necessary to make Israel an attractive target for Russian conquest, fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:13 that Israel’s enemies will have attacked partly for plunder. Till now Israel really hasn’t had any substantial wealth, but the natural gas discovery is worth billions.
I believe that the removal of the US as Israel’s powerful ally is also necessary to pave the way for Ezekiel’s battle, because I don’t think the Moslem coalition will attack until they’re sure the US won’t retaliate. Any one of several scenarios currently being played out could accomplish this. Our national policy could change. A deepening recession could force us to turn inward and render us unwilling to keep our promise to support Israel. Likewise, the threat or actual occurrence of a major terrorist attack could cause us to stand down. And the Rapture of the Church could deprive the US of both the leadership and manpower to respond. It’s no where near as difficult to see the US abandoning its commitment to Israel as it was just a few years ago.
When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.
4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge As A Political Force… Rev 17:9-10
“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.” (This one is a little obscure if you don’t know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD, there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.)
Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel’s time forward (Egypt and Assyria had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue representing the four remaining Kingdoms, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the two appearances of Rome. Read it carefully and you’ll find some interesting things in the description of the two feet upon which the statue stands. They’re made of iron mixed with clay. In the first place the two don’t mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together, but the language describes a clay that’s made of dust and already baked … hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You can’t make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere.
These two feet describe the two divisions of the Roman Empire, Western and Eastern. Today the territory of the Western division is occupied by Europe, while the Eastern territoty holds the Islamic countries of the Middle East. Some experts insist that the combined defeats spoken of in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will render the Eastern leg, or Moslem world, incapable of becoming part of the World Empire of the End Times, but Daniel had both feet in view in chapter 2 so both divisions of the Roman Empire have to be present at the End of the Age. His use of iron and pottery in their makeup speaks to the difficulty the Western and Eastern cultures will have in remaining united. And the fact that Daniel only identified four empires means the last one can only be some form of ancient Rome.
5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion… Rev 13:8
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Make no mistake about it. Islam is the major religious force in the world today and their goal is nothing less than world domination, by any means necessary. It’s the world’s fastest growing religion and is second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Already nearly one out of every five inhabitants of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe or why. I’m no prophet, but as I look into the future, it’s much easier for me to see Islam riding its current wave of momentum to fill the void left by the departure of the Church than it is to imagine some watered down mix of Christianity and New Age Mysticism doing so.
Much has been written recently about al Mahdi, a figure out of Moslem prophecies that are strikingly similar to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. Both show a leader coming on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth. Both depict him as man of peace who will have a seven year reign, head up a one world religion and one world government, and claim supernatural origins. Both prophecies culminate in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth’s final judgment. It’s as they’re pointing to the same person. The difference is that in Islam he’s a good guy, but the Bible calls him evil.
Take this charismatic political and religious leader with his supernatural power, add the widely held but incorrect belief that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and then subtract the spirit of discernment found in the Church and you can see how he could be the straw that a world on the brink of disaster grasps for survival.
6. The World Will Accept A Single Government… Rev 13:3
The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
Recent events in the US have shown how quickly a fearful and disillusioned people will get behind someone who promises to change things. When you look at the shape of the world it doesn’t take much to imagine circumstances getting to a point where the whole world will agree to follow a leader who will promise to bring order out of chaos. With all the things that already threaten world stability getting worse by the day, how much more frantic will people be after millions of their neighbors suddenly disappear without warning or explanation, and there’s been a nuclear exchange that brings destruction from Europe through the Middle East and into Russia?
7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City In World Affairs… Rev 18:2-3
With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
Babylon is still a ways away from accepting its destiny as a city of power in the end times. It’s just a ceremonial city right now, but 20 years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of Babylon standing there on the banks of the Euphrates again.
You may think that being little more than a giant museum is a far cry from being a center of world power, but not too long ago, some of Iraq’s new political leaders were calling for their nation’s capital to be moved to Babylon. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was Saddam’s capital, and the new Iraq needs a new capital, more consistent with its heritage. Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital of Iraq would be a giant first step toward achieving its transformation into a center of power. Onenewsnow.com recently reported that the US has pledged $700K to help rebuild the ancient city.
Because of Babylon’s current lack of importance in the world, some students of prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment of its destruction in Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA or some city therein as a logical candidate.
But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9 John describes “mystery Babylon” as seated on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved “to the plains of Shinar” a reference to ancient Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can’t switch from literal to allegorical interpretations of Scripture without clear direction, and where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists. In fact the opposite is true.
Other Signs
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:6-14)
Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)
WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS … According to intelligence reports that include all our wars as well as conflicts where a cease fire exists but are still unresolved, 41 wars are currently being fought around the world, with a substantial number of additional disputes threatening to erupt into war at any time.
THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS … More frequent and more severe hurricanes, more frequent and more intense earthquakes. Killer storms and quakes continue to dot the news.
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS … The Magnetic Polar Reversal, predicted by computer model for 2012 is gaining more attention since its likelihood was first announced. While the effects of a Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been observed by mankind, it has apparently happened in the distant past. What’s unique this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal at the same time. What this means is that while the Sun will be experiencing its most intense radioactive storms, Earth’s magnetic field (that protect us from these Sun storms) will be at its weakest and may even be non-existent in some parts of the world. I’ve speculated that the effects of the polar reversal could fulfill the 6th Seal judgment of Revelation 6 and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits into the early stages of Daniel’s 70th Week that I believe will begin sometime in 2011.
PESTILENCE… Not only new diseases like HIV and SARS, but also the return of old ones like Whooping cough. But the big news is still the likely spread of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). A few cases among humans have lead to fears that the virus has mutated to thrive in a human host. Dire predictions are placing possible deaths from this pandemic in the millions
THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD … 3500 people die every day in defense of the Christian faith. Run away crime, children being abused and murdered by their parents, children killing children. Murder trials as public entertainment soon to be followed by televised executions. Ethnic cleansing, rape and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random shootings, the incidence of disrespect is enough to make you sick.
THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL NATIONS … Looking at the state of the world, it’s hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day, mostly in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles, people receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its End. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant “last call” before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments.
The above are given as indicators in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) and we’ll continue to bring you periodic information on these as well.
As you know most of the signs in the Olivet Discourse are progressive and all are described as happening well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase “beginning of birth pangs.” Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to the era but increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches.
It’s true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, “how much worse can it get?” Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, “Much!” It seems man’s depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don’t belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there. Maranatha!
1. Israel Will Be In The Land… Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21
For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land .
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.
In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Both Isaiah 11:11-12 and Amos 9:14-15 had also clearly foretold this. Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).
The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 60 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it’s clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel’s enemies, both physical and spiritual, won’t let up until they’ve either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God’s view).
For try as these nations might to destroy Israel, God sees a different outcome.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12)
“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands… Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end. Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and prophecy experts saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of God vs. the will of man. Until recently every Israeli politician has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel’s capital.
But then former Prime Minister Sharon said that if re-elected he’d consider abandoning parts of the suburbs to achieve peace. A stroke-induced coma from which he has never recovered ended his political career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud Olmert, hinted at following through on Sharon’s proposals. Olmert’s poor performance in the war against Hezbollah in 2006 and the corruption charges against him have driven him from office and robbed him of the political strength to follow through.
I’ve come to believe that Jerusalem won’t really be free of Gentile “trampling” until the Lord returns. Daniel’s prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom (Daniel 2:36-45), Zechariahs’ prophecy of the city being captured just before the Lord’s return (Zech. 14:2), and John’s observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great Tribulation all confirm this.
The ongoing fulfillment of these major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel’s re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land. but that date proved wrong as well.
Problem is, the Lord didn’t promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 an average Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to 1948, not 40.
As it draws nearer, the approximate timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it’s about seven years away. (Daniel 9:27) Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens shortly after that. (Matt. 24:15,21 & 2 Thes. 2:4) But even so, the Lord did state quite clearly that those alive on Earth at the end of the Great Tribulation would not know the exact day or hour of His coming until He actually appeared. (Matt. 24:42 & 44, 25:13)
3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land… Ezek. 38:2-6
“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army–your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops–the many nations with you.”
(For a more detailed explanation of the modern equivalents to these biblical names, read “An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)
Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most radical Islamic groups.
The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia’s barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord’s hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they’ll be used to build bombs, too. Some experts claim that Iran will become a nuclear power this year, but others think a bomb is still a ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but don’t be surprised if the US continues to back away from its similar promise.
Russia has also formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, and has become Turkey’s 2nd largest trading partner after Germany. Russia has also sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a major military seaport in northern Syria, moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site, first it the series Russia has promised to build.
Iran seems to be preparing its people for war with Israel, making the most outlandish claims in an effort to whip their people into a frenzy not seen since the days of the US embassy kidnapping of the 70’s. This inflammatory ranting has included a Holocaust denial seminar attended by 30 countries, and a promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former and likely future Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that for the Jews it’s like 1938 all over again.
The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is “a peaceful and unsuspecting people” (Ezekiel 38:11). This certainly is not the case today, but In Psalm 83 there’s a yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that appears to involve all of Israel’s next door neighbors in another unsuccessful attempt to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. The psalmist pleads with the Lord to intervene and defeat Israel’s attackers. If this happens, it explains why none of them are named in Ezekiel’s list of antagonists, and how Israel could be living in a perceived state of safety as Ezekiel 38:11 requires. Many of us have been watching to see if the recent Gaza incursion would escalate into a fulfillment of that prophecy, and though it hasn’t yet, it still could.
Two other pre-requisites for Ezekiel’s battle are also in the process of fulfillment. The Gaza war may have strained Israel’s relationship with Turkey to the breaking point, and as I’ve shown Turkey will be on the Moslem side in Ezekiel’s battle. Public support in Turkey for membership in the EU is also declining, another sign that attitudes toward the West are changing. It won’t take much more for Turkey to switch sides. And Israel’s recent natural gas discovery, said to be of “historic” proportions, could create the wealth necessary to make Israel an attractive target for Russian conquest, fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:13 that Israel’s enemies will have attacked partly for plunder. Till now Israel really hasn’t had any substantial wealth, but the natural gas discovery is worth billions.
I believe that the removal of the US as Israel’s powerful ally is also necessary to pave the way for Ezekiel’s battle, because I don’t think the Moslem coalition will attack until they’re sure the US won’t retaliate. Any one of several scenarios currently being played out could accomplish this. Our national policy could change. A deepening recession could force us to turn inward and render us unwilling to keep our promise to support Israel. Likewise, the threat or actual occurrence of a major terrorist attack could cause us to stand down. And the Rapture of the Church could deprive the US of both the leadership and manpower to respond. It’s no where near as difficult to see the US abandoning its commitment to Israel as it was just a few years ago.
When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.
4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge As A Political Force… Rev 17:9-10
“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.” (This one is a little obscure if you don’t know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD, there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.)
Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel’s time forward (Egypt and Assyria had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue representing the four remaining Kingdoms, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the two appearances of Rome. Read it carefully and you’ll find some interesting things in the description of the two feet upon which the statue stands. They’re made of iron mixed with clay. In the first place the two don’t mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together, but the language describes a clay that’s made of dust and already baked … hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You can’t make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere.
These two feet describe the two divisions of the Roman Empire, Western and Eastern. Today the territory of the Western division is occupied by Europe, while the Eastern territoty holds the Islamic countries of the Middle East. Some experts insist that the combined defeats spoken of in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will render the Eastern leg, or Moslem world, incapable of becoming part of the World Empire of the End Times, but Daniel had both feet in view in chapter 2 so both divisions of the Roman Empire have to be present at the End of the Age. His use of iron and pottery in their makeup speaks to the difficulty the Western and Eastern cultures will have in remaining united. And the fact that Daniel only identified four empires means the last one can only be some form of ancient Rome.
5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion… Rev 13:8
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Make no mistake about it. Islam is the major religious force in the world today and their goal is nothing less than world domination, by any means necessary. It’s the world’s fastest growing religion and is second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Already nearly one out of every five inhabitants of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe or why. I’m no prophet, but as I look into the future, it’s much easier for me to see Islam riding its current wave of momentum to fill the void left by the departure of the Church than it is to imagine some watered down mix of Christianity and New Age Mysticism doing so.
Much has been written recently about al Mahdi, a figure out of Moslem prophecies that are strikingly similar to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. Both show a leader coming on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth. Both depict him as man of peace who will have a seven year reign, head up a one world religion and one world government, and claim supernatural origins. Both prophecies culminate in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth’s final judgment. It’s as they’re pointing to the same person. The difference is that in Islam he’s a good guy, but the Bible calls him evil.
Take this charismatic political and religious leader with his supernatural power, add the widely held but incorrect belief that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and then subtract the spirit of discernment found in the Church and you can see how he could be the straw that a world on the brink of disaster grasps for survival.
6. The World Will Accept A Single Government… Rev 13:3
The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
Recent events in the US have shown how quickly a fearful and disillusioned people will get behind someone who promises to change things. When you look at the shape of the world it doesn’t take much to imagine circumstances getting to a point where the whole world will agree to follow a leader who will promise to bring order out of chaos. With all the things that already threaten world stability getting worse by the day, how much more frantic will people be after millions of their neighbors suddenly disappear without warning or explanation, and there’s been a nuclear exchange that brings destruction from Europe through the Middle East and into Russia?
7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City In World Affairs… Rev 18:2-3
With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
Babylon is still a ways away from accepting its destiny as a city of power in the end times. It’s just a ceremonial city right now, but 20 years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of Babylon standing there on the banks of the Euphrates again.
You may think that being little more than a giant museum is a far cry from being a center of world power, but not too long ago, some of Iraq’s new political leaders were calling for their nation’s capital to be moved to Babylon. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was Saddam’s capital, and the new Iraq needs a new capital, more consistent with its heritage. Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital of Iraq would be a giant first step toward achieving its transformation into a center of power. Onenewsnow.com recently reported that the US has pledged $700K to help rebuild the ancient city.
Because of Babylon’s current lack of importance in the world, some students of prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment of its destruction in Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA or some city therein as a logical candidate.
But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9 John describes “mystery Babylon” as seated on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved “to the plains of Shinar” a reference to ancient Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can’t switch from literal to allegorical interpretations of Scripture without clear direction, and where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists. In fact the opposite is true.
Other Signs
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:6-14)
Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)
WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS … According to intelligence reports that include all our wars as well as conflicts where a cease fire exists but are still unresolved, 41 wars are currently being fought around the world, with a substantial number of additional disputes threatening to erupt into war at any time.
THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS … More frequent and more severe hurricanes, more frequent and more intense earthquakes. Killer storms and quakes continue to dot the news.
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS … The Magnetic Polar Reversal, predicted by computer model for 2012 is gaining more attention since its likelihood was first announced. While the effects of a Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been observed by mankind, it has apparently happened in the distant past. What’s unique this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal at the same time. What this means is that while the Sun will be experiencing its most intense radioactive storms, Earth’s magnetic field (that protect us from these Sun storms) will be at its weakest and may even be non-existent in some parts of the world. I’ve speculated that the effects of the polar reversal could fulfill the 6th Seal judgment of Revelation 6 and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits into the early stages of Daniel’s 70th Week that I believe will begin sometime in 2011.
PESTILENCE… Not only new diseases like HIV and SARS, but also the return of old ones like Whooping cough. But the big news is still the likely spread of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). A few cases among humans have lead to fears that the virus has mutated to thrive in a human host. Dire predictions are placing possible deaths from this pandemic in the millions
THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD … 3500 people die every day in defense of the Christian faith. Run away crime, children being abused and murdered by their parents, children killing children. Murder trials as public entertainment soon to be followed by televised executions. Ethnic cleansing, rape and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random shootings, the incidence of disrespect is enough to make you sick.
THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL NATIONS … Looking at the state of the world, it’s hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day, mostly in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles, people receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its End. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant “last call” before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments.
The above are given as indicators in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) and we’ll continue to bring you periodic information on these as well.
As you know most of the signs in the Olivet Discourse are progressive and all are described as happening well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase “beginning of birth pangs.” Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to the era but increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches.
It’s true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, “how much worse can it get?” Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, “Much!” It seems man’s depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don’t belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there. Maranatha!
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