Posts Tagged ‘economy’

If this man should fall…

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

(August 12, 2010) In the 1989 Civil War film Glory there is a poignant moment towards the end of the movie. The Union black troops are in a formation of readiness to charge up the parapet of a Confederate fort in what will be a futile attack and lead to their slaughter. The Colonel is addressing them for the last time before the battle. He finally points to the soldier holding the unit’s American flag and asks, “If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?” One of the other soldiers steps forward and declares “I will.”

On my website evenatthedoors.com I wrote an article in 2007 called The Decline and Fall of America. In that article I wrote that I believed something had to happen to America in order for Ezekiel’s prophesied End-Times invasion of Israel by an alliance of countries surrounding it to take place. As long as America is Israel’s protector I don’t think any coalition of nations would dare attack it. Therefore, I believe that something has to happen where America is either militarily, politically, or economically unable or unwilling to protect Israel. President Obama’s administration has taken a decidedly different attitude towards Israel than all his predecessors since 1948. Apart from any political change for the worse in American-Israeli relations the economic outlook for America may preclude the U.S. from being able to financially support a military defense of Israel. This last scenario raises a question that may have prophetic ramifications: “If America should fall who will pick up the banner and carry on?”

Could America Fall?

On July 27, 2010 the U.S. Government’s Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a rather disturbing summary of America’s economic future (Federal Debt and the Risk of a Fiscal Crisis). This document declares:

“Over the past few years, U.S. government debt held by the public has grown rapidly—to the point that, compared with the total output of the economy, it is now higher than it has ever been except during the period around World War II. The recent increase in debt has been the result of three sets of factors: an imbalance between federal revenues and spending that predates the recession and the recent turmoil in financial markets, sharply lower revenues and elevated spending that derive directly from those economic conditions, and the costs of various federal policies implemented in response to the conditions.

Further increases in federal debt relative to the nation’s output (gross domestic product, or GDP) almost certainly lie ahead if current policies remain in place. The aging of the population and rising costs for health care will push federal spending, measured as a percentage of GDP, well above the levels experienced in recent decades. Unless policymakers restrain the growth of spending, increase revenues significantly as a share of GDP, or adopt some combination of those two approaches, growing budget deficits will cause debt to rise to unsupportable levels.”

In the two weeks since the CBO released this statement our government has not shown any signs of abating the spending that has been emblematic of the present Administration or Congress. Yesterday, the House of Representatives interrupted their summer recess by returning to Washington, D.C. and passing a 26 Billion Dollar bailout of teachers and government unions (Democrats, Advocacy Groups Blast Cuts to Food Stamps to Fund $26B Aid Bill). According to the CBO, this type of government spending “will cause debt to rise to unsupportable levels”

CNBC posted an article on its website titled “America Is ‘Bankrupt Mickey Mouse Economy’: CIO”. The article reports, “America is a “Mickey Mouse economy” that is technically bankrupt, according to Jochen Wermuth, the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and managing partner at Wermuth Asset Management. America today looks like Russia in 1998. Consumers, companies and the government are all highly indebted. America as a result is a bankrupt Mickey Mouse economy,” Wermuth told CNBC.

Bloomberg.com confirms the CNBC story (U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don’t Even Know It: Laurence Kotlikoff). Mr. Kotlikoff writes, “Let’s get real. The U.S. is bankrupt. Neither spending more nor taxing less will help the country pay its bills.” He goes on to write how this situation could be turned around but that is assuming our government is willing to restrain spending as the CBO states which up to now it has been unwilling to do.

The economic turmoil America finds itself in may not be the only source of its downfall. Our country seems to be morally bankrupt as well. Last week a federal judge struck down California’s gay-marriage ban (Same-Sex Marriage Ban Overturned in Calif.). This could lead the Supreme Court to rule that same-sex marriage is constitutional for all of the United States. This issue coupled with the nearly 50 million abortions that have occurred since the Supreme Court ruled abortion legal in 1973 could sound the death knell for America. In the 1960s Billy Graham’s wife Ruth stated after reading his latest book that if God didn’t judge America soon, He would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

The chaos that America is mired in currently has led some to postulate that a second American Revolution may occur (Will Washington’s Failures Lead To Second American Revolution?). The author writes, “The Internet is a large-scale version of the “Committees of Correspondence” that led to the first American Revolution — and with Washington’s failings now so obvious and awful, it may lead to another. People are asking, “Is the government doing us more harm than good? Should we change what it does and the way it does it?” Pruning the power of government begins with the imperial presidency. Too many overreaching laws give the president too much discretion to make too many open-ended rules controlling too many aspects of our lives. There’s no end to the harm an out-of-control president can do. Bill Clinton lowered the culture, moral tone and strength of the nation — and left America vulnerable to attack. When it came, George W. Bush stood up for America, albeit sometimes clumsily. Barack Obama, however, has pulled off the ultimate switcheroo: He’s diminishing America from within — so far, successfully. He may soon bankrupt us and replace our big merit-based capitalist economy with a small government-directed one of his own design. He is undermining our constitutional traditions: The rule of law and our Anglo-Saxon concepts of private property hang in the balance. Obama may be the most “consequential” president ever.” Unlike the sexual and feminist revolutions of the 1960s our current government’s policies are affecting what President Richard Nixon called the silent majority at that time, the Middle Class. Even so, I don’t think that we could have an armed revolution in the climate of the modern era. Of course this would mean that the American population would continue to suffer under our government’s policies until we become economically impotent and irrelevant in global events.

If America should fall who will pick up the banner and carry on?

The Bible makes it clear that governments rise and fall at the behest of God. The Book of Daniel and the Book of Romans declare that God ordains governments for His purposes. With that understanding, who would replace America in God’s prophetic plan? The obvious choices are Russia and China. Russia has its own economic troubles and China’s influence is currently centered in Asia although their global reach has expanded over the last few decades. However, Walid Shoebat has an alternative view which concerns Islam’s worldwide influence and the part it may play in the End-Times.

In his 2008 book God’s War on Terror Mr. Shoebat believes that Islam will exert global influence during the End-Times. He thinks the Twelfth Imam or Mahdi will be the Antichrist and rise to power through Turkey. He also believes that prophecies such as the one in the Book of Daniel correlate with the Islamic Antichrist’s agenda: “25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time.” (Daniel 7:25) In my article on Mr. Shoebat’s book I wrote, “Mr. Shoebat says the Antichrist will try to change the times or accepted world calendar and legal systems and constitutions. “He will attempt to invoke Islam’s evil laws worldwide to replace every other law and constitution.” He states that the Mahdi will institute Shari’a Law as much as he can. However, he says that like Nimrod’s unsuccessful attempt to set up a global government with the Tower of Babel, so too God will not allow the Antichrist/Mahdi to set up a one-world government. He believes that Western prophecy students misunderstand when it comes to the Antichrist setting up a global government. Only Jesus Christ will rule over the world when He sets up His kingdom in Jerusalem. As far as changing the calendar he points out that where Islam rules, the Islamic calendar based on Mohammed’s conquest of Medina in Saudi Arabia is in effect. According to him, Isa, the Muslim Jesus, will be in charge of overseeing the changing of the times and laws.” There are a couple of recent news stories that are pertinent to the points which Mr. Shoebat raises here:

The London Daily Mail website ran an article in July titled, “Sharia law SHOULD be used in Britain, says UK’s top judge”. The reporter wrote, “The most senior judge in England yesterday gave his blessing to the use of sharia law to resolve disputes among Muslims. Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips said that Islamic legal principles could be employed to deal with family and marital arguments and to regulate finance. He declared: ‘Those entering into a contractual agreement can agree that the agreement shall be governed by a law other than English law.’”

The other story comes from London’s Daily Telegraph (Giant Mecca clock seeks to call time on Greenwich). The article states, “For more than a century, a point on the top of a hill in south-east London has been recognised as the centre of world time and the official starting point of each new day. But now the supremacy of Greenwich Mean Time is being challenged by a gargantuan new clock being built in Mecca, by which the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims could soon be setting their watches. Due to start ticking on Thursday as the faithful begin fasting during the month of Ramadan, the timepiece sits atop the Royal Mecca Clock Tower which dominates Islam’s holiest city…But Islamic scholars hope the clock’s influence will stretch far further than the sands of Saudi Arabia, as part of a plan for Mecca to eclipse the Greenwich Observatory as the “true centre of the earth”. For the past 125 years, the international community has accepted that the start of each day should be measured from the prime meridian, representing 0 degrees longitude, which passes through the Greenwich Observatory. A standard time by which other clocks were set was needed to organise global travel and communications, but in the Islamic world the idea that it should be centred on a part of London is seen as a colonial anachronism. As Mohammed al-Arkubi, manager of one of the hotels in the complex, put it: “Putting Mecca time in the face of Greenwich Mean Time. This is the goal.”

Europe in particular has incurred a large Islamic influence over the last few decades. Islam is already entrenched in parts of Asia, throughout the Middle East, and America. If America does continue it downward slide the religion of Islam could subordinate the political ideology of a lot of countries and become the dominate force in the world.

Only time will tell whether or not this is indeed God’s plan for the final judgment of the earth. Throughout history God has raised up empires and destroyed empires according to His purposes and in response to their haughtiness towards Him and His people. If America does hit rock bottom it is possible that national repentance could lead to spiritual revival. In any event, Christians need to continue discerning God’s will for their own lives and reaching out to a hurting world as times get harder. There are Christian organizations such as World Vision which help the poor around the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Thousands of local churches continue to support urban missions and minister in poverty stricken areas. While Christians are fulfilling Jesus’ command to “occupy till He comes again”, they also need to watch and be sober as to what God may be doing on a worldwide scale as the apostle Paul wrote:

“1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-6)

 

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President Obama’s bipartisan Debt Commission: America will go broke under status quo

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

(July 14, 2010) Earlier this year President Obama created a bipartisan Debt Commission to analyze America’s fiscal status and future financial outlook. The co-chairmen of this commission are former Republican senator Alan Simpson from Wyoming and President Clinton’s former chief of staff Erskine Bowles. These two men spoke at the National Governors Association this past Sunday.

A Washington Post article (Obama’s debt commission warns of fiscal ‘cancer’) states,

“Bowles said that unlike the current economic crisis, which was largely unforeseen before it hit in fall 2008, the coming fiscal calamity is staring the country in the face. ‘This one is as clear as a bell,’ he said. ‘This debt is like a cancer.’

The commission leaders said that, at present, federal revenue is fully consumed by three programs: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. ‘The rest of the federal government, including fighting two wars, homeland security, education, art, culture, you name it, veterans — the whole rest of the discretionary budget is being financed by China and other countries,’ Simpson said.

‘We can’t grow our way out of this,’ Bowles said. ‘We could have decades of double-digit growth and not grow our way out of this enormous debt problem. We can’t tax our way out. . . . The reality is we’ve got to do exactly what you all do every day as governors. We’ve got to cut spending or increase revenues or do some combination of that.’”

In February of this year Richard Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, spoke before the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth (Roadblocks to Recovery). In that speech he said,

“Pundits and analysts like to focus on the year in which Social Security will go permanently into the red on an annual cash flow basis—which recently was projected to occur in 2019 but could occur as early as 2016. But they largely ignore the severity of the broader problem: accumulated entitlement debt over the infinite horizon. According to our calculations at the Dallas Fed, that unfunded debt of Social Security and Medicare combined has now reached $104 trillion—trillion with a ‘T’—in discounted present value. And while much attention in recent years has been devoted to Social Security, the lion’s share of the total entitlement shortfall (nearly $90 trillion) actually comes from Medicare. This is a prodigious number. Others—like Pete Peterson’s foundation, which uses a different time horizon in its methodology—calculate the unfunded liability at north of $40 trillion, growing by a sum of $2 trillion to $3 trillion per year. No matter. The problem is frightful, whether you take his numbers or ours.”

The picture these governmental and financial experts paint for America’s future seems to be one of apocalyptic economic devastation. What is the prophetic significance of such an outcome? In September of 2007 I wrote an article titled “The Decline and Fall of America“. In that article (before the 2008 meltdown of America’s economy) I wrote,

“If you read the article “The Coming Invasion of Israel” on this web site, you know that Bible prophecy reveals that a conglomeration of countries will invade Israel in the future. In the last sixty years no non-Arabic nation has dared attack it. There is one very simple reason for this. Any country outside the Middle East knows that America would defend Israel militarily if they initiated a war with them. During the 1967 Six Day War, Russia saw that Israel was decimating its Arab allies. They considered intervening in the conflict but knew that America would have to respond. Thus, a major conflict between the superpowers was averted. Such is the case to this day. However, because of the prophecy God gave to Ezekiel, I believe that America has to lose its superpower status. With a weakened America the invasion of Israel can take place.

Is this another Christian fanatic declaring the sky is falling? Not if you listen to what the U.S. Comptroller General (who heads the United States Government Accounting Office) stated recently in an interview. He is very pessimistic about America’s future as these excerpts from the Financial Times article will reveal:

David Walker, comptroller general of the US, issued the unusually downbeat assessment of his country’s future in a report that lays out what he called “chilling long-term simulations”. Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were “striking similarities” between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including “declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government”.

Inspector General Walker lays out a pretty dismal scenario for America’s future. I agree with him. In the 1960s, Ruth Graham, wife of Billy Graham, read a chapter out of her husband’s new book. After handing the book back to him she said, “Billy, if God doesn’t come soon and bring judgment upon the United States, He’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” We as a nation continue to live our lives as if God doesn’t exist. Our political leaders’ only goal is to maintain their power at whatever the cost to America’s security. The Judicial system releases child predators, rapists, murderers on a frequent basis. A segment of America wants to ignore the laws of America by allowing anyone to violate the Immigration Laws of the United States. There is a mindset in our culture that declares the criminal is the victim, a victim of bad upbringing or bad circumstances. Pornography, homosexuality, adultery are prevalent throughout our entertainment and in our lifestyles. The legalization of abortion has resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 million unborn babies. The difference now is that society accepts these behaviors as alternative lifestyles. Liberal Churches deny the miracles of the Bible. They deny the Bible’s authority to guide human beings. The lists of America’s ills goes on and on. The rest of the world is no better. Although God’s judgment is coming upon the world, I believe He will start with America…

The downfall of America may come as a result of a financial collapse. It could come from a military defeat. The War on Terror is not going to go away. Just ask the Israelis after six decades of fighting it. The moral climate which declares there is no right or wrong will also play a part. Whatever it takes for the rest of the world to see that America is weak will happen. Once this occurs, the other powers in the world will have a free hand to wreak havoc wherever they please. This will lead to the invasion of Israel and the End-Times.” [end of my 2007 article]

Another factor in the downfall of America could be political in nature. Even if we are economically or militarily capable of continuing our protection of Israel we may be politically unwilling to support it. President Obama’s administration, unlike all the previous administrations since 1947, seems to be turning away from Israel in favor of the Arab nations of the Middle East (see my blog article from March 18th of this year The Decline and Fall of America Redux and Ezekiel 38-39.

I personally do not want to see America decline in any fashion. However, if it is God’s will for this to happen then I want to keep my eyes on Him and be in His will for my life.

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Earthquakes; Global Tax & Money; Government Monitoring; Islamic Ire; Doomsday Clock

Monday, March 1st, 2010

(March 1, 2010) In the wake of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, MSNBC has an article on the increase of earthquakes around the world. (Big quake question: Are they getting worse?) The author writes, “One scientist, however, says that relative to the time period from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, Earth has been more active over the past 15 years or so.” He quotes a geophysicist as saying, “We still do not know the reason for this yet. Could simply be the natural temporal variation of the stress field in the earth’s lithosphere.” (The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the Earth.)” Jesus gave signs to His disciples to look for when the end is near, “3 As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?’ 4 And Jesus answered them, ‘Take heed that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the labor pains.” (Matthew 24:3-8) Leading into the End-Times Jesus said that false religious leaders, wars, famines, and earthquakes would increase in various places. He likened these events to labor pains which means they will become increasingly more painful and occur closer and closer together. The recent earthquake activity may be a precursor to what Jesus says will happen before the end.

Global Economy

The Prime Minister of England said that a global tax is near. (Global bank tax near, says Brown) The article states, “Gordon Brown said on Wednesday the world’s leading economies were close to agreeing a global bank tax, amid hopes in Downing Street that a deal can be concluded at the G20 summit in Canada in June.”  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorses a global tax on stock trades and other financial transactions. (Pelosi Endorses ‘Global’ Tax on Stocks, Bonds, and other Financial Transactions)

In a related story the International Monetary Fund proposed a new global reserve currency. (Head of IMF Proposes New Reserve Currency) The article states, “the head of the International Monetary Fund, suggested Friday that the organization one day might be called upon to provide countries with a global reserve currency that would serve as an alternative to the U.S. dollar.”

The London Telegraph Newspaper economics commentator, Edmund Conway, recently wrote a column titled “I’m Dreaming of a Cashless Christmas” in which he said “This is a bold statement to make: currency has been an integral part of our world, in one way or another, since 3,000BC. But the simple fact is that we can survive without it. In fact, abolishing notes and coins could make the world and its economies far less dysfunctional.” (I’m Dreaming of a Cashless Christmas)  Some of the comments that followed his article brought up the issues of the “Mark of the Beast” and the “New World Order”. This caused Mr. Conway to write a followup article: (The New World Disorder) “A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column about the possibility that at some point in the future we may abandon cash in favour of electronic payments. I expected to receive a pretty healthy dose of criticism for what was a pretty radical suggestion; what I hadn’t expected was the direction in which that criticism would soon flow. Within a few comments, I was being accused of being part of a vast global conspiracy to create a New World Order (NWO, I gather one should shorten it to) in which the absence of cash would be a key factor. Well, to be more precise, the end of hard currency would also coincide with the introduction of a world government, a world currency and so on – you get the general idea.” He goes on to say he is not part of any conspiracy to “replace national governments with an international super-authority, though I’m flattered some of our readers believe I would ever be considered by the authorities to be worth involving in such an enterprise.”  However, Mr. Conway makes an observation about possible collusion amongst the world’s governments that I believe overlooks the bigger picture:

“And yet rumours of an NWO are still more pervasive than ever before. Why? In part, because members of governments around the world do talk to each other a lot, most often in open and usually well-reported fora (ie the IMF, UN, EC, Davos, the G7 and G20 etc). The whole premise of many of these multilateral meetings is precisely in order to forge a more internationalist style of politics where every country’s leadership thinks not merely of their own voters but also of the interests of overseas nations when they create policy. But this push is less an attempt to create an NWO than it is to avert the opposite – the threat of war. Remember – these institutions were set up in the wake of the Second World War, when politicians were trying to pull every lever they could to ensure there wouldn’t be a third war. So the conspiracy theorists are right: there is a push towards international government – but to suggest they could overreach each nation’s individual national interests is really endowing them with far more capability than they have…

Throughout my time covering economics and politics for a number of newspapers, I have come over time to the conclusion not that there is a carefully orchestrated global plan being masterminded by leading politicians (be it to create a NWO or, in some other way, to dupe people out of their liberty or prosperity) but that the politicians and policymakers have less of a clue about what to do than the rest of us. It’s been obvious every step of the way through this financial crisis – and that to me is actually rather scarier than the idea of a conspiracy. Are these people, who have stumbled their way from one disaster to another, really capable of engineering a global conspiracy, overturning peoples’ deep local tribalism? Not a chance.”

I agree with Mr. Conway that the politicians of the world are incapable of uniting the earth under one “flag”. However, the Bible declares that one man, unlike any other human who has ever lived, will by demonic power unify a large part of the earth’s governments under his administration:  “4 And they worshipped the dragon [the Devil] which gave power unto the beast [the Antichrist] and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:4-8)

Whether or not these economic policies take place, it is just another indicator of the technological state of the world which allows for the global monitoring of financial transactions and the unification of the global economy. The Bible declares in the last days that some type of global economic system will be in place and run by the Antichrist and his government. “16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:16-18)

Government Monitoring

There have been some recent news stories (just like the global economic  monitoring that is now technologically possible) about government monitoring in other areas of citizen’s lives. In Australia, the government has monitored Australian’s waste usage with microchips placed in their trash cans. (Spy chips hidden in 2.5 MILLION dustbins)  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency said they may use a software technology called Einstein to monitor Internet communications on private networks in order to combat cyber attacks. (Feds weigh expansion of Internet monitoring)  Neither of these stories necessarily impute a sinister motive on the part of these governments in using the technology available. The point is that the technology is available for the first time in history to closely monitor the habits and behaviors of human beings. One day an evil government will use this techonology for its own evil designs. 

Islamic Wrath

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi has called for Jihad against the country of Switzerland because of that country’s ban on the building of Islamic minarets. (Kadhafi calls for jihad against Switzerland over minaret ban) Kadhafi stated, “It is against unbelieving and apostate Switzerland that jihad ought to be proclaimed by all means…Jihad against Switzerland, against Zionism, against foreign aggression is not terrorism.” This is not the isolated rambling of a rogue dictator as Hamas, Hezbollah, Iranian Leaders, and Saudi Arabian Wahhabism have illustrated over and over again. The one world religious system spoken of in Revelation ch. 13 may refer to Islam’s attempt to convert the rest of the world to their faith and laws.

Doomsday Clock; Supernova

The Doomsday Clock, an invention of scientists originally used to illustrate how close the world is to nuclear devastation and now includes climate devastation, was set back recently because of the policies of President Obama. (Doomsday clock is moved one minute further AWAY from fateful midnight… thanks to Obama)   This article reports, “The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, two years after the U.S dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan in World War II. It was originally set at seven minutes to midnight. It has been altered 19 times since then by the Bulletin’s scientific board. The latest recorded time was two minutes to midnight in 1953 as the Cold War heated up between the U.S and Soviet Union.” I find it ironic that this clock was created in 1947 because in November of that year the United Nations voted to create the nation of Israel. The next year on May 14, 1948 the nation of Israel was born. This event started the real Doomsday clock. God laid out a timeframe in the Book of Ezekiel:

“1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 37:1-11)

In 1948 I believe that God raised the Jews from their “graves” and returned them to the land of Israel as a dry, secular nation. The next stage in the process involves putting sinews or muscles on the nation of Israel. This is mere speculation on my part but it may be that the powerful Israeli military may be a partial fulfillment of this part of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Muscles are an indicator of the strength of a body and the Israeli army has been an indicator of the strength of the Jews’ will to survive and live. 

The next phase of the dry bones vision stated that the nation of Israel would have flesh and skin put on it. The Bible does not speak highly of human flesh. It uses “flesh” as a metaphor for our sinful natures, which try to please God by good works or rebel against Him by evil works. I believe it is possible that when the Jews rebuild the third or Tribulation Temple, this will fulfill the flesh stage of their rebirth as a nation. They will believe they are honoring God with their new Temple and sacrifices yet the Antichrist will actually be using them for his purposes. 

This brings us to the final stage of the dry bones vision. God declared that He will put His breath or Spirit in the nation of Israel and they will be His people and He will be their God. This will take place at the second coming of Jesus Christ. The prophet Zechariah spoke of this event: 

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10) 

This passage is a reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ when the whole world will look on Him whom they pierced. God at that time will pour out His Spirit upon Israel and they will receive God’s Servant Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

The last part of this vision of Ezekiel’s declares that God’s Servant will be King over the Jews and the land of Israel. Again, this refers to the Messianic Kingdom over which Jesus will reign.

Thus, I believe the real Doomsday Clock began ticking with the creation of the modern state of Israel.

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Posted in Archives 2010, Global monitoring, Governmental monitoring, Israel and Ezekiel, Revelation, Revelation 13 666, Revelation 13 Antichrist | No Comments »

EU presidency: US stimulus is ‘the road to hell’

Friday, March 27th, 2009
EU President Mirek Topolanek

EU President Mirek Topolanek

(March 25, 2009)  This recent headline may be more prophetic than the leader who said it realizes:  EU presidency: US stimulus is ‘the road to hell’  Czech Prime Minister and current President of the European Union Mirek Topolanek declared, “All of these steps, these combinations and permanency is the road to hell. We need to read the history books and the lessons of history and the biggest success of the (EU) is the refusal to go this way. Americans will need liquidity to finance all their measures and they will balance this with the sale of their bonds but this will undermine the liquidity of the global financial market.” The article states that other EU leaders tried to downplay his remarks, “It was the strongest pushback yet from a European leader as the 27-nation bloc bristles from U.S. criticism that it is not spending enough to stimulate demand. Shocked by the outburst, other European politicians went into damage control mode, with some reproaching the Czech leader for his language and others reaffirming their good diplomatic ties with the United States. The leaders of EU’s major nations — France, Britain and Germany, among others — largely ignored Topolanek and his remarks.”

One day a global economic collapse will lead to the rise of the Antichrist. In the Book of Revelation John saw a judgment come upon the earth that caused economic distress. He wrote what God showed him, “5And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6) This passage is saying that it will take a day’s wages to buy food at the beginning of God’s final judgment of the earth. Jesus declared that some of the signs before His second coming would be, “7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:7-8) Economic chaos can lead to famines and pestilences. As a result of the tribulation the world is thrust into an evil leader will rise on the global scene. He will seem to have all the answers to the world’s problems and Revelation ch. 13 declares that the world will “wonder” or worship and follow after him. However, his true nature will be exhibited when he is possessed by the Devil who will give him his full authority to take his wrath out on the world.  Just as Adolph Hitler came to power out of the economic crisis in Germany after WWI so too the Antichrist will arise out of a global economic crisis. Then the world will truly be on “the road to hell”. Whether or not the current global situation is the precursor to his ascendancy remains to be seen. If not, then it will be a very similar scenario sometime in the future that will lead to the fulfillment of biblical End-Times prophecy.

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European Financial Crisis Leading the world to a Dark Future?

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

(February 28, 2009)  Reuters posted a news story listing various protests that were taking place around Europe. (FACTBOX – Financial crisis sparks unrest in Europe)  A sampling of the events that the article describes were:

  • BOSNIA — Bosnia’s Muslim-Croat parliament cancelled a session on Thursday rather than confront protesters complaining about its plans to pass a law cutting benefits to narrow a big budget gap.
  • GERMANY — Some 15,000 Opel workers from around Germany took part in a mass rally on Thursday at the German headquarters of their struggling company, demanding parent General Motors scrap plans for plant closures in Europe.
  • BRITAIN — British workers have held a series of protests at power plants, demonstrating against the employment of foreign contractors to work on critical energy sites.
  • BULGARIA — Police officers, banned by law from striking, have held three “silent” protests since December to demand a 50 percent pay hike and better working conditions. Bulgaria, the poorest EU nation, has been hit by protests demanding the government take measures to shore up the economy.
  • FRANCE — President Nicolas Sarkozy faced criticism from both unions and bosses on February 19 over new measures to tackle the economic crisis.

These countries along with several other European states are in the same desperate financial straits as America and the rest of the world. This is leading governments to begin taking control over the most influential banks in their countries. (TOPWRAP 8-Govts tighten grip on banks, US economy falters)  Once governments take control of their financial institutions their power over their citizens is absolute. This along with governments’ increasing use of technology to monitor  their people’s movements and transactions (see my other posts on governmental monitoring) could lead to one possile End-Times scenario laid out in biblical prophecy.

This section comes from ch. 10 of my book Even at the Doors:

Some believe that the Antichrist will come to power in the continent of Europe. There are primarily two biblical reasons for this assertion. Both of them are in the Book of Daniel. The first has to do with an interpretation that Daniel gave concerning a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. In that dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great or giant image, which may have been a statue. This statue had a head of gold, its chest and arms were made of silver, its stomach and thighs were brass, the legs were iron, and its feet and toes were part iron and part clay. Daniel stated that each of these sections of the image represented a world empire.

Daniel said that the head was the Babylonian Empire of King Nebuchadnezzar. The chest and arms would be the Medo-Persian Empire, the stomach and thighs represented the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, and the legs of iron were the Roman Empire which would trodden down the people. Daniel prophesied concerning this fourth or Roman Empire, “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.” (Daniel 2:40)  This is an apt description of the Roman Empire which did conquer the known world with its mighty and disciplined armies. Daniel then states that the toes were made of iron and clay. This means that this final kingdom would be partly strong and partly broken or weak. These ten toes represented ten future kings. Daniel speaks of these kings in a later chapter. In a vision that he himself had Daniel saw four beasts which represented the same four world empires of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Concerning the fourth beast Daniel said:

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Daniel 7:7-8)[i.e., the Devil] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:1-2) 

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon

Since the Roman Empire and its people gravitated to Europe, some believe that the descendants of the Romans comprise the majority of the Europeans. This leads to the belief that from them the Antichrist will rise to power. 

This section again refers to the dreadful power of the Roman Empire. There are two things to notice in this passage. The first is that the beast had ten horns of which three fell. The second is the little horn was a man who spoke great things. An angel interprets this vision for Daniel:“Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.” (Daniel 7:23-26)

Both the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the vision of Daniel spoke of the Roman Empire. The ten toes of the statue and the ten horns of the beast are ten kings. Then a great king comes along who will subdue three of the ten kings and will magnify himself against the most High God. This little horn or king will be the Antichrist. The Book of Revelation also refers to these ten kings and the Antichrist who shall come from among them:

The second passage in Daniel that seems to allude to the Antichrist coming out of the Roman Empire and therefore Europe states:“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26) The “prince” who destroyed Herod’s Temple in 70 A.D. was the Roman General Titus. Thus, the “people of the prince” were the Romans who made up his army. Since this was only a foreshadow of the final destruction of the third or Tribulation Period Temple, the fulfillment of this prophetic passage has yet to occur. However, this too appears to be a reference to the Roman Empire and a future “prince” who will arise out of it. This has led some end-times scholars to believe that the Antichrist will rise to power through a confederation of European countries such as the European Union. He may indeed ascend to the leadership of the European Parliament since Europe has been historically anti-Semitic and he will be the greatest anti-Semite who ever lived. He will have the support of ten other leaders of whom three he will overcome. At some point early on, he will use his new-found power to insert himself into the politics of Israel and the Middle East. He will make a covenant or peace treaty with Israel (anti-Semitism notwithstanding in order to further his true agenda) and possibly the other nations of the world. Finally, he will oversee the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and will be proclaimed and worshiped by the world as the messiah.   [end of Even at the Doors ch. 10 section quote]

The idea that a powerful leader could arise out of economic chaos is not unprecedented. In the Book of Genesis, the godly man Joseph rose to prominence in Egypt after the pharaoh realized he was a man of the one, true God. At the leading of God’s Spirit Joseph correctly predicted that a famine would strike down the land of Egypt. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of Egypt’s financial system and by the end of the seven years of famine Pharaoh owned all the land of Egypt and the people themselves. The citizens of Egypt were in a panic over their economic hard times and willingly sacrificed their freedoms and rights in order to stave off starvation and distress. Thankfully Joseph was a benevolent leader and the people did not suffer under his rule. However, in recent history another leader took over during a time of economic strife and his rule was not benign. (Genesis ch.39-47)

After World War I, Germany was ripped apart by financial turmoil. Inflation was rampant as was the suffering of the German people. In 1920, an unknown former soldier of Germany started attending meetings of the National Socialist Party. Because of his oratorical skills he rose to power in this political party. He was preaching German nationalism while at the same time scapegoating the Jews for the German people’s misery. His message resonated with the people and he eventually became the undisputed leader of Germany in 1933. Adolph Hitler’s megalomania brought destruction to his country and caused the deaths of millions of people. However, he was destroyed and Germany had to rebuild.

[Update: March 18, 2009] – The far right is on the march again: the rise of Fascism in Austria (In Austria’s recent general election, nearly 30 per cent of voters backed extremist right-wing parties. Live visits the birthplace of Hitler to investigate how Fascism is once again threatening to erupt across Europe) – Sixty four years after the end of WWII Neo-Nazism is rearing its head again in Austria where Adolph Hitler was born in Braunau in 1889. According to this article, the far right has made significant inroads into Austrian politics. One of the heroes of the movement is Herbert Schweiger, an 85 year-old  former SS officer who “makes no attempt to hide his Nazi views. At his home in the Austrian mountains, the former SS officer gazes out of a window to a view of a misty alpine valley. Described to me as the ‘Puppet Master’ of the far right, Schweiger, 85, is a legendary figure for neo-Nazis across the world. ‘Our time is coming again and soon we will have another leader like Hitler,’ he says.” Herr Schweiger is correct in that a future leader will come on the scene (very possibly out of Europe) and will try to build an empire more powerful and more evil than any that has existed in history.[end update]

The Bible describes the Antichrist as a man of great oratorical skill and deception. He will also be much worse than Hitler. His rise to power will not lead to the destruction of a country but will bring devastation to the world. Whether the current global situation leads to his rise remains to be seen. If not, it will be a similar future worldwide economic crisis that will result in the End-Times Tribulation period and the rise of the Antichrist.

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Leaders want to restructure world’s economic system

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

(November 15, 2008)  According to the Washington Post the Group of 20 nations (G20) agreed today to restructure the economic systems of the world over the next year. (World Leaders Agree to Sweeping Economic Plan) This agreement “would reshape international financial institutions and overhaul worldwide regulatory and accounting rules.” The article goes on to state,“The communique said that over time the International Monetary Fund and other global institutions ‘must be comprehensively reformed so that they can more adequately reflect changing economic weights in the world economy.’” The German chancellor Angela Merkel wants to establish a “world risk map” that would allow “global financial institutions to allow financial authorities to quickly identify future trouble spots.” (Germany to advocate ‘world risk map’)

The Book of Revelation indicates that in the last days a unified world economic system will be in place under the reign of the Antichrist: “16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:16-18) The beast or Antichrist will control this system and will allow only those who swear allegiance to him to participate in the buying and selling of commodities and services. With the digital age such a program is possible. It could be that this current financial agreement will consolidate the economies of the world and lay the groundwork for such a global financial system declared in Revelation 13. It is noteworthy that Adolph Hitler rose to power out of the horrible postwar economic chaos of the 1920s. He was a great orator and he used the Jews as a scapegoat for all of Germany’s problems. The Germans readily accepted him as their leader and some treated him as a messianic figure.

Along a similar vein the Washington Post had an article on the Great Depression. (The Great Depression, Not So Far Away) This article explores the possibility of parallels between that time and the current economic crisis of the world. The Bible indicates that in the last days there will be severe economic times that leads to widespread famines. Jesus said “6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:6-8) Economic hard times are also indicated in the Book of Revelation when it costs a day’s wages to buy food: “5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6)

If nothing else the speed with which the world’s financial crisis suggests that even if the End-Times are still a ways off it would take no time at all to repeat this scenario.

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October Updates: Economic Crises, Antichrist, Russia and Israel

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

(October 12, 2008)  According to the September 25th Financial Times the United States will lose its superpower status. (“US ‘will lose financial superpower status’”) If you read my article on this web site (The Decline & Fall of America) you will see that last year I stated that one day America had to become either economically or militarily impotent or both. The reason for this is because the Bible prophesies that one day a coalition of nations including Russia, Iran, and the surrounding countries will invade Israel. However, since the U.S. has been Israel’s protector this invasion could not take place. If America does decline in power then sometime in the future this invasion can take place. Whether or not the current situation leads to such a scenario is not clear. What is obvious is that such an erosion of America’s economy (and the world’s) can take place very quickly.

The world’s economy has suffered as a result of the interconnectedness of the global financial systems. Financial leaders from twenty countries are meeting in Washington D.C. in hopes of solving the current worldwide economic crisis. (“Bush, allies seek to calm jittery investors”) The third judgment of the Tribulation Period (Revelation 6:5-6) speaks of a global economic meltdown that leads to hyper-inflation for food (e.g. a days wages for wheat. barley etc.) and other commodities. Jesus also spoke of famines in His End-Times discourse in Matthew 24:7. It is interesting that Adolph Hitler rose to power out of the economic chaos in Germany after World War I. It is very possible that a similar world leader will one day arise out of a global economic chaos. As I stated above, if this is not that time it is still revealing in how short a span of time economic catastrophe can occur because of the global nature of the world’s financial systems. The one bright spot in all this is that oil has come down in price. However, I believe this is a temporary reprieve because demand for oil is increasing throughout the world. (“Energy Department: World demand to rise 50 percent in next 20 years”)

Russia continues to assert their military strength after invading Georgia and making arms deals with Venezuela. Now they have test-fired long-range ballistic missiles. (“Russia test-fires ballistic missiles”) Russian President Medvedev said, “This shows that our shield is in order. We will build up our armed capability, which means we will acquire new weaponry while also launching traditional ballistic missiles.” In my article (The Coming Invasion of Israel) I discuss how Russia is supposed to be part of an invasion of Israel towards the last days that also includes Iran. According to an October 7th, 2008 Jerusalem Post article, Russia is going to increase its involvement in the Middle East. The article states that Israeli leader Ehud Olmert “urged the Russians to play a more active role in getting Teheran to cease uranium enrichment.” One of the many pieces of the End-Times prophetic puzzle to keep an eye on!

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CNN: More signs the world isn’t ending [They're right!!]

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

(May 2, 2008)  A CNN Money.com article states that the economic signs aren’t showing the U.S. in as dire straits as recent news would seem to indicate. (More signs the world isn’t ending) The report says, “Yes, companies cut jobs again, we learned today, for the fourth straight month. In April, 20,000 jobs were lost, but economists on average expected a loss of 75,000 – some feared more than 100,000 cuts. What’s more, the unemployment rate dipped from 5.1% to 5%. Most thought it would tick higher. We’ve had news like this all week. In short, the economy is in bad shape….but it’s simply not as bad as a lot of people are making it out to be. On Wednesday, an initial reading of the economy in the first quarter showed that the economy grew – not by a lot, but at least it didn’t decline as many feared.”

This seems to be the first good news the U.S. economy has had in a while. I would hesitate to exhibit too much elation though. As long as oil prices continue to increase, every area of the economy will be affected. With the world’s population increasing and thus countries’ need for more oil increasing, it’s hard to see how things won’t get worse in the long term.

The headline of this article is what caught my eye. CNN is absolutely correct about one thing, the world is not ending. The Bible makes it clear that the world is going to face a time of horror unlike anything in its history. After that, Jesus Christ will return and establish His kingdom on earth for one-thousand years. Then God will create a new earth and heavens. So the world still has a long way to go.

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Oil=$200 Gas=$10?

Monday, April 28th, 2008

(April 28, 2008)  According to a report in the New York Sun newspaper, gas prices could rise as high as 10 dollars a gallon the next few years. (Gasoline May Soon Cost a Sawbuck) The article states, “The forecasts calling for a jump to between $7 and $10 a gallon are based on the view that the price of crude is on its way to $200 in two to three years. Translating this price into dollars and cents at the gas pump, one of our forecasters, the chairman of Houston-based Dune Energy, Alan Gaines, sees gas rising to $7-$8 a gallon. The other, a commodities tracker at Weiss Research in Jupiter, Fla., Sean Brodrick, projects a range of $8 to $10 a gallon.”

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) says that oil could reach 200 dollars in the future. (Opec chief says oil could hit $200) This article reports that OPEC officials blame the rising costs on the U.S. economy and weak dollar. U.S. officials blame OPEC for cutting oil production.

If this scenario plays out, commodity prices will also have to increase. This of course would adversely affect consumers everywhere as the global economy would continue to spiral downward.

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Foreclosures a sign of hard economic times ahead?

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

(March 11, 2008)  USA Today reports that home foreclosures are having a rippling effect on the U.S. economy. (Foreclosure crisis has ripple effect)

The foreclosure crisis in the U.S. is spreading to other areas of American society. According to this USA Today article:

“The mortgage foreclosure crisis has caused a drop in cities’ revenues, a spike in crime, more homelessness and an increase in vacant properties, a survey of elected local officials out today shows.”

This problem along with the U.S. dollar’s value falling around the world and oil and gas prices spiraling out of control are indicators that the economy of America and possibly the whole world is in dire straits. History has shown us that America and the world have rebounded from economically tough times in the past. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s led to the rise of evil dictators who eventually led the world into a devastating World War. How far the economic indicators fall remains to be seen. The Bible does indicate that at some future point there will be economic devastation around the world that will eventually lead to the rise of a world leader who will seemingly have the answers to the world’s problems.

In Revelation 6 God’s servant John is shown some events that have worldwide effects. He sees these four horsemen who are unleashed upon the world who initiate a series of judgments upon the earth:

“5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:5-8)

What John saw was food staples such as wheat and barley costing a day’s wages. This would indicate that some economic calamity had occurred in the world. After this he sees death from hunger and the animals of the world. These too would be the result of an economic disaster that would cause not only humans to starve but animals also who would resort to killing people in order to eat. The rest of Revelation deals with what Christians call the Tribulation Period and the rise of the Antichrist and the devastation of the earth and its inhabitants that follows it. As I stated above, it was just such circumstances that afforded a type of Antichrist to enter into world history in the 1930s.

I believe that one day America will cease to be a superpower. The reason for this is because the Bible declares that in the future Israel will be attacked by numerous countries in and around the Middle East. (See my article on this site “Coming Invasion of Israel”) Right now America is protecting Israel from the aggression of other countries. However, if we become militarily or economically impotent then these countries will not have to fear America’s military forces and would feel they could attack Israel with impunity. Like all prophecies in the Bible, the timing of these events is in God’s domain and His alone.

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