Signals pointing to fulfillment of Bible prophecy continue to mount. Thesigns are in every direction on the horizon of this generation. We areconvinced we must, in obedience to the commission to be good watchmen ofissues and events in light of God's prophetic Word, propose scripturallysound possibilities for this last time. We will delve into likely scenariosthat might play out on the stage of human history from now until the SecondComing of Jesus Christ. Specifically, we will forecast the probabilities ofthings to come for the next four years.
This is not an endeavor to try to set dates. Our goal is to offerperspective, both different and superior, scripturally, and rationally, tothe endless number of predictions, made through wild speculations, that haveturned out to be false. We don't make any claims of supernaturalknowledge or secret intelligence reports. We base our forecasting uponJesus' words of condemnation to those of His time on earth who werewillfully blind to the common signs signaling His first coming.
"Jesus answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will befair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foulweather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye candiscern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"(Matt. 16:2-3)
If you were to look back into history 150 years, you would find that Bibleprophecy follows a very steady rate of progress. Because man becomes bored withor desensitized to prophecy-related events, he fails to realize how simplethe task of prophecy watching can be. No Christian who earnestly seeks toknow what the Bible says about what will happen in the future will fail todiscern the signals.
The European Union The EU has evolved from its genesis as the Club of Rome in the mid-20thcentury to become the 25-nation geopolitical entity we believe willultimately provide the power base for Antichrist (Rev. 17:12-13).
As it looks now, the European Union, while a growing behemoth, willlikely remain in the shadow of the United States until some future dynamicchanges the present circumstances.
Because the Bible predicts the revived Roman empire will initially be aweak government, the next four years will likely continue to see the EUstruggle with internal strife. Despite the conflicts and setbacks, thepro-EU forces will ultimately end up on top of the climb toward globalpower. Watch for the EU to assert its strengthening economic and militarypower while the next four years unfold.
Terrorism If the prophetic birth pangs are going to increase with greaterfrequency and intensity, it is logical to assume that terrorism, as part ofthe end-time mix, will increase from this point. The world has yet toexperience a large-scale terrorist attack involving weapons of massdestruction. We believe it is only a matter of time before the world isbrought to a new level of shock as WMDs kill large numbers of innocentpeople.
It is very possible the Antichrist will rise to power as a resultof a climate of fear involving terrorism. The Word of God indicates we areheaded towards a period so frightening that men will die prematurely fromfear.
"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those thingswhich are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken"(Lk. 21:26).
Watch for terrorism to rise to the level of catastrophic use of weaponsof mass destruction. Terrorism will inevitably bring with the dangersinvolved, liberty-oppressing ramifications throughout the U.S., and theworld.
Russia In chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel, we are told that Russia and a host ofArab and other nations will attempt an invasion of Israel. Propheticscholars have been puzzled by the "evil thought" that will causeRussia to come against the tiny nation of Israel.
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, [that] at the sametime shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought"(Ezek. 38:10).
The Gog prophecies appeared to many to be tailor-made for thegeographical area once within the Soviet Union. When the USSR fell and wasreplaced by a freely elected democratic government, most prophecy watchers were in a state of denialabout the validity of the reforms. Now that Vladimir Putin is rapidlyreversing Russia's experience with freedom, we're getting an indication thatthe geopolitical realities that will produce the prophesied leader, Gog, arein place today.
Watch for Russia to drift away from democratic ideals. As it does so, weexpect to see thatnation embark on a new drive toward militarism. At some point, Putin'sdesire for even more power will cause him to exert strong-arm influence onthe weaker nations surrounding Russia. The test of how near we are toRussia's prophesied campaign against Israel depends on how the worldcommunity reacts to Putin's likely coming move.
Mark of the Beast - 666Actually, very little advancement is required before we reach the pointat which the world will utilize a centralized financial system to control alleconomic transactions. The technology now exists and is ready for fullimplementation around the globe. The changes we see in the next few years may be verysubtle, but they will have a profound impact.
By 2006, most consumer products will become tagged with radio ID chips(RFID). Once all the items on our store shelves become tagged, the logical questionwill be asked: "Why aren't humans marked?" As the tags become more popular,watch and listen for more serious talk about a cashless society, then fordynamic movement to implement it.
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, toreceive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no manmight buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, orthe number of his name" (Rev. 13:16-17).
The United States Because prophecy does not specifically cite the United States as being amajor player in the end times, one can assume with good reason that ournation will become a secondary player in the final days leading up to thetribulation.
It is possible a devastating event might remove the U.S. from theworld stage. For example, with a total national debt of $7.4 trillion and atrade deficit of roughly $500 billion for 2004, the American economy couldimplode from its own excess.
We believe America's position as the number-one global economic powerwill continue to diminish while the EU's economic fortune rises. U.S.resources are massive, but not without limits. The constant drain on themfrom expansive policing responsibilities around the world may trigger abreakpoint. Dependence upon fossil fuel to power both the engines of itsvehicles and the engine of its commerce add to the strain on the U.S.economy. Watch for the spiritual and political division at the nation's coreto worsen if Christians continue to make material matters their priority.
The Israeli-Arab Conflict In the near future Israel and her Arab neighbors may experience a newlevel of hostility that will grab the world's attention like never before.Because Antichrist is predicted to be the guarantor of peace for Israeland its enemy neighbors, there must be a conflict of considerable magnitudefor him to resolve. With Syria and Iran possessing weapons of massdestruction, that level of conflict could come when Israel tries topreemptively disarm one or both of these nations. Watch for such action, ifit occurs, to thrust Israel toward isolation foretold in the followingprophecy:
"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people:all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all thepeople of the earth be gathered together against it" (Zech. 12:3).
China The Bible tells us that someday a huge military alliance will invade theMiddle East with an army of 200 million soldiers. Because China is about theonly nation with the ability to man and effectively outfit an army of suchmassive size, prophecy watchers have looked for it to fulfill the role ofthe kings of the east found in the following prophecy:
"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; andthe water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east mightbe prepared" (Rev. 16:12 ).
"Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heardthe number of them" (Rev. 9:16 ).
Watch for China's economic might to continue to grow. We expect thatits need for natural resources will cause the Communist state to becomemore determined to project its influence on a global scale. We also thinkthat China's relationship with the U.S. will become strained by the need tocompete for those dwindling resources.
Morality The decline in morality has been one of the easiest end-time signs toproject. Over the past decade, the filth spewing from the media has steadilyincreased, its society-infecting contents flushing the nation and the worldever lower toward the cesspool of cultural depravity. Many short-lived attempts at reversing the trend have been made, but all have failed. It islikely that over the next four years, profanity and nudity will descend to newlows.
The growing availability of satellite and internet outlets that arebeyond the reach of federal regulators will almost certainly speed thedecline. "Shock jock" Howard Stern has already realized he can escape thewrath of the FCC by moving his radio program to the Sirus satellite network.Watch for entertainment media to severely test the broadcast and cablemorality monitors at every turn. Since the regulators themselves approachlife from a sin-fallen perspective, things will go from bad to worse.
Apostasy One of the best ways to measure levels of apostasy is to track theactivity of popular Christian leaders who are heavily involved in hereticaldoctrine. For a number of years, Rapture Ready has reported on the activityof leading figures in the word of faith movement. Until now, their errorshave mostly been confined to teaching that corrupts the Gospel message.
Because there is no such thing as stagnant apostasy, in the next fouryears, we expect to experience examples of Christian leaders adoptingdoctrines that conflict directly with the heart of Christianity. Watch forsome of the key indicators of apostasy to proliferate greatly. Some of these are: bold statements that reject Jesus as the onlyway of salvation; the acceptance of homosexual lifestyle; and hate-filledwords and actions against true believers.
Oil Man has just about discovered all the major oil fields on the planet thatare going to be found, according to some experts. In fact, the rate ofdiscovery of worldwide oil reserves, after declining for 40 years, isreported to have nosed dived in recent years. In 2000, there were 16 largediscoveries of oil, eight in 2001, three in 2002, and none in 2003, notesJames Meyer, director of the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre in London.
While more and more nations become industrialized, the focus on oilsupplies is going to force the world's attention even more dramatically inthe direction of the Middle East. Watch for the rise in the value of oilover the coming four years. That will in all likelihood lead to strongermilitary ties, as oil wealth is exchanged for armaments.
The Harlot Church Bible prophecy forewarns that during the end times, a demonic spiritualmovement will use love and understanding to create a global pantheon ofreligions. The result will be an organization that promotes the false beliefthat all roads lead to the Creator. Because Jesus Christ said that He is theonly way to God, anyone who holds to this truth will be labeled intolerant.
In the next few years anyone who disagrees with that developingreligious system of "tolerance" will not be tolerated. In the name oftolerance, Christians will be pushed to the margins of what is considered"tolerant" society. Already, our culture has reached the point that it is ahate crime for someone to declare the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Scriptureforetells the result of the trends in this direction:
"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked withgold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full ofabominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was aname written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS ANDABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of thesaints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, Iwondered with great admiration" (Rev. 17:4-6)
Watch for increasingly stringent legislative proposals, and,particularly, for more court actions and edicts aimed at putting a clamp onChristians expressing godly values in most every area of life in America.
People of the United states and the world are entering a time rife withprobabilities that will present great danger to personal liberty. The nextfour years will, at the same time, offer possibilities full of greatopportunity to live victoriously through Christ.
