TELLING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING

Jesus Christ and His Apostles were convinced that the world would go from bad to worse, even to the point of self-annihilation. Here is an excerpt from one of Jesus’ most explicit prophecies.

Mat 24:12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Mat 24:13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Mat 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and

Mat 24:21 then the end will come. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the

Mat 24:22 beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.”

“Lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold”, now can anyone say that this is not true of our world today? Where in the world can one live now that would not be affected by lawlessness, coldness and hatred? Apostle Paul associated the end time with danger and lawlessness too.

2 Tim 3:1 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

2 Tim 3:2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to

2 Tim 3:3 parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of

2 Tim 3:4 good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

2 Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

And so did the other Apostles and most of the prophets of the Old Testament. Daniel even associated the disappearance of the people of God with the end of the world.

Dan 12:7 “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.”

In other words, the time will come when there would be no room for the people of God in this world. Since Jesus Christ also said that His disciples are the salt of the earth, and that if the salt loses its flavor it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot (Mat 5:13), it means that when the people of God disappear from the face of the earth, this world will bring catastrophe upon itself. Jesus Christ associated that time with a tribulation of such magnitude that no flesh would survive if it were not for the intervention of God Almighty.

Mat 24:21"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this

Mat 24:22 time, no, nor ever shall be. "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.”

So while the people of God become scarcer and scarcer until none are left, the lawless ones multiply and grow worse until they bring catastrophe upon the whole world. Now we have a paradox here. For while the vast majority of people believe that we live in the last days, and that includes religious as well as secular people, the gospel that is being preached in the churches these days is one of steady growth, which is contrary to the scriptural sign for the end of this age.

It is customary for churches to begin their service with a report on church growth, and an eulogy to the ministers who draw more members to the church. Judging by the number of people that call themselves “Christians” – about a quarter of the world’s population – this world is still a long way off from coming to an end. And yet, conditions in the world unmistakably point to the fact that this world is on its last legs. So what is the explanation?

While many people would agree that we live in the last days, few believe that the world is as bad as biblical prophecies make it. Surely this is a selfish generation and we have many problems in the world, but is the world really all that bad? Millions of people, who go to church on a regular basis, would hardly agree with that. For that would mean that they are not “holy people” or Christians. Which raises the question, could it be that these “believers” are like the ones mentioned in this passage from the book of Revelation?

Rev 3:14 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Rev 3:15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Rev 3:17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

Rev 3:18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that

Rev 3:19 you may see. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

Rev 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Rev 3:21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with

Rev 3:22 My Father on His throne. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."' "

These words come from the glorified Christ, and are addressed to the very last church mentioned in that book. That church therefore must be in our midst at this very moment. It does not mean that the other churches are not in the world at present, for they may well be, or at least their remnants, but the descriptive words for each church indicate a chronological order more than a contemporaneous geographical existence. Compare for example the church mentioned above, the Laodicean Church, with the first church mentioned in the book of Revelation, the Ephesian Church.

Rev 2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His

Rev 2:2 right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

Rev 2:3 "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not

Rev 2:4 become weary. "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Rev 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent.

Rev 2:6 "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Rev 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'

Notice the specific descriptors associated with each church. For the Church of Ephesus, Jesus Christ said that it has lost its first love, which is what you would expect from a first church, whereas for the Laodicean Church He said that He stood at the door, which is what He would say to the last church that should be ready to meet Him.

These people are wealthy and well fed, and think that they have need of nothing, when in fact they are spiritually slack, are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. In other words, these are the very people that would be thrust into the Great Tribulation so that they are purified, made white, and their nakedness covered.

Now consider the wider implication of this scenario. For while these people are living an indulgent life, two poor people, “clothed in sackcloth”, are crying their heart out, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to a world that neither hears them nor accepts them (Rev.11:3; Mat 24:14). Now why would the lackluster Christians join the rest of humanity in rejecting their message and hounding them until they are killed, then rejoice over their death? Could this be the reason?

2 Cor 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded,

2 Cor 4:4 who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

Our Gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded. And who is the god of this age?

Luke 4:5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a

Luke 4:6 moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

Luke 4:7 "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."

Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

Satan said that the kingdoms of this world have been given to him and he gives them to whomever he wishes.

Now many churches, particularly those of a fundamentalist orientation, such as the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses, have built their edifice upon this claim, yet this could easily be demonstrated to be false. Notice carefully, the kingdoms of this world, were not stolen by Satan, nor grabbed or usurped by him, but given to him. Jesus Christ could have quoted other Scriptures to disprove this claim, yet He let Satan believe that he is the god of this world.

Dan 2:20 “Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.

Dan 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.”

Dan 4:17 “'This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.'”

Dan 4:25 They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

Here we have at least four statements that prove it is the Most High who rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wishes, not Satan. Nevertheless God let Satan veil people’s minds about this truth. Satan then proceeded to set up a whole machinery of deception that included him posing as an angel of light and his servants as ministers of Christ.

2 Cor 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

2 Cor 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his

2 Cor 11:15 ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

This explains why the millions of people who call themselves Christians in the end time do not accept the last two of God’s true witnesses. They have been duped with a false gospel, their minds have been veiled by the wicked one to the truth of God, and are no longer able to recognize the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that is being preached by the two witnesses.

That there are millions of people in the world who worship God in one form or another right up to the end of the age cannot be denied, but that the deception of the world is complete by now and they worship a false god cannot be denied either.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

Conditions in the world are now virtually identical with those associated in the Bible with the end of this age. All prophecies leading to the Great Tribulation have been, or are in the process of being, fulfilled. These include:

- The preaching of the Gospel as a witness to all nations before the end comes (Mat 24:14);

- The striking of the world with unprecedented plagues, epidemics and “natural” disasters (Rev 11:6);

- The general falling away from the truth of God (2 Th 2:3);

- The preaching of false gospels and the appearance of widespread religious deceivers (Mat 24:11);

- The identification of the “abomination of desolation” and the holy place (Mat 24:15, 2 Th 2:3);

- The unveiling of biblical prophecies that deal specifically with the end of this age (Dan 12:4-13; Eph 3:5, Col 1:26), etc.

The most telling sign however that we are in the last days is the intolerable lever of lawlessness that has made this world an extremely dangerous place to live in. There seems to be no place in the word where the people of God can retreat and lead a decent life anymore. Such being the case, you would think that preachers would be zealous to study the Scriptures and understand the will of God. And what does God want of them? To cry aloud the sins of their people and turn them back to God in order to save them from the trials of the Great Tribulation.

On September 15, 2001, during a memorial service in Washington’s National Cathedral for the victims of the terrorist attack on Washington and New York four days earlier, attended by many dignitaries including the current and two former Presidents of the USA, the famous evangelist Billy Graham stirred his audience to attention by telling them: “I am sure you all want an answer to the question of why God allows these things to happen?” Then he stunned them by saying, “I really have no answer. Totally!”

Now if the man who has dedicated his life to preaching the Word of God does not have an answer to that fundamental question, who could have it? Is it possible that the Bible – declared by many holy people, including Jesus Christ, to be the inspired Word of God – would give us no answers to such a question? Would God leave His people in the dark about His work in the world? The Scriptures say that, “Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Why then do God’s prophets not know His secrets anymore? All of Jesus’ priests and ministers are prophets of God therefore one has to wonder why He has not revealed His secrets to those who claim to be His servants?

The Apostles expected God’s people to grow in grace and knowledge until they acquire the mind of God.

2 Pet 3:17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own

2 Pet 3:18 steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Phil 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Phil 2:6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God”.

And what mind was in Christ Jesus? The mind of God of course!

John 17:11 “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We

John 17:19 are. "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

John 17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

John 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

John 17:22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

John 17:23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Jesus Christ had the mind of God and was one with the Father, but He also wanted His followers to be one with Him and the Father, and be “sanctified by the truth”. Now if we are in union with God and have the mind of God, and are sanctified by the truth, then we know His secrets and understand what He is doing in the world. God is telling us in his inspired Word, that whatever He does for His people it is for their own good.

Heb 13:5 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Even the death of His people makes God happy: “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints” (Psa 116:15). This implies that the saints of God are made while still alive, not after death.

Now by the way Billy Graham handled that question, which no one asked him to answer in the first place, he revealed himself to be a bitter old man who holds a grudge against God for letting so many people die ahead of their time. He planted doubts in the minds of his audience about the goodness of God, and that is an unforgivable sin. Every evil word against God, every evil thought and intent against Him represent unforgivable blasphemies.

There are two reasons why God allows such tragedies occur in the life of human beings.

1) To test their faith.

1 Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Pet 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

1 Pet 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Pet 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by

1 Pet 1:7 various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

1 Pet 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy

1 Pet 1:9 inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls.

1 Pet 1:10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that

1 Pet 1:11 would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

1 Pet 1:12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; things which angels desire to look into.

1 Pet 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to

1 Pet 1:14 be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves

1 Pet 1:15 to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all

1 Pet 1:16 your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Heb 12:5 "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by

Heb 12:6 Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."

Heb 12:7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

Heb 12:8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate

Heb 12:9 and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Heb 12:10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we

Heb 12:11 may be partaker of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Heb 12:12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

Heb 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”

2) To punish their sins.

Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them,

Luke 13:2 "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans,

Luke 13:3 because they suffered such things? "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Luke 13:4 "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwell in Jerusalem?

Luke 13:5 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Lev 26:1 'You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.

Lev 26:2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Lev 26:3 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in

Lev 26:4 its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Lev 26:5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you

Lev 26:6 shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.

Lev 26:7 You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.

Lev 26:8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies

Lev 26:9 shall fall by the sword before you. 'For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you

Lev 26:10 and confirm My covenant with you. You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the

Lev 26:11 new I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.

Lev 26:12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

Lev 26:13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their

Lev 26:14 slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and make you walk upright. 'But if you do not obey Me,

Lev 26:15 and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors

Lev 26:16 My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Lev 26:17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

Lev 26:18 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins

Lev 26:19 I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

Lev 26:20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of

Lev 26:21 the land yield their fruit. 'Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring

Lev 26:22 on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be

Lev 26:23 desolate. 'And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,

Lev 26:24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

Lev 26:25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the

Lev 26:26 enemy. When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

Lev 26:27 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,

Lev 26:28 then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

Lev 26:29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.

Lev 26:30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless

Lev 26:31 forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.

Lev 26:32 I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.

Lev 26:33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and

Lev 26:34 your cities waste. Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its Sabbaths.

Lev 26:35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest; for the time it did not rest on your Sabbaths when you dwelt in it.

Lev 26:36 'And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they

Lev 26:37 shall fall when no one pursues. They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when

Lev 26:38 no one pursues; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

Lev 26:39 And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; also in their

Lev 26:40 fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away. 'But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked

Lev 26:41 contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of

Lev 26:42 their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt; then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.

Lev 26:43 The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.

Lev 26:44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.

Lev 26:45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of

Lev 26:46 Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.” These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.”

Now have any of these punishments fallen upon ancient Israel? Not just some, but all of them!

Dan 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over

Dan 9:2 the realm of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Dan 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting,

Dan 9:4 sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His

Dan 9:5 commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by

Dan 9:6 departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. "Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.

Dan 9:7 "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day; to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

Dan 9:8 "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.

Dan 9:9 "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.

Dan 9:10 "We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by

Dan 9:11 His servants the prophets. "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.

Dan 9:12 "And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to

Dan 9:13 Jerusalem. "As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.

Dan 9:14 "Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.

Dan 9:15 "And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

Dan 9:16 "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and

Dan 9:17 Your people are a reproach to all those around us. "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.

Dan 9:18 "O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because

Dan 9:19 of Your great mercies. "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

All the things that happened to ancient Israel are example for us today.

1 Cor 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud,

1 Cor 10:2 all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

1 Cor 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food, and all drunk the same spiritual drink.

1 Cor 10:4 For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

1 Cor 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

1 Cor 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they

1 Cor 10:7 also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

1 Cor 10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

1 Cor 10:9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;

1 Cor 10:10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

Did you notice? “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come”. The whole world knows that we live in the end times, a fact confirmed by anyone who cares to admit the true condition of the world and the truth about the environment. The world eco-systems are simply not able to sustain for much longer the burdens that are being placed upon them. Hundreds of species disappear from the face of the earth every year – a rate that will leave the earth denuded of life in a near future. It will not be long before human beings themselves begin to feel the pressure and apply the law of the survival of the fittest, which they have so enthusiastically, but foolishly, embraced in the last couple of centuries or so.

Apostle Paul believed that the “ends of the ages” would come in his time. Well, he got it wrong by a couple of thousand of years, but now the signs are much too obvious that the end will come in this generation, the strongest pointer being the astonishing prophetic developments that are occurring before our very eyes. This should be of concern to every human being, because the sins that caused the fall of ancient Israel are rampant in the whole world today, particularly in the United States of America. This is what we wrote a decade ago in the very first edition of The Christian Herald.

“At the beginning of the current Middle Eastern crisis, President Bush [senior] said that the Middle East represented an area of vital interest to the United States and its allies. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces posed a direct threat to that interest and as a result a concerted military campaign was organized with the participation of a surprisingly large number of countries.

President Bush went on to say that the world had entered an “era of promise, freedom and peace”, and that a new world order was being established in which acts of “naked aggression” like the one perpetrated by Saddam Hussein against Kuwait would not be appeased as was Hitler's aggression against his neighbors that led to the Second World War.

Promising words from the leader of the world's greatest power, and worthy of praise if he remains consistent, but so far he has not explained why one aggression is worse than another. Saddam Hussein, the darling of the West when he invaded Iran, became its foe when he invaded Kuwait. It seems that in this new world order aggression is allowed against some countries but not against others, depending on whether they are friends or foes of the USA.

Neither did President Bush explain since when is the Middle Eastern oil vital to the survival of the U.S.A. and its allies, for no doubt oil is what he had in mind when he spoke of their vital interest. Would these countries perish if a quarter of the Middle Eastern oil were cut off? Would any nation perish if all the oil from this region were to be cut off - a most unlikely occurrence anyway? To be sure, there would be major disruptions to many countries' economies and life-styles – not a bad development as far as the environment is concerned – but no nation would perish as a result of it, certainly not the U.S.A. and its allies, most of which still have substantial energy resources of their own plus supplies from other areas of the world. No, the current Middle Eastern military campaign has an entirely different objective of which most of its participants are not even aware. But more of this later, now let us find out what is the USA’s truly vital interest.

In a front page article, in one of Australia's major newspapers (Sydney Morning Herald, August 10, 1990), a journalist described what he discovered when he inquired about the latest in children's computer programs. What appeared at first sight to be a seemingly innocuous article, of interest mainly to the younger generation, turned out to be neither innocuous nor childish, but a grisly saga of unspeakable abominations and perversions that sent shivers through one’s body. Here is part of what he wrote:

"Without much trouble, I arranged a meeting this week with a young man who prefers to be known by his nom-de-modem of Crud. I was shown a selection which ranged from shots of 'Penthouse' centerfolds to the latest La Cicciolina movie (The Rise and Fall of a Roman Empress) to Animal House, which features unspeakable acts with dogs, donkeys and chickens, to 'interactive party games' in which the player(s) can compete... The kids don't need access to the family video, they can do it in the privacy of their bedrooms... anyone who knows how to use a computer and a modem can obtain this stuff, and parents wouldn't have a clue."

One might have expected that such a story would have stirred to action the custodians of society's moral and spiritual standards, but one would have been very disappointed if he thought that way. Not a voice of concern from a preacher, a Member of Parliament, an educationist, a community leader, or from the ordinary people. These people's feelings have been dulled to such an extent by the fall in moral standards that nothing shocks them anymore. The religious leaders (in most countries but especially in America) are busy preaching week by week, telling people what they want to hear, instead of what they ought to hear, feeding themselves instead of feeding the flock (Eze.34: 8). Is it any wonder that national leaders are blind to their countries' true vital interests?

One would be excused in hoping that perhaps what the journalist described was an isolated case in some sleepy suburb of Sydney, but he would be very wrong again if he thought that way. The young man's computer was connected to an international network distributed from, where else but - you guessed it - the United States of America: