Sunday, December 7, 2008

"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ
By Warren Smith
Oprah Winfrey will be letting out all the stops on her XM Satellite Radio program this coming year. Beginning January 1, 2008, “Oprah & Friends” will offer a year-long course on the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracle1 A lesson a day throughout the year will completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in Miracles “Workbook.”
For example, Lesson #29 asks you to go through your day affirming that “God is in everything I see.”2 Lesson #61 tells each person to repeat the affirmation “I am the light of the world.”3 Lesson #70 teaches the student to say and believe “My salvation comes from me.”4 By the end of the year, “Oprah & Friends” listeners will have completed all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles Workbook. Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset—a New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is “in” everyone and everything. A Course in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe about God and life. The Course Workbook bluntly states: “This is a course in mind training”5 and is dedicated to “thought reversal.”6Teaching A Course in Miracles will be Oprah’s longtime friend and special XM Satellite Radio reporter Marianne Williamson—who also happens to be one of today’s premier New Age leaders. She and Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch co-founded the American Renaissance Alliance in 1997, that later became the Global Renaissance Alliance of New Age leaders, that changed its name again in 2005 to the Peace Alliance. This Peace Alliance seeks to usher in an era of global peace founded on the principles of a New Age/New Spirituality that they are now referring to as a “civil rights movement for the soul.”7 They all agree that the principles of this New Age/New Spirituality are clearly articulated in A Course in Miracles—which is fast becoming the New Age Bible. So what is A Course in Miracles and what does it teach?A Course in Miracles is allegedly “new revelation” from “Jesus” to help humanity work through these troubled times. This “Jesus”—who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible’s Jesus Christ—began delivering his channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology by the name of Helen Schucman.
One day Schucman heard an “inner voice” stating, “This is a course in miracles. Please take notes.”8 For seven years she diligently took spiritual dictation from this inner voice that described himself as “Jesus.” A Course in Miracles was quietly published in 1975 by the Foundation for Inner Peace. For many years “the Course” was an underground cult classic for New Age seekers who studied “the Course” individually, with friends, or in small study groups.As a former New Age follower and devoted student of A Course in Miracles, I eventually discovered that the Course in Miracles was—in reality—the truth of the Bible turned upside down. Not having a true understanding of the Bible at the time of my involvement, I was led to believe that A Course in Miracles was “a gift from God” to help everyone understand the “real” meaning of the Bible and to help bring peace to the world. Little did I know that the New Age “Christ” and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles were everything the real Jesus Christ warned us to watch out for. In Matthew 24 Jesus warned about false teachers, false teachings and the false “Christs” who would pretend to be He. When I left the New Age “Christ” to follow the Bible’s Jesus Christ, I had come to understand that the “Jesus” of A Course in Miracles was a false “Christ,” and that his Course in Miracles was dangerously deceptive. Here are some quotes from the “Jesus” of A Course in Miracles:
“There is no sin. . . " 9

A “slain Christ has no meaning.”10
“The journey to the cross should be the last ‘useless journey.”11
“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross.’”12
“The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray.”13
“God is in everything I see.”14
“The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”15
“The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power.”16
“The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation.”17
Most Christians recognize that these teachings are the opposite of what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the cross of Calvary was hardly a “useless journey.” His triumph on the cross provides salvation to all those who confess their sin, accept Him and follow Him as their Lord and Saviour. His victory on the cross rings throughout the New Testament. It has been gloriously sung about in beloved hymns through the ages and is at the heart of our Christian testimony.
I found the Jesus of the Bible to be wholly believable as He taught God’s truth and warned about the spiritual deception that would come in His name. The “Jesus” of A Course in Miracles reveals himself to be an imposter when he blasphemes the true Jesus Christ by saying that a “slain Christ has no meaning” and that we are all “God” and that we are all “Christ.” It was by reading the Bible’s true teachings of Jesus Christ that I came to understand how deceived I had been by A Course in Miracles and my other New Age teachings.I was introduced to A Course in Miracles by Dr. Gerald Jampolsky’s book Love is Letting Go of Fear. Jampolsky declared in his easy-to-read book how the teachings of A Course in Miracles had changed his life. As an ambassador for A Course in Miracles over the years, Jampolsky has been featured not only in New Age circles but at least twice on Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power. While Schuller introduced Jampolsky and his fabulous 18 Course in Miracles-based books to his worldwide television audience, it was Marianne Williamson’s appearance on a 1992 Oprah Winfrey Show that really shook the rafters.On that program, Oprah enthusiastically endorsed Williamson’s book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles. Oprah told her television audience that Williamson’s book about A Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to everyone in her studio audience. Oprah’s endorsement skyrocketed Williamson’s book about A Course in Miracles to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Ironically, all of this was happening after I had left the Course and the New Age. In fact, I was doing the final editing on my book The Light That Was Dark that warned about the dangers of the New Age—and in particular A Course in Miracles.After being introduced to the world on Oprah, Marianne Williamson has continued to grow in popularity and, as previously mentioned, has become one of today’s foremost New Age leaders. Williamson credits Winfrey for bringing her book about A Course in Miracles before the world: “For that, my deepest thanks to Oprah Winfrey. Her enthusiasm and generosity have given the book, and me, an audience we would never otherwise have had.”19 In her 2004 book, The Gift of Change, Williamson wrote:
“Twenty years ago, I saw the guidance of the Course as key to changing one’s personal life; today, I see its guidance as key to changing the world. More than anything else, I see how deeply the two are connected.”20
Thus the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles are about to be taught by Marianne Williamson to millions of listeners on Oprah’s XM Satellite Radio program. Listeners are encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for the year-long course. An audio version of A Course in Miracles recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas is also available on compact disc.
Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the “brilliant writing” of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.21 Williamson’s New Age colleague, Neale Donald Walsch, said his “God” stated that “the era of the Single Saviour is over”22 and that he (“God”) was responsible for authoring the teachings of A Course in Miracles.23
Meanwhile, Gerald Jampolsky’s Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be sold in Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, Rethink Conference at his Crystal Cathedral.24At this critical time in the history of the world, the New Gospel/New Spirituality is coming right at the world and the church with its New Age teachings and its New Age Peace Plan. But this New Age Peace Plan has at its deceptive core the bottom-line teaching from A Course in Miracles that “we are all one” because God is “in” everyone and everything. But the Bible is clear that we are not God (Ezekiel 28:2; Hosea 11:9). And per Galatians 3:26-28, our only oneness is in Jesus Christ—not in ourselves as “God” and “Christ.” What Oprah and Marianne Williamson and the world will learn one day is that humanity’s only real and lasting peace is with the true Jesus Christ who is described and quoted in the Holy Bible (Romans 5:1).Oprah Winfrey’s misplaced faith in Marianne Williamson and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles is a sure sign of the times. But an even surer sign of the times is that most Christians are not taking heed to what is happening in the world and in the church. We are not contending for the faith as the Bible admonishes us to do (Jude 3).
It is time for all of our Purpose-Driven and Emerging church pastors to address the real issue of the day. Our true Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is being reinvented, redefined, and blasphemed right in front of our eyes and hardly anyone seems to notice or care. If we want the world to know who Jesus Christ is, we need to also warn them about who He is not. There is a false New Age “Christ” making huge inroads into the world and into the church. The Apostle Paul said that “it is a shame” we have to even talk about these things, but talk about them we must (Ephesians 5:12-16). If people want to follow Oprah Winfrey and the New Age “Christ” of A Course in Miracles they certainly have that right. But let them be warned that the New Age “Christ” they are following is not the same Jesus Christ who is so clearly and authoritatively presented in the pages of the Bible.
Warren Smith is a former New Age follower who at one time was deeply involved in the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles

JESUS CHRIST IN HINDU SCRIPTURES

JESUS CHRIST IN HINDU SCRIPTURES
Dr. N. Sharath Babu, M. A., M. Phil., D. Min

God is the father of all the human beings. Some human beings may not know him as their own father. Since God is the creator, he is the father of all.
Bible presents clearly that God is love (1 John 4:8). He loves with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The loving God does not want any one to perish. So he revealed himself in various ways including as the incarnate God called Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1, 2). Since God does not want anyone to be lost, he lightens every human being who is born into this world (John 1:9). So the loving God has graciously revealed himself through the Hindu scriptures in order that the teeming millions of Hindus may not be lost in the total darkness of sin. It is so amazing to see the Hindu scriptures bear witness to Jesus Christ by name and his vicarious death. I have gleaned the following scriptural references from Hindu scripture books about Christ. These Hindu scriptural passages show clearly that Christ was born to a virgin, is holy and blameless, he suffered and died, and redeemed the sinners by shedding his holy blood.
All the Hindu scriptures which are referred are written in Sanskrit language and the Vedas quoted here are written between 2000 and 1500 B.C. The Upanishads are written between 10th century and 2nd century B.C.

References to the Birth of Christ
The following quotations speak clearly about Jesus Christ. The second quotation even mentions the name of Jesus.
After creating the sky, waters, and the earth, the supreme spirit of the Lord almighty thought “I created the worlds. Now to provide for and to save these worlds I have to create a savior.” Thinking thus He gave birth to a man from himself. (Ithareya Upanishad 1.1.3)
The Puranas explain the Vedic truths in the form of stories. The Bhavishya Purana
1 is the ninth in this set of eighteen sacred books. Its third part is entitled Bharath khand, and the second chapter in the third part is entitled Pratisarg. This chapter has thirty-four verses that clearly tell the story of Jesus Christ and His incarnation. The following verses show the main parts.
Verse 31:
Yeesh moorti parapta nitya shuddha shivakari:
Yeesha masih itticha mam nama prathishtatham
Translation:
The revelation of God who is eternal, Holy, Compassionate and giver of salvation; who dwells within our heart is manifested. His name is yeesha Masih [Jesus Christ].
Speaking of this Savior and God incarnate, the sages call Him Purusha shubham (blameless and Holy person), Balwaan raja gaurang shweta vastrakam (sovereign king in a holy person robed in white) Yeesh putra (Son of God ), Kumari garbha sambhavam (one who is born of a virgin), and Satya Varatha Paraayanam (one who is the sustainer of the path of truth).
Rigveda, the first scripture, also presents Christ without mentioning His name, but referring to Him as the Word who is God.
This man is all that has been, all that is and all that has to be. He controls the eternal life and it is for the redemption of mankind. He surpasses His immortal sphere and descends to the mortal sphere. He comes to give every one reward as per their deeds.
Venerable words from the Vedic scriptures affirm:
“The word is the indestructible God.” (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 4:1, 2).
The Supreme Leader who is the cause and governor of all creation who to protect and save sinful mankind, Himself appeared upon the earth wrapped in a body that is Holy and without sin. (Rigveda 10.125)
References to the Suffering and Death of Christ
Christ underwent immeasurable physical and mental pain when he was crucified. The Hindu scriptures highlight his physical suffering. Some of these statements seems to refer to Christ because there was no Hindu god or goddess who bore such suffering on behalf of sinners.
The crown of thorns was placed on his head: “The sacrificial victim is to be crowned with a crown made of thorny vines” (Rigveda 10.90.7, 15).
His clothes were divided among those who offered him. “After death, His clothes are to be divided among the offerors” (Ithareya Brahmanam).
The person tied to a wooden cross: “His hands and legs are to be bound to a yoopa (a wooden pole) causing blood shed” (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, 3.9.28).
While the victim was at his greatest agony on the cross, he was given a herbal drink which had an intoxicating effect: “Before death, He should be given a drink of somarasa” [an intoxicating herbal juice] (Yajur Veda 31).
Though the victim was hung on the wooden cross, none of his bones were broken: “None of His bones be broken” (Ithareya Brahmanam 2.6).
The Hindu scriptures point to the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses from sin.
If you want to be delivered from the sin which you commit through eyes, mouth, ears and mind, bloodshed is necessary. Without shedding the blood, there is no remission for sin. That must be the blood of the Holy one. God is our creator. He is our King. When we were perishing, He came to save us by offering even his own body on our behalf. (Maha Brahmanam 4.15)
God is the ruler of people. He will offer His body as a sacrifice, for His people; for the remission of their sins (Sama veda, part 2, Thandiya Maha Brahmanam).
These statements clearly describe the suffering and the death of Christ. No one else qualifies. These Hindu scriptural references will be a great help to present Jesus to the orthodox Hindus. As a second step Jesus can be presented as the true incarnated God, meeting their full expectations by using Hindu scriptures themselves. ma
These scattered but clear-cut references to Christ led some Hindu seekers of the truth to the Bible and Christ. Such people have openly embraced Christianity through baptism and witnessing marvelously for Christ.
1Bhavishya purana is one of the eighteen puranans. Bhavishya means future. It contains a number of future events, including the information about the virgin birth of Christ and his name. It is the only scripture book which contains the name of Jesus. See Krishna Dwaipuayana Vyasa, Bhavishya Purana (Mumbai: Kemraj Shrikrishnadas, 1959).

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Is the EUROPIAN UNION. the Revived Roman Empire?

Is the E.U. the Revived Roman Empire?
Jennifer Rast
Daniel chapters 2 and 7 reveal a strong connection between the formation of the European Union and end-times scripture. The possible fulfillment of this scripture began in 1950 when the Roman Empire began to show signs of being revived. In 1950 the European Coal and Steel Community was proposed as a means of achieving economic unification in Europe following the war. The hope was that this would strengthen economic trade in Europe. This unified effort led to the signing of the treaties of Rome in 1957, which established the European Economic Community (EEC), and the European Atomic Energy Council. That treaty was taken a step further with the signing of the Brussels Treaty in 1965. The Brussels Treaty began the process of rebuilding the old Roman Empire through reunification of European states under one political system, one economic system, and eventually under the protection of one military force. The treaty established a commission, council, parliament, and court for the union. The revived Roman Empire prophesied in the Bible was well on its way to becoming a reality.
More states were added to this growing union in 1973, 1981, and 1986, making up the 10 permanent member states of today’s European Union. In 2002, the Euro was introduced as the first step toward a unified single currency in Europe. Upon adopting the Euro, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres raved, “As Peter was the rock on which the church was built, so the Euro is the rock on which the European Union will be built.” 3
The EU today is made up of over 25 countries, however the ten nations of the Western European Alliance have a separate status as full members, while those nations who joined subsequent to the original 10 have only associate membership, or observer status. This 10 nation military wing of the EU may very well fulfill the prophecy of the beast with 10 horns from Daniel 7:7-8 and Revelations 13:1. On this beast’s back will ride the woman that symbolizes a global religious system that is to appear before Christ returns to set up His kingdom.
The purpose of the EU’s creation was and is, ultimately, to create a European super-state or “United States of Europe”, as some have suggested naming it, that would eventually rival the United States in influence and military might. In 1999, Javier Solana became the High Representative for the EU’s foreign and security policy, and through recommendation 666, he was given emergency powers over the military wing of the EU in 2000. All that currently remains to create a truly revived Roman Empire is the creation of a permanent executive branch of government and the full integration of the new Euro currency. With the introduction of the new EU constitution, the groundwork is being laid for just such an executive branch and economic system.
So how does this all relate to Bible prophecy? Let’s start with the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 2 records that the ancient Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream concerning the Last Days. No Babylonian could interpret the dream; however, Daniel, a captive of Judah, was able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:25-30), as God had already revealed the dream to him (Daniel 2:19-23).
Daniel 2:25-30 says, “You, O king, your thoughts came while you were on your bed about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets informed you what will be. As for me, it is not because I possess more wisdom than any other being that this secret was revealed to me, but rather to make the interpretation known to the king, so that you may know what has occupied your thoughts.”
Daniel recounted the dream to Nebuchadnezzar, and interpreted the king’s dream of a huge statue by explaining the 4 major components of the statue.
1. A head of Gold
2. Breast and arms of silver
3. Belly and thighs of bronze
4. Feet of iron and clay
Most Bible scholars interpret these 4 components to represent the 4 major empires that have existed in the world’s history. Daniel confirms that the first of these empires is Babylon, ruled by Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 2:37-38 “Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of Gold.”
Daniel goes on to identify the second and third empires that will emerge following the Babylonian empire.
Daniel 2:39 “And after you will arise another kingdom inferior to you, and [then] another, a third kingdom, of copper, which will rule the whole earth.”
History records the empires that followed Babylon were Medo-Persia and Greece. Daniel 5 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Belshazzar, was conquered by Persia. The second empire of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was established from modern-day Iran to Asia Minor (Turkey).
The third empire to arise (Daniel 2:39b) and rule the earth was Greece, whose reign began at the time of Alexander the Great. The fourth empire will be a revived model of this Roman Empire. Daniel did, after all, tell Nebuchadnezzar that his vision was about “what will be at the End of Days” (Daniel 2:28). The fourth empire is described as follows:
Daniel 2:40 “It will be strong, yet mixed. It will be a diverse empire (part of potters clay and part of iron, the kingdom will be divided), but will be strong (but there shall be in it of the strength of iron)
Prophecies elsewhere in the Bible also describe this fourth empire of the final days, and by studying these we can examine further any indications that would point to the European Union as the final world empire that will be ruled by the antichrist before Messiah returns.
DANIEL’S VISION OF 4 BEASTS
Following Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Daniel also had a vision of these 4 kingdoms, but this time they were represented by 4 beasts. (Daniel 7:1-24)
The first beast in Daniel 7:4 is described as being “like a lion, and it has eagles wings”. Interestingly, the emblem of the ancient Babylon was a lion with eagles wings.
The second beast is described in Daniel 7:5 – “Then behold! Another beast, a second one, similar to a bear; it was placed on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and this is what they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’” The second beast in Daniel 7 is generally accepted as being Medo-Persia because Persia devoured much of the Middle East and Asia, and the Persian Empire had three capitals, Susa, Persepolis, and the conquered Babylon.
Of the third beast Daniel 7:6 says “After this I was watching and behold! Another beast, like a leopard, with four bird’s wings on its back; the beast had four heads, and it was given dominion”. This beast is symbolic of the empire of Greece left behind by Alexander the Great. When Alexander the Great died in 323 C.E., his empire was divided between and ruled by 4 of his generals.
The following verses describe the 4th beast, or kingdom of Daniel’s dream.
Daniel 7:7-8 “After this I was watching in night visions, and behold! A fourth beast, exceedingly terrifying, awesome and strong. It has immense iron teeth, and it was devouring and crumbling, and trampling its feet what remained. It was different from all the beasts that had preceded it, and it had ten horns. As I was contemplating the horns, behold! Another horn, a small one, came up among them, and three of the previous horns were uprooted before it. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking haughty words”.
Daniel 7:23 “Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it to peaces.
In the first verse we see a fourth beast with 10 horns. The small horn, speaking haughty words, rises up and conquers three of them. This represents the antichrist that will come to power through the 4th kingdom. The 10 horns, 3 of which are subdued, are the 10 kings that make up the rulers of the 4th kingdom. From this kingdom and the reign of antichrist will come a global system of government that will rule over the earth prior to the coming of Christ to establish his Kingdom.
Daniel 7:24 “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.”
The three kings that are subdued will probably not approve of his rise to power or will object to his far-reaching powers. It’s interesting that, prior to the war in Iraq, France, Germany, and Belgium threatened the EU nations that sided with the U.S. with serious consequences if any EU partner joined the coalition to remove Sadam Hussein.
Recent events may point to the position that the future antichrist will fill in his rise to power. In addition to creating an EU constitution, plans are being discussed for an EU presidency that will replace the current 6 month rotating presidency, creating a powerful international leader with great influence at the United Nations and on the global stage. The new president would be elected by government heads of EU members and would hold office for five years. Tony Blair believes this new president “will become the public face and driving force of Europe”2. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has gone so far as to say that the Euro was the “first step to a federation”, and he went on to say that he wanted a powerful president of the EU as head of a European government with full legal and executive power. He welcomed the progress made in removing the “sovereign rights” of nations.3
We’re given a clue as to the identity of the little horn in Daniel 9:26 – “And after threescore and two weeks and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and end thereof shall be [as swept away] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
We know that the people who destroyed Jerusalem (the city) and the temple (the sanctuary) were the Romans. From this people shall come the “prince that is to come” or the Antichrist. We can expect then for the Antichrist to rise up from a fourth kingdom that will be the revived Roman Empire.
Daniel 7:25 says, “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.”
The Antichrist will speak blasphemous words against God as he rules over the world, and there will be intense persecution of the tribulation saints, those who accept Christ after the rapture of His church. A time and times and the dividing of time refers to the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation (see Rev. 12:14; 135).
The EU is definitely becoming a world power of clay (diversity) and iron (power) with striking similarities to the fourth kingdom or fourth beast of Daniel’s prophecies. A world power of so many ethnic groups and representing so many states could easily become a very influential leader at the United Nations and the world. It’s possible that the U.N. is a beginning for this world government that will eventually be ruled by a revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist.
There are, however, other views on these prophesies that can be considered. Some think that the fourth kingdom is the revived Roman Empire (ten kings are the 10 nation military alliance of the EU) and the U.N. is the 4th beast (10 horns being the 10 bio-regions the UN has established for the globe). Only time will tell which is the case.
If the EU is the revived Roman Empire that will bring about the rise of Antichrist, then it is important to look at the religious symbolism of the EU. After all, riding on the beast’s back will be the harlot that represents a global pagan religious system that will unite the world and play a part in the persecution of the tribulation saints (Rev. 17).
The EU flag has a circle of 12 stars on a blue background. These stars were inspired by the halo of 12 stars appearing around the Madonna as depicted in Catholic pictures of her. Leon Marchal, former secretary general of the Council of Europe, confirmed that the stars are representative of “the woman of the Apocalypse”. He expounded, “it’s wonderful that we have gotten back to the introit of the new Mass of the Assumption. It’s the corona stellarum duodecim of the woman of the Apocalypse”.4 He is referencing the woman in Revelation 12 who appears with a crown of 12 stars. The Bible uses this symbolism to represent Israel, however the Catholic Church has always claimed that she represents the Virgin Mary, “the mother of God”. A leaflet titled “Building Europe Together” states that “The European flag is a shared flag, blue with 12 gold stars symbolizing completeness. The number will remain 12 no matter how many countries there are in the European Union.”
The anthem of the EU “Ode to Joy” also contains religious symbolism. “Ode to Joy” is the prelude to the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which has religious implications. EU publications state that the anthem really is an “ode to freedom, community, and peace”, however the lyrics, by Friedrich von Schiller, are actually about the entering of the shrine of a pagan goddess and the uniting of all men in brotherhood, by the power of magic.5
Further evidence of a religious side to the European Union is a poster that was issued by the EU, showing the tower of Babel. The poster carried the slogan “Many tongues, one voice.” As if the celebration of the pagan tower that led God to confuse the languages of a defiant people (Genesis 11) isn’t enough, a crane in the background was shown rebuilding the tower. Now, once again, a rebellious people are rebuilding mystery Babylon. In a parliament building in Strasbourg, France, you will find an enormous replica of the unfinished tower of Babel that the secular press has named “Eurobabel”.
If that religious symbolism seems too obscure to be that significant, perhaps a snapshot of Revelation 17 will peak your interest in the religious symbolism of the EU. Revelation 17 depicts a great harlot riding on a beast. The beast in Revelation 17 represents the world government and the great harlot is a global religion that will ride in on its back. This harlot riding a beast was used when Britain issued a stamp to commemorate the first EU parliament election in 1979. It is now the official picture of the EU, and is painted on the dome of the parliament building in Brussels. It is also pictured on the same building that holds the “Eurobabel”.
The EU constitution has also raised the ire of protestant leaders by banning the mention of Christianity as part of Europe’s cultural heritage, while at the same time, including references to the civilizations of Greece and Rome, and the philosophical heritage of the Enlightenment. EU government representatives excused this revisionist view of history by claiming any mention of Christian values would upset the Muslim population of the EU.6
As you can see, the stage is being set for the emergence of a global political system(the EU and the UN), a global economic system(the Euro and WTO), and a global religious system (the interfaith movement). The EU would seem to fulfill many of the prophesies of the fourth kingdom that is to come, from which will arise the Antichrist of the end-times. Only time will tell, but as we are encouraged in the Bible to be aware of the signs, we should all be looking up. We may soon be with our Lord.

Prophetic Signs that we are in the End Times

Prophetic Signs that we are in the End Times
Jennifer Rast
The Bible gives many examples of signs that should warn us of the coming end of the age. Six such signs are given by Jesus, two characteristics are given by Paul, and eleven other occurrences are given by the prophets to occur prior to or soon after the end of the age. While we are also told we will not know the time of the End, God obviously wanted us to know when that time was getting closer. As the Christian church is increasingly drawn into the interfaith movement, and as more and more churches go into isolation, preparing to sleep through the growing attacks on their faith, perhaps God knew it would take a few signs to wake us up and remind us that we have work to do.
Unfortunately, many Christians take the verses that tell us we won't know the time of His coming to mean they should ignore any and all scripture that might warn us of this time of tribulation. Others have fallen into the trap of fearing being labeled a "conspiracy theorist" should they display an interest in the Biblical prophecies about our future on Earth. My philosophy is simple. God included it in the Bible and, since God is all knowing, we should trust that it is something we should know and study along with the rest of His Word.
It is increasingly obvious that the time of our Lord's coming is drawing near. Prophecy is being fulfilled daily, and at a faster pace than ever before. Whether you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, or believe Christians will be witness to the full tribulation, wrath, and final judgments, matters not. The beginning of birth pains and the signs of the times should have the same effect on all of us. It should motivate us to save as many souls as we can in the time that we have left. The Great Commission tells us to be disciples to all nations, bringing the message of salvation through Christ to all people. If the Church is raptured before the tribulation, it is important that we leave behind an explanation for the trials and judgments those left behind will face. How else will they recognize the deception of the anti-Christ and seek instead the truth of the Bible? If we are to endure the tribulation along side them, we will need to be prepared to not only share the message of salvation, but share with them the reasons for God's judgment and hold it up as further proof of their need to be saved.
Below is a study of the prophetic signs God gave us as a warning of the approaching end of the age. Many of them are being fulfilled now and many will be fulfilled in the near future. I would encourage you to study prophecy, know what is coming and be prepared to share it with others.
SIX SIGNS GIVEN BY JESUS TO INDICATE HIS COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE
In Matthew24:3 Jesus was asked, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" Jesus told his apostles to look for the following signs prior to his second coming and the end of the age.
1. FALSE PROPHETS AND CHRISTS
Matthew 24:5 "For many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and will mislead many."
Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many."
In the last several years many have claimed to be the Messiah. Jim Jones and David Koresh are examples of these false christs as well as countless others who are not as newsworthy. These false prophets are a prelude to the ultimate false christ, the antichrist. Many New Age groups, some even NGO's working for the United Nations, are anxiously awaiting the antichrist, preparing the way for his acceptance as the head of the hierarchy of gods and the one who will usher in world peace.
2. WARS
Matthew 24:6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end."
Rumors of wars in all areas of the world now occur frequently thanks to instant media coverage and the availability of a multitude of 24-hour news sources.
Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."
More people have been killed in warfare in this century than at any other time in history. As the death toll rises in the Middle East, more and more countries work feverishly to develop devastating weapons of mass destruction. Add to that the expanding threat of terrorism and unpredictable dictators such as Saddam Hussein, and the potential for the outbreak of war exists in nations, kingdoms and places across the globe.
3. FAMINES
Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."
As white, Christian farmers are driven out of Zimbabwe in increasing numbers, and foreigners move in to replace life-sustaining crops with poppies that now supply 25% of the worlds drugs, famine spreads across the African continent. The undernourished are not limited to Africa, however. A large portion of the worlds 5 billion people suffers from a shortage of food.
4. EARTHQUAKES
Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."
The number and intensity of earthquakes this century is at a level higher than any other time in history. A staggering number of seismic events occur around the world daily. The earthquake seismic monitor IRIS shows all major earthquakes for the last year. Indicated by yellow and red circles, the seismic events of the last 15 days provides strong evidence of the fulfillment of Matthew 24:7 in our day. By contrast, in the years from 1890 to 1900 there was only one major earthquake in the world.
5. TRIBULATIONS
Matthew 24:8-9 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name."
Christians are under attack throughout the world today. In the United States Christians still enjoy freedom to worship God without suffering much more than ridicule, hatred, or discrimination at work and school. However in many other countries such as China, Sudan, Africa, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Russia, and many Muslim nations, Christian suffer much greater persecution and often times death for their faith. During the tribulation this suffering will be worldwide and will continue even to the point of martyrdom. These first 5 signs will increase in intensity and severity as the tribulation approaches, much like the birth pangs or contractions of a pregnant woman worsen as the delivery time approaches.
6. THE GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come."
This prophecy has already been fulfilled through television, radio, missionaries, the translation of the Bible into many languages, and the internet. People all over the world now hear the message of Christ from missionaries who have the means to travel the globe, and via technology that allows us to communicate with people on the other side of the world right from our own homes, churches and offices.
TWO CHARACTERISTICS OF THE END OF THE AGE FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL
1. GODLESSNESS IN THE LAST DAYS
II Timothy 3:1-5,7 "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
For anyone who has watched television, read a newspaper, lost a retirement to corporate greed and corruption, or just walked outside their front door, it is obvious this prophecy has been fulfilled by our generation. Our leaders are often corrupt; our cities are filled with crime, brutality, and neon signs proclaiming our sinful, godless nature. The New Age Movement brings in increasing numbers of mystics who claim to be the enlightened ones. They are some of the most educated and influential people in our societies, and yet the most lacking in real truth.
2. APOSTASY (FALLING AWAY FROM THE FAITH)
I Timothy 4:1-3 "But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth."
Churches today are becoming more and more ecumenical, embracing the New Age interfaith agenda, and denying Christ as the only way to salvation. Giving in to the politically correct media and a corrupt society, they have embrace homosexuality as an acceptable alternate lifestyle and preach tolerance and compromise in place of God's truth for the salvation of the world. The environmentalist movement within the New Age movement lures them into a worship of mother earth, belief in past lives, reincarnation, and Karma while demonizing all those who would eat the meat God gave us as nourishment for our bodies.
ELEVEN FULFILLMENTS OF BIBLE PROPHECY REQUIRED FOR THE END OF THE AGE
1. EXISTENCE OF A 200,000,000 MAN ARMY IN THE EAST
Revelation 9:16 "And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them."
An army of that size had never existed until China's army reached that number in the 1960's.
2. REDEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (EUROPEAN COMMUNITY)
Daniel 2:32-33 "The head of the statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay."
Daniel 2:40-43 "Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have the toughness of iron, and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery."
The fourth kingdom of iron is the Roman empire according to Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The two legs are the division of the Roman empire into an eastern portion called the Byzantine empire which ended in the 1400's and a western portion based in Rome which ended in the 400's. The nations of Europe since the Roman empire dissolved have never adhered or formed one empire but continue as separate nations, however, the European Union now has 15 Member States and is preparing for the accession of 13 eastern and southern European countries.
3. RETURN OF THE ONE PURE LANGUAGE, HEBREW, TO ISRAEL
Zephaniah 3:9 "For then I will return to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent."
Prior to the restoration of Israel in 1948, Hebrew was a dead language. Now Hebrew is spoken throughout Israel.
4. REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE, RESTORATION OF TEMPLE WORSHIP AND ANIMAL SACRIFICES IN JERUSALEM
For several end time prophecies to be fulfilled, the temple will have to be rebuilt.
Revelation 11:2 "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the oly city for forty-two months."
Daniel 9:27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolation, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."
Daniel 9:26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary."
Some archeologists believe that the temple mount is actually 340 feet south of the Dome of the Rock site, putting the Dome of the Rock within the Court of the Gentiles. This may be the court outside the temple that is left out.
There are many groups already working on preparations for the new temple. The blueprints are already done, the temple garments have been made, and there have already been attempts to lay the cornerstone of the temple. The only thing standing in the way of the construction of the new temple is Islam's third holiest site, the Dome of the Rock and government support for such an undertaking. Some possible scenarios for the rebuilding of the temple are as follows:
1. The persuasion and performing of miracles by the Antichrist and False Prophet convinces the Islamic world to approve the rebuilding.
2. The United Nations will negotiate the rebuilding of the temple following a war with the armies from the North (Russia and Islamic forces). This assumes that the war with the armies from the North is not the battle of Armageddon as some feel and that this attack occurs before the rapture or tribulation period begins. The supernatural destruction of the Russian army and Islamic forces will cause an outpouring of Christian worship and zeal amongst the Jewish people who will reconstruct the temple.
3. It is determined that the site of the first two temples is actually south of the Dome of the Rock, and the court of the gentiles (Dome of the Rock) will be left out of the 3rd temple.
A group in Israel called the Temple Mount Faithful have obtained most of the clothing, instruments and other equipment required for temple worship and are actively preparing for the laying of the third temple's cornerstone.
5. APPEARANCE OF THE RED HEIFER AFTER 2000 YEARS
Numbers 19:2-7 "This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed. "You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence. Next Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. "Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned. "The priest shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward come into the camp, but the priest shall be unclean until evening."
A red heifer will be required to be used in the process of purification described in the book of Numbers. In May 1997 the first Red Heifer was born in 2000 years. Another red Heifer was born in Israel in March of 2002.
6. INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE AND TRAVEL
Daniel 12:4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."
Billy Graham was quoted as saying, "ninety percent of all the engineers and scientists who have ever lived are alive today." Air travel, space travel, DNA research and human cloning are all examples of the rapid increase in knowledge in our generation.
7. RETURN OF THE ETHIOPIAN JEWS TO ISRAEL
Zephaniah 3:10-11 "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings. In that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain."
In 1984, Operation Moses saw the airlift of 15,000 Jews who had already fled to refugee camps in Sudan to escape starvation. In 1991, Operation Solomon flew 20,000 Jews to Israel from Ethiopia itself. A further airlift began in June of 1999, aimed at transporting the last 3,000 members of the Quara Jewish community from northeastern Ethiopia to Israel.
8. THE RISE OF RUSSIA
Ezekiel 38:2,4,8 "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords. After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them."
In order for some end time events to occur Russia will have to be a strong nation with a strong military.
9. RETURN OF RUSSIAN JEWS TO ISRAEL
Jeremiah 23:7-8 "Therefore behold, the days are coming declares the Lord, when they will no longer say, as the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I have driven them. Then they will live on their own soil."
In the 1970's and 1980's there was a mass exodus of Russian Jews out of Communist Russia. In 1999 the Associated Press reported a dramatic increase in the number of Jewish immigrants from Russia, bringing the largest number of Russian Jews to Israel since the early 1990's.
10. TECHNOLOGY FOR THE MARK OF THE BEAST
Revelation 13:16-17 "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name."
On May 10, three members of a family in Florida became the first people to receive the biochip implant. Each device, made of silicon and called a VeriChip, is a small radio transmitter about the size of a piece of rice that is injected under a person's skin. It transmits a unique personal ID number whenever it is within a few feet of a special receiver unit. VeriChip's maker describes it as "a miniaturized, implantable, radio frequency identification device (RFID) that can be used in a variety of security, emergency and healthcare applications."
Is the biochip the mark of the beast to be used by the antichrist? We can't really know. What is significant is that people are being softened to the idea of a mark or an implant as a means of maintaining security, providing medical information, and regulating a more interdependent world. As attitudes change, fears subside, and people are convinced of the need for such a mark, the true mark of the beast will be easily introduced to the world by the antichrist.
11. PLANS FOR THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT
The United Nations, World Trade Organization, International Criminal Court, UN peacekeeping/police force, numerous UN NGO's, and other agencies are preliminary steps to the formation of a one world government. We now have the communications technology, transportation, and the pro-globalization media necessary to usher in the one world government headed by the antichrist. The increasing terrorist threat and the middle east conflict will only speed up the formation of this governing body as fear and promises of better security make more people willing to give up their national sovereignty for global governance.
12. INSTANT COMMUNICATION AROUND THE WORLD
Revelation 11:3, 7-10 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophecy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth."
Television and the 24-hour news networks make it possible for people around the world to see the dead prophets and rejoice at their deaths.
Luke 21:28 "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Luke 21:32 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place."

The Rapture

The Rapture
Source:www.jeremiahproject.com
Although the word "rapture" does not appear in the Bible, the concept appears numerous times. Rapture does not mean "ecstasy" though it will be one of the most thrilling sensations ever to be known. The word was coined from the Latin rapio or rapere which means to "catch up or snatch away." 1 Thes. 4:13-18 is the only place in the NT where a "rapture" is clearly referred to.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive, and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]
This event is known as the rapture. Clearly, this passage teaches that the dead in Christ will rise first, after which we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds. To those who know, the "rapture" means the coming of Christ to take us home to Glory, to which we look forward with joyous anticipation. We all know that the coming of Christ is found often in the Bible, both in the Old and the New Testaments. But this special coming, known as the "rapture" is only found in the New Testament. The first time it is said by the Lord Jesus Himself, when we hear Him say:
"In My Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." [John 14:2-3]
No biblical passage states precisely what day or hour the Rapture will occur, but when it does multitudes who are ready will be taken. Their sudden removal may cause a mysterious world crisis, confusion and panic, such as:
Driverless car, bus, truck and train wrecks.
Airplane crashes due to missing crew members.
Mass confusion of the radio and TV news media.
Telephone circuits overloaded, operators missing.
Numerous and uncontrollable fires and looting.
Rampaging lawlessness, crime and mobs, which the remaining police are not able to control.
Graves of the saved opened and bodies resurrected.
Packed churches of liberal religious and false cults seeking answers from their ministers.
Families terrified and in shock over missing saved family members, while the unsaved family members are still left on the earth.
When Will It Happen? No man knows the day or the hour when this rapture will occur. The fact that "date-setters" do NOT know the date is always made obvious in due time. Such was the case with William Miller in 1844. It was also the case with the Watchtower organization (Jehovah's Witnesses) in 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1975. In more recent history we have witnessed the same "dissapointments" in the failed predictions of Edgar C. Whisenant (1988 and again in 1989), an obscure group of Korean believers (Oct. 28, 1992), the Harold Camping Rapture of 1994, or M. J. Agee's rapture (May 31, 1998).

Christians generally agree that the Bible speaks of the advent of a Golden Age of universal victory and blessing. However, there are several schools as to the timing of this advent. For the novice, getting and keeping all this straight can be a bit of a challenge. I will try to explain and clear up some of the confusion in the articles contained here. First of all, there are three general views that need to be understood.

Premillennialist There will be a Golden Age in history, but it cannot occur until after Christ returns bodily to this earth and rules with coercive force from the earthly Jerusalem - Christ must physically return to earth before there can be a Golden Age or millennium. The present Church Age would end with a seven year period of Tribulation, followed by a thousand year reign of Christ upon the earth. Eternity would be spent in glorified bodies on a new Earth, not in an ethereal Heaven.

Postmillennialist Applies these Golden Age passages to history in the current age before Christ returns -- Christ will return after the Golden Age or millennium. The Westminster Larger Catechism espoused an eschatology mostly in harmony with postmillennialism. Today not a single evangelical seminary is committed to postmillennialism. The strongest postmillennial influence in America today comes from the Chalcedon group, who are disciples of Rousas J. Rushdoony. Frequently used terms for this current belief are are Christian Reconstruction, Kingdom Now Theology and Dominion Theology.

Amillennialist The Golden Age in history is limited to the spiritual realm, and that there will be no literal Golden Age on earth. St. Augustine formulated this viewpoint around A.D. 400, holding that the current Church Age will end abruptly with the Rapture of the Church, with the unrighteous consigned to Hell, the Redeemed resurrected in spiritual bodies to take up residence with God in an ethereal Heaven, and the material universe ceases to exist. The present Church Age is both the Millennium because the Holy Spirit is restraining evil in the world and also the Tribulation because the Church suffers persecutions.
Whenever it happens, it will be too late for the unsaved. Regardless of the scenario or methods God uses we can be confident that Jesus will save us and take us to the place He has prepared for us. It is all too often easy to focus on the sequence of events or methods and take our eyes off Jesus. We cannot know the details of God's plan but we can know the person who will reveal that plan to us. Our focus must be on Jesus and we must listen for His voice and follow Him. That alone will bring us through whatever the future holds and He alone can save us.My theology best fits that of the premillennialist and the main focus of the articles found here will be from a premillennialist viewpoint. Furthermore, I believe the Pre-Wrath Rapture best fits what Scripture teaches and that all of the prophecies have been fulfilled that have to be fulfilled before Jesus comes again. It could be very soon! Are you ready? Is your heart right with God? Don't you want to miss the great time of tribulation and judgment that is coming upon the earth?




BIBLE PROPHESY

God Considers Prophecy Important
He put so much of it in the Bible. Although prophecy constitutes a large part of the Bible, its importance is constantly downplayed by those who dismiss it as having no practical significance, that it can't be understood, or by those who object to it on the grounds that it is a "fad" that takes people's eyes off Jesus. Ignoring the study of biblical prophecy means ignoring the study of a large part of the Bible.
You cannot study Scripture without studying prophecy.
Every fourth verse in the Scripture deals with prophecy.
The coming of the Lord is a truth of such importance that it is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the NT (on an average of once every 25 verses).
The only subject mentioned more frequently than the second coming is the subject of salvation.
Paul mentioned the communion ordinance only twice in his 13 epistles and baptism only 13 times, but he mentions the return of our Lord 50 times!
Jesus Christ Is Coming
It was prophecy that really began the process leading up to the very first Christmas, since it was an angel that appeared to Mary to tell her that she was going to have a son. After Jesus was born, it was angels who appeared to the shepherds in the fields, announcing the good news of the coming of the Messiah. And an angel also came to the wise men that had travelled to see the baby Jesus, warning them to go home by another route. Angels have always been known in the Holy Bible as God’s messengers who reside with God in heaven when they are not doing his bidding on earth. It makes sense that a character that is so prevalent throughout biblical history would find a place in the Christmas celebrations of today.
Jesus Christ Is Coming Again
The last book of the Bible (Revelation) describes His return in graphic detail and the next to the last verse says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
The Bible stands as a witness to the events unfolding before our eyes. Instead of trying to understand it all or finding rational explanations, you only need to rest at the Savior's feet and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart through His written word.
Wake Up!
In the wake of increasing violence, violent weather, natural disasters, and other calamities befalling mankind, some might ask, "What does it all mean?" Many of the signs of His soon return we are witnessing today are designed to wake us from our slumber. He is trying to get our attention. God does not pour out His wrath without first warning us.
God wants us to know He will return. God's seeming delay in bringing about the consummation of all things is a result not of indifference but of patience in waiting for all who will come to repentance. God is giving us every chance to repent of our sin and return to Him. He is being patient with us because He wants everyone to come to repentance.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. [2Peter 3:9]
The delay of Christ's return is also related to the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world. God wants everyone to hear the gospel and does not desire anyone to perish eternally (1Tim. 2:4). This does not mean that all will be saved, for if a person rejects God's grace and salvation, then he or she remains lost.
Spirit of Lawlessness
There is a pattern of lawlessness and increase of wickedness dominating our society today that throughout history was found in civilizations in the process of decline. It is a pattern evident in nations that rejected God's Word as ultimate authority in their lives and is a pattern prevailing in many Americans today. This too, is a sign of His soon return!
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. - [Matthew 24:12]
Emergence of the AntiChrist
The high level of apathy among the population and ignorance of Bible prophecy is paving the way for the Antichrist. It would appear he will easily deceive people who only want to hear what tickles their ears and feeds their selfish desires. We are witnessing events today that would appear to be setting up the antichrist new world order with hardly a whimper from most people.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. [2 Timothy 4:3-4]

Roman Catholicism

Roman Catholicism
Source:www.jeremiahproject.com
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. [2 Corinthians 11:3-4]
Hundreds of millions live and die in the Roman Catholic Church without ever hearing the true gospel. Instead, they are taught that the Roman Catholic Church, with its sacraments and indulgences and saints, will eventually get them from purgatory to heaven through countless masses and rosaries recited for them after they die.Many points of Roman Catholic teaching contain sound biblical teaching. But the system is so overlaid and interwoven with non-biblical and even unbiblical ideas and practices that it seems to resemble what Paul called "a different gospel" (Gal. 1:6). For many Catholics, the Catechism of the Catholic Church takes precedence over the inspired Scripture.Throughout history, in order to make converts, Rome has absorbed the paganism peculiar to each culture and dressed it in Christian terminology.
Halloween, for example, is a confusing mixture of traditions and practices from pagan cultures and Catholic tradition. The traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain was blended with the Roman holiday of Feralia and Pomona. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saint's Day from May 13 to Nov. 1 and for Roman Catholics, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Catholic community. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means 'saint').
Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas, such as the Christmas tree, the Christmas ham, the Yule Log, holly, mistletoe, and the giving of presents, were adapted or appropriated by Christian missionaries from the earlier pagan midwinter holiday of Yule.
In the United States, Roman Catholicism hides behind a Christian mask and even claims to be evangelical. There is no such pretense in Catholic countries, where Rome long persecuted and killed evangelicals and still vigorously opposes them. In such countries there is no attempt to hide the obvious occultism, idolatry and worship of Mary. The open paganism and idolatry involved in Roman Catholicism is a shock to American visitors to Spain, Italy, Central and South America. For example, in Brazil, Roman Catholicism is mixed with spiritism and in Haiti with voodoo. Haiti is said to be 85% Roman Catholic and 110% Voodoun. Every voodoo ceremony begins with prayers to Catholic saints.
What must I do to be saved?Traditional Roman Catholic teaching holds that supernatural grace is necessary for salvation, but it must be combined with merit. No one can believe in Christ without grace, Catholics say, for faith is a gift of God. But certain works produce "merits of condignity" that prepare an individual to receive the grace to believe. After having received sanctifying (saving) grace, the believer is in a state of grace and can then earn true merits. By accumulating these true merits, called "merits of condignity," he then can be saved as an act of God's justice. Catholic doctrine teaches that salvation must be attained by both faith and works, and that baptism is necessary for salvation. The New Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that asures entry into eternal beatitude..."The Bible, on the other hand, says...
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..." [Acts 16:31]
Roman Catholic doctrine proclaims that anyone who believes in salvation by faith alone, or that baptism is not essential for salvation, is Anathema, or cursed. Catholics say no one can be sure, in this life, of possessing eternal life. But this is what Jesus plainly promised:
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" [John 3:36]
Marian HeresyThe popular Roman Catholic dogma of the "Immaculate Heart" has no basis in the Bible, but comes out of the realm of the occult. Here we have a magical source of power and protection.The "Immaculate Heart" is depicted as a visible object glowing within the bosom of Jesus or Mary, and often held in Mary's hand. Devotion is directed to this mystical object in what becomes a subtle replacement of a personal relationship with Christ and devotion to Him. A primary purpose of the apparition of Fatima was to encourage devotion to this so-called Immaculate Heart of Mary.In fact, this is borne out by another related Roman Catholic dogma: the Immaculate Conception. That heresy was first popularized through the efforts of British monk Eadmer in the twelfth century and was at last declared a dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It teaches that Mary was "from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin" and that she remained without sin during her life.Such is the false and idolatrous "Mary" of Roman Catholicism - an insult both to God and to the Mary of the Bible. She is looked to for the very pardon of sins and salvation that Christ procured with His own blood, and which He freely dispenses by grace to all who believe in Him. In the end, the denial of Mary's place as a "sinner saved by grace" has the effect of deifying her.
The ChurchAlthough the church teaches otherwise, many Catholics find their crucial identification with the church instead of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church like the Mormons consider theirs the one true Church, outside of which there is no salvation, and that its current head is the true representative of Christ on earth through apostolic succession. The Church is the dispenser of salvation through the rituals performed by its priesthood, without which mankind would be lost in spite of all Christ has done. Like Mormonism and other cults, Roman Catholicism denies to the individual assurance of salvation through a personal relationship with Christ and insists that salvation is not "by grace through faith" but must be earned through Church membership and obedience to her many rules and regulations including alms, good deeds, Rosaries, and suffering here and in purgatory, etc.
PurgatoryAccording to Roman Catholic teaching, men must suffer to pay their debts to God for sins which have been forgiven by Him, as if any suffering we endure could actually make a payment, were it necessary at all, and as if God's forgiveness were somehow deficient. God's mercy and forgiveness are boundless. If suffering is good for us, it is so exactly in the same sense as training is good for athletes, as fasting is good for the obese and gluttonous, as self-reproach is good for those who are prone to anger. God does not need these things, we do. Nor does He demand this "payment," since His forgiveness and grace are free - after all, the word "grace" itself means "free gift."The Catholic Encyclopedia defines Purgatory as "the condition or state for those who have not totally alienated themselves from God by their sins, but who are temporarily and partially alienated from God while their love is made perfect and they give satisfaction for their sins". The Catholic Church teaches there are some sins that can be forgiven after death, and forgiveness after death is possible. Since no one who has sin on his or her soul can enter heaven (Rev. 21:27), there must be a place of cleansing after death and before heaven. Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that most of us, because of our own failings will die either with the stain of some sin on our souls, or with some punishment due to sin still to pay, or both. Had we no purgatory to cleanse us of our filth, we could never hope to enter into eternal bliss.
If this is true, why did Jesus die on the cross?
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9
It doesn't say here that anything more needs to be done; nothing about penance, nothing about masses said for our benefit, and nothing about left-over stains that still need to be removed. If we've been forgiven of our sin and purified from all unrighteousness there is no need for a purgatorial state.
"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." - Hebrews 8:12
Catholics will say that when we do something wrong to another, there are generally two issues to be addressed. One is seeking the forgiveness of the person who was hurt and the other is performing restitution. So if we die while still owing restitution to God, Catholics believe that our souls must pass through a cleansing state before entering Heaven. In 1 Cor 3:15, Paul tells us that each man's works will be tried after his death. If his works fail, he will be the loser and yet he himself will be saved, though only as men are saved by passing through fire. This penalty can not refer to Hell since no one is saved from Hell. It can't refer to Heaven since there is no pain in Heaven. Therefore, there must be some other state or process after our death. This belief of the purification of the soul after death is rooted in the Second Book of Maccabees, where we read of how Judas Maccabees offered sacrifices and prayers for soldiers who had died wearing amulets, which were forbidden by the law; "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out," (2 Mc 12:43) and "Thus, (Judas Maccabees) made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin" (2 Mc 12:46). Certain sins "will not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come" (Mt 12:32), at least suggests a purging of the soul after death according to Catholics. Pope St. Gregory (d. 604) stated, "As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come." The Council of Lyons (1274) likewise affirmed this interpretation of our Lord's teaching.Orthodox Christianity completely rejects any such intermediate state, since the doctrine of Purgatory appears nowhere in the Apostolic tradition and, in fact, denies the full efficacy of the free gift of grace and adoption which Christ offered us through His Incarnation, death, and resurrection.
Scripture says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unpardonable. What might be that sin against the Holy Spirit?
Consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that bears witness to our spirit about Jesus Christ (Acts 5:32; Heb. 10:15). It is the Holy Spirit that carried along the writers of the Bible to write what they did about Jesus and his ministry of reconciliation. The Holy Spirit has been called the "comforter" as God's love is poured out into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). If one does not accept the finished work of Christ on the cross for our sins, rejects what the Bible writers said about that same finished work, and finds their comfort in the Eucharist which "cleanses us from past sins and preserves us from future sins.... " or purgatory rather than the Holy Spirit, might that be blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? If one rejects the truth that through the shed blood of Christ all sin is removed, then what mechanism remains to remove the stain of sin? I'm afraid that if you do not accept Christ's complete and total forgiveness, you will not EVER be forgiven, for there is no other way.
It is taught that many poor souls time in purgatory can be shortened by the prayers and good works of those of us who are still alive. Especially can a soul in purgatory be helped by having Holy Mass offered for that purpose.The early Church preserved the belief in offering prayers for the purification of the soul. Pope St. Gregory said, "Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them." St. Ambrose (d. 397) preached, "We have loved them during life; let us not abandon them in death, until we have conducted them by our prayers into the house of the Lord."
If those who are truly penitent die in charity before they have done sufficient penance for their sins of omission and commission, their souls are cleansed after death in purgatorial or cleansing punishments .... The suffrages of the faithful on earth can be of great help in relieving these punishments, as, for instance, the Sacrifice of the Mass, prayers, almsgiving, and other religious deeds which, in the manner of the Church, the faithful are accustomed to offer for others of the faithful. Second Council of Lyons in 1274
Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, from the Sacred Writings and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught in sacred councils, and very recently in this ecumenical synod that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar; the holy synod enjoins on bishops that they diligently endeavour that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, transmitted by the holy Fathers and sacred councils, be believed, maintained, taught and everywhere proclaimed by the faithful of Christ. Council of Trent in 1563
It may be true that certain people have said that prayers for the dead or masses said for the dead will help them. Does that make it true? Scripture does not teach that. Scripture teaches after death comes judgment, not a second chance in some holding area until enough prayers are offered up for you. Who are you going to trust? Man or God?

BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS

Revival or Apostasy?
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. [Matthew 24:11]
There will be a revival of religion that will sweep the world in the last days. It will not, however, represent the truth - instead, multitudes will be deceived by false gospels, false prophets, and false messiahs.
The church in America, and indeed the entire world, is sinking deeper into the last-days apostasy foretold by Christ and His apostles. Jesus warned that false prophets will appear and deceive many people and today as the last days draw nearer to a close, false teachers and preachers are gaining in popularity. Satan is well on the way to success in his goal of enslaving the world. To accomplish his dark objectives, he has reestablished his Church, Mystery Babylon [Rev. 17].
Counterfeit ChristianityFalse forms of Christianity have become increasingly popular in our culture and it seems there is a resurgence of interest in things "spiritual." The media has been compliant with its recent offerings of everything from Brad Pitt scaling a Tibetan mountainside in search of divine inspiration to Nothing Sacred, the controversial TV drama that features a sometimes fallible priest. Joan Osborne sings "What if God Was One of Us," while Michael Jordan, jogging in Tibet in a Gatorade commercial, encounters a holy man who tells him "Life is a sport: drink it up." Then there are the millions throughout the world who are involved in the occult, astrology, witchcraft, spiritism and Satanism. The Harry Potter series of seven fantasy novels promoting witchcraft among children, written by English author J. K. Rowling. have sold more than 325 million copies and have been translated into more than 64 languages.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. [1 Timothy 4:1]
The most obvious sign of the spiritual decline of the church is apathy - apathy towards the house of God, the Word of God and the presence of God. Apathy sometimes overtakes a believer - even an entire body of believers - before they are even aware anything is wrong. The fruit of apathy is apostasy.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. [2 Timothy 4:3-4]
The appearances of these false gospels, false Christ's and false prophets is only a prelude to the final apostasy. They are only preparing the way for the ultimate antichrist who will set himself up in the temple and declare himself to be God. You might say he is preparing his followers to accept his ultimate lie.
What fuels this apostasy?
Unbelief: Implicit or explicit rejection of the authority of God's Word is being spread throughout the Church, often, it seems, with the explicit purpose of leading God's people away from His Word, and sometimes to the active encouragement of immorality. Pulpits across America are silent about sin and do not tell their congregations of their need for repentance. Rather, they preach a politically correct gospel of "tolerance" of sin. According to Ralph Martin, "Even when the unique and absolute claims of Christ are not clearly rejected on an intellectual level, syncretism often fosters an emotional hostility to such claims. This creates an atmosphere that saps the strength of Christianity as effectively as explicit apostasy. If belief about the unique and absolute claims of Christ is unclear, then faith is corrupted, worship becomes enfeebled and distorted, and evangelism ceases." [Ralph Martin, A Crises of Truth (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Books, 1982), pg. 21.] According to a recent survey by the Barna Research Group, while 88% believe Jesus Christ was a real person, what they believe about Him differs sharply from scriptural teaching. Forty-two percent of those surveyed believe that while He lived on earth, Jesus committed sins, just like other people. Even among born-again Christians, one-quarter believe Jesus sinned during His time on earth. In the book, The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown claims "almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." For example, Brown suggests that Jesus married Mary Magdalene as he raises doubts of the origins and legitimacy of orthodox Christianity. The Da Vinci Code was a worldwide bestseller with more than 60.5 million copies sold.Other pulpits are silent about sin because those sitting in the pews do not want to hear anything that might shatter their perceived security. Or, maybe the preacher is more interested in the collection plate and he believes that if he preaches anything controversial, he will lose some large contributors.
Ignorance:Without regular communication with God through prayer and regular, systematic study of God's Word, we are at the mercy of the doctrinal storms that are raging in the church today. Much of Christendom is now in an apostate condition as professing believers accept "new revelations" even though it conflicts with the revealed Word of God. New Age occultism of every variety is exploding not only in the secular world but also in the church in what is indeed the greatest worldwide revival of paganism ever known. Spanning the globe and encompassing hundreds of millions of teachers and disciples, it has within its fold thousands of individual cults, churches, groups, and organizations. Those who preach a distorted gospel are even gaining strategic leadership positions in denominations and theological schools, enabling them to deceive and mislead many within the church. All kinds of radical groups claim some affinity to the gospel of Jesus Christ and only serve to confuse the non-churched and borderline Christian. The KKK for example has as one if its rallying cries, "We are Warriors fighting for our great white race, our families and our savior Jesus Christ." In many ways the Church has turned to the beliefs, teachings and practices of the world and the cults, from the penchant for humanistic psychology among conservative evangelicals to the cultic affinity for godhood and the demonstration of godlike powers among more extreme charismatics. Popular movements and teachers are influencing the Church to take dominion over the earth, to set up the Kingdom as a requirement for Christ to return, to produce signs and wonders, and to solve its problems through unbiblical methods such as self-esteem therapies, 12-step recovery programs, inner-healing rituals, "binding demons" strategies, and "Christian" mysticism. Many professing Christian leaders promote unity by demoting doctrine and encourage ecumenism to include even overt paganism.
Fear:A large part of the church is held in bondage because of fear of the unknown. They don't know their Bibles and they don't know about the promises of God. Rather, they rely on what others tell them. Self help books flourish and authors fill bookshelves with titles extolling every kind of human wisdom - but they do not contain the truth of Scripture. Fear drives some to seek knowledge in places where truth is the most distorted. New Age teachers abound with messages from ascended masters and spirit guides. For example, one popular quasi-christian movement surrounds the writings of Helen Schucman who penned "A Course in Miracles," which teaches that the world, sin, sickness are all illusions which can be overcome with the power of the mind. Where you find the "Course" you will often also find teachings about reincarnation, Yoga, dream rap, channelling, Christ consciousness, pyramidology, astrology, meditation, metaphysics, shamanism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. You might expect to find these teachings at some remote New Age retreat center, but incredibly "A Course in Miracles" is the text being used by many Sunday School classes in some mainline Christian churches. I personally was introduced to the study at one of Wichita's leading evangelical churches. For many Christians caught in the web of fear, they profess faith but looks to works for their salvation for they have no faith. They judge others according to their works as well for that is their only barometer, i.e. that which they can see. They walk by sight exclusively and not by faith. What can I do for God? And, what are you doing for God? They can be very busy workers, but they do not listen to the voice.
Carnality:There is little focus on Christ's second coming because that would end the pursuit of pleasure and prosperity. Instead of Christ as the object of affection, the popular church is attracted to a celebrity, an evangelist, a project, a political cause, a fund-raising campaign, a new building, or supposed miracles and healings. Faith has turned to fantasy with a message of health, wealth, and comfort. In that kind of environment "easy believism" flourishes and many people who associate themselves with the church aren't even Christians. They may have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. Satan is still using this form of deception, and often his representatives are being disguised as ministers of righteousness. While propagating that which brings death and darkness to the mind and heart of the sinner, they profess to be representatives of enlightened living. This is satanic deception. Theology in many modern churches is focused on meeting people's needs, on solving one's own problems so one can live more comfortably. Few churches hold to a Christ-centered faith that helps a believer stand in the midst of his trials. "For all too often the twentieth-century church takes its cues and defines its role by the ways of the world. It accommodates a consumer-oriented culture that wants, above all else, to feel good. And it focuses on action at the expense of character, on doing rather than being. There is nothing wrong with seeking to meet people's needs or creating programs to do so. The church setting should be an environment where non-Christians feel welcome. The church should grow. But when programs and growth become the central focus, the church is in danger of profaning her first Love... In danger of trivializing the holy." [Charles Colson, The Body, pg. 381.]
Are you prepared? Are you armed with the truth so as to recognize the lie and extinguish the firey darts of satan? Are you burdened with a sinful past that weighs you down and makes you feel unworthy? Maybe you've lived a good life, went to church every Sunday, and followed the Ten Commandments as best you could. But, you're still unsure of what right you have to enter heaven. Friend, there is an answer you can find right here!
The Coming Crisis And The End Of DaysSoon this world will be thrown into a time of great tribulation. God's word tells us that, before the end, there will only be a small number who will stand firmly on the Rock of Truth in preparation for the crisis that is soon to over-take the earth.
Soure:www.jeremiahproject.com

SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS AS MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE

Signs of the Last Days
Events of the twentieth century alerted Bible students to the tremendous potential for fulfilled prophecy, and many students of the Bible and eschatology recognize the events continuing to unfold in the world today as signs of the last days.The signs are visible all around us.
" wars and rumors of wars" - Matthew 24:6
Endless war seem to rage in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism is spreading to nearly every corner of the globe. Since 2000 alone, America has been mired in conflict in Sierra
Leone, Yemen, East Timor, Afghanistan, Philippines, Cote d'Ivoire, Iraq, Liberia, Georgia, Haïti, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Somalia.
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." - Matthew 24:7
Other conflicts are raging in Darfur, Saudi Arabia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thailand, Chad, Gaza Strip and the West Bank in Israel, Niger and Mali, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
"There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." - Matthew 24:7
Every year, earthquakes cause thousands of deaths, either directly or due to the resulting tsunamis, landslides, fires, and famines.
3,000 people died in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Around 110,000 were killed in the 1948 earthquake in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
More than 5,700 deaths were reported following the strongest earthquake ever recorded in 1960 in Southern Chile.
While only 15 people died in the 1964 Prince William Sound in Alaska quake itself, 110 more people were killed in the resulting tsunami.
66,000 were killed off the western coast of South America in the 1970 Peru earthquake.
Between 250,000 and 655,000 died in the 1976 China earthquake that struck Tangshan, then a city of one million people.
63 people were killed in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake -- which struck the San Francisco area.
60 people were killed in the 1994 Northridge quake in Southern California.
More than 5,000 were killed the 1995 Kobe, Japan earthquake.
230,000 (and perhaps as many as 290,000) people in 12 countries -- including about 168,000 in Indonesia alone were killed in the 2004 earthquake just off the west coast of the island of Sumatra, and the tsunami that followed.
More than 80,000 people were killed in the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
More than 69,000 people died in the 2008 Sichuan China earthquake.
We're hearing of an increasing scarcity of food on a worldwide scale, due to increased consumption in growing countries such as China and India and rising fuel costs. These shortages have caused riots in some places and some predict the future outbreak of wars fought over increasing food scarcities.
Change
The twentieth century was an unprecedented period of change and the twenty-first century is proving to be even more dramatic. At no time in history have more changes occurred in science and in the political structure of the world.
More changes occur in science in a single year than formerly occurred in a century.
The world's brightest beacon of liberty has been
corrupted by immoral bankers and is now quickly becoming one of the greatest forces of evil in the world.
With Israel restored as a nation in 1948, the panorama of end-time prophecy came into a focus in which Israel will be a prominent player.
The introduction of the concept of a
world government, made real by the United Nations paints a scenario that is in harmony with prophecy concerning a future world government.
The wholesale
collapse of ethical and moral values throughout society and government. Children are killing their classmates, employees are killing fellow employees, and government leaders are promising change.
Is civilization coming to an end?
"Armageddon is now near not because of this event or that event which may, in isolation, look like a prophetic fulfillment. Rather, it is because of the very nature of what causes Armageddon, coupled with the fact that our world today is rapidly assuming, on a global scale, the characteristics of that which underlies Armageddon." [William R. Goetz, Armageddon Next]
Malcolm Muggeridge suggested, "The basic condition for a civilization is that there should be law and order. Obviously this is coming to an end. The world is falling into chaos, even perhaps especially our western world... There are many other symptoms. The excessive interest in eroticism is characteristic of the end of a civilization because it really means a growing impotence, and fear of impotence. Then the excessive need for excitement, vicarious excitement, which of course the games provided for the Romans and which television provides for our population. Even the enormously complicated structure of taxation and administration is a symptom of the end of the civilization. Above all, there is this truly terrible thing which afflicts materialist societies - boredom, an excessive boredom which I note on every hand."
Today many secular as well as religious authorities recognize ..."These are extraordinary times."An Associated Press writer asks, "Is everything spinning out of control?" A Wall Street Journal headline read, "Millennium Fever: Prophets Proliferate, The End is Near." A New York Times book review began, "Some 50 million Americans share a belief that these are the last days." Even the Chicago Tribune ran a front-page story about the end times in a recent Sunday edition.
Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of Nobel Prizes in 1954 and 1963, has said he believes the greatest catastrophe in the world is approaching. This looming catastrophe might well result in a world war which could destroy civilization and spell the end of the human race. Or, it might take the form of mass starvation among a world population that has been doubling every 35 years. Civilization might end because of the collapse of the systems on which it depends; or the end of civilization might result from weather changes induced by governments to improve the yield of crops.
Even the most seasoned newsmen who have "seen it all" are in awe of the world developments in recent years. All of them realize that something unique in the history of the world is happening today. And what's most stunning about it all is the breath-taking rapidity of these recent developments.
Consider the following:
The crumbling of the Eastern Bloc of Europe and the Communist Empire.
The opening of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of a divided Germany.
Events transpiring in the Middle East.
Growing Islamic - Zionist jihad
The failing ecosystem of Planet Earth.
Changing weather patterns worldwide.
The breathtaking pace of technological advancements
.
The collapse of ethical and moral values.
The weakening influence of our churches and their leaders
.
The world has entered a time of dramatic and ominous change. At the present moment of history, the planet Earth is in grave crises. This celestial ball is on a collision course with its Creator. We have reached the day which the prophet had in mind when he wrote,
"Woe unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil" [Isaiah 5:20]

Man has pushed the self-destruct button. Foundations of godliness have crumbled; things sacred have come unzipped. We are trying to build a peaceful world, but there is no peace within people's hearts. We must have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Somehow God must reveal himself to this lost generation. Everything else has failed. Education has failed our youth. For the most part, parents have failed them. Government has failed to reach them. Dead religion has turned them off. Billy Graham quoted John Walvoord in his book, "Storm Warning":
"The present world crisis is not a result of any one factor, but a concurrence of causes and effects which combine to set the world stage for a conflict which may quickly bring an end to hundreds of years of progress in western civilization and establish new centers of international power. Whatever the future holds, it is going to be dramatically different than the past. In this dark picture only the Scriptures chart a sure course and give us an intelligent explanation of worldwide confusion as it exists today."
Where does it all lead? Even though we see it all so clearly, it's still difficult to comprehend. What does it all mean? Where is it all leading? Why is there so little peace in the world when we have such unprecedented knowledge and unlimited potential?The book of Revelation describes the end times. It speaks of a
one-world government, a godless dictator, total regulation of all business, plagues, crime and rebellion, and devastating disasters. To many, it seems like a far-off time. But there are "signs of the times" in today's headlines - signs Jesus said would herald His return. Some people argue that the characteristic of 'end time' people have been our character throughout the ages and that people haven't really changed. In its simplest form, that is true. It's not that we don't do the same things, what's relevant is that we do it with increasing intensity and we are teaching new ways of doing it. Certainly, these things have been happening since the beginning of time. However, the intensity of these things today is such that we dare not blind our eyes to their meaning.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, `Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. [Matthew 16:1-4]
Jesus said, "You can read the signs of the weather in the sky, but because of spiritual blindness you cannot read the signs of the times." Our Lord was saying the Jews of that day were blind to the signs of their time. He indicated that only those who have spiritual illumination and discernment from the Holy Spirit can hope to understand the trends and meanings of history. This explains why so many people haven't got a clue about what's going on and why most of our political leaders are taking us down the path to destruction.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." [1Tim. 4:1]
We are now living in the "last days!" The only way to understand the big picture is to look at the Bible and the various categories of signs that the Bible predicted would come together just before the return of Christ. The key to understanding current events is in some familiar old scriptural passages. Jesus Himself gave us the best insight shortly before his execution on the cross.
"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [Matthew 24:4-14]
General 'signs' Jesus said would be visible prior to His return
.
Deliberate deception by men of God's Word
Rise of false Christs
Increase in wars and rumors of wars
Famines, Pestilence & Earthquakes
Discrimination and hatred against Christians
Backsliding, turning from the faith, betrayal
Hatred of Christian against Christian
False Prophets and "New Age" leaders
Lawlessness abounding
Love and concern for others grows cold
Gospel preached worldwide
Our Lord told us not to be troubled, because these are only the beginning of "birth pains" [Matt. 24:8]. I believe that God is warning the world. The world has broken His covenant and has gone away from Him and these events are warnings designed to turn us to Him. And what we have seen thus far is just a prelude. The warnings are going to continue during the next few years, even building in intensity. After these warnings, the real judgment is going to come.
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. - Matthew 24:15-28
A day of reckoning will come. There will be an end.
Source:www.jerimiahproject.com