Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Over 5,000 Christians traveled to Washington, D.C., July 17-18 for the 12th annual Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Summit.
As part of the summit, attendees lobbied congressmen and senators for a day on Capitol Hill to stand with Israel. At the top of the list of legislation they'd like to see passed is the Taylor Force Act, which calls for a halt of all U.S. taxpayer funding of the Palestinian Authority until they stop rewarding people for being terrorists.
"The United States of America has been giving money to the Palestinians; the Palestinians have been using that money to pay bonuses to terrorists who kill Jews, and we are saying to our government, 'shut that money off,'" Pastor John Hagee, founder of CUFI, told CBN News. "America should not be paying for the murder of Jewish people."
Hagee Praises Trump's Pro-Israel Stance
That Monday night, July 17, Pastor Hagee introduced Vice President Mike Pence to deliver the summit's keynote address. Hagee says he's pleased with this administration's commitment to supporting Israel.
"This administration's position towards Israel is probably the most aggressive, pro-Israel administration in my lifetime," said Hagee. "I assure you it's a million miles in front of the former administration."
Pastor Hagee thinks, at some point during President Donald Trump's presidency, the U.S. Embassy in Israel will move to Jerusalem.
"I'm very confident that President Trump will move the embassy. He has promised that he would get us a conservative Supreme Court justice; he has done that," Hagee told CBN News.
"He has promised that he will rebuild the U.S. military; he is doing that," he continued. "In spite of the Russian witch-hunt and the obstinate Democrats, he's doing his very, very best to fulfill his promises. And I know that he will, in his own time, move that embassy."
Hagee Weighs in on the "End of Days"
Hagee made national headlines a few years ago with his studies and observations on the series of four blood moons that appeared in the sky and all coincided with Jewish feast days. Hagee says these were prophesied in the Bible and are a sign that God is about to move on the world stage.
"The four blood moons, as soon as the fourth blood moon appeared, you will follow the press followings that Russia moved out of Russia into the Middle East," Hagee noted. "They moved their military forces into the Middle East. The 38th chapter of the book of Ezekiel says that when the king of the north moves out of the north, I will bring you out of the north. Then we are getting ready to watch the genesis of the Gog-Magog War."
"So the very specific thing that happened as soon as those blood moons ended was that Russia moved out to the Middle East, and Russia is not going to leave the Middle East," Hagee warned. "They're going to join with Iran to build ... a massive army that will, in time, try to perform a land invasion of the state of Israel."
He says the upcoming, rare solar eclipse on Aug. 21 is not quite as dramatic as the four blood moons but is an example of one of the many signs and wonders we'll see in the sky in the end of days that have never happened before.
"The Bible says in the end of days you will see signs and wonders in the sky, and there are several signs and wonders that are happening in the sky that have never happened before," Hagee told CBN News.
"They are not quite as dramatic as the four blood moons because the four blood moons were predicted by Joel," he said. "They were prophesied and confirmed by Jesus. They were confirmed by NASA; they were given dates—the dates of those events were Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles."
"God established those dates thousands of years ago. Only God can make a blood moon happen because the sun shines through the Earth's atmosphere to make the moon come to a reddish glow," he continued.
"Only God can get those aligned to do that, and He did it four times in a row on those specific dates. It is so phenomenally packed with truth that even the atheists had to admit that it was unusual," said Hagee.
"The World, as We Have It, Is a Powder Keg"
And he's drawing other connections between biblical prophecies and current events around the world right now.
"The world, as we have it at this very present time, is a powder keg, and the fuse is lit," he warned. "Every player is on the stage, for the first time in history, that fulfills all of the prophesies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah; they're all there. We're just waiting for the next domino to fall, and when it does, watch out! It's not going to stop."
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Recently it was reported that Pope Francis is considering a second trip to Jerusalem. While we do not know the details of the visit, it is believed that his key focus will be peace in the Middle East. Could this be the beginning of the "covenant with many" from Daniel 9:27? Only time will tell. Of the many implications from this visit, it reminds us of a coming showdown in Jerusalem that is depicted in the book of Revelation.
The book of Revelation is a book of opposing entities. In Revelation 6, we see a white horse that seeks to conquer. In Revelation 19, we see Jesus on a white horse, riding to conquer the enemies of God. In Revelation 12, we have a pure woman, but in Revelation 17, we see a harlot. In Revelation 11, we see two true prophets sent from God. In Revelation 13, we see two beasts. The second beast is a false prophet who causes people to worship an image. These beasts will wage war against God's people and all who refuse to submit to idolatry.
The second beast of Revelation 13 has uncanny similarities to the pope. In Revelation 13:11-18, a beast comes up out of the earth. Just as Adam came from the dust of the earth, this beast represents a person (Gen. 2:7). This beast has horns like a lamb, but it speaks like a dragon. Jesus said that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34). This human appears to be Christ-like, but it has the intent and heart of the dragon (Satan, the devil). This second beast breathes life into an image or idol and causes people to bow down to it.
The pope outwardly looks pious, wearing white and performing acts of kindness. The danger, historically and today, is the words spoken by the pope. In 1095, Pope Urban II told the Crusaders that Christ commanded them to invade the Middle East. He then goes on to say that, "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested." But only God can grant forgiveness of sins (I John 1:5-10).
In Sept. 2015, the current pope said that Christ's life "humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross". Paul said the cross was proof of Christ's triumph (Col. 2:15). In 2016, the pope said that our family life must be guided by conscience, not dogma. Yet Paul informed us that we should be led by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:1-14).
In addition to these statements, the Catholic Church advocates the use of idols and images as instruments of worship. This mirrors Revelation 13. Not even Islam advocates idols and images. The pope also wears a garment called a pallium, which is made from lamb's wool.
Let's consider these details. The pope always dresses in white, wears a garment made from a lamb, advocates images and idols and speaks against God's will. The pope is the second beast of Revelation 13. He will call down a false fire from heaven that imitates the real fire from God (Rev. 13:13).
During the great tribulation, the pope is going to face a major showdown in Jerusalem. The two witnesses of Revelation chapter 11 will be God's true prophets during this time. They will tell the world to turn to God Almighty.
There is some debate as to the identity of the two witnesses. We know they are prophets, and they are presently in heaven waiting to be sent to earth (Rev. 11:3-4). Most ministers would agree that Elijah has to be one of the two witnesses. First of all, he is specifically mentioned in Malachi as returning to earth before the return of Jesus. "See, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreaded day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5).
Revelation 13:5-6 describes the two witnesses as being able to send fire from their mouths and cause drought. Elijah manifested these signs as well. He called down fire from heaven (2 Kings 1) and caused a drought to occur (I Kings 17). Some believe that Enoch is the other witnesses since (among other details) he has never died. These two witnesses prophesy for three and a half years. Once that time is finished, they will be killed in Jerusalem. The pope and the beast government will put an end to them. However, they will be resurrected and called to heaven.
As we see this pope or any other pope preparing to visit Jerusalem, we are reminded of these two powerful prophetic chapters—Revelation 11 and 13. We learn of true prophets that have the true fire of God that battle the false fire and words of the pope. I encourage you all to seek the true fire that comes from God alone, even more so as we see the day approaching.
Kelly McDonald Jr.is an ordained evangelist at Hungry Hearts Ministries in Jackson, Tennessee. He has written over 40 books and booklets on pursing Christ, Hebrew roots and end-times prophecy. He is currently president of the Bible Sabbath Association (BSA). You can follow him at kellymcdonaldjr.com.
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The book of Revelation was not meant to be a mystery, but to be understood. Its name means "what is revealed," not "what was hidden."
However, there are some basic keys to understanding it. These are the same keys to understanding all revelation in the Bible. We will begin our study of this book with the first of these keys—the first statement made in Revelation:
'The Revelation of Jesus Christ'
The book of Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ, period. Possibly the biggest reason why there is much confusion about this book is because people try to see it more as a revelation of the Antichrist or of the events prophesied in it. These are important, but only as part of the revelation of Jesus. We must view everything through Him, rather than trying to see Him through everything else.
Just as some get distracted from the River of Life by the tributaries that feed it, many get diverted from the main revelation of this book by majoring on minors. Some of these sub-themes are fascinating, but as our friend Peter Lord likes to say, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Even as we seek to understand the sequence of events and different manifestations of evil in Revelation, we see them in relation to the ultimate purposes of God in Christ.
This is not just key to understanding this book, but to understanding the Bible, and indeed all understanding. As we are told in Colossians 1:16-17:
"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
All things were made through Him and for Him. All things are held together by Him. As we are told in one of the most important verses in the Bible:
"... making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself,as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, which are in heaven and on earth" (Eph. 1:9-10, MEV).
It is all about Jesus. To fully understand the creation or events of history, we must see from this perspective. All things work toward the ultimate purpose of God—the summing up all things in His Son.
To understand our own lives we must see through this key. Everything in our life was allowed to lead us to the Son and to have our life summed up in Him. All events in Revelation work toward that end. Jesus is the lens we must look through to understand everything.
So why is there so much about the Antichrist and the great evils that come upon the earth in Revelation? As bad as they may seem, they too will lead toward the ultimate purpose of God—the redemption, reconciliation, and restoration found in Jesus alone. The "man of sin" is a personification of the sin of man. In this vision, we see the ultimate result of sin and rebellion, causing us to know that this is not what we want to do again.
To understand our times, we must stay focused on Jesus and what He is doing. We need to understand the evil and the unfolding of events, but even more we must understand the work of God. In the midst of all the evil, the city of God is being built. So we keep our attention more on Him than we do on the Antichrist or all the evils. Even these will work toward a greater revelation of Jesus by revealing the depth of the depravity of fallen men—exposing the depth of our need for the Savior.
Ultimately, the entire history of man on earth will be one of the greatest revelations of God—His grace, mercy, goodness, and power of love over death. This Revelation given to John was the foretelling of how the final stages of God's plan will work out.
Rick Joyneris the founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the senior pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He is the author of more than 40 books, including The Final Quest,A Prophetic History, and Church History. He is also the president of The OAK Initiative, an interdenominational movement that is mobilizing thousands of Christians to be engaged in the great issues of our times, being the salt and light that they are called to be.
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The stock market's waves are indicative of the crash to come. (Reuters)
There is so much confusion out there. On the days when the Dow goes down by several hundred points, lots of people pat me on the back and tell me that I "nailed" my call for the second half of this year. But on the days when the Dow goes up by several hundred points, I get lots of people contacting me and telling me that they are confused because they thought the stock market was supposed to go down.
Well, the truth is that if there is going to be a full-blown market meltdown, we would expect for there to be wildly dramatic swings in the market both up and down. A perfect example of this is what we experienced during the financial crisis of 2008.Nine of the 20 largest single day declines in stock market history happened that year, but nine of the 20 largest single day increases in stock market history also happened that year. If we are moving into another great financial crisis, there should be massive ups and massive downs, and that is precisely what we are witnessing right now.
On Tuesday, the Dow surged several hundred points. There was much celebrating in the mainstream media over this, but what they failed to realize was that this was another big red flag. And we saw this volatility carry over into Wednesday. The Dow was up 171 points early in the day before ending down 239 points.
By themselves, those two days don't mean a whole lot. The key is to look at them in context. And in context, we have already witnessed the most dramatic stock market crash since the last financial crisis.
There will be more days when the stock market absolutely plummets and there will be more days when it absolutely soars. No stock market crash in U.S. history has ever gone in just one direction continually. There are always giant waves of momentum that cause panic selling and panic buying.
There is one thing that could change that. A major "black swan event" such as a historic natural disaster, an unprecedented terror attack, or the outbreak of war could potentially be enough to chase all of the buyers out of the marketplace. And considering the times that we are moving into, those things should not be ruled out.
But minus some type of event like that, we should expect lots of wild swings in both directions.
Over the past couple of years, I have repeatedly attempted to explain the general principle that markets tend to go up when they are calm and they tend to go down when they are volatile.
If you want the bull market to return, you should be rooting for lots of really, really boring days on Wall Street.
When things are boring, investors make money.
Days that are "exciting" are really bad for Wall Street. Investors like a world that is predictable, and when conditions start changing rapidly they get very, very nervous.
In the months ahead, trillions of dollars are going to be lost in stock markets all over the planet. Feel bad for the retirees and the hard working families that are going to get wiped out by this, but don't feel bad for the banksters. They have been laughing it up while most of the country has been suffering during our ongoing economic decline. If you don't believe me, just check out this YouTube clip.
A lot of people are going to be paralyzed during this time, because they won't know what to do. They didn't heed the warnings up until now, and they thought that they would be able to safely get out of the market when things started getting crazy. The big ups and big downs in the markets will confuse them, and the mainstream media will be telling them that everything is just fine.
If you have been waiting for the market to send you "warning signals", then you can stop waiting because it is happening right in front of your eyes.
Now is not a time for fear. Personally, I seek to live my live in a constant state of peace without any fear even though I write about some very hard realities almost every day.
This is part of the reason why I so adamantly encourage people to prepare for what is ahead. Knowledge and preparation can help eliminate fear.
If you already know what is coming and you are already prepared for it, you won't be freaking out like the rest of the general population will be when things start really going crazy.
Panic betrays and fear kills. The preparedness culture is built upon the ideal that one must defeat fear in order to live. How a person goes about removing uncertainty from the mind is really up to the individual. For me, combat training and mixed martial arts is a great tool. If you get used to people trying to hurt you in a ring, it's not quite as surprising or terrifying when it happens in the real world. If you can handle physical and mental trauma in a slightly more controlled environment, then fear is less likely to take hold of you during a surprise disaster.
Six months may be enough time to enter a state of mental preparedness, it may not be, but more than anything else, this is what you should be focusing on. All other survival actions depend on it. Your ability to function personally, your ability to work with others, your ability to act when necessary, all rely on your removal of fear. Take the precious time you have now and ensure you are ready to handle whatever the future throws at you.
Life in America in the years ahead is going to look dramatically different from what life in America looks like right now.
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The Babylon Code: Rise of the End-Time World State
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The world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, in an exclusive interview, said, "The Bible indicates that as the time for Christ's return approaches, evil and social chaos may well intensify. Are we living in those days?"
It's the great question of our time. Are we now living in the last days of planet Earth?
If so, how will the apocalyptic events foreseen by the ancient prophets unfold? Are powerful forces now at work to create a global government, economic system and religion as predicted in the Bible?
Unlocking a great biblical mystery that has puzzled scholars for nearly 2,000 years,The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery unearths answers to these momentous questions. In the book, we explore a prophetic enigma that begins in Genesis at the Tower of Babel and ends in Revelation with the Battle of Armageddon. The prediction involves "Mystery, Babylon"—the Bible's greatest end-time riddle—and reveals how an elite group of wealthy globalists and their interlocking network of transnational corporations, international banks, government agencies, think tanks, foundations and clandestine organizations are working to create a global government, cashless society and universal religion as predicted in Scripture.
The world is at a final turning point. An unparalleled convergence and acceleration in end-time signs is now occurring. These harbingers are geopolitical, economic, scientific, technological, cultural and moral.
To ordinary men and women these forces are overwhelming, as if a giant tsunami is about to drown everything they've ever known or dreamed of. It's at this moment that every one of us is confronted with a choice. Either we can allow ourselves to be overcome by fear, leading to panic, or we can seek to understand the nature of the forces behind these events so we can survive.
In an out-of-control, upside-down world, there are two urgent questions: Is it possible that God embedded a code in the Bible that could be cracked only in the end times? What if by decoding this prophetic cryptogram we could unlock the secret to both our salvation and our survival?
The Great Biblical Mystery
Our five-year journalistic investigation into this biblical cypher uncovered astonishing evidence that not only has the countdown to Armageddon begun, but the elite are involved in an international political and economic takeover—what one former United States official calls a "global financial coup d'état."
As we investigated this prophetic mystery sweeping across time, we unearthed evidence connecting a secretive, international power structure with ties to ancient Babylon—the occult-enmeshed civilization where the "magic of money manipulation" and the first world government originated—to what today's globalists call the "New World Order."
Featuring scores of exclusive interviews with prominent world leaders and highly respected experts in geopolitics, economics, science and theology, The Babylon Code is the first book by a mainstream, award-winning investigative journalist and a prophecy expert to explore the nexus between current events, secretive organizations and end-time biblical predictions.
Our investigation into this apocalyptic puzzle uncovered what could be one of the biggest stories and political scandals in modern history. It also unearthed answers to the questions many have about the troubling events now transpiring in the world. Recent polls and statements by world leaders demonstrate extraordinary public interest in this topic:
A Barna Group survey found 4 in 10 Americans—and 77 percent of evangelical Christians—believe the "world is now living in the biblical end times."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told the United Nations General Assembly that "Biblical prophecies are being realized." Meanwhile, Pope Francis said the world has entered the "last times" and is at the beginning of a "piecemeal" Third World War.
A McLaughlin & Associates poll found that 80 percent of Americans fear a "Second Holocaust" in Israel—and 68 percent fear a "nuclear holocaust" in the United States—if the world does not take decisive action to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, 28 percent of American voters believe a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda are working to create an authoritarian world government. Nearly 40 percent of Republican voters agree.
A Final Turning Point
These stunning poll results come amid an explosion of interest in the end times. In recent years, a seemingly nonstop series of crises has prompted many to ask whether the conclusion of the human epoch is quickly approaching. These concerns have intensified since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—an event that shocked the world and some saw as the biggest wake-up call in the nation's history. Since then, disaster after disaster has battered the planet—the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the global economic meltdown and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Recently, people worldwide have been intrigued by the convergence of a rare set of four blood moons and the biblical Shemitah, along with Sir Isaac Newton's end-time prediction known as "Newton's Riddle" regarding 2015-2016—asking whether these are portents of the beginning of the end.
A number of prophecy scholars in recent years have uncovered biblical mysteries and riddles they say point toward the possible fulfillment of end-time prophecies in the years ahead.
Nations are drowning in unparalleled levels of debt. Fears of a cataclysmic economic collapse and hyperinflation are rising. Tensions between Russia and America are growing, ISIS is warning the West of "Armageddon," and North Korea has threatened a nuclear strike on the U.S. Some experts believe Iran may already have nuclear weapons—further raising the specter of the unthinkable. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum says the world is experiencing record-breaking natural disasters and extreme weather, not to mention worsening global drought and famine.
Scientists are sounding the alarm about the dangers of mega-earthquakes and tsunamis, the Yellowstone supervolcano, solar storms and massive tornadoes, the likes of which the world has never seen.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urged the world to prepare for more intense drought, famine, floods, freak weather and heat waves—emphasizing that the "world's food supply is at considerable risk."
A Brookings Institution report put it bluntly: The world is in an "unprecedented state of crisis."
Is this the end of civilization?
Noam Chomsky, a political theorist and a professor of linguistics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is considered "one of the world's most controversial thinkers," pondered that question in a recent article, "The End of History? The Short, Strange Era of Human Civilization Would Appear to Be Drawing to a Close."
"It is not pleasant to contemplate the thoughts that must be passing through the mind of the Owl of Minerva as the dusk falls and she undertakes the task of interpreting the era of human civilization, which may now be approaching its inglorious end," Chomsky wrote.
Chomsky's concerns are echoed in a recent study by professors and researchers at the University of Maryland and the University of Minnesota who found that civilization could be headed for an "irreversible collapse" because of unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution between the rich and the poor.
A recent Oxfam report titled "Working for the Few" found wealthy elites have "coopted political power to rig the rules of the economic game, undermining democracy"—creating a world where the 85 richest people own nearly half the world's wealth. The report found that 1 percent of the world's population control 46 percent, or $110 trillion, of its wealth. Noting growing public awareness of this "power-grab," the report found that increasing inequality is helping the rich undermine democratic processes and drive government policies that promote their interests at the expense of everyone else.
Meanwhile, a growing number of scientists and philosophers at Oxford, Cambridge, MIT and the University of California, Berkeley, believe the world needs to start thinking seriously about the threat of human extinction. Curiously, a report by the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford warned that one of the risks that threaten human civilization is a "world dictatorship" or a "global totalitarian state."
The Convergence
While secular experts warn of societal collapse and the end of civilization brought about by over exploitation of natural resources and income inequality, faith leaders say the roots of the world's problems are spiritual in nature and coincide with an unparalleled acceleration and convergence in signs of the last days.
Graham—the famed evangelist who has preached to more people (2.2 billion) than any Protestant in history—says he believes the world is approaching the "end of the age."
"There's a great deal to say in the Bible about the signs we're to watch for, and when these signs all converge at one place, we can be sure that we're close to the end of the age," Graham says. "And those signs in my judgment are converging now for the first time since Jesus made those predictions."
Graham's remarks follow a letter he released in the summer of 2012 comparing America to ancient Nineveh—the lone superpower of its time. When the prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God's warning, the people repented and escaped judgment. He believes the same thing can happen in America.
Greg Laurie, pastor at the 15,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, and president of Harvest Crusades, says Graham is a "prophetic voice, and to me it's like Isaiah or Jeremiah standing up and telling our nation what we need to do. We would be wise to heed his warning and his admonitions and turn back to God because I believe God's prophet is speaking to us."
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of the New York Times best-selling books The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah, says Graham's message has grown "more and more prophetic" in recent years.
"Before God brings a nation into judgment, He sends warning," says Cahn, whose book The Harbinger is based on a real-life prophetic mystery he discovered in the Bible that unveiled the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the "War on Terror" and the 2008 global economic meltdown. "Before He brought judgment and destruction on ancient Israel, He warned them. The Harbinger is the revealing of how the same nine harbingers of judgment which appeared in the last days of ancient Israel are now reappearing on American soil."
Joel C. Rosenberg—a former adviser to Netanyahu and the New York Times best-selling author of Implosion: Can America Recover from Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time?—says he was taken aback by the Israeli prime minister's remarks before the United Nations. "There are very few world leaders who believe Bible prophecies are coming true in our lifetime, much less are willing to say that publicly," Rosenberg says. "I'm trying to draw a little bit more attention to (Netanyahu's comment), its significance and a question raised by it: If the prophecies related to the rebirth of the State of Israel have come true in our lifetime, when will other major Bible prophecies come true as well?"
Runup to the Second Coming
In addition to the rebirth of Israel, the Bible predicts a series of events in the runup to the Second Coming—an explosion in knowledge, the development of "mark of the Beast" technologies and ultimately the creation of a global government, cashless society, and false religious system.
Today, prominent world leaders and military officials are openly talking in the media about the possibility of a nuclear conflagration and a worldwide economic collapse. Even more remarkably, experts in science, economics and geopolitics across the political spectrum agree that the planet is facing a confluence of unparalleled dangers. On one hand, many believe climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. On the other, leaders of many faiths say events in recent decades suggest ancient prophecies are coming true. Throughout the world, people sense something epochal is occurring.
The most optimistic—futurists and transhumanists—believe humanity is on the cusp of a technology-driven quantum leap forward that will usher in a "techno-utopian" New Age era. Others are alarmed by the deepening chaos and immorality in the world. A Barna Group poll found that 81 percent of Americans believe morality is in a free fall.
Many believe the world is on the verge of an economic and societal collapse that will ultimately lead to what the Bible calls the Tribulation—a seven-year period of mayhem that culminates in the Battle of Armageddon. It is commonly believed that this period will begin when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. During the first half of the Tribulation, the world will experience a time of peace and prosperity. But in the latter half, the Antichrist will consolidate his power and institute a global government, economic system and religion with the help of the False Prophet. During this time, he will declare himself to be God, require universal worship and demand that people take the notorious "mark of the Beast." Without it, people won't be able to earn a living or buy the necessities of life. By the time of the final battle, prophecy experts believe anywhere from one-half to two-thirds or more of the world's population will have perished via war, disease, starvation, cataclysmic natural disasters and the Antichrist's reign of terror.
Many today are unaware that we are now approaching the final battle for our world and that everything we see happening is connected with that conflict.
Global Domination and a Cashless Society
In journalism, investigative reporters are often told to "follow the money" to uncover the real truth behind a story. Likewise, money and the "love of money" is a prominent theme throughout the Bible. In fact, it is such an important topic that it is the main subject of nearly half of Jesus' parables. In the New Testament, one in every seven verses deals with money. And while the Bible has about 500 verses regarding prayer, it includes more than 2,000 verses about money. So it's no surprise that money and rampant materialism play an important role in the rise of "Mystery, Babylon" in the end times. As the world's governments amass unprecedented levels of debt, many are asking how it will all end. Many believe the global recession and the international debt crisis are just the beginning of events that will lead to the global economic system foretold by the prophets.
Today, for the first time since Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel, the potential of a global government and cashless society is within mankind's reach. All the necessary components are in place for creating a socialistic world government—the surveillance state, political bodies such as the United Nations, electronic banking and microchip implants.
While seldom mentioned in the mainstream media, the push for "global governance" has advanced significantly in recent years. At a U.N. summit this month, the nations of the world are scheduled to consider a sweeping set of sustainable development goals costing trillions of dollars, including unspecified "reforms of the mechanisms of global governance." The authors of the U.N. report citing these reforms note that the next 15 years will be some of the "most transformative in human history."
Meanwhile, biometrics, digital currencies and similar technologies are moving the world ever closer to a cashless society. In a cnbc.com article—"Cashless Society: A Huge Threat to Our Freedom"—bank chairman Scott A. Shay warned of the dangers of the "sprint to a cashless economy" that will "permit governments to exercise incredibly powerful control over all human behavior."
Increasingly, these and similar articles are showing up in the mainstream media or in reports by think tanks. Recently, Hudson Institute senior fellow John Fonte—author ofSovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or Be Ruled by Others?—wrote that the world is at the beginning of an epic international conflict between the forces of global governance and the democratic nation-state.
"The concept of 'global governance' is in the air," Fonte wrote. "For many of the world's elites—who gather at places like Geneva, Davos, The Hague, U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, and wherever the G20 meets—global governance is the 'big idea.' Leading thinkers argue that today's global issues are too complex for the 'obsolete' nation-state system ... We are told that 'sovereignty' must be redefined as something that is 'shared' or 'pooled.' "
The Babylonian World Order
The rise of the final Babylonian system aligns with prophecies in Daniel and Revelation regarding an end-time global government, economy and religion. Many prophecy scholars believe some type of international crisis will serve as the catalyst facilitating the rise of the predicted global dictator who will oversee this system. "The Antichrist will initially be a man of peace and he will be a man with global and economic solutions," Laurie says. "He will come as a false messiah. So any talk I hear of a one-world currency and a one-world government is certainly a cause for concern if it means a move toward the end-time scenario spoken of in Revelation."
Mark Hitchcock, a pastor, prophecy scholar, and adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, says globalization is setting the stage for the fulfillment of end-time predictions. "The Bible tells us in Revelation 13 that there is going to be a one-world economy, a one-world religion, and there is going to be a one-world government in the end, and so to me the globalism that we see today points toward that," Hitchcock says. "How much longer will it take for the stage to be set? No one knows."
The move toward a cashless society and the development of mark of the Beast technologies are the necessary components for the total societal control the Bible predicts the Antichrist and the False Prophet will wield. Hitchcock believes a cashless society is coming: "I think we are seeing the beginning of it already. When we look at our world today, we see things moving in that direction, and in some cases, rapidly. To me, the convergence of all these things is staggering."
The Reason for Our Hope
Although our investigation uncovered extensive evidence that powerful forces are working to create a world state and cashless society, it doesn't mean it's a fait accompli. God gave us free will, and we believe there is still hope. We believe that there is a personal, living God of the universe who ultimately controls the destiny of the world and that He embedded a code in the Bible that has largely remained an enigma for nearly two millennia. We also believe that God gave each man and woman the power to decipher this code by reading God's Word.
When we understand this code the truth opens up to us. We discover that there is a force at work not only in the world, but in our personal lives that is far greater than the chaos. Ultimately, that force for good is embodied in Jesus. Even in the middle of the pandemonium, there is a real reason for hope, and that hope is Jesus. At a certain point in human history, at a time known only to God, Jesus will return to this earth at His Second Coming. At that time, He will destroy the counterfeit New World Order and "Mystery, Babylon" will fall.
At the Second Coming, God will usher in a brand-new world, a new heaven, a new earth and the new Jerusalem. Jesus will conquer death, and all those who put their faith in Him will be given new bodies and live forever.
When we trust in that reality, we have an unshakeable hope. In fact, Revelation is the Bible's greatest book of hope. It reveals God's final chapter in the story of humanity's salvation that began in Genesis. In the end, God is victorious. That's the great hope of our faith, and that's why "God's prophet" is sounding the alarm about the Second Coming.
Paul McGuireis a prophecy expert, commentator for Fox News and the History Channel and host of GOD TV's "Apocalypse and the End Times." He's the former host of the nationally syndicated "Paul McGuire Show" radio program and a professor of eschatology at Pastor Jack Hayford's The Kings University. McGuire is the author of more than two dozen books and co-author of The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). Follow him on Twitter (radiomcguire),Facebook (PaulMcGuire) or online atpaulmcguire.us.
Troy Andersonis the executive editor of Charisma and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist, author and speaker. He spent two decades as a reporter, bureau chief and editorial writer at the Los Angeles Daily News and other newspapers. He's also written for Reuters, Newsmax and Human Events. He's co-author of The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). Follow him on Twitter (TroyMAnderson), Facebook (troyandersonwriter)or online attroyanderson.us.
Prophecy expert Paul McGuire explains the secret to "Mystery, Babylon" and why you should understand it at mcguire.charismamag.com.
Charisma Editor Troy Anderson and prophecy expert Paul McGuire crack the code of "Mystery, Babylon" to reveal a hidden end-time puzzle in their book, The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). You can find this book wherever Christian books are sold or at amazon.com or christianbook.com.
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“Guard yourself and watch your soul very well.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
A young girl plays with a gas mask as Israeli postal workers distribute gas masks to residents of Jerusalem, August 12, 2012. (Photo: Noam Moskowitz/Flash90)
With the recent stock market slump, the dangerous Iran deal, the end of the shmittah year and the final blood moon coinciding, preppers, also known as survivalists, can look to the Bible just in case things get worse before they get better.
Preppers are people who actively prepare for local, national and international emergencies. They were once thought of as conspiracy theorist crazies stocking up hundreds of cans of beans and dozens of rounds of ammunition. Today, preppers are gaining credibility in the increasingly chaotic world in which we live.
Preparation is nothing new to the Jewish people. The Israelite slaves prepared for the exodus from Egypt by taking a year-old lamb into their homes on the 10th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and slaughtering it on the 14th day (Exodus 12:3-6). The Jews prepared for three days at the foot of Mount Sinai in advance of receiving the Torah (Exodus 19:15). And today, Sabbath observant Jews prepare in advance each week for the Sabbath.
If it’s prudent to be prepared, what are some reasonable acts average people can take to ready themselves for what might be coming, as the possible End of Days approaches?
Most people think of food and water first. Water is critical and should be the first thing you store. Calculate a gallon (4 liters) of water per person per day. For most people, that’s going to take a lot of space. As an example, you would need 18 six-packs of 2-liter bottles of water for a family of four for two weeks.
Although recommendations vary from three days to six months, typical advice is to have two weeks worth of canned or other non-perishable food, such as peanut butter, dried fruit, nuts and seeds set aside for emergency use. Honey doesn’t spoil and some people suggest having salt as part of your emergency food kit.
What about cash? Depending on your cash flow, it’s good to keep cash in small bills in a safe place, because banks and ATMs may shut down. Food and fuel shortages could also cause sharp increases in prices.
Fuel could turn out to be life-saving. Keep your car’s fuel tank full and consider storing extra gasoline if you have a way to do so safely. Consider purchasing a generator and definitely keep candles with matches and lighters in your prep kit.
Other things to consider including with your household preparation kit – essential medications, basic first aid supplies and toilet paper. If you live in Israel, it’s important to make sure your gas masks are up to date and are the right size for children.
None of these suggestions are intended to cause alarm and are prudent steps most anyone can take. If you research prepping, it’s easy to get overwhelmed at the number of things that are possible to do to prepare. Don’t get caught up in apocalyptic scenarios.
Bottom line, take reasonable precautions and have faith, along with having a Bible, a prayer book and other religious articles at the ready.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/48003/preppers-redemption-ready-your-family-days-ahead-jewish-world/#B2itr3FEhtESwaJL.99
