Best Free Book About God "Never to Return?" Part 1 Chapter 4

IV

NEVER TO RETURN?

 The lie: Jesus is gone forever.

For almost two thousand years, Christians have had an eager anticipation of an event known as “the second advent of Christ.”  This hope is based on the fact that after His resurrection and, just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised His followers that He would someday return to establish His own Kingdom on earth in Jerusalem. Christians have believed that Jesus would return to abolish evil and to establish justice; that He would rule over a new world where the lion would “lay down with the lamb” and where swords would be “beaten into plow shares;” a place where there would be no more war because the entire earth would be “filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the seas.” The promise of this glorious kingdom had been previously made to the Jewish people by several of their ancient prophets, some of whom predicted that this kingdom was to be established by their long awaited Messiah, who would deliver Israel from her enemies and fulfill the many wonderful promises made to their forefathers.       
        Christians have also believed that the day would come when the earth itself would be totally renewed.  In this new world there will be no more pain or sorrow; death and evil will be forever annihilated; and those who trust in Him will enter into an everlasting relationship with God that will bring forth ever-increasing joy and fulfillment throughout all eternity.     
        It is no wonder that Christians have looked forward to the coming of their Lord, especially since evil and corruption is rampantly pervading this present world.  Jesus instructed His followers to do whatever is possible to alleviate the suffering and sorrows of this world; but, He made it absolutely clear that the only permanent solution for the problems of mankind would never be realized until He returned to establish His own kingdom.  In other words, the only true and lasting world peace will be established by the Prince of Peace Himself, Jesus of Nazareth.   
        In speaking of His return, Jesus stated that no person would ever know the exact day or hour of its occurrence; however, He did indicate that the general time of His second coming could be known by those who remained attentive to certain prophetic signs.  Jesus spoke of several of these signs as general indications that would precede His second coming. However, He and the ancient prophets also made numerous detailed predictions about specific events that would occur before the Messiah would establish His kingdom.  
        History has been witnessing the miraculous fulfillment of many of these specific predictions which were written hundreds and even thousands of years before they actually came to pass.  There has especially been a rapid acceleration of these “end times” prophecies coming true in just this past century.  
        Because of misguided zeal, many sincere Christians have over-reacted to the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ.  In the past, certain groups of Christians have fled to the mountains because of their certainty that Christ’s return was imminent.  Others have marched through the streets proclaiming that He would come within a matter of days.  However, such reactions have usually stemmed from ignorance about prophecy and have served to create greater doubts among skeptics about Christ’s return than they ever had before.     
        The early church had an obvious anticipation of Christ’s return which prompted them to zealously proclaim the Gospel and to always maintain a state of readiness to meet Him.  Such an attitude should be maintained by every Christian because certain prophecies do seem to indicate that Jesus could call His followers, as a group, out of this world at any time of His choosing - even before every specific prophecy is fulfilled.  This attitude of preparedness is especially wise because life is fragile and the possibility of death is ever-present and will eventually come upon most people at an hour that they do not expect.  
        The early Christians expected Jesus to return very soon, but they never pinpointed or focused upon an exact time of arrival.  In fact, the Apostle Peter wrote; “But do not let this one fact escape your notice beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:8, 9).  
        In the past, Many Christians have made the mistake of assuming that the fulfillment of certain prophecies meant that the end of the world was immediately at hand.  They failed to see that the Bible contained other specific predictions which also had to occur before Christ’s return to this earth to set up His kingdom.   
        Jesus said that no one would ever know the exact time of His return; however, He did indicate that there would be a particular “generation” in history which would be able to know the general time of His coming.  Jesus said that this particular generation would “not pass away” until all things were fulfilled.  This prediction seems to indicate that there would be a certain generation in history that would witness an accelerated fulfillment of Bible prophecy just prior to Christ’s return to this earth. 
        First, there was one very important prophetic event which had to occur before any generation would be able to recognize this general time of Christ’s return.  Many Christians in the past have ignored the prophecies about this one event because it was inconceivable that such an event could ever literally occur.  They tried to “spiritualize” or “symbolize” the prophecies about, or related to, this event rather than accept their literal meanings.     
        During World War I, many Christians proclaimed that the end of the world was at hand yet this key prophecy had not been fulfilled.  World War II came and the alarm was once again sounded by certain Christians yet this key prophecy had still not come true.  Christians are sounding the alarm once again; only this time, that inconceivable prophecy has been fulfilled!  It concerns the small nation of Israel and its fulfillment is truly miraculous.

An Indestructible Nation

Before considering this remarkable prophecy, it is important to know certain details of Jewish history.  The Jews have been the most persecuted race of people in all of history.  It is true that other races have suffered terrible and cruel treatment at different periods in time; but, no other race has had to endure the long, relentless history of persecution that the Jews have had to endure.   
        Almost four thousand years ago the Jews were forced to become slaves in Egypt.  This period of painful bondage lasted for about four hundred years. The famous story of their “Exodus” from Egypt has been passed down and celebrated from one generation to the next throughout Jewish history. More than 2700 years ago, the ten northern tribes of Israel were conquered by Assyria and many were dragged off into exile. At two later periods in history, even Jerusalem was violently taken away from them and their sacred temple was destroyed as well.  The first destruction occurred around 600 B.C. when Israel was conquered by Babylon. At this time, the Israelites were led away into captivity at Babylon in several phases between 600-580 B. C.

It is interesting to note that this event was predicted to occur by several ancient Hebrew prophets, long before it actually happened.  Moses was one of those who foretold of this event, as did Isaiah and Jeremiah. For example, the book of Isaiah states:  “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord.  And some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you shall beget, shall be taken away; and they shall become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (Isaiah 39:6, 7). This prophecy was made about one hundred fifty years before the Babylonian conquest of Israel actually occurred.  Isaiah goes on in chapter forty five to mention the exact name of the Persian king who would finally release Israel from captivity.

Jeremiah also foretold of the conquest of Israel by Babylon several years before it happened and he even stated the exact number of years which they would remain in servitude.  (Jeremiah 25:11).  Furthermore the prophecies of Moses even antedate those of Isaiah and Jeremiah by many hundreds of years. God predicted such events through His prophets, not because He was going to deliberately cause them to happen, but because of His foreknowledge, He knew what actions and events were going to take place in the future.  Many predictions could have been annulled if only the people would have heeded God’s prophetic warnings.

After being allowed to return from Babylon to rebuild their temple, a few centuries later, the Jewish people were once again subjugated and humiliated by a Greek tyrant named Antiochus Epiphanes who ruled the Seleucid Empire after the division of Alexander the Great’s kingdom. This mad man outlawed every form and vestige of Judaism and he even defiled the Jewish temple by slaughtering a pig on the altar. The eventual Jewish revolt and restoration of the temple is still celebrated today by Jewish families in their feast of “Chanukah.”    

In 70 A.D., Titus of Rome conquered the Jews once more and they were again extracted from their homeland.  As a result of this conquest, the Jews were scattered around the world for almost two thousand years without a country of their own.  This conquest and dispersion was likewise predicted by several Hebrew prophets long before it actually took place.

Moses foretold of this Jewish dispersion more than fifteen hundred years before it occurred. He said:  “Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth;… And among those nations you shall find no rest and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot… And the Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships by the way about which I spoke to you, “You will never see it again!” And there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.” (Deuteronomy 28:64-68).

Not only were the Jews scattered around the world after the conquest in 70 A.D., they were also sent to the slave markets in Egypt where their supply soon exceeded the demand for them as slaves.  This prophecy represents an example of a conditional warning which didn’t have to occur if the people of Israel had only remained true to the Lord.

The prophet Ezekiel also wrote:  “However, I shall leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries.  Then those of you who escape will remember among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from me…”  (Ezekiel 6:8-9).

Ezekiel’s prophecy was made more than six hundred years before the dispersion of Israel.  Likewise the prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah and Amos also foretold of this terrible outcome of Israel and even Jesus Himself later said; “… for there will be a great distress upon the land and wrath to this people, and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles…” (Luke 21:23,24).

Not only did Jesus foretell of Israel’s demise, He also stated in another passage that the temple would be utterly destroyed to the extent that not one stone would remain upon another.  He even indicated that this great judgment would occur before His own generation passed away. According to the records of history, not only was Israel conquered within forty years from Christ’s prediction, the Jewish temple was completely leveled to the ground by the Romans.  Therefore, the longest period of suffering and persecution of the Jewish race began with the generation that rejected their true Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

During their worldwide dispersion, many nations accepted the Jews and then later rejected and severely persecuted them. Hundreds of thousands were killed, imprisoned or forced to renounce their faith from the time of Emperor Constantine, through the Dark Ages and Spanish Inquisition. They were eventually expelled from Spain in 1492 (unless of course they would “convert” to “Christianity;” renounce everything that was considered “Jewish,” and agree to become second class citizens). If not, they had to leave or be slaughtered. The Jewish people have been blamed for every ill imaginable throughout history – even the Bubonic Plague! One of the most heinous and well known crimes in history involved the extermination of more than six million Jews by Adolf Hitler.  However, in spite of being scattered, and in spite of enduring relentless persecution, the indestructible Jew has somehow managed to remain a pure and distinct race against all odds.  This is because they are still a very special and “chosen” people in God’s eyes. He calls them: “the apple (pupil) of His eye.”

The Jews have always been God’s special people throughout their history because God chose to bless the world through the nation of Israel.  However, in doing so, Israel was placed in a position of great responsibility, a position that no other nation had been given.  So, as long as the Jews remained faithful to God, He promised to bless them more abundantly than any other nation on earth.  And, indeed, the Jews have enjoyed several great periods of prosperity, wealth, and happiness as a nation because they maintained their fellowship with God.  During these periods of prosperity, no enemy could conquer them because the Lord was their protector.  Their nation was often protected from sickness, disease, famine and other plagues that were prevalent in neighboring countries.  Their herds of animals increased and their crops never failed while the Jews were in harmony with God and obedient to His laws.

However, whenever the Israelites turned their hearts and minds away from God, they willingly excluded themselves from his Divine protection.  God would patiently advise them of their dire situation by sending instructive warnings and pleas through His prophets.  If the people refused to listen to God’s many prophetic warnings, then judgment would eventually fall upon Israel.

The Jewish people often received a greater punishment for their wrongs than other nations received for committing the same offenses because the Jews had been given a greater revelation of God and therefore had known better than to forsake His instructions.  Because of their position of responsibility, they were held more accountable for their actions than the people of other nations.

Israel’s position of responsibility can be a little better understood when compared to modern situations involving child development.  For example: If   a twelve year old child deliberately spills ink on a new carpet, that child will usually be held more accountable than a two year old child who does the same thing.  This is because a twelve year old generally has a greater awareness of wrong than a two year old possesses.  Parents give their children certain rules and instructions to follow because they love their children and know what is best for them. As a child matures, they should begin to understand the reason for the rules and the love that rests behind them. God gave Israel certain rules to follow because He created people and knew what was best for them.  His laws were based in love and were intended to ultimately lead His people into the most abundant and rewarding life possible.

Judgment often came upon Israel because the Jews had to reach a state of despair before they would repent and seek God’s help and fellowship once more.  When the Jews were heading down a path which led to spiritual destruction, it sometimes required physical destruction to awaken them and cause them to seek the path of eternal spiritual life.

God always had the future best interests of Israel in mind whenever He dealt with them.  Whether Israel was being punished or whether Israel was being blessed, the Jews always remained God’s chosen people because of His promises to their forefathers.  No matter what Israel’s spiritual condition happened to be, God promised to “bless” any nation who treated the Jews fairly and to “curse” any nation who mistreated them.  The record of history proves the validity of this promise.  The empires of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Assyria, Rome, Spain, Napoleon’s France, Hitler’s Germany, and Great Britain, all began to decline shortly after they developed unfavorable attitudes toward the Jews.

 

Home at Last

 

The prophets not only predicted the Babylonian conquest of Israel and the great worldwide dispersion, they also predicted an event which would occur during the general time of, but prior to, the coming of the Messiah to establish His kingdom.  This was a key prophecy which had to be fulfilled before the Savior’s return to this earth. According to the prophets, the Jews had to be restored to their ancient homeland and be established once more as a nation before God would finally bring an end to human history as we now know it.

For many centuries, certain Christian scholars have realized that Israel would once more have to become a nation in their original homeland before Jesus would come back to this earth.  However, this opinion was not very popular in the past because most people considered such an event to be impossible. Even though the prophets had accurately predicted the previous conquests and worldwide dispersion of Israel, Christians attempted to “spiritualize” the prophecies which placed the Jews back in their homeland before Christ’s return, rather than believe in their literal fulfillment.  They refused to listen to prophets like Ezekiel who, twenty six hundred years ago, wrote:  “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land.”  (Ezekiel 36:24).  This prediction was made right after the Jews had been told they would be scattered around the world.  (Ezekiel 36:19).

In chapter thirty eight of the book of Ezekiel, God addresses an enemy to the north of Israel and says:  “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 of the nations…”  (Ezekiel 38:8).

The Old Testament prophets predicted the restoration of Israel and Jesus Himself indicated that the Jews would be in their homeland before His return.  That is why, for many centuries, dedicated Bible scholars also predicted that this restoration would take place, even though they were laughed at by their contemporaries. For example, in 1866 a Bible scholar by the name of James Grant wrote:  “The personal coming of Christ, to establish His millennial reign on earth, will not take place until the Jews are restored to their own land . . . now the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the mustering and marshalling of these mighty armies, with a view to capturing Jerusalem, must require a considerable time yet.”*  Other scholars voiced this same opinion even centuries earlier than James Grant did.

It once seemed impossible that a tiny nation like Israel, after being persecuted and scattered abroad for almost two thousand years, would ever be restored as a nation in the exact geographical location that was inhabited by their forefathers some four thousand years ago.  However, against all odds, in 1948, the impossible became a reality when Israel was reborn as a nation in what was then called Palestine.  This miraculous event marked the generation which would witness the return of Jesus Christ to this earth!

The Truth Hurts

 

Before considering some of the other significant prophecies which are being fulfilled in this generation, it is important first to have a general understanding of what the Bible says will occur on earth prior to Christ’s return.  However, discussions about the “end of the world” often frighten people and cause them to avoid any encounter at all with the subject.  Such an attitude is foolish because if, after a careful study of the matter, the Christian view is determined to be untenable, then all fear and apprehension about the topic can be once and for all dispelled.  However, if the Christian concept seems valid, what possible harm could come from learning the truth?  Hiding from the truth will not cause the truth to go away.  It is better to know the truth, even if it is sometimes painful, than to avoid it until it is too late to profit from it.

Suppose there was a man who had a house situated alongside a river in a deep valley.  Now, what if a concerned local resident knocked on this man’s door to tell him that the dam upstream was starting to crack and would probably collapse within hours?  Would it be wise for the owner of this house to cover his ears and ignore the information because he values his home so much, or should he at least go look at the dam himself?  Should he accuse this loving neighbor of using “scare tactics’ just to get him to leave his happy home or should he thank him for his concern?

The Bible contains some frightening information about the “end times” but it also contains an escape plan for anyone who is willing to listen.  The escape plan is unbelievably simple and it has been offered by God as a free gift.  It is impossible for human beings to earn this gift through their own merits because it has already been paid for in full by Jesus Christ.  More will be said about this free gift in the following chapters. But, in the meantime, there is absolutely no reason why anyone should have to fear the end of this world.

The Human Solution

 

According to the Bible, before Jesus returns, world turmoil and chaos will increase to such a degree that the very existence of mankind will become threatened.  Because of this, people will desperately be searching for some way to solve the world’s problems and to establish peace between nations.  Unfortunately, the majority of the population will be seeking humanistic solutions for problems which only God will be able to solve.

Because of these threatening world conditions, most of mankind will enthusiastically receive any man or system which is capable of bringing the world together in a unified effort for peace and survival. This attitude will open the door for the creation of a one-world government and an ecumenical pseudo religious system that will ultimately be ruled by one man.

This great world leader will be a charismatic individual who has a supernatural charm and power which mesmerizes the populace.  He will appear to be the incarnation of peace, strength and wisdom but in reality he will be a malignant deceiver.  The Bible refers to this man and this one-world system as “Antichrist.”  And according to the Bible, the Antichrist will be energized and indwelt by Satan himself and will be capable of performing miracles.

Antichrist will come into power at a time which will ultimately become the most horrible period of suffering and tragedy in human history.  This period is known to Christians as “the great tribulation” and many believe that it will occur during a literal seven year period immediately prior to the second coming of Christ (not all Christians hold this belief).  Many of those who believe in a literal seven year period believe that, during the first three and one-half years of this seven year tribulation, the Antichrist will seem to be the answer to world peace.  A pseudo-peace will be established among nations but when the world finally cries out “peace and safety” at last, then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child…”  (I Thessalonians 5:3).

During the last three and one-half years of the tribulation, this charismatic world leader will become the most malicious dictator that the world has ever seen.  He will demand to be worshiped as god himself and he will execute anybody who refuses to do so.  People will be required to receive an identifying mark in order to buy or sell anything.  Those who receive such a mark will be eternally rejecting the only true God by swearing their allegiance to “Antichrist”.

Throughout this last half of the tribulation, destructive forces will be allowed to run rampant.  Billions of people will die from war, famine, disease, execution and a host of other terrible plagues.  The entire world will ultimately be at war again until the last great battle on earth called “The Battle of Armageddon” is halted by the personal return of Jesus Christ to this earth.  Jesus will prevent the total annihilation of mankind and He will reconstruct a devastated earth and establish His own kingdom of peace.

Fear Not

 

In spite of the horrors of the tribulation, Christians need not fear.  There are some differences of opinion among Bible students concerning the exact fate of Christians during this terrible time but, in each case, there is absolutely no provision for Christian fear. Some students believe that Christians will be mysteriously taken out of this world (or “raptured”) before the seven year tribulation begins.  When this “rapture” occurs, believers who are presently alive and those who have died, will be instantly “caught up to meet the Lord in the air” (I Thessalonians 4:17) and be changed from mortal to immortal; possessing new imperishable bodies. (I Corinthians 15:51-53).

According to this viewpoint, during the tribulation, multitudes of the people who were not raptured will finally become Christians; but, these people will have to be carried through the remainder of the tribulation by the supernatural power of God.  God will provide physical sustenance for these believers and He will also give them an inner strength which defies fear even if they eventually face execution.

Some students believe that Christians will be raptured at the mid-point of the tribulation while others maintain that all Christians will have to go through the entire tribulation before they are raptured. In either case, Christians will still be miraculously preserved and sustained by the power of God just as the Israelites were preserved when the awful plagues fell upon Egypt.  Those who are ultimately required to face execution will do so fearlessly by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The early Christians were persecuted, tortured, and killed, yet they were so filled with God’s Spirit that many remained totally unafraid.  Christian death was often a spectacle (and frustration) for non-believers who couldn’t understand such serenity in the face of pain and death.  Many of the early martyrs sang hymns while they were being consumed by fire at the stake.  Others praised God as they were being torn to pieces by lions.  The Christian triumph over death is a matter of many historical records.

It is wonderful to know that God supernaturally strengthens those who are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus.  It is also comforting to believe that Christians may not have to go through the tribulation at all.  However, the purpose of this chapter will not be to expound upon which “tribulation-rapture” theory is more preferable. There are certain aspects of Scripture which are not as obvious as the basic essential doctrines of the Christian faith.  Some of these less obvious facts of Scripture are only revealed to an individual after intensive research and study.  Christians may differ on some of the peripheral details of Christianity because the Bible says that until Jesus comes, we will see certain things as “in a mirror dimly” and will only know things “in part” until that time (I Corinthians 13:12). It is possible for one Christian to have a greater revelation in certain areas of Scripture than another Christian.  This does not mean that one is spiritually superior to another nor does it mean that both do not share the same basic fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith.

Students of prophecy have some differing views about certain details of the “last days;” however, most of these students are finally in agreement that Jesus is coming very soon.  The ancient prophecies about the “last days” are rapidly falling into place.  It would require an entire book to effectively illustrate the many significant prophecies which are being fulfilled in this generation; therefore, only a very small portion of them will be briefly considered in the remainder of this chapter.

Birth Pangs

 

Some of the most important prophecies concerning the “end times” were revealed by Jesus Himself.  Jesus made many detailed and explicit predictions, but, He also spoke of some general “signs” or, better yet, “symptoms” which the world would experience before His return.  These “symptoms” have been occurring to some degree all through history and because of this, many skeptics of Christianity have contended that Christ’s predictions are irrelevant.  Jesus said that there would be “wars and rumors of wars;” “nations would rise against other nations” and “kingdoms against other kingdoms.”  He also said that famines and earthquakes would occur in various places.

Some Christians have made the mistake of announcing the “end of the world” solely because these general symptoms could be observed all around them.  This problem has arisen only because people have either misinterpreted or ignored what Jesus actually said.  Consider His words in the Gospel of Matthew:  “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for these things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.  But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”  (Matthew 24:6-8).  Jesus didn’t say that wars and rumors of wars would mark the end of history.  He said that wars, famines and earthquakes would be like “birth pangs.” When a woman is in labor, her pains become more frequent and intense as child birth draws near.  What Jesus was saying, in effect, was that wars, famines and earthquakes would likewise increase in frequency and magnitude as we approach the time of His return.

Some people have mistakenly assumed that Jesus promised to return within His own generation because in the thirty fourth verse of Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus said: “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  However, in its correct context, Jesus was referring to the generation which, not only witnessed the intensification of the general signs, but also witnessed certain specific events that would likewise occur during the same general time or season.  Therefore, Jesus was speaking of a specific generation but, not necessarily His own.

The general signs or symptoms which Christ spoke of have become extremely significant in our current generation.  For example, more human beings have lost their lives in wars during this past century than in all the other centuries of recorded history combined!  Unfortunately people in the twentieth century have witnessed the entire world at war for the first time in history and conflicts between nations continue to grow as never before; yet, modern technology continues to produce weapons which are capable of yielding unlimited destruction.

Not only has war intensified, famines have also taken an unprecedented toll of human life during this past century.  We are currently entering what scientists have predicted to be “an age of famines.”  Already, the annual death toll from famine is starting to spiral and, unless the course is somehow changed, much of the whole world will soon be threatened by starvation.

In addition to wars and famines, Jesus also indicated that earthquakes would increase in frequency and magnitude.  It is interesting that Jesus would include a physical “symptom” of the earth itself, as one of the general signs that would precede His second coming because major earthquakes have been occurring all through history; however, there has been a scientifically measured increase in the frequency of these seismic catastrophes during the past few decades.

Seismological monitoring equipment has enabled scientists to accurately record seismic disturbances throughout the world and, in each consecutive decade since 1950, the frequency of earthquakes has approximately doubled.¹ According to statistics, the 1970’s had far more devastating earthquakes than any previous decade in history.  And if this trend continues, earthquakes in the 1980’s will intensify even further, prior to reaching its close.

Earthquakes are now occurring in geographical locations which have never before experienced such phenomenon.  Even volcanic activity has been increasing during the past decades.  If, indeed this is the general time of Christ’s return, the world can expect to experience an even greater barrage of earthquakes in the years ahead.

At this point, it is important to reiterate that an increase in the frequency and magnitude of these, and a few other general signs which Christ spoke of, does not necessarily mean that the end of the world is at hand. Jesus said these things must take place, “but that is not yet the end.”  (Matthew 24:6).  As previously mentioned, it was also necessary for certain specific events to also take place before Christ’s return.  Many of these events are rapidly being fulfilled in “this generation” and some of them are directly related to the restored nation of Israel.

Middle East Tension

 

According to ancient prophets, not only would the Jews be re-established as a nation in Israel, they would also have to regain possession and control of the ancient city of Jerusalem.  In the twelfth chapter of the book of Zechariah, the Jews are portrayed as being in control of Jerusalem when the Messiah returns to conquer the enemies of Israel.  For example, verse six of this chapter says: “In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem.”

Up until 1967, very few people thought it possible for the Jews to ever regain possession of their ancient city.  When Israel was conquered by Babylon in about 600 B.C., the Jewish sovereign control of Jerusalem was lost and never totally regained before their worldwide dispersion.  Even during the time of Christ, it was the Romans who controlled Jerusalem and not the Jews.  However, in June of 1967, the Jews finally recaptured the ancient city of Jerusalem in just six days!  Now, for the first time in twenty six hundred years, the Jewish people once again have sovereign control over their holy city.

Because of recent developments in the Middle East, we are now witnessing the fulfillment of several other remarkable prophecies that were once considered to be ridiculous by many skeptics.  According to Scripture, a conflict between the Arabs and the Jews will cause a “spark” which ignites the fuse of the final world war.  The Jewish possession of Jerusalem will be a major factor behind this conflict that eventually brings all nations into the Middle East for the last great battle on earth called “Armageddon.”  The book of Zechariah says; “Behold I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around… And it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all peoples . . .” (Zechariah 12:2,3).

Not too many years ago, the idea of world war being triggered by a conflict between the Arabs and the Jews seemed almost laughable.  That’s because, until recently, the nations of the Middle East were existing in a rather archaic cultural and technological environment.  The western nations were far more technologically advanced and they had a seemingly infinite military superiority over the Arab world.  Therefore, any skirmish which might have developed within the backward countries of the Middle East certainly wouldn’t have threatened world security.

However, in recent years the picture has drastically changed.  The world has now become economically dependent upon the precious natural resource of oil.  The Arab nations have become major world suppliers of this precious commodity and have therefore entered into a position of world power.  Furthermore, all the nations of the world would like to have access to Arab oil but there is now a problem with which all interested nations must contend.  That problem is the nation of Israel!

It is no secret that the Arab countries are incensed by Israel’s national restoration in Palestine.  They are especially infuriated by Israel’s occupation and control of Old Jerusalem.  The ancient city had been a sacred possession of the Muslim world for many years because located within the city is the second holiest shrine of all of Islam (Muslim religion).  This sacred shrine is called the “Dome of the Rock” and it is located upon Mount Moriah which is where the ancient Jewish temple once stood.

Certain Jewish leaders have expressed a desire to rebuild the ancient temple of Solomon but this poses an additional threat to the Arab world.  Because, according to Jewish law and tradition, the only place the temple can be located is upon Mount Moriah! All through history, the Arab nations have been fighting against each other.  However, for the first time, they are starting to unite with one common cause.  This common cause is to destroy the nation of Israel and reclaim Jerusalem. Because of this fact, it is evident that Jerusalem has now become “a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples” and a “heavy stone” which is burdening the whole world.

The Arab nations are continuously placing economic pressures upon major world powers in order to turn them against Israel.  The great Arab oil weapon has already caused many would be allies of Israel to shift their support away from the Jews.  Even the United States has been experiencing an anti-Israeli movement that has gained considerable political strength.  However, if the United States ever makes the immoral decision to desert Israel in the face of danger, America will undoubtedly suffer a similar, and probably a more severe fate, than those other great powers in history that did likewise.

Even if her allies desert her, the tiny nation of Israel is willing to take on the entire world before the Jews will ever give up their homeland again.  When Titus of Rome conquered the Jews in 70 A.D., almost one thousand Jewish patriots defended the last Jewish stronghold which was known as “Masada.”  When defeat appeared to be imminent, these Jewish patriots chose to commit suicide rather than surrender. Many world spectators have looked upon Israel as having “the spirit of Masada” in their current situation because many Israeli’s would rather die than surrender their country.  Jewish military authorities agree that this spirit of “death before surrender” exists, but, they have publicly claimed it would be more appropriate to say that Israel has the spirit of “Samson” rather than “Masada.”  (In the Old Testament, when Samson died, he took his enemies down with him).

If the destruction of Israel becomes imminent, the Jews will undoubtedly destroy as many of their enemies as possible.  The Israeli’s have nuclear weapons and they are prepared to use them against any nation of the world if it becomes necessary.  This sobering fact serves to create an even greater tension in the Middle East.

Russia

 

The Bible contains many detailed prophecies about other individual nations and their roles in the great climax of history.  The great alliances of power that are currently developing among the nations of the world were predicted to emerge in the “last days” by the prophets of Israel.  In the Old Testament, these nations were often identified by their ancient tribal names and historians have been able to trace the individual histories of these tribes and determine which modern countries are represented be their descendents.

For example, the prophets Ezekiel, Daniel and Joel predicted the emergence of a great northern military power which would attack the restored nation of Israel.  The book of Ezekiel contains a great amount of information about this battle and the exact identity of this great army in the second and third verses of Ezekiel, chapter thirty eight.  These verses say; “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog the prince of Rosh, Meshach and Tubal and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, Behold I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal.’”  In these verses, it is learned that the northern army would be descendants of the ancient tribes of Magog, Rosh, Meshach and Tubal.

For many centuries, scholars have been able to trace the migrations of these tribes and have identified them as the people who principally inhabit modern Russia.  Ancient historians such as Herodotus, Josephus, Pliny, and others have provided valuable information about the histories of these people and, in his book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” Hal Lindsey conclusively demonstrates the relationship between these ancient tribes and modern Russia by providing documentation from both ancient and modern historians.

Long ago the prophets predicted the rise of this great military power.  Daniel called this power “the kings of the north,” Joel called it a “northern army” and Ezekiel said that this great army would come from “the uttermost” or “extreme” north of Israel.  Any world map will show that the nation which lies to the extreme north of Israel is the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, in past centuries, certain Bible scholars were ridiculed for saying that the Russians would someday become a great military force that would attack the restored nation of Israel.  They were ridiculed because the Jews at that time were scattered throughout the world without a country of their own, while Russia was still an underdeveloped nation of peasants. The situation has obviously changed from what it was a couple of centuries ago.  The Russians are now the most powerful military force in all of recorded history, plus there is also a great animosity that now exists between the Soviet Union and the nation of Israel.

(UPDATE: Remember, this was written before the break-up of the Soviet Union. The dangers are still present and relevant. The Nation which lies directly north of Israel is Turkey and as alliances continue to change, Turkey will become a major factor as well as Iran. Both of these nations are specified in prophecy as well.)

The Russians would like to gain control of the Middle East because, in doing so, they would also gain economic control over the United States and Western Europe who are vitally dependent upon mid-east oil.  However, in order to gain control in the Middle East, the Russians will somehow have to gain control over Israel too, not only to appease the other Arab countries, but also because the nation of Israel is located in a centralized strategic area of the middle east.  Another enticing factor for the Soviets is that there are vast quantities of untapped mineral resources in the Dead Sea area.

Israeli military experts agree that their ultimate enemy is going to be the Soviet Union.  This fact was borne out in the 1973 conflict which broke out between Israel and the Arabs. At one point during this war, Russia had military troops airborne and en route to the Sinai Peninsula until President Nixon called an alert which turned them back around.  Would Russia now have such respect for a warning from the United States?  Possibly not, this has been made evident by the recent Russian invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.  Unfortunately, as conflicts continue to grow in the Middle East, it is certain that Russia will continue to play an aggressive role wherever possible.

The Bible tells of other nations that would join Soviet forces in a joint attack against Israel.  And, as with Russia, these nations have also been traced through history and identified in our modern world.  Some of these nations are now Iron Curtain countries and others are African and Arab countries. According to the thirty eighth and thirty ninth chapters of Ezekiel, Russia and these allies will launch an invasion against Israel that will result in the destruction of this Northern alliance by God Himself.  This battle will be distinctively separate from the final battle on earth called Armageddon.

Kings of the East

 

Another great military power was also predicted to emerge and become involved in the final conflict of human history.  The Apostle John referred to this great army as “the kings of the east.”  (Revelation 16:12).  The Greek words which have been translated to read “kings of the east” have more appropriately been translated by some scholars to read “the kings of the rising sun.”*  These ancient words were once used to identify oriental nations and people.

According to the book of Revelation, this enormous army will come from out of the east and march across the Euphrates River and into the middle-east.  In the ninth chapter of the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John reveals some terrifying information about this army.  For example, in verses fifteen through eighteen of this chapter, it is revealed that one-third of mankind will be destroyed by this ferocious army which consists of two hundred million soldiers!**

These verses in the book of Revelation may at first be difficult to understand until the reader becomes familiar with some of the symbolism that is used throughout the book. It is also important to realize that the Apostle John may have witnessed visions of the future and quite possibly tried to describe twentieth century phenomenon in first century terminology.  If, in chapter nine, John was witnessing the mechanisms of modern warfare, how would he relate what he saw to people of his own day?  The terrible judgments in the book of Revelation do not necessarily have to be correlated with any type of natural or technological phenomenon; but, it is quite possible that the “fire’ and the “smoke” and the “brimstone” of chapter nine, which is responsible for killing one-third of the population, will stem from thermonuclear warfare.  If, indeed, the Apostle John was given a futuristic glimpse of thermonuclear warfare, what better way would a man, who had no knowledge of atomic weaponry, describe the results which are produced by such terrible devices?

The prophet Zechariah spoke of a terrible “plague” that would afflict the people who made war against Jerusalem in the “last days.”  Some twenty five hundred years ago, this prophet said that men’s eyes would rot out of their sockets, their tongues would deteriorate in their mouths, and their flesh would likewise be consumed (Zechariah 14:12).  What is really extraordinary about this awful plague described by Zechariah is that all of the above symptoms would occur while people were still standing on their feet.

Up until modern times, such a “plague” would definitely have had to been inflicted by some supernatural force and, indeed, it still may occur supernaturally but not out of necessity.  Many unfortunate atomic bomb victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were exposed to a thermonuclear heat that burnt their eyes out of their sockets, their tongues out of their mouths, and the flesh off of their bodies before they even fell to the ground.

This revelation about the destructive power of a ferocious oriental (and demonic) army becomes remarkably significant in light of the fact that Red China is now producing thermonuclear weapons.  It becomes even more significant when we consider that Red China has, on several occasions, publicly boasted of its ability to launch an army of exactly two hundred million soldiers!  John predicted the size of this oriental army when there weren’t even two hundred million people on earth!

Antichrist

 

According to prophecy, the Western European nations will also unite to form a great sphere of economic and military power.  This great power will be the main instrument through which the “Antichrist” will be able to gain world economic control and create a false peace through a one-world system of religion and government.  He (and a man who the Bible refers to as “the false prophet,”) will institute a treaty with Israel that will appear to provide “peace and safety” for the tiny nation. However, when Israel makes a pact with “Antichrist” it will be the gravest error that they have ever committed in history because this charismatic world leader will ultimately become the cruelest and most inhumane dictator that Israel and the rest of the world have ever known.

In the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, it is learned that the “Antichrist” or “Beast” as he is sometimes called, will prohibit anyone from being able to buy or sell anything unless they receive a certain identifying mark or number upon their right hand or forehead.  (Revelation 13:17, 18).  In order for this to be accomplished, the “Antichrist” will have to obtain total economic control and have the ability to “number” and keep statistical records of every single person on earth.  At no other time except the present, would any individual have had the ability to accomplish this task.  However, the advent of computerization has made this prophecy humanly possible for the first time in history.  Right now there are giant computers which are capable of storing information about every single person on our planet.  In fact, in Brussels Belgium, at the headquarters of the European Common Market, there is a giant computer (Which ironically is called “the beast”) that is alone capable of performing this function.

 

Update: The quantum leap in computer technology since the writing of this book is almost incredible. Please consider that the following paragraphs were written more than 30 years ago and what seemed amazing and “far-fetched” back then is now ancient history. We are now living in an age that the following information predicted.

One-World

 

For many years, certain financial powers of the world have been trying to create a one-world economic system that will effectively stabilize and control faltering national economies.  One of the goals of this economic system is to eliminate all currency by replacing it with a “cashless” exchange system.  In this plan, rather than exchanging money for goods and services, all commerce will be conducted by using a credit type system.  A person’s “paycheck” will automatically be deposited into a computer and the monetary value will be recorded and placed into a central computerized account.  In this system, a type of credit card will be used to make purchases of goods and services which will then be charged against one individual’s account and automatically transferred to another’s.

There are many top level sources which confirm that this computerized plan is being faithfully and methodically instituted.  “Cashless” banking has been anticipated for more than a decade.  Consider the following excerpt of an article which appeared in the June 1, 1975 issue of the Houston Chronicle:  “World of Electronic Banking Is Not Very Far Off . . . (Chicago)… The day is coming when you won’t have to go to your bank on payday to cash your paycheck.  You won’t get a check.  Instead, your employer will have the funds automatically deposited in your bank account.  Want some cash? Then go down to the employee’s cafeteria and put your plastic card into the machine, punch up your account and presto—you have cash.  But, why bother with cash?  When you go shopping for groceries, just present your card for payment.  The store will automatically transfer funds from your checking account to pay the bill.  And while you’re at it, you can also transfer funds from your checking to savings account or from your bank account to your savings and loan account.”*

A one-world computerized system is becoming more of a reality every day.  Little by little, society is being programmed to receive such a system with open arms.  Many employees are already enjoying the convenience of having their paychecks automatically deposited in their banks and the use of twenty four hour computerized “tellers” is also becoming increasingly popular.  Local grocery stores are installing rapid computerized checkout lanes and the worldwide use and acceptance of standard charge cards is also helping to pave the way for this economic nightmare.

Throughout the world, people are becoming used to the idea of receiving “numbers” that are used to facilitate the gathering and storing of information by computers.  In the United States, for example, some school children are even being required to receive social security numbers which will remain with them for life.  And, unfortunately the preceding examples represent only a few of the many conditioning processes which are now taking place.

A computerized standard currency is already being used in the world market. It is based upon the value of leading world currencies, but it involves no transfer of paper.  This electronic currency is known as “SDR” which means “Special Drawing Right” and represents only a foretaste of things to come.

Certain problems have been anticipated by organizers of this future economic system. One of them involves the effective use of a “Credit Card.”  If a person must have a Credit Card to buy or sell, serious problems could arise due to theft or loss of the card.  To alleviate this anticipated problem, suggestions have actually been made to implement a system at some point in time which will require an individual to receive a type of permanent “tattoo” on his or her body to replace the need for a card and eliminate the problem of theft or loss.  This tattoo would probably be cosmetically invisab1e unless subjected to infrared light or some other form of detection.

People who have no idea of what the Bible says have actually suggested that this identification mark be placed on the hand or forehead.  The hand would be preferable but it could not be used for amputees or small children.  A child’s forehead would be marked once for life because it is the one area of the body which experiences the least proportional growth.  A child’s hand would have to be re-marked within years because of excessive distortion of the number due to the development of the hand.

All of this may sound like a fictional yarn from the “Twilight Zone” but, nevertheless such thoughts have been pondered by international organizers of a one-world economic structure.  In 1975, “Southwest Radio Church” published an article (which is still available) entitled “Cashless Society A World Without Money.”  In this article, the author quotes statements from many excellent sources which serve to verify the existence of an international movement toward a “Cashless Society.”  Of particular interest in this article is a paragraph which contains a quotation from Senior Scholastic magazine.  The paragraph reads as follows:  “The technology for such a system is already available.  The September 20, 1973, issue of “Senior Scholastics” magazine, a secular news magazine for high school and college students, carried on the front cover a full color artist’s rendering of young people representing various races and ethnic groups with their computer numbers tattooed on their foreheads.  The accompanying article was entitled: “Public Needs and Private Rights Who is Watching You?”  The article reads in part:  ‘All buying and selling in the program will be done by computer.  No currency, no change, no checks. In the program, people would receive a number that had been assigned them tattooed in their wrist or forehead.  The number is put on by laser beam and cannot be felt.  The number in the body is not seen with the naked eye and is as permanent as your fingerprints.  All items of consumer goods will be marked with a computer mark.  The computer outlet in the store which picks up the number on the items at the check stand will also pick up the number in the person’s body and automatically total the price and deduct the amount from the person’s Special Drawing Rights account…”*

The world is being conditioned to accept a system that will provide some sound solutions to worldwide economic problems.  The system itself may be practical and basically harmless at its inception but, at some point in time, this cashless system may quite possibly become the very instrument through which the Antichrist is able to gain worldwide economic control.  Once such a system is established, a world dictator could step in and require people to swear their allegiance to him by receiving a special mark.  He could make it impossible for anyone to “buy or sell” who did not possess this symbol of allegiance.  A person who had access to this kind of power could eventually demand to be worshiped as God Himself.

 

Knowledge without Wisdom

 

There are literally scores of detailed Biblical prophecies about the “end times” which are rapidly being fulfilled in this generation.  They are falling into place at a time when science and technology have skyrocketed into a realm of knowledge that would have been unimaginable one hundred years ago.  The words of the Lord’s messenger as recorded in the book of Daniel become extremely significant in our advanced technological society because the fourth verse of Daniel, chapter twelve says: “But as for you Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth (possibly speaking of travel) and knowledge will increase.”  (The “sealing” of the book is later explained to mean that people would not be able to understand what Daniel was writing until the end of time).

This generation has experienced a greater increase in “knowledge” than all the other generations of history combined.  People who lived one hundred years ago were not too much more technologically advanced than people who lived two thousand years ago.  And, what is really ironic is that this sudden burst of scientific knowledge in the twentieth century may quite possibly contribute to the very destruction of the human race.

Because of the spectacular scientific achievements which have been made during this present generation, many people have developed a false confidence about the ability of scientists to cope with the many perilous problems that the world is currently facing.  This false confidence exists because most people have willfully ignored the magnitude of the dilemmas which threaten mankind’s very existence.  The “civilized” world is full of “ostriches” who think that sticking their heads in the sand will make the problems disappear and such people have made the mistake of assuming that; since science and technology have overcome major problems in the past, the obstacles of the present and future will likewise be conquered.  However, in spite of the extremely rapid progress that is continuously being achieved in all fields of science and technology, many of the world’s top scientific authorities have recently had to abandon their hopes of averting a future worldwide holocaust.

Without having any knowledge of Bible prophecy whatsoever, a person who honestly evaluates the problems which threaten the human race will realize that history is racing toward an abrupt ending.  This generation is threatened by three major problems which modern science and international governments have yet been unable to solve.  In spite of countless efforts to solve them, these three perils continue to escalate as never before.  No other generation in history has ever been universally endangered by (1) the population explosion, (2) the contamination of our earth and atmosphere, (3) the threat of nuclear war.

Population

 

The first of these problems, the population explosion, is out of control.  It took thousands of years for the human race to reach a population of one billion by the year 1850.  It then only took eighty years for the population to double and reach its second billion by 1930.  In less than fifty years, the population doubled once more and reached four billion by 1976.  Now the population is approaching five billion and it will theoretically double within thirty five years (according to present growth rates).  This of course will be impossible because there is not enough available food on earth to feed that many people.

UPDATE: Many changes have taken place in population control and growth rates since the writing of this book. The overall rate has slowed down and at current projections; the world population will be at about 9.3 billion in the year 2050. However, there are still certain regions of the world that are experiencing population explosions that threaten food supplies. The vast resources that God has made available on our planet are more than enough to support huge increases in population if there weren’t other factors involved. Population growth has become one of the political factors that have been used to create a sense of urgency to establish a one-world government. 

The population explosion is being accompanied by many terrible side effects and the greatest of these is hunger.  The great famines are already plaguing the third world countries and it won’t be long before the rest of the world begins to suffer.  As resources become scarcer due to a rapidly increasing demand, the death rate will continue to spiral upward.

Many dedicated scientists have become frustrated in their attempts to solve the deadly hunger problem.  Dr. Norman Borlaug, the man who helped launch “the green revolution” (a worldwide program to increase food supplies) was finally forced to admit that “the green revolution is dead.”*  According to Dr. Borlaug, the possibility for the success of the “green revolution” was destroyed when the Arabs began raising the price of crude oil.  Inexpensive crude oil was necessary to operate the farm machinery and to produce the essential fertilizers that were required to make the “green revolution” effective.  However; even if the economic barriers were suddenly eliminated, the problem of famine has now grown too large to be solved in the immediate future.  Consider these words of Dr Borlaug:  “I think it’s folly to expect science to pull a rabbit out of a hat in the eleventh hour to solve the food production problem.”*  Please remember that these words were spoken by a scientist who has been referred to as “the greatest living expert in the field of food production.”**

Those who are involved in food distribution programs are also confronted with numerous obstacles.  Dr. W. Stanley Mooneyham is a dedicated Christian who heads one of the most efficient and effective hunger relief organizations in the world.  This organization is known as “World Vision” and it has been able to overcome many of the obstacles which have prevented other food distribution programs from being so effective.  In his book entitled “What do You Say to a Hungry World?”  Dr. Mooneyham offers some insight into the enormity of the hunger problem when he says:  “. . . the food crisis does not stand in isolation from the rest of the world’s problems.  If we were dealing with just an agricultural shortfall, the solution would be relatively simple.  But add changing climatic conditions and you complicate the problem.  Link it with uncontrolled world population. . . and you further intensify the dilemma.  Now compound it by introducing ecological factors plus deficiency of medical services, inadequate educational programs, discriminatory distribution systems, global economic inequity and repressive political regimes-add these and you’ve got an apocalyptic situation.”***

Millions of people are dying each year from starvation. And, as the population continues to skyrocket, world food supplies will diminish and the entire world will hang upon a delicate thread of survival. One major crop failure or one season of adverse weather could conceivable break that delicate thread in the near future.

Pollution

 

The pollution of our earth and atmosphere presents the second unique problem that threatens human survival.  Modern science and technology have produced many innovations that have served to provide greater “creature comforts,” increased productivities, advanced communication, rapid transportation, and a host of other beneficial (and often necessary) improvements.  As a result of this technological evolution, the world has become physically dependent upon many modern inventions; economically dependent upon others; and psychologically dependent upon almost all of them.

The achievements of modern science and technology are now essential to most human beings in some way or another; however, some terrible side effects of technology have appeared in the form of pollution.  Unfortunately, science has “created a monster” which now threatens human survival.  Factories, automobiles, supersonic jets, and hundreds of other modern devices, are polluting our earth and atmosphere with poisonous gases and deadly chemical wastes that are slowly destroying our world.

The most obvious form of pollution is seen in the atmosphere, hovering above every major city of the world.  Each year, several hundred million tons of pollution is spewed into the air by factories automobiles etc. . . .  Our polluted atmosphere is full of many dangerous compounds that are continuously being absorbed by human beings.  And, these pollutants are directly linked to the rapid increase in fatal heart and lung diseases.  The problem with many of these pollutants is that they are not easily expelled from the human body and small doses continue to accumulate within the body - steadily increasing toward higher levels of concentration.  These higher levels can eventually reach a lethal dosage in many if the atmosphere is not purified.

One harmful product of automobile pollution has been tetra ethyl lead.  It has been estimated that Americans of this current generation have more than one hundred times the amount of lead in their bodies than those of previous generations.² The concentration of lead is reaching maximum tolerance levels in Americans; therefore, much is being done to diminish its presence in the atmosphere.  However, lead is only one of the many harmful substances that continue to increase in our atmosphere and our bodies.  The entire world is exposed in some degree to the many pollutants emitted from major cities because the air circulates the earth about forty times a year. Urban pollution has even contaminated the glaciers of the Arctic regions.³

Air pollution is creating a problem which is far more dangerous than its obvious direct threat of biological poisoning because certain pollutants have been causing the ozone layer in the stratosphere to slowly deteriorate.  Ozone filters out approximately 99% of the lethal radiation from the sun; yet, if that band of ozone which surrounds the earth was tightly compressed together, it would form a layer that would only be about an eighth of an inch thick!  A 10% reduction in ozone could cause an increase in skin cancer of 25% to 60%,⁴ and a 30% depletion of ozone could cause the annihilation of mankind.⁵  If drastic preventative measures are not instituted on a worldwide basis, there is a possibility that the ozone layer will be depleted by thirty percent before the year 2000.⁶

UPDATE: Many regulations have been put into place since the writing of this book. The pollution over many major cities has drastically decreased. Automobile emissions are much cleaner. Rivers and lakes that used to catch fire because of their pollutant content are now clean and many harmful chemicals are no longer produced. Good things have come from environmental “scares” but it is now obvious that many “scares” have been, and still are, more politically driven than scientifically driven. Each of the remaining problems in this section, whether remedied or not, represents a type of vehicle that can be used to create fear, panic and the ultimate embrace of a world system of control. There will be links at the end of this book to websites that provide more insight and current data into the problems that are now trumpeted as dire emergencies by the scientific / political community.  

The fluorocarbons in aerosol spray cans are known to reduce ozone so therefore a ban on fluorocarbon production in the United States has been implemented.  However, a ban on fluorocarbon production will have to be established on a worldwide basis in order to be effective.  However, even if a universal ban on fluorocarbons was imposed and totally enforced throughout the world this very day, the ozone layer could still suffer a 10% depletion, just from the fluorocarbons which have been produced in the past.  This would occur because fluorocarbons will continue to rise and infiltrate the stratosphere for ten years after production.  Once they are in the atmosphere it takes forty to one hundred fifty years before they break down.⁷

Supersonic jets and nitrogen based fertilizers produce nitrous oxides which also cause ozone depletion.  Obviously, supersonic jets are still being manufactured and modern agriculture has become dependent upon nitrogen based fertilizers.  Furthermore, there is a possibility that many other man-made products could likewise be destroying our ozone supply. If the ozone layer continues to deteriorate, the chances for human survival will become increasingly less.  Not only will ozone depletion present a direct biological threat, it will also cause major changes in the world’s weather patterns.  Such changes would have a devastating effect upon world food production, just at a time when food is most desperately needed.

Probably the most dangerous of all forms of environmental pollution has been caused by the millions of man-made chemical mixtures that are used for a variety of purposes throughout the world.  Only in recent years have scientists realized the extreme danger in many of these modern chemical substances.  However, chemical production has been so rapid, that only a very small percentage of the vast quantity has ever been thoroughly tested to see what effect they will have upon the environment.  Of those that have been thoroughly tested, considerably large percentages have been found to be hazardous in some way or another to human health.

The problem with many new chemicals is that they do not break down in the environment.  They remain chemically stable so therefore their quantities continue to increase within the environment.  Eventually these chemicals are absorbed by plants and animals and are ultimately assimilated by human beings.  And, because of their virtual indestructibility, the human dosages of these toxic products continue to rise toward lethal levels.  What is even worse is that some of these chemicals can mix together in the body to form extremely poisonous compounds.

In their well-documented book entitled, “1980’s Decade of Shock”, Dr. Clifford Wilson and John Weldon made the. following relevant statement:  “Our generation is the first in history having DDT, PCB’s and other organochlorine compounds in our tissues, fat, and livers, lead in our blood, mercury in our brains, potentially dangerous amounts of radioactive elements in our bones, asbestos particles in our lungs, and numerous other dangerous materials distributed throughout our bodies.”*

Many of these dangerous chemicals have become so concentrated in human beings; some of them are being transferred from mothers, into the tissues of their newborn babies.  In human beings, these various pollutants can cause many problems such as fatigue, nervous disorders, liver damage, kidney failure, brain damage, heart disease, cancer, birth defects, reproductive failure and eventually death.  Unfortunately, most people are not too concerned at this time because they have not noticeably experienced any adverse effects from chemical pollution.  However, this attitude does not nullify the fact that their bodies are indeed continuing to absorb chemicals that are steadily increasing in their proportions.  It is a solemn fact that once these chemical proportions reach certain levels in the near future, the physical adversities will be inevitable.

Even if all hazardous chemical and pesticide production was discontinued immediately throughout the world, there would still be a “delayed effect” that would continue for decades.  Human beings would continue to absorb and accumulate these lethal products because they would remain in the ecosystems for many years to come.  They would continue to be absorbed by plants, animals, and ultimately be absorbed by humans for decades after production ceases.  For example, even though the pesticide, DDT, was banned in the United States in 1972, the chemical is still being absorbed, and is accumulating, within the bodies of practically all Americans.  This effect will continue for many years into the future and it will never cease unless other countries of the world also stop DDT production.

A synthetic compound called polychlorinated biphenyl PCB is even far more dangerous than DDT.  PCB’s have been used extensively in the electrical equipment industry but they have also been used in certain paints and lubricants.  Like so many other chemicals, PCB’s are also being absorbed into the bodies of most Americans.

Measures have been taken to ban production of these chemicals in the United States; but, unfortunately, PCB’s will continue to present a growing health hazard for many decades, even if a worldwide ban is suddenly imposed.  This problem exists because, since the beginning of their production, more than 1.4 billion pounds of PCBs have been manufactured.⁸ However, only about 30% of these have been discarded into the free environment and only one half of the discarded PCB’s have presented health problems.  In other words, only l5% of the total manufactured quantity of PCB’s have thus far reached a danger point in the ecosystems.  Remember there are still more than 65% of the total quantity which have not yet been discarded.  Therefore, many of these will ultimately work their way into the environment and be absorbed by humans for many years into the future.⁹

There are of course thousands of other hazardous chemicals which are polluting our environment.  Some of these are far more toxic than DDT and PCB; yet, they are still being manufactured and distributed throughout the world. Unfortunately, when certain chemicals are finally determined to be dangerous, the legal processes to ban their production often require a considerable amount of time.  What is even more unfortunate is that the prohibited chemicals are sometimes replaced by others which are later determined to be even more hazardous than the first.

The world is becoming increasingly dependent upon all types of chemicals.  For example, farmers are now using one hundred times the amount of pesticides that were used forty years ago.¹⁰ In spite of this increased usage, crop yield percentages have not improved because the delicate balance of nature has been upset by these man-made chemicals.”¹¹ And, as this balance of nature changes, commercial farmers become more and more dependent upon other chemicals to correct problems that would have previously been corrected by nature.

Chemical addiction is not limited to just agriculture.  All kinds of businesses and industries are likewise dependent upon man-made chemicals for survival and the world is reaching a state of not being able to live with dangerous chemicals, and yet not being able to live without them. Most chemicals, whether they are household products, pesticides, or industrial wastes; will ultimately be deposited into the ocean.  Many of these products are directly expelled into our river systems and others are washed into the rivers by rainfall and groundwater.  The river systems ultimately carry these pollutants into the oceans where they continue to accumulate and contaminate ocean life.  Therefore, the oceans are slowly dying because of the increasing amounts of poisons which are infecting them.

Captain Jacques Cousteau is an internationally recognized and highly respected oceanographer who has dedicated his life to the intensive study and research of ocean life.  For several years, Cousteau has been issuing some solemn warnings against the continued pollution of our oceans.  For example, in 1974, Cousteau made the following statement during an interview:  “During the past thirty years, my team and I have spent thousands of hours diving in aqua lungs and other underwater devices.  With my own eyes I have seen the ocean sicken.  Each month we pour so many millions of tons of poisonous wastes into the sea that in perhaps twenty years, perhaps sooner, the oceans will have received their mortal wound and will start to die.”*  In this interview he also stated that the death of the oceans would result in the death of mankind. In another interview in 1975, Cousteau indicated that he expected a worldwide ecological catastrophe to occur before the year 2000, such a catastrophe, he said, will be “l00% certain” and he predicted that “maybe nine out of ten will die.”**

UPDATE: Fortunately, Cousteau’s prediction did not come to pass and we are all still here. As mentioned in the previous update, many wonderful steps have been taken over the past decades to decrease the pollution of our rivers and oceans. However, the eco balance of the oceans is still faced with serious problems and challenges that can’t be ignored.

Nuclear Weapons

 

        A final major problem which may pose a greater threat than the population explosion or the pollution of our environment is the danger of nuclear war.  The proliferation of nuclear weapons has reached unbelievable proportions.  Each year more than two thousand five hundred new hydrogen bombs are added to the world’s arsenal. And how large is that arsenal?  Well, more than a decade ago the destructive power of the world’s nuclear stockpile was equal to approximately ten tons of TNT for every single person on earth;¹² since then, the atomic arsenal has increased by many thousands of hydrogen bombs.

        Not only has the quantity of hydrogen bombs steadily increased, the size of these weapons has likewise increased.  The Russians are now capable of intercontinental delivery of 100 megaton warheads.  And a single 100 megaton warhead has more destructive force than the combined power of every single bomb and weapon that was used during World War II.

        Of course, nuclear weaponry is not limited to just the United States and the Soviet Union.  Some of the less technologically advanced nations are now joining the world’s nuclear club (including Israel) and, as more of these nations develop nuclear weapons, the threat of war continues to increase.  In an arms control seminar in 1975, five experts from M.I.T. and Harvard University came to the conclusion that some type of nuclear war would be likely before the year 2000,¹³ while many other military experts have arrived at even more pessimistic conclusions.

UPDATE: The unforeseen collapse of the Soviet Union provided some temporary relief from such dire predictions. However, the fragmentation of the Soviet Union presents some serious nuclear weapon accounting and control challenges.

This projected inevitability of nuclear war is based upon current world conditions and some frightening historical facts.  For example, it is an historical fact that there has never been a strategic weapon invented that wasn’t eventually used.  It is also true that out of 1656 arms races since the year 3600 B.C., all but 16 of them ended in war.  The 16 which did not end in war, ended in economic collapse.  Plus, another fact to consider is that there has been an average of only 5.6 years of world peace per century since 3600 B.C.¹⁴

        As nuclear weaponry spreads throughout the world, it is only a matter of time before some insane dictator satisfies his urge to destroy his enemies.  Undoubtedly, the instability of the human psyche presents one of the most unpredictable factors of the whole nuclear problem.  However, even rational leaders may be forced into a position to use nuclear weapons as a ploy for survival.  Imagine what the consequences could be when nuclear armed countries face starvation from lack of food.  People in this situation would have nothing to lose by using their weapons as a means for international blackmail.

        Unfortunately, any limited nuclear attack can only be countered by larger scale nuclear retaliation and eventually a limited nuclear war would escalate into an all out nuclear holocaust.  Former secretary of defense Robert McNamara stated, “Once you use them (small nuclear weapons) you use everything else; you can’t keep them limited, you’ll destroy everything.”*

The Trilema

 

        Each one of the three’ major perils - population, pollution, and nuclear war, would in itself be capable of destroying mankind.  What really makes the whole situation desperate is that they are all three interlaced and interrelated.  As the population increases, the demand for more food increases.  And, in order to meet the demand for more food and the other necessities of a growing population, industries will have to be geared up and expanded.  However, as industry increases, so does the pollution problem; but, if industrial manufacturing is cut back, economies collapse and the threat of nuclear war becomes inevitable as entire nations begin to suffer from hunger and a lack of “creature comforts.”  Finally, if nuclear weapons are voluntarily banned or reduced by any one major power, history demonstrates that a tyrannical power will undoubtedly take advantage of the position of weakness.

        George Wald, the Nobel Prize winning scientist from Harvard University summed it all up by making the following grim statement:  “I think human life is threatened as never before in the history of this planet.  Not just by one peril, but by many perils that are all working together and coming to a head at about the same time.  And that time lies very close to the year 2000.  I am one of those scientists who finds it hard to see how the human race is to bring itself much past the year 2000.”*

NOTE: We have obviously gone into “over time”

 

The Escape

 

As world survival becomes severely threatened, people of all nations will desperately look for a leader who is capable of establishing a peaceful unity between governments because temporary solutions to the problems which threaten mankind can only be attained through a worldwide cooperative effort.  The Antichrist will deceive the masses by his supernatural ability and will appear to provide an atmosphere of “peace and safety” throughout the world.  Unfortunately, those who willfully subject themselves to his reign and control by receiving his “mark” will be eternally rejecting the one and only person who is capable of saving mankind.  Remember, as the humanistic outlook upon world situations becomes ever so gloomy, the Christian hope shines brighter and brighter.  Those who believe and trust in Jesus by accepting His free gift of salvation have absolutely nothing to fear because Jesus promised to never leave nor forsake His followers.  His personal spirit is ever present within the lives of His people, and He is always ready and willing to meet whatever needs they may have.

In the third chapter of the book of Revelation, Jesus made a special promise; He said, “Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.”  (Revelation 3:10).  The world has had many “hours of testing” or “times of trial” in various geographical locations throughout history.  However, since the Noahic flood, there has never been an “hour of testing” or period of tribulation which has come upon “the whole world” at one particular point in time.  The seven year tribulation will be a terrible time of trial which indeed comes upon the entire world; but, Jesus has promised to keep His people “from” (or more literally “out of”) this dark hour of history.

God’s supernatural protection of His people from his own judgments is nothing new to God’s character. Before judgment fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah, God led His people to safety; when the terrible plagues fell upon Egypt, the children of Israel were not touched by them; even when the entire world was destroyed by a flood, God’s people found refuge in the Ark and when the great tribulation judgment falls upon mankind, refuge and safety will only be found in Jesus Christ, the eternal Lord and Savior.

The prophets of God don’t lie!  They were always required to be l00% accurate.  If a Hebrew prophet made inaccurate predictions, he was put to death!  (Deuteronomy 18: 20-22).  This is one reason why the prophecies of the Bible are so astounding.  There are many soothsayers and fortune tellers in our modern age, who make remarkable predictions; but, their inaccuracies would have cost them their lives in the ancient Hebrew culture and their writings would have been trashed if that which they said was false or lead people away from God.  Those who are not 100% accurate in their predictions are not true prophets of God.  Their information may stem from a supernatural source but it does not come from the Omniscient God of all creation.

Remember, most of the prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled.  Those which have not been fulfilled pertain to the second coming of Christ and the events which occur prior to His return.  More than three hundred Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus when He first came to this earth in human flesh and there are almost twice as many which relate to His second coming.  Therefore, as surely as Jesus Christ walked upon this earth almost 2000 years ago, we can be twice as certain that He will again return. (By Robert Linkey)

 

The Truth:

 

"For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27)

 

“….This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

 

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

 

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.”

Is the Bible Truth or Myth?       Is Jesus God, Man or Both?         Is Jesus Dead or Alive?
Is Jesus Coming Back Again?      Is God Cruel or Loving?             Is the Gospel even Real?
Is Heaven Attained by Works?   Many Pathways to Heaven?      Is the Bible Against Science?
Evolution Improves with Time?    Fossils Prove Evolution?           Missing Link Ape-Men?
Origin of Life by Chance?           Reference & Note Section     Bible Truth or Myth? Synopsis
Jesus God Man Both? Synopsis  Jesus Dead or Alive? Synopsis  Jesus Coming Again? Synopsis
Is God Cruel or Loving? Synopsis    Is the Gospel Real? Synopsis  Heaven by Works? Synopsis
Many Paths to Heaven? Synopsis Bible v Science? Synopsis Evolution Improves Life?Synopsis
Fossils Prove Evolution? Synopsis  Missing Link Ape-Men? Synopsis Life by Chance? Synopsis

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