Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 02/02/09

Feb 2

Economic Crisis Pushing the European Union Forward

The revival of the Roman Empire is one of most important end-time prophecies in the Bible. This organization will be headed by the Antichrist, and it will sponsor a treaty that will begin the seven-year tribulation. If Israel is the second hand on God’s prophetic clock, the Revived Roman Empire is the minute hand.

Lately, there has been some controversy over the location of the re-birthed Roman Empire. Some people say the alliance will be centered in Europe, while others say it will be focused in the Middle East. We at Rapture Ready believe it will be in Europe. In fact, we believe the EU is actively fulfilling the role set by Bible prophecy.

One factor that excludes an Eastern Roman Empire is the weak nature of this final world power. Of all the empires in Daniel’s vision, the last one will be of the poorest quality. The vision showed a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, a belly of brass, legs of iron, and feet of clay mixed with iron. Because the EU is represented by the feet of clay, this explains why the union of nations has taken several decades to get to where it is now.

The EU has been on this bizarre trek that has had it barely surviving one setback after another. Great Britain’s Margaret Thatcher was well noted for her opposition to a strong centralized European leadership. She repeatedly demanded terms that almost caused the Union to totally unravel. In 2005, the EU suffered its worst blow when France and the Netherlands rejected the EU constitution in separate referendums. In 2008, Ireland voted down a more streamlined treaty. Despite all the setbacks and delays, the organization continues to move forward, and there is only one valid reason I can come up with: God has preordained that the EU will be the fulfillment of prophecy.

In the past few weeks, I have noticed several new reports that show how the global economic crisis has greatly benefited the EU integration process. While economies around the world falter, the EU has become an island of relative stability. The euro has soared against nearly every major currency. It threatens to unseat the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

The most profound change has been in Great Britain–the traditional land of euroskeptics. Business leaders in Britain are starting to see that not adopting the euro as currency is putting them at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of Europe. The British citizenry once saw the euro as a threat to the value of their national currency. Oddly enough, the opposite is now true. If Britain were part of the euro system, it would be the one putting a strain on the rest of Europe. Already a nation deep in debt, the British government is spending billions more of taxpayers' money to save several key banks. David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, recently warned that Britain risks bankruptcy and a humiliating bailout by the International Monetary Fund.

Views toward the EU have also changed in Ireland. The latest polls find that the Lisbon Treaty could pass in Ireland if a new referendum on its adoption were to take place. A survey by Quantum Research shows that 55 percent of respondents would support the proposed common body of law for members of the EU in a new vote, while 37 percent would oppose it.

The EU bandwagon has even made a stop in Poland. The Polish parliament passed a resolution calling on the president to sign the Lisbon Treaty as quickly as possible. The resolution calls for the president to "respect the will of both houses of parliament and end the Lisbon Treaty's ratification process as quickly as possible, and actively support its ratification in the remaining European Union member states," reported the Polish Press Agency.

The formation of the Revived Roman Empire has a direct connection to the timing of the rapture. Because the blessed hope is said to occur at an unknown hour (Matt. 24:44), I don’t think I’m going to be writing any future articles about the identity of the Antichrist and his plans for a finalized Arab/Israeli peace accord. The fact that the EU is starting see a new round of momentum and is even starting to stick its nose into Middle East affairs tells me that the trigger point of the rapture must be very near.

-- Todd

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Move America Away from Israel?

The Obama Administration, I sense, has perhaps taken the initial step in its intention to move America from her close alliance with Israel. The action is almost like one might see in a 1940s gangster movie. An intended victim of gangland warfare is about to be hit, and nobody wants to stand too close to the target.

Although the new president made noises that the U.S. intends to stand by the Jewish state, his overtures to the Islamic Arab antagonists sound very much like there’s a distancing from one lover, and the romancing of another. President Obama, in his White House interview aimed specifically at the Arab world, sounded as if the Israeli-Arab conflict was primarily the fault of the Bush Administration for not giving a sympathetic ear to Israel’s victims.

“In the interview, which was taped on Monday night and broadcast throughout the Muslim world on Tuesday, Mr. Obama said it was his job ‘to communicate to the Muslim world that the Americans are not your enemy.’ He added that ‘we sometimes make mistakes,’ but said that America was not born as a colonial power and that he hoped for a restoration of ‘the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago’” (Arab TV Network, "Obama Urges Dialogue," by Alan Cowell, Robert F. Worth and Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, and Sharon Otterman from New York.)

Obama gave lip service to America’s continuing to be a strong ally of Israel, but in the next breath made a statement--at best ludicrous and at worst potentially fatally flawed--of future administration policy toward Israel:

“…‘But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace,’ he added. ‘They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side’” (Ibid.)

What sacrifice?! Israel has given to the point it is almost once again backed into an area of pre-1967 sequester. And, still there is call for it to “sacrifice”--by a president of the United States, who is making not-so-subtle noises of moving away from this republic’s God-appointed ally. This satanically controlled world is positioning its target in a way to marginalize it for a final assault, just as foretold in Zechariah 12: 1-3 and other prophecies.

Mr. Obama’s statement, according to the above-quoted article, that “he hoped for a restoration of ‘the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago,'” shows either naiveté from which no U.S. president should suffer, or blatant disregard for the nature of the terrorist beasts that lay in wait for Israel and the rest of us as well.

The following brings us facts about the realities of those 20 or 30 years:

“The unspoken truth about the fighting in Gaza, which began on December 19, 2008, when Hamas rockets broke a voluntary truce, is that this is the frontline of a much larger war. This war began 30 years ago with the Islamic Revolution in Iran and is now global in scope. Its agenda is the extermination of the Jews and the destruction of the West. The Islamic terrorist organization Hamas makes no secret of this agenda. Its Egyptian founders and Palestinian inspirers were active followers of Adolf Hitler and enthusiasts of the Nazi Holocaust. The founding charter of Hamas, which promises that ‘Islam will obliterate Israel,’ memorialize the Egyptian admirer of Hitler, Hassan al-Banna, as ‘the martyr…of blessed memory.’ The same document contains the genocidal incitement of the Prophet Mohammed to ‘kill the Jews,’ to hunt them down ‘until they hide behind the rocks and the trees, and the rocks and trees cry out “O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him”’” (David Horowitz, "The War Against the Jews," FrontPageMagazine.com,1/9/09).

Mr. President, if ever there were a time to move closer to the Lord of Heaven--not away from Him--this is that time. Israel is still God’s chosen nation, according to His Holy Word, whether the president of the United States of America or anyone else believes it to be true.

"And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God" (Genesis 12:7a).

--Terry

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The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy?”

By Terry James

Despite the massive global economic storm raging, America continues to be the most blessed nation on Planet Earth. Its power and influence are unrivaled. So, why is the United States absent from Bible prophecy? Or indeed is it absent? This, while lesser nations like Iran, Babylon, Libya, Russia, and other less notable modern countries are front and center in God’s prophetic Word for the end of days?

To answer these and other related questions, I felt impressed to research and write in-depth on matters encapsulated within the book’s title. My urgent sense is that time is moving swiftly on God’s prophetic clock, and Israel is the timepiece to watch.

The United States has been linked to regathering Israel since before its birth into modernity. Unstoppable, dynamic rearrangements are driving the present generation toward the climax of human history.

Once you’ve looked into the prophetic matters involved—which the book places over the stunning issues and events that are occurring in today’s headlines--my most sincere belief is that you will be enlightened to the true nature of these times in which we live.

After you’ve read The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? I would like to ask you a favor: Would you please take time to write a review? Even if you buy The American Apocalypse from a retail book store, submitting your review of the book on amazon.com or whatever website from which you sometimes purchase books will perhaps stimulate others to begin looking for themselves into these troubling though exciting prophetic days.

My profound gratitude, in advance, for getting, reading, and reviewing the book.

With many thanks,

Terry

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 01/26/09

Jan 26

The American Apocalypse Coming Soon

My partner Terry has a book coming out next week--The American Apocalypse. The book deals with the burning question, "What role will the U.S. play in end-times prophecy?" Since most of those who are reading this article live in America , it's a very important subject to cover.

Terry believes that the U.S. will not play a prominent role in the end times. Of course, this is a stunning change for a nation that has been a major actor on the world stage for the past 100 years. He gives several reasons that Uncle Sam is mostly absent from Bible prophecy.

One factor, I think, really stands out from the growing list of perils facing our nation. The greatest threat to the well-being of America is not our dependence on foreign oil, terrorism, the national debt, nuclear war, or moral decay. What will likely doom the United States is the rapture of the Church.

I'm always getting emails from people who say they can't wait until we Christians are taken in the rapture. They certainly have no real comprehension of what they are wishing for. The Bible says that we are the salt of the earth; this is a key reason America has become so great a nation.

In the past few weeks, I have noticed that several end-time writers have focused on a problem that should have been obvious years ago, but that only now has come to light. When the rapture takes place, the disappearance of 30 to 80 million born-again believers will be cataclysmic for the United States.

Our nation is already in a moral and financial pickle. The sudden loss of 10 to 20 percent of the population would doom the U.S. to third-world status. As Terry writes in his new book, "Government is totally disrupted, and the powers-that-be quickly recognize that not even martial law is going to be able to reestablish the revenue basis for carrying on government as usual. Much of the workforce, particularly the most vital, skilled force that is the heart and soul of American industry and fidelity to the good work ethic, has disappeared in that stupefying moment."

The rapture may cripple America, but the rest of the world will escape with little impact. The obvious reason this will largely be an American problem is that all other industrialized nations have a population base with far fewer Christians. It is no secret that the number of European Christians has sharply declined over time. About every poll I've seen shows the number of true believers in Europe at around 2 percent. In the Middle East, the number of people claiming Christ as Savior is less than one percent.

What makes Terry's book so timely is how God generally operates. Right before the Lord pours out His judgment, He always sends a warning. Even during the tribulation--a time of judgment--God sends out His messengers to warn people to repent. When they fail to turn from their wickedness, the Lord gives the order to move forward with greater wrath on a sinful world. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk" (Rev. 9:20).

Terry's book is being published by Harvest House, who plans to heavily promote The American Apocalypse to get it into as many outlets as possible. We were told this is something they only do with a hand full of books each year. Terry will also be doing dozens of radio interviews to get the end-time message out to people. I ask everyone at Rapture Ready to pray that God will bless the book.

The best place to purchase a copy of The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? is at your local bookstore or at an on-line retailer. Here is a link to the book's listing at Amazon.com: The American Apocalypse.

-- Todd

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EFT To Save the World?

The Obama installation brought such sycophantic inspiration to one network broadcaster that when he saw video rolling of a large flock of pigeons flying above the throngs milling about Washington D.C. on inauguration day, he made a statement that would have the journalism professors of Edward R. Murrow’s day cringing with editorial rage. This is second-hand from a "Fox and Friends" host I heard Thursday morning, January 22, laughingly ridicule the statement. The "Fox and Friends" host said the reporter commented something like: “I’ve never seen anything like this. Even the birds are expressing joy and hope over the events of today.” The quotation isn’t exact, but was even more giddy, as I recall the incredulous Fox pundit recounting the statement.

This won’t be a “hit piece” on our new president. He has just begun to govern. Despite the campaign rhetoric and all of the deals that were ostensibly made with many supporter organizations whose philosophies we consider counter to being in America’s best interest , and even though his expressions of intention in the several days since he took the oath seem ominous, he deserves the courtesy of our reserving judgment until we actually see what he will do in these opening days of his presidency. There is, too, the biblical commandment that we pray for those in authority so that our days will be peaceful.

We at RaptureReady do pray for the 44th president. Our prayers consist of petitions that he is successful on America’s behalf IF he governs within God’s holy will. We do not pray that he is successful in ramming through Congress, or by presidential order, any policy or law that is in any way against God’s prescription for governing.

One thing we know for certain: this president will not bring about a miraculous cure for what ails this nation and the world. The hype and fawning might for a time, I believe, propagandize us with the allusion that a miracle cure is in the offing. All of the celebratory media glorification that has gone on since Mr. Obama’s being elected, however, won’t alter the truth from God’s prophetic Word. The world is headed toward the abyss –the tribulation hour of Daniel 9:27, and Jesus’ forewarning as recorded from His Olivet Discourse: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21).

Yet, there will be an attempt to save mankind–by humanistic, global governance. We see the beginnings of the crisis–and it is economic, because the root of all evil is the love of money—that is driving the nations toward a monumental crisis that will eventuate in the rule of the one termed “the beast” in Revelation, Chapter 13.

One conservative, though totally secular (non-biblical) economic expert weighed in on what faces the new president, the American people, and the world:

“Yesterday was coronation day for our new president and we wish him well for the sake of our nation and others throughout the world. We do not want to be cynical but must be realistic. We think this year will be the worst one of this longer recession-depression cycle and our new leader, we suspect is going to take a merciless pounding from a heap of troubles domestically first and foreign later.

Thankfully, the spending of TARP #2 and whatever billions-trillions are added for emphasis, should give us the Obama Market Bounce lasting perhaps 90 days or so. While this economics plan has no chance in our view, the herd psychology of markets should give us a nice relief rally almost across the board…

While we remain in a primary deflation mode world-wide, we think inflation followed by hyperinflation is very real and possible in later 2009. The Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury are just about at the end of their rope. They are out of rate cut running-room and those moves are mostly ineffectual now anyway.

All they have left is a phony game of printing dollars and bonds while moving them around in a circle within our country. Foreign USA paper buyers take less and less at new auctions. We know they are dumping dollars and other papers assets at a furious pace paying bills and investing in honest-to-goodness hard goods with real value. Watch out for big time inflation in the second half of 2009” (Roger Wiegand, "Trader Tracks Predictions For 2009," 1/21/09,www.webeatthestreet.com).

The writer writes of Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). I am told by an investment advisor that this is a HUGE new thing in the markets over the past couple of years. Some ETF mimic the movements of the DOW, or the NASDAQ, or can mimic the movements of almost any sector...ie, drugs, oil, gold, etc.

It is of great interest to me that, after all of the crunching of the critical numbers that portend almost certain global depression of unprecedented depth, the writer says: “Timing is difficult but more than one analyst suggests using the ETF's for trading this longer term event.”

I’ve long believed that Revelation 13 foretells a time when electronic commerce will be used to bring world economy under the one-world control of Antichrist. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT,) as a matter-of-fact, is an ideal electronic vehicle that could fulfill the beast system.

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” (Rev. 13:16-18).

America must be brought down to the same level as other economies of the world’s nations. Currencies must be melded into a single monetary system of some sort in order to get a handle on the swiftly developing crisis.

EFT is simply computer numbers assigned to units of electronic currency, which can then be moved around through the computer, satellite linkages, etc. They are electronic funds–injected into and removed from accounts of governments, institutions, and individuals, with manipulation of computer keys and other instrumentalities.

The system is exactly the sort of dealing with ability to buy and sell instantaneously that will be required for Antichrist to have power over all commerce. Some such hybrid of today’s Internet, in conjunction with EFT, will, I’m convinced, be the first system to appear that will be instituted to try to save the world out of the greatest global depression in history. It’s final form, however, will instead enslave all who take the beast’s number and mark.

We see developing in all of this gushing toward global economic restructuring a most profound signal of how near the rapture of the Church might be on God’s prophetic timeline. The rapture will be the catalyst, I believe, that instantly will cause all leaders of the world–especially in the western world, to accept any system such as described that will offer to bring stability to a world gone mad with fear

--Terry

***A tremendous book!***

There's a new book that I recommend highly. It is a fascinating and entertaining work on the life of the great king, David. At the same time, it is a thorough study on this man who Bible prophecy foretells will one day rule and reign on the throne in Jerusalem, a co-regent with the Lord Jesus Christ. Read my review on click here: The Life of David.

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 01/19/09

Jan 19

Gaza Will Lead to Israel's Deal with the Devil

For nearly a month, Israel has launched a military campaign against Hamas fighters. Acting out of pure frustration, the Israeli military sent in troops into the Gaza strip to try to put an end to the barrage of rockets and missiles being fired into its territory. The Israelis have certainly not acted in haste. They endured 6,000 projectile attacks over an eight-year period before taking action.

Israel's years of restraint have not helped it in the battle for world opinion. In many parts of the globe – particularly in the Arab nations - the Jewish state is being condemned as a bully picking on a weaker neighbor. Several nations have suspended diplomatic contacts with Israel over the Gaza operation.

Last week, the UN Human Rights Council voted to condemn Israel. The resolution called the offensive in the Gaza Strip a "grave" human rights violation against the Palestinians. It made no mention of Hamas or its violations of Israeli civilians' rights by firing rockets into Israel.

Thirty-three African, Asian, Arab, and Latin American countries voted for the resolution. Thirteen European states abstained, while Canada was the only country that voted against it.

During a visit to the Mikve Yisrael School in Holon, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reacted to the vote by saying, "They have no right to reproach us and to try and tell us how to defend our citizens. I don't think our demands are exaggerated. We share the right of every state in the world to protect its citizens. We're not asking any other country's permission or approval in order to protect our residents."

Western nations show little concern that they have been pouring economic aid down a rat hole called Gaza. Billions of dollars have gone into this narrow strip of land and the funds have been squandered. If given a choice, Hamas would rather purchase a load of weapons than sacks of flour.

The responsibility for the images of dead or injured Gaza children rests solely at the feet of the Hamas leadership. They are the ones who decided to engage Israel with no provocation, and they are the ones who put their citizens in harm's way by firing rockets from residential areas.

Even though the most liberal reading of international law, totally justifies Israel’s action, it finds itself compelled to give into world opinion. This weekend Israel made yet another goodwill gesture by declaring a unilateral cease-fire in Gaza. Unless a way is found to totally disarm Hamas, I see zero chance that the peace will last for any significant time period.

The incoming Obama administration will certainly put all the more pressure on Israel to make peace with its hostile neighbors. Because America provides billions of dollars in aid to the region, the new president can apply huge leverage on Israel.

There has been some talk of international forces coming into Gaza to make sure Hamas doesn't smuggle in rockets and fire them at Israel. This same type of fix was key to resolving the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The southern end of Lebanon is now under the watch of UN forces.

The Bible strongly indicates that someday all of Israel will be under the care of an international force. The Antichrist will sign a peace agreement with Israel that will somehow give him total control of that nation.

From the day it was founded, Israel has maintained the policy that it alone will ensure its security needs. With Israel facing three other foes of far great capabilities, the idea of turning to an outside protector is probably looking very appealing at this stage.

Bible prophecy warns us that much larger conflicts between Israel and her Arab neighbors are soon coming down the road. If the folks at the UN are having fits over Gaza now, they will need to be hooked up to a heart defibrillator when they read the news of Damascus’ destruction (Isaiah 17:1) or a similar strike in Iran related to it nuclear program.

You can imagine the relief Israel will have when a man from Europe steps forward and offers to secure its borders. Of course, it will be a deal that Israel will greatly regret.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:27).

It pains me to see Israel in a state of constant frustration over enemies that seem to be demonically driven, but this is just one more indication that the time of the end is very near. All we can do is pray, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus."

-Todd

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Turkey Takes Prophetic Turn

Throw another morsel of intrigue onto the end-times stove of what’s cooking in the phenomenal progression of prophetic stage-setting this generation is witnessing. Turkey is this week’s food for thought while we consider where the world presently stands upon God’s prophetic timeline.

Interest in the nation Turkey among students of Bible prophecy emanates from the foretelling about the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. There, the prophet presents a list of the nations who will invade the Middle East region from the north of Jerusalem. This coalition intends to take spoil from that region, and particularly intends to obliterate the nation Israel, according to Ezekiel.

The prophet gave the following account of the nations involved, as God the Holy Spirit gave him the vision of that end-of-days assault.

“And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee” (Ezek. 38:4-6).

“Rosh” will be the nation of the leader”Gog,” around which these many peoples will coalesce. We believe that chief nation to be Russia, based upon much study that has been done on the ancient names involved in the prophecy. We have become relatively familiar with some of the other nations involved. For example, we know that modern Iran is the country that now occupies most of the geographic area of ancient Persia. The nation God’s prophet calls “Togarmah” is the one in view in today’s news headlines. It is this nation out of this coalition on which we will concentrate for now.

One prophecy writer frames Togarmah as follows:

“The Armenians of today call themselves the House of Togarmah. The Turks (but not the Kurds, who are the ancient Medes of Media-Persia fame) are also included” (Jack Kelly, "The End Times According To Ezekiel, Part 3," raptureready.com).

Modern Turkey is an important part of prophecy yet future, if majority scholarship is accurate. Turkey, as it relates to Israel then, must be considered of tremendous importance, when, as is currently the case, the two nations are in the news. The two nations have had a non-confrontational, even sometimes quite cordial relationship during recent years. The Turkish nation was heavily Muslim, but the regime was one strongly secular, not Islamic. Bible prophecy foretells that the two peoples will be in conflict so intensively that the anger will eventuate in Turkey (Togarmah) joining Russia (Rosh) in attacking Israel and trying to take over the Middle East.

The configuration of relations between Israel and Turkey didn’t fit the prophetic model until in recent months, when regime changes and secular vs. religious make-up of the governing of Turkey began drastically changing.

Israel’s assault on the Hamas terrorists who have for months been firing rockets into Israel--while Israel did nothing to retaliate until December 26, 2008--is eliciting ever-increasing verbal invective from the new Turkish leadership. The news article excerpt that follows somewhat puts the Turkey vs. Israel changes in perspective:

“A decade ago, Western and Israeli leaders could count on Turkey as an ally. A solid NATO member, Ankara took decisions based on pragmatic calculations of interest - and erred on the side of caution if at all. But under the rule of the Islamic conservative AKP, this has changed…The vehemence with which Turkish leaders attacked Israel, and their apparent willingness to convey Hamas' position to the United Nations, came as a surprise to many…[Prime] Minister Tayyip Erdogan's words - that Israel's actions will be punished by God and help lead it to self-destruction - are too significant to be taken lightly. Indeed, they are part of the trend of a Turkish government guided more by Islamic solidarity and anti-Western sentiment than by pragmatic calculations of interest. Indeed, Turkey's international behavior suggests that its attachment to the West is tenuous at best - and eroding” (Svante E. Cornell, "Turkey's drift away from the West," 1/15/09, Rapture Ready News).

There can be little doubt of the shift that is taking place in Turkey’s movement into the Russian geopolitical camp. The article continues to make the point of that shift:

“In August, when most of the West balked at Russia's invasion of Georgia, Erdogan rapidly tried to make himself a go-between. His initiative of a ‘Caucasus stability platform’ was met with disbelief in both Georgia and Azerbaijan, since it effectively promised to freeze all territorial disputes in the region, including legitimizing Russia's recent territorial grab in Georgia. More worrying was the composition of Erdogan's intended platform: the three Caucasian states, Turkey - and Russia” (ibid.).

The willingness of Turkey’s (Togarmah’s) leadership to place that state under Russian influence, while Russian leadership seems to be looking lustfully southward at the oil-rich lands surrounding Israel, must in my view be more than coincidence, in prophetic terms. The movement away from the West seems especially non-coincidental given the abrupt reversal the Turkish government has made in its dealings with Israel.

I believe that almost certainly we are witnessing, in Turkey’s re-positioning, one more of many instances of Bible prophecy stage-setting

--Terry

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 1/05/09

Jan 5

The Obama Bubble and the Rapture

There is an amazing amount of optimism focused on the incoming Obama administration. The media just loves the man. It has generated a small mountain of coverage comparing him to other presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and John Kennedy.

The Washington Post plans to increase its number of White House reporters from two to four, including its first full-time blogger, while The Washington Times is expanding its number of White House correspondents from one to three.

The general public also has been caught up in Obama fever. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC survey found 73 percent of voters approve of the way he is handling preparations for taking office in January. Obama enjoys more support than Bill Clinton after his election in 1992 and George Bush in 2000, according to the poll. You have to go all the way back to Ronald Reagan to find a president with equal approval numbers.

A small central Alabama county whose mainly black residents gave Barack Obama more than 70 percent of the vote on Election Day has created an annual holiday in honor of the president-elect. The Perry County Commission voted 4 to 1 to observe the second Monday in November as "The Barack Obama Day." County offices will close and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid holiday. (Associated Press, "Alabama County Sets 'Barack Obama Day' as New Holiday," 1/3/09).

Even so-called prophets of God are proclaiming Obama has the Almighty's approval. Here is Kim Clements's prophecy concerning Obama:

For the Spirit of God says, “Hear, oh people of Zion. Those who have been afraid in Zion, those who have been afraid in this nation–fear not! For your news media has intimidated you, and therefore, it is My turn. Next week, I will arise. I will change everything.”

“I’M TALKING ABOUT OBAMA”

For they have unfairly spoken against an African man, and I’m not talking about Jeremiah Wright; I’m talking about Obama. For God said, “Even though you may think this or that, there is an element of righteousness inside of him to reach out for Jesus. Therefore, I will sway it next week,” says the Spirit of God, “and I will cause My man, My power–to exalt in the White House what is necessary to declare victory. For this time, I shall rise up and I shall make known who I am in a way that I have never done it in this nation,” says the Lord.

I did manage to find one person who mocked the Obama hype in a viral email: "Immediately after his inauguration, Obama will balance the budget, revive the economy, solve the real estate problem, solve the auto industry problem, solve our gas/alternative energy problem, stop the fires and mudslides in California, ban hurricanes and tornadoes, stop identity theft, reverse global warming, find Osama, solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, get rid of corruption in government and achieve world peace. Then on the 7th day, He will rest."

At some point, the bubble of optimism will have to burst. The rupture may not take place right away. In fact, the comments made in the viral message might be a better reflection of how the Obama administration starts off.

The rapture of the church is the next event I’m looking forward to. Since there are so many dark clouds on the horizon, a period of sunshine is needed for the rapture. Jesus said the removal of the Bride would occur during a time of calm. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:44).

It wouldn't seem to fit the "think not" hour if the world descended into economic and political chaos. I can easily envision how the current Gaza conflict could rapidly evolve into the Gog invasion, but obviously that scenario can’t happen because the Church is still here on earth.

I’ve been giving much thought to the idea that the Obama bubble will provide cover for the rapture. It’s certainly possible that his proposed $1 trillion stimulus spending plan will buy the global economy a few more months, and his foreign policy team, led by Hillary Clinton, will be able to put one more Band-Aid on the Arab-Israel conflict. We only have to wait two weeks to see whether the Obama magic is real.

"Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

-Todd

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Zechariah’s Prophecy Builds

Divinely inspired words issued by Zechariah foretelling the position of God’s chosen nation at the close of human history take on increased significance at the beginning of 2009:

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zech 12: 1-3)

Hamas, the Islamic fanatical terrorist organization, has for months been firing rockets into Israeli territory--this, despite a supposed ceasefire agreed to by all concerned. Hamas increased the rocket fire the moment the sham ceasefire reached its official ending date. The rockets are now coming dangerously close to heavily populated areas, and to a nuclear power plant facility.

Israeli IDF air strikes have killed hundreds of Hamas terrorists and their rocket-launching facilities, although many remain and continue to try to inflict as much damage on the hated Jews as possible.

The IDF began a ground assault against Hamas positions Saturday, January 3, concentrating at first on the northernmost section of the 27-mile-long, two-mile-wide Gaza strip. As of then, around 500 Palestinians, mostly Hamas forces, had been killed since Israel began the air assault.

The world at large, especially international media, say hardly a chastising word against Hamas; rather, they point condemnation at Israel, who has said "enough is enough" and is retaliating. Israel’s accusers point incessantly at the killing and maiming of civilians by the Israeli Air Force strafing and bombing. They say nothing about the fact that Hamas deliberately do their cowardly rocket firing from positions imbedded within the Palestinian civilian populations. They fire from schools, mosques, and from deep in the center of residential areas.

Media and governments alike characterize Israel’s military retaliation as “disproportional” to the rocket launches of Hamas. “Disproportional!” The ludicrous characterization makes manifest the insanity of our day in the matter of political correctness. The question that should be asked to those who make the characterization is: How long would you allow an enemy to rain such deadly munitions down into where you and your children are supposed to be safe, without doing whatever necessary to put an end to it? Would you take care to be politically correct when the next blast from a rocket might land in your child’s bedroom? Yet the citizens of Israel are expected to just absorb these murderous attacks and keep sending notes of protest to Hamas leadership.

Hatred that will ultimately isolate Israel and Jerusalem as the source of all opposition to peace can be observed swelling even in the nation God raised–in my view—to be Israel’s friend among a world that hates the modern Jewish state.

“‘Israel is a terrorist state,’ chanted some of the close to 1,000 participants in one of Tuesday's bigger demonstrations, held in Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of America's largest Arab populations…Protests were also held in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and several other cities, with Jewish groups scrambling to hold counter-demonstrations upon learning of events being held opposing Israel's action against Hamas…” (Hilary Leila Krieger, JPost correspondent in Washington, D.C., "Tense battle for public opinion rages on US streets," 1/1/09.

Earth’s governments' opposition to Israel at every turn is in fact defiance to God. World pundits and leaders shake their collective fist in the Almighty’s face, many of them declaring in their defiant rage that Israel has no place in the Middle East. Some even believe Israel has no place on the planet period.

Criticism of Israel on the diplomatic level is measured at present, but increasing blame put on Israel for all the problems in the Middle East can be sensed boiling just beneath the diplomatic terminology issuing forth.

“At a meeting of the European Union's foreign ministers in Paris on Tuesday, Michael Spindelegger, Austria's new conservative party minister, criticized the IDF operation, saying ‘the scores of civilian victims over the last few days are unacceptable.’ He referred to a request of the EU that Israel ‘avoid a disproportional’ response to Hamas rocket attacks… Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, like her Austrian and German counterparts, declined to see Hamas as responsible for instigating the Israeli counterattacks, and on the ministry's web site she ‘condemns the disproportionate reaction of the Israeli military.’” (Benjamin Weinthal, JPost correspondent in Berlin, "IAF operation draws mixed reactions in Central Europe," 12/31/08).

Israel’s military action has stimulated a strong renewed call for peace in the region.

“European foreign ministers called on Tuesday for an immediate and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza… ‘There must be an unconditional halt to rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel and an end to Israeli military action,’ the statement said. It also called for a return to the peace process interrupted by Hamas rocket attacks and Israel's retaliatory air strikes. ‘There is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Gaza or elsewhere,’ the statement said… A number of European leaders and foreign ministers are expected to visit Israel in the coming days in a bid to help restore a truce. According to estimates, pressures on Israel to halt its military operation will increase in the coming days” (Roni Sofer, ANET News/Reuters, "Sarkozy to visit Israel to promote truce…Quartet calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, southern Israel," 1/1/09).

Peace won’t come to the region with this renewed effort by the humanistic powers that be, any more than it has come since modern Israel was born on May 14, 1948. Israel is and will be the sticking point for true peace until Christ, Israel’s Messiah, intervenes to bring and enforce world peace.

The world is, in fact, insane when it comes to the nation called Israel. This world belongs to the prince of the power of the air–for now, at least—and Satan, the father of lies, deludes the minds of governmental leaders and news pundits with sin-infection that will bring about the fulfillment of Zechariah’s 12: 1-3 foretelling.

We are, I believe, the generation that is witnessing the world’s governments beginning the process of Israel’s isolation outlined in that prophecy.

--Terry

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 12/15/08

A Time For Prayer

Last week, Terry and I traveled to Dallas to attend the 2008 Pre-Trib Study Group, a conference made up of prophecy scholars who gather to present papers that mostly defend the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. Joel Rosenberg was this year’s special speaker, and despite the economic hardship this year, we had a record crowd.

Because the material is of a very academic nature, I spend most of my time meeting with other members and doing three video interviews with people involved in other end-time ministries. During the two-and-a-half-day meeting, I only attended one two-hour lecture. That was one more than my partner Terry.

There is one part of the gathering that I always attend, however: the briefing on current events that's given by four speakers on the second night of each year's conference. Since I first joined the conference back in the late '90s, I’ve never heard a current events presentation with such a dark outlook on the future.

What makes 2009 such an ominous year are all the potential flash points. I've never seen a time marked by so much activity related to Bible prophecy. Here is a list of the main ones:

The threat of a major terrorist attack
The social impact of the worldwide economic meltdown
The drive towards the establishment of the global government
Russia becoming more like the old Soviet Union
Iran trying to develop an atomic bomb
Israel being threatened by several of its neighbors
America making a sharp political turn to the left

With so much activity taking place today, you would think that prophecy-minded believers would be very busy getting ready for the Lord's return. I've noticed that the abundance of prophetic activity has had the opposite effect on Christians: Most seem to be doing nothing. It’s rather ironic that apathy is so prevalent; Jesus said that it would be a major sign of the end times.

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Mat. 24:44).

Right now, everyone seems to be watching for something big to happen. We might soon witness a major war in the Middle East, or the occurrence of some other calamity. Because the rapture could easily be the next event on God’s calendar, I would hate to have it occur while I was doing nothing.

There is no guarantee that Christians will be able to stand by as passive spectators. If our Lord tarries, hardship could be ahead as the current economic recession turns into a depression. As the world becomes more wicked, we may also find our religious freedoms soon coming under pressure.

Rather than just waiting around to see what happens, all Christians have the opportunity to take an active role in hastening our Lord's advent. Jesus Christ specifically told us to pray for His return. "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mat. 6:9, 10).

Now that 2000 years have passed and all the signs point to the nearness of the last days, our prayers have the power to be more meaningful, more important, and more necessary than ever. God is still in control the prophetic time clock, but He will certainly listen to the voices of His children if they join together to call on Him.

I don't know why any believer wouldn't be crying out in prayer to "hasten the coming of the day of God" (2 Pet. 3:12). For many years, I've felt like a stranger in this land. Lately, I feel like Lot must have felt as he lived amongst the Sodomites. Many non-believers email each day, wishing I would indeed be raptured away, so my hope is that they soon get their wish.

I ask every child of God reading this week's Nearing Midnight Update to spend sometime this week praying for the Lord's soon return. At this late hour, the triggering point for the blessed hope may just require a few more Christians to say “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

---Todd

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Galloping Globalism

The hoof beats are no longer muffled rumbles in the distance. The riders of apocalypse thunder ever closer in the spiritual ears of those attuned to hear what God’s prophetic Word has to say about end-times things that will be prevalent in the final generation of this dispensation.

More significant is the fact that the secular world-watchers are beginning to pick up the ever-increasing noise of the ominous white, red, black, and chloros-colored chargers and their planet-threatening horsemen. The earthly news hounds discern the threat, but only in humanistic terms–what the noise means so far as the natural interaction of earth’s nation-states are concerned.

“I have never believed that there is a secret United Nations plot to take over the US. I have never seen black helicopters hovering in the sky above Montana. But, for the first time in my life, I think the formation of some sort of world government is plausible…” (Gideon Rachman, "And now for a world government," Drudge Report, 12/8/08).

So obvious are the tremendous forces pushing the nations of earth toward one world that journalists who have little to no interest in or knowledge of Bible prophecy are making the connection. This world is changing dynamically, dramatically, astonishingly, even before the much ballyhooed coming administration of Barack Obama--who has made “change” his mantra--has taken power.

The scribes of the secular sort are almost parroting what those who hold to the futurist view of Bible prophecy have been writing for decades. But, of course, they still don’t get it that they are contributing to fulfillment of prophetic headlines–even details—spoken and written long ago by the Old and New Testament prophets.

“Financial crisis and climate change are pushing national governments towards global solutions, even in countries such as China and the US that are traditionally fierce guardians of national sovereignty” (Rachman). The mainstream journalist here wraps his analysis of the developing movement into one-world order with much of the same kind of description we who write about prophecy from the books of Daniel and Revelation use in dissecting things involving the development of Antichrist’s beast regime.

“A 'world government' would involve much more than cooperation between nations. It would be an entity with state-like characteristics, backed by a body of laws. The European Union has already set up a continental government for 27 countries, which could be a model…

So could the European model go global? There are three reasons for thinking that it might.

First, it is increasingly clear that the most difficult issues facing national governments are international in nature: there is global warming, a global financial crisis, and a ‘global war on terror.’

Second, it could be done. The transport and communications revolutions have shrunk the world so that, as Geoffrey Blainey, an eminent Australian historian, has written: ‘For the first time in human history, world government of some sort is now possible.’ Mr. Blainey foresees an attempt to form a world government at some point in the next two centuries…

But–the third point–a change in the political atmosphere suggests that ‘global governance’ could come much sooner than that…

So, it seems, everything is in place. For the first time since homo sapiens began to doodle on cave walls, there is an argument, an opportunity and a means to make serious steps towards a world government" (Rachman).

We observe with intense interest the G-20 members prominent in the news as of late. The point has been made that suddenly the nations and their leaderships–those who have always found it impossible to sit down and negotiate in good faith over even the simplest of differences—now seem almost as one in their view that a new financial order is warranted. It is amazing to watch the multi-billions, even multi-trillions, of dollars taken as out of nothingness and thrown into the unprecedented financial morass afflicting America and the world. The financial “experts” aren't treating the worldwide economic implosion like doctors intelligently treating an illness. Instead, they are more like wildly addicted gamblers throwing all of the money they can beg, borrow, and steal into a last-ditch effort to win the one big pot that will extricate them from the financial disaster they themselves have created.

Globalism seems to be the answer, they obviously have concluded. But, their actions remind of the prophecy we’ve looked at more than once:

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psa. 2:1-5).

The powers that be amongst the nations have long since cast God aside, thinking to bring the world back to Babel and the one world Nimrod and the boys determined to build. Globalism didn’t work then. God guarantees in His prophetic Word that it won’t work this time.

--Terry

Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 12/08/08

Dec 8

Making Sense of Insanity

It is absolutely impossible to make sense of this world unless a person takes the Bible prophecy into consideration. For at least the past decade, there have been two glaring examples of illogical human behavior that defy rational explanation. Both of these oddities involve the Muslim faith.

A little over a week ago, ten Islamic terrorists went on a killing rampage in the city of Mumbai, India. The gunmen attacked at least seven places shortly after 10.30 p.m. Armed with automatic rifles and grenades, they attacked targets including luxury hotels--the Taj Mahal and the Trident Oberoi, hospitals, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, and the popular Leopold cafe. Nearly 200 innocent people were murdered in cold blood that night.

The first example of twisted logic is why they did it. I mean, what was the point? Nine of the ten Muslim terrorists died in the attack. Each must have known he was on a one-way mission. They were motivated by their faith, but no terrorist analyst is able to theorize a logical explanation for the assault. It is pure insanity to think that people can butcher fellow human beings and expect their actions to somehow translate into a positive reflection on their religion.

The second example of warped reality is the liberal media’s refusal to lay the blame at the feet of Islam. The day after the attack, I looked at the media coverage and was hard-pressed to find any mention of the gunmen’s obvious connection to Islam. They used words like "elements with links to Pakistan," "militants," "gunmen," "extremists," "common enemy," and "external forces."

The media keeps using the term "al-Qaida" as if it were a well-managed global organization that reaches around the world. The truth is, there is no "central office" for al-Qaida. Most Muslims who consider themselves part of al-Qaida have no connection to other Islamic terrorist groups. Their religion is the only thing they have in common. If you have a copy of the Koran, you can join the al-Qaida club.

When the Mumbai attack flashed on the news, we all knew immediately that it was the work of Islamic terrorists. This group of people has literally cornered the market on terrorism. I looked at a timeline of major terrorist attacks, and had to go back to the 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City to find one that was not carried out by a Muslim.

I have an idea that will greatly streamline the passenger screening process at the airport. If you are willing to eat pork or say “I believe Jesus Christ the Son of God is the only Savior for mankind,” you should be able to skip security and walk right onto the aircraft.

I think any reasonable person can guess what would happen if a Christian group committed a major terrorist act. The media would go into a feeding frenzy. We at Rapture Ready are always being blamed by the press for the sins of various fringe groups.

The media is incompetent because “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Cor. 4:4). My years of experience with the various reporters who have interviewed us have taught me that there are some Christians in the news, but almost none ever rises into the major leagues. Some unseen hand always weeds them out.

We need to turn to the spiritual world to understand why we have this madness related to the deeds of Islamic forces. The book of Daniel gives us an insight into the world where the real power lies. Daniel prayed for understanding, and God sent an angelic messenger to tell him what was about to happen. The angel send, “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days” (Daniel 10:13).

Here we have a clear indication that the earthly empires have demonic beings that govern them. I have no doubt that Islam has a prince who rules over it, and he is a spirit of an exceedingly evil nature. Islamic terrorists commit heinous acts because they are doing the will of their evil master.

Ultimately, Israel is going to make a huge blunder by entering a peace agreement that will involve the Arab world. God’s prophetic Word warns Israel not to accept any treaty with its foes: “And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it” (Isa. 28:18).

-- Todd

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Mid-East Peace Process Now Needs NATO

With December 7, 1941 again fresh in the memory –the time of the dastardly attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the U.S. into World War II—recent rumblings from the "Road Map To Peace" thinking are worth consideration. There looms ahead war in the region that threaten far greater consequences than did the actions of the empire of Japan on that Sunday so long ago.

Building tensions between the Israel-hating regime of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the leaders of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) are infinitely more ominous than were the tensions of the build-up to war of the times more than a half-century ago. The potential now includes the threat of nuclear war that could quickly engulf the whole region, then the world. There is agreement among all but a few of the most appeasement-minded in Israel. The vast majority of Israeli leadership holds to the common declaration, “Never again!” This meaning, of course, that never again will the Jews let any entity commit genocide against them without all-out resistance. They even have a term in the eventuality that their situation becomes hopeless. If it looks as if their Jewish state can’t be saved from destruction, Israel will invoke the “Samson Option.” They will unleash all-out nuclear war against their enemies and bring everyone and everything down with them, as did the Israelite judge Samson, when he pulled down the edifice where his captors were making sport of him.

In my view, Samson represented Israel in microcosm. He did things apart from God’s directive for his life. He was chosen to be a Nazarite–a judge in Israel who was expected to keep certain vows and carry out certain duties. He was to live a life free from involvement with the carnality of life around him. He strayed from God’s chosen way for him. He paid the price for his disobedience, and died with his enemies. Israel was a dramatic study in worship of God and living in His ways for a time, then straying. Always, Israel paid the price. Wars and diasporas (scatterings and captivity) were the results of the people’s depending on other than Jehovah God for their national prophetic fulfillment –to be the head of all nations, and to manifest God as their God.

We’ve looked at the Scriptures many times that foretell the results of a false peace Israel will make with the humanist forces that surround them, rather than depending upon their God for peace and protection: “Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves… And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it” (Isa. 28:14-15, 18).

These words of prophecy for Israel by the prophet Isaiah involve the future covenant Antichrist will make with them, falsely assuring the nation’s peace and safety. This, of course, is found in Daniel 9:26-27. Here is what God, through Paul the apostle, says further about this peace that will destroy many (Dan. 8: 25): “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1Thess. 5:3).

Israel will at some future point depend upon humanistic geopolitical entities, rather than their God, to establish peace and safety. This is clear by Bible prophecy. We have long been watching the build-up in that process. A recent report, part of which follows, gives a glimpse at the continuing movement toward that false peace that God’s Word forewarns will eventually bring the entire world to Armageddon.

“NATO forces in the West Bank as part of any Obama-era peace deal [are]quickly gaining advocates in both Washington and the Levant. Former U.S. national-security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brezinski both recently endorsed the idea. The president-elect's nominee to head the National Security Council, Gen. James Jones—a former NATO supreme commander—is also said to favor such a force. Israelis and Palestinians have raised tepid protests, but even they seem to be realizing increasingly that a strong international presence will be critical if any deal is to be struck—and if it's to stick. "A principle that appeared to be out of bounds I think is now in bounds," says Tony Blair, the Mideast envoy of the Quartet (made up of the United States, the EU, the U.N. and Russia)…” ("A Brokered Peace: Israelis and Palestinians seem to realize that a strong international presence will be critical to any deal," Kevin Peraino, Newsweek, 12/2/08).

The United Nations forces have lost most all of the credibility they might have once had. The forces are so proven to be ineffective and with the recent plundering and rapes by U.N. blue-helmeted troops in some African regions they were sent to help, they are out of favor even with the Quartet. NATO might just be the force chosen to try to put together a “peace” with teeth.

--Terry

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Nearing Midnight In depth weekly commentary 12/1/08

Dec 1

The Great Gamble

A long long time ago–exactly two weeks ago, to be precise–I reported that the U.S. government was on the hook for $5 trillion in short- and long-term bank debt. My November 17 "Nearing Midnight" update was titled “Drowning in a Sea of Red Ink.” I could have easily given the title, “Drowning in an Ocean of Red Ink,” to this one.

It is amazing what has transpired in just 14 days. The amount of money pledged by the Treasury and Federal Reserve has now topped $8.5 trillion.

I feel like I’m watching a financial soap opera. I would suggest titles like, “As the Dollar Turns,” "Days of Our Liabilities,” “General Bankruptcy,” or “All My Children Are in the Poor House.” Unlike the plot lines for soaps, we have no guarantee of a positive outcome.

The folks at Bloomberg Data have been keeping close track of the rapidly rising dollar figures. According to their latest count, the Federal Reserve has committed $5.5 trillion; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., $1.4 trillion; the Treasury Department, $1.2 trillion; and the Federal Housing Administration, $300 billion. The remaining pledge, as much as $200 billion to bolster Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, hasn't been allocated to any agency.

Here are a couple of figures to help give you folks a grasp of the historic nature of these dollar figures. The $8.5 trillion is over half the value of everything produced in the nation last year–a sum of $14 trillion. The Federal Reserve is lending out money at a rate that is 1,900 times the weekly average from two years ago.

Despite all this lending, there is no guarantee that we will turn the corner and see a financial rebound. Banks are still bleeding cash. Citibank alone has lost $30 billion, which is why Uncle Sam needed to give it a $300 billion life line last week. According to Bloomberg, U.S. financial firms have taken losses of $666 billion since the beginning of 2007. That is a rather scary number in more ways than one.

The big question in my mind is: Where does this mess end? We are clearly headed for obligations totalling $10 trillion dollars. I hope events don’t force me to write a future article about commitments that have topped $15 or $20 trillion.

As of now, we have primarily been dealing with the fallout from the housing market. There is still the issue of the three automakers facing bankruptcy, several large cities needing a bailout, and credit card debt being in the danger zone for the past few years.

President-elect Obama has been talking about adding $600 billion to national debt by implementing a huge stimulus package. Obama has also promised to extend tax cuts that he had previously promised to end.

We are now at levels where America’s financial future is at stake. The government has so much debt on its balance sheet that if we don’t quickly pull out of this nosedive, our nation will face certain calamity. When you’re sitting on $8.5 trillion of risky assets, a 20 percent loss would come to $1.7 trillion. We are already expecting a trillion dollar budget shortfall for this fiscal year. I think international investors would balk at covering a nearly $3 trillion dollar deficit.

I have a peace of mind about this financial meltdown. So much has happened in such a short period of time, I can only conclude that the hand of God is at work here. We are already slated to escape the horrors of the tribulation. If God has also determined to have us escape an economic disaster, we have all the more reason to be looking for our Redeemer.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

-- Todd

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Crisis/Change on the Way?

Talk show host Glenn Beck, as I wrote last week, senses that America will change for the worse “in the blink of an eye,” at a time he thinks will precede Christmas 2009.

Some have written me attributing that prediction to me, not Mr. Beck. Some accuse me of being a date-setter for the rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ. Let me be clear: I have never and do not predict a “blink of an eye” change of a nation and world-altering sort before Christmas of 2009 (or for any other specific time). Glenn Beck is the pundit who said he believes that a “blink of the eye” moment that will change things forever in this country and the world might happen before Christmas a year from now.

There are others in the news these days who predict dramatic change, although not change that will necessarily take place in “the blink of an eye.” One such prediction was made by Sen. Joseph Biden, then a candidate, now Vice President-elect. Biden’s tone and words of prediction spoken at campaign fundraisers at Seattle, Washington, October 19, 2008, were ominous, and seemed to imply he knew more than he was saying:

"Mark my words...It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

Most of the media pundits immediately inferred that Biden meant there would be a military confrontation like the Cuban missile crisis Kennedy faced in October 1962. They mostly felt, apparently, that this is just something that happens to new, inexperienced presidents.

However, if one gives serious analysis to the many prophetic stage-settings that surround the current times in almost every aspect of activity upon this troubled sphere, we are led to conjecture if perhaps Mr. Biden’s forewarning doesn’t involve manipulations by a cabal far more dangerous than the Russians, Chinese, or the Islamic terrorists of the world.

We have been giving notice for more than a couple of years about talk of a new currency in America. The "amero" has been kept just below the radar of public view, as it might fit into a new economic structure for the U.S. that would make this nation conform to a world trade consortium–this, along the lines of the European Union as prototype.

The North American Union (NAU) is the moniker for the organization with which the Bush administration–with full support, apparently, of the Democrat hierarchy--has been dealing. Again, it has all been kept hush-hush for the most part, or at least kept so complex in defining it that most of us are kept in the dark.

We have written about the super highway system as part of this new trade paradigm–a thoroughfare transport road system reaching from Mexico, through the United States, and into Canada. Those of us who are convinced that the semi-secret building of such a trade route–controlled not by America, but by foreign interests--has prophetic implications. But, because of strong American sovereignty and autonomy secured by the U.S. constitution, we wondered over events that might cause Americans to accept a movement into a changed global order we are certain God’s Word foretells: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Rev. 17:12-13).

Vice President-elect Biden made an astonishing statement, if it was more than mere rhetoric, saying that Barak Obama will face a major crisis in like virulence to JFK and Cuba in 1962. It is my conviction that we are seeing a fast-track build-up to that crisis to which Biden was referring.

Biden went on to say that Americans will need to stick with the President and his administration–trust them to do the right thing when the crisis occurs. We are more than curious to know whether the "crisis” that the Vice President-elect anticipates might be a changed economic order. Certainly, the nation and the world are now in a monumental such crisis.

If Glenn Beck’s prediction has legs, it is natural to want to think on what “blink of the eye” event might trigger such a “crisis”–a type crisis (economic) even more nation/earth-rending than that in which we are now mired…

While thinking in natural, human terms–and God more often uses natural and human agencies to accomplish His control—another prediction leaped to news punditry within the last week or so. Lou Dobbs of CNN and others brought up a prediction made by an economist outside of the western world. This excerpted news item gives some interesting thoughts by, admittedly, a person who doesn’t wish the United States success.

“A leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for collapse, and will divide into separate parts.

Professor Igor Panarin said in an interview with the respected daily IZVESTIA published on Monday: ‘The dollar is not secured by anything. The country's foreign debt has grown like an avalanche, even though in the early 1980s there was no debt. By 1998, when I first made my prediction, it had exceeded $2 trillion. Now it is more than 11 trillion. This is a pyramid that can only collapse.’…

When asked when the U.S. economy would collapse, Panarin said: 'It is already collapsing. Due to the financial crisis, three of the largest and oldest five banks on Wall Street have already ceased to exist, and two are barely surviving. Their losses are the biggest in history. Now what we will see is a change in the regulatory system on a global financial scale: America will no longer be the world's financial regulator.’…

He predicted that the U.S. will break up into six parts - the Pacific coast, with its growing Chinese population; the South, with its Hispanics; Texas, where independence movements are on the rise; the Atlantic coast, with its distinct and separate mentality; five of the poorer central states with their large Native American populations; and the northern states, where the influence from Canada is strong…” (drudgereport.com, "Russian Analyst Predicts Decline and Breakup of USA," 11/25/08).

Times ahead for America and the world look bleak to those the economic meltdown are affecting directly, causing loss of their financial security. To those who see crisis as an opportunity to show their ability to perform their perception of FDR type semi-socialist governing brilliance, the times ahead seem aglow with promise under President Barak Hussein Obama’s leadership.

For some of the population, the times look dark, foreboding, but all human activities seem to be going along as usual for the most part, so the fear stays under wraps for now. For Christians, most are just going with the flow, giving no heed to what the prophetic Word of God says about these very days we are living, in my view.

Here’s the warning, I’m convinced, in which Jesus himself is speaking to this present generation–particularly to His Church: “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:32-36).

--Terry

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“The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible prophecy?”