What
is the real purpose of prophecy, anyway? Human curiosity about
the specifics of what, when, where and how often tends to obscure
the overreaching why--the truly important lessons God
gives his people through prophecy.
First and foremost, Bible prophecy (which makes up at least one
third of the Bible) leads us to God. First, fulfilled prophecy
clearly demonstrates the infallibility and veracity of God's Word
as being authored by none other than God himself. Further, it
reminds us God is in control, supervising and intervening in human
affairs whenever he desires. By his power he will bring about
the future he has promised. In the end, good will win over evil
(Daniel 4:17). We can see the sovereignty of God through prophecy.
Bible prophecy reminds us God is Judge, the final arbitrator of
all things. Through prophecy we learn that nobody really gets
away with anything. Oppression of the poor and the weak by the
wicked will not last forever. Every action will be brought into
account. Judgment will surely come. Prophecy also reminds us of
God's love and faithfulness. The time will come when his kingdom
will be established over all nations, and all people will come
to know repentance (II Peter 3:9; Zech. 14:9).
Even though there will be wars, small and large, Bible prophecy
tells us the world will not be totally destroyed by nuclear, or
any other kind of human warfare. God himself will, at the close
of his purpose for humanity, burn up the earth and create in its
place new heavens and a new earth in which dwells righteousness
(II Peter 3:12-13; Revelation 21:1). Through Bible prophecy, then,
we are comforted and encouraged, assured that the course of history
is being controlled by God, the God of love, peace and mercy.
We are guaranteed that our labor of love in Jesus Christ is not
in vain --and yes, a major part of that labor of love is through
our efforts in evangelism and our efforts within our congregations
to help nurture new-believers into becoming active mature members
of the body of Christ. We are given the confidence all wrong will
be righted, all crooked places will be made straight, and there
is life beyond death--happy, peaceful, fulfilled life forever.
Exactly when God will do that, we are not given. But,
through the revelation he gives us in Bible prophecy, we rejoice
in the sure knowledge he will do it. And we are motivated
by the Holy Spirit to live according to his will for our lives,
the job he gave all of us Christians to do until he comes again
in great glory and power. Also, through prophecy, God reassures
us that our faith is not in vain. All that he has promised will
surely happen. We are not told when--but we are told
what to do while we wait: Just before Jesus was taken up into
heaven his disciples asked him when he would re-establish the
kingdom to Israel. His response was, "It is not for you to know
the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth." In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gave
a similar command, to evangelize, baptize and disciple. This is
called the Great Commission and it is the Christian's primary
job and responsibility given by Jesus to do until he returns.
So our job, what we are told to do while we wait for his return,
is to pursue evangelism--personal, local church, national and
international. And as spelled out in Matthew 28:18-20, it is to
baptize and disciple those who respond to the message. In Ephesians
4 Paul points out that the church has been raised up to complete
the task started by evangelism. It is the church, with its structure
of apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who are the ones
to strengthen and unify the body of Christ, those who have been
baptized. So the unified task or job Christians have been given
by Jesus, encompassed in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20
is to evangelize the world, the whole world, and to baptize those
who respond, and to disciple and nurture those same who respond--in
a body called the church--until they are spiritually mature Christians,
no longer tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, as Paul
said in Ephesians 4. This website is full of resources that explain
what evangelism is and how we can go about effectively doing it--on
the personal, local church, national and international level.
It is also full of resources that can be used to spiritually strengthen
the body of Christ. Jesus our High Priest and Commander-in-Chief
has given us our marching orders--to evangelize the world, and
build up his body of believers, the church, with those who respond
to our evangelizing efforts--to nurture those new-believers to
spiritual maturity. Those are our marching orders. This web site
is designed specifically to make those marching orders clear and
facilitate their implementation by Christians online. So when
you're finished reading about Jesus Christ's 2nd coming, log onto
the section on evangelism and check out those marching orders.
For some, the Lord may lead you to directly evangelize. Others
will be led to use their talents to strengthen and help mature
new-believers and the body of Christ within the church congregation.
And then, we can all support evangelism on the international level.
To see how, log onto http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/gifts5.htm .
Try giving $5.00 or $10.00 a week to one of the major international
evangelism missions, like the JESUS Film Project, or Samaritan's
Purse, or Gospel for Asia (which supports native evangelists in
countries where North American and European evangelists are no
longer allowed). Pick one of those three and faithfully give that
amount week in, week out, and see the Work of the Lord go worldwide
in great power. Many hands make light work, and Jesus has given
you and I the privilege of being able to participate in his great
work of saving the world and building his kingdom on earth--which
will become a holy nation, raised up in one day, at his return
(I Corinthians 15:49-54; Revelation 11:15-19;Daniel 12:1-3).
So when you are finished digging into this interesting study on
these prophecies of Jesus 2nd coming--which present day current
events have helped generate a tremendous curiosity for--dig into
the section which explains the job Jesus gave us to perform until
he arrives again in great glory. Those are our marching orders,
explained, made clear and broken down into fine detail. We are
soldiers of Jesus Christ. A good soldier would not think of going
into the battle without reading the specific marching orders and
intelligence reports pertaining to the battle he's about to go
into, and we need to apply the same diligence toward our marching
orders--to evangelize the whole world, and to baptize
and disciple those who respond favorably. Prophecy is
interesting, but are these events being held up while Jesus waits
for us to finish the job he gave us to accomplish? If you ask
me, we have a job to do, and it isn't accomplished yet. Enjoy
this study, and then let's get busy.
If you are not quite sure of your relationship with Jesus, or
what it means to believe in Jesus, or if recent events (September
11th) have you wondering how you might develop a relationship
with Jesus, CLICK HERE.
IS THE BIBLE GOD'S INFALLABLE WORD?
HOW CAN YOU BE SURE?
IS THERE PROOF?
The proof that the Bible is God's inspired Word can be seen
through fulfilled prophecy. What important set of prophecies can
we look at which will both prove God's Word as infallible, and
answer a vital question mankind has had for millennia of time?
Let's take a close look at the prophecies that show the predicted
rise and fall of empires, right up to the return of Jesus Christ.
History has successfully verified over nine tenths of these two
prophecies found in Daniel 2 & 7 as 100 percent accurate.
Less than ten percent are left to fulfill. These empires were
scary dictatorships for the most part, so this is not only a valid
proof of God's Word but also serves as a warning of what's coming
on mankind--and the hope of a better world after Jesus returns.
This study will show that one of the ten prophecied revivals
of the fourth major Gentile world empire, predicted by God through
Daniel, was the Hitler-Mussolini juggernaut that swept across
Europe. How real are these prophecies that prove God's Word beyond
a doubt? How real was this ninth revival of the fourth Gentile
empire predicted by Daniel? Let William L. Shirer answer that
one. "The man who founded the Third Reich, who ruled it ruthlessly
and often with uncommon shrewdness, who led it to such dizzy heights
and to such a sorry end, was a person of undoubted, if evil, genius...But
without Hitler, who was possessed of a demonic personality, a
granite will, of uncanny instincts, a cold ruthlessness, a remarkable
intellect, a soaring imagination and--until toward the end, when
drunk with power and success, he overreached himself--an amazing
capacity to size up people and situations, there most certainly
would never have been a Third Reich" (Rise and Fall of the Third
Reich, pp.20-21). "In keeping with the emphasis placed on speed
and mobility, the German Armed Forces in World War II were supplied
with a dazzling array of fighting vehicles capable of performing
almost every battlefield function. Taking pride of place among
German divisions were such excellent tanks as the Panzer III,
Panzer IV, Panther, and Tiger, ably supported by a range of self-propelled
anti-tank guns, infantry-support guns and heavy artillery. For
the infantry there were armoured cars and half-tracks, allowing
them to keep up with the tanks in true Bliztkrieg style (German
Tanks & Fighting Vehicles of World War II). That's a a "tip
of the iceberg" look into the second to last prophecied resurrection
of the Roman empire--with one yet to follow. Want to understand
what the next one will be like, but worse? Look into history.
Read Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." How do I know
there will be a next one, and that God's Word is true and predicts
so. Read on.
When will the Kingdom of God be physically established
on earth? Does the Bible give us any indication at all—any
outline of events that lead up to this tremendous event?
The first question we need to ask ourselves then is: So when
is the literal governmental Kingdom of God going to be physically
established on earth by Jesus?As many Bible prophecies
show, the Kingdom of God will be physically established on earth
at the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. (And I'm taking the premise
that Jesus' coming will be literal and these prophecies are
literal because nine tenths of them have been fulfilled literally
in history. It goes against sound logic to spiritualize away
the last one tenth of a prophecy's fulfillment when the previous
nine tenths has been literally fulfilled and is in our history
books.) Does the Bible tell us anything about the timing of
this great event, when it is to occur in the future? Indeed
it does! Only God can know for sure when the events will actually
start to occur that will trigger these end-time prophecies,
i.e. World War III, and then Jesus Christ's very necessary intervention
in man's self-genocidal insanity. This much is certain however,
history is cyclical, and these events willeventually come
to pass--for this event is part of a 20th century cycle of World
Wars.
Part of the answer to our question of timing (although we are
in no way attempting to set specific dates to the Messiah's coming)
can be found in the second chapter of Daniel. The book of Daniel
is historically datable to the time of Nebuchadnezzar and the
Babylonian empire. (And what follows is one GIANT proof
of God and of the infallibility of his Word the Bible, for what
mere mortal, even a righteous prophet, could, on his very own,
predict all of these events, and then bring them to pass as they
have been fulfilled down through millenniums of time?) History
accurately records that Nebuchadnezzar first came to power in
625 B.C. The first captivity of the Jewish nation when Daniel
was captured took place around 605 B.C. So again, if you are looking
for an infallible proof of the Bible as God's Word, realize that
no mere human, not even Daniel, could have accurately foretold
the future the way the book of Daniel does. In Daniel chapter
2 king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is shown as having a weird dream
about a giant image whose head was of fine gold, with shoulders
and arms of silver, thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of
iron mixed with clay. The king was badly disturbed by this dream
and called all his astrologers and magicians together and demanded
to know the meaning of the dream. He told them that he had even
forgotten the dream and wanted them to recall it for him. If they
didn't he'd kill all the wise men in Babylon, including Daniel
and his three friends. Obviously, this task was humanly impossible
for them to do. This event put Daniel's life on the line even
though he had nothing to do with these astrologers because he
was considered a wise man (Daniel 2:3-7). The astrologers couldn't
interpret or recall the dream so the king ordered the death of
all the wise men in Babylon (verses 8-13). Daniel then sought
God for the meaning of the dream so he and his friends wouldn't
be slain with the astrologers (verses 16-18). God mercifully revealed
the meaning of the dream to Daniel in a vision at night (verses
19-23). Daniel then revealed the dream and its' meaning to the
king. Let's pick up the story in verses 31-44. "You, O king were
watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor
was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This
image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its
belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly
of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut
out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron
and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the
bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became
like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried
them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that
struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole
earth.
This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before
the king. You, O king are a king of kings. For the God of heaven
has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever
the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the
birds of the heaven, he has given them into your hand, and has
made you ruler over them--you are this head of gold. But
after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then
another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all
the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron,
inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters all things; and
like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and
crush all the others." Historically Babylon came first, then came
the Persian empire which conquered Babylon. Then came Alexander
the Great's empire, which conquered that whole section of the
eastern Mediterranean all the way to India. Then came the Roman
Empire, which later on was divided into two sections. The eastern
half ruled from Constantinople, the western half ruled from Rome,
and held in it's power most of Europe, north Africa, and even
the territory of the British Isles. Daniel lived into the very
beginning of the time of the Persians, but he couldn't have predicted
so accurately the rise and fall of the two other empires to follow
the Persians. Let's read on. "Whereas you saw the feet and toes,
partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall
be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just
as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of
the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom
shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed
with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but
they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix
with clay. [vs. 44] And in the days of these kings the God of
heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and
the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break
in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." The
last verse, 44, is a brief description of the Kingdom of God conquering
the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, represented
by the feet and ten toes of the image. Daniel chapter seven makes
this clearer, showing that the ten toes really do represent the
final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. In this vision revealed
by God to Daniel in the seventh chapter of Daniel, God shows us
that the two legs not only represent the Roman Empire but its'
successive resurrections down through European history. When Daniel
chapter seven is added to Daniel chapter two the complete meaning
of the image is revealed.
Daniel chapter seven, just as in Daniel two, describes in prophetic
vision by use of symbols, four main world-ruling empires. Letting
the Bible interpret itself, these are the same four empires described
in Daniel two but by different symbols. So the first is Babylon,
the second Persia, the third Alexander and the fourth Rome. This
prophecy gets into a more thorough description of the fourth empire,
Rome, and its' successive resurrections down through history.
Daniel 7:1-8, 11-28. "In the first year of Belshazzar of Babylon,
Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then
he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. Daniel spoke,
saying, `I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds
of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts
came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first
was like a lion, and had eagle's wings [the winged lion was the
royal symbol of the Babylonian Empire]. I watched till its wings
were plucked off; and it was made to stand on two feet like a
man, and a man's heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast,
a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three
ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it:
`Arise, devour much flesh!' After this I looked, and there was
another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a
bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to
it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge
iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling
the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts
that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the
horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among
them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out
by the roots. And there, in the horn, were eyes like the eyes
of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words...I watched then
because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking;
I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed and
given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they
had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged
for a season and a time...(verses 11-28) I, Daniel, was grieved
in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled
me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the
truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation
of these things: `Those great beasts, which are four, are four
kings (footnote: Representing their kingdoms (compare to verse
23)) which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most
High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever,
even forever and ever.' Then I wished to know the truth about
the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly
dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which
devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;
and about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the other
horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn
which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance
was greater than his fellows. I was watching; and the same horn
was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor
of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints
to possess the kingdom. Thus he said: `The fourth beast shall
be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all
other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and
break it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise
from this kingdom. And another shall arise after them; he shall
be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute
the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times
and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time
and times and half a time [three and a half years]. But the court
shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume
and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given
to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'
This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts
greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the
matter in my heart.'"
To recap, Daniel 7 describes in prophetic vision, by the use of
symbols, four main world-ruling empires, starting with the Babylonian
empire and then prophesying that three more world empires would
follow one after the other. These four main world-ruling empires
are represented as four separate animals or beasts: a lion, a
bear, a leopard with four heads and four wings, and a "terrible
iron beast." This last "beast" (the fourth empire) was predicted
to have ten horns representing ten kings. Three of these kings
were to be "plucked up" by a separate "little horn." Now let us
look at what history tells us:
1) Including and starting with Babylon, these four empires were
the Babylonian empire, the Medo-Persian empire, the Greco-Macedonian
empire under Alexander the Great (and later his four generals,
represented by the four heads of the leopard), and the Roman Empire.
They spanned over 1,000 years of history from 600 B.C. to 476
A.D.
2) Ten kings in the Roman Empire or Holy Roman Empire NEVER ruled
side by side. History also tells us that three kings (kingdoms)
were "subdued" by Justinian the first real Emperor since the fall
of Rome, thus the ten horns of Daniel 7:7,23-24, represented ten "restorations" of
the Roman Empire, the fourth beast, "made of iron...dreadful and
terrible." This point is really important, because many Christians
don't understand about the succession of Holy Roman Empires that
this prophecy in Daniel predicted. We have to look to history
to see that ten kings never ruled side by side with three being
plucked up. But history does show us three kingdoms were indeed
plucked up at the behest of the pope, ordering the king of the
fourth resurrection of the Roman Empire, the first Holy Roman
Emperor, to destroy the first three empires that were ruling in
Rome after it's fall.
No mere human, even a righteous one like Daniel, could have
predicted all this and made it come to pass right down through
the centuries. These events spanned over 2,600 years! This is
an infallible proof of God’s Word and of God himself, for
Daniel couldn’t have dreamed all this up and then made it
come to pass. He died in the 500’s B.C.! And the way the
Jews maintain Holy Scripture, Daniel’s writings are verifiable
right to the time when he lived. (An interesting
story gleaned from history--Alexander, on his conquering march
through the Middle East toward India was met by the Jewish High
Priest outside of Jerusalem. His was shown the scroll of Daniel
and it was pointed out to him that his empire indeed was the third
empire predicted by God to Daniel, to bear rule over the entire
known world. Alexander was so impressed that he spared the city
and moved on. That is just one example of the literalness of these
prophecies. Prophecy is history in advance, not intended to be
spiritualized away, as some theologians attempt to do, distorting
God's Word.)
So here are the four main world-ruling empires, and the restorations
of the last empire listed as they occurred historically:
The Chaldean Empire (Babylonian) 625-539 B.C.
The Persian Empire. 539-330 B.C.
Alexander the Great's Greek Empire. 330 B.C. to 31 B.C.
The Roman Empire. 31 B.C. to 476 A.D. (in two divisions, east
and west).
Restorations of the Roman Empire:
1-3: The Vandals, A.D. 429-533. The Heruli, A.D. 476-493.
The Ostrogoths, A.D. 493-554. (These three governments were removed
by Justinian in 554 A.D. at the behest of the pope.)
4: The "Imperial Restoration" of the Empire by Justinian, 554
A.D.
5. The Frankish kingdom of Charlemagne. Charlemagne crowned in
800 A.D. His rule began in 774 A.D. (The Franks were a Germanic
tribe living in the area of eastern France and western Germany.)
6. Holy Roman Empire of Otto the Great. Otto the Great was crowned
in 962 A.D. (German Restoration.)
7. Habsburg dynasty. Charles the Great crowned in 1520 A.D. (Austrian
Restoration.)
8. Napoleon's Kingdom. Napoleon crowned in 1805 A.D.
(Napoleon was of German lineage, ruling over France.)
9. Bonito Mussolini declared Holy Roman Emperor A.D. 1935 (Italian-German
Restoration.)
10. Revived Roman Empire by 10 rulers or kings under one leader
prophesied to come as the last restoration of the "iron beast" in
Daniel 7. cf. Revelation 13 & 17.)
Now you can plainly see how 9/10ths of this major prophecy
of God through his servant Daniel has been fulfilled literally.
Napoleon and Adolf Hitler and Bonito Mussilini were real, just
as Charlemagne and Justinian were. Thus the predicted 2nd coming
of Jesus Christ and all the Millennial prophecies about a restored
literal kingdom of God bearing rule over the entire earth--the
wild preditors dwelling with tame animals and children playing
with them, deserts transformed into luscious farmland--all this
must be interpreted literally also. You can't switch in midstream
on how you interpret. And history shows us how we are supposed
to interpret by showing us what has been fulfilled and how.
When Jesus Christ comes back in all his glorious power with the
army of God, he will subdue this final resurrection of the Holy
Roman Empire, and usher in the Utopian World Tomorrow, ruled by
the Kingdom of God. When you see this final resurrection of the
Holy Roman Empire forming in Europe, whenever that may happen,
then you'll know that time is growing short.
Now we can see that over nine tenths of Daniel's prophecies, prophecies
of God given to Daniel to write down in the Bible, are fulfilled
and part of history. What is scary, especially for non-Christians
and yes even nominal Christians, is that we can get a glimpse
of what a recent Holy Roman Empire was like by looking at the
World War II history of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was
a cruel and brutal empire in which Adolph Hitler tried his best
to model much of the pariphinalia of the ancient Roman Empire.
Bonito Mussolini was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in a secret Vatican
Concordat in 1935. It was short lived, but it was a real revival
of the ancient Holy Roman Empires that preceded it. For our British
brothers of the 1800's, Napoleon was their encounter with a Holy
Roman Empire. The British of that day viewed Napoleon as much
a threat as Churchill did Hitler.
Now let's get a peek into what's coming around the
corner, prophetically speaking. The following is quoted from Chuck
Missler's "Personal UPDATE."
"...An
Emergent Empire?
The Bible generally presents history--both historic and prophetic--through
the "lens" of Israel. Notable exceptions occur in Daniel Chapters
2 and 7, which summarize the Gentile empires that are to
transpire between the Babylonian empire of that time until the
final empire [Holy Roman Empire] that will be interrupted by the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There are to be four: the Babylonian,
the Persian, the Greek, and the Roman...
For centuries, Biblical scholars have been anticipating the re-emergence
of this 4th empire in its final form.
New
EU President
The
entire European Union's 20-member commission resigned in March
[1999] due to extensive corruption scandals. The Council of Ministers
unanimously voted to appoint the former Italian Prime Minister
Romano Prodi as the new president of the commission.
Romano Prodi is known in his own country for bringing down inflation
and unemployment rates. He has also enthusiastically endorsed
the rooting out of corruption within the ranks of the 17,000 employees
of the European bureaucracy, and has garnered praise from the
members of the European Parliament for his strong statements regarding
reform.
However, according to conservative members of the British Parliament,
Prodi's appointment may be more of a nightmare than a dream. [The
British, understandably, are always looking over the European
horizon for signs of future fanatical dictatorships.] It appears
Prodi is an ardent federalist, who is ready, willing and able
to expedite the formation of the EU superstate. Prodi has stated
in no uncertain terms that he is in favor of giving the EU more
power and curtailing the rights of the member nations' veto power.
He has also advocated the creation of an European defense force,
calling for a new treaty to make this possible. He has said in
speeches that he sees no other way for Europe to effectively handle
foreign affairs without a military option. In addition, Prodi
has called for the union to commit itself to further expansion
into central and eastern Europe and to expedite the process by
setting dates for the admission of new members, a move that is
resisted by the heads of the EU government.
Prodi has applauded the progress made by the European Monetary
Union in introducing the new super-national currency, the Euro.
He said in an interview with the Financial Times that the
Euro currency was
"not just a bankers' decision or a technical decision. It was
a decision that completely changed the nature of the member states."
NATO
Redefined
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949
as a defensive alliance in which each member was pledged to come
to the aid of any of its members which were attacked militarily.
However, at the 50th Anniversary Summit in Washington
on April 23-24, 1999, NATO redefined itself in terms which appear
to be a startling impetus toward the creation of a major new trans-global
alliance...NATO is now an ideological construct which is
now prepared to use force to impose its concept of world order
on its neighbors and beyond.*
The new definition states:
The security of the Alliance remains subject to a wide variety of military
and non-military risks...These risks include uncertainty and instability in
and around the Euro-Atlantic area and the possibility of regional crises at
the periphery of the Alliance which could evolve rapidly. Some countries in
and around the Euro-Atlantic area face serious economic, social and political
difficulties. Ethnic and religious rivalries, territorial disputes, inadequate
or failed efforts at reform, the abuse of human rights, and the dissolution
of states can lead to crises affecting Euro-Atlantic stability, to human suffering,
and to armed conflicts. Such conflicts could affect the security of the Alliance
by spilling over into neighboring countries, including NATO countries, or in
other ways, and could also affect the security of other states.
And, if that does not give NATO a wide enough scope for military
intervention in the affairs of its neighbors, the new strategic
definition adds:
Alliance security interests can be affected by other risks
of a wider nature, including acts of terrorism, sabotage and organized
crime, and by disruption of the flow of vital resources. The uncontrolled
movement of large numbers of people, particularly as a consequence
of armed conflicts, can also pose problems for security and stability
affecting the Alliance.
National
Sovereignty Obsolete
The New strategic concept virtually declares national sovereignty
obsolete. It is not just the sovereignty of the neighboring states
that is threatened, but the individual members as well. The intention
is to reduce the number of decision-making voices within NATO
from 19 (and growing) to 3 or 4.
To prevent the re-nationalization of defense policies, military
structures are to be integrated for:
...collective force planning; common funding; common operational
planning; multinational formations, headquarters and command arrangements;
an integrated air defense system; a balance of roles and responsibilities
among the Allies; the stationing and deployment of forces outside
home territory when required; arrangements, including planning,
for crisis management and reinforcement; common standards and
procedures for equipment, training and logistics; joint and combined
doctrines and exercises when appropriate; and infrastructure,
armaments and logistics cooperation.
These will tie each member state to the corporate whole and, ultimately,
a single European voice on defense matters. "All European
Allies should be involved in...the progressive framing of a common
defense policy...as called for in the Amsterdam Treaty."
(The Amsterdam Treaty, signed in June 1997, was a revision of
the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, and one of the most controversial
elements concerned the strengthening of the European Union's role
in defense matters.)...
Having totally bypassed the U.N., NATO has now become the
self-appointed policeman of the world. Stand back and watch the
global events move us inexorably toward the grand climax which
the Bible has laid out in such detail. It is, indeed, time to
do our homework.
Behold ye among the nations, and regard, and wonder marvelously:
for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe,
though it be told you. Habakkuk 1:5
Much of this
has been excerpted from publications of Intelligence International
Ltd., The Stoneyhill Centre, Brimpsfield, Gloucester, GL4
8LF, UK
For an expanded description of this subject which will affect
everyone on this planet, you can order Chuck Missler's briefing
package (on cassette tapes), titled: An Empire Reborn? Order
online at: http://www.khouse.org , or call 1-800-KHOUSE-1
or write: Koinonia House, P.O. Box D, Coeur d' Alene, ID 83816-0347.
(advertised at $14.95.) It answers such questions touched on
above, such as, "What is really happening in Europe? Is the
re-emergence of Europe Biblically relevant and leading to the "Revived
Empire" Bible scholars have been predicting for centuries? What
impact does the re-definition of NATO have on the future of
the United Nations and the world? Such questions and more are
answered in "An Empire Reborn?"
The following is excerpted from Dr. Mark Eastman's "Creation by
Design" and answers a vital question many non-believers have once
they have seen God's existence in Scripture and seen his Word
in Scripture proven beyond a doubt. Many may wonder, what next?
What should I do with this vital information?
"How
to Become a Christian
First of all you must recognize that you are a sinner. Realize
that you have missed the mark. This is true of each of us. We
have deliberately crossed the line not once, but many times. The
Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory
of God" (Romans 3:23). This is a hard admission for many
to make, but if we are not willing to hear the bad news, we cannot
appreciate and respond to the good news.
Second, we must realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for
us. Because of sin, God had to take drastic measures to reach
us. So He came to this earth and walked here as a man. But Jesus
was more than just a good man. He was the God-man--God incarnate--and
that is why His death on the cross is so significant.
At the cross, God Himself--in the person of Jesus Christ--took
our place and bore our sins. He paid for them and purchased our
redemption.
Third, we must repent of our sin. God has commanded men everywhere
to repent. Acts 3:19 states, "Repent therefore and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing
may come from the presence of the Lord." What does this word repent mean?
It means to change direction--to hang a U-turn on the road of
life. It means to stop living the kind of life we led previously
and start living the kind of life outlined in the pages of the
Bible. Now we must change and be willing to make a break with
the past.
Fourth, we must receive Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives.
Being a Christian is having God Himself take residence in our
lives. John 1:12 tells us, "But as many as received Him, to
them He gave the right to become the children of God." [Read
also John 14. Jesus and the Father dwell in us by the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit.] Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door
and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in..." (Revelation 3:20). Each one of us must individually
decide to open the door. How do we open it? Through prayer.
If you have never asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, you
can do it right now. Here is a suggested prayer you might even
pray.
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my
sin. I turn and repent of my sins right now. Thank You for
dying on the cross for me and paying the price for my sin.
Please come into my heart and life right now. Fill me with
Your Holy Spirit and help me to be Your disciple. Thank You
for forgiving me and coming into my life. Thank You that I
am now a child of Yours and that I will receive Eternal life.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
When you pray that prayer God will respond. You have made
the right decision--the decision that will impact how you spend
eternity. In the meantime, find peace and the answers to your
spiritual questions.
If you become a Christian, it is recommended that you find a Christian
church to fellowship in and grow spiritually in. You are now part
of the body of Christ. You are a young Christian needing
spiritual food to grow on. Fellowshipping with other Christian
brothers and sisters is also an essential part of Christian growth
and life. It is therefore recommended that you find some evangelical
Christian church that you feel comfortable attending.
This article has been made available to you from:
[If you chose to use this article to evangelize, print out
the name and address and phone number of your church, times it
meets, etc on the bottom of the previous page.]
To read a good sermon on Luke 21, see the article "The Second
Coming Of Christ".