Other Articles on Hope

The Christian Hope
Part One
Part Two

Hope Beyond the Terror

The Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust

There Is Hope

What Is This World Coming To?
1-What Is This World Coming To?
2-Today's Headlines Written Nearly 2,000 Years Ago
3-Why God Permits Evil
4-A Ransom For All
5-The Call of the Church
6-The Kingdom of Christ

There Is Hope

October 1993

The carefree days of summer and vacation time are behind us. Somehow, we hoped that by Labor Day the U. S. economy would be jump-started, that the horrors and evils of Bosnia would be behind us and our soldiers would be out of Somalia. Instead, massive layoffs by major corporations continue to stagnate the economy, the stark horrors of Bosnia remain and our soldiers continue in the quagmire of Somalia with 400 more troops ordered in—not out.

Actually, if we review the events of the last two months, there seems to be little to give us much hope. Yet the extreme severity of the problems is the one thing that gives real hope. Daniel 12:1-2 and Haggai 2:7 reveal that just before God's Kingdom, when "the desire of all nations shall come," conditions on earth would mark us in "a time of trouble (or "shaking of the earth") such as never was since there was a nation." The noted historian, Arnold Toynbee, designated our era as "an unprecedented time of troubles." The events of this not so lackadaisical summer confirm that the "time of trouble" of Daniel 12:1 is upon us.

Our Economy Will Yet Collapse

(Ezekiel 7:19; Zephaniah 1:18)

Unprecedented floods in the Midwest and the scorched earth drought in the farmlands of the Southeast resulted in crop destruction that will haunt our frayed economy. Flood recovery will cost over 20 billion dollars while we are still strapped with paying off Hurricane Andrew. Massive layoffs continue. How many more disasters can our crisis ridden economy absorb?

Unprecedented Crime, Violence, Hate—
in "the Last Days"

(2 Timothy 3:1-3)

In July, the Report To The Governor On The Disturbances In Crown Heights revealed that there were three days of uncontrolled violence against Jews simply because they were Jews. The only disagreement is who was responsible for not taking steps to quell the violence immediately. Acts of anti-Semitism are at an all-time high throughout the world. Will the "hunters" rise again (Jeremiah 16:16)? There is an alarming increase in skinheads and violent murders of members of all minorities by skinheads (Time, August 9, 1993).

The abortion battle has reached a new high in violence. It has been bloody. Now it is deadly. Doctors who perform abortions have been shot or murdered. Those who pulled the trigger are considered heroes by some.

Violent car-jackings have instilled a fear of driving in some parts of the nation. (Time, August 16, 1993). And what about our youth, the flower of any nation? "They're armed, dangerous and live next door. From inner cities to quiet suburbs, America's youth have developed a fatal attraction to firearms" (Time, August 2, 1993). In addition to gang killings and crime, the latest craze of youth is drive-by shootings—aiming mostly at cars and houses. Thus far this year, New York City has experienced an average of 28 deaths a month from random shootings. But even quiet towns like Omaha, NE and Lexington, KY are being shot up by young punks.

Immorality Marks Us in "the Last Days"

(2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Thanks to the new morality, sexual activity of teens is on the increase. The National Center For Disease Control and Prevention reported that 7 out of 10 high school seniors are sexually active (Newark Star Ledger, August 22, 1993. More than a million teenagers become pregnant each year. Most alarming is the increase in pregnancy among girls 10 to 14 years old. HIV (AIDS virus) infections continue to spiral at an astronomical rate. The greatest increase is now among heterosexual relations. Our society is so pleasure driven that the simple Biblical solution to these sex oriented problems, premarital abstinence, is considered impractical.

July Fourth Fireworks

Fortunately Americans just missed the greatest July 4th fireworks explosion in history. It was sheer luck, not FBI or police prowess, which the UN, Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, etc. were not blown up the week of July Fourth. Only because a member of the terrorist gang turned informant were we spared. This doesn't bode well for the U. S. in the future. Terrorist acts are extremely difficult to prevent. Egypt can well attest to that. Islamic fundamentalists are determined to overthrow President Mubarak and they just may succeed. To the South, Sudan has become the haven, training ground and launching pad for the Islamic fundamentalist militants. Meanwhile, in Southern Sudan, the Islamic Government has been waging a campaign of genocide against black Christians that would make Bosnia look like a picnic. Two million have been killed since 1989 (Jewish Press, August 27, 1993). Where is the news media?

Europe is No Better

Europe is in the throes of its severest recession since the "great depression" of the 1930s. Ethnic hatred and violence in Germany and elsewhere has become so common place that it doesn't make headlines anymore. And then there is Bosnia, the shame of every Western leader. Joel 3:9-10 speaking of the end time, predicted that "weak" nations will say, "I am strong." Despite President Clinton's threats, the little Serb army in Bosnia has defied the UN and bullied its forces all over the countryside. The peace treaty that is being brokered by the UN appears to be a sell-out to ethnic cleansing and violence.

Also, the breakup of the Communist Empire and nations into smaller ethnic nations is a remarkable fulfillment of Amos 5:18-19. The end-time would find mankind fleeing from a "lion" (British Empire) only to meet the (Russian) "bear." With the fall of Russian Communism each segment is going into its "house" of ethnic nationalism. First we saw the dividing of the Soviet Union into ethnic republics, then Czechoslovakia divided into two republics. Now the former Yugoslavia is splintering into ethnic nations. This threatens a domino effect of further ethnic splintering in the former Soviet Republics.

Pope's Trip to Denver

The most significant event of the summer was not the Pope's trip to Denver, as colorful a media event as it was, but President Clinton's anxiousness to travel from Washington to Denver to welcome the Pope as he stepped off the plane. Then he had a private meeting with him. Would Clinton do the same for the head of any other church? No. But all heads of State are eager to meet with Pope John Paul II (Time, August 23, 1993). Why? Because he is not just the head of a church, the Vatican is the capital of a church-state government, the Papal State. For centuries the Papal State has claimed to be the Kingdom of God on earth. Remember when Popes crowned and uncrowned kings? Historians refer to that era as the "Dark Ages."

The Pope has 1.5 billion followers worldwide. They might differ with him on abortion, birth control, celibacy of the priesthood, but they revere him as the head of the Papal State. Through his priesthood he has an intelligence gathering network that is the envy of every government. It reaches down into almost every town and villa over much of the globe. Nations are anxious to exchange ambassadors with the Vatican. John Paul II plays power politics with a skill that awes world leaders. John Paul and former President Reagan successfully plotted the downfall of the Communist Empire (Time, February 24, 1992). His ultimate political agenda is revealed in the following statement he made April 21, 1990.

"A united Europe is no longer a dream. It is not utopian memory from the Middle Ages [emphasis added]. The events that we are witnessing show that this goal can be reached."

The Pope wants to revive the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages.

The Scriptures (Revelation 13, 17, 19) indicate just such a church-state union will result in the final downfall of our civilization. But there is hope—for upon these ruins God will set up His Kingdom that will rule from the rivers to the end of the earth. Man's extremity will be God's opportunity. Daniel 2:44; Zephaniah 3:8-9; Psalm 46:6-10

The newly updated booklet "What Is This World Coming To?" shows that today's headlines were prophesied over 2,000 years ago in the Bible. The booklet "Church Union and Anti-Christ" focuses on the "man of sin," "Anti-Christ," and "false prophet" prophecies. Together they will give you a guide through the thrilling prophetic times in which we are living.