Why Prophecy?

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Why Prophecy?

Prophecy is an integral part of the Bible, God's inspired revelation to mankind. Through it God reveals Himself, His plan for humanity and why we are here.



We strive for security, long for stability and dream of a glowing and predictable future for ourselves and our posterity. But for most of us these hopes and desires are far from certain to be realized. Our world is filled with rapid and often perilous change.



We could easily fall victim to an accident, act of violence, debilitating disease or natural disaster. The turbulent winds of economic and social change threaten our financial stability. Wars and acts of terrorism threaten to endanger the fabric of society and make even more elusive the security we seek.



Uncertainty is a way of life.



No confidence



Consider today's youth. A lack of confidence in the future is a major cause of anxiety among teenagers. Thousands are convinced the good life will evaporate before they're old enough to enjoy it. They crave assurance and purpose. Nihilism—the absence of confidence and hope in anything—is epidemic. The staggering number of teen suicides illustrates their disillusionment. Some vent their anger and frustration by setting up an alternative society of gangs.



But teens aren't the only ones anxious about their future. Adults turn to psychics and astrological readings in unprecedented numbers, attempting to peer into the murkiness of the future. Books about the future are best sellers. Millions of people long for reassurance that some kind of light shines at the end of the tunnel. King Solomon's observation that "man is greatly troubled by ignorance of the future" (Ecclesiastes 8:7For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?



See All..., Revised English Bible) holds true today.



Why is our world so uncertain? Have we no alternative? Is nothing predictable? Must we live in ignorance of our future? Can we discover a source for information about where this world is headed?



Indeed we can, and it tells us a great deal about what lies ahead. We can also know the cause of our uncertainty and the amazing turn of events that could change it for the better.



Where can we find answers?



The answers have been waiting for us all along. They're in the pages of the Holy Bible.



The Bible is unique among all literature. Though penned by many writers from varied cultures over a span of 15 centuries, it is the masterpiece of a single author, the Creator of the universe.



For centuries Bible students have marveled that so many writers, from strikingly dissimilar backgrounds, could maintain the consistent message and purpose found in the pages of Scripture. No other compilation of writings from such varied authors could compare with the Bible's continuity and harmony.



This consistency gives the Bible unrivaled distinction among literary works. This constancy is one of the proofs of its divine inspiration. As the Bible itself powerfully proclaims about its origin: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:



See All..., emphasis added throughout).



Much of this remarkable book is prophetic. Its prophecies reveal crucial information about the future of mankind. When we realize that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then we begin to realize the significance of its prophecies. They are reliable because God Himself inspired them.



What does the Creator tell us about Himself and the future? "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done … Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it" (Isaiah 46:9-11 [9] Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

[10] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

[11] Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.





See All...). God not only claims to reveal the future, He has the power to bring to pass what He has foretold!



The apostle Peter advises us to pay attention to the words of the biblical prophets: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:19-21 [19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

[20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

[21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.





See All...).



The Prophet of prophets



A prophet is one through whom God speaks—one appointed to reveal the will of God to His people. One of the greatest of these prophets was God's own Son, Jesus Christ: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2 [1] God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;





See All...).



People seldom think of Jesus Christ as a prophet, but a prophet He was (Luke 13:33Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.



See All...; 24:19; John 6:14Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.



See All...). His message—"the gospel of the kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,



See All...)—is filled with prophecy. His message explains and clarifies the destiny of mankind, revealing the way God will accomplish His master plan.



The record of Jesus Christ's birth, life, ministry and death is one of history's most powerful confirmations of the reliability and accuracy of Bible prophecy.



Precise details about Jesus' birth, ministry and crucifixion were accurately foretold hundreds, even thousands, of years before He was born. Specific events and circumstances foretold centuries earlier came to pass exactly as the Hebrew prophets had predicted, providing compelling evidence of their credibility and substantiating the accuracy of their messages.



Could their words hold meaning for us today? Did you know those same prophets tell us what Jesus Christ has planned for the future— your future?



You probably already know that Jesus promised to return to earth. That promise is an excellent example of prophecy. He also promised to finish the work He began at His first coming. Throughout the Bible the life and mission of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, are depicted as examples of His devotion to the welfare of people. Many prophecies yet to be fulfilled are directly related to the future work and mission of Jesus Christ.



A right perspective



Many people regard prophecy as mystical, strange and unreal, with no relevance to their lives. They have almost no understanding of what prophecy is all about. Others, having encountered grossly distorted interpretations of Bible prophecy, have grown skeptical and disillusioned.



However, when properly understood, the Bible speaks with a clear, consistent and reliable message that is just as appropriate for us as it was for the people of ancient Israel.



Whether you are unsure of the value of the Bible's prophecies or regard them with deep respect, this booklet is meant to help you accurately understand prophecy. We want you to see the true scope of prophecy—how it links mankind's past, present and future. A knowledge of prophecy can provide you with a balanced perspective revealed by the Creator.



God's promises: the foundation of prophecy



Prophecy is not merely a series of unrelated predictions randomly scattered throughout the Bible. It has a structure; it is set on a firm foundation. To understand the foundation, we must realize the overall purpose of the Bible, its themes and the threads of its stories.



One overall theme is that the Bible is the tale of two families. The first is the family of Adam, the human father of all mankind. The second is the family of Abraham, the father of those who are faithful to God (Romans 4:9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.



See All..., 11). God regards people who become, in a spiritual sense, like faithful Abraham as His own personal family, His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.



See All...).



The Bible begins with the creation of the universe and a world fashioned to support Adam's, and then all humanity's, existence. The story of Scripture will not be complete until all of the descendants of Adam receive an eternal inheritance in refashioned heavens and earth or—if they unequivocally refuse God's way of loving others as themselves—eternal death in the final judgment (Revelation 20:14-15 [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.





See All...).



It is to Abraham and his descendants that God gave the promise of an eternal inheritance. Only members of the family of Adam whom God grafts into the family, or "seed," of Abraham (through the sacrificed Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth) may partake of that eternal inheritance (Galatians 3:29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.



See All...).



Between the creation of Adam and God's final judgment is the story of God's relationship with us, His creation. The Bible, in its account of Adam, explains the reason for our nature. It tells us how and why sin, evil and suffering entered the world and reveals God's solution to that problem. It reveals the purpose of our existence, explaining why God made human beings and the incredible future He has in store for us.



At the heart of God's plan for us are many amazing promises. In a greater sense, God offers us one magnificent promise, which He first expressed to Adam and Eve and amplifies and expands throughout the Bible. God promises He will make available everything we need to establish and maintain an eternal relationship with Him as His children—that our salvation will always be His greatest concern.



Read on to learn how prophecy fills in the details of God's wonderful plan for humanity. You will discover the reason people suffer and the lessons they should learn from it. You will see that God, who inspired prophecy, cares for people—that He has designed a logical and realistic master plan for solving the suffering and dilemmas that (as history well shows) we cannot resolve on our own.



You will also learn why the life, work and mission of Jesus, as the Messiah, was planned even "before time began" (2 Timothy 1:9Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,



See All...)—and why His continuing efforts are crucial to the success of God's plan and purpose for our future.



Come with us on a journey to explore and understand Bible prophecy.

The Grim Dilemma of Government Leadership

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The Grim Dilemma of Government Leadership






article by John Ross Schroeder





The present financial crisis has handed members of the world press a field day. Most current affairs journalists are having a go at both America and Europe—decrying the lack of political leadership. Why are we in this monetary mess, and what does God require of our leaders?



Wrote Fareed Zakaria in Time magazine recently: “Americans need a government that works. What the debt crisis highlighted is that Congress—the heart of today’s government—is utterly and completely broken” (“The Debt Deal’s Failure,” Aug. 15, 2011, p. 15). Alternatively, some observers blame U.S. President Barack Obama. The title of The Economist’sLexington column labels him “an underperforming president”—the article’s drophead stating that he “allowed the Republicans to rout him over the debt ceiling” (Aug. 6, 2011).



ASunday Telegraph article by Peter Oborne broadened out this grim picture to include European leaders, the drophead summarizing, “Washington and Europe seem powerless in the face of the economic tempest” (“In a Crisis Like This, the World’s Leaders Are Out of Their Depth,” Aug. 7, 2011). Oborne further warns, “Wake up: the eurozone is very close to collapse.”



Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown blamed the euro-crisis on both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy (“Brown: I Blame Merkel and Sarkozy for Financial Crisis,” The Independent on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011).



Clearly, there are myriads of magazine and newspaper articles that assign blame or report on others assigning blame and telling readers what needs to be done to restore order. Trouble is, the various observers are all over the political spectrum, as is the advice the proffer.



One British observer came closer to defining the cause of America’s financial ills. “The country is in the middle of a moral crisis,” wrote Christopher Caldwell in The Spectator (“Divided We Stand,” Aug. 6, 2011). This observation implies that we may be falling foul of absolute standards and values not of human making. It even suggests that God may be involved. That, in fact, is the proper perspective.



Divine judgment at work?

God is certainly involved in the leadership of nations. And Scripture reveals that our lack of adept leadership today may be the result of His judgment. The prophetic Word explains in Isaiah 3: “For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah . . . the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder; the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the skillful artisan, and the expert enchanter” (verses 1-3).



Clearly, the various functions of skill and leadership are expressed in the terminology of that day. Competent leadership across a whole range of national fields and endeavors was to surely disappear from ancient Judah. And the same applies to our societies today. Remember that Bible prophecy is dual in nature. Prophetic fulfillments can occur more than once—the later and greater fulfillment often coming in these latter days. Our free booklet You Can Understand Bible Prophecy explains this basic principle of proper scriptural studies.



But in the nation of Judah, who wound up taking the place of professionally competent leaders? God said: “I will give children to be their princes [rulers], and babes [people sorely lacking in maturity] shall rule over them. [As a result] The people will be oppressed, every one by another and every one by his neighbor” (verses 4-5). Poor leadership adversely affects the general populace of a nation. The common people often suffer immensely when governments go wrong: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Proverbs:29:2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.).



In ancient Judah, the ruling classes either reached the point of lacking sufficient maturity to make proper decisions or lacked the courage to implement what needed to be done in spite of popular outcries. It’s the same today.



The moral causes

But why would God cause financial adversity to happen to a nation? Isaiah 3 goes on to say: “For Jerusalem stumbled and Judah is fallen, because their tongue [what they say] and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory . . . And they declare their sin as Sodom [shamelessly]; they do not hide it. [Is it not the same in Western society today?] Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves” (Isaiah:3:8-9[8]For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.[9]The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves., emphasis added throughout).



Ultimately nations and individuals reap the results of their own actions. God made a moral universe in which evil brings its own tragic consequences. God’s laws are self-enforcing. This is one way our Creator points us back to right paths. Jeremiah:2:19Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. explains, “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you.”



Returning to Isaiah 3, we note that God strongly rebuked the wrongs of ancient leadership: “As for my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the ways of your paths” (verse 12). Again, these principles apply to our own day as well.



Essentials of proper leadership

The Bible identifies the type of leadership that pleases God Almighty: “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite [repentant] spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah:66:2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.). Our Creator desires rulers who have a healthy respect for His Word and the spiritual laws it reveals.



Moses’ father-in-law rightly instructed him on whom to appoint to lead others: “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place them over them” (Exodus:18:21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:). Leaders should be competent as well as men of truth who fear and respect their Creator.



King David plainly relayed the words of his Creator: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God’” (2 Samuel:23:3The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.). David himself made some mistakes and on one occasion sinned very seriously. Yet according to the apostle Paul, the witness of God stands firm: “He raised up for them David as king to whom He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will’” (Acts:13:22And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.).



David became the standard bearer for the kings of Judah and Israel who came after him. Why? “Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings:15:5Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.). This constitutes an overall divine judgment of David’s life.



A few kings of Judah followed his righteous ways, but most did not. Tragically, all the kings of the northern nation of Israel imitated a bad example, that of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who introduced false elements into national worship.



What God requires of leaders

Anciently God sought through the Book of the Law to strongly encourage Israel’s rulers to follow His way of life. One way was to require, as Deuteronomy:17:18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: states, that the reigning king write a copy of God’s laws for himself. The next verses explain: “And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes. That his heart may not be lifted up above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel” (verses 19-20). In principle, the Old Testament reinforces the importance of daily Bible reading today.



Sadly, we’re a long way from that today. Ignorance of the Bible has reached unbelievable proportions in the 21st century. In Britain leading intellectuals who appear on popular radio programs that test their general knowledge do very well—until they are asked to name the four Gospels.



The testimony of God’s Word remains clear. “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed” (Hosea:4:1-2[1]Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.[2]By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.). Is this not basically true of our Western nations today?



When it comes to serious issues, our national leaders truly are out of their depth. More and more, it appears that this is the result of the curses our nations are accruing to themselves as they continue to ignore God or defy Him outright (see Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). Why can’t we get it right when it comes to the economy and other pressing matters? Because we refuse to get it truly right in matters of right and wrong. That is the real bottom line.



Thankfully, a day is coming when the right kind of leaders will govern not just the Western nations, but the entire planet. When Jesus Christ returns to reign, all will learn the right way to live. Blessings will mount up instead of curses. And all people everywhere will thrive.



But be warned: Things will get far worse before they get better when that new day dawns. So stay close to God. Our free booklet, Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion can help you in building a relationship with your Creator.



Even if our national leaders don’t turn to Him now, you will be blessed personally if you genuinely commit your life to Him and His ways. And you will be preparing to be the kind of leader God requires for the new society He will soon set up.

.

Mass Media and Bible Prophecy

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Mass Media and Bible Prophecy
Several amazing biblical passages foretell the shaping of the world at the time of the end by a powerful web of global media.
by Howard Davis
Some of the Bible's most astounding prophecies concern where global media are taking the world.
Though thousands of years old, the Bible has much to say about the "last days" and "time of the end." Some biblical visions and prophecies are descriptions of events, situations and technologies that did not apply to the ancient world and make sense only in a modern context.
Thousands of years ago the Bible foretold a massive revolution in information and communications technology like that we've witnessed in recent years. But it also prophesied a globally pervasive culture of violence and self-absorbed, pleasure - seeking indulgence in sex and greed.
Further, it forewarned us of worldwide manipulation of public opinion through economic forces and political gamesmanship that will culminate in the rise of a world dictatorship and massive religious deception so powerful that true Christians will be silenced, persecuted and even murdered- while the world celebrates their demise.
Shocking? Yes, but read on.
Daniel and the information explosion
Two prophecies lay the groundwork for many others when it comes to the role modern entertainment and news media are to play in end-time events.
First, God foretold through the prophet Daniel the development of the kind of technology and entertainment media that permeate our world. Yet Daniel lived 600 years before Christ. Through Daniel, God also foretold four mighty empires, the first and second comings of the Messiah and the final subjugation of much of the world by a charismatic dictator who will fight Jesus at His second coming (Daniel 2, 7, 8-9, 11-12).
Although God used him to record these prophecies, Daniel himself admitted that he didn't completely understand them. An angel told Daniel that some aspects of these prophecies would not be understood in his lifetime: "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Daniel 12:9). Their full meaning as they pertain to world events would not be known until the last days, yet even then "none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (verse 10).
But God did tell Daniel-and, through Daniel's writings, He tells us-two characteristics of the end-time age, when Bible prophecies would open up to human understanding, to the "wise" who would listen to God.
". . . Shut up the words," God said to Daniel, "and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro [a reference to the availability of rapid mass transportation] and knowledge shall increase" (verse 4, emphasis added throughout). This last phrase is the key: The time of the end is the time of the "increase" of "knowledge."
Daniel's prophecy of a time when "many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase" certainly fits our time. Our age is rightly called the information age. By some estimates the accumulation of knowledge doubles every 18 months. Anyone with a connection to the Internet has vast libraries of information at his fingertips. Encyclopedias of knowledge can be reproduced on CDs for pennies apiece.
But what does the knowledge explosion have to do with modern global media?
This is where the second trend fits in. Behind the knowledge explosion is the development of mass media and the technological transformation that made them possible. Without the means to rapidly spread information abroad to many people, no knowledge explosion would have occurred. In other words, if we have no means to disseminate information, we have no information.
The invention of the printing press brought the proliferation of books, the primary medium for disseminating knowledge in the 18th century's "age of enlightenment." Along with the advent of largecirculation newspapers, public education in the 19th century brought widespread literacy, which made further technological progress possible. Technological development in electronic communications exploded in the 20th century with radio, television, computers, satellites and finally the Internet, which brings these technologies together in one worldwide web.
"At the heart of globalization," writes Thomas Friedman in his best-selling book The Lexus and the Olive Tree, are "recent advances in technology-from the Internet to satellite telecommunications" (2000, p. 22). Indeed, these two factors allow virtually anyone to instantly see and hear events and other people anywhere on the planet.
Instant international availability
Such developments are foundational to understanding two ancient prophecies that deal with the way people see and hear a final warning from two servants of God- called in Scripture the "two witnesses"- just before the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to rule the world.
Although these men are public witnesses to God's existence and the world's need to heed the warnings of the Bible to avoid even more disasters, most people will not believe them. But Scripture indicates they will be seen and heard- throughout the entire world.
A remarkable prophecy in the book of Revelation tells us that people of every nation will simultaneously see the murder in Jerusalem of these two prophets of God by the dictator mentioned earlier, called the "beast":
". . . I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days [3 1/2 years] . . . These have the power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy . . . When they finish their testimony, the beast . . . will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them" (Revelation 11:3-7).
This prophecy deals with a time of worldwide conflict in which the dictator known as the Beast will rise to power through manipulation of public opinion and religious deceptions, no doubt using the powerful tool of mass media.
But note the indications of the kind of information technology available at the time of these events:
"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city . . . where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
"Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.' And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them" (verses 8-12).
These astounding prophecies indicate that television or similar electronic media will broadcast the murder of these two prophets-probably linked by satellite and the Internet or even more-advanced technologies. Live views of the events will be available instantly and simultaneously throughout the world. These two men will be the ultimate witnesses as nations of every language behold these startling events while commentators report on them live from Jerusalem.
Signs and wonders
Before the arrival of the two witnesses, however, their two satanic counterparts- the Beast and a religious leader the Bible calls "the false prophet"-will apparently powerfully manipulate the news media to dazzle the world with supernatural acts most people will think are divine but will really be satanic in origin.
Notice Paul's prophecy of the religious leader. Writing of the time of "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," Paul tells us this man "will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 4, New International Version).
Paul continues: "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness" (verses 9-12, NIV).
Revelation 13:13-14 further explains that he "performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast . . ."
Such passages tell us that these evil leaders will cunningly and massively deceive virtually the entire world. Most people will assume these two represent God and will readily follow them-not realizing they are really tools of Satan. (To learn more about these end-time events, be sure to request your free copy of the booklets The Book of Revelation Unveiled and You Can Understand Bible Prophecy.)
Self-absorbed entertainment
Paul wrote of yet another trend in the last days in which mass media even now play a major role.
"But mark this," Paul wrote shortly before his death, around A.D. 67: "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1-4, NIV).
Does this sound familiar? Each of these abysmal traits can be found in the daily menu of American entertainment devoured by two billion minds on televisions around the world. Welcome to the age of crude amusements and pandering to lust-24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Lust for violence, self-glorification, sex without the commitment of marriage, vicarious indulgence in forbidden fruit without the consequences-these are the themes of the comedies, soap operas, dramas and talk shows that constitute the moral equivalent of a sewer flooding human minds. It's the sated ancient Roman crowds all over again watching the doomed die in the Colosseum.
The motive for so much filth is simple -money. Delivering eyes to advertisers is the primary objective of network executives. Programming that most effectively hooks the largest audience features fastpaced content centered on a mesmerizing diet of sex, lust, greed and irreverent and profane humor. It's a sure bet to keep an audience glued to the tube. Produce such material and you make money.
If you own the movie and TV production rights to sex, lust and greed, you make more money. If you own book publishers, magazines, cable and satellite systems and video-rental stores, you make even more money-lots and lots of money. It's no wonder we've seen so many massive media mergers in recent years.
The implications are sobering. Children increasingly think, say and do what they see on commercial and "public" programming. More and more people cannot discriminate between Hollywood-produced drivel and real life. Their lives become almost surreal.
The consequences, according to the Bible, will be devastating. God's Word indicates these trends will play a major role in the downfall and destruction of the United States and other major Englishspeaking nations (be sure to request your free copy of the booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy).
Research shows that children's antisocial behavior in schools directly relates to the amount and content of the television they watch. In one survey 35 percent of imprisoned violent criminals said they got the ideas to carry out their crimes from watching television.
The last days and you
Ninety percent of Americans claim they believe in God. But they don't know who He is. They can't recite the Ten Commandments, name the four Gospels (much less the books of the Old or New Testament) or explain the difference between Abraham and Muhammad. As Paul predicted, the motivation of people in the last days will not be personal achievement, noble character or love of neighbor. Men, women and young people will be "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."
So what about you?
God says to any who are caught up in the end-time materialistic system, mindset and culture that pervades the world, "Come out of her,My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4).
The way to come out is to recognize where our materialistic, self-obsessed entertainment and media are leading us. Turn off the consumption; turn away from the self-obsessed way of life promoted by our global media system. Instead, turn to God and His Word, the Bible. Remember, God recorded these warnings to us for a reason. GN