 
Bible Prophecy:

22 Reasons Why Time May be Short

Licensed by:

Richie Cooley (October, 2018) [edited: (December, 2018); (March, 2020)]

Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International

Email: richieacooley@live.com

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. Contemporary Trends

III. The Nations

IV. Politics and Religion

V. Pending Disasters

VI. Conclusion

VII. Citations

Before getting started, let's review a few notes ...

*This work mostly uses British spelling, except for the quoted material, which often employs U.S. spelling.

*Unless otherwise stated, Old Testament Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE® (NASB), copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

*Unless otherwise stated, New Testament Scripture is taken from the Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT3). Copyright © 2007 by Gary F. Zeolla of Darkness to Light ministry. Previously copyrighted © 1999, 2001, 2005 by Gary Zeolla.

*The terms LORD, GOD, and Hashem are all ways to describe the personal name of God, often rendered as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah."

*The ALT3 distinguishes between singular and plural second-person pronouns by means of an asterisk (*).

*Divine pronouns are normally not capitalized, unless they appear that way in Bible versions or other quotes.

*As a general rule, words that appear in brackets within quotes are not found in the original texts, and were added by the translators or are my personal comments, etc.

I. Introduction

To believe in Bible prophecy is to label yourself immediately as one of the biggest idiots to have ever walked the planet. Christians who surmise that the end is nigh are often mocked by even very fervent peers. Yet, the ability to predict the future is the only thing that separates the Old and New Testaments from other conflicting books which claim divine authorship.

Most religions of the world are frightfully similar to each other. Just read this selection from Dr. Valerie J. Roebuck, an expert in Eastern religions...

The basis of Vedic religion was the sacrifice, which no doubt began as a way of nourishing and placating the gods, but expanded to become something of huge symbolic complexity, even to being seen as a means of keeping the cosmos in existence. The sacrificial enclosure and the altar within it, like the temple in later Hinduism, were interpreted as a kind of mandala [phonetic characters not reproduced] or diagram of the universe. Each part of it, every action performed within it, and all the equipment and offerings took on multiple layers of significance, of which the skilled priest was expected to be aware as he carried out his duties.1

That sounds a lot like the Old Testament and the ceremonialism instituted by Moses, doesn't it? Yet Dr. Roebuck is describing religious practices stemming from the ancient Vedas—the writings which formed the backbone of Hinduism. Not only was ritual slaughter found among the Hebrews and among the ancient civilization near the Indus, but many hoary cultures featured very similar practices.

Moreover, this old Varna system would one day be challenged by the rise of Buddhism. The original founder (Siddhartha Gautama) lived sometime in the fifth or sixth century B.C., and many popular forms of the Buddhist religion would slowly develop over the next few centuries. By the time the Christian era began, there was a real obvious comparison between the break of Buddhism from Hinduism which paralleled the break of Christianity from the Old Testament staples of Levitical sacrifice and priestly authority.

So why can't we just flake and form all religions together via common threads? Why can't we recognize the influences of various world events upon the general philosophy of diverse communities throughout the centuries, and find grounds of peace within our mutual mores? There's a simple answer to that. The Bible does not ultimately have a human origin. It was written by God, and can't simply be explained away as an ignorant reaction to the march of progressive thought. "Oh sure," you may say, "but every religion says that. They all say there's something special or sublime about their writings which separate them from the rest." Yes, but where is their hard-core, objective proof to such claims? The Bible provides objective proof. It comes through its long-term prophesying.

Although in my mind I believe to have laid out a lot of compelling eschatological facts over the years; in reality, no one could possibly be expected to take the time to trove through all my amateurish writings to assemble a concise list of Biblical evidences. Thus, I thought it would be helpful to provide the list myself.

So here is a string of bullet points, which not only substantiates that the Bible is from God via the perspicuity of its breath-taking prophecies, but also seeks to focus on those predictions which seem to be clearly coming to pass before our very eyes. I have gone through my past writings and tried to elucidate those prophetic passages that demonstrate we are living towards the end.

Call me Chicken Little if you must, but the sky is indeed falling. Anyway, here's the list. By the way, I tried to fit them into umbrella categories for ease of reference.

II. Contemporary Trends

1. The Cashless Society

The "mark of the beast" is one of the most famous phrases from the book of Revelation. Many people have heard of some sort of strange number (666) in relation to the ultimate bogeyman–the Antichrist of the eschaton. However, the mark of the beast is not just some strange number that decodes the identity of the Antichrist, but it is also an ominous prophecy which foretells a malicious, slavish structure that will affect everyone on the planet...

And it [the false prophet(s)] makes all [people], the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, that they shall give to them marks on their right hand or on their forehead, and that no one is able to buy or to sell, except the one having the mark: the name of the beast or the number of its name. -- Revelation 13:16-17

There of course have been efforts in the past to force citizens to comply with official submission to a leader in order to earn the right to be considered a legal part of that particular civilization. Yet what Revelation describes is something totally radical. It clearly states that in the end times you will not be able to take place in commerce at all unless you have some sort of mark on your head or hand.

Now think about the growth of technology. Obviously when the book of Revelation was written nearly 2,000 years ago there wasn't even a digital calculator, never mind computers and the internet. Think about what life would be like without the ability to use anything digital. What if you couldn't use debit cards or credit cards—or Amazon gift cards? What if there was no PayPal, no Visa, and no MasterCard?

Chillingly, there wouldn't be any such thing available if all your accounts were tied to you through a universal numbering system and you were locked out of it. The death of cash and the growth of digital-banking seems to be the only real way the prophecy could ever be fulfilled; for shopkeepers don't really care if patrons are legal customers or not.

In addition, not only is cash dying and e-commerce flourishing, but globalism and implantable technologies are also becoming popular. Thus, all the necessary ingredients are mysteriously coming together at once.

Since it's hard to imagine that people shall be willing to get marks on their heads that will be visible (although nothing should be ruled out, as the Bible isn't specific as to what the mark will actually look like), what if they were invisible? The proliferation of small computer chips which are implantable in biological creatures is a fast-growing industry. Not only is this extremely common for pets, it is beginning to become more common among human beings as well.

I found one particular article published this year to be exceptionally disturbing. It was troubling because it wasn't featured on a tech website or some doomsday outlet; rather, it was published by a very popular fashion magazine (Allure)...

The signs have been there for a while. Phones went from being tethered to your wall to fitting in your back pocket. Computers went from desks to laps. Headphones went from over the ear to inside the ear. If there's a trend in technology, it is this: Go small. Smaller still. Even smaller than that. Devices may start disappearing altogether. In fact, in the very near future, because of microchipping, our technology will—literally—be part of our skin.

It starts with the microchip. Your pet probably already has one, but the technology has very different applications for Tuesday the Cat than it does for humans. Pets' microchips help identify them if they get lost. For us, microchips will make life more convenient. The Swedish incubator Epicenter began microchipping its employees in 2015—not to track bathroom breaks or productivity but to give them the power to operate printers and more. The tiny, grain-of-rice-size RFID (radio frequency identification) chip opens doors with a wave of your hand in front of a chip reader...

The RFID chip isn't the only technology being used. Grindhouse Wetware, a biohacking start-up in Pittsburgh, is experimenting with powered implants: The RFID chip is powered by the device it interacts with, like the card scanner on your office door, while the implants are powered internally by a battery. Cofounder Tim Cannon inserted a monitor slightly smaller than a stack of credit cards into his forearm that would read his temperature and, through Bluetooth, transmit that information to his Android. The monitor, called Circadia, can be used to control a Bluetooth thermostat or to call an ambulance if Cannon's temperature spikes or drops too suddenly. "This was to prove that we could design and implant a subdermal device in the body for nonmedical purposes," says Ryan O'Shea, a spokesperson for Grindhouse Wetware. "We're looking at what abilities humans could have evolved to have biologically but didn't," he says, pausing. "Like bioluminescence"...2

Well, the article goes on for a bit and describes other similar technologies, but you get the point. This is going very mainstream. The article was published by a fashion magazine for Pete's sake; you can't get much trendier than that! It also goes on to describe how such biotechnology could be chic.

Although I'm not trying to look down upon anyone with tattoos (I have a few myself from the days of antiquity), it is obvious that perhaps no global generation has relished in body markings as much as our very own. Playing around with technology in the skin as opposed to ink could perhaps be the next logical step in fashion.

So what is the sum total of it all? On the one hand you have the growth of e-commerce and on the other hand you have the growth of implantable and wearable gadgetry of all sorts. It won't take much for these two rivers to meet and inundate a new global order with a very ominous digital passport. Again, it's hard to imagine how the prophecy from Revelation could logically be fulfilled in any other way. On the flip-side, how did the book's author know?

2. The Popularity of Alternative Sexuality

Before launching into this very murky issue let me just say that I'm not trying to be provocative or to incite hatred towards anyone. I have no desire to hurt anybody's feelings or to turn people against each other. I believe in literal, plain, fundamental Christianity, and the LGBT community does not. The LGBT community believes in incredible liberality regarding gender assignment and sexual orientation, and I do not. The mature thing to do is to agree to disagree, while showing respect to each other as human beings. I strive to do this, and apologize if I transgress this rule in the eyes of anyone.

At the end of the day it is very unrealistic for people to demand complete acceptation regarding a philosophical worldview. Even if I supported the LGBT community, I would oppose its heavy-handed approach.

For example, Christians have been mocked from the beginning of television and film, and I couldn't care less. I recently sat down to watch a very old Hitchcock film (The 39 Steps; 1935) and was surprised to see the typical caricature of the Christian—who was insincere and greedy and extremely oppressive towards his wife. I rolled my eyes, but I'm not going to form a mob and smash Hitchcock's Hollywood star.

As a recent publication from Al Mohler astutely noted...

Unthinking Christians may fall into the same pattern of claiming offendedness whenever we face opposition to our faith or criticism of our beliefs. The risk of being offended is simply part of what it means to live in a diverse culture that honors and celebrates free speech. A right to free speech means a right to offend, otherwise the right would need no protection.

...Desperate straits are no longer required in order for an individual or group to claim the emotional status of offendedness. This shift in the meaning of the word and in its cultural usage is subtle but extremely signifigant.3

Offendedness is ridiculous on so many levels. I mean, how much emotional duress could really be caused to an atheist when he or she sees a cross? Should adults be rewarded by the courts for having the emotions of toddlers? I'm pretty sure an alarm clock actually causes more palpable stress—but thankfully they haven't managed to become politically incorrect.

Anyway, the LGBT community is overplaying its hand in demanding complete acceptation—and such efforts always backfire. When you try to force conversion to worldview, the opposite happens (Romans 7:7-9).

Agreeing to disagree obviously means that we believe in contrary dictums. So now I will exercise my constitutional right in speaking freely in opposition to the LGBT movement, just as I'm sure this particular community will not be slow in attempting to blast my cherished beliefs out of the water whenever they get the chance.

Moving on with eschatology, I think if we take a step back and look at the alternative-sexual revolution it should take our breath away. Has there ever been anything quite like it? Could anyone foresee just two or three decades ago that it would be completely acceptable to deny the existence of male and female gender distinctions and completely unacceptable to affirm such basic biology? And look at the fervour of this revolution. It's everywhere. It's incessant. The ideology has been shoved down the throats of the masses via every audio and visual format available. Who could have ever imagined such a peculiar revolution? Well, God did.

It's clear that the Holy Spirit foresaw what would happen in the end times.

Firstly, the city of Sodom is spoken of in prophetic terms...

Likewise also, as it happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, [and] they were building; but [on the] day which Lot went out from Sodom, He rained fire and sulfur [or, brimstone] from heaven and destroyed [them] all. [see Gen 19:1-38] According to these [things] [fig., In the same way] it will be in [the] day which the Son of Humanity is revealed. -- Luke 17:28-30

We know what they were getting up to in Sodom (see Jude 1:7).

Also note Revelation 11:8, which equates prophetic Jerusalem to Sodom. The reason why the city is picked out as eschatological here is because there is something overwhelmingly apocalyptic about Genesis 19—the one which relates the story of Lot's escape.

Two angels enter the city and Lot takes them in for the night. The men of the city surround the residence of Lot and want to rape the angels. The angels smite the men with blindness and take Lot and his family to safety. After they are somewhere safe, Jehovah sends down fire and completely destroys the city and its environs. Thus in comparison, the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are like the two angels who visited the city of Sodom before it was destroyed.

Yet of all the sins that could have been highlighted, why was this bizarre appearance of male-on-male rape made so prominent? Anything related to homosexuality is never depicted in any other Biblical narrative (apart from the similar Judges 19), so why does it appear here? There seems to be the foreshadowing that the last days will be filled to the brim with angry advocates of the alternative-sexual revolution.

This leads us to Daniel 11:37, which seems to indicate that the coming Antichrist will belong to the LGBT community. I personally believe that this plays a major part in the fervour related to the modern push towards total acceptation. The kingdom of darkness has a plan. Their messiah will belong to this community, and through his popularity he will be able to wage war against any Muslim, Christian, or Jew who is faithful enough to their principles to reject such lifestyles. This is needed to create a new world order. To create social enslavement (or "happy global socialism;" whatever colour pill you prefer) you must deal with the pesky religious people. Will anyone complain if conservative Muslims or Christians or Jews are incarcerated or killed?

After all, "They are nothing more than homophobic, transphobic bigots!" Thus saith the "Two-Minute Hate."

Anyway, I consider the popularity of such lifestyles to be an incredible fulfilment of prophecy and an alarming sign that the end is most likely very, very near.

3. Strife among People Groups

The Christian has been given the Holy Spirit, and by sanctification wrought through this divine person we can overcome desires of the flesh. If we forsake such positive influences, we are bound to be filled with destructive carnality. Paul makes this very clear while reproving some wayward believers...

...For whereas [there are] among you* jealous rivalry and strife and divisions [or, discords], you* are fleshly and are walking about [fig., conducting yourselves] according to human [standards], are you* not? -- 1 Corinthians 3:3

As did James in his letter:

Who [is] wise and knowledgeable among you*? Let him show by his good conduct [that] his works [are] in humility of wisdom. But if you* have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your* heart, stop boasting and lying against the truth. This is not the wisdom descending from above, but [is] earthly, physical [or, unspiritual], [and] demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition [are], there is rebellion and every wicked deed. -- 3:13-16

Given the fact that the Western world is quickly turning into a salad bowl where all the components of multiculturalism are at vicious war with each other, we can see very starkly the effects of forsaking the holy influences of Jehovah.

Moreover, the prophet Zechariah stated that this would happen to those who forsake the Messiah...

So I pastured the flock [doomed] to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock...Then I said, "I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh." I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. \-- 11:7, 9-10

Although all the details of Zechariah 11 can be elusive, it is very clear from the New Testament that much of it was generally intended to be understood as relating to the Messiah. After all, it is this chapter where the Christ is prophesied to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (compare 11:12 with Matthew 26:15).

Given the Messianic backdrop, there is something very timely related in Zechariah 11:10: "I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples." Can anyone deny that the post-Christian West has become a cauldron of seething hatred, where it seems as if God has left us to devour each other over every petty disagreement?

Unfortunately, the Bible also predicts that this is not just a passing trend. Strife will continue to foment and will lead to many skirmishes and armed conflicts, just as the Lord Jesus spoke concerning the end...

...Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom... -- Matthew 24:7

And again:

...Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of the many will be made cold. -- Matthew 24:12

On a footnote, given these prophecies and trends, I've been puzzled that Evangelicals have put forth a bizarre statement which seems to preach against Christians having a concern for racism. I don't really understand why they decided to do this now. It seems to be an underhanded attempt to start a war against some Southern Baptist leaders. I don't get it.

I've read the entire statement, and it is filled with a lot of truisms which no conservative Christian would deny. Occasionally it propounds some rather slight, subtle, and controversial barbs. I can only assume that these "declarations" are the real reason the statement was formed.

For example, it says...

WE DENY that Christians should segregate themselves into racial groups or regard racial identity above, or even equal to, their identity in Christ. We deny that any divisions between people groups (from an unstated attitude of superiority to an overt spirit of resentment) have any legitimate place in the fellowship of the redeemed. We reject any teaching that encourages racial groups to view themselves as privileged oppressors or entitled victims of oppression. While we are to weep with those who weep, we deny that a person's feelings of offense or oppression necessarily prove that someone else is guilty of sinful behaviors, oppression, or prejudice.4

I find one line particularly troubling...

We reject any teaching that encourages racial groups to view themselves as privileged oppressors or entitled victims of oppression.

No one sees themselves as "privileged oppressors," so it can only be assumed the article is aiming at those apparently appropriating the description "entitled victims of oppression." Also, note that the following lines only discuss the "victims" class, so that was obviously the whole point. That's rather pathetic.

Racism isn't about black or tan or white. Rather, it's about the simple fact that in every culture there is a majority and there are minorities [and sheer population numbers don't necessarily provide the only distinction]. The minority groups will more-often-than-not be faced with impediments and oppression. Should not Christians care about such people? Should we not care about the Dalits of India or about the Muslims and Christians being horribly oppressed in China? Is that not a reasonable thing to do? Minorities are oppressed. That's just a fact of life. Christians are supposed to love and care for the oppressed. I thought that was another fact. Apparently not.

4. UFOs as Alien Abductors

For better or for worse, watersheds are normally earmarked by a major event. The popular watershed citation normally isn't the first of its kind, but for some reason the moniker sticks. It's interesting that the UFO phenomenon had two major phases last century. The first is when Kenneth Arnold was earmarked as ushering in the "flying saucer" revolution. This happened around the time of the statehood of Israel being established.

A few decades later, the Betty and Barney Hill story came to light. This has come to be the second major watershed citation. UFOs were no longer just lights in the sky or friendly messengers spoken of by odd people, but scientific beings from star systems who wanted to perform reproductive experiments upon terrified men and women. Again, it doesn't matter if this was the first such case. It has been popularly cited as such, and it certainly permeated the culture of yesteryear. This happened with the publishing of The Interrupted Journey in 1966, very close to when Israel would begin to go through the major skirmishes leading to the regaining of Jerusalem.

Moreover, even though the Hill story made waves in the 60s, the actual hysteria of malevolent beings performing malicious research wouldn't catch on for a while later...

It wasn't until after World War II...that witnesses began describing encounters with aliens here on Earth. Starting in the early 1950s, a series of individuals—most of them men living in the southwestern United States—claimed they came across extraterrestrial visitors, who looked like humans, recounted life on their planets, and explained that their purpose here was to warn us of the dangers of nuclear destruction. These "contactees" wrote books, lectured, and gave interviews about their supposed experiences.

The encounters reported by the early contactees were...friendly, their aliens benevolent. So, why did things change? It's worth noting that some of the first claims of kidnapping and experimentation at the hands of extraterrestrials emerged as early as the mid-1960s, yet they drew only limited public interest until after 1980. In my research I've been considering a number of possible explanations. Heightened media attention on new reproductive technologies, growing concerns over unregulated human experimentation, and recognition of mental trauma suffered by victims of abuse all helped create a public atmosphere receptive to these new claims. For whatever reason, by the mid 1980s, alien abduction's time had come.5

No one may really know why it took that long to gain acceptance, but my guess is that the further you get away from a Christian worldview and embrace such things as clinical hypnosis and Darwinian evolution, the easier it is to fall prey.

What I'm about to write has been a tired staple of my scribblings, but I must restate it in the interest of compiling this list. I fully believe that the entire UFO experience is demonically controlled. The Bible declares that Christians will be taken from the earth before the end times fully begin (Revelation 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; etc.).

There is always a counter-narrative to the activity of God. The forces of pernicious spirits have been working overtime to explain the pending disappearance of millions upon millions of people (along with other future events of a supernatural import). This progression from friendly visitors and lights in the sky to aggressive kidnappers has taken many decades to come to fruition. Why is it coming to fruition now, being fanned by YouTube and this ultra-conspiracy-theory-generation? If the counter-narrative has reached its destined crescendo, then the actual Rapture may not be far behind.

5. Instantaneous Audio/Visual

If you read something completely outlandish in a "holy book" you could either pass it off as allegorical or you could conclude that perhaps the book isn't so holy after all. Then, what if the completely outlandish turned out to be completely commonplace? There would be cause to turn back to the book with intense interest and newfound veneration.

Let's put it this way: how do you explain that modernity is taken for granted in the ancient book of Revelation? The whole world is depicted as seeing things happening at the same time. The whole world is depicted as being spoken to collectively at the same time. The whole world is depicted as being able to gossip together.

The book of Revelation begs for this reality throughout, but the two most prominent places this can be seen are chapters 11 and 13. Both chapters feature a pair of conspicuous individuals. Chapter 11 depicts "the witnesses," who will work wonders and preach the Gospel to the world before being killed by the Antichrist. Chapter 13 describes the Antichrist (the political beast) and the false prophet (the religious beast). As in direct opposition to the witnesses, these men will not lead the world to salvation through Jesus Christ, but will lead it to perdition via iniquitous blasphemy and disobedience.

The careers of both groups are spoken of as being followed in real time.

For instance, Revelation 11 tells what will happen when the witnesses are slain...

And [those] from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations look at their dead body three [and] a half days, and they will not allow their dead bodies to be put into a tomb. And the ones dwelling on the earth [will] rejoice over them, and they will celebrate, and they will give gifts to one another, because these, the two prophets, tormented the ones dwelling on the earth. -- verses 9-10

The expression, "[Those] from the peoples and tribes and tongues," indicates the entire world. The collective globe will be able to see a dead body at the same time. Moreover, they will be able to celebrate together, even sending gifts to each other and rejoicing jubilantly. That seems like no big deal to us now, but how did John know of such a society?

Then, in Revelation 13, the earthlings witness the career of the Antichrist. First, they will collectively marvel when he rises from the dead...

And one of its heads [was] as [if] having been slain to death [fig., mortally wounded], and its wound of death [fig., fatal wound] was healed. And the whole earth marveled after the beast. And they prostrated themselves in worship [or, reverence, and in all references to the beast or dragon] before the dragon, the one having given the authority to [the] beast; and they prostrated themselves in worship before the beast, saying, "Who [is] like the beast, and who [is] able to wage war with it?" -- verses 3-4

Before the days of television, how could such a thing be widely seen and widely known? Also, before the days of social media, how could the whole world talk among each other and worship someone collectively?

The chapter continues to take such technology for granted...

And I saw another beast rising up out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, and it was speaking like a dragon. And it exercises all the authority of the first beast before it, and it was making the earth and the ones dwelling in it that they should prostrate themselves in worship before the first beast, whose wound of death [fig., fatal wound] was healed. And it performs great signs, so that even fire is coming down from heaven on the earth before the people. And it leads astray [fig., deceives] my own [people], the ones dwelling on the earth because of the signs which were given it to do before the beast, telling the ones dwelling on the earth to make an image to the beast, the one having the wound of the sword and lived. -- 13:11-14

This passage is describing the false prophet(s). He will be responsible for being the political Antichrist's PR man. Notice how he is able to wield control over the earth via his words and actions. Yet, how is the entire globe able to hear his words and see his actions? Global communication is simply how the world works these days; however, obviously that wasn't how the world worked when John penned Revelation nearly 2,000 years ago.

For example, the Medo-Persians are often credited with creating the greatest system of communication in antiquity...

The sending of written messages is a standard feature of government in early civilizations. Much of our knowledge of those times derives from archives of such messages, discovered by archaeologists.

There is great advantage to a ruler who can send or receive a message quicker than his rivals. In the estimation of the ancient world the most efficient postal service is that of the Persians. Put in place by Cyrus in about 540 BC to control his new empire, the largest yet known, it is much improved upon by Darius a generation later.

Darius extends the network of roads across the Persian empire, to enable both troops and information to move with startling speed. At the centre of the system is the royal road from Susa to Sardis, a distance of some 2000 miles (3200 km). At intervals of a day's ride there are posting stations, where new men and fresh horses will be available at any moment to carry a document on through the next day's journey. The Greek historian Herodotus marvels at these Persian couriers.

By this method a message can travel the full distance of the road in ten days, at a speed of about 200 miles a day. A similar road goes down through Syria to the Mediterranean coast and Egypt. Another goes east to India.6

So obviously all the ancients could do was to build great roads and have fast horses. There was no other way. Although they could send out a message fairly quickly, this clearly isn't what's being described in Revelation 11 and 13. Not only is the horse method not quick and pervasive enough, but it could only be used throughout a small continent/empire. Horses couldn't run across the oceans of the world.

That leads us to our final point. The only way to try to counter this foretelling of modern communications is to attempt to reinterpret the chapters in a way that limits the scope. Perhaps just the land of Israel is being referenced, or maybe just the Roman Empire. Even if such was the case, I don't think that would go too far in explaining the passages we just read above.

What's more, taking the entirety of Revelation into consideration, it is impossible to limit the scope to a single country or a smallish empire. The whole world is involved in these prophecies. All the earth's inhabitants are involved in these prophecies...

The beast which you saw was, and is not, and is about to be ascending out of the bottomless pit and to be going away to destruction. And the ones dwelling on the earth will be amazed, whose names have not been written on the Scroll of Life before [the] laying of the foundation of [the] world [or, from [the] beginning of the creation of [the] universe], seeing that the beast was [or, when they see the beast that was], and is not, and will come. -- Revelation 17:8

In one of the passages above from Revelation 13 we saw how everyone will react to the resurrection of the Antichrist. Here we see that this group of people includes those "whose names have not been written on the Scroll of Life." Thus, it includes every lost person. Therefore, the audience will truly be global.

6. The Demise of the Youth

This category at first glance doesn't seem very objective. Every aging grump can bemoan the rowdy young people taking his or her place. However, it's very clear that this latest generation has displayed incredible cultural dilapidation in terms of character and integrity, and that this can actually be proven through an objective look at statistics.

Even if this is true, you may be wondering why it ranks as a sign of the times. Well, along with antichrists and asteroids, the apostles and prophets also warned about the soaring immorality that would characterize the final era...

But know [or, realize] this, that in [the] last days perilous times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves [or, self-centered], lovers of money, arrogant boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, ungodly, without natural affection [or, heartless], unwilling to be at peace with others [or, unforgiving], slanderous, lacking in self control, fierce, not loving what is good, traitors, headstrong [or, reckless], having been swollen up with pride, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having an outward form of godliness, but having denied its power... -- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

But what has this to do with young people? Well, the Old Testament warned of a specific generation that would be earmarked by very similar descriptions...

A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, and their mother doth not bless. A generation—pure in their own eyes, but from their own filth not washed. A generation—how high are their eyes, yea, their eyelids are lifted up. A generation—swords [are] their teeth, and knives—their jaw-teeth, to consume the poor from earth, and the needy from [among] men. \-- Proverbs 30:11-14 [Young's Literal Translation]

Notice how everything that Paul wrote to Timothy can be slotted into the four descriptions from Proverbs.

Proverbs 30:11 states a particular generation will not honour father and mother, thus despising authority.

Paul says the last generation will be disobedient to parents, ungrateful, ungodly, and without natural affection.

Proverbs 30:12 states the generation will be pure in their own eyes, but from their own filth will not be washed.

Paul says the last generation will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having an outward form of godliness, but having denied its power.

Proverbs 30:13 states the generation will have very high eyes, which means they will be incredibly haughty and contemptuous.

Paul says the last generation will be arrogant boasters, proud, lacking in self control, fierce, not loving what is good, traitors, headstrong [or, reckless], having been swollen up with pride, blasphemers, unwilling to be at peace with others [or, unforgiving], and slanderous.

Proverbs 30:14 states the generation will have swords for teeth whereby they will devour the poor.

Paul says the last generation will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money.

It's interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ often employed the word "generation" when referring to the contemporaries who would murder him (cf. Luke 11:29), and also when referring to the end times (cf. Matthew 16:4, 24:34; etc.).

His overlapping use of this term is incredibly fascinating. On the one hand, the generation that murdered him is a picture of the end times (see Revelation 11). On the other hand, when the Messiah was cut off and the Temple destroyed, the prophetic calendar was put on a long pause (Daniel 9:24-27).

It's at least possible that both Paul and the Lord were drawing from these verses from Proverbs.

Turning to the statistics now, there are two incredibly disturbing trends regarding this latest generation. First of all, it is being extremely brainwashed through all the entertainment it consumes. The world is preaching the most banal and bizarre forms of incoherent filth and iniquity, and the youth are gobbling it up.

A recent report has made clear the pernicious influence of popular culture. A researcher at Brown University has proven through investigation what we all knew was really going on with the spike in LGBT hysteria. It is a fad brought on by peer pressure and the world of entertainment, targeting vulnerable young people.

Regarding the condition known as "gender dysphoria"...

Among the noteworthy patterns Littman found in the survey data: 21 percent of parents reported their child had one or more friends become transgender-identified at around the same time; 20 percent reported an increase in their child's social media use around the same time as experiencing gender dysphoria symptoms; and 45 percent reported both.

The pattern of clusters of teens in friend groups becoming transgender-identified, the group dynamics of these friend groups and the types of advice viewed online led her to the hypothesis that friends and online sources could spread certain beliefs. Examples include the belief that non-specific symptoms such as feeling uncomfortable in their own skins or feeling like they don't fit in—which could be a part of normal puberty or associated with trauma—should be perceived as gender dysphoria; the belief that the only path to happiness is transition; and the belief that anyone who disagrees with the teen is transphobic and should be cut out of their life.

"Of the parents who provided information about their child's friendship group, about a third responded that more than half of the kids in the friendship group became transgender-identified," Littman said. "A group with 50 percent of its members becoming transgender-identified represents a rate that is more [than] 70 times the expected prevalence for young adults."

Additionally, 62 percent of parents reported their teen or young adult had one or more diagnoses of a psychiatric disorder or neurodevelopmental disability before the onset of gender dysphoria. Forty-eight percent reported that their child had experienced a traumatic or stressful event prior to the onset of their gender dysphoria, including being bullied, sexually assaulted or having their parents get divorced.

This suggests that the drive to transition expressed by these teens and young adults could be a harmful coping mechanism like drugs, alcohol or cutting, Littman said. With harmful coping mechanisms, certain behaviors are used to avoid feeling negative emotions in the short term, but they do not solve the underlying problems and they often cause additional problems, she noted.7

These are obvious truths made clearer through statistics—yet they have brought this prestigious, secular university a maelstrom of hate (for they have forsaken the golden oracle of post-modernism: "in the beginning was homosexuality; and homosexuality was with God; and homosexuality was God").

My point is that if peer pressure and YouTube are able to get so many young people to question something as basic as gender—what hope is there for this latest generation? All parents (myself included) have largely lost the ability to influence our children positively. We've lost an entire generation to pinheads on social media.

Moving on, there are more statistics of general dilapidation. A popular article on Google Scholar demonstrates just how much Western culture is failing young people—especially minorities.

More worrisome is the plight of young adults who have no education beyond high school and who are largely disengaged from social institutions and economic life—schools, the labor market, and the military. In 2005, even before the current recession and during the height of the Iraq war, roughly three in ten white men between ages sixteen and twenty-four with only a high school degree were not in school, in the military, or at work. For young black men, the proportion is staggering: more than half were not in school, in the military, or at work.

Of even more concern is the high probability that poorly educated men, particularly black men, will be imprisoned in early adulthood. Economist Steven Raphael estimates that 90 percent of black male high school dropouts in California aged forty-five to fifty-four have histories of imprisonment. Other studies using national data have found similar, but lower, probabilities of imprisonment. The most conservative estimates, from the U.S. Department of Justice, though nonetheless startling, are that about one in three black men and one in six Latino men are expected to go to prison during their lifetime—compared with one in seventeen white men—if current incarceration rates remain unchanged. Among all American men in their twenties in 2008, 1.5 percent of whites, 4 percent of Latinos, and fully 10 percent of blacks were incarcerated. These are very high rates of incarceration for all groups, but far higher for blacks than for others. These data highlight just how difficult the adult experiences and circumstances of black and Latino men are, particularly for those with the least education, for whom risks grow in the late adolescent and early adult years.8

So putting these pieces together, just going through the normal mill of life in the U.S. is failing young people. Further down the road, it often even leads to a life of crime. What's more, the toll is particularly vicious when considering minorities. The system is failing horrifically, and vulnerable people groups are especially in the crosshairs. I included these numbers on minorities not to shame anyone, but as a follow-up to the ridiculous statement on social justice that I wrote about above. Yes, racial inequality does exist, and it is the problem of any caring person. Slick, trendy liberalism may understandably get on your nerves, but that's no reason to turn your back on those in need.

So between peer pressure and broken families, negative influences via entertainment, and social networks with incredible problems and pitfalls, Western culture is bound to keep on tanking. The bigger problem with this is the fact that the very un-great U.S. has consistently been the major trendsetter for a substantial percentage of the world. Via the enormous pop-culture machine, the views and beliefs of millennial North Americans are bound to have a lopsided influence on the rest of the global village. Put it this way, the LGBT movement which is presently raising social havoc in Kenya is not a home-grown issue. There is a new colonialism, and it is incredibly divisive.

By focusing on the youth I am not trying to imply that old people are good and young people are bad. Rather, I'm highlighting the fact that it's hard to see any hope for the future. The culture of death is taking over. With the horrid deluge of immorality, the legalization of drugs, euthanasia, abortion, wasteful IVF, and the creation of chimeras—the human being has never been so lightly esteemed. Things seem certain to only get worse. How much further will God let it go?

III. The Nations

7. The Statehood of Israel

You can't make it very far in the Bible without reading about the nation of Israel. The whole book is centred on the history of this country. The prophetic portion of the Bible is no exception. Everything revolves around Israel. Therefore, if Israel did not exist, eschatology would be completely invalid. Of course we know that Israel does exist, becoming a nation again in 1948, after over 1,800 years of languishing...

One of the most significant end-time prophecies in the Bible is that Israel would become a nation again after a long and worldwide dispersion. It seemed like an impossibility, but amazingly, it has happened. In their book Target Israel, Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson wrote, "Never has a nation or a group of people who were expelled from their land returned after nearly 2000 years with their language, their heritage, and their commitments largely intact...The very fact that Israel exists today is evidence of the fact that Bible prophecy is true and can be trusted."9

And don't miss that last point. We don't have to wait to see end times prophecy fulfilled, for the regathering of the Jews from all around the world is an amazing realization of the Bible's eschatological accurateness...

Some 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel spoke of God's promise to the Jews: "I will greatly increase the population of Israel, and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people" (Ezekiel 36:10). God also promised, "I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land" (verse 24).

This has never happened before in Israel's past. In Bible times, Israel had been in bondage to single nations. The Babylonian exile is a good example. After 70 hard years of captivity in Babylon, God delivered the Jews and they returned from that one nation back to their land. But never in biblical history have the Israelites been delivered from "all the nations."9

Ezekiel follows the promises of being regathered with his famous "Gog" and "Magog" prophecy. In chapters 38 and 39 he speaks of nations rushing upon Israel to destroy it at the outset of the end times. The prophecy is remarkably specific and detailed, and you can read more about those chapters by downloading my free booklet about this looming conflict. For now, I want to highlight a couple of the major prophecies concerning the momentous battle that have already begun to come to pass.

8. The Enmity of Turkey and Iran

Ezekiel 38 and 39 depicts a very influential land to the north of Israel which will form a coalition of sorts. The northern country has long been associated with Russia, as it is likely that the Magogites were Scythians. This lines up well with the way Russia operates today, being extremely zealous to make close alliances with nations in the Middle East and North Africa. Two of those countries have been of special interest to students of Bible prophecy.

First of all, Iran is clearly described as being one of the few nations involved in this Russian conglomerate, being called by its ancient name—Persia. "Iran" is a modern term, and people from that country are still often referred to as Persian. As far as Turkey, it is described extensively by Ezekiel, and so must play a pretty significant role in the prophetic battle. This country has slowly grown into a menacing force via the ascendency of its controversial leader. Coupled with its new aggressive front, the Syrian conflict has brought Turkey into a blossoming friendship with Iran and Russia ...

Russia, Iran, and Turkey inhabit the same neighborhood and share many common interests, yet the Syrian conflict that began in 2011 has pulled them closer than ever. At the same time that Turkey is becoming more distanced from the West and Iran's alienation has pushed them further into the Russian orbit, the Syrian civil war is a driving force in uniting these nations. Russia and Iran both support the brutal regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad against the US-supported rebels.

Russia, Iran, and Turkey are getting closer to one another in Syria and very close to Israel's northern border...10

And again, Ezekiel's prophecy stresses the fact that Russia is the leader and the backer of these other nations. There was no way to even comprehend in the prophet's day how the people of Magog could strongly influence so many indigenous mighty warriors from far afield. However, this is how modern politics presently works via Moscow...

In spite of past differences and disagreements, Russia and Turkey are finding an alliance to be in their mutual interest. The growing ties between Turkey and Russia are to the point that Turkey may be buying advanced defense systems from Russia.

Concerning Iran, "Russia launched a fleet of bombers bound for Syria...from an Iranian air base, becoming the first foreign military to operate from Iran's soil since at least World War II." Putin has praised Iran's leader as a "reliable and stable partner."

Putin announced that trade between Russia and Iran rose 70 percent from 2016 to 2017. Russia and Iran "signed more than a dozen agreements on economics, tourism, diplomacy and other issues" in March 2017. Speaking of the Russian-Iranian alliance, Putin said, "Russia and Iran share many years, if not centuries, of bilateral cooperation." He went on to say that "Iran and Russia have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 500 years." Russia began delivering S-300 missile systems to Iran at the end of 2016, which Iran will use to defend its nuclear facilities from attack.

Douglas E. Schoen summarizes the ties between Russia and Iran:

What unites Russia and Iran today...are three common concerns: first, a shared goal of protecting Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, a mission that places them firmly against the United States and its Western allies; second, a common general interest in opposing radical Sunni Islamist movements, today exemplified by ISIS...and third, a common interest in smashing internal dissent in their own countries and quelling secessionist movements—whether from the Chechens in Russia or from the Kurds in Iran. Undergirding it all, however, is a common foe: the United States.

History could soon give way to prophecy.10

The very notion of well-armed, indigenous vassal-nations from very far away that are able to be summoned very quickly and efficiently to the battlefield begs of modernity, yet this prophecy is over 2,600 years old. Obviously national militaries have always made alliances with each other, but what Ezekiel describes is more modern than ancient. The war will involve nations from as far east as Iran and as far west as Libya converging together very quickly and unexpectedly. How could the impetuous, surprise attack of Gog/Magog which Ezekiel describes have ever taken place before the advent of modern communications and transportation?

9. The Attitude of Saudi Arabia

Ezekiel's prophecy is incredible. It is very comprehensive and presents very unlikely scenarios—which nevertheless are coming true. The Hebrew prophet foretold that Persia/Iran would be a great enemy of Israel in the end times. Yet, he also foretold that the region known today as Saudi Arabia would not join in the strife. Think about what an incredible prognostication that is. Arabia is very close to Israel; Iran is further away. Ezekiel was clearly not just guessing here. The Holy Spirit—the divine author of the prophetic Word—had to be speaking through him.

When Turkey, Iran, and factions from North Africa attack Israel, Saudi Arabia will not join in. Rather, they will question the enterprise...

Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, "Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?" -- Ezekiel 38:13

As John Gill wrote centuries ago, "Sheba and Dedan [describe] the Arabians inhabiting that part of Arabia which lay near to Judea..."

How could Ezekiel know of the modern rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran?

Saudi Arabia and Iran—two powerful neighbours—are locked in a fierce struggle for regional dominance.

The decades-old feud between them is exacerbated by religious differences. They each follow one of the two main sects in Islam—Iran is largely Shia Muslim, while Saudi Arabia sees itself as the leading Sunni Muslim power.

This religious schism is reflected in the wider map of the Middle East, where other countries have Sunni or Shia majorities, some of whom look towards Iran or Saudi Arabia for support or guidance.

Historically Saudi Arabia, a monarchy and home to the birthplace of Islam, saw itself as the leader of the Muslim world. However this was challenged in 1979 by the Islamic revolution in Iran which created a new type of state in the region—a kind of theocracy—that had an explicit goal of exporting this model beyond its own borders.11

Long before Mohammed was even born, the Holy Spirit spoke of the differences that would arise between Arabia and Persia. This has only made sense since 1979.

Let me take this opportunity to encourage you not to miss the forest for the trees. As we go through the list, ask yourself this question: what is the chance that all of these detailed, specific prophecies related 2,000-3,000 years ago would accurately converge at the same point in history? Where are the similar feats in the writings of the Indus peoples or of Confucius, etc.?

10. The Rise of the East

The book of Revelation pictures the East as the final frontier. Towards the end of the tribulation period preceding the return of Jesus Christ, warriors will stream into the nation of Israel to fight the famed Battle of Armageddon. It seems as if the powers of the Orient will be a major part of this fight...

And the sixth [angel] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings, the ones from [the] rising of [the] sun [fig., from the east], would be prepared. \-- Revelation 16:12

The facts that the East houses perhaps the mightiest military power on the globe today and that via its stringent/treasured ideology is bound to be somewhat aloof towards the cult of the Antichrist are a very precise coinage. An article by The Times of India breaks down the world scene of the immediate future very cogently...

As this adolescent century unfolds, four competing civilizations will shape it. This new contest of civilizations could determine the balance of power between nations and regions for generations...

...Though in decline, western civilization will continue to influence global policy and culture. The rise of China will establish a powerful Confucian counter-civilizational force with strong roots in history and a sphere of influence arching from the Pacific to Africa. The third major civilization, again deep rooted in history, will be driven by India's growing hard and soft power.

Strong demographics, a far-flung diaspora and the world's third largest economy will impel India to play a global role unmatched since the golden thousand years between the fifth century BC and the fifth century AD when the subcontinent produced two prophets (Buddha and Mahavir Jain), two emperor-statesmen (Ashoka and Chandragupta) and two epics (the "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata").

The fourth civilizational strain set to compete for space and salience this century is Islam...12

Four major regions are mentioned as being exceptionally influential in the present century. The West—via the rule of the Antichrist—will already have its share of sway during the eschaton. Two of the other three (with Islam somewhere in between) are located to the east of the Euphrates. There was no way John could have foresaw how global politics, wealth, and population increases would play out. Only in our generation have we come to see the Orient as the powerhouse that Bible prophecy demands.

11. The Unification of Europe

The book of Daniel was an amazing thunderclap from God. It was where Bible prophecy became as detailed and specific as possible. Written over 500 years before the birth of Christ (and given the evidence that Qumran yielded, the ridiculous late date by pseudo-scholars should have been buried by now), the Holy Spirit spoke about many precise occurrences. For example, not only was the Messiah foretold in Daniel 9, but so was the exact year of his advent. (Just a side-note, but the date was indeed accurately fulfilled with the first coming of Jesus Christ.) Daniel 11 discusses a very lengthy succession of rulers—before they came upon the world scene. It is a breath-taking chapter.

In keeping with this amazing display of divine foreknowledge, the coming gentile kingdoms of the world (in relation to the dominance of Israel) were relayed. The first was Babylon, the ruling power in Daniel's day (2:38). The next would be the Medo-Persian Empire which superseded Babylon (2:39; 5:25-31; 8:20). Thirdly, the Greeks would conquer and rule (2:39; 8:3-21; 11:2-4). The fourth kingdom would be the Roman Empire. Although Daniel was written long before this region even had a discernible name, it is clear that Rome was to be the fourth.

First of all, Daniel 9:24-27 relates that the Christ would be cut off in the days of this empire; and of course the Lord Jesus was crucified ala Rome. Also, in the New Testament, Revelation 13 and 17 hearken back to Daniel's original imagery, with the added statement that the ruling kingdom of John's day was integral to the fulfilment (Revelation 17:18). This of course was Rome. Added to these clues, the simple descriptions of the fourth empire from Daniel fit Rome's immensity and power—as did its chronological ascendancy (i.e., people still say "Greco-Roman").

Now according to Daniel, the Roman Empire was to be the last to rule before the Messiah came and set up his everlasting kingdom upon this earth. Although the Lord Jesus did inaugurate his heavenly reign during Rome's tenure, this didn't fulfil the prophecy. The Messianic Age hasn't arrived. Thus, prophecy students have been looking out for a revamped Europe for a very long time. This has come to fruition in our generation. Europe is united for the first time since the days of antiquity...

Unity in Europe is an ancient ideal. In a sense it was implicitly prefigured by the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, it was imperfectly embodied first by Charlemagne's empire and then by the Holy Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church. Later, a number of political theorists proposed plans for European union, and both Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler tried to unite Europe by conquest.

It was not until after World War II, however, that European statesmen began to seek ways of uniting Europe peacefully...13

Although I don't think the EU is exactly the configuration that Daniel foretold, it is a massive step in that direction. Only in the past couple of decades has it become even remotely possible for Daniel's European reverie to become a reality...

The idea of a political union had [influenced] many of the sectoral integrations of the 1950s...This developed more fully within the [European Community] (EC) during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly as the [European Parliament] became more significant and as the EC itself grew. In February 1992 the twelve member states of the EC...signed the [Maastricht] treaty on European [u]nion, which formally established the EU as an overarching body for the members' common activities...14

Thus, it's only been since 1992 that Daniel's amazing prophecy was anything more than a foggy dream.

IV. Politics and Religion

12. Globalism

Having looked at general trends in society and the configurations of key people groups, now we will note developments within the worlds of politics and religion that match what we know of the eschaton. As with European unity, the important cards for genuine global government are already on the table. It wouldn't take much for them to be reshuffled so that such organizational structures fall into stricter alignment with the prophetic Scriptures. We probably shouldn't expect to see the precise reshuffling until after the Rapture of the Church anyway.

The existence of an organization like the United Nations is a lucid harbinger of world government...

The United Nations (U.N.) is a global diplomatic and political organization dedicated to international peace and stability. The U.N. was officially established in 1945 following the horrific events of World War II, when international leaders proposed creating a new global organization to maintain peace and avoid the abuses of war. The U.N. initially had just 51 member states; today, the organization, which is headquartered in New York City, has 193 members...15

Not only does a typical UN meeting look like the epitome of expanded bureaucracy, but there has also arisen other powerful cliques recently. First came the "G-7"...

G-7, or "group of seven," mainly has to do with politics. After the first oil shock of the 1970s, economies across the world were suffering, and global leaders wanted to do something about it. So, a group of government officials decided to meet and figure things out.16

Springing forth from the G-7 came the G-20 towards the very close of last century. This group holds enormous influence. If money is power, then it pretty much holds all the power in the world...

The G-20 is all about money and has 20 members. Its members represent 85 percent of global economic output...16

In my opinion, organizations like the G-7 and G-20 are virtually a fulfilment of eschatological globalism; only the details are a bit askew for now. Whatever the case, the infrastructure for aggressive, worldwide governance has been put into place. The only thing that is missing is a satanic superman to take advantage of such systems.

Yet does the Bible really predict globalism? Absolutely. First of all, as was made clear above, the book of Revelation describes a world given over to the Antichrist. Again, don't miss how only modernity could facilitate this transpiring. How else could this happen without contemporary means of transportation and mass communication? How could a single person really control the entire globe without airplanes and the internet?

Moving on, apart from the general career of the Antichrist, there are specific Scriptures which speak of globalism. The most poignant is probably Revelation 17. The chapter describes a harlot riding upon a beast. Applying consistent interpretations of Biblical imagery and internal clues within the passage itself, the harlot known as "Babylon" (or more likely, "Mystery Babylon") is a false religion and the beast encompasses the political Antichrist. The 17th chapter is just like the 13th (where the Antichrist and false prophet are described), only the picture is broader and focuses more on the entire religious and political structures (interestingly, the book of Daniel also features a dual picture in the 2nd and 7th chapter of that book; perhaps this is hearkening back to Joseph's doubling of prophecies [cf. Genesis 41:32]).

Globalism is what this rider has her sights on. First, verses 1 and 2 make it clear that she has lurid relations with "the kings of the earth." Don't miss the multicultural allusion to the first Babel of Genesis 10-11.

Chapter 17 then describes how the Antichrist will rise from the dead and the whole world will follow him. Then we see how globalism really plays its part. There will be some sort of ultra-powerful group which will give him official power...

And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who did not yet receive a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings [for] one hour [fig., a brief time] with the beast. These have one mind [fig., purpose], and they give their power and authority to the beast. -- Revelation 17:12-13

On a footnote, although it's tempting to see this as another instance of the ten horns from Daniel's prophecy, this is probably a different group (mind you, the sum of their similarities and differences is perhaps the greatest conundrum of eschatology). Daniel was apparently only focused on Europe whereas John seems to be primarily focused on the world (compare Daniel 7 with Revelation 13:2).

Anyway, there are several possibilities as to what these ten kings will look like. As I've stated elsewhere, the Greek word rendered "king" has tremendous latitude. There could indeed be some sort of region-by-region global government set up, with ten king-like leaders over the regions. After all, the formation of the African Union following the European Union made many wonder if there would then be an East Asian Union, a South American Union, etc. But as I always stress, even though prophecy is very specific, the finer points are somewhat unknowable until they come to pass.

There may be ten "Unions" in the future, or there simply may be a G-10 whose members have slightly modified powers over their neck of the woods, delegating an unelected representative. Perhaps the whole G-7/G-20 paradigm is merely a way to usher in globalism without provoking the ire of many blokes like me (I "like" the way the whole thing recalls the Antiques Roadshow). Either way, when these ten fully endorse the Antichrist, an unparalleled amount of power will be at his disposal.

The major problem with globalism is the lack of diversification (ironically). Take the U.S. for instance. It has tremendous debt and the political divide very well may lead to another civil war or (less dramatically) to a break-up of the present configuration of federal versus local governments, etc. Like many other nation-states, it looks to be facing a severe test of its longevity. Many academics point to the failure of nation-states as being a reason to embrace globalism. What they seem to overlook is that a global government would be destined to fall as well. Perhaps only a generation completely beguiled by Darwinian evolution could be foolish enough to ignore this fact. There will never be "Homo Deus." There are only sinners-via-Adam. There needs to be diversification so that nations can fall without tearing down civilization completely.

So again, how did John foresee global concerns as ever being within anyone's grasp? You may retort that he just didn't know how big the world was. Well, that's probably certain—but it's also not the point. God did know and this is supposed to be his perfect Word. Given that we understand how big the world is now, we can marvel that God knew what he was talking about—that the Bible hasn't turned out to be another silly, religious hyperbole, as the nonsensical epics of the pagans. Verbal inspiration remains firmly intact, and it is even superlatively established, because what we eventually discovered to be virtually impossible has become the present reality. It was virtually impossible for the world to turn into a global village—but so it has, just as God said it would.

Finally, as is the point of this booklet, this has only come to pass in our generation.

13. The Ecumenical/Interreligious Movement

Continuing on with Revelation 17, let's say a few more things about the female rider now. She is called "SECRET [OR, MYSTERY], BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (verse 5). Comparing this chapter with Revelation 13, the rider on the beast helps the monster gain prominence, just as the false prophet of 13:11-18 glorifies the political Antichrist.

However, eventually the political arm will turn against the religious arm and destroy it...

And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her having been laid waste and will make her naked, and they will eat her flesh and will burn her in fire. \-- 17:16

Early on they will need her, for she has great populist influence...

The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples and crowds and nations and tongues. -- 17:15

As the world begins to fall apart post-Rapture, people will seek religion. Only, this coming congregation will belong to Satan—and not God. There will be a massive churchlike infrastructure which will lead people to the world's superman. Although a worldwide church must appeal to a multitude of different cultures, there clearly is an indication that the central hub will be Roman (Revelation 17:18). The profile of the Roman Catholic Church eerily fits this bill. It calls itself Roman in origin, it (perhaps) has the greatest global influence within the genre of religion, and it seeks to be very ecumenical...

In today's increasingly globalized world, as the vast human society finds itself everyday more intimately connected across geographical, cultural, and religious boundaries, one cannot underestimate the impact of the Church's interreligious undertaking. The world's estimated 1.5 billion Catholics [I think that number is incredibly exaggerated; perhaps they are calling all Christians "Catholics," which is insulting] face the challenges of modernity alongside neighbors of every creed. It is our hope and our goal to foster bonds of friendship, mutual understanding, and constructive collaboration among the world's religions in the genuine service of mankind.

Among the many developments that emerged out of the Second Vatican Council were the Church's Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions...Nostra Aetate, and the establishment of the Pontifical Secretariat for Non-Christians, now known as the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

In a spirit of obedience to the Council, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops expanded its ecumenical work to include dialogue with non-Christian religions in 1966. The name of the related bishops' committee changed to the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (CEIA). The new name not only reflected the activities undertaken in conjunction with the American Jewish community, but also the task of fostering contacts and relationships with Muslims and other major religious communities in the U.S.17

This is just one example among a zillion such statements from Catholics. It wasn't taken from some fringe group; rather, it is published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Vatican II seems to have set the stage for a breath-taking fulfilment of Revelation 17. Moreover, with the Roman Catholic Church reeling from the abuse scandals, there is an even more urgent need to make hasty alliances with other powerful religious institutions. Again, this has all come to pass in very recent history, although it was foretold nearly two millennia ago.

14. The Rise of Populism and the Death of Political Morality

Here is a recent headline from the world of British politics...

Boris Johnson and his wife, Marina Wheeler, have announced they are divorcing, news that highlights a unique tension at the heart of the former foreign secretary's career: that he has an unusually vivid personal life for a Conservative MP, and that his political fortunes remain largely unharmed.

Johnson and Wheeler, a senior lawyer, both 54, have been married for 25 years. They made the announcement in a joint statement after a story appeared in the Sun on Friday detailing claims that Johnson had recently been unfaithful.

The statement, issued to the Press Association via a family friend, said the pair had decided several months ago that "it was in our best interests to separate".

They said: "We have subsequently agreed to divorce and that process is under way. As friends we will continue to support our four children in the years ahead. We will not be commenting further."18

I normally wouldn't shout about a marriage falling on hard times. Goodness knows I have a past. However, it is especially disturbing when a man who resembles a character from a Farrelly brothers film runs around on an incredibly talented and classy woman—and then has the gall to issue the following words within the same calendar month...

Boris Johnson has issued a blistering attack on Theresa May's Brexit strategy just days before the Conservative Party conference.

The former British foreign secretary, who sensationally quit the Cabinet in July, described the British Prime Minister's Chequers plan as "a moral and intellectual humiliation for this country" that will "cheat the electorate" if implemented.19

Yeah, he apparently used the terms "moral...humiliation" and "cheat." Wow...okay. I wish such bizarre hypocrisy was rare, but it unfortunately is becoming the new standard.

[Update: The above description of Boris Johnson has become even more poignant, since he himself is now the Prime Minister.]

Considering the prophetic Scriptures, we have already noted the fact in the national section that the Antichrist will be of European ancestry. This is also made crystal clear in the cornerstone passage of Daniel 9:24-27, where it is written that the people of the future wicked prince would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem. The Romans of course were responsible for this destruction in A.D. 70. Thus, the Antichrist will be a Western politician.

Many cultures have very different, nuanced political outlooks; contrarily, the Western stance has become fairly predictable and standardized. There is generally a major "conservative" party and a major "liberal" party. There are ups and downs to both sides. The conservative side (or, "right-wing") has historically cared more about traditional morality and family values, but unfortunately has also been rather greedily obsessed with fiscal policy to the exclusion of the lower class. The liberal side (or, "left-wing") has historically cared more about the lower class and the marginalized, yet unfortunately has relished in baneful immorality—which ironically has a tremendous tendency to decimate the very stratum of people it is supposed to be helping.

Yet what if you have right-wingers who don't care about family values and left-wingers who don't care about minorities? Well, welcome to British politics! Here you have the pub-lunchers on one hand and the anti-Semites on the other. Good grief!

But seriously, the point I'm trying to make is that the better angels of all political groups are flying away. Neo-conservatism is only concerned with fiscal policy. It doesn't matter how many women Donald Trump has groped, as long as he financially "makes America great again."

In the absence of authentic family values, seeking personal wealth sounds very moral. The death of right-wing political virtuousness has been a long time in coming. It started with men like Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani, who actually seemed surprised when people thought they shouldn't be cheating on their wives (I guess we were supposed to be as enamoured with their greatness as the call-girls). Then came Trump, and now Boris—and the train wreck just keeps piling up.

The Bible makes it clear that the Antichrist will be a strange mixture. On the one hand he will personally be a sinful man. After all, he is called "the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3; King James Version) and "the lawless one" (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). On the other hand he will initially be responsible for popular, crowd-pleasing deeds that would appear to be conservative in scope. For example, Daniel 9:24-27 states that he will sign a pact with Israel. It is during this time that Israel will resume ceremonial worship (which is an upcoming topic). Therefore, we can only assume that the Antichrist himself will have some sort of hand in rebuilding a Temple in Jerusalem (or will at least give it his blessing).

So people will have to put their thinking-caps on. If a man is willing to please the crowd in the name of being right-wing while espousing a thousand evils in his heart, could he be from God? The answer is no (1 John 3:7-8). However, the world will answer yes. The world will think that he is the Messiah, regardless of his horrible character flaws. The conservative success of men like Donald Trump should send chills down the spine of the student of eschatology.

15. The Supernatural Pope(s)

Back in the day you had to pass muster with the religious right in order to have a chance in U.S. conservatism. John McCain helped introduce the idea that it didn't matter what the presidential candidate thought about family values, as long as the VP candidate cared. Donald Trump took a page from McCain's playbook when he sought his demographic-pleasing religiosity in Mike Pence. This also points towards eschatological trends. If you are having trouble pleasing the religious, all you need is a running-mate who can do the job. The Antichrist will rely very heavily on a prominent "holy" figure to provide "devout" credentials.

However, organized religion has also taken a beating lately. For example, the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church is catching up with it a little, as the sexual abuse scandal has gone all the way to the top.

So what if the main political figure and any religious running-mate is struggling to pass moral muster? Well, in that scenario you better pretend to be validated by God himself. The coming false prophet will rely very heavily on miracles. The book of Revelation makes this point very clear...

And it performs great signs, so that even fire is coming down from heaven on the earth before the people. And it leads astray [fig., deceives] my own [people], the ones dwelling on the earth because of the signs which were given it to do before the beast, telling the ones dwelling on the earth to make an image to the beast, the one having the wound of the sword and lived. -- 13:13-14

And the Lord Jesus spoke of similar phenomena when describing the eschaton...

For false christs and false prophets will be raised up, and they shall give great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray [fig., to deceive], if possible, even the chosen ones [or, the elect]. -- Matthew 24:24

As did Paul...

...Of whom is his [i.e., the lawless one's] arrival according to [the] supernatural working of Satan, in all power and signs and wonders of deceit [fig., counterfeit miracles]... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:9

The Roman Catholic Church has always relied very heavily on miracles in order to present some sort of confirmation for their homespun doctrines—for their dogmas can't be validated through a simple interpretation of the Bible. With the advent of Pope Francis, the challenge to legitimize the papal system was greatly increased, for he seemed completely disinterested in maintaining theological consistency. To compound the problems even further, he himself has been imprecated as being heavily involved in the abuse scandals. Despite all his problems (or perhaps it's a public relations ploy directly related to his problems) and moral failings, he has surprisingly been heralded as a minor miracle worker by many throughout his papacy.

A few years ago it was common to come across articles like this...

Reports are popping up all over the world about how Pope Francis has touched someone and their lives have been miraculously turned around, leading many to believe that Francis has divine healing powers.

...The Masciantonio family was thrilled when Francis kissed their ailing baby girl, Gianna. Early reports showed that afterwards a troubling brain tumor had shrunk...20

That particular "healing" happened in 2015.

At a peak moment several weeks ago when the Catholic Church was taking a beating in the press, there were reports of another miracle (I remember, because I mentioned it in a writing). Come to find out, it was the same little girl and the same specious miracle. So why did the media become flooded with this story all over again—right when the Church was hitting rock bottom? Apparently it was because money had been donated by the family, but the high levels of press saturation and the way it was cast as a fresh occurrence still leaves me with an odd feeling of misrepresentation somewhere along the chain of communication. Besides, if Christ had healed the girl via a divine manifestation then she wouldn't have needed chemotherapy.

Either way, with Francis being dubbed the "healing Pope," it's starting to sound a lot like the end of the world...

And I saw another beast rising up out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, and it was speaking like a dragon... -- Revelation 13:11

The Antichrist will look to a lamb-like/Christ-like false prophet for moral credentials. The false prophet will look to a powerful spirit; only, it will be the spirit of the Devil.

16. The Rebuilt Temple

One of the most prominent signs of the end times is the fact that there must be a rebuilt "Temple" in Jerusalem. It's true that the Greek word allows for a wee bit of latitude—but not much. Given the context, some major sanctuary/temple-like structure in Jerusalem should be forthcoming.

Paul states this...

Let no one deceive you* by any means, because [that Day will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction [or, the one destined to be lost], the one being in opposition [or, being hostile] and puffing himself up with pride over every[thing] being called god or [every] object of worship, with the result that he sits down in the sanctuary of God as God, displaying himself that he is God. -- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

And the book of Revelation insists upon it as well...

And a reed like a rod was given to me, saying, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and the ones prostrating themselves in worship in it. And leave out the court, the [one] outside of the temple, and do not measure it, because it was given to the nations [or, Gentiles], and they will trample the holy city forty and two months [i.e., 3½ years]." -- 11:1-2 [on a footnote, I don't really know why Zeolla translates the same Greek word as "sanctuary" and "temple" in these two passages, but at least this demonstrates the semantic range]

There have been groups within the world of Judaism who have been going on about rebuilding the Temple for some time. Every once in a while something "major" will be announced from such a group and grab a few headlines. These moments are golden opportunities to underline the fact that time may be drawing to a close.

Recently The Temple Institute uploaded something about the birth of a ceremonially-important red heifer. Adherents of Temple-Judaism would point back to the Torah where such an animal is featured in physical rites of Old Testament cleansing.

Some news outlets realized there was something apocalyptic about the whole thing...

A BIBLE prophecy predicting the End of Days is feared to come true after the first "red heifer in 2000 years" was born in Israel.

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announced the calf's birth on YouTube, saying it would undergo "extensive examination" to determine if it is red all over.

According to The Sun, if the female baby cow is found to be "blemish free", the Institute will declare that the calf "brings the promise of reinstating Biblical purity to the world."21

There has already been purity offered to the world through the Messiah. With statements like this we see the blasphemy which is coming. That is why the book of Revelation doesn't seem to have anything good to say about Jerusalem in the end times. Having ignored the Messianic prophecies of yesterday, such institutions will also ignore eschatology—all the while cozying up with the man of sin himself.

17. The Popularity of Paganism

Left to our own devices, no man or woman ever seeks God and becomes a Christian. This only comes about through the mysterious presence of the Holy Spirit. We must call upon the name of the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith to be forgiven of our sins and to be declared eternally righteous in the sight of God. When we call in faith we judicially die the death of Christ and are born again through the Spirit.

It takes the Holy Spirit teaching us and leading us in order to arrive at the truth. Although no one ever becomes a Christian without the gracious intermediation of God, everyone has the propensity to become religious. It's too easy to mistake coincidence for divine intervention. It's too easy to feel the need to lean on some sort of "higher power" in the midst of our difficulties. It's too easy to feel blindly for some sort of fail-safe in order to achieve success over our peers. True Christians are rare; religious people are a dime a dozen.

Because materialism has been so popular over the past few decades, there has developed a tendency to look upon any religious person of any stripe or variety as having a God-born nobility. This is a grave mistake. The Bible is filled with men and women of God who did not fight against atheism but rather fought against pagan superstitions. False religion implies or asserts wrong theology about Jehovah, teaches things that are detrimental for physical/mental/emotional health, and very often is extremely self-serving (although sometimes it can treat its devotees with incredible harshness; but even this can appeal to selfish pride, etc.).

Pagan religion is often a toxic brew of these characteristics. For starters, it treats their "god" as elusive and secretive. It often encourages the use of drugs, meditation (that wacky world of spiritual gullibility and subjectivity), and/or sexual promiscuity. Finally, its normal aim in the West is to have magical powers or present prosperity. Thus, it appeals to fallen sinners in every meaningful way.

It's not surprising therefore that Bible prophecy warns of a time when satanic paganism will hit a crescendo...

And they prostrated themselves in worship [or, reverence, and in all references to the beast or dragon] before the dragon [a name for the Devil in Revelation; see 12:9], the one having given the authority to [the] beast; and they prostrated themselves in worship before the beast, saying, "Who [is] like the beast, and who [is] able to wage war with it?" -- Revelation 13:4

It might be hard for some to picture people fully worshipping the Devil in the future. I don't think it's very hard. Moreover, idolatry will proliferate at the end (cf. Isaiah 44, etc.); and whenever someone worships an idol, they are giving honour to demons. The two practices are synonymous in the Bible...

And the rest of people, the ones not killed by these plagues, did not repent from the works of their hands, so that they should not prostrate themselves in worship before the demons and idols, the [ones] of gold and the [ones] of silver and the [ones] of brass and the [ones] of stone and the [ones] of wood, which are neither able to be seeing nor to be hearing nor to be walking about. -- Revelation 9:20

Just as Paul explained to the Corinthian congregation...

So what am I saying? That an idol is anything or that meat sacrificed to an idol is anything? But [I am saying that] what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I do not want you* to become participants of the demons. You* are not able to be drinking [the] cup of [the] Lord and [the] cup of demons; you* are not able to be partaking of [the] table of [the] Lord and of [the] table of demons. -- 1 Corinthians 10:19-21

A few decades ago there were lots of rumours of interest in the satanic. This has become derisively known as the "satanic panic" (I suppose the alliteration proves that the allegations were baseless). Now we are supposed to know better and value everyone's religious experiences. In reality, there are links between idols and demons and pagan superstitions. These will blossom in the end times, and they are indeed blossoming now...

By the time we got to the 1960s, many were so disillusioned by dead religion, sterile and pointless materialism and farcical existentialism that they begin to look to other places to find some meaning and purpose in the universe and for their own lives...

...Experimenting with drugs was seen as a psychedelic route into bizarre spiritual encounters and experiences. The Beatles with their Strawberry Field perceptions began to disseminate these ideas to the younger generation. Alongside this, they also assisted in importing religious ideas from the East.

Eastern views began to creep into the West, and over the ensuing decades have become more and more common. The core Eastern perception that became popular in the West included the idea that the essence of any person is the essence of the cosmos...

Alongside this, people began to explore the ancient beliefs of their own geographical regions before the time of Christianity. As part of this trend, people have explored native America[n]...[and] Aborigine traditions...[along with] Wicca[n] and Norse beliefs, among many others. In many ways they found that these world-views fitted in with Eastern perspectives of connecting in with some ultimate reality of the cosmos that expresses itself through various gods and spiritual entities that are supposed to be one with and behind Nature.22

No ancient pagan thought that Isaiah was astute or sensible when he chided them for worshipping stone and wood. Similarly, modern pagans normally espouse an air of ethereal superiority. However, behind every complex spiritual philosophy and abstract practice—which appears to be a rope to the heavens—is simply the old serpent injecting his venom. One way or the other, the entire world will worship the Devil. Many have already started to do so openly.

V. Pending Disasters

18. The Capabilities of Missiles and Rockets

Of all the points I'm trying to make, I think this is the one where I'm probably sticking my neck out the most. In other words, I know that what I'm about to assert is subject to dispute. However, I think it's true and I'd at least urge the reader to keep the idea in mind.

We are revisiting the War of Gog and Magog here. I—along with many other students of prophecy—believe that this massive incursion will most likely take place before the final seven years of this age (i.e., this length of time is how Revelation is divided, originating from Daniel 9:24-27). It may even take place several years before this period.

I believe it will be a watershed moment. There will be a lopsided onslaught about to happen, and then through a series of strange events (such as an earthquake and armies turning against each other; see Ezekiel 38-39), Israel will be delivered. People the world over generally understand that the Judeo-Christian God is supposed to be the God of Israel. This wondrous victory will awaken people to the possibility of potent theism. It will be even more punctuated if the war happens around the time of the Rapture of the Church.

Anyway, although this miracle will get people's attention, it will not convert the world. If God wanted to display irrefutable power of his presence he could cause an angel to appear before each and every one of us this very second. He is never interested in irrefutably displaying his power. That didn't work for Adam and Eve, and it wouldn't work for us. We are justified through faith, for believing in God's truth through his Spirit is the only divine program which bears an authentic, substantial victory.

However, God is love. He is about to bring the severest of judgments to the world, so he will kindly increase his signs in order to get people's attention at a higher rate. The unexpected defeat will be supernatural, but in a measured way. There will clearly be something odd about it, but if you want to just believe in remarkable coincidence then you will be able to do so.

I'm trying to set up the ethos of the prophecy because I think this helps us correctly interpret one of the passages dealing with the fallout from the invasion...

And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD. \-- Ezekiel 39:6

"And they will know that I am the LORD" shouldn't be taken to mean that they will become Christians. It is a popular phrase throughout Ezekiel which simply means that God will judge in power (Samuel L. Jackson made the phrase famous in modern times, although Tarantino employed a made-up passage from Ezekiel). People can't convert when they're being killed.

What I think is interesting is the phrase, "And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety." As I've covered elsewhere, "Magog" is to be understood as modern Russia and "the coastlands" could refer to any gentile country. The fact that they are dwelling "in safety" among "the coastlands" certainly would describe countries like the U.S. If there was a major war with Russia and Israel, a country like the U.S. could be expected to mount a barrage of missiles, bombs, or rockets in retaliation. In response to this, Russia would also retaliate directly. I believe something like this is what the passage points to.

Again, I know I'm not able to furnish a tremendous amount of proof at this point. However, if it does turn out this way, think about how amazing this prophecy truly was. How did Ezekiel know anything about modern munitions? The ability for one country to "send fire" to another country over a great distance is a very new feature of warfare...

Early in the 20th century, an American, Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945), conducted practical experiments in rocketry. He had become interested in a way of achieving higher altitudes than were possible for lighter-than-air balloons. He published a pamphlet in 1919 entitled A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. It was a mathematical analysis of what is today called the meteorological sounding rocket.

Goddard's earliest experiments were with solid-propellant rockets. In 1915, he began to try various types of solid fuels and to measure the exhaust velocities of the burning gases. While working on solid-propellant rockets, Goddard became convinced that a rocket could be propelled better by liquid fuel. No one had ever built a successful liquid-propellant rocket before. It was a much more difficult task than building solid-propellant rockets. Fuel and oxygen tanks, turbines, and combustion chambers would be needed. In spite of the difficulties, Goddard achieved the first successful flight with a liquid-propellant rocket on March 16, 1926. Fueled by liquid oxygen and gasoline, the rocket flew for only two and a half seconds, climbed 12.5 meters, and landed 56 meters away in a cabbage patch. By today's standards, the flight was unimpressive, but like the first powered airplane flight by the Wright brothers in 1903, Goddard's gasoline rocket was the forerunner of a whole new era in rocket flight.

Goddard's experiments in liquid-propellant rockets continued for many years. His rockets became bigger and flew higher...23

If I'm correct about this verse from Ezekiel, obviously only in modern times could it have ever come to pass. Moreover, throughout these points we should realize that the tech-savvy world and the present political situations will not last forever. If time was to go on, perhaps Magog wouldn't be much of a military power in the future. Perhaps something will happen and technology will become useless. Contrarily, maybe the rocket will become as outdated as the bow and arrow. We are living in the pocket of fulfilment now. Although no one should ever set a date and seeming "certain" events and alignments can come and go, the sum total of all these things should cause any student of prophecy to be very excited at the prospect of the Lord's soon return.

19. The Possibility of Global Conquest

When reading Revelation it's easy to forget that what seems so simple to us now must have come across as bewildering hogwash to many ancient readers. The apocalypse in Revelation takes place within a seven-year period (and some want to limit it to just half that period, which would make it even more incredible). So this book states that a single man will be able to take armed forces and successfully subjugate the masses in this short space of time. That would have been an unfathomable reality 2,000 years ago. It doesn't take too much imagination now.

Think about it. The last major war was sort of a changing of the guard between rustic warfare and modern technology. The Nazis employed rockets, but also used horses. That zealous, evil army wasn't even able to conquer fully Europe and Russia in seven years. It took even longer to conquer in the days of antiquity...

The reign of Alexander the Great (336–323 B.C.) would change the face of Europe and Asia forever...As crown prince, he received the finest education in the Macedonian court under his celebrated tutor Aristotle. At the age of twenty, already a charismatic and decisive leader, Alexander quickly harnessed the Macedonian forces that his father's reforms had made into the premier military power in the region. In 334 B.C., he led a grand army across the Hellespont in Asia. With some 43,000 infantry and 5,500 cavalry, it was the most formidable military expedition ever to leave Greece. The first to reach Asiatic soil, Alexander leapt ashore, cast a spear into the land, and dramatically claimed the continent as "spear won." In a remarkable campaign that lasted eleven years, he went on to fulfill his claim and more by conquering the Persian empire of western Asia and Egypt, and by continuing into Central Asia as far as the Indus Valley. In the end, he was defeated by his own army, which insisted on returning to Greece. On the way back, he died of fever in Babylon at the age of thirty-three...24

So one of the greatest warriors of all time took eleven years to conquer a relatively small portion of the globe. What on earth was John talking about then? Ah, everything would change with the advent of modern technology. Yet, only God could have known of such a future.

20. Disturbances in Nature/Climate Change Hysteria

I don't even have an opinion about climate change. Why? Well, the whole narrative of contemporary worldview is so hard to swallow. According to the "science" that we must all "believe in," the universe was created nearly 15 billion years ago (from absolutely nothing). It took billions of years for "life" to form and reach the evolutionary point where it could reason and consider deep topics. In fact, out of the 15 billion years (apart from the acceptance of Marvin the Martian), it's only been since the publication of On the Origin of Species a hundred and fifty years ago did any part of this 15 billion year-old explosion really understand what it was all about. Amazing, isn't it? Wow, we're so lucky to have found ourselves in the 150-year age of true enlightenment over against 15,000,000,000 years of ignorance. What are the odds?

Anyway, eventually it became clear that we were destroying ourselves through various pollutants. But again, there's incredible news that's very hard to fathom, especially if you are an idiot who doesn't "believe in science." If we'll just do a few simple things every day, such as don't flush the toilet too much, use plastic bags instead of paper ones (oh wait, sorry; that was a few years ago; now it's imperative to use paper instead of plastic, for the Pacific Ocean presently has a latex-bridge from Asia to the U.S.), and pressure governments and businesses to quit adding it's incredibly miniscule contribution to nature's carbon output, then—phew! Tragedy averted! Wow, that was a close one!

Sorry; I'm cynical.

From a Biblical standpoint, you can believe whatever authorities you want about manmade climate change and pollution. Apart from intentional, extreme recklessness and a self-serving contempt for humanity, it isn't a matter of sin versus righteousness—and there certainly is a time and a place for "creation care" within our sphere as Christians. Yet don't miss the point that the hysteria regarding "global warming" and "climate change" is an incredibly new phenomenon.

Put it this way, I'm nearly 40 years old and I never heard of any such terms as a child. Then global warming became a topic of conversation. Fine; if the world is growing warmer and we really think we can do something about it—wonderful. But what is really disturbing is that the need to prove that the earth is growing warmer was a burden that climate scientists didn't want to bear. Thus, a new idea was thrust upon us all: we might have broken the system regardless of any new temperature fluctuation. The effects went from gradual and in the future to present and catastrophic...

...At first, the news was that global warming would be gradual, stretched out over many decades.

Then the stories of "tipping points" started, wherein our tinkering with the climate system would cause sudden climate shifts. For instance, the upper-ocean Gulf Stream or the deep-ocean thermohaline circulation would suddenly shut down, causing a mini-Ice Age to occur in Europe. Then we were told that we have only ten years left to avert a climate catastrophe, and that we might be warmer now than anytime in the last million years.

Finally, we are now being told that the catastrophic effects of global warming are here and now. ABC News online even started asking for the public's stories about how global warming has changed their lives.25

Thus, in my short lifetime "global warming" went from something completely unknown to being the obvious cause of any disaster in nature that is presently happening—or might yet happen. The real interesting thing is that apart from a few bad cyclone seasons here and there, the cause for panic hasn't even appeared to be very pronounced. So why all the fuss?

Well, one of the most obvious aspects of the Biblical apocalypse is that nature will be turned on its head. This is what Revelation 6 describes (I direct you to another free e-book about this chapter), and it is also what the Lord Jesus Christ highlighted in his terse Olivet Discourse...

For nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and [there] will be famines and plagues and earthquakes in [various] places. -- Matthew 24:7

So over the past generation there has developed a system to explain fully any calamity in nature before the really bad problems have even fully begun. Interesting. Not only is this proof of the power of spiritual forces upon a populace, but it might also portend the near-realization of God's judgments coming to pass.

[Update: As the recent COVID-19 pandemic has made clear, whenever the biblical plagues truly begin to come, they will be made incredibly destructive due to modern transportation. Again, plagues being so global and catastrophic in scope highlights the pitfalls of modernity.]

21. The Fear of Asteroids and Comets

As with many other of the points made thus far, the last two which we shall cover have spawned separate free e-books. The following is a brief summation of the findings therein.

First off, as with climate hysteria, the fear of being smashed by heavenly bodies plummeting to earth is an incredibly new genre. We didn't even fully know the difference between asteroids and comets until fairly recently, nor did we realize their potential for causing mass destruction. For example, asteroids have only been known about for a couple of hundred years...

In 1801, while making a star map, Italian priest and astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi accidentally discovered the first and largest asteroid, Ceres, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. Although Ceres is classified today as a dwarf planet, it accounts for a quarter of all the mass of all the known asteroids in or near the main asteroid belt.

Over the first half of the 19th century, several asteroids were discovered and classified as planets. William Herschel coined the phrase "asteroid" in 1802, but other scientists referred to the newfound objects as minor planets. By 1851, there were 15 new asteroids, and the naming process shifted to include numbers, with Ceres being designated as (1) Ceres. Today, Ceres shares dual designation as both an asteroid and a dwarf planet, while the rest remain asteroids.26

It's fascinating therefore that the book of Revelation appears to fully understand the difference between asteroids and other more gaseous bodies, and seems to suggest that one of each will smash into the earth during the tribulation period...

And the second angel sounded [his] trumpet, and [something] like a great burning mountain [i.e., terrestrial] was thrown into the sea, and the third of the sea became blood. And the third of the creatures in the sea, the ones having life, died, and the third of the ships were utterly destroyed. And the third angel sounded [his] trumpet, and a great star fell out of the sky [i.e., gaseous], burning like a torch, and it fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of the waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood ["Bitterness"], and the third of the waters became [fig., turned] into wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they were made bitter. \-- Revelation 8:8-11

Again, as with climate change, it's interesting that in our generation the fear of falling heavenly bodies has become a massive fascination with scientists and in widespread popular culture.

22. The Fear of Zombies and Strange Creatures

Finally, the cataclysms in Revelation 8 lead into the unfathomable horrors of chapter 9. Following in the wake of the impact events, strange demonic creatures will terrorize humanity for many months.

Society seems to be blindly anticipating troubles in nature via climate hysteria. It seems to be blindly anticipating impact events from gaseous bolides and asteroids. It also seems to be blindly anticipating the truly bizarre details of the coming demon hordes.

As I've pointed out in Werewolf and Bigfoot and the Bible, the genre of cryptozoology—especially of a supernatural import—has become massively popular. Many people have reported seeing strange creatures, resembling troubling forms of unknown animal life. Although these sort of accounts have been known from time immemorial, there certainly has been a spike of interest in them recently. All over the world this interest has budded. For example, the following is an article from a Canadian source...

Cryptozoology is the scientific study of unknown animals about which only circumstantial, or at best insufficient, material evidence is available. Because these animals are unknown rather than monstrous, the term "cryptid" from the Greek kryptos, meaning "hidden," introduced in 1985 by Canadian cryptozoologist John Wall, has gradually replaced "monster" in their description. Cryptids are reported from many parts of the world in local folklore and explorers' reports. Widely known examples include still-mysterious creatures such as the Loch Ness "monster" in Scotland and the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas; giant varieties of known animals (squids, octopus); and creatures usually thought to be extinct, such as the Mokele-Mbembe, a dinosaurlike animal reported from equatorial Africa.

In Canada, there have been numerous reports of land, lake and sea cryptids. Giant, hairy wild men appear in native folklore under a variety of names: [Windigo] among the Cree and Ojibwa of the Hudson Bay area, Chenoo to the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia, Tornit to the Inuit of Labrador and Nunavut. Best known through its giant footprints, recent visual sightings and even a film is the [Sasquatch], which roams the mountainous areas of BC and Alberta as well as those of the western US, where it is called Bigfoot...

Unidentified lake creatures are claimed to hide in many Canadian lakes...27

In Revelation 9, the demonic creatures are described as having monstrous characteristics of various animals. A belief in aliens and in cryptozoology could help fallen humanity come to terms with these horrifying sights.

Due to the fright and pain that these creatures will inflict upon the world, many will seek to commit suicide. However, God has decreed that it will be impossible for anyone to be able to do this successfully for 150 days...

And in those days people will seek death, and they will by no means find it. And they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. -- Revelation 9:6

So there will be a strange invasion that will leave people unable to die. Naturally, many will probably attribute this zombie-like state to the attacking creatures—as opposed to God. It will be as if a zombie movie has come to life, as mangled people with the inability to perish abound.

Of course, zombies are yet another fascination with our present culture [see my booklet, 150 Days Later]. The ghoulish fiends have been big business for a while now. A few years ago their net worth was estimated to be astronomical...

Zombies may be the walking undead, but their contribution to Main Street's economy is very much alive. In modern times, the zombie genre has evolved from a cult following to a highly popular theme. 24/7 Wall St. estimates that the today's zombie genre economy is worth billions of dollars.

Think way beyond zombie movie ticket sales. Think about DVD sales, video games, comic books, novels, Halloween costumes, zombie walks, merchandise, conventions and even zombie art. Add to that all of the websites, homemade movies, Facebook sites, YouTube sites and other forms of "digital" zombies, not to mention music. And if you think the financial tab has been high so far, by the end of 2012 the tab is going to be far larger.

Of course, figuring out the exact dollar figure around the "value of zombies," despite hours of research and interviews with "zombie insiders," is difficult. Many companies and top industry leaders do not share any sales data and they do not want to divulge how much they make off this craze. On a global scale, the market is even larger. Could this craze be tied to the hard economic times?28

I picked this slightly dated article over a plethora of other ones because it succinctly showed how large this zombie fascination has become, but also because it ends with the question of "why?" Many, many people have asked this question online and elsewhere. It's hard to understand how something so unrealistic and goofy has had such incredible, mass appeal.

Again, I think it is because society is blindly at the whim of spiritual forces much more than it could possibly imagine. The LGBT movement proves this. The fear of "aliens" proves this. Climate change, asteroid obsessions, cryptozoology, and zombies—it all goes to show that the world is gearing up for something that is soon to transpire. Yet, ironically, people don't even know what that "something" is.

Well, the Holy Spirit of prophecy obviously knew.

VI. Conclusion

There is nothing like Bible prophecy among the "holy books" of other religions. The predictions of the Bible are so plentiful, so great in scope, and so detailed. No other religion even attempts such feats. Not to be rude, but it is very hard to stay awake while reading windy writings such as the Upanishads or the Vedas (in fairness though, Gandhi said the same about the Bible). I suppose in the estimation of many they are lofty and ethereal and sublime—and all that jazz; however, they certainly do not even attempt to describe the future as the Hebrew ancients.

The Bible throws down an objective, scientific gauntlet. It is brave enough to say, "This is EXACTLY what the distant future will look like." And as we have seen, it has proven to be exactly correct. No other religion (apart from Judaism to a smaller degree) even owns such a gauntlet.

Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden, just as Noah and his family left the ark after the great deluge. Noah's family would eventually form a single community which came to be a rebellious place called "Babel" (see Genesis 11). God sent a miracle to banish this congregation and they were dispersed over the entire globe, taking with them the foggy remembrances of Adamic and Noahic sacrificial systems.

It is hard to take in the proliferation of animal sacrifice across the vast expanse of cultures without realizing it has inexplicably become synonymous with religion itself. As an excellent encyclopaedia article summarizes...

The organization of sacrificial rites in the different cultures and religions has undoubtedly been influenced by a number of factors. Economic considerations, for example, certainly have had some impact upon primitive peoples in the selection of the victim and the time of sacrifice and in the determination of whether the victim is consumed or totally destroyed and whether the sacrificer is an individual or a collective group. The importance of such factors is an aspect of sacrifice that deserves increased investigation. Nevertheless, sacrifice is not a phenomenon that can be reduced to rational terms; it is fundamentally a religious act that has been of profound significance to individuals and social groups throughout history, a symbolic act that establishes a relationship between man and the sacred order. For many peoples of the world, throughout time, sacrifice has been the very heart of their religious life.29 [emphasis added, as with any bold words found within quotes]

It is clear from the Eden account in Genesis (see chapter 3), from the ancient Messianic prophecies (see Isaiah 53), and from the life and times of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, that the initial origin of sacrificial systems was from the mind of Yahweh—put in place to teach humanity about the coming propitiatory death of his Son. That death took place nearly 2,000 years ago, and was fully accepted by the Father for the sins of the world—the eternal resurrection and glorification of the Son being the sign of the acceptation. All that anyone from any culture must do to receive the forgiveness of sins and to inherit irrevocable peace with Yahweh is to repent of having sinned and ask him for everlasting forgiveness through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

As I rest my case, behold a great text that was written with the last generation in mind. The world may be falling apart and death may be drawing near, but entrance into the unshakable kingdom of God and deliverance from his tempestuous wrath is only a prayer away...

I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered... -- Joel 2:30-32 [see also Acts 2 and Romans 10]

VII. Citations

1Roebuck, Valerie J. The Upanisads [Upanishads; special character removed from title]. London: Penguin Books, 2003. [from the introduction; pg. 21]

2Savini, Loren. "Human Microchipping Is Here, and It's About to Rock Your Skin's World." www.allure.com; March 26, 2018. (https://www.allure.com/story/rfdi-microchip-implant-in-skin)

3Mohler Jr., R. Albert (editor). The Gathering Storm. Louisville, Kentucky: SBTS Press, 2017. (pgs. 8-9)

4https://statementonsocialjustice.com; (article 12)

5Eghigian, Greg. "When Did Alien Sightings Turn Into Alien Abductions?" www.airspacemag.com; December 5, 2017. (https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/when-did-alien-sightings-turn-alien-abductions-180967397/#zF1puCmDPDibM5rj.99)

6Gascoigne, Bamber. "History of Communication." www.historyworld.net; (accessed) October 1, 2018. (http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa93#ixzz5Se4fgfmk)

7Brown University. "Rapid-onset gender dysphoria." www.sciencedaily.com; August 22, 2018. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180822150809.htm)

8Settersten Jr., Richard A. and Barbara Ray. "What's Going on with Young People Today? The Long and Twisting Path to Adulthood." www.futureofchildren.org; spring, 2010. (pg. 28) (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ883077.pdf)

9Rhodes, Ron. Israel on High Alert. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2018. (pg. 28)

10Hitchcock, Mark. Russia Rising: Tracking the Bear in Bible Prophecy. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale Momentum, 2017. (pgs. 73-75)

11Marcus, Jonathan. "Why Saudi Arabia and Iran are bitter rivals." www.bbc.co.uk; November 18, 2017. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42008809)

12Merchant, Minhaz. "Rise of the east in a new clash of civilizations." www.timesofindia.com; December 26, 2010. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/7165562.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst)

13Sorensen, Marie-Louise and John Salmon et al. "History of Europe." Encyclopaedia Britannica; July 19, 2016. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe)

14Polley, Martin. A-Z of Modern Europe Since 1789. London: Routledge, 2000. (pg. 43)

15"United Nations." www.history.com; April 4, 2018. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/united-nations)

16Urbi, Jaden. "The difference between G-7, G-8, and G-20 — and why they matter." www.cnbc.com; June 8, 2018. (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/08/difference-between-g7-g8-g20-world-economy.html)

17"Interreligious." www.usccb.org; (accessed) October 4, 2018. (http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/ecumenical-and-interreligious/interreligious/index.cfm)

18Walker, Peter. "Boris Johnson and Marina Wheeler announce divorce." www.theguardian.com; September 7, 2018. (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/07/boris-johnson-and-marina-wheeler-announce-divorce)

19"Boris Johnson: Chequers is a moral and intellectual humiliation for UK." www.irishexaminer.com; September 28, 2018. (https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/boris-johnson-chequers-is-a-moral-and-intellectual-humiliation-for-uk-872181.html)

20"Families share stories of Pope Francis' healing power." www.fox29.com; April 30, 2016. (http://www.fox29.com/trending/families-share-stories-of-pope-francis-healing-power)

21News Corp Australia Network. "First 'red heifer' born in Israel for 2000 years triggers armageddon fears." www.news.com.au; September 11, 2018. (https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/first-red-heifer-born-in-israel-for-2000-years-triggers-armageddon-fears/news-story/f02da2eaf05159137d281a2dc5cd39d1)

22Skinner, Jonathan. The Rise of Paganism. Webster, New York: Evangelical Press, 2006. (pgs. 94-95)

23Benson, Tom (editor). "Brief History of Rockets." www.grc.nasa.gov; June 12, 2014. (https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/TRC/Rockets/history_of_rockets.html)

24Hemingway, Colette and Sean Hemingway. "The Rise of Macedonia and the Conquests of Alexander the Great." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/alex/hd_alex.htm)

25Spencer, Roy. Climate Confusion. New York: Encounter Books, 2008. (pg. 30)

26Choi, Charles Q. "Asteroids: Fun Facts and Information About Asteroids." www.space.com; September 20, 2017. (https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html)

27Leblond, Paul H. "Cryptozoology." The Canadian Encyclopedia; March 4, 2015. (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cryptozoology)

28Ogg, Jon C. "Zombies worth over $5 billion to economy." www.nbcnews.com; October 31, 2011. (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45079546/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/t/zombies-worth-over-billion-economy/#.W7hrqmhKjIU)

29Faherty, Robert L. "Sacrifice." Encyclopaedia Britannica; March 23, 2012. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/sacrifice-religion/Sacrifice-in-the-religions-of-the-world#ref66328)

* * *

Works by Richie Cooley

[Anything not here that bears my name I've discarded due to poorness of quality.]

Is the Bible Divinely Inspired? (Special Edition)

Dinosaur (The Bible's Forgotten Prophecy)

A Fortnight from God (A Dialogue with Dom)

The Mark of the Beast (Prophecy's Crown Jewel)

The Gospel Salvation by Grace

Zechariah's Dreamscape

Christmas in Eden (A New Theory of Adam)

A Biblical View of UFOs

Dystopia (A Christian Essay on Huxley's, Brave New World)

A Brief Look at Hell

Daniel and the Dhammapada Eastern Beauty and Ancient Prophecy

The Coming False Revival and the 144,000

A Biblical Survey of the Rapture (Predicting the Vanishing of Millions)

House of Abaddon (The State of Modern Science)

The Inferno: A Biblical Survey of Plagues

The Day the Sun Stands Still (A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 16)

Werewolf (A Biblical View)

The Future Implosion of Nature (A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 6)

Philippians 2:5-11 (The Bible's Hidden Gem)

How to Become a Christian (or, "Born Again," "Saved," "Converted," etc.)

Bible Prophecy Digest #1

The Book of Jonah (A New Translation and Commentary)

My Civil Disobedience... (An Open Letter to a British Journalist from a Fundamental Christian)

UFOs, Alien Abductions, and the Apocalypse: (The Case of Betty Andreasson)

The False Prophet (A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 13:11-18)

Coronavirus is Not the End of the World The Certainty of Eschatology

The War of Gog and Magog (A New Translation and Commentary)

Messianic Purim (A Short Commentary on the Book of Esther)

Evidence of Divine Authorship: The Biblical Account of Elisha

Biblical Demonology: A Scriptural Survey of Demons and Spirits

Christianity and Idols (A Sermon)

More Evidence of Divine Authorship (Biblical Numerology)

How To Teach Yourself New Testament Greek (Some Friendly Advice)

An Asteroid, A Comet, And The Coming Apocalypse

More Aliens and Evolution Bible Prophecy Digest #2

150 Days Later Fear of Zombies: A Christian Essay

Regarding Donald Trump (Or, Bannon Marches On)

Dear Rodrigo Duterte (Evidence of Divine Authorship in Isaiah 40-66)

"The Son of Perdition" (A Scriptural Survey)

Deliver from Evil? A Glimpse at the Catholic Abuse Scandal

Bible Prophecy: 22 Reasons Why Time May Be Short

To Any Jehovah's Witness or Mormon Upon Troubled Waters

The Necessity of Christian Crudeness (A Short Refutation of Ecumenical Efforts)

Indifferent Honest Christian Reflections on Hamlet

Bible Prophecy Digest #3 (November 10, 2018) Betty Hill and Harvard

Forensic Justification (A Commentary on Romans 3:24)

Prophecy and Pontius Pilate A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #1

The Fifth Dimension God and the Cosmos

Isaiah's Overlooked Declaration (Surprising Proof of a Theanthropic Messiah)

Demons in Devon (UFOs as Fairies) A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #2

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (A Bad Omen) A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #3

The Riddle of the Frogs (An End Times Essay)

The Nephilim/Fallen Angels (A Biblical Survey)

The Pope and Chinese Torture Camps A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #4

The Horns of Daniel 7 (Europe in Turmoil) Bible Prophecy Digest #4

Mary, a Mother Challenging Modern Dogma

Bad Blood, Royal Lineage Elizabeth Holmes, Cyrus, and King David

The Rising of Antichrist How Donald Trump Foreshadows The Coming Storm

The Confession of Judas The Plight of Muslims in Birmingham

Contortions of Truth Detective Amaral, and Madeleine McCann

The Hermeneutics of Jesus Christ A Messianic Survey from the Gospel of Mark

The Boasting of the Antichrist A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 13:5-6

Gleanings from Herodotus Christian Reflections: Book One

Oust Jerry Falwell Jr. and Crown Jesus Christ (A Commentary of Revelation 5:5)

The JFK Conspiracy: Christian Reflections

Bigfoot and the Bible: A Brief Essay

Philip Dick's Accurate Forecast "The Hanging Stranger and Demonology"

The Strange Story of Sampson (Evidence of Divine Authorship)

Who's Afraid of Trip Lee (A Lesson from Biblical Archaeology)

Darwin's Great Gaffe Further Proof of a Global Flood

Dagon Shall Arise Biblical Archaeology and the Book of Revelation

The Trouble With John Knox (A Warning Against Christian Nationalism)

Climate Change and Bible Prophecy

The Angel of the Witnesses A New Translation and Commentary of Revelation 10

Signs of the Times: Dawkins, the Pope, and UFOs

The Georgia Guidestones A Contrast to Biblical Prophecy

Touring The Animal Farm Christian Reflections on a George Orwell Classic

Christ's Journey to the Underworld A New Translation and Commentary of 1 Peter 3:18-22

The New Heresies of Pope Francis Shocking Denials from a Dubious Vicar

The Book of Joel Dedicated to Mesut Ozil A New Translation and Commentary

The Failing of Evolution And the Success of Prophecy

Daniel Chapter 3 A New Translation and Commentary

Paul's Mysterious Power in Corinth: A Translation and Commentary of 1 Corinthians 5:1-6

The Tower of Babel: A New Translation and Commentary of Genesis 11:1-9

1, 4, 9, 16...Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and UFOs

Bible Prophecy in the Didache (And the Apostolic Fathers)

Gleanings from Herodotus Christian Reflections: Book Two

Shema Yisrael Jacob's Divine Messiah
