Sunday, December 2, 2007

Improving America

Let's stop waving the Stars and Stripes for a minute and think about ways we can make America better. Here are some things I'd like to see, though I never will.

1. Outlaw spending money on political campaigns. Anyone guilty of buying a tv or radio or print advertisement is disqualified from that race. Replace political advertising with intelligent discussions on tv. The candidates would be invited to appear on channels devoted to politics, for one on one interviews or for small discussions involving a moderator and two candidates.

In this way, we take the money out of the election process. No candidate would have to worry about running out of money for his campaign. No candidate would have to make promises to campaign contributors. Politics would no longer be Survival of the Richest (or of the biggest whore).

Advertisements are propaganda. They are one sided. We don't need them. Televised discussions will show the public how the candidates think, what they plan to do. That's what we need.

If many voters ignore the discussions and don't bother to vote, that's fine. I'd rather have an election decided by a small number of interested and analytical citizens than by a horde of apathetic dummies who like or dislike somebody's mustache.

This would strike a blow against the "special interest" lobbyists who throw so much money around to buy our candidates. I'm talking about lobbyists like the powerful pharmaceutical industry that contributes so much money to politicians to buy them outright, like they have bought our current president, who has refused to negotiate to lower the price of prescription drugs because he won't bite the hand that feeds him, therefore condemning us to ever-increasing and horribly inflated health insurance premiums and hospital costs. I consider this sort of thing "treason" against the American people, and I think it is extremely important to keep whores out of the White House.

2. Place upper limits on wealth accumulation and annual earnings. It is not ok with me that CEOs skim 100 million dollars off the gross receipts of any company and walk away with it. It's just too damn much, and it obviously affects prices that I have to pay. The money they take is coming from us, ultimately.

I am not a dyed in the wool, all or nothing capitalist who believes that everyone is entitled to whatever he can grab. I have no patience with greedy misers. I'm not insisting on any particular number, but a number should be chosen. America's salary cap. Nobody gets more than 20 million in any one year. Or nobody gets more than 5 million, or 1 million, or whatever number is decided on. It would sure bring baseball ticket prices down, and that's a good thing. It would bring lots of prices down. I really don't care how many homeruns you hit. Enough is enough. As long as the salary cap is at least six figures I will never come anywhere near it.

I'd do the same for total wealth accumulation. I'd place an upper limit on how much any one person can own. The way things are going, the day will come when 16 people own the whole world and everything in it. My limit would be low enough to catch Donald Trump in its net. He's too rich. Don't tell me about encouraging entrepreneurial spirit. Screw it. If you have accumulated 20 million or 40 million or whatever number is picked - you win, good for you, you get a big gold lollipop, but you're done, you can't have anymore. We take the excess away from you. Tough shit. We need it for the elderly, for college tuition for qualified students, for good works of our own choosing, not for charities you pick in order to get tax deductions and pay no taxes at all.

3. I'd replace social security with a much better system of retirement savings. I'd make it the law of the land that every American employer must contribute a dime to every employee's IRA for every dollar paid in salary. He'd get a tax break for it, and IRAs would be set up for every American worker to receive this money, out of the reach of sticky fingered Uncle Sam. That's better than taking out 6% of the employee's wages, and adding that same amount again from the company, and sending it to Uncle Sam to steal and waste, leaving nothing for the employee when he retires. Call it the national American 10% pension plan. If that had been done for you from the beginning, you'd be a rich old retiree some day.

4. Immediately begin going full speed ahead on stem cell research. One day, and it will come too soon, you will get heart disease, cancer, or some other deadly disease. If it's cancer, you may be treated with chemotherapy that destroys healthy tissue as well as contaminated tissue and wrecks your immune system. Either it will work or it won't. If it works, you'll have to keep getting tested for the rest of your life, and hope that the second and third round of chemotherapy will work as well as the first. But stem cell therapy works differently. It replaces damaged cells with perfect new cells. It can be a permanent cure. It can add many healthy and fun years to your life, and maybe with luck you will just die in your sleep at age 115. It's a beautiful thing.

Then along comes this absolute moron, this superstitious fool, this idiot bush who asks terrorists to "bring it on" and sends jet fighters across the Atlantic Ocean on 911 to defend us against attacks in New York City and Washington and then goes and hides in a silo. This turd puts the brakes on stem cell research. It is probably a much more important issue than the war in Iraq, because it will directly impact your life when you are sick.

If you don't like my ideas, please don't share your comments with me. I like them. You can go write your own blog. I'm here to write MY ideas, not yours. Anyway, I always think that people who don't appreciate my ideas are morons, and I'd rather not hear from them.

George Bush number 1

The first president Bush was a lot better and smarter than the second, even though in his speech he was just as awkward and funny as his son. Well, a paisley rabbit would be smarter than Bush's son. Hey terrorists, bring it on! What an idiot.

The first bush kicked Saddam's ass but didn't finish him off. He stopped Stormin' Norman Schwarzkoff from invading all of Iraq and taking it over. So his son finished the job and looked into potholes til he found Saddam sitting in one, and then arrested and hanged the son of a bitch.

The first bush told us the truth about Ronald Reagan's filthy economic policy. Bush called it voodoo economics, the silly or deceptive argument that if you cater to the mega wealthy they will be nice to you in return if they feel like it. What utter garbage.

The fact is, we should take most of their money away. That's the long and short of it. Nobody should be allowed to hoard a billion dollars. The hell with those greedy miser bastards. Something should be done about it. It's like sending your kid to kindergarten and there are 100 toys in the room, and one kid owns 99 of them and your kid can't touch them. Your kid, and 25 others, have to share the 1 remaining toy.

I'll tell you what. They should take 95 of those kid's toys away from him. Screw it, it's just not fair. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and by "poor" I'm talking about us. We do get poorer every year. I know I do. So do you, right?

Anyway, of course Bush didn't do a damn thing about the economic inequities in America. He didn't give the working man a break. Who do you think he is - Franklin Roosevelt?

Bush wasn't all that bad. He did less damage than most, and he handled the war in Iraq intelligently, getting in, getting out. The kid is lost in the sauce, a fot in a blizzard, doesn't have the foggiest idea what to do, just "stay the course". Yeah, okay, whatever.

Someone ought to say to Bush's son "What the hell are you trying to accomplish you idiot." Maybe that would focus him.

Mood dangerous

Vrillon, a purported representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, was the name used by an unidentified voice who broadcast on the Hannington transmitter of Southern Television in the United Kingdom for six minutes at 5:10 PM on Saturday November 26, 1977. The voice, which was disguised and accompanied by a deep buzzing, broke into a broadcast by Independent Television News to warn viewers of "the destiny of your race" and "so that you may communicate to your fellow beings the course you must take to avoid a disaster which threatens your world and the beings on other worlds around you".
As the broadcast did not affect the video signal, it was difficult to detect its source.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality

Category: Science & Technology

Voyager Exploring Solar System

Voyager Exploring Solar System

Category: Science & Technology

Gator Water Dance

Gator Water Dance

Category: Pets & Animals

Mission to Mars

Mission to Mars

Category: Science & Technology

Solar blast

Solar blast

Category: Science & Technology

Moon 101

Moon 101

Category: Science & Technology

A GIS journey

A GIS journey

Category: Science & Technology

Solar System 101

Solar System 101

Category: Science & Technology

The Bible and Archaeology:

Archaeology and the Book of Judges
During this period of more than 300 years, God periodically raised up judges to rescue and rule over Israel as the Israelites struggled with indigenous peoples over control of the land.
by Mario Seiglie
Previous issues of The Good News have examined archaeological finds that illuminate sections of the five biblical books of Moses and the book of Joshua. In this issue we focus on a tumultuous time in ancient Israel's history, the era covered by the book of Judges.

Judges begins by describing the settlement of the Israelite tribes in Canaan. The aged Joshua distributes the territory among the tribes. A short while later he dies at the age of 110 (Judges 2:8). Then comes a period during which faithful elders who had lived over from Joshua's time governed Israel. When they died, no leader immediately succeeded them. A dangerous political void existed.

Many among the younger generation, born in the land of Canaan, had largely forgotten the miracles accomplished during Moses' and Joshua's time. "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).

The new generation found itself surrounded by many Canaanites who adhered to their own popular religion. Instead of eliminating this foreign influence, as God had commanded, in many instances the Israelites simply coexisted with those holding false beliefs. God had warned them what would occur if this situation were allowed to continue: "Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: 'I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, "I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars." But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, "I will not drive them before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you"' " (Judges 2:1-3).

During this period of more than 300 years, God periodically raised up judges—we find at least 12 of them described in the biblical account—to rescue and rule over Israel as the Israelites struggled with indigenous peoples over control of the land. Judges ruled simultaneously with each other in various regions of Israel. The surviving Canaanites frequently attacked and reconquered territory taken by the Israelites.

What does the archaeological evidence reveal about this time?

A change in cultures
The extensive scientific evidence points to a gradual change from a Canaanite building-and-pottery culture to a less-advanced Israelite cultural style.

Charles Fensham, a professor of Semitic languages, argues that "archaeology has shown that [around] 1200 B.C. certain cities in Palestine were demolished. A flowering culture of Late Bronze [Canaanite] was obliterated. The new developments . . . were of a lower culture than the preceding. The break is thus obvious and points to seminomadic groups in process of settling down. This evidence is clearly to be connected with the invading Israelite tribes" (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1982, Vol. II, p. 1158).

This is consistent with the biblical record, which shows that the Israelites, initially slaves in Egypt and culturally impoverished, at first simply took over the existing Canaanite cities as they conquered them. God had told them, "So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full—then beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

Gradual replacement
The book of Judges indicates that this cultural change was gradual. "And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out" (Judges 1:28). The Canaanite culture survived for many years until the Israelites finally replaced it.

"The Israelites had lived in Egypt as enslaved [people], and then spent 40 years as seminomads before entering Canaan; this makes it unlikely that they brought a distinctive material culture into Canaan . . . At the end of the Late Bronze Age and the start of the Iron Age, around 1200 B.C., a major change occurred in settlement patterns [in Canaan] . . . While we do not believe the new settlements mark the arrival of the Israelites, we are still happy to call them 'Israelite' settlements. This is because, in our view, the Israelites had been in the land for some two centuries by 1200 B.C. and were therefore involved in the changes that took place at that time" (John Bimson and David Livingston, "Redating the Exodus," Biblical Archaeological Review, September-October 1987, pp. 52-53). Here, then, is additional evidence from archaeology that appears to confirm the biblical account. It shows a gradual supplanting of Canaanite culture by Israelite settlers.

Worship of Baal and Asherah
After Joshua's generation had died out, "the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths" (Judges 2:11-13).

Why the seemingly irresistible tendency for the Israelites to worship Baal over Yahweh? Again, archaeology sheds much light on the Canaanite religion and helps us understand the deadly allure the indigenous religious practices held for the Israelites.

In 1929 excavations began in Ras Shamra (the ancient port town of Ugarit) in northern Lebanon. This work continues. The remains of a palace discovered in the first year of excavation yielded a library containing hundreds of ancient documents that provided a wealth of information about the Canaanite religion. What did these tablets reveal? "The texts show the degrading results of the worship of these deities; with their emphasis on war, sacred prostitution, sensuous love and the consequent social degradation" (The New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale House Publishers, 1982, p. 1230).

Forbidden worship
The pagan religion was enticing to the Israelites for two primary reasons. First, it was not as morally demanding as the biblical religion. Second, the Israelites fell victim to a superstitious respect for the gods that supposedly controlled the land of the Canaanites.

"The Canaanite religion was completely different from the Israelite. So far, no evidence has been found in Canaanite culture of a series of rules of conduct similar to the Ten Commandments . . . It was a great temptation for the Israelite invaders to respect the existing gods of the land which were regarded as being responsible for the country's fertility. In addition, the worship of these gods was much less demanding than the rigid Israelite laws and rituals. Consequently, many of God's people yielded to this temptation. The result was a gradual moral decline of the nation" (The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible, Lion Publishers, 1983, p. 153).

Recognizing the great danger to fledgling Israel, God insisted that His people destroy every aspect of the degenerate native religion. "According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe my judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 18:3-4).

"And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire [be sacrificed] to Molech . . . You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination . . . Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants" (verses 21-25).

Sexual perversion as religion
The corruption found expression in grotesque cultic sexual practices. "The pagan world of the ancient Near East worshipped and deified sex." So intertwined were sex and religion that "the term 'holy ones' [was used] for its cult prostitutes" (Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible, Abingdon Press, 1971, p. 79).

Although the details are crude, they reveal why biblical proscriptions against the Canaanite perversions are so pervasive. "[A] ritual involved a dramatization of the myth . . . [and] centered in sexual activity since the rainfall attributed to Baal was thought to . . . fertilize and impregnate the earth with life just as he impregnated Asherah, the goddess of fertility, in the myth. Canaanite religion, then, was grossly sensual and even perverse because it required the services of both male and female cultic prostitutes as the principal actors in the drama.

"Unlike the requirement in Israel, there was no one central sanctuary. Baal could be worshipped wherever there was a place especially visited by the numinous presence of the gods. These places were originally on hills (hence, 'high place') but later could be found in valleys or even within the cities and towns" (Eugene Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, Baker Book House, 1987, pp. 160-161).

Infants sacrificed to Molech
Included in these Canaanite practices was child sacrifice, described in the Bible as having children to "pass through the fire to Molech" (Jeremiah 32:35). The Ras Shamra tablets also mention the god Molech. Some unrighteous kings in Israel instituted the practice of sacrificing infants to Molech. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, denounced this ghastly ritual. "For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight," and "they have built the high places of Tophet [related to Molech worship] . . . to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart" (Jeremiah 7:30-31).

In the ancient Phoenician city of Carthage—part of the Canaanite culture—some 20,000 urns containing the remains of sacrificed children were found. The archaeologists at the site apprise us that "the Carthaginian Tophet is the largest of these Phoenician sites and indeed is the largest cemetery of sacrificed humans ever discovered. Child sacrifice took place there almost continuously for a period of nearly 600 years" (Lawrence Stager and Samuel Wolff, Biblical Archaeological Review, January-February 1984, p. 32).

Kleitarchos, a Greek from the third century B.C., described this sacrifice as the heating up of a bronze statue with outstretched arms. Infants placed into these red-hot arms quickly perished.

Struggle for a nation's heart
Obviously, God did not want the Israelites to destroy their own offspring. When righteous kings such as Josiah ascended the throne, they obeyed God and abolished the practice. "And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom [in Jerusalem], that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech" (2 Kings 23:10).

Some might think the prophets were overly harsh in condemning the Canaanite religion. Yet now, with detailed evidence of Canaanite practices found by archaeologists in this century, it is clear why the prophets were uncompromising.

"The prophets and chroniclers tended to be thought of as men who, in their zeal for Yahweh and their anger against foreign religions, had probably gone too far," writes one author. "This objection was leveled at the Bible right up to the present day . . . With us it is accepted as a matter of course that every half civilized community controls the morality of its citizens. But in Canaan in those days the cult of sensuality was regarded as the worship of the gods, men and women prostitutes ranked as 'sacred' to the followers of the religion, the rewards for their 'services' went into the temple treasuries as 'offerings for the god.'

"The last thing the prophets and chroniclers did was to exaggerate. How well founded their harsh words were has only become fully understood since the great discoveries of Ras Shamra . . . What temptation for a simple shepherd folk, what perilous enticement! . . . Without its stern moral law, without its faith in one God, without the commanding figures of its prophets, Israel would never have been able to survive this struggle with the Baals, with the religions of the fertility goddesses, with the Asherim and the high places" (Werner Keller, The Bible as History, Bantam Books, New York, 1980, pp. 286, 289).

Thus the periodic backsliding of Israel into Baal worship described in the book of Judges is a realistic depiction. The description draws support from the archaeological finds that document the struggle for the soul of Israel. God persevered in sending His messengers to warn His people of the dangers of Baalism. An apt description of this struggle was penned by Nehemiah:

"And they took strong cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all goods, cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and grew fat, and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets, who testified against them to turn them to Yourself; and they worked great provocations.

"Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers [judges] who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest, they again did evil before You. Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies . . . Yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven; and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies" (Nehemiah 9:25-28).

A nation's early years
The book of Judges is not just documentation of ancient victories and heroic acts. It represents a realistic description of a fledgling nation that began to assimilate the perverse culture of its defeated foes. The book candidly reveals Israel's struggle—not always successful—against the barbaric Canaanite religion. It explains Israel's frequent relapses and resultant humiliating defeats at the hands of its enemies. Through it all one constant factor shows through: God, who is concerned about the moral and spiritual life of His people.

Future issues of The Good News will examine additional archaeological finds that confirm and help us understand the biblical record. GN

Does Prophecy Tell Us When Christ Will Return?

Since the days of the apostles, people have predicted Jesus Christ's return. Does Bible prophecy indicate when this long-awaited event will at last come to pass?
by Mario Seiglie
Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" With these words, the disciples urged Jesus Christ to tell them what events or conditions would mark the time of His return and the replacing of human rule with His divine rule in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:3).

Although He explicitly told His followers that they would not know the exact time of His return (verses 36, 44), He did say that some signs that His return was imminent would be unmistakable. He noted that, just as a fig tree leafing out is a sure sign of the coming summer, "so you also, when you see all these things, know that [My return] is near—at the doors!" (verses 32-33).

Christ warned that prophecy is a subject to be handled with care (verses 23-26), lest we be deceived (verses 4-5, 11). Unfortunately, many sad events have occurred from His time onward when sincere but gullible people, led by wrong interpretations of prophecy, took paths leading to ridicule or self-destruction. It seems that every year we see and hear such tragic stories reported.

Sad legacy of shattered hopes
This is nothing new. Back in the first century two such cases were recorded in Acts 5. Gamaliel, a rabbi, mentioned two false prophets who arose and led people to believe they were guided by God. He said: "For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed" (Acts 5:36-37).

In the last 2,000 years numerous men and women have claimed to be prophets, messiahs or holy teachers and have deceived many. So it is natural for some to become suspicious about prophecies and avoid them. Yet this can easily lead to falling into the opposite ditch, where many disregard or ignore prophecy.

Make no mistake about it: Prophecy does have an important purpose in the Bible. But we are to avoid the pitfalls of becoming so engrossed in prophecy that we interpret every newsworthy event as an end-time signal and the opposite extreme of dismissing virtually every occurrence on the world scene as inconsequential.

Proper view of prophecy
Referring to Christ's first coming, Peter mentioned that fulfilled prophecy should serve to strengthen our hope and faith in prophecies that are as yet unfulfilled. "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts . . ." (2 Peter 1:19).

Here Peter compares Bible prophecies to a light that provides visibility until the final coming of God's Kingdom, brought by Jesus Christ to earth. When this occurs every eye will see His glory as a great light (Matthew 24:27, 30; Revelation 1:7).

God in His Word gives us a broad outline and sequence of prophetic events, but many specifics are unclear. Some things can be seen clearly, but others are still beyond our view at this point in history.

In other words, there is a framework of prophecy that is reliable, but it can be counterproductive to try to interpret every detail.

So what is this framework of prophecy? Among the many prophecies of events leading up to Christ's return are various major prophetic conditions that can be confirmed and identified historically. As Peter said, we "do well to heed" them.

First condition: Man's ability to annihilate life
The first of these certain prophecies deals with a specific condition described by Christ that would be present only as the end time draws near. He said to His disciples: "It will be a time of great distress; there has never been such a time from the beginning of the world until now, and will never be again. If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive; but for the sake of God's chosen it will be cut short" (Matthew 24:21-22, New English Bible, emphasis added throughout).

Jesus warned that a time would come when the destructive capacity of mankind would be so awesome that all life could be erased from earth. This is what makes the time of "great distress" so terrifying, unequaled in human history.

Mankind has been fighting wars since the dawn of history but never before had the ability—with rocks and clubs, bows and arrows, cannons and automatic weapons—to wipe out all of humanity and fulfill this prophecy. This changed in 1945 with the detonation of the first atomic bombs and with the subsequent development of hydrogen bombs. With thousands of nuclear weapons at its disposal, mankind now has the frightening ability to destroy life from the planet many times over.

This situation never existed in history until the latter half of this century. Man has never been a great caretaker of the earth, but never before did he have the capacity to utterly destroy all living things. But Christ predicted that, left unchecked, mankind would do exactly that, and this is one of the reasons He must intervene to save mankind.

Of the last days the Bible says: "The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18). Only in recent decades has humanity had the fearful capacity to "destroy the earth"!

Second condition: Modern Israel
The second condition that must exist before Christ's return concerns the existence of the nation of modern Israel.

The survival of the religion and culture of this ancient people, which witnessed the rise and decline of such great civilizations as Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, goes against the odds. A secular Jewish historian of the 19th century, Heinrich Graetz, stated that "a nation which has witnessed the rise and decay of the most ancient empires, and which still continues to hold its place in the present day, deserves the closest attention."

Max Dimont, a Jewish historian, relates an anecdote about Napoleon, the French emperor in the 1800s. He once passed near a synagogue and heard weeping inside. He asked, "What is this crying?" He was told it was the Jews weeping over the destruction of their temple. Impressed, Napoleon said, "A people that longs so much for its city and its Temple are bound to restore them one day!" (Thomas Ice and Randall Price, Ready to Rebuild, Harvest House, Eugene, Oregon, 1992, pp. 23-24).

That prediction has partially come to pass. Now the Jews—descendants of the ancient kingdom of Judah—are in possession of Jerusalem, and their "weeping" takes place on the western side of the Temple Mount, at the retaining wall of the vast platform Herod the Great constructed to support the rebuilt temple. There, at the Western Wall, many Jews still cry and bemoan the loss of their temple and pray for its restoration. Thus the place is also sometimes aptly called the Wailing Wall.

Sacrifices offered and ended
Prophecies in the books of Joel, Zechariah and elsewhere in the Bible imply an organized, significant Jewish presence in and around Jerusalem before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Daniel 12:11 seems to indicate that Jewish sacrificial rituals will be renewed and then disrupted before Christ's return. Jesus Christ Himself warned, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" (Matthew 24:15-16).

The abomination of desolation, described several times in Daniel 8 to 12, deals with the defiling of the sacrifices and the holy place in Jerusalem. For such prophecies to be fulfilled, at least an altar in a "holy place" is needed if a temple is not actually built.

Before the 20th century this seemed like an impossibility. The Jewish people had been scattered for almost 2,000 years, and the Ottoman Empire was in control of the land. Jews did not have the military power, unity or backing of most of the world to return to their former land. Many books were written about the overwhelming odds against Zionism, the attempt to reestablish a Jewish homeland.

Yet it happened. Once the fledgling nation formed in 1948, it still appeared the Jews would never control all of Jerusalem, and the more-populous Arab nations surrounding Israel determined they would never allow it. Yet, in the 1967 Six Day War, Israel took possession of the divided city.

The Israeli government, however, to defuse further religious tension, decided that the Temple Mount—the area where the temple had stood and animal sacrifices were offered—should remain under the control of Muslim authorities.

Attempts to rebuild a temple
One of the little-known facets of this story has been the Jews' many attempts in the last 2,000 years to rebuild their temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, and reinstitute sacrifices.

After its first-century destruction, Jews began to settle Jerusalem again. Seven synagogues were built at the foot of the Temple Mount. In 117 the Roman emperor Hadrian granted permission to rebuild the temple. Yet, two years later, the emperor reversed his edict and ordered that Jerusalem be rebuilt as a Roman colony.

In 132 a revolt broke out among the Jews under the leadership of Simeon bar Kokhba, who was accepted by many as the Messiah. The uprising lasted for three years. Here again an attempt was made to rebuild the temple, but Hadrian's victory dashed hopes at that time.

The next attempt to rebuild the temple was in 363, when the Roman emperor Julian gave the Jews permission to begin construction of a temple. He even provided funds and building materials. Incredibly, according to historians at that time, just as they were about to begin, a powerful earthquake struck and destroyed the whole project.

One author explains: "The stones were piled and ready. Costly wood had been purchased. The necessary metal was at hand. The Jews of Jerusalem were rejoicing. Tomorrow—May 20, 363 A.D.—the rebuilding of the Temple would begin! . . . Suddenly, and without warning . . . , the streets of Jerusalem trembled and buckled, crushing two hundred years of hope in a pile of dust. No longer would there be any possibility of rebuilding the Temple" (Philip C. Hammond, "New Light on the Nabateans," Biblical Archaeology Review, March-April 1981, p. 23).

The next chance to rebuild came in 614, when the Persians captured Jerusalem from the Byzantines. Since the Jews helped them in their undertaking, the Persians granted the Jews permission to rebuild the temple. Yet work soon came to a halt when the shah changed his mind and rescinded his edict.

Then, in 638, Arabs under the banner of Islam conquered the city, and, with the exception of a few years, Arabs or Turks governed Jerusalem from that time forward. After the defeat of the Turks (who were allied with Germany) in World War I, Britain governed the area under mandates from the League of Nations, and then the United Nations, until the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

For those many centuries the Temple Mount was a bastion of the Islamic faith, and Jews were banned from worshiping in that area. An Islamic shrine was constructed on the spot upon which many authorities believe the sacrifices once took place. It now stands as one of Islam's holy places.

It was impossible for Christ's prophecy to be fulfilled while the Arabs and Turks held dominion over the city. But Israel's regaining of control over Jerusalem in 1967 helped set the stage for this prophecy, too, to come to pass.

Preparations under way
What has happened since then? One book on the subject states: "Whether the Temple is viewed only as a national symbol, a rallying point for Jews in Israel and the Diaspora, or seen as a prophetic hope essential to the fulfillment of the mission of Judaism, since the liberation of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the possibility of rebuilding has existed. While some attempts were made after 1967 to organize rebuilding discussions, it was not until . . . the Palestinian uprising [in 1987] that Temple rebuilding movements began to visibly organize . . . [One source stated that] 'all Jewish history as far as we're concerned is one big parenthesis until the Temple is returned. Life without the Temple is not really living'" (Ice and Price, p. 99).

In Ezra 3 we see that, after the destruction of their first temple, returning Jews offered sacrifices in the appropriate location decades before the second temple was constructed. A modern revival of the sacrificial system would, therefore, be possible without requiring that a temple be constructed.

Today Muslim religious authorities control the Temple Mount, the "holy place" that Christ referred to in His prophecy. Some of the conditions necessary for fulfilling that prophecy are not yet in place.

Since 1989, however, organized efforts have begun to prepare for the building of a temple. Several Jewish groups have been publicly organized to carry out this plan. One is called The Society for the Preparation of the Temple, which publishes a bimonthly journal on the subject.

Another group, which focuses on producing priestly garments and utensils for the temple service, is the Temple Institute. So far 53 of the 103 necessary instruments have been built. There are also architects and engineers who have prepared blueprints for the temple. Displays have been established in the United States to promote these ideas.

Another widely publicized group is the Temple Mount Faithful. Led by Gershon Salomon, a professor of oriental studies at Hebrew University, its goal is to take the Temple Mount from the Arabs and rebuild the temple there. It would be, in his words, "a Temple that will be again a center of religious, national, spiritual and moral life for Israel."

From 1990 on members of this group have tried to place the first stone of the temple on the Temple Mount, but to no avail. Israeli police and Muslim authorities have prohibited their attempts.

However, at this point in history only a relatively small minority of Jews believe it is their responsibility to rebuild the temple, apart from direct divine intervention. Modern Israel is largely secular; it would take a dramatic increase in religious fervor to arouse enough support for restoration of the temple or renewal of sacrifices to begin.

That is how matters stand at the moment. Of course, these conditions could change rapidly in the volatile political climate of the Middle East.

Third condition: A new power on the world stage
The third condition that we do well to heed deals with the latter revival of the Roman Empire, prophesied extensively in the books of Daniel and Revelation.

The prophet Daniel, interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a colossal human image, spoke of a series of "kingdoms" to arise on the world scene. The first of these kingdoms, said Daniel, was the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar himself (Daniel 2:28-38). It was to be followed by three other kingdoms (verses 39-40). Comparing history with other Bible prophecies, we can understand that these four kingdoms were, in order, the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian and Roman empires.

Speaking of the fourth and final kingdom, the Roman Empire, Daniel said that it would be "strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others" (verse 40). Rome indeed proved to be more dominant and enduring than its predecessors, swallowing up their remnants in a reign that lasted for centuries.

However, Daniel also revealed some fascinating prophetic details about this kingdom. He said that the legs and feet of the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream represented this kingdom, later shown to be the Roman Empire. The image had feet and toes composed "partly of potter's clay and partly of iron." This indicated that "the strength of the iron shall be in it," but also that "the kingdom shall be divided" and "partly strong and partly fragile." Also, "just as iron does not mix with clay," the components of this kingdom would not adhere firmly together for long (verses 41-43).

Then, says Daniel, "in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed . . . ; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (verse 44).

This is clearly a prophecy of the Kingdom of God, brought into reality on the earth by Jesus Christ at His return. It is only then that "the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).

But is something wrong with this sequence of events? Surely the Kingdom of God wasn't established in the days of the ancient Roman Empire (See "Why Will Christ Return?," p. 8). Jesus Christ is not enthroned as the supreme ruler of the world (1 John 5:19). Was Daniel wrong about the timing of these events?

Understanding Daniel's prophecy
The answer is to be found when we examine other prophecies that speak of this fourth kingdom. We learn that the Roman Empire, far from being forever gone and forgotten, is destined to rise yet again!

The apostle John, nearing the end of his life, was given an astounding vision by Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1) of what would happen during the remainder of human history. Like Daniel, John was inspired to write of the events leading up to Christ's second coming. Revelation 19 describes His glorious return to earth, culminating in the overthrow and destruction of "the kings of the earth, and their armies," a great false religious leader, and something called "the beast" (Revelation 19:19-20).

This "beast" corresponds to the fourth kingdom, the Roman Empire, seen in symbol by Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted by Daniel. Both the beast seen by John and the image explained by Daniel will exist and be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His return. Prophecy thus indicates that the beast power and the Roman Empire are one and the same.

An empire to rise again
Revelation 17 gives us additional details to help us understand the nature of this empire and how it could exist both anciently and at Christ's return. This chapter describes a "scarlet beast . . . having seven heads and ten horns" (verse 3). It is described as existing at one point in time, then not existing, then existing again (verses 8, 11). This gives us the key to understanding these sometimes-puzzling prophecies. The Roman Empire existed in the past, it does not exist now, but it will rise to exist again.

Verse 10 helps us understand that the seven heads of the beast represent "seven kings" who rule over a span of time. A study of European history shows that, beginning with Justinian in 554, various kings, emperors, dictators and other rulers have, with varying degrees of success, periodically revived the grandeur and might of the Roman Empire since the original empire's fall in 476. These prophecies of Daniel and Revelation indicate that the empire will rise again.

The image interpreted by Daniel had feet and toes of iron mixed with clay. In Revelation 17 we see what the 10 toes of mixed iron and clay represent. The 10 toes correspond to the 10 horns of the beast seen by John. "The ten horns . . . are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings . . ." (verses 12-14).

Now the picture becomes clearer. Just before Christ's return 10 "kings"—the original Greek indicates rulers, not specifically kings—will unite in a political, economic and military alliance. Some will be stronger than others, just as iron is stronger than clay. Because they represent various nationalities and cultures, they will be divided in ways other than in their allegiance to the beast. The power and authority that come from their confederation will last only a short time before they make the fatal mistake of resisting Christ at His return, at which time they will be crushed and destroyed (see "Armageddon: The End of the World?," p. 17).

It is likely, then, that a group of 10 leaders, through alliances or other arrangements, will give rise to a union that will fulfill these end-time events. Daniel's prophecy indicates that these leaders will preserve their cultures and languages, so it will not be one totally integrated group of states, such as the United States, but 10 individual political and cultural entities politically and militarily united for a common purpose.

Some question whether the current moves to unify European countries are in any way related to this prophesied power. It is interesting to let history show the roots of the movement. Michael Elliot of Newsweek recently reported: "In January 1957, six nations signed a treaty on the site of the ancient Roman Capitol, and brought into being the European Economic Community . . . An aide to Paul-Henri Spaak, the then Belgian foreign minister, remembers that his boss said, 'Do you think that we have laid the first stone of a new Roman Empire?' Recalls the aide, 'We felt very strongly we were Romans that day' " ("Don't Spoil a Success," Newsweek Magazine, international edition, January 29, 1996, p. 40).

At the least, the idea of beginning a new Roman Empire was on the minds of the founders of this organization of nations. It has continued to prosper as barriers to integration tumble one by one and greater cooperation and unity in economic and military affairs come about. Time will tell where these trends will lead—and how quickly.

Where are we now in prophecy?
Where does this leave us? With mankind possessing the capacity to destroy life in several ways, with Israel in control of Jerusalem and a desire among some Israelis to restore the temple and sacrifices, and with strong and determined efforts afoot to unify the nations of Europe, we would do well to heed the warnings of biblical prophecy and not ignore its connection with world conditions. Of course, these are by no means the only prophecies to watch, but they provide a framework within which to view the future.

The Bible is full of God's precious truths for a distracted and unbelieving world. These truths include biblical prophecy. Jesus Christ predicted His Church would be faithfully proclaiming the true gospel—or good news—of His coming Kingdom as a witness to all nations until it would be fully accomplished. After this, He said, "the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). GN

Armageddon: The End of the World?

by Jerold Aust
What does the Bible really say about Armageddon? It tells us that the last great battle of man's age will take place in the Middle East. The armies will gather at a place Scripture calls Armageddon. So, not surprisingly, Armageddon has come to portray our worst nightmare: the end of the world.

Some Bible scholars claim that Armageddon is predicted to terminate society as we know it. More-detailed speculations speak of it as a battle of cataclysmic proportions, possibly a nuclear war that will annihilate mankind. Even Ronald Reagan, the former U.S. president, spoke of Armageddon in such terms. That Armageddon is named in the Bible (Revelation 16:16) and that it serves as the prelude to "the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (verse 14) deserves our concern and attention.

The meaning of Armageddon
The word Armageddon can be traced to Megiddo, a significant fortified town in Palestine in ancient times. Most scholars think Armageddon comes from harmegiddon, meaning "hill of Megiddo." The area has quite a history. Excavations of Megiddo have revealed 20 layers of occupation dating from the fourth millennium B.C. to about 450 B.C. The site is about 18 miles south-southeast of the Port of Haifa in northern Israel and about 55 miles north of Jerusalem.

Megiddo's strategic location gave it greater importance than its size would suggest: a mere 13 acres within the city's ancient walls during the time of Solomon. Megiddo overlooked the narrow entrance to Israel's northern mountains from the Plain of Megiddo-also known as the Valley of Esdraelon, or Jezreel-a level expanse some 20 miles long and 14 miles wide.

Northern Palestine, especially the area of the Plain of Megiddo, was militarily important because it guarded part of the easiest route across the Fertile Crescent, which stretched from Mesopotamia to Egypt. Throughout ancient history, the great powers of Mesopotamia-Assyria and Babylon-contended with Egypt for control of this area.

The territory of the ancient kingdom of Israel was at the crossroads of three continents-Africa, Europe and Asia. Bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and on the east by the Arabian Desert, this relatively small area between sea and desert was the strategic land link between the three continents. So important, so desirable, so coveted was this narrow land bridge that ancient armies frequently and regularly battled for control of it.

In modern times the Arabian Desert has been prized for its great oil reserves. In ancient times parts of the territory of Israel were coveted for their militarily crucial passes. Megiddo guarded one of those passes. More than 200 battles have been fought at or near there (Alan Johnson, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1981, Vol. 12, p. 551). One scholar calls the area "the battle ground of the centuries" (Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966, p. 89).

What about the future of Megiddo, or Armageddon? Does the Bible reveal anything about this strategically vital area?

Prophecy of Armageddon
Although Armageddon is mentioned in the book of Revelation ("And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon" (Revelation 16:16), Scripture says nothing about armies actually attacking each other there. It does indicate, however, that armies assemble on the Plain of Megiddo, apparently using the large, level area as a staging ground to prepare for a great battle. But who is being gathered, who is gathering them, and for what purpose?

Those being gathered appear to be two political and military coalitions-"the kings of the earth and of the whole world" (verse 14) and "the kings from the east" (verse 12), from east of the Euphrates River. These leaders aren't necessarily "kings" as we use the word today; the original word means ruler, leader or commander. We might use descriptions like president, prime minister, chairman, chancellor or general to refer to such leaders today.

At that point in history, many heads of nations will have banded together to support the mighty "beast" power mentioned in Revelation 17. In describing this confederation of peoples, nations and rulers as a beast, God is likening this enormously powerful alliance to an animal driven by ungodly instincts and motivations.

Those comprising this alliance "are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:12-13). The book of Revelation shows that demonic spirits performing miraculous signs will influence these leaders to gather "to the battle of that great day of God Almighty . . . to the place called Armageddon" (Revelation 16:13-16).

Why will the armies of these nations gather at Armageddon? Apparently these military powers will invade the Middle East for a showdown over who will control the world.

However, instead of fighting each other, they will turn on the returning Messiah, Jesus Christ, to fight Him!

We don't normally think of people actually daring to go to war against God. People war against other people. But the Bible reveals that men will actually try to fight the returning Jesus Christ. These end-time dictators and demagogues covet rulership of the world, and they hope to succeed through their immense armies and destructive weapons-weapons powerful enough to destroy all life from the planet.

God knows that, unless He sends Jesus Christ to intervene in human affairs at that critical juncture, "no living thing could survive" (Matthew 24:22, New English Bible, emphasis added throughout).

Satan and Armageddon
Behind the scenes another powerful leader figures prominently in gathering the armies to Armageddon. Satan, as "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), will have deceived all nations (Revelation 12:9). As the adversary of humanity (1 Peter 5:8), his avowed purpose is to deceive and destroy the human family. The massive armies that will arise in the end time will, to him, seem the ideal vehicle for accomplishing such incredible destruction (Isaiah 14:12, 17).

But what the nations won't know, and Satan won't accept, is that God allows him to deceive such arrogant leaders into thinking that this decisive battle will enable them to take control of the world!

God Himself will enter into battle with those deceived nations bent on destruction (Zechariah 14:1-3). God will prove that He is all powerful, not Satan nor those whom he deceives. And God will not allow man to completely destroy himself (Matthew 24:22).

With this background, we can better understand the purpose of Armageddon when we read how the armies will be gathered "to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14).

The prophet Zechariah also describes this climactic time: "Behold, the day of the LORD is coming . . . For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem . . . Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east" (Zechariah 14:1-4).

Military forces gather
The Expositor's Bible Commentary offers another insight into Armageddon: "It is surprising that no one has suggested taking magedon as deriving from the secondary sense of the Hebrew gadad that means 'to gather in troops or bands.' The simple way in Hebrew to make a noun from a verb is to prefix a ma to the verbal form. Thus we have maged, 'a place of gathering in troops,' and the suffix o, meaning 'his,' yielding 'his place of gathering troops.' This is almost equivalent to the expressions in vss. 14, 16-'to gather them (the kings and their armies) for the battle on the great day of God Almighty'-and would allude to the prophetic expectation of the gathering of the nations for judgment" (Johnson, p. 552).

In Joel 3:9-10 God depicts these rulers and their preparation for invasion and warfare: "Proclaim this among the nations: 'Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up [to Jerusalem, verses 12, 16, 17]. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.'"

The prophecy indicates that the leaders will disrupt societal needs, converting facilities for manufacturing agricultural implements to produce armaments and munitions.

The armies will gather near Armageddon, almost filling the surrounding plain, and continue their deployment throughout other areas of the Holy Land. But the actual battle will take place some 55 miles south of Armageddon, around Jerusalem.

In truth that great battle will not be much of a contest. God will allow the armies to gather at Armageddon so that, in the end, there will be no question that He rules supreme. By permitting Satan, his demons and deceived human leaders to stir up nations to pit their massive forces against Him, God will allow those armies who would resist Christ's rule to close in on Jerusalem-only to be destroyed in their battle against Him.

Armageddon, therefore, becomes a symbol of a great battle, not between mighty nations and military alliances, but between the forces of good and evil. That climactic battle will be fought at and around Jerusalem.

The battle is joined
The Bible describes that time of earth-shaking events as "the day of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Jeremiah 46:10; Zechariah 14:1)-the time during which God will intervene in human affairs to put an end to man's rebellion against Him.

Continuing the prophecy recorded in Joel, God says: "Let the nations be wakened, and come up [to Jerusalem] to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow-for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision" (Joel 3:12-14; compare with Revelation 14:15-19).

Jesus Christ will deal with these massive armies at His return: "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations . . . He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Revelation 19:15). Birds gather to feed on the remains of those who war against Jesus Christ (verses 17-18, 21).

Apparently the carnage isn't limited to the area immediately around Jerusalem. Revelation 14:20 indicates that it will extend for some 200 miles.

Armageddon: prelude to peace
Jesus Christ will finally be recognized as humanity's Savior and Deliverer, its King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). Mankind will recognize the futility of rebellion against God.

The prophet Malachi also spoke of God's supreme authority: "For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles [nations]; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 1:11).

God will at last be acknowledged as Supreme Ruler of mankind. For millennia Satan-the god of this world-has palmed himself off as the god of mankind (2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:14). However, God has prophesied that one day He will fulfill His plan for mankind, for which He created the earth.

When this happens the human family will enjoy unprecedented peace and unparalleled prosperity on earth. This peace has been promised to mankind for thousands of years (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Isaiah 11:1-10).

Armageddon, while a symbol of the destruction of the forces of evil, is also a prelude to humanity's salvation. It is then that human misrule will come to an end. At Armageddon the greedy, power-mad demagogues of that time will be gathered into one place so that Christ can put an end to the misery they have wrought on mankind.

Armageddon signals the end of fear, pain, destruction and untimely death. Sadly, there is simply no other way for mankind to learn its lesson. God must finally step in, intervening in human affairs to force peace on this foundering world (Revelation 19; Zechariah 14; Joel 3).

Christ will replace this world's social, economic, political, educational and religious systems and build a world based on God's ways (Daniel 2:44-45).

How to understand mankind's future
God has given to mankind several annual festivals that unlock the mystery of our future. For example, the Feast of Trumpets foreshadows the return of Jesus Christ "with a great sound of a trumpet" to vanquish the armies gathered against Him (Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 11:15).

The symbolism of the Day of Atonement reveals that Christ will bind Satan, preventing him from influencing humanity (Revelation 20:1-3).

The Feast of Tabernacles depicts 1,000 years of peace and prosperity that will envelop the earth and its inhabitants (Revelation 20:4-5; Isaiah 11).

The Last Great Day signifies the time when all who didn't know the true God will be resurrected to learn His truth and receive their opportunity for salvation (Revelation 20:11-12; Ezekiel 37).

Armageddon is not the end of the world. It's a gathering place for enormous armies, God's summons for deceived human leaders to enter into a decisive battle with Him at Jerusalem.

Rather than marking the annihilation of mankind, Armageddon is the preface to 1,000 years of peace and prosperity for all. Humanity will live on, for what begins at Armageddon establishes Christ as supreme ruler on earth and over all nations. The earth will then become immersed in peace and prosperity in the Kingdom of God. GN

Will Christ Return?

Do you believe in the return of Jesus Christ? Should you believe in it? What difference does it make?
by Dave Treybig
Will Jesus Christ return? As we approach the dawn of a new millennium, interest in a prophesied future is surging. Most people do not believe Jesus Christ will return to earth. Considering that Christians are a minority of inhabitants of the world, this fact is obvious. What is surprising is that in the United States, where the majority of the population professes Christianity, only some six out of 10 believe in the second coming.

Those who do believe that Jesus will come again are further divided over whether it will be a literal return. Many think that good people, through the leadership of the church, will bring about a utopian age, making it unnecessary for Jesus to actually come down from heaven. From this perspective, many believe He will return only symbolically.

Numerous books have been written and bought by people searching for authoritative information on Christ's return. But Jesus repeatedly said that no one would know the day nor hour of His second coming (Matthew 24:36, 50; 25:13). Of course, that hasn't prevented many from trying their hand at prediction. Many well-intentioned religious figures have set dates, prophesying Christ's return at various times over the centuries. Those dates have all passed without the great event taking place.

Was the promise of Jesus' return simply an empty pledge, a vain attempt to foster hope in weak people who need the crutch of the hopeful expectation inherent in the gospel message? Was Jesus merely a great leader who imparted to mankind lofty humanitarian ideals?

Or can we believe in the literal return of Jesus Christ?

The plan from the beginning
Before we consider His second coming, we need to better understand Jesus' first coming. Let's be clear about one thing: Jesus Christ's first coming was not a reaction to failed policy. God did not send Jesus to earth as part of an improvised plan to overcome the unforeseen sin of Adam and Eve.

On the contrary, as the apostle Paul explained, God's "purpose and grace" was "given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Timothy 1:9, emphasis added throughout). His first coming was not an afterthought.

Keeping this in mind helps us understand why Jesus is spoken of as having been "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8) and "foreordained before the foundation of the world" (1 Peter 1:20). God's plan existed from the beginning. Isaiah described God as "declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure'" (Isaiah 46:10). God and Christ knew exactly what They were doing.

Only a few weeks after Jesus' crucifixion, the apostle Peter began preaching about Christ's second coming. In his first recorded sermon, Peter said, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before" (Acts 3:19-20). Christ had just completed His first stay on earth and Peter was already speaking of another. How did Peter know Jesus would come again?

Peter continued speaking of Christ, "whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (verse 21). Peter knew that the prophets had spoken of this event from the beginning; the Old Testament contains many prophecies of the Messiah.

Because they had seen the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus' first coming, Peter and the other apostles had a sound basis for believing the prophecies regarding His second. Nearing the end of his physical life, Peter emphasized this important truth in two letters that are preserved in the Bible. These works are recognized as his formal and final statement of belief preserved for posterity.

A more sure prophetic word
Notice Peter's inspired words: "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:16-19).

When Peter spoke of the first coming of Jesus, the "transfiguration," which Peter had witnessed (Matthew 17:1-2), gave him confidence that his Master was the Son of God. God the Father's spoken approval of Jesus at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5) had the effect of confirming "the prophetic word" (2 Peter 1:19). This had implications for the second coming. Peter had seen the glorified Christ as He will be at His return.

Prophecies of Christ
Isaiah prophesied extensively of Christ's first and second comings. Many of Isaiah's words do not apply to Christ's first coming. For example, he foretold a time during which earth's inhabitants will "go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily" (Isaiah 2:19).

Zechariah spoke of an era when "the Lord shall be King over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:9).

Daniel was another prophet God used to reveal Jesus' second coming. Through a remarkable dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, God revealed there would be four world-ruling empires followed by a fifth: the Kingdom of God (Daniel 2). Years later, when King Belshazzar assumed the Babylonian throne, God gave Daniel a similar dream with additional details about this fifth kingdom, including the return of Christ to rule the earth.

Notice how Daniel described his vision: "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).

Jesus did not fulfill these prophecies during His first stay on earth. He announced, but did not establish, the Kingdom of God.

An angel further explained that "the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever" (verse 18).

Jesus did not fulfill these prophecies during His first stay on earth. After He came in the flesh, He announced, but did not establish, the Kingdom of God. On trial before Pilate, He said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). Even though Jesus acknowledged that He was born to rule (verse 37), He was referring to a time yet future.

Signs of His coming
The disciples understood Jesus would come again. They often asked questions about this future event. In the Olivet prophecy, so called because Jesus spoke these words from the Mount of Olives,
He described conditions that would be prevalent before He would come again (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

These conditions included false Messiahs usurping Jesus' role and position, wars, famines, diseases, earthquakes and persecution of those who would truly follow Christ. In an age characterized by lawlessness (disregard of God's eternal law), Christ said the gospel of the Kingdom of God would be preached in all the world before His second coming (Matthew 24:14).

Very few people understand that Christ's message, the gospel, includes His return and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. Many believe the gospel is only a message about Christ's life, concerning His actions on earth after His first coming. Sadly, the wonderful truths surrounding His second coming are largely overlooked or dismissed as allegorical. The commission to preach the same gospel Jesus taught has been given to the Church of God (Matthew 28:19-20). (For additional information on this subject, request our free booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom.)

How Christ will return
A good place to begin understanding how Christ will return is to note how He left. After a discussion with His disciples concerning the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3), we read that "when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven'" (Acts 1:9-11).

Though Jesus will return in a way similar to His departure, there is one distinction about His second coming that Jesus Himself (Revelation 1:1) revealed to John: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him . . ." (verse 7). Jesus' return will be a public event; everyone will see Him.

Besides the spectacular sight of the returning Christ, the apostle Paul identifies other miraculous events that will accompany this historic event. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Very few people understand that Christ's message, the gospel, includes His return and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. The wonderful truths surrounding His second coming are largely overlooked.

More details are in Revelation 11:15-19: "Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!' And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.' Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail."

This passage of Scripture confirms that the second coming will not be a secret occurrence. Everyone will be able to see Christ; an archangel will announce His return; a trumpet will sound. When these things happen, God's people who are alive on earth will be made immortal along with those who are simultaneously resurrected from their graves (1 Corinthians 15:51-53), all rising in the air to meet Christ.

Christ's plan of action
When Jesus returns, the world will not be a tranquil, peaceful place. Of the conditions just before His return, Jesus said, "If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive; but for the sake of God's chosen it will be cut short" (Matthew 24:22, New English Bible). Jesus will return to a world on the brink of self-destruction and annihilation.

The Bible further reveals that, instead of welcoming Jesus at His return, the first thing the nations will do is literally fight Him. Revelation 9 describes how enormous armies will be mobilized in the end time, gathering for a showdown against each other in the Holy Land. However, as Christ returns they will instead face off to battle against Him. This will take place at Jerusalem's Mount of Olives, where He will first set foot on earth (Zechariah 14:1-4).

The apostle John recorded a vision of Jesus at His return. Shocking to the sensibilities of some, it clearly identifies Christ as prepared to wage war.

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:11-16).

This picture is strikingly different from the loving, peaceful demeanor most often associated with Jesus. Since the purpose of the Kingdom of God is to bring about peace for the world (Isaiah 9:7), why does it begin with warfare? After all, one third of mankind will have already been killed in the events leading up to Christ's return (Revelation 9:15, 18).

Why a battle at the end of the age?
To find the reason for this battle, we go back to the Garden of Eden. From the beginning God gave mankind instructions that would produce happiness and eternal life (Genesis 3). Swayed by Satan's deceptive advice, Adam and Eve rejected God's instructions. They chose to decide for themselves how to live.

This largely unaltered pattern continues throughout Bible history. God gave the ancient Israelites His laws and encouraged them to obey so they could be blessed (Deuteronomy 30:19). They decided otherwise, as most people have today.

With the exception of a few who genuinely love God, demonstrated by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3), most reject God's straightforward teachings in the Bible. Many mistakenly believe that Christ kept the law for us, therefore we no longer need to obey it.

When Jesus returns, the world will not be a tranquil, peaceful place. Of the conditions leading up to His return, Jesus said, "If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive . . ."

Reflecting such misguided perspectives, a 1994 U.S. survey of 1,200 people ages 15 to 35 "found that most of those polled could name no more than two commandments, and as the essayist Cullen Murphy wrote, 'They weren't too happy about some of the others when they were told about them'" (John Leo, U.S. News & World Report, Nov. 18, 1996, p. 16). Such an attitude and approach were prophesied by Jesus when He said, "Lawlessness will abound" (Matthew 24:12), culminating in the terrible events leading up to His return.

But, after Christ defeats the gathered armies, the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. This government of God will be based on His eternal, unchanging law (Micah 4:2; Romans 7:12), which will provide the foundation for a worldwide program to reeducate everyone in God's ways. Of this time God also says, "I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezekiel 36:27, New International Version).

What Jesus Christ expects
The Scriptures are plain regarding the promise of Jesus Christ's second coming, but keeping a clear vision of this remarkable future is a challenge. What can we do to hold onto this perspective and make it the core of our lives?

Notice Jesus' instructions in Mark 1:14-15: "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'"

Believing the gospel of the Kingdom of God and repenting of disobedience to God's law are the foundation of our relationship with God. By practicing the faith of the Bible, our lives are ingrained with this perspective. Our daily prayers should include appeals for God's Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:9-10).

God gives us reminders of Christ's return and His wonderful Kingdom. Observing Holy Days revealed by God reminds us how His Kingdom will be established and all of mankind given the opportunity to be part of it. The weekly Sabbath and the annual Feast of Trumpets keep us mindful of the second coming of Jesus Christ and His prophesied rule on earth. (If you are interested in knowing more about these Holy Days, write for our free booklets Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest and God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.)

Focus on Christ's return
God's people have long anticipated the Messiah's reign. Joseph of Arimathea, the disciple who asked Pilate for Jesus' body after His crucifixion, was described as "a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43). To the Thessalonians Paul wrote: "And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ" (2 Thessalonians 3:5, King James Version).

James reminds Christians to "be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:7-8).

Hebrews 9:28 also promises: "To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time." These scriptures show us that Jesus expects us to conduct our lives with the expectation of His return foremost in mind.

Will Christ return? He placed His own credibility on the line. Because He promised, "I will come again" (John 14:3), we can have absolute confidence that He will return. Because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), this prophecy will be fulfilled. Christ will return. GN

The Fundamentals of Bible Prophecy

Why did God inspire the Bible writers to record prophecies? Could it be because prophecy reveals not only how but why God intervenes in the affairs of man? After all, prophecy discloses many details of God's great design. It explains God's actions in human affairs and how they relate to His revealed plan.

Let's first examine prophetic principles and themes. These fundamentals serve as keys that unlock the enigmas of prophecy. They make it possible for us to understand many aspects of prophecy that otherwise appear isolated and unrelated and how they fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

1. The role of the Messiah

God inspired much of prophecy to relate to the first and second appearances of Jesus as the Messiah. Prophecy explains the necessity of both His first and second comings in God's plan for mankind.

The apostles often referred to prophecies Jesus had already fulfilled to prove that He was the Messiah. But they also often spoke of His second coming. It is only natural for us to wonder about the prophecies that concern His second appearing—predictions that could affect our own lives, including perhaps our immediate future.

Therefore, the first important key to an understanding of biblical prophecy is to recognize that almost all prophecy directly relates to the intervention in human affairs of one key player: Jesus the Messiah. (The words Messiah and Christ are from the Hebrew and Greek, respectively. Both mean "Anointed One.")

Though not specifically mentioned in every prophetic passage, the Messiah is the central figure of prophecy. In fact, a major purpose of prophecy is to reveal the mission of the Messiah.

Jesus made this clear to His disciples after His resurrection: "Then He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.' And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures" (Luke 24:44-45).

Without knowledge of Christ's role in these prophecies, His disciples could not understand them. Most prophecies pertaining to the future point directly or indirectly to the mission and work of Jesus the Messiah.

2. Kingdom of God: focus of prophecy

The prophetic focus of Jesus Christ's mission is the Kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry "Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God" (Luke 8:1, New International Version). After His resurrection He came back to His apostles and "presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).

The Kingdom of God—the focus of Christ's message—is a major focus of prophecy. Almost all biblical prophecy is, in some way, related to the setting up of His rule and authority over human beings in the literal kingdom He will establish on earth.

The prophet Daniel explained that "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; . . . it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44). In a parable Jesus compared Himself with a "nobleman [who] went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return" (Luke 19:12). In a vision, Daniel saw how Jesus will receive that world-ruling Kingdom. "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days . . . Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).

The apostle John tells us that, when the last of seven prophetic trumpets sounds, a triumphant announcement will be heard: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15). Jesus Christ instructed every Christian to pray: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2).

The return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God will mark the beginning of the end of the many life-threatening problems the biblical prophets described. This exciting message of hope is a dominant theme in the writings of the prophets of God.

3. God's objective: mankind's redemption and salvation

Another purpose of prophecy is to urge repentance and offer everyone forgiveness through Jesus Christ's suffering and death. This focus on bringing all people to repentance permeates the prophecies of the Bible. Jesus Himself said, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-47).

Through the prophet Isaiah, God reveals the fundamental problem that needs solving. "These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Isaiah 29:13, NIV). God describes people as having "heart[s] of stone"—an unyielding attitude toward God and His instruction. This hardheartedness leads us to lives of selfishness—of greed, envy and hatred—which bring us ever closer to the brink of destruction.

Bible prophecy, however, reveals how God will ultimately deal with this problem: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Prophecy explains God's plan to bring this change of heart—otherwise known as repentance and conversion—to all people and solve the root problems that threaten to destroy us. So far only a few have repented and allowed their hearts to be converted through the power of God's Spirit. The rest of humanity must yet be brought to repentance and this change of heart.

To better understand prophecy, we must realize that, although God inspired the historically fulfilled and future aspects of prophecy for the benefit of all people, most people's hearts have not changed. Their attitude and actions reflect a hardened "heart of stone" (see Ezekiel 36:26 and Romans 8:7). To understand God's dealings with humanity, we must not overlook this fact.

The Bible likens God's relationship to mankind to that of a father with his children. Children often disobey their fathers, rebelling against them and choosing actions that disappoint and at times even anger them. But that doesn't lessen a father's patience, hope and love for his children. Keeping this perspective in mind helps us understand biblical prophecies of God, as our heavenly Father, relating to and interacting with us as His children.

4. Specific dates rare

Bible prophecy analyzes the past and provides a vision of the future (Isaiah 46:9-10). It often reveals specific events and sequences of events. But rarely does it reveal the exact time when events will occur. It is only natural that we want to know when and how prophecies will come to pass. Christ's disciples were no exception. When He appeared to them after His resurrection, they asked Him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (Acts 1:6-7, NIV).

The principle reflected here holds true for most prophecies. God seldom reveals the specific times of their fulfillment. People's attempts to identify specific fulfillment dates for undated prophecies tend to reap a harvest of embarrassment. We need to take Jesus at His word. It is not God's purpose that we know the exact time of the fulfillment of most prophecies. He wants us to recognize the many prophecies that have already been fulfilled. Their fulfillment assures us God's promises are accurate and reliable.

Christ's disciples asked on another occasion, ". . . When will these things be?" (Matthew 24:3). They wanted to know how they could recognize when His coming was imminent, when the end of the present world—the age under satanic sway and influence—was near. Jesus gave them no specific date. But, in subsequent verses, He cautioned them not to conclude that such horrendous occurrences as wars, famines, uncontrollable disease epidemics and devastating earthquakes are specific indicators that the end of this age is imminent. ". . . All these things must come to pass," He advised, "but the end is not yet" (verse 6). Such immense disasters would be only "the beginning of sorrows" (verse 8).

When His disciples asked for a sign to show the approximate date of His return, Jesus gave no such sign. Rather, He stressed the need to "take heed"—to be spiritually alert and on guard—that they should not be deceived (verse 4). Although Jesus Christ and the apostles made it plain that Christians can and should watch for indications that His return is near (Luke 21:28-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6), nowhere does the Bible give a date for Christ's return or related events.

5. Duality in the Bible

Prophetic statements sometimes apply to more than one fulfillment, a principle we could call "duality." A prime example of duality is Christ's first coming to atone for our sins and His second coming to rule as King of Kings.

Also, the Bible speaks of someone's descendants as his "seed." In some passages the word seed implies both an individual (the Messiah) and multiple descendants (people of Israelitish descent).

Such dual themes are common in Scripture. The apostle Paul, for example, wrote about "the first man Adam [becoming] a living being" and "the last Adam [Jesus Christ] [becoming] a life-giving spirit"

God defined spiritual circumcision—a converted heart—as the key to a Christian's relationship with God (Romans 2:27-28). Paul wrote of the spiritually circumcised-the Church, rather than a physical race of people—as being the "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16).

Jesus specifically alluded to the dual application of some prophecies in Matthew 17:11-12. Asked about the prophecy of "Elijah," who would precede the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5), Jesus responded: "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already . . ." The disciples understood that the "Elijah" who had come already was John the Baptist (verse 13). But Christ's clear implication is that another "Elijah" will precede His second coming, announcing His return just as John the Baptist preceded Christ's first coming.

Another prophecy with dual application is Jesus' Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), so named because He gave it on the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem. Many conditions described in this prophecy existed in the days leading up to the Romans' siege and destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But Christ makes it clear that similar conditions would prevail shortly before His return.

In the Olivet prophecy, Jesus spoke of an "abomination of desolation." Daniel's prophecy about the abomination of desolation was fulfilled in 167 B.C. by Antiochus Epiphanes, but Jesus predicted a similar future condition (see "The Coming 'Abomination of Desolation'").

We must carefully examine the context of prophecies to understand their meaning and discern whether the prophecy seems incomplete after its first fulfillment. It is equally important to avoid reading duality into passages that do not support such interpretation. We should take great care to properly discern whether duality is a factor in any particular prophecy.

We should also understand that virtually all interpretations of how prophecies may be fulfilled are speculative to some degree, and often we may recognize a prophecy's fulfillment only after it is well under way or already has taken place.

6. Cause and effect in prophecy

Another fundamental principle applicable to Bible prophecy is the correlation of cause and effect. The principle of cause and effect is often implicit in foretelling events. Human nature is quite predictable, especially to God, who made us and knows how we think. Therefore, God can foretell broad trends—and resulting disasters—based on His understanding of cause and effect. Expressed another way, God allows people to reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7-8) individually and, many times, collectively. He does this for our long-term benefit.

Many of the calamities that come on people are the consequence of their own sins and hostilities toward each other. The prophet Jeremiah well expressed this principle: "Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will reprove you" (Jeremiah 2:19). However, God sometimes exercises control over the consequences of human activities and conflicts to accomplish His objectives. At times He dramatically intervenes to alter the course of history. His actions—including personal and collective punishments-are tools He uses to accomplish a greater purpose.

God spoke of the cause-and-effect principle to Moses when He gave ancient Israel His law. He inspired Moses to warn Israel: "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments . . . [lest] when your heart is lifted up . . . you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth' . . . Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God . . . , you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 8:11-20).

Here God told the people of Israel that their future would be determined by their choices. This was prophecy, but it was prophecy predicated on people's decisions. If the Israelites chose to obey God and acknowledge that their blessings came from Him, they would receive His blessings and protection. But, if they forgot God and disobeyed Him, they would suffer the consequences that befall all disobedient people.

Later, in two of the five books of Moses, as revealed in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God offered examples of the blessings He bestows on people who choose to obey Him. He also lists the devastating consequences they will incur if they disobey Him.

Take the time to study these two chapters. If you carefully examine them you will greatly increase your understanding of cause and effect in regards to Bible prophecies. These passages illustrate God's blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience. They establish the basis for most of the later prophetic indictments and punishments that God pronounces on Israel and other peoples.

The underlying principle is simple: God ultimately, if not immediately, reacts to people's behavior. People of all nations determine much of their own future by how they respond to God and His instruction. King David noted this when he wrote, "The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden" (Psalm 9:15, NIV).

Once we comprehend that God's response to people can be based on the principle of cause and effect—blessings for obedience and calamities for disobedience—many of the misconceptions and mysteries about prophecy disappear. Other aspects of prophecy become much easier to comprehend.

7. Prophecy's greater context

Prophecy is not given or fulfilled in a vacuum. Prophecy provides us far more than a simple list of predictions. It analyzes attitudes and behavior—past, present and future—and reveals God's perspective and reactions. We cannot correctly understand Bible prophecy without some knowledge of the background of the period and culture of the prophet who utters any particular prophecy.

The Bible reveals the origin of the human race and its ethnic divisions (Acts 17:24-26; Deuteronomy 32:7-8). It records the rise and fall of empires and reveals reasons for their successes and their downfalls. It explains the origin of sin and its effect on history. These factors are essential background information to coming to an understanding of prophecy. Prophetic books such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel are filled with history that includes analysis of conditions existing at the time they were written. They contain instruction, correction, warnings and pleas for change. They present options, sometimes vividly explaining potential consequences.

Prophecy cannot be separated from history. It reflects the far-reaching perspective of the Bible. An accurate biblical worldview requires an understanding of God's view of the history of the world and how He influences it. We need to recognize that God intervenes in the affairs of men to fulfill His purpose. But it is just as important that we understand His perspective. This places prophecy in its proper context.

Prophecy out of context is easy to misinterpret. This is why irrational interpretations of prophecy have abounded throughout the centuries.

8. A satanic age

Another key to Bible prophecy is an understanding of the role and effect of Satan the devil. His influence over the world is so pervasive that Paul called him "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4). An understanding of Satan's influence is necessary if we are to understand prophecy. The devil exerts a powerful influence over human affairs.

The Bible contrasts "this age" of Satan's rule with "the age to come" (Matthew 12:32; Ephesians 1:21). Christians must struggle "against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world" (Ephesians 6:12, New Century Version). The past century alone has witnessed many evil rulers influenced by the prince of darkness. The apostle John tells us that Satan "leads the whole world astray" (Revelation 12:9, NIV) and "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).

Before God created the heavens and earth, He made angels. An angel of high rank chose to become an adversary to God and was therefore renamed Satan, which in Hebrew means "adversary." Revelation 12:4 indicates that Satan (also called a dragon; verse 9) drew a third of the angels into rebellion. The angels who follow him are demons, comprising the "spiritual hosts of wickedness" of which Paul warns us (Ephesians 6:12).

The "age to come" (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30) will be free of Satan's influence. God let the apostle John see in vision "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan," being seized and bound for 1,000 years "so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended" (Revelation 20:2-3, New Revised Standard Version).

The imprisonment of Satan begins the prophesied age to come, when "the kingdoms of this world . . . [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 11:15).

With the devil bound, the world will experience peace under Christ's rule. "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever . . ." (Isaiah 9:7, NIV).

9. The destiny of man

God created man to rule over His creation, to supervise everything, including every living creature. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth'" (Genesis 1:27-28).

Eventually God will greatly extend that rule. ". . . ''What are human beings that you [God] are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.' Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them" (Hebrews 2:6-8, NRSV).

Amazing as it may seem, God desires to place everything He has created under our control, in harmony with His will as our Creator. But, in our present human state, that is impossible. Remember, though, that Jesus Christ was also a human being. He was once in the flesh just as we are. Today He shares power over everything in the universe with our heavenly Father (Matthew 28:18). (For more information about the future God has planned for everyone who faithfully serves Him, be sure to request your free copy of What Is Your Destiny?)

The time will come when Christ will share His authority with all who become the immortal children of God. He promises us, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21).

Our heavenly Father also tells us, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (Revelation 21:7). This is the destiny God promises to everyone who surrenders his will to Him.

To properly understand prophecy, we should familiarize ourselves with these biblical concepts. Now let's take a look at God's promises and the covenants on which all biblical prophecy is based.