Europe's Troubles: Setting the Stage for Prophecy's Fulfillment

In 1933 Winston Churchill chillingly warned, "No one can watch the events which are taking place in Germany without increasing anxiety about what their outcome will be." With an economic crisis now plaguing the eurozone, will Berlin's troubled history repeat itself? What is Germany's destiny? Does Bible prophecy give us any indication of where events in Europe are leading?

The late British author John Stott summed up the mindset of many this way: "Most of us feel demoralized by the heart-rending tragedy of this chaotic world. Our very survival is in doubt. The ordinary citizen often feels a helpless victim of the tangled web of politics, or a faceless unit in the machine of modern society" (Basic Christianity, 2008, p. 152).

The apostle Paul foretold that conditions would be like this during the last days of this age of man (2 Timothy:3:1-5). That's why our articles about regional and world trends ultimately focus on the good news guaranteed by the prophecies of the Bible.

But the Bible itself makes it very plain that the wonderful world to come will first be preceded by devastating conditions of a magnitude never before seen by the human race (see Matthew:24:21-22; Daniel:12:1; Jeremiah:30:7). The state of the world will be so dire that human survival will be at stake!

Our news headlines show that prophecies written in the Bible many centuries ago are now beginning to be fulfilled in a major way. Nowhere is this truer than in Central Europe and the Middle East.

What does Bible prophecy tell us about the future of Europe? The biblical books of Daniel and Revelation both show that a new and dictatorial superpower will emerge at the time of the end, centered in Europe. In this article we'll see how the stage is apparently being set for the fulfillment of these prophecies.

Europe as a unified entity

Europe is a key player in the global economy. In spite of all the talk about the economies of the United States and China, the European Union (EU) is the world's largest and wealthiest economic power bloc.

Europe has also been the battleground for countless wars over the millennia and the flashpoint for two devastating world wars in the first half of the 1900s. At the heart of those two world wars for control of Europe was Germany, now politically and economically immersed with other European nations in seeking a United States of Europe.

The global intelligence firm Strategic Forecasting, Inc., better known as Stratfor, is highly respected for its analysis of global and regional trends. Months ago it noted that "the future of Europe [is] bound to the decision-making process in Germany" and that "Europe cannot function as a unified entity unless someone is in control."

It went on to explain that "at present, Germany is the only country with a large enough economy and population to achieve that control" ("Germany's Choice: Part 2," July 26, 2011, emphasis added throughout). In recent months we have seen this demonstrated again and again as Germany has positioned itself—sometimes openly, sometimes behind the scenes—to take the lead in the future direction of Europe.

Currently two basic scenarios exist for the future of Europe. One view, the most popular, holds that the present generation of Germans have become staunch defenders of freedom and democracy, being fully aware of the dangers of repeating Berlin's troubled history during the first half of the 20th century—when its ambitions twice led to world wars.

A second view is that a long-lingering euro crisis, initially spurred by runaway Greek debt but then spreading steadily to other troubled European economies, will eventually result in the emergence of an economic powerhouse that can step in and resolve the crisis—a new German-led empire.

Proponents of this projection of current trends believe that the nations of southern Europe are slated to come under Berlin's thumb and that, in the long run, even the enormous bailouts by Germany will be well worth the huge costs incurred. In other words, Germany will be successful at attaining through its economic might what it was unsuccessful at attaining through military might twice in the last century.

Do history and the Bible indicate which view will eventually prevail?

"It's all about Germany"

The two world wars started by Germany have often dominated the anxious postwar thoughts of other European countries. In 1997, then French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing cautioned that a failure of efforts to integrate Europe economically (leading to today's euro) would lead to "a preponderant influence of Germany" in European affairs (Celestine Bohlen, "Euro Unity? It's Germany That Matters," The New York Times, March 9, 2010).

A basic rationale by other European nations in recent decades was to encase Germany well inside the European Union to prevent its previously notorious nationalistic tendencies from threatening their sovereignty and territorial integrity. This was a powerful motivator behind the steady drive for European integration into an eventual united Europe.

But is this strategy really going to work out as hoped in the long run, considering Europe's disparate peoples and cultures? With Europe confronting a painful and divisive economic crisis, will Berlin eventually wind up virtually directing the activities of the EU anyway?

It appears the answer is now becoming clearer. The article cited above states: "Ten years after the euro, it's still all about Germany, which isn't the way it was supposed to be. . . President Nicolas Sarkozy of France can come and pledge all the support to Greece he wants, but in the end, it's Germany that matters" (ibid).

Newsweek magazine recently pointed out: "Who is the greatest beneficiary of the existence of the euro? The answer is Germany. . . The rest of the euro zone absorb[s] 40 percent of German exports. . ." (John Eatwell, "Euro Vision," Sept. 5, 2011).

The Stratfor report cited earlier also noted: "Despite its flaws, the system that currently manages Europe has granted Germany economic wealth of global reach without costing a single German life. Given the horrors of World War II, this was not something to be breezily discarded. No country in Europe has benefited more from the eurozone than Germany. For the German elite, the eurozone was an easy means of making Germany matter on a global stage without the sort of military revitalization that would have spawned panic across Europe and the former Soviet Union. And it also made the Germans rich."

Moving to exert control

Germany is clearly taking steps to exert control in the current economic crisis. The Stratfor report also noted that Germany was for a long time content to take a backseat in the European leadership arena, but no longer.

With the economic crisis spreading among the countries of southern Europe, Germany is the only European power with enough financial muscle to bail them out—and has quietly maneuvered behind the scenes to put themselves in the driver's seat.

Germany has created a new bailout mechanism that, as Strafor observes, "takes its orders from the Germans. The mechanism is not enshrined in EU treaties; it is instead a private bank, the director of which is German. . . In order to get the money, distressed states merely have to do whatever Germany—the manager of the fund—wants. . .

"Accepting EFSF [European Financial Security Facility] assistance means accepting a surrender of financial autonomy to the German commanders of the EFSF. For now, that means accepting German-designed austerity programs, but there is nothing that forces the Germans to limit their conditions to the purely financial/fiscal.

"For all practical purposes, the next chapter of history has now opened in Europe. Regardless of intentions, Germany has just experienced an important development in its ability to influence fellow EU member states—particularly those experiencing financial troubles. It can now easily usurp huge amounts of national sovereignty.

"Rather than constraining Germany's geopolitical potential, the European Union now enhances it; Germany is on the verge of once again becoming a great power. This hardly means that a regeneration of the Wehrmacht [military force] is imminent, but Germany's re-emergence does force a radical rethinking of the European and Eurasian architectures."

"A real opportunity to achieve a political union in Europe"

The British newsmagazine The Economist recently observed: "All of a sudden . . . Berlin is abuzz with talk of remaking the European Union: issuing joint eurobonds, renegotiating the EU's treaties, even creating a federal Europe" ("Germany's Euro Question," Sept. 10, 2011).

Redesigning the European Union's institutions has suddenly become all the rage in Germany!

Of particular interest is the revival of federalism. The Economist piece continued: "German Euro-federalists have woken up after a long slumber. It is no surprise that Joschka Fischer, the Greens' elder statesman [who served as foreign minister and vice chancellor under former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder], should call for the 'United States of Europe.'"

According to a Sept. 4, 2011, Reuters article, Schroeder himself also called for the creation of a "United States of Europe," stating: "The current crisis makes it relentlessly clear that we cannot have a common currency zone without a common fiscal, economic and social policy. . . We will have to give up national sovereignty. . . And that means the United States of Europe...In the crisis lies a real opportunity to achieve a political union in Europe."

Strengths and weaknesses in eurozone nations

According to The Wall Street Journal: "The Greek statistical office reported that the economy shrank 7.3% in the second quarter, down from an initial estimate of 6.9% contraction last month. The Greek economy has been contracting for three years" ("Greece Slips Further," Sept. 9-11, 2011).

Recently Athens has been only weeks from running out of euros and facing a critical debt default. In response the Greek government has promised to levy a property tax to address a 2 billion euro revenue shortfall. But will this measure send yet more Greek citizens to the streets, demonstrating and rioting in protest? Some observers still feel that a Greek default is inevitable.

Discussions with EU and International Monetary Fund officials recently broke down over the terms of loans Greece desperately needs to avoid economic collapse. Several other southern European nations are only slightly better off than Greece.

How is it that, as the Newsweek article cited above states, "the entire national debts of Greece, Portugal, and Ireland amount to less than 5 percent of euro-zone debt," and yet the entire eurozone can be seriously shaken by their debt problems? This clearly points to major structural flaws in the way the euro was originally constructed as a new currency beginning in early 1999.

This probably has some bearing on why, just prior to the establishment of Jesus Christ's future rule on earth, the Bible speaks of a future European-centered superpower where the component countries are symbolically described as iron mixed with clay, "partly strong and partly fragile" (see Daniel:2:40-44).

The troubling future of Europe

Hitler's Nazi regime (1933-1945) was made possible only by a severe economic crisis in Germany during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Under normal economic conditions the Nazis could never have come to power. Of course, the details are different today. So far it's not Berlin that's experiencing economic crisis, but other eurozone nations, principally in southern Europe. Germany remains the principal paymaster of Europe. But there may yet be financial consequences for Germany.

Today the European Union countries are experiencing serious political differences and a troubling degree of divisiveness and disunity due in significant measure to severe economic problems. Bible prophecy indicates that the European Union will not continue in its current form.

Some members may opt out of the EU, or perhaps even be forced out as the prophesied end-time entity takes shape (Britain, for instance, has often been at odds with the European Union almost from its inception in 1958).

Ultimately a new and powerful European superstate, labeled in symbol as "the Beast," will astonish a largely unsuspecting world. An imposing bloc of nations will coalesce as one final revival of the ancient Roman Empire (Revelation:13:1-8; 17:8-18; Daniel:2:37-45; 7:15-27).

Ten member nations (or groups of nations) will relinquish their own national sovereignty to become part of this astonishing end-time superpower. "These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation:17:13).

These disturbing events will affect the whole world—including setting the stage for the devastatingly dangerous times in which human extinction would happen without God's intervention (Matthew:24:21-22). Since all that Bible prophecy foretells is sure to happen, we should all heed the words of the apostle Peter. He asked in light of the impermanence of the world around us: "What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" (2 Peter:3:11).

Seeing the stage set for the fulfillment of end-time prophecies should motivate each of us to examine our spiritual condition in the light of God's Word. An understanding of prophecy ought to lead us to repentance and to dedicate our lives to seeking God and serving Him. Mere academic Bible knowledge is far from enough!

Jesus Christ plainly tells us in Luke:21:36: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man"!

The Great White Throne Judgment: A Biblical Mystery Explained

The book of Revelation describes a resurrection in which billions will be judged. How will Jesus Christ judge them? Will He consign them to an ever-burning hellfire or instead give them their first real opportunity for salvation?

A wise man said many times, "The Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle." One has to piece together God's Word properly. Each passage has its proper role in enabling us to correctly understand biblical doctrine. The apostle Paul aptly described our part in this process as "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy:2:15, emphasis added throughout). More modern translations usually render the phrase "correctly handling."

Another way of understanding this important principle is reflected by the biblical saying, "Here a little, there a little" (Isaiah:28:10, 13). Clearly one scriptural passage of and by itself usually does not fully convey the complete truth about any specific biblical teaching. Normally, it should be carefully compared with other passages dealing with the same topic.

Neglected, misunderstood and misinterpreted

Few passages in the entire Bible, if any, have been more neglected, misunderstood and misinterpreted than Revelation:20:11-15, which refers to what is commonly known as the Great White Throne Judgment. Here misinterpretation happens principally because a crucial principle of Bible study (mentioned above) has been carelessly overlooked by theologians whose understanding has been darkened by erroneous doctrinal beliefs.

The timeline of Revelation 20 summarizes a number of crucial occurrences in the latter part of God's overall plan for saving mankind. We may gain essential supplementary details from other scriptures. But first let's look at Revelation:20:11-15 in its entirety:

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books [plural] were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life [not death]. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades [the grave] delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one, according to his works.

"Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

An erroneous doctrinal assumption

Mainstream Christianity wrongly assumes that the White Throne Judgment described here consists of condemning many millions who never converted to Christianity during their lifetimes to an ever-burning hellfire. Yet vast numbers of those who died in past ages never even heard of Jesus Christ. They had no real opportunity to experience Christian conversion or to be saved.

Wholesale condemnation of many millions would be directly contrary to God's very nature. The apostle Paul states in 1 Timothy:2:3-4, "For this is right and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (New Revised Standard Version).

We should also recognize that most everyone who died in past ages—even those who did hear of Christ—never truly knew or really understood biblical truth, or ever had the opportunity to do so. And if they never had an opportunity for salvation in the past, would not a just God give them an opportunity in the future?

Although Revelation:20:14-15 clearly demonstrates that there is indeed a lake of fire for the punishment of incorrigible sinners, this passage does not indicate an ever-burning hellfire. The apostle Paul plainly tells us that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans:6:23)—not an eternal existence of interminable suffering in hellfire.

Contrary to those who teach that death merely means separation from God, death in fact means a complete cessation of consciousness (Ecclesiastes:9:5, 10). (For a much more complete explanation, request or download our free booklet Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?)

Now let's consider what our Savior actually taught concerning Revelation:20:11-15.

What did Christ personally teach?

Who is the actual author of the great resurrection just prior to the White Throne Judgment period? John plainly tells us in his gospel account that Jesus said, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in their graves will hear His [Christ's] voice" (John:5:28).

Several scriptures show that God the Father has committed all judgment of human beings to His Son (verses 22, 30). So Jesus Christ Himself is the one who will exercise judgment during the time described in Revelation:20:11-13. The Father remains in heaven until that time arrives for Him to usher in the glorious, everlasting panorama of joyful never-ending existence described later in the last two chapters of the Bible.

Few realize that important collateral passages—clearly explaining events that will occur during the White Throne Judgment—are found in Matthew's gospel account. Consider carefully what Christ actually taught: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! [These were cities of His day.] For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [earlier cities], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you" (Matthew:11:21-22).

Consider this remarkable statement for a moment. Jesus talks about a future judgment in which the people of His day and age will be judged alongside those of the long-dead cities of Tyre and Sidon, destroyed centuries earlier!

And how will they be judged? Revelation 20 clearly states that those resurrected will be judged "according to their works," the things they actually did coupled with the opportunities they had to know and understand God's truth. But again, will God condemn these ancient peoples who never once had the opportunity to know or respond to God's truth?

During this future judgment period they will have a sufficient period of time to sincerely repent of past deeds, be baptized and receive God's Holy Spirit. Ultimately, those who do prove obedient to their Creator will inherit eternal life in His Kingdom. In sharp contrast, those who continue to reject God's truth and stubbornly refuse to repent will be sentenced to suffer "the second death" (verses 14-15)—again, it is a death, not an eternal existence in a lake of fire.

The ultimately encouraging fate of Sodom

Let's continue in Matthew's account: "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades [the grave]; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day" (Matthew:11:23).

Can we grasp what Christ is really saying here? Firstly, recall the unlawful deeds of these ancient peoples: "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord" (Genesis:13:13). Yet during His human life Jesus Christ told a prominent city in Galilee that it came up short even when compared with ancient Sodom!

Jesus continued: "But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for you" (Matthew:11:24). Again, Christ spoke of a future judgment, comparingthese ancient peoples of Sodom with the citizens of Capernaum during His generation.

The only conclusion one can reach is that the resurrected men and women of Sodom, who had died almost 2,000 years earlier, will be given an opportunity for salvation during this future period of judgment!

God is merciful toward all those who are willing to really repent. Christ said that the men of ancient Sodom would have repented during their previous lifetime had He done the great miracles there that He performed in Capernaum many generations later. So why didn't He do those works for those of Sodom? Because it was not yet time for them to be offered salvation.

A resurrection of people from different periods in history

Jesus Christ's next statement is even clearer and more specific. Notice it: "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here" (Matthew:12:41). The ancient Ninevites and Jonah had lived and died more than eight centuries earlier. Yet Jesus plainly states that they will rise up in the future with those of His generation!

Jesus then alters the focus of his comparison to just one well-known individual of ancient times. "The queen of the South [i.e., the Queen of Sheba] will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it [by comparison with her own], for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew:12:42). The Queen of Sheba and Solomon lived almost a thousand years earlier. But again, Jesus says she will rise with those who lived in Jesus' day and heard His words!

Clearly Jesus is describing a resurrection in which people who lived and died centuries apart will rise from the grave together, learn God's truth for the first time and have the opportunity at last to repent and receive God's gift of salvation! What a remarkable and little-understood truth!

In these passages Christ referred primarily to ancient gentile (or non-Israelite) countries. But what about the peoples of Israel—past, present and future? Can they be saved?

The apostle Paul answers, "And so all Israel will be saved" (Romans:11:26). But again, how can that happen when so many of them never even had the opportunity to hear God's truth?

The prophet Ezekiel explains what will happen. "The whole house of Israel" will be part of a great resurrection in the future occurring just after the close of Christ's millennial reign. Read about this resurrection of physical bodies brought back to life in Ezekiel's remarkable vision recorded in Ezekiel 37. The participants will then be given an opportunity for salvation during the White Throne Judgment period.

The surprising truth about the resurrections

But a thousand years beforehand, at the time of Christ's second coming, true Christians will be resurrected to eternal spirit life as the firstfruits of God's salvation. They will then assist Jesus Christ in ruling the nations during the 1,000-year Millennium and the White Throne Judgment period to follow (1 Thessalonians:4:16; 1 Corinthians:15:51-52; Revelation:5:10; 20:4-6; Romans:8:18-19, 23).

As important as Revelation 20 remains in helping depict God's overall plan for humankind, this crucial chapter cannot be fully understood without clarifying and supporting passages in other parts of the Bible.

The great mercy of God defies the limits of our imaginations. Paul wrote: "Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer [Jesus Christ] shall come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob [Israel]; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'" (Romans:11:25-27).

Hebrews:13:8 tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Today He remains deeply concerned for the salvation of all peoples. He is the Captain of their salvation and the Author and Finisher of their faith (Hebrews:2:10; 12:2). And as we have seen, He will personally carry out an important part of the latter phase of God's plan for the salvation of humanity during the Great White Throne Judgment period!

America After 9/11: On the Hinge of History

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, shook the entire world. The world had changed, though exactly how wouldn't be known for some time. Now, 10 years later, it's evident we may be on a hinge of history.

Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001, when America was attacked by al-Qaeda terrorists? What ran through your mind as you watched the unfolding tragedy?

That Tuesday morning in September, the United States suffered the worst loss of life on its soil since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. What have Americans learned since that day? What is the state of the country and the world? Do we understand the most important lessons from this event?

Every generation has its defining moments. For the World War II generation, it was the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. For another it was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. In our present time it was the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington that plunged the nation into a global war on terror.

An event that defined the last decade

The 9/11 attacks have defined more than a decade of American experience. Every year on its anniversary, memorials are conducted, the dead are remembered and the country takes note of what that event has meant.

I well remember the day. Like millions of others I watched the television screen in disbelief. The collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The gaping hole left in the walls of the Pentagon in Washington. And the remains of United Flight 93 in the Pennsylvania field where it crashed—a moving testimony to the brave passengers who prevented the terrorists from killing more innocent people.

It was a surreal day that defied belief even as the world watched it unfold.

In the aftermath, most of the world came together for one brief shining moment. World leaders pledged their support to track down and find the leaders of the attack. Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, was among the first to call President George Bush.

Americans from across the nation rallied to New York with support ranging from condolences and prayers to technical support to comb the wreckage of the Trade Center looking for any survivors. New York has not often been a target of sympathy—but on that day its citizens were embraced by all Americans.

On the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, senators and congressmen stood together that night and sang "God Bless America." On that day partisan politics took a back seat to the anguish of the nation.

Listening for words that didn't come

A few days after the attack a prayer service was held in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The nation's leadership, both political and military, prayed and sang in remembrance. You could see on the faces of the soldiers the plans for the attacks that would come on the enemy. Prayers were offered by every major denomination—including Islam.

I watched the service on television. I listened carefully. I was looking for something very important, what I knew would be the real key to the whole national drama we were experiencing.

I listened to hear a call to repentance—a clear call for the nation to admit its shortcomings, its moral, ethical and spiritual sins. I listened for a defining call to turn, to use this national calamity as a wakeup call and to cry out to God for forgiveness.

I listened, but it did not come. There were words of comfort, but no clear call for repentance. Only one religious leader used the word and called for a changing of our ways. But it was only a passing reference—nothing more.

Here was a moment in history—an opportunity for a people to fall on their knees before the God of heaven and seek His divine guidance and deliverance. But it did not happen. Oh, there was a brief resurgence of religious observance. Church attendance went up in the weeks following 9/11. But it just as quickly went back to the same historically low levels as before the event—and has continued about the same to this day.

We did not learn the lesson God wants us to learn from this event. The singular lesson is repentance.

A lesson from 2,000 years ago

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ mentioned two major tragedies of His day that shocked everyone.

Notice the lesson He drew from these: "There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices [that is, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate ordered them massacred when they came to offer sacrifices, likely to put down some resistance].

"And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish'" (Luke:13:1-5).

Those workers at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were in the right place, but at the wrong time. Time and chance in an evil world caught them in a final moment. The firefighters and police workers were brave men and women responding to an emergency and trying to save lives. They too were caught in a snare set by evil men bent on killing as many Americans as possible.

Christ's words are directed to everyone: "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." His words are more important today than ever before.

We face a time of mounting crisis everywhere we look in the world. Some are starting to openly talk about the end of an age—a time of transition in world events. There is talk of a new order that will bring something completely different than what we have always known. It is a time of uncertainty.

Living at a "hinge of history"

The truth is, we are watching a momentous period in history develop before our eyes. We are living at what historians sometimes call a "hinge of history," when events happen that can change the course of the world.

Today we are seeing among nations a time of massive change impacting our everyday life. We see it happening, yet we don't understand why it's happening.

Let's look at what we've seen since 9/11.

America since 9/11 has been mired in four wars with no conclusive results. In Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen (which was secret until recently) and now Libya, American incursions have cost billions while sapping much of the strength and vitality of the nation in areas where its results are questionable. Its military has been stretched abroad to near the breaking point. It is on the verge of withdrawal from Iraq, and will do so in the coming months in a manner that does not ensure that any gains of the last 10 years will hold.

Since 9/11 the West, and America in particular, has suffered the worst recession in more than 60 years. It was centered on Wall Street and involved the near collapse of the mortgage market. On a September weekend in 2008, the entire American financial system came close to gridlock and collapse. World markets rallied to keep the system propped up.

Along with this has come a prolonged decline in the value of the U.S. dollar against other world currencies , accompanied recently by an unprecedented downgrade of the nation's credit rating. There are increasing demands for the world to abandon the dollar as the reserve, or primary, currency in world financial markets. For many reasons this has not yet happened. But when, not if, it happens, Americans will face a great reduction in their standard of living.

America's debt is bringing the nation to the brink of serfdom. It could become an economic captive of its creditors. Debt is strangling the future vitality and security of several nations. Nations are like individuals in certain respects of becoming financially overextended. They go broke slowly over a long period of time by living beyond their income. Then suddenly it's all over, and bankruptcy occurs. America is at that point.

Presently, the world's nations are demanding corrective action on a scale that's beyond the capacities of national leaders.

What is the true source of blessings?

Now let me tell you something. The Good News is rooted in the Bible as its source of authority and guidance. We don't make economic or political predictions. But this we state with confidence: America and the major English-speaking nations will not collapse or lose all their power until God allows it to happen. That our nations have endured all that they have in recent years and still dominate in the way they do is by the grace of God.

It is not by national power or might or wisdom or exceptional abilities. God is the power behind these peoples. He has blessed these countries beyond any other people, nation or tribe in world history. They enjoy the good life they do because the God of heaven honored His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—the biblical patriarchs and their descendants. It is one of the most important and fascinating stories in history, one you need to know more about.

America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are great because of God's blessing. They have walked the high places of the world during the past two centuries because God placed them in that position. God made them great. He gave them their vast wealth, power and prestige. It is ironic that our forefathers acknowledged this while today's leaders have forgotten. But God is patient and merciful.

America will not fade from its world position until God allows it to happen. But could it be that He is offering one more opportunity to repent—to admit we have forgotten our roots and amend our ways before it is too late?

At a turning point?

Are America and the world at a turning point in history? Are we watching a pivotal moment when biblical prophecy and world events coincide?

The Bible shows us that such times occur. God determines the times and the boundaries of nations, their appointed times of power and prominence. He ultimately decides what kings, presidents and rulers are in authority, and He alone sets the course of history (Daniel:2:21; 4:17; Psalm:75:6-7; Isaiah:46:9-11; Acts:17:26).

When God begins to move His plan to the next phase, He lets His servants understand what is happening (see Amos:3:7).

In Habbakuk 1:5 we read: "Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you."

God tells us to watch among the nations—to understand what and why the wars and shifting of powers and influence among nations. Are we seeing such a time as this now, in our day?

Look at our world today.

Across the Middle East, from Tunisia to Iraq, a wave of change has rolled. Long-standing governments have been toppled. Others may yet fall. Egypt saw the removal of President Hosni Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Syria have experienced riots against leadership. The unrest and instability across the region could redraw the geopolitical map. Such change has not been seen since the end of World War I when statesmen gathered at the Palace of Versailles and created the countries of the modern Middle East.

Add to this mix the threat of a nuclear Iran and the potential to destabilize the flow of oil from that region to the world. The festering, unsolvable Palestinian refugee crisis is another unstable mix of people and events.

Bible prophecy centers on key events in the Middle East that bring the nations to a crisis in the days prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. We are seeing massive shifts impact the region, setting the stage for the next phase of prophecy.

China is a growing power and influence in the world. Various predictions are made about China overtaking America as the world's foremost economic power. Such predictions miss a larger truth: The United States will lose its position unless fundamental spiritual changes are made. One point is certain: China and other nations hold large amounts of American debt. They will require a reckoning at some point. It is inevitable.

And then there is Europe. We have written many times about the changing role of Europe in world affairs. Bible prophecy has a great deal to tell us about the rise of a European-dominated power at the time of the end.

Europe is going through a financial crisis like America. Yet the Bible foretells that they will survive this period. They may reinvent themselves and suddenly become the "indispensable" power that keeps the world from descending into another "dark age." Political and religious leadership will appear on the stage that will bring some kind of order to a time of disruption.

There are repeated calls for a United States of Europe to solve the monetary problems of nations like Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Ireland. For Europe to exist as a unified state, one national power would have to rise and dominate the continent as a financial and political leader. This will happen.

Europe will not dissolve and crumble—even if there is some fragmentation or even partial collapse in the short term. Rather, Europe will eventually become a larger world power than we see today. We have been saying this for years.

Do not rely totally on what you hear about the future of Europe in most current media analysis. Commentators do not apply biblical understanding to world news reporting. All they have is a secular, often anti-biblical, view of history that does not account for the spiritual dimension.

The Good News provides that missing dimension. We strive to keep our analysis rooted in sound biblical teaching and understanding.

America is caught in the midst of these changes in the worst possible condition. The nation faces an economic crisis of historic proportions. It is a debtor to other nations who, frankly, hold its future in their hands.

What lies ahead for America and other English-speaking nations?

Different voices are speaking to America today. Some are very anxious, worried for the future of the country. Others see the best days of America in the future. Which view is correct?

Now, 10 years after 9/11, which voice should the United States, and all the English-speaking peoples, heed?

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God gave a warning message to the people of ancient Judah that resonates down to our day. Jeremiah's message speaks to us today. He described unrepentant human nature. He described people and conditions that are the same as ours today.

Notice what he said and judge whether it fits today: "For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge" (Jeremiah:4:22).

Does this not describe popular culture and political leadership today?

The prophet was further inspired to write: "But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; they have revolted and departed. They do not say in their heart, 'Let us now fear the Lord our God, who gives rain . . . in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.' Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good from you" (Jeremiah:5:23-25).

Why aren't the answers to our big problems easily found? Jeremiah's answer is that it is because of sin. Because a people, the Americans and others of British descent, do not obey and put first the law of God and the knowledge of His way.

Jeremiah delivered his message at a time of great upheaval in the world of his day. It was a message intended for a people who had been blessed as a nation by God. God honored His promise to the descendants of Abraham, the tribes of Israel, and made a great nation of them. But they did not obey as their father Abraham had obeyed. They abandoned God and the true faith for a false set of gods and idols. It led to their ruin. The end result was national decline and captivity.

America and the other English-speaking nations have been blessed in our modern day by the same God for the same reason. God gave to our peoples in modern times the greatest blessing ever given to any group of people. The story of the last 250 years has been that of Great Britain, the United States and their brother nations. There is no other way to legitimately explain the great national wealth and power of these nations.

But like ancient Israel, these nations have abandoned the true God and His laws and are now approaching the twilight of their day. Unless they come to a deep change of heart, their fate will be that of others—decline and defeat.

It's not too late for a course correction

But Jeremiah was an optimist—and so was Jesus Christ. Remember the scripture we read where Christ warned people that unless they repented they would perish as others did? He is saying that it's not too late for people, even nations, to change, receive forgiveness and be set back on the track to true righteousness.

Does God care for America? You bet He does.

Does He care for all nations? Absolutely!

The God of heaven sees and knows what is happening to this nation today, and it affects Him deeply. God does not wish that any should perish or suffer. But our sins have created our national problems and cut us off from Him (Isaiah:59:2-14), and only a deep heartfelt repentance can turn around the present distress.

Notice God's answer to the prayer of Solomon about the nation of Israel: "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles:7:13-14).

It is the same for every nation. As God says in Jeremiah:18:7-8, "The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it."

It is not too late to turn around this great nation and its people. The same is true for Britain and other English-speaking countries—and, in fact, for all nations. What would it take for you to hear God's call to change, repent and seek Him as never before? To admit you have not known Him, loved Him, obeyed Him? Oh, it would be a big change in your life, no doubt. But the result would be a new and transformed life, different beyond your imagination.

To experience God at this level would be a memorable and wondrous experience. Why not pray for God to grant this repentance to you? Why not pray for this to come upon the nation at this hinge point in history—before it is too late?

We are living in a period of change and transition. God is doing something hard to believe. We—and you—need a spiritual renewal before it is too late!

Will the World End in 2012?

Much has been said about the world ending in the year 2012 - a fact supposedly revealed in the ancient Mayan calendar. Is there any basis or truth to this or in others who predict the end of the world next year? What does the Bible say about the end of the world? Does it tell us whether the world could or will end in the year 2012

Many people would give almost anything to know what the future holds. This has been true as long as human beings have walked the earth.

The apostles of Jesus Christ were no exception. He spoke often to them about His return when He will dwell again on the earth—in the future Kingdom of God, reigning over everything.

Shortly before He died, Jesus was with His 12 disciples in Jerusalem in the area of the splendid Temple Mount. Jesus told them that the temple, in which the Jews of that day took exceptional pride, would one day be razed to the ground (Matthew:24:1-2).

The disciples were likely shocked and surprised at that statement by their Master, and it prompted them to ask the question about which Christians from the first century to this day have earnestly desired to know: "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew:24:3, emphasis added throughout).

This conversation occurred nearly 2,000 years ago. Jesus would not return in the lifetime of those to whom He spoke, although it seems they expected Him to for many years. They all died, still waiting for the return of the King of Kings (Revelation:19:16).

While they were alive, they repeatedly preached the promise of His coming and earnestly longed for His return. One of the 12, Peter, recorded a warning for those of his day that has echoed through time and still speaks today to all who read it. He wrote that some skeptics—"scoffers," he called them—would say, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Peter:3:4). And he responded in advance, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise" (verse 9).

When Jesus returns, it will be the end of "this present evil age" (Galatians:1:4), the end of the world in which human beings rule.

Human-generated prophecies of the coming apocalypse

When Jesus' disciples asked Him when the end would come, He told them of signs and events that would occur during the intervening period. Yet He also told them, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew:24:36).

Jesus' statement has not dissuaded men from making brazen prophecies. People of every stripe and type have been stricken with prediction addiction. Raymond Hundley's 2010 book Will the World End in 2012? noted one website that "cited 149 different predictions of the apocalypse between AD 44 and 2008" (p. ix).

The predictions of the end of the world did not cease in 2008. If anything, the avalanche has gained momentum. Many of the prophecies even center on a specific day—Dec. 21, 2012.

This has been called the most intriguing date in history. The orientation of those who pinpoint this date is widely varied—some are religious and some are secular. The events they say will trigger the ultimate cataclysm comprise descriptions of a human-contrived cauldron of horror.

But will they come to pass? It's vital for your spiritual safety and peace of mind that you are well-grounded in the truth of the Bible. There are many deceivers in the world; indeed Scripture tells us that Satan "deceives the whole world" (Revelation:12:9). For this reason, Jesus warns His disciples, "Don't let anyone mislead you" (Matthew:24:4, New Living Translation).

Many people are putting forth their own interpretations regarding the future, but the Bible must be our sole guide. It brims with prophecy about the end of the world. We must also be careful about the spin that people put on biblical prophecies about the end.

While we can have a better idea of the general time frame of Christ's return as time goes on and we see prophecy being fulfilled around us, the pages of history are strewn with erroneous dates on which some predicted or expected the end to come.

As Mark Hitchcock notes in his book 2012: The Bible and the End of the World: "The oldest surviving prediction of the world's imminent demise was found inscribed upon an Assyrian clay tablet which stated, 'Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end. Bribery and corruption are common'" (2009, p. 102).

We will be wise if we stick to what the Bible says rather than pay heed to self-proclaimed prophets. What do some gloom-and-doom prophets do? "The Bible is consulted and considered reliable when they believe it supports their 2012 theory, but when it contradicts and challenges their beliefs it is rejected and in some cases even ridiculed" (p. 92).

The anticipated day: Dec. 21, 2012

Why has Dec. 21, 2012, been selected by many as the day of catastrophe? It is due in large part to calculations on the calendars of the ancient Mayans.

The Mayan people were centered in Central America, the apex of their civilization lasting from around A.D. 250 to 900. The Mayan priests devised a calendrical system connected to astronomical observation that some believe to be more accurate than the calendar we use today. This despite the fact that they had no telescopes, using only the naked eye to study the sky.

What was their calendar like?

"Based on their studies in astronomy, the Maya created a calendar system that plotted the history of time starting with the beginning of the current world on August 11, 3114 BC. Using a lunar calendar system, the Maya measured time in units of twenty. Twenty kin (days) made a winal (month); 18 winals made a tun (year); 20 tuns made a katun (20 years); and 20 katuns made a baktun (400 years).

"To designate a specific date, they recorded it in terms of how far away from the start of creation it was . . . The significance of the Mayan calendar is that it appears to predict 13 baktuns as the end time of the present world age. After dating every year from the beginning of time, the calendar abruptly ends at the close of the thirteenth baktun.

"Translating the Mayan calendar date into the Gregorian calendar system used today produces a date of December 21, 2012, as the end-date for the present age" (Hundley, pp. 7-8). This date coincides with the time of the winter solstice.

"The Mayan obsession with time can be seen in the fact that they developed 20 different calendars . . . the Maya relied upon three main time-tracking calendars—three calendars that are most relevant to the 2012 date . . . The third Mayan measure of time is known as the Long Count calendar. It was used to document the 'world age cycles' that repeat over and over.

"This calendar was divided into five units that extend forward and backward from the mythical creation of the Maya, which they believed was August 11, 3114 B.C. . . . The year 2012 is the year that the fifth great cycle is supposed to end. This is the genesis of the belief that the end of days is 2012" (Hitchcock, p. 32-33).

Beliefs not of godly origin

Where did the Mayan people receive the religious and cosmological conceptions related to their calendar? They certainly didn't come from the God of the Bible. In fact, the Mayans practiced abominable religious rites that are strongly condemned in the Bible, such as human sacrifice.

"The Maya practiced human sacrifice as part of their religion, often using children for the ritual in which the Mayan priest cut open the still-alive child's chest and pulled out the heart as a sacrifice to the gods. In fact, to celebrate the beginning of a new year, the Maya 'ripped out the heart of a sacrificial victim . . . and started a flame with a fire drill in his open chest cavity'" (Hundley, p. 5).

As Mark Hitchcock notes, "Much of the barbaric, bloodthirsty 'worship' of the Mayans, including human sacrifices, can be accounted for if we recognize that it was demonically motivated by the real power behind their gods of stone" (p. 41).

The gods of pagan worship are not real, but the devil and his demons are behind much of false religion—sometimes posing as these false gods. The apostle Paul wrote that "the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons" (1 Corinthians:10:20; compare Leviticus:17:7; Deuteronomy:32:17; Psalm:106:35-38).

What do modern Mayans believe?

While many Westerners seize on Dec. 21, 2012, as a date of unparalleled disaster, modern Mayans generally do not see it that way. Don Alejandro, one present-day Mayan leader, has given his opinion on what the time will mean. He presents in poetic terms a time of positive change:

"According to the Maya Long Count Calendar, we are finalizing the 13 Baktun and . . . thus approaching the Year Zero . . . The world is transformed and we enter a period of understanding and harmonious coexistence where there is social justice and equality for all.

"It is a new way of life. With a new social order there comes a time of freedom where we can move like the clouds, without limitations, without borders. We will travel like the birds, without the need for passports. We will travel like the rivers, all heading towards the same point . . . the same objective" (quoted by John Major Jenkins, The 2012 Story, 2009, p. 369).

Another leader, Benito Ramirez Mendota, offered this perspective: "As the elders said, everything is going to change. The world will be changed by that memorable date. Our children will have a different world view. The time will have passed and other beings will inhabit the universe" (p. 371).

World peace and harmony will not come in 2012, but it will come eventually—as we shall see. Both of these "prophecies" contain some elements of truth. But it's worth noting that these Mayans do not share the catastrophic views many people have of next year.

Why accept Mayan prophecy anyway?

Hundley points out regarding the Mayan legend: "It does seem that if December 21, 2012 was an earth shattering prediction for the Maya of the end of the world, it would have been preserved as an important part of the cultural and religious heritage of that civilization, even today. But apparently, such is not the case. Many modern Maya do not affirm that interpretation of their calendar and belief system but complain that Westerners have forced this interpretation on them from their own perspectives and for their own purposes.

"Having said that, even if it could be proven that the Maya predicted the end of the world in 2012, what would qualify them as prophets? Although the Maya were gifted astronomers, that ability does not necessarily mean they were gifted prophets.

"According to the same logic, do we expect present-day astronomers, who have made incredible discoveries through the use of advanced telescopes and space-traveling satellites, to be qualified to provide us with trustworthy, detailed predictions of the future of our planet? Of course not! The idea that those who make remarkable astronomical observations are therefore qualified to be seers, predictors and prophets of future events is unfounded" (p. 17).

We see, then, that the idea that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012 simply lacks credibility. It means nothing, and it's only because our world is in such sad shape that some pay attention to such things.

Other predictions of doom

Pretentious prognosticators prattle about other fearful tales of destruction they say will occur in 2012. They have assembled a catch-all container chock-full of imagined tragedies lurking around the corner!

"Worldwide droughts, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions caused by solar storms, cracks forming in the earth's magnetic field, and mass extinctions brought on by nuclear winter, famine, human disease, wars, economic cataclysm, massive solar flares, polar reversals . . . These have all been predicted to occur in the year 2012" (John Claeys, Apocalypse 2012, 2010, p. 1).

Yes, some of these things are occurring now in various parts of the earth. And the Bible prophesies that some catastrophes will become global in scope before the very end of the age! But the year 2012 is not the time for the worst of the horrors to come.

And yes, some of these threats are very real. One scenario that seems likely to happen eventually is the eruption of a supervolcano. The Geological Society of London has stated that the eruption of a supervolcano "sooner or later" will chill the planet and threaten human civilization.

The gigantic caldera underlying Yellowstone National Park is a distinct possibility. "The magnitude 5 eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 blew out the side of the mountain, destroyed forests for miles around, caused $3 billion worth of damage, and killed fifty-seven people. The U.S. Geological Survey described it as the 'worst volcanic disaster in the recorded history of the United States.' A super eruption at Yellowstone would be a thousand times more powerful" (Greg Breining, Super Volcano, 2007, p. 229).

"But Yellowstone is not the only magma caldera, even in the United States. There is at least one more at Long Valley in California, near Yosemite National Park and the popular ski resort of Mammoth Lakes. Other possible sites are Japan, New Zealand, the Andes, and Indonesia. Yellowstone is the most frequently studied of these caldera . . . It has been noted that the area is continually undergoing seismic activity, and it certainly will erupt again at some point" (Sharan Newman, The Real History of the End of the World, 2010, p. 288).

The scope of such a disaster defies the imagination. Will this happen in 2012? We don't know. But there's nothing that points to 2012 as the time for it to happen. It could just as well happen this year or in 2013—or years after that. Or it may never happen, at least on the anticipated scale, if Christ takes care of the problem when He returns.

Yet Scripture does indicate there will be volcanic eruptions accompanying the return of Christ: "The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth" (Psalm:97:5). "Bow down your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke" (Psalm:144:5).

What about "Planet X"?

The most cataclysmic of prophesied end-time "natural" disasters is the scenario of a collision or near-miss of another planet with the earth. The mysterious orb that supposedly threatens us has been called "Planet X" or "Planet Nibiru," and some expect it to arrive on Dec. 12, 2012.

But what is the evidence that this will occur? There is no scientific evidence that supports this idea. The idea came "not by radio signals from the cosmos, but [instead has supposedly been] channeled through medium and Zeto envoy Nancy Lieder, who was in contact with . . . altruistic aliens" (Govert Schilling, The Hunt for Planet X, 2009, p. 115).

Who are the Zeto and Nancy Lieder? Here is the story: "Nancy was only nine years old when it happened. What looked like a bright light came from the sky and crashed into the field next to her home. Her parents were out shopping, so Nancy was left alone to investigate the strange event. As she crept near the site of the crash, she was terrified to see what appeared to be a spaceship hovering above the ground. When a door in the ship opened, Nancy fainted.

"When she came to, she was inside the ship, and there were strange beings hovering around her. As she tried to speak, one of the Zetas told her to lie still. A large mechanical arm with a small device at the end of it began to move closer and closer to her head. As the device touched her scalp, she lapsed into unconsciousness again.

"When she awoke, she was inside her home. One of the extraterrestrials was placing her gently into her bed. And then he spoke: 'Nancy, do not be afraid. You have been chosen from all the people on your planet to be our voice on Earth. We are very concerned about what is happening on your planet. The device we placed in your head will enable us to communicate messages to you for all earthlings'" (Hundley, p. 63). This is either a made-up story or an encounter with demons.

Govert Schilling is an internationally acclaimed astronomical writer. He and prominent scientists have debunked the Planet X/Nibiru scheme. Schilling presented this compelling comment about Planet X: "So that means there is plenty to do for the debunkers—the archaeologists and astronomers who take a long and skeptical look at the tidal wave of Nibiru nonsense and explain with scientific precision what is wrong with the cosmic fairy-tale. They will have their work cut out in the next few years.

"And on December 22, 2012 there will be a new pseudoscientific cock-and-bull story doing the rounds and the whole circus will start all over again. Because no matter how many new celestial bodies are found in our solar system, there will always be a need for a mysterious Planet X" (Schilling, p. 117).

What should we expect?

Yes, Dec. 21, 2012, will come and go, Dec. 22 will arrive, and the earth will go on. And so will new theories regarding new exact dates for the end of the world. The cry has been shouted by strident voices for millennia, and you can be sure it will continue.

Sadly, many will take this non-event and other failed predictions as an excuse to dismiss what the Bible foretells is yet ahead. We will no doubt see an even greater increase in scoffers concerning Christ's return, as Peter mentioned. But rest assured: The Bible's actual prophecies are not false predictions like the 2012 hype. What God has revealed in His Word certainly will come to pass. We just don't know exactly when. So what should we do?

Jesus Christ is quite plain: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (verse 44).

His point? We need to be ready at all times for the end of the age. Jesus will return—six times in the book of Revelation He states that He is "coming quickly."

The life of any of us could end today or tomorrow. "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James:4:14). At whatever time we die, Jesus' return will occur for us in our next second of consciousness. If we have lived a life of serving God, we will then be given eternal life and rewarded according to our works (Matthew:16:27).

This is the good news of the Bible! It is priceless truth that can add immeasurable meaning to your life.

For too many, life is vacant and lacking in transcendent purpose. Barton Payne in the Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy sums it up well when he writes: "We live in an uncertain world. Men of today are casting about eagerly, and almost pathetically, in search of meaningfulness. For while we have amassed knowledge, we seem to have missed truth. Indeed, apart from God and from His revealed words that constitute the Bible, mankind and life and time do seem to be essentially purposeless.

"Yet the Lord of grace, who once sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem the world (John:3:16), will some day send Him again to lead this world into its intended goal of glorifying God (Romans:11:36). This is the hope which pervades the whole of Scripture" (1973, p. v).

Jesus Christ's second coming is the most certain prophecy in the Bible that is yet to be fulfilled. More than 500 verses in the Bible comment specifically on various facts and aspects of this monumental, earthshaking event.

While we do not know exactly when Jesus will return, signs around us indicate we are in the end time. Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians:7:31 looms larger each day: "For this world as we know it will soon pass away" (New Living Translation). As we look around us, many of the foundational pillars that provide order to society are in jeopardy. "And the world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John:2:17).

People have longed for a better world and a better life since the beginning of human history. And it is coming! The time rapidly approaches when God will shake all nations and "the Desire of All Nations" will come (Haggai:2:7).

You must seek the knowledge of God and not allow it to slip from your grasp! You can know what the future holds. More than one quarter of the Bible is prophecy, and most of it is yet to be fulfilled.

The Bible tells us that the millennial reign of Jesus Christ is coming (Revelation:20:4)—not in the year 2012, but perhaps not much beyond that! All who repent and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and then live a life of obedience to God's commandments will reign with Him during that time in a world of peace. The invitation is extended to you. Now is the time to act!

Does God Have a Plan?

The key to understanding what God is doing is a series of festival days found in the Bible.

What is God doing? Is there a way to know? Does He have a plan? If so, what is it?

Good questions. Do you know the answers?

That's one of the purposes of The Good News—to help you discover the answers to the really big questions of life and our existence.

Where is the world headed? That's a big question—and the subject of this issue. Many people are convinced the world will end next year. Sound far-fetched? Just a few months ago thousands of people were convinced the world would end on May 21, but the day came and went like any other.

There is a key to understanding some of these big questions. It's the key to understanding God's plan. It's the key to understanding what God is doing on earth, and the time frame for His acting—or not acting, as the case may be—in human affairs.

That key is a series of festival days found in the Bible. Few people know about them, and far fewer understand them. Most who do know about them assume that they're for the Jewish people, but God plainly says of them, "These are My feasts" and calls them "the feasts of the Lord" (Leviticus:23:2, 4, emphasis added throughout).

So how come we never hear about the Holy Days that are in the Bible, but we do hear a lot about holidays like Easter and Christmas that aren't in the Bible? That's another story, and I digress.

The fact is, the biblical festival days are very much Christian commemorations. The first of these is Passover, which reminds us that Jesus Christ is the sinless "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John:1:29). The apostle Paul wrote that "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians:5:7).

Immediately following Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, to which Paul referred when he wrote in the next verse, "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

The next of God's holy festivals is one many Christians likely have heard of—Pentecost. It was on this feast, of course, that God founded the Church as recorded in Acts 2.

What about the remaining festivals of the Bible? There are four more, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets. Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul and the apostle John all tell us that great trumpet blasts will accompany Jesus Christ's return to earth (Matthew:24:31; 1 Corinthians:15:52; 1 Thessalonians:4:16; Revelation:11:15).

Might there be a connection between this feast notable for its trumpet blasts and the sounding of trumpet blasts at Jesus Christ's return? If so, what does this tell us?

There are others, too, but I'll let you read about them yourself in the pages of this issue. God does have a plan, and when we understand the significance of His little-known festivals, we can begin to understand that plan. We can begin to understand His timetable. We can begin to understand what He is doing, and why.

What does the future hold for our planet and the human race? These Holy Days help reveal the answers. They show us a future of turmoil and danger, yes, but also a future of incredible hope and promise almost beyond human imagination.

The Life Cycles of Empires: Lessons for America Today?

Perceptive historians recognize that great powers go through a cycle of growth, stability, maturity and decline. Where is America in this cycle? Will we learn from the lessons of history?

The German philosopher Hegel (1770-1831) knew that just because men and women learned about the past, that didn't mean they'd make better decisions about the future. He once cynically commented, "What experience and history teach us is this—that people and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it."

For years after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, America seemingly towered over the world as a great giant—economically, culturally and militarily. But now for nearly a decade since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, its armed services have clashed with the forces of Islamic extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the world.

If that weren't bad enough, the worldwide economic crisis has laid the country low with high unemployment, an immense federal government deficit, rising inflation and depressed home values. Other challenges loom ahead, flowing from the European Union's growing political and economic integration, Russia's increased strength and assertiveness, and China's rapid economic, industrial and military growth.

Will America follow the path of past empires?

Clearly America's present lone-superpower status is being increasingly challenged. Could it be lost completely? While it clings to a general preeminence right now, could America still decline and fall?

Didn't that happen to other great empires in the past, such as those of Britain, Spain, Rome, Persia, Babylon and Egypt? Is America' s future more secure than theirs was?

Sir John Bagot Glubb (1897-1987), a highly honored British general and historian better known as Glubb Pasha, wrote about the collapsed empires of the past. In his 1978 book The Fate of Empires and the Search for Survival, he described a common pattern fitting the history of some fallen empires. They went through a cycle of stages as they started, expanded, matured, declined and collapsed.

Does the pattern apply to America today? Has the United States entered this cycle's ending stages? If so, shouldn't Americans critically examine the current state of their culture to see what could be done to prevent the same grim fate?

By knowing history better, we can better project our likely national futures. As the great British Prime Minister and noted historian Winston Churchill observed, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."

Seven steps in the life cycles of great powers

Glubb Pasha learned that different empires had similar cultural changes while experiencing a life cycle in a series of stages that could overlap. He generalized about empires having seven stages of development, identifying these successive ages as follows:

1. The age of outburst (or pioneers).

2. The age of conquests.

3. The age of commerce.

4. The age of affluence.

5. The age of intellect.

6. The age of decadence.

7. The age of decline and collapse.

Each stage helps progression to the next as the values of the people change over time. Military, political, economic and religious developments all influence an empire's people to act and believe differently over time.

Let's look at these stages in more detail.

The rise of empires

In the first two stages or ages, the warrior's adventuresome and manly values drive an empire to gain power as it conquers land from others.

Later on, during the following ages of commerce and affluence, businessmen and merchants—who normally value material success and dislike taking unnecessary risks—take over at the highest levels of society. Their societies downplay the values of the soldier.

According to Glubb, they normally do this not "from motives of conscience, but rather because of the weakening of a sense of duty in citizens, and the increase in selfishness, manifested in the desire for wealth and ease."

During these middle stages, empires stop taking more land and start building walls instead. They switch from the offensive to the defensive. Historical examples include the wall built near the Scottish border by the Roman emperor Hadrian, the Great Wall of China constructed to keep out intrusion by certain nomadic groups, and even 20th-century France's Maginot Line, placed along the German border.

Conquest and (later) business investment promoted by the empire's unity builds the wealth that leads to the age of intellect. Even the brutal Mongol Empire, by bringing most of Asia under its rule, encouraged the caravan trade along Eurasia's famed Silk Road. During this fifth stage, the empire's leaders spent lots of money to establish educational institutions resembling modern universities and high schools.

Sowing the seeds of decline

During the age of intellect, schools may produce skeptical intellectuals who oppose the values and religious beliefs of their empires' early leaders. For example, the medieval Muslim philosophers Avicenna and Averroes, by accepting much of ancient Greek philosophy, weren't orthodox in belief.

Scholars also might manage schools that teach the ruling class and/or some of the average people subjects that are either mainly oriented towards financial success or are simply impractical. For example, in the early Roman Republic, students received a basic education that stressed character development and virtue. But in the later Roman Empire, teachers taught rhetoric (the art of speaking) when emotionally persuading assemblies was no longer of political or practical value.

The corrosive effects of material success encourage the upper class and the common people to discard the self-confident, self-disciplined values that helped to create the empire. Then the empire eventually collapses. Perhaps an outside power, such as the so-called barbarians in Rome's case, wipes it out. Or maybe an energetic internal force, such as the pro-capitalist reformers in the Soviet Union, finishes the job instead.

The growth of wealth and comfort clearly can undermine the values of character, such as self-sacrifice and discipline, that led to a given empire's creation. Then the empire so affected by moral decline grows weaker and more vulnerable to destruction by forces arising inside or outside of it.

Not surprisingly, God in the Bible specifically warned the ancient Israelites against departing from worshipping Him once they became materially satisfied after entering the Promised Land (Deuteronomy:8:11-20; 31:20). He understood this human tendency.

A society is known by its heroes

Has the United States entered the latter phases of the empire life cycle? True, it's only been independent from Britain for somewhat over two centuries. It's a young country compared to those of Europe or Asia. But does America today have the same values or cultural developments that past empires such as Rome had before they fell?

For example, who are the nation's heroes? What does a people's choice of heroes tell us about the people themselves? Today in America the people generally admired above all (and perpetually gossiped about) are celebrities such as sports stars, singers, actors and musicians.

As Glubb explains, the heroes of an empire's people change over time as their values do. Soldiers, builders, pioneers and explorers are admired in the initial stages of the empire life cycle. Then successful businessmen and entrepreneurs are esteemed during the ages of commerce and affluence.

For example, late 19th-century middle-class Americans wanted their children to learn the values of prudence, saving and foresight as found in the stories of author Horatio Alger, whose heroes lead exemplary lives striving to succeed in the face of adversity and poverty. Intellectuals are also increasingly respected during the age of intellect.

During the last stages of decadence and decline, an empire's people often think most highly of and imitate athletes, musicians and actors—despite how corrupt these celebrities' private lives are.

Remarkably, according to Glubb Pasha, in 10th-century Baghdad during the Muslim Abbasid Empire's decline, its writers complained about the singers of love songs having a bad influence on the young people! It seems the old adage is true: The more things change, the more they stay the same (or, perhaps, become the same again).

Because people grow emotionally attached to the music they love, they have a high regard for its singers and want to emulate them. Inevitably, popular music's often spiritually rotten lyrical content—such as foul language, blunt sexual references, glorifying immorality, and even Satanic allusions at times—influences fans. Furthermore, the immoral lifestyles of many musicians, often including drug abuse and promiscuous sex, also have an impact on society.

What are some key signs of decline?

What are some common features of an empire's culture in its declining period? Glubb describes developments like these:

1. Rampant sexual immorality, an aversion to marriage in favor of "living together" and an increased divorce rate all combine to undermine family stability. This happened among the upper class in the late Roman Republic and early Empire. The first-century writer Seneca once complained about Roman upper-class women: "They divorce in order to re-marry. They marry in order to divorce."

The birthrate declines, and abortion and infanticide both increase as family size is deliberately limited. The historian W.H. McNeill has referred to the "biological suicide of the Roman upper classes" as one reason for Rome's decline. Homosexuality becomes publicly acceptable and spreads, as was the case among the ancient Greeks before Rome conquered them.

2. Many foreign immigrants settle in the empire's capital and major cities. The mixture of ethnic groups in close proximity in these cosmopolitan places inevitably produces conflicts.

Because of their prominent locations within the empire, their influence greatly exceeds their percentage of the population. Here diversity plainly leads to divisiveness.

We see this today in the growing conflict in European countries such as France and the Netherlands, where large numbers of immigrants are stoking violent cultural clashes. German chancellor Angela Merkel recently made headlines when she stated that attempts to create a multicultural society had "utterly failed" and immigrants must do more to integrate into society.

3. Both irresponsible pleasure-seeking and pessimism increase among the people and their leaders. The spirit described in 1 Corinthians:15:32 spreads throughout society: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

As people cynically give up looking for solutions to the problems of life and society, they drop out of the system. They then turn to mindless entertainment, to luxuries and sexual activity, and to drugs or alcohol.

The astonishingly corrupt and lavish parties of the Roman Empire's elite are a case in point. The Emperor Nero, for instance, would spend the modern equivalent of $500,000 for just the flowers at some banquets.

4. The government provides extensive welfare for the poor. In the case of the city of Rome, which had perhaps 1.2 million people around A.D. 170, government-provided "bread and circuses" (food and entertainment) helped to keep the masses content. About one half of its non-slave population was on the dole at least part of the year.

True, helping the poor shows Christian compassion (Mark:14:7). But such help also can lead to laziness and dependency (2 Thessalonians:3:10-12). Such problems are especially likely when the poor believe state-provided charity is a permanent right or entitlement.

Is America on a downward cultural and spiritual spiral?

Considering this list of indicators of an empire's cultural and moral decline, is it reasonable to deny that the United States has entered the stages of decadence and decline?

True, the tidal wave of social and cultural decay unleashed by the 1960s in America has ebbed some in recent years. The rates of abortion, divorce, illegitimate births, drug abuse, welfare dependency and violent crime have either declined or gone up much more slowly.

Furthermore, some indicators of decline have good, not just bad, results. For instance, some immigration is helpful. As skilled, educated immigrants arrive, they normally benefit America economically while being a "brain drain" from Third World countries. And, indeed, the United States has historically embraced vast numbers of immigrants.

Nevertheless, the present flood of immigrants, legal or illegal, equals in impact the wave that arrived at America's shores around 1900. Today, they are far more apt to be a divisive force. Why? Unlike a hundred years ago, America's intellectual elite overall has adopted multiculturalism (the promotion of immigrants maintaining their prior distinct cultures) and has rejected assimilation (adopting the existing national culture) as its ideal.

Today multiculturalism is the ideology underlying a potentially ultimate political Balkanization, wherein society is fragmented along ethnic and cultural lines. (For evidence, see the liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger's 1991 book The Disuniting of America). A lack of cultural unity inevitably leads to conflict in a free society such as in the United States.

Are we paying attention?

How should we react to the historical insights of Sir John Glubb Pasha's The Fate of Empires and the Search for Survival as they relate to America, Britain and other related English-speaking nations?

As he notes in his examination of a number of previous empires, the processes of history often repeat themselves. We shouldn't believe that America will automatically avoid the fate of other great empires that declined and fell in the past.

God is ever so merciful, but His patience in the face of our national sins is wearing thin. He has given His true servants a mission to warn the nations of what is coming (Ezekiel:33:1-9), and that is one of the purposes of this magazine. We want to help you see how prophecies given long ago are now shaping up before our eyes!

If modern nations repent, as the people of the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh did after the prophet Jonah delivered God's warning to them (as described in the book of Jonah), they can avoid the dreadful punishments prophesied to come. But even if only the few of us reading this article repent before the time of tribulation arrives, God will keep us in His care.

Many of God's faithful followers will be protected from the tribulation (Revelation:3:10). And, most importantly, Jesus promises eternal life to all who truly believe, turn from sin and persevere in their faithful obedience: "He who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew:24:13).

Since we know that the handwriting is on the wall, what will we now choose to do?