After describing the key events and prophecy preceding His Second Coming, Jesus instructed: “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” (Luke 21:36).
In this article, I want to help you focus on the “Big Picture”of what is happening on the world scene. Many of our Living Church News and Tomorrow’s World writers try to keep you generally abreast of the prophetic events that are now occurring so rapidly. But perhaps I have a little longer overview, as I have been watching prophetic events unfold ever since I first came to Ambassador College nearly 65 years ago. Brethren, in all those years, I have never seen prophetic events unfold on such a broad scale as is the case today! I think it will be helpful to share this insight with all of you, so you can more fully grasp how far we have come and how close we must surely be to Christ’s return.
So many Protestant religious leaders and others have gone “off track” on prophecy in years past because they have focused on just one or two prophetic events that “seemed” to show that the end of this age was near. That is one reason I wrote the booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return. For there are quite a number of key events that the Bible clearly indicates will precede the Second Coming of Christ.
In this relatively brief article, I want to list a number of prophetic events that have occurred—or are now happening—that clearly show we are very near the end of this present human society. I am not trying to be “encyclopedic” and collate all of the possible prophetic occurrences. I simply want to help you visualize how much has already occurred, or is occurring, to fulfill the biblical prophecies.
Blessings and Cursings
As a little background, remember the many biblical passages where God said He would bless the descendants of Joseph with tremendous wealth, power and the “gates” of their enemies as part of the “birthright” blessings (Genesis 12:1–3; 22:15–18; 28:1–4; 35:9–12; 48:14–20; 49:1–2, 22–26; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2). In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God clearly shows that He will replace these blessings with comparable curses if His people forsake Him.
God plainly told our peoples: “But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it” (Leviticus 26:14–16). God then said: “And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit” (vv. 18–20). We are now in this stage of prophetic events. Many of our political, educational and religious leaders do, in fact, “despise” God’s laws and statutes, and constantly attack, deprecate and even vilify anyone who tries to uphold the sanctity of traditional marriage or who acknowledges that abortion is murder.
So the “terror” God said He would then appoint over us is now just beginning to occur. It may be difficult to imagine how many more terrorist attacks and other “terrors” will strike our people if we do not truly repent. And some of the “wasting disease” and “fever” is certainly beginning to be experienced by the millions who are coming down with AIDS and other “incurable” diseases. But, remember, this is only the beginning!
Major Events Prophesied!
Let me now list just a handful of the major prophetic events affecting our peoples, which have happened or are beginning to happen. What is remarkable to me is how these events are occurring “all across the board”—affecting, for the first time, almost the entire spectrum of prophetic events.
- The capacity to annihilate all life on this planet. Jesus indicated that this would be possible at the end of this age (Matthew 24:21–22).
- The loss of major “sea gates.” Many of the great sea passages controlling the movement of wartime ships and peacetime commerce—such as the Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, the Simonstown sea base (controlling shipping around the southern tip of Africa), the Strait of Hormuz, Singapore, the Malacca Strait, the Panama Canal and others—have been taken away over the last few decades by the God who controls world events.
- The rise of a united Europe. Remember that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong predicted this—over and over—way back in the 1940s and 50s. He described in detail how the prophesied “ten nations” would finally come together to make up the prophesied “Beast.” Many thought that Germany would never rise again. But Germany has, in fact, risen to become the most powerful nation in Europe, both politically and economically. Events in Europe are now “setting the stage” for the final rise of this power. A great deal of preparation is already taking place for this to occur.
- The fall of the Berlin Wall, and the liberation of the Eastern European nations formerly under Soviet domination. Mr. Armstrong predicted this many years in advance. No other church, other than the Church of God led by Mr. Armstrong, could go “out on a limb” and predict these events, because of our understanding of the Beast’s two “legs” prophesied in Daniel 2.
- The fall of the United States dollar, and the massive U.S. trade and budget deficits, which are greatly harming America’s financial prestige and putting the nation in a very precarious position. As the dollar continues to drop—with both ups and downs along the way—this will be a continuing fulfillment of God’s promise. For God said to our forefathers: “The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them” (Deuteronomy 28:12–13). God said that if we disobeyed and turned away from Him, the “alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you” (vv. 43–45).
- The massive borrowing that the U.S. has had to encourage via the enormous foreign purchases of our government bonds and other debt instruments. We are now at the mercy of Germany, Japan, China and other Gentile nations because of this. Though a couple of decades ago we were the world’s greatest lender, we are now the world’s greatest debtor!
- The continuing patterns of drought and famine, interspersed with terrible local floods, seen over much of the western U.S., vast portions of Australia and other modern-day Israelite lands. News reports describe these developments continually.
- The growing threat of “incurable” diseases. Remember, the appearance of AIDS and other diseases with terrible effects and no cure is only the beginning of God’s promise to bring disease upon our people if we turn away from Him.
- A growing and pervasive animosity against America and Britain from most of the more than 1.5 billion Muslims, 1.4 billion Chinese and hundreds of millions of people in continental Europe, Africa, and Central and South America! As primarily Muslim and Roman Catholic nations continue to turn against the U.S., this will indeed be ominous. For nearly 200 years, Britain and the U.S. (alone or combined) have been the “top dogs” in world affairs. Many other nations have been—and are now—jealous and resentful. In the course of human events, the dominant power is always brought down eventually. Our strong backing of the nation of Israel has been turning the entire Muslim world against us for decades. Now, our attack on and occupation of Iraq is infuriating most of these Muslims even more.
- On the moral front, prophecy directly indicates that the depravity of the House of Israel would be disgraceful at the time of the end. This is certainly occurring! The tremendous upsurge in support for the homosexual “lifestyle” even among professing Christian ministers is absolutely unprecedented in the U.S., Canada and Britain. Many professing Christian “leaders” are backing the idea of so-called “marriage” between these individuals, even though they must know that some homosexual leaders seek the total abolition of traditional marriage and the family as we have known it. In due time, as this trend is allowed to continue, “group marriages” and other “non-traditional” living arrangements will likely be approved by liberal activist judges, and then by many mainstream ministers as well.
- The continuing slaughter of millions of unborn children by the “abortion industry.” Someday, after Christ returns, the people involved in this savage practice of killing other human beings made in God’s image will be aghast when they fully comprehend the extent of this modern holocaust. No wonder God prophesies of our people soon after Christ returns: “Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations” (Ezekiel 36:31).
- Continuing blows at the “pride” of our power. From Abu Ghraib to Benghazi, the image of the U.S. is in decline. Once revered as a nation willing to make sacrifices to see democracy spread around the world, for the intended good of oppressed peoples, the U.S. is increasingly seen as a callous exporter of vile “culture” to nations and peoples that want to keep their children and families free of the pornographic images that many Americans now take for granted. American soldiers are now often seen as “bullies” who are not much different from the oppressive armies they oppose. No longer is it taken for granted that America upholds a “higher” standard of behavior. However, in all honesty, what should we expect from these young soldiers who grew up watching hour after hour of violence and pornography on television and on the Internet? Think about it! Remember, brethren, that all of these actions involving homosexuality, abortion, prison abuse and other vile practices are simply a fulfillment of the Apostle Paul’s prediction for the end-time: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).
- Earthquakes and wildfires are increasing. Some of the most powerful earthquakes in modern history have occurred just within the last decade or two. Untold thousands of people have perished—and many more will perish—as God literally “shakes” the earth in an unprecedented manner! Also, concurrently with drought, some of the worst firestorms in modern history have been sweeping across the western U.S., parts of Canada, Australia and other areas of modern Israel. These will definitely grow much worse before Christ’s coming.
- The city of Jerusalem is profoundly divided, even though currently under Israeli control. For hundreds of years, Jerusalem was controlled by either one nation or another, and not contended over by warring peoples within the city. But the great God inspired His prophet Zechariah, thousands of years ago, to indicate clearly that this historic city would be a divided city at the time of the end. For God stated: “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14:1–2). How could the prophet Zechariah possibly know, way back then, that the city of Jerusalem would today be filled with both Jews and Palestinians, with each side claiming the right to control the city—precisely setting the stage for “half of the city” to go into captivity when the “Beast” power takes over? When you think about it, it is remarkable how detailed some of these biblical prophecies are!
- The great False Prophet is “waiting in the wings.” Whether people realize it or not, the current world stage is being carefully set by the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4) for the great false religious leader to appear. Even in the “mainstream media” many Europeans have openly stated that they are waiting for a powerful religious-political leader to appear on the scene. One of the most remarkable statements came from former Belgian Prime Minister Paul-Henri Spaak, who said: “We do not want another committee. We have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass in which we are sinking. Send us such a man and, be he god or the devil, we will receive him!” This statement could be applied either to the coming False Prophet or the political leader. Since these two figures will certainly work together as a team for a time, this is indeed a prophetic indication of what lies ahead. Among major international figures, many feel that only the Pope is standing firm against abortion, homosexuality, hedonism and the absolute trashing of the traditional “Christian” way of life by the British, Canadians, Australians and U.S. Do not think that European Catholics are unaware of this. For they are “watching” from an entirely different point of view! A few years from now, millions of Catholics in Europe, Mexico and Central and South America will turn toward the final False Prophet with a fervor that may astonish many Protestant ministers and leaders. As a result, many professing Christian ministers will simply “go along for the ride” and fully cooperate with this satanic system, for they will have already shown the peoples of Britain, Canada and the U.S. that they “stand firm” for nothing!
- The final fulfillments of the prophecies about the coming King of the South are certainly yet to come. But, even now, it is obvious that many events now indicate that the stage is being set for the powerful leader indicated in Daniel 11:40–43. The Muslim world has been infuriated by America’s ongoing export of values, whether “democratic” values of governance, or “secular” values of entertainment, which go strongly against long-standing Muslim sensibilities. The Arab world, despite overtures by the Obama administration, still sees the U.S. as a staunch supporter of Israel and as reflexively supporting a majority-Jewish state that many Arabs would prefer to “drive into the sea” if they could. America’s conduct in these areas, and its military incursions in the Middle East and Afghanistan, have caused extremists in the Arab world to unite in a manner unprecedented in recent years. This will no doubt factor into their backing a truly powerful pan-Arab leader, the prophesied King of the South, when God’s time comes.
- The future direction of China is ominous! Because the U.S. likes to trade with China and enjoy the cheap products it exports, we often forget that China is now coming together as a major threat—economically, politically and militarily—against the U.S. and the West. The Chinese have adopted a certain “tolerance” for the economic growth which a kind of capitalistic system allows, but the nation’s leaders have not abandoned their hardline communist approach. They have not decided to “love” America! Rather, China is preparing one of the most powerful military forces in modern history. And they are holding American debt totaling hundreds of billions of dollars, which they can decide to “cash in” at a time most catastrophic for America. Meanwhile, China also regularly threatens to cross the Taiwan straits and forcibly reclaim sovereignty over that island nation. Yes, as I have written to our Tomorrow’s World readers, China will not be the ultimate economic superpower of the 21st century. But it will play a vital role in end-time events, surely involved, for example, in the prophesied 200-million-man army coming from the east. China will be a powerful enemy of the United States right up to the latter’s final decline.
The End of the Age
Obviously, there are dozens of other circumstances clearly showing us—directly or indirectly—that the very end of this age is truly at hand. Brethren, this ought to inspire us all, as our constant prayer should be: “Thy Kingdom come.” Jesus Himself told us what to do as we watch these end-time events: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Then He spoke to them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away’” (Luke 21:28–33).
End-time prophecy is certainly a “work in progress.” I hope this brief review of many of the “key” happenings affecting prophecy can help all of us realize the tremendous breadth of prophetic happenings across the entire spectrum of world events. May this help all of us to pray more fervently: “Thy Kingdom come.” And may it help all of us to “watch” more intelligently, to be more perceptive of how God is working out His great plan on this earth, and to realize how very close we are to the final realization of our hopes and dreams for Tomorrow’s World. As the Apostle John wrote: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly’” (Revelation 22:20).