Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ,
What a start to a new year! A terrible fire claimed the lives of 40 and injured another 119 during a New Year’s celebration at a Swiss nightclub. The United States sent its military into Venezuela and captured Nicolás Maduro and brought him to New York for trial. The Trump administration is pressuring Denmark to hand over Greenland to become a U.S. territory. There are protests in major American cities against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Protests, strikes, and riots are spilling into the streets of major European cities over immigration, austerity measures, farm policies, and Gaza.
In the Middle East, significant anti-government protests are taking place in Iran as citizens rebel against the rule of the Islamic Republic. Protests there are not new, but these are widespread across the country and are being met with violence and executions. Who knows what may happen between the time of this writing and the time you receive this letter? There will be huge geopolitical ramifications for the Middle East and the world if the regime falls. How our world is changing before our eyes!
Jesus gave solid advice to those of us who are His disciples when we see the conditions He described in the Olivet Prophecy: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). It is evident that we are living in a time of instability and geopolitical realignments. This is hardly the first time in history to see such chaos, but there are many reasons for believing we are in the end-times—and if that is correct, matters will get far worse before Christ returns to set up His Kingdom of peace and prosperity for the whole world.
Jesus went on to give this 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” (Luke 21:29–32).
The message of the world-ruling Kingdom of God being set up on Earth was the good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. Proclaiming that message was one of the reasons He came to Earth: “Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent’” (Luke 4:42–43).
The Kingdom of God was the subject of His parables (Mark 4:11, 26, 30), as His followers understood. What they did not understand was the timing of that Kingdom (Luke 19:11–12), nor did they seem to realize that it would be a Kingdom over the whole world: “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). This is the same message we proclaim here at Tomorrow’s World. We also recognize that we must warn the Israelite nations and the world that unless we change our ways, dangerous times will come. We must do so despite the knowledge that only a precious few will heed that warning.
God gave the prophet Ezekiel a commission that is hidden from theologians and scholars yet may be understood by any who truly submit their will to God. Ezekiel was to warn a specific people—not the Jews, known as the house of Judah, but rather the house of Israel. These were two separate nations. They are all Israelites, but the majority are not Jews. That is evident from a reading of Kings and Chronicles. Notice that Ezekiel was given a commission to go to the house of Israel, composed of the northern ten tribes, not the house of Judah: “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me” (Ezekiel 33:7).
However, there was a problem. The house of Israel had been in captivity for more than 120 years. Any warning from Ezekiel would have been woefully late. Furthermore, there is no evidence that Ezekiel was ever able to go to where those captives were. The answer to this riddle is explained in our telecast “Ezekiel’s Message Unlocked.” You can find it on our YouTube channel under “Popular Videos,” as more than 1.2 million people have viewed this program.
Simply put, the Ezekiel warning would be left for others to forewarn the house of Israel at the end of the age. The strong indication is that most people will not heed the warning, but it must go out. Only those who know who the modern-day house of Israel is can do that.
Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life’ (Ezekiel 33:2–5).
Now notice that we will be held accountable if we fail to alert the house of Israel. “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezekiel 33:6).
Do you realize that you are a vital part of the team which is both preaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and warning the house of Israel—and the world—of what lies ahead? The day will come when each of us will understand much more fully what a great privilege we have been given to be part of this end-time Work of God. We will be despised by the world but loved by God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Thank you again for your loyalty—both in your prayers to our Creator and with your financial support. You make it possible for us to give, free of charge, the truth of God to literally hundreds of thousands every year. In 2025 our four full-time and two part-time Mail Processing Department employees mailed a staggering 1,741,324 items from our office here in Charlotte, North Carolina. These included booklets, DVDs, CDs, letters, and more! What is not included in this figure is the English-language print edition of the Tomorrow’s World magazine—currently going to more than 337,000 subscribers around the world. We also produce magazines in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Afrikaans. Added to this is the work of our Regional Offices, where additional thousands of items are distributed. This could not happen without supporters such as you!
The year 2026 looks to be a sobering and exciting one. Therefore, let us lift up our heads and realize that our redemption draws near. And let us pray for God’s Kingdom to come quickly and for His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston