Beyond Today September October 2020

®
Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow January-February 2016

A Magazine of Understanding September-October 2020
Why Will
JESUS CHRIST
RETURN?
The Key to Ending Chaos 8 • “Who Will Listen to My Warning?” 12

The Bible’s Prophetic Festivals 15 • 75 Years After World War II: Will History Repeat? 22
TABLE OF
CONTENTS September-October 2020
®
FEATURE ARTICLES
4 Why Will Jesus Christ Return?
Many people believe Jesus Christ will soon return to
the earth. But they’re not so clear on the reasons for
His second coming. In part 1 of a two-part series, we
ask: Why does Jesus Christ need to come back? Just
what is He coming to do?
8 The Key to Ending Chaos

There are very real causes to the chaos we see in
the world around us as well as in our own lives.
There is also a very real solution for those who are
willing to do what’s required!
12 Who Will Listen to My Warning?

The prophet Jeremiah warned the rebellious people
of ancient Judah that they needed to turn to God in
44
humble obedience. How do Jeremiah’s admonitions
apply to the people of today’s lawless world?
15 The Bible’s Prophetic Festivals

God gave seven annual festivals that present the
work of Jesus Christ in saving humanity. It’s vital
that all of us learn of them and what they teach.
Photos, from top: layritten/123RF, Victor Kubik, Scott Ashley Page 3: Hongao Xu cover: layritten/123RF
18 The Supreme Court:
Turning the World Upside Down
The U.S. Supreme Court has again defied God—by
not only denying His Word but also scientific reality.
22 75 Years After World War II:

Will History Repeat?
A massively destructive conflagration that engulfed
22 28
the world ended 75 years ago after taking millions
of lives and bringing untold suffering. Yet Bible pro-
phecy tells us that an even worse time is coming.
25 The War on Law and Order

A widespread movement to discredit, defund and
physically assault law enforcement officers has
DEPARTMENTS
shocked many nations. What’s going on? What’s 20 Current Events and Trends
behind the war on law and order? An overview of events and conditions around the world
28 Living in the Light of Eternity— 30 Letters From Our Readers

Today! Readers of Beyond Today magazine share their thoughts
As we conclude our series on eternity, we see that
the Light shining from the beginning to endless end 31 Beyond Today Television Log
must shine in and through us—forever and now. A listing of stations and times for the Beyond Today TV program
2 Beyond Today • B Tm a g a z i n e . o r g
EDITORIAL
The Deadliest Virus Scott Ashley
B
Managing editor
y now we’ve grown used to seeing the world cursed peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their
by a deadly virus. We’ve seen chaos around the globe eyes” (Romans 3:10-18).
as nations have tried to cope with this enemy—one I could cite many more passages, but you get the picture.
that’s unseen but all too painfully real. It has wreaked a We deceive ourselves if we think human beings are basi-
great deal of havoc in people’s lives and continues its work of cally good. We deceive ourselves if we think we personally are
destruction and death. Governments desperately search for basically good. God’s Word spells it out for us very clearly—
a cure, but none has yet been found. So we continue to hope reread these passages above!
desperately for a solution. Yes, mankind indeed has a deep spiritual problem—a
You probably assume I’m talking about the coronavirus, deadly virus that has infected us and leads us into sin and
Covid-19. But I’m not. I’m talking about death. It is our wicked, evil, selfish,
something far worse, far more wide- self-centered and self-seeking way of
spread, and far deadlier. thinking that inevitably leads to dis-
I’m talking about the evil of the human cord, conflict, hatred, violence and
heart. And as the destructive effects of war. The pattern has been with us
Covid-19 and responses to it have been since Cain killed his brother Abel in
clear in recent months, so have the a fit of jealousy and rage. And today
destructive effects of the evil of the human we continue to kill our brother, only
heart. We’ve seen it in the burnt-out hulks on a vastly larger scale and with ever-
of buildings, the destroyed and looted increasing efficiency.
businesses, the piles of shattered store- Rioters destroy a police vehicle in Seattle. So what’s the solution? God has a
front glass, the spray-painted profanities, plan. He doesn’t leave us without hope.
and most of all in the anguished cries of families grieving for lost His solution is a spiritual heart transplant.
loved ones whose lives were taken far too soon. Let’s read about this astounding promise in Ezekiel 36:26:
Where does this spirit and attitude come from? And when “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
and how will it end? I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a
The subtitle of Beyond Today is “A Magazine of Understand- heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to
ing.” We call it that because we write from a unique perspective walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do
—the perspective of God’s Word, the Holy Bible. We believe them . . . you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”
this Book is the priceless revelation of God to mankind. That new heart comes through the transformative power
And through it we recognize that the underlying causes of of God’s Holy Spirit. It’s not something we can accomplish on
humanity’s problems are spiritual in nature. They are rooted in our own. This spiritual transformation is something only God
our spiritual flaws and shortcomings. And because of this, our can provide. And as seen in the prophecy above, this is what
human-caused plagues such as crime, violence, hatred, racism, He will offer to the entire world after Jesus Christ returns.
oppression, injustice and war have been with us for as long as But you and I don’t have to wait until then! He wants to do
human beings have existed on the earth. And they will remain this for us now. However, it’s up to us to take the first steps.
with us until the spiritual solution is implemented. What does that involve? He tells us plainly:
What is humankind’s deep spiritual flaw? Most people tend “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while
to think that people are basically good. But the Bible—the He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
inspired revelation of our Creator to mankind—shows some- man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have
thing very different. Notice what God’s Word says we are mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon”
really like. Speaking of humankind, it tells us: (Isaiah 55:6-7).
• “The way of peace they do not know, and there is no jus- This is a process the Bible calls repentance—turning from
tice in their paths” (Isaiah 59:8, English Standard Version, our own human ways of thinking and living to instead think-
emphasis added throughout). ing and living as God wants us to. It means abandoning our
• “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, selfish, sin-sick ways that have brought so much suffering and
and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” sorrow on our world and becoming loving sons and daughters
(Jeremiah 17:9, New Living Translation). of God.
• “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who Are you willing to seek the cure for the deadliest virus?
understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all
turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is
none who does good, no, not one . . . Their feet are swift to shed
blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of
B Tm a g a z i n e . o r g • September-October 2020 3
Why Will
JESUS CHRIST
RETURN?
Many people believe
Jesus Christ will soon return to
the earth. But they’re not so clear on
the reasons for His second coming. In part 1
of a two-part series, we ask: Why does Jesus Christ
need to come back? Just what is He coming to do?
by Tom Robinson
A
mid the trials of life and worsening times, there Even most who focus on Christ’s return still think of it in
remains ever before us a wonderful hope. Though terms of a step on the way to heaven.
the world is beset by darkness and will yet grow Amid the confusion, we need to understand: Why is Jesus
darker, a turning point lies ahead in the coming coming back? Is there yet unfinished business for Him here
of the Savior of the world—indeed the second on earth? What does He intend to do when He gets here? And
coming, as Christians understand. Is that really going to what does it mean for our future? We’ll examine 12 reasons
happen? And why? from the Bible—starting with six here and covering the other
It’s commonly believed among those who identify them- six in the next installment.
selves as Christian that Jesus Christ died, rose from the dead,
went away to heaven and that He will one day return as He 1. To fulfill prophecy and promises
promised. Of course, the nature of this return is disputed. First of all, Jesus specifically said He would return—and He
For instance, some think His return is spiritual through the must be true to His word. He told His disciples, “I will come
Church. Yet most Christians believe He will literally return again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you
in power and glory—and polls reveal that a large percentage may be also” (John 14:3). He further said that in the end time
believes His return is within mere decades. “all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the
Still there are those who ridicule the idea. The Bible warned Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
that scoffers would come in the last days saying, “What hap- great glory” (Matthew 24:30; see also 26:64). The nations will
pened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before then be hostile to His return.
the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same As part of “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1),
since the world was first created” (2 Peter 3:3-4, New Living the apostle John reiterated: “Behold, He is coming with clouds,
Translation). and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And
Yet as prominent as the belief in Christ’s return is, it stands all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (verse 7).
oddly against another popular conception in conventional When Jesus’ disciples watched Him ascend into the clouds
theology of people having an immortal soul that flies away to from the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, two angels told
be with Christ immediately at death. This would seem to leave them, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into
layritten/123RF
no good reason for Jesus to return and for the resurrection of heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into
His followers that is supposed to occur then. There are expla- heaven” (Acts 1:11). This was an important part of what they
nations that try to join these concepts, but they really don’t fit would serve as witnesses to (verse 8). And they did—faithfully.
together very well. We find the promised return of Christ foretold all through
the New Testament—in all four Gospels and the book of Acts 2:13). Paul expressed this longing with what was apparently
and from every New Testament writer. a common Aramaic prayer in the early Church, Maranatha,
But the promise did not begin in the New Testament. The translated “O Lord, come!” (see 1 Corinthians 16:22, King
coming of the Messiah in power and glory is the message of James Version).
the whole Bible, starting with the prophets of Old Testament Jesus must return to maintain the very integrity and honor
times. As Jude 14-15 states, “Now Enoch, the seventh from of the Father and Himself—to uphold the truth of all They have
Adam, prophesied . . . saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with proclaimed. But of course, the promise of Christ’s coming was
ten thousands of His saints [or holy ones], to execute judgment not just meant to demonstrate Their truthfulness on fulfillment.
on all . . .’” Other great purposes behind Christ’s return are revealed in
Psalm 96 likewise states: “For He is coming, for He is coming many specific promises and prophecies. He definitely has vital
to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteous- work still to do here, as we will see!
ness, and the peoples with His truth” (verse 13, emphasis
added throughout). 2. To save mankind from total destruction
Many prophecies speak of the coming of the Lord in might We desperately need Christ’s return, or the human race is
and the great changes He will bring to the world. Some of these doomed.
prophecies speak of Christ’s first and second comings together The world is growing worse and worse. Paul told us to
even though a gap of time separates these events. “know this, that in the last days perilous times will come”
For instance, Isaiah 9:6 begins, “For unto us a Child is born, (2 Timothy 3:1)—times of increasing danger and distress. He
unto us a Son is given . . . ,” in reference to Jesus’ first coming.then gives a list of selfish, hardhearted and evil attitudes and
But then the prophecy jumps far into the future: “. . . and the behavior on the rise (verses 2-5).
government will be upon His shoulder [as Ruler!]. And His This is the age in which we live—becoming more and more
name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Ever- like the days of Noah, when people’s thoughts were perpet-
lasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His govern- ually evil and God determined to destroy the world with a
ment and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David global flood, except for Noah’s family (Genesis 6:5, 11-13).
and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judg- Jesus said that before His return, conditions would be like the
ment and justice from that time forward, even forever” (verses days of Noah, with people going about normal activities amid
6-7). The latter part of this prophecy did not happen at Christ’s the increasing wretchedness, oblivious to the catastrophic
first coming, but it will when He comes again. destruction that was coming (Matthew 24:37-39).
The One who came as a sacrificial Lamb will return as the In fact, Jesus said that the end of the age will turn into the
worst time ever before His return, warn-
Why is Jesus coming back? Is there yet unfin- ing, “For then there will be great tribu-
lation [horrible trial and distress], such
ished business for Him here on earth? What as has not been since the beginning of
the world until this time, no, nor ever
does He intend to do when He gets here? shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
Conditions will be so bad that
powerful Lion of Judah (see Revelation 5:5, 11-13). As Hebrews “unless that time of calamity is shortened [cut short from run-
9:28 tells us, “. . . So Christ was offered once to bear the sin of ning its course], not a single person will survive . . .” (verse 22,
many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a sec- NLT). “But,” we’re then told, “for the sake of the elect [God’s
ond time, apart from sin [no longer to die as sin-bearer], for chosen people] those days will be cut short” (same verse,
salvation.” English Standard Version).
The promises and prophecies of Christ’s return are certain. Mankind has now come to the point where we are able to
We are assured that “God . . . cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and that, exterminate ourselves from the planet through nuclear arma-
as Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). God ments and other weapons of mass destruction. And many
is the “God of truth” (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 31:5; Isaiah prophecies show that the nations are progressing relentlessly
65:16). His Word is truth (John 17:17). to a coming time of terrible world war in which such weap-
Jesus Himself, God who was made flesh, was the Word who ons will be unleashed. Moreover, still other prophecies warn
inspired the Old Testament and magnified God’s message in that God will send cataclysmic disasters on an unrepentant
the New. He declared Himself to be the very embodiment of humanity that would wipe out any yet remaining if the effects
truth (John 14:6). The truth is what He came to bear witness of these disasters are not cut short.
to (John 18:37). The apostle Paul affirmed that “the truth is in Thankfully, Jesus will intervene as He promised to keep
Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). Christ and the Father sent the Holy mankind from being obliterated—again, for the sake of those
Spirit of truth to guide us into all truth (John 16:13)—the same elect or chosen of God!
Spirit that inspired the writers of the Bible (1 Peter 1:10-12;
2 Peter 1:20-21). 3. To resurrect and transform His followers to immortality
Clearly, if we can’t count on the truth that Jesus is coming Jesus promised eternal life to His followers, stating that He
back, then we have nothing we can count on! But we can count would raise them up at the last day (John 6:39-40, 44, 54).
on it absolutely—“looking for the blessed hope and glorious Just after describing all people on earth seeing His return
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus (Matthew 24:30), Jesus said of Himself: “And He will send His
THE BIBLE
AND YOU
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather crucifixion (Philippians 2:5-8). “Therefore God also has highly
together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every
[the sky around the earth] to the other” (verse 31). name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
This includes Christ’s true followers who are still alive when those in heaven [the angels], and of those on earth, and of
He comes as well as those who’ve previously died: “For the those under the earth [those dead and buried who are later
Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the raised], and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (verses 9-10).
dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain God does not intend for the last public view the world would
shall be caught up
together with them
in the clouds to meet
Many have the idea that Jesus will come just to take
the Lord in the air”
(1 Thessalonians
us away to live in heaven. But this is not what the Bible
4:16-17). teaches. It shows that we will live with Christ on the earth.
Jesus thus comes
for His spiritual Bride, the Church—His collective body of have of Jesus to be that of a bloody condemned criminal still
believers—with Him as the Bridegroom and Husband (compare dead on a cross—with only few witnesses to His rising. Instead
Matthew 25:1-13; Ephesians 5:25-33). He will be completely vindicated, appearing to the world as
Many have the idea that Jesus will come just to take us all the living, all-powerful God that He is. He will manifest His
away from here permanently to live in heaven. But this is not awesome power at His coming. This will also vindicate His
what the Bible teaches. Rather, it shows that we will live with followers.
Christ on the earth, as we’ll later see. We look for this time ahead when “the Son of Man will
When we are raised to meet Christ, He will change us— come in the glory of His Father with His angels” (Matthew
transforming us into immortal beings, our bodies glorified as 16:27). Paul speaks of “when He comes, in that Day, to be glo-
spirit bodies, just as He has. He “will transform our lowly body rified in His saints and to be admired among all those who
that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Philippians believe” (2 Thessalonians 1:10; compare John 17:24). He will
3:21). “. . . When He is revealed [at His coming], we shall be also then show His glory to the nations: “It shall be that I will
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). As Jesus gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My
“became a life-giving spirit” at His resurrection (1 Corinthians glory” (Isaiah 66:18). Indeed, as we earlier read, “every eye will
15:45), so will we be (verses 47-49)—now made immortal and see Him” (Revelation 1:7).
incorruptible (verses 52-55). Jesus will at last be given the proper respect and honor due Him!
In this transformation, Jesus will complete our redemp-
tion begun at His first coming. He redeemed us, bought us 5. To reign as King over all nations
back, from death through His own sacrifice (Galatians 3:13; We are further told that “when the Son of Man comes in
1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:9). Yet we still die, so full redemp- His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on
tion is something for which we still wait. Jesus said that with the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before
the coming of end-time events, “your redemption draws near” Him” (Matthew 25:31-32). At the blowing of the seventh and
(Luke 21:28). We await “the redemption of the purchased pos- last trumpet of Revelation, not only will the dead in Christ
session” (Ephesians 1:14), “the redemption of our body” at be raised but a wonderful announcement will go forth: “The
Christ’s coming (Romans 8:23). This corresponds to ultimate kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord
salvation, being free from sin and death and living forever with and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev-
Christ and the Father! elation 11:15, ESV). And then at last the Kingdom of God
will come.
4. To appear in glory for vindication and honor Jesus will return in power to take over the nations and rule
At His first coming, Jesus, despite being the Creator God them as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:15-
made flesh who came to save us all, was mocked, persecuted, 16; compare 17:14). “And the Lord shall be King over all the
brutalized and torturously executed in shame and humilia- earth” (Zechariah 14:9). It is prayed in Psalm 67:4: “Oh, let the
tion. Though He rose from the grave, He was seen by only a nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people
few—these among His followers—and was still rejected by His righteously, and govern the nations on earth.”
nation. Many people today still scoff at Him and even use His
name as a curse word. LEARN MORE
While Christ’s suffering and the continuing rejection of
The word Gospel means “good news”—so
Him by many is part of God’s plan being worked out, this
what is so good about Jesus Christ’s mes-
treatment of the Maker and Savior of humanity is obviously
sage of the gospel? Why is it such good
not what He deserves. He deserves honor, glory, adoration, news? You really need to understand!
devotion and worship from all. Those who resist will be put Download or request our free study guide
in awe of Him and made subject to Him. The Gospel of the Kingdom today!
Jesus gave up His divine majesty and might to humble BTmagazine.org/booklets
Himself to the point of coming to die a criminal’s death by
Christ’s followers from this age, then people: “Then the Lord will go forth
glorified with Him, “shall reign with
Him a thousand years” (Revelation
and fight against those nations, as He
fights in the day of battle. And in that Check us out
online!
20:6)—the Millennium—“and they shall day His feet will stand on the Mount of
reign on the earth” (5:10, ESV). Rather Olives” (Zechariah 14:3-4). Jesus will
than going away to remain in heaven, return to the very spot from which He
they will live here with vital work to do— left—but now as divine warrior.
bringing wonderful transformation to Various prophecies show that He will
the whole world. Jesus called this time gather the scattered exiles of Israel back You’ll find much
“the age to come” (Mark 10:30; Luke to the Promised Land. The two divisions
18:30) and “the regeneration [or rebirth], of the nation, the northern tribes of more helpful biblical
when the Son of Man sits on the throne
of His glory” and His 12 apostles “will
Israel led by Ephraim and the southern
tribe of Judah, will be fused back into
material on our
also sit on twelve thrones, judging the a single undivided nation ruled again website, including
twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). under King David, now resurrected
It will be a time of incredible renewal,
starting with Israel and expanding over
(Ezekiel 37:15-28). As already men-
tioned, each tribe will be ruled by one
Beyond Today
the whole world! of the 12 apostles (Matthew 19:28). And Television
these and David will all reign under
6. To deliver and elevate Israel Christ’s overall rulership over the world.
As we’ve seen, Jesus will inherit the Jesus will deliver the Israelites physi-
throne of David over Israel (Isaiah 9:6- cally and also spiritually. Many think
7; see also Luke 1:32). In sitting on this the New Covenant that Jesus brought—
throne, He will rule over all the world, through which people are forgiven by
with Israel promoted above all nations. His sacrifice and true obedience to God
Jesus’ return will enable the fulfill- is made possible through His Spirit—
was just for the Church in this age. But
ment of God’s plan for Israel.
In recent centuries, the nations God said He was making the New Cov- Bible Study Guides
descending from ancient Israel have enant “with the house of Israel and the
been greatly blessed in fulfillment of house of Judah,” whereby He would
promises made to the patriarchs Abra- put His laws in their hearts and minds
ham, Isaac and Jacob (see our free study (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
guide The United States and Britain in The Lord also foretold that His Spirit
Bible Prophecy to learn more). This is not would be poured out on the Jewish peo-
a matter of racial preference, but of fam- ple at Jerusalem—and that they would
ily inheritance and responsibility. God’s look on Him “whom they pierced,”
intent is to bless all nations through
Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:1-3;
deeply grieving over their rejection of
Him for all this time and now ready
Video Bible Study
26:4; 28:14). to repent and follow Him (Zechariah Series
However, prophecies show that 12:10-11).
shortly before Jesus comes back, the “And so,” as Paul writes, “all Israel
Israelite nations—now of northwest will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliv-
European heritage, as well as the Jew- erer will come out of Zion, and He will
ish people—will experience the com- turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for
ing time of terrible trial, called the this is my covenant with them, when
great tribulation, because of egregious I take away their sins” (Romans 11:26-
national sins. “It is the time of Jacob’s 27). And this will be wonderful for the
[or Israel’s] trouble, but he shall be saved rest of the nations (verses 11-12). Israel
out of it” (Jeremiah 30:7)—that is, after was meant to be a holy example for
going through it. the world—as it will be when Christ plus video sermons, our
The Israelites and the Jewish peo- returns!
ple will face animosity and devastating Be sure to read about further reasons 12-part Beyond Today
attacks from other nations. God warned for Jesus’ second coming in our next Bible Study Course
the Israelites, “In all your dwelling places issue. As we see already, there is yet much
the cities shall be laid waste” (Ezekiel for Him and His followers to accomplish and lots more!
6:6). Jerusalem will be beset with “all at His return. Trust in His promises. As
nations of the earth . . . gathered against
it” (Zechariah 12:1-3).
Hebrews 10:37 assures us, “For yet a little
while, and He who is coming will come
and will not tarry”!
ucg.org/learnmore
Yet Jesus will intervene to defend His
THE BIBLE
AND YOU
The Key to Ending Chaos

There are very real causes to the chaos we see in the world around us as well as in our
own lives. There is also a very real solution for those who are willing to do what’s required!
by Gary Petty
H
ave you wished someone could help you find some The starting point to finding answers is found in Psalm
answers to the chaos we see around us? You can. But 103:19: “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and
it will mean taking a hard look at the real, under- His kingdom rules over all.” The right and true answer to all
lying causes of our political, social, racial and eco- questions begins with accepting the God of the Bible as the
nomic problems. In the process you can discover the only Creator and Ruler over all the earth. But it also means you
solution for a nation, and a world, that is tearing itself apart. have to have a clear definition of your true citizenship.
We live in a world where no one can solve the problems
because no human society truly acknowledges the Creator. Is God at fault by allowing a corrupt world?
This isn’t the world God designed for us. If this isn’t the world God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean He created this violent,
He designed, what political agenda should you embrace to self-destructing, dysfunctional human condition. The story
bring change to a troubled world? The answer has to do with of Adam and Eve isn’t a nice fairy-tale about how to under-
what motivates your citizenship. stand good and evil. Their story is the reality of how evil
The United States, and the world, is divided over who is became part of the human experience. Our first parents lived
to blame for the political confusion, hatred, violence, inter- in perfect peace and happiness as long as they followed God’s
national health crisis, racial conflict, economic distress and instructions. Then Satan came into their lives and everything
ever-present anxiety that fills the news cycle and plagues changed.
our mental health. It seems everyone is finger-pointing and It is necessary to understand that Satan is a real being. He
angrily shouting at those they believe are responsible. was one of many angelic beings created by God before the cre-
You can pick your side to blame—Democrats, Republicans, ation of the physical universe. He rebelled against God and now
the Chinese, the Russians, a secret society of billionaires try- desires to destroy God’s purpose for humanity—and thus God’s
ing to rule the world, Internet conspiracy theorists, Millenni- purpose for you. Satan influenced our first parents and they
als, Gen Z, GenXers, Baby Boomers, the deep state, capitalists, became separated from God. According to the apostle Paul,
communists, socialists, the medical profession, racists, anar- from that point forward their descendants have been spiritually
chists, Google, Facebook, you name it. Many have their own blinded by “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
list of who is responsible. That means all human history has been a sad, dysfunctional
And just who is responsible? We’re going to answer that experiment in forming religions, governments and social sys-
question. tems to ensure fairness, equality and safety. It also means that
the god of this age, the author of evil, has manipulated people
Where is God? and the course of human history through spiritual blindness.
Elizabeth Fitt/SIPA/2001230938
First let’s ask an even more provocative question: How This spiritual blindness is at the root of human inability to
would you describe God’s dealing with humanity? Where is govern ourselves without conflict, injustice and violence.
God in this mess? Understand this: God still reigns over the universe. And He
It would seem that of all people, Christians should be able is still involved with human beings. But He has allowed way-
to explain God’s solutions. But in reality, those who identify ward humanity a specific length of time to experiment with
as Christians are deeply divided over the answers to how God every kind of government, systems of justice and economic
wants us to solve the problems of poverty, governance, racial theories we can devise to see that none of it will work apart
relationships and injustice throughout the world. from Him.
God continues to intervene Where does our allegiance lie?
God has a plan for humanity, which includes a personal We all must humbly realize that as long as Satan is the god
plan for your life. You can discover God’s designed purpose for of this age, no human effort will free humanity from its spiri-
you—and it has to do with your citizenship. God isn’t far off, tual blindness. God is seeking those who wish to come out of
ignoring what is happening in this mess. He is acting amidst the darkness and participate in the only real hope for human-
this human tragedy to carry out His destiny for humanity. ity. God is seeking those who will submit to His rule while
A past example of God’s intervention is found in Isaiah 45:1: living in an age of spiritual darkness.
“Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right When you embrace God’s call to citizenship in His higher
hand I have held . . .” Kingdom, there is a fundamental change in your allegiance.
Cyrus was a famous king of Persia. Here is what is interest- This isn’t an easy calling. It means more than “accepting
ing about this verse. Isaiah wrote this prophecy a century before Jesus,” singing religious songs and going to church. To become
Cyrus was even born. Early in his reign Cyrus issued a decree a citizen of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom the prophet
sending Jews who had been scattered by the Babylonian captiv- Daniel foretold many centuries ago would destroy all human
ity back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22- governments, you must accept the values and laws of God’s
23). The Jews returned, and years later Jesus the Messiah came Kingdom in your life right now. That means you must become,
into this world as a Jew exactly as the prophecies said He would. in a real sense, a spiritual stranger in a strange land.
Cyrus was used by God to make sure Jesus was born in Judea.     Hebrews 11:13-16 describes the lives of great men and
God’s intervention in human history doesn’t mean He con- women of faith who died waiting for the restoration of God’s
trols all human actions. He is allowing us, under the malev- Kingdom on earth:
olent influences of the god of this age, to create religions, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
governments and social systems. None of which produces but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced
peace, justice, prosperity for all, or shines light through the them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on
spiritual blindness of war, crime, hatred, anxiety, suffering and the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that
broken lives. they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind
that country from which they had come out, they would have
Where is your citizenship? had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is,
You live in a world where humanity can’t solve its problems a heavenly country [that is, a transformed world under the rule
because no human society or government is submitted to the of God]. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for He has prepared
Being a citizen of the Kingdom of God means accepting a city for them”—
the New Jerusalem,
the sovereignty of God over you and all humanity, and which will come from
heaven to the earth
supersedes all other forms of allegiance and patriotism. (Revelation 21-22).
The reality of
rule of God. If this isn’t the world God designed for us, then true Christianity is to be a stranger and pilgrim on the earth.
what political agenda should we embrace to bring change to It is to seek a different “homeland” and to understand that all
a troubled world? human attempts to create utopia are doomed to failure. It means
To answer that question you have to first answer this ques- embracing a lifelong journey towards the return of Jesus Christ.
tion: How do I define my citizenship?
Here is how the apostle Paul defines Christian citizenship: The transformation of becoming
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly a citizen of the Kingdom of God
wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). How does being a citizen of the Kingdom of God change
Paul had been a prominent leader in the Jewish religious your life? It changes everything, because being a citizen of
establishment. He was also by birth a citizen of the Roman God’s Kingdom is based on accepting not only the sovereignty
Empire. But his primary citizenship was in the Kingdom of of God over all humanity, but His ownership of your life right
God, who reigns from heaven. now. It is complete submission to His mission in your life. It
No political or social movement can solve the human condi- is absolute allegiance to Jesus Christ as Savior, Master and
tion. The real problem lies in the mind and heart of each of us. King of Kings. This citizenship supersedes all other forms
Since the core problem is inside the human heart, only God can of allegiance and patriotism.
supply the solution. This means that the solutions to society’s When you give total allegiance to God, and your citizenship
problems begin with God actively working in your life and bring- is in heaven, you will be transformed by God’s direct interven-
ing about a fundamental change in the inner person. And God tion in your life. Here’s what you will begin to experience:
will do so. This is part of the gospel message—the good news. You begin to seek God’s purpose and goals in your life.
We can keep trying to change other people, or change the God has a purpose for your life. That purpose has a goal.
government, or change the culture, but until we submit to God Remember what Paul wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven,
and His power to change our inner person, we’ll always end up from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
with the same problems. You can’t change someone else, but Christ . . .” Jesus Christ is returning to earth to tear down all
God can change you. human governments and restore God’s rule over His creation.
THE BIBLE
AND YOU
When you seek God’s future He has designed for you, you in God naturally raises this question: How are Christians to
turn must accept His directions toward that future. This may interact with the civil government where they live?
be the most difficult thing for human beings to do. All of us The apostle Peter addressed this question to the early Chris-
want to be our own masters. We want to control our immedi- tians who lived under the heavy foot of the Roman Empire:
ate environment and everyone else around us so we can feel “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreign-
secure and happy. ers’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against
But the foundation of faith is to give leadership of your life your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbe-
over to God as a loving Father. You can only give up the need lieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing
to control if you trust in God’s involvement in your life now wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will
and look forward to His promised future. You must pray to give honor to God when he judges the world.
God and let Him lead your life. “For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—
You begin to change your priorities. whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has
How do you spend your time? Time is a great gift God appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do
has given to each of us. When we allow God to set our priori- wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that
ties, the consuming desire to make money and own things is your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who
replaced with a consuming desire to live as a devoted son or make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet
daughter of God. you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse
The need for status is replaced with the need to love oth- to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.
ers. The search for self-determination is replaced with seek- Fear God, and respect the king” (1 Peter 2:11-17, New Living
ing God’s way of life. The desire for constant entertainment Translation).
and immediate gratification is replaced with a peaceful under- Notice that Peter, like the writer of Hebrews, addresses the
standing of what is really valuable in life—having a relation- followers of Jesus as “temporary residents and foreigners.”
ship with God as His child and showing His love to others. They may have been citizens of a particular region, or even a
You begin to change how you spend your mental and citizen of the Roman Empire, but they were intensely aware
emotional energy. that their primary citizenship was in the Kingdom of God.
We waste so much of our lives in resentment, selfishness, Peter instructs them to submit to the civil authorities so that
envy and other destructive thoughts and emotions. But notice “even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your
what God wants to produce in your life: “love, joy, peace, long- honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when
suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [and] he judges the world.”
self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). This can only happen when Christians were persecuted by the Romans for their alle-
you acknowledge that you need God’s rule in your life and giance to God the Father and to Jesus as their King. Still Peter
accept your absolute inability to heal your spiritual blindness. tells them to obey the laws of the land so that when Jesus
You begin to obey God’s commandments. returns the civil leaders will know that His followers were
You must accept the right of the Creator to have domin- among them. Obviously, Peter doesn’t mean that Christians
ion over His creation—part of which is you. Just as there are are to follow civil leaders if they tell them to disobey God
physical laws like gravity that govern the universe, there are (see Acts 5:29). Every Christian’s primary allegiance is to
spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God and your God and His laws, but the followers of Christ should also be
relationships with others. It is meaningless to “confess Jesus” known for their respect for authorities, peacefulness and care
and at the same time ignore His directions because that means for others.
our citizenship is not in the Kingdom He proclaimed. During Jesus’ ministry, He was confronted by a group of
Herodians, essentially a political party, with the question of
How do citizens of God’s Kingdom whether Jews should pay taxes to the Romans. This was a trick
interact with civil governments? question. If Jesus answered that they were to pay taxes to the
Dedicating your life to being a citizen of the Kingdom of Romans, He could be accused of supporting the evil empire
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Is God controlling
all human decisions? and lose support among the Jewish people. If He said they
weren’t to pay taxes, He could be accused of sedition and
W
e find an example of God’s powerful intervention in arrested by the Roman authorities.
human affairs in the biblical book of Daniel. In this well- Jesus asked for a coin and then asked the Herodians whose
known story in chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar, the great inscription was on it. They answered that is was Caesar’s.
king of Babylon, had a troubling dream. Daniel, a young Jew who Jesus responded, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that
was forced to serve in the king’s palace, was inspired by God to are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew
tell Nebuchadnezzar that his dream had been divinely inspired. 22:15-21).
Daniel described how the dream involved a strange image of a Here Jesus explains the tension of being a citizen of an
man with a head made of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and earthly kingdom and at the same time a citizen of the King-
thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. A dom of God. The coin bore the image of Caesar, showing it
large stone smashed the feet of the image, and it came crashing belonged to him. But what bears the image of God, show-
down into a heap of rubble that was then blown away by the wind. ing God’s ownership? Human beings who are made in God’s
The king was told by Daniel that his dream reveals how vari- image! Jesus’ point, then, is that all of us must give ourselves
ous empires, reaching across centuries into the future, would be wholly to God.
involved in God’s plan for humanity. Daniel declared that the head Christians must live in allegiance to God and the laws and
of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire, values of His Kingdom. And this includes compliance with
with the other three metal parts symbolizing successor kingdoms. the laws of human governments as long as the human laws
History shows that Babylon was followed by the Persian, Greek don’t conflict with allegiance to God. Jesus, Peter and Paul
and Roman empires.
all instructed Christians to be good citizens of the countries
The first of these empires interacted with the Jewish nation.
where they lived. Yet all three of them chose loyalty to God’s
Kingdom as their first allegiance and were killed for it.
The fourth empire interacted with both the Jewish nation and the
Church founded by Jesus. The prophecy ends with the hope of a Focusing your life
future event when “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which
shall never be destroyed” (verse 44). We see in Daniel’s story a man We opened here with a partial list of groups accused of
who, while living in a foreign land, understood his true citizenship.
causing the chaos in our world. Who is actually to blame?
An example of how God also allows human beings to create
All of those listed play a part. So do you and I if we are not
first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God. And don’t
their own destruction is found in the history of ancient Israel
forget the god of this age. Satan does his most effective work
recorded in the book of Judges. In spite of God’s interaction with
in chaos. Chaos is the breeding ground for evil. When Jesus
them, Israel spent centuries trapped in a self-destructive cycle.
returns, He must first remove Satan from being able to influ-
During this time a man named Abimelech, a son of the judge
ence human beings. Only then will all people be able to expe-
Gideon, conspired with other men who craved power. He killed
rience true freedom and happiness for the first time since
most of Gideon’s other sons and set himself up as king. A reading
Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden.
of his story in the book of Judges shows that things did not turn
All of us should be aware of what is happening in our
out well for Abimelech or his followers, who were without God’s
world. We are all distressed by the chaos, suffering and evil.
blessing (Judges 9).
It helps to always keep this in mind: The sovereign Ruler over
Israel later became a major kingdom in the Middle East. God
the universe has already foretold the failure of all human
ultimately determined the nation’s kings in carrying out His plan
efforts to try and live outside His Kingdom.
on earth. The three most famous kings were Saul, David and
This isn’t the world God designed for us. He is sending
Solomon. After Solomon’s death Israel entered a long period of
Jesus Christ to replace the worn-out, dysfunctional world of
rejecting God and slid into lawlessness and anarchy. this age by restoring God’s Kingdom on earth. The more you
Around 200 years after the death of Solomon, God told the focus your life on the chaos, the more you become part of the
prophet Hosea to warn the nation of coming invasion: “Set the problem. Instead, focus your thoughts, actions and energy
trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the on the hope, salvation and unity Jesus Christ will bring to all
house of the Lord, because they have transgressed My covenant humanity when He returns.
and rebelled against My law. Israel will cry to Me, ‘My God, we God is going to create a new world. He is calling all those
know You!’ Israel has rejected the good; the enemy will pursue who want to be part of that great movement to come out of
him. They set up kings, but not by Me; they made princes, but this world and become citizens of His Kingdom!
I did not acknowledge them” (Hosea 8:1-4).
Because of their rebellion against His ways, God was not directly LEARN MORE
guiding Israel’s government or society. This shocked the Israelites
who cried out, “My God, we know You!” God’s response was that The word Gospel means “good news.” What
exactly was Jesus Christ’s message of the
He didn’t accept them. We see in this that God doesn’t control
gospel? How and why is it such good news?
all human affairs, but allows us to go our own way within limits. You really need to understand! Download
We see that without submitting to God’s sovereignty, all human or request our free study guide The Gospel
attempts to create the perfect government will sow the seeds of of the Kingdom today!
their own downfall. BTmagazine.org/booklets
THE BIBLE
AND YOU
“Who Will
Listen
to My
Warning?”
The prophet Jeremiah warned the rebellious people of ancient Judah that they needed to turn to God
in humble obedience. How do Jeremiah’s admonitions apply to the people of today’s lawless world?
by John LaBissoniere
D
on’t you want people to listen to you, especially when them. They take no delight in it” (Jeremiah 6:10, The Voice).
you have something important to say? Imagine, for Why is it important to explore God’s warnings through
example, that you see whiffs of smoke rising from Jeremiah and other prophets? Because they have significant
a house indicating a fire. You immediately start to application to the nations of today. In fact, many prophetic
warn people living there—but, shockingly, no one pays any statements have dual application—meaning there’s a prelimi-
attention to you! nary fulfillment as well as a later or final fulfillment, often to
At that point you quickly call the fire department, but even occur at the time of the end. (You can learn about prophetic
then the operator treats your report with indifference. As you duality by reading our free study guide You Can Understand
watch flames beginning to rise from the house, you become Bible Prophecy.)
more insistent. But the operator curtly dismisses you and
tells you to get off the phone! Stunned, you hang up and ask: Two nations that ignored God’s warnings
Will no one listen? Before examining Jeremiah’s poignant warnings, let’s briefly
It seems unlikely that such a scenario would occur in the note what occurred in Israel’s history following the death of
report of a real fire. But something like this did in effect hap- King Solomon in 931 B.C. The Bible explains that at that point,
pen when God’s prophets gave urgent warnings to the rebellious the kingdom experienced a contentious division into two
ancient nations of Israel and Judah about the devastating inferno nations—the southern kingdom of Judah, consisting of the
of sin in their midst. The response of their leaders and citizens tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the northern kingdom of
was similar to what was just described. The prophets and their Israel, made up of the other 10 tribes (1 Kings 12:1-18).
Justinen Creative/Goodsalt.com
admonitions were repeatedly met with indifference or derision. Soon afterward, God sent several prophets to the northern
When the prophet Jeremiah experienced such reactions he kingdom—including Elijah, Hosea, Amos, Micah and others
lamented: “Who can I speak to? Who will listen to my warn- —to proclaim strong cautionary messages regarding their dis-
ing?” (Jeremiah 6:10, Evangelical Heritage Version). obedience and what would result if it continued (Hosea 4:1-2).
Who heeded Jeremiah? Who really cared? The answer was— For example, Hosea warned that if the nation didn’t comply,
nearly no one! God would allow it to be invaded and enslaved by the Assyr-
He then said: “Their ears are closed; they cannot hear. They’re ian Empire. This disastrous event occurred in two waves in the
deaf to anything about God. The Eternal’s word is offensive to 700s B.C. (Hosea 7:13; 8:14; 2 Kings 15:29; 17:5-6).
In addition, God sent prophets to the kingdom of Judah, The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 delegates
including Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah and to the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia,
others. These faithful servants gave powerful warnings to the Penn. The preamble of this famous document expresses how the
leaders and people about the coming result of their persistent founders comprehended that the Eternal God created human
disregard of God and His laws (2 Chronicles 36:14-16). beings and provided them with inherent rights. It states:
Jeremiah’s prophetic efforts spanned 40 years of Judea’s tumul- “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
tuous history. It began during the 13th year of King Josiah’s created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
kingship in 627 B.C. and continued until the 11th year of King certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty
Zedekiah’s reign in 587 B.C.—when troops of the Babylonian and the pursuit of happiness” (emphasis added throughout).
Empire conquered the entire nation, subjugated its people and The Declaration notes that the signers were “appealing to the
destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions”
From the outset of Jeremiah’s ministry, he warned the leaders and concludes by stating, “. . . with a firm reliance on the Pro-
and people that their beloved nation risked this precise calamity tection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other
if they didn’t reject idolatry and other appalling conduct: our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
“The Lord said to me, ‘From the north disaster will be To determine the principles of the new American govern-
poured out on all who live in the land. I am about to summon ment, the Constitutional Convention was held from May 14 to
all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,’ declares the Lord. Sept. 17, 1787, in Philadelphia. One of the most famous of its
‘Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance 55 delegates, Benjamin Franklin, said: “I have lived, sir, a long
of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her sur- time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of
rounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. I will pro- this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a spar-
nounce my judgments on my people because of their wicked- row cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable
ness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in that an empire can rise without his aid?”
worshiping what their hands have made” (Jeremiah 1:14-16, There is no question that the Bible and Christian principles
New International Version). influenced the lives and actions of America’s forefathers. For
As Jeremiah conveyed these warnings, he also reminded example, the nation’s first president George Washington said,
the people of God’s great mercy if they responded in sincere “It is impossible to govern the universe without the aid of a
humility and repentance (Jeremiah 3:12; 22; 31:20). Indeed, Supreme Being.” He also said, “To the distinguished character
God was tremendously concerned about the Judean people and of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more dis-
wanted them to cast off rebellious, profane conduct. tinguished character of Christian.” John Adams, the nation’s
But, then, what about today? Has God somehow changed so second president, stated, “The general principles . . . of Chris-
that He ignores the mountains of sin committed by the people tianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attri-
of our age? The scriptural answer is categorically no! God has butes of God.” Virginia governor and famous patriot Patrick
never changed in His abhorrence of all iniquity (Malachi 3:6; Henry wrote, “The Bible is a book worth more than all the
Proverbs 6:16-19). other books that were ever printed.”
Today’s urgent need to turn to God Bible knowledge has deteriorated
Today there is an urgent need for all nations to turn to God in Likewise, many former U.S. presidents expressed their strong
deep respect and obedience. This is especially crucial for the peo- support of Holy Scripture. For example, 16th president Abra-
ple of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand ham Lincoln penned: “In regard for this Great Book, I have this
and the nations of northwest Europe. Why? Because they are the to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Sav-
modern-day descendants of ancient Israel. (For more informa- ior gave to the world was communicated through this Book.”
tion on this important subject, read our study guide The United Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd president, wrote: “We cannot
States and Britain in Bible Prophecy). A significant portion of read the history of our rise and development as a nation with-
end-time Bible prophecy is directed toward them. out reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping
Plus, returning to God is particularly essential for America the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the truest
since, unlike any other nation, it had a unique, biblically cen- and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained
tered formation. The country’s forefathers, who were on the the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.”
whole deeply religious, recognized the tremendous value of Ronald Reagan, America’s 40th president, stated: “Inside the
God’s laws outlined in the Bible, and they sought His guidance Bible’s pages lie all the answers to all of the problems man has
and blessings in their founding deliberations. ever known. It is my firm belief that the enduring values pre-
American University School of Public Affairs professor sented in its pages have a great meaning for each of us and for
Daniel Dreisbach stated in a speech on May 19, 2017: “The our nation.”
founding fathers read the Bible. Their many quotations from Due to the foresight of America’s leaders and its citizens’
and allusions to both familiar and obscure scriptural passages desire to honor God and observe His laws, He blessed them
tell us that they knew the Bible well. Biblical language and with great freedom, safety and material prosperity. How tragic,
themes liberally seasoned their rhetoric; the phrases and the then, to see what has happened in the United States, especially
cadences of the King James Bible, especially, informed their over the past several decades. Sadly, Christianity itself and Bible
written and spoken words. The ideas of the Bible shaped their knowledge in particular have deteriorated to the point that a
habits of mind and informed their political pursuits.” substantial number of people today are biblically illiterate.
THE BIBLE
AND YOU
Lifeway Research of Nashville, Tenn.—which conducts respond to God’s urgent warnings to repent and change—
research projects on faith and culture—surveyed 1,000 Ameri- expressed today by His Church proclaiming His Word through
cans on their views about the Bible. An article by religion edi- this magazine, numerous other publications, television and
tor Bob Smietana on April 25, 2017, explained the findings: the Internet. The Church has the same responsibility God gave
“[M]ore than half of Americans have read little or none of the His faithful prophet Isaiah: “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your
Bible. Less than a quarter of those who have ever read a Bible voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and
have a systematic plan for reading the Christian scriptures each the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).
day. And a third of Americans never pick it up on their own . . . Not only does God speak through the Holy Scriptures today,
‘Most Americans don’t know first-hand the overall story of the but He also allows what could be termed “wake-up warnings”
Bible—because they rarely pick it up,’ [LifeWay’s executive direc- to alert people to the disasters awaiting them if they choose not
tor Scott] McConnell said. ‘Even among worship attendees, less to listen and change.
than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans Consider some of the major wake-up calls that have shouted
hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.” for Americans’ attention in the past several years:
Additionally, an Oct. 17, 2019 report from the Pew Research • The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the World Trade
Center titled “In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., that
Rapid Pace” states that according to “telephone surveys con- killed almost 3,000 people.
ducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe them- • The 2008 global financial crisis, which until that time was the
selves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the reli- • The 2020 coronavirus pandemic, which has greatly impacted
giously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people people’s physical and emotional health as well as the entire world’s
who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or ‘noth- economic life.
ing in particular,’ now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.” • The riots and protests in 2020 that, according to insurance
Abandoning the flawless values expressed in the Word of industry estimates, could result in a total of billions of dollars
God has led to horrible results. Consider for example, how the in damage.
sacred marriage relationship has been disgraced through wide-
spread divorce. In addition, the nation has experienced perva- Do you hear God’s warning?
sive sexual immorality and perversion as well as the appalling Will other severe warnings occur to rouse people out of
killing of tens of millions of babies through abortion. These their state of indifference and sinfulness? For example, could
and many other evils have left America dangerously close to there yet be a severe economic depression? What about a
being branded as a byword for lawlessness among the nations. massive attack on the nation’s electrical power grid? Or a sig-
As John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts nificant cyberattack on business, government and military
Bay Colony of New England, warned: “For we must consider computer systems? Maybe a great drought that severely limits
that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are
crop and meat production, resulting in widespread food short-
upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this ages? Or an enormous earthquake or some other massive
work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw his natural disaster?
present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword Sadly, since many people today have no interest in knowing
through the world.” God or learning from His divine Word, they will be blind to
these and other danger signals that could arise in the coming
God’s warnings today through His true Church days (Matthew 24:37-39).
Similar to how nearly no one listened to God’s ancient Finally, when Jeremiah asked, “Who will listen to my warn-
prophets, most people today will not heed the teachings He ing?” he sincerely hoped that his countrymen would hear his
gives through His true Church (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). The message and turn to God in heartfelt repentance (Jeremiah
prophet Isaiah described the corrupt conduct of both the peo- 9:12, 20). Similarly, as God’s Church preaches the gospel of
ple of ancient Israel and their contemporary descendants when God’s coming Kingdom as a witness and warns people of the
he wrote: “This is a rebellious people, lying children, children consequences of their sins, we too hope and pray that people
who will not hear the law of the Lord; who say to the seers, will respond positively to God’s urgent admonitions. However,
‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us right just as most people didn’t listen to Jeremiah in his day, most
things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of will refuse to listen and repent now.
the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel What about you? Will you hear and heed God’s warning?
to cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:9-11).
Such impertinence brings the accelerating loss of God’s favor LEARN MORE
and divine protection. Similar to what happened to ancient
We are living in very dangerous times. Where
Israel and Judah, these modern-day nations, if they choose to
are events headed? Why are so many troubling
remain unrepentant, will ultimately experience a devastating things taking place? Download or request our
downfall resulting from their brazen disregard of God and His free study guide The United States and Britain
commandments. This punishment will occur during a time in Bible Prophecy to know where these nations
described as “Jacob’s trouble,” when they will be attacked, are headed and why!
plundered and vanquished by enemies (Jeremiah 30:5-7). BTmagazine.org/booklets
To avoid this devastating outcome, people must hear and
The Bible’s
Prophetic Festivals
God gave seven annual festivals that present the work of Jesus Christ
in saving humanity. It’s vital that all of us learn of them and what they teach.
by Vince Szymkowiak and Tom Robinson
A
s His Word the Holy Bible reveals, the Creator God Today Christians are commanded to observe the memo-
made human beings with the intent of their becoming rial of the Passover yearly at the same time by drinking of
part of His family—billions of children joining God the cup of the New Covenant and eating unleavened bread
the Father and Jesus Christ in glory forever, sharing in remembrance of Christ’s incredible sacrifice. By doing so,
Their nature and character. we solemnly and thankfully remember the Lord’s death until
However, from the time of the first man and woman, Adam He returns (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). This festival pictures the
and Eve, mankind has been led astray by the rebellious fallen start of God’s plan of redemption—the washing away of our
angel now known as Satan the devil. Under his influence, all sins by the very blood of Jesus Christ.
people have sinned—disobeyed God—and come under the
resultant penalties, ultimately death (see Romans 3:23; 6:23). The Feast of Unleavened Bread
So is humanity lost beyond recovery? Has God’s plan to pro- So, being forgiven of sins by God’s grace through the sacrifice
duce His family been thwarted? By no means, for God had of Christ, are we entitled to go on sinning?
already established a plan to save His precious children before Paul asks, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”
they even existed. (Romans 6:1). In other words, do we just stay the way we are
The Bible presents God’s awesome plan of salvation. Span- and continue our sinful habits while expecting God to look the
ning ages, it encompasses some being led in this age to realize other way? Paul answers emphatically: “Certainly not! How
their need for forgiveness of sin on through to the time when shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (verse 2).
salvation will be offered to all who have ever lived. The major Rather, in deep appreciation of what God has done and is
steps in this plan are revealed through the biblical festivals doing for us through His Son, we continue to repent of our
God’s Word instructs us to observe (laid out sequentially in sins and live a changed life. As we come under God’s grace and
Leviticus 23). And through these annual commemorations we mercy, we must continue to “cleanse ourselves from all filthi-
learn the key role Jesus Christ performs in mankind’s salvation. ness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
The Passover The Days of Unleavened Bread immediately follow the Pass-
Exodus 12 introduces the Passover lamb as a means of over (Leviticus 23:5-8). Historically, the seven days of this fes-
redemption for the ancient Israelites in Egyptian slavery. When tival commemorate the time that the freed Israelites departed
God sent a plague of death on the land of Egypt, the blood of from Egypt and its godless ways. For a Christian living under
the sacrificed lambs around the doors of the Israelite houses the New Covenant, these days reveal the convicting truth that
allowed the Israelites to be spared. This occasion was to be we must leave our sinful ways and work to overcome sin. We
observed every year on the same day it occurred in early spring cannot continue in sin!
Leonid Ikan/iStock/Getty Images Plus
as a memorial (see also Leviticus 23:4-5). Yet the sacrificed lamb Yet, unlike the Israelites of old, we have a new and better way
without blemish more importantly served as a representation of to accomplish this spiritual work. This festival begins to tell us
Jesus Christ, who was without any spiritual blemish of sin. how a new life, based on Christ, can be achieved.
The New Testament reveals that Christ was killed on the very This seven-day festival highlights elements of the work of
Passover day and that He is “our Passover, sacrificed for us” Jesus Christ that are essential for our understanding the salva-
(1 Corinthians 5:7). Indeed, He is “the Lamb of God who takes tion process of God the Father. For one, it was during this festi-
away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Through His sacrifice we val that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, three days and nights
are by God’s grace forgiven of sin and ultimately spared from after being placed in the tomb, as He said He would (1 Corinthi-
sin’s penalty of death. ans 15:3-4). This central truth of Scripture is key to our salvation,
THE BIBLE
AND YOU
because without a risen Savior we are still in our sins without converted at a later time—a fact we will see more about shortly.
hope (verses 14, 17)
Scripture tells us that for this one-week period we are to avoid Progressing from spring to fall festivals
leavening, an agent that causes bread to rise in baking (yeast in So far, we see a logical progression in God’s plan of salva-
the biblical period). Leaven represents “malice and wickedness” tion. First, Jesus, our Passover lamb, demonstrates God’s love
or sin (1 Corinthians 5:8). And for this one week we instead for us by dying for our sins.
eat unleavened bread with our meals (Exodus 12:15, 19-20). By Second, the Days of Unleavened bread teach us to overcome
doing so, we are reminded of our constant need to put sin out of sin in our lives and to look to the risen Christ to deliver us
our lives and to put sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8) into from sin’s power and help us live righteously.
our lives. Third, we learn through the Day of Pentecost that God
Furthermore, the Days of Unleavened Bread also picture the promises to give to us of the Holy Spirit—His power, mind and
work of the risen Christ. In fulfillment of a special firstfruits life—as firstfruits in the spiritual harvest of His family. It is
grain offering brought during this festival (see Leviticus 23:9-14; only through the Spirit that we can “put to death the [sinful]
1 Corinthians 15:20, 23), Jesus, at the time it was to be offered, deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13) and walk as Christ walked.
ascended to the throne of God to present Himself for acceptance Now let’s take a look at the last four festivals. Coming in late
as the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest of humanity and as summer and autumn in the land of Israel, the prophetic fall
the One who leads us all in the way of salvation. Being accepted as feasts represent events that come later than those pictured by
the Lamb of God, He entered the Most Holy Place with His own the spring festivals. Indeed, they foreshadow wonderful events
blood and began a new role as High Priest making intercession yet to take place in God’s great plan.
for us (Hebrews 9:12, 24-25).
Moreover, this ongoing work makes the eating of unleav- The Feast of Trumpets
ened bread throughout this festival all the more significant. Leviticus 23:23-25 commands God’s people to observe
Jesus Christ, as the bread of life (John 6:48, 51), enters the life of
“a sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets.”
a Christian through God’s Spirit. It is then possible to live a new Trumpets had great meaning for the Israelites. They were
life with and through the help of Jesus Christ as He lives again used in the calling of special assemblies (Numbers 10:1-10) and
through and in us. to sound the alarm for war (Jeremiah 4:19). Moreover, God
The apostle Paul spoke of this awesome truth when he wrote, had come down in a manifestation of power at Mount Sinai to
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but reveal His law with the blaring of a trumpet (Exodus 19:16-19).
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh Scripture also prophesies that trumpets will serve as heralds
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave of great future events soon to take place on the earth. The
himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, King James Version). book of Revelation tells us that seven trumpets will be sounded
by angels to announce awesome end-time events. The first
The Feast of Pentecost angel’s trumpet will announce a great plague of hail, fire and
The next festival God revealed to the Israelites (Leviticus blood, which will destroy a third part of the earth’s vegetation
23:15-22) came in late spring in Israel after seven weeks or on the (Revelation 8:7).
50th day following the offering of the firstfruits that took place More trumpet blasts will be heard, culminating with the
during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day—called the seventh and last trumpet (Revelation 11:15). This trumpet
Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10, 16), Pente- announces the return of Jesus Christ to the earth and the
cost (meaning 50th in Greek) and the Feast of Harvest (Exodus establishment of His glorious Kingdom over all nations.
23:16)—another firstfruits grain offering was presented. This We are also told by the apostle Paul that this trumpet will
day pictures the next step in God’s great plan of salvation. signal the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the transfor-
Acts 2 explains that God’s Holy Spirit was poured out on mation of all Christ’s followers from physical flesh to glorified
Christ’s disciples on this very day. God’s Spirit forever changed spirit existence (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52).
these people. Peter immediately gave an inspired sermon and Jesus Himself said that His chosen people will be gathered at
exclaimed to the multitudes gathered: “Repent, and let every one the “great sound of a trumpet” (Matthew 24:31).
of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission As we observe this festival of Trumpets today, we are to keep
of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the in mind the great events that will soon take place on the earth,
promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar culminating in the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection
off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” of the saints.
Yes, the promise of receiving the Holy Spirit is available to
all those whom God is calling today. Those who receive God’s The Day of Atonement
Spirit are said to have “the firstfruits of the Spirit” (Romans The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32) is mentioned in
8:23), being themselves “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” the New Testament in Acts 27:9, where it is called “the Fast,” as
(James 1:18). marginal notes in many Bibles today affirm. It was thus familiar
While Jesus, as we saw, was the firstfruits of God’s spiritual to New Testament Christians as a day they still observed with
harvest of mankind, here we see that Christ’s followers in this fasting.
age are also considered firstfruits—Jesus therefore being first This Day of Atonement, on which we are to fast, is called “a
of the firstfruits. One implication of God’s servants in the pres- sabbath of solemn rest” (Leviticus 23:27-32). The ancient rituals
ent age being His firstfruits is that others will be spiritually for the day are explained in great detail in Leviticus 16. A central
ceremony involved two goats, one sacrificed in representation of Christ. Revelation 20:4 says: “And I saw thrones, and they sat
the Lord and the other called in Hebrew ez ozel, meaning “goat on them, and judgment was committed to them . . . And they
of departure.” Some early translators used the word “scape- lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (compare
goat,” thinking the goat escaped free. The word has since come Daniel 7:27).
to mean one who is innocent but is made to bear blame. Neither The wonderful truth is that when Christ returns, true Chris-
sense fits here. tians from this age will rule under Him as kings and priests
In some other translations, such as the New Revised Standard (Revelation 5:10; 20:6)—leading the rest of the world into
Version, the Hebrew word Azazel is used, some maintaining God’s ways.
that Azazel is the name of a demon.
Some claim that the Azazel goat represents Jesus Christ just The Eighth Day
as the first goat, but this is an illogical interpretation once we Immediately following the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles is
understand the fate of the Azazel goat. Leviticus 16:22 tells us, another Holy Day or Sabbath—referred to in Scripture simply
“The goat shall bear on itself all their [i.e., the Israelites’] iniqui-
as “the eighth day” (Leviticus 23:36, 39). This day pictures the
ties to an uninhabited land; and he [the suitable man chosen for most joyful of all events yet to take place in God’s great plan.
the task (verse 21)] shall release the goat in the wilderness.” We should consider that the celebration of the ingathering
This goat was not allowed to return to dwell among human- of all humanity is not complete with the 1,000-year reign of
ity. It was driven away and banished. This is the exact opposite Christ. For what about all those who died in this age who were
concept of the role of Jesus Christ, who as Immanuel—meaning not called as part of God’s firstfruits? There will yet remain
“God With Us” (Matthew 1:23)—has promised to always be with billions of people from this age who are not saved.
us. He tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews So are they forever lost?
13:5). So, in contrast to the goat of departure, Jesus will be with Many Bible students realize that one day we will all stand
us always. before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). What
It is Satan who will be banished from the face of humanity. most don’t realize is that for those who died without the true
At Jesus’ return, the devil will be bound and cast into a bottom- knowledge of the plan of salvation, the time will come when
less pit (Revelation 20:1-3)—and later taken out of the picture for they will be resurrected to physical life and given their first
good (verse 10). opportunity to really understand God’s plan and make an
The Day of Atonement pictures the wonderful time when informed choice about it.
humanity at large will repent and accept the atoning sacrifice of Revelation 20:11-15 speaks of this time yet to come 1,000
Christ, as pictured by the first goat, and Satan will be banished, years after the “first resurrection” (verse 6), when “the rest of
as pictured by the driving away of the second goat. We will be the dead” will in a second resurrection be restored to life (see
given complete victory over the devil through Jesus Christ. verse 5). Ezekiel 37:1-14 describes the same period—a time
when those who seemed doomed with all hope lost (verse 11)
The Feast of Tabernacles
will be raised to life again. They will be astonished to find out
The next annual festival, the seven-day Feast of Taberna- that God will offer to them His Holy Spirit (verse 14) and give
cles (Leviticus 23:33-36), was celebrated by the ancient Israel- them the opportunity to really know for the first time just who
ites with makeshift shelters, recalling their transitory dwelling the true God is (verse 13).
when they left Egypt and made their way to the Promised Land. This vision, then, speaks of the time when all humanity who
Also called the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16; Deuteron- never sufficiently understood God’s truth will at last come
omy 34:22), this festival celebrated the late summer and early fall to know it. It will be at this time that they will have to decide
harvest in the land of Israel. In a spiritual sense it represents the whether or not they will submit to and serve God. In other
great ingathering of God’s spiritual harvest of mankind follow- words, their salvation is dependent on whether or not they will
ing Christ’s return. This feast looks forward to the time of the choose to accept Jesus’ shed blood for their sins and serve God
earthly rule of Jesus Christ. faithfully once they come to know Him.
Jesus Himself observed this feast during His ministry and This will be a time of judgment in the sense that the new
told others to do so as well (John 7:8-14). The Bible even states lives of these multitudes will be under evaluation. Those who
that instead of being done away, this feast will be observed by stay on the right path with God’s help will be saved. Those who
the gentile (non-Israelite) nations during Christ’s reign over the ultimately reject God are the only ones who will be condemned
earth (Zechariah 14:9, 16-18). in the end. Undoubtedly, most of humanity will make the right
Scripture tells us that the resurrected saints will reign with decision to obey Him and continue in His ways.
God, in His great wisdom, has a plan to offer everyone who
LEARN MORE has ever lived an opportunity to inherit eternal life. He is call-
ing some to repentance now, and the rest He will call during
God’s Word contains much more detail about the millennial reign of Christ and the second resurrection
the meaning of these biblical festivals, which
period that follows.
teach us about God’s plan for the salvation of
If you have read this far and are coming to understand God’s
mankind! Download or request our free study
guide God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of great plan, perhaps you are being called at this time. May God
Hope for All Mankind to learn much more. help you to respond to His call to receive Jesus Christ and follow
BTmagazine.org/booklets His ways—including observance of these important festivals
that show the way to eternal salvation in God’s family!
WORLD NEWS
& PROPHECY
The Supreme Court:

Turning the World Upside Down
The U.S. Supreme Court has again defied God—by not only denying His Word but also scientific reality.
by Darris McNeely
O
n June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a rul- His dissent lays out seven different realms of American life
ing that redefined the meaning of “sex.” The court has that will be affected by this ruling. Those seven areas are:
now decreed that “sex” (in discrimination law) means • Bathrooms and changing rooms. The ramifications here are
more than biology and genes and DNA. Sex is now far-reaching and involve the safety of women and underage
interpreted to mean one’s personal preference and identity— children, as this ruling means that biological men can now use
i.e., men can now claim to be women and women can claim to women’s restrooms and other women-only facilities. It opens
be men, and everyone is legally obligated to accept such obvious the door for tragic cases of abuse.
falsehoods as true and normal. • Women’s sports. As Justice Alito notes, “The effect of the
This sweeping ruling will impact every part of U.S. culture— Court’s reasoning may be to force young women to compete
from schools and businesses to churches and restrooms. The against students who have a very significant biological advan-
Supreme Court has again, as it did in the same-sex marriage tage, including students who have the size and strength of a
decision of 2015, crossed a line into the realm of God and inter- male but identify as female and students who are taking male
fered with the biblically established divine order of life itself.hormones in order to transition from female to male.”
God made human beings in His image, declaring them Alito also warned that this ruling may affect professional
“male and female” with distinctive biological and spiritual sports as well. Court challenges are already well underway on
roles. Without a hint of God’s will or purpose mentioned in this point.
the ruling, the court has rendered a debasing and unrighteous • Housing. Housing on college campuses that maintain sep-
decision on sexual morality that will further erode America’s arate dorms, rooms and bathrooms for men and women would
moral and spiritual culture. be challenged.
This decision, like earlier Supreme Court decisions, invites • Religious employment. Again Justice Alito noted in the
divine judgment on a people who do not wish to keep God in dissent: “Briefs filed by a wide range of religious groups—
their knowledge. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim—express deep concern that the
position now adopted by the Court ‘will trigger open conflict
What does this mean going forward? with faith-based employment practices of numerous churches,
The Supreme Court’s ruling essentially rewrites the 1964 synagogues, mosques, and other religious institutions.’” In
Civil Rights Act barring discrimination in employment on the other words, those who hold to biblical definitions of male and
basis of “race, color, religion, sex, [and] national origin.” The female may be forced to hire or keep as employees individuals
court redefined “sex” to mean more than man or woman, male who deny and defy these biblical definitions.
or female. • Health care. There are multiple issues here. Alito warns,
In the process the six-justice majority bypassed Congress “Transgender employees have brought suit . . . to challenge
as the nation’s constitutionally delegated lawmaking branch employer-provided health insurance plans that do not cover
of government. It set a precedent of reinterpreting the clear costly sex reassignment surgery.” So we would see the cost of
meaning of a law written by an earlier generation. health plans increase as employers, employees and taxpayers
The 1964 Civil Rights law was landmark legislation aimed are forced to foot the bill for such surgeries that are understood
at righting historic injustice. The meaning of the word “sex” in by many to be morally wrong.
context referred only to whether a person is biologically male • Freedom of speech. Alito warns: “The Court’s decision may
or female. Now, 56 years later, public views have changed and even affect the way employers address their employees and
the court has reinterpreted this word with a never-intended the way teachers and school officials address students.” As has
meaning. already happened in a number of cases, people can and will be
In a powerful dissent, Justice Samuel Alito condemned the punished for speaking the truth about such madness.
ruling as “preposterous” and showing “breathtaking” arro- • Constitutional claims. The issues here are wide-ranging and
gance. Alito warned that the decision will have wide-ranging go beyond what we have space to discuss now. But the majority
destructive impacts on key freedoms Americans hold dear, ruling has the abrupt effect of broad legislation that will impact
and that “the entire Federal Judiciary will be mired for years many other areas of public life without the moderating and set-
in disputes about the reach of the Court’s reasoning.” tling effect of debate, discussion and deliberate legislation over
time. The real effect is that six unelected officials have determined union between a man and woman—the only biblical defini-
that an entire nation of more than 330 million people must accept tion of marriage—is superseded by the human reasoning and
and pretend that an obvious lie is in fact true. judgment of five unelected officials. Human jurisprudence now
Those who are cheering the current decision strongly feel the sanctions as marriage relationships God never intended—in
court is merely catching up with where the rest of the country fact, ones He specifically forbids!
is. But frankly, the culture is moving so rapidly on these issues With these rulings America has crossed several major lines.
that it’s difficult to stay informed about what is happening and We have gone from a ruling against prayer and Bible read-
the meaning and ramifications for all of society. ing in public schools to sanctioning the killing of the unborn
America still has a strong traditional religious stream flow- to ruling against the biblical definition of marriage. Now the
ing through its culture. This decision, and the social fallout, will court has denied the scientific and biological reality that “male
widen the cultural and political divide in America. Those who and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27; compare Matthew
hold to a form of biblical morality will feel further alienated. We 19:4; Mark 10:6).
are watching a nation distance itself from God-ordained moral- Within 60 years these decisions have taken us down a path
ity based not only on the revelation of Scripture but the scientific of open public defiance of God in the most elemental aspects
facts of biology established by God as Creator. of human life and society. As Justice Alito warned in his dissent
on the court’s legalizing of homosexual marriage:
Four blasphemous Supreme Court decisions “Today’s decision . . . will be used to vilify Americans who
In the last 60 years the U.S. Supreme Court has issued four are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy . . . [It] will be
landmark decisions impacting faith and God in the public exploited by those who are determined to stamp out every
realm. Each decision has violated godly principles, laws and vestige of dissent . . . Those who cling to old beliefs will be able
the divine order of creation put in place by our Creator. to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if
In the early 1960s the Supreme Court issued two rulings they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled
regarding prayer and Bible readings in public schools. In the as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and
first, the justices ruled that prayer had no place in public edu- schools . . . By imposing its own views on the entire country,
cation. A year later, the court declared school-sponsored Bible the [court] majority facilitates the marginalization of the many
reading and recitation of the Lord’s Prayer unconstitutional. Americans who have traditional ideas.”
While the decisions didn’t rule for or against personal
expressions of faith, they were part of a period of cultural A time of judgment is coming
change that continues to this day. The court ruled on a matter Justice Alito’s words have proven prophetic. Those who stand
of great spiritual importance for a nation blessed with a unique up for biblical values—as we do in Beyond Today magazine—
place in the world—a place made possible by the God of heaven. have been repeatedly branded as bigots, haters, homophobes and
In biblical terms, this act “planted the wind and will harvest worse. Many voices have been shut down. It will grow worse. At
the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7, New Living Translation). By plant- some point we too will be silenced (see Amos 8:11-12).
ing these evil seeds—officially removing God from education America gropes its way forward in a blind stupor. Each wave of
and public life—the court set the nation on a course of moral moral change brings further spiritual blindness. The apostle Paul
degradation that we are seeing the full results of today in vio- wrote to the Romans about the corrupt and degenerate society of
lence, perversion, epidemics of sexually transmissible diseases, his day: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
substance abuse and breakdown of families and law and order. ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth
In 1973 the Supreme Court decided another significant land- in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
mark case, Roe v. Wade. This case labeled murder of the unborn This latest ruling represents another momentous step in the
a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution—even though the nation turning away from the knowledge of God. It shows con-
Constitution states that it is meant “to secure the blessings of lib- fused and irrational thinking. For those who hold the Bible as
erty to ourselves and our posterity,” which includes the unborn. the standard of truth and who believe that America is a nation
Since 1973 more than 60 million abortions have been legally “under God,” it raises serious questions for the future.
performed in the United States alone. When a nation does not Now is a time for each of us to understand the serious times in
protect its unborn life, it deserves the judgment of the God who which we live and to see with God’s eyes where America and the
created and gives life (Numbers 35:33-34; Proverbs 24:11-12). world at large are headed. We will reap what we sow. God will not
That judgment is coming, and sooner than we might think! be mocked (Galatians 6:7). The righteous Judge of all the earth
The fourth of these rulings by the Supreme Court came in will act, and we will reap the whirlwind as never before.
June 2015 with the legalization of same-sex marriage. In this
ruling the court again made up a sweeping right that same-sex LEARN MORE
marriage is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Where do the United States, Britain and the
Decisions that deny God and reality other English-speaking nations fit in Bible
prophecy? What is foretold to happen as
Let’s be plain about this highly charged issue: The U.S. we turn further from God? It’s vital that you
Supreme Court has stepped beyond its temporal earthly understand! Request or download The United
bounds into the spiritual realm in defying the God who cre- States and Britain in Bible Prophecy today!
ated man, woman and marriage. The court decreed that the BTmagazine.org/booklets
divine institution of marriage, defined in the Bible as a sacred
WORLD NEWS
& PROPHECY Current Events & Trends
Will NATO leadership shift from America to Germany?

A
n analysis piece in The Washington Times noted sions between Washington and Berlin over military It should be noted that Europeans are currently
that “in response to a perception among many spending and other security issues” (Michael Gordon unhappy with both the European Union and the United
in the European Union that the United States has and Gordon Lubold, “Trump to Pull Thousands of U.S. States. As a National Pulse headline proclaims: “Euro-
mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak, EU Foreign Troops From Germany,” June 5, 2020). pean Union ‘Failed,’ Was ‘Irrelevant’ During Pandemic
Minister Josep Borrell told an audience in Berlin . . . In a June 23 interview with Deutsche Welle, current Says Major, Continent-Wide Survey” (Derek Dunn, July
that some European analysts had been talking more NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, “The 2). “The news will be seen as vindication of the United
and more about the ‘end of an American-led system world needs more German leadership . . . NATO needs Kingdom’s choice to exit the European Union, and the
and the arrival of an Asian century.’ The 27-nation German leadership. We all need Germany to play an American political right’s continued warnings about
bloc, he concluded, should therefore ‘follow our own even more important role because Germany is the European-style socialism and increasing centralization
interests’” (Daniel Davis, “Transitioning NATO Into a largest economy in Europe” (“NATO Chief Stoltenberg: of powers . . . [However] while the results appear to
European-Led Force,” May 31, 2020). World Needs More German Leadership”). be an unmitigated indictment of the status quo in the
The article contends that Borrell has a point, stat- Shortly before that, the same source ran a story European Union, some of those surveyed believe more
ing: “A wealthy, strong, and—critically—indepen- titled, “How Will Europe Guarantee Its Security European integration is the solution to Europe’s irrel-
dent Europe is in America’s interest. A re-evaluation Without the US?” (June 20). Many are pondering the evance during the pandemic . . . The European Union
of the trans-Atlantic relationship is long overdue . . . implications. “Germany has been a key component of may have to make considerable changes, if it wants to
The first NATO Secretary-General, Lord Hastings Ismay, the US defense strategy in Europe for decades, with US justify its existence down the line.”
famously said that NATO existed to ‘keep the Soviets nuclear weapons—to be delivered by German fighter While it appears at present that America will
out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.’ But jets in a moment of crisis—stationed here . . . remain the dominant global power for some years to
with the collapse of the U.S.S.R.—along with the “If Europe wants to provide its own security it will come, we also know from Bible prophecy where things
rise of France, the U.K., and a reunified Germany as have to come up with a replacement shield. As things are ultimately headed—to greatly diminished Ameri-
rich nations—the fundamental reasons for NATO’s now stand, France would be the only choice in stepping can power and an ascendant German-led Europe that
existence vanished. The once-compelling justifica- up to the task . . . [But] French missiles have never been will end up an enemy to the United States. Perhaps
tion for the United States to underwrite the security integrated into NATO defense planning. Nevertheless, European military power will be further facilitated
of Western Europe has likewise disappeared.” in the past the French have made clear their willing- by America continuing to withdraw from the world
The Wall Street Journal reported that “President ness to allow Germany proximity to its prized arsenal scene and eventually handing over a lot of military
Trump has directed the Pentagon to remove thousands . . . The one seemingly intractable conflict inherent in equipment sitting in Europe to the current NATO allies.
of American troops from Germany by September, the idea of a ‘European bomb,’ however, is the ques- To learn more, be sure to read our free publications
a move that would dramatically reshape the U.S. tion of who would decide to use it when a split-second The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and The
military posture in Europe and reflects growing ten- decision is needed” (ibid.). Final Superpower (available at ucg.org/booklets).
Iran-China 25-year cooperation plan a lifeline . . . But some Iranian critics . . . believe the
Tehran government has sold out Iran’s sovereignty to
the Chinese . . . Moreover, China expects Iran to use
A
special report from BESA Center (the Begin-Sadat of economic activity. This includes petrochemical its oil receipts in an ‘optimal way’ . . . [and not] on
Center for Strategic Studies) points to major production, renewable energy, civilian nuclear energy, the revolutionary export projects so beloved by the
developments in Asia. Titled “The Iran-China high-speed railways, highways, subways, airports, and late Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani . . . It is not
25-Year Plan: A Preliminary Assessment” (Ofira Seliktar maritime connections . . . clear whether the Revolutionary Guards would oblige,
and Farhad Rezaei, BesaCenter.org, July 21, 2020), it “A section of the draft agreement reveals an excep- however.”
presents this analysis: tionally high level of military cooperation between Meanwhile, Iran continues to pursue nuclear devel-
“On June 23, 2020, the Iranian government the two countries. This includes, among other things, opment, to the great concern of Israel and many other
announced the Iran-China 25 Year Comprehensive shared development of defense industries, intelligence nations (“IAEA: Iran Further Raises Uranium Stockpiles
Partnership . . . It amounts to an unprecedented eco- sharing, and joint military maneuvers. Earlier reports 8 Times Its Limit, Blocks Visits to Sites,” Radio Free
nomic, military, and technological collaboration indicate that China and Iran have been working on a Europe/Radio Liberty, June 5, 2020).
between the two states. Relations between Beijing large arms deal timed to coincide with the ending of The Chinese-Iranian alliance appears to be a further
and Tehran . . . have blossomed under Chinese Presi- the UN Security Council arms embargo . . . step toward an eventual coalition of eastern powers
dent Xi Jinping, who is pushing China’s ambitious Belt “The benefits of this arrangement to China are that will destroy vast numbers of people and will
and Road Initiative (BRI). According to China, the clear. Beijing would accomplish its strategic shift to come against European forces in the Holy Land at the
BRI aims to create a huge unified market in Asia, the the Indo-Pacific region. China has already built a string time of Christ’s return (see Revelation 9:13-21; 16:12-
Middle East, and Africa through massive investment in of logistical station ports along the Indian Ocean to 16)—and against the people of Israel not long after
infrastructure, education, and technology. Critics view Djibouti and the Suez Canal. Dominating Iran would (see Ezekiel 38-39). Russia will evidently be another
the BRI as a thinly disguised effort to achieve Chinese give China a side presence in the Gulf . . . Most of the major player in this eastern coalition. We see many
domination over a large swath of the globe. world’s oil transits through that passage . . . of the eastern powers currently working together in
“Iran would serve as a regional hub for the BRI, giv- “For the Iranians, who are operating under the the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), already
ing China extraordinary leeway across a wide range severe pressure of American sanctions, the deal is widely regarded as the “alliance of the East.”
What people need to know about Black Lives Matter
M
any in the Western world are embracing Black affirming” and promoting transgenderism while moting along with other far-left causes supported by
Lives Matter (BLM) and displaying this phrase. working to disrupt the Western nuclear family struc- Thousand Currents. Black Lives Matter is not merely a
Yet before championing a cause people should ture (see blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/). heartfelt slogan. It’s a major fundraising tool for the
understand what the cause actually is. In this case The organization glorifies cop killers. And it is anti- radical progressive agenda—an agenda that’s sup-
many want to express solidarity with those perceived capitalist, promoting communism as part of a larger ported through the promulgation of the phrase and
to be unfairly discriminated against due to racism. coalition of BLM groups known as the Movement for the false narrative it sustains.
That’s an admirable sentiment. But lending support Black Lives (see its policy platforms at m4bl.org). This Third, taking up the slogan and associated implica-
to this particular cause goes far beyond the three-word year BLM signed on with others in this coalition in a tions ends up hurting people, including those it claims
slogan. Let’s consider some of the serious problems. call to “Defund the police.” to help. It does great damage to society, leading to
First, the slogan is deceptive and promotes a false- This is all bad enough. But as it turns out, Black unrest and fragmentation. Moreover, promoting the
hood. What’s wrong with saying that black lives mat- Lives Matter is actually the project of another non- defunding of police will lead to far worsening crime
ter? Don’t they matter? Of course they do—because and deaths in urban com-
all human lives matter, as all people of every ethnic munities desperately in
background are made in the image of God. But declar- need of policing. Support-
ing this biblical truth now can get a person fired from ing BLM actually ends up
his or her job, “canceled” or severely ostracized. harming people in these
The truth is that factual statistical evidence communities. That is not
disproves this narrative, as black conservative talk genuine love, for “love does
host Larry Elder and others have repeatedly pointed no harm to a neighbor”
out (see creators.com/read/larry-elder/06/20/the- (Romans 13:10).
george-floyd-riots-wheres-black-lives-matter-when- Concerning the real dan-
Black Lives Matter supporters protest June 7, 2020, in Miami, Florida.
you-need-them). While there has been rampant anti- ger of crime in urban neigh-
black racism (and racism directed at other minorities) profit called Thousand Currents, the recipient and borhoods, the major culprit here is the dissolution of
in the history of the United States and other countries, administrator of BLM fundraising. The vice-chair of black families with an absence of fathers in the home.
conditions have vastly changed over many decades. Thousand Currents is Susan Rosenberg, a convicted Black civil rights activist leader Bob Woodson and oth-
No doubt racism still lingers among a few, which is terrorist who spent 16 years in federal prison before ers have traced this terrible dilemma back to liberal
abhorrent, yet actual instances are nearly universally being pardoned by President Bill Clinton on his last social policies.
condemned. As Shelby Steele, a veteran of the civil day in office. Former New York police commissioner Yet in the current movement that claims to care
rights movement and best-selling author, stated in a Bernie Kerik, who was involved with the case, cites about black lives we see a call to further erode the
June 7 interview, “The truth of the matter is blacks this as yet further evidence that BLM is a revolutionary family and remove law enforcement. Achievement of
have never been less oppressed than they are today.” Marxist group that wants to overthrow our govern- these aims would lead to more suffering and death.
The fact is, while there are no doubt some prob- ment (“Exposing Black Lives Matter’s Ties to Convicted Again, do black lives matter? Of course, but the real
lem people among thousands of law enforcement Domestic Terrorist,” FoxNews.com, July 9, 2020). path to help is not to support this catchphrase that
officers, the police are not out targeting black people The movement has been instrumental in rioting amounts to propaganda for far-left causes based on
for mistreatment. Many police officers are black. A and destruction over the past few months. Of course lies and that will lead to hurting many people. The
far greater danger is black-on-black crime in urban many supporters will say that they are not for all this real answer lies where it always does—in all people
neighborhoods and abortion of unborn black lives. and aren’t advocating for this particular group named learning to live by the laws of Almighty God.
Second, the popular phrase honors and helps Black Lives Matter, but are just joining in using the Perhaps it should not have come as a surprise when
fund a pro-LGBTQ, Marxist organization with ties to phrase to stand against anti-black racism. Yet, what- video coverage of Portland riots “showed protestors
terrorism bent on destroying the family and Western ever the intention, widespread support for the stated with ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs tossing Bibles into a
civilization. We traced some of the founding of this cause has helped undermine law enforcement and raging bonfire” (Isabel Vincent, “Protestors Burn Bible,
movement in a past issue of Beyond Today (see “The promote widespread rioting and destruction. American Flag as Tensions Rise in Portland,” New York
disturbing roots of the Black Lives Matter movement,” It’s also encouraged many in government at Post, Aug. 1, 2020).
November-December 2018). all levels to align with policies BLM advocates and In all this a terrible spirit of lawlessness is at work.
BLM was started by far-left activists. The group’s stoked massive corporate monetary support. Millions For more on this, read “The War on Law and Order”
own website declares its commitment to being “queer- of dollars are being funneled into what BLM is pro- beginning on page 25.
How can you make sense of the news?

So much is happening in the world, and so quickly. Where are today’s dramatic and dangerous
trends taking us? What does Bible prophecy reveal about our future? You’re probably very con-
cerned with the direction the world is heading. So are we. That’s one reason we produce the
Mike Shaheen
Beyond Today daily TV commentaries—to help you understand the news in the light of Bible
prophecy. These eye-opening presentations offer you a perspective so badly needed in our
confused world—the perspective of God’s Word. Visit us at ucg.org/beyond-today/daily!
WORLD NEWS
& PROPHECY
75 Years After World War II:

Will History Repeat?
A massively destructive conflagration that engulfed the world ended 75 years ago after taking millions
of lives and bringing untold suffering. Yet Bible prophecy tells us that an even worse time is coming.
by Victor Kubik
“W e have already gone through a Great Tribulation!” This

is what my parents painfully exclaimed when they read
in the biblical accounts in Revelation, Matthew and
In his 2010 book Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and
Stalin, Yale historian Timothy Snyder examined the political,
cultural and ideological context tied to Central and Eastern
Daniel about the terrible end-time events that would embroil Europe in the war. This region that he calls the “bloodlands” is
the entire world. What was described was wars, disease, fam- comprised of Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states (Esto-
ine and then the mass annihilation, genocide and martyrdom nia, Latvia, and Lithuania), northeastern Romania and the
of many people. westernmost fringes of Russia.
They winced when they read Matthew 24:21: “For then there The regimes of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union and Adolf
will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the begin- Hitler in Nazi Germany killed an estimated 14 million non-
ning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” To combatants between 1933 and 1945. This was in addition to
them, these words were excruciatingly reminiscent of what those who died in the death camps of the Holocaust. Stalin
they had personally lived through two decades previously. and Hitler, while fighting each other, increased suffering and
When they saw what the Bible prophesied for our time, the bloodshed many times worse than any seen in Western history.
description became real—too real—for them. My parents were born in the heart of the bloodlands during
the 20-year “peacetime” that was all but peaceful. They lived
Eastern Europe’s “bloodlands” under the dominion of Joseph Stalin, one of the most cruelly
World War II ended 75 years ago. For 70 million people, the depraved figures of all time. He is responsible for the deaths
war ended in their personal demise. It was the deadliest mili- of at least 20 million of his own people in addition to the 30
tary conflict in history. Vast quantities of blood were spilled on million who perished in the war.
battlefields. People died in indiscriminate carpet bombings, in The magnitude of misery during this time was beyond
the Holocaust, of starvation in sieges, and of rampant accom- comprehension. The mass statistics individually represent mil-
panying diseases such as cholera, hepatitis and typhus. lions of sons, husbands, families and loved ones that were no
In total war where nations pummel other nations, civilian more. These numbers express suffering, tears and grief beyond
populations suffer along with the military. Half the war dead words. One can study war as geopolitics or the movements of
were non-combatants. Cities such as Warsaw and Stalingrad armies on maps, but the real story is told in the innumerable
were 90 percent destroyed. The grand finale of the war was a personal stories of tragedy and despair.
nuclear inferno that killed some 200,000 people in two Japanese
cities—horrifying yet likely preventing millions more deaths. Living through a hellish nightmare
Losses were staggering in a war that started a mere 20 years Over the years and on several visits to Eastern Europe,
after World War I—the war that was supposed to “end all I retraced the steps of both my parents and followed their
wars.” This pause gave just enough time for the world to take a migration from the bloodlands to the United States.
deep breath, repopulate and then expend another generation My mother Nina was born in 1926 in Pervomaysk, not far
of men in a bloodbath. In essence World War I was fought all from Kharkiv, Ukraine. My father was born in 1923 in what
over again in Europe on two fronts, but now with much higher was then Poland. But in 1939, the area where he lived became
devastation and death. World War II was even more global in part of Ukraine as a result of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact
scope, as the Pacific theater war produced enormous casualties signed on Aug. 23 that divided Poland between Germany and
in China, the Philippines, Japan and other places. the U.S.S.R. Immediately after the signing, Germany invaded
The Russian-led Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Poland. Britain reciprocated by declaring war on Germany on
(U.S.S.R) suffered an astounding 15 million military and Sept. 1, igniting World War II.
15 million civilian deaths. Half the nation’s housing was During Stalin’s years, the police routinely snatched peo-
destroyed. Of those who entered military service at age 19, ple from their homes and sent them off to gulags, labor camps
only one in 100 returned. After the war, the population pro- where many millions died. These abductions were typically
portion in the Soviet Union was 65 men to every 100 women. carried out at night using a black government vehicle the peo-
One in seven people in the U.S.S.R. perished. ple frighteningly called “the Black Raven.” One of the victims
From left: Nina Krygina (circled) with other teens in her slave labor camp; Soviet soldiers fighting in the rubble of Stalingrad, February 1943.
was my mother’s father, who was picked would see her family again. Ost Arbeiters or “East Workers.”
up by the Black Raven and vanished. Along with many other teenagers, she German attitudes toward other nation-
But then, after eight years, he suddenly was transported by train across Poland alities and races were clearly noted. Cap-
returned home, unannounced, to his and assigned to work in a boot factory tured American and British soldiers were
family’s surprise and joy. in Magdeburg, Germany, about 50 miles treated with a higher level of respect. How-
In 1933 a devastating famine called west of Berlin. Her neighboring friend ever, one time a black paratrooper came
Holodomor, which means “death by hun- Dusya was also on that train, and both down. He was immediately executed.
ger,” was engineered by Stalin. In the space stayed close through the war. Jewish males were identified by checking
of little more than a year, this famine took whether they were circumcised (Germans
the lives of as many people as the Holo- My father’s story and Russians typically were not). Gypsies,
caust later did in Germany and Poland. My father Igor hailed from the vil- priests and the mentally impaired were
Stalin sold off Ukraine’s grain to finance lage of Uhorsk in Western Ukraine but undesirables and often sent to the death
an industrialized Russia. My mother, who was born in the neighboring village of camps. Hate was not covered up.
was eight years old then, later remem- Stizhok. At 18 he was taken to Germany Nevertheless, living in Magdeburg was
bered too well the morbid sight of bodies to work under similar conditions as my relatively safe in the early part of the war.
thrown into ditches waiting to be collected mother. His friend Volodya was on the The killing was primarily taking place in
as refuse. Her family made it through that same journey, and they remained friends the bloodlands.
difficult time on crushed corn cobs, to through the war and beyond. He was Some of the largest battles of all time
which some flour was added, and some assigned to work in a fruit-canning were fought on the Eastern Front. The
other food they had managed to hide in factory in Magdeburg. Battle of Stalingrad from August 1942 to
the walls of their home. On one of my visits, my relatives took February 1943 resulted in nearly 2 mil-
Her mother sold her wedding ring to me to my father’s birthplace and told me lion casualties. Most of the city’s civilian
buy bread for a week for the children. the horrifying history of the German population also died during the combat.
Another man in town desperately slaugh- invasion. When the Germans arrived, An American general visiting Stalin-
tered a horse lying dead on the ground the local population at first greeted them grad and seeing the almost total destruc-
to feed his family. The whole family soon as liberators from the Russians. The Ger- tion of the city recommended it not be
died from eating the spoiled meat. The mans, however, with warped racial views rebuilt, but left as a memorial to the futil-
poignant and horrific stories go on and on. that looked down on Slavic peoples, were ity of war. The Battle of Kursk, the largest
In June 1941 Germany invaded the suspicious of Ukrainians and did not tank battle of all time, was fought in July
U.S.S.R. My mother’s town of Pervo- want or need their support. and August 1943 and resulted in more
maysk was bombed, and 700 people They burned down village after village. than a million casualties. Two thousand
died that day. My mother, then 15, was Two years into the occupation in Stizhok, tanks were destroyed along with almost
bringing cows home from the field when they rounded up more than 50 people that many aircraft.
bombs from German planes exploded into a barn and burned it to the ground.
near her. She was terrified beyond words. I visited the chapel memorializing this A struggle for survival
Photos, from left: Courtesy Victor Kubik, Wikimedia
Her hands developed a permanent shake ghastly event. My grandparents used to After my mother’s death in 1984, I found
that I remember her being afflicted with live right next to the site of this atrocity. a few letters between her and her family in
for the rest of her life. This area also saw many partisan guerilla Ukraine that express what was happening
After the first year of occupation, the groups warring against the Germans and during the war. One from her brother Vic-
Germans required that one child from Russians and often against one another. tor in Ukraine, dated June 7, 1943, read:
every family go to Germany to work. They Welcome to the bloodlands! “Our family greets you, Nina. Are you
needed extra labor because Germany was After arriving in Magdeburg, foreign all right? You write that you are getting
fighting a two-front war. The young peo- workers like my father found working lonely living on foreign soil, but you’re
ple were told that this excursion would conditions very harsh. Strict controls not the only one separated from their
last for only six months, after which they were imposed on their movements. They family. Many people are finding them-
would return home. My mother, now 16, had to display a big patch with the word selves in this condition. We’re not receiv-
was one of those workers. She didn’t know Ost on it, which means “east.” They had ing your letters. In 1943 we have received
it would be another 27 years before she to continually identify themselves as only two postcards from you, one dated
WORLD NEWS
& PROPHECY
Jan. 20 and the other Feb. 8, which we received in June. among the United States, France, Britain and the U.S.S.R. Mag-
“If we live, we will meet again. The weather has been good deburg was assigned to the Soviet sector. One morning in July my
for growing, the gardens look good, and we’ll have things to parents were no longer hearing English voices. The voices were
eat in the winter. The Russians came in February, but the Ger- now Russian. According to the agreement, the Americans had
mans returned in March. On the front where we are there has to pull back and let the Russians come in.
been no shooting, but in May many people in the neighboring Things grew bad very quickly. The Russians treated the Ost
village died. The land is covered with blood, and the end of the Arbeiters with contempt. They considered them traitors and col-
war is not in sight.” laborators with the Germans. They herded them into transition
My mother’s hometown changed hands six times between camps and interrogated them relentlessly. The Russians were
the Russians and the Germans during the war. going to send them off to Siberia, and the men were going into
We had a family reunion in Pervomaysk in 1988, and my the service since Russia had just now declared war on Japan.
uncle Victor took us up and down the streets of the town and The foursome knew they had to escape. My father was given
showed us what had been destroyed. He explained how people some duties outside the camp, and while he was out he spoke to a
survived and coped. For two years, they lived in underground border guard and asked what it would take to get him and three
cellars because all their homes were destroyed. others across the border. The guard replied, “Give me a suit, a bot-
Back in Magdeburg from 1942 to 1944, my father became tle of vodka and a watch and I’ll get you across at midnight.” The
acquainted with Nina and started dating her. His friend four knew they could be betrayed at any time and killed.
Volodya dated Dusya, as the four spent a lot of time together. Their dwelling place at the loosely guarded transition camp
However, my father was suddenly arrested by the Gestapo and was on the outer perimeter. The four crawled out through a
put into a concentration camp. The Germans used these pris- window and headed for the border on a train. There they met
oners after air raids for clearing rubble and pulling out unex- the guard and presented the gifts. The guard had to pay off
ploded bombs. Prisoners were expendable if a bomb exploded. each of his adjacent guards with one of the gifts. Finally, at the
My father’s friend Volodya would look at the columns of guard change at midnight they passed through the border into
marching prisoners and throw Igor a piece of bread when he the British Zone. As they started running, shots were fired in
could. Months went by, and there was no help for my father their direction. They continued to run and run and run until
in the concentration camp. they could run no more. They made it to safety, surprised they
But one day a miracle happened. Volodya was walking down were still alive!
a street that had been bombed just the day before when he heard
a voice. “Volodya, Volodya!” He turned around and saw a shad- Finding safety at last
owy figure in the rubble. “It’s me, Igor.” Volodya could hardly They then worked their way over to Hanover and found safe
recognize his friend. He wore the striped uniform of a prisoner haven in a refugee camp. On the day they arrived, the news of
and was scratched from head to toe from working in the rub- the day was that an atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiro-
ble. After a brief hug, he took my dad to a friend’s apartment. shima, Japan.
There was so much chaos in the last days of the war that my They lived in the camp for four years as they searched for
father’s absence was not followed up on. Volodya waited until a new homeland. My parents married in 1946, and I was born
nighttime to find a place for Igor but decided to get him out to in 1947. They looked and looked for asylum in Canada, Aus-
a farm. Nobody was asking questions. Germans and foreign tralia and other places, but found only dead ends. They almost
workers alike were waiting for the war to end and thinking resigned to go back to Ukraine. But at the last moment, they
only about survival. found a sponsor in Minnesota. We sailed to the United States
Allied bombing was incessant. American bombers came by past the Statue of Liberty and landed on Ellis Island on the
day and the British by night. Magdeburg was a strategic city for troop ship USS General C.H. Muir.
fuel storage. The two men were now out in the countryside, but My parents reminded us five siblings often of their odyssey
the girls were still working in the factory in town. The men were of physical salvation. But God granted my mother and father
so afraid that the girls would perish or had perished. Nightly the an even greater and more permanent salvation. He called them
girls went into the bomb shelters. out of this evil, suffering world that continually turns on itself
The Germans used the Ost Arbeiters as human shields and and will bring on itself the Great Tribulation as foretold in
would march them onto bridges before a bombing attack. Nina Bible prophecy. My parents committed their lives to God, and
and Dusya were in a column headed for a bridge. Igor and that is the joyous conclusion to this story.
Volodya spotted their column and, when the guards were dis- My parents’ story is an amazing saga of tribulation, redemp-
tracted, pulled them out of the line and took them out to the tion, God’s grace and mercy, love, friendship, survival, courage,
farm where they hid them in the attic. liberation and triumph through God’s providential guidance
Finally, the Americans arrived on April 20, 1945. Libera- and protection. It’s a story filled with parallels to our spiritual
tion! An American paratrooper came across my father and journey from this world to the Kingdom of God as stated by the
offered him a candy bar and chewing gum. The happy Ameri- apostle Paul: “We must through many tribulations enter the
can spirit was everywhere. The war was over. Freedom at last! kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Or so they thought. It’s awful to contemplate, but there will yet be an even worse
time of “Great Tribulation.” Let us pray for deliverance and
A new struggle begins for the long-awaited Kingdom of God to come and, at last, end
The Potsdam Conference starting in July partitioned Germany such senseless suffering!
The War on Law and Order
A widespread movement to discredit, defund and physically assault law enforcement
officers has shocked many nations. What’s going on? What’s behind the war on law and order?
by Mike Kelley
E
vents of the first half of 2020 rocked the world. First unreported were the resultant deaths of many civilians, most
was the Covid-19 epidemic, but perhaps even more jar- of them black. Two black law enforcement officers were also
ring was the tidal wave of racial unrest and protests that killed in the violence. Yet no one carried signs and placards for
jolted America and then spread like wildfire overseas to these victims.
Britain, Australia, France, Germany and other nations. The protests that had started peacefully quickly turned vio-
Where is the chaos in our nations leading? What does the lent. A number of protestors who marched and chanted by day
Bible have to say about where our cities are headed? When will turned the nighttime into firestorms of arson, looting and van-
the lawlessness we see in our towns finally be brought under dalism. Scores of businesses, many of them minority-owned,
control? Can there truly be peace on our streets? were looted and torched.
Because of disrespect for law enforcement, major cities A number of police stations were attacked. “Every city, every
across the United States have erupted into violence that caused town, burn the precincts to the ground!” became a popular chant.
more than two dozen deaths, more than a thousand injuries When police have responded to try to keep order, they have
to police and rioters and property damage and other costs to been met with a hail of bricks, rocks, explosive fireworks and
society estimated at over $1 billion. other objects. Police cars have been struck by Molotov cock-
The spark was the death of a black man at the hands of tails and burned. Officers have been sprayed with mace, bleach
police in Minneapolis, Minn. In the process of his arrest for and urine and struck with balloons filled with fecal matter.
trying to buy cigarettes with counterfeit money, George Floyd At the time this issue went to press, more than 1,300 law
died after an arresting officer kept him pinned down with a enforcement officers have been injured and more than a dozen
knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. killed. One is paralyzed from the neck down after being shot
Nearly all Americans were rightly horrified at Floyd’s death, in the head from behind.
captured in cellphone videos and immediately broadcast
all over the world. Overnight he became the latest victim of Defund the police: the movement spreads
alleged anti-black police bias. Mainstream news media labeled By mid-June, “Defund the police!” became the left’s new
his death as the latest example of a major city police department national battle cry. The group Black Lives Matter quickly took
demonstrating that supposed systemic bias. the leading role, joining with other groups calling not just for
For much of the mainstream media, and groups like Black “reforms” in policing, but for the actual abolishment of police
Lives Matter, it was all very simple: The Minneapolis police departments in major cities across the country. The movement
department, like most other large city police departments, was quickly mushroomed, with news outlets more than willing to
infested with racism, and George Floyd was only the latest vic- give vast amounts of coverage to the chants of protesters.
tim (this despite the fact that the department was headed by a Minneapolis became the first city to move to officially
black police chief). dismantle its police department when the city council voted
Within days, the protestors and rioters took up a new cry: June 8 to replace it with a new “Department of Community
“Defund the police!” Eager politicians jumped in to lead the Safety and Violence Prevention,” whose structure, power and
parade. procedures have yet to be fully defined (to take effect, the move
must be approved by citizens at a future date).
What the media has not reported Over the summer, the move to defund police departments
Millions have come to realize that the major news media spread like wildfire across the United States, with major cities
does have an agenda, and coverage of events is often slanted to seriously considering cutting back or eliminating their police
fit that agenda. But certain facts deliberately unreported by the departments altogether.
media help put this tragic event in better perspective. Black Visions Collective director and Minneapolis city
For example, the mainstream media failed to point out that council member Kandace Montgomery articulated the new
two of the four supposedly racist officers involved were them- mantra argued by progressives across the nation: “It shouldn’t
selves minorities. One was black and another Asian, and the have taken so much death to get us here,” she said at a Black
officer whose knee allegedly caused Floyd’s death was married Lives Matter rally. “We’re safer without armed, unaccountable
to an Asian woman. patrols supported by the state hunting black people.” The very
Of course, none of this justifies what happened to Floyd or use of such an inflammatory term as “hunting black people”
exonerates police officers from wrongdoing in this case. But shows the depth of the growing animosity toward law enforce-
broader context lets us see how the incident was exploited to ment in some of America’s political leadership and large urban
drive a particular narrative. centers.
As protests and rioting spread to other cities, also largely Advocates of defunding are calling for a total restructuring
WORLD NEWS
& PROPHECY
of policing. They argue that, instead of officers empowered to dropped by 12 percent the first year and 16 percent the next.
enforce the law, teams of mental health experts, drug counsel- Seeing New York’s dramatic drops in crime, other cities
ors, social workers and victims’ advocates will help communities adopted similar tactics.
do away with crime. Over the next two decades, Mac Donald writes, crime
nationwide fell by 50 percent, helping to revitalize cities such
Abolishing or restructuring? as Baltimore, New York, Detroit and Philadelphia.
The idea of police department defunding has been a gleam What was not commonly reported was how much safer law-
in the eyes of radical leftists for years. It sparked the founding abiding citizens of these cities felt. Elderly people could shop
of Black Lives Matter in the wake of the 2014 Ferguson, Mo., without fear of getting mugged, children could play safely
shooting of Michael Brown. without fear of being hit by stray bullets and small businesses
A white officer was accused of shooting Brown without cause, began to come back to downtown areas.
but a federal investigation determined that Brown, of “hands up, Then came 2014. Two highly publicized deaths of young
don’t shoot” fame, was actually attacking the officer, who was in black men at the hands of police led to the founding of Black
his car questioning Brown because he had just committed robbery Lives Matter, which claims that police officers are the great-
and assault. Brown was by no means surrendering. Yet protest- est threat to young black men today. Intensive policing sud-
ers rioted and burned large parts of Ferguson in response. denly came under attack. The practice of “stop and frisk,” now
While the slogan “Defund the police” is simple and powerful, labeled as racist, disappeared.
there is disagreement among the anti-police crowd over what In America’s big cities, the tide of opinion began to turn
defunding actually means. In reality, it could range from merely against police forces. In some cities, police departments that
restructuring many police departments to completely abolishing had enjoyed the support of their city councils and leadership
others. Much of the rhetoric involves slashing the number of offi- saw a big jump in anti-cop rhetoric. Arrests and routine police
cers and redirecting funds toward “community investments.” actions began to draw jeers and taunts from hostile crowds.
Gone would be intensive placement of law enforcement offi- Any arrest was sure to be caught on cellphone video and then
cers in crime-ridden areas, a practice that led to two decades splashed on the Internet.
of reduced crime in cities such as New York. Instead, many As police began to disengage from proactive policing due to
or most police officers would be replaced, as noted above, by what Heather Mac Donald terms “the Ferguson effect,” crime
legions of substance abuse counselors, mental health workers began to rise, with the murder rate in 56 of America’s largest
and others dedicated to working with crime-prone populations cities rising 17 percent from 2015 to 2016. Proactive policing
to avert crime before it happens. disappeared as more and more police were instructed to make
Police officers should be trained in ways to de-escalate vio- no move until a crime actually occurred.
lence. And maybe trained counselors could settle disputes or
defuse some emotional situations. But how would this work in Is police bias real?
cases of violent crime? Would “counselors” miraculously appear Black Lives Matter was founded largely on the claim that
to talk rapists and murderers out of committing their horrific many of America’s police are racists who unduly target young
crimes? Would they show up just in time to talk criminals out blacks—this despite the fact that many of the police themselves
of armed robbery attempts? are black or of other minorities. Just where is the hard evidence
of such bias?
Undoing two decades of progress What the actual evidence shows is that police shooting inci-
Those who call for averting crime before it happens do not dents are related to crime and violence, not race. In a series of
realize (or choose to ignore) the fact that police were already studies published in August 2019, researchers found that the
doing that. Consider the success of America’s largest police more frequently officers encounter violent suspects from any
force, the New York City Police Department. Their practice of given racial group, the greater the chance that a member of
intensive policing of crime-ridden neighborhoods resulted in that group will be fatally shot. There is “no significant evidence
crime falling for two decades, from 1994 through 2014. Noted of anti-black disparity in the likelihood of being fatally shot
criminologist Heather Mac Donald reported the results in her by police,” the report on the studies stated (Proceedings of the
2016 book The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and National Academy of Sciences, Aug. 6, 2019).
Order Makes Everyone Less Safe. Mac Donald, in researching her book, came to the same
Intensive policing means that police proactively take actions to conclusion, finding that, in terms of proportionality of violent
stop crime before it happens. In 1994, newly appointed New York crime, “blacks are killed by police at a lower rate than their
City Chief of Police William Bratton instituted what became threat to officers would predict.” She also found that “little over
known as “broken windows” policing, which held that allowing a quarter of all homicides by police involve black victims.”
neighborhoods to be overrun by litter, graffiti, abandoned build- The truth, as Mac Donald points out, is that police presence
ings, public drunkenness and other forms of squalor breed crime by and large saves black lives: “The irony is that the historic
by signaling that social control of the area has collapsed. reduction of crime . . . since the 1990s was predicated on police
He put in place the controversial “stop and frisk” policy singling out African Americans for their protection. Using
by which individuals exhibiting suspicious behavior could be victims’ crime reports, cops focused on violent hot spots; since
stopped and questioned. “Frisking” was to occur only if such black Americans are disproportionately the victims of crime
individuals were suspected of carrying a gun. . . . effective policing was heaviest in minority neighborhoods.
This and other tactics produced dramatic results: Crime The cops were there because they do believe that black lives
matter” (The War on Cops, p. 67). edge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things
which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sex-
Immediate spikes in crime ual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full
How will defunding the police protect the public? Will of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness . . . haters of God,
merely abolishing a city’s police department induce criminals violent, proud, boasters . . . who, knowing the righteous judg-
to immediately become law-abiding citizens? ment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving
The defunding frenzy has had its results. Minneapolis of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who
quickly got a taste of the effect of reduced police presence as practice them” (Romans 1:28-32, emphasis added throughout).
a wave of crime over the last two weeks of June accounted for Paul revealed more about end-time conditions in 2 Timothy
more than 110 shootings and eight murders. The situation is 3:1-4: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will
so dire that some residents formed what amounts to vigilante come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
committees to patrol the streets. boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthank-
In New York City, where the city council voted to cut $1 bil- ful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-
lion from the NYPD budget, weekly shooting incidents in mid- control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty,
June increased by 358 percent over the same period of the pre- lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
vious year, the new figure being 74 people wounded in 55
shootings. This came at the same time the city disbanded its Does this describe much of society today?
600-person anti-crime plainclothes unit, which had specialized All of this should come as no surprise. In recent decades
in infiltrating gangs and getting illegal guns off the streets. generations who have been schooled in humanistic thought
from kindergarten through college now consider traditional
Is this a foretaste of what’s to come in America’s large cities? moral restrictions as the enemy of their freedom to pursue law-
Cities like Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore and Los Angeles, less desires. Stirred up by evil forces and with some incident
already seeing a small exodus of citizens, could see that stream acting as a trigger, pent-up resentment and lawlessness are
swell to a torrent as people seek safety elsewhere. Forbes magazine unleashed to run wild.
reported in 2019 that people are moving out of New York, New The apostle Peter also foresaw these times: “The Lord knows
Jersey and Connecticut in droves. The mass departure of produc- how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve
tive citizens and businesses could lead to economic devastation. the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and
The ones most likely to suffer from police defunding would especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of
be inner-city minorities without the means and resources to uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-
escape. Ironically, the very populations Black Lives Matter willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries . . . But
and other anti-police organizations say are harmed by police these . . . speak evil of the things they do not understand, and
presence would see their lives suddenly become much more will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the
dangerous—and would be unable to do anything about it. wages of unrighteousness . . .” (2 Peter 2:9-13).
A glaring reality the mainstream media hesitates to report is Notice: They speak evil of things they do not understand. It’s
that the vast majority of blacks murdered each year in the United highly doubtful that more than a small percentage of those
States—93 percent—are killed by other blacks. Heavy police protesting and rioting could really explain and give any rea-
deployment in inner-city areas is largely an effort to stop these kill- soned support for the messages on the placards they carry and
ings, often prompted by criminal gangs fighting over territory. the slogans they scream. They are being used.
Yet Black Lives Matter activists remain virtually silent about Make no mistake: Powerful forces are at work to destroy the
these facts. Nor do they protest against the abortion clinics that United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and other nations whose
take the lives of some 350,000 black babies every year—with abor- history and culture is rooted in the Bible. And it will grow far
tion killing more blacks every year than cancer, heart disease, dia- worse as this age of human misrule draws to its dangerous end.
betes, accidents, HIV and homicides combined. (For more, read The good news, however, is that these lawless times will
"What people need to know about Black Lives Matter" on page 21.) come to an end. As unbelievable as it may seem, a time is com-
ing when police will no longer be needed and racism will be
Continuing rise in lawlessness a thing of the past. Events as sure as the rising of tomorrow’s
Never, it seems, has the siren song of lawlessness been so sun will usher in a new era of universal peace and cooperation,
appealing to so many. The hundreds of thousands participat- because God Himself will bring it to pass—a time of peace, the
ing in protests and riots against the police, and their support likes of which the world has never seen!
by the news media and millions on social media, reveals some-
thing deeply troubling about the character of the nation. More LEARN MORE
and more people hold law enforcement or any type of authority
Where is today’s chaos among the nations
in contempt, be it religious codes of conduct or civil authority.
leading? What does it all mean? Is there a way
Few realize that these lawless conditions were prophesied in to know? You need to read our eye-opening
your Bible almost 2,000 years ago! Inspired by God, the apostle study guide The United States and Britain in
Paul could foresee that the kind of evil conditions that existed in Bible Prophecy to learn the answers! Down-
the decadent Roman Empire of his time would be widespread in load or request your free copy today!
the end times as well: BTmagazine.org/booklets
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowl-
THE BIBLE
AND YOU Follow Me...
Living in the Light

of Eternity–Today!
As we conclude our series on eternity, we see that the Light shining from the
beginning to endless end must shine in and through us—forever and now.
by Robin Webber
W
e have been exploring the subject of eternity over large degree on the world since Thomas Edison’s invention of
the last three “Follow Me” columns. With this the light bulb more than a century ago. That is, until we experi-
entry the series will be completed. But as it ends, ence an electrical blackout and reach for a flashlight or light a
our homework, the hard work, “the heart work,” candle so we can see and move without stumbling, thereby less-
begins afresh. Up until now we have focused on 1) a vision, ening our fear of the unknown. In days gone by, a single candle
2) a promise and 3) a scriptural display of what constitutes or oil or kerosene lamp placed by a farmhouse window could
eternity, God’s ultimate home for us with Him. pierce the extreme darkness of the countryside as a welcome
But first things first! Stepping into eternity means that for beacon to a stranger seeking solace in the grip of darkness.
now we have to first step back into this world, the present age of Yes, Jesus of Nazareth in His preexistent role as the Word
human misrule, and move toward God’s promised realm step created light. Beyond that He proclaimed: “I am the Light of
by step, person by person, heart by heart and need by need in a the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but
manner initially foreign and contrary to us. After all, the King- have the light of life” (John 8:12). Light and life go intrinsically
dom of God is not merely a destination, but a way of traveling together. Light makes living things grow.
through the experiences God allows or places in front of us. Now let’s go to the end of Scripture and discover one more
So how do we exist—or, dare I say, spiritually thrive—in the aspect of this ageless thread concerning light. As we saw last
here and now? How do we live in the light of eternity today in a time, the New Jerusalem of eternity to come is described at
darkened world headed down its own course when Jesus tells us, the end of the Bible in these terms: “The city had no need of
“Follow Me,” directing us to a road far less traveled by our fel- the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God
low man? Let’s begin by understanding the ultimate great light illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:23).
of Jesus Christ, which our Heavenly Father has given for us to It’s here that the knot of understanding is tied tight. Jesus
emulate within our current sphere of influence—providing us Christ is the Creator of light in a physical world of darkness,
a personal glimpse of what makes eternity eternity! the saving Light in a world that favors spiritual darkness, and
the One existing in eternity along with our Heavenly Father
“Let there be light” (verse 22) who has not only life but light self-inherent. Again,
It’s always good to start at the beginning of a book to gain light and life go hand in hand.
a sense of the development of the main characters. So let’s
go way back and weave a thread to sew this column together. Inaugurating the Kingdom of God experience
Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning there was God, who Some questions then: Do we have to wait till the future for
created the heavens and the earth. Then after a time of dark- any experience of God’s Kingdom of light and life? Are all its
ness (verse 2), the first act in renewing the creation was God aspects placed on complete hold until a set future time? Just
declaring, “‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (verse 3). how near is “near” when it comes to experiencing eternity now?
The apostle John, at the beginning of his Gospel, identifies In relation to Jesus saying the “Kingdom of God is at hand”
the uncreated light bringer spoken of in Genesis in this way: in Mark 1:14-15, The Interpreter’s Bible states: “This was,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, beyond all question, the main subject of Jesus’ teaching. The
and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. changing climates of opinion have passed over this theme,
All things were made through Him, and without Him noth- what Jesus meant by the kingdom of God, more almost than
ing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was over any other subject in the Gospel . . .
the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the “The kingdom is the reign of God, His sovereignty over
darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5). mind and heart and will, and in the world. It is sonship to God
Then in verse 14 John identifies this “Word” who was with and brotherly relations with men. It is in the future. But when-
God the Father as Jesus Christ, declaring Him “the true light,” ever a human life is brought into harmony with the Father’s
yet light that the people formed by Him refused to accept purpose, it is present” (Vol. 7, 1987, p. 656).
(verses 9-10). Our Heavenly Father sent Jesus to earth to inaugurate the King-
Both creation accounts, in Genesis 1 and John 1, emphasize dom experience. He is the Kingdom personified. He was eternity
contrast between darkness and light. It’s an analogy lost to a made flesh to connect with us. The commentary continues: “Jesus
In the course of this series we have peeked into that world
in which there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more
sorrow, no more crying, no more night, no more shut gates,
no more defilement and no more curse (Revelation 21-22).
As we wrap up this peek into eternity, let me again draw
your attention in these final chapters of Revelation to the ulti-
mate Eden-like setting in which God dwells and will once
again walk and talk with His special glorified creation at last
made fully in His image through the mold of Jesus Christ.
We are shown a paradise garden flowing with “a pure river
of water of life, clear as crystal” and “the tree of life . . . [with
leaves] for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2).
Now in conclusion, allow me to share a short thought-filled
examination. We can call it the “Living in the
Light of Eternity Today Test.” A few instruc-
Jesus Christ proclaimed: “I am the light of tions first. It’s not multiple choice. (Sorry!) The
the world. He who follows Me shall not answers are either yes or no. You don’t have to
turn it in. Neither do I, as I’m taking it along
walk in darkness, but have the light of life.“ with you. God above already knows our answers
up to this point in life. Are you ready?
called men to repentance as emphatically as did John [the Baptist]. • Do we personally bring life, healing and “times of refreshing”
But there is here this notable addition, believe in the gospel . . . Jesus where relationships have died and hope is lost?
never minimized sin or repentance . . . He proclaimed, ‘A new • Do we prepare a place in our lives for others who have
order is at hand. Get a new mind that fits it.’” only known closed doors?
Jesus gave those who trusted His offer of brotherhood, • Do we build walls or do we build bridges in regards to
friendship and a brand-new existence a new job description in relationships—and who goes first?
line with His own: “You are the light of the world. A city that • Do we use our ears more than our mouth, and do we exer-
is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and cise patience more than anger?
put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to • Do we seek cures and solutions from Scripture for people
all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, whose lives are in pain?
that that they may see your good works and glorify your father • Do we bring joy into lives filled with sorrow?
in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, emphasis added throughout). • Do we wipe away tears from those who cry, or do we make
It would take a while for them to grasp their calling, but them cry?
they ultimately did on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem when • Do we bring blessings where there have been only curses?
they were “all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1). The • Do we bring light where only darkness has been known?
Spirit of God then became theirs. Summing up, do people think of us like the disciples of old,
As New Testament scholar N.T. Wright describes in his recognizing we have been with Jesus? Do they see through the
book Simply Jesus: “A new power is let loose in the world, the evidence of His presence in our lives as we’ve responded to His
power to remake what was broken, to heal what was diseased, invitation of “Follow Me” in the journey toward eternity?
to restore what was lost” (2011, p. 193). If the exam is tough on you, understand that it’s meant to be.
It was a peek at eternity in motion. The disciples’ collective All of us have more homework, hard work and heart work to do
light imbued by the living light of the Spirit of the Father and in our common pilgrimage toward the realm of eternity.
Christ in them was tangibly noticeable. When hauled before Till next time, then, stay on the road to eternal life as we
the Jewish authorities, a noteworthy comment is made about respond to Jesus’ invitation of “Follow Me.” And always remem-
the proceeding—those in judgment “marveled” at the bold- ber the echo of His personal encouragement to every disciple:
ness of these disciples they deemed uneducated “and they “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew
realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). 28:20). As He lights our way and lives in us, we can also be light,
They were in the truest sense the real deal. The life, the love, living the future now in anticipation of the fullness of eternity
the light of the One they had rubbed shoulders with on the yet to come!
roads of Galilee and Judea was now walking inside of them!
LEARN MORE
So how about us?
The future God has planned for us is far
We have come to see that eternity is not a realm to be under- greater than the popular conception of
stood through physical measuring instruments like a ruler or going to heaven to sit on clouds playing
clock, but is ultimately about a relationship in a new existence harps for all eternity. Download or request
we’re being prepared for in which Christ’s prayer for His fol- our free study guide Why Were You Born?
Scott Ashley
lowers is fulfilled: “. . . That they all may be one, as You, Father, to learn the astounding truth!
are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . .” BTmagazine.org/booklets
(John 17:21).
LETTERS FROM
OUR READERS
“Hope and Help for the Brokenhearted” helpful words to help us navigate through our Christian journey.
Thank you so much.
This is such an uplifting and timely subject, and it covered so
From the Internet
much in just a few pages. There are so many people going through
so much heartache and difficulties at this time. The overview and "Are You Prepared for the Next Crisis?"
examples of biblical characters who went through depression are Thank you for this reminder of how we are to be prepared for any
great, because it makes you realize that we are not the only ones, calamity or disaster to come. I am studying and praying always.
that great men and women of faith went through periods of much From the Internet
discouragement but somehow God came through every time and
gave them a solution or a way out of it. Thanks immensely for this article. The crisis we see is almost like
From the Internet nothing we have seen before. This will help many see more clearly
how we can encourage others and stay on course in a godly manner
Please pass along my gratitude to the author of the “Hope and as in the examples set by Christ. We can become part of the solution
Help for the Brokenhearted” article. Suicide has occurred in our fam- and not part of the ongoing crisis.
ily for several generations and I really needed to read this. Thank you. From the Internet
From the Internet
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“Are You Worn Down by Weariness?”
I’m interested in attending your services. I’ve been trying to find
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to God. He has blessed me so much, yet I worry about the things I have enjoyed using your online booklets to aid me in my study.
I do not have. This article has taught me how to battle weariness in I have recently been feeling the need to connect with others, and
a positive and godly way. I really would love to be baptized and receive laying on of hands.
From the Internet I will of course in the meantime enjoy all your online services.
Reader in the U.K.
Thank you for this article. I recognize now that I have been dealing
with weariness. I have tried to beat myself up for being lazy—which Your never-ending devotion to the Scriptures is inspiring. Where
has never been a big issue for me—and could not understand why I can one find a church that practices Saturday worship instead of
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cope now, how will I when the birth pains [of world trouble] come We’re glad to hear you’ve been inspired by our material. We’d love
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“We have been the recipients of the

choicest bounties of heaven . . . We
have grown in numbers, wealth and
power as no other nation has ever
grown. But we have forgotten God
. . . We have become . . . too proud
to pray to the God that made us.”
—Abraham Lincoln
What’s Ahead for the
United States?
Is the world’s most powerful nation—the United States of The publishers of Beyond Today have produced an astounding,
America—overlooked in Bible prophecy? Why would relatively eye-opening study guide, The United States and Britain in Bible
small powers like Egypt, Syria and Lebanon be mentioned in Prophecy. This publication takes you on a remarkable journey
prophecies of the end time but not the through history and Bible prophecy to reveal an incred-
United States? What about other major ible story with sobering implications for the major English-
English-speaking nations such as the speaking nations.
United Kingdom, Canada and Australia?
You can’t afford to be without this priceless information!
In fact, many prophecies do mention these
This study guide is yours free when you contact any
nations. But, without a proper under-
of our offices listed on page 31 or visit our website at
standing of history and the Scriptures, few
BTmagazine.org/booklets.
can identify these countries and discover
what lies ahead for them. Request your free copy today!
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