Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of the TV version of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Tomorrow’s World: Church, Mission, and Beliefs

Many viewers wonder: Who is behind these Tomorrow’s World telecasts? The most obvious answer is found in what we say at the end of each program: We are sponsored by the Living Church of God. But that brings up another question: Who or what is the Living Church of God?

On this Tomorrow’s World telecast I’ll be answering this question. I’ll show you who we are, what our mission is, and what we believe.

True Christianity and the Living Church of God

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World, where today I’ll be answering the question of who we are—which Church is it that is behind these telecasts, our magazine, and all of our free resources. I’ll also explain the mission of the Living Church of God and what we believe.

Simply put, we are a remnant of first-century Christianity, but what does this mean? Jesus said He would build His Church and the gates of the grave would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Yet, the record of the New Testament and history show that the professing Christian church veered off in a radically different direction than the church started by Jesus, His apostles, and first-century believers.

End-Time Bible Prophecy Warns of False Christianity

He warned us in the Olivet Prophecy that the first sign to watch for regarding His second coming and the end of the age is false Christianity. We must not take this warning lightly. Look this up in your own Bible and consider what it means for you—Matthew 24:3-5.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them [here it is]: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am [that is, Jesus is] the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:3-5).

Yes, there would be those who claim His authority, admit that He is the Christ, but would deceive not the few but the many. Does history bear this out? The answer is absolutely!

Highly respected historian, Jesse Lyman Hurlbut in The Story of the Christian Church, gives this title to Chapter 5, “The Age of Shadows.” There he shows how dramatically the church changed over a relatively short period of time.

We name the last generation of the first century, from 68 to 100 ad, “The Age of Shadows,” partly because the gloom of persecution was over the church, but more especially because of all periods in the history, it is the one about which we know the least. We have no longer the clear light of the book of Acts to guide us; and no author of that age has filled the blank in the history... For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and [take note of this] when at last it rises, about 120 ad with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul (Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church, 1970. p. 33).

Paganism Chokes Out True Worship

Note that Hurlbut mentions these changes occurred following the death of the Apostle Paul. Is this not what Paul himself warned would happen? Acts 20, beginning in verse 29, records his warning to the elders at Ephesus.

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears (Acts 20:29-31).

Hurlbut chronicles some of the changes that crept into what became an increasingly very different church from that of Christ and the apostles.

The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with change of name and of worship. About 405 ad images of saints and martyrs began to appear in the churches, at first as memorials, then in succession revered, adored and worshiped. The adoration of the Virgin Mary was substituted for the worship of Venus and Diana… (Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church, 1970 1962. p. 62 p. 79).

Many historians agree that the church of today has little resemblance to that of the original Church of God that Christ founded. Prolific writer and highly respected historian Will Durant makes this insightful comment for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it…. Christianity became the last and greatest of the mystery religions (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 3, 1944. pp. 595, 600).

History records two paths for what is broadly called Christian.

The first is the popular and diverse forms of mainstream Christianity—Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. And there is great diversity among these. The second is miniscule in comparison. It is the small, persecuted Church that would not die.

True Believers Must Worship in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24)

The Christianity of Christ and the apostles is different from what most people think. Mainstream Christianity is rife with nonbiblical Greek philosophy and pagan doctrines. The Church Jesus built is not, and it has been persecuted for rejecting nonbiblical doctrines and following not what people think He taught, but what Jesus truly taught. The mainstream catered to the masses and absorbed popular pagan forms of worship.

From sun worship came a rejection of the seventh-day Sabbath, which was established at creation. Sun-worshipping Roman Emperor Constantine in 321 ad commanded a different day for rest, as shown in Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity.

When in 321 Constantine made the first day of the week a holiday, he called it the “venerable day of the Sun” [Sunday] (Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity, 1987. p. 131).

Any who did not go along with this law and other non-biblical doctrines were stripped of privileges and persecuted. However, in Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared:

“I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

True Christians Obey and Follow Jesus Christ—Even Facing Death

No, the Church that Christ built never died. We read about it in the writings of those who hated it and tried to stamp it out. That Church—which refused to compromise and introduce pagan doctrines as substitutes for the doctrines of Christ—was considered heretical. Nevertheless, one must compare what Jesus and His apostles taught to discover who the real heretics are.

The Church of God Is a Little Flock Doing a Big Work

The modern roots of Tomorrow’s World and the Living Church of God are found in the Worldwide Church of God under the pastorship of the late Herbert W. Armstrong. His wife, Loma, came in contact with a member from the Church of God Seventh Day (by the way, not associated with the Seventh Day Adventists). That was in the mid-1920s. She became convinced that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, not Sunday. Now, this did not please Mr. Armstrong, who viewed this as fanaticism. However, she would not budge unless he could show her from the Bible that she was in error. He began an in-depth search of the scriptures to prove her wrong, which at the time he thought would be simple enough. After all, all these churches could not be wrong. But the end result was that, as I personally heard him say:

It is a humbling thing to admit that your wife is right and you are wrong—especially when it is over the most important argument you ever had.

In 1933 Mr. Armstrong was offered a 6:00 a.m. time slot on the tiny 100-watt KORE radio station in Eugene, Oregon. His audience grew and he began publishing—if you could call it that—a mimeographed magazine called The Plain Truth. From that humble beginning, the work grew to where The Plain Truth was a modern full-color magazine, with a monthly circulation of 8.4 million copies—covering virtually every country on earth. And it was given away free of charge.

The Living Church of God continues to follow Christ’s instruction in Matthew 10:8, where He told His disciples:

Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8).

In 1952, Mr. Armstrong ordained five men to the rank of evangelist, and among them was Roderick C. Meredith. Mr. Armstrong died in January 1986, and in less than five years, his appointed successor took the Worldwide Church of God in a radically different direction.

By December 1992, it became abundantly clear to Dr. Meredith that the Worldwide Church had irreversibly changed or rejected all the major doctrines that Herbert W. Armstrong restored under the leadership of Jesus Christ. And at age 62, Dr. Meredith had to make a choice: Either retire comfortably as that organization tried to get him to do—or set out and revive the Work and restore the Biblical doctrines of original Christianity. He chose the latter and started the Global Church of God—later changed to Living Church of God. Dr. Meredith immediately followed Christ’s instructions found in Mark 16:15.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

He began to preach the Gospel by going on weekly radio, writing booklets, and starting a bi-monthly magazine. He began with an informal meeting of only 19 members in his home in December 1992, but many Church of God members began to reject the apostasy and joined with him in doing the Work.

Today the Church has grown to encompass members all over the world, and a large percentage are brand-new to the truths of original Christianity—having heard the true gospel for the first time at Tomorrow’s World.

The Work of Jesus Christ is not over. From our “About Us” page at TomorrowsWorld.org, we read the following:

Tomorrow’s World is sponsored by the Living Church of God, with active congregations in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia, with more than 239 ministers serving over 401 congregations around the globe.

Our flagship magazine, Tomorrow’s World, is translated from English into French and Spanish, and we print booklets for distribution in the German, Dutch, Afrikaans, Chinese, Hindi, Portuguese, Urdu and a few other languages.

Dr. Meredith set up a Council of Elders, which is made up of seasoned ministers to advise him. And prior to his death in May 2017, after consultation with the Council of Elders, he appointed me as his successor and as Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God.

While this may all sound as though we are a megachurch, that is hardly the case. Most of our congregations are small and close-knit. We’re a little flock as Jesus mentioned in Luke 12:32, where He said:

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

However, our dedicated members and coworkers are doing a Work far greater than our numbers would indicate. Many wonder how this is so.

The answer is that we have loyal members and coworkers who make it possible. Also, we do not build church buildings as a general practice. Instead, we rent halls to hold our services—choosing rather to spread the Gospel on television, over the Internet and social media, and in print.

Do you realize, dear friends, that you can worship Jesus in vain? That’s what He tells us in Matthew 15:7-9.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

And in Luke 6:46, He chided the people for calling Him Lord—meaning master—but disregarding what He said.

But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and do not do the things which I say?

Christian Doctrine and the Way of Life

Original Christianity—that of Christ and the apostles—is what Tomorrow’s World and the Living Church of God are about.

The Living Church of God believes:

• Jesus of Nazareth came as God in the flesh.
• He gave His life in exchange for ours.
• He is our Lord (our Master) and Savior.
• We are saved by faith in His shed blood.

However, we do not turn God’s grace into license to disobey His law. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, warns us against that error in verses 3 and 4:

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 3-4).

Keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days in the Bible

This is why the Living Church of God observes the seventh-day Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset—as did Jesus, His original apostles, the apostle Paul, and first-century Christians. We also observe the seven biblically ordained annual festivals, rather than pagan observances with the name of Christ blasphemously attached to them.

Dear viewers, think about this. Why are the days that Jesus and His apostles kept rejected by mainstream Christianity? And why is the most sacred day of mainstream Christianity named after a fertility goddess and celebrated with fertility symbols, such as eggs and rabbits? Does that really make any sense?

The Church’s Mission: Preach the True Gospel of the Kingdom of God

Our mission was given to us by Jesus Christ, and it’s spelled out on our “About Us” page at TomorrowsWorld.org.

Tomorrow’s World proclaims to the world the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming Kingdom (Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:15), and blows a bold “warning trumpet” of God’s impending judgment, calling for repentance and spiritual change (Matthew 24:21; Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 33).

You may wonder what is different about proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming Kingdom. Don’t all churches do that? Sadly, the answer is, no.

The word “gospel” means good news, but do you realize that Paul warned the church of God at Corinth for putting up with teachers who taught a different gospel, and yes, even a false Jesus? Here it is in 2 Corinthians 11:4.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

A few verses later he called these false teachers, ministers of Satan.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his [that is, Satan’s] ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

The Living Church of God teaches the very same message Jesus proclaimed during His three-and-a-half-year ministry—a coming kingdom, or government, to rule on this troubled planet. Read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You’ll be shocked at how many times Jesus referred to the Kingdom of God.

Now, Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven,” whereas the other writers use “Kingdom of God.” Heaven is where God dwells, so it is heaven’s—that is, God’s—kingdom. It’s not a kingdom IN God or IN heaven. “Of” indicates ownership, not location.

Teaching How to Understand Bible Prophecy

The Living Church of God does not neglect Bible prophecy, including Jesus’ Olivet Prophecy, the book of Revelation, and other passages scattered throughout the New Testament. Jesus explained to His disciples that unless He returns to stop mankind’s madness, human extinction would occur—Matthew 24:21-22:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

God declares He will hold us accountable if we neglect to warn our fellow man. Read it for yourself in Proverbs 24:11-12.

Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

Rejecting Pagan Traditions and False Christianity as Blasphemy

The Living Church of God rejects paganized Christianity and follows the example of our Savior when He walked the earth. The mission of the Living Church of God is to proclaim the true gospel of Jesus Christ and to warn the world of what will surely happen unless we change course.

The Church’s Mission Part 2: Feed the Flock

However, another part of our mission is to feed the flock, the little flock that God is calling. To do so we have more than 400 congregations around the world, ranging in size from less than 10 to over 300. Many are moderate in size between 50 and 125.

What to Expect at Sabbath Services and Christian Holy Days

In addition to meeting every Sabbath (that is, Saturday), we meet on the annual festivals as spelled out in both the Old and the New Testaments. We observe the Passover, as Jesus did with His disciples on the night in which He was betrayed. Notice in Luke 22:15.

Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

Members bring their Bibles and many take notes during our Sabbath and festival meetings. Our services normally involve the singing of hymns, a shorter message followed by announcements, and then the main message.

Living Church of God Youth Programs, Summer Camps, and Activities

To serve our youth, the Living Church of God holds summer camps in North and South America, Australasia, Africa, Europe, and the Philippines.

Even as I am recording this program, 37 teens, young adults, and chaperones are experiencing an adventure of a lifetime on a week-long hike in the spectacular Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon.

We also have a preteen camp in Missouri this week, a two-week teen camp in Texas in July, a teen camp in Belgium, and others taking place this summer in the Northern hemisphere.

More programs to “feed the flock” are weekend retreats for young adults, Spokesman Club meetings for our men, and a year-long onsite Living Education program for highly motivated young adults. A few young adults are chosen to work a summer in Thailand, teaching English to Thai children, getting to know our members there, and touring parts of the country.

Choosing to Live God’s Way

But whether it is a Sabbath service, summer camps, weekend retreats, Living Education, or international projects, the focus is on restoring the way of life taught by Jesus Christ and His first-century followers.

We find that many people ask about our services, but fail to follow through out of fear of the unknown. So let me say emphatically, I would not give up this way of life for anything. Our members are friendly. We are truly one great family. We are not isolated members who only know those in our own local congregations. We often combine congregations on feast days, hold family weekends and visit other Living Church of God congregations when traveling on business or vacation. Members travel to other countries to observe the eight-day Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day each year.

And if you would like to learn more about keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, the annual festivals of God, about baptism or attending with a Living Church of God congregation, just let us know.

I hope you profited from this video.

If you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free booklet, titled Restoring Original Christianity by clicking the link.

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you understand our world through the pages of the Bible. So be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you don’t miss another video.

Thanks for watching! See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Trends for 2025

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World. The United States elected Donald Trump to be its 47th President in a landslide victory. Many see Mr. Trump as a messiah figure, a savior of the country that has gone astray. What might we expect over the next four years? It would do us well to remember two biblical proverbs. The first one is from Proverbs 16:9:

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Yes, a man may have his own agenda, but that is not always the way his future turns out. Often a leader is remembered not for what he planned, but for how he handled circumstances out of his control. This is further spelled out in Proverbs 19:21:

There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

About 75% of Americans believed that the country was going in the wrong direction, and that was reflected in the outcome of the election. So what can Americans, and citizens of this world, expect for 2025 and the years following? Can we know?

The Bible Has the Only Sure Predictions

There are many prognosticators predicting what’s ahead for the coming year and beyond. Some base their predictions on their understanding of geopolitics. Others look into crystal balls. Some claim a spook in the night revealed the future to them. And of course, there is Nostradamus, but a close look at his predictions—and [those] of other famous psychics—show[s] that they are vague and are more backward-looking interpretations by his fervent followers than true predictions. Let me give you an example.

Some enthusiasts say his mention of “the great man will be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt” refers to the moon landing, a significant milestone in human achievement. … People find it easy to understand humans reaching for the stars; therefore, fans love to talk about this (“5 predictions of Nostradamus that are believed to have come true,” Times of India, October 28, 2024).

Then there are wild interpretations of biblical scriptures. Yet, it is from this very source—the book known as the Bible—that we here at Tomorrow’s World turn to know the future course of our world.

On this program, I’ll give you three trends to watch for in 2025 and beyond—straight from the pages of the Bible.

The Bible Prophesies Events Just Before the Return of Christ

On today’s program, we’ll look to the Bible for what it tells us about our near future. While we cannot know the exact timing of most Bible prophecies, we CAN know the general timeframe of what is ahead. And there are a few prophecies that do give specific time markers, and I’ll refer to one of them on today’s program.

But first, let me address a common misunderstanding. Some people erroneously conclude that we can have no idea when Christ will return. They claim that He could come at any time—tonight or a thousand years from now. So, let’s look at Matthew 24:36 and explore the context in which this scripture is given.

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matthew 24:36).

This statement is true, but what is the context in which it is found? Is it not detailed signs that lead up to the end of the age and Christ’s second coming?

Specific Signs of the End-Times in Matthew 24

Notice the beginning of this Olivet Prophecy—Matthew 24:3.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be [that is, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem]? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Jesus then went on to give signs that would lead up to His return. The idea that we must throw up our hands and have no idea regarding the timing of His return contradicts the context of this chapter.

In the Last Days: False Christianity

Jesus said there would be definite indicators of the end of the age.

Let’s notice what follows, beginning in verses 4 and 5.

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4–5).

A counterfeit Christianity is the first sign that He gave, and I’ll come back to that in a few minutes, but let’s read further from verse 6.

Beginning of Sorrows: Wars and Rumors of War

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars…. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:6–8).

The 20th Century saw two world wars that killed literally tens of millions of precious lives. It also saw a pandemic in 1918 that killed somewhere between 50 and 100 million people. That was a plague that paled COVID! And there have been many famines, floods, and earthquakes. But notice what I left out of verse 6.

See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet (Matthew 24:6).

Luke’s parallel account of this Olivet Prophecy says it this way in chapter 21 and verse 9:

But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately (Luke 21:9).

As any reader of history knows, the last 2,000 years—and even before that—were filled with wars and natural disasters, so what are we to make of these signs?

Parallel End-Time Signs in the Book of Revelation

The book of Revelation is also focused on the end of the age and lays out a framework of end-time events. There we read of a scroll sealed with seven seals that, according to Revelation 5:3-5, only the Lamb of God—that is Jesus Christ—can open.

And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” (Revelation 5:3–5).

Four Seals and Four Horsemen of Revelation 6 Match Signs in Matthew 24

When He opens the first four seals, we find the famous four horsemen. The second, third, and fourth riders are easily discerned, and they match up with what Jesus revealed in the Olivet Prophecy. They represent war, famine, and pestilence (or disease epidemics). But what of the first?

Let’s read it in Revelation 6:1–2:

Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Most commentaries say this rider represents Christ or His followers conquering for Christ. They usually link this rider with the returning Christ that we read of in Revelation 19.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.… And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:11–16).

But notice that the weapons wielded by these horsemen are different. The King of kings has a figurative sharp sword, coming out of His mouth, but the rider in chapter 6 has a bow in his hand. Why the difference? And what does that have to do with what is ahead for mankind in 2025 and beyond?

I also said I would give you the first trend to watch in 2025 and beyond. Here it is:

Trend #1: Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity

Why? Two riders in the book of Revelation look alike, but have different weapons. One carries a bow—the other, a sharp sword. This is significant.

Leading up to the opening of the seven seals, we learn from chapter 5 and verses 3 to 5 that only the Lamb of God—Jesus Christ—can open the seals.

Each of the four horsemen of Revelation is easy to discern, except the first one—though it appears on the surface to be easy to understand—and that’s the rub. Is that rider Christ? Or is he a close counterfeit? How can we know?

The answer is simple: only Christ, the Lamb of God can open the seals, and when we look to the words of Christ spoken elsewhere, we have the answer.

Trends for 2025 Are the End-Time Signs Jesus Gave

Remember the first sign Jesus gave that leads up to His return? Read it again in Matthew 24:4-5.

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name [that is, claiming His authority], saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ [in other words, telling people that Jesus is the Christ] and will deceive many.”

Now notice the comparison between Revelation 6 and Matthew 24.

• In Revelation 6, we read of a rider on a white horse. But in Matthew 24, the first sign that Jesus gave is Christian deception.
• Revelation 6 speaks of a rider who takes peace from the earth. Matthew next talks about wars and rumors of war.
• Revelation 6, a rider on a black horse of famine, and Matthew 24 speaks of famines.  
• In Revelation 6, the last rider is one on a pale horse of pestilence. Matthew 24 next speaks of pestilences.

False Christianity, False Prophet, and Beast of Revelation

Now it should be obvious from this that the first rider in Revelation 6 is a counterfeit Christianity. And that is why our first trend to watch is the revival of a counterfeit Christianity that will take hold of much of the world.

This great false prophet is spoken of in a number of scriptures, but notice this passage in Revelation 13^th chapter, and verses 11 and 13.

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. … He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men (Revelation 13:11-13).

A counterfeit Christianity is not new, but since the four horsemen reflect end-time events, look for a charismatic leader to perform deceptive miracles. He will look like he represents Christ, but he will in fact represent Satan the Devil. He will bring about a revival of apostate Christianity—not new in doctrine, but he will confuse the whole Christian world with enthusiasm, emotion, and deception.

Now, don’t think it can’t happen, because it will. So our first trend to watch going forward is:

Trend #1: Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity.

Trend #2: Conflicts in the Middle East Will Not Stop Until Jesus Returns

The first Trump administration was able to do something no one thought possible. It actually looked like peace would break out in the Middle East due to the Abraham Accords—a series of agreements to normalize relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.

This was the start of a process that continued in the Biden administration, and it looked as though Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the verge of normalizing relations. But then came the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.

Can the new U.S. President bring peace to that region? The answer is NO—not according to Bible prophecy.

Continuous Attempts to Overthrow Jerusalem (Zechariah 12)

The prophet Zechariah speaks of the opposite of peace, foretelling our very time today when there would be a Jewish state in the area of Jerusalem, and they would be surrounded by hostile neighbors. Notice how remarkably accurate these prophecies are.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah [that is, the Jews,] and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it (Zechariah 12:2–3).

But how will the Jews fare with their enemies on every side? What does the Bible tell us, that we can see with our own eyes in our daily news? Verse 6:

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6).

In a moment, I’ll show you a couple other prophecies about the State of Israel—prophecies that literally leap out of the Bible and onto our news feeds.

Jews Did Not Control Jerusalem for More Than 1,800 Years

I left off in Zechariah 12 where we saw that the Jews would have a country in the Middle East controlling Jerusalem. This was not the case from 135 ad until 1948, and they did not control all of Jerusalem until 1967. That makes Zechariah’s prophecies, given 2,500 years ago, absolutely remarkable. I’ll come back to Zechariah in a moment, but notice a prophecy that is even more ancient, but precisely accurate.

Prophecies in Genesis 49 Are About Jacob’s Descendants “in the Last Days”

The patriarch Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had 12 sons. At the end of his life, he foretold what would become of each one as they grew into tribes and nations—not at that time, but more than 3,500 years in the future—at the time of the end of the age.

Notice it in Genesis 49:1:

And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.”

Were these prophecies the result of a hallucinating old man? Or were they given under the inspiration of God? Let’s read what he said about Judah, the father of the Jews, in the last days, and you be the judge. Verses 8 and 9:

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him (Genesis 49:8–9)?

Dear friends, is this not exactly what we see?

Relentless Attacks Against Jerusalem Foretold in Isaiah 29

Here’s another prophecy about the Jews in the book of Isaiah.

The prophecy is addressed to Ariel, and while there is controversy over what the word means, virtually all scholars agree that it is a prophecy regarding the house of Judah (that is, the Jews) and Jerusalem. The early fulfillment was during the time of Assyrian king Sennacherib, but there is clearly an end-time fulfillment. Note how the Jews’ enemies anticipate victory only to wake up and realize it’s a dream.

The multitude of all the nations who fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her fortress, and distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, and look—he eats; but he awakes, and his soul is still empty; or as when a thirsty man dreams, and look—he drinks; but he awakes, and indeed he is faint, and his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, who fight against Mount Zion (Isaiah 29:7–8).

Time and again Israel’s enemies see victory slip away from them.

Jerusalem Will Finally Fall Just before the Return of Christ (Zechariah 14)

However, Zechariah reveals that there is a time in the future when the Jews will be overthrown and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will have to come back and save them. We read of this in Zechariah 14:2–4:

For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city [indicating it’s a divided city] shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.

No, there will be no peace in that part of the world no matter who is the U.S. President. There may be exuberance over what appears to be peace, but it will not end well, as Paul wrote about the time of the end in 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

Our second trend to watch is:

Trend #2: There will be continuing conflict in the Middle East that will lead to Christ’s return.

Trend #3: Watch for Daily Sacrifices to Begin in Jerusalem

We cannot know the specific time of these biblical prophecies, although as we have seen, easy-to-understand prophecy regarding the Jews and Jerusalem, given 2,000 and even 3,500 years ago, are taking place right now for anyone to see. But I want to give you a third trend to watch, because this one could literally begin at any time.

Daily Sacrifices Must Start Before the Abomination of Desolation Can Occur (Daniel 12)

We find a countdown to the time of Christ’s return in the 12th chapter of Daniel. The prophet wanted to know when the end would come and was told that the visions were sealed until the time of the end. He was then told this in verse 11:

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days (Daniel 12:11).

That’s three years and seven months.

I don’t have time to explain the abomination of desolation on this program, but for now, let’s focus on what is easy to understand. For sacrifices to be cut off, they must first begin, and daily sacrifices have not been offered in Jerusalem for the better part of 2,000 years. Therefore trend #3 is: Watch for daily sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

Final Countdown Begins After Sacrifices Stop: 1,290 Days

This will be a big deal once they begin, because when they are stopped, that will begin a countdown of 1,290 days before Christ steps in to save mankind from self-annihilation. So watch for these three trends in 2025 and beyond:

• Trend #1: Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity.
• Trend #2: There will be continuing conflict in the Middle East that will lead to Christ’s return.
• Trend #3: Watch for daily sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

I hope you profited from this video. If you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free booklet titled The Middle East in Prophecy by clicking the link in the description or going to TWTV.org/East.

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible. So be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the bell, so you don’t miss another video.

Thanks for watching! See you next time.