Natural Disasters

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

What Causes the Death of Nations?

The world has seen many powerful nations whose wealth, influence, and reach would understandably cause any who dwelt within them to believe they would last forever—yet the path of history is strewn with their ruins. Today, two of the past century’s greatest powers—the United States and Great Britain—are on the verge of joining the failed states of the past. But, the true reason why goes generally unacknowledged.

Join us today on Tomorrow’s World as we explain how great nations die.

Economies in Turmoil

While many would, perhaps, rather not admit it, much of the modern world has been crafted over the past century by the economic, military, and cultural success the United States, Britain, and British-descended nations of the world have experienced.

As U.S. foreign-policy expert Walter Russell Mead said in his insightful 2007 book God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the Modern World,

It is unpardonably vulgar to say so, but in three hundred years of warfare, the English-speaking powers keep winning. To put this another way, either the British or the Americans or both have been on the winning side of every major war in which they have participated since the late seventeenth century. That history of victory shapes the world we live in…. The Anglo-Saxon powers did not just win wars. They changed the way the world lives, thinks, and organizes itself as much as any of the great civilizations of the past… (pp. 13–14).

It’s true. The United States, Great Britain, and the other English-speaking nations of the world have had an incredible impact on world culture and way of life, completely out of proportion to their size. The United States, in particular, has been the sole remaining “superpower” of the Cold War era—a financial juggernaut and a military power the likes of which the world has rarely seen before, if ever.

But things change. The higher the climb, the farther the fall.

Let’s briefly take a look at only one indicator of the current strength of these Great Nations: Their economic status.

The wealth of the United Kingdom was once considered the envy of the world. And today, the United States is still considered by many to be the chief financial engine powering the world’s economies. But just how trustworthy is that engine?

Looking under the hood to examine more closely—or, under the bonnet, for our friends in the UK—doesn’t give cause for hope.

It’s hard to report on American national debt because it is growing so quickly that numbers quickly become outdated!

But as of right now, as I am recording this program, that debt is more than 30 trillion dollars—that’s more than 97 thousand dollars for every single living, breathing citizen of the U.S.—from the newborn to the elderly!

That means that the U.S. public debt is currently about 120 percent of its gross domestic product—the financial output of the nation (“Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product,” FRED Economic Data, FRED.stlouisfed.org, July 26, 2023).

And as noted by the non-partisan Peter G. Peterson foundation, “[w]ithin 10 years, net interest costs [Note: INTEREST COSTS] will exceed federal spending on crucial programs like Medicaid and [national] defense” (“Interest Costs on the National Debt are On Track to Reach a Record High,” Peter G. Peterson Foundation, pgpf.org, February 16, 2023).

Across the Atlantic, the UK is hardly doing better.

As reported by The Guardian in June 2023,

The UK’s total government debt pile in May reached more than 100% of annual national income for the first time since 1961 as state borrowing more than doubled, according to official figures.

In a blow to [Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak’s plans to cut taxes before the general election, which is expected next year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said net debt reached £2.6tn as of the end of May, estimated at 100.1% of gross domestic product (GDP)

(“UK government debt rises above 100% of GDP for first time since 1961,” TheGuardian.com, June 21, 2023).

And the citizens, personally, are hardly doing any better than their overspending governments.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data recently reported,

Total household debt [in the U.S.] rose by $148 billion, or 0.9 percent, to $17.05 trillion in the first quarter of 2023…. Mortgage balances climbed by $121 billion and stood at $12.04 trillion at the end of March. Auto loan and student loan balances also increased to $1.56 trillion and $1.60 trillion, respectively, but credit card balances were flat at $986 billion (“Household Debt and Credit Report,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York—Center for Microeconomic Data, NewYorkFed.org, 2023).

Of course, economic troubles are only one sign of a nation’s declining health and power. We could spend the rest of our program today looking at others.

For instance, the U.S. military continues facing humiliation after humiliation after the scarring images of the nation’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and recruitment programs that seem more devoted to recruiting social justice warriors and drag queens than maintaining the top fighting force in the world.

As for the UK, The Times reported in May 2023 that Germany was preparing to spend more on national defense than Britain for the first time in modern history—the same Germany whose Gross Domestic Product is around 30 percent larger than the UK’s (“German defence spending ‘to overtake UK within years’,” TheTimes.co.uk, May 17, 2023; “Country comparison Germany vs United Kingdom,” CountryEconomy.com, 2023).

Where the Anglo powers once seemed to govern the course of the world, when the U.S. was seeking Saudi support for its actions intended to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, news agencies around the world reported that the Saudi leaders would not even take U.S. President Joe Biden’s phone call.

History is clear: No great nation—no great empire—lasts forever.

Yet the real reason they die tends to be ignored.

Moral Decline

For truly great, globe-girdling nations, one source of downfall and demise rises above them all: MORAL DECAY.

In this area, we can learn a lot from ancient Rome. The Republic of Rome and the Empire that grew out of it ruled a large portion of the world for a millennium. Its might was unparalleled in its day.

But what is left of it today?

Ruins, ruins, and more ruins.

And while many point to overexpansion, economic policy, military spending and other causes of Rome’s fall, the truth of the matter is that before the borders of Rome could be breached by the forces that would destroy it, it was already rotting within due to decadence and moral degradation.

Many historians testify to the problem, including Roman historians, themselves.

Writing only a handful of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the ancient Roman historian Livy was well aware even then that Rome had fallen from its greatest heights, and expresses in Book I, chapter 1, of his History of Rome, his hope that each reader will consider gravely what he has recorded of his own people:

I would have every man apply his mind seriously to consider these points… what their life and what their manners were… as discipline gradually declined, let him follow in his thoughts their morals, at first as slightly giving way, anon how they sunk more and more, then began to fall headlong, until he reaches the present times, when we can neither endure our vices, nor their remedies.

The renowned Roman historian Tacitus pulled few punches in addressing the moral state of his people. Writing around 115 AD, in his famous passage mentioning the crucifixion of Christ, Tacitus was no fan of Christianity, calling it a “deadly superstition,” but his description of his nation’s capital city is noteworthy.

Observing how Christianity was only temporarily slowed down when Christ was crucified, but then mysteriously sprang back to life, more dynamic than before, he writes that it “erupt[ed] again not only in Judaea, the home of this evil, but even in Rome, to which all that is dreadful or shameful in the world flows and here is celebrated”

(Annals, Tacitus Cornelius, 2012).

(Of course, one day Tacitus will learn it wasn’t just the faith of Christians that sprung to life again suddenly, but their Savior, as well!)

Finally, consider Seneca, one of the most celebrated Roman philosophers and writers in Roman history, born in 4 BC and living as a contemporary of the first Christian disciples.

His criticisms of Roman morals and culture in his day were stinging, noting that simple honesty and integrity were vanishing, such that mere agreements between men were no longer sufficient, requiring lawyers and legal papers to be drawn up to require individuals to live up to their ends of the deal.

“O, what a shameful admission of the dishonesty and wickedness of the human race! More trust is placed in our sealrings than in our consciences” (Essays, Book 3).

As for the state of marriage and family in Rome at the time, Seneca writes,

“Is there any woman that blushes at divorce now that certain illustrious and noble ladies reckon their years, not by the number of consuls, but by the number of their husbands, and leave home in order to marry, and marry in order to be divorced?… Is there any shame at all for adultery, now that matters have come to pass that no woman has any use for a husband except to inflame her paramour?” (ibid.).

Seneca noted that marital fidelity had become extinct, and the lack of shame in adultery and fornication only meant that the rot of promiscuity spread further and faster. His observations match those of a near contemporary, the Roman poet Martial [MAR-shəl], who implied marriage in Rome had essentially become legalized adultery.

Such ancient accounts fit well with the observation of famed English historian Edward Gibbon, whose classic work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire paints a picture of an nation whose leaders became degenerate in character, and whose military legions brought back corrupting vices and immoral practices from the lands they conquered.

Before Rome became a ruin on the outside, it had become a ruin within. And the death of that great nation became assured.

Family Destruction

A morally corrupt nation cannot suppose that it will last! And moral corruption causes great nations to die.

And my friends, this is vital to understand because America and Britain, and those nations which have descended from her, are in a MORAL FREEFALL!

As explained in detail in today’s free resource, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy, they have turned their backs on the God who blessed them and are actively—even aggressively—turning their backs on His laws!

Let’s examine just a handful of biblical guidelines and compare them to current American and British culture to see how we measure up.

God stresses in His word the importance of family and the marriage bond between husband and wife. In Exodus 20, the fifth commandment reads,

“Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”

Elsewhere in Leviticus 19:32, we read,

“You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.”

The seventh of the Ten Commandments teaches the same principle expounded by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 13:4,

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

And in passages such as Matthew 19:4–6, Jesus Christ reaffirms the definition of marriage as designed in Genesis 2: A union between one man and one woman for life.

God cares PASSIONATELY about respectful relationships between generations, and between children and parents, and about the sacred union of man and woman in marriage.

Yet in the U.S. and Britain, younger generations are casting aside the guidance and wisdom of previous generations, and the nations’ supposedly enlightened academics, leaders, and social engineers are destroying any traditional or biblical notions of sex, gender, or family structure and replacing them with novel designations and configurations of their own design.

One effect of neglecting God’s design of and laws regarding the family is, believe it or not, economic.

In a 2008 study, the Institute for American Values concluded,

“[W]e estimate that family fragmentation costs U.S. taxpayers at least $112 billion each and every year, or more than $1 trillion each decade” (The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing, 2008).

And that was their conservative estimate.

To put this in perspective, by some estimates that amount is the same as the total cost of the United States’ war in Afghanistan.

In the UK, the cost of family breakdown is estimated at more than 50 billion pounds per year, or more than 60 billion U.S. dollars.

But, of course, the real cost of broken families is not measured in dollars, but in the damage it wreaks on the people of a nation.

At the end of 2021, researcher and author Melanie Phillips wrote of this in a commentary for The Times in the UK. What she insightfully calls “the willed disintegration of the traditional nuclear family” has been devastating:

“It is the greatest cause of social inequalities, through educational underachievement, crime and juvenile psychological disorders. At its most extreme, it leads to neglected, abused and dead children. Yet this has become unsayable in the upper reaches of government and cultural life. So what we have instead are unspeakable acts of cruelty and degradation — and nauseating crocodile tears” (“Family fragmentation comes at a tragic cost,” December 20, 2021).

Let’s look another: the tenth commandment, “You shall not covet.” What would be the state of our national and private debt if so many of our citizens were not consumed with desire for the newest cars, technology, entertainment, all beyond our means—but within our credit limits. Jesus Christ teaches us in Luke 12:15, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Yet our consumer-based national economies are virtually FOUNDED on the hope that people will IGNORE this advice, resulting in the culture of permanent debt we now enjoy.

Ultimately, our debt is enslaving our nations. In fact, Bible prophecy says that the U.S. and British-descended nations will eventually be crushed by debt, as explained in today’s free offer.

We read in Deuteronomy 28, verses 43 and 44:

“The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.”

Yet the solution isn’t more creative economic policy or more government handouts. The solution is to stop sinning, turn to Jesus Christ, and start obeying God.

There are too many examples like these for us to cover all of them in one program, but in summary let me refer to a statement by educator Vincent Ruggiero, made in his book Warning: Nonsense is Destroying America:

“If we are ever to solve this country’s social problems, we must acknowledge the moral bankruptcy of our time and the culpability, not only of the parents and teachers, but most of all the media. We must take responsibility for creating an environment that nurtures morality in children and adults…. To pretend the Ten Commandments are somehow irrelevant to moral living is a violation of common sense…” (p. 152).

Will Society Turn to God? Will You?

What is really at the heart of the problem?

There’s a verse in the Psalms that haunts me on this matter. Psalm 11:3, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

While our politicians discuss what color to paint the nation’s walls, they seem to ignore the fact that the foundation, itself, is destroyed—and, unless repaired, the house is doomed to collapse. Concerning the Constitution of the United States, established shortly after the birth of the nation, Founding Father John Adams once said,

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (“From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798,” Founders.Archive.gov).

Indeed, the freedoms inherent in any great nation rely on the moral self-restraint of its citizens.

The leaders of the U.S. and Britain SHOULD be seeking to turn their peoples to the God who created and blessed their nations—as discussed in today’s free booklet. Instead, they encourage and enable the people’s sin.

Of them, God declares in Isaiah 9:16,

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed.”

But you, personally, don’t have to wait for a senator, congressman, prime minister, or president to tell you to turn to the laws of God!

You don’t have to wait to begin experiencing the blessings that come from living life the way it was DESIGNED to be lived.

If you’re practicing sexual sin, indulging in lust in your body or mind, you can repent! You can ask God to forgive you, and to help you begin obeying His law! If you are letting yourself be carried away with covetousness and greed, in a real sense worshiping things and centering your life on your next purchase on Amazon, you can repent and turn away from that! You can begin obeying the tenth, first, and second commandments.

If you want a family that is strong and stable—a source of joy and comfort—God has given us laws that we can act on to help craft the sort of family we’ve always wanted to have!

And you can choose to follow those laws and build that family.

The only way to prevent great nations from dying is for the people of great nations to seek their God and Jesus Christ and turn from sin.

It isn’t too late. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says to King Solomon words that are just as true today:

“[I]f My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

If we want to make a difference, turning in a heartfelt manner to the God of heaven and seeking His way with passion, zeal, and humility, that will accomplish more than 1,000 phone calls to your senator or congressman ever will.

Thanks so much for watching! All of us here at Tomorrow’s World work very hard to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible.

If you’re interested in what we offer today, the free study guide The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy, you can go to our website at TWTV.org/Prophecy. You can get it there or you can click on the link in the description.

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Thanks so much!

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

The Importance of Prophecy

Is the end of the world coming soon? Will Russia’s military aggression—in Ukraine, lead to World War III? Will China’s powerful increase in military strength set the stage for Armageddon? My friends, Bible prophecy reveals the future of the world. You can know the answers to these questions, IF you understand Bible prophecy!

Bible prophecy’s many amazing messages from God’s prophets can be challenging even to Bible scholars.

What is symbolized by the grand image described by the prophet Daniel? What meaning can we learn from the beasts and the harlot of Revelation—and other mysterious symbols?

Proven principles of Bible prophecy will open your understanding to the ultimate future of the world, of humanity, and of the glorious Kingdom to come.

Between 25 and 30 percent of your Bible is prophecy. If you understand Bible prophecy, you can find hope for the future, and for your own life. You need to know the keys to understanding Bible prophecy!

Stay tuned!

Prophetic Symbols and the Biblical Timeline

Bible prophecy reveals the future of the world, and frankly, the future of the universe. Your Bible has proven the power of prophecy.

I hope you’ve seen our telecast “Amazing Prophecies Fulfilled!” From Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue in the Old Testament book of Daniel, to John’s New Testament visions in the book of Revelation, your Bible reveals major end-time events, with mysterious prophetic symbols such as the Beast of Revelation 13 with seven heads and ten horns rising up out of the sea; and the harlot woman of Revelation 17 sitting on scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns.

How can you understand the meaning of these symbols?

On today’s program, we’ll discuss seven keys to understanding Bible prophecy. My friends, these seven keys to understanding prophecy will help you understand the most amazing future and events that relatively few people on earth even come close to understanding. Key Number One to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Learn God’s Prophetic Framework.

Some have wrong ideas about prophecy because they wrongly believe that Jesus Christ will return AFTER the prophesied Millennium. But your Bible shows clearly that Christ will return to set up a literal kingdom here on earth for a literal period of one thousand years.

The book of Revelation describes a period of 3 and a half years leading up to the return of Christ. The fifth seal of Revelation, described in chapter six, covers a period of two-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24. The SIXTH seal is the heavenly signs, which puts whole world will be put on notice announcing the final one year “Day of the Lord.”

Let’s read about that sixth seal in Revelation 6:12:

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, [Listen to this] and every mountain and island was moved out of its place” (Revelation 6:12–14).

The whole world will be shocked and terrorized. The world will then realize that the time of God’s judgment has come as Jesus returns to establish God’s Kingdom here on the earth, a new world order ruled by the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

Key Number One to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Learn God’s Prophetic Framework.

Key Number Two to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: The Bible Interprets Its Own Symbols. The book of Revelation contains symbolic language which confuses many casual readers. If you have your Bible, turn to Jeremiah 51:24 for one example. Your Bible probably has a heading to chapter 51 such as “God’s judgment (or vengeance) upon Babylon.” God is declaring his punishment on the great empire of Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:24,

“‘And I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil they have done in Zion in your sight,’ says the LORD. ‘Behold, I am against you, O DESTROYING MOUNTAIN, who destroys all the earth,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will stretch out My hand against you, roll you down from the rocks, and make you a burnt MOUNTAIN’” (Jeremiah 51:24–25).

Yes, God will judge rebellious nations, symbolized here as mountains. What mountain or kingdom will rule the whole earth? As so many prophecies explain, that Kingdom will be the Kingdom of God ruled by the King of kings, the Savior, Jesus Christ! Bible students are familiar with the prophecy in Isaiah 2.

Isaiah 2:2,

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2–4).

A mountain in Bible prophecy can symbolize a Kingdom, empire, or nation. Here we see the good news of God’s Kingdom, which will establish world peace! We’ve explored an example of prophetic symbolism: a mountain can be symbolic of a kingdom or a government. So, Key Number Two to Understanding Bible Prophecy is The Bible Interprets Its Own Symbols.

The THIRD key to understanding biblical prophecy is the proof of fulfilled prophecy.

Fulfilled Prophecy Throughout the AgesWhere and When?

Dozens of Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament in the person of Jesus Christ. Another example of fulfilled prophecy, and there are many, is the dream God gave ancient king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Turn to the Book of Daniel, chapter two. Here the prophet Daniel tells the king his dream.

Nebuchadnezzar’s famous image reveals four world-ruling empires. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him. Daniel was called before the king, and proceeded to describe the great image in the king’s dream.

Daniel 2:31,

“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces” (Daniel 2:31–34).

Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that he was the head of gold represented in the image. Daniel said in verse 38, “YOU are this head of gold.” History CONFIRMS Daniel’s prophecy of the subsequent empires symbolized by the statue. What world ruling empires followed after Nebuchadnezzar?

The head of gold represented the Babylonian Empire from 625 to 539 BC. It was replaced by the Medo-Persian Empire from 558 to 330 BC, represented by the chest and arms of silver. The belly and thighs of bronze represented the Greco-Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great from 333 to 31 BC. The two legs of Iron represent the Roman Empire from 31 BC to 476 AD. And, finally, the ten toes on two feet of Iron mixed with ceramic clay represent a future revival of the Roman Empire.

The prophecies of Daniel are genuine. The predictions of these four empires did come to pass.

Key Number THREE to Understanding Bible Prophecy was: The Proof of Fulfilled Prophecy. Key Number FOUR to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Understand Prophetic Time Gaps. Let’s look at Luke 4:16. Jesus was visiting his hometown of Nazareth and was invited to read from the scriptures on the Sabbath. He was given the scroll of Isaiah.

Luke 4:16,

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah [Luke 4:17]. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’ [Now notice this] Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:16–21).

Yes, the Messiah had come to preach the gospel to the poor, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. Jesus told them that this very prophecy of Isaiah was now being fulfilled through Him. But was that ALL of the prophecy? Turn back to the prophecy Jesus read. Notice the two mission statements here, in Isaiah 61:2: “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God.” Jesus closed the book He was reading, right in the middle of a verse. He omitted the second part of the verse referring to the day of vengeance. Why? Because the remainder of Isaiah’s prophecy applies to Jesus’ SECOND COMING—when the Day of the Lord, the day of God’s vengeance and wrath, takes place. There is a TIME GAP of about 2,000 years between the fulfillment of the first part of the verse and the second part of the verse.

Key Number FOUR to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Understand Prophetic Time Gaps. Key Number FIVE to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Recognize Prophetic Duality.

Turn in your Bible to 1 Corinthians 15:45, for example. “And so it is written, ‘The FIRST man Adam became a living being.’ The LAST Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Who was the last Adam? Verse 47 gives us the answer, “The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.” Yes, the second Adam was Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24 is also an example of duality. Some of the terrible conditions Jesus described DID take place when Jerusalem was destroyed. But that was just a type or forerunner of the final climactic fulfillment. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:21,

“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” (Matthew 24:21–22).

Yes, prophecy is dual—and we ought to learn the lessons of history. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in 70 AD was just a type of the Great Tribulation that lies just ahead. Key Number FIVE to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Recognize Prophetic Duality.

God’s Prophetic Purpose and the Role of Nations

The simple knowledge of the origin of nations in the Bible gives us a clearer understanding of Bible prophecy. We call the next key, the MASTER Key to understanding prophecy. Key Number SIX to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Know the Biblical Origins of Nations.

My friends, CAN YOU find the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the other English-speaking nations in Bible prophecy? If you can, you will understand major parts of VITAL prophecies that very few today can even begin to comprehend. The Bible mentions by name such nations as Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia. And it may surprise you that Assyria will eventually be one of the prominent nations in tomorrow’s world along with Egypt and Israel. You can read about that in Isaiah 19:23. Also read the 10th and 11th chapters of Isaiah. But who is modern Assyria? In our Tomorrow’s World magazine, we previously published a full article on this subject entitled, “A Fourth Reich?” Here is what Dr. Douglas Winnail wrote in the article: “While most historians are reluctant, or fail, to make any connection between the disappearance of the Assyrians and the appearance of the Germanic tribes, the fact remains that no other nation’s history and national character resembles Germany more than does that of Assyria.”

Key Number SIX to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Know the Biblical Origins of Nations. So, can you find THE UNITED STATES in end-time prophecy? It’s there if you know where to look. To learn more about the identity of the United States and Britain in your Bible, please view our inspiring program, “Jeremiah’s Message for the British and American Peoples.” Just type that title in the search bar on [the] Tomorrow’s World website to view the program. Key Number SIX to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Know the Biblical Origins of Nations.

Key Number SEVEN to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Understand the Purposes for Bible Prophecy. My friends, Bible prophecy can sustain hope and inspire confidence. But it ALSO warns people and nations to REPENT. John the Baptist was baptizing massive crowds of people who were moved by his preaching. The Gospel writer Matthew describes what happened.

Matthew 3:1,

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1–2).

Later, Jesus Christ preached the same message. You can read that in Mark 1:14–15. And what was the response to John’s preaching? Verse 5,

“Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5–6).

In the book of Revelation, Christ promises protection for those who repent and are faithful. In the letter to the Church at Philadelphia, the Apostle John records this message.

In the book of Revelation 3:10,

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The hour of trial is that unique period of time in all history, called the Great Tribulation and leading into the Day of the Lord. God will protect His faithful people in the trying years ahead. In Verse 11, Christ gives us this instruction: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). Bible prophecy warns people to repent and avoid the great punishments to come!

Another purpose of prophecy is to give opportunity to those in future captivity to repent and come under God’s deliverance as God promises in Deuteronomy 4:27–31. My friends, are you preparing for the Second Coming of Christ? Understanding Bible prophecy and facing reality, will help you prepare! On the day of Pentecost, in 31 AD, the Apostle Peter exhorted the thousands in his audience to repent and be baptized. You can read that in Acts 2:38. Peter motivated the crowd to change their lives. He said in Acts 2:40, “‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:40–41). My friends, if you have studied biblical baptism, and if you have come to the place in your life where you have repented and have accepted Christ’s sacrifice and His authority over your life, we invite you to counsel with one of our ministers. We have representatives in many regions around the world.

Key Number SEVEN to Understanding Bible Prophecy is: Understand the Purposes for Bible Prophecy. Bible prophecy also demonstrates the awesome sovereignty of God as it tells us in Isaiah 46:9–10.

The Prophesied Savior of the World

I hope you saw our recent program titled “Are You Saved or Lost?” Be sure to view it on our website if you missed it. Bible prophecy reveals the awesome future of your salvation. The framework of prophecy, as we discussed today, reveals the coming judgments on the nations during the Day of the Lord and the ultimate glory of the coming kingdom.

At the beginning of the program, I asked the question[s]: Is the end of the world coming soon? Will Russia’s aggression in Ukraine lead to World War III? Will China’s powerful increase in military strength set the stage for Armageddon? The framework for Bible prophecy answers those questions. But what will save the planet and all humanity from total extinction and annihilation? The greatest event in all human history is coming soon. The return of the Savior, Jesus Christ, will save planet earth and establish world peace.

You may know the awesome prophecy of Isaiah 9:6,

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6–7).

I hope you are praying as Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:10, “Your Kingdom come.” We all look forward to the good news announcement at the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’”

May God bless you as you prepare for the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God on earth.

Thank you for watching!

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

The Prophetic Future of Our World

Where is the ongoing war in the Middle East headed? Can Israel survive when it seems the whole world is lined up against it, and many chant “from the river to the sea”—meaning there can be no Israeli state—drive all the Jews out, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

In what way will events in the Middle East affect you and your family? Can you know? And what about Europe, where there is still a very real war being waged by Western nations against Russia and its allies: China, North Korea, and Iran? Is it possible to know the future, and if so, how? And what should we watch for in 2024?

At the beginning of each year, we here at Tomorrow’s World give you trends to watch in the coming year and beyond. Our predictions come from an ancient source that has proven to be accurate and reliable, and that source is the Bible, where God makes this bold statement to the skeptic in Isaiah 46:9–10:

I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

That is a bold statement. Is it true? On today’s program you may be shocked at how precise and accurate Bible prophecy is regarding what you are seeing right now in the Middle East. And the Bible shows that events in that part of the world will affect the rest of the world.

Four Prophetic Trends

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World. On today’s program I’ll be giving you five trends to watch in 2024 and beyond—especially in the Middle East. Thousands of years ago, the Bible foretold what you see in living color in today’s news.

None of us here at Tomorrow’s World are prophets, but we can read what the biblical prophets, under inspiration from God, foretold. How can we be so certain about the Bible as a reliable source for future events?

Answer: no human could so accurately tell what would happen thousands of years in advance. Do you doubt that? Well tell me this: What will happen 2,000 years from now, in the year 4024? Pick any nation, any city, any people and make your prediction. And what about 3,700 years from now? Where will the Jews be then? Will they have a country they call their own? What about Germany or the United States? What about cities such as New York, London, Berlin, or Jerusalem? Give it your best shot and see if you can match God for precision and accuracy—not that you will be alive in the flesh to know what happens, but I think you get the point. Making predictions that far into the future is impossible apart from God.

Based on Bible prophecy, let’s review what I said last January, as we looked ahead to 2023.

Trend #1: The crisis in Europe will continue until a strongman arises to bring ten kings together.

And just as there were two legs and feet in Nebuchadnezzar’s image, so there will be two legs in this combine of nations. So,

Trend #2: Watch for a geopolitical realignment in the next few years between eastern and western Europe.

The invasion of Ukraine moved countries such as Germany to begin rearming—something we’ve predicted for decades. Several U.S. presidents put pressure on Germany to do more militarily—but to no avail. The invasion did it in a matter of hours. These two predictions WILL come to pass. A strongman WILL rise up in the very near future, and bring together ten nations or leaders in Europe, and this implies a geopolitical realignment. Therefore, watch Europe as there will likely be surprises along the way.

After giving those two trends to watch in Europe, I then shifted to the Middle East and to what to expect where you may live.

Even though we cannot know the exact timing, the stage for these biblical prophecies is being set. But also, let’s not forget what is happening in the Middle East. Jerusalem is at the center of many Bible prophecies. So,

Trend #3: Expect greater tension in the Middle East between Israel and her neighbors.

But what about where most of you live who are watching this telecast? Expect:

Trend #4: More chaos, confusion, division, and disasters (manmade and natural) for America and the British-descended peoples.

Yes, when you think it can’t get any worse, 2023 may once again prove that notion wrong. The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, and other British descended peoples are on a downward spiral, and unless we turn back to God—and we see no evidence of that—no elected leader will save us. We will have ups and downs, but the trend will continue down.

The last four years saw optimism for peace in the Middle East. The Abraham Accords brought normalization of relations between Israel and several of its neighbors. And both Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were optimistic about normalizing relations between their two countries—possibly as soon as a few days or a few weeks. And U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declared:

And the middle east region is quieter today than it has been in two decades (“National Security Advisor Sullivan Said Mideast Is ‘Quieter’ Than Any Time Since 9/11 -- Eight Days Before Massive Hamas Attack,” RealClearPolitics.com, October 8, 2023).

He did say that could change, and it did only eight days later with the barbaric attacks by Hamas.

Jacob’s Prophecy About the End Times

More than 3,700 years ago, the grandson of Abraham brought his twelve sons to him and said,

Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days….

“In the last days” is specific, but it is doubtful that Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had any idea how far into the future that would be. Apart from a revelation from God, no human being could possibly know what to expect of his progeny so far into the future. Now here is the prophecy for his son Judah, meaning the Jews.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; 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? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Genesis 49:8–10).

Note that the promised lawgiver—that is, the Messiah—would come from the Jews, and he did 1,700 years later. Many recognize this, but what about the part that describes the “time of the end” when the Jews would be as a lion that is best not roused? Is that not the history of the last 75 years and what we see even now? Dear friends, there are even more specific prophecies were given 2,500 years ago by the prophet Zechariah. Notice what God foretold through him in chapter 12 and verses 2–3:

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).

Consider how specific and remarkable this passage is. Note these five points:

1. The Jews will be in Jerusalem

That was far from a given—it has not always been that way. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD and expelled Jews from the Holy Land in 135 AD. For more than 1,800 years there was no Jewish state—not anywhere on earth. As Richard Ames explains in The Middle East in Prophecy:

… Jerusalem was in the hands of Byzantine rulers when it fell to a Muslim army led by Caliph Umar in 638. This crusade brought Jerusalem under Western control in the “Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem,” which held the city from 1099 to 1187, when Saladin reconquered Jerusalem for Islam. Later crusades brought Jerusalem briefly under Western control from 1229 to 1239, and from 1243 to 1244, when it was sacked by the Tatars. In 1247, the city fell to the Egyptian Mamluks, under whose control it remained until 1517, when Ottoman sultan Selim I conquered the city (The Middle East in Prophecy, p. 3).

In 1917, the British took control, and through a series of events, the Holy Land was partitioned, giving the Jews a portion of it. They declared their independence to form a Jewish homeland in 1948. Arab neighbors immediately attacked and tried to drive the Jews out, but the lion rose up and prevailed.

So while we may take it for granted that there is a Jewish state on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, it was not always so, not from 135 AD until 1948. But what else do we learn from Zechariah?

2. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples (Zechariah 12:3).

Now, is that true, my friends? When this was written, Christianity was more than 500 years in the future, and Islam nearly 600 years after Christianity. Yet today, Jerusalem is at the heart of three religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All lay claim to Jerusalem. It truly is a troublesome stone—the great sticking point in all peace talks.

3. … all who would heave it away [the heavy stone of Jerusalem] will surely be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:3).

Remember Jacob’s prediction that in the last days Judah would be like a resting lion that is best not aroused? In 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nassar threatened Israel by moving troops to Israel’s border. Jordan and Syria would join the fight, but the Jews struck pre-emptively and defeated their enemies on all sides in a mere six days. In 1973 Israel’s neighbors attacked on the most sacred Jewish Holy Day—Yom Kippur—when the Jews were weak from fasting. But once again, they cut their enemies in pieces.

Predictions About Jerusalem, Judah, and Israel Coming True

What’s ahead in the Middle East as we enter 2024? What does the Bible have to say about it? As we are seeing, quite a bit. So far, we’ve seen three lessons from Zechariah 12.

1. The Jews will be in Jerusalem.
2. Jerusalem would be a very heavy stone in the world (Zechariah 12:3).
3. … all who would heave it away [the heavy stone of Jerusalem] will surely be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:3).

Now let’s look at another point from Zechariah 12:

4. … though all nations of the earth are gathered against it [that is, Israel](Zechariah 12:3).

Are all nations gathered against the Jews? There are more United Nations resolutions condemning Israel than all other countries combined. And consider the massive demonstrations taking place all over the world against the Jews—in Russia, in China, in Germany, in France, in the United States, in Australia, in Britain.

The father of the Jews prophesied 3,700 years ago that they would be a powerful military force. They would be like a lion that is best not aroused. This is also confirmed in Zechariah 12:6:

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).

This has hardly been the Jewish history until the last 75 years! So, we next read number five,

5. The Jews ability to wield great military might

Dear friends, these are remarkable prophesies, but there is more. Despite their military prowess, there is coming a time in the near future when Jerusalem will be overrun by the Jews’ enemies. What happened October 7, 2023 will happen in Jerusalem. Zechariah 14 gives the details.

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city (Zechariah 14:1–2).

Note that Jerusalem today is a divided city, just as the prophet indicated when he said “Half the city shall go into captivity.” Again, Zechariah speaks of the world lining up against the Jews. Revelation 11:2 tells us that Jerusalem would be overrun by the Gentiles for a period of 3½ years leading up to the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months (Revelation 11:2).

The time setting of Zechariah 14 is yet future. It’s that 3½ year period of the Great Tribulation and the one-year day of the LORD when God’s wrath on rebellious mankind leads to Christ’s second coming. This is stated explicitly in verse 4:

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south (Zechariah 14:4).

And if that is not clear enough, here is what it tells us in verse 9:

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—“The LORD is one,” and His name one (Zechariah 14:9).

Five Continuing Prophetic Trends for 2024

So where are we in the scope of end-time Bible prophecy? Those who have eyes to see recognize that we are on the edge of a worldwide war of catastrophic proportions, just as the Bible shows elsewhere. But the end is not yet.

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34–36).

So here are trends to watch in 2024 and the immediate years ahead.

#1: Watch for increasing demand for international intervention and control over Jerusalem

World leaders are already wondering what to do in the aftermath of this current war. Who will administer Gaza, the West Bank, and yes, Jerusalem itself? Mr. Richard Ames writes in The Middle East in Prophecy,

As violence escalates in the region around Jerusalem, watch for more world leaders to join in demanding international control of this ancient city held dear by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

#2: Watch for the forming of what the Bible calls “the king of the South” arising in the Middle East and northeastern Africa.

The eleventh chapter of Daniel gives a detailed history of intrigue and war between a king of the north and a king of the south. This interplay between the two covers a period of 2,500 years, all the way to the time of Christ’s return. Verses 40–45 tell us how it will end.

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Daniel 11:40–45).

Psalm 83 speaks of a coalition of nations who conspire together against Israel. Is this not the attitude that we see right now?

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You (Psalm 83:4–5).

This coming confederacy will include Assyria—modern day Germany— and the European Beast power. This will be the king of the North, and this is why we say:

#3: Watch Europe—especially Germany

Expect to see the formation of a German led group of ten leaders or nations that the Bible refers to as the Beast.

#4: Watch for animal sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

This does not require a temple. The Jews began sacrificing after returning from Babylonian captivity prior to building the Second Temple. And finally,

#5: Watch for a charismatic miracle-working religious leader to rise up in Europe.

We cannot know exactly when these events will happen, but according to Bible prophecy, they will. As we have seen on today’s program, the Bible is very accurate and specific, and many prophecies are coming to pass right before our eyes.

I hope you profited from this video.

If you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free study guide “The Middle East in Prophecy” by clicking the link in the description or go to TWTV.ORG/East.

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