Prophecy Is Speeding Forward

It is finally happening! The panorama of end-time events leading to the Second Coming of Christ is becoming visible to those with eyes to see!

For many years, I have had the opportunity to help preach and write the "Ezekiel warning" message to much of the English-speaking world. With the specific understanding of our nations' identity, as revealed in Bible prophecy, my colleagues and I have tried to warn the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic peoples of the impending Great Tribulation. We have explained repeatedly via radio, television and the written word that the "pride and power" of the British-descended and American peoples would be absolutely broken—and that later they would be the focal point of the Great Tribulation prophesied in Matthew 24:21–22 and elsewhere. Over and over, we have explained that a powerful union of nations in Europe would arise and turn against America and Britain and eventually take us into the greatest national captivity in human history!

My friends, the pieces of the puzzle are now beginning to come together! The major nations of Europe are coming together. The British will indeed be the "odd man out." They will not be part of the eventual European Empire. Take note! This is a specific prediction I am making based on my knowledge of biblical prophecy.

The Roman Catholic-dominated nations of central Europe are beginning to assert themselves as never before since World War II. Slowly but surely, they are turning against the United States and Britain. The former respect and even love between the U.S. and its allies is being greatly diminished, thanks to recent events and foreign policy decisions.

New York Times correspondent Patrick Tyler reported on this phenomenon: "The declaration issued Wednesday by Germany, Russia and France against war in Iraq—with its implicit threat of veto—may go down as the loudest 'No!' shouted across the Atlantic in a half century or more…. But the fact that Europe's largest powers felt compelled to present President Bush with an eleventh-hour challenge deepened fissures that have opened in the last year with major allies…. Beyond the immediate issue of war, the declaration was a broad affront to Washington. It admonished the Bush administration that the international system is 'at a turning point' on establishing the rules of the road after the Cold War, and the Franco-German bloc is too large a force—if not in military power—in economic and cultural terms, to ignore" (quoted in The Charlotte Observer, March 6, 2003).

Yes, a revived European Empire is certainly in the making! It will soon be in a position to challenge the U.S. for the leadership of much of the world. This revived European Empire is prophesied to be a revival of the "Holy Roman Empire." And between the situation in Iraq, disagreements over trade policies, conflict over the International Criminal Court and other basic issues, a deepening chasm is developing between America and its erstwhile allies.

A Chasm Developing Between America and Europe

Writing in the influential journal Prospect, Robert Kagan states: "It is time to stop pretending that Europeans and Americans share a common view of the world, or even that they occupy the same world. On the all-important question of power—the efficacy of power, the morality of power, the desirability of power—American and European perspectives are diverging…. That is why on major strategic questions today, Americans and Europeans understand one another less and less. And this state of affairs is not transitory—the product of one U.S. election or one catastrophic event. The reasons for the transatlantic divide are deep and likely to endure. When it comes to setting national priorities, determining threats and fashioning and implementing foreign and defense policies, the U.S. and Europe have parted ways" (August 2002).

What Mr. Kagan and most journalists do not realize is that there is a very real God who controls the destinies of men and nations. When He chooses to intervene, He is the One who determines the outcome of battles (Proverbs 21:31). This great God told ancient King Nebuchadnezzar that he would be punished until he knew "that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses" (Daniel 4:25).

The Creator of mankind is now beginning to intervene and chasten the nations that He has blessed so much over the past 200 years. Regular readers of this magazine know that America and the British-descended peoples of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and, of course, Britain itself are the descendents of the ancient "House of Joseph" in the Bible. These nations have been given the "birthright" blessings promised to Jacob through his son Joseph. Remember, these were physical blessings given to Joseph—not to Judah as so many people wrongly assume. "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph's" (1 Chronicles 5:1–2). So although Judah was to bring forth the coming Ruler, the Messiah, the "birthright" blessings of great wealth and power were given to Joseph.

These "birthright" blessings were to include great national wealth, power and military dominance. Joseph's elder son, Manasseh, was to be the greatest single nation on earth. Ephraim, the younger son, was to become a great "company" or commonwealth of nations (see Genesis 48:14–20; 35:9–11). Describing what would happen to Jacob's sons in the "last days" (49:1), God says of Joseph: "The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers" (v. 26).

Modern "House of Israel" To Be Punished

In a dual prophecy, with a definite end-time application, God describes what is about to happen to the English speaking nations that have been so blessed: "Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, that tarry for no man nor wait for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver. Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off" (Micah 5:7–9).

Note that the "remnant"—the tail end generation—of the people of Israel (not Judah or the Jews) was to be the dominant world power that would "cut off" its enemies as America and Britain did in World War I and World War II. They were to be like "dew from the Lord"—a great blessing to other nations, just as dew is a great blessing to farmers. Certainly, the beneficence of America and Britain—helping to reconstruct most of Europe after World War I, and then again through the Marshall Plan after World War II—is almost unparalleled in human history. In addition, no other peoples have sent foodstuffs all over the world and sent out doctors, nurses and educators to help other nations as widely as have America and the British-descended peoples.

But God continues in this prophecy: "'And it shall be in that day (the very time when we have been so powerful),' says the Lord, 'That I will cut off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots. I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds. I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers. Your carved images I will also cut off, and your sacred pillars from your midst; you shall no more worship the work of your hands; I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; thus I will destroy your cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations that have not heard'" (vv. 10–15).

God predicts a quick and shocking turning point in world affairs! The very peoples who were—in human affairs—"the greatest," will suddenly be brought down and humiliated in war, with their cities overthrown and destroyed. Next, they will be taken into national slavery! Then, God will "execute vengeance" upon the Gentile nations of the world, whom He has used to punish the modern peoples of the House of Israel (v. 15).

Clearly, the above prophecy could never be applied correctly to the modern state of Israel! Israel has never in modern times been a great nation and "company of nations." It has never had the opportunity or the power to bless the other nations of the world as America and Britain have done for many decades. It is vital to understand—as do very few mainstream students of prophecy—that Israel and Judah were separate nations for many generations, as at present.

The first time the Bible mentions the word "Jew" occurs when Israel is at war against the Jews (see 2 Kings 16:5–6, KJV)! It is vital to realize that the term "House of Israel" often does not mean the Jews! Rather, in many major prophecies of the Bible, it refers to the "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel." It refers, in modern times, to the peoples of America, the British-descended peoples and the peace loving nations of northwestern Europe. Sadly, many so-called "students" of prophecy either do not understand or have deliberately rejected this knowledge, so they are completely "in the dark" when it comes to understanding the staggering events that are now beginning to occur in Europe, the Middle East and around the world!

America's Power Will Be "Broken"

God warned the forefathers of the American and British-descended peoples that if they kept on disobeying Him, catastrophe would result! In what is certainly a dual prophecy, applicable today just as it was back then, God said: "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power" (Leviticus 26:18–19).

Has this been happening? Look at the challenges facing the U.S. Even in "victory," the U.S. is finding itself weakened after the war with Iraq. America has stirred the enmity of the entire Muslim world, and many other nations. The tragic aftermath of this war—increasing hatred throughout the Muslim world, and potential terrorist attacks on an unprecedented scale—may quickly mute any sense of rejoicing over America's Iraq adventure!

Meanwhile, North Korea has used America's distraction over Iraq as an opportunity to push its own agenda, threaten warfare unless it receives billions of dollars in aid and food, and in many ways harass President Bush and weaken his prestige in the eyes of the world—especially in the eyes of the other Asian nations.

Also, events will continue to push the European nations away from America and NATO, and toward an eventual alliance as some kind of "super-state"—preparing the way for the ultimate "Beast" power described in Revelation 17!

Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians are capitalizing on recent events to intensify their anti-Israeli and anti-American propaganda campaign. Watch for Israel to come increasingly under pressure and for Jerusalem to be brought under some kind of international control, probably involving, in some way, the Roman Catholic Church and the European powers. Watch, too, for Arab efforts to unify in a pan-Arab or Muslim confederation, and for the prophesied "King of the South" to arise. This powerful "Mahdi" is predicted to arise "at the time of the end" (Daniel 11:40). And before he turns on the "King of the North"—the coming "Beast" power in Europe—this King of the South will no doubt cause a great deal of trouble and sorrow for America and Britain.

As American dominance in world affairs wanes, the American dollar will continue to decline. Late last May, the euro reached an all-time high against the dollar, topping $1.19—up from just $0.82 in October 2000. With a falling dollar and fizzling economic recovery—aggravated by the high cost of surging oil prices—America's economic condition may become increasingly bleak. This will also weaken the U.S. in the eyes of other nations, and certainly stir unrest at home.

These terrible economic conditions—worsened by increasing class warfare and disagreement with President Bush and his team over their conduct of international relations—may push the U.S. into various forms of internecine warfare. As during the Vietnam debacle, we are already witnessing anti-war riots and protests beginning to divide the nation in a way that it has never been divided before! Speaking of this coming time of confusion and split loyalties, God tells modern Israel: "They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, but no one goes to battle; for My wrath is on all their multitude" (Ezekiel 7:14).

Remember, Jesus Christ prophesied that, just before His coming, there will be "famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:7–8). The crushing blow of famine will increasingly take its toll. Droughts, fires and floods will more and more ravage our nations, along with massive disease epidemics. Already, new "mystery" diseases such as SARS are a matter of grave concern. The American and British-descended peoples will be humbled in a way unprecedented in modern times!

The Bible shows that conditions will generally get worse, not better! As the Australian, British, Canadian and American peoples continue their slide into godless immorality, the Creator will begin to speak to us in a way that will get our attention! He will "shake" our peoples as one shakes a rag doll. Dear reader, we do not have that many more years to go. The prophesied "Beast" of Revelation is rising up, right before our eyes!

—Roderick C. Meredith

The Coming Great Tribulation

The book of Jeremiah primarily contains end-time prophecies. For, as all scholars acknowledge, it was written between 605 and 585bc—more than 100 years after the fall of ancient Israel. Yet it predicts a future—obviously latter-day—punishment and captivity for the "House of Israel" and also for the Jews!

Notice that Jeremiah 30:4 refers to "Israel and Judah"—two separate peoples since Israel rebelled against Judah and became a separate nation (see 1 Kings 12:15–20). God describes the end-time tribulation to come on both parts of the House of Israel: "Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7). Note that this powerful prophecy—written more than 100 years after the ancient House of Israel went into captivity—foretells a yet future punishment and captivity on the modern house of Israel. This coming Great Tribulation is "the time of Jacob's trouble." This is a time, yet future, when the peoples of the modern House of Israel—the American and British-descended peoples—will be taken into slavery (v. 8) until the Second Coming of Christ. Clearly, it is the time just ahead of us, after which God says that He will "save" us from afar, "from the land of their captivity" (v. 10).

Why will God bring this punishment? God's inspired Word answers: "All your lovers [allies] have forgotten you; they do not seek you; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy; with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities because your sins have increased" (v. 14).

The fall of the British-descended peoples and the U.S. into absolute hedonism, materialism and corruption has been well documented. We have turned away from God. We have wallowed in adultery, fornication and sodomy, not to mention continual filth and sexual double entendre in our entertainment. Our society promotes lying, cheating, stealing and violence of every sort. No wonder a righteous God, who has given us such great national blessings, has now decided—in His great love and concern—to intervene and chasten us with the greatest national captivity in human history in order to bring our peoples to real repentance!

After describing our captivity, and God's deliverance of modern-day Israel, God tells us: "In the latter days you will consider it" (v. 24). We are now living in those very latter days! The Chicago Tribune printed a powerful article last year, outlining these end-time events beginning to unfold! Author Andrew Reding wrote: "While U.S. media focus on Europe's transition to the euro, Washington doesn't seem to understand the full implication of a unified continent across the Atlantic. The adoption of the euro by 12 European countries signals something far more important than anyone on this side of the Atlantic seems to realize. Europe is gradually emerging as the world's new superpower. Within a couple of decades, the European Union will equal—if not surpass—the United States as the dominant economic force on the world stage" (Jan. 6, 2002). Reding's article was titled: "EU In Position To Be World's Next Superpower." Does that tell us something?

A Modern "Babylon"

The Bible is very clear about Europe's prominence at the time of the end. In Revelation 17, God describes a "great whore" who sits on "peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues" (v. 15), and describes this whore—a great false religious system—riding the "Beast." Clearly, the Beast is the Roman Empire, which has until now had six resurrections—with a seventh resurrection just ahead! "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast." (vv. 9–12).

This final or seventh beast is headed by a human king or dictator, who is himself called the "Beast." For in Bible prophecy, the term King and kingdom are often used interchangeably. This final dictator is no doubt alive, somewhere in Europe, right now! He will arise with great subtlety and diplomacy, unlike Adolf Hitler. Ten lesser kings or leaders will "give their power" and authority to him (v. 13). The leaders of this foul religio-political system will become so totally arrogant that they will presume to fight against Christ Himself at His Second Coming! "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful" (v. 14).

God Almighty will use this "daughter" of ancient Babylon to humble and bring about corrective punishment on the modern House of Israel—God's "birthright" people. Notice this message from the inspired Word of God: "Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.... Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no longer be called the Lady of Kingdoms. I was angry with My people; I have profaned My inheritance, and given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; on the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily. And you said, 'I shall be a lady forever,' so that you did not take these things to heart, nor remember the latter end of them" (Isaiah 47:1, 5–7).

The next few verses further describe this "daughter" of ancient Babylon: "Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children'; But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: the loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitude of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments" (vv. 8–9).

Isaiah 47 identifies this daughter of Babylon as the power that puts the "yoke" of slavery upon God's people of the modern House of Israel. But she, in turn, will soon receive her punishment at the hands of the returning Jesus Christ! "And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury'" (Revelation 18:2–3). Then, notice that the next two verses virtually repeat the message of Isaiah 47:8–9: "Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning" (vv. 7–9).

The true Jesus Christ of your Bible will return soon, as King of kings, to rule the nations of this earth. "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'" (Revelation 11:15). When Christ returns, He will deliver His people—both Jews and the ten supposedly "lost" tribes of Israel—from the power that had enslaved them: "Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,' says the Lord, 'Nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid" (Jeremiah 30:10).

Then: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Hebrews 8:8–10). God speed that day!

Come OUT of Babylon!

In the perilous times ahead, as this powerful system arises in the same lands where it has before existed, all Bible-believing Christians must be willing to fully trust God to take care of them and their loved ones. For it will become increasingly difficult even for us in this Work of God to directly warn you of this system! It will be "politically incorrect." It will become more and more dangerous because, as time goes on, it will become increasingly obvious—at least to those who study and understand the Bible—who is fulfilling this prophecy.

This soon-coming religio-political union of nations will be a powerful system, not only militarily but also in merchandise and wealth of every sort. It will become so rich, God says, that when it is finally crushed by the returning Christ: "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore" (Revelation 18:11). This system will become very appealing to most people on this earth. It will become very difficult not to join this system, for persecution and harassment will come on those who do not become part of it. Yet the great God of creation cries out to us through His Word: "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins unless you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached the heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Revelation 18:4–5).

We in this Work of the living Christ do not wish to insult any of you who read these words. But we deeply know and understand that these events are absolutely coming! In Christ's name, we therefore urge you to be willing to wake up and rethink some of your religious ideas, practices and doctrines. Be willing to face the Truth. For Truth is powerful! Truth is the ultimate reality!

In Jesus' name, I urge you to face squarely the reality that the basic prophecies of the Bible, which we in this Work have preached for decades, are now coming to pass. America and Britain are being greatly weakened by offending most of the Muslim world, by expending their great national wealth trying to be the "world's policeman"—and also by turning away from the God who gave so many blessings, therefore putting ourselves under His condemnation. As a loving father rebukes and chastens every son he loves, so the great God who loves us will chasten our peoples before it is too late (see Hebrews 12:5–7).

May God help you to understand. May He help you to act on His Truth while you have a genuine opportunity. May God grant you the strength and courage to do His will, and so be protected from this Great Tribulation, which will come on our peoples within this generation!