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

Have Men Just Become Obstacles?

Not long ago, I attended the college commencement exercises for my daughter. It was an exciting day for the students who had worked so hard to finish their studies. As I watched, it was gratifying to think about the hard work and determination it took for each of those graduates just to be there. One of the top students in the class gave the valedictorian address. He was a young man, probably in his early 30s, who had distinguished himself as an outstanding student. He told his story and gave a really remarkable speech. He spoke of challenges and obstacles—some very personal—that he had overcome. It was quite touching. He was there with his wife and his young daughter, and I couldn’t help but feel admiration for this man and what he was already making of his life.

Toward the end of his talk, he spoke of the women in his life—his mother, his daughter, his wife—and how important they were to him. But then his speech went down a perplexing path. He addressed the men in the audience and said, “Really the best thing we can do for the women in our lives, is just get out of the way.”

I thought to myself, Wow, what a shocking statement! Out of all the things that we could say to a generation of young men, that’s the best we can expect? At that moment, there were thousands of men in the audience. I thought of them. I asked myself, Is this going to inspire them to dream great dreams, to be builders of society, and to strive to serve and give of themselves to their families? When the best we expect of them is just “Get out of the way”?

I walked away shaking my head. Not because I’m against men learning to honor and respect and admire the women in their lives. No, quite the contrary. Rather, I thought, what a shame for the opportunity missed to show both men and women they can help each other. See, life is made up of relationships, the most important being marriage. And a marriage partnership between a man and a woman takes teamwork and sacrifice on both sides.

What is the best a man can do? How can he be successful in marriage and in life? The answer doesn’t come from the woke agenda of our modern world that believes masculinity is toxic. Rather, the answer lies in understanding a man’s real purpose. And that purpose is revealed in the Bible.

The modern, secular, radical agenda is not giving our young men and boys the true perspective they need.

Three Keys to the Potential of Men

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.

Is the highest ideal we can expect from a man, just to “get out of the way” of women? Or were men and women designed to work TOGETHER to succeed? If you’ve been watching this program for any length of time, you know we hold the Bible to be the source of wisdom for life. It was inspired by God, and it gives us advice about how to make our relationships work.

God made men to be men. He made women to be women. He put us in marriages and in families. And not surprisingly, He has instructions for men on what we can do to make our relationships work. So, what’s the best a man can do to achieve his God-given potential? We’ll identify three things in today’s program.

#1: Love and honor your wife

Now, that’s simple, you might say. Everyone does that. If you’re married, you love your wife—otherwise why would you get married? But stop and think for a moment. Maybe we DON’T fully understand what it means to love and honor your wife, since so many marriages end in divorce.

Look at the statistics. In the United States, if you were married in the 1950s, 25 years later you have about a 25% chance of being divorced. If you were married in the 1970s, 25 years later you have almost a 50% chance of being divorced. That’s an American tragedy (“Marriages and Divorces,” OurWorldInData.org, 2020).

But it’s not just in the United States where so many marriages are failing. In England and Wales, a similar trend is occurring. In England and Wales, if you take all the marriages entered into in the year 2000, 17 years later, almost 35% of them had failed. This is not just an American problem, nor is it just in the British Isles.

A Psychology Today article written in 2019 reports, “Globally, in the nearly four decades between 1970 and 2008, the divorce rate has more than doubled…” (“Divorce Rates Around the World: A Love Story,” PsychologyToday.com, February 3, 2019).

The title of the article was “Divorce Rates Around the World: A Love Story.” I wouldn’t call that a love story. I’d call that a painful and heartrending disaster.

So, what is wrong with marriage today? Maybe we don’t know what “love your wife” really means. Now, of course, we can’t lay all the blame for divorces on men—both men and women have a part to play. But in the context of our topic today, shouldn’t we be looking at what men contribute to their side of the marriage, so they can be better at truly loving their wives?

Many have overlooked the fact that the Bible gives practical and direct advice to men about love and marriage, so notice what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5:28:

“So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it…” (Ephesians 5:28–29).

So, think about this, men. Do you take care of yourself? Do you look after your health, your well-being, your needs? Of course you do. We all do. Paul is saying, if you’re married, treat your wife like you would treat yourself. Talk with her. Be aware of her needs. Be patient and thoughtful even when she’s down or upset. That’s what love is. It’s not just a passing feeling or romantic notion. It’s a commitment to care for another human being as you’d care for yourself in good times or bad.

Now, think about it. Would men AND WOMEN be happier if real LOVE was emphasized in our culture? I think the answer is obvious. The Apostle Peter echoed the same instruction to men in 1 Peter 3:7:

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

The Bible tells men to honor women. Not to demean them. Not to put them down. Not to insult them or abuse them. But to honor them.

Now, some will take issue with Paul for saying women are the weaker vessel. But it’s really not hard to understand. In fact, in the article, “What Science Tells Us About Transgender Women Athletes,” the authors put it succinctly: “Men are, on average, bigger, faster, stronger and have greater endurance than women…” (Quoted from “Experts Cite Data and Research For Why Transgender Participation Should Be Outlawed in Female Sports,” Swimming World Magazine, May 12, 2022).

There are exceptions of course. But by and large, this is true. So why did God create men to be bigger and stronger? To dominate women? To crush them physically or emotionally? No. Rather, it was God’s intention that a man learns to care for, nourish, and protect the woman he’s committed himself to.

There was a time in naval history when the unwritten rule was, if a ship went down, the women and children would get the lifeboats first. This code of conduct was popularized in 1852 at the sinking and evacuation of the Royal Navy ship HMS Birkenhead. It was thereafter called the “Birkenhead drill” because of the ship captain’s insistence that the men give up their lives for the protection of the women and children that were on that ship. The same standard was applied at the sinking of the Titanic. Many men gave up their spot on lifeboats to their wives and children. And they themselves died in the icy waters of the north Atlantic. One has to wonder, have we come to the point in our history where men today would feel no sense of responsibility to protect women in an emergency such as that? Is that who we are?

Men were designed to stand up for and cherish and protect their wives to their last breath.

A Godly Standard for Male Behavior

Husbands and wives are to work as a team, not as competitors. And men need to be inspired and challenged to care for and care about their wives. Loving and honoring wives is vital. But that’s not all there is. In this segment we’ll examine a second challenge for men to be their best.

About 3,000 years ago there lived a very wise king. In fact, his reputation spread far and wide. We have many of his teachings preserved in the Bible. His name was Solomon. And from Solomon we get our second challenge to men:

#2: Fear God and keep His commandments

What does this have to do with a man’s relationship with his wife? Let me explain. This phrase is actually taken straight out of the Bible. Let’s read it together. It’s found in Ecclesiastes 12:13:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

When Solomon summed up the purpose of life, the meaning of life, and why we’re here. This is what he said. Fear God. Keep His Commandments. This is man’s all. Now, we understand “man” here to be “mankind,” or “humanity.” But let’s step back and apply this scripture to the half of humanity that are called men. What if every last man on this earth would be doing this today? How would it change the world? How would it change the world for women?

Well, first of all, if all men feared God, there would be no crime. There would be no domestic abuse. There would be no fear for women walking down a dark, abandoned alley late at night.

Now, what does “fear God” mean? God doesn’t want us to be frightened or terrified of Him. It just means He wants our attention, our focus, and our obedience. He wants us to deeply respect Him and hold Him in awe. Why is that? Because He’s in Heaven and we’re on earth. He made us, He controls everything around us. And He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need to do that will really make us happy in the long run.

What about the commandments? They simply are the Ten Commandments, as found in the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament. You know, the Ten Commandments often get a bad rap today. They’re seen as harsh, demanding dictates from an unloving and uncaring God. But have you ever actually looked at them to see what they say? Many of them actually teach us how to love our neighbor. Let’s look at the command against adultery. This is found in Exodus 20:14:

“You shall not commit adultery.”

What’s adultery? That’s an old word that means having sexual relations with someone who is not your wife. Now, how out of fashion is that? And yet, imagine all of the broken marriages torn apart because of infidelity. Certainly, infidelity can be the cause of actions of either the husband or the wife. But let’s focus on the men right now. What if men, from little on, were taught to be faithful to their wives, till death? That sex is a precious gift that only belongs in a lifelong, committed marriage relationship.

Do we see how keeping this and other of the Ten Commandments would make the world a safer and more secure world for women? Women don’t need men to get out of the way. Women need men to fear God and keep His commandments. That would make a radical and monumental change for the better.

But we can take this one step further. Because Jesus explained in Matthew 5:27 that there is physical adultery, and then there is adultery of the heart;

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28).

Pornography is a curse in our Western nations. It’s not just a curse for men—women get hooked, too. In fact, according to a 2016 working paper by researchers for the University of Oklahoma,

“Men who started watching pornography partway through a 2-year period doubled their chances of divorce. For women, that number tripled” (“Divorce rates double when people start watching porn,” Science.org, August 26, 2016).

At a 2002 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, attorneys gathered were surveyed about the effects of porn on divorce. What were the results of the survey?

“‘An obsessive interest in Internet pornography’ was a significant factor in 56 percent of their divorce cases the prior year” (Opinion: “National Review: Getting Serious On Pornography,” NPR.org, March 31, 2010).

So, stop and think this through. What if men were taught, from a young age, that it’s not only wrong to commit fornication and adultery, but it’s wrong to even harbor lustful thoughts toward a woman? What if our culture would support parents’ efforts to protect their children from inappropriate images in the media, in movies, and on the Internet? What a different world this would be.

If you are a man and watching this now, think about your life. Think about your relationships. If you have a porn problem, get help. Get past it. Overcome it. Porn is sin. And sin destroys trust. Sin tears apart marriages. Yes, God can forgive, and He WILL forgive, if we repent. But we first must admit we’ve sinned and must have a DEEP desire to overcome it with God’s help.

Jesus Christ—The Ultimate Male Role Model

A few years ago, a well-known men’s skin-care products company set off a firestorm by a commercial they ran. The commercial not-so-subtly suggested that we should accept the progressive media view that men in general are toxic bullies and need to improve. The slogan of the commercial was, “The Best Men Can Be.”

We’ve already seen that God intended for men to care for their wives, to cherish them and protect them. So, yes, men should not be bullies. But the commercial didn’t tell the whole story. It didn’t finish the narrative of what men should attain to.

How can a man be “the best that he can be?” Let’s talk about that now.

#3: Become like Jesus Christ

Almost 2,000 years ago, there was a man who walked this earth, whose name was Jesus Christ. Many in our secular, humanistic culture of today don’t want to hear about Him, but He was the ultimate man. He was the standard. In fact, He was God in the flesh. He had been at the throne of the Father for all eternity past, and He emptied Himself of His divine privileges.* We read of that in Philippians 2:6. Referring to Jesus Christ, Paul writes,

“… who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8, English Standard Version).

He had been at the throne of God, with the Father. He gave that up for us. To become flesh and blood. To walk with us. He humbled Himself.

But He wasn’t a weakling. There is a common misconception of Jesus Christ as being a sort of effeminate individual who was soft and weak. Perhaps it’s because many pictures portray Him that way. But think about it. He was a carpenter. He was a builder. And back then there were no power tools. His hands were strong and used to work.

Again, it doesn’t mean He was weak because He cared for the interests of others. In fact, here’s an example of the type of man He was, in Matthew 21:12,

“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves” (Matthew 21:12).

Jesus Christ wasn’t a bully. But He also wasn’t afraid of taking strong action when it was required. The Temple was the house of God, and when He found crooks there taking advantage of and cheating the people, He stopped them, and threw them out. Notice what Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, in Ephesians 4:13,

“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

If you’re a man who cares about your family and your wife, commit to becoming like Christ. If you want to make a difference in your world and build something worthwhile, become like Christ. If you want to set a strong and solid example for others to follow, become like Christ.

He’s the standard. He is the measure. He set the pace. And that’s what this world needs more of. And that’s what women need. Men like Christ.

I think one of the most touching and powerful passages in the Bible is at the end of Christ’s life, when He’s hanging on the stake, and He speaks to John, the disciple He was closest to. Let’s read it together:

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:25–27).

Jesus loved the whole world. Every human being. That’s why He gave His life. That’s why He allowed men to kill Him. So you and I could have a way out of sin. But even as He was hanging there, in his last moments, He did not forget the woman who had bore Him and raised Him. He ensured His mother would be cared for, just before He died—the last act of a dynamic, powerful, caring man.

Don’t give in to the cynical view of today, the idea that the Bible puts down women and tells men to do so. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible holds men accountable for treating women well, and challenges them to do so, with God’s help.

God Made Men to Be Strong Leaders—For the Good of All

If you are a man, think about your life. Think about how you treat others. Think about how you interact with women, especially your wife. Are you living up to the standard of Jesus Christ? If you have young boys, it’s your responsibility to teach them how to be a real man. Not just a macho reflection of a movie hero, but a real man. Like Jesus Christ. To honor and respect women. Not just to “get out of their way.”

What if you’re a woman? What about the men in your life? If you have a husband, respect him. Value him. Appreciate what he does for you. Tell him you are thankful for how he sacrifices for you. And raise your boys to be valiant and faithful men themselves who respect women and value their own masculinity.

We are living in difficult times. But God is looking for men—and women—who can rise to the challenge.

In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we read this:

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Men, it’s not enough just to get out of the way. For the sake of the women in our lives, we must become what God wants us to be.

If you found this video helpful and want to learn more, be sure to order your free copy of our study guide, God’s Plan for Happy Marriage. Just click the link in the description to order, it’s that easy. And remember to like and subscribe to our channel so you can watch more videos on biblical topics.

Thanks for watching. See you next time!

* Editor’s Note: The telecast originally said “emptied Himself of His divinity,” which was a mistake on our part. Rather, Jesus emptied Himself of His divine power and prerogatives when He became flesh, as we have long taught and published and as explained here. We apologize for the error.

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

You Can Understand Bible Prophecy

Many professing Christians consider Bible prophecy a curious subject and in no way associated with the gospel of salvation. But is that true? When you read in your Bible the very words of Jesus Christ, you find a totally different approach to salvation and a more glorious future and eternity than traditional preachers tell you. What gospel or “good news” did Jesus preach? Mark 1:14,

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14–15).

My friends, the coming Kingdom of God that Jesus preached is yet future. It is the foundation of Bible prophecy! You need to understand the plain and powerful prophecies of your Bible!

Key 1: The Bible Explains Its Own Prophetic Symbols

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 been able to see 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 a 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 prophecy is: The Bible interprets its own symbols.

As we saw earlier in the program, the book of Revelation contains symbolic language. If you have your Bible, turn to the book of Revelation, or “Apocalypse.” Revelation the first chapter gives a description of the glorified Messiah, the Son of Man standing in the midst of seven lampstands. And verse 16 of the same chapter describes Him as holding seven stars. What do these stars and lampstands symbolize? You don’t need to guess! I don’t need to guess. The Bible itself tells us the meaning, Revelation 1:16,

“He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

Verse 20 gives us the answer,

“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the ANGELS of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the SEVEN CHURCHES.”

In Bible symbolism, stars are angels—and lampstands are churches. The writer of the book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse, continues in the next two chapters writing God’s message and admonition to the seven churches in Asia Minor—or modern-day Turkey. Of course, the Apostle John was writing this book near the end of the 1st century AD.

Let’s look at a couple of other biblical symbols. Prophetic literature uses the word mountain as a symbol of a kingdom, empire, or government. Turn in your Bible to Jeremiah 51:24. 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 a couple examples of symbolism: stars are symbolic of angels; a mountain can be symbolic of a kingdom or government. So key number one to understand Bible prophecy is: The Bible Interprets Its Own Symbols.

Key #2: Fulfilled Bible Prophecy

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

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” (Daniel 2:38). 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 625–539 BC.

It was replaced by the Medo-Persian Empire from 558–330 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 333–31 BC.

The legs of iron represented 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 2 was: Consider the Proof of Fulfilled Prophecy.

Key #3: Time Gaps in Bible Prophecy

Key number 3 for 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. 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 3 for understanding Bible prophecy was to Understand Prophetic Time Gaps.

Key #4: Recognize Dual Fulfillment in Bible Prophecy

Key number 4 for understanding Bible prophecy is to 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” (1 Corinthians 15:47).

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.”

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 yet ahead. Key number 4 for understanding Bible prophecy is to Recognize Prophetic Duality.

Where is the United States mentioned in the Bible? Or under what names can we locate it? Where can we find Great Britain in the Bible? Obviously, the modern names do not appear, but the ancestors of those nations ARE prominently named in the Bible.

Key #5: Recognize Who Modern Nations Are Called in Bible Prophecy

We call the next key, the “Master Key” to understanding prophecy. Key number 5 for understanding Bible prophecy is to know the biblical origin 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 tenth and eleventh 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, page 17:

“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.”

The simple knowledge of the origin of nations in the Bible gives us a clearer understanding of Bible prophecy. One final quote from the article, on page 30, quote:

“When the Bible speaks of Assyria in the end-times, it is speaking of Germany.”

Key number 5 for understanding Bible prophecy is: Know the Biblical Origin of Nations.

Key #6: Understand the Purpose of Bible Prophecy

Key number 6 for understanding Bible prophecy is: Understand the purposes for Bible prophecy.

My friends, Bible prophecy can sustain hope and inspire confidence. As we saw in Isaiah chapter two, Scripture prophesies a peaceful and prosperous world under the future Kingdom of God on earth. But Bible prophecy also warns people and nations to repent, so they can avoid punishment. 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).

We all need to listen to Bible prophecy and the warning of judgment upon those who do not repent. Matthew continues, verse 7: “But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:7–8).

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.

Key number 6 for understanding Bible prophecy is: Understand the Purposes for Bible Prophecy. Bible prophecy demonstrates the awesome sovereignty of God as it tells us in Isaiah 46:9–10.

Key #7: Learn the Order of Events in Bible Prophecy

Bible prophecy reveals the future and the good news of God’s coming Kingdom. It also warns of dangers to come so that we can take action and seek God’s protection. You need to understand what lies ahead. Key number seven to understanding Bible prophecy is: Learn God’s prophetic framework.

Some 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 three and one half years leading up to the return of Christ. The first five seals of Revelation, outlined in chapter six, cover 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. The whole world will be put on notice when this event occurs. Let’s read that 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! Revelation 6:15,

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (Revelation 6:15–17).

What follows the Heavenly Signs? The Heavenly signs introduce the one-year prophetic time period known as the Day of the Lord. The famous Day of the Lord is mentioned in some 30 prophecies in your Bible. This is the year of God’s punishment on the nations. And it culminates with the well-known announcement of Christ’s return and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. That’s the exciting good news of prophecy! 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!’”

As you can see, the Bible gives us an overall framework for prophecy. Key number 7 for understanding Bible prophecy is to Learn God’s Prophetic Framework.

Bible Prophecy Reveals God’s Plan

My friends, Bible prophecy is God’s revelation to human beings about His plan for all humanity. You can begin to truly understand biblical prophecy, if you choose to seek God wholeheartedly. The Bible clearly outlines the judgment that will be upon the Western nations if we persist in our immoral, anti-God lifestyles. But YOU can escape that judgment, if you turn to God and obey Him.

Thank you for watching!

My friends, you can understand much more about end-time prophecy when you understand who the modern descendants of ancient biblical nations are. So click the link in the description to order a free copy of our booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. It will give you the master key to identify major nations in Bible prophecy.

And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video.

See you next time!

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

Introduction: A God-Fearing Society No More?

Western culture is changing radically and rapidly. Collective belief in the God of the Bible is clearly waning, as shown in numerous surveys.

Don Feder, in a March 29, 2022 Washington Times opinion piece, wrote:

The study by the prestigious American Enterprise Institute—[titled] “Generation Z and the future of faith in America” (released on March 24)—shows a steady erosion of religious affiliation and the corresponding rise of atheism and agnosticism (“The fatal fall of religion in America will affect everything,” The Washington Times, March 29, 2022).

Some may question whether this trend is harmful to our modern nations, but Feder warned:

[This] just-published survey of the decline of religion in America should set off alarm bells in our heads. The growth of secularism is one more cause for anxiety about the future of our republic.

What happens when nations forget God? There have always been what we call “natural disasters,” but it seems that in the last few years we have experienced more than normal. The western United States has been in what is called “exceptional drought” for several years. The town of Lytton, British Columbia in Canada saw an unbelievably high temperature of 49.6 Celsius—that’s 121.3 degrees Fahrenheit—in June 2021, and that’s in Canada. And Australia has suffered through alternating droughts and floods for several years. Is this all a matter of coincidence? Or is there more to it? Is God perhaps trying to get our attention?

Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters? brings clarity to this question, and it can be yours free of charge.

The decline of Christianity in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere should, as Feder warned, set off alarm bells and I’ll show you why, so stay with me.

The Rise of the Irreligious—and the Fall of Everything Else

A warm welcome to all of you from Tomorrow’s World, where today I’m discussing what happens when nations forget God. That our Western nations have become less religious, and more secular is without doubt. As Don Feder pointed out in the Washington Times:

Generation Z (those born between 1997 to 2012) is the least religious in our history….

And it’s not only the United States. The United Kingdom has been on a long slide away from God for decades. A Religious Media Center online briefing discussed the early findings of the 2021 Census:

In the UK, the panellists expected that the results of the 2021 Census, which are due to be published in the spring, would show “significant changes” (“Religion in 2022: What can we expect?” ReligionMediaCentre.org.uk, January 5, 2022).

Those significant changes include a decline in religious interest, but panelists pointed out that the decline is not even across the board. According to Bishop Mike Royal:

In many communities, he said, religion was more important than ever. Sixty per cent of people in church in London, on any given Sunday, were black. There was a “huge explosion” of black-majority black-led churches and the Nigerian-led Redeemed Christian Church of God was the fastest growing denomination in the UK.

According to this same source, the census is expected to show the following changes over the last decade.

In 2011, the census showed 59 per cent said they were Christian, 25 per cent no religion and 5 per cent Muslim.

But in 2021,

It is widely expected that the number identifying as Christian may dip below 50 per cent and the number ticking the non-religion box will rise.

Overall, whether the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Canada, or the United States, secularism is on the rise and religion, especially organized “Christian” religion, is in decline.

Some think this is a good thing, and the idea is not new.

Remember “Imagine,” the popular John Lennon song which is now over more than 50 years old? Lists vary, but according to RateYourMusic.com, “Imagine” was the number one song of the 20^th century.

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Well, we hardly have to imagine anymore as each generation seems to outdo the last when it comes to casting off belief in God, and living only for today.

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, “Imagine,” Track #1 on Imagine, Apple Records, 1971.

Again, it’s not hard to imagine, because this is becoming more the normal, except for the part about “living life in peace.”

There is more sentimental foolishness in John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine,” but I think we get the point.

While dreamers imagine no religion, the ultimate target of many is the God of the Bible—no God, no afterlife, no hope beyond the grave—just live for today and somehow that will bring peace and happiness to all.

And don’t you just love that line in the song about “imagine no possessions” coming from one whose net worth, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com, was estimated to be 200 million dollars at the time of his death in 1980. And apparently, Yoko Ono, whose net worth exceeds 700 million, co-wrote Imagine. Neither were hardly “without possessions”!

While others dream about a world without God, thinking individuals might well ask, “Is our world getting better or worse as we cast aside our Creator?” The answer is all around us. Crime is skyrocketing in major cities, freedoms are being infringed upon, there is a major war in continental Europe—one that some fear could once again engulf the continent and the world. China and the West are increasingly at odds, Iran is working on a nuclear weapon. Governments are falling.

Economies are in shambles. Inflation, broken supply chains, empty store shelves, and electrical blackouts are becoming a way of life in some parts of the world. Do you feel safer and more prosperous today than you did five years ago?

We’ll look at the answer to that question in a moment, but first I want to tell you about a resource that can be yours free for the asking—Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters? Much of the western United States has suffered multiple years of exceptional drought, Europe saw record high temperatures this past summer, and parts of America and Australia have suffered record breaking floods. Is this the result of manmade climate change? Or is there something else at work?

Disastrous Consequences for Marriages and Families

Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament of the Bible, is an interesting study in self-deception. When confronted about their behaviors, the people responded cynically. For example, He charged them with despising His name.

And their response?

“In what way have we despised Your name?” (Malachi 1:6).

God’s answer is direct. They were not showing Him proper honor and respect—kind of like today where people go to church services “just as they are.” Even in dress, they show less respect for God than they do in the presence of human dignitaries and celebrities.

Just as in Malachi’s day, people today worship God half-heartedly.

God also indicted them for covering His altar with tears and sorrow, but they responded,

For what reason? (Malachi 2:14).

God’s answer?

Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously…. For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce (Malachi 2:14, 16).

God commanded them to return to Him, but they responded…

In what way shall we return? (Malachi 3:7).

His answer was in a simple question and an explanation:

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation (Malachi 3:8–9).

Tragically, our Western so-called Christian nations are no different.

Rather than “man up” for forgetting our Creator, we reject His existence. Even those who profess to know Him have ready excuses why they don’t need to obey Him. As it was in Jesus’ day, so it is today.

But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and do not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46).

Let’s forget the excuses and take a hard look at our Western nations.

We can start with the indictment God gave through Malachi—treachery against one’s married partner. The state of marriage today is disgraceful.

Whether it’s the United States, Canada, the U.K., or other British descended nations, the overall picture of marriage is one of betrayal.

According to Finances Online, the three leading causes of divorce in the United States are:

Lack of commitment 75%

Infidelity/extramarital affairs 59.6%

Too much conflict or arguing 57.5%

(“106 Divorce Statistics You Can’t Ignore: 2022 Divorce Rates and Impact on Children,” FinancesOnline.com).

According to usafacts.org, the following behaviors also play into the demise of marriages.

Almost 50% of couples with one alcoholic partner end up divorcing (McDowell, 2020).

Couples who have been living together prior to marriage face a 40% increase in the likelihood of divorce (GillespieShields, 2020).

and

56% of couples cited addiction to pornography as a contributor to divorce (Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, 2020).

What is the common denominator in all these causes for failure? The violation of God’s laws. And what’s the effect?

Pain, heartache, confused and hurting children.

The American and British descended peoples have come to prominence in the last two centuries, and there is far more to this story than most realize. But here’s the point. Consider where we were 150 years ago and where we are today. Our nations have come to enjoy unparalleled prosperity.

We once were nations that professed belief in God, the God of the Bible—not that we were ever truly righteous nations, but we at least had a consciousness of God. Whatever our relationship was before with Him, it has fallen dramatically. In this light, is not the warning God gave ancient Israel appropriate for the American and the British descended people?

When you have eaten and are full…. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage (Deuteronomy 8:10–14).

Godlessness Leading to More Confusion and Immorality

America, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were once considered Christian nations; not that they ever truly followed the God of the Bible, but there was at least a token effort on the part of most, and there were, and still are, many very sincere people, even if deceived, who strive to live in harmony with God.

But our world has changed dramatically in the last several years. What a sad state of affairs when a nominee to the United States Supreme Court could not answer a simple question during her confirmation hearing. Here’s the short exchange between Senator [Marsha] Blackburn and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Blackburn asked:

Can you provide a definition for the word “woman”?

After a short back-and-forth, Jackson ultimately said: “No, I can’t.”

“You can’t?” Blackburn asked.

“Not in this context. I’m not a biologist,” Jackson said.

(“Judge Jackson declines to define ‘woman,’ says she’s ‘not a biologist,’” New York Post, March 23, 2022)

That, dear friends, is how far we have strayed from reality. Why? Many fail to realize that it is biblical values that are under attack. I must agree with the outspoken Piers Morgan who called Judge Jackson’s response, “ridiculous.” How can you have “women’s rights” when you cannot determine what is a woman? I’m personally at a loss for words to describe the insanity afflicting our nations. Women (whatever they are) must compete in sports against men (whatever they are) who think they are …well I think you get the point) and they use the same locker rooms.

Mothers take their toddlers to libraries where drag queens read stories to them. Man, woman, mother, father, husband, wife—all these terms are under attack. Universities and businesses require students and employees to refer to others by a list of preferred pronouns, the length of which is so long that only a memory expert could remember them all.

Cancel culture is reserved for any who refuse to enter a person’s delusions and fantasy world. The insensitive are sometimes required to go to the corporate gulags for sensitivity training. This is America, Canada, and Australia—countries whose citizens are increasingly rejecting the God who created them.

The degree to which biblical norms of male and female are being rejected is shocking, but this was predicted long ago. Jesus tells us in Luke 17, beginning in verse 26:

And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed (Luke 17:26–30).

The days of Noah are summed up in Genesis 6. Notice what it says in verse 5:

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5).

We read in verse 11 the result of man’s wickedness;

… and the earth was filled with violence (Genesis 6:11).

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were known for gross sexual immorality. God inspired the Apostle Paul to record for all time the consequences of man rejecting his Creator.

After explaining this rejection and the suppression of truth, he explains.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness (Romans 1:28–29).

Paul also warns [pf] those who

… approve of those who practice them [that is, these ungodly behaviors] (Romans 1:32).

These are the ones who cowardly go along with this foolishness.

Sadly, corporations and individuals are only too eager to “jump on the bandwagon,” but the consequences of forgetting our Creator will be catastrophic. Jesus warned that the world would come to the brink of universal destruction. Note it in 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.

We’ve read this passage many times on this program, but do we really get it? Do we understand what it is saying? Do we understand the consequences of our behaviors?

I’m going to take a short break to give you an opportunity to take down our contact information to order our free resource, Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?, before giving you more specifics from the Bible of what is ahead because our nations are rejecting our Creator. Some of those consequences involve weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters on a scale and frequency never known by man. All of this is recorded in the Bible for the end of the age.

The warnings have been there for anyone willing to open the Bible and read it.

Biblical Warnings for Our Time

When people no longer understand the difference between male and female, and when every intent of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil continually, disaster is on the way.

Life for those of us living today in Western nations is better physically than at any time in the history of man, but God gave this warning to ancient Israel when they would experience a similar time.

Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage (Deuteronomy 8:11–14).

He goes on to warn against thinking we have all these blessings because of our own doing.

[When] you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish (Deuteronomy 8:17–19).

God promised His people good weather, power against their enemies, the fruitful womb, and so much more if they would obey Him; but notice the flip side to this in Leviticus 26, beginning in verse 19:

I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit (Leviticus 26:19–21).

Yes, among other consequences, natural disasters such as severe, exceptional drought would be the result. And as the prophet Amos explained in how God dealt with His people at an earlier time, rainfall would not be equal, just as we see some areas today suffering massive flooding while other areas have no rain.

I also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered (Amos 4:7).

God gives us a choice, and we will live by the consequences of our choices. Sadly, only after we suffer the results of our bad choices, will we turn to God. This is spelled out in Deuteronomy 4, but notice that it is not for ancient Israel alone, but for the nations God has blessed “in the latter days”—at the end of the age. Begin with verse 26:

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed…. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice… He will not [utterly] forsake you nor destroy you… (Deuteronomy 4:26, 29–31).

If you found this video helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free copy of our study guide Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters? Just click the link in the description to order. It’s that easy.

And remember to like and subscribe to our channel so you can watch more videos on different Bible topics. We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you understand this world, through the pages of the Bible. Thanks for watching!

See you next time.

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

Prophetic Man of Mystery—Or Catastrophe?

The Book of Revelation warns us that a man is coming who will inspire the entire world to embrace a false and deceptive version of Christianity. Aided by supernatural signs and wonders, he will help usher in an era of death, destruction, and devastation the likes of which the world has never seen.

The false, deceptive system he represents is already in place—enjoyed by the deceived faithful every week. And that system is destined to grow in power and influence until it impacts the lives of every human being on the globe.

Who is this man? What does the Bible reveal about him and what should we do with that knowledge? Join us today on Tomorrow’s World as we uncover the great False Prophet of Revelation.

A False Christ With Deceptive Signs and Wonders

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible! It’s good to have you here.

Your Bible describes certain individuals who are prophesied to arrive on the world scene in the days just ahead of us and who will have a devastating impact on life as we know it, for literally every human being on the globe.

These individuals and their actions WILL impact you and your family, and me and my family—no living, breathing soul on earth will be able to avoid their power and influence. Frankly, they will wield the most destructive powers earth has ever seen unleashed by mankind, and they will be servants of Satan the Devil.

One of those individuals is called, in the book of Revelation, the “False Prophet.” This individual will deceive billions—and the religious system he supports is already in place today. On today’s edition of Tomorrow’s World, we’ll examine what the Bible has to tell us about the False Prophet of Revelation and how we might recognize both him and the false Christianity he will promote.

The name “False Prophet” first appears in the book of Revelation in chapter 16, and Revelation 19 tells us that the False Prophet will be tossed, along with the infamous Beast of Revelation, into the lake of fire at the return of Jesus Christ.

But the False Prophet is introduced to us in chapter 13 of Revelation. In the first portion of that chapter, we read of the Beast of Revelation—used to refer to both an individual and the political entity he controls, a world-ruling, end-time, Satan-inspired political entity that will possess astonishing economic and military power. On our program, we often refer to this entity as the “Beast power,” and verse 4 of Revelation 13 says, “they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’”

We will read more about this Beast today, since his role in the end times is intimately entwined with the False Prophet’s. However, Revelation 13 then speaks of a SECOND beast. We read about this separate person, symbolized by a second beast, beginning in verse 11:

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.”

THIS beast is the partner of the Beast of Revelation mentioned just before, and is called elsewhere the False Prophet! And this description given in verse 11 is crucial to understanding his nature! Notice, he LOOKS like a lamb, Jesus Christ, but SPEAKS like the dragon, Satan the Devil! If one LISTENS CAREFULLY to his teachings and doctrines, one can discern that they are the teachings not of Christ, but of the Devil.

But please note: That doesn’t mean that those teachings are OBVIOUSLY evil! Satan is the master of deception, and the old King James Version of the Bible says of Satan in Genesis 3:1, “the serpent was MORE SUBTIL than any beast of the field….”

His twists of true, biblical doctrine are subtle, hard to discern, and convincing.

In addition to describing his teachings, Revelation 13 continues:

“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast…” (vv. 12–14).

It might surprise some of our viewers that such supernatural signs and wonders could be worked by a False Prophet. Aren’t such works only possible by God’s power? The Bible says NO, that is not the case!

In fact, a miracle-working precursor to the False Prophet in the first century was Simon the Sorcerer, often called Simon Magus. He is described in the book of Acts in chapter 8:9–11:

“But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’ And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.”

Simon Magus was a sorcerer, and not a man of God at all, though the people thought he was so. His power to work signs and wonders came not from God, but from the devil.

The False Prophet will follow in Simon’s footsteps! And the wonders he will work will grab the attention of the entire world in the days just ahead of us!

The False Prophet Allied With a Frightening World Power

In fact, verse 12 of Revelation 13 says that the False Prophet “causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the FIRST beast”—that is, the Beast of Revelation. Verse 15 says that he will cause all who are unwilling to worship that Beast “to be killed,” and verses 16 through 18 talk of how the False Prophet, the second beast of Revelation 13, will cause all people to obey the first Beast, symbolically taking his mark on their right hand or forehead. This is tied, in verse 18, to the mysterious number 666.

It is the Beast of Revelation—a political entity and its leader, wielding unfathomable economic, political, and military power—that provides the muscle. But we see here that it is the False Prophet who is USING this Beast for his own purposes, as well, in an unholy union of church and state power.

We see this relationship DRAMATICALLY pictured in Revelation 17:3–6.

There, the Apostle John is told in vision by an angel that he will show the apostle the religious system controlling affairs in the end times:

“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.”

This monstrous beast corresponds to the end-time economic and military powerhouse Beast of Revelation we’ve already discussed. But riding that beast and influencing it is a GREAT HARLOT, drinking in abominations and drunk on the blood of persecuted true followers of Jesus Christ—much like the bloody Inquisitions of ages past, but far surpassing them.

In the Bible, God uses women to symbolize religious systems and prostitution to symbolize corruptions of the true faith with pagan religious practices. Ancient Israel did this with the faith God had given them, and this end-time false Christianity does this with the faith of the Bible—MIXING it with sinful, pagan practices God does not approve, endorse, or command.

This harlot pictures the deceptive religious system headed by the False Prophet, and we see it influencing the Beast and benefiting from its power.

The union of these two powers and their institutions will be a tempestuous one, yet they will NEED each other. Chapter 2 of the book of Daniel describes the kingdom of the Beast of Revelation as being like a mixture of iron and clay, noting that the peoples of this entity do not mix well together. This political entity will need the religious influence of the False Prophet to keep the people bound together.

And the False Prophet uses the Beast for his OWN purposes, as well! Several prophecies of the Bible explain how this deceptive end-time religious leader desires to suppress the true understanding of God, His commandments, and His laws, and to persecute the true Church of God. As Daniel 7:25 says of this individual,

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.”

This time, times, and half-a-time—or three-and-a-half years—represents the period of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord to come upon the earth, during which many true Christians will be martyred at the command of this false religious leader, and he will use the raw military power and political resources of the Beast to accomplish his diabolical purposes! (And notice the False Prophet’s desire to “change times and law”—we’ll come back to that later.)

Ultimately, the selfish dance of these two devil-inspired despots does not end well. Prophecy says that as their plans begin to fall apart during the events accompanying Christ’s return, the Beast will ultimately turn on the harlot who rides it and devour her, as we see in Revelation 17:16:

“And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”

In the next portion of our program, I want to explain how the religious system of this False Prophet is in place TODAY, RIGHT NOW, and already has multiple millions in its sway.

The True Spirit of Antichrist—Against the Laws of God

Many think the False Prophet will rise on the scene and create something that is completely NEW, but the Bible says otherwise. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that “the mystery of lawlessness is ALREADY AT WORK….”

“Lawlessness” is important, because we saw earlier in Daniel that the False Prophet and the faith he presents seeks to “change times and law.”

That is, the fundamentals of this counterfeit Christianity that would seek to eliminate and replace the laws of God were ALREADY PRESENT IN PAUL’S DAY, fighting against the true faith and attempting to displace it. The presence of this hijacked version of Christianity, worming its way into the congregations of true followers of Christ, is part of what motivated Jude, one of the brothers of Jesus, to write to his fellow Christians,

“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” (vv. 3–4).

It is not a coincidence that the Apostle John wrote of the coming ANTICHRIST and his religion in similar terms!

Look in 1 John 2. We see there that John also wrote in the first century to say that this lawless, false Christianity was already being put in place back in his day!

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (v. 18).

That’s right! Even in John’s day, shortly after the very foundation of the true Church, another FALSE version of Christianity was ALSO being founded! And here, we see John naming those who come in its name, including the False Prophet to come, by a word many have heard before: “antichrist”! The prefix “anti” can imply “against,” “in opposition to,” or “in place of,” and the False Prophet will be the climactic, end-time antichrist and the leader of the religion that well deserves the label “antichrist”—a religion that, from the beginning of TRUE Christianity in the first century, has been working to replace it with a lawless counterfeit!

In fact, in 1 John 4:3, the Apostle says that the counterfeit spirit of antichrist was already in the world IN HIS TIME.

And we must remember, this counterfeit WILL LOOK CHRISTIAN IN APPEARANCE! Revelation 13 says that the False Prophet APPEARS TO BE LIKE THE LAMB! The Apostle Paul spoke of those teaching such deceptive forgeries of the true faith when he warned those in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 11,

“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!” (v. 4).

And many HAVE put up with it for centuries. The writings of Paul, John, and others make it clear that this false, deceptive system that began in their day would continue throughout time into our OWN day—and that it would be, by far, the dominant version of “Christianity” at the end!

While the False Prophet of Revelation, the final head of this religious institution, will perform amazing signs and wonders before Christ’s return, these verses make plain that the religious teachings He will spread and enforce are being taught TODAY in the guise of Christianity! Those teachings will lay the foundation of ultimate deceit in the days just ahead, and without God’s protection, those who resist them will be mercilessly martyred—and they are being taught in pulpits and religious services all across the world RIGHT NOW by those claiming the name of Jesus Christ!

But how would you know the difference? How would you recognize such a servant of the spirit of antichrist, spreading the counterfeit faith that will one day support the False Prophet of Revelation?

The True Church Keeps the Commandments of God

The False Prophet of Revelation will be one of the most powerful men to have ever lived. Yet, as we saw at the beginning, his end will be to be cast by God into the Lake of Fire and be destroyed as an enemy of Jesus Christ. But before then, he will contribute to more devastation and death than the world has ever seen before.

We’ve seen that he speaks the teachings of the devil—yet that he will appear very Christ-like, and his false, Christian religion very much like what one might expect of a “good” Christian faith.

This is the Devil’s M.O., as the Apostle Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 11. Speaking of those who preach this alternate version of Jesus Christ, who looks so believable and so close to the “real thing,” Paul says,

“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 ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (vv. 13–15).

So, if these false ministers of Christianity are at work today, how can you identify them for what they are?

We’ve seen, for instance, that the religious system of this False Prophet, at work in his day and ours, is called by Paul the “mystery of lawlessness.” It’s not a religion that teaches against the laws of man—like speed limits or tax laws—but against the laws of GOD. And we’ve seen that the False Prophet’s religion represents “chang[ing] times and laws.”

Ask yourself, how many “Christian” churches teach obedience to the Ten Commandments—ALL ten, including the fourth about the seventh-day Sabbath—versus only some of the Commandments, or no need for obedience at all? And how many “Christian” churches teach the times and holy days given in the Bible, such as Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Trumpets, versus times and holidays with pagan origins and traditions hidden behind a veneer of “Christian” reinterpretation?

And recall that Revelation 17 not only describes the False Prophet’s religious system as a harlot or prostitute, corrupting true worship with heathen falsehoods, but also says in verse 5 that she is the “MOTHER OF HARLOTS”? What religious organization in the world not only claims the authority to change the laws and commandments of God, substituting its own ecclesiastical laws and ordinances, but has ALSO spawned countless DAUGHTER HARLOTS, each with their own differences, yet each still carrying with them corrupted ideas and heathen influences?

When you find this so-called “Christian” religion in the world, you have found the great harlot or one of her daughters! And you have found the counterfeit Christianity that the False Prophet will use to spread deception around the globe, persecuting those who are described in Revelation 12:17 as those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

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

The City of Peace—Captured by War?

Generals, dictators, and despots have tried to rule the world. Their capital cities were monumental and impressive. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon built one of the designated “Seven Wonders of the World,” the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The historian Herodotus wrote, “In addition to its size, Babylon surpasses in splendor any city in the known world.”

The Bible documents the King’s great pride and boasting over his accomplishments. The prophet Daniel had warned the king to humble himself.

“At the end of the twelve months he [King Nebuchadnezzar] was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?’” (Daniel 4:29–30).

God punished King Nebuchadnezzar, who finally learned his lesson:

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Daniel 4:37).

The Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler, in his plan to rule the world, envisioned a world capital to last a thousand years. Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect for the future city, planned a Grand Hall next to the Reichstag that “would have been the largest enclosed space in the world, with a dome 16 times larger than that of St Peter’s in Rome” according to HistoryToday.com (“Germania: Hitler’s Dream Capital”).

Of course, Hitler fell before the Allied armies in World War II.

Bible prophecy reveals that another great dictator, called the “Beast” in the book of Revelation, will desire to rule the world and establish his own capital. As it tells us in Revelation 13:7,

“And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

The good news is that the coming King of kings will conquer and destroy this coming Beast power (Revelation 17:14) and Jesus Christ will establish a righteous world capital city. What city will become the capital of the world? In spite of today’s conflicts, Jerusalem in Israel will soon become the glorious capital of the world.

The Greatest Capital City of All

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!

Today’s world news features the rising power of China, the aggression of Russia against Ukraine, [and] the determination of European powers, especially Germany, to increase their military forces powerfully! All these will play their part in end-time prophecies. But eventually, the Middle East will be the focus of dramatic events. You need to know the sequence of prophetic events.

Consider the great national capital cities in today’s world. While you may not agree with this list, The News International listed the ten most beautiful capital cities in the world.

In reverse order starting with number ten:

10. Moscow, Russia

9. Ottawa, Canada

8. Budapest, Hungary

7. Tokyo, Japan

6. Rome, Italy

5. Paris, France

4. Washington D.C, United States

3. Berlin, Germany

2. Islamabad, Pakistan

1. London, England.

Another impressive national capital that my wife and visited some years ago is Canberra, Australia. The city was designed in 1912 by architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin.

The capital building itself is impressive.

One of my hobbies is visiting state capitals here in the United States. I’ll share two of them with you. The Washington State capital in Olympia features glistening “marble quarried across the globe” according to one history magazine.

“Ornately decorated, the Roman-Neoclassical legislative building is topped by the fifth-highest stone masonry dome in the world. Inside dangles a five-ton Tiffany chandelier so massive you could fit a VW Bug inside it” (“History, Architecture and Politics Combine in a Salem-to-Olympia Tour,” 1889mag.com, November 15, 2016).

The state capital in Frankfort, Kentucky also features extraordinary marble columns and walls. One Kentucky newspaper describes it this way: “The Capitol’s august exterior of Indiana limestone and interior composed of Georgia marble, gray Tennessee marble and dark green Vermont marble with grand corridors featuring 36 columns of Vermont granite and delicate art glass skylights and murals make it a place of beauty” (“Capitol building in Frankfort full of history, beauty,” Lexington Herald Leader, October 5, 2015).

The beauty and grandeur of state and national capitals makes a statement of governmental power and majesty. We saw earlier that the Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler, in his plan to rule the world, envisioned a world capital built to last a thousand years. Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect for the future city, planned a Grand Hall next to the Reichstag that “would have been the largest enclosed space in the world, with a dome 16 times larger than that of St Peter’s in Rome” according to HistoryToday.com (“Germania: Hitler’s Dream Capital).

The prophesied world-ruling superpower, called the Beast in the book of Revelation, may claim his national capital is also the capital of the world. But Jesus Christ will crush the Beast and the false prophet, and cast them into a lake of fire, as it tells us in Revelation 19:20. But WHERE will Christ the King set up His government? What city on earth will be the capital of the world? Jerusalem! Many different scriptures confirm this wonderful fact. If you have your Bible, turn to one of the major prophecies regarding the future of the world. The second chapter of ISAIAH gives us a wonderful and encouraging view of tomorrow’s world. ISAIAH 2:1. Notice this specific prophecy concerning Jerusalem. ISAIAH 2:1,

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and JERUSALEM. 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” (Isaiah 2:1–2).

As our regular Tomorrow’s World viewers saw, in a previous program on the principles of prophecy, mountains are a biblical symbol for a kingdom or government. Isaiah stated plainly that the Lord’s Kingdom would be established in JERUSALEM. Yes, Jerusalem will be the capital of the world! Notice that “ALL NATIONS shall flow to it.” All nations will submit to the world government. Let’s understand, this will NOT be government in the hands of selfish human beings. This new government will be a world ruling DIVINE Kingdom, the Kingdom of God. The world-ruling Kingdom will be ruled by the Savior, the King of kings, Jesus Christ! That’s the good news we all look forward to. I hope that you’re looking forward to that time of world peace! I hope that you’re yearning for the Kingdom to come! I hope that you’re PRAYING, “Your Kingdom come!” as we’re taught to pray in Matthew 6:10.

The Most Contested City in History

Turn in your Bible to Zechariah 14. During the thousand-year reign of Christ, all nations on earth will look to Jerusalem as the capital of the world and will send representatives to worship the King of kings. Zechariah 14:16,

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

All nations will finally learn the way to peace, not war. And they will learn the true way of love toward God and love toward neighbor. Nations will no longer desire military power and war to solve problems. They will want the truth taught them from the capital city, Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3,

“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 2:3–4).

The very name, Jerusalem, means “City of Peace.” But even today, tensions and conflicts erupt within it. Your Bible records its ancient history. In Genesis the 14^th chapter we read about Melchizedek, King of Salem, or as all biblical scholars know, the King of Jerusalem. Our Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course highlights historic milestones in Jerusalem’s long history. I’ll share a few of the past significant events. This report is titled “Jerusalem: A Historical Overview. A city washed in blood through centuries of endless conflict awaits its prophetic destiny.”

We will start this historic overview with the earliest biblical references.

c. 1895 BC—Melchizedek, King of Salem, blesses Abram and receives his tithes.

c. 1850 BC—God instructs Abraham to take Isaac to the land of Moriah to sacrifice him there. Later, God provided a ram sacrifice in place of Isaac.

c. 1406 BC—Joshua defeats Adon-i-zedek, King of Jerusalem. (Joshua 10:1–5, 23–26). The Jebusites retain parts of the city.

About 400 years later, King David ruled all Israel from Jerusalem.

c. 1000 BC—Jerusalem is captured by King David Jerusalem becomes the capital of all Israel.This would become the future location of God’s temple.

Over a period of about twenty years, the kingdom of Judah went into Babylonian captivity culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem.

586 BC—King Nebuchadnezzar conquers and destroys Jerusalem and the temple.

539 BC—Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon. He subsequently allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

After its subjection to the Persian Empire and the Greco-Macedonian Empire, Jerusalem is ruled by Rome.

63 BC—Pompey conquers Jerusalem and makes it a part of Roman Empire.

37 BC—Herod the Great assumes kingship in Jerusalem.

31 AD—Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, and the beginning of the Church Age.

70 AD—Second temple destroyed by the Romans.

During the next 1,800 years after 70 AD, Jerusalem experiences many conflicts including Muslim domination.

1917—Jerusalem enters a new phase.

1947—United Nations partitions Jerusalem. The city is divided between Arab and Jewish control.

1948—Israel becomes an independent nation on May 6. Israel successfully defends itself against the attack of the Arab League.

1967—During the Six-Day War, Israel captures all of Jerusalem, putting it under Jewish rule for the first time since the Roman destruction in 70 AD.

Will Jerusalem ever achieve its inherent purpose and title, City of Peace?

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel has fought wars and negotiated peace treaties with several Arab states. But Israel has never been able to negotiate a permanent peace agreement with the Palestinians. Both claim Jerusalem as their capital.

The one issue that appears unsolvable: “Who will control Jerusalem?” In 1980, Israel declared Jerusalem its “UNITED AND ETERNAL CAPITAL” (“FACTBOX: Jerusalem, a city at the heart of conflict,” Reuters.com, July 22, 2008).

If both sides consider their positions non-negotiable, there’s an impasse. The Israeli position remains unchanged—that is, they insist that Jerusalem will remain united under SOLE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY.

Yes, the gap between views over the sovereignty of Jerusalem is wide and deep! What does the international community think about this conflict? What IS the solution? In 1980, when Israel declared Jerusalem to be Israel’s “united and eternal capital,” the Vatican STRONGLY OBJECTED to that declaration. Then later, in 1984, Pope John Paul II called for Jerusalem to have a “special internationally guaranteed status” (“Holy See Press Office Communiqué: Audience with the President of the State of Palestine,” Press.Vatican.va, November 4, 2021).

My friends, the status of Jerusalem will continue to be a major issue. You need to be watching the Middle East and the trends that will mean major changes in political and religious control over the city of Jerusalem.

Sacrifices Resumed—And Violently Stopped

Jesus spoke of a time when enemy armies will invade the Holy Land and surround the city of Jerusalem. LUKE 21:20, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.” So, we see that there are at least two signs Jesus tells us to watch for: The Abomination of Desolation emphasized in Matthew 24:15, and Jerusalem surrounded by armies. These will not just be ANY armies of the Middle East, but the Gentile armies that will control Jerusalem for three and one-half years, as we read in Revelation 11:2. Now, let’s continue in LUKE 21:22, “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:22–24). How long will the Gentiles control Jerusalem?

Turn in your Bible to the book of REVELATION or the Apocalypse. REVELATION, chapter 11. The Apostle John wrote in REVELATION 11:1,

“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 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 11:1–2).

The Holy City will be controlled not by the Jews, but by the Gentiles for 42 months. As you read through the book of Revelation, you’ll see that this period of three and one-half years precedes the return of Christ.

Now turn to DANIEL, CHAPTER TWELVE. Daniel had been given a revelation by an angel. When he asked the meaning of the message, the angel told him in DANIEL 12:9,

“Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

Over 2,500 years later, we can now understand these prophecies—this IS the time of the end! But notice 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).

At the time of the end, shortly before the return of Christ, God reveals the daily sacrifice will be stopped, or “taken away.” This obviously implies that the sacrifices must be STARTED, before they can be STOPPED! The Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the second temple in 70 AD. The Jews have not offered temple sacrifices since that time.

But notice: In ancient times, when they returned to Jerusalem from exile, the Jews actually began sacrificing BEFORE the foundation of their temple was laid. EZRA 3:6. The Jews also observed the Feast of Tabernacles with daily sacrifices, as it states in verse 4. Now, EZRA 3:6,

“From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although [listen to this] the FOUNDATION of the temple of the LORD had NOT BEEN LAID.”

Notice another important point. The exiles return WHERE? Ezra refers to the location of the holy place, as the HOUSE OF GOD, when the temple had NOT YET been built. EZRA 3:8,

“Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the HOUSE OF GOD at Jerusalem….”

This was around 536 BC. But there was no building as yet. The following verses describe the laying of the FOUNDATION of the temple.

The point, my friends, is that sacrifices must be presented in a holy place. But in this case, the sacrifices were made daily, WITHOUT a physical building called a temple. The returning Jewish exiles referred to the Holy Place as “the House of God,” even though no temple existed. The holiest place under the control of the Jewish religious authorities today, is the Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall. It is the western retaining wall to the Temple Mount. Jews are not allowed to publicly worship on the Temple Mount, only Muslims. In recent years, Jews have been pressuring for a religious presence on the Temple Mount. So, it remains to be seen where and when the Jews will begin sacrificing. It will probably take a national crisis to precipitate that event.

World Peace from Jerusalem—Truth, Knowledge, and Freedom for All

We’ve seen that Jesus Christ will come from Heaven to rule the earth for a thousand years of peace and prosperity. Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. Jerusalem will not only be the GOVERNMENTAL capital of the world, but also it will be the EDUCATIONAL capital of the world. The great Educator and Teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, will teach true knowledge based on the word of God. As we saw in Zechariah 8:3,

“Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth.”

All nations will learn the eternal principles, laws, and values that guarantee peace and prosperity for all. As Isaiah said, the people will come to the Holy Land and say,

“‘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” (Isaiah 2:3).

The great Educator and Teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, will teach true knowledge based on the word of God. As we saw in Zechariah 8:3,

“Thus says the LORD: ‘I WILL RETURN to Zion, and DWELL in the midst of JERUSALEM. JERUSALEM shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’ Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets’” (Zechariah 8:3–5).

The city of Jerusalem will finally live up to its name, “City of Peace.” Because, the Lord, the Eternal, the glorified Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth will actually DWELL there. As He said, “I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of JERUSALEM.” That’s when we’ll begin to experience genuine world peace. Jerusalem will be called “the City of Truth.”

That’s the good news of YOUR future—and the future of the world. Eventually, the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven to this earth as the capital of the universe, more glorious than any humanly designed capital. You can read about that magnificent time in Revelation chapters 21 and 22. In the meantime, we look forward to the soon-coming world capital, Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be the center of world government, education, and religion. The word “Jerusalem” means “city of peace.” Jerusalem has experienced bloody fighting and wars over the millennia. But soon, this great city truly will be the CITY OF PEACE for ALL PEOPLES. That’s the good news you can look forward to!

Thank you for watching!

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible. And we encourage you to not just believe us, but look up these verses in your own Bible.

If you would like to know what Bible prophecy says about the future of Israel and the nations surrounding it, just click the link in the description for a free Bible study guide, The Middle East in Prophecy. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video. See you next time!