PTNews
P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s
May 2022
Published monthly
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006
The Beginning of the End
Part Two
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
and there shall be famines, …” Matthew 24:7
By Mike Wingfield
Throughout the Bible, birth pangs are used to symbolically refer to the difficult times that will come upon the global community and specifically the nation of Israel at the end of this age. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the Bible views the history of creation as a period of pain and suffering since the fall of man near the beginning of time. Like the earth, Israel has also faced painful circumstances since its beginning as a nation in Egypt (Exodus 1). Therefore, the prophets of Israel use the analogy of the final suffering of the creation and Israel to describe the birth of the Messianic Age – the kingdom of God on earth. The period of final pain for the world and Israel is commonly referred to as the Tribulation Period.
Jesus explained to His disciples that the beginning of the birth pangs – “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) – would be characterized by five developments. Those five trends will be an increase and intensity of spiritual deception, wars, famines, pandemics, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:4-8). All of these will occur on a global scale.
It is my firm conviction that we are now experiencing the prelude to the birth pangs that will unfold during the Tribulation Period. These five trends have become a reality in our day. The contractions of a woman in the process of giving natural birth is manifested in two ways. Her contractions become more painful and intense as she gets closer to the actual time of the delivery of her baby. Also, the muscle contractions become more frequent as she approaches delivery. So, the Bible is telling us that what the turmoil and deception world is experiencing now will intensify and grow much worse. The process will unfold with lightning speed as the world approaches the end of the Tribulation and Christ returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom.
Last month we began to examine the first of these five global contractions that are heralding the suffering and conflict that is ahead for the world and Israel during the Tribulation. In this issue of PTNews, we will examine the next two of these global contractions mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24.
Contraction #2- Global Wars
The second contraction of the birth pangs of the last days is the increase and intensity of wars and rumors of wars. Jesus said, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars … For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6, 7). Jesus was simply stating that the last days will be known as a time of unparalleled massive bloodshed due to war.
The history of man is filled with violence and war. Since America’s bloody Civil War in 1865, the world has experienced 138 wars and many more minor conflicts. During the 20th century, 170 million people died because of war. Communism was responsible for the genocide of 94 million people in the 20th century.
However, the greatest war machine of all time is Islam. At the heart of the doctrine and goals of Islam is the domination of the world by killing all infidels (those who reject Islam). It is reported that since its beginning in the 7th century, Islam has brutally murdered 250 million people.
Mike Conrad of the American Thinker, writes, “When one thinks of mass murder, Hitler comes to mind. If not Hitler, then Tojo, Stalin, or Mao. Credit is given to the 20th-century totalitarians as the worst species of tyranny to have ever arisen. However, the alarming truth is that Islam has killed more than any of these and may surpass all of them combined in numbers and cruelty.
“The enormity of the slaughters of the ‘religion of peace’ are so far beyond comprehension that even honest historians overlook the scale. When one looks beyond our myopic focus, Islam is the greatest killing machine in the history of mankind, bar none” (Mike Conrad, The Greatest Murder Machine in History – American Thinker, full website – www. americanthinker.com ).
Many of the wars of the past and future are connected to Israel and the Jewish people. In the Middle East, Islam’s thirst for power and control has had a laser beam focus on the nation of Israel and her people’s occupation of the Holy Land. Islam’s struggle for power traces its origin back to the beginning of the religion during its founding days with Mohammed. Islamic scholars trace the roots of their faith back to Ishmael. Therefore, this is a conflict that traces its beginning back to the days of Abraham. The conflict over the Holy Land with Islam has been at the center of the war against God’s divine purposes for Israel for more than 13 centuries.
It is amazing to see how the major wars of the 20th century have set the stage for the final conflict over the Holy Land. As a result of World War I (WW I), Great Britain became the new superpower, replacing the Ottoman Turkish Empire that had controlled the world for 400 years. In an open letter from the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, on November 2, 1917, Great Britain made known its intention to officially declare its support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This letter eventually led to the acceptance of the Balfour Declaration by the newly formed League of Nations in 1922. The declaration called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland for the Jewish people. This declaration, along with the suffering and rejection of the Jews living in Russia and Europe, eventually opened the flood gates of Jewish immigration to Palestine. So, WW 1 was responsible for the beginning of a massive immigration of Jews back to their ancient homeland.
WW II had a major impact on setting the stage for the return of the land of Israel to the Jewish people. After decades of conflict between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine, the British decided after WW II to remove their occupying forces that had been enforcing the British mandate since 1922. After learning about the Holocaust and the murder of 6 million Jews during WW II, the world became sympathetic to the idea of a Jewish homeland in the land called Palestine. When the British removed their occupying forces, the Jewish leadership in Palestine seized the moment and declared the establishment of the modern state of Israel at 4 pm on May 14, 1948. When the sun came up the next morning, five powerful Arab nations invaded the young Jewish state. After 18 months of fighting, Israel won its war of Independence. Since then, Israel has thrived as a nation despite being the target of war and terrorism by its Arab Muslim neighbors. So, God used the circumstance of WW II to give the land back to His people.
God declared 2,600 years prior to these two world wars that He would scatter His people among the nations and then return them to their land in the last days. “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).
According to the Bible, when the world arrives at the time designated as “the end of the [age]” (Matthew 24:3), it will have reached the dangerous spiritual point of no return. It will be like it was in the days of Noah when God said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3). That means that most people will be living in spiritual deception because they have sinned against the work of the Holy Spirit in their conscience. They continually reject the work of the Spirit to convict them of their sin. When this happens, they will have “seared” their conscience (1 Timothy 4:2). In essence, their conscience ceases to function. Then, God will give them over to their deadly depraved thinking and lifestyle (Romans 1:26-32). As in the days of Noah, “the earth [will be] filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11).
When man lives without a conscience, he becomes like wild animals that do not have a conscience. All of his actions are self-centered. He has only one goal in mind. It is his aim to fulfill his desires. His greed, anger, lust, pride, and hate will drive him to murder and injure those who are in his way to obtain his selfish desires. For a greater explanation of this read my book, Living in a World with No Conscience. It is not an accident that the Bible symbolically describes the kingdoms and kings of the last days as wild beasts (Daniel 7, Revelation 13, 17).
The prophetic Scriptures teach that the time of the end will produce the greatest carnage due to war in the history of the planet. At the center of this global conflict will be the modern state of Israel (Daniel 12:1).
The first war of the end times mentioned in the Bible is the war of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39. In this war, Russia, and its radical Islamic allies (Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan) will invade Israel with a massive army (Ezekiel 38:1-16). God will intervene on behalf of His people. Russia and its invading forces will be supernaturally destroyed at the beginning of this invasion (Ezekiel 38:17-23). Consequently, once again, this major war will aid God in His eternal plan for His chosen people. When Israelis see the hand of God, it will have a major spiritual impact upon them. God has declared, “So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward” (Ezekiel 39:22). God will pour out His Spirit upon them and it will trigger a massive immigration of the Jewish people to the Holy Land (Ezekiel 39:28-29).
As we watch the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold, it causes us to wonder if this will lead to the war of Gog and Magog. All the pieces of the puzzle of current events seem to point to this as a very strong possibility.
With Russia and its radical Islamic allies suffering a final and decisive defeat at the hand of God, it will set the stage for the Islamic Antichrist to arise and confirm a false covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). This will thrust the world into the final seven years of the birth pangs – the Tribulation. It is not a coincidence that Israel is currently being drawn into a covenant of peace with the Persian Gulf Arabs – known as the Abrahamic Accords. This has given Israel a false sense of peace.
While temporarily setting aside his animosity of Israel, the Islamic Antichrist will engage in a world-wide campaign to establish an Islamic Empire. Revelation 6:2-4 tells us how the Antichrist will go forth “conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2). Satan will mesmerize the Islamic global population with the appearance of their long-awaited messiah. Satan will aid them “to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another” (Revelation 6:4). This will be accomplished by the used of “a great sword” given unto the Antichrist (Revelation 6:4). It is interesting to note that the Greek word for sword in this text is not the normal word for a large sword used by invading armies. The Greek word used here is that of a dagger used for killing someone standing close to them. This is the kind of weapon that was used by ISIS, an evil and radical Islamic group that brutally subjugated the people in Iraq and Syria and beheaded all those who opposed them. The Bible states that those who are killed by the Antichrist and his forces will be beheaded (Revelation 20:4).
Friends, it appears that the second contraction of the birth pangs has arrived. Many world leaders are concerned that the events taking place in Europe may lead to WW III. At the same time there are rumors of China plotting to invade Taiwan. And of greater concern is the saber rattling of Iran, which seems to be on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon. We are experiencing wars and rumors of wars, just like Jesus said!
Contraction #3- Global Famine
Both history and biblical prophecy connect times of famine with war. After speaking about the global wars and rumors of wars, Jesus warned, “and there shall be famines” (Matthew 24:7). History demonstrates that famine causes people to panic, which leads to war in some cases. On the other hand, when nations go to war, farmers are hindered from planting their crops. Furthermore, war makes the transportation of food difficult or impossible.
At this current moment, we are experiencing the impact of Russia’s war with Ukraine upon the global food supplies. Many experts are warning that we are facing the perfect conditions for a global famine. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world was dealing with inflation and escalating food prices. The impact of the COVID pandemic had already created a major crisis with moving goods around the world. This was further complicated by catastrophic climate events that took a toll on agricultural production.
The current battle ground of the war between Russia and Ukraine will prove critical to the production and distribution of food worldwide. Both Russia and Ukraine are heavily involved in supplying food, fertilizer, and fuels that are critical to the global food supply. These two nations are called the breadbasket of Europe. Collectively, they export about 30 percent of the world’s wheat and barley. Russia is the leading global exporter of fertilizer. Ukraine is a leading exporter of sunflower seed cooking oil and corn. Russia is a major exporter of fuels that the agricultural industry relies upon, especially in Europe. The threat that this war may stop the export of these vital food and energy commodities is causing major worldwide anxiety.
Major portions of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe are dependent upon the flow of these goods out of Russia and Ukraine. This war has already brought a 20 percent rise in the cost of all foods in markets around the world. Many poverty-stricken countries in Africa and the Middle East are already experiencing social unrest. For example, a major portion of Egypt’s population of 95 million people are living on the brink of poverty. Many people living in Cairo (10 million) have only bread to eat. That bread is already so expensive that the government must subsidize it to make it affordable to most of the Cairo population. The situation is very bleak in Egypt because 85 percent of its grain comes from Russia.
To further complicate the export of goods out of the war zone, the Black Sea has been closed due to the fighting. Insurance companies that cover these shipping vessels and goods have inflated their premiums in response to the danger of missile strikes. Consequently, this major shipping lane that transports goods around the world has been shut down.
The big concern is not just the inflation of food prices. The biggest impact on food prices will come months later due to the dramatic rise in the cost of fuels and fertilizers that commercial farmers need to feed the world. Most of the food that the world is purchasing now was grown and transported before the Russian war began in late February.
Those who are helping Ukrainians flee from the war into nearby countries are reporting that this situation reminds them of developments that unfolded when the Nazis invaded the European countries during WW II. At that time, famine spread throughout Europe and millions died because of famine.
Another complication that multiplies the impact of the current food crisis is the use of food products to create fuel. European nations have used palm and soybean oils to produce biodiesel fuel, while in the United States we have used corn to make ethanol. How can we continue to use food to make fuel when millions of people are starving in the world?
As the nations of Africa and the Middle East deal with famine, their desperation will force them to migrate to Europe or other parts of the world. This will lead to a financial collapse of these nations.
As these events unfold, most all pundits agree that we are facing a real global food crisis. They just do not know how great it will be. Many experts concur that millions of people in Africa and the Middle East will die of starvation if the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
The Bible repeatedly informs us that the world will suffer a massive food shortage at the end of this age. Most people have not thought through just how vulnerable our world really is. We are dealing with a real ticking time bomb – the rapid increase in our global population. Our world is increasing at an alarming rate of 1.5 million per week! Each of these people need air, water, and food to live. Look at the chart to get an appreciation of what has happened to world population in the last 200 years.
As you examine this chart, notice that it took the world 1,800 years to reach the global population of one billion. Then, it only took another 130 years for the world to reach the second billion mark. Amazingly, in just 30 years, in 1960, the world arrived at 3 billion people on earth. In the last 62 years the world has added 5 billion more to reach the mark of 8 billion people on the planet!
We have been able to achieve this growth primarily due to the methods of commercial farming. Due to the automated agricultural machinery, cheap fuel, and fertilizer, commercial farmers have been able to feed the world. We are now being told that the commercial farmers must increase their crop yields by 50-70 percent in the next few decades to keep pace with the global population growth.
Common sense tells us this is unsustainable. Due to greed, our world has taken advantage of the commercial farmers. Instead of protecting them, we are driving many of them out of business. The farmers do all the hard work, pay enormous prices for seed, equipment, fertilizer, pesticides, and fuel, while taking all the risks. The greedy middleman makes more than the farmers with a lot less investment, hard work, and risk. We are about to pay a very high price for this greed.
Furthermore, farmers are not able to keep pace with the enormous price increases for fuel, equipment, and fertilizer. On a recent visit to northern Indiana, I asked several commercial farmers what they would do about the dramatic increase in fertilizer and fuel. They all said they would plant their crops without fertilizer, not knowing how this would impact their yield. They were equally concerned about the major increase in diesel prices. They need this fuel to plant, spray pesticides, harvest their crops, and deliver them to the market.
Another issue the farmer must deal with is climate catastrophes – fires, floods, droughts, snow, ice, hurricanes, and tornadoes. This spring many farmers in the Midwest of the U.S. are facing a serious drought. Some were hampered by excessively cold weather that made it impossible to plant their crops. One of their main crops is wheat!
Furthermore, in the last 100 years the world has witnessed a dramatic shift of the global population from rural to metropolitan areas. This means that more than half of the world’s population does not grow any of the food they consume. In most of the large cities there is only enough food in the grocery stores and warehouses for about three to four days to keep food on the shelves. Obviously, this is an extremely vulnerable situation for billions of people who depend upon such a scarce food supply. If there should be a major disruption of the availability of food to those living in these major population cities, it would lead to a dangerous time when security would collapse and many in these areas would die due to starvation. Many others would be murdered by those who are desperate to obtain food. At the end of WW II, some parts of Europe experienced this kind of scenario.
Friends, we could be one growing season away from a global agricultural disaster. Some are saying that due to the high cost of fertilizer and diesel fuel, this year we will only harvest about 50 percent of the crops compared to previous years. The reality of this possible frightening development would not come into clear focus until late this fall. That spells disaster!
Everyone agrees that the global food chain is breaking down. We are facing a real food crisis. Two of the items that are the being dramatically affected are grain and cooking oil. As American’s we can do without the bread. However, we do not understand that this is the main staple for a very large portion of the global population in Africa and the Middle East. Most of these people are already living in poverty and could not afford to buy food at the current rate before this recent inflation.
When the Tribulation Period begins in Revelation 6, there will be many major wars, economic collapse, and famine. In Revelation 6:6 we are told that it will take a person’s entire daily wage to buy a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley. Then, the Bible says, “See thou hurt not the oil [cooking oil] and the wine” (Revelation 6:6). It is amazing to know that the events of the opening days of the Tribulation will feature the very same situation that is developing in our world at this time. The same text in Revelation 6 reports that near the beginning of the Tribulation one-fourth of the world’s population will die because of war, famine, and deadly pandemics (Revelation 6:8).
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
The concluding part of this article will appear in the June issue of PTNews. Share this newsletter with your friends. It is critical that people know what is about to take place. Jesus is our only hope!