Author: Mike Wingfield

PTNews

P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s

July 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

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This World is not our Home

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” Hebrews 13:14

By Mike Wingfield

As believers in Jesus Christ, we grieve over the moral, economic, and political collapse of our nation and world. A spirit of lawlessness has enslaved America. At the heart of this lawlessness is the rejection of God, His Son, the Bible, and the Body of Christ – the church. Read Psalm 2. Years ago, I described the United States as standing on a cliff, ready to plunge to its death as a free nation. It is apparent that we have leaped from the precipice and are in a rapid freefall that will end in our sudden demise as a sovereign nation. We are being deceived if believe we can turn the tide of wickedness, immorality, violence, and foolishness that are gripping this nation.

The Bible records for us the process of a nation that arrives at the spiritual point of no return. When this occurs, God gives them up. Read Romans 1:18-32. We have arrived at such a point. In my opinion, based on Scripture and what we see in our nation, we are beyond turning back. When God gives up on a wicked culture, He removes the work of the Holy Spirit in the consciences of the wicked and they are left to the demise of their own foolish and wicked desires. As evidence, I point to the militant demand for the acceptance of all forms of sexually deviant lifestyles. We are also witnessing riots and protests in rebellion against the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the federal government’s control over abortion. These events and others clearly demonstrate the wickedness that has permeated this nation. Some people today are like the militant homosexuals who surrounded the house of Lot and demanded that he release the two young men [who were really angels of God] so they could sexually abuse them throughout the night (Genesis 19:4-11).

Listen to what the Bible says about a society where wickedness rules in the hearts of men.

Psalm 7:11– “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”

Psalm 9:17– “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Psalm 10:1-18– Read this Psalm and think about what we are witnessing in America.

Psalm 12:8– “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”

Psalm 14:1– “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”

As believers, we must be careful to not allow the hopelessness of our world to cause us to worry, despair, or be depressed. We must focus upon the blessed hope that this world is not our home. The Bible tells us these days would come. Clearly, they are now here. We are witnessing a powerful testimony that the coming of our Lord is very near. His time of wrathful judgment is coming upon the wicked world system and those who promote it.

I fear that many professing Christians have allowed themselves to fall in love with the world. Their love for the world is greater than their love for their Savior and their true home in heaven. Christians today are enamored with the world’s forms of entertainment [TV, movies, music, computer games, sports, etc.]. But they have little or no time for God. Most professing Christians never read the Bible. Their hobbies, sports, and recreation are more important than pursuing a passionate relationship with God.

I am convinced that most Christians in the West do not want Jesus to return now. They are very comfortable in this world. The world is satisfying the fleshly longings of their lives. Their faith is weak, and they would rather live here than in heaven with Jesus. This is evidenced by the fact that the preaching of the prophetic Word frightens them. The hope of the imminent Rapture should comfort us (1 Thessalonians 4:18) and give us hope (Titus 2:13). The believer should take great comfort in the vengeful wrath of God that will be poured out upon the wicked during the Tribulation. Read in the book of Revelation what the angels and church in heaven will say when they know that the vengeful wrath of God is taking place on earth (Revelation 11:15-19; 19:1-3).

Most pastors are only preaching about the blessings of God in this life here on earth. This is not the foundation of our faith. We have been made for God and eternity. What this world has to offer is empty compared to the food for our souls when we walk with God. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

When the Bible refers to “the world,” what does it mean? The original languages of the Bible have three primary words that speak of “the world.” It can speak of the land or creation, the age or time in which we live, or it refers to the ungodly world system. Predominately, the New Testament uses the Greek word kosmos to refer to the order or system of the world that appeals to our sinful nature. This word is used 186 times in the New Testament. The frequency of the reference to this world system should cause us to realize that this is a subject that is very significant for the believer to grasp.

The kosmos speaks of the deceitful power, possessions, prestige, positions, and pleasures that this world system has to offer. It was the prideful desire for these things that caused the good angel, Lucifer, to fall into sin (Isaiah 14:12-14). Now this angel is called Satan, and he has brought his prideful desires to earth to bring death and corruption to all of mankind. It is his goal to bring men and governments into his orbit of influence. He wants to use them as pawns to attack the God Who made everything for His glory. In John 12:31, Jesus referred to the devil as “the prince [ruler] of this world.” This clearly indicates that Satan is in control of this world system. When Satan tempted Jesus at the beginning of His earthly ministry, he offered Him control and ownership over “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” (Matthew 4:8). Jesus rejected Satan’s offer because He knew this would lead Him to serving the devil. Satan is still offering power, possessions, prestige, positions, and pleasure to all who will worship and serve him. Most people on earth have accepted his lies and are only living for what the devil has to offer.

My friend, you cannot serve God and the world system. Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and [the things of this world system]” (Matthew 6:24).

Satan tempts us with the things of this world because he knows they will lure us away from God. You cannot walk in the Spirit and desire the ways of the world system. Read Galatians 5:16-21. They are opposed to each other. They war against each other. The Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). The spirit of this world system is evil, sensual, and is of the devil, not of God (James 3:15).

Before we came to Christ, we were following the way of the world. We were following Satan. The Apostle Paul described the former life of the believer as those who “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).

When a person comes to Christ for salvation, he must repent of his sins. His enemy is his own sin nature, the world system, and Satan. Those who walk with God will always be at war with these three entities. This is the daily struggle of the Christian life.

God expects us to overcome the alluring ways of this world. 1 John 5:4-5 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Jesus prayed the night before Calvary for His disciples. Listen to His prayer, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16). Jesus had repeatedly warned His disciples that the people in the satanic world system would hate Him and His followers. We are not like the lost. Our goals, thoughts, lifestyles, and words should be different. We do not fit in with their godless way of thinking and living.

God expects us to live in this world, but to not allow the world to overcome us and make us like it. Our assignment is to proclaim the gospel of salvation and convince people they need to become like Christ and His true church. We have been called to a life of holiness (1 Peter 1:13-15).

If we are walking with God and in the power of His Spirit, we will not be comfortable in this world. This world is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). The heartbeat of our lives will be fixed upon our home with Christ in heaven. We will “set [our] affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

There are at least six biblical reasons why this world should not be our home.

1. The World is Ungodly.

As previously mentioned, the world system is controlled by the devil. It is a system that is evil and is the exact opposite of the nature of God – Who is holy. That is why the Bible declares that anyone who loves the world does not have the love of the Father in Him (1 John 2:15). It is impossible to love evil and holiness at the same time. They are directly opposed to one another.

When a Christian looks to the world with great affection, he is demonstrating that he is not walking in the Spirit. Instead, he is walking in step with his own sin nature, which is anchored in this world. He is living for self rather than Christ. We should not allow the world to pour us into its mold. We are commanded, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). We must reprogram our minds so we can think like God. That is done only through serious meditation upon the Word of God. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). We are set apart from the world when we allow the Word of God to take root in our thinking (John 17:17; James 1:21).

2. The World is Temporal.

Man was originally made for eternity to live in the presence of God (Hebrews 13:14). This world system is only temporary. We are commanded to not love the world because it is passing away (1 John 2:17). When we live only for the things of this world, we are working for something that will eventually disappear. The Bible declares, “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (1 John 2:17).

This home, our present world, is like a dilapidated house that has been inspected and slated for demolition. In contrast, God is eternal (Psalm 102:25-28). If we are like God, we will invest in things and matters that are eternal. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust [consume] and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust [consume] and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). The treasure of our heart is where our heart [mind] is. Think about that. What do you think about the most? Are you heavenly minded, or worldly minded? That is where your treasure is!

3. The World is the Enemy of God!

As followers of Christ, we stand with Him against His enemies. The Bible asks us to examine our heart and ask this question, “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4) Then, the Bible declares, “Whoseover therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

The world hates God and all that is of God. Jesus told His disciples that the world hates that which is of God and loves its own (John 15:18-25). We are at war with the devil and his world system. We must guard our hearts and fight the good fight of our faith with God’s armor (Ephesians 6:10-17). Too many churches are attempting to make the church like the world to win the world. That is impossible. We must call the saints of God to come out of the world and live holy lives. We cannot flirt with the world and walk with a holy God!

When we give our soul to the world, we are acting like spiritual adulterers (James 4:4). To become a Christian is to make Christ the Lord and love of your life. No one and nothing should come before Him. He must be first in our lives!

4. The World Overpowers the Soul!

It is the goal of Satan and his world system to kidnap our hearts and souls and lead us astray from the presence and blessings of God. The Apostle Paul gave the following warning, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Those who are of this world operate in a realm of spiritual darkness. The ways of God are foolishness to them. Their whole way of life is enveloped in a world that promises to give man what only God can provide.

There is not enough room in the human heart to follow God and the world. Jesus shared a parable about a person who claimed to be a believer. Jesus compared the heart of the person to the seed of the gospel that was sown in the soil the human heart. This believer’s heart crowed out the word of God because of the thorns and weeds that were present in the soil of his heart. Jesus explained the problem as follows, “He also that received the seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).

Unfortunately, after more than 50 years of ministry, I have noticed that most who attend church on a weekly basis and claim to be saved are spiritually unfruitful. That simply means they are not really serving the Lord and producing spiritual fruit [works] that will count for eternity. The reason for this is that the cares of this world have crowded out the influence and impact of the Word sown in their hearts. Sitting in church, they may be convicted. However, when they leave church, their minds drift back to the cares of this world and they forget about what God has said to them. Therefore, their life is spiritually empty, and they are living just like those in the world who do not know Christ.

It takes great discipline and time in God’s Word to overcome the influence of the world upon us. We must develop great spiritual vision to focus on the blessings that we cannot see, rather than focus upon the tangible things that overwhelm our lives. Read 2 Corinthians 4:8-18.

5. The World does not Feed the Soul

We have been created as a physical/spiritual being. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Unlike animals, we have an inner being – a spirit, soul, and conscience. When we are physically born in a state of sin, our inner man is dead (Ephesians 2:1). When we are saved, our inner man is born-again. Therefore, we must feed the soul, just like we need to feed the body. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). When the inward man is fed, that is when we have peace, power, strength, confidence, contentment, and joy. The world system cannot feed the soul. For the soul, the world brings deception, turmoil, weakness, confusion, and frustration. The stuff of this world does not fill the hunger of the soul that was created to have a relationship and fellowship with God.

The things of this world may deceptively satisfy a person for a while. But soon they will be empty again. Only Jesus and the things of God can bring eternal joy to the soul. Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

6. This World is not our Home.

When the mind of the believer is transformed by the truth of God’s Word, he will realize that this world is not his home. Our home is wherever Christ is (Colossians 3:1-4). Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). The Bible proclaims that we are “strangers and pilgrims” on this earth (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). A stranger is a person that does not belong where he is. He is different from the local people around him. He may look, dress, and act differently than those around them. His language will set him apart from the culture. When fashions, actions, and language are ungodly, the believer should refrain from what is customary.

A pilgrim is a tourist. He knows he is just visiting until he makes his journey home. This is the attitude the believer should have about living in this world.

The walk of faith that illustrates the believer’s lifestyle of longing for home, while avoiding being attached to this world, is best illustrated in the contrasting lifestyles of Abraham and Lot.

Abraham was called by God out of the pagan culture of Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 12:1; Hebrews 11:8-9). As Abraham walked by faith, he received the revelation from God about “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). As he wandered about on the earth as a stranger and pilgrim, he kept looking to the future, and longing for the city of God (Hebrews 11:13-16).

When Abraham’s and Lot’s shepherds began to quarrel in the Promised Land, they needed to separate. Abraham allowed Lot to choose between the hill country, and the plain of Jordan which was well-watered near the five wicked cities by the Dead Sea (Genesis 13:5-10). Abraham knew that His God would provide for him, and He was not concerned about the choice Lot would make. Lot chose the well-watered plains, which did not require trusting God for rain. Lot was also drawn toward the wealth and pleasures of the cities of the plain. We know from extra biblical records that these five cities were along the caravan route of the ancient world and provided a variety of wealth not available in the hill country where Abraham was living. The lucrative trading within these cities allowed the people to explore the sinful pleasures offered by their opportunities and the constant traffic from the ancient world. One of these cities was named Zeboim, which means “wild place.” In comparison, these cities were the ancient version of Las Vegas.

Unlike Abraham, Lot chose to be a citizen of a wicked world system. He chose a land that was more conducive to the easy way of life away from God. Lot’s life was anchored in what the world had to offer, while Abraham’s life was focused upon pleasing God.

Lot’s lifestyle cost him dearly. When the time came for God to extract Lot and his family from the cities He was to destroy, they did not leave with a willing heart. Most of Lot’s family would not leave and were destroyed in the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:14). Lot’s wife loved her family and life in Sodom so much that she disobeyed God and looked back, turning to a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Lot’s choice and lifestyle cost him the lives of his family! What a heavy price to pay!!!

I fear that far too many believers, like Lot, have set their sights on the world’s lifestyle and pleasures. We need to be like Abraham. We need to walk by faith, trust God, and keep looking for the city built by God.

The Lord is coming to rescue us from the destruction and death of the Tribulation Period. Are we ready to go? Or are we like Lot and his family who were far too attached to the pleasures of this world and therefore reluctant to leave a world marked for destruction from the wrath of God?

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Be READY for the shout that will take us out!

PTNews

P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s

June 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

Download this Newsletter

The Beginning of the End

Part Three

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21

By Mike Wingfield

From eternity past, God the Father decreed a master plan for all His creation. By His grace, He has revealed much of this plan to us in the Holy Scriptures. It is God’s will that His servants have an overview of His eternal plan so that it might give us hope and wisdom for living in the context of finite time while on this earth. Someone has said that the Bible is …

Basic

Instructions

Before

Leaving

Earth.

For those who have studied the prophetic portions of God’s Word, it is very apparent that our world is at a major crossroads in the plan of God. There have been cycles of wickedness and rebellion in the past that have invited the holy wrath of God to fall upon godless cultures. However, the developments taking place now clearly signal that we are approaching the divinely prescribed end of this age.

God has revealed that the end of His ordered plan for His creation will pass through a series of events during a period of 1,007 years. At the end of this age, the rebellion of man will usher in a response from the Almighty, that will cause Him to pour out His wrath upon the wicked inhabitants of earth for seven years – the Tribulation. This time of death and destruction will be followed by a time of peace and blessings as God’s Son rules over His Father’s creation for 1,000 years – the Millennial Kingdom. This wonderful time of God’s direct rule over His creation will end with the final rebellion of Satan and the masses that the devil will deceive (Revelation 20:7-10). This will bring the end to the history of planet earth!

The Scriptures reveal that the end of this world as we know it will take place under the divine authority and power of the heavenly Father. The end of this world is not some random series of events that will evolve by chance. The Scriptures are precise in their description of the events that will transpire at the end of this age under the divine rule of the Creator.

In the previous two issues of this newsletter, we have examined Jesus’ teaching about the conditions that will prevail at the end of this age. Jesus taught His disciples that the horrific time we know as the Tribulation is to be viewed as painful labor pangs that will give birth to the glorious messianic age – the Kingdom of God on earth. He said that the unique time of the beginning of these birth pangs will feature five global deadly threats to humanity: spiritual deception, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pandemics, and earthquakes. The first three of these contractions of the birth pangs were covered in the two previous newsletters. Let us turn our attention to the last two painful contractions that will usher in the Tribulation.

Contraction #4- Global Pandemics

Global pandemics of deadly disease are not new in the history of mankind. The world has faced deadly epidemics in the past that have been far more lethal that COVID-19. In the second century, 35 percent of those living in the great Roman Empire died due to smallpox. From 1200 to 1393 AD, 53 percent of China’s population died due to the bubonic plague. In 1918, the flu killed 20 million in the world, including 20,000 in New York that fall.

However, the prophetic Scriptures testify that during the Tribulation, there will be an unprecedented wave of deadly diseases that will sweep the world, killing a major portion of the population (Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:8). Our world is about to enter a deadly time in which hundreds of millions of people will die due to global pandemics for which there is no human solution.

The Bible repeatedly testifies that our Creator has complete control over the body of every person. The health, sickness, and death of everyone is fully under His control! God demonstrated this to Moses in Exodus 4:6-7. When Jesus came the first time, He displayed the power of God over all diseases (Matthew 4:23)!

The Lord has created our bodies to naturally respond to His holy standards – mentally, physically, and spiritually. He designed the immune system of our body to help maintain our health. Our wellness or sickness can be impacted by our mental, physical, and/or spiritual disobedience.

The Bible teaches that diseases can be a form of divine retribution (Leviticus 26:21, 25; Deuteronomy 28:21-22; Romans 1:27). However, not all sickness and disease are the result of personal sin (John 9:3). Godly people get sick, suffer, and die from horrific diseases. The Bible proclaims, “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). The time, circumstances, and means of each person’s death is under the divine control of God. From His perspective, there are no accidents. “There is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Several decades ago, I was given a book by a medical doctor to aid my research about the subject of infectious diseases in the last days. That book, a 750-page volume, was written in 1994 by a research analysist, Laurie Garrett, The Coming Plague- Newly Emerging Diseases in a Word Out of Balance. As I read this book, I found the impeccable and detailed research and observations of Laurie Garrett to be very helpful in understanding the nature of the global menace of pandemics that will threaten the world’s population during the Tribulation.

At the beginning of her book, Garrett explained, “The history of our time will be marked by recurrent eruptions of newly discovered diseases, … epidemics of diseases migrating to new areas, … diseases which become imported through human technologies, … and diseases which spring from insects and animals to humans, through man-made disruption to local habitats. [There exists] the increased potential that at least some of these diseases will generate large-scale, even worldwide epidemics. … The world has rapidly become much more vulnerable to the eruption and, most critically, to the widespread and even global spread of both new and old infectious diseases” (Laurie, Garret, The Coming Plague, p. xv).

The opening events of the seven-year Tribulation Period are recorded in Revelation 6. During the beginning of this time of God’s judgment, one out of every four people on earth (a current population of 8 billion) will die because of war, famine, economic collapse, and disease. According to Revelation 6:8, billions will die because of “death, and with the beasts of the earth.” The word “death” in this verse refers to diseases. Therefore, the Bible has predicted there will be a connection of diseases with the beasts of the earth in the last days. Today epidemiologists are discovering that approximately 60 percent of diseases are zoonotic [they come from animals]. In recent decades we have had swine flu, bird flu, mad-cow disease, West Nile Virus, and most recently monkey pox. This initially occurs when people live near animals, and sometimes eat the infected meat. This is especially true in China and other far eastern cultures. As a result, sometimes people become infected with the animal’s disease. In some cases, the diseases mutate and are transmitted from animals to humans. This makes this virus extremely dangerous and unpredictable because this introduces a new virus to the human body. Occasionally, there is no known medical provision to protect mankind from these new viruses.

Our world has drastically changed in the last 120 years. At the beginning of the 20^th century there were only 1 billion people on earth. Now we have 8 billion. Furthermore, more people now live in big cities, rather than in rural areas. In 1900, only 15 percent of the world’s population lived in urban areas. Now, almost 60 percent are in cities where they live in extremely confined areas. Since 1950, we have watched the development of mega cities [cities with a population of more than 10 million people]. In 1952 there were only two. Now there are more than 34. In 13 of these mega cities, they have a population of more than 15 million people. Six of these are in China, India, and Japan. These mega cities are magnets for the outbreak of dangerous diseases. Therefore, it is not an accident that most of our deadly pandemics are originating from these mega population centers.

People in these mega cities are usually poor, undernourished, and they tend to be more immoral. They have issues with pollution and filth all around them. They have poor diet choices and are forced to purchase their food from unreliable sources. Their lifestyles are filled with desperation as they try to survive in this difficult situation. They are given over to drugs and violence. This kind of lifestyle produces a natural breeding ground for disease. God warned Israel while they were wandering in the wilderness that when they came into the Promised Land and were living in cities, they would be more vulnerable to diseases (Leviticus 26:25).

Another factor in the rise of infectious diseases in the last days is due to the increase in sexual immorality. America and the world are suffering from an avalanche of sexually transmitted diseases. When people violate God’s sexual standards, they will suffer the consequences. God has designed sexually transmitted diseases as a form divine punishment for their disobedience (Romans 1:27).

The use of illegal drugs and overuse of prescription drugs has in many cases enhanced the origin and transmission of viruses. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics over the last few decades have forced viruses to mutate. This creates more resistant viruses that are becoming immune to all the antibiotics we have available.

One of the major factors contributing to the rapid spread of diseases can be traced to our methods of travel. In many cases, people encounter infected people on airline flights and in other modes of mass transportation where people are forced to sit close together for long periods of time.

Pollution and the undoing of nature’s balance are other facets of our modern lifestyles that are creating the perfect environment for the proliferation of deadly disease. Unhealthy water conditions and bad food choices contribute to poor health and weaken immune system. These conditions are making us more vulnerable to viruses that are parading themselves in our environment.

Most people today are consuming food that are mass produced by commercial farmers. To meet the demand of feeding the expanding global population and to sustain the farming industry, farmers are forced to use agricultural practices that result in producing food that is nutritionally depleted. The mass production of food demands the use of fertilizers, which destroy the nutrients of the soil. This is further complicated by the use of radiation on our food when it is shipped long distances to other countries or states. Vegetation is contaminated due to the use of pesticides and the increasing use of genetically modified seeds. Meat is contaminated with antibiotics and hormones. All of this has a negative impact upon the delicate chemical balance of the human body. Our food may look good and taste great, but it is literally killing us!

I often think about my maternal great-grandfather King. He did not visit a doctor’s office or hospital until he was 83 years old. He and my great-grandmother lived very healthy lives until the time of their deaths. They worked hard to raise their own food. All their income and the food they consumed came from a little farm where they lived. Their food choices were very simple. Their water came from a spring house on their property. All their food was void of any pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. They did not have a car and they rarely visited a store to buy the very basic staples they could not raise on their own.

We live at a unique time in human history. In my lifetime our world has radically changed. On the surface, it appears that our lifestyles are good. However, when one looks at the Word of God and what is coming, and examines the conservative research, we are in deep trouble.

These are some of the reasons why pandemics will become a major contributor to the death and misery of the last days. We are just beginning to witness the impact of this contraction of the birth pangs of the Tribulation.

Contraction #5- Global Earthquakes

Jesus stated that the fifth and final contraction of the birth pangs of the Tribulation will be massive global earthquakes. He said, “And great earthquakes shall be in [different] places” (Luke 21:11). This judgment of God on earth and its inhabitants will be far more than the modern human mind can comprehend. I have given much time to research this subject and it has profoundly influenced my life. I can only imagine how God’s revelation to Noah about the global flood must have impacted his life. I am sure it gave him a sense of urgency to warn his generation of the magnitude of God’s warning. History is repeating itself. Today, few people are really taking the biblical warnings about the end of this age seriously. They think those who sound these warnings are religious fanatics.

When the Lord destroyed the physical world and decimated the global population in Noah’s day, He used a powerful global earthquake to accomplish His divine judgment. He said to Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). The prophets of God in the Old Testament, while speaking about the Tribulation Period, pointed to a time when the Lord will arise “to shake terribly the earth” (Isaiah 2:19). God spoke through His servant Isaiah to warn the world that the day of the Lord [the Tribulation] “shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. … Behold the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. … Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger” (Isaiah 13:6, 9, 13).

Perhaps nothing demands man’s respectful attention like catastrophic natural disasters. Major natural disasters have the potential to immediately threaten our lives and alter our lifestyles.

The Bible informs us that earthquakes are the work of the hand of God (Psalm 102:25). He has designed the foundations of the earth to deteriorate so that they will be like a rotten piece of cloth that will eventually unravel (Psalm 102:26). Like birth pangs, as the time of God’s judgment approaches, they will increase in frequency and intensity (Luke 21:11).

I9have noted that all the earthquakes mentioned in the Bible were perfectly timed to display the power of God. The walls of Jericho came down just like God said they would (Joshua 6:5, 20). Earthquakes accompanied the display of God’s power at the death (Matthew 27:51) and resurrection of His Son (Matthew 28:2). God sent an earthquake to release Paul and Silas from prison in Philippi (Acts 16:26).

The Holy Spirit directed the prophet Isaiah to write an entire chapter about the devastating earthquakes of the Tribulation Period (Isaiah 24). According to Isaiah, the earth will be annihilated (verse 1), spoiled (verse 3), and disfigured (verse 4). The earthquakes will drastically depopulate the earth (verses 1, 3, 6). The destruction will be so great that the global population will be destitute – without house or shelter (verses 10, 12). The pride of the upper class will be disgraced so that they will be placed on an equal footing with the poor (verse 2). A sense of hopelessness and fear will grip the inhabitants of earth. They will feel like they are trapped in a pit and their doom is sealed (verse 17).

Earthquakes are becoming more frequent. Collected geological data indicates that earthquakes have increased by 2,000 percent since 1900. As previously mentioned in the April newsletter, the birth pangs of the Tribulation are directly connected to the physical and spiritual rebirth of the nation of Israel. Eleven of the 12 most powerful earthquakes since 1900 have occurred since 1948 (the beginning of the modern state of Israel)! See chart on Worldwide Earthquakes.

Earthquakes are becoming more powerful. Geologists report that a major earthquake can release enough destructive energy as is equal 10,000 nuclear bombs per second. An 8.0 earthquake releases more destructive energy than all the nuclear weapons in man’s arsenal. At some point in time, as it was in the days of Noah (Genesis 7:11), several earthquakes will have a global impact. A global earthquake will take place at the time of the Gog and Magog invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38:19-20). An earthquake near the beginning of the Tribulation will move every mountain and Island (Revelation 6:12-14). At the end of the Tribulation, the most powerful earthquake in the history of earth will cause all mountains and islands to vanish from the face of the earth (Revelation 16:18, 20).

Many of the global earthquakes of the last days will trigger massive volcanic eruptions and their subsequent impact upon climate change during the Tribulation Period (Isaiah 24:6; Ezekiel 38:19-22; Revelation 6:12-14; 8:7-13; 16:8-11). The global earthquakes will set in motion a domino effect that will radically alter the earth and its climate.

God in His grace is speaking to us today through the increase of natural disasters. Unfortunately, foolish man has attempted to remove God from His creation. The deception of evolution and the pagan concept of “mother earth” have replaced the biblical thinking of many people. The Bible emphatically, consistently, and repeatedly teaches that God created the world and everything in it (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3). He has complete control of all of it (Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3). The Bible proclaims that the heavens and the earth “continue this day according to [God’s] ordinances: for all are thy servants” (Psalm 119:91).

God is using natural disasters to demonstrate His power and sovereignty. The powerful forces of His creation are at His constant disposal. Jesus displayed this when He spoke to the winds and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, and they obeyed Him.

God uses natural disasters to remind us that we are not in control. He is!! Read Psalm 46:1-3 and see God’s command in verse 10, “Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

God uses natural disasters to humble us and destroy our prideful, independent spirit. Isaiah 2:19-22 informs us that when the end of time comes, God will violently shake the earth to humble man and exalt Himself. Disasters have a way of making us realize just how weak and vulnerable we are to God and His creation at any given moment.

God uses horrific disasters to remind us of eternity. After Job’s life was devastated with disasters, he said, “Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:9-10; see also Job 14:2 & 21:13). This world and all that is in it is passing away (Revelation 21:1). This should teach us to not fall in love with the world and the things in this world (1 John 2:15-17). Only what is done for Christ will count for eternity (1 John 2:17).

The biblical record from Genesis to Revelation gives testimony that God has used His powerful creation as a tool of retribution and judgment upon the wicked who strive with Him (Isaiah 45:7, 9; Amos 4:6-11).

Friends, the birth pangs of the Tribulation are here! They are increasing with frequency and intensity. Jesus said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

God is in control of His creation. Is He in control of your life? Have you surrendered your life into the hand of God? This is the wisest thing a person can do.

God, not man, is in control of our world. The wicked are in rebellion against the Lord. Read Psalm 2:1-3. This does not disturb the Almighty. He is laughing at them in His heaven (Psalm 2:4).

The wicked are planning to take over America and the world. Their schemes will miserably fail! God has said, “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:15-17).

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

Russia Attacks Israel

For years, Israel has repeatedly attacked Iranian military positions in Syria. The Jewish state has put the world and other Middle Eastern countries on notice that it cannot and will not tolerate an Iranian military buildup in Syria. Israel considers this to be an existential threat. Russian and Israeli leadership have openly discussed this on several occasions. In the past, Russia has verbally agreed that Israel has the right to defend itself. Therefore, Russia’s policy has been to not interfere with Israeli aircraft when they destroy Iranian military positions in Syria. This has now changed.

In May, Israel reported that Russian forces opened fire on Israeli aircraft in Syria while they were targeting Iranian military positions in Syria. Russia joined Syrian forces in an attack to shoot down Israeli military jets while they were conducting their mission. This was the first incident in which Russia has shown any aggression against Israel in recent years.

As a result of this attack, Israel Today gave the following report on May 17, 2022. “The situation in Ukraine has opened a widening rift between Israel and Russia that many fear could ultimately result in armed confrontation.

“If an Israeli Channel 13 News report is to be believed, the first shots in the Israel-Russia conflict have already been fired. Last week, Israel Air Force (IAF) jets allegedly attacked targets in northern Syria. That’s not out of the ordinary. But this time, according to unnamed sources cited by Channel 13, Russian military units stationed in Syria opened fire on the Israeli aircraft.

“Syrian military air defenses have been almost entirely ineffective in preventing Israeli airstrikes on targets in the country. But there are a number of advanced Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft batteries deployed throughout Syria that until now have not been activated against the Israelis.

“Those batteries are operated by Russian military personnel and are under Russian military command. And one of them reportedly joined Syrian air defenses in attacking Israeli planes last week.

“If true, experts said this marks a significant and dangerous policy shift on the part of Moscow” (Israel Today, May 17, 2022)

Could this be the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Russia that will lead to the Gog and Magog war mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39? Only time will tell!

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

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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 20^th 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 7^th 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 20^th 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!