what does it mean to be led by the spirit?

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6What Does It Mean to Be Led by the Spirit?By Johannes Pflaum

The Acts of the Apostles describes proclaiming God’sWord as the Holy Spirit speaking. The Holy Spiritprimarily speaks through the Word of God today. We’reoften not even aware of it, but simply interpreting andapplying His Word.

11 Money: Ends and Trends

World Geopolitics by the Bible: Whither America? – Part 4By Wilfred Hahn

15 Is Hell Eternal? – Part 3 By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

19 What Should I Do? By Norbert Lieth

22 The Mystery of the Next Step of Faith By Wim Malgo

35 Position on Millennial Residents By Wilfred Hahn

39 It’s Always Been Like This By Norbert Lieth

Midnight CallSEPTEMBER 2021

Contents

COVER STORY

4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Norbert Lieth

30 Action for Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese

32 The Ebenezer Home –Haifa, Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By David Phillips

33 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese

EVIDENCE FOR THE EXODUS...CREMATION FORBIDDEN?...HOSEA’S THIRD DAY

36 Fellow Laborers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Obed And Rebecca Hanisch

24 EU

BitcoinTransfersMust Be Identified

24 CANADA

Tax the Ultra-Rich

25 WORLD

5-Day Workweek Is Dead

26 NEW ZEALAND

Will Open Travel BeClosed Again?

27 USA

Brain Chip AllowsParalyzed Man to Write

28 FRANCEFrench as the EU’sCommon Tongue?

DEPARTMENTS

MIDNIGHT CALL

Editor’s Note

Dear Friends, A virus has dominated the world since

2020, and caused a depression to settleover all people. It brought fear, insecu-rity, loneliness, and all sorts of conse-quences. Material anxieties increased;bankruptcies and suicide rates went up,national borders were closed, and airtraffic almost shut down.

In the midst of this oppressive time, asong burst forth “as if from heaven.” Itcrossed all borders, “flew” to the re-motest parts of the earth, and dominatedthe world stage for many months. It pen-etrated all walks of life, and lifted thepeople’s mood. The song affected almosteveryone: policemen danced to themelody, staff in hospitals and in airports,pious nuns, people in church congrega-tions, the military, and sometimes indi-viduals in the middle of the street. Atleast for a time, one could breathe easierand had a sense of relief.

The song is called “Jerusalema.” Thecomposer, Moagi (known as Master KG),is a South African who professes to be aChristian. During an interview, he saidhe wanted to ask for God’s protectionand guidance with this song. The title,“Jerusalema,” brings to mind that this is

God’s favorite city. It is the place of revela-tion of the Eternal: in Jerusalem, JesusChrist accomplished salvation for mankind.Jerusalem stands for God’s dwelling placeamong men, for His presence: in Jerusalemstood “my Father’s house,” as Jesus empha-sized (John 2:16). The Lord also calledJerusalem “the city of the great King”(Matthew 5:35). The Bible tells us of a com-ing new Jerusalem that will one day rulethe world. In Revelation 21:10, it is described as the “holy city.” Jerusalemstands for past, present and future.Jerusalem points to the presence andfaithfulness of God, and the fulfillmentof His promises. It is not called “city ofpeace” for nothing. It is an image of theeternal, heavenly Jerusalem, the dwellingplace of God.

The text in the Zulu language is there-fore a synonym for the Eternal:

“Jerusalem, my homeSave meWalk with meDon’t abandon me here.My place is not hereMy kingdom is not hereSave meCome with me.”

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By Norbert LiethDirector of Missions, Midnight Call International

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STATEMENT OF FAITHWE BELIEVE in the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and there-with the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is God’s Word, andin the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of theHoly Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and shed Hisblood to save mankind. He died and arose bodily the third day andlater ascended into heaven.

WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of eachindividual sinner and that all who believe in Him as their personalSavior are justified through His shed blood and have become children of God.

WE BELIEVE that Israel is God’s chosen people, and that therestoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of theWord of God.

WE BELIEVE in the pre–tribulational appearance of Jesus Christ forthe Rapture of His Church (all born again believers).

WE BELIEVE in the immortality of our souls and the resurrection of ourbodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlastingblessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

The Prophet ic Voice for the Endt imes PRINTED IN 12 LANGUAGES

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I am not interested in a biblical-dogmatic analysis. But that a songwith this title would fascinate the world (apart from the Muslim one)and become an encouragement for many, somehow speaks for itself. To-day’s Jerusalem is the center of attention, with many not recognizing it asa Jewish identity. The very existence of a Jewish Jerusalem is an annoy-ance to many. Jerusalem is politicized and discussed, judged and tornapart—but is now a worldwide “hit” that is sung internationally. Formany, it was a balm for the soul and gave relief in a difficult time. God al-lows such a thing, because Jerusalem automatically reminds one of Him.

I thought of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:15-17) when theypreached to the idol worshipers: “…that ye should turn from thesevanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and thesea, and all things that are therein: who in times past suffered all na-tions to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himselfwithout witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven,and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Jerusalem will still have to endure difficult times in the future.But the day is coming when Jesus returns triumphantly, andJerusalem becomes His residence (Matt 25:31). The day of a newJerusalem is also coming. Then, today’s enemies of Jerusalem willalso join the celebration: “When I remember these things, I pour outmy soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with themto the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multi-tude that kept holyday” (Psalm 42:4).

Correction: In Wilfred Hahn’s article on page 10 of the August issue, the firstsentence of the next to last paragraph should have read: For example, wereJews to study Daniel and accept Revelation also as inspired Scripture, theywould not be so susceptible to being deceived by the False Messiah when hecomes.

What Does It Mean to BeLed by the Spirit?

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”(Rom 8:14). What does that mean in practice?

Johannes Pflaum


When the Bible says that weshould be filled with the HolySpirit (Eph 5:18), it’s not talking

about an ecstatic experience or “more” af-ter new birth (such as an additional bap-tism of the Spirit or a “second blessing”). Itestablishes the fact that the Holy Spirit hasfull right to live and rule in and through us.Paul shows that being filled with the Spirit

is inconsistent with drunkenness (Eph5:18). Being filled with the Holy Spirit re-lates to obedience (cf. Eph 5:8ff.).—“…TheHoly Ghost, whom God hath given to themthat obey him” (Acts 5:32).

Some enthusiasts invoke Acts 2:13,when the Holy Spirit was poured out on theapostles at Pentecost: “Others mockingsaid, These men are full of new wine.” But

this ridicule wasn’t about the apostles’seeming ecstatic or stumbling around, butthe different languages. Peter himself wasclear about this (v. 15), and he hit the markwith his “stone-cold sober” sermon.

Paul calls the Holy Spirit a spirit of“sound mind” (discipline, or prudence—2Tim 1:7). And in Galatians 5:23, he de-scribes temperance (also translated as “self-control”) as a fruit of the Spirit. It’s a matterof being in control of oneself, of modera-tion, which is the opposite of drunkenness.In the Bible, a staggering state is a sign ofGod’s judgment (Isa 19:13-14; 28:7; 29:9;Jer 25:16), and being drunk or intoxicatedis a bad thing (Isa 51:21; 63:6; Nah 3:11;Hab 2:15; Jer 25:27).

The Holy Spirit’s GuidanceThe Acts of the Apostles calls Peter,Stephen, Barnabas, and others “full of theHoly Ghost.” This applies to their preach-ing, ministry, and discipleship. The HolySpirit led them on their way (cf. Acts 8:29;10:19; 13:2, 4; 16:6-7). We don’t find thephrases “Spirit-led” or “spiritual guidance”in the book of Acts, but we can see evi-dence of it in the different events recordedthere.

We read of how the Holy Spirit spoke tosend Paul and Barnabas out on the firstmissionary journey (Acts 13:2). The con-nection with Acts 13:1 suggests that thisspeaking was done through the prophets inthat congregation. Regarding this, it shouldbe noted that the role of the New Testa-ment prophets (Acts 11:28; 20:23; 21:10),together with the Apostles, belonged to thefoundation of the Church and cannot sim-ply be carried over to the present day (cf.Eph 2:20).

But even if prophets in the New Testa-ment sense no longer exist, the Holy Spiritis still using people to call others. But we’renot gushing about a word from the Spirit,

or using it as a form of leverage. The HolySpirit can use elders, praying brothers andsisters, or a church sermon to initiate a callto ministry.

Personal readiness and confirmation arealways part of a call from others. Paul, forexample, had had this since his conversion.It speaks to the Apostle’s greatness that hecould put his true life’s mission on hold forso long, until he was sent out by the churchin Antioch. God’s Spirit is still callingthrough other people today. We could callthis spiritual guidance.

Relying on What the Holy Spirit Is SayingWe read of the Holy Spirit speaking in Acts1:16, 4:25, and 28:25. Each time, the OldTestament is referenced. This makes it clearhow the Holy Spirit leads and guidesthrough God’s Word, because it is alsospeaking there.

Acts 20:28 records Paul’s farewell speechto the elders of Ephesus. There he refers tothem as overseers appointed by the HolySpirit. It begs the question: how did theHoly Spirit do this? From Acts 14:23, wecan see that Paul and Barnabas installed el-ders in the churches; that is, the elderswere appointed by the people and by theHoly Spirit. Why? Because Paul and Barn-abas asked for and acted on God’s will. Thisis why 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 also men-tion spiritual qualifications for the office ofelder. They were the standard by whichTimothy and Titus could determine whowas fit for ministry. Of course, choosing el-ders always involves prayer. But when theHoly Spirit appoints people, this shouldn’tbe confused with false, mystical notions ofspiritual guidance. Rather, they are af-firmed by the Word of God for this min-istry.

But there are also passages in Acts wherethe Spirit of God speaks directly to people(Acts 8:29; 10:29). This is how the Lord

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C O V E R S T O R Y


can lead His children today, without it al-ways having to be connected to a special ex-perience of enlightenment. For example,someone may experience the peace of Godand the associated certainty regarding a par-ticular matter. Or, you may have an impres-sion that you should call or visit a certainperson, or pray for somebody. In preparing topreach, it’s important to have a particularScripture passage to speak about.

Now, it’s important to be careful that we’renot prematurely marketing subjective im-pressions as the Spirit’s guidance. If the Lordhas ordained something, it will always beconfirmed in time. We’re often not evenaware of it, because we’re simply doing thetask set before us. Therefore, let’s resist usingthe phrase, “The Holy Spirit told me.”

Even in Acts, it is only directly stated thatthe Holy Spirit said something two times (cf.Acts 11:12; 21:11). This was during the timewhen divine revelation of canon hadn’t beencompleted, and the New Testament prophetswere still active. In a third passage, Paulrecords how the Holy Spirit warned him thathe would be imprisoned (Acts 20:23). Thedisciples preach what the Holy Spirit has said,and relate it to what God has already re-vealed, in three other places (Acts 1:16; 4:25;28:25).

Preaching and Speaking by the Holy SpiritAs we have seen, the Acts of the Apostles de-scribes proclaiming God’s Word as the HolySpirit speaking. This is an essential feature.After the ministry of the Apostles and theNew Testament prophets was over, and thewhole Word of God as a divine revelation wascomplete, no additional revelation wasneeded. So, the Holy Spirit primarily speaksthrough the Word of God today. Therefore, a

prophetic word given through preaching isn’tthe spreading of supposed visions, dreams, orrevelations. It’s an interpretation of God’sWord that speaks into the situation andstrikes the audience. The preacher often isn’teven aware of it; he’s simply interpreting andapplying God’s Word. But someone sitting inthe audience is asking himself, “How couldhe possibly know that about me?”

On November 4, 2012, theologian RolfScheffbuch led a Bible study with the subject,“On the Way to Heaven.” In his message, hespoke so clearly and succinctly about today’sspiritual situation, that a listener asked himwhat had caused him to say it all that way.Rolf Scheffbuch didn’t know that this was tobe his final act of service; he was called toeternity just six days later. His sermon be-came his spiritual legacy, and I’ve heard itmany times myself. It’s an example of howthe Holy Spirit is speaking propheticallythrough the preaching of God’s Word today.

As mentioned previously, Scripture tells usin various places that the apostles preached inthe Spirit. The first time is Peter’s Pentecostsermon in Acts 2:4. What was the heart ofthis message? The unique significance of Je-sus, and the salvation that is connected withHim. Even Stephen, filled with the HolySpirit, pointed toward Jesus at the end of hisActs 7 message on redemptive history.

We find the same thing when Peterpreached the Gospel to Cornelius and theGentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10). Of course, thedisciples also spoke about the Holy Spirit orquoted Scripture when doing this. But aSpirit-filled sermon was always about Jesusand His significance. It was probably PastorWilhelm Busch who once said, “The HolySpirit works most strongly where Jesus ismade great.”

We don’t find the phrases “Spirit-led” or “spiritual guidance” in the book ofActs, but we can see evidence of it in the different events recorded there.

What Does It Mean to Be Led by the Spirit?

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Direct and Indirect Leading of the SpiritPaul and Barnabas were set apart for theirministry by the Holy Spirit. The start of thefirst missionary journey was directly relatedto this message from God.

Paul set out on his second missionary jour-ney after deciding on his own (Acts 15:36).We read the same of his third missionaryjourney in Acts 18:23. There is no mention ofa special commission from God’s Spirit in ei-ther case. Paul didn’t sit there passively wait-ing for spiritual guidance; he made a decisionand set off. We can be sure that Paul prayed agreat deal and made his decision prayerfullybefore he left. But nothing is said of a specialword from God or a special event.

At the onset of the second and third mis-sionary journeys, we see that God’s Spirit alsoindirectly guides people who live in theirLord’s presence, dependent on Him. By “indi-rect,” I’m not implying an inferior leadership,but spiritual guidance without an extraordi-nary event or God explicitly speaking. Ofcourse, the precondition is that we’re ready toalign ourselves with God’s Word and will.

An Important Example of the Holy Spirit’s GuidanceActs 16:6-10 describes a special event relatedto the Apostle Paul’s spiritual guidance. Heand Silas were on the second missionary jour-ney, and then the Holy Spirit twice preventedthem from preaching God’s Word. We don’tknow how it happened, but Paul and hiscompanions realized that the Lord wasthwarting their no-doubt prayerful plans.

Paul doesn’t simply attribute this hin-drance to the devil. This facile, seemingly pi-ous explanation is often used. If we don’t getwhat we wished for or our plans don’t work

out, we blame the devil for it. But sometimesit can also be the Lord Himself who nullifieseven righteous plans and desires, because Hehas something completely different in mindfor us.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Paul speaks of Sa-tan having prevented him from coming toThessalonica twice. In the case described inActs 16, however, he recognized that it wasthe Lord who was hindering that progressand its associated ministry, through HisSpirit. It is interesting how Paul and his com-panions dealt with it. Some misconceptionsabout leadership can be corrected throughtheir example.

When the Lord denied Paul and Silas’plan, they didn’t sit idly by or passively waitfor a revelatory experience. First, they in-tended to go west to the province of Asia topreach the Gospel, but the Holy Spirit deniedthem. Paul and Silas didn’t just twiddle theirthumbs; they moved on to Mysia and tried toadvance east to preach the Gospel. Again, theSpirit didn’t allow it. So they moved on toTroas. That’s where they received the order togo to Macedonia, by means of a face in thenight.

John MacArthur describes this incident asan example of recognizing God’s will in hisbook, Found: God’s Will. He compares theChristian to a 30-ton truck. At rest, it requiresa truck-mounted crane to move it. But whenit’s already in motion, it’s much easier to steer.So many Christians sit and ask for God’s willinstead of moving. But the Lord wants toguide us while we’re in motion, as we seethrough Paul and Silas’ example. MacArthurwrites:

“Keep moving—what a principle! So manypeople sit around waiting for that celestial

C O V E R S T O R Y

A prophetic word given through preaching isn’t the spreading of supposedvisions, dreams, or revelations. It’s an interpretation of God’s Word that speaksinto the situation and strikes the audience.

What Does It Mean to Be Led by the Spirit?

The Lord wants to guide us whilewe’re in motion, as we see through

Paul and Silas’ example.

crane to move them, saying, ‘I don’t knowwhat God wants me to do.’ They need tostart moving so God can steer them to thatarea of service He has planned. KnowingGod’s will may mean pushing down a nar-row line until you hit a dead end. At thatpoint, God will open a door so wide youwon’t be able to see around it—onlythrough it!

“What was Paul’s response? It isrecorded in the book of Acts: ‘When he hadseen the vision, immediately we sought togo into Macedonia, concluding that Godhad called us to preach the gospel to them’(Acts 16:10).

“Paul responded immediately, and that isthe only reaction when a persistent heartmeets an open door [. . .] You may bounceoff a lot of closed doors, but that is God’sway of forcing you into His open one. Getrolling! Be persistent.”

John Heading sees threefold guidance inthe Apostle’s life regarding the events ofPaul’s second missionary journey. First,Paul was guided by “personal means.” Hemade a personal decision in Acts 15:36, tovisit the brothers he had preached theGospel to on his first missionary journey.This was his personal mission. Second, the“spiritual means” which prevented Pauland Silas from continuing, and which thenled to their call into Europe at Troas. Third,

after having ministered at Philippi, Paulfollowed the east-west road in Macedoniato Thessalonica. This is where the north-south and east-west routes crossed. Thiswas a “natural means.” This shows how theLord’s guidance included personal, spiri-tual, and natural elements. The churchthere came into being through the preach-ing in Thessalonica.

These insights from MacArthur andHeading are very helpful in protectingagainst misconceptions about spiritualguidance and the associated recognition ofGod’s will. Of course, if we’re not yet clearabout our calling, there can be situationswhere we truly do have to wait until wehave recognized God’s will. When it comesto making important decisions, we don’thave to rush in, or do what someone elsewants. This doesn’t contradict Paul andSilas’ behavior. They knew their calling,and they kept moving until the Lord di-rected them to where He wanted them.

We can’t always derive correspondingrules for the present day from the events ofthe Apostles’ day. But every follower of Je-sus must desire to be filled and guided byGod’s Spirit. It has little to do with extraor-dinary events, but more to do with a dailylife spent in God’s Word, in fellowship withthe Lord, doing His will in everyday things.

(MR0521/1163)

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For resources on "endtime economics," visit Wilfred's website www.eternalvalue.com

or contact him at: [email protected]

Why are we pursuing this study? Im-portantly, it allows us to determinethe times and the seasons. There

can be no doubt: We are living in an interest-ing time … likely a sliver in duration … assome major prophetic events are at the verydoor. These will have an enormous impactupon the world … expressly so also America.

In Part 3, we noted that all of the RulerKings that Daniel saw in his visions, have leftsignificant legacies for the world today. We lastdiscussed the connections of ancient Babylonwith our current times. Readers will likelyhave been surprised.

Next, we consider Medo-Persia (depicted asa bear in Daniel 7). The most significant con-tribution of the Medes was the principle of tol-erance. The figure of Cyrus has survivedthroughout history as the role model of anideal ruler.

Though a conqueror, he was tolerant andmagnanimous. In like fashion, Darius I andXerxes I, and later Persian rulers were consid-ered to be liberal.

The attitude of tolerance is evident in theBible’s account of Cyrus. He was moved tofund the rebuilding of the Jewish temple (Ezra1:2). He provided a grant for this humanitar-ian project, involving a different people withanother religion (Ezra 3:7). Cyrus even re-turned some of the temple treasures that hadbeen carted out of Jerusalem decades earlier.

What reigning powers in history ever con-sidered offering recompense to those that theyconquered? If that is the key characteristicsymbolized by the Medo-Persian “bear,” thenit certainly does apply to our time.

If it were not so, how could it have everbeen possible for the Jews to again be restoredto their own land in 1948, after almost twothousand years of dispersion? This is one ofthe greatest confirmations that the “bear” de-picted in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 is indeedupon the scene today.

Most readers will agree that Greece has lefta big stamp upon the world. It is shown as aleopard in Daniel. Greece is the source ofmuch humanism. Its ancient society placed a

Money:Ends&Trends

WORLDGEOPOLITICS BY THE BIBLE:WHITHER AMERICA? – PART 4

We continue our quest for the identities of the 7 Ruler Kings, which rep-resent the geopolitical history of the world in that they circumnavigatethe fate of the Hebrews.

By Wilfred Hahn

Money:Ends&Trends

high value upon human reasoning and philos-ophy. That was certainly the case during NewTestament times. Paul often debated Greekthinkers; notably, for example, at Mars Hill(Acts 17).

He later tells us that “Jews demand miracu-lous signs and Greeks look for wisdom” (1Corinthians 1:22). Here we see Apostle Paulconfirming that the god of the Greeks was hu-man logic (humanism). Paul also held “dis-cussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus”(Acts 19:9) for over two years. Tyrannus was aGreek teacher and sophist whose school wasin Ephesus.

To the Greeks, the very fact that somethingmight be incomprehensible could only be re-ferred to the Unknown God. Paul showedthem that all ways higher than man’s were at-tributable to God (Isaiah 55:9). This Hellenis-tic emphasis upon science and naturalismrules our society today.

There are other Greek cultural legacies thatstill mark our world. Democracy is the preva-lent organizational form politically worldwidetoday (its origin found in ancient Greece).Democracy, assuredly a human system withmany good facilities, still harbors the fatal flawthat will enable a spiritually blind world towillingly allow the Antichrist to come to

power. And, of course, we cannot forget theOlympics, the highest celebration of humanphysical achievement.

Today we live in the Roman Head era. Itssigns are all around us. Western society andculture can find much of its root in the earlyRoman Empire. From Roman law, civil organi-zation, military techniques, and creditor phi-losophy, to many other influences, Westernsociety today remains quintessentially Roman.

We need not spend much time document-ing this phenomenon. Rome was a ferociousmilitary beast two thousand years ago. Thenew Rome, both militarily and economically,is an even more ferocious beast, one that cer-tainly is stamping much of the world under itsfeet (Daniel 7:7, 19).

How to Line Up the Ruler KingsAll of the Bible’s prophecies about the 7 Rulerkingdoms (individually or collectively) lead tothe same ending scenario. In every case, thesevisions end up pointing to the same final king-dom. It is the messianic kingdom. Followingall the beast (Gentile) kingdoms, it is shown tobe eternal.

Daniel informs us that the time of the mes-sianic kingdom comes after the feet and thetoes. The stone cut out without hands dashes

Democracy, assuredly a human systemwith many good facilities, still harbors

the fatal flaw that will enable aspiritually blind world to willingly allow

the Antichrist to come to power.

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apart the statue (Daniel 2:34). After this,“the God of heaven will set up a kingdomthat will never be destroyed, nor will it beleft to another people. It will crush all thosekingdoms and bring them to an end, but itwill itself endure forever.”

Furthermore, we know that the 4th beastof Daniel 7 (the 6th by Revelation’s count) isvanquished by God. After this arises His do-minion, “[…] an everlasting dominion thatwill not pass away, and his kingdom is onethat will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

The same is revealed in the beast visionsof Daniel 8, showing that these kingdomsare destroyed, “but not by human power”(Daniel 8:25). Revelation provides muchrich detail on the eternal kingdom that fol-lows the beast of Revelation 17.

Knowing this, a simple way of corrobo-rating the identity and chronological orderof all the Ruler Kings (whether mentionedin the Old or New Testament) is to simplycount back from the messianic kingdom.

We know that the kingdom “that is”(Revelation 17:10) must be Roman. It mustbe as Apostle John explains. Rome was theworld hegemon at the time of his prophe-cies. He tells us it is the 6th in the lineage of7.

“Five have fallen … one more is to come,and that one but for a little while” (Revela-tion 17:10). We also know that Daniel’s 4thbeast (Daniel 7) was Roman. This can beproven in a number of ways.

First, we are told specifically that the firstof the five kingdoms, represented by the im-age with the golden head (Daniel 2), wasNebuchadnezzar. If we count the number ofworld kingdoms that follow him (Medo-Per-sia, Greece, and Rome), Rome is the 4th that

he sees. We conclude that Daniel’s 4th king-dom is the same as John’s 6th.

In view of the prophecies of Daniel, it canbe shown that he is referring to the same firstfour kingdoms in his visions. He identifiesBabylon as being the first in this line. Daniel 7(this prophecy being uttered before the Medo-Persians had conquered Babylon) specificallyidentifies four kingdoms that will rise from theearth (Daniel 7:17). Then, in chapter 8, it is re-vealed to him that two of the kingdoms (alsoproviding details about some of the individualkings) would be Medo-Persia and Greece(mentioned by name).

Not much later, Daniel himself witnessedthe fall of Babylon (Head #3) and then servedCyrus the Mede (a part of Head #4). Taking allobservations together, there is no question thatBabylon is followed by Medo-Persia (#4), thenby Greece (#5). None of the Ruler Kings areshown to occur thereafter other than the 4thBeast Daniel saw. Again, this can only be Ro-man.

We can deduce that the five beasts and/orhorns that Prophet Daniel sees are the verysame Ruler Kings #3 to #7 that Apostle Johnsees. Daniel shares visions that look forwardfrom his time, while John’s visions encompasspast, present, and future. We observe that allfive of these Ruler Kings can indeed be named.

The Identity of the First Two HeadsNow that we have all the foundations in placeon the last five Ruler Kings, we can turn ourattention to the two earliest ones. We have yetto provide proofs of the identities of RKs #1and #2.

As it turns out, the identity of the first twoRKs of the 7 heads, have assuredly been thesubject of much debate. Just what qualifying

Daniel shares visions that look forward from his time, while John’s visionsencompass past, present, and future. We observe that all five of these RulerKings can indeed be named.

World Geopolitics by the Bible: Whither America? – Part 4

Money:Ends&Trends

criteria should one use to identify a “majorworld rulership” in the geopolitical arena,to discover the identity of these seven ma-jor kingdoms in the Bible?

Earlier in the series, we had listed 7 crite-ria shared by the 7 RK. The first commoncharacteristic of all of them is their persecu-tion and oppression of the Hebrews.

Frankly, the Bible only offers three plau-sible candidates that were in power beforeBabylon in the Bible: Egypt, Assyria and thePhilistines. However, only two meet all ofthe 7 traits common to the rest of the RulerKings; most expressly, oppressing Israel.(Another nation candidate mentioned oftenin the Bible is Tyre.)

Much of Scripture is preoccupied withthe three nations of Egypt, Assyria andPhilistia and their interactions with Israel.For example, the word Philistine (and itsderivatives) is mentioned 276 times in theBible; Egypt (and its derivatives) 793 times;and Assyria, 144 times.

But which two of these three nationsqualify as the 1st and 2nd heads of the 7-headed beast shown in Revelation? Justwhat additional indications does Scriptureprovide? Consider the following state-ments:

1. “For this is what the Sovereign LORDsays: ‘At first my people went down to Egyptto live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them’”(Isaiah 52:4).

2. “Therefore, this is what the Lord, theLORD Almighty, says: ‘My people who livein Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians,who beat you with a rod and lift up a clubagainst you, as Egypt did’” (Isaiah 10:24).

3. “We submitted to Egypt and Assyria toget enough bread” (Lamentations 5:6).

4. “Israel is a scattered flock that lionshave chased away. The first to devour themwas the king of Assyria; the last to crushtheir bones was Nebuchadnezzar king ofBabylon” (Jeremiah 50:17).

In these verses (and a number more thatcould be cited), we see Assyria and Egyptbeing jointly referenced as oppressors andpersecutors of the Hebrews. The Philistinesare not in this same company. Why? ThePhilistines, though they had been a fre-quent foe of Israel, were not in the sameleague as Egypt and Assyria at their apex.Wars with the Philistines were not muchmore that territorial skirmishes.

The Philistines never completely van-quished the Israelites nor controlled theMiddle East. They were considered “seapeoples” and were never rulers of the thenknown world. Moreover, King David andhis troops were at one time even mercenar-ies on behalf of Philistia, supposedly fight-ing against Judah.

In short, Philistia does not appear toqualify as one of the 7 heads.

Based on the weight of Scripture, weconclude that Egypt and Assyria, respec-tively, are the 1st and 2nd heads of the 7-headed beast. There are no other viablecandidates in our view.

When the 10 Horns Arrive on the TimelineIn the next issue, we will turn our focus fromthe 7 Ruler Kings to the 10 horns (10K). Theyrepresent a coalition of 10 rulers (or nations)that is formed just before the start of the Tribu-lation period. Just what are the 10 kings des-tined to do? Will America be one of these tennations?


Based on the weight of Scripture, we conclude that Egypt andAssyria, respectively, are the 1st and 2nd heads of the 7-headedbeast. There are no other viable candidates in our view.

MC

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The great chasm separating Abra-ham’s bosom from the place oftorment (hadēs), is likely the

heavens themselves. The notion thatOld Testament saints were captives inAbraham’s bosom, and they needed tobe released and carried with Christ intriumph to heaven, is derived from cer-tain passages: Luke 16:19-31, Ephesians4:8-10, and 1 Peter 3:18-20. The pre-sent article will consider the validity ofthis understanding.

First Peter 3:18-20The fact that Christ is said to have“made proclamation to the spirits nowin prison” (1 Pet 3:19), has led some toconclude that Christ descended to theplace of torment (hadēs) and preachedto the spirits there: either to offer a sec-

ond chance to any who would repent,or to proclaim their eternal condemna-tion in His triumph over them. Peterwas specific with regard to who re-ceived the message of proclamation:those “who once were disobedient . . .in the days of Noah, during the con-struction of the ark” (v. 20). The notionthat Christ would descend to hadēsand there make proclamation to such alimited audience, does seem peculiar.Moreover, if the Lord did descend tohadēs to proclaim His triumph, cer-tainly He would have declared that mes-sage to all the sinners there. Even moreproblematic is the idea that Christwould offer a second chance to sinners,when Scripture indicates the impossi-bility of repentance after death (Luke16:26; Heb 9:27).

Part II of this series concluded with discussion of Abraham’s bosom(Paradise) as the place of blessing, in contrast to the place of tormentfor the unbeliever.

Is Hell Eternal?– Part 3

Dr. Ron J. Bigalke


While it is possible that Christ trulydescended to the place (Tartarus) wheredemonic spirits are confined, to makeproclamation of His victory accom-plished on Calvary’s cross (1 Pet 3:18-20), there is no reason to conclude thatChrist descended into any compartmentof hadēs for the purpose of releasingOld Testament saints from captivity. Thepurpose of Jesus’ instruction in Luke16:26 was to indicate that upon death, aperson would either go to a place ofeverlasting blessing or eternal torment.The place of blessing for the Old Testa-

ment believer would be where Abrahamis, and unbelievers would experiencetorment in hadēs, until their final sen-tencing to hell at the Great WhiteThrone Judgment (Rev 20:11-15).

Revelation 20:11-15 reveals the finaljudgment awaiting those in prison(hadēs). Hell is the ultimate destiny forthe unbeliever; it will be an eternal tor-ment “with fire and brimstone” (Rev14:10-11; cf. 19:3; Isa 34:10). The unbe-lieving do not cease to exist through an-nihilation, for this would contradictboth the experience of torment stated inRevelation 14:10, and the very next linein verse 11, where it says, “they have norest day and night.” The experience oftorment continues perpetually. The de-piction of the final judgment in Revela-tion corresponds to Matthew 25:46,where the unbeliever will “go away intoeternal punishment,” and “the right-eous” are brought “into eternal life.”

The final sentencing to hell occurswhen the dead stand before the “greatwhite throne” and are “judged from thethings which were written in the books,according to their deeds” (Rev 20:11-12). Salvation has always been by gracethrough faith; thus, the judgment “ac-cording to their deeds” is to determinewhere in hell the unbeliever will be,since there are degrees of suffering, eventhough hell is a place of torment wher-ever one may be.

Luke 16:19-31Luke 16 reveals that unbelievers will bejailed in hadēs until being imprisonedfor life. At the most basic level, the fun-damental difference between jail and

The final sentencing to hell occurs when the dead stand before the “great whitethrone” and are “judged from the things which were written in the books,according to their deeds” (Rev 20:11-12).

Is Hell Eternal? – Part 3

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prison is the length of stay for de-tainees. Hadēs is a place of fiery suffer-ing, yet it is the temporary residence ofthe lost. The unbeliever’s final judgmentand sentencing to hell will not occuruntil a future time. Consequently, thegrim reality “is a great chasm fixed” be-tween heaven and hell (Luke 16:26).

Subsequent to Jesus asserting “thatthose who wish to come over from hereto you will not be able, and that nonemay cross over from there to us,” therich man begged for someone to warnhis five brothers, so that they would notenter the “place of torment” (vv. 26-28).No one would be sent to them because,“They have Moses and the Prophets” (v.29). The Word of God is sufficient forsalvation: someone being raised “fromthe dead” is unnecessary, for it wouldtrivialize Christ’s resurrection and thelost would “not be persuaded” (vv. 30-31). Even two millennia after Christdied and was raised from the grave, peo-ple remain unconvinced. Individualshave the opportunity to hear, and stillchoose to be disobedient.

Ephesians 4:8-10Ephesians 4:8 refers to the fact thatwhen Christ “ASCENDED ON HIGH,HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAP-TIVES.” The image is that of a con-queror who, as a display of victory, leadsthe defeated in a triumphal procession.The same expression of “captives” wasused in Judges 5:12, where Barak wasurged to “take away your captives.”Psalm 68:18 refers to how God led cap-tive His captives. The Lord entered Zionwhen David moved the ark to Jerusalem

(an event attended by “myriads, thou-sands upon thousands,” v. 17). God “as-cended on high” in triumphal ascent.He was victorious over His enemies, andtook as “captives” those who were “re-bellious” toward His rule. Ephesians 4:8quotes Psalm 68:18, in reference toChrist’s triumphant ascension to His Fa-ther’s throne subsequent to His resur-rection. (Jesus’ prohibition in John20:17 likely has nothing to do with thenature of His resurrection body; rather,the Lord was instructing Mary not tocling to Him since He might disappearimminently and return to heaven.)

The imagery of leading captivity cap-tive does not refer to believers beingfreed from Abraham’s bosom in hadesand then being led in triumph toheaven, because that interpretation doesnot correspond to the biblical usage orthe idea being conveyed. Abraham wasnever a captive, for he is the very exam-ple of righteousness through faith (Rom4)! The Old Testament souls in Paradisewere not enemies of God. Old Testa-ment believers were just as redeemed asNew Testament believers, for salvationhas always been on the basis of Christ’ssubstitutionary atonement.

Jesus was the first to receive a glorifiedbody, yet it was not required for Him to bethe first to ascend to heaven. All believerswho have died enter heaven; however,their experience is an intermediate state,while awaiting the glorification of thebody. Moreover, the tombs opening whenChrist died (Matt 27:52-53) were not res-urrections but resuscitations (similar toLazarus). Though he was resuscitated,Lazarus would grow old and die again,

Jesus was the first to receive a glorified body, yet it was not required for Him to be thefirst to ascend to heaven. All believers who have died enter heaven; however, theirexperience is an intermediate state, while awaiting the glorification of the body.


for he returned to the same life he hadprior to dying. When the Lord Jesus died,some tombs were opened (probably ofthose who had died recently) so theywould be a testimony to the power ofGod, just as Lazarus was.

The expression “LED CAPTIVE AHOST OF CAPTIVES” is simply an idiommeaning that Christ defeated His enemies.Thereafter, He was free to give “GIFTS TOMEN.” The captive being led captive wasSatan and his demonic hosts. Colossians2:15 is a parallel passage to Ephesians 4:8(Ps 68:18), which declares of the death ofChrist (Col 2:13-14): “When He had dis-armed the rulers and authorities, He madea public display of them, having tri-umphed over them through Him.” At thecross, the Lord Jesus divested Himself ofthe wicked powers that had opposed Himso obstinately throughout His ministry.The “public display” refers to Christ dis-gracing the powers of evil when He diedon the cross. Jesus “triumphed” over Sa-tan and his demonic hosts with His sacri-ficial death. He accomplished the victorythat rendered “powerless him who hadthe power of death, that is, the devil”(Heb 2:14).

No Old Testament saint was ever heldcaptive in hadēs. Satan had no power overAbraham, because God declared himrighteous through faith (Gen 15:6; Rom4:3). There was no reason for Abraham orany Old Testament saint to be held captivein hadēs for any period of time. Theywould have gone immediately into thepresence of God in heaven upon death.Scripture gives no indication that fullnessof access to the blessings of being in God’spresence in heaven, was withheld from

any Old Testament believer when theydied. There is every indication that believ-ers who died prior to Christ’s death en-tered the presence of God immediately,because their sins were forgiven by God’sgrace and their faith in the Messiah whowas to come.

ConclusionWhen the Lord Jesus died, His experiencewas the same as those of believersthroughout the ages who die. His de-parted body remained on the earth buriedin the grave, yet His incorporeal being(soul/spirit) immediately entered God’spresence in heaven. On the third day ofHis burial subsequent to His death, theLord Jesus rose from the dead; it was thenthat His spirit was reunited with His body.Similarly, when the Lord Jesus returns,those who have died in Christ will be re-united with their bodies and be raised toglorification (while the living will be im-mediately transformed).

Revelation 6:7-8 prophesies the break-ing of the fourth seal. The horse that willemerge is “ashen . . . and he who sat on ithad the name Death; and Hades was fol-lowing with him.” The ashen horse riderhas the ability to claim the physical livesof earth dwellers. Consequently, their in-corporeal being (soul/spirit) will be con-fined to “Hades” to await the finaljudgment. Hadēs is the prison and tempo-rary location for the unbeliever, betweentheir death and the time of the GreatWhite Throne Judgment. Hadēs is thecompartment called “torment” in Luke16:23, and is where all unbelievers re-main until the Great White ThroneJudgment of Revelation 20. (1168)

When the Lord Jesus returns, those who have died in Christ will be reunited withtheir bodies and be raised to glorification (while the living will be immediatelytransformed).

Is Hell Eternal? – Part 3

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Norbert Lieth

The question “What should I do?” isas old as conscious thought itself.The famous philosopher Immanuel

Kant asked himself similar questionsaround 1770: “What can I know? What

should I do? What can I hope for? What isman?”

Man may search all over, but he’ll con-tinue to search until he reaches for theBible. It is the only source for a conclusive

The coronavirus, perplexity, fear, and existential worries…Theseall beg the question: “What should I do?” An answer with aheavenly frame of reference and an eternal time frame.

What ShouldI Do?

answer to what we should do and whatwe’re meant to be.

The Lord Jesus was once asked, “Whatshall we do, that we might work theworks of God?” (John 6:28). He replied,“This is the work of God, that ye believeon him whom he hath sent” (v. 29).

The greatest misery is unbelief in Je-sus. There is no greater omission! Bycontrast, all other negative experiencesare trifling. Anyone sitting in a darkplace will do anything just to get out.People will take the greatest risks just tobe alright again, even resorting to com-mitting small evils. But the solution tolife’s original problem is faith in JesusChrist.

On the day of Pentecost, the Jews real-ized that things weren’t really going well

for them in spite of all their compliancewith the law. As a result of Peter’s Christ-centered message, this happened: “Nowwhen they heard this, they were prickedin their heart, and said unto Peter and tothe rest of the apostles, Men andbrethren, what shall we do?” (Acts2:37). Peter gave them the only correctanswer: “Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christfor the remission of sins, and ye shall re-ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (v. 38).The result was inevitable: “Then theythat gladly received his word were bap-tized: and the same day were added untothem about three thousand souls” (v.41).

Saul of Tarsus was a man who pas-sionately hated Jesus and His church. Inhis rage, he tried everything to destroythe Christian church. But one day, theLord confronted him. Overwhelmed bythis supernatural event, Saul asked theall-important question, “Lord, what wiltthou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6). TheLord forgave Saul’s sins and chose him tobe an apostle to the nations. He was alsogiven a new name: Paul.

The prison guard in Philippi wasgiven the task of guarding two prisoners:the Apostle Paul and his companionSilas. This brutal prison warden was al-ready accustomed to the responsibility.He did his job strictly by the book, but itbrought him no satisfaction. He hadtime to watch Paul and Silas, so he heardhow they didn’t complain about theirsuffering, but instead began all at onceto sing, and even to praise God. Sud-denly, an earthquake shook the prison,causing the doors to burst open and the

What Should I Do?


But one day, the Lord confronted him. Overwhelmed by this supernatural event,Saul asked the all-important question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”(Acts 9:6).

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prisoners’ bonds to be loosed (Acts16:26). The prison guard awoke fromhis sleep, became aware of his fatal situ-ation, and tried to kill himself with hissword (v. 27). Perhaps he’d been ques-tioning his life for some time and wasfrustrated by everything in and aroundhim. Paul noticed this and spoke com-fortingly to him. Then the man askedthe essential question: “Sirs, what mustI do to be saved?” (v. 30). Paul answeredwithout hesitation: “Believe on the LordJesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,and thy house” (v. 31). Belief in thismessage turned the prison guard’s lifecompletely upside down, and he literallybecame a new person: “And he tookthem the same hour of the night, andwashed their stripes; and was baptized,he and all his, straightway. And when hehad brought them into his house, he setmeat before them, and rejoiced, believ-ing in God with all his house” (vv. 33-34).

Now let’s take a closer look at theaforementioned questions from philoso-pher Immanuel Kant.

What Can I Know?You can know that Jesus is the hope forevery life. For Him, there is no such thingas a hopeless case. You can also know thatHe has the power to forgive sins, and togive you life that is not only new, but alsoeternal. You can also know that Jesus of-fers a security that will continue to endurebeyond tomorrow. The Apostle Paul’s spir-itual life began with the question, “Whoart thou, Lord? …What wilt thou have meto do?” (Acts 9:5-6). As an old manshortly before his death, he was able to

testify with great certainty, “I know whomI have believed” (2 Tim 1:12b).

What Should I Do?The previous examples show us that aperson must choose Jesus because, “Thisis the work of God, that ye believe on himwhom he hath sent” (John 6:29b). Thosewho heard Peter’s sermon at Pentecostwillingly accepted the proclaimed Wordof God. The prison guard in Philippi wasdelighted that his whole household hadbecome believers—it was a decisive act.He gave himself to the Lord willingly.

What Should You Do Now?Accept the invitation that God issuedthrough His prophet: “Seek ye me, and yeshall live” (Amos 5:4b).

What Can I Hope For?Those who earnestly seek God will findHim, receive forgiveness from all sins,and live! Any such person has hope thatthe Lord will never let go of him, and willcarry him through for all eternity. WithJesus, burdens fall away, hope arises,prayers are answered, and existing diffi-culties overcome. You are no longer onyour own; Jesus is there!

What Is Man?Without Jesus he is hopeless, prey to Sa-tan and sin. But with and through Jesus,man receives a new position: child of Godand co-heir with Jesus, and thus an heirof the Father in heaven. Then this is true:“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is anew creature: old things are passed away;behold, all things are become new” (2Cor 5:17). (MR0221/1136)

You can know that Jesus is the hope for every life. For Him, there is no such thingas a hopeless case. You can also know that He has the power to forgive sins, andto give you life that is not only new, but also eternal.


The Lord can praise the church in Pergamosbecause they hold firmly to His name:“thou holdest fast my name” (v. 13). What

name? The wonderful name that God gave us forsalvation: the costly name of Jesus! Located atthe center of Satan’s strategy, this church hasn’tlet its gaze be obscured by pagan splendor, carnallust, or the lust of the eyes. That would easilyhave been possible, since the entire populationwas enthusiastic about the snake cult and em-peror worship.

The phrase that is used here, “holding fast,” isactually too weak and colorless. You could alsophrase it as digging in and holding on for dearlife. In Pergamos it truly was a matter of life anddeath, because something that belonged to thebelievers was being snatched at. That is alwaysthe enemy’s goal: He wants to snatch what wehave from us. That’s why the letters repeat theadmonition, “But that which ye have alreadyhold fast till I come” (Rev 2:25). Or, “hold thatfast which thou hast, that no man take thycrown” (Rev 3:11).

So, it really is a matter of holding tight. Life inPergamos demanded letting go of Jesus’ name,because Satan lived there. But Satan cannot with-

stand a confrontation with Jesus’ name. This isthe tremendous struggle we’re facing.

“Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lordshall be saved” (Acts 2:21b), the Scriptures say.As soon as the name of Jesus is mentioned infaith, the satanic darkness is shattered. Anyonewho clings to this name can do no harm. Then,as overcomers we cry, “I can do all thingsthrough Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil4:13).—Oh, that we would make more use of Je-sus’ name!

In Antipas’ case, the struggle led to death. TheLord Himself says this: “…Antipas was my faith-ful martyr, who was slain among you…” (Rev2:13). In our case, Satan’s attacks aren’t yet so se-vere. It’s more civilized. His methods are moresubtle, but his goal remains the same. He wantsus to deny the name of Jesus in everyday life, byasserting ourselves and being egoists, envious,and slanderers. He wants us to be silent when weshould speak, so that our attitude corresponds toPeter’s: “I know not this man of whom ye speak”(Mark 14:71b).

The Lord continues to praise His church inPergamos, because He never forgets anything. Hesays, “thou…hast not denied my faith” (Rev

An interpretation of the last book of theBible. Part 23. Revelation 2:13.

The Mystery ofthe Next Step

of FaithWim Malgo (1922-1992)

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2:13). This is significant because there is faith,and then there is faith. Jesus says, “He that be-lieveth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John3:36a). This is the first step: faith in Jesus Christas the personal Savior. But we shouldn’t stop atthis first step. People who do remain stuck inspiritual infancy. They may believe in the Lord Je-sus, but they don’t actually have faith in the LordJesus. And that’s precisely what the secret is. Paulunderstood this. He says, “I am crucified withChrist: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christliveth in me: and the life which I now live in theflesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, wholoved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). By“in the flesh” he means: I still live in my sinfulflesh and “know that in me (that is, in my flesh),dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18a).

In other words, “I live and believe just as Jesuslived and believed, and I keep denying the claimsof the flesh like self-righteousness, impurity, andall sinful impulses. I offer myself up completely,as my Savior did. I’m following exactly the samepath that my Lord took. I’m remaining on thecross as my Savior stayed on the Cross.” Living inthe faith of the Son of God is an essential step be-yond believing in Jesus.

The believers in Pergamos understood this,and they didn’t deny their faith. The faith of theLord Jesus endures, even when everything col-lapses; when body and soul faint, and every cir-cumstance seems to have conspired against you.To deny him is to refuse to confess Him, as Peterdid. Denying one’s faith is sustaining oneself, atthe expense of professing to belong to the LordJesus Christ.

Can the Lord say of you, “Thou hast not de-nied my faith”? Or have you denied it? It’s a won-derful testament to Pergamos when He adds,“thou…hast not denied my faith, even in thosedays wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr,who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth”(Rev 2:13).

The name “Antipas” has several meanings. Oneof them is, “like his father.” As a faithful witness,he gave his life for Jesus. We haven’t had to payfor our testimony with our lives, as martyrs do.But there is already a spiritual martyrdom thatconsists of not forsaking the testimony of Jesus inour everyday lives, but dying to the self. Paul tes-tifies, “I die daily” (1 Cor 15:31b).

Your martyrdom may consist of being con-nected with someone through marriage, family, orwork, who has Satan’s throne in their heart. Maywe all strive to have Antipas’ attitude and notdeny His faith—the faith of Jesus. So many aredespondent in our day, even within the church ofJesus. They’re giving up and surrendering in thegood fight of faith. But outside of the church,there will be despondent people, those who givein to the demands of a person or of the flesh (inwhatever form). Peter was induced to deny theLord Jesus and the Cross. But the Lord said tohim, “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Mark 8:33).

Isn’t it moving that the exalted Lord gives An-tipas the same title that He Himself bears? Hecalls him “Antipas, my faithful martyr.” This ishow the Lord Jesus Himself is named: “JesusChrist, who is the faithful witness…” (Rev 1:5a).Faithful witnesses are those who endure to death.

(MR0221/1137)

Located at the center of Satan’s strategy, thechurch in Pergamos hasn’t let its gaze be obscuredby pagan splendor, carnal lust, or the lust of theeyes.


E U

Bitcoin Transfers Must BeIdentifiedProposed changes to EU lawwould force companies thattransfer Bitcoin or other crypto-assets to collect details on the recipient and sender.

The proposals would make crypto-assets more traceable, the EU Com-

mission said, and would help stopmoney-laundering and the financing of ter-rorism.The Commission argued that crypto-asset

transfers should be subject to the sameanti-money-laundering rules as wire trans-fers.Under the proposals, a company transfer-

ring crypto-assets for a customer would beobliged to include their name, address, dateof bir th and account number, and the nameof the recipient.David Gerard, author of Attack of the 50

Foot Blockchain, told the BBC: “This is justapplying existing rules to crypto. This hasbeen coming since 2019.”He said that although these were Euro-

pean proposals their impact would reachmuch fur ther.“If you want to make real money, you

have to follow the rules of real money,” hesaid.

-www.bbc.com, 20 July 2021

Commentary: We can see how slowly butsurely, any attempt to make financialtransactions anonymous will be met withregulation by governments. The EU isagain taking the lead by imposing its reg-ulatory powers on matters of international

finance and economy. As David Gerardstates, “although these were Europeanproposals their impact would reach muchfurther.” Namely, the Roman dominancewill extend to planet earth, as Bibleprophecy states.

The time is not too far when the finalregulatory authority will exert his controlover worldwide transactions: “And that noman might buy or sell, save he that had the

mark, or the name ofthe beast, or thenumber of his name”(Revelation 13:17).(By K. Farmer) 7558(See Revelation 13: Satan’s

Last Victory, Item #1067,

CLEARANCE $3.)

C A N A D A

Tax the Ultra-RichJagmeet Singh says the New De-mocrats would tackle the coun-try’s multi-billion deficit throughthe party’s long-standing promiseto tax extremely wealthy Canadi-ans and corporations.

The NDP blueprint focuses heavily onpast promises, including better sup-

ports for workers through a national pharma-care program, 10 days of paid sick leave, andhigher minimum wages.He added he would target web giants such

as Google, Netflix, and Amazon.“Our plan is to make the ultra rich, the ultra

rich people, and the ultra rich corporations,pay.”In its April budget, the federal Liberal govern-

ment projected the deficit to be $154.7 billion

this fiscal year, after a record-smashing$354.7 billion last year, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

-www.fox5ny.com, 15 July 2021

Commentary: Canada, the second largestcountry in the world after Russia, is onlythinly populated at 40 million people, witha life expectancy of 83.6 years. It is consid-ered one of the super-rich countries, withgreat natural resources. But the bottom linealways is: does the government haveenough income to pay for its infrastructure?

Canada follows in the footsteps of Eu-rope, where the super-rich pay super-hightaxes. It is of interest that, for example in2002, Nokia director Anssi Vanjoki wasclocked driving 47 mph in a 31-mph zonein Finland; the fine was $103,000. This finewas calculated based on the percentage ofincome of Mr. Vanjoki.

While this is an exception, the tendencytoward having the super-rich carry a littlemore of the burden is definitely in theworks.

What does the Bible say? When search-ing for the word “rich” in the New Testa-ment, we find it appears 40 times. Of these,over 30 times the rich are viewed in a nega-tive way. The word “poor” appears 35times, but in virtually all cases the poor arecomforted. James starts chapter 5 with

these words: “Go tonow, ye rich men,weep and howl foryour miseries thatshall come uponyou” (James 5:1).

7554(See A Simple Christianity,

Item #2324, SALE $12.)

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W O R L D

5-Day Workweek Is DeadMore livable schedules have hadsuccess elsewhere in the world.Companies in Japan, NewZealand, and elsewhere have ex-perimented with shorter work-weeks in recent years, oftenreporting happier workers whoare actually better at their jobs.

But one of the largest and most high-profilerecent experiments took place in Iceland,

where local and federal authorities working withtrade unions launched two trials of a shortenedworkweek, one in 2015 and one in 2017. In the tri-als, workers shifted from a 40-hour work week to 35or 36 hours, with no cut to their pay. It wasn’t just of-fice workers who participated—the trials includedday care workers, police officers, care workers forpeople with disabilities, and people in a variety ofother occupations. The results were impressive, according to a re-

port on the trials published in June by Autonomy, aUK-based think tank that helped analyze them.Workers reported better work-life balance, lowerstress, and greater well-being. “My older childrenknow that we have shorter hours and they often saysomething like, ‘Is it Tuesday today, dad? Do you fin-ish early today? Can I come home directly afterschool?’” one father said, according to the report.“And I might reply ‘Of course.’ We then go and dosomething—we have nice quality time.”Encouraged by the results of the trial, many Ice-

landic workplaces have embraced shorter hours,with 86 percent of the working population eitherworking shorter hours already or on contracts thatwill phase in the reduction in the coming years. TheAutonomy report has also generated global interestat a time when workers and companies alike are re-thinking what jobs should look like. For example, theshift to remote work over the last 15 months hasshown that “quite drastic changes in working prac-tices can happen quite quickly,” said Jack Kellam, anAutonomy researcher. Now his work on the Icelandtrials has gotten news coverage in countries fromAustralia to Germany, and several companies have

approached Autonomy for advice on implementingshorter hours for their employees.But making something like the Icelandic trials

work in the United States would require majorchanges. For one thing, unions in Iceland, whichrepresent 90 percent of workers, played a bigrole in negotiating both the trials and the long-term adoption of shorter hours that resulted. Butunion density is much lower in the United States,with just 10.8 percent of workers represented.

-www.vox.com, 13 July 2021

Commentary: The Biblical standard, “Six days shaltthou labour, and do all thy work” (Exodus 20:9),has been buried long ago.

Is this a conspiracy? The answer is yes. It’staking place in the invisible world—the powersunder heaven.

If we were to compare 2021 with 1821 oreven 1921, we will immediately realize the virtu-ally unthinkable luxury mankind has created forhimself. We are reminded of Biblical examples:after the seven glorious, productive years inEgypt, catastrophe came. That was also the casewith Sodom and Gomorrah, and so it will be inthe end stages of the end times. The ultimate goal?Revelation 17:14: “These shall make war with theLamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he

is Lord of lords, andKing of kings: andthey that are with himare called, and chosen,and faithful.” 7557(See Exposing Mystery Babylon

Part 1, Item #1078, SALE

$2.50.)

S L O V A K I A

First Flight of Flying CarA prototype flying car has com-pleted a 35-minute flight be-tween international airports inNitra and Bratislava, Slovakia.

The hybrid car-aircraft, AirCar, isequipped with a BMW engine and

runs on regular petrol-pump fuel. Its creator, Prof Stefan Klein, said it could

fly about 1,000km (600 miles), at a height of8,200ft (2,500m), and had clocked up 40hours in the air so far.It takes two minutes and 15 seconds to

transform from car into aircraft.Prof Klein drove it straight off the runway

and into town upon arrival, watched by invitedreporters.He described the experience as “normal”

and “very pleasant.” In the air, the vehicle reached a cruising

speed of 170km/h.It can carry two people, with a combined

weight limit of 200kg (31 stone). But unlike drone-taxi prototypes, it cannot take

off and land vertically and requires a runway.Dr. Stephen Wright, senior research fellow in

avionics and aircraft, at the University of theWest of England, described the AirCar as “thelovechild of a Bugatti Veyron and a Cesna 172.”

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Long and unpredictable work hoursleave many Americans with little timefor anything but their jobs. d3sign/Getty Images

“I have to admit that this looks reallycool—but I’ve got a hundred questions aboutcertification,” Dr. Wright said.“Anyone can make an aeroplane but the

trick is making one that flies and flies and fliesfor the thick end of a million hours, with a per-son on board, without having an incident.“I can’t wait to see the piece of paper that

says this is safe to fly and safe to sell.”-www.bbc.com, 30 June 2021

Commentary: While the success of this air-caris quite amazing, Dr. Wright has doubtsthat it will eventually be approved so thatit is, “safe to fly and safe to sell.” Flying inthe air requires significantly more knowl-edge, talent, and training than driving a caron the street.

It is of interest that this originates fromSlovakia, a nation not well known. TheCIA Factbook records the population as5.5 million, with a life expectancy of 78years and an excellent credit rating.

Slovak Štefan Banič is credited with in-venting the parachute, and Ján Bahýl’ isthe inventor of the helicopter. The Catholicpriest Jozef Murgaš, on 27 April 1905 wasthe first in the world to transmit the spokenword over the radio.

Today, inventions are skyrocketing, andthe latest report is that communist China isleading the way.

Looking at the Bible, inventions arepictured in a rather negative way. Ecclesi-astes 7:29 states: “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright;but they have sought out many inven-

tions.” We know fromthe prophetic Word thatthe ultimate inventionwill be the image of thebeast. 7543(See The Remarkable Wisdom

of Solomon, Item #2223,

$12.99.)

N E W Z E A L A N D

Will Open Travel Be ClosedAgain?New Zealand Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern warned people toprepare for their travel plans tobe disrupted if there is a coron-avirus outbreak.

“Those undertaking travel on either side ofthe ditch will do so under the guidance of

flier beware,” she said, using a colloquial term for theTasman Sea that separates the two island nations.That could include an unexpected stint in mandatoryhotel quarantine if conditions change midflight. Passengers traveling to New Zealand in the bubble

will be required to have spent the 14 days before theflight in Australia. Airline crews will be required towork only on routes considered low-risk. Australia and New Zealand owe their success in

suppressing the coronavirus in large part to havingsome of the strictest border controls in the world. InAustralia, state governments have snapped their bor-ders shut at short notice in response to outbreaks inneighboring regions, splitting families and strandingtravelers en route. Australia’s half-bubble with New Zealand has

been halted twice so far due to virus concerns, andauthorities in both countries have said the same mayhappen again if new cases spread.Palau, one of the few nations not to have recorded

any cases of covid-19, was so far only allowingtravel from Taiwan, where domestic transmission ofthe virus had been tightly controlled. Palau has alsomoved swiftly to vaccinate its small population of18,000. Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said

that the travel bubble was only possible because“both sides have controlled the epidemic well.”

Australian and New Zealand officials hopetheir bubble arrangement will revive tourist busi-nesses that have been hit by the border closures.Australia was New Zealand’s largest source ofinternational tourists before the pandemic.

-www.msn.com, 6 April 2021

Commentary: While this reports dates back toApril 2021, we know that Covid-19 is notover yet. Again, it is emphasized by variousinternational news sources that New Zealandand Australia applied some of the strictest pre-vention methods available, and thus have suf-fered the least infections and deaths.

Here are the figures from Statista.com.Coronavirus deaths per 1 million populationas of 28 June 2021:

• Peru 5,893• Brazil 2,432• USA 1,831• Israel 710• Australia 35• New Zealand 5

There are multiple other reasons for the lowdeath rate in some countries, compared withmany European and North and South Ameri-can countries, but one thing becomes clearerevery day: restrictions strictly implementedclearly demonstrate the best results.

We again point to 1 Peter 2:13: “Submityourselves to every ordinance of man for theLord’s sake: whether it be to the king, assupreme.”

From Revelation, we know that horren-dous catastrophes will break forth on planetearth. When the sixth angel sounds his trum-pet, we read: “By these three was the thirdpart of men killed, by the fire, and by thesmoke, and by the brimstone, which issuedout of their mouths” (Revelation 9:18). Themost horrible statement, however, is verse 21:“Neither repented they of their murders, norof their sorceries, nor of their fornication, norof their thefts.” 7546(See You Can Understand the Book of Revelation, Item #2306, SALE

$12.)


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I S R A E L

Cybersecurity Blessingsand Curses from IsraelMicrosoft and Citizen Lab saidthat an Israeli company namedCandiru is behind two Windowszero-day exploits that have beenused to infect and deploy anever-before-seen spyware strainon the devices of at least 100 vic-tims, including politicians, hu-man rights activists, journalists,academics, embassy workers andpolitical dissidents.

Founded in 2014, the company is part of Is-rael’s burgeoning cybersecurity scene,

where it has provided offensive capabilities to gov-ernments across the world.Named DevilsEye, this tool is a Windows malware

strain with spyware capabilities that can allow Can-diru’s clients full access to an infected device oncethe tool has been deployed on a target’s Windowssystem.In a separate blog post, Cristin Goodwin—General

Manager, Digital Security Unit, echoed Microsoft’sprevious call to action against companies like Can-diru, which have been observed selling cyber armsto abusive regimes for years. These governmentshave often been seen using these hacking toolsagainst civil society members instead of espionageor tracking criminals.

-therecord.media, 15 July 2021

Commentary: We continually note the many bless-ings the world receives from industrious Israelis.Over and again, Israel’s advances in agriculture,healthcare, disaster recovery, intelligence, and thedefense industry (to name a few) have benefitedcountries around the world.

Lately, we are seeing the ascendancy of Is-rael’s cybersecurity industry. Technology devel-oped in Israel is protecting computers all over theworld. However, this article and a recent article onthe Committee to Protect Journalists’ website ti-tled, “Botswana police use Israeli Cellebrite techto search another journalist’s phone,” as well asother reports of the misuse of the technology fromIsrael’s NSO Group by repressive governments,all demonstrate that these tools are not alwaysused for good.

We do well to remember the lesson of Bal-aam: “thou shalt not curse the people: for they are

blessed…I cannot go be-yond the word of theLORD my God, to doless or more” (Numbers22:12b, 18b). (By J. Froese) 7552(See Israel and the Church, Item

#2376, SALE $14.)

U S A

Brain Chip Allows Paralyzed Man to WriteParalyzed from the neck down,the man stares intently at ascreen. As he imagines handwrit-ing letters, they appear beforehim as typed text thanks to a newbrain implant.

The 65-year-old is “typing” at aspeed similar to his peers tapping

on a smar tphone, using a device that couldone day help paralyzed people communi-cate quickly and easily.The research could benefit people suffer-

ing spinal cord injuries, strokes or motorneurone disease, said Frank Willett, a re-search scientist at Stanford University andlead author of the study published in thejournal Nature.“Imagine if you could only move your

eyes up and down but couldn’t move any-thing else—a device like this could enable

you to type your thoughts at speeds thatare comparable to that of normal handwrit-ing or typing on a smar tphone,” he toldAFP.The researchers found that handwriting

generates distinctive brain activity thatproved easier for an implant to detect and acomputer program to interpret and translateinto text.The research involved a man nicknamed

T5 who was paralyzed from the neck downafter a spinal cord injury in 2007.He was fitted with two aspirin-sized

brain-computer interface (BCI) chips on theleft side of his brain that could detect neu-rons firing in the motor cor tex that governshand movement.Sensors transmitted the signals to a

computer for translation by an ar tificial in-telligence algorithm into typed text.Over time, T5 was able to produce 90

characters or about 18 words a minutewhen copying sentences, and around 74characters or 15 words a minute when re-plying to questions.

-www.france24.com/en, 12 May 2021

Commentary: Nearly every day, we readsomething in the news about medical ad-vancements due to cutting edge technol-ogy. It is incredible that this machine canhelp a fully paralyzed man “write” sim-ply by imagining handwritten letters.

However, there is also something sin-ister that one can imagine arising fromtechnology like this: “And he had powerto give life unto the image of the beast,that the image of the beast should bothspeak, and cause that as many as would

not worship the im-age of the beastshould be killed”(Revelation 13:15).(By K. Farmer)

7507(See 40 Days Through Revela-

tion, Item #2301, SALE $12.)

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F R A N C E

French as the EU’sCommon Tongue?When Emmanuel Macron’s gov-ernment takes over the rotatingEU Council presidency next year,its mother tongue will be used inmeetings, it’s claimed.

France will also plough cash into freelanguage classes for foreign diplomats

to learn French, a source told the Daily Tele-graph.Clement Beaune, France’s Europe minister,

said: “Even though the French language is alive,flourishing, and its teaching is developingaround the world, it is at home, within the Euro-pean institutions, that it suffers.”Like many of his predecessors, Macron has

pushed initiatives to boost French learningacross the world.French is one of the EU’s three working lan-

guages, which also include English and Germanamong 24 official languages spoken in the bloc.

-www.the-sun.com, 7 June 2021

Commentary: France’s attempt to reduce theuse of English as Europe’s most commoninternational language, will probably runinto a dead end.

There is something about English thathas an advantage; namely, its simplicityand practicality. Most other Europeanlanguages have a higher cultural leveland are more difficult to learn as a secondlanguage. For example, when it comes tothe distinction between male and female

and formal versus informal in the second-person pronoun, English is super-simple:“you.” This singularity of usage is alsoapplied to the animal world. For exam-ple, dogs eat and drink, just like humans;not so in other languages.

The other virtually insurmountableobstacle is the entertainment and commu-nication fields, which are dominated bythe USA—thus, English.

Languages will continue to be practiced ineach respective country. Acts 2 tells of Jewsfrom 16 different nations hearing the apostlesspeaking in their very own tongue. Whetherthe disciples were speaking these 16 differentlanguages, we do not know, but what is re-

ported is clear: “Andhow hear we everyman in our owntongue, wherein wewere born?” (Acts2:8). 7532(See The Sure Foundation

of the Church, Item

#1066, $18.50.)


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C H I N A

Afghan War WithdrawalWorriesThe Chinese government rarelypasses up a chance to accuse theUnited States of military adven-turism and hegemony. In thecase of Afghanistan, though, ithas changed its tone, warningthat Washington now bears theresponsibility for the hasty endto its two-decade war there.

“The United States, which created theAfghan issue in the first place, should

act responsibly to ensure a smooth transitionin Afghanistan,” China’s foreign minister,Wang Yi, said at a forum in Beijing. “It shouldnot simply shift the burden onto others andwithdraw from the country with the mess leftbehind unattended.”

With only a residual military contingent leftto protect the American Embassy in Kabul, theTaliban have been steadily expanding their po-litical control as Afghan government forcescrumble or retreat. Taliban forces seizedBadakhshan, the province that reaches themountainous Chinese border through theWakhan Corridor.

While that narrow territory poses little di-rect security threat, China fears that thebreakdown of order in Afghanistan couldspill out of the country to other neighbors,including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Pak-istan.

-www.nytimes.com, 15 July 2021

Commentary: It was Christmas Eve of 1979when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.After experiencing significant losses, theUSSR departed on 15 February 1989. Then,after 11 September 2001, the US invadedAfghanistan with the declared aim to oustthe Taliban regime. Between the Soviet andAmerican invasions of Afghanistan, morethan 2 million people have lost their lives,and an unconfirmed 8 million Afghans fledthe country. The result was, in both cases,

Kabul, Afghanistan. Statements by se-nior Chinese officials made it clear thatthey would blame the United States forany insecurity that spreads in the re-gion.Credit: Jim Huylebroek for The NewYork Times

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the same: defeat, with the Taliban as theclear winner.

Now China, which rarely gets involvedin military conflicts, is greatly concerned.However, their statement, “The UnitedStates…created the Afghan issue in the firstplace,” is incorrect, since the Soviets werethere before. But, military conflict was alsoa reality before the Soviet invasion.

What is the significance? This showsthat weapons of war can no longer solvepolitical conflicts. Communist China iscarefully analyzing recent history and tak-ing calculated steps. One of them is the“Belt and Road Initiative”: building con-nections over land and sea to other Asiancountries, Africa, and Europe. Instead offorce, they use their economic power todominate nations by investing excessiveamounts of money in roads, railways, air-ports, seaports, and manufacturing facili-ties.

A real challenge has developed for theWestern world. It almost seems like thecommunists have turned capitalist. That isnot surprising because, in the end, there willbe one global system. Military force willplay a minor role, as the 7 billion plus popu-lation of planet earth wants more, not war,but merchandise. At this point in time,China is playing the winning hand. In sum-mary, we see that capitalism, socialism, andcommunism have blended, causing coun-tries to erase their borders and truly becomeglobal.

We again point to the end, namely thetotal collapse of the global economy. Reve-lation 18:10 speaks of the world’s leaders,who lament and bewail the collapse of thefinal system: “Standing afar off for the fearof her torment, saying, Alas, alas that greatcity Babylon, that mighty city! for in onehour is thy judgment come.” 7556(See New Babylon Rising, Item #2359, $16.99.)

R U S S I A

New Fighter Jet DisplayedRussian President Vladimir Putininspected the prospective war-plane displayed with much fan-fare at the MAKS-2021International Aviation and SpaceSalon, which opened inZhukovsky, outside Moscow.

The prospective warplane, marketedunder the project name Checkmate,

has one engine and is designed to be smallerand cheaper than Russia’s latest Su-57 two-engine stealth fighter, also built by Sukhoi. Itcan fly at a speed of 1.8-2 times the speed ofsound, has a range of 3,000 kilometers(1,864 miles) and a payload of 7,400 kilo-grams (16,300 pounds), the jet’s makerssaid.Industries and Trade Minister Denis Man-

turov said that the prospective fighter was be-ing developed to compete with the U.S. F-35Lightning II fighter that entered service in2015, a new Chinese fighter, and other de-signs. “We must join other nations that sellsuch aircraft,” he said.“What we saw in Zhukovsky today demon-

strates that the Russian aviation has a big po-tential for development and our aircraftmaking industries continue to create newcompetitive aircraft designs,” Putin said in aspeech at the show’s opening.

-apnews.com, 20 July 2021

Commentary: At this point intime, Joel 3:9 is valid: “Pro-claim ye this among the Gen-tiles; Prepare war, wake up themighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let themcome up.” However, that willchange when the law goes outfrom Zion: “And he shalljudge among many people,and rebuke strong nations afar

off; and they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a swordagainst nation, neither shall they learn warany more” (Micah 4:3).

In the meantime, the nations continue toproduce more and more dangerous and de-structive weapons the world over. Yet, asmany reports indicate, these weapons of warwill be vulnerable to computer hacking,which Israel allegedly used against Iran’snuclear facilities. Wars, as we have knownthem to this day, have been characterized byvisible destruction of life and property. Butthe invisible wars can do likewise and more,although mostly hidden from the public andeven many intelligence agencies of theworld. The future is here: battles are beingfought silently, often unnoticed, but theycan be more destructive. 7560(See Northern Storm Rising, Item #2294, $15.99.)

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A prototype of Russia’s prospectivefighter jet is displayed at the MAKS-2021International Aviation and Space Salonin Zhukovsky outside Zhukovsky, Russia.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

SEPTEMBER 2021 29

Jacob is the beginning of Israel. His namewas given by God. This occurred after“Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled

a man with him” (Genesis 32:24). Jacob wasseparated from his family and the riches hehad accumulated. It was the time when he re-ceived notice that his brother Esau was onhis way to meet him: “he cometh to meetthee, and four hundred men with him”(verse 6b).

In his great need, he prayed, “Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother,from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest hewill come and smite me, and the mother withthe children” (verse 11).

We know that Jacob earned the blessing ofthe firstborn from his father Isaac by decep-tion. Now the time of reckoning had arrived,which resulted in the confession of his name:“What is thy name? And he said, Jacob”(verse 27). What does the name mean? Tosupplant, circumvent, overreach.

It is of interest that although it was clearlystated, “Thy name shall be called no more Ja-cob,” when we continue reading Scripture,we find that the name Jacob appears about300 times later on.

Doubtless, this is a prophetic pictureshowing the old creation—Jacob, the man of

flesh and blood—and the new one—Israel:“for as a prince hast thou power with Godand with men” (verse 28b).

When attempting to understand this na-tion Israel and the land, we must first realizethat they are distinctly different from all na-tions on planet earth throughout human his-tory.

Only one nation is called by His name.King Solomon’s prayer has been answered, isbeing answered, and will be answered in thefuture: “If my people, which are called by myname, shall humble themselves, and pray,and seek my face, and turn from their wickedways; then will I hear from heaven, and willforgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2Chronicles 7:14).

Rosh HashanahThe Hebrew Standard, 7 November 1919,speaks of this Jewish holiday:

An old tradition has come down to us in the

pages of the Talmud that the three great moth-

ers in Israel who were at first without child gave

birth to their sons on Rosh Hashonah, Sarah, the

wife of Abraham; Rachel, the wife of Jacob, and

Hannah, the wife of Elkanah—these noble and

pious women who so longingly prayed to God

that He should bless them with child, see at last

“But when he seeth his children, the work ofmine hands, in the midst of him, they shallsanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One ofJacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. Theyalso that erred in spirit shall come tounderstanding, and they that murmured shalllearn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:23-24).

Israel

MIDNIGHT CALL

BY ARNO FROESE


the answer to their prayer, when on a certain

Rosh Hashonah day Isaac, Joseph and Samuel

appear in this world. And it is in keeping with

this tradition that we read in the Torah and in

the Scriptural portions of these two days the

chapters that speak of these three great

women in Israel and their offspring, to remind

us of today what we may learn from their life,

their deeds, their acts. Aye, each of these sons,

whose birth we recall today, represents a cer-

tain type, a certain ideal towards which we

must strive, if we truly desire that Israel shall

live and thrive and prosper and succeed. Re-

view their lives and—you will find that their

own characteristic features, when taken to-

gether, are in keeping with the Rabbinic

maxim: “The Torah, the Holy One Blessed be

He and Israel are One.”

Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of 6 Sep-tember 2021, and ends the evening of 8

September 2021. It’s the first day of theseventh month, which some rabbis iden-tify as the day of creation; thus, it’s happybirthday earth!

We understand the unity between theGod of creation and His people Israel.What He has begun, He will fulfill. Wepray that in the not-too-distant future,verse 24 in our introduction will be ful-filled: “They also that erred in spirit shallcome to understanding, and they that mur-mured shall learn doctrine.” Zechariah12:10 is also forthcoming: “And I will pourupon the house of David, and upon the in-habitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of graceand of supplications: and they shall lookupon me whom they have pierced, andthey shall mourn for him, as one mournethfor his only son, and shall be in bitternessfor him, as one that is in bitterness for hisfirstborn.”

Mail to: Midnight Call Ministries, PO Box 84309, Lexington, SC 29073

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r monthly r one time $_______

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When attempting to understand this nation Israel and the land, we must firstrealize that they are distinctly different from all nations on planet earththroughout human history.


We are very thankful for your contri-butions toward the EmergencyFund for the Ebenezer Home in

June. It was beyond our expectation!Seeing people in need of personal items like

dentures, hearing aids, eyeglasses, medications,etc., and being unable to acquire them simply

because of the high expense, is very painful andoften gives me a feeling of helplessness. But withyour grateful help and loving donations, we cannow meet these extra expenses and fill in thegap for those who require it. The residents whoreceive help through this emergency fund wishto tell you how much they love and pray foryou! Toda raba!

This month’s donations we are dedicating to-ward new residents who are from low socio-eco-nomic backgrounds. They cannot come up withthe needed entrance fee, since there is no gov-ernment help for that. This will help ensure thatthose who have limited family or relatives tohelp care and provide for them, can still join theEbenezer family.

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MIDNIGHT CALL

MC0921EH

By David Phillips Project Manager

“For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall. As forGod, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to allwho trust in Him” (Psalm 18:29-30).

% 1-800-845-2420 SEPTEMBER 2021 33

Evidence for the Exodus Mr. Froese,

My pastor, during a sermon concerning Mosesand the Exodus, stated that other than the Bible,there is no evidence recorded [that] there was aMoses or there was ever an Exodus of the Israelitesfrom Egypt. I disagreed but had no counterpoint.

My question: does any evidence exist other thanthe Bible? Did Egyptian historians record anythingto indicate there was a Moses [who] led a group ofHebrews out of Egypt? Is there any record of Egyptlosing a large part of their army when God partedthe Red Sea? It seems that Egypt, being the ad-vanced nation they were, would have recordedthese happenings. If not Egypt, did any historiansfrom anywhere record any of it?

Help! That I [may] have a counterpoint.-J. Gore, IN

Answer:Your pastor is correct: historical and archaeological ev-

idence do not conclusively support the Exodus account in the

Bible, but that does not change anything. We know that Jesus

and the disciples believed in and confirmed the story of Exo-

dus. The word “Egypt” appears in the New Testament 24 times,

and Egypt is mentioned with Sodom in Revelation 11:8.

Why did scientifically advanced Egypt not mention the

Hebrews? The Bible answers: “because the Egyptians might

not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination

unto the Egyptians” (Genesis 43:32b). The Israelites were a

despised, rejected, and mistreated people, just good enough

to do the most menial manual work. That, incidentally, is a

hot issue in American historical education; slavery in Amer-

ica was real before the 13 colonies changed their name to

the USA. This is how national histories are written; the un-

pleasant parts are left out or conveniently brushed aside.

That’s why Egyptian historians did not record it, but the Bible

does and that is our ultimate authority.

Cremation Forbidden?Dear Mr. Froese,

I have been having conversations with my in-laws over the issue of cremation, and was in-formed that Scripture prohibits the practice ofcremation. I challenged his perspective by naivelyasking, “Really? I wasn’t aware that the Bible pro-hibits it. If you can find something to support that,I would be happy to read it.” He handed me a copyof your tract, “Burial or Cremation.” I have read itthoroughly and am concerned about the manystatements of dogma and certainty you put forth asbiblical truth. I am basing this upon the fact thatnowhere in Scripture does the Bible overtly oreven mildly suggest that the practice of cremationis against God’s will and plan for our bodies. In thesecond paragraph, you declared that you would“use the Bible as our only reliable source,” yetScripture seems to be quite silent on the issue.

When the Apostle Paul states that our bodies arethe “temple of the Holy Spirit,” he was speaking ofus in the living form. The Holy Spirit is active in the

Address letters for publication to: Letters to the Editor, Midnight Call, PO Box 84309, Lexington, SC 29073. Include full name,

address, and daytime phone number or email. Without name and address, letters will be discarded unread. All material is

subject to editing. Midnight Call assumes all publishing rights on letters sent to the Editor.

Note: All letters will be answered by the Executive Editor, Arno Froese.

EVIDENCE FOR THE EXODUS...CREMATION FORBIDDEN?...HOSEA’S THIRD DAY

Letters to the Editor


living body. Under any form of orthodox theology,the Holy Spirit is no longer active in the corpse.Therefore, I’m not sure how 1 Corinthians 6:19-20applies to your argument.

You are right that cremation has traditionallybeen an Eastern practice and has roots in Hinduismand Buddhism. As I stated earlier, many of ourpractices regarding funerals have roots in pagan tra-ditions. I might refer you to 1 Corinthians 8, andwhat Paul says about food offered to idols. I thinkthat for those who oppose cremation, what is mostdisturbing to them and considered abominable, isthat it has been most often practiced by Easterncults. This would be an honest admission.

I have written to you, not to offend or makelight of your views, but to try to put into perspec-tive the way families choose to care for the bodiesof their deceased. It’s a sensitive and difficult deci-sion, and I think adding an extra burden of guilt togrieving people is not helpful. If Scripture was ac-tually clearer on the subject, then your viewsmight provide a more firm foundation for familieswho must choose their course of action.

Thank you for listening to my concerns.-S. Wisthoff, NE

Answer: You are right: the Bible does not specifically forbid

cremation, but it gives us a clear example of how the saint is

to be buried.

The Bible speaks of burial, but not of burning. That for

me is sufficient. The issue of finances is a nonstarter when

dealing with our temple of the Holy Spirit. Six years ago,

I buried my wife at a green/natural cemetery called “Dust to

Dust.” The total cost was only $1300.

Incidentally, there is ample documentation on the Inter-

net regarding the origin of cremation.

I rest my case: the Bible teaches burial.

Hosea’s Third DayDear Editor,

I would like your opinion on the meaning ofHosea 6:2 and the timing described in it. The Apos-tle’s verse in 2 Peter 3:8 must have some implicationfor the Jewish people, who are addressed in his epis-tles. There could be the question, “Are we in the

third day mentioned in Hosea 6:2?” Thank you foryour observation on this verse.

-J. Dalton, IL

Answer: Between 1882 and 1903, a large number of Jews re-

turned to the Promised Land after being absent for about 2,000

years. Suddenly, on 14 May 1948, the nation was proclaimed.

The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes about mod-

ern Israel: “blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the ful-

ness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved”

(Romans 11:25b-26a). One day, Ezekiel 36:27 will be fulfilled:

“And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my

statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Is there a prophetic meaning to Hosea 6:2? Considering

that one day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years as one day, it is

my understanding we are in the third day.

King David in JerusalemTo the Editor:

Your alert to the fact you no longer will do Mes-sage of the Month (CDs) motivated a long overduenote of appreciation for your clear-headed teach-ing on the prophetic relevance of current events. Athank you to all contributors to the magazines,who help greatly in seeing through prophetic hys-terias and sticking to solid Biblical teaching.

My question: 1) What is your take on KingDavid’s role in the kingdom (reference: Ezekiel34:23-24)? 2) Also, do you see the Church inhabit-ing the earth or new Jerusalem during the millen-nium?

-C. Kohne, CA

Answer: Based on Ezekiel 34:23-24, David will rule the

people of Israel on earth. Jeremiah confirms this: “But they

shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom

I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:9).

The Church will take up residence in the new Jerusalem.

Keep in mind the distinction between heavenly reality and

earthy (physical) reality; they are not always expressed in defi-

nite words. From Revelation 21, we learn that “there was no

more sea…no more death…no temple,” because “the Lord

God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple.” In summary, we—

the Church—are in the presence of the Lord forevermore;

where the Lord is, there we are.

Letters to the Editor

MC

% 1-800-845-2420 SEPTEMBER 2021 35

Ihave often received this question in a number offorums, and believe that I have successfully de-fended my position. It is both Scriptural and

logical.As to the matter of just who and what groups

populate the Millennium, a common error is tooverlook the First Resurrection promised to allTribulational martyrs. All Christians who die in theTribulation are resurrected.

Here are the main Bible references that clearlystate that there is a First Resurrection of Tribula-tional Christians. There are two:

Revelation 20:4: “[…] And I saw the souls ofthose who had been beheaded because of their tes-timony about Jesus and because of the word ofGod. They had not worshiped the beast or its imageand had not received its mark on their foreheads ortheir hands. They came to life and reigned withChrist a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:4-5 clearly identifies the First Res-urrection and to which group it applies.

Here is another reference to these souls:Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy are those who

share in the first resurrection. The second death hasno power over them, but they will be priests of Godand of Christ and will reign with him for a thou-sand years.”

These souls mentioned above (which are Tribu-lational Christians) will reign with Christ on earthin the Chiliasm for its requisite thousand years.

This group of souls is a vast number, according toScripture.

Consider Revelation 7:9: “After this I looked,and there before me was a great multitude that noone could count, from every nation, tribe, peopleand language, standing before the throne and be-fore the Lamb. They were wearing white robes andwere holding palm branches in their hands.”

All of these saints and their brethren came outof the Tribulation. This is stated in Revelation7:14a: “I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said,‘These are they who have come out of the greattribulation.’”

Revelation 6:11 is also instructive: “Then eachof them [the first of the Tribulational Christians re-ceived in heaven] was given a white robe, and theywere told to wait a little longer, until the full num-ber of their fellow servants, their brothers and sis-ters, were killed just as they had been.”

The “full number” ends in a multitude of saintsliving on earth during the Chiliasm, that could notbe counted.

In conclusion, there will be different groups thatgo into the Millennium period. Most likely, thelargest and most populous group will be resur-rected Tribulational Christians.

As the case may be, pre-tribers should be inclinedto rejoice about this position. It produces a “killer”refutation of there being a Rapture at any other timethan the start of the Tribulation period.

Recently, I noted the reference to my articles on the Rapture inthe June Midnight Call in the “Letters to the Editor” section. Thereader had asked a question about who would end up populatingthe Millennium if all “Tribulation Christians” are slaughteredduring that period.

Position on Millennial ResidentsWilfred Hahn

MC

Alot has happened since the ground-breaking ceremony in December of2018—especially a lot of manual labor.

Tree trunks were felled to construct the scaf-folding, carpenters had to make a mold for thestaircase, and the location of the stainless steelwashbasins had to be planned out first. A lot ofthe materials were trucked and flown in fromthe larger cities, so all of this took time.

MIDNIGHT CALL

Fellow Laborers

Progress on New BoardingSchool’s Construction

BOLIVIA

“When do we get to move into the new boarding school?” the children often ask us.The first building is looking so nice that it’s practically inviting you to move in.


By Obed And Rebecca Hanisch, Riberalta

Boarding school students

Girls’ Boarding SchoolNonetheless, the girls’ building is now stand-ing. The Lord has granted a lot of grace ineverything! We’re grateful for God’s faithful-ness, and overwhelmed that He made it possi-ble. We would like to extend our very sincerestthanks to everyone who supported the projectin prayer and through such generous gifts.We’re also rejoicing in the help from some ofour brothers and sisters in the faith from theMidnight Call congregation in Dübendorf(Switzerland), who are helping with the paint-ing, tiling, and electrical work.

There were opportunities for deeper conver-sations with construction workers like Darwin(seen in the photo wearing creative sun protec-tion). Additionally, everyone was miraculouslyprotected from accidents, which never goeswithout saying.

A few minutiae are still missing (some out-lets, lamps, faucets, and of course interior fur-nishings such as beds and desks).

People make a house a home, and the chil-dren here are turning the new building into aboarding school. That’s why we want to bring

you into the joys and sorrows of everydayboarding school life, and tell you about thechildren entrusted to us.

Girls’ GroupEmilie Bergen reports of her group of girls:

“One of the little girls wouldn’t ever go tosleep unless I personally prayed with her inbed. When I came to her bedside yesterday, shetold me, ‘You don’t have to pray with me today.I can do it myself now!’—'Great,’ I said, ‘goodnight, then!’ Then I left the room and heardthe little one’s voice: ‘Please God, help me notto miss my mom.’

“There was a power outage right at bedtime.Equipped with a flashlight, I had just shownthe last girl to her bed and helped her crawlunder the mosquito net, when we suddenly

% 1-800-845-2420 SEPTEMBER 2021 37

Scaffolding Constructing the staircaseDarwin wearing a “hat” madefrom a tile box

The girls’ boarding school is complete, andwith a rainbow besides!

Boarding school



800-845-2420


fl

“To the only wise Godour Saviour, be gloryand majesty, dominionand power, both nowand ever” (Jude 25).


r After prayerful consideration, I/we have decided to support “Fellow Laborers.”

r monthly r one time $__________

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MIDNIGHT CALL

MC0921

MIDNIGHT CALL

Fellow Laborers

had lights again. Since we hadn’t flipped theswitches, there was full lighting in all therooms. To my surprise, a 16-part girls’ choirshouted, ‘Thank you God for answering ourprayers and turning the lights back on.’

“Luna (name changed) loves to play, ‘Ispy with my little eye.’ The absolute high-light of the game was when she saw some-thing that was ‘about the color of anelectrical outlet.’ I earned an admiring ‘wow’when I guessed on the first try that shemeant the outlet. Luna’s Papa is much olderthan her Mama, and Luna tells us that theyoften fight. That’s why she’s always happy

when the weekend is over and she’s able toreturn to boarding school.”

Our prayer is that the new boardingschool will be a home for many more chil-dren, and even more so: that heaven wouldalso one day be their home.

Kitchen ConstructionBefore we start on the second house for theboys, we next want to build the boardingschool kitchen beside the one we just built. Inthe future, we will use gas to cook instead of anopen wood fire as we have in the past. This willalso be a great relief to the cooks. (MR0721)

Practical helpers PaintingInspection by the sitemanager

% 1-800-845-2420 SEPTEMBER 2021 39

The “last days” doesn’t mean the end of theworld, but the time before Jesus’ secondcoming. It pertains to the entire Church Age

(1 Cor 10:11; 1 Pet 1:20; 4:7; Heb 1:1-2; 10:25). Itgoes without saying that the apostles were inspiredby the Holy Spirit, but the early church probablydidn’t expect this time period to last for so long.However, Peter already pointed this out when hewrote, “Knowing this first, that there shall come inthe last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continueas they were from the beginning of the creation” (2Pet 3:3-4; cf. Jude 17-18).

That’s why there have repeatedly been time peri-ods like this over the course of two millennia. Thisseems to be referring to the time Timothy was liv-ing in, since he is being called to separate himselffrom such people. The zenith and end of the Ro-man Empire were characterized similarly. Or con-sider the two World Wars, the anti-war movement,etc. But also note that the Bible speaks of times(phases) and deadlines. This indicates that from the

Apostolic Age until shortly before the return of Je-sus, there will always be phases as described here.These trends will repeat and intensify until Jesus’return; the only difference being that these badphases (“perilous times”) will have reached Chris-tianity by then and transformed it into somethinganti-Christian. It will have a form of godliness, butdeny its power. It will be Christian in name only.

According to Warren W. Wiersbe, “perilous” is“the same Greek word used to describe the demonpossession in Matthew 8:28 and translated ‘ex-ceedingly fierce.’” The demonic influence on theworld increases the closer it is to Jesus’ coming.The incident of the demons in the Gadarenescould well be a metaphor for the end times: Jesuscame to Gadara to free the possessed individual(s)and to cast out the demons. Shortly before Jesusarrived, the Sea of Galilee was turbulent, certainlywith the aim of preventing Jesus from landing atGadara. The Lord rebuked the small faith of hisdisciples. When He finally arrived, the demonsscreamed and begged Him not to torment them“before the time.”

The Apostle Paul explains that the “lastdays” will be characterized by “periloustimes.” What does that mean when weconsider the state of affairs in society today?

It’s AlwaysBeen Like This

Norbert LiethWhat about our faith? Are we just ruled by

fear, like the disciples back then on thechurning sea, or do we look with faith at Him

who does not stumble?

If we applied this story prophetically, we’d get thefollowing: Jesus will come again to deliver the worldfrom Satan (Rev 20). In the last days, Satan will dis-turb the sea of nations of this world (Luke 21:25).During this time, the faith of God’s children will beparticularly challenged and tested (1 Cor 16:13,22). Finally, He will arrive to free the world from di-abolical influence by binding Satan and his demonsin the abyss (Rom 16:20).

Are we on the cusp of these dramatic events? Isn’tour world increasingly under the influence of God’sadversary? What about our faith? Are we just ruledby fear, like the disciples back then on the churningsea, or do we look with faith at Him who does notstumble?

Today, evil is generally accepted by society; peo-ple have strayed more than ever before from biblicalnorms in nearly every sphere. The protest againstthese developments is growing weaker. You couldsay that the whole world is in upheaval and revoltagainst God, especially in the “Christian West.”Paul warns in 2 Timothy 3:13 that wicked peopleand deceivers will become worse in their deception,because they themselves are deceived. Paul had al-ready prophesied in 1 Timothy that in the last days,apostasy would increase due to deceitful spirits andthe teaching of demons (1 Tim 4:1). Is it any won-der that all morals and ethics are turned upsidedown today? That theories are being presented asabsolute truths, in opposition to what the Bible pro-claims? That good is becoming evil, and evil good?

Our society is also sick in other areas: we readand hear about attacks on first responders. Localresidents get upset about ambulances passingthrough or blocking areas to save lives. Emergencyvehicles are being damaged, and fire hydrants arebeing turned off while they’re in use. Aggression on

roadways and even bike paths is increasing. It seemslike evil is noticeably spreading. The Apostle’s state-ments hit the nail on the head.

Jesus said to the church in Pergamos, “I know thyworks, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’sseat is…” (Rev 2:13). The world is the place whereSatan extends his rule; it is the realm in which herules. In the last days, Satan (also called the dragon)will give his throne (that is, his power) to the beastthat rises from the sea of nations: “…and the dragongave him his power, and his seat, and great author-ity” (Rev 13:2).

Satan is doing everything he can to achieve thisgoal as quickly as possible. Therefore, it’s unsurpris-ing to us that chaos on our earth is increasing somuch. These are all clear indications of the truth ofbiblical prophecy…And that’s why we look throughthe mist of time to the sun of eternity. Jesus willcome again, and all things will be made new.

It seems high time for the Lord to enter “thecountry of the Gergesenes”—that is, to return toearth and intervene in the destiny of humanity, thusputting an end to evil. Paul writes about this afterwarning Timothy about the perilous times of thelast days: “I charge thee therefore before God, andthe Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick andthe dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (2 Tim4:1).

The Apostle’s reminder about this solemn timeapplies to us Christians now more than ever: “Butthou hast fully known my doctrine…” (2 Tim 3:10).Yes, that’s what we want: to hold on, keep praying,keep loving, keep bearing witness, believe, andwatch. Jesus will enter the world again (Heb 1:6;2:5). He will put an end to injustice and bring thejustice we’re longing for. Therefore, let’s pray daily:“Maranatha; come, Lord Jesus!” (MR0221/1134)

It’s Always Been Like This


“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers oftheir own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasuresmore than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: fromsuch turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

% 1-800-845-2420 SEPTEMBER 2021 41

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NEWS WITH MORMONS

ITEM #2352352 pgs. • Paperback

$19.99 Sale $15Editors: Eric Johnson and

Sean McDowell

How do you sharethe gospel withthose who don’tthink they need it?

The Truth aboutthe RomanCatholic Church

PREPARING FOR ETERNITY ITEM #2268240 pgs. • Paperback

$15 Sale $12 Author: Mike Gendron

What Separates Mormonismfrom Christianity?IS MORMONISM CHRISTIAN? ITEM #7083

DVD • 120 min. • Speaker: James Walker

DVD

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A Rapid-Reference Directory ofReligion and Spirituality in AmericaThe great breadth of topics within this volume makes it the perfectstarting point for finding out anything you need to know about

today’s religious groups, denominations, sects, and cults. Ideal forboth students and scholars.

THE CONCISE GUIDE TO TODAY’S RELIGIONS AND SPIRITUALITY ITEM #2234 368 pgs. • Paperback

$14.99 Sale $10 Author: James K. Walker

Quick, Clear Factson the Major Cultsand FalseTeachings of Today

FAST FACTS ON FALSE TEACHINGS ITEM #2194


$14.99 Sale $10Authors: Ron Carlson & Ed Decker

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If you were asked how you know the Bible is true, do you have an answer?

Volume 2: Over 29 issues addressed, including:• Who made God; where did God come from?• Has Noah’s ark been found? • Hasn’t Bible text been changed over the years?• Is Hell real?• Did the ten plagues of Egypt really happen?

Addressing topics from popular culture like the Shroudof Turin, or “missing” books of the Bible, and even whatmakes God’s Word unique among holy books, How DoWe Know the Bible Is True? Vol. 2 is a “must have” resourcefor churches, libraries, and home study.

HOW DO WE KNOW THE BIBLEIS TRUE? - VOL. 2 ITEM #2276 352 pgs. • Paperback

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Volume 1: How Do We Know the Bible Is True? Vol. 1 is based on the absolute authority of God’s Word, not man-centered explanations. Clearly presented, it will help bring clarity ina world filled with increasingly vague notions of truth.Over 20 relevant issues are discussed including:• Is the Bible totally without error?• Did the resurrection really happen?• How do we know that the 66 books of the Bible are from God?• Does the Bible contradict itself?• How were people saved before Jesus came?

HOW DO WE KNOW THE BIBLE ISTRUE? - VOL. 1 ITEM #2267 300 pgs. • Paperback

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3 12 Month Calendar: January through December 20223 Beautiful, full-color pictures of the Holy Land 3 Room for notes 3 Jewish days and months, as well as holidays3 Wall model with central poster

ISRAEL CALENDAR 2022ITEM #909228 pgs. • Format: 11.61” x 8.66”

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Israel Calendar 2022

Looking at these glorious pictures of Israel, you will be reminded daily to “Prayfor the peace of Jerusalem,” with theknowledge that “they shall prosper thatlove thee” (Psalm 122:6). Also, this calen-dar makes an excellent gift for family,friends, coworkers and church members.

A perfect gift for all who love Israel!

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