The Purpose of Prophecy

What is the real purpose of prophecy, anyway? Human curiosity about the specifics of what, when, where and how often tends to obscure the overreaching why--the truly important lessons God gives his people through prophecy.

First and foremost, Bible prophecy (which makes up at least one third of the Bible) leads us to God. First, fulfilled prophecy clearly demonstrates the infallibility and veracity of God's Word as being authored by none other than God himself. Further, it reminds us God is in control, supervising and intervening in human affairs whenever he desires. By his power he will bring about the future he has promised. In the end, good will win over evil (Daniel 4:17). We can see the sovereignty of God through prophecy.

Bible prophecy reminds us God is Judge, the final arbitrator of all things. Through prophecy we learn that nobody really gets away with anything. Oppression of the poor and the weak by the wicked will not last forever. Every action will be brought into account. Judgment will surely come. Prophecy also reminds us of God's love and faithfulness. The time will come when his kingdom will be established over all nations, and all people will come to know repentance (II Peter 3:9; Zech. 14:9).

Even though there will be wars, small and large, Bible prophecy tells us the world will not be totally destroyed by nuclear, or any other kind of human warfare. God himself will, at the close of his purpose for humanity, burn up the earth and create in its place new heavens and a new earth in which dwells righteousness (II Peter 3:12-13; Revelation 21:1). Through Bible prophecy, then, we are comforted and encouraged, assured that the course of history is being controlled by God, the God of love, peace and mercy. We are guaranteed that our labor of love in Jesus Christ is not in vain --and yes, a major part of that labor of love is through our efforts in evangelism and our efforts within our congregations to help nurture new-believers into becoming active mature members of the body of Christ. We are given the confidence all wrong will be righted, all crooked places will be made straight, and there is life beyond death--happy, peaceful, fulfilled life forever.

Exactly when God will do that, we are not given. But, through the revelation he gives us in Bible prophecy, we rejoice in the sure knowledge he will do it. And we are motivated by the Holy Spirit to live according to his will for our lives, the job he gave all of us Christians to do until he comes again in great glory and power. Also, through prophecy, God reassures us that our faith is not in vain. All that he has promised will surely happen. We are not told when--but we are told what to do while we wait: Just before Jesus was taken up into heaven his disciples asked him when he would re-establish the kingdom to Israel. His response was, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gave a similar command, to evangelize, baptize and disciple. This is called the Great Commission and it is the Christian's primary job and responsibility given by Jesus to do until he returns. So our job, what we are told to do while we wait for his return, is to pursue evangelism--personal, local church, national and international. And as spelled out in Matthew 28:18-20, it is to baptize and disciple those who respond to the message. In Ephesians 4 Paul points out that the church has been raised up to complete the task started by evangelism. It is the church, with its structure of apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who are the ones to strengthen and unify the body of Christ, those who have been baptized. So the unified task or job Christians have been given by Jesus, encompassed in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 is to evangelize the world, the whole world, and to baptize those who respond, and to disciple and nurture those same who respond--in a body called the church--until they are spiritually mature Christians, no longer tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, as Paul said in Ephesians 4. This website is full of resources that explain what evangelism is and how we can go about effectively doing it--on the personal, local church, national and international level. It is also full of resources that can be used to spiritually strengthen the body of Christ. Jesus our High Priest and Commander-in-Chief has given us our marching orders--to evangelize the world, and build up his body of believers, the church, with those who respond to our evangelizing efforts--to nurture those new-believers to spiritual maturity. Those are our marching orders. This web site is designed specifically to make those marching orders clear and facilitate their implementation by Christians online. So when you're finished reading about Jesus Christ's 2nd coming, log onto the section on evangelism and check out those marching orders. For some, the Lord may lead you to directly evangelize. Others will be led to use their talents to strengthen and help mature new-believers and the body of Christ within the church congregation. And then, we can all support evangelism on the international level. To see how, log onto http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/gifts5.htm . Try giving $5.00 or $10.00 a week to one of the major international evangelism missions, like the JESUS Film Project, or Samaritan's Purse, or Gospel for Asia (which supports native evangelists in countries where North American and European evangelists are no longer allowed). Pick one of those three and faithfully give that amount week in, week out, and see the Work of the Lord go worldwide in great power. Many hands make light work, and Jesus has given you and I the privilege of being able to participate in his great work of saving the world and building his kingdom on earth--which will become a holy nation, raised up in one day, at his return (I Corinthians 15:49-54; Revelation 11:15-19;Daniel 12:1-3).

So when you are finished digging into this interesting study on these prophecies of Jesus 2nd coming--which present day current events have helped generate a tremendous curiosity for--dig into the section which explains the job Jesus gave us to perform until he arrives again in great glory. Those are our marching orders, explained, made clear and broken down into fine detail. We are soldiers of Jesus Christ. A good soldier would not think of going into the battle without reading the specific marching orders and intelligence reports pertaining to the battle he's about to go into, and we need to apply the same diligence toward our marching orders--to evangelize the whole world, and to baptize and disciple those who respond favorably. Prophecy is interesting, but are these events being held up while Jesus waits for us to finish the job he gave us to accomplish? If you ask me, we have a job to do, and it isn't accomplished yet. Enjoy this study, and then let's get busy.

If you are not quite sure of your relationship with Jesus, or what it means to believe in Jesus, or if recent events (September 11th) have you wondering how you might develop a relationship with Jesus, CLICK HERE.

IS THE BIBLE GOD'S INFALLABLE WORD?
HOW CAN YOU BE SURE?
IS THERE PROOF?

The proof that the Bible is God's inspired Word can be seen through fulfilled prophecy. What important set of prophecies can we look at which will both prove God's Word as infallible, and answer a vital question mankind has had for millennia of time? Let's take a close look at the prophecies that show the predicted rise and fall of empires, right up to the return of Jesus Christ. History has successfully verified over nine tenths of these two prophecies found in Daniel 2 & 7 as 100 percent accurate. Less than ten percent are left to fulfill. These empires were scary dictatorships for the most part, so this is not only a valid proof of God's Word but also serves as a warning of what's coming on mankind--and the hope of a better world after Jesus returns.

This study will show that one of the ten prophecied revivals of the fourth major Gentile world empire, predicted by God through Daniel, was the Hitler-Mussolini juggernaut that swept across Europe. How real are these prophecies that prove God's Word beyond a doubt? How real was this ninth revival of the fourth Gentile empire predicted by Daniel? Let William L. Shirer answer that one. "The man who founded the Third Reich, who ruled it ruthlessly and often with uncommon shrewdness, who led it to such dizzy heights and to such a sorry end, was a person of undoubted, if evil, genius...But without Hitler, who was possessed of a demonic personality, a granite will, of uncanny instincts, a cold ruthlessness, a remarkable intellect, a soaring imagination and--until toward the end, when drunk with power and success, he overreached himself--an amazing capacity to size up people and situations, there most certainly would never have been a Third Reich" (Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, pp.20-21). "In keeping with the emphasis placed on speed and mobility, the German Armed Forces in World War II were supplied with a dazzling array of fighting vehicles capable of performing almost every battlefield function. Taking pride of place among German divisions were such excellent tanks as the Panzer III, Panzer IV, Panther, and Tiger, ably supported by a range of self-propelled anti-tank guns, infantry-support guns and heavy artillery. For the infantry there were armoured cars and half-tracks, allowing them to keep up with the tanks in true Bliztkrieg style (German Tanks & Fighting Vehicles of World War II). That's a a "tip of the iceberg" look into the second to last prophecied resurrection of the Roman empire--with one yet to follow. Want to understand what the next one will be like, but worse? Look into history. Read Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." How do I know there will be a next one, and that God's Word is true and predicts so. Read on.

When will the Kingdom of God be physically established on earth? Does the Bible give us any indication at all—any outline of events that lead up to this tremendous event?

The first question we need to ask ourselves then is: So when is the literal governmental Kingdom of God going to be physically established on earth by Jesus? As many Bible prophecies show, the Kingdom of God will be physically established on earth at the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. (And I'm taking the premise that Jesus' coming will be literal and these prophecies are literal because nine tenths of them have been fulfilled literally in history. It goes against sound logic to spiritualize away the last one tenth of a prophecy's fulfillment when the previous nine tenths has been literally fulfilled and is in our history books.) Does the Bible tell us anything about the timing of this great event, when it is to occur in the future? Indeed it does! Only God can know for sure when the events will actually start to occur that will trigger these end-time prophecies, i.e. World War III, and then Jesus Christ's very necessary intervention in man's self-genocidal insanity. This much is certain however, history is cyclical, and these events will eventually come to pass--for this event is part of a 20th century cycle of World Wars.

Part of the answer to our question of timing (although we are in no way attempting to set specific dates to the Messiah's coming) can be found in the second chapter of Daniel. The book of Daniel is historically datable to the time of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. (And what follows is one GIANT proof of God and of the infallibility of his Word the Bible, for what mere mortal, even a righteous prophet, could, on his very own, predict all of these events, and then bring them to pass as they have been fulfilled down through millenniums of time?) History accurately records that Nebuchadnezzar first came to power in 625 B.C. The first captivity of the Jewish nation when Daniel was captured took place around 605 B.C. So again, if you are looking for an infallible proof of the Bible as God's Word, realize that no mere human, not even Daniel, could have accurately foretold the future the way the book of Daniel does. In Daniel chapter 2 king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is shown as having a weird dream about a giant image whose head was of fine gold, with shoulders and arms of silver, thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. The king was badly disturbed by this dream and called all his astrologers and magicians together and demanded to know the meaning of the dream. He told them that he had even forgotten the dream and wanted them to recall it for him. If they didn't he'd kill all the wise men in Babylon, including Daniel and his three friends. Obviously, this task was humanly impossible for them to do. This event put Daniel's life on the line even though he had nothing to do with these astrologers because he was considered a wise man (Daniel 2:3-7). The astrologers couldn't interpret or recall the dream so the king ordered the death of all the wise men in Babylon (verses 8-13). Daniel then sought God for the meaning of the dream so he and his friends wouldn't be slain with the astrologers (verses 16-18). God mercifully revealed the meaning of the dream to Daniel in a vision at night (verses 19-23). Daniel then revealed the dream and its' meaning to the king. Let's pick up the story in verses 31-44. "You, O king were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, he has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them--you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters all things; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others." Historically Babylon came first, then came the Persian empire which conquered Babylon. Then came Alexander the Great's empire, which conquered that whole section of the eastern Mediterranean all the way to India. Then came the Roman Empire, which later on was divided into two sections. The eastern half ruled from Constantinople, the western half ruled from Rome, and held in it's power most of Europe, north Africa, and even the territory of the British Isles. Daniel lived into the very beginning of the time of the Persians, but he couldn't have predicted so accurately the rise and fall of the two other empires to follow the Persians. Let's read on. "Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. [vs. 44] And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." The last verse, 44, is a brief description of the Kingdom of God conquering the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, represented by the feet and ten toes of the image. Daniel chapter seven makes this clearer, showing that the ten toes really do represent the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. In this vision revealed by God to Daniel in the seventh chapter of Daniel, God shows us that the two legs not only represent the Roman Empire but its' successive resurrections down through European history. When Daniel chapter seven is added to Daniel chapter two the complete meaning of the image is revealed.

Daniel chapter seven, just as in Daniel two, describes in prophetic vision by use of symbols, four main world-ruling empires. Letting the Bible interpret itself, these are the same four empires described in Daniel two but by different symbols. So the first is Babylon, the second Persia, the third Alexander and the fourth Rome. This prophecy gets into a more thorough description of the fourth empire, Rome, and its' successive resurrections down through history. Daniel 7:1-8, 11-28. "In the first year of Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying, `I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings [the winged lion was the royal symbol of the Babylonian Empire]. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: `Arise, devour much flesh!' After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in the horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words...I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time...(verses 11-28) I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: `Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings (footnote: Representing their kingdoms (compare to verse 23)) which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. Thus he said: `The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time [three and a half years]. But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.' This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.'"

To recap, Daniel 7 describes in prophetic vision, by the use of symbols, four main world-ruling empires, starting with the Babylonian empire and then prophesying that three more world empires would follow one after the other. These four main world-ruling empires are represented as four separate animals or beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard with four heads and four wings, and a "terrible iron beast." This last "beast" (the fourth empire) was predicted to have ten horns representing ten kings. Three of these kings were to be "plucked up" by a separate "little horn." Now let us look at what history tells us:

1) Including and starting with Babylon, these four empires were the Babylonian empire, the Medo-Persian empire, the Greco-Macedonian empire under Alexander the Great (and later his four generals, represented by the four heads of the leopard), and the Roman Empire. They spanned over 1,000 years of history from 600 B.C. to 476 A.D.

2) Ten kings in the Roman Empire or Holy Roman Empire NEVER ruled side by side. History also tells us that three kings (kingdoms) were "subdued" by Justinian the first real Emperor since the fall of Rome, thus the ten horns of Daniel 7:7,23-24, represented ten "restorations" of the Roman Empire, the fourth beast, "made of iron...dreadful and terrible." This point is really important, because many Christians don't understand about the succession of Holy Roman Empires that this prophecy in Daniel predicted. We have to look to history to see that ten kings never ruled side by side with three being plucked up. But history does show us three kingdoms were indeed plucked up at the behest of the pope, ordering the king of the fourth resurrection of the Roman Empire, the first Holy Roman Emperor, to destroy the first three empires that were ruling in Rome after it's fall.

No mere human, even a righteous one like Daniel, could have predicted all this and made it come to pass right down through the centuries. These events spanned over 2,600 years! This is an infallible proof of God’s Word and of God himself, for Daniel couldn’t have dreamed all this up and then made it come to pass. He died in the 500’s B.C.! And the way the Jews maintain Holy Scripture, Daniel’s writings are verifiable right to the time when he lived. (An interesting story gleaned from history--Alexander, on his conquering march through the Middle East toward India was met by the Jewish High Priest outside of Jerusalem. His was shown the scroll of Daniel and it was pointed out to him that his empire indeed was the third empire predicted by God to Daniel, to bear rule over the entire known world. Alexander was so impressed that he spared the city and moved on. That is just one example of the literalness of these prophecies. Prophecy is history in advance, not intended to be spiritualized away, as some theologians attempt to do, distorting God's Word.)

So here are the four main world-ruling empires, and the restorations of the last empire listed as they occurred historically:

The Chaldean Empire (Babylonian) 625-539 B.C.
The Persian Empire. 539-330 B.C.
Alexander the Great's Greek Empire. 330 B.C. to 31 B.C.
The Roman Empire. 31 B.C. to 476 A.D. (in two divisions, east and west).
Restorations of the Roman Empire:
1-3: The Vandals, A.D. 429-533. The Heruli, A.D. 476-493.
The Ostrogoths, A.D. 493-554. (These three governments were removed by Justinian in 554 A.D. at the behest of the pope.)

4: The "Imperial Restoration" of the Empire by Justinian, 554 A.D.

5. The Frankish kingdom of Charlemagne. Charlemagne crowned in 800 A.D. His rule began in 774 A.D. (The Franks were a Germanic tribe living in the area of eastern France and western Germany.)

6. Holy Roman Empire of Otto the Great. Otto the Great was crowned in 962 A.D. (German Restoration.)

7. Habsburg dynasty. Charles the Great crowned in 1520 A.D. (Austrian Restoration.)

8. Napoleon's Kingdom. Napoleon crowned in 1805 A.D.
(Napoleon was of German lineage, ruling over France.)

9. Bonito Mussolini declared Holy Roman Emperor A.D. 1935 (Italian-German Restoration.)

10. Revived Roman Empire by 10 rulers or kings under one leader prophesied to come as the last restoration of the "iron beast" in Daniel 7. cf. Revelation 13 & 17.)

Now you can plainly see how 9/10ths of this major prophecy of God through his servant Daniel has been fulfilled literally. Napoleon and Adolf Hitler and Bonito Mussilini were real, just as Charlemagne and Justinian were. Thus the predicted 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and all the Millennial prophecies about a restored literal kingdom of God bearing rule over the entire earth--the wild preditors dwelling with tame animals and children playing with them, deserts transformed into luscious farmland--all this must be interpreted literally also. You can't switch in midstream on how you interpret. And history shows us how we are supposed to interpret by showing us what has been fulfilled and how.

When Jesus Christ comes back in all his glorious power with the army of God, he will subdue this final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, and usher in the Utopian World Tomorrow, ruled by the Kingdom of God. When you see this final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire forming in Europe, whenever that may happen, then you'll know that time is growing short.

Now we can see that over nine tenths of Daniel's prophecies, prophecies of God given to Daniel to write down in the Bible, are fulfilled and part of history. What is scary, especially for non-Christians and yes even nominal Christians, is that we can get a glimpse of what a recent Holy Roman Empire was like by looking at the World War II history of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was a cruel and brutal empire in which Adolph Hitler tried his best to model much of the pariphinalia of the ancient Roman Empire. Bonito Mussolini was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in a secret Vatican Concordat in 1935. It was short lived, but it was a real revival of the ancient Holy Roman Empires that preceded it. For our British brothers of the 1800's, Napoleon was their encounter with a Holy Roman Empire. The British of that day viewed Napoleon as much a threat as Churchill did Hitler.

Now let's get a peek into what's coming around the corner, prophetically speaking. The following is quoted from Chuck Missler's "Personal UPDATE."

"...An Emergent Empire?

The Bible generally presents history--both historic and prophetic--through the "lens" of Israel. Notable exceptions occur in Daniel Chapters 2 and 7, which summarize the Gentile empires that are to transpire between the Babylonian empire of that time until the final empire [Holy Roman Empire] that will be interrupted by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There are to be four: the Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, and the Roman...

For centuries, Biblical scholars have been anticipating the re-emergence of this 4th empire in its final form.

New EU President

The entire European Union's 20-member commission resigned in March [1999] due to extensive corruption scandals. The Council of Ministers unanimously voted to appoint the former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi as the new president of the commission.

Romano Prodi is known in his own country for bringing down inflation and unemployment rates. He has also enthusiastically endorsed the rooting out of corruption within the ranks of the 17,000 employees of the European bureaucracy, and has garnered praise from the members of the European Parliament for his strong statements regarding reform.

However, according to conservative members of the British Parliament, Prodi's appointment may be more of a nightmare than a dream. [The British, understandably, are always looking over the European horizon for signs of future fanatical dictatorships.] It appears Prodi is an ardent federalist, who is ready, willing and able to expedite the formation of the EU superstate. Prodi has stated in no uncertain terms that he is in favor of giving the EU more power and curtailing the rights of the member nations' veto power. He has also advocated the creation of an European defense force, calling for a new treaty to make this possible. He has said in speeches that he sees no other way for Europe to effectively handle foreign affairs without a military option. In addition, Prodi has called for the union to commit itself to further expansion into central and eastern Europe and to expedite the process by setting dates for the admission of new members, a move that is resisted by the heads of the EU government.

Prodi has applauded the progress made by the European Monetary Union in introducing the new super-national currency, the Euro. He said in an interview with the Financial Times that the Euro currency was "not just a bankers' decision or a technical decision. It was a decision that completely changed the nature of the member states."

NATO Redefined

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance in which each member was pledged to come to the aid of any of its members which were attacked militarily. However, at the 50th Anniversary Summit in Washington on April 23-24, 1999, NATO redefined itself in terms which appear to be a startling impetus toward the creation of a major new trans-global alliance...NATO is now an ideological construct which is now prepared to use force to impose its concept of world order on its neighbors and beyond.*

The new definition states:

The security of the Alliance remains subject to a wide variety of military and non-military risks...These risks include uncertainty and instability in and around the Euro-Atlantic area and the possibility of regional crises at the periphery of the Alliance which could evolve rapidly. Some countries in and around the Euro-Atlantic area face serious economic, social and political difficulties. Ethnic and religious rivalries, territorial disputes, inadequate or failed efforts at reform, the abuse of human rights, and the dissolution of states can lead to crises affecting Euro-Atlantic stability, to human suffering, and to armed conflicts. Such conflicts could affect the security of the Alliance by spilling over into neighboring countries, including NATO countries, or in other ways, and could also affect the security of other states.

And, if that does not give NATO a wide enough scope for military intervention in the affairs of its neighbors, the new strategic definition adds:

Alliance security interests can be affected by other risks of a wider nature, including acts of terrorism, sabotage and organized crime, and by disruption of the flow of vital resources. The uncontrolled movement of large numbers of people, particularly as a consequence of armed conflicts, can also pose problems for security and stability affecting the Alliance.

National Sovereignty Obsolete

The New strategic concept virtually declares national sovereignty obsolete. It is not just the sovereignty of the neighboring states that is threatened, but the individual members as well. The intention is to reduce the number of decision-making voices within NATO from 19 (and growing) to 3 or 4.

To prevent the re-nationalization of defense policies, military structures are to be integrated for:

...collective force planning; common funding; common operational planning; multinational formations, headquarters and command arrangements; an integrated air defense system; a balance of roles and responsibilities among the Allies; the stationing and deployment of forces outside home territory when required; arrangements, including planning, for crisis management and reinforcement; common standards and procedures for equipment, training and logistics; joint and combined doctrines and exercises when appropriate; and infrastructure, armaments and logistics cooperation.

These will tie each member state to the corporate whole and, ultimately, a single European voice on defense matters. "All European Allies should be involved in...the progressive framing of a common defense policy...as called for in the Amsterdam Treaty." (The Amsterdam Treaty, signed in June 1997, was a revision of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, and one of the most controversial elements concerned the strengthening of the European Union's role in defense matters.)...

Having totally bypassed the U.N., NATO has now become the self-appointed policeman of the world. Stand back and watch the global events move us inexorably toward the grand climax which the Bible has laid out in such detail. It is, indeed, time to do our homework.

Behold ye among the nations, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. Habakkuk 1:5

For an expanded description of this subject which will affect everyone on this planet, you can order Chuck Missler's briefing package (on cassette tapes), titled: An Empire Reborn? Order online at: http://www.khouse.org , or call 1-800-KHOUSE-1 or write: Koinonia House, P.O. Box D, Coeur d' Alene, ID 83816-0347. (advertised at $14.95.) It answers such questions touched on above, such as, "What is really happening in Europe? Is the re-emergence of Europe Biblically relevant and leading to the "Revived Empire" Bible scholars have been predicting for centuries? What impact does the re-definition of NATO have on the future of the United Nations and the world? Such questions and more are answered in "An Empire Reborn?"

The following is excerpted from Dr. Mark Eastman's "Creation by Design" and answers a vital question many non-believers have once they have seen God's existence in Scripture and seen his Word in Scripture proven beyond a doubt. Many may wonder, what next? What should I do with this vital information?

"How to Become a Christian

First of all you must recognize that you are a sinner. Realize that you have missed the mark. This is true of each of us. We have deliberately crossed the line not once, but many times. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This is a hard admission for many to make, but if we are not willing to hear the bad news, we cannot appreciate and respond to the good news.

Second, we must realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. Because of sin, God had to take drastic measures to reach us. So He came to this earth and walked here as a man. But Jesus was more than just a good man. He was the God-man--God incarnate--and that is why His death on the cross is so significant.

At the cross, God Himself--in the person of Jesus Christ--took our place and bore our sins. He paid for them and purchased our redemption.

Third, we must repent of our sin. God has commanded men everywhere to repent. Acts 3:19 states, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." What does this word repent mean? It means to change direction--to hang a U-turn on the road of life. It means to stop living the kind of life we led previously and start living the kind of life outlined in the pages of the Bible. Now we must change and be willing to make a break with the past.

Fourth, we must receive Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives.

Being a Christian is having God Himself take residence in our lives. John 1:12 tells us, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God." [Read also John 14. Jesus and the Father dwell in us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.] Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in..." (Revelation 3:20). Each one of us must individually decide to open the door. How do we open it? Through prayer.

If you have never asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, you can do it right now. Here is a suggested prayer you might even pray.

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sin. I turn and repent of my sins right now. Thank You for dying on the cross for me and paying the price for my sin. Please come into my heart and life right now. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to be Your disciple. Thank You for forgiving me and coming into my life. Thank You that I am now a child of Yours and that I will receive Eternal life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

When you pray that prayer God will respond. You have made the right decision--the decision that will impact how you spend eternity. In the meantime, find peace and the answers to your spiritual questions.

If you become a Christian, it is recommended that you find a Christian church to fellowship in and grow spiritually in. You are now part of the body of Christ. You are a young Christian needing spiritual food to grow on. Fellowshipping with other Christian brothers and sisters is also an essential part of Christian growth and life. It is therefore recommended that you find some evangelical Christian church that you feel comfortable attending.

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[If you chose to use this article to evangelize, print out the name and address and phone number of your church, times it meets, etc on the bottom of the previous page.]

To read a good sermon on Luke 21, see the article "The Second Coming Of Christ".