12 Dec 2008

The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes
E.G. White
DestroyedSoul
HappyHolidays
Pg. 44
The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes
DECEMBER 2008$4.75
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Pre-WrathRapturism
Pg. 17
MC1208CoverGood:MC0306 1A1B 12/1/08 3:00 PM Page 1
8
The Heraldof His
Coming
By Norbert Lieth
The forerunner of Jesus, the herald of His coming, and the
man of Advent was John the Baptist. He lived his life as a
pointer to Jesus Christ. As believers of the newcovenant, it
is our task to be bearers of the Gospel, and therewith
forerunners of His return.
17
Pre-wrath Rapturism
by Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
Pre-wrath rapturismis a variation of the midtribulational
viewof the rapture. It teaches that the church passes
through approximately three-fourths of Daniel's
seventieth week before being raptured, and that only
the final one-fourth includes the wrath of God.
29 Money: Ends and Trends
What Chances a Global Financial
Apocalypse Now? - Part II
By Wilfred Hahn
Just Howsignificant are the recent economic
troubles of America in relation to the whole world?
The U.S., and other countries facing similar
difficulties, could very well face a long phase of decline
and financial hardship ... even to the point of being eclipsed
by other nations in the world.
Midnight Call
DECEMBER 2008
C O N T E N T S
COVER STORY
35 ITALY
Christmas and the Pagan
Shrine
37AUSTRALIA
Santa Warned Ho Ho
Ho Is Offensive to
Women
38 CHINA
Growing Opportunities
for Wealth
39EU
Serbia Could Become EU
Candidate in 2009
40 USA
Wicca,
Fastest
Growing
Religion in
America
41 INDIA
New Agreement Cuts
Cost for Asean Bloc
4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Arno Froese
NAHUM3:16
16 HealthWise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Dr. John Cionci
WHY ARE AIDS CASES BEING UNDERREPORTED INTHE UNITED STATES?
26 Missions Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Arno Froese
INDIA
44 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Arno Froese
E.G. WHITE...DESTROYED SOUL...HAPPY HOLIDAYS
1
DEPARTMENTS
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4 M I D N I G H T C A L L
The burden which Habakkuk the
prophet did see (Habakkuk 1:1).
E D I T O R S N O T E
B y A r n o F r o e s e
1
A
mong the 12 Minor Prophets,
Habakkuk is unusual. This is ex-
pressed in the introduction: The
burdenwhichHabakkukthe prophet didsee
(verse 1). In most cases of the 12 Minor
Prophets we read, the wordof the Lordcame
to the prophet. Habakkuk begins by passing on his
burden. Obviously, this is spiritually prophetic; it relates
to heavenas well as the earth. He was a servant of God
who was in touch with God. This becomes obvious
whenwe readthe last chapter of his book, Aprayer of
Habakkuk, theprophet.
Instead of showing us events to come,
Habakkuk utters some vital questions directly
to the Lord: OLORD, how long shall I cry, and
thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of vi-
olence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou
shewme iniquity, and cause me to behold griev-
ance? for spoiling and violence are before me:
and there are that raise up strife and con-
tention (verses 2-3). The prophet is over-
whelmed by what he sees, iniquity
spoilingviolencestrifecontention. Yet
the Lord does not give him an answer: He is
silent. Habakkuk makes his case when he says,
and thou wilt not save!
Whose iniquity is God showing him? It is
the iniquity of Judah. Luther translates the last
words of verse 3: Violence supercedes judg-
ment. The Tenakh reads: Judgment emerges
deformed. We further read in verse 4: There-
fore the law is slacked, and judgment doth
never go forth: for the wicked doth compass
about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment
proceedeth. This concerns Judah, because the
10-tribe Israel has already been defeated and led
into captivity to foreign lands. Although it does-
nt say Judah, we know the identity because of
the enemy who will judge Judah, the Babyloni-
ans.
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard,
and wonder marvellously: for I will work a
work in your days, which ye will not believe,
though it be told you (verse 5). This verse al-
most seems as if out of context. But when we
read the entire book of Habakkuk, we realize it
is not. In the midst of greatest discouragement
and severest judgment, there is a message of
hope. The Apostle Paul on his missionary jour-
ney comes to Antioch and preaches in the syna-
gogue, confirming to the man of Israel that
prophecy is being fulfilled. Acts 13:39 reads:
DECEMBER 2008 5
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WE BELIEVE in the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and
therewith the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is Gods
Word, and in the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of the
Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and shed
His blood to save mankind. He died and arose bodily the third
day and later ascended into heaven.
WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of
each individual sinner and that all who believe in Him as their
personal Savior are justified through His shed blood and have
become children of God.
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restoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of
the Word of God.
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for the Rapture of His Church (all born again believers).
WE BELIEVE in the immortality of our souls and the resurrection
of our bodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the
everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment
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1
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not
be justified by the law of Moses. Then he gives a serious warning, using
Habakkuks words: Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of
in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in
your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto
you (Acts 13:40-41).
Next comes the identity of the enemy who would destroy the kingdom of Ju-
dah: For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall
march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not
theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall pro-
ceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more
fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and
their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they
shall gather the captivity as the sand. And they shall scoff at the kings, and the
princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they
shall heap dust, and take it (verses 6-10). Many translations use the word Babylon
instead of Chaldeans. This is a clear description of Babylons military force. There
was no opposing them; they marched fromvictory to victory.
While this speaks of the Babylonian enemy, we have sufficient reasons to believe
that it also speaks of the end times.
For example, Daniel 7:7, After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a
fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron
teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it:
and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
Here we have the dreadful and terrible last Gentile world empire. During the Baby-
lonian times, this empire was limited to the Mid East, but the last one is truly
global. The words, breadth of the land Luther translates, all of the earth; the
NIV reads, who sweep across the whole earth. We must, therefore, come to the
conclusion that this prophecy was not limited to the literal Babylonian Empire, but
also incorporates the last one, which is called Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17:5.
Especially in our days, we witness the arising of a global world. This has been
made painfully aware during the worldwide financial meltdown, the closing of
many banks, and the bankruptcy of innumerable businesses that were considered
to be rock solid investments previously. For the first time in history, a truly global
world is becoming a reality.
Look at verse 10: And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a
scorn unto them. Literally, kings and priests in our days have been reduced to
symbolic figures, without power and without authority. The superpower of our
days is the mixture of communism, socialism, and democracy. This new political
philosophy has flooded planet Earth, and there is no return.
But there is one fatal mistake Babylon made, and it is being repeated by todays
modern Babylon. It is revealed in verse 11: Then shall his mind change, and he
shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. Here we see re-
vealed the power of Antichrist, the one who will change his mind and break the
covenant: Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by himthe
daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast downAnd
the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify him-
self above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods,
and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined
shall be done (Daniel 8:11; 11:36).
On the one hand, we see that this was fulfilled in King Nebuchadnezzar, who
gives us his testimony in Daniel 4:30: The king spake, and said, Is not this great
Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdomby the might of my power,
and for the honour of my majesty? On the other hand, however, it is yet to be ful-
filled under the auspices of Mystery Babylon, the global world. Here is the descrip-
tion the Apostle Paul gives in 2 Thessalonians 2:4: Who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth
in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Immediately after this horrible picture was revealed to Habakkuk, we read: Art
thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O
LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast es-
tablished themfor correction (Habakkuk 1:12). This is in response to the threat-
ening total annihilation by Babylon upon Judah: we shall not die. Habakkuk
acknowledges that this terrible judgment coming upon his people is ordained from
God; it is for correction, but it will not totally eradicate Judah.
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:
wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue
when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? (verse 13).
These statements are written in a question form, yet resolutely declare Gods ab-
soluteness. Yes, God sees everything, but He is silent because He knows the mea-
sure of evil that is ordained. We are reminded here of Genesis 15:16, where God
gives His promise to Abraham: But in the fourth generation they shall come hither
again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Sin must bear fruit: it is the
fruit of iniquity.
The prophet continues to ask, And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the
creeping things, that have no ruler over them? (verse 14). Man, under the ruler-
ship of the prince of darkness, the god of this world, has no connection to the lead-
ership of God he is totally lost. Here we are reminded of the words we read in
Ephesians 2:12: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope, and without God in the world. There is nothing more terrible than having
no hope. Thankfully, the next verse begins with the word but: But now in
Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ
(verse 13).
The next three verses describe the enemy, which in this case is Babylon. Yet
when we consider extended prophecy, we come to Satan himself, for he stands be-
hind Babylon; he rules the world: They take up all of them with the angle, they
catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and
are glad. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag;
because by themtheir portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. Shall they therefore
empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations? (verses 15-17).
This speaks of the commercial success of Babylon. They pride themself in their
materialistic spirit: they rejoice and are glad. Next comes the worshipping of ma-
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E D I T O R S N O T E
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DECEMBER 2008 7
terialism, which is described in verse 16. They
sacrifice and burn incense because of the riches
they have gathered: they are worshipping the
spirit of materialism.
Here we are reminded of Revelation 18:3:
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the
earth have committed fornication with her, and
the merchants of the earth are waxed rich
through the abundance of her delicacies. This
clearly reveals the spirit of intoxication of mate-
rial successpolitical, religious, and commer-
cial.
We also see here a picture of the last church
mentioned in Revelation 3, the Laodiceans,
who proudly exclaimed: I am rich, and in-
creased with goods, and have need of nothing.
But the Lord exposes the truth about the church
in Laodicea: and knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked (verse 17).
In recent months, we have been confronted
by a shadowof things to come. The news media
proclaimed in large letters how a financial cata-
strophe has befallen planet Earth. Many prog-
nosticators see this as a repetition of the Great
Depression. But we can say with assurance that
is not the case. Why not? There is a very spe-
cific reason; namely, the unity of the world.
This financial fiasco has touched virtually all
nations of the world; subsequently, all nations
will have to participate in establishing a system
that will guarantee peace and prosperity for the
future. But we repeat, it is a deception. Peace
and prosperity can never be established until
the Prince of Peace comes, who will rule and
judge the world in righteousness. As believers,
we know Him personally because He is our
peace, He is our future, and He is our eternity.
Holy Land Tour and Prophecy
Conference
Please reserve the dates, 27 April 8 May
2009 for our Spring Holy Land Tour and
Prophecy Conference. Israel is awaiting you.
This is the land where our Lord was born, grew
up, began His ministry, and fulfilled prophecy
as He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the
blind, caused the lame to walk, and raised the
dead to life. The land of Israel is the place where
He fulfilled the words of the prophets of old in a
very precise manner. Jesus our Lord went from
the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethse-
mane, and later to the little hill Golgotha where
He gave His life as a ransomfor all who will be-
lieve. Jesus was buried, but rose again on the
third day, and after 40 days, went to the Mount
of Olives and ascended into heaven. The
promise was made that one day He would re-
turn to the Mount of Olives. Your Bible will
come alive when you are actually in His Land.
Just think of Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives,
Gethsemane, the Sea of Galilee, Caesarea, the
Valley of Jezreel, Megiddo, Mount Carmel and
innumerable other places you have read about
in your Bible!
Now you have the opportunity to be there in
person when you join our Spring Holy Land
Tour and Prophecy Conference.
Unfortunately, the cost is still in negotiation
stages, due to the recent international financial
uncertainty. We plan to have full information in
our next issue.
Since this is a limited tour, we suggest that
you secure your place now by sending a $400
per person deposit. You will be first to receive
the latest information as it becomes available
about this Holy Land study tour.
Atlantic Coast Prophecy Confer-
ence
Please reserve these important dates, 4th
6th October 2009 for our annual prophecy con-
ference in beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Car-
olina. This will be an important year to deal
with Bible prophecy, particularly in view of the
near collapse of financial and economic systems
globally. Preliminary scheduling calls for the
following speakers: Norbert Lieth, Wilfred
Hahn, Dave Hunt, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum
and myself. You do not want to miss this impor-
tant conference. Mark these dates on your cal-
endar, so you will have ample time to prepare to
join us for this wonderful event.
MC
8 M I D N I G H T C A L L 8 M I D N I G H T C A L L
BY NORBERT LIETH
Advent is the time leading up to
Christmas.
The forerunner of Jesus, the herald of His com-
ing, and the man of Advent was John the Baptist.
He rejected any comparison with Christ. He only
wanted to be a pointer to Him. We read in Luke
3:15-16, And as the people were in expectation,
and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether
he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying
unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but
one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose
shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize
you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
Jesus Christ came and will come
again.
Like John the Baptist, the believers of the new
covenant are also called to be pointers to Jesus
Christ. It is our task to be bearers of the Gospel,
and therewith forerunners of His return, as He said
in John 14:3, I will come again, and receive you
unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also. Today our world is also in expectation, in the
advent preceding the return of the Lord.
Joy and gladness
We can learn from John the Baptist what it
means to be a pointer to Jesus Christ. Before he
was born an angel of the Lord appeared to his fa-
ther, Zechariah, in the temple, and told him a few
things concerning the future of his son, And thou
shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice
at his birth (Luke 1:14).
Do you spread joy or sorrow? Do you help de-
pressed people to rejoice again? As our lives always
leave a trail behind them, I also have to ask myself
what trails I have left behind today. Were they trails
of joy, gladness and content? Or do the people
I meet turn up their noses when they think of me?
When I think of my father-in-law, who is with the
Lord now, I only have happy memories of him.
I have seldom seen such a contented, grateful, po-
lite man, who radiated such love. He left a sweet
savor behind him. Everything we do or do not do,
whether we speak or are silent, leaves a trail be-
hind us. When the name of a person is mentioned,
we can often tell from the expression on someones
face what he or she thinks of the other person. Our
behavior, as well as our words, always has an effect.
John the Baptist was the cause of joy and glad-
ness. Why? From the beginning, Johns whole life
belonged to the Lord; his life was dedicated to
Him, and this in itself brings joy. Whoever you
dedicate your life to, and put your life at the dis-
posal of, will leave his mark on your life. If it be-
longs wholly to the Lord Jesus, He will make your
joy complete, These things have I spoken unto
you, that my joy might remain in you, and that
your joy might be full (John 15:11). If you are still
living in sin, however, you are the servant of sin,
Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin
(John 8:34). This affects your whole behavior and
your wordshypocrisy, speaking evil of others in
order to put yourself in a better light, lying and de-
ceiving, etc. C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity,
If you are thinking of becoming a Christian,
I warn you, you are embarking on something
which is going to take the whole of you, brains and
all. Only a person who has joy in his or her own
heart can bring joy to others. John the Baptist was
guided by this joy in the Holy Spirit. We cannot di-
vide his devotion to God and the joy that he radi-
ated. We hear this man who prepared the way for
the Lord say, Ye yourselves bear me witness, that
I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before
him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but
the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and
heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bride-
grooms voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled
(John 3:28-29).
C O V E R S T O R Y
SEPTEMBER 2008 9
John the Baptist was the cause of joy and gladness. Why? From the beginning,
Johns whole life belonged to the Lord; his life was dedicated to Him, and this in
itself brings joy. Whoever you dedicate your life to, and put your life at the disposal
of, will leave his mark on your life.
DECEMBER 2008 9
Recently I heard someone say, Those who dont
read the Bible any more, soon stop believing.
I would add to that, and will soon stop rejoic-
ing! A man by the name of Wolfgang Bhne wrote
in a commentary on John Pipers book, The Danger-
ous Duty of Delight, John Piper is completely con-
vinced that we honor God the most when we
rejoice in Him and are content in Him. Without this
joy, a characteristic sign in the Lords service is lack-
ing.
Only with the One in our hearts Who created joy,
and is Himself the origin of all joy and happiness,
can we bring true joy to others.
I once read in a daily newspaper that a young
pop star said at the end of the year: I am looking
forward to the new year, new music and a new me.
When I read these words I thought to myself, Do
we get a new me in the new year, or do we take the
old one with us? This pop star expressed the wish
of so many people, to have a new me. But almost
all of them are looking in the wrong place.
Great in the sight of the Lord
The angel prophesied further of Zechariahs son,
He shall be great in the sight of the Lord (Luke
1:15). What a testimony
that is, what a divine
stamp on Johns life! All
others in this world pale
in comparison. John the
Baptist would one day
be great, not in the sight
of men, but in the sight
of the Almighty. In this
world there are many
great people, with title
and honor, but great in
the sight of the Lord is
so much more.
Frieder Burda, an art
expert and shareholder
in a large German media
organization, stated in resignation, I bought myself
a large ship to sail on the seas. What a bore! I never
had a happy day on this ship. Only to spend money,
meaningless, soulless and without a goal, is no life.
This is sheer boredom. Poet Kathe Walter, on the
other hand, wrote, Only this is the meaning of life
on earth, to live to the praise of God and to illumi-
nate the way for others with the light from eternal
sources. I recently heard in a song the words, You
are not dead, but ask yourself if you are alive!
What is true greatness? What is the utmost a per-
son can achieve? What greatness counts in the end?
We are living at a time in which people have lost the
art of wanting to be great in the sight of the Lord;
the spiritual desire is no longer there. Today people
want to be something in the world, in the sight of
men. They want to achieve great things in order to
receive recognition.
When Nebuchadnezzar wanted to find an elite
team of young men, it was of utmost importance
that these should be of the kings seed, and of
the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but
well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cun-
ning in knowledge, and understanding science, and
such as had ability in them to stand in the kings
We are living at a time in which people have lost the art of wanting to be great in the sight of
the Lord; the spiritual desire is no longer there. Today people want to be something in the
world, in the sight of men. They want to achieve great things in order to receive recognition.
THE HERALD OF HIS COMING
C O V E R S T O R Y
DECEMBER 2008 11
Nobody has to follow John the Baptist and eat locusts and
wild honey, or walk around dressed in camels
hair. No, born-again people can be statesmen
such as Joseph, Daniel and Nehemiah; or be rich
like Abraham, Job, or King David. But we must
get our priorities right!
palace, and whom they might teach the learning
and the tongue of the Chaldeans (Daniel 1:3-4).
Moreover these young men were to eat a daily
provision of the kings meat, and of the wine which
he drank (verse 5) throughout the time of their ed-
ucation, for three years. But Daniel and his three
friends wanted to please God in the first place,
Now among these were of the children of Judah,
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah But
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not de-
file himself Now God had brought Daniel into
favor and tender love (verses 6-9).
The names of all others who wanted to be great
in Nebuchadnezzars kingdom are not even men-
tioned. Daniel, however, became a great man of
God, who is still remembered today.
Moses could have been great in Egypt. But we
read in Hebrews 11:24, By faith Moses, when he
was come to years, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter.
Who was greater: Caesar Augustus of Rome, or
Mary, the young country girl? Herod and his mag-
nificent buildings, or the wise men from the East?
The emperor Nero, or Paul? We all know the an-
swer.
The greatest thing is to be called by the Lord Je-
sus Christ, the Son of the living God, and to follow
Himlike Peter, the fisherman, Levi (later on
called Matthew), the publican, or Paul the tent-
maker. Among these, Paul was certainly the most
educated, but he tells us in the first letter to the
Corinthians that this is not important at all, For ye
see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many no-
ble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to con-
found the things which are mighty; and base things
of the world, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in
his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption: that, according
as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
Great and approved in the sight of the Lord is not
he that commendeth himself, but whom the
Lord commendeth (2 Corinthians 10:18). Paul
said a true, born-again Jew is one whose praise
is not of men, but of God (Romans 2:29).
Material things are of secondary
importance
Of the future life of John the Baptist, it is said
further, and shall drink neither wine nor strong
drink (Luke 1:18).
Nobody has to follow John the Baptist and eat lo-
custs and wild honey, or walk around dressed in
camels hair. No, born-again people can be states-
men such as Joseph, Daniel and Nehemiah; or be
rich like Abraham, Job, or King David. But we must
get our priorities right!
We do not want to be more pious than the Bible.
The Word of God does not teach us to be poor and
to forgo all luxuries. We may enjoy everything the
Lord puts at our disposal, but it must not be so im-
portant to us that it obstructs our view of Jesus. It is
of primary importance what we seek first, But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you
(Matthew 6:33). It is not so important what mater-
ial things we possess, but what possesses us!
There are poor peo-
ple who are striving
after earthly things
and cling to the little
that they have. Then
there are rich people
who strive first after
spiritual things. It is not
important whether we are
rich or poor, but what we are
striving after; what determines our
lives. We should not ask ourselves, What
would I do if I had? but rather, What am
I doing with that which I have?
The following is a little example of this: Two
men were talking about their friendship. One of
them asked the other, If you had five TV sets,
would you give me one? Sure! said the other.
The first man then asked, If you had five cars,
would you give me one? Certainly! his friend
replied. If you had five shirts, would you give me
one? the first man asked. The other man shook
his head, No. His friend wanted to know why,
and he said, I have five shirts!
Filled with spiritual wisdom
Zechariah was told concerning his son, He
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his
mothers womb (Luke 1:15).
It is not predominant for the Lords work
whether we have the Holy Spirit, but that the
Holy Spirit has us. Only in this way will we be
able to do Gods work in Gods way. Hudson Tay-
lor, the great missionary to China, once said at a
missionary conference, Take a cannon. The
cannon is nothing in itself; the cannon ball and
the gunpowder are harmless. Then the spark
comes, and the gunpowder becomes lightning,
the cannon ball a thunderbolt, the cannon barrel
a tube of fire. We have everything the mission
needs today, but often the spark from above is
lacking.
The human striving to be great in this world,
also in Christian circles, has brought spiritual
poverty to many. There are impressive cannons,
cannon balls and gunpowder, but the spark of the
Holy Spirit is lacking. For this reason Paul had to
admonish Timothy, Wherefore I put thee in re-
membrance that thou stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee by the putting on of my hands (2
Timothy 1:6). The New International Version
translates this, For this reason I remind you to
fan into flame the gift of God.
God wants people who are filled with the Holy
Spiritthis is sanctification. He does not want
people who merely obey a list of commandments
and are proud of themselves for doing so. No, the
Lord wants our whole lives to come under the
lordship of the Holy Spirit.
With many people, however, this is a sore
point. Most believers confuse earnestness with ho-
liness. They think that if they are earnest enough
they will be holier. This is not so. The Holy Spirit
leaves the personality of the individual child of
God as it is, but He sanctifies his character. The
holiest people that I have known have been happy,
uncomplicated, big-hearted people.
People who are not filled with the Holy Spirit
are like electronic devices whose batteries have
run down. It is no use having your mobile phone
with you at all times so that you can be reached, if
you do not make sure that the battery is charged.
Gods signposts
Because John the Baptist would be filled with
the Holy Spirit, it was also prophesied of him,
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn
to the Lord their God (Luke 1:16).
What a relief it is when on a long trip to see a
sign like Gas station one mile ahead, or Restau-
People who are not filled with the Holy Spirit are like electronic
devices whose batteries have run down. It is no use having your
mobile phone with you at all times so that you can be
reached, if you do not make sure that the battery is charged.
C O V E R S T O R Y
rant, or the name of our
destination. Such signposts
never point to themselves,
but always to something
else. What would you think
of a signpost that said, Here
I am!? This is of no use to
anyone; it says nothing
about the destination.
John was a true signpost
who determinedly pointed
away from himself and to
Christ, The voice of one
crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the
Lord, make his paths straight
John answered, saying
unto them all, I indeed bap-
tize you with water; but one
mightier than I cometh, the
latchet of whose shoes I am
not worthy to unloose: he
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with
fire I am not the Christ (Luke 3:4 & 16 and
John 1:20).
There are not a few servants of God who only
point to themselves today, or are convinced that
only their church or ministry can save people.
This is in itself a pointer to the fact that they are
not led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit identi-
fies Himself with the Word of God, the sword of
the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). (Compare also John
1:12, 3:16, 5:24, 14:6, Acts 4:12 and 1 Corinthi-
ans 3:11.)
The greatest and best thing a person can be is a
signpost pointing to Jesus Christ, in the place
where God has put him. There is no more fulfill-
ing task than this.
The fulfillment of the Word of God
It was further prophesied of John the Baptist,
He shall go before him in the spirit and power of
Elijah, to turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just; to make
ready a people prepared for
the Lord (Luke 1:17). In
the book Malachi the same
thing is said of Elijah, as
the angel prophesies here
concerning John the Bap-
tist, Behold, I will send
you Elijah the prophet be-
fore the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the
Lord: and he shall turn the
heart of the fathers to the
children, and the heart of
the children to their fa-
thers, lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse
(Malachi 4:5-6).
This statement concern-
ing Elijah was applied prophetically to John the
Baptist. Through this it becomes clear that John
came in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is
why the Lord Jesus said of John, And if ye will
receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come
(Matthew 11:14).
There is nothing better than when the Word of
God is realized in and through us. It takes place
when we live out the Word of Godwhen we are
not on our way in our own power, but in the
power of the Word of God and the Spirit of Jesus;
that is, in the power of His name.
Prophetic direction
Zechariah was also told by the angel that the
ministry of his son John would one day serve to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke
1:17). John the Baptist, as a man, did indeed appear
on the scene in the spirit and power of Elijah, to be
a forerunner of Jesus, to make ready a people pre-
DECEMBER 2008 13
John the Baptist, as a man, did indeed appear on the scene in the spirit and power of
Elijah, to be a forerunner of Jesus, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. He
did this at a time when only few were expecting the coming of the Messiah in Israel.
pared for the Lord. He did
this at a time when only few
were expecting the coming of
the Messiah in Israel.
Is it not similar today? We
are expecting the return of Je-
sus for His Church (the Rap-
ture), which will take place
without warning. We are Ad-
vent people. John the Baptist
went before the Lord and
made ready a people pre-
pared for the Lord. This is
also the task of Midnight Call
Ministries.
The last book of the Bible
begins with the words, The
Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him, to
show his servants things which must shortly come
to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel
unto his servant John (Revelation 1:1). Two verses
later it says, Blessed is he that readeth, and they
that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those
things which are written therein: for the time is at
hand (verse 3). In the last chapter of the Revelation
it says, And he said unto me, These sayings are
faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy
prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants
the things which must shortly be done. Behold,
I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the say-
ings of the prophecy of this book (verses 6-7).
True faith changes society
John was to turn the disobedient to the wis-
dom of the just, in order to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17).
As born-again Christians, we have a society-
changing task in this world. This does not mean
that we take part in all their activities, but that we
point to the Lord Jesus and the Word of God, so that
the disobedient are changed
into the wisdom of the just, so
that they bring forth fruits wor-
thy of repentance (Matthew 3:8
and Luke 3:8). Daniel and his
three friends are a good example
of this (compare Daniel chapters
3 and 6).
It is Gods aim that people
are changed for eternity. This
transformation can only take
place, however, when we our-
selves are transformed through
the Word of God and put our
Christianity into practice.
Swiss businessman Henry
Dunant was the first man to re-
ceive the Nobel Peace Prize, in
the year 1901. In 1855 he
founded the Swiss chapter of the YMCA, and in the
1860s the Red Crosstoday the most recognized
and respected organization in the entire world. He
trusted in God and practiced Christian brotherly
love, which transformed the society of that time.
Everywhere Christians took the Word of God to
heart, gave up their indifference and became fervent
followers of Jesus, society was transformed (think of
Luther, Moody, Peter Marshall, and George Mller).
They followed the One who transformed the world
as no other before Him: Jesus Christ. The Lord ex-
pects that as born-again Christians we do our part
out of love for Him to improve human lives without
thinking of the profit.
Christmas the time of presents
John the Baptist pointed in a unique way to the
heavenly gift in Jesus Christ, by saying of Him, Be-
hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of
the world (John 1:29). The Lord Jesus does not
want to take anything from you except your sins,
but He gives you everything that is good for you and
Swiss businessman Henry Dunant was the first man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in
the year 1901. In 1855 he founded the Swiss chapter of the YMCA, and in the 1860s the
Red Crosstoday the most recognized and respected organization in the entire world.
C O V E R S T O R Y
your family for time and eternity.
Concerning the first coming of Jesus
to this earth, the apostle Paul wrote,
For ye know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich,
yet for your sakes he became poor,
that ye through his poverty might be
rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
The best Christmas
present for God is
when Jesus is born in the heart
of a person. He saw the lost condition
of every person who goes to eternity
without forgiveness of his sins. Out of pure love,
therefore, He became man in Jesus Christ (John
1:14). He was born as a baby in
Bethlehem, and as a man He went
to Calvary, where He was crucified
in our place for our sins (1 Peter
2:24), that whosoever believeth
in him [Jesus] should not perish,
but have everlasting life (John
3:16). But Jesus did not remain on
the cross or in the tomb, but rose
again and is alive now and forever.
As the Risen Lord, He says to you
now, Fear not; I am the first and
the last: I am he that liveth, and
was dead; and, behold, I am alive
forevermore (Revelation 1:17-18).
316/MR1207
John the Baptist pointed in a unique way to the heavenly gift in Jesus Christ, by saying
of Him, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
$
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DECEMBER 2008 15
MC
T
he answer to this question is rather
complicated because it involves poli-
tics, lobbyists, and a Congress that is
afraid of offending the gay community. Let me
start by saying I never have, nor will I ever do
any gay bashing. I have been a certified AIDS
expert since 1985, and held a part-time posi-
tion with the Philadelphia Department of
Health. Therefore, I am only reporting the
facts, and will let you know when I am giving
my own opinion. A new study was conducted
by The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (CDC), which found that the annual
infection rates for HIV, the virus which causes
AIDS, is 40% higher than previously esti-
mated. The CDC has known of the new fig-
ures since October 2007, but the results were
first published in the August 6, 2008 issue of
the Journal of the American Medical Associa-
tion. The study found that 56,300 people be-
came newly infected with HIV in 2007,
compared with the 40,000 figure the agency
had listed as the figure they have estimated
since the late 1900s. The findings confirm
that HIV has its greatest effect among gay and
bisexual men of all races (53% of all new in-
fections). Of course, we will never know the
true number of homosexual men in the
United States. And, there is no way of know-
ing the total number of bisexual men because
so many of them are married and even have
children. Because of single bisexual males
who have the AIDS virus, but have no signs or
symptoms of AIDS, more and more women
are contracting the disease unknowingly.
Also, keep in mind that 21% of people with
HIV are found among people who inject ille-
gal drugs and share needles and syringes. Due
to the stigma of having HIV/AIDS, many carri-
ers do not tell their partners, or even their
own doctors. And some people refuse to get
tested for HIV simply because they dont want
to know. I have always found it unusual that
when a couple applies for a marriage license,
the couple must have their blood tested. So
does a pregnant woman before giving birth.
Also, a patient must have a blood test before
undergoing surgery. But, no one is ever man-
dated to have a test for HIV. I also know that
since 1996, when new drugs were developed
to slow down the replication of the AIDS
virus, most patients did not develop any signs
or symptoms of full-blown AIDS. Therefore,
many patients who are carrying the virus are
living much longer but are still able to spread
it. Many people who are infected do not
know they are infected, because they have
never been tested for HIV. There is another
reason why HIV/AIDS cases are underre-
ported. We have no idea how many of the mil-
lions of illegal immigrants are infected with
the AIDS virus.
Lets heed 1 Corinthians 5:9,10: I wrote
unto you in an epistle not to company with
fornicators: Yet not altogether with the forni-
cators of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must
ye needs go out of the world.
Dr. John Cionci is a
Philadelphia native and
graduate of Central
High School, University
of Pennsylvania, and
Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine.
He is a member of the
American Osteopathic
Association and Chair
of the AIDS Association.
Dr. Cionci has been a
practicing physician
since 1950.
H E A L T H W I S E
Dr. John Cionci 536 Fort Washington Ave., Fort Washington, PA 19034
Why are AIDS cases being underreported in
the United States?
B y D r . J o h n C i o n c i
MC
DECEMBER 2008 17
Dr. John Cionci 536 Fort Washington Ave., Fort Washington, PA 19034
B y D r . J o h n C i o n c i
Pre-wrath rapturism is a variation of the midtribulational view of the
rapture. Only the name pre-wrath rapture is of recent origin. The
major works on the subject include: Marvin J. Rosenthal, The Pre-Wrath
Rapture of the Church (1990); Robert D. Van Kampen, The Rapture
Question Answered (1997); and, Robert D. Van Kampen, The Sign (1992).
Rosenthal also publishes a bimonthly publication entitled Zions Fire.
by Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
RAPTURISM
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS
Pre-wrath rapturism is the teaching that the
church passes through approximately three-fourths
of Daniels seventieth week (the seven-year tribula-
tion) before being raptured. The initial period of the
tribulation is termed mans wrath since man and
Satan are regarded as the agents causing the prophe-
sied events. Pre-wrath rapturists are adamant that
the entire period of Daniels seventieth week should
not be regarded as the tribulation. Only the final
one-fourth of Daniels seventieth week includes the
wrath of God. Since God does not outpour His
wrath until after three-fourths of the seventieth
week have passedand the church is allegedly rap-
tured prior to the last one-fourth of the period when
God outpours His wraththe originators of this
view regard themselves as pre-wrath.
Rosenthal provided the basic tenets of the pre-
wrath rapture view as follows:
1. The Rapture of the church will occur immediately
prior to the beginning of the Day of the Lord.
2. The Day of the Lord commences sometime within
the second half of the seventieth week.
3. The cosmic disturbances associated with the sixth
seal will signal the approach of the Day of the Lord.
4. The Day of the Lord will begin with the opening of
the seventh seal (Rev. 8:1).
1
There are, at least, four additional tenets that are
important for the pre-wrath view. First, the opening
three and one-half years of the seventieth week com-
mence with the Antichrist signing the peace
covenant with Israelthis is called the beginning of
sorrows. These first three and one-half years only
comprise the trials and tribulations of life; therefore,
pre-wrath rapturism does not place the wrath of
God during the beginning of sorrows. Rosenthal be-
lieves that any designation of the first half of Daniels
seventieth week as the tribulation has no biblical
justification.
2
Second, the Antichrist will commit the abomina-
tion of desolation, thereby revealing his true nature,
at the midpoint of Daniels seventieth week. The
abomination of desolation marks the beginning of
the great tribulation. Although the great tribula-
tion begins at the midpoint of the seven-year week,
it does not actually continue until the end of the last
three and one-half years. The majority of Rosenthals
charts illustrate that the great tribulation only com-
prises half of the last three and one-half years.
3
Third, the first six seals cover the time span of ap-
proximately five and one-quarter years of Daniels
seventieth week. It is the opening of the sixth seal,
resulting in the cosmic disturbances, which sig-
nals the sign of Christs coming. The sixth seal fol-
lows the great tribulation but precedes the end of
the last three and one-half years.
4
Fourth, the seal judgments are mans wrath
through Antichrist. Approximately five and one-
quarter years will comprise the seal judgments. The
trumpet judgments are Gods wrath on all mankind
(Israel and the nations). Approximately one and
three-fourth years will comprise the trumpet judg-
ments. The bowl judgments are Gods wrath upon
the nations for persecution of Israel. The bowl
judgments will last thirty days after the Day of the
Lord; that is, the bowl judgments will occur after
Daniels seventieth week.
5
Rosenthal does believe correctly that the Olivet
Discourse is a central text in determining the
chronology and sequence of Daniels seventieth
week. His next statement, however, that the seven-
tieth week of Daniel has three major, distinct, and
identifiable periods of time: the beginning of sor-
rows, the Great Tribulation, and the Day of the Lord
[the sole time of Gods wrath]all found in the
Olivet Discourse
6
is to be challenged.
THE TRIBULATION PERIOD
According to Rosenthals chronology, the rapture
occurs after the great tribulation and prior to the
PRE-WRATH
RAPTURISM
Day of the Lord. It is because the Day of the Lord is
the beginning of the wrath of God that this view is
called pre-wrath. Pre-wrath rapturists do not iden-
tify the entire seven years of Daniels seventieth
week with the wrath of God. The distinctions in ter-
minology for the pre-wrath view are central to the
arguments raised. In Chapter 8, And What of the
Tribulation Period? of The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the
Church, Rosenthal argued,
The designation the tribulation period should properly
be omitted from any honest consideration of the time of
the Rapture of the church. The termtribulation period is
normally used by pretribulation rapturists as a synonym
for the seventieth week of the book of Daniel (Dan. 9:27);
that is, to describe the seven years that immediately pre-
cede Christs physical return to the earth to establish His
millennial kingdom. Although popular and used by
many competent preachers, teachers, and theologians,
such a designation has no biblical justification.
7
A clear fact emerges from an examination of the word
tribulation as used in the Bible. In a prophetic context, it is
used to describe only the period of time that begins in
the middle of Daniels seventieth weeknever of the first
half of it. Based on that indisputable fact, to call the entire
seven-year time frame the tribulation period is to coin a
technical phrase and superimpose it upon the Scriptures,
reading into the biblical text that which it does not itself de-
clare.
8
It is admitted unreservedly that the phrase tribu-
lation period does not appear in the Bible. How-
ever, to accuse pretribulationists with the coining
of the phrase and superimposing it on the Scriptures
with no biblical justification is an argument that
will also turn against the pre-wrath view. For in-
stance, using Rosenthals logic, to coin a technical
phrase such as pre-wrath rapture would be super-
imposing a designation that the Bible does not use.
Rosenthal desires to designate the period covering
the three septet judgments and wrath of God as the
70
th
week of Daniel. Although the Bible does not
use the phrase tribulation period, its meaning is
indeed biblical; hence, it may be used widely as an
effective term in contrast to the unwieldiness of the
expression 70
th
week of Daniel that Rosenthal
prefers.
9
Furthermore, Rosenthals expression does
not occur in Scripture either. The reason that Rosen-
thal does not want to use the term tribulation pe-
riod is due to the fact that its usage will not support
his threefold division of Daniels seventieth week
into the beginning of sorrows, Great Tribula-
tion, and Day of the Lord.
In the Greek, O/i|i (thlipsis) is used in the first
half of the seventieth week. Then they will deliver
you to tribulation [0/i |iv, thlipsin], and will kill you,
and you will be hated by all nations on account of My
name (Matt 24:9). Obviously this 0/i|i (tribula-
tion) occurs in the first half, since it precedes the
abomination of desolation at the midpoint (24:15-
21). O/i |i is also used of the second half of the sev-
entieth week. For after all it is only just for God to
repay with affliction [0/i oooiv, thlibousin] those
who afflict [0/i|iv, thlipsin] you, and to give relief to
you who are afflicted [0/io:voi, thlibomenois] and
to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing
out retribution to those who do not know God and to
those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2
Thess 1:6-8).
The timing when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven is certainly the second coming; this re-
turn of the Lord will bring the fulfillment of 2 Thes-
salonians 1:6, which would be chronologically prior
to the second coming. In other words, the 0/i|i
(thlipsis) is also within the second half of the seven-
tieth week. Both Matthew 24:9 and 1 Thessalonians
1:6-8 provide biblical support for the expression
tribulation period to describe the entire seven
years of the seventieth week of Daniel. Indeed, the
terms can be used synonymously. The only reason
DECEMBER 2008 19
PRE-WRATH RAPTURISM
It is admitted unreservedly that the phrase tribulation period does not
appear in the Bible. However, to accuse pretribulationists with the
coining of the phrase and superimposing it on the Scriptures with no
biblical justification is an argument that will also turn against the pre-
wrath view.
for not using them synonymously is to lend support
to the pre-wrath, threefold division of the same time
period.
THE LENGTH OF THE GREAT
TRIBULATION
It has already been demonstrated that Rosen-
thal does not believe that the entire seven years
of Daniels seventieth week should be regarded as
the tribulation period. Citing Matthew 24:21, 29
and Mark 13:19, 24, he wrote, Of the four times
the Lord spoke of tribulation in prophetic con-
text, He was speaking of the Great Tribulation,
which begins in the middle of Daniels seventieth
weekprecisely three and one-half years into
it.
10
The shortening of the Great Tribulation to less than
three and one-half years is one of the most important
truths to be grasped if the chronology of end-time
events is to be understood. It literally is the key that
reveals the sequence to Matthew 24-25 and the
chronology of the book of Revelation with the open-
ing of the seals, trumpets, and bowls.
11
Rosenthal agrees with the majority of pret-
ribulationists that the great tribulation should be
reserved for the second half of the seventieth
week. However, his contention with pretribula-
tionists is that the great tribulation begins in
the middle of the seventieth week, but it does
not run until the end of the seventieth week.
12
Rosenthals error is easily discerned when read-
ing Daniel 12:1. (Now at that time Michael, the
great prince who stands guard over the sons of your
people, will arise. And there will be a time of dis-
tress such as never occurred since there was a na-
tion until that time; and at that time your people,
everyone who is found written in the book, will be
rescued.) Daniels words are the same as Matthew
24:21, which clearly occurs at the midpoint of
the seventieth week.
Both Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21 refer to
the time known as the great tribulation. Daniel
12:6-7 prophesies the length of this period. And
one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above
the waters of the river, How long will it be until
the end of these wonders? And I heard the man
dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the
river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward
heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it
would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as
soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy
people, all these events will be completed.
Furthermore, Revelation 12:14 (And the two
wings of the great eagle were given to the woman,
in order that she might fly into the wilderness to
her place, where she was nourished for a time and
times and half a time, from the presence of the ser-
pent.) prophesies of the same time as Daniel 12:7
and Matthew 24:21. Michael, the great prince who
stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise
with the heavenly angels to battle with Satan and
the fallen angels who will persecute Israel, the
woman. Those who flee into the wilderness will be
protected by God for time and times and half a
time.
The length of the period is qualified in Revela-
tion 12:6 as one thousand two hundred and sixty
days and in 13:5 as forty-two months. Therefore,
the great tribulation is the entire second half of
the seventieth week; the period of time and times
The length of the period is qualified in
Revelation 12:6 as one thousand two
hundred and sixty days and in 13:5 as forty-
two months. Therefore, the great tribulation is
the entire second half of the seventieth week;
the period of time and times and half a time
is 1,260 days, or 42 months, which is exactly
three and one-half years.
and half a time is 1,260 days, or 42
months, which is exactly three and one-
half years. The time designated as the
great tribulation will be unprecedented
in its dreadfulness (Dan 12:1; Matt
24:21). If Christ did not return to the
earth, no life would have been saved; but
for the sake of the elect those days shall be
cut short by the second coming of Christ
(Matt 24:22).
THE SEAL JUDGMENTS
Both Rosenthal and Van Kampen gave at-
tention to the similarities between the
events of Matthew 24:5-9 and the first five
seals of Revelation 6:1-11. However, their
argument is that the first five seals (Rev 6:1-
11) are not the wrath of God, but that of man
through the Antichrist.
13
Rosenthal and Van Kampen
were correct in asserting that the seal judgments are
opened at the start of the tribulation. The difference
with pretribulationism is not primarily the chrono-
logical placement of the seal judgments after the
opening of the first seal, but the contention that the
first five seals are the wrath of man through An-
tichrist as opposed to all of the seal judgments oc-
curring as the wrath of God.
Rosenthal interpreted the first seal correctly as
describing the rise of the Antichrist. He rejected the
first seal as divine wrath since God alone must take
direct responsibility for a counterfeit religious sys-
tem and to attribute the emergence of the An-
tichrist to God is obviously preposterous.
14
It is not
the pretribulational belief that is unbiblical; rather, it
is the minimizing of Gods sovereignty by pre-wrath
rapturists that is unbiblical. The pre-wrath view is
part of the growing trend within the church that
cannot let God be sovereign. For instance, Isaiah
10:5-12 records the sovereignty of God in using an
evil nation, Assyria (the rod of My anger), to accom-
plish His purposes for Judah.
15
Judah was a godless
nation and would be plundered and trampled by As-
syria (10:6). However, even though God used As-
syria as the rod of His anger, He would still hold
them responsible for their wickedness. The Lord
will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of
Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness (10:12b). As-
syria was responsible for her arrogance and haughti-
ness, even though God used the nation as an evil
instrument to accomplish His purposes for Judah.
This is the same lesson the prophet Habakkuk
learned concerning Gods use of wicked Babylon to
punish Judah (Hab 1:122:20). It may appear para-
doxical to the mind of man that God is sovereign
and man is responsible, but it is not a problem in the
mind of God. The psalmist writes, For the wrath of
man shall praise Thee; with a remnant of wrath Thou
shalt gird thyself (Ps 76:10).
The Isaianic passage demonstrates there are oc-
currences when both God and evil are responsible
for historical actions. The book of Job also demon-
DECEMBER 2008 21
PRE-WRATH RAPTURISM
The difference with pretribulationism is not primarily the chronological
placement of the seal judgments after the opening of the first seal, but
the contention that the first five seals are the wrath of man through
Antichrist as opposed to all of the seal judgments occurring as the wrath
of God.
strates that God will allow evil to occur under His
sovereign control in order to accomplish His pur-
poses and to glorify Himself. A classic example of
the perfect balance of the sovereignty of God and the
responsibility of man in the Word of God is Acts
2:23. Peter said, Jesus was delivered over by the prede-
termined plan and foreknowledge of God, nailed to a
cross by the hands of godless men and put to death.
God predestined the death of Jesus, yet the wicked
men who put Him to death are responsible for their
actions. Likewise, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7 says the
Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, the son of perdition,
is restrained so that in his time he may be revealed. He
who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of
the way. The Restrainer withholds the Antichrist
from being revealed. Clearly, the restraint is within
Gods sovereign hands.
According to 2 Corinthians 12:7, God gave the
Apostle Paul a thorn in the flesh, as a means of keep-
ing the Apostle from exalting himself, due to the sur-
passing greatness of the revelations he had received.
God sent the thorn in the flesh as a messenger of Sa-
tan. In like manner, as God used evil in the previous
examples referenced, so will He use the Antichrist to
accomplish His purposes for Israel, tribulation
saints, and the unbelieving world. God is sovereign
over the affairs of humanity while holding individu-
als accountable for sinning of their own will. God
used the wicked as instruments of judgment upon
His people for His own end.
In Revelation 5:1, the Apostle John saw in the
right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written
inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. A
strong angel proclaims loudly, Who is worthy to open
the book and to break its seals? No one is found wor-
thy to open the book and to break its seals until the
Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David . .
. the Lamb that was slain comes forth. The Lamb was
found worthy to break the seals, which shows the
judgment comes from Him (5:5, 9; 6:1). When each
seal is broken, there is a description in Revelation 6
of the judgment to occur on earth, thereby indicat-
ing the successive nature of the judgments. The
judgment is from the sovereign Lord, even though
from mans perspective the seal judgments demon-
strate the depravity of man.
Nevertheless, both Rosenthal
16
and Van Kampen
17
argued that Gods wrath does not begin until after
the sixth seal. After the cosmic signs of Revelation
6:12-14, verses 15-17 provide the reaction of the
kings of the earth and the great men and the comman-
ders and the rich and the strong and every slave and
free man. They will cry to the mountains and to the
rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him
who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is
able to stand? A plain reading of Scripture here
should cause one to conclude that the great day of
Gods wrath has already come and is present during
the sixth seal.
Since pre-wrath rapturists do not believe Gods
wrath begins until the seventh seal, they must argue,
In Revelation 5:1, the Apostle John saw in the right hand of Him who sat
on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with
seven seals. A strong angel proclaims loudly, Who is worthy to open the
book and to break its seals? No one is found worthy to open the book
and to break its seals until the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the
Root of David . . . the Lamb that was slain comes forth.
the aorist tense [has come] is, generally speak-
ing, timeless.
18
Rosenthal wrote, . . . the phrase,
the great day of his wrath is come refers, not to a
past event, but to an event about to occur, and that
in concert with the opening of the seventh seal.
19
Following the sixth seal, Gods wrath is an event
that is on the threshold of happeninga future
event soon to occur.
20
The aorist, q/0:v (hlqen),
in 6:17 is in the indicative mood, which would
confirm the reality of the action (Gods wrath)
from the standpoint of the world leaders. However,
the reader does not need the perspective of the
world leaders in order to determine if Gods wrath
has occurred. The sealed book in Revelation 5 con-
tained Gods judgment, and the breaking of the
seals by Jesus Christ released the divine wrath.
The aorist is not timeless, as the pre-wrath view
requires; rather, the time of action is past. Non-in-
dicative moods may indicate the kind of action as
opposed to the time of action. Greek grammarians
Dana and Mantey stated, It has no essential tem-
poral significance, its time relations being found
only in the indicative, where it is used as past and
hence augmented. . . . The aorist signifies nothing
as to completeness, but simply presents the action
as attained. It states the fact of the action or event
without regard to its duration.
21
Robertson con-
curred, It is true that in the expression of past
time in the indicative and with all the other moods,
the aorist is the tense used as a matter of course. . .
.
22
Wallace acquiesced, In the indicative, the
aorist usually indicates past time with reference to
the time of speaking (thus, absolute time). . . .
Outside the indicative and participle, time is not a
feature of the aorist.
23
THE ELECT AND THE CHURCH
Another crucial argument for the pre-wrath rap-
ture is the contention that the elect in the Olivet Dis-
course (Matt 24:22, 24, 31) is the church. Pre-wrath
rapturists attempt desperately to prove that the
church will endure suffering during the tribulation,
and especially during the great tribulation. Van
Kampen wrote,
It will be the church in general that will fall away into
apostasy in the last days. It is the elect of God (the saints)
who will endure Antichrists persecution. That is precisely
why terms such as the elect and the saints are used in-
stead of the word church to describe the faithful who
will choose death over compromise!
24
In a desperate attempt to prove the church is in
view in the Olivet Discourse, Rosenthal contended,
Not once in the New Testament is Israel ever called
the elect.
25
This statement is full of inaccuracies.
First, the Gospels were written during the Mosaic
dispensation, so it would be natural for the Jews to
understand the words of Jesus concerning His com-
ing to mean the deliverance of Israel. Second, rj^B*
(qahal)one of the principal Hebrew words for
gathering or assemblywas used frequently in
the Old Testament to describe Israel. The natural
Jewish understanding of elect in the Olivet Dis-
course would be based on the use of rj^B* (qahal)
within the Old Testament dispensation. Despite
their transgressions, God will never cast away the
nation of Israel (Rom 11:1-6). There is always a
godly tenth (the remnant) that shall return and be
healed (Isa 6:10-13). This remnant is in view in Isa-
iah 65:7-16, and contrasted with the unbelieving
Jews of the nation. God called the godly remnant,
My chosen ones (65:9). In contrast to the unbeliev-
ers, who will not be allowed into the future millen-
nium, Gods chosen ones will be blessed in the earth
(65:17-25).
Third, context determines whether elect is refer-
ring to Israel, the church, or both. The elect in
Matthew 24 refers to the Jewish remnant of the
tribulation period, who will come to believe in Jesus
as Messiah and Savior. The context of Matthew 24
supports the conclusion that elect refers to the Jew-
DECEMBER 2008 23
PRE-WRATH RAPTURISM
Another crucial argument for the pre-wrath rapture is the contention that
the elect in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:22, 24, 31) is the church. Pre-
wrath rapturists attempt desperately to prove that the church will endure
suffering during the tribulation, and especially during the great tribulation.
ish remnant. Terms such as this gospel of
the kingdom (24:14), the holy place
(24:15), a Sabbath (24:20), and the Christ
(24:23-24) indicate that Israel as a nation
is in view. Once the Epistles are written,
elect will describe the church.
The Coming of Christ in
Matthew 24
Rosenthals interpretation of Matthew
24:29-31 is a peculiar one. Generally, the
coming of Christ with power and great glory
is understood to occur at the end of the
seven-year tribulation and preceding the establish-
ment of His millennial kingdom (25:31, 34). Rosen-
thal and Van Kampen interpreted the sign of the Son of
Man in Matthew 24:29 as manifested following the
cosmological signs of the sixth seal and the cosmolog-
ical signs preceding the Day of the Lord.
26
Such an in-
terpretation forces the sixth seal and the events of the
Olivet Discourse into an artificial mold created by the
pre-wrath rapturists.
27
Rosenthal interpreted the com-
ing of Christ in 24:30 as the rapture, which he believes
will occur before the opening of the seventh seal, af-
ter the Great Tribulation but long before the end of the
seventieth week.
28
What this means is there is only
one parousa of Christ and one Day of the Lord, both
occurring when Christ comes to rapture the faithful
and then begins his systematic destruction of the
wicked who remain (the Day of the Lord)!
29
Such an
interpretation denies the biblical teaching of Christ
coming for His church in the rapture to take them to
the Fathers house (John 14:2-3), and His coming with
His church to earth to deliver Israel and establish His
kingdom.
It would be an understatement to say pre-wrath rap-
turists also confuse the coming of Christ in Matthew
24:40-41 and Luke 17:20-37. Commenting on a classic
text of the second coming of Christ to earth to deliver
Israel, Rosenthal reinterpreted as follows:
. . . the Lord taught, For as the lightning, that lighteneth out
of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part un-
der heaven, so shall also the Son of man be in his day (Luke
17:24). The phrase in his dayis a clear reference to the Day of
the Lord. The point of the Lords teaching is clear. Noah en-
tered the ark, then the judgment beganon the same day.
For emphasis, the Lord gave another illustration of the same
truth: But the same day that Lot fled Sodom, it rained fire and
brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all(Luke 17:29).
. . . Deliverance of the righteous immediately precedes judgment
of the wicked.To postulate a period of time between rapture (de-
liverance) and wrath (judgment) is to contradict the Scriptures.
30
Rosenthal cited Luke 17:26-27 as proof of a same
day rapture associated with the Day of the Lord. The
problem is there is nothing in Scripture indicating judg-
ment began on the very day that Noah entered the ark.
According to Genesis 7:7 and 10, the flood waters did
not begin until seven days after Noah and his family en-
tered the ark. Even though Rosenthal wrote, Biblically,
no extended period of time can separate the two events of
rapture and wrath,
31
there is in reality an interval be-
tween the entering of the ark and the judgment. It needs
to be noted that much of the pre-wrath argument de-
pends on the absence of an interval, which cannot be
supported by Scripture.
Rosenthal also referred to the Lords deliverance of
Lot prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as
The pre-wrath also confuses those taken and those left in Matthew
24:40-41. Rosenthal reversed the teaching of Scripture to mean one will
be taken in the rapture and one will be left to experience the wrath of
God.
proof for no interval. Genesis 19:15-24 seems to suggest
that an interval did occur between Lots deliverance
from Sodom until he arrived in Zoar. (Hurry, escape
there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.) Lot
left Sodom when morning dawned (19:15), but it was
not until the sun had risen over the earth (19:23) that the
LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire
from the LORD out of heaven (19:24).
The pre-wrath also confuses those taken and those
left in Matthew 24:40-41. Rosenthal reversed the teach-
ing of Scripture to mean one will be taken in the rapture
and one will be left to experience the wrath of God. In
the days of Noah and Lot, and the second coming of
Christ, one will be taken in judgment and one will be left
to enter the millennial kingdom (cf. Luke 17:34-37; Rev
19:17-18). The unbelievers in the days of Noah did not
understand until the flood came and took them all away
(Matt 24:39a). Matthew said the judgment would be
the same: so shall the coming of the Son of Man be
(24:39b).
The first half and the second half (a great tribulation)
of the tribulation will span a period of seven years of di-
vine wrath. The rapture will not only preclude the
church from Gods wrath during the last quarter of the
tribulation (what Rosenthal called the Day of the Lord),
but also from the entire seven years of divine wrath.
Furthermore, even if Rosenthal could prove the Day of
the Lord begins during the last quarter of the tribula-
tion, it still would not make the pre-wrath view correct,
since the entire seventieth week includes the divine
wrath. Once Christ, the one who is worthy to open the
book and to break its seals, breaks the sixth seal, even the
world leaders recognize the wrath of God. Indeed, if the
rapture is to be pre-wrath it must be pretribulational,
which of course, is the teaching of Scripture.
CONCLUSION
This brief examination of pre-wrath rapturism has
demonstrated that the essential characteristics of the
view are contrary to the true interpretation of Scrip-
ture, and should therefore be rejected as false.
ENDNOTES
1 Marvin J. Rosenthal, The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church (Nashville:
Thomas Nelson, 1990), 60.
2 Ibid., 103.
3 Ibid., 104-10.
4 Ibid., 110-11.
5 Ibid., 147.
6 Ibid., 61.
7 Ibid., 103.
8 Ibid., 105.
9 For promotional clarity, Rosenthals publisher even uses the expres-
sion Tribulation period twice on the back cover on his own book.
10 Rosenthal, Pre-Wrath Rapture, 105.
11 Ibid., 111-12.
12 Ibid., 109.
13 Ibid., 147-51; Van Kampen, Rapture Question, 139-52.
14 Ibid., 142.
15 It is not clear whether Judah was a reference to the northern
kingdom of Israel or the southern kingdom of Judah. H. C.
Leupold believed it was the northern kingdom (Exposition of Isa-
iah, 2 vols. [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968-1971], 1:200-01). On the
other hand, Edward J. Young believed it was the southern king-
dom [The Book of Isaiah, 3 vols., The New International Commentary
on the Old Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965-1972], 1:359).
Since verse 12 refers to Gods work on Mount Zion and on
Jerusalem, it is most likely the southern kingdom of Judah that
was being addressed.
16 Ibid., 167.
17 Van Kampen, Rapture Question, 164.
18 Ibid., 153.
21 H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek
New Testament (New York: Macmillan, 1927), 193.
22 A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light
of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), 831.
23 Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1996), 555.
25 Marvin J. Rosenthal, The Great Tribulation, Zions Fire (May-June
1998): 9.
26 Rosenthal, Pre-Wrath Rapture, 153; Van Kampen, Rapture Question,
164.
27 Mal Couch, A Review of the Book The Rapture Question Answered
Plain and Simple, The Conservative Theological Journal 3 (Decem-
ber 1997): 243-45.
31 Ibid., 196.
DECEMBER 2008 25
PRE-WRATH RAPTURISM
MC
But now is made manifest, and
by the scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations
for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.
Amen (Romans 16:26-27).
M I S S I O N S U P D A T E
T
he Apostle Paul concludes his letter to the
Romans with the above words. We note
that Gods plan of salvation is to be made
known to all nations, and is being accomplished
by the scriptures of the prophets. This reveals that
Gods plan of salvation for the world is not separate
from the prophets; rather, it is part of it. The
prophets have spoken, and we have the book au-
thored by Gods prophets. It is not a special section
of Holy Scripture, but it is part of it and cannot be
separated from it. The mistake often made is to
view prophecy as a subject that strictly deals with
things to come. While this is true, the prophetic
Word also speaks of the past and the present. It is
for that reason the Apostle Peter admonishes us:
We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a
light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (2 Peter
1:19). Here we see the word of prophecy as an in-
separable part of the proclamation of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:20 shows the perfect
unity between the apostles and the prophets: And
are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cor-
ner stone. That prophecy is part of the foundation
upon which the Church is being built.
We rejoice at the report by our mission-
ary John Ishmael in India, as he describes
the reaction of the invited pastors to the
prophecy conferences he was able to hold in
one of the most remote areas. The following
is his report:
REPORT OF SIKKIM
CONFERENCE
Sikkim was formerly an independent
county ruled by a king. But after the politi-
cal unrest in 1975, Sikkim became one of
the Indian states. The entire state is moun-
tainous, with some of the towns and villages
located at the height of 6,000 meters! The
worlds third highest mountain, Kanchen-
jungatowering 8,586 metersis on the
border of Sikkim and Nepal! The major por-
tion of the boundary of the state is shared
with Tibet in the north and the northwest;
the country of Bhutan in the southeast; In-
dia in the south; and the county of Nepal in
the west. The state is divided into 4 districts:
the North district with the capital of Man-
gan; the South with Namchi as the capital;
Gangtok for the East district; and Geyzing
as the capital of the West district.
DECEMBER 2008 27
Missions Update
LANDSCAPE OF SIKKIM
The Lord opened the doors to organize
the very first Bible prophecy conference in
Sikkim in the capital city of Gangtok in
2006. As a result of this conference, the pas-
tors of Gangtok actively began to preach
and teach Bible prophecy in their own local
churches. The organizers, along with other
pastors, have seriously committed to take
the message of the Second Coming to the
nearby towns and villages; thus the fire was
kindled for Bible prophecy in these Hi-
malayan Mountains. Since the first confer-
ence, the organizers had been praying and
planning for a second conference at the
headquarters of another district, with a vi-
sion to cover all four districts with the con-
ferences. The pastors committed themselves
to take the message to smaller towns and
villages after the main conference at each of
the district headquarters. This is a visible
proof of their hunger for the prophetic
Word and the deep desire to spread this
message to others living in the inaccessible
high mountains! The seed that was sown
and the finances invested in the first confer-
ence were not in vain but brought thirty-
fold, sixty-fold and hundred-fold results! I
praise God for the one single individual
who sponsored the entire cost of the first
conference, and it is our prayer that the
Lord will bless him and reward him richly
for the tremendous blessing he brought
forth for these dear pastors.
Though the plan was on for the second
conference in Sikkim immediately after the
first conference, due to financial constraints
the conference became a reality only this
year. The arrangements began with prayer
mobilization in the local churches of Gang-
tok and Namchi. As the news came out for
the planned conference, the pastors in
Gangtok began calling their friends in Nam-
chi and the surrounding areas, encouraging
them to attend the conference and not miss
it at any cost. So excitement began to build
up among the pastors and leaders of Nam-
chi for the conference. Though we planned
the conference for only 100 delegates, many
more pastors began to register. It was im-
possible for the organizers to turn away
these pastors, who are very eager to learn
Bible prophecy. As we shared the situation
with one of our prayer partners, who was
also the main sponsor of the conference,
amazingly he stepped in to provide for the
expenses of the additional pastors. The orga-
nizers closed the registrations with 228 dele-
Registration A
copy of Midnight
Call is given to
each participant
Teaching Session
Section of the
Crowd
gates, out of which 200 attended the confer-
ence each day.
The conference was held for two full
days in one of the largest towns of the Hi-
malayan state of Sikkim. Each day started
with praise & worship followed by devo-
tions.
I taught in four sessions covering vari-
ous aspects of the end time events. The
teachings were translated into the Nepali
language, the local language of Sikkim.
Many pastors heard the subject of Bible
prophecy for the first time, and they were
amazed at the truths recorded in the
Scriptures regarding the Second Coming
of Jesus. Some of the delegates recorded
the entire sessions, while others took
down notes. The eagerness of these pas-
tors to learn Bible prophecy shows the
great hunger they have for this important
subject, which is totally ignored and has
never been taught in these Himalayan
Mountains. The eagerness to learn and
the receptivity of these pastors for the
prophetic Word gave us the deep satisfac-
tion that all the time, effort, and money
we invested in this conference were not in
vain, but brought forth results beyond ex-
pectation. After my last session
on the second day, the organizer
led the closing session and chal-
lenged all the delegates to carry
forth this important message to
their own congregations and the
churches in the surrounding
towns and villages. It was amaz-
ing to see every delegate stand
to their feet and make a sincere
commitment to teach and
preach on Bible prophecy in
their ministries. What an excit-
ing way to end this conference.
It was with total satisfaction in
our hearts that we saw the Holy
Spirit at work in the hearts of
these pastors and leaders! We
deeply express our praise and
thanksgiving unto the Lord for
rewarding all our efforts in a fruitful man-
ner, and for the excellent return of all the
funds we invested into this conference.
I thank every one of you who prayed
for the conference, particularly the two
individuals who sponsored the entire con-
ference financially. Eternity will show the
results of your sacrificial investment. It is
my prayer the Lord will bless you and re-
ward you richly for your involvement in
reaching the pastors of Sikkim with your
prayers and finances.
As a follow up to this conference,
please pray for the pastors who will
carry forth these teachings to the people
in the villages and smaller towns of this
region. Please pray for the organizers,
as they want to plan two more confer-
ences in the Sikkim in the West and
North districts in the near future.
I close this report giving all praise and
Glory to the Lord for the marvelous
work He has done and is still doing in
Sikkim. Thank you, Lord, and thank
you to each one of you.
Sincerely in His Service,
John Ishmael
MCM I NTERNATI ONAL T H O M A S S U P P O R T MI DNI GHT CALL MI NI STRI ES
Mail to: Midnight Call Ministries, P.O. Box 280008, Columbia, S.C. 29228
rAfter prayerful consideration, I/we have decided
to support
(Name)___________________________________
ryearly rmonthly rone time $_______.
I understand that 100% of my donation will be forwarded
to the missionaries and/or project designated above.
Name:___________________________________________
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City:__________________________________________
State:__________________________Zip:____________
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With credit card ready, call 800-845-2420
or fax: (803)755-6002
MC
MONEY: ENDS & TRENDS
$
For more perspectives and resources on world economic and financial trends of interest to Christians,
visit Wilfreds website http://www.eternalvalue.com for additional resources and subscribe to the free
newsletter Eternal Value Review: World Review and Market Monitor.
What Chances a Global Financial
Apocalypse Now? Part II
Global financial markets have ventured into turbulent waters as a worldwide
credit crisis has impacted virtually every nation in the world. There is real
fear that a global financial meltdown might yet ensue. A meltdown implies a
complete and terrorizing breakdown of markets and societies. Could this
happen? It certainly will during the Tribulation period.
B y W i l f r e d H a h n
H
owever, in Part I of this 2-
part series, we concluded:
Global financial apoca-
lypse, no. Not now. But what of
Americas role? As it was, this lat-
est global credit crisis actually
found its ground zero in the United
States. As such, fears of a major collapse
are even greater in North America. If so,
just what will happen to Americas eco-
nomic position in the world?
Americas Role in Global Collapse
There are least two other conclusions
we can settle upon that are of potential in-
terest to North Americans. For one,
America and other countries facing simi-
lar difficultiessuch as Britain, Spain,
and Australia, to name the major ones in
this groupcould very well face a long
phase of decline and financial hardship
even to the point of being eclipsed eco-
nomically by other nations in the world.
Even secular analysts can see the prospect
of that occurring eventually, if current
trends do not change. In fact, some well-
known analysts now take this position.
Therefore, though we can be sure that the
final collapse is not yet upon the world,
this offers no assurance for America and
other affected countries over the near-
term.
But what would happen to the world if
the financial systems of the afore-men-
tioned bloc of nations were actually to
collapse, as some observers fear? Isnt
DECEMBER 2008 29
$
America so large and economical influential
that such a development would spell certain
doom for the entire world in other words,
sure to trigger the prophesied, global eco-
nomic breakdown? Actually, whether the
United States may possess a manifest destiny
or not, financial troubles on this continent
do not necessarily mean that the entire
world must be fated for immediate collapse.
There are some persuasive arguments sup-
porting this view.
Even as little as a decade ago or so, it may
not have been defensible to think that if
Americas economy collapsed, the entire
world system would not also face a melt-
down. I certainly identified with that view at
the time. Since then, it can be argued that the
world power structure has changed signifi-
cantly, not the least evidence of which has
been the economic rise of Asia (China
specifically), the rebounds of Russia and
Brazil, and the increasingly financially pow-
erful oil- exporting states.
Significance of a Slumping U.S. to the
World
Then just how significant are the recent
economic troubles of America in relation to
the whole world? Of course, the answer will
depend upon whose perspective we adopt.
Americans may today exaggerate this link-
age due to the real-life impact and immedi-
acy of current financial troubles.
To illustrate this point, consider the coun-
try of Indonesia, which has the 4th largest
population in the world (227 million) as
compared to the U.S. population of 302 mil-
lion. Indonesia, according to 2008 estimates
of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $488
billion in equivalent U.S. dollar terms. The
U.S. economy, measured at $24,195 billion,
by comparison, is gigantic namely 29
times larger.
Back during the Asian crisis of 1997-
1998, an Indonesia citizen would have been
tempted to draw the same apocalyptic infer-
ence for the rest of the world as might an
American in present troubled times today.
Their country seemed to be in a literal melt-
down at that time. Many of its citizens suf-
fered even starved. Yet, even while
Indonesias economy contracted by more
than 20% between 1997 and 1998 (the stock
market collapsing over 70% in 15 months),
to conclude that the sky was falling upon the
whole world would have been incorrect. The
same perspective now applies in reverse,
though the comparative metrics of the illus-
tration are exaggerated.
Just how would God compare these two
crises? Was Indonesias crisis lesser because
this country only represented 0.8% of the
world economy (versus 23.5% for the U.S.
share)much less as a proportion of total
world wealthand was considered a geopo-
litical pipsqueak? Or, does God look upon
the number of individuals? As already ob-
served, the populations of these two coun-
tries are roughly in the same league.
The Bible clearly tells us that the Lord
cares for each and every soul individually,
and that everyone is importantwhether
rich or poor. Are not two sparrows sold for
a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the
ground apart from the will of your Father.
And even the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth
more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29-
31). If that is so, surely God places more im-
portance on people and their numbers rather
than the contrived power measurements of
Are not two
sparrows sold
for a penny?
Yet not one of
them will fall
to the ground
apart from the
will of your
Father. And
even the very
hairs of your
head are all
numbered. So
don't be
afraid; you are
worth more
than many
sparrows
(Matthew
10:29-31).
What Chances a Global Financial Apocalypse Now? Part II
mankind. Therefore, from this vantage
point, troubles unfolding in the United
States would be a small crisis in compara-
tive global terms, as God would see it. After
all, the United States accounts for only 4%
of the worlds population.
When the Bible says that the world will
be generally unaware of the coming days of
the Son of Man, eating and drinking, mar-
rying and giving in marriage (Matthew
24:38), this does not necessarily mean that
every tribe, nation and state will be experi-
encing the same levels of complacency.
But back to the realities of world money
and financial systems. Isnt the current U.S.
credit crisis so large that it is sure to trigger
the final world financial collapse?
It is likely too pessimistic to conclude
that the current U.S.-induced credit crisis
will sink the entire financial world. These
may be famous last words. However, for a
perspective on this question, consider these
financial measurements. Tabulating infor-
mation from various sources, the total
world-wide value of financial securities (de-
nominated in U.S. dollars) amounted to
$140.6 trillion at year-end 2007. In relative
terms, this value would be equivalent to 2.5
times the size of the annual world economy.
(These values do no include bank deposits
and other forms of money, and therefore ig-
nore some important aspects of the ques-
tion being considered.) Assuming that the
forecast losses of the current credit crises
prove the most apocalyptic analysts correct,
these would amount to no more than 2% of
the total world value of financial securities,
or 4.5% of annual economic output. These
are not inconsequential figures, as they are
indeed large.
Yet, some of the biggest banking busts in
the past have cost on the order of 10% to
20% of economic output (according to the
studies of the International Monetary
Fund). No doubt, such crises were terrible
and financially fatal for individuals and
companies, and the same will hold true
now. However, we can reasonably hazard
the guess that the current crisis is ulti-
mately survivable for the worlds financial
systems at least, for now.
But one day, to be sure, mankinds finan-
cial and trading systems will collapse.
When will that be?
Six More Premillennial Collapses
Prophesied
Scripture clearly states that a time of
wrath will come where God says that he
will bring down the pride of mankind.
Most understand that this will unfold in
the Tribulation period for the entirety of
mankind. However, as part of this unfold-
ing, there are possibly as many as six dif-
ferent judgments involving collapses or
wealth overturns, all of them yet to occur
in the future.
Isaiah sheds light on some of the differ-
ent manifestations of the day of the
Lord (referring to the Tribulation period,
or possibly just the second half).
The LORD Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty, for all that is
exalted (and they will be humbled), for all
the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all
the oaks of Bashan, for all the towering
mountains and all the high hills, for every
lofty tower and every fortified wall, for
every trading ship and every stately vessel.
The arrogance of man will be brought low
and the pride of men humbled; the LORD
alone will be exalted in that day, and the
$
But back to
the realities of
world money
and financial
systems. Isnt
the current
U.S. credit
crisis so large
that it is sure
to trigger the
final world
financial
collapse?
DECEMBER 2008 31
$
idols will totally disappear (Isaiah 2:12-
18).
Here we see that economies will be
brought low (symbolized by trees cedars
and oaks), trading systems (ships) as well
as individual nation states (mountains and
hills). (For a detailed explanation of the
symbolic meaning of tall trees and low-ly-
ing shrubs, see World Trend Watch Part
X: The Rise and Fall of Endtime Tyre
Midnight Call, January 2004.)
In any case, the day of the Lord,
whether the short or long day (i.e. 7-year
period or the last half of the Tribulation, re-
spectively), allows for a number of col-
lapses to take place. Here, in no particular
order, are the separate judgment categories
that all lie ahead as part of our premillen-
nial view, with brief explanations.
1. Wrath Upon Israel/Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is overcome while the rem-
nant escapes into the wilderness. While Is-
rael may be a rather tranquil area of the
world (relatively) in the first half of the
Tribulation following a covenant with the
Antichrist, anyone hoping to remain un-
scathed and safe from loss in the second
half will be disappointed.
2. Wrath Upon All Mankind.
This category includes judgments on in-
dividual nations as well as globalism itself.
Ultimately, this is completed at Armaged-
don and in a short period of time thereafter.
In this category we would include such
judgments as upon Edom. Not only does
God consume the whole earth (Zepha-
niah 3:8), but Israel also plays a role in ex-
acting judgment upon the nations and
peoples that have persecuted her (Micah
4:13, Jeremiah 30:11).
3. Wrath Upon the Great Whore.
Revelation 17 reveals that Mystery Baby-
lon, the Mother of Prostitutes, will be
burned by fire. Whatever wealth this reli-
gious entity represented, as part of the
grand ecumenical movement of religion
and money, she will come to naught. They
[the 10 kings] will bring her to ruin and
leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and
burn her with fire (Revelation 17:16).
4 & 5. Wrath and Judgment Upon
Mammon/Commercialism.
It is not generally well understood that
the judgments upon commercialism and
the man-made pride that derives from these
Babel-like systems take more than one
form. Actually, they appear to occur on
three separate levels. There is a remarkably
large amount of prophecy on these related
judgments, which we cannot even begin to
examine here. However, given the Bibles
heavy prophetic emphasis on this general
topiconly second in volume to the
prophetic material referring to future Israel
and her peopleswe are clearly alerted to
the importance of Gods plan in this area.
Consider that there are three stages in
the collapse of Babylon the Great, at least
one of these aligning with prophesied
judgment of a modern-day re-emergence of
ancient Tyrea global trade-based sys-
temthat Ezekiel and Isaiah foresaw. They
are clearly different aspects of the judgment
upon Mammon/Commercialism. For ex-
ample, in the case of Babylon the Great, its
wealth is [] never to be found again
(Revelation 18:21); while that of revived
Tyre is only never to be hoarded again, but
is to go to those who live before the
LORD (Isaiah 23:18). These are different
Revelation 17
reveals that
Mystery
Babylon, the
Mother of
Prostitutes,
will be burned
by fire.
Whatever
wealth this
religious entity
represented,
as part of the
grand
ecumenical
movement of
religion and
money, she
will come to
naught.
What Chances a Global Financial Apocalypse Now? Part II
results, and therefore must refer to more
than one judgment. Also, events befalling
Babylon the Great must be separated into at
least three judgments. We note that death,
mourning and famine will overtake her in
one day (Revelation 18:8), while the sud-
den collapses and destruction of wealth are
said to occur in one hourthree separate
times involving three different groups of
people (Revenue 18:10, 17, 19). The fact
that some judgments occur in one hour,
and that the entire fall of Babylon the Great
occurs over one day, suggests that the
downfall cannot be reconciled in one event,
but rather multiple events.
At the end of all these wealth over-
turns, there is one more great and final
wealth overturn that occurs at the start of
the Millennium period and thereafter. We
therefore do not count this as one of the
six premillennial wealth overturns. It is
the great wealth transfer to Israel. Much
of the worlds riches that are not destroyed
in the Tribulation period flow to Zion.
Even here there are at least two types of
flows; that which apparently is seized as
part of the threshing of the nations that
rise against Israel is treated differently.
These are ill-gotten gains of the nations
(Micah 4:13, translated as illicit profits)
that go before the Lord. Other flows are
more in tribute or as a result of Israels
dealings with the rest of the world. For
example, Then you will look and be radi-
ant, your heart will throb and swell with
joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought
to you, to you the riches of the nations
will come (Isaiah 60:5). (See also Isaiah
60:11; 61:6; 66:12, Zechariah 14:14).
It is beyond the scope of this article to
document all the Scripture references and
details of each of these judgments. How-
ever, there may be yet one more pre-mil-
lennial wealth overturn to consider. This
one could be pre-tribulational.
Thoughts to Ponder
A seventh wealth overturn that could be
proposed, is actually the first in the se-
quence, and is the one most relevant to pre-
tribulational, pre-rapture Christians. The
rest are not though perhaps interesting to
study. I call it the Dispensational Disciplin-
ing. While this viewpoint may be considered
debatable, I would take the prophecy found
in James 5:1-8 as a support for this view. It
$
Then you will
look and be
radiant, your
heart will throb
and swell with
joy; the wealth
on the seas
will be brought
to you, to you
the riches of
the nations will
come (Isaiah
60:5).
DECEMBER 2008 33
$
seems to be directed to rich Christen-
domcorporately or individuallythat
also has become haughty and proud be-
cause of its wealth. It aligns with several
last-day conditions mentioned in the epis-
tles, and also fits with the picture of the
Laodicean church given in Revelation 3. It
is in need of nothing (Revelation 3:17).
That time is clearly here now. Christians
living in the high-income nations of the
world will therefore find it very challeng-
ing to stay separate and apart from this
general condition of idolatry.
Every other entity in the Bible that has
pridefully held itself out as in need of
nothing and self-sufficient was judged.
We are given many examples in the Bible
of the consequences of pride, arrogance
and mans reliance upon his tools and sys-
tems. Not only did God specifically punish
such an attitude, it seems that the conse-
quences of mankinds hubris and over-opti-
mism are even part of the natural laws of
economics. In this sense, the financial
troubles that are being experience by the
US and other nations are part of this gen-
eral paradigm.
Said Christ, In this world you will have
trouble (John 16:33). Right from the time
of Adam, hardships were pronounced for
man. "Cursed is the ground because of
you; through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life. It will produce
thorns and thistles for you, and you will
eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of
your brow (Genesis 3:17-19). It is in
that sensethe natural consequences of
past actions, in other wordsthat current
credit crises and economic troubles have
come.
In time, we can be sure that the entire
world, the nations and all individuals will
be judged. The greater part of these peo-
ples will yet face the wrath of the Day of
the Lord. And, in this regard, as Apostle
Peter understood, Their condemnation
has long been hanging over them, and
their destruction has not been sleeping (2
Peter 2:3).
In the same way it is with the Babylon-
ian systems described in Revelation 17-18.
God has remembered her crimes (Reve-
lation 18:5). As such, all the excesses, un-
repented injustices and inappropriate
affections of the past will eventually catch
up with both individuals and nations.
These consequences will have been hang-
ing over them for some time they have
not been sleeping, for God indeed remem-
bers unrepented crimes.
In conclusion, we can be sure that it will
not be until the second half of the Tribula-
tionthe terrible day of the Lord (Joel
2:31)where global systems begin to to-
tally break down and the final six of the
wealth overturns that we have contem-
plated will begin to occur. Up until that
time, systemic or geopolitical troubles of a
lesser typethough surely disastrous and
frightening for those involved, as they are
todaywill continue to unfold. In fact, it
is these types of crises that continue to
drive the world into higher states of global-
ism and globalization, and could play a
role in cementing the Antichrist as a global
problem solver at that future time.
In the meantime, our focus in these
matters is best directed to the possibility
of the seventh wealth overturnthe
Dispensational Disciplining. In that re-
spect, God in His goodness may very
well choose to discipline His people, in-
dividually or corporately, weaning them
off of the dependencies of earthly wealth
and reign before Jesus Christ returns.
We should be grateful if this would hap-
pen. We are therefore encouraged to
Keep your lives free from the love of
money and be content with what you
have, because God has said, Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you (He-
brews 13:5).
Right from
the time of
Adam,
hardships
were
pronounced
for man.
"Cursed is
the ground
because of
you; through
painful toil
you will eat
of it all the
days of your
life. It will
produce
thorns and
thistles for
you, and you
will eat the
plants of the
field. By the
sweat of
your brow
(Genesis
3:17-19).
MC
DECEMBER 2008 35
Italian archaeologists unveiled pho-
tos of an underground grotto that they
think ancient Romans revered as the place
where a wolf nursed Romes legendary
founder, Romulus, and his twin brother,
Remus.
A few feet from the grotto,
called Lupercale, the Emperor
Constantine built the Basilica of
St. Anastasia, where some believe
that Christmas was first cele-
brated on December 25.
Constantine ended the frequent
waves of anti-Christian persecu-
tions in the Roman empire by
making Christianity a lawful reli-
gion in 313. He played a key role
in unifying the beliefs and prac-
tices of the early followers of Jesus.
In 325, he convened the Council of Nicaea,
which fixed the the dates of important Christ-
ian festivals. It opted to mark Christmas, then
celebrated at varying dates, on December 25
to coincide with the Roman festival celebrating
the birth of the sun god, according to Andrea
Carandini, a professor of archaeology at
Romes La Sapienza University.
The Basilica of St. Anastasia was built as
soon as a year after the Nicaean Council.
The church was built to Christianize these
pagan places of worship, Carandini said. It
was normal to put a church near these places
to try to save them.
Although some experts have expressed
doubts, most archaeologists think that the
shrine fits the descriptions found in ancient
texts, and plans are being made to excavate
the structure further.
-The Associated Press, 22 December 2007
Christmas has become a global holiday.
Years ago when we toured Egypt, we were
surprised to hear at a bazaar over a loud
speaker, Im Dreaming of a White Christ-
mas. Today, Christmas is recognized as
the greatest holiday in the European world.
Strangely enough, the Bible is silent
about the date of Christs birth. More so,
no instructions, admonitions or examples
are given in Holy Scripture about this, the
greatest of all Christian holidays.
What we do know is that Jesus was
born in the town of Bethlehem, which now
is under Arab Palestinian dominion. He
would be the sin Savior, according to
prophecy: And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he
shall save his people from their sins. Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be
with child, and shall bring forth a son, and
they shall call his name Emmanuel, which
being interpreted is, God with us. Then
Joseph being raised from sleep did as the
angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took
unto him his wife: And knew her not till
she had brought forth her firstborn son:
and he called his name JESUS (Matthew
1:21-25). 3362
I T A L Y
Christmas and the Pagan Shrine
The church where the tradition of celebrating Christmas on

December 25 may have begun was built near a pagan shrine
to spread Christianity, a leading Italian scholar says.
B R I T A I N
Blair embraces
the Catholic
Faith
Former Prime Min-
ister Tony Blair
has left the Church of
England and converted
to Catholicism, the faith
of his wife and children.
Blair converted in a
Mass at the private Lon-
don chapel of Cardinal
Cormac Murphy-OCon-
nor, the head of the Ro-
man Catholic Church in
England and Wales, the church said.
The church said Blair has been a regu-
lar worshipper at Mass with his family and
in recent months was following a program
leading to his reception into the church.
Although he was an Anglican, Blair at-
tended Catholic Masses at Westminster
Cathedral, while on holiday in Italy and
with his wife Cherie Blair, at 10 Downing
St.
The couples children have attended
Catholic schools.
Blair, now a Middle East peace envoy,
met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in
June [of 2007], the month he stepped
down as Britains prime minister. 3363
-AP, 22 December 2007

U S A
More Conserva-
tives Now Say
Churches Should
Stay Out of
Politics
A new national survey by
the Pew Research Center
finds a narrow majority of
the public (52%) now says
that churches and other
houses of worship should
keep out of political matters
and not express their views
on day-to-day social and
political matters.
As a result, conservatives views on this is-
sue are much more in line with the views of
moderates and liberals than was previously the
case. Similarly, the sharp divi-
sions between Republicans and
Democrats that previously ex-
isted on this issue have disap-
peared.
The survey finds a small but
significant increase since 2004
in the percentage of respon-
dents saying that they are un-
comfortable when they hear
politicians talk about how reli-
gious they arefrom 40% to
46%. Again, the increase in neg-
ative sentiment about religion
and politics is much more appar-
ent among Republicans than
among Democrats.
-Yahoo News, 24 September 2008
This tendency is in line with Europes
model, where religion plays a lesser role in
society. Although religion will play a sig-
nificant part throughout the end times, tra-
ditional religion will ap-
parently be abolished.
We read in Revelation
17:16: And the ten
horns which thou sawest
upon the beast, these
shall hate the whore,
and shall make her des-
olate and naked, and
shall eat her flesh, and
burn her with fire. The
ten horns and the beast
demonstrate the politi-
cal power, while the
whore is the religious
power. Europes Consti-
tution fails to mention
God or Europes religious Christian her-
itage, much to the displeasure of the Vati-
can. Catholic doctrine continues to insist
that a political identity must amplify senti-
ments such as In God We Trust (a popu-
lar sentiment in the U.S.A.). 3359
I N D I A
Vicious Cycle Robs India of Financial Success
On Monday, India had a trillion-dollar
economy and a trillion-dollar stock mar-
ket. A day later, it had neither. The culprit: a vi-
cious cycle set off primarily by high international
oil prices that refuse to come down below the
$140 per barrel mark.
The Bombay Stock Exchange closed on
Monday with a total market capitalization of
about $1.02 trillion. On Tuesday, a fall of 500
points in the sensex and a gain of 32 paise for
the dollar against the rupee saw that figure drop
to $970 billion.
Similarly, the countrys GDP at current prices
for 2007-08, officially pegged at Rs 43,02,654
cr, translated into just over $1 trillion at Mon-
days exchange rate. With the dollar on Tues-
day breaching the 43-repee mark, the dollar
size of the economy is down to $996 billion.
The high oil prices have triggered a domino
effect that has ultimately robbed India of the tril-
lion-dollar tags. The impact was visible on the
countrys latest export-import data released by
the commerce ministry.
-Times of India, 2 July 2008, pg. 1
One of Asias two growing giants has
been dealt a blow by the surge in oil prices.
This is a shadow of things to come. Reve-
lation 18:19 proclaims: And they cast dust
on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city,
wherein were made rich all that had ships
in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in
one hour is she made desolate. 3355
E U
Plan to Extend EU Maternity Leave
The European Commission proposed to extend the minimum fully paid
maternity leave in the 27-nation bloc from 14 weeks to 18 and to give bet-
ter job protection to women taking or returning from such leave.
Longer maternity leave should make it easier for women to return to
work after giving birth, the Commission said.
The EU executive also proposed that self-employed women should get
the same maternity leave as salaried employees. 3382
-Financial Times, 5 October 2008, pg. 6

A U S T R A L I A
Santa Warned
Ho Ho Ho Is
Offensive to
Women
Santas in Australias largest city have
been told not to use Father Christmass
traditional ho ho ho greeting because it may
be offensive to women, it was reported.
Sydneys Santa Clauses have instead been
instructed to say ha ha ha instead, the Daily
Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper
a recruitment firm warned him not to use ho ho
ho because it could frighten children and was
too close to ho, a US slang term for prostitute.
Gimme a break, said Julie Gale, who runs
the campaign against sexualizing children
called Kids Free 2B Kids.
We are talking about little kids who do not
understand that ho, ho, ho has any other con-
notation and nor should they, she told the Tele-
graph.
Leave Santa alone.
A local spokesman for the US-based West-
aff recruitment firm said it was misleading to
say the company had banned Santas tradi-
tional greeting and it was being left up to the
discretion of the individual Santa himself. 3365
-Yahoo News, 14 November 2007
V AT I C A N
Rome Bishops Call On EU to Protect Christians
Italy's Roman Catholic bishops called on the European Union
to put the persecutions of Christians on the agenda of the up-
coming EU-India summit, warning against "Christianopho-
bia" in many parts of the world.
"Today it touches the Catholics in India.

Up until this summer the most dangerous
country for the Christian community was Iraq ...
Persecution is spreading like oil on water, the
number of martyrs continues to grow in the Mid-
dle East, Asia and Africa, and hunting down
Christians is an insane and bloody idea that finds
more and more followers," the bishops' newspa-
per Avvenire says in a front-page editorial.
Hailing the US government's firm stance on vi-
olence in India, the paper of the Italian Bishops
Conference said Europe "must urgently apply the
right of humanitarian assistance to the relation-
ship between the new and the old democracies."
According to the Asian Center for Human
Rights (ACHR), over 50 persons, mainly Chris-
tians, have been killed in the Indian region of
Orissa, after a Hindu leader was murdered on 23
August by unidentified gunmen, which prompted
aggressive Hindu attacks against the Christian
community.
Suhas Chakma, director of ACHR, stated that
thousands of Christians have fled their villages
and some 5,000 people are now living in seven
relief camps at Chakapad, Tikabali. About 200 vil-
lages have been affected by the organized at-
tacks and hundreds of churches have been
burnt, he added.
-euobserver.com, 22 September 2008
In the parable of the sower, the Lord
spoke of persecution: Yet hath he not
root in himself, but dureth for a while: for
when tribulation or persecution ariseth be-
cause of the word, by and by he is of-
fended (Matthew 13:21). The Church of
Jesus Christ as His body is destined to suf-
fer persecution. But this group of believ-
ers has a wonderful assurance: Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us (Romans 8:35-
37). Of course, not all who are mentioned
in the media are actually Christians. Per-
secution of Christians often means non-
Hindus in India or non-Muslims in Arab
countries. 3357
C H I N A
US Trade Taxes Challenged
China filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization against US anti-dump-
ing and anti-subsidy duties on imports of Chinese steel pipes, off-road tires and woven
sacks. It is the third case China has taken against the US and the second in the past year,
reflecting Beijings new-found assertiveness at the world trade body.
Under WTO procedures, the two sides have 60 days to consult on the issue, after which
China can request an independent dispute settlement panel. 3356
-Financial Times, 20 September 2008, pg. 7
US Secretary of
Commerce Carlos
M. Gutierrez an-
nounces the pre-
liminary decision
to apply a US anti-
subsidy law to im-
ports from China,
in Washington,
DC, 30 March 2007. This was the first time
countervailing duties were imposed on im-
ports from a non-market economy. It altered
a 23-year-old policy of not applying the
countervailing duty law to nonmarket econ-
omy countries.
DECEMBER 2008 37
F R A N C E
President Sarkozy
Insists on Regulation
French president Nicolas Sarkozy,
whose country currently holds the ro-
tating EU presidency, called for an interna-
tional summit to tackle the global finance crisis
and its consequences, saying that capitalism
should be more regulated and less opaque.
Let us build a capitalism where ratings
agencies will be subject to controls and pun-
ished when necessary, where transparency of
transactions will replace opaqueness. The
opaqueness is such today that we have diffi-
culty understanding even what is happening,
Mr. Sarkozy said in a speech to the UN Gen-
eral Assembly, Reuters reports.
I am told We dont know who is responsi-
ble. Oh yeah? Well let me tell you that when
things were going well, we knew who got
bonuses. What a strange system, he also told
journalists, denouncing a crazy system which
has been our system for years.
Mr. Sarkozy hopes to see an international
meeting to discuss the crisis, the worst the
world has seen, he said, since the Great De-
pression.
Additionally, the French president sug-
gested a general overhaul of the financial sys-
tem should be considered, where capitalism
would be more regulated.
Let us rebuilt together a regulated capital-
ism, in which whole swaths of financial activity
are not left to the sole judgment of market op-
erators, in which banks do their job, which is to
finance economic development rather than
engage in speculation, he was reported as
saying by Deutsche Welle.
-euoberserver.com, 24 September 2008
Deregulation of financial institutions has
now been exposed as an error. One should
have learned from the deregulation of the air-
line industry, which resulted in most American
airlines filing for bankruptcy. Thus the door is
open for a new international regulatory com-
mission, and doubtless it will be dominated by
the European Union. Thus we see the decline
of capital socialism, with it being replaced by
social capitalism. 3368
C H I N A
Growing Opportunities for Wealth
Mainland China has about 415,000 people with $1m or
more in assets in addition to their main residence, accord-
ing to the latest annual World Wealth Report from Merrill
Lynch and the consultants Capgemini. That compares with
123,000 in India, 495,000 in the UK and 3m in the US.
In April, the In-
dustrial & Com-
mercial Bank of China
[HSBC] launched pri-
vate banking services
on the mainland, saying
it would target cus-
tomers with net assets
of $10m or more with
$3m available for invest-
ment, who could deposit a minimum of $1m.
The bank estimated there would be more
than 16m such potential Chinese customers by
2011 with total assets of more than $6,200bn.
For Bank of China, taking a stake in the
Rothschild French private banking operations is
intended to provide it with more expertise for its
newly wealthy customers. The bank is the
countrys third-largest lender and the most inter-
national by virtue of its history as the official
foreign currency handler under the centrally-
planned economy of the communist era.
We remain a Chinese bank, said Min Zhu,
Bank of China vice-president for international fi-
nance. We dont want to be a global local bank.
We have the market and the growth in China
but we dont have the products, he said. Some
80 percent of savings in China are cashbased,
he added. In China individuals are looking for
investments and instructions so we want to
meet that demand.
However, the deal would also allow Bank of
China to channel Chinese money into France
and Europe.
China has been getting most of its technol-
ogy from Europethats the first wave. We see
a second wave in which a lot of European mid-
cap companies will be ready to sell after one or
two generations and will need Chinese co-oper-
ation, so there will be big demand in Europe,
said Mr. Zhu.
The Chinese people are ferocious savers,
said Robert Agnew of Matrix Services in a re-
cent report on Chinas investment management
industry. They save 40 percent of their incomes
and as a result there is at least $2,500bn saved
in bank accounts in China. In addition, I have
estimated there is an additional $1,200bn of
pooled capital being actively managed by insti-
tutional investors.
In spite of many setbacks and scandals,
Chinas communist economy is expanding
more than 10 percent per annum. Sud-
denly, communism appears in a different
light. There is such a thing as a communist
capitalist. They are eager to invest glob-
ally, but in the end, China will be disap-
pointed, as all nations of the world. The
accumulation of riches contributes to the
deafening of spiritual ears and blinding of
spiritual eyes. Jesus asked these two ques-
tions: For what is a man profited, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul? or what shall a man give in ex-
change for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).
3358
Shanghai Skyline. 2008.

DECEMBER 2008 39
E U
Serbia Could
Become EU Candi-
date in 2009
It would be possible for
Serbia to win the status of
an EU candidate country
next year, provided that it
fulfills the necessary con-
ditions, European Com-
mission president Jose
Manuel Barroso said on 3
September.
If everything goes according to plan and if
all the conditions are met, it would be possi-
ble [for Serbia] to have candidate country status in
2009, Mr. Barroso told reporters in Brussels at a
briefing together with Serbian President Boris Tadic.
Mr. Barroso stressed however that his state-
ment did not represent a time commitment, insist-
ing that Serbias EU integration cannot be a
calendar-driven process, but should be a reform-
driven one.
Serbia has previously expressed hopes to join
Turkey, Croatia and Macedonia as official EU can-
didate as early as next year, and to become a full
member by 2014.
But the EU considers that Belgrade has still a
lot to do as far as economic and political reforms
are concerned, and also wants the country to co-
operate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)notably by ar-
resting the remaining war crimes suspectsbefore
allowing it a step closer to the EU.
In July, Serbia announced the arrest of former
Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic after he
had been on the run for more than ten years, hav-
ing been charged with genocide, war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
The arrest of Mr. Karadzic was largely hailed in
the EU, and Mr. Barroso reiterated that it had been
a historic moment for Serbia and a milestone for
its EU ambitions.
During their first meeting in the immediate after-
math of Mr. Karadzics arrest, EU foreign ministers
stopped short of offering Belgrade any concrete
concessions, calling on it to deliver war crimes sus-
pect Ratko Mladic and former Croatian Serb rebel
leader Goran Hadzic first.
Europe is on the road to gaining more than
they ever dreamed, not by force or weapons of
war, but through negotiations. Who would
have thought a century ago that Europe would
stop fighting among itself. It was all but im-
possible. Today, it is all but impossible for Eu-
ropeans to fight each other. Peace,
cooperation, freedom, prosperity, and security
are being achieved by words. Doubtless, this
will have to be copied by the rest of the world.
But we must emphasize, the peace that is go-
ing to be established is not lasting; its of a
temporary nature.
3369
I S R A E L
Return Almost All
Territory
Israel should withdraw
from almost all the land it
conquered more than 40
years ago and hand back
east Jerusalem to the Pales-
tinians and the Golan
Heights to Syria, according
to Ehud Olmert, the outgo-
ing prime minister.
His comments marked the clearest plea
yet by a sitting Israeli prime minister for
the country to abandon territory that is seen by
many Israelis as both strategically and spiritually
vital.
More than 450,000 Jewish settlers live in the
occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, and a
further 20,000 in the Golan Heights. Most are
vehemently opposed to abandoning their settle-
ments, which are illegal under international law.
Although Mr. Olmert is now a lame-duck
prime minister, he could still have until early next
year to pull off a deal with the Palestinian lead-
ership and the Syrian government.
While most analysts believe that unlikely, his
remarks may be designed to prepare the Israeli
public for a possible peace agreement under his
successor.
Mr. Olmert said a deal would have to include
handing back east Jerusalem, which Israel an-
nexed after the 1967 war.
Whoever wants to hold on to all of the citys
territory will have to bring 270,000 Arabs [living
in occupied east Jerusalem] inside the fences of
sovereign Israel. It wont work.
Handing back the Golan Heightsthe price
that Syria is demanding in exchange for a peace
dealwould entail risks, he conceded. But he
added: Whoever wants to operate with zero
risks should move to Switzerland or Iceland.
This report in itself is nothing new, because
the whole world agrees that Israel must sur-
render Promise Land territory to Arab settlers
in order to achieve peace.
The argument is usually authorized with
the words international law. But that really
causes an insurmountable problem, because
the overwhelming majority, if not all nations of
the world, have established their borders by
the barrel of a gun. Those borders have be-
come internationally recognized, all except the
borders of Israel. Do we have to say more
about Israels uniqueness, which confirms be-
yond a shadow of doubt the truth of the Word
of God? 3387
Belgrade, capital of Serbia

However, referring to the recent decision
by the US to buy $700 billion (476 billion)
of bad debt from banks and other financial institu-
tions, he stressed that the situation we face here
in Europe is less acute and member states do not
at this point consider that a US-style plan is
needed.
Also speaking in the parliament, Frances state
secretary for European affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet,
whose country currently holds the six-month rotat-
ing EU presidency, offered up the same position,
saying that the European financial system is still
stable and doesnt need this kind of measure.
For his part, Mr. Almunia stressed that following
the latest events in financial markets, the current
model of regulation and supervision needs to be
revamped.
Some MEPs remained skeptical and said
Brussels actions so far had not been con-
vincing.
It has been more than a year since
the financial crisis started [and] there is
still no regulation, French Socialist MEP
Pervenche Beres said, citing the credit rating
agencies as an example.
Theres a problem with governments not
trusting each other when it comes to tightening
financial regulation and with the commission
not being up to the task, she later told re-
porters.
For his part, Mr. Jouyet stressed that the
commission must be able to take swift action.
We must restore confidence and re-insure
people.
This may not be the last of unregulated
financial disasters, but one may expect
that stricter regulations will replace the
present media-regulated financial indus-
try. The catastrophe for the U.S. is self-
evident as large financial institutions
went bankrupt and others had to be saved
by taxpayers. Many rightly ask, does
capitalism exist on the taxpayers back?
It sure seems like it. Europe will have to
place stricter rules on American finances
in the future, and thereby social capital-
ism will take the lead away from capital
socialism. What is the difference? Capi-
tal socialism must ultimately be sup-
ported by the tax paying citizen, while
social capitalism will have greater power
over the nations capital. Thus, in the fu-
ture, we will see the dominance and con-
tinued success of a social/capitalist
world order. 3354
E U
EU Rules Out US-Style Bailouts
Recent events in the financial sector are hurting the econ-
omy, as they are of a magnitude that exceeds anything we
have seen in our lifetime, EU economy commissioner
Joaquin Almunia said.
Wicca is the fastest-growing religion in

America, set to be the third largest religion
by 2012, claims Marla Alupoaicei, who co-wrote
the recently released book Generation Hex with
fellow Christian author Dillon
Burroughs.
The numbers of adherents
are doubling every 30 months,
she says.
The catchy title, Generation
Hex, reveals that this current gen-
eration is the first to grow up with
witchcraft as an accepted part of
the culture, added Alupoaicei,
who was inspired to write a book
about Wicca after not feeling
equipped to engage in a spiritual conversation
with a Wiccan girl she encountered.
While Harry Potter and other media like
Charmed, Buffy, Sabrina, and The Craft
have skyrocketed witchcraft into the public eye,
the authors both agreed that among the biggest
draws to the Wiccan culture is how community-
oriented it is.
Many involved in Wicca come from lonely
backgrounds or difficult relationships and find
new friends in the Wiccan community who em-
brace them (sometimes better than Christians
do), explained Burroughs, who served as a
youth pastor for about a decade and said he was
asked by students about Wicca and witchcraft
more than any other religious movement.
While many Christians today are
closely monitoring the growth
and activity of Islam, especially
after 9/11, another religious
movement has been steadily
growing under the
radar and could
become among
the largest religions
in the United States
in less than five
years.
(continued from page 40)

(continued next page)
"The situation we face here in Europe is
less acute" than in the US, says the EU
economy commissioner (Photo: EUobserver.com)
U S A
Wicca, Fastest Growing Religion in America
The Greco-Roman god-
dess Selene, one of many
goddesses equated with
the Wiccan Goddess
PM Manmohan Singh will sign the
agreement at the East Asia Summit in
Bangkok in December, which is much more
strategic in scope, particularly as South Block
sees it. The FTA is the centerpiece of Indias
diplomatic footprint in the region which New
Delhi intends to be a heady cocktail of trade,
political contacts, social and cultural linkages,
connectivity and growing military ties. The
agreement will create a market of over 1.5 bil-
lion people in the region. The main countries
that will be included in the new trade bloc are
India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia. India
and ASEAN countries have a trade volume of
$38 billion in 2007 and expect it to touch to $50
billion by 2010. The pact is delayed because of
differences over products that India wanted to
exclude from tariff cuts. India had submitted a
list of 1,414 products, while the ASEAN were
ready to accept only around 400 products for
the exclusion.
Under the pact, India and ASEAN will bring
down the duty to zero on 71% of products by
December 31, 2012 and another 9% by 2015.
Duties on another 8% to 10% of the products
will also be brought down to 5%. A limited num-
ber of products will be excluded from tariff con-
cessions based on the domestic sensitiveness
of the respective countries.
Henceforth, there promises to be a greater
equilibrium in the region, because ASEAN can
work out a strategic balance out of four strong
Asian powersJapan, China,
Korea and India, and not just
in trade.
This equilibrium is vital for
the health of the region, and
after ASEAN works out two
more FTAs with Australia and
New Zealand, the opportuni-
ties for Indias economy are
immense.
-Times of India, 29 August 2008,
pg. 17
It seems that only unity will bring
peace and prosperity. What was unthink-
able only a century ago is becoming real-
ity in front of our eyes. This development
is part of the global power structure, built
under the auspices of the god of this
world. It is part of the fulfillment of Reve-
lation 17:13: These have one mind, and
shall give their power and strength unto
the beast. 3364
I N D I A
New Agreement Cuts Cost for Asean Bloc
India concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the ASEAN bloc,
which will ensure lowering of duties and free flow of trade in goods.
DECEMBER 2008 41
Published as media reports have claimed
the existence of more than 700,000 Internet
sites for teenage witches, Generation Hex has
been described by its promoters as perfect for
personal study or as a gift for anyone interested
or involved in Wicca and a book that identifies
with the spiritual hunger of a generation seeking
truth, authenticity, and hope in a fragmented
world.
Burroughs says part of the goal with Genera-
tion Hex is awareness.
People tend to avoid stuff they don't under-
stand, he said during the chat. If you know
what Wicca is, maybe you won't be so scared to
strike up a conversation with someone wearing
a pentacle or pentagram.
Generation Hex was published early last month
by Harvest House Publishers and includes a
foreword written by Dr. Ron Rhodes, one of the
world's best-renowned scholars in the field of
apologetics as well as the author of over 40
books, many of them bestsellers.
-Christianpost.com, 21 September 2008
Wikipedia defines Wicca with the follow-
ing words: Wicca is a neopagan, nature-
based religion popularized in 1954 by Gerald
Gardner, a retired British civil servant, who at
the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents
the Wica. He said that the religion, of which
he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an
old witchcraft mystery religion that had ex-
isted in secret for hundreds of years, originat-
ing in the pre-Christian paganism of Europe.
The veracity of Gardner's statements cannot
be independently proven, however, and it is
possible that Wiccan theology began to be
compiled no earlier than the 1920s.
The Bible emphatically warns about the
later days with the following words: Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of dev-
ils (1 Timothy 4:1). While we believe that the
prognosis relating to the growth of this religion
is vastly exaggerated, we do confirm that the
occult is increasing rapidly, often in the form
and under the cover of evangelical Christianity.
For that reason, we as believers must particu-
larly heed the admonition of 1 Timothy
4:16: Take heed unto thyself, and unto the
doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this
thou shalt both save thyself, and them that
hear thee. 3386
(continued from page 40)
Countries under the South Asian Free Trade Area
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LETTERS TO THE EDI TOR
Address letters for publication to: Letters to the Editor, Midnight Call, P.O. Box 280008,
Columbia, SC 29228. Include full name, address, and daytime phone number. 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.
E. G. White
Dear Editor,
Ive never written before, but
have received your Midnight Call
for years and enjoy reading it! You
are not afraid of attacks from peo-
ple. This one is not an attack, but
I need for you to answer me this
question. Are Christians under the
law to keep the Sabbath day holy?
I ask because I was brought up
Southern Baptist, but was not born
again until I was 30 years old in
January 1971.
I went to a Luis Palau Christian
Festival in Portland, Oregon on
August 23, 2008. When the festival
was over, a lady on a street corner
just outside was handing out books
entitled, World Crisis Foretold, by
E. G. White. I began to study it a
few days later and was horrified by
the teaching that anyone who wor-
ships on Sundays is going to hell.
Ive always believed that our right-
eousness is in Christ Jesus as born
again believers (Romans 8:3-4 and
Hebrews 8:10). Many people re-
ceived these books after the festi-
val. I dont think they were
distributed by Luis Palau, but they
took the opportunity for a big
crowd to receive them. I do not
know anything about E.G. White,
but was concerned. I was led to my
Lord Jesus by the law. It was my
schoolmaster, but after the Holy
Spirit, my Comforter, came in,
DECEMBER 2008 45

I was freed from the law.
Galatians 5:18 says, But if
you be led by the spirit, ye
are not under the law. Verse
22 tells us the fruits of the
spirit, and verse 23 tells us
against such there is no
law. I believe Jesus came and
fulfilled the law, and now He
lives in us to guide, convict,
teach, and help us walk in
the Spirit. He is now our
righteousness.
E. G. White says that Rome
or the Papacy started this
Sunday worship, along with
its idols, rituals, traditions,
etc. She said that its wrong
and you are going to hell for
worshiping on that day
(Mark 12:28-31).
Thank you for listening, and
Ill watch for your answer. I re-
ally do learn a lot from your
magazine. God bless you richly
for your committed work to
bless others.
-Mrs. Aubrey Buffington, Portland, OR
Answer: You have already an-
swered your question with your
own letter. Particularly with your
testimony: I believe Jesus came
and fulfilled the law. That, how-
ever, is most difficult to under-
stand for those who have been
led astray. Man by nature prides
himself in following laws, rules,
and regulations. When Jesus
came to Israel, He had a very
short message: Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand
(Matthew 4:17). There was no re-
quest for Israel to fulfill the law,
because that was impossible for
them to do. That is why the Apos-
tle Paul later writes, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that
was against us, which was con-
trary to us, and took it out of the
way, nailing it to his cross (Colos-
sians 2:14). In verse 16, he warns
against the false teachers who
wish to burden believers with the
law: Let no man therefore judge
you in meat, or in drink, or in re-
spect of an holyday, or of the new
moon, or of the sabbath days.
Although Ellen G. White was a
gifted person and a prolific
writer, she did not recognize the
fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Her
amazing ability to write such a
great volume of material resulted
in a great following, even until
this day. There is much diversity
within the Seventh Day Adventist
denomination. Some consider
themselves to be the remnant
church, maintaining that they
are the only ones proclaiming
true Christianity. Others teach
and believe that there are true
Christians who are not Adven-
tists. Some hold to the
established Orthodox Christian
theology. Other branches of the
SDA deny salvation by grace
through faith in Christ alone,
teaching and believing instead
that personal salvation depends
on faith in Christ plus keeping
the Sabbath and some Old Testa-
ment dietary laws.
I went to a Luis Palau Christian Festival in Portland, Oregon on

August 23, 2008. After the festival was over, a lady on a street cor-
ner just outside was handing out books entitled, World Crisis Fore-
told, by E. G. White. I began to study it a few days later and was
horrified by the teaching that anyone who worships on Sundays is
going to hell. Ive always believed that our righteousness is in
Christ Jesus as born again believers (Romans 8:3-4 and Hebrews 8:10). Many people
received these books after the festival.
-MRS. AUBREY BUFFINGTON, PORTLAND, OR
Destroyed Soul?
Dear Mr. Froese:
I take your magazine, and
like it. My question: Is Matthew
10:28 to be taken literally?
And fear not them which kill
the body, but are not able to kill
the soul: but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell. Most
evangelical believers do not
agree with this verse, and main-
tain that soul and body exist
forever in hell and are not ever
destroyed. Im inclined to take
the Bible literally and would
appreciate your comments.
-Shirley J. Kolberg, Englewood, CO
Answer: Man consists of spirit, soul,
and body. He is an eternal being. At
death, the body ceases to exist in its
present form, but will be resurrected.
Obviously, it will be in a non-earthly
form. The believer who receives the
glorified body is in the presence of
the Lord forever. The unbeliever is
going to be in the lake of fire, and
shall be tormented day and night
forever and ever. Is it a literal fire and
a literal body? Of course, but not an
earthly literal fire nor an earthly lit-
eral body; otherwise, the person
would be instantly incinerated. This
is evident from the record of Lazarus
and the rich man. Just differentiate
between earthly physical existence
and non-earthly physical existence.
What will it be like? Glory on the one
hand, and suffering on the other.
Happy Holidays
Dear Mr. Froese,
It is an offense to me when
people use the words Happy
Holidays instead of Merry
Christmas. Isnt it Christs
birthday? If we as Christians
dont stand up for keeping
Christ in Christmas, who
will? Should we as Christians
not lift up Christ during
Christmas? It seems that
every year, the traditional
Christmas is diminishing.
Some employers forbid greet-
ing customers with Merry
Christmas, and local govern-
ments take offense when a
nativity scene is placed on
public property. Where will it
all end? I for one will con-
tinue to use the politically in-
correct phrase.
-Patricia Voiles, Atlanta, IL
Answer: You should not be of-
fended. No one can take away
what you dont have. You dont
have Christmasits a traditional
holiday established by the Ro-
man Catholic Church. Christmas
is built on tradition and not on
the Bible; it has become the great
exhibition of materialism. As a
believer, you are a visible demon-
stration of Christ to the extent
you are willing to follow Him
risking rejection, enduring perse-
cution, even unto death.
There is a global Christmas
coming. People will give gifts one
to another, after the beast kills
the two witnesses. Revelation
11:10 says: And they that dwell
upon the earth shall rejoice over
them, and make merry, and shall
send gifts one to another; be-
cause these two prophets tor-
mented them that dwelt on the
earth. Note in particular the two
words, merry and gifts. That is
going to be a global Christmas
party.
God and Country
Dear Mr. Froese,
I am a subscriber to Mid-
night Call and have been for a
number of years.
I am always impressed with
the manner in which the Gospel
is presented, and find myself in
complete agreement with your
statements of faith.
In the August 2008 issue of
Midnight Call you addressed two
readers in the Letters To The
Editor section: the first titled
Election Fear, and the second
Christian War.
I was in agreement with your
replies to both readers, espe-
cially the second, wherein you
made the issue of America is
not a person, its a political iden-
tity under the auspices of Lu-
cifer.
It was great to have a man in
your capacity make the point
that America is no different
from any other nation.
I am a member of a funda-
mental Bible-believing church
whose statement of faith is iden-
tical to that of Midnight Call.
The problem is there is no
question that the dominant
view of the pastor and most
members is that the Republi-
can Party is on Gods side,
and anything else is obvi-
ously satanic.
In attempting to witness
for Christ, I am very often

confronted with the issue raised
in your reply to Christian
War. Consequently, the ques-
tion arises: Do I really believe
salvation is through Christ
alone (John 14:6), or is it Christ
and the Republican Party?
Do you have any advice on
how to handle this issue in my
local church?
-Robert J Briggs, Rhinebeck, NY
Answer: The overwhelming major-
ity of Christians follow the Roman
Catholic doctrine, which has married
church and state. This is not uncom-
mon when you check the history of
other nations, particularly Euro-
peans. They all follow in the foot-
steps of believing they are
somehow God-favored; thus the
identity of the political state and the
church should be united. Thats a
wonderful lie of Satan, and he
laughs all the way to hell with it.
How should we react? I would
not make an issue out of it, because
its culturally related. Although dan-
gerous, it is not decisive. In other
words, let the child have the bottle.
You see, some children are weaned
from the bottle at age one; others
still want it when they are three.
Your and my responsibility is to
serve the Lord in fear and trembling,
to follow Him with all of our hearts,
and He will lead us from one truth to
another. In the process, we are being
translated into the image of the
Beloved Son.
Reverend
Dear Mr. Froese,
A friend showed us where
Mr. Chambers (writes/speaks)
has listed himself with one of
the names of DeityRev-
erendas his title.
Has he discovered Psalms
111:9 yet? He sent redemption
unto his people: he hath com-
manded his covenant forever:
holy and reverend is his name.
Does it influence his thinking
and yours?
Verify original KJV and the
Acts 17:30 remedy.
-John Ray, Columbiana, AL
Answer: You are placing the trans-
lation reverend above the real
name, yaw-rah. Can you translate a
name? No, but you can attempt to
reveal the meaning of the name; in
this case, fear frightened fret
even terrible. My Hebrew Bible
says, His name is holy and awe-
some. Luther translates it, Holy
and powerful is His name. The Rev-
erend for a pastor simply indicates
that the person holds the office,
which is to be respected as such.
Alternative Medicine?
Dear Brother Froese,
I have been following for the
past several months the various
discussions regarding alterna-
tive medications, particularly
those centering on reflexology
and acupuncture.
In the September 2008 issue
of Midnight Call, page 46 of the
Letters To The Editor section,
you stated, As to alternative
healthcare, dont permit success
to determine truth. Remember,
the Egyptian magicians were
successful in the beginning.
First of all, the Egyptian magi-
cians were not attempting to
practice alternative medical
techniques in any way, shape or
form. They were, for some rea-
son known only to God, tem-
porarily allowed to duplicate
the miracles performed by
Moses. Therefore, your state-
ment compares apples with or-
anges. Secondly, the basis of all
research, whether it is medical
or technical, involves repeti-
tious trials and errors until a
success determines the truthful
efficacy of a medication, tech-
nique, or product. Therefore,
success does determine truth.
Many years ago, Readers Di-
gest had an article regarding re-
flexology, the gist of which told
of a newborn infant that was in
a life-threatening situation. The
attending medical doctor, des-
perate to try anything to save a
life, abandoned all of his med-
ical prejudices and began re-
flexology on the tiny foot using
the eraser on a common lead
pencil as the stimulator. The in-
fant survived.
Several years ago, I had a
conversation with a Chi-
nese/American medical doctor
who had just retired as a patholo-
gist. When I asked him what he
intended to do from then on, he
replied that he was going to do
research on ancient Chinese
herbal medications and medical
techniques, particularly acupunc-
ture, which he stated had been
used successfully in China for
hundreds of years.
Its your opinion that alter-
native healthcare is either
DECEMBER 2008 47
valueless or worse. Opinions

are not facts. In the year 1492
the scientific opinion was
that the earth was flat. In
Galileos day scientific opin-
ion proclaimed that the sun
rotated around the earth.
Today, large and powerful
pharmaceutical manufactur-
ers promote their products to
the public via expensive tele-
vision and magazine ads,
which suggest that patients
ask their doctor if its all
right for them. I have read
that their advertising budget
exceeds their research budget
by a substantial amount.
Electricity and magnetism
are still very mysterious enti-
ties not completely under-
stood by the modern
scientific world. Electrical
impulses play a large part in
human brain and body func-
tion. There are electrical de-
vices on the market today
that have been effective in
curing or controlling cancers
and other illnesses.
Am I a protagonist for the
use of alternative healthcare
procedures? Very definitely.
And, with the high and in-
creasingly higher cost of
medical care, alternatives are
becoming more and more
sought after. I anticipate your
promised discussion by Dr.
Cionci.
-John S. Olsen, Schereville, IN
Answer: You obviously have an
issue with the American Medical
Association and the related phar-
maceutical industry. You certainly
have a point, but my issue is sci-
ence: in this case, medical science.
We are not speaking about misuse
or misapplication, but simple
medical science. Reflexology,
acupuncture, and much of the
other so-called alternative health-
cares are not based on scientific
facts. I take issue with your state-
ment, Therefore, success does de-
termine truth. That needs to be
qualified. Constant, reliable, and
repetitious success determines
the truth of a particular science.
I have deliberately used the
Egyptian magicians initial success
as an example to show that partial
success does not determine truth.
These Egyptian magicians couldnt
go all the way.
Unfortunately, Dr. Cionci will not
get involved in the issue of reflexol-
ogy and acupuncture, because his
research would require him to visit
the medical library, and he is com-
puter illiterate. But in a recent tele-
phone conversation, he outright
rejected reflexology and acupunc-
ture as non-scientific. That, inciden-
tally, is also the case when
I checked with Wikipedia and other
sources.
The Bible Code
To the Editor,
I am constantly running
into this blasphemous, false
doctrine that is becoming
more and more popular. I am
referring to this absurd notion
about there being hidden
codes in the Bible. Im not
talking about certain numbers
in the Bible having special
meaning. Im talking about
codes hidden to the select few
that can foretell the future,
etc.
Michael Drosnins book,
The Bible Code, reached the #3
spot on the New York Times
bestseller list. By October
1999, 12 books had been writ-
ten on the topicall but two
promoted the idea of hidden
codes.
Many Bible teachers are in-
fluenced by this Bible code.
Grant Jeffery is one that advo-
cates this theory.
I find the whole concept of
hidden Bible codes absurd,
to say the least.
What is your opinion of
this heresy? Do you know of
any good books that deal with
this falsehood of the Bible
codes?
I would appreciate an an-
swer to this, since many
Christians are falling victim
to this latest falsehood infect-
ing the church.
-Donald Fahrenkrug, Colorado Springs, CO
Answer: I agree with your simple
definition of the Bible Code: ab-
surd. There is no place in Scrip-
ture indicating that we must wait
for thousand of years, so that
when computers are invented, we
will then understand the Bible.
First Corinthians 2:10-11 says, But
God hath revealed them unto us
by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God.
MC
DECEMBER 2008 49
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A
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1055 119 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Prophecy SALE Froese, A $ 9.00
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Give yourself a reminder of the land of Israel through-
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The 2008Seasons of Israel
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photographs of Israel by
famus aerial photographers
Duby Tal and Moni Haramati,
combined with Scriptures
from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3
(To everything there is a
season) in English (KJV)
and the original Hebrew.

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An exquisite reproduction of a circa-1850 large,
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THE COMPLETE WORKS OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS
ITEM# 2241 890 Pages Hardcover
$59
Author: WilliamWhiston
$48

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The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

MC1208Good.qxd:MC0306 1A1B 12/1/08 8:55 AM Page 3

The church where the tradition of celebrating Christmas on

MC1208Good.qxd:MC0306 1A1B 12/1/08 8:56 AM Page 35

MC1208Good.qxd:MC0306 1A1B 12/1/08 8:56 AM Page 36

"Today it touches the Catholics in India.

Shanghai Skyline. 2008.

Belgrade, capital of Serbia

Wicca is the fastest-growing religion in

(continued from page 40)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I went to a Luis Palau Christian Festival in Portland, Oregon on

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

valueless or worse. Opinions

1- YERUSHALAIM SHEL ZAHAV

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