The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

MAY 2011$4.75

Dispensationalism and Social Responsibility

Pg. 27

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Christ or Anti-christ? Where Is Paradise? The Shack

World Conspiracy in Light of the Bible

PARTII

Pg. 42

Pg. 32

PART I
The Calling of the Twelve Disciples Thaddaeus
Pg. 20

Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained

Pg. 14

The incredible doctrine of the return of Christ commands us to investigate The Great Mystery of the Rapture.

Come Into His Presence.

An intense biblical study designed to clarify the prophetic Word

An exhaustive analysis of the greatest event in the history of the Church, revealing often overlooked truths in the Old and New Testament.

As you listen to the sounds of the dulcimer, our prayer is that your own faith will be strengthened for whatever challenge lies before you. Allow these songs to help you bow your heart and be still as you Come Into His Presence.
COME INTO HIS PRESENCE
ITEM #9064 CD 56 min. Artist: Michael Shull

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Sweet Hour Of Prayer (2:32) Be Thou My Vision (1:44) Savior, Like A Shepherd (1:57) My Jesus, I Love Thee (1:47) What A Friend We Have In Jesus (3:00) Nearer My God To Thee (2:02) Softly And Tenderly (2:25) We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder (1:49) When I Survey The Wondrous Cross (2:26) Were You There (1:53) I Surrender All (1:44) I Need Thee Every Hour (1:55) Trust And Obey (1:59) Holy, Holy, Holy (1:39) I've Got Peace Like A River (2:31) 16. 17. 18. 19. Jesus Loves Me (1:51) I Am Thine, O Lord (1:46) Near The Cross (2:24) Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (1:58) 20. Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus (1:51) 21. Have Thine Own Way, Lord (1:46) 22. Where He Leads Me (2:03) 23. Leaning On The Everlasting Arms (1:49) 24. Only Trust Him (1:36) 25. Shall We Gather At The River (2:21) 26. Lily Of The Valley (1:54) 27. Blessed Be The Tie That Binds (1:13) 28. God Be With You (1:58)

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C O N T E N T S
COVER STORY

The Lesson Part I

By Greg Harris
Peter confidently wrote,he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.A substantial base for Peters confidence comes in the next verse of First Peter, where he quoted Psalm 118:22:The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone(1 Pet. 2:7). This is a verse that Jesus had used in a personal lesson for Peter over thirty years beforea lesson that accompanied Peter for the rest of his life. It is a lesson that Jesus still intends for all of those who follow him and for all who oppose Him.

35 IRAN
The New Super Missiles: Fact or Fiction?

36 LIBYA
Western Coalition Strikes Gadhafi Target

$ 14 Money: Ends and Trends Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained
By Wilfred Hahn
Just how did the biblical Sabbaths come about? It is a captivating story.We continue with Part II of our series on the Bibles teaching on prosperity,cancellationand the prophesied restoration of Gods intended plan for the poor, both materially and in spirit.

37 EU
Shock Waves from the Mediterranean Club Reach EU

20

The Calling of theTwelve Disciples Thaddaeus

By Marcel Malgo

39 BRAZIL
Thousand More Mineral Deposits Discovered

27 32

Dispensationalism and Social Responsibility 40 CHINA

US Debt Holdings Now at $1.16 Trillion

By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

World Conspiracy in Light of the Bible Part II

By Johannes Pflaum
When the Scriptures speak of the endtimes developments, we always find the call to be sober and cautious. Especially in view of last-day events, a dangerous lack of this can spread, even among believers, through false sensationalism and continual preoccupation with evil.

41 TIBET
Dalai Lama to Devolve Political Role

DEPARTMENTS

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Peter Malgo

42

Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese CHRIST OR ANTI-CHRIST?...WHERE IS PARADISE?...THE SHACK

Midnight Call
MAY 2011

E D I T O R S

N O T E

Let every soul be subject unto the governing powers. For there is no power but of God;
the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power resists the ordinance of God (Romans 13:1-2).
B y P e t e r M a l g o
dollars. And in order to keep his people subdued, he also increased the salaries. The extreme contrary was Muammar alGadaffi, Libyas ruler for 40 years. He proceeded with all hardness against his own people and did not shrink from killing large numbers of them. Many people in Libya paid for their revolt with blood and tears. The Egyptian President Mubarak kept a peace treaty with Israel for 30 years, which has remained in force till now. A few days ago, I was standing at the border fence with Egypt and asked myself what might now confront Israel. And the question also arises in me how Christians should act in such circumstances. Doubtless, many people are enduring suffering, including also numerous Christians who are violently drawn into the turmoil of revolt without actively participating in it. A revolt against the governing authority in power is not approved by God. Paul writes this to the Christian community in Rome: Let every

n the beginning of this year, Tunisias President Ben Ali was chased away from office by a revolt of the population. He fled his country toward Saudi Arabia. This was the start. Encouraged by the success of the Tunisians, the Egyptians saw that their chance had come to finally revolt against their unpopular President Hosni Mubarak. For weeks, millions of people gathered in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez and made the leadership tremble, until Mubarak finally resigned under the pressure of the revolutionaries. And it continued: the peoples revolt in the Arabic area seized one country after another like falling dominoes. Even in far away China, many saw their hour to revolt against the power of the state arrive. The various heads of state reacted quite differently from one another. Saudi Arabias King Abdullah feared the virus of Tunisia and Egypt. In order to calm down the population, he returned to his country from the USA with an aid package of 35 billion
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E D IT OR

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The Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

soul be subject unto the governing powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power resists the ordinance of God (Romans 13:1-2). Evidently, the Christian community in Rome under the regime of that time found itself in a difficult situation. We know from the records of history that the community of Jesus was persecuted there to the shedding of blood. But Paul goes so far as to say: Bless them which persecute youBe not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:14, 21). To revolt against the states power does not follow the way God orders us to go. Daniel shows how it is possible to be subject to the governing authority and yet to reserve the first place for God in all things. In Numbers 16, we read of the revolt of Korah and his friends against Moses. God Himself reacts to this with all rigor: The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment! (verses 20-21). Rebellion and revolt occur in history over and over again. But what takes place in our days has a new dimension and is doubtless to be evaluated as one more sign of the approaching end. In Luke 21:9, our Lord Jesus marks revolt explicitly as one of the signs of the end time besides wars, earthquakes, famines and pestilences. For us all, these are very real things. And in our own countries, we are also increasingly confronted with the phenomenon of revolt. There is revolt already in the smallest cell, the family. Children rebel against their parents (Matthew 10:21). Revolts occur also against the leaders of the community, etc. Let us always watch over our hearts lest any rebellious thoughts creep in and seduce us to act against God! MC

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Founder Dr. Wim Malgo (1922 92) Editor Peter Malgo Executive Director Arno Froese Contributing Authors Norbert Lieth, Marcel Malgo, Wilfred Hahn, Dr. Ron J. Bigalke, Reinhold Federolf, Samuel Rindlisbacher, Ernst Kraft and Thomas Lieth
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Mitternachtsruf (German) Ringwiesenstrasse 12a, 8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland; Middernachtsroep (Dutch) Postbus 193, 3940 AD Doorn, Netherlands; LAppel de Minuit (French) Ringwiesenstrasse 12a, 8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland; Chamada de Meia Noite (Portuguese) Obra Missionaria Chamada de Meia Noite, Caixa Postal 1688, 90001970 Porto Alegre RS, Brazil; Llamada de Medianoche (Spanish) Apdo. Postal 1400, 01901 Guatemala; CDM Italia (Italian) Via Monte Rosa 88 D, IT 10155 Torino TO; Ejfeli Kialtas (Hungarian) H-1135 Budapest, Pelo u. 2 c (no longer available in Russian) OUR TASK Midnight Call Ministries is a nonprofit missionary organization, dedicated to proclaiming the entire Bible as the unfailing and eternal written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the unerring guide for the Christian faith. The object of Midnight Call is to call people everywhere to Christ, to proclaim the Second Coming of Christ, to prepare Christians for His coming, and to uphold the faith and warn of false doctrines. Midnight Call magazine is available in twelve languages. All work done through radio, literature and missionaries is supported entirely by the gifts and free will offerings of Gods people. STATEMENT OF FAITH 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. WE BELIEVE that Israel is Gods chosen people, and that the restoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of the Word of God. WE BELIEVE in the pretribulational appearance of Jesus Christ 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 of the lost.

Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference 2011

Please mark the dates on your calendar, 16-18 October 2011. Thats when we will gather at beautiful Myrtle Beach in South Carolina for our two and a half day prophecy conference, highlighting events that are taking place today in the light of Bible prophecy. Right now we are witnessing an Arab revolution. Daily we hear about the various countries throughout the Arab world trying desperately to contain the awakening of the people. Tunisia and Egypt have fallen, Libya is in turmoil, protests continue in Yemen, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and other countries! Governments are resorting to brutal force to keep the uprising in check. Presently, all 22 nations of the Arab League are experiencing some type of difficulty in controlling their people. The voice is relatively unanimous: dictators out, pro-democracy in. That is just one of the reasons why you should register right now for this important conference. The general theme will be Israel, the Church and the Future. That seems to be rather fitting, because Israel is the only functioning democratic state in all of the Middle East. For more information, see pgs. 23-26.

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Democracy Invades Islam

This is our latest title now in the works, highlighting from Biblical prophetic aspects the events in the Arab world that have caused great concern among all nations. The industrial world urgently needs petroleum to run its industry, and most of that is found in the Arab world. How this will affect the present and the future is the subject of this important book. At present, we are negotiating with a publisher regarding the scheduling of Democracy Invades Islam. For the latest information, visit us at midnightcall.com.

Is this really true? Does the possibility of a Muslimcontrolled world exist?

This CD reveals some fascinating and controversial aspects on the issue of Muslim dominance, which stand in contrast to the often one-sided approach of the news media. Do the Muslims have the knowledge, intelligence and capacity to rule planet Earth? What does the Bible say about the end times? When you hear this message, you will be in for some surprises that you will not hear or read about anywhere else.

Correction
We apologize for the Letters to the Editor being cut off again on pg. 45 in the April issue. We have made some changes to the process that hopefully will prevent this from recurring. Here is the complete text: Answer: Thank you for calling attention to the insufficient explanation in the statement, The only two persons born without sin were Adam, who fell into sin, and Jesus Christ our Lord. It should have read, Only two men were without sinAdam and Jesusuntil Adam fell into sin.

In light of the times, News From Israel is

a necessary monthly magazine that will keep you updated on breaking developments throughout the Middle East. News From Israel uncovers hidden information the news media leaves out!

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PART I
DR. GREG HARRIS

When writing his first epistle, Peter quoted Isaiah 28:16, a prophecy concerning the future Messiah: And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed (1 Pet. 2:6). That Peter would cite an Old Testament prophet is not particularly unusual; many other New Testament authors often quoted from the Old Testament, as did Jesus Himself in His teachings.

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Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt that is led,likely,by its mothera donkey.He comes offering peace; He comes offering Himself.Matthew emphasized the biblical significance of Jesusarrival by quoting Zechariah 9:9: Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled,saying,Say to the daughter of Zion,Behold your King is coming to you,gentle,and mounted upon a donkey,even upon a colt,the foal of a beast of burden (Matt.21:4-5).

et, all things considered, the truths from Isaiah 28 did not match the circumstances of Peters life. Here was a man who faced imprisonment within weeks. He would suffer extensively for his Lord, leaving this earthly realm only after experiencing the extreme torture reserved for those crucified. Peter had attained no fortune, no educational degrees, and no earthly inheritance to leave to his familyif he had any family left. Perhaps they, too, had already died martyrs deaths for following Jesus. Still, Peter confidently wrote, he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed. Peters statement is emphatic, stressing his point with the strongest manner possible in the Greek, and is translated, by no means whatsoever will one be disappointed. Peter knew what awaited him, for Jesus had previously revealed the manner of death by which Peter would glorify the Lord (John 21:18-19). As his prophesied death approached, Peter neither shrank nor ranhe stood firmly. However, a simple but compelling question remains: Why? Why this confidence? Why this strong affirmation in the face of impending torture? Why this evaluation of the worst circumstances of life, and yet he can confidently state that one will by no means whatsoever be disappointed with Jesus? Many people have been very disappointed with Jesus; many people still arefrom Judas up through modern times. If the truth be told, most of us have experienced at one time or anotheror will experience in the futuresome degree of disappointment with Jesus, especially when He leads us into darkMIDNIGHT CALL

ness that we do not understand. A substantial base for Peters confidence comes in the next verse of First Peter, where he quoted Psalm 118:22: The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone (1 Pet. 2:7). This is a verse that Jesus had used in a personal lesson for Peter over thirty years beforea lesson that accompanied Peter for the rest of his life. It is a lesson that Jesus still intends for all of those who follow himand for all who oppose Him. So that we can understand why Peter regarded this verse as being so important, we must drop down into his life as recorded in the Gospels to see with his eyes and to hear with his ears all that is happening, as much as we presently can.

If ever a time existed not to be disappointed with Jesus, it is at His Triumphal Entry on what many people call Palm Sunday. The Triumphal Entry, however, is misnamedand even more so, misunderstood. The Preview of Jesus Ultimate Triumphal Entry or The Prophetic Entry of the Humble Messiah more accurately conveys the event. But if you are among the confused disciples of Jesus, still argumentatively staking their claim as to which among them was the greatest (Luke 9:46; 22:24), then this is your dayespecially since you suppose that the kingdom of God is going to appear immediately (Luke 19:11). Today is what you have waited and longed for, so desired to see, as Israel welcomes her Messiah. Jesus Himself has taught you that you will receive your promised

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Movies and other accounts depicting Jesusentry into Jerusalem that day usually do not capture the tumultuous nature of the event.Before computer animation,they simply did not have the necessary funds to present accurately the commotions that accompanied Jesus as He rode to Jerusalem.By a very conservative estimate,over 2,000,000 Jews were assembled around Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover week.
thrones of authority when He sits on the throne of His glory (Matt. 19:28). Masses in Jerusalem are celebrating the advent of the Messiah. Biblical prophecies centuries old unfold before your own eyes. The multitudes respond as they shouldand in accordance with Scripture. Especially Peter, James, and John could hardly contain their exuberance, since they have previewed the coming Kingdom power and glory months earlier at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8). They readily acknowledge what the multitudes do, but they cannot at this point disclose all that they know. The crowds have not beheld the glory of Jesus. At this point they view only His humanity and humility as Jesus silently rides through the human masses. These three of the inner circle understand that Jesus currently restrains Himself from displaying His glory. They are not exactly sure when He will manifest it to the entire world, but they know that He will perhaps even this day. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt that is led, likely, by its mothera donkey. He comes offering peace; He comes offering Himself. Matthew emphasized the biblical significance of Jesus arrival by quoting Zechariah 9:9: Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted upon a donkey, even upon a colt, the foal of a beast of burden (Matt. 21:4-5). Jesus, in a meek manner, enters the city of David only days before the Passover meal. Many others prefer that He have a more regal entrance riding a white stallion, which indicates victory and triumph. A white horse does await Jesus, but one that is reserved for His true triumphal re-entry to His earth and to His city (Rev. 19:11-16). Today, however, is not that day. Todays entry into Jerusalem fulfills the required prophecy and sets the course for the events of Passion Week. John recorded that he and the other disciples did not understand at first [the significance of that days events]; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him (John 12:16). The disciples memories were of utmost importance to Jesus because, after all, memories are the fertile ground from which the greatest lessons often emerge. Even before there were any utterances during this Passover week, Jesus continually taught His disciples lessons that they would grasp only after the earth-shaking events of the next few days. Movies and other accounts depicting Jesus entry into Jerusalem that day usually do not capture the tumultuous nature of the event. Before computer animation, they simply did not have the necessary funds to present accurately the commotions that accompanied Jesus as He rode to Jerusalem. By a very conservative estimate, over 2,000,000 Jews were assembled around Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover week. Centuries earlier, when Israel was exiled because of her heinous covenant disobedience, God promised the ones whom He had just judged a future return to the Promised Land. When God desired to illustrate the glorious future repopulation of the nation that He Himself would perform, He used an illustration that would be familiar to the people: Thus says the Lord GOD, This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the LORD (Ezek. 36:37-38). Obviously, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts would be a massive number. The Gospel writers stated that multitudes welcomed Jesus (Matt. 21:8-9; Luke 19:37); John described it as the great multitude (John

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While Jesus was teaching His followers,the chief priests and elders interrupted Him.They demanded to know by whose authority He did thisprobably referring to both the cleansing of the Temple and to His right to teach, especially in Gods house.
sus and the masses. You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him (John 12:19)which from their perspective gives another indication of the multitudes enormous size. About three months before Jesus arrived at Passover, as He was proceeding to Jerusalem (Luke 13:22), a group of Pharisees approach Jesus to warn Him about Herod wanting to kill Him (Luke 13:31). But these were no true friends of Jesus, and their motives were far from honorable. Instead of having Jesus thank them and flee in fright, He answers themthe group of Pharisees; He does not make a public proclamation at this pointand addresses how Herod will not thwart Gods program or timing (Luke 13:31-33). But then Jesus gave a preview to them of what to expect:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! (Luke 13:34-35).

12:12). A multitude out of the ranks of two million is in the hundreds of thousandsnot the dozens or a few hundreds that movies often show. Emotions run high. The electricity of so many people assembled in a festive mood is impressive. Yet, it is not merely Jesus the Man entering JerusalemJesus the Messiah makes His way into the city of the King. The crowd heralds Jesus with praise reserved only for the promised Coming One of Israel, although they misunderstand the mandatory salvific nature of Messiahs work. Many of the nation know that Israels King has arrived; their exclamatory praise bears witness of their expectation. The masses shout Psalm 118:25-26, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! (Matt. 21:9), intermingled with other Messianic praise and expectation. Hosanna! which is interpreted, Save now! becomes both praise and a prayer. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! (Mark 11:10). Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! coupled with peace in heaven and glory in the highest (Luke 19:38), very similar to the angels praise-filled worship at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:13-14). Grandeur, excitement, joy, praise, unlimited expectationall are associated with the advent of the Messiah King riding into His holy city. However, not everyone rejoices at Jesus arrival. The Pharisees also witness these events, chiding one another for their failed attempts to restrain Je10
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In Luke 13:35, Jesus quoted Psalm 118:26. He foretold to the Pharisees what to expect when He entered Jerusalem, and the day He arrived, the multitudes have called out exactly as He saidand even more to pointthe very words He said would occur. Instead of making them marvel and repent, this would only intensify the Pharisees hatred for their Enemy. Yet beyond what we have already seen lie two significant truths. First, Jesus entry into Jerusalem begins the countdown to Calvary. Secondand of utmost importanceHis entry established the foundation for much of Jesus final teaching during the few days before His death. Although at this time, only He alone understands it, Jesus has already presented the first portion of His divine lesson: to Peter and John and the other disciples; to

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The crucial issue was the source of authority regarding both John the Baptist and Jesusand the chief priests and elders immediately perceived the dilemma that Jesus had created for them.If they had answered that John was from God,Jesus could counter with,Then why did you not believe him?
the hostile religious authorities; to Israels collective masses. Today, Jesus initiates His lesson, but He has much more to teach them all regarding both Himself and His work.

The second segment of the lesson came two days later after Jesus had cleansed His Temple and had begun teaching in the newly purified edifice (Matt. 21:23ff.). While Jesus was teaching His followers, the chief priests and elders interrupted Him. They demanded to know by whose authority He did thisprobably referring to both the cleansing of the Temple and to His right to teach, especially in Gods house. Technically speaking, Jesus did not need to give an explanation; He had committed no sin, not even by the holy standards of the Mosaic Law. Jesus had not defiled or profaned the Temple in any way. He had not entered into the restricted Holy of Holies. Instead, Jesus had expunged the foreign elements that had defiled Gods house of prayer and had rendered it a bazaar of commerce (Matt. 21:1213; Mark 11:15-18). If a Scripture passage existed that prohibited such cleansing, the opponents of Jesus would have readily cited it on the spot; but they could not. Consequently, His critics could ask only under whose authority Jesus had acted. In good Jewish manner, Jesus responded to the question with a question. He would offer a full disclosure of the source of His authority if the religious leaders would answer one simple question from Him. Jesus asked, The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men? (Matt. 21:25). Marks account ends with the simple but clear injunction: Answer Me! (11:30). The crucial issue was the source of authority regarding both John the Baptist and Jesusand the chief priests and elders immediately perceived the dilemma that Jesus had created for them. If they had answered that John was from God, Jesus could counter with, Then why did you not believe him? John the Baptist had previously said in reference to Jesus, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He also had taught his fol-

lowers about One who was coming after him who was greater than he was, and, even though Jesus was born after John, the forerunner testified that He existed before me (1:30). If the religious leaders had said that John was from God, then Jesus would have to be from God also because John had pronounced Him as such. On the other hand, if they had reasoned that Johns authority was only from man, then all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet (Luke 20:6). Trapped by this childishly simple question asked by Jesus, the leaders external answer was, We do not know (in the Greek usually translated to know intellectually; to understand). As the blind man of John 9 had previously responded, Herein is a wonderful [amazing] thing! so the same could be said in response to the hardness of the chief priests and elders. The ones so devout and meticulously trained for decades in the very nuances of the Law, could not review Johns public ministry, the content of his message, the effect he had on the nation of Israel, his own attestation to their questions years earlier as to who he was, and then make a determination of whether or not he was a prophet sent by God. They had an either/or proposition set before thembut they had no either/or answer. Jesus offered no additional discourse with the assembled religious leaders. At that time, it was senseM AY 2 0 1 1 11

Jesus said to them,Did you never read in the Scriptures,The Stone that the builders rejected, this became the Chief Cornerstone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Matt.21:42).
less to continue. After all, if they could not judge correctly concerning the forerunner, then why bother interrogating the One of whom the prophet witnessed? The chief priests and elders, condemned by their own silence, stood before Jesus. Jesus used the unwillingness of the response by the chief priests and elders as a transition to the Parable of the Two Sons, illustrating the religious leaders utter unwillingness to repent at John the Baptists teaching (Matt. 21:28-32). The parable that followed, that of the Landowner (21:33-44), depicted a pattern of rejecting the ones sent by God, culminating with the rejection and murder of the Son. The two parables combined to condemn the actions of Israels religious authorities in not receiving the two select messengers sent by God Himself. One servant, the leaders had already rejectedthe Other, they were in the process of rejectingthe Son sent by God the Father. In the second parable, Jesus concluded by quoting Psalm 118:22the same psalm that is the origin of the Hosannas that were repeatedly shouted by the crowds of the previous days. Peter and John would have witnessed this: Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, The Stone that the builders rejected, this became the Chief Cornerstone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Matt. 21:42). The chief priests and elders understood that Jesus referred to them in both parables and responded to His teaching by seeking to kill Him (Matt. 21:4546). They likely would have killed Him on the spot, as they would kill Stephen weeks laterif they could have. But they could not. Someone much greater than they controlled the events of this divinely predicted week. Jesus mentioned no names in His parables. Why then did the chief priests and Pharisees react so violently? Simply put, the opponents of Jesus responded in wrath because they clearly understood
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what Jesus was claiming: He Himself was the cornerstone placed by God. This concerned Jesus origin and mission, and answered their initial question of, By what authority are you doing these things? (Matt. 21:23)by My Father who placed Me here. Consider what Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone? This question by Jesus contained many subsidiary implications that struck at the core of the Jewish leaders tragically misguided and self-exalting theology. Maybe the religious leaders did not know the psalm as did Gods true worshipers, who had shouted Psalm 118 two days before at the advent of Israels Messiah. Maybe they had read it, but it was merely a repeated ritual, a routine of no unusual significance: similar to having the right answer about where the Messiah would be born, but not by walking a few miles down the road to Bethlehem to investigate for themselves the heralded birth (Matt. 2:1-6). Maybe Psalm 118 was merely an academic exercise without any personal relevance to them, and for some, certainly not the inspired holy Word of God. Maybe the religious leaders had mixed their tradition with the Word of God so that the composite blend had become merely a form of godliness, devoid of any true spiritual life. But beyond these additional condemnations, one essential truth emerged above all the rest: Psalm 118 strongly supports the Messianic claims of Jesus of who the Messiah of Israel is. Whoever the Messiah was, He had to be initially rejected before He would reign in order for Scripture to be fulfilled. Not only was the Messiah to be rejected, but also this rejection must come from those in places of religious authority and responsibility. This prophecy

C O V E R
was being fulfilled from the very ones repudiating Jesus at that very moment. That hour was the Trinity-ordained time of Jesus rejectionnot His reignas the Godhead had mandated in eternity past. Nevertheless, it still made those who rejected Him responsible for their actions (Matt. 21:44). The chief priests and elders were not only the builders who rejected the Stone, but they were also the ones who opposed God the Father, because God Himself had placed the Stone. Theynot the Stonewere the ones standing in direct opposition and hostility to God, and they collectively stood condemned by Scripture. Ironically, the rejection of the Stone by the religious leaders did not diminish the claims of Jesus: the stronger the hostile reaction by the leaders, the greater the Messianic substantiation. Gods own Word predicted this wouldand musthappen, just as it did, and predicted or not, they intended to add their intensified hostility

S T O R Y

against the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). The Stone was present, as were His rejecters. Jesus did not recite some ancient verse encumbered in some dusty scroll. The Incarnate Word brought forth the living and abiding Word of God that was being enacted before them, even with the most unwilling participants. For the second time in two days, Peter and John heard a portion of Psalm 118 recited as Jesus concluded the second segment of His lesson. (429)

From The LessonPart 1 by Greg Harris, from The Stone and the Glory (The Woodlands: Texas, Kress Biblical Resources) 2010; used by permission, www.thestoneandtheglory.com Note: Dr. Harris will be speaking at the Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference on October 16-18 of this year.

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MONEY: E NDS & TRENDS

For resources on endtime economics and to subscribe to the free newsletter, Eternal Value Review, visit Wilfreds website www.eternalvalue.com or contact him at: staff@eternalvalue.com

Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained

B y W i l f r e d H a h n

Just how did the biblical Sabbaths come about? It is a captivating story. We continue with Part II of our series on the Bibles teaching on prosperity, cancellation and the prophesied restoration of Gods intended plan for the poor, both materially and in spirit.
t is well known that the principle of the Sabbath (commanded to the Hebrews) finds its original roots at Creation. God rested on the 7th day. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:2-3). Ever since, all developed cultures whether Asian, Western or otherwise have operated on a seven-day, weekly cycle. It was only much later that the Sabbath laws were given to the Hebrews. This happened in a number of stages, as
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MIDNIGHT CALL

we will explain. But first, a short word of clarification before we continue further. Our study of the seventh day of rest and Gods prescribed Sabbaths for the Hebrews is not meant to Judaize in any way. No suggestion is made that Christians are not to gather and worship on the first day of the week, as did the early Church. Rather, we want to explore Gods divine principles lying behind these ordinances, and most importantly, as we will conclude in Part III, how Gods rules for economic life parallel the salvation plan. Whence Comes the Hebrew Sabbath? The first we see mention of a Sabbath in the Bible is during the exodus of the He-

Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained

brews from Egypt. Moses pronounced a Sabbath rest. Six days you are to gather it [manna], but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any (Exodus 16:26). It was to be [] a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD (Exodus 16:23). We can deduce from this that there had been no seventh-day rest practiced in pagan Egypt. Otherwise, Moses would not have needed to introduce its observance. As such, we can conclude that Egypt was a godless culture at that ancient time, bent on materialism as witnessed in most societies today. The story of a seventh day rest continues. Somewhat later, during the wilderness journey, the Sabbath command was formally codified as part of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God (Exodus 20:8-10), said Moses. Somewhat later again, the Sabbath command was elevated further to the status of a sign and a covenant. Said the Lord, The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever [] (Exodus 31:16-17). To this day, the Jews are known by their observance of the Sabbath (the last day of the week, which was later named Saturday by the pagan Gentiles after the planet Saturn). It is not unfitting that Saturn should come to signify the holy seventh day, as Saturn was very likely the Star of Bethlehem which directed the Magi at the time of Christs birth. Finally the seventh-day observance was extended to cover the land (Eretz Israel) in the form of the Sabbath Year. Just before entering the Promised Land (and as the provision of manna was stopped), God said to Moses on Mount Sinai, When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops (Leviticus 25:2-3). It is in this ordinance that many other commands

were embedded that related to wealth distribution and the economic life decreed by God to the Israelites. It is a most enlightening topic to study and brings us back to the main objective of this series. The Economics of the Sabbath and Jubilee Years God said through Moses, At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts (Deuteronomy 15:1). As such, we see that a seven-year debt cycle was instituted. We can conclude that there was to be no such thing as perpetual debt: every Sabbath Year, debts had to be laid flat. Those who could not pay back their debts by that time were forgiven this amount. We can imagine just how different our economies would be today were this same convention applied. There would be no massive accumulations of debt as we see in our time. For example, according to recent forecasts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government debt of the advanced nations of the world is headed to historically unprecedented levels in the
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God said through Moses, At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts (Deuteronomy 15:1)....We can conclude that there was to be no such thing as perpetual debt: every Sabbath Year, debts had to be laid flat.

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M ONEY: ENDS & TRE NDS

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that an oppressed class of indebted and poor could emerge. However, even this 7th-year Sabbath was insufficient to complete Gods outline for economic fairness on earth. One more ordinance was commanded: the Jubilee Year. The Great Jubilee Year Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. The 25th chapter of Leviticus lays out a detailed set of rules as to how the Jubilee Year was to be observed. Following is a partial excerpt: The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property. If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 25:1117). In effect, every 50 years, a new round of Monopoly was decreed. Property was restored to its original

Anyone familiar with the board game Monopoly will have observed that one person usually ends up owning all the property. When that happens, the game is over and a new one must be started. Effectively, the Sabbath Year served to slow this winner take all tendency of human economies, and moreover would reset the game every 7 years.

decades ahead. We are here only scratching the surface of the problem of over-indebtedness in the world today. However, the point to note is that whenever speaking of debt, it must always be remembered that it is only one side of a two-fold condition. After all, for every debtor there must also be a creditor; there must be someone that has the monetary capital to lend in the first place, as for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor (Isaiah 24:2). (This is the very same duality that this writer believes is portrayed in Zechariahs fifth vision of the great, flying scroll found in Zechariah 5. The flying scroll had writing on both sides.) Therefore, when indebtedness soars, it is most always associated with a rising imbalance in wealth distribution. Breaking the Cycle Anyone familiar with the board game Monopoly will have observed that one person usually ends up owning all the property. When that happens, the game is over and a new one must be started. Effectively, the Sabbath Year served to slow this winner take all tendency of human economies, and moreover would reset the game every 7 years. With a Sabbath year being observed, the development of wealth imbalances and economic inequality would be restrained, though likely not entirely eradicated. Industrious and entrepreneurial people would still be rewarded for their efforts. Individuals could still become wealthy. All the same, under this God-given 7-year debt cycle, it was much less likely
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Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained

owners. The year prior (the 49th year being a Sabbath Year), all debts would have been laid flat as well. The main difference of the Jubilee Year as compared to the Sabbath Year, was that land was returned to the original tribe and family and indentured labor (slavery) was broken. Together, these two Sabbath ordinances (both the 7th Sabbath year and the Jubilee Year) ensured that freedom, wealth distribution and incentives for production and income stayed in balance. How a Modern Jubilee World Would be Different Were the principles behind these two Sabbath years observed today, our current globalized world of money would not be so dangerously imbalanced. Effectively, the maximum present value of any debt could only be worth 7 years of interest payments and principal repayment. If one bought a piece of property from a Israelite stakeholder, its maximum worth was the collective crop output of 42 years. (50 less eight Sabbath years). As the Jubilee Year approached, the value of any land held by a non-family stakeholder would effectively fall to zero by the end of the 48th year. There was no basis for debt becoming a major asset of wealth, thereby ultimately facilitating an ultra-rich class as we again see today. To illustrate this point in part, consider that more than half the value of securitized assets in the world right now are forms of debt. The Jubilee Year ensured another benefit. There would be no permanent indentured slave classeither individuals or nation states. The maximum period of slavery could only be 50 years. As such, at least once in each persons lifetime, one could be saved from slavery. All could be saved. Poverty, there-

fore, had fewer tendencies to fester as an intergenerational problem. More details about the Sabbath Year and the Jubilee Year can be found in the books of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and others. We will not be able to present the full richness of this topic here. To people living in the highly financialized times of our day, where merchant stores are open virtually around the clock and every day of the week, the conventions of the Sabbath Year and Jubilee Year will surely seem archaic. Nevertheless, they were the commandments of God to the Israelites, the very people that were created and called to be a light to the Gentiles. Similar to all of the laws given by Moses, they proved beneficial for society and individuals alike. The modern world could do worse than to learn from these successful and ancient practices of the Hebrews. The Lure of Money and Profit Prevails Alas, the Israelites fell out of the practice of honoring the Sabbath and Jubilee years. Before long, they disobediently again chose to work around the clock, 24-7, instead of allowing Gods creation to rest. Prophets were sent to warn them of the consequences (i.e. Jeremiah and Ezekiel). Eventually, the Sabbath became nothing more than a ritualistic nuisance. Amos revealed the attitude of those times: When will the New Moon
M AY 2 0 1 1

As the Jubilee Year approached, the value of any land held by a non-family stakeholder would effectively fall to zero by the end of the 48th year. There was no basis for debt becoming a major asset of wealth, thereby ultimately facilitating an ultra-rich class as we again see today.

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M ONEY: ENDS & TRE NDS

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reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 23:22). In time, God punished Israel and Judah for not observing this ordinance. The 70-year captivity in Babylon was directly proportionate to the number of Sabbaths that Judah had not observed for the previous 490 years, as Moses had warned (Leviticus 26:34). The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah (2 Chronicles 36:21). Thoughts to Ponder We see in the ordinance of the Sabbath also the divine division between the numbers six and seven. Six days (six being the number of man, as he was created on the 6th day) humans were to work. The seventh day was to be a holy day (Genesis 2:3) and belonged to God. Not without significance, we observe that the command for man to gather or work six days is mentioned exactly 6 times in Scripture. Indeed, the Bible is a miraculous book. Most wonderfully, we see how God himself intervened in the productivity of the fields to allow sufficient food to be stockpiled for requirements for the Sabbath Year, when fields were to be left fallow. Since the Jubilee year followed the 7th Sabbath Year, there were two Sabbath years in a row every 50 years: Count off seven sabbaths of years seven times seven yearsso that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a pe-

In contrast, God commanded the Israelites not to be so overly taken up with productivity and the act of squeezing the last mite from every transaction. He told them to ease up. When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 23:22).

be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat? skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat (Amos 8:5-6). We can imagine that the entire impulse of society then was business, trading and profits every day to the last penny. Who would deny that this same surfeit of materialism has enslaved our societies today? Just what generation in history has been exposed to more than 3000 advertisement impressions a day1 or would sit through 12 minutes of advertising every hour on a movie channel (the movie itself riddled with strategic product placements)? A possible capstone of such obsessive commercialism is found in this recent comment on Bloomberg News. At one point, [two former employees say], Goldman [Sachs the most profitable Wall Street bank] top management was demanding hourly profit and loss statements from certain teams [at Goldman Sachs Asset Management]. Actually, with todays advanced computing technology, it is possible to track sales and profits by the minute. Wal-mart, the worlds largest retailer, knows in real time what is being sold in all of its stores around the world by the hour. In contrast, God commanded the Israelites not to be so overly taken up with productivity and the act of squeezing the last mite from every transaction. He told them to ease up. When you reap the harvest of your land, do not
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Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained

riod of forty-nine years (Leviticus 25:8). As such, over the two years following the 48th year, fields were not sown. God allowed the fields to yield enough crops in every 6th (of seven) and 48th years to be sufficient to last through the following Sabbath years, and to last to the time of harvest in the first year that planting was allowed. Miraculous? Yes. We also note in the Old Testament that God miraculously intervened in his creation so that the seventh day of rest could be observed. During the time of the Hebrews 40-year wilderness journey, not only did sufficient manna fall on a Friday for two days sustenance (Friday and Saturday), but also none was found on the ground on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:26). Could God similarly intervene in world affairs today, alleviating the food shortages and the ravages of soaring prices of agricultural commodities? Yes, of course. Yet today, it remains a fallen world. God has yet to unveil his wrath and to complete a restoration at the inception of the Millennial Period. Will God also judge the rampant commercialism and economic injustices observed in the world today? The Bible says yes. Mankinds systems will be brought to naught. What we also do know is that Israel has yet to fully atone for its broken Sabbaths. Referring to the current dispersion period of the Jews and the yet-coming Tribulation period, said the Lord, I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the

The Gathering of the Manna

1614 - 1615

by Guido Reni, Italy During the time of the Hebrews 40-year wilderness journey, not only did sufficient manna fall on a Friday for two days sustenance (Friday and Saturday), but also none was found on the ground on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:26).

country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it (Lev 26:33-35). Finally, readers will already sense how Gods plan of salvation parallels and shadows the Sabbath year ordinances. Both deal with liberating the poor (either physically or in spirit), freedom from slavery and bondage for everyone, and above all, forgiveness for all. These topics are the focus of the final Part III of this series. MC

ENDNOTE
1 According to the Media Awareness Network. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/ marketing/advertising_everywhere.cfm Accessed February 27, 2011.

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The Calling of the Twelve Disciples

Thaddaeus
BY MARCEL MALGO

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Matthew 10:1-4).

n Palestine, three languages were known: Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek, and so some people had different names. Thaddaeus was also known as Judas, the son or brother of James, according to your Bible. This name is used in the list of the apostles in Lukes Gospel instead of Thaddaeus (Luke 6:16). And in Johns Gospel, a Judasnot Iscariot asks the Lord a question (John 14:22). As only the apostles were present at this time, it must have been Thaddaeus.

In His farewell speech to His disciples, the Lord Jesus said among other things, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21). It seems as though, apart from Thaddaeus, or Judas, all the disciples understood this statement, Judas saith unto him, not
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Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (John 14:22). The last words of Jesus Christ to His disciples are reported in Johns Gospel in chapters 13 to 16. After Judas Iscariot had left in order to betray Him, Jesus begins with the moving words, Little children, yet a little while I am with you (John 13:33). And then all the glorious statements follow which have strengthened and encouraged so many Christians over the centuries. The situation at that time can easily be applied to the worldwide Church of today. We are not living in the time before His parting, but Jesus burdenour preparationis still the same, and for this reason He wants to reach our hearts. Jesus is sitting with His eleven disciples in a large house somewhere in Jerusalem. They eat the Passover, and He has much to say to them. In the same way, today we see how Jesus is gathering His

The spoken words of Jesus could not have the intended effect in all the disciples, however. It is similar with us today within the Church. The Lord is speaking

clearly through His Word, and yet it is not having the desired effect everywhere.

Church around Him and is speaking to her. He is speaking through His Word, and He has much to tell us. The spoken words of Jesus could not have the intended effect in all the disciples, however. It is similar with us today within the Church. The Lord is speaking clearly through His Word, and yet it is not having the desired effect everywhere. We see this also in Peter. Jesus answered his question as to where He was going, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards ((John 13:36). Peter questions these words and says, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake (verse 37). Jesus had to reproach him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice (verse 38). Peter reacted humanly. How often is this the case with us? We react humanly and do not let ourselves be corrected by the Word. Thomas and Philip also had not listened properly when Jesus had spoken of His Fathers house, Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not know me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? (John

14:5-9). In the Church also there are people who hear the Word again and again and yet show great ignorance. We should be familiar with the Word of God because we hear it well enough, but there are moments in our lives when it seems we have forgotten everything.

What is the right attitude of heart? The disciples adopted this at the end of Jesus farewell words, Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God (John 16:30). This is a glorious testimony, and we find many Christians who can say the same thing when they hear the words of Jesus. The apostle Thaddaeus, or Judas, is an example of such an attitude. Jesus said, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto
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The Calling of the Twelve Disciples

Thaddaeus

Thaddaeus wanted to know more, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Wherever the Lord sees such hunger, wherever He sees such a desire for more understanding, something happens.
him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:21-23). The Lord actually confirmed what He had already said to all the disciples, but He added a personal word to Thaddaeus by saying, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. With his question, Thaddaeus showed that he was a disciple who had a great desire to understand the whole depths of the truths that Jesus had proclaimed to His disciples. He wanted to know more, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Wherever the Lord sees such hunger, wherever He sees such a desire for more understanding, something happens. The Lord sets all the powers of the Word in motion in order to produce a transformation that only the Word can do. We can read the Bible in different ways. Let us ask ourselves honestly, how do we read it? Does the study of the Word of God produce a longing for more knowledge of the person of the Lord Jesus? Or as we read, are we critical, placing a large, thick question mark behind all difficult passages? Or do we bathe the difficult parts of the Scripture in prayer? God expects of us all that we grow more and more in the truths of the Scriptures, increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10), and to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Why is this necessary? That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
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and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Ephesians 4:14). Will we practice a discipleship like that of Thaddaeus? He said, yes to the Word he heard and wanted deeper knowledge. Jesus answered Thaddaeus, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23). And Paul writes, For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). How can we achieve this, that our lives are hidden with Christ in God? Paul gives us the answer in the preceding verse, Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (verse 2). We are dead in Christ, and therefore our lives are hidden with Christ in God. To keep this a reality, we must set our affections more and more on the things that are above. Thaddaeus did this. He set his affections on the things above when he asked for more clarity. Let us learn from Thaddaeus to set our affections on things above, so that our lives are hidden with Christ in God.
(MR1109/364)

16-18 October 2011

Landmark Resort Hotel

Myrtle Beach,South Carolina Take a look at these fascinating and relevant messages for our times!
Democracy Invasion of Islam Where Are We Headed? Thus Saith Brooklyn: Israels Prophets vs. the Watchtowers Prophets Present Israel Linked: Money & Antisemitism All Things Must Be Fulfilled The Glory of God Changes Everything Including the Future What Do We Do? What Seven Brothers Say About the Future Thus Saith Salt Lake City: Israels Prophets vs. Mormonisms Prophets Furnace of the Future Jesus Use of Psalm 118 and the Future of the Nation of Israel Future Israel Linked: Islam, Oil & the West Thus Saith the Lord? Israels Prophets vs. the End-time Date-Setters One Sentence About the Future The Timing of the Rapture

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2 0 1 1 AT L A N T I C COA S T P R O P H E C Y CO N F E R E N C E

16-18 October 2011

Landmark Resort Hotel Myrtle Beach,South Carolina
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn (Zechariah 12:10).

RESERVE 16-18 OCTOBER 2011 FOR OUR ANNUAL PROPHECY CONFERENCE!

We are living in an increasingly insecure world. The news media continues to bombard us with reports, mainly negative, and we can barely digest it all. But the above Scripture gives us the answer: its about the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the spirit of grace. Israels salvation is at stake. The Gentiles are mentioned in the previous verse: And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (verse 9). The entire world says no to a Jewish Jerusalem. This years Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference will be targeted toward Israel, the Church, and the Gentile world. What it all means and what the Bible has to say about it will be presented by our speakers during the 2 1/2 day prophecy conference. So, dont miss this important event!

LANDMARK RESORT HOTEL

This fine facility, in the heart of Myrtle Beach, offers extremely favorable rates for conference participants. There are various categories of rooms and suites available. Some have full kitchen facilities, but all rooms are equipped with a kitchen sink, refrigerator and microwave oven. The hotel is located directly on the oceanfront. There are a number of restaurants close by on Ocean Boulevard. Only two blocks away is the famous Kings Highway. Here you will find several restaurants and shops for your convenience.

REGISTRATION/RESERVATION
We encourage you to take advantage of our pre-registration offer at only $49 per person. This rate will only be valid until 29 July 2011, after which the regular registration fee of $59 will take effect. Of course, as always, the registration fee is 100% refundable should you be hindered from attending the conference. Although the hotel offers over 400 rooms for your selection, they are available only on a first-come-first-serve basis. Therefore, we recommend that you make your reservations early.

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MIDNIGHT CALL

MEET THE SPEAKERS

NORBERT LIETH is a graduate of Midnight Call Bible School in Montevideo/Uruguay. He has served as Midnight Calls missionary in several South American countries. Norbert Lieth is the lead speaker for Midnight Call Ministries throughout Europe. He has authored 18 books, and many have been translated into several languages. He and his wife, Elke, and their four daughters reside in Switzerland. WILFRED HAHN is known for his writings and insights on present-day world economic and money trends, viewed from a Biblical perspective. He has global investment industry experience spanning three decades, having held various executive positions from Director of Research for a major Wall Street firm, to Chairman of Canadas largest global investment group. At one time also a top-ranked global analyst and strategist, he continues to write and work as a Chief Investment Officer. The Mulberry Ministry, founded in 1995 with his wife, Joyce, publishes and distributes Eternal Value Review and over 40 books and booklets. For the past 10 years, he has been a contributor to Midnight Call magazine. DR. CHUCK MISSLER, a Naval academy graduate and former Branch Chief of the Dept. of Guided Missiles, had a remarkable 30-year executive career. He served on the Board of Directors of 12 public companies and was CEO of 6 of them. For twenty years, Chuck balanced his high-profile corporate career with his teaching commitment to a weekly Bible study at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in Southern California. He earned a Ph.D. from Louisiana Baptist University in Biblical Studies in 1999. He and his wife Nancy established Koinonia House in 1973. Koinonia House publishes the monthly Personal UPDATE, which highlights the Biblical relevance of current events to over 50,000 subscribers worldwide. After a devastating earthquake in 1992 demolished their home in Big Bear, California, Chuck and Nancy moved Koinonia House to Coeur dAlene, Idaho, and K-House now reaches tens of thousands through its monthly newsletter, radio shows, cassette tapes, and conferences. DR. GREG HARRIS (Th.D.) has taught at Washington Bible College for seven years. Then for ten years, Dr. Harris taught Bible and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He continues to serve as an international faculty member of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in Amman, and maintains an ongoing international conference and pulpit ministry. He is the author of The Cup and the Glory, The Darkness and the Glory, and The Stone and the Glory and numerous journal articles. He joined The Masters Seminary family in 2006 as Professor of Bible Exposition, and also teaches as an adjunct professor at The Masters College. Dr. Harris serves as the teaching pastor at Lake Hills Community Church in Castaic, CA. JAMES K. WALKER, the president of Watchman Fellowship, is a former fourth generation Mormon with over twenty years of ministry experience in the field of Christian counter-cult evangelism, apologetics, and discernment. He has been interviewed as an expert on new religious movements and cults on a variety of network television programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. He has spoken at hundreds of churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries throughout the United States and internationally. ARNO FROESE is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the critically-acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.

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2011 Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference

16-18 October 2011

Time 8:45 9:30 10:00

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sunday, 16 October

Monday, 17 October
JamesWalker Thus Saith Brooklyn:Israels Prophets vs.the Watchtowers Prophets
Break

Tuesday, 18 October
Norbert Lieth Furnace of the Future
Break

Wilfred Hahn Present Israel Linked: Money & Antisemitism Arno Froese All Things Must Be Fulfilled
Lunch

Dr.Greg Harris JesusUse of Psalm 118 and the Future of the Nation of Israel Wilfred Hahn Future Israel Linked: Islam,Oil & the West
Lunch

10:45

14:00

Dr.Greg Harris The Glory of God Changes EverythingIncluding the Future Dr.Chuck Missler WhatDoWeDo? Norbert Lieth What Seven Brothers Say About the Future JamesWalker Thus Saith Salt Lake City: Israels Prophets vs.Mormonisms Prophets
MC 05/11

JamesWalker Thus Saith the Lord? Israels Prophets vs.the End-time Date-Setters Questions & Answers

14:45 19:00 19:30 Introduction/Welcome Arno Froese Democracy Invasion of Islam Dr.Chuck Missler Where Are We Headed?

Evening Banquet
Norbert Lieth One Sentence About the Future Arno Froese The Timing of the Rapture
MC 05/11

20:15

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Mail to: Midnight Call P.O. Box 280008,Columbia, SC 29228

HOTEL RESERVATION
Mail to: Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference,Landmark Resort Hotel, 1501 South Ocean Blvd.,Myrtle Beach,SC 29577 Reservations: (800) 845-0658 or Fax (843) 445-7274

Registration by phone: (800) 8452420 or (803) 755-0733 Fax:(803) 755-6002

Please mention Midnight Call or Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference when calling.

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26 26

M IID N IIG H T C A LLLL M DN GHT CA

Expires:______Signature:____________________________________

Dispensationalism
Social Responsibility
By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

and

he word dispensation is a compound of two Greek words, oikos (house) and nomos (law). The Greek word for dispensation is oikonomia, and is found in passages such as Luke 16:2-4, 1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:10, 3:2, 9, Colossians 1:25, and 1 Timothy 1:4. The primary idea of a dispensation is house law, that is, how one administers or manages the affairs of a household. From this understanding, one derives the idea of an economy or stewardship. Dispensationalism is that biblical system of theology which views the Word of God as unfolding distinguishable economies in the outworking of the divine purposes for the nation of Israel, in a distinct and separate manner from His purpose for the church. Ryrie provided the classic statement with regard to the crucial issues of defense for dispensationalism as a biblical system of theology. Ryries sine qua non (Lat. without which not, or without which it could not be) of dispensationalism included: (1) belief in a distinction between Is-

rael and the church; (2) distinction between Israel and the church as the necessary corollary of a consistent system of hermeneutics that is usually called literal (plain) interpretation; and, (3) the principal purpose of God in the world is His own glory.1 Feinberg likewise sought to articulate elements essential to all dispensational systems. He delineated six essentials of dispensationalism.2 Both Ryrie and Feinberg agreed concerning three distinctive characteristics of dispensationalism. First, they affirmed the uniqueness of the church, which began at Pentecost (in distinction with Israel), in the current dispensation (as opposed to supersessionism). Second, both men affirmed belief in a future national Israel. Third, they referenced the issue of hermeneutics; the main difference between dispensational and nondispensational hermeneutics is an understanding of Testament priority (dispensationalists affirm more discontinuity between the Testaments and systematize eschatological doctrines from the priority of the Old Testament, as opposed to
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Nondispensationalists believe the New Testament spiritualizes, or reinterprets, Old Testament texts. They view the church as the application of Old Testament promises made to ethnic believing Israel.
soteriological and spiritual issues, whereas dispensational treatments emphasize both the spiritual/soteriological and the social, economic, and political aspects of things. 4

the New Testament changing the original meaning; nondispensationalists formulate eschatology from the priority of the New Testament, which allows change and reinterpretation of the Old Testament). Consequently, it is not the concept and term of dispensation that is the essence of dispensationalism. The essence of dispensationalism is hermeneutical, that is, the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.3 Why Dispensationalism Matters Nondispensationalists believe the New Testament spiritualizes, or reinterprets, Old Testament texts. They view the church as the application of Old Testament promises made to ethnic believing Israel. Opposed to discontinuity between the Testaments, nondispensationalists would view the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the culminating event for believers of all ages, as it unites them without distinction for a common purpose into the kingdom of God. The covenantal promises with Israel by God in the Old Testament find fulfillment in the church. Consequently, dispensationalists and nondispensationalists significantly differ in regards to Gods purposes with history.
For nondispensationalists history is seen primarily as salvation history. In other words, the emphasis is on Gods ongoing plan in saving men. For dispensationalists history is the gradual implementation and outworking of the kingdom of God. A major part of that implementation involves saving people, but the soteriological and spiritual elements are not the only aspects of the kingdom. . . . For example, nondispensational treatments of the nature of the covenants and of Israels future invariably emphasize

Nondispensationalists primarily emphasize salvation history as fulfillment of Gods covenantal promises. Both systems would emphasize a doxological purpose to history, but the dispensationalist approach is much broader. Dispensationalism emphasizes both spiritual and physical blessings within the doxological purpose of history. Continuity issues are important to address when considering the relationship between the church and social action, because the more one understands the Bible to teach discontinuity, it will be understood that God does not always work with and through the same peoples, nor does he have the same social and political program for each group.5 The Church and Social Action Foundational to an emphasis upon social action as essential to the mission of the church is an already, not yet view of the kingdom. For instance, Carl F H. Henry . was adamant that to seek justice was a mandate based on the lordship of Christ, the stewardship of creation, and the servanthood of believers.6 The social imperative to seek justice was developed from the principal message of Christ concerning the kingdom of God.7 If there is an already aspect of the kingdom, there are widespread social implications for the current dispensation.8 Henrys burden was not to press a personal kingdom viewpoint, but rather to promote an evangelical conviction that nothing is so essential among Fundamentalist essentials as a world-relevance for the Gospel. He concluded, Whatever in our kingdom views undercuts that relevance destroys the essential character of Christianity as such.9 An emphasis upon social action, as a consequence of a realized form of the kingdom, is the world-relevance for the Gospel. Therefore, any theological system that does not emphasize continuity between the Testaments and would teach that the current age is a parenthesis (or, intercalation) would be viewed as a revolt against the Christian social imperative.10 Although his stated convictions were broadly premillennial,11 Henry thoroughly re-

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Dispensationalism and Social Responsibility

jected dispensational premillennialism that affirms the biblical teaching of the messianic (Davidic) kingdom being established after the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is essential to affirm the Christian social imperative on the basis of any already present form of the messianic kingdom. Stone affirmed correctly, The profound significance that the March 1956 Christian Life article Is Evangelical Theology Changing? had on the future of American evangelicalism cannot be overstated.12 One of the stated emphases of that article,13 which became a major statement of the neoevangelical movement, was the changing of theology to a more definite recognition of social responsibility through greater relevance to the political and sociological realities of the time. George Zeller noted,
Contrarily, traditional dispensationalists have long recognized that present society bears no resemblance to the righteousness and justice that will characterize the kingdom, and that man, by his own efforts, will never produce kingdom conditions. Only the omnipotent Messiah will accomplish that. . . . Traditional dispensationalists have long maintained that while believers are the salt of the earth and will influence society by godly living, the main mission of the church is to preach the gospel to every creature and fulfill our Lords great commission. . . . 14

tionalism (often to the point of refusal to understand and represent the system with charity and integrity). Of course, it is understandable why theological liberals are opposed to dispensationalism. Ryrie wrote, Whatever else dispensationalists are, they are conservative in their view of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible, an approach unsavory to the liberal.17 Nevertheless, dispensationalism was logical to many Calvinists who were pessimistic about individual human nature and regarded it as totally depraved, and consequently believed society as a whole was in the same condition. Just as individual salvation requires a supernatural work, so would society if it were to be changed. Kraus noted that dispensationalism emerged from within the womb of orthodox Calvinism.18 Sandeen asked, To what kind of Christians did dispensationalism appeal?particularly the Calvinists. Most of the converts seem to be Presbyterians or Calvinistic Baptists. Very few Methodists . . . [and not] many U. S. Episcopalians, although many British and Canadian Anglicans became [dispensationalists].19
Thus a doctrine of the Church emerged from a philosophy of history: The church was made up of Gods elect who were always only a handful, seldom if ever the possessors of power. The true church could not possibly be identified with any of the large denominations, which were riddled with heresy, but could only be formed by individual Christians who could expect to be saved from the impending destruction. 20

Forcing the Christian social imperative is developed from George Ladds covenant premillennialism. Carpenter noted that Ladds view sought to replace dispensationalism with an evangelical view of the kingdom of God and the end-times that was more conversant with classic Christian beliefs and more able to sustain evangelical social engagement. 15
By placing the kingdom of God beyond the second coming of Christ, dispensationalists had cut the nerve of evangelical social and cultural witness, [Henry] believed. Evangelicals had to recover a theology of the kingdom that would enable them to be its advance agents and effect significant social transformation before Christs return to establish the kingdom in its fullness. One of the central themes of the new evangelicalism, then, would be a movement from dispensationalism and the sectarian, culturally alienated position that it suggested. 16

Christians are certainly obliged to demonstrate justice on both personal and societal levels. However, neoevangelicals distort biblical teaching on justice by attempting to make it justify emphases for the current age that are not found in Scripture. One example is liberation theology, which gives a modern meaning to the word justice and ignores the fundamental Old Testament concept of justice as righteousness.21 Furthermore, liberation theology endeavors to consider modern ideas of distributive justice in the same manner as biblical assertions regarding justice. Former missionary and president of CAM International, Dr. J. Ronald Blue wrote,
The liberationists concern for the injustices in society is admirable, but to contend that society can be transformed solely through naturalistic forces is at best misguided if not naive. Social sin is, after all, simply a

When one considers its history, it is understandable why neoevangelicalism is so biased toward dispensa-

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Jesus did not come to earth for the sake of liberating the penurious; He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), namely, the poor in spirit (Matt 5:3). It is because man is totally depraved, hence he is poor spiritually, that the Son of Man has come.
a home. This too was an important dimension of the neoevangelical impulse. Bound up with doctrinal revisions and the recovery of social concern was the determination to stake a fresh claim on middle-class respectability. 23

conglomerate of personal sin. Society does not commit acts of torture, murder, and rape. People do. Therefore society can only be changed when people are changed. . . . The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to suffer the ultimate injustice of death on the cross to pay the penalty for mans sin and to thereby offer new life, eternal life, is still the best news of all. Through supernaturally redeemed individuals perhaps society can be relieved from so much injustice. 22

Clearly, some in the church have misunderstood biblical teaching concerning justice. As already stated, the fundamental Old Testament concept of justice is righteousness. To interpret justice according to modern ideas of distributive justice is clearly misguided. One should not understand Jesus earthly ministry as providing salvation wholly for the impoverished. Nevertheless, the notion of an upward socioeconomic mobility is a crucial dimension of the neoevangelical social imperative.
It is revealing that some of the most prominent details of Henrys memoirs concerning the late 1940s were his purchases. The young family that struggled along in faculty housing and with second hand cars in Chicago came to Pasadena in a new Buick, and they were able to purchase

Jesus did not come to earth for the sake of liberating the penurious; He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), namely, the poor in spirit (Matt 5:3). It is because man is totally depraved, hence he is poor spiritually, that the Son of Man has come. Faithfulness to the Great Commission is not engaging in political activism and emphasizing social action. Jesus earthly ministry was to provide salvation for those who were without the righteousness of God and to liberate the spiritually impoverished. As a result of the progressive reformers work and the message of the Social Gospel, middle class Americans readily applied private moral standards to such socioeconomic and political problems as monopolies, urban housing, industrial wages, and political corruption. Christian progressives saw character in this light. The calculation was quite simple: good character put the law of love into practice and issued forth in service, which in turn would overcome all the social evils stemming from selfishness.24 According to early adherents of the Social Gospel movement, it was imperative to apply Christian principles to the changing social and industrial conditions in the United States, and the church was castigated for not doing all that she should. Charles Sheldons In His Steps (1897) was one of the most popular and prominent books for the Social Gospel movement. According to Sheldon, the church should base her public and private actions on the answer to the question What Would Jesus Do?, and then American society would experience a notable social revolution. In his book Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907), Walter Rauschenbusch excoriated the church for not taking more seriously the need to restore social order. Rauschenbuschs book was quite influential, since it explained the nature and purpose of the Social Gospel. For instance, he praised gemein-

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Dispensationalism and Social Responsibility

The Social Gospel movement is wrong to excoriate the church for failure to meet the needs of society, since this is not the responsibility of the church. Certainly, private charity could help the poor and unemployed; however, the church is not commissioned to be a welfare organization but to make disciples and teach them (Matt 28:18-20).

schaft, a society that is not individualistic but extols the importance of community as opposed to self interest, and criticized the idea of gesellschaft, a social or civil society that is anonymous, atomistic, and individualistic, wherein people are motivated by materialism and self interest. The Social Gospel movement is wrong to excoriate the church for failure to meet the needs of society, since this is not the responsibility of the church. Certainly, private charity could help the poor and unemployed; however, the church is not commissioned to be a welfare organization but to make disciples and teach them (Matt 28:18-20). Furthermore, Scripture is quite specific about who the church should or should not help. For example, 1 Timothy 5:9-10 reads, Let a widow be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works. Private charities can be beneficial, but people must understand that this is not the responsibility of the church. Without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the welfare state is a relatively empty achievement for those who are not looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Heb 11:10), and have become completely passive and reliant upon the absolute planning of a more progressively structured society. (435) ENDNOTES
1 2 Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2007) 45-48. John S. Feinberg,Systems of Discontinuity, in Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments, gen. ed. idem (Wheaton: Crossway, 1988) 67-86. 3 4 5 6 Ibid. 74. Ibid. 85. Ibid. David Weeks,Carl F. H. Henry, in Encyclopedia of Religion in American Politics, eds. Jeffrey D. Schultz, John G.West Jr., and Iain Maclean (Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1999) 118. 7 Carl F.H.Henry,The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (Grand Rapids:Eerdmans,1947) 27-52. On page 47,Henry noted the necessityto

think of the church age in terms of divine continuity rather than of parenthesis, in terms of the amazing unity of the redemptive plan rather than in terms of an amazing interlude. 8 It is best to understand that Christ announced the nearness of the kingdom as opposed to the arrival of the kingdom [Ron J.Bigalke Jr.and George Gunn,Contingency of the Davidic Reign,in Progressive Dispensationalism: An Analysis of the Movement and Defense of Traditional Dispensationalism (Lanham,MD:University Press of America,2005) 181-85]. 9 10 11 12 13 Henry, Uneasy Conscience, 48. Ibid. 22. Ibid. 46. Jon R. Stone, On the Boundaries of American Evangelicalism: The Postwar Evangelical Coalition (New York: St. Martins Press, 1997) 100. Carl F. H. Henry,Is Evangelical Theology Changing? Christian Life 17 (March 1956): 16-19. It is interesting to note (another subject for another time) that Christianity Today began its first publication in this year. One response to the article was the concern that the editors of Christian Life would move away from objective matters of Christian faith toward matters of subjective experience [Alva J. McClain,Is Theology Changing in the Conservative Camp? The Brethren Missionary Herald (23 February 1957): 123]. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 George Zeller,Development or Departure? in Progressive Dispensationalism, 173. Joel A. Carpenter, Revive Us Again: The Reawakening of American Fundamentalism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) 195. Ibid. 203. Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 14. Norman C. Kraus, Dispensationalism in America (Richmond: John Knox Press, 1958) 60. Ernest R. Sandeen,Toward a Historical Interpretation of the Origins of Fundamentalism, Church History 36 (March 1967): 71. Ibid. 69. Paul K. Jewett,Justice of God, in Wycliffe Bible Dictionary [formerly titled The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia], eds. Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard F.Vos, and John Rea (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975; reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998) 981. 22 23 24 J. Ronald Blue,Major Flaws in Liberation Theology, in Vital Contemporary Issues, ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1994) 132-33. Carpenter, Revive Us Again, 203. Heather A.Warren,The Shift from Character to Personality in Mainline Protestant Thought, 1935-1945, Church History 67 (September 1998): 539.

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World Conspiracy in Light of the Bible

PARTII
Johannes Pflaum What does the Bible say about world conspiracy theories? Do they belong to the prophetic Word? In this series, we will go into this and other connected questions. Read here Part 2.

hen the Scriptures speak of the end- spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that times developments, we always find the day of Christ is at hand. the call to be sober and cautious. In We should be sober and not let ourselves be 1 Thessalonians 5:6, for instance, it says, There- thrown off balance. How do conspiracy theories fore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us come about? Conspiracy theories have a grain of watch and be sober. And in 1 Peter 1:13, it says, truth behind them. Then, individual facts are taken Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be out of their actual context and, through unproven By Dr. to speculation, are sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is Ron J. Bigalkecombined with one another, often be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus quite cleverly interspersed with half-truths or disChrist. Especially in view of last-day events, a torted truths. From this, a picture evolves that candangerous lack of this can spread, even among not be proved or disproved. In actual fact, it is a believers, through false sensationalism and con- matter of belief. tinual preoccupation with evil. Take, for instance, the signatories of the AmeriThe church in Thessalonica had succumbed to can Declaration of Independence. It is true that one the danger of a false end-times expectation, even if third of them, to be exact 13 of 39 people, were this was concerning something else. That is why Freemasons.1 But it is withheld that these FreemaPaul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:2, That ye be not sons represented the minority of the signatories. It soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by is also true that a number of US Presidents were
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World Conspiracy in Light of the Bible Part II

A second characteristic of many conspiracy theories is the quoting of secondary sources. It has not really been researched what, for instance, the World Health Organization has decided concerning the swine flu and the epidemic status of it, but only the statements of other experts and written sources that claim this and that.
Freemasons. But this truth is combined with the statement (that is completely unproven) that the USA was always and world politics has for a long time been governed by Freemasons, according to their will. We should be sober where this is concerned, and not let ourselves be carried away by such speculations. A second characteristic of many conspiracy theories is the quoting of secondary sources. It has not really been researched what, for instance, the World Health Organization has decided concerning the swine flu and the epidemic status of it, but only the statements of other experts and written sources that claim this and that. Therefore, it is already questionable whether this is true as it is represented.2 I have just said that conspiracy theories are ultimately matters of belief. In dealing with constructively intended criticism, this becomes clear. Those who question conspiracy theories are called nave by the proponents of them. Or the latter say they are simply being manipulated without noticing it. Possibly, they expose themselves to the suspicion of being a part of the conspiracy themselves. All serious discussion thereby loses its ground. If portions of the conspiracy theories are found to be false, this is supposedly also part of the camouflage and the confusion that the conspirators are practicing. The Bible tells us, on the other hand, to be sober. For most of the mysterious conspiracy facts, there is a simple explanation when we take a closer look. For instance, the conspiracy experts maintain that behind the attacks of September 11 was not Islam but the USA, world Freemasonry and the Israeli Secret Service. This is why no planes hit the Pentagon but only a cruise missile. This is proved, among other things, by the fact that the USA did not publish the footage of the security cameras of the Secret Service. They have something to hide, it is claimed. Those who concern themselves even briefly with the U.S. Secret Service know that the withholding of material that concerns national security is something completely normal in the USA. The American reaction is almost hysterical where their national security is concerned. This was also the case in the past. Through this, speculation arose concerning other military incidents, such as the claimed shooting down of aliens, for instance, in 1947 in the socalled Roswell incident. Although the USA published details of this incident in 1997, which make it clear that it had to do with the crashing of a secret military weather balloon, the conspiracy adherents maintain to the present day that aliens were shot down. To return to September 11, the simply factual argument that the USA does not publish the footage of this for security reasons is too obvious. And so it is claimed that the Americans have something to hide. A further reference to our being sober is that the greater part of world conspiracy theories can be traced to four main sources: 1. Leftist ideological socialist sources, 2. Right radical national-socialist sources, 3. Esoteric sources, and 4. Islamic sources. From the example of September 11, it is impressively clear how these four different sources firmly believe in a conspiracy. In particular, the borders of the right radical ideology with that of esoteric are fluid. National-socialism was permeated with esoteric train of thought. This knowledge is not just based on the grounds of my own concern with it. Dave Hunt pointed out in connection with the New
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World Conspiracy in Light of the Bible Part II

On the one hand, the US is called the swamp of all conspiracy-Freemasonry intrigues that we are subjected to here in Europe. On the other hand, an apparent danger in the increasing Islamization of the Western World is recognizable.
Age movement about twenty years ago, the link between the national-socialist ideology and esotericism. Besides the esoteric conspiracy theories, the border between all the ufologists and conspiracy theorists is fluid. Sometimes they are the same experts, who not only report of breathtaking UFO experiences, but also bring alleged backgrounds of world conspiracy theories to light. I spoke earlier of the four main sources of the conspiracy theories. A fifth source that is not quoted quite as often, includes the disclosures of conservative arch-Catholics, who report of the alleged undermining of the Catholic Church through Freemasonry in connection with the world conspiracy. At this point, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that individual Jesuits have often pointed out an alleged world conspiracy of Freemasons and Jews. Such arch-Catholic sources are very quickly taken on board by Christian conspiracy theorists, instead of them asking themselves what aims could be pursued. Can powers that in the past have not refrained from any political intrigues or inquisitions as a means to their own development of power, really have any interest in the revelations about the true world conspiracists? Or is it possible that these are only smoke screens, used to distract from their own efforts to gain power? Another point concerning the conspiracy theorists and the need to be sober: in all these four directions, there are usually two main culprits in world conspiracy: First, the USA, as the abyss of evil, or to put it in Islamic terms, as Satan. Secondly, the evil world Judaism, or the state of Israel, which governs the USA and Freemasonry. To the USA, as the main target of world conspiracies, four brief points should be made. Should the
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Antichristian empire, as many faithful Biblical expositors suppose, come from the reawakening Roman empire, the USA will play no important role in the end. Dave Hunt pointed out this possibility around 20 years ago in his book, Global Peace and the Rise of Antichrist. As a second point, I should mention that well-known people who are informed and observers of the world situation, see the US as being past her zenith and on a downward path. Thus, until now, the US could only get through the economic crisis with the help of China, as China disposes over the greatest economic reserves worldwide (2,650 billion US dollars3). Moreover, it is no secret that the USA, in spite of the economic crisis, has a watchful eye on Europe and is attempting everything to prevent an economic boom in Europe. Now, the US is being held responsible for everything evil. But is this really true? Think for a moment of the neo-Marxist train of thought of the 1968 movement in German-speaking countries. This was furthered by the so-called Frankfurt School and not the New York School. On the one hand, the US is called the swamp of all conspiracy-Freemasonry intrigues that we are subjected to here in Europe. On the other hand, an apparent danger in the increasing Islamization of the Western World is recognizable. How can such a contradictory development by a supposed governing of fate by the Freemasons and other secret orders be explained? A last question in this connection: if the Freemasons, Bilderbergers & Co. really have been governing world politics and the world population for years and decades, why had they not installed their world government long ago? They must have had enough opportunities, from the end of the Second World War to the collapse of Eastern Europe.
(MR0211/434)

ENDNOTES
1 2 3 Die Super-Klasse, David Rothkopf, page 409, Goldmann Elvis lebt! Lexikon der unterdrckten Wahrheiten, Bernd Harder, pages 111120, Herder Focus No. 42/10, page 146

IRAN

The NewSuperMissiles:Fact or Fiction?

Iran has made yet another announcement about the development of a new type of weapon.
The Iranian administration claimed that it was going to launch the mass production of new ballistic missiles. According to Chief Commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards, Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the missiles, called the Persian Gulf, develop the speed of 3,675 kilometers an hour and strike targets at a range of 300 kilometers. Jafari also stated, in a classic Iranian manner, that the new missile was unreachable for enemies. This is undoubtedly a huge success for the Islamic Republic, and it makes one recollect Irans previous achievements in the field of defense. Indeed, Teheran has achieved a lot at this point. It has supposedly started building its own destroyers and frigates, not to mention state-of-the-art aircraft and air defense systems. What is more, Iran releases statements about the development of new types of arms on a regular basis. Iranian officials persistently claim that all of their systems surpass all foreign analogues in all respects. What does the Iranian defense industry actually produce? Lets take, for example, the countrys state-of-the-art fighter jets. Iran decided to develop its own aerospace industry at the end of the 1980s. Back in those years, Iran was staying in a state of war with Iraq. The Iranian Air Force lost much of its strength because of the sanctions imposed against the country. First and foremost, Teheran was experiencing serious difficulties with deliveries of spare parts. They started talking about the achievements of the Islamic Republic in the field of defense aviation only after the sanctions had been lifted. In 2002, Iran designed its own cargo plane, which bore a striking resemblance to Russias An-140. Irans Shihab-1 and Shihab-2 ballistic missiles are simply modernized versions of Soviet Scud missiles. The situation with combat ships is the same. In February of 2002, for example, Iran launched the Jamaran destroyer equipped with guided missiles. Only a few countries in the world have such vessels in their navies. However, a closer look at the Iranian destroyer reveals that the vessel can not be categorized as a destroyer at all. It is 94 meters long, the tonnage is 1,420 tons, and the crew counts less than 140 people. In other words, the vessel looks like a multipurpose patrol boat of the near-sea area (corvette). In comparison with similar Russian patrol boats (project 20380), the Iranian one has weaker air defense equipment, its missiles are of smaller range, etc. To crown it all, the body of the vessel looks like old British Alvand corvettes built by Vosper corporation at the end of the 1960s. This is not the first time when Iran misleads the international community about its defense power. A while back, Iran launched the new oceanic frigate Sina, which was also equipped with extremely powerful weapons. The tonnage of the Iranian frigate was very low, and it was later revealed that Sina was nothing but a missile boat. Alexander Khramchikhin, deputy director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis, told Pravda.Ru that everything that Iran could boast of was poor quality rip-offs of foreign arms. The so-called Iranian defense technology is a bluff, that has no match anywhere in the world. Most of the arms, which the Iranians advertise, have been ripped off from China, and China, as it is well-known, makes copies of Russian weapons. The quality of Chinese ripoffs is a lot lower than that of Russian weapons, and one can only imagine what the Iranians produced. As for the missiles, there are too many questions about them. All the previous versions were highly inaccurate in terms of target destruction: the speed of the missiles had been increased excessively, the expert said.
-english.pravda.ru, 11 February 2011

While most nations do not take Irans proclaimed achievements seriously, Israel cannot afford to ignore Iran accumulating weapons systems, mostly aimed at their arch enemy, Israel. What is becoming clear is that Iran has gained much technological knowhow on military hardware, and large numbers of such missiles, even if not accurate, certainly present a great danger to Israel. At this point in time, Irans policy is expressed by its President Ahmadinejad: The Zionist entity (Israel) must be wiped off the map. The prophetic Word, however, paints a totally different picture: In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6). Success in destroying Israel will elude Iran, and for that matter, any other nation that tries to do so. 4021
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L I B YA

Western Coalition Strikes GadhafiTarget

Western military operations against Libya began following an emergency summit in Paris to discuss the situation in the North African country. French, Canadian and British planes have flown initial sorties to stop Gadhafis offensive against rebels in the northeastern part of the country.

A pilot lands an RAF Tornado at Lossiemouth Air Base in Scotland. (Photo:GETTY)

a no-fly zone over Libya and the use of all necessary measures to protect the civilians of Libya. In his statement, Sarkozy said that additional French planes are prepared to take action against tanks that threaten civilians, and added that Gadhafi could still avert the worst if he complies with the UN resolution without reservations. The door to diplomacy will open again once the attacks come to an end, he said, referring to Gadhafis operations against the rebels. Following the meeting in Paris, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the time for action has come. It needs to be urgent. We have to enforce the will of the United Nations, and we cannot allow the slaughter of civilians to continue. Citing official sources in Berlin, the German newsmagazine Focus reported that British special forces units have been in Libya for weeks preparing for possible operations. The magazine wrote that they noted the locations of strategic targets, such as fighter jets, air defense sites and communications facilities. The units, the magazine reported, belong to the Special Air Service and to the Special Boat Service.
-www.spiegel.de, 19 March 2011

pate in the prosperity of the industrial 4032 world.

Our latest book, Democracy Invades Islam, is scheduled to be published soon.The book details the events taking place in the Arab world today, particularly emphasizing the spiritual prophetic background.

BAHRAIN

Expanding the War to the East?

An escalation in the government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain and the incursion of 1,000 Saudi troops on the island, has spooked European capitals, which had not expected the tiny but geostrategically important state to be destabilized in the wake of the ongoing regional uprisings.
The EU is treating the explosive situation gingerly, with officials saying privately that the bloc is not about to call for the leader, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to step down as they did in Egypt and have done in Libya. An estimated 20 individuals have been killed since the start of protests in February, with six killed in the last 24 hours and a total of 1,000 wounded. Some 1,000 Saudi Arabian troops with 150 armored vehicles and accompanied by 500 police from the United Arab Emirates have entered Bahrain. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has not condemned the incursion, saying only that she takes note of the development and of the governments declaration of a three-month state of emergency. The government said that it had invited the foreign troops, but opposition groups are describing the situation as an invasion and an occupation. Ashton spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said that the EUs assessment of the presence of
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French President Nicolas Sarkozys appearance was brief. At the end of the Libya summit in Paris, he went before reporters and announced the beginning of operations against Libya. We have agreed that the UN resolution will be enforced, he said. The participants of the summit have reached consensus on the use of all necessary measuresparticularly military. Our forces will oppose any aggression by Colonel Gadhafi against Libyan civilians, Sarkozy stressed. He said that the West had clearly warned Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi that military force would be used should he continue operations against civilians in the northeastern part of the country, where anti-Gadhafi rebels have been holding out for weeks. He ignored the warnings, Sarkozy said. By then, warplanes from France, Britain and Canada were already in the air above Libya. The operation was authorized by a resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council in New York. The resolution foresees the establishment of

From Biblical prophetic perspectives, this military conflict, including all the thousands of thousands previously fought, falls under the prophecy of our Lord, Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of warsnations shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:6-7). Two points need to be emphasized: 1. For the first time, European countries have taken the lead, with Americas participation. That means Europe is beginning to track military leadership. 2. This is related to energy, which has become the most precious resource for the industrial world. Until now, the European world (the West) has been the main beneficiary of the Arab oil resources. The Arab population at large was left out, not allowed to share in the immense riches coming to the elite of their nations. Now that democracy is invading Islam, the Arab world is being prepared to partici-

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EU

(Photo: wonker)

ShockWaves from the Mediterranean Club Reach EU

The European Commission has promised a sea change to the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), with critics saying that recent events in north Africa have highlighted its ineffectual nature.
We do recognize that lessons need to be learnt, Natasha Butler said of the recent turmoil in North Africa. There has been a sea change in the region and we are ready for a sea change in terms of our approach, she added. That means we are ready to strengthen differentiation, we are ready to move more on conditionalities. The ENP reform proposals are to be published in a review and were debated by the 27 EU commissioners. EU diplomats are also expected to discuss the subject ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. British Prime Minister David Cameron said it needed radical reform after EU financial assistance worth around 1.7 billion for countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in recent years failed to bring about the political and market reforms they were supposed to. In a letter to EU high representative Catherine Ashton, France, Spain and four smaller EU members said the Union should give less money to its
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Member states such as France and Spain would like to see more EU funding directed southwards

post-Soviet neighbors in the east and more to southern neighbors on the Mediterranean rim. An analysis paper attached to the letter noted that out of the 12 billion set aside for the European Neighborhood Policy from 2007 to 2013, just 1.80 is being spent per capita in Egypt and 7 in Tunisia compared to 25 in Moldova. Twothirds of overall ENP money already goes to the south, but the countries in question are more populous. The EUs difficulties in dealing with the region have also been highlighted by the near collapse of the Union for the Mediterranean, a multilateral club set up in 2008 encompassing 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean. The body failed to hold a planned summit last year and its secretary general resigned citing difficult circumstances.
-www.euobserver.com, 24 February 2011

Although the Mediterranean Union was established in 2008, the EU did not participate

to the extent it should have. Europes leaders seemed satisfied to deal with dictators for the sake of stability in the region. With the uprising of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and others, now everything has changed. Today, more has to be done and Europe must shoulder increased responsibility in order to effectively implement a true Mediterranean Union based on the EU model. Europes interest in Mediterranean countries is self-evident; they are neighbors. Virtually all of the countriesincluding the entire African continentwere at one time European colonies. Presently, Europe is by far the largest global foreign aid contributor, with approximately 60 percent (U.S.A. 9 percent), which grants the EU significant power and influence. Therefore, the Arab world and Africa must come under the increased dominion of Europe. 4028 This is part of the awakening of the Arab nations. The island nation Bahrain is one of the most highly developed ones. The GDP per capita for 2010 was listed as $40,400. Bahrain is not a democratic country; it is ruled by a constitutional monarchy. Bahrain certainly stands on shaky ground politically. The government must do all it can to initiate a political process with concrete steps that answers the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Bahrainians, said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. 4033
How Democracy Will Elect the Antichrist is the title of Arno Froeses book published in 1997, which accurately predicts how democracy will dominate planet Earth.

ExpandingWar
meeting in Brussels, but according to diplomats, they will likely limit themselves to deplore the violence, call for restraint and encourage a national dialogue. There is more room for a transition in Yemen than Bahrain, said one EU source. Another EU diplomat said that calling for Gaddafi and Mubarak to step down was entirely different. The constitutional situation is different. On the consistency point, if you extrapolate language from one country and expect exactly the same language in a different situation, well, we believe these countries are different. The consistency argument in the Middle East is always the enemy of action.
-euobserver.com, 18 March 2011

An 'invasion' of Bahrain by Saudi troops has been condemned by the opposition, but the EU stresses that the forces were invited in (Photo:Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Saudi forces is more along the lines of the regime: Our interpretation is somewhat different. These forces were invited by the government. EU foreign ministers are to discuss a common position on the events in the country at a

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Could the short-lived United Arab Republic serve as an example of cross-border union? (Photo:GETTY)

MIDDLE EAST

Arab NationsWithout Borders?

The modern geography of the Middle East was carved out by British and French colonialists whose sole interest was in sharing the spoils of war between themselves and in maintaining their supremacy over the region in the early part of the 20th century.
Sovereignty is still paramount in the EU but the federalization of political and economic power is to the benefit of hundreds of millions of Europeans. Granted, the recent economic and financial crisis has called into question the viability of the EU, or more specifically, the single European currency, but the political will remains resolute in defense of the union.
-english.aljazeera.net, 5 March 2011

The contours of the region, with its immaculately straight lines (see maps of Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Sudan) are much the same today as when they were first drawn up, despite decades of cross-border encroachment and conflict. The artificialness of the borders in question is not in doubt. Take a look at any map of the Middle East prior to the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France (when the division of the region was finalized with no consideration for the thoughts of the people that lived in it) and you will be hard pressed to find many physical boundaries between, say, Syria to the north-east and Morocco to the west. What you may find, however, are free-flowing train routes spanning the region. A relic of the old Hejaz Railway, which connected Damascus to Medina, still stands (dilapidated) in the center of the Syrian capital. It once transported pilgrims to the Muslim holy city in modern-day Saudi Arabia without the need for cumbersome visas and frustrating bureaucrats. But that was obviously some time ago.

Trial and error

Over the course of recent history, Arab leaders have attempted to foster closer unity in the Arab world whether in the form of the 22-member Arab Leagueto safeguard the independence and sovereignty [of Arab states]or the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)as a political, economic and security union in response to the Islamic revolution in Iran. Possibly the greatest experiment in cross-border union, one which admittedly lasted barely three years, began in 1958, when under a wave of Nasserism sweeping the region, Egypt and Syria (and for a very short period, Iraq) established the United Arab Republic (UAR). Theoretically, Egypt and Syria became one, as part of the UAR. Under a single leadership (with de-

volved power), the UAR was supposed to foster a spirit of togetherness and spur other countries in the region to join up and expand the union. That the project failed was in no way a reflection of the Egyptian and Syrian peoples desire to forge a single alliance. Together with the then Yemen Arab Republic, the formation of a United Arab States was also mooted. That was the last we heard of a pan-Arab national project. Arguably, the 1990s and the 2000s were the decades of cross-border post-nationalism, especially with the rise of Islamic movements as major political actors whose ideology was premised on Islamic ideals that transcended national borders. Analyze closely the manifestos of some of these movements, however, and also consider their specific origins, and it soon becomes clear that their political ambitions were, and are, ingrained firmly in the states in which they emerged. As such, the Islamic Salvation Front was a dominant actor in Algeria and Algeria alone, while the Muslim Brotherhoods focus is on political reformation in Egypt. The Brotherhoods offshoots are similarly specifically state-centric. These movements may well have ideological underpinnings that aim to replicate the glory days of the early Caliphates or the Ottoman Empire, but realism has dictated that they focus their energies within specific national confines. This is unlikely to change anytime soon. A single political authority is certainly not about to emerge out of the current political turmoil. But such an authority is not necessary. An appropriate governance model for the Arab world to emulate would be that of the European Union (EU). The 27-nation political and economic union is borderless in the sense that its people can live, work and travel in member countries without much hindrance.

Unity among the Arab nations seems all but impossible at this point in time. But when the right person, at the right time, appears on the horizon, the possibility of forging a European Union-type alliance is not impossible. We are also reminded of the specific blessing God promised upon the Egyptian Ishmael, whom many scholars identify as the father of the Arab race: And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation (Genesis 17:20). History tells us that the Arab nations forged ahead of the world leader, Europe, at the beginning of the second millennium. But later in the 1500s, Europes implementation of Roman business practices changed not only Europe but also most of the world. Today, the Arab nations are blessed with the worlds largest oil reservoir. Much of the worlds industry depends on oil to function. The uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and others have resulted in instant energy cost increases the world over. All this shows how fickle a foundation the entire world system is built upon. Anything could happen at any time and cause a global crash as never seen heretofore. 4020

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BRAZIL

AUSTR ALIA

Thousand More Mineral Deposits Discovered

In 2010, 1,290 mines were discovered in the country, according to a preliminary review by the National Department of Mineral Production (ANP). These numbers are measured from the amount of Final Reports of Research approved by the municipality for 63 substances nationwide. Approval of the report by the DNPM is essential for obtaining a mining concession, a second time.
On balance, the discoveries of deposits of metallic minerals such as iron ore are shown as the most representative, reaching 2.5 billion tons. Gold reserves approved in 2010 by DNPM reached about 1.3 billion tons with an average grade of 2.57 grams per ton. Also found were reserves of manganese, nickel, copper, aluminum, silver, tin, tantalum and tungsten, among others. Mineral fertilizers such as potash, phosphate and limestone, which are important inputs used in agriculture, together have expanded reserves reaching 3.4 billion tons. Aggregates used in construction such as sand, clay, granite, crushed stone and gravel, also saw the amount of their reserves expanded. These data, according to the DNPM, endorse the supply of raw materials for infrastructure projects from the federal government under the CAP, such as the construction of dams, roads and drives in the program My Home My Life, by guaranteeing to meet the demand without increasing price. These data confirm the large mineral potential of Brazil, that puts the country on the route of national and international investments in search

Singapore Poised toTake Over Australian Stock Exchange

Australian bourse operator ASX says it continues to believe in the business logic of a proposed $7.6 billion takeover by Singapore rival SGX and also sees a need to take part in global bourse consolidation.
The ASX made the comments in a letter to shareholders as it ramps up lobbying efforts to try to overcome political opposition to the deal, which comes amid a wave of bourse consolidation globally. The ASX Board maintains a strong belief in the need to participate in global exchange consolidation and in the business logic of the announced combination with Singapore, it said in a statement. The recent merger announcements by the London and Toronto exchanges as well as by NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Borse, underscore the dynamic forces driving developments among global exchanges. SGXs bid for ASX, first announced in October, has already been under pressure from Australian politicianswhose approval is necessary to lift a 15 percent shareholder cap because it was seen as ceding control over a key national institution and a de-facto monopoly. Peter Elston, a strategist at Aberdeen Asset Management Asia, which owns both ASX and SGX shares, said he senses there is a of new deposits, as well as the expansion of mineral production, said the director general of DNPM, Miguel Nery.
-english.pravda.ru, 22 February 2011

better chance of the deal going through than what the market believes. The deal faces several key hurdles: first it needs approval from the Treasurer after the FIRB comes up with a recommendation. Then Parliament has to agree to lifting a 15 percent shareholder cap in ASX, and finally, it needs approval from ASX and SGX shareholders.
-www.reuters.com,24 March 2011

What was unthinkable only several decades ago is now being accepted as a matter of fact. A national stock exchange is considered to be an icon, a symbol of prosperity, and an image of capitalism. Now, as is evident from this report, the Australian Stock Exchange will be owned by Singapore. We can expect such mergers and outright takeovers to continue. After all, we are now living in a global world, becoming more and more interdependent, causes national sovereignties to be limited more and more until the whole world has become ONE. For further details, read One World, item 2203. 4036 ally uninhabited. With the United States on a slow decline as the global economic giant, Brazil stands in line to be acknowledged as one of the most important nations in the world. We publish this information to show that our world is rapidly changing. What was unthinkable a few decades ago is becoming reality in our days. All these developments serve for one purpose, and that is the unifying of a truly global 4014 world.
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Brazil is the new growing giant, and not just because of its size 8.5 million sq. km (USA 9.161 sq. km). Yet much of Brazil has not been fully explored. The overwhelming majority of Brazils 119 million population resides on the east coast, so immense land masses are virtu-

CHINA

US Debt Holdings Now at $1.16Trillion

Chinas holdings of long-term US Treasury securities totaled $1.16 trillion at the end of December 2010, according to an annual revision report released by the US Treasury Department.

The figure was an increase of 30 percent from an estimate the government reported on February 15. The US Treasury made the change to its monthly report based on more accurate information it obtains in an annual survey. Foreign holdings of US long-term securities reflect demand for US Treasury obligations and other assets including stocks and government agency debt, a key to funding the massive US balance of payments deficit with the rest of the world. The report showed that China, the largest holder of US Treasury securities, reduced its

holdings by 4 billion dollars in December from 1.164 trillion dollars in November. In the monthly report, it said that China trimmed its holdings from $895.6 billion in November to $891.6 billion in December. In the new report, Japan, the second largest foreign holder of US government debt, raised its holdings to $882.3 billion in December. That was $1.3 billion less than the estimate in the monthly report. Britain, the third largest owner of US debt, boosted its holdings to 272.1 billion dollars in December from 242.5 billion dollars in November. The debt figures are closely watched at a time when more and more Americans believe that the US soaring debt is unsustainable. The federal debt has surpassed 14 trillion at the end of 2010 and the federal government is at the edge of bankruptcy if the Congress does not increase the debt ceiling which is 14.3 trillion dollars before the deadline. US federal budget deficit reached 1.29 trillion dollars in the fiscal year 2010 ended September 30. It recorded a historic high of 1.42 trillion dollars in fiscal year 2009 when the economy was hit hard by the financial crisis.
-chinadaily.com, 1 March 2011

It matters little from what perspective one sees these figures. The bottom line is that

the U.S. is deeply indebted to communist China and socialist Japan. Beyond these negative and dangerous figures, the United States continues to indulge unhesitantly in using even more energy, importing more oil, and going further into debt. Most socialist nations learned long ago that energy is going to be an increasingly rare commodity, while absolutely necessary to make its industry function; subsequently, they heavily taxed energy consumers. Countries far richer than the United States have to dole out $8-10 per gallon for gasoline. That, everyone would agree, would be unthinkable for the United States. We are actually encouraged to use more energy since the cost is less than half, in some cases, only a quarter of what other people in the world pay. This tendency is not surprising, because the United States is an important global power, and until this point in time, extremely independent. But there is no room in the new global society for such independence. Now, equality is the strongest motive of business and financial activities. What does it all mean? The U.S. will continue to be more dependent on the aid of foreign countries, until America is forced to sign all of the international treaties already effective in virtually the whole world. 4023

AUSTRALIA

Worlds 1stWindPowered CarTested Successfully

The worlds first wind-powered car arrived in Sydney after traveling across Australia at a cost of 16 AU dollars ($16), according to Australian Associated Press (AAP).
The Wind Explorer came to Sydney at about 02:00 am (local time) after traveling more than 5,000 km across the country from Perth, via Adelaide and Melbourne. The car that runs on wind-generated energy is a prototype built by Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer over about six months in Germany. It is powered by state of the art lithium-ion batteries

Two Germans, Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer, recently wrapped up an 18-day drive that took them 3,000 miles along the southern Australian coast in a vehicle that used the breeze to juice up its battery Photo credit:Buckle Up Productions, www.wind-explorer.com

that are charged overnight through a mobile wind turbine. We wanted to prove how good the technology is, Gion told AAP in Sydney.
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Wind Car
TIBET

(continued from page 40)

Dalai Lama to Devolve Political Role

Tibets exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has announced a long-awaited plan to devolve his political responsibilities to an elected figure.
The announcement came in a speech by the Dalai Lama marking the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising. As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power, he said in Dharamsala, the Indian town that has become his base. Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect. He added that his decision was not made because he wanted to shirk responsibility or felt disheartened, emphasizing that it was in the best interests of the Tibetan people. Correspondents say that whoever replaces the Dalai Lama faces a daunting task, because no other Tibetan comes close to matching his authority as a spiritual and political leader. The Dalai Lama is routinely vilified by the Chinese authoritieswho he called on in his speech to show more transparency and allow greater freedom of expression. In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman described the Dalai Lamas announcement as trickery. He has often talked about retirement in the past few years. I think these are his tricks to deceive the international community, Jiang Yu said. The government-in-exile is an illegal political organization and no country in the world recognizes it. Chinese officials have recently announced travel restrictions to Tibet ahead of the third anniversary of riots there.

Many Tibetans have complained about the growing domination of Chinas majority Han population in Tibet and accuse the government of trying to dilute their culture. In the run-up to the anniversary, police in the Indian capital Delhi detained more than 30 Tibetan exiles protesting outside the Chinese embassy.
-www.bbc.co.uk, 10 March 2011

The mixing of religion with politics is coming to an end for the Dalai Lamaand that is not surprising. The Pope of the Catholic Church yielded political authority that had been exercised for centuries. Today, the office of the Pope has been reduced to the utterance of political opinions. But religion must not be underestimated. In the Muslim world, many express the desire to be ruled by an Islamic system. Iran is an official Islamic Republic, although there is much disenchantment among the population. Churchianity too wishes to be part of the political system, as is particularly evident in the United States. But the two dont mix, as is quite evident in Holy Scripture. While we honor, respect and obey our governments, we as true believers do not belong to this world; we are in the world but not of the world. Any attempt to religionize politics or vice versa is doomed to fail. Revelation speaks of the end when the ten demonic kings will rule planet Earth. But they will not accept religious-political opinion; thus we read, And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire (Revelation 4031 17:16).

The carbon emissions-free Wind Explorer is a very compact, low to the ground podshaped car that would be dwarfed in size by any ordinary car. Its also extremely lightfree of passengers it weighs about 200 kg, against the average car which weights about a ton. During their journey across Australia, which took about three weeks, Gion and Simmerer attracted many curious onlookers. People are ready for this technology. They want to have it and use it, said Gion. The prototype Wind Explorer has only been seriously tested in Australia so far. But Gion is confident that a wind powered car will one day be available on the market.
-chinadaily.com, 14 February 2011

Although the cost for traveling 5,000 km from Perth to Sydney is listed as $16, one can image that not even $160,000 would pay for the entire project. Nevertheless, it is becoming clear that scientists and engineers the world over are desperately seeking alternative and possibly cheaper energy. Doubtless, more successes will be claimed as time goes by and as energy consumption continues to grow day-by-day the world over. Somewhere in the not too distant future, energy costs will significantly increase. Countries with high energy tax policies are well prepared, while others with low energy tax policies will definitely be out of the loop. Preparation is the key for the world, but spiritually, it is a message to us. As believers in Jesus Christ our Lord, we must heed the words found in Matthew 24:44: Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. And speaking of power (energy), Jesus gave us in His prayer example these words: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. That is inexhaustible, eternal power, not dependent on any material thing on earth. 4017
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LET TE RS TO TH E ED ITOR
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.

Christ or Anti-christ?... Where Is Paradise?... The Shack

Christ or Anti-christ? Dear Mr. Froese, This is with reference to the series about Daniels Seventy Weeks of Years. It is stated quite confidently that the He in verse 27 refers to the prince of verse 26, whose people destroy the temple and city of Jerusalem around 70 A.D. This is to question that reference, since the prince is the object of a preposition and holds an insignificant importance to the sentence in which it occurs, since it is the people that do the destroying. It is more likely that the subject of the preceding verse and verse 27 is Messiah. Grammatically speaking, He, the Messiah would be the more correct antecedent to which the He in verse 27 refers. That being the case, it is the confirming of the New
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Covenant promise that will be accomplished in those last seven years. This word confirm is also used in verse 12, where Daniel is acknowledging that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzars army, and the taking captive by them of many Jews was the result of the iniquity of the people. The writing of Messiahs law in the minds of His people will be accomplished during the first three and one half years; then he will end His High Priestly ministry of intercession and cleansing and cause the sacrifice (His) and oblation to cease for the last three and one half years. During those last years, Satan will appear in person claiming to be Christ. The plagues will fall upon the unrepentant, and Satan will have permission to try to make Gods peo-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

China is also mentioned in Ezekiel 39:1. Verse 6 of Exekiel 39 states, And I will send a fire on Mongolia, and on the people who dwell peacefully in the islands (Japan); and they shall know that I am the Lord. I have never in my life heard or read anything about Gog of Magog being referred to as China. Is this interpretation from the translator George Lamsa the truth, or is the Hebrew Gog of Magog the area of Russia, as most Bible prophecy teachers speculate?
-K. EKLUND, CA
ple fail, short of taking their lives, as he was permitted to do with Job. But they will remain faithful, proving to men, angels and inhabitants of other worlds that Gods remedy for the terminal disease of sin works under the worst circumstances. Then Christ will return to take His living people, along with the resurrected saints to the mansions He has prepared for them in the heavenly kingdom.
-D. Spaulding, OR

Although many scholars believe that the covenant is some kind of a peace treaty, I think it does not fit the text. The Covenant is holy. The Jews will have their temple, sacrifices will be reinstituted and peace between the Arabs and the Jews will come.

Answer: When reading a translation and it is not quite clear, read several others if possible, also in other languages. Having done so, it reconfirms that the he is the Antichrist. The chronology: the Messiah will die without proper judgment, Jerusalem with the Temple will be destroyed, and war will continue to rage from that point on until he (Antichrist) reestablishes the Covenant with the Jewish people. Yet after 3 years he will break it, when according to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, he proclaims himself to be god; that is the ultimate abomination.

Where Is Paradise? Dear Brother Froese, Before Jesus was crucified, wasnt Paradise in the heart of the earth, rather than in the Fathers House in the 3rd Heaven? The rich man looked up and saw the beggar and asked for water. Didnt the thief go there with Jesus after the crucifixion, and for a few days, others in Paradise were seen on the earth before they were taken to the Paradise in the Fathers House in the 3rd Heaven?
-H. Parker, NC

Corinthians 12:2. Paul passes on a vision. In verse 4, he writes: How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. The spiritual realities differ from the physical ones. They are a part of unspeakable words. Paradise also means being in the family of God. That was the guarantee Jesus gave to one of the condemned, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. After Jesus died, He declared the victory to those in prison according to 1 Peter 3:19 and 4:6. After this was accomplished, we read in Ephesians 4:8: When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Answer: After the fall of man, Paradise is where those whose believe in the true God reside. No geographical reference is given. The only time we read of the third heaven is in 2

The Shack Dear Editor, We have enjoyed Midnight Call for many years. The Lord bless you! My purpose for writing is in reference to a book, The Shack by William P Young. I am amazed at . the favorable attention the book is receiving among Christians. The book has a study guide.
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LE T T E R S TO TH E E DITOR

As a background, the author was born in Canada and raised in New Guinea among an aboriginal tribe. My objections to the book are: God, our Father is a woman called Papa. Papa is a Polynesian goddess from New Zealand. The Holy Spirit is called Sariya and impregnates Mary, an Asian woman. Christ and the Holy Spirit are on earth together, and God the Father is a hip wiggler to funk music. The book boils down to being New Age. The reference to Elousia means ground of all being and meditation. The excuse of Christian readers is, Its just a novel! Of course, because Satan is clever enough to know how to hook readers. The book is blasphemous and Christians need warning.
-S. Biesterveld, AZ

Answer: Because I dont read novels, The Shack is non-reading material for me. However, we have received quite an abundance of documentation very clearly showing that the author has stepped beyond established Biblical doctrine. Thank you for sharing.

Gog and Magog: China? Dear Mr. Froese: I recently purchased a copy of the Holy Bible from the ancient Eastern text, the Aramaic Peshittatranslated by George M. Lamsa. I was shocked when I read Ezekiel 38 and 39. Ezekiel 38:23 states: Son of man, set your face against China, and against
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MIDNIGHT CALL

the land of Mongolia, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold I am against you, O China, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. China is also mentioned in Ezekiel 39:1. Verse 6 of Exekiel 39 states, And I will send a fire on Mongolia, and on the people who dwell peacefully in the islands (Japan); and they shall know that I am the Lord. I have never in my life heard or read anything about Gog of Magog being referred to as China. Is this interpretation from the translator George Lamsa the truth, or is the Hebrew Gog of Magog the area of Russia, as most Bible prophecy teachers speculate? Ezekiel 38:15 states, You shall come from your place out of the north parts, you and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host and a mighty army. The world maps I have looked at do not show China to the north of Israel. How could any Bible translator state that Magog could be the country of China? I need your assistance to decipher this riddle. Thank you.
-K. Eklund, CA

lation, from the ancient Eastern text. Most scholars agree that besides the nations listed (Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah), Gog and the land of Magog represents Russia. That causes some problems, because the invasion is motivated to gain natural resources and agricultural products. This is evident from the protest of the young lions, representing the Arab nations,Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezekiel 38:13). When it comes to natural resources, Israel is super poor, while Russia is super rich. What Israel does have is knowledge, and that cannot be stolen. Prophecy teachers agree that this war has not been fulfilled in details, but one thing is sure: China is not involved.

Answer: All the translations clearly state that the enemy comes from the north of Israel. That would be todays Libya, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Finland. China lies east of Israel. I suggest that you inquire about the author who did the trans-

On the Mount of Olives Dear Brother Froese, When do you think the Lords feet will touch the ground at the Mount of Olives, as stated in Zechariah 14:4? 1. Just moments after He meets raptured believers in the air. 2. Or later, but before the Battle of Armageddon. 3. Or later, but before the Millennium. I wonder if the Antichrist and the Lord will ever meet on stage or in conference?
- R. Bittner, GA

Answer: The return of Jesus to the Mount of Olives heralds His victory

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

against all enemies. It will take place after the Rapture, at the end of the Great Tribulation. Thats the point when Acts 1:11 will be fulfilled. The meeting between light and darkness, Christ and Antichrist, is recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2:8: And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. The physical or geographical location of that event is not mentioned in Scripture.

ferent denominations. However, within Churchianity or the various denominations, non-denominations and Full Gospel fellowships, there are true born-again believers who are members of His Body. I am part of Churchianity when it comes to the identification on the outside, but spiritually, I am a Bible-believing, born-again Christian. Your denomination may or may not contain true believers, thus the label Churchianity applies.

Churchianity Dear Mr. Froese, Please explain your use of the word Churchianity. How is it defined? Where does the word originate? Why is it capitalized in the magazines articles and letters? Also, please explain the difference between Churchianity and Christianity. A Full Gospel, non-denominational church, whose members worship and serve Jesus Christ and God the Fatherwho are born-again believersmust be exempt from the label Churchianity, would they not? Truth is very important to me. Without Gods Word, the Bible, there would be no standard of truth. I value the Midnight Call magazine very much. The articles lead me to a deeper study of the Word, which leads to sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
- B. Roerdink, WI

Jews and Rapture Dear Editor, We hear often that the Rapture will occur when the last Gentile is saved. My understanding is that Christs Church is comprised of both Jew and Gentile, sanctified in this grace period. Can the Jew rejoice in the gathering also? If not, when have they been channeled into a different assemblage? Your writings, Brother Froese, have been a great assistance in my understanding more of Gods Word. May you continue in good health.
-I. Lee, IL

Midnight Call Magazines #1 Feature!

Readers have enjoyed the opportunity of writing in and posing various questions and concerns relative to the Body of Christ. They have benefited from the authors concise Scriptural responses on topics such as the Rapture of the Church, globalism, the Ecumenical Movement, false religions, eschatology, general Scripture explanations and much more.

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Answer: Churchianity simply means all of ChristendomCatholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and thousands of dif-

Answer: The true Church consists of born-again Jews and Gentiles, as evidenced in Galatians 3:28. But the bulk of the Church comes from the Gentiles (see Acts 15:14-16). Although the foundation of the Church is Jewish, the adding of the Gentiles is a contributing issue relating to Israels national salvation, blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:25-26). MC

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Spiritual Strength for Each Day

Spiritual Strength for Each Day serves as a guideline for believers who seek a deeper and closer relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord.This book is intended to remind the reader throughout the year that life as we know it is temporary and the ultimate goal of our lives should be to prepare for eternitydesiring to hear the words from our Lord,Well done thou good and faithful servantenter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Wim Malgo, L.L.D., LITT.D (1922-1992) founded Midnight Call Ministry International in 1955. He received his formal education at the Beatenberg Bible Institute in Switzerland.By the grace of God, Wim Malgo had a keen insight relating to eschatological issues. Dr. Malgo was the author of more than 40 books and an authority on Bible prophecy. However, his uniqueness lay in his dedicated prayer life. Wim Malgo never undertook a project, no matter how small or great, without first presenting it to the Lord in prayer. Total dedication to the cause of Christ was his motto.

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