Earlier this month, I spent a week in America. Most of the time I was in Washington DC, looking for the Beast. Americans talk very loud. Many American men are seriously overweight. American people are really friendly and helpful America is an incredibly militaristic nation.
Here are some of the things that struck me about America.
On Boxing Day, many people go back to the shops to exchange their Christmas presents for something they like better or need more. The problem is that no matter how hard we try to buy an appropriate gift for someone we love, we often get it wrong. We buy something that they already have or something that they do not need. And even if we do not exchange our gifts, we are often disappointed in them, because we would have chosen a different brand or a different colour. The perfect gift is quite rare.
This illustrates an important principle of economics: the concept of “self interest”. This idea does not get a very good press among Christians, because we think it smacks of selfishness. However, the concept of “self interest” means an economy functions better when people are able to decide what they want for themselves.
An economy based on people deciding what is good for other people does not function so well, because none of us really know what other people want. The strength of the market system is that it allows people to buy what they want, because they are in the best place to decide what they need.
The Christmas present problem illustrates this neatly. Even if we know the person well and really care about them, we can still buy them the wrong gift. Imagine how many mistakes we would make for if we were buying for people we do know and do not care about. We would buy the wrong thing many times. This does not mean they are a selfish. Rather, they just have different tastes, or they have a greater need for something else. Self interest assumes that consumers know best what they need. People can decide what they want for themselves, better than other people can decide for them.
Producers face a different problem. If consumers are free to buy what they want, producers will only be successful if they are producing things that consumers want. To be successful, producers have to do better than most of us do at buying gifts, because the free market system rewards those who are the most skilled at guessing what other people want. A producer will earn a profit if they supply what people want, at a price they will pay. Producers who guess wrong will end up with full warehouses and no profits. To be successful, a producer has to do much better at deciding what other people want, than most buyers of Christmas presents.
Self interest means that consumers can choose what they want , but producers must supply what other people want. The free market places power in the hands of consumers and makes producers into servants.
We have allowed evil into our economy and society, and when it turns against us, we will be powerless against it. Pride and complacency will be exposed. The crisis will bring a serious fuel shortage. Some fuel will be available, but supplies will be stop-start. The crisis will cause food shortages. Some people will have plenty, others will have none. Some hard working people will face long delays without food. Christians must learn to live more simply. The smaller option will often be the best. There will be no quick fixes for this crisis. We will be stuck in the mess for quite a while. The disaster might last longer than the good times that went before. Most Christians are totally unprepared for the next crisis. Many are travelling on in isolation, totally unaware that a huge disaster is going to cut into their path. Most will survive, but they will be distressed and shaken.
Preparation is urgent. There is no time for mucking around, trying to get things perfect. Getting prepared is more important than getting things exactly right.
Christians should be preparing for this next crisis, but most have been lulled into a false sense of security by the mild impact effects of the current crisis. People are heaving a sigh of relief, as the economic signs and statistics indicate the crisis has ended and recovery is underway. Most Christians are thinking:If this is the worst depression
This widespread sense of relief is based on a misunderstanding of what has happened. Most Christians came through the financial crisis unscathed, but not because they were prepared to cope. God turned back the crisis, because were not prepared.
since the 1930s,
its not too bad
I can cope.
Things are tight,
but I am alright.
A greater danger now lurks, but casual chatter has created a dangerous complacency amongst Christians. In face of danger, we plunge on, because things look rosy on the surface.
Most Christians could not cope with a real economic crisis. The independence and individualism that characterise modern western Christianity will not “cut it”. Christians should be establishing connections with other Christians who will support them when times get tough. Some should be moving closer together to create zones of security in a chaotic world.
The financial crisis was not that bad in New Zealand.
God was going to work the crisis for good by using it to shake the nation, but his people were not ready, so he turned back the evil. The crisis was not as severe as expected, because God held back the economic tide to protect careless people from unnecessary suffering. The entire world benefited from this mercy,
but…
It will not happen again
In recent years, a power shift has taken place in New Zealand. We have unwittingly handed control over many aspects of our culture, our society and our economy to the forces of evil. Our nation has progressed so far down the wrong road that the forces of evil now have a much freer hand. God’s ability to turn back evil is now severely limited. By choosing to cast off restraint, we have left evil unrestrained.
So far the consequences have not been that serious, but the evil one is now flexing his muscles ready to show what he can do. He has been watching the world financial crisis and thinking, “I can do better than that”. His is planning a strike against our export industries that will devastate the New Zealand economy and plunge us into a serious disaster. This crisis will not be constrained by the hand of God, but will be the devil’s depression.
The current financial crisis will be followed by a worse depression worked by the devil’s fury for the purposes of evil. A crisis made over by God could have brought revival and blessing, if we had been prepared, but the devil’s depression will bring collapse and destruction that is deeper and darker than anything that this generation has seen.
Satan is not as powerful as we like to think. He is having difficulty getting together the capability to cause a disaster, but he will eventually succeed.
Isaiah prophesied boldly about Jesus. For to us a child is born,
The government will be on his shoulder.
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
Of the increase of his
government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign … over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Who?
The Child
Jesus.
The simple reading of this text is that Jesus will be the government
from that time forward and forever.
So why does Barack Obama think that he should be the government?
or Gordon Brown, or Angela Merkel, or Nicolas Sarkozy, or Kevin Rudd, or John Key?
Herod understood Isaiah's prophecy.
He knew that his government was a goner,
so he tried to kill Jesus,
but he was still a goner.
Mary understood it too. That is why she said,
Kings would be thrown down from their thrones
and the humble raised up.
Satan understood the threat.
That is why he came up with clever deception that
this prophecy is "Not for now, but for later",
"Jesus government comes at the end of the age."
You could trust Satan to thrust his shoulder in.
The government is on Jesus shoulder.
He will govern with justice and righteousness.
and his government will never shop increasing.
The Zeal of the Lord will do it.
When?
Not in the future.
No!
From that time on and forever.
We had better work out what this means.
Soon!
We do not know exactly when these ephocal events will take place, but there are are the signs that will indicate that this season is getting close. These signs kickstart a Time of Desolation that crushs human power, and eventually wipes out all nation state. A brief description of each birth pang follows. Islam Advancing - The first birth pang in this age of transition is the resurgence of Islam. This is described in the First Seal in Revelation 6:2. Islamic nations will experience a revival of religious fervour and political power. Daniel 7:4 describes the United States tangle with these nations. Ethnic Wars - The revival of Islam leads to an increase in wars between different ethnic groups through many parts of the world. The second seal in Revelation 6:3-4 describes a time when ethnic disputes become so common that the resources of the United Nations will not be able to cope. Big Bear - Daniel saw a big bear crushing and devouring (Dan 7:5). This bear could be Russia expanding its power in Eastern Europe. The word also has an economic meaning. A "bear market" is a collapsing market. Daniel’s may represent economic collapse. Terrorism - An increase in terrorism will be a sign that the Times of Distress has come. Fear and terror are likely to grow as terrorism spreads. Terrorism of any kind is very difficult to control. It will often be used as a justification for governments taking greater power for themselves. Famine - John saw a famine on the earth caused by a serious economic collapse (Rev 6:5,6). Disease and Death - Widespread disease and death are the usual consequence of poverty. This is described in the four seal in Revelation 6:7-8. Political Power - Fear and uncertainty leads to a climax of human poltical power. The world will hand over their freedom to human governments in the hope of finding peace from a troubled world. Persecution - Many Christians will be unwilling to submit to human authorities. They will be persecuted for their faith (Rev 6:9-11).
These little events have nothing to do with the second coming. They are signs that the four big ones described in the previous post are getting close.
During December, consumers in most Western nations will spend double what they spend in a normal month. They will spend about a twelfth of all that they earn in a year celebrating Christmas. To paraphrase,Never before in human history
What a waste! We spend a twelfth of all we earn
have so many people
spent so much money they do not have
on gifts they do not like
for people who do not need them.
celebrating a materialism,
that cannot give peace and joy,
but always disappoints.
We put tremendous effort into putting Christ back into Christmas,
but no one asks him whether he wants to be there or not.
Maybe he would sooner be among the hurt and the poor.
To understand what will happen next in human history, we must understand four epochal events. The two big world-changing events that I have described will happen soon. The two biggest obstacles to the Kingdom of God will be removed:These events happen during a:This opens up the way for the Holy Spirit to work on earth to establish:Dramatic change is getting close, so understanding these four events provides the context for understanding what will happen next.
In the Book of Revelation, John describes a time when the governments of man will be replaced by the true government of God (not Jesus returning). The first five seals describe the birth pangs of this new age. The opening of the sixth seal describes the collapse of human government and democratic power.I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place (Rev 6:13-14).
These events are not literal. The Old Testament prophets often described the collapse of a great nation in the same language. One example is found in Ezekiel 32:7,When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
Ezekiel is speaking about the defeat of Egypt by the armies of Babylon. His words are a graphic description of the collapse of Egypt at the hand of a greater power. The sun continued to shine, but the prophecy fulfilled when Egypt collapsed.
Other prophets used similar language to describe the collapse of a nation or empire. They described the collapse of a human government as the sun and moon falling from the sky. Examples are Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4-5.
References to the sun, moon and starts turning to blood or falling from the sky describe the collapse of human government and political power.Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:15-16).
The fact that many stars are falling confirms that all kings an rulers will lose their power. Instead of strutting on the world stage, politicians and kings will hide under the rocks and caves. Those who have trusted in politicl power will be filled with fear.
As the empire of man is nearing its last gasp, the governments of the world will collapse and evaporate. When human governments stop functioning, the people be ready for godly justice administered by wise judges applying God’s law. Then Jesus will truly be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.The kingdom of the world
The kingdoms of the world will disappear and be replaced by the Kingdom of God.
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever (Rev 11:15).
Once human political power is obliterated and demonic power is smashed, the last obstacle to the Kingdom of God will have been removed.His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom,
The collapse of Human Political Power will open up the way for the fulfilment of the Kingdom of God.
and all rulers will worship and obey him (Dan 7:27b).
At this time, the evil spiritual powers will be defeated and the Kingdom of God established. The principalities and powers in the heavenly realm will be disarmed by removing the centralised political and power structures that are the foundation of their power.
Wherever emperors, kings and presidents have been give authority, evil spiritual forces have attached themselves to that authority. When political power evaporates, principalities and powers will be reduced to common evil spirits defeated by the cross. They gained their spiritual power by taking advantage of political power, so the collapse of political power and authority will leave them with no place to stand.
When political and religious control collapses, demonic power will be greatly diminished. As they disperse to deal with authority that is diffused throughout society, they will become fragmented and powerless. When confined to one-on-one battle, they will be easily defeated. As Big Government collapses, a spiritual victory will occur and the Kingdom of God will come to fruition.
The Church is commissioned to preach the gospel and teach people everywhere to exercise authority in obedience to Jesus. The gospel destroys allegiance to human authorities, who demand authority for themselves and gives it back to people who trust Jesus. This robs the spiritual powers of influence.His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Eph 3:10).
The church will defeat these spiritual powers by taking authority off political authorities and giving it back to ordinary people.
Jesus received dominion and authority over the entire creation. In the climax of the vision, an angel explained to Daniel what this means for life on earth.Then the sovereignty,
This is a stunning promise. When Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, power and sovereignty were handed back to the people of god. Most Christians do not understand this promise, because they think it applies to the second coming.
power and greatness of the kingdoms
under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints,
the people of the Most High (Dan 7:27a).
When rulers and kingdoms collapse, political power will be chopped up, pushed down and spread around the ordinary people who trust God and serve him. The kingdom will come when power and authority is handed back to the people of God as they join together voluntarily in Tens and Hundreds. God will replace human rulers with local judges applying his law.
The angels promise to Daniel reads like the Great Commission.All sovereignty in heaven on earth has been given to me. When the Holy Spirit has renewed the hearts of all the nations, teach them to obey what I have commanded you.
This sounds similar, because it is. The gospel will transform human hearts, so that all people can exercise the authority that God has given to them.
Daniel’s entire vision is a description of the collapse of human political power. For all of human history, the people of the world have been controlled by kings, emperors and sundry political powers. Over the last few centuries, various democratic demagogues have taken over this controlling role.
Before the Kingdom of God can come to fullness on earth, and before the principalities and accept their defeat on the cross, human political power must be swept away. Daniel describes how this will happen. God allows four beasts or empires to emerge in order to accomplish his purpose. The fourth of these beasts is the “last hurrah” for human political power. Enormous political clout will be given into a united states in order to resist God’s shaking of the world. This terrible human empire will collapse into such a mess that the people of the world will never trust human political power again. Confidence in politics and democracy will crumble and collapse forever.But the court will sit for judgment,
God will annihilate all human political power from the world forever. More importantly he will drive the desire for political power from human hearts.
and his dominion will be taken away,
annihilated and destroyed forever (Dan 7:26).
All human power and control will be swept away and destroyed forever. Once we get this, we can understand Daniel’s vision. Excessive human political power always lead to disaster. The great rush of hubris in this age will climax in an attempt to create the ideal human government and spread its influence throughout the world. Unfortunately, , this last grand endeavour will collapse into chaos. This turmoil will leave people throughout the world disillusioned with what man can do. Hopes for political salvation will be be annihilated.
Christians do not need to fight human political power. God will sweep away human political power by coming against it in judgment. Economic collapse and fourth generation warfare will undermine the power of the human political system and cause its disintegrate. They will collapse from within.
Daniel saw Jesus’ ascension into heaven.One like a Son of Man was coming,
Jesus is the Son of Man, but this is not a description of the second coming. Daniel saw Jesus arriving in heaven, so this must be his ascension and enthronement, not his second coming. After ascending into heaven, Jesus came into the presence of the Father where he was given the power and authority that he had earned through this death and resurrection.
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom (Dan 7:13,14).
Jesus victory will be worked out in four steps.
This seems impossible, but an angel explains these four steps.
Jesus’ death on the cross was a victory over all powers and authorities.And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:15).
Paul was referring to defeat of the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, but that spiritual victory must also lead to the defeat of earthly power and authority, as the kingdom of God advances. Paul confirms the victory that God achieved for Jesus in his letter to the Ephesians.He raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Eph 1:20).
This is a completed action. Jesus has already ascended into heaven far above all human power and authority—in this present age. Therefore, we should expect to see the political powers coming under his power now. Daniel explains how this will happen.
The second biggest obstacle to the kingdom of God is human political power. This comes in many forms, but it always opposes and undermines the Kingdom of God. Political power has been given greater impetus in recent years by the spread of democracy. Before the Holy Spirit can bring the Kingdom of God to fullness, human political power must be swept away.
One danger with human political power is the false hope that blindspeople to the glory of the Kingodm of God. The more serious problem with political power is its impact on spiritual warfare. The concentration of human political power, generates a dramatic shift in spiritual power towards the “principalities and powers” that we struggle against. They could not exist, if there were no equivalent human rulers and powers. Their power will not be broken until human rulers and empires collapse and disappear.
Spiritual power and political power go together. The leaders of nation have authority to enforce their will on any citizen of their domain. Everyone living in a nation must accept their authority their king or president. The mayor, the council and the council officers have authority to act on behalf of anyone resident in their town or city. This power and authority creates a serious spiritual problem, because these political leaders are vulnerable to spiritual attack, and any attack affects everyone under their authority.
Spiritual evil follows political authority. When a political leader is influenced by demonic powers, the people under his authority are vulnerable to a similar attack. When we submit to political leaders, we open ourselves up to spiritual forces at work in their lives. When demonic forces attach themselves to a king or president, they become “principalities and powers”, because they now have authority over many of the people in that nation (Eph 6:12).
Political leaders come under spiritual pressure, because they hold authority over the people in their nation. When a powerful leader falls into sin, everyone in their realm is vulnerable to the same spirit. If the enemy gets control over a leader, he gains spiritual access to everyone in their political realm. The enemy concentrates his forces against those with political power, so he can win an easy victory over their city or nation.
Centralised political or religious authority is dangerous, because it makes principalities and powers possible. Once the enemy gains control over those with power and authority, he has easier access to all those under that authority. As a political leader accumulates more authority, the principality or power that controls him gains greater power over more people. This is how principalities and powers gain influence (Dan 10:13). If an evil spirit gains control over one person, he can make that person’s life miserable. If the same spirit were to gain control over a king or president, he can control a nation.
Many Christians have an overinflated view of the enemy’s power. They believe that our struggle is against spiritual forces that are almost as powerful as the Holy Spirit. The truth is that Satan’s power is an illusion. Evil forces have leveraged their power by gaining control over political and religious leaders with authority over many people. Political power has magnified the authority of spiritual evil. The judgement of the Jews is one source of our enemy’s power. Human political power is the other source of his power.
Many Christians believe that the Jews will be converted when Jesus returns to Jerusalem. This is not true. Seeing is not believing. The Jews saw Jesus for three years while he exercised his ministry on earth, but they did not believe in him, because their hearts were hard (Rom 11:8). Nothing has changed, so they would not believe, even if they saw Jesus again. Israel’s problem is still hardness of heart (Rom 11:7). They are spiritually blind to the truth. The only cure for spiritual blindness is the Holy Spirit changing hearts.
The Jewish people will not come to salvation by Jesus returning to Jerusalem. Their hearts will be changed when the Holy Spirit moves upon them. The spiritual eyes of all Israel will be opened and they will see that Jesus really is our saviour and Lord. This is confirmed by the prophet Ezekiel.I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD (Ezek 39:29).
A great outpouring of the Holy Spirit will bring about the Fullness of Israel (not the Second Coming of Jesus). The Jews will be converted by an outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of a prophetic church.
When the season of Jewish desolation comes to an end, Satan’s last legal authority on earth will be gone. His power to do evil will be massively curtailed. Christians will be empowered to bind his authority. He will become as weak and feeble as he really is.
The end of the Times of the Gentiles will bring a rapid decline in evil and open the way for an equally rapid advance of the Kingdom of God.But if their transgression means riches for the world,
and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,
how much greater riches will their fullness bring (Rom 11:12).
The fullness of Israel brings great blessing to the earth, because Satan has lost his last authority to work on earth, God will then be free to pour out his Spirit and bring the Kingdom to its promised fulfilment. The times of the Kingdom begin when the Times of the Gentiles come to an end and the fullness of Israel comes in.
The end of the Times of the Gentiles is one of several several major epochal events that must happen on earth. Every Christian should be working and praying for the Fullness of Israel to come to faith in Jesus. I believe that this event is coming soon.
The calling of the Jews will be a major turning point in history. Christians should be working and praying for the Jews to be restored to a place of blessing. This will happen when they acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah they have been seeking. When they come to faith in Christ, blessing will return to the entire world (Rom 11:12). (The state of Israel does not fulfil this promise.)
The Jewish problem is "seeing". Their eyes have been blinded, so they cannot see the truth (Rom 11:8,10) and their hearts have been hardened (Rom 11:25). To come to salvation their spiritual eyes will have to be opened and their hearts cracked. This is the only way they can come to salvation (this is the only way anyone can come to salvation).
Zechariah promised that God would pour out his Spirit on Israel.And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son (Zech 12:10).
This is the moment of Israel’s conversion. At the end of Times of the Gentiles, the Spirit of the Lord will be poured out on the hearts of all Israel. They will receive a Spirit of Supplication that causes them to cry out to Jesus for salvation. The Spirit of grace will give them faith to receive the salvation that comes through grace.
The Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the hearts of all Israel, so they can see Jesus. They will stop looking for a warlike Messiah and realise that Jesus who died on the cross and "who was pieced" by a spear is their Messiah. This realisation will produce a great flood of repentance. When Israel realises that Jesus reigns at the right hand of God and that they have been saved by the prayers in his name, the whole land will be filled with tears. As they come to realise what Jesus has done, they will all weep with sadness and joy (Zech 12:11-14).
Understanding why the Times of the Gentiles are an obstacle to the coming of the Kingdom is important. When Jesus died upon the cross, the devil was totally and fully defeated. He was cast out of heaven (Rev 12:13) and became a trespasser on earth. To gain authority on earth, he has to deceive people into rejecting the gospel and submitting to him.
Despite his defeat on the cross, Satan does have one remaining legal right on earth. Because Jews are under judgment (Matt 23:39), Satan has had the legal right to execute this judgment by working evil to harm them. By deliberately scattered the Jews among the nations, he has expanded this power to work all over the world.
Whenever, Satan wants to work evil in a nation, he incites an attack on the Jews, because this gives him greater authority to do his work. For example, Satan incited both Hitler and Stalin to attack the Jews, which enabled him to do great evil through them.
The judgment of Israel has given Satan a legal right to continue working in the world, despite his defeat. While he has this freedom to act in the world, the advance of the Kingdom of God can be obstructed.
While the Jews are shut out of the kingdom, the devil has authority to continue his activity on earth, because Christians do not have authority to totally bind his power. Therefore, the Kingdom of God cannot come to fulfilment until the times of the Gentiles are complete. Over the last two millennia, the battle for the Kingdom has been very hard. The continued extension of the Times of the Gentiles has allowed the devil extra time to do his work in resisting the Kingdom.
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