thetrumpet--2020-03-15--Coronavirus Teaches the ‘Most Important Lesson We Could Possibly Know’

I can ’ t think of anything that has produced more fear in recent years than the coronavirus .
It dominates the headlines and has brought panic to supermarket aisles , as we fight over the remaining rolls of toilet paper .
The way we as a society respond when we are afraid reveals something powerful about ourselves .
In ancient times , when calamity struck , men would turn en masse to the gods or the priests .
The gods , they believed , were in control .
Catastrophe meant they were unhappy and needed to be appeased .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ became less inclined to beseech the gods during times of crisis .
Instead , they turned to themselves .
Especially in America , this was the age of self-reliance .
If a flood , disease or fire hit , they would stoically accept the losses and do whatever they could to rebuild and move on .
Times have again changed .
Facing crisis , most men today are once again quick to turn to the gods .
Not Zeus or Jupiter .
Today , we turn to the government and experts .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , when we were hit with unusually heavy flooding .
News broadcasts continually insinuated that this was the government ’ s fault , without explaining exactly how .
Locals affected by the flooding appeared on television , explaining that the government wasn ’ t doing enough to help them .
In the past , victims of flooding may have tried to appease the river gods , or waited for the waters to recede before digging in and trying to repair the damage .
Today , the people look toward London , waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fix it .
In our modern worship , we believe that our governments can solve anything .
Therefore , if something has gone wrong , the government could have solved it but didn ’ t .
It ’ s their fault .
To stop the flooding , British Prime Minister Boris Johnson should have banned plastic bottles , or something .
The same thing is happening with coronavirus .
In country after country , men blame the government .
The media is full of accusations .
Why didn ’ t we do more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make this or that cut ?
Some of this , no doubt , is media bias against certain governments .
But I think there ’ s more going on .
The media can only use this tactic because the public accepts the basic assumption that governments can and should fix every problem .
They should fix it by looking to “ the experts ” —another core part of modern worship .
Experts have the solution to all our problems—if only people would listen .
But when it comes to coronavirus , the experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Will this get worse ?
How much worse can it get ?
What can I do to guarantee I won ’ t get it ?
The experts don ’ t have any good clear answers .
The government can ’ t fix it , and the experts can not help .
The panic we see in our headlines is society experiencing a crisis of faith .
Maybe this will kill no more than a particularly bad flu .
Maybe it will be much worse .
But aside from taking common sense steps of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ washing , governments and experts won ’ t have much of an impact on where it goes from here .
As China and Iran show , there are things governments can do to make this worse .
But they can ’ t make it better .
The foundations that we trust in are exposed as sand .
It would be like the ancients asking their priests , “ How can we appease the gods and stop the plague ?
” only to be told , “ No idea ; hopefully it will go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structures have failed , we panic .
The cover of our latest print magazine states : “ Coronavirus in Prophecy.
” Even those who don ’ t know much about the Bible know that it talks about plagues and pestilence .
But the question of whom we trust gets to the heart of why the Bible makes those prophecies .
Jeremiah 17:5 states , “ Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.
” If we look to men to solve our problems—whether in the form of man-made religion , as almost all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even our own selves—we ’ re under a curse .
Mankind can not solve the biggest problems facing it .
Only God can .
This is why God sends plagues .
“ It pains God to know that the suffering is about to get much , much worse , ” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in his latest Trumpet article .
“ It grieves Him to consider the diseases and other horrors soon to be visited upon Earth .
But it is all part of His plan to teach man the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God can solve disease pandemics—and all our problems .
Mr .
Flurry wrote that soon “ Jesus Christ will accomplish what the most brilliant doctors , scientists and other experts have utterly failed to do : He will bring lasting peace and perfect health to all men , women and children.
” But to do that , we must invest our trust in Him .
When He says , This action is causing you to be miserable , stop doing it , we must trust and obey Him .
The Bible says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop our looking to men—to teach us that only God has the solutions .
“ God is teaching men even as they rebel , ” writes Mr .
Flurry in his free booklet Daniel Unlocks Revelation .
“ They are learning that man can not rule himself—only God can bring men peace , prosperity , happiness and joy.
” God rules , and man can not .
Mr .
Flurry called that lesson “ the greatest lesson mankind could possibly learn.
” And God is teaching us that lesson , right now @ @ @ @ @

I can’t think of anything that has produced more fear in recent years than the coronavirus. It dominates the headlines and has brought panic to supermarket aisles, as we fight over the remaining rolls of toilet paper.
The way we as a society respond when we are afraid reveals something powerful about ourselves.
In ancient times, when calamity struck, men would turn en masse to the gods or the priests. The gods, they believed, were in control. Catastrophe meant they were unhappy and needed to be appeased.
As humanity entered the Enlightenment, men became less inclined to beseech the gods during times of crisis. Instead, they turned to themselves. Especially in America, this was the age of self-reliance. If a flood, disease or fire hit, they would stoically accept the losses and do whatever they could to rebuild and move on.
Times have again changed. Facing crisis, most men today are once again quick to turn to the gods. Not Zeus or Jupiter. Today, we turn to the government and experts.
We saw this in the United Kingdom last month, when we were hit with unusually heavy flooding. News broadcasts continually insinuated that this was the government’s fault, without explaining exactly how. Locals affected by the flooding appeared on television, explaining that the government wasn’t doing enough to help them.
In the past, victims of flooding may have tried to appease the river gods, or waited for the waters to recede before digging in and trying to repair the damage. Today, the people look toward London, waiting for the government to step in and fix it.
In our modern worship, we believe that our governments can solve anything. Therefore, if something has gone wrong, the government could have solved it but didn’t. It’s their fault. To stop the flooding, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson should have banned plastic bottles, or something.
The same thing is happening with coronavirus. In country after country, men blame the government. The media is full of accusations. Why didn’t we do more here or there? Why did you make this or that cut? Some of this, no doubt, is media bias against certain governments. But I think there’s more going on. The media can only use this tactic because the public accepts the basic assumption that governments can and should fix every problem.
They should fix it by looking to “the experts”—another core part of modern worship. Experts have the solution to all our problems—if only people would listen. But when it comes to coronavirus, the experts can’t give clear answers. Will this get worse? How much worse can it get? What can I do to guarantee I won’t get it? The experts don’t have any good clear answers.
The government can’t fix it, and the experts cannot help. The panic we see in our headlines is society experiencing a crisis of faith.
Maybe this will kill no more than a particularly bad flu. Maybe it will be much worse. But aside from taking common sense steps of quarantine and advocating good hygiene and hand washing, governments and experts won’t have much of an impact on where it goes from here. As China and Iran show, there are things governments can do to make this worse. But they can’t make it better.
The foundations that we trust in are exposed as sand. It would be like the ancients asking their priests, “How can we appease the gods and stop the plague?” only to be told, “No idea; hopefully it will go away soon.” When our normal support structures have failed, we panic.
The cover of our latest print magazine states: “Coronavirus in Prophecy.” Even those who don’t know much about the Bible know that it talks about plagues and pestilence. But the question of whom we trust gets to the heart of why the Bible makes those prophecies. Jeremiah 17:5 states, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” If we look to men to solve our problems—whether in the form of man-made religion, as almost all are, or governments, experts or even our own selves—we’re under a curse. Mankind cannot solve the biggest problems facing it. Only God can.
This is why God sends plagues. “It pains God to know that the suffering is about to get much, much worse,” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in his latest Trumpet article. “It grieves Him to consider the diseases and other horrors soon to be visited upon Earth. But it is all part of His plan to teach man the absolute necessity of obeying His law.”
God can solve disease pandemics—and all our problems. Mr. Flurry wrote that soon “Jesus Christ will accomplish what the most brilliant doctors, scientists and other experts have utterly failed to do: He will bring lasting peace and perfect health to all men, women and children.” But to do that, we must invest our trust in Him. When He says, This action is causing you to be miserable, stop doing it, we must trust and obey Him.
The Bible says that disease pandemics will get worse in order to stop our looking to men—to teach us that only God has the solutions.
“God is teaching men even as they rebel,” writes Mr. Flurry in his free booklet Daniel Unlocks Revelation. “They are learning that man cannot rule himself—only God can bring men peace, prosperity, happiness and joy.” God rules, and man cannot. Mr. Flurry called that lesson “the greatest lesson mankind could possibly learn.” And God is teaching us that lesson, right now, through the coronavirus.


thetrumpet--2020-03-14--It’s Time to Stop Calling Vladimir Putin ‘President’

Russia ’ s leader will reset the clock on his term limits , clearing the way for him to rule until 2036 .
From the year 2000 when he first came to power until 2008 , we called Vladimir Putin president .
He spent those first two presidential terms aggressively consolidating Russia politically , socially , economically and militarily .
His policies lifted some 45 million Russians out of poverty and began to restore his nation ’ s international relevance .
Putin and most Russians felt he was just getting started .
But there was a problem : The Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold the presidential office for more than two consecutive terms .
So Putin let go of the presidency—but he did not let go of political power .
From 2008 to 2012 , he handed the office over to a protégé who was submissive to him .
During those four years , though it was clear that Putin remained the true head of Russia , we called him “ prime minister.
” During that era , his forces invaded the former Soviet republic of Georgia and assumed control of 20 percent of the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had collapsed , but this move made clear that under Putin , Russia was back .
It was a force to be feared once again .
In 2012 , Putin returned to the presidency with a newly extended six-year term .
And we began once again to call him president .
He fashioned Russia into an even more militarily powerful and aggressive nation , using its firepower to annex Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula , secure the vicious regimes in Syria and North Korea , and help Iran continue its pursuit of nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly no one by clinching yet another term in office .
And we continued to call him president .
But Putin understood that he would soon come up against that constitutional limit once again : In 2024 , he would have completed his second consecutive pair of presidential terms , and would be required to step down .
So he began looking at alternative options .
He considered orchestrating another rendition of the “ castling move ” he had used from 2008 to 2012 .
He considered taking over Belarus and becoming head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He considered ruling through parliament or from the post of Russia ’ s State Council .
But on March 10 , after those various options had foundered , Putin told Russian lawmakers that the clock should be reset to zero for his presidential term limits so that he can remain in office after 2024 .
“ We need it for stability , ” he said .
“ Russia lacks conditions necessary for parliament-led democracy.
” Putin said he did not wish to scrap constitutional term limits for everyone : The nation should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no elections were held , because “ Russia has had enough revolution in its history , ” he said .
But he said his own unique situation is different .
Putin was not entirely dogmatic about whether he would continue on as president , but told lawmakers , “ I ’ m sure that together , we will do many more great things , at least until 2024 .
Then , we will see.
” After Putin spoke , the Duma applauded and voted overwhelmingly to pass the proposal to reset limits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign it into law on March 18 , the sixth anniversary of his annexation of Crimea .
Then on April 22 , an “ all-people vote ” will give the people of Russia a chance to accept or reject the measure .
But the vote is neither an election nor a referendum , but only a scheme to give Putin ’ s power grab a veneer of legitimacy .
Bundled with the same vote are a number of other constitutional proposals—enshrining Russians ’ faith in God , defining marriage in traditional terms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and outlawing any handovers of Russian territory .
By bundling these well-liked proposals in with the change that would let Putin seek another term , there is reason to expect an enthusiastic approval .
And just in case anybody who objects to his plot may want to publicly protest , Moscow has simultaneously outlawed any assembly of more than 5,000 people .
The coronavirus , which has infected fewer than two dozen Russians , was cited as the official reason for the new ban .
Thus Putin will almost certainly be permitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2024 and could potentially rule for two more six-year terms .
The scare quotes are warranted there because of Russia ’ s long and storied history of vote rigging , even in the case of leaders like Putin who are already well regarded by the people .
It all adds up to potentially extending Putin ’ s reign to 2036 , when he will be almost 84 years old .
So even though Vladimir Putin has secured the title of “ president ” potentially through to the end 2036 , it is clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling him by that title .
More appropriate may be “ supreme leader , ” as Putin ’ s counterpart in North Korea is called .
Or perhaps “ paramount leader , ” as his fellow strongman in China is labeled .
Maybe “ leader of the nation , ” as Kazakhstan ’ s longtime dictator has been christened .
Or there may be a different title for Putin that is more appropriate still .
“ We need to watch Vladimir Putin closely .
He is the ‘ prince of Rosh ’ that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago !
” Those words were written by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in our September 2014 issue .
Mr.
Flurry ’ s article examines prophecies in the biblical books of Daniel , Jeremiah , Joel and Revelation that foretell of a multinational Asian army that will amass in the end time and field an army of 200 million soldiers .
Then most of the piece is devoted to examining Ezekiel 38 , which names several of the nations that will make up this bloc and provides details about the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And the word of the Lord came unto me , saying , ‘ Son of man , set thy face unto Gog , of the land of Magog , prince of Rosh , Meshech , and Tubal , and prophesy concerning him ’ ” ( Ezekiel 38:1-2 ; Young ’ s Literal Translation ) .
Meshech and Tubal are ancient names designating modern Russian cities .
And Rosh is a variation of an ancient name for Russia , once called Rus .
Many encyclopedias and commentaries , such as the Jamieson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The passage goes on to describe the military campaigns that this power—led by the “ prince of Rosh ” —will wage .
After examining these biblical prophecies and holding them up alongside Putin ’ s tightening grip on power within Russia and the aggressive foreign policy the nation has adopted under his command , Mr .
Flurry wrote : Since the Trumpet has this understanding of Putin ’ s role in end-time prophecy , we believe that whatever his official title may remain or become , Vladimir Putin will stay the true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And this prophesied “ prince , ” as may be the most appropriate title for him , will lead the nation in an increasingly dangerous direction .
To understand more , order your free copy of Mr.
Flurry ’ s booklet The Prophesied ‘ Prince of Russia .
’

“I fully recognize my own personal responsibility toward the citizens of this country.” With these words spoken on March 10, Russian leader Vladimir Putin began answering a question that had been vexing Kremlin watchers for years.
The question was: How will Putin stay in power after 2024?
The Russian constitution forbids a person from holding presidential office for more than two consecutive terms. Putin’s current six-year term is his second in a row and ends in 2024.
Yet Putin has broken far too many laws and made far too many enemies to willingly relinquish the power that protects him. Experts have been expecting him to game the system, because that is exactly what he has successfully accomplished before.
An Artful Dodger
In 2008, as Putin completed two consecutive four-year presidential terms, he and most Russians felt he was just getting started. But then he came up against the constitutional term limit and let go of the presidency.
But he did not let go of political power.
From 2008 to 2012, Putin handed the presidency over to Dmitry Medvedev, his subservient protégé, and he stepped into the office of prime minister. With this ploy, Putin remained the true leader of Russia while essentially pretending to be second in command.
During that era, Putin’s forces invaded the former Soviet republic of Georgia and assumed control of a fifth of its territory. This showed Russia and the world that though the Soviet Union had collapsed, under Putin Russia was back. Once again, it was a power to be feared and respected.
Putin also changed the constitution to extend presidential terms to six years, effective upon the next election. In 2012, he returned to the presidency with a newly extended six-year presidential term. In 2018, he surprised no one by clinching yet another term in office. But he knew he would want to stay in power beyond 2024.
There are indications that Putin considered staying at the helm of Russia beyond 2024 with another rendition of the “Medvedev Shuffle,” perhaps with a different protégé this time around. He also considered ruling Russia through parliament or from the post of Russia’s State Council. He also considered merging neighboring Belarus with Russia, then leaving the Russian presidency for a more powerful office at the head of a new Russia-Belarus supranational state.
But on March 10, after those various options had been weighed in the balance and found wanting, Putin told Russian lawmakers during a session of the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, that the clock should simply be reset to zero for his presidential term limits so he can remain president after 2024.
“We need it for stability,” he said. “Russia lacks conditions necessary for parliament-led democracy.”
Putin added that he did not wish to scrap constitutional term limits for everyone: The nation should not return to czarist- or Soviet-era models when no elections were held, he said, because “Russia has had enough revolutions in its history.”
But he stressed that his own unique situation is different. In order for Russia to secure the level of stability needed to have rotating leaders, it first needs several more years of Putin’s rule. Then, once the nation has been stabilized by his hand, enforcing the constitutional term limits “takes priority,” he said.
After Putin spoke, the Duma applauded and voted overwhelmingly to pass a package of constitutional reforms that included the clause resetting his term limits. The bill still needs to be approved by the upper house and Russia’s highest court, but we should not expect resistance from any of these Putin-loyal bodies. Then on April 22, an “all-people vote” will give Russian citizens a chance to accept or reject the reforms. But that measure, like the others, is mainly a scheme to give Putin’s power grab a veneer of legitimacy because of his tight hold on the media and the organizations that conduct and count the votes.
Additionally, bundled in with the vote are a number of other constitutional proposals including enshrining Russians’ faith in God, defining marriage in traditional terms, increasing support for wages and pensions, and outlawing any handovers of Russian territory. By bundling these well-liked proposals in with the change that would let Putin seek another term, we should expect an enthusiastic approval. And just in case anybody who objects to his plot may want to publicly protest, Moscow has simultaneously outlawed any assembly of more than 5,000 people. The coronavirus, which has infected fewer than two dozen Russians, was cited as the official reason for the new ban.
A More Fitting Title
So Putin has done it again. After 20 years in power, he has cleared the path to keep the title of president potentially through to the end 2036, when he will be nearly 84 years old. Yet it may be time to stop calling him by that title.
More appropriate, now that his dictatorial colors are on full display, may be “supreme leader,” as the heads of North Korea and Iran are called. Or perhaps “paramount leader,” as Putin’s fellow strongman in China is labeled. Maybe “leader of the nation,” as Kazakhstan’s longtime dictator is known.
Or there may be a different title for Putin that is more fitting still.
“We need to watch Vladimir Putin closely. He is the ‘prince of Rosh’ that God inspired Ezekiel to write about 2,500 years ago!”
Those words were written by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in the September 2014 issue.
Mr. Flurry’s article examines the Bible’s prophecies about a multinational Asian power that will form in the end time and field an army of 200 million soldiers. He calls special attention to Ezekiel 38:2, which calls the man who lead this Asian army the “prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:1-2; Young’s Literal Translation).
Meshech and Tubal are ancient names that correspond to modern Russian cities. Rosh is a variation of an ancient name for Russia, which was anciently called Rus. (See the Benson Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary, and other sources.)
The passage goes on to describe fierce military campaigns that will be waged by this power, led by the “prince of Rosh.” Placing these prophecies alongside Putin’s tightening grip on power within Russia and the aggressive foreign policy the nation has adopted under his command, Mr. Flurry wrote:
I strongly believe Vladimir Putin is going to lead the 200 million-man army. Just look at the power he already has. Can you think of any other Russian politician who could become so powerful and have the will to lead Russia into the crisis of crises? I see nobody else on the horizon who could do that. And only a tiny few years remain for the prince of Rosh to appear! … This much is absolutely certain: The restoring of Russia’s power by Vladimir Putin—the prince of Russia—was prophesied!
In light of these prophecies and Putin’s success in making himself an unchallenged, possibly lifelong ruler, the title “president” looks considerably less accurate than “Prince of Russia.”
To understand more, order your free copy of Mr. Flurry’s booklet The Prophesied ‘Prince of Russia.’


Brexit Was Prophesied!

The UK leaving the European Union was foretold in the Bible !
What does this source of advance news say will follow ?
At 11 p.m. on January 31 , the United Kingdom officially left the European Union .
For those in the UK , it was a cause for celebration or commiseration , depending on your view .
But this date is also of huge importance for everyone everywhere .
This one event teaches the most important lesson anyone can learn .
Britain ’ s decision to leave the European Union was one of the biggest news stories of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most passionate supporters by surprise .
Brexit advocate Nigel Farage finished the day of the referendum—June 23 , 2016—believing his cause had lost .
Even after the referendum passed , Farage and fellow euroskeptics had more battles to fight .
Opposition to implementation put up barrier after barrier , and the cause still looked hopeless .
But on January 31 this year , Britain finally left the European Union .
This event that surprised so many did not surprise Trumpet readers .
Herbert W. Armstrong spent decades warning about world events based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be in a soon-coming European superstate .
In 1945 , broadcasting as World War ii ended , Mr. Armstrong predicted that Germany would rise again within “ a European union.
” As this union took shape , and some talked of Britain joining , he wrote in 1956 , “ Germany is the economic and military heart of Europe .
Probably Germany will lead and dominate the coming United States of Europe .
But Britain will be no part of it !
” When Britain joined in 1973 , he forecast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Britain is going to look back on Monday , Jan. 1 , 1973 , in all probability , as a most tragically historic date—a date fraught with ominous potentialities !
For that date marked the United Kingdom ’ s entry into the European Community.
” Over a decade after Britain joined the Common Market , Mr. Armstrong continued to forecast that it would not be part of this European superpower .
“ [ T ] he soon-coming resurrected ‘ Holy Roman Empire ’ —a sort of soon-coming ‘ United States of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ will ] rise up out of or following the Common Market of today ( Revelation 17 ) , ” he wrote in 1985 in Mystery of the Ages , published less than a year before he died .
“ Britain will not be in that empire soon to come.
” The Trumpet has consistently proclaimed the same message .
“ We have … said for many years Britain would not be a part of the final European Union , ” wrote Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in 2012 .
But where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its relationship with Europe be ?
Britain is out , but so much of its future remains to be decided .
Amid all this uncertainty , it makes sense to turn to the same source that forecast Britain ’ s exit : the Bible .
The Bible shows that the British people are descendants of the Israelite tribe of Ephraim .
There is abundant proof that the British are modern-day Israelites—a book ’ s worth of proof , in fact .
We would like to offer you a copy of that book—The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herbert W. Armstrong—free of charge , with no cost , obligation or follow-up .
Ancient Israel divided into two nations after the death of King Solomon .
Judah was the southern nation with its capital at Jerusalem , and its people are known today as Jews .
That is a truth generally acknowledged .
But the northern 10 tribes were called the house of Israel .
It became a completely separate nation from the Jews .
In fact , the word Jews first appears in the Bible within a report about Judah fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From 721 to 718 b.c.
, the kingdom of Israel was invaded , conquered and removed from its land by the Assyrian Empire ( 2 Kings 17:18 ) .
Its people were deported to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea ( verse 6 ; 1 Chronicles 5:26 ) .
Meanwhile , the kingdom of Judah remained in its land for more than a century until it was later conquered and taken captive .
The Assyrians were later conquered by the Chaldean-Babylonian Empire , and then migrated north and west to Europe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The “ lost 10 tribes ” migrated northwest as well , but they migrated even farther .
Some tribes settled in France , Belgium , Holland and the Scandinavian countries , where their descendants are today .
But two tribes in particular migrated even farther : Ephraim and Manasseh .
The Bible prophesied that these two tribes would inherit massive national wealth ( Genesis 48:14-16 ) .
Ephraim migrated to the British Isles .
Manasseh settled in the United States .
Genesis 48 prophesies that Ephraim would become a great company of nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ( verses 18-20 ) .
Genesis also specifies that these descendants of Abraham would control the world ’ s most strategic mountain passes , ports , canals , capes and other strategic choke points ( Genesis 22:17-18 ) .
Only two nations in history can fit God ’ s promises to these two tribes : the British Empire and the United States .
These two peoples share a common ancestry .
In the 19th and 20th centuries , both came into possession of the majority of the world ’ s wealth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sea gates .
No other two nations have received these promises so abundantly .
This is just the briefest overview .
The proof of this truth is abundant , and it is truly important to look into deeply , to study , and to prove for yourself .
Because its implications are staggering .
It opens up the meaning of a tremendous amount of biblical prophecy , showing why God was so careful to ensure those prophecies were recorded and preserved through the millennia , and showing how deeply relevant they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brexit was hugely divisive .
In an effort to stop it , the pro-EU reached a new low in politics , branding the Brexiters as racist bigots .
But with Brexit done , there is hope now that Britain can move into a glorious future .
The shackles of EU membership have been removed .
The bitter divisions are over .
Is this a new birth of freedom for Britain ?
At the Trumpet , we have certainly pointed to the flaws in Britain ’ s relationship with Europe .
We have lamented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So is it sunlit uplands from now on ?
There certainly may be a short-term resurgence after leaving the EU behind .
But when you understand Bible prophecy , you see that the future of Britain after Brexit is both far darker than any analysts believe—yet , in the long run , far more spectacular .
If you understand that the British people are called Ephraim in Bible prophecy , you will discover that the same Bible that prophesied modern Ephraim ’ s wealth and power also prophesies of its cataclysmic upheaval !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ received their promised wealth and power , if they did not turn to the God who blessed them , He would remove those blessings and punish these nations with war and captivity .
Daniel 12:1 prophesies of “ a time of trouble , such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.
” Jesus Christ called it a period of “ great tribulation , ” that would annihilate mankind if He didn ’ t intervene !
( Matthew 24:21-22 ) .
God specifies that the U.S. and Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when He says : “ Alas !
for that day is great , so that none is like it : it is even the time of Jacob ’ s trouble ; but he shall be saved out of it ” ( Jeremiah 30:7 ) .
The name Jacob refers to Joseph ’ s two sons , Ephraim and Manasseh , who were given Jacob ’ s name .
The next verse shows that the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh will go into captivity !
And what people does the Bible prophesy will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not the only powers identified in your Bible .
Several scriptures talk about a European power .
Revelation 17 , for example , talks of a beast—a symbol in Bible prophecy for an empire .
This empire is controlled by a woman—which symbolizes a church .
The beast has “ seven heads , ” which represent seven kings ( Revelation 17:10 ) .
The chapter goes on to show that this beast rises and falls seven times .
Where can you find an empire , led by a church , that rises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only be referring to the Holy Roman Empire : the repeated attempts to resurrect the Roman Empire that were guided and controlled by the Roman Catholic Church .
Other passages show that Assyria—modern Germany—plays a major role in this power .
In Isaiah 10:5 , God says , “ O Assyrian , the rod of mine anger , and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
” And against whom does God use this rod ?
Verse 6 shows that it is against “ the people of my wrath ” —the nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have angered God with their sins .
When Mr. Armstrong was on the scene , this empire had risen and fallen six times .
We are seeing it rise before us one last time—in the form of the European Union .
Mr. Armstrong knew that the Bible said one more empire would rise .
That is why he forecast , in 1945 , that a “ European union ” would soon arise .
This is why we he knew that Britain would not be part of that union in the long run .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ new European power , not a participant .
If Mr. Armstrong ’ s Bible-based forecasts were right about Brexit , that means you can trust them to be accurate in describing what comes next : the rise of a superstate that terrorizes the world .
It may seem far-fetched .
But then so did the idea of a “ European union ” in 1945 , or Brexit in 1973 .
The Most Important Lesson You Can Learn This European superstate will have a massive impact on everyone around the world .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But that is not the most important reason why you need to understand this forecast .
Mr. Armstrong ’ s forecasts about Brexit prove that the Bible is a now book—a book that speaks to us today , a source we can rely on totally .
One third of the Bible , the inspired Word of God , is prophecy .
Daniel 4:17 says , “ [ T ] he most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.
” Fulfilled prophecy confirms this .
God forecast events like Brexit .
When they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote that this lesson—that God rules in the kingdom of men—is “ the greatest lesson mankind could possibly learn.
” God forecast the major events of our world thousands of years ago .
He reveals this truth to the man He is using .
This is what we must take away from these successful Brexit forecasts .
But to really grasp this lesson , you can not just take our word for it that the Bible prophesies Britain ’ s break from the EU .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have never read them , request our free books The United States and Britain in Prophecy and Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast ?
In the former , Mr. Armstrong wrote that the identity of Britain and America in Bible prophecy is “ the strongest proof of the inspiration and authority of the Holy Bible !
It is , at the same time , the strongest proof of the very active existence of the living God !
” “ This book will open , to open minds , this hitherto closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he wrote .
“ No story of fiction ever was so strange , so fascinating , so absorbing , so packed with interest and suspense , as this gripping story of our identity—and our ancestry.
” This “ active existence of the living God ” was on vivid display throughout the Brexit process .
That is why it is critical you understand it .

The UK leaving the European Union was foretold in the Bible! What does this source of advance news say will follow?
At 11 p.m. on January 31, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union. For those in the UK, it was a cause for celebration or commiseration, depending on your view.
But this date is also of huge importance for everyone everywhere. This one event teaches the most important lesson anyone can learn.
Britain’s decision to leave the European Union was one of the biggest news stories of the decade. It caught even its most passionate supporters by surprise. Brexit advocate Nigel Farage finished the day of the referendum—June 23, 2016—believing his cause had lost.
Even after the referendum passed, Farage and fellow euroskeptics had more battles to fight. Opposition to implementation put up barrier after barrier, and the cause still looked hopeless. But on January 31 this year, Britain finally left the European Union.
This event that surprised so many did not surprise Trumpet readers.
Consistent Forecasts
Herbert W. Armstrong spent decades warning about world events based on Bible prophecy. He consistently said Britain would not be in a soon-coming European superstate.
In 1945, broadcasting as World War ii ended, Mr. Armstrong predicted that Germany would rise again within “a European union.” As this union took shape, and some talked of Britain joining, he wrote in 1956, “Germany is the economic and military heart of Europe. Probably Germany will lead and dominate the coming United States of Europe. But Britain will be no part of it!”
When Britain joined in 1973, he forecast that they would regret it, writing, “Britain is going to look back on Monday, Jan. 1, 1973, in all probability, as a most tragically historic date—a date fraught with ominous potentialities! For that date marked the United Kingdom’s entry into the European Community.”
Over a decade after Britain joined the Common Market, Mr. Armstrong continued to forecast that it would not be part of this European superpower. “[T]he soon-coming resurrected ‘Holy Roman Empire’—a sort of soon-coming ‘United States of Europe’—a union of 10 nations [will] rise up out of or following the Common Market of today (Revelation 17),” he wrote in 1985 in Mystery of the Ages, published less than a year before he died. “Britain will not be in that empire soon to come.”
The Trumpet has consistently proclaimed the same message. “We have … said for many years Britain would not be a part of the final European Union,” wrote Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in 2012.
But where is Britain going now? What will its relationship with Europe be? Britain is out, but so much of its future remains to be decided.
Amid all this uncertainty, it makes sense to turn to the same source that forecast Britain’s exit: the Bible.
Why Britain Left
The Bible shows that the British people are descendants of the Israelite tribe of Ephraim. There is abundant proof that the British are modern-day Israelites—a book’s worth of proof, in fact. We would like to offer you a copy of that book—The United States and Britain in Prophecy, by Herbert W. Armstrong—free of charge, with no cost, obligation or follow-up.
Ancient Israel divided into two nations after the death of King Solomon. Judah was the southern nation with its capital at Jerusalem, and its people are known today as Jews. That is a truth generally acknowledged. But the northern 10 tribes were called the house of Israel. It became a completely separate nation from the Jews. In fact, the word Jews first appears in the Bible within a report about Judah fighting Israel (2 Kings 16:5-6).
From 721 to 718 b.c., the kingdom of Israel was invaded, conquered and removed from its land by the Assyrian Empire (2 Kings 17:18). Its people were deported to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (verse 6; 1 Chronicles 5:26). Meanwhile, the kingdom of Judah remained in its land for more than a century until it was later conquered and taken captive.
The Assyrians were later conquered by the Chaldean-Babylonian Empire, and then migrated north and west to Europe. Ultimately, they became modern Germany. The “lost 10 tribes” migrated northwest as well, but they migrated even farther. Some tribes settled in France, Belgium, Holland and the Scandinavian countries, where their descendants are today.
But two tribes in particular migrated even farther: Ephraim and Manasseh. The Bible prophesied that these two tribes would inherit massive national wealth (Genesis 48:14-16).
Ephraim migrated to the British Isles. Manasseh settled in the United States.
Genesis 48 prophesies that Ephraim would become a great company of nations and that Manasseh would become a great nation (verses 18-20). Genesis also specifies that these descendants of Abraham would control the world’s most strategic mountain passes, ports, canals, capes and other strategic choke points (Genesis 22:17-18).
Only two nations in history can fit God’s promises to these two tribes: the British Empire and the United States. These two peoples share a common ancestry. In the 19th and 20th centuries, both came into possession of the majority of the world’s wealth and all of its most important trade routes and sea gates. No other two nations have received these promises so abundantly.
This is just the briefest overview. The proof of this truth is abundant, and it is truly important to look into deeply, to study, and to prove for yourself. Because its implications are staggering. It opens up the meaning of a tremendous amount of biblical prophecy, showing why God was so careful to ensure those prophecies were recorded and preserved through the millennia, and showing how deeply relevant they are to our day.
Sunlit Uplands?
The fight for Brexit was hugely divisive. In an effort to stop it, the pro-EU reached a new low in politics, branding the Brexiters as racist bigots.
But with Brexit done, there is hope now that Britain can move into a glorious future. The shackles of EU membership have been removed. The bitter divisions are over.
Is this a new birth of freedom for Britain? At the Trumpet, we have certainly pointed to the flaws in Britain’s relationship with Europe. We have lamented the loss of sovereignty to Europe. So is it sunlit uplands from now on?
There certainly may be a short-term resurgence after leaving the EU behind. But when you understand Bible prophecy, you see that the future of Britain after Brexit is both far darker than any analysts believe—yet, in the long run, far more spectacular.
If you understand that the British people are called Ephraim in Bible prophecy, you will discover that the same Bible that prophesied modern Ephraim’s wealth and power also prophesies of its cataclysmic upheaval!
God prophesied that after Ephraim and Manasseh received their promised wealth and power, if they did not turn to the God who blessed them, He would remove those blessings and punish these nations with war and captivity.
Daniel 12:1 prophesies of “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” Jesus Christ called it a period of “great tribulation,” that would annihilate mankind if He didn’t intervene! (Matthew 24:21-22).
God specifies that the U.S. and Britain will receive the worst of this punishment when He says: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:7). The name Jacob refers to Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were given Jacob’s name. The next verse shows that the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh will go into captivity!
And what people does the Bible prophesy will take them into captivity?
Britain and America are not the only powers identified in your Bible. Several scriptures talk about a European power. Revelation 17, for example, talks of a beast—a symbol in Bible prophecy for an empire. This empire is controlled by a woman—which symbolizes a church. The beast has “seven heads,” which represent seven kings (Revelation 17:10). The chapter goes on to show that this beast rises and falls seven times.
Where can you find an empire, led by a church, that rises and falls throughout history? This can only be referring to the Holy Roman Empire: the repeated attempts to resurrect the Roman Empire that were guided and controlled by the Roman Catholic Church.
Other passages show that Assyria—modern Germany—plays a major role in this power.
In Isaiah 10:5, God says, “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.” And against whom does God use this rod? Verse 6 shows that it is against “the people of my wrath”—the nations of Israel, including Britain, that have angered God with their sins.
“Germany is the economic and military heart of Europe. Probably Germany will lead and dominate the coming United States of Europe. But Britain will be no part of it!” Herbert W. Armstrong, 1956
When Mr. Armstrong was on the scene, this empire had risen and fallen six times. We are seeing it rise before us one last time—in the form of the European Union. Mr. Armstrong knew that the Bible said one more empire would rise. That is why he forecast, in 1945, that a “European union” would soon arise.
This is why we he knew that Britain would not be part of that union in the long run. It will be a victim of this new European power, not a participant.
If Mr. Armstrong’s Bible-based forecasts were right about Brexit, that means you can trust them to be accurate in describing what comes next: the rise of a superstate that terrorizes the world. It may seem far-fetched. But then so did the idea of a “European union” in 1945, or Brexit in 1973.
The Most Important Lesson You Can Learn
This European superstate will have a massive impact on everyone around the world. It is critical that we know it is coming. But that is not the most important reason why you need to understand this forecast.
Mr. Armstrong’s forecasts about Brexit prove that the Bible is a now book—a book that speaks to us today, a source we can rely on totally. One third of the Bible, the inspired Word of God, is prophecy.
Daniel 4:17 says, “[T]he most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.” Fulfilled prophecy confirms this. God forecast events like Brexit. When they are fulfilled, they demonstrate His power. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote that this lesson—that God rules in the kingdom of men—is “the greatest lesson mankind could possibly learn.”
God forecast the major events of our world thousands of years ago. He reveals this truth to the man He is using. This is what we must take away from these successful Brexit forecasts.
But to really grasp this lesson, you cannot just take our word for it that the Bible prophesies Britain’s break from the EU. You must prove it for yourself. If you have never read them, request our free books The United States and Britain in Prophecy and Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?
In the former, Mr. Armstrong wrote that the identity of Britain and America in Bible prophecy is “the strongest proof of the inspiration and authority of the Holy Bible! It is, at the same time, the strongest proof of the very active existence of the living God!”
“This book will open, to open minds, this hitherto closed vital third of all the Bible,” he wrote. “No story of fiction ever was so strange, so fascinating, so absorbing, so packed with interest and suspense, as this gripping story of our identity—and our ancestry.”
This “active existence of the living God” was on vivid display throughout the Brexit process. That is why it is critical you understand it.


thetrumpet--2020-03-16--Missile Barrage In Iraq Kills Two Americans and One British Soldier

Iranian-backed militias have yet again crossed United States President Donald Trump ’ s redline .
Two Americans and one British soldier were killed when a barrage of 15 Katyusha rockets hit the Taji military base a few miles north of Baghdad .
Several other coalition personnel were injured , according to Fox News when the rockets crashed into the military base at 7:52 local time on Wednesday evening .
The deaths bring the number of Americans killed in Iraq this week up to four , as two U.S. marines were killed fighting the Islamic State earlier in the week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. conducted air strikes against Kataib Hezbollah , an Iran-backed militia .
The U.S. strikes hit four targets , according to Al Jazeera , from which injuries have been reported , but no fatalities have been confirmed .
The Pentagon said the U.S. struck “ weapons-storage facilities … used to target U.S. troops ” in what it called “ defensive precision strikes.
” United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab supported the joint U.S.-Britain air strikes , calling them a “ proportionate ” response .
According to the Jerusalem Post , Wednesday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over it .
Seth Frantzman claimed , “ [ The Islamic State ] does not have the capability to fire so many rockets .
The rocket attack is similar to an attack in December … carried out [ by ] Kataib Hezbollah , a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq.
” Following the U.S. reprisal attack on Thursday , Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi warned President Trump against taking “ dangerous actions ” and to instead “ reconsider the presence and behavior of his troops in the area , ” urging America to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the events since Wednesday ’ s attack have paralleled those from 11 weeks ago .
On December 27 , Kataib Hezbollah launched 30 rockets at the K-1 military base in northern Iraq , killing an American contractor .
In response , American F-15E jet fighters struck five Kataib Hezbollah targets on December 29 , killing 25 members of the militia and , on January 3 , assassinated Brig .
Gen. Qassem Suleimani , head of Iran ’ s Quds Force , and Abu al-Muhandis , head of Kataib Hezbollah .
President Trump showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did again this week .
As Trumpet Jerusalem correspondent Brent Nagtegaal brought out in “ After Suleimani , ” the Iranian regime has experienced a temporary chastening .
Nagtegaal explained : Iran responded to Suleimani ’ s assassination by launching more than a dozen precision-guided munitions at an Iraqi base housing American soldiers .
However , the missiles were not aimed at the American side of the base .
While no American casualties were reported , Tehran told its people that more than 80 Americans were killed in the attack .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack intended to deescalate the situation .
Ever since , there has been relative “ peace ” between the U.S. and Iran—until Wednesday ’ s rocket barrage .
Nagtegaal also explained how events will eventually lead to a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq .
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said , “ This kind of [ Iranian ] attack is not enough .
The U.S. must be uprooted from the region.
” Despite its temporary chastening , the Iranian regime ’ s quest for domination lives on .
It will keep pushing its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by continuing to exceed limitations on its nuclear program or by working to drive America out of Iraq and the Middle East as a whole .
America ’ s retreat has been a long-standing Trumpet forecast .
Since 1992 , Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has said Iran would take over Iraq .
Trumpet articles since November 2001 have predicted that America will lose its war on terror .
In June 2003 , Mr .
Flurry wrote , “ It may seem shocking , given the U.S. presence in the region now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its goal , Iran will probably take over Iraq.
” In his January 2018 article “ America ’ s Greatest Defeat—Iran ’ s Victory , ” he wrote , “ America may have helped drive the Islamic State out of Iraq and Syria—but now America is about to be driven out of Iraq and Syria by Iran !
” Since then , we have seen Iran become the victors over the U.S. in holding stock in the post-Saddam Iraq .
In The King of the South ( free upon request ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working through standard political and diplomatic channels to position itself to be able to hold stock in the new Iraq , working with the Iraqi government , cementing economic ties , and exploiting other diplomatic channels.
” Ever since Saddam Hussein was ousted , Iran has worked feverishly to infiltrate the Iraqi government .
Nearly 17 years later , Iran ’ s control has become so substantial that months of protests , international condemnation , and U.S. air strikes and drone strikes can ’ t pry Iraq from Iran ’ s grip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pro-Iran Fatah Alliance coalition , made up of Iranian-backed , U.S.-designated terrorists , won the second-highest number of seats in the Iraqi parliament .
Iran had made it inside the government .
In December 2018 , President Trump announced his desire to withdraw the 2,000 troops currently in Syria , saying on Twitter , “ After historic victories against [ the Islamic State ] , it ’ s time to bring our great young people home !
” Mr. Trump wanted to become less active in the Middle East .
In March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-day visit to Baghdad and signed agreements aimed at cementing the alliance between Iran and Iraq .
Meanwhile in Iran , Khamenei awarded Suleimani with the prestigious Order of Zulfaqar , the only one awarded since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 , for conquering Iraq .
Then , after the tumultuous events earlier this year , President Trump on January 31 called on nato to become more active in the Middle East , with the end goal of the U.S. being less involved .
He has even tried to form an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anti-Iran alliance to patrol and safeguard the Middle East without American intervention .
Iran is continuing its policy to drive the U.S. out of the Middle East , and the U.S. is in retreat .
On January 5 , the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of foreign troops , including U.S. troops .
Though the parliament does not have the authority to oust U.S. forces , the enactment is a symbol that Iraq , controlled by Iran , wants America out .
A prophecy in Daniel 11:40 describes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East—but the U.S. is not listed as a major actor !
It reads : “ And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him : and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind , with chariots , and with horsemen , and with many ships ; and he shall enter into the countries , and shall overflow and pass over.
” Mr .
Flurry has identified these players : radical Islamic extremism , led by Iran , is the king @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German-led European military superpower is the king of the north .
This prophecy says that Iran will push against Europe , forcing it to retaliate in a military whirlwind attack .
Iran will be conquered by Europe , but according to this prophecy , the United States will not be involved .
There is a reason why .
America has lost the pride of its power ; it has lost its will to fight .
For more information , read “ After Suleimani ” and Gerald Flurry ’ s “ America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Iranian-backed militias have yet again crossed United States President Donald Trump’s redline. Two Americans and one British soldier were killed when a barrage of 15 Katyusha rockets hit the Taji military base a few miles north of Baghdad. Several other coalition personnel were injured, according to Fox News when the rockets crashed into the military base at 7:52 local time on Wednesday evening.
The deaths bring the number of Americans killed in Iraq this week up to four, as two U.S. marines were killed fighting the Islamic State earlier in the week.
After the Wednesday missile barrage, the U.S. conducted air strikes against Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia. The U.S. strikes hit four targets, according to Al Jazeera, from which injuries have been reported, but no fatalities have been confirmed.
The Pentagon said the U.S. struck “weapons-storage facilities … used to target U.S. troops” in what it called “defensive precision strikes.” United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab supported the joint U.S.-Britain air strikes, calling them a “proportionate” response.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Wednesday’s attack has Kataib Hezbollah’s fingerprints all over it. Seth Frantzman claimed, “[The Islamic State] does not have the capability to fire so many rockets. The rocket attack is similar to an attack in December … carried out [by] Kataib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq.”
Following the U.S. reprisal attack on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi warned President Trump against taking “dangerous actions” and to instead “reconsider the presence and behavior of his troops in the area,” urging America to leave Iraq.
In many ways, the events since Wednesday’s attack have paralleled those from 11 weeks ago.
On December 27, Kataib Hezbollah launched 30 rockets at the K-1 military base in northern Iraq, killing an American contractor. In response, American F-15E jet fighters struck five Kataib Hezbollah targets on December 29, killing 25 members of the militia and, on January 3, assassinated Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu al-Muhandis, head of Kataib Hezbollah.
President Trump showed Iran his willingness to act, as he did again this week. As Trumpet Jerusalem correspondent Brent Nagtegaal brought out in “After Suleimani,” the Iranian regime has experienced a temporary chastening. Nagtegaal explained:
President Trump’s action temporarily restored U.S. deterrence against Iranian attacks. That doesn’t mean Iran won’t still engage in skirmishes against U.S. interests …. Suleimani is dead, but the Iranian regime and Iranian terrorism live on, as does Iran’s quest for dominance.
Iran responded to Suleimani’s assassination by launching more than a dozen precision-guided munitions at an Iraqi base housing American soldiers. However, the missiles were not aimed at the American side of the base. While no American casualties were reported, Tehran told its people that more than 80 Americans were killed in the attack. It was a symbolic, “face-saving” attack intended to deescalate the situation. Ever since, there has been relative “peace” between the U.S. and Iran—until Wednesday’s rocket barrage.
Nagtegaal also explained how events will eventually lead to a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “This kind of [Iranian] attack is not enough. The U.S. must be uprooted from the region.” Despite its temporary chastening, the Iranian regime’s quest for domination lives on. It will keep pushing its agenda throughout the Middle East, whether by continuing to exceed limitations on its nuclear program or by working to drive America out of Iraq and the Middle East as a whole.
America’s retreat has been a long-standing Trumpet forecast. Since 1992, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has said Iran would take over Iraq. Trumpet articles since November 2001 have predicted that America will lose its war on terror. In June 2003, Mr. Flurry wrote, “It may seem shocking, given the U.S. presence in the region now, but prophecy indicates that in pursuit of its goal, Iran will probably take over Iraq.”
In his January 2018 article “America’s Greatest Defeat—Iran’s Victory,” he wrote, “America may have helped drive the Islamic State out of Iraq and Syria—but now America is about to be driven out of Iraq and Syria by Iran!”
Since then, we have seen Iran become the victors over the U.S. in holding stock in the post-Saddam Iraq. In The King of the South (free upon request), Mr. Flurry writes, “Iran is working through standard political and diplomatic channels to position itself to be able to hold stock in the new Iraq, working with the Iraqi government, cementing economic ties, and exploiting other diplomatic channels.”
Ever since Saddam Hussein was ousted, Iran has worked feverishly to infiltrate the Iraqi government. Nearly 17 years later, Iran’s control has become so substantial that months of protests, international condemnation, and U.S. air strikes and drone strikes can’t pry Iraq from Iran’s grip.
In the May 2018 elections, the pro-Iran Fatah Alliance coalition, made up of Iranian-backed, U.S.-designated terrorists, won the second-highest number of seats in the Iraqi parliament. Iran had made it inside the government.
In December 2018, President Trump announced his desire to withdraw the 2,000 troops currently in Syria, saying on Twitter, “After historic victories against [the Islamic State], it’s time to bring our great young people home!” Mr. Trump wanted to become less active in the Middle East.
In March 2019, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani conducted a three-day visit to Baghdad and signed agreements aimed at cementing the alliance between Iran and Iraq. Meanwhile in Iran, Khamenei awarded Suleimani with the prestigious Order of Zulfaqar, the only one awarded since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, for conquering Iraq.
Then, after the tumultuous events earlier this year, President Trump on January 31 called on nato to become more active in the Middle East, with the end goal of the U.S. being less involved. He has even tried to form an “Arab nato” in hopes of forming an anti-Iran alliance to patrol and safeguard the Middle East without American intervention.
Iran is continuing its policy to drive the U.S. out of the Middle East, and the U.S. is in retreat. On January 5, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of foreign troops, including U.S. troops. Though the parliament does not have the authority to oust U.S. forces, the enactment is a symbol that Iraq, controlled by Iran, wants America out.
A prophecy in Daniel 11:40 describes an end-time clash of civilizations in the Middle East—but the U.S. is not listed as a major actor! It reads: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”
Mr. Flurry has identified these players: radical Islamic extremism, led by Iran, is the king of the south; a unified, German-led European military superpower is the king of the north. This prophecy says that Iran will push against Europe, forcing it to retaliate in a military whirlwind attack.
Iran will be conquered by Europe, but according to this prophecy, the United States will not be involved. There is a reason why. America has lost the pride of its power; it has lost its will to fight.
For more information, read “After Suleimani” and Gerald Flurry’s “America’s Greatest Defeat—Iran’s Victory.”


thetrumpet--2020-03-17--The Graveyard of Failed Geopolitical Forecasts

Predictions of future world events always fail—or do they ?
“ So many centuries after the creation , it is unlikely that anyone could find hitherto unknown lands of any value.
” That is what the head of the Spanish Royal Commission wrote in 1486 , advising King Ferdinand to reject an exploration proposal by one Christopher Columbus .
In early 1792 , British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger justified drastic cuts to the country ’ s military , saying : “ [ U ] nquestionably there never was a time in the history of this country when , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might more reasonably expect 15 years of peace , than we may at the present moment.
” In 1956 , Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev told representatives of capitalist nations : “ [ S ] ocialism will , in the long run , conquer capitalism .
Such is the logic of the historical development of mankind.
” In 1964 , he said socialism ’ s future victory over capitalism was “ as certain as the rising sun.
” These were all highly educated , well-informed , powerful individuals making earnest predictions about the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precisely wrong : an entire New World of hitherto unknown lands laid over the horizon , decades of war began mere weeks after Pitt ’ s speech , and Soviet-style socialism , at least , died about 30 years ago .
Individuals get it wrong , but so do entire modern geopolitical theories , formed , studied and believed by large numbers of the brightest minds around the world .
After the Berlin Wall fell , leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of four decades of Cold War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fukuyama famously proclaimed that the world had reached “ the end of history.
” His thesis stated that mankind had attempted all plausible types of government and a clear winner had emerged : Western liberal democracy .
It represented , Fukuyama wrote , “ the end point of mankind ’ s ideological evolution—the final form of human government.
” The West had won .
The continued spread of liberal democracy , individual freedom and popular sovereignty was inevitable .
The sun would set on authoritarianism , and the era of great powers warring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George H. W. Bush ’ s 1990 address to Congress echoed Fukuyama ’ s sentiments , hailing a future “ free from the threat of terror , stronger in the pursuit of justice , and more secure in the quest for peace.
” Mankind was entering a “ new world … quite different from the one we have known , a world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle.
” The “ end of history ” was a thrilling hypothesis , and became a near instant hit among analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military , economic and cultural power was at its zenith , the spread of republican democracy was certain , so the U.S. lost interest in the rest of the world and drifted off to sleep .
Throughout the 1990s , largely due to reduced demand , television networks and newspapers slashed foreign news coverage by two thirds .
“ Young adults cared more about the Zone Diet than the subtleties of Middle East diplomacy , ” Joseph Nye writes in The Paradox of American Power .
And many American leaders “ became arrogant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not need to heed other nations .
We seemed both invincible and invulnerable.
” Political observer Kishore Mahbubani said widespread belief in Fukuyama ’ s forecast “ did a lot of brain damage , ” and as a result , “ the West went on autopilot.
” During these “ autopilot ” days , the 9/11 terrorist attacks hit America like a bolt from the blue .
A few years later , Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia invaded the former Soviet nation of Georgia , bringing a large chunk of its territory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of its Crimean Peninsula was even more dramatic .
Many Western leaders couldn ’ t believe their eyes .
“ Russia is on the wrong side of history , ” U.S. President Barack Obama said , apparently in denial that Fukuyama ’ s forecast had failed .
“ [ I ] n the 21st century , the borders of Europe can not be redrawn with force.
” But Russia had just redrawn them .
Secretary of State John Kerry seemed equally perplexed by how “ history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it was supposed to have ended .
“ It ’ s really 19th-century behavior in the 21st century , ” he said .
Meanwhile , the Arab Spring and Ukraine ’ s Orange Revolution failed to achieve their pro-democracy aims , the Syrian civil war mutated into proxy battles between major powers , India and Pakistan locked in a nuclear standoff , Iran and Saudi Arabia engaged in proxy war in Yemen , Iranian zealots systematized their terrorist chaos , and around the world populism and authoritarianism returned with a vengeance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , retrograde , violent , ugly human history—did not end in 1989 .
“ The more we bring China into the world , ” U.S. President Bill Clinton said in 1993 , “ the more the world will bring change and freedom to China.
” His Republican successor , George W. Bush , echoed the sentiments in 1999 , saying , “ Trade freely with China , and time is on our side .
Economic freedom creates habits of liberty .
And habits of liberty create expectations of democracy.
” This forecast was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early-2000s .
Western business moguls and politicians of all stripes believed China ’ s integration into the global economy and its increasing prosperity would cause the nation to liberalize its repressive and authoritarian political ideologies .
They believed the ruling Chinese Communist Party would be forced to adopt responsible domestic and international behavior and eventually democracy .
A truly free and democratic China would benefit the whole world .
This prompted Westerners to pursue policies of engagement with China on all levels , including welcoming it into the World Trade Organization .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Los Angeles Times correspondent James Mann as the “ China fantasy.
” By 2010 , China had grown much stronger and richer , but barely freer .
Then , in 2012 , Xi Jinping became China ’ s leader and began reversing what minuscule reforms the nation had made .
Xi used China ’ s increased strength from engaging with the West to tighten the Communist Party ’ s stranglehold on the nation—and to boost his own power to staggering levels .
He clamped down on the media and silenced activists .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of dissidents , and detained more than a million Chinese citizens in concentration camps .
He nixed constitutional term limits on his rule , clearing the way for him to control China for the rest of his life .
And he made clear that in international trade , China served only the interests of the regime—viciously so .
The “ China fantasy ” foresaw the dynamics exactly wrong : Chinese integration into the international system generated greater authoritarianism , a more tightly closed political structure , and a far more vengeful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the late 2000s , as it was becoming clear that the “ China fantasy ” was collapsing and that Beijing ’ s rising power and geopolitical ambitions were cause for concern , America began looking for help in constraining the dragon it had awakened .
India ’ s military and economic power , geographic location , status as the world ’ s largest democracy and historic rivalry with China made it appear to be the perfect nation for the job .
To fashion India into a security counterweight to China , the Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology .
Arms control advocates decried the decision , but the prospect of having a strong India as a democratic bulwark to China was too enticing , so the sales proceeded .
The Obama administration continued the courtship , expanding U.S.-India trade ties and further boosting security cooperation .
Western optimism for the theory abounded .
It was perhaps best articulated by the Heritage Foundation in 2011 : “ [ T ] he complex challenge presented by a rising China will inevitably drive the U.S. and India to elevate ties and increase cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years to come.
” But in 2014 , China ’ s main partner , Russia , unlawfully annexed Crimea , and President Obama said the nations of the world were “ largely united ” in viewing the move as illegal .
And after all the Bush and Obama administrations had done to curry favor with India , the expectation was that it would back the U.S. position .
Instead , India shocked the world by joining China and supporting Russia .
In the years since , India has increasingly defied the West and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has joined the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization , it has purchased huge quantities of Russian weapons in violation of U.S. sanctions , and it has conducted a series of military exercises with Russia and China .
And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a series of milestone personal meetings with Putin and Xi , which the Diplomat called a signal of “ monumental change with regard to the post-Cold War status quo.
” With each of these purchases , war drills and meetings , it becomes clearer that the India counterweight theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the Beginning ’ Myriad other hypotheses , theories and models predicting the future of world events have come into vogue in recent decades : Moral Consensus theory , Oil Imperialism , Voluntary Unificationism , the Import Substitution Industrialization theory , Neo-Ottomanism and Islamic Democracy theory , the Democratic Peace theory , the Russian Reset , Structural Adjustment and the list goes on .
All have been subsequently discredited by the course of actual events , and have been buried in the graveyard of failed geopolitical forecasts .
Even mankind ’ s best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the course of global affairs .
But there is someone who reliably reveals what is coming .
Isaiah 46:9-10 quote the Creator God making an extraordinary statement : “ … I am God , and there is none like me , Declaring the end from the beginning , and from ancient times the things that are not yet done , saying , My counsel shall stand , and I will do all my pleasure.
” Unlike men whose prognostications usually age like milk , God knows precisely what is on the horizon in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then thousands of years later bring it to pass .
And in His instruction manual for mankind , the Holy Bible , He offers a remarkable amount of detail regarding specific nations in the modern day and how they will interact with each other .
He gives a guide to end-time international relations .
A student of Bible prophecy would never have bought into the India counterweight forecast because Ezekiel 38 , using ancient names for modern India , says the nation would ultimately partner not with the U.S. , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Is India in the Bible ?
” ) Neither would a prophecy student have believed the “ China fantasy , ” because Luke 21 reveals that during the “ times of the Gentiles ” —the end-time era when China and other non-Israelite nations dominate global affairs— “ men ’ s hearts ” will be “ failing them for fear.
” This is not a nation whose rise should have ever been hastened and celebrated .
( See Gerald Flurry ’ s article “ The Climax of Man ’ s Rule Over Man.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have avoided being lulled to sleep by “ the end of history.
” Numerous Bible passages forecast a third world war that will be fought with nuclear weapons and make all mankind ’ s previous wars look like playground skirmishes .
Matthew 24:21-22 state : “ For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began .
And it will never be so great again .
In fact , unless that time of calamity is shortened , not a single person will survive ” ( New Living Translation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far the bloodiest chapter in mankind ’ s history , and in the lead-up to it , major historic events such as 9/11 and Crimea should not catch us unawares .
( Request a free copy of Mr.
Flurry ’ s booklet Nuclear Armageddon Is ‘ At the Door ’ ) A study of the Bible shows that one third of it is prophecy .
Around 90 percent of those prophecies concern our modern age .
Tomorrow ’ s news—about the U.S. , Britain and Israel , the nations of Europe , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and India—has already been written !
These prophecies are inspired by the omniscient God , and their accuracy is stunning .
Numerous specific prophecies have already come to pass , proving both the existence of the Almighty God and that the Bible was divinely inspired .
And these fulfilled prophecies should give us faith in the accuracy of the forecasts that have not yet happened .
The language of Scripture sometimes sounds archaic to the modern ear , and the symbolism in prophecy is sometimes obscure .
Even many people who believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think prophecy is so coded and mysterious that it can not be comprehended .
But prophecy can be understood .
You can know when the “ last days ” are , and who “ Rosh ” and “ Magog ” and “ Cush ” and “ Assyria ” and “ Ephraim ” and “ Manasseh ” are .
That is why these prophecies have been recorded in the first place .
That is why they have been miraculously preserved for thousands of years .
The God of the Holy Bible keeps His promises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a God who follows through .
“ God is the originator of prophecy , ” writes Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in his booklet Daniel Unlocks Revelation .
“ The Father has a deep prophetic understanding that no other being has.
” Mr .
Flurry goes on to explain that when we study prophecy , we must honor the Father who originates and reveals it .
We must remember that all the prophesied geopolitical events mainly point to God ’ s love , to the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of no profit if it doesn ’ t have God ’ s love !
” he wrote .
“ Without love , understanding all the prophecy in the world means nothing .
… Christ is going to come and rule forever !
That ’ s what we need to get excited about most of all … .
Our focus must be on knowing God … .
”

Predictions of future world events always fail—or do they?
“So many centuries after the creation, it is unlikely that anyone could find hitherto unknown lands of any value.” That is what the head of the Spanish Royal Commission wrote in 1486, advising King Ferdinand to reject an exploration proposal by one Christopher Columbus.
In early 1792, British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger justified drastic cuts to the country’s military, saying: “[U]nquestionably there never was a time in the history of this country when, from the situation of Europe, we might more reasonably expect 15 years of peace, than we may at the present moment.”
In 1956, Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev told representatives of capitalist nations: “[S]ocialism will, in the long run, conquer capitalism. Such is the logic of the historical development of mankind.” In 1964, he said socialism’s future victory over capitalism was “as certain as the rising sun.”
These were all highly educated, well-informed, powerful individuals making earnest predictions about the way global affairs would play out—and getting it precisely wrong: an entire New World of hitherto unknown lands laid over the horizon, decades of war began mere weeks after Pitt’s speech, and Soviet-style socialism, at least, died about 30 years ago.
Individuals get it wrong, but so do entire modern geopolitical theories, formed, studied and believed by large numbers of the brightest minds around the world.
‘The End of History’
After the Berlin Wall fell, leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of four decades of Cold War, United States State Department official Francis Fukuyama famously proclaimed that the world had reached “the end of history.” His thesis stated that mankind had attempted all plausible types of government and a clear winner had emerged: Western liberal democracy. It represented, Fukuyama wrote, “the end point of mankind’s ideological evolution—the final form of human government.”
The West had won. The continued spread of liberal democracy, individual freedom and popular sovereignty was inevitable. The sun would set on authoritarianism, and the era of great powers warring against each other was over.
President George H. W. Bush’s 1990 address to Congress echoed Fukuyama’s sentiments, hailing a future “free from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace.” Mankind was entering a “new world … quite different from the one we have known, a world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle.”
The “end of history” was a thrilling hypothesis, and became a near instant hit among analysts and policymakers across the West.
Germans break through the Berlin Wall on Nov. 11, 1989. Patrick Piel/Getty Images
U.S. military, economic and cultural power was at its zenith, the spread of republican democracy was certain, so the U.S. lost interest in the rest of the world and drifted off to sleep. Throughout the 1990s, largely due to reduced demand, television networks and newspapers slashed foreign news coverage by two thirds. “Young adults cared more about the Zone Diet than the subtleties of Middle East diplomacy,” Joseph Nye writes in The Paradox of American Power. And many American leaders “became arrogant about our power, arguing that we did not need to heed other nations. We seemed both invincible and invulnerable.”
Political observer Kishore Mahbubani said widespread belief in Fukuyama’s forecast “did a lot of brain damage,” and as a result, “the West went on autopilot.”
During these “autopilot” days, the 9/11 terrorist attacks hit America like a bolt from the blue. A few years later, Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded the former Soviet nation of Georgia, bringing a large chunk of its territory back under Moscow’s control. His 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of its Crimean Peninsula was even more dramatic.
Many Western leaders couldn’t believe their eyes. “Russia is on the wrong side of history,” U.S. President Barack Obama said, apparently in denial that Fukuyama’s forecast had failed. “[I]n the 21st century, the borders of Europe cannot be redrawn with force.”
But Russia had just redrawn them. Secretary of State John Kerry seemed equally perplexed by how “history” could be happening in an age when it was supposed to have ended. “It’s really 19th-century behavior in the 21st century,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Arab Spring and Ukraine’s Orange Revolution failed to achieve their pro-democracy aims, the Syrian civil war mutated into proxy battles between major powers, India and Pakistan locked in a nuclear standoff, Iran and Saudi Arabia engaged in proxy war in Yemen, Iranian zealots systematized their terrorist chaos, and around the world populism and authoritarianism returned with a vengeance.
It turned out that history—tangled, unjust, retrograde, violent, ugly human history—did not end in 1989.
The ‘China Fantasy’
“The more we bring China into the world,” U.S. President Bill Clinton said in 1993, “the more the world will bring change and freedom to China.” His Republican successor, George W. Bush, echoed the sentiments in 1999, saying, “Trade freely with China, and time is on our side. Economic freedom creates habits of liberty. And habits of liberty create expectations of democracy.”
This forecast was popular throughout the 1990s and into the early-2000s. Western business moguls and politicians of all stripes believed China’s integration into the global economy and its increasing prosperity would cause the nation to liberalize its repressive and authoritarian political ideologies. They believed the ruling Chinese Communist Party would be forced to adopt responsible domestic and international behavior and eventually democracy. A truly free and democratic China would benefit the whole world. This prompted Westerners to pursue policies of engagement with China on all levels, including welcoming it into the World Trade Organization.
Chinese Vice President Xi welcomes U.S. President Bush to Beijing in 2008. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images,
The West’s near-universal optimism was identified by Los Angeles Times correspondent James Mann as the “China fantasy.”
By 2010, China had grown much stronger and richer, but barely freer. Then, in 2012, Xi Jinping became China’s leader and began reversing what minuscule reforms the nation had made.
Xi used China’s increased strength from engaging with the West to tighten the Communist Party’s stranglehold on the nation—and to boost his own power to staggering levels. He clamped down on the media and silenced activists. He disappeared hundreds of human-rights lawyers and thousands of dissidents, and detained more than a million Chinese citizens in concentration camps. He nixed constitutional term limits on his rule, clearing the way for him to control China for the rest of his life. And he made clear that in international trade, China served only the interests of the regime—viciously so.
The “China fantasy” foresaw the dynamics exactly wrong: Chinese integration into the international system generated greater authoritarianism, a more tightly closed political structure, and a far more vengeful and powerful enemy of the West.
The ‘India Counterweight’
In the late 2000s, as it was becoming clear that the “China fantasy” was collapsing and that Beijing’s rising power and geopolitical ambitions were cause for concern, America began looking for help in constraining the dragon it had awakened. India’s military and economic power, geographic location, status as the world’s largest democracy and historic rivalry with China made it appear to be the perfect nation for the job.
Putin, Modi and Xi gather for a trilateral meeting. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
To fashion India into a security counterweight to China, the Bush administration began selling the nation prized nuclear technology. Arms control advocates decried the decision, but the prospect of having a strong India as a democratic bulwark to China was too enticing, so the sales proceeded. The Obama administration continued the courtship, expanding U.S.-India trade ties and further boosting security cooperation.
Western optimism for the theory abounded. It was perhaps best articulated by the Heritage Foundation in 2011: “[T]he complex challenge presented by a rising China will inevitably drive the U.S. and India to elevate ties and increase cooperation across a broad range of sectors in years to come.”
But in 2014, China’s main partner, Russia, unlawfully annexed Crimea, and President Obama said the nations of the world were “largely united” in viewing the move as illegal. And after all the Bush and Obama administrations had done to curry favor with India, the expectation was that it would back the U.S. position.
Instead, India shocked the world by joining China and supporting Russia.
In the years since, India has increasingly defied the West and leaned toward the Russia-China axis: It has joined the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has purchased huge quantities of Russian weapons in violation of U.S. sanctions, and it has conducted a series of military exercises with Russia and China. And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a series of milestone personal meetings with Putin and Xi, which the Diplomat called a signal of “monumental change with regard to the post-Cold War status quo.”
With each of these purchases, war drills and meetings, it becomes clearer that the India counterweight theory has sunk.
‘Declaring the End From the Beginning’
Myriad other hypotheses, theories and models predicting the future of world events have come into vogue in recent decades: Moral Consensus theory, Oil Imperialism, Voluntary Unificationism, the Import Substitution Industrialization theory, Neo-Ottomanism and Islamic Democracy theory, the Democratic Peace theory, the Russian Reset, Structural Adjustment and the list goes on.
All have been subsequently discredited by the course of actual events, and have been buried in the graveyard of failed geopolitical forecasts. Even mankind’s best and brightest minds consistently fail to foretell the course of global affairs.
But there is someone who reliably reveals what is coming.
Isaiah 46:9-10 quote the Creator God making an extraordinary statement: “… I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
Unlike men whose prognostications usually age like milk, God knows precisely what is on the horizon in global affairs. He can say something, and then thousands of years later bring it to pass. And in His instruction manual for mankind, the Holy Bible, He offers a remarkable amount of detail regarding specific nations in the modern day and how they will interact with each other. He gives a guide to end-time international relations.
A student of Bible prophecy would never have bought into the India counterweight forecast because Ezekiel 38, using ancient names for modern India, says the nation would ultimately partner not with the U.S., but with Russia and China. (Read “Is India in the Bible?”)
Neither would a prophecy student have believed the “China fantasy,” because Luke 21 reveals that during the “times of the Gentiles”—the end-time era when China and other non-Israelite nations dominate global affairs—“men’s hearts” will be “failing them for fear.” This is not a nation whose rise should have ever been hastened and celebrated. (See Gerald Flurry’s article “The Climax of Man’s Rule Over Man.”)
A Bible prophecy reader would also have avoided being lulled to sleep by “the end of history.” Numerous Bible passages forecast a third world war that will be fought with nuclear weapons and make all mankind’s previous wars look like playground skirmishes. Matthew 24:21-22 state: “For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive” (New Living Translation). This war will be by far the bloodiest chapter in mankind’s history, and in the lead-up to it, major historic events such as 9/11 and Crimea should not catch us unawares. (Request a free copy of Mr. Flurry’s booklet Nuclear Armageddon Is ‘At the Door’)
A study of the Bible shows that one third of it is prophecy. Around 90 percent of those prophecies concern our modern age. Tomorrow’s news—about the U.S., Britain and Israel, the nations of Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, China and India—has already been written!
These prophecies are inspired by the omniscient God, and their accuracy is stunning. Numerous specific prophecies have already come to pass, proving both the existence of the Almighty God and that the Bible was divinely inspired. And these fulfilled prophecies should give us faith in the accuracy of the forecasts that have not yet happened.
The language of Scripture sometimes sounds archaic to the modern ear, and the symbolism in prophecy is sometimes obscure. Even many people who believe that the Bible is God’s Word think prophecy is so coded and mysterious that it cannot be comprehended.
But prophecy can be understood. You can know when the “last days” are, and who “Rosh” and “Magog” and “Cush” and “Assyria” and “Ephraim” and “Manasseh” are. That is why these prophecies have been recorded in the first place. That is why they have been miraculously preserved for thousands of years.
The God of the Holy Bible keeps His promises, including His prophecies. He is a God who follows through. “God is the originator of prophecy,” writes Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in his booklet Daniel Unlocks Revelation. “The Father has a deep prophetic understanding that no other being has.”
Mr. Flurry goes on to explain that when we study prophecy, we must honor the Father who originates and reveals it. We must remember that all the prophesied geopolitical events mainly point to God’s love, to the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ and to the God Family. “Prophecy is of no profit if it doesn’t have God’s love!” he wrote. “Without love, understanding all the prophecy in the world means nothing. … Christ is going to come and rule forever! That’s what we need to get excited about most of all …. Our focus must be on knowing God ….”