His Name is "Maher Shalal Hash Baz"

I'm reading Isaiah now.  I realized after an intense foray into eschatology (study of end-time prophecy) that having an increased understanding of prophecy is an open door for me to re-read the prophets and discern more of God's word.

 

As a matter of fact, I feel a desperate need to read and understand as quickly as possible because the time is short and there is much to do.

 

Today I was reading Isaiah 8: Then the LORD said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey.

 

Isaiah was so impressed by these words that they became the name of his next son - Maher Shalal Hash Baz.  (Talk about opening the door for witnessing!  Try naming your kid Maher Shalal Hash Baz and let me know how it works out.  I guess the poor boy would get a lot of chances to explain the prophecy right before he got beat up.)

 

I can imagine the prophet and prophetess telling people about their cute baby - "his name is swift the booty speedy the prey" - with their fiery prophet gaze.

 

Whoa where is this conversation headed? Well I'll tell you where.

 

"...for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

(Isaiah 8:11-15 NASB)

 

One principle in the Bible is the testimony of two witnesses, which are required to pronounce judgement.  In this case the two witnesses are Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the prophet. The law and the prophet - this might sound familiar if you read my earlier post (Two Witnesses at the End of Days).  The wrath of God is immediately preceded by the testimony of two witnesses.

 

The testimony also serves as a sort of contract to prove that God is faithful and His judgments are true.  God's judgment is conditioned upon the people's response to the testimony.  Repentance will always turn away God's wrath.  This is why the LORD has delayed His final judgment on creation.  This is why the "apostacy must come first" - the people must become so hardened that repentance is impossible.  Notice the response in Isaiah 8:

They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness. (Isaiah 8:21-22 NASB)

 

This is a prophetic reference to the final judgment, as in Revelation 9:

 

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (Rev 9:21-22 NASB) 

 

Finally...

 

Satan has had plenty of antichrists ready for the final conflict, but God has always had a people who would repent and pray for God's mercy; thus the final wrath has been withheld even until now.  It is when God's people are finally "taken out of the way" then "...that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming." (II Thessalonians 2:7-8 NASB)

 

There may yet be time to delay God's wrath, but the answer won't come through politics or economic genius or military might.  It will come only

 

"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways" (II Chronicles 7:14 NASB).

 

Remember,

 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (II Peter 2:9 NASB)

The Final Apostasy

At church this morning our interim pastor followed one of his deep theological bunny trails into the book of Romans and landed on chapter 1, wherein Paul describes the process of falling from the grace of God.

I memorized about half the book of Romans about 40 years ago and if you ever memorized that much scripture you might know that I have recited the first chapter of Romans in my mind more than any other scriptures, just to keep those memorized verses from slipping into the dust bin of my distant memories.

At any rate, I was inspired to tie these verses starting with Romans 1:18 to scriptures I have been studying most recently in the second letter of Paul to the church in Thessalonica.  Specifically,

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

I wondered if the apostasy to which Paul referred here would look like the process he described in the first chapter of Romans.  When I got home I got this confirmation from research of the Greek text on the Bible Hub web site.

Apokalyptetai gar orge theo ap ouranou... (Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven...)

After studying prophecy so intensely, I am starting to recognize prophetic language I didn't see before.  The first word of this section of Romans is the same Greek word as the beginning of the book of Revelation (Apokalypsis).

So there are two ways of reading this section of Romans, one in a historical sense, in which the wrath of God revealed from heaven could be seen in the sun, a lake of fire hotter and larger than anything one could imagine on earth, perhaps like the one that awaits the devil and his followers.

The other is in a prophetic sense; Romans 1 describes the apostasy that is to come before the antichrist is revealed at the end of time.  OF COURSE, where else in the Bible is the wrath of God coming down from heaven to punish the ungodly?  I NEVER SAW THIS BEFORE!

We have refused to honor God or give thanks, we have become futile in our speculation, we have accepted a form of earth-worship in place of God, we have accepted and embraced unnatural sexual behavior and are plunging headlong into a state of societal depravity which can only be paralleled by Rome at its worst or by Sodom and Gomorrah.  As I recall both of those eras ended in flames.

When the times of the Gentiles come to full fruition, God will suspend His wrath one final time(Rev 7:3) to fulfill His promise to the descendants of Jacob.

Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:22)

The elect are those predestined for salvation from the tribes of Israel, who will finally see and embrace their Messiah:

...and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”
“THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”
(Romans 11:26-27)

I am excited to see these prophecies fulfilled, but as I said before, we Gentiles will be watching the final act from heaven.  Oh! What a glorious day!

Searching for the Lost Ark?

I think I found the lost Ark of the Covenant!  It's in Revelation 11:19:

And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

So the Ark of the Covenant is in the temple of God in heaven.  It figures.  When the veil of the temple in Jerusalem was torn from top to bottom, is it possible that God himself left the temple with the Ark in His hands?

It would be just like those faithless chief priests to keep it a secret for another 40 years:

"Hey you know that Ark thing?  Well, we sort-of lost it around the time we crucified that Troublemaker.  Maybe some looters took it during that earthquake, you know?  Anyway we figured you folks wouldn't miss it since only the chief priest sees it once a year.  It's really not that important anyway since you folks just come here to offer your sacrifices and give us some really nice steak and lamb chops."

I supposed the priests had another veil made, just to cover the empty room that used to be the Holy of Holies.  The symbolism of the Jews continuing their religion after the presence of God had departed is bitterly similar to a church "having a form of godliness but denying its power".

Last night I had this convicting thought - would I continue to live like a Christian on the outside when God had departed on the inside?  Sometimes it feels that way.  So I prayed this way:

Father, take me to your temple in heaven.  Burn your testimony into my heart and soul.  Fill me with your presence even as your temple is filled.  Let my life have the sweet smell of incense from your altar!  I don't want to live without your awe inspiring presence; fill me with your Holy Spirit once again!

In the name of Jesus, so let it be.

The Mark of the Beast and the Seal of the Living God

The Mark of the Beast introduced in Revelation 13 has always fascinated people who study apocalyptic prophecy.  Most discussions of this topic tend to focus on that number, that 666 thing you know.  Everybody seems to know that the number 666 is associated with evil, whether they study prophecy or have never even heard of the Bible.

The number 666 impressed on your hand or forehead could look a lot like the imprint of chains.  This is an awesome and disturbing thought, that the mark of the beast could be the imprisonment that he imposes on your thoughts (forehead) and actions (hand) when you are enslaved to sin.  Jesus said he who commits sin is a slave of sin (John 8:34).  This has application to all times, not just the end times.  If that applies to you, Jesus Christ can break those chains and set you free.  I know because He did it for me!

What I would like to focus on in this post is the meaning and implications of a mark on the forehead and right hand.  Let me take you through a few verses that illustrate what these signs represent, starting with the seal of God.

The seal of the living God

And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." (Revelation 7:2-3)

The seal of the living God is used by the angels in Revelation to stamp God's name on the foreheads of believers.  As we shall see, this is not the first time this symbolism has been used to identify believers.  This is a reference to Old Testament laws and ancient customs.

Exodus 13:9
This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a sign of God's deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt, which is to be remembered each year and taught to the children.  The right hand represents power; Jesus is at the right hand of God to exercise His power over all creation.  As such Jesus was the mighty hand of God that delivered Israel out of bondage, and He is the mighty hand that can deliver us from the evil one today.

The sign on the hand is a reminder of God's power and deliverance; the sign on the forehead is the spoken expression of God's law that is in our minds and written on our hearts.

Exodus 28:36
You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, 'Holy to the LORD.' ...and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

The seal that the high priest wore on his forehead symbolized his sanctification to the Lord and his priestly role as intercessor for the people.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might... You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

Deuteronomy 11:18
You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

The greatest commandment to love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and all your soul is illustrated by His words on the forehead (love) and on the hand (service). The hypocritical Pharisees wore ornate phylacteries to outwardly demonstrate their righteousness, but they neglected to love God and impress His word on their hearts.

Revelation 22:3-4
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

An ancient custom of slavery or servitude (including military service under some despotic rulers) was to brand slaves with the name of their master on the forehead and hand.  When we are redeemed from slavery to sin and become bond-servants of God, we are sealed with His righteousness and are labeled "Holy to the Lord".

 The Mark of the Beast

And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17)

Given the background of laws and customs, it should be easy to understand that the mark of the beast is a symbol of servitude which is demanded by the Anti-Christ in order to purchase or trade.  This mark signifies that its bearer has been completely dedicated to worship and serve the evil ruler of this world, who is the bodily vessel of Satan.

How terrible and sad it is that mankind will face this kind of choice one day.

Revelation 14:9-10
Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

The act of receiving this mark will signify abandonment of God and commitment to Anti-Christ.  I don't believe that simply having an ID or number in a global system of identification will be the damning mark of the beast.  Whoever has the misfortune to be alive on earth when Anti-Christ comes into power will be fully aware that they are accepting him as their supreme master and deity before they receive the mark.

Notice that the mark is not unique to the individual, it is the name or number of the beast.  As such this mark would not be useful as an identifier, but rather to simply brand this person as the property of the beast.  There may come a day of world government and a global identification scheme may be part of that system, but when the Anti-Christ stands in the place of God, then you must refuse to worship him or take his mark on your body.

In a way, the mark is parallel to Christian baptism - it is the outward expression of an inner spiritual allegiance.  The worship and proclamation of the beast as God is what brings condemnation.

Encouragement

Notice one difference between the seal of God and the mark of the beast.  The seal of God is on the forehead only.  In the Old Testament law, we were commanded to bind the law as a sign on our hands.  The New Covenant with God is only on our foreheads (hearts).  Our hands are no longer bound by the Law of Sin and Death.  Slavery to sin and slavery to the law both bind your hands; only the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus sets you free.

We don't really have a choice to "opt-out" of a decision about whom we shall serve.  Before the bowls of God's wrath are poured on the kingdom of darkness, there will be only two choices - serving the Living God or bowing to that hideous seven-headed beast and suffering God's wrath.  The time is now to make that decision and prepare to be an overcomer in Christ.  Overcomers will be delivered from God's wrath and enjoy eternity with the One who truly loves us.

The Two Witnesses at the End of Days

(I have had a powerful writer's block for many months, so please forgive my silence.  I cannot write except under inspiration and have tried many times fruitlessly since my last post.  I have much more to say when that inspiration permits it.)

I've been studying Revelation with a group of men led by pastor and teacher Gene Smith.  Last week he taught from chapter 11 wherein the two witnesses prophesy from Jerusalem for 1260 days during the first half of the final seven years of judgement.

Gene indicated that most scholars regard these two witnesses to be the re-embodied Moses and Elijah from the Old Testament, or at least people who have the same power and ministry.

I did some of my own research (which I always do regardless of who is teaching) and reached the same conclusion!  Here's how I challenged the assertion and the possibilities I studied.

Enoch and Elijah

First, I noted that the two witnesses died.  The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes judgement.  There are only two people mentioned in the Bible who never died - Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (II Kings 2:11).  Many scholars believe these are the two witnesses at the end of days.  There is some logic here, because these two could return to life in the last days and actually be killed for the first time. Furthermore, although little is known about Enoch, Jude mentions Enoch as an end-time prophet:

It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 1:14-15

There is little doubt that one of the two is Elijah, as Malachi prophesied and the Jews affirm (even to this day).  Even Jesus referenced John as Elijah's prototype to prepare the way for His first coming.

Moses and Elijah

As Pastor Gene pointed out to us:

Who had the power to shut off the sky so that rain will not fall?  Elijah. (James 5:17, Luke 4:25, I Kings 17:1)  How long did the two witnesses prophesy? (1260 days or three and a half years.)  That is exactly the same amount of time the rain did not fall during Elijah's prophesying.  Amazing!

Who had the power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague?  Moses. (Exodus chapters 7-10)

Who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2)?  Moses and Elijah.

The two witnesses stand before the Lord continually.

What better two authorities could reach the Jewish people and turn their hearts to the living Messiah than Moses and Elijah?  These two represent the embodiment of the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophet.

Malachi mentions both Moses and Elijah in his end-time prophecy:

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:4-6

There is just one minor problem with Moses as the second witness.  Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab (Deuteronomy 34:5).  So Moses doesn't exactly parallel Elijah as a person alive and standing before the Lord in heaven.  Today I resolved that conflict (in my own understanding at least.)  The little book of Jude sheds unique light on what happened to Moses after God buried his body.

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9

Deuteronomy 34 says the Lord buried him in the land of Moab, but his eye was not dim nor his vigor abated.  I think God might have just resurrected old Moses and took him to heaven alive.  Why?  If God didn't hide Moses' body the Jews might have worshiped his shrine.  If God took him to heaven in a chariot before their eyes they might surely have worshipped him as some sort of deity.  It makes sense that if God wanted to take him, He might have to do it rather discreetly.  So He sent Michael to go get his body and bring him up to heaven (I suspect).

Getting to the point

On balance I am convinced the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah, in the flesh. Can you imagine the power of these two mighty men of God after spending thousands of years in heaven before the throne of God, returning to earth by God's authorization to convert their Jewish brethren?  If that didn't impress you, how about a little fire from their mouths to slay those who try to kill them?  By the way, who called fire out of heaven to destroy his enemies, not once but twice (II Kings 1:10,12)?  Elijah.

At the end of days, these two mighty witnesses and the 144,000 chosen from every tribe of Israel will lead the nation of Israel back to the Lord.  That will be a day I would like to see, but as Pastor Gene pointed out, that will probably be from heaven.  At that time the age of the gentile church has been fulfilled and God will once again extend His infinite mercy to his chosen people.  Oh Halellujah, praise God, that'll be the day!

The River That Flows From God's Throne

I was reading the Gospel of John the last few days and came across something that made me seek a little more understanding.

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” Others were saying, “This is the Christ.”
John 7:37-41

If you're just reading along, you might miss the context.  This is Hoshana Rabbah, a most joyous day of the year in Israel.  The people have just celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a week-long praise service to remember their wandering in the wilderness, and God's provision of food and water for the children of Israel.

Jesus stands up and cries in a loud voice that HE is the source of the life-giving water that comes from the throne of God.  And He prophesies that believers in Him will be conduits of this life-giving water (the Holy Spirit) for the world's refreshment.  He relates Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 55, Ezekiel 47) to the New Testament church that is yet to be born.

When the people hear this prophecy, their reaction is startling.  Some become convinced Jesus is the greatest prophet; others that He is indeed their Messiah.  Those few brief words are so exquisitely spoken and timed, they strike a resonant chord in the heart of the faithful.  But some are infuriated that Jesus would bind Himself to the words of Isaiah in such a setting, and they seek to kill Him.

This inspired me to learn more about this river of life, and what I learned was truly wonderful.  Let me start with Ezekiel.

Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side.
      When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river.
Ezekiel 47:1-6

The water that was trickling from the east side of the Temple soon became an ankle-deep stream, and less than a mile downstream the life-giving water became a mighty river.  What would cause the waters to grow from a trickle to a mighty river?  What causes the Spirit of God to enter a person as a drink, and to leave a person as a river of life?  It is as if the faith of the believer greatly magnifies the flow of the Spirit.  The picture in my mind is the throne of God, established in the heart of every believer, that causes him or her to become a tributary of the river of life.

Not only does the river of living water nourish the body, but it satisfies the soul and gives eternal life.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14

God Himself calls us to come to the river and drink freely.  (You might want to listen to this beautiful John Foley song sung by Matt Maher while you read the rest of this...)

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.
Isaiah 55:1


What does the river of life look like?  It starts at the foot of the cross where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.  It pours over the apostles in the upper room.  It bubbles from their tongues and spreads like wildfire over the believers of the early church.  It is fed by the blood, sweat and tears of martyrs  under persecution from their Jewish and Roman rulers.  It sweeps through the dark ages of post-Roman Europe and bubbles out of the Protestant reformers and Methodist revivalists at the dawn of the industrial revolution.  It bursts forth new branches in home churches throughout Africa, underground churches in Asia, and newly awakened churches in the West.  If you can hear it, it probably sounds like a mighty rushing wind.  If you listen closely you may hear the prayers and worship of the saints.

Every believer adds testimony, tears and travails to this vast and unending river of life that continues to flow from the throne of God.  In a manner of speaking, every believer becomes a tree of life planted by the river, each bearing fruit in its time.

“By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
Ezekiel 47:12

 On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:2

Oh that I might drink anew from that beautiful stream, that I might be immersed in its flow and refreshed in my innermost being!  That I might plant my life firmly by its banks and bring forth everlasting fruit!  Lord Jesus, every day I will come to the river.  I will bow down and water the seeds that I have sewn with tears, and soon I will return with joyful shouting bringing bountiful fruit and healing leaves!

So let it be Lord, so let it be.

A Prophetic Dream

I had a dream in the mid 1980's that I still remember vividly.  It was one of the very few prophetic dreams I can remember.

I remember seeing a view of a city at night, as if from a high vantage point, and a voice calling out so loudly that I believe the whole earth could hear it.

The thirty-year reign of Sardonis begins!

Suddenly there were colorful beams of light (like lasers) reaching from the sky to the tops of each household.  There were multiple beams of light, as if each house were connected to multiple points in the sky.  There was a low-pitched electric hum as each beam would appear,  sort of like switching on a light saber in a Star Wars movie.  That was a terrifying sight.

The next scene in my dream was a store selling all kinds of entertainment, mostly magazines and video tapes (it was the 80's after all).  I remember seeing a man there who had a very worldly charm, who seemed to own all stores of this nature, and realizing that this was the one called Sardonis.  That also terrified me.

I recalled that dream again today and decided to search around for the word Sardonis on the Internet.  Most of the hits I got were for a death metal band from the Netherlands named SardoniS, whose My Space page is Sardonis666.  I didn't go there because they seemed to be satanic (well, duh).  OK that was enough searching.

So what could this possibly mean?  I remember mentioning this dream to a few friends when I first had it.  All I got was a "huh" response.  Hmm, interesting.  I guess I didn't know any Daniels at the time, or maybe they didn't want to tell me what they thought it meant.

So I don't put any stock in knowing the future, and I can't put a date on that dream.  All I know is what house I lived in at the time, so that puts the dream between 1984 and 1987.  Thus the 30 years is almost over.

Looking backward, it seems fairly obvious that that web of intersecting beams of light was the interconnected world of entertainment and information we now enjoy from multitudes of satellites encompassing the earth.  The powers that control this web of stars in the sky are also interconnected and increasingly concentrated.  But their ruler is the Prince of Babylon.

Thankfully, perhaps by the sovereignty of God, the Babylonian system has seen fit to allow the word of God to be spread freely over this network.

What could the end of this thiry-year reign mean?  I don't think this was just a pizza-dream.  What if God were to suddenly cast all those "stars" to the earth as in Revelation 6:13.  That would be bitter irony!

This I Know

What I do know is this - the economic system upon which the world is based is crumbling.  Actually it's on life-support called "sovereign debt" which is the lending system of last resort.  I remember the hypocrisy demonstrated by the US Federal Reserve a few weeks ago, scolding some banks and an insurance company for not having enough capital to survive another economic tsunami.  What if somebody stress-tested the Federal Reserve system?  It still has not been exposed to even as much as a public audit.

When (not if) the next economic tsunami arrives, what defenses does the government have to offer?  There is no amount of money left on earth that could stem that tide.  So how do you prepare for such an event?

What Not To Do

1. DON'T lay up riches for yourself - these will surely rot and rust (James 5:1).  I have a retirement fund but I think of this as "death insurance", which covers the case that I don't die soon and the world doesn't end.  I want to travel as light as possible while being responsible for my family.
2. DON'T buy guns and become a survivalist.  This is a difficult thing to imagine, but I don't see the saints of God holed up in a compound shooting anyone who comes for food.  If you have land and are self-sufficient, be prepared to share.  You will be blessed.

A More Excellent Way

A better way to prepare for the very uncertain future is to put your treasure in Heaven (Matthew 6:19).  Keep a very loose grasp on the things of earth, knowing they are temporary and your life is a mere breath.

Get oil for your lamp (be filled with the Holy Spirit) while there is still day.

Most of all, be prepared to stand with Jesus against a tide of chaos and rage that will most certainly come one day (see my earlier post about the third and fourth seal in Revelation 6 here).  That is what I am praying for and seeking with all my heart - to stay true to the Lord through whatever comes my way.