We watch the developments in the world here on this blog, as they relate to Bible Prophecy.  The bottom line, what everyone wants to know, is this:

 “where are we right now?”, or “what still needs to happen?”

Nothing else needs to happen before the rapture.  But the fact that we see so many things already in place for certain prophecies about wars, global monetary systems, consolidation of power, and tribulation conditions, can only mean the rapture is even nearer than those things.  (I stand upon the pre-trib view, obviously).

I am not as structured in delineating the specific “indicators” of where we are, as some blogs are.  But if we just look at what we see before us, and compare it with what we know about coming events, we can get a pretty good idea of where things stand.  I get the Eternal Value Revue from Wilfred Hahn.  He says that economically there are four things that have to be in place for all buying and selling to be controlled by one central entity.  We already have a globalized monetary/trade system, even though we still have different currencies,  The world is “all on the same page” in a universal understanding of our monetary system, and in what is being taught on financial systems in the institutions of higher learning around the world, All of the technological developments are already in existence for the function of a global economy and “beast system” of buying and selling.  According to Hahn, the only thing we don’t have in place yet, is a regulatory legal structure.  The next phase of manipulation of the current system, is negative interest rates, and the only way that can happen is by going to a cashless society. (*Revelation 13)  The progression to each of these steps has been achieved via a series of crises.  According to the world bankers, this cashless society would be the pathway to a return to prosperity, but the hold up that stands in the way of that dream, is sovereignty of nations.  The power governing the individual nations has to be consolidated and will be facilitated by the false prophet, who will eventually hand over that power to the antichrist.  To learn more about the end-time role of money, go to EternalValue.com and subscribe to Hahn’s newsletter the Eternal Value Revue.

I have maintained the position for a few years now, that America is not going to revert back to her former “better self”, because of the fact that in order for power to consolidate into ten “powers” or nations or kingdoms, and then a single global government, there can be no sovereign nations.  In light of how far along the progression this world is toward the final conditions the Bible tells us will be in place there doesn’t seem to be any space for such a development as a “recovery” of America.  I think that America will more or less disintegrate and be absorbed into some other sector of future governance.  There is room for debate as to the timing of this, as relates to the rapture, and also in relation to the tribulation.  Therefore, it is most important at the present for Christians to 1) make your own election and calling sure, and 2) warn others of what the Bible tells us about these times and what is coming, and point the way for others to salvation by giving them the gospel, 3) walk circumspect, redeeming the time, for the days are evil, 4) study the Bible, 5) exercise the disciplines of prayer.

A few trips to the grocery store this month should have made you quite aware just how fast the price of groceries are going up, but don’t think of it as prices going up, think of it as just how fast our money is devaluing from one week to the next!  This will keep happening until the black horse rides during the tribulation, when an entire day’s wages will be the price of a loaf of bread.

America thirty years ago, was the foremost “lender nation” of the world.  We were, until the current administration, the foremost military power in the world.  But no more!

We have talked about the financial aspect of “where we are” but how about this world’s current moral, or I should say spiritual position?  Biblically speaking, when we examine the spiritual state, the church itself must be the focus of that examination.  The church in America has become so compromised, so nearly irrelevant in it’s very quest for relevancy, that I have heard there are Christians in other nations praying for persecution for the American church, so that revival might come, and that the unsaved might see and understand faith worth dying for.  And I think that their prayers are being answered.  As salt has lost it’s savor and as the light of the American church has been all but allowed to sputter out, we see lawlessness all the way up to the “highest office”.

The Amos 8 famine of the Word is in full-swing here in America.  Not only are Christians biblically illiterate, but even pastors!  And what poses the greatest threat to America and the American church, is the ignorance concerning Israel, and the place of honor Israel occupies in the heart of God.  We as a nation are bringing down judgment on our own heads because not just our civil leaders, but mainline churches are openly condemning Israel, calling for the dividing of her land, and in every official capacity at his disposal, our own president is striving to impede Israel’s ability to defend itself, it’s citizens, and it’s own sovereignty.  For that cause alone, I think we can expect calamitous ramifications, and they might take many forms.  From catastrophic weather, to the current invasion by people from other nations, some of whom carry deadly diseases, some of whom carry deadly intent to inflict violence and destruction, to Earthquakes and continued economic hardship, and general strife and mayhem.

What prophecies are beginning to play out in the present tense now?  In the rise of Russia to greater power, and influence in the Middle East, and it’s alliance with Iran, and aspirations for oil and natural gas resources, we see Ezekiel’s prophecy of Gog and the Magog alliance (Iran/Persia, Algeria, Libya, Syria, Ethiopia/Cush, Sudan, and many of the “stans”, etc) .  In the two-years-and-counting war in Syria, we see the Isaiah 17 prophecy setting is in place, we see Psalm 83 and Zechariah 12 in the current actions of Hamas against Israel in Gaza and the call for Hezbollah to initiate another front concurrently in Lebanon.  China is rising rapidly in economic power and more significantly, in military might, and sheer numbers of active military which is currently 2,285,000 according to Wikipedia ( See Revelation 9:16).  We have seen many events through out history that had an apocalyptic “flavor” but never has so much upheaval and chaos been the norm in so much of the world at the same time.

Briefly I was almost sold on the “Islamic Antichrist” theory, but when I look at the way one arrives there, I can only see an Islamic Antichrist by looking to the current events and interpreting Bible Prophecy in a way that fits the present conditions.  Right now, Islam is rising, that is true, but looking at what the Bible tells me will become of these nations; that they will suffer a crushing defeat so massive it can only eradicate the power of political Islam, makes it unlikely.  I don’t know about you, but I had never heard anyone propose that the AC would be a Muslim until sometime in the recent five years.  I understand that we are to continue to examine scripture, and the closer we get to the fulfillment of these times, the passages and prophecies will make more sense.  But I continually find that the things I was taught as a young Christian thirty years ago, still make sense today, and that in itself, this preponderance of speculation and “new theories” seems a potent indicator of the lateness of the hour.  Three years ago was the first time I ever had a conversation with a pastor who revealed that he does not believe in a “catching away” (rapture).  Now the topic of a rapture is apt to start a riot in some Christian circles.  Terry James mentioned in a recent post, that those who write him nasty letters about his so-called “propagation of the rapture lie” have grown increasingly scathing and venomous as of late, and he seemed to see that development as being a significant indicator as well.  “The heathen rage and imagine a vain thing”.  They imagine that they are going to redeem themselves and that their god (Satan) will defeat our God the great I AM.

The God of Israel will prevail.

I say, anyone who thinks otherwise, is already given over to the “great delusion”.  How often have we scratched our heads, yelled at the television news, wanted to pull our hair out, as we read the latest inconceivable move on the part of the supreme court, the President, or even a local school board.  We ask ourselves, “has the whole world gone insane?” and the answer is, mostly yes!  Yes it has.  As in the “criminally insane, and demonically possessed.  God will put a stop to this madness, however.  And if you are like me, you are getting a little impatient for Him to do just that.  But He has the timing worked out.  He will come quickly, like a thief in the night, and snatch us away, who are His own.  Keep the faith.  And do not be anxious when you consider the potential of persecution between now and then.  He was with Daniel in the Lion’s Den, with Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace.  He was with the children of Israel as they wandered the desert, and He will be with us to the end, because He has promised never to leave or forsake us.  There are many people who absolutely insist that Christians in America will suffer terrible persecution, because the Bible says “all who will live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”.  However, I contend that there are a couple hundred years worth of Christian U.S. citizens who did live and die without ever experiencing persecution for their faith in the same sense that the early church martyrs did, and in the sense Christians still do in many nations of the world today.  It may be that there is still just enough salt and light to hold that evil at bay but only if we remain faithful.  Let’s all remember to pray for one another, and for Israel, for innocent people everywhere being harmed and injured and killed in the current wars.  Most of all, we should pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven!.  That’s where we are.  Everything is happening so fast now.  Lift your heads, keep an eye on the sky, He is coming with clouds.  Maranatha!