| The Church of God has been charged to get the | | | | been left in the dark, in stark contrast to |
| Word out to all the world and make disciples | | | | those around us who know the latest weather |
| (students) within every nation, teaching them | | | | report but miss the significance of the |
| to follow Yeshua's (Jesus') teachings. What | | | | times. Too many remain oblivious to the fact |
| did Yeshua teach? Yeshua boldly proclaimed | | | | that a EUROPEAN STORM IS BREWING (Matt. |
| the good news of the Kingdom of God, the | | | | 16:2-3). Many won't realize it until it HITS |
| immortal family of divine beings soon to | | | | HOME and they're devastated!There's precious |
| reign over all the earth. He also taught His | | | | little time left to help sound the alarm and |
| students how to live a life that graces the | | | | let the sirens go off. We're supposed to |
| Gospel and compliments the Kingdom. We're to | | | | serve as God's EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (Jer. |
| become more godly, more Christlike, more | | | | 44:4). From the Watchtower of Faith we're |
| Kingdomlike, daily, in anticipation of its | | | | able to see what's on the horizon and pick up |
| Dawn.But Yeshua also warned of TURBULENT | | | | on our spiritual radar screen the clear and |
| TIMES to occur just before His landing on the | | | | present danger Europe presents. We know |
| Mount of Olives to liberate Jerusalem and | | | | what's going to happen, based upon biblical |
| secure David's Throne (leading to Israel's | | | | facts, and declare it with confidence (Rom. |
| deliverance).We know that certain prophecies | | | | 4:17).If we don't help warn the world, giving |
| were not to be fulfilled until these "last | | | | everybody a chance to escape, we'll be held |
| days." Therefore their sealed messages | | | | accountable for their deaths (Ezek. 3:18). |
| weren't to break their silence until the | | | | Isaiah 42:19 warns about God's servant going |
| appointed time (Dan. 12:9). With the advent | | | | blind and His messenger going deaf; Isaiah |
| of the nuclear age, we've been living, for | | | | 56:10 rebukes blind watchman and dumb |
| the first time in history, with the weapons | | | | watchdogs that don't know how to bark and are |
| of mass destruction that can erase all life | | | | asleep on the job! Obviously God didn't |
| from off planet Earth! (Matt. 24:21-22).The | | | | "hire" them that way. This is so serious that |
| early Church preached the Gospel, but within | | | | God must warn us about it, (and you're being |
| the framework of addressing issues and | | | | warned right now) because apparently many |
| concerns of their time and place. For | | | | won't pass this part of our Christian test, |
| example, they emphasized Yeshua's necessary | | | | deserting our posts, and running like Jonah. |
| death and resurrection. The biblical approach | | | | Such Christian-doves will get swallowed up in |
| is to offer "meat in due season," custommade | | | | the belly of the Beast! There's nothing new |
| messages, tailored for the times, "becoming | | | | under the Sun: just as Yeshua's closest |
| all things to all men," using current events | | | | friends fell asleep just before His trial and |
| as a prop and a podium. The apostles and | | | | crucifixion, it appears some will nod off |
| evangelists preached Christ and Him | | | | just before our Church and nations are |
| crucified, and didn't deal with Yeshua's | | | | scourged.An important part of Yeshua's |
| prophecy about Jerusalem's imminent fall and | | | | teachings, relevant to this generation, is |
| the Temple's destruction. Why? Because it | | | | the warning signs of what's about to strike, |
| wouldn't affect the daily lives and national | | | | so everyone can prayerfully watch and seek |
| affairs of their Gentile audience.However, | | | | shelter before it's too late (Lk. 21:36). But |
| today the European Beast is taking shape and | | | | we're to share His survival course with |
| form before us, while the American, British | | | | others so they can know what to look for and |
| and Jewish peoples continue their nosedive to | | | | expect and how to receive around-the-clock |
| oblivion. Both of these intertwined events | | | | protection by trusting in Him. We can help |
| were clearly prophesied (Lev. 26; Deut. 28). | | | | save lives and prepare people for what's just |
| And it's only with our God-given | | | | ahead, whether it's World War III or the Lake |
| understanding of biblical prophecy that we | | | | of Fire (Jude 23).Signs reveal what direction |
| can see where these trends are rapidly | | | | we're heading and how close we're getting to |
| heading. Both the Book of Daniel and the Book | | | | that destination. We're to share our |
| of Revelation reveal a Gentile confederation | | | | God-given light of understanding with the |
| of nations to emerge upon the world scene | | | | world that they may be warned. That is our |
| just before Messiah comes, wrecking havoc | | | | solemn privilege and responsibility. How |
| upon Israel and opposing the Heavenly Army | | | | nations or individuals respond is not our |
| (Dan.7; Rev. 13; 17).These prophesied | | | | responsibility, it is between God and |
| headlines will directly affect the lives of | | | | them.Ezekiel's warning message is the same as |
| every member of the Church of God and nations | | | | Yeshua's and Paul's: repent or face the |
| of Israel! We're living in the prophesied | | | | judgment of God. Likewise, Revelation's |
| time of a knowledge explosion, of mass | | | | message is to repent of such things as |
| transit and rapid communication, and have | | | | murder, occult practices, immorality, |
| truly become a global village (Dan. 12:4). | | | | idolatry, etc. and begin to obey the |
| Therefore these "geopolitical" prophecies are | | | | commandments of God and hang on for dear life |
| most personal and pertinent.It was necessary | | | | to Jesus' teachings (in attitude and actions, |
| for God to first identify Israel today (the | | | | in word and in works). However, God has |
| so-called lost 10 Tribes) so the Church could | | | | decreed that His final warning to the world |
| deliver His message to them, preserved by the | | | | before the Storm breaks should be directed to |
| Prophets for our time. We're to warn the | | | | His People Israel, now identified as |
| sinful Israelite nations that the Holocaust | | | | prophesied, and that it should include |
| was only a preview of what's to come! Many | | | | exposing the European Beast as a satanic |
| different groups and organizations (for | | | | system opposed to the saints of God and His |
| better and for worse) have helped to restore | | | | government.If God preferred that we stuck to |
| Israel's identity. But Herbert W. Armstrong | | | | a general message of salvation rather than to |
| was the most influential, through his | | | | warn about a specific POLITICO-RELIGIOUS |
| inspiring book The United States and Britain | | | | POWER rising in Europe, then He wouldn't have |
| in Prophecy, as God ordained (Isa. 49:6). How | | | | given us such inspired details in the Bible! |
| else could we go with the Gospel to the "lost | | | | Those who think otherwise are vainly |
| sheep of the House of Israel" unless God | | | | dismissing the Prophets and Revelation as |
| directed us? How could we warn about the | | | | unnecessary. They think they're so smart but |
| imminent "Time of Jacob's Trouble" unless God | | | | they're acting like fools (Rom. 1:22; Job |
| sent us?Many professing-Christian ministries | | | | 38:2). God knows what He's doing. Anyone can |
| today are still lost in their own little | | | | preach a generic message, but only the |
| religious worlds (Ezek 34:4-5). They still | | | | Children of Light can understand the fine |
| don't know or care who Israel is or reject | | | | print in God's Word and reveal His Secrets to |
| our identity (yet express interest in our | | | | mankind.All the magicians in the times of |
| Jewish brethren), although God expects His | | | | Joseph and Daniel put together couldn't |
| shepherds to help remind Israel of our | | | | provide the right answer to the questions of |
| biblical roots and responsibilities and | | | | their day, yet those two witnesses gave God |
| regather them as "One Nation Under God," a | | | | the glory and revealed truth that could only |
| truly "United Kingdom" (Ezek.37:22). It | | | | come from God (Gen. 41; Dan. 2:30). Likewise, |
| appears that they're happy believing they're | | | | God expects us to share HIS DIVINE REVELATION |
| Gentiles (with their counterfeit Christianity | | | | (Isa. 48:6). This deeper understanding and |
| Gentile religion) and don't want to return to | | | | special relationship with God and His Word |
| bibilical ways and days, preferring their | | | | ought to be evident to outsiders as something |
| perverted scatter-brain traditions (Hos. | | | | truly unique (Deut. 4:6-7; Jn. 15:15).May the |
| 1:9).As brought out in my timely book, Beyond | | | | Church of God share the complete teachings of |
| Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, "Christ | | | | Yeshua, His full gospel - individual and |
| referred to WORLD WAR III as the GREAT | | | | national - with all the world. Such priceless |
| TRIBULATION (Matt. 24:21-22). He'd given an | | | | teachings about the Kingdom of God, faith and |
| outline of prophetic events to occur just | | | | forgiveness, also warn about frightening |
| prior to His Second Coming. Although we can't | | | | events that will signal the end of this age |
| know the exact time or date, we can know when | | | | and help usher in the Wonderful World |
| it's very near!"Yeshua taught that the end | | | | Tomorrow.May we faithfully explain the |
| time would be very similar to Noah's time and | | | | spiritual significance of today's bad news |
| how it was in Sodom and Gomorrha. Didn't Noah | | | | (through the light of Bible prophecy) and |
| know what was about to happen? Wasn't Lot | | | | emphasize the GOOD NEWS that we have a Savior |
| warned about imminent destruction? YES! | | | | from sin and a Deliverer from men!Come Lord |
| Biblical precedent provides the proof that | | | | Jesus! Hosanna in the Highest!David Ben-Ariel |
| the people of God won't be left without a | | | | is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of |
| clue (Amos 3:7).The Church of God, His | | | | Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With |
| called-out ones (drafted to be delightfully | | | | a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his |
| different and wonderfully weird, living | | | | analytical articles help others improve |
| "ahead of our time"), are called Children of | | | | their understanding of that troubled region. |
| Light (I Pet. 4:4; I Thes. 5:1-6). We haven't | | | | Check out the Beyond Babylon blog. |