|
|
Home
You are in Our Journal - What in the World 2008 2007 | 2008 Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug
What in the World is Happening
- June 2008
A series of articles by Brian Papworth,
our PWMI Representative in New Zealand.
I was contacted by a correspondent recently, concerned that neither the
USA nor China are mentioned in Bible Prophecy. Although the Bible does
refer to the rest of the world. It generally refers to the Western world
under the heading of Tarshish, a seaport town in Spain, at the time the
Bible was written. It also refers to the East when dealing with the whole
of the East and Far East.
At the time the Bible was penned, little was known by the writers about
the world outside the areas of the Mediterranean Sea coast nations and
India. North Africa was known but people's knowledge of the lands south of
the Sahara, Arabian Peninsula and Ethiopia, except for a few adventurous
sailors was unknown. The Bible used the general knowledge of the times to
illustrate its truths.
In our recent past, the USA has been a strong ally of the Jews. At a
time when the Jewish people had suffered near annihilation in Hitler's
Germany, Godly America took pity on God's chosen earthly people and not
only eventually gave the refugees safe haven but supported the United
Nations in their bid to provide a land of their own in the place of
Israel's heritage, centered on Jerusalem. Unfortunately the USA has moved
away from this support to try and accommodate the Palestinian refugees,
and in doing so, moved away from the plan of God for the nation of Israel.
The USA is torn between its support for the Jews and its need to keep in
with the descendents of Ishmael, the Arabs, because of their oil. The
American government has sought mans wisdom, instead of God's will and in
doing so brought trouble upon themselves.
God has promised the land to Israel. Over and over the Bible says so.
In October 1991 in the Madrid "Land for Peace" conference,
chaired by the USA, it was first muted for Israel to give away some of
their blood bought land to bring a peaceful solution with Palestine. The
Bible says "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses
you, I will curse. [Gen 12:3]. The headlong pressure the USA is
bringing upon the Israeli government to divide the Promised Land to obtain
peace brings with it, a condemnation from the Scriptures. Although to try
and promote peace is a worthy and praiseworthy thing to do. However by not
seeking God's will, has the USA put itself prophetically in harms way? God
says; the nations who seek to divide His Holy land will be judged. In the
day that the Madrid conference was reconvened, on August 24th 1992, the
biggest hurricane ever, at that time in the USA, hit Louisiana with
tremendous force. In January 15th 1994, President Bill Clinton and the
President of Syria met to discuss the Israeli withdrawal of the Golan
Heights. Within 24 hours, a tremendous earthquake occurred in Northridge
California, producing the largest earthquake in US history. Many of us
watched on television news as Israeli residents were forcibly removed from
the city of Gaza, at the behest of President Bush, to help promote peace.
On August 25th, within 72 hours, hurricane Katrina did a sharp right turn
from its projected path and devastated New Orleans and the surrounding
countryside, producing the greatest natural disaster in America's history.
Were they coincidences, or is God trying to tell the USA something the
Government is ignoring at its peril. The Bible says: I am going to make
Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling... I will
make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move
it will injure themselves. [Zech 12:2-3].
China has come to prominence in the last few years as an ascending
world power. Although it is evident from history that travelers had gone
as far as China, it is not mentioned by name in either the Old or New
Testaments.
In the end times at the time of Christ's return, and at the end of the
tribulation period, the Bible refers to a great army from the East. [Rev
16:12] One of the great barriers for armies to invade from the East was
the river Euphrates. This had its flow partially curtailed by the building
of a large hydro dam. Since the dam was built the water has been capable
of being restricted by the water flow let through the dam. We are first
told about the Kings of the East in Daniel [Dan 11:44]. The Antichrist has
subdued most of the Western World but the Kings of the far North and East
begin to question his motives and form an army to do battle with the
Antichrist. The number of these soldiers is listed as 200,000,000. [Rev
9:16]. Only one nation could field an army of that size. With a present
population of just over 1.3 billion and a population growth rate of 0.6%
per year, it is quite feasible to marshal an army, along with their allies
of that number. They have the technology and the weapons. One of the
problems of having an army supply lines stretching from China to the
Middle East would be the distance. It may be that the army is mounted on
horses. In which case they could refuel off the land as they go. On the
other hand it may be tanks which are described in this way so people down
the ages would relate to this description. We see China as a burgeoning
world power, and who knows the eventual area of their influence in time to
come.
By the time all this happens we will be gone, caught up to be with our
Lord in the air, forever to be with Him. [1 Thess 4:13-18]. Let us
therefore encourage each other with these words".
Yours in His Service
Brian D Papworth
Representative for the Prophetic Witness Movement International for New
Zealand, Australia & the South Pacific.
Home
You are in Our Journal - What in the World 2008 2007 | 2008 Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug
|
