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Coming Events in Prophecy

Phil Maxwell   July 2007

Articles in this section generally deal with current events in the light of Bible prophecies pertaining to the last generation of the age of grace that has now logged around 2,000 years.  It is manifestly obvious in books like Daniel, Revelation, and others that the generally mysterious descriptions of these times would become plain by virtue of observation to those who are wise and faithful enough to take note as the predicted events unfold.  Their writings were like partial sets of puzzle pieces that were intended to be completed by other pieces provided by the people, places, events, and circumstances that would materialize in the far away times they foresaw; messages sealed in a bottle and sent through time to their intended audience.

I do not consider understanding things the prophets wrote about the future to make one a mysteriously gifted prophet.  Rather, it indicates a degree of commendable alertness, wisdom, faith, and, most of all, regard for the truth, no matter how difficult it is to take. The only firm belief I hold in these things is that the word of God is true and its predictions reliable.  Everything else I claim is based on probabilities of how biblical prophecies relate to modern times and, therefore, can only be definitively proven by the actual fulfillment of them. I consider some of these perspectives viable beyond any reasonable doubt, others highly likely, and some as merely plausible interpretations.  Put otherwise, if safety during the days ahead involved the building an ark, I'd be building an ark right now instead of writing this. However, since the only real safety to be offered is the limited protection of angels for the individuals who distinguish themselves as vocal dissenters of pervasive evil, then I'm doing all I know to do.

That said, some of the correlations I consider entirely plausible, probable to varying degrees, and worth serious consideration include:

• The great tribulation will begin after and in close proximity to the end of the 490 year countdown detailed in Daniel 9:24-27. This almost certainly corresponds to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, the 490th anniversary of which will be celebrated October 31, 2007.
   
• The beginning of the great tribulation will be marked by an earth-shaking attack against the United States of America.  The attack will:

1. Involve nuclear or other fiery weapons qualifying as weapons of mass destruction.
2. Either involve six weapons and/or be launched against six mostly/entirely coastal cities, all within the same hour.
3. Will release significant lethal windborne fallout.
4. Will suddenly unravel the entire global economy by removing America's ability to continue enriching the merchants and shipping industries of the world through its massive imports.
5. Will suddenly disrupt the global political balance by diminishing America's power as an ally and protector of other nations.

• The seven-headed beast of Revelation 17-18 represents a political movement operating within and increasingly as the American government. The aim of its perpetrators is global domination under the one they consider the Messiah, though the Bible declares him to be the 'beast,' 'son of death,' 'man of sin,' etc., and modern culture commonly calls 'the antichrist.' 
   
• There are ten highly place individuals with both political and business clout driving this beast and planning the great attack against their own nation discussed above.  Their purpose is to depose the power of the American people through the democratic process. They will be known in the aftermath of that destruction as the ones assuming power in lieu of the constitutionally mandated, democratically elected government, though it is doubtful they will take credit for their deeds. They will partition the nation into four regional authorities, one of which will be headed by their "prince," the antichrist.
   
• The false messiah or antichrist will be known by the insiders of this conspiracy long before he is revealed as the supposed savior of the world, and many efforts will be undertaken to posture him in advance of the great tribulation they will initiate.  This person would be identifiable by virtue of biblical prophecies that describe him and, at present, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stands alone in matching those indicators.  Certainty of this will come when and if he is made the head of one of the four regional divisions of the new federal government that will emerge.
   
• Preliminary to this attack will be a major war between the U.S. and Middle Eastern nations that will be ostensibly provoked by the latter and carried forth as an act of vengeance that will depose two Middle Eastern governments.  Heading the U.S. during this time would be a notable leader whose power, after much boasting, will be suddenly broken by the attack against the U.S.  President George W. Bush has thus far fulfilled this role to the letter and has less than two years left in  his term.  Proof of this correlation will come when and if his administration is abruptly broken and replaced by the four regional heads the ten conspirators will setup. (Daniel 8)
   
• The long-term preliminary promotion of the antichrist is symbolized by the white horseman released in conjunction with the breaking of the first of seven seals in Revelation 6.  The next three horsemen represent his servants and/or their discreet preparatory works aimed at his ultimate coronation as the leader of the world. 
   
• The innumerable souls seen pleading to God for justice over their murder in conjunction with the fifth seal of Revelation 6 most likely represent the victims of America's greatest national crime -- the legal sanction of abortion -- but may also include the victims of other wars and violence spawned and fueled by America in the years and decades preceding its demise.  Regardless, God sees the true essence of the nation's collective works and describes them as a cup full of blood that will ultimately be doubled and poured back on the people, as detailed in the breaking of the sixth seal, which describes the aforementioned nuclear or equivalent attack.
   
• Great tribulation will follow the attack against the U.S.  Not only will the immediate casualties probably count in the millions, it will leave the country destitute in the months and years following:  There will be great shortages of food, water and other basic supplies, widespread sickness and disease, violence, and government oppression that will include suspension of "civil rights" presently guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and persecution of dissenters, especially those claiming that the Bible reveals the true evil nature, works, and agenda of the antichrist and his people.
   
• Around the world, economic collapse, famine, plagues, and wars will spread, as will a dark cloud of despair.  Not only will the demise of the U.S. send a political and economic tsunami wave throughout the world, there will be numerous other epic-level catastrophes on the horizon, both natural and manmade.
   
• Sometime in the days and months following the attack, the two witnesses will be revealed by manifesting the signs detailed in Revelation 11.  Of particular note will be the untimely deaths of people deliberately intending them harm, ostensibly following warnings by the two and being notable enough to suddenly thrust them into public view. These two are undoubtedly in the world at this time and being prepared to lead the resistance movement against the antichrist and his forces, according to their divine mandate.  They are associated with the crowned addressees of the letter to the angel of Philadelphia who are to be given an open door to safety in the days of worldwide tribulation (Revelation 3).  They are also the object of the symbolic woman who bears a son in the face of great, satanic adversity and then flees to the wilderness for 1,260 days for safety and renewal in Revelation 12.  (The child represents the fullness of Christ between them, as He was amongst the apostles.)
   
• The two witnesses will be held responsible for the great drought that will prevail during their days of prophesying and many destructive calamities they will pronounce against the world, as detailed in Revelation chapters 11 and 8ff with regard to the judgments described in connection with the seven angelic trumpet blasts. 
   
• The angelic trumpet blasts of Revelation 8 probably represent the amplified voice of the two witnesses pronouncing the calamities in advance, like Moses and Aaron predicted the terrible series of events that befell Egypt in their day:  

1. The first will destroy a third of the world's trees and all delicate vegetation like grass by virtue of something like a worldwide storm of fire and red-hot brimstone.  These effects emulate scientific predictions of a mega-volcanic eruption or an asteroid or comet collision. The magnitude of destruction to trees, ostensibly due to close proximity to the center of the catastrophe, narrows the location to Asia plus portions of adjoining Europe and/or Africa.
    
2. The second sounds very much like an asteroid or comet striking the Pacific Ocean, which, like the above, is the only single body of water large enough to constitute the degree of destruction described.  The event will result in the death of a full third of all sea life and destruction of a third of all ships.
    
3. The third and fourth resemble predicted aftereffects of such calamities, citing the poisoning of a third of the world's fresh water supplies and light-choking debris throughout the world's atmosphere.
    
4. As though these are not utterly frightening prospects, the next three calamities are said to be even worse.  The first "woe"  indicates what seems to be a terrible plague of locusts coming forth as a result of a "great star" that had fallen, which probably relates to the aforementioned events.  These locusts' stings will cause immense pain and suffering, but not death, and they will not touch those who have been "sealed" with God's protection.  This will no doubt bring great hostility against the ones who supposedly caused the plague, the two witnesses and those who stand with them against the antichrist and his immensely greater numbers.
    
5. The sixth trumpet will sound a manmade event that will represent the darkest hour of human history, the systematic mass murder of third of all mankind.  Its hard to be sure, but a technologically plausible scenario that fits the biblical description could be that these two-hundred million fire, smoke, and brimstone-breathing "horsemen" represent programmed drones sent forth to "fix" the problem of vast shortages of food, water, and other resources that will exist in those days. With the advent of RFID technology, these could even be programmed to seek out and kill anyone not bearing such an electronic tag.

• After all the above calamities occur, the two witnesses' empowered 1,260 day crusade will end.  They will be overpowered by the antichrist's forces and killed.  Then, in accordance with the word of God, they will put their dead bodies on open display for the whole world to see that there is no resurrection of the dead, as they will vainly hope.  They will be so widely despised and blamed for the world's woes that the whole world will break out in a huge celebration that will, like modern Christmas celebrations, include gift-giving.  One can easily envision the display of their dead bodies surrounded by cameras and armed security forces to keep the reveling crowds from mutilating their corpses.  People around the world will be gathered around televisions enjoying the renewed sense of hope the death of these two has been cast to give especially as the third day rolls around.  Everything these two will have done and said will be on the table:  They will either raise from the dead and into the clouds after three and half days, as the scripture says, or they won't.
   
• Much to the dismay of the celebrating masses and the rejoicing of the 144,000 faithful surviving of the holocaust to that day, they will raise from the dead and disappear into the sky, as the Bible says.  
   
• The two witnesses' resurrection will be the turning point that ends the time of horror unleashed by the sixth trumpet described above; it will be the unmistakable "sign in the sky" that Yahshua said would be seen by all in Matthew 24. This event will signal the gathering together of the 144,000 elect and their empowerment to pronounce the seven final "bowls" of judgment that follow the seventh trumpet.  These final judgments will pave the way for the literal return of the first resurrection saints to establish their kingdom in and over the world.  The judgments that follow will be very similar to the ones associated with the trumpets before this, only in double portion. The face of the world will be literally reshaped.

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