11 nov 2008
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The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes
666
DemocracyandAntichrist
SpiritualGiftsPg.42
The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes
NOVEMBER 2008$4.75
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WhatChancesaGlobalFinancial
ApocalypseNow?Pg.29
MidtribulationismPg.19
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8Bible Prophecy forOur TimeBy Arno Froese
Second Peter 3:8 reads:"But,beloved,be not ignorant of
this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years, anda thousand years as oneday."When we speak
of Bible prophecy for our times,we arealways right on
target, as the Word of God is timeless.Neither our earthly
measurements, nor our earthly time is decisive in ourunderstanding of God's eternal plan of salvation.
19
Midtribulationismby Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
Midtribulationism is one of the primary views concerning the timing
of the rapture in relation to the seven-year tribulation.
Midtribulationists are premillennialists who believe the church
will experience the first half of the seventieth week,and that the
rapture will occur at the midpoint of the eschatalogical tribulation.
Such teaching clearly denies the imminency of the rapture.
29 Money:Ends andTrends
What Chances a Global FinancialApocalypse Now? - Part IBy Wilfred Hahn
Much of the high-income region of the world has been gripped in a growing anxiety. Global
financial markets have encountered unsettling volatility, and more worryingly, the integrity of
global financial and credit systems has been threatened.Are America's troubles a catalyst for thefinal global collapse?
MidnightCallNOVEMBER 2008
C O N T E N T S
COVER STORY
34USA
America Takes Wind-
Power Lead
35 GERMANY1,600-Year-Old Version
of Bible Goes Online
37 BAHRAIN
Pope Invited to Visit
Muslim Country
38 EU
Slovak Mint Starts
Production of Euro
Coins
40WORLD
Study Says Young
People More
Religious Than
Assumed
41 INDIA
AWACS With Brazilian
Jets and Nuclear
Submarine From Russia4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ByArno FroeseNAHUM 2:2
42 Letters to theEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Arno Froese666..DEMOCRACY AND ANTICHRIST...SPIRITUAL GIFTS
1
DEPARTMENTS
$
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4 M I D N I G H T C A L L
Thou hast multiplied thy merchantsabove the stars of heaven:the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away (Nahum 3:16).
E D I T O R S N O T E
B y A r n o F r o e s e
1
It may seem strange that we use
Nahum 3:16 as our text for the
December issue Editors Note,
since this is the month of Christmas.
But this was not planned. Our studyof the Twelve Minor Prophets and
Nahum chapter 3 just happened to fall on De-
cember 2008.
Yet there is a message that is fitting for this
time of the year. When we take a closer look
at the above Scripture, we realize that materi-
alism is the key issue being addressed. It does
not mean that material things are bad or sin-
ful in and of themselves, yet while studying
the various prophets, including Nahum, we
realize that the blessing of material things
leads to the denial of the God of heaven, Who
created the materials. This has been true
throughout the ages. Follow Israels history,
and you will learn that at the climax of mater-
ial blessings, Israel fell into idolatry.
We cannot deny that todays world is pos-
sessed with this spirit of desire to accumulate
riches, and that at any cost, way, shape or
form. To possess things is considered success,
and is often identified with the word bless-
ing. Quite a number of books have been pub-
lished by respectable authors, who bluntly
claim that material riches are the result of the
Lords blessing; thus, we should strive to accu-
mulate more.What does the Bible say? Here are the
words of the brother of our Lord, James; Go
to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your
miseries that shall come upon you. Your
riches are corrupted, and your garments are
motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered;
and the rust of them shall be a witness against
you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye
have heaped treasure together for the last
days (James 5:1-3). We note the last two
words, last days. Most of us will agree that
we are in the last days. The type of judg-
ment described in these verses is coming to
planet earth. It is not yet, but it is not too far
off, either.
The worst part is that when judgment
comes, humanity collectively will not repent.
This is documented in Revelation 9:20-21,
And the rest of the men which were not
killed by these plagues yet repented not of the
works of their hands, that they should not
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B y A r n o F r o e s eE D I T O R S N O T E
1
Next an important question is being asked, Art thou better than populous
No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose
rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? (Verse 8). The name pop-
ulous No identifies the city of Thebes, in Egypt. It was built on the east bank ofthe Nile River and was totally destroyed. Only archaeological remains testify to
the former glory of that city.
The prophet even enumerates the strong allies to this city kingdom:
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were
thy helpers (verse 9). But nothing helped: Yet was she carried away, she went
into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the
streets: and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were
bound in chains (verse 10).
In view of the demise of other mighty powers and kingdoms, God makes this
declaration to His prophet Nahum: Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be
hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. All thy strong holds
shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall
into the mouth of the eater. Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women:
the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall de-
vour thy bars (verses 11-13). Note the words shall and shalt. It is yet to
come. Verse 11 is significant: Thou shalt also be drunken. This is a definition
of irresponsible behavior. We already read in Revelation 18:3: For all nations
have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. This is utter deception;
it is the accumulating of riches without realizing the source of them. Verse 23 in
Revelation 18 emphasizes, for thy merchants were the great men of the
earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.As far as defense is concerned, we know that the fig tree is not a robust tree.
One cannot use its wood for anything strong to build. When the tree is shaken,
the fruit quickly falls off. This indicates no strength.
How about the mighty soldiers? Luthers translation may help: Your people
have become like women. Women were not to fight. Defense and attack were
the tasks designated to men.
Mockingly, the prophet gives advice to the Ninevites on how to defend them-
selves: Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strongholds: go into clay, and
tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln (verse 14). But there is no hope.
Again, note the three-fold shall: There shall the fire devour thee; the sword
shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as
the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts (verse 15).
Now we come to our introductory verse: Thou hast multiplied thy mer-
chants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away
(verse 16). In todays language, the economy, the financial institutions, and the
central banks will be of no help.
The entire leadershipthe nobles, the wise, and those in authority will van-
ish: Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers,
which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee
away, and their place is not known where they are. Thy shepherds slumber, O
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6 M I D N I G H T C A L L
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NOVEMBER 2008 7
king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon
the mountains, and no man gathereth them (verses 17-18).
Final judgment is declared, ending with a profound question: There is no
healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shallclap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed con-
tinually? (verse 19).
We note the word continually. During Noahs time, the condition of the
world was revealed with the words, And GOD saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually The earth also was corrupt before God, and the
earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it
was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth (Genesis 6:5,
11-12).
In view of this shocking pronouncement of judgment upon the power of
Nineveh and the fact that it was destroyed, we may ask the question, What
about our world, our country? Will the same judgment come upon this world?
The answer is no. Why not? Because it is going to be a lot worse. Jesus said:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:21).
Here is the pronouncement of judgment by the Lord Himself: For as Jonas
was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this gener-
ation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to
hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The
men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shallcondemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater
than Jonah is here (Luke 11:30-32). At the coming of Emmanuel, God with
us, Whose name is JesusIsrael rejected repentance. John the Baptist, who
prepared the way for the Lord, had a very short gospel message: Repent ye, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). In the next chapter, we read
of Jesus repeating the message, challenging Israel, Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). Israel did not repent. Isaiahs prophecy was
fulfilled; Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut
their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert, and be healed (Isaiah 6:10).
What about today? Based on the clear documentation we have in Scripture, it
is going to be worse. This world does not have a future.
But blessed is he who has separated himself from this world and trusts exclu-
sively in the redemption Christ accomplished on Calvarys cross. Such a one is
practicing Titus 2:13: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appear-
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8 M I D N I G H T C A L L8 M I D N I G H T C A L L
BY Arno Froese
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Advent is the time leading up to Christmas.
The forerunner of Jesus, the herald of His
coming, and the man of Advent was John the
Baptist. He rejected the comparison with Christ.
He only wanted to be a pointer to Him. We read
in Luke 3:15-16, And as the people were in ex-
pectation, and all men mused in their hearts of
John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John
answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize
you with water; but one mightier than I cometh,
the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to
unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost and with fire.
Jesus Christ came and will come again
Like John the Baptist, the believers of the new
covenant are also called to be pointers to JesusChrist. It is our task to be bearers of the Gospel,
and therewith forerunners of His return, as He
said in John 14:3, I will come again, and re-
ceive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also. Today our world is also in expec-
tation, in the advent preceding the return of the
Lord.
Joy and gladness
We can learn from John the Baptist what it
means to be a pointer to Jesus Christ. Before he
was born an angel of the Lord appeared to his fa-
ther, Zacharias, in the temple, and told him a
few things concerning the future of his son,
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and
many shall rejoice at his birth (Luke 1:14).
Do you spread joy or sorrow? Do you help
depressed people to rejoice again? As our lives
always leave a trail behind them, I also have to
ask myself what trails I have left behind today.
Were they trails of joy, gladness and content? Or
do the people I meet turn up their noses when
they think of me? When I think of my father-in-
law, who is with the Lord now, I only have happy
memories of him. I have seldom seen such a
contented, grateful, polite man, who radiated
such love. He left a sweet savor behind him.
Everything we do or do not do, whether we
speak or are silent, leaves a trail behind us.
When the name of a person is mentioned, we
can often tell from the expression on a persons
face what they think of the other person. Our
behavior, as well as our words, always has an ef-
fect.
John the Baptist was the cause of joy and glad-
ness. Why? From the beginning, Johns whole
life belonged to the Lord; his life was dedicatedto Him, and this in itself brings joy. Whoever
you dedicate your life to, and put your life at the
disposal of, will leave his mark on your life. If it
belongs wholly to the Lord Jesus, He will make
your joy complete, These things have I spoken
unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and
that your joy might be full (John 15:11). If you
are still living in sin, however, you are the ser-
vant of sin, Whosoever committeth sin is the
servant of sin (John 8:34). This affects your
whole behavior and your words: hypocrisy,
speaking evil of others in order to put yourself in
a better light, lying and deceiving, etc. C.S.
Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, If you are
thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you,
you are embarking on something which is going
to take the whole of you, brains and all. Only a
person who has joy in his or her own heart can
bring joy to others. John the Baptist was guided
by this joy in the Holy Spirit. We cannot divide
his devotion to God and the joy that he radiated.
C O V E R S T O R Y
SEPTEMBER 2008 9
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever(Daniel 2:44).
NOVEMBER 2008 9
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We hear this man who prepared the way for the
Lord say, Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I
said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent be-
fore him. He that hath the bride is the bride-groom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which
standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly be-
cause of the bridegrooms voice: this my joy
therefore is fulfilled (John 3:28-29).
Recently I heard someone say, Those who
dont read the Bible any more, soon stop believ-
ing. I would add to that, and will soon stop
rejoicing! A man by the name of Wolfgang
Bhne wrote in a commentary on John Pipers
book, The Dangerous Duty of Delight, John
Piper is completely convinced that we honor
God the most when we rejoice in Him and are
content in Him. Without this joy, a characteris-
tic sign in the Lords service is lacking.
Only with the One in our hearts who created
joy, and is Himself the origin of all joy and hap-
piness, can we bring true joy to others.
I once read in a daily
newspaper that a
young pop star said at
the end of the year: I
am looking forward to
the new year, new mu-
sic and a new me.
When I read these
words
I thought to myself,
Do we get a new me
in the new year, or do
we take the old one
with us? This pop
star expressed the wish
of so many people, to
have a new me. But
almost all of them are looking in the wrong
place, which is why nothing changes in their
lives. They take their old me with them into
the new year.
Great in the sight of the Lord
The angel prophesied further of Zacharias
son, He shall be great in the sight of the Lord
(Luke 1:15). What a testimony that is, what a
divine stamp on Johns life! All others in this
world pale in comparison. John the Baptist
would one day be great, not in the sight of men,
but in the sight of the Almighty. In this world
there are many great people, with title and
honor, but great in the sight of the Lord is so
much more.
Frieder Burda, an art expert and shareholder
in a large German media organization, stated in
resignation, I bought myself a large ship to sail
on the seas. What a bore! I never had a happy
day on this ship. Only to spend money, mean-
ingless, soulless and without a goal, is no life.
10 M I D N I G H T C A L L
When Jesus returned from Egypt, it was fulfillment of prophecy: And was there until
the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son (Matthew 2:15).
BIBLE PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME
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C O V E R S T O R Y
This is sheer boredom. Poet Kathe Wal-
ter, on the other hand, wrote, Only this
is the meaning of life on earth, to live to
the praise of God and to illuminate the
way for others with the light from eternal
sources. I recently heard in a song the
words, You are not dead, but ask your-
self if you are alive!
What is true greatness? What is the
utmost a person can achieve? What
greatness counts in the end? We are liv-
ing at a time in which people have lost
the art of wanting to be great in the sight of the
Lord; the spiritual desire is no longer there. To-
day people want to be something in the world, in
the sight of men. They want to achieve great
things in order to receive recognition.
When Nebuchadnezzar wanted to find an elite
team of young men, it was of utmost importance
that these should be of the kings seed, and of
the princes; children in whom was no blemish,
but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and
cunning in knowledge, and understanding sci-
ence, and such as had ability in them to stand in
the kings palace, and whom they might teach
the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans
(Daniel 1:3-4). Moreover these young men were
to eat a daily provision of the kings meat,
and of the wine which he drank (verse 5)
throughout the time of their education, for three
years. But Daniel and his three friends wanted
to please God in the first place, Now among
these were of the children of Judah, Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah But Daniel
purposed in his heart that he would not defile
himself Now God had brought Daniel into fa-
vor and tender love (verses 6-9).
The names of all others who wanted to be
great in Nebuchadnezzars kingdom are not even
mentioned. Daniel, however, became a great
man of God, who is still remembered today.
Moses could have been great in Egypt. But weread in Hebrews 11:24, By faith Moses, when he
was come to years, refused to be called the son
of Pharaoh's daughter.
Who was greater: Caesar Augustus of Rome,
or Mary, the young country girl? Herod and his
magnificent buildings, or the wise men from the
East? The emperor Nero, or Paul? We all know
the answer.
The greatest thing is to be called by the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, and to
follow Himlike Peter, the fisherman, Levi
(later on called Matthew), the publican, or Paul
the tentmaker. Among these, Paul was certainly
the most educated, but he tells us in the first let-
ter to the Corinthians that this is not important
at all, For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to con-
NOVEMBER 2008 11
A number of items have been found confirming that the temple was a reality on
Mount Moriah some time ago, but that is not sufficient to overwhelmingly convince,
for example, the Muslims, who outrightly reject that a Jewish temple ever existed on
Mount Moriah.The Mosque of Omar from Mount Moriah, Jerusalem
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12 M I D N I G H T C A L L
found the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak
things of the world to con-
found the things which are
mighty; and base things of
the world, and things
which are not, to bring to
nought things that are: that
no flesh should glory in his
presence. But of him are ye
in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: that, according as
it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
Great and approved in the sight of the Lord is
not he that commendeth himself, but whomthe Lord commendeth (2 Corinthians 10:18).
Paul said a true, born-again Jew is one whose
praise is not of men, but of God (Romans 2:29).
Material things are of secondary importance
Of the future life of John the Baptist, it is said
further, and shall drink neither wine nor
strong drink (Luke 1:18).
Nobody has to follow John the Baptist and eat
locusts and wild honey, or walk around dressed
in camels hair. No, born-again people can be
statesmen such as Joseph, Daniel and Nehemiah;
or be rich like Abraham, Job, or King David. But
we must get our priorities right!
We do not want to be more pious than the
Bible. The Word of God does not teach us to be
poor and to forgo all luxuries. We may enjoy
everything the Lord puts at our disposal, but it
must not be so important to
us that it obstructs our view
of Jesus. It is of primary im-
portance what we seek first,
But seek ye first the king-
dom of God, and his right-
eousness; and all these
things shall be added unto
you (Matthew 6:33). It is
not so important what mate-
rial things we possess, but
what possesses us!
There are poor people who are striving after
earthly things and cling to the little that they
have. Then there are rich people who strive first
after spiritual things. It is not important whether
we are rich or poor, but what we are striving af-
ter; what determines our lives. We should notask ourselves, What would I do if I had? but
rather, What am I doing with that which I
have?
The following is a little example of this:
Two men were talking about their friendship.
One of them asked the other, If you had five TV
sets, would you give me one? Sure! said the
other. The first man then asked, If you had five
cars, would you give me one? Certainly! his
friend replied. If you had five shirts, would you
give me one? the first man asked. The other
man shook his head, No. His friend wanted to
know why, and he said, I have five shirts!
Filled with spiritual wisdom
Zacharias was told concerning his son, He
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his
mothers womb (Luke 1:15).
How about earthquakes? Do we need to enumerate the many earthquakes that hap-
pened recently? When we read these prophecies, we are struck by the fact that they are
not really prophecies at all. Jesus is not telling us any news; He is simply stating how it
was in times past, and that it will remain the same in the times to come.
BIBLE PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME
A massive earthquake killed more than 8,500 people andtrapped more than 900 under debris in China in May.
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C O V E R S T O R Y
It is not predominant for
the Lords work whether we
have the Holy Spirit, but that
the Holy Spirit has us. Only in this
way will we be able to do Gods work in Gods
way. Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to
China, once said at a missionary conference,
Take a cannon. The cannon is nothing in itself;
the cannon ball and the gunpowder are harm-
less. Then the spark comes, and the gunpowder
becomes lightning, the cannon ball a thunder-
bolt, the cannon barrel a tube of fire. We have
everything the mission needs today, but often
the spark from above is lacking.
The human striving to be great in this world,
also in Christian circles, has brought spiritual
poverty to many. There are impressive cannons,
cannon balls and gunpowder, but the spark of
the Holy Spirit is lacking. For this reason Paul
had to admonish Timothy, Wherefore I put thee
in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,which is in thee by the putting on of my hands
(2 Timothy 1:6). The New International Version
translates this, For this reason I remind you to
fan into flame the gift of God.
God wants people who are filled with the Holy
Spirit this is sanctification. He does not want
people who merely obey a list of commandments
and are proud of themselves for doing so. No,
the Lord wants our whole lives to come under
the lordship of the Holy Spirit.
With many people, however, this is a sore
point. Most believers confuse earnestness with
holiness. They think that if they are earnest
enough they will be holier. This is not so. The
Holy Spirit leaves the personality of the individ-
ual child of God as it is, but He sanctifies his
character. The holiest people that I have known
have been happy, uncomplicated, big-hearted
people.
People who are not filled with the Holy Spirit
are like electronic devices whose batteries have
run down. It is no use having your mobile
phone with you at all times so that you can be
reached, if you do not make sure that the battery
is charged.
Gods signposts
Because John the Baptist would be filled with
the Holy Spirit, it was also prophesied of him,
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn
to the Lord their God (Luke 1:16).
What a relief it is when on a long trip to see a
sign like Gas station one mile ahead, or
Restaurant, or the name of our destination.
Such signposts never point to themselves, but al-
ways to something else. What would you think
of a signpost that said, Here I am!? This is ofno use to anyone; it brings them no nearer to
their destination.
John was a true signpost who determinedly
pointed away from himself and to Christ, The
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed
baptize you with water; but one mightier than I
cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not
worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire I am not the Christ
(Luke 3:4 & 16 and John 1:20).
There are not a few servants of God who
only point to themselves today, or are convinced
that only their church or ministry can save peo-
ple. This is in itself a pointer to the fact that
they are not led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit identifies Himself with the Word of God,
the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).
NOVEMBER 2008 13
If the Europeans had stayed home and not traveled the two conti-
nents, America and Australia would not have been discovered. People
have always traveled and they will continue to do so.
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14 M I D N I G H T C A L L
(Compare also John 1:12,
3:16, 5:24, 14:6, Acts 4:12
and 1 Corinthians 3:11.)
The greatest and best
thing a person can be is a
signpost pointing to Jesus
Christ, in the place where
God has put him. There
is no more fulfilling task
than this.
The fulfillment of the
Word of God
It was further prophe-
sied of John the Baptist,He shall go before him in the spirit and power of
Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the chil-
dren, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the
just; to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord (Luke 1:17). In the book Malachi the
same thing is said of Elijah, as the angel prophe-
sies here concerning John the Baptist, Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the com-
ing of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and
he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the chil-
dren, and the heart of the children to their fa-
thers, lest I come and smite the earth with a
curse (Malachi 4:5-6).
This statement concerning Elijah was applied
prophetically to John the Baptist. Through this it
becomes clear that John came in the spirit and
power of Elijah. This is why the Lord Jesus said
of John, And if ye will receive it, this is Elias,
which was for to come (Matthew 11:14).
There is nothing better than when the Word of
God is realized in and through us. It takes place
when we live out the Word of Godwhen we are
not on our way in our own power, but in the
power of the Word of God and the Spirit of Jesus;
that is, in the power of His name.
Prophetic direction
Zacharias was also told by the angel that the
ministry of his son John would one day serve to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord
(Luke 1:17). John the Baptist, as a man, did in-
deed appear on the scene in the spirit and power
of Elijah, to be a forerunner of Jesus, to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord. He did
this at a time when only few were expecting the
coming of the Messiah in Israel.
Is it not similar today? We are expecting the
return of Jesus for His Church (the Rapture),
Prophecy for today is the prophecy of warning. The Lord Jesus Christ used both
instancesthe judgment of water in Noahs time and the judgment of fire in Lots
timeto show that normal people doing their day-to-day chores, loving their family
and being responsible citizens, may be honorable people, but they could not stand
before a righteous God.
BIBLE PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME
Noah's Ark Giclee Print by Gustave Dore
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C O V E R S T O R Y
which will take place without warning. We are
Advent people. John the Baptist went before the
Lord and made ready a people prepared for the
Lord. This is also the task of Midnight Call
Ministries.
The last book of the Bible begins with the
words, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave unto him, to show his servants things
which must shortly come to pass; and he sent
and signified it by his angel unto his servant
John (Revelation 1:1). Two verses later it says,
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear
the words of this prophecy, and keep those
things which are written therein: for the time is
at hand (verse 3). In the last chapter of the
Revelation it says, And he said unto me, These
sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God
of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto
his servants the things which must shortly be
done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he thatkeepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this
book (verses 6-7).
True faith changes society
John was to turn the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just, in order to make ready a
people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17).
As born-again Christians, we have a society-
changing task in this world. This does not mean
that we take part in all their activities, but that
we point to the Lord Jesus and the Word of God,
so that the disobedient are changed into the
wisdom of the just, so that they bring fruits
worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8 and Luke
3:8). Daniel and his three friends are a good ex-
ample of this (compare Daniel chapters 3 & 6).
It is Gods aim that people are changed for
eternity. This transformation can only take
place, however, when we ourselves are trans-
formed through the Word of God and put our
Christianity into practice.
Swiss businessman Henry Dunant was the
first man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in the
year 1901. In 1855 he founded the Swiss chap-
ter of the YMCA, and in the 1860s the Red
Crosstoday the most recognized and respected
organization in the entire world. He trusted in
God and practiced Christian brotherly love,
which transformed the society of that time.
Everywhere Christians took the Word of God
to heart, gave up their indifference and became
fervent followers of Jesus, society was trans-
formed (think of Luther, Moody, Peter Marshall,
NOVEMBER 2008 15
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the
earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because
he knoweth that he hath but a short time (Revelation 12:12).
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16 M I D N I G H T C A L L
and George Mller). They
followed the One who trans-
formed the world as no other
before Him: Jesus Christ.
The Lord expects that as
born-again Christians we do
our part out of love for Him
to improve human lives with-
out thinking of the profit.
Christmas the time of
presents
John the Baptist pointed in
a unique way to the heavenly
gift in Jesus Christ, by saying
of Him, Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world
(John 1:29). The Lord Jesus does not want to
take anything from you except your sins, but He
gives you everything that is good for you andyour family for time and eternity. Concerning the
first coming of Jesus to this earth, the apostle
Paul wrote, For ye know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for
your sakes he became poor, that ye through his
poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
The best Christmas present for God is
when Jesus is born in the heart of a person.
He saw the lost condition of every person who
goes to eternity without forgiveness of his sins.
Out of pure love, therefore, He became man in
Jesus Christ (John 1:14). He was born as a baby
in Bethlehem, and as a man He went to Calvary,
where He was crucified in our place for our sins
(1 Peter 2:24), that whosoever believeth in
him [Jesus] should not perish, but have everlast-
ing life (John 3:16). But Jesus did not remain
on the cross or in the tomb, but He rose again
and is alive forever. As the Risen Lord He says to
you now, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I
am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I
am alive forevermore (Revelation 1:17-18).316/MR1207
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew
24:31).
BIBLE PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME
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C O V E R S T O R Y
NOVEMBER 2008 17
Thus, the fig tree symbolizes the covering of sins. We can
rightly say the whole Old Testament is a testimony to the covering
of the sins of the people of Israel. That is the entire law.
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18 M I D N I G H T C A L L
Israel as a visible reality in the Promised Land is the greatest end time sign for the
Church. Now is the time for us to lift up our eyes, for our redemption draweth nigh.
BIBLE PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME
MC
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by Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
NOVEMBER 2008 19
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lationism. The ob-
vious contrast
with midtribula-
tionism is that it
requires a radicallydifferent interpreta-
tion of the Scriptures
regarding the coming of
Christ for His church, as op-
posed to His coming with His
church to earth to establish the Davidic
(Messianic) kingdom.
Midtribulationism does have some
similarities to pretribulationism in some
fundamentals, such as the eschatologi-
cal character of the seventieth week.
However, midtribulationism places the
rapture at the midpoint of the tribula-
tion, and not prior to the beginning of
it. Of course, the chronological place-
ment of the rapture at the midpoint dis-
tinguishes midtribulationism also from
posttribulationism. It is best to under-
stand midtribulationism as an interme-
diary of pretribulationism and
posttribulationism.The adherents of midtribulationism
are found generally to have abandoned
pretribulationism or posttribulationism.
For instance, Van Kampen was pretribu-
lational and sought to find the common
denominator that made the biblical
truths of pretribulationism and post-
tribulationism come together perfectly.5
Although no mention was made of
midtribulationism within the so-called
new view of pre-wrath rapturism, it is
quite similar to that system. Indeed, it is
best to regard the pre-wrath view as a
variation of midtribulationism.6
The Last Trumpet and SeventhTrumpet
Harrison understood the sounding of
the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians
15:52 to occur at the midpoint of the
tribulation. The last trumpet in 1
Corinthians 15:52
was thought to be
the same as the
seventh trumpet of
Revelation 11,which midtribula-
tionists believe will
commence the great
tribulation. Therefore, the
seventh trumpet of Revelation
would be the last trumpet for the
church. The identification of the last
trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the
seventh trumpet of Revelation 11 is es-
sential for the midtribulational view to
be correct.
Midtribulationism requires the sev-
enth trumpet to begin the great tribula-
tion. Therefore, the church will
experience the first half of the tribula-
tion, but not the great tribulation. The
seven seals and the first six trumpet
judgments occur in the first half of the
seventieth week, which means they do
not occur during the great tribulation.7
Pretribulationists would generally agreethat the last half of the tribulation could
be designated the great tribulation (cf.
Matt 24:21); however, the midtribula-
tionists conclusion that the last trumpet
of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the seventh
trumpet of Revelation 11 are the same
would be strongly opposed as a false in-
terpretation, in addition to the
midtribulational understanding of the
wrath of God during the entire seven
years of tribulation. Harrison wrote,
Wrath is a word reserved for the Great
Tribulationsee wrath of God in [Rev]
14:10, 19; 15:7; 16:1, etc.8 Harrison
cited Revelation 11:18 (Your wrath
came) as proof that the wrath of God
will not be associated with the seven
seals and first six trumpet judgments.
Of course, he did not reference 6:16-17
or 7:14 in his lists of wrath references
in Revelation, since they obviously ar-
NOVEMBER 2008 21
Harrison under-stood thesounding of
the last trum-pet of 1Corinthians15:52 to occurat the midpointof the tribula-tion. The lasttrumpet in 1Corinthians
15:52 wasthought to bethe same as theseventh trum-pet of Revela-tion 11, whichmidtribulation-ists believe willcommence the
great tribula-tion.
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MIDTRIBULATIONISM
22 M I D N I G H T C A L L
First, the lasttrumpet maybe a technicalphrase denot-ing the end of
the dispensa-tion of thechurch. Theword last isquite com-mon when re-ferring toevents sur-rounding the
end of thechurch age.
gue against the seventh trumpet begin-
ning the time of divine wrath.9
There is also a problem of context
with midtribulationism in arguing that
God connected the last trumpet of 1Corinthians 15:52 with later revelation.
The Corinthians would have under-
stood Paul as speaking of an imminent
return (in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye) of their Lord at the last
trumpet. There is nothing in the con-
text of 1 Corinthians that would indi-
cate a time of intense tribulation upon
the whole world that would precede the
return of their Lord. The interpretation
of the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians
would be changed by the revelation of
the seventh trumpet in Revelation.
Moreover, a primary matter is whether
or not last is limited only to a given
chronological sequence. Indeed, the us-
age of the word last is not limited to
the last in a given chronological se-
quence; it can also refer to the end of a
specific period (or epoch).10 Therefore,
last can refer to the end of somethingchronologically, as in the seven trum-
pets of Revelation, or to the end of a
specific period (e.g., the dispensation of
the church). Gerald Stanton rightly
stated, the fact of subsequent trumpets
is no problem for a pretribulational in-
terpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:52.11
Even amillennialist Barnes noted, The
word last here does not imply that any
trumpet shall have been before sounded
at the resurrection, but is a word denot-
ing that this is the consummation or
close of things; it will end the economy
of this world; it will be connected with
the last state of things.12
Although Gods programs for Israel
and the church are distinct, both pro-
grams appear to end with the sounding
of a trumpet. However, these trumpets
are not identical. The last trumpet of
1 Corinthians 15:52 is not a reference to
the last in any preceding sequence, but
is related to the end of a specific age;
namely, the dispensation of the church.
The significance of the last trumpet in
verse 15:52 may be twofold. First, thelast trumpet may be a technical
phrase denoting the end of the dispen-
sation of the church. The word last is
quite common when referring to events
surrounding the end of the church age
(Acts 2:17; 2 Tim 3:1-5; Heb 1:2; Jas
5:3; 1 Pet 1:5, 20; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18).
Second, last trumpet may also be a
technical phrase indicating the gather-
ing together of the church. E. Schuyler
English noted that the sounding of a
trumpet in Numbers 10 was to gather
an assembly of the people. Therefore,
last trumpet would be a rallying call
indicating that the church is changing
locations, much like Israel changed
camps in the wilderness (1 Cor 15:23).13
The resurrection of Christ made Him
the firstfruits, the first resurrected
from the dead. Christs resurrection is
the firstfruits of many to be raised. Theseventh trumpet of Revelation 11, how-
ever, announces the kingdom reign of
Jesus Christ, which is why there is men-
tion of the resurrection of the righteous
dead from the Old Testament economy
(11:18; cf. Dan 12:2, 13). With the an-
nouncement of the kingdom in Revela-
tion 11, the remaining bowl judgments
will immediately precede the establish-
ment of that kingdom.
The Wrath of God
According to the midtribulational
view, the church is only exempted from
the wrath of God during the great tribu-
lation (Rev 11:2; 12:6), or the last half
of the seventieth week. Midtribulation-
ists regard the last half of the seventieth
week as more severe than the first half.
Indeed, Harrison described the first half
as sweet anticipation to John, as it is
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to them [Israel]
under treaty pro-
tection, they will
be sitting pretty,
as we say. But thesecond half
bitter indeed.14
Pretribulation-
ists could agree
that the first half
of the Tribula-
tion will be rela-
tively peacefulfor Israel, since
this will be a
time of protec-
tion for the nation (albeit deceitful).
However, if midtribulationists intend to
argue that the seven seal judgments and
the first six trumpet judgments occur in
the first half (i.e., because the seventh
trumpet announces the rapture), it
would be difficult indeed to imagine
John thinking of the prophecies in
6:1217, 8:11, and, 9:110:11 as
sweet anticipation.Buswell believed that the first half of
the tribulation would be characterized
by general trials and troubles that the
church would experience. He under-
stood the first half to depict the wrath
of man and not the wrath of God. Con-
cerning Jacobs trouble in Jeremiah
30:7 (Buswell correlated Dan 11:31 and
12:12, 11 with this reference), he
wrote:
This most terrible time of trouble is not
to be identified with the wrath of God. Both
Matthew and Mark record the words of the
Lord predicting cosmic upheavals immedi-
ately after the tribulation of those days
(Matthew 24:29; cf. Mark 13:24, 25; Luke
21:25, 26). The Lord proceeds to enumerate
as definitely coming after that tribula-
tion, signs and portents which should be
identified with the events which take place
at the pouring out of the vials of Gods
wrath (Revelation 16:121). I take the refer-
ence to these portents, coming after the
tribulation of those days, to mean that the
pouring out of the vials of Gods wrath (a
time which is commonly, but mistakenly,
identified with the great tribulation) will
be definitely subsequent to this very brief
but very intense time of trouble. Tribula-
tion is the common lot of the church in
every age.Tribulation is, generally speaking, from
the wrath of man, and to undergo tribula-
tion is the common lot of the church in all
ages. But the wrath of God is not for the
church.15
The fact that unbelieving kings and
rulers, rich and strong men as well as
slaves, seek to hide from the face of Him
who sits upon the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb, and that these unbe-
lievers say, The great day of His wrath has
come,these reactions of unbelievers do
not prove that the sixth seal is the day of
wrath. This is but a reaction of the ungodly
to cosmic disaster. 16
Buswell attempted to make an artifi-
cial distinction (in opposition to Rev
45) between the wrath of man and the
wrath of God by citing passages like
Acts 14:22 and 1 Thessalonians 3:34 as
proof that tribulation is the common
NOVEMBER 2008 23
Pretribulation-ists could agreethat the first half
of the Tribula-tion will be rel-atively peacefulfor Israel, sincethis will be atime of protec-tion for the na-tion (albeitdeceitful).
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MIDTRIBULATIONISM
24 M I D N I G H T C A L L
lot of the church in all ages. Therefore,
he argued, the first half of the tribula-
tion cannot be identified as the wrath
of God. As evident from the previous
quotation, Buswell did not even regardthe bowls of Gods wrath as compo-
nents of the great tribulation. He re-
lated the commencement of the
millennial kingdom and the wrath of
God (associated with the bowl judg-
ments only). Commenting on the
sounding of the seventh trumpet in
Revelation 11:1417, he wrote, What
has taken place is that He who is eter-
nally and continuously the King of
kings and Lord of lords has now
ended the time of His longsuffering.
True, He allows the Antichrist to con-
tinue for three and one half years, but
his continuance on earth is under the
outpouring of the vials of the wrath of
God.17
Matthew 24:29 was cited to indicate
the time of the wrath of God. In that
verse, Jesus stated that cosmic signs
would follow immediately after the
tribulation of those days. Those days
are a reference to the great tribulation
that commenced in 24:15. Buswell re-
garded the cosmic signs in Revelation
16 (cf. 11:13) as part of the bowls of
Gods wrath. However, Buswell arguedthat special cosmic signs follow the
great tribulation and herald the wrath
of God. Whereas
Buswell used the
cosmic signs re-
sulting from the
opening of the
bowls in Revela-
tion 16 to argue
for the time of
the wrath of God,
Harrison related
the time of the
wrath of God
with the seventh
trumpet in Reve-
lation 11. Both
Buswell and Har-
rison ignored the
unequivocal ref-
erences to divinewrath in Revela-
tion 6:1617 and 7:14. For instance,
Buswell disregarded the aorist (elthen)
in 6:1617 as but a reaction of the un-
godly to cosmic disaster.18 Instead, he
understood the seventh trumpet as the
beginning of the wrath of God.
But not only does the seventh trumpet
announce the beginning of the earthly
reign of Christ, the voices of the twenty-
four elders further announce, The nations
were angry and Thy wrath has come and
the time to destroy those who are de-
stroying the earth. These words, I believe,
refer to the outpouring of the vials of the
wrath of God, and the destruction of the
Beast and the False Prophet, and of the
armies of the Beast. 19
The promise of rewards for the saints
in 11:18 was correlated with 1 Corinthi-
ans 15:5152:20
However,Buswell ar-gued that spe-cial cosmicsigns follow
the great tribu-lation and her-ald the wrathof God.
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MIDTRIBULATIONISM
26 M I D N I G H T C A L L
they will gather His elect from the four
winds, from corners of heavens to corners
thereof (Matthew 24:30,31; cf. Mark
13:26,27).
It is my opinion that in the coming to
life and Rapture of the two witnesses (Rev-
elation 11:11 ff.) we have an exact
synchronization of events. The two wit-
nesses are caught up into heaven in the
cloud at the same moment that the elect
of God are caught up together in clouds
to the meeting of the Lord in the air (I
Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:13-
18). 23
Apparently, the church remains in
the clouds with Christ to view the un-
folding of the tribulational events.
John says [in Rev 19:11-16], I saw
heaven standing open. Literally, the per-
fect passive participle, having been
opened, is harmonious with my specula-
tive suggestion that Christ is visible with
His glorified saints in heaven throughout
the three and one half year period during
which the Antichrist is allowed to prevail
upon the earth.24
Midtribulationists erroneously con-
clude the loud voice from heaven say-
ing to them, Come up here is the
rapture of the church. Nothing in the
context supports the conclusion that
Revelation 11:12 is the rapture; rather,
only the two witnesses are resurrected.
Furthermore, Revelation 11:14-15
places the seventh trumpet after the
events of 11:3-14 when the second
woe is past. The second woe is still
the sixth trumpet opened in 9:13. If
Revelation 11:12 is the rapture, then
midtribulationists would have to ac-
cept the opinion that the rapture oc-
curs at the sixth trumpet as opposed to
the last trumpet in Revelation. The sev-
enth trumpet actually occurs near the
time of the end of the tribulation,
somewhat prior to the second coming
of Christ.
The seventh angel does not sound
the seventh trumpet until after the res-
urrection of the two witnesses. How-
ever, in 1 Corinthians 15:52 the
trumpet for the rapture sounds in amoment, in the twinkling of an eye
(cf. 1 Thess 4:13-18). In the sense that
the seventh trumpet is the seven bowls
of wrath, the seventh trumpet sounds
for a continuous period of time. (The
Greek word esalpisen in Rev. 8:7 indi-cates the trumpet will begin to sound.)
Gods Purposes for Israel and theChurch
The midtribulational view interre-
lates Gods program for Israel and the
church with each other. The reason for
this overlap is due to the belief that the
church participates in at least one half
of the seventieth week, the time of Ja-
cobs trouble, but not in the last half
(and most severe) of the seventieth
week. Both Harrison and Buswell force
the church into the context of the
Olivet Discourse. Harrison argued thatthe existence of the Temple until AD
70 (i.e. for approximately forty years of
church history) is proof that Gods pro-
gram for Israel and the church overlap.
Buswells overlap of the programs for
Israel and the church is obvious in his
understanding of the Olivet Discourse,
as the following quotes demonstrate.
The next section in the Olivet dis-
course begins again with tote, at that
time. This word does not mean then in
the sense of subsequently. That meaning
would be indicated by eita or epeita. Tote
means then in the sense of at that time.
In other words, the rapture of the church
is not said to come subsequently to the
time of the wrath of God, but is said to
come at that time.
This par ticular section of the Olivet
discourse is given almost identical words
in Matthew and Mark, and in almost iden-
Midtribula-tionists erro-neouslyconclude theloud voice
from heavensaying tothem, Comeup here isthe rapture ofthe church.Nothing in thecontext sup-ports the con-
clusion thatRevelation11:12 is therapture;rather, onlythe two wit-nesses are res-urrected.
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tical words in Luke as
far as Luke goes in
this section. Matthew
says, And at that
time there will ap-
pear the sign of the
Son of Man in heaven
and at that time all
the tribes of the land
will weep [Zechariah
12:10-14; cf. Revela-
tion 1:7] and they
shall see the Son of
Man coming upon
the clouds of heaven
with power and great
glory. And He will send forth His angels
with a great trumpet [I Corinthians 15:52; I
Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 11:15-19]
and they will gather together His elect
from the four winds from corners of
heaven unto corners thereof (Matthew
24:30,31).
I have indicated above that the Apostle
Paul alludes to these words of Christ in II
Thessalonians 2:1 taking the noun, gath -ering together, in the phrase, our gather-
ing together unto Him, from the very
verb which Jesus us ed in saying, They will
gather together His elect.
Luke (ch. 21:27,28) uses the same
words employed by Matthew and Mark in
reference to the coming of the Son of
Man in a cloud, with power and great
glory. Luke does not include the state-
ment with reference to the great trumpet
and the angels and the gathering to-
gether of the elect, but Luke adds, When
these things begin to come to pass, look
up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption is near. In my opinion, the
words, these things refer back to the ma-
terial in Luke 21:25,26, namely, the cosmic
disturbances that are to come after the
brief tribulation. In other words, although
Luke does not specifically refer to or de-
scribe the rapture, yet his words, your re-
demption draweth near, are the equiva-
lent of it.
Midtribulationists ignore the obvi-
ous by forcing the church into the
Olivet Discourse, and hence, the first
half of the tribulation. The tribulation
is the seventieth week of Daniel, the
period with which the Olivet Discourse
is largely concerned. The dispensation
of the Law ended with the crucifixionof Christ (2 Cor 3:11; Gal 3:25; Col
2:14) and the dispensation of the
church began at Pentecost (Acts 2).
Since the sixth-ninth week was ful-
filled prior to the crucifixion of Christ,
and the church was not instituted until
Pentecost, then Gods program for Is-
rael has been postponed until the dis-
pensation of the church is completed.
Once the rapture occurs, God will be-
gin His program again with Israel as a
nation, which will begin the seventieth
week. The overlap of the two programs
is not a biblical teaching, but it is a
necessary teaching for midtribulation-
ism.
The Doctrine of Imminency
Midtribulationists vigorously deny
the biblical teaching concerning the
imminency of the rapture. Midtribula-
NOVEMBER 2008 27
The dispensa-tion of the Lawended with the
crucifixion ofChrist (2 Cor3:11; Gal 3:25;Col 2:14) andthe dispensa-tion of thechurch beganat Pentecost(Acts 2).
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MIDTRIBULATIONISM
28 M I D N I G H T C A L L
tionists must deny imminency. If the
rapture is midtribulational, then it is possi-
ble to set a date for its occurrence. Indeed,
date setting is quite characteristic of Harri-
son.26 If the rapture occurs at the midpoint
of the tribulation, then believers would
merely count three and one half years from
the signing of the peace treaty with Israel,
which surely will make international news.
Such teaching clearly denies the imminency
of the rapture. Christians are not to look for
the Antichrist, but the imminent appearing
of Jesus Christ. God provided Israel withnumerous signs that would precede the sec-
ond coming. In light of such signs, Israel
was to live in expectancy of the coming of
Messiah to fulfill the biblical covenants and
establish His millennial reign.
CONCLUSION
This brief examination of midtribula-
tionism has demonstrated that the essen-
tial characteristics of the view are contrary
to the true interpretation of Scripture, and
should therefore be rejected as false.
ENDNOTES
1 Thomas D. Ice, Stage-Setting of the Last Days, in
Revelation Hoofbeats, gen. ed. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
(Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2003), 283-300.
2 Gleason Archer, The Case for the
MidSeventieth
Week Rapture Position in The
Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 115-45.
3 Nor ma n B. Ha rr ison , The End: Re-thinking the Reve-
lation (Minneapolis: Harrison Services, 1941), 118.
4 It would be best to understand
Scripture to teach that the sixth seal
occurs at the midpoint of the tribula-
tion. See Ron J. Bigalke Jr., A Compari-
son of the Synoptic Eschatological
Discourses and Revelation 620,
Chafer Theological Seminary Journal 13
(Spring 2008): 60-78.
5 Robert D. Van Kampen, The Rapture
Question Answered(Grand Rapids: Rev-
ell, 1997), 47.
6 Mike Stallard, An Analysis of the
Use of Cosmic-Sign Passages by Propo-
nents of the Pre-Wrath Rapture Theory (paper pre-
sented at the Pre-Trib Study Group, Dallas, TX,
2002).
7 Harrison, The End, 54.
8 Ibid., 91.
9 Ibid., 91, 120. When he did interpret 6:16-17, Harri-
son regarded it as a future tense.
10 J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1964), 189.
11 Gerald B. Stanton, Kept from the Hour(Miami
Springs: Schoettle Publishing, 1991), 194-195.
1 2 Al ber t Ba rne s, Notes on the First Epistle to the
Corinthians (London: Gall & Inglis, 1847), 386.
13 E. Schuyler Engl ish, Re-Th inki ng t he R aptu re ( Nep-
tune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1954), 109.
14 Harrison, The End, 111.
15 J . Oliver Buswell ,A Sy stem atic T heol ogy of t he Ch ris-
tian Religion (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962; repr.,
1976), 2:389.
16 Ibid. , 2 :43536.
1 7 Ibi d., 2 :4 57 .
1 8 Ibi d., 2 :4 36 .
1 9 Ibi d., 2 :4 57 .
20 Ibid. , 2 :45758.
21 Ibid.
22 Harrison, The End, 117.
23 Buswell, Systematic Theology, 2:456.
2 4 Ibi d., 2 :4 83 .
25 Ibid. , 2 :398-99.
26 Harrison, The End, 20, 42-43, 218.
This brief ex-amination ofmidtribula-tionism hasdemonstratedthat the essen-tial character-istics of theview are con-trary to thetrue interpreta-tion of Scrip-ture, andshould there-fore be re-
jected as false.
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MONEY: ENDS & TRENDS
$For more perspectives and resources on world economic and financial trends of interest to Christians,
visit Wilfreds website http://www.eternalvalue.com for additional resources and subscribe to the free
newsletter Eternal Value Review: World Review and Market Monitor.
What Chances a Global Financial
Apocalypse Now? Part I
Over the past year or so, much of the high-income region of the world has
been gripped in a growing anxiety. Global financial markets have
encountered unsettling volatility, and more worryingly, the integrity of global
financial and credit systems has been threatened. To date, financial
institutions at largewhether smaller or greaterhave sustained lossesnow exceeding $500 billion.
B y W i l f r e d H a h n
Specifically, the nations
that we have dubbed the
Top-10X in past re-
searchthese being the 10
highest-income and economi-
cally largest nations in the
world of dominant Christian heritage1
seem to be on the horns of a brewing fi-
nancial catastrophe. Given their heavy
reliance upon debt-based monetary sys-
tems, as well a high level of financializa-
tion,2 their financial institutionsbanks,
insurance companies, investment brokers,
hedge funds, etc.have been particularly
vulnerable to bursting asset bubbles.
There is real fear that a global financial
meltdown might yet ensue.
Could this happen? Closer to home,
in North America, such fears are even
greater. The perfect storm of falling
real estate prices (some regions in the US
even experiencing near collapses) higher
energy prices, the high debt-servicing
costs of many households due to over-in-
debtedness, and now an economic slow-
down compounded by a reluctance to
lend, has the doomsayers in full bloom.
Indeed, housing markets are falling the
fastest since the Great Depression, and
more banks are expected to fail over the
next several years than in that prior, infa-
mous time. Even some Christian min-
istries have seized on these fears,
contriving such emotional themes as
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Christians and high oil prices or
the falling dollar. Fanning
these fears, secular analysts now
forecast that total losses amongstall financial players could yet
broach $2.5 trillion and
more.
The questions beckon:
Will there yet be a total fi-
nancial collapse? If so, just
what will happen to Amer-
icas economic position in
the world? And, surely a question on the
lips of many: Is the financial security of
our own families at risk? This latter
question, of course, is the most anxiety-
ridden. No matter that such worries are
also exaggerated due to our society being
amongst the most materialistic of any in
the world. Financial well beingthe
comfort of wealth in our Global Age of
Capitalis popularly seen as the top pri-
ority.
Well stop with the questions and next
attempt some answers. Foundationalhere is a premillennial perspective on
global collapse. Scripture provides clear
guidance on this topic. While this per-
spective will likely not provide the near-
term reassurance that most North
Americans are looking for, the Bible does
not fail to provide us with reasons for an
attitude of contentedness, peace as well
as hope.
America: What Vantage Point toAdopt?
Without a doubt, Americas current
troubles have not been sleeping (2 Pe-
ter 2:3). These are the product of choices
those of corrupt leaders as well as
households and individuals. A progres-
sive slide toward materialism, various
kinds of idolatry, and greedy lawlessness
has been documented for many decades.
In fact, this beginning slide was already
detected by both Christian
and non-Christian writers 150
years ago and more. So why
should there be surprise thatfinally the chickens have
come home to roost?The Bible clearly says,
Do not be deceived:
God cannot be mocked.
A man reaps what he
sows (Galatians 6:7).
Of course, there has
been a long line of false prophets and
soothsayers that have popularized the
ideas that there are no consequences of
revelry, that you can eat your cake andhave it, too, and that there is no suchthing as sin and wrongdoing. This mes-
sage offered pleasing license to compla-
cently rush down the broad road to the
difficulties that America and the world
are experiencing today. That being so,
wouldnt it be reasonable to see Americas
troubles as a catalyst for the final global
collapse? We argue, not at this time, forseveral reasons.
In answering this question, lets first
focus on Americas perceived role in this
regard. Here, a number of religious per-
suasions color the view. For example, US
economic and financial challenges of
latedeserved as they areare com-
monly being seen as divine intervention
in Christian circles, or as prophetic ful-
fillment and validation of other interpre-
tational systems of Scripture. For
example, Dominion Theology theorists
(also called Reconstructionists), who,
among other beliefs, hold that Christians
will yet reform the entire world before
Christ returns, are a group gaining in in-
fluence. They are feeling triumphal at
present. Various proponents of this view
have long predicted that a global finan-
cial and economic collapse will occur.
Recent financial tremorsas already
The questions
beckon: Will
there yet be atotal financial
collapse? If
so, just what
will happen to
Americas
economic
position in the
world? And,
surely a
question on
the lips of
many: Is the
financial
security of our
own families
at risk?
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B y W i l f r e d H a h nMONEY: ENDS & TRENDS $
popularly seen as direct di-
vine interventions of warn-
ing. Moreover, Americas fate
is seen as either dominatingor determining the fate of
the world. All the same,
while many may be inclined
to take the perspective that
Mead describes, it doesnt provide
any specific insight to the question of
premillennial global collapse. Yet, all of
the above views intermingle with the
bated question of whether indeed a
global collapse has now started.
Global Financial Apocalypse Now?We can state our view clearly at the out-
set: The great global collapse (and its vari-
ous subsidiary judgments) that is
prophesied in the Bible is not yet unfold-
ing at present. The Bible has the final say
as to when this collapse occurs, and that is
yet in the future, as we will later show in
detail. That said, it remains true that at
this time globalism and the vulnerabilitiesof the worlds systems continue to build
toward that ultimate outcome (and in that
way could be viewed as prophetic fulfill-
ment). But the final collapse is not yet.
Not only can this view be proven from
Scripture, it can also be logically deduced.
After all, a functioning global financial and
trading system is essential to bring the
world to the apex of the Antichrists reign
inside the Tribulation period. As prophetic
events of the Great Tribulation are yet to
occur, a widespread global collapse now
would be before its time. As such, we can
know that a crippling global financial col-
lapse is not going to unfold at present. But
what do we make of America now?
Americas Role in Global CollapseThere are at least two other conclu-
sions we can settle upon that are of po-
tential interest to North Americans. For
one, America and other countries
facing similar difficultiessuch
as Britain, Spain, and Australia, to
name the major ones in thisgroupcould very well face a
long phase of decline and finan-
cial hardship even to the point
of being eclipsed economically
by other nations in the world.
Even respected secular analysts
and mainstream publications are of the
opinion that this is occurring, should
trends not change. Therefore, though we
can be sure that the final collapse is not yet
upon the world, this offers no assurance
for America and other affected countries
over the near-term.
But what would happen to the world if
the financial systems of the afore-mentioned
bloc of nations were actually to collapse, as
some observers fear? Isnt America so large
and economically influential that such a de-
velopment would spell certain doom for the
entire world in other words, be sure to
trigger the prophesied global economicbreakdown? Actually, whether the US may
possess a manifest destiny or not, financial
troubles on this continent do not necessarily
mean that the entire world must be fated for
immediate collapse. There are some persua-
sive arguments supporting this view, which
we will present in Part II.
Thoughts to PonderWe have only scratched the surface of
what the Bible says about the great eco-
nomic collapses that lay ahead for the
world during the Tribulation period. There
are different types of collapse, and the con-
sequences are yet future. For example, the
judgment befalling the wealth of Babylon
the Great is different than that of the de-
ceitful trading systems of Tyre and other
wealthy nations throughout history, or the
more general judgments mentioned by Isa-
iah (chapter 24) that apply to all nations.
Actually,
whether the
US maypossess a
manifest
destiny or not,
financial
troubles on
this continent
do not
necessarily
mean that the
entire world
must be fated
for immediate
collapse.
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The Most Abused Brand Name in the World
There is much detail in this
regard that we will yet ex-
amine. However, for now,
we can draw some key con-clusions.
First, the worlds sys-
tems are certainly and in-
delibly proceeding to an
endpoint. In that sense,
many of the trends that we
are witnessing today (glob-
alism and globalization, for example)
could be viewed as prophetic preparation,
in that they play a role in the continuing
process towards the ultimate and literal
events that are yet to come.
Overall world financial systems will not
melt down before their time. They may
suffer tremors, hair-raising crises, temporary
panics and so on, but not incapacitating
meltdown. Why? It stands to reason that
they must remain operational for at least the
early stages of the Tribulation period.
That said, collapses of lesser types have
occurred and can occur any time. In fact,this has been the normal course of history.
Some nations have risen in power; others
have fallen or been overturned. There have
been recessions, even world-shaking de-
pressions, as in the 1930s and countless
currency crises and individual country dis-
asters.
Yet, the worlds systems, though bat-
tered, were patched together only to ad-
vance to a more heightened state of
globalization. It does not counter Scripture
nor violate the immediacy of Christs re-
turn to conclude that this pattern will con-
tinue. Even should the US experience near
calamitous conditions, an analytical argu-
ment can be made to support this view.
As anticipated at the outset, our conclu-
sions are likely to disappoint some readers.
We can provide no assurance that individ-
uals or specific countries such as the
United States might not face even tougher
times ahead. Yet, such a
conclusion is entirely in
alignment with Scripture,
for we are counseled toplace our entire hope in
our Lord. That does not
mean that we are to abdi-
cate common sense or any
responsibilities of steward-
ship, but simply not to fear
other things more than
God. [] do not fear what they fear, and
do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the
one you are to regard as holy, he is the one
you are to fear, he is the one you are to
dread, and he will be a sanctuary []
(Isaiah 8:12-14).
(In Part II, we will conclude on the
question of Americas role in a pre-millen-
nial global collapse.)
ENDNOTES
1 The group of the 10 richest Christian nations,
accounting for 10.7% of the world population and
60% of world annual income, are comprised of Aus-
tralia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and the United
States. The criteria used by the author to define this
group are three: 1. The majority of the countrys pop-
ulation declaring an affiliation with a Christian faith;
2. Total population greater than 10 million; and 3.
Average annual gross national income (GNI, Atlas
Method, World Development Indicators) of greater
than US $20,000 per annum. There are 10 countries
that qualify under this definition.
2 Financialization embodies the concept of financial
activity and obligations as a relation to overall eco-
nomic life. For example, a country that has a high
level of debt, money stock, complex layers of finan-
cial obligations and so on, would be said to be more
financialized than a country with a lower level.
3 Walter Russell Mead, biographical information.
Wikipedia. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
4 Walter Russell Mead, The New Israel and the Old: Why
Gentile Americans Back the Jewish State. Foreign
Affairs, Volume 87 No. 4, July/August 2008.
$
Overall world
financial
systems willnot melt
down before
their time.
They may
suffer tremors,
hair-raising
crises,
temporary
panics and so
on, but not
incapacitating
meltdown.
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The US had not been expected to
reach this milestone until the end of
next year. It achieved this early, while still run-
ning behind Germany in total installed capac-
ity, because its average wind speed in
significantly stronger.
The total capacity of wind installations in
Germany was 22,000 megawatts in 2007,
compared with 17,000mw in the US.
Nonetheless, with growing attention on wind
energy in the US, the AWEA says the country
could well take the world lead in installed ca-
pacity as well by the end of this year.Texas gave approval for a $4.9 billion plan
to build transmission lines to channel wind en-
ergy from the plains of west Texas to large
cities, such as Dallas.
T. Boone Pickens, the veteran Texan oilman
and latter-day wind advocate, unveiled the
Pickens Plan, which calls on the US to use
wind power to generate the 22 percent of its
electricity now drawn from natural gasfree-
ing that fuel to be used for transportation.
Mr. Pickens is now spending billions of dol-
lars to build the worlds largest wind farm in
Texas.
Despite the growing interest and milestones
passed, wind meets only about 1 percent of
the current US energy demand. Mr. Pickens
says building wind facilities from Texas to
North Dakota could produce 20 percent of
electricity used by the US at a cost of
$1,000bn.
-Financial Times, 22 July 2008, pg. 3
The first time the word wind is men-
tioned in the Bible is in Genesis 8:1:
And God remembered Noah, and every
living thing, and all the cattle that was
with him in the ark: and God made a wind
to pass over the earth, and the waters as-
suaged. This wind served to prepare the
world for Noah and his family. The last
time wind appears is in Revelation 7:1:
And after these things I saw four angels
standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that
the wind should not blow on the earth, noron the sea, nor on any tree. The purpose
of the wind here is to prepare divine pro-
tection for the 12 tribes of the children of
Israel.
In the meantime, wind is being uti-
lized for its energy, and energy is trans-
lated into benefit for modern mankind.
Such is the case also with solar and fossil
fuel. All is there, provided for man, but in
the end, man will use his accumulated
riches to oppose the living God: And the
rest of the men which were not killed by
these plagues yet repented not of the
works of their hands, that they should not
worship devils, and idols of gold, and sil-
ver, and brass, and stone, and of wood:
which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Neither repented they of their murders,
nor of their sorceries, nor of their forni-
cation, nor of their thefts (Revelation
9:20-21). 3346
U S A
America Takes Wind-Power Lead
The US rush into wind power has enabled the country to passGermany to become the worlds biggest generator of such en-ergy, according to estimates for the first half of 2008 from the
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
G E R M A N Y
Top of WorldsSolar PowerLeague
Germany has reinforced its status as the
world leader in solar power generation, af-
ter less stringent cuts in renewable energy subsi-
dies than had been anticipated.
Germany boasts more than 50 percent of theworlds installed solar power capacity, thanks to
the subsidies, known as feed-in tariffs that give
households with solar panels a fixed income for
20 years from electricity sold to the national grid.
Solar Power
Share of global installed solarpower capacity, 2006 (%)
Germany
Japan
US
Spain
Rest of
Europe
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
-Financial Times, 28 July 2008, pg. 3 3352
Source: IMU/OttoBrenner Foundation,Frankfurt:Photon International
magazine
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Sections of the Codex Sinaiticus, which
contains the oldest complete New Testa-
ment, will be available on the Internet, said the Uni-
versity of Leipzig, one of the four curators of the
ancient text worldwide.
High-resolution images of the Gospel of Mark,
several Old Testament books, and notes on the
work made over centuries will appear on
www.codex-sinaiticus.net as a first step towards
publishing the entire manuscript online by next
July.
Ulrich Johannes Schneider, director of Leipzig
University Library, which holds part of the manu-
script, said the publication of the Codex online
would allow anyone to study a work of fundamen-
tal importance to Christians.
A manuscript is going onto the net which is like
nothing else online to date, Schneider said. Its
also an enrichment of the virtual worldand a bit
of a change from YouTube.Selected translations will be available in English
and German for those not conversant in ancient
Greek, he added.
Dating from around 350, the document is be-
lieved by experts to be the oldest known copy of
the Bible, along with the Codex Vaticanus, another
ancient version of the Bible, Schneider said.
The vellum manuscript came to Europe piece
by piece from Saint Catherines Monastery by
Mount Sinai after German biblical scholar Kon-
stantin von Tischendorf found a number of folios
there in 1844. He was allowed to take some to
Leipzig.
Tischendorf returned to the monastery in 1859
with Russian backing and acquired the biggest
section of the Bible for his imperial sponsors. It re-
mained in St. Petersburg until the Soviet Union
sold it to the British Museum in 1933.
The first section was clearly a gift to Tischen-
dorf, but thats not so clear in the case of the sec-
ond portion. The monks all signed a contract at the
time, but the rumor persists that they were given a
raw deal, said Schneider.
And there is probably some truth to this.
Subsequent discoveries meant that the original
Codex, missing roughly half the Old Testament, is
now housed at four locations in Europe and the
Middle East.
The project, launched in cooperation with the
Russian National Library, the British Library and
Saint Catherines Monastery, also details the con-
dition of the Bible, believed to have been written by
early Christians in Egypt.
I think its just fantastic that thanks to technol-
ogy we can make the oldest cultural artifacts
ones that were once so precious you couldnt
show them to anyone accessible to everyone, in
really high quality, said Schneider.-msnbc.com,21 July 2008
To be able to read a copy of the oldestavailable manuscript of the Bible is certainly
fascinating. This time its worldwide on the
internet and can be accessed by literally bil-
lions of people. But there is one problem, and
that is faith. Without faith it is impossible
to please God, and without faith we cant
come to Jesus and understand the message of
salvation. We may admire these old manu-
scripts from a historical and archaeological
point of view, but that wont help anyone.
The Bible is a book of faith. First John 5:13
reads: These things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the
Son of God. For those who dont believe, it
is foolishness, just as the Scripture states:
For the preaching of the cross is to them that
perish foolishness; but unto us which are
saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians
1:18). 3351
J A P A N
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Japans Matsushita Electric Industrial
Company said that it had developed a
new way of predi
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