The Good News - September/October 2010

8/8/2019 The Good News - September/October 2010

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September-October 2010

A M A g A z i n e o f U n d e r s t A n d i n g

Coming Soon: The Magnifcent Millennium 9

Has America Lost Its Way? 16Ezekiels Vision o the Valley o Dry Bones 22 Will Jesus Christ Return Tomorrow? 27

A World Held CaptiveSoon to Be Set FreePage 4


2/322 The Good News

ost people know that Jesus Christ brought amessage called the gospel, meaning goodnews. But what is this message, and why is it

good news?Most people assume the gospel is the story o Jesus Christs lie,

ministry, death and resurrection, and that His sacrice makes it pos-sible or us to be saved. But while all these are certainly important,

is there more to the story that many people dont understand?Mark 1:14-15 tells us that Jesus came to Galilee,preaching thegospel o the kingdom o God, and saying, The time is ullled, andthe kingdom o God is at hand.Repent, and believe in the gospel(emphasis added throughout).

We see here that the gospel is a message about the Kingdom oGod, and that we are commanded to believe in it. So what is thisKingdom o God? Some think its something that exists in the

hearts o believers. Some think its the sum total o all Christianseverywhere working to advance Gods purpose on earth. Others holddierent variations o these ideas. But what does the Bible say?

Surprising to some, Jesus Christs message about the Kingdom oGod was not new. He was continuing the message o many biblicalprophets beore Him. Their message was oa literal, world-rulingkingdom to be established over the entire earth by the coming Messiah.

Notice, or example, the vision revealed in Daniel 2:44 aboutwhat happens when a nal end-time global superpower, comprisingan alliance o rulers, is brought to its end at the return o Jesus Christ:And in the days o these kings the God o heaven will set up a king-dom which shall never be destroyed; . . .it shall break in pieces and

consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand orever.Here we see plainly that a literal kingdom will be established onearth, replacing all human kingdoms, and it will stand orever!

This is made even more obvious in Daniels vision recorded inDaniel 7:13-14: I was watching in the night visions, and behold, Onelike the Son o Man, coming with the clouds o heaven! He came tothe Ancient o Days, and they brought Him near beore Him. Then toHim was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples,nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an ever-lasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the

one which shall not be destroyed.

This startling vision describes Jesus Christ being brought beoreGod the Father, who gives Him dominion and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him in akingdom that is everlasting!

This is why we read in Revelation 11:15 (in a prophecy thatinspired the immortal lines o the Hallelujah Chorus in HandelsMessiah): The seventh angel sounded his trumpet: and there wereloud voices in heaven, which said, The kingdom o the world hasbecome the kingdom o our Lord and o his Christ,andhe will reignor ever and ever (New International Version).

This awesome truth lies at the heart o Jesus Christs gospelgoodnewso the Kingdom o God. Its at the heart o the Lords prayer,in which Jesus instructs His ollowers to pray, Your kingdom come!Its a message o great hope in which we are commanded to believe.

Youll learn much more about that message o hope in this issue!Scott Ashley, Managing editor

The message of the biblical prophets was of aliteral, world-ruling kingdom to be establishedover the entire earth by the coming Messiah.

MThe Gospel of Hope

Visit us atwww.GNmagazine.org

September-October 2010 Volume 15, Number 5 Circulation: 362,000

The Good News (ISSN: 1086-9514) is published bimonthly by the United Church o God, an InternationaAssociation,555 Technecenter Dr., Milord, OH 45150. 2010 United Church o God, an International Asso-ciation. Printed in U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any orm without written permission is prohib-ited. Periodicals Postage paid at Milord, Ohio 45150, and at additional mailing ofces. Scriptural reerencesare rom the New King James Version ( 1988 Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers) unless otherwise noted.

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3/32September/October 2010 3

REGULAR FEATURES

World News and TrendsAn overview of conditions around the world 14

Beyond Today Television log 26

God, Science and the Bible News from the world of science about God and the Bible 29

Letters From Our Readers Readers ofThe Good News share their thoughts 30

Questions and AnswersAnswers to questions from our readers 31

Coming Soon: The Magnifcent Millennium

Much o Bible prophecy describes the Millenniumthe frst 1,000years o Christs reign on earthshowing it is important to God. Andthe more you understand it, the more important it will be to you! 9

Has America Lost Its Way?

Increasingly it seems that the United States cannot solve its problemswhether they be the economy, the wars in Iraq and Aghanistan,illegal immigration or the Gul oil spill. Has America lost its way? 16

The American Century: What Was Really Behind It?

Seldom has a nation dominated an era as the United States domi-nated much o the 20th century. But what was really behind its

amazing accomplishments? Is there more than meets the eye? 18

Ezekiels Vision o the Valley o Dry Bones

The prophet Ezekiel saw a vision o vast numbers o people resur-rected to live again as physical human beings. What is the meaningo this mystiying vision, and what does it teach us about Gods plan? 22

Could Jesus Christ Return Tomorrow?

A little-noticed prophecy shows that Jesus Christs return couldnt

take place without a revolutionary change in global mass communi-cationsa change that has taken place only in the last ew years. 27

Table ofContents

A World Held Captive: Soon to Be Set Free!

Most Bible believers think this is Gods worldbut how can we rec-

oncile that with all the suering we see around us? The surprisingact is that, in terms o human society and its impact, this is not Godsworld, but a world that has been kidnapped by an unseen enemy.Heres the story o how it was kidnapped and how it will be set ree! 4

Gods plan to transform the entire world 9

COVER FEATURE

Whats behind Americas rise to superpower? 18

A world held in captivity by a cruel oppressor 4


4/324 The Good News Visit us atwww.GNmagazine.org

idnapping or hostage cases grabour attention, probably because

the crime itsel is so horrendousand the victims so helpless. Butthey also intrigue and puzzle us

because o the unusual relationships thatsometimes develop between the victimsand their abductors.

Jaycee Lee Dugard, who in 1991 wassnatched at a bus stop at age 11 and kept incaptivity or the next 18 years, apparentlydid not try to escape and, over time, devel-oped a close relationship with her captor.About her kidnapper, her stepather said thatshe has strong eelings with this guy andeels its almost like a marriage (LauraFitzpatrick, A Brie History o StockholmSyndrome, Time, Aug. 31, 2009).

Natascha Kampusch, kidnapped at age10 while on her way to school, was held

captive in a cellar or eight years beorenally escaping. Yet she is reported to havecried ater her abductor then committedsuicide by throwing himsel in ront o atrain. All I can say is that, bit by bit,I eelmore sorry or him, she said. She latercalled her captor a poor soullost andmisguided (ibid.).

Shawn Hornbeck, ater 10 months ocaptivity at the hands o a kidnapper, calledthe police to report his stolen bike, givingthem his rst name, Shawn, and as his lastname the surname o his abductor,Devlin

(ibid.). He stayed with his captor anotherthree years, never escaping even while theman was away working at his two jobs.

Then theres the inamous case o PattyHearst, daughter o publishing magnateWilliam Randolph Hearst, who not onlyacquiesced to the Symbionese LiberationArmys criminal leader ater her kidnap-ping, but also adopted a new name andjoined his group in robbing a bank (ibid.).

Stockholm syndrome at work

All o these hostages identied with andsupported their kidnappers, even or a timeater gaining their reedom. Mental healthexperts have a particular term or this irra-tional bonding between kidnapper and vic-tim. They call it Stockholm syndrome.Itreers to victims becoming bonded to andeven eeling compassion or and loyaltyto their captors.

Stockholm syndrome gets its namerom a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm,Sweden, in which two thieves held ourbank employees hostage at gunpoint in the

banks vault or six days. When the vic-tims were released, their reaction shocked

GOOD NEWS FEATURE A World Held Captive: Soon to Be Set Free!

A World Held Captive

Soon to Be

Set Free!Most Bible believers think this is Gods worldbut how can we recon-

cile that with all the crime, violence, wars, oppression, starvation and

disasters we see all around us? The surprising fact is that, in terms of

human society and its impact, this is not Gods world, but a world that

has been kidnapped by an unseen enemy. Heres the story of how it

was kidnapped and how it will be set free!

by Jerold Aust

K

4 The Good News



the world: They hugged and kissed theircaptors, declaring their loyalty even as thekidnappers were carted o to jail (ibid.).

Psychologists are still largely at a loss toexplain such bizarre bonding. At its core itseems to stem rom the victim coming toperceive the perpetrator as the one control-ling ones survival and lie itsel. Thus the

victim aligns himsel or hersel with thecaptor out o pure sel-interest.

Paradoxical? Yes. Uncommon andremote rom everyday experience? Surpris-ingly noat least not in a broader sense,

which the majority o psychologists arewoeully ignorant o. Indeed, they andeveryone else, including you yoursel, havecertainly succumbed to this disorder tosome extent.

This is because our whole world has beenheld captive or several thousand yearsand mankind has allen victim to Stockholmsyndrome, identiying with our malevolentcaptor more than our loving Creator!

The story is strange, but trueandspelled out in the pages o your Bible!

Whats your worldview?

Everyone has a worldview. A worldviewis simply the view we have o the world.Overall, a worldview can be predominantlygood or bad, depending on how it aectsour thinking and what we do.

How is our worldview shaped?Human beings arent born with a

worldview; its developed over time.From inancy up we acquire all kindso knowledge through our ve senseshearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. We

are immersed in the world surroundingus, absorbing some o what we encounter

without much consideration and evaluatingother input in light o earlier impressionsor conclusions weve been led to.

Our parents, siblings, education, media,jobs and other lie experiences all helpshape our accumulated worldview. Mostpeople do not question their worldview,assuming that what they think and practiceis simply the way it is.

When challenged, they oten deendthemselves. The core values o religion andpolitics are among the most sacred to us.We guard such values with our lives; they

are our lives. Nations go to war over real orimagined threats, sometimes over the sanc-

tity o their core belies. To challenge onescore values is like threatening ones lie.

Our accumulated values make up ourworldview, which is a rich garden bedor seedling ideas, good and bad. Thesegrow into weeds or wheat, through exter-nal inuence, holding us captive to ourthinkingwhich we dont realize is oten

seriously o track.A wrong worldview can give rise to a

host o societal problems, such as crime,violence, warare, oppression, corruption,thievery, bad government, sexual sins and

perversity, drugand alcoholabuse, brokenmarriages andhomes, wide-spread religiousdeception, pov-

erty and manyother social ills.

Darkenedhearts throughan unseenkidnapper

Is this a worldin which people

are open to Gods thinking? Notice JesusChrists answer in Matthew 13:15: Forthe hearts o this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard o hearing, and their

eyes they have closed (emphasis addedthroughout). Human beings gullibly closetheir eyes and ears to Gods truth, whichleaves them open to the infuence ounrecognized spiritual orces.

The apostle Paul also writes: For sincethe creation o the world Gods invisiblequalitieshis eternal power and divinenaturehave been clearly seen, beingunderstood rom what has been made, sothat men are without excuse. For althoughthey knew God, they neither gloried him

as God nor gave thanks to him, but theirthinking became utile and their oolishhearts were darkened (Romans 1:20-21,New International Version).

What is the unseen orce that has dark-ened human beings oolish hearts, keepinghumanity in captivity to corrupt thinking?Satan the devil, a great allen angel, is theculprit! Paul also wrote o the need orpeople to learn Gods truth so they maycome to their senses and escape the snare

o the devil, having been taken captive byhim to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).

Here we see that, yes, humankind hasindeed been taken captive by the devil

How did we cometo this state? Howdid mankind allunder the control

o this evil anddeceptive kidnapper?

September/October 2010 5


6/326 The Good News

to do his will. And like those who allvictim to Stockholm syndrome, peoplehave come to identiy with their captormore than their Creator!

The apostle Peter similarly warns us tobe sober, be vigilant; because your adver-sary the devil walks about like a roaringlion, seeking whom he may devour

(1 Peter 5:8).He devours people through the tool o

deception. Satan has taken ull advantageo the weaknesses o human nature andexploited them through the greatest decep-tion ever perpetrated. He in act holdsthe kingdoms o this world captive underhis control and is able to give them towhomever he wishes (Matthew 4:8-9).

How did we all under Satans control?

How did we come to this state? How did

mankind all under the control o this eviland deceptive kidnapper? The story beginswith our rst human parents, Adam andEve, in the Garden o Eden.

On the sixth day o creation week, Godcreated this rst human couple. ThenGod said, Let Us make man in Our image,according to Our likeness; let them havedominion over the sh o the sea, over thebirds o the air, and over the cattle, over allthe earth and over every creeping thing thatcreeps on the earth.

So God created man in His own image;

in the image o God He created him; maleand emale He created them. Then Godblessed them, and God said to them, Beruitul and multiply; ll the earth andsubdue it; have dominion over the sh othe sea, over the birds o the air, and overevery living thing that moves on the earth. . . Then God saw everything that Hehad made, and indeed it was very good(Genesis 1:26-31).

Gods creation was indeed very good.But it wasnt long beore Satan emerged on

the scene in the orm o a serpent. Appear-ing to Eve, he deceived her into disobeyingGods instruction to not eat o the tree o theknowledge o good and evil. He lied to her,contradicting God and telling her she wouldnot die i she ate it. Adam also chose to dis-obey and took o the ruit (Genesis 3:1-6).

These rst human beings chose to dis-believe God and believe Satan. They choseto disobey God and to obey Satan. Theychose to disregard Gods instruction andto ollow Satans instead. They willinglychose to ollow not God, but the devil

into his deception and captivity. Theywillingly allowed themselves to be taken

prisoner by their abductor!The pattern was set; the die was cast.

The entire human race has sprung romthese rst two people, Adam and Eve.And every man and woman since has ol-lowed in their ootsteps, choosing to ollowthe way o sino disobedience to God(Romans 5:12, 19). Only one human being,

Jesus Christ, never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).

Satans tools or deception

A classic line rom a movie sheds lighton the deceptiveness o Satan. The great-est trick the devil ever pulled was convinc-ing the world he didnt exist, it goes.Satan has indeedconvinced manythat he doesntexist. And such anapproach makes

his job that mucheasier! (See HowNaturalismRejec-tion o GodHoldsHumanity Captive,page 7.)

But Satan worksin other ways aswell, includingthrough religion. Iyou were the devil,how might you go about deceiving human-ity into thinking your way was the truth?

How about countereiting the true God andsubstituting a big lie or His truth? Canyou perhaps envision exploiting human-itys weaknesses by oering a religiousphilosophy that says good is bad and badis good?

Maybe youd come up with makingGod out to be harsh, intolerant and untrust-worthy, or perhaps just the opposite, paint-ing God as extremely lenient and neverimposing judgment. You could in that veintry to convince well-meaning human beings

to believe they dont have to obey Him.All o this is precisely what Satan hasdone to human beings. This is how hehas led humankind into captivity to sin.Jesus Christ plainly said that whoevercommits sin is a slave o sin (John 8:34).Paul said that we are all slaves to sin untilwe are reed by God and become slaveso righteousnesswhich is obedienceto Gods law (Romans 6:16-23; Psalm119:172).

One o Satans main strategies ordeceiving people throughout the Christian

world is to convince them that they dontneed to keep Gods laws, that those laws

are obsolete or even harmul, or that Jesuskept them or us so we no longer have to.But Jesus said, I you want to enter intolie, keep the commandments (Matthew19:17). The apostle John tells us, He whosays, I know Him [God], and does notkeep His commandments, is a liar, and thetruth is not in him (1 John 2:4).

This is part o Satans major goal o

eradicating humankind rom this earththrough manipulating us into harming



Due to this wide-spread deception,Gods Word warnsus that the whole

world lies underthe sway o the

wicked one.



one another and eventually destroyingourselves (Matthew 24:21-22).

A world under Satans rule

Beore God created Adam, Satan con-vinced a third o the angels to rebel withhim against God in an attempt to overthrowHim (see Isaiah 14:13-14; Revelation 12:4,9). Jesus said that He actually witnessed,long beore becoming human, the resultso Satans rebellion: I saw Satan all likelightning rom heaven (Luke 10:18).

God cast Satan back to his originallyassigned domain: And the angels whichkept not their rst estate [the earth, wherethey had been stationed], but let theirown habitation [again, the earth], he hath

reserved in everlasting chains under dark-ness unto the judgment o the great day

(Jude 6, King James Version).While the earth, along with all who

dwell on it, rightully belongs to God (Psalm24:1), He has allowed it, because o manschoices, to become Satans domain or thetime being.

The Bible tells us that Satan is the god o

this world (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, KJV), theprince o the power o the air (Ephesians2:2) and the one who deceives the wholeworld (Revelation 12:9). Paul makes itclear that Christians struggle not againstfesh and blood, but against . . . the powerso this dark world and against the spiritualorces o evil in the heavenly [unseen spirit]realms (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).

Satan is also behind a great religiousdeception that presents another Jesuswith a dierent gospel (2 Corinthians

11:4). He presents himsel as an angel olight, as do his unwitting representatives,who in reality are deceitul workers(2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Due to this widespread deception,Gods Word warns us that the wholeworld lies under the sway o the wicked

one (1 John 5:19).In the beginning, Adam and Eve were

ree to know the truth, being ree romSatan and rom sin. But sin or lawbreakingseparates human beings rom God (Isaiah59:2). Satan tempted Eve to sin and then,

through her, Adam to ollow (Genesis 3:1-24). Humankind has taken up where our

rst parents let o, continuing to breakGods laws. Following the way o sinblinds us to Gods truths.

The inhabitants o this world are Satanscaptives, and they unknowingly identiywith their kidnapper, preerring to believehis lies and even adopting his cunning,

subtle and deceitul ways.

Satans attitudes permeate the world

Living under Satans rule has broughtmankind untold heartache and suering.Jesus pointed out Satans deceitul waysthat were evident in those wrongly accus-ing Him: You are o your ather the devil,and the desires o your ather you want todo. He was a murderer rom the beginning,and does not stand in the truth, becausethere is no truth in him. When he speaks a

lie, he speaks rom his own resources, orhe is a liar and the ather o it (John 8:44).Since Satan is a murderer, its no sur-

prise that we live in a world overfowingwith violence and mayhem o every kind.Its no wonder that human history is writ-ten in blood, with the record o humanexistence being largely a chronicle o warater war ater war. War is simply mur-der on a massive scale! Satan is behindgenocide and the act that technologicaladvancements oten lead to more ecientmeans o killing larger numbers o our

ellow human beings more quickly.Murder, manslaughter, beatings and

Dr. Phillip Johnson, retired emer-

itus proessor at Boalt School

o Law at the University o Cali-

ornia, Berkeley, wrote an insightul

book, Reason in the Balance: The

Case Against Naturalism in Science,Law and Education(1995).

His book helps us understand how

easily inuenced we are by agnostics

and atheists, who write many o our

school textbooks and dominate many

o our classrooms and school curri-

cula. A Christian society can be badly

corrupted by educating its young

people in Darwinian evolution.

Dr. Johnson describes how an

entire societal culture is shaped by

Darwinists: Darwinian evolution is

not primarily important as a scientifc

theorybut as a culturally dominant

creation story. Every culture must have

a creation story as a basis or things

like philosophy, education and law.

I we want to know how we ought to

lead our lives and relate to our ellow

creatures, the place to begin is with

knowledge about how and why wecame into existence.

Where there is radical disagree-

ment in a commonwealth about the

creation story, the stage is set or

intense conict, the kind o conict

that is known as a culture war.

Dr. Johnson shows that natural-

ism has corrupted Western societ-

ies: In the nineteenth and twentieth

centuries, a very dierent creation

story replaced the traditional one,

frst among the most highly educated

elites and gradually in the society as

a whole.

The new creation storysaid it is

not true that God created us; on the

contrary, our ancestors created God

out o their prescientifc imagination.

According to the new story, all living

creatures evolved by an unguided,

purposeless material process orandom genetic change and natural

selection(pp. 12-13).

Thus, the logic goes, God doesnt

exist and there is no need to allow or

or consider Him in our thinking.

Satan the devil would have us

believe that we came into being by

random chance rom primordial slime

and that there is no all-powerul Cre-

ator or laws to live byso that we

conclude we can do whatever we eel

like doing without moral restriction.

Naturalismdisbelie in anything

beyond the natural world around

usis a subtle way to reeducate peo-

ple, reeing them rom eeling guilty

over sin by substituting immorality oramorality or godly morality. With no

real standards o right and wrong, we

truly are in a position o survival o the

fttest and everyone or himsel.

The Holy Bible rebukes natural-

ism: Let God be true but every man

a liar (Romans 3:4). That has never

stopped Satan, who cunningly has

taken humanity hostage through

philosophy and empty deceit

(Colossians 2:8) .

How NaturalismRejection o GodHolds Humanity Captive

The new creation story said our ancestors created

God out o their prescientifc imagination.


8/328 The Good News

assaults plague many countries. Wereappalled by the headlines. Even our popu-lar entertainment is otenflledwith vio-lence! Where does this evil infuence comerom? It comes rom the one who was amurderer rom the beginning!

Jesus also called Satan the ather olies. Again, is it any wonder that we see so

much deception o every kind all aroundus? Should we be surprised that lying isso commonplace? We lie to each other.Our governments lie to us. We lie to ourgovernments. Our various orms o medialie to us. Countries lie to other countries.Again, there is a reason or thisthe athero lies who is behind it all.

As we noted earlier, Satan was an angelwho, resenting Gods control over him,rebelled against Him. Why do we see somuch rebellion and resentment throughout

the world? There is a powerul spirit infu-ence behind it all. The very word Satanconnotes an adversary or enemy. Andindeed he continually sets us against oneanother as well as against God.

So why do we see so much evil and su-ering? There is a reason or it. The worldis imprisoned by an evil, malicious captorwhose attitudes permeate society. He hasdeceived the world, and those who aredeceived, o course, do not know they aredeceivedor they wouldnt be deceived.

The coming end o Satans reignWith all the bad news we see around

us, good news is denitely on the horizon.The time o mankinds deliverance rom itscaptor is drawing near! Soon the deception,discontent and death that permeate ourworld will be replaced by peace, prosperityand purpose!

Why does it seem that the worlds prob-lems are increasing, growing worse by theday? One reason is that Satan knows histime is running out (compare Revelation

12:12), and that God will soon intervene tosave the world and set mankind ree romSatans captivity (Hebrews 8:10-12).

Few people realize that a primary reasonJesus Christ must return is to save us romourselves! Jesus Himsel said o conditionsjust beore His coming: It will be a timeo great distress, such as there has neverbeen beore since the beginning o theworld, and will never be again.I that timeo troubles were not cut short, no living

thing could survive (Matthew 24:21-22,Revised English Bible).

Christs return will literally be a matter olie and death! We might also consider that

only within recent decades has it been possiblewith the creation o modern weapons o

mass destructionto eliminate all human lieon earth. And every weapon man has createdhe has eventually usedeven such horriyingcreations as nuclear weapons, nerve gas andgerm-warare devices. As mankind stands onthe brink o disaster,Jesus Christ must andwill intervene.

Revelation 11:15-17 describes the scene:The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,and there were loud voices in heaven,which said: The kingdom o the world[currently Satans kingdom] has becomethe kingdom o our Lord and o his Christ,

and he will reign or ever and ever.And the twenty-our elders, who were

seated on their thrones beore God, ellon their aces and worshiped God, say-ing: We give thanks to you, Lord GodAlmighty, the One who is and who was,becauseyou have taken your great powerand have begun to reign (NIV).

Revelation 20:1-3 tells us what will thenhappen to the being who has held the worldin cruel captivity and deception or so long:

Then I saw an angel coming down rom

heaven, having the key to the bottomlesspit and a great chain in his hand.He laidhold o the dragon, that serpent o old, who

is the Devil and Satan, and bound him or

a thousand years; and he cast him into thebottomless pit, and shut him up, and set aseal on him, so that he should deceive thenations no more . . .

At lasta world set ree!

These events mark the beginning o athousand-year period known as the Mil-lennium, a time when Satan will deceive

the nations no more. (You can learn muchmore about it in the article Coming Soon:

The Magnicent Millennium, beginningon the next page.)

With Satan at last out o the way, theworld will learn the promise o Christsstatement in John 8:32: You shall knowthe truth, and the truth shall make youree. Gods truth includes the Ten Com-mandments, which summarize the way He

wants mankind to live.O this new world God says, They

shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holymountain,or the earth shall be ull o theknowledge o the Lord as the waters cover

the sea (Isaiah 11:9).Satans deceptive infuence will be

gone. So will his attitude o murdering,lying and rebelling. Instead o war break-ing out,peace will break out all over!He [Jesus Christ] shall judge betweenthe nations, and rebuke many people; they

shall beat their swords into plowshares,and their spears into pruning hooks;nation shall not lit up sword against

nation, neither shall they learn war

anymore (Isaiah 2:4).This is the wonderul uture God has

in store or the world. Yes, the world isshrouded in deception and blindness ornow. But this state o aairs is soon comingto an end!

I God is opening your mind, though,you need not wait until then to experiencethe reedom His truth brings. He eagerly

desires to share that message o hope withyou and bring you out o Satans deceptionand captivity now.

In Isaiah 55:6-7 Scripture urges: Seekthe Lord while He may be ound, call

upon Him while He is near. Let the wickedorsake his way, and the unrighteous manhis thoughts; let him return to the Lord,and He will have mercy on him; and to ourGod, or He will abundantly pardon.

You can, with Gods help, break reenow. He is waiting to hear rom you! GN

This article has given only thebrieest overview o Satans per-vasive inuence throughout theworld and the methods he usesto enslave and deceive man-kind. Scripture reveals muchmore vital inormation that youneed to know! To learn more,be sure to request or downloadour ree booklet Is There Really a Devil?

Contact any o our ofces listed on page 2, orrequest or download it rom our Web site.

T ln m...

www.GNgzn.g/bkts


With all the badnews we see aroundus, good newsisdefnitely on the

horizon. The time omankinds deliver-ance rom its captoris drawing near!



GOOD NEWS FEATURE Coming Soon: The Magniicent Millennium


he time known as the Millen-nium is described in a great many

scriptures, but, interestingly, theword millennium is not in the Bible.What does it mean?

Millennium is derived rom two Latin

words: mille, meaning thousand, andannum, meaning year.Millennium simplymeans 1,000 years. A specic thousand-yearperiod denitely is in the Bible.

The Millennium (with the M typicallycapitalized) reers to the uture thousand-year reign on earth o Jesus Christ com-

mencing with His second coming.

Because the word millennium is sooten associated with the utopian condi-tions prophesied to exist in the uture1,000-year period, the adjective orm,millennial. has come to reer to not just

the wonderul age to come but any beauti-ul and inspiring setting that seems ideal,

idyllic or Edenic (i.e., harkening back tothe Garden o Eden).

A world restored to Eden-like conditions

In a short but powerul sermon, the apos-tle Peter reerred to the time ater Christs

return as times orereshing and as thetimes orestoration o all things, whichGod has spoken by the mouth o all Hisholy prophets since the world began (Acts3:18-21, emphasis added throughout).

Ever since Satan the devil appeared inthe Garden o Eden as the wily serpent andenticed Adam and Eve to sin, he has beencorrupting everything! Today, Romans 8:22tells us that the whole creation groans!

One o the most important things Bibleprophecy reveals about the Millennium isthat during this time there will be a mas-

sive restoration projectto bring the worldback to Eden-like conditions. Paradise lost

will become paradise restored! It will endup being ar better than all the secular ideaso utopia that man has dreamed up!

Notice what Bible prophecy tells us aboutthis time: For the Lord will comort Zion[that is, Jerusalem, representing all Israel],He will comort all her waste places; Hewill make her wilderness like Eden, and herdesert like the garden o the Lord; joy andgladness will be ound in it, thanksgiving

and the voice o melody (Isaiah 51:3).And: Thus says the Lord God: On theday that I cleanse you rom all your iniqui-ties, I will also enable you to dwell in thecities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. Thedesolate land shall be tilled instead o lyingdesolate in the sight o all who pass by. Sothey will say, This land that was desolatehas become like the garden o Eden; andthe wasted, desolate, and ruined cities arenow ortied and inhabited.

Then the nations which are let allaround you shall know that I, the Lord,

have rebuilt the ruined places and plantedwhat was desolate. I, the Lord, have spo-ken it, andI will do it (Ezekiel 36:33-36). What a breathtaking scene!

The literal thousand-year reign o Christ

Revelation 19:11-16 describes how JesusChrist will return as kinGofkinGsandLordofLords to establish His reign onthe earth. He will also crush the mightyarmies that oppose Him (verses 17-21).

When Jesus appeared on earth the rst

time, most people did not recognize thatHe was the Messiah because they wereexpecting a conquering king who woulddeliver them rom Roman rule. Today itsthe opposite. People are now used to theimage o a suering Savior and are notreally expecting Him to return and reignover the world. But He absolutely prom-ised that He will returnas a conqueringKing to rule all nations!

Revelation 20 then describes what hap-pens next: Christ banishes the orces oevilSatan and his demon minionsthe

primary instigators behind the worldswickedness. Christ will send an angel to

Coming Soon:The Magnifcent Millenniumby Don Hooser

The fact that a large portion of Bible prophecy describes the Millennium

proves it is extremely important to God. And the more you understand it,

the more important it will be to you!

T


10/3210 The Good News


bind Satan and lock him away or thisthousand-year period (Revelation 20:1-3).

Why is this such an urgent priority?Gods Word tells us that today the wholeworld lies under the sway o the wickedone (1 John 5:19). It is Satan who, eversince the time o Adam and Eve, powerullydeceives the whole world (Revelation

12:9). (See A World Held Captive: Soonto Be Set Free, beginning on page 4.)

The all-pervasive, unseen infuenceo Satan is the number one reason whyhuman nature is so bad. Our minds canbe compared to computers that have beeninected with a destructive virus. Ater thesource o the virusSatanis removed,minds can be cleansed rom the lingeringeects and then reprogrammed with godlyeducation and Gods Holy Spirit!

Gods servants resurrectedto serve alongside Christ

The next thing John sees in vision inRevelation 20 is Gods aithul servantswho have been martyred but are now aliveagain! And they lived and reigned withChrist or a thousand years (Revelationverse 4). Jesus earlier stated that theseresurrected servants will be immortal(Luke 20:36).

When Revelation 20:5 says, This isthefrstresurrection, it is reerring backto verse 4. The word rst implies that

there will be more than one resurrection.And as verse 5 tells us, a second resurrec-tion will be or the rest o the dead wholive again ater the thousand years werenished. That is when they will have theiropportunity or salvation.

Verse 6 provides crucial inormationabout the rst resurrection: Blessed andholy is he who has part in the rst resurrec-tion. Over such the second death hasno power, but they shall be priests o Godand o Christ, and shall reign with Him a

thousand years.The rst resurrection is indeed the bet-ter resurrection (Hebrews 11:35) becausethose in it are raised to gloried eternallie (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The secondresurrection is a restoration to mortal lie(see Ezekiels Vision o the Valley o DryBones: What Does It Mean? beginning onpage 22), so a person in the second resur-rection could die the second death i hethen reused to repent and obey Christ.

These three verses in Revelation 20just citedverses 4-6give us some

acts about the Millennium. All the othermillennial prophecies throughout the Bible

ll in the wonderul details!Sad to say, countless people have chosen

not to accept Revelation 20 as being liter-ally true. Under Satans infuence, theyhave, through many interpretations, seenthese verses as being merely symbolic.

But the wording o these verses is quiteexplicit, specic, detailed, sequential, logi-

cal and in harmony with the rest o theBible. There is no justication or under-standing them in any way except literally.

Whom will they be reigning over?

Jesus and those resurrected to immortal-ity at His return will rule over all remain-ing human beings on earth who survivethe devastating end-time wars and plaguesleading up to that time. They will also ruleover angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). And theywill rule over generations o human beings

to ollow. Indeed, in this new world opeace and plenty, many, many others willbe born throughout the Millennium.

God delights in children. He toldAdam and Eve, Be ruitul and multiply

(Genesis 1:28). During the wonderulworld o tomorrow, with its child-riendlyconditions and attitudes, couples will beruitul and people will multiply!

Regarding the Holy Land during theMillennium, God said: I will multiplymen upon you, all the house o Israel, all oit; and the cities shall be inhabited and the

ruins rebuilt. I will multiply upon you manand beast; and they shall increase and bearyoung (Ezekiel 36:10-11). There will evenbe plenty o animals to enjoy!

In thinking about the Millennium, weneed to consider both the perspective o thephysical human beings alive then as wellas the perspective o the resurrected andgloried saints, the servants o God romthis age who will then be given eternal lieas immortal spirit beings. Keep in mindthat most o the millennial prophecies are

describing ideal conditions or physicalhuman beings, including earthly pleasuresthat sound extremely appealing.

But to be a gloried spirit member o theGod amily will be innitely better than


Several scriptures indicate that we shouldexpect a millennial Sabbath ater six

1,000-year millennial days have expired.

Peter said, But, beloved, do not orget this

one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a

thousand years, and a thousand years as one

day (2 Peter 3:8; compare Psalm 90:4).

At creation, God instituted the weekly cycle

o seven days. When He rested on the seventh

day, He sanctifed it, which means He made it

a holy day orevermore (Genesis 2:1-3).

When one adds up the biblical chronology and

historic records, its clear that the lapsed time

since Adam and Eve has been almost 6,000

years, which is six millenniums. I Christ returnsat the end o 6,000 years, His reign will be the

seventhmillennium.Can it be that God intends or us to think o

the Millennium as a 1,000-year Sabbath o

rest rom the evils, stresses and suering o the

previous 6,000 years? From what Hebrews 4:1-

11 tells us, the answer is yes. This passage

is comparing three rests. The weekly Sab-

bath rest and the rest or the Israelites ater they

ceased rom wandering and entered the Prom-

ised Land o Canaan are types o the ultimaterest or the people o God ater they enter the

Kingdom o God! (verse 9).

A Millennial Sabbath anda Sabbatical Millennium


11/32




they will receive a new heart. Careullyconsider the ollowing prophecy:

For I will take you rom among thenations, gather you out o all countries[where the Israelites have been in captivityas punishment rom God], and bring youinto your own land. Then I will sprinkleclean water on you, and you shall be clean;

I will cleanse you rom all your lthinessand rom all your idols.

I will give you a new heartand put anew spiritwithin you; I will take the hearto stone out o your fesh and give you aheart o fesh [a sot, receptive heart]. I willput My Spirit within you and cause you towalk in My statutes, and you will keep Myjudgments and do them. Then you shalldwell in the land that I gave to your athers;you shall be My people, and I will be your

God (Ezekiel 36:24-28).

The Holy Land will nally live upto its name and be a truly holy land!In Ezekiels next chapter, we learn that

God will make them one nation in theland, on the mountains o Israel; and oneking shall be king over them all; theyshall no longer be two nations [Israeland Judah], nor shall they ever be dividedinto two kingdoms again(Ezekiel 37:22).

Who will be the oneking over the reunitedIsrael? It will be the resur-

rected King David (Ezekiel37:24-25; 34:23-24).

Jesus also revealed whowill reign over the 12 tribes:Jesus said to [His disciples],Assuredly I say to you, thatin the regeneration, when theSon o Man sits on the throneo His glory, you who haveollowed Me will also sit ontwelve thrones, judging thetwelve tribes o Israel (Matthew 19:28).

Based on these passages, God willlikely assign other top responsibilities toresurrected patriarchs, prophets, apostlesand other righteous men and women whoproved aithul as godly leaders.

Truth spreads throughout the earth

Jerusalem will be the capital o the worldas well as a sae and delightul place!Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion,and dwell in the midst o Jerusalem. Jeru-salem shall be called the City o Truth, theMountain o the Lord o hosts, the Holy

Mountain. Thus says the Lord o hosts:Old men and old women shall again sit in

the streets o Jerusalem, each one with hissta in his hand because o great age. Thestreets o the city shall be ull o boys andgirls playing (Zechariah 8:3-5).

God urther says o Jerusalem that allnations shall fow to it to learn and to wor-ship. Many people shall come and say,Come, and let us go up to the mountain o

the Lord, to the house [temple] o the Godo Jacob; He will teach us His ways, andwe shall walk in His paths. For out o Zionshall go orth the law, and the word o theLord rom Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3).

When Jesus Christ teaches and enorces

the way o peace, peace will break out

everywhere! He [Christ] shall judgebetween the nations, and rebuke manypeople; they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into prun-ing hooks; nation shall not lit up swordagainst nation, neither shall they learn waranymore (Isaiah 2:4).

Isaiah reers to Jesus as the Prince oPeace and then writes, O the increase oHis government and peace there will be noend (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Isaiah is known as the messianicprophet because his book is ull o

prophecies o the Messiah and the Mil-lennium. Its interesting that Isaiahs

name means the Lord saves.

Peace and prosperity fll the land

Another biblical prophet, Micah, givessome o the same details Isaiah does(Micah 4:1-3) and adds this: But every-one shall sit under his vine and underhis g tree, and no one shall make them

araid (verse 4). This short verse is preg-nant with meaning. It not only portrayspeace and security but indicates the bless-ing o each amily owning ertile, produc-tive property.

It will be a marvelous time or arming,

is t mnnut S Tng s

t Kng

G?

Although these terms are sometimes

used interchangeably, strictly speaking

they are not identical.

The Millennium is a period otime1,000years. The Kingdom o God is the reigno God

and the amilyo God, which so ar has twomembersGod the Father and God the Son,

Jesus Christ. The Kingdom o God will rule the

earth during and ater the Millennium.

And the Kingdom will rapidly expand at

that time. Gods incredible plan is to increase

His amily by transorming human beings intoliteral children o God!

But as many as received Him [Jesus

Christ], to them He gave the right to becomechildren o God, to those who believe in Hisname (John 1:12).

God calls us His children rom the moment

that we receive the git o His Holy Spirit (Romans

8:9, 14, 16, 21; 1 John 3:1-2). However, we

become ully and permanently the transormed

and glorifed children God at the resurrection

when Christ returns, when we receive a spiri-

tual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Thats

when we inherit the kingdom o God (verses50-54).

During Jesus earthly ministry, He preached

the gospel o the kingdom o God (Mark

1:14). Gospelmeans good news. Jesus waspreaching the good news that all human beings

can become members o the Kingdomthe

amilyo God as well as what the rule o Gods

Kingdom will mean or the worlds uture.

When Christ returns, an angel will an-

nounce, The kingdom o the world has

become the kingdom o our Lord and o his

Christ, and he will reign or ever and ever

(Revelation 11:15, NIV).

I will put My lawin their minds, and

write it on theirhearts; and I will betheir God, and they

shall be My people.



gardening and all kinds o outdoor activi-ties: I will make a covenant o peace withthem, and cause wild beasts to cease romthe land; and they will dwell saely in thewilderness and sleep in the woods.

I will make them and the places allaround My hill a blessing; and I will causeshowers to come down in their season;

there shall be showers o blessing. Then thetrees o the eld shall yield their ruit, andthe earth shall yield her increase (Ezekiel34:25-27).

Jesus Christ will not only change thenature o human beings; He also will

change the nature o animals! No more willanimals be predatory and dangerous: Thewol also shall dwell with the lamb, the

leopard shall lie down with the young goat,the cal and the young lion and the atlingtogether; and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze; theiryoung ones shall lie down together; and thelion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursingchild shall play by the cobras hole, andthe weaned child shall put his hand in thevipers den (Isaiah 11:6-8). Amazing!

This prophecy is both literal and gurativepeace in the natural realm serving to sig-niy peaceul relations between peoples, as

nations are oten represented by animals inScripture.Indeed, the dramatically inspiring verse

that ollows shows the human ocus hereby explaining peace as the result o rightknowledge: They shall not hurt nordestroy in all My holy mountain, or theearth shall be ull o the knowledge o theLord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah11:9). People will be unlearning their alseideas and learning the knowledge o God.

Preaching and teaching the truth toeveryone will be greatly acilitated by the

act that all people will communicate inone pure language (Zephaniah 3:9)!

The truth shall make you ree!

Jesus said, I you abide in My word,you are My disciples indeed. And you shallknow the truth, and the truth shall make youree (John 8:31-32). Once the people o theworld understand and are living by Godslaws, which James calls the law o liberty,they will enjoy the greatest reedom thatis possible or human beings (James 1:25;2:12). The ultimate reedom, o course, willcome when each person escapes all physicallimitations by becoming spirit!

Imagine what the world will be likewhen everyone will be living by all o the

Ten Commandments!It will be a world virtu-allyree o most o theproblems it suers romtodayincluding wars,violence, crimes, murder,

adultery, broken homes,thet, dishonesty, dirtypolitics and oppressivegovernments! It will alsobe a world ree o idolatryand pagan superstitionsand traditions.

The Ten Command-ments dene how to loveGod and how to love

people, as summed up in the two greatcommandments (Matthew 22:36-40).

During the Millennium, everyone willhave the opportunity to become spirituallyconverted so Gods laws can becomeinternalizedwritten in their hearts!

Here is a concise summary o the NewCovenant that will be oered to all people:I will put My law in their minds, and writeit on their hearts; and I will be their God,and they shall be My people. No more shallevery man teach his neighbor, and everyman his brother, saying, Know the Lord,or they all shall know Me, rom the leasto them to the greatest o them, says the

Lord. For I will orgive their iniquity,and their sin I will remember no more(Jeremiah 31:33-34; Hebrew 8:10-12).

Christ will oer all people reedom romignorance and reedom rom the guilt andpenalty o their sins.

The Millenniumtime o healing, healthand happiness!

Isaiah 35 oers one o the most inspiringportraits o the Millennium. Following areportions o it.

The wilderness and the wasteland

shall be glad or them, and the desert shallrejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall

blossom abundantly and rejoice, even withjoy and singing (Isaiah 35:1-2).

Strengthen the weak hands, and makerm the eeble knees. Say to those who areearul-hearted, Be strong, do not ear!Behold, your God will come with ven-geance, with the recompense o God; Hewill come and save you. Then the eyes o

the blind shall be opened, and the ears othe dea shall be unstopped. Then the lameshall leap like a deer, and the tongue o thedumb sing (verses 3-6).

Besides receiving miraculous healing,the people will be taught the principleso healthul living so sickness can beprevented. And the healing o physicalillnesses here, while literal (as Christ dem-onstrated through the miracles o His rstcoming), also pictures an even more impor-tant healing that will comethe healing o

humanitys spiritual problems.For waters shall burst orth in the wilder-ness, and streams in the desert. The parchedground shall become a pool, and the thirstyland springs o water (verses 6-7).

A highway shall be there, and a road,and it shall be called the Highway o Holi-ness . . . And the ransomed o the Lordshall return, and come to Zion with sing-ing, with everlasting joy on their heads.They shall obtain joy and gladness, andsorrow and sighing shall fee away (verses8-10). These prophecies, too, are meant

literally as well as gurativelyportrayingboth physical and spiritual blessings.

Imagine that!

The people o the earth will be saying,My cup runneth over with blessings!(Psalm 23:5, King James Version).

Looking orward with heartelt passion,then, let us all pray as Christ instructed,Your Kingdom come!

May the Millennium come soon! GN

The Millennium is a central pointo Bible prophecy and Gods planor mankind. This article has onlyscratched the surace o whatthe Bible reveals about this timeo Jesus Christs coming reignon the earth. To learn more,request or download your reecopy o our eye-opening bookletThe Gospel o the Kingdom. Learn about the bestpossible news our world could hear!

Contact any o our ofces listed on page 2, orrequest or download it rom our Web site.

T ln m...

www.GNgzn.g/bkts



Democracy isnt really working well in the devel-oping world. Despite an economic renais-

sance, much o Arica is driting toward a new age o

authoritarianism (Jason McLure, Why DemocracyIsnt Working in Arica, Newsweek,June 18, 2010).Even leaders in the countries that have recentlybegun the democratic process have only used it tobecome elected autocrats.

The Russian leadership ell into this trap some timeater the breakup o the Soviet Union. Vladimir Putin,riding on high approval ratings while Russian presi-dent in the early 2000s, stripped regional governorso inuence, eviscerated the national parliament andbegan to neuter inuential media (Joshua Kurlantz-ick, Democracy in Danger, Prospect, June 2010).

The Independentreported the onset o new leg-islation in Russia confrming this trend. The upper

house o Moscows parliament recently passed a billthat gives Russian security services sweeping pow-ers to question people about crimes that have not yetbeen committed(Shaun Walker, New Russian LawRevives Sweeping KGB Powers, July 20, emphasisadded throughout). Russian president Dmitry Med-vedevs signature turns the bill into law.

In addition, Venezuelas Hugo Chavez appearsto be deploying similar tactics, using his power toentrench his allies and undermine checks on hispresidencyor instance, by revoking the licenseo the nations most vocal private television networkand those o dozens o radio stations (Kurlantzick).

Examples could be cited in the opposite direc-

tion, but those are notable exceptions to the rule.Newsweekcommented, But backsliders have themoutnumbered, a shitthat hasnt gone unnoticed inthe West(McLure). Even supposedly airly well-established democracies have succumbed to thedanger, Thailand being a clear case in point.

The European Union (EU) was largely createdto both inhibit and prevent warring and dangerousdictatorships rom developing again in Europe. TheBible plainly tells us that this careully contrived

human strategy will notwork in the long run.Although one Turkish politician described the EU

as the greatest peace project in the history o man-

kind, Gods Word tells us that a charismatic dictatorcalled the Beast is destined to arise and dominatethe European scenecontrolling the world at largeas well. The fnal book o the Bible warns us o whatwill happen: And all the world marveled and ollowedthe beast(Revelation 13:3 ). Masses o people will

exclaim: Who is like the beast? Who is able to make

war with him? (verse 4).His authority and inuence will spread over the

whole planet. The apostle John wrote, And authoritywas given him over every tribe, tongue[language],and nation(verse 7). To understand much more,request or download our ree booklets You CanUnderstand Bible Prophecy, The Book o RevelationUnveiledandAre We Living in the Time o the End?(Sources: The Independent, Prospect[both London],Newsweek.)

Decline of democracy presages the coming of a world dictator

Learn more atwww.WNPonline.org

Turkey: Independent

regional powerhouse?B

ritish Labour Party Member o ParliamentDenis MacShane recently summed up Tur-

keys current circumstances: In the Cold Waryears Turkey was unquestionably accepted asthe Wests most important rontier nation. Nowit seems to preer coddling Iran over backingthe U.N. Security Councils harder line againstTehran. Disputes with Israel, once a key riendo Turkey, have become so bad, there is almosta rupture between the only two democra-cies in the region (Stop the Blame Game,Newsweek, July 23, 2010).

Turkey has even voted against UnitedNationssponsored sanctions intended torein in Irans nuclear ambitions.

Timemagazine selected Turning to theEast as the title or a eature article about Tur-key. The teaser or the article stated, Feelingbetrayed by Israel and snubbed by Europe, Tur-key is orging a new identity as an independentregional power (Pelin Turgut, July 5, 2010).

Modern Turkeys claim to a unique globalrole is partially based on its developmentout o the Ottoman Empire ( roughly 1345 to1918) stretching rom just outside Vienna,

Austria, to the Persian Gul. Ankara, Tur-

keys capital, also remains centrally locatedbetween East and Westtheoreticallyinter-acing between these two di erent worlds.

Newsweekseature piece placed Ankarain the Middle. The article stated: Once anunquestioning U.S. ally, and at odds with mosto its neighbors, Turkey is now orging a new or-eign policy, with itsel at the very center (OwenMatthews, Newsweek, July 26, 2010).

U.S. Secretary o Deense Robert Gatesobserved that i there is anything to the notionthat Turkey is, i you will, moving eastward, itis, in my view, in no small part because it waspushed, and pushed by some in Europe reus-ing to give Turkey the kind o organic link to theWest that Turkey sought (as quoted by MarcChampion and Peter Spiegel, Gates Says EUPushed Turkey Away, The Wall Street Journal,June 10, 2010). Clearly Americas political lead-ership has become very concerned about this

new direction in Ankaras thinking. (Sources:Time, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal.)

Deadly superbug

spreading rom India

Anew gene that makes bacteria resistant tovirtually all antibiotics has been discoveredin patients in the United States, Britain and South

Asia, according to an Aug. 11, 2010, Reuters reportby health and science reporters Kate Kelland andBen Hirschler. The new gene apparently originatedin India and is being spread outside the country bypatients traveling there or inexpensive health care.

The article quoted Timothy Walsh o Cardi Uni-versity in Britain, who said: At a global level, this is areal concern Because o medical tourism [travel-

ing abroad or medical procedures] and internationaltravel in general, resistance to these types o bac-teria has the potential to spread around the world

very, very quickly. And there is nothing in the (drugdevelopment) pipeline to tackle it.

A longtime problem in health care is the ability obacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics, mean-ing researchers are constantly orced to develop newantibiotics to treat inections.

A particularly troubling development in recentyears was the spread o methicillin-resistant Staphy-lococcus aureus, or MRSA, which takes thousandso lives worldwide every year due to its resistance tomost antibiotics. This new gene raises the stakeseven higher, as no new drugs are in developmentthat can eectively deal with it.

Because India is becoming a growing provideror cosmetic surgery or Americans and Europe-ans, its likely bacteria with the drug-resistant genewill spread worldwide, with potentially devastatingresults. (Source: Reuters.)

The upper house o Moscows parlia-

ment recently passed a bill that gives

Russian security services sweeping

powers to question people about crimes

that have not yet been committed.

Feeling betrayed by Israel and

snubbed by Europe, Turkey is

orging a new identity as an

independent regional power



Americas greatnessunder severe trial

Apopular column in The Economiststated thatAmerica still towers over rivals in scientifc vir-tuosity, military power, the vitality o democracy andmuch else. Polls show that Americans are still amongthe most patriotic people in the world (Where HasAll the Greatness Gone? July 17, 2010). But thisbrie assessment o Americas stature also acknowl-edges the nations serious diicultiesit beingbattered by recession, deep in debt, mired in war.

America aces multiple international problems onmany ronts. North Korea is but one. Recently bothSecretary o State Hillary Clinton and Secretary oDeense Robert Gates were present at the heav-ily ortifed demilitarized zone (DMZ) where troopsrom both the North and the South constantly ace

each other across no-mans land. South Korea has600,000 soldiers, and the United States still stationsa orce o 28,000 there to protect the South. On theother side, North Koreas army numbers about amillion soldiers.

The show o solidarity included the arrival o theaircrat carrier USS George Washingtonin Pusan. Asa July 27, 2010, Associated Press article observed,I you want to let someone know you are thinkingabout them, send a massive aircrat carrier. Thisdemonstration o orce was designed to send a clearmessage to North Korea that its aggressive behaviormust stop, said Gen. Walter Sharp,the top U.S. mili-tary commander in South Korea (Associated Press,

July 28, 2010).China denounced the entire exercise and was

particularly annoyed that these military exercisesoccurred in the Yellow Sea near the Chinese coast.At a conerence in Singapore, Sino-American ten-sions have also ared up again over Taiwan. Thewary relationship between the militaries o the U.S.and China ared openlythough courteouslyata conerence here this weekend, a brie ash o thelong-standing tension thats centered on Taiwan butextends to their broader alliances and diering world-views (Evan Ramstad, U.S., China Display MilitaryWariness, The Wall Street Journal, June 7, 2010).

Then the Chinese decided not to invite Secretary

Gates (as had been previously expected) to the Peo-ples Republic or a visit. Also during the Singaporeconerence China reused to criticize North Koreabut sharply criticized Israel (ibid.).

The long-standing American alliance with Japanalso may be acing a period o worrying ragility.Washingtons diplomatic relationship with Japan

has long been a cornerstone o peace and secu-rity in the region (Tobias Harris, Japan-U.S. Rela-tions Could Get Bumpy,Newsweek, July 16, 2010).Japans political instability at home gets the blameor the present disruption. Economic growth hasbeen somewhat unsteady or 10 years and more.

Yet Japan will likely grow even more depend-ent on the U.S. or its security, with the dierencebeing that the relationship will be more ragile. ForJapan, every U.S. initiative toward China will be scru-tinized or signs that the U.S. is abandoning Japanin the regioncertainly a catch-22 conundrum or

America (ibid.).While these international relationships in East Asia

remain seriously threatening, they pale when com-pared to Aghanistan. President Barack Obama, whoinherited the Aghan and Iraq wars rom the previ-ous administration, has decided to step up eorts in

Aghanistan while drawing down in Iraq.

A Spectatorwriter summed up his take on the U.S.dilemma, and he is by no means alone in this view:Obama has in eect bet the house on Americas

ability to determine the ate o a quasi-nation pos-sessing marginal signifcance to the West TheMost Powerul Man in the World fnds himsel a pris-oner o events he cannot control (Andrew Bacevich,

Obama Is in Hock to the Hawks, July 3, 2010).Recall that Lyndon Johnson was orced to grapplewith a similar situation involving the Vietnam War inthe 1960s.

On the other hand, Joe Kleins column in Timemag-azine advises the U.S. to orget Aghanistan: Aghani-stan is really a sideshow here. Pakistan is the primaryU.S. national-security concern in the region Ithas a nuclear stockpile, and lives under the threat oan Islamist coup by some o the very elements inits military who created and support the Taliban(Beyond the Leaks: Our Pakistan Problem, Aug. 9,2010). In act, both countries constitute enormousproblems or America.

The United States will have to conront evengreater challenges in the uture. Yet the ate o thenation remains frmly in Gods hands. I our Crea-tor decides that the gospel o the Kingdom shouldgo out with much greater power and inuence, Hemay hold o calamitous national and world eventsto accommodate His overall purpose.

The whole story o how and why America became

a great nation and why its leadership will be severelytested again and again is thoroughly explained inour ree booklet The United States and Britain inBible Prophecy. Request or download your reecopy! (Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Spec-tator[London], The Economist, Time, Newsweek,

Associated Press.)

So much is happening in the world, and so quickly. Where are todays dramatic and dangerous trends taking us?What does Bible prophecy reveal about our future? Youre probably very concerned with the direction the world isheading. So are we. Thats why weve created the World News and ProphecyWeb siteto help you understand thenews in the light of Bible prophecy. This eye-opening site offers you a perspective so badly needed in our chaoticand confused worldthe perspective of Gods Word, the Bible. Visit us at www.WNPonline.org today!

How Can You Make Sense o the News?

The United States will have to conront

even greater challenges in the uture.

Yet the ate o the nation remains frmly

in Gods hands.

Troubling numbero Army suicides

W

ar is hell, stated American Civil War

General William Tecumseh Shermanas his Union soldiers crossed the Pearl Riverater the all o Vicksburg, Mississippi, in1863. Today, war is still hell or the soldiers inIraq and Aghanistan, but an increasing prob-lem has suraced within U.S. military orcesthat shows the stress soldiers ace.

A record high number o Army suicidesare linked to an increasingly permissive envi-ronment in the service where soldiers takepersonal risks in their lives by using alcoholand drugs, committing crimes and reusing toget psychological help, according to a sweep-ing internal investigation released by Armyofcials, said a July 29, 2010, USA Todayarticle (Gregg Zoroya, Army Suicides Linkedto Risky Behavior, Lax Discipline). In manycases, the report says, commanders dont doenough to curb the behavior.

The review commissioned last year by theNo. 2 Army commander, Gen. Peter Chiarelli,says this Army-wide problem is linked to atally o deaths last year that included 160active-duty soldiers who committed suicideand 146 more who died during risky activ-ity or behavior such as drug use. Seventy-our o those deaths were drug overdoses.

There were also 1,713 at tempted suicideslast year.The number o suicides and attempted sui-

cides in the U.S. military is tragic. War truly ishell, and the more American society toleratesthe abuse o alcohol and drugs, the weakerwill be our values. The Bible shows this willall change ater Christs return, when peacewill break out all over the world. As Micah 4:3tells us, all nations will beat their swords intoplowshares and will at last learn war no more.(Source: USA Today.)



Has America Lost Its Way?

hen Im home on Sundays Itry to watch TheMcLaughlinGroup on PBS, which I ndto be the most enlighteningdiscussion on television. My

daughter reers to it as my shouting pro-gram and invariably leaves the room. Itsa 25-minute discussion on current eventssponsored by TheFinancial Times, one othe worlds most prestigious newspapers.

One o the regular contributors is con-servative columnist and ormer presiden-tial candidate Pat Buchanan. On a recentprogram when the Gul oil spill was beingdiscussed, he made a proound and insight-ul comment. Paraphrasing his words, heobserved: Just look at us. We cant cap anoil spill in the Gul, we cant balance our

budget, we cant police our borders andwe cant win our wars! How can the worldtake us seriously?

Clearly something has gone seriouslywrong in the United States, and Americansare increasingly aware o it.

The big issuethe economy

The economy remains the number oneissue. As I write this, TV news programsare highlighting the act that consumerspending is going down, meaning that

people are worried about the immediateuture. Also, GDP growth slowed in thesecond quarter o the year to 2.4 percent.This rate o growth is not enough to puta dent in the increasingly worrisomeunemployment gures.

Whereas the ocial unemploymentrate is under 10 percent, the real gure iscloser to 16.5 percent, according to vari-ous nancial and economic sources. Thereason or the discrepancy is the way theunemployment gures are calculated.

The long-term unemployed are dropped

rom the gures ater they stop reportingthat they are looking or work. These so-

called discouraged workers may still belooking but have no reason to report it atertheir benets run out, or they may havetaken part-time work to try to get by, andso could be called underemployed.

The most widely reported gure romthe Bureau o Labor Statistics countsas unemployed only those who havereported actively looking or work in theprevious our weeks, leading to systematicundercounting.

Making things worse is that many othose who are employed are workingshorter hours, suering through a prolongedperiod o reduced pay. Theres little wonderconsumers are not spending as beore.

Illegal immigration a major issue

This stubbornly high unemploymentrate is no doubt a contributing actor toincreased ears over illegal immigration.When unemployment is high in any coun-try, citizens will turn against immigrantswho are seen as taking their jobs at lowerpay. Reality is not as simple as that, sincemany immigrants, especially those who arein the United States illegally, will do jobsmost Americans are not inclined to do.

Arizonas new law giving police theright to check whether a person is in the

country legally is being ought by the ed-eral government, sending a clear signal toAmericans that Washington lacks a seriouscommitment to securing Americas bor-ders. The president has made statementsexpressing support or the 12 million ille-gals desire or ull citizenship, and cyn-ics sometimes reer to illegal aliens asundocumented Democrats, as conerringcitizenship on them and allowing them tovote would considerably sway elections.

It should also be pointed out that theRepublicans are not blameless, as many

o them want the illegals to stay sincethey keep labor costs down or businesses.

Either way, nothing is likely to be done.

Whats wrong with the economy?

In the same year that the United Statesdeclared itsel independent rom GreatBritain, the Scottish economist AdamSmith wrote his bookThe Wealth oNations. Smith was an advocate o reeenterprise. He believed that when individu-als pursued their own personal interest,society as a whole beneted. He stronglysupported ree-market competition, whichhelped everyone by keeping prices low

while at the same time providing incentiveto produce a broad range o products andservices.

The wealth o both the United Statesand Great Britain was built on the reeenterprise system promulgated by Smithand his ollowers. Ater World War II,Britain turned increasingly away romthose principles, advancing the power othe state at the expense o the individual.Consequently, Britain lost its preemi-nent position and its empire, succumb-ing increasingly to oreign competition

where Smiths principles are increasinglymaking inroads. India and China are twonotable examples.

The United States, regrettably, seemsto be ollowing in Englands ootsteps.The government sector is growing by suck-ing wealth and resources rom the privatesector.

Federal government jobs, according toseveral recent reports, now pay on aver-age double what the private sector pays.Almost 50 percent o Americans depend

on government or their livelihood in oneway or another. The present administrationseems set to increase the role o the statesector urther.

Ironically, at the same time a communistcountry on the other side o the PacicChinamoves closer to ree enterpriseprinciples to promote economic growth.

Its not too dicult to see why theUnited States is in serious trouble. Nor is ithard to see the solution. Quite simply, thegovernment sector (both ederal and state)needs to be downsized, thereby enabling

taxes to come down and giving a boost toprivate enterprise.

Increasingly it seems that the United States cannot solve its problemswhether it be the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, illegal

immigration or the Gulf oil spill. Previous generations seemed to know

what to do. Has America lost its way?

W



More than 3,000 years ago, God warnedthe ancient Israelites about the tendencyo government to keep on expanding at

the expense o the private sector, increas-ing the hardship on businesses and thegeneral public. When the Israelites askedor a human leader like the other nations(1 Samuel 8:5), God warned them thatthe king would take more and more romthem in the orm o taxation until youwill cry out in that day because o yourking whom you have chosen or your-selves, and the Lord will not hear youin that day (verse 18).

Until the United States reduces the size

o government and encourages privatebusiness and individual initiative, it willnot solve its economic problems and willcontinue to decline.

Why cant the United States win its wars?

Aug. 15, 1945, was the last time theUnited States conclusively won a majorwar. That was World War II, and theUnited States was in alliance with theBritish Empire and the Soviet Union.

A ew years later came the Korean War,which, as evidenced by the recent sink-

ing o a South Korean warship by a NorthKorean submarine, ended in a dangerous

and uneasy stalemate that remains unre-solved to this day. On the heels o theKorean War came Vietnam, a war that the

United States gave up on.More recently we have seen two wars

against Iraq. The rst Persian Gul Warlet Saddam Hussein in power, with theresult that the second war there was oughtover a decade later. Saddam was deposedand later executed, but the struggle in Iraqagainst insurgents is still ongoing. Further-more, the toppling o Saddam has allowedIranor a long time held in check byIraqto become a regional superpowerand a major threat to the United States,

Israel and its neighbors.Meanwhile, ater nine years the war inAghanistan continues, with the Talibanseeming to gain the upper hand morerecently. The world watches puzzled asthe greatest military power cannot deeatill-equipped zealots holed up in caves!

Whats wrong with this picture?

Why has the United States not beenwinning its wars? Part o the problem isthat the United States has misread someo these conficts.

For example, Vietnam was not so muchabout democracy versus communism as

about nationalism versus colonialism. TheVietnamese deeated their French colonialrulers in 1954. Ater more than a century

o oreign domination, they did not wantanother group o oreigners telling themhow to run their country.

The American war there was simplya continuation o the wars the Vietnam-ese had ought against both the Japaneseand the French. Ironically, 35 years aterAmericas deeat, Vietnam is a nation that,like China, is venturing into ree enterpriseas the way ahead.

A similar error in American judgmenthas taken place in both Iraq and Aghani-

stan. Clearly there was little enthusiasm orWestern-style democracy in either nation.Meanwhile, tribal and religious loyaltieshave complicated conficts that go backcenturies and are not likely to be resolvedby America and its allies.

At the same time, the nancial costhas been horrendous and has contributedgreatly to Americas current scal decit.America urgently needs a new and eectivestrategy.

The problems come back primarilyto Americas biblical name, which is

Manasseh, meaning orgetting. (For aContinued on page 28

Just look at us. We cant cap an oil spill in the Gulf, we cant balanceour budget, we cant police our borders and we cant win our wars!How can the world take us seriously?


18/32



Josephs descendants were blessings othe breasts and o the womb (Genesis49:25). The early 20th century saw theulllment o that prophecy among thedescendants o Manasseh, when rom 1900to 1940 the U.S. population doubled tomore than 130 million, ueled by a highbirthrate and immigration.

An advanced and mechanized agri-cultural system, combined with ecienttransportation based on the worlds leadingrailway system, also made it one o theworlds healthiest populations. Ater PearlHarbor, millions o healthy young menand womenvolunteered or the armedorces. The United States was ultimatelyable to eld some 16 million in uniorm.

World War II saw the use o mecha-nized war machinery on a scale unprec-edented in the history o warare. Fighting

in both Europe and the Pacic requireda vast output o guns, tanks, aircrat andships. American industry quickly con-verted rom producing consumer goods

to producing goods or the war eort.At Ypsilanti, Michigan, the Ford Motor

Companys gigantic Willow Run plantbegan turning out B-24 bombers by the

hundreds, then thousands. At its peak inAugust 1944 the Willow Run plant pro-duced 14 B-24s every day. Those bomberswere crucial in systematically demolishingthe industrial capacity o Germany andJapan, reducing their capacity to wage war.

All these war goods and the millions otroops had to be delivered to the ronts.Americas railroads provided an ecientway to move troops and war material toAmericas ports. By 1940 the U.S. mer-chant feet had become one o the worldstwo largest, along with Great Britains.

This vast feet o thousands o shipswas needed to transport troops and war

materiel to Europe and the Pacic.

Sudden mastery o the seas

But with the outbreak o war on tworonts, American shipping needs grew.Henry Kaiser was one o Americas lead-ing industrialists. A master o manuactur-ing eciency, he contracted with the U.S.

government to produce liberty shipsslow-moving reighters designed to doone thing: transport lots o armaments andsupplies eciently. Kaiser streamlinedproduction techniques at his shipyards,eventually launching a new liberty shipevery 10 days.

Victory in the Second World Warrequired mastery o the seas. Betweenthem, the United States and British Com-monwealth controlled most o the majorsea gatessuch as the Suez Canal, the

Panama Canal, the Strait o Gibraltar, theStrait o Hormuz and the English Channelthat could be used as choke points orshipping. Notice that God told Abraham

that his descendants would possess thegate o their enemies (Genesis 22:17).

The Royal Navy controlled shippingin the English Channel and Suez Canal.

America used the Panama Canal to saveweeks o transit time or cargoes rom theAtlantic seaboard to the Pacic. Withoutcontrol o these passages, victory wouldhave been much more dicult.

The beginning o the end or Nazi Ger-many probably was the German deeat atStalingrad in December 1942. But ultimatedeeat or Hitlers dream o a Nazi empireaccelerated in June 1944 when thousandso American and British orces landed onD-Day at Normandy, on the French coast.

Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, as commander

o the Allied Expeditionary Force, ago-nized on the date to launch the invasion.

Several days o bad weather made aircratreconnaissance impossible and seas toorough or the landing crat.

But a break in the weather was ore-cast or June 6. Early that morning, Ger-man deenders on blus overlooking thebeaches were stunned to peer out overthe English Channel and see nearly 5,000

ships. Many elt the hand o God wasinvolved in providing the crucial weatherbreak needed to launch the invasion.

Some o the ercest ghting o the wartook place over the 11 months that ol-lowed, leading to Germanys surrender inearly May 1945. Trapped in Berlin, Hitlercommitted suicide. The nightmare o Nazioppression was past. But a deant Japanstill had to be dealt with.

Several millennia earlier, God haddescribed to ancient Israel the bless-

ings that would ollow i they honoredand obeyed Him: You will chase yourenemies, and they shall all by the swordbeore you. Five o you shall chase a hun-

dred, and a hundredo you shall put tenthousand to fight(Leviticus 26:7-8).

Except to somedegree during the timeo Joshua and a ewtimes under David andSolomon, this proph-

ecy likewise was neverullled. Yet a develop-ment occurred towardthe end o World War IIthat could be deemed alatter-day ulllment othat prophecy.

It provided America,a nation that comprised only 5 percent othe worlds population, with the power tomilitarily control the other 95 percent. Forthe short time that the United States was

the sole possessor o nuclear weapons,it made the United States the undisputedmilitary leader o the world.

The Manhattan Project

Despite its advantages in manpower,industrial capacity and wealth, Americarealized that its war eort could betrumped i the Axis powers success-ully developed a long-rumored secretweapon.

By the late 1930s, several o the worldsleading physicists, such as Robert Oppen-

heimer, Enrico Fermi and Albert Einsteinin the United States, and Otto Hahn,

B-24 Liberator bombers are assembled in Willow Run, Michigan. Little Boy was the worlds rst atomic bomb.



Fritz Strassmann and Werner Heisenbergin Germany, had concluded that the tre-mendous, almost unimaginable energylocked in the nucleus o the atom could bereleased to create a weapon so destructivethat the rst nation to possess it would beassured o victory.

In Germany, Adol Hitler was aware o

this and ordered a research and develop-ment project to produce an atomic bomb.

As America began its rapid mobilizationto enter the war in early 1942, PresidentFranklin Roo

The Good News - September/October 2010

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