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The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

www.midnightcall.com FEBRUARY 2016—$4.75

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

• Egyptian or African?• Holiness

• Deathbed SalvationPg. 25

WORLD FOCUSBlood Moon Apocalypse? • Yom Kippur Official Holiday • Is ISIS Putin’s Nightmare?

Anxiety Merchants & False Prophets – Part I∆Pg. 12

The Message of First Kings for Today Pg. 17

The Deeper Dimension of the

Lord’s Prayer

This promise has been a comfort for millions of believers throughout the ages. The Apostle Peter,inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these words down after he warned in verses 3-4, “Knowing this first,that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is thepromise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from thebeginning of the creation.”

The word waiting is a key to true discipleship with our Lord. In the New Testament, in Luke 2:25 weread of Simeon, who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” Anna, the prophetess, proclaimed thebirth of the Messiah, “and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (verse 38).Actually, the Apostle Paul calls waiting a gift, “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the comingof our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7).

What are we to do? Answer: wait. For what? For better times, greater prosperity, more possessions?Not at all. Such things belong to the world. We are waiting for a person, Jesus Christ our Lord Himself.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the very many faithful readers who pray andcontribute to Midnight Call Ministry, so this work can continue unhindered. Our task is simple:proclaiming that “Only Jesus saves, and He is coming again.” Jesus saves is the Gospel; His comingagain is the prophetic Word. We dare not neglect the whole message of Holy Scripture because we, theChurch, are built upon the existing foundation of “…the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himselfbeing the Chief Cornerstone.”

Midnight Call Ministries International has now entered its 61st year of proclaiming the propheticmessage. While we are amazed at the marvelous grace experienced throughout the many decades, wehave noticed in the last few years that this form of ministry, particularly through literature, has becomemore difficult. Of course, there are multiple reasons, one being that electronic communication isincreasing. The reading and hearing of messages on laptops, tablets, and smartphones demonstratesthe progress of technology. We are thankful that our website traffic continues to grow day-by-day.

In the meantime, however, it is essential that we continue to put the message on paper, but asalready mentioned, it has become more difficult.

Because of financial shortage, we were forced in December to cancel the standard Christmas bonus,a traditional gift we were able to bless those working in Midnight Call Ministry with.

Now, further steps have to be taken, including temporarily suspending all non-working hours anddays (personal days, sick days, vacation, etc.). Staff salaries have been reduced by 5% (several havevolunteered 10%).

We trust, however, that this will be temporary and that by God’s grace, we can go full steam ahead,reaching those who must be reached, and strengthening those who are in need of solid, biblically-basedspiritual food during 2016.

I personally thank you for your continual, even increased prayer and financial support.United in His Service,

Arno Froese, DirectorMidnight Call Ministries

Midnight CallThe International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

6

The DeeperDimension of theLord’s PrayerBy Norbert Lieth

The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer inspired by the HolySpirit, and therefore also useful for the Church. But itis put in a certain Jewish framework which sheshould consider.

11 What Does It Mean? – Revelation 20:5-6 By Fredy Peter

12 Money: Ends and Trends

Anxiety Merchants & FalseProphets – Part IBy Wilfred Hahn

17 The Message of First Kings for Today By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

Midnight CallFEBRUARY 2016

4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By René Malgo

23 Action for Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese

25 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese

EGYPTIAN OR AFRICAN?...HOLINESS...DEATHBED SALVATION

Contents

DEPARTMENTS

COVER STORY

20 WORLD

Blood Moon Apocalypse?

20 CHINA

Communists to BuildAfrican Harbor for Peace

21 UN

Yom Kippur Official Holiday

22 RUSSIA

Is ISIS Putin’sNightmare?

MIDNIGHT CALL

Editor’s Note

“…Follow me, and I will makeyou fishers of men”(Matthew 4:19).

By René MalgoInternational Editor-in-Chief

Why are Christians so often di-vided? It is a question whichhas concerned many people,

and is also used as an argument againstthe Gospel. It is indeed surprising withwhat bitterness and vehemence we cantreat other believers. But strangelyenough, this is in itself an argument forthe Gospel. Salvation by grace alonewould not be necessary if we couldachieve it ourselves, by simply beinggood people. But the Gospel proclaims,“You are sinful. Only God is good. OnlyHe can save you.” Our sinful behavior,even as Christians, unfortunately con-firms this message. This should be noexcuse, however, for bitterness, discordor sin!

The Bible begins with the assumptionthat we are sinners by nature, or it wouldnot admonish us to preserve the unity ofthe Spirit (Ephesians 4:1ff.). It is a ques-

tion of our personal will and setting ofpriorities, whether we strive after peaceand unity and swallow our pride.

Disunity has always afflicted Chris-tianity. The supremacy of the RomanCatholic Church disguised this for awhile, but the Reformation showed us allthe more clearly how differently we per-ceive and order theological concepts andBiblical statements. Are all Christians inone boat? Today we know that this iswishful thinking. The Dutch artist Adri-aen Pietersz van der Venne painted an al-legory of this condition very fittingly.

Let’s assume the year is 1614. Nearly100 years have passed since MartinLuther’s first reformatory theses. Luther’sideas have spread like wildfire. Fouryears later, the 30-year war of religionsbetween Catholic, Calvinist andLutheran leaders will leave many parts ofEurope, particularly Germany, in ruins.Unrest rules on many fronts.

In the northern Netherlands, the ad-herents of the strict Calvinist theologianFranciscus Gomarus, and theologian Ja-cobus Arminius, who was dissatisfiedwith the Calvinist dogma, quarreled withone another. The northern Netherlandsjoined forces to form the Republic of theUnited Netherlands, and fought for theirindependence from the Spanish-Habs-burg crown; the southern provinces (to-

4 M I D N I G H T C A L L

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OUR TASKMidnight Call Ministries is a nonprofit missionary organization,dedicated to proclaiming the entire Bible as the unfailing and eternalwritten Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the unerringguide for the Christian faith.

The object of Midnight Call is to call people everywhere to Christ,to proclaim the return of Christ, to prepare Christians for His com-ing, and to uphold the faith and warn of false doctrines. MidnightCall magazine is available in twelve languages. All work donethrough radio, literature and missionaries is supported entirely by thegifts and free will offerings of God’s people.

STATEMENT OF FAITHWE BELIEVE in the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and there-with the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is God’s Word, andin the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of theHoly Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and shed Hisblood to save mankind. He died and arose bodily the third day andlater ascended into heaven.

WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of eachindividual sinner and that all who believe in Him as their personalSavior are justified through His shed blood and have become children of God.

WE BELIEVE that Israel is God’s chosen people, and that therestoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of theWord of God.

WE BELIEVE in the pre–tribulational appearance of Jesus Christ forthe Rapture of His Church (all born again believers).

WE BELIEVE in the immortality of our souls and the resurrection ofour bodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment ofthe lost.

The Prophet ic Voice for the Endt imes PRINTED IN 12 LANGUAGES

ISSN 1094–8600

day’s Belgium) were still under Spanish rule. Since 1609 a ceasefire ex-isted, which would last till 1621. But it was not peaceful in the Nether-lands.

Van der Venne accurately portrays the religious conflicts that hesees all around him in his painting Fishing for Souls, inspired amongother things by Matthew 4:19, where Jesus Christ calls upon His disci-ples to be fishers of men. The Netherlands is separated by a river; onthe one side are the Protestant rebels, and on the other side those ofthe Catholic-Spanish school. In the middle of the river are the com-peting representatives of religions, fishing for men. In the foregroundare the strict Calvinists with their Bibles in their hands, and behindthem the Catholics in their monks’ robes. Even further behind, amongother things, the adherents of Arminius, Luther and the Mennonites—all of them in their own little boats.

So we are fishing today for souls, partly divided from one another,until all those who have believed in Jesus Christ, in the denomina-tional boat of their choice (barring heresy), are taken together to theone heavenly boat. Then we will be able to see our Lord and Redeemerface to face. What a glorious day that will be when all Christians, evenif they can’t stand one another now, then in true love and genuinepeace will praise the Father and the Lamb.—Maranatha!

To start or renew your News From Israel magazine subscription, usethe order form in the insert or pg.31, call 800-845-2420 with yourcredit card ready, or order onlineat midnightcall.com

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In light of the times, News From Israel isa necessary monthly magazine that will keep you updated on breakingdevelopments throughout the Middle East. News From Israel uncovershidden information the news media leaves out!

Visit www.midnightcall.com FEBRUARY 2016 5

EDITOR’s NOTE

MC

German to English TranslatorA number of important messages, booklets, and books produced byMitternachtsruf (Midnight Call International) need to be translated inEnglish. We are praying for someone proficient in German and English,willing to serve in such capacity. Inquiries please address: Attention Arno Froese; PO Box 84309; Lexington, SC 29073.

The Lord’s Prayer can belooked upon and prayed asthe prayer of the Church, butit also has a deep propheticdimension which we want toconsider here.

The Deeper Dimension of the Lord’sPrayer


NORBERT LIETH

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art inheaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will bedone in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead usnot into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is thekingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”(Matthew 6:9-13).

Ipray the Lord’s Prayer almost every day.It touches almost every sphere of ourlives. It shows me what is important to

God, and it shows something of the deepwisdom of our Lord. It has been a help introuble for innumerable Christians. TheLord’s Prayer is described by many as aprime example which covers many aspects.

The whole of the inspired Holy Scrip-tures is given by inspiration of God, and isprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor-rection (2 Timothy 3:16). For this very rea-son, it is important to note in what contextthe text in question is and to let it say toyou what the author originally meant. Thisis the way to approach the Bible. ProfessorHelge Stadelmann writes in a book, “that itis meaningful to think of the historical spir-itual meaning as a Christian. It begins withthe observation that without a historicalspiritual understanding, the interpretationand especially the application of wholetexts is often wrong. If the Bible is the trea-sure of the Christian church, she losessomething if she is lacking this knowledge.In place of beginning with God and alwaysasking what God Himself said and towhom and for what time, there is an ap-proach to Bible reading that begins withwhat appeals to people personally. Largeparts of the Bible cannot be understoodand are passed over. Whoever has under-standing of spiritual history will gain fromreading any part of the Bible.”

We could ask ourselves what all this hasto do with the Lord’s Prayer. Maybe morethan we realize at first glance…

Directly before the Lord taught His dis-ciples the Lord’s Prayer, He said, “But whenye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the hea-

then do: for they think that they shall beheard for their much speaking. Be not yetherefore like unto them: for your Fatherknoweth what things ye have need of, be-fore ye ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8). TheLord made a clear distinction between Hisdisciples and the nations. The Jewish disci-ples should not pray as the heathen. JesusHimself came as a Jew to Jews, to His own(John 1:11) and under the law (Galatians4:4). He made the new covenant shortlybefore His death (Luke 22:20). Since thelater Church, comprised of Jews and Gen-tiles, at the time when the Lord taught theLord’s Prayer was not yet a subject of reve-lation, it is clear that at this point it was aJewish prayer.

The contents of the Lord’s Prayer oc-curred in a similar form in the Old Testa-ment already and concerned Israel (cf.Isaiah 63:15-16). In Jeremiah 31, the HolySpirit gives obvious parallels to the Lord’sPrayer. This chapter describes the future ofIsrael.

“In place of beginning with God and always asking what GodHimself said and to whom and for what time, there is anapproach to Bible reading that begins with what appeals to people personally.”

C O V E R S T O R Y

FEBRUARY 2016 7

“Our Father”: “They shall come withweeping, and with supplications will I leadthem…for I am a father to Israel, andEphraim is my firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9).The restoration of Israel, which is men-tioned in verse 1, means that God will leadIsrael back home and be her Father, just asHe is now the Father of the Church. As faras the future is concerned, Jesus Christtaught His Jewish disciples this prayer. It isa prophetic prayer that the believing rem-nant will pray in the Tribulation.

“Lead us not into temptation, but de-liver us from evil”: “For the Lord hath re-deemed Jacob, and ransomed him from thehand of him that was stronger than he” (Je-remiah 31:11). This will be the Antichristin the future. The Lord prayed this in Hishigh-priestly prayer: “I pray not that thoushouldest take them out of the world, butthat thou shouldest keep them from theevil” (John 17:15). Jesus did not pray atthis point for the rapture of His disciples,but that they would be kept from evil.When we consider that the disciples at thistime stood for true Judaism (and not forthe Church comprising Jews and Gentiles),we can understand this.

In the Great Tribulation, which willmean the final fulfillment of the Gospel,the great temptation through the Antichristwill come over the whole earth. In His end-times speech, Jesus warned repeatedly ofthe end-times deception (Matthew 24:4-5,11, 24). The evil one (Satan) will give hispower and might to the antichristian worldruler (Revelation 13:2, 4). He will be given42 months of power (verse 5). During thistime he will have power over all the kin-dreds, tongues and nations (verse 7). InRevelation 12, we are told how the dragonin his wickedness persecutes the woman

and makes war against the rest of her seed.The Antichrist—as the false prophet—willsimultaneously be given this power (Reve-lation 13:12) and deceive the people andrule them. The great temptation will bethat people will receive the mark of thebeast and worship the image of the beast(Revelation 3:15-16). During this time theovercomers will pray that the Lord willkeep them: “And lead us not into tempta-tion, but deliver us from evil.”

Of course, we also pray that the Lordwill keep us and give us power to overcomeand to resist, but this on the basis of theevents after Pentecost and the followingepistles of the apostles. The apostle John,for instance, writes to the Church, “Weknow that whosoever is born of God sin-neth not; but he that is begotten of Godkeepeth himelf, and that wicked onetoucheth him not” (1 John 5:18).

“Give us this day our daily bread”:“And I will satiate the soul of the priestswith fatness, and my people shall be satis-fied with my goodness, saith the Lord” (Je-remiah 31:14).

Certainly, everyone may pray at alltimes. It can be a prayer that the Lord pro-vides for us each day anew, because all toosoon prosperity can break down. And yet Ithink it affects Israel’s situation first in theGreat Tribulation. At that time it will bedifficult to buy or sell without the mark ofthe beast (Revelation 13:17). The earth willbe afflicted by famines and other catastro-phes (Revelation 6:6; Matthew 24:7). Atthis time this prayer will have greatest sig-nificance. It says in Isaiah 30:20, “Andthough the Lord give you the bread of ad-versity, and the water of affliction….” TheChurch on the other hand will be requiredto provide for herself with her own hands,

The Deeper Dimension of the Lord’s Prayer


It can be a prayer that the Lord provides for us eachday anew, because all too soon prosperity can breakdown.

to work and to giveto the needy (1 Thessalonians

4:11; Ephesians 4:28).“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done

in earth, as it is in heaven…And forgiveus our debts.” “Behold, the days come,saith the Lord, that I will make a newcovenant with the house of Israel, and withthe house of Judah: Not according to thecovenant that I made with their fathers inthe day that I took them by the hand tobring them out of the land of Egypt: whichmy covenant they brake, although I was anhusband unto them, saith the Lord: Butthis shall be the covenant that I will makewith the house of Israel; After those days,saith the Lord, I will put my law in their in-ward parts, and write it in their hearts; andwill be their God, and they shall be mypeople. And they shall teach no more everyman his neighbour, and every man hisbrother, saying, Know the Lord: for theyshall all know me, from the least of themunto the greatest of them, saith the Lord:for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will re-member their sin no more” (Jeremiah31:31-34).

Israel was promised forgiveness on ac-count of grace, but also on the condition:“as we forgive our debtors.” Thus, the Lordcontinues the Lord’s Prayer in this sense,“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, yourheavenly Father will also forgive you: But ifye forgive not men their trespasses, neitherwill your Father forgive your trespasses”(Matthew 6:14-15). This forgiveness stoodunder the threat that it could be revoked(Matthew 18:23ff.).

When it says of Israel, “Forgive us ourdebts, as we forgive our debtors,” this

means for the Church after Pentecost (thenew dispensation) the exact opposite,“Forbearing one another, and forgiving oneanother, if any man have a quarrel againstany: even as Christ forgave you, so also doye” (Colossians 3:13). It is important forus, however, to forgive our compatriots allthe time, and this on the grounds of theundeserved great love which we have expe-rienced in the forgiveness through JesusChrist—only it is no longer a condition.

“For thine is the kingdom, and thepower, and the glory, forever. Amen.”“And the whole valley of the dead bodies,and of the ashes, and all the fields unto thebrook of Kidron, unto the corner of thehorse gate toward the east, shall be holyunto the Lord; it shall not be plucked up,nor thrown down any more for ever” (Jere-miah 31:40; cf. Revelation 12:10; 19:1).

We also pray as a Church the“Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22). Wewant to love His appearing and expect it (2Timothy 4:8). The Spirit urges us to dothis. We also long for the reign of the com-ing kingdom, to which the Lord Jesus willbring this world His righteousness. But oureyes are firstly looking for the rapture ofthe Church. The apostle says in this con-nection, “Wherefore comfort one anotherwith these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

The disciples of Jesus would later formthe foundation of the Church (Ephesians2:20), but in this context we must see themfirst as the true Israel. After the leaders ofthe Jewish people had committed the sinagainst the Holy Spirit (Matthew 9:34) anddecided to kill Him (Luke 6:11), the Lordcalled His twelve disciples (Matthew10:1ff.; Luke 6:12ff.). These were now

FEBRUARY 2016 9

“Give us this day our daily bread”: “And I willsatiate the soul of the priests with fatness, andmy people shall be satisfied with my goodness,saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:14).

C O V E R S T O R Y

prophetically the believing remnant of Is-rael. For this reason the Lord spoke tothem in His end-times speech on theMount of Olives, although according toother statements of the Scriptures, theChurch was no longer on earth at this time,but a remnant of Israel (Matthew 24:4, 6, 9,15, 23, 25, 26, 33, 42, 47).

At this time, Jesus had proclaimed theapproaching kingdom of God, meaning thereign of the Messiah on earth (Matthew4:17, 23). The Lord’s Prayer belongs to theSermon on the Mount, which Jesuspreached to His disciples. This in turnformed the basis of the government of thekingdom on earth (Matthew 5:3ff.; Luke6:20). Before the disciples later received thetask of preaching the Gospel worldwide,they were given the command at that timeto proclaim the kingdom to Israel, wherebythe associated miracles confirmed it(Mathew 10:5-8).

The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer inspiredby the Holy Spirit, and therefore alsouseful for the Church. But it is put in acertain Jewish framework which sheshould consider. The disciples were to

learn to pray for the kingdomof God and to expect it(Matthew 6:9-10). We haveattempted to portray what itwas about:

– Judaism of that time,represented by the twelvedisciples.

– The kingdom as the ruleof God on earth in the Mes-siah.

– And about the propheticsituation of the remnant ofIsrael, during the time of theGreat Tribulation. The king-

dom at that time had not yet brokenthrough, but the Church of Jesus foundentry. After her rapture (Romans 11:25),the Gospel of the kingdom will be pro-claimed and will break through at lastwith the visible return of Jesus (Matthew24:14; Revelation 11:15, 17; 12:10; 14:6;19:6). So we find in Revelation theprayer, “Thy kingdom come” in differentwords (Revelation 22:17, 20).

At the time of the Tribulation, when aremnant of Israel will come to believe inthe Messiah; when the Jews will recog-nize the work of His hands in her midst,then they will hallow His name, live by itand accordingly pray. “But when he seethhis children, the work of mine hands, inthe midst of him, they shall sanctify myname, and sanctify the Holy One of Ja-cob, and shall fear the God of Israel”(Isaiah 29:23).

To sum up, the Lord’s Prayer is anoriginal Jewish prayer, which howeverspiritually is also for us. But as we canbetter classify it in spiritual history, wecan jointly rejoice in it.

(MR1015/724)

The Deeper Dimension of the Lord’s Prayer


To sum up, the Lord’s Prayer is an original Jewish prayer,which however spiritually is also for us. But as we can betterclassify it in spiritual history, we can jointly rejoice in it.

FEBRUARY 2016 11

Basically, the Bible teaches two kinds of res-urrection: “the resurrection of life” (whichconcerns the just, the believers), and “the

resurrection of damnation” (which concerns theunjust, the godless; cf. John 5:29; Daniel 12:2;Acts 24:15).

Let us take note of the sequence: Christ israised from the dead first (1 Corinthians 15:23),followed by many saints (Matthew 27:52-53). Af-ter that, at the rapture of the Church, those thatsleep in Christ will be raised, and the believerswho are living then will be changed (1 Thessalo-nians 4:13-18). Next comes the resurrection ofthe two witnesses (Revelation 11: 3, 11), andthen the resurrection of the martyrs of the GreatTribulation will take place, who are called here“the first resurrection.” Probably, this will also bethe time when the saints of the Old Testamentwill be raised.

This term, “the first resurrection,” only ap-pears here in Revelation 20:5-6, and does notmean the first of all but as the Greek word protosmeans, one who precedes the other. And so inRevelation 20:14 the “second” is mentioned,namely the “resurrection” of the godless todamnation (the “second death”).

(MR0915/717)

Chapter 20 of the book of Revelation speaks of the “first resurrec-tion” before the millennium. Does this mean that all the believerswill have to go through the judgment of the Tribulation, which iswritten of in the previous chapter?

What Does It Mean?– Revelation 20:5-6

Fredy Peter

12 M I D N I G H T C A L L12 M I D N I G H T C A L L

For resources on “endtime economics” and to subscribe to the free newsletter, Eternal Value

Review, visit Wilfred’s website www.eternalvalue.com or contact him at: [email protected]

Their shrill warnings can border onthe hysterical. If it is not the falsealarms of “blood moons,” it is

about geopolitics or the economic out-look. Some even claim that they have had“divine inspiration” for their prophecies.Speculations are wide-ranging: The U.S.dollar will crash; surely the world econ-omy will collapse; and others warn about“tribulational” events being just aroundthe corner, for which one should be pre-pared.

Whom to listen to? What should onedo in response? Perhaps, consider ad-vance preparation?

There indeed are plenty of worrisomedevelopments around the world. God-

fearing people will discern the long-termtrends of moral decay. Wickedness andhumanism are increasing in influence,and therefore mankind’s economic sys-tems, societies and civil institutions aredeteriorating and being corrupted. Insta-bility is the new norm. Mankind’s mod-ern idols are teetering and tottering.

However, we again ask, how shouldone respond?

In answering this question, we en-counter two diametrically opposed per-spectives. One is Biblically supported, theother is not. And, it is the latter that leadsto most of the fear-mongering, falseprophecies and profit-making deliver-ance. We will investigate.

Money:Ends&Trends

ANXIETYMERCHANTS &FALSE PROPHETS – PART I

B y W i l f r e d H a h n

How terrible are the times; how anxious Americans have become! Christians everywhere feel pressured. Countlessanalysts, preachers and prophecy experts have been (and continue to) spread fearsome worries about the future.

FEBRUARY 2016 13

Bogus Watchmen on the WallThe Lord told Jeremiah “If you repent, Iwill restore you that you may serve me;if you utter worthy, not worthless,words, you will be my spokesman. Letthis people turn to you, but you mustnot turn to them” (Jeremiah 15:19).

As it may be, some do appoint them-selves as spokesman; however, they donot speak worthy words. Often, theirwords bend toward popular demand anditching ears.

It follows that “worthy, and notworthless words” could only be thosethat align with biblical knowledge andtruth. Unworthy words lead to error andconfusion and therefore cannot be in-spired of God. Why?

“For God is not the author of confu-sion, but of peace, as in all the churchesof the saints (1 Corinthians 14:33, KJV).

There is no shortage of people andministries who like to see themselves as“watchmen on the wall” (Isaiah 62:6).To be called as a watchman can be hon-orable and edifying, provided of course,that one is speaking worthy words andadmonitions. The outcome should bepeace “in the churches of the saints.”

A worthy watchmen would remindpeople (and the world) that the Lord’sreturn is near; that the time for repen-tance is short; and to look up, “[…] foryour redemption draweth nigh” (Luke21:28, KJV). After all, on many occa-sions Jesus urged the disciples to watch.Therefore, watchmen that follow thesedirections from Christ will prove to beeffective and reliable servants.

For example, these honorable fore-casters would implore and call out withwarnings of the following nature:“Watch out for false prophets [as] theycome to you in sheep’s clothing”(Matthew 7:15); “Watch out that no onedeceives you” (Matthew 24:4); “[…]keep watch, because you do not knowon what day your Lord will come”(Matthew 24:42); “Watch and pray sothat you will not fall into temptation”(Matthew 26:41); “Watch out! Be onyour guard against all kinds of greed”(Luke 12:15).

Note that none of these urgings fromthe Bible requires a physical prepara-tion; they are only spiritual ones affect-ing the heart. None concerns itself withworldly goods or material possessions.For again, “Watch out! Be on your guardagainst all kinds of greed; life does notconsist in an abundance of possessions”(Luke 12:15). A key distinction foundhere is that the concerns of these “wor-thy” watchmen are not about the “abun-dance of possessions.”

As such, these messages will contrastwith the types of announcements thatwill come from more earthly-mindedprognosticators, who may even mas-querade as Spirit-led forecasters orprophets speaking for God. They focusmore exclusively upon temporal andmaterialistic affairs. Moreover, followersof such spokesmen are likely to en-counter wild speculations and sufferangst and confusion.

These so-called watchmen mightprognosticate that the world’s monetary

Anxiety Merchants & False Prophets – Part I

A worthy watchmen would remind people (and the world) that the Lord’s return is near; that the time for repentance is short; and to look up, “[…] for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28,KJV). After all, on many occasions Jesus urged the disciples to watch.


system is about to collapse. Or, frighten-ingly, that the stock markets will crashand that the U.S. dollar is sure toplunge. Apocalyptic scenarios are envi-sioned in which banks will be shutteredand depositors will be unable to accesstheir money. Possibly, grocery storeshelves will be emptied and electricaland municipal water systems will nolonger function.

What to do? How to preserve yourwealth should these frightful scenariosactually occur? How to protect yourown family?

As might be guessed, a lot of confus-ing answers are on offer. Indeed, terriblethings have happened in virtually everycountry over past centuries. However,that fact does not add any real validity toa forecast. The problem lies in the factthat no one has a sure solution or reli-able prediction for something that mightapply to the near-term future.

That is to say, there are lots of predic-tions and offered solutions, but none aresure or likely to be correct. Out of thou-

sands of false prophets,which one is likely to becorrect? One cannot knowin advance. Dire prophe-cies that have a very lowprobability of being correctare therefore useless. Evenworse, as mentioned, suchprophecies lead to muchanxiety and confusion.

None of these perspec-tives here denies the verac-ity of Bible prophecy. AllBible prophecy has and willbe fulfilled. But even with

the inviolable foreknowledge of prophecy,we are admonished, “[…] Do not go be-yond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6).While prophecy provides a light in a darkplace (2 Peter 1:19), it provides no guid-ance as to short-term events.

Sadly, though teachers and preachersmay be well-meaning in their warningsand prophecies about predicted financialevents and economic trends, they are mis-guided. They discredit the pulpit. Secularprofessionals who may specialize ingeopolitics or currency market trends, forexample, are also often wrong in their pre-dictions (if not almost always). Then,what advantage does a pastor or ministryleader have with his predictions?

This writer has been active in the globalfinancial industry for nearly four decades.During this time I have witnessed many ir-responsible financial predictions from thepulpits of North America. These may haveinduced their congregations to buy gold,buy the Iraqi dinar, sell the U.S. dollar, anda host of other possible investmentschemes. The damage has been great both

Money:Ends&Trends

Sadly, though teachers and preachers may be well-meaning in theirwarnings and prophecies about predicted financial events andeconomic trends, they are misguided. They discredit the pulpit.

FEBRUARY 2016 15

in monetary terms as well as reputational.Not only are such types of prophecieslikely to be unreliable, but they also betrayan ignorance of Bible-rooted perspectives.

Battling ConfusionOver the years, I have also received count-less inquiries from readers asking me to le-gitimize the “doom and gloom” (and alsoprofit-making) forecasts of various econo-mists or Bible teachers. These respondentswere anguished and concerned. They werein fear. Were they and their householdsvulnerable to economic calamity? Whatshould they do? They would ask me toread or research the opinions of thesecommentators.

My response has generally been thesame. Indeed, there will be troubles andcrisis. In fact, the history of the world ismarked by crisis, greater and lesser. Therehave been crises beyond count. One re-searcher, Moritz Schularick, alone counts71 banking crises having occurred be-tween 1870 and 2009. There have beenmany other types of crisis. Human strifeand crises of various types are a normaloccurrence.

Furthermore, no one can reliably pre-dict the near-future. The Bible confirmsthis in no uncertain terms. Said James:“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or to-morrow we will go to this or that city,spend a year there, carry on business andmake money.’ Why, you do not even knowwhat will happen tomorrow” (James 4:13-14). The Proverbs writer counsels, “Donot boast about tomorrow, for you do not

know what a day may bring” (Proverbs27:1).

If we cannot reliably see the future,then what to do about our current worriesand anxieties? Jesus directly answers thisquestion. He tells us, “[…] do not worryabout tomorrow, for tomorrow will worryabout itself. Each day has enough troubleof its own” (Matthew 6:34).

We indeed are required to be goodstewards with the skills and opportunitiesthat God has given us. We have a responsi-bility to plan rather than to predict. Christmentions the situation of the towerbuilder: “Suppose he starts building and isnot able to finish. Then everyone who seeswhat he has done will laugh at him. Theywill say, ‘This fellow started to build. Buthe wasn’t able to finish’” (Luke 14:29-30).

However, we are also told that weshould rely upon God to lead us throughcrises and concerns. For if “God clothesthe grass of the field, which is here to-day and tomorrow is thrown into thefire, will he not much more clotheyou—you of little faith?” (Matthew6:30).

Anxiety Merchants & False Prophets – Part I

Furthermore, no one can reliably predict the near-future. The Bibleconfirms this in no uncertain terms. Said James: “Now listen, youwho say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend ayear there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do noteven know what will happen tomorrow” (James 4:13-14).


Jesus cares for us: “Cast all your anxi-ety on him because he cares for you” (1Peter 5:7).

Deliverance for ProfitUnderstandably, we may well empathizewith pulpit forecasters in part. Who hasnot been chastened when it comes topredicting future trends, as they mayimpact our household or investment de-cisions? However, there is an even morereprehensible type of opportunist insuch matters.

If you have some money, there areplenty of vendors willing to provide theiradvice and to sell to you their solutions.To no surprise, the business fortunes ofthese advisors and suppliers are benefitedby fear-mongering and exaggeration.Sadly, some otherwise godly ministriesmay rely on such sales in order to covertheir budgets. The greater the fear thatcan be generated, the more nitrogen-packed food, bomb shelters, and crisis-proof investments that can be sold.

Even more appalling is that Bibleprophecy may be used to drive survivalsupply sales. These vendors (someclaiming to be ministries) are outfittingpeople specifically to be able to survivethe coming Tribulation period. Evenministries that take a pre-Tribulationview (i.e. the rapture of the Church oc-curring before the start of the Tribula-tion period) can appear nearlyindistinguishable from the Tribulationpreppers. They also offer to sell survivalsupplies; perhaps promote the purchaseof gold bullion, and may even urge thepurchase of personal weapons.

Thoughts to PonderJesus said that “In this world you[Christians] will have trouble” (John16:33). We can then confirm that wewill not be able to avoid some worldly

troubles. Yet, none of Christ’s urgings to beon “watch” are concerned with this type oftrouble. He is most concerned about oursalvation and faith and preserving us fromspiritual deceptions.

Would Christ allow that salvation anddeliverance from crisis and trouble for themembers of his body, the Church, wouldbe dependent upon affordability? In otherwords, can only those Spirit-filled Chris-tians that can afford a large portfolio ofgold bullion or a 7-year supply of nitrogen-packed food, be protected from last-daycrisis and wickedness? Could it be thatpoor Christians will have no access to suchdeliverance?

This could never be true. Christ offerssalvation and deliverance to all who wouldcome. As the Spirit of Christ said throughIsaiah, “Come, all you who are thirsty,come to the waters; and you who have nomoney, come, buy and eat! Come, buywine and milk without money and withoutcost. Why spend money on what is notbread, and your labor on what does notsatisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what isgood, and you will delight in the richest offare” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

In the same way, Christ’s deliverancedoes not (should not) have any mone-tary cost. We may indeed suffer mone-tary loss in a world that is increasinglyinhospitable to Christians. However, sal-vation and deliverance from a wickedworld is available to all without a mone-tary price. While hucksters peddle sur-vival supplies for the future Tribulationperiod—to only those that can affordthem—God has a much more equitableplan, not that we should deserve it. It isthe great “snatching away” (1 Thessalo-nians 4:15-18) … the Rapture.

(In the next part to this series, we willfurther examine the commercial huck-sterism conducted in the name of Chris-tianity, so that we might not fall.)

Money:Ends&Trends

Visit www.midnightcall.com

MC

FEBRUARY 2016 17

The Message of First Kings

for Today

Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

The election was complicated and convoluted,with allegations of disenfranchisement andvoter fraud, resulting in bitter disputes, law-

suits, and requests for recounts. For the first time in112 years, a candidate won the popular vote butlost the electoral vote. Gore eventually concededthe election publicly, and Bush became the forty-third president of the United States.

While the election was certainly controversial, andthough Gore did not conceal his discontent with theruling of the United States Supreme Court, the processwas peaceful. Although demonstrators protested anddiscussions were impassioned, there were not anythreats of armed rebellion or physical violence from ei-ther of the parties. Although the transfer of power wasprotracted and sorrowful, it was nevertheless democ-ratic and nonviolent, which reveals much concerningthe American process, since, historically, the type ofconfusion involved in the election has not always re-sulted in such a manner.

First Kings begins with a power struggle that re-sulted in Solomon’s rise to the throne. The openingchapters of First Kings reveal the depravity that canmanifest itself within us all. First Kings begins with acritical moment in the history of a nation, and ad-dresses both political and spiritual power. Ultimately,

we learn that living in a fallen world necessitates thatGod’s people act astutely and resolutely to promote theLord’s sovereign purposes.

How to Evaluate SuccessThe two books of Kings were originally a single workwithin the Hebrew Bible. As the title of the book sug-gests, the two works depict the history of the kings ofIsrael and Judah from the time of Solomon until theBabylonian captivity.

The tremendous success of a king—by means ofadministrative competence or political prowess—doesnot necessarily constitute success to God. The Lordevaluates an individual’s contribution on the basis ofone primary examination: obedience to His revealedWord, the Holy Bible. The test of obedience alone de-termines either failure or success with God. The Lorddoes not evaluate success on the basis of outward ap-pearance.

First Samuel 16:7 reads, “But the LORD said toSamuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the heightof his stature, because I have rejected him; for Godsees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward ap-pearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” Similarly,one reads in 1 Peter 3:3-4, “Your adornment must notbe merely external . . . but let it be the hidden person

The United States 2000 presidential election was determined in the state of Florida. Televi-sion networks announced that Vice President Al Gore had carried the state, and then it wasreported that Texas Governor George W. Bush had won. Experts predicted the race wouldbe close, but none imagined it would almost be “too close to call.” The 2000 presidentialelection was so close that it took five weeks to determine the winner.


of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gen-tle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight ofGod.”

Scripture reminds men and women that truebeauty is not based upon external adornment;rather, it arises from one’s inner self (see previousScripture references). Consequently, the book ofKings is quite selective with the details that itrecords concerning the life of each king. Momen-tous economic and political contributions are oftenneglected in relative silence, because God’s concernis primarily the spiritual vitality of a king’s reign.

How to Evaluate the SpiritualSolomon is the primary character in chapters 1—11of First Kings. Chapter 1 begins with his ascensionto the throne, and chapter 11 concludes with hisdeath. Chapters 1—2 reveal the events associatedwith Solomon’s rise to the throne.

First Kings begins with David in old age andsoon to die. Two of his sons, Adonijah andSolomon, are in opposition for the right to inheritthe throne. Amply concerned for the threat to thepurposes of God, the prophet Nathan acted deci-sively and shrewdly in response to Adonijah’s at-tempts to seize the throne, rather than being passivefor God’s will to be accomplished.

Adonijah is similar to David’s other son, Absa-lom, who sought to instigate a rebellion to deposeGod’s chosen king. The difference between the twosons is whom they enlisted for help, yet both sonsrelied upon their charisma, embellishments, andhandsomeness (cf. 2 Sam 15:1-12; 1 Kgs 1:5-9). Ab-salom secretly plotted his revolt by persuading thecommon people. Adonijah, however, conspired toseize the throne by convincing his brothers (except-ing Solomon) and other influential men fromDavid’s court.

Although Adonijah was responsible for his be-havior, the fundamental cause is related to thefact that “His father had never crossed him at anytime by asking, ‘Why have you done so [viz. proclaimed yourself king]?’” (1 Kgs 1:6). Davidwas much too laissez-faire with Adonijah; conse-quently, this son had little respect for God-given authority. The uprising was brief because

Solomon was anointed as king prior to the deathof his father, King David.

The prophet Nathan had been King David’strusted advisor, and was also the one throughwhom God promised an eternal kingdom (cf. 2 Sam7:4-17; 12:1-15; 1 Chron 29:29). Solomon wasGod’s choice for the throne (2 Sam 12:24-25), yetthe Davidic line was not exempt from power strug-gles (2 Sam 15:1—18:33; 20:1-22). Nathan, there-fore, instructed the queen mother, Bathsheba, toremind the king that he had already sworn—by thewill of God—that he would cede the throne to herson, Solomon, subsequent to his death. Leadersmust be led occasionally; thus, Nathan andBathsheba did so with respect and wisdom.

The reign of Solomon begins a weakening of thekingly office, which eventually becomes so deca-dent that God can seldom use them as His represen-tative. Consequently, subsequent to Solomon’s rule,God will primarily utilize a different office to fur-ther His sovereign purposes: the prophet. Not onlywere the prophets associated with the kings andrulers of the nation, but they also spoke to the gen-eral populace. The reason for the messages theyproclaimed is crucial to understand. “It would be agrave mistake, however, to assume that, because ofthe great interest of the prophets in the monarchy,they were themselves primarily politicians. Theirpolitical activity is always subservient to a religiousend. They did serve as the counsellors, but they didso in order that the theocratic kingdom might pros-per.”1

Due to their indifference on spiritual matters andfrequent apostasy, which resulted in them being inviolation of God’s will, the kings often conflictedwith the prophets, who served as God’s spokesmen.The message of First Kings “is that of a nation pass-ing from affluence and influence to poverty andparalysis.” To discern the enduring values of FirstKings, “we must keep before the mind twothrones—that on earth with its succession of kings,and that in the heavens with its one King.” Whenexamining “the former we see the failing govern-ment of men, and in looking at the latter we see theunfailing government of God.”2 A primary empha-sis of First Kings is the absolute necessity for God’s

The Message of First Kings for Today


God’s people are called to decisive actions that will advance His pur-poses. Nathan knew the will of God, and thus he acted with boldness,preparedness, and shrewdness.

people—who are “strangers and pilgrims” in this fallenworld (Hebrews 11:13)—to make decisions that are in-telligent and steadfast in order to further the Lord’s sov-ereign purposes.

How to Do WellThe initial question of the book of First Kings concerns“who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king afterhim” (1:20). The answer is provided in chapters 1—2.King David’s son, Solomon, would sit upon the throneof his father (2:12, 24, 46). The decision was not the re-sult of political maneuvering; rather, it was the out-come of God’s will (cf. 1:48; 2:15, 24). Nevertheless,the succession of Solomon to the throne would not oc-cur without conscious thought, because significant lo-cales of the kingdom desired a king other than God’schoice. By the end of 1 Kings 2, all those threats againstthe kingdom were removed, and “the kingdom was es-tablished in the hands of Solomon” (v. 46).

The greatest threat against Solomon’s kingdom,however, still remained: the king’s own heart.Solomon’s greatest enemy to his reign was himself. TheLord was unequivocal that Solomon’s greatest need wasto “Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk inHis ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments,His ordinances, and His testimonies” (2:3). Either di-vine blessing or judgment would be determined bywhether a king would “keep the charge of the LORD.”

The classic American comic strip, Pogo, made thefollowing words famous: “We have met the enemy andhe is us.” The assertion was most notable as an appro-priate summary toward the foibles of humanity and thenature of the human condition. As one reads the end of1 Kings 2, it would appear that Solomon’s rule is wellestablished, yet it will only be assured by the conditionof his heart. The primary battle of life is being certainthat one maintains a heart of faithfulness to the LordGod, as evident in a lifestyle of obedience.

King David’s concluding words to Solomon his sonasserted truly that strength is not derived from admin-istrative and military dealings, without moral and spiri-

tual vitality. A good leader is not exempted fromGod’s law; rather, he or she is bound to heed it. Trueand enduring vigor is founded within a person’s re-lation to God and His Word.

ConclusionThere is always a danger in choosing a leader basedupon the wrong criteria, which would be charismaand charm. This folly was evident in the people’sapproval of Adonijah’s political maneuvering (cf. 1Kgs 1:5-27). Furthermore, there is the hazard asso-ciated with leadership that is enfeebled or preoccu-pied, because such leaders become irrelevant topresent circumstances, which thrusts their follow-ers into divergence and insecurity. While there is aneed for leaders to affirm their responsibility, asSolomon did when he ascended the throne, there isdanger in thinking the ends justify the means. Theactions of Solomon demonstrate the negative aspectof leaders who strive to achieve the right thing inthe wrong manner (cf. 4:1-28). For this reason,Scripture instructs the church to pray for those inpositions of authority (1 Tim 2:1-4).

What constitutes godly leadership? Nathan theprophet is an example of holy activism. Knowingthat God has a sovereign purpose does not meanthat one waits passively for it to develop. God’s peo-ple are called to decisive actions that will advanceHis purposes. Nathan knew the will of God, andthus he acted with boldness, preparedness, andshrewdness. May each of us heed the wisdom ofProverbs 4:23, “Watch over your heart with all dili-gence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

ENDNOTES1 Edward J. Young, My Servants the Prophets (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

1952; reprint, 1983) 82.

2 G. Campbell Morgan, Living Messages of the Books of the Bible, 2 vols

(New York: Revell, 1912) 1:177.

MC


The night of September 27-28 will bringa “blood moon.” To skywatchers, it sim-

ply refers to the copper color the moon takes onduring an eclipse, but to some Christian minis-ters, the fourth and final eclipse in a tetrad—fourconsecutive total lunar eclipses, each separatedby six lunar months—fulfills biblical prophecy ofthe apocalypse. (The first three in the series tookplace April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; and April4, 2015.)“The coming four blood moons points to a

world-shaking event that will happen betweenApril 2014 and October 2015,” said John Hagee.The reference to the impact is most direct in

Joel 2:30-31, which reads, “And I will show won-ders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood andfire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turnedinto darkness, and the moon into blood, beforethe coming of the great and awesome day of theLord.”There’s also a reference to a blood moon in

Revelation 6:12—part of the passage about theSeven Seals—which reads, “I looked when Heopened the sixth seal, and behold, there was agreat earthquake; and the sun became black assackcloth of hair, and the moon became likeblood.”The astronomical site EarthSky.org says that

tetrads, of which there have been 62 since thefirst century, follow natural cycles and are easilycalculated. Moreover, three of the four most re-cent eclipses were not visible in Israel itself.(“What good is a blood moon if God’s chosencan’t see it?” wrote Patheos’ Bob Seidensticker.)Nevertheless, the coming of the September

“blood moon” was making folks on Twitter jittery.

Some had watched a documentary based onHagee’s book.

-www.cnn.com, 2 September 2015

Commentary: What is the purpose of publish-ing this article now? Simply warning trueChristians not to take note of the proclama-tions of sensationalists. They thrive on pro-claiming the unknown; they make predictionsthat always fail. They write books which inthe end testify against themselves. Dr. DavidReagan writes in Lamplighter, the Novem-ber/December 2015 issue, under the title “TheGreat Convergence Fizzle,” about these vari-ous false prophecies such as the BloodMoons, the Shemitah, Newton’s Riddle, etc.with the words, “much ado about nothing.” We emphasize that the Bible does not urge

or instruct us to watch for certain natural andsupernatural signs, nor to take note of Jewishholidays, but we are to watch for Jesus. Wefollow the admonition Scripture gives, “So

that ye come behind inno gift; waiting for thecoming of our Lord Je-sus Christ” (1 Corinthi-ans 1:7). 6177(For more on waiting for the

Lord, read The Great Mystery of

the Rapture, Item 1038.)

C H I N A

Communists to BuildAfrican Harbor for PeaceChina’s first official military baseabroad, in Djibouti on the horn ofAfrica, will serve largely to secure in-ternational waters and protect thecontinent’s Chinese population.

About 60 Chinese warships have beentaking part in escort missions since

2008 as part of a UN anti-piracy campaign inthe Gulf of Aden near Somalia.For China, Djibouti is an important junc-

tion. The base will not only help secure eco-nomic interests, facilitating the transport ofcrude oil through the strait for example, butChina will be able to keep a better eye on theArabian peninsula and parts of Africa furtherinland. A runway is being built for this pur-pose. It has long been known that China is in-vesting heavily in the African continent, and[recently] President Xi promised to invest $60billion into the continent’s business sector.So it was merely a matter of time until Beijingdecided to get more involved militarily, to in-crease security in the region. The AfricanUnion has been given 100 million euros($108 million) for a quick-reaction force.Some 8,000 Chinese troops are to be part ofa UN peacekeeping mission. It is plausiblethat there will be other forms of cooperationwith the People's Liberation Army in Africa.Many of the ports are to be linked by rail to

China, and they will thus help expand China’smilitary reach considerably. Experts believethat the “String of Pearls” strategy is a reac-tion to US geopolitical interests. China nolonger wants to—and no longer can—de-pend merely on economic cooperation andpartnerships.

-www.dw.com/en, 7 December 2015

Commentary: Communist China keeps ex-panding and is the power to be reckonedwith in Southeast Asia. The very generoushelp to African nations creates a definitestepping stone toward a more direct, in thiscase, military presence in Africa.What does it mean biblically? Many

Bible scholars today and in the past have

Blood Moon Apocalypse?There will be blood in September—literally, according to the Internetpostings of end-times believers.

L

L (continued next page)


W O R L D


referred to Revelation 16:12, “And thesixth angel poured out his vial upon thegreat river Euphrates; and the water thereofwas dried up, that the way of the kings of

the east might be prepared.” The “kings ofthe east” from Israel’s geography are thosebeyond the Euphrates River: Iraq, Iran,Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China.Some scholars insist that China is prepar-ing to invade Israel with armed forces of200 million strong.There is another interpretation, and that

is spiritual. We notice the words “the kingsof the east” in verse 12, but verse 14 says,“the kings of the earth and of the wholeworld.” Who are these kings? Today, wewould call them the political leaders andtheir governments. What is their target?“To gather them to the battle of that greatday of God Almighty.” It is my understand-ing that we are not dealing with physicalnations, governments and their armies.Why not? Because no military force has theability to fight against God Almighty. InRevelation 17:14 more is revealed, “Theseshall make war with the Lamb.” Again, noearthly power can make war with theLamb; thus, we are dealing with demonicpowers.What will be the end thereof? The result

is revealed in Revelation 19:19-20, “And Isaw the beast, and the kings of the earth,and their armies, gathered together to makewar against him that sat on the horse, and

against his army. And the beast was taken,and with him the false prophet that wroughtmiracles before him, with which he de-ceived them that had received the mark ofthe beast, and them that worshipped his im-age. These both were cast alive into a lake

of fire burning with brim-stone.” The Lord of lords and the

King of kings does not needto fight; only His appearanceis all-sufficient to destroy thepowers of darkness and theirsubjects; that means all thenations of the world. TheBible simply states, “Thebeast was taken, and with

him the false prophet…both were cast aliveinto the lake of fire burning with brim-stone.” No military powers and theirweapons are revealed.Nevertheless, we find it of interest that

the earthly powersof the east are di-recting their atten-tion toward thewest: Israel. 6179(For more on this sub-

ject, read Revelation 13:

Satan’s Last Victory, Item

1067.)

U N

Yom Kippur Official HolidayAfter more than a year of diplomaticefforts led by the Israeli Mission tothe United Nations, the body recog-nized Yom Kippur as an official UNholiday.

The decision was made by the UN work-ers committee and the UN secretariat.

A step forward had been made in 2014when the 69th General Assembly recognizedthe importance of the holiday as the holiestday of the Jewish year.

The designation means no official meetingswill take place on this day and employees canchoose to not work on that day.Ambassador to the United Nations Danny

Danon called the move “a decisive victory”that “finally provides an official place for theJewish religion in the world’s parliament.”The recognition would not have been possi-

ble, he said, without the cooperation of the USAmbassador to the UN Samantha Power, whoprevented the anti-Israel majority at the UNfrom blocking the resolution. “Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year

for the Jewish people, and the UN shouldhave recognized this holiday many yearsago,” Danon said.

-www.jpost.com, 18 December 2015

Commentary: Israel’s diplomatic staff is tobe commended, as well as U.S. Ambas-sador to the UN Samantha Power.Why is this important to Israel? The an-

swer is two-fold; positive and negative.Positive because Israel wants to be countedamong the nations of the world; they desireto be an equal member of the family of na-tions. But that brings us to the negative as-pect, because Israel is not like any othernation on the face of the earth. It began over 3,000 years ago, when Israel

requested equality: “Now make us a king tojudge us like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5).That, however, is not God’s goal.

(continued next page)

African Harbor (continued from page 20)

L

A boy rides his bike on the empty Ayalonhighway on Yom Kippur. (photo credit:REUTERS)


The prophetic Word states, “And in thatday will I make a covenant for them withthe beasts of the field, and with the fowls ofheaven, and with the creeping things of theground: and I will break the bow and thesword and the battle out of the earth, andwill make them to lie down safely. And Iwill betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, Iwill betroth thee unto me in righteousness,and in judgment, and in lovingkindness,and in mercies. I will even betroth theeunto me in faithfulness: and thou shaltknow the LORD. And it shall come to passin that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, Iwill hear the heavens, and they shall hearthe earth” (Hosea 2:18-21). That indeed

makes Israel differentand NOT equal to anyother nation. 6184(For more on prophecies

throughout the Bible, read Ex-

ploring Bible Prophecy from

Genesis to Revelation, Item

2275.)

R U S S I A

Is ISIS Putin’s Nightmare?Russian news agencies reportedthe destruction of 500 ISIS petroltankers heading from Syria to Iraq.

The rebel sites in Syria report Russianstrikes around the Islamic State’s Syr-

ian capital Raqqa and north of Aleppo.What made Russia change its strategy?

Was it the Islamic State’s blowing up of theRussian airliner in Sinai or the half-hour meet-ing between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obamain Turkey? Or maybe it was the Vienna sum-mit where Washington agreed to leave BasharAssad as Syrian president until an interimgovernment was formed?ISIS’ photos of the explosive that allegedly

brought down the Russian plane and the Parisattacks probably contributed to Moscow’s

turnaround. The announcement that the planewas indeed sabotaged already signaled achange.In any case, Washington was pleased with

the result including the cooperation betweenthe two countries’ air forces. Washington andMoscow may still not agree about Assad’s fu-ture, but the United States can take credit forsignificantly expanding the coalition in the waragainst the Islamic State.Turkey has also changed its tune; its for-

eign minister said Ankara and Washingtonwere planning an operation to rid the IslamicState from the Syrian side of the Turkish bor-der. An alleged safe zone would be set up—an idea Washington has opposed.ISIS isn’t stopping people from leaving but

has issued mobilization orders compellingyoung males from 14 up to join its ranks. Re-cruits are paid $200 a month and get moneyfor living expenses, weaponsand training. As a result,some families that can’t orwon’t abandon their homessend their sons to war.The call-up is intended torefill the ranks depleted bydeserters. In the absence of a mili-

tary strategy, the Viennaagreements remain the onlypossible infrastructure tosolve the war in Syria. ByJanuary the UN envoy toSyria will have to submit alist of acceptable groups and

militias to negotiate with Assad’s people overthe formation of an interim government. At the moment this mission seems impos-

sible in view of the deep disagreementsamong the militias and mainly between Rus-sia and Iran on one side and the Westerncountries on the other. The issue: Whoshould represent the side negotiating withAssad.

-www.haaretz.com, 22 November 2015

Commentary: A strange reversal is devel-oping: While the United States withdrewthe bulk of its military from Iraq, Russia isnow involved in Syria, a neighboring coun-try. One must recall Vietnam: when theFrench withdrew their forces, the U.S.stepped in and experienced a devastatingdefeat. After the Soviet Union (Russia)withdrew from Afghanistan, the Westernpowers stepped in yet achieved nothingmore than utter chaos and confusion.Now Russia is back in the spotlight.

Will they achieve their intended goal? Veryunlikely, because the real reason for the ex-istence of ISIS is spiritual. The real goal iscloser unity among the nations of theworld. That’s just another of the many stepstoward world government. 6169(For more on this subject, read Northern Storm Rising,

Item 2294.)


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Yom Kippur (continued from page 21)

L

In this photo released by the Russian De-fense Ministry, a Tupolev TU-22 bomberconducts an airstrike in Syria. (photo credit:REUTERS)

The only other times the word “Palestine” or“Palestina” is mentioned is in a negative way,“The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow

shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina… Re-joice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of himthat smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s rootshall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be afiery flying serpent… Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou,whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall comefrom the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in hisappointed times” (Exodus 15:14; Isaiah 14:29, 31).

Unfortunately, the name Palestine has become ex-tremely popular lately. The news media highlights theconflict between Israel and the Arab Palestinians, andvirtually always portrays Israel as using excessive force.

Another major contributing factor to the popularityof the name Palestine comes from our own camp: Biblecommentaries, dictionaries, and some teachers have re-placed the name Israel with Palestine when referring toits geography. The logical result is Palestine for Pales-tinians. One forgets that during the British Mandate,the British were the ones who named the territoryPalestine. When passports or identity cards were issuedfor people in the territory, most Arabs refused to becalled Palestinian Arabs, while the Jews accepted thedefinition Palestinian Jews.

Much has been written about the so-called MiddleEast Conflict, and generally, the narrative is acceptedthat the Jews coming from Europe established thecountry Israel and dispersed the Arabs. Doubtless,there are some valid points to this argument. However,history teaches clearly: winner takes all.

Using myself as an example: In 1944, when the vic-torious Soviet forces defeated the National Socialists ofGermany (Nazis), my mother had a choice to sign adocument requiring that she would be a faithful andlaw-abiding citizen of the Soviet Union, or otherwise

leave Memelland, her family’s home for over 500 years.Today, the territory formerly known as Ostpreussen hasbeen divided into Lithuania, Russia, and Poland. Thematter was settled once and for all. That is true interna-tional law: the winner dictates history.

We may also apply this to all new countries estab-lished 200 or more years ago. Territory was conqueredby force, displacing the original inhabitants, and a newcountry was founded.

When it comes to Israel, it’s a totally different story.New laws, new principles apply. And new morals areused. Israel conquered much of the Promised Landduring four major wars against the Arabs, yet were for-bidden to take possession of that land. It’s now calledoccupied territory.

There is more. No nation in all of human historyever permitted the defeated enemy to publicly declaretheir intention to destroy the victor, the one who con-quered the territory fair and square by weapons of war.Israel does.

But the whole world declares Israel’s possession ofany part of the Promised Land, even territory they pur-chased with money, as being occupied territory.

The Brutal EnemyVery little is revealed in the global news media regard-ing the behavior of Arab Palestinians. The Palestinianeducational leaders think nothing of indoctrinatingchildren in school and higher education to kill Jews,destroy the State of Israel, and chase the Jews into theMediterranean. Interestingly, virtually no protest isheard about such unthinkable brutality and inhumanebehavior, which is tolerated, even encouraged by ArabPalestinians.

“Gaza Parents Name Their Newborn ‘Knife ofJerusalem.’” It is grotesque and almost too difficult towrite about such beastly behavior of intelligent and ed-

MIDNIGHT CALL

“Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zi-don, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me arecompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly andspeedily will I return your recompence upon your ownhead” (Joel 3:4).

FEBRUARY 2016 23

BY ARNO FROESE

ucated people. The following is a transcript from avideo released by Virtual Jerusalem with the aboveheadline.

Gaza Parents Name Their Newborn“Knife of Jerusalem”MEMRI-TV

The parents of a newborn baby in Gaza explainthat they decided to call their son “Knife ofJerusalem” because it was “the least they could do”to express solidarity with Palestinians in the WestBank and Jerusalem. The interview was posted onthe Internet on October 24, 2015.

Father of the baby: Allah has given me a new baby,and I’ve named him “Knife of Jerusalem” after theIntifada of the Knives, because we are now witness-ing a new kind of revolution.

Mother of the baby, her face veiled but her eyes: I amthe mother of Knife of Jerusalem. We gave him thisname in solidarity with our people in the WestBank. This is the least we could do for them, in thethird Intifada, the Intifada of Al-Aqsa.

Friend of the father: I am a friend of Knife ofJerusalem’s father. It was my idea, and I publishedthe post on Facebook. I felt that this would gainlots of attention on the social media. He was over atmy shop, and he told me that he was going to thehospital, because his wife was having a baby. Hesaid that he did not know what name to give thebaby. We were watching the music video “Lovers ofStabbing” on TV, and I said: How about Knife ofJerusalem? He said: “How can I call him Knife?!” I

said: “After the martyrs and the Intifada of theKnives. Today, it is the knife that has its say on theground.” This is a really sweet name. It’s the leastwe can do for Jerusalem.

Prophetic WordWhat a grotesque picture of brutality!

But God’s intention for Israel is clearly revealedin Ezekiel 36:4, “Therefore, ye mountains of Israel,hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith theLord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to therivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes,and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathenthat are round about.” The Jews have rebuilt the country, established a civilized democratic infra-structure, and have become very successful eco-nomically. They are the envy of the Middle East.

The next verse shows the unbridled hatred of theenemies, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spokenagainst the residue of the heathen, and against allIdumea, which have appointed my land into theirpossession with the joy of all their heart, with de-spiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey” (verse 5).This speaks about Idumea, the country of Edom, lo-cated south of the Dead Sea, but the spirit of hatredis applicable to the general public of Arab Palestini-ans.

While Israel’s behavior may often be criticized,the end result will always be God’s initiated restora-tion of the land and the people, even spiritually,“And I will put my spirit within you, and cause youto walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judg-ments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

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FEBRUARY 2016 25

Address letters for publication to: Letters to the Editor, Midnight Call, P.O. Box 84309, Lexington, SC

29073. Include full name, address, and daytime phone number. Without name and address, letters will

be discarded unread. All material is subject to editing. Midnight Call assumes all publishing rights on

letters sent to the Editor.

Note: All letters will be answered by the Executive Editor, Arno Froese.

EGYPTIAN ORAFRICAN?...HOLINESS...DEATHBED SALVATION

Egyptian or African?Dear Mr. Froese,

In regard to your answer aboutAfrican Jews (October issue), pleaselet me offer some more information.

Jacob (Israel) was born deep in thedesert at Beer-Lahai-roi, an oasis inthe desert near Kadesh-Barnea. Ref-erence: Atlas of the Bible. This is inSouth Israel, not Africa.

You also stated that Ephraim andManasseh were born of an Africanwoman, but you give no documenta-tion for this statement.

Genesis 41:45 states that Potiphargave his daughter Asenath to Josephfor a wife. Potiphar was an Egyptian,not African, so his daughter Asenathwould have to be at least one-halfEgyptian.

-B. Kuhry, CA

Answer: Your statement, “Joseph’s wife, Asen-

ath, was an Egyptian, not African” is incorrect.

Egypt is an African country. According to Ro-

man law, Manasseh and Ephraim were Africans.

Don’t confuse Africans with black people only.

HolinessDear Editor,

Thank you for a much needed article,“Do Christians Really Need to Be Holy?”

First John 3:2-3 says, “Dear friends,now we are children of God, and whatwe will be has not yet been madeknown. But we know that when he ap-pears, we shall be like him, for we shallsee him as he is. Everyone who has thishope in him purifies himself, just as heis pure” (NIV).

An excellent book on this is ThePursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges.

-R. Whiting, MA

Letters to the Editor


Answer: Appreciate your letter relat-

ing to our article, “Do Christians Re-

ally Need to Be Holy?”

I would add, holy is our position in

Christ, and that isn’t affected by our

flesh. Unfortunately, our condition is

that our flesh is often subject to sin,

as Paul confirms.

Thanks for recommending the

book by Jerry Bridges.

Deathbed SalvationDear Sir,

My question concerns thethief on the cross and the les-son Christ wanted to conveyto us about confession andforgiveness. Does the eventshow that forgiveness is of-fered to us even at the verylast moments of our lives? Iflike the thief on the cross nextto Christ (who seems to havegiven no thought in his life toGod, his own sinfulness or hiseternity in heaven or hell),one is suddenly aware (by thefear of his impending death)of the salvation that is possiblefrom Christ, and if we on ourdeathbed confess our sins andask forgiveness, will we likethe thief be forgiven? I wouldappreciate your thoughts as Ihave been trying to under-stand what teaching that Godmay want to give us in thispart of Christ’s victory on thecross, and do not want tomistake flawed reasoning forthe truth. Thank you for yourreply, and may God blessyour ministry in its efforts toshare the gospel with theworld.

-D. Hebert, ON, Canada

Answer: Repentance and salvation

are an act of grace. It is the Holy Spirit

who convicts the world of sin. Some

say yes, others say no. It’s significant

what Matthew records, “The thieves

also, which were crucified with him,

cast the same in his teeth” (Matthew

27:44). Note the plural. In Luke 23:39-

40, the change is recorded: one thief

suddenly recognized his “lostness”

and repented. Is this type of salvation

available today? Absolutely. The key

is and remains, “Believe on the Lord

Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be

saved.” Of course, one must realize

death may come at any moment, and

then one’s chance of salvation is

gone forever.

CalvinismDear Editor,

My wife and I became bornagain believers in Jesus Christas our personal Lord and Sav-ior in August of 1985. Shecame from a Roman Catholicbackground, and I from an An-glican background, and weboth ultimately ended up in asmall country Baptist church.We have been married 50years. We both thank andpraise God for bringing us to-gether and for keeping us to-gether. My wife and I arelike-minded in Christ, and weboth have been given an un-quenchable thirst and a deeplove for God’s precious HolyWord. It cuts us both to theheart when we see God’s HolyWord twisted, distorted andmisrepresented. In the springof 2015, our church received anew pastor. He and his familyare wonderful, God-fearing

people, but soon he started topreach on “Calvinism.” Imme-diately, a red flag went up tomy wife and I, because it didnot represent the holy, loving,merciful, compassionate, andjust God that He has declaredHimself to be in His Holy writ-ten Word.

On behalf of my wife andmyself, I wrote a six-page letterto our pastor explaining to himthat Calvinism just didn’t lineup with the Scriptures, and Iasked him kindly for his com-ments, which to this point, hehas never answered. We havebeen long-time subscribers toMidnight Call, and in the Sep-tember issue, I noticed a bookon sale by Dave Hunt calledWhat Love Is This? concerningCalvinism, and we sent awayfor it. I read the book first andthen asked our pastor if hewould like to read it, and hesaid he would because he al-ready had a couple of DaveHunt’s book in his library. Wefound that Mr. Hunt’s book ex-pressed exactly what we be-lieve to be true in Scriptureconcerning this subject, but af-ter our pastor read the book,he asked me to see him in theback of the church after theservice. When I arrived at theback room, I was confrontedby the pastor and all thechurch elders. I was immedi-ately told that Dave Hunt’sbook did not properly repre-sent true Calvinism, that it was poorly written, and that itwas very demeaning and theywere extremely offended. I was

Letters to the Editor

warned not to lend that bookto anyone else in the church! I was accused of being anArminian, but I told them thatI did not subscribe to Calvin-ism, Arminianism, Augustini-anism, or for that matter, anyother of man’s “isms,” and thatwe follow Jesus Christ and Himonly. We pray and ask God’sHoly Spirit to impart to us Hiswisdom and clarity of under-standing when we read HisHoly written Word, and wecompletely and faithfully trustGod for this. I told them thatmy wife and I believe in theeternal security of salvation forall “true” born again believersin Jesus Christ as their personalLord and Savior, and they thensaid that we were one pointCalvinists. I told them thatthey did not hear what I hadjust told them, and then theyaccused me of causing disunityin the church. I told them I hadno intention of telling anyonein the church about this but thepastor. I apologized profoundlyto them, shook their hands inpeace and then left.

Dear Editor, did I cross theline with God’s anointed; was Iincorrect in what I did, or was Ijust simply making a mountainout of a molehill? It feels likeGod has placed a burning hotcoal in our hearts concerningthe truth in His precious HolyWord, and we feel like we areall alone in this matter. Pleasehelp us; no matter the conse-quences, we value your trustedopinion. We thank you foryour magazine and the work

that you do for Jesus Christand His truth.

-R. Langabeer, ON, Canada

Answer: You have done well to con-

tact your pastor regarding Calvinism.

You have not violated any Scriptural

principles in that matter.

Midnight Call does not endorse

Calvinism, but receives and accepts

teachings authored by Calvinists.

Good, solid Bible teaching is what is

needed, and there are many “Calvin-

ists” who are excellent Bible teachers.

When Calvinism denies man’s

freedom of choice, I reject it. Scrip-

ture clearly admonishes over and

again, to exercise our own free will.

To the Jews in Jerusalem, Jesus said,

“…ye would not.”

Physical HealingDear Gentlemen,

I am writing to find out ifthere is anything in the Bibleabout doctors. I do not knowthat much about the Bible. Ido know that Jesus healedpeople; in fact, one womanwent to Jesus and touched hisrobe and she was healed. Ihave also heard from a sales-person that was selling aloe,that aloe is mentioned in theBible. I am praying that youmight be able to answer myquestion about doctors. Myquestion is this: my wife saidthat she thinks there is some-thing in the Bible that saysdoctors cannot heal. Thirtyyears ago, I dated a young ladywho also said that she didn’tgo to doctors. She had goodhealth. In fact, she told methat there were people who

could cure you by touchingyou. I told her that these tele-vision programs show specialthings for their ratings. I wantto know if you can trust doc-tors to heal me. I have cancer,plus I recently found out that Ihave glaucoma.

I do know for a fact, that the Church of Scientology andChristian Scientists do not goto doctors. I heard or read thata couple who were ChristianScientists, did not take theirchild to the doctor and thechild died. The state was goingto prosecute them. Then thestate had to back off because itwas against their religion to goto doctors.

-R. Rager, MD

Answer: Here are a few Scriptures

speaking about medical doctors:

Matthew 9:12; Mark 5:26; Luke 4:23;

Colossians 4:14. We read in the Old

Testament about physicians; for ex-

ample, Genesis 50:2 or 2 Chronicles

16:12, which shows that Asa should

have consulted the Lord and not

physicians.

What does it mean for us today?

The summary is Hebrews 9:27, “And as

it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment.” So it mat-

ters not whether you go to a physician

or whether you trust the Lord; death is

100% certain.

Regarding aloe or any other non-

medically approved methods, it seems

to help some but not others.

I trust the Lord for my life, and

when my time comes, He will take

me home. In the meantime, if I have

an ailment, I present it to the Lord

and then go to a doctor.

FEBRUARY 2016 27

MC


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