Signs of the Times – November 2023

The Eve of Destruction

Back in the 1960s there was a famous protest song ‘Eve of Destruction’, sung by Barry Maguire.  Its chorus said:

That was nearly 60 years and we have managed to survive (just about) until now.  But now it seems we really could be on the eve of destruction.

At the time of writing the Israel – Gaza war threatens to bring a conflagration in the Middle East, even a world war.  Israel has struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as second front threatens to open at any time. US has sent in its warships and warned Iran and its proxies not to enter the war.  Iran has warned of imminent ‘pre-emptive action’ against Israel if Israel sends in ground troops to Gaza. Iraqi militias loyal to Iran have said they will join the war. 

Iran’s proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, have fired missiles at Israel, intercepted by US warships. Israel has said it will destroy Damascus if Syria and Hezbollah launch a full scale attack. Russia blames Israel and the US for the crisis and warns America to back off.  There is huge unrest across the Middle East as demonstrations against Israel and America rock the Muslim world.

The Ukraine war grinds on with little progress for either side. Russia is angry at NATO for supplying weapons to Ukraine.  Some western countries are backing off their support for Ukraine, which may ultimately give Russia the edge in the war. Meanwhile warnings of nuclear war have come from Moscow.  On October 8^th Putin ordered Russia’s first nationwide nuclear attack exercise across 11 time zones in preparation for potential nuclear war. The one-day nuclear attack exercise will include preparation for the destruction of up to 70% of Russian housing stock and life support facilities. Does this mean Russia is planning to launch a nuclear war itself?

China is continuously massing forces at its coastal military bases facing Taiwan. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry issued a report on the expansion of Chinese airfields and military activity on Taiwan’s doorstep, saying China has begun probing Taiwan’s territory on a near-daily basis. If the Chinese decide to pull the trigger on an invasion of Taiwan, it will instantly become the biggest news story in the entire world. Because the moment that an invasion of Taiwan begins, the United States and China will be at war and nothing will ever be the same again.  

Africa is plagued with wars and military coups along with poverty and bad governance, while in central and south America drug gangs are killing and destabilising countries bringing misery to millions. Approximately 735 million people – or 9.2% of the world’s population – find themselves in a state of chronic hunger. Desperate people are seeking refuge through illegal migration into the developed world, mainly in the USA or Europe. But these countries cannot absorb them and they are also facing economic and social crises leading to their own potential collapse. 

Global debt hit a record US$307 trillion in the second quarter of the year despite rising interest rates curbing bank credit, with markets such as the US and Japan driving the rise, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said on September 19. US debt has hit $33 trillion and rising by around $1 trillion every 6 months.  This is not sustainable and sooner or later will lead to an economic crisis which will make the events of 2008 look like a picnic. Banks and businesses across the US are already closing and the crisis is only just beginning. China too is in deep trouble economically as the collapse of its housing market has left debt everywhere in its economic system with local governments unable to pay their pensions or civil servants. In the UK and much of Europe the cost of living crisis is causing hardship and leading to social unrest. 

Strange weather and natural disasters are raising the demand from the UN and global bodies for measures to be put in place to save the world to save the world from catastrophic climate change. The ‘green agenda’ may be based on flawed science, but most of our leaders are going ahead with this, regardless of the potential for the net zero project to bring about further economic and social decline in industrialised nations. It is projected that the cost of going over to net zero by 2050 is around £3 trillion and will cost the UK economy £1 a second for the next 31,000 years. As we don’t have this money, either the project will be ditched (unlikely as it is written into law and supported by our political leaders and demanded by the global powers), or we will end up poor, hungry and cold, unable to travel, or express views which question the green agenda. Without adequate power and money available many of the systems, which the industrialised world relies on, will no longer function properly. 

If we could see that our governments (or opposition parties) have an answer to all this, we could have some hope that it will be resolved. But they don’t. Jesus said that in the last days there will be a crisis which will bring this age to an end:

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Luke 21.25-26

The phrase used for ‘with perplexity’ in the Greek is ‘aporia’, meaning with ‘no way out’. 

The Book of Revelation 13 teaches that the Beast / Antichrist will arise in the last days of this age. He will offer a solution, but this will lead not to ‘peace and safety’ but a time of great tribulation on earth leading to the return of the only one who can put it right – Jesus Christ (Matthew 24, Revelation 6-19). Those who believe in Him should not panic, but look up and lift up our heads because our redemption draws near (Luke 21).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4.16-18

Putin and Xi pitch for alternative world order

On 18^th October Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in Beijing at an International Conference organised by China, aimed at providing an alternative forum to the western oriented G20 gatherings. They discussed “common threats” bringing the two “dear friends” closer. According to a CNN report ‘Putin touts solidarity with China in Xi’s pitch for new world order as crisis grips Middle East.’

Putin said at a media briefing following the meeting with his Chinese counterpart, “We discussed in detail the situation in the Middle East.” He added: “I informed Chairman Xi about the situation that is developing on the Ukrainian track. He said: “All these external factors are common threats, and they strengthen Russian-Chinese interaction.’  Putin hailed Xi’s flagship foreign policy Belt and Road Initiative as “aiming to form a fairer, multi-polar world,” while touting his country’s deep alignment with China.

Xi also used the gathering to project China’s expanding ambitions to reshape – and lead – the global world order. “China is endeavouring to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization. The modernization we’re pursuing is not for China alone, but for all developing countries through joint efforts,” he said.

China’s ‘Belt and Road’ project has marshalled hundreds of billions in Chinese finance to build ports, power stations, bridges, rails and roads around the world – significantly expanding China’s international interests and influence along the way.  Yar Mohammad Ramazan, a transport and aviation ministry representative from the Taliban delegation led by its commerce minister, told CNN that Afghanistan aims to “play a big and important role in these Belt and Road” projects connecting Central Asia, South Asia and the Persian Gulf.

More than 150 countries have cooperated on the program, which Beijing says has mobilized “up to a trillion dollars in investments,” spurring growth in developing nations. Xi also proposed an eight-part action, including an initiative on global artificial intelligence governance.

But it faces increasing headwinds as China’s economic growth engine slows amid a shifting financial climate worldwide and questions about its high costs for countries – from debt to environmental impact. Many of the countries China has invested in are left with debts they cannot pay. Xi brushed aside criticisms and reiterated his commitment to the initiative. 

Meanwhile China continues its persecution of Christians, formalizing all sorts of discrimination against them. The latest intervention is to bring in rules to prevent Christians from being able to post anything with a Christian content on the Internet. Release International reported the rules, from the State Administration for Religious Affairs, are intended ” to limit” religious activities.

So any attempt by China (and Russia) to pitch for a ‘new world order’ will ensure that this order is firmly anti-Christian. 

It is also anti-Israel. Palestinian Authority Central Commission official, Abbas Zaki, said

In Revelation 16, we read of Armageddon:

¹² Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

Revelation 16:12

Iran’s end time agenda

One question which may occur to people is why is Iran so fanatically anti-Israel? After all Tehran is 1150 miles from Jerusalem, so the Arab-Israeli problem is not on their doorstep and should not have much effect on how people live in Iran.

Prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran under the Shah was friendly to Israel and supplied it with oil. Jews lived safely in traditional Persian society. All that changed with the Islamic Revolution in 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini imposed an extremist form of Islam on the people, which replaced what had previously been a fairly tolerant form of Islam.

An explanation of what happened to Iran is found in an article by Kelly O’Connell https://canadafreepress.com ‘The Attack on Israel is Religious, Meant to Awaken Islamic Messiah Mahdi.’  Here are some extracts from this article:

‘The ultimate impulse in Iran funding Hamas is to usher in the age of the Mahdi, as their mighty saviour. Shia Muslims believe that a colossal war comes at the end of days to engage Israel. Until this comes their Saviour, the Mahdi, cannot reappear to bring the peace and blessings promised for 14 centuries.

They believe the story of the hidden imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, or simply the “Mahdi,” meaning “divinely guided one.” In 874 A.D., the six-year-old son of the eleventh imam went into hiding to protect himself from the persecution of the reigning Abbasid empire. The Shia believe that he hid himself in a cave below a mosque in Samarra, Iraq; this cave is blocked by a gate that the Shia call “Bab-al Ghayba,” or the “Gate of Occultation.” This is one of the most sacred sites in Shi’a Islam, and the faithful gather here to pray for the return of the twelfth imam. The occultation of the Mahdi will end with his return to the world for the Last Judgment. This period will be marked by violent upheavals and attacks upon the faithful, but in the end, the Mahdi will deliver the world to peace and judge the world for its crimes, ushering in an era of perfect worship and governance.

This confused end time scenario is not found in the Quran, but is based on traditions which have become an integral part of this form of Islam, some taken from misreading of the Bible. In includes the arrival of a Muslim version of Jesus, Isa Al-Maseeh, who will be jealous for Islam. Isa Al-Maseeh descends and destroys all crosses, converts Christians from the most abominable sins against Allah, and kills all Christians and others who refuse to convert to Islam.

The final apocalyptic battles occur north of Israel in the land of Magog during the reign of the final caliph, the Mahdi, who will rule over all Islam. The Mahdi wears a crown while on a white horse, matching Revelation 6:2. With the help of Isa Al-Maseeh (Muslim Jesus) he will defeat Dajjal (Muslim version of Antichrist), resulting in a world where Islam finally is the only religion, all other religions being banished from the face of the earth.”

Millions of  Muslims expect to see the Mahdi in their lifetimes—sometime during the first half of the 21st century. Kickstarting a world war over Jerusalem will hasten the arrival of the Mahdi.

Alien life in Universe: Scientists say finding it is ‘only a matter of time’

Many astronomers are no longer asking whether there is life elsewhere in the Universe. The question on their minds is instead: when will we find it? 

Many are optimistic of detecting life signs on a faraway world within our lifetimes – possibly in the next few years. And one scientist, leading a mission to Jupiter, goes as far as saying it would be “surprising” if there was no life on one of the planet’s icy moons.

The first flicker of such a discovery came earlier this month. The possible sign of a gas that, on Earth, is produced by simple marine organisms was detected in the atmosphere of a planet named K2-18b, which is 120 light years away. The planet is in what astronomers call ”the Goldilocks zone’ – the right distance away from its star for the surface temperature to be neither too hot nor too cold, but just right for there to be liquid water, which is essential to support life.

Professor Nikku Madhusudhan of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University, who led the study, told me that if the hints are confirmed

Some scientists are also researching the possibility that aliens are trying to contact us. The search for radio signals from alien worlds has gone on for decades, not least by the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute. All of space is a large place to look, so their searches have been random to date. But the ability of advanced telescopes to identify the most likely places for alien civilisations to exist means that SETI can focus its search. 

Actually, they have found nothing and they will not fin anything because the Bible indicates that we are alone in the universe, apart from God, the good angels, the Devil, and the fallen angels. Isaiah 45.18 tells us,

¹⁸ For thus says the Lord,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Isaiah 45.18

What about UFOs?

Following on from this there is a growing interest in UFOs around the world. Netflix has just produced a documentary ‘Encounters’ giving supposed sightings of UFOs around the world. 

This includes a UFO sighting of a mile-long ‘spaceship’ spotted by more than 300 people in Texas. A Pentagon chief admitted that hundreds of mysterious objects have been spotted ‘all over the world.’  Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), said:

A major figure in the Pentagon’s UFO research agency claims that fundamentalist Christians within the establishment blocked him because they thought UFOs came from Hell. Leading UFO researcher Ron James says senior figures in the US government fear aliens are in fact demons.

Ron, who is Director of Media Relations for UFO research group MUFON, claims there is “a very large contingent of people” within the Pentagon who opposed the work of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program [AATIP] because they think the UAPs regularly reported by US military sources are piloted by creatures from Hell.

The most likely explanation for the UFO phenomenon is demonic activity. A book by Chuck Missler, ‘Alien Encounters’, claims that contact and report of sightings of aliens and UFOs is explained by the appearance of demons and deceiving spirits. The Bible indicates that such activity will increase in the last days.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. 

1 Timothy 4.1

Of special interest to Christians interested in the end times is Missler’s claim that occultists have linked an invasion of aliens to the earth with a plan to ‘evacuate the millions of people who are ‘out of vibration’ with Earth Mother!   Extraterrestrials will ‘beam up’ or levitate these individuals into hundreds of cloaked alien ships that are currently surrounding the Earth.

The Chapter on ‘The Great Evacuation’ (Page 189) has these quotes:

Where will they go? According to New Age author Timothy Green Beckley, the extra terrestrials state:

An occult explanation for the rapture?