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The Mulberry Ministry, publishers of Eternal Value Review. All rights reserved worldwide. One-time reproductions and excerpts are encouraged without permission. For multiple reproductions please provide and acknowledgement to The Mulberry Ministry, P.0. Box 2609, Station R, Kelowna BC, Canada V1X 6A7. The use of this publication for the promotion of any other commercial activity or pursuit is expressly prohibited. The Mulberry Ministry does not endorse any third-party financial product, service or any promotion of an investment scheme. If not otherwise noted, all scripture references are taken from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible.

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Wilfred J. Hahn is a global portfolio manager and senior partner with HAHN Investment Stewards & Company Inc. and founder of The Mulberry Ministry, publisher of Eternal Value Review, written for “thinking Christians seeking to understand the times.”

His views and research are particularly relevant to Christians living in the endtimes, a time of great prosperity, financial slavery and economic injustice.

Wilfred J. Hahn

Stand Prepared:Stand Prepared: 9 Scriptural 9 Scriptural

Perspectives onPerspectives on Globalization andGlobalization and

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Wilfred J. Hahn

THE MULBERRY MINISTRY 1

C H A P T E R 1 The Babylon Occlusion Here and Now C H A P T E R 2 The Rise and Fall of Endtime Tyre C H A P T E R 3 Rising Food Prices and the Black Horse of the Apocalypse C H A P T E R 4 Money Changers in the Temple: Then and Now C H A P T E R 5 Great Glee: How Wall Street Will Deal in the Tribulation C H A P T E R 6 Food Crisis and the Coming False-joseph C H A P T E R 7 Omri: The Merger King C H A P T E R 8 Final Offer: An Endtime Rewards Program C H A P T E R 9 Financial Armageddon Approaching

Stand Prepared: 9 Scriptural Perspectives On Globalization & Endtime Money Mania

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THE MULBERRY MINISTRY 2

Stand Prepared: 9 Scriptural Perspectives on Globalization and Endtime Money Mania Wilfred J. Hahn Copyright ©2008, Mulberry Press Inc.

The booklet is comprised of a collection of 10 chapters on the general theme of last-day trends that challenge Christians today. Each chapter is based upon a previous article originally published between November 2003 and August 2008 in one or more publications. Each of these articles have been edited from their original.

THE MULBERRY MINISTRY

Scriptural Perspectives On Globalization & Endtime Money Mania

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T he topic of Babylon in prophetic scripture is one of the most actively debated in Christian circles. The most contested portion, of course, has to do with questions of

yet future fulfillment. Here we see a virtual myriad of interpretations ranging from the increasingly popular position that modern-day America is endtime Babylon, on through to strict literal interpretations that emphasize an actual physical rebuilding of Babylon (situated in present-day Iraq) as the final totality of fulfillment. There seem to be tens of interpretations in between, a number of them quite bizarre.

The word “Babylon” appears 294 times in the Bible (KJV). Not surprisingly, there are numerous prophetic statements about this entity in its various forms, many of them already fulfilled. A number of these prophecies are mirrored in the treatments of Tyre in scripture, another city of which prophecy often speaks (at least 23 times). The topic of Babylon is obviously a very important topic. Therefore it is unfortunate that so much

The Babylon Occlusion Here and Now: Can you see it?

Chapter 1


Chapter 1: The Babylon Occlusion Here and Now

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confusion exists related to its yet future fulfillments. Just what is the Babylon of future fulfillment?

We have commented in the past on what it is not … i.e. America. While America may be a major contributor to the development of the characteristics of a modern-day Babylonian system — a la Revelation 18 — it alone is certainly not endtime Babylon. (Please see our 3-part series, The American Economic Colossus: A Foreshadow of Endtime Babylon or Endtime Fulfillment? published by Midnight Call, August, September, October 2005 or visit our website.) However, it is reasonably sure that Babylon takes forms and manifestations at a number of different levels in prophecy. This view does not deny in any way that all Bible prophecy culminates in literal fulfillment … sooner or later.

However, the same challenge on the topic of Babylon may arise as faced the Jews on the question of identifying their Messiah. The mistake made, was to assume that only one appearance of the Messiah was to be expected. Though scriptures said that Christ will appear as “mighty […] upon on the throne of David” (Isaiah 9:6-7) and as the one “they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10) they looked for these contradictory signs in one event. The Jews nationally rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah, one of the reasons being that he did not first come as the long-awaited king.

Today, a similar confusion exists with respect to the expected return of Christ. He will appear again at a time that people think not — a time of “eating and drinking, marrying” (Matthew 24:38) as was the case just prior to the Great Flood during Noah’s time. Yet, He also returns at a time marked by great tribulation (Mark 13:24-26). It is the same type of problem. These prophecies cannot be reconciled in one single event. Therefore, there must be at least two.



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Tribulation period, consider then that this would require no watchfulness, no preparedness, nor a full supply of oil for the lamp. Since the start of the Tribulation period is clearly marked by the Antichrist’s peace deal with Israel, Christians would then know that the end of the age is clearly measured, shortly to tick down to its close within a seven year period. Those who are in this scenario would not merit much reward in comparison with those who are prepared for the Rapture "in the hour that we know not."

Therefore, “Pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

NOTES

Dave Hunt, Y2K: A Reasoned Response to Mass Hysteria, 1999, Harvest House.

Thomas Ice, “The Earth Dwellers of Revelation,” February 2008, Pre-Trib Perspectives.

Based on the article: Financial Armageddon Approaching , Midnight Cal Magazine, June 2008.


Chapter 9: Financial Armageddon Approaching

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such an assault and still stand ready at all times for His coming?

Thoughts to Ponder

It is common to encounter ridicule on the Bible’s teaching on the Rapture. Supposedly, it is “soft-headed” Christians who have dreamt up this theory, so as to be able to escape tough times. Indeed, it is true that there are many Christians who think the Rapture is their easy escape route. Rather than looking for His coming in order to be with Him, they barter for the utility of an escape option.

However, just because many Christians may misinterpret the concept of the Rapture, it does not invalidate Scripture. When one reviews the character of the people who were raptured in the Old Testament (Enoch and Elijah … perhaps also Moses) one can legitimately wonder how many people today, living in the present evil times, are worthy to be raptured. Most so-called Christians live and behave as “earth dwellers” who are very attached to this world.

If there is any error about the “[…] blessed hope—the glorious appearing“ (Titus 2:13), it may be how remarkably few would qualify for that home going. Who today, living during our evil, false-gospel times, is untainted and able to be fully separate from the world ... in other words, ready to face the Bema Seat and likely to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21)? We surely must rely upon grace and His promises.

Thankfully, people will come to Christ during the Tribulation period. However, there is a big difference between following Christ out of last minute fear (in the Tribulation period) versus a spirit of separation and devotion while waiting for His appearance at the Rapture at a time that the world is partying,- "eating, drinking and marrying.”

Were there no Rapture and the Church were to enter the



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The same concept of multiple occurrences (or manifestations) could apply to endtime Babylon. All of its literal prophetic characteristics may not take the form of one single manifestation or physical entity. Let’s keep this possibility open as we continue our examination. (A further perspective on Babylonian forms is treated in the Personal Perspective. Please see Back Page.)

However, rather than try to conclusively answer the broader question of Babylon’s endtime identity (or identities), we want to here focus upon just one set of its characteristics — its global reach and its commercialism. But before delving into these, we need to be sure that we have the correct mindset.

The Western Occlusion

Olden time Bible readers could see that one day, when the systemic form of Babylon would stretch its tentacles across the whole earth, that it would involve the intertwining of commerce and religion. Imbedded in it would be enormous power.

Consider these comments excerpted from B.W Newton’s writings, penned in 1843.1 (Thank you to the reader who made us aware of this old book.)

“When we consider this, we cannot but confess that such a spectacle has never yet been presented in the history of human things. It is the marvelous exhibition of a power yet to be. It is all the more marvelous, because it will be the power not of an individual, but of a system, which, though long prepared in secret (see Zechariah 5:5), will suddenly burst in development upon the eyes of men. “When I saw the woman,” says the apostle, “I wondered with a great wonder” (Revelation 17:6).

What features can be more clearly marked as indicative of the Babylonish period than commercial greatness, the supremacy of wealth and the mixing of iron and miry clay in the



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government of the kingdom?

The supremacy of commercial wealth is an unusual feature in the history of men. I do not mean that there have never been cities like Tyre, Corinth, Carthage, or Venice, that have flourished commercially: but their influence has been little felt beyond their own immediate sphere, nor have they by their institutions ever imparted a character to the general system of the nations. Commerce was not supreme either in the early native monarchy of Nimrod, nor in the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, or Roman empires. None of these empires were distinctively commercial. They all would have emblazoned the sword rather than the ephah on their banners.

In times past, democrats were wont to assist democrats, and despots to aid despots. But now men have found a new and more efficacious centre of union in their commercial interests, and they feel themselves mutually dependent upon each other for the preservation as well as the increase of their riches. When the ruin of one involves the danger of all, men in such circumstances become wonderfully careful of each other’s interests. This is the kind of dependence into which nations are being brought, one on the other.

That peace may be promoted in this way is beyond doubt. The sword is not mentioned in all the detail of the greatness of Babylon. Instead “merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyme wood, and vessels of ivory, and vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and bodies and souls of men” (18: 12-13) are its stabilizers.”

Newton, writing in the 1800s, realized that the Babylon of



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they show themselves to be “earth dwellers. 2” In response, we remind ourselves of these three points:

Above all, the Lord’s return is imminent. Whatever the theories or speculations, we could be with Him at any time and our sojourn upon earth completed. We would have no more chance to set things right … to shed our idolatries and worldliness. The Bema Seat lies ahead.

Secondly, certainty about the specific time of future events in this present dispensation has not been given to man. We can know the general season and such things as the destination point of the path upon which the world is traveling, but we are not given the hour or the day. This means that even though we may theorize that another global economic cycle may be underway at some point and that the final “big financial meltdown” need wait until the Tribulation, these give no assurances of anything near-term.

With respect to the world’s headlong rush into the “last days super-religion” — the merging of God and Mammon — we can be sure of its occurrence. The world is on a path to destruction … morally, economically and spiritually. We have the more sure word of prophecy on this point. On this road, there are serious, scary financial tremors (also wars, pestilences, earthquakes … etc.) through which many people (greedy, naïve or otherwise) will suffer or profit greatly.

This brings us to the third and final point. Deception and corruption remain the mode of the world’s developing systems. The successive economic booms of the world … the temptations of the rising endtime apparition of great wealth or the “deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22) … the greater material comforts or the “worries of this life” … the “anxieties of life” (Luke 21:34) … the ever ensnaring end-time money trap … they all play upon the affections of Christians. Who then can sustain



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the actions of policymakers and central banks around the globe. They are fighting the current financial crisis tooth and nail, using every possible trick of financial alchemy in their toolkit. As this takes place, the seeds for the next financial boom are being laid … the next stage of globalization and world deception. Should the Lord tarry, at least one more inflationary world boom will begin, though there is no telling how soon this might occur. Near the peak of one of these booms (if not the next one) may be the time when “as ye think not” (Matthew 24:44) that the Lord may come ... when people are “eating, drinking, marrying” (Luke 17:27). Of course, we must not speculate on the exact timing as we are told three times that we are not to know the “day nor the hour” (Mark 13:32; Matthew 24:36; 25:13). However, it is also true that the Lord’s appearance will not be in the midst of a world-spanning crisis. It is the Antichrist and the False Prophet that are likely to seek their advantage during that time.

More Globalization Ahead?

If past trends are any guide, we should expect the next economic boom to be world scale, enveloping the entirety of all nations; ever more firmly entrenching mankind in the last-day money snare — the systemic Babylonian colossus of Bible prophecy. It could be argued that over 60% of the world’s population are yet only marginal participants in the world’s emerging commercial structure. While there have been great strides to date in this respect, much more globalization could lie ahead.

But before anyone might get elated about this prospect, let’s ground our perspective in a Dispensationalist, pre-Tribulational view. This is an important discussion, as there are many Christians today who take delight in the belief that they will not suffer in any troubles of the Tribulation period … particularly financial losses. Why? Because their hearts and affections are entirely ensnared in materialism and greed right now. Doing so,



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Revelation 17-18 was to include a global, commercial “system,” though it indeed may eventually find its centre in a specific city. He clearly sees the picture of the ephah shown in Zechariah 5:5-11 as being related to endtime commercial Babylon. (In previous articles, we reviewed this vision, but more importantly, also its companion vision — Zechariah’s sixth — which shows a flying scroll. The interpretation of this vision is crucial in understanding the Babylon Occlusion.)

Neither the system, nor the yet future city, existed in in the day of his writing (1840s). He says “that this system is not as yet developed, so that we must not expect at present to be able fully and accurately to trace its details […].”

Yet, reading scripture, he could see that the day would arrive where the enjoining of Mammon would almost be universally accepted as the sure “road to peace” and the basis for world union and power. Rather than Christ guiding “our feet in a straight line into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79) the common interests of money and prosperity are seen as the glue and catalyst for world peace and unity. However, the exact opposite would result — tyranny and an insurrection against God.

Christ’s first coming was not at all about peace. Rather he said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) Truth and the kingdom of God (in the hearts of believers during the dispensation) would bring turmoil into the world. Only Christ himself, in the role of Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), brings peace in the Millennium.

Christian Blindness

Sadly, much of today’s Church has swallowed the lie that enduring peace among men can only be found in the bowels of Mammon — particularly those branches of Christendom that endorse Replacement Theology (the Church being substituted



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for Israel) and aspects of Dominion Theology (which is dominating political circles today), but not exclusively so. Even much of North America’s pre-Millennial, evangelical community suffers from this Babylonian occlusion. We think our riches and power in the world (also evangelical political power) is a useful tool for God to disseminate faith in the world. We spout and shout judgment, a particular form of righteousness, and sanctified destiny, replete and comfortable from the bowels of the most materialistic societies in the world.

What exactly is this occlusion? It is an optical one for the most part (not to say that it does not have spiritual dimensions also). Living inside the systemic Babylon now suffusing the world and living in its present hot spots (certainly including North America) — the time of Babylon the Great, the great city, the global village of commercial religion — they (we) cannot see. The sliver has become so large, it has become a log. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

They (we) cannot see clearly for several reasons. The most crucial one is that our point of reference has become the world, not the Bible. The world enjoins us, shouting that the “future is friendly, 2” that peace is attainable through the eradication of poverty (meaning equality and wealth for all), that the objective of a prosperous heaven on earth is found in religious and commercial Babylon.

A second reason is that the same smugness and confidence found in ancient Babylon is evident today. "Sit in silence, go into darkness, Daughter of the Babylonians; […] You said, Ì will continue forever— the eternal queen!' But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen.” "Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, Ì am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.' Both of these will overtake



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Consider this perspective: If one believes that the current financial meltdown is the very start of “the” global financial and economic bust, then you may have missed the Rapture. The simple point here is that were we now witnessing the final financial meltdown — which is to occur in the Tribulation Period — by definition, the Rapture would already have occurred. That is not the case (at least, at the time of this writing). Of course, saying this does not at all deny the imminency of the Rapture, a doctrine we consider as inviolable. The fact that we are even considering this question should quicken our hopes to the promise of His coming very soon!

The Antichrist needs an integrated, functioning, global financial system to carry out his agenda. Otherwise, how would it be possible for the False Prophet to implement the controlled conditions of “buying and selling” (Revelation 13:7)? Therefore, what is being postulated here is that the final world-spanning financial crisis cannot occur until well into the Tribulation period — probably not until its mid-point. Before that time (and today), smaller financial crises will occur, but these will all be survivable and play a necessary role in prodding further global commercial and monetary convergence. In that context, the present financial tremors should be considered smaller in scope.

As it happens, the direct impact of the credit system breakdowns of late are largely confined to the Western nations. That is not to say that there will not be reverberations around the world. Yet, once this period has passed, some countries will emerge much weakened, and others will be in a more powerful position. (Likely, the United States will have lost some strength and authority). However, the key thing to see is that world will have moved to a more centralized, globally-coordinated state. What we are witnessing today is simply part of the pattern of that long-continuing process.

The great financial fears (as in the Y2K saga) now hasten



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before its time. It is a perspective that also applied to the Y2K hysteria which swept the world in the late 1990s (including, we might note, various pulpits and ministries).

To recall, the Y2K mania ended up being more of a psychological crisis than an unsolvable technical problem. Some intrepid observers early on defused concerns about Y2K with the simple deduction that computer technologies were essential to global interconnectedness and therefore were absolutely necessary to bring about a number of conditions that were clearly prophesied in Scripture. (See Dave Hunt’s book Y2K: A Reasoned Response to Mass Hysteria1.)

As such, it was a reasonable conclusion that the world would not succumb to a Y2K-type holocaust before the prophesied Antichrist could complete his program. And while we cannot know the exact time that any crisis occurs, we at least know that these play out on a global scale inside the 7-year tribulation period (and therefore after the Rapture — the harpazo).

To illustrate the role of fear being a motivating driver in this situation, in the 1990s I was managing a large global investment operation and needed to plan for the Y2K issue in various parts of the world. It was actually comforting to witness the high levels of concern at the time. Why? It ensured motivation and action to solve what was really a simple technological problem.

The same consideration applies to the world’s developing financial system and the current crisis. It is fear that now hastens the actions and interventions of policymakers around the world. In the case of the United States, there already have been new and unprecedented responses to current financial troubles. It is likely that as a result, more governmental controls will be introduced. This also stands to be true on a global scale.

Rapture Comes First



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you in a moment, on a single day.” (Isaiah 47:5, 7-9) While this prophecy did have a near-term fulfillment, it also speaks of a yet future event.

Isaiah’s words line up with Revelation 18:7, which describes the “great city” of Babylon: “Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, Ì sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.'” Given these characteristics of pride and complacency, they (we) are blind to the reality of true riches and the world’s extreme vulnerability to the judgment and wrath of God.

A third reason why we may not be able to see the greater, systemic, endtime Babylon today is because we may have misconceived notions. Some prophecy commentators today hold the view that Babylon the Great of Revelation 18 is only a city – in other words, a physical place. Indeed, there indeed may be a city considered to be its centre. But, in fact, endtime Babylon the Great is never called a city in the Bible. To be technically correct, the “economic” Babylon of Revelation 18 is always called the “great city” — in fact, six times in the Book of Revelation. It is never called a “city,” only a “great city.” This is significant.

In the Greek, the word combination “great city” is found only 10 times in the New Testament— 6 times for economic Babylon, 3 times for religious Babylon and once for the New Jerusalem. Each of its uses leaves open the interpretation that that “great city” means something bigger than just a common city — perhaps a system, organization, or a unique structure. In former times, a city was the closest thing there was to an organized economic entity. In fact, ancient Greek had no word for “system” or “organization” as we understand the terms today. We are hard pressed to find words or word combinations anywhere in the Bible that explicitly refer to the idea of a system. We do find word combinations in the Old Testament that refer to globalism, but not a specific word that means “system.”



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As such, Babylon the Great is not necessarily only a physical city. Rather, it seems more plausible that it is also a system, in this case the economic trade and financial system dominated by the present or future high-income countries of the world, if not the entire world.

The great global commercial system or “city” exists today. A similar concept is still imbedded in the English language today … the global village. This global economic village has erupted upon the world over a very short period of time.

The End of Babylon

We live during a great, great time of deception and corruption. Many can’t see it. A great trap is being laid for the people of the world.

Many Christians are in that number, particularly those who live in the prosperous West. We have also been duped into believing that, in the end, it is Mammon that will bring peace to the world, not Christ.

There is one thing that all prophecy scholars must agree upon. Babylon — whatever its type or identity — clearly comes to an end. In one hour it falls and is judged. The final form of Babylon does not carry through into the Millennium. The great commercial colossus and its imbedded religious idolatries are ended. But what does that really mean?

The answer will be a shock to most readers. Virtually all of us are inclined to view Bible prophecy through the conditions seen around us in our day — the same mistake the Jews made 2000 years ago. We are living in this brief space of time marking the great ascendancy of man’s global systems. It is the unprecedented time of the great industrial age of rising wealth and prosperity (though largely an illusion for the majority of the world’s citizens); the Age of Oil; and the Age of Global Capital. It



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some parts of the world. But, it is not at all conclusive that the financial end is at hand nor does it spell certain doom for the majority of the world’s population.

While there surely are real troubles for many households in North America, we must take a global view and not forget that there is a world financial system today that is much bigger than just America. To be sure, this system is thoroughly compromised — a post-modern, relativistic, amoral net that is in the service of the Mammon spirit. It is specifically designed to deceive and entrap. Frankly, it is surprising how few Christians are wise to this reality.

The Endtime Agenda of Money Not Ended

Bible readers who understand things of the end (eschatology) know that an economic and financial control structure takes form (Revelation 13:17); a boom in (false) wealth takes place (James 5:3); and an elite group of wealthy complicitors emerges (Daniel 11:39); even as a greater part of humanity become entrapped slaves. All these processes, though perhaps not yet complete, are clearly observable today. Much worse manifestations occur in the Tribulation itself.

Consider that the global trend of financialization is the bedrock — the very seedbed — of the endtime power structure that underpins the last-day ecumenicism and rulership of the final False Prophet and Antichrist, respectively. The trends of globalization, globalism, financialization, corporatization … etc. — all of which are related — provide the sinew and connectedness of a last-day world that has staked its hopes and faith upon the common commercialism of mankind. (See the book, Endtime Money Snare: How to live free for an in-depth review of the role of these trends.)

All of which serves to make this point: None of these outcomes can happen if the world’s financial system collapses



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events ricocheting around the world are surely part of the process that will eventually culminate in that prophesied time when the world will suffer many troubles. But for now, if anything, current financial down-turns represent little more than another station stop on the road to a thoroughly globalized world and a launch point for the next world-wide economic boom (should the Lord tarry, of course).

We will next put this perspective into the context of a pre-tribulational, pre-millennial view. It points to the heavy challenges that presently face Christians who wish to set their minds and hearts “…on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:3).

Projecting Upon the World

Presently, grim news and dour economic data are spewing out in North America as well as in other countries around the world. According to various analysts, perhaps over 1.5 million US households this year may default on their mortgages and perhaps lose their homes. As many as 10% of all US households are now upside down (meaning the house is now valued less than the outstanding mortgage) with much worse to come.

The US economy at large, according to some economists, is fated for a long recession. US and other international financial institutions are likely to face losses mounting to as high as $2.7 trillion before the current credit fiasco is papered over. And, the US dollar was again plumbing new lows against the euro … surely to crash much farther, so everyone thinks … even while the price of commodities such as gold, oil and foodstuffs surged. Not surprisingly, there are reports of food riots around the world.

To be sure, the world is currently facing a financial crisis that is most certainly the worst since the 1930s. This should not be a surprise to any common-sense observer. It indeed is a real possibility that a financial meltdown may yet get much worse in



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is a time of great arrogance, smugness and confidence. Mankind thinks that its progress will endure forever and that these great global phenomena of the last two hundred years are permanent.

The Age of Oil, the Age of Global Capital, and Globalism will pass and be replaced. Technology will have its pedestal moved as well. It all seems so unthinkable to us at this late great point of history today. It is here that we find the major occlusion in our eyes. It is a form of blindness and confidence apart from God. And, that is precisely why it is so easy for us as Christians to say “Ì am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'” (Revelation 3:17) as does the church of Laodicea. The same blindness applied to Sodom and Gomorrah just prior to their judgment — “[…] pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness” (Ezekiel 16:49-50).

In fact, Bible prophecy about the Millennium does confirm significant changes for the world and mankind.

Thoughts to Ponder

The great Babylon Occlusion: Can you see it? I believe we live during the day that Zechariah and the Revelator saw … at least with respect to the systemic Babylonian conditions. And, this system has culminated in deep idolatry and is not unassociated with religion, even modern-day Christianity. Said John Wesley two centuries ago, “I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore, I do not see how it is possible … for any revival of true religion to continue long. For religion, almost necessarily, produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches. But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches.” 3

We need to regain our sight to this fact. For, “How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You



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hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:4-5)

Without a doubt, the massive commercial idolatry that the world would witness in the last days is evil. Zechariah tell us that this system “is the iniquity of the people throughout the land." (Zechariah 5:6) In short, "This is wickedness." (verse 8) “This is the iniquity […].” (Ezekiel 16:49)

Now is the time to repent of the rose colored glasses through which we peer at our condition today. Christ specifically calls out to us, even as He stands at the door of His imminent return. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:19-20)

Is there a price? We can take the example from Moses. “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” (Heb.11:25-27)

NOTES

1. B.W. Newton, Thoughts on the Apocalypse, 1843. Source: The Coming Day, Volume 2, The Babylonian System Revelation 17 & 18. Accessed: December 23, 2006 http://www.searchlight-missions.org/Periodicals/ComingDayIssues.cfm.

2. Advertising slogan of Telus Inc., a communications company.

3. John Wesley, quoted in Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (New York; HarperCollins Academic, 1992), 175.



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T ough economic and financial times have again hit Western economies — most notably the United States. Securities markets are reeling, financial companies have been falling like flies, and almost

everyone — from bankers to government policymakers — has been panicked and fearful. Is it Financial Armageddon, the start of the big bust that pitches the entire world into the final economic crisis? For some, the current times might even evoke the emotions of Luke 21:26, “Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

Is it Financial Armageddon? We have had this query put to us several times, and not just from Christians. It is a hazardous question, and not just because it is difficult to make financial forecasts. This matter involves doctrine. Therefore, we need to tread carefully. But, we admit our bias: No, the world is likely not yet witnessing the final Financial Armageddon. Recent financial

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Based on the article: Babylon Occlusion Here and Now: Can you see it? Eternal Value Review, April 2008, Issue2, Volume 10.


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rejected than accepted. “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body” (2 Corinthians 4:11).

Take courage, Christ is coming quickly with his reward. "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” (Revelation 22:12) For, soon it will be time for “rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great” (Revelations 11:18).

Based on the article: Final Offer: Endtime Rewards Program, Midnight Cal Magazine, May 2008.


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final identities. However, there are at least two things that we can know with surety.

We know the fate of these elites and also everyone else in the world that does not acknowledge Him, the true God and Savior. Just as was decreed to Nebuchadnezzar, “Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes" (Daniel 4:32). Seven times means seven years in the typical Aramaic usage. At the end of the Great Tribulation, “every knee” of those remaining shall bow and worship Him, the Lamb that was slain.

We also know the identities and fate of those who do not acknowledge the Antichrist. They are the ones who instead acknowledge the Risen Savior. However, while this refers to those who became believers in the Tribulation, on this side of the rapture, they are those that struggle against the “spirit of the antichrist.” Christ’s promise remains in force: "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

What then is our reward … and the price? Certainly not the promise of something so mundane and temporal as the “land” promised to the elites; in other words, material wealth, position and power in the world. Said Christ, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12).

No, the Saints are the ones that the world will hate, as the world also hated Christ. Said Jesus, “[…] you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matthew 24:9). As Apostle Paul experienced, the Saints are more likely to be troubled than coddled, perplexed than self-reliant, persecuted than befriended,



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T he Bible is full of prophecies about the endtime conditions of people’s pocketbooks … yes, the financial and economic conditions of our day. Scripture clearly speaks of a last day globalization of

the world’s economies, its systems, and the related temptations it poses for believers. An Endtime Tyre emerges, this time in a global form of massive commercial dimensions. Satan himself, the fallen angel, is the architect of this development. Crucially, after its rapid rise, Endtime Tyre will come to a sorry end. But when will this happen? Just who or what is this last-day Tyre? What should faithful Christians do? We will attempt to answer these questions.

The Prophetic Type of Tyre

First, a little background on ancient Tyre. It was a Phoenician trading port on the shores of the Mediterranean, north of Israel. At its prime, (700 to 600 BC) it was the most powerful and prosperous sea-trading nation of its time with prominent colonies

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in Cypress and around the Mediterranean. An extensive account of its enormous economic clout is given in Ezekiel 26:1-21. It was an extremely rich nation —“By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth,” Ezekiel tells us. (Ezekiel 27:5) They were the masters of trade … in fact, dishonest trade, according to Ezekiel 12:19. Associated with Sidon, another Phoenician city in the Levant, outposts of its trading empire included Carthage and Tarshish (believed to be on the coast of modern-day Spain). In 332 BC, already reduced to an island city, Tyre was finally and permanently destroyed by Alexander the Great, fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecies — she would become a bare rock, a place to spread fishnets. (Ezekiel 26:5, 14)

The Biblical accounts of Tyre are very important. There are more prophecies in the Bible about Tyre and its two sister cities, Sidon and Tarshish, than any other nations excepting Judah and Israel. Tyre is mentioned prophetically more than Babylon, Egypt and Assyria, even Rome or the revived Roman Empire. There are 21 prophecies. Jesus Christ and 7 prophets—Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Joel, Amos and Zechariah—made prophetic statements about Tyre. Ezekiel himself recorded a total of 8 prophecies against Tyre and its related sister city-states.

There must be a reason for this strong emphasis. As we will yet see, many of these prophecies also carry a future fulfillment. It could be that as many as 10 of these prophecies (more certainly, seven) have endtime implications. They speak against the confidence and materialism of all the nations of the world … the Western World, even North America. Clearly, Tyre is presented as an archetype of all nations that put their faith in their economic might and false gods. The fact that the spirit behind the trading nation of Tyre is Satan himself is made clear in this prophecy:

"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre



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companies may find their roots a few hundred years ago, their global power has only really developed over the past half century or so. Could 10 MNCs emerge sometime in the future that are large enough to master the world?

It is possible. In fact, today, of the top 100 hundred economic entities in the world, roughly half are made up of countries, the other half by MNCs. The heads of these companies, though they are answerable to boards of directors, nevertheless are very influential. These firms can employ hundreds of thousands of employees—more than the population of many countries. Some secular analysts do foresee the day where a small group of such commercial polyglots will indeed dominate the world economy.

Each of these forms and structures will have a human head at its top. All of them will likely be pursuing a reward of some type. Yet, having taken this brief survey (hardly exhaustive) we still cannot identify the identity of the elites that Daniel mentions without any degree of certainty. This shouldn’t be disappointing. It causes us to keep watching; to not be taken unawares; and to remain open to new information. The world’s power structures do keep shifting. Though “[…] we have the word of the prophets made more certain” (2 Peter 1:19), at the same time we must also realize that our Enemy is cunning and a supreme master of deception.

The only wise and sure conclusion is that we must keep our options open—keeping ourselves oriented to the Scriptures; watching and waiting for our Lord’s return, so as to not be distracted nor caught sleeping.

Thoughts to Ponder

We have pondered the question of who will be the final group of elites who are in complicity with the Antichrist, as well as the nature of their reward. We have no certain answers as to their



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popular interpretation, it remains unproven. The Bible simply does not provide us with a conclusive identity of the 10 nations. Daniel 9:26, which, on the one hand, is an extremely important verse in the apologetics of Bible prophecy, does not provide an ironclad connection to the European Union of today. (For a more in-depth examination of the 10 kings, please see the Midnight Call issues October to December 2006.)

However, could new types of power structures other than sovereign countries emerge that could also have heads like kings? If so, we could then pose some additional candidates:

2. Financial System Powers. There are a number of possibilities in this arena. Some prophecy analysts have theorized that the heads of various financial entities (such as banks) could quality as the 10 kings. Or could it be 10 regional central banks, coordinated under the Bank of International Settlements (BIS)? To date, most all central banks are coordinating their activities through the BIS. In fact, the Club of Rome some time ago conceptually divided the world into 10 financial regions.

Certainly, financial conglomerates are becoming ever larger and financial systems ever more invasive. It is these large companies that are behind the explosion in financial markets (as of end 2007, valued at $760 trillion or 15 times the size of the world economy), accounting for an increasing share in world income, levels of indebtedness and economic control. Today, the largest 50 financial corporations in the world represent well over one-third of total world banking assets.

3. Corporations. Multi-national firms (MNCs) today, as a group, are probably the most influential economic force in the world. And, as money is power in this age, they may also be the most powerful viewed as a group. Though these



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and say to him: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; […] You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. […] All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.” (Ezekiel 28:12-19)

These verses leave no doubt as to the nature of the spirit behind the ancient rise of Tyre, the same that was behind the rise of Babylon. Bible prophecy tells us that this spirit of Tyre would again rise in the endtimes. Its equivalent New Testament parallel is found in Revelation 18, the great global commercial colossus that is associated with Babylon the Great.

But before delving into the specific prophecies referring to this last-day development, to find out what will happen to the Endtime Tyre of our day we first need to take a small excursion into the symbolism of trees. Yes, trees.

Prophetic Trees

The Bible speaks to us prophetically not only literally, but often also through prophetic type and symbols. While we should always seek to interpret all scripture literally, many aspects of “the things to come” explained or foreshadowed in both the Old



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and New Testaments are portrayed in symbolic language. As is often said, the best interpreter of the Bible is scripture itself, as God’s Word is internally consistent. So it is with symbols.

Reviewing prophetic scripture, we repeatedly see elements and events portrayed in the form of the same symbols — for example, mountains, hills, seas, trees and vines, to name some. To illustrate, it is broadly agreed that mountains refer to kingdoms and powers, and the seas to all humanity of the world. When mountains are threshed (Isaiah 41:15) or laid low (Isaiah 40:4) it is nations that are being dethroned from power.

Trees play a particularly strong role in this type of imagery, portraying at least three main meanings throughout the entirety of scripture. Genesis 2:9 lays out a key for three categories of meanings.

And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

Here we see three completely different realms portrayed by trees: 1. the natural tree, those “that were pleasing to the eye for and good for food”; 2. the “tree of life”, and; 3. the “tree of knowledge.” The first speaks of the physical or material dimension; the second of God’s spiritual plan of eternal life and redemption — the kingdom of heaven; and the third speaks of the absolutes of the eternal existence of the “I Am.” All of these three types appear repeatedly throughout the entire Bible. For example, we see that Tree of Life mentioned repeatedly from the book of Genesis through to the Revelation. The phrase “tree of life” appears in the last few verses of the Bible, Revelation 23:14 and 19. However, for our purpose of discovering the Bible’s message of Endtime Tyre, we want to focus on the symbolism of



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people, politicians, great humanitarians, or Christian masqueraders … even so-called “angels of light.”

We are given at least a few criteria with which to identify who these elites might be at that future date. In the first instance, they must be humans. Also, they must be capable of being rulers, already likely possessing some measure of power and authority. And, they must be willing worldly complicitors.

Although these events play out during the future Tribulation period (and therefore really do not concern us), is it already possible today to discern the power structures that these elites might command? Although we cannot be definitive by the light of conditions today, we can certainly propose some candidates — whatever the form they may actually take. In addition to the newly emerging SWFs, we outline three more:

1. The 10 Kings. The Bible makes extensive mention of the 10 kings that will give their power and authority to the Antichrist (Revelation 17:12). This group indeed could fittingly represent these elites mentioned in Daniel 11. The Bible provides us with at least 13 sets of characteristics or markers of these 10 persons. The strict literal meaning of the word king (whether in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek) is a human male that is head of a nation, tribe or people. Of the more than 2,500 appearances of this word in the Bible, only with one exception is it conclusively used in any other way than as referring to a male head. That applies to God, who was also manifest in the flesh. The word “prince” is instead almost always used to describe potentates of spiritual realms.

However, it remains true even at this late date that we cannot yet identify these10 kings. There are a number of theories, the most prevalent of which is that these 10 kings will all come from a revived Roman Empire, of which the European Union of today is the predecessor. While this is a very plausible and



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that certain key people who recognize him and accept his authority will receive a reward — land. It should be noted that the original Aramaic word used for “land” in this verse can also convey the idea of property or economic domain as well as geographic area. After all, in ancient times, land was the main foundation of wealth and economy.

It only follows that this must be a small, elite group of people who likely are already influential in their own right. Why? They will be made rulers over many. As not everyone can be made a ruler over many, therefore these will be few. Not only is this logical, but the Bible also specifically tell us what the reward will be for everybody else … in other words, all the rest of the masses that acknowledge and worship the Antichrist. They will not be killed (a negative reward) and be allowed to “buy or sell.’ He causes, “[…] all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell” (Revelation 13:15-16).

The elites, on the other hand—whoever they are—are bought off for their loyalty with further reward … the additional pay-off of power or economic domain, we reason. It is the same or similar deal that Satan offered Christ when he was being tested in the wilderness, promising “[…] authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours" (Luke 4:6-7).

But why did the devil think it worthwhile to specifically test Christ in such a colossal way? Obviously, it would have been great gain for him were he successful. Here was motive and incentive. We may therefore take some license and deduce that there will be a similar motive behind the Antichrist’s endtime reward systems. The elites selected for reward must have something to barter in return … likely their fame or endorsement. And, it wouldn’t be surprising then if these were highly revered



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the natural, earthly trees. There are both general and specific meanings.

Symbolism of the Trees of the Earth

Before going further, may it be mentioned that it is a tree that we have used for the logo of The Mulberry Ministry — a rose in the mulberry tree. It depicts Christ’s message (“the rose of Sharon”, Song of Songs 2:1) in the midst of an endtime boom of materialism and globalization. Down through history, the mulberry tree has been commonly used as a symbol for trade and commerce. It provided fruit, wood and silk. In fact, even today, China’s Ministry of Trade and Commerce uses the mulberry tree for its logo. An interesting connection is the banyan tree, which is a relative of the mulberry tree named for the Arab word meaning “trader.”

It’s this type of meaning of the tree that is most often depicted in the Bible, portraying the wealth and commercial power of nations and humankind. In modern terms, we call this economic might. We see the tree spoken of in this way many times throughout the Bible. For example, Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon is depicted this way in Daniel 4 (a key prophecy we will yet examine for its endtime implications). Assyria, at the apex of its might is also likened to a tree.

"`Who can be compared with you in majesty? Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. All the birds of the air nested in its boughs, all the beasts of the field gave birth under its



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branches; all the great nations lived in its shade.” (Ezekiel 31:2-6)

Lebanon is typified as a tree. “See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One”. (Isaiah 10:33-34) Egypt is chopped down like a forest of trees (Jeremiah 46:23) and its Pharaoh is likened to the description of Assyria in Ezekiel 31, “`This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign LORD.'"(verse 18) The earthly economies of Lebanon (Isaiah 14:8), Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon are all described metaphorically as big trees. Each were economic powerhouses at one point … perhaps like Japan in the 1980s, the United States today. At one time or another, all of them were prosperous, economic giants — big, tall trees. Each of the specific prophecies relating to these nations spoke of these big trees being cut or fallen down.

Even today, trees are associated with a prospering and fruitful land. If a country denudes its forests without replacing them, we recognize that this nation is being impoverished. When we hear of the rain forests of South America being decimated, that some countries in Africa are rapidly becoming treeless, we perceive a declining economic vitality. Any country razed of its trees is considered an economic wasteland.

Continuing with the symbolism of trees, the Bible basically makes two differentiations: tall and short; fruit bearing and non-fruited. The big tall trees — the cedar of Lebanon, for example — were not of the fruit-bearing type. Only the small ones were. “Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.” (Haggai 2:19) Four small trees are listed here, and each are also mentioned elsewhere in scripture in the same context. Their fruit is always unto God or from God, referring to the



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no surprise.

Consider that back in 1971, 41% of the world’s energy was supplied by oil. What is the reliance today? Despite several supply crises since that time, it is 40% … virtually unchanged. The 12 country members of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) still account for 40% of the world’s oil production and 70% of its reserves. Almost 4 decades have passed, and this cozy arrangement with respect to OPEC, the Middle East and oil remains.

Due to the high oil price, money continues to gush into these countries. In 2008, a surplus of $300 billion is estimated for the Gulf states alone—Kuwait, Qatar, Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, which, incidentally, account for nearly half of the world’s SWF assets. Now we understand why the SWFs of Muslim countries have lately emerged as such influential actors on the world stage.

But, what to make of these shifts in the various power structures in the world? While we cannot predict their specific roles, they assuredly are part of last-day, geo-political power struggles.

Endtime Power Strategies

Consider this verse, “He […] will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.” (Daniel 11:39, NIV) This verse is excerpted from a section that describes the actions of the final world ruler. We see here that elites of some kind, will receive considerable reward for their complicity in supporting the agendas of the final incarnate “spirit of the antichrist” himself.

Who are the ones that receive honor from the Antichrist? The answer — those that will acknowledge him. Virtually all English Bible translations use the word “acknowledge.” It means here



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unlikely both for geopolitical and religious reasons. It wasn’t more than a few years ago that there was an uproar in America when China wanted to buy Unocal (an American petroleum company). At the time, a WSJ/NBC poll showed that only 15% of Americans favoured letting China buy Unocal and only 31% would allow Arab countries to invest in the US at all.

Yet, how is it that Shar’ia observing nations are the source of money that is supporting Western-based financial systems? Supposedly, these operate on principles that are the very antithesis of the teachings of Islam. It is all very confusing. What is behind all these power shifts?

One thing is for certain, the incentives of money and power seem to be behind these changes. According to the Bible, it is precisely these elements that play a role in the emergence of the world’s final power structure. However, before we further explore these dynamics, a brief overview of the Islamic connection and the emergence of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWFs) is timely.

What Oils the Situation?

Although they have also existed for some time, it is only lately that Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have come into prominence and influence. They seem to be popping up all over the place, recently Russia and Saudi Arabia announcing the formation of several new ones. What are they? They are country-sponsored investment companies that are growing rapidly. According to one estimate, they are expected to quintuple in size over the next 10 years, controlling a total of as much as $15 trillion.

China and a number of Middle Eastern countries control the largest of the SWFs. But where is all the money coming from? It is estimated that two-thirds of all SWF assets were derived from oil and gas export revenues. That high oil prices should be swelling the treasuries of these countries (also Russia) should be



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worship of Him or the advance of the Kingdom of God. The big tall trees on the other hand — representing erected human pomp and the peaks of human achievement without God— bore no worthy fruit, but only provided temporary shade to the beasts of the earth and perches for the fowls of the air. God knocks them down, instead choosing the lowly. The shorter trees were the favored trees, often presenting God or Christ. For example, Christ said he was the vine (John 15:1) — a lowly bush — and God appeared to Moses as a burning shrub, not a big tall tree.

Now with this understanding of the symbolism of trees, some of the opaque prophetic scriptures will begin to open up. For example, "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (Revelation 7:3) In other words, do not harm humanity or its livelihood (economies) until the seal is put upon the foreheads of the 144,000 witnesses. Again, the symbol of a tree is similarly used in Revelation 13: 7: “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up […]” In symbolic language, here we learn that a third of the world’s productive capacity, both natural and that of man, is destroyed at this time. What we see portrayed in this verse is the immense and intense suffering and economic collapses that occur during the Great Tribulation.

The Symbol of Nebuchadnezzar’s Tree

Though feeling contented and prosperous, the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a rough night’s sleep. He recounts to Daniel how he was tormented by a dream:

“These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its



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leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: `Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'” (Daniel 4:10-17)

Nebuchadnezzar was perplexed and troubled by this dream. He asked Daniel to interpret it. Daniel’s thoughts as he understood this vision terrified him. It was full of meaning — both literally and symbolically.

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream certainly carried a literal interpretation. After all, he did become deranged and lived like a wild animal for seven years. Once he recognized that God is the ultimate ruler — the One that determines the rise and fall of all earthly kingdoms — his sanity returned and his honor, splendor and position were restored. But not all of the vision was carried out either literally or symbolically. The imagery of him being a tree, its fruit scattered wide, branches being stripped, and the animals fleeing did not happen either symbolically or literally. During the time of his insanity, the existing power and prosperity



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A n unsettling spectre has been playing out globally in recent years. As has already been observable for some time, a geo-political power shift has been underway. In terms of economic clout, Asia and the

Middle East have been in ascendancy, rapidly moving into position as world creditors, as well as becoming leaders in world trade. During this same period, the European Union has formed itself into a political counterweight to the United States. Various so-called non-aligned nations such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela have found opportunity to effectively hector the established world power axis at its fringes. If this were not confusing enough, other types of influence and power have been emerging to notable effect.

For example, as American and other global financial institutions have recently again fallen into crises—as they seem to do every 20 years or so—it has been Middle Eastern and Asian money that has come to the rescue. This seemed so

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David by causing Jehosheba to hide away Joash. As such, he can be seen as a symbol of the last-day Church. It is persecuted by humanism and materialism — the works of man. Only a small number survives as the true Church.

The prophet Micah, who alerted us to the wiles and deceptions of the Statutes of Omri has the last word. “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:2) If we practice these statutes, God will be faithful. May we be found among the last-day believing remnant.

NOTES

1. George Friedman, Strafor, Iraq: New Strategies, May 17, 2004.

Adapted from the article: Omri: The Merger King. Midnight Call Magazine, August 2004



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of Babylon continued. Therefore, this vision like the one he received earlier of a tall image with a head of gold (Daniel 2) also can be interpreted to have a future application. As the tall image of the statue symbolized four earthly kingdoms reigning from that time forward, so Nebuchadnezzar’s tall tree also can be seen to foreshadow the continuing thread of man’s earthly worship of materialistic pomp an earthly kingdoms.

The ancient history of Babylon sheds some revealing light on this connection. Even before Nebuchadnezzar’s day (commonly referred to as neo-Babylon) we discover the very seed bed of the principles behind today’s worldwide commercial and financial systems in the Ancient Babylon of a thousand years earlier. As far as is known, Babylonians were clever financiers and notorious traders. They were the original inventors of money as a means of exchange, promissory notes (the legal concept of loan obligations), kept extensive accounting records and written titles to property. They used these principles to build great wealth. Their economic system was seen as a tree that could reach to the very sky… to heights without limit.

It is then perhaps not surprising that one of the most popular investment books of all time draws heavily from this connection to Babylon. Written by George S. Clason, it is fittingly called The Richest Man in Babylon. It explains the sure principles that will lead to great wealth for those that “wish to enter the temple of wealth.” Quoting further from the book: “Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed. The first copper you save is the seed from which your tree of wealth shall grow. The sooner you plant that seed the sooner shall the tree grow. And the more faithfully you nourish and water that tree with consistent savings, the sooner may you bask in contentment beneath its shade.1” Wealth is portrayed as an infinite realm to those that put their ultimate desire into its acquisition. “Wealth grows in magic ways. No man can prophesy the limit of it,” says the ancient Babylonian



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sages portrayed in Clason’s book. 2 Though it provides some sensible advice, it is not difficult to see the occultic emphasis of the power and magic of earthly riches. Amazingly, this book is today on the current “top-10 seller” list in the business category, though it was written way back in 1926.

Babylon and Tyre One and the Same

"Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:29) Nebuchadnezzar said this as he viewed the peak of splendor of his kingdom from his illustrious balcony. No sooner had he said this than God struck him down immediately with a mental illness. The King of Tyre betrayed the same self-reliant attitude. “Ìn the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." (Ezekiel 28:2) We see here that the spirit behind Babylon is the same as behind the commercial colossus of Tyre. (Ezekiel 28:12-19) We also see this spirit run rampant across the last-day world in Revelation 18 where it speaks of Babylon the Great in commercial terms. It is infused with the same attitude: “I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.'’ (Revelation 18:7)

Tyre was infused by dishonesty reflecting the spiritual rulership of Satan. Speaking of him, Ezekiel says, “By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries.” (Ezekiel 28:18) “Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.” (Ezekiel 28:16) Babylon the Great in Revelation 18 is also described as having become a home for evil. “She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.” (Revelation 18:2) The world is drunk with this system’s luxuries and is self-reliant. Destruction will be sudden and swift when it comes. “Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the Great.” (Revelation 2:2) Her doom comes in one hour.



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of a “king’s life” (Isaiah 23:15) and also represents the completeness of a dynasty or legacy. Jacob had 70 members of his household that went to Egypt (Genesis 46:2, Exodus 1:5) and Gideon had 70 sons that were eradicated by Abimelech (Judges 9:56) More examples could be cited. The conclusion is that our present world order of “seventy kings” today will also come to a similar end at Armageddon by the sword of the mouth of the Lord.

Another result of Omri’s dynasty was that even the House of Judah, who at least produced more than a few kings that walked with God, was infected with its treacheries. Omri’s granddaughter, Athaliah, married Jehoram, king of Judah. He and his son with Athaliah, Ahaziah, were among the few kings of Judah that “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Kings 8:18, 27) She nearly succeeded in cutting off the very line of David that was prophesied to produce the Messiah. She had proceeded to kill the entire royal family of Judah. Had Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, not hid Joash for six years (another “six”, meaning until the threat of the works of man had sufficiently diminished) this Satanic purging of this royal line by the House of Omri would have succeeded. At the time, Joash was the last living member of the lineage of David.

Ecumenicism is occurring. Church and state, Mammon and the Kingdom of God are all merging … being blurred into one negotiable mass. We can see that all these streams are morphing into a single power structure of the Last Days. Revelation 17 and 18 provides a colorful description of this process, describing it as the Great Prostitute, mother of all harlotries and abominations. These chapters show a picture of a mutually reinforcing alliance of religion, political globalism and economy.

We return to our question at the outset. Can a remnant of the true Church be preserved? God preserved the royal line of



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Says Stratfor, an influential, non-partisan commentator upon political and global affairs,

“The essential point is that the invasion of Iraq … should have had no interest — in the internal governance of Iraq. This is the critical point on which the mission became complex […] Over time, this evolved to a new mission: the creation of democracy in Iraq.[…] The idea that the United States would be able to effectively preside over this society, shepherding it to democracy, was difficult to conceive even in the best of circumstances.”1

Democracy is a benevolent system if the majority of people are moral and God-fearing. Apart from those conditions, it provides no sinecure. Other organizations working with governments are intent upon also introducing ‘”free-market” capitalism and Westernized financial markets to Iraq. While these systems can have their good uses, what is troubling is that their imposition is being widely supported by leading Christians as righteous, scripturally-endorsed solutions for the good of these countries. Systems, like machines, can be used for both good and bad purposes. But, they need no scriptural imperatives. The Church need only preach and spread the gospel of He who alone is the author of all that is good. On this basis, we see that the various supposed representatives of the Church have erred in their increasing fraternity with state, other religions, and materialism. We see that even the evangelical church is in cahoots with the “gospel of Mammon” openly endorsing the imposition of this materialistic religion by force upon other nations.

What they are doing is promoting the “Statutes of Omri.”

Thoughts to Ponder

What was the final result of the statutes of the House of Omri? All 70 of his offspring were put to death. Seventy is the number



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Here is an alignment between the pronouncement in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a tall tree. When his judgment came, scripture says he was struck down “immediately.” The stump of the great tree was bound with bronze and iron, to be again restored after seven years. We see a strong parallel to the seven year judgment and wrath of God represented by the Great Tribulation. Following this period, once restored and cleansed after every knee has bowed and Jesus Christ is recognized by all the world as the Messiah, the stump of the tree bound in bronze and iron is restored. It then represents the godly existence of man upon earth in the Millennial period. Other prophecies give some indication of what it will be like to live during this time which I will not deal with here. Importantly, Isaiah 23:18 says speaking of Tyre after her spirit reappears on the world stage, “Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothes.” Here we see that all profits and earnings during this time will be set apart for the Lord. There will be no need or temptation to hoard and true prosperity will reign.

The wicked, demonic spirit behind Tyre returns to the world scene in the last days. “She [Tyre] will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.” (Isaiah 23: 17) It is the manifestation of the same tree of Nebuchadnezzar, a continuation of the same evil spirit that has always existed in the worldly affairs of mankind.

Does Endtime Tyre and the commercial colossus of Babylon the Great already exist today? In my view, yes. Though we cannot know its exact time of judgment nor how perverse it may yet become, it has clearly emerged. It has erupted upon the world in a very short space of time … not much more than two hundred years. Any economic historian would agree that a rapid phenomenon has gripped the world since the late 1700s or so.



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A vast commercial colossus now spans the entire earth, the very essence of its driving force being the worship of earthly wealth. Seen in terms of its underlying motivations and spirit, it is deeply corrupt and violent — based on deceitful trading. While some people will wince at that statement, it can be factually proven.

The account of Babylon the Great in Revelation — the future manifestation of Endtime Tyre — may sound out of date, talking about some commodities like myrrh and frankincense that are hardly the staple of today’s global trade. That may be true. However, these and 25 other commodities mentioned (including iron, bronze and wood) all are still in use today. It is hardly likely that Apostle John would have specifically mentioned cargoes of computer chips or television sets. He also mentions that trade was carried in ships. In this day of speedy trucks and intercontinental airplanes, you may be surprised to learn that sea trade (marine shipping) is still by far the most prominent form of the transportation of goods in the world today. They remain the very backbone of the world’s trading system. Well over 90% of all global goods trade is still carried in the hull of ocean-going ships.

Today, world trade continues to boom, growing much faster than the world’s underlying economies. In recent years, primarily because China and other Asian countries have begun an accelerated rise to world economic power, world shipping fleets are overwhelmed. New orders for ships — not airplanes or trucks — are booming. The pictures provided in Revelation 18 are hardly out of date. When that day of Babylon the Great’s judgment comes, indeed, "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off,” (Revelation 18:17) as they watch its destruction. "`Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!’” (verse 19)

Points to Ponder Part



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was no other human option available or His pronouncements through his prophets were in alignment with his wants. National prestige, strategic foreign policy, dialogue and arrangements of convenience were the rule of the day. The statutes of God were either bent or discarded.

We shouldn’t be surprised to learn that all of the statutes, practices and traditions of the House of Omri are playing out across the globe today in high form. They are today endorsed as sophisticated doctrines of foreign affairs and conferences of men. Everything is merging — countries, economies and religions — within and all together. The test of their efficacies is measured in terms of prosperity, wealth and economic power.

Current Day Picture of Merged Christianity

To illustrate how the merging of religions and foreign policy is occurring in our time, we can take a brief glimpse at what is occurring in Iraq. In a sense, the occupation of Iraq is merely the latest outgrowth of this fellowship of religion, government and economy. Yes, Islamist terrorists may be attacking the interests of America and therefore this nation is entitled to defend itself. But the Iraqi occupation has become much more than a defense operation. Somewhere along the way it turned into a “religious” campaign, perhaps even an economic one. They find alliance with the spreading of the doctrines of the “spirit of capitalism”, democracy, and Mammonism. Worst of all, many of these devices and statues have been widely endorsed by many church leaders. Most Muslims recognize these measures for what they are — the “values” of the supposed Christian West. Actually, these “values” are being imposed rather than proposed, reflecting an attitude not much different that of the Crusaders of the Middle Ages or the Caliphate of Saladin, who’s armies converted nations to Islam at the end of a sword. Specifically, even secular intelligence agencies have recognized the idealism that has been driving the campaigns in Iraq (also Afghanistan).



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Just what was the nature of the statutes of Omri? Consider these facts about him and his descendants:

Omri was the sixth king of Israel. He ruled from Tirzah 6 years and another 6 years from the city of Samaria. He is recorded of doing or performing exactly 6 things. His name is mentioned exactly 12 times in the historical accounts of the kings of Israel and Judah (1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles (2 times 6)). He reigned for 12 years (2 times 6). His dynasty lasted 48 years (6 times 4 times 2).

The number six is the number of man as God created him on the sixth day. However, the prevalence of this number with Omri doesn’t stop here. Ahab, his son, whose name means “his father’s brother” did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all the kings of Israel before him — more than six kings combined. (1 Kings 16:33) He represents the very epitome of the works of man, as we have reviewed. Ahab is recorded taking 48 actions (6 times 4 times 2), eight times more than his father. Moreover, after Omri’s dynasty ended, the House of Israel continued to walk in his statutes for another 120 years (6 times 20) until Samaria fell to the Assyrians. It just was prior to that time that Micah gave his prophecy that was quoted earlier from Micah 6:16. Amazingly, the prophecy indicting Omri’s statutes was the sixth of the seven he spoke.

Could all these sixes and multiples of six be a coincidence? Perhaps. However, I take this pattern to be significant as every “jot and tittle” of scripture (Matthew 5:18) is important and to be studied.

Clearly, Omri’s statues, the practices of Ahab, and their traditions are those of man. The measures and tests of their policies were “materialism” and “humanism.” Any religion was something to barter with … to tolerate, to accommodate. On the other hand, the God of Jacob was only consulted when there



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The tree provides important symbolism in the Bible. The greatest of these is the Tree of Life … our eternal inheritance if we are found within Him. Yet from Genesis to Revelation we see the account of an epic stand-off — the tall spiraling trees of man, lofty, self-attributed and self-assured warring against this Tree of Life. Speaking of Christ and his fruit, the prophet Jeremiah writes of this conspiracy, "Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them […].” (Jeremiah 11:19-20) The erected, idolatrous tree of humanity wanted no part of this Tree of Life. Jesus Christ was cut off.

Mankind, unbowed by frequent discipline and warnings, has relentlessly returned to raising up a tall tree bearing deceptive materialistic fruit, temporal security and death. Repeatedly forgotten were the admonishments of God and the message that all fruit (material and spiritual) comes from Him: He is the one that raises up tall trees. So says Ezekiel, “All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. (Ezekiel 17:24)

Though mankind may strive to build its trees to the very heavens — Nebuchadnezzar’s tall tree throughout pre-millennial history and also seen through the King of Tyre — it will finally will be judged and bound up. Just before, this earthly system will be tightly intertwined with an apostate world church. State, money and religion will be in league together. (See Revelation 17 and 18) The Great Tribulation, lasting seven years, will pronounce its judgment. But when will this happen?

We can consider the trees in the Bible where the destinies for each are foreshadowed. For example, when the fig tree begins to push out green leaves bearing fruit, it tells us of the time for



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Israel … that it is beginning to prosper… that summer lies ahead. "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:29-31) Therefore, when we see the tree begin to shake and tremor and the leaves begin to turn brown and drop, winter is around the corner.

We can certainly see that the world has begun to shake and tremor. Financial markets are manic and volatile. The world’s economic and trading systems groan with imbalances and high risks. It is not unreasonable to conclude that the time of judgment cannot be far off. The Day of the Lord is ever nearer!

While signs such as those are to our benefit, our focus is elsewhere. We have a better tree to look forward to, though at the outset it may look insignificant beside the splendor of Nebuchadnezzar’s earthly tree. Jesus mentions it in Matthew 23:31-21. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

NOTES

1. The Richest Man in Babylon, George S. Clason, 1926, Pages 14-15.

2. Ibid, Page 19.

Based on the articles: 1. The Rise and Fall of Endtime Tyre, January 2004, Midnight Call Magazine; and, 2.The Fall of Endtime Tyre , February 2004, Midnight Call Magazine



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Ahab was intolerant in only one respect: He opposed anyone that confronted him with correction or anyone that burst his bubble of humanistic optimism. Therefore, he hated Elijah and Micaiah, prophets of God. He accused them of pessimism, declaring that they never had anything good to say about him. It didn’t matter that they spoke truth and eternal consequences.

There are many more characteristics of the House of Omri that we could examine. Suffice it to conclude that Omri and his descendants were worldly rulers. Their policies were motivated by peace and prosperity. They pursued these goals in any way they thought best. Spiritual matters, purity of faith, the truth and imperatives of God’s word did not figure in the formation of their policies and statutes. Reviewing the character of all of his actions (48 of which are recorded in scripture) the list is long. Interpreting Ahab’s practices, we can include: tolerance, indulgence, craftiness, politicization, self-centeredness, expropriation, optimism about the works of man, laissez faire policies, opportunism, ruling by consensus and worldly consultation … and the list could go on. As mentioned, he would be a successful global statesman today in the halls of the United Nations or around the conference tables of NATO or any other number of global policy and transnational organizations.

The House of Omri practiced the exact reverse of all of the godly kings of Judah. The latter feared God first, generally walking without compromise in the ways of David. Everything else — peace and prosperity, for example — were added unto them as a consequence. These were not the initial motivations of their obedience to God. As scripture counsels, ”But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, said virtually the same thing to Ahab, “First seek the counsel of Lord.” (1 Kings 22:15)

The Statutes of Man



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of cunning foreign affairs. He entered a strategic alliance with Ethbaal, King of Tyre, by marrying his daughter, Jezebel. By the standards of today’s global politicians, this was a brilliant maneuver. In effect, he joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in order to secure a favorable trade status with this rich, world trading empire of the Phoenicians. The spiritual and religious implications were not regarded, however. Materialism was of primary importance; economic security his aim. Material prosperity was linked with issues of human rights and morality. These issues played second fiddle to the uppermost goals of prosperity and indulgence. After finally defeating Ben-Haddad, this Syrian king won clemency from Ahab by allowing Israel to set-up shop in the marketplaces of Damascus. Again, we see a materialistic mind-set ruling his policies. Through an unnamed prophet, God rebuked Ahab for allowing Ben-Haddad to live.

Apparently, indulgence was another practice of Ahab. He built a beautiful palace inlaid with ivory (1 Kings 22:39) and loved the good life, so much so that he even allowed Naboth’s vineyard to be expropriated just so that he could have a private garden.

As a result of his union with Jezebel, massive paganism engulfed Israel. Jezebel introduced the worship of Baal to Israel. As part of the alliance, King Ahab even built a temple to Baal in Samaria for his wife. In time, her lobbying for “freedom of worship” ended up as a massive campaign against God and the persecution of his prophets. She killed off any prophet that she could find. Apparently, this was acceptable to Ahab. No mention is made otherwise. Had he protested, he may have offended his foreign counterparts and perhaps jeopardized the status of his foreign emissaries abroad. His was a policy of tolerance. Any belief or value system was allowed … in fact, was even sanctioned by his regime. Scripture records that Baal worship, Ashtoreth and the gods of the Amorites (1 Kings 22:25) were given rightful footing in the land.



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“ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day's wages,

and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’" (Revelation 6:6, NIV) This is the pronouncement at the time that the third seal is opened during the future Tribulation period.

Described here is rampant food inflation. Following the first two seals which introduce the white and red horses—these signifying the consecutive stages of a globalized peace and prosperity and war and strife—comes this picture of soaring prices for the two agricultural products of wheat and barley.

It is a timely topic to explore if for no other reason than the world again appears to be on the verge of a period of major food inflation. This may not be overly obvious to North Americans just yet, however, the precursors to this global development can

Rising Food Prices and the Black Horse of the Apocalypse

Chapter 3


Chapter 3: Rising Food Prices and the Black Horse of the Apocalypse

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hardly be ignored. Basic food prices in North America have surely surged of late. For example, raw milk futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have risen 80% over the past year. Wheat prices have doubled from a year ago, while corn prices have more than doubled since the start of 2006. Similar price spikes can be observed across a wide range of agricultural products. Other countries are experiencing even higher surges. In China, pork prices are triple that of a year ago, and in Russia most food items tracked by the Statistics Committee (Rosstat) rose 30% in one month (August 2007).

Granted, these current day events may not be any more significant than other similar occurrences of virulent food inflation in world history. Yet, all the same, the unprecedented global trends being witnessed today do beckon the question: Could this vision in Revelation 6 be connected with developments already evident on the world scene today? We’ll seek to answer this question.

Wheat and Barley

In the pursuit of an answer, let’s first delve into the interpretation of the prophecy found in Revelation 6:6. Here we see that a “quart” of wheat costs the equivalent of a day’s wage—denarion” in the original Greek—as does 3 quarts of barley.

Actually, quite a few Bible translations obscure the meaning of this prophecy as they employ unhelpful interpretations for the Greek word “denarion.” This refers to the denarius which was the most common Roman coin in earlier New Testament times. Though this currency had experienced some minor inflation by the time that Apostle John recorded the Book of Revelation, as best as we can tell it was still considered the equivalent of a laborer’s daily wage. The Bible itself confirms this. Earlier, in Matthew 20:2, we read of a vineyard owner who “[…] agreed to



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have followed their traditions.” (Micah 6:16) Micah disapproved of three things: Omri’s statutes, Ahab’s practices, and their traditions. Other Bible translations refer to 1. statutes (KJV, NIV and most others); 2. works (KJV, NASB), and; 3. devices (NASB) or counsels (AMP). Just what were these statutes, practices and traditions?

Scripture provides some indication, especially as we study the reign of Ahab. But first a brief history about Omri. He became King of Israel following the murder of King Elah by Zimri, a fellow army captain who had usurped the throne. Omri, backed by popular public opinion, overthrew Zimri, ending his reign after only seven days. After he consolidated his position as undisputed king, he reigned 12 years. Apparently, he died quite early. His wife, Jezebel, outlived him for quite some time — by at least 22 years, until the time that her son King Joram was killed by Jehu. Shortly thereafter she died as a result of being thrown out of an upper-story window. She would likely have already been in her mid-sixties by this time … but apparently, not too young to paint her face.

Scripture has more to say about Ahab and his sons. We can learn the ways of the House of Omri by observing what they did. Actually, we will learn that Ahab’s practices and devices would nominate him today has one of the most masterful of global statesmen.

The Techniques of the House of Omri

The Bible reveals much of Ahab’s’ reign, the most powerful of Omri’s descendants. He was a master politician and crafty in foreign affairs. He knew how to swing the consensus of public opinion in his favor. He influenced, cajoled and manipulated the elders of his inner council, false prophets and other foreign rulers to his ends. He knew how to play his opponents. The account of how he dealt with Ben-Haddad, the Syrian king, is a masterpiece



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merger activity mentioned — all driven by a quest for influence and prosperity — has geared up to hyper-speed in our time. The price? Compromise, rampant deceit, increasing economic danger, and the abandonment of the Truth.

What will be the outcome for the world? Will a remnant of a faithful Church be preserved? The Bible tells of a similar era — that of Omri, King of Israel and his dynasty. Among God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob, he was the King of Mergers. It is illuminating to study the practices of this man and his descendant kings, Ahab, Ahaziah and Joram. Omri’s dynasty provides key lessons that speak to our endtime world.

The Omri Dynasty

King Omri was one of the most influential kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. It would be difficult to discern this from the Bible alone without careful study. As only 13 verses (1 Kings 16:16-28) recount the history of this man, it would be easy to overlook his significance. Unusually, no direct mention is even made of his reign in the books of Chronicles, apart from referring to his son, Ahab, and grandsons Ahaziah and Joram. The only Biblical indication we get of the repute of his legacy is found in Micah 6:16. Though Omri was only king over Israel for approximately 12 years, his reputation and systems endured for generations. In fact, so much so, that Israel for many years after his reign was known as “mat bit-Humri” (The House of Omri) by the Assyrians and the Edomites. His son Ahab carried on his practices and “did evil” in the sight of the Lord as did his sons Ahaziah and then Joram. (1 Kings 16:25, 33, 1 Kings 22:25, 52, 2 Kings 3:2)

The Prophet Micah prophesied against the worship centres of Israel and Judah —Samaria and Jerusalem, respectively. Specifically, he accused them saying, “You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab's house, and you



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pay them a denarius for the day” to work for him.

Just how expensive are these grain prices? Here we can make some calculations that will provide a perspective relative to the living standards of our day.

Let’s begin with wages. The average annual income in the world today (in US terms) is estimated at $7,439 (a figure including both high- and low-income countries). Assuming a 5-day work week, that would amount to $33 per work day.1 Were the “black horse” to appear today, just how much would it cost to buy either one quart of wheat or three of barley? As a rough estimate, about 150 times higher than the price of unprocessed grain today.

Next, let’s turn our attention to the food adequacy of this amount of grain. How long would that much grain sustain a person? In the original Greek, the term interpreted as a “quart” is the ancient dry-goods measure, the “choinix.” This measure, though sources are somewhat imprecise on its size, is probably equivalent to 1.2 dry quarts or 1.3 liters.

Therefore, assuming that the average household in the world today would have approximately 1 worker per a household of 3.5 people (which indeed is representative of the average household size worldwide), then could one measure of wheat or three quarts of barley sustain a household of this size? Barely. Both wheat and barley have approximately the same caloric content (about 90 calories per ounce). And, as there are roughly 40 ounces in one “choinix,” one day’s wages could acquire at maximum 3600 calories of wheat or 10,800 calories of barley. However, let’s not forget that there are more days in a week than there are workdays. Making that adjustment, that would allow only 2750 calories of wheat per day, for example.

According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) the average person in the world today consumes a little



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over 2700 calories per day. For illustration, assuming that humankind maintains this same level of consumption, it appears that 100% of a laborer’s daily wages and more would be required to supply a household with sufficient food at that prophesied time. Even in this case, a family could only eat barley—the coarser grain—and not wheat. Barley was considered the poor man’s flour in Old Testament times. It was more difficult to process because of its hard husk and didn’t have quite the same favorable baking properties as wheat. Today, barley is the most important feed for livestock.

Having made these comparisons to conditions of our day, we can well understand why the voice in Revelation 6:6 said “… do not damage the oil and the wine!” These items would surely be high-priced foods during that time. Also, this may explain why meat is not mentioned. Meat is much more expensive than grain. After all, some livestock—for example poultry and cattle—are grain-fed, requiring as much as three and more pounds of grain to produce a pound of meat.

Next and finally, we focus in on another strange feature of this prophecy. Wheat during that time is three times as expensive as barley. Today, if you were to transact on the Winnipeg commodity exchange, wheat and barley prices would be broadly similar—about $200 per metric tonne. Why then will wheat prices soar to 3 times that of barley at the time of the third seal? Again, we can only speculate. Barley usually yields about 50% more in bushel terms per acre than wheat. However, it is also a hardier cereal grain that can grow under more diverse conditions than wheat. Perhaps growing conditions at that future time will favor barley. We will explore some other possibilities.

Reasons for Food Inflation

Why will the affordability of food decline at the time of the black horse? There may be any possible number of causes.



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W e live in an age of mega-mergers — a fraternization frenzy at every level. Across the globe, large corporations have been swallowing each other up like fish, becoming ever larger

and far-reaching. In geo-political circles, the forces of globalism and globalization are driving world-wide union. We see countries entering into various alliances as they join and expand organizations such as NATO, the World Trade Organization and many other associations too numerous to mention. They are all mergers of convenience and opportunity, driven by motives of power, peace and prosperity. Not a single appeal is made to the statues of the God of the Bible.

Even more worrisome mergers are underway — namely, the increasing combining and mixing of church and state, Christianity and paganism (ecumenicism), and the bringing together of Mammon and the Kingdom of God by the Church. The past two columns have dealt with this latter development. All of the

Omri: The Merger King

Chapter 7


Chapter 6: Food Crisis and the Coming Anti-joseph

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Adapted from the article: World Trend Watch-Part XII: The Coming False-joseph. Midnight Call Magazine, March 2004



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Such details will remain speculative. However, we can certainly point to reasons why agricultural prices may be soaring today, although these may not be relevant at all to that future time.

For example, among the possible factors may be changing weather patterns, the impact of rising petroleum prices (agriculture uses a high amount of energy through transportation, fertilizer and pesticides) the rapid increase in the wealth of Asia (China particularly) and its related higher demand for more expensive foods such as meat, and more general supply/demand problems. It is a fact that the amount of arable land in the world continues to decline on a per-capita basis. Moreover, the days of high gains in agricultural crop yields through the use of fertilizers and pesticides seem to be over.

There could be yet other reasons unique to our time. Some financial market observers speculate that a huge speculative boom could occur in the prices of “things” (i.e. gold or any type of commodity) as people flee from plunging currencies. The world appears ripe for such a phenomenon. Certainly, countries around the world continue to debase their currencies and the world’s wealth skew may be more extreme today than ever before in history.

Also, some analysts today are predicting imminent disaster for world agriculture, arguing that the reckless development of genetically modified foods, the massive reduction of bio-diversity through the extinction of thousands of natural plant food varieties already witnessed over the past century, and the exhaustion of farmland through erosion and toxicity, makes for certain troubles in the future. These are all factors unique to our era … never having occurred before.

All in all, the modern world that man has made is assuredly ripe for disaster if not judgment.

Endtime Agricultural Conditions



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While all the above-mentioned trends and developments are surely relevant to our day, we are best to rely on the Bible for our explanations. Revelation 6:4 does indicate that a disruption of peace occurs just prior to the point that the black horse comes on the scene. At that prior time, “[…] another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.” The aftermath of widespread war on earth could certainly disrupt food prices.

What else does the Bible say about agricultural conditions during the last days? We know that food production will not be entirely mechanized in the last days, though presently it sure may seem to be headed into this direction. Jesus Christ said: “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” Here we see that in some parts of the world, at least, people will be processing food the old fashioned way—namely, with milling stones. Also, many of the catastrophes of the Tribulation period are sure to have an impact on agriculture (darkening skies, hail, poisoned waters….etc.) although these events may occur somewhat later.

Importantly, a prophecy of James sheds crucial light on the agricultural conditions of the last days. “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.“ (James 5:4-5, NIV) Here is indicated that agricultural conditions of the world are a key feature of a worldwide state of economic injustice in the last days. The “harvesters” and those that “mowed”—this latter word better translated as cutters and gatherers of crops, not lawn groomers—are oppressed and underpaid.

It is a condition that already exists today. The “rich” of the



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all, today, people are more interested in an economic savior than a spiritual one. Much of the world—certainly the societies in the Western World—have already forfeited their spiritual futures in their primary pursuit of earthly prosperity and happiness. Anyone who offers workable solutions to that end will be gladly received.

Were the people angry with Joseph when he enslaved them? Not at all. "‘You have saved our lives,’ they said. ‘May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh’" (Genesis 47:25). Here we see that they willing gave themselves up for bondage to the Pharaoh so that they might eat.

The entire world will do so again the Bible indicates. Only this time it will be in response to Anti-joseph. They will willingly allow themselves to become economically and financially enslaved to a diabolically-inspired person. Why? So that they might eat … that they may have economic security and hopes of a material quality of life.

This process is already long underway on a broader scale in the form of a world “globalization,” accelerating in leaps and bounds these past few decades. This phenomenon itself has virtually become a god of prosperity and is already advanced to the point where Anti-joseph could arise at any time. That day could be very near. Only the Lord tarries, the Church and the Paraclete first to be removed.

Notes

1. The Joseph Company, International House of Prayer. http://www.ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=23144. Accessed April 25, 2008.

2. If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Proverbs 25:21. Also see Matthew 25:34-46.



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last-day ruler is specifically also conjured up to be a false christ, the Antichrist. If you agree Joseph was a type of Christ, then wouldn’t it only follow that the Antichrist would also be an Anti-joseph? Whereas Joseph had a benevolent calling ordered by God to save physical lives, the Antichrist is a demonically-inspired person that seeks to physically entrap mankind for the purpose of destruction and his worship. Jesus Christ came to offer spiritual life for an eternity. The Antichrist comes to do the opposite.

Even if the three and one-half year period required by Joseph to enslave all of Egypt is an inappropriate parallel to the timeline of the first half of the Tribulation, the process of the enslavement of the people is highly significant. For the sake of bread, the people first gave up their money, then their livelihoods and professions, then their land and bodies and souls.

Points to Ponder

Today, many people are looking for a modern-day Joseph—an economic savior. They want to find solace in a comfortable life, low mortgage payments, a secure job, growing financial wealth, expanding export markets and an unfettered playing field for the globe’s burgeoning multinational corporations.

Globalization is the sure route to that outcome, say many leaders and politicians. It is the sure route to a “World free of poverty” (the slogan of the World Bank). However, we must freely participate with our hearts, land and factories to serve this global system, so that we might take part in the fruits of a world-wide economic order. So it may be. However, humanity risks falling captive to an Anti-joseph.

As the world looks to this system for sustenance, they become enslaved to its rulers and potentates. Eventually one man—the Antichrist—will arrive at its pinnacle of power to take control. And, most likely, he at first will appear as an Anti-joseph. After



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world (basically, almost everyone living in the Western, industrialized nations of the world today) are benefiting from the low wages of many agricultural laborers around the world. Many workers labor for pennies or a few dollars a day picking coffee beans or harvesting sugar cane, for example. In one way or another, all of the high-income nations subsidize their agricultural industries. While this is certainly supportive of farmers in those nations, it also has the side-effect of seriously disadvantaging laborers in lower-income countries that cannot afford similar subsidies yet are dependent upon exporting agricultural products.

Even independent farmers living in North America might be included in that number of harvesters “crying out” against wealthy interests as they increasingly become oppressed by large corporate “pharming” enterprises, the chemical companies who are buying up “patent rights” to living plants and marketing genetically-modified plants today …to mention just a few of their challenges.

A Global Condition

The conditions mentioned in Revelation 6:6 are worldwide in scope. The whole context of the revelation dealing with the four horsemen of the apocalypse, does indicate that the entirety of earth will be involved. In that context, it is crucial to recognize that agricultural products, such as barley and wheat, are staple commodities traded around the world today.

We now live in a world were almost all resources, minerals and agricultural products have been “commoditized.” That means that prices of such items are set on a worldwide basis—for the rich and poor countries alike. That’s one of the effects of the last-day globalization that has swept the world. Price trends of commodities affects the entire world today. It is a condition that has really only come about in the last 100 to 150 years. Yet, here



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we see that the prophecies of the Bible are in fact aligned with such a globalized, commoditized world.

Thoughts to Ponder

The prophecy of the black horse clearly outlines a time of severe economic troubles. For whatever reason—soaring food prices, collapsing wages or supply—keeping a family fed during that time will require 100% and more of a household’s income. For reference, consider that food costs for households in the high-income nations of the world are in the range of 10% of income, whereas it is not uncommon to be as high as 30-40% for households in lower-income countries such as China or Nigeria.

All in all, the conditions described in Revelation 6:6 will represent quite a change in diet and consumer conditions. Today, as much as 40% of the world’s food (in terms of caloric content) comes from meats and oils, not just cereal grains. One can imagine that mortgage payments and the Cable-TV bill will go unpaid. Such conditions seem unthinkable to our supposedly advanced world of today.

Of course, we can only speculate as to when that future day will arrive … when wheat prices will rise to three times that of barley. Yet, we can easily identify a number of developments in the world today that could plausibly lead to such conditions in the future, though “the faithful” will not be on earth to experience this “rider on the black horse.” We can surely recognize another “sign of the times” in relation to this prophecy. The kind of global conditions described here are only possible in our day and not before.

As we well know, Christ’s return for His own is signless. It may be the very next moment, or indeed perhaps yet decades and more in the future. Yet, all the same, we are implored to discern the general “season” of the last days.



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any longer than a one year period either. And, as already suggested, Joseph may not have bought the grain in the first place. Therefore, the seven years of plenty would not have produced a big cash horde in people’s pockets.

On this logic, we so far count no more than three years. One additional half year is accounted for by the fact that it would have required at least one crop cycle for people to run out of food. As the Nile basin at times could support two grain harvests each year, it would be logical to assume that people would only have had laid aside provisions for one half-year, long enough to last until the next harvest. In any case, Joseph’s massive gathering program of excess grain would have ensured that not much more would have been laid aside by private farmers. That suggests that six-months of drought would have first taken place before food shortages occurred.

If our postulations here are correct, we can conclude that it required a three and one-half year period to bring the entire world under the control of one system that was under the authority of one man. From that time on they were in bondage, required to pay a 20% tax on the output of their labors.

This first 3 1/2 year period of the 7-year famine (“the beginning of birth pains”- Mathew 24:8) can be seen to foreshadow the first half of the 7-year Tribulation. It is during this period that a great world ruler gains increasing power, the Antichrist. He first brings the world under his control in the name of peace and prosperity. Then, once he has much of the world in his grip, he tightens the noose and brings doom to the earth. Later yet, starts the Great Tribulation, the second three and one-half years (also known as Jacob’s trouble – Jeremiah 30:7).

Is the alignment between Joseph and the Antichrist a coincidence … perhaps even a sacrilege of the beautiful story of Joseph? Not any more than is the recognition that this diabolical



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Yes, Joseph saved many lives by storing up grain during the seven good years. That was good. But were his specific techniques ordered by God? He may have even gathered all the excess grain in the land by decree. No mention is made of him buying the surplus grain, though it specifically states that he later sold it. Scripture simply says that he gathered it. In fact, the text strongly suggests that he did not buy the grain, stating that the stockpiles eventually became so large that he was no longer able to keep an account of their size (Genesis 41:49). Had he purchased the grain with money from the Pharaoh’s treasury, this problem would likely not have occurred. We can be reasonably sure that the Pharaoh would have required an accounting of how his money was being spent.

Whatever the case, whether or not policies of confiscation were pursued, in the end all the people of the land ended up in complete servitude. It doesn’t appear so much a work of mercy, when it becomes clear that the whole saga turned out to be a giant opportunity for the secular Pharaoh to gain power and wealth at the expense of those in need.

An Endtime Trap Foreshadowed

How long did it take for the entire known world to come under economic bondage to the Pharaoh? Scripture suggests possibly three and one half years. Three one year periods appear to be indicated, two of them mentioned specifically. Livestock was used in payment for one year of grain supply (Genesis 47:17). Another year was survived by giving up ownership of land. (verse 18) Before these two years, Joseph had already taken all the money in the land (verses 13-15). For several reasons we could conclude that this period could not have taken any longer than one year. As most wealth was represented by livestock and land in that day, physical money did not play as significant a role in the livelihoods of people. If only one year’s grain was purchased with livestock, then their money would certainly not have lasted



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It would not be too speculative to say that that season is now here. After all, a landed Israel is again on the scene. Moreover, as ordinary observers, we can certainly see processes and developments underway in the world today that can and will intersect with the future literal fulfillment of many of the prophecies recorded in the Bible.

“See, I have told you ahead of time.” (Matthew 24:25) "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” (Matthew 24:32)

Notes:

1. World Bank, Development Indicators, 2005.

Based on the article: Food Inflation and the Black Horse of the Apocalypse. Eternal Value Review, February 2008, Issue1, Volume 10.


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In time, because the famine was so severe, Scripture tells us that Joseph collected all the money that was found in Egypt and Canaan. No doubt, he deposited the funds in Pharaoh’s coffers. He took every last penny in return for grain so that people might eat and be saved from the famine. What was the result? Now, the entire monetary system of that time was under his control.

Once all the monetary savings of the people had been used up, they then faced a cash-crunch. The famine continued yet they had no grain and no money. What to do next? They begged Joseph to give them food. What did Joseph do in response? He next took control of the nation’s industry. He demanded their livestock. “So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock” (Genesis 47:17).

Now Joseph was in control of a large part of the capital stock of Egypt. For Pharaoh he now had secured the ownership of the land-based transportation system (donkeys and horses) and the productive capacity of factories … in other words, livestock. After all, in an agrarian society as existed during that time, livestock represented assets that generated food and a large part of household income. Now that Joseph had control of the key “factories” he could also now sell the outputs of milk and meat, as well as transportation services.

However, the takeover by the state didn’t stop there. The famine continued. People needed more grain and they became desperate. “Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh,” they now said. (verse 19) So Joseph did exactly that. He completely reduced the people to servitude and all the land—from one end of Egypt to the other—became the property of the state and under the control of one man.



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great man of God like all the others from Abraham to King David can be seen to have bequeathed lessons to mankind that are very relevant for our day.

A closer examination of his life reveals that the results of his actions were not entirely virtuous. While it is true that he served to save many lives, his mission was not performed entirely in the spirit of a merciful rescue operation. In the end, he instituted an oppressive system of control over the people of Egypt. Egyptians had to virtually sell their souls and freedoms to gain access to food. With the exception of a few—mainly Egyptian priests, the immediate family of Joseph and probably other high-ranking elites—the entire land of Egypt came under the direct ownership of Pharaoh.

It is instructive to review how this all happened. When the famine first spread over the whole country, “Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians” (Genesis 41: 56). Notice that he did not donate the grain to needy people, but instead required payment. Think of it. People were starving and he asked for money. Few Christian aid organizations today would think that they are fulfilling Christ’s command to “feed the poor”2 if they were profiting from their ministries. Another aspect to notice is that “… all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.” (verse 57) Here in the first book of the Bible we find the very roots of modern-day “globalization.” The whole world converged together for reasons of “bread.” Egypt had become the world commercial center and its grain became the common currency. Pharaoh came to this position of controlling the entire world by dispensing the means of economic sustenance. Here we see that the incentive of gaining “bread” had been harnessed by one centralized system … even one man. This same process is sweeping the entire world today under the guise of “globalization”—the promise of bread for the entire world.”



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W hen it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and

others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market." His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." (John 2: 13- 16)

All four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark Luke and John) mention Jesus chasing out the moneychangers from the temple’s outer court. There is some debate among scholars that Jesus might actually have done this twice. The accounts vary in their detail. For instance, John records this event as one of the first of Christ’s ministry as he came to celebrate the Passover. The other three gospels appear to suggest that this occurred much

Money Changers in the Temple: Then and Now

Chapter 4


Chapter 4: Money Changers in the Temple: Then and Now

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later. Therefore, the gospels may be describing two different events. In any case, we know that Jesus intervened in the money changing and commercial mania on the temple mount. In His zeal for His Father’s house, Jesus chased them out, violently overturning their money tables.

Almost two thousand years later, at another important prophetic fulcrum in history – the final period before Christ’s second coming – this time we find the entire world possessed by a zeal for money changing. Actually, it is quite incredible. Commerce and finance have thoroughly captured the heart of society, becoming the very essence of human existence. As we will show, at the precise time that the world’s focus should be “looking up, for our redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28) most of mankind has been caught up in an accelerating orgy of money changing and speculation.

While many readers may sense a rising preoccupation with activities of buying, selling, and gain in our society, few will likely know the full extent of this rising mania. The overcoming Christian, living a life of great gain — in other words, in an attitude of “godliness with contentment” (so says 1 Timothy 6:6) — may therefore not even be aware of the raging spiritual forces working in the domain of greed and gain. However, the evidence that money changing and speculation has become a massive business in the world today is everywhere … in fact, overwhelmingly and alarmingly so.

An Explosion in Exchange

Trading, exchanging, selling and buying of existing possessions have virtually exploded in recent years — both in North America and around the world. The exchanging we are identifying here does not involve new goods that are the output of current production, but rather things or assets that are already owned … i.e. homes, antiques, baseball cards, stocks and



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anointed nor that there is any such special anointing today. There surely are people who are “double-gifted” in business just as there are talented violinists.

Also, the story of Joseph is often used by those who wish to legitimize their quest for riches or claim a basis for a Spirit-led ability to profitably forecast financial markets and economic trends. If anything, the story of Joseph counsels the exact opposite as we will see. What also may not be immediately obvious, is that there are many levels of prophetic foreshadowing to be found in this account, not to mention endtime warnings for Christians living today. We will only scratch the surface of these possible meanings here. There is little harm in availing ourselves of the interpretive modes of both “remez” (prophetic hints) and “midrash” (parallels and allegories), so long as we do not obviate or revise any literal plain meanings of the entirety of Scripture.

In fact, doing so, we see that the account of Joseph found in the first book of the Bible actually foreshadows the great dangers of an economic enslavement of the world in the last days—what is today the growing result of globalization. (What is globalization? It is the present-day process bringing about a world-controlling, materialistic structure under the common incentives of prosperity and gain.) It makes for a very interesting and surprising perspective.

Joseph: The Picture of an Economic Savior

Many see Joseph as an Old Testament picture of Christ. He suffered so that he might be able to save his family in Egypt; to go ahead and prepare a place for them. Much is also made of the fact that Joseph is the only character in the entire Bible besides Christ of which no character flaw or sin is explicitly mentioned. While this is true, Joseph was a sinner like every other human being. The only difference is that his sins and misdeeds are a little more hidden. In fact, through his errors, this



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entire kingdom of the Pharaoh and was commissioned to prepare the nation for a coming seven-year famine. He ended up being an economic potentate. The entire commercial structure of the known world at that time, as well as almost all the land in Egypt came under the control of this one man.

Thankfully, Joseph was a godly person and his actions led to the saved lives of perhaps millions of people. Yet, the Bible remains silent on its judgment of his techniques. However, it is evident to any reader that the consequences of his actions were not entirely ideal. The entire ownership structure of the land of Egypt was changed virtually overnight from private ownership to vassalage. Also, as a result of Joseph’s policies, a system of onerous taxation resulted that is “still in force to today” (Genesis 47:26).

Just imagine what would happen if this type of power were given to a diabolical person?

A Sometime Misinterpreted Story

The Bible story of Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, is a popular favorite. Not only does it celebrate the ultimate blessings that accrued to a righteous man, the story also shows how God can miraculously enter into the seemingly unfortunate occurrences of our lives and ultimately work them out for good (Romans 8:28). Yet, it may also be true that some aspects of Joseph’s life have been sometimes misinterpreted. For one, more than a few twist this Biblical account as a proof reference for the existence of modern day Josephs.

For example, an organization called the Joseph Company exists today whose mission involves people who they claim have the “anointing of Joseph. People who have been prepared by God to be to our generation as Joseph was to his, with focus on preservation of life and the awareness of God-ordained transfers of wealth and power.1” The Bible does not say that Joseph was



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bonds. Not surprisingly, these trends have accelerated most in high-income countries such as the United States and Canada. Why is this happening? Of what is this a symptom?

Consider some of these statistics which reveal the rising idolatry people have with things and possessions. They reveal an epidemic … a runaway plunge into greed and gain. But a word of explanation for those who are uncomfortable with numbers. Yes, some of the figures we will quote may seem incomprehensible and hard to understand. But, rather than focusing on the absolute figures, concentrate instead on the rate of changes involved. To better gauge these trends, we will compare them to growth of the population or the average income for Americans. These will be statistics to which most people should be better able to relate.

• In recent years, people have been captivated by rising housing prices, buying and selling homes as never before. Soaring housing prices can be intoxicating; falling prices sobering. Where in 1990, Americans bought and sold 2.8 million homes, in 2004 they were flipping existing homes more than two times as fast at an annual pace of 6.2 million (the pace rising even further to September 2005). As such, now more than 5% of all homes change hands every year, up from only 3% or so 15 years ago, another period where housing prices were strong. All these figures do not take into account new home sales, which have more than tripled also during this same time span. (For comparison sake, existing home sales have increased at a pace 13 times faster than US population growth during this period!)

• Even more stupendously, the value of housing transactions has vaulted into the stratosphere. Between 1991 and 2004 the annual value of homes purchased



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virtually quadrupled from $517 billion per annum to $2.04 trillion. In 2005, this figure may approach $2.5 trillion. (That is an increase in the rate of home transaction values of more than 7.4 times the growth of income of the average American over that period!)

• Between 1994 and 2004, the value of stock market trading for the whole world has risen by 3.6 times from $11.5 trillion to more than $42 trillion per year. Those figures are so large, they’re really not comprehensible. It may help to gain some perspective by realizing that this value is equivalent to more than the world’s entire combined annual income. Share trading has actually become an entertainment activity. The first time this writer was exposed to a similar phenomenon was in the early 1990s on a trip to Taiwan. There it was observed that major brokerage houses would set up amphitheatres with bleachers so that customers could watch the trading screens.

• Crucially, since 1997, ownership of all the stocks on world equity markets has changed hands more than once each and every year. That is high. Why is it necessary that ownership should change so frequently? Only two decades ago, the ownership for only a fifth of the global stock market would change hands each year. Here we see how frenetic this activity has become, rising almost four times in intensity. Why is ownership of shares being traded so ferociously? Obviously, there are many more people intent on quick profits and gain.

• Closer to home, we see the same agitated activity in the mutual fund industry. The majority of American households hold some of these as investments. On average, in 2003, US stock funds changed their entire



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“ The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. When all Egypt

began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph and do what he tells you’” (Genesis 41: 53-55).

It is heart-rending to learn what people in unfortunate circumstances will sometimes do to quell the pangs of hunger. In a desperate response to food shortages, they may riot and steal as is being witnessed in various countries around the world in recent times. In the story of Joseph, we see that people were prepared to do everything that he said in order to avoid starvation. Put in such a situation, acts of desperation to avoid immediate tragedy are understandable.

Such was the case in Egypt almost 4,000 years ago when Joseph reigned as vice-regent. He had been put in charge of the

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portfolio (buying and selling everything they own) once every nine and one half months, the fastest ever recorded. Why the urgency? Only 25 years ago, fund portfolio turnover averaged just 30%. Evidently, the business of making gains for mutual fund holders has become a hyperactive game.

• Corporations are buying and selling each other in a frenzy. Although these activities can be quite cyclical — booms and busts occurring every so many years — mergers and divestitures are again booming to new all time highs. Take-over deals and acquisitions are running at an annual pace of $1.7 trillion (another unimaginably high number) in the past year to the end of September 15. Despite the fact that very few of these mergers are ever successful, corporate captains love to build ever bigger and more world-sweeping businesses. Certainly, “the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) is at full force in this arena. One category of mergers and acquisitions — international, cross-border deals — has multiplied many times since 1987, jumping from $87 billion to $1,143 billion in the year 2000, up 13 times in that period. Since then, these activities have waned somewhat, but as mentioned, recently are again heading for new records. (During that earlier cycle, the pace of corporate activity was 7 times as fast as the average US personal income in current dollars.)

• US gaming revenues (a nicer word for gambling, which among other activities include casino betting and lotteries) continues to soar. Between 1990 and the end of 2003, gaming revenues worldwide rose from $24.7 billion to $72.8 billion. (Almost twice as fast as average income!) Keep in mind that these figures do not measure the actual money wagered, which is approximately 10



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times the amount spent (money actually lost) — or greater than $600 billion per annum. Sports online betting, the latest gambling growth business, had already surged to $5.7 billion per annum in 2003, and is projected to more than triple to $18.7 billion by 2010.

• The lottery business has boomed. Total lottery ticket sales in the US during 2004 reached a new zenith of $45 billion. According to the World Lottery Association (WLA), an international member organization representing 144 lotteries from 74 countries on all five continents, combined annual revenues are now in excess of $US 120 billion.

• One last statistic … and this the most incredible. The world-wide boom in the value of stocks and bonds as well as the notional value of a new sophisticated type of financial instrument (called derivatives) has gone into the stratosphere. The sum of these three show a blazing trend in recent years. But before documenting these figures, first some perspective. The average income of everyone on earth between 1982 to 2004 has risen from $2,147 per person to approximately $6,440. This will seem a small stipend to people living in the West, but remember this is a global average of both the high- and low-income countries. It is the rate of change that is important … in this case a rise of 3 times in a period of 22 years.

In comparison, the rise in the total position value of all stock, bonds and derivatives in the world during this same time shot from $1,920 per person to $61,443. Dwell on that statistic for a moment for it is truly fantastic. It witnesses a phenomenal rise of 32 times over a period of no less than 22 years! That represents a growth rate



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Based on the article: Great Glee: How Wall Street Will Deal in the Tribulation Eternal Value Review, February 2006, Issue1, Volume 9.


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sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)

The world may delight in our downfall, to see Christians compromised or marginalized, eager to take our spots when we lose our jobs, or snatch our homes when the bank forecloses. But, we can join David in his praise that we have Someone who puts a much higher value upon us. “May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant. My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.” (Psalm 35: 26-28)

NOTES

1. MSN Money, August 30. 2005 http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/P116196.asp serves as just one example.

2. Erik J. Fry, “Katrina Plays,” The Daily Reckoning,/Rude Awakening Newsletter, September 8, 2005 http://www.dailyreckoning.com/RudeAwake/Articles/RA090805.html

3. “Shelter After the Storm,” Business Week, October 3, 2005.

4. Barbara Hagenbaugh “Economic growth from hurricanes could outweigh costs”, USA Today, September 26, 2005.

5. Fred C. Bergsten, Director of the Institute for International Economics on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, December 29, 2004. Source: Chris Westley writing for the Mises Institute. Accessed at http://mises.org/fullstonry.aspz?id=1712 Dec. 30, 2004.



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more than 10 times faster than the average annual income of everyone on the planet. (This writer, who has lived and worked in global financial businesses for more than 25 years, has been awestruck for some time… and fearful where it will lead.) The graphs on the front and third pages illustrate the enormity of this trend, showing a timeline from the era that Christ was last on earth.

The Delusion and Deception

What to make of it all? There can be no doubt. Everywhere we see signs of an increasing preoccupation with the gain of wealth, the buying and selling of possessions. Booming trading and speculation are the sure hallmarks of this obsession. Of course, people do need to sell things that they own from time to time. That is not the concern. However, as our documentation indicates, society has become possessed itself, straining, striving, huffing and puffing to “one-up” their neighbor, to flip their way to riches. "It's no good, it's no good!" says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase.” (Proverbs 20:14-15)

An increasing fixation with gain and reward is evident in many other says. Poker is the latest rage, now even a major spectator sport on television. Mirroring the national obsession with houses, in recent years, there has been a rush of home-related TV shows focusing on such topics as how to improve your home, increase its value, and make it more attractive to buyers. Reflecting the general fascination with wealth and gain, even the pleasant Antique Roadshow (another popular TV show) holds some of its lure for the same reason. It celebrates people who find riches in dumpsters, their grandmother’s attic or amongst other peoples’ garage sale cast-offs.

The saddest thing is that all this explosion of “exchanging” adds little to no value to overall wealth in the world. By and large, for every loser there is a winner; for every winner someone



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has forfeited an opportunity. Why this urgent frenzy to take a chance at making a win? It is just one of the deceptions of wealth. Its lures can be illusory. While one individual can certainly gain at the expense of another, overall nothing has really changed. If anything, on average people are poorer after taking into account commission and selling costs, not to mention a related increase in debt. The people strain in vain says the Bible. “He bustles about, but only in vain.” (Psalm 39:6) “As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:16)

Money Changers in the Temple Now

We began with the account of Jesus purging the temple of the moneychangers. The problem here was not so much that money was being exchanged. After all, during that time of Roman occupation this would have been unavoidable. Roman money was in use, yet, Jewish authorities would only accept Hebrew money for the temple tax. Moneychangers therefore set up shop in the Gentile Court of the temple to accommodate this need. Before long, however, this became a vibrant market, providing animals for sacrifice among other things as well as money exchange services for any foreign currency. Lending services were also on offer. In time, this marketplace gained a reputation for avarice, usury and exorbitant profits. According to extra-biblical accounts, the interest rate charged on loans was as high as 300% per annum.

The merchants had little interest in temple matters. It all served as a pretext and backdrop for their own worship service — high profits. While profits are not necessarily a bad thing, we see here that the emphasis and affections of human hearts had deteriorated to the idolatry of gain. The object of focus and devotion had moved from God’s house to the shop. We see the same “switch and bait” at work in our society today in various ways. Some people may join churches for social conveniences,



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Even if one were not to understand the nature of the avaricious spirit behind Wall Street and its daughters around the globe, this is not an entirely preposterous imagination. Remember that the great commercial colossus depicted by Babylon the Great of Revelation 18 — which is already manifesting its emerging characteristics today! — is still spanning the globe at that time. It has the same characteristic of profiting at the cost of others. Says scripture, “In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth." (Revelation 18:24)

Investment conditions are not yet necessarily bad for the opportunists, in any case. Up until at least before the fourth seal is opened and the fourth horse, the pale one named Death, annihilates a fourth of the earth’s population, great investment opportunities will still prevail. Just before this point it was still heard: "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" (Revelation 6:6) We see here that a “bull market” in commodities is underway and precious items are on the uptrend. These may be the result of disasters and famine, but, no matter. There will be an optimistic investment case to be promoted by the story spinners on Wall Street and its types that we see today.

Thoughts to Ponder

According to the lessons of past fulfilled prophesy, the culture of materialistic schadenfreude that we see being manifested today will be judged. We are not to be of that mindset, as pervasive and acceptable as it may be today. It helps to be sensitized to its emergence. We can take direction from Apostle Paul’s exhortation: “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all



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Megiddo following the battle of Armageddon. That aligns with the prophesy in Ezekiel 39:4 (also Revelation 19:21) which states that birds of carrion would feed on the dead troops of the nations that come against Israel on that final day.

No Catastrophe Too Great

We want to focus on a concluding point that relates more specifically to the emerging commercial “schadenfreude” of our present day. Given our review of the new acceptability of the attitude of rapacious opportunism that lurks in the world’s established commercial cultures (and in the very heart of man) we can now begin to understand the obstinate attitudes that likely will prevail in the greatest crisis times of all history — the upcoming Great Tribulation. We may not think that this would be likely. But, Revelation says this: “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshipping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21) Loosely interpreted, despite the catastrophes to that point, people are still holding on to their modern idols of monetarism, global humanism and technology, among others, and the doctrines of theft (financial, corrupt monetary systems, and otherwise).

If prospering through catastrophe is such a celebratory idea, you can imagine what the typical Wall Street firm will make of the investment theme called the Great Tribulation. It will be the biggest investment story of all, based on the “schadenfreude” theory. The word “Great” will surely be reinterpreted as meaning the size of opportunity during at least the earlier stages of that period. One can image the investment recommendations that will be made: “Profiting from the Second Seal Disaster” or “The Doomsday Fourth Seal Portfolio.” Buy the stocks of crematorium and disaster recovery companies!



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basement bingo games or other activities. Worship or a strengthening of the saints may not be the main objective of joining a congregation. In the same way, various corporations see the Christian “niche” as a profitable growth business. Today, every major (formerly privately-owned) Christian recording label and some large publishing houses are now run by profit-seeking, public corporations. Even the copyright for a popular Bible translation is owned by one of the world’s largest media companies. Why? It’s good business. And, so it is. Yet, at the same time, it is also true that the object of focus has changed.

You can be sure that if the business of “truth and in spirit” ever becomes a money-losing proposition, untruths and other spirits will be peddled. Well-known Christian-book publishing houses are not immune to this risk. Very few are able to only publish materials that minister and proclaim Christian living in “truth and in spirit.” If they did, most would go bankrupt … or at least, suffer unsatisfactory profits. There’s not much market for truth these days. Profits are much juicier serving itching ears having turned from truth to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) Even well-known Christian writers these days may have difficulty signing a book contract with major “Christian” publishers. Why? Very simply, it all boils down to money, not ministry. Christ did say after all, “You cannot serve both God and Mammon.” Increasingly, ministries will become the main conduits for written materials that edify and chasten believers.

Thoughts to Ponder

It is timely to ponder the Biblical story of the foreign exchange traders expressly now. Foreign exchange today is the most enormous financial activity of any type in the entire world. In 2003, more than $1.9 trillion in currencies were exchanged each and every work day. It has surely increased since. Yet, in the early 1970s, these transactions only amounted to $18 billion per year. Imagine! Today, at most only 35 years later, what once



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was transacted in currency markets in a year is exchanged 13 minutes … a volume that has risen 27,500 times in little more than three decades. (This is an amount equivalent to more than 12 times the entire annual world economic output!) Just who is doing all this trading and for what reason? And by the way, most of these transactions take place in the high-income world — for the most part these being nations of former Christian heritage. No doubt, when God’s wrath strikes the entire earth throughout the Great Tribulation, more than a few currency exchange tables may be overturned again.

The trends we have reviewed are not minor patterns. Rather they show a raging flood of materialism, just as scripture indicates will occur in the last days. These developments are of epic proportions … potentially cataclysmic on the human time line as the graphs in this issue show. Can these trends continue for a time longer? It’s possible. On the other hand, it could all be disrupted very quickly and suddenly. World financial and economic conditions are as stretched and imbalanced as never before.

People are trading their way to nirvana and supposed security. But, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:26-27)

Apostle Paul reminds us that “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10) That was happening already in his day. Then imagine how many more will be tempted to do so today. Therefore, many “griefs” and troubles lie



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3) historic site to be preserved and protected under UNESCO at some point in the future. While that is sheer speculation, it certainly is being recommended by some international policymakers. Or, at the prodding of the US and other countries, Israel may continue to give up more land for peace. Time will tell. But just as these last verses quoted from Ezekiel specifically prophesy, in 2005 we did see Israel being “ridiculed” (verse 4) as it withdrew from Gaza and left behind “deserted towns” (verse 4) and kibbutzim that were then “plundered” (verse 4) by the Palestinians “with glee and malice in their hearts” (verse 5). It was exactly as this prophesy said.

The Bible on Vultures and Schadenfreude

Readers may groan to consider these further observations. This disposition to see the possibility of gain in any situation, no matter how dire and grave, is definitely endorsed in commercial circles … certainly so on Wall Street. Of course, this characteristic of commercial schadenfreude operates everywhere. But on the basis of personal global experiences, it seems most openly obvious in the Anglo-Saxon countries. The difference in America, Canada and these other countries is simply this: It is more publicly-accepted in the name of making money. One wonders why they share this rapacious commercial penchant. In fact, vulture investing is hardly a pejorative term these days. It’s a respected part of the financial investment community.

However, the Bible has no affirmative words for vultures — carrion-eating birds that benefit through the demise of other creatures. Vultures and birds of prey were considered unclean under the Mosaic Law. Hebrews were forbidden to eat them. (Leviticus 11:13, Deuteronomy 14:12). However, vultures do yet have an ordained job in the future. “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather,” said Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:28) He was referring to the many dead that would lay in the valley of



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gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,' therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves.” (Ezekiel 26: 2-3)

Tyre’s cause for joy and for glee was different. They saw a business opportunity … a door opening to material advantage. That would only suit. Tyre was the trade colossus and financial capital of that time. They were the acknowledged experts in greed, one-dimensional materialistic thinkers who would have had a penchant to relate everything to trade and profits. In this sense, it is also a prophecy that speaks to our day. It is instructive to realize that Tyre is a clear foreshadow and type of the commercial colossus that emerges to span the globe in the last days. We see it described in Revelation 18 as well as predicted and foreshadowed in several other Old Testament scriptures.

Another prophecy found in Ezekiel strikes even closer to our day. It speaks specifically about the time that Israel is trampled by the gentiles for the last time after it again becomes a nation (which indeed happened in 1948).

“The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession." […] to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you. […] ' Therefore prophesy and say, […] In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.'” (Ezekiel 36:3,4, 5)

Here we see the nations’ delight in regaining parts of Israel and Jerusalem. Who can say exactly how this will occur? Perhaps Jerusalem will yet be mandated as an “ancient” (verse



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ahead.

But Paul, who suffered much as he took up his cross to follow Christ, is not without a credible word of comfort. In verse 6-8 of the same passage in 1 Timothy, it reads: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

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1. National Association of Realtors (USA)

2. Alan Greenspan & James Kennedy, Federal Reserve Board Report 2005-41, September 2005.

3. World Federation of Stock Exchanges. http://www.fibv.com/.

4. John C. Bogle. Common Sense on Mutual Funds, pgs. 283-284. John Wiley & Sons 1999.

5. Dealogic, Thomson Financial, worldwide annualized total in US dollars to September 15, 2005.

6. Source: UNCTAD, cross-border M&A database (www.unctad.org/fdistatistics).

7. A m e r i c a n G a m i n g A s s o c i a t i o n . http://www.americangaming.org/Industry/factsheets/statistics. Accessed October 15, 2005.

8. CNNMoney. Chris Isadore. Don't bet against online gambling March 26, 2004.

9. Christiansen Capital Advisors, LLC. The Journal of the North American Gambling Industry Issue 9, 2005.

10. World Lottery Association. http://www.world-lotteries.org/wla/about_us.php. Accessed October 14, 2005.

11. The figures quoted are what the author calls “total position value”, in other words, the total gross amount at risk.



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12. World Bank World Development Database and recent estimate by author.

13. The author has taken some license to plug in a few estimates of his own in order to fill in some of the holes in the available date. His estimates only serve to better capture the reality of the trend, not to exaggerate it.

14. Bank of International Settlements, Economic Department. Triennial Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity in April 2004.

Based on the article: Money Changers in the Temple:Here and Now. Eternal Value Review, December 2005, Issue 1, Volume 8.



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Unfortunately, Wall Street doesn’t have much regard for such straight-jacketed theory since it does not offer the flexibility for its pundits to perpetually dream up optimistic stories that sell the dream of new prosperity and gain every morning. Yet, in the name of the noble game of gain, we tolerate such opportunism. Just what does the Bible have to say about such attitudes and what happens to such societies that endorse these kind of vulture perspectives?

Prophetic Views on Disaster-related Glee

There are numerous accounts of God’s displeasure with the glee experienced at the expense of other people’s disasters. Notably, several prophecies of punishment were spoken by Ezekiel against countries who were elated at the misfortunes of Israel. Ezekiel castigates a number of neighboring nations after Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed the country of Israel and then Jerusalem. For example:

“The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. Say to them, `Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you said "Aha!" over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession.” (Ezekiel 25: 1-4)

Here we learn that the Ammonites were gloating at the misfortune of Israel. The result? God pronounced their vanquishing as well. While this is certainly an example of schadenfreude, it is motivated by a different motive that we see prominently today in our culture. The glee of Tyre is a much more familiar variety to our time. Ezekiel also prophesied against them.

"Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, Àha! The



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Hurricanes Could Outweigh Costs“ touted the headline of one article in USA Today. 4 It cited a host of petty windfalls that some businesses were experiencing as a result. Following the deadly Asian tsunami of late December 2004, C. Fred Bergsten, an otherwise well respected international economist, was quoted as saying, “Like any disaster, you get negative effects through destroying existing property and people’s health […] but at the end of the reconstruction process, the countries will probably be wealthier.” 5 Most probably he regrets this comment, which he made only a few days later while the crisis was still heightening.

All the same, we clearly see that this disposition to seize unfortunate situations for profit is firmly entrenched in our culture. It is a disposition which is actually much more repugnant than poor looters breaking in the windows of a Wal-mart store. Yet, it nonetheless finds a more comfortable acceptance society-wide — not amongst the generally-poor looters, of course, but among commercial interests of various types … certainly Wall Street and even academics.

On this premise, why not routinely bomb different cities in America … after evacuating its inhabitants to be sure? After all, taking a coldly materialistic perspective — as most idolaters given over to greed would do — we must preserve every citizen for no other reason than they are hallowed potential consumers.

In this line of thinking, such “explosive” techniques would be great for economic growth — assuming that the materialistic metric of profit is the capstone of all human objectives. Imagine all the new construction and additional jobs we could generate with this economic policy. Of course, we realize how ludicrous is this notion. No account is made of the lost jobs, possessions and the insurance settlement costs caused by the disaster … not to speak of human suffering. Classical economic theory certainly recognizes the loss of wealth and well-being that results from any disaster.



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R ecent hurricanes in America — Katrina and Rita, particularly — according to news reports, spawned an ugly opportunism. For example, we were fed news footage showing endlessly-looping clips of

people looting stores in New Orleans once law and order broke down. Viewers were outraged, finding the images repugnant. International viewers were even more disgusted seeing a supposedly “third-world” specter happening in the heart of the world’s leading high-income nation. “This wouldn’t happen here,” a few European papers sniffed.

The Japanese, no strangers to natural disasters themselves, also found it inexplicable. Wrote one Tokyo paper, that when an earthquake struck Kobe in 1995, killing 5,500 in that city of 1.5 million people (devastating 144,000 buildings) there was not one report of Japanese looting. Overall, one can understand these reactions seeing so many vultures preying on the stricken survivors after the hurricane. Of course, the insinuation that this

Great Glee: How Wall Street Will Deal in the Tribulation

Chapter 5



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is only possible in America is untrue.

It is a human phenomenon everywhere that people will do evil things if they know they will not be caught or found out. If anything, all that was on display in these pictures of New Orleans is the inherent corruption that is in the natural hearts of all people as individuals.

But, there was something else on show this past hurricane season that was much, much worse. Yet, it didn’t meet the same popular outrage. It was the muted response to the organized profiteering on the back of the crises. Already on the Monday morning after the weekend disaster in New Orleans, investment firms and on-line financial sites were plumping the “post-Katrina investment portfolio”. 1 There was a deluge of such articles over the next few days. Opined one analyst, “All last week, while Katrina was visiting misery on hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents, she was also lavishing riches on hundreds of thousands of investors. You get the idea...and so do many other investors, which is why numerous ‘Katrina plays’ have jumped sharply since the hurricane struck New Orleans last week.” 2 After hurricane Rita, more such analysis followed. For example, an article entitled ”Shelter after the Storm” outlined the savvy investment ideas of one portfolio manager. Buying the stocks of the motor home, water bottling and manufactured home industries, were among his brilliant insights as to how investors could make money on the disaster.3

Readers will no doubt be disgusted with the rapacious attitude betrayed by these intrepid materialists. While it is true that bad things can sometimes work out for good if God so allows, what we are witnessing here is outright glee at the prospect of any disaster. The German language has a most appropriate word for this attitude — “schadenfreude.” It means to be joyous at the harm occurring to others.



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Is this vulture mentality a new trend? While “schadenfreude” has always existed, it seems much more accepted on a societal level today, but only in one way — in association with gain and greed. This is an important distinction which most likely stands to play a potential endtime role. In fact, the Bible even suggests this attitude being evident in the Tribulation period. We will come back to this point and draw further support from scripture for our conclusions. But first, let’s outline this “schadenfreude” phenomenon in our culture a little further.

A Necrotic Culture of Gain

Avid analysts have always been quick to seize the obvious opportunity to make gains on the despair of others. I’ve observed this countless times over 25 years in the global investment business. No sooner had an earthquake shaken San Francisco in 1989, brokerage firms were touting investments in cement and building companies. When the Mississippi River overran its banks in 1993, economists were elated about the growth spurt that would result because of the stimulative benefits of rebuilding efforts for the US economy.

Following the Gulf War in 1991, a similar thing happened in a somewhat different fashion. The war was cited by some economists as a welcome boost to the US economy. That action in Iraq, to recall, was largely funded by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. These reparation payments to the US government temporarily swelled America’s international balance into a surplus (the first in years) and helped boost the dollar. Of course, this is not the case with the latest war in Iraq as it is being paid for by the US taxpayer, and not by the Arabs. But that still has had a silver lining for investment analysts. The profits of the defense industry and the bonuses of its executives have soared in recent years.

But the cacophony of joyous delight over the disasters of the last year almost borders on necrosis. “Economic Growth From

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