We Are Living in Prophetic Times

There have always been folks who claim we are currently living in the seven-year tribulation. I suppose over the past few weeks, many of these people are telling their friends and family, “See, I told you so.”

In 1994, I drove with some friends from Omaha to Des Moines, Iowa, to hear prophecy teacher Irvin Baxter. The trip taught me that you need to research all prophetic lecturers before going to hear them speak. Right near the end of Baxter’s presentation, he told the crowd that we are currently in the tribulation.

When the real Tribulation comes, there will be no mistaking it. The removal of all Christians in the rapture will be the first warning sign. The unification of all nations and financial systems under one body will be another key Tribulation warning.

The coronavirus is unlikely to be a sign that the Tribulation is now occurring. Because, during that time period, various pestilences will kill a large portion of the world population. In those dark days, the coronavirus will seem like a mild rash.

I think my second point about global unity is what we see playing out right now. I know we are living in prophetic times because I am seeing economic events that I would never think as possible. The Federal Reserve spent $1 trillion on private sector bonds in a two-day period. During the 2008/2009 Great Recession, the most the Fed spent was $85 billion over a whole month.

A few days later, Congress passes a $2.2 trillion stimulus package, which equal 10% of GDP. During the Great Depression, the stimulus package of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was only 3% of GDP. The Revenue Act of 1935 raised federal income tax on higher income levels by introducing the “Wealth Tax.” It was introduced to pay for what was perceived as Roosevelt’s reckless spending.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tripled downed on the stimulus package by promising another $4 trillion for loans to businesses with the purchase of debt. The current GDP of the US is $19.39 trillion, and it’s stunning to think we could be set to add $8 trillion to our national debt in a single year.

Washington Lawmakers have already wasted a full week by trying fill up this already massive bill with pet pork projects. A business is like a shark in one important way; they need constant motion to stay alive. The costs continue to add up even when the businesses are closed. Here are four business news blurbs that show how quickly bankruptcy becomes the only option:

LSC Communications Inc., one of the largest book and magazine printers in the U.S., is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failed efforts to restructure its nearly $1 billion of debt.

The Cheesecake Factory, one of the most popular sit-down restaurant chains in the country, says it will not be able to make upcoming rent payments for any of its storefronts on April 1 because of significant loss of income due to the coronavirus crisis.

For the first time, Frontier Communications filed formal notification that it may file for bankruptcy protection, as the company toils under some $17 billion in debt amid dwindling revenues.

Neiman Marcus retail experts see bankruptcy to restructure and continue operating as the most likely scenario for the luxury retailer.

California electric company PG&E is already in bankruptcy from having to pay for wildfire damage blamed on its equipment. PG&E agreed to set up the $13.5 billion fund for the victims as part of its plan to emerge from bankruptcy this summer, with half the amount coming from stock in the company. Now that the coronavirus is cutting demand for power, PG&E’s stock is down 60%. PG&E would seem to be cursed with bad luck, but too much debt was the #1 problem.

The US national debt of $24.5 trillion is going to zoom past $30 trillion by the end of the year. I remember Christian Economist Larry Burkett warned in his book The Coming Economic Earthquake that the nation’s $350 billion federal deficits were going to destroy the nation. Larry was correct in sounding the alarm. Dozens of nations faced the meltdown of their national currency over the same level of deficit spending we had in the early 1990’s.

If we are able to get away with printing an Everest-sized mountain of new debt, I expect a brief sugar high from people spending all their free government money, followed by a headache of runaway inflation.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

— Todd

---

Freedom from Spirit of Fear

Recently Mike Hile, my long-time friend and traveling companion, sent me a most important email. His thoughts (which I’ve not included here) and the material contained therein couldn’t be more appropriate, even essential, for this present hour.

We are engaged in this nation in unprecedented crisis, according to many of the mainstream media and others. The coronavirus is also engendering unprecedented fear due to great fear-mongering.

Again, as I’ve written in several commentaries, this is to in no way diminish the potential detriment to the health and well-being of Americans and peoples around the world represented by this disease. However, the pandemic, as it has been designated, doesn’t even come close to matching the great plague-like killers of past ages.

Nevertheless, I believe this president is leading the governmental agencies and the rest of us in a top-notch way. He is trying his best to tap down the tremendous fear that is raging.

As good as this president might be at offering calm and assurance that all will be okay in the foreseeable future, his efforts can’t compare to the calming assurance offered by the Creator of all things, our Father in Heaven.

The Lord has, through His Holy Word, given us freedom from the spirit of fear, if we but, as Dr. Charles Stanley says beautifully, “Obey God, no matter what, and leave all the consequences to Him.”

Another way of saying that, even better, is the way God Himself has put it:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Jesus, God’s Son, who is the very Word (John chapter 1), tells us through the Apostle Paul:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

God wants His people—those born again (John chapter 3) through belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son—not to be fearful. He is in complete control at all times, including this time of crisis, be it real or contrived.

The following Scriptures that assure God’s freedom from fear to those who will study and appropriate His Word as their model for living was compiled by Debbie McDaniel. Debbie is a writer, pastor’s wife, and mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). She encourages you to join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives.

Here is a list of thirty-three Scripture verses she found to assure us that we can live a life free of fear, even in fearful times.

1. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
2. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)
3. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)
4. “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
5. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
6. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
7. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” (Psalm 94:19)
8. “But now, this is what the Lord says… Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
9. “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25)
10. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
11. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
12. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
13. “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6–7)
14. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” (Isaiah 35:4)
15. “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:22–26)
16. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
17. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22)
18. “Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” (Mark 6:50)
19. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
20. “’For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:13–14)
21. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
22. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” (Psalm 118:6–7)
23. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)
24. “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:39–40)
25. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)
26. “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.” (1 Peter 3:14)
27. “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
28. “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22)
29. “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.’” (Revelation 1:17)
30. “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” (Mark 5:36)
31. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38–39)
32. “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
33. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you…For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways… “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” ( Psalm 91:1–16)

Be Assured, God is still on the throne and your prayers can change things.

—Terry

Market Meltdown

It has been absolutely stunning to behold the meltdown on Wall Street. Over the past few weeks, I have witnessed financial events that most economists would have never thought possible. All this activity reminds me of the insanity that occurred in the 2008/2009 Great Recession.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin raised the possibility with Republican senators that U.S. unemployment could rise to 20% without government intervention because of the impact of the coronavirus. The unemployment scenario raised by Mnuchin would be a dramatic turn from February, when U.S. employment surged. The jobless rate fell back to a half-century low of 3.5% as average hourly earnings climbed a steady 3% from a year earlier.

“Social distancing,” the now-prevalent practice of maintaining approximately six feet of distance from all persons, has been a death knell for businesses that service large groups of people. Airline bookings are down 70%, sit down restaurant traffic is down 95%, movie ticket sales are down 97%, and the cruise-lines industry is halting operations and mothballing ships as they face the biggest challenge since 9/11. In a growing number of cities, food-serving facilities are only allowed to provide delivery or carry-out services.

The economy is like some sharks. If it stops swimming, it dies. I would liken the decision to shut down a vast swath of the economy as airplane pilots announcing he is going to turn off all engines because air traffic control (ATC) announced that the fuel is contaminated with a gritty substance that can damage the engines.

The largest drop in oil demand in history is underway due to the coronavirus. When the price of oil crashed after Russia refused to work with OPEC in cutting the supply of oil, US oil producers got slaughtered. The stock price of Occidental Petroleum was cut in half in a single day. Many of the shale oil companies saw 60-70% declines in their stock value.

Ford, General Motors (GM), and Fiat Chrysler announced plans to close all factories in the United States to protect workers from possible coronavirus infection. The shutdown will last until the end of the month, but the virus will still be here in April. The closure will have a massive impact on the economy.

The downfall of the Boeing Company shows how fast good times can turn bad. The stock price for Boeing was right at $400 per share for several months. The firm repurchased over $100 billion in stock, which helped maintain that high stock price. After the coronavirus triggered dozens of plane cancellations, Boeing’s stock price declined by 75%. Fitch downgraded the company’s debt to BBB, and there are now rumors that Boeing is seeking a “Short-Term” Bailout. A firm that started the year with a $200 billion market cap has now dropped to a modest $57 billion.

The White House is working on a $1.3 trillion rescue plan, which includes sending two large checks to many Americans and devoting $300 billion toward helping small businesses avoid mass layoffs. Priorities laid out in a two-page Treasury Department document also include $50 billion to help rescue the airline industry and $150 billion to prop up other sectors, which could include hotels.

The coronavirus is going to be an absolute disaster for the federal budget. During a good year of economic growth, we still added $1.4 trillion to the national debt. If the early financial numbers are a reflection of the national economy, we are headed for a major recession. Tax revenue is about to plunge, while demand for unemployment insurance and food stamps are set to soar. It is very likely that we will have a $4- to $5-trillion deficit in the coming year.

The U.S. government now owes over $23.5 trillion in debt, or about $71,000 for every man, woman and child living within its borders. It has risen $3 trillion since President Trump took office in 2017 and is almost double what it was just 10 years ago.

The real flood of money is taking place behind the scenes. Federal Reserve head Jerome Powell has committed the Fed to loan agreements of a trillion dollars a day. As I’m writing, he has made repo commitments that total $6.45 trillion. The Fed is buying up bonds, stocks, and mortgages at 100% face value even though many of these assets have gone down in value. Powell can hold onto the bad loans forever.

There is some early indication that bond traders are starting to realize the impact of all this dollar- printing madness will have on the markets. The 10-Year bond got as low as 0.4% on March 9th. It has now soared back up to 1.26%.

My greatest financial fear is that the world will wake up some day and realize they made a huge mistake by making the dollar the world’s reserve currency. It amazes me that every time there is a panic, the greenback is the preferred choice compared to all other major currencies.

Common sense tells me that there is no way for us to pull out of this financial nose-dive. Since God is in complete control, a miracle cure for the coronavirus could suddenly appear and, within a year’s time, traders on Wall Street would dust off their Dow 30,000 hats.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

— Todd

---

Persia’s Prophetic Preparation

Last week in this column, I gave an excerpt from an article I wrote some years ago that told of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those promises came from Genesis 12:1–3 and involved the fact that God would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse His chosen people of Israel.

I then wrote:

My words of those earlier times have continued to prove true, because the facts involved come directly from God’s Word. Israel continues to be an amazing fulfilling of stage-setting for ultimate fulfillment of prophecy yet future.

In this week’s commentary, I hope to show that Iran, the modern nation that covers much of the territory that encompassed the ancient Persian Empire, likewise gives absolute proof of God’s promises coming true. Whereas Israel has dramatically proven to be the beneficiary of the Lord’s promise to “bless” that nation, Iran continues to prove the veracity of God’s promise to “curse” those who curse Israel.

Most who study Bible prophecy are more than aware that the ayatollahs of Iran have, particularly since the fall of Iran’s shah, uttered the most damnable curses imaginable against Israel. They have organized Iran’s peoples into hate-Israel frenzy. The chants include “Death to Israel!” and the Islamic regime declares America “the big satan” and Israel “the little satan.”

It is reported that Iran is now suffering from the coronavirus more terribly than even China, the center from which the disease apparently sprang.

At least 429 people had died in Iran from the disease as of Thursday March 12 and more than 10,000 people were confirmed as infected as of that date. Sources estimated that because of the regime’s oppressive and reclusive modus operandi the real tallies of the infected and dead are much higher.

Hatred is so deeply ingrained in Islamic leadership that, even though Israel leads the way in developing effective vaccines and treatments for the disease, they still curse that nation. Their reluctance to accept Israel in any way seems to condemn the people of Iran to a tragic outcome.

Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi took a break from hating Israel long enough to announce a religious ruling that it would be permitted to use a “Zionist” vaccine against the coronavirus.

“It is not permissible to buy and sell from Zionists and Israel,” Shirazi said Wednesday to the Iranian daily Hamdeli. “Unless the treatment is unique and there is no substitute.”

Shirazis statement comes in response to a Hebrew media report on Wednesday citing unidentified officials as saying that scientists at the Ness Ziona-based Institute for Biological Research were close to developing a vaccine for the coronavirus. (Adam Eliyaho Berkowitz, “Holocaust-Denying Grand Ayatollah Okays Buying Israeli Cure for Coronavirus,” Breaking Israel News | Latest News)

While the Grand Ayatollah might at some point allow the use of vaccine produced by the hated Israel, the general attitude of the Islamic hardliners in control is reflected in a statement by Roshan Salih, a prominent journalist for Press TV. He tweeted a Haaretz article about an announcement that an Israeli research center had developed a vaccine for the coronavirus. Salih commented, “I’d rather take my chances with the virus than consume an Israeli vaccine.”

The Iranian government mullahs, it can be argued, brought the curse of COVID-19 down on their own heads. While America and much of the Western world isolated China because of it being the center of the disease, the mullahs decided to take advantage and fully embrace China to get trade deals so desperately needed.

The sanctions President Trump and other leaders placed on Iran have greatly affected the regime’s ability to do business worldwide. They are struggling mightily to stay afloat economically, and the people of Iran are protesting with increasing anger and vigor. The embrace of China, apparently, with the intermingling of people doing business, is one major factor that brought the coronavirus into even the highest levels of the clergy-leadership.

It is reported that some top Islamic leaders are infected, and a number—perhaps much greater than reported—have died from the disease.

The “Butcher of Tehran,” Mohammad Haj Abolghasemi, for example, has died of the disease. He was in charge of the sadistic repression of Iranian dissidents during recent antigovernment riots. The Iranian public rejoiced when Abolghasemi became one of the early fatalities associated with COVID-19.

Other reports leaking out of Iran paint ominous portraits of a nation that might be said to be under curse.

Two days after Iran declared its first cases of the novel coronavirus—in what would become one of the largest outbreaks of the illness outside of China—evidence of unusual activity appeared at a cemetery near where the infections emerged.

At the Behesht-e Masoumeh complex in Qom, about 80 miles south of Tehran, the excavation of a new section of the graveyard began as early as Feb. 21, satellite images show, and then rapidly expanded as the virus spread. By the end of the month, two large trenches—their lengths totaling 100 yards—were visible at the site from space.

In[a stunning] video, shared by the BBC’s Persian service March 3, the narrator [described] the scene at Behesht-e Masoumeh cemetery as men carry a casket toward a trench with multiple graves. Qom, like other parts of Iran, is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak that has sickened thousands of people and overwhelmed the public health infrastructure.

“This is the section for coronavirus victims,” the narrator says, as the camera pans across a small portion of the trench, showing mounds of dirt and small, simple markers. People wearing blue protective suits are seen standing nearby. “More than 80 [people] have been buried in this section so far, and they say only 34 deaths,” he says, citing the official death toll on Feb. 28. (Erin Cunningham and Dalton Bennett, “Iran’s Coronavirus Burial Pits Are So Vast They’re Visible from Space,” Connecticut Post, Washington Post, March 12, 2020)

Pressure is enormous on modern-day Persian leaders to bring relief from the suffering of the nation’s enraged population. Instead of joining the more reasonable nations of the world and starting to act in a more civilized manner, thus bringing about better economic conditions, the mullahs double down on their hatred for Israel.

God’s prophet Ezekiel foretold millennia ago the results of the things we are seeing develop at this time of history.

Iran (Persia) will be offered by Gog to share in the “spoil” of the riches they expect when attacking the Jewish state. It is not difficult to believe that Iran’s hate-filled leaders will eagerly join in the assault. It will be the most disastrous outcome for an aggressor in human history to that point. Only Armageddon itself will bring greater destruction to Israel’s enemies.

—Terry