04 Apr 2010

The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes
APRIL 2010$4.75
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
TenCommandments
FridayCrucifixion
OneShall BeTaken
Pg. 37
\
Last-DayOppressors:
HonoredElites&anIndebted
WorldOrderPart I
Pg. 23
TheCallingof theTwelve
DisciplesPhilip
Pg. 34
FirstThessalonians4
andtheRapturePart I
Pg. 15
Includes every issue of
Midnight Call for 2009.
Fully loadedwith
inspiringmessages and
prophecy news updates
that youwont want to
miss!
Amust for your archival
needs.
2009 Midnight Call Magazine Yearbook
$45
ITEM# 1909
To order: Use the order formon page 47,
call: 800-845-2420 or fax: 803-755-6002
Nolibraryis
completewithout the
2009
Midnight Call
Yearbook!
Order now! Limited
quantities available.
4 Easy Ways To Order

Mail your order formwith payment to
PO Box 280008, Columbia SC 29228.
For faster service, call 1-800-845-2420
8am-5pmEST with your credit card ready.
Fax your order to 1-803-755-6002 anytime.

Visit our online bookstore:
www.midnightcall.com/store
BANKRUPTCY OF OUR
NATION
ITEM# 2244 272 pgs.
Paperback
$13.99
Author: Jerry Robinson
POTECT YOUR FAMILY
FROMOUR
BUY NOW, PAY LATER NATION
Welcome to the End of an Empire
Surrounded by a host of political and social problems, America stands
at the crossroads of a devastating economic crisisthe size and scope
of which demand immediate action, while instability and debt loom
over the future.
America is the greatest debtor nation in history.
The value of the dollar is at tremendous risk.
Inflation is about to become a huge reality.
Crippled by personal debt, local and state governments facing revenue
losses, and the federal government struggling to bail out segments of
the economy, many Americans are suddenly afraid and uncertain of
what the future may bring. Many worry if the United States can even
recover from this crisis. Will you and your family financially survive and
even thrive during this turbulent time?
Bankruptcy of Our Nation gives you vital insight, historical and future
perspective, revealing how America got into this mess, and how you
can make informed decisions to weather this economic crisis. Prepare
your family for the coming hyperinflationary depression and build your
financial house on the Rock of our salvationwe need
Gods wisdom now, more than ever.
Jerry Robinson, conference speaker,
columnist, economic consultant, and
president of Jerry Robinson Ministries
International, offers cutting-edge
teaching on geopolitical, economic,
and cultural trends and how they relate
to the Church.
C O N T E N T S
8
Barabbas or Jesus
By Norbert Lieth
The story of Barabbas has a meaning and a
purpose. It is in the Bible for our sakes. It is a
biography of the whole of mankind. God planned
to include it in the Bible in order to open our eyes
about ourselves and about His intent to save.
15
First Thessalonians 4 andthe Rapture Part I
By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
If one were to request only one passage of Scripture
as proof for a pretribulational rapture, the majority of
pretribulationists would likely cite 1Thessalonians
4:13-18. Since this is a foundational passage, it is
pertinent to understand rightly what God has
revealed.
23 Money: Ends and Trends
Last-Day Oppressors: HonoredElites &an
IndebtedWorldOrder Part I
By Wilfred Hahn
According to a recently released study, government debt levels around the world have risen
75%over the last two years. Just what threat to the entire earth would cause policymakers
around the globe to plunge into such lunacy? We will highlight the significance of this
development and howit relates to Bible prophecy.
34
The Callingof theTwelve DisciplesPhilip
Midnight Call
APRIL 2010
COVER STORY
28 FRANCE
The Best Place to Live
in the World
29 SRI LANKA
EU Warns of Human
Rights Abuses
31USA
President
Obama
Seeking
Chinese Help
32 MALAYSIA
Court Rules Christians Can
Use the Word Allah
32BRAZIL
Shell Signs $12 Billion
Ethanol Deal with Brazil
33 EU
The Swine Flu
Vaccine Glut
DEPARTMENTS
$
4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Arno Froese
ZECHARIAH 7:13
37 Letters tothe Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Arno Froese
TEN COMMANDMENTS...FRIDAY CRUCIFIXION...ONE SHALL BE TAKEN
4 M I D N I G H T C A L L
Therefore it is come to pass, that
as he cried,
and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear,
saith the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 7:13).
E D I T O R S N O T E
B y A r n o F r o e s e
A
fter Zechariah had received
eight prophetic visions of spiri-
tual and heavenly substance,
but relating to his people Israel, he
now finds himself back in Jerusalem.
Zechariah is now confronted with
earthly realities: And it came to pass in the
fourth year of king Darius, that the word of
the LORD came unto Zechariah in the
fourth day of the ninth month, even in
Chisleu (verse 1). We note that the year,
the day and the month are given. Mention-
ing King Darius points to the fact that the
political authority of a foreign king was ac-
cepted. Most commentaries agree that this
was in the second year of the rebuilding of
the Temple, which lasted a total of four
years. The month Chisleu is equivalent to
November/December. The year is 518 BC.
The next verse needs some explanation
to grasp the meaning: When they had sent
unto the house of God Sharezar and Regem-
melech, and their men, to pray before the
LORD (verse 2). We are not clearly told
who they are. So lets read the NIV transla-
tion: The people of Bethel had sent
Sharezer and Regem-melech, together with
their men, to entreat the LORD. These peo-
ple are from Bethel, which means house of
God. This is the place where Jacob had his
dream and said, And he was afraid, and
said, How dreadful is this place! this is
none other but the house of God, and this
is the gate of heaven (Genesis 28:17).
The inhabitants of Bethel were not of the
tribe of Judah, but they recognized it was
God who brought Judah back from captiv-
ity after 70 years. They also knew that the
Temple in Jerusalem was under construc-
tion. They came to ask a specific question
regarding their religious activity: Speak
unto the priests which were in the house of
the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets,
saying, Should I weep in the fifth month,
separating myself, as I have done these so
many years? (verse 3). The fifth month is
the month of Av (July/August). Ungers
Bible Dictionary names three reasons for
fasting (page 164):
1) New moon; fast for death of Aaron,
commemorated by children of Jethuel, who
furnished wood to temple after the captiv-
ity.
2) Fast in memory of Gods declaration
against murmurers entering Canaan (Num-
bers 14:29-31).
3) Fast, because in the time of Ahaz the
evening lamp went out.
APRI L 2010 5
Published 12 times a year by
MIDNIGHT CALL, INC.
PO Box 280008
Columbia, SC 29228
Physical Location:
4694 Platt Springs Road
West Columbia, SC 29170
Founder Dr. Wim Malgo (192292)
Editor Arno Froese
Contributing Authors Norbert Lieth,
Marcel Malgo, Wilfred Hahn,
Dr. Ron J. Bigalke, Reinhold
Federolf, Samuel Rindlisbacher,
Ernst Kraft and Thomas Lieth
Layout Designers: Michelle Kim and Lisa Dixon Text Typist:
Lynn Jeffcoat Copy Editor: Kimberly Farmer Customer
Service: Kathy Roland and Debbie Hale Production Manager:
Simon Froese Pressroom: Joseph Howell Post Press: Dana
Hale, Teresa Vining, Melissa Martin, Joyce Hagins, Chad Vining
and Brian Corbett Special Order: Ruth Froese
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
USA, $28.95 Canada, $34.50 All other countries, $38
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
OR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRY
Please send your new address and the name and address ex-
actly as it appears on this magazine or envelope for best ser-
vice. Please send all changes and inquiries directly to our US
address.
MAILING ADDRESSES
USA and Canada:
PO Box 280008
Columbia, SC 29228, USA
Great Britain:
End Time Ministries
P.O. Box 5550, Newbury RG14 2WG, UK
Australia:
Major Rintje Taekema
3 Cleveland Drive, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria 3029
AUSTRALIA
e-mail: taekema@optusnet.com.au
New Zealand:
142 Cambridge Ave., Ashurst
South Africa:
P.O. Box 3105, 1729 Witbeck TVL.
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS
Mitternachtsruf (German) Ringwiesenstrasse 12a, 8600
Du bendorf, Switzerland; Middernachtsroep (Dutch) Postbus
192, 4140 AD Leerdam, Netherlands; LAppel de Minuit
(French) Ringwiesenstrasse 12a, 8600 Du bendorf, Switzerland;
Chamada de Meia Noite (Portuguese) Obra Missionaria
Chamada de Meia Noite, Caixa Postal 1688, 90001970 Porto
Alegre RS, Brazil; Llamada de Medianoche (Spanish) Apdo.
Postal 1400, 01901 Guatemala; CDM Italia (Italian) Via
Monte Rosa 88 D, IT 10155 Torino TO; Ejfeli Kialtas (Hun-
garian) H-1135 Budapest, Pelo c u. 2 (no longer available in
Russian)
OUR TASK
Midnight Call Ministries is a nonprofit missionary organization,
dedicated to proclaiming the entire Bible as the unfailing and
eternal written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the
unerring guide for the Christian faith.
The object of Midnight Call is to call people everywhere to
Christ, to proclaim the Second Coming of Christ, to prepare
Christians for His coming, and to uphold the faith and warn of
false doctrines. Midnight Call magazine is available in twelve
languages. All work done through radio, literature and
missionaries is supported entirely by the gifts and free will
offerings of Gods people.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
WE BELIEVE in the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and
therewith the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is Gods
Word, and in the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of the
Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and shed
His blood to save mankind. He died and arose bodily the third
day and later ascended into heaven.
WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of
each individual sinner and that all who believe in Him as their
personal Savior are justified through His shed blood and have
become children of God.
WE BELIEVE that Israel is Gods chosen people, and that the
restoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of
the Word of God.
WE BELIEVE in the pretribulational appearance of Jesus Christ
for the Rapture of His Church (all born again believers).
WE BELIEVE in the immortality of our souls and the resurrection
of our bodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the
everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment
of the lost.
The Pr ophet i c Voi ce f or t he Endt i mes PRINTED IN 12 LANGUAGES
ISSN 10948600
These people were religiously very active. They did what they were sup-
posed to do.
But there is no reaction from the priests or the prophets. The next verse
reads: Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me (verse 4). Appar-
ently, the men of Bethel did not need additional instruction from the priests or
prophets; they needed to hear directly fromthe Lord, and thats what transpired:
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted
and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at
all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did
not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the
words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was
inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men
inhabited the south and the plain? (verses 5-7). We note that this is addressed
unto all the people: those who came from Bethel and those who had returned
from the Babylonian captivity. In other words, it was addressed to all of Israel.
The Lord God asked three significant questions: 1) Did you fast because
of Me? 2) Did you feast for yourselves? and 3) Why did you not listen to the
prophets?
When they fasted on the fifth month, they also had reasons to feast. Here
again, Ungers Bible Dictionary (page 164):
1) Feast, when wood was stored in temple. 2) Feast, in memory of law
providing for sons and daughters alike inheriting estate of parents.
The same is applicable for the seventh month. They fasted and were
feasting as well. In plain words, they did their religious duty for the sake of
their own selves. Now they inquire if they did enough.
The Lord reminds them of Jerusalems former glory, the times under David
and Solomon, when peace and prosperity reigned. This included Bethel, the
place located about 20 kilometers north of Jerusalem. Interestingly, it also
mentions the south and the plain, which includes part of todays Negev. That
was the time when God looked upon the people and the land favorably.
It stands to reason therefore that the Israelites were in dire need during
those days; they were hoping for the good ole days to return. They knew
that the God of Israel was the source of all blessing; subsequently, they prac-
ticed their religious duty to obtain favor from God.
Next comes the Lords thundering accusations against His people: And
the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the
LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and com-
passions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fa-
therless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against
his brother in your heart (verses 8-10). They faithfully practiced their reli-
gious feasts, but quite apparently in a shallow manner; not in truth or with
compassion. The most essential, they failed to practice, and that can be
summarized with the words of our Lord: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself (Matthew 19:19). Their personal well-being, the accumulation of
possessions, was how they defined the sign of blessings of the Lord.
What a message for the Church today! In reading Christian literature and lis-
tening to the voices over the air, it becomes crystal clear that we confuse blessing
with success, possessions with compassion. When it comes to the poor in our
nation, they are either totally ignored or brushed off with the words, They are
too lazy to work. Often Scripture is used to support such heartlessness, If any
would not work, neither should he eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). But this Scrip-
ture is not applicable to a nation; it is addressed to the Church.
In talking about the stranger, the foreigner, we see an abundance of un-
bridled hate clearly expressed in Christian literature: hate against strangers,
foreigners, and the less fortunate.
In conversation with a brother some time ago, who expressed his disdain
about the great number of Mexicans coming to this country, I found that he did
not realize that the majority are of Native American descent. He ignored the
fact that most have not had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of the Lord Je-
sus Christ. I said, Allow for the possibility that the Lord brings these people to
us because we were too lazy to go to them and present the Gospel. Such sim-
ple truth hurts, but it exposes our diabolical selfish nature. We only think
about ourselves, our family, our people. Self-centeredness is probably more ev-
ident today than ever before. Here we are reminded of the words found in 2
Timothy 3, which specifically emphasizes the last days: For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (verses 2-4).
The Israelis in ancient time did imagine evil against [their] brother in
[their] heart. That was the accusation of God against His people.
Not heeding the Word of God, not wanting righteous judgment, and not
practicing mercy and compassion leads to the hardening of the spiritual ear:
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their
ears, that they should not hear (Zechariah 7:11).
Throughout the Bible, over and again, man is invited, admonished, even
urged to hear what the Lord has to say. Even in the last book of the Bible, Rev-
elation, we read of the exalted Lord urging the church seven times: He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches.
Israel was chosen by God to be a nation above all other nations on the face of
the earth, yet they simply and stubbornly refused to listen to the prophetic Word
of God. This is a deliberate act of rebellion. It reminds us of disobedient children.
If faced with the truth, they will shrug their shoulders and act as if they dont
knowwhat is being said, thus deliberately refusing to acknowledge wrong.
The Lord continues: Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone,
lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath
sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from
the LORD of hosts (verse 12).
These accusations, we reemphasize again, are directed unto all the people. In
the first place, it means the people of Israel, but it also includes the entire world.
Do we find many righteous people, upright in heart, full of compassion?
The brutality and hate against our fellow man is the very nature of our be-
ing; it is the old Adamic flesh with the heart of stone. It needs to come to
the cross, not once, but must remain there until the death of the old nature.
Israel refused to listen to the prophets. Today, Churchianity has excluded
the prophetic Word from the proclamation of the Gospel. Worse yet, Bible-
To start or renew your
News FromIsrael magazine
subscription, please use the
order formon pages 46-47, or
call 800-845-2420 and have
your credit card ready.
In light of the
times, News
From Israel is
a necessary monthly
magazine that will
keep you updated
on breaking
developments
throughout the
Middle East.
News From Israel
uncovers hidden
information the news
media leaves out!
32 pages $ 14 for a
one-year subscription 12 issues
E D I T O R S N O T E
believing Christianity increasingly refuses to heed the prophetic Word,

which instructs us: Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This
plain and simple admonition to wait is being changed by interpretation to
mean, after certain events. For example, many teach today that we must
first wait for the tribulation, or the middle of the tribulation. Innumerable
other theories are being put forth with one purpose in mind: the believer
should not wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ today, but rather
must wait for certain signs to be fulfilled first. That is a false gospel.
It is not just a matter of ignoring the prophetic Word or of shutting ones
ear to the warning of God, but the very messengers proclaiming the warning
are attacked.
Some 500 years after Zechariah, it was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who
stated, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been
partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses
unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets
(Matthew 23:30-31). We know what happened in 70 A.D. The Romans came,
destroyed Jerusalem and burned the Temple, not leaving one stone upon an-
other, and the Jewish people were dispersed all over planet Earth.
Now we come to our introductory verse: Therefore it is come to pass, that as
he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the
LORD of hosts (verse 13). That too was literally fulfilled. There was no prophet
in Israel during those 500 years. Then John the Baptist appeared on the scene
with a very simple message: Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
(Matthew 3:2). Doubtless, during those 500 years, the Jews in the Diaspora and
the few who lived in the land of Israel searched the Scriptures diligently. They
practiced their religion, they read the Torah, but there was no answer from
heaven; there was no prophet who said, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.
When we refuse to hear the words of the Lord, it will not only result in
the hardening of the heart and the closing of the ear, but something much
worse: I would not hear. He, the Lord God of Israel, would shut off His
ear to the cry of His people.
With the rejection of the nation of Israel, although temporary, the land
suffered as well: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the na-
tions whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no
man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate
(verse 14). This is evident from a number of historical documents: Israel be-
came a desert, void of vegetation. It could no longer be defined as a pleasant
land; the land was stripped of its fertile soil and exposed to the burning heat
of the Middle Eastern sun.
We cannot conclude this study without again showing Gods mercy, long
suffering, grace and His intention to return His people to their land: And
I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries,
and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of
Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the countryAnd the
tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase,
and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD,
when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the
hand of those that served themselves of them. (Ezekiel 34:13, 27).
APRI L 2010 7
Atlantic Coast
Prophecy Conference
2426 October 2010
Nowis the time to send in your
registration for this important
prophecy conference in Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina. Please
note that when you register be-
fore 31 July, your registration
fee will be reduced to $49 per
person. Of course, all fees are
100%refundable if for any rea-
son you cannot attend the con-
ference. Please see our brochure
on pages 44-45. You may also
call 800-845-2420 (M-F, 8-5
EST).
Midnightcall.com
We are still under construc-
tion. Communicating electron-
ically has not come of age in our
office. But we are happy to re-
port that there are news updates
daily on our web page. Many ar-
ticles, news briefs, and ques-
tions and answers that do not
appear in Midnight Call or News
From Israel can be found on our
web page. Also, occasionally
we offer drastically reduced re-
sources only available through
midnightcall.com. Please pass
this information along and en-
courage others to see our page.
Thank you for visiting mid-
nightcall.comdaily.
MC
NORBE RT L I E TH
It is the greatest exchange of places in the history of mankind.
This event epitomizes the truth concerning God and man.
It is the story of Barabbas, the condemned murderer,
and Jesus the Son of God.
C O V E R S T O R Y
T
he person of Barabbas shows us
a true picture of man. Jesus
shows us the true image of
God. In Barabbas we see a piece of
ourselves. In Jesus we see the nature
of God. Yet Barabbas was set free, and
Jesus condemned. The story of their
change of places is in Mark 15:6-15:
Now at that feast he released unto
them one prisoner, whomsoever they
desired. And there was one named
Barabbas, which lay bound with them
that had made insurrection with him,
who had committed murder in the in-
surrection. And the multitude crying
aloud began to desire him to do as he
had ever done unto them. But Pilate
answered them, saying, Will ye that
I release unto you the King of the
Jews? For he knew that the chief
priests had delivered him for envy. But
the chief priests moved the people,
that he should rather release Barabbas
unto them. And Pilate answered and
said again unto them, What will ye
then that I shall do unto him whom ye
call the King of the Jews? And they
cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pi-
late said unto them, Why, what evil
hath he done? And they cried out the
more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so
Pilate, willing to content the people,
released Barabbas unto them, and de-
livered Jesus, when he had scourged
him, to be crucified.
The story of Barabbas has a meaning
and a purpose. It is in the Bible for our
sakes. It is a biography of the whole of
mankind. God planned to include it in
the Bible in order to open our eyes
about ourselves and about His intent to
save.
Barabbas shows us man as he is.
The meaning of the Aramaic name
Barabbas is son of the father. It is
striking that Barabbas has no family
name. For this reason Mark describes
him as one named Barabbas. He seems
to lack a clear identity. He is not called
Bar Jona (son of Jona), or Barnabas
(son of comfort), or Barsabas (son of
the sabbath). His name is not
Bartholomew (son of Talmai) or Barti-
maeus (son of Timaeus). Barabbas is
simply called son of the father. Barab-
bas is the son of a father. This unusual
name casts light on certain truths con-
cerning us.
Perhaps Barabbas was an illegitimate
child who did not know his father.
Somebody fathered him, but he did not
have a father in his home. Family
warmth and security were not known to
him. This is the whole point.
According to Deuteronomy 23:3, a
man who was the product of a forbidden
marriage or an extra-marital relation-
ship was not allowed to enter into the
congregation of the Lord, even to the
tenth generation.
Because he had no name, we can in-
sert any name here. We can insert our
own names. Barabbas means every one
of us. Any one of us could be in his
place. Yes, Barabbas bears a thousand
names.
It is bitter to grow up without a fa-
ther. Such people often lack warmth.
They have difficulty in showing their
feelings. They are often shy and retiring,
or else ruthless and hard. Later on their
own children often suffer under the fact
that their father (or their mother) had
no father themselves.
APRI L 2010 9
The story of Barabbas has a meaning and a purpose. It is in the Bible for our
sakes. It is a biography of the whole of mankind. God planned to include it in the
Bible in order to open our eyes about ourselves and about His intent to save.
It is incomparably worse, however,
when we are fatherless in the spiritual
sense. All people that are born into this
world have by nature no Father in
heaven. We were not born into the fam-
ily of God, for we are born in sin. The
natural man does not know the warmth
and security in God.
As shocked as many people may be,
it is the biblical truth that every person
is by nature a child of the devil. Jesus,
in His lifetime, shocked the most pious
people in the world, the Jews, with this
truth.
But the problem is just as topical to-
day and concerns each one of us. Jesus
said, Ye do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, We be not born
of fornication; we have one Father, even
God. Jesus said unto them, If God were
your Father, ye would love me: for
I proceeded forth and came from God;
neither came I of myself, but he sent
me. Why do ye not understand my
speech? Even because ye cannot hear
my word. Ye are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning,
and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of
it (John 8:41-44).
The lies of the world and the
lies of life show us who our fa-
ther is, and they reveal how all
our own piety and the fulfilling
of moral and religious laws can-
not change the inborn nature of
man.
Barabbas is a person under
the rule of sin and Satan. This
man, who lacked a real father, is given
many other descriptions in the Bible in
the place of a family name:
He is called a robber (John
18:40).
He is said to have made insurrec-
tion and committed murder (Mark
15:7).
He is called a notable prisoner
(Matthew 27:16).
He was a political antagonist who
lay bound with them that had made
insurrection with him (Mark 15:7).
It is assumed, therefore, that he was a
zealot, a resistance fighter against the
Roman occupation powers. He was,
then, a terrorist, a rebel, an incalculable
man, capable of anything, ruthless and
full of hatred.
Even if not all people behave as
wickedly as Barabbas, we all bear the
same seed of evil in us.
Man robs by taking advantage of
others.
He is rebellious against God, as
also against man.
He is a captive of sin, hatred and
resistance.
Man takes other people with him
and induces them to do evil. Man influ-
ences man and is influenced by others.
It is assumed, therefore, that he was a zealot, a resistance fighter against the
Roman occupation powers. He was, then, a terrorist, a rebel, an incalculable man,
capable of anything, ruthless and full of hatred.
BARABBAS OR JESUS
C O V E R S T O R Y
Yes, man is sitting with thou-
sands of other rebels in the
same cell.
Barabbas is what pleases
man. Barabbas symbolizes a
mankind who chooses every-
thing rather than Jesus:
power, politics, religion, re-
bellion. Barabbas also sym-
bolizes simultaneously men
who let themselves be influ-
enced by all sorts of things,
just not by the truth in Jesus
Christ. But the chief priests
and elders persuaded the
multitude that they should
ask Barabbas, and destroy Je-
sus (Matthew 27:20). This
has not changed up to the present day.
Man is influenced today by:
a new atheism,
everything anti-godly, such as the
doctrine of evolution, for instance,
pseudo-scientific books, antichrist-
ian articles in news magazines, films,
television and the Internet,
diverse religions or esoteric things,
all kinds of trends and movements.
A cold, calculating Barabbas is prefer-
able to people to a loving Jesus. The
heathen of our day are admired and
their way of thinking quickly adopted.
What Barabbas wanted appears to them
to be logical and exemplary; what Jesus
brought, they reject. Somebody said,
The choice between Jesus and Barabbas
is a clear proof of how dangerous it is to
let public opinion decide concerning the
most important questions of life, truth
and right.
The governor answered and said
unto them, Whether of the twain will ye
that I release unto you? They said,
Barabbas (Matthew 27:21). Is it not
shocking what superficial and adopted
convictions people prefer to cling to,
rather than to choose Jesus? Man does
not want any changes that God makes.
Instead of this, he lets himself be led by
others. Thereby he becomes a victim of
self-deception and thinks he has his
own opinion and is free. Yet in reality he
is succumbing more and more to group
pressure.
Pilate saith unto them, What shall
I do then with Jesus which is called
Christ? They all say unto him, Let him
be crucified (verse 22). Our present
world is intent as never before on doing
away with Jesus and choosing an an-
tichristian Barabbas for themselves. In
German [and no doubt American]
APRI L 2010 11
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?
They all say unto him, Let him be crucified (verse 22). Our present world is
intent as never before on doing away with Jesus and choosing an antichristian
Barabbas for themselves.
schools everything is
taught under religious
instruction, whether it
be Buddhism or Yoga,
but that which Christ
brought is trampled
underfoot.
And the governor
said, Why, what evil
hath he done? But they
cried out the more,
saying, Let him be cru-
cified (verse 23). In
truth, the people had
no valid argument against Jesus and His
Word. Jesus is historically incomparable
and superior to all. The Bible has never
really been proven wrong, but ultimately
confirmed.
The famous Russian author, Fyodor
Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky, wrote, I be-
lieve there is nothing more lovely, deeper,
more likeable, more reasonable, stronger
and more perfect than the Redeemer.
One of the most significant presidents
of the United States, Abraham Lincoln,
said, In my opinion, the Bible is Gods
greatest gift to mankind. All the good
deeds of the Redeemer to mankind are
made known to us through this book.
I have often been brought to my knees
because I was convinced that there is no
alternative.
Man has ultimately no argument
against Christ, What evil hath he
done? This is the reason for mans argu-
ment, Crucify him.
When Pilate saw that he could pre-
vail nothing, but that rather a tumult was
made, he took water, and washed his
hands before the multitude, saying, I am
innocent of the blood
of this just person: see
ye to it (verse 24). Ul-
timately, every individ-
ual person is himself
fully responsible for
what he does with Je-
sus, and by whom he is
influenced. Pilate saw
that Jesus was accused
out of envy, without
having done anything
wrong. There were no
real arguments. The
Roman governor called Him a just per-
son, even, and then said, See ye to it.
What are you going to do with Jesus?
What are you going to let happen? Do
you set your sail according to the wind?
Do you howl with the wolves? And so
Pilate, willing to content the people, re-
leased Barabbas unto them, and deliv-
ered Jesus, when he had scourged him,
to be crucified (Mark 15:15).
Man seeks satisfaction. He seems to
find the greatest satisfaction in doing
away with Jesus Christ, so that he can
live as he pleases. Our world rejects Je-
sus and cries simultaneously for a world
redeemer. And they were instant with
loud voices, requiring that he might be
crucified. And the voices of them and of
the chief priests prevailed (Luke
23:23).
In our day the cries are becoming
louder and louder. The headwind is be-
coming stronger. People do not want Je-
sus but Barabbas. Those who voice their
Christian opinions are called extremists
and fundamentalists. Jesus is con-
demned for what Barabbas did. Man
One of the most significant presidents of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, said,
In my opinion, the Bible is Gods greatest gift to mankind. All the good deeds of
the Redeemer to mankind are made known to us through this book. I have often
been brought to my knees because I was convinced that there is no alternative.
BARABBAS OR JESUS
C O V E R S T O R Y
gives God the blame, while he legiti-
mates evil. The truth has to die for the
lie, and the just One is given up for the
unjust.
Are you crying out against God in
your heart?
Jesus. And Jesus? He simply stands
there. Is God the brutal, unjust judge
who deliberately torments us and is re-
sponsible for evil? No, Jesus shows us
through Himself who God is. Jesus does
not answer; He says nothing and He
does not argue with the abysmal injus-
tice of the people against Him. He sim-
ply stands in silence next to Barabbas,
and even accepts the exchange of places.
He wants it. His silence is the loudest
speaking of God to our hearts. He wants
to bring freedom to us rebels, we people
who are laden down with rebellious
thoughts. He wants to be a Father to the
fatherless.
In Barabbas, the son without a father,
we see coldness and ruthlessness. We
see the world, sin and ourselves. In Je-
sus, the Son of the Father in heaven, we
see the exact opposite. John greets the
recipients of his second letter concern-
ing the Father and His Son fittingly with
the following words, Grace be with
you, mercy, and peace, from God the Fa-
ther, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of the Father, in truth and love (2
John 3).
Barabbas or Jesus today. Today we
are living at the end of the days before
the return of Jesus. The battle of society
over the decision between Barabbas and
Jesus is taking on distinct outlines. At
that time, it was one of the first acts that
belonged to the rejection of Christ. To-
day, we are approaching the climax of
the last act of the rejection of Jesus.
Barabbas, a son of the fatherJe-
sus, the Son of the Father. Some trans-
lations even add the name Jesus to the
name of Barabbas; the German Luther
Bible, for instance.
So at the beginning of redemption a
Jesus, son of the father, is confronted
with the heavenly Jesus, Son of the Fa-
ther.
At the end of the age of grace, the
world will have to decide again between
an Antichrist and the true Christ. We
know now already how this choice will
turn out. The tendencies of our day
speak a clear language.
The so-called public opinion will, as
it was then, be strongly influenced. Be-
APRI L 2010 13
At the end of the age of grace, the world will have to decide again between an
Antichrist and the true Christ. We know now already how this choice will turn out.
The tendencies of our day speak a clear language.
hind this is the working of the father of
lies. He will take care that the revelation of
the love of God will be hated by people in
general, and he will do all that is in his
power to destroy it. Instead of Jesus he will
introduce a Barabbas, an antichristian per-
sonality and political head, of whom the
Bible says in Revelation 13:2 & 4, And
the dragon gave him his power, and his
seat, and great authorityAnd they wor-
shipped the dragon which gave power
unto the beast: and they worshipped the
beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast?
Who is able to make war with him?
But Jesus will not be silent in this last
act. He will speak! Why do the heathen
rage, and the people imagine a vain
thing? The kings of the earth set them-
selves, and the rulers take counsel to-
gether, against the Lord, and against his
anointed, saying, Let us break their
bands asunder, and cast away their cords
from us. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in
derision. Then shall he speak unto them
in his wrath, and vex them in his sore
displeasure (Psalm 2:1-5).
The choice of your life. How must
Barabbas have felt? His rebellious nature
had ultimately brought him nothing.
Nobody had gained anything from it. He
was taken prisoner and condemned to
death. With others, he now sat in prison
and waited for his execution. The most
torturous death was before him. He
trembled when he thought of the mo-
ment when he would be taken out of the
cell and led to the place of execution.
Sleep eluded him and eternity stood be-
fore his eyes.
Suddenly, Barabbas heard footsteps;
his pulse raced, and fear and despera-
tion wanted to take hold of him. The
door opened, and he was led to Pilate
and a waiting crowd of people. Beside
him stood another Man: Someone he
had heard of; Someone who had only
done good and, in contrast to him,
only acted in love and helped people.
One who had a similar name to him.
Pilate stood up, and Barabbas heard
how he called upon the people to
choose. He experienced the impossible.
His freedom was demanded, and not
that of the other Jesus. But ye denied
the Holy One and the Just, and desired
a murderer to be granted unto you
(Acts 3:14). Barabbas does not under-
stand what is taking place. They are no
better than he himself; they do an even
worse thing, They gather themselves
together against the soul of the right-
eous, and condemn the innocent
blood (Psalm 94:21). Barabbas sees
how the Righteous One does not justify
Himself, does not defend Himself, but
puts up with it silently. Then the
chains are taken from him, the mur-
derer. The people dismiss him in free-
domand the other Jesus? He is
crucified in his place. Relief fills him,
but the thought of the other One fol-
lows him.
Thus Jesus, the Sinless One, the
King and Judge, changed places with
us guilty people. He took our guilt
upon Himself, so that we could have
access to God the Father and be called
His children. We worship Him for this.
Have you made your choice?
(MR0409/373)
Thus Jesus, the Sinless One, the King and Judge, changed places with us
guilty people. He took our guilt upon Himself, so that we could have access
to God the Father and be called His children. We worship Him for this.
Have you made your choice?
BARABBAS OR JESUS
APRI L 2010 15
FIRST
THESSALONIANS4
AND
THERAPTURE
PARTI
By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Jr.
If one were to request only one passage of Scripture as proof for a pretribulational rapture, the
majority of pretribulationists would likely cite 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 as biblical proof of this blessed
doctrine. Since it is a foundational passage, it is pertinent to understand rightly what God has
revealed (cf. 2 Tim 2:15). The primary issue to be addressed in this article is the words used with
regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus. The Greek word translated coming in 1 Thessalonians 4:15
is parousia (nopoooio). One would be wise to become familiar with the word parousia, since it is
referenced often by those seeking to understand and interpret biblical eschatology.
THE TIMINGOF THE PAROUSIA
There are three views with regard to the
timing of the Lords coming, and those
are pretribulationism, midtribulation-
ism, and then posttribulationism.
1
It is
important to understand that the timing
issue with regard to the Lords coming
(i.e. the doctrine of the rapture as dis-
tinct from the second coming) is the re-
sult of premillennial theology. For
instance, amillennialists and postmillen-
nialists do not believe Scripture to teach
any kind of rapture, because those the-
ologies believe there is only one return
of the Lord Jesus, which is accompanied
by a general resurrection and general
judgment.
2
Consequently, amillennial
and postmillennial eschatology is sim-
plistic (and therefore easy to under-
stand), because all prophecies with
regard to judgment and resurrection are
combined.
Premillennial eschatology is very
complex because there are many diverse
events. Scripture prophesies of a rapture,
seven-year tribulation, second coming, a
75-day interval prior to the millennium,
the final rebellion of Satan at the end of
the millennium; moreover, there is not a
general resurrection and general judg-
ment, but there is the judgment seat of
Christ, the first resurrection, the second
resurrection, and the Great White
Throne judgment. What is noteworthy
with regard to premillennialism is to
compare it to diagrams of the Book of
Kings or the Book of Chronicles, which
are also incredibly complex because
those Old Testament books are accounts
of real history. Likewise, premillennial
eschatology is complex because it sys-
tematizes what will be historical, and
therefore literal details of the Bible.
It is also worthy noting that there is
nearly universal agreement that if one
interprets Scripture literally, the out-
come will be a premillennial eschatology.
For instance, (amillennialist) Oswald T.
Allis wrote, The Old Testament prophe-
cies if literally interpreted cannot be re-
garded as having been fulfilled or as
being capable of fulfillment in this pre-
sent age.
3
Floyd E. Hamilton, who was
also opposed to premillennialism, wrote
similarly, Now we must frankly admit
that a literal interpretation of the Old
Testament prophecies gives us just such
a picture of an earthly reign of the Mes-
siah as the premillennialist pictures.
That was the kind of a Messianic king-
dom that the Jews of the time of Christ
were looking for, on the basis of a literal
interpretation of the Old Testament.
4
Of
course, amillennialists and postmillenni-
alists attempt to provide explanations as
to why one should not regard specific
prophetic texts literally and why one
should not interpret biblical prophecy
literally. Certain passages in 1 Thessalo-
nians or in Daniel (chs. 712) and Rev-
elation are regarded as an apocalyptic
genre (sc. symbolic primarily), and/or
are interpreted spiritually (allegorically),
so that the literal meaning is not de-
sired.
5
Therefore, addressing the issue of
the distinction between the rapture and
Premillennial eschatology is very complex because there are many di-
verse events. Scripture prophesies of a rapture, seven-year tribulation,
second coming, a 75-day interval prior to the millennium, the final re-
bellion of Satan at the end of the millennium; moreover, there is not a
general resurrection and general judgment, but there is the judgment
seat of Christ, the first resurrection, the second resurrection, and the
Great White Throne judgment.
the second coming is not a concern for
amillennialists and postmillennialists.
PRETRIBULATIONISMANDMIDTRIBULA-
TIONISM
The issue with regard to the rapture of
the church is a premillennial discussion
dealing with the timing of that coming,
and whether it is pretribulational,
midtribulational, or posttribulational.
The pretribulational view that the rap-
ture will precede the seven years of
tribulation is what Midnight Call under-
stands Scripture to teach. The midtribu-
lational view is actually a variation of
the pretribulational, because midtribu-
lationists simply regard the church as
being exempt from tribulation, or the
wrath of God, which begins at the mid-
point of the tribulation, that is, the last
three and a half years. Both pretribula-
tionists and midtribulationists would
agree the church is not destined to ex-
perience the wrath of the tribulation,
but pretribulationists and midtribula-
tionists disagree as to when that wrath
begins.
The pretribulationist understands
the wrath of God to begin at the begin-
ning of the tribulation, and the
midtribulationist believes that Gods
wrath occurs at the tribulational
midpoint, which is their method
for affirming that the church is
raptured prior to the outpouring of
Gods wrath. Midtribulationists re-
fer typically to Revelation 11,
wherein the biblical text refers to
the snatching upward of the two
witnesses who have been martyred.
Midtribulationists believe the
prophesied event to be symbolic of
the church. Consequently, the
midtribulationist does not believe the
rapture is imminent; it cannot occur at
any moment because certain events
must occur, which is a primary distinc-
tion from pretribulationism, which
states the rapture can occur at any mo-
ment (i.e. although events may precede
the rapture, there are no prophesied
events that must occur).
Midtribulationism does not receive
much attention, as there are not many
midtribulationists presently, and there
have not been many midtribulationists
throughout the history of the church.
Marvin Rosenthal, the founder of Zions
Hope Ministries and the Holy Land Ex-
perience in Orlando, Florida,
6
has at-
tempted to revive midtribulational
thinking with what he calls the pre-
wrath rapture of the church. Rosenthal
does not regard his view as midtribula-
tional and does not make any reference
to midtribulationism. However, his ar-
gumentation is entirely similar to
midtribulationism, and should be un-
derstood as a combination of both pret-
ribulational and posttribulational
assertions. The majority of rapture dis-
cussions involve the pretribulational or
posttribulational views.
Both pretribulationists and midtribulationists would agree the church is
not destined to experience the wrath of the tribulation, but pretribula-
tionists and midtribulationists disagree as to when that wrath begins.
FIRST THESSALONIANS 4 AND THE RAPTURE
APRI L 2010 17
POSTTRIBULATIONISM
Posttribulationalists are attempting to
reassert their position. Baker Books has
even released a new book affirming a
certain type of posttribulationism,
7
be-
cause adherents of that position recog-
nize that primarily with regard to the
rapture, the majority of the focus has
been upon pretribulationism. According
to the posttribulational view, the church
will experience the entire seven years of
tribulation, and the rapture and the sec-
ond coming are regarded as one event.
George Eldon Ladd (1911-82), who was
professor of New Testament exegesis and
theology at Fuller Theological Seminary,
is a primary reference for posttribula-
tional studies. There is also much atten-
tion upon Ladds eschatology and its
relationship to the miraculous gifts of
the Holy Spirit.
8
The theology of Ladd
was a major influence upon John Wim-
ber (1934-97), founder of the Vineyard
Christian Fellowship, who was con-
vinced that demonstration and valida-
tion of the power of the Gospel was
through miracles. Ladd is a noteworthy
individual not only for eschatological
studies, but also for pneumatology (doc-
trine of the Holy Spirit) among those
who argue that signs and wonders of the
New Testament times should be com-
mon practices in the contemporary
church. Ladds writings remain influen-
tial in the current time.
As a futurist posttribulationist, Ladd
wrote, The parousia, the apokalypse,
and the epiphany appear to be a single
event. Any division of Christs coming
into two parts is an unproven infer-
ence.
9
Ladd believed the words parou-
sia, the apokalypse, and the epiphany
refer to the same, single event, and
therefore are not to be differentiated.
Ladd is incorrect, however, in his asser-
tion. The first word, parousia, is trans-
lated coming in 1 Thessalonians 4:15,
and in that passage refers rather specifi-
cally to the rapture of the church. The
same Greek word, parousia, is used in
The first word, parousia, is translated coming in 1 Thessalonians 4:15,
and in that passage refers rather specifically to the rapture of the church.
The same Greek word, parousia, is used in Matthew 24:27 and is accu-
rately translated coming with regard to the Lords return to earth.
Matthew 24:27 and is accurately trans-
lated coming with regard to the Lords
return to earth. Since the same Greek
word is used in Matthew 24:27 and 1
Thessalonians 4:15, posttribulationists
believe the texts refer to the same, single
event. Pretribulationists disagree, and
understand parousia to describe two
separate events: the rapture and the sec-
ond coming.
Parousia is properly translated as
coming, and literally bears the idea of
presence associated with the coming. An
illustration may help to clarify the literal
meaning. Grandparents may say they
are expecting the presence (the
parousia) of their grandchildren for a
special occasion. The statement may be
understood in a twofold manner. The
first meaning may be that the grandpar-
ents are expecting the presence of their
grandchildren soon, and they will be
present for the special occasion. In other
words, the grandchildren will come
soon, which will be evident in them be-
ing present and experiencing the special
occasion of their grandparents. There-
fore, the soon coming and
the actual celebration occur
at one time. The second
meaning of the statement
could be that the grandpar-
ents will be experiencing
the presence of their grand-
children soon, and they will
also be present for the spe-
cial occasion. Therefore,
two events are understood.
The grandchildren could
come soon, leave the grand-
parents home, and return again for the
special occasion. The coming of the
grandchildren may refer to one event, or
it could refer to two events.
The illustration serves to demonstrate
that the coming of the grandchildren
does not necessarily infer one, single
event. It is similar with the presence
(coming) of the Lord Jesus. When the
Greek word, parousia, is used, it does
not have to mean that the rapture and
the second coming are one event. Parou-
sia could quite simply be a word that de-
scribes two separate events. Ladds
statement is wrong because the mere use
of parousia does not indicate whether
the coming is the rapture of the church
or the Lords return to earth. Only con-
text of the biblical passage will indicate
which coming is being referenced.
The other word used with regard to
the Lords coming is apokalupsis
(onoio/o|i). The three uses of this
word in 1 Corinthians 1:7 and 1 Peter 1:7
and 4:13 are references to the rapture.
Apokalupsis simply means revelation. In
the Corinthians passage and the two ref-
The illustration serves to demonstrate that the coming of the grandchil-
dren does not necessarily infer one, single event. It is similar with the
presence (coming) of the Lord Jesus. When the Greek word, parousia, is
used, it does not have to mean that the rapture and the second coming
are one event.
APRI L 2010 19
erences in 1 Peter, the Greek word is
referring to Christ coming for His
church and revealing Himself to her.
At the second coming, of course,
Christ will also reveal Himself, but in a
different manner; He will reveal Him-
self as He returns to earth at the close
of the tribulation (i.e. He will reveal
Himself as Lord of lords and King of
kings to the entire world). One must
examine context to determine which
coming is being referenced. Context
will indicate whether the usage is with
regard to Christ coming to reveal Him-
self for who He is, or whether it is His
second coming when He reveals Him-
self to the entire world.
The third word mentioned by Ladd
is epiphaneia (: nio v:io), which sim-
ply means manifestation. Christ will
certainly manifest Himself to His
church. Epiphaneia is used in 2 Timo-
thy 4:8 and Titus 2:13 with reference
to Christ manifesting Himself to the
church at the rapture. The same word
is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, which
refers to the time when Christ destroys
Antichrist; the Lord Jesus manifests
Himself by His coming, which is an
epiphany that destroys Antichrist.
Context determines whether the rap-
ture or the second coming is intended.
If posttribulationists are correct
(which they are not), the Greek
wordsparousia, apokalupsis, and
epiphaneiamust catalog the time of
the Lords return whenever they are
used. In other words, anytime one
reads the three Greek words (or their
translation), they must be cataloged
into one single event. The biblical re-
sponse would be not to catalog but to
recognize that the three Greek words
characterize the coming of Lord Jesus.
Parousia, apokalupsis, and epiphaneia
do not catalog the Lords return as a
single event; rather, they characterize
His return at the rapture and at the
second coming. For instance, the word
parousia characterizes the presence of
the Lord at the rapture and also at the
second coming. The apokalupsis char-
acterizes the revelation of Christ; there
will be a revelation of who He at the
rapture, and also at the second com-
ing. Moreover, at the rapture, there
will be a manifestation of the Lord to
His church; therefore, the Greek word
epiphaneia is used.
CONCLUSION
In its original language (Koine
[common] Greek), the New Testa-
ment used different words to describe
the rapture and the second coming.
The usages do not catalog the Greek
words, nor do they indicate that the
coming of Lord Jesus is a single event;
rather, the usages characterize the re-
turn of the Lord Jesus at the rapture
and at the second coming (i.e. two
events, not one). Perhaps another il-
lustration may help. One could say
that an air conditioning unit has a mo-
tor, but it is also true to state that cam-
eras and vehicles have motors. If the
three references to motor are cata-
loged, this would mean that a motor is
always the same (within an air condi-
tioning unit, a camera, a vehicle, etc.).
If posttribulationists are correct (which they are not), the Greek words
parousia, apokalupsis, and epiphaneiamust catalog the time of the Lords
return whenever they are used. In other words, anytime one reads the
three Greek words (or their translation), they must be cataloged into one
single event.
But this would not be the intended
meaning of the word usage, because
what is meant is just what a motor
does. One understands the function of
a motor, and therefore the usage of
that word is characterizing; it is not
intended to mean that every reference
to a motor refers to the exact, same
motor. It is similar with the words
used for the rapture and the second
coming.
Therefore, parousia, apokalupsis,
and epiphaneia do not catalog the
Lords return into a single event;
rather, one must examine context to
determine what the words character-
ize. One must ask, does the word
characterize the rapture, or does the
word characterize the second coming?
To be rather direct, there are too many
irreconcilable differences between the
biblical passages with regard to the
rapture and those regarding the sec-
ond coming for them to be cataloging
the same event. Revelation 19, for in-
stance, prophesies Christs coming,
and the emphasis is upon His judg-
ment of the wicked. Whereas, in 1
Thessalonians 4, there is only a depic-
tion of the righteous in Christ, and the
emphasis is upon the dead being
raised to life. The dead are raised to
life and the living are immediately
translated (i.e. they receive a new, glo-
rified body).
In Revelation 19, however, the liv-
ing are judged: either the living are
judged to experience death, or the liv-
ing are judged to enter the kingdom.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, the living meet
the Lord Jesus in the air; whereas, in
Revelation 19, there is the prophecy of
Christ coming with the armies of
heaven, that is, coming with His
saints. The emphasis in 1 Thessaloni-
ans 4 is upon the guests at the mar-
riage supper of the Lamb; whereas, in
Revelation 19, the bride is distinct
from those assembled for the great
supper of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4,
the emphasis is upon the coming of
the Lord Jesus for those who will be
with Him forever. Conversely, in Reve-
lation 19, the emphasis is upon those
forever separated from Christ Jesus.
Incredibly distinct events are being
described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and
Revelation 19.
John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4
use remarkably similar language. In
John 14, Jesus said do not be trou-
bled, and in 1 Thessalonians 4, He
said, do not have sorrow, because
the emphasis is upon the fact that if
one trusts in Jesus as Lord and Sav-
ior, and therefore believes in God,
then when Christ comes, He will
take those individuals to be
with Him. John 14 states that
APRI L 2010 21
In its original language (Koine [common] Greek), the New Testament
used different words to describe the rapture and the second coming.
The usages do not catalog the Greek words, nor do they indicate that the
coming of Lord Jesus is a single event; rather, the usages characterize
the return of the Lord Jesus at the rapture and at the second coming (i.e.
two events, not one).
the Lord Jesus will receive them,
whereas 1 Thessalonians 4 says they
will be raptured, taken to be with the
Lord, and will always be with Him. Of
course, these are tremendous differ-
ences from what one reads in Matthew
2425 and Revelation 19; in those
passages, the emphasis is upon events
when Christ returns to earth. There-
fore, the biblical text causes this writer
to disagree with his posttribulational
brethren, as he does not believe that
parousia, apokalupsis, and epiphaneia
catalog one single event. When con-
text is examined more carefully, it is
evident that those words may refer to
two different events: the rapture of the
church and the Lords return to earth.
The believer in Jesus may biblically an-
ticipate the return of the Lord prior to
the beginning of the seven-year tribu-
lation. (379)
ENDNOTES
1 Pre-wrath rapturismwould be best identified as a
variation of midtribulationism. See this authors
previous article: Pre-Wrath Rapturism, Midnight
Call (December 2008): 17-25.
2 Scripture distinguishes the rapture of the church
and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth, in
addition to differentiating the first resurrection
(which includes the judgment seat of Christ for the
church, the judgment of Old Testament saints, the
judgment of tribulation saints, the judgment of
millennial saints) fromthe second resurrection
(the judgment of unbelievers at the Great White
Throne).
3 Oswald T. Allis, Prophecy and the Church (Philadel-
phia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1945) 238.
4 Floyd E. Hamilton, The Basis of Millennial Faith
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1942) 38.
5 For example, Allis wrote,Obedience is the precon-
dition of blessing under all circumstances
(Prophecy and the Church, 33). It is correct to state
that some blessings of God in both the Old Testa-
ment and NewTestament are conditioned upon
obedience. However, it is equally true that the sov-
ereign decrees of God will be fulfilled exactly as He
promised. Moreover, while Israel was disciplined
severely for disobedience, the fulfillment of Gods
promises to the believing remnant is unconditional
(as in election). Hamilton provided another alleged
reason for rejecting premillennial doctrine,Jesus
Himself, in speaking of that whole idea said, The
kingdomof God is within (or, in the midst of ) you
(Luke 17:21), thus contradicting the idea that it was
an earthly, literal Jewish kingdom (Basis of Millen-
nial Faith, 39). Jesus, however, did not declare a spiri-
tual formof the kingdomhad arrived, but was
indicating that the kingdomwas near because He
was present on earth, and a genuine offer of the
kingdomwas proffered to the nation of Israel (see
Ron J. Bigalke Jr. and George Gunn,Contingency of
the Davidic Reign, in Progressive Dispensationalism:
An Analysis of the Movement and Defense of Tradi-
tional Dispensationalism, ed. Ron J. Bigalke Jr. (Lan-
ham, MD: University Press of America, 2005) 181-82.
6 As a result of increasing debt, the Holy Land Experi-
ence was purchased by the apostate Trinity Broad-
casting Network in June 2007.
7 Craig L. Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung, eds., A
Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to
Left Behind Eschatology (Grand Rapids: Baker,
2009).
8 Bruce A. Baker,Progressive Dispensationalismand
Cessationism: Why They Are Incompatible,Is Pro-
gressive DispensationalismReally Dispensational?,
in Progressive Dispensationalism, 257-84, 346-60.
9 George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1956) 69; cf. Douglas J. Moo,The Case for
the Posttribulation Rapture Position, in The Rap-
ture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1984) 176-78.
Therefore, parousia, apokalupsis, and epiphaneia do not catalog the
Lords return into a single event; rather, one must examine context to de-
termine what the words characterize.
APRI L 2010 23
MONEY: ENDS & TRENDS
$
For resources on endtime economics and to subscribe to the free newsletter, Eternal Value Review, visit Wilfreds
website www.eternalvalue.com or contact him at: staff@eternalvalue.com
Last-Day Oppressors: Honored
Elites & an Indebted World Order
Part I
The results continue to roll in and they are shocking. Though some
may think that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) already belongs to the
history books, in reality, its fallout is epochal for the world; its
development a chapter in the processes leading to the end of days.
Readers might think this a sensationalist statement. However, by the
end of this article, you may want to reconsider.
B y W i l f r e d H a h n
A
ccording to a recently
released study by two well-
known international econ-
omists, Carmen Reinhart and
Kenneth Rogoff, the impact of the
GFC upon global debt levels has
been catastrophic. In their re-
search report
1
, they document that gov-
ernment debt levels around the world
have risen 75% over the last two years.
Stop to consider this statistic for a mo-
ment. Astoundingly, in the short time-
span of only two years, global
government debt levels have risen by
more than two-thirds. No, this is not a
statistic that applies to a single banana
republic nation. Rather, it applies to the
entire world. The total amount of all
government debt in the world rose 75%
in that incredibly short space of time.
While anyone following global finan-
cial affairs during the last few years will
not have been surprised by this develop-
ment, it nonetheless is alarming. Many
secular observers would agree. However,
we here wish to focus upon the
prophetic timeline and an entirely dif-
ferent set of questions. Just why the ra-
pidity? Just how does this trend
correlate with the Bible? Does govern-
ment debt have an endtime role?
Taken together with several other
trends and a literal scriptural perspec-
tive, in our view, it leads to an irrefutable
diagnosis. These developments do align
with endtime Bible prophecy. Though,
of course, we cannot draw any near-
term, specific predictions, we would be
negligent not to conclude that the world
is indeed on the fast track to great trou-
bles such as never was (Daniel 12:1).
Just what threat to the entire earth
would cause policymakers around the
globe to plunge into such lunacy? Of
what great significance is this develop-
ment?
Recent Reprobations of Greedy
Bankers
The news media is full of reports of vari-
ous committees and hearings in high
places, examining the causes of the
Global Financial Crisis
(GFC). Wall Street
bankers and mone-
tary officials have
been summoned
before special
tribunals, which
are investigating the massive
losses and financial instabilities
foisted upon America and the world.
Why did it happen? Who can be
blamed?
One Wall Street banker, Lloyd Blank-
fein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, appearing
before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Com-
mission, even claimed that the GFC was
an act of God. Only weeks earlier,
when being interviewed in London, he
commented that he was only a banker
doing Gods work. Other senior finan-
cial executives have also expressed fa-
vorable opinions on the morality of their
work and their bulge bracket compa-
nies and incomes.
They accept no extraordinary blame
for financial misadventure. It is a char-
acteristic trait of some parts of this in-
dustry already long documented. The
respected John Kenneth Galbraith, in
his book The Great Crash: 1929, writes
of this industrys leaders: They re-
mained very quiet. The sense of respon-
sibility in the financial community for
the community as a whole is not small.
It is nearly nil. To speak out against
madness may be to ruin those who have
succumbed to it. So the wise on Wall
Street are nearly always silent. The fool-
ish have the field to themselves and
none rebukes them.
2
Observing recent
intransigent attitudes on Wall Street, it
is actually much worse than Galbraith
suggests. Said Daniel Fass, organizer for
an Obama fundraising dinner from Wall
Street at the Mandarin Hotel, The in-
vestment community feels very put-
upon. They feel there is no reason why
they shouldnt earn $1 million to $200
million a year, and they dont want to be
held responsible for
the global finan-
cial melt-
down. And
so, only a year
after many of
these financial
firms were saved
from certain col-
lapse through government-funded
bailoutsactually, by future generations
of our childrenthey are again paying
themselves multi-billions in bonuses. To
recall, these bailouts were one of the
contributing causes to soaring govern-
ment debt levels.
How does such graft and corruption
continue unprotested? Past instabilities
and mismanagement aside, bankers
well understand that they remain in the
drivers seat. How so? This industry sits
squarely upon the edifice of money.
Bankers (meaning any and all who
work in financial institutions and are
plugged into global financial markets)
know well that they will not soon be
thrown out of mankinds secular temple
$
The news media
is full of reports of
various
committees and
hearings in high
places, examining
the causes of the
Global Financial
Crisis (GFC). Wall
Street bankers
and monetary
officials have been
summoned before
special tribunals,
which are
investigating the
massive losses
and financial
instabilities foisted
upon America and
the world. Why did
it happen? Who
can be blamed?
Last-Day Oppressors: Honored Elites & an Indebted World Order Part I
of this present Age of Capital. We live
in an era of global convergence in val-
ues. The world has agreed to endorse
humanist materialism. Fractional re-
serve banking, wealth in the form of
debt, and the notion that human
progress is defined by growth in gross
domestic product (GDP) make up the
unholy trinity of toppling idols that
must be propped up and nailed down at
all cost. They adorn it with silver and
gold; they fasten it with hammer and
nails so it will not totter (Jeremiah
10:4).
The key argument bankers used to
bludgeon governments into bailing
them out, was the cry that economies
cannot recover if you do not first allow
us to recover. We see that the world has
been held hostage by the financial in-
dustry. How did this late state of affairs
happen? In recent decades, the financial
industry became inordinately large, not
just in America but worldwide. The af-
fairs of money grew to the point that
this sector represented more than a third
of all corporate profits.
How is it that an industry that con-
tributes so little productive activity
should become so profitable and employ
so many people? We have documented
these epochal developments in previous
articles.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was to have
said, The money-changers have fled
from their high seats in the temple our
civilization. We may now restore that
temple to the ancient truths. He made
this rather optimistic statement during
his First Inaugural Address, in 1933. At
that time, America was in the depths of
the Great Depression. Wall Street had
been chastened, and thousands of banks
were closing their doors. Unfortunately,
Roosevelt was wrong. He probably did
not imagine that the business of money
would become many, many times larger
relative to human life than during his
day.
It surely did, and it likely will remain
so. The love of money reigns rampant
today in its advanced state, there being
few and fewer restrainers in the world
against this force. Corruption runs deep
in high places, the world having com-
mitted to a materialist heaven on earth
(denying God), and much of religion
has found a comfortable coexistence
with this state of affairs. That this is the
road to an eventual holocaust for
mankind is supported by Christs state-
ment, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that pro-
ceedeth out of the mouth of God
(Matthew 4:4). This statement in itself
essentially condemns the modern
worlds slavish fixation with every nu-
ance and statistic of the fabricated no-
tion of GDP.
Wrangling Economists
Debates continue to rage in the acade-
mic world of economics as to the causes
of the GFC and just what should be
done in the future to avoid similar disas-
ters. While we certainly respect the con-
tributions of some of these intellectuals,
$
Franklin D.
Roosevelt was
to have said,
The money-
changers have
fled from their
high seats in the
temple our
civilization. We
may now
restore that
temple to the
ancient truths.
Unfortunately,
Roosevelt was
wrong. He
probably did not
imagine that the
business of
money would
become many,
many times
larger relative to
human life than
during his day.
APRI L 2010 25
frankly, the debates border on the comi-
cal in some respects. To begin, it is cru-
cial to understand that economics is not
a science. It is a philosophy really, a
religion. Seen overall, this economics
fraternity proved themselves to be false
prophets in the kings court. In direct
contrast to their continuing prophecies
of prosperity as far as the eye could
see, they were proven wrong by the dis-
aster of the GFC. Yet, following this dis-
aster, they remain in their advisory posts
at the kings table.
In spirit, it is today the same as it was
in the time of Ahab, the wicked king of
Israel. He was the infamous founder of
the 120-year legacy of the practices of
Ahabs house (Micah 6:16), for which
God destroyed Israel. To a man, all of his
establishment prophets (some four hun-
dred) prophesied victory as he was pon-
dering whether to go to war against
Ramoth Gilead. Only one prophet who
received his inspiration from God, Mica-
iah, told the grim truth. For this bravery
he was rewarded with a slap in the face
(1 Kings 22:24). Ahab then ordered to
Put this fellow in prison and give him
nothing but bread and water (1 Kings
22:27).
As then, in many vocations today
there is a significant price to be paid for
speaking the truth. This can also cer-
tainly be true in any public role in eco-
nomics and finance. For one, any
admission of a faith in Jesus Christ vir-
tually guarantees career suicide. Sec-
ondly, it hurts the pocketbook. The
famous quip by Upton Sinclair is apro-
pos here, It is difficult to get a man to
understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it.
The point he makes is that anyone
whether a tenured academic, perhaps a
scientist contesting the global warm-
ing theoryetc.is censured also eco-
nomically. They may lose their jobs or
have the funding pulled on their re-
search projectsetc., if they do not
align with the humanist and globalist
agenda. As such, understanding can
be heavily influenced by money.
Despite the fact that the economics
priesthood has been entirely defrocked
as frauds, they are still consulted for so-
lutions to get the world out of the cur-
rent mess. Of literally hundreds of
opinions written by so-called econo-
mists on the causes and remedies to the
current economic troubles that this
writer has read over the past 18 months
or so, not one can be recalled that in any
way alluded to the unbridled basic na-
ture of man as being the problem. It is
the human condition of a fallen world.
While the God-appointed facility of civil
government during this dispensation is
surely charged to pursue beneficial and
wise policies (Genesis 9:6), temporal so-
lutions must not ignore what is right in
the eyes of God in favor of what is right
in their own eyes (Isaiah 5:21).
The Bible says it is the heart of man
that is the issue. The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure. Who
can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9).
Mankind is innately sinful. How then
can future financial crises be entirely
avoided? Not until the vices of greed
and the love of money are eradicated.
Until then, They plot injustice and say,
We have devised a perfect plan! Surely
$
Only one prophet
who received his
inspiration from
God, Micaiah,
told the grim
truth. For this
bravery he was
rewarded with a
slap in the face
(1 Kings 22:24).
Ahab then
ordered to Put
this fellow in
prison and give
him nothing but
bread and water
(1 Kings 22:27).
Last-Day Oppressors: Honored Elites & an Indebted World Order Part I
the mind and heart of man are cunning
(Psalm 64:6).
How Three Endtime Conditions In-
terconnect
We now return to the topic of govern-
ment debt. Just how does it figure into
endtime developments? Shouldnt it be
strange that government indebtedness
plays a role? Isnt it indebted and
trapped individuals who come under the
economic influence of the False
Prophet and the Antichrist? If it is true,
as the Proverbs writer says, that The
rich ruleth over the poor, and the bor-
rower is servant to the lender
(22:7, KJV), just how can
indebted governments
collaborate to rule the
world?
Actually, with respect to
the money aspects of last
day events, conditions are
rather more complex according
to the Bible. At least three major
impulses can be identified from
Bible prophecy, including that of
an indebted world rulership. To
explain how these conditions in-
terweave, we will describe each of
these three roles.
1. A protracted wealth skew. What is
meant by a wealth skew? It is the ex-
treme between the wealthy and the
poorthe outcome of the wealthy be-
coming richer and fewer, the relatively
poor more so. But is such a condition
prophesied? Yes, James specifically
prophesies that an amassing of riches
plays a role in the endtimes. He says,
Now listen, you rich people [] You
have hoarded wealth in the last days
(James 5:1, 3). The King James transla-
tion, in this writers opinion, translates
this condition of amassing wealth more
accurately, stating, Ye have heaped trea-
sure together for the last days (verse 3).
Here, we understand that not only
may wealth have increased overall, but it
is also heaped or amassed, as is im-
plied by the Greek word thesaurizo. This
is an important distinction, as it gives ev-
idence of a wealth skew. Wealth cannot
be heaped and concentrated without
there being a deprivation of someone
elses wealth.
However, is it reasonable to deduce
this endtime condition of an extreme
wealth skew from only one single verse?
Not only would it be plausible to argue
that this verse is clear, but also many
other Bible references fore-
shadow conditions that are
in alignment with this con-
dition. From the Old Testa-
ment (OT) to the New
Testament (NT) prophets,
times of extreme commer-
cialism and financial oppres-
sion in the last days are
outlined. Isaiah and Zechariah
point to extreme commercial-
ism, among other OT prophets.
In the New Testament, the
Apostle Peter warns of difficult
times that are evidenced by
lovers of money (2 Timothy 3:1-
2). John prophesies in Revelation of the
Laodicean church that says, I am rich;
I have acquired wealth and do not need a
thing (Revelation 3:17). This seventh
and last church that is admonished is
commonly believed to represent the last-
day church.
In Part II, we review the other two
major players and conclude with the
implications for the world.
ENDNOTES
1 Carmen Reinhart (University of Maryland), Kenneth
Rogoff (Harvard University and NBR),Growth in the
Time of Debt, December 31, 2009.
2 John Kenneth Galbraith, The Great Crash: 1929, 1954,
Houghton Mifflin Company, NewYork.
$
What is meant
by a wealth
skew? It is the
extreme
between the
wealthy and the
poorthe
outcome of the
wealthy
becoming richer
and fewer, the
relatively poor
more so. But is
such a condition
prophesied? Yes,
James
specifically
prophesies that
an amassing of
riches plays a
role in the
endtimes.
APRI L 2010 27
MC
Dupouy, a 28-year-old
lawyer, got almost five
months paid maternity leave from
her company for the birth. She
can take another seven months
off beyond thata year totalun-
paid, if she wants, with her job
guaranteed under French law.
When her son Louis was born,
healthy and by way of a normal delivery, she got to
stay in her local French hospital, around the corner
fromwhere she lives, for five full days, to rest.
Welcome to France, voted the best place in the
world to live for the fifth year in a row by Interna-
tional Living magazine, which has been analyzing
data and publishing its annual Quality of Life Index
for 30 years.
One of the reasons France keeps winning the
ranking is its world-class health care system, which
Dupouy just experienced first-hand.
They treat expecting mums like treasures here,
Dupouy told CNN from her Paris apartment. They
take really good care of you. The health care sys-
tem is just amazing. She said she wouldnt have
gotten the same maternity leaveor careback
home inAustralia.
At her job, Dupouy also gets seven weeks paid
vacation a year, although its her first job as an attor-
ney since graduating with a law degree in Australia.
She doesnt think twice about taking the Metro
across townfor just $1.37 a rideto visit a friend.
Or she picks up a rental bike at one of the many
computerized bike hire racks in town to get around.
France scores high marks across the board in
the survey, which is done every January, from
health care (100 points) to infrastructure (92
points) to safety and risk (100 points).
No surprise, said the magazine in its report.
Its (Frances) tiresome bureaucracy and high
taxes are outweighed by an unsurpassable qual-
ity of life, including the worlds best health care.
Following France in the top ten are Australia,
Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, Luxem-
bourg, the U.S., Belgium, Canada and Italy, in
that order.
The United States dropped from third to sev-
enth place in this years rankings, largely be-
cause of the grinding economic crisis last year.
Of course, France too has its
problems. The country suffers
from high youth unemployment,
particularly among the disaffected
young people who live in its equiv-
alent of the projects, known as les-
banlieues.
Late last year, the French gov-
ernment opened a national dis-
cussion about national identity, which has
evolved into debates over whether immi-
grants, and particularly Muslim immigrants,
are French enough. The country has the high-
est Muslim population of any European coun-
try, with an estimated six million living in the
country.
But for the most part, French people enjoy a
good lifestyle. International Living says that dur-
ing their large chunk of leisure time, the French
enjoy visiting the countrys many beaches and
Alpine ski resorts.
Dupouylike more famous experts Ernest
Hemingway and Julia Child before heragrees.
-cnn.com, 11 February 2010
Contrary to many other reports, France pre-
sents a rather impressive report card.
Peace, freedom, prosperity, and security are
the goals of every nation on the face of the
earth. That is one side of the story. The
other side is exposed by our Lord in
Matthew 16:26: For what is a man prof-
ited, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul? or what shall a man give
in exchange for his soul? 3750
F R A N C E
Half-timbered
houses in
Calvados in the
Auge
countryside, an
area that has
some of the
most beautiful
villages in
France.
TheBestPlacetoLiveintheWorld
Bindi Dupouy, anAustralianliving inParis, andher Frenchhusband, just hadtheir first
child, a sonborninthe country.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Francescores highmarks across the
board, especiallyinhealthcare
U.S.drops toseventhplacefrom
thirdbecauseof economy
FrenchenjoyeverythingfromRiv-
ierabeaches toAlpineskiing
Vacations arelong, leaves aregen-
erous, lifestylegood
APRI L 2010 29
The decision comes after an exhaustive
investigation by the European Commis-
sion into the situation which identified significant
shortcomings in respect of Sri Lankas implemen-
tation of three UN human rights conventions, the
EU executive said in a statement announcing the
measure.
The withdrawal of GSP Plus (an extension of
the Generalized System of Preferences) will begin
in six months time, it said, during which time Brus-
sels hopes to engage in a dialogue with Colombo
over the matter, giving Sri Lanka extra time to ad-
dress the problems identified.
Unlike many other EU trade relations, the GSP
Plus program is predicated specifically on adher-
ence to human rights norms.
Under the program, the EU provides additional
preferences to economically vulnerable developing
countries that have ratified and effectively imple-
mented 27 international conventions in the fields of hu-
man and labor rights, sustainable development and
good governance.
Brussels is to closely monitor the situation and reg-
ularly re-evaluate its position. Once sufficient progress
has been made, the decision is to be reversed.
-euobserver.com, 16 February 2010
The EU represents the worlds largest economy.
They also occupy the number 1 spot when it
comes to imports and exports. Politically, how-
ever, the EU is little more than a paper tiger, at
least at this moment. But economy and politics
go hand in hand; thus, one can expect the EUs
political power to grow significantly in the fu-
ture. Human rights are the key to remain in favor
with the European Union and democracy.
Analyzing political/economic global devel-
opment requires us to look at Scripture. Daniel
chapter 2 reveals an image representing the four
Gentile superpowers: Babylon, Persia, Greece,
and Rome. The fourth oneRomeis diverse
from all others, And the fourth kingdom shall
be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in
pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that
breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and
bruise (Daniel 2:40). This last global power
structure will force the world to be unified. That
means all the traditions, customs, cultures, and
laws of individual nations will be broken to
pieces in order for all nations to become subject
to the final power structurethe iron and clay
kingdom! 3749
(For detailed information, read Daniels Prophecies
Made Easy, Item1057).1068).
P O L A N D
PolishPolitical Power inBelarus
PolandhasthreatenedtofreezeprogressinEU-Belarusrelationsand
tolobbytheIMFtocut off aidfollowingacrackdownonethnicPoles.
Police arrested the leader of the Union of

Poles in Belarus, Angelika Borys, along
with around 40 other activists on their way to a
rally in Valozhyn, in the west of the country.
Thanks to Polish engagement Belarus has
found itself in the Eastern Partnership. Poland
would like to continue the trend of gradually de-
veloping contacts, Polish deputy foreign minis-
ter Andrzej Kramer told press in the Polish
capital.
But a negative scenario is possible, which
would mean the self-isolation of the Belarusian
side, if these repressive acts continue.
Mr. Kramer said Poland will deny visas to any
Belarus officials involved in the events. Warsaw
has also asked EU foreign ministers to discuss
the situation at a regular meeting in Brussels.
The Polish government is in a tricky spot.
On the one hand it is facing public pressure to
act tough. But it does not want to jeopardize its
strategic aimof bringing Belarus closer to the EU or
its efforts to improve the lives of ordinary people liv-
ing in the authoritarian state.
If the crackdown continues, Poland is likely to try
and block any prestigious high-level EU-Belarus
meetings.
A Polish diplomat also underlined Warsaws
growing influence in the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), which is propping up Belarus crisis-hit
economy with billions of dollars in aid. We will try to
exert pressure in all international fora where Poland
has a voice, the diplomatic contact said.
The Polish Union in Belarus is the largest inde-
pendent NGOin the country.
Belarus is home to 400,000 ethnic Poles
following a change in borders after World
War II, which pushed the Polish frontier to
the west.
As a full-fledged member of the European
Union, the Poles are a key nation in build-
ing relationships between the EU and for-
mer Soviet nations.
While there are only few signs indicat-
ing Belarus political change, progress is
nevertheless being made slowly and surely.
Belarus is a European nation and will even-
tually obtain EU membership. Fundamen-
tal human rights and democracy are the
first stepping stones toward a preliminary
application for membership. Belarus can-
not ignore the rich, the free, the secure and
prosperous European Union. 3752
Asthepolitical situationinSri Lankadeteriorates andaccusations

of humanrightsabusesmount, EuropeanUnionmember states
on15Februaryagreedtosuspendpreferential tradebenefitsfor
theislandcountry.
Belarussian
police arrest
Union of
Poles activist
(Photo:
Nasha Niva)
S RI L ANKA
EUWarns of HumanRights Abuses
Londons Court of Appeal rejected a
request by British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband to prevent senior judges from
disclosing claims that former Guantanamo
Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed had been
shackled and subjected to sleep deprivation
and threats while in U.S. custody.
The office of Dennis Blair, U.S. director of
national intelligence, issued a statement say-
ing the British courts decision to release
classified information provided by the United
States is not helpful, and we deeply regret it.
The protection of confidential information
is essential to strong, effective security and
intelligence cooperation among allies, the
statement said. It indicated the ruling would
create challenges but the two countries
would remain united in our efforts to fight
against violent extremist groups.
Miliband had argued that full disclosure of
the redacted claims might make the United
States less willing to share intelligence and
thus prejudice Britains national security.
Recent events showed the importance of
sharing intelligence, and the U.S. authorities
were concerned about the release of such
material, he told parliament, adding that he
was working with U.S. officials to ensure bi-
lateral ties were not damaged.
The court excluded seven sensitive para-
graphs supplied by U.S. intelligence services,
and judges said later the United States had
threatened to end intelligence cooperation if
the evidence of alleged torture was released.
But last October, two High Court judges
ruled there was an overwhelming public in-
terest in releasing the details, a decision the
Appeal Court upheld.
The treatment reported ... could be readily
contended to be at the very least cruel, inhu-
man and degrading treatment by the United
States authorities, the now public judgment
said.
Miliband said the Appeal Court would have
upheld the principle that no country should
disclose intelligence from another without its
agreementhad the substance of the para-
graphs not already been put into the public
domain by a U.S. court judgment in a sepa-
rate case in December.
Without that disclosure, it is clear that the
Court of Appeal would have overturned the
Divisional Courts decision to publish the ma-
terial, Miliband said in a statement.
He told parliament Britain was opposed to
torture. The UK firmly opposes torture and
cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or
punishment. This is not just about legal oblig-
ations, it is also about our values as a nation
....
Human rights campaigners said the gov-
ernment had gone to great lengths to conceal
torture and the Foreign Office had been con-
cerned mainly with saving face.
These embarrassing paragraphs reveal
nothing of use to terrorists but they do show
something of the UK governments complicity
with the most shameful part of the War on
U K
Government ForcedtoPublishU.S.
TortureAllegations
The Britishgovernment lost a legal battle toprevent the
disclosure of secret U.S. intelligence material relating to
allegations of cruel andinhuman treatment involving
the CIA.
(continued next page)

CHI NA
Communist China
OfficiallyWorlds
No.1Exporter
Official datareleasedfrom
Germanyconfirmedthat
Chinahas strippedEuropes
largest economyof its topex-
porter title.
Data released by the German Federal
Statistics Office showed the countrys ex-
ports fell by 18.4 percent in 2009 when compared
to the previous year, hitting a dollar equivalent of
$1.121 trillion. Chinas exports for 2009 totaled
$1.202 trillion.
Despite the drop,
which represents the
greatest year-on-year
decline for Germany
since 1950, the news of Chinas
takeover was not greeted with great alarm by
German economists.
This is something that was expected. Every-
one agrees that Chinas currency is underval-
ued, but still it was only a matter of time, Gernot
Nerb, head of the industry department with the
Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich,
told this website.
The official figures also showed a strong ex-
port recovery in the fourth quarter of the year,
helping to pull Germany out of its recession and
providing a silver lining to the more gloomy an-
nual data.
Interestingly, Germany is not alarmed.
China is operating under the cheap labor
market rule and Germany has the most ex-
pensive workforce in the world, so it was
quite natural for China to displace Ger-
many as the number 1 world exporter. One
government official actually stated, This
is good for Germany for China needs our
technology, equipment, and machinery to
produce products for export. 3748
(For more information on this subject, read Global
Financial Apocalypse Prophesied by Wilfred Hahn,
Item1068).
APRI L 2010 31
(continued from page 30)
U S A
PresidentObamaSeekingChineseHelp
President Barack Obama came intooffice talking toughonChina. The emerging super-
power, he promised, wouldbe treatedas a competitor, not coddledas a friendor
shunnedas anenemy.
The stern words of his
presidential campaign,
however, faded almost as soon as
Obama settled in at the White
House one year ago.
Obamas China policy has
been designed to gain concessions from a country
crucial to solving global crises. Yet the United
States has seen little benefit on many of its press-
ing problems, including nuclear standoffs with Iran
and North Korea and tackling climate change and
economic worries.
Obamas top diplomats urge patience as they
work to strengthen what they call the worlds most
important, and most complex, relationship.
So far, Chinas ally North Korea refuses to give
up its nuclear program. Beijing has shied away
from tough sanctions against Iran and is wary
about making climate change commitments that it
feels would hinder its economy. Businesses and la-
bor groups say China continues to violate trade
rules and manipulate its currency.
Internet giant Google threatened to shut down
its China-based site over censorship and e-mail
hacking. The United States says it will lodge a for-
mal complaint to Beijing on the alleged hacking at-
tacks.
Trade and economics continue as irritants.
Congress could face pressure to enact punish-
ing legislation against China in response to claims
by American manufacturers that Beijings manage-
ment of its currency has caused huge trade deficits
for the United States.
U.S. companies say manipulation makes Chi-
nese products cheaper in America and American
goods more expensive in China. Obama has so far
declined to cite China officially as a currency ma-
nipulator.
His administration did act against China, however,
ontwofronts: herespondedtolabor pressureby slap-
ping duties on Chinese-made tires and steel pipes.
-news.yahoo.com, 16 January 2010
Neither China nor the United States can al-
low themselves the luxury to act indepen-
dently on major issues. The United States
needs help desperately. While socialist Eu-
rope, now the richest continent, has shown
more reluctance to assist the United States,
communist China, Americas biggest credi-
tor, commands more leverage than Wash-
ington is willing to admit.
On the other side of the coin, China does
depend on the United States. The US is their
second largest customer after Japan. Thus,
U.S. ties are still significant and able to up-
set the worlds fastest growing
economy significantly should
serious conflicts of interest de-
velop.
Two giantsone represent-
ing capitalism, although in
truth, practicing communism, and the other
representing communism, yet practicing
capitalismhave become interdependent.
That, too, is part of the unceasing process
to unite the nations of the world in order to
bring about a peaceful, prosperous, and se-
cure global society. But, we must add, it is
only temporary. The worlds great peace,
prosperity, and glory will end in the Great
Tribulation, terminating in the Battle of Ar-
mageddon. That will be the great and final
confrontation between the world, under the
leadership of the Devil, and Christ the
Lord. How will the world react? And the
kings of the earth, and the great men, and
the rich men, and the chief captains, and
the mighty men, and every bondman, and
every free man, hid themselves in the dens
and in the rocks of the mountains; And said
to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and
hide us from the face of him that sitteth on
the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is
come; and who shall be able to stand?
(Revelation 6:15-17). 3741
WASHINGTON - US President Barack

Obama came into office talking tough
on China. The emerging superpower,
he promised, would be treated as a
competitor, not coddled as a friend or
shunned as an enemy.
Terror, said Shami Chakrabati, director of rights
campaign group Liberty.
-reuters.com, 10 February 2010
Every person on planet Earth will ulti-
mately be registered and all movements
documented in order to achieve peace,
prosperity, and security for all people.
This is not just an instance happening in
the UK, but the spirit of freedom and
equality, based on humanistic principles
will have its heyday yet across the world.
The climax of this development is docu-
mented in Revelation 13:15: And he had
power to give life unto the image of the
beast, that the image of the beast should
both speak, and cause that as many as
would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed. 3751
(See book: Satans Last Victory, Item1067).
(continued next page)
M A L A Y S I A
Court Rules Chris-
tians CanUsethe
WordAllah
AMalaysiancourt ruledthat
Christianshavetheconstitutional
right tousethewordAllahtorefer
toGod, strikingdownagovern-
ment banasillegal.
The landmark ruling appeared to be a
victory for freedom of religion in the
Muslim-majority country, where the ban had
become a symbol of what minorities say is in-
stitutionalized religious discrimination.
Government lawyers said they will consult
with the Home Ministry before deciding whether
to appeal Judge Lau Bee Lans verdict in a
higher court, where the ban could still be rein-
stated. They have one month to appeal.
Lau said in her judgment that Christians have
the constitutional right to use Allah and that the
Home Ministry is not empowered to impose
the ban.
She was ruling on a lawsuit filed in late 2007
by the Herald, the Malaysian Roman Catholic
Churchs main publication, after the government
blocked non-Muslims from translating God as
Allah in their literature.
This is indeed a landmark case for our na-
tion, the Heralds editor, the Rev. Lawrence An-
drew, said in a statement. He said the verdict
upholds constitutional liberties of freedom of
speech, expression and religion.
Authorities have insisted that Allah is an Is-
lamic word that should be used exclusively by
Muslims, and its use by other religions would be
misleading.
Minorities have often said their constitutional
right to practice religion freely has come under
threat from the Malay Muslim-dominated gov-
ernment. The government denies any discrimi-
nation.
Recently, the government confiscated 10,000
copies of Bahasa Malaysia-language Bibles be-
cause they contained the word Allah.
-news.yahoo.com, 31 December 2009
The word Allah translated in English
means God. But such translation has
caused conflict not only in Muslim coun-
tries, but also among Christians as well.
Most argue that Allah specifically identi-
fies the God of the Muslims, thus agreeing
with the Muslim fundamentalists. Others,
however, will insist that in the Arab lan-
guage, the proper word for God is Allah.
During a recent telephone conversation
with a former Muslim in Israel, this editor
asked the question, How do you pray to
God? She answered, Suchran Allah.
Also, we must point out that the defini-
tion Christian does not necessarily mean
Bible-believing Christians. It usually iden-
tifies those who are not Muslims or Jews.
3753
(For answers to prophetic questions, we suggest our
book, 119 Most Frequently Asked Questions About
Bible Prophecy, Item1055.)
BRAZI L
Shell Signs $12
BillionEthanol
Deal withBrazil
Royal DutchShell plansto
formanethanol andfuel distri-
butionjoint ventureworthup
to$12billionwithBrazilian
sugar andbiofuel giant Cosan,
becomingthelatest global en-
ergycompanytobuyintoone
of Brazilsfastest-growingin-
dustries.
Its a vote of confidence
from an oil major for the
Brazilian ethanol industry, said
Jonathan Kingsman, man-
aging director of the Lau-
sanne-based Kingsman SA
ethanol and sugar consultancy. I expect more inter-
est from the oil companies in Brazilian ethanol, both
in production and distribution.
The 50-50 joint venture, with almost 4,500 filling
stations nationwide, will better position Cosan and
Shell to compete with the two top players in the mar-
ket, state oil giant Petrobras and Ipiranga, a unit of
Brazils Grupo Ultra.
The deal calls for Cosan to transfer its sugar,
ethanol, fuel distribution and energy generation
units to the venture, with assets valued at $4.93 bil-
lion and debt of $2.52 billion.
Shell will contribute its retail fuel and aviation dis-
tribution business, valued at up to $3 billion, and in-
ject $1.63 billion into the merged company in up to
two years. In all, the value of the joint venture can
reach $12 billion.
Cosan first branched out into the fuel distribution
business in 2008 when it acquired U.S.-based
Exxon Mobil Corps Esso chain of service stations
for nearly $1 billion. Cosan also agreed in Decem-
ber to buy a local chain of filling stations called Pet-
rosul for an undisclosed sum.
While the deal will not immediately add to
Cosans existing cane crushing capacity of about 60
million tons a year, it will give it a deep-pocketed
partner at a time when some of its smaller rivals are
vulnerable to takeovers.
The companies hope to more than double
ethanol output to up to 5 billion liters a year from
about 2 billion now, Shells downstream director,
Mark Williams, said in London, without giving a time
frame. The increase would come from takeovers
and organic growth, he added.
Oil companies and major global investors have
been searching for partnerships in Brazils promis-
ing ethanol sector, which is largely dominated by
But now, less than a year later, several

EU countries find themselves among a
list of states with an excessive stockpile of a
hastily-made vaccine, leading to accusations of
misspent taxpayer money and collusion be-
tween the WTO and private pharmaceutical
companies.
The French administration, for example, or-
dered enough vaccine to inoculate its entire
population of 60 million, but has so far used only
5 million doses. It now hopes to cancel 50 mil-
lion doses and sell millions more.
The Netherlands is looking to sell 19 million
doses to other countries, while Germany is in
talks with drug manufacturers to halve its order
of 50 million doses. Switzerland, Spain and
Britain are also considering plans to sell excess
supplies.
With health issues still largely a national
competence, commission officials say their role
in the early days of the outbreak was to facilitate
information exchange between European capi-
tals, with efforts now concentrating on the need
to redistribute the surplus vaccines.
The EU executive body will not comment on
allegations of collusion, pointing instead to the
initial mistaken belief that individuals would
need two vaccine doses to acquire immunity as
the main reason for the vaccine glut in certain
states.
What used to be national has now become
international. With the age of communica-
tion explosion, the whole world is immedi-
ately involved when unusual flus such as
swine flu are discovered. The driving force
is the news media. We were bombarded on
the hour about the danger of a global epi-
demic. In the meantime, it has become evi-
dent that the claims were vastly exagger-
ated.
Regardless of how one views these
things, we cannot deny that such reports
contain a degree of warning of things to
come. The Bible does predict of coming
global catastrophes, for example, in Reve-
lation 8:10-11: And the third angel
sounded, and there fell a great star from
heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it
fell upon the third part of the rivers, and
upon the fountains of waters; And the name
of the star is called Wormwood: and the
third part of the waters became wormwood;
and many men died of the waters, because
they were made bitter. 3755
(A comprehensive study of events to come is found
in the book, The Great Mystery of the Rapture, Item
1038.)
APRI L 2010 33
family companies with complex ownership struc-
tures.
Shell has been looking for opportunities in
Brazils ethanol industry for years. About 90 per-
cent of all new cars in Brazil are flex-fuel, running
on any mix of ethanol and gasoline, making the
country a huge market for biofuels.
Other foreign companies have also been look-
ing to Brazil. U.S. agribusiness giant Bunge Ltd.
struck a deal in December to buy sugar and
ethanol producer Moema for $452 million, while
French commodities company Louis Dreyfus said
in October it would take over the Santelisa Vale
mill for an undisclosed sum.
For Cosan, the worlds largest sugar and
ethanol producer, teaming up with Shell could give
it access to a vast overseas distribution network
and new technologies in ethanol production, an
area where Shell has been investing. Shells net-
work may help Cosan export more ethanol as out-
put grows.
Well have a partner with an absolutely huge
international presence in fuels sales, Cosan CFO
Marcelo Martins said.
The so-called second-generation in ethanol
production has yet to reach commercial scale, but
some companies are betting on the use of cellu-
losic material such as bagasse or cane stalks and
grasses to make biofuels, in part to move away
from making fuel from foodstuffs.
-reuters.com, 1 February 2010
This report shows the energy of globaliza-
tion. According to Fortune magazine, Royal
Dutch Shell is the largest business in the
world, with revenues close to half a trillion
dollars annually. It stands to reason that
smaller companies will have to merge in or-
der to exist, or else become casualties of a
hostile takeover. In any case, it becomes
clearer everyday that globalism is the winner.
While companies dealing with billions con-
vey their intent to better this world, purify the
climate, etc., the bottom line still is more
money, more possessions, more power. But
in the end, nothing will help, for the Bible
says, Go to now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miseries that shall come upon
you. Your riches are corrupted, and your gar-
ments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a wit-
ness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it
were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together
for the last days (James 5:1-3). 3740
(continued from page 32)
E U
TheSwineFluVaccineGlut
Theoutbreakof swinefluinNorthAmericalast April andsubsequent
spreadaroundtheglobeleadtheWorldHealthOrganizationtorapidly
raiseits pandemic alert warnings inthefollowingweeks, reachingamaxi-
mumPhaseSix on11June2009.
T
he apostle Philip must
not be confused with the
evangelist Philip, who
was called to be a deacon to-
gether with six other men and
who was one of the seven (cf.
Acts 21:8). Neither was the
apostle Philip the man who
preached in Samaria and led the
eunuch from Ethiopia to the
Lord Jesus in Acts 8. The few
known events in Philips life are
recounted exclusively in Johns
Gospel. Like Peter and Andrew,
Philip came from Bethsaida, and
Jesus called him to be a disciple
in Judea, before He went to
Galilee (John 1:43-44). One characteristic of Philip
strikes us in particular: pragmatism. To be pragmatic
is mainly to deal with things in a way that is based on
practical rather than theoretical considerations.
Childlike trust instead of pragmatism. When Je-
sus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great com-
pany come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence
shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he
said to prove him: for he him-
self knew what he would do.
Philip answered him, Two
hundred pennyworth of bread
is not sufficient for them, that
every one of them may take a
little (John 6:5-7).
Jesus knew all His disciples
(cf. John 2:24), including
Philip, but He put him to the
test, gave him a chance. Philip
missed this opportunity, how-
ever. He did not reckon with
the omnipotence of his Lord,
but promptly gave Him a typi-
cally human, pragmatic an-
swer. Philip had witnessed
great miracles of Jesus, which can produce true
faith (e.g. John 4:50-51). Only recently had Jesus
healed a man who had been sick for 38 years, by
the pool in Bethesda (John 5:1-18). Philip was also
present when Jesus turned water into wine at Cana
(John 2:1-12). Should not the One who was capa-
ble of turning water into wine be able to provide
bread for many people? But it did not enter into
Philips head to believe in a miracle. He could have
The Calling of the Twelve Disciples
Philip
B Y M A R C E L M A L G O
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spir-
its, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names
of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the pub-
lican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the
Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Matthew 10:1-4).
Only recently had Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years, by the pool in
Bethesda (John 5:1-18). Philip was also present when Jesus turned water into wine at
Cana (John 2:1-12). Should not the One who was capable of
turning water into wine be able to provide bread for many
people?
said, Lord, I dont know
how or where we can buy so
much bread, but I know that
you did great things in
Cana. But he reacted like a
pragmatist: practical and
with consideration, but un-
fortunately at the wrong mo-
ment.
We are also believers, but
deep in our hearts we are of-
ten incorrigible pragmatists
who think it over well before
we obey the Lord uncondi-
tionally in some matters.
The Lord may have worked
wonders in our lives, things
of which we had to say,
That was the Lords doing!
Only He could have done that! But today when
we are maybe facing another challenge, a matter
that gives us cause for concern, we have already
forgotten this, and do not reckon with the omnipo-
tence of the Lord. How that must disappoint Him!
We also see this lack of trust in the Lord when the
disciples forgot to take bread with them once on a
journey. They were so worried about this that Jesus
had to rebuke them in no uncertain words
(Matthew 16:8-10).
We too can be incorrigible, and this grieves the
Lord. Let us make a decision today to put our trust
in the Lord Jesus in every situation. Perhaps we are
in a similar situation to that of Philip then, and the
Lord is asking us the same question, My child,
how are we going to deal with this matter? Let us
remember that He is not leaving us alone in this,
but wants to master the situation together with us.
We may not have an answer, but we can say, Lord,
I dont quite see the way
now, but I am going to trust
You! If we are standing be-
fore difficulties that have
not yet turned into good, we
should remember that Jesus
is not waiting for a sum-
mary of the situation, but
simple, childlike trust.
True passion instead of
pragmatism. If ye had
known me, ye should have
known my Father also; and
from henceforth ye know
him, and have seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord,
show us the Father, and it
sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto
him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I
am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words
that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works
(John 14:7-10).
Jesus disappointment over Philips reaction is al-
most tangible. Apart from the fact that the Lords
words leave nothing to be desired in clarity, Philip
must have known before of this wonderful unity
between the Father and the Son. Jesus had spoken
of it previously (John 12:45). He was not speaking
to people who were hearing Him for the first time,
but to His disciples.
If we really want to live as true disciples of Jesus,
then we must reject pragmatic thinking. A Christ-
ian should remain sober, but this sobriety must
APRI L 2010 35
not turn into unbelief. Are we
such pragmatists? We should be-
ware of dealing with deep spiri-
tual truths with our
understanding, with intellectual
approaches or over-zealous so-
briety. It is quite appropriate to
give a passionate testimony to
our faith in our Lord.
Jesus once asked His disciples
the question,Whom do men say
that I the Son of man am?
(Matthew 16:13). He knew what
people thought of Him, but this
was not what He was concerned
about. He wanted to hear who
His disciples thought He was. When they had
told Him what others said about Him, He asked
again, But whom say ye that I am? (verse 15).
Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God (verse 16). Then Jesus said some-
thing strange, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven (verse 17). In
the first words of Jesus we see how highly the
Lord esteemed his answer. He said in other
words, that we could never come to such a con-
clusion if we are thinking humanly. Such a testi-
mony can only be given by one who has
consciously come to a higher understanding in
spirit.
Our Lord Jesus Christ would rejoice if we
would come out of ourselves to give such a glori-
ous testimony concerning Him. Let us lay aside
all pragmatism and become fervent in spirit
(Romans 12:1).
Is this all there is to be said of
the disciple Philip? Can we only
see a pragmatist in him? No,
there is something else which we
must not overlook.
Philip findeth Nathanael,
and saith unto him, We have
found him, of whom Moses in
the law, and the prophets, did
write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son
of Joseph. And Nathanael said
unto him, Can there any good
thing come out of Nazareth?
Philip saith unto him, Come and
see (John 1:45-46).
These words testify to a strong
missionary spirit in Philip. Moreover, something
that is important for every true disciple is revealed.
How did Philip react when Nathanael was so skep-
tical in his answer? Philip saith unto him, Come
and see.
The best evangelization is not to speak more of
Jesus but to point to Him. Philip did not try to con-
vince the skeptical Nathanael with many words, but
he saw that Nathanael had the opportunity of seeing
Jesus himself. The success was spectacular, for not
long later Nathanael could say, Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God; thou art the King of Israel (verse 49).
Especially in the present time, when people
know a lot about God but do not want to hear any-
thing about Him, we should perhaps speak less and
point more to Jesus. We should be epistle[s] of
Christ (2 Corinthians 3:3), for we are unto God a
sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and
in them that perish (2 Corinthians 2:15). In this
way we will be capable of pointing to Jesus and be-
ing a witness for Him. (MR0609/344)
The Calling of the Twelve Disciples
Philip
The best evangelization is not to speak more of Jesus but
to point to Him. Philip did not try to convince the skeptical Nathanael with many
words, but he saw that Nathanael had the opportunity of seeing Jesus himself. The
success was spectacular, for not long later Nathanael could say, Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God; thou art the King of Israel (verse 49).
APRI L 2010 37
Ten Commandments...
Friday Crucifixion...
One Shall Be Taken
LETTERS TO THE EDI TOR
Address letters for publication to: Letters to the Editor, Midnight Call, P.O. Box 280008,
Columbia, SC 29228. Include full name, address, and daytime phone number. Without name
and address, letters will be discarded unread. All material is subject to editing. Midnight Call
assumes all publishing rights on letters sent to the Editor.
Ten Commandments
Dear Arno Froese,
In The New Answers Book 2 that we
purchased from Midnight Call, I found
something that contradicts the Bible.
On page 9, the first page of the Intro-
duction, there is a picture of the stone
tablets with the Ten Commandments
written on them. The second com-
mandment in this picture says, Thou
shall not take the name of God in
vain, and the ninth commandment
says, Thou shall not covet thy neigh-
bors wife. In all the Bibles we have,
the second commandment says, Thou
shalt not make any graven image of
anything (above, below, etc.) to bow
down to or worship, etc. (Its a long
commandment). The ninth command-
ment says, Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbor, and the
tenth covers all coveting of anything
that is thy neighbors. (See Exodus
20:3-17 for the list). The Complete
Works of Josephus, by William Whiston,
which we also purchased from Mid-
night Call, has a picture of the Ten
Commandments on page 65, and they
read exactly as our Bibles read. Now
Deuteronomy 4:2 and Deuteronomy
12:32 both say to neither add to nor
take away from these commands of the
Lord God. I am wondering why they
would alter the commandments this
way? The Ten Commandments sum up
Gods perfect law of love.
-J. Colgrove, MT
Answer: We publish your letter to show how
important it is to take note of what is being
printed. After consulting the publisher, we
found that indeed the wrong picture of theTen
Commandments was featured in the first print-
ing, but the latest one has nowbeen corrected.
Thank you for your alertness and call-

ing this matter to our attention.
Friday Crucifixion
Dear Brother Froese:
I read with great interest your
article, The Ancient Book for
the Modern Times, particularly
the section titled 54 Prophecies
Fulfilled in 54 Hours. To me,
fulfilled prophecy is the only
proof needed to validate the
Scriptures.
My understanding is that God
defined the day and night se-
quence during creation, as de-
scribed in Genesis 1:5.
The scribes and Pharisees
asked Jesus for a sign in
Matthew 12:38-40: Then cer-
tain of the scribes and of the
Pharisees answered, saying,
Master, we would see a sign from
thee. But he answered and said
unto them, An evil and adulter-
ous generation seeketh after a
sign; and there shall no sign be
given to it, but the sign of the
prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was
three days and three nights in
the whales belly; so shall the Son
of man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
At that point in time, I find no
reference to the Jews tradition of
talking about any part of a day as
being a full day (nor do I find
this to be scripturally correct
am I missing something?), so
I must conclude that Jesus was
talking about a full three days
and three nights in the tomb as
Jonas was three days and three
nights in the belly of the fish.
I recognize that the Jewish
tradition has been taken by
Christians to try to make Jesus
Christs crucifixion occur on Fri-
day (Good Friday) and His res-
urrection on Sunday as you do
in your article. There is no way
to get 54 hours within three days
and three nights (72 hours)
without relying on Jewish tradi-
tion.
I would suggest the timeline
set forth in The Companion Bible,
The Authorized Version of 1611
with Structures and Critical, Ex-
planatory, and Suggestive Notes
and with 198 Appendixes, pub-
lished by Kregel Publication,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1990.
From this reference we find
that the crucifixion occurred on
Wednesday (not Good Friday)
and the resurrection occurred on
Saturday evening. This gives a
complete 72 hours. Incidentally,
these fall congruent with the
first three Feasts of the Lord, i.e.
Passover, Unleavened Bread, and
First Fruits, Leviticus 23.
In all sincerity and love in
Christ Jesus,
-M. Poindexter,TX
Answer: Mark 15:42 says, the day
before the Sabbath; that is Friday.
Chapter 16, verse 2 reads, very early
in the morning, the first day of the
week; thats Sunday. In Luke 24:21, Je-
sus followers testify, Today is the third
day since these things were done.That
is still Sunday. Note also that it says on
the third day, not after the third day.
Even Jesus enemies instructed the sol-
diers to protect the sepulcher until the
third day.
Now to the three days and three
nights: We read of day and night, not
hours. Jesus was crucified and died on
Friday; that is one day and one night.
He arose very early in the morning on
Sunday. Thus, He was not the whole
day and night in the grave. Why not?
Because if the Lord only stayed there
for one split second of time on that
day, that day and night was violated.
Read James 2:10: For whosoever shall
keep the whole law and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all.Apply that
to violating one split second of one
day, and the verdict, guilty of all is ap-
plicable.
Jesus also gives us a clue by specifi-
cally saying three days and three
nights. This is quite contrary to Gods
Law, for when we read the story of cre-
ation, it never lists the day first. For ex-
ample, Genesis 1:31: And the evening
and the morning were the sixth day.
Is this important? I dont think so.
One man esteemeth one day above
another: another esteemeth every day
alike (Romans 14:5). And Colossians
2:16 adds,Let no man therefore judge
you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of
an holyday, or of the new moon, or of
the sabbath days.
One Shall Be Taken
Dear Brother Froese,
Reference: The Chronology,
November 2009, page 44. I beg
your pardon if you identified
one taken and the other left as
the Rapture. Though it has that
concept, this is not the Rapture.
One taken and the other left
can be seen as a distinct analogy
with the flood. Noah remained
on earth and was saved; the
flood took the lost away for
judgment, where their carcasses
will feed the eagles (vultures):
Revelation 19:17-18; Job 39:30;
Matthew 24:28.

As you know, the word
world (Matthew 13:40, 49;
24:3) means age, course, eternal,
perpetuity Strongs 165.
Taken in Matthew 24:40-41
and Luke 17:34-36 means to
gather out offenders. In Matthew
13:30, 39, &49-50, the tares and
wheat grew together; at the har-
vest (the return of Christ), the
tares (the lost) are gathered and
burned. The wheat are gathered
into His barn (the kingdom of
God, Matthew 13:30). Only Je-
sus will be able to know the dif-
ference. Matthew 13:49, sever
the wicked from among the
just: the righteous are left, as
was Noah. The event of the ones
taken (severed) and the ones left
occurs after the tribulation
(Matthew 24:21); the wicked are
taken away. If Matthew 24:37-41
and Luke 17:26-30 describe
what I believe you depict as the
Rapture, then the believers will
experience the tribulation,
which will create a big problem
with the Old and New Testa-
ment.
-B. Mantel, AL
Answer: We read the word shall in
Matthew 24, 59 times. When Jesus
speaks of His coming, He emphasizes,
But of that day and hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels of heaven, but
my Father only (verse 36). The key
therefore is waiting and watching. The
people during Noahs time did not wait
or watch. When Jesus returns, it will be
likewise: One shall be taken, the other
left.Luther translates this,One shall be
accepted, the other rejected. More-
over, He speaks of His coming in verse
27, and then says something peculiar in
verse 28: For wheresoever the carcase
is, there will the eagles be gathered to-
gether. I understand this to be the ref-
erence of His body, His Church. Here we
are reminded of John 6:56: He that
eatethmy flesh, anddrinkethmy blood,
dwelleth in me, and I in him. Those
who are partakers of Christ become
one with Him. The finality will take
place at the moment of the Rapture, as
recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Note the last sentence,And so shall we
ever be with the Lord. Wherever the
Lord is, there will be His Church; wher-
ever the carcass is, the eagles will be
gathered.
Two Israels?
Dear Friends at Midnight Call,
I fear that you will be leading
many astray if you are telling
them to look to Israel for end-
time events, and if you are uplift-
ing a secret Rapture, a false
antichrist, or a Millennium here
on earth. Most of these ideas
came originally from a Jesuit by
the name of Francisco Ribera, to
counter the Protestant Reforma-
tion and the understanding of
the Catholic Church (papacy) as
the antichrist of Bible prophecy.
In Daniel 9 verse 24, we have
a time prophecy in regard to Is-
rael and the close of its proba-
tion if they continued to be
unfaithful to God. Seventy
weeks are determined upon thy
people and upon thy holy city, to
finish the transgression, and to
make an end of sins, and to
make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in everlasting right-
eousness, and to seal up the vi-
sion and prophecy, and to anoint
the most Holy; in plain lan-
guage, to get your act together.
This time period began in 457
B.C., with the final command-
ment to restore and build
Jerusalem. See verse 25. Seventy
weeks = 490 days = 490 years
under the Biblical day/year prin-
ciple. There is no 0 year be-
tween BC and AD. So probation
closed in 34 A.D. What hap-
pened that year? The stoning of
Stephen when he tried to open
the message to the Jewssee
Acts 7, the last parts. Notice es-
pecially verse 56, And said, Be-
hold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of man standing on
the right hand of God. Jesus
usually sits on the right hand of
God. When He stands, it is a
close of probation (Daniel 12:1).
In Matthew 27:25 we read,
Then answered all the people
[the Jews], and said, His blood
be on us, and on our children.
Read the parable of Jesus in
Matthew 21. Here is a sample of
a conclusion, verse 43: There-
fore say I unto you, the kingdom
of God shall be taken from you,
and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof. See also
chapter 22 of Matthew and the
wedding parable. Matthew
23:37-38 reads as follows: O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered
thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens un-
der her wings, and ye would
not! Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate.
I could go on, but I would
suggest you read my article in
APRI L 2010 39
the enclosed magazineThe
Two Israels.
I would also recommend you
obtain the book, End Time Delu-
sions by Steve Wohlberg, a Jew
turned Christian. Jews can be
saved individually just like the
rest of us, but not as a nation.
The Rapture will not be secret.
-C. Floyd, NC
Answer: Frankly, I amnot looking for a
secret Rapture. I am waiting for Him
today, and if He does not come, I will
wait tomorrow.
After reading your article The Two
Israels, I am kind of surprised that you
as a staunch Seventh-Day Adventist, an
archenemy of the Roman Catholic
Church, actually teach 100% Roman
Gospel, namely two Israels.
There always was and there always
will be one Israel. Anyone else who
claims to be Israel is counterfeit.
I am reminded of an event back in
the late 60s. Friends of ours, Jehovahs
Witnesses, were always eager to argue
a point. One day I asked if they consid-
ered themselves to be Israel, to which
I received an affirmative answer. At that
point, I read from Romans 11:25-26:
Blindness in part is happened to Is-
rael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be
come in. And so all Israel shall be
saved. That was the end of our dis-
cussion. The Bible, our only authority,
clearly teaches the distinct difference
between the two groups of people
Gentiles and Israel.
The teaching that the Church is Is-
rael, or as some say,spiritual Jews was
taught from the beginning, as is evi-
dent from Revelation 2:9 in the Letter
to the Church in Smyrna, and in Chap-
ter 3 verse 9 to the Church in Philadel-
phia: Behold, I will make them of the
synagogue of Satan, which say they are
Jews, and are not, but do lie.
The Church of Jesus Christ consists
of Jews and Gentiles; they are equal
on the spiritual level. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor fe-
male: for ye are all one in Christ Je-
sus, we read in Galatians 3:28. Note,
in Christ Jesus, not in the flesh; oth-
erwise, a male would cease to be a
male and a female would no longer
be a female. A Jew who is born again
of the Spirit of God still remains a Jew.
Thank You
Dear Arno Froese,
Just a thank you for sending
me Midnight Call. I wait for
each month. I enjoy the ques-
tions and answers at the back
of your magazine. These are
the first I read. I have been get-
ting the magazine for a long
time. Each one is more inter-
esting that the last one. I dont
have any questions to ask of
you; although I have questions
and a lot to understand about
the Bible, I learn a lot by read-
ing other peoples questions.
I have been reading the Bible
each morning for more years
than I can remember, and still
there are things, passages, and
verses that I dont clearly un-
derstand, but Im trying to.
I am 92 years old and looking
forward to the coming of my
Savior and Redeemer. The arti-
cles and letters and answers are
helping me a lot. I just wanted
to thank you for your maga-
zine and tell you I enjoy them.
Thank you again.
-P. McMahon, FL
Answer: Thank you for your kind letter.
It was encouraging to me personally.
Publishing letters that stand in opposi-
tion to the teaching of our ministry or
myself often causes a degree of con-
flict, sometimes inner turmoil, but as is
evident from your testimony, it is help-
ful.
Incidentally, my mother who lives in
Germany, will celebrate her 101st birth-
day 18 December of this year.
The Sin Nature
Dear Mr. Froese,
You evidently wrote an article
for the January issue about the
death of children and babies.
I missed that and wish I had read
it. If you have an extra copy,
I would like to have it. I had to
write after reading the letters
you received and printed. I also
share you belief. I have been a
Christian for many years, and
several years ago I gave that is-
sue a lot of thought and study.
People usually point to what
David said when Bathshebas
baby died. Yes, Davids son prob-
ably did go to heaven, because
he would have been brought up
to honor God. But you cant base
a whole doctrine on that! God
told David that he could not
build His temple because he was
a man of war. Doest that mean
no one who has ever been to war
can work on the building of a
church? No, that was for that
specific temple. My son and son-
in-law are both Baptist preachers
and believe children are safe.
I have asked them to show me
Scripture on that, but they
havent, so I guess they cant.
Nearly all of my family are

staunch Christians and Bap-
tists. They think I am crazy, but
they also refuse to think about
it and apply Scripture and logic
to it. If all children who die are
given an automatic pass for
Heaven, then Adolph Hitler
would have a legitimate argu-
ment against Gods fairness.
Anyone who thinks babies
arent sinners has never wit-
nessed a temper tantrum by a
newborn. I have, and I know
the difference between the cry
of need and a spoiled, angry
baby who wants to be picked
up! My grandson threw the
best one Ive ever seen when he
was about 10 days old. And
anyone who thinks a 2-year-old
isnt a sinner is blind and deaf.
I have heard people say that ba-
bies become angels. Some
Christians have told me those
children will come back and
grow up and choose during the
1,000-year reign. No one can
tell me where they get such
outlandish ideas. I appreciate
your very Biblical stand and
agree with it.
-K. Mullins, TX
Answer: The issue of the age of ac-
countability is a topic that has caused
much contention. The various theo-
ries, established throughout the cen-
turies, have been developed outside
the Scripture, but in general, are ac-
cepted as Scripture. During funerals,
we often hear the words, not found in
our Bible, Dust to dust, ashes to
ashes, quite obviously in support of
cremation. The automatic salvation of
babies is a natural continuation of
Catholic doctrine, which insists that
when a baby is baptized into the
Catholic Church, it is included in Gods
plan of salvation. We do well to leave
things alone that are based on tradi-
tion and are not found in Holy Scrip-
ture.
As to David and his son, the place
the child went is not mentioned.
David only said that when he dies, he
will go to the place of the dead; the
rest is speculation. Many of us believ-
ers underestimate our heavenly posi-
tion, in which all of our earthly
relationships are dissolved. We are of-
ten so earthly-minded that we cannot
think in heavenly termsthat the lit-
tle bit of happiness we may experi-
ence here on earth should somehow
continue in heaven. Such thoughts
are futile. Family relationships are not
eternal. We have no idea what heaven
will be like, or how our relationships
with one another will function, but we
do knowthat the key person to whom
all of our attention will be focused is
Jesus Christ our Lord. First Corinthians
2:9 reveals our total ignorance about
that which is to come:But as it is writ-
ten, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of
man, the things which God hath pre-
pared for themthat love him.
Satan Cast Out
Dear Mr. Froese,
Id like to comment on your
answer to Demonic Stars
(June 2009 issue). I feel your
answer needs to be clarified.
I believe one third of the heav-
enly host was drawn out of
heaven by the dragons tail. Je-
sus said he beheld Satan falling
as lightning out of heaven. This
could have been in the 2nd
verse of Genesis 1. I believe the
dinosaurs were a result of Sa-
tans handiwork, allowed by
God, of course. Read Isaiah 14,
verses 12-20. Satan still has ac-
cess to the first and second
heavens. The first heavens are
the atmosphere in which the
birds fly and the lightning ap-
pears, and from which the rain
falls. The second heavens are
the celestial heavens or wide
expanse, in which are seen the
sun, moon and stars. Satan has
no access to the third heavens,
where the throne of God is,
and also where Paul was
caught up to.
APRI L 2010 41
Midnight Call Magazines
#1 Feature!
Readers have enjoyed the opportunity of
writing in and posing various questions and
concerns relative to the Body of Christ. They
have benefited fromthe authors concise
scriptural responses on topics such as the
Rapture of the Church, globalism, the Ecu-
menical Movement, false religions, escha-
tology, general Scripture explanations and
much more.
ITEM# 1045 438 pgs. Hardcover
$22.99
Author: Arno Froese
$8
S
U
P
E
R

C
L
E
A
R
A
N
C
E
S
A
L
E
!
Continued next page...
JI would like to give gift subscriptions to the name(s) I have listed below and pay
only $12 per subscription (a $28.95 value).
JI would like to give four gift subscriptions to the names I have listed below. I accept your
offer to renew my subscription to Midnight Call for one year free of charge (a $28.95 value).
Name:_______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
City:________________________________________
State/Province:__________________________________
Zip/Postal Code:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
City:________________________________________
State/Province:__________________________________
Zip/Postal Code:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
City:________________________________________
State/Province:__________________________________
Zip/Postal Code:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
City:________________________________________
State/Province:__________________________________
Zip/Postal Code:_________________________________
Dont forget to order a gift subscription!
1
2
3 4
Your family, relatives and friends need to be updated on events taking place today as they relate to the eternal Word
of God. What better way to do that than by sending a gift subscription that keeps coming to them 12 times a year?
With your credit card ready, please call 800-845-2420, or you can fax your order any time to 803-755-6002.
J Check J Visa/Master/Discover/Amex Name: Zip Code:
Card#
Expires: Phone:
E-mail: ______________________________________________
Clip and mail to : Midnight Call. P.O. Box 280008. Columbia, SC 29228 or Call 1-800-845-2420 (MF 85 EST)
MC 04/10
There were and still are
enough demons to fill a herd of
swine. These demons know
that their time of torment is
coming. Matthew 8, verse 29,
Art thou come hither to tor-
ment us before the time? The
demons bargained with Jesus to
send them into the herd of
swine.
I do agree that Satan hasnt
been entirely cast out of the
heavens yet, as you say. Satans
power is limited to only what
God allows. Satan wont be en-
tirely cast down to earth until
the Church or Bride of Christ is
raptured.
As believers in the Lord Jesus
Christ, we need to be reminded
that our Adversary the Devil
goes about as a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour
(1 Peter 5:8). Satan is a de-
feated foe but a very crafty one.
Without Christ, we are no
match for him.
- D. Diener, IL
Answer: The Bible does not give us
the location where Satan meets God,
but mentions him standing before the
Lord in Job 1:6 and 2:1. In Zechariah
chapter 3, we learn that Satan was
standing before the Lord at the right
hand of Joshua the high priest. Reve-
lation 12:10 says, The accuser of
our brethren is cast down, which ac-
cused them before our God day and
night. From Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28,
it is evident that sin was born in
heaven. That fact gives Satan the legal
right to practice his devious works
with the children of men on earth,
and his right to access heaven in the
presence of God. For that reason, the
earth and the heavens must be de-
stroyed, according to 2 Peter 3:12, and
verse 13 reads: Nevertheless we, ac-
cording to his promise, look for new
heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.
Indeed, you are right: we have no
power against Satan because he is the
prince of the power of the air; he is the
god of this world. Thus, it is not wise to
mingle in his territory. We may stand,
however, in security on the grounds of
Jesus accomplished work on Calvarys
cross.
MC
With your credit card ready, please call 800-845-2420, or you can fax your order any time to 803-755-6002.
Phillip Goodman, President of Prophecy Watch, is sponsoring the
Mid-America Prophecy Conference, 6-8 May 2010.
Speakers for this event will be Phillip Goodman, Jerry Robinson, Gary
Fisher, Terry James, David Reagan, Daymond Duck, and
Mike Gendron.
The conference will be held at the Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills,
1902 East 71st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136
For reservations, call: 866-530-3760. Room rate is $81 per night.
Registration:
Mid-America Prophecy Conference, PO Box 14575, Tulsa, OK 74159
Cost: $58 before April 1; thereafter, $68 per person
Phone: (918) 748-1800
Email: ministry@prophecywatch.com
Website: www.prophecywatch.com
SOME OF WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
The War of Gog & Magog Next?
America and Bible Prophecy
Jerusalem in Bible Prophecy
Watch Out For Deception In The Name of Christ
The Wars of the End Times
The Coming World Government
Israel Key to Understanding the End Times
and MUCH MORE!
APRI L 2010 43
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Registration Fee: $59 per person ($49 before 31 July)
# in party: ______x $59 Total Registration $
# Banquet: ______x $35 Total for Banquet $
Total Enclosed $
Participant's Name: Attending Banquet?
1._____________________________ Yes__ No__
2._____________________________ Yes__ No__
3._____________________________ Yes__ No__
Your Name:________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________
City:________________________State:____Zip:_________
Phone:___________________________________________
JCheck J Visa/MC/Disc/AMEX
Card#___________________________________________
Expires:______Signature:_______________________________
Mail to: Midnight Call
P.O. Box 280008,Columbia, SC 29228
Registration by phone:
(800) 8452420 or (803) 755-0733
Fax: (803) 755-6002
# in party:
Mail to: Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference, Landmark Resort Hotel,
1501 South Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Reservations: (800) 845-0658 or Fax (843) 445-7274
Please mention Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference when calling.
Arrival Date: Departure Date:
JInteriorview Hotel Rooms $40/night JOceanview Hotel Rooms $45/night
JOceanfront Hotel Rooms $51/night JKing Angle Oceanview Suites $52/night
JOceanfront Efficiencies $52/night J Oceanfront Suites $60/night
JDouble Angle Oceanview Suites $55/night
JDeluxe Oceanfront Suites $63/night
$ /night x nights = $
*Plus $5 resort fee per night $
*Plus 13% accommodations tax $
Total for Accommodations $
Your Name:________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________
City:________________________State:____Zip:_________
Phone:___________________________________________
JCheck J Visa/MC/Disc/AMEX
Card#___________________________________________
Expires:______Signature:______________________________
MC 04/10
PART II
24-26 October 2010
Landmark Resort Hotel
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
RESERVE 24-26 OCTOBER 2010
FOR OUR ANNUAL PROPHECY CONFERENCE!
Although prices in general go up, we were able to negotiate with the Landmark Resort Hotel
for a cost reduction on nearly all rooms for the 2010 Prophecy Conference. This reduction will
be effective immediately. Also, the registration fee will be reduced from $59.00 to $49.00
per person before 31 July 2010.
For this years conference we are scheduled to have Norbert Lieth, Wilfred Hahn, Dr. Ron Bi-
galke, Dr. Randall Price, James Walker and myself. Dont miss this first conference for the
new decade. Together we will study the Word of God, recognizing the signs of the times,
which will contribute toward our preparation for the coming of the Lord.
HOTEL RESERVATION
MC 04/10
NORBERT LIETH is a graduate of Midnight Call
Bible School in Montevideo/Uruguay. He has
served as Midnight Calls missionary in several
South American countries. Norbert Lieth is
the lead speaker for Midnight Call Ministries
throughout Europe. He has authored 18 books,
and many have been translated into several languages. He and
his wife, Elke, and their four daughters reside in Switzerland.
WILFRED HAHN is known for his writings and
insights on present-day world economic and
money trends, viewed from a Biblical per-
spective. He has global investment industry
experience spanning three decades, having
held various executive positions from Director
of Research for a major Wall Street firm, to Chairman of
Canadas largest global investment group. At one time also a
top-ranked global analyst and strategist, he continues to write
and work as a Chief Investment Officer. The Mulberry Ministry,
founded in 1995 with his wife, Joyce, publishes and distributes
Eternal Value Review and over 40 books and booklets. For
the past nine years he has been a contributor to Midnight Call
magazine.
DR. RON J. BIGALKE JR. (BS; MApol; MTS;
MDiv; PhD) is the Georgia state director with
Capitol Commission, and missionary with Bib-
lical Ministries Worldwide. Through his per-
sonal ministry (Eternal Ministries), he has
served in numerous discipleship and evange-
listic ministries, including conference speaking, educational
ministry (secondary/college/seminary), literature ministry,
pastoral ministry, pulpit ministry, and youth ministry. Dr.
Bigalke is an ordained minister, and partner of apologetics evan-
gelism with the North American Mission Board. He is a regularly
sought contributor to various publications, and has served as
general editor of four books, in addition to service as general
editor of a theological quarterly. He is the member of several
well-known Christian professional societies. His undying com-
mitment is to the preservation and promotion of biblical, con-
servative, evangelical theology in the life of the church. He and
his wife, Kristin, have two children.
DR. J. RANDALL PRICE serves as President for
World of the Bible Ministries. He is a Th.M.
graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and
holds a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies from
the University of Texas at Austin. He has done
graduate study at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, and conducted archeological excavation in Israel
with the University of Texas in conjunction with the teaching of
courses in biblical archaeology and the history and culture of
modern Israel, and more recently headed the archaelogical dig
at the Qumran Plateau between 2002 and 2008. He is currently
the Executive Director and Distinguished Professor of Judaic
Studies at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA.
JAMES K. WALKER, the president of Watchman
Fellowship, is a former fourth generation Mor-
mon with over twenty years of ministry experi-
ence in the field of Christian counter-cult
evangelism, apologetics, and discernment. He
has been interviewed as an expert on new reli-
gious movements and cults on a variety of network television
programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, and The
News Hour with Jim Lehrer. He has spoken at hundreds of
churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries throughout the
United States and internationally.
ARNO FROESE is the executive director of Mid-
night Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the
critically-acclaimed prophetic magazines Mid-
night Call and News From Israel. He has
authored a number of well-received books,
and has sponsored many prophecy confer-
ences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have
contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he
sees it from an international perspective.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
APRI L 2010 45
Item# Title Author Qty. Price Total
CLIP & MAIL
MC 04/10
1061 Preparing for the Mark of the Beast SALE Froese, A $ 10.00
1060 Hidden Signs in the Olivet Discourse SALE Lieth, N $ 8.00
1057 Daniels Prophecies Made Easy SALE Reprint Froese, A $ 8.00
1055 119 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Prophecy SALE Froese, A $ 9.00
1052 Zechariahs Prophetic Vision for the New World SALE Lieth, N $ 8.00
1050 Terror Over America SALE Froese, A $ 5.00
1046 The Coming Digital God SALE Froese, A $ 8.00
2229 The Masterpiece SALE Chambers , J $ 15.00
2228 Nations United SALE Grobman, A $ 15.00
2226 Antichrist Rising SALE Hindson, E $ 8.00
2211 Judgment Day! SALE Hunt, D $ 18.00
2203 One World SALE Bigalke, R $ 12.00
2201 The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy SALE LaHaye, T $ 20.00
2198 Prophecy Power: Strength from God to Face Your Future SALE James, T $ 8.00
1040 When Y2K Dies SALE Froese, A $ 5.00
2233 Middle East Meltdown SALE Ankerberg, J $ 10.00
2196 When Will Jesus Come? SALE Hunt, D $ 10.00
1044 The Unveiling SALE Harris, K $ 10.00
1034 Saddams Mystery Babylon SALE Froese, A $ 6.00
1038 The Great Mystery of the Rapture SALE Reprint Froese, A $ 15.99
2161 The Truth About the Millennium Ice, T $ 2.99
2157 The Truth About Jerusalem in Bible Prophecy Ice, T $ 2.99
2244 Bankruptcy of Our Nation New Robinson, J $ 13.99
3206 Bible Prophecy for Our Time $ 7.00
3207 The Next Most Exciting Event $ 7.00
1047 Dear God, Thank You for Not Answering My Prayer SALE Froese, A $ 8.00
1056 When Death Comes SALE Harris, K $ 8.00
1054 Why It Pays to Be a Christian SALE Lieth, N $ 3.00
1045 Letters to the Editor SALE Froese, A $ 8.00
1002 Prayer & Revival SALE Malgo, W $ 6.00
Mail order to: Midnight Call Box 280008 Columbia, South Carolina 29228
For Visa/MasterCard/Discover/AMEX orders, dial 18008452420 or 18037550733 (85 EST, MF). Please have card ready.
Prophecy
Message-of-the-Month on CD By Arno Froese
Christian Living
Order by item number
2091 The Church Subtly Deceived? SALE Seibel, A $ 5.00
2243 My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition New Chambers, O $ 5.00
2242 My Utmost for His Highest One Minute Updated Edition New Chambers, O $ 5.00
3220 Why Jerusalem Is Jewish $ 7.00
3201 Approaching Eternity $ 7.00
3202 The Proof of Faith and Eternity $ 7.00
1064 How Democracy Will Elect the Antichrist Revised Edition SALE Froese, A $ 12.00
3203 The Reality of Eternity $ 7.00
3204 Israels Connection to Rome $ 7.00
3205 The Prophecy of Obadiah $ 7.00
2207 The Popular Bible Prophecy Workbook SALE LaHaye & Hindson $ 10.00
1059 The Bible is True SALE Wasserzug, G $ 1.00
1053 Nebuchadnezzars Dream SALE Malgo, W $ 1.00
3208 Racing Toward Political Globalism $ 7.00
1030 Seven Signs of a Born-Again Person SALE Malgo, W $ 1.00
Booklets
1003 How To Walk With God SALE Malgo, W $ 1.00
3219 The Exclusive Church $ 7.00
3209 Racing Toward Economic Globalism $ 7.00
3210 Racing Toward Religious Globalism $ 7.00
1067 Revelation 13: Satans Last Victory New Froese, A $ 11.95
9213 Message-of-the-Month Club (12 New CDs) $ 47.95
3221 The Last Gentile Superpower $ 7.00
3222 Go and Build the Temple of the Lord $ 7.00
5248 Revelation 13 CD Album $ 40.00
1068 Global Financial Apocalypse Prophesied New Hahn, W $ 14.95
1069 The Seven Dispensations in the Bible New Lieth, N $ 2.50
3197 The Cost of Freedom $ 7.00
3198 Bethlehem: House of Bread $ 7.00
3199 They Shall Beat Their Swords into Plowshares $ 7.00
3200 The Ultimate Deception $ 7.00
Mail order to: Midnight Call Box 280008 Columbia, South Carolina 29228
For Visa/MasterCard/Discover/AMEX orders, dial 18008452420 or 18037550733 (85 EST, MF). Please have card ready.
CLIP & MAIL
Item# Title Author Qty. Price Total

Purchase Total
Gift to MC
Shipping
Grand Total
MC 04/10
Thank You
Visa MasterCard Discover Amex Expires:___________
Card#:__________________________________________________
Name:
Address:
City:
State/Province: Zip/Postal Code:
Phone:
E-mail:
NEW!
Flat Rate For All Orders
USA $ 4.95
USA Priority Mail $10.95
Canada $ 9.00
All Other Countries $20.00
Midnight Call is made possible by its members, subscribers and contributors.
2245 The Truth About Islam and Jihad New Ankerberg & Caner $ 7.99
2246 The Truth About Islam and Women New Ankerberg & Caner $ 7.99
2234 The Concise Guide to Todays Religions and Spirituality SALE Walker, J $ 12.00
2235 Refuting Evolution SALE Sarfati, J $ 8.00
2232 The New Answers Book SALE Ham, K $ 12.00
2231 The Annals of the World SALE Ussher J $ 25.00
2230 Unwrapping the Pharaohs SALE Ashton, J $ 30.00
2224 Yoga and the Body of Christ SALE Hunt, D $ 5.00
2225 Christianity vs. Gnosticism SALE Hamilton, G $ 5.00
1039 How the Clinton Clergy Corrupted a President SALE Adams, M $ 4.00
2241 The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus SALE Whiston, W $ 39.00
2240 The New Answers Book 2 SALE Ham, K $ 12.00
2236 Adams Chart of History (casebound) SALE Adams, S $ 29.50
2237 Adams Chart of History (folds only) SALE Adams, S $ 21.50
2238 The Pilgrims Progress SALE Bunyan, J $ 40.00
2239 The Genesis Factor: Myths and Realities SALE Bigalke, R $ 12.00
1058 The Masonic/Christian Conflict Explained SALE Harris, K $ 8.00
Other Resources
APRI L 2010 47
6057 2009 Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference DVD New $ 78.50
5247 2009 Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference CD New $ 49.00
Prophecy Conference
2223 The Remarkable Wisdom of Solomon SALE Morris, H $ 10.00
2215 In the Beginning Was Information SALE Gitt, W $ 10.00
2216 The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code SALE Abanes, R $ 2.00
9081 Franklin Electronic Holy Bible 570 (NIV) SALE $ 49.99
2214 Christ-Centered Ministry vs. Problem-Centered Counseling Bobgan M&D $ 10.00
2213 Psycho Heresy SALE Bobgan M&D $ 10.00
2212 Understanding the Bible from A to Z SALE Rhodes, R $ 10.00
2206 God and the Nations SALE Morris, H $ 9.00
2204 World Religions & Cults 101 SALE Bickel & Jantz $ 10.00
2194 Fast Facts on False Teachings SALE Carlson, R $ 8.00
2202 Examine the Evidence SALE Muncaster, R $ 10.00
2007 Biblical Mathematics SALE Vallowe, E $ 8.00
2227 Preparing Catholics for Eternity SALE Gendron, M $ 10.00
9350 Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible (KJV) (Hardcover) SALE LaHaye, T $ 30.00
9356 Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible (KJV) (Burgundy Bonded Leather) SALE LaHaye, T $ 39.00
9080 Franklin Electronic Holy Bible 570 (KJV) SALE $ 49.99
2209 If Animals Could Talk SALE Gitt, W $ 7.00
DVD/CD
7075 Secret Mysteries of Americas Beginnings Volume 1 The New Atlantis SALE $ 20.00
7078 Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings Volume 3 Eye of the Phoenix SALE $ 20.00
7080 Israel, A Journey Through Time New $ 99.95
Order 7075, 7076 and 7078 together for $52 SALE $ 52.00
Instrumental/Voice
9082 Tribute to Israel (50 minute musical CD) SALE Paganelli, A $ 8.00
9211 Midnight Call $ 24.50
9212 News From Israel $ 14.00
Renewals
1909 Midnight Call Yearbook for 2009 Just Off Press! $ 45.00
Yearbook
Order online www.midnightcall.com/store
and shipping is free!
7076 Secret Mysteries of Americas Beginnings Volume 2 Riddles In Stone: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C. SALE $ 20.00
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
W. Columbia, SC
Permit No. 168
Midnight Call
Box 280008
Columbia, SC 29228
This project has been described as one of the most
comprehensive works dealing with Bible prophecy, as it
represents years of research. Along with the text of the
King James Version, a centuries-old best-seller, this Bible
provides textual commentary, historical information, full-
color charts and maps, more than 75 topical articles from
some of the finest scholars in the field of Bible prophecy, a
concordance, and a special prophecy time-line, displaying
the events of history and describing the future.
FEATURES:
Full-color overview charts Center-column references
Timelines of biblical events More than 70 articles related to
Bible prophecy Book introductions 83 charts and tables
Bible concordance Textual notations on key passages related to
Bible prophecy And much, much more!
The Most Comprehensive Study Bible
TIM LAHAYE PROPHECY STUDY BIBLE
ITEM# 9350 Hardcover
$39.99
$30
General Editor: Tim LaHaye
ITEM# 9356 Burgundy Bonded Leather
$59.99
$39
Enhance Your
Study of Bible
Prophecy
4 Easy Ways To Order

Mail your order form with payment to
PO Box 280008, Columbia SC 29228.
For faster service, call 1-800-845-2420
8am-5pm EST with your credit card ready.
Fax your order to 1-803-755-6002 anytime.

Visit our online bookstore:
www.midnightcall.com/store

04 Apr 2010

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

04 Apr 2010

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

4 Easy Ways To Order

Fax your order to 1-803-755-6002 anytime.

believing Christianity increasingly refuses to heed the prophetic Word,

Police arrested the leader of the Union of

Asthepolitical situationinSri Lankadeteriorates andaccusations

(continued next page)

WASHINGTON - US President Barack

But now, less than a year later, several

Thank you for your alertness and call-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDI TOR

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDI TOR

Item# Title Author Qty. Price Total

4 Easy Ways To Order

Fax your order to 1-803-755-6002 anytime.

S-ar putea să vă placă și