Nearing Midnight

Commentary on world events that relate to Bible prophecy and on Rapture Ready issues world events.

Sep 21
The EU: Richest Region in the World
All my life, I've heard people proudly say that the United States is the richest nation on earth. They have said this because it has been true. In the aftermath of World War II, America's net worth was greater than the combined wealth of the rest of the world. We singlehandedly funded the rebuilding of Asia and Western Europe.
It now looks like Uncle Sam's reign of glory may have come to an end. There is a new kid on the block called the European Union who has just overtaken us. The recent financial crisis has transformed the global map of the world’s wealthiest people, with Europe nudging out North America as the richest region, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group.
Total wealth in Europe now stands at $32.7 trillion. North America is down by 21.8 percent to $29.3 trillion.
Europe's common currency, the euro, has been a key factor in its success. The triumph of the euro has stumped economists who have largely forecasted its failure. The EU nations have radically different legal and cultural traditions, and it lacks a common treasury function that usually stands behind major currencies. Despite the euro's shortcomings, it has thrived as a currency.
The euro has even achieved reserve currency status. Governments and institutions hoard the euro for its security value. Right now, there are more printed euros in circulation than dollars. The greenback still has the edge in electronic funds, but for the last decade, it has been steadily declining against the euro.
The euro's gains have not just been in the quantity of bills. Its value has also been soaring. For the past several years, the dollar has been in a relentless exchange rate decline against the euro and most other global currencies. When the euro began trading, it was slightly worth less than the dollar. Today, the euro will buy you $1.47.
America's massive debt load will make it nearly impossible for us regain our wealth crown. With Asia still growing at 9 percent each year, we could eventually fall to third place.
Europe's toppling of North America raises some important questions. One that will certainly be asked is this: If the Europeans are now wealthier than the Americans, why are we still acting like their protective big brother? Great Britain was once a superpower with an empire that spanned the globe. Decades of deficit spending finally reduced it to a bit player. If America should further implode from some new economic crisis, it would become obvious to all that there will need to be a realignment of the geopolitical stage.
I know Obama's reason for cancelling the missile defense system for Europe had nothing to do with this wealth report, but I think the change itself was a factor. During the 1960s and 1970s, we introduced one weapon system after another into Western Europe with no debate. One key reason Obama abandoned the missile defense shield in Europe is because we lacked the ability to stand up to the Russians.
Obama's weakness to Putin may force Europe to take on the role of superpower. Russia has become very aggressive in recent years, and appeasement has always ended in disaster. Putin fits the role of the Gog leader. He has ordered submarines and bombers to shadow our coastlines, he has invaded one of his southern neighbors, and he temporarily turned off gas supplies to Europe in the middle of the winter.
The Bible points to a revived Roman Empire as being the center of power in the last days. It is an amazing fulfillment of prophecy to have Europe suddenly become the world's the top-ranking economic might. It is also interesting to note that the EU does not have a strong central leader. The prophetic Scriptures say that the Antichrist will rule for only seven years. It appears we are now at the point of waiting for his arrival.
America may have slipped to second place in the measure of earthly riches, but it is still the capital of eternal wealth. We send more missionaries to the field than any other nation, and we also produce the lion’s share of all gospel material.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
-- Todd

Rapture Near: Part II
"It's the economy, stupid!" is the infamous slogan spewed first by Democrat operative James Carville as a rallying cry for Bill Clinton's presidential bid. The declaration was picked up and echoed, seemingly with glee, by mainstream news pundits and other media types. The electorate's almost total absorption with money matters, as those matters affect their day-to-day lives, continues to plague attempts at bringing about consensus in America that we come together as one mind, one people.
Money is the central point of interest, but it is also the societal element that most widely separates we the people. Therein lies the nucleus of the problem for Lucifer's plot to usurp the throne of God. He knows it isn't possible to usurp the heavenly throne, but he observably has a blueprint for ruling on earth. Jerusalem and Mt. Moriah are his ultimate objectives in this regard, but more about that later.
Humanism is at the heart of Satan's plot for achieving the installment of his man, Antichrist, on that earthly throne. He will succeed in doing so for a very brief time. To accomplish this, economy is the ingredient within the human condition that must be brought into governance under Lucifer's authority in order to close the great schism that monetary chaos has produced and continues to perpetuate. The chasm must be breached--not in order to make life better for humanity, but to give Satan a system of buying and selling that will enslave ALL mankind.
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17).
To avoid any misunderstanding, I am not saying that the people and their obsession with pocketbook issues is a good thing in order to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into Satan's plans to rule on earth. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, the Bible tells us, and Americans are obsessed, probably more than any civilization that has ever existed, with money and the deadly materialism with which it infects this generation. Point is, economy--monetary intrigues--will power the engine of humanistic drive from this point forward, as never before. Anyone with any sensibility to look at what has been happening over the past months with regard to the economic dynamics shaping things in America and the world should be able to know that doing business has forever changed. The economy of the United States continues to be deliberately dismantled--and I believe it is being supernaturally accomplished--by forces determined to restructure the world for setting up the ten-kingdom governance prophesied for the time just before Christ's return to planet earth.
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast" (Revelation 17:12-13).
In considering the question of "How near might be the Rapture?" I view the rush toward one-world economy almost the equivalent in order of importance to Israel being front and center on the end-times stage. A flood of other end-times-type issues only slightly less consequential than those two mentioned rage through this generation. It is difficult to prioritize them for purposes of determining their order of importance in looking at how near might be Christ's call to the church as prophesied in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. I believe, however, that one prophetic symptom of our day has developed that stands out as being almost equivalent to Israel and the drive for one-world economic order in pointing to the nearness of the Tribulation hour: The mesmerized church.
Despite the claims that the church--all blood-bought believers in Christ for salvation--is rising to meet the challenges of this troubled age, one is hard-pressed to document any such massive movement. It seems just the opposite. Anti-God movements are on the grow, aided and abetted by news and entertainment media. Rather than opposing things going on that run counter to God's Word, there has developed entertainment-oriented, mega-church organizations that do their best to emulate the world's glitz and glamour. They teach and preach a feel-good, do-good pabulum that surely makes the Lord of heaven want to wretch. As a matter of fact, God said it would be just this way as the time of Christ's return nears: "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:14-16).
How near might be the rapture? We will continue toward the answer next time.
Terry