Why Do We Watch the News?

Christianity does not exist in a vacuum. On the contrary, one of the exciting things about being a Christian is that the events taking place around us confirm what the Bible tells us about ourselves, as human beings and about the age we live in. The correlation exists in such concordance, that our faith in God is validated, vindicated and strengthened as a result.

The Relationship Between the Bible and World Events

Approximately one quarter of the Bible is prophetic in nature and much of this material is profoundly connected to our ever-changing world. Many prophecies have been fulfilled but some have also not yet come to pass. In the scriptures, God tells us what we can expect in the months and years to come and we examine the news in an effort to gauge our progress through this age and to look for signs that prophecies are being fulfilled. With many predicted changes in the world already underway, we do well to heed God’s warnings and not ignore the Bible’s connection with worldly conditions.

What Does the Future Have In Store for Christians?

Jesus Christ has promised that He will one day return for the second time to take believers away from a world that is steadily sinking into decay. When this day comes, He will remove his people in the blink of an eye and this will occur utterly without warning. The apostle Paul tells Christians:”we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). As for the date and time of this event, nobody knows. Jesus Himself said:” but of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Mark 13:32). At this time, the age as we know it will end and God will establish a new and peaceful age under the rule of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Why Would God Bring an End To This Age?

Morally and spiritually, this age and the age to come, are opposite in nature. In order to understand this, we must realize that this is not God’s world. Despite the many people who question and blame God for the evils of this world, the truth is that they are mistaken. God is not responsible for broken homes, shattered marriages, violence, racial and ethnic hatred, corruption, greed, pollution, depression, disease, persecution and the resultant suffering they bring. The apostle Paul pinpoints the cause of these sorrows as “the god of this age”; none other than Satan himself. Paul tells us that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one”. (1 John 5:19)

From the earliest beginnings of humanity, God promised that there would be an end to this evil age and it will be replaced by an age with God ruling over and guiding all of humanity. If God didn’t eventually interfere in the affairs of men, we would eventually destroy ourselves. Jesus Himself said that a time is coming that is so horrendous, no human beings would be spared “unless those days were shortened.” (Mathew 24:22)

Until the Return of Christ, What are Christians Watching Out For?

Prior to the return of Jesus, Jesus and the prophets have cautioned us to be “discerners of the times” (Mathew 16:3). That is, we have been told to watch for broad signs that will indicate that the end of our age is approaching. Some of these signs will occur like birth pangs, or the labor pains experienced by an expectant mother. These pains will begin to occur ever more frequently and with greater intensity. (Mark 13, Mathew 24, Luke 21) What’s more, these signs will be so obvious that for those who are observant, there will be no mistaking them.

What do Christians do until then?

Although we do not know for sure the day of Christ’s second coming, Jesus has warned us to be vigilant about our spiritual state and has emphatically warned us not fall asleep, spiritually speaking, while waiting for His return: "Take heed, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time is.” (Mark 13:33)

In his own account, Luke warns us to keep our spiritual house in order and tells us exactly the kind of distractions to avoid: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” (Luke 21:34-35) According to Jesus, when He returns the vast majority of people will be taken by surprise. They will not be spiritually alert, much less be aware of prophesied conditions that are developing. Christ wants His servants to avoid falling in this trap.

Have You Accepted Jesus Christ as Your Saviour?

If you have yet to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you have been given the following comforting words:

"Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.”
(Isaiah 55:6-7)

If you feel that you are ready to commit yourself to Jesus Christ, this article details the first steps to becoming a Christian and we encourage you to also read through some of the other articles on the site. Most importantly, we encourage and invite you to attend our services.

News Items of Interest

Recorded in both the New and Old Testaments, Jesus and the prophets describe some of the conditions and events that will lead to His second coming. Briefly, these and some other points are listed below, in no particular order:

Jerusalem to Become the Focus of International Attention

The prophet Zechariah prophesied that there would come a time when the surrounding nations would besiege Jerusalem and Judah (the area around Jerusalem), and that all the nations of the world would gather against Jerusalem, but that God ultimately would save the city and its people.

Jerusalem is the ancient capital of the Jews, founded by King David about 3000 years ago. Many Arab Moslems, however, believe that the city should be part of an independent state for Palestinian Arabs. It is the question of who should control Jerusalem that has been a cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict and tensions during the past century.

Given the history of the city, the volatile conflict between Israel and the surrounding Arab nations, and the unusual interest that the international community has shown in regards to Jerusalem, it seems clear that developments in this part of the world deserve close scrutiny.

"“This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the LORD. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.'” (Zechariah 12:1-5)

World Government and Globalization

A significant sign that the Last Days are almost upon us, is the emergence of world government. The Bible teaches that a global government will form and rule under the antichrist for three and one-half years during the end times. The moves toward globalization currently underway are preparation for antichrist, not for Jesus Christ.

The first steps in the direction of world government followed World War I, when the nations weary of defending democracy banded together to form the League of Nations, intended to prevent another world war. Although the first experiment in world government failed, the second—the body known as the United Nations, founded after World War II—has established itself as a major force in world politics.

Also of interest is the G7 (or G8 including Russia) group of elite nations was officially founded in 1976. Since then, G7 has met each year to discuss the progress of globalization and to decide the next stages of the new world order. In 2005, the ten most powerful nations on the planet, including the two new rising powers of China and India, met for the first time in history at the G8 summit in Scotland, UK. It is difficult to imagine an event that could have fulfilled the prophecy of the Ten Kings from the Book of Revelation better than the meeting at Gleneagles, that year.

"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." (Revelation 17:12)

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns" (Revelation 13:1)

Moral Breakdown of Society

Jesus Christ used the days of Noah to illustrate the types of attitudes that would be dominant in the last days: “But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were easting and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mathew 24:37)

The apostle Paul commented about carnal attitudes and activities that would characterize the last days: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

This example was given so that we can understand that people will be so concerned about the cares of this life that they will neglect to seek their Creator. Such attitudes will be prevalent and will prevent the majority of people from believing God and the biblical warning signs, until it is too late.

A New World Power

Covered extensively in the books of Daniel and Revelation, the prophet Daniel spoke of a series of kingdoms that would arise on the world scene, the last of which is to be the revived Roman Empire, or present-day Europe. Of this empire, Daniel said that it will be composed “partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron”. This indicates that it will be partly strong and partly fragile and “just as iron does not mix with clay”, this kingdom would not adhere together firmly for long. This revived Roman Empire will become a key player in end time events so we watch as moves are earnestly underway to unify the countries of Europe. (Daniel 2:28-43)

The Mocking of Christ and Christianity

Under Satan’s influence, the world has its own wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:20-29), a way of thought that considers the God of the Bible and His way of life as “foolishness”. (1 Corinthians 2:14) As a result, mankind does not realize that that it is man’s collective rejection of God and His ways that has brought the suffering and sorrow that devastates this world. It is also this way of thought that causes people to mock God and his word.

Peter said: “Knowing this first: that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,” (2 Peter 3:3)

This, unfortunately, is also a trend that will increasingly get worse as the end time approaches.

Apostasy in the Church

The dictionary defines apostasy as being: “the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favour of opposing beliefs or causes).” In this case, apostasy refers to churches increasingly departing from the true faith and it is this apostasy that is also the subject of prophecy.

Jesus said that in the end times there will be a great apostasy within the professing Church (Matthew 24:10-12). According to the apostle Paul, the end times will be marked by men "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power" (2 Timothy 3:5).

Military, Political and Environmental Trends

When His disciples asked what signs would precede His return at the end of this age, Jesus predicted that several major trends that would increase and intensify: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Mathew 24:6-8)

Spiritual Deception and the Growth of False Religions

John warned us to be on the lookout for those professing to be like Christ but actually working against Him by deceiving people and using Christ’s teachings for their own selfish purposes. This trend started in John’s day and will steadily continue to get worse, until the end.

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many.” (Mathew 24:4-5)

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Mathew 24:23)

Famines & Earthquakes

We have lost sight of the fact that God controls the world we live in. As people’s behavior continues to degenerate as the end time approaches, other prophecies indicate that drastic changes in weather patterns – and resulting famines – are a toll God will use to get the attention of an increasingly rebellious humanity. The same can be said for the earthquakes that Jesus has predicted.

“And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Mathew 24: 7-8)

The Development of Technology That Can Track People

The Bible tells us that there would come a time when a powerful leader would force people to receive a "mark" on or in their right hand or forehead, and that no one would be able to buy or sell anything unless they had that mark. When the book of Revelation was written about 1900 years ago, it would have been nearly impossible for a world leader to force everyone to receive such a mark. But, today, with modern technology, it would be much easier. Today, for example, it would be possible to implant under a person's skin a small microchip that could be used like a credit card.

"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17)

More about Bible Prophecy

The study of Bible Prophecy is far more involved than the information presented on these pages. It is not quickly learnt but it is simple enough for anybody to understand. It is a rich and interesting area of study namely because of the raw power it has to validate the Word of God as a work divinely inspired over 1500 years ago.