PATHWAYS TO
ARMEGEDDON, AND BEYOND
CHAPTER 1
PATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE
Pathways…doesn’t that
word bring to your mind an idyllic setting… perhaps a Kincade painting,
complete with floral archways and old stepping stones?
Unfortunately, the
“pathways” we are about to discuss are far from idyllic. They are the pathways we walk everyday… the
ones we hear about on the nightly news... the pathways that lead to our
future.
In recent days, our
paths have become increasingly threatening and horrific.
·
Death has
visited our doorstep in the US, and we are now at war
·
Our cities are
continually threatened by the use of weapons of mass destruction
·
To protect our
lives from terrorists, we are sacrificing our privacy and freedom to
bureaucrats
·
National and
world institutions and power structures are fundamentally changing
Turn on your TV and
you will find our modern day prophets… the endless stream of “talking
heads”. The security experts, the Middle
East analysts, the theologist, the economists, the psychologists, the Islamic
apologists, and all the other "-ologists" continuously bombard us
with their understanding of our past and their "visions" of our
future. While they have perfect 20/20
hind-site, they are rarely ever right about the future.
Are the Pathways to the Future so
unknowable? We in the Judeo-Christian
community know the answer, and the news is good! There is a sovereign God -- He is the Lord of
Hosts, the God of Israel. The Creator of
the heavens and the earth, having formed us in His image, will never abandoned
us. He has not left us in the dark, He
has given us the light of His Word, the Bible.
In it, He has revealed our future -- no experts, no guessing required!
BIBLE PROPHECY THE KEY TO PEACE
While most of us
totally overlook bible prophecy, Our God considers it very important. God indicates the importance of prophecy by
its sheer volume in His Word. More than
25% of total bible text is prophetic.
Jesus also believes
that prophecy is important. When He met
two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection, they where
scolded for their ignorance of the prophetic Word:
"And He said to them,
"O FOOLISH MEN AND SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE IN ALL THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE
SPOKEN! Was it not necessary for the
Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His Glory?" And beginning with Moses and with all the
prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the
Scriptures." Luke 24:25-27
He frequently
counseled his disciples to "Watch, therefore!" -- watch for the
fulfillments of Biblical prophecy – which include the signs of His return.
If God has placed
such importance on sharing His knowledge of the future with us, then it is
equally important for us to work to understand His Word. And work it is! The study of prophecy has a high "sweat
quotient" but the rewards are great -- much like mining rich ores. You must search through a lot of rock to find
and collect nuggets, then refine and mold them.
Not only is the study
of prophecy hard work, it is also dangerous to spiritual apathy. When you study prophecy, you come away
changed. How can you not be? You come face to face with your personal
participation in the establishment of God's Kingdom. After contemplating future catastrophic
events, who would not be sobered?
Studying the prophetic Word renews your commitment to live your life in
a manner which pleases God and brings peace to your soul.
The study of prophecy
builds faith. Witnessing the fulfilment
of a prophecy in our time gives us the feeling of "experiencing" the
Word of God. As that experience also
validates our trust and understanding of the God who provided us with those
prophetic words. As we trust and know
our God better, our faith is up-built.
Where faith exists,
fear cannot abide. Instead of proceeding
down the world’s dark and threatening pathways with fear and uncertainty, our
faith in God and the light He has provided us, gives us peace. As the prophet Daniel prayed:
"Let the name of God be
blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes times and the
epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men,
and knowledge to men of understanding.
IT IS HE WHO REVEALS THE PROFOUND AND HIDDEN THINGS; HE KNOWS WHAT IS IN
THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT DWELLS WITH HIM." Daniel 2:20-22
God has not promised
us an easy path ahead. But with our
sovereign God at our side, we can face the future with understanding,
confidence and peace in our souls.
THE PATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE
In this book, we will
be looking at events and biblical prophecies along seven major pathways that
all lead up to the Kingdom of God.
THE PATHWAY OF GOVERNMENT
As we walk this path,
we will see the development and dissolution of the nation-state system and how
it is being replaced by a system of world government. Will this fundamental change in how men are
governed lead to the world system prophesied by God's prophets?
THE PATHWAY OF POWER
Along this path we
will see how tribalism lead to the triumph and defeat of universal democracy in
our day, and the rising trend toward monarchy.
Will this movement leave the door ajar for the 'Antichrist' to enter and
slip onto his universal throne?
THE EUROPEAN PATHWAY
We will see numerous
tribal paths coalesce into the interstate called ‘Rome’. As we proceed, it will watch it break down
into national paths only to once again coalesce into a super-highway called the
EU. Is Europe positioning itself to
conquer the world, not by force, but by financial guile?
THE RUSSIAN PATHWAY
During the 20th
century, this path briefly branched off of the European pathway. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and
a brief flirtation with democracy, Russia is about to remerge with Europe. But
before it happens, does it have one major military venture in its future?
THE ARAB/MOSLEM PATHWAY
Like Europe, the path
is a coalescing of many tribal paths. We
will examine their beginnings and see what the Bible has to say about the destiny of the Arab/Moslem nations. Some will face judgement others rewards…
which will be which, and have we begun to see God’s judgement being meted out?
THE ISRAELI PATHWAY
This path begins in
Ur of the Chaldees with Abraham, and continues through the Messianic
Kingdom. In our day, God is becoming
increasingly active in the affairs of Israel.
How is Israel being prepared to host the Messianic Kingdom?
THE PATHWAY OF JUDGEMENT
Since the Beginning,
God has judged rebellion and sin. In
some periods such as our own time, God’s judgement seems deferred, while at
other times, it is has been swift and dramatic.
There are judgements ahead on this Pathway that will make the Days of
Noah pale by comparison. What are they
and who will survive?
All of these Pathways
are leading down to the Valley of Meggido - - Armageddon. As we proceed, we find that our footsteps
only quicken. Jesus used the simile of
"birth pangs" to describe the growing speed and intensity of end time
events. Indeed, that is what we are
experiencing today.
Along each of these
Pathways we find “signposts” - - major prophetic events which have been, in
many cases, extensively described by God's prophets. In the next chapter, we will examine each of
these major signposts in detail.