WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT PROPHECIES?

Warnings

By Donald McAlvany

(This article was reprinted with permission from the August, 1998 issue of the McAlvany Intelligence Advisor.)

Throughout the history of the world, God has always made known to his people impending times of trouble, and given them time to prepare (or escape):

He warned Noah and his family of the coming flood and directed them how to prepare to survive it.

He warned Lot and his family of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and told them to flee.

He warned Pharaoh, through Joseph, of the coming famine and used Joseph to prepare stores of food during the seven years of plenty, which saved Egypt and Joseph's family (Jacob, his eleven sons, and their families) when the famine came.

He warned the Israelites living under Egyptian slavery that the "angel of death" would kill all the first-born of every family and that they must protect themselves and their families by placing the blood of a lamb over the doorposts, so the angel would "passover" them.

He warned the people of Israel through his prophet Isaiah of the coming conquest of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria; it happened in 712 BC.

He warned the people of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) through his prophet Jeremiah, of their coming conquest by Babylon; it happened in 586 BC.

Jonah was sent to Ninevah, the capital city of Assyria to warn the people of God's coming destruction, and when they repented, he postponed the judgment for a number of years.

Jesus warned the people of Jerusalem of their coming destruction by Rome. Luke 19:41-44 says: "As he (Jesus) approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you'."

When Jerusalem fell to the Romans, almost 40 years later in 70 AD, most of Jesus' followers had already fled the city and scattered. Over one million Jews were killed in Jerusalem at that time by the Romans under Titus.

In Europe, during the 1930s, many Christians and Jews were given discernment by the Lord. They recognized the dark clouds of death and destruction that were rolling across Europe, and got out before the Nazi boot slammed down on the continent. There were warnings which many of God's people acted upon, thereby getting them and their family out of harm's way.

Throughout the history of the Christian church, a period of almost 2000 years, that has been checkered with numerous persecutions, the Lord has given advanced warnings of the coming persecutions to His followers, so that they might flee, prepare for the trials spiritually or physically, or go underground. In almost every one of those situations, it was primarily the God-fearing remnant who had the discernment to understand the times, to see the destruction or suffering that was coming, and to prepare (physically and spiritually).

In China, when persecution of the Christian church was coming several decades ago, believers were warned by the Lord to move from the their open churches to underground, home churches. They did so and the underground church was born in China. Today, over 83 million Christians meet in underground churches, while their Communist government continues to persecute them. Does the Lord warn and prepare His people for coming catastrophes, danger, upheaval, persecution or suffering? I believe that the Bible and the history of the church demonstrate that He does!

One common denominator is, that in almost all of those times of trouble down through the ages, the great majority of people could not see the upheaval coming. They refused to believe it. They were in denial. They were enjoying the good life (eating, drinking and partying) right up until the disaster overtook them. And, nothing was going to make them believe otherwise.

As Jesus said regarding the people of Noah's day in Matthew 24:38, 39: "For as in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day Noah entered the Ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away." [ED. NOTE: Noah warned them. They laughed at, and ridiculed him. They all died!]

The people of Pompeii, the party city of the ancient Roman Empire, had 16 years of warnings that Mt. Vesuvius was going to blow. They ignored all the warning eruptions, until one day in 79 AD, it exploded (like Mt. St. Helens) and everyone in Pompeii was killed. Undoubtedly, a few heeded the warnings and fled the destruction, but most did not.

Our present situation in America is somewhat comparable to some of these past upheavals or crises with respect to the coming Y2K crisis. There are now ample warnings from knowledgeable people of the coming computer meltdown and its implications for most Americans.

As with the peoples of Noah's, Lot's, and Joseph's day; as with the peoples of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem; as with the people in Pompeii, in Europe in the 1930s, and in Communist China in the '70s, '80s, and '90s; there were always warnings of the coming destruction, persecution, or upheaval.

The Lord lets his people know of the coming crisis; often months or years before the time of trouble. This writer personally knows Christian families who saw the Bolshevik Revolution coming in Russia in 1917, and fled to safety one, two or three years before the death and destruction of the Communist Revolution began. I, likewise, know of Christian and Jewish families who saw the carnage of the Third Reich coming in the 1930s and fled Europe to safety in advance of the upheaval.

The same is happening in America today. A growing number of people in the remnant see the political and financial upheaval which Y2K is likely to bring to America in less than 500 days or so, and are taking steps to get out of harm's way, to protect their families, and to prepare for the time of trouble. But, the great majority of Americans, like the people in Noah's day, the people in Pompeii, the people in Jerusalem, and the people in pre-War Europe will not listen to the warnings.

They are enjoying the good times the stock market is going up, good times will roll forever - their philosophy (mirroring their young hedonist president) is eat, drink and be merry; let the good times roll; our prosperity will last forever.

Like the people in America in the late 1920s, like the partying peoples in Babylon the night that the handwriting of God was written on the wall, warning of their immediate destruction (and Babylon fell to Persia under Cyrus the Great that very night); the great majority of Americans will not listen to the warnings until it is too late. They are in denial. They are in a party mood. Their affluence will never end. They know that the good times will roll forever. But they are wrong!

At this time, a growing number of Christians, of members of the remnant (still a small minority—probably under 1% of the population) are waking up and are heeding the warnings. They are beginning to make adjustments or preparations in their lives—physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, economically, and most important of all—spiritually. Pat Robertson (on the 700 Club), Jack Van Impe, Chuck Missler, Warren Duffy, and other Christian leaders, as well as a growing minority of pastors, are beginning to warn Christians of the coming time of trouble and to urge them to make preparations: individually, as families, and as churches.

The majority (even of Christians and Christian pastors) will not heed the warnings; but some will. I recently spoke to 1200 people at a Southern California Y2K Conference and was greatly encouraged that people (especially Christians and conservatives) are beginning to wake up, to prepare, to get out of harm's way, to form groups of like-minded people to cooperate with, and to seek the Lord's wisdom and guidance as to how to live and function in the times which lie ahead.

It can be expected that as more Americans begin to wake up and make preparations for Y2K, that Bill Clinton, the liberal media, most of Wall Street, and many Americans, who are and will remain in denial, will become angry and begin to attack those who believe there is a problem; labeling them as fearmongers, doomsayers, gloom and doomers, Y2K fanaticss, right-wing or Christian fanatics, hoarders (food hoarders, currency hoarders, etc.).

Those who are issuing the warnings will also be attacked, and in the midst of the crisis, some leaders will probably even blame the "Y2K fanatics" for triggering the crisis, the financial panic, etc. That is when the anti-hoarding laws will probably be instituted. Remember, when Nero needed a scapegoat after he burned Rome, he blamed the Christians, and the masses turned on them with an angry vengeance.

The times which lie ahead over the next 12-24 months will (in the opinion of this writer) try the souls of men. They will be challenging, exciting and will offer great opportunities for those who have heeded the warnings to minister to those who have not-to those who have lost that which they thought was most important. Those who are prepared will be in a position to help those who have not prepared physically, and perhaps in the greatest way of all, by sharing the ultimate security in an insecure world-the saving truth about Jesus Christ.

MIA encourages its readers to seek the Lord for wisdom, guidance, and direction on how they should live, prepare and serve the Lord in the next few years. Philippines 4:19 says: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Isaiah 58:11, 12 says: "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations."

The God of the Bible will warn and will take care of His people! And that is the bottom line!

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Donald McAlvany publishes The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor which is an analysis of global, monetary and geo-political trends which impact our nation and is explicitly Christian, conservative, and free market in its perspective. Don is pro-U.S. Constitution, pro-Biblical, traditional, and pro-family values oriented. Should you desire to subscribe to his newsletter you may contact his office at this toll free phone (800) 528-0559 or you can visit his website at:

http://www.mcalvany.com/index.htm (Documentation of the Y2K problem and solutions from The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor)

Other link about the Y2K Problems:

http://www.millennia-bcs.com/prep.htm (Practical and Emergency Preparation)