January-February 2024 by Tomorrow's World

Monsters Descend on Israel Where the War Really Began — P. 12 —

— P. 16 —

January-February 2024 | TomorrowsWorld.org

“Never Again…”

Israel at War and Jerusalem in Prophecy

A personal message from the Editor in Chief

Choose to Give Your Life to Others

e here at Tomorrow’s World believe there are ultimately just two ways of life. One way produces good results. The other brings heartache, suffering, and death. Man was given this choice at the very beginning, as recounted in the book of Genesis. God placed two trees in the garden. One was the Tree of Life, but God told Adam that he was forbidden to eat the fruit of the other—the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The first tree symbolizes the choice to trust in God and His law. The second tree symbolizes the choice to reject God and take upon oneself the determination of good and evil. As any student of the Bible knows, Adam chose to trust himself, and life has gone badly ever since, with mankind collectively choosing to follow the same path. God was not ambiguous when He declared to ancient Israel that there are two opposing ways of life. Through His servant Moses, He pointed out clearly the results that would come from the Israelites’ individual and national choices: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess” (Deuteronomy 30:15–16). We cannot separate obedience or disobedience to God from the results that will play out in our lives. God pointed out that the outcome would not be good if they chose to worship other gods. “But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish” (vv. 17–18). Most professing Christians would argue that they do not worship other gods, but are we not as guilty as Adam and Eve? Did they not, in effect, try to make themselves gods? Remember the serpent’s message to Eve: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

God, knowing [or deciding] good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). They said by their actions, “God, we know better than You!” For every human being, the choice and result are exactly as God declared to Israel: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). History shows the result of the wrong choice. The book of Judges reminds us of what happens when every man is left to himself to decide. There we find cruelty and barbarous behaviors of all sorts. It is no accident that the final verse in Judges leaves us with this lesson: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). They did so despite God’s warning against that very thing: “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8). It Is More Blessed to Give Another way to describe these divergent paths is with two little words—give and get. Choosing God’s way, the right tree, is to choose a life of outgoing concern for others. It is the way of helping, caring, and sharing—in short, the way of love. We see the alternate path taken by Cain, who murdered his brother Abel. The account in Genesis 4 is much abbreviated and we must look elsewhere

How Your Subscription Has Been Paid

Tomorrow’s World has no subscription price. It is made possible by the tithes and offerings of Living Church of God members and by others who have chosen to become coworkers in proclaiming Christ’s true Gospel to all nations. Donations are gratefully acknowledged and may be tax-deductible.

TomorrowsWorld.org

Volume 26, Issue 1 |

to grasp the entire picture. The New Testament tells us, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). The way of give is the way of love. As the Apostle John tells us, “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:11–12). And notice this passage from Jude: “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah” (Jude 1:11). It did not end well for any of those three! After Cain murdered his brother, God asked about Abel’s whereabouts, and Cain responded, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). The rest of the Bible answers that question: Yes, we are to be our brother’s keeper! We are to care about the well-being of all those around us (Philippians 2:3–9). The way of give appears counterintuitive to our human nature. As Christians, we may see ourselves as being above selfishness—but are we? Do we truly believe and demonstrate that belief by all our actions, in the words of the Apostle Paul? “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). Consider this instruction from Jesus: Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:12–14).

January-February 2024

The way of give is the way of outgoing concern, of thinking about the needs of others. Yes, we have our own needs, and God does not expect us to neglect them, but most of us prioritize our personal needs quite well. It is compassion for others that we often find lacking. Providing for the needs of others, when they need that care, is rarely convenient. It is easy to think of ourselves as caring, as being selfless, but in practice, we often come up short. The Grand Lesson From the beginning, God gave us a choice: choose His way, against the advice of our carnal human minds, or choose the way that comes most naturally but ends in pain, suffering, and death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). Another example is that of Moses. He had everything a prosperous Egypt could give. He knew what it was like to be surrounded by servants providing him the best food, comfort, and entertainment. Yet he saw beyond the here and now, and chose that better way that would lead to greater riches in the end. “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24–26). The choice between the two trees—between give and get, between being our brother’s keeper or not—is a theme throughout Scripture. Yes, there is a reward for us, but it comes from first giving of ourselves. We must choose between two paths of life. And, every day, we make that choice in how we obey God and care for those around us. This is the grand lesson God wants us to learn in this life. If we choose wisely, we will share eternity with others who have made that choice, born into a kingdom of peace and joy with God our Father and Jesus Christ His Son. That is the message of Tomorrow’s World.

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

5 “Masada Shall Not Fall Again” What is the source of Israel’s resilience? And what does prophecy say about Israel’s present—and its future?

12 Monsters Descended on Israel There should be no doubt about the morality of the atrocity that took place on October 7.

16 The True Cause of Trouble in the Middle East! Only God’s word can explain the reason behind the conflicts that continually surround the modern nation of Israel.

24 The Behemoth Beneath Our Feet Much of the grandeur of our Creator’s design is hidden from our view—including the largest single organism on the planet.

26 Smartphone Anxiety? Read a Book! Do you struggle to control how much you use your phone? You can help your family master this powerful technology!

10 Canada Chooses Chaos 14 Remembering Jesus’ Golden Rule

Civilians hid in bomb shelters as monsters descended on Israel –12–

9 Questions and Answers 28 NewsWatch 30 Letters to the Editor 31 Television Log Circulation: 550,000

To request free literature or correspond with the editors, contact the Regional Office nearest you or write to Letters@TomorrowsWorld.org. United States PO Box 3810 Charlotte, NC 28227-8010 Phone: +1 (704) 844-1970 Australasia PO Box 300 Clarendon SA 5157, Australia Phone: +61 8 8383 6266

Canada PO Box 465 London, ON N6P 1R1 Phone: +1 (905) 814-1094 New Zealand PO Box 2767 Shortland Street Auckland 1140 Phone: +64 9-268 8985 Philippines PO Box 492 Araneta Center Post Office 1135 Quezon City, Metro Manila Phone: +63 2 8573-7594

South Africa Private Bag X3016 Harrismith, FS, 9880 Phone: +27 58 622 1424 United Kingdom Box 111 43 Berkeley Square London, W1J 5FJ Phone: +44 844 800 9322 We respect your privacy: We do not rent, trade, or sell our mailing list. If you do not want to receive this magazine, email us or contact the Regional Office nearest you.

“Masada Shall Not Fall Again” What is the source of Israel’s resilience? And what does prophecy say about Israel’s present—and its future?

By Gerald E. Weston

hen Hamas terrorists invaded the state of Israel last October, I could not help but reflect on how much had remained unchanged there since my wife and I had visited 45 years earlier. And I thought of Masada—the fortress where, according to the ancient historian Josephus, nearly a thousand Jewish patriots died under Roman assault in 73 AD. The Hamas terrorists—striking while many in Israel were observing Shemini Atzeret, the annual Holy Day known as the Last Great Day—killed civilians, beheaded babies and children, raped women, and took hostages to use as bargaining chips and human shields. They even used victims’ cellphones to send execution videos back to contacts and families. Much of the world was shocked by such barbarity. But, sadly, too many around the globe ghoulishly cheered and protested on behalf of the terrorists, just as they had on 9/11. Most observers today are viewing Hamas terrorism and Israeli response in the context of the here and now. Yes, many wonder where all of this is leading, but do they realize there is something bigger at

work? Do they realize that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled right before their eyes? You who are reading this—do you understand what is happening and where it is leading? Read on if you want to know. The biblical prophet Zechariah wrote of events involving Judah (the Jews) and Jerusalem nearly 2,500 years ago. These prophecies, found in the twelfth and fourteenth chapters of his prophetic account, are specific and easy to understand. Their accuracy attests to the fact that God alone inspired them, and the details leave no doubt that they are for our time—now and the days just ahead. Israel’s Alamo My wife and I had the opportunity to visit Israel in 1978, and one of the sites on our tour was Masada. This ancient fortress looms approximately 1,400 feet above the Dead Sea on the edge of the Judean desert. It served as a summer palace for Herod, complete with a swimming pool and sauna. Despite its location, an ingenious series of canals and cisterns reportedly could store enough water from a single day’s rain to sustain a thousand residents for more than two years. As impressive as Masada once was, what brings it into focus today is its first-century history. Disas-

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

“ M ASA DA S H A L L N OT FA LL AGA IN ”

ter came upon the Jews when they revolted against their Roman overlords in 66 AD. Four years later, Jerusalem fell, just as Jesus had foretold (Matthew 24:1–2). The siege of Jerusalem was brutal—again, as Jesus had foretold (Matthew 23:37–39)—and the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus recorded some of the details. Zealots took to Masada to make a last stand—the only way to the top of the plateau was by way of a long, snaking trail, which could easily be defended. You can still see this well-defined trail today, along with the remains of eight stone-walled camps surrounding the fortress. There was no easy way to attack the holdouts who sat comfortably atop the plateau, but the determined Romans embarked on an ambitious building

will be a great grief to the Romans, that they shall not be able to seize upon our bodies, and shall fail of our wealth also; and let us spare nothing but our provisions; for they will be a testimony when we are dead that we were not subdued for want of necessaries; but that, according to our original resolution, we have preferred death before slavery (The Wars of the Jews, translated by William Whiston, book 7, chapter 8, section 6).

project. They built a ramp of dirt and gravel up to the top of the western side—a time-weathered structure that remains to this day. Outnumbered 15 to one, once the Jews realized the day of doom was upon them, they chose to kill one another (Jewish law forbidding suicide) rather than have their wives abused, their children enslaved, and the men defeated in battle. Josephus records what happened from the testimony of the very few women and children who survived. He also records the gist of an impassioned speech with which the leader of the enclave encouraged his countrymen.

Masada is a monument in and a symbol for Israel. Modern Israeli soldiers swear “Masada shall not fall again” and make nighttime pilgrimages to the site as part of their initiation into the military. American presidents have consistently declared their support; shortly after the Hamas attacks, President Biden plainly stated on October 10, “Let there be no doubt: The United States has Israel’s back.” President George W. Bush had even declared U.S. support in terms invoking Masada; in a May 2008 address to Israel’s Knesset, he proclaimed, “Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will be at your side.” In case you miss the significance of this, our tour guide back in 1978 made it clear—today’s Israelis will not accept defeat as the zealots of Masada did nearly two millennia ago. They will take their enemies with them. Few commentators dare acknowledge that Israel has the weapons, nuclear and otherwise, to do just that. As Israelis today face a threat to their survival from Iran, Iran’s proxies, and other Arab and Islamic nations, no one should doubt their drive for survival—never shall Masada fall again.

Let our wives die before they are abused, and our children before they have tasted of slavery; and after we have slain them, let us bestow that glorious benefit upon one another mutually, and preserve ourselves in freedom, as an excellent funeral monument for us. But first let us destroy our money and the fortress by fire; for I am well assured that this

Prophecies for Today One of my major takeaways while visiting the Israeli state was how small it is. A modern fighter jet can fly from the Arab-dominated West Bank territory to Tel Aviv in eleven seconds. How would any of us like to have mortal enemies dwelling so near to us? And as strong as Israel is, how can it defend itself against such overwhelming odds? How is it that the nation of

ZEALOTS TOOK TO MASADA TO MAKE A LAST STAND—THE ONLY WAY TO THE TOP OF THE PLATEAU WAS BY WAY OF A LONG, SNAKING TRAIL, WHICH COULD EASILY BE DEFENDED.

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

TomorrowsWorld.org

“MASADA S HAL L N OT FAL L AGA IN”

A view near the top of Masada at the national park in the Judean desert Israel has survived so long? God gives us the answer in the pages of His word, the Bible. The State of Israel has survived three major wars (1948, 1967, and 1974), two intifadas (violent uprisings lasting six and five years, respectively), suicide bombers, and rocket attacks—and now, after 75 years of existence, it is locked into its fourth and most dangerous war. Each time, no matter how much damage the Israelis sustain, those who come against them end up bloodied and defeated. This is exactly what the prophet Zechariah foretold. Zechariah 12 begins by setting the record straight on who is behind this prophecy—not a playful spook in the night or a crystal ball, but the Creator of the heavens and earth. “Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him” (v. 1). We then read a prophecy that has been fulfilled time and again over the last 75 years: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (vv. 2–3). Do we not see that the nations that today surround Israel and Jerusalem are drunk with hatred?

Can we not see that the problem of Jerusalem is as a very heavy stone for those who wish to rid themselves of it? And do we not see that all who try to solve the problem—“heave it away”—get cut to pieces? Consider what else this passage tells us. The fact that the Jews are in control of Jerusalem is not a trivial point. God gave this prophecy 2,500 years ago. Think about that! Would you like to make a prediction about any city anywhere on earth regarding the circumstances it would face that many years into the future? Consider that the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Then, in 135 AD, they kicked the Jews out of their homeland. There was not a Jewish state from 135 AD until 1948. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled during any of those 1,813 years! So, here we have it: Jews in Jerusalem, Jerusalem a troublesome stone, and everyone who tries to solve the problem (heave it away) gets bloodied (cut to pieces). Furthermore, all nations are gathered together against it. Year after year, at the United Nations, there are more resolutions condemning Israel than condemnations of all other countries combined—in 2022, the General Assembly approved 15 against Israel and 13 against all others. Is all this mere coincidence? How could anyone foretell, 2,500 years in advance, today’s state of affairs for that tiny strip of territory at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea?

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

“ M ASA DA S H A L L N OT FA LL AGA IN ”

Zechariah goes on to describe the fate of the nations that go against the Jews. “In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem” (12:6). That certainly sounds like our present day, but how can we know that these prophecies were not fulfilled long ago? How can we know that they are for our time and the near future? As pointed out above, we know that the Jews did not control Jerusalem from 135 AD until 1948, and they did not control all of Jerusalem until the Six Day War in June 1967. And there is more. The prophecies of Zechariah 12 are ongoing and lead up to the final battle for Jerusalem. The verses we have read foretell what has been happening throughout Israel’s history from 1948 onward, but the latter part of the chapter speaks of a very specific time—a time when the Messiah will directly intervene, and in such a way that the Jews will understand that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God. In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn (12:8–10). This is a prophecy of Christ intervening for Judah and Jerusalem, but it includes a prophecy foretelling His first coming—“then they will look on Me whom they pierced”—indicating the manner of His death on our behalf. The Day of the Lord Chapter 14 of Zechariah partly overlaps chapter 12, but focuses entirely on the crisis at the end time—at Christ’s return. The first verse gives us the time set-

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

ting as “the day of the Lord.” This is a time described in more than 30 prophecies, and it refers to the time of the end. Here we see once again irrational hatred for the Jews and their enemies lined up against them. “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (14:2). Just as happened on October 7, 2023, but on a far greater scale, women will be raped and houses will be ransacked—and, this time, half of Jerusalem will be taken hostage. But this will involve more than just a few terrorist groups. “All the nations” will make a last attempt to heave the heavy stone away. Revelation 11:2 informs us that when Jerusalem is overthrown, it will be trampled underfoot for three-and-a-half years. By comparing the time setting of Zechariah to the events described in Revelation, it is evident that these verses foretell the time when Christ will return and stop the madness. “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle” (Zechariah 14:3). The events described in verse 4 preclude this being a past occurrence. It is yet in our future: “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.” Yes, Christ will intervene and put an end to this senseless carnage against the Jews. He will also put an end to war and destruction all over the world. “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (v. 9). No longer will false religion of any stripe—Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, and, yes, paganized “Christianity”— stand the test. Many prophecies describe this time following Christ’s second coming, when Jerusalem will be called “the City of Truth” (Zechariah 8:3). But, sadly, that day is not yet. How this current war will play out remains to be seen. We know it is not the final battle that will bring about Christ’s second coming, as other prophesied events must happen first, according to Scripture. However, there is another prophecy regarding Judah—the Jewish state called Israel—and it has ominous implications. Neither the “MASADA SHALL NOT FALL AGAIN” CO N TI N UES O N PAGE 15

TomorrowsWorld.org

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS How should we keep the Sabbath holy? Question: I’ve just learned that the weekly Sabbath starts at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday, according to the Bible. What steps should I take to “keep it holy,” as commanded in Exodus 20:8? Answer: Far from being a time of restrictions, the Sabbath is about freedom from the relentless grind of daily life, giving us a chance to refocus on what truly matters. It’s a day that God designed to replenish us. Jesus Himself clarified, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28). So, why do we observe the Sabbath? It’s a fundamental practice rooted in the Ten Commandments and a divine directive Christ embraced and passed on to His disciples (Matthew 19:17). Scripture guides us explicitly: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:8–11). Here, we find a clear blueprint for six days of work and a day of rest, a rhythm of life instituted by God Himself at creation (Genesis 2:1–3). When the Sabbath arrives, we step back from our labors and the consumption of entertainment, whether it be sports, TV shows, or online distractions—things that divert our attention from the important to the mundane. Instead, the Sabbath is a day dedicated to deepening our understanding of God and expressing our reverence through worship. The Bible also commands us to fellowship with true Christian believers on the Sabbath, generally meeting with them in person if we are physically able and live within a manageable traveling distance. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together… but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24–25). Christians are to inspire and encourage one another as we anticipate Christ’s return. Furthermore, Jesus explained that “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). A person who helps someone with an urgent need on the Sabbath is not violating it; Christ healed the sick on the Sabbath, for which the Pharisees plotted to

destroy Him (vv. 13–14). However, Christians must examine themselves to be sure they aren’t misusing Christ’s command; it is right for a Christian to provide a needed service on the Sabbath, but it is not right to earn money on the Sabbath with the excuse of “helping” people. A Divine Gift Observing the Sabbath isn’t just about adherence to a rule; it’s also about experiencing the profound blessings the Holy Day offers. Isaiah poetically underscores the joy and spiritual nourishment that come from honoring the Sabbath: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath… then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father” (Isaiah 58:13–14). It’s a promise that those who honor this day will know the delight found in a close relationship with God. Each weekly Sabbath serves as a time of joy—of physical and spiritual refreshment. “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise” (Psalm 42:4). This psalmist’s reflection captures the essence of the Sabbath experience—a stirring journey toward a deeper relationship with God, filled with joy and praise. The Sabbath is a divine gift, a weekly respite to recalibrate our lives and align them with God. It’s a day each week when we pause, reflect, worship, and are spiritually rejuvenated. Embedded in God’s word and practiced by Jesus Christ, it gives us a blueprint for living that balances work with restorative rest, engagement with reflection, and individual practice with communal worship. To learn more about the significance of the seventh-day Sabbath, request free copies of Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? and The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. And if you are interested in finding a nearby congregation of the Living Church of God—sponsor of this magazine—or in speaking with a local representative, contact our Regional Office closest to you (listed on page 4) or visit TomorrowsWorld.org. TW

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

Canada! Canada Chooses Chaos Is the world ceasing to make sense? For many Canadians, the answer is yes. Take, for example, the subject of an article in The Western Standard (“50-year-old biological male competes against 13-year-old girls in Markham swim meet,” WesternStandard.news, October 25, 2023). The article reports that at a regional swim meet in Markham, Ontario, records show that a 50-year-old man who claims to be a “trans woman” was allowed to swim against young girls aged 13 to 14 years old. Apparently, the mainstream news media considered this “normal” enough to be unnewsworthy. It appears that many parents were outraged—yet, even after the article was published, no action was taken to prevent such misconduct from being repeated. Everyone reading this article knows that, only a short time ago, such a thing would not have been allowed—and, if it had occurred, the consequences would have been very serious. What has happened to society’s values when what was once considered reprehensible is now deemed normal? Our predecessor in this Work, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, liked to point out that there is a cause for every effect. What, then, is the cause for the effect we’ve just described? War Against the Bible Perhaps another recent event in Canada can shed some light on this question. Last October, the National Post reported that Canadian military chaplains had received a chilling directive. New directives for military chaplains that tell them to be “respectful of … spiritual diversity”

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

during public addresses, to employ “Gender Based Analysis” and [to] replace religious symbols like crosses and stars of David with a generic chaplain’s crest could spell the death of the role in Canada’s Armed Forces, says one long-serving veteran of the chaplaincy. “It’s a further trek down the road of trying to eliminate religion altogether in the military,” said Father Timothy Nelligan (“Directives to military chaplains urge expunging God, religion from Remembrance Day, public ceremonies,” NationalPost.com, October 27, 2023). The directive went on to relate that any religious language or mention of God should be left out of public ceremonies at national Remembrance Day events, held annually on November 11 to commemorate Canada’s war dead and those of all the forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth. The chaplains are to be “sensitive and inclusive,” fundamentally meaning that a Roman Catholic chaplain could not give an exclusively Catholic prayer, nor could a Protestant chaplain give a Protestant one, nor a rabbi give a Jewish one. In other words, clergy serving the military must expunge religious beliefs and language at any public event. In fact, a supporting report from the defence minister’s paper on racism and discrimination “recommended Canada cease hiring chaplains from faiths with more traditional beliefs.” The National Post reporter even noted the following: “Religion, the report states, should be considered a ‘source of suffering and generational trauma’ for some Ca-

TomorrowsWorld.org

C AN ADA C HO OS ES C H AOS

nadians…. Many Canadian military chaplains, the report states, ‘represent or are affiliated with organized religions whose beliefs are not synonymous with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace.’” In other words, while not banned from prayer, the chaplains must use wording with which all can agree, regardless of their choice of lifestyle or even their rejection of the concept of God. It seems government administration has determined that the content of “religion” will be some kind of generic spirituality, and not the beliefs and doctrines of a given faith, especially not a faith derived from the Christian Bible. In an article in the British publication The Conservative Woman, a retired Presbyterian minister describes the disturbing and willful assault being waged against biblical values in Canada: Authoritarian states and organisations have always seen Christianity as an obstacle to their aims of a society.... Thus totalitarian states have sought to reduce the influence of Christianity on society, or even stamp it out altogether. In this respect the West’s woke and progressive movements of today follow other revolutionary movements of both Left and Right which, since the French Revolution, have attempted to destroy Christianity as they tried to remake the world (“Canada’s war on Christian rights,” May 24, 2022). Specifically referring to the present Canadian government’s actions, the author writes that human rights have been gradually diminishing, and that this correlates with the passing of laws that reject biblical beliefs about the nature of humanity and the structure of our society. He cites several examples demonstrating the degree of hostility to biblical values on the part of administration officials and a judiciary that leans to a “progressive” position in opposition to the body of ethics that the Bible has inspired for millennia. In 2017, a couple who were Presbyterian faced legal challenges in their quest to become foster parents for two girls. Their application was initially rejected because they admitted to the social worker that they wouldn’t tell the children that the Easter Bunny actually existed. In another instance in 2018, Trinity Western, an evangelical university in British Columbia, was unsuc-

cessful in its legal battle at the Supreme Court of Canada. The university’s intention to start a law school was met with resistance as three bar associations in Canada declined to recognize its graduates. This was due to the university’s policy, which required students to adhere to a “Community Covenant” that upholds the Christian scriptural understanding of human sexuality. Although the Supreme Court recognized that this decision infringed on religious freedoms, it claimed that the ruling was a balanced and reasonable approach to ensure that LGBTQ students, who might be reluctant to agree to the covenant, could access the university’s programs. Perhaps one of the most telling comments was made by Federal Minister of Justice David Lametti, discussing legislation that would criminalize counselling individuals wishing to reject an LGBT lifestyle. Advocating the prohibition of conversion therapy, Lametti stated, “Conversion therapy is premised on a lie, that being homosexual, lesbian, bisexual or trans is wrong and in need of fixing. Not only is that false, it sends a demeaning and a degrading message that undermines the dignity of individuals.” According to Lametti’s stance, everything that the Bible reveals about the purpose of gender and the healthy expression of sexuality is to be rejected as an offensive falsehood. Drifting Toward Destruction What, then, is the cause for society to seemingly believe that it is normal for a 50-year-old man to be treated as a 13-year-old girl at a swim meet? The Bible gives a detailed account of what happens to a society when its absolutes are rejected. The book of Judges describes the nation of Israel living in a chaotic, impoverished, and oppressed condition. The reason is clear: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Such is the case in Canada today, where authorities increasingly abhor and reject God-given absolutes that define right and wrong. Hence, the nation is drifting aimlessly into an amorality that is leading to chaos, lawlessness, impoverishment, and eventual destruction. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Tomorrow’s World will continue to proclaim God’s word even as Western society embraces illogic as logic and foolishness as wisdom. —Stuart Wachowicz

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

Monsters Descended on Israel By Wallace G. Smith

e must speak plainly and refuse to allow time and political agendas to alter our memories. On October 7, 2023, monsters descended on the

nation of Israel. As word spread that day, many Israelis rushed to their cellphones or television screens to see images of terrorists crossing the nation’s borders by land and sea—even by air in small, improvised aircraft. They descended upon a music festival packed with dancing youth. They encroached on neighborhoods. They entered homes. And their mission was clear: to kill, to maim, to degrade, to rape, to torture, and to kidnap. That is, to terrorize. As of this writing, reports indicate that Hamas terrorists have killed around 1,200 in Israel and injured more than 5,000, and kidnapped more than 240. We might have hoped that Western media outlets previously reluctant to call Hamas a terrorist organization would quickly realize their error as they watched footage of Hamas “soldiers” parading about town the desecrated and spat-upon corpses of raped and murdered young women. Sadly, the foot dragging continued, and morally bankrupt ideologies continued to hold sway among many “influencers” and shapers of public opinion. Some in the West see Hamas’ actions as justified acts of aggression against “colonizers.” To these sad souls, the brutal rape of women, the systematic

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

terrorizing and butchering of innocent families and children, and the celebratory desecration of the bodies of the murdered become acceptable forms of violence when the motive is said to be “decolonization.” Western civilization has sunk to a level at which a self-proclaimed “feminist” organization like CodePink can publicly and unabashedly support the rape of defenseless women, the display of women’s corpses as trophies, and the kidnapping of terrified women by men who intend them untold harm. As such ideological rot continues to grow, the words “Western” and “civilization” are becoming unrelated. No Moral Equivalence No political affiliation—or political concern of any stripe—is needed to see that the actions of October 7, 2023, are evil and an abominable stain on humanity. Yes, international relationships are complicated, especially in a region as turbulent as the Middle East. And no one says that the state of Israel is beyond reproach in its modern history. But none of this can change the plain nature of the inexcusable atrocity inflicted upon the Israeli people. Anyone who would claim that Hamas’ latest actions are part of some acceptable “tit for tat” trade of offenses—as if there is some moral equivalence between Hamas’ atrocities and the actions of the state of Israel—is deluded and has been captured by a morally corrupt view of our world. Hamas, and organizations like it, are happy to use their own children’s schools and their own people’s

TomorrowsWorld.org

MO N STER S D ESC EN D ED O N I S RA EL

hospitals as cover for launching their assaults, trusting Israel’s reluctance to strike back and kill innocents. Before this conflict, many mainstream media organizations recognized this and published about it. Regardless, who will pretend that, if the situation were reversed, a Hamas terrorist would not be all the more eager to strike at Israel in a way that killed as many innocent citizens as possible? For anyone fantasizing otherwise, these latest Hamas attacks should shatter such delusions. The murder, maiming, and torturing of the innocent was the objective of Hamas’ attack. And there is no moral equivalence between one side that routinely uses human shields and another that is deterred by the presence of human shields. Similarly, there is no moral equivalence between one side that often gives warnings to locations about to be bombed so that the innocent may flee—even when that warning risks reducing the effectiveness of a strike—and another side that attacks without warning, to ensure that as many innocent victims as possible will be raped, terrorized, and slaughtered. And there is no moral equivalence between one side that seeks to minimize collateral damage among non-combatants, and another side that broadcasts its abuse of their enemy’s children, boastfully displays the naked and desecrated bodies of their enemy’s daughters and wives, and circulates videos of their humiliation and terrorizing of their enemy’s grandmothers. International relations and politics are complicated. And warfare between nations always involves moral compromises, both sanctioned and unsanctioned. Rarely in any conflict does either side emerge with clean hands. But there is nothing complicated about the actions that took place on October 7, 2023. There is no moral equivalence here. Those who believe, in any way whatsoever, that the actions of Hamas on that day were justified have adopted the morality of monsters and must repent. God judges us not only for what we do, but also for what we approve (Romans 1:32). The Only Way to Peace So, we may wonder: In this deadly Middle East landscape—with its deep-seated hatreds rooted in an animus that goes far deeper than disputes over borders and resources and political intrigues—how and when will peace finally come?

Some interpret this latest conflict as a sign that there may never be peace, at least not a truly sustainable peace, in the Middle East. And they are not far from the truth. Human efforts alone will not solve the problems of this troubled region. Yet a day is soon coming when more than human effort will come into play. As Richard Ames writes in The Middle East in Prophecy, “We need to remember that true peace can only come about in the lives of men Some interpret and women when their huthis latest man nature gives way to God’s conflict as a Spirit. In the Millennium and beyond, the vast majority of sign that there people will accept God’s gift may never be of His Spirit. Then they shall peace, at least learn how to find the way to peace” (p. 43). not a truly The Prince of Peace is sustainable coming, and He will come peace, in the with “healing in His wings” Middle East. (Malachi 4:2). Sadly, there will be more bloodshed in the days And they are not far from the and years ahead. Israel—as well as the United States and truth. Human Great Britain—face a future efforts alone tribulation that will cause all will not solve the the sufferings of the past to pale in comparison (Matthew problems. 24:21; Jeremiah 30:7). Unless true repentance and a fundamental return to God the Father and His Son take place, the coming of that suffering is assured. But there is good news. Those whose cruelty has known no bounds in this life will face justice at the hands of the One who holds out no mercy to those who have shown no mercy (James 2:13). The monsters of October 7 should shudder at the knowledge that such a day is coming, and that the God of the fatherless and the widow declares that He hears their cries—and that He will repay (Exodus 22:22–24). And a time of healing and peace such as the world has never known is coming with the return of Jesus Christ. Let us pour our hearts into our prayers that His Kingdom comes soon, and, until today’s world becomes tomorrow’s, let us all pray “for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). TW

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

REMEMBERING JESUS’ GOLDEN RULE We need it more than ever.

ast summer, I had the privilege of serving on the softball staff at a Living Church of God teen camp. A major theme we teach at our youth camps is the importance of doing all things decently, in order, without confusion, and in peace (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). We also teach many other values from the Bible, and one of the biblical principles that came up a few times this year—not just in softball, but also in basketball and other classes— was the principle often called the “Golden Rule.” The Golden Rule comes from Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (MatThe Golden Rule thew 7:12; cf. Luke 6:31). What a potentially world-changing is not some principle, and one desperately abstract cliché; needed now more than ever! As it was found in usual, Jesus said it best. Of particular note is how a practical set Jesus summarized much of the of statutes that Old Testament with this princiGod gave to ple, and He was not alone. The ancient Israel, Apostle Paul made a similar point: “For all the law is fulteaching the filled in one word, even in this: Israelites the ‘You shall love your neighbor vital principle as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14). Many who aren’t familiar with of actively their Bibles fail to realize that helping those Paul, like Jesus, was quoting a around you. crucial Old Testament teaching, found in Leviticus 19:18. The Golden Rule makes me think of my late grandmother, from whom I received a small, antique-type piece of wall décor with the title, “The Golden Rule,” and then, beneath it, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is in my home as a cherished reminder both of Jesus’ teaching and my grandmother, a sweet, generous lady (also “full of pep and vinegar,” as she would say) who never met a stranger—an excellent example of striving to live faithfully by Jesus’ Golden Rule. Christians must strive to keep the Golden Rule centered in our thinking, as it can become far too easy

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

to let it become a mere platitude. To avoid this pitfall requires thoughtful effort on our part. Always Relevant The principle of the Golden Rule is far more than a platitude: it is, in fact, extremely practical and applicable in almost all of our interactions and relationships, as we are reminded by several scriptures in the Old Testament. One lengthy example is worth our careful attention: You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again (Deuteronomy 22:1–4). This reminds us that the Golden Rule was not an abstract cliché; it was found in a practical set of statutes that God gave to ancient Israel, teaching the Israelites the vital principle of actively helping those around you—just as Jesus Christ would teach the Golden Rule many centuries later. Helping to teach the Golden Rule, along with other biblical values, to teens at summer camp was a joy in so many ways, and by teaching it I also gained benefit from the reminder of one of the simplest and most powerful of Jesus Christ’s teachings. With so much complex turmoil between peoples and nations today, our world could use much more of Jesus’ simplest instructions—especially His Golden Rule. —Josh Lyons

TomorrowsWorld.org

“ MASA DA SH A L L N OT FA L L AGA IN ” CO N T IN UED F R O M PAG E 8

British-descended peoples (Ephraim) nor their allies, America (Manasseh) and Judah (the Jews), have obeyed their Creator. Though God’s word, proclaimed by this work, has warned them, they refuse to repent and instead choose to live by human precepts (Hosea 5:9–12). And the end result? “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound” (v. 13). There was a former fulfillment of Hosea’s prophecy—and, as is so often the case, there will be a latter-day fulfillment. At some point in the nottoo-distant future, and it could happen during this war, Judah will receive a disastrous blow—a wound worse than anything seen so far. What exactly that will be remains to be seen, but even after Christ returns, the Jews will still retain a capable fighting force (Zechariah 14:14). A thousand years before Zechariah, Moses recorded a prophecy that the enemies of Judah would do well to heed. At the end of his life, Jacob, whose name had been changed to Israel, brought his twelve sons together and told them what would happen to them at the end of the age. “Gather together,” he said, “that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father” (Genesis 49:1–2). Judah was one of Jacob’s twelve sons. We know of Judah’s descendants as the Jews. Not only are we told that the scepter—or the ruler—would come from him (v. 10), but also we are told that Judah would be like a ferocious lion against his enemies. “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?” (49:8–9). Is that not what we have seen over the last 75 years? Iran, who is clearly behind Hamas, has awakened a sleeping lion. But, as we have also seen in these prophecies about Judah and Jerusalem, it will be a difficult time going forward, and God will eventually allow Jerusalem to be overrun. Only then will the Messiah re-

MAY WE S U G G EST?

turn to save Judah and all the world from mankind’s self-inflicted troubles. After Christ returns, people all over the earth will come to understand who the God of Israel is—and that His way is the only way to peace, prosperity, and harmony. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:2–4). We often quote these words of God from the prophet Isaiah: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9–10). As of this writing, it remains to be seen what is next for this conflict between Israel and its enemies. Will things eventually settle down for a while before the next major attacks? Will other nations take up arms against Israel? Will Israel use this time to destroy Iran’s nuclear development facilities so that nation will not “get the bomb”? This we do not know. But we know from Scripture the eventual outcome. One thing is for sure: At the end of this present age, when the Jews are facing an unprecedented barrage of enemy armies set on their destruction, Masada will not happen again—not because of Judah’s most fervent efforts, but because “the one whom they pierced” will step in to do His will. TW

Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return There’s a new world on the way, and you can know how close it is! Request this free printed booklet from the Regional Office nearest you, or order at TomorrowsWorld.org. PDF, ePub, and Kindle are also available.

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

The True Cause of Trouble in the Middle East!

By Mario Hernández

t seems that no one—no politician, no diplomat, no scholar—really understands the root of the problems in the Middle East! Why is there such persistent violence? Why is there so much hatred between Palestinians and Jews? It is only with the light of God’s word that we can understand! You don’t find a true and full explanation of what’s going on in the Middle East anywhere else. We can only understand it from the pages of the Bible. A Mysterious Reference Perhaps accidentally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a hint of the truth behind the conflict in a November 2023 letter he wrote to his nation’s defense forces after the atrocities of October 7. “The current fight against the murderers of Hamas,” he wrote, “is another chapter in the generations-long story of our national resilience. ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’” By quoting from Deuteronomy 25:17—“Remember what Amalek did to you”—Netanyahu stirred a firestorm of controversy. Some saw it as a call to genocide, while others claimed he was seeking to bolster support from religious conservatives to retain enough votes to stay in power. (See Mr. Peter Nathan’s article, “Jerusalem: The Way Forward” in the November-December 2023 issue.) Few, however—perhaps not even the Prime Minister himself—truly understand the profound connection between that quote and the real cause of the current troubles in the Middle East! Many tend to see all conflict in the Middle East as a conflict between Isaac and Ishmael, who were Abraham’s firstborn sons by Sarah and Hagar. But for all the animosity between the descendants of these brothers, the Bible does not emphasize it

greatly. Yes, as Psalm 83 reveals, Ishmaelites are conspirators against Israel in the end-time, as Tomorrow’s World has mentioned many times in its pages. But the current conflict is not primarily between these two brothers! We must look deeper into God’s word for the truth, my friends. We can begin with Netanyahu’s statement by asking, Who is Amalek? Who Is Amalek? We begin our understanding by reading of Amalek in Exodus 17. Israel had just crossed the Red Sea, and then “Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim” (v. 8). This attack sticks out in the biblical record as singularly offensive to God. So angered was the Eternal by the actions of the Amalekites that He makes plain in no uncertain terms that “the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (v. 16). In fact, most translations of Exodus 17:16 fail to reveal the depth of God’s offense. Renowned Bible scholar Adam Clarke, noting this, gives another possible translation for this verse: “Because the hand of Amalek is against the throne of God, therefore will I have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” God says that Amalek’s hand was raised against His own throne! Why was this attack so serious in God’s eyes? Many peoples other than the Amalekites attacked Israel, even during the conquest of the Holy Land. Why did God take Amalek’s actions so seriously? Let’s read more details in Deuteronomy 25: “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God” (vv. 17–18). Keep this in mind: This is describing a terrorist attack. What are the three characteristics of terrorist

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

THE T RU E CAU S E O F T R O UBLE IN T HE M IDDLE EAST!

attacks? They attack from behind, they attack defenseless civilian populations, and they do not face the army. That’s exactly what we saw on October 7. Hamas attacked from behind, they did not face the army, and they attacked a defenseless civilian population. They attacked the weak and the helpless, only to turn and hide behind their own women and children in Gaza tunnels. That is how Hamas operates! In its terrorist attack against ancient Israel, the Amalekites offended God greatly—which parallels the terrorism of Hamas! So, we can see why Netanyahu’s letter would call to mind the terrorism of Amalek. But the real connection between Amalek and today’s troubles goes much deeper! A Birthright Despised In Genesis 36, we read that Amalek was the grandson of the ancient patriarch Esau, born to Esau’s firstborn son Eliphaz (vv. 9–12). Why is this important? Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, who would eventually father the twelve tribes of Israel—including the Jews of Judah—and inherit the land promised to Abraham and Isaac. Even within their mother’s womb, Esau and Jacob were fighting each other (Genesis 25:21–23)! God indicated even before their birth that these twins would be the progenitors of two peoples who would struggle against each other throughout the centuries, as we shall see. As the firstborn of the two (Genesis 25:25), Esau originally held the birthright—including the right to possess the Holy Land that God had promised to Abraham and Isaac. That land would have been Esau’s and would have been passed down to his descendants—including Amalek. So, how did Jacob and the people of Israel come to inherit the land instead of Esau and his descendants? One day as he returned home from hunting, Esau found his brother Jacob preparing a red stew of lentils. Weary and hungry, Esau asked for a share of the stew, which Jacob agreed to give him—but only if Esau swore to give him the birthright (Genesis 25:29–33). And, rashly, Esau did: “So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright” (vv. 33–34). When Esau gave up his birthright, he relinquished the right to inherit the Holy Land, which would now pass to Jacob’s descendants instead. In letting go of that birthright—despising it, the Bible says—Esau revealed a serious character flaw. He let his primal, base instincts prevail in his decision-making (Hebrews 12:16). And the effects of his decision were forever, as Psalm 105 declares: “He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance’” (vv. 7–11). So, the birthright, including the Holy Land, was given to the sons of Jacob, forever. God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel,” which means “Overcomer with God” (Genesis 32:28), while Esau’s name came to be called “Edom,” which means “red” in Hebrew, because he traded away his birthright for a bowl of red stew (Genesis 25:30; 36:8). Esau went on to marry women from among the Hittites, Canaanites, and Ishmaelites, and to establish a people who would be known as Edomites, dwelling initially in the region that came to be called Edom or Idumea, south of the Promised Land. The Edomites’ “Perpetual Hatred” And while Esau and Jacob reconciled later in their lives (Genesis 33), the Bible reports a perpetual hatred and resentment that persisted between their descendants, as the Edomites constantly craved the inherited land their ancestor gave away for a bowl of lentils. When Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and destroyed the Temple, the Edomites to the south stood with the Babylonians. Psalm 137:7 reports that the Edomites cheered the destruction of Jerusalem, saying “Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!” And Obadiah records God’s condemnation of Edom “[f ]or violence against your brother Jacob” (v. 10), noting that the Edomites joined the Babylonians in Jerusalem’s destruction, even killing the fugitives who had escaped (vv. 11–14).

TomorrowsWorld.org

THE TRUE C AUS E O F TR O UB L E I N THE MI D D L E EAST !

The prophet Ezekiel writes of the Edomites’ envious craving for the land: “‘Because you have said, “These two nations [the land that had been occupied by northern and southern tribes of Israel] and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them,” although the Lord was there, therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you’” (Ezekiel 35:10–11). God’s word is clear: Even after millennia, Esau’s descendants still long to “possess” the land and say to

that continues to claim the lost inheritance as its own and against whom God has declared war “from generation to generation”! Who Are the Palestinians? Now, let us return to the modern day, my friends, and ask, Who are the Palestinians? Surely, we can see similarities between today’s Palestinians and the Edomites of the Bible, at least in attitude. The cries of “From the river to the sea!” mirror the sentiment of Esau and Edom, jealous to possess a land given by God not to them but to the descendants of Israel. And the heinous and cowardly terroristic attack of October 7 clearly mirrors the ancient terrorism of Amalek. If we use the principle Jesus taught and seek to “know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:20), the identity of the Palestinians in the Bible should be clear! Is it possible that today’s Palestinians are, in fact, of the descendants of Esau? Are they modern Edomites? Don’t be confused by the words “Palestinian” or “Palestine.” Early in the second century AD, with the crushing of the Second Jewish Revolt, Rome sought to erase the name of Israel from the land (cf. Psalm 83:4). The land was renamed “Palestine” after the ancient Philistines, who had occupied the small area on the southern Mediterranean coast. That name does not reflect the identity of the land of Israel, nor of the people there today! The Roman historian Dio Cassius, writing in the early part of the third century AD, wrote in his account of the Second Jewish Revolt that the Romans razed 985 of the Jews’ cities to the ground and that “nearly the whole of Judaea was made desolate” (Roman History, 69.14, translated by E. Cary). For the almost 19 centuries that followed, the Jews were not a majority in their own land. So, what happened during this time? As was the case when Babylon devastated Judah, the Edomites to the south saw opportunity! Little by little, pressed by the Arab Nabatean tribes to the east, the Edomites—now called Idumeans—entered the

WHEN ESAU GAVE UP HIS BIRTHRIGHT, HE RELINQUISHED THE RIGHT TO INHERIT THE HOLY LAND, WHICH WOULD NOW PASS TO THE DESCENDANTS OF JACOB, INSTEAD. DESPISING IT, ESAU REVEALED A SERIOUS CHARACTER FLAW. themselves that it “shall be mine,” leading them to act in “envy,” “anger,” and “hatred.” And God inspired Amos to record, “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother [Jacob, Israel] with the sword, and cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever” (Amos 1:11). Again, we see that the anger of Esau’s descendants over the lost inheritance is a perpetual anger, and that Edom “kept his wrath forever.” That wrathful attitude against Israel—and that centuries-long craving for the lost inheritance that characterizes the Edomites—can be seen in the terroristic attack of the Amalekites. And in their violent desire to take possession for themselves of the promised land that their ancestor sold for a bowl of soup, they are, in reality, fighting against what God has determined. And, as Exodus 17 said, in doing so they raise their hand against the throne of Almighty God, Himself! So, who is Amalek? Amalek is a particularly violent branch of the Edomites, descendants of Esau,

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

THE TRUE C AUS E O F TR O UB L E I N THE MI D D L E EAST !

emptied land of Israel, reflecting God’s word against them in Ezekiel 35:12: “I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’” While many Edomites now make up the nation known as Turkey, the evidence is clear that many persist in the Holy Land as the Palestinian peoples, continuing to contend that the land God gave to Israel is their own. The ancient Amalekites offended God to such a degree that He declared that “the Lord will wage

The people of modern Iran are roughly 50 to 60 percent Persian in origin, with the rest consisting of peoples from other areas, including those with Ishmaelite and Edomite origins. Such origins are vital to understanding the role of this nation in Middle East relations and how that role has changed—and may yet change. In the modern day, we have seen the attitude of the leaders of Iran toward Israel and the Jews swing wildly. Before 1979, Iran had been ruled for decades by Shah Reza Pahlavi—a friend of the Jews, who even included Jews in the cabinet of his administration. But in the year 1979, with the fall of the Shah during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, his leadership was replaced by a Muslim theocracy with greater non-Persian influence. This change in leadership brought with it a radically different attitude, and it is this new leadership that constantly funds terrorism against the Jews in Israel, seeking to wipe the nation from the map. All of this is mirrored by the biblical record of this nation, as well! Anciently, it was the Medo-Persian emperor Cyrus whom God foretold would give freedom to the Jewish captives in Babylon and order the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:27–28; 45:1–4). Read the beautiful words of support for the Jews, Jerusalem, and the rebuilding of the Temple coming from ancient Medo-Persian rulers such as Cyrus and Artaxerxes, as recorded in Ezra 1:1–4 and Ezra 7:12– 26. They stand in shocking contrast to the vile and shameful words of hate, death, and destruction for the Jewish nation coming from the present-day rulers of Iran! The Persian people have no quarrel with Israel, but Iran—and its leadership, in particular—is a mixture of people of different origins and attitudes. And leaders make all the difference. So, too, was this true anciently! The goodwill between the ancient Medo-Persians and the Jews of their kingdom, under the Persian King Ahasuerus, was corrupted by leadership with ill will toward the Jews when the king appointed a man named Haman

BEFORE 1979, IRAN WAS RULED BY SHAH REZA PAHLAVI—A FRIEND OF THE JEWS, WHO EVEN HAD JEWS IN THE CABINET OF HIS ADMINISTRATION. war against Amalek from generation to generation.” Hamas’ detestable actions demonstrate that these attitudes persist in their modern descendants—as does God’s perpetual warfare against them! Today’s conflict in Gaza is only the latest round of a conflict—between brothers Jacob and Esau—that has persisted for centuries and that will persist to the very end of this age. Indeed, Netanyahu’s mention of Amalek in the context of these recent troubles carried far more meaning than he likely understood. What About Iran? And the connections go further! Consider the role of Iran, the main supplier of weapons to Hamas and to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The effort to make the name of Israel disappear from the earth is funded in large part by Iran. What does the Bible reveal about that nation’s role? The peoples of the Middle East today are a blending of many ancient families. Sometimes the lines are clear and nationalized, and other times they are not. Intermarriages, migration—both forced and voluntary—and other circumstances have moved and mingled peoples in ways that make them hard to identify without the Bible’s help. But, again, characteristics described in God’s word reveal themselves in the fruits of the people and their leaders!

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

THE T RU E CAU S E O F T R O UBLE IN T HE M IDDLE EAST!

as prime minister of his empire (Esther 3:1). This Haman launched a deceptive effort to wipe out every Jew in the empire (vv. 6–11). Yet Haman was not a Persian. Like modern Iran, the Medo-Persian empire contained many peoples and leaders from many families. So, who was Haman? The book of Esther says he was a descendant of King Agag (Esther 3:1), who was the king of the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:8). The ancient historian Flavius Josephus confirms in his own account that Haman was an Amalekite (Antiquities of the Jews, 11.6.5)! My friends, history repeats itself. Countries change hands, leaders of peoples change, groups are scattered and transplanted from one place to another—but the biblical characteristics shine through! Today’s geopolitical experts may think it ridiculous, but only God’s word explains these matters with clarity and simplicity! It is the greatest geopolitical manual in existence. What the Future Holds As Tomorrow’s World Editor in Chief Gerald Weston explains in his article beginning on page 5 of this issue, Bible prophecy long ago foretold the current situation in the Middle East! And the prophecies of God’s word are clear: Even in Jerusalem there will remain a Jewish people until the end-times. That presence is required for the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the beginning and end of sacrifices to come in Jerusalem. Those prophecies must be fulfilled, and no one can change the Almighty’s designs. God has already decided that the ancient sacrifices will be resumed, and we know they will be stopped 1,290 days before the Messiah’s return (Daniel 12:11). From God’s word we can be sure that no modern-day Edomite or Amalekite will succeed in destroying the nation of Israel. Any such attempt will ultimately fail—not because of the righteousness of the Jewish people, but because those nations will be fighting against God’s established plan. Yet we must tell the full truth: The modern Jewish nation of Israel is repeating history itself and is also provoking God’s wrath by repeating its

MAY WE S U G G EST?

Tomorrow’s World

ancient forefathers’ descent into sin and rebellion against the laws of God. Consider that modern Israel holds parades to exalt licentious lifestyles that God explicitly condemns in the Torah, which all Jews know—promoting those lifestyles in the very streets of Jerusalem, the city that will soon become the seat of the Messiah’s government. In such rebellion, they are, in their own way, doing as the Amalekites—raising their hand against the throne of God and challenging His design. Sacrifices will begin for a short time and then be stopped. Then Jerusalem will be captured by the seventh restoration of the Roman Empire, and the times of the Gentiles will commence. This will be a time of unprecedented suffering for Israel, for the United States, and for the British-descended nations, followed by the Day of the Lord and God’s wrath upon all nations of the world. Peace at Last Yet, after those years of anguish and woe, the Messiah will come back with very good news—both for Israel and for the rest of the world. The world will not perish in a global nuclear catastrophe. There is hope! These dilemmas that human beings cannot solve will be solved by Jesus Christ, who very soon will return on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory to usher in a thousand years of peace. So, despite the continuing bloodshed in that land that has known so much suffering, we can see past this conflict to the hope of tomorrow’s world and the peace it will bring. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, all the implements of war—guns, rifles, grenades, tanks, drones—will be melted down to become implements of agriculture, and nations will no longer train for war (Isaiah 2:3–4). That is the hope—for the desperate and confused nations of the Middle East and, indeed, for the whole world—that we seek to present to you in these pages every issue. Our world is now entering a very dark time, but the dawn is already near. Good days are coming as God prepares to establish the Kingdom of the Messiah on the face of the earth, which will bring peace at last to all the peoples of our world. TW

The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? In the midst of worldwide turmoil, you can trust in an eternal hope! Request this free printed booklet from the Regional Office nearest you, or order at TomorrowsWorld.org. PDF, ePub, and Kindle are also available.

January-February 2024

TomorrowsWorld.org

Request your free booklet The Middle East in Prophecy. Your Bible sheds vital light on this troubled region’s future! • Why is Jerusalem so often in the news? • Will turmoil there lead to World War III? • What Middle East events will precede Jesus Christ’s return? Scan the QR code to request your free booklet! You can also order by calling or writing one of our Regional Offices (listed on page 4), or by visiting us online at TomorrowsWorld.org.

Works T H E

OF HIS HANDS

The Behemoth Beneath Our Feet

n the 1990s, in the hardwood and coniferous forests of Upper Peninsula Michigan, a team of young PhD candidates stomped through the woods, digging periodically in the soil. Plunging their hands deep in the rotting forest floor, they searched for strange black tendrils reaching far and wide amongst the tree roots. Assessing each sample with DNA “fingerprinting,” Myron Smith and his colleagues were looking for the boundaries of an individual giant mycelium fungus. For the entire first year of field work, the hardworking students could not find the edge, where the organism ended (“Strange but True: The Largest Organism on Earth Is a Fungus,” Scientific American, October 4, 2007). This enormous fungus stunned the researchers, who even then vastly underestimated the species’ potential size. In 2003, an even larger and older fungal organism in Oregon’s Blue Mountains was discovered. This particular fungus, Armillaria ostoyae, commonly called honey fungus, covers 2,384 acres (four square miles), weighs more than 7,500 tons, and is estimated to be somewhere between 2,400 and 8,000 years old. That makes it the largest organism on the planet by area, weight, and volume—roughly equivalent in weight to 40 blue whales. The bulk of its large mass is below the ground as black filaments, analogous to plant roots. It pops above ground to be visible only as small fruiting bodies or mushrooms that aid in spreading the organism. The sheer size of these fungi has fascinated biologists everywhere. James Anderson, one of the original discoverers of the Michigan fungus, is quoted by the Smithsonian Magazine: “I wish all of the substrate [soil, wood, and other matter the fungus grows on] would be

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

transparent for five minutes, so I could see where it [the fungus] is and what it’s doing. We would learn so much from a five-minute glimpse” (“This Humongous Fungus Is as Massive as Three Blue Whales,” Smithsonian Magazine, October 15, 2018). Even in this modern age, with our most sophisticated instruments, something so large can still evade scientists’ ability to study it fully. A Living, Thriving Network Scientists are just beginning to understand the general function of the mycelium in the ecosystem—and it is as amazing as its size. It can have either a mutually positive (“symbiotic”) impact or a negative (“parasitic”) impact on the trees with which it coexists. Mycelia take up sugars in the form of plant starches from tree roots, and in turn make various minerals and nutrients more available to the roots. A “mycorrhizal network” can form between the trees within a forest when they share the same type of mycelium. Long before computer scientists collaborated online, this fungal tree network was sharing nutrients between roots and filaments and even chemically communicating states of stress. When faced with dangers like invasive plants or damaging insects, surrounding trees can release defensive chemicals to deter the threat (“Exploring the Underground Network of Trees—the Nervous System of the Forest,” Harvard.edu, May 6, 2019). On the other hand, these organisms can digest and destroy not just dead trees, but also living trees. Yet this parasitic capacity may have some beneficial effects, ensuring more variety in tree species inhabiting a forest and improving forest resistance to tree diseases and insects. Much as forest fires, though dangerous,

TomorrowsWorld.org

THE B EHEMOTH B EN EATH O UR FEET

promote long-term forest health, parasitic mycelia provide another type of forest “pruning” that helps maintain balance. For thousands of years, humankind had no clue about the planet’s most massive organisms just beneath our feet. And, surely, there is much yet to discover. Like a child peeking down a rabbit hole, we get only glimpses of the otherwise invisible and undiscovered. Even the Hidden Things Testify All of creation, seen or unseen, gives evidence of God’s existence. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20, New International Version). Putting it another way, the psalmist states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1, NIV). Most of the pervasive Internet is hidden from view— however, many are awed by the magnitude of its content, and no one would say that it occurred by random chance. No one can reasonably claim that any form of information system or technology could come about by anything other than the intelligent design of engineers and computer scientists. Similarly, the level of complexity, genetic information, and chemical “languages” found within massive mycelial networks could never have separately or randomly evolved. The mycelial network could no more spontaneously interweave itself than a new denim thread could spontaneously weave itself into a pair of jeans. Like the lowly mycelium fungus, much of the grandeur of our Creator’s design is hidden from our view. Thousands of years before human beings ever knew about it, the fungus was vital for sustaining trees’ lives and forests’ health through its chemical factory, information network, defense system, and cleanup crew. Countless generations of humans and animals alike have walked the earth unaware of the behemoth lurking beneath. Similarly, some of the most breathtaking aspects of creation, whether or not we are aware of them, surround our oblivious selves. The Heavenly Glory Around Us—and Ahead Long ago, and far from the forests of Michigan or Oregon, a moment of wonder and awe occurred when two men were made aware of the unseen, all-encompassing power

of God. In Dothan, on the southern plain of Jezreel—now a contested Jewish settlement in the West Bank—the prophet Elisha and his servant were hunted. A vengeful king’s army surrounded Dothan in the night, and Elisha’s servant rose the next morning to the fearful sight of the horses and chariots of the Arameans encircling the city. Elisha responded to his fearful servant with the encouragement that “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then the prophet of God turned and prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” For thousands The Eternal God answered of years, and opened the servant’s eyes, humankind had “and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots no clue about of fire all around Elisha” (2 the planet’s Kings 6:17, NIV). most massive In that moment, Elisha was asking God to open his servant’s organisms just eyes to what was already there. beneath our Their eyes were then both feet. Like a child opened to the real power that peeking down had existed before they were born and would continue to a rabbit hole, exist after they died. Even when we get only invisible to the eyes of man, glimpses of God, His angels, and the spirit the otherwise world are very real and all-encompassing. The spirit realm invisible and is much bigger and far more undiscovered. expansive than a mere 40 blue whales. All around two men sheltering in Dothan were thousands of angels in all their unseen, fiery glory—surrounding, protecting, and shielding God’s mortal servants the whole time. The Apostle Paul prayed for the people of his day, asking that “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:18–19). The works of God’s hands, making up the fabric of the physical creation, are an exquisite witness of breathtaking design by a Master Creator. In an age of looming peril, we do well to open our eyes to that witness. —Bryan Fall

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

Tomorrow’s

FAMILIES TODAY

Smartphone Anxiety? Read a Book!

o you struggle to control your phone? Is it controlling you? As handheld devices weave their way into every corner of our lives, it’s not surprising if you answer “yes.” We understand that today’s smartphones have been purposely engineered to addict us (“Algorithms of Addiction,” TomorrowsWorld.org, December 2021). The endless parade of new images, notifications, and updates can consume huge portions of our lives. Separation from our phones can cause irritation and agitation, and there’s even a name for that: nomophobia—from no mobile phone phobia. Many of us find ourselves increasingly frustrated by the unhealthy influence our phones exercise. If this describes you, what can you do? How can you help your family learn to master this powerful technology? Here’s one powerful solution: Cultivate the habit of reading books.

lose the habit of regular reading, the nation will suffer substantial economic, social, and civic setbacks (“To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence,” Arts.gov).

The Power of Books Reading was once considered a hallmark of a free and educated society. Yet, for decades, reading has been in decline in America. In 2007, the National Endowment for the Arts issued this warning as the Internet and electronic media blossomed:

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that half of all American adults had not read even one full book in the past year. Yet reading can reduce stress, prepare us for a restful night’s sleep, help battle depression, and even strengthen our brains (“Benefits of Reading Books: How It Can Positively Affect Your Life,” Healthline.com, October 15, 2019). And it doesn’t take a 500-page book to bring us benefits: A Harvard Business Review study found that reading for as little as six minutes can reduce stress by 68 percent (“For Those Who Want to Lead, Read,” August 15, 2012). A little bit of reading can go a long way. The Apostle Paul warned that “in the last days perilous times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1). The word “perilous” is translated from a Greek word meaning to oppress or annoy—in other words, the end times are prophesied to bring stress and anxiety. As we find ourselves struggling in these difficult days, are we overlooking an obviously helpful strategy? Reading books can help us regain balance and tranquility in our minds.

Whatever the benefits of newer electronic media, they provide no measurable substitute for the intellectual and personal development initiated and sustained by frequent reading…. The general decline in reading is not merely a cultural issue…. It is a serious national problem. If, at the current pace, America continues to

Encourage Your Children to Read True education is about developing a thirst for truth and learning from history to successfully face the challenges of the future. That comes through reading. As reading declines, is it any wonder our world is becoming so confused about basic science and biology? Is it shocking that so many lack the ability to think rationally

Tomorrow’s World

January-February 2024

TomorrowsWorld.org

S MARTPHO N E AN XI ETY ? R EAD A B OOK!

and discriminate between truth and “fake news”? Are we surprised when so many lack a shared sense of culture, decency, and courtesy? We learn these things through reading. We can’t change the whole world, but we can change ourselves—and we can help our children see the value of making books a part of their lives. Set the example: When tempted to scroll on your phone, pick up a book instead. Put books within easy reach of your couch or recliner—not just on a shelf, where you might be tempted to leave them “undisturbed.” Create a warm and comfortable ambience with strategically placed lamps for good lighting. And, finally, just read, even if only for six minutes. If you have very small children, read with them. It’s good for their brains, and the connections you create are priceless. “Parent-child interactions through shared reading promote language development and literacy and may also benefit friendships, school success and other child development outcomes later in life” (“Reading print books to toddlers is better than e-books,” MichiganMedicine.org, December 3, 2021). Don’t fall into the trap of letting your tablet or phone be your child’s babysitter. While distracting them for a few minutes with a mobile game or pictures can be fine, a child’s brain needs more stimulation than such media provide. Yet, according to MichiganMedicine.org, toddlers spend, on average, more than two hours daily using digital media! Reading to your children creates strong bonds between you and them. It’s both comforting to them and good for their long-term development and health, as shown by a report from the Child Mind Institute: “The sensory experiences of sitting with a caregiver, hearing that familiar voice, and feeling a book in their hands are all important for kids’ brain development” (“Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child?,” ChildMind.org, October 27, 2023). As stated by Dr. Laura Phillips, senior director of the Learning and Development Center at the Child Mind Institute, “Hearing a book over Alexa just isn’t going to give kids the same holistic benefit.” Read the Book In all things, being able to discern the good from the bad is vital. For example, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter is the best-selling fiction series of all time. Many love the books because they are so engagingly written, and that

thrills many educators and parents; what isn’t there to love when children get turned on to reading? But should we encourage our children to read stories praising witchcraft and demonism? Or should we develop discernment in what we feed our minds and the literature we give our children? The answer is simple and found in the book of books, the Bible. Even its name speaks to its importance: The word Bible comes from the Latin biblion, which simply means “book.” And what We can’t change does “the Book” say about what to put in our minds? The the world, but Apostle Paul explained, “Finally, we can change brethren, whatever things are ourselves—and true, whatever things are noble, we can help our whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever children see the things are lovely, whatever value of making things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is books a part of anything praiseworthy—meditheir lives. tate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). We should fill our minds with things of value and truth, and God’s word defines what is truth. As Jesus Christ said in prayer to the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). To successfully direct our lives and train our children, we need the words of God to permeate our minds. That doesn’t mean the Bible must be the only book we ever read, but it does mean we need to read from it daily. As Paul said, “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman… who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, Amplified Bible). Without a standard of truth to guide our lives and teach our children—and without reading from that standard daily to give us guidance and encouragement—we will be adrift in a culture that has lost its way. Almost three thousand years ago, wise King Solomon wrote, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness” (Proverbs 15:14). Reading is foundational. It’s vital for our growth, our health, and our future. It’s crucial for training the next generation. Take the time to develop and maintain the habit of reading books—especially the most important one. —Rod McNair

January-February 2024

Tomorrow’s World

NEWSWATCH

Mark 13:37 | “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Germany Pressing for Powerful Military The events in Europe and the Middle East have put pressure on Germany to speed up its efforts toward a more powerful and fully operational army. Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, is pushing hard for the military to modernize as rapidly as possible (Deutsche Welle, October 31, 2023). In a recent interview, he stated, “We have to become fit for war. We have to be fit for defense. And get both the Bundeswehr [Germany’s armed forces] and society ready for this.” Germany has allocated 100 billion euros for military advances and upgrades and has contracted two-thirds of this amount already. Mr. Pistorius emphasized that it could take three to five years for Germany’s armed forces to be fully up to speed and noted that they are already among the strongest European militaries in NATO. Germany has already moved 1,000 troops to Israel for potential use in evacuation and special forces missions (FAZ.net, October 29, 2023). It is also transferring ships, planes, helicopters, and logistical materials to the region. Bible prophecy indicates that as we approach the end of the age, Germany will play a far greater role in the Middle East and in the Holy Land. Germany will eventually lead a powerful military and religious effort that will move into Jerusalem and the surrounding area. But it 28

Tomorrow’s World

will require strengthening its military and economy to make that possible. The events we are watching now could build toward this eventuality.

Will Jordan remain an ally of the West and supportive of the U.S. and Israel? Some passages of Bible prophecy may suggest that, at the time of

Patriot missiles from the U.S. are deployed around the world.

Jordan Asks for U.S. Patriot Missile Defense Jordan is unique among the Muslim Arab nations in the Middle East due to its extremely close ties with the United States and peaceful working relationship with Israel. In fact, Jordan is one of the largest recipients of American military aid in the region (Reuters, October 29, 2023). Jordan is also the custodian of the Temple Mount located within the boundaries of Israel. Like many in the Middle East, leaders in Jordan fear that the war between Israel and Hamas could grow to engulf other nations in the region. Along its border with Syria, the kingdom of Jordan is also dealing with Iranian-backed extremist groups who are waging a drug war using drones. Such tensions have prompted Jordan to request Patriot missile defense systems from the U.S. to be stationed along its border.

January-February 2024

the end, the modern nation of Jordan in the region of ancient Moab will be a source of protection for Christians seeking to escape the coming Great Tribulation (Isaiah 16:1–4). The precise fulfillment of such prophecies remains to be seen.

Pool of Siloam Steps Unearthed For centuries after the destruction of Jerusalem, the biblical Pool of Siloam mentioned in the gospel accounts of the Bible lay covered, hidden under silt and debris. In 2004, work by an Israeli water company uncovered steps of the ancient pool near the Temple Mount (Fox News, September 7, 2023). Last year, Israel Antiquities Authority excavators unearthed the steps to the pool, which was apparently over an acre in size at one point, and authorities plan to make the pool available to the public. This is the famed pool where Jesus Christ healed a blind

man (John 9:6–12). The actual existence of this famed pool supports both the credibility of the Bible accounts and the ancient tie the Jews have to the land and, specifically, to Jerusalem. As one evangelical leader noted of the discovery, “Theologically, it affirms Scripture, geographically it affirms scripture, and politically it affirms Israel’s unquestionable and unrivaled link to Jerusalem. Some discoveries are theoretical. This one is an undeniable. It is proof of the story of the Bible and of its people, Israel.” At a time when the validity of the Bible is being questioned repeatedly and when many continue to question Israel’s link to the Holy Land, history and archaeology continue to present factual support for both. The Bible is truly inspired by God.

Mediterranean Devastation: Sign of Things to Come In the latter part of 2023, devastating events occurred around the Mediterranean. Libya saw massive flooding as intense rain of more than 16 inches (40 cm) over two days caused dams to break (AP, September 13, 2023). In the coastal city of Derna, over 11,000 people were reported dead and thousands more were still missing (Euronews, September 15, 2023). Aside from the driving rains, officials are blaming the catastrophe on the government’s neglect of dam maintenance.

TomorrowsWorld.org

NEWSWATCH To the west in Morocco, a major earthquake registering 6.8 struck last week near an area very popular with tourists (BBC, September 10, 2023). The quake killed more than 2,900 people and injured more than 5,600. Meanwhile, some are calling the recent wildfires in Greece the largest ever recorded in the European Union. The fires in Greece were followed by major flooding in Italy. These catastrophic events have turned the Mediterranean into a zone of tragedy. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ foretold climactic events in human history that would eventually grow to dwarf all others that had come before. As rescuers in the Mediterranean region search for survivors and citizens seek to rebuild their lives, students of Bible prophecy should both be moved to compassion and to consider Jesus’ admonition, “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37). As assuredly as these sobering disasters are changing life

for tens of thousands in the Mediterranean, the disasters to come will forever change all of humanity—and, literally, even the face of the earth!

Sand Dredging Sterilizing the Ocean Floor Roughly six billion metric tons of sand are dredged from the sea floor each year (BBC, September 5, 2023). As one analyst noted, this is equivalent to one million dump-truck loads each day! The majority of sand dredging occurs off the east coast of America, in the North Sea, and in the South China Sea. The majority of dredged sand is used to make concrete and glass. It is also used for constructing roads, dams, and even solar panels. Some sand dredgers work as gigantic vacuum cleaners, sucking up sand and the microorganisms that live in the sand, many of which provide food for other marine life. According to some experts, this dredging is “basically ster-

NEWS & PROPHECY We e k l y R e p o r t

SUBSCRIBE NOW

TOMORROWSWORLD.ORG/ CONNECT/SUBSCRIBE-TO-E-ZINE

ilising the bottom of the sea by extracting sand and crunching all the microorganisms that are feeding fish.” Sometimes the ocean floor is dredged all the way to the bedrock below it, and when this happens, it prevents marine life from being able to recover. We live in a complex world where human civilization relies on many different types of products built from various materials harvested from God’s creation. As global consumption grows, these source materials can be depleted. While sand appears to be inexhaustible, it is also critical to maintaining a biological balance in nature. When companies focus only on their income and fail to consider the broader impacts of their business model, suffering occurs—and in the case of sand dredged from the sea, the broader creation is affected. The Bible reveals how all of creation “groans” and eagerly waits for the return of Jesus Christ and His saints (Romans 8:19–24). Only then will mankind become truly responsible stewards of God’s creation.

Who Is Supporting Russia’s Military? China claims to be neutral in the Ukraine war. However, customs records and other commonly reported data show that Russia is importing large numbers of drones, bulletproof vests, helmets, and weapon-making materials from China in very large quantities— quantities not seen before

January-February 2024

the start of the war in Ukraine (Politico, July 24, 2023). As of the end of July, Russia had imported over $100 million worth of Chinese drones. For Chinese companies to sell military equipment, the Chinese military must approve the sale. In August, the Russian defense minister traveled to North Korea, reportedly with the intent of convincing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to sell Russia artillery ammunition (Financial Times, September 5, 2023). At the time of this writing, the intelligence community expects North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, “to travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss weapons sales to Moscow.” These burgeoning ties could have prophetic significance. A common foe often encourages nations to draw closer together and establish stronger ties. Bible prophecy foretells of a tremendous 200-million-man army from the East that will fight against the future German-led European “beast” power in a cataclysmic confrontation (Daniel 11:40–44; Revelation 9:16–19). What will bring highly populous and militarily capable nations from the east of Jerusalem together to eventually create such an army? What nations may be part of this unimaginable force? As we watch world events unfold, they should not be viewed only from the perspective of politics, as there is often an important prophetic perspective. TW

Tomorrow’s World

L E T T E R S T O TW TE LL U S WH AT YO U T H INK

I’ve been a subscriber now for quite some time and receive your magazine, which is really enlightening, and I look forward to it. I thank you for all your help and encouragement. —Subscriber in England I just wanted to take the time to say how much I appreciate the magazine and booklets I have received. I’m finding myself wanting accurate information concerning the Holy Scriptures. The times we are living in are unsettling to say the least but it is also a clear indication that we are living in the prophesied last days. I’m a believer in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and am finding myself wanting to take the scriptures seriously. Your literature is in-depth and very well written. Thank you once again. —Subscriber in Georgia Thank you, so very much, for your booklet Germany in Prophecy. It has increased, by an immeasurable amount, my understanding of the way that world history did, will today, and will in the future unfold. —Subscriber in the Republic of Ireland I love your magazine! I am sorry you are cutting back. It’s the only magazine I read cover-to-cover and over again! Thank you so much for all the information. I am so grateful for all of you. —Subscriber in New York Dear Tomorrow’s World staff, I have been receiving your magazine for just over a year now. My husband and I read it from cover to cover, sometimes twice! We have learned so much about world history, the Bible’s guidance, and how we can be better stewards passing on the word of God. After we read the most current is-

Image(s) used under license from Shutterstock.com unless otherwise noted. P. 4 Roman Yanushevsky / Shutterstock.com P. 12 Below the Sky / Shutterstock.com P. 28 mehmet ali poyraz / Shutterstock.com Tomorrow’s World® is published every two months by the Living Church of God™, 2301 Crown Centre Drive, Charlotte, NC 28227. ©2024 Living Church of God. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned. Postmaster: Send address changes to Tomorrow’s World, P.O. Box 3810, Charlotte, NC 28227-8010.

sue I always pass it on to a friend. Once I left the issue on a coffee house table. Shortly thereafter, while I was talking to a friend that had entered as I was leaving I noticed a young man picking it up and to my surprise he started to read it. We appreciate receiving the magazine and hope you will continue mailing them out. Your publications are certainly not going to waste! —Subscriber in Florida I have read National Geographic magazine for the last 50 years—a good publication, but now I find your Tomorrow’s World more interesting and informative. All I can say is you do a good job. Thank you. —Reader in Queensland I am sending this letter to thank you for all the information in the booklets and newsletters received every other month. However, it was quite a shock to find out that paganism was introduced into the church. So much so I have left my church for good, never to go back to another such organization again. I confronted the pastor of my church with several truths I find in your booklets and scriptures in the Bible. His reply was unacceptable to me. Could someone from your church help me find a Sabbath-keeping church in my area, as I am now left without a church to attend? —Subscriber in Massachusetts Editor’s Note: We commend you for your courageous decision! Anyone interested in information about a nearby congregation of the Living Church of God, sponsor of this magazine, or hearing from a local representative can find more information on TomorrowsWorld.org. Just click on “Meet the Church Behind TW.” You can also contact one of our Regional Offices, using the information listed on page 4.

Tomorrow’s World is protected through trademark registration in the United States, and by international treaties. Trademark registration pending in other countries. The symbol ®, appearing herein, does not indicate trademark registration in countries where it is not yet registered or protected by treaty. Scriptures taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Mail your letters to “Letters to the Editor” at one of the Regional Offices listed on page 4 of this magazine, or send email to Letters@TomorrowsWorld.org. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

Television Log AUSTRALIA Nationwide Nationwide

7TWO SC10

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m.

NEW ZEALAND Nationwide TVNZ2 Nationwide TVNZ2 +1

SU 5:00 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m. SU 10:15 p.m.

BARBADOS St. Michael

CBC 8

SU 2:00 p.m.

PHILIPPINES Nationwide

JAMAICA Kingston

TVJ

SU 7:00 a.m.

SOUTH AFRICA Nationwide CTV/SA

CA Bakersfield Chico El Centro Eureka CANADA Monterey Palm Springs Nationwide Networks (All times Eastern) Salinas Vision SA 3:30 a.m. San Francisco San Luis Obispo FAITH TV SU 5:30 p.m. Santa Barbara MO-FR 10:30 p.m. Santa Maria TU 5:00 p.m.

CHNU CTV (Maritimes) CTV (Alberta)

KGET (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KHSL (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KECY (CW) SU 9:00 a.m. KECA-LD/KVIQ (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KION (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KCWQ (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KION (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. BAVC (Public Access) WE 8:00 a.m. KSBY (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KSBY (CW) SU 8:00 a.m. KSBY (CW) SU 8:00 a.m.

MO-FR 10:00 p.m. CO Colorado Springs KXTU SU 7:30 a.m. Colorado Springs KXTU SU 1:30 p.m. Grand Junction KJCT (CW) CT Hartford

WWLP (CW)

UNITED STATES DC Washington DC WDCA Nationwide Networks (All times Eastern) WMDT (CW) Binge SU 9:00 a.m. DE Harrington Charge Network

SU 7:30 a.m. FL Ft. Lauderdale

Circle TV

SU 8:00 a.m.

A2Z

SU 9:00 a.m. SU 10:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

Gainesville Gainesville Jacksonville Miami Panama City Tallahassee Tampa Bay

WBFS WCJB WCJB (CW) WCWJ WBFS WJHG (CW) WTLF WTOG

SU 6:30 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 6:30 a.m. SU 6:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

GA Albany Albany Atlanta Augusta Columbus Macon Savannah Thomasville

WALB (CW) WALB WATL WAGT (CW) WLTZ (CW) WMAZ WSAV WTLF (CW)

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 11:00 a.m. SU 10:00 a.m SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

IA Ottumwa

KWOT

SU 8:00 a.m.

Twin Falls

KBOI KIFI KMVT

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

IL Chicago SU 11:00 p.m. Chicago MO 10:30 p.m. Peoria Quincy

WJYS WJYS WHOI WGEM

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

SU 6:00 a.m. IN Fort Wayne SU 7:30 p.m. Fort Wayne FR 7:00 p.m. Lafayette

WPTA WPTA WLFI

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

For the most up-to-date listings, please go to KS Kansas City TomorrowsWorld.org/tune-in Topeka

KCWE KTKA

SU 7:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

KY Bowling Green Lexington Louisville Paducah

WBKO WTVQ WBNA WDKA

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 9:30 a.m. SU 11:00 a.m.

LA Alexandria Lafayette Lake Charles Monroe Monroe New Orleans Shreveport West Monroe

KALB KATC KPLC KMCT KNOE WNOL KSHV KMCT

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 10:00 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m.

MA Springfield

WWLP

SU7:00 a.m.

ME Bangor Presque Isle

WABI WBPQ

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

COMET

SU 7:30 a.m.

The CW Plus

SU 8:00 a.m. MO 2:00 a.m.

getTV

SU 7:00 a.m.

Impact TV

SU 11:00 p.m. MO 10:30 p.m. SA 11:00 p.m.

Living Your Faith Network

SU 8:00 a.m.

NewsNation (formerly WGN)

SU 6:00 a.m.

Rewind

SU 9:00 a.m.

The Word Network

SU 6:00 a.m. SU 7:30 p.m. ID Boise Idaho Falls FR 7:00 p.m.

DISH Network* (All times Eastern) Impact Ch. 268 DIRECTV* (All times Eastern) Word Ch. 373

AK Anchorage Fairbanks Juneau

KYUR KATN KJUD

SU 6:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m.

AL Dothan Huntsville Montgomery Opelika

WTVY (CW) WZDX WBMM (CW) WLTZ

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 9:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m.

AR El Dorado Fayetteville Fort Smith Fort Smith Jonesboro Little Rock

KNOE KHOG KFTA KHBS KAIT KASN

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 10:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 10:30 a.m.

AZ Tucson Yuma

KMSB KECY (CW)

SU 8:30 a.m. SU 9:00 a.m.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Nationwide CNC3-TV

SU 8:00 a.m.

UK & NW EUROPE WORD (TWN) Sky TV 590 Sky TV 590 Sky TV 590

SU 11:00 a.m. SU 12:30 a.m. FR 12:00 a.m.

SU 11:00 a.m.

MI Alpena Lansing Lansing Calumet

WBAE WLAJ WLAJ WBKP

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 11:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

MN Cloquet Duluth Mankato Rochester

KDLH (CW) KDLH KMNF/KEYC (CW) KTTC

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 9:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

MO Columbia Joplin Kansas City St. Joseph St. Louis

KOMU KFJX KCWE KNPG KPLR

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 8:30 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 6:30 a.m.

MS Biloxi Columbus Greenwood Hattiesburg Meridian

WXXV WCBI WBWO WHLT/WXXX WTOK

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

MT Billings Butte Butte Glendive Great Falls Helena Missoula

KTVQ KBZK KXLF KWZB KRTV KTVH KPAX

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

NC Asheville Asheville Charlotte Charlotte Greenville Hickory Raleigh Willmington

WGGS WGGS WAXN WMYT WNCT WHKY WRAZ WWAY

SU 9:30 a.m. SU11:30 a.m. SU 9:00 a.m. SU 8:30 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. MO 7:30 p.m. SU 7:30 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

ND Bismarck Fargo Williston

KXMA (CW2) KJXB (CW) KXMD

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

NM Albuquerque

KWBQ

SU 8:00 a.m.

Myrtle Beach Rock Hill Rock Hill

WWMB WAXN WMYT

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 9:00 a.m. SU 8:30 a.m.

SD Rapid City Sioux Falls

KCLO (ION/CW) KFSY

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

TN Jackson Knoxville Knoxville Knoxville Knoxville Memphis

WBJK WKNX WKNX WKNX WKNX WLMT

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 12:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m. SU 6:00 p.m. SU 10:00 a.m.

TX Abilene Amarillo Beaumont Beaumont Corpus Christi Laredo Lubbock Lufkin McAllen Midland Odessa San Angelo San Antonio Sherman Tyler Tyler Wichita Falls Victoria

KTXS KVIH/KVII KFDM KFDM KRIS-DT2 KYLX KLCW KLTV KCWT/KNOV KOSA/KCWO KOSA/KCWO KTXE KABB KTEN KLTV KYTX KAUZ KVCT

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 6:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 5:30 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 6:00 a.m SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

VA Charlottesville Chesterfield Harrisonburg Norfolk Roanoke

WVIR Comcast WSVW WSKY WWCW

SU 8:00 a.m. TH 6:30 p.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 9:30 a.m. SU 8:30 a.m.

VT Burlington Burlington Burlington

WFFF WNNE WNNE

SU 6:00 a.m. SU 2:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

NV Reno

KOLO

SU 7:00 a.m.

NY Binghamton Brooklyn Brooklyn Elmira Watertown Utica

WBNG BRIC BRIC WENY WWTI KYWKTV

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 7:00 p.m. MO 12:30 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

WA Everett Kennewick Pasco Richland Seattle Yakima

KSTW KEPR KEPR KEPR KSTW KIMA

SU 6:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 2:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

OH Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Toledo Zanesville

WSTR SU 9:00 a.m. WUAB SU 8:30 a.m. WOCB/WXC/WGCT/WQIZ SU 8:00 a.m. BBCA SU 7:30 a.m. WBZV SU 8:00 a.m.

WI Eagle River Eau Clare La Crosse Wausau Wittenberg

WYOW (CW) WEAU (CW) WXOW/WEAU WSAW (CW) WZAW (CW)

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

OK Ada Lawton Tulsa

KTEN KAUZ KQCW

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

OR Bend Eugene Medford

KTVZ KMTR KTVL

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

WV Bluefield Charleston Clarksburg Parkersburg Wheeling

WVVA (CW) WQCW WVFX WOVA (CW) WBWO (CW)

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m.

PA Erie Philadelphia Pittsburgh

WSEE WPSG WPCW

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m. SU 7:30 a.m.

WY Casper Cheyenne Laramie

KGWN (CW) KGWN (CW) KGWN (CW)

SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m. SU 7:00 a.m.

SC Charleston Columbia Florence Greenville Greenville

WCBD WOLO WWMB WYCW WGGS

SU 8:00 a.m. SU 11:00 a.m. SU 8:00 a.m. SU 9:30 a.m. SU 11:30 a.m.

TomorrowsWorld.org/telecasts

* Check local listings for additional airtimes throughout the week. The telecast is available on cable and broadcast stations around the world. Check your local listings for details, or go to TomorrowsWorld.org/tune-in.

P.O. Box 3810 • Charlotte, NC 28227-8010

Electronic Service Requested

TomorrowsWorld.org Upcoming Telecasts

Seven Signs of the End-Time Antichrist

As the end of our age draws nearer, you need to know how to recognize this prophesied figure! January 4–10

Are You Saved or Lost?

Has Jesus Christ saved you? Have you yet responded to His call? You need to be sure! January 11–17

TOMORROW’S WORLD

Bible Study Course Learn exciting and inspiring truths from your Bible, absolutely free! Order at TWBibleCourse.org or from the Regional Office nearest you! The Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course can be taken by mail or online.

This Is the Purpose of Life!

Why are you alive? Learn how you can find fulfillment in a world of challenges and stresses! January 18–24

Debunking the Rapture Myth

The “secret rapture” idea is just centuries old, and God’s actual plan is far more wonderful! January 25–31

Keys to Understanding Bible Prophecy

Do you find Scripture puzzling and confusing? There are principles to help you make sense of it! February 1–7

Choose the Abundant Life!

Christianity is a way of life that works, if you learn to live by Jesus Christ’s own instructions! February 8–14 Schedule subject to change

Watch us on

The CW Plus Nationwide

Sundays 8:00 a.m. E.T. Mondays 2:00 a.m. E.T. Find your local station on page 31 of this magazine.