June 2023

We Must Cry Aloud and Spare Not

The biblical prophets were rarely appreciated by the people of their day. Yes, there were times when certain individuals and factions appreciated them, but in the end, many prophets suffered martyrdom—as did Jesus Christ, the only perfect man to ever walk this earth in the flesh. Why? The answer is simple: They proclaimed a message of obedience to God and warned of the consequences that would befall any who rejected Him and His truth.

God commissioned the prophet Ezekiel to confront a people with a message that they would reject: “But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted…. Do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:7–9).

The prophet Isaiah was instructed to “cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). That was not a popular commission, and the Israelite people rejected this prophet of God, too. People do not want to hear that their behavior is wrong. They would rather hear comforting words—that God accepts their behavior. Is this not what Isaiah tells us?

Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come [the end-time], forever and ever: that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:8–11).

The evangelist Timothy knew what the last days before Christ’s return would be like. The description he was given is not pretty, but it is certainly accurate regarding our modern Western world. “But know this,

that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2

Perversity, Exclusivity, and Inequality

Sadly, we see from our nations’ leaders—politicians, industry presidents and CEOs, the media, and academia—an effort to race ahead of competitors in promoting behaviors that only a generation ago were not even discussed in polite society. We are seeing biblical values abandoned, dismissed, and ridiculed. We hear the refrain, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness”—which sounds good to the naïve who are not aware of what its promoters mean by it. Diversity and inclusiveness here are code words for acceptance of ungodly behaviors. The trinity sacred to “progressives” would be more honestly stated as “Perversity, Exclusivity, and Inequality.”

Consider the indoctrination of our children by schools and social media. The alphabet list of historically recognized unnatural behaviors is always growing, but is commonly shortened to something like LGBTQIA+, and we ought to note most carefully the latter two designations. “The ‘plus’ is used to

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signify all of the gender identities and sexual orientations that letters and words cannot yet fully describe” (“What Is LGBTQIA+,” GayCenter.org). How truly remarkable it is that activists have yet to “discover” all the ways human sexuality may be “expressed”!

The letter A is interpreted more than one way, with Ally being one interpretation, albeit less common. This is where courage comes in. The first chapter of the biblical epistle to the Romans describes in perfect detail what we see happening before our very eyes. The Apostle Paul warned that God’s wrath is coming on this world for its rejection of God, and because evil people suppress eternal truths. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18–19).

Paul explained that men and women who reject God would lose themselves to immoral behaviors. He gave a list of sins and warned that it is not only wrong to do those things, but also to “approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32, cf. vv. 24–31). We must not hate people—and there is never a time for a true Christian to commit violence—but we must hate sinful practices and not celebrate or excuse them. In this sad world, we must muster courage to speak the truth in love.

A Message of Truth

Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, the late Editor in Chief of this magazine, wrote Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return. Consider that the following passage was penned in 1993:

We, along with most of our fellow Englishspeaking nations around the world, are in for a time of national calamity—actually, national punishment—unprecedented in the annals of modern human history. Month by month, year by year, more and more things will somehow go wrong for us. Our national debt will increase. Our immorality and crime rate will increase. Our cities will become even less safe, increasingly being racked by

lawless hoodlums, gang warfare, and race riots—and, finally, food riots, because of the impending drought and famine prophesied to strike our nations (p. 39).

The signs Dr. Meredith identified are more prevalent today than when he wrote those words. And, as those of us who knew him recognized, he was fearless in “telling it like it is.” We must be, as well.

But, as Paul wrote in Romans 1, so many suppress the truth. We see this happening fairly often when a station or government censors all or part of one of our telecasts. Too often it is under the guise of not being fit or “safe” for our youth, but nothing we say can possibly match what our children are subjected to in school.

Timothy was commanded by his mentor, the Apostle Paul, to preach the truth. Even in his day, Paul warned that a time would come when people would not accept truth and would instead seek leaders who would tell them what they wanted to hear. “The time will come,” he wrote, “when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

Tomorrow’s World will continue to speak the truth in an age that does not want to hear the truth. This we must do, but we also want our readers to know that despite all the bad news around and ahead of us, God is in charge—and there is a happy ending. When mankind comes near to self-annihilation, Jesus Christ will return and stop our insanity. He will then reward His resurrected servants with positions of authority to rule on this troubled planet. That is tomorrow’s world, the Millennium—the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ.

The Kingdom of God is proclaimed in the books of the prophets and in the New Testament. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the same message His servants have proclaimed. It is the message of the Tomorrow’s World telecast and the magazine you are reading. I pray that you will heed that message.

5 Four Hidden Truths of John 3:16

John 3:16 is perhaps the most popular verse in the Bible, but few people understand the depths of its truth. Why?

10 The Legacy of The Prince Niccolò Machiavelli wrote one of the most famous and influential books on politics. But has its influence been positive?

12 Our Wonderfully Round Earth

The idea that Earth is flat has received surprising attention in recent years. But the Bible does not reveal a flat Earth.

16 Israel’s Son and America’s Future

One man’s ancient struggle against adversity reveals the future of our nations as they face modern-day hardships.

22 The Problem with Alice

The town of Alice Springs is in crisis—a crisis it shares with communities, families, and individuals around the world.

21 The Betrayal of Innocence

26 The Remarkable Beaver

15 Questions and Answers

28 NewsWatch

30 Letters to the Editor

31 Television Log

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Those are some of the best-known words in the Bible—John 3:16—quoted above from the New King James Version. Even many people who aren’t personally familiar with the Bible have likely seen them written on highway-side billboards or on gigantic banners at nationally televised football games. At least two well-known American fast-food chains print those words (and other Bible verses) on their cups and wrappers.

Sadly, the verse remains a mere slogan for far too many, and relatively few people ever come to understand the depths of truth found in those words written by the Apostle John. Why? Because most professing Christians interpret this verse under the influence of centuries of human traditions—often infused with pagan falsehood—instead of seeing it through the lens of Scripture.

Indeed, there are thousands of different interpretations and beliefs, even among professing Christians. The 2001 World Christian Encyclopedia identifies more than 33,000 Christian denominations, and these thousands of denominations disagree among

themselves in many of their doctrines, teachings, and beliefs. Surely, they can’t all be right!

Could it even be that many believe in a false Jesus Christ who is not the Jesus of the Bible? Jesus Himself warned us that “false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). Since these thousands of denominations teach such widely varying doctrines, could it be that many unwittingly believe in a counterfeit Christianity?

Understanding John 3:16 can help us answer this question. In this article, we will look briefly at four wonderful truths contained within this powerful and inspiring verse. But we will only scratch the surface of what could be said. To learn even more, you may want to request a free copy of our powerful booklet John 3:16: Hidden Truths of the Golden Verse. You can order a free printed copy or read it online at TomorrowsWorld.org. I’ll be quoting from it throughout this article.

Christians often call John 3:16 “the golden verse.” But, truth be told, it is a verse far more precious than gold. Understanding this one verse will give deeper insight into God’s nature, His justice, the future of humanity, and the fate of the wicked.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Who and What Is God?

There are many differing beliefs concerning the nature and existence of God. So, let’s start at the beginning—the first verse in your Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). How simple! Yet without understanding this verse, it is easy to misunderstand John 3:16. In his informative and inspiring booklet mentioned above, author Gerald E. Weston—my fellow television presenter and the Editor in Chief of this magazine—gives a vital explanation from the very first verse in your Bible: “The first place the term ‘God’ is used in scripture (Genesis 1:1), it comes from the Hebrew Elohim, a plural word. The plurality of God is affirmed in verse 26: ‘Then God [Elohim] said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” (p. 4).

Notice “Us”—that’s plural. But God is also one. We read in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” And what does your Bible reveal about the relationship of Jesus Christ and God the Father? Jesus stated, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).

But in what way is God “one”? As Mr. Weston reminds us:

On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus was on earth, and He prayed to His Father in heaven. Note these clear words about oneness found in this prayer: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one” (John 17:20–21). So we see that He wants us all to be one, but in what way? So “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one (vv. 21–23)” (pp. 5–6).

How do we become “one” with God the Father and Jesus Christ? God is preparing a Family. Christians will be born again and become fully part of that Family at the First Resurrection. Even now, Christians receive the laying on of hands after baptism to receive God’s Holy Spirit.

We all need the gift of the Holy Spirit of God, the power of God, as Jesus stated in Acts 1:8 and as the Apostle Peter exhorted in Acts 2:38. We thank God that He will give repentant sinners the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of “power and of love and of a sound mind,” as we are told in 2 Timothy 1:7. God is the father “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:15). My friends, pray that you also can have God as your Father. Jesus taught us to pray to the Father in Matthew 6:9–13.

We’ve seen that God the Father and Jesus Christ are one. They are the two Beings who are right now in the one God Family, and faithful Christians will join them when they are born again at the resurrection to immortality.

There are many more awesome characteristics of God than we have space to discuss here. We rejoice that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) as the golden verse emphasizes. God is also the Creator, as stated above (cf. Genesis 1:1). For more inspiring aspects of God’s nature, be sure to request our free study guide The Real God: Proofs and Promises. You can order a free printed copy or read it online at TomorrowsWorld.org.

Is God Fair?

As we come to understand God, we naturally wonder, Is He fair? Some common “mainstream Christian” ideas about God are actually grave misunderstandings that lead many to believe that God is not fair. Many professing Christians have a wrong idea that God will burn billions of people in hellfire forever—simply because He allowed them to be born and die without ever hearing the name or the Gospel of Christ. Is that fair? Mr. Weston raises this question in his eye-opening booklet:

The Apostle John taught plainly that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Here, “the world” is not a reference to planet Earth, but rather to the people who dwell here. And, no matter how you count it, by any reckoning there have always been far more “unsaved” than “saved.” So, if God “loved the world,” how can this be? Is He so weak that He cannot save the majority of His creation? This leads to a question, “Is God fair? Is He a respecter of persons? Has everyone—or will ev-

eryone—have a genuine and fair opportunity for salvation?” (p. 15).

Bible students know that salvation comes only through the name of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. As Acts 4:12 tells us, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under

In Revelation 20:12, we read that “books were opened.” The original Greek word for books is biblia, from which we derive the word “Bible.” Continuing, we read, “And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” (vv. 12–13).

heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

God has a plan for those who never heard the name of Jesus Christ. He will not condemn them, as many of the world’s professing Christians believe. Ask your minister or priest this question: If a tribe of people in a remote jungle never heard the name of Jesus Christ, and so never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, will they be condemned to hellfire when they die? You may be shocked by the answer.

Your Bible reveals that God will give such people an opportunity for salvation in the Second Resurrection to judgment. This judgment takes place after the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. These are the “rest of the dead” mentioned in Revelation 20:5, who are resurrected in the second, general resurrection from the dead.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God” (Revelation 20:11–12). If the dead are standing before God, they have been resurrected. You can find a description of this resurrection to physical life in Ezekiel 37, when life comes to the valley of dry bones.

In the White Throne Judgment, billions of people who never heard the name of Christ will have their first genuine opportunity for salvation. That resurrection to judgment may include friends and relatives you may have thought were lost forever!

Many Christian denominations base their beliefs more on tradition than on the Bible. They do not believe the plain statements of your Bible, even though it is the source of genuine Christianity.

What Does It Mean to Perish?

Many people alive today assume that they will never perish, believing the pagan doctrine according to which their so-called immortal soul will not perish at death. But Mr. Weston writes on page 43 of his informative booklet:

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines perish as: “To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing… to die” (“Perish,” Websters1913.com). We know what it means when food perishes. We speak of people perishing in a plane crash. So, when it comes to the biblical matters, why do people push other, incorrect meanings onto perish? The Bible consistently and unambiguously agrees with the standard dictionary definition of perish! It clearly teaches that life and death are opposites! Nowhere does Scripture ever describe

ASK YOUR MINISTER OR PRIEST THIS QUESTION:

IF A TRIBE OF PEOPLE IN A REMOTE JUNGLE NEVER HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AND SO NEVER ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR, WILL THEY BE CONDEMNED TO HELLFIRE WHEN THEY DIE? YOU MAY BE SHOCKED BY THE ANSWER.

human life as being inherently immortal. As we have already seen, even the soul—whatever one may think it is—can die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). God’s word reveals that immortality is not something we already have, but rather that it is something we must seek (Romans 2:6–7) and “must put on” (1 Corinthians 15:53–54).

The Bible plainly reveals that only God has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16) and that immortality is something we must put on in the future (1 Corinthians 15:53). God’s purpose is to save us from eternal death, to save us from perishing. But Scripture tells us that those who seal their character with evil will perish in the lake of fire: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their

But the good news is that those who truly believe on the Jesus Christ of the Bible, who repent and are baptized as Acts 2:38 states and remain faithful, will not perish—they will be given the gift of eternal life. Our Savior revealed that Christians who genuinely live by John 3:16 shall “not perish but have everlasting life.”

You Must Be Born Again

But how can you and I have everlasting life? John 3:3 teaches us that we must be born again, but what does that mean? Many have a mistaken idea.

Most professing Christians are familiar with the story of Nicodemus the Pharisee, who came to Jesus by night and admitted that Jesus was sent from God. Jesus told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The common belief is that if you accept Jesus in your heart as your Savior, you are at that moment “born again.”

part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7).

The incorrigibly wicked will perish in a lake of fire. They will be punished with the second death from which there is no resurrection. That’s the punishment of eternal death. As Paul wrote, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We don’t already have immortality. Eternal life is a gift of God.

Thus, we see the contrast between today’s traditional “Christianity” and truly biblical Christianity. Traditional “Christianity” teaches that we have an immortal soul that will always live and never perish, never cease to exist. Biblical Christianity teaches that unrepentant sinners will perish in a lake of fire, experience the second death—eternal death—and cease to exist.

But what did Jesus tell the dumbfounded Pharisee? “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5–6).

One simply needs to ask the question, “Am I spirit or am I flesh?” Physical Christians will be changed and become Spirit beings at the resurrection. Read what Paul wrote about the miraculous change at the first general resurrection:

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on in-

TRADITIONAL “CHRISTIANITY” TEACHES THAT WE HAVE AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT WILL ALWAYS LIVE AND NEVER PERISH, NEVER CEASE TO EXIST. BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY TEACHES THAT UNREPENTANT SINNERS WILL PERISH IN A LAKE OF FIRE AND CEASE TO EXIST!

corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:50–54).

That is the time Jesus referred to in John 3 when He said, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” We must understand, as in the human begettal and birth process, the difference between the words “begotten” and “born.” Mr. Weston writes on page 28 of his booklet:

Why does this matter generate such confusion? In this passage of Scripture, the word translated as “born” is the Greek word gennao. Translators, knowing Greek but not understanding the doctrinal implications, variously render this unusual word into English as “born,” “beget,” “begot,” or “conceive.” This seemingly small detail can lead to confusion and result in significant misunderstandings, especially about the concept of being “born again.”

When we receive God’s Holy Spirit at baptism, we become His begotten child. Despite the translators’ doctrinal bias, the word gennao is correctly translated where we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Our Father in heaven begets us as His children, and as such, we love all of God’s begotten children. To be born again at the first general resurrection, we must first be begotten again at baptism.

God’s Great Love for Us

God’s awesome act of love, sacrificing His Son so that we can be forgiven of our sins, also required the love of the Savior who gave His life for us. Remember John the Baptist’s testimony: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John

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1:29). Our Lord became the Passover sacrifice for sinners. “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Mr. Weston writes extensively on the greatest love in our free study guide John 3:16: Hidden Truths of the Golden Verse. He concludes:

John records these words of Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:12–14). John 3:16 reminds us that God the Father loved us so much that He voluntarily gave His Son to be our Friend—to empty Himself of His divine privileges that we might escape death and have eternal life. Could there be any greater love in all the universe than what was expressed on that Passover Day nearly 2,000 years ago? (p. 14).

Dear reader, you can be forgiven of your sins and receive the grace of God. On the day of Pentecost in AD 31, the Apostle Peter addressed a large audience who had supported Christ’s crucifixion. He stated in Acts 2:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (vv. 36–39).

If you feel that God is moving you toward repentance and biblical baptism, please contact one of our regional representatives at the office nearest you (listed on page 4 of this magazine). With the Holy Spirit working in you as a faithful baptized Christian, you can begin to experience for yourself the hidden truths of John 3:16! TW

Unlock the full meaning of the Bible’s most popular passage! Request this free printed booklet from the Regional Office nearest you, or order at TomorrowsWorld.org PDF, ePub, and Kindle are also available.

John 3:16: Hidden Truths of the Golden Verse

The Legacy of The Prince

The year 2023 marks the 510th anniversary of a famous little book written by a European nobleman named Niccolò Machiavelli. That book, The Prince, is one of the most famous and influential books on politics ever written. It has even given the name “Machiavellian” to the practices it advocates—of scheming and deceit for the acquisition and maintenance of power.

Machiavelli lived from 1469 to 1527 during a turbulent time in Italian history. Italy was disunited, and its great noble families engaged in labyrinthine struggles for control, against each other and foreign powers. In Florence, being in or out of favor with, say, the Medici family or a particular pope could mean either high office or imprisonment. Machiavelli experienced both. These forces forged the worldview of this diplomat, administrator, and political philosopher.

Today, a bad career decision may force a change of jobs; in Machiavelli’s Florence, it could result in imprisonment or death. This hostile environment was reflected in the view Machiavelli expressed in The Prince: that a ruler should be guided not by a moral code, but by the pragmatic steps needed to acquire and maintain power. Machiavelli advises the rising and ambitious ruler that the dictates of power are the primary consideration in all policies and actions. According to Britannica.com, “Machiavelli can be interpreted as the founder of modern political science, a discipline based on the actual state of the world as

opposed to how the world might be…. The amoral interpretation fastens on Machiavelli’s frequent resort to ‘necessity’ in order to excuse actions that might otherwise be condemned as immoral” (“Niccolò Machiavelli,” January 2023).

The Machiavellian Personality

In The Prince, Machiavelli advises rulers that it is more effective to show arrogance than humility when dealing with others, that powerful people should feel free to cheat and deceive whenever it suits their purpose, that it is better to be feared than loved, and that to be popular and secure in power, a prince need not be virtuous, but must appear so. Are there people today who actually live the way Machiavelli proposed?

In 1970, psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis published Studies in Machiavellianism, identifying a distinct personality type characterized by manipulation in relationships and cynicism about human nature. They administered a test containing statements such as, “Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so.… The best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear.… Anyone who completely trusts anyone else is asking for trouble.”

Respondents who agreed with such statements were called “High Machs” and were found very prone to having a “Machiavellian” personality. On the other hand, someone who scored low as a Machiavellian would tend to agree with statements such as, “It is never right to lie to someone else.… Most people are

basically good and kind.… One should take action only when it is morally right.”

Commenting on the study, psychologist Harriet Braiker wrote, “High Machs influence or manipulate others in predictable ways, using tactics that are exploitive, self-serving, and nearly always deceptive. High Machs tend to constitute a distinctive type. They tend to be charming, confident, and glib; but they are also arrogant, calculating and cynical, prone to manipulate and exploit” (Who’s Pulling Your Strings?, 2004).

The Real Prince of Our Current World

As in Machiavelli’s day, today’s aspiring leaders deeply desire the personal validation of power and many will take almost any measure to achieve it. The Apostle James explained why: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war” (James 4:1–2). It is all about two very different ways of life. God’s very nature and character is love and outgoing concern for others—the way of give. But the way of the politics of this world is get—self-focused—in obedience to a very different ruler.

Jesus Christ identified the true prince of this current world when He said to His disciples, “The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me” and “is judged” and is “cast out” (John 14:30; 16:11; 12:31, King James Version). This prince has a kingdom in this world (Matthew 12:26) and is the actual “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

To whom was Jesus referring as the current ruler of today’s world? The Bible reveals that this world has a spiritual ruler who embodies all of the ambitions and willfulness of today’s ambitious leaders. Notice the nature that this former archangel reveals: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13–14).

This spiritual being was once called Lucifer—the “light bringer”—but in his willful rebellion against God Almighty he became Satan, meaning the “adversary.” God declares this evil being’s destination: the

lake of fire, from which he will never influence anyone or anything again (Revelation 20:10).

Another Prince Is Coming

In contrast to this evil “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), Scripture tells us that another Prince will soon come to the earth—the “Prince of Peace.” Jesus Christ taught a way very different from that of Machiavelli. In the New Testament, we find that one of the greatest virtues people should seek is peace Peace is listed as one of the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Scripture shows that Christ will return as the leader of a powerful army, but He will use His power to establish and rule a peaceful Kingdom. God said through the prophet Isaiah that “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). Christ’s government will fill the whole earth and replace its current, profane governments.

It was Satan’s government and kingdoms that Jesus saw when the devil offered, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me” (Luke 4:6). This world and its power and government were indeed Satan’s to give, and many have taken their share of his seductive deal. Jesus rejected Satan’s offer and, in effect, blew him away with the breath of His lips when He said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Luke 4:8). Those who today fashion themselves as followers of Machiavelli are essentially accepting an offer from the wrong prince!

The Prince has profoundly influenced political thought for more than 500 years—and it continues to do so. Sadly, today’s politicians do not understand that the principles Machiavelli expressed represent the corrupt spirit of a system that will soon come to an end. Thankfully, true Christians can be set apart from that system, and God’s Church strives to practice His way of government, free of the cynicism and manipulation Machiavelli advised.

True Christians look instead to a very different Prince—the Prince of Peace—as the One from whom their values come, and who will soon return to lead a government far, far different from what Machiavelli described. TW

Our Wonderfully Round Earth

The idea that Earth is flat—instead of the wonderfully round “oblate spheroid” most of us know and love—has received a surprising amount of attention in the last several years. In April 2022, the University of New Hampshire reported on a poll finding that 10 percent of respondents in the United States believe that “Earth is flat, not round.” Survey company YouGov found that only 66 percent of Millennials, ages 18 to 24 at the time of polling, “firmly believe” that Earth is round. And YouGov found further that those who believe Earth is flat are more likely than the general public to be religious.

In fact, while some claim to believe in a flat Earth for “scientific” reasons, others see the argument between a flat Earth and a round Earth as, respectively, a matter of faith in God versus an atheistic view of the world and creation. A few flat-Earth believers have even written us here at Tomorrow’s World to encourage us to teach our readers that Earth is flat—or, conversely, to chastise us for embracing the round-Earth “lie.”

Is “flat versus round” an unanswered question in some way? And does believing the Bible require belief in a flat Earth?

Let’s take a careful look.

Evidence Anyone Can See

It must be recognized from the very beginning that there is simply no phenomenon experienced on Earth

that cannot be explained by a round Earth, while—at the same time—there is no coherent flat-Earth theory that accounts for all phenomena so simply and elegantly. Most flat-Earth ideas are often ad hoc pronouncements that do not fit together as a whole to explain the wondrous collection of experiences that greet us on this planet on a daily basis. Understanding Earth to be round, however, is consistent with them all.

Consider just a few examples—no fancy equipment necessary.

Most “flat” models have the sun and moon traveling in a circle above a disc-shaped Earth. Yet every sunrise and sunset, as well as every moonrise and moonset, contradict such an idea. There is no flat model that would allow, say, half of the moon to be clearly visible on the horizon and half of it below. The same goes for the sun. In fact, the sun and moon would never intersect the horizon at all. Those who seek to base their flat-Earth beliefs on some sort of scientific footing work hard to justify this, inventing ways for light to bend and for objects to appear the same size no matter how far away they are, and creating other fanciful explanations. But none match the simplicity that a round Earth offers.

And consider the Moon a little more closely. If Earth were flat, someone on one side of the planet looking at a just-risen Moon and someone on the other side looking at an about-to-set Moon should see completely different portions of the Moon, since they are viewing it from widely different angles. Yet, matching the round-Earth model perfectly, both indi-

viduals instead see virtually identical portions of the moon, just as they would if the earth were round and the moon were far away, orbiting it. (The same could be said of sunspots, though those cannot be seen with the naked, unprotected eye.)

The stars above our heads provide another witness. In the northern hemisphere, the stars revolve each night around Polaris, the North Star. Believers in a flat Earth often claim this as evidence that the North Star lies above the pole at the center of the flat Earth. Ignoring the fact that people see such a different section of the sky depending on where they are in the northern hemisphere, let’s consider the parallel fact in the southern hemisphere. Those in the southernmost parts of the world see the sky revolve around a fixed point in the southern sky—close to a constellation called the Southern Cross. Yet, in most flat-Earth models, this should be impossible, since those models have no south pole at all. Clearly the stars of the southern hemisphere aren’t fans of flat-Earth models.

Some flat-Earth believers offer explanations, but they are often, again, ad hoc explanations or examples of “special pleading”— not consistent mathematical models that fit all the other available evidence. Again, a round-Earth model easily fits all that evidence and more.

Biblical Arguments for Flatness?

Claims of scientific support for a flat Earth simply do not survive any extended scrutiny at all. Explanations based on a round Earth, however, are not only simple,

and experiments we can conduct as “plain old individuals”—are consistent in their support for a round Earth, but is there biblical evidence that should force us to declare such findings null and void?

No, there is not. No Bible verses, when properly understood, require belief in a flat Earth.

For instance, some point to verses, such as Isaiah 11:12, that mention the “four corners of the earth.” Yet even flat earthers do not generally believe Earth to be a flat square with four literal corners. It is plain that this is a reference to the four compass directions, meant to encompass the entirety of the world. Even today, many use the phrase “the four corners of the globe” without any hint of irony and in complete understanding of what we are saying.

Similarly, some will point to passages that mention the “ends of the earth,” such as Psalm 67:7, Micah 5:4, and Acts 1:8. Yet, if we look more carefully, we see that the Bible speaks of people living on the edges of Earth (e.g., Psalm 67:7, Isaiah 45:22, Luke 11:31). Are there any peoples on Earth living on the very edge of a flat plane? No. The phrase clearly means to go to the furthest possible extremes—such as ensuring the Gospel goes out to every part of the world.

but also internally consistent, and have stood the test of time.

But what of claims that the Bible teaches a flat Earth? Is there any substance to such claims? Yes, the findings of the physical world—not just those generated by large institutions like NASA, but observations

Some will point to the “firmament”—in the words of Genesis 1:6–8 in the King James Version—placed above the earth, claiming that it proves the stars, sun, and moon exist as part of a hard dome above our heads, as if we live in a giant snow globe. Yet this Hebrew word is better translated in other Bibles as “expanse,” or something that is stretched out (e.g., the English Standard Version or the New American Standard Bible). That is why passages such as Genesis 1:20 can say that birds fly in the midst of this “firmament”—because it is not a hard dome, but the broad expanse of the sky above our heads. Again, no flat Earth required. Others will note the “pillars of the earth” that are mentioned in a few verses, but are these literal? One example appears in Psalm 75:3: “The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly.” Yet, only five verses later, this psalm also speaks of a cup in God’s hand, filled with red, mixed wine that He pours out, making the wicked of the world “drain and drink down” (v. 8). He is not literally feeding the wicked, and the wine is clearly a metaphor for His wrath (v. 10). While many

SOME FLAT-EARTH BELIEVERS OFFER EXPLANATIONS, BUT THEY ARE OFTEN AD HOC EXPLANATIONS OR EXAMPLES OF “SPECIAL PLEADING.”

fail to take the Bible literally when they should, it is also possible to fail to see metaphors when God uses them, and He does use metaphors. God is not literally a rock (Psalm 18:2) nor is Israel literally a vineyard (Isaiah 5:5). Failing to respect that God makes some of His points poetically shows His word as much disrespect as failing to take Him literally when He is speaking literally.

Finally, others use passages like Daniel 4:11, describing a tree seen by the “all the earth,” or Matthew 4:8, in which Jesus Christ is shown the entire world by the devil from atop a mountain. Some read these passages and ask, How could these be possible if the world is round?

Yet those are clearly visions. Luke 4:5 even mentions “in a moment of time”—highlighting the supernatural element of the vision. These provide no requirement to accept a flat Earth, any more than they require a literal mountaintop to exist where such views are possible—a sight even those atop Mount Everest cannot see.

Other passages may be claimed by those who seek to slip a flat Earth into the pages of their Bible, but they all represent similar misunderstandings. There is simply no passage in the Bible that requires us to believe that Earth is flat, and all of them, when properly understood, fit very comfortably in the same very round world that physical observations have shown to be true for millennia.

Part of the Created Order, Not Apart from It

When you think about it, mankind’s home is very much like mankind itself. Consider: Man was made on the same day as the land animals (Genesis 1:24–31). He was made physical, like the animals. Much of the detail we learn about animals, including facts about something as important as brain structure, applies to man. Man is part of the created order and shares much in common with it.

Our planet, too, shares much in common with other planets of the heavens that were created along with it (Genesis 1:1). It orbits a star, accompanied by other planets, all of which experience weather, night, day, and seasons.

Yet man is no mere animal. He has been created in God’s own image. He is endowed with faculties that outmatch and far exceed those of any animal, powered by a spirit from God (Job 32:8), enabling him to live in communion with the Creator. He is clearly something truly special among all the life-forms of the world.

So, too, is Earth. It is a world fit to serve as the home of man (Isaiah 45:18) and, one day, serve as headquarters of the whole universe (Revelation 21). All the evidence we have shows it to be a shining jewel among planets and celestial objects—rich with geographic diversity, teeming with life, beautiful and resplendent.

It does not “downgrade” our planet to see it as one created planet among many, any more than it does to see man as one created life-form among many. Rather, the special devotion and attention to detail paid by the Creator to Earth, just as He paid to humankind, shines through, obvious to all with eyes to see.

Yes, our very spherical Earth is a part of the created order, as are Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and the other planets. But, like man, Earth stands out as something truly special: the uniquely designed home of man— the pinnacle of God’s creation—and the hand-crafted center of the Almighty’s plan of salvation. That plan now unfolding on Earth will one day impact the whole universe, and all of creation will resonate with the joy of it (Romans 8:18–21).

Our home here in the cosmos is, indeed, an astonishing place and a remarkable jewel in the crown of creation. The fact that it is round and not flat does not lessen that beautiful truth in the least. TW

MAY

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Is Jesus Christ a created being?

Question: Some groups that call themselves Christian teach that Jesus Christ is a created being. Was He created, or is He eternal?

Answer: The idea that Jesus was created by God the Father stands on a failure to understand the language of Colossians 1:15 and Revelation 3:14, as well as a failure to understand the plan of God as it applies to mankind.

The Bible, however, shows that both the Father and the Son are eternally self-existent. Even though there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4;1 Corinthians 8:4), Scripture shows that this one God is one divine Family made up of more than one Being (Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 2:19; 3:15).

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament, the “Word” (logos) through whom the Father created all things (John 1:1–3; 1 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2). After He “emptied himself” of His divine power (Philippians 2:7, English Standard Version) in order to die and pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23), Jesus became the “only begotten Son” of the Father (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18) and the Savior of mankind (1 John 4:14). He died for our sins and was resurrected so that we might be saved from eternal death (Acts 4:10–12).

The Beginner of God’s Creation

Some point to the King James Version and New King James Version translation of Revelation 3:14 as evidence that Jesus Christ is a created being, since it describes Him as the “beginning of the creation of God.” The problem is in translating the Greek word arché, rendered “beginning” by the KJV and NKJV. How do other translations render this word? The New Revised Standard Version reads that Christ is “the origin of God’s creation,” and the New International Version reads that He is “the ruler of God’s creation.” Arché would be better rendered to show Christ as the “Beginner” or “Originator” of creation. As these translations make plain, Revelation 3:14 does not imply that Jesus was the first created being; rather, He is the One who created and stands as the very cause of that creation.

Some wrongly take Colossians 1:15 to mean that Christ, as the “firstborn over all creation,” was Him-

self part of that creation. The Greek word translated here as “firstborn”—prōtotokos (from prōtos, meaning “first,” and tiktō, meaning “to beget”)—does not indicate that Jesus was created. Rather, it reminds us that, through His resurrection, He had the “preeminence” as “firstborn from the dead” (v. 18; Revelation 1:5). Additionally, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words rightly observes of Colossians 1:15 that “His [Christ’s] eternal relationship with the Father is in view, and the clause means both that He was the ‘Firstborn’ before all creation and that He Himself produced creation (the genitive case being objective, as v. 16 makes clear)” (p. 241). “By Him [Christ] all things were created” (v. 16)—He did not create Himself!

Neither Beginning nor End

Another vital key to understanding the Apostle Paul’s teaching is found in Hebrews 7. In the days of Abraham, Melchizedek was the king of what would later be called Jerusalem and Priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18). Paul writes that Melchizedek existed from eternity, and “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3). Melchizedek was “like the Son of God,” and remains God’s High Priest forever. Jesus Christ is now our High Priest (Hebrews 5:10), and He and Melchizedek are one and the same eternal Being. For more on this topic, you can read our January–February 2009 article “Who Was the God of the Old Testament?,” available at TomorrowsWorld.org.

Those who consider Jesus Christ a created being do not understand God’s plan of salvation. Jesus Christ, the “Word” who eternally “was God” and was “with God” before the creation (John 1:1–2), will return as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:13–16) to establish lasting peace on the earth (Isaiah 2:2–4). TW

Revelation 3:14 does not imply that Jesus was the first created being; rather, He is the One who created and stands as the very cause of that creation.

A completely A.I.-generated image from Midjourney. We typed in the words “a cat wearing goggles, cosmos background, muted colors, earth below” and the A.I. created this scene from that brief prompt.

Israel’s Son and America’s Future

The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the prison chamber as unexpected visitors approached its door. The prisoners could hear muffled voices outside. Suddenly, the door swung open, and the guards looked hastily about. They then seized one of the prisoners—a man about 30 years of age—and hurried him out of the cell.

Once outside, the prisoner had a new set of clothes shoved at him, and was told to bathe and shave. While he complied, his mind raced. Where were these men taking him? And why? The guards then hurried him out of the prison and set him in front of the most powerful king in the world. As the king opened his mouth to speak, little did the young man know that, before the conversation ended, his life would be changed forever.

Sold by Brothers, Lifted by Pharaoh

The man was named Joseph, and the king was Egypt’s Pharaoh. Joseph’s brothers had sold him as a slave 13 years earlier, when he was just 17 years old (Genesis 37:25–36). After being wrongfully accused of assaulting his master’s wife, Joseph had been thrown into prison (Genesis 39:20), only to be released years later in such astonishing circumstances.

Thousands of years later, the cruelty Joseph endured is still shocking to consider. Yet we can find encouragement and inspiration when we consider the hardship God helped Joseph to overcome, and the wisdom and power of God’s plan to save Joseph’s people and the entire nation of Egypt. But that plan hinged on Joseph’s willingness to submit faithfully, in patience and trust, to God’s will.

In the account recorded in Genesis, we learn that—after 13 terrible years of bondage and then imprisonment—Joseph was suddenly released by Pharaoh. He was then unexpectedly elevated to the second-highest office of the most powerful government of that time. How did this happen?

Pharaoh had been disturbed by troubling dreams. The first involved seven sick cows eating seven healthy cows. The second dream involved seven blighted heads of grain devouring seven healthy heads of grain (Genesis 41:1–7). The king’s butler knew Joseph as an interpreter of dreams, so he brought him before Pharaoh. Here is Joseph’s interpretation: “The dreams of the Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do…. Seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land” (Genesis 41:25, 29–30).

Joseph suggested that a wise and diligent manager be appointed to collect grain in preparation for the drought years. Pharaoh chose Joseph for this important task, laying the groundwork to save Egypt and the surrounding nations from ruin (Genesis 41:56–57). Under Joseph’s hand, Egypt prospered, becoming the “lender of last resort” during a very difficult time. And God also used Egypt’s prosperity to reunite Joseph with his brothers who came to Egypt from Canaan in search of grain (Genesis 42:1–3).

More than 3,600 years later, this ascent from prison to power is still astonishing! It testifies to God’s power to preserve not only families and tribes, but whole nations as well. So, what can we learn from Joseph’s rise to power? And what eventually happened to Joseph’s family? Can we identify his descendants today? And, though Joseph rose, are his descendants headed for a fall?

Joseph’s Future Prophesied

After Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he sent for his father, Jacob, whose name had been changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). What a joyful reunion it must have been, with the father he had not seen for thirteen years! Jacob then gathered his sons together to tell them what would happen to their end-time descendants: “And Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall

One man’s ancient overcoming of adversity reveals the future of modern nations as they face the challenges of our present day.

you in the last days’” (Genesis 49:1). The elderly patriarch then gave a prophecy about what would happen more than three millennia later. Speaking under the inspiration of God, he described Joseph’s future: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; his branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22). In other words, Joseph’s latter-day descendants would be “wellwatered” and virtually overflowing with food.

The descendants of Joseph would also have a strong military that, through God’s power, would win decisive victories (Genesis 49:23–24), and would also gain rich blessings exceeding those of other peoples (Genesis 49:25–26). Jacob also bestowed a special blessing on Joseph’s two sons—Manasseh and Ephraim—saying, “He [Manasseh] also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” (Genesis 48:12–19).

Most people assume that Ephraim and Manasseh—and the other tribes that split away from Judah in the days of Rehoboam—were “lost” after they were taken captive by ancient Assyria in 721 BC (2 Kings 17:5, 23). Yet Jesus Christ sent His disciples to preach to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). Though they were scattered, Christ and His disciples knew where they were and how to find them. The Apostle James also knew where the “lost” tribes were, opening his epistle with the introduction, “To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1). Not lost at all!

After being released from Assyrian captivity, the ten “lost” tribes of Israel—including the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh—migrated into Western Europe. The tribe of Ephraim eventually comprised Great Britain and most of the British Commonwealth countries. Manasseh is today identified as the United States of America. To learn more about how Scripture and history reveal the modern identity of these two tribes, request our free booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy

Joseph’s Generosity

Joseph’s faith and wisdom—guided by God—played a crucial part in preserving Egypt and its surrounding nations during the catastrophic drought. He was considered a savior by his people because he did not

withhold food from those who needed it (Genesis 41:57; 47:25; cf. Proverbs 11:26). Joseph’s policy— while admittedly consolidating Pharaoh’s power—was a blessing for people suffering severe hardship. As the historian Josephus notes, “[Pharaoh] called upon Joseph, who sold the corn to them, being become confessedly a savior to the whole multitude of the Egyptians. Nor did he open this market of corn for the people of that country only, but strangers had liberty to buy also; Joseph being willing that all men, who are naturally akin to one another, should have assistance from those that lived in happiness” (Antiquities of the Jews, volume 2, section 6).

Joseph was a proponent of an open market, with access for everyone needing food. His works and policies were a blessing, and Scripture reveals that Joseph’s end-time descendants—despite their sins and weaknesses—were prophesied to have a similarly beneficial impact on the world. God promised Abram, “You shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you” (Genesis 12:2–3).

Truly, from its earliest years when European settlers reached its shores, God has blessed America! Despite its many—and growing—sins, God has been long-suffering and merciful, and the whole world has benefited because of God’s blessings on this modern descendant of ancient Israel. A hundred years ago, the British Empire was the world’s largest creditor nation, accounting for an estimated 40 percent of foreign investment around the globe. Yet, today, Britain is just one of many nations battling a crippling national debt. So, too, was the U.S. an engine of prosperity—after the devastation of World War II it was largely American investment that helped Europe and Japan rebound from crushing defeat. Yet, today, that same U.S. seems unable to control the spiraling growth of its national debt.

Indeed, the former “arsenal of democracy” and “breadbasket of the world” is facing unprecedented challenges from the rise of China. Although the U.S. still had the world’s largest annual GDP in 2021—$23 trillion—according to a report by Goldman Sachs, China was in second place at $18 trillion, projected to surpass the U.S. by 2035 if present trends continue.

It is enough to make one wonder if all those old blessings are coming to an end. Will God’s patience

with America’s mounting disobedience run out? Will the U.S. soon be no greater an influence on the world scene than Britain is today? And what does the future hold for a post-American world?

Egypt After Joseph

Joseph lived to be 110 years old (Genesis 50:26). After his death, a new Pharaoh ended Joseph’s policy of benevolence, putting the Israelites to hard labor out of fear of their increasing strength in numbers. Taskmasters were set over the Israelites, and a prosperous and vibrant society gave way to slavery and forced labor. Could this foreshadow the destiny of Joseph’s modern descendants? Authors, commentators and even politicians often discuss the “decline of America” today. Many around the world welcome the prospect of the U.S. being “humbled”—becoming no longer a leader, but instead an equal or even junior partner on the international scene. As Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute think tank recently wrote in the New York Times:

There was a time when all roads to peace went through Washington. From the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt brokered by President Jimmy Carter to the 1993 Oslo Accords signed on the White House lawn to Senator George Mitchell’s Good Friday Agreement that ended the fighting in Northern Ireland in 1998, America was the indispensable nation for peacemaking.… But over the years, as America’s foreign policy became more militarized and as sustaining the so-called rules-based order increasingly meant that the United States put itself above all rules, America appears to have given up on the virtues of honest peacemaking (“The U.S. Is Not an Indispensable Peacemaker,” March 22, 2023).

Indeed, just as the U.S. is losing international credibility as a neutral power broker, China under President Xi Jinping has tried to take over that role. After surprising American policymakers with his China-mediated agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, his efforts to mediate tensions between Russia and Ukraine demonstrated perhaps even

more pointedly the growing clout of China and the diminishing status of the U.S.

Will America be able to foster and maintain peace and order in the future? Or are chaos and catastrophe ahead? The answer can be found in your own Bible.

Consider the biblical account that God rewarded Israel with wealth and prominence as a reward for obedience, but that in times of rebellion Israel was visited with escalating curses, rampant diseases, environmental disasters, and military setbacks (Deuteronomy 28:1–25). God warned through Moses that when sin began to mount in Israel, its former position of world economic leadership would give way to suffocating debt and economic subservience (Deuteronomy 28:44). When Israel went into captivity in 721 BC, God’s promises of blessing were deferred for 2,520 years (Leviticus 26:18)—yet even after the blessings were restored, Ephraim and Manasseh squandered them, continuing to disobey their Creator.

Is American culture rising toward greater godliness, or falling deeper into debauchery? Consider that the U.S. today has a political system full of hypocrisy and greed. Its streets and cities are increasingly dangerous. Many of its children grow up with no moral direction or guidance. God’s laws are mocked and dismissed from the public square. Its entertainment industry openly ridicules Christianity, while its media endorses and promotes immorality. Millions have come to accept unbridled greed and selfishness as “the American way.”

So, where will it all lead? Moses warned that if end-time Israel refused to repent, it would experience a complete and total collapse, leading to national enslavement. Notice his warning for Israel: “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you” (Deuteronomy 28:47–48).

The message is clear: Unless America undergoes a dramatic course change, it will fall. Jesus Christ warned of a coming time known as the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). It is a time also known as “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” when Israel will again go into captivity (Jeremiah 30:7). The

prophesied “beast” power will overtake and conquer modern Israel, just as its ancient predecessor, Assyria, did in 721 BC. This “beast” power will ally with a great false church, and for a short time this religiopolitical force will bring prosperity to nations the world over (Revelation 18:11–15).

Yet this prosperity will come at a terrible price. This short-lived, blasphemous world power will rule harshly, demanding total submission to its will (Revelation 13:1–8). Religious and personal freedoms, taken for granted today in many countries, will disappear (v. 15). Shortly before Jesus Christ’s return, this power will carry out a devastating five-month military action in the Middle East, as described in Revelation 9:9–12. This will provoke a withering counterattack by a 200-million-man army from the east (Revelation 9:15–18).

This end-time conflagration will lead to all-out nuclear war, killing a third of the planet’s population. The world will be brought to the brink of self-destruction. Were it not for Christ’s return to the earth, no flesh would be spared (Matthew 24:22). But God in His mercy will not allow mankind to destroy itself. Jesus Christ will return to the earth, establish His Kingdom, and reign with equity and justice for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6). But this will not happen until the world has gone through a time of unprecedented calamity (Matthew 24:21).

Humbled for Greatness

So, can you and I be spared from the coming horrors of the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord? The encouraging answer is an emphatic “Yes!”

Consider again the example of Joseph. As a young man, he showed unusual ability and drive to succeed. That can be seen in his service to Potiphar and his work for the prison keeper (Genesis 39:2–3, 5, 21–23). Even before Joseph’s sojourn in Egypt, God gave him dreams foretelling his eventual leadership role over his brothers (Genesis 37:5–11). Yet Joseph had much to learn before he was ready to take the reins of power. God had to test and teach him. He allowed Joseph to be humbled, his pride and vanity crushed. And with each day that went by, as Joseph faithfully obeyed God, he learned to trust patiently in God and His will—and he

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became a man God could use in the highest levels of government in the greatest nation of that day.

The urgent call for us today is clear: If we love our Savior, Jesus Christ, we must strive to obey Him and His laws (John 14:15). We must look to Him—rather than our own ingenuity and strength—for our blessings (Deuteronomy 8:18). We must really put God’s will first, without condition, as Jesus Himself did (Matthew 26:39).

Are we really willing to be humbled, as Joseph was? That is the supreme test! The prophet Malachi wrote, “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble” (Malachi 4:1). Jesus Christ told His followers, “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken [in heartfelt and complete repentance]; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder” (Matthew 21:44). God has given great promises to today’s Christians—even that they will rule in His Kingdom with Him (Revelation 20:6). But first, like Joseph, we must be absolutely committed to carrying out God’s will in our lives!

The Apostle John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9). Now is the time for those with “ears to hear” to repent (Matthew 13:9)—for, even in these last days, God promises help and deliverance to those who wholeheartedly seek Him.

The American era will soon end, as the Bible foretells. In many ways, it has already ended. So, do not let the downfall of the U.S. take you by surprise! Jesus Christ gave encouraging instruction about how we can face the coming tumultuous times with courage and faith: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life…. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34–36).

Make sure that you and your loved ones learn the lessons of Jacob—and are ready for the world after the decline of America! TW

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THE BETRAYAL OF INNOCENCE

Loving others means condemning sin.

Amalevolent spirit is responsible for the cascade of evil in neighborhoods and nations—and it is always recruiting. Any doubt is shattered when evening news reports show men dressed as women in bizarre, clownlike costumes, cavorting in front of young children and many of their parents at school functions. These deviant individuals prance about with lewd sexual gyrations while singing or mouthing bawdy lyrics and sexual innuendos—in front of children not yet ten years old!

These so-called “Drag Queens” have taken advantage of broadly interpreted civil rights laws allowing what were once ruled as unnatural sexual behaviors, aggressively pushing into public schools, libraries, and extracurricular activities their agenda of normalized perversion. And they are targeting little children. While child pornography and pedophilia are criminal offenses subject to prosecution, practitioners of the cross-dressing, transvestite lifestyle are making inroads. The LGBT community has, by incessant litigation, pressed for an “anything goes” attitude, often intimidating public officials and school administrators.

More and more people now accept such sexualized entertainment. The New York Times recently reported that “drag queen library readings have grown in popularity as a way to entertain children while teaching inclusivity” (“Drag Events Across the Country Have Often Faced Threats in Recent Years,” November 21, 2022). As sexual exploitation rages, gender dysphoria—gender confusion—is spreading at an alarming pace.

Choosing to identify as other than one’s biological sex is a new trend in “developed” nations. Peer pressure and desire for acceptance influence many children to pursue this dangerous fad. Major medical centers are cashing in by administering hormone treatments and performing sexual “reassignment” surgery on children. Amazingly, some parents, influenced by psychologists and physicians, approve this travesty. The results are often devastating for children as they mature and come to realize the tragic mistake.

God’s Way Protects

While legislatures, academia, and courts may be intimidated by the malevolent spirit working through these

movements, one clear and authoritative resource condemns it. The Holy Bible states plainly, “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5). The prophet Isaiah was inspired to write, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20).

In the New Testament, we see the religious establishment taken aback by Jesus Christ and His approach. “They were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (Luke 4:32). Regarding human gender, Jesus said that “He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’” (Matthew 19:4). No confusion here.

Scripture reveals Jesus Christ’s godly love and concern for children. As little children were brought to Him, some leaders protested, but He said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). Christ explained that we can learn from little children: “Assuredly, I say to you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (v. 17). Elsewhere, He proclaimed, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven…. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:3, 6).

Christ was simply expressing the instruction given through the prophet Isaiah: “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell my people their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). One can decry the sin yet have loving concern for the sinner. Jesus admonished, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

We look forward to the Kingdom of God, when the innocence of little children will no longer be betrayed. To learn more about that imminent Kingdom, you can request a free copy of The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? or read it online at TomorrowsWorld.org.

The Problem with Alice

Alice Springs is a community in crisis—a crisis it shares with a multitude of communities, families, and individuals around the world. This central-outback Australian town with a population of approximately 32,500 (Population.net.au) is experiencing a set of social problems so severe that the mayor has made repeated appeals for the Northern Territory and federal governments to help quell a surge of violence and crime. Residents have demanded that the various government bodies take action at this sudden rise.

In response, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory met in January with stakeholders in Alice Springs to discuss issues of alcohol-related harm and crime occurring in the town and various Aboriginal communities. Together, they formulated a plan to address the situation and, as a result, alcohol restrictions were reintroduced within the region, and the Office of Central Australia Regional Controller (OCARC) was established.

Dorelle Anderson was appointed as the Central Australia Regional Controller and commissioned to address the dramatic rise in alcohol-fuelled crime. Whilst the interim measures in her report were designed to shield Aboriginal communities from alcohol-related crime, many Alice Springs residents say that authorities are not adequately addressing the problem. Sadly, much of it is due to unsupervised

children who roam the streets, especially at night, creating havoc. Why? The apparent reason is even sadder than the statistics. According to Alice Springs Mayor Matt Patterson, “Why can we have 50–100 kids on the street every night? Because it is safer for the kids to be on the street than at home” (“‘Human beings’: Locals calls for children to be removed from families in Alice Springs as the young crime crisis deepens;” Australia News, February 1, 2023).

Why is this sudden upsurge in predominately alcohol-related crime occurring now?

Alcohol Abuse and Violence

For 15 years prior to July 2022, Alice Springs and many similar communities in the region had been subject to restrictions on the sale of alcohol—first through the 2007–08 Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act, and then through the 2012 Stronger Futures in the Northern Territories Act. The restrictions sought to curb alcohol-related violence and domestic abuse, particularly as they were affecting indigenous women and children. But they contained a sunset clause that revoked the restrictions in July 2022.

Regional Controller Anderson’s report makes for shocking reading. It noted in November 2022 a 79.4 percent annual increase over 2019 in alcohol-related assaults, and a 96.7 percent increase in assaults related to domestic violence. Tragically, the report further noted that “clinical reports from Emergency Department Alice Springs Hospital have

observed an increase in the severity of harm being inflicted on Aboriginal women as a result of domestic violence since the cessation of the Stronger Futures Act restrictions. Data is still under collection to verify these observations” (Office of Central Australian Regional Controller—Proposed Actions for Alcohol Related Harm in Central Australian Communities, p. 11).

Even more sobering is a sentence from the report’s “Recommendations” section: “We cannot continue to accept the levels of domestic and family violence leading to assaults on women who are presenting with horrific facial injuries, broken bones, fractured skulls and in some tragic situations even death” (p. 14).

Can the Cycle Be Broken?

Reading this report and watching the various news coverage of this situation is heartbreaking. An unbroken cycle of destructive behaviour is having devastating effects on all the individuals, families, and communities concerned. Dorelle Anderson’s report identified the primary contributing factors as Aboriginal “overrepresentation in the criminal justice system and in detention; poorer health outcomes, including life expectancy, child mortality rates, suicide rates, and child development; higher rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction and misuse; and poorer education and training outcomes, and fewer employment opportunities” (p. 4).

The cycle is pervasive and multi-generational. Each new generation grows up facing these entrenched factors, and very few avoid exposure and reaction to dysfunction within their families and communities. Parents succumb to the escapism that substance abuse provides, and their children are witness to the horrific harms that ensue. Children then flee the violence and abuse, congregating in unsupervised groups that wreak havoc on the communities. Frustrated, angry, and disillusioned children grow up with few or no role models who can guide them in a direction that would break the destructive cycle, so they follow in their parents’ footsteps and succumb to the same escapist remedies. Sadly, decades of largely failed policies and initiatives have shown that, whilst it is easy to say why this problem is occurring, it is extremely difficult to resolve it.

Again quoting from Dorelle Anderson’s report, “We need to listen to the most vulnerable in our community and act with urgency to address the current crisis but also tackle the extreme poverty and social disadvantage causal factors amongst this cohort.… The disadvantage is complex and challenging and will require targeted policies and programmatic responses particularly in early intervention and prevention, supporting the family unit” (p. 1).

Family units most readily break down when people are trapped in the cycle of endemic poverty, which perpetuates itself over generations. For many children trapped in this horrendous situation, it is overwhelming and appears hopeless, leading some to lash out in anger and frustration, more often than not at those around them. They live the only way of life they have seen and experienced, the way of substance abuse and violence, perpetuating the cycle of harm and abuse.

It would be distressing enough if this cycle only pertained to these Central Australian communities. However, whilst Alice Springs is experiencing a particularly severe crisis of cyclical dysfunction, global news sources show us that communities in all nations—rich and poor alike—are experiencing this same cycle to one degree or another. The damaging effects of the sins of the fathers are passed from each generation to every subsequent generation, and will continue to be passed down until this seemingly endless cycle is broken.

But will it ever be broken?

All Families Will Be Blessed

The good news is that, yes, the cycle will end—for the people of Alice Springs and for all the families of the earth—and it will end permanently. The Bible is clear that God will “send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:20). To prepare for that end, God has commissioned His Church to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God to “the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). And those of you reading this magazine can see that this Work is indeed being done. The good news of Christ’s

imminent return is being preached, and God the Father will indeed send Christ back to planet Earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. Most importantly, Christ’s return will herald “the times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21)—which includes the functional restoration of the family unit.

So few realize that God intends to bless, without exception, all the nations of this world—all the families of every background and ethnicity. This has always been His intention, a guaranteed promise found in both the Old and New Testaments. Consider these words of the Apostle Peter to the Jews of his day: “Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken,

will change. At some point, if these cycles are to end, a “circuit breaker” must be tripped.

Turning Away from Iniquities

That circuit breaker is Jesus Christ’s return to govern this earth. Continuing to read in Acts 3, we find the Apostle Peter’s words to some of the Church’s earliest converts: “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities” (Acts 3:26). Herein lies the key to ending this cycle of destructive dysfunction and its attendant evils. Every human being needs to be taught how to live a better way—a way that creates genuine peace; ensures individual, family and community safety; and guarantees a better future for all peoples. This ideal of functional families across all the earth should be considered one of the greatest blessings mankind could enjoy.

have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed’” (Acts 3:24–25). God loves all human beings of every race and tribe as His children—and He seeks to bless each and every one.

And Jesus Christ Himself is the “seed” Peter mentioned above. When Christ returns, His benevolent governance will promote unmatched blessings for every people. To the extent that they obey Him and renounce their past ways, they will be blessed. We see this even today. Those who live in rebellion against God’s ways cannot avoid a situation marked by repeated generational cycles of violence and abuse. It will never change unless those involved

MAY WE SUGGEST?

Anderson’s report makes the point clearly. “The children who have been spoken to have unanimously voiced their hatred of alcohol and the harm it inflicts on their families. Their simple aspirations are to live in a ‘normal place’, have jobs when they are older and be able to support their families with basic needs” (p. 14). This is a universal desire, a cherished hope common to all reasonable human beings—men, women, and children alike!

The only hope for this world, currently mired in a cycle of sin and destruction, is the promised “seed” Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate role model, and under His government, restoration will begin. He has been tasked by His Father to initiate the “times of restoration” and to break this harmful cycle of personal and community destruction. The good news is that Christ will succeed! We know this because He did not fail to do His Father’s work when He came here the first time. He is faithful in all things, and so, He will not fail us—all the families of the earth— when He returns. TW

The World Ahead: What Will it Be Like? While you’re waiting on the world to change, find out what it will change into! Request this free printed booklet from the Regional Office nearest you, or order at TomorrowsWorld.org PDF, ePub, and Kindle are also available.

WHEN CHRIST RETURNS, HIS BENEVOLENT GOVERNANCE WILL PROMOTE UNMATCHED BLESSINGS FOR EVERY PEOPLE. TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY OBEY HIM AND REPENT, THEY WILL BE BLESSED. WE SEE THIS EVEN TODAY.

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John 3:16: Hidden Truths of the Golden Verse.

• Explore what is perhaps the most famous Bible verse, but also perhaps one of the least understood.

• How does this verse relate to the true Gospel and to God’s eternal promise?

• What does the Bible really teach about being “born again”?

THE Works OF HIS HANDS

The Remarkable Beaver

For more than a hundred years, almost every Canadian 5-cent piece has carried the image of a 60-pound rodent. Some Canadians question why their nation mints a coin with a rodent, instead of perhaps a magnificent polar bear. Yet Castor canadensis—the beaver—prevails. It remains a symbol of hard work, tenacity and duty. Indeed, “busy as a beaver” is an oft-heard phrase. So, what can we learn from this unlikely teacher?

In the early days of European settlement across Canada, no single factor had as great an influence as the North American beaver, found also across the United States and northern Mexico, but of special importance to settlers living in the farther northern parts of the continent. For centuries, beaver pelts drove the exploration, expansion, wars, and politics not only of Canada, but also the United States, where in the early 1800s they were the single most important commodity as the U.S. expanded westward. The beaver was valued for its fur, but it was also reviled as a pest because its natural habits caused flooding, road washouts, and loss of valuable trees. Both factors together saw a dramatic decrease in the beaver population, driven nearly to extinction in many American regions where it had once flourished.

In the twentieth century, trapping diminished and beaver populations began again to increase, on their own and with the help of environmentalists who reintroduced the valuable animal to old habitats. Indeed, the resurgence of the beaver has been so great that some parts of Canada have adopted beaver-suppression programs to address the problems caused by the growing beaver population. Yet new voices are rising in defense of this

oft-maligned rodent, pointing to the beaver’s valuable role in creating sustainable environments.

Furry Hydro-Engineer

Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to permanently alter the environment to meet their needs. Beavers modify landscapes, bringing water back to previously dry areas. These furry hydro-engineers start in a small stream with vertically placed sticks, then weave branches through the sticks and pack them with mud or other debris. They position larger logs parallel to the water flow, fix them in place with more mud and debris, then continue the process to expand the structure’s width and height. Without the aid of mathematics, they may instinctively arc a widening dam to absorb increased water pressure as their work causes the water to deepen.

They are incessant workers. In northern Alberta, spanning the border of the Northwest Territories, Wood Buffalo National Park is home to what is believed to be the world’s largest beaver dam, with a perimeter of about 2,000 meters and a surface area around 70,000 square meters—large enough that it is visible in photographs taken from Earth-orbiting satellites. The pond created by the dam is estimated to contain roughly 70,000 cubic meters of water, the equivalent of 1,600 hockey rinks.

Beavers are well designed for their role. They have teeth that never stop growing, bodies perfectly made for swimming, eyes with built-in swimming goggles, and the ability to stay submerged for 15 minutes. They are built to lift many times their own weight, pulling heavy logs to the water. They could not have been better engineered for their job.

The sound of running water motivates them, indicating a threat to their lodge. Since a beaver lodge must be in water deep enough to permit entry below the ice in winter, any flowing water must be stopped. In one case, a tape recorder playing the sound of running water was left in an area populated by beavers. Within hours, the device was “dammed”—buried in mud!

Sustainer of Ecosystems

An adult beaver can cut down more than 400 trees per year for dam and lodge construction—and for food, as tree bark is the beaver’s primary diet. Their work is not destructive only, as their cutting down sections of forest near a pond actually opens the area for lush new growth of grasses, shrubs, and young trees, thus increasing the food supply for wildlife that also benefit from the increased abundance of pond water. The beaver’s work renews and sustains the ecosystem. When the pond eventually fills with silt and plant debris, the beavers move on, having created a new meadow. Their old dams, hidden from sight by the overgrowth, cause water to be trapped under the new ground surface, which helps to protect the area from future drought.

Dr. Glynnis Hood has spent years studying and documenting the activities of beavers and their impact on landscape. Alberta’s Elk Island National Park was a perfect laboratory, providing 54 years of records on beaver populations and open water in times of rain surplus and drought. Her work, published in a book entitled, The Beaver Manifesto, documented the impact of the beaver in drought-proofing the ecosystem. She found that long-standing ponds and lakes with beavers had a staggering nine times more open water than ponds where beavers were not present, regardless of rainfall amounts. In 2002, Alberta had one of the worst droughts in its history. In Elk Island Park, the only places with much ponded water were those with beaver populations (p. 47). As she wrote, “In most places,

a world without beavers is a world without water and the life it supports” (p. 5).

Despite the good the beavers do, some still consider them a problem. Michel Leclair, manager of Gatineau Park in Quebec, for years tried to control beaver activity by dynamiting dams and killing beavers. Yet the efficient and industrious rodents would quickly rebuild, blocking culverts and flooding roads. So, as depicted in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary The Beaver Whisperer, Leclair decided to work with the beavers. Since the sound of moving water motivates them to build dams, he produced the sound of running water by placing posts in streams, directing the beavers to build in locations where he wanted there to be a dam. Today, he runs an efficient water management system in a huge park—with hundreds of beavers serving as his willing, eager, non-union, unpaid civil servants! As Leclair describes in The Beaver Whisperer, the process of human dam-building—even for a small dam—requires expensive and time-consuming design, engineering reports, environmental assessments, and construction contracts. Instead, Leclair coaxes the beavers to do the job for free in a matter of days, once he directs them to the work site.

The Wilderness in a Pool of Water

Scripture describes the quality of life in the Kingdom of God, when Jesus Christ returns to the earth. God says, “I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water” (Isaiah 41:18). In the beaver, God has created and programmed with instinct a furry hydro-engineer to serve His creation. Leclair’s example illustrates what can be accomplished by working with God’s creation, rather than against it.

So, let us appreciate the beaver—symbol not just of Canada, but of industrious activity the world over. The remarkable beaver is an environmental superhero whose work stores water for other life forms, protects the ecosystem from drought, filters water pollutants, opens forests for new growth, turns desolate areas and small streams into fertile meadows, and restores ground water.

When the returning Jesus Christ sets up His kingdom on the earth, the planet will be restored to its intended state. No doubt the industrious beaver will be making its contribution.

The Power of Good Fathers

In today’s world, many children grow up with limited support from their fathers—or without

port, boys mistakenly learn the false lesson that only women can aptly express such traits. This “further entrenches the idea that the expression of vulnerable feelings belongs in the domain of women.”

fathers entirely. A growing body of research suggests that fathers play a profound role in the emotional support of their children (Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2023). One recent study of families with two intact parents discovered that closeness with fathers powerfully impacted children and resulted in “fewer weight concerns, higher self-esteem and fewer depression symptoms for both boys and girls.” Some researchers call this the “good father effect.” Mothers play a key role, too. With mothers also present, the compounding effect of engaged fathers had a highly influential impact on children.

The research provides further insight into what appears to be a world where boys show less emotional connection to people in general. The Apostle Paul warned that men in the end-times would become “unloving” and “brutal” (2 Timothy 3:3), and, interestingly, researchers found that if the mother is the sole provider of emotional caregiving and sup-

One researcher makes the case that boys need to see emotion and compassion rightly expressed by men in order to learn that it is acceptable for men, as well, to show and express these characteristics.

As our societies fracture and the historical family is dismantled and rebuilt in opposition to biblical guidelines, the suffering of our children grows. However, the biblical structure for the family, known and practiced for thousands of years, holds a key to raising physically and emotionally healthy children, though so many elements of society that claim to prioritize concern for children actively and passionately struggle against this proven structure. As the Bible warns, many will call evil good, and good evil, at the end of the age (Isaiah 5:20), even as our children suffer for it (Deuteronomy 28:18).

43,000 Drought Deaths in Somalia in 2022

Last year, over 43,000 people died in Somalia as a direct result of its regional drought (Wall Street Journal, March

20, 2023). Nearly half of these deaths were among children five years old and younger! Thousands more are expected to die in the first six months of 2023, at a rate of about 135 people per day, all due to the continued drought in the Horn of Africa and the rising cost of food. While food prices may see some welcome relief, hope is fleeting in these war-torn and drought-ravaged regions.

By some estimates, 43,000 represents an entire quarter of the number of deaths for any cause that Somalia would experience in a normal year—all of them attributable directly to famine alone. If this number of people died due to famine in one year in a European or other Western nation, the world would be moved to act—especially given the number of very young children being affected.

Sadly, these deaths due to famine and hunger are just the tip of the iceberg. Bible prophecy reveals that as the end of the age approaches, famine, pestilence, and wars will cause far more catastrophic deaths, on a scale previously unknown. Revelation 6 shows that a quarter of the earth’s population will fall under the power of such forces of death and destruction: “And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth” (v. 8). Using today’s world population numbers, this translates into roughly two billion people! Times are going to get more

harrowing and many more will die. However, this terrible time will pass relatively quickly, and then Jesus Christ will finally return and usher in true, lasting world peace.

Ambitious China Raising Concerns

China and Russia are growing closer. In February, China proposed a twelve-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. In March, Chinese President Xi met with President Putin in Russia. President Xi commented that his country was prepared to work with Russia “to stand guard over the world order based on international law” (The Guardian, March 20, 2023).

In another part of the world, China recently “brokered a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in the process upending U.S. calculus in the Gulf and beyond” (CNN, March 15, 2023). Analysts know that as China’s ambitions continue to grow, it will need more oil. Shoring up relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia and building up its own credibility with both nations bodes well for China’s future oil needs. However, the country’s recent diplomatic coup in the Middle East and its pledge to work with Russia as a protector of international norms serves China’s plan to further push the waning United States out of the role of global hegemon. As the U.S. declines and further alienates other nations, it leaves a global leadership vacuum that must be filled. China

appears to be working to fill that void. As analyst Nic Robertson noted, what the U.S. has long feared is now happening, regardless of the ultimate result of the war in Ukraine: the creation of an alternative world order that is not centered on the United States.

British and U.S. decline was prophesied long ago in the pages of the Bible, as was the rise of other nations to take their place as the end of the age approaches. Interestingly, the leading international power will ultimately not be China. While China will likely play a major role in end-time events, eyes should be on Germany!

Czech President Calls for Germany to Lead Europe

On a recent visit to Berlin, the Czech president “called on Germany to take on a leadership role in European security efforts that would inspire other countries” (Euractiv, March 22, 2023). Speaking further, President Petr Pavel proposed,

“We are beginning to write a new chapter in European history, and I am convinced that a country like Germany can play a decisive role in this phase.” He went on to suggest that Germany has a responsibility to lead Europe, beginning with the economy, defense, and security.

The words of one new European president may not have a great deal of influence on other nations, but from a biblical perspective, President Pavel’s comments are particularly meaningful. Bible prophecy is clear that Germany will play a lead role in Europe militarily and financially. The German-led “beast” power will receive power from a bloc of European nations who will “give their power and authority” to it for a short time (Revelation 17:13). It will also wield power over Jerusalem and even fight against a Muslim-led “king of the south” (Daniel 11). For this to take place, Germany must first rise above European bickering and begin to take a

strong leadership role in Europe—a role that will motivate other nations to follow it, just as the Czech president is suggesting. As world events speed up, students of Bible prophecy need to watch Germany. This nation will play a powerful role in end-time events, and even a leading role after the return of Christ!

Galactic Structures Puzzle Scientists

According to the cosmological principle, a central tenet of the study of the universe, “on a large scale, the Universe should look roughly the same everywhere, no matter your position or the direction in which you are looking. There should be no giant structures, rather space should be smooth and uniform” (BBC, March 3, 2023). However, recent findings reveal a massive, arcshaped ribbon of galaxies that span roughly one-fifteenth the radius of the observable universe—a distance of 3.3 billion light-years. This “Giant Arc” has thrown into question some of the most fundamental assumptions about the universe and how it formed. Plus, the Giant Arc is not the only structure of its kind. Such arrangements in the cosmos are forcing scientists to reevaluate their theories about the formation of the universe.

The probability that this arc-shaped structure formed by chance has been estimated to be 0.0003 percent. And to add insult to injury, “according to the standard model, struc-

tures like the Giant Arc simply wouldn’t have had time to form” as a result of any known natural processes. According to one author, “if more structures like the Giant Arc and Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall [another of these giant structures] are proven to exist, astronomers will be forced to rewrite—or at least revise—the standard model of cosmology.”

According to current scientific theories, these massive, clearly distinguishable galactic structures should not be able to exist. Because of this, one scientist posited that they “may have formed due to something in the natural physics of the Universe that we currently don’t account for.” Indeed, there is much in the formation of the universe many scientists do not account for, including an Intelligent Architect of the heavens! As the Apostle Paul noted, “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). When one assumes that creation is an accident subject only to observable, mindless laws of physics and chemistry, one must assume that things will only occur without purpose, intention, or design. But, when you consider that “creation demands a Creator,” you remain open to possibility. Scientists back themselves into a corner when they reject facts that point to a Creator. TW

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I would like to thank the Editor in Chief, Mr. Gerald Weston, for your brand-new booklet Germany in Prophecy. I would love to read it. It is interesting to learn about the connection between the ancient nations and the modern nations. Mr. Weston is gifted, talented, and articulate, discerning interpretation in what the Holy Bible is telling us. It helps me to understand clearly about what is happening to our “modern world.” Please send me What Is the Meaning of Life? Thank you so much.

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Editor in Chief | Gerald E. Weston

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Erratum: In our February 2023 issue, the article “The Best a Man Can Do” mistakenly stated that Jesus “emptied Himself of His divinity” when He was incarnated. This did not accurately communicate the meaning of “emptied Himself,” as the Greek phrasing of Philippians 2:7 is often properly translated (e.g., in the English Standard Version). Rather, Jesus emptied Himself of His divine power and prerogatives when He became flesh, as we have long taught and published and as mentioned in this issue’s “Questions and Answers” feature on page 15. We apologize for the error.

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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.

Upcoming Telecasts

Evolution or Revelation?

Will you put your trust in wild ideas that deny God’s sovereignty, or will you trust His word?

June 1–7

Are Churches Dying?

God promised that His Church would endure even in the worst of times. Can you find it today?

June 8–14

2023 in Bible Prophecy

What does the Bible say about dramatic trends and events that will ravage our world?

June 15–21

The False Prophet of Revelation

Will you be deceived by this evil religious figure whose deadly rise is foretold in Scripture?

June 22–28

Revelation and the Day of the Lord

The last book of your Bible foretells key endtime events leading to Jesus Christ’s return!

June 29–July 5

What Happens When You Forget God?

Troubles are guaranteed for people and nations that reject God and embrace a secular path.

July 6-12