Highway to Tribulation - Endtime Prophecy
Part 6

ENDTIME ECONOMIC CRISIS

As noted earlier, the whole world is currently reeling from an economic crisis which threatens its very existence. Some economists compare what has just transpired to a "heart attack". The patient, the Global Economy, is still alive but tremendously weakened by this horrendous money meltdown. Interestingly, Jesus juxtaposed the concept of money and heart in the following verses; "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21

"They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts....For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God flee these things...." I Timothy 6:9-11 As we've already discussed, the money left by raptured Christians is going to go into the hands of the Godless. There is a passage in the New Testament where Jesus is asked about paying tribute money to the Temple. He replies that in fact he owes no money as a member of the Royal Household of God. Nevertheless, he gives Peter a strange command. "...go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take and give unto them for me and thee." Matthew 17:27 Have you ever wondered after this verse? I certainly have and after much cogitation I believe it is a challenge to Believers to "put their money where their mouth is". The fish was and still is a symbol of Christians. How amazing that a fish would have the money in its mouth.

If you want your heart to be focused on the things of God, put your money into enterprises which build up His Kingdom. There are ministries which promise great financial gain to those who support them. I would be wary of such ministries. Again, this goes hand in hand with the self-serving attitude described earlier. Look to Jesus and the Apostles once more as a pattern. Did they ever promise supplicants money or material gain? Never, in fact just the opposite. Jesus when approached by the rich young ruler cited the man's wealth as a hindrance to entry into the Kingdom. He told him to sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor "...and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me....and when Jesus saw that he (the young man) was sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God." Luke 18:22-25

When the lame beggar asked Peter and John for money, Peter replied "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee". Acts 3:6. God then used Peter as an instrument of healing and the lame man rose and walked. It is entirely possible that the lame man received Jesus as his savior at that time and so instead of silver and gold, both corruptible, he received an earthly healing and spiritual healing, both valuable beyond measure.

The Apostle James prophesies of the endtime economic woes during the Tribulation, whose foreshocks we are witnessing even today. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days... the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:1,2,3,8

A final warning of the temporary nature of the wealth of this world is given in the book of Revelation. Chapter 18 describes the amazing abundance of delicacies and goods that the Beast system will make available to all the world. (Read Revelation Chapter 18:3-16) Wander the aisles of your average grocery store or big-box chain store and the availability of food from around the world, fresh and frozen, canned and whole is breathtaking. The average city mall contains goods and luxuries from around the world. Our biggest trading partners are China, India and South Korea, half-way around the world; they are followed by South America. The FDA just announced that they are opening branches in these countries to check the food supplies because so much of our food comes from these countries. Yet at the height of the world's enjoyment of these luxuries, at the zenith of the success of this global enterprise, the whole system will come crashing down in mere moments. "For in one hour so great riches is come to nought," Revelation 18:17

ITCHING EAR SYNDROME

Another reason that I am hitting this subject of material gain so hard is again, that I believe the preaching of "name it and claim it" or the "Prosperity Gospel" has for a long time now, gone beyond any scriptural basis for its overbearing presence in much of the Church. The "Prosperity Gospel" really started back with a man named "Reverend Ike", who was known for his fiery sermons, castigating his flock for looking to Heaven as a reward. He mocked the concept of waiting for one's "Pie in the sky, by and by" and manically encouraged his listeners to get theirs' here and now. This was of course followed up by a plea for money which he promised would be immediately rewarded by God in a hundredfold monetary blessing. The world is now full of these "Reverend Ikes". Some people are drawn to them with the promise of physical healing, as we mentioned earlier. Some come because they are in financial straits. Others are just plain greedy. Regardless of the reasons, we are warned to be on guard against such teachings which are rampant and a sign of the end. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn from the truth and shall be turned to fables." II Timothy 4:3-4

Finally, in my own witnessing to unbelievers, the number one reason I have heard for those who remain in unbelief is the ironclad notion that all religions are money making schemes; particularly because of what they've seen on Fundamental Christian Televangelism. Are all these T.V. ministers hucksters and con-men? I don't think so. But enough are as to give Christianity a black-eye and make it a heartbreaking indictment; no wonder Jesus has such words of condemnation for the bogus "prophets" and "exorcists" who do these "many wonderful works" in His name, "I never knew you; depart from me ye who work iniquity." Matthew 7:22-23 Again, it's a sign of the end, a sign that we are almost to "Tribulation" when we see an overabundance of these teachers who promise us we can have anything we desire. The world has these teachers and they are heavily promoted by Oprah and her ilk. The Church, sadly, is being infiltrated by these same teachings.

"THOSE THAT HAVE EARS, LET THEM HEAR"

So many of these warnings for the Church during the endtimes bear witness to the prophecy of John in Revelation. The Book of Revelation opens with the 7 letters to the 7 Churches which God chose as examples. These Churches exemplified the changes that the Church as a whole would go through during its 2,000 year existence here on Earth. The seven Churches chosen (out of many) were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. They show a timeline for the progression of the condition of the Church as illustrated in the diagram.

We are now, according to this timeline, in the beginning stage of the Laodicean Church. The Spirit of God says through John, "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire..." Revelation 4:14-18

"PROFESSIONAL EAR TICKLERS"

There are some translations of the Bible which render the "itching ears" passage, to meaning those who seek out people who will "tickle" their ears. I was recently re-reading an excellent book by Yung Chang, an authoress who documents her family's lives in China beginning with her Grandmother, a concubine to a powerful War-Lord and her Mother, a dedicated young Communist. The book is fascinating on many levels, exposing the Madness of Chairman Mao and the evil manipulations that his cult of personality allowed and encouraged during the Great Leap Forward, The Cultural Revolution and the many purges he engendered. It also documents the everyday lives of the people of China of every social and economic class. My wife Catherine who also read the book pointed out the following example of a practice unknown in the West which sheds a bright light on the scripture regarding those who seek to have their ears tickled. She knew I was writing the above passage and was excited to share what jumped off the page at her regarding this practice.

Because the Middle East is technically the Orient, many shared customs and traditions are observed by inhabitants of the Near, Middle and Far East. When Jesus and the Apostles spoke and preached they of course used idioms and stories that the average person could understand. In the East, "Ear Tickling" is regarded as a tremendously pleasurable experience and there are literally Professional Ear Ticklers that make a living satisfying this desire. The practicioner of this trade carries a tray with an assortment of different length sticks whose ends are finished in such a way as to leave a fluffy bit which effectively "Tickles" the ear of the customer. The author related with great nostalgia her joy as a child visiting the marketplace and receiving this delightful gift which would send her into raptures of pleasure.

THE END

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