Trade and travel restrictions associated with the coronavirus are negatively impacting global financial markets (Reuters, March 8, 2020). Stock markets around the world, including in the United States, have been spiraling down for the past several weeks as fear of the virus spreads. And now, as oil prices drop, markets continue to be affected.
Violent Islamist militants from ISIS and Al Qaeda struggle to revive their forces. The tiny nation of Israel struggles for peace, while neighboring Palestinians demand better conditions and more control in their West Bank and Gaza Strip strongholds. Will there be peace in the Middle East?
[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
My friends, will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Military conflicts and terrorism never seem to cease. Today, nearly 30 years after U.S. President George H.W. Bush sent military forces to stop Saddam Hussein’s attack on the nation of Kuwait, American lives continue to be lost in the Middle East wars. Controversy surrounds Iran’s ongoing attempts to develop the nuclear fission capabilities that could lead to nuclear weapons. Violent Islamist militants from ISIS and Al Qaeda struggle to revive their forces. The tiny nation of Israel struggles for peace, while neighboring Palestinians demand better conditions and more control in their West Bank and Gaza Strip strongholds. Will wars and conflicts continue in the Middle East? Your Bible reveals that a great world war, focused on the Middle East, will precede the most amazing event yet to come in Bible prophecy—the return of Jesus Christ! How will you know when this event is about to occur? What prophetic signs should you be watching for? Will there be peace in the Middle East?
Stay tuned!
Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!
Many of us worry, express concern, and even become frightened when we read in our daily news about the wars, conflicts, and terrorism in many parts of the world. Troubles in the Middle East, in particular, affect not just the Jewish people, but also billions of Christians and Muslims. Controversy flared in May 2018 when the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. American members of Congress remain divided over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. While many nations around the world call Israel an “apartheid” state and make demands on behalf of the region’s Arabs and Palestinians, the United States has remained firm as one of Israel’s few staunch allies around the globe. Will this change? Will Israel thrive, or even survive as a Jewish nation? Will it survive at all?
My friends, there IS good news for the future! Bible prophecy reveals the sequence of events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ to establish the glorious Kingdom of God. Scripture reveals, and in fact guarantees, that world peace will ultimately reign in the Middle East—and on all of planet Earth! But first, there will be war and bloodshed on a scale never before seen. You need to be ready, and you need to know what to watch for so you and your loved ones can escape the troubles ahead!
On today’s program, we’ll briefly discuss five prophetic signs to watch for in the Middle East. And we’ll be offering you an exciting free booklet that will give you inspiring insight and understanding. It’s titled The Middle East in Prophecy. This booklet will help you understand what the Bible teaches about the amazing end-time events surrounding Jerusalem and the entire Middle East. You can order the booklet by calling the phone number on your screen, or by visiting our Website, TomorrowsWorld.org.
Some of you older viewers may remember the Iran-Iraq war, which lasted from 1980 to 1988. More than a million people were killed in that war between Muslim nations. The Euphrates River was a focal point of that conflict. Your Bible reveals that the Euphrates River will be a key strategic position at the end of this present age.
Prophetic Sign number one is: WATCH FOR MILITARY ALLIANCES FORMING EAST OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER.
If you have your Bible, turn to the book of Revelation, chapter 9. REVELATION 9:13:
“Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to KILL A THIRD OF MANKIND. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.” (Revelation 9:13–16).
My friends, this is describing another world war! And this phase of World War III will kill not just millions, but even BILLIONS of human beings! Jesus Christ said that unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved—all life on earth would be destroyed. That’s in Matthew 24:21–22. Look on any map and you’ll see that those nations east of the Euphrates include Iran, India, China, and Russia. And an army of 200 million will form in this area and march to the Euphrates. Even now, China is taking steps to strengthen its military force. Consider this report: “China’s economy is the second-largest in the world, and it’s on the path to overtake the US’s in absolute GDP by 2030 — giving China the ability to spend far more resources on its military than in previous decades. From 1996 to 2015, China increased its military spending by 620 percent” (“China’s military power may surpass the US’s faster than you think,” Business Insider, August 26, 2019). The European Union, which as we will see is prophesied to intervene on Israel’s behalf, is facing growing economic crises even as China expands. Prophetic Sign number one is: WATCH FOR MILITARY ALLIANCES FORMING EAST OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER.
Prophetic Sign Number 2: Watch For Growing Unity Among Israel’s Traditional Enemies
Some of you older viewers may remember the “Six-Day War” of June 1967. Israel fought the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Now Israel had access to the holy places, including the Western Wall or Wailing Wall at the Temple Mount. Six years later, in the Yom Kippur War, Israel repelled invasions by Egypt and Syria. Israel, Egypt, and Jordan later agreed on a UN cease-fire. In 1978, Israel and Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, returning to Egypt most of the captured Sinai Peninsula, except for the Gaza Strip. In 1980, Israel annexed East Jerusalem and declared the unified city part of Israel, against the protests of Arab forces and their allies. After ongoing violence known as the first intifada, Israel put large portions of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control in December 1994.
Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and West Bank face tight restrictions on movement in and out of Israel. Even in the United States, perhaps Israel’s strongest and most generous ally, voices are increasingly calling on Israel to remove restrictions on Palestinians and to give greater autonomy to the Palestinian Authority. The BDS—“Boycott, Divest, and Sanction”—movement against Israel is a growing source of controversy among those critical of [Israeli] policies.
Will world opinion turn further against Israel? Will Arab nations mount another major military attack against the Jewish nation? Will world leaders seek to put Jerusalem under international control? We’ll discuss these questions in the next part of our program. But first I’d like to offer you this exciting free booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy. My friends, you need to be watching the Middle East—and the trends that will mean major changes in political and religious control over the city of Jerusalem. What events will mark these changes? Who will eventually control Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy say about the future of Israel, and the nations surrounding it? Will there be peace in Jerusalem, and the Middle East? This exciting booklet will help you in your study of Bible prophecy, and give you advance information on end-time events. Listen to these subheads: “Will Russia Control the Middle East? … Who Will Control Jerusalem? … Temple Sacrifices Restored? … Watch for the Abomination of Desolation. … Who Rides the Beast?”
You need this booklet, and you need to know the future according to Bible prophecy. So, call now and request your free copy of The Middle East in Prophecy. You can also order this free booklet by clicking the link in the description or the info button in the top right of your screen.
In the first part of our program, we saw that Bible prophecy foretells a massive military invasion of the Middle East. We saw that Arab nations have united against Israel, and have marshalled world opinion to support them. Prophetic Sign number one was: WATCH FOR MILITARY ALLIANCES FORMING EAST OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER. Prophetic Sign number two: WATCH FOR GROWING UNITY AMONG ISRAEL’S TRADITIONAL ENEMIES. Prophetic Sign number three is: WATCH FOR INTERNATIONAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL JERUSALEM.
Bible prophecy reveals that Jerusalem will be a focus of major international conflicts. Jerusalem is considered holy to three of the world’s major religions. To Jews, Jerusalem was the city of the great prophets, and the capital of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah under King David and his son King Solomon. The first and second temples were the center of worship until the destruction of the city by the Romans in 70 AD. Jerusalem is also the third most holy city of Islam, after the cities of Mecca and Medina. Today the Islamic Mosque of Omar, or the Dome of the Rock, dominates the Temple Mount. It is believed that the prophet Mohammed ascended to Heaven from that site. Christians revere the city as the place where their Savior was crucified. And where He taught in the Temple. Christians believe Jesus will return to establish His Kingdom with Jerusalem as world capital.
Many in the international community are very concerned about the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Roman Catholic Pope Francis, in July of 2018, stated: “We look to Jerusalem, a city for all peoples, a unique and sacred city for Christians, Jews and Muslims from all over the world, whose identity and vocation must be preserved beyond the various disputes and tensions, and whose status quo demands to be respected as decided by the international community and repeatedly requested by the Christian communities of the Holy Land. Only a negotiated solution between Israelis and Palestinians, firmly desired and favored by the Community of Nations, can lead to a stable and lasting peace, and ensure the coexistence of two states for two peoples” (“Jerusalem: A City for All,” Vatican News, March 30, 2019).
The “Community of Nations”? You may be shocked to learn that the Bible prophesies that indeed, in the future, Jerusalem will be controlled NOT by Israel, but by other governmental powers. Turn in your Bible to the book of REVELATION or Apocalypse. REVELATION, chapter 11. The Apostle John wrote in REVELATION 11:1, “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been GIVEN TO THE GENTILES. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for FORTY-TWO MONTHS.’” (Revelation 11:1–2).
As you read through the book of Revelation, you’ll see that this period of three and one-half years precedes the return of Christ. As we’ve pointed out on previous programs, two prophets of God will witness with great power during that same period of three and one-half years. You can read about that in verses 3 through 14 of Revelation 11. God Almighty states in verse 3, “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3). For three and one-half years, these two witnesses will contend with the Gentile force which will dominate the Middle East at that time. This will be a time of great tribulation for the whole world, especially for those who are true Christians. Billions will be killed. Many who accept Christ during that time will be persecuted terribly, even martyred. But you can escape that time, if you respond to God’s calling. If you feel that God is calling you NOW to commit your life to Christ and the teachings of the Bible, call the number on your screen, and one of our representatives will be happy to meet with you or talk with you at your convenience. Prophetic Sign number three is: WATCH FOR INTERNATIONAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL JERUSALEM.
Our next prophetic sign involves restored sacrifices by the Jews. But first, I’d like to offer you our free booklet, THE MIDDLE EAST IN PROPHECY. What trends and events should you be watching? Let me share with you a few of the sub-heads in the booklet: Who Will Control Jerusalem? … Watch for the Abomination of Desolation … The King of the North Invades the Middle East … The Final Phases of World War III.
This exciting booklet will help you in your study of Bible prophecy, and give you advance information on end-time events. You need this booklet. So, call the number on your screen and request your free copy of The Middle East in Prophecy. You can also order this free booklet by clicking the link in the description.
In this program, we have so far seen three prophetic signs for the Middle East. Prophetic Sign number one: WATCH FOR MILITARY ALLIANCES FORMING EAST OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER. Prophetic Sign number two: WATCH FOR GROWING UNITY AMONG ISRAEL’S TRADITIONAL ENEMIES. Prophetic Sign number three: WATCH FOR INTERNATIONAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL JERUSALEM.
Prophetic Sign number four is: WATCH FOR ANIMAL SACRIFICES BY THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM. Remember, the key sign that introduces these prophetic milestones is the Abomination of Desolation. What is this abomination? Jesus told us to be alert to this key prophetic sign, which will take place in the Middle East. He said in MATTHEW 24:15,
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15–16).
Turn in your Bible to DANIEL the 11th chapter. Historically, the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes issued a decree in 167 BC that prohibited further sacrifices in the Jerusalem Temple. DANIEL 11:31,
“And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall TAKE AWAY the daily sacrifices, and place there the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.”
In addition to stopping the daily sacrifices, Antiochus erected a statue of Jupiter Olympus in the temple and directed everyone to worship it. This abomination, also referred to in chapter 8 of Daniel, is a type of a similar END-TIME event. Notice also, that the END-TIME sacrifices are cut off 1,290 days before the return of Christ. DANIEL 12:11,
“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
Jesus warns us Christians to be alert to an END-TIME abomination of desolation. Just as Antiochus Epiphanes profaned the Temple in 167 BC and cut off the sacrifices, so will a profane authority cut off Jewish sacrifices in the FUTURE. In fact, the Apostle Paul warns of a great false prophet who will stand in the holy place. Let’s read that in 2 THESSALONIANS. In 2 THESSALONIANS 2:3, the Apostle Paul writes,
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).
Yes, a great false prophet will work great miracles and deceive millions of people. He will cultivate worship toward himself and claim he’s divine. Revelation 13:13–14 shows that this great false prophet will even call down fire from heaven, and will deceive millions of people around the world! Again, my friends, don’t YOU be deceived by these signs and wonders! As it tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21,
“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
As we’ve seen, this end-time false prophet will cause the sacrifices to cease! Let’s realize that the Jews have not offered animal sacrifices since 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem. In order for the end-time sacrifices to be STOPPED eventually, they need to BEGIN! Listen, when animal sacrifices begin once again in Jerusalem, YOU WILL KNOW that the prophecies Jesus spoke about are heading for a grand-smash climax!
Some believe that the Temple must first be rebuilt in order to conduct animal sacrifices. Many Jews believe that only the Messiah will be able to rebuild the Temple. However, some Jewish groups are hoping to see today’s Jewish people take the initiative themselves. They believe that there can be no peace in the Middle East until the Temple is rebuilt. Rabbi Chaim Richman, international director of the Temple Institute, has said,
“It’s time to vote with our feet and send a clear message to the world that we truly believe that the Temple Mount is ours and we truly hope and pray for a time of unparalleled world peace and harmony with the rebuilding of the Third Temple” (“Temple Institute Encourages Jews To Hope for Third Temple In New Video,” Jerusalem Post,August 7, 2019).
Yes, my friends, we need to understand one important point. An altar is needed for sacrifices, not necessarily a full temple building. Just read the third chapter of Ezra. The returning exiles from Babylon had only a holy place, not a temple. Ezra refers to the location of the holy place, as the HOUSE OF GOD, when the temple had NOT YET been built. EZRA 3:8,
“Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the HOUSE OF GOD at Jerusalem….”
This was around 536 BC. But there was no building as yet. The returning Jewish exiles referred to the Holy Place as “the House of God,” even though no temple existed. The holiest place under the control of the Jewish religious authorities today, is the Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall. It is the western retaining wall to the Temple Mount. Jews are not allowed to publicly worship on the Temple Mount, only Muslims. So, it remains to be seen where and when the Jews will begin sacrificing. It will probably take an unprecedented national crisis to precipitate that event. Prophetic Sign number four is: WATCH FOR ANIMAL SACRIFICES BY THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM.
Our fifth prophetic sign comes from the prophet Daniel, who foretold that a King of the South will push against a king of the north shortly before Jesus Christ returns. We’ll talk about that in the final portion of our program. But first, I’d like to offer you our free booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy. Let me share with you a few of the sub-heads in the booklet: Who Will Control Jerusalem … Watch for the Abomination of Desolation … The King of the North Invades the Middle East … The Final Phases of World War III. You need this booklet. So, call the number right now and request your free copy of The Middle East in Prophecy. You can also order this free booklet by clicking the link in the description. Also, be sure to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video.
We have so far examined four prophetic signs for the Middle East. Prophetic Sign number one was: WATCH FOR MILITARY ALLIANCES FORMING EAST OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER. Prophetic Sign number two: WATCH FOR GROWING UNITY AMONG ISRAEL’S TRADITIONAL ENEMIES. Prophetic Sign number three: WATCH FOR INTERNATIONAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL JERUSALEM. Prophetic Sign number four was: Watch for animal sacrifices by the Jews in Jerusalem. Prophetic Sign number five is: WATCH FOR A EUROPEAN SUPERPOWER TURNING AGAINST ISRAEL.
The European Union is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It is developing as a political, economic, and military entity, just like the King of the North prophesied in your Bible. Will it become that prophesied superpower? Already an economic peer of the United States, the EU is beginning to assert itself as a military force independent of the U.S, The administration of American President Donald Trump has expressed the hope that the EU will take on more of its own military spending that since World War II has been subsidized heavily by the U.S. Reuters news agency reported the comments of Richard Grenell, U.S. Ambassador to Germany, who said, quote,
“It is offensive to assume that the U.S. taxpayers continue to pay for more than 50,000 Americans in Germany but the Germans get to spend their [budget] surplus on domestic programs” (“Germany must up defense spending, relying on U.S. ‘offensive’ – U.S. envoy,” August 9, 2019).
My friends, we need to watch the military resurgence of Germany, along with the other prophetic signs. As we near the Great Tribulation, your Bible instructs us to watch key developments surrounding Jerusalem. LUKE 21:19:
“By your patience possess your souls. But when you see JERUSALEM SURROUNDED BY ARMIES, then know that its desolation is near.” (Luke 21:19–20).
Revelation 11:2 tells us that Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles for forty-two months, about 3 and one-half years. At the end of that time, during the Day of the Lord, the armies of Europe and Asia will combine to bring about the great climax of World War III, referred to as “Armageddon.”
Yes, we need to watch for developments leading to an invasion of the Middle East from the powerful military King of the North. You can read that prophecy in Daniel 11:40–41. There are many more signs than we have had time to cover on this program. Our free booklet The Middle East in Prophecy will give you more details on this subject. My friends, we are in the prophetic time period known as the end-time. We need to be spiritually awake and watchful. We need to be prepared for the Second Coming. Christ will be King over all the earth, ruling from the new world capital, Jerusalem. Notice that in ZECHARIAH 14:8:
“And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.” (Zechariah 14:8–9).
Thank God, His Kingdom is coming soon. May we all pray with our hearts, YOUR KINGDOM COME.
Be sure to request our exciting free booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy. Just call the number on your screen. You can also request this booklet on our Web site at TomorrowsWorld.org. We invite you to join us every week on Tomorrow’s World. In this world of growing chaos and confusion, you need the solid guidance that comes from your Bible. Gerald Weston, Wallace Smith, and I, along with guest presenter Rod McNair, will continue to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, and the exciting end-time prophecies and their meaning. So, be sure to join us again next week, right here, at this same time!
Due to massive immigration, the West is changing demographically. Europe, America, and the “Anglosphere”—comprised of countries with English as their native language—will soon primarily consist of a diversity of ethnic groups. The West is also changing culturally, philosophically, and religiously.
Every week, the numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths continue to rise as the virus spreads around the globe. While the origin of the virus is not yet fully known, responses to this outbreak are disrupting airline flights, closing borders, and bringing commerce to a standstill in affected areas.
As individuals, our civil rights are very important to us, especially in the USA and most Western democracies. Today, an astounding array of behaviors have come to be considered civil rights. Many are choosing to ignore long-held social mores to pursue lifestyles that not only are unconventional but until recent times were considered aberrant behaviors indicative of mental illness. These behaviors include homosexuality and transgenderism, and some adherents of these lifestyles are pressing for more than recognition or a place in society.
“Make love, not war” was a popular saying in the 1960s and 1970s. This catchy phrase promoted sexual liberty and the attitude that no one should dictate personal moral behavior for others. However, such ideas and behavior have come with a cost.
It is one of the most profound questions of human existence, and virtually no one knows the answer—or if an answer even exists at all: “What is the meaning of life?” The answer will transform your life forever!
[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
It is one of the most profound questions of human existence, and virtually no one knows the answer—or if an answer even exists at all: “What is the meaning of life?”
On this episode of Tomorrow’s World, you will learn the answer to that question—and that answer will transform your life forever! Get ready, because it all starts right now!
Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World!
In his popular book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, humorist Douglas Adams described a race of hyper-intelligent beings who felt burdened to finally answer the question of life, the universe, and everything.
After building a massive computer that spent 7 and a half million years calculating, the computer concluded that the answer was simply, “42.” As you can imagine, that answer brought little comfort.
But the meaning of life isn’t just a question for fictional philosophers.
Even King David, the poet-warrior of ancient Israel, famously asked in the Psalms,
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, WHAT IS MAN that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3–4).
What is the meaning of life? Do our lives have purpose?
Philosophers have sought the answer, only to come up empty.
For instance, Albert Camus, the famed French philosopher and Nobel Prize laureate, examined this question. In his book The Myth of Sisyphus, he notes that life clearly seems to have no purpose at all and wrestles with how then to justify living day by day.
“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” (The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays, p. 3).
Philosopher Loyal Rue decided that we must somehow “invent” a meaning (what he called a “noble lie”) to DECEIVE OURSELVES into thinking that life is worth living.
“That which we have most deeply feared (that is, being deceived) is now presented as the ultimate source of our salvation from psychological and social chaos. The paradox of the human condition is that we are both damned and saved by deception…. The universe just is. [That is, it has no meaning.] The challenge of a noble lie is to reenchant the universe by getting us to perceive, in spite of ourselves, that its significance is objective.” (By the Grace of Guile: The Role of Deception in Natural History and Human Affairs, p. 279).
But if we leave the ivory towers of the philosophers and head into the world of hard science, we find little comfort there, either.
The late William Provine, popular evolutionist and biology professor, stated the conclusion of many of his fellow scientists very plainly:
“There are no gods, no purposes, and no goal-directed forces of any kind. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end of me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning in life, and no free will for humans, either.” (“Darwinism: Science or Naturalistic Philosophy?—A debate between William B. Provine and Phillip E. Johnson at Stanford University, April 30, 1994,” Access Research Network, accessed November 1, 2018).
His views match those of Nobel Laureate in physics Steven Weinberg, who famously stated,
“The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” (The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origins of the Universe).
Such scientists often argue that one can simply make his or her OWN “meaning in life,” but what makes that “meaning” any different than the “Noble Lie” recommended by Loyal Rue? We aren’t just talking about what makes us temporarily happy or feel good about ourselves. We want to know the REAL MEANING of LIFE! We need to know that we’re fulfilling our purpose for being alive—that our place in the world has significance that lasts, that is rooted in those things that are real, eternal, and true. We need to know the meaning of life!
Philosophy and science give us nothing but cause to think that there is none. But they are wrong. In our next segment, we’ll begin to reveal and examine life’s very real meaning—a meaning that will change your life!
But first, let me give you an opportunity to get a copy of today’s free resource, Your Ultimate Destiny. This free guide allows you to explore the meaning of your life and to prove that meaning beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Your life is NOT meaningless! You DO have a purpose—a purpose that transcends life as you know it and is grounded in those things that are eternal and true. YOU WERE CREATED BY GOD TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON ETERNITY FAR GREATER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE! Don’t let this opportunity pass by when you have the chance to learn so much. Just reach out to us by phone, email, or our website and get your own copy of Your Ultimate Destiny. There is no cost, no strings attached, and your information will not be given or sold to anyone. There’s nothing to lose and literally everything to gain.
Welcome back! In the first part of our program we saw that philosophy and science, alone, cannot reveal the real meaning of life. While many great thinkers recognized that we need to believe life has meaning, the best most of them offer is that we should lie to ourselves about what that meaning is!
But hope built on lies is a lie, itself. Is there a real meaning to life?
YES! There IS a purpose for human life—yours and mine! That meaning is revealed to us by the CREATOR of life. Philosophers and scientists who will not recognize that they have a CREATOR are blind to the PURPOSE of their creation, and that meaning of life eludes them!
Yet the meaning of life ALSO eludes many who believe in a Creator! Most religious teachers can sometimes provide helpful insights into some aspects of life, but, frankly, the MEANING of life escapes the vast majority of them, too! Those who believe in God will often speak of going to heaven, or simply existing in God’s glorious presence forever.
Yet the true meaning of life, as revealed in their Bibles and yours, they fail to see. And those who do see it often reject it and declare it heresy—proclaiming it too great and glorious for God to allow!
In doing so, they reject the very purpose for which they, too, were created, and rob themselves and their followers of the greatest source of hope they could ever know!
Although the meaning of life is only truly understood by putting together Scriptures throughout God’s word, we get a glimpse of it in particular passages. The free resource that we’re offering today, Your Ultimate Destiny, will walk you through all the relevant passages, step-by-step, in a way that will make the meaning of your life undeniable! But today, let’s begin with baby steps.
Consider statements such as that of Ecclesiastes 12:13. King Solomon declared,
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
The Bible contains many similar statements. For instance, Deuteronomy proclaims,
“…what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (10:12–13).
Jesus Christ mirrored these statements when He identified God’s greatest command to mankind:
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37–38).
Those who believe that Jesus came to ABOLISH God’s commandments TOTALLY MISUNDERSTAND the purpose of God!
Rather, Jesus’ teachings were consistent with the Ten Commandments, and He emphasized passionate devotion to them.
But how do they tie into the meaning of life? Is our purpose simply to obey God’s commands so that this life goes well for us? It can’t be. The Bible and human history are filled with faithful men and women, utterly devoted to God and His way, who were tortured and martyred for that devotion. How did God’s commands bring meaning and purpose to their suffering? When you or your loved ones are going through times of anguish, how is keeping God’s commands supposed to add purpose to your heartache or meaning to your suffering?
We must dig deeper. Jesus commands us not simply to keep God’s laws with our bodies, but with our minds and hearts.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:21–22, 27–28).
Jesus elevated the Ten Commandments such that we must strive to keep them with our minds and hearts! But why?
Because God’s goal is not to simply control our bodies, but to TRANSFORM OUR MINDS! Paul makes this PLAIN when he admonishes all of us in Philippians 2:5,
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”
God longs to RADICALLY and FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE WHO WE ARE over the course of our lives!
But why? What is His purpose in doing so?
THAT is the question few ask! And yet that is the key to unlocking life’s purpose and meaning! Understanding why God seeks to make us more like Him in our hearts and minds lies at the very heart of life’s meaning! In our next segment, we will explain why that is and how that knowledge can provide us hope in even the most devastating trials.
First, I want to give you another opportunity to request your own copy of today’s free resource, Your Ultimate Destiny. This free guide will show you IN DETAIL, exactly what the purpose of life is. Order your own free copy of Your Ultimate Destiny today, and I will be right back to show how obeying God ties into the very meaning of life itself!
Welcome back! In the last segment, we discussed how we are to develop the very mind of Christ in our lives and how obeying God’s commands transforms us from the inside. Indeed, King David once wrote:
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul….” (Psalm 19:7).
But what is God seeking to accomplish in this transformation?
Even most Christians have no clue! Yet it is the very word of God.
GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE AND MINE IS TO REPRODUCE HIMSELF—to ADD us to His glorious and eternal family! The Father and the Son are working now to create new Sons and Daughters of God, and THAT is the meaning of life! God made you and me to one day be GLORIFIED, living life on the same plane of existence that the Father and Son now inhabit, being granted power, glory, and honor forever, and inheriting the universe as His children!
Don’t let that idea fly by you. Regrettably, a lot of religious pablum gets shouted aloud today, and, as a result, some of the Bible’s most amazing things, these truths, are written off as religious mumbo-jumbo. Many speak of being a “child of God,” but those who throw those words around so easily almost NEVER FULLY GRASP what the Bible ACTUALLY SAYS!
If you have children, aren’t they growing up to be human beings, just like you are? Not something lesser, like chickens or dogs. But human beings! You know sometimes people tell my sons that they look like me—which mortifies them, since I think they hoped to be better looking!
REAL LIFE tells us that our children grow up to be LIKE US.
Then WHY would we think that when the Bible says we are to become CHILDREN OF GOD it means anything LESS than we are to become LIKE GOD HIMSELF! Existing in glory—possessing power and might—experiencing life at a completely different level, as a FULL CHILD OF GOD!
THAT is the plain teaching of your Bible, the meaning and purpose of life! Yet it is resisted by many who claim to believe the Bible.
How could they miss it? Often because they will not read the Scriptures AND accept what they plainly say, in the manner a child would. Consider these passages.
In 2 Thessalonians, Paul says we were chosen for salvation, quote, “to which He called you by our gospel, for the OBTAINING of the GLORY of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(2:14).
Paul follows what it means to be children of God to its logical conclusion—noting in Romans 8, verses 16 and 17, that God’s Holy Spirit “…bears witness with our spirit that we are CHILDREN OF GOD, and if children, then HEIRS—HEIRS of God and JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be GLORIFIED TOGETHER.”
Notice: What Jesus Christ inherited, WE will inherit—and notice, too, that God wants to GLORIFY us together with Jesus Christ.
Allow yourself to accept what that means. Jesus Christ is now glorified, sitting at the right hand of His Father. The book of Revelation says that His eyes now burn like fire and His voice sounds like the sound of many waters. Yet as Jesus Christ now is, the Bible says the faithful are destined to become! Paul explained this in 1 Corinthians 15, noting that “…as we have borne the image of the man of dust [that is, Adam], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man [that is, Christ]” (v. 49). This is why he says in the very next verse that “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” (v. 50).
The Apostle John makes this understanding plain. In 1 John, chapter 3, beginning in verse 1, he writes,
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (vv. 1–2).
The picture is absolutely plain! A child in the womb IS YOUR CHILD, but it’s not until BIRTH that your child finally sees you! The child is finally free to begin the life he was meant to live and he sees you for the first time: the parents the child was created to resemble.
So, too, according to John, do Christians not see what THEY are destined to be until the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints. Then, like children emerging from the womb, we will FINALLY see our destiny! As John says, “…when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
The biblical passages that paint this picture are far too many for today’s program! You need to get a copy of today’s free booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny, and take the opportunity to go through all the verses yourself! Seeing is believing!
But let’s summarize, my friends, noting that—if the purpose of our lives is to SHARE CHRIST’S GLORY, HIS INHERITANCE, HIS RULERSHIP UNDER HIM, HIS IMAGE, HIS APPEARANCE, HIS FORM, AND HIS FATHER—isn’t the Bible making our purpose plain?
The meaning of your life, your purpose for drawing breath, is to one day become a LITERAL, FULL CHILD OF ALMIGHTY GOD. Not a “metaphorical” child of God, not an “in name only” child of God, not some watered-down “religious talk” child of God. A FULL-FLEDGED CHILD OF GOD, sharing the same divine, dynamic, powerful life and plane of existence as your Father and Jesus Christ!
THIS is life’s meaning, and when we understand the full implications of it, it transforms EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES. We’ll discuss that next.
But first, let me give you one last opportunity to request your own free copy of this life-altering free resource, Your Ultimate Destiny. This free guide will show you in detail exactly what the purpose of life is. You need to know YOUR meaning. Don’t let this opportunity pass. So call the number and get your copy right now, and I’ll be right back to explain how this understanding revolutionizes life.
When you understand that the meaning of life is to become a LITERAL child of God for all eternity, experiencing life like He does, the answer to King David’s question about why God cares for man begins to be clear. That question and its implications, are discussed in the book of Hebrews, in chapter 2:
“For [God] has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is MAN that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put ALL in subjection under him, He left NOTHING that is not put under him. BUT NOW WE DO NOT YET SEE ALL THINGS PUT UNDER HIM.” (Hebrews 2:5–8).
Many scholars recognize that this is speaking of the entire UNIVERSE—that God will give the entire universe to us. But they do not understand the REASON WHY.
God DOES intend for humanity, for YOU, to take dominion of all things, the entire universe, under Him and under Jesus Christ, who is King OF KINGS.
Let’s read further:
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him… BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN…” (Hebrews 2:9–11).
Though many will not see it, the Bible makes the meaning of life very plain to those who will trust its words like a child.
Understanding the meaning of life provides hope, purpose, and perspective. The Apostle Paul commented on this perspective in Romans, chapter 8:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed in us.” (v. 18).
In fact, he says that the glory God intends to reveal in YOU is actually the hope of the entire universe:
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the REVEALING of the SONS of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the GLORIOUS LIBERTY of the CHILDREN of God.” (vv. 19–21).
Understanding this destiny gives meaning to our struggles in life. When your burdens feel as though they may crush the life right out of you, when temptations grow so strong that they begin to feel as though they cannot be resisted, when sickness, despair, or heartache seems to be all you will ever know…
Understanding that God has destined you for so much more—that there is MEANING in your life, and that seeking the mind of Jesus Christ in those troubles, seeking to face them as He would and to grow through them to reflect Him ever more perfectly in your patience, your character, and your love for others… That will stir your determination, solidify your devotion, and strengthen you to stand up again and FACE your challenges, knowing that Your Father is working WITHIN those very circumstances, lovingly creating something remarkable within you…something that is destined to change the entirety of Creation, itself.
There IS a meaning to life. YOU HAVE MEANING AND PURPOSE. And I pray that you will come to see it, believe it, and embrace it. Because once you do, you will never be the same again.
We’ve barely scratched the surface. Please don’t forget to request today’s free offer, Your Ultimate Destiny.
And please don’t forget to come back next week. Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, and I, as well as our guest presenter Rod McNair, will be here waiting for you, ready to share the end-time prophecies of the Bible, the true teachings of Jesus Christ, and the good news of Tomorrow’s World. Take care.
It pains me a little to write this, having been a fan of the Houston Astros since the first grade. If you have been following this story and don’t know much about baseball—let me be the first to tell you that sign-stealing is a part of the game. Oddly, it has been ever since the game known as “America’s pastime” has been a sport. So, what happened, and why are people mad now—including many Major League Baseball players?
We all need play. But we all need more than play, too.
Question: How do colorful eggs and bunny rabbits relate to Christ’s death and resurrection?
Answer: Anyone familiar with biology can quickly recognize that rabbits do not lay eggs. What do those symbols have in common? Rabbits are noted for their proclivity to reproduce quickly, and eggs are considered a symbol of fertility.
