Sobering Times

Ronald Weinland

March 9, 2024

We finished last Sabbath with the series we were on. Today, we’re starting a new sermon, not a series.

We live in some of the most sobering times of the past six thousand years. Thinking about the estimated population at different times on the earth, recently we passed 8 billion people. Incredible! 8 billion people. Thought it was interesting just to go back in time and look at some other statistics. In 1900, it was estimated to be over, just a little over 1.5 billion people. 1800, it was nearing 1 billion. In the time of Christ, it’s been estimated that the population of the earth was 175 million. Now, how they figure these things out, I don’t know, but it’s probably fairly close within a hundred million or so.

Anyway, in the time of Christ, 175 million. Incredible. One thousand years before Christ, the population was guesstimated to be around 50 million. Now, you go back into periods like that and it’s pretty tough to know some of those things by the way they estimate because they don’t take into account the flood, and they don’t take into account a lot of things. But anyway.

But thinking about some of these periods of times and thinking about what’s coming we may well be living in a time when the population will be reduced to the size that existed when Herbert Armstrong first began to announce that there would be a third world war that’s going to be stirred up in and originate in Europe. So, that takes us way, way back as far as the population of the earth is concerned if that comes to pass.

Since the flood that God brought upon the earth, there has never been a time when the earth’s population has been reduced so drastically. Not even remotely close as far as such a percentage is concerned. Because if you look at that it was obviously down to one family.

And so, this particular sermon today, just calling it exactly that, Sobering Times.

God’s going to soon establish a new earth that He’s given His Son to set up and establish the government over it as King of kings, things that we really can’t grasp and comprehend, the kind of changes that are going to take place. But it’s coming pretty fast, especially if we look at some of the things going on in the world right now. That’s what we’re going to take some time today to do because every once in a while, we look at news and what’s taking place around the earth that’s getting closer and closer.

But there are some things here I want to make sure I cover before I get into some of that and some of the scriptures we’re going to cover today. But we’re inching closer and closer every day to the time for a final end-time event or final end-time events to occur. World leaders, leaders of industry, news commentators, and so many more are beginning to acknowledge that we’re headed toward a world war, a massive reset.

They talk about “reset” and so forth, and some of the things that they feel that could come to pass, but the thought of nuclear war is something that people really don’t want to contemplate, they don’t want to think about it, and understandably so.

But to understand as we do, what’s coming to pass, what’s going to take place, to look at how people are beginning to have a sense that things are a whole lot worse than what is in the news and the potential, the possibility of what could take place, people are starting to wake up just a little bit. It’s going to take a lot more, but at least a little bit people are starting to consider the fact that there is a horrible time coming. And it’s going to take that, obviously, to shake the minds of people to a point where they will begin to consider other possibilities or other things and listen, having the ears sharpened, if you will.

Anyway, last Sabbath, as we were going through some of Zechariah, we focused upon how Zechariah 6 tied in directly with Revelation 6, Revelation 6 being about the Seals of Revelation and Zechariah 6 talking about the four horsemen that are so often referred to as “the four horsemen of the apocalypse,” so the first six Seals. Our history has been very much like it has been in part of traditional Christianity when it comes to those four Seals, because of the four horses, they have always been looked upon as massive events that are going to take place in the world in the sense of destruction in the world and so forth.

And I think, how blessed we are that God brought us to a time where we’re able to see that no, it was totally about, one hundred percent about God’s Church and what was going to take place within the Church. In so many ways that’s far more important than what’s going to happen in the world.

What’s going to happen in the world is horrifying, but that’s a judgment that God predetermined a long, long time ago because He’s going to let mankind – He was going to let mankind continue in his own course for six thousand years, and then He would intervene to establish His government. But one of the primary things to teach as part of that period of time and all who would be born (and so many then obviously resurrected later on) is that we can’t govern ourselves and man doesn’t know the way to peace. He doesn’t know how to achieve peace; though people have tried at different times, they can’t do it, it can’t be done.

So, we see the importance of countries having militaries in the sense of their ability to survive because the mind of mankind is to take and to get as much as you can, and if that means conquering someone else in order to have more that’s what our history has been. And it’s been horrifying.

But the four horsemen were not about that. They were about God’s Church. Because the reality, what God is creating and has been creating for six thousand years is the most important of all. Because people live and people die, and God has a plan to resurrect the majority of those later on, but for the first six thousand years God’s focus, primary focus, primary work has been His people, those that He’s been calling out of the world to mold and fashion and prepare for Christ’s coming, the establishment of God’s government finally on this earth.

That’s an awesome thing when we consider it, and sometimes, too, within the Church we live our lives and we don’t think that they’re (in many ways), all that important in many regards. Yet it’s the most important at this time of anyone else on earth, God’s people. Because, again, God has a time for others, so many who will be living on into the Millennium in that particular time, then they’re going to have that opportunity for the kind of relationship that we’ve been blessed to have. Then in the Great White Throne at that hundred years after the Millennium when everyone, a second life.

What an incredible thing in Revelation 20 when it talks about a second death. And you think, why haven’t people studied into that or looked into that just on a physical plane and asked some very basic questions? If God talks about there and discusses various things that are going to take place there in Revelation 20 and that Satan is going to be bound and the things that are going to take place, what is this about a second death? How can anyone die twice?

It'd be like this same sort of thing, candidly, when Christ was talking to Nicodemus in chapter 3 of John and talking about being born again. He couldn’t understand it, and Christ told him, “You can’t understand this.” That’s basically what he told him, paraphrasing it part of the way through there. The only thing he could see on a physical plane was, “Well, if you’re born again, logically, what can take place? Can you be born from your mother’s womb a second time? That’s insanity!”

Revelation 20 though is a little different because people don’t question that. You don’t see that in religion in the sense of the world and those who talk about Christianity. They don’t focus on Revelation 20 and what it says about a second death. Because how on earth could a human being die twice? The only answer to that is you have to live twice.

What an awesome thing you understand those things, that there is coming a time when God’s going to resurrect so many in the world over the past period of time up to then who are dead and give them opportunity of a calling. Awesome!

We’re blessed to understand the four horsemen of the apocalypse, something that people when they read it in the world, the logical part for them is because they don’t really understand God’s Church, they don’t know what God is doing, because their idea, their concept is that people go to heaven when they die and so forth and it’s not about God’s government coming to this earth, it’s not about Christ returning and all those things that are kind of ignored or skipped over in scripture.

And so, here, no, it’s about God’s people, it’s about God’s Church. So, anyway, we went through that, Revelation 6, and Zechariah 6 last week.

I’m going to now read an area quoted out of When the Countdown Ends, the book, chapter 5. Just going to read this for what it is and then make comment on it.

“The focus of this chapter primarily concerns the Seventh Seal, which is about the fulfillment of the events of the Seven Trumpets. It should be sobering for all to learn that all Seven Seals have already been opened by Joshua the Christ.”

Awesome! At that point in time, the scattered Church still waiting, not understanding what they are, and can’t put those things together because there has only been one place where God has given to understand and comprehend what those things are about. Going on:

“That is just how close the world is to the start of WWIII.”

So, even by the time that book was written, to understand that all seven had already been opened and many other events already taken place. I didn’t even go into it in this portion here. But again, stating it back then when that book was written.

“This is just how close the world is to the start of WWIII. The meaning of all Seven Seals has been revealed to God’s Church.”

Going on:

“Although the Seventh Seal has been opened and the Seven Trumpets have blown, the events of those Trumpets have not yet begun to be fulfilled. As previously stated, the First Seal of Revelation was opened on December 17, 1994. Although this will be covered thoroughly in later chapters, it is good to understand here that the first four Seals are about events that happened to God’s Church—prophetic events that would be the sign that signaled the beginning of a very specific countdown in this current end-time.”

God works very systematically. The latter part of this as far as a countdown, nothing has been given. But we were given a period of time to understand awesome events, awesome things that were taking place that will have even greater meaning to us later on. But what has been taking place since that time as far as time, we don’t know. So, God has given us other things to be able to see and to understand.

Then a little bit farther down in that same chapter there, a few paragraphs:

“The Church now simply gives prophetic markers of time that have been revealed for this end-time so that people can then choose to stay alert, on guard, and closely watch these timelines as they unfold. In this manner, people can be far more fully prepared for the catastrophic events when they do happen.”

So, how do you put such things in words; that we grasp what’s coming, but even then it’s going to be horrifying to us? But how much more when you don’t understand why it’s happening or what’s taking place and what’s going to happen afterward? There is an incredible peace that God has given to His people to understand those things and an ability to go through that.

With that, we’re going to be jumping ahead to the Sixth Seal as this is the primary marker that God has now given us in order to be aware of such markers or signs that are leading up to the event of the First Trumpet, the proof of WWIII that all can then begin to acknowledge. Because, as a whole, it can’t be or won’t be, especially within the scattered Body, until that event takes place.

But first I want to go through a particular outline that is also here. There is an outline of the Seven Seals here that was in chapter 5, and I think it’d be good to review just a little bit of that and then we’ll continue on in some verses and some scriptures here.

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Figure 1 - When the Countdown Ends, Pg 116; Ronald Weinland

It states, “Seven Seals: Opened by Joshua the Christ.” Really beautiful when we understand what this is all about. It says there was no one worthy to open these, and then finally there would be that period of time when it was shown that no, Christ opened them. As Christ does, because he does the will of the Father, the things that he does primarily is about the work of the Church. It’s about God’s people. And so, when it’s time to do various things, like in this nature here, he opens them and then gives it to the Church.

We have this where the 1st – 5th it says here, “1st – 5th Seals opened: Events about God’s Church.” Then the “6th Seal opened.” So, in this outline, this is how it proceeds. It’s “About Seven Thunders to be fulfilled.” The “1st Thunder was 9/11.”

“All Thunders continue up to the 7th Trumpet.” Then it goes on with, “7th Seal opened: Seven Trumpets to be fulfilled. 1st – 4th Trumpet: U.S.A. collapses. 5th Trumpet: 1st Woe—EU’s use of nuclear weapons.”

I’ll tell you, when we get into some of these news articles today, it’s incredible what’s going on in Europe right now, their talk of their need for nuclear weapons outside of NATO. Well, the reality is they have so many there already, but their concern is, is that if the U.S. or if NATO broke down and the U.S. were to take those or whatever it might be that’s in their minds – because they have to think about what’s coming. They know what’s coming. They know there is a conflict, a confrontation with Russia that they can’t escape and they’re trying to meet it the best they can. That’s what a lot of the news articles are about.

Well, that’s no small thing. But they’re accustomed to, in a sense, war in Europe and they know what it was like during WWII. They understand what Russia did when they came in from the other direction. Of course, they wanted the help to be liberated, and the Allies and different ones, and especially the United States coming in and helping out in the various other areas coming together, merging together as Russia was pushing on one side, the U.S. and others working on the other side to push together.

But there are a lot of horror stories that happened during all of that, and the reality is Russia was never a friend to that western part of Europe or that western area, if you will, and there have always been conflicts and wars and disagreements.

European leaders today, they see that in a big way, and they’re starting to say things more and more in those terms. Well, this is something we can grasp and understand because we know what’s going to take place, and especially with Western Europe.

I’ve made this comment – I can’t help it when I go through this, when I talk about this – because the reality is that we’ve going to Europe since about 2000 and the Church that began to be worked with over there at that particular time, and thinking about the people over there and it was like, “How could their attitudes ever change against the U.S.? How could they ever get to a point that they are going to do what we have always believed that was given to Herbert Armstrong?”

Because he understood that was going to take place. He began to preach about that in the late 40’s, “Germany is going to rise again.” And That irritated the tar out of people. That was, like, “That’s just proof you are a nut, a crackpot, a weirdo. This is a cult!” and every other thing. Then he told later on what was going to take place. “You’re going to have a combine of nations.” I mean, that’s a marvel! “You’re going to have a combine of nations in Europe that in time will come down to exactly ten. There will be ten nations that come together in Europe.”

The Plain Truth was there when they started having the meetings for the European Common Market because that was the start of it all. And so, you look at the early fifties and what was taking place and then he said, “You’re going to come together with a form of government in Europe, and Germany is very much going to be at the helm of this.”

Well, they are very much at the helm. France is in there, Germany, but they’re the two main ones, and then the rest have to choose who they’re going with. But they’re pretty much working together and have been for some time, and they have in the past as well.

So, you look at some of these things and you begin to see an attitude change in how Europe is beginning to think differently, and this is what we’re living through right now. We see that attitude being changed. Slowly but surely, they’re getting to a point where they are really irritated with this country pushing them because so much of what they do or choose to do really hasn’t been their choice. It’s not what they really wanted to do in many cases but because they get pressured how to do it, using if you will, again here, the control of the dollar, petro-dollar (which there’s not much petro in it anymore).

But again here, it’s so controlled by this country that they’re pressured into backing them and putting restrictions then on different countries like Russia or whatever. They see that that hasn’t helped them at all. It’s made their situation much worse over there. They are not happy. Things continue to happen to make this worse and worse and worse, but now they’re talking about “We need nuclear weapons outside of NATO,” and the only thing is that that can change overnight because at any time they can take control of it if they want to. That’s what’s going to happen. They don’t have to worry about getting their own nuclear weapons.

So, going on here, it is the Sixth Seal that we have the markers, the signs that help us to keep focused on just how near Christ’s actual coming really is. We have also been given a better understanding of how these markers can be understood and when especially when speaking of these Seven Thunders.

1 Thessalonians, I’m going to read that first here today. 1 Thessalonians 4:15—For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remaining (“remain; left remaining,” as it is in the Greek here) unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep. I think of how many times we read this in times past and how often something like this is read as well on other occasions.

“…unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep.” Well, it’s using the term here of those who are dead in Christ and as being asleep, and so there is coming that time when Christ is going to return and the events that are going to take place. So again, the world can’t piece these together, but God’s blessed us to see it.

Verse 16—For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God. It’s the Seventh Trumpet event that’s being fulfilled. …and the dead in Christ shall rise first. We know who those are. It’s also those in the first four thousand years because this is the meaning contained in the Wave Loaves, the first Wave Loaf. It covers that first period of time of those who believed God and talking about a government and talking about a Kingdom, a City whose builder and maker is God.

They didn’t fully understand those things as we do obviously now or even as some of the apostles did when they wrote some of the books of the Bible here. But even that was rather limited because a lot of that knowledge of various specific things didn’t come out until John wrote Revelation.

Then we who are alive and left remaining… So, it’s a very simple thing. We understand this is about the Church and there have been those then who have been worked with in times past by God in the first four thousand years, and those worked with more directly by Christ in the last two thousand years because that’s what God gave to Christ to do, to accomplish for the Church. He’s the High Priest of the Church. It has incredible meaning to it, of what’s been taking place over the last two thousand years on a grander scale than just individuals being called and worked with individually by God. It’s through a process of a body of people called the Body of Christ, the Church of God.

Then we who are alive and left remaining shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Awesome thing here to understand that those who aren’t dead when this event takes place, when Christ is coming, that they are going to be some who fulfill this within the Church. There are going to be some who are alive. But first, there is this other body and what is going to be accomplished in them. Those who are dead; they’re resurrected first. Then right behind that, when that’s accomplished, then it talks about those who are going to be changed. So, it talks about that.

“…left remaining shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” From then on. Awesome! Spirit beings in the God Family. Christ was the first of the first fruits.

To think how exciting this is to God, we can’t comprehend. We can’t comprehend what it was like for God before anything was ever created. To have a plan to create a universe. But that wasn’t the primary thing. The primary thing was Christ because it’s about the God Family; it’s about His Family. And so, everything else was created in order to accomplish the God Family and it started with Christ. Then it started with the plan and a purpose that there would be an earth, that there would be a place where God would create human beings. Then out of that over six thousand years. It’s a marvel!

That’s why I’m sometimes astonished in times past especially and people think about some of those things and talk about that and what God did and what God’s doing and it’s like God decided at some point that things weren’t working out, so we got to change it and do this or do that; mankind was getting so bad after—you know, just before the flood—that God had to erase all mankind except for one family and it’s like, “What am I going to do now?” It’s like, “I got to start all over.”

No, it was all planned out. That’s what’s an awesome thing to understand, the might of God to plan so intricately, so minutely everything that was to take place. The number of those He would bring into His Family, 144,000. They would be the first to set up and establish in His mind and His being before anything was created. Holy Days that everyone would be able to observe that reflected His entire plan from the beginning to the end. Incredible!

Then the creation took place and God put man on earth and started this process. Those things, we ought to marvel at, the mind, the being of God to accomplish, to do such things.

And so, to grasp where we are now, to think about the first of God’s Family after He started how long ago? We have no concept. In earth years, perhaps billions and billions and billions of years, we don’t know. We don’t understand how long it might have been in the creation of the universe. It is incredibly massive!

It’s not like God said, “Okay, now!” (some people have that concept) and all of a sudden the universe just appeared – all the stars, all the planets. It wasn’t done that way. It was a construction project; it was a creation project that took time and God allowed the angelic realm to be a part of that for a long, long time.

So, to understand those things, it was that far back, and then we come up and now it’s time to create mankind and God’s excited. We can’t comprehend what He said there in the beginning. He looked upon it all and said, “It is very good.” Because that’s coming from something that goes way, way, way back. It isn’t just because that, oh, the universe is here and all of a sudden we have this earth that’s been created and living things on it and mankind is put on it and that’s why He said it, because it looks so good. Well, it did look good. But that’s because of His plan.

Finally, after all this time we’re starting a process here where God is going to begin calling certain individuals to mold and fashion them over a period of four thousand years before His Son would even come, and work with them, and prepare them. And you think of that kind of excitement to create your own Family; it’s hard for us to grasp that. We can’t. But we should strive to, to appreciate it more.

That’s why if you think about then God and where we are now, He’s let mankind come to this point in time once again, just like it did before the flood except for worse now because of the power of technology and other things that we have. Incredible! But that excitement He has!

Because, again here, see, God sees beyond the suffering and the death, the Great White Throne. They’re going to be able to be resurrected and given that. That’s going to be their time for those who die. But the most important thing is what happens as His Son is returning. It’s the 144,000 who are going to be resurrected at that time to establish the Kingdom of God to rule on the earth for one thousand, one hundred years because it’s about God’s Family.

The excitement that God had when His own Son was on earth, when he was born. Then to see him grow and to see that mind that He had given to him of His mind and to see that life. Then to come to the point where he was ready to die, when he was ready on Passover night, he knew what was getting ready to take place, and he had these things that he talked back and forth with His Father on that night. Awesome! Some of the most incredible things revealed ever to mankind were done on that night, what Christ had to say.

And so we think, what about God, His feelings, His excitement for seeing all this? Now, we’re there. To understand how close we are?

So, it’s a horrifying thing that’s going to happen on this earth, but man can’t learn any other way. Man cannot be humbled any other way except to be able to acknowledge and to admit to himself, “Look what we have done!” This is after a period of time, after the horror begins, when this country is brought down – and it’s fully brought down in the Fifth Trumpet. To understand what Europe is going to do? Because they have a choice to make: “Nuclear war here on the continent and we’re obliterated horribly or stop it over there.” That’s what their intent is.

We’re going to experience a kind of wrath here in this country that’s unimaginable. But God’s excitement, we’re just getting that much closer, because again, mankind has to learn we can’t rule ourselves. We will destroy…if we had the technology and time we’ll destroy everything.

This AI garbage? You know, it used to be a kind of thing like, “Well, this is sci-fi,” you know? They finally made him where he was kind of a molten type of being. Terminator. You go back in time and see something like all the things that were there, and anyway, the technology has just gotten better and better. Insanity!

Now we just have so many ways to destroy ourselves. Incredible! But God gave us the ability to do it. Because everything we’ve ever done, everything we have ever been given by God, science, technology, everything else that God has allowed us to have at certain times, we misuse it in the long run.

I’ve been amazed here recently about how people are finally waking up to the reality we’re destroying our kids, we’re hurting our kids, our children because of the kind of garbage that they have to watch, because of the things that are out there that they can mess with and the pressures of what can be posted out there and that the peer pressure that’s there to be a certain way and things that can be said about you, and how you think and feel because words hurt and people put them out there and expect people to be a certain way. It’s devastating how it’s being used.

Adults are misusing it. Everybody is misusing it in the world. Just that area alone we’re destroying minds.

Anyway, going on here. So, it says here in verse 18—Therefore, comfort one another with these words. We’re almost there. We have to go through the worst times ever. But on the other side of it we finally begin to be able to build, finally begin in a process to work under one government, one religion, because it’s going to be enforced. One religion. What an incredible blessing that will be. There is such chaos and confusion today in wars because of religion. Things that are happening in Europe right now, a lot of it’s because of mixture of religions that don’t mix, and they’ve got to deal with it because they’ve allowed it to happen.

1 Thessalonians 5:1—But of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. Now, we understand this on a spiritual plane but also toward the end here it happens in a physical plane, if you will, as far as time is concerned. So, for individuals in the Church who don’t live this way of life, in essence, for them the day of the Lord, if you don’t live this way of life, for all those who eventually left God’s Church in the past two thousand years, who turned against Christ, it was taken away quickly. Like a thief in the night, you can lose it.

If you don’t hold on to it, if you don’t embrace it with all of your being, if you don’t fight for it, if you don’t keep guard of what you have been given, if you don’t love it, if you don’t love God, it’ll come on you and it’ll be gone. You won’t even know it as a whole. Isn’t that amazing, the things that have happened to people who have left and their minds? They lose it. For them, Christ has already come, their judgment has already come, in large part, if we understand. It doesn’t mean a final judgment because there are going to be those able to be worked with. There are others that aren’t.

But there is coming the time as well for our period of time in the Church where especially if we grasp and comprehend there is a measuring taking place, has been for several years in an intensified manner to prepare us for what’s about ready to happen. Because the reality is when this is all said and done there is going to be 144,000, those remaining that have to become a part of that, and those who are going to live in the new age. They’re going to be of a certain spirit and a certain mind, and if they aren’t they’re not going to be able to continue on.

God’s not even going to let them live into that new age. God has that kind of power. He taught us that a long time ago if we had ears to hear. He had the power to have thousands and thousands and tens of thousands die in the wilderness because of their rebellion against God, to a certain specific age they all died and were not allowed to go into the promised land. Into the tens of thousands. That’s an incredible thing to understand.

For whenever they shall say, Peace… This word can also mean “safe or safety” within certain context. So, it’s Peace and safety. This one here really has to do with, this Greek word here has to do with “certainty and security.” So again here, there are things here we haven’t fully hit but we’re on the doorstep of some of this in some of the attitudes that are going to take place.

…then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pain upon one who is pregnant; and they will not be able to escape. God shows that there is coming a time when there will be no more time and He’s going to allow everything to take place. He’s going to let it come to pass. Everything that He said. Everything that began to be given to Herbert Armstrong about what Europe was going to do and what was going to happen in Europe and what’s going to happen in the world when China and Russia get involved in their partnership in the Sixth period of time, of the Sixth Trumpet. Incredible, to know all those things, those periods of time.

He’s given us something to see here about labor, we understand that. And certainly, it’s applied, Christ actually used this in many different things that he taught about a woman in travail and so there are different ways it can be used. But it’s something that doesn’t escape us, to understand that it gets more intense the farther you go in a particular matter. And it’s difficult, it’s hard, and then it has its peaks, and it goes down and then it comes again until finally there is a birth.

Again, Christ gave different examples of how this is applied and so forth, but it also applies to what we’re going through right now. It has to do with even the news. There are periods of time when it kind of levels out and nothing is added to it of big consequence. Then all of a sudden it happens again where these things are big in the sense of some of the struggles and the pain and the suffering – especially if you see it and understand what it’s all about. Then it dies back down again, kind of levels out for a while.

On purpose, I haven’t been going through some of those things because we’ve been going through a lull like that. Right now things are being ratcheted up again. But they’re over a longer period of time because, for a woman giving birth, those things happen fairly quickly before birth. We’ve had labor that has been happening since 9/11. Then there would be a long pause. Then something else would take place. I think of the tsunami, various things that took place at different times. Then another event. Now we have all kinds of events at different times that are taking place, that are kind of crunching together more and more, and that’s what this is about, something we can observe and watch. Just like with Europe, I’m going to read some of these news articles in a moment to help us see that, or to talk about it and point it out.

So, it goes on to say, You are not in darkness, brethren, that that day should overtake you as a thief. So, especially whether it be spiritual for us in time’s past, because this has always applied to the Church and God’s people, how they live their lives, but especially at the end. You think of all times.

I hate to see people go by the wayside. I hate to see people who won’t repent. I hate to see when people won’t change. These things just go on and on and on. I had to deal with another matter this morning that I didn’t enjoy doing at all. I hated it, and it just goes on. And you think, of all time when we should be the most on fire for God’s way of life, when we see that we’re coming down to these things being fulfilled, it’s all around us in what we’re reading and what we’re hearing. You might have to do some digging at times because it’s not necessarily in your local news or even in the U.S. news. But it’s out there, things that are changing and things that are happening very rapidly that fit into everything we’ve ever believed and taught.

And yet individuals won’t repent, won’t change, won’t humble themselves, stubbornly as though stubbornness is built upon stubbornness, to fight and to resist. And you think, what is wrong with you? My heart aches sometimes, and just talking about this right now it’s like I hate to see this. I hate to tell another person, “Look what you’ve done to yourself. You’re not a part anymore. You won’t listen. You won’t listen. What happens?”

That’s why I’ve talked about Laodicea. Don’t let Laodicea happen to your life. We have the history of what happens when we become lukewarm, when we’re not on fire. Either we’re hot and on fire or we’re cold and headed out quickly. That’s where we are. There is no little in between stuff here. That’s not being allowed. God’s not going to allow that.

He allowed Laodicea to exist for a long time, several years, and then the Apostasy. He spewed it all out of His mouth. But He’s not allowing that right now within the Body. We’re either hot or we’re cold. You’re the only one who can determine if you’re hot. You’re the one who has to decide, “Am I on fire for God’s way of life? Do I want this? Do I desire this? Do I love God? Do I love what He’s given to us?” Each one of us has to answer that individually, and if that’s our answer then there are certain things we’re going to respond to and do. It’s not hard to repent then. It’s not hard to acknowledge what we are.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. So, keenly aware of where we are and what’s coming. Or at least we should be.

You are all the children of light, and the children of the day. We have the ability to see because of God’s spirit. …we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep. Don’t slumber. That’s what happened to Laodicea, fell asleep.

Let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober. You have to be on fire to do that, to watch, to be alert, to be sober. This age and the time we live in right now, the news that’s out there, it should be really sobering to us.

For those who sleep sleep in the night. You fall asleep, nothing is going on in the mind. Well, sometimes it may if you’re having a dream. Last night my wife had to wake me up. I was having a dream smacking the tar out of somebody. Anyway, something that I say, sometimes I guess it gets in my dream. Anyway, she woke me up and stopped me from accidentally maybe smacking her. But you know, when you’re asleep you don’t know what’s going on around you, you don’t see things clearly. And if we begin to be sluggish and fall asleep, we’re just totally caught off guard. We’re not guarding and watching as we should be.

But those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunken in the night. In other words, fully intoxicated. Intoxicated, that’s what it’s talking about here, in their own life, wrapped up so much in their own life they’re intoxicated by what they’re doing, by their own life, by their own ideas and so forth, or whatever it might be. Having no desire to be sober, if you will.

Verse 8—But let us, who are of the day… God’s given us that ability to be of the day, to see things, to understand the truth. …be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith. So, we’ve gone through scriptures like this so often. The breastplate, it’s something that gives you protection. To think about what that means, that it’s a matter of the beliefs you’ve been given. That’s why we’ve been going through the truths.

Anyway, it's incredible what can take place in the human mind within the environment of the Church of God even, the Body of Christ, and how far off base sometimes we can become if we’re not careful.

But if we believe all those truths? Two truths I had to deal with this past week. That’s not what I was talking about from this morning either. This past week. Two very important truths that God had given that this person wouldn’t accept. I can’t help that. What can be said? If you don’t believe all the truths what do you have? You won’t listen, you won’t hear.

So, if we hold on to the truths God has given to us and live by them, they protect you, they’re your strength. Awesome to understand that.

…and love. Agape. We understand that comes from God. But we have the ability to have it in our lives. We have the ability to live that toward others because it’s a matter of God’s holy spirit. If God’s spirit is in your life and the mind of God is more and more in you and you’re growing in the fruits of the spirit this is one of the fruits, God’s love, that you can live this way toward others with God’s help.

…and for a helmet, the hope of salvation or the hope of deliverance as it is. That’s a powerful thing as well. It’s on the head and it’s the way we think. It has to do with our thinking and it’s about the hope we have. We hold on to that, especially in what we’re getting ready to go through.

For God has not appointed us to wrath. The world right now, as a whole, has been appointed to wrath. “Wrath” means “God’s judgment.” Mankind is going to experience the judgment of God. That’s what all these things are about. We’re at that point in time. Everything that was ever told throughout the Old Testament of a future time.

There are two great times like this, the end now of the end of six thousand years and then what happens at the end of the Hundred Years. But for man’s first life on earth, if you will, coming up to the six thousand years and understanding what’s getting ready to take place there, throughout the Old Testament, there is that which is discussed by God about a judgment that’s going to come. Mankind is going to be judged powerfully and mightily. It’s going to happen. What He said is going to take place, throughout Revelation, as an example, and the percentages exactly.

When it says one-third of mankind is going to be destroyed, you can take it to the bank one third of mankind. I can’t comprehend that. That’s not over. That’s not all there is. That’s just in one Trumpet, the Sixth Trumpet. God makes it clear He’s going to allow that to take place around the world.

So, this is about wrath, this is about judgment. This is saying we’re not appointed to that; that isn’t for us. Yes, it’s for a large part of the world. Before it’s over it’s going to be the majority of the world.

But it says here, when God calls us He’s called us to succeed. He’s called us to either live into the Millennium and be the beginning of something incredibly great or to finish the count for the 144,000. That’s what God has called us to, to succeed. Awesome! That’s what He wants to give to us. Not to go through the kind of suffering this world is, in that respect, as far as a judgment is concerned that’s going to come upon them. No, it’s to live on. You have been called to live on! That should give you a confidence and a boldness to understand something from God. He can give that power to us!

Someone was mentioning beforehand here talking about that fiery furnace and walking in there. You think about things like that. You know, three individuals being taken up there and to go in there and not any heat mark upon the body, not a hair singed on the body, and it was heated up seven times more than normal. It was a hot, hot. That means a lot of air. How they did that with whatever the air coming into the bottom, that was heated up, melting. It’s a melting type of thing. You go in there, metal could be melted. Well, what an incredible thing to see something like that, to experience.

Things going off around us, things happening around us, horrifying things happening, they don’t have the ability to touch you at all if that be a matter of something that God is doing. Your life is in His hands. Doesn’t mean there’s not going to be some suffering at times whether it be food or water or some illness you’re going to experience from certain things. But to understand your life is precious to God. He called you to live on past this.

So, what kind of boldness should this give to us? What kind of comfort should that give to us? It ought to be very, very strong, especially as we see these things get a little closer. We shouldn’t be weak in that; we should be strong in that, confident in those things. God has not appointed us to wrath. We have not been appointed to receive judgment at this time. Instead, we’re to be protected from it by the angelic realm, whatever it takes.

…but to obtain salvation through our Lord Joshua the Christ. Especially in that as well, through the period of time, whether it be what has happened over the past two thousand years or where we are now. So, especially when it talks about some of these things in 1st Thessalonians here that we’ve been reading through, chapter four, and so forth, as a whole it’s talking about those who are going to be in the first resurrection. But that was unique because that’s what was being built over the past two thousand years. But we’re at a unique point now because there is that which is going to live on in physical life in a new age as a part of the Church. Awesome!

…but to obtain salvation through our Lord Joshua the Christ who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should be together with him. Awesome! Some are going to be together with him in the millennium. You continue on in the Church just like you are now. We’re together with him now. If we have God’s spirit, he is our High Priest; we’re together with him right now on a spiritual plane. That’s how God looks upon us. Those who live on into the Millennium, that’s the way it’s going to be. Others have a unique opportunity of being changed to spirit, being in God’s Family, still with Christ because it’s a spiritual thing.

So anyway, this matter of a woman in labor is something that God has blessed us to grasp, to see in a very unique way, and it has much to do with what we’re going through here today. So, this has been over a period of a couple weeks. Little over perhaps. I’m going to take the time because there’s a lot here, and it might get a little tedious in some respects just hearing news one little article after another but hang in there.

Talk of European nuclear deterrent 'not helpful', says NATO's Stoltenberg.[1] “Some German politicians have in recent weeks raised the prospect of Europe developing its own nuclear deterrent in order to be less reliant on the United States for the continent's defence.”

You see, we can read something like that and not grasp fully why they’re saying such things. The reality is they’re not in love with NATO anymore. They don’t see it as their primary protection. They really believe and see that they must be in control of their “destiny” if you will, of what takes place and choices and decisions that are made about war, about Ukraine, about Russia, and so forth. They really are tired of this country interfering and pushing them to do things that they many times really haven’t wanted to do, but they have this big club over their head. They’re desiring to move away from that, and if it be at the expense of what happens perhaps with NATO, they’re ready for that. They’re going to go on to the next step because they want to become stronger as a united Europe.

Another one here, Russia Fired Over 24 North Korean Missiles at Ukraine In Recent Weeks.[2] Well, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, you think, how can a little country like that, as poor as it is, but they’re supplying weapons to Russia, missiles. Sometimes people poopah ones that they shouldn’t be poopah’ing because he is one that is one of the most dangerous as far as the Trumpets beginning, candidly.

Another one here: US Navy Worried Over ‘Scary Scenario’ of Houthis Armed with High-Speed Unmanned Naval Drones.[3] “The US Navy fears a scenario in which the Houthis learn to build high-speed unmanned naval drones to attack ships in the Red Sea.” Well, that’s kind of ridiculous because they don’t have to worry about building them. Iran builds them for them.

“‘That’s one of the most scary scenarios, to have a bomb-laden, unmanned surface vessel that can go in pretty fast speeds. And if you’re not immediately on the scene, it can get ugly extremely quick,’” Rear Admiral Marc Miguez, commander of US Carrier Strike Group…”

Anyway, they know that there are certain weapons that are in their hands, and they understand how easy it is for them to, if they start using those—and Iran knows it too—but when they’re given the go-ahead. Because, you see, anyone that’s being given those things, there is somebody in control telling them what they can and cannot do.

Just like right now north of Israel. You have Hamas and you have Hezbollah, and they’re working on the one and Hezbollah to the north, well, they have all this power that they’ve been able to bring in from Iran and they just keep pushing it back, and forth, Israel in the north and those in Lebanon. It’s just a matter of time. But they’re the ones who decide as a whole, Iran does, and so it is with the Houthis.

So, knowing that there are those kinds of weapons that they can send down to them, they’re concerned. Can you imagine a ship of the US Navy being destroyed out there? What a fiasco that would be. So, anyway.

Ukraine needs ‘nuclear rockets.’[4] “Unless Ukraine receives full NATO membership, it will have no other choice but to develop or somehow obtain an arsenal of nuclear weapons, according to MP Aleksey Goncharenko. “‘Once again I will say directly and openly: I support the return of nuclear weapons to Ukraine. And I believe that this is our only option for survival.’”

So, here there it started out at one point there of certain weapons and so forth, and then they wanted planes, and now they want nuclear weapons. There were some deals made a long time ago for them to be a separate country they would give up all their nuclear weapons. But now they think they maybe need them back.

The same individual, it says, “Goncharenko wrote in a Telegram post on Sunday evening, noting that Blinken did not answer his question. He went on to say that ‘if NATO does not want to accept us,’ then ‘nuclear rockets must be made,’”

Well, who do you think they’re talking about? The reality is they have the capability. They’re not stupid. They have the technology. They have the material. If they want to do it, they can make them. They’re not dependent on anyone else. So, if they get pushed into a corner far enough then they can make the choice themselves if they want. That’s what he’s talking about here basically.

“‘We don’t need a thousand. We need 20 [nuclear missiles],’ he said, without elaborating on how he expects to obtain the nukes.” Well, anybody that has a brain knows how they can do it.

Houthis deploy underwater drone for first time – Pentagon.[5] You think, okay. They already have it. So they know this, they have underwater drones. This is what scares them because these can move fast, they can control them. It’s not like a torpedo. It’s something that can be maneuvered at a very high rate of speed and they can sink a ship that way. So, they’re concerned about something happening there.

Houthis Attacked UK Ship in Gulf of Aden, Vessel Severely Damaged.[6] Well, it finally sank.

Another one here: NATO Soldiers Are Fighting in Ukraine Under Guise of Mercenaries.[7] Do you think that’s true? What does that mean? If there are NATO soldiers from some of the countries in Europe actually fighting in Ukraine, calling themselves mercenaries under the cloak of being mercenaries rather than actually from those countries, whatever those countries are, whoever they are (which they all know), what does this mean? What do you do?

It's poking the bear. It’s poking the bear big time. Russia. How long are they going to tolerate it? How long are they going to put up with it before they use tactical weapons? I’ll tell you, we haven’t seen anything yet but it’s closing in.

Israel carries out air strikes targeting 'weapons depots' in southern Lebanon. So again, back and forth. This is talking about coming out of the north. It’s another hotspot. But this one is far greater than what’s taking place in the area of Gaza and what’s happening to the Palestinians in that area. If this starts with Lebanon, which there are some in Israel, by what they’re saying this is exactly what they intend on doing anyway. They want to clean up a little bit more with Hamas in Gaza and then they want to go toward Hezbollah because they’re tired of this for their people. This is their mindset. We have to understand mindset of different ones and what they report.

Israel Sets Timeline To Start Of Rafah Offensive, Issues Hamas An Ultimatum.[8] “After ceasefire negotiations have faltered, Israel has given Hamas a new ultimatum, with top Israeli war cabinet official Benny Gantz saying that Israel will launch a full assault on the southern city of Rafah if all remaining hostages aren't released by Ramadan. The Muslim holiday begins on March 10 this year, which is a few weeks away.”

We’re actually living right at a moment in time here in the next week or so that is kind of volatile if you understand some of the history and some of the things that have taken place. This is just one of them as well. But in what they’re having to say here and what others are saying because of them going into Rafah and doing a clean-up, it’s just pushing closer. It just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. I’m talking about labor pain. I’m talking about things where the pressure gets so strong that nobody can stop it. That’s where we are in a lot of these articles.

It goes on to say here, “‘The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know — if by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue to the Rafah area,’ Gantz told a conference of Jewish American organizations in Jerusalem on Sunday.”

In other words, people are using rhetoric that just turns up the heat. They’re not really trying to stop or squelch or end it all, they’re going to complete something they started. In this case here, you look at Russia and Ukraine, what they’re trying to do, it just goes on and on.

Another article: Lebanon: Three Hezbollah command centers hit in series of strikes.[9]

Arming Ukraine with F-16s may lead to nuclear war – Medvedev.[10] So again, this is from a Russian source of news but it’s important to look at different news as well in the world and what they’re writing because this is what they’re thinking is. If you can think about what their thinking is, whether it all be true or not is immaterial, because as a whole though things are pretty true in what they’re quoting in some of these articles here.

And so, this is what he had to say: “‘An accidental, unintentional outbreak of a nuclear conflict is not something to be discarded, which is why all those machinations around Ukraine are dangerous,’ Medvedev said in an extensive interview with Russian journalists, as quoted by TASS on Thursday. The deputy head of Russia’s National Security Council cited the US-designed aircraft as a possible trigger, noting that Kiev wants them despite having no ground infrastructure to operate them.”

“‘So, if one of those planes takes off from a NATO nation [on a Ukrainian mission] – what would that be? An attack on Russia. I shall not describe what could happen next,’ he said. ‘Such a development may not be even sanctioned by the NATO leadership and the US.’”

Now, it’s important when we hear things like this or go through articles like this to realize that it wasn’t all that long ago that there was a different kind of rhetoric. But each time it has to do with pushing more might into a particular area. Every time they do that it just pushes things a little closer to a greater conflict. It’s not turning down the fire, it’s turning the flame up higher and higher. That’s what we’re going through here in these, which has to do with similar to a woman in labor. It just makes it harder, it makes it worse, it makes it closer to the event of what’s coming.

I’m going to throw some other articles in here and then come back. I’m just going to rotate through it because I’m going through this kind of as a timeline.

Pharmacies nationwide unable to fulfill prescriptions due to cyber attack.[11] United Health Care, that was the one we have, and all their information in there has pretty much been able to be hacked into. Even the intensity of some of these attacks if you see what’s taking place. To have AT&T and T-Mobile, and Verizon be attacked. Of course, a lot of times they’ll come back and say, “Well, it wasn’t anything like that, it was just a mysterious outage.” You think, give me a break! But a lot of these things are being ramped up for a reason.

Well, here it is: Cellular outage in US hits AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon users, Downdetector shows.[12]

Another one here: Rubio warns Chinese cyberattack 'will be 100 times worse' than AT&T outage: 'Your power, your water.'[13] There are not very many people who talk out, who speak out like this, but these are true. Because they’ve already been pushing the envelope. This government has a lot of people who do the same thing into other countries trying to break through various barriers to get at infrastructures and so forth of other countries. But I wish I could remember the number of Chinese they actually have doing the same thing coming this direction. It’s so far greater than what the U.S. has it’s mindboggling.

Anyway, he says, “‘I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage,’ the Florida Republican posted on X on Thursday. ‘But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion. … And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water, and your bank.’”

Now, something else to understand when you go through things like this, the minds of people in countries. Think about Taiwan. We’re upset about here they may attack Taiwan. What if they skip Taiwan? They can have an all-out attack at any time they want to anywhere they want to. Though it’s not going to happen that way; it’s not going to start that way. And thankfully, we understand part of that.

But anyway, going on. I don’t know how many of you knew what last Tuesday was. They call it Super Tuesday? What do you think the Chinese or the Russians or Europe feels about what they see taking place right now? Because what’s taking place, in their minds they’re looking at something, and if they see someone they think is going to get into office – just going to be real blunt about it – do you want him back in office? If he gets back in office what kind of a threat is he going to be to what they want to do? And if they’re planning on doing certain things would it be better to speed up the process to do it sooner?

How can I express this? We need to be on guard. We need to be alert to things that are taking place. Because any day, any week now this can change dramatically. Because a lot of people and as well as if you want to talk about military leaders, every once in a while they make comments and so forth in the news, and they understand China is becoming a far greater threat. Russia, they already understand in Europe that it’s an incredible threat over there. When are they going to use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine? Because that’s what they’re being pushed toward.

At some time because of all that they’ve been saying, they’ve already justified it in Russia to do something like this. It’s just a matter of what’s in their timing. So, if you know that something may hurt your design, your plan for what you’re thinking about doing, because everything that China is doing is about a world war. Everything they’re preparing for is about a world war. A lot of people understand that, but they think it’s off into the future and they think they’re only going to start with Taiwan.

You need to be on guard. Because of going through those things and going through some other things and having covered some of the things we’ve been covering, we may be at a point in time here that can change drastically overnight. You need to be ready for it in your mind. That’s where we are in time. You need to be ready. You need to be ready in your relationship toward God and so forth.

We should always be that way, but even more so right now to be more alert and more ready in that regard for what can come at any point in time. Because it’s very easy to use a false flag situation of something that comes from some other country, like North Korea or whatever it’s going to be, that starts the dominoes to fall. We are so close to that.

Another one here: Biden Moving To Send Long-Range Ballistic Missiles To Ukraine.[14] It’s not even about jets anymore. It’s about this kind of power. Russia is fed up with it.

Another one here: 7.2M illegals entered the US under Biden admin, an amount greater than population of 36 states.[15] I mean, things are happening that it’s like, this is unreal. Who would ever have thought five years ago that something like this could be written, and that the country would be in that kind of state? Larger than 36 states. I mean, individual states.

Another one here: NATO Troops Are Operating In Ukraine Disguised As Mercenaries, Russian General Claims.[16] So, if they feel this way and they believe this is true (and I believe it’s true), it’s just pushing us closer to a war.

Another one here: Jamie Dimon Sells 822,000 Shares Of JPMorgan For The First Time As Stock Hits All-Time High.[17] “First Zuck and Bezos, now it's Jamie Dimon's turn to sell the top. At a time when insiders are dumping stock at a pace not seen in years . . . the CEO of the largest US bank just sold $150 million worth of the bank’s stock, following through on last year’s announcement that he would begin selling shares for the first time since taking the helm 18 years ago.”

All these things. It’s a woman in labor. They come together and they all start happening and it gets more intense. That’s what we’re talking about here.

Another one here: Is The West Plotting A False Flag Provocation In Poland To Blame On Russia & Belarus.[18] There is so much of this kind of stuff out there right now. If they’re throwing this around as far as what they feel, what they think, then they ask here, “Fake news????  Some truth????   Who knows . . .  On the subject of world wars, Lukashenko also said during his speech on Tuesday that ‘Now we are literally covered with an information wave of the so-called premonition of the third world war. There are grounds for concern.’”

It says, “About 32,000 NATO troops have deployed in the vicinity of Russia and Belarus for the bloc’s ‘Steadfast Defender 2024’ drills…” Now, if you’re trying to give help to someone to defend themselves, one thing. But to do things like this, what does this say to the other side?

“About 32,000 NATO troops have deployed in the vicinity of Russia and Belarus for the bloc’s ‘Steadfast Defender 2024’ drills, the largest such ones since the end of the Old Cold War over three decades ago, while another 60,000 or so are training elsewhere in Europe right now. In this tense context, the possible false flag provocation in Poland that he warned about could set World War III into motion if cooler heads in the West don’t call it off or can’t de-escalate the crisis that would be sparked afterwards.”

This is what’s happening. Everything just keeps pushing the envelope more and more until finally the inevitable is going to happen. This is why people more and more are beginning to talk about or to accept the fact that it’s coming; it’s just a matter of time.

So, just to keep our eyes closed, to not think about it, to not consider its potential is insanity. That’s what so many people are doing. Because who wants to think about these things? And so, they don’t talk about it on FOX or CNN as a whole. They don’t discuss these things because that’s not what people want to hear. They don’t want to hear about what is possibly going to happen in this world.

Another article here: Taking Nuclear War Seriously: Gingrich.[19] … “We were surprised at Pearl Harbor. We were surprised on Sept. 11, 2001. We cannot afford to be surprised by a nuclear attack.” So, slowly but surely different ones are starting to talk about the possibilities.

Another one here: Some EU, NATO States Ponder Possibility of Sending Military to Ukraine.[20] So, what if the EU decides, certain nations decide they’re going to start sending their military into Ukraine? What is Russia going to do? It will be a war.

The European Coalition is bouncing back and forth, and this is one of the most important things standing before them where they should be unified. It is like what God revealed to Daniel. That’s what I wrote down here.

So, in these things here, just like with the EU and the disputes going on within NATO right now, and then disputes among the different countries of the EU, they’re going back and forth in some of the things. I’m going to get into some articles here in a little bit that are mindboggling, what some of them are saying and what some of them are doing toward each other. But it’s very reminiscent here of what Daniel said.

I’m going to take the time to go ahead and read that. You know, you think about that particular time, the statue and the dream and Daniel 2:27—Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, The secret which the king has demanded cannot be declared to the king by the wise men, astrologers, magicians, or soothsayers. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these. You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image!

We know this. We’ve read this over and over and over again. But what an incredible thing that we know it, we understand it, what it’s talking about and what’s coming to pass and where we are at the last part of this, the statue, the feet.

I think of that they used to use on the telecast at times and then it talks about this great huge cube, as it were, comes down out of the heavens and strikes the feet and topples the statue, representative of God’s government that’s coming, Christ coming. Incredible!

This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you, and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its stomach and hips of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. So, I marvel at this personally. I marvel at what I was mentioning earlier, and I didn’t go through and talk about the whole thing, about what Herbert Armstrong was given back very early on to say about the European Union, basically, when people poopah’d it, thought he was crazy that Germany would rise up again because it’s a part of what’s prophesied to take place.

He went on to talk about the fact that there would be a euro. He didn’t call it a euro. He said they would have their own currency. And you think, it wasn’t until 1999. What an incredible thing that God gave to him, there is going to be a combine, a group of people come together, a European community. They called it a common market in the beginning. Then they became known later as the European Union. They would have their own currency as well as their own government. That government has just been getting stronger and stronger and more unified as time goes along, but not fully unified like the feet and the clay here.

He said there would be their own currency. In 1999, long after his death, that came out. Then it was only a couple of years ago here, or a year and a half ago, when finally, news came out that there are ten nations who have already signed a military pact in Europe. So, that’s enough to fulfill it. If they follow through and do some of the things that are going to come to pass it’s already fulfilled.

You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, who struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces. What an incredible representation. It didn’t come down and strike it here or in the head or wherever, but it was the last to be standing, for the whole statue to be standing. But it has to do with time as well and who is in power at this time, and it’s Europe.

…and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed into dust, and it became like chaff from the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away so that no trace of them could be found. Then the stone that struck the image became a great mountain—we know that mountains are about government and this is about the government of God—and filled the whole earth. So looking forward to that. Looking forward to God’s government being established and every other government being put down, stopped.

Verse 40—The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all, as iron that breaks all these shall it break in pieces and bruise. And so, we know the history of Europe that came together.

I sometimes marvel. I was thinking about this again the other day, thinking about the statue of the woman riding on the top of the bull which is a representation of Europe. I think of the Phoenician princess whose name was Europa and Zeus then that disguised himself as a bull in order to kidnap her and take her elsewhere because he was evidently in love with her or whatever. He took this Phoenician princess and went to Crete. All this belief that has existed in times past of different gods and so forth. All of Europe, that’s what they’re noted for is that story.

I think of the first two-euro, I think it was a two-euro coin that was in Greece. Each country that was a part of the European Union at that time, when they came out with their coins early on, they could put on there whatever they desired to represent what they felt they wanted to be on the coin. Greece put the bull and the woman riding it.

I think there’s a place in London where there are four corners, and one corner, and one center there’s this great statue. It’s about Great Britain and how great Britain was and all these four corners then, different parts of the world that were represented by the various statues. On one corner was the woman on the beast. Awesome that God has given us to understand such things.

As you saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided, but there shall be in it the strength of iron, inasmuch as you saw iron mixed with miry clay. And so, we have the whole history of Europe and what they’ve done through time and the power that they’ve had as a part of that which God gave that said would be prophetic.

The toes of the feet of iron and part of clay, and the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly brittle. I’m as much in awe of this as what God gave to Herbert Armstrong to understand, to know about the fact that Europe was going to come together, they’re going to have ten nations, they’re going to have their own currency and all these things that have come to pass. Awesome!

Anyway, another article here: “Like A Warzone": Farmers Surround EU Headquarters Building.[21] Then the statement here, "What a mess Europe has become." It’s insane what’s going on, but they’re still working together and they’re still going to be a part of massive war before it’s over with.

I had to throw this article in there: Record 6 Tons Of Meth Valued At $117 Million Seized Trying To Enter Texas From Mexico.[22] You think, how many other things have come through that have made it? And if you understand how big six tons is, when you talk about meth it’s big because of the way the powder or so forth, or pills, or whatever form it was when it came across. And you think, I wonder how hard it’d be to smuggle a nuke or two in.

People think, “Well, you’re nuts. You’re crazy.” It’d be pretty easy to do. And if it goes off…?

The reality is that’s why this country is so caught off guard when all this starts with the first four things that take place. Because whatever it is and wherever it takes place, whatever starts all this is enough to cripple us that we can’t recover right away. We’re so struck that we can’t focus, we can’t worry about the rest of the world. We can’t worry about what’s going on in Israel. We can’t worry about what’s going on in Ukraine and Russia. We have to worry about what’s happening here. It makes 9/11 look pretty puny when it happens. And so, all the focus and all the mentality of everything possible is to try to take care of what happened and who did it.

And see, that can’t happen immediately, but long enough to allow preparation for the Fifth Trumpet event, which is Europe coming together, deciding that they don’t want the main nuclear war to be in Europe, they want it to stop right here. If it’s already started, they’ve got to put a stop to it. Somebody has to. Otherwise, they realize it’s going to be a worldwide nuclear war. So, what they try to do in order to save themselves backfires.

CIA Built "12 Secret Spy Bases" In Ukraine & Waged Shadow War For Last Decade, Bombshell NYT Report.[23] How do you think the Russians feel? How do you think Putin feels about that one? And how long has he already known it? Why are they saying some of the things they are? Why are there TV people over there, people on TV who don’t say anything unless they are allowed to say it? Basically, they are pushing for a nuclear war, to use nuclear weapons. Those close to him—he’s not saying it—but those who are close to him are saying the same thing, “We need to use nuclear weapons.” So, at what point…?

“…means that with the disclosure of the longtime ‘closely guarded secret’ the world just got a big step closer to WW3, given it means the CIA is largely responsible for the effectiveness of the recent spate of attacks which have included direct drone hits on key oil refineries and energy infrastructure.” The Russians know where, who’s given the information, and who’s controlling these things, and they know it’s not just the Ukrainians.

“‘Without them [the CIA and elite commandoes it's trained], there would have been no way for us to resist the Russians, or to beat them,’ according to Ivan Bakanov, former head of the SBU, which is Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency. A main source of the NYT revelations—disclosures which might come as no surprise to those never willing to so easily swallow the mainstream 'official' narrative of events—is identified as a top intelligence commander named Gen. Serhii Dvoretskiy.”

“Clearly, Kiev and Washington now want the world to know of the deep intelligence relationship they tried to conceal for over the past decade. It is perhaps a kind of warning to Moscow at a moment Ukraine's forces are in retreat: the US is fighting hand in glove with the Ukrainians. And yet the revelations contained in the NY Times report also confirm what President Putin has precisely accused Washington of all along.” That the CIA was there backing them. So, how many news stations was that on in the United States? How well has this been covered?

Another one here: Putin Responds To NATO Chief's Vow That "Ukraine Will Join NATO" On War's Anniversary.[24] “That's when the Russian leader (Putin) stressed that in such a scenario ‘There will be no winners’ as ‘you will be pulled into this conflict against your will. You won't even have time to blink your eye when you execute Article 5. I don't want it.’ Last week Stoltenberg had also for the first time issued a greenlight on behalf of NATO for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, or to choose targets ‘outside Ukraine’ - as he put it.”

So again here, the heat isn’t being turned down at all, it is being ratcheted up. People are really pushing this right now. And just like Pearl Harbor, then finally when this breaks loose it’s like, “How could this have happened, caught us off guard?” And yet it’s out there all over the place.

“‘Ukraine has the right of self-defense,’ he had told Radio Free Europe on Tuesday. ‘And that includes also striking legitimate military targets, Russian military targets, outside Ukraine. That is international law and, of course, Ukraine has the right to do so, to protect itself.’ While Ukraine has already long been doing this and is positively boasting about it - including attacks on oil and energy infrastructure and even civilian centers such as Belgorod city - NATO has never issued such blunt statements openly encouraging these attacks. If anything, Western leaders have until now officially urged restraint on attacks deep into Russia (publicly anyway). Thus, it seems the war is entering a new, darker phase wherein dirtier tactics are authorized and even encouraged by the West.”

I’m going to go ahead and take time to continue through these until I get to the end because if this doesn’t show exactly what we’re talking about when you’re talking about labor pain, that this is being ratcheted up more and more? The only thing that can happen is it gets worse and worse.

Another article here: Yellen urges world leaders to ‘unlock’ frozen Russian Central Bank assets and send them to Ukraine.[25] I’m not even going to read that one. But anyway, should tell you what’s going on there.

Another one here: France creates coalition to arm Ukraine with long-range weapons.[26] What ever happened to just the jets? I mean, really! They’ve jumped over that and here you are you’ve jumped from one thing into the next. What do you go to after that? It’s pushing these, the ability, for now they can say it’s Ukraine rather than the CIA or whomever it might be or NATO, but sending these in there so they can strike deeper into Russia.

He’s going to retaliate. He's actually stated at different times he doesn’t want to do this because basically, nobody is going to win because he knows it’s going to be a worldwide war of nuclear weapons. Nobody can stop it once it starts. Even someone like that, as far out as they might be in their thinking, but you have to put yourself in their shoes a little bit to think about why he’s thinking the way he is and why he has to respond. He can’t just let this happen. Does it justify it? No. But it helps you to understand some of the reasoning and thinking why it will.

France's Macron does not rule out Europeans sending troops to Ukraine.[27] This is a big, big item right now because they keep going back and forth and arguing about this. “Don’t say that!” you know.

Anyway, another one here: Germans Debate the Once-Unthinkable: Do We Need Nuclear Weapons?[28] “Russian expansionism and fears about American disengagement from Europe…” See, they know that if it gets really bad that we’re not going to be around too much as a whole. Anyway, that’s what they’re fearful of. “…American disengagement from Europe are causing such alarm here that Germany is beginning to ponder a question once considered unthinkable: Does it need to have its own nuclear weapons?”

“In recent weeks, German officials have called on France and the U.K.—Europe’s two nuclear powers—to work with Berlin to develop a fallback plan for nuclear deterrence…” Nuclear deterrence. “We need more nuclear weapons outside of NATO.” “…for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, should the U.S. no longer be willing to fulfill that role. Some politicians and academics are going even further, asking whether Germany could someday need its own atomic arsenal.”

“Germany isn’t the only country where policymakers are contemplating…” Because they already know Great Britain has theirs and France has theirs. Germany wants some too. Outside of NATO, France has their own nuclear weapons, and Great Britain has theirs, and when the going gets tough they’re still a part of Europe. They may not be a part of the European Union at the moment, but they signed that European agreement for war or for battle.

“Germany isn’t the only country where policymakers are contemplating the consequences of proliferation, as some established nuclear powers expand their arsenals, new members join the atomic club, and others, such as Iran, appear to be taking steps in that direction.”

Another article here: 'Lebanon will be next': Iran greenlights Hezbollah attack on Israel – report.[29] So, in other words, it can start at any time.

Scholz slammed for revealing UK troop presence in Ukraine.[30] This is iron and clay, and they’re infuriated about a lot of things, but they’re infuriated among themselves too. It just pushes them into a corner. “German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has come under fire from the UK after he suggested that there were British troops operating in the Ukraine conflict. Explaining why Berlin would not supply Kiev with long-range Taurus missiles, Scholz said it would require German military personnel on the ground providing assistance.”

Another article: Putin warns West of risk of nuclear war, says Moscow can strike Western targets.[31] These are just in the last week! You’re talking about things being heated up so high this is where we are. And so, we shouldn’t be surprised when something happens, when somebody strikes out and takes the first step. It’s not going to be in Europe. Incredible!

“He prefaced his warning with a specific reference to an idea floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine – a suggestion that was quickly rejected by the United States, Germany, Britain, and others.” So, they can’t control each other.

“‘(Western nations) must realise (sic) that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?!’ said Putin.” I mean, that’s a marvel that he’s saying, he’s responding that way. “They keep pushing this. Don’t they understand this, what this is going to do?” So, a moment of common reason. It didn’t last long.

Germany Mulls Re-Obtaining Nuclear Arms, Names Trump Among Reasons.[32] They know he’s going to get back in the way things are headed right now, and so there are other fears they have because of that. “In an article published earlier this month, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner voiced the idea of nuclear collaboration between Germany and its European partners in response to Trump’s comment.” Stupid, stupid, stupid, irresponsible, insane; just stoking the fire that much more.

“‘Let us not deceive ourselves: as long as there are nuclear weapons in the world, Europe will also have to adhere to a system of nuclear deterrence in order not to be defenseless at the mercy of the blackmail of authoritarian states’ Lindner declared.” So, if you understand this kind of thinking right here it shouldn’t be hard to understand why they will take control and why they will use them in the manner that they’re going to. The reality is in their minds they’re forced into it.

“It has been reported that senior members of the conservative CDU party as well as the ruling SPD [in Germany] are now looking into a common European nuclear deterrent in the event that they may have to end their dependency on US nuclear arms. According to the report, it is estimated that 20 nuclear weapons are already stationed at Büchel Air Base in Germany, despite Germany not really ‘owning’ the nuclear weapons. German warplanes are also equipped to launch the US nuclear weapons that are stationed there. However, the use of those weapons are controlled by the US.” That doesn’t mean they can’t take control.

“According to a report, experts believe the country could have access to nuclear weapons in a relatively short period of time due to their industrial and scientific prowess. A recent poll shows a sway among Germans (52%) who are now in favor of the presence of nuclear weapons.” Think the attitude is changing more and more? It’s scary stuff, it really is. If you lived just before WWII and you heard various things going on, this is many times greater.

We’re getting close, but I’m going to continue on until I finish this.

Russia Must Press Bundestag to Look Into Alleged German Plot to Strike Crimean Bridge.[33] Incredible, some of the stuff that’s coming out about this. “‘The information that has emerged with recordings of discussions by high-ranking German officers about plans to strike the Crimean Bridge…’” This is the big, long one across there that has been struck at different times there. They’ve tried to destroy it but haven’t destroyed it successfully yet but have struck at it several times. But it’s a jewel for Russia in the sense of their ability to move things back and forth from that part of the world that they conquered not too long back.

“‘…as well as how to do this so that suspicion does not fall on German Chancellor [Olaf] Scholz, deserves the most serious discussion and response … I also think it is correct to send a demand to the Bundestag to conduct an investigation,’ Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel. The issue will be discussed by the State Duma lawmakers on March 11, the speaker added.”

See, all these things, there are several things happening right now that are not small, and this is one of them. This is Russian, basically like the Senate, coming together and discussing what’s going on here and what’s come out about Germany and the UK and so forth.

“‘The fact that the conversation was recorded compels the German leadership to provide an explanation … Does Scholz understand that these actions will require Russia to retaliate?’ Volodin added.”

Another one here: Germany preparing for war with Russia – Medvedev.[34] Now, he’s a mouthpiece and he’s as close as you can get to Putin. That’s it. So, they’re in total agreement in whatever is said.

“On Sunday, Medvedev assumed that Berlin would now try to claim it had known nothing of the military discussions taking place. He also stated that the German authorities could call the leaked conversation a purely hypothetical one and say that the military was ‘obsessed with playing mock battles. Any attempts to present the Bundeswehr officers’ conversation as just a ‘game’ with missiles and tanks would be a malicious lie,’ the former president warned. ‘Germany is preparing for a war with Russia.’”

This is what Russia feels. This is what Putin feels, that they’re preparing for war, because of this leaked conversation. It has come out that it was a conversation’ it wasn’t something about some war games going on.

Iran has reportedly given Hezbollah the green light to escalate attacks along Israel’s northern border. I already mentioned part of this, but I want to read this. “The country allegedly ordered the terror group to launch a 'large-scale assault' on Israel in a new wave of terror described in Israeli media as 'October 7, part two'. Iran's order was made after it became aware of Israeli plans to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Jerusalem Post reports.

“The regime under leader Ali Khamenei fears that southern Lebanon 'will be next', mirroring US warnings that the Israeli military is planning to launch a ground operation in Lebanon in late spring or early summer. Thus far Israel exchanged near-daily missile fire with Hezbollah, hitting locations in Lebanon - but the IDF has refrained from a full-out ground invasion.”

So, they’re caught in Gaza, but their eyes are on Lebanon and there is talk from them that they want to go in and do exactly to the Hezbollah as what they have done to or what they’re doing to Hamas right now, and if Iran indeed has done this and said you can go ahead and we’re right around the same time period and some of the prophecies that talk about “when you see them surrounded by armies,” I mean, it can’t get much worse than what it is already so we’re already there.

Anyway, I’ll stop there.

We live in sobering times. Don’t think that before we get to the Passover and Unleavened Bread that our lives might be changed already. It’s that volatile. You don’t know, but you have to be prepared.

I was thinking here recently about how we used to think ten years in advance, you have to be prepared thinking ten years in advance. Then it kind of came down to five. Always, it’s always our last car. Like I said many of times, the last car we’re ever going to buy. Yet things have gone on. But we keep getting closer and closer and now we’re down to a possibility of having to think yeah, it could be any day now. It could be the 8th. What is today? The 9th. It couldn’t be the 8th, it’s already passed. It could be the 11th as we just read here. Could be any time. You just got to be on your toes. You’ve got to strive to be closer to God and understand where we are in time and be stirred up by that.

That’s what God wants. He wants us to understand the need to be on fire because there are still people who are not doing what they need to be doing. Going by the wayside, no longer able to be a part of God’s Church. What a horrifying thing!

I marvel at the first time I ever said that, “This is going to happen until we get right up to Christ’s coming.” It’s almost unthinkable such a thing could happen when God offers us everything. We have everything in front of us to be able to continue on into a new age, some into the first resurrection, which most are already sealed for that, and ever who that last one is. No, I’m just kidding. One day we’ll laugh about it even together.

[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/talk-european-nuclear-deterrent-not-helpful-says-natos-stoltenberg-2024-02-17/

[2] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-fired-over-24-north-korean-missiles-ukraine-recent-weeks-kiev

[3] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240217/us-navy-worried-over-scary-scenario-of-houthis-armed-with-high-speed-unmanned-naval-drones-1116849919.html

[4] https://www.rt.com/russia/592654-ukraine-goncharenko-nuclear-rockets/

[5] https://www.rt.com/news/592656-houthis-deploy-underwater-drone/

[6] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240219/houthis-attacked-uk-ship-in-gulf-of-aden-vessel-severely-damaged-1116873004.html

[7] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240219/nato-soldiers-fighting-in-ukraine-under-guise-of-mercenaries---mod-1116868725.html

[8] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-sets-timeline-start-rafah-offensive-issues-ultimatum

[9] https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/626183

[10] https://www.rt.com/russia/592908-medvedev-f16s-nuclear-war/

[11] https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/pharmacies-nationwide-face-delays-as-health-care-tech-company-reports-cyberattack

[12] https://www.reuters.com/technology/cellular-outage-us-hits-att-t-mobile-verizon-users-downdetector-shows-2024-02-22/

[13] Rubio warns Chinese cyberattack 'will be 100 times worse' than AT&T outage: 'Your power, your water'

[14] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/biden-moving-send-long-range-missiles-ukraine-200-mile-range

[15] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illegal-immigrants-biden-admin-amount-greater-population-36-states

[16] https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nato-troops-are-operating-ukraine-disguised-mercenaries-russian-general-claims

[17] https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/jamie-dimon-sells-822000-shares-jpmorgan-first-time-stock-hits-all-time-high

[18] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/west-plotting-false-flag-provocation-poland-blame-russia-belarus

[19] https://www.zerohedge.com/political/taking-nuclear-war-seriously-gingrich

[20] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240226/some-eu-nato-states-ponder-possibility-of-sending-military-to-ukraine---slovakias-fico-1116995905.html

[21] https://www.zerohedge.com/political/things-are-heating-farmers-surround-eu-headquarters-building

[22] https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/record-65-tons-meth-valued-117-million-seized-trying-enter-texas-mexico

[23] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/cia-built-12-secret-spy-bases-ukraine-waged-shadow-war-last-decade-bombshell-nyt

[24] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-responds-nato-chief-stoltenberg-vowing-ukraine-will-join-nato-wars-anniversary

[25] https://apnews.com/article/yellen-russia-ukraine-war-central-bank-finance-85e080fd78e9d37951e1e7dcd58fdc87

[26] https://www.rt.com/news/593253-france-macron-coalition-long-range-weapons-ukraine/

[27] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-conference-belie-doom-gloom-ukraine-elysee-says-2024-02-25/

[28] https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/germans-debatethe-once-unthinkable-do-we-need-nuclear-weapons-13fa7e68

[29] https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-789447

[30] https://www.rt.com/news/593358-german-scholz-criticized-uk-ukraine-presence/

[31] https://nypost.com/2024/02/29/world-news/putin-warns-west-of-risk-of-nuclear-war-says-moscow-can-strike-western-targets/

[32] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/germany-mulls-re-obtaining-nuclear-arms-names-trump-among-reasons-1117063031.html

[33] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240301/russia-has-to-call-for-bundestag-probe-into-alleged-german-plot-to-strike-crimean-bridge---official-1117071549.html

[34] https://www.rt.com/russia/593688-germany-prepare-war-russia-medvedev/

1. Chapter 1