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World CrisesON THE RISE5 Interest in the Demonic“In latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed todeceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).In recent years, an explosion of interest in the occult andwitchcraft has occurred—and a fascination with the belief thatthe living can talk with the dead. A flood of movies and TV showspromote this notion, yet the Bible is clear that the dead are“asleep” and cannot communicate with us. Psalm 146:4 says,“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that veryday his thoughts perish.” And Ecclesiastes 9:5 affirms, “The deadknow nothing.”Many today are seeking out psychics, tarot card readers, andastrologers for guidance. Even in our sophisticated age, a hugeamount of interest in the occult remains—just as the Bible predicted.Many skeptics dismiss that natural disasters are, infact, increasing in our world. But research confirmsit. Since 1970, the number of disasters worldwidehas more than quadrupled.1 And there were threetimes as many natural disasters between 2000 to2009 when compared to the 1980s.2Natural DisastersSummer 2010: Unprecedented Russianheatwave kills 56,000. Wildfires destroy a thirdof the wheat crop.March 2011: Japan earthquake and tsunamikills 28,000 and displaces 465,000.September 2017: Hurricane Maria kills over500 in the Caribbean and the United States anddestroys Puerto Rico.Wars and Rumors of War2011–2017: More than 500,000 killed and12 million uprooted in Syria and Iraq.2015–2017: Turkish and PKK conflict kills2,500 combatants and civilians and displacesmore than 350,000 civilians.2016: Conflicts in Greater Sahel and Lake ChadBasin create mass human suffering, uprooting4.3 million.Crime and Decline in Morality6 Gospel Goes to the World“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the worldas a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come”(Matthew 24:14).Now here’s a positive sign of the end: The once seeminglyinsurmountable task of taking the gospel to the four cornersof the earth is within sight. Through missionaries, satellitebroadcasts, and now the Internet, the gospel work is acceleratingaround the world. The message of salvation has never had widerdistribution than it does today. Christ’s second coming is nowbeing preached in more than 900 languages and dialects, andnearly 95 percent of the world’s population has access to thismessage. Never in the history of the world has the gospel beencommunicated to the extent that it is now being broadcast.What does all this mean?These signs should cause you to follow the apostle Paul’scounsel to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith”(2 Corinthians 13:5). Right now, whatever your past has been, you canrepent of your sins and turn to the Lord. Ask Christ for His forgivenessand He will receive you! That’s how you can begin preparing for thecoming of Jesus, to which all these signs so clearly point.2016: Chicago experiences one of its most violentyears—4,300 shootings and 762 murders.2016: Mexico records 20,792 homicides, manydrug-related, a 22 percent increase over 2015.June 2016: Gunman opens fire inside anightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 andinjuring 50.October 2017: Gunman fires from Las Vegasresort into a crowd, killing 58 and injuring morethan 500. It is the deadliest shooting in modernU.S. history.Economic ChaosDecember 2007: Nearly 10 million lose theirhomes during the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis.February 2018: The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage falls 1,175 points, the largest pointdrop in a single day in history.1 /08/daily-chart-192 inalEvents Magazine.indd 75/22/18 10:18 AM

2IA World Polarizedt was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.Hurricane Harvey inflicted more than 125 billionin damage, dumping more than 40 inches of rainover eastern Texas in just four days, causing catastrophicflooding. At one point, a third of Houston was under water.As we’ve seen, our world is experiencing recordbreaking catastrophes. And despite all the advancesof humanity, the earth is adangerous place no matterwhere you live.Such extreme conditions,which the Bible predicts willonly get worse, create extremeresponses. As the world movestoward its climactic end, peopleand governments will bedesperate for answers and willtry everything possible to fixthese problems. But each new terror attack and naturaldisaster will polarize our world into two distinct groups.someone to rescue them from these dire times, when “men’shearts [fail] them from fear and the expectation of thosethings which are coming on the earth, for the powers of theheavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26).A Clash of Powers“I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, andhe had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in hispresence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in itto worship the first beast” (Revelation 13:11, 12).Here the Bible describes a political power that will riseup in the last days “out of the earth,” which is a symbol of asparsely populated land. The lamb-like horns represent thatthis power would be established on the pillars of religiousliberty and civil liberty, but soon after it would begin tospeak “like a dragon.” This government would then uniteitself with a religious power inspired by Satan. In an effortWorld Conditions Will Get Even Worse“There will be great tribulation, such as has not beensince the beginning of the world until this time, no, norever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, noflesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those dayswill be shortened” (Matthew 24:21, 22).Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, are onlyone part of the “great tribulation” the world faces justbefore the Second Coming. Our planet will be reeling fromthe impact of unrelenting troubles of every kind. Nationsall over the globe will be at war, and so much of societyalready seems to have lost its moral compass—its valuesand appreciation for all that is good and honorable.As the world continues to drift toward more ominousevents each day, millions will be anxiously waiting for8FinalEvents Magazine.indd 85/22/18 10:18 AM

to control the world, they will attempt to force everyhuman being into a false system of worship.Not everyone will bow down to this deceptive power,however. God will have a people who will refuse to givetheir allegiance to it, separating the world into those who“False christs and false prophets will rise and showgreat signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even theelect. See, I have told you beforehand” (Matthew 24:24,25). All through history, many have claimed to be Christ orsome other heavenly messenger, and many have believedthem. Such frauds will appear up to the very end—beforethe true Christ comes again.Jesus warned that these deceptions will be sopowerful that even the elect could almost be fooled.Notice He added: “I have told you before.” Christ wantsyou to know about these shams in advance so that youdon’t fall victim to them. You will not be tricked if youadhere to the truths given in the Word of God.Forced Worship“He was granted power to give breath to the image ofthe beast, that the image of the beast should both speakand cause as many as would not worship the image ofthe beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15).are obedient to the Lord and those who follow Satan. Atthis time, God’s people will experience a great outpouringof the Holy Spirit and will call all people to worship theCreator of the heavens and the earth (Revelation 14:6, 7).The Bible describes the work of God’s people. “Afterthese things I saw another angel coming down fromheaven and the earth was illuminated with his glory”(Revelation 18:1). This angel represents a people whowill boldly call for all humanity to take a stand for theLord. Revival will move across the world as these believers,working under the power of the Holy Spirit, urge ministersand church members alike to stand for the Word of Godand earnestly work for the salvation of souls.In the end, an earthly government will threaten peoplewith death if they do not worship an image.A parallel story in the Old Testament revealsa similar effort to forceworship. ThreeHebrews whoworshipedthe trueGod werethreatenedSupernatural Signs“They are spirits of demons, performingsigns” (Revelation 16:14).As the work of the Holy Spiritbecomes more pronounced,however, occult manifestations willintensify. Deceptive demons willappear to many, masqueradingas loved ones who have passedaway or as biblical saints of old.They will speak words of peaceand hope, all while presentingdistorted doctrines that lead tosin. These supernatural displayshold great influence with themasses, and few are willing tospeak against them.9FinalEvents Magazine.indd 95/22/18 10:18 AM

Ready or NotJesus predicted that the last days would belike another cataclysmic time in world history.Christ said, “As the days of Noah were, so alsowill the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew24:37). In Noah’s day, the world was polarized intotwo groups—those who followed God and thosewho lived for the pleasures of this world.Though Noah preached of the comingdestruction of the world for 120 years, mosteveryone continued “eating and drinking, marryingand giving in marriage, until the day that Noahentered the ark, and did not know until the floodcame and took them all away, so also will thecoming of the Son of Man be” (vv. 38, 39).Likewise, only two groups will exist onthe earth just before Jesus returns:those who are ready for His comingand those who are not. “Thereforeyou also be ready, for the Son of Man iscoming at an hour you do not expect” (v. 44).beast and the antichrist (Revelation 13:14–17). Such lawswill be known by people to directly contradict God’s law.A time of trouble is coming that will be worse thananything the world has ever seen, and we’ve already seensome pretty horrible times. As this world crisis mounts, withpeople desperately seeking for relief and nations looking forstability, “help” will appear in a most startling form.A Warning“Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light”(2 Corinthians 11:14).Imagine a radiant, charismatic being appearing on theearth and claiming to be the Son of God. An army of newsagencies flocks to see this supernatural entity performmiracles and hear him repeat many of the same words Jesusspoke. This event is beamed to the world via satellite, andmillions believe that his appearance on television has fulfilledthe prophecy that “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7).with execution if they did not bow down tothe idol of a Babylonian king.“If you are ready at the time you hear the sound of thehorn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony withall kinds of music, and you fall down and worship theimage which I have made, good! But if you do notworship, you shall be cast immediately into the midstof a burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:15).These Hebrew men refused to violate one of theTen Commandments—“You shall not make for yourselfa carved image you shall not bow down to them norserve them” (Exodus 20:4, 5)—and they faced death. Godmiraculously saved them, however, even though they wereready to die rather than disobey Him. (See Daniel 3.)The same will happen in the last days. Laws will bepassed that will pressure people, on the penalty of death,to “worship the image.” Satan wants to turn everyone awayfrom worshiping the Creator and Redeemer of humanity.These laws will appear to promote moral living, but inreality, they prepare the world to embrace the mark of theThis powerful ruse awaits those who are not prepared,who have not fortified their minds with the truths of God’sWord. When all the world declares that this being is theSavior, God’s faithful people will say, “No!”The world is facing tremendous challenges. But thegood news is that God will never forsake His people. Jesuspromised, “I am with you always, even unto the end of theworld” (Matthew 28:20 KJV).As recent natural disasters prove, there is no guarantee ofsafety in this world. Shattering catastrophes will only increaseas the end draws near. Your safety can be found only in theLord and His promises. “He who dwells in the secret place ofthe Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God,in Him I will trust’ ” (Psalm 91:1, 2). Will you make the Lord yourrefuge right now?10FinalEvents Magazine.indd 105/22/18 10:18 AM

3Probation ClosesWhen Elias Unger jumped out of bed on themorning of May 31, 1889, he had reason tobe anxious. After record-breaking rainfall inPennsylvania, the South Fork Dam near his home wasswollen and ready to crest.Unger quickly gathered a group of men to uncloga spillway to relieve the tremendous pressure on thestructure, but their efforts were futile. Under orders fromUnger, John Parke, anengineer, sent telegraphwarnings to Johnstown, alarge town fourteen milesdownstream, to explainthe unstable nature ofthe eroding dam.But the warningswere not passed alongto town authorities.Moreover, too manyfalse alarms had beengiven in the past—so thecautions were ignored. Ataround 2:50 PM, the damgave way and 3.8 billiongallons of water rusheddown the ConemaughRiver, destroyingeverything in its path.As the tidal wall of destruction smashed houses,uprooted trees, and carried away people and animals,some in smaller towns were able to escape to higherground. An hour later, the flood hit Johnstown, catchingresidents by surprise. A churning wall of water anddebris nearly 60 feet high, traveling at 40 miles per hour,crushed people and carried away houses and businesses.More than 2,200 people lost their lives—99 entirefamilies perished, including 396 children. One-third ofthe dead could not be identified and were buried in the“Plot of the Unknown.”Have you ever ignored a warning and almost lost your life?Have you ever made an irreversible decision that you wishedyou could have undone? In the final events of earth’s history,there is a final warning given to everyone in the world—and allwill need to make a final decision for or against Christ.If this warning goes unheeded, there will be no secondchance—as many pastors teach.The Deceiver“The great dragon was cast out,that serpent of old, called theDevil and Satan, who deceives thewhole world; he was cast to theearth, and his angels were cast outwith him” (Revelation 12:9).Jesus said that Satan “was amurderer from the beginning, anddoes not stand in the truth, becausethere is no truth in him. When hespeaks a lie, he speaks from hisown resources, for he is a liar andthe father of it” (John 8:44). Andone of Satan’s greatest deceptionswill occur when he comes andimpersonates Christ—and most ofthe world will think he is the Savior.Amid all this, however, God will have a faithful people,a remnant, who will not fall for these deceptions—but whowill stand up and speak against them. Notice how the Bibledescribes these people: “Here is the patience of the saints;here are those who keep the commandments of God and thefaith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).What can we learn from Jesus’ example regarding howto be protected from these deceptions? Right after Christ’s11FinalEvents Magazine.indd 115/22/18 10:18 AM

baptism, He went into the wilderness, where, after forty days,He faced the temptations of Satan. During these encounters,Satan appeared to Jesus as an angel of light from heaven andsought to ensnare Him in one of his deceptions.“The devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain,and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and theirglory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You ifYou will fall down and worship me’ ” (Matthew 4:8, 9).Satan tried to get Jesus to worship him. The Bible saysthat in the last days, satanic powers will try to turn peopleaway from the worship of God to the worship of the beast,who “exercises all the authority of the first beast in hispresence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it toworship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed”(Revelation 13:12).Satan is in the business of trying to recruit people toworship him instead of God. Yet despite Satan’s success,God will have a group of faithful people who proclaim thethird angel’s message: “Worship Him who made heaven andearth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7).While many in the world are falling for Satan’s deceptionsand worshiping the beast and his image, others are not.They are worshiping the Creator, the One who madethe heavens and the earth, theOne who gave us lifeand breath and whosustains us now.(See Acts 17:28.)OvercomingTHE DEVIL’SDeceptionsThe Plagues FallA terrible calamity awaits those who get caught up in thefalse system of worship that Satan will establish through forceand deceit.“I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the sevenangels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of Godon the earth.’ So the first went and poured out his bowlupon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came uponthe men who had the mark of the beast and those whoworshiped his image” (Revelation 16:1, 2).Amid the trials of the last days, the hope that things willget better is crushed as Revelation’s seven last plagues beginto fall on the world inrapid succession.The first plague is agruesome sore that causesexcruciating sufferingfor the lost. Six moredevastating plaguesfollow. Thewaters in theseas and riversturn to blood.The sun is givenpower to scorchmen. As plagueafter plague falls, terrorreigns on the panicstricken world.Yet during thistime, those whorefuse to worshipthe beast will beprotected. “Heshall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings youshall take refuge. . You shall not be afraid of the terror bynight. . No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague comenear your dwelling” (Psalm 91:4, 5, 10). Although forgottenby humanity, they are not forgotten by God.How did Jesus overcome Satan’s deceptions? He said, “Awaywith you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord yourGod, and Him only you shall serve’ ” (Matthew 4:10).Jesus knew that the being who came to Him was trying to deceive Him, for if hewas truly from God, he would never have asked Jesus to do anything contrary to theBible. Christ drove Satan away by quoting the Bible. In the last days, a people willalso rely on Scripture to identify the deceptions of Satan. God’s followers will pointothers to the truth amid a time of confusion. The world will soon face a terrible crisisregarding true and false worship. Critical events will test your loyalty and faith.How thankful you can be that the Bible has revealed those events in advance.12

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