Down To The River To Pray

This song is amazingly powerful whatever its origins...its a hym and an enjoinder to all the family of mankind to be saved and be baptised in the grace of the Lord Jesus. I always feel a pang in my heart when i hear those gentle words: "O mothers lets go down, why dont you go down?" My mother isnt saved but i know she will one day soon.

No Country For Old Warriors

To be a leader of a country is a monumental task not least because of the high pressure seat of power it entails.

If the leader takes a wrong turn or makes a bad decision, it will either cost him his job (as in the advanced nations) or the country ends up bearing the cost.

So we have to pray for our leaders, especially for them to receive wise counsel. Whatever views we have of them, we need to pray they will steer the ship well. If the captain steers the ship into troubled waters or gets lost, dont you think the passengers will also be lost?

Once there was a young man who was crowned king. He was asked  to make a sincere personal wish for his kingdom. He thought a while and wished for wisdom. Sure enough, his prayer was divinely granted and he became known as the wisest man who ever lived. His kingdom flourished and he wrote a book of wisdom to pass on to future generations.

In contrast, there was another king who was also blessed with great wealth and power. His wealth was so great that, one fine day, he boasted to his people he was the source of the country's riches. After that, things started to go downhill for him and he ended up losing his kingdom.

He went into hiding in the forests like a wild man and stayed there for seven years until he finally learnt his lesson.

Lesson for the Head of State:
Take stock of what you have done for your country and ask God how your scales are weighed in His sight. Have you stood up to the position granted to you by your countrymen?

Or having fallen short of God's expectations, you remain stubbornly proud and unrepentant of your mistakes?

Lesson for the Opposition leader:
Take a deep breath and look at the world at large. Are you truly sincere in offering an alternative to the ruling administration? Is your motive to truly serve the country or to fulfill your personal ends either for yourself or your group of supporters?

Have you not seen how pride and self exaltation in those who hold the reins of power has brought down kings and queens?

The eyes of God are ever-seeing and His judgment will be swift if you secretly plant seeds of discord in the night. Old warriors with cunning plans will remain in the shadows until their hearts are changed.

Lesson for the citizens: 
Pray for your leaders and your nation that wisdom, good governance and justice (in every aspect of a multi ethnic society) is restored and ingrained into the roots of your land.

Most of all, turn strongly away from your sins, both known and unknown, with a repentant heart so that God in Heaven will have mercy on you and your nation. Cry out to Him and ask Him to forgive you for allowing the nation to be besieged by unscrupulous characters.

For you were raised in this country for a time such as this. And each one of you has a hand in shaping the destiny of your nation.

A Great Year of Resonated Sound: 2018

The year 2018 is a special year of rapid transformation and resonation. So be prepared to run with it or be overtaken by a whirlwind year.

It is going to be a roller coaster of surprises in either way: a rapid acceleration in insights and wisdom or a sudden malfunction in our moral compass, leading to a crash, both spiritually and emotionally.

And for many, this will be the worst time to be ignorant of what is happening in the world today. Whether we stand as passive bystanders or make a move, we will make a difference to the course of history.

How does this happen? It is through our thoughts and the power of our words and actions that we affect/resonate the world around us.

It seems like a great battle is being prepared to start soon and the two armies: the good against the evil are lined up and battle ready.

When we declare the purposes of our very existence to the air around us, it seems that the sound of our spirit will resonate either in the good army or the evil army.

There is no middle ground between good and evil. All passive lukewarm people who have no idea what or who they are will  eventually be caught up in the coming chaos.

Already in the first two months of the year, two significant events have occurred:

- a market crash following a rise in interest rates with a new US central bank chief and
- the self-annointment of a new emperor for life following the end of China's two term rule for the President post.

Do we know what these events signify? Perhaps nothing much for now. But who knows what seeds are being planted and what strange fruit will emerge in the near future.

Watch, listen and stay in humble prayer throughout the year. And from the quiet of your meditation, resonate the sound of your life into the air. Declare your allegiance in the final battle over man's soul.

To paraphrase Charles Dickens: it is both the worst of times and the best of times, depending on where you stand.

Making Malaysia Great Again

For all Malaysians, there is a window of opportunity to get the best out of the country's 14th General Election. This will be an unusual election as the old nemesis of the Opposition party DAP is now the leader and Prime Minister designate of the Opposition alliance (Pakatan Harapan) should they win.

However, the election result is, in my view, less crucial than the communal dialogue of where our country is heading and how we manage our nation today.

This dialogue among the common citizens from across the partisan and ethnic lines has never before been more interesting. Not least because the range of issues is rich with paradoxes and scandals.

But frankly, I am not interested in the Machiavellian personalities and their actual intentions.

At this juncture of our history, the simplest key aim of any good government/party is to paraphrase another revitalised country, MAKE MALAYSIA GREAT AGAIN (MMGA). The Opposition must not be too micro focused on negatives nor get into personal mud slinging matches (like the corrupt and ineffectual Hillary Clinton in the US elections).

MMGA is not necessarily in economicl terms but wholistically in terms of love of country and serving the well being of each neighbor, rich or poor, whatever ethnic or creed. We must have that short, albeit essential dialogue. We must also have the grace to repent and forgive ourselves in our habitual bitter cursing of our pet political enemies.

That is why we must pray for God's mercy on our leaders and pray they have the wisdom to turn away from their old corrupt ways and international intrigue. Malaysia may or may not see political changes as a result of GE14 (although we pray & fast that it will).

But we must raise the bar of intellectual challenges by asking our politicians why are they so unimaginative and boring with no refreshing solutions to unite this multiracial and multi faith nation? Why?

Reform should not just be about removing key personalities from power for the leader of the Opposition is himself, apparently, cut from the same cloth. The solution is who has the bravery and sincerity to promote MMGA without getting into vicious  personality battles.

A new nation can rarely be reborned in an election. But it is possible by the power of our words, our thoughts and our faith in the living God to make this country great again! Praise the Lord Yahweh constantly during and after this GE14. Miracles will happen in this very great year of 2018, either in a slow snowball manner or a shocking acceleration of events.

Is Jesus a King or Servant? A Thought To Ponder

Is Jesus a King or servant? This question may be easy for the mature Christian to answer but it is worth pondering again in these current perilious and majestic times on earth.

Jesus Christ is a servant only insofar as the Redeemer, in giving His life to us unsaved souls that we may gain eternal life through the redemptive mercy of God, served the gift of eternity to mortal mankind. In simpler words, He died that we may live. He became low to the point of being scorned, tortured and killed, that we may rise up to the throne of God.

Which Son of God would come down from Heaven to take the flesh of man and die for mankind who do not even know him? Which samaritan would give his life for a complete stranger?

Is there a religion in this world that a divine being would come down to the level of lowly creatures who are plagued by wickedness and sin in their hearts, to rescue them from their folly?

The reason He did it is, not only because God the Father asked him to do it. He gave His precious life and sacred blood as an offering to save something truly great and majestic in man, namely the genetic blueprint that we have in our spirit and soul.

So once we are saved, what is our relationship to Jesus? Is He still a servant or is a King? In Romans, Paul says we are to reign with Him as we are co-heirs with Christ in the Heavens.

Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

First, the gift of righteousness is a gift given to us not because of what good deeds we have done but because of the blood shed by Jesus. Whenever the devil accuses us in front of God, Father God sees His Son in us, for we carry the crown of righteousness.

Second, having received this gift, we are to reign in our lives on earth. It does not mean to take physical dominion and prosper but to reign as Christ reigned his own life.

In Romans 8:17 Paul says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

To reign as co-heirs of Christ means we have full rights, as God the Father's adopted sons, to receive His inheritance just as Jesus, Father God's only begotten Son, is the natural heir of the Father.

Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, is the natural “heir” of the Father. “ Thus, being a co-heir with Christ means that we, as God’s adopted children, will share in the inheritance of Jesus.

In Galatians 4:7, it is written: “You are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” So these powerful words speak of the redeemed as part of the family of God the Father.

But when Jesus comes to take us as His bride, we will still be co-heirs with Him. But more than that, we become betrothed to Him in marriage. As His bride, we are to show love, honour, respect to Him as our King and spiritual husband.

He is thus, no longer a servant in this realm. He will guide us, counsel us, train us and mould us for God's divine purposes. There are many glorious mysteries which God has not revealed. But we are not to speculate further and implant our own understanding of this new relationship with Jesus our bridegroom.

Being the Son of God and our bridegroom, Jesus is our kingly husband, to all redeemed man, woman and child. In no way are we to refer to Him as our servant King. He may still have the attributes of a servant leader, but that fact doesnt inform our relationship with Him.

Now, when Jesus comes back to the world, He will come back twice, once for the Rapture and the second time, in the last battle of Armageddon on the Day of Judgement when all peoples on earth, good and evil, kings and servants, rich and poor, will be judged and separated as sheep on His right and goats on His left.

So in these end times, Jesus is a King as He chooses who to rapture to be His bride and who to take to Heaven after the tribulation has refined many people and caused many, especially the Jews, to open their hearts to Him.

 

Abiding In Christ: The Tree & The Roots

To abide in Christ is to be rooted in Him, not as a leaf or a branch but as a root. A leaf can be pruned when it is overgrown. But a root is always there. A leaf can be easily torn off from the branch. Likewise a branch can be torn off from the tree. But a root is grown into the soil.

Unless we reject Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, the root can not be torn out.

When we live in the world, the storms and winds will blow at the tree and we will see many changes in our circumstances. But if we hold on to our salvation in Christ, we shall not be moved. That salvation is in the faith of our Spirit man, holding on to Jesus our Saviour and Helper. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear to the extent that we lose our salvation through disobedience and living a sinful life. It is said adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals and liars will not enter into the Kingdom of God.

The root of the tree is our will interwined with our faith to hold on to Jesus, our God. But if we willingly allow the winds or some gardener to pull out the root, then we shall be responsible for the loss of our salvation.

Like a ship that is unanchored without a sail, it will sail into unknown waters and we shall meet an unwholesome end, an eternal death.

Jesus provides a way out of our storms, He provides a way out of our deepest crises, He is our Counseler and our Helper at all times. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His nature is love, mercy and grace.

We who abide in His nature and take on the vessel of Christ, we will not have anything to do with inequity, with quarrels and worldly pleasures.

Man is made for communion with God, his creator. But if he decides to commune solely with his fellow beings without reference to His Creator, he is like a soldier without a general, a ship without a compass, a plane without a radar.

Man is made body, soul and spirit. The soul is both the mind and the emotions. And that is the point where Satan attacks us: by speaking lies and half-truths into our minds so as to influence our emotions. Eventually, if we listen and believe in satan's voice and lies, we shall act in ways that dishonour and displease God. We will not be counted worthy of our salvation.

And that is where the devil boasts of his half-won victory. He shall point out to God and the whole world, saying: "Look here! Here is a man who was once saved but just look at him now: sinning and lying like no one's business, pretending to repent for a while and then going back into sin. Why should such a man be worthy to be saved and enter Heaven? Isnt he a poor example of God's mercy if he can just repent before he dies and enter Heaven?"

This is a serious accusation that seeks to besmirch and stain the reputation and grace of God. It is like the devious snake in the garden of Eden who told Eve that she will be like God if she ate the fruit from the forbidden tree.

Quiet Nights, Quiet Dreams In Bangkok

Travelling in Bangkok for three days, taking the BTS, the MRT and eating at the food courts and street stalls is an enriching experience. 

Beneath the vibrancy, the decadence, the youthful expectancy of the city folks lies a certain sadness. This sadness is of a beauty that is out of this world, like the stars in a quiet night evoked by Antonio Carlos Jobim's Corcovado.

Bangkok is a city that is so well organised in its transport system that it contrasts with the streets where all kinds of vendors and hookers dwell to sell their wares. The physique and the faces of the Thais are very different from the Chinese and the Malays. Some are big boned and quite large. Quite a few share the sharp noses and high cheekbones of Caucasian or Indians.

But beyond the physical, there is something about the people's character that is uniquely Thai. They have a very independent history linked to the royal kingdom and Buddishm. Yet they have a strong inclination for beauty, order and dreams/aspirations. They seek these things in a graceful albeit not necessarily ethical or moral way.

Yet, if there is a city that can be subject to a world government, I ask myself how would Bangkok adapt to it given its paradoxical mix of liberalness and its unique Thai customs.

The Thai language could be the only barrier that shields the Thais from the world. They seem to see things very differently from others, having no inclinations to be allied with any regional or global power. Yet Thailand has been the subject of political intrigues of its own, the palace scandals and secrets that were intertwined with the business elite and the military.

In my opinion, this is a country that needs the refreshing peace of Jesus Christ's forgiveness and mercy. The urban Thais are a graceful and aesthetic people but they have lost their ways in the deceptive worship and entanglement with the philosophies of Buddhism, hedonism and like other Asian cities, materialism.

The mystery of the former king's life and influence over the Thai people is like an extended family mythology and that mythology has passed away with the King's death in 2016.

For investors, the key question is whether Thailand's economy will become stronger and be liberated from the clutches of the military junta after the elections in late 2018.

That question depends on so many factors one of which is the awakening of the people to what is truly going on in the world, especially the ascendancy of China in the region and the political changes in America.

At the very least, Thai society is free from the menace of the race card, a tactic used by politicians in places like Malaysia and America to divide and rule.

Quiet nights and quiet stars Quiet chords from my guitar Floating on the silence that surrounds us Quiet nights and quiet dreams Quiet walks by quiet streams And the window lookin' on the mountains and the sea how lovely This is where I want to be Here with you so close to me Till the final flicker of life's ember I who was lost and lonely Believing life was a only a bitter tragic joke Have found with you the meaning of existence oh, my love

Um cantinho, um violão,
Esse amor numa canção,
Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama,
Muita calma pra pensar e ter tempo pra sonhar,
Da janela vê-se o Corcovado,
O Redentor que lindo.

Quero a vida sempre assim,
Com você perto de mim,
Até o apagar da velha chama,
E eu que era triste,
Descrente de sinismo,
Ao encontrar você eu conheci,
O que é Felicidade, Meu Amor.

Bon Apetit, Monsieur Camus

The Europe of the early 1970s, the Europe of the mid 1980s and today's strange conglomeration of old and new cities called the Eurozone are so far apart.

I lived in Europe for a decade of my life: 3 years in England when I was a child, followed by 2 years in Paris when my artist father moved there to make his mark in the highly competitive art world. Finally, I spent 5 years in London studying for my pre-university and then attending the prestigious London School of Economics.

Culturally, I was brought up in an environment of European classical music, art and literature. I grew up absorbing the music of Mozart, Spanish guitar of Segovia and later in life, Bach. My appetite for reading fiction started when my Bohemian uncle suggested authors such as Herman Hesse and Albert Camus. From Hesse, I ventured on my own to the Russian Dostoevsky, whose Crime and Punishment was a compelling read into the soul of an intellectual criminal.

But at the same time, I was a great fan of Bob Dylan's folk and love songs. This multi-faceted taste in music from classical European to the free-wheeling expressiveness of contemporary American music reflects the dual pull of two cultures: the old reverential and the new expressiveness.

As a matter of personal inclination, I like the European sense of vast orderly spaces, the juxtaposition of the Baroque, the Imperial against the minimalist structures of modern architecture such as the Pyramid at the Louvre. The Italian surrealist de Chirico's paintings captures the melancholic vastness of the European psyche: introverted but filled with a profound meditation on life.

But when I look at the Europe of today, there is a cry in my innermost being: What have you become, O Europe, from the streets of Paris to Rome? 

Apart from the economic crises caused by entangling 19 nations into the Euro currency and the control of an unelected European Parliament, the Europe of today is beset by problems of Islamic inspired terrorism, open border globalism, pretentious cultural inclusiveness, the rise of Islamic issues with the influx of refugees and increasing political power of Islamic friendly governments.

The Shadow of Camus

If there is one writer whose writings encapsulated the angst and future destiny of Europe, it is the French Algerian writer Albert Camus. For him, the destiny of man is a complex, lonely journey, which, after struggling through the maze of deep spiritual longings, ultimately leads to a one way street towards a city called nothingness. 

Existentialism is a strange philosophy. It is like the symbol of the serpent biting and eating its own tail. Man, perhaps because of his highly developed intelligence and knowledge, who, having failed to find a meaning of life predicated on his own rational and intellectual terms, has to arrive at a philosophy of meaninglessness, as if to mock the universe.

Camus would have been a more sincere writer if he had been a poet as he was adept at expressing the lost condition of modern rational man. But as a serious novelist and essayist, he claimed defeat in his quest for truth the moment he declared there can be no meaning in life except what man can make of it, which for him, was to be a philosophical rebel.

So in the current crisis that Europeans are facing today (apart from the economic one linked to its common currency system), we have the problem of cultural inclusiveness and tolerance of a non European feudal culture besieging the foundation of post European culture, which was formerly simply a tension between Christianity and rational philosophy. 

Once the existentialism of Camus gave way to an expanding European community built on making peace and economic union with its southern neighbors at all costs, even to the extent of risking the security of the nations, we have what we see today: enclaves of largely Muslim immigrants living in the suburbs, hardly integrating with the Europeans and posing tremendous economic costs in terms of social benefit spending not to speak of the security nightmare of containing the upsurge of Islamic jihadist attacks.

The Guilt Ridden Lion

In England, I am baffled by the widespread integration of Islamic representation in politics and social life. It is as if, the British government is burdened with tremendous guilt for invading Iraq after being deceived by the globalist Prime Minister Tony Blair.

A nation burdened by guilt over its past misdeeds should just be honest and repentantly apologise (like the post war Germans) to the nation it nearly destroyed. Instead, Britain decided to make amends by accepting the partial assimilation of Islamic values into British society as if this could wipe away the national guilt of its initiative in co-launching the Iraq war with the Americans on false pretexts.

The Future: An Empty Horizon?

Looking ahead, the growing tension between populist nationalism versus the European Union's pan globalism is going to get worse if there is no intelligent political awakening to the underlying decadence of Europe's foundation, which was once based on sovereign freedom of thought and governance.(Just look at the violent, anarchist Antifa movement in European cities).

But as I said earlier, the intellectual awakening that Camus called for is not a genuine awakening from the half light of dawn to broad daylight. In fact, it is a step into a prolonged twilight where the streets ahead, like Giogio de Chirico's street landscapes, lead to an unknown, empty horizon.

Camus himself, said "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." The potential tragedy of Europe is that the act of rebellion is not against the old established order of post Renaissance enlightenment. No, what he really meant, at heart, is that the rebellion is against an unknown, unresponsive, silent God.

The truth of the matter is that the Creator Himself, so generous and gracious in His dedication to the European peoples, was never silent. The Europeans, as they grew weary and disheartened by two devastating World Wars and finding limited leeway in their intellectual tools of analysis, closed their minds and hearts to the quiet voice of God.

The rebellion against civilization always starts innocently with an intellectual game of rebellion in the form of well-written novels. Gradually, that rebellion will morph into a rebellion against every civilized value of freedom and independent right of life.

It is my hope that European citizens (unlike the governing elite) do not allow themselves to misconstrue the populist, anti globalist movement as a kind of racist, bigoted, nationalism but as a genuine step in reassessing their intellectual identity and heritage.

(Had Camus been alive today, he would be shocked to see how existentialism prepared the ground for Fascism, socialist anarchism and eventually the bureaucratic fiefdom of the EU. Bon apetit, Monsieur Camus!).

   

Global Economic Crisis in 2020? A Dialogue on Linked-In

This interesting discussion started with Derick Tan (an active trader and investor in the stock, commodities, currencies, bonds and property) saying that there will be a sovereign debt crisis in the world. So I asked him to elaborate:

LSR: Sovereign debt crisis in southern Europe?

Derick Tan: Sovereign Debt Crisis (SDC) not only in Europe, also in Japan & later on U.S.

LSR: Not in the near term of next three years at least for the US. Yields may be rising but its a mistake to ignore the fact that GDP will rise too. Its the latter that pulls up interest rates.

  

Derick Tan: Personally, I feel Janet Yellen is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she doesn't increase interest rate fast enough, there will be a pension fund crisis, which is already starting to hit some pension funds in U.S. If she does increase interest rate at a faster pace, it is going to bring the world down on its knee. Donald Trump can say all he want about bringing U.S.'s GDP to 4%, I seriously doubt he is able to do it. There will be a global monetary crisis 2020-2022, because of SDC in Europe, Japan & U.S. Just my personal view. Thank u.

LSR: It is true that the world is in an economic and political crisis. If we can see the factors that caused this crisis (not just one factor alone), then we can analyse what are the changes happening today.

1. The low interest rate era is ending with rates in the process of rising. Whether it is on a real or nominal basis depends on the next chairman of the Federal Reserve.

2. The leaders who caused a widening of the rich and poor gap are being replaced. Just ask anyone who is lower economic class than yourself....Just today I spoke to a Singapore taxi driver and after telling him the Spore markets went up this year, he replied only the rich benefited from stock markets. And several taxi drivers I spoke to are critical of their self-serving governments, even in a corruption free place like Singapore.

3. If you agree that the one and key solution for the US economy to grow faster but that the chances are very slim, I think we should all give Trump a chance to bring about that economic miracle. 

4. The character assassination and attempts at impeaching Trump is driven by spurious reasons. He overcome all odds to win the election. That alone takes tremendous genius and energy. He needs all our support, esp to restore peace in the Middles East and destroy or weaken at least ISIS, even if it means colluding with the Russians.

Looking into 2018 The Year of Triumph?

2017 is almost half way through and it has been a truly exciting roller coaster. The election of Donald Trump against all odds has been for me, a personal victory of sorts.

For many years, I have been concerned about the deterioration of the world political and economic order, especially with the disastrous policies and failed leadership of Barack Obama. The Syrian 'civil' war and the way the refugee crisis unfolded in Europe was the straw that broke the camel's back and the camel is essentially the Europeans and Americans. Brexit was the right response to teach the European Union that nations have a real choice to leave and regain their sovereign identity.

Having said that, the first few months of President Trump's administration has been quite mixed. He had more problems with the FBI and allegations of Russian collusion in the election, a charge which I see as truly without any logical basis. Yes, he may be friendly with Putin but if his alliance with Putin is to destroy ISIS and restore peace in Syria, then it is a positive thing.

The first year of Trump's presidency is likely to be rough and filled with road blocks from the elite who want him gone and impeached. But 2018 will be his biggest test because by then, he will have to carry through his fiscal stimulus and tax cuts to revive the US economy towards the 3.0% plus growth pace, which is the lower range of his 3-4% target.

The Winter of My Country Has Come (Long Shih Rome)

The winter of my country has come,
Like a thief in a quiet night,
And a crimson sky at the break of dawn.

The winter of my country has come,
To break the soil and freeze the running stream.
The man of history has come,
Awakening us from our restless dreams.

The winter of my country has come,
Even in the eye of a tropical storm,
A winter of broken wishes,
A winter of stolen rhymes.

The watchmen have left their posts,
The wolves are gathered at the gates,
Rumours of wars and twists of fate
Hamlet's dilemma: to act or contemplate.

Is there light after the darkest hour?
Can a good man be kept from the love for power,
Is that a sound of clashing empires?
Only God knows our deepest desires.

The winter of my country has come,
To a country ruined by broken dreams,
Like a horse caught in mid-stream.

And in the distances we hear
News that a great change is near,
From the land of the free
Like an arrow shot across the earth.
Trusting that, at the end of days,
There is nothing left but to praise
The Lord of Hosts who seek the good and the brave.

The Trump Phenomenon: What It Means For America and the World

The rise and victory of political 'apprentice' Donald J Trump is phenomenal. How he launched his campaign and won the nomination and final election against all odds with the mainstream media, his own party members and the oligarchy of vested corporate interests from America to Europe and China stacked against him. This man has already achieved so much even before he takes office on 20th January 2017.

Despite all the usual fears and criticism hurled at him (racist, fascist, Islamophobia, egomania, sexist, womanizer, unpredictable, anti-trade, anti-immigration,etc), his actions and success has proven so far that he is a true game changer in the political and public arena. He knows the true art of the deal to trump the established players. He doesn't need their money nor their power simply because he already has it. If he is another puppet of the elite (or shadow government), then why are the elite's forces mobilized so strongly against him?

We shall see a new era with Trump's presidency simply because he will overturn the root causes of America's decadence as a nation birthed in religious and intellectual freedom. America will definitely have to be reformed in a process filled with birth-pangs before it can become great again. But it is my confident prayer that he will bring back many traditional values (pro life, marriage between man & woman) enshrined in honoring the one true God of the nation's forefathers and Constitutional authors. May the Lord bless America in this period of President Trump's administration and may the world benefit from his wisdom and policies to bring a genuine peace in the Middle East.

On the economic front, Trump's economic policies have been described as Keynesian, deregulation and anti-free trade. He has pledged to cut corporate taxes (to as low as 15%) which will incentivise American companies to relocate and repatriate their capital back to the U.S. even though there may be labour cost disadvantages. The impact on the government's tax revenue is initially negative before turning more positive over time if the policy succeeds. Trump's strong fiscal stimulus may result in higher debts, higher inflation and stronger economic growth. The problem is that the Federal funds rates can not rise higher than 4% when real GDP growth is stabilising at 3.0% and inflation is 2% because a real Fed funds rate of 2.0% is just sufficient to sustain a real GDP growth of 3.0% given that inflation may exceed the equilibrium rate of 2.0% during periods of excessive growth.

On trade, Trump's policy is against unfair trade especially where countries which artificially suppress their currencies are able to gain export competitiveness against American goods. This policy may be problematic due firstly to the risk of triggering trade wars. Secondly, his domestic policy is likely to strengthen the U.S. dollar (as long as inflation is contained by appropriate interest rate levels) and competing trading partners will not have to take any protective action as their currencies will automatically depreciate against the stronger US dollar. The key unknown about his economic policies is whether the jobs created from the relocation of manufacturing facilities will provide a long-term improvement in the productivity of the economy. Will the source of demand for the US manufacturers be Americans or global? How will America help China become a more advanced nation without creating a trade war and how will America deal with Europe's economic problems of integration in a post-Brexit world?

In the final analysis, Trump will be a game changer in both the economic and political world. Overall, his objective to focus on rebuilding American industry and inner strength as a sovereign nation will be positive for the world as it will set an example to the nations of the importance of self-governance and sovereignty Globalism and its destructive elements will take a back seat if not go into reverse gear so that the economic and political well-being of the middle and lower class citizens can be restored after more than two decades of increasing inequality, disenchantment and spiritual struggles with corrosive liberalism.

America has one last chance in this narrow window of grace. Listen to Amir Tsarfati:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH7qL6DAfes&feature=youtu.be

Terry Bennett: “You Will See 666”

For five days in December 2001, Prophetic minister Terry Bennett received visitations from the angel Gabriel revealing to him a 21-year period marking the rise of the antichrist to a position of ruling the world economy, government, and a new one-world religion.

Last year I posted another article about this same topic, but that was based on a message he shared in 2009. Terry shared more details recently in an interview on a radio program, Trunews.com, on September 18, 2014. In this interview he shared many points that were not shared in the earlier message. Also, I have shared my own insights at the end of this post that help connect Terry’s revelations to the scriptures, which is a real eye-opener.

In this interview, Terry said the angel appeared to him in December 2001, starting the 10th day of December and going through the 14th. He said Gabriel visited with him for several hours each day and told him what would occur during a 21-year period starting in 2008 through 2028. He divided the period into three seven-year periods. He then spoke about each seven-year period revealing what would be the predominant issue of each period. As Gabriel spoke about these things Terry was shown visions allowing him to see the events happening.
Each period will have a predominant issue beginning with economic trouble, then governmental changes, and finally the rise of a one-world religion. In all of the 21 years (from 2008-2028) there will be some elements from all three of these areas.

Period One – Economic Trouble:

The predominant issue of the first period, from 2008-2015 would be economic problems. Gabriel told Terry, “2008 will be the beginning of economic sorrows in our nation and in the world. During this time the great economic wealth of the United States will be neutralized and the military power of the United States will be greatly diminished.” The economic problems will be the primary cause for the military power being weakened.
Gabriel told him, “The status of the United States as a world power would end during this time.“

Terry explained there was at least some good that would come from this, “In one sense of it this is the protection of the Lord because if it were not for this downfall the spirit of antichrist that is coming out of Europe would make a grab for this nation.”

There will be a change in the U.S. currency. A different currency is going to come, at least one. That will entail us no longer being the reserve currency of the world. I believe we are on the verge of seeing those things take place in our nation and the banking system failing again. So there are very serious things coming economically.

Period Two – Governmental Changes:

The economic problems of the first seven-year period would be the primary cause for the next major issue occurring during the second period from 2015-2021. 2014-2015 would be a transitional year leading to the next seven-year period, which would be a time of dramatic changes in governments around the world, great political turmoil, and wars.

Terry explained, “What the United States is going to go through is civil conflict, civil war, and then invasion. This will greatly diminish the desire of the spirit of antichrist to take hold of this nation. So there was a side of it, particularly if we pray, that all of this would result in a blessing from the Lord to keep us from the domain of the spirit of antichrist. I saw in the governmental arena we will go through a dramatic change in our government and there would be a time of anarchy and chaos. For a while we will have a fractional government, which means basically our government will come down to the state level because of the military stepping in and having to seize control of our federal government. We would call it a coup, but in all honesty it will be to help our nation. That is why the military will step in. I believe we are now on the verge of these things happening. Lawlessness and chaos was shown to me, and civil unrest.”

The angel Gabriel told Terry, “When the checks from our government stop coming to the people the chaos will ensue.”

Terry explained, “Then we are going to see a major change with our government. The great economic turmoil in the 2014-2015 year of transition will bring on these changes in government. Then there will arise a new government in Europe, which Gabriel warned me. Here is what he said to me back in 2001, “Keep your eyes on four nations. They are signposts to what is coming. Firstly keep your eyes on Greece. Secondly, keep your eyes on Italy. Thirdly, keep your eyes on Spain. Fourth keep your eyes on France. Greece is going to want another Alexander the Great. Italy is going to want and emperor. Spain is going to want a king and queen. France is going to want another Napoleon. Satan is going to offer that to them in one person. They will say yes. Through chaos they will gain control.”
Terry explained, “I believe some of that chaos will be created, purposeful, while other chaotic events will come because once they get it going they will be unable to control it. The economic chaos will lead to dramatic governmental change in Europe, as it will here in our nation. It will begin in the economic arena and then go forth into the governmental arena. Major governmental changes are going to happen in various parts of the world, particularly in Europe.

Period Three – The Rise of a One-World Religion

The final phase revealed to Terry occurs in 2022-2028. The predominant part of the governmental troubles will be in preparation for, particularly in Europe, the arising of the spirit of antichrist. What is coming is called the new world order, but behind that is the spirit of antichrist and the false prophet spirit with that. With that is coming a one-world religion.

Terry explained, “I was told it would be a combination of three world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all brought together into a one-world religion. Those three would be combined as a compromise, a mixture. Each of those three religions believes in one god whereas other religions have many gods. The one-world religion will be presented as a solution that will bring peace, when in reality it will be a compromise and a mixture offered by Satan to turn the world away from the absoluteness that there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved than the name of Jesus Christ. Anybody who refuses to accept the new one-world religion will be labeled as a radical terrorist and a threat to world peace. As it goes forward it will move to murder. It will be declared by a religious leader in Europe that this person whom they will receive as their governmental leader is god, when in reality it is the antichrist”

When this religious leader declared this man to be god, Terry saw hundreds of thousands of Catholics rose up and said no. They resisted what they knew was an attack against the Lord Jesus himself. As a result many Catholics were murdered. He also saw many Protestants resisting and they were also put to death in great numbers. He saw millions of these resisters put to death, martyred for their refusal to accept the divinity of the antichrist.
Terry explained, “There will also be resistor nations and tribes of people, even in the European area, who will be unwilling to go down that path, but it was at great cost of life that they will resist, and some of them will resist. Satan is going to push for worldwide acceptance of the antichrist, but he will never be fully accepted. There will be sheep nations that absolutely resist and there will be people groups who absolutely resist.”
Gabriel told Terry, “The people of Ireland and Scotland will never bow to the antichrist.”

Gabriel told Terry, “You will see 666. You will see the number of man demonically controlled in economics, government, and religion. When it goes to religion that is when the mass martyrdom begins.”

Unprecedented Exploits from a Remnant:

We know from the Bible a time of great trouble is coming upon the whole earth. However, for those who walk close with God will see great things during these times.
Terry Bennett explained, “At the same time as the unprecedented in the earth is happening I believe there is going to be the unprecedented moving of the spirit of God among His people. I believe a lot of that is going to be a remnant issue. I want every person to be involved in that, but I believe, especially in western culture, there is going to be a remnant issue, although I think there is going to be some very major moves of God in western areas of the world, but even more so in the east. The Lord keeps saying to me that His people are going to do unprecedented exploits. He is saying to expect the unprecedented, what has never even been written and what has never even been heard about. What we have recorded in the scriptures, but I believe we are in the final showdown here. The Lord said to me, ‘Prepare for the invasion of heaven.’ The unprecedented is upon us. God is going to do that which has never even been heard about and that is exciting.”

Consider What Has Already Happened:

Since Terry received these revelations in 2001 and he saw events that would start in 2008 we now have the benefit of hindsight to see how accurate he was. He saw economic problems would begin in America and the world in 2008, and that is exactly what happened when the housing market collapsed. Anyone who thinks our economy has recovered from the 2008 collapse is mistaken. Despite the non-stop propaganda coming from the mainstream news media to convince us of a recovery, there has been no recovery because none of the problems that caused the 2008 collapse have been addressed. In fact, the problems are much worse today than they were then. Just consider these points:

 Our government debt is now nearly double what it was in 2008.
 Our Congress has now suspended the debt ceiling.
 The too-big-to-fail banks are now even bigger.
 The FDIC has approved plans to use depositor accounts for bank bail-ins.
 Our southern border is now wide open, making us more vulnerable than ever to terrorist attacks.
 Median household income in the United States has declined 8% since 2007 (Source: U.S. Census Bureau).
 Despite a growing population there are 1.4 million fewer full-time jobs in America today than in 2008.

Where is this phantom recovery? The truth is we are sitting on an economic time bomb and it is just a matter of time. Terry’s vision lets us know the time is very short now. We are now approaching a collapse that will be far bigger than 2008. Terry saw that too. I documented his comments about that on that in my other post on this topic from last year.

So based on his track record and the fact that his vision aligns with scripture, I believe we are going to see the fulfillment of the other events he saw happening between now and 2028.

Comparing Terry’s Vision to Daniel’s Vision:

The message delivered by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel was very similar to the message given to Terry Bennett. It is interesting to note the parallels between the two visions.
 The same angel, Gabriel, visited both of them and delivered the message.
 In both cases he revealed the events that were to come in the last days.
 The main point of both messages was the rise of the antichrist.
 In both cases he broke the events into seven-year periods.
 In both cases he broke the seven-year periods into three and a half-year periods (see previous post)
 In both cases he revealed a time of great trouble was coming.

Key to Understanding the Vision:

I believe the key to understanding Terry’s 21-year vision is in the statement made by the angel Gabriel, “You will see 666. You will see the number of man demonically controlled in economics, government, and religion.”
That point sums up the whole vision because it shows us where all of this is going. His vision exposes the scheme of the enemy to bring the whole world under the control of the antichrist by 2028. The 21-year period is a time of transition from relative peace and prosperity in 2008 to unprecedented spiritual darkness, the rule of the antichrist, the establishment of a one-world religion, and the mass slaughter of millions of Christians by the end of 2028. We are already 7 years into this transition with only 14 years remaining.

Another key to understanding Terry’s vision is to put it in the context of the scriptures. Comparing the events Terry saw to the events that the Apostle John listed in Revelation 6 and that Jesus listed in Matthew 24 gives us more insights into where we are and what is coming next. So we have three different accounts of the rise of the antichrist during a time of trouble. Since this only happens one time in all of history we can conclude all three accounts are describing the same events.

Jesus warned us that prior to the day of the Lord the earth would endure a series of events that he compared to birth pangs.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:7-8)

So we can expect to see intense pain followed by temporary relief from pain followed by even more intense pain. As the time of birth approaches the pains become more intense and the intervals between the pains become shorter. The initial pain that we experienced in 2008 is relatively small compared to other events that come later. Also the initial pain is followed by the longest interval of time. Each subsequent event will be followed by a shorter interval of time. So as we get closer to 2028 we will see an acceleration of these things.

The Apostle John also saw these same events released by the breaking of the first five seals in Revelation 6. His account is very helpful because he lists the events in sequential order, which can help us to see where we are and what is coming next. We have already summarized the events Terry saw. So now let’s consider the same events John recorded in Revelation 6.

The First Seal is Broken

When the first seal is broken, we see the first appearance of the antichrist. John is shown a vision of a rider on a white horse and the rider was given a crown. Then the rider went out conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2). The rider is the antichrist. He rides a white horse because he is a false messiah. He is an imposter impersonating the Lord Jesus Christ.

So the antichrist first appears on the world stage as the ruler of a nation. When he first receives his crown very few people will be aware that he is the antichrist. The Bible tells us his true identity will not be revealed until later. In the following scripture passage the Apostle Paul tells us his identity will be revealed prior to the day of the Lord when he takes his seat in the temple and declares himself to be God.

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so- called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)

The beast must conceal his true identity because anyone who knew would never follow him. The truth would destroy his power. Knowing this, he will rely on deception and lies to deceive his followers about who he is and what he is really doing, and he will surely launch vicious attacks against anyone who attempts to expose his true identity. So he will rise to power as a complete fraud with a phony identity. Having rejected the truth the world will eagerly believe his lies.

After receiving his crown he goes out conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2). In other words, immediately after the antichrist becomes the leader of a nation trouble soon follows. He will be a troublemaker. He will go forth conquering, which means he will cause wars and all the trouble that comes from them. The angel Gabriel revealed to the prophet Daniel the antichrist will make changes in the laws and enact new policies that serve his own purposes (Daniel 7:25). So his conquering will not be limited to military conflicts but will include other arenas too, such as economy, religion, and social issues. He will be a man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3), which means he will pick and choose which laws he follows. All of these things begin after the first seal is broken.

Terry Bennett saw 666, which is the number of man being demonically controlled in three areas, which include the economic system, governments, and religions. The antichrist could not control these three arenas unless he had already received a crown. He saw a religious leader declare the antichrist is God. No one would declare him to be God unless he had already come forth as a world leader, which he does when he receives his crown. So these events could only happen after the first seal is broken. The rider on the white horse is released (Revelation 6:1-2).

The Second Seal is Broken:

When the second seal is broken war is released on the earth (Revelation 6:3-4). War brings other companions with it, including death, not only for soldiers, but also for civilians as the normal distribution of food, water, energy, and other items are disrupted. Historically, war is often followed by famine and death.

Terry Bennett saw dramatic changes in governments all around the world as they were overthrown due to economic trouble and wars, including a civil war in the United States and a military invasion of the United States, which would be world war three. This sounds very similar to what happens when the second seal is broken. The rider on the red horse is released (Revelation 6:3-4).

The Third Seal is Broken:

When the third seal is broken a rider on a black horse is released. This rider brings hyperinflation of food prices. A scene is described that indicates the scarcity of food, which could be caused by the collapse of currencies and by wars. Regardless of the causes the result appears to be widespread famine (Revelation 6:5-6).
Terry Bennett saw severe economic trouble with the stock market falling below 500 points (it is over 17,000 today) and the collapse of the United States dollar. As the world’s largest economy and the reserve currency of the world, these events would send the whole world into a deep economic depression. This sounds very similar to the hyperinflation and scarcity of food described when the third seal is broken. The rider on the black horse is released (Revelation 6:5-6).

The Fourth Seal is Broken:

When the fourth seal is broken a rider on an ashen horse releases death, which naturally follows after war and famine, but in addition more death comes from the spread of pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:7-8). The natural companion to war and famine is death, which is the fourth seal broken. The rider on the ashen horse is released (Revelation 6:7-8).

The Fifth Seal is Broken:

When the fifth seal is broken we see the mass murder of the saints. Those who had already been killed were told the slaughter would have to run its course before justice would be carried out on their murderers. The martyred saints were told to wait a while longer because many more believers were yet to be killed as they had been (Revelation 6:9-11). So we see there will be an ongoing campaign of murdering Christians that will take some time, probably years, to complete because of the huge numbers of people that must be exterminated. I don’t believe the antichrist will succeed in completing this task because Jesus promised us He would cut short those days for the sake of the elect (Matthew 24:22).

Terry Bennett saw the rise of a one-world religion with the whole world forced to convert or die. Resisters were labeled as extremists and terrorists, rounded up, and murdered by the millions. He saw the resisters were Christians, specifically Catholics and Protestants. Mass martyrdom on a worldwide scale is exactly what happens when the fifth seal is broken.
The parallels between what Terry saw and what John saw are amazing, but the slaughter of millions of Christians is the most obvious match. Here are four similarities between the mass martyrdom Terry saw and the martyrdom in Revelation 6:9-11.

1. Both occur on a large scale.
2. Both are linked directly to the rise of the antichrist.
3. Both occur after a great war.
4. Both occur after a time of great economic trouble.

Conclusions from Terry’s Revelation:

Since we have three different accounts telling us about the rise of the antichrist during a time of great trouble and since that only happens one time in human history, we can conclude Terry, Jesus, and John were all describing the same events. In addition to the rise of the antichrist, all three accounts include war, economic problems, and the mass murder of Christians.

Since all three accounts are describing the same events and since Jesus called these events birth-pangs and tribulation, we can conclude the events that Terry and John saw were also the birth-pangs and tribulation periods. Terry Bennett saw this time of trouble began in 2008, which would mean the birth pangs began in 2008.

I believe the 21-year period that Terry saw is the season of birth-pangs leading us up to the final seven years. It makes sense that the great trouble would not all happen suddenly with no trouble prior to the final seven years. It also makes sense that the antichrist would require some time to rise to the position of world ruler. It does not make sense that he would suddenly come out of nowhere to rule the world. On the contrary, we are told after he receives his first crown he goes forth conquering (Revelation 6:1-2). If he was already crowned ruler of the world he would have no reason to go forth conquering because the whole world would already be under his control. Since a transition process is required for the antichrist to become ruler of the world and since that is an enormous mission that no man has ever achieved before, we can conclude this process could take many years to complete. The Bible does not tell us how many years will be required for those events, so the idea that it will last 21 years does not contradict any scriptures and sounds believable.

After the antichrist secures the position of world ruler he is granted only 3 and a half years to reign (Daniel 7:21-25, Daniel 12:6-7), but based on what Gabriel told Terry, it sounds like the 21-year period covers the rise of the antichrist, but does not include his 42-month reign. Gabriel told Terry we would see 666 by 2028, which means the antichrist would have secured his position of ruling the world by then. He would then begin his 3 and a half-year reign. That means the tribulation could begin in 2028 with the antichrist waging war against Christians (Daniel 7:25).

Jesus said the tribulation period would continue until the abomination of desolation, which is when the antichrist breaks his own covenant by putting a stop to sacrifices and offerings and takes his seat in the temple displaying himself as God (Matthew 24:15-22, Daniel 9:27). That event separates the tribulation from the great tribulation. It occurs at the mid-point of the final seven years. Then the great tribulation begins and continues for 1,290 days (Daniel 12:11).

To learn more about the differences between the tribulation and the great tribulation, read my post “Twelve Differences Between The Tribulation and The Great Tribulation.”

The Apostle John tells us the sequential order of the tribulation events with the breaking of the seals. If Terry’s 21-year time frame is correct then the first seal was broken in 2008 because John saw that event would mark the beginning of the birth-pangs. That would mean the antichrist received his first crown in 2008. Since John saw peace is not taken from the earth until the second seal is broken, we can conclude the antichrist came to power during a time while there was still peace. He then began going forth conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:1-2), which tells us his actions will have a lot to do with leading the world to war. The prophet Daniel supports this conclusion. He saw the antichrist would destroy many people while they are not expecting it, while they are enjoying peace and quiet and are at ease (Daniel 8:25).

John then saw war comes after the second seal is broken. This sequence of events is consistent with what Terry Bennett saw, which was an initial seven-year period of economic trouble (when the first seal was broken) followed by seven years of wars and changes in governments. In both accounts a period of peace precedes a time of war. So we can conclude the second seal will be broken during the second 7-year period, from 2015-2021.
John saw the mass murder of Christians would be released after the fifth seal is broken. Terry Bennett saw millions of Christians would be murdered during the third 7-year period, from 2022-2028. These sound like the same events, but in this case I don’t think so. I think what Terry saw was still the birth-pangs leading up to what John saw because the events released by the breaking of the fifth seal align with what Jesus called the tribulation, which occurs after the antichrist secures his position ruling the world government. He is then given a 42-month period to reign.

Since Terry saw the antichrist secures his position in 2028 the 42-month tribulation could not begin until then. Jesus said this period would be a time when believers are murdered and hated, many fall away and betray one another, false messiahs arise, lawlessness increases, and most people’s love will grow cold (Matthew 24:9-12).

Will God’s People Still Be Here When These Things Happen?

God has promised to deliver His people from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). God’s wrath is not intended for His people, but for those who have rejected Him even after being given many opportunities to come to Him.

Here is another promise for God’s people:

Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
As terrible as these events are they are not the wrath of God. As we have already established, the events Terry saw are the same events recorded in Revelation 6 when the first five seals are broken. However, the wrath of God does not begin to be poured out until after the seventh seal is broken in Revelation 8, which also marks the beginning of the day of the Lord. God’s people will be delivered from the wrath of God when the Lord Himself catches them away to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). That explains why we see a scene change between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seals. Revelation chapter 7 is inserted between the sixth and seventh seals, between Revelation 6 and 8. The Holy Spirit put it there on purpose because that is exactly the correct sequence of events. That is where we see a great multitude of believers clothed in white robes standing in heaven before the throne of God. The elder explains to John that these are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation (Revelation 7:14). He also tells John some of the things they suffered during the tribulation, including hunger, thirst, exposure to the elements (as would be the case for refugees who were forced to flee from their homes), and the shedding of tears. Then he tells John they will never again have to endure any of those things.
So God’s people will be delivered from the wrath of God, but the wrath of God is not released until after the seventh seal is broken and the day of the Lord commences with the blast of a trumpet. The wrath of God then comes with a series of terrible events that each follows the blast of a trumpet. God’s people will be taken out of the earth before the wrath of God is released, but not until after the first six seals are broken. For more details on the timing of the rapture see my other post:

Ten Things that Must Happen Before the Rapture.

If the events in Terry’s vision are the same events released by the breaking of the first five seals then God’s people will still be on the earth when these things happen. This conclusion fits with his testimony because he made no mention of any rapture during the 21-year period.

Although God has promised to deliver His people from the wrath to come, He has never promised to deliver us from the wrath of man, which is persecution. In fact, he has promised us the world will hate us and persecute us and even kill us.

The Apostle Paul wrote “all who desire to live godly in Messiah Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said we would “be hated by all because of His name” (Mark 13:13) and “they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another (Matthew 24:9-10).
This is the context for all of the events shown to Terry and all of the events released by the breaking of the seals in Revelation 6. All of these things happen while believers are still on the earth. These events do not come from God, but from the wrath of evil people who are controlled by the spirit of antichrist, which is the spirit of the devil.

Unprecedented Trouble Began in 2008:

Terry Bennett saw the first significant event to happen during this 21-year period would be the beginning of major economic trouble for America and the world. He was right. The trouble began in 2008 and has captured the attention of the world ever since. However, the Apostle John saw this same period would begin with the antichrist receiving a crown after the first seal is broken (Revelation 6:1-2). If Terry and John saw the same events, which only occur one time in human history, then 2008 was a double whammy.

Perhaps the economic problems were just a smoke screen for the real trouble that began at the same time. A smoke screen is a military tactic deployed for the purpose of hiding the movement of military units into position. As the prince of darkness, the devil is notorious for hiding himself. So it is would be just like him to divert everyone’s attention onto something else while he moved his man onto the world stage. He probably also used the trouble to help the antichrist win his crown by deceiving people into believing he would solve their problems.

While the whole world is focused on the economy, a much bigger problem is being completely ignored. The antichrist is now working to lead the world into unprecedented trouble and no one is doing anything to stop him. Not only is no one trying to stop him, but virtually no one seems to even know of his arrival. The economic problems provide the perfect diversion for the antichrist to receive his first crown and launch his mission of global conquest. He is now using his crown to unleash the powers of hell into the earth.

We now have the benefit of hindsight to see not only the economic trouble that Terry saw would begin in 2008, but also the empowerment of the antichrist that John saw would mark the beginning of this period of trouble. The evidence shows great trouble began in 2008, not just for the economy but all sorts of trouble around the world including violent uprisings, increased lawlessness, increased persecution of Christians, increased anti-Semitism, civil wars, middle east wars, the Arab Spring, deadly diseases spreading in Africa, sovereign debt levels soaring to unprecedented levels, sanctions against Russia, and many other problems. The level of trouble in the world seems to increase every week. By all appearances we are moving closer to the fulfillment of Terry’s vision and closer to the breaking of the second seal.

He Goes Forth Conquering:

Terry saw it would take 21 years for the antichrist to complete his rise to ruler of the world. After he receives a crown he uses the power of his position to go forth conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:1-2). We are told he carries a bow and rides on a white horse, which are both symbols of conquest. These symbols provide us with further confirmation of his mission. The white horse also reveals his plans to use deceptive tactics to accomplish his mission, imitating the prophetic images of Jesus the Messiah who will one day return riding on a white horse to rescue His people.
So both his mission and his tactics are revealed to us. He will go forth conquering while deceitfully hiding his true intentions. Daniel 8:25 reveals he will present himself as a man of peace while at the same time causing the death and destruction of many people. He will routinely do the very opposite of what he claims to be doing. His deceptive tactics will enable him to achieve many conquests even without an all out war, but his actions will ultimately lead to world war, which follows after the second seal is broken.

If his first crown were ruler of the world there would be no need for him to go forth conquering because the whole world would already be under his control. He must have a period of time in which he makes conquests to achieve his mission. That is what the 21-year period is all about.

Gabriel told Terry we would see 666 before the end of the 21-year period in 2028. If the antichrist is going to complete the transition from national leader to world leader within this 21-year time frame then he has no time to waste. Many great leaders before him have tried, but no one has ever succeeded in becoming ruler of the world. It is an enormous goal that would take years to achieve. In Revelation 6:2 it appears he wastes no time in undertaking his mission. After he is given his crown he immediately goes forth conquering and to conquer. He does not come out of nowhere to suddenly rule the world. He needs a lengthy season of time to use his new position to create opportunities to grab more power. So time is short and the idea that he is going to sit on the sidelines wasting time makes no sense.
Although the antichrist has 21 years to become ruler of the world he has another deadline approaching much sooner than that. Since his mission is to go forth conquering and to conquer we know he is the one responsible for leading the world to war, which is released with the breaking of the second seal. Terry saw world war coming during the next 7-year period, from 2015-2021. So the antichrist only has at most 14 years, from 2008-2021, to bring the world to the brink of war. He not only has to provoke war, but do it in a way that hides his role in starting it. So again he has a big mission ahead of him with no time to waste. It only makes sense that he would start at the beginning of this period.

So if the antichrist received his crown in 2008 and has been going forth conquering ever since, someone might ask where is the evidence? Where are his conquests?
When we think of conquering we typically think of armies marching into war. That is one example, but there are more ways. Here are some examples:

1. Use drone strikes to eliminate enemies in foreign countries. “He will destroy many while they are at ease” (Daniel 8:25).
2. Use covert operations to overthrow governments of foreign countries. “And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence” (Daniel 8:25).
3. Use air strikes to overthrow governments of foreign countries. “He will be given power over the nations” (Revelation 13:5, Daniel 7:25, and 9:27).
4. Increase military aid to governments he likes. “He will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many” (Daniel 11:39).
5. Cut off military aid to governments he does not like. “He will be given power over the nations” (Revelation 13:5, Daniel 7:25, and 9:27).
6. Assign special agents to assassinate opponents through mysterious accidents. “He will destroy mighty men and the holy people” (Daniel 8:24).
7. Use surveillance to spy on opponents at home and abroad. “Through his intelligence, knowledge, discretion, and understanding, he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence.” (Daniel 8:25)
8. Use surveillance to spy on friends at home and abroad. “Through his intelligence, knowledge, discretion, and understanding, he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence.” (Daniel 8:25)
9. Equip violent murderous gangs with assault weapons. “And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree” (Daniel 8:24).
10. Equip terrorist groups with high-powered military weapons. “And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree.” (Daniel 8:24)
11. Release terrorist group leaders from prison. “And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree” (Daniel 8:24).
12. Impose sanctions on foreign governments and financial institutions. “He will take action against the strongest of fortresses” (Daniel 11:39).
13. Issue orders to grant himself more authority. “He will make changes in the times and the laws” (Daniel 7:25).
14. Arm and equip domestic government agencies to enforce his plans. “He will perform his will and advance, prosper, and be promoted” (Daniel 8:12, 8:24).
15. Change laws to expand his control over people, resources, and industries. “He will make changes in the times and the laws” (Daniel 7:25).
16. Redefine friends as enemies and enemies as friends. “He will wage war with the people of God and will overpower them” (Daniel 7:21).
17. Stall, make excuses, and take no action to stop dangerous activities. “He will destroy to an extraordinary degree” (Daniel 8:24).
18. Wage propaganda wars blaming his enemies for doing the very things he is doing. “He will fling truth to the ground” (Daniel 8:12).

No, I did not intentionally make this list include 18 points, so I won’t even mention that it adds up to 6+6+6. I originally used bullet points before converting it to numbers. I also wrote all of the points first before realizing there are scriptures to support them all, so I added those last. Nothing to see here folks, just keep moving along.
So there are many actions the antichrist could take to go forth conquering. In some ways these actions are even better than sending an invasion of ground troops because they have a lower profile, which would allow him to claim to be leading the world to peace when in fact he is leading the world to war.


His Rise to World Power:
Terry saw dramatic changes in government are coming in the next seven-year period from 2015-2021. During that time he saw civil unrest coming in the United States that would be so great that our federal government would completely lose control over the country as states would begin to refuse to obey federal statutes. As a result, our government would return back to the state level for a season.

Last week, Rick Joyner reported a dream in which he saw a terrorist attack coming soon in America. He saw this attack would cause major civil unrest leading to the formation of civilian militia groups rising up all over the country to combat the terrorists because the federal government would refuse to protect our people. He saw the same murderous spirit that was on the terrorists came upon the American citizens, as they were so furious at our federal government leaders. He even saw federal government agents would have to flee for their lives from many states because merciless civilian militia groups were hunting them down.

Rick Joyner’s dream is consistent with the civil unrest that Terry Bennett saw. Terry saw the civil unrest would eventually lead to civil war. This is consistent with a dream I had last year, which I documented in a post called “Civil War is Coming to the United States.” During this time Terry saw the United States military would overthrow our federal government to save the country from tyranny. However, these events would take a huge toll on our economy and our military strength. In that weakened condition he saw foreign armies would invade us and war would come to our land.
Hearing these things caused me to wonder what would happen to the defeated tyrants who are now running our federal government. My guess is they would leave the country before it was too late for them. However, the rest of the world would not view them as defeated tyrants. In many parts of the world, especially in Muslim countries where we are known as “The Great Satan,” America’s demise would be celebrated and our former leaders would be embraced as heroes. So these countries would provide likely places of refuge for President Obama and others in his administration to flee to at that time.

After America’s downfall, the focus of Terry’s revelation shifted to Europe. Gabriel told Terry to watch for the surrender of Greece, Spain, Italy, and France because that will be a sign letting us know the antichrist is moving closer to 666. These four nations have already suffered great economic trouble. Italy and France have so far avoided the severe economic problems experienced in Greece and Spain, but when they do the ripple effects will be much larger because Italy is Europe’s third largest economy and France is Europe’s second largest economy. When financial institutions fail they impact other financial institutions because they are all linked together through loans. As a result, they can all fall down very fast like a house of cards. So the danger is very real, but still we have not reached that point yet.
The fall of these four nations will be a key step in his transition process from ruler of one nation to ruler of the world. He will rise to power like many before him, but he will succeed where all others have failed. This is not to his credit though because his success will not come by his own power (Daniel 8:24).
He will use his first crown to cause trouble that will drive nations to the point of surrender. Then he will deceive them into believing he is the solution to the very trouble he caused. This is how he will eventually enslave the whole world. The nations will embrace him as the solution to their trouble when in reality he is the source of their trouble. The spirit of the antichrist will bring the world into such spiritual darkness that the people will not be able to see the connection between the troublemaker and the trouble. Satan will have blinded their eyes so they follow him to destruction.

In summary, the antichrist first gains a crown, then uses his crown to cause trouble, and then uses the trouble to gain more crowns. Like some of our current government leaders have already said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” The antichrist will take that a step further by creating the crisis then using it to grab more power.
Despite the Hollywood version of a slick, charismatic leader, the real antichrist might not be all that impressive by his own abilities. He doesn’t need to be because his success does not come from his abilities. He will succeed only because he is empowered by demonic spirits. These spiritual powers typically operate under cover of darkness, not overtly, because the devil relies on deception. But the antichrist will require open displays of his demonic powers to complete his rise to world power. He will even use false signs and wonders to convince the world to follow him (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Human beings will not be able to stop him (Daniel 8:25).

Finding the Beast

So what country is the antichrist currently ruling? We can apply reasoning and logic to narrow it down by process of elimination, but this process could lead to wrong conclusions so this exercise is more for fun than for making hard conclusions. Having said that, here we go:
1. Which would be more likely, that he receives his first crown in a weak third world nation or in strong developed nation? Since his influence and ability to go forth conquering would be very limited in a third world country he must have been given a crown in a developed nation.
2. Third world countries are usually led by dictators or kings who reign for decades while developed countries are usually led by Presidents or Prime Ministers who reign for one or two short terms. So his current title must be either President or Prime Minister.
3. Dictators and kings rule by force, but Presidents and Prime Ministers are elected by the people. So the people must have elected him.
4. Since we know he is a fraud and a liar, but is somehow still able to get enough votes to be elected, he must be a master of deception.
5. Since Presidents and Prime Ministers serve for only a few years and since we have already established that he is now in office, he must have been elected within the last ten years.
6. Since the 21-year period that marks the rise of the antichrist began in 2008, he must have been elected in 2008.
No, I did not intentionally complete this exercise in six points. It just worked out that way. Some people don’t know when to stop.

If this exercise has any merit, the conclusion is the antichrist was elected President or Prime Minister of a developed nation in 2008. However, this conclusion is based on lots of assumptions and could be way off.

There is also another way to find the beast. Criminal investigators find criminals by using a technique called “follow the money.” We could use a similar technique to find the antichrist, called “follow the trouble.”

How Can This Information Help Us Today?

If the events shown to Terry Bennett are the same events as described in Revelation 6 the implications for us today are enormous. Why? Because Terry’s vision shows us the time frames when these events will occur and Revelation 6 shows us the sequence of the events. Mapping the events in Matthew 24 to the events in Revelation 6 reveals exactly where we are right now, what is about to happen next, and approximately when it will happen. If Terry’s vision covers the breaking of the first five seals, then we can not only know what happens between now and 2028, but we can also keep reading Revelation to find out what comes after 2028. The sixth seal will be broken. Then the events of Revelation 7 and 8 will unfold. We have not been told how many years will be required for the events that come after 2028.

At the time of this writing we are near the end of the first seven-year period, which is the period of economic trouble. This period began with a great economic collapse in 2008, but we have yet to see the more severe economic events that Terry saw. He saw that these events would continue beyond the seven-year period, extending into a transition year that included parts of 2014 and 2015. That means we are now standing at the doorstep to an economic collapse far bigger than the 2008 collapse. Terry saw that and described it exactly that way. Anyone who sees that coming should plan accordingly. For example:

1. Now would not be a good time to be in the stock market because the stock market is about to drop like a rock.
2. Now would not be a good time to have a lot of cash in the bank because the heart of the collapse will center around a banking crisis and our government has already agreed to bank bail-ins, which means they get to keep your deposits.
3. Now would not be a good time to buy real estate, even though it is better than stocks, because the real estate bubble is going to burst and might never return to the levels we see today.
4. Now would be a good time to own real assets like gold and silver, but not the paper ETF derivatives like GLD and SLV. If you don’t own physical metals you don’t own anything.
5. Markets for expensive luxury items are about to get wiped out. Markets for low cost essential items like food and water should be much more resilient.
6. Now would be a good time to store up some extra food items, drinking water, fuel, etc.
7. Now would be a really good time to draw closer to God than you have ever been before. One word from God during a critical time can save your life and the life of your family, but if you are far away from Him you will have a hard time hearing His voice.

But as bleak as our economic future is, those who see these things coming can position themselves to prosper even when most others are seeing their wealth disappear. In other words, we are about to see a great transference of wealth from the unbelievers to the believers. God is about to raise up a remnant of Josephs who will help provide for the needs of His people and help finance the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen. The late prophet Bob Jones said the Lord showed him that in the year 2020 over one billion youth are going to come into the kingdom of God. That is about 14% of the world’s population getting saved in one year!

Conclusion:

The 21-year rise of the antichrist is now well underway as we are already approaching the end of the first seven-year period. The trouble we have seen so far is only the beginning. Much more is coming in the next 14 years. By the end of this period in 2028 the antichrist will have secured a firm grip on the world economy, government, and religion.
We are living in amazing times. Prophecies recorded thousands of years ago are now being fulfilled. Many generations before us have looked for these days, but they died before seeing the prophecies fulfilled. Each of us who are alive today was chosen by God to be alive at this time. Each of us has an important part to play in the end time drama that lies ahead of us. The lives of other people are hanging in the balance depending on whether or not we complete our assignments to fulfill the will of God for our lives.
Terry Bennett said the angel Gabriel visited him for several hours a day for five days. That adds up to a lot of hours. He only shared the highlights of his vision with us because there was too much information to fit into a one-hour interview. He said he was told many more things, some of which he has never shared with anyone. My guess is some of those things must be very high octane, explosive, and possibly even dangerous. Wouldn’t you like to know what they are? I sure would! In any case it sounds like we won’t have to wait very long to find out.
Listen to Terry’s one-hour interview on Trunews.com.

With all the trouble coming upon the world, now is the time to know the Lord. Click here if you would like to make sure you are going to heaven when you die.