With this issue, The World Ahead magazine begins it's third year of publication. Some readers have been with, us for almost two years. Has The World Ahead challenged your assumptions or touched your daily life? Does God seem more real to you than before you started reading this magazine? Does Bible prophecy seem more meaningful? Most important of all, have you started to build a close relationship with God and with the true Jesus Christ of the Bible?

Jesus Christ said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). We hope you are learning to prove what the Bible reveals about the will of God, and also to do it. For most of you, this will require certain changes in your daily lives, your friendships, the way you use your time, even your patterns of thought.

God insists on being priority number one in the lives of those who call themselves Christians. Do your faithful actions match your words? Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you''' (Matt. 6:33).

The will of God must permeate all of our thoughts and actions if we are to be like Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is to literally live his life within the genuine Christian: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20 KJV).

Jesus told the young man who asked Him the way to eternal life, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good, but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17). Christ then began to name some of the Ten Commandments to make it very clear which commandments He was talking about.

Have you surrendered to let Christ live His obedient life in you? Are you learning to put nothing ahead of the true God? Are you learning to avoid any kind of idolatry in your life? Are you learning never to commit adultery—even to the extent of never "lusting" after anyone (Matt. 5:27-28).

Jesus said, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'” (Luke 4:4). God inspired the Apostle Paul to write, "Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV). Do you make time to really study the Bible—the revelation from God to man—so that you really know what it says?

All of the above may require making changes in your life. Clearly, however, if you are going to seek first God's Kingdom and His will, then you must be making these changes!

The Apostle James wrote, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). You must act on the Truth that you are learning through the pages of this magazine—and from the Bible itself. Once you have proved to your own satisfaction that something is truly the will of God—then JUST DO IT!

Many of our actions are determined by habits. Taking a new path requires changing old habits. It takes a little extra "push" to do something out of the ordinary.

Remember that it always requires more effort to get going than to keep going. A determined, energetic start is important to begin a new activity and to form a new habit. It is vital that you do not become a victim of inertia, fear or procrastination. Through earnest prayer and Bible study, seek God for the strength and the inspiration to begin putting Him first in your life!

God never wants us to halfheartedly seek Him. God warned the Church at Laodicea: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Rev. 3:15-16).

I hope and pray that all of you readers will ask God for the courage and zeal to act on the precious Truth you are now learning. Never forget Jesus' words, "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). We cannot really be God's people unless we do what He says.

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by Roderick C. Meredith

Is there a spirit world occupied by countless millions of angels? And what about fallen angels—or demons? How can we know for sure about these things? What should our relationship be to this spirit world?

Millions of people read about various claims of spiritual manifestations and honestly do not know what to make of them. But there is only one bona fide source of revealed Truth about such matters. It is the inspired Word of God—the Holy Bible. Yet many people—even professing Christians—give credence to the strange ideas of many self-proclaimed experts on the spirit world who plainly contradict what the Bible says.

In a recent book entitled, Ask Your Angels, the authors discuss how they got to know angels—talking with them and, in effect, praying to them. The book suggests its readers would be benefited if they would do the same thing. Notice this revealing quote:

Our angels have made it clear to us that they wanted three different people with three different voices to collaborate on the delicate business of writing Ask Your Angels. This was both to demonstrate the skill of angelically assisted work, and also to make sure that no single view prevailed. There are many ways to talk with angels, and seeking their friendship is not limited to any one belief system. Connecting with them is the next step in our evolution as a species of conscious beings. In fact, as Abigrael [one of the "angels"] tells us, it is also the next step in angelic evolution as well [Alma Daniel, Timothy Wyllie and Andrew Ramer, Ask Your Angels, Ballantine Books, 1992, p. 7].

Note the many subtle messages in just this one paragraph: their angels "wanted" to influence the writing of the book. There are "many ways to talk with angels." Seeking their friendship is "not limited to any one belief system." Interacting with them is the "next step in our evolution," and so on. Wow, this is wild stuff!

A Warning About Fallen Angels

The Bible clearly warns us, as we shall see, that there are millions of fallen angels—demons! The authors of Ask Your Angels gullibly believe that the "angels" influencing their writing must be "good" angels. Then they assume that people from any belief system may become friends with these "good" angels. They next draw the exceedingly wild conclusion that connecting with the [angels] is a further step in our evolution as a species of conscious beings.

Later on in this book, one of the authors tells us that her guardian angel is named "LNO." She goes on to state:

LNO is now a valuable colleague and trusted friend. When I work with a client, I call upon her and invoke the presence of the other person's guardian angel, too, to align the body, mind, and emotions. LNO assists by helping me to get my ego, my little mind, out of the way. When I feel her presence or hear her voice, I move into Higher Self. Joining in her vibrations prepares me to be a clear channel for cosmic intelligence [p. 64].

The author then describes how this clear channel works:

The brain-wave frequency shifts from beta [normal waking consciousness] to alpha, and sometimes theta, which characterize meditative and trance states. The client's consciousness shifts, too, so we are resonating on the same frequency.

In this state, I frequently hear the responses of my client's angel before he or she does. It comes in words that I hear, just as I hear the voice of my angel in words. Usually within a few seconds, or less than a minute, the client speaks the words that I heard. I have found this to be a much more effective way of serving. When people open to their angels, they become empowered to access the information they need on their own—making connection with their own highest source [pp. 64-65].

So now we are introduced to "vibrations," a certain type of "brainwave frequency" and "trance states." The readers of this book are encouraged to be "open" to their angels. At this point, we need to ask, "What if they are opening up to demons instead?" The Bible commands us "And when they say to you, `Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Is. 8:19-20).

We had better be mighty sure that whatever any professing "angel" tells us is consistent with God's instruction in the Bible! Jesus Christ said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). And we read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

God clearly states in the above passage that a godly person may be "complete" and "thoroughly equipped" through the instruction of the Bible. So any books or any articles about the spirit world had better be solidly based on the inspired Word of God. Otherwise, they are probably wrong here and there in their reasoning. Also, Jesus said, "The Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). Therefore, any teaching that contradicts God's inspired Word—no matter how interesting—is just plain wrong.

Notice what the Apostle John was inspired to write: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). So we are commanded to test the spirits that may come along. Any godly spirit will acknowledge that Jesus Christ came fully in the flesh, that He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet did not sin (Heb. 4:15), and that Jesus is to literally live His sinless, obedient life in the true Christian with the power of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 2:20).

Again, you had better be absolutely sure what kind of "angel" you are dealing with before you start talking to or becoming a familiar friend with an invisible spirit being!

Who Created the Angels?

Referring to Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John tells us, "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" ( 1:3). Also, in a passage about our spiritual Redeemer, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" (Col. 1:15-16). So, probably millions of years ago, God the Father created the angelic hosts through the One who later became His Son, Jesus Christ!

Angels are called "God's sons" by virtue of the fact that He created them (Job 1:6). Many of them "shouted for joy" when they saw the beautiful earth God had created (Job 38:4-7). Yet, God shows that even the angels are to worship His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:6).

What is the purpose of these angelic beings? Hebrews 1:14 tells us, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"

God's faithful angels are created beings sent to minister to God. They also serve those of us now being called to salvation. The Bible tells us, "The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them" (Ps. 34:7).

So God's angels are to protect and help. They are often used to deliver His people from troubles or difficulties of many kinds. They are also God's messengers (cf. Dan. 10:11; Luke 1:11-13). Notice the account in Acts 5:17-20: "Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, `Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.'”

Note in the above account that the angel not only delivered the apostles from prison, but told them to go into the temple and preach the Truth! But, we might ask, how did the apostles know that this was a righteous angel and NOT a demon?

First, the original apostles who had personally witnessed Jesus Christ's dealings with the demons had a great deal of experience and spiritual discernment. Secondly, the angel had manifested supernatural power in letting them out of prison—a good thing in this case. Thirdly, the angel's instruction to go to preach the Gospel was also right on target—the exact instruction Jesus had already given them!

Today, however, there are millions of professing Christians who, frankly, have virtually no discernment of spirits whatsoever! These people often could not even name the four Gospels—let alone live by every word of God (cf. Luke 4:4). Too many have never even read all of the Bible—let alone studied it. Such people definitely do not have the "mind of Christ" (cf. Phil. 2:5), or His wisdom in dealing with the spirit world. Therefore, many are easily deceived into various forms of experimentation with the occult, astrology and sometimes even devil worship!

So all of you who read this need to be exceedingly careful in all your dealings with the spirit world! You need to concentrate on getting to know God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This, however, when compared to tampering with the occult, often sounds boring to the modern world. Why? Because most people have never understood the real meaning and the real power of true Christianity in the first place.

The Apostle Paul warns us: "Let no one defraud you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase which is from God" (Col. 2:18-19). The "Head" is the true Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and is soon going to come streaking through the sky to return as King of kings and rule over this confused, chaotic and suffering world (Rev. 11:15).

If we come to really know Jesus Christ as our Savior, our personal Lord and our Living High Priest, we will never be tempted to worship the angels who are greatly inferior in power, wisdom and glory.

Where Did Demons Come From?

In the book of Isaiah the prophet, the Bible reveals that a powerful angel named "Lucifer" rebelled against God. He said, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the Most High" (14:13-14).

So Lucifer—meaning "light bringer"—attempted a heavenly coup-d'etat! He attempted to replace God! But he was cast back down to earth in disgrace.

In Revelation 12:3-9, Lucifer, now called Satan or the "adversary," is revealed to have taken one third of the entire angelic host with him in this cosmic rebellion! ("Stars" are often used to symbolize angels in the Bible as in Revelation 1:20.) And since the total number of angels is greater than 100 million (Rev. 5:11 ), Satan must have deceived tens of millions of angels who have now become demons! The Bible reveals more about the origin of Satan in Ezekiel 28. The first 10 verses describe the human ruler of the ancient city-state of Tyre. This prince had great riches and was "wiser than Daniel" (v. 3). Then, beginning with verse 11, God inspired Ezekiel to reveal the real "power behind the throne" of this famous, but thoroughly pagan city.

God says: "You were in Eden , the garden of God." Later, "the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes [musical instruments] was prepared for you in the day you were created" (v. 13). These verses reveal that as a created being Satan was placed on the earth to serve God. But sometime after he rebelled, he sought to frustrate God's plan by showing up in Eden to deceive the newly created man and woman. Originally, Lucifer was the "anointed cherub" (v. 14) who had been established with a "throne" (Is. 14:13) in the "mountain" or Kingdom of God on earth.

Lucifer was an awesomely beautiful and highly intelligent being. He was a "cherub"—apparently of the highest rank or class of angels along with Michael and Gabriel. But it "went to his head," as we say. He became puffed up in his own conceit and rebelled against his Creator.

Therefore, Satan was "cast out" of the Kingdom of God (Ezek..28:16). Now, he is the enemy of the righteous. Jesus described him as the spiritual "father" of those who rebel against God, and a "murderer" who is the "father of lies!" (John 8:44).

Satan Has a Kingdom

Satan has a spiritual dominion filled with evil spirits! When being accused of casting out demons by "Beelzebub, the ruler of spirits," Jesus answered, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his [Satan's] kingdom stand?" (Matt. 12:26).

The Apostle Paul called Satan "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). Satan uses this earth's atmosphere. By analogy, Satan is like a radio or TV transmitter. He broadcasts or beams his own wrong attitudes out on the "airwaves." He sends out attitudes of vanity, jealousy, lust and greed. He sends out a spirit of self-will, hate and rebellion. .

Billions of mixed-up human beings unknowingly "tune in" to Satan's broadcasts. This satanic attitude influences our media, our music, our leaders and educators—everybody. That is why the Apostle Paul was inspired to write: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. .6:11-12).

Although most people are totally unaware of it, there is a real "Star Wars" going on. It is a battle for the control of your mind—your attitude. Will you "tune in" to the God of Creation and do what He says. Or will you "channel surf” through Satan's Broadcasting System, which offers "many ways" for entrapment? Satan offers an enormous variety of belief and unbelief systems designed to seduce just about everyone. Will we unwittingly go along with false ideas and concepts which the invisible Satan so desperately wants us to swallow?

The Apostle James exhorts those who wish to see good prevail in their own lives, "Therefore submit to God. RESIST the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Each of us has to learn to seek God in earnest Bible study and prayer. Then we need to act on what God tells us in His Word. If we will do that, we will not be seduced by Satan! But we must be alert and zealous. We must test the spirits as we have discussed. And we must fully realize that we are in a battle with a powerful adversary: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" ( 1 Pet. 5:8-9).

The Father of Spirits Promises Help

This is a tough and dangerous world, yet God promises that He will always help, guide and deliver those who trust Him and obey Him. "For He Himself has said, `I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you'” (Heb. 13:5).

But Jesus cautions us that we must be wholly committed to Him: "Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8-9).

So to have the protection and help of God's angels, we need to truly believe in Jesus Christ and do what He commands! For Jesus also said, "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

God's angels are aware of our actions and our attitudes: "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke. 15:10). And these mighty spirit beings are no doubt intrigued by the process of full conversion God is putting us all through—fashioning and molding us and gradually building within us His Holy, righteous character so that we may someday even rule over the angels themselves (1 Cor. 6:3). Describing the ultimate salvation of human beings, Peter reveals that these are "things which angels desire to look into" ( 1 Pet. 1:12).

The Bible reveals God's protective concern even for the newest or youngest "child of God." For Jesus said, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10).

We should deeply realize that there is a spirit world all around us. It is inhabited by God's angels and archangels—and also by Satan and his demons! We should be mentally and spiritually alert. We should regularly study God's inspired revelation—the Holy Bible. Then we can have God's mind—His understanding and attitude in dealing with the unseen spirit world. We should also drop to our knees each day and pray fervently to the "Father of spirits" so that we may have a correct understanding of the Truth. Then we will have God guiding us into eternal life as spirit beings (Heb. 12:9).

There are true guardian angels close to God's people. We should deeply appreciate any help they give us and thank God for it! But, as we have seen, we should not ever in any way pray to them or worship them (Col. 2:18; Rev. 22:8-9).

All true Christians should recognize that God is preparing us for exciting and awesome experiences and responsibilities in the World Ahead. If we are faithful, we will literally join Jesus Christ, the resurrected saints and a whole company of obedient angels, in the soon-coming Kingdom of God.

The author of Hebrews tells us, "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven" (Heb. 12:22-25).

Again, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?" (1 Cor. 6:2-3).

Let each of us so live a life of faith and obedience that we may be accounted worthy of ruling—under Jesus Christ's personal direction—the whole world and of even judging or managing the angelic hosts who will assist us face-to-face then just as they now serve us invisibly.

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by Jeffrey H. Patton

The cynics about marriage have long abounded. “The best part of married life is the fights. The rest is merely so-so” (Thornton Wilder, The Matchmaker, 1954). “Don’t tell me marriage is still a safe haven any place in America. Well, maybe among the Amish” (Herbert Gold, A Walk on the West Side, 1981).

The sad reality is that the 1990s culture of the Western technological world is one of divorce and transitory, uncommitted sexual relationships. The figures may vary country to country—in the U.S.A. about 50 percent of marriages end in divorce—but the trend of increasing divorce can be found throughout the world, including rapidly industrializing countries like China. Many people reach adulthood today without having heard about or known of one happy marriage among their acquaintances. These young, and not so young, people find themselves thinking as a result, “If that’s what marriage is all about, I don’t want any part of it.”

A few years ago, Judith Wallerstein, a clinical psychologist who is widely considered the world’s foremost authority on the effects of divorce, considered starting a research project to study long-lasting marriages that were satisfying for both husband and wife. She announced her plan to a networking group of about 100 highly educated professional women. At the end of her update on this proposed new study, Wallerstein asked her colleagues, “Would any of you, along with your husbands, like to volunteer as participants in the study?” The meeting room suddenly exploded with laughter.

Wallerstein later wrote, “I felt disturbed and puzzled by the group’s reaction. Their laughter bore undertones of cynicism, nervousness, and disbelief, as if to say, ‘Surely you can’t mean that happy marriage exists in the 1990s. How could you possible believe that?”

“Many of the women in the group had been divorced. Some had remarried, but a good number remained single. Some had come to feel that marriage should not be taken all that seriously. ‘Happy marriage doesn’t exist,’ protested one woman, ‘so I’m going to get on with my life and not worry about it’” (Judith S. Wallerstein & Sandra Blakeslee, The Good Marriage, How and Why Love Lasts, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1995, p. 5).

But Wallerstein was not to be put off. She knew that loving, long-lasting marriages exist. After all, she and her husband were fast approaching their 50^th wedding anniversary! However, she clearly recognized, as the founder and executive director of the Center for the Family in Transition in the San Francisco Bay area, that marriage is presently under attack in our society. “In today’s marriages, in which people work long hours, travel extensively, and juggle careers with family, more forces tug at the relationship than ever before. Modern marriages are battered by the demands of her workplace as well as his, by changing community values, by anxiety about making ends meet each month, by geographical moves, by unemployment and recession, by the vicissitudes of child care and by a host of other issues.

“Marriage counselors like to tell their clients that there are at least six people in every marital bed—the couple and both sets of parents. I’m here to say that a crazy quilt of conflicting personal values and shifting social attitudes is also in that bed. The confusion over roles and the indifference of the community to long-term conjugal relationships are there, as are the legacies of a self-absorbed, me-first, feminist-do-or-die, male-backlash society. The ease of divorce and changing attitudes about the permanence of marriage have themselves become centrifugal forces” (p. 7).

Society used to influence and even heavily pressure a couple to stay together. Today, forces external to a marriage conspire to pull it apart. As Wallerstein sees it, a marriage’s internal forces must be strengthened for it to survive the antimarriage culture of the 1990s. So in her study, Wallerstein searched to identify the glue that held marriage together. From Wallerstein’s point of view, marriage is the last oasis of happiness and joy in an impersonal, selfish world.

“I learned that at the heart of any good marriage is a core relationship created out of the conscious and unconscious fit of the partners’ needs and wishes. This core reflects what each partner wants and expects from the other… what each person considers undesirable or unacceptable. The marital core represents a shared vision of what brought these two people together and what they see for their future as a couple and as a family—Me and You and Us through time” (p. 21).

One of the major reasons that long-lasting, happy marriages have become increasingly rare today is that many secular people lack a guiding understanding—a vision—of why they share the same bed in the first place.

Lacking this information, a couple is then at a distinct disadvantage in knowing how to strengthen their relationship, their bonds of intimacy. Yes, without a transcending vision of the marriage and the future, many couples fail to commit to and carry out the serious work needed to make marriage succeed.

Even many religious people forget that the passionate desire for intimacy and love was built into humans at creation by a Creator who established certain rules that must be followed if the marriage is to joyfully endure.

A Joining and A Separating

When God designed and created the first man, He knew that there must also be the first woman. “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner’” (Gen. 2:18 NRSV).

This man and woman were not like the animals which God created. Rather, “God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness’” (Gen. 1:26 NRSV). God created physical, fleshly, temporarily existing humans with characteristics of emotion, feeling, reasoning and sentiment like His—resembling the mind and the “heart” of a Being who is wholly love and who passionately desires intimacy and faithfulness with those who enter into a relationship with Him.

God created the man and woman to form a family and their children after them to also form families. The nature of the union between the man and the woman was to be different from a mated pair of animals living in a pack. “A man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:24 NRSV).

God designed a man and a woman to become one in their minds as well as becoming one in their flesh during sexual intercourse. The Hebrew Bible uses the word yodeh’ah to describe Adam’s having sex with Eve. This word conveys the sense of coming to understand to really know the intimate, deep soul of the spouse’s being (Gen. 4:1).

This is an essential step if two are to merge into one.

Judith Wallerstein recognized in her qualitative scientific study, “The first task in any first marriage… is to separate psychologically from the family of origin and simultaneously create a new kind of connectedness with the parents’ generation. These intertwined tasks, seemingly in opposition, are mutually necessary. Psychological separation means gradually detaching from your family’s emotional ties. It does not mean driving across the country in a Volkswagen bus or taking a three-year assignment in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia…. To have a good marriage, you must establish an independent stance and be able to rely on your own moral judgment and your own ability to make choices. Most of all, you must shift your primary love and loyalty to the marital partner and your primary focus to establishing a new family” (pp. 52-53).

Becoming One

Of all possible human relationships and physical responsibilities, a husband and a wife must give priority to their marriage and what it needs to flourish. Yet, in the spiritual domain, God insists that we give number one priority to our spiritual relationship with Him. Is this a contradiction?

In the red-letter versions of the New Testament it is marked that Jesus Christ personally said, “The first of all the commandments is… ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this; ‘You shall love y our neighbor as yourself.’ There is no Old Testament her commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31). Does God get in the way of your marital relationship? Is the LORD, figuratively, also in bed with husband and wife? The answer is a qualified yes!

Notice this part of God’s argument as to why human marriage is good: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc. 4:9-12 NRSV).

The major reason we live today in a culture of divorce is that our society chooses to live without God. Those who choose to give priority to a genuine relationship with the Divine, will find their marital relationship prioritized, strengthened and enhanced by their spiritual relationship. God is an ever-present witness in the marriages of those who have a relationship with Him (Cf. Mar. 2:14).

Because God hates divorce (cf. v. 16), but loves faithfulness (cf. Rom. 3:3), a couple who has given Him first priority in their lives will reflect a marriage that both they and their friends will characterize as faithful, long-lasting and happy. Why? “Those who live according to the Spirit [of God] set their minds on the things of the Spirit…. To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6 NRSV).

The importance of setting the mind on the things of the Spirit is not to be underestimated. No human is perfect. Life is not perfect. There are accidents, illnesses, problems, personality differences, pressures from rearing children, getting old or losing a job.

Wallerstein notes, “Many of the divorcing families that I have observed failed to construct a marriage strong enough to withstand the inevitable, acute, and ongoing stresses of life. By comparison, the good marriages examined here have maintained their integrity and staying power because they were built of sturdier materials and reinforced over the years as the menacing wolves appeared. It is the lifetime process of building that distinguishes good marriages and the people in them” (p. 27).

In our present society, a marriage that survives and rewards husband and wife with happiness and satisfaction does so because the people involved build character. Successful, fulfilling marriage is a character-building experience. In any particular society, all married couples face a familiar set of problems. Problems vary as to type, timing and severity. But everyone lives in a rose garden where beneath the flowers you find stems covered with painful, sharp thorns. “No amount of communication can eliminate the inherent conflict as two people try to live together and make decisions that will simultaneously further their individual interests while protecting the partner and the marriage itself” (p. 28).

The major difference between the secular and godly perspectives on marriage lies in the resources available to help a couple persevere when they are hit by a tough situation or when faced by problems created by their own personalities. A couple with a purely secular world-view can only rely on their own human resources or those of other humans. A couple with a godly perspective also have innate, personal resources to help them meet marital challenges. But the husband and wife who believe and act on God’s Word can also have access to the infinite resources of God the Father and Jesus Christ to empower them to surmount every crisis.

When a couple desires to live Christianity, each one must renounce and turn away from actions and thoughts which are contrary to the mind of God, and must be baptized in order to receive God’s Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:37-41). It is by this Holy Spirit that a believing couple can become truly one with God and each other. “So that all may be one, as You, Father, are in me, and I in You, so that they, for their part, may be in Us, the world coming to believe that it was You who have sent Me forth. Moreover, the glory which You have bestowed upon Me I have bestowed upon them, so that they might be one, as We are one, I in them, and You in Me, that they might find perfection in oneness” (John 17:21-23) Cassirer). Again, when a couple becomes Christian, then the Holy Spirit guides and leads them into the ways of God and their marriage relationship, like a threefold cord, cannot be quickly broken.

Happy Dwelling Together

Dwelling together joyfully is a living art whose technique is brought to perfection over the course of many years through much sensitivity, thought and practice. When a fine red wine is initially bottled it usually tastes quite heady and a bit rough. With the right handling it can age delightfully, developing an exquisite, smooth and intoxicatingly subtle bouquet that leaves no sour or bitter aftertaste. This is true of a new marriage with a beloved spouse, and a beginning relationship with the God who is love.

Judith Wallerstein writes, “The adolescent and the young adult are fundamentally ‘me’-centered, for a person at this stage is chiefly engaged in establishing his or her identity separate from the family of origin. Building the new shared identity of marriage requires a shift from the ‘I’ of the emancipated adolescent and young adult to a solid and lasting ‘we.’ We-ness gives marriage its staying power in the face of life’s inevitable frustrations and temptations to run away or stray…. A marriage that commands loyalty and is worth defending requires each partner to relinquish self-centeredness and to sacrifice a portion of his or her autonomy” (pp. 62-63).

A Christian is admonished by the Apostle Peter, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). As a Christian couple grow in spiritual knowledge of how to please God, so they should also be concurrently learning about successful marriage—growing in the intimate knowledge of what pleases each other and how to help each other. In fact, God says our prayers can be “hindered” if we fail to be fair and put into practice the special intimate understanding we gain about our spouse for his or her benefit (cf. 1 Pet. 3:7).

“What is good and what is fair within the relationship is no longer formulated in terms of ‘what is best for me.’ Henceforth, the couple’s decisions reflect consideration of what is best for him, what is best for her, and what is best, on balance, for the marriage” (p. 63).

God wants you to learn the lessons of thoughtfulness, empathy, encouragement, and gentleness now in this life with your spouse because He is planning to dwell with us in the future. He wants our rough, carnal edges sanded down NOW! “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God’” (Rev. 21:3). Selfishness and “me-firstism” have to go! You and I must learn to wholeheartedly give of ourselves to our spouses. Unselfish love is not a natural, easily learned and practiced characteristic of humans. But it is a “natural” characteristic of God’s Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23 NRSV). Wouldn’t you like to be married to a saint (Eph. 2:19)? How about being a saint yourself?

Do Saints Have Fun?

“A good sex life, however the couple defines that, is at the heart of a good marriage. This is the domain where intimacy is renewed and the excitement that first drew the couple together is kept alive. The bedroom is a privileged place for lighthearted play, laughter, adventure, passion, pleasure….” (Wallerstein, p. 183).

“The greatest contrast between happily married and divorcing couples may well be in the domain of sex. By the time people file for divorce, sexual deprivation of many years’ standing is shockingly common…. In the happy marriages, sex was never a one-way street and was never deliberately withheld to punish or express anger” (p. 192).

The Bible is very specific that spouses are to take care of each other sexually. “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer…” (1 Cor. 7:3-5 NRSV).

God called sex a good part of His design: “Male and female He created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply….’ God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good” (Gen. 1:27-28, 31).

According to Wallerstein, “A couple’s sex life is the most vulnerable part of the marriage” (p.191). Why? Because “sexual intercourse combined with love demands trust. It’s a risky business to come so close to another person emotionally and physically…. It is important to recognize how fragile people are in sexual matters, how easily put off or discouraged. Sexual courtship involves allowing oneself and one’s partner to overcome shyness, inhibitions, the fear of letting go, of regression, of losing control—a thousand and one fears rooted in the sexual taboos of growing up and the anxieties of a close sexual relationship” (p. 187).

Because of the fragile nature of human sexuality, God warns people to avoid premarital sex (1 Cor. 6:18) since it can cause emotional scarring (not to mention threaten your life from AIDS or cause sterility or create fetal defects). Promiscuous sex, failed affairs and adultery will rob you of the happiness that comes from loving sexual intimacy, which thrives on trust and wholehearted giving of oneself.

The romantic component of marriage has at its core a passionate, sexual relationship. Even after 20, 30 or even 40 years of marriage, Judith Wallerstein found many couples who “do it right.” They talked of mutual love, passion, excitement and ecstasy. “After 25 years of marriage, a man told me, ‘My wish for my Children is that they feel the joy of living someone that I’ve felt in our marriage’” (p. 34).

The Bible lyrically celebrates the absolute delight intimate intercourse can bring to a loving, faithful marriage: “You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes… How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine… Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its Choicest fruits…. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love” (Song of Solomon 4:9-10, 16; 5:1 NRSV).

A loving marriage can be your oasis of happiness in a dog-eat-dog world. Don’t bark—cuddle! Don’t be egotistical—show a little tenderness. “I have a new commandment to give you, that you are to love one another. As I have loved you, so you are bidden to love one another. If you bear love to one another, this shall be the token by which all will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 Cassirer).

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by Raymond F. McNair

Last month's issue presented the bad news of our immediate Anglo-American future—showing from bible prophecy that our people are yet destined to go through a horrendous time called "Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7).

What does the Bible reveal will be the final outcome of the enslavement of the Anglo-American peoples at the hands of their enemies? Will we ultimately learn our lesson, wake up, turn around, that is, truly repent, and begin going God's way, learning to keep His commandments and statutes?

Fortunately, even though there are some dark, terrible days up ahead, Bible prophecy clearly reveals that, after going into captivity, our people will finally come to their senses, and will bitterly repent, crying out to the God of heaven for mercy. After deeply repenting of our many abominations, we will come to "loath ourselves" when we acknowledge our many sins in the sight of God! Only then will our Creator begin to smile on us, blessing us in all our undertakings as never before!

Interestingly, "The Great Seal" of the United States has the words Annuit Coeptis, meaning "He [God] has favored our undertakings!" The Almighty did favor the undertakings of America's Founding Fathers at the time when He inspired them to create the "great nation," which, long ago, God had promised He would raise up on this earth (Gen. 48:19).

When God first chose the nation of Israel, after delivering the people from Egyptian servitude, He told them, "If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My Covenant [whose key points were His Ten Commandments, Deut. 4:13], then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6).

If Israel had continued to worship and obey their God, they would have become a model nation for all the other nations to follow! Moses made this point clear: "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live... for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, `Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

"For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us.... And what great nation is there that has such ` statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?" (Deut. 4:1, 6-8).

God's special relationship with Israel is clearly mentioned by the Prophet Amos: "Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: `You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities'" Amos 3:1-2). Unlike the Gentile nations, God had made a covenant with Israel. This special relationship between God and Israel would bring blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience. God believes in accountability!

"But they [Israel] rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them" (Is. 63:10). What a frightening thing it is when we make God our enemy!

Isaiah Says Our Peoples Will Repent

The Bible reveals that just as the descendants of the Ten Tribes of ancient Israel were taken captive in 734-721 B.C., in like manner modern "Israel" (the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic peoples and their blood relatives, the Jews!) will again go into captivity—shortly before the Messiah returns to earth to establish His peaceful Kingdom over all nations for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-4; Dan. 2:44).

Let us now examine a few of the many biblical verses which speak of the modern, physical descendants of Israel being in a condition of enslavement at the time of Christ's Second Coming, when He will intervene for both His Church (spiritual Israel, Gal. 6:16) and also to deliver physical Israel from oppression by their enemies (Is. 11:11).

The Prophet Isaiah predicted Israel's latter-day return from captivity. "And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant [the survivors] of Israel, and such as have escaped [the Great Tribulation] of the House of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea [there are now about 300 million living descendants of the ancient Patriarch Jacob], yet a remnant of them will return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness" (Is. 10:20-22).

This same wonderful event—the physical and spiritual salvation of Israel—is also mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:1-32. Yes, Israel will bitterly repent of her abominations!

Isaiah gives additional details of Israel's return to her God. "It shall come to pass in that day that the LORD shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria [whose descendants migrated to Central Europe] and Egypt... and from the islands of the sea. [Many modern-day Israelites live in the British Isles, the islands of New Zealand, Bermuda, etc.] He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel [Anglo-Saxon-Celtic captives], and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Is. 11:11-12). At the time of the end, Israel and Judah will be two separately identifiable peoples.

Isaiah continues, "For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land [the Promised Land]. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the House of Jacob. Then people [Gentiles] will take them [Israelites] and bring them to their place.... They [Israel] will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors" (14:1-2).

At that same time the Messiah will destroy the "Beast" (Israel's politico-military enemy) and "the false prophet" (an enemy religious power) (Zech. 14; Rev. 19), who will have put a "yoke of bondage" on the neck of modern Israel.

Numerous prophecies reveal that God will deliver His people from their captor's hand. "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; he [modern king of Babylon or the Beast, cf. Rev. 17:8-18; 19:19-20] who struck the people [of Israel, cf. Is. 47; Rev. 18] in wrath with a continual stroke, he who ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and no one hinders. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing [i.e., the joyful Millennium!]" (Is. 14:5-7).

Who Will Deliver Israel's Descendants from Bondage?

But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to You, "You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Behold, all those who were incensed against you [Jacob/Israel] shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing. And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them-those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, "Fear not, I will help you... you men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel [Is. 41:8-14].

The Messiah, Jesus Christ, is the One whom the Father will commission to restore the Twelve Tribes of Israel to God's favor. "And now the LORD says who formed Me [Christ, the Messiah] from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him" (Is. 49:5). "It is too small a thing that You should be My servant to raise up the [l2] tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You [Christ] as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth" (vv. 6-7).

Furthermore, Isaiah says, "Thus says the Lord GOD: `Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, and set up My standard for the peoples; they shall bring your [Israel's] sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers.... Then you will know that I am the LORD'” (vv. 22-23).

Only a significant minority of the Jews of the world have gone back to live in the Promised Land in modern times. And not one single tribe of the so-called "Lost Ten Tribes" has ever returned to its ancient homeland! Isaiah says, "The Lord GOD... gathers [yet future!] the outcasts of Israel" (56:8).

Speaking of Israel, God says, "The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you [during "Jacob's Trouble"], but in My favor I have had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession. For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined" (60:10-12).

Isaiah then says, "And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations" (61: 4-6).

"I will mention the loving kindnesses of the LORD and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the House of Israel" (63:7).

Jeremiah Predicts A Bright Future

The Prophet Jeremiah—who wrote his prophecies more than 100 years after the Ten Tribes had gone into captivity in 721 B.C: said under divine inspiration, "`For behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, `that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,' says the LORD. `And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers [the Promised Land], and they shall possess it'” (Jer. 30:3). This has never yet happened!

Then Jeremiah proceeds to speak of the awful days ahead "concerning Israel and Judah" (v. 4). He mentions the terrible "time of Jacob's Trouble, but he [Jacob's descendants] shall be saved out of it" (v. 7). Notice that it does not say modern Israel shall be prevented from getting into this cataclysmic time of trouble, but God will deliver Israel from that horrible time. Verses 8 and 9 reveal that God will break the enemies' "yoke" from Israel's neck, and will "raise up [resurrect]... David their king" to rule over them!

God gives glorious good news concerning the deliverance of His people Israel:

For thus says the LORD: `-`Sing with gladness for Jacob [Israel], and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim... and say, `O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!' Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labors with child, together; a great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them.... For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim [modern British people] is My firstborn" [Jer. 31:7-9].

God says, "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles [including the British Isles] afar off, and say, `He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.' For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he" (vv. 10-11).

Notice the fantastic blessings which God Almighty will bestow upon His people Israel (modern Anglo-Americans) during the time when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will rule all nations. "Therefore they [Israel, vv. 1-9] shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD—for wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all.

"Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together; for I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow. I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD" (31:12-14).

"Behold, the days are coming... that I will sow the House of Israel and the House of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them [Israel] to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant" (Jer. 31:27-28).

God's Millennial Covenant With Israel

At the time when God gathers the remnant of Jacob, He will make a "perpetual covenant" with both Israel and Judah. “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah...I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.... For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jer. 31: 31, 33-34).

God also promises, "If those ordinances [of the sun and moon] depart from before Me...then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever" (v. 36). He also adds, "If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD" (v. 37)!

Jeremiah clearly prophesied, "And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.... And I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (33:7-8).

"`Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, `that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the House of Israel and to the House of Judah: in those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness [Christ]; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days JUDAH will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely'” (vv. 14-16).

Where will Christ's world-ruling capital be situated during the Millennium? "At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem; they shall walk no more after the stubbornness of their evil heart" (Jer. 3:17)!

The Prophet Jeremiah also said, "Have you not considered what these people have spoken, saying, `The two families [Israel and Judah] which the LORD has chosen, He has also cast them off'? Thus they have despised My people, as if they should no more be a nation before them" (33:24).

But what is God's answer? "Thus says the LORD, `If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob.... For I will cause their [Israel's] captives to return, and will have mercy on them'” (vv. 25-26). Jeremiah prophesied:

"In those days [the latter days] and in that time," says the LORD, "the children of ISRAEL shall come, they and the children of JUDAH together [Israel and Judah are still two identifiable, separate peoples!]; with continual weeping they shall come and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion...saying `Come and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that will not be forgotten'” (50:4-5).

God tells us exactly why the peoples of Israel and Judah, will have gotten themselves into serious trouble—in the soon-coming time of Jacob's Trouble. "My people have been lost sheep [lost both physically and spiritually!]. Their shepherds [religious leaders: priests, ministers, rabbis] have led them astray" (v. 6)!

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: `The children of Israel were oppressed, along with the children of Judah; all who took them captive have held them fast; they have refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case, that He may give rest to the land'” (vv. 33-34). Ancient Israel's captivity (721 B.C.) occurred 135 years before Judah's captivity (586 B.C.). But the enslavement of modern peoples of Judah [including the Israelis living in the State of Israel] and the captivity of modern Israel [the Anglo-American peoples] during the time of Jacob's Trouble, will occur simultaneously at the end of this age (Jer. 30:7).

God Almighty, who will allow our people to go into a terrible time of trouble as punishment for our loathsome sins, solemnly declares, "I [God] will return again to My place till they [Israel] acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction [during the Great Tribulation] they will diligently seek Me" (Hos. 5:15).

Repentance After Tribulation

Our Anglo-American peoples will come to their senses and cry out bitterly to God when He allows our plight to become desperate! "Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days [speaking prophetically, each day equals one year, Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6] He will revive us; on the third day [3rd year, prophetically speaking] He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight" (Hos. 6:1-2)! Ancient Israel's bondage lasted many years, but modern Israel's enslavement will apparently only last about two and a half years, as indicated by Hosea's prophecy.

The prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah clearly reveal that during the coming World War III, both Jews and Anglo-Americans will all suffer together at the hands of the coming "Beast" power mentioned in Revelation chapters 17 and 19. This is the modern "Babylon" which is also mentioned in Jeremiah 50, as well as in Isaiah 47 and Revelation 18.

But, as we have seen, biblical prophecy reveals that our peoples will eventually come to their senses, repent bitterly ("loathe themselves") for having committed their many abominations, and then God will graciously forgive them. Then the Great God will then bless them as never before—with good weather, bountiful crops, stable families, abundant health (both mental and physical), peace and overflowing joy and happiness! What a wonderful day that will be when our peoples really learn to revere the Creator God and His laws, and begin to truly obey His holy commandments (Ps. 19:7-11; Rom. 7:12, 14).

Next month's concluding article in this series will show that not only Isaiah and Jeremiah, but also Ezekiel, Daniel and all the Hebrew prophets spoke with one voice—all revealed that God's chosen people, Israel, will come to their senses in the wonderful World Ahead, will make a "new covenant" with their God, and will then become a model nation for all nations on this earth to follow during the coming Millennium. Bible prophecy reveals that all these wonderful blessings will be given to Israel—and to all nations!—during the soon-coming Kingdom of God when Christ and His then-glorified, immortal saints will rule not only Israel, but all nations, teaching them the way to true peace, happiness and everlasting life (Dan. 7:27; Rev. 5:10, 20:4)!

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by John H. Ogwyn

It seems that yesterday's rebellion has become today's accepted establishment. Elvis Presley, whose sensuous gyrations were deemed too risqué for Ed Sullivan's national television audience in 1956, is now on a U.S. postage stamp—right up there with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and the American flag. In fact, rock and roll now has its own museum which opened this September in Cleveland, Ohio.

Something once viewed as rebellious and anti-establishment is now the stuff museums preserve and interpret! Cleveland is a fitting place for such a museum because it was the unlikely launching pad for what became a worldwide "rock revolution." In 1951, Allen Freed, a Cleveland radio disc jockey, began popularizing a ghetto-slang phrase for fornication, "rocking ' n rolling." He used the term to describe a new genre of music. With "Rock Around the Clock," the 1954 hit song performed by Bill Haley and the Comets, the rock revolution was launched nationwide.

Rock 'n roll music, in its many varied forms, has dominated youth culture in the United States (and around the world as well) for almost the entire last half of the 20th Century. In the process, the rock revolution has entirely transformed modern music and dance, impacting our entire society in profound ways.

Much of yesteryear's rebellion seems pretty tame by today's standards. Just look at the early pictures of Elvis and the Beatles. They were wearing suits and ties for their performances! When you listen to the lyrics of some of the 50s and 60s rock songs and compare them with the latest "gangsta rap," you might wonder what all the parents and educators seemed so upset about a generation ago.

For most of this century there has been a continuing controversy about music as well as the arts, engendering moral denunciations from ministers, educators and elected officials. Much of the conflict has been generational. This isn't merely the case for the 80s and 90s, but it was just as much the case for the "flapper" generation of the 20s.

In Israeli culture, which debates most everything, there is a traditional Hebrew saying, "About smell and taste there is NO debate." What about it, are music and the arts purely a matter of personal taste? Or, are there absolute, objective criteria to successfully discern and evaluate such cultural matters, separating good from bad and useful from harmful?

Whether it is the homo-erotic photographic "art" of Robert Maplethorpe, the overtly sensual musical performances of Madonna, or the high-octane concerts of Michael Jackson, the sexual content of the arts is increasingly blatant. A raw, graphic quality which is laden with sexuality and violence pervades much of contemporary art, music and literature. Make no mistake, the issue of music and the arts is not simply about your personal taste, it is about the soul of a nation.

The Creative Arts in the 20th Century

This century has offered an unparalleled opportunity for performers and artists to impact a mass audience. With the advent of movies, musical recordings, radio and finally television, one performing artist can reach millions of people simultaneously. From the dawn of history, artists and performers have played a major role in defining their society. To this day we seek to understand past cultures ranging from Classical Greece to Renaissance Italy by studying their art. Never prior to this century, however, was it possible for one artist or musician to affect so many so quickly.

Music and art both reflect and shape a community. Events in a society's culture set a mood. The arts, particularly music, capture and develop that mood, becoming the lens through which society views itself. In the aftermath of World War I there was a major shift in the mood of people in the Western world. Particularly in Europe there was disillusionment with the institutions of a society which had been unable to check that war's horror and violence. The desire to cut loose from the past and to be "modern" pervaded both America and Europe. Visual art as well as literature and popular music reflected the desire to move away from the past's forms and conventions.

The 1920s was a time of unprecedented material prosperity in the United States. The "Roaring Twenties" is remembered for "speakeasies" (illegal bars), Al Capone (a gangster), the Valentine Day massacre, and Henry Ford's success in putting the nation on wheels; while Rudolph Valentino became the heartthrob idol of women across America. The 1920s marked the advent of consumerism and the stock market soared to dizzying heights. In popular music, the frenzied energy of the Charleston replaced the stately grace of the waltz and the loose improvisation of the Jazz Age was ushered in.

But in 1929 America's stock market crashed. The Great Depression began. The self-absorbed materialism of the 20s had been dealt a setback by economic collapse. The 30s were hard times for people throughout the industrialized world. But economic despair did not wholly extinguish hope. In America, upbeat show tunes, the music of George M. Cohan and others, lifted the nation's spirits and emphasized the optimism that things would, eventually, get better. This spirit, reflected in popular music, continued through the trying war years of the 40s.

In the 50s it seemed that once again the business of America was business. Material prosperity and consumerism blossomed on a hitherto unmatched scale. The peace and prosperity of the decade made possible the emergence of a separate youth culture. With disposable income of their own, teenagers became a market segment to be catered to. Commercial exploitation of the natural energy and restlessness of youth began to be a very profitable venture indeed.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica gives the following synopsis of the role of music in this emerging youth culture:

Rock grew in popularity in the latter years of the 1960s as a counterpart to the emergence of the youth countercultures. The rock sound was often the music of social and political protest, and the youthful culture that grew up around the rock musicians was in the vanguard of unorthodox hairstyles and dress styles, communal living, and drug use. The high point of the rock-music culture perhaps occurred in the summer of 1969, when the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, an outdoor rock concert in Bethel, New York, featuring many of the leading musical groups, attracted several hundred thousand young spectators who lived together and listened to music in a harmonious mass community for two or three days. Many young people for a time called themselves the "Woodstock generation" or citizens of "Woodstock nation" [l5th edition, vol. 18, p. 942].

A Look at the Modern Music Scene

In its August 8, 1994 issue, 25 years after Woodstock, Newsweek magazine asserted that "in every important particular the Woodstock agenda has in fact prevailed.... The Dionysiac triad of sex, drugs and rock and roll now dominates private life and popular culture. The Aquarian tenet of radical egalitarianism informs much of our public and private discourse." Though the contemporary music scene has continually evolved in recent years, it has remained rooted in youthful rebellion. Yesterday's shocking styles become familiar and lose their ability to shock. They are replaced by greater extremes.

The modern music scene has played a big part in bringing the homosexual lifestyle out of the closet and into the mainstream. During the 1970s dancing and drugs merged in the gay nightclubs to form a fashion show of glitter and decadence. Groups such as "Village People" and "Queen" pushed many trappings of the homosexual lifestyle into the open and further toward acceptance by the young. Many of the fashions in music and dress that were initiated on the gay scene became acclaimed as "cool" and were imitated by the general youth culture.

In the interim, sexual content became increasingly blatant and obscene. Mick Jagger concluded concerts with a giant balloon phallus rising out of the stage. Fascination with the occult played an ever larger role. Groups such as "Styx" and "KISS" cleverly cultivated demonic overtones in their public image in their push to be avant-garde. (Styx was the river that led to Hell in ancient Greek mythology while KISS is an abbreviation for "Knights in Satan's Service.")

A number of the rock stars of the 70s and 80s were enamored with Hindu and Buddhist teachings from the Orient. Much of the New Age movement is the outgrowth of a union of rock culture with eastern mysticism.

Rap music, has been increasingly pushing its way from the isolation of the ghetto into a commercial success that transcends the racial line. Groups such as "2 Live Crew" and stars such as Snoop Doggy Dogg have taken themes of sex and violence to new lows. While many of the most extreme elements of such "music" remain on the cultural edge the influence by commercially successful stars serves nevertheless to push the mainstream further toward that edge. Vulgarity and rudeness have taken a cultural hold to an extent unimaginable a generation ago.

What Kind of Music Is "Good"?

Is artistic beauty merely in the eyes and ears of the beholder? Is there any honest, objective way to distinguish between good and bad music? Let's briefly look at the components of music and understand the criteria that distinguish between the good, the bad and the ugly.

Nothing can evoke feelings like music. Lullabies can put you to sleep and stirring martial music can bring patriotic fervor to a fever pitch. Watch any movie. Music is used to heighten moods, whether it is suspense, terror, romance or the thrill of the chase. Studies have shown that heart rate and blood pressure are both affected by music.

Many primitive cultures have used the repetitive beat of the war dance to work the warriors into a state of frenzy before going out to battle. Many pagan religions have worked their devotees into a trance-like state of ecstasy by the use of music at religious festivals. "In Phoenicia and Syria, almost all popular music reflected the worship of Ishtar, the goddess of fertility. Thus, popular song was usually a prelude to sexual orgies in honor of the goddess, led and organized by thousands of her temple slaves" (Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, "Music"). Music can also set a positive mood as is evidenced by the biblical account of the effect that David's playing had in soothing the brooding depression of an increasingly unstable King Saul (cf. 1 Sam. 16:23).

The Bible gives us criteria to evaluate good and bad in every aspect of life, including music and the arts. One of the most basic principles was given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:20: "Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Simply put, good music will produce good fruits. Music that appeals to our lower, baser nature and brings out the worst is NOT good. The Apostle Paul points out that we should focus our thoughts on what is good, pure, lovely, and virtuous (cf. Phil. 4:8). Lyrics that glamorize illicit drugs, alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct are subversive to godliness. This is true whether the message is presented in a style that is smooth and sophisticated or one that is rude, crude and vulgar

Contemporary music affects society primarily in three different ways. One is the melodies themselves. What mood is evoked? Frenzy or agitation induced by dissonance and unresolved tension in the music doesn't engender a positive state of mind. In addition to the melody is the message of the lyrics. What is the difference between singing lies and, in a normal voice, speaking lies? A third aspect of contemporary music is image. Music videos and live performances heighten the impact of melody and lyrics by adding visual image. The cultural impact of visual images that exalt the base instincts and impugn what is pure, modest and lovely has been devastating in its effect.

There is not just one kind of music that is good or appropriate. Different music is appropriate for different occasions. Stately music can evoke a sense of worship and awe on formal occasions. Lively folk music can evoke spontaneous joy at times of celebration. There is even a place for music that expresses sadness and helps the listeners work through feelings of despair (cf. 2 Sam. 1:17-18). From popular show tunes to traditional bluegrass (and many variations in between) there is a lot of worthwhile music.

The point is that music has tremendous impact. Good music will produce good fruits while bad music will produce bad fruits. As Scottish patriot Alexander Fletcher stated on the floor of Parliament in 1764, "If a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who should make the laws of a nation."

The Soul of a Nation

The controversy regarding music and the arts isn't just an academic debate or an issue of personal taste; it involves a battle for the soul of a nation. Music and poetry are indeed the language of the soul, expressing and evoking innermost thoughts and feelings. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato noted, "When the modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the State always change with them" (The Republic, Book 4).

Much of 20th Century music is unique in that it has been divisive along generational lines. In the past, a culture's traditional music was always a unifying factor. Young and old enjoyed the same melodies and joined in the same dances. Today's music divides generations. Increasingly, rather than being brought together, generations have been alienated from one another and music has definitely played a role in this.

Also, much of contemporary music engenders despair, alienation and a spirit of rebellion or even violence. The fruits that have been borne by this music have indeed been bitter. In exchanging harmony for disorder and beauty for ugliness in our popular culture, the soul of the nation is gradually being seduced.

There is a time coming when beautiful music will soothe tortured souls. A time when the whole world will break forth into singing (cf. Is. 14:7) and when young and old will rejoice together in the dance (cf. Jer. 31:13). No longer will people be alienated from each other. The debased value system of this present society is going to pass away (1 John 2:17), and will be replaced by refreshing spiritual values that are rooted in the law of God: If we embrace tomorrow's values today, we will reap benefits both now and forever.

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by Staff

Q. “In last month’s ‘Questions and Short Answers,’ you said that ‘God reformed the earth… in a six-day period.’ What do you mean ‘reformed’? Didn’t God create it then?”

A. It may come as a surprise for many people that the Bible does NOT say God created the earth in six days. The Bible starts out, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1 ). The next verse states, 'The earth was without form and void; and darkness : was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." The rest of Genesis 1 describes the six-day period culminating in the creation of man.

Q. “What caused the destruction which occurred in the interval between the times described in the first two verses of Genesis?”

A. Before the earth was in existence, God created angels (see article by Roderick C. Meredith in this issue). We know they existed prior to the earth because the Bible says they sang and shouted for joy together when it was created (Job 38:4-7).

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by Douglas S. Winnail, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Around the world health care systems created to help people deal with disease are in serious trouble. In country after country health care systems are described as "in critical condition, a hazard to your health, needing radical surgery, in financial trouble and a threatening catastrophe in the making." Symptomatic of this abysmal situation are soaring costs, mismanagement, glaring inefficiencies, inequities and disparities among groups served, lack of access and duplication of services.

Millions suffer from disease and struggle to pay medical bills while planners and politicians argue over ways to improve health care systems. Something must be done! The litany of health care solutions has been likened to a "Tower of Babel" (Management Review July 1992). According to health care professionals many of the remedies have been simplistic, short-sighted proposals that have only aggravated the problem (Journal of the American Medical Association, January 4, 1995).

The introduction of competition to control costs has pitted health care providers against each other, undermined collaborative efforts and led to expensive duplication of facilities. Malpractice suits intended to punish incompetent doctors have resulted in higher insurance premiums to physicians, which are then passed on to patients as higher bills. The concept of managed care leads to administrative headaches and massive amounts of paperwork. Yet the national health insurance plan proposed for America by the Clinton administration could lead to financial disaster.

Ironically, America, with one of the world's most advanced—but expensive—private health care systems, is seriously contemplating shifting to government-controlled health care at the very time that other countries, such as Russia and Britain are beginning to dismantle their national health systems. Even the vaunted Canadian national system is in financial trouble (Nutrition Health Review Spring, 1994).

The bottom line appears to be that none of the existing attempts to provide health care for the nations of the world holds the answers we need (New England Journal of Medicine, July 29, 1993, p. 321). Cost-control strategies continue to fail as the cost of health care continues to rise. Inequities and inefficiencies grow as health care systems expand. Indeed, health care systems are proving to be the financial "Trojan Horses" of the 20th Century. In America, the amount spent on health care has risen from 4.5 percent of the gross national product (GNP) in 1950 to more than 14 percent in 1995.

Nature of the Problem

In order to solve a problem it is necessary to distinguish the root causes from the symptoms, and effectively address those causes. Most of the proposed solutions to the health care crisis (cost controls, competition, managed care, improved planning, government or private financing and control)—in true medical fashion—only treat the symptoms. That is why they have not been effective. The real cause is the system itself. It is focused on the wrong end of the spectrum (J.A.M.A., "Hospitals & Health Services Administration," Winter, 1992).

Historically, health care systems have been oriented toward disease, not health. Medical practitioners are trained to diagnose and treat the symptoms of disease after it has occurred, to relieve pain and help restore patients to health after they have become sick. Generally, the cause of the disease, which may have occurred months or years earlier, is not the focus of medical treatment—the real source of the problem is never really addressed. Medical check-ups, in a similar fashion are merely opportunities to look for signs of disease so it can be treated. Getting an annual examination doesn't promote healthy behaviors.

Medical education focuses on anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and pathology—the tools of treatment. However, the major causes of most health problems today are increasingly recognized to be social, behavioral and environmental in nature.

Despite this, millions of people are constantly influenced by social values and the mass media to engage in health-destroying behaviors (smoking, eating and drinking to excess, lack of exercise, etc.). Thus, those trying to make a treatment-oriented health care system work are constantly fighting an uphill battle. It should become quite obvious why treatment-oriented health care systems will never be able to cure the health care crises facing country after country around the globe.

The Challenge

About 25 years ago, then Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in America, Joseph Califano, called for a revolution in the field of health focusing on prevention, instead of treatment, of disease. He stated, "It is clear that improvement in the health status of our citizens will not be made predominantly through the treatment of disease, but rather through prevention.... We are killing ourselves by our own careless habits" (Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1979). He later wrote, "We must change the object of our attention from sick care to health care, encourage Americans to keep themselves in far better shape and to stay out of hospitals unless they have no alternative" (America's Health Care Revolution, Califano, 1986).

A recent article on medical policy stated: "The concept of health care reform must be broadened to include health promotion and disease prevention" and that a cornerstone of this new approach must be disease prevention which focuses on changing human behaviors (J.A.M.A., October 26, 1994, p. 1,292). Another article that includes among its authors, physician and former Surgeon General of the United States, C. Everett Koop, suggests that greater emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion could reduce the need and demand for medical services, which could lead to major reductions in medical costs (New England Journal of Medicine, July 29, 1993). The authors also asserted that a good health care system does not need to be expensive, and that high technology is not essential to improving health and longevity.

Impediments to Reform

The U.S. Health care industry is the third largest employer in America and the seventh largest economy in the world. Will hospital employees welcome the loss of their jobs if the demand for medical care is reduced? Will pharmaceutical companies be excited about reinvesting a large share of their profits in health promotion programs that would prevent illness and reduce demand for their products? How would physicians making several hundred thousand dollars a year react if the number of patients who require their services was dramatically reduced? Medical practitioners know that the big bucks are found in treating disease—not preventing it.

Even though medical practitioners may agree, in principle, with the basic tenets of health care reform, the actual shift to a prevention-oriented approach would be extremely difficult for the current medical interests. Nearly one hundred percent of most physicians' and nurses' time is devoted to treating sick patients. Where would they find the time to educate patients in prevention? Nearly all medical training is focused on treatment. Only about one to two percent of an already crowded medical curriculum is devoted to prevention.

As one author put it, "The reality is that the health scene is still dominated by care and cure, the medical model of health promotion (get a check-up, etc.) is still paramount, and the prospects of truly healthy public policy, for the time being at any rate, remain bleak" (British Medical Journal, May 6, 1995, p. 1,212).

The Unexpected Future

Nevertheless, a real revolution in the way we think about and deliver health care is going to occur. It is coming from a direction that we least expect and that our modern technological society has been conditioned to all but ignore.

The Bible reveals that God is going to bring about a revolution in health care along the lines of what is currently being proposed, but in a manner very different from what is envisioned by health planners and politicians.

Jeremiah foresaw a period of time in which the rejection of the laws of God would spawn health problems that would defy solutions. God tells Jeremiah to deliver a message to His people that "your affliction is incurable...you have no healing medicines" (Jer. 30:12-13), but that the time is coming when God "will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds" (Jer. 30:17).

During this future time of healing—a period described in the book of Acts by the Apostle Peter as "times of refreshing" and "the times of restoration of all things" (Acts 3:19-2l~Jesus Christ and the saints are going to reestablish the government of God on this earth (Is. 9:6-7; Dan. 7:27) and all peoples of the earth will be taught the laws of God (Is. 2:2-3; 11:9), including the health statutes.

But just how is God going to reform the approach to health and disease? How is He going to resolve the crisis in health care facing humanity? What can we learn from the Scriptures that could help us deal with our current problems?

The Biblical Approach to Health

The Bible is a practical book. It contains God's revelation to mankind of essential knowledge that would be difficult or impossible to arrive at by human reason and experience alone. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning [or starting point] of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7; cf. Prov. 9:10). The clear implication is that the proper approach to any subject can be found by studying what God has revealed in the Scriptures. When we look into the Bible to see what God has revealed about health we make some interesting discoveries.

In Exodus 15:26 God told Moses, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." It is God's prerogative to heal, and He promises that the result of obedience to the laws of God is health! This advice is repeated in Exodus 23:25 and Deuteronomy 7:12-15. These were physical promises to a physical people who should obey God's Word on a society-wide, community basis.

In Deuteronomy 28:15, 27-28 we are told that disease can be the result of personal or community disobedience to the laws of God. A prime example of this is illustrated by the health problems suffered by the people living near the Rio Grande River, which marks the southern border of the United States with Mexico. Many communities located near the river depend on it for their drinking water while at the same time using the river as a sewage dump. Consequently, many people living along the river suffer hepatitis.

God's statutes are clear about how to handle human wastes. "You shall have a designated area outside the camp to which you shall go. With your utensils you shall have a trowel; when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover up your excrement. Because the LORD your God travels along with your camp, to save you and to hand over your enemies to you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you" (Deut. 23:12-14 NRSV).

Many Mexicans and Americans are getting sick because their communities are violating the statutes that God designed to maximize our bodies' physical health. As an individual, you might wish to follow the statute mentioned above, but if you live near the Rio Grande River you are still going to be impacted by others' transgressions. Nevertheless, if you pay heed to God's Word in matters of health, you will personally benefit.

This sounds so simple, yet there are millions of superstitious people on earth who view disease as punishment from a capricious God (or gods) and they look for ways to appease rather than learn what they have done to bring the illness upon themselves.

There are also millions of people who, when they get sick, believe they were by chance attacked by some germ and can only be cured if treated by a medicine. This kind of mind-set does not encourage a person to learn what he or she might have done to cause the problem so it can be avoided in the future. The biblical approach to health involves learning how to live. Good health is not accidental—it's a matter of cause and effect.

In Deuteronomy 4:1-9 God reveals that He gave His laws to ancient Israelites so they could be a light and an example to the nations to see the positive fruits of His way of life (including freedom from diseases that plagued other nations), so they would desire to learn and emulate the way of life God had revealed to Israel.

Woven primarily through the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy (but augmented elsewhere in the Scriptures) we find a code of health statutes that deals with diet, environmental safety, sanitation, sexual relations, quarantine, waste disposal, exercise and mental health. These statutes are not treatment oriented, but preventive in nature. They focus on social causes, not medical treatment. God emphasizes education and legislation, not medication. The Bible focuses on influencing human behavior, not on writing prescriptions or surgical procedures.

While there are some examples where God supernaturally sends a disease as an instructive punishment for disobedience (Num. 12:1-10; 16:41-50), the Scriptures also show that God allows us to "reap what we sow" (Hosea 4:6-10; Gal. 6:7). Personal responsibility for one's health is clearly advocated in the Bible.

Healing is revealed in the Bible as a prerogative of God and was a major aspect of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Healing the sick demonstrated that He was the Messiah come from God, and it authenticated the ministry of the apostles. However, it is also important to notice the instruction that surrounds the verses on healing. In John 5:5-14, Jesus heals a person with an infirmity and then advises him to "sin no more."

In Mark 2:5 Jesus equates healing with the forgiveness of sin. In 1 John 3:4 we are told that sin involves the transgression of God's laws. Scripture reveals that sickness is one of the consequences of sin—breaking laws that God instituted for our good. In healing, God forgives sin; however, our goal in life is to avoid deliberate sin, avoid breaking laws, and thus learn to avoid sickness and disease.

God reveals through the Apostle James (5:14-16) that those who are sick should call for the elders of God's faithful Church, be anointed, and ask God in prayer to be healed. This does not preclude seeing a physician. The point is that our faith and trust should be in God first—not primarily men and medicines.

Medical treatments may aid the body in recovering from disease, but they cannot forgive sin (the act or attitude that transgressed God's Word). Included in James' instructions is the admonition to "confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another." What is intended here is recognizing and acknowledging what may have been wrong, and what caused the problem so it can be avoided in the future. Sharing these lessons with others can be helpful to all parties involved. It also helps to foster compassion, in addition to learning lessons about health and disease.

The biblical instruction about healing is clearly not to live as you please and then come to God to ask to be healed when you get sick. God holds us responsible for learning and following the health statutes in order to avoid getting sick. Healing is an act of forgiveness. It is not something to rely on just because we are not interested in living by the commandments that God designed for our good. The Bible encourages us to glorify God in our bodies (cf. 1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:13-20). This involves the responsibility of taking care of our bodies by learning how to lead healthy lives.

Timely Advice

The biblical approach to health that has been outlined in the Scriptures for thousands of years sounds very much like some of the conclusions that health care professionals are arriving at after spending untold billions of dollars and exhausting nearly every other alternative. The Bible focuses on promoting behaviors that would prevent disease. It is not a treatment-oriented system, but a proactive approach.

The emphasis on education and learning to live by laws that promote health is a public health approach, not a medical approach: Many of the basic tenets of the health care revolution advocated in recent years by prominent health care professionals are actually found in the writings of Moses that date from the second millennium B.C.! These principles are timeless and valid because they were revealed by a loving Creator God for promoting health among human beings by preventing disease.

One of the great tragedies of civilization is that many modern theologians have spiritualized away the practical aspects of the Bible, influencing most of the other sectors of society to disregard the Word of God. Disbelief and lack of true knowledge is the result. No wonder health care professionals are wrestling with the impossible task of trying to reduce the burden of disease and control soaring costs with a treatment-oriented system that ignores the real causes of the problem. The global health care crisis is the result of opting for a wrong approach to the subject of health because we have been conditioned to disregard God's revealed instructions in the Bible.

Prepare to Serve

While many are optimistic about the possibility of the proposed revolution toward prevention to cure the global health care crisis and ease the burden of disease, the Bible indicates that the immediate future may not be so rosy. In Matthew 24:3-7, Jesus indicated that the time just before His return would be a very difficult period, characterized by wars, famine, pestilence and natural disasters. The ominous ride of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse suggest the same things (Rev. 6:1-8).

The exciting news from the Bible, however, is that God is going to cure the global crisis in health care. He is calling and training a cadre of individuals that He is going to use to reign with Jesus Christ when He returns to this earth to reestablish the government of God. These individuals who have learned the value of God's way of life will teach the inhabitants of the earth how to live—which will include how to be healthy and avoid disease (Is. 30:20-21). People will then learn about the statutes God has designed to promote health.

You can prepare to be an effective part of that team by growing "in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18). Strive to develop the capacities Jesus Christ exhibited to sense the needs of others and the desire to alleviate human suffering (Matt. 23:37). Study the biblical approach to health and its application to the challenges facing humanity. Study the statutes and principles God has revealed and humans have discovered that promote health and prevent disease. Then you can be an effective teacher in the Kingdom of God who will bring health and happiness to all peoples.

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“Do you know why we celebrate Armistice Day?” I asked. The young man looked at me, puzzled. Obviously, he didn’t know. He mumbled something about wars, soldiers and veterans. And then, with a shrug of his shoulders he concluded, “All I know is it’s a day off, and I like it!”

A day off! What irony! It was not a day off for the millions of soldiers who died in World War I and II. Nor was it for the dead in Korea, Vietnam or any other war.

Armistice means a temporary suspension of hostilities between two sides in a conflict. It does not put an end to the state of war, but is merely an agreement that may lead either to peace or a resumption of hostilities.

Once again this year we are reminded that, early on the morning of November 11, 1918, an armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany—and World War I came to an end. Originally, the United States, Britain and France set aside November 11 as a day of remembrance for those who gave their lives during World War I.

Of course, most of us today have no recollection of World War I, and the number of those who remember World War II becomes fewer every day. I was in Switzerland during the exuberant celebration of V.E. Day on May 8, 1945. With loud shouts and cries, I participated in the unforgettable, frenetic festivities. “No more war!” We didn’t know then—how could we have?—that within less than half a century, more than 150 new wars would break out all around the world.

And the problems continue today. Bosnian Muslims and Serbs are involved in armed conflict that has decimated both peoples, as well as the cities and land they are fighting over. Massive NATO air strikes have broken the status quo of what has been a mostly uneven struggle, but as yet, have not been able to break the intractable positions of these warring enemies.

And even as the collapse of communism had led to a general nuclear disarming of traditional Cold War adversaries, other nations are recklessly pursuing the necessary technology to develop so-called weapons of last resort. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Iraq has revealed ‘massive amounts’ of new information about its weapons of mass destruction to the United Nations. The data indicates that Iraq’s programs were larger than it had ever admitted… The data also reveals that Iraq had far more advanced programs in biological weapons—including large stockpiles of anthrax and botulin, the toxin that causes botulism—than originally believed” (“Baghdad Admits to Larger Program of Deadly Weapons,” August 23, 1995). Furthermore, Iraq tried to quickly develop a nuclear weapon for deployment against U.S.-led forces that opposed it during the Persian Gulf War (Los Angels Times, “Iraq’s Rush to Get Nuclear Bomb for Gulf Was Disclosed,” August 26, 1995).

Why do men strive so hard toward such deadly goals? Why is it that men don’t know the way to peace?

This question crossed my mind a few years ago as I visited the American cemetery at Saint-Avold, a little city in northern France. It was a chilly, gloomy day. In all probability, the name Saint-Avold means nothing to most Americans. They are unaware that 10,489 of their compatriots, mostly young soldiers and airmen, are buried there in peace, far away from their country—a peace for which they fought and died.

How can you hold back your tears or control your emotions when looking at those silent, white marble headstones? All of them are in the shape of a cross. No, not all of them—200 of the dead were of the Jewish faith, and their headstones are in the shape of the traditional Star of David.

Why do nations fight? Why have so many soldiers, not to mention the millions of slaughtered civilians, been buried, along with their unfulfilled hopes and dreams? “For peace and freedom!” You would hear it proclaimed during all memorial ceremonies.

But do we have peace and freedom today?

“A Debt to Be Paid…”

At Saint-Avold, on a wall in the little Chapel and Memorial Building you will find a short inscription dedicated to the memory of those heroes who died for the sake of others. It reads: ‘Our fellow countrymen—enduring all and giving all that mankind might live in freedom and in peace. They join that glorious band of heroes who have gone before.”

A magnificent tribute, to be sure! But the heroes who died for peace and freedom can neither read nor hear it. What would they say, I asked myself, if they could now speak?

On another wall, above the photographs of six other American cemeteries in Europe—you will see another inscription, a brief statement by General Dwight Eisenhower: “Here we and all who shall hereafter live in freedom will be reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid, with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live.”

Again, magnificent words, but of little value to the dead. And often, not even to the living! That’s because words of praise, however beautiful or solemn, lose their significance and import when they are only followed by empty resolutions!

This year, on August 6, most nations soberly observed the 50^th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It hastened the end of a war and marked the beginning of a new era—an era of fear! The combined heat and force of that dreadful bomb vaporized almost everything in the immediate vicinity. The toll? Estimates vary—presumable 80,000 dead immediately, with an additional 60,000 fatalities by the end of 1945 from radiation poisoning and other injuries.

Three days after Hiroshima’s holocaust, on August 9, 1945, a second deadly bomb was detonated over Nagasaki, another major Japanese city. It immediately killed 35,000 and an additional 35,000 died by the end of the year.

“My God, what have we done?” shouted Robert Lewis, copilot of the Enola Gay, after the blast of the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima. God did not answer, and the dead themselves remained silent! Upon hearing the dreadful and horrifying news, Albert Einstein is reported to have said, “The atomic bomb has changed everything except the nature of man!”

Since those historic days, nations around the world have held many “peace” conferences. Promises and resolutions have been made, and continue to be made, to reduce the production and use of nuclear weapons. If it is true that certain weapons have actually been destroyed, it is also true that the world still retains a sufficient stock of nuclear weapons which have the capacity to totally destroying all physical life on this planet.

No wonder God declares in the Bible, “Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known” (Rom. 3:15-17).

Ironically, some time ago, a Dutch professor is reported to have calculated the cost of killing an enemy soldier at various times of history. During the reign of Julius Caesar, he estimated it to have been less than $1; in Napoleon’s time, it had apparently risen to $2,000. And on November 11, 1918, on Armistice Day, it had reached the sum of $17,000. The professor’s calculations stopped with the Vietnam War, which, presumably, cost the United States $200,000 to kill one enemy soldier.

Men have not understood that wars don’t solve problems. They never have.

A Simple Truth

Throughout the centuries, much has been written to expound the reasons men and nations fight. Philosophers have sought in vain the real cause of wars. Yet, in the simplest terms, the Bible reveals that cause. The Apostle James wrote, “Where do wars and fights come from among you> Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:1-3).

Lust, greed, covetousness, jealousy and selfishness are the roots of fighting and war. They are by-products of man’s carnal nature which rebels against God. As Paul wrote, “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7).

Before God, all human beings are equal. He loves all of us, regardless of our nationality or the color of our skin. But unbiased equality can only be achieved among men if we submit ourselves to God’s will and allow ourselves to be led by His Holy Spirit.

At the end of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur warned of an alarming world trend: “We have had our last chance, “ he said. “If we do not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character…. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.”

He was right. The Bible clearly reveals that the human mind needs a radical change, a total transformation, spiritual renewal acceptable to God.

The Ultimate Transformation

Everyone wants to be free, but few people realize that freedom itself is subject to law. True freedom is the right of the individual to do what the law permits. It is synonymous with obedience to God and to His laws. We can fully enjoy true freedom when we faithfully observe His commandments.

The Apostle James wrote, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

The world today, because of disobedience to God’s laws, is filled with heartbreaking tragedy, misery and endless suffering. We have sickness and poverty, fraud and corruption, fighting, crime and war. Many ask, “Why? What’s the purpose to this suffering? Why were we even born?”

As unbelievable as it may sound, we were born to be ultimately transformed into spirit beings—to become members of God’s eternal and spiritual Family! We will be His children, and we will live with Him and with Christ forever. All those who believe in God and who live by His Word will be spiritually transformed after the resurrection of the dead in Christ. (To better understand this subject, please write for our free booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny. There is no obligation on your part.)

The more than 10,000 soldiers and airmen who are now buried under the white marble headstones at Saint-Avold will live again (cf. John 5:28). Not in our world filled with tragedy and war, but in a new world of true freedom and peace. Together with the billions who have died, whether as soldiers or civilians, they will be resurrected to life into a new world where the change in human character will indeed by “of the spirit.”

God spoke of this time to come through the Prophet Ezekiel: “The LORD… set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones…. And indeed they were very dry…. There was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over… and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezek. 37:1-2, 7-8, 10).

And once resurrected, men will no longer take up their weapons of destruction. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain [the government] of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains [all the governments of the world], and shall be exalted above the h ills; and all nations shall flow to it…. He [Christ] shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Is. 2:1-2, 4).

This is God’s GOOD NEWS to today’s suffering world! That’s why the story of all who ever died for peace and freedom, throughout history, is not finished. In fact, it has only just begun! Their untimely deaths did not succeed in bringing permanent freedom and peace to the world. But their new lives in Christ’s Kingdom will contribute to the achievement of that priceless goal. Their efforts will no longer be in vain, because they will be laboring with the “plowshares” of love, instead of the weapons of destruction (cf. Micah 4:3)!

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