PARALLEL WORLDS

The Parallel between the "Merchants of
Tarshish" and the American Business Elites

Come on now! - is it that hard to see the parallel between Tyre and the "Merchants of Tarshish" (on the one hand) and America and her business elites (on the other hand)? The fact is, in today's world, the American business elites stand in exactly the same place to America as the "Merchants of Tarshish" stood in relation to the kingdom of Tyre - AND IT IS, THEREFORE, NOT WITHOUT PURPOSE THAT THE BIBLE DRAWS THIS PARALLEL FORWARD TO TODAY'S WORLD IN EZEKIEL CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Those who have "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" (Mark 8:18) will easily make the connection.

And make no mistake about the centrality of the American business elites to the way America (and, ipso facto, the world) is run today. The late Professor C. Wright Mills of Columbia University has written:

"... in this particular epoch a conjunction of historical circumstances has led to the rise of an elite of power ... the men of the circles composing this elite, severally and collectively, now make such key decisions as are made; and that, given the enlargement and the centralization of the means of power now available, the decisions that they make and fail to make carry more consequences for more people than has ever been the case in the world history of mankind." [Please see our article, "Greed, Avarice and the Coming Dictatorship."]

Mills Continues:

"The pursuit of the moneyed-life is ... (the elite's) commanding value, in relation to which the influence of other values has declined, so ... (THAT THEY HAVE) EASILY BECOME MORALLY RUTHLESS IN ITS PURSUIT..."

"(They have) narrowed the meaning of 'success' to big money and in these terms condemn (financial) failure as the chief vice, raising money to the plane of absolute value."

"Whenever the standards of the moneyed-life prevail, the man with money, NO MATTER HOW HE GOT IT, will eventually be respected. (In America), it is not only that men want money; it is that their very standards are pecuniary. In a society (i.e., the American society) in which the money-maker has ... no serious rival for repute and honor, the word 'practical' comes to mean 'useful for private gain' and 'common sense', 'the sense to get ahead financially'."

Criminals in Armani Suits

Just as the moneyed elites of Tyre filled Tyre and Tyre's tribute states with bloodshed and violence, so also America's moneyed elites have filled America and her "client-states" with violence and bloodshed, except it's not called that when America's business elites "traffic" in it. When they rob the poor, dispossess them of their land and houses, pollute the environment, ship their jobs overseas to "slave-labor factories," instead of calling it what it is - i.e., "criminality" - they call what they are doing "sound business practices." [Please see our article, "The American Empire and the New Global Elite;" please also see "The American Empire and the U.S. System of Client-States."]

And its just not that they openly practice such things; they then buy up legislators, take control of the judiciary, co-opt the administrative organs of the government, and buy up the electoral process in order to insure that they are immune from the consequences of their felonious acts. Commenting on the kind of "democracy" they have created for themselves in America, Michael Parenti writes that as things stand now, the American people -

"... might better think of [their system of government] ... as a dual political system. First, there is the symbolic political system centered around electoral and representative activities including party conflicts, voter turnout, political personalities, public pronouncements, official role-playing and certain ambiguous presentations of some of the public issues which bestir presidents, governors, mayors and their respective legislatures. Then there is the substantive political system, involving multi-billion dollar contracts, tax write-offs, protections, rebates, grants, loss compensations, subsidies, leases, giveaways and the whole vast process of budgeting, legislating, advising, regulating, protecting and servicing major producer interests - now bending or ignoring the law on behalf of the powerful, now applying it with full punitive vigor against heretics and 'troublemakers'. The symbolic system is highly visible, taught in schools, discussed by academicians, gossiped about by newsmen. The substantive system is seldom heard of or accounted for."

The fact is, THE RICH IN AMERICA ARE NOTHING MORE THAN CRIMINALS IN ARMANI SUITS, But unlike the Mafioso (who have, in relative terms, only a few "hit men" at their disposal to enforce their will), the CEOs of General Electric, Ford Motor Company, Haliburton, Exxon-Mobil, etc. have the entire U.S. military at their disposal to enforce their will. AND SO WE NOW UNDERSTAND THE CRYPTIC REFERENCE TO "SHEBA, DEDAN AND THE MERCHANTS OF TARSHISH" IN EZEK. 38:13:

"Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee (i.e., Gog), ART THOU COME TO TAKE A SPOIL? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" (Ezek. 38:13)

It is a protest that will act as a catalyst to America's presence in the Middle East and - again - it reveals whose ox is really being goaded by the forces of Islamic Radicalism (i.e., the CEOs of America's multinational oil companies), and who really is behind what's going on in the Middle East (i.e., these very same rapacious oil companies who - again - are more than willing to sacrifice America's sons and daughters for the sake of their "bottom lines").

THE PROPHECIES OF EZEKIEL AND
DANIEL CONCERNING THE GOG/MAGOG WAR

The Prophet Ezekiel

We have now gleaned about as much as we can concerning the Gog/Magog War from the prophet Ezekiel. This much has been made clear:

• A group of Radical Islamic nations shall descend on Israel in the "latter days" to destroy Israel and "take a spoil."

• As foretold in Ezekiel 38:4, it will be a massive invasion. Persia [the land that is today occupied by modern Iran] and TURKEY will join in the attack. Ethiopia and Libya (ancient lands which today bear these same names] and others will evidently coordinate with the northern confederation in an attack from the south.

• There will be a protest from Sheba and Dedan and the "Merchants of Tarshish" - i.e., America's business elites - that will spur the United States into action against Gog.

But, having said this, little else can be gleaned from Ezekiel concerning the Gog/Magog War except that Gog will be almost totally annihilated. But how will the war unfold? Are there other "players?" How exactly does the AntiChrist become involved? These and other questions are left unanswered by Ezekiel. Instead, Ezekiel passes over these questions, bypassing the rest of the Tribulation Period, and moves directly into a picture of a restored Israel during the Millennium.

The Prophet Daniel

We must take up the rest of the Gog/Magog story (where Ezekiel left off) in Daniel chapter eleven. [Please see Daniel and the Latter Days (Moody Press) by Robert Duncan Culver for an excellent treatment of these and other passages.]

Daniel 11:36-39 begins the prophecy with a description of the Antichrist and compares him with Antiochus Epiphanes [the Greek (by ethnicity) not Syrian ruler of the ancient Selussian Empire] who desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem in the Second Century B.C. (Daniel 11:21-35). Among other things, he (Antichrist) is described as a man who shall corrupt with flatteries (Daniel 11:32), and a man infatuated with military power and glory. Daniel goes on to say:

"And at the end time [same as "in the latter years" - cf. Daniel 11:40 and Ezekiel 38:8] the king of the South [the leader of the southern confederation, i.e., EGYPT, Libya, etc.] will collide with him [i.e., the Antichrist - please see Daniel and the Latter Days by Robert Culver], and the king of the North [Gog] will storm against him [again, the Antichrist] with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he [Antichrist] will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through.

"He [i.e., the Antichrist] will also enter the Beautiful Land [i.e., Israel], and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon [i.e., that portion of land east of the river Jordan which sweeps in a large arc (with the Dead Sea as the fulcrum) from about 30 miles northeast of the Dead Sea southward to about 50 miles due south, southeast of the same sea - a barren and desolate wilderness devoid of any significant vegetation. Mt. Nebo is located in this area where it is reputed that Jeremiah hid the "Arc of the Covenant" in order to prevent its capture by the Babylonians - and there are some scholars today (mainly Orthodox Jews) who believe that it is still there (Numbers 35)].

"Then he [i.e., Antichrist] will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of EGYPT will not escape.

"HE [i.e., Antichrist] WILL GAIN CONTROL OVER THE HIDDEN TREASURES [ i.e., THE OIL OF THE MDDLE EAST] AND OVER ALL THE PRECIOUS THINGS ...

"But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him [i.e., Antichrist], and he [Antichrist] will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many.

"And he [Antichrist] will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain ..." (Daniel 11:40-45a)

As described here, the Gog/Magog War will be initiated by a "push" from the king of the south (i.e., the leader of the southern confederation, probably the leader of EGYPT) against the Antichrist, whose forces are at least partially located in the "glorious land" [Israel] - probably as a result of a defense pact between Israel and Babylon, the nation which he leads. Shortly thereafter, the king of the north [Gog] - leading the combined forces of TURKEY, Iran, etc - will launch his attack, and between them, the king of the north and the king of the south will attempt to trap the combined forces of Israel and Babylon in a giant pincer movement. The attack of the king of the north [Gog] has been referred to in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Now new detail is given. Ezekiel 38 and 39 had mentioned the fact that Ethiopia and Libya would join Gog in this attack; now a third nation is added - EGYPT (Daniel 11:42).

Recapitulating and Combining the
Prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel

As a result of the information contained in the above verses and those in Ezekiel, we have now -

• An outline of how the war will unfold.

• An idea of where U.S. forces will be situated just prior to the beginning of the war, specifically in the environs of ancient Babylon and close to Israel.

• A final list of the MAIN "players" in the war: Israel, the United States, Turkey, Iran, and Egypt.

• The consequences of the war: The occupation of the land of Israel by American forces, and the annihilation of most of the people of the Middle East.

Matters Pertaining to Turkey and Egypt

This, at last, brings us to the matter of Turkey and Egypt; specifically their decline into the fires of Islamic Radicalism. The submergence of both countries in these fires will take place in an atmosphere of increasing turmoil and confusion in the Middle East as the forces of Islamic Radicalism (on the one hand) and America and her client-state, Israel (on the other hand) maneuver for advantage in the upcoming struggle for control of the vast oil riches of the area. In this struggle, both sides will be radicalized because - in the end - only the radicalized elements of each camp are prepared to endure the horrors of the clash that lie ahead; only they possess the esprit de corps (as it were) and the kind of intellectual (really, religious) rigor necessary for such a contest.

Egypt

As the struggle continues, both sides will be progressively driven back to the ancient springs from which their cultures first drew breath; in the case of America, Christianity; and in the case of the Muslim people of the Middle East, Islam. There is no room on this battlefield for the "faint of heart," which in this case means the religious "moderates" on both sides. All this bodes ill for the "secular" governments of Turkey and Egypt. Indeed, what's happening in both countries is that their "moderate" underpinnings are rotting away under the impress of Islamic Radicalism. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood - a radical Islamic group that has been banned for years - is making an astounding comeback, capturing over 37 percent of the Egyptian vote in recent elections, which by all accounts were rigged in favor of the current government.

The fact is, it's not too much to say that without the police-state apparatus of the Egyptian state, the present secular government of Hosni Mubarik would have fallen a long time ago to the forces of Islamic Fundamentalism. Indeed, the pathology of rot that has taken hold on the Mubarik government resembles nothing so much as the rot that took hold on the Shah's government in Iran shortly before its fall in 1978.

Turkey

In Turkey, the same rot is extant as in Egypt. All that's needed to push the "moderates" out in Turkey is the rejection of their bid for E.U. membership - a bid that looks increasingly shaky. For example, Valery Giscard d'Estaing of France recently asserted in an interview with Le Monde that Turkey has no business in the E.U. It's not a "Western" country at all. He continued:

"Turkey's capital is not in Europe, and 95 percent of its population is outside Europe. It has a different culture, a different approach, and a different way of life ... E.U. membership for Turkey would mean the end of Europe."

And Giscard d'Estaing is not alone in his sentiments. His comments have been echoed by West Germany's former chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, who publicly voiced fears that the admission of Turkey -

"... would open the door for similarly plausible full membership of other MUSLIM nations in Africa and the Middle East. That could result in the political union degenerating into nothing more than a free trade community [without a common culture]."

While the secular elites in Europe continue to press for Turkey's membership in the E.U., most of the differing populations of the E.U. member states are opposed to Turkey's membership for cultural and, yes, even religious reasons. The current population of Turkey is about 70 million; by contrast, Germany is the largest E.U. state with about 83 million residents, but it is shrinking by about 82,000 a year while Turkey's population is exploding. That means that in a few years, Turkey would be the largest state - both in terms of geography and sheer numbers - in the E.U. What that could mean is that Europe could be flooded with Muslim immigrants who would be accorded unrestricted immigration rights under the E.U. Charter. That's something that sends shivers down the spines of most Europeans.

Should Turkey's bid for membership in the E.U. continue to stall, however, Turkey could irrevocably turn away from "moderation" and embrace Islamic Radicalism. Indeed, the current government of Turkey is made up in part from previously banned Islamic parties. The leader of this coalition, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has warned that if things continue as they are, the Turks will look at the E.U. as "nothing more than a Christian Club" which is closed to Islamic participation. AND THE FACT IS, THERE IS ALREADY A GROWING SENTIMENT IN TURKEY AGAINST BECOMING A "PARIAH" MEMBER OF THE E.U. WHEN IT COULD INSTEAD BECOME THE LEADING MEMBER IN A COALITION OF ISLAMIC STATES THAT WOULD STRETCH FROM MOROCCO TO THE PHILIPPINES.

How Close Is the Collapse of the
Egyptian and Turkish Governments?

The question , now, that fairly begs to be asked is, How close are we to the collapse of the present secular governments of Turkey and Egypt? The short answer is, very close! Indeed, as we just indicated, both Turkey and Egypt stand in just about the same situation as the government of Iran did just prior to the fall of the Shah.

When the collapse of the Shah finally came in 1978 - which led to the Middle East's first Islamic government - it looked at the time to have come out of nowhere. But the social rot that led to the collapse of the Shah's government had been eating away at Iran's foundations for years. While the façade remained, the substance was gone; as a result, when the collapse came, it came suddenly. THIS IS PRECISELY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN VERY SOON NOW IN BOTH EGYPT AND TURKEY - AND NOTHING WILL BE ABLE TO STAVE OFF THIS COLLAPSE.

Moreover, this kind of rot is extant in almost all the secular governments of the Middle East and North Africa - from Morocco and Algeria in the west, through Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria in the center - and even eastward through Pakistan, the states of Central Asia, and on into Malaysia. The fact is, all of these secular governments are rotten to their very foundations, AND THIS ROT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THEY ARE ALL AMERICAN CLIENT-STATES with very little popular support at the grass-roots level.

Ultimately, the secular governments of each of these states owe their existence to the support of the U.S. military; and all of them are in league with the Americans in the rape of their respective countries by America's huge "multi-national" corporations - corporations such as Exxon-Mobil, Haliburton, Shell (which, despite its British and Dutch façade, is really an American-owned corporation), Conoco-Phillips, Dow, Union Carbide, etc.

But Egypt and Turkey are crucial in the fact that they - together with Iran - possess among themselves more than 80 percent of the population of the Middle East. That makes what happens to them crucial to what happens to the Middle East as a whole.

RESTATING THE FACTS ON THE GROUND

When Egypt and Turkey go, all of the Middle East will go with them! - AND, AGAIN, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME NOW. When that finally happens, ALL THE "PLAYERS" THAT ARE DIRECTLY MENTIONED IN THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES WILL HAVE GATHERED THEMSELVES TO WAR:

• TURKEY: Turkey is still a U.S. client-state, but is very close to collapsing into the frenzy of Islamic Radicalism. It should be noted here that when we speak of Turkey in the ancient scripts, we are speaking of Magog, Mescheck, Tubal, and Gomer. It should also be noted in this connection that none of these ancient lands extended northward into what is known today as Russia. RUSSIA IS NOT REFERENCED BY EITHER THE PROPHET EZEKIEL OF DANIEL; the names "Mescheck" and "Tubal" are NOT references to "Moscow" and "Tobolsk" as some have naively suggested. That's conjecture; the facts are these: Mescheck and Tubal are mentioned in ancient Assyrian inscriptions as being located in what is now known as the Transcaucasian Region - the extreme northern horizon of the Hebrews (Ezek. xxxviii. 15; xxxix. 2). This area encompasses what is now known as Azerbaijan, Dagestan, and Turkey. In addition, "ROSH" IS NOT A PSEUDONYM FOR "RUSSIA" as some have alleged; that, again, is conjecture; the facts are these: Rosh is an ancient designation for the tribes north of the Taurus mountains (i.e., in the Caucuses area) ..." [Please see the Biblical and Theological Dictionary and the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge.]

• IRAN: Already a designated Islamic Republic; in the process of building a nuclear bomb.

• ETHIOPIA (including the Sudan): Already designated Islamic Republics.

• LIBYA: An enemy of the United States; though not yet a declared Islamic Republic, it is already a de facto one.

• EGYPT: Still a U.S. client-state, but - like Turkey - very close to collapsing into the frenzy of Islamic Radicalism.

• ISRAEL: A U.S. client state and America's CAT'S PAW in the Middle East.

• THE UNITED STATES: Already ensconced in the land of ancient Babylon (i.e., Iraq), and is in the process of building fourteen SUPER-BASES out in the Iraqi desert away from Iraq's population centers and the prying eyes of the world press. In addition - and more ominously for Israel - the U.S. is also building a SUPER-BASE in Israel itself that is so huge that it is reputed to be half the size of the city of Tel Aviv.

DWIGHT PENTECOST ON
THE COMING DEFENSE PACT

There is only one other event before us that we have yet to examine in connection with the Gog/Magog War and the beginning of the Tribulation: The signing of a FORMAL defense pact between the United States and Israel. The Scripture calls this agreement between Israel and Prophetic Babylon as "YOUR [i.e., ISRAEL'S] COVENANT WITH DEATH" and "YOUR AGREEMENT WITH HELL:"

"Wherefore, hear the word of the Lord, ye ... men that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

"Because ye have said, We have made a COVENANT WITH DEATH, AND WITH HELL (Prophetic Babylon) are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us ...

"(But) ... your COVENANT WITH DEATH shall be disannulled, and your AGREEMENT WITH HELL shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it." (Isaiah 28:14-15, 18)

Why does the Bible use such strong language with regard to this covenant? - because it is an abomination to God for His people to trust in anything but the hand of God! It is a fearful thing for the people of God [be that people Israel or the church] to trust in gentile world power. God calls it "harlotry!" Concerning this pact, J. Dwight Pentecost writes:

"According to Daniel 9:26-27 ... [Babylon (i.e., the United States)] will make a covenant with Israel for a seven year period. This covenant evidently ... guarantees Israel's integrity [i.e., is a defense pact] ... [and] also is a Satanic imitation of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant which ... [guaranteed] Israel title deed to the land. This action is pictured by John [in the Apocalypse] (Rev. 16:2) as a rider going forth to conquer [as the first horseman in the Apocalypse] ... This condition exists for three and one-half years, after which the covenant is broken by the ... [Antichrist]."

SIR ROBERT ANDERSON ON
THE COMING DEFENSE PACT

Sir Robert Anderson elaborates on the prophetic circumstances surrounding this treaty and its connection to the Tribulation Period:

"... the Seventieth Week [i.e., the seven year period of the Tribulation Period] will be a definite period of time, of which the beginning, the middle, and the end are definitely marked [by certain well defined events]. [Just as the beginning of the first sixty-nine weeks were signified] ... not by the return of the Jews from Babylon, nor yet by the rebuilding of their Temple, but by the SIGNING OF THE PERSIAN DECREE [TREATY] which restored ... [them], so also the beginning of the Seventieth Week will date not from their restoration to Judea [May 14, 1948], nor yet from the future rebuilding of their shrine, but from the SIGNING OF THE [DEFENSE] TREATY BY THE COMING PRINCE [ANTICHRIST]."

THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING
THE CREATION OF THE DEFENSE PACT

According to the Bible, the circumstances surrounding the signing of the coming U.S./Israeli defense pact are not exactly what one might at first suppose - especially in light of the extensive turmoil that is extant now in the Middle East. The picture of Israel given in the Scripture is NOT a picture that one would expect in the days and months leading up to the greatest war in history. Specifically, the Bible says:

"And thou [i.e., Gog) shalt say, I will go up to the land of UNWALLED VILLAGES [i.e., Israel]; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates ..." (Ezekiel 38:11)

This is a picture that reveals the Israeli people "... at rest ... dwelling safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates ..." (Ezekiel 38:11)

But wouldn't this contradict the realities that now exist on the ground in the Middle East? No! - not at all if one once grasps the fact that U.S. foreign policy is still operating in a paradigm that is a decade and a half behind the facts on the ground. The truth is, the U.S. foreign policy establishment (as opposed to the radical neo-cons that surround George Bush and his Christian Right allies who are desperately seeking a "final conflict" with Islam), still believes it's possible to operate in the Middle East behind the "moderate," secular facades of their client-states in the region: Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey - even countries farther afield such as Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, etc. They UTTERLY fail to grasp just how far radical fundamentalism has taken hold among the populations of the Middle East - AND THAT HAS BEEN MADE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR IN THE DEBACLE IN IRAQ and the emergence of "suicide bombers" in the name of "Allah."

Nonetheless, the U.S. pursues this "failed policy" relentlessly, and this is precisely what it is doing when it inserts itself in the turmoil between Israel (on the one hand) and the Palestinians (on the other hand) - thinking that if it can broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians it can quench the flames of Islamic Radicalism. But the fires of Islamic Radicalism long ago burned through that fuel. Nothing can stop it now! - it will burn until it consumes itself finally in its own Gotterdamerung: the GOG/MAGOG WAR.

Still, the U.S. plods on - hoping to save its Middle Eastern client-states by concluding a peace agreement between the Palestinians and the state of Israel. To that end, the U.S. is planning to lean very, very HEAVILY on its "Toad," Israel: it will demand that Israel tear down its SECURITY WALL, and retreat back to the "green-line" (its 1967 borders); in return, the U.S. will guarantee Israel's security in a defense pact. All of this lends INCREDIBLE meaning to the words of Gog in Ezekiel 38:11:

"I will go up to the land of UNWALLED VILLAGES [i.e., Israel]; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates ..." (Ezekiel 38:11) [Please see our article, "The Wall: The Israeli/Palestinian Accords and Israel's Agreement with Death and Hell."]

A RACE BACK TO THE DARK AGES

We have spoken of the radicalization of the Islamic nations of the Middle East and Central Asia, but the United States is also going through a similar process of radicalization: A CHRISTIAN radicalization. Those who get caught up in it will inevitably find themselves allied with the Antichrist and the power of hell!

That radicalization process is already far advanced and is apparent to anyone who has "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" (Mark 8:18). The fact is, CHRISTIANITY IN THE UNITED STATES IS IN A RACE BACK TO THE DARK AGES, THE DAYS OF POPE GREGORY VII AND THE CRUSADES, and this is made apparent not in the secret memoranda of the leaders of today's American Church, but in their public pronouncements. Again, we turn to the words of C. Peter Wagner, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and the father of the "Church Growth Movement" which has taken hold everywhere in American Christendom today; Wagner, who considers President George Bush "GOD'S MAN ON EARTH," says:

"In God's providence, things have now changed in Washington. The election of 2000 (which brought George Bush to power) was a vital spiritual victory for our nation ... Today we have leaders who desire a DIVINE CONNECTION BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH."

Wagner elaborates on what he calls this "divine connection between heaven and earth:"

"We must keep in mind that there are two important and interconnecting worlds, the visible world of the natural world and the invisible world of the spiritual world. God has established governments to set policies and execute strategies in the visible world. He has established the church to do likewise in the invisible world."

BLOOD, GORE AND MANGLED BODIES

The thoughts expressed here by Wagner are truly amazing - and are portentous of fearful things to come: of blood and gore and mangled bodies; of ruin and heartache; of orphans and widows; of tears and great sadness! Wagner is pulling the West back to the Dark Ages and the Medieval Church - a world filled with witches and demons and "things that go bump in the night;" a world where the church and the state - i.e., those twin powers of Regnum and Sacerdotium that governed the lives of Medieval Man - were co-equals in the affairs of mankind. This doctrine was known to the Medieval Church as the "Doctrine of the Two Swords" (i.e., the "temporal sword" and the "spiritual sword"): To the Caesars of the state must be given some things, to the church of God must be given others. Si Roma locuta sit, cause finita sit. [Please see our articles, "Apostasy: Christianity in the Service of a Religio-Political-Corporate Terrorist State" and "Political Christianity."]

Hildebrand (i.e., Gregory VII, pope from 1073 - 1085) wrote:

"... the spiritual (i.e., churchly) and temporal (i.e., civil) powers are entrusted to two different orders, each drawing its authority from God, each supreme in its own sphere, and independent, within its own sphere, of the other ... the king is subject to the bishop in spiritual matters, the bishop is to the king in temporal matters." [Please see our article, "Regnum and Sacerdotium."]

This is precisely what Wagner and others of his ilk believe.

Wagner believes that for there to be victory in the "visible world" (i.e., victory for the "American New World Order System" which he fervently believes is God's "Redeemer Nation" ordained by Him to conquer the world for "Christ and the church - please see our article, "Inside the American New World Order System") there must be victory in the "invisible world" (i.e., the church). That both spheres (worlds) must coordinate their respective efforts in order to bring God's Kingdom to earth. Wagner writes,

"It is our responsibility, as church leaders, to use the authority that God has delegated to us and to conquer the invisible forces of darkness ... THIS IS WHAT OPENS THE WAY FOR OUR GOVERNMENT LEADERS (i.e., Bush et. al.) TO MAKE GODLY DECISIONS IN THE NATURAL REALM."

Wagner continues:

"We have enemies in both the visible world and the invisible world, and, ultimately, our enemies in the invisible world, under Satan as their Commander-in-Chief, influence our natural enemies such as the hijackers who commandeered the commercial jets which inflicted unthinkable destruction on our nation."

A HOLY WAR (CRUSADE) AGAINST ISLAM

And make no mistake about it, Wagner is plainly making a connection between Islam and the events of 9-11. Wagner is plainly setting up an equation here, as it were: Islam = Satan; and Christianity = God.

Wagner goes on:

"... If our government leaders ... are to implement God's purpose here on earth, the church must be equally ready to move into a wartime stance and go on the offensive ... It is time to go to battle in the invisible world ..."

Wagner says that it is the duty of church leaders everywhere to prepare Christians for battle in the "invisible realm" in support of what Bush is trying to accomplish in the "visible realm;" to that end, church leaders must thwart and defeat any "CLINTONESQUE (Wagner's word), PACIFISTIC, ANTI-WAR mood" from taking hold of the church; the unity of the church is paramount if pacifism is to be defeated, and anti-war sentiment successfully driven from the church. Accordingly, the saints must be brought UNDER THE DISCIPLINE OF THEIR PASTORS and elders, who in turn must SUBMIT themselves to the RULE (i.e., the government) of the "Apostles and Prophets." Wagner says,

"God has prepared us for this moment: Intercessors began to be recognized in the 1970s, prophets in the 1980s, and apostles in the 1990s. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH IS IN PLACE and we must be obedient ... (The apostles are now prepared to rule over the saints and prepare them for war) ... the church leaders most responsible for MOVING BELIEVERS INTO WAR ARE THE APOSTLES ..."

Wagner sees all this - i.e., the "recovery" of the ministry of "intercessors," "prophets," and "apostles" - as "divine preparation" for the coming war - a war that Barbara Wentroble prophesied about, saying -

"... Eat and drink and gain new strength. Rise up and GET READY FOR WAR."

Wagner says that "pacifism" in the church opens the door to "a spirit of fear." The "government of the church" must drive out that spirit by imposing OBEDIENCE on the saints - again, the kind of obedience that will culminate in church UNITY. This will then enable the church to take its place with Bush (and America) in what he calls "this great prophetic moment." [Please see our article, "Today's Church: Making Zombies out of Christians: The Prophets and Apostles Movement."]

Wagner goes on to say,

"I believe that we are on the threshold of entering into a season in which the power of God in prophecy, healing, miracles, strategic-level spiritual warfare ... will be widely manifested."

Pope Gregory VII couldn't have said it better.

CAN ANYONE REASONABLY DOUBT?

Can anyone who is reasonably conversant with the Prophetic Scriptures doubt that this kind of thinking is the fulfillment of Revelation 17? - a picture of things in the "end of days" that portrays a religious system - a "Woman" - sitting on a "Beast" full of names of blasphemy (cursings, profanities, impieties and irreverence) towards God? And can anyone really doubt the twin entities that the Scripture has in view here? - the United States and the American Church?

Pentecost's description of these twin entities should erase any doubt on this matter. Pentecost writes:

"Turning then to the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, we see the whole stage filled with two personalities only: a "Beast" and a "Woman" ... these two ... picture ... the future prophetic earth ... there can be no argument or discussion as to this speaking of both the CIVIL [political, economic, and military] and ECCLESIASTICAL [religious] conditions that will rule and characterize that part of the earth that is within the limits or boundaries of Prophecy. The whole of it will be filled with what shall answer to this 'Beast' and this 'Woman'. The two [the 'Beast' (which answers to the Civil Power) and the 'Woman' (which answers to the Religious Power) are thus indissolubly co-related, and tell us to what end all [this is] trending; and that is that there will eventually be a one World-Empire and a one World-Church, and these will cover the whole of what is now called CHRISTENDOM; the one Empire supporting the one Church, [as] the 'Beast' in the picture supports the 'Woman', and the 'Woman' is supported by the 'Beast' ... "

Come on now! - isn't that a precise picture of what's going on in the United States? Of course it is! Isn't this exactly the kind of America that Wagner and his ilk are pressing towards? Of course it is? And isn't this the kind of union between church and state that President Bush and Karl Rove are encouraging as a result of their pandering to the Religious Right? Of course it is! Finally, isn't this dual system of church and state the exact kind of system that plunged the world into the holy wars that pitted Islam against the Christianity 1,000 years ago? Of course it is!

When we speak, therefore, of a race back to the Dark Ages we're not just blowing smoke! AND THIS NEW SYSTEM OF THINGS IS EMANATING STRAIGHT OUT OF AMERICA, and is spreading out and filling the world.

THE TIME OF JUDGMENT HAS ARRIVED

We have said that the Tribulation is a "time of testing" (Rev. 3:10) - a "trial" (so to speak) that will SEPARATE those who claim to be Christians and are not (the goats) from those who really are (the sheep). To a very large extent, this SEPARATION process will be based on how one relates to the American New World Order System and - ipso facto - his treatment of the poor and dispossessed of the world. (Matt. 25:44-46). The course of the Tribulation will be follows:

• The Tribulation Period will begin in war and will end in war; specifically -

• The Gog/Magog War will begin the Tribulation Period.

• Armageddon will end the Tribulation Period.

• The Trial (or "Process") will last for seven years and will be divided into two parts:

• The "Beginning of Sorrows" (the first three and a half years).

• The "Great Tribulation" (the second three and a half years).

• The dividing point for these two eras will be an event known as the "Abomination of Desolation" which will, in effect, rip the mask of Christianity off the face of the American New World Order System,

THE GOG/MAGOG WAR (THE BEGINNING
OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD)

As described by the Prophetic Scriptures, the Gog/Magog War will begin shortly after the consummation of a defense pact between Israel and the United States guaranteeing Israel's security in connection with an Israeli/Palestinian Peace Accord predicated on an Israeli withdrawal back to the so-called "Green Line" (Israel's 1967 Border) and the reduction of Israel's security wall. The hope here is that such an agreement will diffuse the frenzy of Islamic Radicalism in the Near East. The accord will fail; but the defense pact will remain intact.

Hostilities will commence as a result of a "push" from Radical Islamic forces to the south of Israel: Three Islamic nations are specifically mentioned as participants:

• Egypt.

• Ethiopia (including the Sudan).

• Libya.

Soon after the "push" from the south, Radical Islamic forces from the north will join the forces coming up from the south. Two Islamic nations are specifically mentioned as participants:

• Turkey.

• Iran.

These attacks will aim at:

• The destruction of Israel.

• The expulsion from the Middle East of the United States whose forces are located in the environs of ancient Babylon (i.e., Iraq).

• The forces of Radical Islam will be destroyed, and five-sixths of the population of the Middle East will be annihilated.

THE AFTERMATH OF THE GOG/MAGOG WAR

The U.S. will seize the oil fields [i.e., the "hidden treasures" (Dan. 11:43)] of the Middle East and take steps to place Israel under what will amount to be a permanent occupation, fulfilling the words of Scripture to Israel:

"The overflowing scourge (the military forces of the United States) shall pass through, then ye (Israel) shall be trodden down by it." (Isaiah 28:18)

Using its victory in the Gog/Magog War, the U.S. will then launch a ruthless and bloody struggle to erase all the opponents of the American New World Order System worldwide.

This bloody campaign will continue all through the first half of the Tribulation Period (i.e., The "Beginning of Sorrows") during which time the convoluted relationship between Israel and the church (on the one side) and the United States (on the other hand) will be unraveled - ending in the Abomination of Desolation at which time the AntiChrist will reveal himself as the enemy of both.