Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

An All-Important Question

What is the purpose for your life? Do you know? Do you even care? This last question, “Do you even care?” should shock our senses. Why would anyone not want to know the purpose for his existence?

We come into this life knowing nothing. We involuntarily arrived one day and today we find ourselves somewhere, at some age and stage of life, and being who we are. What an enigma! But at some point, often in our teenage years, or as we near the end of life, we wonder, “What’s it all about?”

Do you, dear friend, ever ask yourself this question? And if not, why?

Sadly, too many don’t seem to be very concerned. We here at Tomorrow’s World keep trying to give you the answer to this question, and while thousands do order our resource that explains it, many thousands do not. Apparently, there are more people interested in the future of the world than their personal, eternal future!

On today’s Tomorrow’s World program, we’re going to consider the most important questions of all for each and every one of us: Who am I? Why was I born? What is the purpose of life? What is God’s plan for me?

Now, stay with me as I will be back in five seconds to answer this most important of all questions!

Materialism is NOT the Answer

A warm welcome to all of you from those of us here at Tomorrow’s World. On today’s program, I’ll be answering the most important of all questions: “What Is the Purpose of Life?” The answer is found in the pages of the Bible, and it’s NOT what most people think! It’s NOT to float around for eternal retirement in heaven. No, dear friends, it’s infinitely greater than that!

The meaning of life question has been mulled over and debated among philosophers and theologians for millennia, yet, the answer has been with us from the beginning. No, we are NOT left to our puny minds to discover some novel idea that suits our fancy. There is a far greater purpose than most imagine.

Those who subscribe to an evolutionary origin to life, thus in their own minds doing away with the need for God, have no real answer. What grand purpose can there be for a life confined to the here and now? Even if you live a thousand years and come up with a cure for cancer, what good will that do you in the end? When you die, all hopes, dreams, and temporal rewards will end in the blackness of darkness forever if there is no God.

Philosophy Professor Thaddeus Metz summarizes a multitude of theories on life’s purpose from theologians and philosophers, and he mentions that:

Lately, however, an extreme form of naturalism has arisen, according to which our lives would probably, if not unavoidably, have less meaning in a world with God… (“The Meaning of Life,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, February 9, 2021).

In other words, to them, God’s existence would take away from a meaningful existence! Professor Metz then explains several theories put forward to come to this absurd conclusion. The first theory postulates that God’s existence places us in a master/servant or parent/child relationship, thus:

… our independence or dignity as adult persons would be violated.

Put another way, we could no longer be our own boss. We would have to answer to a higher power and atheists and agnostics chafe at such an idea. Professor Metz points to an additional “God, don’t tell me what to do” line of reasoning:

Another salient argument for thinking that God would detract from meaning in life appeals to the value of privacy…. God’s omniscience [all-knowing] would unavoidably make it impossible for us to control … the most intimate details about ourselves, which, for some, amounts to a less meaningful life than one with such control.

Apart from revelation from God, the subject is broad, technical at times, and, well, meaningless! Leave God out and there can be no purpose beyond our far-to-short temporary existence. But, not surprisingly, there are those who argue against eternal life itself. As the professor explains:

First and foremost, there has been the argument that an immortal life could not avoid becoming boring (Williams 1973), rendering life pointless according to many subjective and objective theories.

One of the major Jewish sects during Jesus’ day also believed there was no future beyond the grave. Note this encounter between the Sadducees and Jesus when they challenged Him about the resurrection—Matthew 22:23:

The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him… (Matthew 22:23).

And when brought before the Council, the Apostle Paul created a near riot between the Pharisees and Sadducees over this subject.

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”…. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both (Acts 23:6, 8).

Some among the Christians at Corinth were influenced by this erroneous idea. Paul’s first letter to that church addresses the subject of the resurrection from the dead in chapter 15, and he reasons with perfect logic the futility of life if it is only for the here and now.

For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep [or died] in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:16–19).

Paul later explains the senselessness of self-sacrifice if all that we have is the here and now—taking it to its natural conclusion.

If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

But before we set off to eat, drink, and die forever, let’s ask ourselves the central question Paul addresses in this chapter: “Is there a resurrection from the dead?” Either there is, or there isn’t.

A Resurrection to Life—But Why?

And if there is no God, there can be no life after death: no memory, no thoughts, no joy, no happiness—only the blackness of darkness forever. As Paul convincingly wrote,

If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

Ancient king Solomon sought the purpose of life through wine, women, and song; and he discovered that none of these brought lasting happiness. What was the purpose of it all? He concluded that all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

“As it happens to the fool, it also happens to me, and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity [or worthlessness].” For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:15–17).

You can never match Solomon when it comes to wine, women, and song. Neither with fame nor fortune. Most who try, find that what they thought would make them happy does not. Consider the lives of so many celebrities who outwardly “have it all.” Some get strung out on drugs, others have one failed marriage after another. Ponder the recent tragic case of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Both had good looks, fame, and fortune, but it’s evident none of this provided the happiness both sought.

This is not to say that every rich person has a failed marriage or that all celebrities are unhappy—only that lasting happiness does not come from temporary pleasures, and unless there is a God who can resurrect you from the grave, anything you do in this life is temporary.

How can we be certain that we can live again? While there are those who claim a “near death” experience, only One was resurrected after three days and three nights in the grave, and that was nearly 2,000 years ago.

But Paul answers that question in this same “resurrection chapter” [1 Corinthians 15] listing by name individuals who saw Jesus after His crucifixion, and then asserts:

After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:6).

This was written less than 25 years after the crucifixion, and most of those 500 were still alive. What credibility would Paul or his letter have if this were not true? And scholars recognize further evidence.

According to John 7:5, Jesus’ own half-brothers did not believe in Him prior to the crucifixion, but afterward they became disciples. James went on to be the leader of the Jerusalem congregation and he wrote the epistle of James. His half-brother Jude also became a believer and wrote the letter bearing his name.

Furthermore, history records that of the twelve apostles (remember that Mathias replaced Judas), only John did not die a martyr’s death. Now many have died as martyrs for a cause they believed in, but how many would die for a cause they knew to be a lie? Jesus’ twelve apostles knew the resurrection was true.

The question remains: If God exists and there is life after death, what does that mean? What is God’s purpose for you and me?

Why God Created YOU

Do you know why man has so much greater mental capacity than animals? Several animals have larger brains, but none come close to man’s capacity to reason, to think, to innovate. None can devise a plan to go to the moon and return. None can build a telescope, a television, or a computer. Yes, I know, your dog is pretty amazing, but there is something fundamentally different between the two of you.

What makes the difference? How is it that man can build machines to go higher, faster, and further than any animal? And why is it that with all our intelligence, we cannot get along with our fellow man? Why divorce? Why wars between nations? Why people scamming, stealing, and bludgeoning one another?

We begin our search for the answer in the first chapter in the Bible. Here we find God’s purpose for mankind.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26–27).

How many read over this passage without considering what it means? In plain language, God did not make man after any animal kind, but His (that is, God’s) kind. We are different because we were created in God’s image and likeness. Write down Genesis 1:26–27, and read it for yourself, and consider what it means. Or simply order our free booklet What Is the Meaning of Life? as this is explained there.

God created us after His own kind with amazing ability to think, to reason, and to do marvelous things. But why don’t we conduct ourselves in a godly manner? The missing element is explained in the second chapter of Genesis. There we find that man is made a free moral agent with the ability to make choices.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16–17).

He was given the ability to choose between right and wrong, between good and evil. Notice how this is spelled out at a later time for the nation of Israel—Deuteronomy 30:19:

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 30:19).

While we sent men to the moon and brought them back safely, to this day we cannot get along with one another. There are too many failed marriages; too many murders, rapes, and assaults; too many wars, cutting short the hopes and dreams of millions.

Sometimes people ask why God, with all of His power, does not stop the atrocities that occur here below. But which of these same people are willing to submit to God’s will in everything?

Heirs to the Promise of Eternal Life

The idea that God is creating man in His own image is truly profound and this theme is found throughout the Scriptures. David looked up at the night sky and wondered why God would even be interested in puny little man, asking,

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4).

The book of Hebrews picks up on this question and explains:

“You [that is, God] have put all things in subjection under his [man’s] feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings (Hebrews 2:8–10).

The Bible reveals a plan and purpose being worked out that is far greater than going off to heaven for retirement to stare into the face of God for eternity. Why is it, dear friends, that people do not accept what the Bible plainly says? The Apostle Paul is not vague about our future. He explains in Romans 8:14–15 that we will be sons of God and joint heirs with Christ.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba [meaning “daddy”], Father” (Romans 8:14–15).

Now notice what he says next:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (v. 16).

Did you catch that? We are to become children of God. Humankind, as brought out in Genesis 1, was made in the image and likeness of God, not of any animal kind, but of God Himself! Can you believe what the Bible clearly says? Notice further:

“… and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (v. 17).

In previous generations we understood that the masculine man or mankind, represented both men and women in this context; but if anyone is offended by that micro-mini-aggression, note that women are not left out.

I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:18).

But how can this be? Notice again from Romans 8:16:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Here we find two spirits: God’s spirit and “our spirit.” In this we find the difference between God’s thinking and man’s thinking. Humanly speaking, we do not think as God thinks, and without His indwelling Spirit, though intelligent in material matters, we lack true love and self-control. That’s why we naturally exhibit what we call human nature.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like” (Galatians 5:19–21).

But, does that mean we can never think as He thinks? Let Paul give us the answer.

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10).

Paul next explained why there is a difference between the animal brain and the mind of man.

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1 Corinthians 2:11).

Similarly, this explains the difference between the mind of man and the mind of God.

“Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).

Here we find two spirits. The spirit of man empowers the human brain far above that of animals, but without the Spirit of God dwelling in us, we can no more understand the things of God than my dog Marcus could understand calculus! To be fully made in the image and likeness of God, to think as God thinks, these two spirits must unite.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God…. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:14, 16–17).

WOW—“children of God… heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.”

I hope you enjoyed and profited from this video.

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Thanks for watching! See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Prophetic Future of Our World

Where is the ongoing war in the Middle East headed? Can Israel survive when it seems the whole world is lined up against it, and many chant “from the river to the sea”—meaning there can be no Israeli state—drive all the Jews out, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

In what way will events in the Middle East affect you and your family? Can you know? And what about Europe, where there is still a very real war being waged by Western nations against Russia and its allies: China, North Korea, and Iran? Is it possible to know the future, and if so, how? And what should we watch for in 2024?

At the beginning of each year, we here at Tomorrow’s World give you trends to watch in the coming year and beyond. Our predictions come from an ancient source that has proven to be accurate and reliable, and that source is the Bible, where God makes this bold statement to the skeptic in Isaiah 46:9–10:

I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

That is a bold statement. Is it true? On today’s program you may be shocked at how precise and accurate Bible prophecy is regarding what you are seeing right now in the Middle East. And the Bible shows that events in that part of the world will affect the rest of the world.

Four Prophetic Trends

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World. On today’s program I’ll be giving you five trends to watch in 2024 and beyond—especially in the Middle East. Thousands of years ago, the Bible foretold what you see in living color in today’s news.

None of us here at Tomorrow’s World are prophets, but we can read what the biblical prophets, under inspiration from God, foretold. How can we be so certain about the Bible as a reliable source for future events?

Answer: no human could so accurately tell what would happen thousands of years in advance. Do you doubt that? Well tell me this: What will happen 2,000 years from now, in the year 4024? Pick any nation, any city, any people and make your prediction. And what about 3,700 years from now? Where will the Jews be then? Will they have a country they call their own? What about Germany or the United States? What about cities such as New York, London, Berlin, or Jerusalem? Give it your best shot and see if you can match God for precision and accuracy—not that you will be alive in the flesh to know what happens, but I think you get the point. Making predictions that far into the future is impossible apart from God.

Based on Bible prophecy, let’s review what I said last January, as we looked ahead to 2023.

Trend #1: The crisis in Europe will continue until a strongman arises to bring ten kings together.

And just as there were two legs and feet in Nebuchadnezzar’s image, so there will be two legs in this combine of nations. So,

Trend #2: Watch for a geopolitical realignment in the next few years between eastern and western Europe.

The invasion of Ukraine moved countries such as Germany to begin rearming—something we’ve predicted for decades. Several U.S. presidents put pressure on Germany to do more militarily—but to no avail. The invasion did it in a matter of hours. These two predictions WILL come to pass. A strongman WILL rise up in the very near future, and bring together ten nations or leaders in Europe, and this implies a geopolitical realignment. Therefore, watch Europe as there will likely be surprises along the way.

After giving those two trends to watch in Europe, I then shifted to the Middle East and to what to expect where you may live.

Even though we cannot know the exact timing, the stage for these biblical prophecies is being set. But also, let’s not forget what is happening in the Middle East. Jerusalem is at the center of many Bible prophecies. So,

Trend #3: Expect greater tension in the Middle East between Israel and her neighbors.

But what about where most of you live who are watching this telecast? Expect:

Trend #4: More chaos, confusion, division, and disasters (manmade and natural) for America and the British-descended peoples.

Yes, when you think it can’t get any worse, 2023 may once again prove that notion wrong. The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, and other British descended peoples are on a downward spiral, and unless we turn back to God—and we see no evidence of that—no elected leader will save us. We will have ups and downs, but the trend will continue down.

The last four years saw optimism for peace in the Middle East. The Abraham Accords brought normalization of relations between Israel and several of its neighbors. And both Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were optimistic about normalizing relations between their two countries—possibly as soon as a few days or a few weeks. And U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declared:

And the middle east region is quieter today than it has been in two decades (“National Security Advisor Sullivan Said Mideast Is ‘Quieter’ Than Any Time Since 9/11 -- Eight Days Before Massive Hamas Attack,” RealClearPolitics.com, October 8, 2023).

He did say that could change, and it did only eight days later with the barbaric attacks by Hamas.

Jacob’s Prophecy About the End Times

More than 3,700 years ago, the grandson of Abraham brought his twelve sons to him and said,

Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days….

“In the last days” is specific, but it is doubtful that Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had any idea how far into the future that would be. Apart from a revelation from God, no human being could possibly know what to expect of his progeny so far into the future. Now here is the prophecy for his son Judah, meaning the Jews.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Genesis 49:8–10).

Note that the promised lawgiver—that is, the Messiah—would come from the Jews, and he did 1,700 years later. Many recognize this, but what about the part that describes the “time of the end” when the Jews would be as a lion that is best not roused? Is that not the history of the last 75 years and what we see even now? Dear friends, there are even more specific prophecies were given 2,500 years ago by the prophet Zechariah. Notice what God foretold through him in chapter 12 and verses 2–3:

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah [that is, the Jews] and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it (Zechariah 12:2–3).

Consider how specific and remarkable this passage is. Note these five points:

1. The Jews will be in Jerusalem

That was far from a given—it has not always been that way. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD and expelled Jews from the Holy Land in 135 AD. For more than 1,800 years there was no Jewish state—not anywhere on earth. As Richard Ames explains in The Middle East in Prophecy:

… Jerusalem was in the hands of Byzantine rulers when it fell to a Muslim army led by Caliph Umar in 638. This crusade brought Jerusalem under Western control in the “Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem,” which held the city from 1099 to 1187, when Saladin reconquered Jerusalem for Islam. Later crusades brought Jerusalem briefly under Western control from 1229 to 1239, and from 1243 to 1244, when it was sacked by the Tatars. In 1247, the city fell to the Egyptian Mamluks, under whose control it remained until 1517, when Ottoman sultan Selim I conquered the city (The Middle East in Prophecy, p. 3).

In 1917, the British took control, and through a series of events, the Holy Land was partitioned, giving the Jews a portion of it. They declared their independence to form a Jewish homeland in 1948. Arab neighbors immediately attacked and tried to drive the Jews out, but the lion rose up and prevailed.

So while we may take it for granted that there is a Jewish state on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, it was not always so, not from 135 AD until 1948. But what else do we learn from Zechariah?

2. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples (Zechariah 12:3).

Now, is that true, my friends? When this was written, Christianity was more than 500 years in the future, and Islam nearly 600 years after Christianity. Yet today, Jerusalem is at the heart of three religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All lay claim to Jerusalem. It truly is a troublesome stone—the great sticking point in all peace talks.

3. … all who would heave it away [the heavy stone of Jerusalem] will surely be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:3).

Remember Jacob’s prediction that in the last days Judah would be like a resting lion that is best not aroused? In 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nassar threatened Israel by moving troops to Israel’s border. Jordan and Syria would join the fight, but the Jews struck pre-emptively and defeated their enemies on all sides in a mere six days. In 1973 Israel’s neighbors attacked on the most sacred Jewish Holy Day—Yom Kippur—when the Jews were weak from fasting. But once again, they cut their enemies in pieces.

Predictions About Jerusalem, Judah, and Israel Coming True

What’s ahead in the Middle East as we enter 2024? What does the Bible have to say about it? As we are seeing, quite a bit. So far, we’ve seen three lessons from Zechariah 12.

1. The Jews will be in Jerusalem.
2. Jerusalem would be a very heavy stone in the world (Zechariah 12:3).
3. … all who would heave it away [the heavy stone of Jerusalem] will surely be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:3).

Now let’s look at another point from Zechariah 12:

4. … though all nations of the earth are gathered against it [that is, Israel](Zechariah 12:3).

Are all nations gathered against the Jews? There are more United Nations resolutions condemning Israel than all other countries combined. And consider the massive demonstrations taking place all over the world against the Jews—in Russia, in China, in Germany, in France, in the United States, in Australia, in Britain.

The father of the Jews prophesied 3,700 years ago that they would be a powerful military force. They would be like a lion that is best not aroused. This is also confirmed in Zechariah 12:6:

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6).

This has hardly been the Jewish history until the last 75 years! So, we next read number five,

5. The Jews ability to wield great military might

Dear friends, these are remarkable prophesies, but there is more. Despite their military prowess, there is coming a time in the near future when Jerusalem will be overrun by the Jews’ enemies. What happened October 7, 2023 will happen in Jerusalem. Zechariah 14 gives the details.

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city (Zechariah 14:1–2).

Note that Jerusalem today is a divided city, just as the prophet indicated when he said “Half the city shall go into captivity.” Again, Zechariah speaks of the world lining up against the Jews. Revelation 11:2 tells us that Jerusalem would be overrun by the Gentiles for a period of 3½ years leading up to the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months (Revelation 11:2).

The time setting of Zechariah 14 is yet future. It’s that 3½ year period of the Great Tribulation and the one-year day of the LORD when God’s wrath on rebellious mankind leads to Christ’s second coming. This is stated explicitly in verse 4:

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south (Zechariah 14:4).

And if that is not clear enough, here is what it tells us in verse 9:

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—“The LORD is one,” and His name one (Zechariah 14:9).

Five Continuing Prophetic Trends for 2024

So where are we in the scope of end-time Bible prophecy? Those who have eyes to see recognize that we are on the edge of a worldwide war of catastrophic proportions, just as the Bible shows elsewhere. But the end is not yet.

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34–36).

So here are trends to watch in 2024 and the immediate years ahead.

#1: Watch for increasing demand for international intervention and control over Jerusalem

World leaders are already wondering what to do in the aftermath of this current war. Who will administer Gaza, the West Bank, and yes, Jerusalem itself? Mr. Richard Ames writes in The Middle East in Prophecy,

As violence escalates in the region around Jerusalem, watch for more world leaders to join in demanding international control of this ancient city held dear by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

#2: Watch for the forming of what the Bible calls “the king of the South” arising in the Middle East and northeastern Africa.

The eleventh chapter of Daniel gives a detailed history of intrigue and war between a king of the north and a king of the south. This interplay between the two covers a period of 2,500 years, all the way to the time of Christ’s return. Verses 40–45 tell us how it will end.

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Daniel 11:40–45).

Psalm 83 speaks of a coalition of nations who conspire together against Israel. Is this not the attitude that we see right now?

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You (Psalm 83:4–5).

This coming confederacy will include Assyria—modern day Germany— and the European Beast power. This will be the king of the North, and this is why we say:

#3: Watch Europe—especially Germany

Expect to see the formation of a German led group of ten leaders or nations that the Bible refers to as the Beast.

#4: Watch for animal sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

This does not require a temple. The Jews began sacrificing after returning from Babylonian captivity prior to building the Second Temple. And finally,

#5: Watch for a charismatic miracle-working religious leader to rise up in Europe.

We cannot know exactly when these events will happen, but according to Bible prophecy, they will. As we have seen on today’s program, the Bible is very accurate and specific, and many prophecies are coming to pass right before our eyes.

I hope you profited from this video.

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[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Mysterious Mark of Revelation…Solved?

The biblical book of Revelation tells us that there is a time coming when everyone will be compelled to receive a mark on his forehead or on his hand. Without that mark, you will not be able to buy or sell. But God’s wrath will be poured out on those who accept it. What is that mark? Do you know?

Many people look in all the wrong places to understand this mysterious Mark of the Beast. Speculations abound. The U.S. Social Security Number was once thought to be that mark. As was the Canadian Social Insurance Number with its acronym S.I.N. The bar code and the quick response code have also been contenders. Others expect tattoos of the number 666, or a computer chip to be placed on the hand or the forehead. And how can we forget the COVID-19 vaccine? But, none of these are the Beast’s mark.

On today’s Tomorrow’s World program, I’ll discuss from the pages of the Bible what that mysterious mark is.

I’ll be right back in five seconds to show you what the Bible reveals about the mysterious Mark of the Beast.

Daniel’s Prophecies Reveal the Beast

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World, where today I’m sharing with you what the Bible says about the mysterious mark of the Beast. The subject of a mark that controls whether one can buy or sell arises from the biblical book of Revelation, so we must look to that source to discover what that mark is. Here is the passage in question:

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name (Revelation 13:16–17).

Now before we go running off into the sunset looking for this mark, let’s stop and consider the obvious and most fundamental point in understanding this mark.

The Mark is of the Beast.

Yes, it’s the Beast’s mark! Any mark from any other source, cannot be his mark. While it is popular to focus on bar codes, Social Insurance Numbers, tattoos and computer chips, we must first focus on identifying this Beast if we are to understand his mark.

So, who or what is this Beast? We begin our study in the biblical book of Daniel. There we read how King Nebuchadnezzar had an unusual dream, and how God revealed its meaning to the prophet Daniel. We’ll begin in Daniel 2:31:

You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:31–33).

You might be thinking right now, how can a king’s dream 2,500 years ago have anything to do with me? Isn’t this just a child’s bedtime story? This thought could not be more wrong.

Daniel explained to the king that this figure of a man represented four kingdoms. The head of gold was his Chaldean Empire. History shows that the three that followed were the Medo/Persian, the Greco/Macedonian, and the Roman Empires. Notice that this prophecy covers the time from Nebuchadnezzar all the way down to the second coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the setting up of His Kingdom.

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this (Daniel 2:44–45).

Understanding the Beast of Revelation and Its Fate

Let’s now go to Daniel 7, where it elaborates further on these four worldly empires. This time, rather than an image of a man made of different materials, we find these same empires described as four wild beasts. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings, the second like a bear, the third was a four headed leopard, and the fourth was… as we see in Daniel 7:7:

… dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns (Daniel 7:7).

Verses 17 and 23 clearly show that the words king and kingdom are used interchangeably, and as in chapter 2, this fourth kingdom ends at the return of Christ when He sets up His kingdom. Notice it in vv. 26–27:

But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him (vv. 26–27).

We need not speculate about the meaning as the Bible interprets its own symbols. Nebuchadnezzar’s image is explained as four kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s and ending with God setting up a kingdom on earth. We are told that the four beasts of Daniel 7 represent four kings or kingdoms, and the fourth ends with God’s Kingdom. So, these beasts clearly represent the same four kingdoms as those mentioned in Daniel 2.

The Stone cut out of the mountain without hands is clearly a reference to the future, when the returning Jesus Christ sets up an everlasting kingdom. At that time, He destroys mankind’s empires by smiting the king’s great image on the feet and toes. Therefore, the feet and toes of iron and clay must be in existence at Christ’s return. Notice Daniel’s God-inspired explanation of the feet and toes, in Daniel 2, beginning in verse 41:

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay (Daniel 2:41–43).

That’s the state of the Roman kingdom at the end of the age. As we shall see, there will be ten nations that do not adhere to one another, but they do so for a very short time out of necessity, and they have the strength of iron. But how can this be when Rome, the fourth kingdom, fell more than 1,500 years ago?

For the answer, we must turn to the book of Revelation, in the thirteenth chapter. Here we find another creature, but this time a single beast with the characteristics of those found in Daniel 7. Those characteristics are all combined into a single creature. Why? This is because John recorded this vision in the late 90s A.D.—at the time of the Roman Empire, which had absorbed the other three kingdoms. Notice this description:

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority (Revelation 13:1–2).

But again, Rome fell more than 1,500 years ago. How can it then be in existence when Christ returns? Note that this Beast has seven heads. Compare this with Daniel 7, where the four creatures also had a combined seven heads. Revelation 13:3 and 5 explain that one of the heads had a deadly wound that was healed. Since the only empire in existence at this time was Rome, the head with a deadly wound that is healed is that of Rome. A deadly wound and healing of the Roman empire is exactly what we find in history.

Rome fell in 476 A.D., but the empire was restored (or healed) by Justinian in 554 A.D. We now turn to Revelation 17, where the “healed” Roman Empire continues. There we find another seven-headed beast, but this Beast is different. It only refers to Rome after the healing, and it has one very significant difference. It is Rome ridden by an immoral woman. Beginning in verse 1:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:1–3).

The Mark of the Beast—A False Holy Day for a Counterfeit Christianity

In the Bible, a woman is sometimes used as a symbol of a church. Concerning the marriage of a man and woman, we read in Ephesians 5:32,

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

In Revelation 19:6–9, it describes the saved as the “bride of Christ.” But in the case of Revelation 17, we see a fallen woman, an apostate church, a “mother church” with her harlot daughters.

Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters. … And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:1, 5).

This Roman Empire, whose deadly wound was healed in 554 A.D., has seven heads and is ridden by an apostate religious system. Furthermore, we learn that, after the healing, it would continue 1,260 years:

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. … and he [that is, this Roman Beast] was given authority to continue for forty-two months (Revelation 13:3, 5).

A prophetic month is made up of 30 days. Thirty days times 42 months comes to 1,260. Now, the Bible sometimes uses what is called a day for a year principle. In this case, the beast would continue after its healing for a period of either 1,260 days or 1,260 years. The context and history shows us it is the latter—1260 years.

History reveals that the Roman Empire, now ridden by an apostate church, was restored by Justinian in 554 A.D. The empire diminished and was revived four more times. The second restoration came in 800 A.D. when:

On Christmas Day, as Charlemagne… knelt before St. Peter’s altar in prayer, [Pope] Leo suddenly produced a jeweled crown, and set it upon the King’s head (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization: Charlemagne the King, pp. 468–469).

After Charlemagne, the Empire again deteriorated, but was revived a third time under Otto I.

Like Charlemagne, Otto received his throne through the Papal claim that the Roman Church had been the only Imperial elector since the early fourth century…. The Holy Roman Empire was thus to a large extent German in its ethnic and political base, [apostate] Christian in its moral justification, and Roman in its claim to legitimacy and universality (The Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, ed. Herzstein, 1966, p. viii).

Charles V and Napoleon constituted the fourth and fifth restorations. From the healing under Justinian in 554 to the fall of Napoleon in 1814, we have [get this] exactly 1,260 years as foretold in Revelation 13 and verses 3 and 5. Revelation 17 tells us that there would be two more revivals after the five during the 1,260 years.

Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits [Rome is built on seven hills]. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen [that was between 554 and 1814], one is [that’s Hitler and Mussolini], and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time (Revelations 17:9–10).

The one to come will be made up of ten kings or nations with the strength of iron and the fragility of clay. This will take place in the near future and when it does, remember where you heard this!

God is not happy with those who take the Beast’s mark. It’s a sign of disobedience. It cannot simply be a computer chip or barcode. It’s the Beast’s mark and the beast fights against Christ at His return.

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. … These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:12, 14).

It may surprise you to know that the Bible speaks of another mark. Few people realize that God gave a sign that identifies His people. Read it for yourself in Exodus 31:13.

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you [sets you apart]” (Exodus 31:13).

Some wrongly reason that Jesus changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week, but the Bible and early church history show that Jesus, His apostles, and the first century church of God continued to observe the day God sanctified at creation, long before Moses. As we read in Genesis 2:3,

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made (Genesis 2:3).

And Jesus declared to those who were misapplying the Sabbath that:

The Sabbath was [not done away with, but it was] made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28).

Now think about this: You are not Lord of something that does not exist!

The Devil is a great counterfeiter. Speaking of false ministers, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11,

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness… (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

The True Sabbath Day Identifies God’s People

We’ve seen that God has a sign that identifies His people—the seventh day Sabbath. But Satan also has a sign, a mark, that identifies those who are his. Daniel 7 speaks of a stout horn, which can be connected to the woman who rides the beast of Revelation 17. Here’s what Daniel 7:25 reveals about this horn:

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High … and shall intend to change times and law (Daniel 7:25).

Notice that it says, “intend to change times and law.” It was not Jesus, or the Apostle Paul, who changed the day of rest set aside by God at creation. It was Roman Emperor Constantine who changed the Sabbath to Sunday. From Eerdman’s handbook to the history of Christianity,

The Christian Sunday was not made a “day of rest” until Constantine decreed it in AD 321 (Introduction to the History of Christianity, ed. Dowley, p. 123).

Constantine was a sun worshiper:

When in 321 Constantine made the first day of the week a holiday, he called it “the venerable day of the Sun” (Sunday) (p. 140).

But what about the mark being placed on the hand and in the forehead?

Doesn’t this suggest some kind of visible mark or computer chip? We must not read into the Bible our own ideas. We must let the Bible explain its own symbols. A sign in the hand and forehead does not suddenly appear in Revelation. Far from it. This symbolism is used as an identifying sign of obedience to God. Referring to an annual festival given by God and later kept by Jesus and the early church, we read in Exodus 13:9…

… [To] be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth…” (Exodus 13:9).

And after repeating the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5, we read in chapter 6:

You shall bind them [that is, God’s Commandments, note this] as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:8).

Just as God places His sign on our hand and forehead, so the great counterfeiter’s Beast has his mark.

I hope you enjoyed this video.

If you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free copy of our study guide The Beast of Revelation. Just click the link in the description or go to TWTV.ORG/Beast.

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible. So be sure to like and subscribe to our channel so you can watch more videos on important biblical topics.

Thanks for watching! See you next time.