J. Davy Crockett III

In this unsettled world, there is renewed interest in Bible prophecy. A search on Amazon, the world’s biggest marketplace, will easily generate a list of 100 books the retailer “recommends,” which only scratches the surface of the number written on the subject. Most of them have one thing in common: They are wrong.

While many books claiming knowledge of prophetic matters may seem to contain elements of truth, they often misunderstand or misapply the Scriptures, and thus completely fail to interpret prophecy correctly.

Some time ago, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor, now retired, of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper wrote an insightful editorial entitled, “Where are we now?” Commenting on the intractable political divide and civil unrest in the United States, the editor looked back to June 16, 1858, a time when the nation was facing a crisis as the prospect of civil war loomed over the issue of states’ rights and slavery.

As winter winds begin blowing, crowds of people, undaunted by the global pandemic, head to the evergreen lots. The sights, sounds, and smells of the cherished season bring people out in droves. While artificial trees have become popular, the evergreen tree is by far the most popular symbol of the season. Various customs, such as selecting the tree, setting it up and decorating it, and placing gifts and special treats under its boughs, are all part of the annual tradition that occurs on December 25—the winter solstice.