Whiteboard: Do Animals Go to Heaven?

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

The Fourth Commandment Explained: The Sabbath Day

Longtime viewers—and even most new ones—are aware that we here at Tomorrow’s World are passionate about keeping the Ten Commandments, including the Fourth Commandment about keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.

• Jesus kept the seventh-day Sabbath.
• His first-century followers—both Jew and Gentile—kept it.
• And a continuous line of faithful Christians throughout history have kept it, as well—just as God commands.

But exactly HOW do you keep the seventh-day Sabbath?

Well, today we’re going to give you God’s own answer to that question.

The Sabbath Was Made for Man—Not Just for Jews

But first, I want to highlight two ditches to avoid.

The first is believing we should look to Hebrew or Jewish practices and Judaism to understand how to keep the Sabbath.

This is a mistake for a number of reasons.

First, over the centuries, Judaism added many additional man-made regulations, restrictions, and conditions that God never intended to be part of Sabbath-keeping. In fact, one of the themes of Jesus Christ’s ministry in the first-century was His confrontations with the Jewish leadership about how they’d made God’s Sabbath a burden.

For instance, let’s look at His example and instruction in Mark 2, beginning in verse 23.

Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (Mark 2:23-24).

Now, you can search the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and see no passage at all in which God says you can’t feed yourself by plucking a few heads of grain on the Sabbath day. Now you’ll find instructions not to use busy times of the year, such as plowing and harvesting times, as an excuse not to keep the Sabbath—that’s in Exodus 34:21. But no one would rightly call what Jesus and His Apostles were doing “harvesting.”

God Created the Sabbath as a Blessing—Not a Burden

They were violating the overly strict, unbiblical regulations of Judaism, but they were not guilty of breaking the Fourth Commandment. If they were, then Jesus was too—yet we know that He never broke even one of God’s commands.

So after highlighting how the high priest in King David’s day had done a better job of administering God’s law according to its intent, Jesus concludes in verses 27 and 28:

“The Sabbath 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).

There are multiple insights to be gained here, and we’ll touch on some later. For now, note that Jesus pointed out that the Sabbath was created by God to benefit man, not the other way around. And the unbiblical requirements that the Jewish authorities had added to the Sabbath command were turning it into a burden God never intended it to be.

Such examples of Jesus’ instruction to the supposed experts concerning proper Sabbath keeping abound in the gospels. The scribes, Pharisees, and priests may have been experts in Judaism, but that doesn’t equate with being experts in how to keep God’s laws as He intended. And that is still true today.

Paul spoke of his fellow Jewish citizens as “hav[ing] a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). It is God’s Spirit working through the ministry of His Church, the Body of Christ, that brings truth and understanding of the Scriptures—not an obsession with any one historical language, culture, or people.

Keeping the Sabbath doesn’t mean adopting practices rooted in Judaism or the teachings of various so-called “Hebrew roots” movements. God’s commands are often far simpler than people give them credit for. To keep the Sabbath, no one needs to adopt Judaism or any of the many movements that seek credibility by imitating it.

Saturday Is the Sabbath Day—Set It Apart

The other ditch we need to identify at the beginning is the mistake of treating the Sabbath as if it were a generic principle of “one day in seven,” and not the specifically designated seventh day of the week—the only day of the week God set aside as the Sabbath.

We saw earlier in the book of Mark how Jesus said “the Sabbath was made [or created] for man” (Mark 2:27) This points to a profound truth about the Sabbath: That it was directly created by God. Let’s read about that creation in Genesis 2. When we do, we’ll see that the Sabbath was very unique—something God made by NOT working.

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 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 2:1-3).

Here we see that God did not set apart just any day of the week, but the seventh day specifically.

Remember the Sabbath and Keep it Holy

We see this reflected in the Fourth Commandment itself in Exodus 20, beginning in verse 8.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God (Exodus 20:8-10).

We’ll read the rest of the commandment later, but notice how plain it is that God, who alone has the authority to designate holy time, set apart the seventh day of the week specifically as the Sabbath. To observe any other day of the week is simply not Sabbath-keeping. Resting? Sure. Taking some “me time”? Perhaps. But not keeping the Sabbath.

The Fourth Commandment | Exodus 20:8–11

Let’s begin our look at three keys to keeping God’s Sabbath by starting with the Sabbath command, itself. This time, though, let’s read it in full.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it (Exodus 20:8–11).

The Sabbath Rest Means Stop Work

There are several things worth noting in that commandment, but for now, let’s focus on the fact that:

1. We should cease from our work on the Sabbath.

We saw earlier that God did this Himself at creation.

On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work (Genesis 2:2).

So, too, He commands us to cease from our own work on the seventh day.

In today’s busy world, it’s easy to find ourselves working 24/7. But God commands us to pause and cease from our labors when the seventh day begins.

When Does the Sabbath Begin? At Sunset Friday

By the way, when does that day begin? As Genesis 1 and other passages of the Bible reveal, God counts days from sunset to sunset. So, the seventh-day Sabbath begins from sundown on Friday and continues to sundown on Saturday.

And when sundown arrives on Friday, God commands that we set aside our labor, cease from our regular pursuits, and take a rest—just as He did 6,000 years ago.

God doesn’t get tired. He didn’t need to rest on the seventh day He didn’t think, “Wow, those six days of creating were really hard. I need a break!”

He did that as an example for us to follow.

And “work” doesn’t just mean “employment.” How many people spend their Saturdays mowing the lawn, maintaining their home, or doing other laborious chores? The commandment is plain: “On the seventh day… you shall do no work”—neither you, nor those over whom you have authority.

Now, some of you might say, “My job has times that are just too busy to take a break.”

If you think this applies to you, I hear you. I used to be an actuarial mathematician for a large insurance company, and our department had its own seasons in the year when work was especially crazy, often involving important legal reporting.

But are we to abandon the Sabbath rest during those busy seasons? What does God say?

God’s Work Week: Six Days You Shall Labor

Consider Exodus 34:21, which we mentioned earlier. And as we read it, remember that ancient Israel was an agricultural society.

Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

Now plowing time and harvest time were just about the busiest times of year in their society. Yet God told them not to make an exception in those days. They were to honor His command and to rest from labor on the seventh-day Sabbath.

Come sundown Friday evening, God commands us to focus on different things, as we’ll discuss further later in the program.

Use the Preparation Day to Protect the Sabbath

Part of making this work is properly preparing for the Sabbath. God taught ancient Israel this principle after freeing them from Egypt. Many people have heard of the miraculous “manna from heaven,” but few realize that a major purpose of the miracle was to test God’s people to see if they would take the Sabbath command seriously.

I recommend you read the entire account in Exodus 16. For now, let me summarize it by saying that, for the first five days of the week, God rained down enough manna for one day, every day. But on the sixth day, what we’d call Friday, He rained down two days’ worth, so that they could prepare enough for that day and for the Sabbath day that followed. And on the Sabbath, they were not to go out looking for more—since God had given them enough for two days the day before.

Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be none.” Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?” (Exodus 16:25–28).

God had warned them to prepare properly for the seventh day during the time leading up to it. And that’s what we should do, as well.

God wants us to protect the blessing His Sabbath represents by planning for it—taking care of household chores and other mundane work on the other six days of the week, and preserving the seventh day for the divine rest God intended.

Yet the Sabbath is about far more than mere relaxation. As helpful as physical rest is, the real power and blessing of the Sabbath begins to be unlocked as we engage with the two keys that remain.

Keep the Sabbath Holy | Exodus 20:8 Explained

A second vital key is that:

2. We should keep the Sabbath holy.

Far more than a mere day of rest, the Sabbath is a day that is holy and set apart by God. In fact, we see this mentioned in the Fourth Commandment even before we’re told to rest. Look with me again at the commandment listed in Exodus 20.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8).

There it is, right at the beginning.

We saw this in Genesis 2, as well. Let’s read that again and note what God does.

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 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 2:1-3).

Now notice, God didn’t just rest on the seventh day. He blessed it and sanctified it—made it holy. Those who want to say that the sacredness of the Sabbath began at Mount Sinai or that it is only for Jewish people have no leg to stand on. The Sabbath was made holy from creation.

As a day sanctified and set apart from the other days as holy time, the seventh-day Sabbath is not a day we spend like we spend other days. After all, you might rest or recharge on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday all sorts of ways—go to the movies, watch some sports, play a little golf, go to a concert, or read a few chapters in your favorite book.

It’s One of God’s Holy Days in the Bible

But the Sabbath isn’t just a day off or some restful vacation time. It is holy, sacred time, set apart by God for special purposes.

God highlights this in the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 56 God makes plain that He is speaking to people of any origin or nationality, not just Jewish people, and He says in verse 2:

Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil (Isaiah 56:2).

Now note, that is a blessing for not defiling something God has declared holy—His Sabbath. God elaborates two chapters later, in Isaiah 58, beginning in verse 13.

If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth… (Isaiah 58:13-14).

So what do these words really mean? Certainly, the Sabbath is a day we should seek to spend more time than we normally do in prayer and in reading and studying from God’s word. But it really is more than that.

Roderick Meredith—an evangelist of Jesus Christ for more than 60 years and one who LIVED God’s way of life for even longer—explains what God means by these passages in Isaiah:

So we are not to be doing our own pleasure on God’s Holy Day. That means we are not to be pursuing our hobbies or leisure activities. That does not preclude doing any enjoyable things on the Sabbath whatsoever, for we are to find delight in it. The point is that whatever we do, God must be an intrinsic part of it. A family walk through a natural setting, for example, is a wonderful way to get in touch with the great God who made the beautiful creation we see.

When the seventh day arrives, we must stop pursuing our “own ways” (the things we normally do), seeking our “own pleasure” (just trying to have fun), and speaking our “own words” (the everyday things we talk about that do not involve God). This last one is often very hard to follow because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). To truly keep the Sabbath in spirit, we must focus our minds on God and those things He wants us to be concerned with during His holy time. Then, as God promises, we will be truly blessed (Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath?, Roderick C. Meredith, p. 38).

Learning to honor God’s command by resting from our usual, day-to-day lives—and treating the seventh-day Sabbath as the holy time it is—truly is life-changing.

The Sabbath Day Is a Holy Convocation

Yet there is a vital third key to keeping that Sabbath.

• We should cease from our work on the Sabbath.
• We should keep the Sabbath holy.

Many sincere people stop there, but doing so prevents you from experiencing the full blessings of the seventh-day Sabbath as God designed it. For that, we need the third vital key, as well.

3. We should meet in holy convocation on the Sabbath.

We see this explained in Leviticus 23, beginning in verses 1 and 2.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts’” (Leviticus 23:1-2).

Notice here that He doesn’t call these days “the Feast of the Jews” or even the “Feasts of Israel.” God says that these are HIS Feasts, “the Feasts of the LORD”! And He says further that they are “holy convocations.” Let’s continue.

Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings (Leviticus 23:3).

Holy Convocation Meaning

Now as we’ve seen, God speaks to the holiness of the Sabbath and the need to treat it as a sacred rest. But again He highlights that it is a “holy convocation.”

What does this mean?

Well, we’ve already covered what it means to be “holy”—something set apart by God for His own use. And a “convocation” is a calling together of people out of the world to a meeting. In this case, a HOLY meeting of HOLY people, commanded by their HOLY God!

God’s People Gather Together on the Sabbath to Worship

The seventh-day Sabbath is THE day of the week God Himself set aside for His worshippers to gather together—to praise Him together, worship Him together, and learn together from His ordained teachers out of His inspired word. And when we meet and fellowship with each other—not on a day set aside by human tradition or doctrines, but on the day the Lord Himself set apart as holy, we do more than fellowship with each other—we fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, as well.

It’s no wonder that the Apostle Paul wrote what he did in Hebrews 10:24-25.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Today’s free offer explains how the seventh-day Sabbath pictures the beautiful rest Christ is bringing to the whole world. And as we see that approaching, we should long ALL THE MORE to meet in holy convocation on the day picturing that time of peace and wonder.

For anyone seeking to truly observe the biblical Sabbath, just as Jesus Christ and His faithful followers have done for almost two millennia, these three keys are the essential ingredients:

• Cease from your own work.
• Keep the day holy.
• And gather together in holy convocation with the people of God.

Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content, or hit subscribe to stay up to date on what we publish. And if you want the free study guide related to this topic, just click the link. We’ll see you next time.

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

2026 Trends in Bible Prophecy

Where is our world heading in 2026? Will a lasting peace come to the Middle East? Or will it, along with the rest of the world, be plunged into a holocaust beyond anyone’s imagination? Some things we have no control over, so whether peace or war, my question for you today is: Where will you be at the end of 2026?

No one can tell the future for any one of us in precise detail. We may plan our lives, but the unexpected not only can happen, it often does. Yet, there are some things we can count on and plan for.

Do you realize that about 30 percent of the Bible is devoted to prophecy? And based on past history, if the Bible says it is going to happen, it will!

On this Tomorrow’s World program, I’ll review three trends I said to watch at the beginning of 2025 and add two more.

But first let me make it clear that I am not a prophet, nor is anyone else here at Tomorrow’s World a prophet. However, we can read the prophecies recorded in the Bible, and by looking for the signs they give, we can have a general idea of when these prophecies will take place.

At the beginning of last year, I gave three trends to watch. According to the Bible these things will happen. It is only a matter of when, not if.

Trend 1: Religious Revival of False Christianity

The first trend I gave was:

1. Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity.

Now why would we say this when religion—especially Christian religion has been on the decline for decades?

We’ve been told that Bible sales and church attendance is up since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, but that is not what I’m describing here. Predictions coming from Tomorrow’s World are not based on polls or testing which way the wind blows, but on what the Bible tells us.

And what the Bible tells us is that there will be a charismatic miracle-working religious figure who will deceive hundreds of millions. Note that I said a revival of counterfeit Christianity.

False Christianity is not strictly an end-time phenomenon, as the scriptures reveal that it began very quickly in the first century.

Bible Verses About False Teachers

Jesus and His apostles warned us of this, but few take the warnings seriously. The Apostle Paul chided the church at Corinth for allowing themselves to be deceived on the most basic of doctrines (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

He went on to say that Satan has his ministers, and these are not those who claim to represent the devil, but those who claim to represent Christ. Notice it beginning in verse 13.

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, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, declared that there were those who turned God’s grace into license to sin. Notice it, Jude the first chapter verse 4.

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:4).

And notice this caution given by Jesus in Matthew 24, the very first sign He gave when asked about the end of the age. Notice it (verse 4).

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name [that is, claiming to speak for Him], saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ [in other words, admitting that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah] and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4).

While false Christianity has been around from the first century, this warning by Jesus explains the identity of the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6, the first of the famous four horsemen. The second, third, and fourth are easily discerned, but the first has been almost universally misunderstood. Most commentators identify it with Christ, or the church conquering for Christ. Yet when you compare Jesus’ Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24, you will see that the first sign of the end will be false Christianity.

Trend #1: Watch for a worldwide revival in counterfeit Christianity.

Trend 2: Escalating War in the Middle East

The next trend was:

2. There will be continuing conflict in the Middle East that will lead to Christ’s return.

There was great conflict in the Middle East last year, but you may say that 2025 also saw Hamas release the hostages and agree to a peace treaty with Israel.

As I’m preparing to record this program, I have no idea how many twists and turns may occur between when it is recorded and when it airs. There will be ups and downs, but one thing is certain—a lasting peace will not come until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, returns. In fact, one reason for His return is to save the Jewish people from total destruction.

Furthermore, when peace at last appears to be here, sudden destruction will follow. Notice it in 1 Thessalonians 5, beginning in verse 1.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

Trend 3: Animal Sacrifices in Jerusalem

The third of last year’s trends involved a very specific event.

3. Watch for daily sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

Now that’s based on a prophecy in Daniel 12:11.

End-Time Prophecy: Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 12, Matthew 24)

We read there that sacrifices will be stopped three years and seven months prior to the coming of the Messiah, and for them to stop, they must first begin.

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days (Daniel 12:11).

Jesus also spoke of this time as the greatest time of trouble the world has ever seen—or ever will see.

Therefore when you see the “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand)…. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:15-22).

These three trends that I gave last year are still relevant today.

• There will be a revival in counterfeit Christianity.
• War will continue in the Middle East with the focus on Jerusalem, without regard to any temporary cease-fires.
• And daily sacrifices will begin.

While the title of this program is “2026 and Beyond”, we simply cannot know the exact timing of most end-time events. However, any thinking person realizes our world is in trouble.

The Antichrist that I spoke of earlier may not show up this year, but it’s not unreasonable to think he will burst onto the scene within the next very few years.

End-Time Prophecies About Jerusalem

It was foretold 2,500 years ago that there would be a militarily powerful Jewish state in control of Jerusalem during the years leading up to Christ’s return. Notice this remarkable prophecy in Zechariah 12, beginning in verse 2.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah 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. . . . 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 12:2-6).

Consider—how could anyone know 2,500 years ago the following points revealed in this passage of Scripture?

• Jerusalem would be in existence.
• It would be the focus of trouble on the world scene.
• There would be a Jewish state controlling Jerusalem.
• All the nations of the earth are against the Jewish state.
• They would be militarily powerful and overcome enemies on all sides.

Now, is that not exactly what we see today?

Furthermore, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, gathered all his sons together and foretold what would become of them “in the last days” (Genesis 49:1).

That was more than 3,500 years ago. And what did he foretell for his son Judah—the Jews? Notice it in verse 9.

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? (Genesis 49:9).

Iran and their proxies Hamas and Hezbollah would have done well to read that before poking the lion.

Nevertheless, there is coming a time when Jesus will need to return to save the Jewish people from disaster, as shown in Zechariah 14:1-3.

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. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.

Trend 4: Rapid German Military Build-Up

Thus far I’ve reviewed three trends to watch, given at the beginning of last year. Now let me add to this list two more. Trend number 4:

4. Watch for a German-led remilitarized Europe.

We here at Tomorrow’s World have for decades been warning about a military resurgence in Europe, and most especially in Germany. Even American presidents could not cajole that country—and others—to step up to the plate to take on a greater role in the defense of Europe, but Russian President Putin accomplished that in a matter of hours following the invasion of Ukraine.

Who would have thought even a year ago that Germany and other European nations would boost defense spending by a whopping 5% of GDP? Yet today, that is the trajectory on which most are committed. And the speed in which they are ramping up military spending and preparing for war is astounding.

German thinking is perhaps best summarized by General Carsten Breuer as reported by the BBC.

“We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that”…. He warns that Nato should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years…. “And the sooner we are prepared the better” (Germany decides to leave history in the past and prepare for war, BBC.com, March 31, 2025).

End-Time Prophecies About the Beast Power

The books of Daniel and Revelation reveal a ten-nation military and economic colossus to arise in Europe at the time of the end—in effect, a revived Roman Empire. Notice that only the true servants of God will see this coming (Revelation 17:8).

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And [notice this,] those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

People have scoffed at the idea of a remilitarized Germany, but that is what we are seeing today. If the Bible says it will happen, it will. So:

Trend #4: Watch for a German-led remilitarized Europe.

And 1 Thessalonians 5 gives us a warning not to get caught up in the euphoria of a false peace. Notice it in verse 1.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

Trend 5: Man Would Rather Believe a Lie Than the Truth

Now let me give a fifth vitally important trend to watch:

5. Nominal Christians will follow traditions over truth.

Jesus chided the Pharisees of His day for this very thing.

They came to Him complaining that His disciples did not wash in a ritualistic manner before eating. This was not a law of God, but a tradition of the elders. Notice Jesus’ strong response in Matthew 15:7-9.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

Some translations put an erroneous twist on this account by claiming that Jesus did away with the laws of clean and unclean meats—laws that go back to the time of Noah.

You can read that in Genesis 7:2. Look it up and see it for yourself—Genesis 7:2.

But Jesus left no doubt about the subject being discussed here.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man (Matthew 15:19).

Placing tradition over truth has been a perpetual problem and don’t expect that trend to stop anytime soon.

As historians Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, Edward Gibbon, Will Durant, and many others record, the Christianity of Christ, His apostles, and first-century Christianity no longer exists.

Søren Kirkegaard states bluntly:

The Christianity of the New Testament simply does not exist…. what has to be done is to throw light upon a criminal offense against Christianity, prolonged through centuries, perpetuated by millions (more or less guiltily), whereby they have cunningly, under the guise of perfecting Christianity, sought little by little to cheat God out of Christianity, and have succeeded in making Christianity exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament. (Kierkegaard’s Attack Upon “Christendom”, translated by Walter Lowrie, 1946, pp. 32–33).

The Truth Protects You from the Antichrist

Without realizing it, most professing Christians are already immersed in the spirit of antichrist.

How can you be certain that you will not be deceived by the Antichrist? Here are five suggestions.

#1: Order your free copy of Who or What Is the Antichrist?

It is free for the asking and you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so do it today.

#2: Don’t be a collector—open it up and read it.

We find that many people have good intentions and order our literature, but not everyone takes the time to read it. A resource sitting on your coffee table unopened will do you no good. So open it and read it.

#3: Pray for understanding and look up the scriptures provided.

As we often say here at Tomorrow’s World, “Don’t believe us just because we say it. Open your Bible and prove it for yourself.”

#4: Ask challenging questions about traditions handed down to you.

For example:

• Why do you believe what you do?
• Why is the name of the supposed most sacred day of the Christian calendar named after a pagan fertility goddess and celebrated with fertility symbols—eggs, rabbits, lilies, etc.

Think about that. Does that make any sense?

• Why was the date of the birth of the sun god Mithra selected to commemorate Jesus’ birth?
• Further, why is the birthdate of Christ nowhere found in Scripture if God wanted us to celebrate it?

And here is another one:

• Are the unconverted who never even heard of the name of Christ going to suffer in hell forever?

That’s a long punishment for someone who never had a chance.

Most people follow family traditions and never challenge where these traditions come from. Frankly, most people don’t care, but they should!

What about you?

And finally, and most importantly,

#5: Act on what you learn.

When the Bible tells you not to worship God in the way the heathen do, do you continue following heathen customs and traditions handed down by family and friends? Or do you have the courage to go against the crowd and obey God? Perhaps your mother asked you: “Just because your friend jumps off a cliff, will you do the same?”

Good advice from Mom.

Choose to Live by the Word of God

When Jesus said in Matthew 19:17, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments,” do you believe Him? Or do you believe your preacher who says you don’t have to keep the commandments? And how about what the Apostle John wrote in his first letter (1 John 2:4-6)?

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Now we understand that we are all sinners and cannot save ourselves by our works, but does that mean the law of God, which defines sin, no longer needs to be kept? Do we understand what Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in Jude 4?

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 4).

Knowing Bible prophecy and what is coming means nothing unless you act on what you know.

So, dear friends, in the year 2026 I hope you will act on what you know. There are difficult times ahead and only those who truly put God first will find the way of escape.

Be sure to order your free copy of Who or What Is the Antichrist? And be sure to come back again next week when Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I will bring you more good news of the coming Kingdom of God and explain the prophecies of the Bible. See you next time.

Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected.

And if you want a free study guide related to this topic, just click the link. See you in the next video.